I got to think about life as I knew
it as a child. I realised that in t
Being single again.
Thursday 8 October 2015
PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING OF YOUR HOME.
The other day I was listening to my
children and my dad talking about life. One of their questions was whether
there was divorce in my dad’s days. He is 85 years old, so obviously his answer
was no. So I was standing there wondering why it was so obviously no.
Monday 28 September 2015
OBEDIENCE
I was
blessed with a car a week ago and I wondered why God is so good to me. I don’t
deserve a thing and yet He blessed me with a car. Why? The Bible says that if
you are obedient you will be blessed. I am convinced that this is in response
to my obedience in a certain matter a while ago. Don't make a mistake. Not for
a second do I think I deserved this because I was so good. No I just believe
that this is God's way of looking after His children. To be a child of God you
have to obey His Word. You see I almost got involved in a situation that could
have put me right back where I was 3years ago and would have been in direct
disobedience to God’s Word. I just wanted it so bad, but I knew it was not what
God wanted me to do. Sure the lines were a bit blurred and if I wanted to I
could have reasoned my way into it, but it still would not have been in line
with God’s Word. I had to make a choice. Do I want to follow my natural
instincts or go against everything I wanted to do and obey God's Word? I
eventually knew I had to let go and allow God and I am so glad I made the right
choice. Right choice not because God blessed me, but because it allowed me to
keep my peace.
This
morning I was in a similar situation. Our pastor has been talking to us a lot
about giving our tithe every month. He wants us to give the money because we
really get the revelation that 90% is more than a 100%. It is not our money in
the first place, but God's money. He wants us to understand that God wants us
to rely on Him and Him alone.
So this
whole tithe thing has been bothering me for a while now. End of last year I
tried it, but thinking back I think maybe I wasn't completely at the right
place. I gave a tenth of my money and I entered a season of financial
difficulty. I could have turned around and say well I tried it, but God didn't
come through for me. Anyway not in the way I wanted to, but I didn't. I stuck
it out, not paying my tithe but hanging on to my faith. Sometimes it was difficult
to keep my faith, but I was determined not to allow my physical circumstances
to rule me. Looking back God did come through for me. I got a better job.
In the long run this job is more secure than what I had and it is with people
that really know God. Doesn't matter how miserable I feel when I go to work, I
always walk out there feeling better. How many people can say that about their
job? Not one day did I go without that which I needed? So yes despite
struggling financially I can honestly say that I have more than a lot of other
people and more than I had a year ago.
So this
morning I was sitting with my budget. I am soooo short this month. August was a
real slow month for everybody. So looking at my budget this thought entered my
mind out of nowhere: Pay your tithe. Naturally my first thought was: No I
can't! Surely this can't be God asking me to do the impossible? Last Sunday's
sermon was about our conscience. So needless to say I could not stop thinking
about giving my tithe, but I tried to get out of it by telling myself I just
can't. It's just not possible. I am already in the red. But at the same time I
want to be obedient. Then I went to church and the first thing that happened is
a lady got baptised. Before they baptised her she said that she went through
hell this year, but she wants to encourage us to keep the faith and just
keep on walking through the storm. Then came the sermon. What does it mean
to trust God? Do you trust Him after you have made the sums or do you trust Him
even if it doesn't make sense. The scripture was Num 13 and 14. The men just
came back from scouting the promised land and only Joshua and Caleb believed
the Israelites could take it. The rest of the men said no the giants were too
big. God said the land is theirs, but the men said the giants were to big. They
didn't trust God and therefore did not obey. The result was that they did not
go into God's rest. Instead they lived the rest of their days in the desert. In
Heb 4:6-7 Paulus said God gave us another chance to come into His rest and that
day is today. There is a difference between our reality and the reality of
God's Word. We must determine what is real to us and what is real according to
God's Word.
Wow did
that stopped me in my tracks. Was this God confirming that what I heard earlier
today came from Him. Do I have it in me to take the leap, because that was
exactly what I would have to do. Leap!
After the
sermon I spoke to someone I trust and she told me that God wants us to trust
Him enough to put our finances in His hands. She said that things will probably
get worse before it gets better, but I must persevere and trust that God will
bring me through this. He promised to provide and I have decided to take Him on
his Word. My reality says it's impossible, I can never make it through this
month. Paying my tithe will put me in a double red. God's reality is that
through the power of Christ in me I can do anything.
When I got
home I put myself in a double red for this month. I sat outside this afternoon
and I could not help but notice how at peace I felt. Even the atmosphere in my
house changed. My kids did things tonight they have never done before. It's
almost as if my obedience rubbed off on them. I can be scared, but I refuse to
worry about this month. God will provide in whichever way He sees fit and that
is enough for me and my children. I will look back on this in a years’ time and
I know that I know that I will go down on my knees and praise God for the
awesome God that He is. I also know that I know I will have an awesome
testimony. People in our town is starting to come into line with God's will and
already we are starting to see God's awesome hand in the way things are
starting to change in our town. I am so excited and I have so much hope for the
future.
