The Incredible Journey

Something astounding happened to me this month. I have been in absolute awe of what God did for me. It’s taken me time to write it, rather just enjoying and basking in His most wonderful love for me, His power and glory.

My dog went missing. Before you roll your eyes and sigh “Blugh, boring,” just wait… this is not a post about an animal but about God and prayer. There are so many facets to this story that I will have to break it up in other posts. But first, God.

I almost hyperventilated when we realised Maxi had gone missing. We rescued her as an abused pup – literally while she was being thrown around! As a result she does not like humans one bit. The wind blows and she gets a fright. So the thought of her going missing on her own terrified me. Even worse, what tormented my mind most was that she was stolen as bait for dog fighting rings.

I prayed my heart out. I travailed. I stayed on my knees for two weeks. I warfared. I got my family, friends and pastor to pray. I got my home group to pray. I started fasting, and every day after work I would walk around the neighbourhood handing out pamphlets and speaking to people. I was exhausted and nauseous from worry but on the third day I was at peace. I remember sitting in my lounge praying, and then almost in a moment of panic I said, “Lord, I’m at peace this can’t be, it’s not right, why am I not worried about her today?? I can’t relax about this! I must find her!” But in my spirit I heard, “Rest child.”
The peace did not last as long as I allowed negative thoughts to enter my mind. By day five at one point I had to leave my visitors and run into my bedroom crying and praying for the torment that was going around my head about dog fighting. I remember falling asleep crying, and before that in my mind’s eye I could almost see myself above my bed uncovered. I felt uncovered, open to all sorts of attack. I was so tired, I said “Jesus, cover me.”

I grew more tired as the days went on, but constantly pushing in prayer and pushing and pushing, no matter where I was or what I was doing. And now always remembering to keep my armour on so I wasn’t open to attack, especially my mind. It is important to note that during this entire time, God showed me constantly in His word to remain merciful to others and walk blameless before Him.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ~ Luke 6:36
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly~ Psalm 84:11

I actually asked the Holy Spirit to help me pray, “Holy Spirit help me to pray please. I don’t know where she is, and I’m running out of things to pray. Help me to pray.”
I prayed numerous countless prayers, but the constant prayers I kept praying were:
– according to the Our Father
– declared that her return home will happen (“You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways.” Job 22:28)
– for His mercy and that He keep a hedge of protection around her
– that He divinely position people to make her return home possible
– keep her nourished and hydrated every day
– that any chains that are binding her from coming home to me be loosed in Jesus name
– that He make the mountains low and the valleys high and the path for her to come home smooth and straight.
This was the Holy Spirit’s doing, and I highlight it here so you can see later how important this was.
One night on my knees I told God that, “Father, I’m in too much distress so I’m placing myself and Maxi into Your arms for Your mercies are great- don’t allow her to fall into the hands of men” (2 Sam 24:14). At one point I was so desperate I said, “I’ve placed her into Your arms, please can’t You just drop her off at my gate?” 🙂

By day 7, I messaged Christian friends and family and I told them I had petitioned God to bring Maxi home to me before her birthday on 1^st Feb and if they could all stand in agreement with me, which they did. I had hoped at the time this wasn’t a cheeky thing to do. I told God I’m not petitioning Him to test Him, or because I think He’s at my beck and call, but because of Maxi’s fragile personality, I needed her home safely with urgency.

By day nine I then told God I surrender her to Him, as I can’t do anything in my own strength. As the days went on, I had so much more peace in my spirit and I just knew that she was actually safe. I no longer went out every day to hand out pamphlets. As I started to feel bad because I was so tired the Spirit would say, “Rest child.” And I really was at rest even though my body was aching constantly.
I had a dream one night that my mom came to me and said, “just carry on praying.” Even though I felt I should physically rest, in no way did I ever rest from prayer. That was crucial.

