Just thought I'd share this email with you....
Precious Saints and dear friends in Christ!!!
What a friend we have in Jesus!!!! That is actually an old, old song but oh so true.
Sunday night at church I didn’t feel particularly spiritual, actually felt a bit empty and dry, had a really hectic week with the flu, laryngitis and backwards and forwards visiting my mom (she had broken her hip a week ago) in Tygerberg hospital, dealing with the old age home, doctors and nurses etc…. felt tired, worn out….
For those of you who were there Ronnie (our minister) was talking about getting a special touch from Jesus, then he made an altar call. Oh Ronnie why’d you do dat? I was planning on scooting straight out of church as soon as it had finished to get home as early as possible in order to go to bed as soon as possible.
Then the altar call. And boy did the people come up. I didn’t feel like going up, I wanted to go to bed! Anyways I had a few choices but it just basically meant getting past my current emotional status and being obedient to His call. It wasn’t just Ronnie who called for the ministry team to come up, His Holy Spirit just called me as well. I went up, unsure as to what to do. There were so many people and seemingly so few of the ministry team. I was led off to the one side and then just started ministering to people one on one. I just kinda put ‘me’ outta the way and His Holy Spirit just came and worked powerfully through me. And all this time He was just so much more than touching me, He was guiding me, showing me His incomparable love that He has for His children. I was just quietly and gently blown away. Clint and Debbie (Roach) assisted me in places, so many things happened, tongues, tears, resting in His spirit and time just stood still. Then when I turned to my dearly beloved friend Clint, who had been helping me with ministry I could just see that he wanted a special touch from Christ. So I just took the opportunity to pray with and for him. What a beautiful moment. What happened between God and Clint is his story to tell.
So there you go, oh yeah and His touch just lingers and lingers on and on. Did I fully understand what happened on Sunday night? No not really I just experienced it constantly checked it with His word and then trusted in Him. As always I’m stunned, amazed by the way God works, He constantly takes the ordinary and does the extraordinary. What amazing grace, love and mercy.
LoCTY!!!!
PS I did get an early mornings sleep. I fell asleep reading a book about the Psalms at about 1.30am.
PPS I had no intention initially of writing any of this ‘stuff’!!! I was just gonna say hi to you all via Pete’s email.
Came across a rap version of the old song by Bobby Jones. Here it is.
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Inside Out
Hey There
Have you stood in front of a mirror lately? Did you like what you saw? Probably not! Too many wrinkles, creases, ouch look at my stomach, and all those pieces that just kinda stick out in all the wrong places. HELP I’m a complete mess! What to do? Apply make up, exercise program, plastic surgery, improve posture, accessorise……. go shopping….go drinking. (By the way this is a unisex thing just pick out the pieces that apply to you.)
Sadly we live in a world where we idolize the body beautiful. Sooo much hangs on just the way we look and we feel that pressure on a daily basis. This makes many of us feel so insecure. Many people get rewarded in this life just by the way they look. And to think that they had little or nothing to do with it, it is just God’s gift to them.
We would rather deal with how people look on the outside then really get to know them and what makes them tick. We tend to avoid people who are ‘odd’ looking and don’t meet our criteria as far as looks go.
But here we have God who loves us from the inside out and not from the outside in. Sadly again many of us so absolutely don’t believe that. But it’s true, absolutely and irrevocably true.
When God was looking for a new King of Israel he said this to His prophet Samuel.
“Do not consider his appearance or his height……The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7)
From Psalm 139 again it tells us that God knitted us together in our mother’s womb and created our inmost being. We were made in a secret place and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Now that sounds a whole lot more creative, beautiful and artistic then you kinda just got here by a series of accidents.Yippee for evolution the ultimate theory of discouragement in this life!!
Then there is love. Nope evolution has no answer to that one, how we want to be loved and how we want to love others. The ultimate definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
And you know what? This is the way that God loves you and He is just waiting for you when you dunno who you are. When you are cut up inside aching and bleeding and not even worrying what you look like on the outside ‘cause the pain is just too much. When you doubt that He exists at all, when you feel you have been led astray. All you have to do is take hold of Jesus’ hand and He will meet you in your deepest darkest place and shine His love (as in 1 Corinthians 13) into your heart. Mebbe this will be your first time, mebbe you already know you can do this but think you can’t ……..you can. The psalmist says in the Old Testament “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love……as far as the east is from the west, that’s how far He has removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-13)
So how is your heart today? How are you deep down inside of you? Just open up your heart to Jesus because He made your heart in the first place and He knows how to heal it ‘cause His love is from the inside out.
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
LoCTY!!!!
Have you stood in front of a mirror lately? Did you like what you saw? Probably not! Too many wrinkles, creases, ouch look at my stomach, and all those pieces that just kinda stick out in all the wrong places. HELP I’m a complete mess! What to do? Apply make up, exercise program, plastic surgery, improve posture, accessorise……. go shopping….go drinking. (By the way this is a unisex thing just pick out the pieces that apply to you.)
Sadly we live in a world where we idolize the body beautiful. Sooo much hangs on just the way we look and we feel that pressure on a daily basis. This makes many of us feel so insecure. Many people get rewarded in this life just by the way they look. And to think that they had little or nothing to do with it, it is just God’s gift to them.
We would rather deal with how people look on the outside then really get to know them and what makes them tick. We tend to avoid people who are ‘odd’ looking and don’t meet our criteria as far as looks go.
But here we have God who loves us from the inside out and not from the outside in. Sadly again many of us so absolutely don’t believe that. But it’s true, absolutely and irrevocably true.
When God was looking for a new King of Israel he said this to His prophet Samuel.
“Do not consider his appearance or his height……The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7)
From Psalm 139 again it tells us that God knitted us together in our mother’s womb and created our inmost being. We were made in a secret place and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Now that sounds a whole lot more creative, beautiful and artistic then you kinda just got here by a series of accidents.Yippee for evolution the ultimate theory of discouragement in this life!!
Then there is love. Nope evolution has no answer to that one, how we want to be loved and how we want to love others. The ultimate definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
And you know what? This is the way that God loves you and He is just waiting for you when you dunno who you are. When you are cut up inside aching and bleeding and not even worrying what you look like on the outside ‘cause the pain is just too much. When you doubt that He exists at all, when you feel you have been led astray. All you have to do is take hold of Jesus’ hand and He will meet you in your deepest darkest place and shine His love (as in 1 Corinthians 13) into your heart. Mebbe this will be your first time, mebbe you already know you can do this but think you can’t ……..you can. The psalmist says in the Old Testament “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love……as far as the east is from the west, that’s how far He has removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-13)
So how is your heart today? How are you deep down inside of you? Just open up your heart to Jesus because He made your heart in the first place and He knows how to heal it ‘cause His love is from the inside out.
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
LoCTY!!!!
Friday, November 25, 2005
Growing Up
Precious Saints !!!
Was woken up one morning with this song by Chris Rice (thanks Helga on CCFM) and the first few lines just kinda stuck in my mind for a few days and evoked a ton of memories both good and bad.
What dreams did you have as a child as to what you wanted to be when you grew up and became an adult? Well I wanted to be a fireman, policeman, doctor, vet, soccer star, rock star and so on. As I grew older my ideas changed as to what I wanted to be. So by the time I was a teenager I wanted to be a rock star. Hey I really loved music but did I have any talent? Sad to say just about zero.
