The cure

Disclaimer: Please DO NOT buy the "blood of Jesus"... it has never been for sale... False prophets and salesmen will sell anything these days just to make a quick buck from the sick and oppressed 

So apparently there is no cure for HIV and other chronic diseases... I beg to differ. By the end of this reading I hope your understanding of disease and health is challenged, your faith is kindled and you receive the healing you have been praying for.

What disease did Lazarus die of? Does anyone know?  All i know is that Jesus did not raise Lazarus from the dead and then continue to ask him "what was your illness before you died?"

When Jesus raised the little girl from the dead, he didn't go on to try and heal the sickness that killed her. No! Both Lazarus and the girl's resurrection came with a newness and a wholeness that God revealed to me today on my way to an All Night Prayer in Nelspruit.. Their sickness, pain and suffering died with them..

Ok. What does this have to do with you and I? Well.. The bible compares us to a wife married to a husband called "sickness, sin and death". It goes on to say that we are not able to remarry unless our husband (sin) dies, and this poses a problem because the marriage is very abusive.

Then a solution is presented, and this is the most amazing part. A death is brought in, instead of killing the husband, God offers his son to die, and for us to die with him, thereby freeing us from our husband. But it doesn't stop there, after we have died with Christ, we are again raised from the dead with Christ as new creatures, unrecognisable to our former husband (sin, death and sickness)...

Bear with me... How long does a disease like HIV live in a dead person? Or more specifically how long does a disease survive in dried blood? Some medical practitioners say it is destroyed in a matter of minutes, some studies say 1 and a half to two days... and just to be safe, Jesus was raised on the 3rd day. 

By now I know that your faith has risen.  And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. Romans 8:11

Let us look at Lazarus and that little girl as examples of what God wants to do in our lives and in our ailing bodies today. Tonight is your night for a miracle. Only believe the word of God today. We are dead to sin, sickness and death. We have been resurrected in Christ and are made whole, unrecognisable to our former sicknesses and sinfulness. Believe and receive you God given wholeness today.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Was Adam black or white?

Race relations have always been a problem in South Africa. I continue to pray we can put racism aside and grow this nation to a glory never seen before. Nevertheless I have a theory on the skin colour of Adam and Eve.. PS. this is my own view and does not necessarily represent the views of my family, church or even my country.

My theory is that Adam was black, like Seal the singer black, and Eve was white. How did I come to make these assumptions? Well, simple. God created this garden, possibly the most fertile soils you have ever seen were in that garden. We know that the most fertile soils are the Humic soils, dark in colour.

God took of that soil and created Adam, not with beach sand that would have left his skin a lighter shade... and then God took a rib, white in colour, lacking in melanin and made Eve. It's really no wonder she was an easy target of the serpent, she was always underneath the shadows hiding from sun burn, even under the shady tree of knowledge of good and evil. I even have a theory about the language they spoke in the garden, but we will leave that for another day.

What am I on about? Well, the truth is, for us to understand who and what we really are as a human race, we need to understand the 2 Adams and who they really were especially the second Adam. We know that God created Adam and Eve in His image. According to Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

That was the blueprint of mankind, having dominion over the fish, birds and cattle. To me this says your blueprint was to be owners of fishing vessels, airline carriers, great farming enterprises and everything in between and you were created to live forever, without sickness, regardless of your skin colour...

But "sin" entered the world and along with it "curse". We became slaves to sickness and the law and were sold for cheap labour. We killed each other for our differing opinions, skin colour, languages and our resources, we labour for years not enjoying the fruit of our labour until we die and miss the true meaning of life.

Just as you are about to ask if there is hope... we find out about the second Adam. But who is he? The Bible in Philippians 2:5-7 says He is "...Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And then we ask why did the second Adam come? "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." "And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit". I Corinthians 15:22 & 45

Jesus said to him, “...He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’ John 14:9

This is seriously no cliché "Jesus is the answer for Southern Africa today" Heritage Day Celebrations are already underway and I would like to ask you to consider this:

• ·         Was Adam black or white? Who knows? Who cares?
• ·         Was Jesus black or white?
• ·     God is spirit, and he sent His only begotten Son to die for you and I that our sin might be forgiven us.

The bible says in II Chronicles 7:14 "if My people (Southern Africa) who are called by My name (black or white) will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. It is time to heal and rebuild. 

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Fierce winds

I was driving to work this morning when suddenly a gush of wind blew against my car and shook it. I was lucky that both my hands were on the steering wheel because things could have gotten bad very quickly. Immediately the Lord whispered something to my spirit.

There are some of his children who are in a sea of turmoil, they are in the desert and the rough sandy wind is tossing them about. Some are already thinking about December, no money for Christmas, let alone a vacation. Some are already worried about school fees, uniforms, bond, car, ailing family members.. Some are sitting in hospitals as we speak not sure if their loved ones will make it another day...

Here's a message for you. That storm is not there to destroy you. That strong wind is not going to topple you over. Even when all the people around you have lost all hope, do not begin to doubt, do not allow your tongue to profess defeat. If you are in that sea of turmoil as we speak, just "...ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" James 1:6

The end to this chapter is in your hands, actually more specifically in your tongue. The mighty winds can either destroy your ship or propel it much further than you thought it could reach. The bible teaches us to "...count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2-3 "Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things..." James 3:4-5

Jesus demonstrated to us what weapon we need to use when confronted by seas of turmoil. The scriptures say: "Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:39-41

The fierce winds you are experiencing are there to drive you, not to drown you. You sever a God who is greater than your current situation. The Lord would have you know that "When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19

Do not be fearful and do not be doubting, stand up and speak the words of our Lord Jesus over your current situation. Shout it out “Peace, be still! In the name of Jesus!” And watch the situation begin to obey until there is total calm...

My Peace I give you - Shalom 

Show and tell

What comes to mind when you hear "Show and Tell". A certain Prof and his brother Charles took their families on vacation, while the children swam, the Prof and his brother Charles said to their children, "what you're doing is not swimming, let us show you how it's done"... Needless to say, there were great waves and splashes with very little movement, and great laughter...

I would like for us to focus our attention on a different “Show and Tell”. Luke 5:4 KJV "Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Luke 5:10b KJV "And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Luke 10:2 KJV "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

So Jesus finished teaching the multitude, asks Simon to go deeper and let down his nets. This is where I believe the Lord was doing a "Show and tell" of the great commission and how many resources would be required. Look at the verses closely, Jesus says Go into deeper waters, Simon goes deeper and lets down the nets and the fish nets start breaking (or to the point of breaking), Simon calls for his partners to aid him in his commission and even then, the boats are almost sinking... 

When Jesus was done with this demonstration, he basically says to them, ok now u have seen how it's done, you have seen how many fish there are, it's not a one man mission, and when you do this work you will feel like your boat is sinking, now we're going to do it in real life, we're going to be fishers of men...

It is my prayer that whenever you hear the phrase Show and Tell, that you would be reminded of Jesus' show and tell. It is also my prayer that when your boat is letting in water, at the point of sinking, and your nets are so stretched that you cannot see them catching any more fish, that the Lord of the Harvest renew your strength, restore your resources, and allow you to see that the boat may sink but those whose faith are in the Lord shall tread on water and be saved. Do not give up… keep fishing.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Windscreen Madness

As I was driving in town earlier, I saw this guy with a bottle of soap water and a windscreen washing tool. The guy quickly looked for the most vulnerable looking driver, with a slightly dirty car and began washing away. Immediately when he was done, he started nagging for money. He knocked on the passenger window, signalling to the frightened driver that we wanted to be paid… The poor driver who happened to be a woman was stuck between three cars and an annoying, slightly threatening windscreen washer.

I immediately remembered why I disliked those guys who washed windscreens at the traffic lights. They just have no respect for a person space. Earlier this month, a man sustained 3 stab wounds in the head for refusing to have his windows washed (seriously, what is going on in our world). This really has me worried and I’m worried for the safety of my loved ones too. Anyways, equally worrying is the fact that Christians, and especially those who do not take the time to learn one on one evangelism are becoming more and more like these windscreen washers.  There is a serious increase of bible bashers who are doing more harm than good out there in the name of evangelism…

How would I ever allow a windscreen washer to touch my windscreen and also get paid for it? Here’s how:

1.     He must be presentable

2.     He must be friendly

3.     He must state his case - advise me on the dangers of dirty windscreens

4.     He must be affiliated with a car wash – ultimately the windscreen is just one part of my vehicle, these windscreen washers must point to the place where all of my car’s dirt can be dealt with

The list could go on, but let me leave it at this. What I’m saying is this. Children of God, let us not be a stumbling block in our interactions with others. I have seen many a time on social media, people exposing these Windscreen Washer type of evangelists who do all sorts of despicable deeds in the name of Christ. I have seen comments like “If this is Christianity, you can keep it”. I’m not only talking about the so-called preachers who feed people blood, and grass and all sorts of other things. I am also talking about you and me. We need to be conscious of how we approach people when we want to share with them the gospel of Christ. Please let us make sure we are not like the traffic light windscreen washers. Let us rather be like the car was salesmen who point to where the whole car can be washed clean. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Matthew 23:13

My Peace I Give You - Shalom

http://www.news24.com/Video/SouthAfrica/News/watch-violent-window-washers-stab-motorist-in-the-head-20160712

Take up thy bed

I saw something in the news recently here in South Africa. The first bit of good news to be reported in a while, a father took to the media to express his joy after his child received a new heart after 7 years of waiting for a donor. This got me thinking. How many months or years would it take to convince you and I that our situation is there to stay? That your poverty, sickness, failure, symptoms, how many divorces? How many miscarriages? How many relapses? How many disappointments? How many of these do we have to go through to know that our situation is hopeless?

The young child in the news waited 7 years after diagnosis. That seems like a lot right? Well I know someone else who waited even longer. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” John 5:5-7

Can you imagine being sick for 38 years? I haven’t even been alive that long... can you imagine being stuck in a situation for 38 years, be it an abusive marriage, barrenness, poverty, singleness, lack of career progression, any situation really. For some of us, 3 years is enough to throw in the towel... but a certain man held on for 38 years, a young South African boy held on for 7 years...

Your situation doesn't require the assistance of another to help you into the healing pool of Bethesda, for there is not where your healing resides, No, your healing is in Christ. The solution to your long term suffering lies in Christ. Where all doctors have failed to push you into the pool, where your qualifications have failed to push you into the pool, where your great qualities and fertility tests have failed to push you into the pool, I'm here to tell you that Christ has visited you and your situation personally.

Heart donation is quite tricky, unlike a kidney that can be donated and both the donor and recipient remain alive, the heart donor needs to die for the recipient to live. The spokesperson for the Organ donor foundation "said it was quite challenging to find a donated heart that was a match in size, tissue and blood type". I'm here to tell you that the same God who created the heaven and the earth, who designed every organ in your body sent his only begotten Son to die for you and I that we may receive new hearts.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Are you squint?

So this other day, many years back, I was sitting at Rhapsody's having coffee with my cousin when two people asked to join our table since there weren't any more tables available. We agreed without hesitation and before long conversations were just flowing. At some point I was left alone with one of the people who joined our table and all was well until she said to me "Did you know that you're squint?" It was as if someone had slapped me out of a light sleep. I could not believe that the squint woman at my table was asking if I knew that I was squint. She was very squint, and the whole time I had said nothing about it. I then asked if she was just joking. When her sister came back and found us talking about the issue of her squintness she quickly shhushed me and explained that no one had ever told her about it. Even her whole family told her that she was perfectly fine.

I really didn't have a problem with how squint she was, and it wasn't a problem until she accused me of being squint. This reminds me of some people in the bible that Jesus spoke about also. He put it this way: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:41

That squint lady waited until it was just her and I on the table and proceeded to accuse me of my squintness. That means that she had been looking and scrutinising the state of my eyes for a while. We need to be honest with ourselves about this issue. We don't want to read good news when we open the newspaper or gossip column, no, we want to hear how Pastor "this and that" was caught naked with his blessee... we scrutinise our fellow congregates and wait for the moment they fail or are overcome by that challenge they battle with... We even scrutinise our own siblings or family members to say "I told you he/she wasn't right for you" or "that job wasn't meant for you"...

