As I am still on a sabbatical, you will again have the pleasure to be edified by the product of my friend, Amanda Byliefeldt’s pen.  Thank you my friend, for encouraging me to embrace my own process and for reminding me that we all come out the other side, well and truly transformed.  As I read what Amanda wrote, it dawned on me that not only can we trust our Father with the process, but He has full confidence in us to make it to the other side…if He didn’t, He’d not permit the season of pruning.  Every good gardener knows that there is a season to prune and a season to allow a tree to rest.  If you are in a season of change, where the process is painful, hard and bitter, take courage, you are not alone and you have not been forsaken.  I will leave you with an instruction I received from the Lord early this year…just before the enormity of my own process was revealed.  “Submit to God and commit to the process”.  May you find the courage to do so.

From Amanda’s pen:

Everything in life has a process…. It is something you cannot escape from. Just like the verse below states… “There is a proper time and PROCEDURE for EVERY matter.”

Ecclesiastes 8:6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.

From conception to birth it is a process; skipping one part of the process will result in either a catastrophic malformation or even death of the baby.

Even everyday things have a process… for example, getting a child enrolled in school you have a series of paperwork to fill out….a process.

According to the Dictionary process is defined as the following: (NOUN) a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

(VERB) perform a series of mechanical or chemical operations on (something) in order to change or preserve it.

We readily accept the PROCESS in our daily lives, in fleshly and worldly things, but when it comes to the PROCESS of the spiritual aspect of our lives, we don’t embrace that PROCESS. We complain, we hate it and we try to avoid the PROCESS of change in our spiritual lives, because most of the time that PROCESS is very painful.

King David wrote in Psalms 52 that he was like a green olive tree. All over the Bible we find references like that, comparing us to trees.

Psalm 52:8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the loving-kindness of God forever and ever.

Our function as a tree is to bear fruit and by our fruit we will be known.(Mat 7:16a) In order for us to become fruit-baring trees it starts with a PROCESS…. First a seed is planted, then that seed will die to itself and start to grow and grow till it becomes a splendid tree. Eventually the tree is in need of a gardener to come and cut and prune away all the dead leaves and dead branches in order for it to produce fruit.

John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Father God puts us through the PROCESS of pruning and cutting not to hurt us or to punish us, but He puts us through this PROCESS in order for us to achieve a particular end. The PROCESS is to bring us to fulfill HIS plans for our lives (Jer 29:11).

Losing a dead branch will hurt less than the pruning process. We know that we can live without the dead branch, so we embrace that, but when we have a branch that is producing fruit and we get pruned in that area, we really feel the hurt, the pain and the shame of it because we thought we could live with it, but God knows better than we do.

The pruning PROCESS is not the end of the PROCESS… The pruning PROCESS is hard and painful, but there is another PROCESS that we miss and we don’t expect it and that is the PROCESS of getting the oil from the fruit.

When it is time for harvest (in the case of an olive tree) the harvester will go from tree to tree and the tree will be shaken. The tree will release of all the ripe fruits. The harvester collects the fruits and put it under the grinding wheel. The grinding wheel will roll over the olives, bruising them over and over till they are crushed. In this process oil is produced.

We already know that we are being compared to olive trees a few times in the Word of God. The whole idea of being olive trees is not just to be a tree, but to bear the fruit of the olive tree. It is the fruit that is useful to GOD….

There is a PROCESS in harvesting the olives and a PROCESS in getting oil out of the olive fruits….

HOW does this PROCESS from seed to oil relate to us as children of the MOST HIGH GOD? We grow in our relationship with God every day. Because we are in a relationship with HIM He wants us to become who HE has made us to be and to get to that particular end, HE needs to remove things from our lives so that we can become who we are meant to be. The PROCESS of becoming who God has designed us to be is not always easy. As soon as we think…”mmmm, I think I am there”,  God sees something that needs pruning. He does not do this to hurt us, but to form us.

When we start baring fruit in our lives…..we think “right, I think I am there” .  It is then that God shakes you and collects the ripe fruit, putting it under the grinding wheel because HE knows that you will produce pure oil in that PROCESS.

The first oil that is produced is the purest, called the Extra Virgin oil and that oil was the oil  used in the Temple to give light.

God plants you…. He will be forming you to bear fruit, by cutting and pruning you. You will grow and produce fruit and the fruit will ripen. Then God will harvest your fruits and put it through the PROCESS of bruising and crushing, in order for you to produce pure oil. That oil will be the light to the world and that is what HE wants from you….that you will be the light of the world, like a city on a hill.

