Thankful for Godly Sisters

For some time,I had concluded that sisters were not as spiritual;since whenever we engaged it would be rare to engage on spiritual matters.Or maybe I was the problem now that I think of it.Fast forward to 2015,I meet a sister who only speaks about God and I always learnt something from her.Sadly,she left Cape Town.Then God blessed me with a friend and we also started studying the Bible at church and I was always blessed and still am whenever I engage with her.

And ever since,I've met a lot of sisters who love God and who have a true experience with God.But yesterday was an exception!An exception because I learned a lot of spiritual lessons and I was encouraged to take my cross again and follow Jesus.

So,we gathered to go do a health expo at Nyanga and while we waited,we spoke about certain issues that where bothering us in our spiritul walk.

One thing that came out was the compromise of principles within the church.But we also learnt that we have a responsibility to do something whenever we see a problem.There's no use complaining about how the pastors are worldly or this or that.The question is,what are we actually doing about the whole issue?Are we praying about it,are going with a Christ-like mind to show those that are off path?

I also learnt that it's important that we always have the mind of Christ-to mingle justice and mercy.Often,we always want to bash out those we see doing wrong.But do we take the time to see the motive behind whatever they are doing?Some people may have motives,but they may have no idea how to go about something.Also ignorance plays a big role.

I also learnt that it's important to consider other people's temperaments when engaging with them.Glad a sister pointed this out.As a melancholic I tend to want things to be done a certain way,which is how I view it and whenever this is not so,I struggle.But I'm learning that-if it is God's way and in line with His Word,then it is okay since God is infallible and it is all about Him at the end.

I also learnt that you cannot evangelise someone who's broken,without first trying to get at the root of the problem.Often these souls just want kindness,care and us showing them that we are there for them-since they often build a barrier to protect themselves.

AND LASTLY,my facourite theme:individuality!!!!!We can all be principled Christians without mimicing each other and that's perfectly fine.The Holy Spirit is working to perfect us in own personalities!

On the downside,as SDA sisters we are still unfriendly.Many visitors are being neglected while we stand in our cliques...We are not to forget to "entertain visitors".It is a Christian duty!

But I'm blessed.I am encouraged.I am thankful for sisters who choose Christ.

"God With Us"

I'm currently doing a Bible course where we are required to read the book of The Desire of Ages,which also happens to my favorite Spirit of Prophecy book amongst others.I love how it is based on the life of Jesus; from Him deciding to take man's place-plan of redemption,Him living on earth-as a child,as a young man,and an adult.To Hm fulfilling His mission,conquering and going back to the Most Holy Place to finish His part in the redemption of mankind.

Chapter 1 is titled "God with Us".There was a period where God was with our parents since creation.But when the devil rebelled in heaven,he made sure he will bring God to destruction,by presenting Him as unjust and unloving God,with a law that cannot be kept.God allowed this to happen because it is contrary to who He is to force anyone to obey Him and so when mankind was created,He gave them free will.Through this free will,mankind fell into sin and that brought about a seperation between God and mankind,because sin and Gd cannot coexist.

But God,out of love,had foreseen all this and came up with a plan out of His love and Jesus-God,the second person of the Godhead chose freely to sacrifice everything-the honor,the worship of angels and more so that He can show to the angels and mankind the true character of God.It had not been enough for God to dwell in the sanctuary and the sacrificial ceremonies were only a slight reflection of what Jesus was going to do on behalf of mankind and to vindicate the character of God-to prove that He is love and it is possible to keep His law.

Not only was Jesus going to come,but He was going to be made in the very sinful flesh of mankind-and as He was going to depend entirely on God-the Father,he was to be the appropriation of our sin and restore the broken relationship between God and mankind.Though He faced trials,He proved that the grace of God is able to give us victory over sin,and the broken relationship is mended--only as we shall accept Jesus as our personal Saviour and depend on Him.

What has touched me while reading this chapter is the fact that NOT only is the Godhead involved in the salvation of mankind but angels as well.Even more,our relationship with God can be more intimate and closer than before the fall of man.That part humbles me.The statements below are the ones that have stood out and I hope to cherish them as I journey with my Lord.

"By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through
sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we
become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has
bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked
with us. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son."-DA,p25

"The angels of glory find their joy in giving,--giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen
and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts
above; by gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a
fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know."-DA,p22

"Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes
with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of
sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction
presented in the Saviour's life on earth, we see "God with us."-DA,p24

"By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As
the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey."-DA,p24

"God with us" is the surety of our deliverance from sin,the assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven.Jesus' life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God."-DA,p24,25

Am I normal? Thankful for my mama!