Day 13 on a Sunday night, 25^th January, I fell into a nice deep sleep. In the middle of the night this voice said to me, “Caddie! I need to tell you something!” I woke up with a fright because it sounded like the voice was right next to me. I kept quiet waiting to hear more. I heard, “the end is near.” I immediately knew in my spirit that my wait for Maxi to come home was close by!
I thought maybe another week or two, but my husband woke me up at 6h30am shouting “Caddie come look! Maxi is home!! She’s standing at the gate!”
I cried with joy, I screamed with joy – in my thanks to God on my knees I eventually started laughing a hearty laugh! The one way you do not expect your dog to come home is pitching up at your gate! By herself. It just never happens. Here is a comment from an animal rescue organisation that had been helping me when they learned Maxi had returned home:

Haha – “magic” 😉

I had learned afterwards that my gran could not sleep the early hours of the morning I got the message and prayed to God the most simple prayer, “Father, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Caddie found Maxi standing at her gate this morning?” She had maintained from the beginning that Maxi will return home to my gate.  I was thankful for her faith but thought that it would not probably happen like that because it was impossible.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ~ Matt 19:26

I laughed and laughed at the immense miracle of it, at how simple it was for Him to guide her home that way after being missing for two weeks. I pictured my guardian angel walking and leading her up the road toward my house. I felt the beautiful love of my Father wash over me, the absolute love. He cares for me. I was blown away that heaven had moved for one mere person. My pushing through with constant fervent prayer was heard and honoured. The one way I never expected her to come home, happened! However, I always told God that I know He could do exceedingly abundantly above all I asked and thought for Maxi, in Jesus name (Eph 3:20)…I just did not expect it to be THIS exceedingly abundant!

I want to mention that when the voice/angel spoke to me that night, it seemed to me that the words were ‘made of copper.’ I know that does not make any sense but when they were spoken, they looked like copper. Remember how the one thing I was always pressed to pray for was that any chains that are binding her from coming home to me be loosed in Jesus name? I found out that the word for chains, neḥushtayim, is also derived from copper!

Remember how I kept asking Him every day to keep her nourished and hydrated? Well, she came back not having lost an ounce of weight after two weeks! Not a hair on her head was moved. She was covered in ticks, but biliary never touched her!

Remember how I kept praying that He divinely position people to make her return home possible? Turns out, He never needed a single person, He did it all alone! Such remarkable power! Her path to return home was indeed made smooth and straight!

How forcible are right words! (Job 6:25)

I was able to happily celebrate my sweet girl’s birthday yesterday, all glory to God. I will gladly go through that torment again so He can have all the glory. So many people have told me that they been touched by what He did that it has increased their faith and their faith in prayer!

I pray that you are encouraged. When you face hard trials, it will be hard, no doubt; but push through and persevere, no matter how difficult or hopeless the situation may seem. Your angel is holding a vial of your answered prayers – but just like Daniel, keep pushing for the breakthrough so the prayer can be delivered straight into your hands.

God, the gentle Archaeologist

I had finally managed to get to church that Sunday morning. If the devil had succeeded in his plans I may not have seen what God so graciously showed me.

I stood in powerful praise and worship. All of a sudden I saw myself standing over South Africa. I bent down and started to pick it up at its tip and it snapped off like a piece of matzah. I lifted South Africa up and handed it to the Lord. He had an archaeologist’s round brush in His hand and He started dusting off the surface of the country by twisting the brush clockwise and counter-clockwise to remove all the dust, debris and dirt lying on top. And the more He dusted the more pure gold became revealed beneath the surface!

Archeologists use soft bristled brushes to take great care in removing debris and dirt from fragile artifacts to prevent them from getting damaged. This tells me that South Africa is a very fragile country, considering our past and present, and only the precious hand of God can gently deal with removing the debris that is blocking people from receiving the gospel. Only God’s mighty plans and purposes can reveal the gold that lies beneath! Amen Jesus!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9

Bent Bows

“For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalms 11:2-3

Satan’s hindrances to God’s plans and purposes in your life can be extremely frustrating but it is almost an encouragement too, because you know you’re on the right track.
Since the beginning of February I had been getting very strange heart palpitations, jumps and flutters that I’ve never experienced before. I had terrible shortness of breath, even when sitting still, and excruciating back pain, especially when I ate. The shortness of breath was making me dizzy too.

I had x-rays on my lungs and all sorts of heart tests done. From the lung x-ray, my Doctor told me I was all clear but had a nurse walk in to tell me that I “have pleural thickening on my lungs which basically means it is affecting my heart and my heart will grow too big for its cavity and I will be on medication for the rest of my life.” I’ve never been exposed to elements or situations that will cause pleural thickening anyway! I didn’t pray though, I ran out of there crying like a baby! Sigh. The only thing I managed to do was rebuke and renounce the words she spoke over me. When I calmed down I only managed to tell God “just use this for Your glory.”
But then I thought, “Oh no, what about the fast for the country? What if I can’t participate now?” Cut a long story short, all my tests came back 100% clear, and another Doctor I saw was quite irritated with the report the nurse gave me and basically said she was talking rubbish! So what’s that about?

Then, everything was working against me to get to church one Sunday after all that, which was the same Sunday that kicked off the 40 day fast for the country. My car decided it wanted the battery to pack up last week Friday, which means I had to send it in for a service. Not having a car was not a worry as I use my husband’s if I need it. But lo and behold, a client decided to call my husband Saturday night asking him to come into his workplace for assistance early Sunday morning! Which NEVER happens! Ever! Now what? My parents were away for the weekend, I needed a car to get to church! I refused to miss church for the world so I prayed; and my friend, sick in bed, rebuked Satan’s hold over this in Jesus name too. Ten minutes after that my husband pulled into the driveway much earlier than expected and said the client called him on the way and cancelled him having to come in! Hallelujah! I grabbed the keys and off I went to church! If Satan got his way I would have missed out on something God wanted to show me during praise and worship about South Africa, which will be my next post…

Satan may be bending his arrow toward you right now, but when he drags you back with difficulties, it means God is counterattacking by trying to launch you into something great! Keep focus. Keep aiming.

“He bends His bow and makes it ready.” Psalms 2:12

Divinely Appointed Labourers

God is the Master Orchestrator, there is nothing more exciting than seeing Him in action!
I have written before how I have been praying and fasting for my dad’s salvation, and how God revealed to me the hindrances that surround him receiving this gift.

There is no use anymore talking to my dad about Jesus as he gets irritated and I see this resilience wrap around him. I would like to say his eyes glaze over, but no, there’s just fiery irritation. So I have been praying that the Lord sends other labourers to cross my dad’s path that he will listen to, and that anything they say about God will be like a fragrance diffused all around him (2 Cor 2:14).

My dad never liked Jewish people – for what reason, who knows? There never is a valid reason anyway, is there? That was until my gran did some research on my grandfather’s family tree and found out we have Jewish bloodline. From way back, but that was enough to make my dad change his mind! Now he thinks they’re just awesome. Fickle. Sigh. He has a lot of Jewish clients, and lately they have been talking to my dad about their culture and God. He told me that they invited him to Shul and he said, “You know what, I think I’m gonna go!”
Now that’s God in action! He may not be directly drawn toward Jesus for now, but he is, at least, toward His Father, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! I will be praying during every time he goes to Shul or interacts with his Jewish friends that God will penetrate his heart and His truth will saturate him; and that the fortresses surrounding my dad will be broken down to the point where he can see his need for a Saviour and accepts Jesus. My cousin has dreamt three times over the past two years of my dad praying and quoting Scripture out loud.

I just love how God works – the very people my dad never liked, God’s chosen, could possibly be the very same who will help draw him to the gift of salvation! Kind of makes me giggle at the sheer awesomeness of it.

The Adventures of Fly Exterminations

Hello! I have not dropped off from the face of the earth! I have missed you! But I have been so busy – it’s almost like at the turn of 2014 God said “Ready? Set? Go!”

