He heard me

Believing that God hears is essential to our Faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him.”

Today he spoke loud and clear. My daily bible verse received from Bible Gateway read as follows:

Psalm 120:1, “A song of ascents. I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” How does God answer us? He confirms his word by giving us affirming scriptures.

Once our hearts are filled with faith, the door is open for him to flood our minds with his divine wisdom. His wisdom will give us the guidance we need in our darkest hours. His wisdom and his word become the lamp unto our feet so that we will know in which direction to go.

A little dazed??

Stuck... not sure which direction to go? You are not alone. Feeling confused and dazed? David knew that feeling too, that is why he could write in Psalm 25:5, “Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”

There will be many times when life just seems hard and there seems to be no clear indication of how to deal with difficult circumstances or what choices should be made next. Asking God to lead us in truth means that we need to allow him to speak truth into our lives, and sometimes that's not easy.

Letting God work in our lives can often be painful, but once we learn what we need to we can stand confident that God will stretch forth his hand and deliver us.

Balance

Balance may be the delicate art form practiced by a good gymnast as she bounces across the balance beam or balance could be considered the ability to maintain order in a hectic world. Balance in the human body is the result of the sense of hearing working at it's peak.

What about spiritual balance? A little harder to measure. We'd be tempted to say that spiritual balance is only present when all is going well, but that just wouldn't be true!

Isn't it the Psalmist who writes, destroy them Oh Lord, then with the next breath, forgive me Lord and create a clean heart in me. I guess it's who we turn to most in our time of need that determines whether we are in balance with God or not.

Cut in!

I was congratulating myself on a productive work day while on the drive home when I pulled up next to a BMW. The driver signalled to me that he wanted to cut in front of me once the robots changed. Concerned about the motor bike that had just pulled in front of me to do the same, I signalled to him to go behind me.

Trouble was the driver couldn't read my thoughts and thought I was just being difficult. It didn't take much effort to lip read his response. It's bothered me all evening as I actually wasn't trying to be difficult at all. I'm pretty sure we sometimes misunderstand God's words to us sometimes too. So how do we learn to get it right?

It takes practice and paying attention. When we invest time seeking God for direction we will learn through experience. There will be times when we hear God's speak and either choose not to obey or simply make a mistake, the consequences will soon teach us that we have missed it. Similarly though there will be times when we get it spot on and achieve success! It's then that we will know when we've heard from God.

Take heart though, when we miss it, intentionally or not, when we ask God for forgiveness, he will be faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1 v 9). We need to be bold and be prepared to take the necessary risks as once we learn to hear God's voice, following his guidance becomes so much easier.

Remember '94 !!!!!

We hear it every day on news and radio. Murder, rape, armed robbery, bombings, rhino slaughter.........crime, crime, crime and most South African's are sick of it. The question is, what are we going to do about about it? Many initiatives have been launched to try and raise funds to fight this social pandemic but we seem to be making little impact. Why?

Years ago while doing a worship course in Johannesburg, Tom Ingles made a statement that shocked me to the core but rang true on every level. His statement, “A physical war cannot be fought until a spiritual war has been lost!” On the surface that just sounds wrong but to see it in practice makes much more sense.

Not one single South African currently alive can forget 1994. The landmark year that changed South Africa forever, but in the haze of jubilation we sometimes forget the pain. A short while before the elections, riots broke out in Johannesburg city centre where I worked at the time. Across the country a state of emergency was being declared in many regions because of the violence.

The Nye Sayer's predicted a blood bath on grand scale......but instead what happened? Christians throughout the country got down on their knees and prayed for God to heal our Land. The result? An unprecedented peace throughout the record breaking 2 day elections! I think it is high time we united against this scourge that is threatening to destroy our beautiful country!

Common Christians, I'm saying stand up and be counted! We have done it before, we can do it again!!!!

Pesky flies

I haven't heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times, but do you think I would listen? No. Caught out by that little acronym F.E.A.R! False evidence appearing real. A task I had been dreading proved to be less challenging than I had thought it would be.

