Today Reminder - 30 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will use your gift to honour God, and that God will bless your gift as you continue to grow with it. In Jesus Name.

Romans 12:6-8

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. - Louis Nizer 

Shopping is a strenuous exercise to me, especially this time of year when the shops are overflowing with people doing their last minute shopping. It is always amazing how people become little robots with no feelings. They would almost run you over with their shopping carts, they would get angry at the slightest of inconvenience and then there are the cashiers. They are also programmed to ask only a few questions and they never smile and almost never even greet, there are those that is in an important discussion with the helper and you are merely a fly passing by. How much do we miss, how many opportunities pass us by in a day? Do we just do our jobs and carry on? Do we just drive to work and get angry when we are late because of traffic? Do we live our lives for us or do we live it for God? Are we placing ourselves ahead over God’s plan? When God designed you and me He knew ahead what our lives would be like, where we would travel and where we will work. With this knowledge He designed us and gave each one of us special gifts. The sad thing is we rarely use them and when we have the opportunity we only give a little effort. We do our jobs as if the job needs us instead of us needing the job. Be more than just another worker, another employee, be the difference maker. If you do not know what your gift is, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover your gift. Use your gift well and honour God in each moment. You are strategically placed where you are to be God’s ambassador and to let His light shine in an almost dark world. You remain in my prayers dearest friend of Jesus.

Cloudy skies over South Africa, with the promise of more rain. What a blessing!

Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 29 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that the Lord will help you to become the person in Christ’s body that you were intended to be. In Jesus Name.

Romans 12:4-5

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Every hero is designed for a special purpose. My son loves to build the Lego Hero robots. He would take them apart and put them back together and then he would combine them putting different parts of each one together in one robot, he would change and combine the colours, create different weapons, change their helmets and then he would put the correct parts back on the correct figure. I am always amazed at how he knows the parts and if something is missing he would know which one it is and which colour it is. And then finally when he plays each robot has a special ability. In this world we all form part of Christ’s body each one with a special gift and special ability. God knows each one of us, because He designed each one with a special gift. Sometimes He combines our gifts for a larger and better result or if the task at hand requires more talent. If one of us goes missing He knows exactly who it is and would spend a lifetime to find the lost one. You are important to God and He designed you for a reason. We are all linked together in the body of Christ as He is in us and above us and below us and around us. Don’t ever feel that you are not as important in your role as someone else, don’t ever underestimate your value in God’s design. Let us unite in our prayers as we continue to live for His glory. Let’s stand together against the enemy as we fight in prayer for those still lost. You remain in my prayers.

Fighting the good fight.

Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 28 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will live your life for God and that this world will not influence you. In Jesus Name.

Romans 12:1-2

A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

It is always quiet before the storm. I was woken last night by thunder and lightning as it rumbled through the night sky lighting up the earth and flashing through our window. The sudden sound of rain rushing down on the roof faded out the loud thunder that still continued in the background. I listened for a while as the storm continued before I fell asleep again. I love to listen to the rain at night, it always had a calming effect. Funny though, rain has a single purpose yet so many things can be affected by it. Our lives have but a single purpose but so many can be affected by it. Have you ever wondered how you can live a life acceptable to God? Like the rain we can either storm in with thunder and lightning or we can be the consistent down pour of a holy sacrifice. The consistent fall of rain fades out the thunder and lightning until it is all you hear. It does not copy the thunder, nor does it try to be lightning. It consistently just rains. Paul pleads with us to live our lives as a holy sacrifice to God, the kind that will be acceptable to Him, and then he says that this is truly the way to worship Him. Living a life acceptable to God is truly the way to worship Him. Simple and easy! No, because we are influenced by the behaviour and customs of this world. Let us surrender to God today and let the Holy Spirit transform our minds as we sacrifice ourselves for God. Be the consistent and calming rain wherever you are today and glorify our awesome God with a living sacrifice. You remain in my prayers.

What a beautiful day!

Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 27 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will be the good news and that you will know that God is far greater than anyone can ever imagine, above all wisdom, above all power and above all glory. In Jesus name.

Romans 10:14-15

But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! For who can know the LORD's thoughts?
Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back? For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.

