Lamp unto my feet and a light to my path....

A friend of mine had been struggling with a "thorn" and called me for encouragement.
I said a quick prayer and this is what came into my spirit.

Dearest Yolanda,

When Paul asked God to remove the thorn(the demon that tormented him) from his side, God told him that “My grace is sufficient”, then Paul asked again and God gave him the same reply, but then Paul asked again and then he got the same response. MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!!
People always think that God told Paul, He is giving him enough grace to keep carrying his thorn and this is true in some cases. But why would God say we are more than conquerors?
We are delivered, saved by grace, led by the Holy Spirit and as such, sons and daughters of God Almighty who has been given authority through the empowering Grace to have dominion over all things on earth .

Let me explain, God does not do half measures. When God says sufficient , He means it is sufficient that you won’t need anything else except to believe because His grace took care of it and supplied your every need. Finances, Deliverance, Healing, Prosperity all supplied through the same Grace which is Jesus Christ.
That is why Jesus asks us not to try to perceive HIM but rather just receive HIM because we cannot perceive what his Grace can do and has done for us.

For example when the Israelites crossed the red sea God did not give them sufficient grace to swim across or the ability to make boats and work their way across the water. NO, our God covers us with Grace, the kind of grace that takes care of everything it. The kind of grace that takes any ‘thorn’ and  casts it back into the pit it came from.

Grace is empowerment. Therefore we are empowered to be  successful. we are empowered to be victorious (since Jesus already gave us the victory at the cross), we are empowered to do and have exceedingly, abundantly, above.

As believers we fight from the hill top, as the "King of the hill"since we already have the victory. Our struggle is no longer, a struggle or a battle, because we have already won the war when we accepted Christ and all we need to struggle or labour for is to enter into His rest.

When you know you are the righteousness of God through our faith in Christ, we know that we are empowered, blessed, divinely favored,  because we are justified by God for accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Even satan realizes that when we are righteousness of God , he cant touch us. Job was the righteousness of God, that’s why satan asked God, when God told him(satan) to consider his servant Job, “Hast thou not made an hedge about  him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side?” (Job 1:10)
My friend if you are a true believer, of Grace and Truth, and  Jesus Christ then you are God’s servant, and your heritage is described in Isaiah 54. And even the devil knows that God places a hedge of protection around His people.
Why  fear the devil when he has no power? Because the only power he has is the power his creator-GOD has given him.
Isaiah  54:16 Behold, I have created the smith (satan) that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work(his acts); and I have created the waster(satan) to destroy.
54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
All you need to do is put on the full armour of God and understand that God’s grace is sufficient, and be anxious in nothing but through prayer and thanksgiving make your requests known and  know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper.


Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
54:15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

To God only wise be the glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Love,
Alexis

Declaration about Truth- Grant Mettler's testimony

Rain was born at 8pm on the 14th of March 2012 by means of an emergency C-section. He weighed in at 2.8kg and measured 49cm.

Hello Rain!!

The events that led up to that proud and exciting moment was less than exhilarating, for it was much more terrifying and overwhelming than anything I ever had to go through.

On the eve of the 13th my wife, Alexis, started experiencing uncomfortable abdominal cramps which we thought was just normal Braxton and Hicks cramps until it just became too unbearable for her and we decided to call our midwife, Mariana, at 4am.

She was more than accommodating being the person that she is and told us to come see her immediately. We drove through and by the time we got to her surgery, the pain was intolerable and Lex could hardly move let alone get out of the car. We painstakingly made our way into her surgery where Lex laid down on the bed and Mariana examined her to see if she was in pre-term labour as she was only 34 weeks. She was confounded as everything, in terms of the pregnancy, was still as it should be yet the excruciating pain remained and the cause was still unknown. Mariana then proceeded to call her gynaecologist friend, Dr. Carolisen, who was on call at Medi-City Paarl for a more in depth look at what the problem could be. We met the doctor at 8am and after scrutinizing Lex he deduced that because of Alexis’ very tender abdomen that she might have some kind of abdominal infection. He referred us to Paarl hospital for further examination.

Who?

Upon arrival at the hospital at 9am the pain Lex had was so severe that I had to push her in a wheelchair all the way from the parking area to the maternity ward on the second floor. It was a while before we saw any doctors and to see my wife in such agony was unbearable to say the least. After more time ticked away Dr. Fourie came and examined Alexis on direction from Dr. Carolisen. Her prognosis was appendicitis. From there numerous doctors came and examined Lex to more precisely determine the cause of her distress, which was a bit disconcerting, so I started to send out prayer requests to family and friends alike. I also prayed for healing and laid hands on Alexis but the pain did not diminish. I felt that this was a test to trust the Lord because I have prayed for healing for people before and God answered my prayers immediately.

As in the case of my eldest son, Joel, who dislocated his shoulder when he fell, as we were walking in Cape Gate mall. We became panic stricken when I stood him up and saw his arm just dangling at his side made worse by his uncontrollable crying. We rushed out to find the closest doctor who by that time was probably closed as it was after hours. Only option was Kuilsrivier Netcare. I was driving and Lex was in the backseat comforting Joel. We both started to pray and laid hands on Joel and petitioned that by Jesus’ stripes he was healed and thanked Him in advance for the miracle. We got out of the car; he was still in tremendous pain as we carried him to the emergency room. I put him down in front of the nurse so she could do a triage and that’s when he ran back to me with both arms stretched out for fear that the nurse was going to touch him.   He was completely healed. All we could do was praise Jesus as we walked out with the nurse standing and looking all flabbergasted probably thinking we were just overzealous paranoid parents. We knew better….

Face palm....

It was about 3pm when Dr. Fourie confirmed it to be appendicitis. This was a relief in the sense that ‘we’ meaning family and friends now knew what to pray for. For Jesus to heal her appendix, for that insufferable pain that Lex has been experiencing whole day to subside so that we could go home and rest. Nothing happened….. More Pain…

I told my mother that it seems like there is something amiss or that maybe God wants to show us something. We continued praying. Later Dr. Nole informed us that they will proceed to do surgery to remove her appendix but that the preparation for surgery and the team required could only be assembled for 7pm. Dr. Nole started off explaining the procedure simple enough but then his words took a turn, for me at least, when he stated that there’s a possibilty that Rain might have to be removed inter-operation, prematurely, meaning there’s a chance that his lungs might not be fully developed, AND also, in the worst case-scenario if anything should happen that they would choose to save Lex’s life over Rain’s.

His words were like a fist to my stomach that left me winded…. The gravity of the situation hit me. Tears just streamed down my face as I looked at Lex. I thought to myself that these things never happen to us… Was I dreaming? What’s the name of this movie?

Fear, Anguish, Panic and a whole host of weapons formed against us; I felt the attack as real and solid like a net flung over my body, pulling me down; like arrows hitting the mark, sinking deep into my heart. Lex suddenly had a panic attack and started pulling off the heart monitors, sensors and breathing tubes and I felt so helpless myself as I tried to subdue her. Yet as sudden as the panic attack came over her it left and I saw her eyes as clear and bright as crystal the likes of which I had not seen and she was looking at me as if to say; why do you fear?

I immediately prayed Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." and also Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."

 I felt strength surging up in me when they wheeled Lex to the operating theatre, but nothing matched the fearlessness and peace on Lex’s face at that moment and she told me later that the peace she felt, you know, that peace that surpasses all understanding, came upon her as she muttered the verse Phil 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God”.

As the family gathered in the waiting room I was glad to see them and to see my eldest, Joel. I held him tightly in my arms. I was glad that the people I have surrounded myself with of late, those that were in the waiting room with me and those at home were praying people. Prayer warriors full of faith. I did not feel the wait. His grace is sufficient!

About an hour went by when I heard a baby cry. Being on the first floor now where the operating rooms are, it could only mean one thing. That was our Rain… that was our Abundant Blessings From Above.

Picking up weight...

It would be another hour or more before the surgeon came to speak to me wearing his scrubs. He told me that the operation was a success. Lex’s ruptured appendix had been removed and her bowels and abdomen were cleaned up from the puss that leaked. He proceeded to tell me that it was during this process, with all the intestines on the outside, that they discovered a black growth on the outside of Lex’s colon. They removed it decisively.

This, as I told my mother, was what God wanted to show us. The growth on Lex’s colon would not have been found if God answered our prayers to heal her appendix; to take away the pain. I dread to think what might have happened.

A few moments later Lex was wheeled back to the maternity ward and I was allowed to see her for a few and give her a kiss goodnight although she does not remember because she was still under the effects of the anaesthesia. Rain also only spent about an hour in the incubator since he was big and strong and healthy enough to lie next to his mommy.

Happy Chappies

Glory be to God for carrying us through that ordeal.

His infinite power, wisdom, loving kindness and omniscience is unfathomable. Just when you think He does not answer your prayers; He goes above and beyond what you can ask for or imagine, even when your trust wanes now and again, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He is and He is faithful….even when you are not.

This is our testimony; this is our song, praising my Saviour all the day long.

the defender of man

My name and maiden surname both mean the same thing "the defender of man", I always thought that I was somehow assigned to a task, a great duty or purpose... 

I have always felt like somewhere deep down a warrior was lurking, waiting for the battle that was defined and decided by the name given to me dos veces.