I'm currently in another province,which means I''m far from my mom.The problem is,a week cannot pass without me calling my mom-more than once a week at times and this is starting to worry me.Last year,I was also in Cape Town but two weeks could pass without me calling her.

There's just something about hearing my mom's voice.It's home.I can tell her about my struggles,my worries,what God is teaching me etc.And the interesting thing is,we were not this close when I was 18.Years passed and it became easy to open up to her-but initially I'd speak indirectly about something I was going through.But through God's grace,now I can tell her everything :).And the cool thing about her is,she allows me to make my own decisions-her only counsel is me not sinning against God.Even better,if she advises me on something,she understands that I might not follow her advice since I have my own goals (but her advice is always on point,pity it took me time to realize this  ).

I believe we all can have close relationships with our mothers.The thing is,any relationship is two sided- our mothers do actually want us to come to them when we need counsel,when we are hurting etc,but they sometimes do not know how to make us comfortable enough.So,as children we also have the responsibility to be open to our parents-even if it's awkward at first,but the more you do it,the better.

We've gotten to a point where we sometimes chat until 2 A.M and these memories count more than taking a selfie together.

I am just grateful,grateful to have someone who will always be there for me and who's ever supportive.I'm grateful that my mom lets me talk without interrupting me LOL.Okay,let me explain:there are certain things I'm passionate about sharing,like my devotion,and so I can go on for 10 minutes until my brain reminds me that I've got to let my mom talk.I'm also grateful that she has a teachable spirit and she's not afraid to admit when she's wrong.But most of all,thankful that God is able to bind the heart of mother to her child's.

I am blessed!And her existence is something I do not take lightly.It's a comforting thought to know there will always be someone who has my back and that is my beloved mother.

Dear Christian Brothers

There is nothing so heart-warming like seeing you aspiring to be like Christ.This always motivates and encourages me.There's nothing beautiful as a young man who has zeal for the gospel.It is through such brothers that I've been encouraged to stand for God and to take an active role in spreading the gospel.

Whenever I gather with some of the brothers in our mission group,I always see self-denial and humility and the spirit of service.And beautiful it will be,when this can be said about every young Christian man.

Sadly,that is not the case.It's disheartening that some of you my brothers,who stand calling people to righteousness,are the same individuals who are stumbling blocks to some-especially to your sisters in Christ.I am sad when I hear accounts of seemingly God-fearing brothers who go around breaking their sisters' hearts.How?Through stealing of affections.My brothers,it is not wise to open up to sisters as this causes emotional attachment and at the end,when you've given sisters the idea that you are interested,you then go to pursue a relationship with someone else.This is not becoming.

"To trifle with hearts is a crime of no small magnitude in the sight of a holy God. And yet some will show preference for young ladies and call out their affections, and then go their way and forget all about the words they have spoken and their effect. A new face attracts them, and they repeat the same words, devote to another the same attentions.

This disposition will reveal itself in the married life. The marriage relation does not always make the fickle mind firm, the wavering steadfast and true to principle. They tire of constancy, and unholy thoughts will manifest themselves in unholy actions. How essential it is, then, that the youth so gird up the loins of their mind and guard their conduct that Satan cannot beguile them from the path of uprightness."-AH,p57

The Bible admonishes young men:

" Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. "-1 Timothy 5:1-2

My brothers,you would do well to NOT play part in making your sisters' salvation burdensome.Often,you regard your sisters in Christ in selfishness-relating to them as objects-without any emotions whatsoever;but as disposable-fulfilling a certain need and when no longer needed,as good as nothing.

Then there are those brothers who are in relationships-but they are still familiar with every other sister.Now this is also unbecoming.Imagine being in a relationship with a sister and having her open up her heart to every other guy or having her get calls from various guys.It wouldnt be right,would it?

Also,when you are in a relationship with a sister-remember her body-every part of it,belongs to God NOT YOURS. Yes,Im not any better but this whole business of comitting fornication is not right-even if the fruits are visible or not.Please my brothers :).

Lastly,God has not called you to be weak-willed males who are tossed and controlled by females.Learn from your brother Joseph-He did not worry about what the wife of Potiphar was going to think of Him but God.

I do keep you in my prayers and I always pray that God will strengthen you and accomplish His will in your lives.

  
The world is in need of men-men in the truest sense.Only Jesus can make you reach the ideal of a man.Turn to Him-He was once a young man;yet no account of evil was mentioned-especially from sisters,crying about Him playing with their feelings etc.Ask Him to make you true men of God.

INDIVIDUALITY

"Stand in your God-given personality.Be no other person's shadow."-Help in Daily Living,p43

I think there's a bit of confusion when it comes to personality and character.