My excuse, I'm a women, women always exaggerate. I mean even my dreams let me down. The other night two pesky flies that were lurking in my kitchen turned into a raging plague in my dream. Jokes aside though, how do we get to grips with a wild imagination?

Do what I didn't do today, remember God's word......No weapons formed against you shall prosper! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! And most importantly..... Remember 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments (thoughts) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Where do they roost?

Ever since witnessing a miracle of nature in Kimberly where thousands of swallows had turned an old mine dump vlei into their daily nesting ground, I haven't been able to look at swallows flying about without wondering where they nest at night.

Millions of birds, sea life and animals survive on God's grace alone. Matthew 6:26 talks about God's care for nature. We are challenged with the thought that if God cares so much for the flowers, birds and wildlife, how much more does he not know what our needs are and what we need to survive.

It is natural for us to be concerned about the things of life, but God wants to encourage us that we are worth far more than wildlife. For whom did God send his Son to die? Certainly not the birds, but definitely for us.

Take heart that no matter what your needs are today, God knows your need, he knows your heart and he will provide!

Sleep

Lately I've been just plain exhausted. Waking up tired then trying to get through the day and going to bed tired. I decided this weekend to get some sleep and just allow my body the time it needed to just unwind.

I can hardly believe how good it feels. My muscles are relaxed and the world just seems a brighter place. Have you been battling with depression lately? If so, you might just need a little sleep. When we don't allow our bodies time to rest properly, our brain isn't allowed time to reboot properly.

The other reason people feel depressed when they are sleep deprived is that when we sleep our brain processes emotion and makes sense of the experiences we have had. That is why we will very often have “Ah-ha” moments when we first wake up. Our brain has had the time to process and has come up with the necessary solution to our problem.

We need to remember Ps 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Know that you are loved by God today and ask God to give you restful sleep.

Limitless

The movie 'Limitless' poses an interesting question. What if we could take a magical pill and everything we ever wanted just fell into our lap? Limitless knowledge, influence, power and money.

I think most of us have those fantasies of grandeur, especially when life's a bit tough and old 9-5 grind is getting us down. Well the little pill only works while it's in your blood stream, but how about looking for something that can transform your spirit and touch your soul and have a lasting effect for eternity?

Impossible, you say? Not really, not once we get a hold of the limitless power and strength that comes from a deep and strong relationship with an everlasting, all powerful God! We won't instantly turn into Jackie Chan in a fight or Donald Trump in a business deal, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we will be able to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

Kidnapped

I was deeply touched this morning by the story that was aired on Highveld. Two South African citizens were kidnapped 15 months ago and the family are desperately trying to raise the funds to have them released from their captors.

I am certainly not going to pronounce judgement on why authorities haven't resolved this situation as yet. My thoughts did turn to how easily we complain. Some of us may indeed be facing major life challenges, but little will compare to the crisis this family are experiencing. What makes it even harder to bare is the length of time that has passed.

We can get so easily distracted by little things that are usually so insignificant. Let us remember to thank God for the good things we do have in our lives. We should remember too that no matter what we are going through in life, there is almost always someone who is going through something worse, or even just someone that is going through the exact same trial we are facing.

Find your source of strength in God!

Valentine

Saint Valentine is the name of several martyred Saints. Interesting. Love is about being willing to sacrifice for your partner. Dying a little to self in order to do what's best for the relationship. Some unfortunately take it too far and loose their entire identity. This is not what God wants.

God does, however, want us to be able to identify deeply with our partner, even identifying with the sacrifices they make for us. Isn't this the lesson we learn through water baptism. As we go down into the water we identify with Christ's death and when we come out, we identify with Christ's resurrection.

As we celebrate Valentine's day, some may need to pause and remember that greatest joy we can receive in love is to give the gift of ourselves.

Spectacular clouds

It was just an ordinary mundane Monday. Nothing to make the day any different from any other work day. The stress of the day weighing heavily after the traffic home. A short while after arriving home, I noticed the sky was deep orange. I couldn't resist and went outside to take a peek.

Beautiful high wispy orange clouds formed a spectacular backdrop to fluffy grey clouds in front of them. Instantly the frustrations just melted away. The simple awe of creation was enough to turn a tired, stressed mind back to God.

We often seek signs and wonders to bring direction in life, when all we need to do is simply 'look up'. Clouds are easily moved by wind. Maybe we need to learn from the clouds and allow our hearts to be easily moved by the direction of the Holy Spirit wind.

I have nothing

Seldom would the death of a celebrity make me stop and ponder. The sad news received today that Whitney Houston has passed at the age of 48, however has. The song “I have nothing” featured in the “Body guard” probably has more resonance with her life than her rendition of Dolly Parton's hit, “I will always love you” (which I still like anyway).

Many will be in mourning today and I join in their sadness. A life that had so much promise and indeed achieved so much slid down the slippery slope of drug and alcohol addition and the star that once was, never truly saw the light of day again. Sadly it isn't only Hollywood stars that befall this fate. Many in ministry have fallen too. We can easily say, it would never happen to me, but the truth is...... but by the grace of God there go I.

Only a heart that is humbled before God and willing to face it's own wretchedness will survive the rough demands of life we face today. Pedestals should have no place in our lives, whether we put ourselves or anyone else on them. When we can admit that we indeed have nothing and without Christ we would be a mangled mess, will be the beginning point for us to truly know God's grace and power.

Were the Angels sleeping?

Some time in the early 2000's, I was working in Sunninghill and went out on company business to do some banking. On the way back to the office, driving on Rivonia Rd, I stoped behind a que of cars at a robot.

Without warning, a car hit me from behind, hard enough to cause a 4 car knock on. My car's engine and boot were both badly smashed. In total shock I was taken to the hospital for Xray's on my neck. Lying on the Xray table, confused and dazed, I asked God how this could have happened.

At this time I was fellowshiping at Rhema and involved in the choir. A small group of us used to meet for additional training with Janine Price. I had asked for prayer for provision to buy another car and for healing. What Janine said next, blew me away.

She said, "God has given you 4 Angels to guard your life." This totally stunned me as up until that point, I had told no one about my prayer. It became abundantly clear that the Angels weren't sleeping the day I had the accident but that they prevented the damage to my car and myself from being far worse.

So if you had to ask the question, I would have to say, Yes! I do believe in Angels!

Frikkie's Angels

In my early years in Joburg I moved around a lot. I didn't have a car, so I had to make use of bus services. As usual, mom came to the rescue and bought me my first car. It was an old Toyota Corolla, aptly nick named Frikkie due to it's FRK number plate.

Shortly after getting Frikkie I moved to a flat in Parkhurst. The only snag was that I could not use the garage as the owner used it as a workshop. There was also no gate on driveway so the car was fully exposed to the street. I prayed a bold prayer one day and asked God to give me 4 Angels to guard my car and protect me on the road.

In just over 2 years I spent living there the house and garage were broken into. Thieves did manage one time to break into Frikkie but only the radio and some goodies in my boot were stolen. Other than that considering all the other break in's at the house, it was only by God's grace that Frikkie wasn't stolen.

The Angels certainly had their hands full, but they did their job and very well too :-) So have you asked God to introduce you to your Angel yet? If not, please do.... you'll be surprised as what happens once you tune into the Angel network!

Angel touch

Our experiences of Angels will all be unique to our own walk with God. There are many accounts in scripture confirming human sightings of Angels. So why they for the most part remain invisible is an answer that only God can give one day in heaven. It is believed that they dwell in a realm not limited by the speed of light. I have chosen to share my personal experiences in the hope that it will encourage you to deepen your relationship with God.

One day in school many years ago, at a time I was dealing with some really difficult issues I felt a hand on my shoulder. Expecting to see a teacher there, I looked around.... but no one was there. I instantly saw a shaft of light move around the room. Confused, but still not understanding the experience I continued with my work. Then a touch again. Again I looked around, and this time saw the shaft of light move around the room in the opposite direction. Still not sure of exactly what I had experienced, I went home and told my mom.

Mom instantly teared up (as she often does) and explained that she had prayed a special prayer that day. A prayer that I would experience a touch from heaven that would let me know that God was near. Certainly Angels as messengers of God walk here amongst us to let us know that heaven is a real place and God is very near.

Angel-wake-up

At exactly 6:06 this morning I received an sms from my Gran that read: “Morning! This is the Angel-wake-up centre: We are waking all God's favourites because somewhere, someone needs you today! So move it, move it!!” It sure made me smile.

More than that though the reality is that God's word tells us that he will give his Angels charge over us! If you've never met your guardian Angel, maybe it's time you asked God to introduce you to a life mate you never knew you had. Your Angel has been with you since birth and will stay with you until God's appointed day for you to be with the Lord.

Meeting your Angel isn't like any other introduction you'll ever have, but when your heart is ready and you are willing to hear with the ears of heaven, you will begin to hear the voices of the Angels as they go about their day guarding each of us, and maybe, if you are really open to it, you might get the privilege one day of truly being able to say, “Today I felt the touch of an Angel”. That is one privilege, I'm proud to say, I have had!

Amethystos

February's birthstone is the Amethyst . The word Amethyst comes from the Greek word "amethystos," meaning sober. The ancient Greeks believed that this gemstone held many powers, among them protection against intoxication. Amethyst is considered by some as a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors.

The Holy Spirit is our Great Amethyst. Jackie Pullinger, in her book, “Chasing the Dragon,” tells of her ministry in Hong Kong. The Kowloon walled city was unpoliced in the 1960's and became one of the worlds largest producers of opium. Through her ministry addicts are assisted with overcoming their drug addiction with the help of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Purple dye was also extremely expensive and was thus reserved for Royalty. Thus the Amethyst has been a stone representing royalty. It has also been long associated with the priesthood. Does the bible not tell us, that we are a Royal priesthood, a Holy Nation? As children of God we can stand tall knowing that we are the royal kids of the Most High God.

Pin the donkey

Ever played pinned the donkey? What a challenge. Blind folded, tail in hand and all the while your friends cheering or in some cases jeering you along. Getting that tale on that donkey is almost impossible. That's how we often feel when we first start coming to God with our dreams and visions. We see the picture (the dream), we have the tail (our unique talent) but getting there seems impossible because of the blind fold we have on.

What if we had help? Blind people use well trained guide dog's to lead them to their destination. These dogs have unique communication with their owners who trust them to lead them across busy streets. We too have a guide. The Holy Spirit is the one whom has been sent to counsel us in the ways of wisdom, through God's word. Having a close relationship with the Holy Spirit will open up the possibility to hear God's word resounding in your own spirit and guide you along your path.

The beauty of this guide....... He also resides with the Father and so is uniquely poised to hear God's heartbeat for his unique ad special plan for our lives. Maybe you are facing difficult decisions regarding your future. Trust in your guide and talk to Him. Tell him your hearts desires and then ask Him to lead you to the place of fulfilment that God is calling you too.

Cameo

It didn't attract much attention, all be it rather beautiful. I could not resist the urge to wear my late gran's Cameo as a necklace today. The detailed carving of this amazing shell carries with it antique charm as these unique pieces of jewellery have been carved this way for hundreds of years.

Her blue Wedgwood jar which I have at home is created in similar fashion but one can only appreciate this delicate art once you have spent a few moments admiring the detail. We often forget this when we look at human lives. Each of us uniquely crafted in our mothers womb. Each of us, created for a unique purpose yet many of us miss the gift of understanding the purpose for which God has created us.

Our unique gifts and talents place in position to fulfil God's purpose. If you are feeling a little lost today, wondering what God's plan is for your life, take a little time to look at the detail of your life.  Coupled with your talents, life experience, environment and temperament lies the recipe for attaining God's perfect plan for you. So maybe it is time to pause, reflect and analyse your life today.