2014 was a difficult year for some of the people who are dear to me. I was grateful for the support I was able to provide to those near and far from me. As I look forward to the year ahead, I look back with gratitude at the year I have left behind.
"Don't envy another person's season, enjoy the season you are in" was one of the key messages for Scarlet Women's Conference for 2014. Taking this advice, my heart's desire is to never take any of my blessings for granted no matter how small they may seem. In 2014, I got to appreciated my family and friends even more as I watched people close to me mourn the loss of their loved ones. I got to be grateful for my health as I walked with people who are waiting in expectation for their healing - emotional and physical. I got to appreciate my income as I walked with people who are waiting for a job or their monies to be available. I appreciated peace as I walked with people who were facing legal and emotional battles.
Grateful that God was with me throughout 2014. In the great and the not-so-great times, I never felt alone. He honoured his word "I will never leave you nor forsake you".
My sister and her family lived through horrific incidents that were meant to steal their joy but God... So grateful for the gift of life that God bestowed upon them. I am watching in expectation as they walk into all that God has destined for them.
My youngest sister, Lerato passed her Matric!!! She looked so gorgeous at her Matric dance. Looking back at her journey I feel saying I am proud of her would be an understatement.
Ntsika and Vukani, my brothers also passed their respective grades. Vukani will be in Matric this year. I can't believe how time flies!
My mom and my sister, Akhona came to visit me in Dubai. The highlight was how God made this trip possible. I look back at it, and I am still in awe of him. God's provisions were endless from flights (thanks Carl), getaway to Fujairah, best desert safari and many more.
Ncumisa came to visit me in Dubai. I didn't realise HOW much I missed this girl. It was such a treat having her here.
Being a servant at my church, City Lights. I love serving and being part of this community.
My trip to Hillsong in Australia was AMAZING! It was awesome being in a massive stadium worshiping and giving glory to Jesus Christ. The guest speakers were so anointed. This is one of my favourite life events to date. God is using His church to impact and change lives. I traveled with 3 gorgeous ladies who I got to know better!
Grateful for my friends. I was at my most vulnerable and they came full force to support me. My friends called just to let me know that there are there for me no matter what happens. I was overwhelmed by the love. I don't say it enough but I am so thankful for you ladies.
Thankful to Liz for being there for me during this festive season. Liz, was my plan for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Thank you for making it memorable.
Pictures of Jesus taken from a sermon by David Platt.
Saviour. Jesus means "the one who will save us from our sins"
Messiah. Christ means "the promised one"
Son of David. He comes from the kingly line of David
Son of Abraham
Centre of history
Fully human
Fully divine
Sovereign over the wise. Wisemen come looking for him and they bow at his crib.
Shepherd of the weak
Jesus inaugurates a new exodus
Image from Google images
11. Jesus will end the mournful exile 12. Jesus loves his fiercest enemies. He loves sinners like you and me.
13. Saviour king 14. Righteous judge 15. Filled with the God the Holy Spirit 16. Loved by the God the Father 17. Jesus is the new Adam. He resisted temptation fully, when our first father Adam succumbed to temptation
18. True Israel, Jesus was the faithful son unlike Israel 19. Jesus is the light of the world 20. Jesus is the hope of all nations
David elaborates on each of the points on the links below:
"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
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.
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.
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.
The program for the Hillsong Conference was packed with activities. The doors opened at 8:30am with the first session starting at 9:30am. Then we had a 30min break before we had the "Let's talk church" session. This is when the teens known as "Young and Free" moved into to the youth program. We then had a 30min break before going to our masterclasses. The masterclasses were smaller groups which focused on 3 main streams LEAD, HELP and CREATE. I had chosen the Help stream when I registered for the conference but I could chose any masterclass that appealed to me. We had 30min break between the two master classes. At 5pm the main doors open for the evening session. The session started at 6pm and ended with a worship concert!
Morning Session:
Pastor Brian Houston's sermon was titled "No other name". He spoke from Acts 3:1-10. This is the story of Peter and John who were on their way to the temple and came across a man was lame from birth. He was brought to the temple gates to beg. The lame man asked them for money. Peter addressed him "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" (Acts 3:6). And leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God (Acts 3:8). People who were disabled were not allowed into the temple, so this is the first time ever that this man is entering the temple - it's a significant moment. His healing brought him into a new life, he was able to walk into the temple and praise God. Pastor Brian then said, when you do things in the name of Jesus, you can go and do things you have never done!
