“Laws are like sausages. It’s better to not see them being made.” – Coffee News Vol 130:4

Which are the books Kiwis (New Zealanders) most love to read?

1. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

2. The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien.

3. Harry Potter by J K Rowling.

“WHITCOULLS TOP 100 BOOKS”

“As voted by New Zealanders”

Where are the books New Zealanders most love to read highlighted? You find the books in the “THE WHITCOULLS TOP 100″.

When I came across the list for the first time in 2008 I wrote the post “SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!”  Please read the post on this blog. In 2008 the BIBLE occupied position number 14!

Not long ago I picked up the latest list (At least I think it is the latest!) and I find that the BIBLE occupies position number 69.

In about 4 years the BIBLE has slipped from position number 14 to position number 69!

THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD, SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE BOOK IN OUR NATION!

Wishful thinking?

“YOU MUST TRUST AND BELIEVE IN PEOPLE OR LIFE BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE.” – Anton Chekhov (Russian writer)

“STOP TRUSTING IN MAN, WHO HAS BUT A BREATH IN HIS NOSTRILS. OF WHAT ACCOUNT IS HE?” – Isaiah 2:22

“DAILY READINGS from the Works of MARTYN LLOYD-JONES” is the title of the book. Frank Cumbers has selected the DAILY READINGS and in his Foreword he is writing that Martyn-Lloyd Jones did not suffer fools gladly.

DO YOU SUFFER FOOLS GLADLY?

HEART health check:

“For out of the heart come

1. evil thoughts,

2. murder,

3. adultery,

4. sexual immorality,

5. theft,

6. false testimony,

7. slander.” -

THE BIBLE

Read also Jeremiah 17:9

But there is this promise in Ezekiel 36:26

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Read also Ezekiel 18:31

The Acts Church is not very from where we live and I have known the pastor of the church for many years and it was a blessing today to sit under his ministry.

Inland Revenue Department & Finanzamt Neubrandenburg.

At the present time I am in contact with two Tax Departments, one is here in New Zealand (IRD) and the other one in Germany (Finanzamt Neubrandenburg).

The reason why they are in contact with me is that I receive a small pension from Germany since 2005.

Since 2005 I pay tax on my small German pension here in New Zealand and the payment for the next bill is due at the beginning of February this year.

In 2011 the German Tax Department asked me for the first time to pay tax on my German pension. At the beginning of this year I received tax bills for the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, six in all. The deadline to pay the six bills is the 5th of March this year. 

All this  is really bad news for me and I am only at the beginning of this nasty development.

Whether I want to or not I have to work on this tax business.

So far you don’t find many January 2012 posts on this blog. And I don’t want to give you the tax business as an excuse.

But I will tell you more about this tax business in the FUTURE…………….

Learning to SURF

Ninety Mile Beach, Waipapakauri Ramp

You must click on the images to enlarge them!

Do you have difficulties? Are you standing before Obstacles?

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which DIFFICULTIES disappear and OBSTACLES vanish.” – John Quincy Adams

You can find that quote in the publication called COFFEE NEWS under “Quotable Quotes”. (Vol 130:3)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,…………………. ” – The Bible (First Corinthians 13:4)

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – The Bible (First Corinthians 13:7)

Are you not encouraged to read the Bible, after reading the above? I hope you are!

“Family violence remains key issue for New Zealand,” I am reading in PANUI, a publication of the Ministry of  Women’s Affairs. (December 2011)

There are several initiatives in operation that work to bring the Family violence rate down:

There is the campaign called It’s Not Ok.

Another campaign is  the White Ribbon campaign.

The police is also focussing on Family violence.

Government agencies are also supportive in preventing and responding to Family Violence.

The same is true of non-government agencies.

The principal Family Court Judge said “that continuing investment in violence  programmes  and support for victims  of violence is needed.”

Who is attacking the family?

Satan is attacking the family! What are the defenses  against the attacks of the devil?

The best defense is the Word of God. The Bible, the Word of God is the “sword of truth.” We must put on the whole armour of  God.

We must read the Bible together as a family. We must change Family violence into family devotions. We must pray for one another daily by name . We must commit our marriage to Christ and make Him the center of our home.