God is good

"Nathan has just been shot in an attempted hijacking. On his way to hospital... please pray for him." This is the message I woke up to on the 27 August 2014. It was 5am in Dubai meaning that it was 3am in South Africa, my sister is likely to be asleep and I cannot ask her for more details. I was devastated. I cried. And cried. And cried. Trying to get back to my scriptures so that I can get my mind off the "What ifs" until I can speak to my sister for answers. I shared with my flatmates and then waited for a more decent time to call. By 7am I couldn't bear not knowing, so I called my sister. It's 5am in South Africa. She might not be awake. She tells me that she is also not home. She has to make her way to the airport to get a flight back to Johannesburg from Durban. He is in hospital. He is stable. They did a CT scan and will let us know later today if he needs surgery on his leg. She will keep me updated as soon as she has more information. I am so grateful for friends who pray. I sent a message to my friends asking them to pray for no surgery, quick recovery for the leg and for normal use of the leg. I asked them to pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort him and my sister. I asked them to pray for the criminals. The ones who are deceived and in need of Christ. 

I was broken. I got to the office and asked my manager for a flight back home. My thoughts were all over the place, I was not normal. Nothing was making sense. How could this happen? Why did it happen to us? How did Nathan feel at the time? Did he feel alone? There were so many questions...

I read my bible. I listened to God exulting, Christ-centered, bible saturated music. I needed to fight the words that were trying to occupy my mind with the truth of God's word. The song that really helped is called Anchor by Hillsong United. The words are absolutely amazing... 

I have this hope
As an anchor for my soul
Through every storm
I will hold to You

With endless love
All my fear is swept away
In everything
I will trust in You

There is hope in the promise of the cross
You gave everything to save the world You love
And this hope is an anchor for my soul
Our God will stand
Unshakeable

Unchanging One
You who was and is to come
Your promise sure
You will not let go

Your Name is higher
Your Name is greater
All my hope is in You

Your word unfailing
Your promise unshaken
All my hope is in You

Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hillsonglive/anchor.html

Image from Google images

I also came across a brilliant sermon by Carl Schultz of Hillsong, New York. You can see the link below. He gives three ways to deal with difficult circumstances - very appropriate for what I was going through. 

• Expect it. Jesus says in John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Trouble will come. Expect it.
• Go through it. Jesus says in every circumstance we face, He will never leave us nor forsake us
• Shake it off. The problem that you are going through is not just for you. There is someone who will hugely benefit from your testimony. Don't give up!

Thank you to my church family, my Gift's group, my flatmates, my family, my friends and my work colleagues for standing in agreement with us. My brother is okay. His leg will heal and we are trusting for a full restoration of mind, body and soul. 

God's grace in Nathan's situation:

• He had just dropped off my nephew at his grandparent's car before the incident happened
• They shot him through the passer seat where the baby seat was. The baby seat took the bullet and deflected it from his chest to his leg
• He ran away from them, but they did not shoot him as he was running
• He is alive

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.." Now we wait for more good things to unfold.

God bless

Women

The world hates women is a post my friend Siya shared on Facebook, it shows the violent abuse of women across different countries around the world. It must have been chilling for her to see considering that she's got a little girl.

The bible says that God created man in his own own image; both male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). The scripture goes on to say, God looked at what he had created and it was very good. Sin has entered our world and it has distorted the beauty that God created. This has affected the world we live in, the relationships we have and the way we live. Women have not been exempt from the effects of sin, it can be seen in the way women see themselves and the way men see women.

Listed below are some of the extreme cases of abuse against women and girls:

• Girl children are being aborted, abandoned or killed because of their God-given sex. The United Nations estimates that in Indian and China there are over 200million girls who are missing as a result. In the clip below, we hear from a woman who has killed 8 children at birth because they were girls.   

                                     

• The value of girl is being determined by how much a man is willing to pay for her. God says priceless and man says the highest bidder wins

•  200 girls in Nigeria are abducted and it's over a 100 days and they are nowhere to be found 
• Genital mutilation is an evil that aims to steal the gift of sex from women
• The United Nations estimates that 1 out of 3 women has been beaten, forced into sex or abused during her lifetime. This film is very graphic so if you are sensitive do not view it. It communicates a real account of brutal and violence stories against women and babies.  

I am sure you can add more films and stats to the above, but those stories just show how prevalent the problem is. 

Before you say but that's not me, we need to look at ourselves and how we contribute to this culture that hates women:

• Do you call someone lucky because he has a boy instead of a girl? The desire to have a boy is a beautiful desire but do not let it enslave you. The enslavement comes in the form of person's relentless pursuit of a boy either by the spouse bearing more and more children until they have a boy or a man marrying other women until he has his son (I won't even rant about how he is the "problem").  A healthy baby is a privilege that some parents do not have. 
• Do you pay women less than their male counterparts for the same qualifications and same job?
• Do you tease people by referring to them as girls?  This is highlighted so beautifully in this ad by ALWAYS

• Do rape cases focus more on the woman's dress code than the man's behaviour?
• Do men in a work environment get punished by their companies and the law for the sexual harassment of women?
• Do you talk inappropriately about women? Or do you allow the objectification of women by people around you? 
• Do you pollute your mind with images that objectify women and then expect the women in your life to live up to those images? Do you expect your spouse to perform for you because that's what you see in porn? Do you tell her how fat she is because you consume too many images of perfection in media?
• Do the men you hang around with value their wives and children? 

Again, the questions that you can add to this list are endless.

The link below is one of my favourite poems by Jon Jorgenson, it's called "Who you are?". I pray that we can be women who believe that we are awesome and that we raise girls who know that they are. Girls whose self-worth is not determined by their circumstance by a deep knowing that they are worthy of love and that they are LOVED! Because LOVE is a beautiful place to make world changing decisions.

This is not a usual feel good woman's day post. My hope is to raise awareness of woman's issues so that those who are touched may be moved to action. Doing something may require a big change like leaving your comfortable job to join an anti-human trafficking organisation or it can be small like ensuring that we speak well of all women not just those we love like family. May woman's month celebrations include the men and women working tirelessly to make my hypothetical future daughter feel loved, worthy and always enough.

God bless

Names are pregnant with purpose

Day 3 at Hillsong Conference:

Names are pregnant with purpose...What stirs within the recesses of your soul when you
 hear Jesus' name. An enigma personified...Took on the lowest name so slaves can reign as Kings.

Morning session
Pastor Billy Hybils message was based on Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus calls his first disciples. Bill Hybils studies Jesus and speaks about 5 leadership tests that a leader must employ when choosing his team.

• Bias towards action test

Do you chose leaders who have a bias for action?
Jesus solves an immediate problem by getting into Peter's boat. Peter allows Jesus to do so without complaining.

• Can you follow directions test

Peter has been fishing the whole night and has not caught anything yet he say to Jesus "because you say so I will". Peter followed Jesus' instructions.

• Who deserves the credit test

In Luke 5:8 Peter gives all the credit to Jesus. Credit hogging does not contribute to positive team dynamics. Don't compare yourself with others. The ultimate glory belongs to God.

• Grander vision test

Jesus gives them a bigger vision - I will make you fishers of men (Luke 5:10). Jesus shows that the value of a dollar versus the value of human destiny. God loves people. They are his treasure.

• Will you leave it test

They left everything and followed him (Luke 5:11). The grander the vision the higher the price tag. Peter and his fellow fishermen were willing to leave everything for the grander vision. Change your vision from dollars to a grander vision.

Jesus left heaven for a grander vision - the salvation of all.

Q&A with Pastor Bill Hybils conducted by Pastor Brian Houston
On leadership:
There is a season for everything - Ecclesiastes 3. Sometimes it's good to let people go. Change in teams is good but you must invite people into your life for that season. Get involved. Treat people like family. Leadership pipeline is important so someone can take over the role. When you decide to leave, leave well. Ensure a thorough handover so that the person taking over is well-equipped. A leader is an incurable listener and learner.

On crisis management:
Storms will come. In the middle of a crisis that is when you character is revealed.

What's a prevailing church?
The church as described in Acts 2:42-47. The lost are found. The poor are taken care of. The found are growing spiritually. There is unity by the power of the Holy Spirit. Bold prayers are prayed and God answers. Communities are transformed.

"The church is meant to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed" Brian Houston

On accountability
We are all accountable to God. What is your gift? Are you using it for God's glory?

Session 2 by Pastor Brian Houston
Romans 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.". Acts 10:9-15 "What God has cleansed, you cannot call unclean or common"

The message of Jesus is all inclusive - Everyone is invited. Pastor Brian shared a story from Jonah 3:2-6,10. Jonah was asked by God to preach to the people of Nineveh and ask them to repent from their sins and return to God. Jonah's message is so powerful that the people of Nineveh, including the king, turn from their evil ways and return to God. When they repented, God's anger subsided and he relented of the disaster that he was going to give them. Instead of being happy about this, Jonah is angry with God. In Jonah 4:1-2 we read - But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry. And he prayed and said to the Lord and said "O Lord, is it not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made hast to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster." As a church we are called to be outposts of grace just like our God. Jesus loves all people the same. God does not show partiality - everyone is invited. Jesus is the only judge.

Image from Google images

Masterclass: Reading the bible effectively

Reading effectively:

• Be consistent. Make it a habit. 
• Fruitful bible reading is lived and walked in your neighborhood
• Pray before you read the bible 
• Ask questions: Where? Why? When? How? What?

Studying the bible

• Use the right tools (Good bible translation, study bible, commentaries, bible dictionaries, theological dictionaries, concordance/lexicon, survey of OT and NT, manners & customs books, online tools/sites, books)
• Identify what's infront of you (what's really there?)
• Recognise it in it's context
• Know what to do with what you find
• Apply it - the bible demands application

Read the bible like this:
GOD  (What was God saying?)
THEM (What was he saying to the people present then)

US (What does it mean for us now)

ME (Relevance for me)

One of the outflow of regular bible reading is an overflow of thankfulness.

Image from Google images

Word from the local pastor

We are made in the image of God. God spoke and created. Yet on the 5th day he made man, he came down to earth to create man. God gave him a breath of air and it became human. People have intrinsic value. If the angels were sitting in heaven trying to describe what an human being is then would liken it to something they were familiar with, they would say "humans hold the image of God". You are incredibly valuable to God and no one can take that away from you.

Evening session

Pastor Louie Giglio together with his wife, Shelley, started Passion which is a movement that ministers to college students. Louie was running a very powerful youth ministry in a town far away from his family. His father got terribly sick but he and his wife felt compelled to stay in the town they were in. After 7 years of praying they decided to move closer to home. Louie's father passed on before they could make it back home. However, he had already resigned from his job so he moved closer to home inspite of the devastating news. He says that he does not know why things happened the way they did. He does know that the Passion movement would not have existed. He was comfortable in his youth ministry. But God... God was calling him to something bigger than he could have ever imagined. Years later as he was preaching in a stadium full of young people he got to stand on the Chick fil a logo. The Chick fil a logo that Louie was standing on whilst preaching at the Passion conference, was the logo that his father designed for the franchise. It was an incredible moment for him. You can strive on our own but working together with God, you can achieve great heights that you thought possible!

Image from Google images

He started by congratulating Brian and Bobbie Houston for building Hillsong. He said "It is amazing. God is amazing. But God uses people." He thanked them for being God's vessels!

Louie spoke about the name of Jesus being a brand. The PR company that is hired to make much of this name is the PR of God, God and God - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He says that God is more committed to the idea that "there is no other name". God will make much of the name of Jesus. It is up to us to decide whether we want to join this winning movement. When you and I chose to join the movement of "no other name", we are signing up to God's team. When you know that God is making sure that the name of Jesus is proclaimed world-wide, we can rest with an assurance that God is on it. The PR company of God, God, God is working to make much of the name of Jesus.

Jesus is the God of my life. Jesus is my everything. God is very particular about his name - Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Sin is settling for a lesser name. The Holy spirit reveals and exalts the name of Jesus.

Scriptures:
Psalm 46
Psalm 90:1-2
Isaiah 6 (Visions of heaven)
Philippians 2
Acts 4:8-12