 Personality:the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.

Character:the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual

That's what I found when I googled.In my own understanding personality is what makes you distinct to everyone-your individuality.Looking at Moses-Moses was gentle,timid etc and Peter was forward,quick to speak etc.

Anyway why am I even talking about this? Because there are individuals who seem to not understand this concept in Christianity and they tend to want to supress other people's individualities.

Often,if you are a talkative person,this is often interpreted as you not being "humble,reserved" etc.But this is not so.A person can be an introvert and still be full of pride and this is crucial to understand because we end wanting to dictate people on how they should behave,rather who they should be-but God has already made people who they are and they need to be content in themselves (personality) and not look to anyone.

I remember an instant when someone had told me "you are not reserved,you should be like so and so" and these individuals were quiet people-mind you I was engaging with another individual who was helping to settle in a new environment and I obviously had to ask questions.So,for sometime I'd avoid engaging because I thought this meant I wasn't "reserved" enough.Then it went to me being told, "as a woman you should know when to speak" or you shouldn't speak much.So,I just ended up avoiding engaging with others because I wanted to be seem "humble,reserved" etc.That ended up with me being unhappy.

As I look back I realize,being humble is a heart issue.Also God has made each one of us distinct.God has made other people talkative,reserved,observant,hands-on etc and none of us is the same.There might be similarities but there are also distinctions.And this is to be so and this is what makes it all beautiful.

But no one's personality is the standard.We are not to use certain individuals as standards for womanhood/manhood.This demolishes our individuality.Oftern,courting brothers/brothers in general will look at an examplirary married woman and admire her traits and now they'd try to change the lady they want to court into a "copy" of this married woman and this is error.

Here we need to be careful!

Of course,as women,we need reserve when  relating to the males.I can't come and start touching a brother as I would if I'd be talking to my sisters.But reserve does not mean keeping quiet and not engaging with each other.And sometimes males don't engage-so in this case,I see nothing wrong with engaging here and speaking our minds because we can learn from each other.

So,YAY TO INDIVIDUALITY!

I hope to read and share more on this.Hoping I'll get to a point where I express it eloquently.








 

The solution is IN Christ and Him ALONE

Just a bit of intro: Growing up,I did feel insecure about who I was because of comments made by outsiders.I always felt like I was not "beautiful' enough etc.And so,because I felt I wasn't beautiful,I relied on my brain and my confidence was in it.

Then there were talks about self-esteem and I did have a low self-esteem.Mostly,these talks always direct you to look "within".But as I think of it,why must I look within?What's there to begin with?

The reality is,even as Christians we suffer from insecurities but as I reflect,I believe all these insecurities are a reflection that Christ is not in His rightful place in our lives.When we start making Christ our all,when we remove our eyes from ourselves-our abilities,our achievements etc and cast them on Christ,then we have security.

It is when we give ALL to Christ that we're able to feel complete and be complete.We can talk about self-worth etc but we need to start at the foundation-that on our own,we have no good and it is only Christ who adds value in our lives.

If we want to be secure,complete,THEN we need to remove our eyes from ourselves and look to our Creator.

I'm learning that,when we live a life that is all about us-a life where we want others to praise us,others to think highly of us,where it's all about us and what others think of us,then we cannot be fulfilled.

And so I conclude,we do NOT need talks on self-worth,self-esteem,confidence,inner beauty and the latter;we need to behold Christ and we need to know Him intimately,then He will make clear what our worth is,because He's our Creator and only He can point us in the right direction. 

A life of Momentary Pleasure VERSUS A life consecrated to Christ

Sometime last week I listened to Leslie Ludy's sermon titled an "undivided heart" and I was rebuked.The Holy Spirit convicted me of the fact that I am still not entirely consecrated to God and I sometimes live as if I have no purpose by choosing to live a life free from duty.

And when I did my friday evening devotion,I decided to read Hebrews 11.Just a side note:I love God-The Holy Spirit.I just love how He will even lead us to the type of Scripture that will reveal our true condition.Indeed,Heaven has poured everything to secure our souls.I'll have no one to blame but myself if I do not make it to heaven.

Back to the topic:I read Hebrews 11 and verses 24-25 really stood out for me.In fact,my small-heart trembles at this Scripture:


²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

My heart broke when I thought of the times I chose pleasure over an investment to my future-eternal life.Now I realize how crucial it is to be always "vigilant and sober;to redeem time" because the devil is ever setting traps to distract us from the focal point-which is to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling".

