Posted on April 23, 2018
Passing on the batton to the next generation …..
I have been reading a book by Bill Johnson of Bethel Church and found this exerpt which I have burning on my heart to share.
As I studied the Old Testament, I have been amazed to see how one generation serves God, removes the idols from their lives and then dies, leaving a new generation who turns back to worshipping idols. There is a vicious cycle in the Old Testament and the children of Israel never seem to have learned from their mistakes.
Sadly, we see the same cycle in the Church today.
How does one break this cycle in order to live out the promise of God from Isaiah that says “all your children will be taught by the Lord” (Isaiah 54:13)
WHAT IS THE KEY?
Bill Johnson makes it so clear in his book “Releasing the Spirit of Prophecy: The Supernatural Power of Testimony.”
“I believe the model for biblical government is found in the family. When the fathers and mothers have a tendency toward a form of religion without power, their descendants seldom have the motivation to pay the price necessary to carry on their family’s legacy of righteousness.
But when the model of purpose, passion and power form the nature of that home or church, the next generation is more likely to rise in the midst of the darkness of the world circumstances with a torch declaring the purposes of God on the earth. Mothers and fathers, both natural and spiritual, must arise with purpose, passion and courage that they might partner in the wonder of His supernatural activities on the earth.
The fault for Israel’s lack of the supernatural manifestations lies not only with the generation who were unexposed to miracles. It actually rests squarely on the shoulders of the parents who had seen the miracles for themselves but didn’t pay the price necessary for them to continue.
Joshua received a supernatural lifestyles from Moses as an inheritance. An inheritance is something we get for free that someone else paid a price for. But if we don’t pay the price to increase what we got for free, there’ll be nothing to leave to the next generation.
It is ironic that the Joshua generation had enough influence to perpetuate righeousness without the ongoing experience of miracles. But the generations could not sustain righeousness without stepping into the realm of power that the testimony was calling them into. This reveals responsibility to do more than memorize stories for stories’ sake. They must launch us into greater personal encounters with the God of wonders until those wonders happen around us. The testimony is to make us hungry for more, giving us the license to pursue supernatural breakthroughs.
A life without power has results that are disastrous. In the absence of the supernatural invasions of God there arose a generation that had no compass. Their wandering and eventual rebellion exploded in the absence of exposure to the God of wonders. It is required of each of us to live in such a way that God has to show up to sustain us. Reducing Christianity to what is humanly possible is responsible for the cold-hearted condition of many generations throughout history. Moral teaching, while absolutely necessary, seldom lights a fire in the hearts of generation that was born to “take a bullet” for an eternal pupose. People by nature thrive on cause and purpose. The Church was never meant to be known for its disciplines. We are to be known for our passions. We must burn with renewed passion for Him and Him alone!”
We need to teach our children more than just mere Bible stories, we need to do more than just lead them to the cross. Jesus died and rose again. We need to introduce them to Holy Spirit, the One who raised Christ from the dead and now lives in our hearts. We need to not only model, but also teach our children to use their spiritual senses to see, hear, feel, taste and smell in the spirit so that they can go beyond where we are and accomplish great things for His Kingdom.
Updated on December 8, 2017
Speak Life!
Today, I am borrowing my topic from the words of song by Toby Mac, that describe the message that has God has impressed on my life in the past year – Speak Life.
This morning, I have been reading a booklet on my Kindle, which brought some thoughts to mind. The book is called: The Power of Words: Words are free, it’s how you use them that may cost you by Rev J. Martin
I live in a country that is filled with negativity – racial negativity, governmental negativity, health negativity and crisis. Many people are so negative that they don’t have hope, they voice their negativity and their anxious fears constantly, speaking hopelessness and death into every situation and circumstance. The news does not build faith and confidence, but rather it feeds the fear and negativity. To live by fear has become natural, to live by faith has become a battle.
We are so conditioned for expecting the worst that we are surprised when things go well with us or with others.
God has promised us His blessing and favour if we follow Him. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 11:1; Galatians 5:1). Why is it that we struggle to experience this as a reality in our lives?
Here are some points that Rev J Martin mentions in his book:
- When you speak negatively, you stop God’s favour (grace/blessing) from being manifested in your life.
- You set limits for who you are when you speak words that are filled with worry or negativity. “You were put here to evolve, expand and grow.”
Matthew 6:31-33 is a passage that most of us are familiar with from many a sermon or Sunday School lesson.
Jesus was teaching His disciples the importance of TRUSTING God, of putting their FAITH in Him, rather than worrying about the things of this life.
Jesus was also teaching His disciples not to give life to the thoughts of worry by verbalising them. Our worries can trap us and put limits on our lives if we constantly speak them, share them and throw them out into the air.
It is one thing to think that something is impossible, but it is when we verbalise the thoughts, that we give life to them.
When we speak faith, we speak about the solution and give life to the solution.
There are two voices that battle in our minds: FAITH AND FEAR
The voice of Fear is always the first voice we hear. Fear will attempt to cause you to worry, stress and even have sleepless nights concerning a problem or situation.
BUT IF YOU QUIETEN YOUR HEART (BE STILL), YOU WILL HEAR THIS VOICE …….
The voice of Faith – it will tell you that God has a way, God’s favour is yours and that He is the God of the impossible, trust Him and He will do it.
You choose which voice comes to life, through the way that you speak.
When you verbalise a thought, you are giving it the right to come to pass.
God desires for us to walk in freedom and victory. We have the choice to walk in this or not by choosing which voice we will listen to. The more we listen to the voice of faith, the louder it will become.
Faith = Life
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God …..”
How do we become victorious in our lives? We need to learn to speak words of faith and words of VICTORY over our lives.
“Stop using your words to describe a situation, learn to use your words to change a situation.”
“Don’t let what you fear hinder God’s favour.”
- Rev J Martin
Posted on October 11, 2017
The tough part of mothering a girl
She says she’s “Okay”, but is she? I see the insecurity she masks so well. I see how she adapts her personality to fit in with what is okay in your group and what is not …… and my heart bleeds for her.
She is my child and my heart aches for her and all the little girls like her who have been forced to try and find ways to fit in with a group of girls who won’t accept her for who she is.
She is spontaneous, but she’s lost her spontaneity and it is most noticeable in a crowd of girls of her age because “you are either in or you are out”.
Where is the guidance of the older generation when it comes to girls relating to other girls, or girls accepting the differences in other girls?
Boys are different, they just get on with whatever it is they have in common.
But girls …. Girls have a set of rules – unspoken rules – that if you are not like me, you are not part of my clique. You either dress like me, do what I do, speak how I speak and do what I do, or you are not my friend. If you don’t adhere to the unspoken rules and hints that go with them, then they are spelled out to you in words.
This is not a new phenomenon, it is an age-old phenomenon and it just doesn’t get any better.
I know, I was told I was different on my first day of school. I always looked for the other girls who, just like me, were pushed into the side-lines – those who also were not included in the “IN” crowd – whatever that means.
Have you ever been lonely in a crowd? Have you ever been told that you are not good enough to be part of a group? Then you will understand what I mean.
Moms can make a difference by teaching their girls to be inclusive.
The world is filled with beautiful, interesting and diverse people. Everyone is unique and special.
I pray that this is the life lesson that my daughter learns: to love others as she loves herself, to make room for those who are different to her and to stand out from the crowd, confident and content to be her own person because she truly is a beautiful young lady.
Updated on September 3, 2017
The Pleasure of His Company – Book Review
When you find yourself in the pages of the book, when that book captures the desires of your heart in its 
very content and puts into words those things that you live for and desire, then you know that you have found a book that is so precious it must be shared.
I was given such a book on my last birthday!
The message is so powerful and thought provoking that I found it easiest to work through it as a Daily Devotional as I needed to chew on each topic – sometimes over a few days.
The Pleasure of His Company by Dutch Sheets, published by Bethany House Publishers
If you are hungering for more of God, if you are desiring to know Him better and if you want to understand His heart for you, for all of us, then I would strongly recommend this book.
The topics in the book are explained in a simple, yet profound way. Dutch Sheets has a gift for “opening up” the Bible and the meanings of some of the verses, as he delves into the definitions of the original Hebrew and Greek meanings of words in Scripture.
If you desire a closer relationship with God, if you desire to know Him more and to understand His heart and desires then this is a book for you.
Sometimes, we make God out to be so complicated, but in actual fact, He is simply longing for the pleasure of your company too.
Updated on April 9, 2017
Roast Leg of Lamb
This is my favourite recipe f
or our Passover leg of lamb, it is both delicious and tender.
Ingredients:
1,3kg to 1,8kg leg of lamb
Marinade:
3 to 4 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon each of thyme, oregano, rosemary OR 3 teaspoons mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Cut excess fat from leg of lamb.
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or baking dish large enough to accommodate the lamb and mix well.
Massage the marinade into the lamb.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning often. Or place all ingredients and the lamb into a bag and seal, ensuring that the marinade coats the meat.
The next day, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and to allow it to reach room temperature (approximately 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C for a thermo fan oven.
Cook for 4 ½ -5 hours brushing with remaining marinade every 1/2 hour or turning the leg over in the marinade sauce.
Allow the leg of lamb rest for 20 minutes before you carve it. (Serves 8-12)
Posted on April 3, 2017
WHEN YOUR CHILD STRUGGLES WITH WRITING
What do you do when your child shows an aversion to writing? Or when your child is in their 3rd grade and you still have to go back over the basics of writing with them because they are confused about letters or struggling to write? How can you help your child who seems exhausted after writing the simplest sentence?
Some people think that a child who struggles in this way is just acting up or has behavioural issues. However, one needs carefully consider all the criteria and assess whether the child is acting up, or genuinely has trouble conveying data from the brain to the fingers to write; a condition called Dysgraphia.
What is Dysgraphia?
A person who has Dysgraphia struggles to process words that are written (or in some cases heard) into the movement of the muscles which are used for writing (fine motor skills). It often, but not always, overlaps with other learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Problems, etc.
A child who struggles with Dysgraphia is often emotional when it comes to writing, they may cry, become angry or appear stubborn and refuse to write. The feelings of inadequacy and the knock to their self- esteem can be crippling if not dealt with in a way that empowers the child.
How does one help a child who has Dysgraphia?
- The first thing to do is to go back, way back to before they started writing. All fine motor skills stem from gross motor skills. Get them to move, work on strengthening their core muscles and their upper bodies.
- Make the alphabet using playdough.
- Cut the alphabet out in different textures of material and let the child trace the letters with their index finger.
- Draw the alphabet in the sand or write words in the sand using a stick. (Big movements of the arms from the shoulder are important here.)
- Make up some cookie dough and let your child roll the dough into sausages and then make letters out of the cookie dough. We flattened the dough to allow even cooking of the letters.
- Writing with a whiteboard marker on a window. The thickness of the marker helps toward a better grips as the child struggles with fine motor manipulation of the pencil.
- Use blank paper without lines. This reduces the stress these children experience at trying to stay on the lines or within specific lines.
- One can also allow the child to give answers which the teacher can write down in the appropriate place.
- Give small amounts of work at a time with breaks to allow the child to rest between exercises.
- Simple cutting exercises are also important it will exercise the finger muscles.
- Let your child make food with you, scrub or peel potatoes or any other baking activity.
- These are just a few ideas to help you on your way. There are many other activities one can do with a child, based on their particular needs.
NOTE: When the child is writing with a pen or pencil, it is important to establish a proper pencil grip as children with Dysgraphic tendencies will change their grip often or hold the writing instrument at awkward angles. Buy a pencil grip that fits over the pencil to position the thumb, index and middle fingers correctly for writing.
Posted on March 19, 2017
Freedom
We are all looking for FREEDOM.
So often we search for it outside of ourselves. Some look for it in their family or friends; some look for it in their careers; some through their wanderlust as they travel the globe; some in sports achievements and accolades; and some in their leaders (as we see in so many countries in the world).
True FREEDOM, however, comes from within. It can only be experienced in our hearts as we face our fears, forgive those who have hurt us and leave the past behind us.
Jesus taught that we should bless those who hurt us and pray for those who hate us. He showed us by example. When He hung on the cross, He prayed for those who had Him crucified “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ” Luke 23:34 (New International Version)
If ever there was an example of one who understood this, it was Nelson Mandela. If ever there was “A Long Walk to Freedom”, it was his story. He embraced it and became one of the greatest statesmen of our time. We can all heed his words:
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” Nelson Mandela
FREEDOM – it was such a longing in my heart, it was God’s promise for me. It seemed so hard to attain, to just step past the curtain of fear and step into freedom. The road has been long, but it has been so worthwhile. When we let go of the past, we find out what it means to be free and we can truly be ourselves.
Galatians 5:1 “Christ has set us free to live a free life.” (The Message Bible)