So we become all 'grown up' and stumble into a job and the 'real' world starts knocking our dreams to pieces. Sorry man, you can't do that, you're too short, too skinny, too white, too stoopid and so on. I remember going for job interview after job interview where they asked the same dumb questions. "Did you captain the 1st rugby team, 1st soccer team, 1st dis, 1st dat, I see you don't have a post matric qualification"....drone on and on. Hey can't a guy come second here? As a scrawny 20 something I just about used to wet my pants(or something worse) when I went for job interviews.
The other really intelligent question was, "I see you don't have any experience....." Well knock me down with a perfumed pink feather. I had just come out of the army where I was trained to meet interesting people and kill them!!! My young friends and I were giving up our lives to protect your sorry fat backside. How am I gonna get any experience if you don't want to hire me. Well that's what I felt like saying but I really did not have the guts to say it.
Anyways you eventually get a job, get married, get divorced, get married, get divorced and then get married again and hopefully stay employed throughout. And all this time you are kinda thinking to yourself there has just gotta be more to life then this. By the time I'd reached 40 I'd carefully patched up my heart, sealed it reasonably tight and would only let in people if they would be able to give me something in return. I would give love but you better give me some love back.
And then at that stage I had almost reached breaking point. Allie my lovely wife after giving birth to our only son had two nervous breakdowns in the space of three/four years. I mean what had I done to deserve this? I was really losing myself and finding it so difficult to really put others first. Then Allie started seeking for something bigger, higher then herself and she literally upset my whole wheelbarrow of manure. She actually started going to church! This kinda freaked me out initially I mean I was kinda steeling myself to push my wheelbarrow for the rest of my life and work out some kinda plan to make the manure smell better.
Well one thing led to another and one Saturday evening I met my saviour Jesus Christ. WOW!!! He gave me a tiny glimpse of his glory and my life was changed forever. Now I wanna do things 'cause I know that He loved me first, I'm learning more and more His purpose and plan for my life. And guess what I am really super duper special, I'm so precious that God himself came down and died for me. He purchased me with His own blood! Can you actually fathom the depth, the width the height of that love? Not likely this side of heaven. Now all this does not give me a big fat head but makes me feel truly grateful and humble and just wanting to serve Him with all that I have. Oh yeah, am I perfect? No ways, I'm full of holes and frayed at the edges but I'm really trying to love God back and the more I get that right the more I am able to give of His love back to the world.
God just blows me away constantly with His love. A youth pastor from Khayelitsha phoned me yesterday on my cell to tell me that He loves me as a brother in Christ. A woman the other evening introduced me to her sister and said that I'd saved her live. And it goes on and on. I'm not saying all this to get a Noddy badge or to tell you how great I am but to tell you how great God is. Love Him back more and more and you will see how He uses you. Go on I dare you!
Here's that song
The Power Of The Moment (by Chris Rice)
What am I gonna be when I grow up?
How am I gonna make my mark in history?
And what are they gonna write about me when I’m gone?
These are the questions that shape the way I think about what matters
But I have no guarantee of my next heartbeat
And my world’s too big to make a name for myself
And what if no one wants to read about me when I’m gone?
Seems to me that right now’s the only moment that matters
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
In Your kingdom where the least is greatest
The weak are given strength and fools confound the wise
And forever brushes up against a moment’s time
Leaving impressions and drawing me into what really matters
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
I get so distracted by my bigger schemes
Show me the importance of the simple things
Like a word, a seed, a thorn, a nail
And a cup of cold water
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
Copyright Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP)
LoCTY !!!!!!!
We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
Was woken up one morning with this song by Chris Rice (thanks Helga on CCFM) and the first few lines just kinda stuck in my mind for a few days and evoked a ton of memories both good and bad.
What dreams did you have as a child as to what you wanted to be when you grew up and became an adult? Well I wanted to be a fireman, policeman, doctor, vet, soccer star, rock star and so on. As I grew older my ideas changed as to what I wanted to be. So by the time I was a teenager I wanted to be a rock star. Hey I really loved music but did I have any talent? Sad to say just about zero.
So we become all 'grown up' and stumble into a job and the 'real' world starts knocking our dreams to pieces. Sorry man, you can't do that, you're too short, too skinny, too white, too stoopid and so on. I remember going for job interview after job interview where they asked the same dumb questions. "Did you captain the 1st rugby team, 1st soccer team, 1st dis, 1st dat, I see you don't have a post matric qualification"....drone on and on. Hey can't a guy come second here? As a scrawny 20 something I just about used to wet my pants(or something worse) when I went for job interviews.
The other really intelligent question was, "I see you don't have any experience....." Well knock me down with a perfumed pink feather. I had just come out of the army where I was trained to meet interesting people and kill them!!! My young friends and I were giving up our lives to protect your sorry fat backside. How am I gonna get any experience if you don't want to hire me. Well that's what I felt like saying but I really did not have the guts to say it.
Anyways you eventually get a job, get married, get divorced, get married, get divorced and then get married again and hopefully stay employed throughout. And all this time you are kinda thinking to yourself there has just gotta be more to life then this. By the time I'd reached 40 I'd carefully patched up my heart, sealed it reasonably tight and would only let in people if they would be able to give me something in return. I would give love but you better give me some love back.
And then at that stage I had almost reached breaking point. Allie my lovely wife after giving birth to our only son had two nervous breakdowns in the space of three/four years. I mean what had I done to deserve this? I was really losing myself and finding it so difficult to really put others first. Then Allie started seeking for something bigger, higher then herself and she literally upset my whole wheelbarrow of manure. She actually started going to church! This kinda freaked me out initially I mean I was kinda steeling myself to push my wheelbarrow for the rest of my life and work out some kinda plan to make the manure smell better.
Well one thing led to another and one Saturday evening I met my saviour Jesus Christ. WOW!!! He gave me a tiny glimpse of his glory and my life was changed forever. Now I wanna do things 'cause I know that He loved me first, I'm learning more and more His purpose and plan for my life. And guess what I am really super duper special, I'm so precious that God himself came down and died for me. He purchased me with His own blood! Can you actually fathom the depth, the width the height of that love? Not likely this side of heaven. Now all this does not give me a big fat head but makes me feel truly grateful and humble and just wanting to serve Him with all that I have. Oh yeah, am I perfect? No ways, I'm full of holes and frayed at the edges but I'm really trying to love God back and the more I get that right the more I am able to give of His love back to the world.
God just blows me away constantly with His love. A youth pastor from Khayelitsha phoned me yesterday on my cell to tell me that He loves me as a brother in Christ. A woman the other evening introduced me to her sister and said that I'd saved her live. And it goes on and on. I'm not saying all this to get a Noddy badge or to tell you how great I am but to tell you how great God is. Love Him back more and more and you will see how He uses you. Go on I dare you!
Here's that song
The Power Of The Moment (by Chris Rice)
What am I gonna be when I grow up?
How am I gonna make my mark in history?
And what are they gonna write about me when I’m gone?
These are the questions that shape the way I think about what matters
But I have no guarantee of my next heartbeat
And my world’s too big to make a name for myself
And what if no one wants to read about me when I’m gone?
Seems to me that right now’s the only moment that matters
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
In Your kingdom where the least is greatest
The weak are given strength and fools confound the wise
And forever brushes up against a moment’s time
Leaving impressions and drawing me into what really matters
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
I get so distracted by my bigger schemes
Show me the importance of the simple things
Like a word, a seed, a thorn, a nail
And a cup of cold water
You know the number of my days
So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head
And come write Your wisdom on my heart
And teach me the power of a moment
The power of a moment, the power of a moment
Copyright Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP)
LoCTY !!!!!!!