I am your servant. How great is our God, how amazing His might and how awesome His splendour. I love this verse in Romans 11: “For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory.” Everything we have, everything we see and all that we know and are is from God and for God. I think this is one of the biggest mind set changes we can ever make and that is to know that we can never understand God, nor can we know His ways. He is far greater than we have the ability to comprehend. No one can give Him advice, and I love this: “Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back?” God is beyond our thoughts. We are here for His glory and His purpose and not for our own glory. We are here to tell the world about a loving God and creator.  Then the best part is, and you will love this. This God is your God. He loves you with endless and boundless love. You are His creation and His child. No one, yes no one can take that way or separate you from His love. Let us take this day and just love Him back. Let’s give God glory is everything we have and everything we do. And the world will see Him in us and we will be the beautiful feet that bring the good news. You remain in my prayers.

What a beautiful day. I woke listening to the birds outside and I can help thinking how God takes care of each of them and that we are far more valuable to Him. 

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 26 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will believe in your heart that Jesus is alive and confess it with your life every day. In Jesus Name.

Romans 9:17-18

For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth."

Romans 10:9-11

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Christmas is such a wonderful time, I love seeing the family and handing out gifts to the little ones.  I love to see that excitement in a little hand as they open their gifts. Every day is like that. Every day to us is a gift God wrapped and placed in our lives. We can choose to open it with excitement and live it fully or we can choose to ignore God and carry on with our lives on our own. There are those who will never change their ways and keep on living their lives. I sometimes look at the rich living their lives almost untouchable and it saddens me, because I know they are being blinded by this world. But then again God can change any heart and any life or use anybody for His purpose, like he used Pharaoh. In the end every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Lord. The great thing is that Jesus died for all, yes even the bad dudes. It is in us that other will find Jesus. We are His children, we open our gifts with excitement every day and the world sees us as we enjoy each moment with this gift. They will then want what we have and the search will begin. They will look in books, search online, maybe Google, maybe ask a friend or maybe even ask you and me and then we get to tell them that this gift is free. Then we get to live our purpose as we say: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Never underestimate the power of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit you are like Superman. Nothing is impossible. Just trust in God.

Rainy days down here in South Africa – awesome!

Have a great day friend of Jesus, my prayers are with you.

Cheers

The Lord my saviour

The Lord my saviour

As I struggle through the dark streets of life I will not fear nor will I fail. My God and my creator is with me. As I stand in the ruins of a fallen world persecuted and mocked I will feel free and joy will fill my soul as my spirit longs for an eternal home with my God. I will not make my decisions on my own but I will listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit sharing God’s heart and will. I will not be broken nor will I be pushed down by daily life and difficult times. I will soar like an eagle on the wings of a loving God through the lines of my enemy. I will succeed because I am a child of God. Those who laugh, criticise and mock me will be stunned at the work of the Holy Spirit through my life. And I will gladly give my life for God, because He gave His for me.

Today Reminder - 23 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will know God loves you and nothing can separate you from His love - ever. In Jesus Name.

It is two days before Christmas and today I want to share one of the most important things you must always know, remember and maybe say to yourself every day. It is: “Nothing can separate us from God’s love.” Christmas just confirms that to us. Romans 9:34 “For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.” We struggle through our daily lives and we tend to feel that we lose the battle as we slip on our way. But God love you so much that He send Jesus to die, so that we cannot be condemned. Romans 9:32-33 “Since he did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.” God gave you right standing with Him and through Jesus your sins is forgiven, you are free and no one can condemn you. You are a child of God perfectly created by a master designer. Oh what wonderful God we have, who loves us so much. I can’t help but shout out Paul’s words in Romans 9:31 “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

You are not facing this day and each day after this one on your own, no, you have a loving God, a pleading Son and a powerful counsellor travelling with you. God is in you as Jesus is in you and as the Holy Spirit is in you, above you, below you and around you.  Romans 9:35-39 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God loves you and will never stop loving you. Have a blessed Christmas friend of Jesus, you remain in my prayers.

We were blessed with rain in South Africa, what an awesome God we worship.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 22 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will know the Holy Spirit is with you and that you will see and understand the power He can bring into your life. In Jesus Name.

Romans 8:26-28

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

Do you have a life line, a person you always ask when you need advice. In many cases these people in our lives are our parents. When we need advice or help, they are the first we call, or it can be a good friend that we had for a long time. You see as humans we need companionship. We need somebody that we can talk to and share our feelings. I love those first few minutes when I see my son in the afternoons, how he immediately shares the highlights of his day followed by the things we must still buy that is outstanding in his toy collection. The Holy Spirit forms one of the most vital parts in our life as Christians. Jesus had to go so that God can send the Counsellor. Jesus also said that it is better for us that He goes, meaning that we will have so much more in the Holy Spirit. What Paul writes here just gives us that glimpse into the work of the Holy Spirit: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.” And “The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” The Holy Spirit is the one that helps us when we are bombarded by the enemy, He is the one that tells us what to pray, and He is the one that fills me with today reminders. If you feel that you don’t know the Holy Spirit or that you don’t have this intimate relationship with Him, ask God to send the Holy Spirit to you, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His presence and to teach you how to understand Him and how to hear Him. He is God’s voice, but most important is that He pleads for us. The power of the Holy Spirit is unlimited and with Him in your life you will be able to move mountains. You remain in my prayers.

I am surely hoping that we will get more rain down here in South Africa.

 Have a super day filled with the Holy Spirit, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 21 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will know the greatest gift from God is being His adopted child. May you be free from your troubles today as we realise a greater future awaits us. In Jesus Name.

Romans 8:22-24

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved.

Now that we are saved we eagerly look forward to this freedom. We are controlled by life but we forget this is merely a bridge to a better place. I find myself writing about the end of this world a lot and it is funny that Paul also wrote about it continuously. I see this life as a bridge, a long and narrow bridge made out of wood and rope. You know, the ones we get on walking trails. But this one is long and while crossing a huge canyon you will walk through different seasons. At some stages it will be cold and windy, at other it will be stormy and rainy, and at some part it will be sunny. If you lose focus, you can slip and fall all the way down into the canyon. But this canyon is in a “V” form. You see if you fall in the early stages you can still grab hold of the canyon wall and climb back to the beginning of the bridge, but you can never cross it if you keep on slipping of the bridge, because you have to start at the beginning each time. The promise of steady ground and much better weather keeps you focussed on the other side although you cannot see it. Sometimes we slip and fall over, but we grab hold and hang on the side of the bridge waiting for someone to pull us back on. Sometimes there are holes in the floor of our bridge because of all the times we start again and these holes become places where we can easily slip and fall. I do not know what your bridge looks like, but what I do know is that Jesus Christ crossed it for you so it is save and strong enough for you to make it. When this life tries to pull you down, call out to the Lord so that He can pull you back on to the bridge. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide and map. Don’t give up, my prayers are with you today.

Listening to the thunder outside as I write to you confirms again that God is here, do not fear.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Just a last thought: Walking on a bridge over troubled water with Jesus in your life can change at any moment, as Jesus calmed the storm, He can calm the storms on your way over your bridge. Just take His hand.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT - 21 December 2011

Romans 7

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.15 I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 8

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
  5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
  9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
  12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
  15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Today Reminder - 20 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that the gift you receive and the gift that you give is the gift of knowing Jesus. In Jesus Name.

Romans 6:22-23

But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

It’s Christmas time. Yes in five days the world will be celebrating Christmas. I remember as a kid how we loved this time of the year. You make your wish list and then on Christmas day we open our presents. We obviously could never wait, so we almost always opened our gifts the night before Christmas, then the absolute surprise at getting the right present was just amazing. I still have these images in my head, memories of a tree filled with lights as our family sat around it watching as each one opened their gift. As we get closer to Christmas day I can’t help to think and wonder how God must feel. It is one of the most important events in history and the world is in chaos to make an extra cent. We are overwhelmed with marketing and specials that will end on Christmas day. We get sms messages with specials on all kinds of weird things and everybody is trying to take advantage of this out of control shopping frenzy. Did we forget? Do we actual know and remember what this time of year is all about? You see, the greatest gift is free. I write about this quite often, but it is so important: “But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christmas should not be a once in year thing, Christmas should be a way of life. We should celebrate the gift of eternal life each day. We should tell other about it so that each and every person can receive the true gift of Christmas. Bring Jesus back into your Christmas stocking this year, and make Him an everyday celebration. My prayers are with each one of you, may God bless you and your families in this wonderful season and the new season that lies ahead.

Merry Christmas friend of Jesus.

Have an awesome day!

Cheers

Today Reminder - 19 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are free form sin. In Jesus Name.

Romans 6:1-14

SIN'S POWER IS BROKEN
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Sin is no longer your master. Have you ever felt that you keep fighting the good fight but you always seem to lose? You wake up with good intentions only to find that they were a nice thought. This chapter in Romans is so powerful where Paul writes about sin and its power over our lives. Sin only has a place if we allow it to. If we allow sin to have a value, and we continue to feed it, it will continue to destroy us. Paul makes it very clear and I can’t put it in better words: “Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” Jesus took away the power of sin over our lives, He took away all sin in His death. This is a mind shift you will have to make. By allowing Jesus in your life, you have kicked sin in the teeth and out by the door. Do not allow sin a value in your life, because it does not exist. Let Jesus fill that void and be your master. Take some time and read Romans 4 again, Jesus wants you to remember His death, and to remember and believe it had value in your life. Jesus died for you, He gave up His life so that you can be free. Live today as a free person and rejoice in the fact that sin can never control you anymore – ever! You remain in my prayers!

I am free, and will never quit the fight.

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 16 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will persevere in your preparation and endure through your trails and challenges. In Jesus Name.

Romans 5:3-6

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

No pain no gain. In South Africa, rugby is one of our favourite sports. It is always quite an event when teams are up against each other and of course it gets even bigger when South Africa (Springboks) plays against another country. Playing the game is the end result of months of preparing, training and planning. I remember when I was an athlete for South Africa, we had three training sessions a day of 2 hours each. We spend a lot of that time on fitness and endurance and then on technical aspects. We would train the same attack and defence moves for hours on end until it was instinctive and not planned anymore. Preparing for a match takes up a hundred times more time than the actual match. When we run into problems and trials in our life and we are not prepared or spiritually fit, we will struggle. But these problems and trials develop our endurance, it lets us spend more time in prayer and that develops strength. If you look at Jesus before He was arrested, His time in prayer intensified for what awaited Him. He found strength and endurance in prayer. This is your secret weapon in any attack that the enemy can throw in your direction. God gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us and to help us. Let the Holy Spirit be your coach in this season that lies ahead, so that we can be victorious. You remain in my prayers.

Looking forward to a day spend with the family.

Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Romans 5:11 - So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 15 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will receive that breakthrough that does not exist yet. In Jesus Name.

Romans 4:17-19

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah's womb.

Slippery when wet. Have you ever been in a place or position where you knew change had to take place, or rather the way things are currently working is wrong and it needs to change? I find myself with this question this morning, what if you know your situation, or way of life, or work environment or even friendship must change. What do we do when we are faced with this question, yet we do not know what must happen or even what to do? Do we continue being a spectator safely watching the turn of events from the pavilion or do we start training and become a player on this field of battle. Listen to this: “Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.” You are worshipping a God that creates new things out of nothing, who brings into existence what did not exist before. Wow! God can change everything in a blink of an eye. It is we who are afraid. God can turn a hopeless situation into a life changing success story. You are the key in this process, whether you must stand up and talk about it, or change your attitude and be light in the darkness or even spending more time in prayer on it. You are there because you are the start of God’s plan. And here is the important part: “And Abraham's faith did not weaken.” Don’t let the devil deceive you with the thought of a hopeless and unchangeable situation. God will change it, have faith, don’t stop praying and don’t lose heart. You remain in my prayers.

I am looking forward to see how God will change our lives.

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 14 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will soar in faith and that you will be freed from the burden of sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus Name.

Romans 3:22-24

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

The challenges in life can be overwhelming. It is funny in a way I think, when we start our days with a list of good intensions, but as the day progresses these intensions turn into irritations and before we know, we fall short of God’s standard. And then we start to doubt ourselves, we think we are not worthy to be ambassadors for God and we begin to question our own faith. And above all you feel foolish, because instead of showing God’s love you were angry or irritated. The worst part is that these terrible reactions have recurring events, and together they start to pull you down and you feel lost. You begin to doubt and that is when the devil starts to hammer you with negative thoughts. Yet, you are righteous. You are righteous because God declares you righteous! He declares you righteous with His kindness through Jesus that freed you from your penalty of sin. Yes, you are going to struggle and you are not perfect right from the beginning. It takes time and practise to be more like Jesus. What you must remember is that God is teaching and training you for what lies ahead. He is slowly moulding you into the warrior He designed you to be. No matter what lies in your path and whatever happens, remember that you are made right with God through your faith in Jesus Christ, and this is true for everyone, no matter who you are or what you did. Don’t give up, ask God to show you the way and to give you strength, courage and patience. You are not alone and you are a child of God. You remain in my prayers.

Waking up with rain outside, I get this feeling that God is telling me there is a new season of victories waiting on us.

Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 13 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will strive to please God and seek His praise above the praise of man. In Jesus Name.

Romans 2:29

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

In life there are many pitfalls. It is interesting how easily we are angered by people and how easy it is to hurt somebody. It almost seems that in the world people have lost respect for each other and we find it much easier to protect ourselves and our feelings by hurting those around us, whether it is physically or emotionally. Our hearts have become cold and in the process we have lost the true meaning of love. We condemn and hate and seek fault in everyone and everything. We have become the monster. Do you think Jesus had it easier? He was constantly rejected and mocked. The church leaders questioned everything He said and did. He was captured, beaten and crucified because people of that time did not agree with what He did. He was innocent and yet condemned, and still He cared for them. You see He never looked for His own glory but merely God’s glory and that is why people will always find something wrong in you. A changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. We will never find peace if we strive to impress people, if we live only for ourselves. We are here for His glory because He gave us life and freedom. So today let us seek praise from God in everything we do. Let God be glorified in our weaknesses and in our strengths.

To God be all the glory.

Have a great day friend of Jesus. You remain in my prayers.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 12 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will love those around you with a pure heart free from judgement. In Jesus Name.

Romans 2:3-4 and 11

Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

For God does not show favoritism.

You must love you neighbour as you love yourself. I find myself reflecting on the past week when I read this part in Romans. It is almost funny how easy it is for us to judge and condemn. We have this invisible top ten list which we update on a daily basis, and if you don’t find yourself on that list then you are on our bad list and you don’t want to be there no sir. How easy it is for us to find fault in others, in their driving skills, their eating habits, their choice of clothes, their parking abilities, their hair, their choice of friends and I can go on and on.  And funny enough this disapproval of their ways can sometimes be much higher depending of what happened on our way to work of wherever we travel. If you are angered on the way to work then it is so much easier to be angry at others and to judge them incorrectly. It lets me think of the time the people caught the woman in adultery and they were on their way to stone her in John 8. Jesus looked at them and said that it is fine, but the one without sin can throw the first stone. Imagine this in your everyday life before you gossip or judge, hear Jesus’s words: “If you are without sin, then go ahead.” God looks at our lives every day and He remains kind, tolerant and patient. Does this not mean that we must also be kind, tolerant and patient with others? God shows no favouritism and loves each one of us equally. Let’s go out today and truly love our neighbours with kindness, tolerance and patience. God will not be visible in your anger and your gossip, He will only be seen in your love for other.

Cloudy days and rain over South Africa, I love it.

Have a great day friend of Jesus, you remain in my prayers.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 09 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will have life and live it in every moment. In Jesus Name.

Romans 1:6 and 17

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."

Life is short. I think that is something we hear a lot and I do mention it from time to time, but it is faith that I am worried about. Jesus said that with faith you will be able to move a mountain. Faith will give us boldness and take away our fears. I must say, writing to you every day has brought me much closer to the Lord as I wait faithfully for the Holy Spirit to give me the words to write. There are three things that I want to bring to your attention this morning. Firstly, you belong to Christ and secondly you have been made right in God’s sight. And lastly: "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." As I read through Romans 1 today, this really caught my eye, you see with faith we lose a lot of our daily worries and fears and I believe that this will change your way of life. Imagine a day without any problems, a day like that is almost like staying at a fancy hotel where your every need is catered for and everything is brought to you. You are woken by a soft whisper, taken to a waterfall like shower, pampered, clothes are placed on your bed and breakfast awaits you followed by a day filled with fun adventures on sandy beaches and a warm light blue ocean. Wow! Having faith to me is having a day similar to that. Your worries are there but they don’t consume you and your faith in God assures you that He is in control of that. God wants you to have childlike faith and believe that He will be with you every step of the way. And finally it also refers to eternal life, the life that awaits us when Jesus returns. So today I want you to remember that life is too short to sit around counting your problems. Step outside for a moment and just enjoy the day, ask the Lord to help you carry your burden. Laugh more, smile more and joke more. Tell people that you love and them and hug more, cry more if you want. But enjoy each moment, because each moment is a gift.