"And why do you look (please underline LOOK) at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?" I do believe that the Lord would rather have us focus on self-introspection. We all have a speck in our own lives that when it has been removed, our testimony shared in love with help our brothers and sisters remove the specks in their own lives.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

The Family Song

Those who know my family from way back then, will remember this song that my dad used to love so much. The song went something like this: “There’s never been a day like this day, to me, there’s never been a day like this day to me, there’s never been a light that shineth so bright like this day, this glorious day…” my dad would sing this song all the time, and he would make us sing this song all the time… Today, I have my own reason to sing this song… I surely hope that you catch this revelation too…

The Lord brought to my attention three passages in the scriptures, and we all know them. The first one being Gen 1:16 “God made the two great lights--the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night--as well as the stars.” (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

The second scripture is Gen 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (King James Version).

The third scripture in Joshua 10:12-14 “On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel:" Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn't this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.

In verse 14 (where my dad’s favourite song is from) the scripture says ”There has never been a day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD was fighting on behalf of Israel.”

I’m here to say to you that not only is the Lord listening to the voice of His children, but He is also expanding your authority or dominion. The sun and moon were created before man and given dominion over the day and the night. Joshua dared to reach beyond his sphere of dominion, see man was given dominion over the earth, and the fish and the birds, cattle etc.. it’s like this, man was destined to be a farmer, but on that day Joshua reached for the stars and became an astronaut.

The Lord is doing a new level of miracle in His children's lives. He is answering unusual prayers. He is changing the rules of the universe to allow His children to claim their victory and vengeance over their enemies. Some of you were destined for bankruptcy, some for chemotherapy, some miscarriage, some even for death… Believe it in your heart that you have overcome, take some time out of your day today and thank Jehovah for He is fighting for you, and He says to you today "fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine hand".

My Peace I Give you - Shalom

#Throwback Thursday

I remember the days of old. It is a Thursday after all. I'm going to take it back to 1995/6. Those were simple times. I made a friend in class called Phindu (@PSadiki), honestly I think it's because we were both a bit awkward. I, especially dressed funny in those days. I remember we would just rock our chairs in class and make funny noises. I don't think that we ever thought of the seriousness of hurting ourselves if we fell off those chairs.

Perhaps our age allowed for us to fall and not break anything. This was not the case for poor Eli. Do you remember Eli from the Bible? Well he is known for a few things but one that stands out for me is that he fell from his chair, broke his neck and died.

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 4:18 "And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years".

Poor Eli heard that the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines and he died on the spot. There is a lesson to be learned from Eli's last moments. A messenger came to Shiloh where Eli lived, told the people that they had lost the battle and the Ark, the people cried and startled Eli, yet he remained on his chair, the messenger proceeded to tell Eli that even his sons, both of them were slain in battled, but he remained steadfast on his chair. When the messenger told Eli that the Lord's presence had been taken away also, Eli fell backward from his chair and died.

So what am I learning? That one can lose everything, source of income, closest family members, house, car, wife, husband... As long as you have the Lord with you then you will live.

It really doesn't matter why the presence of God left your life and at what point.. The important thing is inviting Him back into your heart and life while He may still be found.

My Peace I Give you - Shalom

#Blessed

I have been quiet on this issue of Blessers and Blessees, I think it’s time I gave my view on #Blessed. See, a month or so ago, the Lord spoke clearly to me saying that in this year, blessings will overtake blessings... The Lord said you will hear great news after great news about all the aspects of your life, your marriage, your children, your work, business...

The story in Judges 1:14-15 goes like this "Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” So she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs."

I remember when my dad bought me my first car in University (golf velocity), it was a dream come true, a blessing in deed. I soon found out though that the blessing would be a curse or a white elephant if I didn't receive another blessing to maintain it (petrol allowance). When my monthly allowance didn't change, God blessed me with my first job as a waiter, and suddenly the blessings of the car and the job complemented each other... why am I saying this?

Don't be overjoyed by the first blessing in this season that you refuse to expect the other blessings to complement and complete your other blessings. The Lord is going to bless you with the land and the springs of water, He is going to bless you with a life partner and money for your dream wedding, He is going to bless you with a car and another car, with a business and a market. There are no limits to the blessing of the Lord in this season. Do not limit the Lord with your lack of faith.

It truly is the day, month and year of your multiple victories. The Lord is fighting for you. The bible says "So she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs." Remain in Him, place your trust in Him and be obedient to Him... When you ask for springs of water, your generous Father is going to give you more than you ask for, He is going to give you the upper and lower springs...

My Peace I Give You - Shalom...

Bathing vs Swimming

A close friend of mine Moses and I, while visiting Tshipise a few years back decided one morning that we would combine bath time and swimming time, after all it was the same (naturally heated) water. We thought it was a great idea at the time but I see now that it was just utter laziness. In fact, it is what I call the "Naaman bath". It is long enough to be a recreational swim, but it is for the purpose of cleanliness. The Lord spoke to me this morning saying His people are confusing bath time and swimming time.

So this guy Elisha sent a messenger to this other guy Naaman who was sick with leprosy, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean”. This is an example of some confusion that might arise. Say your average bath time in 14 minutes, multiply that by 7! That’s over an hour of bathing, Naaman might as well swam for an hour 30 min. John 5:4 shows us another example of a bathing pool of water. In fact, in the pool of Bathesda, one only needed to be the first to step in. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

The Lord says that many of His children are spending too much time in these pools of cleansing. Each Sunday, His children wait for the angel (preacher) to stir the water at church and they dive in, each Sunday they enquire of the Prophet for directions to the cleansing river of Jordan, and like Naaman, bathe in the sea of His mercy the whole church service long.

Don’t get me wrong, pools of cleansing are good, but the Lord is calling His children to the deeper end of the river. He wants from the inside of His children to flow rivers of living, healing water. Ezekiel 47:5 says "Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over or through." And John 7:38 "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water." And wherever the double river shall go, every living creature which swarms shall live. And there shall be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there that [the waters of the sea] may be healed and made fresh; and everything shall live wherever the river goes. Ezekiel 47:9

The Lord is calling you and I out to the deeper end. Only children swim in shallow waters. Stop beating yourself up about what happened yesterday, or at the Durban July. The Lord has cleansed you of all your sin and infirmities, stop confusing bathing time with swimming time. It is time to swim in His anointing, and His anointing enables you to do what he has called you to do and that is to be fishers of men. Go out and be a river of healing to others this week.

My Peace I Give You - Shalom

Let the sunshine in

I miss those summer days, when the morning light penetrates through the blinds, past the duvet and right through my eyelids... I stretch out my arms for a good minute with my eyes still closed and just as I open my eyes, i breathe and realise yes, yes surely I am alive... 

I’m reminded of this really great song from a few years back... when the song came out, I couldn't stop singing it. I didn't even know if it was a house or gospel track.. I just remember singing out with my hands raised up high "Leeet the sunshine, let the sunshine in.." 

You're probably asking what any of this has to do with how the earth revolves around the sun... Well, there's this guy Nicodemus in the bible that asked a really important question and I think that song can help us answer it. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” John 3:4 

To answer the question let's see what the bible says this about Jesus: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:18-19 

 Well imagine that summer Saturday morning when all that you have to do all day is just be. Picture the morning light penetrating through the blinds, past the duvet and right through your eyelids... there are two things you can choose to do. Firstly, you can ignore the light, even shut the blinds and pull your duvet over your head so that you remain in the darkness and continue sleeping. Secondly, you can choose to embrace the light, open your eyes and heart to the light. 

I dare you to choose the light today, I dare you to choose life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Every morning when day breaks, I hope you remember that the true light of this world stands at the door of your heart and waits for you to open up and "Leeet the sunshine, let the sunshine in" (singing) 

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Haircut

Some time ago I went to get a haircut at my usual barber.  I had just had the worst kind of day ever, one that involved things not going well while my hair was in a state, I had left the house without using a comb, going to an important meeting because I thought I would have time to get a haircut before the meeting (that did not happen). Things from my past were just catching up with me, the wrong financial decisions, the wrong friend/ relationship choices made, I was also feeling stuck in the same job… there were just so many things all at once.

Anyways, when I got there, the guy asked me "what style would you like"? Now normally this is a no-brainer because it’s either brush or chiskop, but my hair was slightly longer than usual. I answered with a hopeless tone because I had a really tough and trying day. I answered and said "any style"...