He spoke about the saving power of the name of Jesus. He read from Acts 4:7-12. He focused on Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved". The gate to salvation is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). In John 14:6 Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.". He then corrected the misconception that the path must also be narrow. He says that following Jesus is a difficult path but it leads to a big and abundant life! He says we serve a God who enlarges our path (2 Samuel 22:37). We serve a spacious and roomy God (Colossians 1: 19 MSG). We serve a God who gives us a wide-open and spacious life (2 Corinthians 6:11 MSG). We serve a mighty and powerful God (Acts 3:12) who displays his glory through ordinary men and women (Acts 10:26). As carriers of the name Jesus we are called to do more. His parting words were "Don't be consumers of the name but be contributors of the name." And he read this blessing over us Numbers 6: 24-27: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."
"Let's talk church"
This session was targeted toward church leadership but was relevant for everyone who leads. The topic was Culture and Pastor Brian Houston focused on 10 cultural traits of Hillsong Church.
I am a "can do" person. He says don't let experience hinder you. He spoke about people who kill good ideas because they did them in the past and they didn't work!
This is not my job, this is my life. "A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock" (John 10:12).
I will serve the Lord with gladness. I do not think in minimums e.g. Do I have to?
Empowerment starts with me. You can even empower upwards. This allows you to set your boss free so they can focus on visionary ideas.
I am not on the gossip train. The target is "last to know..". "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 10:11).
I am one of them. It's not an "us vs. them" with my team.
I will bring those around me on the journey. He spoke about not dumping the worries on his family but sharing his triumphs as well so that they feel like they are part of the journey.
What I'm a part of is bigger than the part I play. Be teachable. "And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,"You lack one thing; go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; come and follow me." (Mark 10:21). Do you have someone who loves you enough to tell you what you don't want to hear?
I delegate but I don't dump. Most people give the stuff that they don't want to do to people reporting to them, he says be considerate.
My spirituality is attractive.
Masterclass 1: Anti-Human Trafficking with Nick and Christine Caine
These are some of the things I learnt about human trafficking:
It's the fastest growing crime in the world. It's very attractive because it gives high returns and low risk. Only 1 in a 100,000 European traffickers are convicted. A perpetrator who was caught was asked why he traffics humans instead of guns for instance. His response was "Human are easier to move. You just kick them and they move themselves."
People are being trafficked mainly for forced labour and sexual exploitation
Almost 30million people are trafficked and the rescue rate is only 1-2%
Children as young as 12 years old are trafficked with the age getting younger as the demand for minors increases.
In some instances, people are sold by people they know. We heard a story of a girl who was trafficked by her boyfriend. They went on holiday together and he sold her. Poor parents sell their children to put money on the table. Young girls are handed over to a life of prostitution so they can feed their parents and siblings.
In Greece, it's customary for a boy to be taken to a brothel to welcome him into adulthood. This is done by family members - mom, dad, grandparents.
You can do something about it! The demand for porn fuels human trafficking as different people are kidnapped to provide different kinds of porn. You can donate to A21 campaign. You can be a volunteer. The are 21 ways that you can help! Check out the link here !
This is modern day slavery an injustice that needs to be stopped. Every person rescued is a win!
Masterclass 2: Women in Leadership
The speaker was Julia A'Bell. She had such a presence and a warmth about her. I could have sat and listened to her the whole afternoon.
1. Be secure and comfortable with who you are.
She used John 3:22-36 to elaborate on this point. John was a prophet with multitudes of people following him, repenting and getting baptised. Jesus comes and many start following him, repenting and getting baptised. John's disciples come to him to tell him that they are losing people to Jesus. In John 3:30, John says to them "He must increase, but I must decrease." John understood that he's awesome but it's not about him. It's about Jesus. Julia then said - You are awesome! And if you don't believe it say it to yourself until you believe it! But it's not about you. It's about God. An all loving and powerful God. Sometimes you may have to move from the limelight and give God the glory. Know your identity in Christ. Know that you are a child of God. Leaders are givers. And you can only give what you already have. Do not limit yourself based on your circumstances. If God opens up an opportunity then step up and take it. Don't shy away from positions of leadership because of your circumstance rather appoint capable people around you to ensure best results. She spoke about women not taking great opportunities at work because of good reasons like when you are trying to fall pregnant. She says take the job. The company will work around you when you do finally fall pregnant. Be aware of holy discontentment and use this to change direction. Wise decisions are made when you feel comfortable and secure in who you are. Comparison is a dead end road. Don't go there!
