Category: It is Time

Timmy got back from school and dropped his bag on the floor. “I’m so glad to be home!”

“Sandra noticed her son’s long face, “What seems to be your problem, Tim,” she asked.

“I’m so tired of kids making fun of me, mom. They are so jealous because I got the highest marks for my essay today,” he said.

“All you have to do is smile in their faces, pretending to enjoy the fact that they are jealous. Stand your ground. You are bigger and stronger than most of them and even if you were not, they wouldn’t dare to touch you. You have Jesus with you.”

Later that day, Sandra still thought about her son and confessed to Jesus that she actually has a similar problem at work. “You know there is someone who targets me for some reason, Jesus, and here I am giving advice to my son.”

“Sandra, it is time you start living according to what you already know.” “What do You mean, Lord?”

You have Me with you every day. At this point in time you have learnt everything about salvation and yet, you still do not live according to what you have received.”

“I don’t understand, Lord. I have faith and I always trust in Your presence!”

“Do you? Yes, you believe you have new life. You have received the Holy Spirit but do you live it? Do you love it?”

“Live that new life in joy! You were not born by accident and then lived until God discovered and saved you.”

“He made you Sandra! Rejoice, sing Me a new song and be joyful in Me! Rejoice in your Maker!” (Psalm 149:1,2)

“Dance with instruments and song!” (Psalm 149:3)

“Most importantly however, with the Holy Spirit in your heart, you know you have a two-edged sword in your hand!” (Psalm 149:6)

“How many times more do you want to hear this message of salvation before you take authority of things in your world!”

“You have the power to bless, to pray healing, to praise God and at the same time execute judgement on your enemy! Rebuke the devil for using people to hurt you.”

“This honour of having a sword have all My saints!” (Psalm 149:9)

“It is time to use this sword, child and remember, I love you very much and yes, I will never leave you!”

Rebecca closed her Bible and put in down on the table.

“Lord, if You ever had a will and purpose for me, I am sorry, I think I blew it.”

“Why do you say that, Rebecca?”

“My life, Lord. I’ve just read Romans 12:2 and came to the conclusion that I am in Your good and acceptable will because I am following You, but I’ve missed Your perfect will. I mean, just look at me… struggling through my marriage, barely coping with our finances.”

“I believe there are many people in Your perfect will like Moses, David, Joyce Meyer.”

“Yes, my child and yet, when I needed Moses in Egypt, he fled. When he was supposed to talk to the rock as I told him to, he hit it with a rod. David killed his lover’s husband. In the end, all of them reached My perfect will and you know, they were and some still are people just like you.”

“Rebecca, on the day you were conceived I saw your frame and substance being yet unformed in your mother’s womb but that was not all. At that stage all your days were written down in My book when as yet there was none. Your days are fashioned for you only.” (Psalm 139:16)

“People usually think of days as time periods from sunrise to sunset and what the weather holds in store for that day. That is not what I see when I look at you. Days fashioned for you is the people you’re going to meet under different circumstances and the choices you’re going to make during that time, words you’re going to use, souls you’re going to hug.”

“Every choice and decision is solely made by you and those choices may or may not bring you closer to My perfect will.”

“You have made mistakes like every other person in the world, but child, Moses did not stay in the desert. He went back to rescue My people. David turned his life around and yes, I led them, but if you would listen closely, I’m leading you too.”

“If you think you are an unnoticed person in a lost world with a lost cause, think again. I needed Moses and Aaron and I need every Rebecca I can find.”

“Take courage girl. Look beyond the difficulties of this life. See your name etched in My book. Rebecca of 2015, living My perfect will in the days fashioned for her. Love Me, listen and follow Me.”

“Thank You, Jesus!”

(Personal witness – One day, 30 odd years ago, I decided to change my life to work for Jesus. Then I saw Jesus looking at me but He was not smiling as I hoped He would. His face portrayed concern, even sadness. I was very upset but later realised that He was sad because He knew what I was going to endure in future. I did not understand it then. Today I do, He knows everything… He has never left my side for one second.)

John was watching the news late one evening. He noticed snow covering mountains in some countries. It was beautiful to watch but it must be very cold, he thought.

He saw the devastating fires in the mountains around Cape Town and thought how awful it must be for all the animals and vegetation. The night scenes of the fire however, were awesome to watch.

Earlier that day, John and his wife were reconciled after a terrible quarrel. They were happy again but the scenes reminded him of his experience.

“John!”

“Yes, Lord.”