Watch this space. Awesome
things are about to happen and I want to be right there in the middle of it. I
can't explain it because there is no logic behind it, but then God is not a God
of logic, but a God of faith.
PS: I never got to publish this
blog and maybe I know now why. It is the end of the month and probably the
worse salary I ever had to work with. 3 Days remain and I feel like I have had
more this month than I ever should have had.
I also have a 1/10th of my salary left in my purse. Incredible,
but then God is more than incredible.
YOU CAN SURVIVE DIVORCE!
On 27 September 2012, an unknown
judge in an unseen court room dissolved my marriage of almost 19 years and a
friendship of almost 21 years. A couple of signatures and an official stamp or
two and my husband walked away from his responsibilities as a husband and
father as if they were never there. Incredible that an event that took almost a
year to plan and almost a day to realise, took probably no more than 10 minutes
to be made null in void.
That is unfortunately the reality for
so many people and children today. Only 30% of the children at my son's school
are growing up with both their parents in one house. Then we wonder why our
society is so sick?
I never wanted this for my children,
but at the same time I am so thankful for how my life has changed since my
divorce. At the moment the reality hits home I am sure no one can imagine any
good coming from a divorce, but trust me there's a lot of good that can come
out of a divorce. Depending on your attitude a lot of bad can also come from a
divorce and then I am sorry but you will end up a bitter and angry person. You
can crawl out of that hole of initial anger, betrayal, bitterness and
depression or you can sink deeper into it. The one way leads to freedom and the
other to a prison of your emotions and circumstances. A long time ago someone
told me emotions are good, it's what you do with it that is bad.
So you see it all depends on how you
deal and if you deal with the negative feelings of a divorce. It's not easy but
everyday gets better, until one day you get up and realise the fight with your
emotions are over. You get up and for the first time in forever you hear the
birds singing outside, the sun seems to be shining brighter, there's a spring
in your step and a song in your heart and you realise you are free. Free from
the hurt, depression, anger, bitterness and fear. You look at yourself in the
mirror and your eyes are shining, your hair has seen the inside of a salon
again and you realise you are your old self again. Not the same person who
stood in front of the pastor so many years ago, also not the person who lost
herself in her marriage, but a different you. A you with more confidence and a
path with more direction ahead of you. For the first time in forever you feel
like you know yourself and are your own boss again.
Healing comes in stages and with
every stage, you close the door on a part of those negative feelings and open
the door, sometimes hesitantly, on a part of you, you have forgotten about.
It's a journey full of ups and downs, but a journey never the less worth
travelling, if life gives you no other choice.
I hear of so many people being forced
to travel the road of divorce who never quite make it to the end. They get
stuck in an emotional pit of hate, bitterness and un-forgiveness, never really
able to let go of the past hurts. My heart goes out to these people, but in the
end you can and must look at yourself for the answers. If you allow the hurt
and disappointment to harden your heart it will not end well for you. You will
be stuck in a life full of negatives. For every step you go forward you will
eventually take two backwards.
Revenge is such an ugly thing but I
think for most people who have been forced into a divorce, it is the one thing
you want to have. I wanted it too, but I realised it will drive me crazy. As
much as I wanted to see my ex suffer for what he did to me and my kids, I also
had to accept the fact that I may never see him pay for what he did. The Bible
tells us that revenge is for God and you know what? It is the truth. Wanting
revenge will destroy you in the end. It eats at you until it consumes your
whole being. With it comes bitterness and a bitter person cannot forgive. If I
learnt anything in the last 3 years, it is to forgive quickly. Yes to forgive
someone, means to choose to live with the consequences of what another person
did to you, but is also means freedom from what was done to you. You might not
have had a choice in your divorce, but you do have a choice not to allow your
divorce to ruin the rest of your and your children's lives.
You want to get through a divorce;
accept that you cannot force someone else's will. Make the choice to forgive.
Surround yourself with true friends. Listen to good advice and get rid of the
bad ones. Look after yourself. Take time out. Accept that change is inevitable
and learn to embrace it. Allow yourself to cry, but do not allow self-pity.
Un-complicate your life. Less is more. Get to know yourself. Learn to love
yourself again. Help someone less fortunate. Learn to listen more and talk
less. Be thankful. Learn to enjoy your own company. Start a hobby. Learn to ask
for help. Do not isolate yourself. Take life one day at a time. When you fail
do not condemn yourself, instead get up and try again. If there are children
involved, just be their mother/father. Don't try and be both. Keep a diary and
always be honest with yourself.