We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Amazing Love
To You Oh Precious Saints !!!!
Your email boxes over these last coupla weeks must have been decidedly lighter and your eyes more rested due to the fact that I have been on leave for the last two weeks.
So what’s been happening? Plenty ‘stuff’, too much to write all down here but we’ll mention some things.
Well Val (Allies’ sister who is a Sister [nun; geddit?]) came down from Cathcart to stay with us these past two weeks and I tried my level best to cut down on the church “stuff’ for the two weeks so we could spend as much time with Val as possible. We went to early morning mass for two Sundays, hey I even knew the words for quite a few of the songs and also knew quite a few people there.
Last Thursday we are just sitting in the lounge around about 5pm when suddenly the front door opens (for some reason or the other it was not locked) and in walks Adam. Talk about jaw dropping, blown away time. To just let you get some idea of the impact of his entrance, we had not heard a single word from him for more than a month. Allie was really worried about him, what with Rita and Katrina doing there dance of destruction across the southern parts of the USA. Because of all the damage that the hurricanes have caused, the entertainment season has been curtailed and the owner of the fare started to send the guys back home. It was just so good to see him. He’d been travelling for 30 hours. A few days earlier I’d had a dream that he’d come home and it was so real that when I woke up I thought that he was in the house (yeah I cried then, no one saw me except God). He (Adam) also came bearing gifts for us and this from a guy who until last year was not interested in paying rent. It was so apparent that God had “kept” him in this very difficult time. We had a great time of fellowship (actually mind blowing) as a family talking about our amazingly awesome God. Then we went to visit Lisa (his sister) and Donovan (Lisas’ hubbie). Well I was very proud (ooh dangeroos) of myself as I did not cry but at times His Holy Spirit was just sooo close. Then on Friday morning we dropped Mattie off at school and all the while I’m just thinking of God’s amazing love and the tears just came.
This past Sunday morning I paid a visit to the Full Gospel church in Bothasig. I’m walking innocently down the aisle when Paul B comes to greet me and nonchalantly asks me if I would say the opening prayer. WHO ME !!! Hey you got it wrong I’m just visiting here. I had a good coupla excuses welling up from within but the only thing that came out after the WHO ME bit was, “Okay just call me when you need me.” That was such a blessing and honour thank you (in hindsight) Paul B for jolting me out of my comfort zone.
Then we go to Goodwood Methodist in the evening and Adam comes with. We are singing praises to God and out of the corner of my eye I see Adam raise His hands in worship and my throat just thickens up and I’m shattered and can’t sing. And it’s all ‘bout His amazing love.
I always knew from my earliest memories that God was this all powerful being (He is) who would just zap you if you stepped outta line. From my later “religious” experiences this just seemed to be more and more highlighted. Then when I thought I’d found the “true” God at one stage it actually just made me feel more of a wretch (yaargh you miserable worm). The only way to live from there on in was to deny Him. And then I met His Holy Spirit and for the first time in my life I experienced the love of God. The only more amazing thing than my own personal encounter and awakening with God is to see how His love works in others lives. I just want you all out there to know that if you are aware of Gods’ love for you then you are truly blessed ‘cause there are millions of people out there who just have no idea of this simple (but mind blowing) truth.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he
may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being
rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
I’m forgiven, because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again
Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honour You
In all I do I honour You
You are my king
You are my king
Jesus you are my king
(Written by Billy Foot)
LoCTY !!!!!
Your email boxes over these last coupla weeks must have been decidedly lighter and your eyes more rested due to the fact that I have been on leave for the last two weeks.
So what’s been happening? Plenty ‘stuff’, too much to write all down here but we’ll mention some things.
Well Val (Allies’ sister who is a Sister [nun; geddit?]) came down from Cathcart to stay with us these past two weeks and I tried my level best to cut down on the church “stuff’ for the two weeks so we could spend as much time with Val as possible. We went to early morning mass for two Sundays, hey I even knew the words for quite a few of the songs and also knew quite a few people there.
Last Thursday we are just sitting in the lounge around about 5pm when suddenly the front door opens (for some reason or the other it was not locked) and in walks Adam. Talk about jaw dropping, blown away time. To just let you get some idea of the impact of his entrance, we had not heard a single word from him for more than a month. Allie was really worried about him, what with Rita and Katrina doing there dance of destruction across the southern parts of the USA. Because of all the damage that the hurricanes have caused, the entertainment season has been curtailed and the owner of the fare started to send the guys back home. It was just so good to see him. He’d been travelling for 30 hours. A few days earlier I’d had a dream that he’d come home and it was so real that when I woke up I thought that he was in the house (yeah I cried then, no one saw me except God). He (Adam) also came bearing gifts for us and this from a guy who until last year was not interested in paying rent. It was so apparent that God had “kept” him in this very difficult time. We had a great time of fellowship (actually mind blowing) as a family talking about our amazingly awesome God. Then we went to visit Lisa (his sister) and Donovan (Lisas’ hubbie). Well I was very proud (ooh dangeroos) of myself as I did not cry but at times His Holy Spirit was just sooo close. Then on Friday morning we dropped Mattie off at school and all the while I’m just thinking of God’s amazing love and the tears just came.
This past Sunday morning I paid a visit to the Full Gospel church in Bothasig. I’m walking innocently down the aisle when Paul B comes to greet me and nonchalantly asks me if I would say the opening prayer. WHO ME !!! Hey you got it wrong I’m just visiting here. I had a good coupla excuses welling up from within but the only thing that came out after the WHO ME bit was, “Okay just call me when you need me.” That was such a blessing and honour thank you (in hindsight) Paul B for jolting me out of my comfort zone.
Then we go to Goodwood Methodist in the evening and Adam comes with. We are singing praises to God and out of the corner of my eye I see Adam raise His hands in worship and my throat just thickens up and I’m shattered and can’t sing. And it’s all ‘bout His amazing love.
I always knew from my earliest memories that God was this all powerful being (He is) who would just zap you if you stepped outta line. From my later “religious” experiences this just seemed to be more and more highlighted. Then when I thought I’d found the “true” God at one stage it actually just made me feel more of a wretch (yaargh you miserable worm). The only way to live from there on in was to deny Him. And then I met His Holy Spirit and for the first time in my life I experienced the love of God. The only more amazing thing than my own personal encounter and awakening with God is to see how His love works in others lives. I just want you all out there to know that if you are aware of Gods’ love for you then you are truly blessed ‘cause there are millions of people out there who just have no idea of this simple (but mind blowing) truth.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he
may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being
rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
I’m forgiven, because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again
Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honour You
In all I do I honour You
You are my king
You are my king
Jesus you are my king
(Written by Billy Foot)
LoCTY !!!!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Better is one day......
To The Precious Saints!!!!
These last coupla days the combination of the song and the verses of Psalm 84 have been so deeply ingrained within me. That I would wake up in the mornings with the words already in my mind and on my lips.
This past Saturday Lisa and Matthew went down to the community hall in Edgemead to sell Lisa’s pillows and Matt’s beaded jewellery (which he made himself). This was the Edgemead Arts and Crafts Fair. Allie and myself went with them in the morning to help set up and stayed a little while. We returned a bit later and stayed till it finished which was at 2pm.
I was just looking at all the people and with this song and the words of the Psalm mulling around in my brain I suddenly felt like a doorkeeper. The doorkeeper to eternal healing, eternal joy, eternal love and eternal life. How do I get people to approach the door? How do I get them to knock? How do I help them open the door? Of course the only problem with those questions is the “I” part. It’s not really about me at all, it’s all about God. It’s all about our saviour Jesus Christ and the Helper, His Holy Spirit, ‘cause without them we can do nothing (John 15:5).
