Over recent days our team faced some undefined problems. Undefined because they are mere fruit of a deeper problem rooted inside. A problem of life and death, of spiritual life and death.

I met a Muslim lady this week, she is 15 years old, and we will be baptising her this afternoon. As a woman she has very few rights as a Muslim. As she was renouncing her believes in Islam and asking to receive Christ as her Lord and Saviour it struck me that her family and life will never be the same. She would probably never be accepted by her own parents anymore. She had to realize the cost of her choice.

As we talked through the implications of her choice I realized that my choice to follow Christ has no less hazards, problems or dangerous paths along the way. It is no less costly for me to come to the banquet of the Lord than for her. or at least it shouldn't be. I was reminded of Luke 14, and knew I was privileged to be invited to the banquet, and to invite others as well. I am privileged to count the cost for coming.

The brother who knew our Muslim background sister beforehand was a Muslim himself. A strong man of God, and eager to challenge Muslims to repent and accept Christ. His fervor for God is overwhelming, even to a time that I had to calm him down during our talk with this sister. Titani Piri has been baptized last year after coming to Christ.

His love for the Lord has driven him to want to attend a course in developing his character as a disciple of Christ. His conversion caused him to lose most of his support. With one pair of cloths on his back, and tattered shoes, God used him to be one I learned from in following Jesus. This warrior discipled me in the boldness like that of David. I became jealous to also be as bold and surrendered for the cause of the Kingdom of God

Titani still needs $750 in Zambian currency for his discipleship course. If you feel compelled to support this part of the body of believers by giving finances for Titani's studies please do so during this coming week. We will be leaving for Malawi on the 3rd of May, so any transfers will be paid over before then.

Payments:
M. Venter
6233 784 3305
FNB South Africa 255355
Ref. Titani

The Fruit of Searching for Satisfaction in God's Glory - A Testimony

 

 In my previous righting I mentioned about health problems. I am struggling with some lack of digestive problems, impairing the verity of food available for eating. During this time of confusion searching for God's glory, He forced me to surrender my health and food to Him as my sustainer.

I believe surrendering aspects of our lives should not be forces, rather given over. And in asking, I found opportunities for obedience always follow prayers, and never far behind. As the team is struggling with unity and focus we are entering a time of serving some least reached people. We were supposed to baptize 8 newly born believers, but were robbed of the privilege to see this happen.

As our team were together praying, supporting and celebrating the possible baptism waiting on news from our team member, communication confusion set in. We spent time in worship, seeking God's face for peace and guidance. I could open my heart to God that I felt left out, uninformed, and robbed of an opportunity to see this miracle happen. I felt the bitterness and hardness of heart rise up in me towards the team. I confessed my thoughts and lay them down at His feet. In worship and praise I found freedom again.

As I gave away my right to expectation, I also gave away my cross of expectations. I received the cross of Jesus of seeking God the Father glorified.

Now, less than 24 hours later I raise my voice praising God, for He has redeemed the harvest through willing hands and feet. We were blessed to assist some new believers who wanted to submit their lives to Christ. We facilitated them through repentance, helped them clarify what they believe about Christ, were baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit.

Praise God for the harvest that we could help bring in. Please also praise and ask God for the laborers and harvest in the Muslim community that we will be entering in from today. Please also pray for the unity in the team, and for protection and breaking of strongholds here in Zambia, Chipata.

Obedience is better than sacrifice - a view of my current discipleship journey

'Obedience is better than sacrifice' - Children of Kabwe chanting this as a theme for our time here.

My words, body, finances, health, time, sleep, family and loved ones are not mine anymore, they have been given back to God that He may have His way through in and through me.

After two and a half months on the Trek I can finally put into words what God is busy with within us. The Trek calls it Discipleship and Missions training on the move.

I would like to explain this mission in a personal way:

Discipleship seems like the process of coming to know your own character in a facilitated but practical way and finding that it is not Christlike. To then go through the process of submitting one by one the aspects of your character to God, and all the rights you claim for yourself. Through the process of humbly selflessly serving others with the example and mission of Jesus as our guide, to then be right-sized before God. Within the safe and vulnerable environment of a family of believers all being purified alongside you, to continue to develop at the mercy of the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit. Through all this, in prayer and thanksgiving worship God for changing our willing hearts, minds, and souls to faithfully follow Jesus.

Discipleship seems to me to be the willing process of laying down my rights to self, and willingly taking up my cross, to follow Jesus in the way He modelled what being human looks like.

Luke 14:26-33 NET
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

Blinding light of love in Falling for God

I met the loving arms of God, and realised I don't believe Him to be loving and trustworthy. In reaction I have been deaf and dumb for three days, in a manner of (not) speaking.