Last but not the least; make the
effort to get to know God. You will probably survive without God, but you won't
live freely without God. God's principals are what keep me going in the right
direction, His love is what sets me free and His care is what takes away my
fears. His grace allows me to be His child and that is all I want to be.
Whatever lies ahead I know that I will never ever be alone again. No problem is
too big or small for God and with that knowledge I can get up every day and
smile no matter what my circumstances are. For sure I have felt like giving up,
but the knowledge that God is with me have always pulled me out of whatever
situation I have found myself to be in.
God is love and when you allow His
Spirit in you, you learn to love again. Forgiving becomes easy. Fear of
the unknown gets less and less the more you put your trust in God. Your life
stabilises. The ground under your feet becomes solid Rock instead of shifting
sand. Your emotions don't rule you anymore. You learn that no matter what, you
will get through it because God is in control and He loves you and will never
let you slip out of His Hands. Even now when I want to panic I remind
myself that God is in control and He always stills my fears. He gives me a
peace and tranquillity that nothing and no one else can give me and in a world
full of chaos He is my only true Anchor.
It is only when you get stretched
that you get to know how flexible you really are. It is only when you are weak
that you get to know how powerful God is. I accept that God allowed my divorce
to happen because I stepped out from under His protection of my own free will.
Without my divorce I never would have come home to God. It is so easy to
blame God for our mistakes and choices. So many times I hear people ask: “How
can a good God allow such a bad thing to happen to me?” Yes I do believe God
wanted to stop my divorce from happening, but I also know I did not want to see
the warning signs He constantly showed me. In a sense it was like a parent who warned
his child, but the child did not listen. We’ve all been there. So we allow our
children to make mistakes and allow them to take responsibility for the
consequences of those mistakes because we love them and want them to become
balanced adults, but at the same time we never leave them, always keeping an
eye on them. Why is it then so difficult for us to believe that God can and
will allow us to take responsibility for the wrong choices we make? I learnt a
very painful lesson, but at the same time I also learnt that God's Word is
there for our protection.
At first I could not see the mistakes
I made in my marriage. When I say mistakes I really mean how far I drifted from
the principles of what God declared a marriage should be like. According to me
it was all, my husband's fault. After all he did have an affair, but the more I
got to know God's Word the more I realised that I wasn't blameless in my
marriage. I wasn't aware of what I did because I did not know the Word of God,
but ignorance is no excuse. You cannot blame the pole for walking into it,
because you did not see it. If you step out from underneath the umbrella, it is
your own fault if you get wet. Just so
you cannot blame God for your messed up marriage/life, because you did not know
His principals. The more I get to know His Word, the more I understand why it
is good. Also you cannot blame your spouse alone. No one is perfect. It takes
two to tango. Instead of seeing your spouse’s faults, rather turn around and
look at yourself. Your spouse will have to take responsibility for his/her own
mistakes. You may not see it, but belief me he/she will.
Whether we like it or not, God is our
parent. Just like things will go bad for a rebellious child, things will also
go bad for rebellious children of God. When your spouse left you he/she
rebelled against his/her Father. If you allow bitterness and un-forgiveness to
come into your life as a result of your divorce you are also rebelling against
your Father. In our physical world continued rebellion will eventually lead to
prison. Just so continued spiritual rebellion will lead to spiritual prison.
Speak to any prisoner who got to know and accept God as his Father and he will
tell you that no physical bars can imprison his spirit. You do not have to
allow divorce to become your prison. You may not have much hope now, but that
is what God gives you. He gives hope and eventually healing and
wholeness.
I could have chosen
to rebel against my circumstances, but thank God I didn't and today 3 long
years later I can truly say I am healed, whole and free. Divorce might be the
end of your marriage, but it could also be the beginning of a whole new life.
It all depends on you!
Thursday 3 September 2015
OBEDIENCE
I was
blessed with a car a week ago and I wondered why God is so good to me. I don’t deserve
a thing and yet He blessed me with a car. Why? The Bible says that if you are
obedient you will be blessed. I am convinced that this is in response to my
obedience in a certain matter a while ago. Don't make a mistake. Not for a
second do I think I deserved this because I was so good. No I just believe that
this is God's way of looking after His children. To be a child of God you have
to obey His Word. You see I almost got involved in a situation that could have
put me right back where I was 3years ago and would have been in direct
disobedience to God’s Word. I just wanted it so bad, but I knew it was not what
God wanted me to do. Sure the lines were a bit obscured and if I wanted to I
could have reasoned my way into it, but it still would not have been in line
with God’s Word. I had to make a choice. Do I want to follow my natural
instincts or go against everything I wanted to do and obey God's Word? I
eventually knew I had to let go and allow God and I am so glad I made the right
choice. Right choice not because God blessed me, but because it allowed me to
keep my peace.
This morning I was in a similar situation. Our pastor has been talking to us a lot about giving our tithe every month. He wants us to give the money because we really get the revelation that 90% is more than a 100%. It is not our money in the first place, but God's money. He wants us to understand that God wants us to rely on Him and Him alone.
This morning I was in a similar situation. Our pastor has been talking to us a lot about giving our tithe every month. He wants us to give the money because we really get the revelation that 90% is more than a 100%. It is not our money in the first place, but God's money. He wants us to understand that God wants us to rely on Him and Him alone.
So this
whole tithe thing has been bothering me for a while now. End of last year I
tried it, but thinking back I think maybe I wasn't completely at the right
place. I gave a tenth of my money and I entered a season of financial
difficulty. I could have turned around and say well I tried it, but God didn't
come through for me. Anyway not in the way I wanted to, but I didn't. I stuck
it out. Sometimes it was difficult to keep my faith, but I was determined not
to allow my physical circumstances to rule me. Looking back God did come
through for me. I got a better job. In the long run this job is more
secure than what I had and it is with people that really know God. Doesn't
matter how miserable I feel when I go to work, I always walk out there feeling
better. How many people can say that about their job? Not one day did I go
without that which I needed? So yes despite struggling financially I can
honestly say that I have more than a lot of other people and more than I had a
year ago.
So this
morning I was sitting with my budget. I am soooo short this month. August was a
real slow month for everybody. So looking at my budget this thought entered my
mind out of nowhere: Pay your tithe. Naturally my first thought was: No I
can't! Surely this can't be God asking me to do the impossible? Last Sunday's
sermon was about our conscience. So needless to say I could not stop thinking
about giving my tithe, but I tried to get out of it by telling myself I just
can't. It's just not possible. I am already in the red. But at the same time I
want to be obedient. Then I went to church and the first thing that happened is
a lady got baptised. Before they baptised her she said that she went through
hell this year, but she wants to encourage us to keep the faith and just
keep on walking through the storm. Then came the sermon. What does it mean
to trust God? Do you trust Him after you have made the sums or do you trust Him
even if it doesn't make sense. The scripture was Num 13 and 14. The men just
came back from scouting the promised land and only Joshua and Caleb believed
the Israelites could take it. The rest of the men said no the giants were too
big. God said the land is theirs, but the men said the giants were to big. They
didn't trust God and therefore did not obey. The result was that they did not
go into God's rest. Instead they lived the rest of their days in the desert. In
Heb 4:6-7 Paulus said God gave us another chance to come into His rest and that
day is today. There is a difference between our reality and the reality of
God's Word. We must determine what is real to us and what is real according to
God's Word.
Wow did
that stopped me in my tracks. Was this God confirming that what I heard earlier
today came from Him. Do I have it in me to take the leap, because that was
exactly what I would have to do. Leap!
After the
sermon I spoke to someone I trust and she told me that God wants us to trust
Him enough to put our finances in His hands. She said that things will probably
get worse before it get better, but I must persevere and trust that God will
bring me through this. He promised to provide and I have decided to take Him on
his Word. My reality says it's impossible, I can never make it through this
month. Paying my tithe will put me in a double red. God's reality is that
through the power of Christ in me I can do anything.
When I got
home I put myself in a double red for this month. I sat outside this afternoon
and I could not help but notice how at peace I felt. Even the atmosphere in my
house changed. My kids did things tonight they have never done before. It's
almost as if my obedience rubbed off on them. I can be scared, but I refuse to
worry about this month. God will provide in whichever way He sees fit and that
is enough for me and my children. I will look back on this in a years’ time and
I know that I know that I will go down on my knees and praise God for the
awesome God that He is. I also know that I know I will have an awesome
testimony. People in our town is starting to come into line with God's will and
already we are starting to see God's awesome hand in the way things are
starting to change in our town. I am so excited and I have so much hope for the
future.
Watch this space. Awesome
things are about to happen and I want to be right there in the middle of it. I
can't explain it because there is no logic behind it, but then God is not a God
of logic, but a God of faith.
TO BE BLESSED
Last night while I was lying in bed with my
daughter, waiting for her to fall asleep, it occurred to me just how truly
blessed I was.
God blesses all of us in the rain that falls down,
the sun that shines and all the things we enjoy in nature. However the Bible
says that if you obey God, He will bless you. That is the kind of blessing I am
talking about; personal blessings.
Looking back over the last 3 years, my life has
been one blessing after the other. It started just after I gave my heart to
God, even before I learnt what it meant to be obedient. In the first 6 months
after my husband moved out, I managed to keep the roof over our heads and food
on our table, despite the fact that for 4 of the first 6 months I did not earn
a sent, except for the R 2000 I received from my husband towards child
maintenance. Considering that my rent was almost R4000 alone, it was a miracle
that we did not end up on the street. However God knew what I needed and in His
perfect grace He provided. In the 3 years that followed not once did I not have
what I needed? Talking to a friend the other day we marvelled at the fact,
that the figures didn't add up and still we survived. But it's more than just
surviving. I am happy and at peace, despite sometimes having to face really difficult
circumstances. It is all God! He brought all the people I needed into my life
at the right time. Not only did He bring them into my life, but He made it
possible for them to bless me.
