Praise God in Lockdown!

I don't know if you feel the same way I do, but this Lockdown feels like such a restriction that I feel it's hard to imagine waiting one more second for it to be lifted. I know we need to wait and be patent trusting that God is faithful and knows what to do. The Government is doing what is necessary for my own protection, even though I feel it's too hard.

Acts 16: 25 – 26 AMP "But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened."

Both the apostles Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to the Lord, praising Him. We see the two apostles are placed in the inner prison by their jailer, and their feet were placed in stocks. They weren't going anywhere soon. Still, in this time, they didn't focus on the mess they found themselves in, no they praised the Lord. An earthquake broke open the doors of the prisoner, and their chains fell off them. See, the Lord worked suddenly to the advantage of both the Apostles Paul and Silas. They waited on the Lord, expectantly, and patiently, God broke through for them.

Prayer

Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ, I come to You humbly asking to help me face this mess I feel I am in. I am expecting relief, and I choose to praise You while I think I am in this prison of Lockdown. I know You can free me suddenly and that You will come through in Your perfect timing. Thank You, Lord Jesus, Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Holy Communion ~ Covid-19

by Yvette van Niekerk

In participating in Holy Communion, Christians are reminded of the suffering the Lord Jesus Christ had gone through. The breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood. Indicating the love the Lord Jesus felt for us as sinners.

Matthew 26: 26 - 30 AMP

The Lord's Supper Instituted

"Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My Blood of the [new and better] covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many [as a substitutionary atonement] for the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

See also 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26 AMP

Where did the Holy Communion come from? 

We are instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ to participate in the Holy Communion as a reminder of what He has done for us His children.

John 6: 48 - 51 AMP "I am the Bread of Life [the Living Bread, which gives and sustains life]. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is that Bread that comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior], he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh (body)."

Jesus tells us clearly that He is the Bread of Life. When you and I eat of the Holy Communion, we are eating of the Bread of Life. This Bread will sustain us, we will never go hungry or thirsty because Jesus Christ is our provider.

I stand on the Word of God, confirming the Lord Jesus is our Bread of Life as well as our thirst quencher. John 6: 35 AMP, "Jesus replied to them, I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually]."

If I wanted to take Holy Communion every day, would it be a sin?

For anyone to use the Holy Communion, we must become believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have to become a born again Christian, someone who has reflected upon their lives, self-examination and repentance, and then confession of sins.

Notwithstanding, the Lord Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could inherit eternal life. Every time we take Holy Communion, we as Christians are confessing that we are looking forward to our eternal life in heaven that Jesus Christ has prepared for us to enjoy hereafter, through His death and resurrection.

Acts 2: 42 - 46 AMP "They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers. A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. Day after day, they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking Bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,"

We have a chance to celebrate the Lord Jesus and recognize what He has done for us.

Is there a reason not to use Holy Communion?

1 Corinthians 11 verse 27 to 31 AMP that "So then whoever eats the Bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the Bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ]. That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death]. But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged."

We need to first check ourselves before we take the Holy Communion so that we are not under judgment by the Lord.

Why Communion?

Is it for Bread and wine? No. It's not about the Bread or the wine. It is about the Lord Jesus. We receive our spiritual flesh and blood, Christ living in us and we in Him. I think taking Holy Communion allows me to live a life in Christ and so I have eternal life and I will be resurrected on the last day.

1 Peter 3 verses 18 AMP says; "For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;"

The Bible teaches us that through Holy Communion, we now are connected with the Lord Jesus Christ not only in memory of His death but in the spiritual life He gives to us. I believe we are strengthened by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Thank You, Father God, for letting me join You today at Your table, as I partake in the Holy Communion blesses this to my body. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the sacrifice You made on behalf of a sinful person like myself, I celebrate You today as my Lord and Savior. Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Are you a victor or a victim?

William Arthur Ward wrote, "God wants us to be victors, not victims ~ to overcome, not to be overwhelmed."

1 John 3: 1 AMP

Children of God Love One Another

"See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

Well, I am not as busy as I used to be in the past. I have some time at hand and had been watching the movie on Gideon, the man God called to save Israel a long time ago. Now he wasn't a leader at the time an Angel of the Lord appeared to him. Gideon seemed to be very fearful, timid, doubtful, and not capable. The reason he acted this way was because of the constant attacks from the Midianites in those days. The enemies’ onslaught was relentless, and it seemed never-ending. One day the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a shaded winepress as he didn't want to be seen by the Midianites. [Judges 6]

The Angel said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." With a lot of tests and trials, this coward man changed and became the Valiant person, God called him to be, and he was indeed a warrior. We never see who we are because of our circumstances. Praise God for not seeing us through our eyes. No one even though Gideon had it in him to save Israel, and only God knew it was in him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, looking at myself, I doubt that there is a brave and great warrior in me. Today I want to pray that Your Holy Spirit will tug me out of the shadows and clear away the stains of sin in my life and soul. Lord Jesus, I have been redeemed by Your blood, please redefine me in the light of Your promise and power and mercy. Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Selfish People

"Providence is the care

God takes of

all existing things. 

John of Damascus

With this Lock-down in South Africa, I am not sure how I feel about people stealing from the poor. I saw a notice on Facebook that showing one person in a position of authority makes decisions for the underprivileged. Race discrimination is enormous and shameful.  But then I realized that this person does not believe in God or Jesus Christ. This person is probably corrupt and is self-centered.

Psalm 145: 16 AMP

 "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

The Lord Jesus said that God takes care of the birds in the sky and the flowers in the fields, He also takes care of us. Then why are there so many people struggling? I think that it is because there aren't people in authority that genuinely serves the Living God. They do not seek God's righteousness or His kingdom.

I believe God is supplying me according to my needs. I can be sure He cares for me. We need to pray that our country, especially people who are in authority, commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6 verses, 33 "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Prayer

Heaven Father, today I want to pray for our country and the people who are in authority. I want to pray that You will speak into their hearts through the Holy Spirit, turn them from their selfish ways, and let them seek first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness so that Your Will be done here in our land. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray Amen.

Yvette van Niekerk

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Father's pray this for your children.

Judges 13: 8 TLB "Then Manoah prayed, 'O Lord, please let the man from God come back to us again and give us more instructions about the child you are going to give us."

I read this prayer was written by General Douglas MacArthur, a World War II hero. "Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know You ... Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the lessons of the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the humility of true strength. Then, as his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."

What a beautiful prayer to pray for our children, I pray the Lord will keep our children in Jesus name. Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Eight the Biblical number of New Beginnings

Matthew 16: 21 AMP

Jesus Foretells His Death

"From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples [clearly] that He must go to Jerusalem, and endure many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be killed, and be raised [from death to life] on the third day."

Did you read it too? Yes, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was going to die, and then on the third day, come back to life again. Impressive, don't you think so. So what makes the resurrection so significant to the other seven people who came back from the dead?

There are two reasons the Lord Jesus's resurrection wasn't like the other:

Look at what King David prophesied in Psalms 16 verse 10, AMP "For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay." The Lord Jesus's resurrection was the only one predicted a long time ago. And then we see the second prophecies from Isaiah 53 verses, 10 "Lest the Lord was will to crush Him, cause Him to suffer; If He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand." 

On reading Matthew 16, verses 21, did I see the Lord Jesus predicting His death and His resurrection? Jesus raised Himself from the dead! Look at John 10 verses, 18 "No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay I down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have the power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father."

So His enemies could not eradicate the Lord Jesus or His mission. He gave Himself voluntarily and took it back with authority. No one in Rome or the Jewish prosecutors could eliminate the Lord or nullify His cause. The Lord Jesus was always in control, and no one could take that away from Him. 

Prayer Father God, humbly I want to say thank You that the Lord Jesus died on a cross for my sin. Thank You that You Lord Jesus are at the helm of all things in life, You are alive forever. Amen

Thought for today: Frank Outlaw wrote these principles, and I find them to be very real:  

Watch your thoughts, and they become words.

Watch your words, and they become actions.

Watch your actions, and they become habits.

Watch your habits, and they become character.

Watch your character, and it becomes your destiny.

Yvette van Niekerk

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Day 23 ~Lock-down ~ should parishioners of the Church still tithe?

So if money is our source of life, then we need our homes, clothes, food, electricity, and cars. No one appreciates someone who spends foolishly and is selfish, not to mention careless with their cash. I know at the end of the day, I want to see the fruits of my labor.

Proverbs 12: 11, "He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment."

If you are fortunate to earn a good salary, I think you can put bread on your table.  

Even in our Lock-down, I believe we still should be giving to God. I feel giving to God is one of the greatest keys. My finances are in His hand. I believe in the Word of God and Malachi 3: 10 - 11 AMP "Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. Then I will rebuke the devourer (insects, plague) for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the field drop its grapes [before harvest]," says the Lord of hosts."

God will bless the work you are doing when you give to God, and the enemy will not steal from you. God will protect you.

I want to encourage you to bring your tithes to the house of the LORD. He will bless you in these difficult times. 

Prayer

LORD God, if we are struggling with finances, please show us how to resolve our problems. Show me if I am giving towards the building of Your Church and Your kingdom in a way You want me to do. In Jesus name, Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Today, let's encourage one another.

During this lockdown, we all are living with challenges and struggles. I find it hard to keep a positive attitude with everything that is going on around me. I want to speak life and godly wisdom into people's lives, circumstances, and trails. Hebrews 3: 13 says we need to encourage people in our lives. Be an encourager for today and Proverbs 27 verses, 17 say: "You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another." We need to communicate with each other and pray with each other. I want to ask God to help me be an encourager to people, and I also need God to help me not to fall today and lose my reflexes. I am in this for the long run with Christ. Let's focus our energy on Hebrews 10 verses, 22 - 25 MSG "So let's do it - full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

Here's a thought, I think Dale Carnegie said it ideally "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

Prayer

Lord today, we have the opportunity of picking up the phone and calling a friend or a loved one and finding out how they are—encouraging them, praying for them, and just listening to them. I want to pray for wisdom, insight, and understanding when speaking to my loved ones—an ear to hear and a heart full of compassion. Lord, help me to be there for them. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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Day 21 ~ Forgiveness

Matthew 18: 21 - 22 AMP

Forgiveness

 "Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?  Jesus answered him, "I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven."

I realized that I have been struggling with an unforgiving heart or spirit. On Sunday, I was listening to my Pastor preach, and something he said reminded me of my ex-husband. What he did to me and then I was in a state. I thought I had forgiven this man for all the things he has done to me. I didn't, and I also realize that to forgive someone, it has to be a conscious decision on your side. I thought I let it go, but I didn't.

It took me a couple of days of saying it to myself that I have forgiven that man.  You won't believe me, but before I said that, I was so heartbroken.

I know when reading the Bible that we are required to forgive someone for their offenses. I know I had to decide yes or no.

So when I think of Jesus and His disciples, it's something I need to forgive 490 times a day! I can't believe its possible, but that is a considerable amount of forgiving.

I have made a decision today actual right now, and I will live in forgiveness. It's not that easy, so many things upset me all the time. So I need to learn forgiveness, and it must be a constant thing in my own life.

I know Jesus taught us to pray the Our Father, and on a further study, it struck me that we are asking Father God to forgive us as we forgive others. If I am not going to forgive people who hurt me, then why would God the Father forgive me?

I want to move on in my life, and I need to stay focused, I will not let unforgiveness break my relationship with God the Father.

Prayer

Father God, I want to remind You of Your Word in my life today. I have decided to follow Jesus, and I also have decided to let go of offenses and unforgiveness in my own life today.  I trust that You God have mercy on me today. I believe that surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Lord, I am reminding You on "As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is Your mercy towards those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." I declare this word into my own life right now, and I trust in You Abba Father, I draw a hedge of Jesus Christ's blood around my family and me. Amen

Yvette van Niekerk

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