2. Be prepared to change and evolve!
She used a well-know theologian - Madonna (LOL). Madonna has manage to stay relevant in over 3 decades, because she understands the need to change and evolve. She says you must be willing to be part of the change or give yourself a "sell by date". There is nothing better than you changing and growing to become more like Jesus. Things to help you with the change - Be prepared to empower others on what you are currently doing. Prepare for your next position by training someone to take over your role! Try something new. Have a positive attitude towards change because it's the only constant. She says Brian and Bobbie Houston have been able to build Hillsong to what it is today because they embrace change. She says the overall effect of being able to change and evolve is LONGEVITY!
3. Be the keeper of the Golden rule
"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12).
Speak in a way that builds others
Make kindness your everyday task
Listen more than you speak (speak with your eyes)
Sleep on it before you make a big decision
Confront with the other person's best interest at heart and mind
Do what's best for the organisation not just for yourself
Have an open door policy
Do not give up! You will reap what you sow
Word from a local pastor:
Chris Mendez spoke about our identity in Christ and knowing the character of God. He said, if you know who God is, then you can have faith in him. He read from Mark 11:22 where Jesus says "Have faith in God." He then read Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him".
Evening session:
The Pastor who headlined the evening session was Bill Hybels from Willow Creek. His topic was TIME. His verse was Ephesians 5:15 "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise". He asked various questions: "What would your schedule look like it God really ruled it? Is your current schedule working for you? Should your weekly schedule include non-work items? Is the Holy Spirit included in your schedule? He says that a schedule must be less about what I want to get done and more about who I want to become. So if you want to be a good parent, how much time have you scheduled into your weekly planner to spend with your children? He says we should ask ourselves "What investment of my time would it take for me to be a great___________ (fill in the blank - mother, friend, daughter).
He then asked "Who do you want to become?". He read from Luke 4:16 "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as was his custom." He says that Jesus had a custom. He arranged his life in such a way that he didn't miss going to the synagogue for Sabbath. He understood that spending time with God was important so he shifted his schedule to allocate that time. He says we need to spend time with God daily. 15mins a day will make a massive difference. He shared a story of an advertising executive who came up to him after a service and told him that he is too busy and does not have the time for a meeting with God. Pastor Bill's response was "I always made time for stuff I value." I found the story Bill shared online so you can listen to it below:
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."
I went to the Hillsong Conference for the first time in 2014. When I saw the title 'No Other Name' and watched the poem (put link) I knew I had to go. Natasha and I got the wheels rolling and then Ronel (who should be organising things for a living) decided to join us and she practically organised the details. She's really good! Alex and I helped with the swing votes on the organised itinerary!
I have had this burden since coming back from the conference. The burden I carry is that I cannot go to something so life changing and come back the same. I cannot be the same Nolitha Sithole who didn't have all this knowledge. This burden overwhelmed me when after a whole day of praising & worshipping Jesus, I switched on Facebook and my friends were not praising and worshipping Jesus. They were exactly where I left them before the conference. I pray that the Holy Spirit can help me to resist the temptation to go back to who I was. I pray that I may grow even more in love with Jesus and the people he loves so much.
I will be doing highlights from my week at Hillsong. I don't want to compress all that I've learnt into one post so I'll give you day by day update. I learnt that Hillsong is intentional about influencing culture. They don't want to be the best in Christian music, no, they want to be the best music producers. They want to be influential in music, a massive undertaking but worthy of being applauded! They were awarded for this with Oceans (where feet may fail) receiving accolades beyond Christian music. They pursue excellence in creativity, I honestly didn't expect to be entertained like I was at a concert but I was. The opening ceremony was spectacular! All the executional elements that make brilliant concerts were there and it just worked. On stage we had talented people showcasing their God given talent through singing, dancing, playing instruments and presenting. People were honoured. People were celebrated. Speakers listened to each other and spoke about what they personally learnt from the other speakers. The men and women who spoke were different in style and tonality, but they all brought the glory back to Jesus!
So I knew it was going to be a great week when the opening verse was my favourite verse about Jesus from Paul:
Colossians 1:15-20 ESV
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
I thanked Jesus right there and then for making this moment possible.
Pastor Brian, the founder of Hillsong church, invited various local pastors to speak every evening. They would share the word before the guest speaker. The first pastor spoke about the baptism of Jesus. He said it was one of those beautiful moments where the triune God head is present. God the Father speaking; Jesus in flesh and the Holy Spirit being represented by the dove. He shared Luke 3:22 when Father God said this about Jesus 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.' God affirmed Jesus before he started his ministry. He was announcing to the world 'I love you and I'm proud of you' - words every child longs to hear. Notice that God was well pleased with Jesus before Jesus did anything! He then brought it to identity saying "when you don't know the love of the Father then you compete". He said you have one opponent and that's the adversary. He ended with words that stuck to me throughout the conference, "You will be hearing brilliant talks over the week, don't be so caught up in the talk that you miss Jesus".