Every single person that played a role in my life
after my divorce, God brought into my life for a specific purpose. I could not
see it then, but now I can. All of them were blessed in some way and in return
they blessed me in whichever way I needed at the time. It wasn't just the
financial support they gave me, but the emotional support I received, that made
these people so extra special. Never in my life have I been surrounded by so
many people who really cared about me. They gave of their time and money to
someone, who in some instances they hardly knew.
Last Friday I was told by people who I have known
for just over 6 months that they want to bless me with a new car. Their reason:
They want me to be safe on the roads and because they can and want to do it.
How awesome is that! Yesterday I saw this verse in the Bible: 1 John 3:17 “If someone has
enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no
compassion - how can God's love be in that person.” If ever this
verse applies to someone, it applies to the couple who bought me that car. I
have seen them go out of their way to help other people as well, not expecting
anything in return. Looking at their lives I can see the quiet peace and joy
that is part of who they are. It is a peace and joy that can only come from
knowing God personally.
Not only am I blessed in that all my needs are
taken care of, but God blessed me by changing my personality. Yes my
personality! I used to be very impatient, stressed out, often angry and so the
list goes on. This morning was a perfect example of how much I have been
renewed. I was late getting the kids to school and then my son realised he
forgot his PT clothes. I went home, not puffed up and irritated, like I so
often would have been in the past, and got his clothes. When I started the car,
the car's exhaust made this very weird sound. It sounded as if the whole thing
was loose. In the past that would have been enough to spoil my whole day, but I
have also find the quiet strength and peace that comes from having a
relationship with God. Within the half hour before I had to leave for work, I
dropped the clothes off and had the exhaust sorted out without paying a sent,
which BTW I would not have been able to do because I had no money for extras. Not
only did God smooth the pathway for me, but through His strength I manage to
stay calm and not completely loose it. He went on to bless me even more. Things
have been very slow this month at work, but today I treated more patients than
any other day this month and when we got home this afternoon there was a
peacefulness about the afternoon, unlike so many other afternoons when I have
to run around making sure homework is done and preparing things for the next
day. On top of that the insurance company phoned me, instead of me them saving
me a lot of money, and by 16h00 this afternoon my car’s insurance was also
sorted out. (PS: For all South Africans – OUTsurance rocks! Excellent service!)
So a day that in the past would have been a total
disaster because of how it started turned into a total blessing simply because
I allowed God to be in control. I don't know where I am going to get the money
to put the car on my name and to pay the insurance, but I do know that this car
is a blessing from God and if He blessed me with it, He will blessed me with
the money to do what I have to do in order to look after my blessing. I also
know that He would want me to use it as a means to be a blessing to others as
well. I don't know how yet, but I asked Him to show me what He wants me to do
and I just know that this car has a part in what He is planning for me.
My point being: Never in all my life have I
experienced the kind of peace I am experiencing now, despite situations that in
the past would have driven me bonkers with stress and frustration. Never before
have I experienced the joy in friendships like I do now. Never before have I
found myself feeling so content just enjoying the quiet, as often as I do now.
Never before have I seen and appreciated the small things in life, as I do now.
Never before have I felt more blessed than I do now and never before have
I wanted to bless others more than I do now.
I came from a totally broken and lost person to
where I am now and I would never in a million years have thought it was
possible to change so much in just 3 years. Not only did God change me as a
person, but He also gave me a whole new perspective on life. A perspective that
changed the way I look at things completely and allowed me to find peace in the
knowledge that it’s not me, but Christ in me. Just imagine what I will look and
feel like in another 10/20 years. It makes me excited about what lies ahead.
They say never say never, but I want to say never ever will the future scare me
again. I face it boldly, knowing that never again will I face it alone. I can't
help it and I have no control over it, but my life just overflows with joy. The
only control I have is in saying yes, yes, yes to Jesus Christ!
I told my son tonight that if having this kind of
joy and peace, means having to suffer while we are on earth, I will gladly give
up any earthly pleasures for what will be mine one day, when life on this earth
will be finished as we know it now. It will be worth every single sacrifice, if
feeling the way I do now, is what lies ahead of me. The best part is that what
I have now is only the smallest part of what is promised to me. Some of you
might think I am crazy and a fool for feeling the way I do, but I azure you I
am not. 3 Years ago I would have rolled my eyes at what I am writing now, but
not anymore. I cannot deny what have happened to me and are still happening to
me neither can I deny what I am feeling.
The song “Rooftops” by Jesus Culture says it all. I
have listened to this song a 1000 times and every time I want to cry, shout and
dance. I have fallen head over heels in love with God. Don't worry I'm not a
Bible pusher. God is a gentleman and he won't force anyone. When you accept Him,
you do it because you want to and only then do you start to feel like dancing
and singing. It’s like a drug accept you don’t feel empty when you come off it,
you feel fuller. More complete. The addiction don’t lie in your need to get
high again after you came of the drug, it lies in your need and recognition
that the high do not depend on your physical circumstances. You do not have to smoke,
drink or inject yourself, destroying your health and state of mind. All you
have to do is empty yourself of you and fill yourself with the Holy Spirit.
When people look at you, they won’t see a person defeated by life, but one
experiencing life in all its abundance.
CS Lewis said it so well. He said that you can recognise the “new person” by the fact that he is
stronger, quieter, happier and more radiant.
They start where most people stop. They are recognisable, but you have to know what you are looking for. They don’t
normally look like what the world would like you to think “religious people”
look like. They don’t walk in the lime light.
While you think you are being good to them, they are actually being good to you. They love
you more than other people do, but they need
you less. (We should get away from “wanting” to feel needed.) They also
look like they have plenty of time and
people will wonder where they get it from. He also says that he has a strong
feeling that they will without a doubt recognise
each other, across all borders of colour, race, sex, age and even
religious traditions. It’s almost as if holiness allows you to belong to a
secret organisation. To put it mildly it must be huge fun.
And boy! Is it fun!
ROOFTOPS
by
Jesus
Culture
Here
I am before You,
Falling in love
and seeking Your truth.
Knowing
that Your perfect grace,
Has
brought me to this place.
Because
of You I freely live,
My
life to You oh God I give.
So
I stand before You God,
I
lift my voice cause You set me free.
So
I shout out Your name,
From
the rooftops I proclaim,
That
I am Yours,
I
am Yours.
All
the good You’ve done for me,
I
lift up my hands for all to see.
You’re
the only one,
Who
brings me to my knees.
To
share this love across the earth,
The
beauty of your holy
Word.
So
I kneel before you God,
I
lift my hands cause You set me free.
So
I shout out Your name,
From
the rooftops I proclaim,
That
I am Yours,
I
am Yours.
All
that I am,
I
place into your loving hands,
And
I am Yours,
I
am Yours.
Here
I am I stand with arms wide open,
To
the one the Son the everlasting God
The
everlasting God.
Thursday 20 August 2015
YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL!
During the last 3 years I have come to understand what it means to be in
a relationship with God. With that however came a lot of questions. Who am I?
Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? What is God's purpose for me? Why do
the things that happen to me, happen to me? To be honest most of the time I
felt completely overwhelmed and thoroughly confused.
I started asking questions like: Why am I not going anywhere? What is it
that's holding me back? I read numerous books; watch so many DVD’s, started
reading my Bible, discussed life with good friends and started asking God for
answers to my questions. Once again God showed His perfect timing and
faithfulness.
First through various means He helped me to understand who I am to Him.
As a child I was very shy and did not have too much confidence in myself.
Coming out of a divorce, I had no confidence at all in myself. Suddenly I was
faced with all kinds of very scary situations. I had to do everything and I had
to do it all alone. I learnt that I was beautiful and valuable to God, that I
was loved and not alone, that I do not have to live in fear and that I was
looked after in every possible way. I learnt what my identity is in God. I am a
daughter of the King of all kings and therefore I stand in line to inherit all
that is His.
I found peace, but I still had no directions. It still felt like there
was more to my life. I just didn't know what. I learnt that I was made for a
purpose, but what was that purpose? A while back I read a book Miles Munroe
wrote about the purpose of women and I started to understand why I was the way
I was. I started to understand what it meant to submit as a women and why it is
so important to submit. I realised that to submit did not make me vulnerable or
weak. It allows the power God gave me as a woman to come out. It allows me to fulfil
the role I was made for by God. It doesn't make me weak, it makes me stronger.
The world has twisted what was meant by God as a helper to all men into
something that degrades and humiliates women all over the world. We were told
that we are the weaker sex and therefore we were entitled to less, but God made
men and women equal and together unstoppable. Why do you think satan targets
our marriages? He knows that if he can destroy the godly relationship between
men and women he can destroy the power God gave men and women to rule on earth
and therefore to rule over satan.
Finally after 3 years I understood myself as a woman. Scary when you
realise I am almost 50 years old. Now what to do with myself was my next
question. I can feel it in myself that there is more to life than just getting
up every morning and trying to survive. Again I read a book written by Miles
Munroe about our potential and once again a little part of my scrambled brain
became unscrambled. I have to tell you the more I dig the clearer things
become. I really can start to see why the bible says that what is wise to the
world is foolishness to God and vice versa. For the first time in my life I
feel like I got to the starting point. Before I was running around like a
deranged person not knowing where I am and where I should be.
