Oh, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!!, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVE (EMPTYBELLY)!!! Today is his day!!
Today is his day!! Glory to God!!

His online ministry is being launched. Dave is an Aussie who lives in England. And this morning, British time, his church is holding a special commissioning service to launch Partake Ministries.

His podcasts are here… davegroberts.podbean.com/

The Lord has been growing this ministry, with many people from around the world listening to the podcasts, especially in China. Isn’t God GOOD??? And isn’t it wonderful to know that He is also a high-tech God?… even bigger that the Internet!!

He commissioned us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and look at the way that is happening today!!

Please check out Dave’s Podbean site, and listen to and/or download his podcasts. Please pray as the gospel goes out around the globe, and especially pray today!!

Dave is also working on a new homepage for Partake. I will give you the link when it is ready.

Thank you, and may God bless you!! If you support Dave and this ministry, I know you will be more than blessed!!

Questions!!??

Questions!!??, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

Ever feel like that life doesn’t make sense?… that it has dealt you a raw deal?

King David did too!! But he did find an answer…

Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”

My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be…

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Saviour and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you…
I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.

“O God my rock,” I cry,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

(Psalm 42:3-11, NLT)

Let’s sit down and chat!!

Let’s sit down and chat!!, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

Notice how seats like this are not made for one!! They are made to share.

How easy is it for us not to take time for the people that matter to us in life? And not to mention the other people around us, who we’d sooner not matter to us?

I had this hit home to me this morning!! Lying in bed, listening to the Christian radio station, I heard a message about how relationships matter.

At one time, someone had asked Jesus what was the most important thing to God. He said…

“Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31, NKJ)

So our relationship with God, and our relationship with others, go together. Our love for God is seen in our love for one another.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7, NKJ)

Late Arvo down an Aussie Bush Track near Our Place!

I’m getting some shots in, because we are moving soon.  It looks like we have a buyer for our house.  That means lots of packing in the next few weeks.  And where do we go?  Only the Lord knows, but it’s not too far from here.

I pray that I still have heaps of photo ops!!

Pea Flower Parade!!

“And why worry about your clothing?

“Look at the (flowers) of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”

- Jesus (Matthew 6:28-30, NLT)

Leap for JOY!!

“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.” (Luke 6:23, NLT)

Some shots I managed to get from my friend’s backyard. They are regular visitors there.  This is a red-necked wallaby.

Seriously now!! This is FUNNY!!

Meet my office assistant, Sir Bassy!!  He really loves helping out in the office, and he has a keen interest in the equipment.

For instance, when he hears the printer start up, he’s out to the office in a shot.  He needs to check that the paper feeds through okay!!

Oh, that we would see!!

From Psalm 119 in the Amplified version.

Forget not!!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not ALL his benefits!! (Psalm 103:2, NKJ)

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! (Psalm 68:19, NKJ)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NKJ)

The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”  So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” (Galatians 3:7-9, NLT)

O, how we can take things for granted.

This is the pair of Rainbow Lorikeets that have claimed our place.  It was two years ago this week, that the first one, Lulu, came.  We thought she must have been someone’s pet, because she seemed fairly tame, but not tame enough to touch.

So we gave her some bread and honey.  She came back a couple more times, and then one day, she brought her friend.  And then a few weeks later there were MORE friends!!  The most I’ve counted at one time is 24.

Anyhow, none of the other lorikeets have become as tame as our two.  And Lorri and Lulu visit us everyday lately.  If we don’t come in a hurry, they will sit on the front door and look inside.

But, as beautiful as they are, they have become such commonplace around here, that I can tend to take them for granted, and forget what a blessing they are!!

O, how we need to so often remind ourselves, not to forget all God’s blessings to us, especially if we belong to Christ!!  But how could we ever count them all??

Words for the Weary…

Here are some thoughts from the Bible on “Yokes and Burdens” …

Firstly, some words from Jesus:

“At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30, NKJ)

So what was this heavy burden Jesus referred to?  I believe it was the yoke of legalism. Looking at the Law legalistically will rub and be burdensome, and one will be weighed down with lots of do’s and don’t’s!

But Christ came to fulfill the Law.  His was a law of love.  He told us that if we love Him, we will fulfill the Law.  The best bit is that we will have the “want to” to do it and it won’t be a burden.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1, NKJ)

And some MORE SCRIPTURES… (from NKJ)

Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 23:23-24
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 6:1-3
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”