Yvette's Whispers of Faith

Revelations 12: 10 TLB “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has happened at last!  God’s salvation and the power and the rule, and the authority of his Christ are finally here; for the Accuser of our brothers has been thrown down from heaven onto earth – he accused them day and night before our God.” In our minds, we have many battles and also many wars.  We battle against depression and we battle against negative thoughts.  Constantly we have something coming into our minds, and if you and I don’t place a guard at the entrance to our minds, it will be filled with all kinds of messages, and many of those messages will be negative and condemning messages. Joyce Meyers reminds us that we are able to control our thinking, to be honest, I think that she is right.  I still struggle with many negative thoughts but I also have come to take control over my thoughts. I find that I would be working and something would really irritate me ...

Psalm 34: 22 AMP “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” Early in the morning, you lay in your bed listening to the birds chirping and singing outside your window.  It’s winter here right now and I can feel the cold sneaking in.  As a child of God, it is my heart's desire to serve God, I believe that I am redeemed and that God had chosen me.  When life feels tough and I sometimes feel I cannot cope I turn my focus on to the LORD because I believe that He is my Redeemer.  I feel that I am able to take refuge in Him and that He has freely pardoned me. Sometimes the devil will come and stand behind you shouting in your ear, “you did this and that last night, and today you want to act all holy than thou.”  The minute you hear this little voice of condemnation shut it up with words “The LORD redeems my soul, I am His servant, you have no right to condemn me because the LORD is my refuge.” ...

1 Peter 1: 7 “These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold –though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” When I was younger I thought that God believed that I was an “elastic” always stretching me and it never occurred to me that God was strengthening my faith. As the years go by and every trail that comes my way I sometimes do well and sometimes I don’t.  The times I fail the trail, I believe God lets it come back again until I have learned to deal with that specific situation. Do you feel discouraged, lonely and just not in the place where God wants you?  I think you are exactly where God wants you, the circumstances you are facing right now is what is changing your character.  It’s is building you and changin...

John 8: 31-32 MSG “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him.  “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure.  Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” It is with excitement I start today, I am so grateful that I am able to sit down at my computer and write my thoughts.  Walking through God’s word each and every day is such a privilege.  It is my heart's desire that I am able to learn as much as I can and that I am able to renew my thinking. Struggling with fear and doubt is something everybody probably experiences, for myself, I am not fearful but I do believe that doubt is constantly nagging at my heels. The one thing I am currently doing is to read God’s word, meditate on it and stay focused on what I am reading.  When Jesus was speaking to the Jews he knew them and what they were thinking.  He also said that “If you stick with this, living...

Luke 22: 31-32 AMP “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen!  Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain; but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter, that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [ in the fait].” I thank the Lord Jesus for people who intercede on my behalf because sometimes I just don’t have the strength to pick myself up and carry on.  It sounds so easy to say you will pray for someone.  The fact is we just say things like, “I will pray for you” and walk away instantly forgetting about that person. Satan is constantly standing before God asking that the sifting will start, he believes that he is on a good foot.  Please start praying for your loved ones, praying for family and friends and the people you believe are not saved.  Time is running out, we never will know when the Lord will appear in the clouds but it's closer than you...

1 John 3: 21-22 AMP “Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually] seeking to follow His plan for us].” For a couple of days I felt so out of sync, you know I lost my rhythm and I just couldn’t see what the problem was.  I would start my day saying “thank You, Lord, for another day.”  Rising and it seemed I would get caught up in doing so many other things that I would forget what I was doing in the first place.  As I reflect on the things that have become so “important” to me I have come to realize that I have stopped praying.  Taking the time to come and sit at the Lord’s feet.  Just being in His presence and speaking to Him about everything that I needed and wanted. Thank the Lord for the “little voice” that r...

Philippians 2: 4AMP “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others.” “Look” in Greek is “scopos” which means to focus on.  We also derived “microscope” and “telescope” from the same word.  My thinking here is that we are reminded to focus on the needs of our fellow man and not be so self-absorbed. We are so easily misled when it comes to our own needs and we really believe that we should first look out for No. 1 (me) and the rest will follow. True we should look our for ourselves but we shouldn’t be so concerned about our own interests that we forget about the rest.  The problem with being so selfish is that your needs will never really be met.  You always need more and want more.  Giving all our focus and being interested in the wellbeing of our fellow man should be our focus point but it is a hard decision to make.  You might have to give something up and why should you be the one helping?...

yvettevanniekerk.com Matthew 7: 1-5 MSG “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults – unless, of course, you want the same treatment.  That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.  It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.  Do you have the nerve to say, “Let me wash your face for you,” when your own face is distorted by contempt?  It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part.  Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” Perhaps you can associate with me, sometimes you seem to have all the answers and you assume people are just not as smart as you think you are.  Or you may know someone that is the “Know-it-all” person when you start saying something they will end the story with something that happened to them. But then you...

Hebrews 12: 11 NOG “We don’t enjoy being disciplined.  It always seems to cause more pain than joy.  But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes doing what is right.” What is it that we need to do here?  When it comes to our children we all want the very best, I mean things I never had I wanted my children to have and they are doing exactly what I did.  So when it comes to Dad’s we know that they too are acting out as good Fathers. As a mother it is difficult for me to discipline my children and I have tried, when my youngest son was still in school he was much taller than I.  So when I wanted to smack him, he would hold both my arms so that it was impossible to spank him.  After holding my arms I would just let it go.  When children have a father there is no getting away with things that are wrong, and discipline is inevitable. The thing about discipline, we want to teach our children good values, we w...

yvettevanniekerk.com Psalm 39: 12 NOG “Listen to my prayer, O Yahweh.  Open your ear to my cry for help.  Do not be deaf to my tears, for I am a foreign resident without, a stranger like all my ancestors.” As an intercessor, I realize that when I pray to the Lord my God I need to be open to receiving a vision or an answer through God’s word or even while speaking to friends. I have witnessed so many answered prayers for family and friends it amazed me so.  I believe God is looking for men and women who are willing to come before Him and intercede for our families and friends. Sometimes we fall to the ground it feels like we are just not being heard.  As I cry out to the LORD in humble prayer asking that He will listen as I cry for help.  That He will see my tears as I feel that I am a stranger in this land and I need help. Do you need someone to stand in agreement today with you about something you are worried about?  Do you feel alon...

Proverbs 18: 21 (NOG) “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love to talk will have to eat their own words.” My mom constantly said “think before you speak” and most of the time I would speak my mind anyway.  Sometimes people will take offense and other times they wouldn’t.  I was of the opinion “if the shoe fits, wear it.” Now, unfortunately, I am learning the hard way, constantly getting back exactly what I put out there many years ago. It never occurred to me that as you grow older people say harsh words, and many times they cut like knives.  At least the Lord has given me the opportunity in correcting my mistakes. Someone I know had made a statement and to be honest I took offense, this person is young and believes that she is right and I do suppose she feels that she may speak her mind.  Something I also realized is that she doesn’t have all the facts at hand and was only making assumptions, which by the way implicated me...