The barber did not waste any time, he immediately started cutting my hair and I immediately started smiling (almost laughing) because that still voice inside me reminded me of something very important. "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8. Because of the eyes’ position in the head, I only get glimpses of my head in a mirror from time to time, while my barber sees the whole picture. That haircut experience opened my eyes to a revelation that after all, I do have a maker, I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God who knows me inside and out and sees the bigger picture.

If we could just realise that our heavenly Father is the best barber, potter, doctor, lawyer, teacher, provider, deliverer, shepherd, confidant... then we would all go to Him not with the style or solution that we think is right, but with open arms and the confidence of knowing that He knows best and sees the bigger picture.

My Peace I Give You - Shalom

Father's Day Post

I’m dedicating this next post to my dad. For the longest time my father (heavenly and biological) and I had very little in common. I realise now that this was the work of the enemy, and PRAISE GOD Christ's blood has brought us closer. I do believe that we are living in a world that is not aware of some fundamental realities of how God wanted us to be, and how He still wants us to be.

The enemy succeeded in destroying a few things at the garden of Eden. The one I want to outline is the destruction of family unity which brought about a rift between husband and wife, brother and sister and so on. Adam and Eve were supposed to enjoy God's presence as a family, but after sin, Adam blamed God and his wife, their children fought and one killed the other as we still do until this day.

The enemy has even told us that "mufunzi ha bebi mufunzi" (a pastor doesn’t produce another pastor) waging a war between pastors and their children. And if this wasn’t bad enough we are reminded that the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Gen 6:3

How many of our parents will reach 120 years? So we have a generation of God fearing people in South Africa that are living to an average of 60 years (compared to the 120 God allowed), who are at war with their children. It is no wonder the scripture says "and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals." Judges 2:10-11 AMP

I was touched by the testimony of a certain man of God who was training his 13 year old for the work of the ministry, and had been for many years before that. Parents and future parents should remember their children are not their own, they belong to God and exist to fulfil the greatest commandment which is to love the Lord God with all their hearts, souls and minds.

Let us repair what the enemy destroyed. Let us work harder at developing functional and loving family units that serve the Lord together. "But as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord." The Lord wants to heal our nation, and He wants to do it through the family. I pray that in 2016 this may be our focus in prayer, teaching and practice.

Dear Dad, Happy Father’s day and thank you for remaining in the Lord and never failing in teaching me the Lord’s goodness and mercy. Thank you for ensuring that next generation of Nevhutandas will know and serve the Lord.

Hot or Cold?

I woke up early to attend a funeral this one Saturday morning. When I turned on the hot water, I waited expecting the water to remain cold, not because the geyser had run out of hot water. No, but because of my experience with taps and plumbers. I have lived in places where the plumber gave the cold tap the hot water label, and visa versa. But not this morning, even when I brushed my teeth, the labels were placed exactly where they needed to be.

I'm reminded of the scripture: "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad Matthew 12:30. It's really important that the labels on the children of God be placed correctly on them. One needs to know where one stands and how one is identified at all times. Simon Peter was labelled a follower of Christ and identified with and defended that label all but the one time. Simon Peter denied Jesus at some point. For fear of persecution Peter, for a very short while was against Christ.

If we all have to be honest, the mislabelled taps are nothing compared to clearly labelled taps that do not produce the correct levels of temperature required when they need to. What am I talking about? Have you ever tried taking a shower with lukewarm water in the dead of winter? It's just the worst.

The Bible says in Revelation 3:16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."

The truth of the matter is that we are living in a difficult time. Everything has been designed to stand between us and our increasing fire for Christ. As soon as we get home from work, there are kids to feed, dishes to clean up, Scandal, Generations and Muvhango to watch, a presentation for the following day, and the list goes on... We have replicated the lukewarm church model on a Global scale.

Lev 10:1 reads “Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded”.  I do believe that it is the time for reform, it is the day for a change of heart. What kind of follower are you right now? What kind of follower do you want to be tomorrow? What is the label on your heart? Hot or cold? What is the temperature of your heart for God?  It really doesn't take much to reach boiling point... only draw yourself closer to the source of the fire..

My Peace I give you - Shalom

That Old Man's Hat

I had a really interesting ride in the bus this morning. There was just one person in a better mood than I was. An old man in the seat in front of me. He wore a noticeably old hat with a badge in the centre which had a star...  I didn't want to eavesdrop on what seemed to be a rather captivating conversation between the old man and the guy seated on his right hand side. He spoke in English, TshiVenda and SePedi interchangeably, a true Limpopo man he was. The topics ranged from agriculture to the 10 Commandments even to history, heritage and culture. The conversation was infectious and soon the lady on the far right woke up to lend an ear to the multilingual and seemingly very interesting old man.

Needless to say, this old man challenged me. He challenged the very core of my being (I kept thinking of the song Killing Me Softly) as he spoke… the reason is though that he was unapologetically Christian with a captivating aura about him. He spoke well and people wanted to listen to him. They laughed and asked questions and laughed some more… oh what I would give to have that old man’s sense of humour and audience connection. The old man was funny till the end, right until my stop came up when I noticed his temperament had changed slightly. See the old man (my hero) knew all but one thing, where he was going… He had no clue where he would disembark.

I honestly learned a lot from that old man. I have always considered myself to be shy. I like to keep to myself and bother nobody. It was the first time I saw that old man in the bus today, but he managed to hold a long conversation with people that I normally just say hello to. The lady seated on my right even said “Vha sa rembuluwa namusi!” (translated “If you don’t repent today!”), this referring to the guy seated closest to the old man.

You see I travel a lot, especially by car and bus... I haven't done the research in this age, but many great ministries of the past including that of our Lord Jesus were made possible by travelling. Whether on foot, on sea, walking on the water, (even teleporting). Acts 8: 39-40 says “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.  Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea”.

The old man reminded me of a trip I took some time back. So I found myself driving to Jozi from Polokwane and with 3 hitchhikers, and for 200 km I was fighting within myself asking myself why I wasn't telling them about Jesus. I thought to myself, but I’m shy! what would I say? And the Spirit said "I will give you the words".. eventually I made a joke saying, how can you guys sit in the same car with a prophet of the Lord and not want to know what He has to say to you. The rest of the journey and conversation went the way the Spirit wanted it to, pretty similar to the old man’s conversation.

Please do not undermine or despise the bus you use everyday to work or school, the business flights, the uber rides, carpools... Jesus has placed you exactly where you need to be to spread His gospel. Just like in the case of the old man in the bus, Elijah, Elisha, Philip (who teleported) and many others, there are people whose heavens have been closed up for years. These people’s paths have been set to collide with ours not by chance but by divine connection. All you need to do is open your mouth and begin to speak the words of life. The Bible even assures you that you need not worry when you are brought before the synagogues, and even people in authority (Luke 12: 12) “For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

My Peace I give you - Shalom

Good Samaritan?

So I've never been mugged and left on the side of the road for dead before... It is not hard to imagine it though, we do after all live in South Africa right? I have seen and heard of many incidents where a person escaped with their life because a thief desired to have their cell phone, a worthless cell phone. I guess that is why I really respect emergency care workers. They are like the modern Good Samaritans. While reading the other day, my eyes were opened to the parable of the Good Samaritan in a way like never before... I surely hope you see what I saw...

The important thing about the parable is that it was addressing a certain question, the question of Eternal Life posed by the lawyer in Luke 10: 25 "master what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" We need to read the parable in that light...

The second thing is Jesus answered and said: in verse 30 “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho (or from Limpopo to Gauteng), and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  So Jesus gave a setting of a man representing mankind and the thieves representing the enemy, for the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). This passage shows how mankind was heading for sure death, helpless and in need of a saviour. So who is this saviour? Let's find out in the next verses…

Verse 31 "by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side." I think Jesus here was assuring the lawyer that eternal life would not be found in the religions or leaders, hypocrites of that time… showing that they could do nothing but pass on by..

Verse 33 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. (Jesus journeyed from heaven to earth) And when he saw him, he had compassion (for God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son).  34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ (Jesus paid the price for our revival, for we were dead but He brought us to the innkeeper, the Father and paid the price, saying it didn’t matter what it costs,  He would pay, which eventually turned out to be His life). 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Instead of remembering the Good Samaritan as just this good-doer, let's rather see the parable as the story of redemption: that we had fallen victim to the great thief, who robbed us of everything (including our connection to God) and left us for dead; let us rather see that no religious leader or Levite could rescue us but Christ, represented in this story by the good Samaritan.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

With Great Power...