Have an awesome day and a super weekend. You remain in my prayers dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 08 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will know the Lord is God and He also calls you friend, and that you will see where you friendship is needed today.  In Jesus Name.

Acts 28:15

The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

“When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.” Have you ever been away from home for a while and when you go back you have this excitement inside. I love the movie “Love Actually” where they show the airport arrivals at the end. How people are so happy to see their loved ones when they arrive. I think that is how Paul felt arriving in Rome after all that he has been through, when he saw the Christians waiting for him on his arrival. I love that last part – “He was encouraged and thanked God”. I think we take friendship for granted, especially when we see our friends every day. The world that we live in also makes friendship cheaper when you look at all the electronic media out there, from twitter to Facebook to cell phones and to a thousand other social networking applications, because of this we lose that personal touch, the ear that listens, the shoulder to cry on and off course the hug. You see friends need friends, people should not be alone. God calls you friend, meaning that He wants that intimate relationship with you where you tell Him all that troubles you. He wants to be the first one you talk to. God will then send people to you to listen or to comfort you. They are in most cases your friends, or people you might know. God might be sending you today to listen, or to share a shoulder or to give a hug. Don’t miss out on the opportunity.

Who finds a friend, finds a treasure.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 07 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will be patient in your struggles so that God’s purpose can be achieved in your life. In Jesus Name.

Acts 28:8-10

As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.

When times are tough friends are few.  This is something we used to say when I was still a student, it boiled down to the fact that when you had money to spend you always had many friends, but when you were broke they seem to disappear. To read Paul’s journey to Rome is actually scary at times. You see God told Paul that he will preach in Rome, but to get there he had to spend several years in prison, stand trial to ridiculous accusations and spend months at sea to finally be shipwrecked on the island of Malta, where he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Yet this was all part of God’s plan, and finally the people of Malta saw how God healed people when Paul prayed for them. This lead the people of Mala to give them all the supplies they need for the rest of their journey. Now all the events is quite amazing that leads to this point, but what amazed me most is Paul. Paul never gave up, he never quitted and he continued on his journey. He knew God had a purpose and he remained dedicated to that cause. I talk a lot about purpose lately and spend a lot of time telling you to stay focused. I guess it is the times we live in. There are a lot of uncertainties as we continue to face hardships in the current economy. It is much easier to lose focus and slip away in times like this. So I believe that the Holy Spirit brought this message to give you hope, so that you will continue through it all as God will use us in His great plan. You are in my thought as I write this and I know God will be with you every step of the way. Spend time with Him and listen to His voice, you are so important to God.

Another day made for us by the author and creator of this world…

Have a super day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 06 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will follow the Lord’s guidance with the authorities in your life. In Jesus Name.

Acts 23:5

“I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, 'You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.'”

You must not speak evil of your rulers, goodness, I guess we are all from time to time in a position where we disagree and rebel against our rulers or leaders. I believe it is partially our own selfishness that makes us unhappy. In the end our leaders are only people like you and me and we make mistakes, so they will make mistakes. In most cases it is our direct leadership that we criticize so easily, your manager or your directors or maybe your MD or CEO. We are quick to scrutinize them and point out their imperfections when we are in most cases blind to see our own. You are not in your workplace or suburb or even circle of friends by accident, you are there because you are placed there for a purpose. Let’s follow the scriptures and not speak evil of our leaders but instead honour and help them in their duties to lead. Take time today and bring your leaders to God in prayer and ask Him to change their hearts. My thoughts and prayer will be with you today as we humble ourselves.

Cool weather over South Africa, looking forward to a great day.

Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Joshua 1:9 (You will love this)

Joshua 1:9

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Today Reminder - 05 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will be blessed in everything that you give. In Jesus Name.

Acts 20:35

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

It’s the season of giving… Yes it is Christmas. Can you believe it, this year went by so quickly. Buying gifts over the weekend and reading this scripture this morning just brought back to mind the sermon on the mountain where Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fishes and fed five thousand. Not only once but twice that we know of from scripture. You see God can take so little and make it so big. It is our mind that holds God back. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus and we are reminded again that He humbled himself and came down to earth to die for our sins. The greatest gift that we can ever receive, and it is free to everyone. To me it is hard to remember this in my everyday life, that we have the opportunity to show this gift and give it wherever we are. So my challenge to us is that we give, however small, and believe that it will have a huge impact. But not only now, but every day that lies ahead. May God bless you and all your friends and families over this wonderful time.

Looking forward to a super Monday

Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

My God is an awesome God

I look to the mountains and wonder where my help will come from,

My help is from God and God alone,

He is my morning star, He turns my night into day, He brings light into my darkness,

He is the air I breathe and the blood rushing through my veins,

He is the wind in my face and the warmth on my skin,

He is the strength in my legs and the sight in my eyes,

He is in my sorrow and He is in my joy,

He brings peace to my heart and freedom to my soul,

He is, was and will always be my God.

Today Reminder - 02 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will not be held back by idols, but that you will grow in God. In Jesus Name.

Acts 17: 16 and 28-30

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.

For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
"God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him.

The world is but a vapour, but God is eternal…

The life we live and the world today has become a place of idols. It is the cars we drive, the houses we build the clothes we buy and even the friends we choose. Life itself has become a place where I put myself first and the rest must just follow. We idolize. And the best part is that we take the credit for our success and our achievements. I love how Louie Giglio explained this. You are successful at work, you use your eyes to see, you ears to hear, your mouth to talk, your arms to write and your legs to walk. You drive to work in a car that you bought because of the work you have with arms and legs. Who gave you these arms and legs? God did. You wouldn’t even be at work if it wasn’t for Him. You would not have been able to do your job if it was not for God. Yet we put God at the end of our friend and glory lists. God made you, He designed you even before you were born. He knew you will be where you are right now, because that is how He planned it. Everything and everyone is here because of Him, He chose the people you will work with and the people you will be friends with and it all part of His great master plan. So that no one will be lost but all will be saved. Today’s challenge to you is a tough one. Put God first and give Him His deserved glory for everything in your life. He made you and He made you in His image. Let those around you and even those you meet see that God is your best friend and that He is first in all that you do and all that you are. To God be all the glory…

Rain over South Africa, wow it is going to be a blessed Christmas.

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 01 December 2011

My prayer for you for today is that you will believe and trust in the Lord Jesus, and that His presence in your life will touch those around you. In Jesus Name.

Acts 16:29-39

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

In the most unexpected places God is at work. This event in Paul’s life is actually quite interesting and well, it makes you think. You see it all started with a fortune teller. Firstly I must say that Paul has gone through some tough experiences before he ended up in Philippi. Now what I love about this encounter is all the little messages that form part of one result. Now we know that we will suffer for Christ but let’s look at what happened to Paul. You see this fortune teller was a demon possessed slave that earned a lot of money for her masters. But what she did is she shouted out what Paul and Silas was doing and we find it in verse 17:

17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And instantly it left her.

I just love that. Paul got exasperated (infuriated, annoyed) to the point where he just had enough and he said: "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."  And the spirit left her. Goodness, if I was a bystander I can just imagine the stunned silence and the look of confusion on that girls face and then it must’ve been followed by a cry of joy for she was free of the demon. We can move mountains with Jesus. And yes this not only changed her life but also Paul and Silas life’s:

22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

This is the best part, what now looked like a hopeless situation was all part of God’s plan to save the jailer and his family. This is what we must learn, even in hopeless times God is at work. And what left me stunned out of this whole story is this part:

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

That just left me speechless. You see even in the worst times we must always remember that God has a plan and purpose. Don’t lose faith my friend but stand firm as we journey together to the Kingdom of God and pray and sing hymns along the way.

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers