I am confessing that I am not tactful anymore.

by Yvette van Niekerk

I am confessing that I am not tactful anymore. Colossians 4: 6 "Let your conversation be gracious and attractive." My policy is and will be "honesty is the best policy". I keep to this as one of my many creeds. Unfortunately, I have become mean-spirited, I am frustrated, irritated, disappointed and very angry at certain people. They seem to go out of their way to bait me, and I keep falling into their traps. This verse shook me today. I feel very convicted by the Word of God today, and I believe God is drawing my attention to this problem. There must be a remedy for someone like me. I lost the ability to speak kindly and listen to them as I am already on my guard. I believe I will have to focus on learning and developing a new conversational skill. I need to remove my emotions number one from the conversation so that I can listen. Then I need to focus on my sensitivity toward them and see if I can control my attitude. I keep on hearing just remember you are the adult and they are still young kids. Now how am I going to exhibit graciousness in my conversations towards them? Tricky, I need to practice being friendly and kind when I see them. Then I get hit over the head with a stick constantly by people telling me aren't supposed to be a Spirit-filled Christian, who is in control. It's easier said than done, I have been perpetuating the communication style of my family and it's hard to change it. According to my husband, I can tell the truth tactfully. Shamefully I am standing here with this problem and I read in John 1 verse 7 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth come through Jesus Christ." What can I learn from the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus Christ never allowed courtesy and kindness to prevent Him from telling the truth, and never in a mean-spirited way. I need to take a page out of the Lord Jesus Christ book today. What do you think I should do? The remedy I believe is to take a moment before I speak to the person and think of the response I want to give. I need to learn how to evaluate the impact my words will have on the situation. I do believe if I want to succeed I will have to consult with the Holy Spirit. I want the Holy Spirit to help me develop my emotional self going forward. Prayer Father God, Lord You, know my heart and what I am facing each day. I confess that I am guilty of having no tact and that I have become mean-spirited. It's clear by the way I treat people closest to me. I am sorry Lord. Lord because I am stubborn and full of myself, I am humbly asking that a guard be placed over my mouth. I also need clearness of mind so that I can think before I speak. Please Holy Spirit, You know I am trying to live a holy life and this is not the way forward. Lord, I surrender my life into Your hands today, I pray that You will place a guard over my mouth, and start teaching me to speak to people graciously and attractively. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Don’t Talk About It!

by Yvette van Niekerk

August 10 Don’t Talk About It! Romans 1: 29 (NLT) 29 “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behaviour, and gossip.” My mom and granny always reminded us never to say bad things about other people. My mom would always say, “If you don’t have anything good to say, keep quiet!” There are so many opinionated people living among us that they feel it is their right to air their views about all kinds of sins, friends and family are up to. These days’ people resort to so many different devices to spread gossip, talk about other people’s sins and failures. The sad part is no one keeps quiet anymore, and it’s the norm to spread other people’s sins. You may have made some mistakes and others have gone and told the whole world, so to speak. Shamefully it haunts you but pretending it’s okay, you laugh and carry on as usual. Let’s all stop talking about other people’s mistakes, and repent of the sins that are so hateful. Prayer O Lord, we are such selfish; self-centred people, we forget to read You scriptures and take it into our hearts. We laugh and spread malicious gossip about our family and friends, never worried about the consequences it brings. Humbly we pray to forgive us and help us to place guards in front of our mouths, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

God loves a cheerful giver!

by Yvette van Niekerk

God loves a cheerful giver! 2 Corinthians 9: 6 - 8 "Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart - not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work." I know when it comes to money many people think no way, I work hard for my money and I'm not giving it away. To support the church financially sounds darn right hard. I used to think I don't have money to give and I used to hold onto my cash. It was hard times and I just couldn't think of giving. But as I grow older I realised something. God gives me enough every day to get through to tomorrow. Why can't I give back to Him? I made a conscious decision in giving my tithe every time I receive money. Believe me, I don't have a stable income and I really do not have a lot of money. But I have seen how faithful God is by providing my every need. I think you just need to start somewhere, you know give a little and get into the spirit of trusting that God is going to supply according to your needs. I've heard that in church 80 percent of the people do support the work of the Pastor. Can you imagine if each person only gave R5 each time they attended the service. Let us say there are 100 churches goes in my church. This means that the church received R500 per month. If this continues the church receives R6,000 per year. It's not that much but keep in mind the church building needs to be maintained, the Pastor needs to have an income and other costs need to be covered. This money definitely would help the church. I believe once you've experienced the joy of giving to the Lord through your local church, I feel you will want to give as much as you can rather than worrying about how much you must give. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver. Come on, let us get started and support our churches financially. Prayer Thank You, Lord God, that I can give what I can and I enjoy giving because I know it's to honor You. I don't have any other means to honor You and this is my way of showing You I love You, Lord. My life isn't worth much especially without You. May our hearts be cheerful in giving and helping each other as well as the local church we attend. Bless each one of us and let the Holy Spirit imprint this in our hearts. We want to be cheerful givers to honor You Lord, God Almighty. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Gods Mercy

