Thursday 15 December 2016

Don't speak - don't move

1 Kings 18v42..
So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,”

·  Elia het hom neergebuig en gebid
·  Hy het reeds verklaar: “There is the sound of abundance of rain – (daar was NIKS tekens v reen nie. Hy het dit in geloof verklaar en in die gees ‘gehoor’) in v41
·  Jou werk is om NET te fokus op God se werking in die geestelike – moenie loer of die reen (of antwoord op jou gebed) al sigbaar is nie.
·  Bly neergebuig en BID en vertrou
·  WANT jy wandel in lyn met God se wil en God se Woord
·  Moenie in die vlees interfere nie – Hy IS besig
·  V46: The hand of the Lord was on Elijah

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Voor ons praat of doen VRA EERS: 

Am I [H A L T]
·   Hungry
·   Angry
·   Lonely
·   Tired

If YES to any of the above – DON’t SPEAK DON’T MOVE – jy gaan die verkeerde ding sĂȘ.

Buig jou neer. En wees STIL. Laat jou vlees eers genoeg rus. Vul jou gees met Woord – sodat elke daad ‘n gevolg is van ‘n vol gees – en nie ‘n moeg liggaam nie.

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Toe Vergifnis aan die kruis gesterf het….

Ons as christene het ‘n gesindheid begin inneem om dit wat vergeefbaar is, onvergeefbaar te maak. Jesus het soveel deurgemaak in Sy journey op aarde en toe Hy die dag aan die kruis sterf was dit met ‘n doel. Sy kruisdood het vir ons vergifnis gebring vir ons sondes, ons verkeerd; (ons verslawings, ons verkeerde gesindhede, ons losbandigheid, ons negatiwiteit, skinder, leuentaal, ongehoorsaamheid …)

Hoekom dan terwyl ons weet wat die Here ons al voor vergewe het, is dit so moeilik om ander om ons te vergewe. Hoekom is dit so maklik om eerder te oordeel en te kritiseer. Dit terwyl ons eerstehands vergifnis geproe en ervaar het en sooo oneindig dankbaar was toe ons besef het daar is vir ons foute genade!

Wat het van ons geword? Wat het van ons christene geword?
Ons is veronderstel om ‘n veilige hawe te wees en al wat ons doen ons sit mense terug in tronke terwyl daar vryheid vir hul aangekondig is!

Why have we, as Christians made the forgivable unforgivable?


Thursday 3 November 2016

When u r at the end of your rope

MATH 5.3-16
 
You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
 
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
 
 
 

Thursday 20 October 2016

Prostitution...

You have forgotten Me and turned your back on Me, so You will be punished for your sinning and prostitution...



In Ezekiel 23, the prophet condemns the immorality of both Samaria of Northern Israel (23:4,5-10) and Jerusalem of Judah (23:4,11-21). In summarizing the history of these Israelite cities, God likens them to two sisters who became harlots at a young age (23:3,19) and continued their practice to an old age (23:43). Instead of being faithful to God, they constantly turned their affections to nations like Egypt (23:3) and embraced all of their idols and false worship.

The people of Samaria also became infatuated with the might and religion of Assyria (23:5-7), and incorporated its immorality into their lives. Meanwhile they never gave up their lust for Egypt (23:8).

God would punish Samaria by delivering her "into the hands of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted" (23:9-10). In other words, God allowed this foreign nation, with whom she was fascinated, to execute judgment upon her for her sin.

At the time Ezekiel spoke these words, the nation of Samaria had already been punished for its sin and destroyed by the Assyrians. The prophet speaks of this as an example lesson to the Israelites in Jerusalem. He then declared that Jerusalem herself had become defiled by a lust for the sin of Egypt (23:19-21), Assyria (23:12) and Babylon (23:14-18). She not only followed in "the same way" of unfaithfulness as her sister Samaria (23:13), she became more corrupt (23:11). Thus God would likewise punish her (23:22-35). As God sent the Assyrians to destroy Samaria in 721 B.C., He sent the Babylonians to level Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

The great lesson of Ezekiel 23 is that we must learn from the mistakes of others. The Israelites in Judah and Jerusalem should have learned from the errors of their brethren in Samaria. Sin and idolatry brought the wrath of God upon Samaria to its extinction as a nation. Why didn't the people of Jerusalem reason that if they did the same things, that they would receive the same punishment? Failure to do so cost them their city, their temple, their lives and their souls.