The guest speaker was Pastor Steven Furtik of Elevation Church. This young man is anointed. His sermon was from 2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV "Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,". His talk was titled - the problem with Pintrest. He says the problem with Pintrest is that we get caught up in a life of comparison. I guess that's social media in general. He says we must stop consuming other people's perfection. He taught me about Pintrest fail which is all the failed attempts at replicating something learnt from Pintrest. There are some hilarious disasters! He spoke about getting vulnerable with others. Tweet worthy line - Don't just show your progress only, show your scars for people to grow. He says he marvels at God - how God can know me so well yet still love me so much? He spoke about the importance of being known. He said it's important to remove the veils that we put on and be fully known - warts and all. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom!
Some key take outs:
1. Stop hiding! Unveil yourself
2. Stop having comparisons with other people's perfection. Compare less and contemplate more
3. God heals us from glory to glory not from shame to glory. Share your shame, bring it to the open and let God replace that with his glory!
My testimony:
When I was young something happened to me that changed the way I viewed life. I have always been a works person, you know, work to get people's affection. After this incident it was intensified, I would bring a school report so I could hear my parents' words of praise. I thought the results determined how much love I could get from them. In hindsight so silly but sometimes I catch myself doing it with loved ones even today. Sometimes, my reason for doing good is not a generous heart but a validation in waiting. People are the worst place to get validation. They are so busy walking through their own issues they don't know you need them. My sins, compiled with my need for validation and my negative self perception left me with an appearance of confidence. I was so worried I would be caught out. People will know me and they won't like me. For a person who relied on people for affirmation it would have been the worst thing to happen.
God pursued me. He brought me to a place where I had no one to rely on but him. The more I told him I needed him. The closer he came. God made me cry a lot when he was removing my veil. He showed me my obsession with comparisons. In high school, I had the brightest friends ever. Nthakoana is a genius. She would read over her work and know it. She didn't study but read through her notes and understood. She got 100% for mathematics - enough said. Sisi excelled in accounting. My worst subject. She tried explaining it to me but I didn't have the clarity that she had. So I did what most South African do with mathematics and science. Do enough papers and crammed my way to passing. I got exposed in Matric trials. I got 30% in my accounting exam. I nearly died. My teacher refused to allow me to drop to standard grade. I did get B for my finals so there is a good story to tell! An answer to my prayers of just a pass Lord! That's one side of the story the one my negative side focused on - not measuring up to my bright friends. God in his infinite wisdom gave me the best parents. Every year I showed my report to my parents and they would want everyone in the family to know how well I was doing at school! They would celebrate my report. My babomkhulu was a doctor, when black doctors were not meant to exist, inspite of the high obstacles the government put on them he persevered and became a much loved doctor in Soweto. He saw my matric final results and said I should have applied to be a doctor because my results were excellent. I did well. But I was left feeling sad because I never got my academic colours. I missed the celebrations. And sadly this is one example of many.
Jesus started cleaning me. He exposed things. There was a lot that I had to ask forgiveness for and people I had to forgive. I started my journey of being known. My healing required me telling my story so I told Starla, my pastor's wife. Then the Holy Spirit prompted me to unveil myself to my parents. I wanted to do it face to face so I bought time. I was hoping that I could convince God to change his mind. I remember praying that if I tell my parents know who I am and they don't like me anymore God has to be there to catch me. I spoke to my parents. God gave me the most amazing parents. My relationship with my father was strengthened from me unveiling myself. I had a privilege of praying with him recently for a problem he was dealing with for over 5 years. God answered and the problem was resolved according to my father's desire. My mom (in English she's called stepmom) and I are praying for God to do the impossible in our family. Our human efforts have failed and God specializes in the impossible! We are trusting him for big miracles. My mom and I are becoming better friends, we are more open and more involved in each others life.
I thank Jesus for the cross. On that cross Jesus took all my sins away - past, present and future. He took my shame and replaced it with glory. Being fully known, shame and all, means I can now move from glory to glory. My identity is in Christ. The old is gone. I am a new creation. I am loved. I don't have to earn that love. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with what Jesus did on the cross. I am free. Thank you Jesus.