Upon leaving Namibia I became a sick with ear infection. With my ears and body out of play God started showing up. Shutting the world out, and keeping my thoughts inside I was put in solitary confinement. It was me and God, and honesty between us.

Feeling the rejection I showed towards Him, I cried and cried out a lot. I came to know the healing power that starts in confession.

After two days of travelling I drove the minibus into out backpackers lodge two hours after sunset. I was exhausted yet sustained till the last moment. The next few days started with an unexpected blessing. One of the group wanted to bless me for a combo adventure of sliding, swinging and bungee jumping at Victoria Falls. I was shocked, I knew nothing of gift given without the expectation of return, or of undeserved gifts. Two major barriers in my life.

This was just the beginning of the barriers to be crossed on that day for the Victoria Falls had some awesome jewels. The slide was fairly easy but i still needed to practice to just to lay back and enjoy the mission with God. To follow the instructions and enjoy the ride right till the end. The swing was much more of a vertical and horizontal combination. Although deep is where I want to connect with God, wide is still where He wants me to see. There is much more enjoyment in taking the leap and enjoying the ride.
As for the bungee... This is hard core trust. By this time I was comfortable with the edge, the height and the emptiness between me and the raging water below. It was the out of control I was not ready for.

I received my the much needed forgiveness for ignoring God as my Father, and I also regained my ability to hear again. I also received the grace to honestly worship God again.

After that I have been struggling with my health and my finances. He asks our obedience above everything. Obedience is His language of love. In this He also asks transparency for His glory, thus in sharing my needs He was able to glorify Himself. God confirmed His character to me again as my Healer, Redeemer, all sufficient provider, Father and creator of every community, and the Only God to be worshiped.

O, to take the leap to find God to be true to who He says He is, and daring to want to know Him that way.

The next step in intimacy: affection and emotions

Looking back over the past two months on the #Trek I praise God for the ways in which I have gotten to know His character, and see my own be transformed by the knowledge of Him. I just felt like sharing some of the character trades that I praise Him for. He truly loves Himself, and in this love us. O, what joy to be loved by Him.

I am His eternal beloved, and I know Him already to be MY:

Healer - He healed me from 2 serious physical conditions
Provider - He provided work, housing, people, money always enough for what He wanted me to do
Humbler - the one to whom I be right sized to, (James 3)
AMEN - according to Isaiah 65:16
Alpha and Omega - the beginning and end of my faith
Blesser of my soul - through the way He created and intended
Dwelling place as I seek, inquire and require by the right of His invitation (Isa 65:19)
Shepard - I shall not want
Light in which all offences taken is right sized and turned into love
ONLY GOD, as deliverer from the idols I set up for myself
Object, source and sustainer of my emotions and affections
Strong tower - Prov 18:10

I am Lientjie, from Magdalena. When Magdalena met Jesus and received His forgiveness she became worthy of the name. The name representing a strong tower of God, a light and place of refuge for others. One whose witness is that God is her strong tower.

By what character do you know God in your own life?

You don't need a lifetime, you need prayer

The past two weeks our team of 4 were sent to serve the Herero  communities in the Ovitoto region, Namibia. They are a beautiful people, and easy to love. Unfortunately the deceiver has got a hold on them.

I recently read a book on the influence that an outsider can have on a child, and how the child bears the fruit of that influence when he is grown - 'Saved by the Lion'.  Looking back now I see the reality of it.

Woman older than 50 dress in a Victorian style. Their head scarves draw  most attention. Formed in the image of cattle's horns, it shows the holy reverence they have for cattle. Schooled in the Afrikaans language and religion, they all know the Bible, of God, and know they want to be born again. They just don't know what that means or what to do with it.

The theme and warning that came to mind during the time there was 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (NET) 'If anyone builds on the foundation with gold silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done.'

It seems at first that a lifetime of investment and intentional personal discipleship would be necessary to help recover the misguided people. As we prayed earnestly to receive the wisdom to know what and to who to teach, we received hope in one young man. His mother is a drunkard, his father is unknown, but he grew up with a Bible in his house, and knew the scriptures. He rose above his pears and is studying B.Sc Maths at the University with the money from his herding job.

I would observe that the power of the knowledge of God, the influence of prayer and the unveiling of lies makes a lifetime of difference. This young man gave me so much hope for the Herero people.

The same was true for the lady in the picture. Afrikaans speaking, loving God, but never receiving the Holy Spirit, she desperately cried when we read out the passages of the Holy Spirit's work. We prayed with her to receive Him, and she was worshiping with joy in moments. 

They bless God for searching for Him. We and others will have our investments in them tested with fire on the Day. I will continue to pray for them knowing that if I did not act prayerfully in a faithful way I could also have been misguiding.