In my last post I had discussed about what calling God had possibly been stirring in your heart to do for Him in His Kingdom. I hadn’t mentioned mine yet.
For three years He has laid on my heart to start a national day of fasting and prayer. But you know the old tale, “Me? Nah. I’m imagining things. I’m a nobody and to do something of a national magnitude? Pfft! Move on!”  But the burning desire got greater and I have started it. And now it’s like He has pulled me by the hand and said, “Come. Lets’ do this!”

He has so many plans and is already moving in a great way. He has led me to pull South African Christians together for 40 days of fasting for the country before our elections in May. He has already sent me warriors to join in – each person fasts for a day in that 40 day run. Why 40? It comes back to old Beelzebub. The Pharisees in Matthew 12 were accusing Jesus of being Beelzebub whose demonic name literally means “lord of the flies”. To ensure that an infestation of flies is properly exterminated, you have to spray pesticides for 40 consecutive days. If you don’t spray for the full forty days, you only destroy the existing generation, but the next generation breeds on! So, if we enter into 40 days of fasting and prayer for the country before the elections, we are going to break the bondages over our lives here, as well as for our next generation!

And He’s already working – that South African version of Haman I told you about is already facing charges of fraud which is highly minimising his chances of running politically! Praise God!
I have also just been featured on a South African Christian website here.

So things are moving fast. Please keep me in your prayers that I always follow His direction and don’t go off on my own tangent. Waiting to hear about all your 2014 God-driven adventures!

The dream I DON’T want to come true (not for sensitive readers)

I have been quiet for the past two weeks as things have been very depressing in my country lately. I don’t like to speak of the negative things surrounding ones country, but this is so bad that I’m petrified and wondering when my morning is coming (Ps 30:5)

It’s no secret that crime in South Africa is pretty horrendous. As of late it has stepped up a notch. There’s this guy with a Grade 4 education who makes it blatantly obvious how much he hates white people and openly expresses how he will “wipe us out”. In 2010, a whole lot of churches across the country fasted for 40 days against ungodly rulers and for the country. This guy, called Julius Malema, was eventually caught out by the revenue service regarding all the corruption he was involved in and he lost everything. But now he is rising like an evil phoenix from the ashes, has started his own political party and his number one aim is “wiping out” all the white people in SA. This is NOT how all South Africans are –this is just one hate crime group.

     

Slaughtering a cow to give honour to their demon god ‘ancestors’

Black on white violence is increasing at an alarming pace and I blame him. This has taken place in the past three weeks alone:

** Not for sensitive readers! **

• 3 toddlers raped and murdered
• The people 3 houses away from me went away for the weekend and an old man was looking after the house for them. Burglars got in and tortured him the entire weekend while stealing goods.
• Burglars broke into a farm in Johannesburg, gang raped the mother while standing on her face, and gang raped her two daughters while forcing the 12 year old son to watch. Then murdered them. They then drowned the boy in boiling water and disemboweled the family dog for barking. After being sentenced they laughed and said, “this was just the beginning”.
• Burglars broke into an elderly woman’s home, and threw her into boiling water while robbing her of her goods.
• My brother’s female friend was home alone, they broke in, tied her up and beat her up. Thank the Lord they never raped her because they always do!
  

That is in Johannesburg alone!

I’ve been left in a state of paralyzing fear. Yes, I’m a child of God, I don’t have a spirit of fear. But I am scared! It is making me depressed. Do you know why I’m scared? This is how the crime started in Zimbabwe. In addition, about 12 years ago I had this vivid dream. It was so vivid that it felt like I was almost awake. I dreamt that the government had all the white people lined up. We were on our knees with our hands behind our backs waiting to be shot execution style. I felt the barrel of a gun on the back of my head and I woke up. What they are wearing in the pictures above is what they were wearing in my dream, but in black.

I’ve done spiritual warfare in our street and neighbourhood and anointed the house. I’ve been trying to stay in the Word and pray, but having this impending doom over my head is a life of horror, a bad dream. I am praying for the Lord’s will on emigration. I am currently calling a fast with my South African Christian brothers and sisters for the end of the month. Please too, include us in your prayers? Please remember me.

The country just wants to live in peace with each other, especially after the wrongs of apartheid, but when evil like this rears its ugly head then one bad apple spoils the whole bunch.

What it means to Pray Through

Fantastic inspiration of a person!! What a life!

Yahushua's Cleansing Reign

This was sent to me by John Baptist from Tribulation-Now . This is an awesome letter please take the time to read the miracles that prayer can do if you persist and petition God to USE your prayers and as John puts it “water our seeds!”

Personal experiences in the availing and prevailing’ intercessory ministry of Sister E. J. Dabney, as related in an interview and through letters to Sarah Foulkes Moore.

My first acquaintance with Sister Dabney was gained through letters which she sent to a friend from Norfolk, Va., describing the prayer revival which the Lord gave her in that southern city. These letters so stirred me that I made carbon copies of them and mailed them out to prayer group leaders in Los Angeles. AH who read the letters were given a new vision of what it really means to “pray through.” Later, Sister Dabney came to…

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When once I was a deer

When I was small and would complain about something, my mother would warn me about my tongue and the words I speak. I always thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever heard.

“Ahh Ma! That’s just DUMB!”

Now that I’m all grown up (hah), I have come to realise the seriousness of the effect our tongues do have on our lives. They can cause real damage, so much so that it is no wonder that James calls our tongue a flame of fire – that thing causes third degree burns (James 3:6). Not only can it burn ourselves but people around us too.

I once had planned on fasting for two weeks. But from day one it was awful. I have been fasting for years and this was the hardest fast I had ever done. I couldn’t understand why. But I was depressed by day two and very miserable. I could not understand what I was so depressed about. It was not even hunger that was bothering me, but the depression. However, the depression made any hunger harder to deal with. It was really bugging me.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?”

I like to get to work a little earlier while fasting so that I can pray. So one morning I asked the Lord to help me and moaned, “Lord, what on earth is my problem? I know fasting is not supposed to be an easy sail, but why am I so depressed and finding this fast so incredibly hard to deal with? I have nothing to be depressed about, please help me?”
I sat by my window watching the sunrise while I had decided to go through Psalms 42. It was soothing to my soul, it felt like a warm blanket wrapped around me and I felt the depression dissipate.

“Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance”

However, even though I had read that Psalm so many times, that day my mind kept thinking about the deer in verse one

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God”

I thought about why a deer was used as a representation there, and pictured him lovingly sipping of the cool brook. As I tried getting on with my work, my mind would keep wondering back to the deer.

Then it hit me!

I had remembered once reading in one of my dad’s wildlife magazines that deer get extremely thirsty after coming into contact or a fight with their most deadly enemy – the snake/serpent! The word ‘pant’ here means “longing for water”.

Then, a few days afterward I had found out that a certain number of people had been saying the most awful, hateful things about me, and about my fasting, during the exact same week I was doing the fast!

Was this the serpent I was unknowingly battling that week?
Were the hateful words said about me the fiery darts affecting my fast?
Were the fiery flames of those words causing my depression to negatively affect my fast?

I believe they were.

Where there’s coincidence, there’s fire.

I would love to catch a glimpse into the spirit world of what happens when negative or hateful words are spoken. I don’t think it is a pretty sight.

Let us always be watchful of the things we say, especially concerning our brothers and sisters in Christ. I learnt a good lesson. It was such an awful experience that I am super mindful about what I say about others now. I never want someone to go through what I experienced there.
In a way I was glad it happened, as ugly as it was. I thought back to the times where I said less than pleasant things about others and I was horrified! I prayed for them to be set free from any demonic forces my words might have brought them.
I also learned the importance of praying for protection against hateful or negative words said about me, especially while fasting.

Nasty words are the cheap shot in war. The person can’t see them coming and runs the risk of losing out on a blessing when they can’t figure out what is wrong.

Christ our Captain sees though, and will still lead His children to victory.