I came to the conclusion that first and foremost I am a mother, made to
nourish and love my children and for that matter all children. The world told
me I should be a business woman and a provider, but God said I am a helper and
nourisher. Second the world told me to take, but God said to give. If God tells
you to do/give something He will also give you the ability to fulfil it.
Thirdly the world told me to advocate human rights, but God told me to advocate
the good news about the gospel.
Jesus came to earth to minister and to serve. I often felt guilty
because I never felt comfortable to go out and talk to people about God. So
many people don't want to listen when you talk about God. I realised that even
if they don't want to listen they will look. People will look at you and what
they see will make an impact. If they like what they see they will want to know
more about what they see. If I learnt anything it is that people who have the
Holy Spirit in them are different. They look different and they respond
different to life and its challenges. They have a peace and freedom about them
that defies the problems they experience in their everyday life. I wanted what
I saw in them and eventually I started asking about God. It gave someone the
opportunity to start talking to me about God. If people can see God's
reflection in me they will come to me and start to ask about God and then God
will give me all I need to tell them about the awesome God I serve. The more I
spoke about God and experienced Him in my life the easier it became to talk
about Him to others.
So for now I know that I want to show God to the world through the
things I do and the person I am. I know that I want to make a difference in the
lives of the people I come into contact with, my children, family, friends and acquaintances.
I know that I want to teach my children their full potential in God and not
what the world tells them their potential are. I want them to understand who
they are in God and what that means. I want to help them determine what their purpose
is by teaching them to understand who their Source is. I want my children to be
spirit people and not soul people. I want them to be led by their spirit
attached to the Spirit of God and not to be led by their senses and
intellect.
I also know that I want to serve people and that it means I will have to
put my dreams on paper and work out a plan of how to reach it and then get off
my butt and do it. I know that whatever God has put in my heart and thoughts, I
can achieve through faith and determination. I also know now that God will only
give me what I want bad enough to give my life for. I also know that the earth
and all that is on it was meant to be a resource and not to become a god and
that my potential was meant to be shared. I understand know that life really is
not about the material things but truly about how much of God you can allow in
yourself. When you seek the things of God He really does give you the rest.
God gave as all the same potential that is in Him, because He made as
according to His likeness, but He also gave us certain conditions to live by.
He is the One that made us and He is the one that gave us our potential. He is
also the only One that can fix us when we break. Just like a TV cannot work
without a power supply we cannot work without Christ in us. We can try but we
will end up broken every single time. The world is full of broken people who
refuse to read the manual that came with humankind; instead they try the
shortcut only to come up short every single time.
Unless you understand what the purpose is of an object you will never
know the potential of that object and the potential of an object gets determined
by its maker. Do you know your full potential? Do you know who your Maker is?
Instead of being a person whose full potential goes with him to his grave the
day he dies, why you don’t find out exactly what your purpose are and what you
can achieve by reading your manual and getting to know your Maker. I know that
for the first time I have a clue as to why I am here. I know that I have just
begun to understand my full potential and I know I still have a long way to go
before I will start to reach that potential, but at least I have a starting
point now. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for me. God really does
reveal Himself to those who earnestly seek Him.
When you start to see and understand who God is, life really starts to
make sense and not in the way the world tells us. God's way really is the
perfect and only way, but He is a gentleman. You need to choose to read the
manual and to follow its instructions before you will be able to operate in the
way that you were intended to operate. Only then you can become all you were
meant to be.
LOVE SPELLS....
I have
written this blog on why affair marriages don’t work. My intention was to warn
people against interfering in the relationships and marriages of others. As a
result I have been getting numerous comments from people telling me how they
got their lovers/husbands back using the services of a spell caster. As a
Christian it makes my hair stand on end.
Ezekiel
13:18 “What sorrow awaits you women
who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic
charms on their wrist and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can
trap others without bringing destructions on yourselves?”
The Bible is
very explicit about witchcraft. You only have to read Deut 18:9-12, Deut 17:2-5,
1Chron 10:13-14, Ezek 13:18, Gal 5:19-21, Acts 16:16-19, James 4:2-3, Rev 21:8,
Rev 22:15 to see how God feels about witchcraft and what the consequences are
for people using witchcraft. These verses tell us that witchcraft:
·
Is
detestable to God
·
Leads to
physical and spiritual death
·
Brings
destruction on yourself and the people you use it on
·
Is lying to
and ensnaring the souls of people
·
Is to love a
lie – language of deceit
·
Demonically
inspired, occultism
·
Is to not
inherit the Kingdom of God
·
Is selfish –
to seek your own pleasure
·
Is to be
fated for the fiery lake of burning sulphur
Now a lot of
people do not believe the Word of God, so they will not be worried about what the
Word say. So I decided to see what the people that cast these spells have to
say. But first let’s see what is the definition of a spell.
·
To cast out an invisible net (the spell) unto a person/s to
use the person/s to the spell casters advantage
·
Putting magic on someone so that they will be under your
spell and do what you want
·
Oxford – a
person or creature with magical powers
·
English – a
spell is a situation in which events are controlled
by a magical power
·
Longman – a
piece of magic someone does, to put a spell on someone = a piece of magic to change someone
Synonyms –
allure, bewitch, charm, enrapture, entice, grab, hex, hypnotise, magnetise, to
take, voodoo
Antonyms –
bother, disenchant, disgust, repel, repulse
So I think
it is safe to say that casting a spell on someone involves magick/witchcraft.
Now let’s
look at what spell casters say a love spell is:
Love spell:
·
It is closely
connected with telepathy.
·
A powerful psychokinetic influence on a person and
his thoughts, in order to excite in him the feeling of attraction to another
person (subject of love spell/ the bewitched).
·
The object is
communicating images, pictures and emotions/memories
connected with strong feelings of love to the subject/bewitched.
·
The power and duration of the spell depends on the skills of caster and the will
of the subject.
·
Rituals and
words, as well as objects belonging to the subject (nail clippings, hair) or
drinking menstrual blood from the person who wants spell cast will help concentrate the energy and make the spell
more powerful.
·
You get
white (not harmful) and black (harmful to family) spells.
What can you
expect to feel when a love spell is cast upon you?
·
You feel the
influence but can’t do anything about it.
·
Increase heart
rate, unable to sleep, feels like everything hurts, more active, have more
energy, flashes of light, vivid dreams, sudden unexpected memories, loss of
concentration. These symptoms normally disappear never to come back again.
·
Feeling of
euphoria in the presence of customer, increased sex drive, a state of altered
consciousness.
·
In the case
of a white spell – strong affection, adoration, love and sense of intimacy for
customer.
·
In the case
of a black spell – apathy, recurring colds, hair loss, feelings of wrongness,
irritations
Normally
when you want to return a loved one the spell increases
the available energy channels between people through witchcraft. The longer
you were apart the more difficult the spell will be. Some spells even require
animal sacrifices.
So why is
love spells so wrong:
v It interferes in the free will
v It is basically love under your
compulsion – not true love
v You create a love that does not exist
v It will be with you forever – even
if the person you put the spell on turns out to be wrong for you. You can end
up being stuck in a relationship you do not want or can even turn out to be
dangerous to you e.g. stalker, abuser, ectr
v Even in witchcraft it is a taboo magick
So why is using
love spells, to bring a lover back, taboo? Because the intention is to take away/influence another person’s
free will. It is a negative
spell and only temporary.
Also there
are consequences for all parties involved:
Consequences
to the bewitched: Because you
are invading his mind/free will, the natural reaction will be to try and protect himself. This will lead to nervous stress,
emotional exhaustion and lethargy as he tries to fight this invasion.
Eventually it will cause his immune system to weaken, causing physical disease
and can even put a curse on the person. So tell me again why you would do this
to someone you claim to love?
Consequences
to the witch/spell caster: It is a negative
spell and can go back to the witch spell caster. It is basically a modified curse, and can attack any weakness the witch/spell
caster might already have. The witch/spell caster can become the curse.
Consequences
to the customer: Can put a curse on the person who wants the spell cast – if
the bewitched does not turn out to be Mr/Mrs Right you can be attach to that
person or vice versa for the rest of your life. Also your loved ones and
your children may end up paying
the wages
– in the form of curses and even death.
In
conclusion: Why would anyone bring back a lover/partner, when that person does
not want to be with you? They chose
to leave you! Why try and
force a person to love you? Surely the reason for your happiness is first and
for most because someone is with you because that person chose to be with you.
Do you honestly think that you will not always know your partner is only with
you because he was deceived into being with you? What do you think that knowledge
will eventually do to you? Then there is the fear that he might find out about
your deceit. Do you think he will still love you? He might stay because he may
not have a choice, but he will hate you for it. Also what about the possible
pain/trouble you can bring upon your close family and children. How will you
feel if your child has to die or be cursed for what you did?
Is it really
worth it in the end? I believe that forcing a person to be with you in this way
CAN only end in disaster. At the end of the day nothing about what originally
caused the break-up of the relationship have changed. All the problems are
still there and neither one of the people involved have changed. It is a quick
solution and in the end it will be a short solution that won’t bring about happiness.
In principle I refuse to be with someone who does not want to be with me. I
will rather be alone than look at someone every day and know that I had to
force him to be with me. I might be alone, but I’m
NOT DESPERATE!
Not even God
interferes with a man’s free will, what then gives you the right to do so? Do
you really think you can get away with it? If you do not believe in God, then
there is always karma.
You are free to
choose,
but you are not free
from the
consequences
of your
choice.
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