Beauty & The Gospel MADE PERFECT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
guard your mouth!
A booby trap in the Christian budget
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 ISSUE NO 8 VOL 3 SEPTEMEBER 2020
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
MINISTER MONICA I am a Christian Influencer who encourages, motivates and equips others through the Word of God.
EV . ANGUS & JILL BUCHAN
KENDRA DUBLIN
servants of God, lover of Jesus Christ , parents , grandparents and soul harvesters.
I am an energetic free spirit that loves life. In my spare time i love to do puzzles.
PROPHET G
MR & MRS LWAMBWA
PASTOR NTSAKO
servant of God, businessman, father and husband. I love making people laugh! and traveling.
Pastor and Deaconess with a passion for young people and bringing marriages back to the cross .
married to one wife, Tiyiselani. I enjoy cooking and learning new stuff. I'm mostly passionate about serving God
MARLYN ROJAS
PASTOR BONGANI
BOLANLE ENANG
Honored to serve. Ordained Minister, founder of Radiant Woman International, and Author of DISTORTED.
i am a loving husband and father of two. I love studying the Word of God.
Family Life Enthusiast, Author and Convener of Signature family building workshops|
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
CHEF MILCA
APOSTLE FUMANE
Chef, wife , mother , Pastor, transformational Speaker and Relationship coach.
Author of Manna Daily Devotions book. The founder and overseer of Seobi Ministries International in Vereeniging, South Africa
GOODNESS
CHANELLE PILLAY
I'm philanthropist, author, public speaker, businesswoman, and an artistic person. Gracefully set apart and anointed by Him as a Prophetess.
A qualified attorney with her Masters in Business Law, and woman of faith! ! Author of books titled :‘A SHEPHERD KING’ and AWAY FROM YESTERDAY all available on Amazon.
TSHEGO MOLEKOA
KARABO LEKWAPE
Preacher of the Gospel in all forms and ways Business Analyst Spoken Word Artist Health enthusiast!
Is the daughter of the Most High. Who believes that without God you are nothing. She completed her Degree in BCom Accounting and is currently studying Post Grad in Financial Accounting.
DR ANDRÉ & JENNY ROEBERT pastors , parents, lovers of Jesus Christ and His Word. Founders of Faith Tv
CRYSTELDA NAIDOO An avid nerd and an unapologetic dreamer from Durban, South Africa. Has launched a Christian lifestyle blog - Selah Blogger.
THENDO NETSHIVHUNGULULU Holds a B.Psych (Hon) in psychology from Midrand Graduate Institute. She is passionate about people from all walks of life and their mental well-being.
Becoming a CONTRIBUTOR
EMAIL US AT: BEAUTYANDTHEGOSPEL@ GMAIL.COM
THIS IS FOR YOU!
We at Beauty & The Gospel are big on Master Jesus,the Christian lifestyle and spreading the Gospel Of Jesus Christ. We cannot do it alone. We believe we are all gifted with different gifts by our God. We would love to have you on board . Whether it be Beauty, Fashion, Finanace , Mental Health , Business, Rehabilitation, cooking etc.
DUE TO THE MAGAZINE BEING FREE, THERE IS NO COMPENSATION!
Beauty & The Gospel
CONTENTS EMBRACE THE SHIFT Business Law How to be fruitful in a famine DELAY DOESN'T MEAN DENIAL wait upon the Lord God's Provision Before Your Problem HEALTH & FITNESS back to basics A booby trap in the Christian budget COOKING WITH CHEF MILCA Teaches us how to cook lamb chops Don't you dare take HIS GLORY MENTAL HEALTH women's mental health DEVOTIONS BY KAY REBUILDING BROKEN WALLS By Prophet Gezani WHY THE DEVIL TEMPTED EVE AND NOT ADAM
EXCLUSIVE
In a quest of seeking his wife, King Jesus answers in a way he never could have imagined.
ISSUE NO 8 VOL 3
editor's note Your majesty LIVING IN GOD’S WISDOM Ephesians 5:15-17 (TPT) 15–16 So be incredibly careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes. 17 And do not live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will, Beloved, this passage is so rich, I could literally end my note here. But I don’t know if you’ve noticed that this girl loves to write. Hope it is benefiting you. Look at the opening, we are commanded to be incredibly careful how we live. There are a lot of factors concerning this[b1] , especially with the fact that we are living in the last days. There is a lot of deception and seducing spirits that want to contaminate us and do away with our faith in the Lord Jesus. Also, how people are watching us, you may not literally see anyone watching you, but someone is. Let us be careful how we live, talk (what we even talk about), what we post, the things we spend our time looking at on social media and television and the music we listen to. We have a gem to look after (that is our spirit man whom the Holy Spirit resides in).
tsakani mhlongo editor-in-chief Photo by @mentalist_photography Styled by @vintage__vybz
Whatever you spend your time doing, ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF: how is it building your spirit, glorying God, preaching the Good news and liberating the captives. Time is short, THE KING IS COMING. WASH YOUR ROBES CLEAN! For He is coming for a SPOTLESS BRIDE! By the way, we have added new content under Christian lifestyle. Glory be to the Holy Spirit for making this possible IT’s always and honor to work on this magazine for the Body of Christ and glory for my King. Write us your comments and thoughts to our email: beautyandthegospel@gmail.com it might just be printed! If you happen to be a new reader, WELCOME ABOARD BELOVED. That’s it for now, till next time, you’re loved by Him and I.
VOL. 8| SEPTEMBER 2020
B&TG NEWS CHRISTIANS IN THE KNOW!
Investigated for Selling or Buying Bible Players Source: www.bitterwinter.org
In recent years, audio Bible players have become popular with people of faith in China due to their ease of use. Apart from Bible verses, these electronic players are also equipped with sermons, hymns, and other religious content. The four are detained in the Jiuwei Detention House in Shenzhen, and their families and lawyers are prohibited from revealing any information about the case. This is not an isolated case. A house church member from Guangdong’s Zhongshan city told Bitter Winter that the police summoned him in December last year for buying a Bible player online over a year before. The believer did not remember the player’s brand, but the police claimed that it was produced by a Shenzhen company that is being investigated because their players had religious content that did not conform to state regulations. And because the company is run by a church. The police found the believer’s personal information on the company’s sales list. They searched his home and questioned him repeatedly on the player’s whereabouts.
OVERVIEW: Iraq was formerly Assyria, the first nation to accept Christ. Verdict in Pakistan portends more forced marriages and conversions of Christian. DISCLAIMER B&TG NEWS is a Christian news segment that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. We do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this segment are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Beauty & The Gospel.
Evangelist Greg Laurie Describes The Antichrist In Detail Source: www.charismanews.com
Evangelist Greg Laurie described the Antichrist in detail during his sermon recently. “When this man emerges on the scene, he may not be what you would expect. He will not be dressed in head to toe in black, with glowing red eyes and steam coming out of him, and the Darth Vader theme song playing when he walks into a room,” Laurie says. Laurie warns: “He is going to do things that no world leader has ever done before. He is going to solve the Middle East conflict, and he is going to rid the world at least temporarily of terrorism. He is going to be hailed as the greatest peace talker that ever lived.” But then, the Antichrist’s true motives shall be revealed.
Radical Muslims Wage War for Control of Nigeria, Christians Suffering 'Massive Attacks' Source: www.cbnnews.org
Nigeria is facing a serious threat from Islamic terrorist groups. Militant Muslims are waging an insurgency to overthrow the government and rid the country of Christians. After losing ground in Syria and Iraq, the top general of US Special Operations Command in Africa is warning that Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other Islamic terror groups are now trying to take over parts of the continent's most populous nation. Their goal: eventually turn Nigeria into a Muslim country and force Christians, who make up half the country's population, to either leave or convert to Islam.
after them," warned Dede Laugesen with Save the Persecuted Christians. "If you look at what's happening there over the last 20 years, it's just massive, massive attacks against Christians," Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, told CBN News. "Look, 50 to 70 thousand have been murdered." "They go after Christians and moderate Muslims, they push a hard-line Muslim agenda and it is their intention to establish a caliphate and to rid all of Nigeria and West Africa of any Western influence whatsoever," Human rights groups are asking the White House to appoint a special envoy to help end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. "Unless the world takes note and puts pressure, economic pressure, sanctions, visa bans on these officials who are responsible for this travesty and for not reigning in the terror, then Nigeria will continue to be a bloodbath," Laugesen warned.
"Christians are in the eye of the target and they are coming
Faith Leaders Call for ‘The Return’ of America to God to Culminate in a Gathering at National Mall on Sept. 26 www.stream.org
Faith leaders are calling for a national time of prayer and repentance in September for America to return to her biblical roots. They’re calling it “The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance.” The Return The Return begins with individuals seeking God’s forgiveness and culminates in the “Ten Days of Prayer and Repentance,” September 18-28, 2020. The Ten Days begin with the Feast of Trumpets and ends with the Day of Atonement, which were known from ancient days. The central day of The Return is September 26.According to a press release, the 26th happens to be
40 days before the general election and the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God. People will gather at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to pray and repent together. Many faith leaders are associated with the project.Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Kevin Jessip, Dr. James Dobson, Robert Morris, Marcus Lamb, Bishop Harry Jackson, Alveda King, Anne Graham Lotz, Pat and Gordon Robertson, along with many others, have signed on to the project. “My Pillow” inventor Mike Lindell has also joined in, calling for those who have addictions to come to Jesus.
Verdict in Pakistan portends more forced marriages and conversions of Christian girls Source: www.evangelicalfocus.com
Iraqi Prime Minister Thanks America for Liberating Iraq in Historic White House Meeting Source:www.charismanews.com
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa AlKadhimi, in his first White House Meeting with President Donald J. Trump, said, "The United States ....helped Iraq enormously in defeating ISIS and also in toppling the Saddam Hussein regime." Most people are unaware that Iraq was formerly Assyria, the first nation to accept Christ, which went on to become the largest missionary-sending people in history, bringing the gospel first to Europe, Asia and much of the world. Most of us owe our very faith to this special band of people, the descendants of the great Assyrian Empire that before the liberation of Iraq made up 10% of the country's population and as the indigenous, original people of the country, were much loved. Following the liberation of Iraq, the initial great freedom gave way to attack, primarily from neighboring Iran who, in the -
vacuum created by the sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2011, gave birth to another enemy—ISIS —and these precious people now fell under attack by two forces at once. Finally liberated from ISIS, the long-suffering Assyrian Christians of Iraq, now greatly diminished to less than half of their previous numbers, are finally coming back, encouraged by the promise of the Assyrian Administrative Area—a restoration of the Assyrian nation, albeit under special provisions of the Iraqi Constitution. For the Assyrian Christians of Iraq, there is one guarantee that is more important than any meeting with the prime minister of Iraq and the president of the United State: the promise in Isaiah 19:23a-24 that reads, "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria ... In that day Israel shall be the third group with Egypt and Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the earth." This is the promise to every Assyrian, without a nation for a thousand years, that their nation will one day be restored.
A court decision in Pakistan to Source: www.worthynews.com return custody of a 14-year-old Christian girl to the Muslim who allegedly kidnapped her and forced her to convert to Islam and marry him will make more Christian girls vulnerable to such trauma, sources said. Lala Robin Daniel, a rights activist based in Faisalabad assisting the family of Maira Shahbaz, said the Lahore High Court’s refusal to take into account the documented age of the girl and the falsification of documents, including a fake marriage certificate, was unprecedented and would lead to more such cases. “If the courts of this country start validating underage marriages of girls belonging to the minority communities, it will encourage people from the majority faith to target them with even more impunity,” he said. “A minor child can easily be influenced or coerced into renouncing their faith and marrying someone. This practice needs to be stopped.”
devotions
Willing and Obedient by Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert
Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT): "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ."
When God gave Joshua the instruction to walk around the walls of Jericho for seven days, it must have raised some eyebrows. Can you imagine what was going through the minds of those Israelite men? They knew the mission was to breach the mighty walls of the city and conquer it. Silently marching around it for seven consecutive days was surely not what they envisioned when Joshua announced the plan. Yet, Joshua and his men chose to believe God and willingly obey Him. They acted on His instruction and as a result those walls came tumbling down! When we set out to do something we've committed to do, no matter how we feel about it in the natural, we must remember who we are ultimately working for. The Lord promises to reward our willingness to serve others with excellence and with the same attitude we would have if we were serving Him.
PROPHECY
END TIME PROPHETIC WORD SADHU SUNDAR SELVARAJ A Prophet to the Nations
My dearly beloved brothers, sisters and fellow ministers of God, cast away all this fighting and put your house in order. That’s what the man who owned the house in Mark 14 did.
He put his house in order by preparing and furnishing it, making it fit for the Lord God to come and dwell in. PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER How shall we do that?
PROPHECY
Prepare your house by cleaning it: throw away un-Christlike habits and character. Secondly, furnish your house by putting on certain things: 1. Put on the armor of light – Rom 13:12 2. Put on Christlikeness by not making provision for the lust of the flesh – Rom 13:14 3. Put on the new man who is created in righteousness and true holiness – Eph 4:24 4. Put on godliness, that is, Christlike character – Col 3:12,14. There is another interesting fact about the letter chet. It looks like a doorway with two wooden posts, one on the right and the other on the left, with a header joining the two wooden posts. Chet, the eighth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, signifies new beginnings. If we connect these meanings together, it signifies: Put away your old lifestyle and enter through the doorway of new beginnings. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). When you put away all the old, new grace and new life, the true life, will be poured inside you. When you put away the old, a new doorway will be opened to you - a new doorway into the realms of God where you can have intimate relationship with God. We are getting closer to the rapture of the Bride Church and the coming of the Lord Jesus. If you really want to be part of the Bride who is going to be raptured, then you must walk in love.
If there is no love in your heart, if you cannot walk in forgiveness towards one another, if you cannot stop your lips from criticizing, backbiting, gossiping and murmuring, then you will never be raptured. Not only that, you will not even enter into kingdom of heaven.
DEARLY BELOVED, WALK IN LOVE. PUT AWAY ALL CRITICIZING, BACKBITING, AND GOSSIPING ABOUT ONE ANOTHER. PUT AWAY ALL MANNER OF WRITING FAKE NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. REPENT AND PUT A FULL STOP TO ALL THAT TODAY!
AT THE THRONE OF KING JESUS The saint Paul then appeared, standing beside the saint Elijah in heaven. He said TO ME, “Principles of church government should be restored back in the church.” When he said this, I perceived in my spirit he was referring to the epistles he wrote for the Church. Today, churches are being run according to the ideas of the founders of each church. God is now going to rule His people by the very principles on which the Church was originally founded. Those principles are the very ones that are found in the epistles of the apostle Paul, also known as the Pauline Epistles. These are the principles of discipline, order, sacrifice, caring for one another, and helping one another.
PROPHECY
The early church was founded on these principles. These principles enshrine the characteristics and beauty of the Lord Jesus. They must be restored back to the Church in these last days. DEN OF THIEVES The Lord Jesus then said quite sternly, “The church has become a den of thieves.” These are the very words He used reprimanding the temple leaders when He entered it during His earthly ministry. He said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’” (Matt 21:13). The Lord God is saying to us that the church has become a den of thieves. Robbery and thievery are found among the people of God. They not only steal God’s money but also steal the time that belongs to Him. They are also worshipping other gods. What other gods? They worship their own stomachs as gods (Phil 3:19). The other gods are money, selfcentred dreams and ambitions. Dreams are the making of your own plans, aspirations and ambitions. They have become fat with their own dreams and ambitions. God has no place in their lives; each seeks his own pursuits and his own desires. “The Kingdom of God is not eating or drinking,” the Lord Jesus said, “It is the seeking of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish the peace of God” (Rom 14:17). Do not seek God’s kingdom nor do the ministry for your own benefit or growth but only to seek after righteousness and peace.
Why do we eat or drink? Isn’t it in order to live and grow? So when the Scripture said, “The Kingdom of God is not eating or drinking,” it means that you don’t grow the church with the idea of just benefiting one’s own person. Don’t just grow your church according to what you like or according to your own understanding. Don’t try to please everybody. Seek the righteousness of God. When you seek to do the works of God, it will allow the peace of God to rule in society. The Lord Jesus further said, “My servants (Church leaders, shepherds) should be alert and watching the seasons and the times in which they are living.” Don’t just be satisfied with a large church. Don’t become dull of understanding. Be alert and watch closely the seasons and the times in which you are living. Then the Lord said this very strictly to the church leaders, “Wolves have already come in” (Matt 7:15; 10:16; Acts 20:29). Who are the wolves? The Scriptures warn us about three types of wolves: false believers, false teachers and false prophets. The Lord Jesus did not say, “wolves will come”; rather, He said, “wolves are already in your midst.” Therefore, the Lord counsels you to discern carefully and protect your sheep. In closing, I lay before you this strong reminder: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1)
ROTUBIRTNOC
DON'T BECOME
DISCOURAGED written by:
ANGUS & JILL BUCHAN Jill and I found Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour on the 18th of February 1979, just two years after settling in Greytown, Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands, South Africa. Originally from Zambia, we bought a piece of land on which we planned to farm crops and livestock. We had very little to start with but
Nothing is worth having if you have not worked for it,
even as brand new Christians, we were content with our farm,
you don’t appreciate something unless you have
which we later called SHALOM.
been through a fiery trial. As the adage goes “I’ve never met a man yet worth his salt who has never
With the atmosphere in the world today there are a
been through fire.” We really need to understand
lot of people who are discouraged, for many different
that we are definitely living in the last days and things
reasons, and I think the least among them is the
are not going to get easier, but the Lord’s grace is
health. It’s more just a total heaviness - a lack of
going to abound.
vision, people not knowing which way to turn or which way to go.
We need to lean heavily on Him. We need to up our prayer times, we need to up our scripture readings,
If we look at the Word of God in Hebrews 12:3 (NKJV),
we need to up our fellowship with those who have
the Word says: “For consider Him who endured such
the same heart as we have. So we need to be humble,
hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you
we really need to pray more, we need to be more
become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
thankful, we need to maybe not talk quite so much and that really challenges me because I
If we think of what Jesus went through, how He
struggle to keep quiet - we really need to rest in the
suffered for our sakes - surely, we have nothing really
Lord.
to complain about. Verse 4 says: “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” So we
We think of the beautiful scripture in Isaiah 40:31
rejoice in the fact that the Lord has done it all for us
(NKJV) “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew
already. What we need to do is to be patient, very
their strength; They shall mount up with wings like
patient and just keep putting one foot in front of the
eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall
other.
walk and not faint.” We need to implement that scripture now so that we can finish strong for the
George Whitefield the great evangelist from the 1700s
Lord.
said: “How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet will heaven be when our journey has ended.”
May God bless you as you face this week holding on to Jesus' hand and allowing Him to hold you tightly to
This road that we are walking was never meant to be
Himself.
a bed of roses and we must remember that. Yes, the Lord says I have come to give you life abundantly (John 10:10) and He sure has, but it always comes at a price.
With much love in Jesus, Angus and Jill Buchan.
featured
A BOOBY TRAP IN THE CHRISTIAN BUDGET by: Marshall Segal The Bible is clear that we will put our
3. Does my spending suggest I’m collecting
money where our hearts are, so it is
for this life?
important that we regularly test our
4. Is my spending explicitly supporting the
treasure. There are lots of ways to lose
spread of the gospel?
our life over a love for money. We want our money to serve our greatest lasting good
Here, I’d like to add a fifth question aimed
and happiness, not kill it. So I proposed
at the frugal among us: Is my spending so
four questions to keep close to your wallet:
cautious that it’s captured my heart and keeps me from loving those close to me
1. Is my spending marked by Christian
well?
generosity? 2. What does my spending say about what
A More Subtle Seduction
makes me most happy?
Beauty & The Gospel
SEPTEMBER
2020
featured
A lust for more and more money to buy more
Don’t Neglect Those Near You
and more things is evil, and it ironically and
One way this kind of frugality can eat away
tragically steals and murders the life and
at us is by keeping us from blessing the
happiness it promises.But what if this
ones close to us — friends, neighbors, even
homicidal mistress lurks in less likely places?
our own families. There’s a thriftiness that will erode important relationships over
“One brand of budgeting wears the heroic cape of Christianity, while masking a secret infatuation with money.”
time. The same safeguards that guard us from spending on selfish, temporary comforts for ourselves can often prevent us from good, tangible acts of love toward others in our lives.
Because of what the Bible warns about wealth, Christians quickly become some of
The reasonable logic might say we wouldn’t
the most vigilant about their incomes,
buy that for ourselves, so we shouldn’t
investments, and donations — and that is a
buy it for others. Or maybe we think of it in
good and right trend as a whole. There is a
terms of need. They don’t really need that,
brand of budgeting, though, that wears
so I’m not going to get it for them. I’ll wait
the heroic cape of Christianity, while masking
until they actually need something to live.
a secret infatuation with money. A love for
At our worst, we’re just so focused on our
money can look like a love to have or a love
own needs and plans that we miss the
to spend. A love for money might also reveal
opportunity altogether. While wisdom
itself in an obsession with saving or even
prioritizes need and stays within its limits,
giving money away. Christian, have you
generosity gladly spends on others, even
fallen in love with the money you refuse to
when it wouldn’t spend on itself. God has
spend?
given us a responsibility to model his sacrificial, generous, even lavish love for
My Money on My Mind
people in our lives, especially our families.
Perhaps a love of money has less to do with
Just like in his provision for us, this will
its presence or absence, and more to do with
often mean purchasing something special,
its hold in our hearts. Maybe it has less to do
unexpected, even unneeded in order to
with whether we have more or less money,
express our love for and commitment to
and more to do with whether our thoughts,
others.
conversations, and budgets are excessively focused on it.
Holiness and Hope In the end, holiness isn’t necessarily about
How much do we think about it? How much
having less, but about hoping in God more
do we structure our lives and decision-
than money. The real question relates more
making around it? Of course we need to be
to our hearts than our wallets, more to our
wise stewards, but when does that
energy and hope and affection than our
intentionality turn to intimacy and worship?
budgets. It’s not necessarily about counting
Paul’s plea is a plea for contentment and
every penny, but about counting Christ —
simplicity, not for relentless counting,
who is more precious, more sure, more
budgeting, and price-checking. The goal is not
satisfying — better than anything else. It’s
to have very little money, but to think little of
about being rich toward God in the
money.
currency of our heart and soul (Luke 12:21).
Beauty & The Gospel
SEPTEMBER 2020
featured
The Pharisees desperately wanted to be seen
Keep your life free from love of money,” not
as holy, and so they probably didn’t live in
necessarily by keeping your life free from
overt luxury. Yet they adored their money
money, but by filling it more and more with
(Luke 16:14). It seeded their disgust with
the real, satisfying, lasting presence and
Jesus and his gospel. Holiness is about what
work of Jesus (Hebrews 13:5). We have a
our hearts feel about money, and about
lot to say to the hoarders and spenders
Jesus.
among us, but let’s remember money can seduce even the savers, those with the
Cheap Is Not Free
tightest fists and strictest budgets. A cheap
Of course this will mean that we save, spend,
lifestyle might be free from lots of things,
and give in ways that say he is our Treasure.
but spending less is no guarantee of
But in all our strategizing about how to use
freedom from the love of money. Only a
our money “biblically,” may we not fall in love
superior love for Jesus can buy you that.
with the enemy we think we’ve beaten with
----------------------------------------------------------
our budgets. Let’s not let him quietly master
Marshall Segal (@marshallsegal) is a writer
us from the comfort of our self-righteous
and managing editor at desiringGod.org.
discipline, self-control, and generosity.
He’s the author of Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness & Dating.
Beauty & The Gospel
SEPTEMBER 2020
ROTUBIRTNOC
delay does not mean denial! GOODNESS I'm a philanthropist, author, public speaker, businesswoman, and an artistic person. Gracefully set apart and anointed by Him as a Prophetess.
P
salm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair…He set my feet on solid ground… He has given me a new song to sing..." Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair? Just like God lifted David out, God is going to lift you out. Where you are right now is not your permanent position. There are brighter days ahead for you filled with favor, promotion and increase.
As you walk uprightly before Him, there is no good thing He withholds from you to receive. We need to notice that God gives us a new song. All we have to do is to sing that song. That simply means you don’t go around talking about your problems, how bad things are, or how you are never going to make it. No, you have a song of victory that you have to sing.
If anyone asks you how you are doing, your attitude should be, “I am too blessed to be stressed! I am moving forward in strength and power.” Remember, praise goes before our victory and the Bible tells us that God is enthroned on our praises. As you magnify and lift Him up, He will lift you up out of your despair. He will set your feet on a solid ground and you will move forward with joy and victory in every area of your life.
ROTUBIRTNOC
"For every order we place in GOD, there's a price to be paid" Don't give up, push till the end because victory is assured. Remember when you go to any drive thru, there are three stages you go through. 1. Order Here 2. Pay Here 3. Pick Order Here For every order we place in GOD, there's a price to be paid. And the greater the order, the greater the price. Now your waiting time is determined by what kind of meal you have ordered. If it's an expensive meal at times it requires a lot of time for preparation, especially when there's a lot of ingredients used. So, we need to understand that people who will place orders after you, their orders may be called first. Because you are impatient and don't understand what it takes to prepare your order you will start asking why. The size of the package that you ordered caused a delay. The greater the order, the greater the delay. But delay does not mean denial.
@beautyandthegospel
It is the same thing with God... The same process that happens in the drive thru is the same process done when you pray for a blessing. Yes, you might be waiting for too long and the hunger is now unbearable but listen to me, don't allow yourself to be discouraged in your waiting. Don't lose focus on the reason why you ordered that package, it is worth waiting for. By the time you receive it, you will be glad that you waited, and you will enjoy it because you will have nothing to complain about as it will be well prepared. Your order is being delayed but not denied for you to have it. All you have to do is wait patiently. Wait upon God.
GOODNESS KG NTOMBELA
EXCLUSIVE
HENDRICK HENDRICKS A man passionate about continuing to make Christ known. Helping people thrive in relationships and be a better husband, father, brother, son, friend, teacher and Pastor. Author of "How to recognize your partner , which equips the single, married, separated, divorced and complicated!
Q.  Who is the Lord Jesus
I remember one day, I was
Christ to you?
about 15 years old when my
A. My King and Savior
pastor was preaching on the Work of the Cross, that
Q. How and when did you
message hit me differently and
get Born Again?
that very day, I remember
A. I literally grew up in
having made Jesus my personal
church. As a young boy I
Lord and Savior.
attended almost every weekly and Sunday
Q. Things you wish you were
service.
told about your journey with King Jesus? @beautyandthegospel
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A. I wish I was clearly told that I
a) What does it entail and do
It takes passion in order to be
shouldn’t have to wait for things
coaches have perfect
effective. Sometimes what a
to make sense in order to make a
relationships?
person is passionate about
move. I’ve learnt that things don’t
Christ’s death at the cross
reveals what they are called to
really have to make sense as long
symbolizes the restoration of
do, I’d say coaching is kind of a
as they make FAITH.
the two most important
calling. The motive behind
relationships. The relationship
coaching should be love and a
Q. . Did you always know you
between God and his people
burden one has got in their heart
were called to the 5 fold ministry?
(represented by the vertical
to see people winning in
A. Not at all, I had received many
bar), and the relationship
relationships. The most efficient
prophecies in my early age about
between people (horizontal bar of
preparation a coach can do is
being in ministry, however I
the cross) with marriage being
investing in understanding the
honestly didn’t want anything to
the most important relationship
wisdom of the word of God,
do with the 5 fold ministry.
on earth. With that being said,
Consistent Prayer life and always
the main constituent of
relying on the Holy Spirit. In all
Q. When did you get ordained
relationship coaching should be
my coaching, whether for singles
and how has it been, being a
acknowledging Christ at the very
or married couples, God’s word
GRACE, FAITH & LOVE
Center of the Cross, meaning that
has always been the final
Preacher?
successful relationships have got
authority.
A. I was firstly ordained back in
Christ as the center. Relationship
2012 as an elder working in the
coaching simply consists of
c) Would you say that in order to
Pastoral team of my local church.
understanding, defining, and
be a coach, one must have gone
As mentioned earlier, I was really
acquiring healthy relationships.
through difficult and challenging
avoiding being ordained as a
relationships?
pastor or any other minister in
Relationship Coaches are coaches
the 5 fold. Little did I know that
because they’ve understood
It’s quite hard to escape from
that the strive shouldn’t be
God’s calling. I was finally
working towards having
ordained, consecrated and
PERFECT relationships but
officially declared Pastor on the
rather HEALTHY, PURPOSEFUL
21. 04. 2019.
and FULFILLING ones. I should
It’s been both humbling and
reiterate that coaches don’t have
presence in it. In the
fulfilling.
perfect relationships, but Christ
surely is PERFECT.
same way He
Q. You are not only a Pastor but
"You’ll realize that what makes covenant unbreakable is God’s
created a divine
also an Author, relationship
b) What preparation goes into
institution called
coach, Inspirational speaker,
coaching a couple and do you
TEFL Teacher and Evangelist.
only coach married couples?
marriage."
Let’s start with Relationship coaching : @beautyandthegospel
Anointed 4 such a time as this !
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Not necessarily, although what a
Q. You’ve recently published a
person goes through in life can be
book titled: “HOW TO
a revelation of the kind of people
RECOGNIZE YOUR PARTNER”.
God has called them to help. It’s
The title says it all!
also true that you can’t lead a person where you’ve never been,
a) What inspired this book?
however, there’s something
It all began when I was ready for
called, “divine revelation”. You
marriage. I went to God in
can speak of things you’ve never
prayer and fasting for him to
lived that God has dropped in
reveal who my wife would be. I
your spirit. Think of the two
was expecting a word of wisdom,
people that spoke wisely and
a prophesy, a vision or simply a
profoundly about marriage in the
dream with the face of my
BIBLE, they were never physically
future wife. God’s answer was
married, and yet spoke mysteries
totally different: “ I will teach you
and effective marital principles,
how to recognize your partner, so
Apostle PAUL and JESUS
that you can write a book that
CHRIST. Now you understand
will help many into recognizing
what I meant when I said
their own marriage partners”.
“coaching can be a calling”.
God was the source of inspiration of this book.
d) What’s your desire with the relationship’s you coach?
b) Did you ever think you’d write
To see them thrive, see them at
a book?
the top, happy, fulfilled and able
There are two things I always
to help others too.
mentioned when I was a kid, write a book and act in a movie. I thought it was just kid dreams, well the writing part came to pass. c) Who did you write this book specifically for and what you hope it imparts to the reader? This book is written for every individual on the surface of the earth, as it reveals the
@hendrick_hendricks
meaning of relationships at its core and all levels. @beautyandthegospel
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Every reader that will go through
In relationships, it happens
Your vision gives you a
this book will have a new
between the two marriage
perspective of where you’re going
perceptive of life in general and
partners. It can come in a form of
and your mission is literally the
relationships in particular, it has
certitude when your spirit can
execution of your God’s given
surely got transformational
attest that you’ve met the right
vision. A shared vision is one of
revelations that will positively
partner. This is a spiritual matter
the clearest keys to recognize
change lives.
and most people will tell you, “I
your partner. It reveals that both
just knew she/he was the one, I
husband and wife are heading
d) We know as the Body of Christ
don’t know how, but I knew it”. It
towards the same direction. This
that we don’t just get into
comes as a very strong conviction
brings in the part of Submission
relationships but need
in your hearts as things will seem
(being under the mission of) and
discernment. Share with us 5 keys
so intertwining between the two
leadership (not questioning
on how one can recognize their
when it comes to spiritual values.
authority or feeling inferior but
partner?
I wish I could elaborate more on
working hand in hand to fulfil
this; nevertheless, I’ll randomly
God’s purpose on earth). It also
This is the hardest part, when I’ m
enumerate 5 keys that can help
solves the issues of two different
asked to give a few keys on how
one recognize their marriage
and opposite visions in the same
one can recognize their partner, I
partner.
house that cause division (two
am tempted to say, “please get
visions).
the book” because it’s 200 pages
1. Discover your Purpose
that I have to simplify in a few
It makes it easy to recognize “who
God thinks PURPOSE when He
keys. [just kidding, laughter...]
you are called to be
ordains MARRIAGES.
with” if you know “what you are
Well, in my book, I spoke about
called to be”. To be able to
3. Sacrificial love:
signs of compatibility and
discover your purpose, one
This implies a selfless love that
complementarity, based on
should know their identity, who
both individuals have for one
Genesis 2:18 b [AMPC] :...I’ll make
and whose they are. I
another. It mostly applies to men
him a helper ( SUITABLE,
unfortunately can’t be able to
in the sense that a man is ready to
ADAPTED, COMPLEMENTARY)
elaborate on it right now. That’s
refrain his own personal desires,
for him. These signs are divided
why the first Chapter of my book
selfish interests and sacrifice
into three categories, Spiritual,
is entitled “FINDING YOURSELF”
things that mean a lot to him
emotional and physical
for it’s easier when you’ve
(such as time) in order express his
compatibilities. An ample
found yourself, to find your
love towards his future
example of spiritual compatibility
significant other.
partner. As a man if you see that
would be that of:
you love a woman and you are 2. Shared Vision (Start your
ready to die to self (just like
Spiritual Attestation through the
mission in line with your
Christ demonstrated His love
intuition of the Spirit:
vision)
toward the church at the cross.
Complementarity takes place in
It’s one thing to know what
Ref: Ephesians 5:25 AMP) then,
pair of two elements.
you’re called to and a totally
there’s a possibility of you being
different thing to walk in your
in right in front of the right
calling after you’ve answered it.
marriage partner.
@beautyandthegospel
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4. Good communication
f) What is the common mistake
Prayer and fasting are also a
Emotional connection enables two
that you realized that man does
great key to starve the spirit of
individuals to relate to each
when looking or waiting for a
lust and activate God’s Spirit in a
other’s feelings. It facilitates a
partner?
person.
good communication between the
One of the most common
two and gives a sense of
mistakes is lack of preparation,
Q) If Jesus were to visit you for
understanding, trust and openness.
because preparation is a
one day what would you say to
Once a connection has been
readiness indicator and it doesn’t
Him and spend the rest of the
established on the soul level, it’s
start when you get married, it
day?
going to be so easy for the couple
starts way before getting
A) I’d firstly thank Him for
to communicate their issues
married. Honestly speaking,
everything He is and He’s done
without the fear of being betrayed
many prepare for the wedding
for humanity, I’d confess my love
or judged because they are both
and not the marriage. This is
for him, then I’d ask Him if I could
like-minded. That’s why “good
clearly seen as sometimes it’s
invite my wife for us to sit on
communication” is a key to
difficult for people to understand
some grass in the park with a
recognizing the right partner.
what marriage is. In the
picnic basket for Him to share
introductory chapter of my book,
more with us on the mysteries of
5. Feeling a sense of balance
I elucidated on “understanding
love and life. We would probably
Genesis 2:18 b [AMP version] says:
the covenant of marriage”
spend the day listening and
...I will make him a helper [one who
and elaborated on the principles
writing what He says and will
BALANCES him-a counterpart who
of covenant. Preparation is key.
eventually end up hosting a
is] suitable and complementaryto
love open air conference right
him. By definition balance is an
g) Advice to give someone who
there with Jesus our Guest
even distribution of weight
may be struggling with the
Speaker, I’m sure the park will be
enabling someone or something to
spirit of lust?
packed to full capacity. What an
remain upright and steady. The
The first advice that I’d give them
honor would that be, winning
right partner brings that balance to
is not starting a relationship
souls, restoring marriages and
our lives, they will effortlessly
based on LUST because it won’t
transforming lives all along with
palliate to your emotions. For
LAST for long. The person should
Jesus, my wife and my family.
instance, when you’re sad they
realise that lust is not of God but
know how to put a smile on your
of the enemy in order to fight the
Thank you for this question... I
lips. Or they know how to lift you
purpose of God upon them [Read
love it!
up in prayers when you are weak
Gen 3:6 NLT version to
or can easily create leisure time if
understand more on lust]. The
Q) When people hear the name
you are workaholic and manage to
way forward is yielding to God’s
Hendrick, what do you want
bring a certain balance to your life.
Spirit. This can only be overcome
them to know?
Balance can also come through a
by replacement, meaning that
A) Someone who serves God and
challenging form, a person who
God’s Spirit should take over. The
people because He loves God and
challenges you to grow and excel
person should meditate more on
People.
because they believe in you.
God’s Word that is able to transform his mind and give a new perspective of things.
EXCLUSIVE
BY THE WAY.. Q) What message do you have to the Church, regarding the end times and especially THE IMMINENT RETURN OF KING JESUS? A) Christ died for the Church so we should live for Him and He’s returning soon to take us with Him. Q) How can people get in touch with you, access your work and schedule? A) I can be contacted through my various social platforms: Instagram/Facebook: @Hendrick_Hendricks website: Hendrickbooks.wordpress.co m Cellphone:+27 78 698 7998 Q) Last words and plans for 2020? A) The plan remains continuing to make Christ known. Help people thrive in relationships and be a better husband, father, brother, son, friend, teacher and Pastor. I pray that God, The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and keep you, May He make His Face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. May He bless your relationships. @beautyandthegospel
monthly devotions Karabo Lekwape, is the daughter of the Most High. Who believes that without God you are nothing. She completed her Degree in BCom Accounting and is currently studying Post Grad in Financial Accounting. Throughout her journey of life, she saw Gods amazing works and would advise that people ensure that they are running their race with God.. Pure Grace..
Introducing to you, monthly devotions by : KARABO karabo.lekwape
WHERE DOES YOUR TRUST LIE? Isaiah 2:22 - NLT Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they? Child of God, in this journey of walking with Christ who do you trust? Many of us trust Man, who is flesh like us instead of God but is it really the way? Times occur to an extent whereby we even tend to fear or rather impress Man – a mere creature like you and me but what good will come out of it because Man is just a creation, God is a Creator. Man changes like weather but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Man gets to die but God is immortal. In this road are you carrying your Cross and following Christ or putting your trust in a creation the Creator has created? Put your trust in God and He will never fail you. God is not man that He can ever lie.
Where does your trust lie?
Prayer: God, open my spiritual ears and my heart, to see your works and trust in you because I know you will never fail me. Amen.
ROTUBIRTNOC
Let go and
let go something else. For you to uproot the weeds it only means one thing, you stop planting and focus on weeds. And that's what the enemy wants, he brings distraction, for you to lose focus from the good that you are doing.
Scripture reading: Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn.” Have you ever wondered why bad things happen? More specifically to the ones that strive to do good. Why do people do good but always get bad results? There must be something wrong happening. We go to church, pray every day, give willingly, but yet things still go bad. You study the whole night, when you get to the exam room you are blank. You teach your children to live right, but they turn to be the opposite. This often happens to many of us, we keep planting the good seeds but yet we reap the weeds. The above scripture talks about the enemy who comes at night to plant weeds amongst the good seeds. All that the enemy wants is to discourage you, to shift your focus from the good that you are doing to
The Bible says let it grow together, this means you let go and let God handle it. You say God I will continue to plant the good seeds while you deal with the weeds. I cannot stop praying because my children are not listening to me, God I let this grow together. Choose to let go and let God, He is faithful. The Bible in the book of 2 Chronicles 20:15 says the battle is not yours but God's. It is our responsibility to plant good seeds, but it is the responsibility of God to take care of the seeds and to deal with the enemy who comes with weeds. Do not change your good ways, do not lose heart. Let it grow together until the harvest time, God will separate the weeds from the wheat. Trust God and be like Mount Zion, never be moved or shaken. God is in control, keep doing the good works and you'll get your reward in due course...
PASTOR NTSAKO BALOYI
a servant of God, husband to Tiyiselani Baloyi and home made chef
@beautyandthegospel
ROTUBIRTNOC
EMBRACE
THE SHIFT Oftentimes change does not come the way we envisioned or imagined it. If it did, we would still be comfortable in our old ways of thinking and doing. When God wants to do something different in our lives He is the only one who can choose how and when it will happen, but when it does we have to be willing to say yes and embrace everything that comes along with it. The good, the bad and the ugly.
@monicatheophilus founder @amomentwithmonica, minister, prayer warrior , writer and contributor at beauty&thegospel magazine .
When I think of someone who had to embrace the sudden shift in their lives I think of Joseph’s story in the Bible. Joseph knew He was chosen and set apart by God for a purpose. God would give him prophetic dreams in his sleep, but Joseph was not yet mature in His walk with God to interpret them. He would tell his father and his brother, yet they misunderstood and could not relate to the high calling on his life. Out of jealousy his brothers sold him to become a slave.
@beautyandthegospel
ROTUBIRTNOC
“So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt” Genesis 37:28 NIV. Later, Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Of course Joseph had every right to feel angry, hurt, and betrayed. He could have stayed in his emotions and lose faith in God because of what he was going through, but he chose not to. He remained strong in his faith despite his troubles and because he was faithful to God he found favor in a foreign place ( Egypt). The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.
Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate” Genesis 39:2 NIV. What looked like the end to his brothers for Joseph’s life was actually the beginning. God was setting Joseph up to become the man he was always destined to be.
@beautyandthegospel
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God had to remove Joseph from the limitations in his hometown in order for Joseph to mature in his purpose and save the people and his family from famine in the land. Embracing the shift in our lives can be scary, tough, depressing and hurtful, but the moment we choose to say yes to the shift God will carry us through and we will grow into who we were destined to be. The shift will not be what we expected or else we will never move, but in the unexpected lies God’s favor, blessings, abundance and peace. So say yes to God even when you do not know what is next because He is for you and He knows the plans He has for you.
Love Monica, Be Encouraged.
@beautyandthegospel
BY WHOSE
STANDARDS??? part 1
WRITTEN BY: M.K
BY WHOSE STANDARDS??? The Word of God says that the devil is the god of this world. This is true because whatever is happening in this world is by his standards. Whatever he does is the total opposite to what God, our father commands and expects from us. The devil contradicts God in everything. He is an opposer. By Gods standards we are expected to live according to His Word, laws, statutes and commandments. My observation is that as the children of God, the world seems to be telling us what to do, when to do it and mostly how to do anything. We seem to have lost our mandate as the citizens of heaven. Romans 12v2 says ‘do not be conformed to the standards (patterns, behaviours) of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God’.
We seem to care a lot about the standards of this world, and we follow all the trends that are going on and there is one thing that the Lord revealed to me lately. Hebrews 13 v 8 states: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever’. This means that He is very old fashioned. He never changes. He doesn’t change His mind or Word. He is dependable. He never divorces His Word. He doesn’t move with the times. His Word is steadfast forever and ever. What we see in the other kingdom is that things change every time. There is no continuity. There so many trends every season. God is not like that. Right now, as children of God we seem to move from what the Word commands us and we want to be politically correct. We want the approval of man and care less about what our God is saying. We are no different from the world. We are like them. The only difference is that we say we are born again. By whose standards are we born again? By whose standards are we living our day to day lives?
TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR SAY THIS FOLLOWING PRAYER
By the look of things, we seem to do the things the way the world does. We are following the behaviours of this world. We are friends with the world. We are on the same level as the world. 1 John 2v15 -17 states:” do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the worldthe lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever”. We are in this world but are not of the world. It is understandable when people do not see the need or importance of being born again. When they look at us, they don’t see anything that attracts them to our salvation. We go where they go, we do what they do, we speak their language, we dress like them, we eat their food, we have ungodly relationships with them, we sometimes oppose the Word of God thus agreeing with them that God understands how tough life is. We make them believe that no human being will go to hell, only the devil and his cronies. What a lie!!!
As Christians we are not representing heaven the way we should. We are heaven’s ambassadors, but we are not doing our job like we are assigned to. We even have the audacity of saying heaven is our home and destiny. We need to stop lying to ourselves. Which heaven do we think we are going to enter by our own standards? This ideology of “once saved, always saved” needs to stop.
Are we producing the fruits of the spirit according to Galatians 5v22 to 23. Which fruits of the flesh are evident in us? Galatians 5v19 states: adultery, fornication, witchcraft, indecent, jealousy, hatred, fights, selfish ambitions, fractions, envy, murders, drunkenness, wild parties, difference of opinions, uncleanness, anger and the like. These are not the standards that the Lord wants us to live by. We need to change so we can be found worthy of His heaven. If not, we are going to miss heaven. This is not a joke or threat. We are expected to be spotless and without blemish. Be a holy nation. Let us fix our crooked ways before it is too late. Shalom!!!
BUSINESS LAW
Chanelle Fairlene Pillay Chanelle Fairlene Pillay is a South African born, qualified attorney with her Masters in Business Law, and woman of faith! She is connected to the ministry known as The SuperNatural Church of Jesus Christ where she encountered more of the Lord and His dynamic plans for her life! Author of books titled :‘A SHEPHERD KING’ and AWAY FROM YESTERDAY all available on Amazon.
In A Time of Famine, You Can Be Fruitful !!! As the world has shifted into unique times, many people have experienced challenges in their careers, positions of employment, and in their finances. But, this should not be the case for the children of THE KING. The Lord has called His people to be fruitful, to multiply, to be the head and not the tail, and to have dominion! It is HIS will for you to prosper for you are the light in this world. In famine, there is opportunity, much like there was in the days of Joseph in the land of Egypt. The Bible says in Genesis 39:2-3 that the Lord was with Joseph, that Joseph was prosperous, and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hands!
In a time of uncertainty, Joseph was favored and promoted! If the Lord can bring forth streams in the desert, make a way for His people through the Red Sea, and uncover hidden treasures in darkness - there is so much more He can do in and through your life. It is time for you to seize these opportunities and tap into something new in this time! You may be wondering, “What could I possibly be successful or gifted at?” or “Where do I even begin?” The first step is to seek the Lord to reveal to you what He has sent you to the earth with! He has created you with special gifts, skills, strengths and talents, for your prosperity and fulfillment. If a good earthly father would answer the call of his child, how much more so would the perfect -
BUSINESS LAW
Heavenly Father reveal the answers to you when you seek Him with all your heart? Most times, our purpose and keys to success is connected to that which we are passionate about! Maybe it is about time you start that business you have been talking about for years. Start small if you have to; all great things usually start there. There could be a gift or talent you have suppressed which could open the door for a second stream of income to come to you. There may be someone in your family or social circle who has a similar vision with complimenting skills and qualifications for you to collaborate with for a common goal at success! Whatever it is, the Lord delights in your prosperity. So, here are a few noteworthy tips to consider and take into account before you venture out into that business idea and before teaming up with anyone! The majority of legal problems that are brought to an attorney to solve are usually as a result of: 1. FAILING TO TAKE COUNSEL BEFORE SETTING PLANS IN MOTION. It is not a sign of weakness to approach those who are successful, or those who are experts in that area for advice and guidance before you venture out on your own! The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14 that people fall due to no counsel but that there is safety in the multitude of counselors. I believe it was John C Maxwell, an American author and pastor, who said that a wise person learns from his mistakes, a wiser person learns from other peoples mistakes, but the wisest person of all learns from other’s successes. It is therefore wise to seek the Lord in all your plans, and be open to receive counsel, advice and instructions from others! 2. FAILING TO DO THE RESEARCH. It is not only important to research information on simply starting your business or idea. It is also vitally important to gain the knowledge and knowhow of what it takes to maintain your business and to have your idea set apart once it is up and running. If you are collaborating with other people, it is wise to acquaint yourself with their character traits and professional conduct beforehand.
Imagine spending all your time, energy, and resources on an idea, only to realize halfway through that you weren’t aware of the cost implications, the laws and regulations in place governing that field, or even how unprofessional or lazy the people you have linked up with actually are! Jesus speaks of this perfectly in Luke 14 where he asks, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you saying ‘this person began to build and wasn’t able to complete it’. Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king, won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” So be sure to dot the i’s and cross all the t’s. 3. OVERLOOKING THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND AGREEMENTS ON RECORD. Time and time again, people encounter the most amount of disputes and stress all because aspects discussed, assumed, hoped for, or intended was not actually put down in writing and agreed to by all the minds involved. You are a lot closer to resolving disputes when there are clear and sound agreements and structures in place. This could very well cost you initially to acquire the services of an attorney to assist you with drafting and perusing agreements, letters, undertakings, proposals etc! Do not be penny-wise and pound-foolish by disregarding the value of this initial step, only to realize later that you lost a lot more than you would have if you had just sought the expertise of a professional at the very beginning! And as far as you possibly can, do not rely on the templates you may find on the internet. After all, you wouldn’t watch a how-to-perform-surgery video tutorial on the internet and believe you are capable to operate on your loved one! It would be wise to leave the drafting and proofreading of your contracts, proposals and partnership agreements to a legal professional! Never underestimate the value in a sound agreement! His Word says in Proverbs 16:2 that we are to COMMIT TO THE LORD WHATEVER WE DO AND HE WILL ESTABLISH OUR PLANS! If there is anything I have learned from the ministry I am connected to, it is that you must do the natural and GOD will do the SUPERNATURAL. YOU CAN BE FRUITFUL IN A TIME OF FAMINE!
CHANELLE WISDOM
EVEN WHEN THE WORLD IS GOING THROUGH CHAOS, DARKNESS, LOSS AND UNCERTAINTY, IT IS THE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH GOD WHO WILL RISE UP WITH FAVOR, INCREASE, PROSPERITY AND CREATIVITY. Chanelle Fairlene Pillay
devotions
Rooted by Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert
Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV): "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving
Just like every large tree has strong, deep roots anchoring them in the ground - ensuring they stand firm and strong in the most violent of winds - our faith should be rooted in the Word of God. This is how we become steadfast and immovable in any storm of life. A healthy root system doesn't just keep a tree anchored and secure; it ensures it's nourished with the water and nutrients necessary to keep it alive and vital. As we allow the Word to become the anchor of our souls, its truth nourishes our spirits, renews our minds, heals our emotions, and brings our wills into agreement with God's own thoughts. As a result faith becomes the dominant force inside us, peace guards our minds, and supernatural joy infuses us with inner strength. The very life of the Spirit of God rises up inside us and overflows into every area of our lives. Today, let your roots grow deep into Christ, the Living Word. You'll remain vital and strong, and unable to be shaken by whatever opposition comes your way.
FEATURED
TESTS ARE UNAVOIDABLE! All followers of Christ Jesus are tested. All are "tempted" from time to time. It is very important for a Believer to recognize that the "Tester" and "tempter" are two different entities! God tests. The devil tempts. In many people's lives, there is a "big test" that comes, with the final outcome being that life AFTER the test is not the same as life before the test. The test definitively changes things, and in a way that is ultimately positive and with eternal benefit.
Genesis 22 also presents to us Abraham’s “big test.” At this point, Abraham has been in close relationship with God for fifty years! He has heard from God on a number of occasions – God’s voice is not strange to him. He has come to know that God is always faithful to His promises, and always exacting when it comes to obedience. All of the tests prior to this one were for the strengthening of Abraham's faith and relationship with God. They all led up to this event in the life of Abraham and Isaac.
BY: MATT HAGEE
It is also important to recognize that, as a general principle throughout God's Word, God does not test a person who is growing in their faith before GOD knows that the person is ready to complete the test in a victorious manner! That should give greater comfort to every person who feels as if he or she is being tested today.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR A BELIEVER TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE "TESTER" AND "TEMPTER" ARE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES!
We must never lose sight of the truth that God is never surprised. He has a plan and purpose that is unfolding at all times – in your life, and in the course of history. Genesis 22:1-5 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" and he said, "Here I am." Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” The ultimate purpose of God’s tests is to train us to trust God – and to do so quickly and absolutely. Why? So we can receive fullness that God has for us.
THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR THINGS TO SEE IN THIS CHAPTER: Moriah means “foreseen of Jehovah.” God has already seen what will happen at Moriah. He not only has seen the physical mountain that He created. He has seen the meaning of the place. God has already seen every place of testing you will every experience. He knows what we will need when we get there, and what we will learn, and how we will live after the outcome of our Moriah experience. This is a personal test that only Abraham knows. He has not revealed to Isaac what is going to happen. He did not tell Sarah why he was going on a trip with Isaac. God may be leading you into a testing time. You are the only person who needs to know what is coming, for you ultimately are the only person God is testing. Faith is a combination of TRUST and OBEDIENCE. If a person wants to demonstrate his faith, he must trust in the Lord and obey what God tells him to do. God told Abraham what he was to do – make a burnt offering. Abraham responded by splitting the wood for the altar.
"TESTS ARE RELATED TO THE PROMISES OF GOD TO YOUR LIFE."
Tests are related to the promises of God to your life. Abraham knew that God had promised him heirs through Isaac. If that was going to happen- and Abraham had no doubt that it would happen – then Isaac was going to have to survive this “burnt offering” test in order to bear children. Abraham certainly didn’t know how this might happen, but he believed with a rock-solid belief that it would happen. CONSIDER AND DISCUSS How does knowing these four things relate to your current time of testing? · In looking back over your life, do you see how God brought you through a “big test?” What happened? If you have not yet experienced something you consider to be a “big test,” do you feel more ready to face the challenge of such a test? How so? VERSES TO CONSIDER “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
ROTUBIRTNOC
FROM THE APOSTLE'S DESK WHY THE DEVIL TEMPTED EVE AND NOT ADAM? Considering that we were in our women’s month, we need to look at the impact women have on Earth.The reason why God deemed it fit to create the female species. Whilst Adam was alone, with the animals in the Garden of Eden. God realized that Adam was lonely and needed a companion. All the animals God created had companions and could even reproduce, live happily and play together as families. Whilst Adam, having seen and named all the animals, had a different story altogether. He spent time, days and nights all alone and by himself. We might not know how long, maybe a year, a decade or few centuries that he spent in loneliness. Because our Yahweh is a compassionate God, who has our best interest at heart. He sees our hearts, takes care of our needs and grants us our innermost hearts’ desires. Things that you can’t even share with someone, that are secretly hidden deep in your heart and thoughts, God knows them, is aware of them and eventually makes them available for you. In its own time, the Lord will make it swiftly, Isaiah 60:22.
Apostle Fumane Esther Seobi Mahlatsi I was born in the Priesthood Family. I Am the 4th Generation of active 5 fold Ministers. A teacher by profession with Honours In Psychology Degree and a business woman. A wife for 30 years, an author of Manna Daily Devotions book, a mother of four, and a founder and an overseer of Seobi Ministries International in Vereeniging...
Women were created to meet a need, to HELP and be companions. Women are the “STRONGMAN” of their families. We are built strong so we can withstand all internal and external impacts. We are emotionally strong, to say enough is enough, take a decision and stand by it. Women are created to help their husbands not to undermine nor belittle them in anyway, whatsoever. Women multiply whatever is given to them, throw a word at them, they will honour you with a full sentence. Women must use this power to build, encourage, empower and enlighten their husbands, children and others. The reason why God created a woman for Adam, was for Adam to get a suitable, adaptable, complementary, “helper” who will be by his side assisting him in fulfilling God’s purpose. John 14:16 says “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to “HELP” you and be with you forever. What a coincidence that God in the book of Genesis send a woman as a helper also to Adam as well. How amazing we are, serving the same purpose as the Holy Spirit. We are the last born of creation. Nothing according to my knowledge was created after God formed a woman from Adam’s rib. So, we are the apple of God’s eye, “His last born”. God has instilled deep in our DNA the following qualities, traits, attributes and characteristics as women to aide us in fulfilling the Helping purpose.
You are strong. You are the apple of God’s eye. You are a prayer warrior. You are ambitious. You are mighty. You are love. You are beautiful. You are Able. You are miracle. You are a protective bone of your families. You are a soldier of Christ. Be fully armed with Ephesians 6:10-18. You carry the next generation. You are a fighter. You are the warmth of your family. You are the builder of families. Your words carry weight. You are durable. You are pure awesomeness. YOU ARE A WOMAN WHY THE DEVIL TEMPTED EVE, NOT ADAM? Genesis 3:1 NIV says: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”. The serpent, which was God’s creation; allowed Satan to use his crafty attribute God had instilled in him to deeply study the woman and realised that she was the strong bone of Adam. Luke 11;21-23 shows the power, the strongman and the victory the opposition will gain in bringing down the strongman.
" Women must use this power to build, encourage, empower and enlighten their husbands, children and others."
Goliath was the strong man of the Philistines, in defeating him, meant that nation’s defeat. The devil took his time, studied and saw the intercessory spirit, the home gatekeeper, the watchman’s spirit, the inner power, strength, durability, endurance, the unconditional love, the comforter, the embracer, the fighting power the woman deeply possesses.
In defeating Eve, the devil using the body of a serpent, knew that he would have to orchestrate the FALL OF MANKIND. Wow, the serpent’s craftiness worked, just long enough until Jesus Christ our Redeemer came and took us out of the fowler’s snare.
Women are the pioneers of their families and the societies at large. The devil still tries to finish our societies backbone through divorce, separation, murders, sexual immorality, abuses, incest and illegitimate children. He is still roaming about looking for whom to devour. We all need to be on the lookout, be vigilant and ask the Holy Spirit for Wisdom, just like King Solomon did. Basadi, izimbokodo! ( women are rocks)!
Shalom, Apostle Fumane Esther Seobi Mahlatsi
-featured-
Bible Prophecy Revealed
1. To conquer the world, and to reign as global dictators. These dictators will strip you of your freedoms. They will take your civil liberties, and you will become property and slaves of the state. 2. To conquer Israel and destroy the Jewish people. Their desire is to control the city of Jerusalem and prepare for the anointing of the false Messiah. Israel is currently surrounded by nations that are screaming for their blood. Anti-Semitism is raging through Europe and the United States, often celebrated in liberal universities among our young people. Jews are being targeted around the world for assassination, and their synagogues are being -
Bible prophecy clearly reveals that in the last days prior to the rapture of the church, four powerful kings will race onto the world stage with two objectives.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING BIBLE PROPHECY a Prophecy of Warning and Hope by:John Hagee
vandalized as worshippers are
I have given you all of the
It will be fought on the sacred
being killed. It is a sickening
details for this final showdown,
soil of Israel for global supremacy
sight to be sure!
walking you through both
between the King of the West
history and Scripture in my
and the King of the East. The
This massive prophetic,
latest book “Earth’s Last
pending prize is the throne of
geopolitical drama is unraveling
Empire.”
the earth, to rule and reign.
news feed each day. The
Vladimir Putin is currently trying
The King of the West is
Gog/Magog War mentioned in
to rebuild the Russian Empire.
America and the United
Ezekiel 38-39 has begun!
With it, he thinks he can
Kingdom. This king will be led by
conquer the world. They have
the antichrist, who will force
This war is the beginning of a
certainly started working on this
every person to receive his mark
series of wars that will engulf
with their far- reaching military
on their right hand or forehead.
the world in what many will call
encampments.
Those who do not comply will be
across the front pages of your
World War III. The Bible calls it
decapitated.
Armageddon. You don’t need to
The King of the South is
be a geopolitical expert to know
Egypt and the Arab Islamic
The target of the King of the
that our world is coming apart
forces. Keep in mind that all
West is Israel. He will set up his
at the seams. We are racing
directions given in the Bible are
image and proclaim that he is
toward the end of the world as
with regard to the city of
god in the city of Jerusalem. The
we know it.
Jerusalem. In God’s mind,
antichrist will demand that the
Jerusalem is the epicenter of
world worship him. His false
Revelation 13 describes the
the universe. When Ezekiel
prophet will call fire down from
beast rising out of the sea.
speaks of Persia, Ethiopia, and
heaven to consume the sacrifice
Libya, he’s speaking of the Arab
laid upon the altar, emulating
Islamic nations.
the Prophet Elijah on Mt. Carmel.
John is telling us that he is
The King of the East is China,
These kings who are currently
looking at the nations of the
a military superpower that
jockeying for position throughout
world. John is pulling back the
neither fears nor respects the
the globe will come face-to-face
curtain of time to reveal the
U.S. The Bible’s word for “east”
with the King of kings and Lord
pending apocalypse. This is
simply means “sun rising.” This
of lords in all of His glory. Our
something that was foretold
lets us know that it is describing
God is the Creator of the
over 2,000 years ago and is now
China. This king, as described in
Universe and promised to rule
coming true in our lifetime!
Revelation, will lead a massive
and reign for all eternity! He has
march of an army numbering
all power in heaven and on earth.
The four kings mentioned in
over 200 million soldiers.
He holds the seven seas in the
Revelation are, right now, taking
The King of the East is
palm of His hand and He calls
center stage for the first time in
distinguished by his number,
the stars by name. Who is greater
world history.
color, and flag. The three frogs
than our God? Absolutely no one!
In prophetic terms, “the sea” means the nations of the world.
or three demonic spirits that The King of the North is
seduce him will get them to
As a believer in Jesus, all you
Russia. Although the name
come to the Battle of
need to know is... OUR SAVIOR
Russia doesn’t appear in
Armageddon. Armageddon is
WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY ANY
Scripture, the geographic
the mother of all wars.
ARMY OR ANY KING.
location is given in the Bible to pinpoint accuracy.
Only HE can dictate the future of Jerusalem. And only HE can forgive you of your sin and save you for all eternity. While this is a very real picture of the future of our world, as described throughout the Scripture, those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior are going to be raptured. We live with the confidence that in HIS Kingdom, there shall be no end. Are you ready?
ARE YOU READY?
@milca.hendricks
FOOD FACT Mirepoix is one of the biggest secret that kills the bad smell and adds great flavour to the dish, it works for almost every type of dish. Make sure you use 50 percent carrot, 50 percent celery and 50 percent onion.
Meal: Lamb Chops Lamb is one of the most delicious meat but yet many people find it difficult to cook it because of its smell. I would like to give you a secret on how to properly and deliciously make a prefect lamb meal.
Ingredients Lamb chops 1 big potato 2 baby carrots 1 slice of apple ½ red pepper peas Broccoli 5ml vinegar Mirepoix ½ Onion 1 stick celery 1 carrot
Method Spice the Lamb Make peas puree Make red pepper puree Blanch all vegetables Cook potatoes for few minutes, should remain firm. Fry the lamb to give it a nice color, use garlic and rosemary Put mirepoix and lamb in a oven dish and leave for few minutes . Use the stock to make a sauce by adding 5ml of flour.
CHEF'S SIDE NOTE Remember, What makes a dish special is the look and the taste, so use you creativity when plating .
You are ready to plate Use puree as your basement, then plate as you wish.
contributor
CHEF MILCA
On today’s menu I’ve got a “delicious meal for you.
FORK & KNIFE READY LAMB CHOPS
FEAR YOUR FEAR OF MAN written by: Marshall Segal
If we knew how dangerous the fear of man really is, we might fear men less and fear our fears more. Other sins have beset me in my walk with Christ over the years, but few have so consistently eluded my radar like this one. The fear of man often goes undiagnosed and unaddressed because of its subtlety.
This fear knows how to wrap itself in the robes of love, pretending to count others more significant than itself, while secretly counting on others to fan the flame of its own conceit. The fear of man proudly proof-texts its weakness for people-pleasing: “I try to please everyone in everything I do” (1 Corinthians 10:33).
"IF WE KNEW HOW
DANGEROUS THE
FEAR OF MAN
REALLY IS, WE
MIGHT FEAR MEN
LESS AND FEAR OUR
FEARS MORE."
“WOE TO US IF WE
TREMBLE BEFORE
CRITICISM AND
YAWN BEFORE THE
CROSS.”
But it quietly refuses to finish the sentence: “. . . not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). We often fail to confront, or even recognize, the fear of man, because it so often looks like love, and too many of us love to look loving. But blow away the rose-colored smoke and break through all our favorite mirrors, and we find the fear of man is not the nice friend we thought it was. For all its subtlety, the fear of man is desperate, vicious, even cruel. Pretending to be love, it blinds us to love, even to Love himself. Blinding Glory Perhaps no text exposes the danger of the fear of man like Jesus’s warning to the religious rulers of his day: I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. . . . How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
(John 5:41–42, 44) He was warning a crowd of Jews who were furious because he had healed a man, even though the man had been disabled for nearly forty years. The crowd was so furious, in fact, that they wanted to kill him (John 5:18). While he healed the sick, the possessed, and the blind in droves, his own people could not see just how blind they really were. Why did some fail to recognize and treasure the Son of God? Why did they consistently miss what it means to love our neighbors? What motivated them to eventually murder the Author of life? Jesus says, at the root, they received glory from one another and despised the glory that comes from God. Because they feared man, they could not believe Jesus. They listened to Love, and heard hatred. They looked at Safety, and saw danger. They stood before Joy, and felt misery. They were offered Life, and preferred death. The scariest part about these manfearers, though, is just how immersed they were in Scripture. Jesus laments, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39–40). They searched the Old Testament Scriptures, likely far more than many of us do, and yet the fire of revelation did not burn off the fear of man. They were searching for glory, but not the glory of God. They prove that we can be at home in the Bible and yet still in bed with sin. And few mistresses corrupt and manipulate like the fear of man.
Subtle and Deadly The fear of man is a repeated theme and warning throughout Scripture, but the phrase itself is used only once, in Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” While this is not the only verse about the fear of man, these few words are packed with help for discerning and fighting it. The fear of man lays a snare, which teaches us two important lessons: the sin relies on disguise, and it intends to harm. When King Saul wanted to destroy David, he gave him his daughter Michal as a wife if David would kill a hundred Philistines. Saul said to himself, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him” (1 Samuel 18:21). Saul meant to kill David (1 Samuel 18:25). So, the fearful, self-absorbed king laid a snare (his own daughter!) under a thin veil of love and kindness, not knowing he had already fallen headlong into the greater, more deadly snare: the fear of man. What happens next illustrates the awful harm the fear of man can do to a man. David kills not one hundred, but two hundred Philistines, and claims his bride. “When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually” (1 Samuel 18:28–29). He was even more afraid. As with any other sin, if we feed the fear of man, it will not leave our table. It will eat away at everything — relationships, budgets, schedules, ministries, convictions, and sleep — until we perish or put it to death.
And how do we perish? How does the fear of man ruin a man? Notice, “Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David” (1 Samuel 18:28), and yet he still could not surrender or submit. Instead, he opposed and threatened David continually (1 Samuel 18:29). Because Saul feared man more than God, he set himself against God, and nothing could be more deranged or dangerous than making war with God. Big Enough to Fear That war against God brings us back to our proverb: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” We know that the fear of man is subtle and seeks to harm, but Proverbs 29:25 tells us more than that. It also tells us how to be healed. The only remedy for this tyranny is a deep, abiding, and growing trust in God. We must find our refuge, not in the praise and approval of one another, but in the arms and heart of heaven. And we must fear him more than we fear them. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27) The fears are many and varied that lead to death, but one fear is a deep and overflowing fountain of security, stability, and joy. The fear of the Lord is the only fear that breeds peace, and not just any peace, but a peace that surpasses all of our meager ideas of peace (Philippians 4:7).
If God is small, peripheral, and relatively harmless, the shadows in the eyes of others will haunt us. Their expectations will corner us.
Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:17–19).
Their disappointment will crush us. Their anger will undo us. To be free from the enslaving fear of others, God has to be big — bigger than their expectations, bigger than their disappointments, bigger than their anger, big enough to fear. Let Him Be Your Dread How could fear ever make us feel safe? How does the fear of the Lord conquer our fear of man? The prophet Isaiah begins to explain how: Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary. (Isaiah 8:12–14). Only when God becomes our greatest fear can he become our safest place. Let him be your fear, let him be your dread, honor him alone as holy, and he will become a sanctuary — a refuge from danger, a haven from wrath, a shelter in any storm.
Have no fear of men, but instead, live among men with a holy, trusting, even joyful fear of God. Don’t fall into the same snare that the Jews of Jesus’s day fell into, mistaking the Lamb’s wounds for weakness. Nothing we might fear is as powerful as this blood. No power of hell, nor praise of man, can compare with the staggering, even frightening, splendor of his majesty. Jesus is the dreadful King and Judge who has become a sanctuary — for all who believe and fear. Woe to us if we tremble before criticism and yawn before the cross. Fear More, Fear Less As subtle as the fight against the fear of man may feel, so much hangs in the balance — our ability to see and savor Jesus, our boldness as his witnesses to a hostile world, our willingness to lovingly correct and exhort one another, our freedom to obey the will of heaven, whatever it might cost us on earth. And the fight will be won not mainly by analyzing the thoughts, intentions, and words of others, but by relentlessly exposing ourselves to the fearful wonder of our Father. The first task is not to diminish other people — their desires, opinions, and expectations. Rather, the first task is to elevate God — his power and wisdom, his love and wrath. Let the bigness of God expose and quiet your fear of man, and then free you to love, really love, the people you are prone to fear.
REMINDER
GOD’S PROVISION BEFORE YOUR PROBLEM" SHEPHERD HILL COMMUNITY
I declare over every woman who
I WILL PASS OVER YOU, and the
reads, receives and believes in the
plague shall not be upon you to
Word of God we preach on this
destroy you, when I smite the land
platform; a fulfilled life, and all
of Egypt." Exodus.12:13.
round supernatural provision. Non shall die prematurely in Jesus Christ
"FOR IN HIM WE LIVE, and move, and
name.
have our being....." Acts 17:28.
"And the blood shall be to you for a
GOD will always make provision for
token upon the houses where ye
His children, ahead of any problem.
are: AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD,
Therefore, it is vitally important for a
If the blood of their lamb turned
child of God to know and believe in
off the plague, the blood of JESUS
the adequacy of God's provision. This
can do so much more against any
in fact makes God's children
plague or adversity that you may go
stand out.
through.. .
GOD told the children of Israel to
The Bible says, the blood of JESUS
take a lamb without blemish, one
'speaks better things'(Hebrew.12:24)
lamb for each house (Exodus.12:5, 7)
and not evil things. Therefore, to
and sprinkle the lamb's blood on the
believe in the blood of JESUS is to
door posts and lintels of their
attract 'better things'. Start building
houses. This was God's escape and
your faith in the power of the blood
exemption plan for His people and it
of JESUS; which is pure enough to
worked for them. The plague didn't
give you right standing before GOD
kill one person among the children of
(Hebrew.10:19), powerful enough to
Israel. That's the confidence we have
remove all sins (1John.1:7) and make
as concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
you overcome satan and
You will not die by it in Jesus Christ
his cohorts (Revelation.12:11).
Name.
However, to make the blood of
Sometimes we focus more on
JESUS work for you, you must be a
problems than the provision God has
child of GOD (St.John.1:12). Just like
made ahead of our problems. In the
the blood protected only those who
month of August, one of our sisters
were 'in the house' of the children
called for prayers because she was
of Israel, so will the blood of JESUS
owing 4 months arrears on the car
protect the children of God.
installments because her business
have been affected by the lock down.
We prayed declaring that God made
Sometimes, it may be tough outside,
provision for the car to be paid for
but there's triumph for you inside.
before it was bought. In less than a
Nothing is safe in the house where
week a friend of hers who knew about
the blood of JESUS is not the
the situation spoke to someone who
covering.
was willing to write off the R16,000…
As the blood of JESUS brought you
Don't have more fear for the problem
close to GOD according to
than faith in God's provision. Let the
Ephesians.2:13, so shall the blood
thought of the blood of JESUS fill your
bring the blessings of GOD close to
consciousness because nothing is of
you in Jesus mighty name.
any value in our lives than the blood
of JESUS that redeemed us. . GOD told the children of Israel to use the blood of a lamb, but today, our protection is in the blood of JESUS. While their lamb was 'without blemish', JESUS was 'the Lamb without blemish and without spot'(1Peter.1:19).
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@beautyandthegospel
“ AS A PARENT, THE LOVE YOU GIVE YOUR CHILD TRANSCENDS YOUR INNATE DESIRE FOR PERFECTION. ” Bolanle Enang – The Family Life Enthusiast I'M A LOVING NOT PERFECT PARENT For a couple of years, I have longingly looked at perfect parents! Perfect in the way they parent their children and run their homes. I have looked at some older women and thought to myself, one day, I hope to measure to up to their perfection. Wellarranged and decorated homes, not that mine is not liveable, but somewhere in my mind, I just feel like I do not measure up. Measure up to whose standards? That question gnaws in my heart but again, I ignore it as my imperfection stares me in the face. What wellbehaved boys in this day where not many role model boys are out there. Deep sigh because I feel as if I may not be doing a sterling job of raising a perfect gentleman. Ah! Perfect again. This word seems to be tailing and following me as I course through life. Who am I anyway? I am just another woman trying to look the part in every area of my life. An ordinary woman called to do extraordinary things. From head to toe, I wake up and think I have to have it all together: perfect! You got it. Until, one day, I realised that love transcends perfection. Love is better than perfect. Who needs the perfect parent when there is a loving parent? The penny dropped: Faith, hope and love abide and the greatest of this is love. Love? Did you say, love? Is that not that fuzzy word used loosely by people who want to take away from me?
BOLANLE ENANG | FamilyLife Enthusiast| Author| Convener of Signature family building workshops -The Table & Parent Talks| Accredited Facilitator: Evergreen Parenting| Family Wellness Consultant
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I have had a tough time with loving, you may say. I choose perfection over love. Hang on though, what did Apostle Paul mean in his first letter to the Corinthians? Love is the greatest? So as a parent, should I not be chasing after perfection in my parenting, career and family life?
"People always remember how you make them feel not just what you do or say to them."
Love is a decision to see the best, give my best to another person. Love chooses the best route for others. Remember, Jesus Christ gave us the golden rule: “Do unto others as you want them to do to you” As a parent, the love you give your child transcends your innate desire for perfection.
In this imperfect world, your love perfects your world. Choose to be perfect in love! Christ’s love is the perfect love. As you receive His love, He enables you give it to your world. Love is the perfection that Christ gives us and allows us to give to the world.
Courtsey: My 5 year old daughter and this makes it all worth it anyday!
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@MARLYN ROJAS Ordained Minister, founder of Radiant Woman International, cofounder of Sisters International, CEO of Inner Radiance Designs and Author of DISTORTED.
Now, stop and think of the many gifts and talents He has deposited over your life, out of His kindness, His love for us, out of His demonstration of His love as a Good Father that wants to bless His children.
“DON’T YOU EVER TAKE HIS GLORY” As I love to say: I will be short, brief, concise, precise, and to the point. I will also try to keep it simple. Do you ever think of God’s emotions? Or are your emotions all you think about? God is Love. He Gives Love. He Loves unconditionally. His love looks past our iniquities. His Love reached us. Yet, I do not believe, that we stop and consider His emotions as often as we should. Love is a decision, accompanied by emotions, and demonstrated by actions. God chose to love on us and pour out His emotions and demonstrates it with His undeserving Grace.
In the book of James 1: 17 (NKJV) reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights…” Yet many live acting as if they deposited the talents within themselves. As if they are their own provider. As if there is no credit to give in each circumstance. God Gives us and blesses us, but in the same manner He can take it away. I’ve heard of many testimonies were people had a talent or a provision and they squandered it away by their choices. Under such circumstances God can no longer operate because the legal right to operate within that TALENT or PROVISION was taken away from Him. How? You may ask. Our rebelliousness (allowing our fleshly desire to control us instead of submitting to the Creator, to His authority), moreover, living as if our life is our own! When we are not giving credit where credit is due, or GLORY where GLORY is deserved it allows the enemy to have an open door into our lives, our hearts. The enemy will continue to try to infiltrate our minds to act under the work of the flesh of pride.
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"When we are not giving credit where credit is due, or GLORY where GLORY is deserved it allows the enemy to have an open door into our lives, our hearts. "
Now, stop and think of the many gifts and talents He has deposited over your life, out of His kindness, His love for us, out of His demonstration of His love as a Good Father that wants to bless His children. And we all know that’s going to be something prosperous per Jeremiah 29:11. Also lets keep in mind what Matthew 23:12 says: “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.
Know that you don’t want to put yourself in the predicament of seeking your own shame by being humbled by the Creator, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS LOVE FOR YOU. Even then, He allows it for our good and the lessons that will prepare us for our purpose and future in Him. If everyone worked individually on building that true relationship with the Father, to grow to be IN LOVE with the Father, then we would always want to give Him the deserving GLORY that HE deserves! Everything that you have, that you do, and everything that you are YOU OWE IT TO HIM!
WITH LOVE HONORED TO SERVE, MARLYN ROJAS, BY GRACE ORDAINED MINISTER AT THESSALONICA CHURCH, UNDER THE SPIRITUAL COVERING, OF REV. DAVID SERRANO.
IT WAS THE HAND
OF GOD Our God is bigger than Covid 19! We are the Moagi family residing in Vosloorus, South Africa. We are a family of five which comprises of my mom, who is 83 years old, my husband, my son, my daughter and I. By the grace of Yeshua we’d love to share our story to glorify God and to give hope to His people in this hopeless situation. We all tested positive for Covid-19 in June. It all started on Thursday the 4th. I was preparing myself to go to work. Thereafter I asked my husband to open the garage and gate for me using the remote control. I started the car and waited for him to open for me. This was not happening, and I observed by the door going to the garage I saw his hand on the chest freezer that is in there.
WRITTEN BY: MRS MOAGI
I called him and there was no response and I found out that he was unconscious. I ran to him while calling my mom and daughter. My husband has heart problems and cholesterol so I started panicking. We tried talking to him but he wasn’t responding. We called an ambulance and by the grace of God they responded quickly. When they arrived they also tried to resuscitate him. They took him to the hospital, and we couldn’t see him for 4 hours. Anxiety started taking control. I kept on praying and trusting God for His mercy because I didn’t know what was going on inside that ward as no one was giving us feedback. After a longtime, we asked for the doctor to be called to come and explain to us what is really going on.
He gave us hope that he won’t admit him. He was taken to a cardiologist for some tests and they also did the Covid-19 test which came out positive. This was a big shock and we were all worried more for my mom who has semi stroke and is taking medication for blood pressure and is diabetic. We all went to test for Covid-19, and we all tested positive. It was a very hectic situation for us. I’m very grateful that our able God took control. We surrendered all unto His capable hands. We all quarantined, and God took charge. It was not easy especially for me as a mother. God gave me the strength to take care of everybody in the house. I would sleep anywhere in the house just to be near whoever was in need at the time. I became the nurse by making sure that everybody took their medication. It was very stressful and the devil would play his evil tricks on my mind.
I told my sleepless mom one night that we’ve been depositing in God, it was now time to go and claim our healing from Jehovah Rapha. We prayed as a family, pumping ourselves with His Word and left the rest to Him. Our friends, colleagues and families supported us by prayer and messages of encouragement. We eventually retested and it was not detected, we are all negative. We are healed in the Mighty name of Jesus. He promised never to leave nor forsake us.
“WE GIVE GLORY TO HIS POWERFUL NAME, THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME. OUR GOD IS ABLE. GLORY TO JESUS!!!" N.B. We recently decided to go away as a family. We went hiking just to appreciate what God did for us. We just wanted to be away from town. What a connection we had with nature after conquering Covid 19 by the grace of God. This pandemic really brought us together as a family. Another amazing story is that this year has been a year of plenty despite the pandemic. My daughter resigned from work because she wanted to go to China. Unfortunately, lockdown happened. As a family we were sharing how awesome God is. She had been applying for a job and He blessed her with an online teaching from home job. Our God is able. He’s above all. We have all the reasons to say a big THANKS to the Highest God.
HEALTH & FITNESS change is possible
TODAY
WRITTEN BY: TSHEGO MOLEKOA
BACK TO BASICS How often do most of us, seem to lose focus when it seems as though life is happening around us. We can easily set a goal, but when things begin to happen we lose heart and give up on that goal. This is probably what happens to most of us during the beginning of the year when we have determined what our new year’s resolutions are.
We jot them down in our diaries and determine that these are the things we will achieve within the year.
things happen that seem out of our control and we spiral back to right where we started.
We are completely inspired and hyped up because of the New Year, which present us with an opportunity to find the new “us”- the better, improved and upgraded version. Then before we know it within the next two months-
If we can still use the concept of comparing health to salvation – whenever life provides difficult circumstances, when we lose those close to our hearts, when we face difficulties, do we renounce our faith or salvation and turn our hearts stance away from our Lord.
Or do we look on ahead, lift up our chins in order for our eyes to behold our Savior who strengthens us. Do we do as David did in Psalms 121:1-2; “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Recently I believe I had found myself in that very situation. After four years of being on my weight loss journey the Lord blessed us with a lovely, healthy baby girl who has been nothing but a blessing to our family. However pregnancy unfortunately for me came with a lot of weight gain (almost 80% of the weight I had worked so hard to lose).
THE HEALTH & FITNESS SECTION
To say I was disappointed with that weight gain would be an understatement. I felt so overwhelmed to a point of nearly giving up on losing the weight again and settling for an unhealthier version of myself. Praise God for Holy Spirit who kept prompting me to ask two questions. 1. Why did you start the Journey? 2. Who inspired you to start the journey? I recently heard the Lord say these words softly to me – Go back to basics!
Remember that first love you had when you had surrendered your life to the Lord. When you had so much zeal for the things of the kingdom, before all the disappointments that caused you to disappoint yourself. What did you do in the beginning that kept you so in love and on fire? That is exactly what I pondered on in order to ensure that I can still achieve my weight loss goals. And for me simplified these where the things I needed to get back on; Watch what you eat Drink plenty of water Be active (walk/exercise) Pray and Trust the Lord for strength and resilience
@beautyandthegospel
The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:12 – 14 12 Not that I have already obtained all this (righteousness through faith in Christ), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul had determined that even amidst the challenges or trying times as he journeyed as a servant of the Most High he would keep pressing on towards achieving that which has been set up for Him from the Lord. Forgetting what is behind is important if our focus is towards the goal ahead.
THE HEALTH & FITNESS SECTION
The journey towards achieving a goal (in this instance health) will be presented with many challenges and difficulties. You might get a few setbacks, but overall it should push you towards really evaluating your stance on matters, for me an example would be my relationship with food. A journey towards being healthy is not a once of thing but a lifestyle change and mindset shift. It’s about not counting your mistakes, but learning from them and pressing on forward towards the set goal. It may come at a high cost but it is definitely attainable because God empowers us along the way. Trust in Him, Trust Process and Keep your eyes focused on Him who is the Author and Finisher of your Faith.
I personally am at it again! Looking towards Him! Pressing on towards the goal! Starting again from the beginning. Back to the basics! The Lord is Faithful to bring us to completion and to a point of achieving our Goal. Remember Change is Possible Today, Start again today and don’t give up!
CHANGE AND HEALTH ENTHUSIAST oa Tshegofatso Molek
@beautyandthegospel
HEALTH TIP #2
''A journey towards being healthy is not a once of thing but a lifestyle change and mindset shift. It’s about not counting your mistakes, but learning from them and pressing on forward towards the set goal. ''
H E A V E N
I S
F O R
R E A L
REVIEW BY: CRYSTELDA NAIDOO
“If heaven is for real, wouldn’t we all live our lives differently?” The poignant thought that Todd Burpo poses immediately made me catch my breath, how would every person in the world behave if they had the guarantee that heaven is real, if they had seen it with their own eyes and glimpsed eternity? Based on a true story, Heaven is for Real tells the story of 4-yearold Colton Burpo’s near death experience. The Burpo’s are a wholesome family lead by patriarch Pastor Todd Burpo. The family faces a few trials as their story develops, you’re really left wondering two things; “Did I read the correct synopsis because this is not how I thought the story would go” and “How does a pastor stand by their son when he claims to have been to heaven?” The movie is based on the book by Todd Burpo depicting his son’s -
descriptions of heaven and the things it holds after a near death experience. Todd doesn’t particularly believe Colton’s tales until he starts describing things he simply wouldn’t know about their family. We’re following three very different faith journeys in Heaven is for Real; Todd and his struggle to believe all that is happening, his wife Sonja and her need to keep the family grounded and “normal” and Colton as his faith solidifies with his experience. We watch Todd struggle with accepting what his son says, visiting outside sources for opinions in contrast with Sonja’s struggle to keep the family together and moving forward focusing “on this life and not the afterlife”. If you are in a place right now where you’re questioning your faith, or facing grief and loss and wondering if heaven is real, then I would suggest watching this movie.
There’s a particular scene in the movie that depicts how clearly we are not only loved by God, but also how Jesus holds our hand through every stage in life (you’ll know it when you see it). Like Colton says, “we don’t need to be afraid”. These profound words of 4-year-old leave me with a strong sense of conviction about how I live my own life. We live in a world dictated by logic and the false sense of control. The truth is we can’t control everything, and that can make life scary. But we don’t have to be afraid for we know the ONE who holds the universe. On a scale of 1-5, this is a 3.8star movie. Released in 2014, there are a few notable actors that you’ll recognise and this movie is scattered with hearttugging scenes that will leave you emotional and whispering a prayer, but also incredibly personal camera shots that are beautifully placed. I am quite late to watching this, so it wouldn’t be fair to judge Heaven is for Real against more recent faith-based movies. If you haven’t seen this yet, I would recommend you do it at least once in your lifetime. Then watch a few interviews with the Burpo’s and see how the family has faired. Remember, this is a retelling based on a real boy’s experience. Keep an open mind and an open heart and listen for what the God whisper may reveal to you.
@selahblogger
WAIT “…And being assembled together with them,
God simply placed a Baby in the womb of a
He commanded them not to depart from
humble virgin and then He waited.
Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father…” Acts 1:4
If waiting is part of God’s nature then it should be part of ours. However, God has
When God orchestrated the redemption of
perfected the act of waiting—we have not. To
mankind, He went about it in a remarkable
wait is to stay in a place until an expected
way. He did not release lightning bolts from
event happens or until someone arrives. It is
the heavens, shake the ground with
to stand still until it is our turn to do
earthquakes nor did He assign a committee
something. The act of waiting is to patiently
of angels to strategize the plan of salvation.
remain in hope that something will happen soon.
| BEAUTY & THE GOSPEL
September 2020
God’s children seldom stay where they are
speakers, inspiring books and new
planted and we often and impatiently act out
methodologies will produce God’s power—
of turn—thereby missing the opportunity to
and even though they advance Kingdom
receive God’s best for our lives.
business—the only thing that yields God’s transforming power is His Word.
King David understood the spiritual significance of waiting when he declared,
The Word of God produces the power to
“My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my
forgive, to redeem, to deliver, to restore, to
expectation is from Him.” Psalm 62:5.
transform, to protect, to heal, and to produce everlasting life. Remember this
The first part of David’s statement is an
truth: God is the Word and God is power,
exhortation, and the second, anticipation.
therefore God’s Word is power! When we
David was first speaking to himself—he was
wait on God, we are waiting on His powerful
addressing his inner being. It is here that all
Word to achieve that which He intended it to
sermons should begin for if we can influence
achieve—it will not fail us—it never has and
our own soul by the words we say, then we
never will!
can anticipate having some influence in the lives of others.
David further declares that his expectation is in God. No matter our need—our source is
David is saying that we must make God the
the Lord. We must acknowledge that all we
height of our desires and the object of our
possess and expect to possess is from the
actions. Those who only exist to create
Father above. Our health, our livelihoods,
successful careers, or to gain prominence in
our families, our dreams and aspirations and
social circles, or who live to please others will
most importantly our eternal salvation is all
eventually be disappointed. To truly satisfy
provided by our kind and merciful God. Our
our souls we must make our relationship
hope should be in Him and Him alone!
with God our one objective in life, stand back, and wait for everything else to fall into
Paul spoke of this supernatural hope in
place. When we put Christ first then we will
Romans 8:24-25. “For in hope we have been
serve Him in love and live only to please Him.
saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for
When Christ is first then we will long to
who hopes for what he already sees? But if we
advance the purpose of His Kingdom by
hope for what we do not see, with perseverance
eagerly telling the story of His Gospel.
we wait eagerly for it.” God’s children are saved by hope. Those of
David is urging his soul to depend on God
us that deal with God must do so in pure
and to trust Him only. Our faith should rest
trust and hope.
on nothing but the promise of His Word. We live in a world filled with trials and One of the greatest weaknesses in the
tribulations and yet God’s Word beseeches
church today is that we do not believe that
us to wait for the promise of the Father—no
God invests His power in His Word. We have
matter how dark our path. It is said that
confidence that special programs, guest -
hope is “…like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be -
| BEAUTY & THE GOSPEL
September 2020
discovered in the night of adversity.”
We are to work while we wait. Believers
We are directed to “count it all joy” when we
should make every day count for the Lord by
face trouble for it brings us closer to our
making Him first and doing what He
Savior.
commands.
Those who do not hope cannot wait. When
Those that wait on the Lord in hope will
our agenda overrides God’s perfect timeline
discover security and refreshing newness in
for our lives we begin to justify our actions
their relationship with God. Those that wait
no matter how much they neglect God’s will.
with a grateful heart will renew their strength
Once we disobey God’s mandates, we have
and not be disappointed.
personally dethroned Him and made ourselves the sole authority of what is right
Jesus told His disciples to wait until the
and wrong.
appointed time for the Promise of the Father. They were to wait in the appointed place,
God’s will, which is defined in His Word,
which was Jerusalem. It was in Jerusalem that
never changes—it is enduring and eternally
the Holy Spirit would first be poured out. It
the same, for all—rich or poor, powerful or
was in Jerusalem where the Word of the Lord
meek. When we obey God’s mandates and
would go forth and it is in Jerusalem where
have faith in the power of His Word, we will
Christ will soon return and reign.
see the fulfillment of its promises. We cannot forget that the grace of God first Faith respects the promise and waiting
appeared in the form of a baby who
anticipates its manifestation. Faith is the
eventually brought salvation to all mankind.
mother of hope—it is what defines a
And while we wait on our Redeemer’s return
Christian (1 Corinthians 13:13). Waiting—
we are to “live sensibly, righteously and godly
even though agonizing at times, benefits us.
in the present age, looking for the blessed
It tests our faith, exercises our patience,
hope and the appearing of the glory of our
teaches us submission and helps us to
great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” Titus
believe in the blessings to come. King David
2:12-13
trusted God and believed in the power of hope, “My soul waits in silence for God only;
And while we patiently wait for the Promise
From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock
of the Father, which will come at an
and my salvation, My stronghold…” Psalm 62:1-
appointed time and place; we must never
2.
forget how He graciously waited for us.
To “wait on the promises of the Father” does not mean that we are to sit back with folded hands and stare into the starry sky waiting for our prayers to be answered or better still, waiting for His imminent return.
| BEAUTY & THE GOSPEL
September 2020
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Rebuilding the Walls “If it concerns Jesus it should concern us, if it breaks His heart, it should break ours.”
To me some of the most fascinating chapters found in the Word of God are found in Nehemiah chapters 1-7. In Duet 12:5 Moses told the Israelite's to “seek the place where the Lord you God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place.”Later, it was revealed that this place was Jerusalem.
PROPHET GEZANI Overseer @ Ebenezer Fellowship Center, Soweto , South Africa, husband, father and entrepreneur.
When Solomon built the temple, Jerusalem was at the height of its glory. Its fame was known, and God’s name was spread throughout the nations. However, God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed because the Israelites were unfaithful to God. Now Jerusalem laid in ruins. The once thriving city was in shambles. The walls of the city were torn down. Nehemiah was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes, the powerful King of Persia. The cupbearer was one of the most important assignments in the ancient world. Nehemiah was devastated when he heard the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and burned. He wept and mourned for Jerusalem. Something happened inside of him, he knew something had to be done. He knew that it was not God’s ultimate plan that Jerusalem be in ruins. He got permission from Araxerxes to rebuild the walls of the devastated city. It was no small task. Nehemiah could not have done this himself and he didn’t attempt to. He rallied people from all walks of life and led them in accomplishing something great. The wall was divided into sections and everyone took responsibility to fix the torn down wall. @beautyandthegospel
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There was opposition and obstacles along the way as there always are. Like every good story there were bad guys. Their names were Sanballat and Tobiah. They plotted to stop the work, but Nehemiah reminded the workers do not be afraid, remember the Lord. They didn’t quit because of opposition the Bible says they worked with one hand and held a weapon in one hand. In time all of Jerusalem was restored. What a great, great story! Let’s examine this a little closer. There are some principles I want us to bring out of this story: 1. There will always be broken down walls that need to be rebuilt. I think if we look around us, we can see broken walls. Lives that are broken, with no hope for a better future. Lives broken by the effects of sin. Many are broken because they have been hurt by those from who they are supposed to receive love from. Hurt by parents, friends, and spouses who deserted them. Broken because of past failures. Broken because they failed to live up to the expectations of others.
♤ Churches are broken.
♤ Some churches are broken because
they refuse to change and have become satisfied with the way things are.
♤ Our country and government are
broken. 1. They have gotten away from in God we trust. Our government and government leaders have become more and more corrupt. Decisions are made on popular opinion, rather than the Biblical Principles we are founded upon. How are we affected by the broken walls and do we care about the broken and devastated lives around us? People who are deceived by the enemy and believe a lie. Those who don’t know what it is like to be set free from pain, addictions, heartache, un-forgiveness, sin and many other areas of brokenness. YESHUA came to make them free indeed, He gave His life for them as He cares about everything, they face…but do we?
●
Prophet Geoffrey Gezani
1. No longer does the whole truth of the Word of God control churches.
@beautyandthegospel
monthly devotions
karabo.lekwape
IS YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER? When Jesus was continuously knocking on the door, to come in and dine with you – it was simply your heart just like when you do a prayer of salvation you say “Jesus come into my heart”.
Isaiah 38 ~ NIV “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
Now do some self-introspection and check whether your house is in order or not, if it is bearing good fruits or not. If not, ask God to put it in order.
Prayer: Father Lord, I come before you at this time and moment. I pray that may you create in me a new clean heart. May you purify it and make it whole
Beloved this is the time we put our house in order. I believe the house that Prophet Isaiah was referring to was simply the heart. If the heart is not in order, then you will die. You may die spiritually and not physically because
just the way you want it to be. May it be open to receiving everything consisting of you and nothing of the world because in you I find my being, and I am made whole. In Jesus Name, Amen.
remember God looks at the heart, and it is also written that from the heart flows the issues of life. Sometimes things do not work out because of how our hearts are. I believe that guarding your heart is like simply sowing seeds because the outcome of the state of your heart is simply the fruits that you will bear in life.
saved by grace,
Karab0
FEATURED
FAITHFULNESS IN FORGOTTEN PLACES
Small Obedience Matters to God
by: Scott Hubbard
When the Holy Spirit cultivates his fruit in our lives, he often works in ways we would never pray for (Galatians 5:22–23). To grow the fruit of love in us, he may give us an enemy; to grow the fruit of peace, he may allow conflict to come near. And to grow the fruit of faithfulness, he may send us to forgotten places.
Forgotten places are those corners of the world where no one seems to be watching, where our efforts go unseen, unthanked. Perhaps we labor among diapers and dishes, cubicles and emails. Or maybe, more painfully, among unfruitful mission fields, rebellious children, or spouses whose love has cooled.
All of us live in forgotten places sometimes; some live there all the time. Drudgery as a Disciple We should beware of underestimating the spiritual strain of such monotonous and seemingly unrewarded toil.
FEATURED
The daily duties in forgotten places may be small, but pile them up over months, years, or decades, and you may start to sympathize with Oswald Chambers when he writes, We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. Chambers may overstate his case — but not by much. In truth, the forgotten places can feel like a wilderness, and many days come when we find ourselves searching for something to keep us going, some water from the rock to sustain us in this desert (Psalm 105:41). We will find it, not in the forgotten places themselves, but in the God who sent us here, who is with us here, and who promises to reward us here. God’s Providence At times, we may stare at the responsibilities in front of us and wonder how we landed here. How did we wander into this wilderness of drab days and hidden obedience? We have become familiar with the backward glance, wondering if we missed a turn somewhere. How clarifying, then, to remember that our life situation is not ultimately a matter of chance, nor of any mistakes we have made, nor even of the string of events leading up to the present, but of God’s providence. The tasks in front of us are, at least for today, God’s assignment to us.
To be sure, God’s providence does not nullify the decisions — and perhaps the mistakes or sins — that led us to this station in life, nor does it discourage us from striving after better circumstances: we are more than twigs in the stream of God’s purposes. But God’s providence does teach us to see, as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, that “leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.” No matter how we got here, the forgotten places are ultimately from our Father’s hand. Over and again, God describes our own plans and efforts as significant, but his as decisive — even over the most personal matters of life. He determines when and where we live (Acts 17:26). He assigns to us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). He apportions spiritual gifts as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). He entrusts to us a number of talents — whether five, two, or just one (Matthew 25:15). He gives us a specific ministry (Colossians 4:17). He even calls us to a particular life (1 Corinthians 7:17). In time, this forgotten place may give way to somewhere different — and depending on the circumstances, we may be wise to seek that change. But for now, we can look at the responsibilities in front of us and say with relief, “My Father’s hand has led me here.” God’s Pleasure God not only sends us to the forgotten places, however; he also meets us there.
When we labor in obscurity, he is near (Psalm 139:5). When our work escapes the notice of every human eye, it does not escape his (Luke 12:7). He catches every whispered prayer, every Godward groan. He stands ready at every moment to mark the smallest tasks we perform in faith. The wise man tells us why: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22). God delights not mainly in the greatness of the work, but in the faithfulness of the worker. What else could explain the New Testament’s insistence that even the lowest, most invisible members of society are “serving the Lord Christ” when they walk faithfully in their callings (Colossians 3:24)? The smallest duties done in faith become duties done for Christ. The missionary Hudson Taylor was fond of saying, “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a great thing.” Cooking a meal, filling a spreadsheet, buying groceries, wiping a child’s nose — these are little things. But if done faithfully for Christ’s sake, they become greater than all the triumphs and trophies of an unbelieving world. They become the delight of our watching Lord. God’s Promise Once we have traced God’s providence in the past and felt his pleasure in the present, he would have us consider the future, when all our obedience will be rewarded.
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When many Christians imagine judgment day, we assume the spotlight will fall on the grand acts of sin and righteousness. And surely it will — but not only. Remarkably, when Jesus and the apostles speak of that day, they often focus on life’s ordinary moments.
Again, Chambers may slightly overstate his case. God sometimes does call us to do exceptional things for him: to adopt children, to launch ministries, to plant churches, to move overseas. But the point still holds, because none of us will do anything exceptional unless we have first learned, through ten thousand steps of faithfulness, to be exceptional in the ordinary.
“On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” Jesus tells us (Matthew 12:36). On the other hand, God will reward his people for the smallest good works they do by his grace: for giving to the needy (Matthew 6:4), for praying in the closet (Matthew 6:6), for fasting in secret (Matthew 6:18), even for giving a cup of cold water to one of Christ’s disciples (Matthew 10:42).
We are not on our own here. Faithfulness, remember, is a fruit of the Spirit. And to bear that fruit in us, he would have us treasure up the providence, the pleasure, and the promises of God that hem us in behind and before, and follow us into every forgotten place.
The apostle Paul similarly writes that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). But then in Ephesians he clarifies the kind of good he has in mind: not just extravagant good, impressive good, or above-average good, but “whatever good” (Ephesians 6:8). Come judgment day, every scrap of unseen obedience will find its fitting reward. Living and dying in forgotten places, then, is no infallible index of our labor in God’s eyes. Many saints, in fact, will not know the true worth of what they’ve done for Christ until Christ himself tells them (Matthew 25:37–40). Exceptional in the Ordinary Chambers, after remarking on the grace required to endure drudgery as a disciple, goes on to write, “It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.”
MENTAL HEALTH
WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH WRITTEN BY : THENDO NETSHIVHUNGULULU
August is women’s month in South Africa
As women we wear many hats, there are
and it is always such an amazing month of
multiple roles we have to fulfil – and if you
women empowering other women, older
are anything like me you are always trying to
women teaching younger girls and just a
fulfil each role to the best of your ability. We
celebratory attitude towards all women in
are mothers: nurturing daily, guiding our
general. However, with all the empowering
children during dark times, always listening
and boss woman energy in the air I cannot
attentively and ensuring our children leave
help but stop and think of women that may
the house with their pants on.
be feeling dismayed.
We are daughters: bringing joy, making our
Having insight on these reasons can assist
parents proud while honouring them in
women in feeling empowered and
everything that we do. And we are sisters:
becoming intentional about taking better
standing in the gap, always ready to listen,
care of their mental wellbeing. Research
and shoulders broad enough to bare any
suggests that women are about 40% more
weight that may be put on us. We are all
likely than men to experience anxiety, and
these things, and more, wrapped
women are twice as likely to develop PTSD
delicately into one beautiful being, woman!
after a traumatic event has occurred. The reasons for the significant gender
The Bible is filled with examples of how
differences with mental health are vast,
much God values and has a heart for
however, mental health professionals
women, He speaks so highly of us. You don’t
theorise it may be due to some of the
have to look far to find examples of
following factors:
spectacular and awe-inspiring women. There is Sarah who believed that all things
Discrimination, Trauma and Stressful life
are possible in God’s perfect timing and
experiences: trauma is unfortunately more
season, she fully understood that her age
common among women. One in four
would never serve as a limiting factor for
women have faced an attempted or
God. Rebekah who never forgot that true
completed sexual assault and one in three
beauty lies within. Ruth who remained loyal
women report being abused by a domestic
in all her relationships and never giving up
partner. Trauma is a risk factor for the
when the going got tough. And Esther who
development of a host of mental illnesses
teaches us boldness and courage, she stood
and gender discrimination as well as the
firmly in her truth and was always ready to
mistreatment of women directly
fight for the good of others. We can learn
undermines women’s overall mental health.
countless lessons from the women in the
Hormonal issues:
Bible and the more intimate time we spend
some research suggests that hormonal
in God’s word the more we realize that God
differences between men and women
has crowned women with every good thing.
directly impact mental wellbeing. Women tend to produce lower levels of serotonin
But sometimes the crown slips off our
than men. Serotonin is known as the ‘happy
heads. At times we become so focused on
hormone’ and a deficiency in its production
fulfilling our roles and pouring into the next
has an implication on the development of
person that we forget to replenish ourselves.
mental illnesses such as depression and
Mental health related challenges are very
anxiety.
common among women; we deal with these
Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting: the
on a regular basis. There are various reasons
pre and post-natal process is a beautiful one.
why women are more likely to struggle with
Women are blessed with the privilege of
mental illness.
bringing life into this world.
However, the physiological changes that women face during pregnancy and childbirth truly cannot be overstated. As many as 41% of women suffer from some form of postpartum depression. In addition, some women feel overwhelmed by the demands of parenting, particularly in the early days. Research shows that women who have unsupportive partners, traumatic births, live in poverty, or face high levels of stress are more likely to develop postpartum depression. As mentioned before there are multiple reasons that women may struggle more with mental illness than men however we can take comfort in the fact that God cares about every aspect of our existence, including our mental wellbeing. He made provision on the cross for that as well.
About Thendo Netshivhungululu Thendo Netshivhungululu resides in Pretoria, South Africa. She holds a B.Psych (Hon) in psychology from Midrand Graduate Institute. She completed her internship in Clinical Psychology at The Wits Curcuit and is completing her masters through Medunsa.
FEATURED
GOD CHOSE THIS HOME FOR YOU! WRITTEN BY: MARSHALL SEGAL Your address is not a coincidence. Where you live — house, town home, duplex, apartment, or dorm — is not ultimately a consequence of your budget, your stage of life, or your commute. You live where you live because God has deliberately, sovereignly placed you here. The long series of events, decisions, and circumstances that led you here really did lead you here. He brought you home one detail at a time. The God who made the world, and everything in it, as Paul preached at Mars Hill, “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26–27).
FEATURED
God not only knit you together in
1. May we build our home on Christ
your mother’s womb; he also
and nothing less.
sovereignly orchestrated all the
Of all the things that might show up
places you would call home — the
on an inspection report, foundation
periods and boundaries of your
issues are the worst. If you decide to
“dwelling place.” You do not have a
buy a house with a bad foundation,
home by accident. Your home is an
you’re signing up to suffer a host of
invitation from God to seek God, and
serious problems throughout your
a commission from God to help
home, or you’re signing up to pay
others seek God.
tens of thousands of dollars to have the foundation fixed. Most buyers
Five Dreams for Our Home
simply walk away from a bad
Our family’s address changed in the
foundation, and for good reason.
last few weeks. We only moved three
If Christians are ever going to
short miles away, but we have felt the
maintain and steward a home in a
weight of leaving our last (and first)
meaningful way, we must build our
home behind. And we have felt the
house on Christ. Regardless of
joy of making this new house our
whether we own or rent, whether we
home (even with the joys of painting
have lived here for 25 years or a few
and moving wearing off more
days, we have the opportunity to
quickly).
rebuild the foundation under our spiritual feet.
The move has given us a fresh opportunity to think and dream and
Jesus tells the parable,
pray about having a home. Why do
“Everyone then who hears these words
we have a home? What do we want to
of mine and does them will be like a
happen inside these walls? What will
wise man who built his house on the
the legacy be of our years here,
rock. And the rain fell, and the floods
however many years we end up living
came, and the winds blew and beat on
here? As a family who believes in
that house, but it did not fall, because
Jesus, obeys Jesus, and loves Jesus
it had been founded on the rock. And
above all else, how do we make the
everyone who hears these words of
most of this home?
mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on
The questions are all too big for us
the sand. And the rain fell, and the
on our own, so we take them to God
floods came, and the winds blew and
and let him speak. The verses below
beat against that house, and it fell, and
are shaping how our family intends to
great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24–
steward our home, and inspiring us
27)
to make it an outpost for ministry, rather than a retreat from our
If you’ve been living on sand, start
mission.
pouring God’s word into the foundation underneath you and your family.
FEATURED
As strong and secure as most modern
hundredfold now in this time, houses
homes may seem, many of them are
and brothers and sisters and mothers
quietly crumbling from the inside out
and children and lands, with
because we’ve neglected the words of
persecutions, and in the age to come
and about Jesus in Scripture. We
eternal life.” (Mark 10:29–30.
subtly (or overtly) build homes on comfort, privacy, entertainment, and
We may lose a house because of
safety, without making room for God
Christ, but we will never be losers in
himself to speak. Then when the rains
the process. However much we lose
of various trials fall, or the floods of
for his sake in this life, we receive a
crises come, or the winds of life beat
hundredfold now because of him —
against us, the once strong house
and infinitely more in eternity. For all
suddenly falls apart.
those thousands upon thousands of years, having lost a house in this life
Build your home, instead, on the
will suddenly look and feel like having
Rock. Allow his voice to be the regular
lost a favorite pen or pencil. So,
stabilizing, guiding, shaping,
enjoy this home, but hold it loosely.
correcting, and comforting foundation under your lives.
3. May we make our home a home for others.
2. May we hold this home loosely.
When God gives us a home, he wants
Even hours into living in our new
to care for our immediate family, but
home, the temptation emerges to
he also has other people in mind. The
idolize the familiarity, comfort, and
New Testament makes clear that God
security a home brings. We are
wants every Christian home —
walking into our second home with
whether we are single, married, or
eyes wide open to the reality that
parents — to be a home for people
God may take away this home a year
outside our home. Sometimes
from now, or he may call us away
literally and physically, often more
from this home at any time for the
spiritually and emotionally.
sake of his kingdom. Paul charges every home owner (or Just as he has graciously and lovingly
renter), “Contribute to the needs of
given, he may graciously and lovingly
the saints and seek to show
take away (Job 1:21). We bless his
hospitality” (Romans 12:13). Hebrews
name today, and we resolve to bless
adds, “Do not neglect to show
him if and when a harder day comes.
hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2). Show hospitality. Meaning,
Jesus says some of us will lose houses
wherever you call home, bring people
because we decided to follow him,
home with you — and use your home
“Truly, I say to you, there is no one
to serve the needs of others.
who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children
And do the harder, even impossible
or lands, for my sake and for the
work of showing hospitality without
gospel, who will not receive a -
grumbling (1 Peter 4:9) —
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For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:46–50). He also tells us to honor our parents and to provide for our biological families, but with a special burden for those who love and obey him with us. You not only live in a home, or own a home; you are being made, with lots of other believers, into a home: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Let your home be a catalyst for without complaining about cleaning the home, or making extra food, or changing our plans, or being inconvenienced. Grumble-free hospitality and generosity will produce “the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15–16) — the distinct and beautiful smell we all want filling our homes. 4. May we prioritize our true family. Among all the people we might bring into our home, the Bible calls us to prioritize one group above the rest — perhaps even more than our biological families. Paul says, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9– 10). Especially to other lovers of Jesus. When asked about his biological family, Jesus says, “‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!
that kind of spiritual building, joining, and maturing within the family of faith 5. May we remember that this home is not our home. While we may live here for a season — five years, 25 years, maybe even 50 years — this is a temporary living situation. Our earthly home is not our true home, because we have a better home, and an abiding one, in heaven (Hebrews 10:34). “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). If we love, follow, and serve Christ, wherever we live in this world, we know we belong somewhere else. That does not mean we cannot treasure these four walls. God has chosen these walls, for these days, specifically for us — for the sake of his glory through us and our joy in him. It does mean that we live inside these walls and care for these walls with hearts set on our final and everlasting home. As you enjoy this dwelling place for this allotted time, prepare your heart and family to live forever at home with the Lord.
ROTUBIRTNOC
DEEP
CLEAN
PART 1
Pastor , loving Husband, father and a lover of the Word of GOD!
Definition of Cleansing The theological synonyms of clean are purity/purification/cle ansing/innocent cleanliness/free from foreign bodies . So theologically speaking the word means to be spiritually pure.
Cleansing in the Old Testament Under the mosaic law the word would be used to refer to people or animals and that were fit to be in the presence of God (the idea is-
that God is Holy and His holiness demand absolute purity in His presence e.g. In Genesis God creates man and man is given instructions (laws to live by) he then disobeys those instruction 1 John 3:4 read
“The state of living of the called out is not to indulge in sin ".
@beautyandthegospel 22
ceremonially or
1 John 1:8 ,2:2 Today we are focusing on deep clean/cleansing as growing the church deeper. We will do so with teaching how to have a deeper relationship with God. The purpose is to find out what is cleansing and how it can be administered to us and the main idea is that who administers the cleansing.
ROTUBIRTNOC
This is an eye opener because people love to talk about silence of the scriptures but if you assess the situation of Adam and Eve. God did not punish them because of what he told them. It’s not about what was written but what is written in the Bible John 12:48 read (it is best to do what is written than to do what is not written). Man, then transgresses the law God has given unto him then he becomes unclean and he is removed from the presence of God (Eden) N.B MAN WAS NOT BORN WITH SIN, BUT HE BECAME SINFUL AFTER HE TRANSGRESSED THE LAW OF GOD (SINNED) SO WE ARE NOT BORN STAINED WITH SIN. A quotation from the Bible study tools “the central lesson of the system of purification is that God is Holy, and humans are contaminated because of the fallen world therefore it is compelling that men should be purified first before they approach the presence of God” God rejects sin and that makes Him Holy James 1:13 because He is the author of holiness, He demands Holiness in his presence (GOD CANNOT STAND SIN NOT THE PERSON).
Animals that were unclean and were not supposed to be used for sacrifices Leviticus 5:2. Actions like touching dead body were considered unclean and this made the person temporarily unclean to worship the Lord Leviticus 5:3. Leviticus 10:10 talks to the priests about their spiritual condition that will be tainted by physical behaviour “that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean”. God demanded people to be ceremonially or spiritually clean before they approached Him in the Old Testament. Atonement of Atonement Theologically atonement in the OT means to compensate or paying for something wrong by means of sacrifice. A basic teaching that emphasises the need for reconciliation by which man can be brought back to God for Christians. There is a day of atonement -Yom Kippur .Aaron would take of his normal priestly garments then wash after that he would put on special garments which were prescribed so that he can
enter the holy of holies Exodus 28:39, Leviticus 16:3-4. He then would offer sacrifices for himself and his household Leviticus 16:4,16.Then he would make a cloud with incense before entering in to the Holy of holies the Leviticus 16:12-13.In the Holy of holies, he would then sprinkle the blood of the bull on the mercy seat seven times Leviticus 16:14. Then he slaughters a goat for sin offering for the people, then the blood would be brought in the holy of holies to be sprinkled seven times and the tent of the meeting would be cleansed Leviticus 16:15-16 read. After all that he would procced to go with the blood of the bull and the goats outside the tent to cleanse the altar Leviticus 16:18-19. He would offer up burnt offering for the people and him and his household with slaughtered animals Leviticus 16:24. Then God will cleanse the people from their sins Leviticus 16:30, Deuteronomy 23:14-16. Cleansing in the New Testament Sanctification means the process of holiness Leviticus 11:44 read Agiazw a verb that translates as sanctify and the word sanctification is a-
@beautyandthegospel
Israel was known as God’s people and due to this reason, His holy land was their land and if anyone or anything was unclean it was ruled as unfit to approach God in worship (this-
was general idea to refer to something/someone that is unclean they were barred to worship the Lord unless they are clean) e.g.
noun agiasmoV (hagiasmos ) and if a person is sanctified that make them Holy agioV (hagios). The sanctification calls for life of service for God 2 Timothy 2:20-21 “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
The nature of sanctification The state of living of the called out is not to indulge in sin 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Sanctification is a state which Christians are set apart (when something is set apart it means it’s reserved for certain and specific uses). Sanctification is the purification of the inner man which is witnessed in the outer man 1 Peter 1:22 read we might be doing it physically but it actually for the purification if our souls read 1 Peter 3:20-21.It affects our whole lives Romans-
6:12,1 Corinthians 6:15,20 read. How does He cleanse us /How are we sanctified? The fact is that Jesus always taught that rituals and ceremonial cleansing is not an excuse for people not to consider their moral compass John 3:1-5 read. TO BE CONTINUED........
YOURS IN CHRIST PASTOR BONGANI GAMA
devotions
Discern by Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert
Malachi 3:18 (NLT): "Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
Many Christians forget they are God's covenant people. When we received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour, we were adopted into God's very own household of faith. The Bible says we became His children, and heirs to His kingdom. We are different to the world, and are called to live with a different spirit and perspective. We have His Spirit Who enables us to discern and differentiate between what is of godly character, and what is wicked. In today's text, it says we are able to see the difference between those who serve and are in covenant with God, and those who aren't. This means we are able to know who to align ourselves with, and who to not take counsel from. Be careful to forge meaningful relationships with those who have God's heart and nature, and who stand in covenant with Him. Use the gift of discernment God has placed inside you to know the difference between partnerships that will increase God's blessing on your life, and those that will not.
GUARD THE FEATHERS (PSALM 141)
BY: JOHN HAGEE
NO TAKING BACK THE WORDS
Once upon a time, a peasant known for gossiping and telling half-truths ran to the priest asking for help. “I want to retract all the evil things I have spoken and make peace with God and my neighbors for my vicious words.” Asking the man to meet him in the church yard, the priest went to his room and retrieved a pillow. Standing before the peasant, the priest tore open the pillow and let the feathers fly.
The gentle breeze carried feathers everywhere. The priest instructed the peasant to retrieve the feathers. After hours of trying unsuccessfully to retrieve the feathers, the peasant returned to the priest. The priest said, “Words out of the mouth fly like the feathers in the wind, and no matter how good your intentions of retrieving all the ill-spoken things, there is no way to do so.”
“SET A GUARD” David says to the Lord, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps. 141:3). David had asked God to help him keep control of the words he spoke “lest I sin with my tongue.” He also vowed, “I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle” (Ps. 39:1). The validity test of every conversation is: Are the words spoken absolutely true? Are they necessary? Are they kind? Will they bring glory to God? (Phil. 4:8). If our conversation does not meet these criteria, then we should change our words. To change is completely within our power because the mouth will only speak what the brain gives it permission to say. WORDS HAVE POWER There is power in the spoken word. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit (Prov. 18:21). By juxtaposing two radical alternatives, life and death, the Scriptures tell us what effects we can have on others. By slanderous words we can slay all the good one person has done and breathe new life into another by speaking words of hope and encouragement. The most powerful responsibility of the mouth is in answering the call to salvation. Is salvation for everyone? No, it is only for those who “confess with [their] mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in [their] heart that God has raised Him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9).
The phrase “if we say” is recorded, many times in the Bible because what we say controls our destiny physically, spiritually, and eternally. When you wake up in the morning, do you say, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” or “Oh boy, another day at work – what a grind”? The Bible addresses many of the diseases of the tongue: excessive talking (Prov. 10:19), idle or careless words (Matt. 12:36), lying (Rev. 21:8), and deceptive flattery (Prov. 29:5). OUR WORDS WILL COME BACK TO US God will make us account for every word on Judgment Day. “For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:36, 37). Our words, like feathers in the wind, can never be retrieved once they are set free. We need to set a guard over our mouths
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A spirit life But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14 Beloved, Jesus wants to saturate your soul, fulfill your emotions, clothe you with His beauty, and bring you into intimacy with Himself. Messiah Jesus is the water that quenches all our thirsts. But our walk with Jesus is not about religion, it has to do with the Spirit. We
He is going to teach us how to hear His
have to be led by the Spirit in order to
voice. He is going to lead us to do things
experience the living water.
that sometimes make no sense. He is going to stretch us to even do that which is
Sometimes people think that they are
uncomfortable. And as we obey Him like
living a full Christian life simply because
Abraham did, we are going to enter into a
they are immersed in Christian culture.
place in life that is fulfilling and beautiful!
But we need to go beyond Christian culture. We need to enter into the
Beloved, real life is in the Spirit. The Spirit
supernatural realm of Hashem; into the
gives life. Again, Jesus says, “Whoever drinks
Spirit world. We are going to have to
of the water that I will give him shall never
journey into the Spirit in a way that you
thirst, but the water that I will give him will
and I can only go individually. In other
become in him a well of water, springing up
words, God is going to call each one of
to eternal life.” This is not a one-time act,
us as He did Abraham. He called
but is a lifetime pursuit. Slowly we are
Abraham to leave everything that was
transformed, the old things pass away as
comfortable for him. Abraham had to go
we become new creations in Messiah Jesus.
from his land and leave his friends
As we age, this new wine becomes the
(Genesis 12:1). He had to follow the
fullness of our life, and even though the
Lord’s Spirit, to find something so much
outward body decays as we age, our inner
bigger – the supernatural life of God.
man is being renewed day by day. So that the older we are, the fuller, happier, and
If we are going to move in power, we
more content we become.
are going to have to be led by the Spirit. It is going to be supernatural. God is going to train us how to abide in Him.
RABBI SCHNEIDER
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