Which side of the war will offenders be left on…

 http://deborahonline.net/2013/07/31/dont-give-up/

 

Praying for salvation – the charcoal breastplate

I have been praying and fasting for my dad’s salvation. He just does not believe. When we ask him if he believes that Jesus died on a cross for our sins, his response is “I dunno. It’s just a mystery.” But when you try to explain “the mystery” he does not want to hear it. All he says is that he thinks Buddhism is quite interesting because they are peaceful people. He also has a lot of intellectual strongholds that keep him from seeing the true beauty and simplicity of Jesus and His finished work at the Cross.

But this is why I love fasting. It’s extremely difficult at times but provides so much revelation into what you are praying for!

When I would pray for my dad I would see/picture him with this weird charcoal looking thing covering his whole chest. I did not think anything of it because I thought it was just my mind conjuring up images while I prayed.

But it happened every single time I would pray for him. Eventually I said, “Lord, is this my imagination? Why do I keep picturing my dad with that weird charcoal cover over his whole chest?”

I actually never expected an answer, but immediately He answered and said, “Just as I have provided you with a breastplate of righteousness, so does Satan have his own ‘protection’. The charcoal you see is the covering he has placed over your dad to prevent him from receiving My gospel. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:4 – the word for stronghold there is the same as ‘fortress’. Satan has his own fortresses just like I do. That charcoal breastplate is your dad’s fortress so that nothing of Me can get in.”

Looking at the verse He showed me it says “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”. Mind blowing right!! I just got this awesome picture of how He truly reigns on His throne. He sees everything and is in control of everything.
So I said, almost to myself, “Oh ok, this is brilliant! I would think Satan would make sure to cover him around his entire body – his back is left completely open from what I see.”

Guess what He said… 

Wait for it…

God is so cool…

 “Cowards attack from the back.”

 Ha! I actually laughed. I can’t get over this conversation! What an eye opener to praying for someone’s salvation! So while my dad is “protected” from receiving the gospel from the front, Satan can keep attacking him from the back, with beliefs in Buddhism, mysteries, intellectualism etc. From what I sensed, that charcoal breastplate is very thick -so there is a lot more fasting and praying that will have to be done!

But God is so exciting!!!
It just amazes me how the Creator of Heaven and earth can come down to my puny little level and give me a glimpse of what is going on spiritually to make my prayers more effective.

God, you are GREAT! There is just no word to describe Your excellence!!

The evil tempter caramel muffin

Fasting is difficult, but I love it. It is such a blessing, to open your spirit to the wonders of God. Satan knows how beneficial it is that he will do anything to interrupt it. This day was no exception! I will never forget the cunning way he literally devised this.

It was during my annual fast and while at work I was craving a caramel muffin. Now I never eat caramel muffins. I adore caramel, but not as a muffin. I run for the lemon poppy seed or the beloved chocolate. Never ever caramel. But the craving was insatiable. My mouth was watering thinking about it, to the point of frustration. I could taste it. I tried praying it away but it just never went. I can’t tell you how crazy I was for a caramel muffin!
Eventually I just tried ignoring it.

I also started wondering where my Manager was, she was almost an hour late. She never called in like she usually would if she was running late.
Much later, in she storms, carrying a brown paper bag. She exclaimed excitedly, “Wow! Traffic is bad this morning! On the way to work, I don’t know why, but I wanted to get some muffins. The traffic jam to get into the place was impossible! I had to wait 20 minutes just to get a parking. But I really wanted to get us some muffins! Here – I got you a caramel one.”

Errrm…I kid you not. How sneaky was Satan’s plan? She was over an hour late for work trying with all her might to get, not just  a muffin, but a caramel one! I did not want to tell her I was fasting, so I thanked her for the muffin and kept it for my daughter when I got home. I was so shocked but I saw it immediately for what it was. I was being tempted to have my blessing taken away for a muffin. Red lentil stew anyone?

She would also never eat lunch at work, she was just one of those people. I also badly craved pizza that week and she came and sat at my desk with a pizza to ‘chat’. Eating in front of me! In the four years I worked there that never ever happened again!

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

In what ways have you been tempted during fasting, Reader?