by Yvette van Niekerk

August 9 “God’s Mercy!” 1 Timothy 1: 15 – 16 (NLT) 15-16 “This is a trustworthy saying and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners.” I became a Christian in my late twenties. Those days I believe I was a Christian, I attended church services, and I even read my Bible, and I prayed every day. I was according to myself a good person with high morals and values. Now many years down the line, age and life happen to each one of us, and I have come to realize that it is by God’s mercy that I am still a Christian. God’s patience with each one of us on our own life journey is extraordinary. I don’t know how many times I have fallen just to get up and start all over again; God’s hand still holding mine. Wherever you are in your journey with the Lord, I pray that He will never leave your hand and know that His mercy is there for you too. Prayer Abba Father, O Lord, thank You for the knowledge that You are in control of our lives, but most of all, thank You for Your Mercy! New every day! We need You holding our hands because we can’t make it on our own. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.

There is a time to be quiet.

by Yvette van Niekerk

August 7 There is a time to be quiet. Ecclesiastes 3: 7 (NLT) 7 "A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. So, here's the thing, some people love the sound of their voices, and the more excited they get, the louder they speak." Sometimes they forget that they are in conversation with you and will carry on, almost forgetting to take a breath. We are reminded that there are seasons in our lives for everything. We also learn that there is "a time to be quiet and a time to speak." The best is we forget about the "time to be quiet" and jump right in and talk our heads off. Something we could learn from the Lord Jesus, standing before Pilate who was questioning the Lord, He kept quiet. Listing to all the accusations and not trying to defend His position. Do we have the same strength and tenacity to watch our mouths, keep quiet, and listen? Let's hope you don't suffer from something my children refer to as "verbal diarrhoea." Know when to speak and when not to. Be encouraged today we all go through these times. Prayer Our heavenly Father, Lord, we can babble at times and many times we lose our perspective on life. Teach us today to keep quiet and start listening. Helps us stay focused and learn the importance of being a good listener in the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen. https://youtu.be/6Lypu1vlcrg url.cafe/1277_es

What are the causes for a Christain to backslide?

by Yvette van Niekerk

Romans 11: 33 "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to undertand his deceisions and his ways!" I believe that when a Christian starts to backslide it's because of a lack of passion for the Word of God. This person tends to neglect to spend time with God and, practices of faith such as prayer and worshipping God. We start overlooking the simplest aspect of our faith with results in us becoming shallow souls. Ephesians 3: 8 "Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ." Becoming self-centred and not thinking and meditating on the Word of God, is when our souls start to shrink. Compromising, trying to fit into the standards of the world, this is one of the most difficult positions I have found myself in, my soul felt so conflicted. Another aspect of backsliding is when I started to focus on my natural talents and focusing on my abilities alone. I Believed that I am self-sufficient and not trusting in the Lord Jesus. Because of Covid-19 we all face the problem of becoming disconnected from our community and relationships. Making us so selfish (https://youtu.be/6Lypu1vlcrg) I have noticed that the current generation have become very dishonoring, there seems to be me only attitude. Overlooking the work that needs to be done, this is the unsupported person. You know that you have backslide to the extent that you cannot be around other ethnic people, then you isolate yourself from them. I feel this is a hard take when you look at your life and come to realise where you find yourself. I know its not easy going forward but Im happy to stop, take a deep breath and start over. The key to changing my perspective in life is to change the direction my life is going in. I realise that I am a sinful person and that I need to repent of my wilfulness. The truth of the matter is that I didnt stay at the Lords feet and that is why I find myself in this position. I humbly pray Lord Jesus, please forgive me, I am but a woman with avery stubborn streek. Forgive me, Lord I have sinned against You my God. Amen.

Are you free to Worship God?

by Yvette van Niekerk

August 6 https://facebook.com/events/s/14-ways-to-improve-you-cx/220245839994547/ Are you free to Worship God? Revelations 5: 12 (NLT) 12 "And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered – to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing." I can only imagine how awesome it will be when each person all over the world is standing before the Lamb's throne worshipping and praising His name. Every person will be singing mightily and with such passion. I listen to all kinds of music, and I love singing along, my children also listen to various kinds of music and many times I will shout "please put that noise softer." I don't particularly like that song or music and request the music is turned down. Are you free to worship the Lord? There where you are, are you able to just start worshipping the Lord? Think about it, and it would be so pleasing and wonderful to the Lord as He hears our spontaneous songs of worship. Do it now, with all of your heart and soul. Hallelujah praises the Holy Lord God Almighty! Prayer Heavenly Father we spontaneously worship You today, we love and adore You bringing praises to Your Holy Name. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Lord God Almighty, we love and adore You. Holy, Holy, Holy are You, in the name of Jesus. Amen https://youtu.be/6Lypu1vlcrg

"All your heart and soul."

by Yvette van Niekerk

August 5 https://facebook.com/events/s/14-ways-to-improve-you-cx/220245839994547/ "All your heart and soul." 1 Chronicle 22: 19 (NLT) 19 "Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord's Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honour the Lord's name." I believe part of our Christian journey is to seek the Lord our God with all our hearts and soul. For us to grow spiritually, it is so important, and when we earnestly seek the Lord, we grow spiritually. Don't get discouraged when you don't find answerers immediately. It must be your heart's desire to find the right answers and the desire to draw near to the Lord God. In our seeking of the Lord, we draw closer to Him, and it helps us build our relationship with Him. By giving the Lord our God priority in our lives and putting Him first is a closer walk with Him. We can bring Him honour and worship at His feet when we find the right answers. Prayer Father, we humbly come to You seeking You with our whole heart and soul. We desire to be drawn closer to You so that we may find the right answers to our prayers; building our relationship with You Abba Father, in the Name of Jesus. Amen

"If you remain in me."

by Yvette van Niekerk

https://facebook.com/events/s/14-ways-to-improve-you-cx/220245839994547/ August 4 "If you remain in me." John 15: 7 (NLT) 7 "But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" The secret to a successful life is remaining in the Lord. The Holy Spirit already resides within us. We are children of the Living God, and His light shines through us. When the Lord said, "if we remain in Him and His words remain in us, we may ask for anything we want, and it will be granted!" In praying this Word and promise for our lives, we can trust in the Living God. His Word never returns to Him void. We are physical beings with a spiritual being living within us. We all have desires and wants that we feel we need. We need to know the Word, and on this basis, we can pray for what we need. There was a time in my life that I wanted material things, I would pray about them, and I would receive them. God is faithful, and He does answer our prayers even when we want physical things. Prayer Father God, thank You, for answered prayers. Thank You for hearing us when we need Your help. Thank You for the Word You have given us today. May we never forget Your lovingkindness and Your mercy. We praise You, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Open up!

 August 2

https://facebook.com/events/s/14-ways-to-improve-you-cx/220245839994547/

Unfailing Love!

Psalm 57:10 (AMP) 

10 "For Your faithfulness and lovingkindness are great, reaching to the heavens, And Your truth to the clouds."

People write songs about love, they write stories about love, and they make movies about love. Why is love so important? We are created to love, God created people in His image, and God is love. As I study the word of God, it is clear to me that we are not able to get on with our lives if we don't have love. God reminds us through the Psalms of David that His unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Standing on earth looking up to heaven, I must say it's a long way to go, it feels like it's impossible to reach the sky. God reminds us that His faithfulness reaches the clouds. We want people in our lives that love us, and we want faithful people, we have been put together in such a way that it makes good sense to want such things. Be encouraged and know that God loves you that His faithfulness reaches to the clouds. You are precious in His sight. 

Prayer O Lord God, thank You for the Psalmist David who reminds us of Your unfailing love which reaches the heavens and Your faithfulness that reaches the clouds. Wrap us in Your protective wings of love today. In Jesus Name, Amen

August 3

Open up!

Psalm 24: 9 (NLT) 

9 "Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter."

Digging deeper, finding out more and learning more is part of the culture. As I meditate and think of these words of King David, I remind myself to open up my hearts doors so that I can receive the Lord Jesus Christ into my life as I open the gates to my life lifting all barriers so that God can enter and come live with me. As a spirit being, we need to adhere to the Lord's word, by opening our lives to the Holy Spirit through the Lord Jesus Christ, for our daily tasks. We cannot face our lives daily without someone backing us. I believe the Lord Jesus is standing before the Father every minute of every day speaking on our behalf. Because we allowed Him into our hearts, we have the right to be called Children of God. 

Prayer O Lord God, help me open my hearts doors to You today, allowing You to take residence in my life. Helping me stand on Your word and inspiration. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, Amen

See it! Believe it!

 by Yvette van Niekerk

August 1 

See it! Believe it! 

Hebrews 11: 1 (NLT) 

1 "Faith is the confidence that we hope for will happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." 

I always stand amazed when I see something I visualized and wanted right in front of my eyes. When I confidently believed that the Lord would supply according to my personal needs. As a young Christian, I used to visualize the things I wanted. I would go to the shop, touch the items and imagine myself wearing it. Faith in action today, is there something you want? I believe that in seeing it and thinking you can have it, it will be yours. 

Write down what it is you want. See it! Believe it and then accept it. God knows your heart and can see what you need, can you see your needs met? Believing God will open new doors for you.  

Prayer 

O Lord Almighty, God in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, please opens my eyes, ears, and hearts. Give us the faith we need to see it and believe it so that we can receive it. In the Holy Name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen