Clean shoes are much better

These past few weeks we have been renovating and cleaning up at our new church. All needs to be ready the 5^th of February when we launch our new building!

While I was working I wore my running shoes, never thinking that the shoes would get so dirty! When we however removed the building rubble, some of the ground was muddy, and off course, that mud loved my running shoes! I gave my shoes one look and thought I am not going to use these shoes for running again! I threw the shoes at the back of my cupboard a few days ago and thought I will use it again when I have to do some muddy work.

Today, to my surprise, when I opened my cupboard, two shiny, squeaky, clean running shoes smiled at me at the bottom of the shelves! My lovely cleaning lady found my dirty shoes and cleaned it in such a way that it actually looks better than before!

Never again will I work with these shoes, they are meant for running!

Sometimes our lives get all muddy with sin. When other people look at us, they throw us somewhere in the back so that no one can see us, just to be used again for some dirty job.

Then when we thought it is all over, never to be used again for our true purpose, God gets a hold of us! He carefully takes us, wash us clean and we even look better than before. Ready to participate in the race of life once again.

Now because you are so clean – you decide to stay out of the mud, because clean shoes are just so much better!

2 Timothy 2:21(GNT)

²¹ Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed.

Shalom!

Anina

Renovating business

I can’t believe that this coming Sunday we have the launch of our new church building. We have been busy renovating for the past 4 weeks. We have been removing about 20 tons of building rubble from the premises. It was hard work, but very satisfying!

It is amazing to see the transformation and change that takes place when people work together to renovate a place to make it better and more beautiful!

This made me think that our Father is actually also in the renovating business. The only difference is that He renovates lives and not buildings.

Isaiah 58:10-12(MSG)

I will always show you where to go.
   I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
   firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
   a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
   rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
   restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
   make the community livable again.

Maybe it feels as if your life is full of rubble. If you give this rubble over to Him, He will use it to build something new! He will use your past to rebuild your foundations and you will be able to help others to re-build their broken lives!

Just like we are renovating our new church, God has renovated our lives. Now God uses us to rebuild the people of Danville’s lives. We can already see that some of them have been renovated and now they are also in the renovating business!

Together we renovate with God – making the community of Danville livable again!

God wants to do the same for you and your community – just give the rubble over to Him!

Shalom!

Anina

God still speaks to people!

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor Had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home.

Sitting in his car, he just began to,"God ... If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey." As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he returned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will". He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here."

He walked across the street and knocked on the door. He could hear some noise inside.

A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you." The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still speaks!
 From DanielO.


Shalom till Monday!
Anina

Know Him; know yourself!

Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16 who the people said He was. They answered that some people say He is John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then He asked them, but who do you say that I am?

Who do you say He is? It seems that if you know the question to this answer, it’s like a key turning and He will start speaking to you about yourself!

Simon Peter was the one who answered Him:

Matthew 16:16(AMP)

¹⁶Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This is not only a proclamation of who Jesus was, it is also an acknowledgement by Peter that Jesus is his Christ, his Savior!

The moment that you acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God and you believe it in your heart – He will start speaking to you!

Jesus spoke back to Peter:

Matthew 16:17-18(AMP)

¹⁷Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros--a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra--a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].

Do you struggle to find out who you really are? Most people search for the answer within themselves, but you first need to know who He is – then He will reveal to you who you are!

Shalom!

Anina

God speaks without words

Monday we said that God still speaks directly to us – mostly through His Word, sometimes through circumstances and other times through fellow believers.

But there is a very interesting Scripture in the Word that states that God speaks, on a daily basis, without even using words!

Psalm 19:1-4(NIV)

 ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

The earth isn’t only the planet we live on; it speaks and declares God’s glory and presence. It says something of what and who He is!

When I am in nature I feel closer to God – I experience His presence and it is as if I hear His voice more clearly. It is because the heavens and the skies speak to us about His glory.

Have you been awed by a sunset or the array of stars on a clear night. Have you stood still before the sea and paused. Have you looked with wonder upon mountains in the distance? Have you watched the sudden turning of the seasons with delight and thankfulness? Have you marveled at the mystery of a child being born?

There is no more excuse to complain that you can’t hear His voice, open your eyes and you will hear Him speaking!

Romans 1:20(NIV)

²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Shalom!

Anina

Pray for him

Yesterday I told you about how I asked God whether I need to get up at one o’clock at night because I heard something outside our house. His response was a loud “yes” through my sleeping husband’s voice.

After I was convinced that Kobus was really asleep, I literally jumped out of bed! You quickly get rid of any tiredness if you believe God is speaking to you!

I walked to our living room to see where the noise was coming from. After thorough investigation, the only thing I could see was our neighbor that was busy getting out if his car. It was quite unusual for him to be outside so late at night and I realized that the noise I heard came from him.

This really confused me, why would God tell me so directly to get up for no reason?

Just as I was about to get back into bed, I felt in my heart: “Pray for him!” Obediently I lifted up this man to our Father. We only met these neighbors once and don’t know much about them, so I had to pray as God laid it on my heart.

Till today, I am not sure why it was so important that I had to pray for this man, but I know it was important enough for God because He sure used an unusual way to get me out of bed!

Ephesians 6:18(MSG)

In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Shalom!

Anina

God answered me

Psalm 99:6(NIV)

 ⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD and he answered them.

We read in the Bible that when people called on God, He answered them. Today many of us have the perception that God does not answer people like He did it in the time of Moses. We think in some way they must have been saints and to hear God’s voice so directly today, is just impossible.

Might it be that people like Moses, Aaron and Samuel were more holy, or do we forget that these people were just as normal like we are?

The reality is that God still speaks directly to us – mostly through His Word, sometimes through circumstances and other times through other believers.

And then sometimes He chooses to use strange ways to communicate with us…

The other night I struggled to sleep and at about 1 o’clock I heard something outside our house. My husband was already fast asleep and I didn’t want to wake him. In South Africa however, when you hear something at night, you get up to make sure everything is all right, but I was very tired and didn’t feel like getting up. When I heard the noise the second time, I directed my thoughts to my Father, “Lord, must I get up, yes or no?”

You might not believe me, but after a few seconds, God answered me… through the voice of my sleeping husband. A loud “YES” came from his mouth. I couldn’t believe my ears! I turned to him to ask him why he said yes, but he was still fast asleep.

We might say, coincidence, or God speaking directly – you choose!

Tomorrow I’ll share what happened when I got up!

Shalom!

Anina

Dare to be different

For today: Something short but thought-provoking :

Dare to be different in all walks of your life.
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to stand up for your convictions even if the crowd around you may move in another way.
Dare to be fools for the sake of Christ.
Dare to be a Crusader for Christ with the Word of God and power of the spirit.
Dare to follow the footsteps of our heavenly Father.
Dare to take up the cross & follow him wherever He leads you.
Dare to be a real Christian with a strong backbone.
Dare to say "no" to momentary pleasures that the world has to offer.
Dare to tell others about your Heavenly Father.
Dare to stand for holiness, purity, and sanctity as a dove, no matter what it takes.
 By Judy Sara Mathew

Shalom till Monday!
Anina

Thoughts speaking!

Yesterday we said as Christians our lives need to show that we are following Christ – we need to talk and walk differently!

Today I heard that our thoughts speak just as loud in heaven as our words speak on earth. This is a scary thought…

Just think, every thought you ever had in your head, was heard! Luckily not audible to everyone in heaven, but most definitely audible to One!

God is aware of each and every thought you have. When you truly become aware of this fact, it is as if you become more cautious about what you allow inside your head!

The Message states it beautifully:

Philippians 4:8(MSG)

 ^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

What are you thinking about? Your thoughts will determine your whole life. When you fill your mind with Godly thoughts, God will make everything in your life work together!

Your thoughts will then not only be speaking, but it will be the most excellent harmonies unto Him!

Shalom!                     

Anina

Back to school!

Today, once again, was the beginning of a new school year. My daughter of seven years couldn’t wait to start her second year of school! This morning there were no effort getting her out of bed and she even made her own lunch, something that has never happened before! She was ready to go back to school to embark on a new season of learning…

This made me think of a Scripture that I recently read in the Message:

Colossians 2:6(MSG)

 ^6-7My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Most of us have been “studying” the Subject of our faith for a very long time! But unfortunately that is where we stop. We have the theory, but have an in-ability to apply this in our daily life.

This Scripture is very straight forward – start living what you’ve learned!

Somebody made the following comment: If you were actually “convicted” of being a Christian, would they get enough evidence against you?

As Christians our lives need to show that we are following Christ – we need to talk and walk differently!

If you struggle – God might just send you back to school!

Shalom!

Anina

Starting 2012 with a miracle!

I am back blogging again! Hope you're holiday was full of rest and His peace!

This past month for us was a busy but very exciting time. God has surprised us with one miracle after the other… The biggest our new premises!

Our new church miracle!

These past few weeks we had to create an overflow outside just to accommodate all the people coming to our church. We been really praying and trusting God for a new building.

For the past few months we have been investigating all options for a new premise. In Danville however, it is very difficult rent a hall, especially when people hear it is for a church. We just kept on confessing and trusting in God who gave us quite a few promises.

In December we got a mail about a church that is for sale in Danville – a miracle on its own – even a greater miracle to be able to buy a church!

After long conversations with the owner, he agreed to rent the church to us with the option to buy within a few months! HALLELUJA!

We will be dedicating our new church on the 5^th of February 2012 at 9h00 the morning. It will be a celebration service to thank our Father for His provision and goodness. Please come in join us in this celebration if you are near!

Please trust with us that we would be able to buy this church within the next few months!

May this encourage you!

We pray that this blog and testimonies would encourage you! That you would see that God still provides and God still answers prayer!

It might sound like a cliché – but if He can do it for us, He will most certainly do it for you! Just keep on trusting and praying. Your time for a miracle is on its way!

Prayer!

Keep us in your prayers, as we keep you in our prayers! Together we are laboring, not only for this life, but for eternity!

May His Peace be the guardian of your heart!

Shalom!

Kobus & Anina Homan