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Embrace the PROCESS, no matter how hard and painful it is…there is a promise connected to the PROCESS….

Steffany Gretzinger said these wise words: “When you forfeit the process, you forfeit the promise.”

Shalom

Amanda Byliefeldt

When you are facing tests, trials, heartache or physical illness it is not unusual to feel overwhelmed by your circumstances and often your emotions take over and your soul becomes a dark and stormy place.  It is then when you need to be reminder of who you are and of Whose you are.  My friend Amanda Byliefeldt wrote something to do just that.  May you be blessed and uplifted…and remember, He is for us, therefore nothing can stand against us!

Amanda’s post:

Let’s face it, we all have enemies and behind those enemies are one common ENEMY, called the Great Deceiver aka Satan. He is there to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He comes to steal our joy and he comes to kill our passion from our First Love, Jesus. He comes to destroy everything that the Father has for you and me.

During our lives we come face to face with the destruction caused by the enemy and sometimes the destruction is due to own fleshly desires. Sometimes we fail to apply Scripture to our lives and then we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. The Word of God specifically calls us to submit to Him (God) and then to resist the devil…and then he (enemy) will remove himself by fleeing.  James 4:7 KJV – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I do not want to focus on the enemy or even on what the enemy is doing in our lives.  I am establishing his part in our world and struggles. He is not even worthy of writing about, but we are not ignorant and we are not going to ignore him by acting as if he does not exist, because that would be foolish.

He is sneaky….YES. He is a liar….YES. He is the great deceiver….YES. And he is many other things too. We need to know our enemy, to know how to war against him. We have to recognise the things that he is doing in our lives, so that we can rise up against him and destroy the works he is establishing in our lives and in our world. The only way to fight the enemy is through God’s word…Spiritual warfare. Suit up with your armour, because this means war. (Read Ephesians 6:10-20)

For every situation, there is a solution in God’s word, because God’s word is a two edged sword and it is a living Word. His Word will speak to you in every situation and sometimes you would even go back to a familiar scripture and be speechless when you realise how that verse comes alive for you in your moment of need. Hebrew 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

My focus is aimed higher than what the enemy can do to me.  My focus is on the One who gave HIS life for me, who took all curses on HIM and walked out of hell with the keys and set us free.  I am focusing on the One who is and was and always shall be the Overcomer, the ONE who has the victory.

Jesus has overcome whatever the enemy is able to throw at us.  We just have to set our focus higher. Our focus has to be on the ONE who saves.

Graham Cooke says this:

“There are two questions you need to ask when you are in a difficult time. First – God, what do YOU want me to become through all of this? Second – God, Who do YOU want to be to me in my situation?”

We need to go through storms to really know who calms our storms.  We need to go through trials to really know who our defender is.  We need to go through the valley of death to really know who our healer and deliverer is.

What storms are you facing at the moment?  Do you recognise that Jesus is your Prince of Peace in the storm?  The ONE that can calm any storm inside or out. Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Are you going through a trial? Can you start to see that Jesus is your defender? Psalm 18:1-2 – How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!

Are you going through the valley of death? Are you in need of healing? Jesus is your healer and HE is your deliverer. Psalm 23:4 – Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 18:2 – The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Get your foot upon the Rock, Jesus Christ.  When you are secure in who you are in Christ Jesus, nothing will rock your world because you will be securely planted upon the ROCK that cannot be shaken. Psalm 62:6 – He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

What I have learned this past few weeks is that no matter what I come to face, my God is stronger and my God is a “tide changer” and HE is the victor and because of HIM I can stand in victory over every situation or storm in my life.

Psalm 118:16 (message)
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
in the camp of the saved?
“The hand of God has turned the tide!
The hand of God is raised in victory!
The hand of God has turned the tide!”

God bless.

Amanda Byliefeldt

No-one is immune to heartache and pain and we all carry the scent of smoke on our clothes sometimes.  Passing through the fire is a rite of passage and we all come to the realization that there’s a road through the “valley of the shadow of death” that we walk alone…a road littered with burning coals and broken glass, where we walk barefoot.  It’s in these times that we do not fear, that we retrace our steps and we look at all the times the Lord had carried us through, which is exactly what I am doing for myself…I am encouraging myself in the Lord.

In my search, I found something I wrote some years ago…

“In the book of Exodus, chapter 1, we read the story of a difficult situation the Israelites are in.  They have grown into a mighty nation and the Pharaoh had become afraid that they would overpower the Egyptians.  It tells of the slavery they found themselves in and of a plan to kill the sons of promise, by killing all the baby boys born to the Israelites.  God promised Abraham a mighty nation as his inheritance and Pharaoh was trying to stop God’s plan from coming to pass.