So I did not jump up on a table and start preaching hell and damnation (it is tempting sometimes but it’s not really my style!) but just watched and waited. I saw a couple pushing a handicapped boy in a special pram who looked to be about Mattie’s age. Suddenly the penny dropped. It was Ruan, the boy who fell into the swimming pool about two/three years ago and the Holy Spirit led us to pray for him in hospital and also to pray for his parents Herman and Sheila at their home (do you remember Donny and Ashley?) I lost sight of them but found them again when I took a walk to the library. I chatted to Herman and Sheila (mostly to Herman) and I realised then that I had absolutely no idea of what they had been through and what they are still going through. Phew they must be really digging deep. I remember His Holy Spirit letting me feel some of their pain that convicted me to go and pray for them a few years ago. I wept for them then, at the time it was so close and personal, I just had to do it, ‘cause Jesus wanted me to.
We came home and Mattie was quite chuffed ‘cause he had sold some of his stuff (more money for toyz). I was in the garage when I heard someone calling me. “Dominee, dominee!” it was Sara. She is an alcoholic, (part of the street people of Bothasig) who I had not seen for about a year. She told me a sad story of the guy (John) whom she had been looking after for years. They went up to Johns family ‘bout a year ago and the family eventually kicked her out. So there she was in my (God’s!) driveway railing against God and just asking WHY? So I’d like to say God infused me with His Holy wisdom and all the ‘right’ answers came out. I did not have a clue wot to say. So I just reached out and hugged her as she wept and sobbed her heart out. Just then her friend came past and I gently passed her on to her friend and asked her to look after Sara.
Saturday night was soup kitchen and there all the brokenness is so apparent. Grant met two guys there who he’d known for years. He and Clint prayed and ministered to them. It is so difficult to comprehend how hard and far some people have fallen in their lives.
As we walk in this world we come across people that are fragile like glass and many of them have been shattered so that they have all these sharp pieces which cut you and make you bleed when you minister to them. But somehow or the other the love of God heals, it definitely heals me and gives me the strength to continue to do His will and I see that the more people open themselves to the true love of God the more He heals. Everyday I see and hear all the suffering in this world, I so long for His dwelling place which is so aptly put in Psalm 84, and His word promises that every tear will be wiped away (Rev 7:17 & 21:4). But for now I am here to try my best to let His Spirit work in me and through me and show His love, grace and mercy. I can only encourage you to keep on trying as well.
To borrow the phrase from Ronnie van Eck (Sunday nights service) get out of the boat and if you keep your eyes on Jesus you can walk on water.
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself
where she may have her young- a place near your altar,
O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer O Lord God Almighty; listen to me,
O God of Jacob.
Look upon our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour;
No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
O Lord Almighty blessed is the man who trusts in you.
How lovely is your dwelling place
Oh, Lord Almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings
Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
One thing I ask and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells
Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the living God
Your Spirit’s water to my soul
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
Chorus
LoCTY !!!!
These last coupla days the combination of the song and the verses of Psalm 84 have been so deeply ingrained within me. That I would wake up in the mornings with the words already in my mind and on my lips.
This past Saturday Lisa and Matthew went down to the community hall in Edgemead to sell Lisa’s pillows and Matt’s beaded jewellery (which he made himself). This was the Edgemead Arts and Crafts Fair. Allie and myself went with them in the morning to help set up and stayed a little while. We returned a bit later and stayed till it finished which was at 2pm.
I was just looking at all the people and with this song and the words of the Psalm mulling around in my brain I suddenly felt like a doorkeeper. The doorkeeper to eternal healing, eternal joy, eternal love and eternal life. How do I get people to approach the door? How do I get them to knock? How do I help them open the door? Of course the only problem with those questions is the “I” part. It’s not really about me at all, it’s all about God. It’s all about our saviour Jesus Christ and the Helper, His Holy Spirit, ‘cause without them we can do nothing (John 15:5).
So I did not jump up on a table and start preaching hell and damnation (it is tempting sometimes but it’s not really my style!) but just watched and waited. I saw a couple pushing a handicapped boy in a special pram who looked to be about Mattie’s age. Suddenly the penny dropped. It was Ruan, the boy who fell into the swimming pool about two/three years ago and the Holy Spirit led us to pray for him in hospital and also to pray for his parents Herman and Sheila at their home (do you remember Donny and Ashley?) I lost sight of them but found them again when I took a walk to the library. I chatted to Herman and Sheila (mostly to Herman) and I realised then that I had absolutely no idea of what they had been through and what they are still going through. Phew they must be really digging deep. I remember His Holy Spirit letting me feel some of their pain that convicted me to go and pray for them a few years ago. I wept for them then, at the time it was so close and personal, I just had to do it, ‘cause Jesus wanted me to.
We came home and Mattie was quite chuffed ‘cause he had sold some of his stuff (more money for toyz). I was in the garage when I heard someone calling me. “Dominee, dominee!” it was Sara. She is an alcoholic, (part of the street people of Bothasig) who I had not seen for about a year. She told me a sad story of the guy (John) whom she had been looking after for years. They went up to Johns family ‘bout a year ago and the family eventually kicked her out. So there she was in my (God’s!) driveway railing against God and just asking WHY? So I’d like to say God infused me with His Holy wisdom and all the ‘right’ answers came out. I did not have a clue wot to say. So I just reached out and hugged her as she wept and sobbed her heart out. Just then her friend came past and I gently passed her on to her friend and asked her to look after Sara.
Saturday night was soup kitchen and there all the brokenness is so apparent. Grant met two guys there who he’d known for years. He and Clint prayed and ministered to them. It is so difficult to comprehend how hard and far some people have fallen in their lives.
As we walk in this world we come across people that are fragile like glass and many of them have been shattered so that they have all these sharp pieces which cut you and make you bleed when you minister to them. But somehow or the other the love of God heals, it definitely heals me and gives me the strength to continue to do His will and I see that the more people open themselves to the true love of God the more He heals. Everyday I see and hear all the suffering in this world, I so long for His dwelling place which is so aptly put in Psalm 84, and His word promises that every tear will be wiped away (Rev 7:17 & 21:4). But for now I am here to try my best to let His Spirit work in me and through me and show His love, grace and mercy. I can only encourage you to keep on trying as well.
To borrow the phrase from Ronnie van Eck (Sunday nights service) get out of the boat and if you keep your eyes on Jesus you can walk on water.
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself
where she may have her young- a place near your altar,
O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer O Lord God Almighty; listen to me,
O God of Jacob.
Look upon our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour;
No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
O Lord Almighty blessed is the man who trusts in you.
How lovely is your dwelling place
Oh, Lord Almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings
Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
One thing I ask and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells
Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the living God
Your Spirit’s water to my soul
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
Chorus
LoCTY !!!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Do You Remember What I've Done?
Dear Precious Saints !!!!!
So I'm getting a few emails and phone calls asking "Are you well? Where have you been? Do you need someone to talk to? I'm really missing your mail.When r u gonna write yr book?," some of you have probably noticed that your inbox just ain't been so full lately (probably breathing a sigh of relief). I gotta watch the comments and stuff 'cause you know I'm painfully human at times and all these encouraging comments could go just straight to my head and then my head would swell to such an extent that I would not be able to get out of the office to go home. But please don't stop saying wot ever you wanna say. I really don't have any excuses it's not that I haven't had anything to say and share its just that I don't always know how to express it out here in black on white.
