The Gospel in the Stars

On the 21^st December 2020, the whole world was enthralled to witness the amazing bright sight of the Jupiter and Saturn conjunction, which many believe was a repeat of the great ‘Bethlehem Star’ that guided the Wise Men to the place of Jesus’s birth place.  This was even more exciting considering it happened so close to Christmas!  For me, it felt like it was God’s way of reminding us to keep seeking Christ, and where better to look upwards, towards the heavens.

This amazing event also reminded me of something I had heard recently on the ‘Through the Word’ App on Psalms 19, which mentions that the constellations of stars actually foretell the full Gospel story of Jesus Christ.  The 12 Zodiac signs that have shined in the night sky tells us of Christ's coming, His life on earth and the triumph when He will return.

Although the Bible warns us not to consult the stars through Astrology which Satan has distorted, Biblical Astronomy is an entirely different story and declares the marvelous Glory of God.

From Virgo, which is depicted as a virgin to Leo, the Lion of Judah, we realize the constellation of stars hold a far greater symbolic and significant meaning than we ever realized before.

Constellation	Picture	Interpretations
Libra	Scales	Scales of Justice = Sin paid for on the Cross
Scorpius	Scorpion	Satan’s sting of sin brings death
Sagittarius	Centaur/Archer	Dual identity of Jesus, as half man and half God with an arrow that pierces Satan - Our Conqueror
Capricorn	Goat-fish	Earth corruption – Our Scapegoat and atoning sacrifice
Aquarius	Water Bearer/ pourer	Living water – Our Spiritual Well
Pisces	Fishes	God's remnant – Fisher of Men
Aries	Ram	Sacrifice – Our Sacrificial Lamb
Taurus	Bull	Day of Judgement
Gemini	Twins	Union between Christ & His Bride
Cancer	Crab	Gathering of the redeemed
Leo	Lion	Lion of Judah – Our King

Have you ever wondered where the twelve signs of the zodiac came from? The word “Zodiac” comes from the Greek word Zoe, which means “life,” and Dia, which means “through” or “pathway.” Therefore, the word Zodiac literally means: "the path to life".

Some scholars identify the 12 signs of the zodiac with the 12 sons of Jacob/12 tribes of Israel and some even the 12 disciples!

It is the Gospel written in symbolic, pictorial language manifesting the path to eternal life.  Apparently in the Book of Enoch, which is no longer part of our Biblical text, God taught Enoch these constellation pictures and their meaning in order to provide a visual revelation of the plan of God to redeem mankind through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  

The zodiac constellations can be thought of as the original Bible in the sky, before the Bible was placed into written form.

So next time you find yourself gazing above at the magnificent array of stars, allow God to reveal His wonderful Glory and confirm His message to your heart…

Psalm 19: 1- 4

1 The heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

Pruned for Growth

When you think of the word pruning, you think of the idea of cutting off all the dead branches or just trimming bushes that have become overgrown. Right? Well, my horticulturist brother-in-law Andrew, has educated me by explaining that sometimes we also need to prune some perfectly good branches as well, in order to train the plant in the direction it should grow. When it comes to fruit trees, pruning also forces the tree to put more energy into fewer but larger, sweeter, higher quality fruits. 

 

I like to believe the same is true of how God prunes our lives… Whatever God has chosen to prune out of our lives, whether it be the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship or something material, we can be assured that He is doing it for our ultimate growth in sight.  We may not like it or understand it, and yes, it is often very painful, but we need to trust that even when we cannot see the big picture or see it from God's perspective, it is needed for our growth.

 

This Covid-19 Pandemic and lockdown has also pruned a lot of things out of our lives. Some of them like people and hugs we may be sorely missing, and other things not so much, like traffic or crowds, but the truth is that both the good and the bad has taught us what really matters in life and has surely made us more resilient. 

 

We may look and feel like this stumped plant during our pruning seasons, but we need to encourage ourselves with the knowledge that God is either changing the direction He wants us to grow or using it to help us grow into better, stronger people, with sweeter, juicier, larger, more excellent fruits…

South Africa's Beacon of Hope

Move One Million - Unity for Change

If you are South African or have a love for our country, and have not yet heard about the “Move One Million” initiative, then I strongly suggest you get yourself acquainted…

Saturday, the 5th of September 2020, was a turning point for our country, the first of many wide-scale events since the movement was launched in July. On this day, masses gathered together, both locally and abroad, to spread hope and raise awareness for this movement that is fighting for the heart and soul of South Africa.

As I braved the freezing, cold and windy Cape Town weather with my waterproof posters, my South African flag, with my mask, ribbon and sanitizer in hand, I joined the West Coast group that gathered in a human chain, maintaining our social distance, along the beachfront, starting from Table View, through to Bloubergstrand and further towards Melkbosstrand. I had been praying that despite the anger of many, that the gatherings would remain peaceful. I also prayed that the threatening rain would hold off and not deter people from joining, and both prayers were graciously answered!

The exciting atmosphere and mood were electrifying and inspiring, to say the least, and reminded me of the emotions we all felt when Nelson Mandela was made President! Complete strangers, unified with a purpose of raising awareness of our many different causes to spread the message of hope for our country, that although we are broken, we are not yet beaten.

We sang and cheered joyfully, dancing in unison with some professional dancers, to the popular ‘Jerusalema’ song. We even played our National Anthem and many other South African favourite songs, filling us all with pride for our Rainbow Nation. There was even a Minister who lead us in prayer for our country, expressing the anointing on the life of the founder of Move one Million and the popular #ImStaying initiative, Jarette Petzer.

As a prayer warrior for our country, President and government, I see this movement as an answer to all of our prayers. As a returnee to South Africa, I am passionate about finding solutions to our country’s problems, instead of just complaining about them, or becoming complacent.

Many Christians might believe that we should not protest and that all we can do is pray, but I disagree. The Bible clearly calls us to shine the light on the truth, to fight peacefully for justice and to spread hope, which is what I believe this movement stands for. They are finding tangible solutions to our many problems and putting pressure on the Government to have the corrupt officials held accountable, and for the many crimes, murders and evils that have gone on long enough, stopped once and for all. We are making a stand for change and we are spreading hope that you no longer need to exit in fear and emigrate. And to those South Africans who already have left, who are still supporting us from your new 'home away from home', we welcomely await your return with open arms, once our country has been restored to the dream that Nelson Mandela envisioned for us.

There is great strength when people unite as one, and although some may think this is just a white movement, it is not. Neither is it a political party or an anti-ANC campaign. We are merely calling on ALL South Africans who are feeling despair about the state of our country and who need their hope restored for a better future, to come on board, to add their voice and be counted. One of the many posters that spoke of the promises the government has not delivered on, says it all – “In 1994 my parents were sold a dream. Today I am here for my refund.”

For me, it’s not about counting the numbers or if we agree with everyone’s causes or the over-zealous Whatsapp or Telegram moderators, or the lack of response to our many questions and comments – it’s about uniting as one with a sole purpose of saving our country. One thing this movement has taught me is that there can still be unity in diversity.

Evil remains when people choose to be silent. Nothing will change without action, and now that we have an International following and attention, we have a better chance of achieving success. To the many leaders, field representatives and my fellow supporters, thank you for your participation and to all the car hooters who cheered us on, thank you for your acknowledging support. So, let us go forth and prosper, as we unite our country with a message of hope, peace, love and kindness.  If you are still skeptical, I hope you will consider joining the next gathering on the 24th October, to discover for yourself and have your hope stirred. Join the movement's Facebook group below to find out more...