In Chapter 2 we are told the story of the birth of Moses, how his life was saved and how he was raised in the courts of Pharaoh, the enemy of his people.  When he becomes aware of the injustice against the Israelites, we see how Moses tries to help his people, by taking matters into his own hands.  He kills an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, thinking that no-one saw, but when it becomes apparent that he was seen, he flees Egypt.  Later we will see that he lived in the desert for forty years, tending his father-in-law’s sheep, before he is revealed as the redeemer of his people.

Let’s read verses 23 to 25 from chapter 2 in the Message version.  “Many years later the king of Egypt died.  The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out.  Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God: God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood.

God knew and He was not caught by surprise.  He was already at work, preparing for their release.  He had a man ready to lead them out of Egypt, only the man himself still had no idea that he was the one.  Father God had planned everything at the beginning of time – a redeemer for the Israelites, one that would lead them to the safety of the land promised to them.  God knew that his chosen people would find themselves in trouble, and he had intervened to save the life of Moses.  God had also sent him into the desert to prepare him for the task ahead.  Now all that was necessary was a meeting between God and Moses – a revelation of the call and ministry prepared in advance.

In the same way, we find ourselves enslaved or oppressed by our enemy.  We are slaves to addiction, to religion, to heartache, grief and self-pity, to name a few.  We have an enemy who recognizes that we have the potential to be great – and the potential to be a great threat.  We have an enemy that will stop at nothing to kill us and destroy our inheritance.  Our enemy does not play fair and everyone is a target.

But God, in His almighty gracious and merciful way, have also prepared for us a Redeemer. When we call out to God, He hears our groanings, He remembers his covenant with us, He sees what is going on in our lives and He understands.  Psalm 103:14 reads “For He knows how weak we are, He remembers that we are only dust”.

We have a Redeemer, who was tempted in the desert for 40 days, like we are tempted, and came out victorious, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  A Son was given to us who is more than able to do what He was called to do – heal the sick, raise the dead and set the captives free.  We have a Savior available to us that would lead us through the desert we call home now, all the way to the heavenly kingdom promised to those who overcome.  He had gone before us and have prepared a way for us.  We have been set free from our captor and been given authority over everything in heaven and on earth, we never have to pass through death, we can walk straight into our eternal inheritance – all we have to do is follow Jesus.

If you find yourself in a desert today, where you feel dry and alone, look around for a burning bush. God is waiting to meet with you, He longs to spend time with you.  He is waiting to show your great and marvelous things, waiting to reveal your call and destiny to you, so that you can also labor with Jesus.  He is waiting for you to call out to Him, He remembers His promises to you and through Jesus He has made a way for you to come home.  We have a home prepared for us and God is also waiting, He remembers you.

Everything around you might be telling you that He has forgotten you; that He does not see your pain and that He does not care about your troubles.  None of that is true.  God is not a man, that He should lie and in Jesus every promise made in the Word of God is yes, and amen.  When He promises never to leave us, nor to forsake us, He does not lie.  In Isaiah 49 verse 15 and 16 we read “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will never forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”  Go on, go talk to Him, He wants to hear all about it.”

God, You are my God!  Thank you that You hear and that You remember me.  Help me to remember You in my time of trouble.

I lost it. Again. Lost. It. Big time. In the middle of attending to some ladies at an alter call, after spending a glorious weekend in the presence of the Most High, I lost it. My frustration boiled over, my mouth ran away with me, and I snapped at an irritating brother. I was mad (at him, but mostly at myself), I felt embarrassed and for days afterward I wondered whether I was altogether qualified to be a minister of the Word.

Later, I spoke to a lovely sister, who asked me the same question…”I struggle with my relationships, I miss the mark sometimes, and my frustration gets the better of me…am I still qualified?”

This morning I heard my husband say exactly the same thing…”I dropped the ball, I am not qualified to speak into other’s lives”. I suspect this is a common area of suffering by anyone who has grasped the holiness of God and the high standard of conduct He expects from the Bride of Christ.

I also suspect we equate the fact that God is altogether perfect in every way to Him expecting perfection of us. Unless I get it 100% right, 100% of the time I am disqualified from serving Him and serving others.

Yet the Word of God is clear that we are not qualified or disqualified by our actions, or lack thereof. What qualifies us is our union with Christ and what disqualifies us is stubborn disobedience and rebellion. In the book of John we read the words of Jesus “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:16 NIV). It’s not my weakness, my mistakes or my faults that disqualifies me, it’s sin. Weakness is not terminal, sin is and it leads to death. Always has, always will. Messing up isn’t terminal, giving up is. There is no coming back from that, which is why the enemy uses the tactics that he does. When we are discouraged enough or intimidated enough, we give up and bow out.

In the midst of all this, I read Psalm 50 and the Lord cut straight to my heart. Verses 14 and 15 says this: “Why don’t you bring me the sacrifices I desire? Bring me your true and sincere thanks, and show your gratitude by keeping your promises to me, the Most High. Honor me by trusting in me in your day of trouble. Cry aloud to me, and I will be there to rescue you! This is what I desire from you.” TPT

The Lord is not expecting me to cry to Him just when there is trouble on the “outside”, by also when there is trouble on the “inside”. I honor Jesus when I agree with Him that I am in need of a Savior, every moment of every day. I honor Him when I cry for help when my relationships fail, when my mouth runs away with me, when I mess up. The Lord did not expect us to clean ourselves up before presenting ourselves to Him. He accepted us as we were, yet we struggle on in our own strength, working so hard to keep it together and beating ourselves up when we fail.

In verse 23 of the same Psalm the Lord speaks to us, saying: “The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace, always choosing to walk with me in what is right. This is the sacrifice I desire from you! If you do this, more of my salvation will unfold for you! (TPT).
I have been saved, and as I walk with Him, daily He saves me (often from myself) and one day I will be permanently saved from even the presence of sin. My one recourse, for now, is to make the choice to walk with Jesus, over and over and over.

After THE incident, I deeply identify with David, as he prays a prayer of repentance after the prophet Nathan exposed his adultery with Bathsheba. He prays “For the source of Your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to you. The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet!” (Ps. 51: 16,17 TPT)

Friend, if you feel disqualified, if you are broken-hearted because, in spite all of your best intentions and valiant effort, you missed the mark, may I encourage you today that the Lord takes pleasure in your brokenness, not in your pain. He wants to be your Saviour and He has one goal – to perfect you into His image. Run to Him, not away from Him. Hide yourself in Him, not from Him. Hear me when I say, in Him, you are more than qualified for every good work.

Jesus, the Holy One, makes us holy. And as sons and daughters, we now belong to his same Father, so he is not ashamed or embarrassed to introduce us as his brothers and sister! (Hebr. 2:11 TPT

Excellence

noun ex·cel·lence \ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s\

Definition:  Extremely high quality

Synonyms:   choiceness, distinction, excellency, first-   rateness, greatness, perfection, preeminence,primeness,  superbness,  superiority, supremacy

This morning I watched a video blog by Bill Johnson.  He started off by making a very controversial statement.  He said “God does not use idiots”.  He continued by recounting the story of Gideon’s 300 men and how they were chosen to fight because they drank water by bringing it up to their mouths, rather than bending down with their faces to the water.  His conclusion was this:  God chose them because they were alert, as military men should be.  They didn’t take their eyes of the battlefield and they remained vigilant.  He concluded by saying that the story isn’t so much about the Lord telling us that He can win a battle with a hand full of men, that’s quite obvious, but rather that “the Lord values excellence, He values proper training and He values devotion and commitment”.  He stated that God loves to take the best of the best, the ones who has a core value of excellence entrenched in their souls and use them to win great victories…  God does not use idiots.

This made me think long and hard.  During my time as a student at a School of Ministry, “Excellence by choice” was drummed into us and has become a core value for me.  I have noticed that often times it is not recognized or valued by the body of Christ; rather people who practice excellence are often ridiculed, accused, judged or gossiped about and the ones who don’t feel totally justified in doing something half-halfheartedly.  It seems that very few Christians see the need, or strive for excellence.

As the children of God, made in His image, we are called to excellence. We are called to excellence in our thinking, in our interaction with others, in our day-to-day work and in our service of God and man…we are called to be and act “of extremely high quality”.

Consider Philippians 4:8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].  (AMP)

Why are we called to meditate on things that are extremely high quality?  Because as a man thinks, so he is. (Prov. 23:7a)  We read about Daniel:

“Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him.  And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

In the context of giving, Paul says this to the Corinthian church: “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.”  (2 Cor. 8:7 ESV).

What about the work we do?  It doesn’t seem very spiritual, yet we are called to excellence there too.  Just doing enough to get by, does not cut it.  Remember Colossians 3:23, 24?   Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.…And Ephesians 6:7?  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

In fact, I cannot think of any situation where the Word of God inspires us to mediocrity.  Even in our dealings with the enemy, we are admonished to run from evil, not just saunter in the opposite direction.

I have always loved 1 Peter 2:9.  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  This, right here, is the heart of the matter…that we represent the One who called us, and saved us and lives inside of us, well.  When we, made in His image, His representatives on earth, conduct ourselves in an excellent manner, we proclaim His excellence and He is worthy to be honored in this way.

Let us decide in our hearts that we will choose excellence – in what we mediate about, how we work, serve, love and how we keep our word.  Let our “Yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”, may we not only love much, but love well…and may the God of all grace empower us, equip us, inspire us and help us, for “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] (Philippians 4:13 AMP).  We can do all things, even be excellent.

In English we have a saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.  Once, whilst on a mission trip, as we were on a bus, driving through a very poor and decrepit part of a Filipino squatter camp, I realised I needed Jesus’ eyes.  I asked Him to show me the beauty around me.  I wanted to “see” different.  I did.  I began to notice people I did not see before, doing beautiful things I did not recognise before.

Then, last week, I received an email from a lovely young lady in Brazil and as I read what she had written, I saw different again.  I saw HOPE.  Hope that the future is in good hands, that the Lord is raising up a generation of young people who see different…not the entitled, spoiled generation we bemoan in the west, but a generation with His heart beating in their chest.

Thank you, lovely young Kimberly, for allowing me to share your thoughts and may you go on to inspire many to see as you see.

“Be Thankful

Every day we face battles and fights. Who doesn’t? Even the most perfect man, called Jesus of Nazareth, faced many challenges: the Pharisees, practitioners of the law, His disciples, with His own weary body sometimes and even Satan in the desert. Although so many fights, difficulties upon difficulties at home, at college and even in my spiritual life, I can’t see this kind of challenges with a negative outlook or something that damages my emotional, mental and physical body. I have only one point of view: Thank God. That’s what you read friend. I face a lot of hard things in life, but I try daily not to focus on it. Nothing is by accident and any final decision made by God is for my own good. (Romans 8:28)

Me being born in the city and country I am, the social and financial status I have, living in the neighbourhood that I am in and having the circle of friends to love and to be alive – that’s because it’s totally God’s purpose. When we are dissatisfied, we tend to want everything to change radically from our reality to another.

You know what? I don’t care anymore having to wait for things, about my economic situation and everything bad around me and you should do the same. That’s obvious, when we face needs and challenges we want change and our flesh hurts. Really hurts. We are humans. We have desires and dreams, and that’s not wrong.

To have a car to go places in comfort, a better house and even that money to buy a large hamburger with Coke and potato chips, it’s not wrong to desire these things. The problem is when we focus too much on what we don’t have and forget what we already have, we are never satisfied. Satisfaction comes from learning and practice (Philippians 4:10­12), it doesn’t come from overnight and doesn’t happen in few magical steps.

If you can’t be conformed immediately, why not start little by little? Don’t you know how to begin? There’s one thing I am learning and heard from a fantastic preacher this year, called Joyce Meyer. “Don’t focus in what you don’t have but in what you already have!”. That left an impression on me. Look at what you have and what God already gave you. There will always be someone worse off than you.

For example, in my case, I don’t have a car and have to go everywhere by bus, I have money just for basic needs, live in a dangerous neighbourhood and more, I see my mom suffer and can’t help so much, but look at what I do have: God gave me wonderful friends from my own city and from the other side of the world, I have intelligence to do an undergraduate course, I have legs, arms, eyes, ears, health, a mom who gives her life for me, I have food, never go hungry, clothes, shoes, computer, natural beautiful hair (hahaha), slim body (many women want that), Wi-Fi connection at home and even a tablet device, speak English, and at only 21 years old I am capable of working as language teacher and in Information Technology. I don’t have so many difficulties to understand and learn anything and the most important thing – I HAVE THE SOURCE OF LIFE INSIDE OF ME! I AM LOVED BY GOD AND I’M HIS PRINCESS! ISN’T IT AWESOME? I already have a perfect life. I have everything I need.

Do I need anything else? Yes. So, what do I need? I need to show and speak to people about the God I serve, because the main purpose for our lives isn’t our satisfaction but glorify God through everything. John Piper shares an important thought in his book Desiring God: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied ​in him.” Give one step at a time. Without hurry. Slowly. Declare it to yourself: IT’S GONNA BE OK.

You can do a playlist with songs that most talks about satisfaction and let it lift you up. Commend someone. Buy a juice, snack or ice-­cream for someone. Tell your friend that he or she is important. Go to your neighbour’s house and ask him or her how they are. Call that person you haven’t called for a long time and pray with him or her. Buy lunch for a homeless person, send a bible verse to someone who is not a Christian. Buy a gift for someone, even when it’s not a birthday. Did you realize that satisfaction only comes when we glorify God and we are thankful? We bless ourselves when we bless others. Look to the skies. Be free from selfishness and self-pity and look to God.”

Kimberly do Nascimento Lima

Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, October 1st, 2015.

(Ever so slightly) Edited by Nicky Swart

It’s  2 am as I am writing this.  It’s not a guilty conscience that’s keeping me awake, rather a full heart, as I consider the week past.  For the first time since Christmas, my family was reunited and the house was full again. Home was a crazy busy place, with people coming and going and schedules being juggled to make the most of the time we had together.

Grandma is visiting and my older son traveled from New Zealand to spend some time with us.  Meals were shared around the table – not the sad, quick meals of empty-nesters, but giant family feasts where natural family, adopted family and spiritual family united.  We ate, we laughed, we talked about the days when we were all together under one roof, remembering the stories that knit us together and make us a family.

Many times I would just listen and watch.  I saw the ease with which my children foraged in the fridge, how they would exhale and spread out throughout the house, how they took turns to give back massages and draped themselves over sofas…just like days gone by.  The address changed, yet they were “home”.  It gave me such pleasure to watch them discover the treats hidden in the fridge, to share their quiet moments, to watch them enjoying each other’s presence.  My husband and I had accomplished much, but nothing as significant as raising sons who love and honor God, their wives, us and each other.

As I am sitting here in the dark night, I consider the Father’s children.  So many of us are part of the family, yet we act like guests in His house.  He has hidden treats for us, He filled His storehouses with blessings just for the pleasure of seeing us discover it, yet we never go in search but rather wait until something is offered us – like a guest would do. Some of us never pitch in, never get involved in taking care of business around the house, never settle in, exhale or relax in His presence, just content to be “home” and in His presence.

Just like I have taken such pleasure in seeing my children enjoy each other’s company, I know the Father takes pleasure in seeing His children getting along.  Consider Psalm 133 (MSG)

 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!  It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.  It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion.  Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.

 I find myself wondering what the church would look like when we come into agreement, when loving and encouraging each other becomes more important than our denomination’s doctrine, when we see ourselves as part of a large, extended family, rather than a small congregation, where as it turns out, we still bicker and get stroppy at the least provocation.

Being raised in a dysfunctional, fragmented family, I value the loving unity of my family and I recall the days when I would look at my friends’ families, desperately wanting to be a part of it.  Could we, as God’s family, become so pure, so holy, so kind, so loving, so long-suffering, so welcoming, so united that broken people get so sick of their broken world as they watch us that they are not just prepared, but eager to be a part of it?  Could we become so comfortable in the Father’s house that we provoke the lost to jealousy?

I don’t think we can…not until we are prepared to lay down our rights as individuals and take ownership of the family.  Jesus, Who only spoke what He heard the Father say, said this “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? (Matt. 23:37, 38 MSG)

Is the Father not still saying this to us today?  We who murder the prophets with our sharp tongues?  We who will not settle in under Father’s wings, as He so longs for us to do.  We who kill the ones He sent to us?  Will we carry on until the church has become a place of desolation, a ghost town?  We cannot let this happen!  We are the generation chosen for this time and place – if not us, who?  We are God’s plan for this broken world and through the blood of Jesus and the power of Holy Spirit we have everything we need to enable us to unite and become family.  May the Lord expand our vision, across borders of race, color, geography and denomination as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

In the human body there are many parts and organs, each with a unique function.  And so it is in the body of Christ.  For though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ.  This means that we are all vitally joined together to one another, with each contributing to the others.  God’s marvellous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours.  So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, you must activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophecy.  If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well.  If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others.  If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others.  If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare.  If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership.  And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.                  Romans 12: 4 – 8 TPT

It was very early on a Sunday morning, as I was sitting in the dark listening to the city come alive, that the Holy Spirit reminded me of an inner vision I had during a prayer meeting some years ago, while we still lived in New Zealand.  This time, however, I saw an “expanded” version of the same picture.

In my minds’ eye, I saw a huge castle…a fortress of sorts.  Battle-weary soldiers were filing into the fortress, their armour in serious need of repair, many with wounds that needed tending.  Once inside they were quickly assessed and send off to receive the necessary treatment.  Doctors and nurses were standing by to bathe and dress the wounded, there were many servants tending tables, ready with a drink and a meal and blacksmiths were working hard and fast to repair armour and forge swords.  Officers were having meetings, revealing strategies for battle, issuing new orders and there were people rallying the troops, reminding them what they were fighting for, stirring their hearts with passion to go back out and fight another day.    Generals were checking every soldier over to make sure they were well armed, healthy, rested and battle-ready, before sending them out to fight again.

What I saw is a picture of the church, as the Lord intended for it to operate, where every member of the church is actively involved in the fight.  The doctors, nurses and servants tending the wounded and the tables are the pastors who feed the army on the Word, who dress the wounds of battle and who treat the disease before it spreads through the camp.  It is said that an army marches on its stomach – it is no different in the Lord’s army, we are what we eat and it is the responsibility of the pastors to feed the soldiers fresh bread, to deal with soul wounds and to model servant leadership.

The blacksmiths are a picture of the teachers.  They have the responsibility to make sure the soldiers are well-armed and equipped to teach.  There are many battles to be fought – sometimes the battle is against ignorance and misinformation and every soldier is supposed to be a teacher in their circle of influence.

The officers I saw represent the prophets and the evangelists.  The prophets gives direction and encouragement, the evangelists keeps the focus on the task at hand…reaching the lost and fulfilling the great commandment to make disciples of all men.  Lastly, the generals are a picture of the apostles, overseeing and direct operations, strategizing, organising and unifying the army.

You can read this and be quite justified in criticizing the Church, the pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets and apostles for not measuring up or you can allow hope to arise in your heart, for did Jesus not say that He will build the Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it? (Matt 16:18)  Jesus is the Commander of this army and the Holy Spirit is actively working on building the Church  to everything that God purposed it to be.  Our role in all of this is to come into agreement with the Lord and with each other.

How I pray that today, as you read this, you would no longer see yourself as insignificant, but as a vital, necessary part of the Lord’s plan, whether you are called to minister to the army or be in the trenches, fighting the battles as they present themselves.  I pray that you will allow yourself to be knitted together with the body, that you would recognise that you are needed.  You may be small and your contribution to the body might not make the evening news, but do it to the best of your ability.  If you enjoy giving but can only give a little, give it anyway.  If you are an encourager, send that email.  As you serve, remember that you are serving Jesus.

Father,

I’m sure if Your children could mail letters up there, the mail-room would be overflowing right now.  I cannot be alone in this – others must be feeling as bewildered and overwhelmed as I do.  It’s not as if we didn’t have prior warning.  You were careful about that, sending Jesus to bring fair warning Himself.  You used Your prophets, Your apostles and you are still using them today.

Not one of us, Your children, can claim ignorance.  We know You said  “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,…” (2 Timothy 3:1 – 3) among many other things.

You know, Father, though I have seen much evil during my lifetime, somehow I had been deceived at how evil pure evil can be and how deceptive our hearts are.  I read scriptures like Jeremiah 17:9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? I thought I knew how bad “bad” can be, but I was terribly wrong.

Social media has enlightened me to the depravity outside my neat and tidy little Christian bubble.  The shock and horror to hear a brightly colored, gaudily dressed young woman say “I am a Christian and I know what you are talking about is sin, the Bible says so, but I am not against it” knocked the wind out of me today, not because I am under any illusion that these kinds of mindsets are prevalent, but because I feel that somehow, somewhere, someone missed the boat.

I also know to assign blame is such a “religious, subject-to-the-law” thing to do, yet I cannot help but think somewhere there was someone who had an assignment to teach this young one who missed the mark.  “Holy” has become the unspeakable four-letter word and “responsibility” has long ago made place for “rights”.  I know, Father, that there are many beautiful young people, making You so proud as they run their race with perseverance and integrity, but like Jesus, as much as I rejoice over the 99, I feel so heartbroken for the lost one.

Changing the subject a little Father, I have to tell You I have always admired the way You work.  That story about Balaam and his donkey…priceless!  Maybe it’s because You have given me an eye for the absurd. I know You don’t need reminding Lord, but I will share it, just in case someone else might need reminding.

…When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What I have done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”…Numbers 22”27 – 29

I’m still trying to make up my mind…which is more absurd, a donkey speaking to a man or a man answering a donkey?

It just came to me that You might be using these people, the “lovers of self, boastful, arrogant, revilers, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, without self-control, brutal, haters of good” people we were warned about, to prophesy, just like You used that donkey to speak. You comfort us with these words all the time “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 and “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.” John 15:13

Every time I see #LoveWins I feel like I am about to hyperventilate, but now I ask that You would remind me of Your Son, and of Your great and amazing love for us all and I ask that everyone who uses that hashtag would be prophesying over themselves an encounter with Love Himself.  I want to pray like Habakkuk did “LORD , I have heard the report about You; LORD , I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy!  I ask Lord, that You would again send holy fire upon Your Son’s bride, that You would purify us once again.

I feel so much better for talking to You, thank You that I know You hear me.

Much love

Nicky
 

Saturday morning was cold and wet, making our early morning dash to the farmer’s market less pleasant than usual.  The last thing I was in the mood for, or expecting, was an incident on the wet pavement.  Yet there we were, being yelled at by a very angry man.  He was livid and we were speechless, for a few moments at least.

Now that I have your attention, I’ll go back to the beginning – our dash across the road, trying to get to the other side and under cover as fast as we could manage.  We walked past a man with a sign, a man not unfamiliar to me, as we like to shop at the farmer’s market.  Each time before I managed to give him a smile, a nod and make a quick getaway, trying to ignore the “please help, I have cancer” sign in his hands.  But not this morning.  I know the Voice and I know the consequence of ignoring the Voice.  Sleepless nights, tortured prayers of repentance, wanting to kick myself, again…I have learned by experience that is it better to just stop and listen – much less painful to the flesh, I tell you.

So we go to the nearest cafe, buy the biggest latte and a filled roll and make our way back.  By now some time have passed, we had to drop a mountain of veg off to the car, wait for the latte to be made, you know the drill.  On our way to make our little delivery we pass another man, who wasn’t there before, huddled in a doorway, selling magazines.  He comments on the latte, we give a friendly reply and kept walking, focused on what we were about to do, not noticing that we were being watched.

Our few short minutes spent with Brian was awesome.  He gladly received our gift, told us about his cancer, the course of treatment and allowed us to pray with him.  Looking into his friendly blue eyes as we talked made my day…connecting with another human like that is so precious.

Then, as we walked back past Mr Magazine, still on a high from spending a few unexpected moments on holy ground, he yelled at us.  He was angry that we stopped to bless the one, he was hurling abuse and accusations.  He told us in as many words that we were conned and that he too had cancer.  I offered to pray for him too – no prizes for guessing how he responded to that idea!

Maybe we were lied to – that’s OK by me, it wouldn’t be the first time.  Could be we were duped by a con-artist.  No skin of my nose, we can spare the price of a coffee and a roll.  What mattered was our obedience, but that’s a topic of another day.

As we walked away, trying to digest the events that unfolded, a story came to mind.  Most of us would be familiar with the story in Luke 15.  Younger, rebellious brother takes his inheritance and squanders it on wild living… older, responsible brother stays home and works his fingers to the bone… younger brother hits rock-bottom and comes back…father forgives him and throws a party…sums it up pretty much.

Then, a little show-down:  “All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’

 “The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’

“His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”  (Luke 15:25 – 32 MSG)

The sad thing is, the “older brother syndrome” is not just seen among broken and angry people as they trying to make their way in a very hostile and cold world.

Romans 12: 15 tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  From my observations we are pretty good at mourning with those who mourn.  It’s when something good happens to another that the ugly older brother in us rears his head.  It’s when we pray with others for the salvation of our prodigals and theirs return, but ours are still wandering the desert places, that the smiles wear thin.  What do we do with this stuff?  When five people in the congregation lose their jobs, with no rescue in sight and another one gets a promotion with a huge pay rise, when three go forward for prayer for healing and one walks away, still crippled with pain?  How do we guard our hearts when we are in church, hearing a testimony of answered prayer, while our own desperate cries seems to go unanswered? When it’s “YES” to someone else, and a resounding “NO” for me?  Even harder – when God decides to shine His light on us, when we are singled out for great favor and suddenly our best buddy goes rogue on us, unable to deal with our spiritual promotion?

 I think we struggle with these issues so much because we do not truly grasp the fact that there is no end to the Father’s love, the Father’s provision and the Father’s wisdom and that His timing is always perfect.  The Father does not only know when to give good gifts to His children, but He also knows when to withhold that which we desperately want, for our own good.  If we truly believed the He knew best and had it all in the palm of His hand, we would rest.  If we truly believed that the Father gives good gifts to all His children and that His storehouses never runs dry, we would be more inclined to rejoice with others – the way He intended us to.

My prayer is that we would not only read the Word, but get a hold of every promise and understand that it is for us – each and every one who is in Christ.  Our Father is faithful and true.  He will never fail us, therefore we can celebrate another’s blessing and favor, knowing that our time will surely come.  May we learn to be grateful for the yes, rest in His wisdom when it’s no and be patient in the wait.

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.  Psalms 119:89