But how do you be warrior/soldier/hero/fighter, into our time? When the battlefield is no longer a place for honourable men, when the fight is no longer right or wrong, when we no longer shout -FREEDOMMM!!!!! When swords are no longer the weapons used to fight wars, but rather depth of your pockets.

What do you do about the itch, the uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach, because you know when you watch the movies like Gladiator, 300, The last samurai and Brave heart , these are the tales of peoples life’s, the story out which heroes and legends are born, because you know in this world of honour less men with deep pockets and long fingers, there is no black or white, and the villain might just be the hero, hidden behind the propaganda and misinformation feed to you by all the big media corporations... (and no I am not a conspiracy theorist.)

 Those were times when the sword was not just a weapon but a symbol of your honour.  How times have changed... 

What do I when I feel too small to make a difference?  

I once said, "how can a man be happy and simply satisfied with the world as it is, how can a MAN sit back and think that his world ends at the edge of his property? 

I was taught that our world was created by God speaking it into creation,  so maybe these words will one day change the world,  but simply waiting for change will not quiet my uneasiness. ..

 

it ain't about how hard you can hit- Rocky Balboa

Somewhere along the line you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good; and when things got hard you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!


Now if you know what you're worth than go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers sayin' you ain't what you wanna be because of him or her or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!


Until you start believing in yourself, you ain't gonna have a life.

ratio decidendi- the reason for my decision

The reason I started studying law was due to Shakespeare, I read The Merchant of Venice, and it all made sense in that moment. I wanted to be part of a system which allows “justice to season mercy”, I wanted to be something worthwhile…

With my dream and tuition in place, I entered law school.

But after a while of being a law student I was ready to throw in the towel, my dream was stolen, the passion for the people I would help was replaced by case studies and long Latin terms. No one cared about justice or mercy. I do not even think those words even existed, in the vocabulary of the many lecturers and  legal professionals I encountered.

Aristotle was right, the law is free from passion, since our legal system is based on stats, money and legal professionals, who are able to chew up and regurgitate textbooks to the letter, and not question its bitter taste.  There is no place in our legal system for free thinkers and impassioned speeches, the courts believe in stare decisis- to stand by previous decisions, to hand down judgements based simply on the law, and not the person, and his/her facts… 

The law is free from passion and the quality of its people strained...

   Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, 1596

 The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

Great Vexations

As a teenager, my mom would always warn me that my reputation precedes me. That heeding has stayed with me till this day. So I have always tried to keep my word, keep my promises... I have always tried to be someone with moral fiber, character and honor.

But what does that matter in the times that we live in?

Why should we care about those things, when we live in a world where terms like 'cut-throat' and 'dog-eat-dog world' are the common expressions of our times. When the belief system is that “nice guys finish last”....

The only time I hear the word honor these days, is when people speak of their maid of honor in their wedding and the funny thing is that the responsibility of this person is to help you with your dress and throw an awesome party before the wedding...

Wow!! Is that a really what defines honor? Parties and dresses?

The old oxford dictionary defines honor as honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions. If I put this forward to most people, the response I would get is that this standard

is too high to follow.

'Every man for himself' is an easier standard... the 'good Samaritan' is forgotten.

A friend once asked me,” If you could be present at your own funeral what are the things people would say about you and would any of those things be true?”

I have chosen to write my own eulogy from that day... because I wake-up deciding, I will be a good person … or not.

I have chosen that my word is my honor, I have chosen to raise my son to be a man of his word...

Where the combination of his qualities and actions distinguishes him as a man of honor, with exceptional character.

So I put this question to you... What is the legacy you will leave behind? Or is currency the only legacy we care about? Is the ink we use to sign a contract more valuable then the words we speak?

I want to live in a world where the labor of my tongue is of greater value than the signature scribbled by my hand....

They have no clue about parenthood..lol

MY TOP TEN  SIGNS SOMEONE DOESN’T HAVE KIDS.

10) They get grossed out by the sight of vomit.

9) They look generally well-rested, use terms like "beauty sleep", and claim exhaustion after just one late night out.

8) They apply make up to get a smoky-eyed look, when you don’t even own make up anymore, and the dark rings are natural.

7) Their clothes look freshly laundered and there is no evidence of dried snot on their shoulders.

6) They have coffee tables that actually have things on them, that can break.

5) They think sleepwalking is a disorder not just the activity done to get from one place to another

4) They call you to make plans without a lead-time of at least two months.

3) They think you sit down together and have dinner, and not that dinner is a tag team event.

2) They equate having a baby with having a dog/cat. Then they put food in a bowl on the floor and leave their dog/cat to go out for the evening.

1) They think going out to dinner with a kid is an enjoyable/relaxing activity