“You have just noticed the incidents of snowstorms and fires in different places. You have also experienced a hurtful squabble with your wife.”

“You’ve made peace and now you believe that there is always a positive side of every bad incident. After the snowstorm, the sunshine turns the snow into precious water. New vegetation appears after the fire. You are at peace with your wife. I am glad.”

“The way it happened is not good though. I will never instigate bad things to gain positive results.”

“People mostly quarrel due to personal issues they have and the easiest way of dealing with it is to blame it on someone else. That someone else is usually the person closest to them.”

“Every person is a prone mistake maker but you have to deal with it before it turns into a snow storm or raging fire, John. Be the first to forgive and move on… even if you believe you are innocent.”

“Don’t be proud. I will always regard the lowly but the proud, I only know from a distance.’” (Psalm 138:6)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

“It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down to the edge of the person’s garments.”

“It is like the dew of the mountains for there I commanded blessings – life forevermore.” (Psalm 133)

“You asked for blessings. I will do that but make sure to dwell in unity!”

A little girl was trying to cope with her huge schoolbag when another one she carried, fell onto the ground. “Oh, no Carlene, look how dirty the new bag is! Do you know how much it cost? I am working my fingers to the bone to buy all that stuff for you!”

I saw how the face of the girl fell from excitement to regret. “I’m sorry mom.”

At that moment I asked Jesus to touch her heart and then, as if she heard my prayer, she looked at me and smiled. She took her stuff, greeted her mom and walked through the school gates.

“Thank You, Jesus, for being here for little girls with working moms,” I whispered.

At that moment, I thought about Psalm 72 I’ve read that morning. Psalm 72:7 says our life with Christ on this earth would end on the day when the moon is no more.

It is good to note that the moon is still up there.

NASA recently made a video about the other side of the moon which is remarkably different from the side we see. It does not have the darker “spots”, known as maria, but it also has many more craters than our side. When I noticed it, I immediately saw the moon as our meteorite catcher.

In comparison to the earth, the moon is a lot smaller and to think that meteorite catching would be another purpose of our moon is a bit far-fetched, or is it…

Jesus must also have scars we don’t know about. At the time of His death, demons must have run havoc in trying to hurt Him with one purpose in mind, to kill and destroy Him, ridiculing the beloved Son of God while hanging on a wooden cross!

Jesus won, but I wonder how many unknown physical or spiritual scars He has that we are unaware of. How many spiritual scars would be on our Father for having to witness everything!

When we are clumsy and fail, Jesus would never show us His scars to make us feel guilty and remind us how He suffered for us like the mom told the little girl.

As we pick up our lives again all we would see is His smiling and loving eyes.

Praise Jesus! Praise God! The moon is still up there and Jesus here with us!

My wife and I were driving in town with a stranger sitting in the back seat of our car. Suddenly I realised that he had a concealed weapon on him and was planning to hijack the car. I also noticed that we were in a bad area where the streets were covered in litter and trash.

Unexpectedly the most horrible things happened one after the other until my wife shouted… “Hey, Honey, wake up!”

I was so glad it was only a dream. The question suddenly crossed my mind why I have these horrible dreams. Where do they come from? What is wrong with me?

Later that day, still pondering over the nightmare, the Lord said, “Now you know why your friend, Estelle, sent you the words which I gave her some time ago.“

I opened her email and read the words again. Jesus told her, “I know the demons who oppress you! I know them by name. I know every little bit about them. I know the tricks they play. I know the fears they have – because they most certainly have fears. I know who they truly are. After all, I made them – once – long ago. Remember nothing exists if I didn’t make it.” (end of first part)

Then Jesus told me, “Demons are capable of influencing your thoughts, Ken. They are very creative liars, making up stories that appear authentic to the human mind.”

“There is nothing wrong with you. Every person in the world is exposed to their influence.”

“You have to have faith in Me. Read the second part of Estelle’s email again.”

(Second part) “But I need your help. I cannot do anything about them while you are believing their lies. Faith is a wonderful thing. It gives the power to heal, but it also gives the power to destroy. And as long as you believe their lies and not My Word, you will be oppressed by them… So, from now on, it is your choice. It always has been. But now you know.” (end)

“One thing you have to do, Ken, is to take every thought captive that enters your mind (2 Cor 10:5).”

“Remember also that believers are first called, then sanctified by God the Father, and then preserved in Me (Jude 1). Surrender your thoughts into My hands too. This applies under all circumstances, including before you go to bed.”

Shani had a very bad week. She has made so many mistakes and she started to look at them as her own personal flaws.