If any of you have ever worked for government, you will relate very well to the next story. I remember the first time I ever Acted as Director in the place of my boss as she was away for a while. I was so excited. I even moved in to her office, her assistant was my assistant, making me coffee and taking my calls and so on. It was a great time. With the great power though, came great responsibility. I had to attend higher level meetings, make decisions that affected many, I could suddenly approve transactions to very large amounts. Do you know what I did with this great power? I shelved everything that needed my signature and reserved comment in meetings as I was afraid to misrepresent my boss...

At the end of my Acting period, I'm sure that my boss wished she had delegated the authority to another more experienced person so that work can be done. I would call her about every decision instead of taking decisions, I would be afraid of authorising large payments, and many other mistakes.

Let’s look at Luke 10:9, 16 NKJV and see what we can learn. The Bible says there "And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

Jesus had just newly appointed 70 disciples and given the acting privileged to go to every city that he was going to visit, with instructions to exercise powers over sickness and declare the arrival of the kingdom. These disciples executed their duties well and even discovered other powers over evil spirits.

The Delegation of Authority has been signed and it has your name on it. If you don't believe me just look at Matthew 28:18 and 19 "… all authority has been given Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit..."

Fellow harvesters and "acting Christs" please do not make the same mistakes I made of simply enjoying the office of the boss, with all the benefits of His assistant the Holy Spirit and all the gifts without actually doing what the job entails. The job description is simply this, heal the sick and declare that the kingdom of God has come near to the people. Do not be afraid to use the great power entrusted to you, He is the one who delegated you, He assumes overall responsibility for the use of that power. You are well qualified in Him. Your years of experience don't matter to Him, you are not working under your own authority but under His. Do you ever ask a police officer or traffic officer how many years’ experience he or she has before they can arrest someone? No, they start operating from the day of appointment.

Be encouraged, and keep praying to the Father to send more harvesters.

My Peace I give you - Shalom

A Thief Exposed

So earlier this year I woke up very early as usual to get ready for work. Just before I could open the tap to run my bath, I saw a scorpion in the tub. Now please understand that I know the pain of a scorpion sting, it's not pleasant… I almost panicked at first but because I had been stung before and I know it doesn't kill I was relaxed, plus there really was nowhere the scorpion could run to.  See what make a scorpion or even a snake dangerous is when you cannot see them.  So I killed the scorpion and put it aside, took a bath and went to work.

While I bathed, the Lord spoke to me reminding me of the following piece of scripture: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you". Luke 10:19 KJV. The thing that kept me calm was the knowledge that scorpions don't kill, since one had actually stung me before and I didn't die, I was in pain but I did not die. Rest easy in the knowledge that Jesus says that the enemy's forces will not harm you. Remember even his previous attempts to harm and destroy you that failed. Your testimony always keeps you level headed when confronted by the enemy, David had the bear and lion as his testimony in order to calmly confront Goliath.

The second thing the Lord spoke to me about was the visibility of the scorpion in the tub. See my bath tub is white and the scorpion was really easy to spot. He reminded me of Colossians 2:15 "and having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross". I read in the news earlier this year of a man who stole from a Walmart somewhere in the USA and the judge sentenced him to wear a sign saying "I'm a thief" and stand in front of the store he stole from for 10 days. This judge and our great Judge Jesus Christ made a public spectacle of the enemy. The enemy has been exposed and is WITHOUT AMMUNITION.

The last point we spoke about was on the deadness of the scorpion. I enjoyed my bath, and when I was done. I jumped out and walked to the place where I had placed the dead scorpion, to my surprise, guess what? THE SCORPION WAS STILL DEAD. I had a great moment of revelation because at times, I found myself wasting valuable time fearing and fighting with already dead spiritual scorpions.

I really hope you will be encouraged in the knowledge that Jesus has triumphed over the enemy, all his powers and authorities, and He is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion...

My Peace I give you - Shalom