https://www.facebook.com/MoveOneMillion/

Knowing the End

As a foodie and huge fan of the ‘Master Chef’ TV series, I have enjoyed discovering new recipes for my husband and I to try. The recent series that we have enjoyed watching in South Africa however, was not aired in the correct chronological order, which meant we discovered who the winner was before the end of the series. This occurred when one of the current participants, a blind woman by the name of Christine Hà, was introduced in a previously aired series as the Master Chef winner. This came as a huge surprise to me, as if you had told me that a blind person would have won this cooking show, I would never have believed you for a second! But foresight and revelation are marvelous things…

Although some might find it a huge let-down to know the end of a story before it happens, much like reading a book, I found great comfort in it. I knew that even if she was voted off in one episode, that somewhere in a future episode, she would be given the opportunity to come back and win back a place, or how else would she have won...

This is a lot like having faith. So often we pray for things, without having that assurance that somewhere down the line, God will and does answer that prayer. Having this assurance gives us the inspiration to thank and praise Him for it before it happens, knowing that in His timing, what we pray for will surely come to pass. It may not always be to our recipe, but we know that it will be according to His will for our lives. You could say that the reward of faith is being able to see what you are believing for.

This revelation is particularly important when you are holding onto a dream. I particularly like the way the judges always ask the Master Chef contestants if they will be the winner. I believe that if you can see it in your mind’s eye and maintain a positive attitude to see your dream come true, it can surely happen. On the flip side, when you carry fear or doubt, it creates a negative effect in blocking God’s blessings of having your dream realised. I’m not sure if anyone else will agree with me, but I like to think that when we partner with God by having positive faith for something, He is then able to make it happen for us. Having said that, I do know that if we have been positive and our dreams don’t happen, we must still praise God and accept that He has a good reason for not allowing it, or has something even better planned for us.

So, as you consider your prayer needs for today, may I challenge you to change your perspective to see that what you are praying for has already been answered in the future. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6, that we are to come to God in pray and petition, with thanksgiving, when we present our requests to Him. Therefore, consider it already answered and rejoice in it, knowing that holding onto hope for something, is having an assurance in our faith of that we believe God can and will see it to pass.

Connect instead of Communicate

Whilst many of us have improved at keeping in touch with family and friends since the Lockdown began, we may have failed to authentically engage and connect in a meaningful way. The fact that many of our contacts might be suffering from loneliness, anxiety, worry or even depression, we will never know this if we fail to ask the right questions. Although sharing inspirational or funny Whatsapps or other social media pictures may communicate that we thought of them, it does not help to lighten their load or help them in anyway.

I have recently discovered that although these quick picture messages are well intended and are appreciated, they do little to intimately connect with another. There is nothing as special as being sent a heartfelt message inquiring of your situation and what you are going through. Ashamedly, had I known this, I would have learnt that a friend who had lost her job, could no longer afford her rent and was forced to move back in with her parents, or that another friend had been in bed with the Coronavirus, or another suffering from depression, not to mention the many other prayer needs I had failed to enquire about.

In all honesty, and in my defense, although I call them my friends, the correct relationship status would be an acquaintance, something we seem to have distorted, thanks to Facebook. A valid excuse for choosing to communicate instead of spending that extra time to intimately connect, is that we lead busy lives and don't always have the time. Or it could be that we have become so self-absorbed in our own problems, that we fail to think of others.

Whatever the reason, I've discovered a solution which I thought was worth sharing.  Each morning, as you spend time in prayer, ask God to bring to your mind just 3 people who need your encouragement and time.  Then instead of sharing all those picture messages to one and all, use your time that day instead to meaningfully engage and connect with those 3 people God has laid on your heart.  However you choose to connect, be sure to honestly ask them how they are doing, how you can help them and what prayer needs they may have and then be sure to listen, to respond and to act accordingly!

And as the receiver of a meaningful connection, let us all be bold and brave enough to be truthful, instead of just responding with the customary "I'm fine"... for only when we choose to be honest with ourselves and with others, can we begin to find the inner healing and growth that God has in store for us...

A Common Goal

Have you ever witnessed something so profound that you wish you had a camera to capture it, in case no-one believed you? Well, that happened to me this morning when I took my dog for her walk. 

What God allowed me the pleasure of seeing this morning, was a duck, a dove and a field mouse all enjoying breakfast together, side by side.

This is thanks to one of our neighbours who diligently sprinkles food every morning , come rain or shine, onto the grassy patch in front of our complex in Century City, Cape Town.

The visual impact of seeing these three beautiful creatures, who under normal circumstances, wouldn’t tolerate each other, reminded me that when we are all focused on the same goal, our differences will no longer matter or become an issue. Our common goal is what unifies us and keeps us from going after our own selfish, greedy desires.

So my fellow human beings, let’s join together, no matter what our differences are, and enjoy this delicious meal, called life, together… Let our focus be in what feeds us and how we can partake of God’s goodness together. Let us stand in unity, each of us with our own uniqueness and declare, that ALL lives matter…

Pentecost - Power of God's Presence

Whilst the Jewish people around the world have celebrated the receiving of the gift and commands of the Torah, Christians have celebrated the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit at the Upper room. Both events were witnessed by believers as a magnificent, powerful and full sensory experience, one that left them with praise of the presence of God. Both of these supernatural events were manifested by fire and God’s dazzling light. See this clip to imagine this Acts 2 miraculous event – https://youtu.be/U241fqTaAz0

Some may argue that the Holy Spirit was already present before the event of Acts 2, and that it was just God calling back His lost sheep to reinstate or renew His covenant that was broken after Sinai, but whatever purpose it was, we cannot deny that it was the birth of the Christian Church, as we know it today. It was from this springboard that believers were empowered to be effective witnesses in declaring and spreading the Gospel message of Christ, with confidence and boldness.

Another parallel event from the Old Testament is found in 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 where the Glory of God’s presence filled the Tabernacle, which was a man-made Temple. In contrast, the Upper room event of Acts 2 is God’s way of telling us that we, the Body of Christ, the Church, is God’s new Temple, His living stones, where His presence can now dwell. He is no longer confined to just a building, but can now live in our hearts.

The Holy Spirit is not some strange or weird entity. It is a person and part of God’s trinity who deserves just as much honor and worship as God and Jesus. It is God’s presence in us that allows us to have a personal relationship with Him and gives us the strength and will to walk daily in His Spirit, instead of by our flesh.

Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit is shown as God’s power in action. He is depicted as a dove when Jesus was baptised, which makes sense that a dove is the symbol of peace, because He too is the giver of peace.  He is the destructive breath and the moving wind of God Himself. He was given to believers with the specific purpose for the redemption and salvation of God’s people.

God’s Holy Spirit empowers us to be tools of God in action at specific times, purposes and situations in our lives. It is God’s presence of His Holy Spirit in our lives that empowers us to be effective agents and witnesses of Christ. It is His power that enables us to overcome our addictions, to resist temptations to sin,to forgive the unforgivable and to love the unlovable.

Experiencing God’s presence today is a foretaste of eternity and what we can look forward to when we get to Heaven. I realise that our faith should not be based on emotions but on what we believe, but if you have never fully experienced the joy, comfort and peace of God’s presence of His Spirit, then you are missing out on the abundant life God had in store for you. We cannot expect to live a Kingdom kind of life without the partnership of the Holy Spirit.

I have been blessed with countless, amazing and intimate experiences with God’s Holy Spirit, and urge you to seek Him if you cannot say the same…

Reference: Sermon ‘God is back in His Temple’ by Daniel van Schalkwyk of Shofar Century City (https://youtu.be/cD6V9AaqSng)

Common-Unity

Last week I shared some lovely benefits I had witnessed as a result of the Lockdown. If you missed it, here is the link:-

https://sharingsfromsam.blogspot.com/2020/05/be-still-and-wait-well.html

This week I’ve been thinking about my community and how so many people have rallied together to meet the huge need that has been highlighted as a result of the Lockdown. I believe that for many people, they already had this need, but one thing this pandemic has taught us is to think of others, besides ourselves.

The sad truth is that although we may all be enduring the same storm together, we certainly are not all in the same boat experiencing the same level of suffering.

The reality is, that whist some of us with families are still enjoying physical human contact, there are others who are single or alone and can only virtually connect with others. And for those whose love language is touch, this isolation must be extremely painful to bear.

As one who has always believed in a community united by a common goal, where we feed from and serve each other, I believe God has used this opportunity to highlight that we were created for human connection and not to live life in isolation.

Yes, there are daily times and seasons in our lives when we should spend some alone time with God, but the purpose of those times is to recharge and refuel from His source, in order to continue being the hands and feet of God, as we serve our community.

Whilst I have enjoyed my Zoom and video church sermons, one thing I have missed is taking Holy Communion together. To me and my Church, this is more than just sharing the elements in remembrance of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we use the example of the Last Supper, communion should be enjoyed as part of a meal together; a union of coming together as a community to share a meal together and using bread and wine or grape juice as part of the meal to remember Jesus’s blood that was shed for us and His body that was broken for us.

The Latin root of communion is communionem, meaning fellowship, mutual participation, or sharing, ie something done together, and not alone.

So whilst we prepare for the end of our Lockdown, if you are not already serving in some way, can I challenge you to give a thought to your community and how you can become a part of it to serve and be served in it? If you have ever asked yourself if there is more to life than this, then this is it...

Yes, it will take time, effort and sacrifice, but when we answer the call to become God’s hands and feet in our community, the rewards and benefits are eternal and satisfying, and the opportunities to do so are endless...

Be Still and Wait Well

Whilst we continue to wait in limbo, not knowing when our challenging lockdown restriction will end, we can either grumble and complain, or we can choose to have faith and trust blindly as we wait. It may not make sense, and we definitely don't need to like it, but it is what it is...

There is a lot in the media suggesting conspiracy theories and political sabotage, but whatever the truth is, we still need to do what we have been told to, even if it makes no sense or logic.  If we truly believe that God is in control of everything, then we can also trust that our President was elected by His authority, and God instructs us to honour and obey Him, even when we disagree.

Having faith is to be truly convinced in what we believe and in knowing that our future is secure in God's hands.  We don't need to know when the lockdown will end. All we need to do is to take one day at a time and choose and decide to wait well.

Instead of focusing on what freedoms we have lost or argue about what is and isn't an essential service or product, or what enjoyment or vice has been banned, we can instead give a thought to what this lockdown is teaching us.  

For me, my heart is filled with hope at the positive changes that have come about as a result of this pandemic and lockdown. As I share some of these below, may they resonate with you and encourage your heart with hope:-

• I see strangers in need of human connection, who are so much more friendly towards each other. 
• I see neighbours reaching out and caring for each another. 
• I see shoppers more patient to stand in long queues, without complaining.
• I see people who have never given a thought to the poor before, respond generously to the great need in our communities.
• I see churches living out their faith amongst each other, instead of inside a building.
• I am learning body language by identifying a smile behind a mask.
• My relationships with my husband and daughter are being refined, through our constant intimacy. Like being thrown into a pressure cooker, the steam is softening our hearts and making us more tender hearted. 
• I am learning to find contentment and approval from God and nature, instead of from people. 
• I have marvelled at everyone's colourful and creative handmade masks. 
• I have discovered empathy for Muslim women who are forced to wear burkas and with doctors who need to wear masks during long surgeries. 

So today, I challenge you to change your perspective and to be still, knowing that God is carrying us through these difficult and uncomfortable times, and using it to change and mould our hearts.  There is great strength in remaining hopeful and history has taught us that no matter how bleak things may seem, this too shall pass... 

Mother's Day Musings

In honour of all the perfectly imperfect Mothers around the world, who celebrated Mothers Day on Sunday, like South Africa, I hope that these musings will leave you feeling encouraged and proud to be a Mom...

I woke up on Sunday to a beautifully, heartfelt digitally made e-card from my teenage daughter. It made me smile knowing that only a few days before, we were each other's worst enemy. Although I didn't get any breakfast in bed, her expressions of love and gratefulness meant a lot.

The truth is that loving a teenager can often be hard, and although it is suppose to be unconditional, there are still days when she pushes my buttons a bit too deep, that I fantasise about running away or God forbid, strangling her in frustration.

Thankfully, it is with God's grace that I get a new opportunity each morning to try and be a better Mother, and on days when I fail miserably, He also gives me the strength and courage to apologise and to try again. Note that I said better and not best, as I don't believe we could ever do this job perfectly, because in reality, we are only human.

And whilst there may be many Super-moms out their raising their team of kids, who make the job look easy and effortless, there are just as many of us who struggle and sometimes even question God's wisdom in making us Mothers in the first place, or giving us the children He did. To those moms, I urge you not to compare yourself or allow guilt and condemnation to down play the amazing job that God has entrusted you with.

We can only set ourselves free from these negative feelings, when we realise that Gods's plan for Motherhood was for it to refine us and make us a little bit more like Jesus, and our specific child or children were carefully chosen just for us, for this very purpose.

One of the fears I have as a Mother, is that I have not raised my daughter well enough to be a well-adjusted, functional, responsible, good person adult. That how she turns out will be a reflection of all my failed moments that will come back to haunt me with blame and shame, But God is so good at offering me hope every now and again, giving me a glimpse of her unique, specialness that shines into my heart, to melt these fears.

So as we continue this tug of war between independence and support, I am learning to trust God in the process. I seek ways to rejoice in my daughters strengths, build her confidence, character and integrity, whilst ensuring she is well fed and holistically healthy. I accept the fact that I don't always get it right, and that one day she may end up on a therapist's couch and moan about all the mistakes we made raising her. Or she may one day remember our good bonding moments like this Lockdown Mothers Day, of snuggling together on the couch, enjoying delicious snacks, whist crying hopelessly through our binge watching of our favourite TV show, Greys Anatomy, and feeling strangely unified in our mask-wearing...

Freedom

On Monday, the 27 April, South Africa celebrated ‘Freedom Day’, which is when we commemorate our first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. It seemed ironic to be celebrating ‘freedom’ during the Lockdown, while the freedom of our movements were restricted, with many of us feeling imprisoned in our own homes. But it got me thinking about what freedom really means... 

Whilst freedom can certainly be a physical thing, there are so many other kinds of freedom that are still worth celebrating.

One of my favourite films ‘Amistad’ tells the moving story of West African slaves in 1839, who fought for their freedom and won. They knew what it was like to be shackled as slaves, and cried out in desperation to be emancipated and set free.

Whilst most people today aren’t physically bound, unless maybe in prison, true liberation from spiritual bondage still eludes many. In John 8:36 we are given the wonderful promise, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” For those who have experienced the liberation of this kind of freedom (from sin, guilt, fear, shame, addiction, etc) this is certainly worthy of our praise and something to be celebrated and not taken for granted.

Jesus is our source of true emancipation and He offers forgiveness and freedom to anyone who believes in Him. He longingly awaits the cries of those who are shackled by unbelief, fear or failure.

Freedom is a matter of the heart and a state of mind. Even when Paul was physically bound in prison, he still maintained an attitude of freedom, and so can we.

Whilst the Lockdown may have curtailed our movement, it has certainly not silenced our voice, it has not stopped our imagination and it has not banned our learning or restricted our growth.

What freedoms do you enjoy that are worth celebrating? What areas in your life are in bondage that you need Jesus to free you from today?