Today Reminder - 23 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will be a valuable asset for God in your relationships with friends and family and that you will see God’s hand and His work as these relationships as they become a bond that cannot be broken. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 4:17

That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.

The gift of friends and family! What an awesome weekend. We were so blessed in seeing our family over this weekend and spending some time with them. It made me realise once again how important family can be in our lives. They listen when we are sad, help when we are in trouble and they share in our happiness and in our sadness. We sometimes forget how important they are in our lives and we can easily take them for granted. We get mad at them, we forgive them, we laugh with them we miss them, we cry with them but most important is that we love them and they love us. God gave us friends and family as gift to help us stand against the attacks of the enemy and the hardships of this world. It is in our unconditional love for each other that God will be truly visible.

The Gift of Family

Some people are born into wonderful families.
Others have to find or create them.
Being a member of a family is a priceless membership
that we pay nothing for but love. 

 - Jim Stovall 

Let us be grateful for the gift of friends and family, they can be a valuable anchor in our daily lives. Enjoy every moment as a gift, because time goes by so quickly.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus, my prayers are with you.

Cheers.

 

I am in awe

As I stand in awe of a glorious God, knowing that all I am and all I see is created by Him. All the trees, all the animals, all the stars, all the plants and all the people, from the heavens above to the depths of the ocean, perfectly crafted in a portrait like a beautiful picture. I am amazed that in all this splendour and beauty He still has time for me, He carries my pain, my fear and my worries close to His heart. His Son took the burden of my sin and cleansed me of all that could burden me and bound me to this world. I am in awe…

Today Reminder - 20 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you. Be strong and be holy in the Name of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

In 1889 a most unusual structure was built. When it was first built for an international exhibition the citizens of the city called the structure “monstrous.” They demanded it be torn down as soon as the exhibition was over. Yet, from the moment its architect first conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural wonders of the modern world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris, France. The architect was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower.

You are a temple for God, because the Holy Spirit lives in you. No matter who or what you are, you are unique and specially designed by God for a unique purpose in this world. Off course this means that you are special and more so because you are made in the image of a perfect God and that means that every line and every bit of detail in you is formulated in God’s image. You form part of a much larger temple which is the church and God mobilizes you as He mobilizes His church to continue fighting for the lives of the lost sheep. As Christians we might look different, feel different and even stand out, but when this world tries to destroy you, you will be defended by your architect. And your architect is God. So be different, because you have so much and such an awesome defender and remember: God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus as we stand out and be free.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 19 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will renew your foundation in Jesus so that you can build knowing you will not fall. In Jesus Name

1 Corinthians 3:10-11

Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

Are you building, renovating or breaking down? Building a house or even just renovating can be a stressful business. How is it going to look, how long will it take and what is it going to actually cost you? When it finally starts there are delays, problems and changes and yes naturally there is the rain. I can’t help thinking of Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to His loved ones.

To live a life as a Christian is much like building a house. We start with the foundation and that is Jesus. This is the rock that the wise builder used. As time progresses the walls will come up, the piping and wiring, the windows, plaster, the roof, doors and the finishing touches. To build your house you must use the right material. The word of God, the Bible is your bricks, friends can be the paint or plaster, the Church could be your doors, worshipping can be part of the finishing touches and God is your roof. When you build on your house today, build with the master builder, build with God. Let Him help you to reinforce your walls against the attacks of the enemy, let Him be your roof so that every time you look up for help you will see Him, let Jesus be your foundation, so that where ever you walk you will see Him and know Him. 

Psalm 121:1-2 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

My prayers are with you, friend of Jesus. Today is going to be a beautiful day created by a great and amazing God. Wherever and whatever you find yourself building on your house today, know that with Jesus you are building with the right foundation, the right material and the right tools.

Have a nice day.

Cheers.

Each new day

Each new day is a new beginning-
to learn more about ourselves
to care more about others,
to laugh more than we did,
to accomplish more than we thought we could,
and be more than we were before.

Today Reminder - 18 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that God will make the seed planted in you grow so that you too can plant seed in the lives of other. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building.

It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. - J. K. Rowling 

Dedication is doing the "BEST" with your life rather than settling for what is only the "good." - Unknown

Do you have green fingers? I love to work in our little garden, digging in the dirt and watching the plants grow. The most amazing thing is to take something that seems dead and nurture it back to life. To watch a plant that you would normally throw away come back to life, is just amazing. By giving it a little water and a better place to grow, it just suddenly comes back to life and grows. The funny thing is that I don’t see myself as this great gardener. When it comes to gardening I am an amateur and yet my small effort gets them to grow. When we look at God’s garden we are the gardeners. We plant the seed and give water, but God makes the seed grow to form beautiful gardens with plenty of shade and plenty of light where it is needed. The important thing to remember in this process is that you could be either the one who plants or the one who waters, but most important is that both is needed to make the seed grow. Neither of them is more important than the other, because in the end God has the final say. It reminds me of the story Jesus told of the farmer scattering the seed. Some fell on the footpath, some fell on shallow soil, some fell among thorns and some fell in good and fertile soil. I always think of the seed that fell among the thorns: Mark 4: 18-19 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

These are the guys I worry about, they hear the good news but this world robs them from producing a harvest. I truly hope and pray that we can bring light to them in their times of darkness. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by to plant or to water, and be patient in the process, because God is at work. I pray that you will be strong in faith when God needs you to plant or when God needs you to water and that the thorns of this world will not be able to overpower you or to inhibit your spirit.

Another beautiful day lies ahead of us. I know you will have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers.