The Bible abounds in examples of ungodly people being punished -- even those who were once faithful to Him. Let's take warning from these passages and not become infatuated with the sin of this world. Instead, let's serve the God of Heaven with diligence




 

Dress code

The armour of God should be your lifestyle...not a dress code

 

Tuesday 18 October 2016

Working with Difficult People

God used a raven, a bird considered 'unclean' in Jewish culture, to feed the prophet Elijah during a famine.
Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with funds provided by a heathen king.

The point is: Don't limit God. Sometimes the people we'd normally shun are the very ones He uses to provide what we need, and by shutting them out we forfeit a blessing He has in mind for us.

Be careful; your tendency to be 'picky' can end up hurting you! The truth is, you can't avoid working with difficult people. God planned it that way.

Why? Because He wants you to grow in the midst of negativity without getting sucked into it.

David developed the ability to work with people who were hard to get along with. It doesn't get much harder than working for a boss with an evil spirit! At first David enjoyed King Saul's favor, but after he killed Goliath, Saul sought to kill him. Yet David never changed his strategy. He stayed in Saul's house because he knew his destiny was there. And because of the wisdom he exhibited, he ended up owning the place! God's principles are timeless. David didn't limit himself, and he didn't limit God. He understood that people fall into two categories: 'Vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor.' And God uses both. Getting his eyes off people, and being neither impressed nor depressed by them, afforded David great opportunities because he freed others up to be used by God.

So learn to get along with difficult people; your greatest challenge today may be the person who assists and blesses you tomorrow.
 

Thursday 29 September 2016

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Wednesday 28 September 2016

Wives...cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit

Wives and Husbands..

Likewise you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, so that if any do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,  as they see the purity and reverence of your lives.  Do not let your adorning be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine clothing.  But let it be the hidden nature of the heart, that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  For in this manner, in the old times, the holy women, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You are her children as long as you do right and are not afraid with any terror.
 
Likewise, you husbands, live considerately with your wives, giving honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they too are also heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

1 Peter 3.1-7

Thursday 22 September 2016

...worse than thieves

Gossip are worse than thieves; they steal another persons dignity, honest reputation and credibility. Which are challenging to restore. REMEMBER - When your feet slip you can recover your balance But when your TONGUE slips you can not recover your WORDS

 

Tuesday 30 August 2016

find me in the river

I want and need to rise above all my bad habits. I need to break free from this  self-destructive cycle that I have allowed in my life. Like Paul said "My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak".

I want to experience God on a new level, I want to surrender my all - holding nothing back from God. I want to be ashamed of nothing.  I want to be able to face God with a clear conscience.

So today, I officially begin this journey. For the next 21 days I have committed to rewrite negative feelings and thoughts and ideas - addressing my thinking towards permanent progress in any area and stopping the cycle of shame and defeat.  I have had enough. I mean business and I know God is saying... You go girl!  With feverent prayers and petitions I will move forward. I will call unto my God who hears me when I call.  I know it is His desire for me to be fulfilled, to be a conquerer, to be more.
 
What are your cravings? Anything you would like to put under God's control?
Alcohol
Sex
Internet, Facebook, twitter, television
Drugs
Attention
Sympathy
Negative thoughts
Rejection

'find me in the river with my soul laid bare....'
 

I love You


If I was a painter, I would use the sky as my canvas so that the whole world would see how much I love You. I would use all the colours on my palette to be creative and daring to find more shades to describe how much You mean to me. I would paint a picture that would say a thousand words and I will sign it…’with love’

If I was a comedian I would amuse You with jokes and quotes. I would make You laugh until Your stomach hurts. I would playfully humor and entertain You.

If I was a poet I would charm You with words pleasingly arrayed that would make sense of the feelings that I cannot put to words.

If I was a sculptor, I would stun You with a piece of art that would show You how much I appreciate everything you have ever done for me.

But I am not a painter, a poet nor a comedian. I am just me. I don’t know how 2 express my love for You in fancy ways or with colourful words. I just don’t know.

But I know this… I love You with all my heart.

Thursday 25 August 2016

I'm Weak, But still Anointed

"And I am weak today, though anointed king;" (2 Samuel 3:39)

This was spoken from the mouth of King David following the cruel battles of the house of Saul and the house of David. David was exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually from all that had transpired since his inauguration as King. Brothers were killing brothers, and life was throwing curve balls at David. He never even got to enjoy his first few days as King. 

However, here is the point I wish to make to those of you who know God has anointed you for a particular assignment. Being weak doesn’t mean your anointing is. This is one of the revelations we need to receive as God’s children that we don’t operate out of the weak identity of the flesh. What makes us powerful is the Spirit of God in us and the anointing upon us. It is the anointing that will make up for your fleshly weakness. 

Jesus said this to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." How many people get discouraged because they identify their weakness to determine their effectiveness? I have found over the years that I get better results when I feel in the natural I was less effective. Why is it that way? “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (weak), that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:7) God likes to take the weak and show Himself strong through them, so that at the end of their assignment He gets all the glory for it. 

It’s time to be like the Apostle Paul and say, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Remember it doesn’t matter how gifted, talented, or charismatic you are, if you don’t have the anointing nothing will change either way. So you may be weak, but remember you are anointed!
 

Guest Article – Mark Casto

Tuesday 23 August 2016

five little stones

On my way to the office one morning, I heard this song on the radio and immediately fell in love with the lyrics because it captures a peace of my own heart:...
 
It never was about the oil dripping from my head
I never did dream beyond the pastures I could tend
It was never about the praise, not about the street parade
I didn't really need a crowd when Goliath fell down
 
I never meant to woo a king with simple shepherd songs
Or hide away inside a cave, safe from danger's arms
I never meant to wear a crown or try to bring armies down
It never was about me and who I hoped to be
 
Five little stones or a royal robe
Shepherd or king doesn't mean a thing
'Cause at the end of the day
I want to hear people say:
My heart looks like Your heart!
 
[Your heart from Chris Tomlin]

Connected to the Vine


I want to get to the place

Where I can meet with my Saviour

face to face

I need to connect with my Source

Who will aid me to withstand all evil force

that’s keeping me from entering the bridal chamber

It is in Him that a find peace in the midst of all the danger

He delivers me from all evil

Surrounds me with a legion of angels

Blesses me with His presence

Anoints me with His oil

and aligns me with His truth

He is the Great I Am!

Monday 22 August 2016

Tearing down barriers

...And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I’m being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I’m with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don’t force me to take a hard line when I’m present with you. Don’t think that I’ll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I’m an unprincipled opportunist. Then they’ll have to eat their words.

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can’t see the forest for the trees. If you’re looking for a clear example of someone on Christ’s side, why do you so quickly cut me out? Believe me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ. You may think I overstate the authority He gave me, but I’m not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of building you up, after all, not tearing you down.

[2 Cor 1-8]

His Sovereignty


He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe; people and things, animals and elements —get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross.
Colossians 1:19-29 [MSG]

Thursday 11 August 2016

My Commanding Officer

My Commanding Officer
I am in the army of God.
Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Prayer are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army.
I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this army at the rapture or die in this army.
But I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable and dependable.

I am not a wimp.  I am in place saluting my King. Obeying His orders, praising His Name and training up His disciples. No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for or catered to.  I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.  I  cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot defeat me. Money cannot buy me. And hell cannot handle me.

Even death cannot destroy me, for when my Commander calls me from this battle field, He will promote me to captain and then bring me back to rule this world with Him.

I am marching around claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a christian soldier marching heaven-bound.

Here I stand, division will not make me fall.
Will you stand with me?
 
http://men-under-construction.blogspot.co.za/2011/08/my-commander-officer.html

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Elijah

One of the most important things the Lord has ever spoken to me is taken from a passage of Scripture involving Elijah the prophet. Once I saw what it was really saying, it linked many other truths together and made a big impact on my life. This is so simple that once you see it, you’re going to wonder how you never saw it before.
 
Here’s what it says in 1 Kings 17:2-4:
And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, [3] Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. [4] And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
 
Elijah’s provision wasn’t where he was; it was where God told him to go! This is profound!
Some of you have an impression from God to do something. Maybe you’re supposed to start a new business, make a job change, move to another town, go to Bible college, speak to a person, etc. You want to do it, but you’re holding back because the provision isn’t there yet. You’re saying, “God, I can’t do what You’re asking without first seeing the provision. How do I know all these things are going work out‌” This principle in 1 Kings applies directly to your situation. God is sending the provision for your needs not to where you are but to where He told you to go! The question is, “Are you all ‘there’‌” Some of you aren’t experiencing supernatural provision because you aren’t “there.”
 
There is a place called “there” for you.
 
In verse 4, God said, “I have commanded the ravens,” (emphasis mine), meaning He had already spoken to these ravens and they were on their way to where Elijah was supposed to go.
First Kings 17:5 says,
 
So [Elijah] went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
 
In other words, if Elijah had stayed where he was, he could have prayed and fasted, saying, “God, why haven’t You supplied my needs‌” But he wouldn’t have seen God’s provision if he hadn’t gone where God instructed.
 
One of the reasons we aren’t seeing a greater provision from God financially, emotionally, or in our circumstances is because we aren’t doing what God told us to do. We’ve got a word from God that we haven’t acted on. We’re somewhere other than where He told us to be.
 
Now, this is an important point because I preach on the grace of God a lot. I talk about how God’s grace is how He provides things and that it’s not based on our obedience or holiness. God loves us independent of our performance—that’s absolutely true! But does this mean obeying Him is unimportant‌ Just the opposite. I believe God has a plan for my life and that He chose me from my mother’s womb and ordained me to be a prophet and to minister. I believe He has great things planned for me, things earmarked for me that have my name on them. But if I hadn’t obeyed, stepped out, and done what He told me to do, God still would have provided, but I would have missed out on it. I had to go “there.” I don’t believe God just makes things come to pass; it takes cooperation on our part.
 
This isn’t intended to hurt or condemn anyone, because I know that some of you are thinking, Maybe that’s why things aren’t working in my life—I haven’t been obedient to what God told me to do! Well…that’s absolutely correct! It’s not that God won’t bless you because you haven’t obeyed Him; it’s that His blessing is over “there”! If the reason you won’t step out is because you’ve got some form of “security” but you’re miserable and things are just going wrong, I encourage you to do what God told you to do.
 
I played football in high school, and what I’m talking about is similar to how a quarterback throws a football to a wide receiver. A quarterback doesn’t throw the ball to where the receiver is; he throws it to where the receiver should be. If he doesn’t do that, he’ll miss the receiver. Likewise, God is meeting all of your needs—He’s sending His supply to where He told you to be.
 
Another great example of this is with our prospective Bible college students. The Lord gives them a word and tells them to come to Bible college, but they struggle with it because they’ve got good paying jobs, nice houses, families, and friends they don’t want to leave. The security of those things keeps them from taking a step of faith because they don’t see how God is going to provide. But I’ve seen what I’m sharing inspire hundreds of people. And when they get to their place called “there,” they find themselves with better jobs and better houses, and things work out. Their entire lives change. And there would have been no way to anticipate this before they took that step of faith. I’m telling you, when you get out of doubt and into your place called “there,” when you start doing what God called you to do, there is supernatural provision. This is one of the great lessons from the life of Elijah.
 
Let’s look at 1 Kings 17:6:
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
 
As I mentioned before, I believe that since God had already commanded the ravens, if Elijah hadn’t obeyed, God would still have been faithful to send the provision where He told him to go. I believe that these ravens would have brought bread and meat every morning and evening but that it all would have piled up beside the brook and gone to waste. Elijah could have starved to death even though God had been faithful to provide for his needs.
 
Here’s something else to consider: How did Elijah know which spot along the brook Cherith to go‌ If the brook was ten miles long, he could have been five or ten miles away from where the ravens were bringing him food. The ravens could fly faster than Elijah could walk or run. I’m convinced that one of the ways he knew he was at the right spot was because the ravens were already “there” with the bread and meat. When Elijah saw the provision God had promised, that was one of the signs that he was in the right place.
 
The same will be true of you when you step out. You have to take a step of faith with no guarantees that things are going to work. And then you will start seeing the provision of the Lord. It’ll be confirmation that you’re going in the right direction and doing what He told you to do. You’ll be able to say, “It was God who told me to do this.”
 
This is how it’s worked in my life. I haven’t seen God’s provision accidentally. I’ve applied what 1 Kings 17 is talking about and taken steps of faith to get where I am. And I’m going to keep taking steps of faith. All you have to do to get started is take a step of faith. There is a place called “there” for you. It’s not necessarily a location; you may not have to change where you live. It could just be an attitude change or decision you need to make. But when you take a step of faith and start following what God tells you to do, there is a supernatural flow of provision—not only of finances but also of peace, joy, blessing, anointing, influence, power, and authority—that you cannot duplicate with all your human effort. All of these kinds of things follow obeying the word of the Lord.
 
You can look at the life of Elijah; he was a nobody before he had a word from God and acted on it. But then—boom—after he stepped out in faith, he became the dominant figure in the nation. He was blessed, miracles began to happen, a person was raised from the dead, and a revival broke out. You’ve got to find your place called “there” and then get there! It’s imperative. I tell you, this could change your life if you would act on it.
 
 
[Andrew Wommack]

Monday 1 August 2016

The power of HOPE


Hope is second only to love in the Christian life (1 Cor. 13:13). Many believers might disagree with that, especially when you tell them hope involves imagination. But imagination dictates how your life goes, and if you're ever going to receive what God has for you, you'll need to understand that hope is a positive imagination. When you do, you'll be able to reject a negative imagination, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure in your life. Learn how to operate in a positive imagination today, and you'll know the true power of hope!

What Is Hope?
The anticipation, or the constant expectation, of good is how most people define hope. But the Bible says in Romans 8:24 that hope is for that which is not seen. How can you see something that isn't there? The answer may surprise you.

Hope Paints A Picture
A large percentage of what you experience in your life is a result of what is seen on the inside of your heart. Did you know that the Bible says you can change the direction of your life by using the hope that God has given you? Learn how hope can produce a picture that your faith can give substance to.

Developing Your Hope
Once we understand what hope is and what it can do, how do we develop it? If we can learn to understand the relationship between our hope, our imagination, and our understanding, it can truly make us ?stronger than horseradish.?

Looking Beyond The Natural
Nobody is as blind as someone who can see only with their eyes. That's a strong statement, but did you know that Jesus operated on that very principle? He saw things not only in the natural but also in the spirit. You can learn how to do the same thing and see supernatural results.

What Do You Expect?
Hope and expectation are two words to express the same thing. If your faith gives substance to what you hope for, then what you expect becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In this message, Andrew gives illustrations from the lives of Abraham, Elijah, and Paul to show that what they hoped for, what they expected, is exactly what came to pass in their lives.

[Andrew Womack]

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Even still


I belong


Slow and sweet we sway


You steady me,
slow and sweet, we sway…
Take the lead and I will follow, finally ready now, to close my eyes and just believe that You won't lead me where You don't go.

When my faith gets tired and my hope seems lost You spin me round and round and remind me of that song - the one You wrote for me and we dance and I've been told to pick up my sword and fight for love .. little did I know that Love had won for me here in Your arms.

You still my heart again and I breathe You in like I've never breathed 'till now..
And I will lock eyes with the One who's ransomed me, the One who gave me joy for mourning and I will lock eyes with the One who's chosen me. The One who set my feet to dancing.

It's nice to know I'm not alone - I found my home here in Your arms.


Friday 1 July 2016

Dry bones

Dem bones

I woke up with the words "dry bones to life" repeating in my spirit. I asked the Spirit what He was trying to say and He confirmed that there are people that have areas of their lives that have been lost. Hopes, dreams and vitality. Its time to resurrect the dry bones. I have put the whole passage below for you to process the various steps that Ezekiel had to take. It wasn't just speaking tot them, there was acknowledgment in faith that they could rise, it was prophesying over them and breathing life into them. Take those things that have dried up and died before Him, apply faith, declaration and life. God is doing a new thing and He will surprise and delight many with things they thought were never going tot happen and were lost.

Watch and see that the Lord is good.

2 And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry.
3 And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!
4 Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live;
6 And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise and behold, a shaking and trembling and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked and behold, there were sinews upon [the bones] and flesh came upon them and skin covered them over, but there was no breath or spirit in them.
9 Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.
11 Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord [your Sovereign Ruler], when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people.
14 And I shall put My Spirit in you and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord.
Eze 37

 
 
 

Wednesday 15 June 2016

The Bible


God take us back!


God take us back,
2 the place we began the simple pursuit
of nothing but You
The innocence of a heart in Your hands …
oh God take us back,
to an unswerving faith
in the power of Your name
A heart beating for Your kingdom to reign,

a church that is known for Your presence again

Thursday 9 June 2016

Broken hallelujah's

How many of our relationships are in ruins… perhaps it is your marriage-  once a solid fortress, but now only the ruins of a once safe place. Maybe its your relationship with your children….  Or even worse… your relationship with Jesus.

Hopefully, for a split second, I caught your attention and with it came the realization I was actually talking to you.

“Still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins

With my love and my sadness I come before You Lord. May heart’s in  thousand pieces, maybe even more. Yet I trust in this moment. You are with me somehow, and You have always been faithful. So Lord even now when all that I can sing is a broken hallelujah, when my only offering is shattered praise, still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins and I will worship You and give You thanks. You have given me much more than I deserve - How could I doubt Your goodness, Your wisdom, Your grace?

Lord hear my heart at this painful place, when all I can sing is a broken hallelujah when my only offering is shattered praise … UNTILL I rise up from these ruins

Friday 3 June 2016

KEEP ON keeping on


A wife’s prayers for her husband have a far greater effect on him than anyone else’s, even his mother’s. A mother’s prayers for her child are certainly fervent. But when a man marries, he leaves his father and mother and becomes one with his wife (Matthew 19:5). They are a team, one unit, unified in spirit. The strength of a man and wife joined together in God’s sight is far greater than the sum of the strengths of each of the two individuals. That’s because the Holy Spirit unites them and gives added power to their prayers.

This oneness gives us a power that the enemy doesn’t like. That’s why he devises ways to weaken it. He gives us whatever we will fall for, whether it be low self-esteem, pride, the need to be right, miscommunication, or the bowing to our own selfish desires. He will tell you lies like, “Nothing will ever change.” “Your failures are irreparable.” “There’s no hope for reconciliation.” “You’d be happier with someone else.” He’ll tell you whatever you will believe, because he knows if he can get you to believe it, there is no future for your marriage. If you believe enough lies, your heart will eventually be hardened against God’s truth.

In every broken marriage, there is at least one person whose heart is hard against God. When a heart becomes hard, there is no vision from God’s perspective. When we’re miserable in a marriage, we feel that anything will be an improvement over what we’re experiencing. But we don’t see the whole picture. We only see the way it is, not the way God wants it to become. When we pray, however, our hearts become soft toward God and we get a vision. We see there is hope. We have faith that He will restore all that has been devoured, destroyed, and eaten away from the marriage. “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25). We can trust Him to take away the pain, hopelessness, hardness, and unforgiveness. We are able to envision His ability to resurrect love and life from the deadest of places.

We each have to decide if you want your marriage to work, and if we want it badly enough to do whatever is necessary, within healthy parameters, to see it happen. We have to believe the part of your relationship that has been eaten away by pain, indifference, and selfishness can be restored. We have to trust that what has swarmed over us, such as abuse, death of a child, infidelity, poverty, loss, catastrophic illness, or accident, can be relieved of its death grip. We have to determine that everything consuming us and our spouse, such as workaholism, alcoholism, drug abuse, or depression, can be destroyed, We have to know that whatever has crept into our relationship so silently and stealthily as to not even be perceived as a threat until it is clearly present — such as making idols of our career, our dreams, our kids, or our selfish desires — can be removed. We have to trust that God is big enough to accomplish all this and more.

If you wake up one morning with a stranger in your bed and it’s your husband (or wife), if you experience a silent withdrawal from one another’s lives that severs all emotional connection, if you sense a relentless draining away of love and hope, if your relationship is in so bottomless a pit of hurt and anger that every day sends you deeper into despair, if every word spoken drives a wedge further between you until it becomes an impenetrable barrier keeping you miles apart, be assured that none of the above is God’s will for your marriage. God’s will is to break down all these barriers and lift you out of that pit. He can heal the wounds and put love back in your heart. Nothing and no one else can. But you have to rise up and say, “Lord, I pray for an end to this conflict and a breaking of the hold strife has on us. Take away the hurt and the armor we’ve put up to protect ourselves. Lift us out of the pit of unforgiveness. Speak through us so that our words reflect Your love, peace, and reconciliation. Tear down this wall between us and teach us how to walk through it. Enable us to rise up from this paralysis and move into the healing and wholeness You have for us.”
 
[Stormie Omartian]

Wednesday 1 June 2016

'n Man se verraad


My man vind die Here, neem ‘n besluit om Hom te volg en vir die eerste keer in die grootste gedeelte van my menswees, voel ek veilig.
Veilig dat my huwelik veilig is. Veilig dat my man die Here se aangesig sal soek wanneer groot besluite geneem moet word. Veilig dat wanneer hy besluite neem wat ek nie mee saamstem nie, ek tog sal onderdanig bly omdat ek in hom glo. Glo dat hy my belange altyd op die hart sal dra en my ten alle tye sal beskerm.
Elke keer wanneer ons in die kerk is, oor die Here gesels, by bidgroepe bymekaar kom, op aanbiddingskampe is, word my man vir my net mooier. Wanneer hy sy hande uitsteek na die Here en hom aanbid kan ek my oĂ« nie van my man afhou nie. Dis sooo mooi. Ek is verlief daarop om te sien hoe verlief my man op die Here is. Hoe hy Hom aanroep en aanbid. Sulke oomblikke is in my geheue inge-ets en ek neem ‘n besluit dat wanneer donker wolke bokant ons dreig, ek dit sal oproep en daarin gaan staan totdat ek druppend vol van genade daaruit kan tree.
En toe ‘n donderstorm met geweld bokant my uitbars, onthou ek niks van my goeie voornemens nie en voel dit asof ‘n weerligstraal my van my voete af ruk.
My man het ‘n verhouding met ‘n ander vrou. ‘n Ouer vrou. Hoe gebeur dit? ‘n Ouer vrou? Ek het myself in ‘n maalkolk van vrae ingedink, totdat ek dronk geword het van al die heen en weer in my soeke na antwoorde. Was dit eerder van wyn – daaruit kan ek nog van nugter word en my vinger op druk.
Ek is vir die wolwe gegooi. Die verwoesting van sy verraad ruk my hart aan flarde. Hoe kon my mooie man wat die Here so liefhet, so afdwaal dat hy met ons, met my, kon dobbel?

‘n Ouer vrou? Die naakte waarheid is net te veel – ek besef ek het gefaal.
Ek is geweeg en te lig gevind. As vrou, as sy maat.
Ek het te besig geraak met my eie dinge en nie ag geslaan op die rooi ligte wat helder rooi flikker terwyl 'n storm aan't broei is nie. 
Hoe las jy iets wat gebreek het sonder blywende skade. Hoe droom mens weer van vooraf.
Ironies hoe mens vir jare aan iets bou en in enkele sekondes kan alles aan skerwe lé.
Ek moet uit hierdie donker gat uit kom. Ek moet erens asem skep, my longe vol suurstof trek en my hartkloppings stil…doef-doef is al wat ek in die doods-snikke van die nag hoor.
Doods-snikke. Ek wonder of ek in staat is om te glo iets kan uit die dood uit opgewek word – as jy nie eens besef het iets is dood nie.
Ek kry myself weer bakhand staan voor die Here. Verlee en verdwaald. Kaal gestroop van voorgee.
Met niks anders om aan te bied buiten ‘n gestroopte hart soos ‘n land na oestyd…
 
Ek rig my oĂ« op na die berge…my hulp sal van die Here kom wat hemele en aarde gemaak het
dis my hoop
dis my geloof
dis my redding