Real Faith

So recently I've been pondering what does faith mean? & what does it mean to have real faith? Now if you come from Charsmatic background like me, you tend to think those who pray for the sick to get healed and it happens are the people with real faith. I mean the gift of faith is all about seeing things which seem impossible happen. But recently I've been confronted with people with a different type of faith, a faith of perseverance. If faith means to trust God, these people keep on keeping on trusting Him despite their circumstances. They are the ones brave enough to walk on water and do the right thing even though the winds and the rains are screaming for their attention, and though they doubt they keep choosing to place their eyes on Jesus (Matt 14:22-33). 

Those that face circumstance after circumstance that as an outsider you shake your head and say how can you believe in God? Those who face cancer, bankruptcy, divorce, miscarriages etc. and keep looking to God as their light and their salvation (Psa 27:1). Those who persist in trusting God and do not fall for the lie that has trapped man from the beginning, that is God really good? Now that's what I call real faith! And what is faith? "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Heb 11:1 It is the assurance that God will keep His promise and that He remains good. It is only through trusting God, knowing that He will reward us as we seek Him, that we are pleasing to Him (Heb 11:6). Jesus said "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" I don't know about you but if Jesus comes during my life time I want to be found having faith in Him; no matter what has or hasn't happened to me.

May the LORD bless you with the ability to see His goodness even in dark times

May He keep you in His arms forever

May His face shine upon you as you keep your eyes on Him and not the storms

May He lift up His countenance to you, since your faith pleases Him 

And may He give you peace as you keep on holding on and trusting...

New hearts= new fruits

So recently I was sick, I had a cold that cost about R1000 to fix- shock horror! I had to go to the Doctor, and for a lot of money the doctor gave me 10 rushed minutes, they were so rushed I could not recall what she said was wrong with me! She briefly mentioned that my infection may be due to my allergies, but there was no discussion (or even medicine) to help with my allergies. There was no dealing with the root, how to actually get my sinus/allergies better (such as healthy eating, allergy injections, sinus clear etc) but just dealing with the symptoms. How often do we do the same in our lives- we see the fruit: gossip, smoking, complaining, envy, lust, pride, doubt etc. but we do not deal with the root (need for acceptance, control, comfort etc). We are so much like the Pharisees, we clean the outside of our cups, while forgetting that it is the inside that makes you clean! "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Matt 23:25-26 

We like sticking plasters on our brokenness, pretending everything is fine when inside we need a change! God is not like my doctor, He is the Great Physician, He does not deal with the symptoms. He deals with our hearts- but we have to let Him. I mean cut off the thorns of a tree- it will still give you thorns, cut out the roots and plant a new tree and you will get apples! This is a process, which takes time, which hurts- I mean its alot easier to cut off branches than roots. Jesus said " But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." Matt 15:18-20. Meaning that the root of our problem is in our hearts and that what we do (or don't do) is just an outflow of our hearts, and the law can not fix the wickedness inside- only God can do that! God wants to give us new hearts... Let us allow Him close, let us allow Him to dig up our roots so we can have new hearts, and new fruits! "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26. For only with Him we can have a new heart so we can bear new fruit (John 15:5)

May the LORD bless you with the ability to let Him close so He can give you a new heart.
May the LORD keep you so you may bear good fruit. 
May He make His face shine upon you that you may know He loves you as He shows you   the roots.
May He give you peace; complete wholeness- body, soul and spirit.

Gott schreibt auch auf krummen linen grade

"Gott schreibt auch auf krummen linen grade".. say what?! hehe this is a German saying which loosely translated means that God can even turn our crooked paths straight. We face trails, difficulties and sometimes we feel there is no hope, it is just dark; we feel forsaken by God. Maybe it is at the hands of natural disaster such as death and famine we suffer (just like Ruth), or maybe it is at the hands of others we suffer abuse (much like Joseph who was sold by his brothers), or perhaps it is by our own doing that we are suffering (much like David's sin with Bathseba, or Peter's denial of Christ). We sit in jails (Joseph), in a foreign country (Ruth), back at our old comfort zones (Peter fishing) and we wander why we are here, we feel failed by God, others and ourselves. We sit in the dark and we have a choice. We can choose like Joseph to keep trusting God in our jail and be faithful in where we are, to keep trusting like Ruth to look to God for protection, to turn to Jesus after we have failed Him; or we can choose to despair and give up hope to be Orpah and go back home, to be Judas and instead of going to Jesus, get depressed and even choose to give in to death. 

The choice is not easy, for the darkness is real. But the point of all these stories is that when God looks missing He is actually working in the background. That even though Joseph's brothers were planning to harm him, this turned out for their salvation! WOW! Gen 50: 20 says "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." When Ruth had no hope of a future (widows were seen as the lowest in society), God was busy putting the puzzle pieces in place for Boaz to meet her. Jesus redeems Peter, restores him to be the founder of the church; He appears to Him first after the resurrection.

The biggest example of how God turns our darkest nights into glory stories is the cross.. It seemed all was lost, the Messiah, the promised long-awaited one was dead- crucified, cursed; there was no hope. Yet on the third day He rose again, having defeated death and every spiritual power! The victory is HIS, He has overcome. So do not fear mistakes, dark nights- keep trusting, keep hoping for God is still at work. 

May the Lord bless you, may He keep you as you take refuge under the shadow of His wings (Ruth 2:12).
May the Lord shine upon you so that you may continue to hope.
May He be gracious to you so that you can experience for yourself His deep love.
May His face turn to you so that he may make your crooked places straight.
And may He give you peace even as you face your darkest night...

POEM: May you see...

May you see...

Solid walls of steel

Heart of iron, where no one can enter

What to do when love meets resistance;

Does love not conquer all?!

How is it that everyone around me sees,

Yet you remain blind as a bat

To the beauty I have to offer,

The beauty that is me.

Do you want me or not?

Your words and actions do not match

Hold me tight, yet you let me go

Miss me so much, yet so unsure

The doubts, the confusion, the fears

SCREAM so loud!!!

This is not safe, run away!

Burry your heart in a prison of fear and the fake comfort of idols

But do you not know,

Have you not heard

To love is to risk, to love is to suffer.

To truly love passionately is to die.

So much joy, so much blessing;

Yet accompanied by so much pain…

This lies in the promise; just look at the cross

The risk is worth taking, for I will be a virtous bride

Yet jump you must; let go of hurt, let go of offence, let go of your perfection…

Choose to break down the walls, choose to trust;

Choose to take a chance, choose to open your eyes…

Choose to care, choose to pursue; for I am worth a fight.

Open your eyes, for you cannot behold

 the treasure of the gift; the gift that is I.

For your eyes are blind, your heart is hard-

 I can feel it from afar

Yes there is a choice you need to make,

 but to truly see you need the man who will put His finger upon your eyes;

who says to go wash yourself in His unending grace…

There is only one who truly lifts the veil,

 who turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

There is only one who lets us truly love.

And this is my prayer my dear,

That though you have heard of Him,

Now your eyes may see;

That your heart  may be free to love Him,

To truly feel, to truly love, to truly risk …

For He has risked it all on you.

Erika Filter

Kingdom stuff

We all know Matthew 6:33 " But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Yet somehow we lose track of what this really means, we seem drawn into the world's system of thinking. We think that if only I can get enough money, I will have a nice house, a nice car, nice clothes and then I will be happy (and loved). Or give me the husband with the kids and the white picket fence then I will be content. This can be seen by our spending (and I'm talking to myself too!). How much of our money goes into making ourselves happier- buying a chocolate, a scarf etc. What would it really look like if we put God's kingdom first?! James 4:4 says "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Ouchy!!! If that is not a wake up call I don't know what is.

Let's reconsider what the kingdom means; the kingdom means wherever the king reigns and living in HIS rule equals peace, love and justice. It also includes telling others about the king who is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). So then what does Matthew 6 look like practically in my life and yours? Maybe it means instead of buying a chocolate for R10, giving that money to a car guard; or giving the money for your scarf to an orphanage. Or using the money to support a missionary overseas. It could mean just being friendly at work, seeking justice by signing a petition, or standing up for what is right. We need to hear from God what/where/when and how He wants us to contribute to His kingdom. But most importantly let's change the way we think- a car, nice house, good spouse (affirmation, status, power) will never truly satisfy. Let us seek the one who truly satisfies; who let's us never thirst again...

May the Lord bless you with satisfaction that comes only from Him
May He keep you in His righteousness
May His face shine upon you that you may extend His light and His kingdom
May He be gracious upon You in all you do
and may He give you peace as you walk to extend His peace to others. 

Poem: "Love will set you free"

LOVE WILL SET YOU FREE

Every time I offer my heart, 

the darkness whispers:

"You're too much;

SHUT UP! 

You have nothing to offer.

Shut up and withdraw."

Back to where it was,

that cold dark dungeon

feels safer than the risk of truly living.

The chains of loneliness,

heavy and familiar.

Light seems too potent, for the heart used to

the cold, damp, dark dungeon of fear. 

You have been set free,

so fly like a kite.

For love will set you free;

and your heart is a gift the world needs,

although it is one it will not receive.

Erika Filter