She was sitting on her bed as tears started rolling down her cheeks when Jesus told her, “Read John 10:17,18.”

“Wow, You still speak to me, Lord!” She said as she immediately opened her Bible.

In John 10:17 Jesus said; “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18; No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (NKJV)

“Lord, why did You give me this?” She asked but kept thinking about the words.

Later she said, “Lord, I think I understand! You made the decision to die for us. It was not the Father who killed You, nor the devil. You willingly allowed people to crucify You and when you died, You gave up Your spirit, it was not taken from You.”

“On the third day, You took Your life back again. The Father gave You the power to do that.”

“Jesus, You said (17) that the Father loves You because of Your decision to give up Your life for us and take it up again, for us.”

“It finally dawned on me, Lord, the Father loves You anyway but He loved You in a special way for what You were willing to do for us, because He loves us…!”

“Today, I realise that You did that because You love me…!”

“Then I also realised, I was made by You! That means I am flawless! I do make mistakes but You died for my mistakes, so am I still flawless!”

“Regardless of all my mistakes, You still look at me as flawless Shani.”

“Thank You, Lord!”

Jesus smiled back at her and said, “I am so glad I decided to create you. I am so glad I decided to give My life for you. I am overjoyed that you decided to give Me your heart!”

“Shani, you need to make one more decision – decide to love yourself the way I do.”

May entered the lounge where her husband was sitting when her foot caught the edge of the carpet. She just managed not to fall down.

Seeing the smile on his face she said, “Oh, you are enjoying this and I imagine you would have laughed if I had fallen down,” she said.

“No, May, I was smiling before you entered and yes, If you fell I would still be smiling but not at you.”

“Why are you smiling then?”

“I’ve been thinking about our lives. We’ve experienced many good times, smiling times. We’ve also had some hard times and lately we have financial problems, we are concerned about our children and we need to fix the car. We are experiencing some non-smiling moments.”

“So… Why are you smiling then?”

“Let me explain. Imagine if we would die today, enter into heaven and look back at our lives together, we would notice all our smiles and frowns, our ups and downs.”

“If Jesus would ask us if we enjoyed life we would answer yes, except during these trying times, times we frowned, moaned, grumbled and groaned.”

“Why, He would ask, because He was always present to turn every bad day around.”

“I suppose we would answer Him that it is not nice to suffer losses or damages or other bad things.”

“I can imagine Jesus smiling back at us and ask why we think He created us in the first place.”

“I realised today that God’s reason for us to live is simply to enjoy every second of our lives in His presence, regardless of success or setbacks.”

“I am smiling now because I have decided to enjoy every second for the rest of my life on earth.”

“I know we have problems but hey, I’ve cast all our cares on Him because He told me to(1Peter 5:7). Jesus is here! He is willing to carry everything we are willing to give! He knows those who trust in Him!” (Nahum 1:7)

“Even if I would be terminally ill with only a few days left, praise God! I would be in heaven soon!”

“Heaven will be nice but I am here now and I’m going to enjoy my life because I am alive.”

“When we enter heaven I want Jesus to notice the smile on our faces, not because we have arrived, but because it was the way we used to live!”

I saw a flower, bruised, shrivelled and torn, yet it once was beautiful and new.

I saw a bird in a cage with wings to fly and yet, was unable to. The bird was brand new once, eager and able to fly high up in the sky.

I saw an elephant, huge and strong who greeted his family and walked to his final resting place. He painted a sad picture between the old elephant bones. He also was once brand new and strong.

Last year is worn and gone. A new year appeared with promises of colourful stories and beautiful songs. How will it proceed and how will it end?

It would be a mistake to look at the year as something able to provide. We pray the year will bring us new wonderful things but in essence, it can’t provide a thing!

The New Year received its first second and liked it so much he asked for seconds. Seconds is all it has now. This is the time during which we would be able to choose to live with, or without a smile.

This year would only reflect an image of what we have done or failed to have achieved. It would depend on how we have noticed the face of God smiling on us and how He cringed when we got hurt once more.

The secret of how this year would be is the way in which we would experience Jesus.

How good it is when we notice Jesus holding our hand with every stride. He knows real joy. He also knows how it feels when metal nails are driven through living flesh. Yes, He is the only one to hold on to.

We are not flowers but how we look depends on us. We are not birds… yet, we are able to soar. We are not elephants and yes, we grow old… yet, when we die, we would still be alive!

Praise God! Praise Jesus! Praise the Spirit because we are chosen to live, this year and forever more!

What a wonderful life!