Today Reminder - 17 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will hear the Spirit as God reveals His thoughts to you. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12

But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

Telephones. Don’t you just love this awesome device they call the cell phone. I remember when I was young we had these old phones with a shared line. When they called you, you had to listen for a certain ring then you knew the call was for you. When I went to high school I had my first encounter with an automatic phone. This was the first time I could dial a number and I did not have to ask for a number through a switch board. But still I remember how this old switch board operator was quite an advantage for us. My parents owned a shop on their farm and they were either home or at the shop, so when I dialled our area code from my hostel I could ask our operator where my mom is, and she always knew where they were. She knew us well, so while I was waiting for her to find my mom she would ask how we were doing and chatted with me while she was putting me through. The Holy Spirit to me is a lot like that. He is the operator that connects us to God’s thoughts and talks to us while we are working or driving or even sleeping. With this amazing Spirit in us we can know God’s thoughts, and I must admit thinking about that is giving me goose bumps. We have a direct link to God. Let’s quiet out the noise of this world and let the Holy Spirit reveal God’s thoughts to us. I know this can be scary, because we might not all be ready for what God wants us to do. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you strength to boldly follow and do God’s will as He reveals it to you. God will put you in the right place and on the right path, have faith and trust Him.

Another beautiful day given to us by a loving Father. Have an awesome day friend of Jesus, my prayers are with you.

Cheers.

Today Reminder - 16 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are not foolish in following the Lord but that you will stand firm in it as you show the light of Jesus to the world. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
  and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." (Isa 29:14)

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

The narrow path. I think in today’s world with all the technology and constant archaeological findings with explanations of the so called “Big bang” theory and to top it off you have  television spreading a bunch of rumours and theories by clever people, it seems hard to be a Christian when your faith is constantly being attacked from all sides. The funny thing is it has been happening for many years. Paul had problems convincing the wise in his time and surely we will have trouble convincing the wise today. Paul clearly says that the good news of Christ is foolish to those headed for destruction. Following Jesus is a choice we make because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes and our minds so that we can clearly see and feel the reality of a living God. But following Him is not a once off decision and now you are free from all temptation. The world will continue to attack you, because you have chosen correctly. The devil does not want you to succeed so he will do anything in his power to get you off your present path. He is the master of lies and he will make up as many as he can to confuse you. Why is it so much easier for people to follow a lie, than to follow the truth? I think it boils down to choice and will. You see it in our everyday lives, we have become creatures of comfort and we do not like to face difficulties. I think that is why so many followers of Christ are falling away, they will believe any nonsense just to have it easier. Following Jesus is no easy task, it is a constant and continuous spiritual training exercise. You have to spend time in prayer to make your spirit stronger and to build your bond with God. Alone you will slip, but with Jesus you will succeed. He is your life line and your saviour. Spend more time in prayer and reading the word so that you will be stronger in the continuous battle against the devil and his lies. My prayers are with you so that you will have victory in this day and every day that follows.

I am not alone in this fight against evil, I stand united with many as we bring honour to God with each new victory.

Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers.

Today Reminder - 13 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will be a profitable partner in your partnership with Jesus. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9

He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Business as usual.  I started work again this week after taking a short break and I suddenly feel as if I was never gone. The consistent load and continuous rush just seem to carry on and on. January just started for me and here we are almost half way through this month. It is almost as if I fell into a river and can’t seem to get back to the side as I struggle to keep my head above water paddling with all I am worth to get to dry land. Life can be hard in that sense as we fight to stay in the race. God will keep you strong, He is faithful and does what He says. God is the rescue helicopter, the coast guard, the life saver that rushes in to pull you out of the waves that keeps on smashing you in the face and pulling you down. God said that He will never leave you and He will never forsake you meaning He will never ever quit on you. He gave his only son to free us from the burden of sin. Are you tired today, are you looking at the waves in your life and it scares you? Do you feel alone today? I pray that God will send you peace, I pray that you will feel that He is pulling you out and He is carrying you through. God is with you, in you and beside you and you will have victory for His glory. God has a plan for you in whatever it is you face today, this week or this year. It will not only make you stronger but form stronger roots in God so that you will be ready for bigger challenges and greater success. My prayers are with you, my dear friend.

As the waves come crashing down on me I will look to my inner God-strength to keep on fighting as I reach out for the hand of Jesus so that I can walk on water.

Today will be a God day as this year will be a God year.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 12 January 2012

My prayer for you for today is that you will know and remember the gifts God so freely gives us each day. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:4

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. I believe that to give brings us so much closer to God. For me each day is a gift from God, each moment that we have together and each message I write to you is a gift from God. Beyond that God gave us His son and then He sends the Holy Spirit to be our comforter. I think that we sometimes do not know what we have. It is much like the early settlers finding a beautiful stone here in Pretoria and though that it is nice rock not knowing they had a diamond. When Jesus told His disciples that He must go so that He can send someone like Him to them and it is better for them that way, they waited patiently. When the Holy Spirit came they began to do unbelievable things. But what I think we all miss is the part where Jesus says it is someone like Him. In you there is someone like Jesus – this is where I go… Wow! Yet we are just like the next person, in some cases non-believers seems happier than what we are. There is an all-powerful God living in you ready to give you limitless power, you are given one of the greatest gifts anyone can ever have. The early disciples didn’t know the Holy Spirit, they learned as they walked with Him. Let’s take time and get to know the Holy Spirit so that we can fully understand who He is so that we can have His peace and joy in our lives. I pray that God and the Holy Spirit will guide us in this process as we become more and more familiar with His power and His voice in our lives. 

I will not be intimidated by a temporary world, temporary problems and temporary pain. I will be influenced by an awesome God, a loving Son and an amazing Spirit.

Today is going to be a beautiful day again. Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers.