I Am Free

Dear friend How are you? Hope things are going well for you? I’m sorry to worry you but something the Lord has shown me that I feel I need to share with you…hope that’s ok??? It’s a letter I am also writing to myself as this has been a huge issue for me too!!! And I’m hoping that as I write this it will bring clarity and healing for me too as it’s something I have to keep reminding myself of!!! What the Lord has shown me is that you are struggling with issues from your past…things that you are ashamed of and that you regret deeply!! It is in a sense holding you back from the new thing that God has for you. Ok I need to back track a little here…just recently I wrote something that I have been very excited about and it’s to do with entering into your new season called “Harvest Is Your Reward” (see my blog www.chooselifesjc.blogspot.com ) here’s a quote from there:- “I’ve just spoken on dealing with the devils on the new level but before you deal with those guys you actually have to first defeat the devils of the PAST before you can even think of going into your new season! In Josh 10:13,28, Joshua ordered the sun and moon to stand still – he spoke to his season to stay still as he wanted to destroy all his enemy before his season ended…he didn’t want to have to fight those same devils in the next season! Some examples, David and Goliath, he slew his four brothers as well! King Saul was told to destroy all the Amalekites but he kept King Agag alive, the queen escapes…they then have to fight a whole new generation later on, Haman!! If you do not deal with issues of the PAST your future generations will be fighting them too (generational curses…sins of the fathers!!). Oh wow what have I started here as this is a huge issue and stumbling block for most of us!!! Issues of my past have kept me back for years and it is impossible to move into a new season until these are dealt with! Unfortunately just being born into the human race means you have suffered great pains of varying degrees from childhood until now…it is not possible to live in a fallen world without experiencing all sorts of debilitating dysfunctions and in that process we put up walls to protect ourselves but in so doing we create a closed and hardened heart but that also keeps God out too and sometimes a door will stay closed because of a closed heart but “the key to all of this is having a pliable and soft heart, one that is willing to change Deut 10:16 “so circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened” also Gen 17:11, Ezek 36:26-27, Isah 1:19, 1 Sam 15:23, Josh 5:9. If we resist change and stubbornly continue to cling to the old, comfortable way of doing things we will never experience God’s new and better things!....lay aside stubbornness, rebellion and unwillingness to change but rather be obedient and willing to submit to His Lordship, no matter how crazy or difficult it may seem! Soften your heart and become pliable, teachable and humble! Lay down your own way, your own plans and your own selfish desires Jn 12:24-25, Gal 2:20, Luke 14:33.” (taken from “See I Make All Things New”). “Love is what heals and opens a closed heart. Love is the oil that lubricates the heart and prepares it to receive 1 Jn 4:18. Love is what breaks the chains and breaks down the walls.” (taken from “The Open Door”).” Ok you know how I love to use illustrations…I always illustrate it like this…you have your hand holding onto something behind you but you are trying to reach forward and move in that direction but you can’t move cos you are still holding the thing behind you…you have to let it go so you can move forward! That’s exactly what the PAST does to you…it prevents you from moving forward!!! I know I have broached on a huge subject here and like I’ve said this is something that has affected my own life dramatically too! I’ve made terrible decisions, bad mistakes and done things I deeply regret and only recently in 2010 the Holy Spirit revealed something to me that happened in my childhood that I had no memory of which explains why I’ve reacted this way! Unfortunately with it, it brought a shame based form of thinking with wrong mindsets and strongholds! It’s something I have to work through and allow the Lord to heal me in this area which is not easy as it’s painful…but one thing I can say is the Lord is lovingly kind and gentle and He never pushes us further than we want to go! It is knowing His deep love for you, in spite of your mistakes, that allows healing and restoration to begin! The other aspect of this is knowing and understanding the work that He did for us on the cross…there is no sin that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse Isah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool”, if we will humbly come to Him in repentance asking for forgiveness 1John 1:9 amp “if we [freely] admit (own up) that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Ps 32:5 He has done all the work, He has paid the full price for our sins but we have to receive it as a free gift…we cannot work for His forgiveness, we cannot earn it or do anything to make up for it (penance)...all we have to do is willingly receive it!!! This is where most people stumble…because of the huge guilt they carry around they feel they have to do something to earn His forgiveness!!! But the problem here is that we can never be good enough…we can never, on our own, meet His standards of righteousness! Our righteousness is as filthy rags (this word is translated “menstrual towel”) in His sight Isah 64:6. Trying to do it in your own strength is NOT grace but law…grace says “come and drink freely…without price” Isah 55:1, Rom 3:24-28. There is sooo much I could share on the power of the cross, how Jesus has met and paid every single requirement that the righteous, holy and just Father requires to make restitution for our sins!! When we appropriate the blood of Jesus, the Father no longer sees our sins but only sees the blood and that full payment has been made, we are now the righteousness of Christ! But I love this illustrations too…in our own courts of law, the law of double jeopardy states we cannot be tried for the same crime twice!! This also applies here…how can God judge us for a crime that Jesus has already paid for (if we apply it and receive it)? So you see this is the KEY to freedom from guilt…freedom from the past…freedom to live a new and exciting life…freedom to start over from fresh, to begin a new beginning!! I no longer have to dwell in the past…and yes the devil will keep reminding you of it as he is the accuser of the brethren Rev 12:10 , Rom 8:1, Phil 3:13 , Isah 43:18 , 1 Jn 3:20 , Ps 44:15 , but when he does that all you have to do is remind him of his future Rev 20. Now this story is another KEY:- Last week I thought I had finished this letter (its 17/11/12 today) but I was reminded of an incident 5years ago, when I suffered greatly from guilt and condemnation and just knew I had to add this in here (but it’s been difficult for me to write and even this morning I felt that same tinge of guilt trying to sneak up on me..James 4:7 “…resist the devil and he will flee from you.”) Oh boy I hope I don’t go into too much detail, some of you will know the story but others won’t so I will have to give a bit of the background! Five years ago my friend Lesley died!!! It’s an 8 year long story with many issues and because one of my spiritual gifts is the “gift of mercy” I tried to “rescue” her!!! She was an alcoholic and of course suffered many ailments because of it but also a very heavy smoker! Isn’t it ironic it was actually the smoking that would’ve killed her as she developed throat cancer! Even though 4 years prior had been warned to stop smoking because nodules were forming on her larynx! Now it had become cancer and she was told by the specialist that her best option would be to go to the UK for treatment but unfortunately her family was not prepared to help in any way which left me with the burden but I was unable to send her there, so her only other option was to go to Harare for tests and scans and then a 7 week period of radio and chemo therapy! Now if you’re not from Zim you WILL not understand this part of the story….it was at the time when we went through cash shortages and hyper inflation (not at its peak crisis but it was still drastically limited!) and you could only withdraw a certain amount of cash a day! Les had her appointment in Harare for Friday and I had booked her on AirZim for Thursday but was only able to withdraw enough cash for one (everything at that time had to be paid in cash!) I sent her off on her own!!! Now also if you have never known an alcoholic this also will not make any sense to you!!! Alcoholics have NO control and what I did is the same as giving a 15 year old your car keys….it turned out she skipped her appointment on Friday for her first scan (was at the Holiday Inn drinking instead) then to my utmost horror was told by the radiologist that the fee had now been increased (it had doubled from Friday to Monday) and like I said everything had to be paid in cash upfront! So I ran around like a mad thing withdrawing cash from 4 different banks then depositing it into their bank…faxing the deposit slip to them so she could have the scan that same day...Monday! Well she never made it to that appointment either!!! On the Tuesday…the last time I had spoken to her, she had told me she had got in the way of a fight and had a black eye…I yelled and screamed at her in total frustration…knowing what alcoholics are like and not being there to be able to control the situation!!! Anita, her sister from UK, was the last person to speak to her on Tuesday pm and Les had told her she was dying! On the Wednesday morning I phoned the lodge where she was staying to make sure she would wake up in time for this appointment…long story short they went to wake her but found her dead…she had passed away in the night!!! Whew had to have a bit of a break there!!!!!! I of course was in total shock but immediately made arrangements to go to Harare…to get her burial order so her body could be transported back to Byo (what her family wanted) and while in Harare found out all the facts…I stayed in the same lodge, spoke to everyone that came into contact with her, found out she had been going to the Holiday Inn (only 2 blocks away) and they claimed she had not been in a fight…my conclusion (as the family did not want her to have an autopsy) was that she probably was coming home on Monday night from the Holiday Inn and was mugged and beaten…perhaps rupturing a lung, spleen or the like, causing internal bleeding??? After the initial trauma of everything, her family, the funeral etc. I of course went into mourning and grief but also began a spiral into the pit of guilt and condemnation…you know the “if only’s”!!!! By the way this is a common ailment for anyone facing a death…you WILL go through this but its VERY important not to STAY there!!!! Knowing the principals of this whole letter will help you to get out! I totally blamed myself for not being there with her…this was ALL my own fault…she never would’ve died like that if I had been there!!!! The guilt spiraled into a massive pool of condemnation! Then at the time I was going to Pastor Bothwell’s church (2009), he called me in for a meeting…he said to me the Lord has 3 things He wants to speak to you about!!!! Guess what the very first one was…yes guilt and condemnation!! That day, through a time of prayer and ministry, I was delivered from that debilitating MONSTER GUILT that came right from the very corridors of hell itself!!!!!! Whew was supposed to keep this story short but hey this is the crux of the whole story!!!! What I discovered about guilt and condemnation and the principals of getting out of it, is that you “let it drop”, “let it go”. It is something you have full control over…it is a decision you can make…not like an addiction where you need deliverance as you are not in control and can’t “help yourself”. Then it suddenly dawned on me as I was pondering on this, and I thought hey that is the exact same principal for forgiveness…let me read from the amplified what it says about forgiveness Mark 11:25 “and whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go) (do not keep meditating on it and regurgitating it) in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you…” Matt 6:14 “for if you forgive people their trespasses[(leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Then the penny dropped…ok I know I’m slow…the reason it is the exact same principal as forgiveness is because it is forgiveness!!!! The way to release yourself from guilt and condemnation is to forgive YOURSELF!!!!! The hardest person to forgive is yourself…we are often a lot harder and ridiculously strict on ourselves! But this is the KEY to getting out if it!!! Stop blaming yourself (even if it was your fault), stop bringing it up all the time (regurgitating) and going over and over and over it (meditating). When the pangs of guilt come, like what happened to me this morning, resist them and refuse them claiming all the scriptures about being forgiven (see below), keep saying out loud what God says about you! Refuse to allow this in your life ANYMORE…it is NOT from God but from the pit of hell designed to cripple and DESTROY you…YOU have a CHOICE to let it drop and let it GO and forgive yourself!!!! Claim this scripture right now, lay hold of it by faith and believe what God has said HE WILL DO… 1John 1:9 amp “if we [freely] admit (own up) that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Now freely forgive yourself! One last thing I want to share some things the Lord said to me some years ago…”Shake off the past once and for all, do not partake of it any longer! (a good illustration here is a dog returning to it’s vomit!) Lay a reef there and put it to rest! It is dead and over! Now stand up and shout – shout your victory cry!” “Shake off the past; I do not want you to go there – not for one moment! Jesus has paid the price – don’t insult Him by not accepting that!” (“Honour the Blood” R.T. Kendall). “Undo the knots that tie you to the past – the past is gone, look ahead of you now! Refreshment comes from Me.” “Break free from the past (had a picture of a bunch of men climbing into someone and then that person breaking out free!) I have much planned for you but until you let the past go – I cannot use you!” “Why do you feel that what I have done for you on the cross is not good enough? Don’t allow this to happen, stand up and fight! You have to press on with grit determination. Don’t allow this in your life anymore! It will destroy you and the work I have for you – you must let the past go! I am here to help you.” “If you are “locked” up in the past (could be guilt & condemnation or the death of a loved one) your physical body actually begins to deteriorate & immune systems collapses because you are not growing spiritually. It is impossible to move forward to the next level God has for you if you still have one hand clinging onto the past. Phil 3:13. The past is the biggest enemy to the future! The enemy is afraid of your future & where your are going, so he’ll try to keep you in the past” “Vision, Dreams & Goals: Hab 2:2. Without these you will wonder through life aimlessly. Set goals that will stretch you but that are not impossible. Focus on your strengths. Use imagination & expectation, think, imagine, speak & act your dream. Make a firm decision & commitment to leave the past behind & not go back (like a dog returning to his vomit), as looking back will abort your dreams and visions, lay a reef there & put it to rest! It is dead & over!” S.J. Some other verses that are good to meditate on… Isah 43:25 amp “I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isah 44:22 amp “I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions, and like a cloud your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Ps 86:5 amp “For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Ps 103:12 amp “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” By the way this is infinite as east and west can never meet!!! Micah 7:19 amp “He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” And puts a sign there NO FISHING! “How deep are the oceans that it is virtually impossible to recover wrecks…and because of the enormous pressure they are buried forever, beyond our reach, never to come to the surface again!!! And if that is God’s intention, why not leave them where He has put them and find rest for your souls?” (taken from “Your Bible And You”) And if He has forgotten them, what right do we have to bring them up again????

When I am free from my past, guilt and condemnation are no longer my companions…I am free to live the life He has given me no longer bound but set free!!! And all because of what He did for me on the cross!!! He has taken my burden, He has taken my shame…its no longer mine…I am Free!!! S.J.

Harvest Is Your Reward

This morning (27 Sept 2012) I was reminded about something I heard on TBN during a “Praise A Thon” which has incited great excitement and definitely needs to be added in here!!!

Restoration…Harvest is the Reward of the last Season: Joel 2:25 The locusts are there to eat and destroy your harvest, to keep you out of your next season and to keep you in a cycle of plowing, sowing and watering without reaping or getting your harvest (i.e. “going around the mountain again!!! or aborting your dream!!!). You see God can only “rebuke the devourer (seed eater)” Mal 3:11 on your behalf, when you walk in obedience…sin and willful disobedience (read “10 Curses that Block the Blessing” Larry Huch) will assuredly bring on the locusts in their swarms!!!! And you will not enter into your “Canaan” or your next season!!!

You see your harvest is actually a payment and reward for the years and tears of the season you have been in! It comes in between the two seasons, the one you are about to end and the new one you’re about to enter!!! And it is used to thrust you into the next season (much like a rocket needs that explosion of energy to move it into orbit).

Gideon and the Israelites in Judges 6, suffered at the hands of the Medianites, who kept them improvised by stealing their harvest…just as they were about to reap it. They kept stealing their reward (and future seed) so that they had to go back to the beginning and so they never got out of this cycle! I would like to use another illustration here…just like when you’re at school, you spend the whole year studying and learning, then at the end of the year you are tested on what you’ve learned…if you give up at this point and fail the test, you have to repeat that year (go back to the beginning…go around the mountain again!!) and re-sit the test again…you do NOT go onto the next level until you pass the test!!). Wow I have just seen something else here…when your season is about to end, you first have to pass a test (remember that during a test the teacher is silent…your faith is really tested here, because you cannot hear the Teacher…you are in a hallway of transition [the birth canal], you cannot see, hear or understand, a time of great confusion…you have to mainly rely on your foundations [see Rev Ndeda’s “Solid Foundations]). This is exactly what happened to Jesus…when His season of learning obedience was coming to an end and He was about to go into ministry, He first had to be tested in the wilderness for 40 days (see Pastor Rod Parley “Living Under An Open Heaven”).

Ok I just want to give you and myself some encouragement right here…if you’re in a “test” right now whatever you do don’t give up as you’re almost there, hold on and pass the test…don’t give up as your reward or harvest is just around the corner and then onto your “new season” oooh wee!!!! I just have to give another illustration here which fits perfectly…a professional swimmer wanted to break the record for crossing the English Channel…so off he went and for hour after hour kept battling exhaustion but he kept preserving!!! More drooling hours passed but then a very heavy fog set in and he and his team on the little boat could not see further than their noses, then in sheer frustration and exhaustion he decided no I just can’t do this and decided to give up and he climbed into the little boat…but to their utter horror and shock they soon discovered they were only 50m away from the shoreline…only 50m more and he would’ve broken the record, but because he had given up, because the fog had blocked his view (just like when we are in a test, we cannot see or understand what’s going on!) he now has to start again from the beginning!!!!

Now the further you go into a season the harder it gets – the greater the adversity…you are getting closer to the end and to your harvest…you are on the verge of your payoff. This is where the enemy will attack the hardest, remember he wants to keep you “going around the mountain” and he most definitely does not want you to get your reward!!! I asked myself why is that?? Well it means you will have more seed to sow…remember without seed there cannot be another harvest…the way to keep you improvised is to keep eating your seed!!! There is also another reason, I’m sure you’ve heard “new level…new devil”? You are about to enter your new season but the “new devils” on that level will challenge you first and test your authority and identity “if You are the Son of God….” before you reach that level (see Lance Wallnau “Building High Performance…”). Something I have noticed in this “test” period, my identity has been under severe attack but the locusts don’t come to empty fields…don’t doubt your self worth! Don’t keep putting yourself down or allowing others to! You see without knowing who you are in Christ and your extreme value and importance in the kingdom of God, how can you exercise your authority?? When you doubt yourself, you doubt your authority and you doubt your words…you don’t believe your words carry any weight or power!!! (see Keith Moore “The Significance of Saying”). And in essence you are totally ineffective as you have no faith in your authority over the Word of God!!! But there is another reason, Joshua was fighting for new territory…when you are about to go into a new season you are entering into a new territory…there will be giants to face!!! Remember it’s all about taking dominion, possessing the land, taking territory!! The devil WILL NOT give up territory without a fight!!!

Oh wow this is so exciting as the Lord is revealing things to me as I write this…I’ve just spoken on dealing with the devils on the new level but before you deal with those guys you actually have to first defeat the devils of the PAST before you can even think of going into your new season! In Josh 10:13,28, Joshua ordered the sun and moon to stand still – he spoke to his season to stay still as he wanted to destroy all his enemy before his season ended…he didn’t want to have to fight those same devils in the next season! Some examples, David and Goliath, he slew his four brothers as well! King Saul was told to destroy all the Amalekites but he kept King Agag alive, the queen escapes…they then have to fight a whole new generation later on!! If you do not deal with issues of the PAST your future generations will be fighting them too (generational curses…sins of the fathers!!).

Oh wow what have I started here as this is a huge issue and stumbling block for most of us!!! Issues of my past have kept me back for years and it is impossible to move into a new season until these are dealt with! Unfortunately just being born into the human race means you have suffered great pains of varying degrees from childhood until now…it is not possible to live in a fallen world without experiencing all sorts of debilitating dysfunctions and in that process we put up walls to protect ourselves but in so doing we create a closed and hardened heart but that also keeps God out too and sometimes a door will stay closed because of a closed heart but “the key to all of this is having a pliable and soft heart, one that is willing to change Deut 10:16 “so circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened” also Ezek 36:26-27, Isah 1:19, 1 Sam 15:23, Josh 5:9. If we resist change and stubbornly continue to cling to the old, comfortable way of doing things we will never experience God’s new and better things!....lay aside stubbornness, rebellion and unwillingness to change but rather be obedient and willing to submit to His Lordship, no matter how crazy or difficult it may seem! Soften your heart and become pliable, teachable and humble! Lay down your own way, your own plans and your own selfish desires Jn 12:24-25, Gal 2:20, Luke 14:33.” (taken from “See I Make All Things New”). “Love is what heals and opens a closed heart. Love is the oil that lubricates the heart and prepares it to receive 1 Jn 4:18. Love is what breaks the chains and breaks down the walls.” (taken from “The Open Door”).

Ok just to wrap this up I want to end off with…maybe you think well you know I’ve blown it…I’ve lost my harvest, my opportunity has passed, it’s too late…OH NO IT IS NOT! Maybe your harvest was stolen but it is not lost but just delayed and the devil has to pay you back double Ex 22:7. Remember God is the God of the second chance…it’s never over until He says it’s over!!! He will always give you another opportunity to try again – so get it right this time around…keep pressing on…don’t quit just before your breakthrough…your harvest and payoff is….. JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!!!!!

S.J.

Just In Time

By a bizarre topic of conversation (onions), Bruce very briefly told me your story! I was deeply moved and have felt compelled to give you a word of encouragement and just share with you what’s on my heart and what I believe God would have me to tell you! I cannot for one moment begin to surmise or imagine the hardships you have had to go through and in no way would I want to try and analyze or minimize your experience but really just want to encourage and lift you up, because very often when we go through that valley or wilderness experience it is easy to think that God has forgotten us and does not love us anymore!! Friends desert us and forget us and we feel isolated and all alone!! Yes I too have gone through some difficult times (they pail in comparison) when I was the subject of some vicious slander attacks that left me bewildered, battered and bruised, most friends deserted me even family treated me different! I then went through an extreme financial crisis as I couldn’t get a job for over two years and lived on bare minimum. If it was not for the help of my beloved sister from time to time, I don’t know if I would’ve made it through that tough time? And then….thank God for Bruce, I have been with him for nearly 8 months now! Can I share this story….when I went for the interview with him – I took my C.V. thinking it’s hopeless but he didn’t even ask me any questions about previous jobs and just said “do you want a permanent job?” – I said yes…he said “well come back tomorrow!” I was amazed!! Then I walked on eggshells for a couple of months wondering when he was going to fire me as surely by now he must’ve heard some stories?? Shame I’ve given the poor man a hard time since then and I’m sure he doesn’t quite know how to take me?? Anyway I don’t want to dwell on my story but mainly on what God has done in my life as a result of all that – that is what is truly amazing!!! I used to be a shy and timid person but after going through this slander it has totally freed me from that and I have become bold and courageous – not caring anymore what people think of me (as they already think the worst) it is a truly liberating experience one that I am now grateful for, not that I would ask to go through something like that again – whew no thanks but the bible says in Rom 8:28 (my paraphrase) that God is able to turn any situation around, that the enemy has intended to destroy you with, and use it for your good in the end!! He never wastes any experience we go through! He is an incredibly awesome God of the second chance – wow He can make something beautiful out of something terrible!! Does that make sense? I love the story of Joseph, after all that he went through says to his brothers who sold him into slavery….”what you intended for evil God intended for good” Gen 45:5. There are many things in this life that make absolutely no sense and we will never know the answers to some things, this side of eternity, but can I quote something from Rev Elias Ndeda (I met him at a church conference a couple of years ago and got his CD “Shake it Off”) this is what he says-: “I challenge you to get positioned for the journey of life. There will always be a refining crisis that will bring us to a defining moment which will eventually empower us to step into greatness. You’ve got to make up your mind to stand out and to be counted. There are things that life will throw at you that you will need to break through then break out of, only then will you not break down. You don’t have to specialize your condition but to commonize it. For there has no temptation come to you but such as is common to all men. Whatever you are going through somebody, somewhere around the world is going through the same thing or has gone through the same thing. It is a destiny thing. The seed you carry has attracted what you are going through. Don’t throw in the towel in the battle of greatness, don’t give up now! You have come from too far to give up at this point! Put on the whole armour of God and go to war. Have your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your loins girded with the belt of truth, your feet shod with the gospel of peace, hold the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit because it is not over until it is over, there is a lesson in this and you have got to fight on because God is on your side”. “Even though you do not understand, even though nothing seems to make sense, even though everything falls apart trust in God He will make everything known. You know there are some things that you will never understand in life because destiny is a mystery and everything that happens under the sun God processes us into greater destinies. Your greatness is in the making so if you can just hold on there and learn to trust in God. Break every yoke and destroy every barrier do not allow this to stop you; you can break completely out of this. You are a hero and a hero in the making. One thing you need to know is that you will come out of this. If the devil can stop you where you are right now the devil would have won because gain comes out of pain…there is no testimony without a testing. Heroes are never born, heroes are made… you need to know that there is no glory without a story and if you are a hero you are going to have some bruises and you are going to have some scars. Even though you don’t catch what is really happening, and even though it blows your mind…even though everything is in pieces you need to just trust in God and He will make everything known to you. It doesn’t matter the kind of abuse you have gone through you just need to raise your head above the water because your tomorrow is greater than your yesterday. The devil does not chase empty vessels. Yesterday was your teacher, today is your opportunity and tomorrow shall be your testimony.” Rev E. Ndeda Like I said God is the God of the second chance and is able to make all things new and to restore all that which has been lost. Joel 2:25 says “And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten…” as long as we leave the vengeance up to Him and not take it into our own hands (then we are on our own so to speak and He will not help us!) Then He can give us “double for our trouble” J.M. “instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense…” Isah 61:7, 54:4, Zech 9:12. So when you keep your heart right before God He will actually repay you back double what you have lost – this is exactly what happened to Job! “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” Job 42:10 this is what Joyce Meyer comments from this verse…”Have you ever been wrongly accused and thus deeply wounded by others? Like Job, pray for those who have hurt you, and forgive them. When we forgive, God brings restoration….No matter what you are going through, God still has the same good plan for you right now that He had the moment you were born. He has never changed His mind. From the instant the enemy attacked you, God has had your restoration in mind.” J.M. I had many opportunities to retaliate against those who slandered me but somehow had the sense to keep my mouth shut and to try and speak only good of them (wasn’t easy!). If I had retaliated I would’ve been just as guilty as them in God’s eyes! When we leave vengeance up to Him He then is able to set a table before our enemies and forces them to watch while we eat and while He lavishly blesses us!! Ps 23:5. Oooh wee that’s vengeance in itself and is sweet, in fact it even makes you feel sorry for them!!! Oh shame…I sure have been going on hey but just want to leave you with one last thing that keeps popping up in my mind – so I know it’s important!! Heb 13:5 amplified version says “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” And God has NOT forgotten you, (Isah 44:21, 49:15) He loves you more than you could possibly imagine!!! Yes life has dealt you an extremely hard hand but there is comfort in knowing that nothing we can go through can compare to what Jesus went through on the cross, willingly for us because He loves us!!! He took all our pain on Himself, He bore all our sorrows Isah 53. He was beaten beyond recognition, then whipped with leaded and spiked thongs – the 39 lashes (it is said that some men didn’t survive this lashing!!) and then nailed to a wooden cross naked, all bones pulled out of joint! He punished Himself and took our place!! Who can fathom so great a mystery??? Oh sorry Phil I thought I said I was ending but one last thing – I am an evangelist at heart and have to ask you one very important question – have you ever received or asked Jesus to come into your heart, to forgive you and cleanse you? For the bible says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Rom 3:23, 6:23 (not one of us are worthy enough to stand before Him) also “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Acts 2:21 and “whom the Son sets free is free indeed John 8:36. You may be in a prison right now (others are legally free but in another kind of prison) but you can be free in your heart no matter where you are! I would encourage you to invite Him into your heart right now, right where you are – God is no respecter of persons – what He has done for me, He can do for you!!! I truly hope and pray you will receive what I have said (I know I have crammed in an awful lot!!!) and please know that you will be in my prayers…that God will bless and keep you, strengthen and restore you and may His light fill your heart and comfort you!!! God Bless Jane

Leadership Skills

You will find some keys in here that will be extremely useful and if put into practice give you great success – of course these principals are based from the Word of God and are His keys to success (mainly taken from Proverbs – King Solomon).
Ok before I get sidetracked and off what I wanted to speak about – which is “leadership skills!” Where do I start??

You have and manage a team of staff and keeping everyone happy and working effectively is a skill and task in itself, but I have noticed you get angry very quickly and that’s when you react in the wrong way!!

1/ First key to success – be slow to anger Prov 14:29, 15:1, 18, 16:32, James 1:19, Eph 4:26-27. This of course is an extremely hard thing to do and takes practice! Anger is one of those emotions that just explode forth uncontrollably sometimes but it’s those moments of anger that words are spoken that can never be taken back and can cause irreversible damage! Anger in itself is not a negative emotion – used correctly can be a very effective tool to move us in the right direction but used wrongly is extremely destructive!

Ok I love the “how to” – how do I be slow to anger? Take a step back, hold your tongue, take a breather, go for a walk or drive, count to 100 if you have to, think first about what you want to say – but most importantly ask the Holy Spirit to help you!!!

2/ Correct in love (1 Cor 13 – the love chapter). Second key – nothing absolutely nothing will work outside of love. Let me repeat NOTHING will bear fruit or be effective outside the parameters of LOVE!!! Faith cannot work where there is no love and when these 2 go – fear moves in… ok let me explain… yes of course there will be times when you need to correct someone or even discipline them (as a parent you already know this principal!) but if you do not do it in love you will only stir up strife, anger and contention! Give careful thought and consideration and ask God for wisdom in how to correct that particular person (as we are all different). Never correct harshly in a demeaning, belittling, condescending, demoralizing, disrespectful way! God never treats us this way – He hates the sin but loves the sinner – in other words He hates what we do wrong and has to correct, discipline and even allow consequences (Heb 12:6) because of those things but He never diminishes or devalues the worth and value of that person! I love this verse Ps 49:8-9 LB “For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul…” wow how valuable is that?? When you attack a person’s character and worth you are devaluing that person, instead of correcting the thing they have done wrong! When we can see the way God values and esteems even the lowest of us, we will never treat a person with disrespect (also a hard one… when it’s someone we don’t like!!!).

A key verse for me has always been (and one I have tried hard to live by as it’s foundational… but hey I’m no where near perfect and get it wrong many times!) “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” Matt 7:12 – my paraphrase “treat others the way you would like to be treated!” Hey I could write a book just on that ha ha…. to put it very simply… what Jesus was actually saying “treat others well – not only for their benefit but for your own benefit too”… i.e. “what you sow, that and that only is what you will reap” Gal 6:7 – this is called the law of reciprocity… “what you give out is what you get back”. Einstein but it this way “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” So in other words be very careful how you correct a person as it will be the same way in which you will be corrected – whew quite a sobering thought???

3/ Concentrate on a person’s strengths – not on their weaknesses! Phil 4:8. Hey this works in all relationships! If you are constantly dwelling on a person’s weaknesses and faults you will become critical and judgmental all the time (and again remember what I have just said…) “Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourself… and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.” Matt 7:1

4/ Concentrating on a person’s strengths flows directly into this next point: - Encouragement. When you see and discern an area where that person does well in and then encourage them further by telling them that, it will be like pouring liquid fertilizer onto a pot plant, they will flourish, blossom and excel – the opposite is also true, to keep constantly criticizing and condemning a person is like pouring acid onto a plant! Prov 18:21. They will become bitter, scornful and unproductive. “Encouragement is the difference between giving up or going on!”

5/ Delegation: - all great leaders have learnt the art and skill of delegation. Moses being a great example, leading over 2 million people… he became exhausted and fraught with frustration and near collapse until his father-in-law showed him how to delegate. Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho is another good example – he runs the largest church in the world, in Seoul, Korea with over 1 million members! He too became so exhausted and would collapse while preaching until God showed him how to delegate! Hey I would love to add my very own Apostle Colin Nyathi, who runs over 120 churches (and is aiming for 150 this year) world wide – could not possibly manage or cope without the skillful art of delegation. The saying “if you want anything done properly… then do it yourself” I believe is erroneous… no it should be “if you want anything done properly… then teach and train someone how to do it properly.” Pride is the issue here, saying that no-one can do it better than you and not allowing the other person the freedom to try and learn to do it as good as you! No the bible teaches that we are to prefer the other person over ourselves and to celebrate them when they have success too! In actual fact, the truth is when they excel and do well it’s a reflection of your good leadership. Michael Armstrong put it this way “Autonomy – this is giving people the freedom they need to do their job most effectively. The right blend has to be achieved between autonomy and control.”

6/ Consistency: - remaining the same, consistent and constant, even in the midst of trails, persecution, troubles and afflictions! 1 Pet 5:8-9; 2 Tim 4:5. Hey this is also an extremely hard one!!! Keeping a balance and being stable and not being a yoyo – up and down according to your circumstances (e.g. house built on a rock not sand). Now I remember a quote from Kenneth Copeland “Consistency is the place where the power is manifested.” Patient endurance (James 1:1-2, 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6) under the hand of God during difficult times produces the fruit of consistency! Can I use a story here which I think fits into this? Two men working together had one of those terrible days, where everything was going wrong, and problems piling high. They went home and the one invited the other home for dinner and just before entering his house he went to a tree and rubbed it up and down with his hands – the friend was perplexed and asked what on earth are you doing? I am symbolically hanging my problems and burdens on this tree before I go in… and sure enough to the friend’s amazement – his family had no idea of all the problems he had faced that day!

7/ Humility: - the greatest leaders are humble leaders and are servants at heart. Remember leaders lead by example and no-one wants to be ruled by a tyrant with an iron rod, ask any Zimbabwean! It is easy to follow and respect a humble but firm leader, Mandela in contrast! Of course Jesus the King of kings – having the highest, exalted position of all is our perfect example and I think His example of washing the disciple’s feet is an awesome one of humility and servant hood. Humility as I see it is the outward expression that really in ourselves we can do absolutely nothing – it’s only our total dependence and reliance on our Father to help us and work through us, that we can accomplish greatness!!! As Paul put it… “as I become less He becomes greater”.

Ok that’s all I can think of for now – whew been going on long enough….but I’m sure you will agree there are some very useful tips here that we can use not only in the work place but in every area of our lives?