Well as per usual I'm working (yeah I do that) and I decide to check my email. Ah, a email from Allie (my wife). I innocently open it up totally unprepared for the contents (she did tell me earlier on, but I forgot....me forget!?) and on the attachment is Allie's testimony. She had sent it to a couple whose testimony we had recently read. Well I read through it (this is the first time that she has written it out) and phew it was just blow away time. Outside some union members were chanting and demonstrating, but me I was a mess I was crying without even realising it. You know we are so quick to forget God's love, grace and mercy in our lives, we sometimes meander off into a side street which is a dead end and there we sit howling at the moon, shaking our fists at God all kinda bitter and frustrated. Where ever you are now, whatever you are doing just take a moment to reflect, meditate on what God has done in your life so far and what it has cost Him and if your heart is hard let His spirit come in and soften your heart and if you cry.....so what. I have a my own cry room, it is the last toilet cubicle against the wall....I'm getting a sign for the door.
Concerning the Gentiles (datz most of us), God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who where not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before. (Romans 9:25 from Hosea 2:23)
"If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful it doesn't matter who criticizes me." - John Bunyan.
Will I believe You when You say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to rid my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With one breath you made me new
Your grace covers all I do
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well I'm broken but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken
Pouring out Your words of grace
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
(Walk By Faith written and performed by Jeremy Camp)
LoCTY !!!!!!
PS Thank you Paul and Belinda keep shining.
PPS Just in case you are wondering or confused the "I've" in the subject header is definitely not me but God!
So I'm getting a few emails and phone calls asking "Are you well? Where have you been? Do you need someone to talk to? I'm really missing your mail.When r u gonna write yr book?," some of you have probably noticed that your inbox just ain't been so full lately (probably breathing a sigh of relief). I gotta watch the comments and stuff 'cause you know I'm painfully human at times and all these encouraging comments could go just straight to my head and then my head would swell to such an extent that I would not be able to get out of the office to go home. But please don't stop saying wot ever you wanna say. I really don't have any excuses it's not that I haven't had anything to say and share its just that I don't always know how to express it out here in black on white.
Well as per usual I'm working (yeah I do that) and I decide to check my email. Ah, a email from Allie (my wife). I innocently open it up totally unprepared for the contents (she did tell me earlier on, but I forgot....me forget!?) and on the attachment is Allie's testimony. She had sent it to a couple whose testimony we had recently read. Well I read through it (this is the first time that she has written it out) and phew it was just blow away time. Outside some union members were chanting and demonstrating, but me I was a mess I was crying without even realising it. You know we are so quick to forget God's love, grace and mercy in our lives, we sometimes meander off into a side street which is a dead end and there we sit howling at the moon, shaking our fists at God all kinda bitter and frustrated. Where ever you are now, whatever you are doing just take a moment to reflect, meditate on what God has done in your life so far and what it has cost Him and if your heart is hard let His spirit come in and soften your heart and if you cry.....so what. I have a my own cry room, it is the last toilet cubicle against the wall....I'm getting a sign for the door.
Concerning the Gentiles (datz most of us), God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who where not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before. (Romans 9:25 from Hosea 2:23)
"If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful it doesn't matter who criticizes me." - John Bunyan.
Will I believe You when You say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to rid my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With one breath you made me new
Your grace covers all I do
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well I'm broken but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken
Pouring out Your words of grace
I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
(Walk By Faith written and performed by Jeremy Camp)
LoCTY !!!!!!
PS Thank you Paul and Belinda keep shining.
PPS Just in case you are wondering or confused the "I've" in the subject header is definitely not me but God!
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
No Greater Love.....
To The Precious Saints !!!!
Today I sit here totally overwhelmed by the majesty of God's love. I'm just kinda sitting here at work plonking away mechanically at my keyboard but my soul, spirit, mind and body my whole inner and outer being is totally consumed by God's love. I'm crying in gratitude for the work He has done this past Alpha weekend, I'm crying in gratitude for the way He works through ordinary everyday people (yea jars of clay) and transcends us into such magnificent instruments of love and healing. Do I understand it. No not really but I feel it somewhere deep down inside. When I woke up this morning I went to prepare Matthews cereal and I wept (kinda like that old Neil Diamond song, crying in your pretzels) I went to shave, as I looked in the mirror I wept (okay I know some of you are thinking if they looked in the mirror and saw my face they'd also weep!).
Did we see mountains move? Did we see limbs grow back or any such physical miracles? No not really. But what we did see is all types of brokenness being healed. Spiritual eyes being opened as the truth was revealed by His Spirit to His children. We saw God saving lives for eternity.
Some snapshots. Mike's(our minister) friend giving His life to Christ and being filled with His Holy Spirit. Mike has been praying for him for 33 years. A women giving her testimony about falling so far from God, she used to be a lay preacher in Namibia, saying basically that God's love never fails. She was invited to Alpha by the guys doing Street Evangelism last year in November. You know just one of those chance meetings(yea right!)
We shared the weekend with the Roman Catholic Church (St Josephs) of Goodwood and they too were just blown away by the experience. They had just never experienced anything like this before. The raw (but gentle) power of God's love. When the Holy Spirit ministry was in progress many of them just stayed watching, after they had been prayed for, and just could not get enough.
Then on to an extended period of praise and worship and it was so great to see everyone worshiping the one true God in spirit and truth. Yes His Holy Spirit brings unity in Christ!
So many things to write about the weekend I cannot possibly put them all down here.
On to Sunday evening. And we have a celebration service, the church is packed and man do I get goosebumps when 400 or so people worship God with all they've got. God's grace and mercy just continued to flow as after the service so many people came up for ministry. This morning Allie received an SMS thanking us for prayer given last night. I have received phone calls about last nights service this morning at work, thanks for prayers and just how awesome it was.
Thank you all for your prayers for the weekend.
Over the mountains and the sea
Your river runs with love for me
And I will open up my heart
And let the Healer set me free
I'm happy to be in the truth
And I will daily lift my hands
For I will always sing
Of when Your love came down
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
Oh, I feel like dancing
It's foolishness, I know
But when the world has seen the Light
They will dance with joy
Like we're dancing now
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
(I Could Sing of Your Love Forever by Delirious)
LoCTY !!!!
PS Peter B I'm only sending this to you internally so it makes it easier for you to pass it on to your group.
Today I sit here totally overwhelmed by the majesty of God's love. I'm just kinda sitting here at work plonking away mechanically at my keyboard but my soul, spirit, mind and body my whole inner and outer being is totally consumed by God's love. I'm crying in gratitude for the work He has done this past Alpha weekend, I'm crying in gratitude for the way He works through ordinary everyday people (yea jars of clay) and transcends us into such magnificent instruments of love and healing. Do I understand it. No not really but I feel it somewhere deep down inside. When I woke up this morning I went to prepare Matthews cereal and I wept (kinda like that old Neil Diamond song, crying in your pretzels) I went to shave, as I looked in the mirror I wept (okay I know some of you are thinking if they looked in the mirror and saw my face they'd also weep!).
Did we see mountains move? Did we see limbs grow back or any such physical miracles? No not really. But what we did see is all types of brokenness being healed. Spiritual eyes being opened as the truth was revealed by His Spirit to His children. We saw God saving lives for eternity.
Some snapshots. Mike's(our minister) friend giving His life to Christ and being filled with His Holy Spirit. Mike has been praying for him for 33 years. A women giving her testimony about falling so far from God, she used to be a lay preacher in Namibia, saying basically that God's love never fails. She was invited to Alpha by the guys doing Street Evangelism last year in November. You know just one of those chance meetings(yea right!)
We shared the weekend with the Roman Catholic Church (St Josephs) of Goodwood and they too were just blown away by the experience. They had just never experienced anything like this before. The raw (but gentle) power of God's love. When the Holy Spirit ministry was in progress many of them just stayed watching, after they had been prayed for, and just could not get enough.
Then on to an extended period of praise and worship and it was so great to see everyone worshiping the one true God in spirit and truth. Yes His Holy Spirit brings unity in Christ!
So many things to write about the weekend I cannot possibly put them all down here.
On to Sunday evening. And we have a celebration service, the church is packed and man do I get goosebumps when 400 or so people worship God with all they've got. God's grace and mercy just continued to flow as after the service so many people came up for ministry. This morning Allie received an SMS thanking us for prayer given last night. I have received phone calls about last nights service this morning at work, thanks for prayers and just how awesome it was.
Thank you all for your prayers for the weekend.
Over the mountains and the sea
Your river runs with love for me
And I will open up my heart
And let the Healer set me free
I'm happy to be in the truth
And I will daily lift my hands
For I will always sing
Of when Your love came down
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
Oh, I feel like dancing
It's foolishness, I know
But when the world has seen the Light
They will dance with joy
Like we're dancing now
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
(I Could Sing of Your Love Forever by Delirious)
LoCTY !!!!
PS Peter B I'm only sending this to you internally so it makes it easier for you to pass it on to your group.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Purrrrspektive
To The Precious Saints !!!!!!!
Ya YOU, don't look around or behind you or at the person next to you and if you are working away by your little lonesome self, don't feel lonely 'cause He is with you always. Jesus is saying U RRRR PRECIOUS TO HIM he paid the highest price that one can pay for anyone. So no matter how vrot you are feeling today that does not change this truth.
If you ask the majority of people about Mondays, you kinda get the colour answer, black, blue or a combo black and blue, if its really a bomb of a day. Mondays are such clichés, everything seems to go wrong and what makes it so difficult is that my brain is still in neutral weekend mode when Monday springs up on me and screams in my ear SURPRISE!!!! its Monday. Oh what joy. I'm looking so forward to going to work, all those exciting deadlines, playing with exciting financial packages, meeting all those terribly depressed and morose people. Everyone is just so hyped and motivated to serve their fellow citizens in Cape Town, yea right.
So there I am hanging on to a leather handle of the bus, like a choice piece of meat, while trying not to put too much weight on my fractured toe. The bus is crammed, standing room only. Yea running late again, gee wot a surprise. We are caught in a tailback from Cape Town to Timbuktu and everyone is enjoying sucking in all the free carbon monoxide fumes. Its stifling hot in the bus and a woman is virtually fainting as she decides discretion is the better part of valour and sits down on the floor. I'm miffed I can't read or sleep as the bus driver tries doing his best Schumacher impression all the way to town.
A couple of years ago my spirit would have been crushed to the point of desperation. My thought then was. Man is this it? Is this all that life is cracked up to be? This endless joyless trudge of spending most of your time doing something you don't want to do. Now and again you get a "happy spark" when something good happens to you and you hang on to that memory and cherish it. You collect those memories, you treasure them and you try your best to plan and create new happy moments. When you go through a dark times then you call up those happy moments and you also look forward to creating those new ones. But this is such an inadequate philosophy to use in your life, you start falling apart from within, but that's okay as long as you look good and fashionable from the outside. I'm Kooel ! Oh yea what about you dieing some day? Listen I've got enuff on my plate I'll deal with that when it comes up.
Thank goodness Allie, when she was going through some of the darkest moments of her life started asking the same questions that I had been ignoring for years. She really started truly searching and eventually found a place and a person of truth. Me I was not interested. Church!!! Huh that's just a place full of hypocrites (always room for another one hey). Somehow through God's grace and mercy and the love of Christ He reached out and changed our lives forever.
So now when I hang around (literally) on the bus seemingly going nowhere slowly, I know that this life is just a mist, a millisecond compared to eternity and its definitely not all there is. I'm going to live forever with Jesus in heaven 'cause He bought me with a price and nothing can separate me from His great and all consuming love. And He has a purpose and plan for my life while I'm here. So if you feel like nothing and pretty vrot then join me and all the Saints and dare to believe in the promises of God. Put quite simply it's the plain everlasting, loving, truth.
We have heard the thunder
We have seen the storm
Echoes of your kingdom coming
Rumours of our home
Where one day we will stand before you Lord
Our altogether beautiful reward
And we will give you glory, bring you honour
King above all kings, you deserve our everything
We will lift our voices with your praises
Jesus you are our King
Though now we walk in darkness
Though now we see in part
Right now we're warmed by the burning flames
Of the fire in our hearts
You've promised you will lead us to your throne
Where we will worship you and you alone
(King by Tree 63)
LoCTY !!!!!!!!!!
PS There are quite a few scriptures in here but have fun and work them out 4 yer self. Go on don't be so lazzzzy !
Ya YOU, don't look around or behind you or at the person next to you and if you are working away by your little lonesome self, don't feel lonely 'cause He is with you always. Jesus is saying U RRRR PRECIOUS TO HIM he paid the highest price that one can pay for anyone. So no matter how vrot you are feeling today that does not change this truth.
If you ask the majority of people about Mondays, you kinda get the colour answer, black, blue or a combo black and blue, if its really a bomb of a day. Mondays are such clichés, everything seems to go wrong and what makes it so difficult is that my brain is still in neutral weekend mode when Monday springs up on me and screams in my ear SURPRISE!!!! its Monday. Oh what joy. I'm looking so forward to going to work, all those exciting deadlines, playing with exciting financial packages, meeting all those terribly depressed and morose people. Everyone is just so hyped and motivated to serve their fellow citizens in Cape Town, yea right.
So there I am hanging on to a leather handle of the bus, like a choice piece of meat, while trying not to put too much weight on my fractured toe. The bus is crammed, standing room only. Yea running late again, gee wot a surprise. We are caught in a tailback from Cape Town to Timbuktu and everyone is enjoying sucking in all the free carbon monoxide fumes. Its stifling hot in the bus and a woman is virtually fainting as she decides discretion is the better part of valour and sits down on the floor. I'm miffed I can't read or sleep as the bus driver tries doing his best Schumacher impression all the way to town.
A couple of years ago my spirit would have been crushed to the point of desperation. My thought then was. Man is this it? Is this all that life is cracked up to be? This endless joyless trudge of spending most of your time doing something you don't want to do. Now and again you get a "happy spark" when something good happens to you and you hang on to that memory and cherish it. You collect those memories, you treasure them and you try your best to plan and create new happy moments. When you go through a dark times then you call up those happy moments and you also look forward to creating those new ones. But this is such an inadequate philosophy to use in your life, you start falling apart from within, but that's okay as long as you look good and fashionable from the outside. I'm Kooel ! Oh yea what about you dieing some day? Listen I've got enuff on my plate I'll deal with that when it comes up.
Thank goodness Allie, when she was going through some of the darkest moments of her life started asking the same questions that I had been ignoring for years. She really started truly searching and eventually found a place and a person of truth. Me I was not interested. Church!!! Huh that's just a place full of hypocrites (always room for another one hey). Somehow through God's grace and mercy and the love of Christ He reached out and changed our lives forever.
So now when I hang around (literally) on the bus seemingly going nowhere slowly, I know that this life is just a mist, a millisecond compared to eternity and its definitely not all there is. I'm going to live forever with Jesus in heaven 'cause He bought me with a price and nothing can separate me from His great and all consuming love. And He has a purpose and plan for my life while I'm here. So if you feel like nothing and pretty vrot then join me and all the Saints and dare to believe in the promises of God. Put quite simply it's the plain everlasting, loving, truth.
We have heard the thunder
We have seen the storm
Echoes of your kingdom coming
Rumours of our home
Where one day we will stand before you Lord
Our altogether beautiful reward
And we will give you glory, bring you honour
King above all kings, you deserve our everything
We will lift our voices with your praises
Jesus you are our King
Though now we walk in darkness
Though now we see in part
Right now we're warmed by the burning flames
Of the fire in our hearts
You've promised you will lead us to your throne
Where we will worship you and you alone
(King by Tree 63)
LoCTY !!!!!!!!!!
PS There are quite a few scriptures in here but have fun and work them out 4 yer self. Go on don't be so lazzzzy !
Monday, October 18, 2004
Please take from me...
To You The Precious Saints !!!!!!!
Know this day how worthy you are. You were bought with the very life blood of Jesus Christ, God came down here to earth to die for you, just so He could have a loving relationship with you.
Every morning during the week (Mon to Fri) I wake up my son Matthew (aged 7) for school. Before I get him out of bed I get his chair ready and dish up his cereal. I then go wake him up. He is just like a big floppy doll as he flops into my arms (trusting me so completely) and I can feel his warm body against mine, feel his breath in my ear, smell his unique smell and then I carry him through and place him as gently as I can on his chair. I then go and fetch his Shrek or Spiderman blankie and he wraps himself up in it from head to toe (I call him Eskimoses). Always just before I wake Mattie up I look down on this incredible miracle that God has blessed us with (sleeping so angelically) and my heart just wants to crack. I wish that I could just leave him there to sleep but I know no matter how tough his day is gonna be it is better that I wake him. Before I leave for work I always whisper in his ear that Jesus loves him and that I love him and he nods his head in agreement.
And this is how our Father and our Saviour Jesus is with us all. His heart just wants to crack when every day he sends us out into this sick and dying world full of sin and corruption, He sees the knocks and hurts we take but He wants us to shine His grace,mercy and love to this world of His which denies the Saviour and Creator. And this is eternally good for us.
So if you have ever woken up in the small hours of the morning in a complete panic (over big things or small or a combo of both) and you toss and turn and dread the approach of the time you actually have to get out of bed and you would rather just curl up in a ball and be left alone, mebbe just for today. Then you get this huge guilt trip because the question screams in your mind ' Wot kinda Kristian R U'. Who the heck am I? And you feel so ashamed and you want to hide from Jesus but you know you can't. Sometimes all we manage to do is hold on in quiet desperation to Jesus our Saviour and just pray (minute by minute) that He gets us through the day. Sometimes you get to work and some cheery Christian beams at you and proclaims 'This is the day the Lord has made be thankful, rejoice and be glad', and you feel like belting them over the head with your coffee cup (yeah the truth hurts). Never feel alone when you feel like this, don't expect major easy to see miracles but He is all around you teaching you everyday down to the smallest detail and He won't let you go.
Last night Allie and myself ministered to beautiful gifted sister who is struggling and while Allie was praying His Holy Spirit was just playing this song over and over in my head.
How many times have I turned away
The number is the same as the sand on the shore
Every time You've taken me back
And now I pray You'll do it once more
Please take from me my life
When I don't have the strength
To give it away to You
Please take from me my life
When I don't have the strength
To give it away to You, Jesus
How many times have I gone astray
The number is the same as the stars in the sky
Every time You've taken me back
And I pray You'll do it again
(Take My Life by Third Day)
Paul tells us this; And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Romans 8: 38&39)
May You All Abide With Him Today
LoCTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Know this day how worthy you are. You were bought with the very life blood of Jesus Christ, God came down here to earth to die for you, just so He could have a loving relationship with you.
Every morning during the week (Mon to Fri) I wake up my son Matthew (aged 7) for school. Before I get him out of bed I get his chair ready and dish up his cereal. I then go wake him up. He is just like a big floppy doll as he flops into my arms (trusting me so completely) and I can feel his warm body against mine, feel his breath in my ear, smell his unique smell and then I carry him through and place him as gently as I can on his chair. I then go and fetch his Shrek or Spiderman blankie and he wraps himself up in it from head to toe (I call him Eskimoses). Always just before I wake Mattie up I look down on this incredible miracle that God has blessed us with (sleeping so angelically) and my heart just wants to crack. I wish that I could just leave him there to sleep but I know no matter how tough his day is gonna be it is better that I wake him. Before I leave for work I always whisper in his ear that Jesus loves him and that I love him and he nods his head in agreement.
And this is how our Father and our Saviour Jesus is with us all. His heart just wants to crack when every day he sends us out into this sick and dying world full of sin and corruption, He sees the knocks and hurts we take but He wants us to shine His grace,mercy and love to this world of His which denies the Saviour and Creator. And this is eternally good for us.
So if you have ever woken up in the small hours of the morning in a complete panic (over big things or small or a combo of both) and you toss and turn and dread the approach of the time you actually have to get out of bed and you would rather just curl up in a ball and be left alone, mebbe just for today. Then you get this huge guilt trip because the question screams in your mind ' Wot kinda Kristian R U'. Who the heck am I? And you feel so ashamed and you want to hide from Jesus but you know you can't. Sometimes all we manage to do is hold on in quiet desperation to Jesus our Saviour and just pray (minute by minute) that He gets us through the day. Sometimes you get to work and some cheery Christian beams at you and proclaims 'This is the day the Lord has made be thankful, rejoice and be glad', and you feel like belting them over the head with your coffee cup (yeah the truth hurts). Never feel alone when you feel like this, don't expect major easy to see miracles but He is all around you teaching you everyday down to the smallest detail and He won't let you go.
Last night Allie and myself ministered to beautiful gifted sister who is struggling and while Allie was praying His Holy Spirit was just playing this song over and over in my head.
How many times have I turned away
The number is the same as the sand on the shore
Every time You've taken me back
And now I pray You'll do it once more
Please take from me my life
When I don't have the strength
To give it away to You
Please take from me my life
When I don't have the strength
To give it away to You, Jesus
How many times have I gone astray
The number is the same as the stars in the sky
Every time You've taken me back
And I pray You'll do it again
(Take My Life by Third Day)
Paul tells us this; And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Romans 8: 38&39)
May You All Abide With Him Today
LoCTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Jesus' Blood Never Fails Me
To The Precious Saints !!!!!!
Today and forever just remember you were all bought by the death and blood of Jesus Christ.
How does one put into words the way Christ and His Spirit does a continuous work in our lives, how he provides for us each and every day, how He builds and strengthens our faith which is far more precious than gold.
This past Sunday morning alarm goes off. Oh no what time is it? 6.30am do I really have to get up, I mean will anyone miss me, most of my guys in my Sunday school class will be on youth Alpha anyway, some more excuses flash through my mind but eventually I get up(heavy conviction by His Spirit) and wake everyone else up.
Eventually we all clamber into 'ole Stanley(1978 Japanese vintage Mazda) and Stanley really ain't feeling to well lately(something about a burnt valve, and worn rings giving him permanent indigestion!). So we hukkel and sukkel down the N7 and we are really smokin' as we crawl up the first bridge. Allie starts praying aloud that we make it there and exhorts all of us to do likewise. Hey there goes Natalie. Hi Natalie, bye Natalie, as she passes us in her car. Into Frans Conradie and Stanley reckoned no that's it and no further so we got out and started to walk. Not very far because Natalie did a U turn and came back to fetch us. So I kinda told Stanley to chill and we'd be back for him, how, I did not have a clue.
Get to Sunday school and we have half a band, the half that is there would rather be somewhere else and are in a bit of a churning spin. What do we do? Most of our kids are away on Alpha and we can't do some of the skits. How are we going to keep those kids that are here occupied? What to do?(jeepers why did I get out of bed this morning) Haven't a clue lets just ask Jesus. So we pray and we just ask God to help make us available for Him and then to be obedient to His will.Surprise surprise everything works out fine. The band is great(definitely could have done another song). We do some skits. Clint was great in motivating our group of non conformists(no don't wanna do nothing!) to get them to do their skit. Michelle had such a neat idea getting us all to go outside and asking us to find something that reminded us of Gods' love for us.
Then there was the problem of getting home and picking up Stanley on the way. By this time however my fellow teachers all knew of our predicament so we had three options of a lift home. Then Grant said he'd just bought a tow rope on Thursday because God had laid it on his heart to be prepared to help out others with car problems. So that was sorted. As you can imagine it was a laugh a minute with Grant towing us home. EISH my bro!
Got home and just decided to go and buy some petrol. We had already raided the bank(Matthews piggy bank) and got some money together for petrol. Poured in the magic liquid and voila Stanley started(after a few burps and poeps), no wonder he didn't want to go any further earlier on.
Then off to a honour a breakfast invite from Cheryl, lekker stuff. We had great fellowship(and food!) and I fiddled around with the pool equipment for a while trying to get it to work a bit better.
Going to worship God with the rest of His Body is always such an awesome experience. Intercessory pray before service is always a blessing. Then saying hi to most of you. Apologies to the ones I missed. Then what a blessing there was a group of ladies from Table View Roman Catholic(we shared an Alpha weekend together, beginning of the year) and I finally got to meet Anne Rodrigues in the flesh(I have been communicating with her via email for almost a year now). The youngsters had just come from their Alpha weekend and were so excited and revved up for Jesus. Testimony time and man its always just so stunning to see God's work of grace in peoples lives.
Just after the service one of our sisters came up to us and said that we must not worry if the money for the purchase of our new car does not come through in time(we need it by the 28 September) as they would lend us the money until our money comes through(huh, yea, okay, WOW!!!!). Then ministry time and guess what Anne R comes up for prayer on behalf of her daughter, but we sommer prayed for her as well. Then during ministry His spirit just flowed as we were available and obedient again and as always I was just blown away by God's majestic work.
We had to take Madelyn back to St Josephs and we didn't think Stanley was really up to driving along the N2 so Bev came to our rescue and took her to the home. I went with her. Afterwards we had some supper at our place chatted listened to some songs and then she was off home.
I have probably left out so much but I hope this is the gist of it. Thank you all for who you are, may the love of Christ continue to grow within you and may you grow ever closer to our Holy Redeemer.
Here is a great song by Third Day (words by Mac Powell)
Who is this King of glory that pursues me with His love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of glory who offers it to me
Who is this King of angels , O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who is this King of glory, Son of God and son of man
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory
Who is the King of glory with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory
LoCTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today and forever just remember you were all bought by the death and blood of Jesus Christ.
How does one put into words the way Christ and His Spirit does a continuous work in our lives, how he provides for us each and every day, how He builds and strengthens our faith which is far more precious than gold.
This past Sunday morning alarm goes off. Oh no what time is it? 6.30am do I really have to get up, I mean will anyone miss me, most of my guys in my Sunday school class will be on youth Alpha anyway, some more excuses flash through my mind but eventually I get up(heavy conviction by His Spirit) and wake everyone else up.
Eventually we all clamber into 'ole Stanley(1978 Japanese vintage Mazda) and Stanley really ain't feeling to well lately(something about a burnt valve, and worn rings giving him permanent indigestion!). So we hukkel and sukkel down the N7 and we are really smokin' as we crawl up the first bridge. Allie starts praying aloud that we make it there and exhorts all of us to do likewise. Hey there goes Natalie. Hi Natalie, bye Natalie, as she passes us in her car. Into Frans Conradie and Stanley reckoned no that's it and no further so we got out and started to walk. Not very far because Natalie did a U turn and came back to fetch us. So I kinda told Stanley to chill and we'd be back for him, how, I did not have a clue.
Get to Sunday school and we have half a band, the half that is there would rather be somewhere else and are in a bit of a churning spin. What do we do? Most of our kids are away on Alpha and we can't do some of the skits. How are we going to keep those kids that are here occupied? What to do?(jeepers why did I get out of bed this morning) Haven't a clue lets just ask Jesus. So we pray and we just ask God to help make us available for Him and then to be obedient to His will.Surprise surprise everything works out fine. The band is great(definitely could have done another song). We do some skits. Clint was great in motivating our group of non conformists(no don't wanna do nothing!) to get them to do their skit. Michelle had such a neat idea getting us all to go outside and asking us to find something that reminded us of Gods' love for us.
Then there was the problem of getting home and picking up Stanley on the way. By this time however my fellow teachers all knew of our predicament so we had three options of a lift home. Then Grant said he'd just bought a tow rope on Thursday because God had laid it on his heart to be prepared to help out others with car problems. So that was sorted. As you can imagine it was a laugh a minute with Grant towing us home. EISH my bro!
Got home and just decided to go and buy some petrol. We had already raided the bank(Matthews piggy bank) and got some money together for petrol. Poured in the magic liquid and voila Stanley started(after a few burps and poeps), no wonder he didn't want to go any further earlier on.
Then off to a honour a breakfast invite from Cheryl, lekker stuff. We had great fellowship(and food!) and I fiddled around with the pool equipment for a while trying to get it to work a bit better.
Going to worship God with the rest of His Body is always such an awesome experience. Intercessory pray before service is always a blessing. Then saying hi to most of you. Apologies to the ones I missed. Then what a blessing there was a group of ladies from Table View Roman Catholic(we shared an Alpha weekend together, beginning of the year) and I finally got to meet Anne Rodrigues in the flesh(I have been communicating with her via email for almost a year now). The youngsters had just come from their Alpha weekend and were so excited and revved up for Jesus. Testimony time and man its always just so stunning to see God's work of grace in peoples lives.
Just after the service one of our sisters came up to us and said that we must not worry if the money for the purchase of our new car does not come through in time(we need it by the 28 September) as they would lend us the money until our money comes through(huh, yea, okay, WOW!!!!). Then ministry time and guess what Anne R comes up for prayer on behalf of her daughter, but we sommer prayed for her as well. Then during ministry His spirit just flowed as we were available and obedient again and as always I was just blown away by God's majestic work.
We had to take Madelyn back to St Josephs and we didn't think Stanley was really up to driving along the N2 so Bev came to our rescue and took her to the home. I went with her. Afterwards we had some supper at our place chatted listened to some songs and then she was off home.
I have probably left out so much but I hope this is the gist of it. Thank you all for who you are, may the love of Christ continue to grow within you and may you grow ever closer to our Holy Redeemer.
Here is a great song by Third Day (words by Mac Powell)
Who is this King of glory that pursues me with His love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of glory who offers it to me
Who is this King of angels , O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who is this King of glory, Son of God and son of man
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory
Who is the King of glory with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory
LoCTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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