And I must point out that some of these momentary pleasures are not necessarily sin in and out of themselves,but they cause us to focus on the earthly things rather than heavenly,thus weakening us.These may include:

Spending endless hours on Facebook,while neglecting prayer,study of God's Word, witnessing and our daily responsibilities 

Being in a relationship out of God's will and perfect timing

Living a life of self-indulgence:over-eating,spending money on clothes,wasting times feeding self;instead of going about our Father's business.Believe me,there's a lot of work we can do for God

Choosing to give in to fleshy desires instead of restraining them by the power God gives us

Choosing to day-dream instead of focusing on earthly themes and reading material that we'll inform us and make us profitable to the society at large and so on.

And the question is,the pleasure we choose to indulge in:are these pleasures making our relationship with God stronger and are they encouraging us to make victory over every defect;or they are weakening our conscience and stilling the voice of the Holy Spirit?
 

Thankful for Friday

Friday the 4th was an interesting day but I'm filled with gratitude as I look back.But before sharing what I'm grateful about,I need to share this "weird" experience I had.So out of nowhere,a beautiful girl appears and asks for my picture.Reluctant,I ask her why.She then tells me it's for a school project, then I agree.She asks me about my happy moments and sad moments.And I had so many happy moments that I did not know which one to choose.And I had a few sad moments-I recalled things I had seen in the hospital-an elderly patient with a 4th stage bedsore and the little child with respiratory problems.A neighbor brought him and she had to leave him there since she was from out of Cape Town.

Honestly,this just made me realize how grateful I ought to be.Why it's weird?Because I've watched a lot of crime investigations so I start thinking weird things.But I've stopped,so it's alright now.

As I look at my life,there has been a few disappointments here and there,but they don't count for sad moments-they just fall under "lessons learnt".Honestly,I don't have anything to complain about because God has really been with me through it all-He is my beloved and He is faithful!

Then,I went to buy some fruit for Sabbath lunch around 5,the sun was still up.I get to the shop to buy something.Then someone distracted me and I  ended up breaking a bottle.My cerebrum literally stopped for a few seconds-I think there was no action potential.But then I went to tell one lady who works there.Inside,I just told God that I was not really willing to pay for what I broke as that was the coming week's busfare :(.Then the lady said it's okay.Man,I'm sure the valves,atria,and ventricles on my heart were jumping up and down and flipping open and close!Which brings another thought as I'm writing this:This is exactly what happened to us:we sinned,we couldn't pay the penalty and Jesus said:"it's alright I'll pay the price".But does that mean I  should go around breaking things in the store just because I  didn't pay for the bottle I  broke?Alas! I'm filled with such gratitude that  I am not willing to do any wrong.The gratitude brings such carefulness.So it is with sin and grace.

One other thing that melted my heart,an elderly lady gave me her place on the queue since I only had a few things to pay for.Oops,thoughts keep dropping by as I write:It brings to mind what Christ did,taking my place so I can be free from bondage of sin,while He suffers in my place.The old lady decided to give me her time.

So that was my beautiful friday.I must say,I think a lot!All these lessons the Holy Spirit impressed upon me right now.I sometimes start a post thinking I'm going to cover a certain topic and I end up writing something totally different or not writing at all.

All in All,I'm grateful to God who moves upon people's hearts so that I may write and share these moments :)

Grateful to have God who sees me through each and everyday.He is my strength!

Perharphs I need the attitude of Capetonians

They have  an uncaring attitude towards life.At least the ones I see in the trains.

Some jump through the door to the other side of the railway,what if a train were to just appear?

There are also instances whereby people would go through one door to the train next to  theirs,because they don't want to miss it;even if one was going to come in a few minutes' time.They are always in a hurry.

But one thing I can never understand is when people going to Bellville stand directly at the door and you have to get out.There was a certain instance where I had to push through them and my bag was left inside and I had to go back inside again.Funny part is,the train waits for 10-15 minutes before leaving.

But through all of this,I have learnt that I need this attitude in my Christianity.To give myself fearlessly and unreserved to the cause of God. To not love my life unto death.Sometimes we're so focused on preservation of life such that we're not willing to live for God!Now I'm not saying we must act on presumption;but we need to let God be the One who preserves our lives,after all,He's the source of it.

I believe if you and I were so fired up on doing the will of God,not willing to miss on eternal life,then it would make a huge difference in our lives-lives consecrated to God,daily,hourly,eternally. 

TRUE BEAUTY

What is True Purity?

God calls us to be pure and so many times we struggle with it because we limit it to the physical.We often conclude,as long I'm not fornicating then I'm okay.But what about the thought life? God calls us to gaurd the avenues of the soul and it is only when the heart is pure that the actions be.This presentation below puts it so beautifully,by Leslie Ludy.