And I will give you a new heart, and I will put My Spirit in you. (Ezekiel 36:26, NLT).
When Chaos was Silenced
In the beginning when all was chaos and darkness reigned the seas, the Word, Who was unbound by time, nor confined to space, stepped on the stage of Life to write the eternal love story!
By Him, through Him and for Him, the story of creation was written with words that had the dynamic of life only in vital spiritual union with Him.
He wrote the story of time with the sun as His quill and the moon as His ink. He wrote poems with starlight and mysteries with the wide open spaces of the universe.
Words that harnessed chaos, steered the darkness and created mountains that acknowledged His Majesty with reverence and the seas that roared songs of praise to Him Who alone is worthy, just by being the Big Waters He created them to be.
He used the wind to compose the symphony of nature .. of trees … of leaves … of breathless breezes of love … mighty songs that are the Wind beneath my wings.
Whispered words, the naked eye cannot see, flowed from His heart to write a composition of joy. Colorful words that differentiated the soul from the clay He used to form the crown of His creation.
He mixed His love with the dust of the earth to write the story called Man and baptized him with His breath of Life. He led him to a place of fruitful abundance He had prepared in advance with love, a place called Paradise.
He looked and saw that it was all good … He smiled with delight.
Then came the evil one…
And then … the Word was born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem.
Much love and sweet blessings XX
Mia
Linking-up with Lisa-Jo and the ladies at my Tea Time and Link-Up Page.
The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against His anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
(Psalm 2:1-3, NLT)
Two Humble Men
My country is in mourning. Thursday evening at 21:50, Tata Madiba has gone to be with His Lord! Tata, we are going to miss you! Now you know true freedom!
I wrote this post at the time when the South African Reserve Bank introduced our new set of banknotes nearly a year ago to honor this great man of boundless integrity.
I offer this post as a tribute to Madiba who lived humility, love, forgiveness and servanthood for he was a leader who always descended to the level of the person he served. He was a leader who washed the feet of his country:
This week our beautiful rainbow nation, South Africa, was blessed by the South African Reserve Bank with a new set of banknotes.
On the one side it bears the renowned image of President Nelson Mandela and the other side, South Africa’s famous Big Five: the lion, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard and the buffalo.
My husband had the privilege of visiting Madiba twice at his modest home in the small Transkei village, Qunu, on provincial government meetings.
Tata Madiba’s Qunu Residence
He was overwhelmed by this gentle man who was truly larger than life. Mr Mandela was a humble man who taught South Africa the blessedness of forgiveness and he lived the truth of considering others as more important than himself.
Being the chief of his Xhosa clan, the villagers visited him often to ask him to settle disputes amongst them as was their custom.
To show their gratitude and respect, these humble, poor folk would bless him with a chicken or a goat. He received their gifts with heartfelt thankfulness.
Traditional Xhosa Women Dancing
On a state visit to England, Madiba was the guest of Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, at Buckingham Palace where he surprised the palace household staff by making his own bed in the mornings.
When told that there was enough palace staff to do these menial tasks, he replied that it was an old Robben Island habit he had not been able to unlearn yet.
Madiba was one of only two people that did not address the Queen as “Her Majesty”, but called her by her first name and got away with it! The other one, her husband, of course!
I was always impressed by how this famous and great statesman always preferred to write with and sign documents with the cheapest pen we have in South Africa, a Bic pen.
A Jewish boy once personally delivered an invitation to Mr Mandela at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, to attend his Bar-Mitzvah.
Although Madiba did not know this young man from a bar of soap, he graciously accepted and attended the celebrations.
During his term as the President of our country, he once queried a higher amount of money on his pay slip.When told it was his annual salary increase, he told his staff that he did not need more money for he lacked nothing.
That increase birthed the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. I am delighted that this fund is currently building the Nelson Mandela Children’s hospital.
One of his prison wardens during his imprisonment on Robben Island once told the story of how they all went together to church on Sundays for there was only this one small chapel on the island. They kneeled together and prayed together.
After his release, they stayed friends. Years later, when the warden passed away, Madiba personally went to Cape Town to attend the funeral and console the widow.
Men of his stature and integrity are few and far between and very hard to find amongst politicians and Heads-of-State. His love for his country and all South Africans went way beyond any racial issues.
It saddens me to see the once beautiful dream South Africans had for a new South Africa now lying scattered amongst the reality of political unrest, violent crime and strikes, vandalism, murder, rape, domestic violence and drug abuse.
Robben Island
I hope that the Mandela family hid this sad state of affairs from Madiba as far as possible while he was an old and frail man. Yet, his lion heart could never be contained through old age.
G.K. Chesterton, an English writer, once remarked,”Once abolish the God and the government becomes god.” Wise words, for man was never created with the ability to govern himself or function independently from our Pappa.
Man was created as a finite spiritual being who derives his spiritual nature either from our Lord Jesus or the prince of the world; that greedy power-hungry destroyer of humanity.
He is the father of all systems and structures where power is abused, whether it be political, economical, social or religious.
He deceives the power-hungry humanity into accepting a couterfeit security, for most people do not truly know that their Pappa loves them passionately.
Yet, Madiba was a man who was locked-up in prison for nearly a third of his life on earth. He came out and showed forgiveness in stark contrast with most of the power-hungry leaders of our continent.
What saddens me even more is the hurt and sorrow humans cause their Heavenly Father by paying allegiance to the father of all lies.
Madiba and Francois Pienaar in 1997 when South Africa won the Rugby World Cup
Not only do they destroy themselves, but also the beautiful creation He prepared as a gift for the crown of His creation, man! We are mostly ignorant of our folly.
Yet, He still became human just like us, He humbled Himself and paid the price for our freedom from our slavery to that cruel slave master.
In following in his Master’s footsteps, Nelson Mandela, reflected this true Picture of humility.
Madiba as Prisoner on Robben Island
I wish we could, like the Mandela family, hide man’s foul revolt from our Pappa to save Him all that anguish, heartache and sorrow!
Then they said, ” Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” (Genesis 11:4, NLT).
Devilish Togetherness
Once upon a time, when the world was lost in the evil one, the prince of darkness summoned his black knights around his throne of lies.
Their malignant wrathful presence filled the extravagant courtroom with their venomous sulphuric vapors of pride, evil grandeur, hatred and lies. They reeked of fatal destruction, decay and deceit.
Their prince informed them of his wicked plan to tickle the ears of the gullible earthlings by whispering damnable lies into the itching ears of their greedy hearts,
“Let us once again subtly mix truth and lies and deceive these vermin again. They know they are skilled master builders.
Let us inflate their arrogant egos and tell them that they are able to build for themselves a city with a tower to reach their God! Let us imprison them together in chains of our hatred.
With persistent lying we can convince them that standing together in humanistic, devilish unity, will make them like the King of Heaven.
Let us convince them not to use the stones that their God has created, but to build their own bricks to glorify the works of their hands.
Persuade them of the uselessness of tar and the benefits of using the mortar they have mixed with lime and cement.” The hosts of hell screeched with hateful excitement.
They bowed to their evil prince and departed for the dwelling place of man, not wasting a moment to spin their poisonous web of falsehood.
Their lies and deceptions seemed to be a succeeding, but they failed to consider the Omniscience of the Divine One. The King of Heaven summoned His host of angels,
“My naive ones are once again lending our their ears to be tickled with lies and their hearts to be filled with pride.
My children have once again rebelled and succumbed to the monstrous lie of spiritual independence.
They are standing together in devilish unity and trying to reach my Kingdom with a wicked man-made tower.
They are ignorant of the fact that this stairway to heaven will actually lead them away from Me and is nothing more that a cursed monument to glorify themselves!
Let us destroy this evil unity that makes them believe they are like gods by creating a Babylonian confusion.
I will confuse their speech and scatter them across the whole world. Only when they once again see their fragility, they will realize that they are but dust.
Then I will reach out to them with my endless mercy and draw them with the overtures of my love. I will woo them and cherish them in the cradle of my heart.”
Much love and sweet blessings xx
Mia
Linking-up with Lisa-Jo and the ladies at my link-up page
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. (Genesis 3:7, NLT)
The Wonder of His Love
My child, when I look at you
I sigh……
I see a broken world, an orphaned child
My rebellious one
Not knowing that I LOVE you
I see eyes filled with shame
Peeking through fig leaves
of futile efforts, futile dreams
…. and I long to cover you,
your vulnerable nakedness
with my Righteous Robe of Love
Ever since I formed you
I longed for just the slightest
stirring of affection
in your tender heart
for me….
Since I created you
My Heart only perceived
a little one..
a deceived one…
a broken one….
I see naked fear
lurking in your eyes
But…. I see wonder
the wonder of my love
waiting at the crossroads
of every heart….
I have a feast prepared
A Royal purple Robe
A betrothal ring
Do you feel my love
my outstretched arms
filled with longing
gently drawing you
with wordless wonder
into my Embrace
PAPPA XXXXX
Today I am linking up again with Lisa-Jo and the Five Minute Ladies for the last time in 2012
Creation through the eyes of Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel
God’s Thoughts to me
A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into four branches. The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. (Genesis 2:10-12, NLT)
Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1, NLT)
A Song of Love
Special Assignment, an investigative current affairs program on a South African television channel, broadcasted a disturbing story of Megan Adams and Alecia (a pseudonym). They are two teenage girls living on the streets of a township near Cape Town, the Cape Flats. These precious girls are addicted to crystal methamphetamine, locally better known as Tik.
This crystalline substance has become the city’s drug of choice, being cheap and widely available. In most cases Tik is smoked in a glass pipe. The girls sell their bodies into prostitution to feed the cruel monster that is consuming and destroying their lives. They are only two of the hundreds of addicts and have been brave enough to tell their stories of growing up in extreme poverty and subsequent falling into drug abuse. Many of these girls are just continuing on this wicked road of destruction.
Looking at the world-wide problem of drug abuse only confirms the reality of John’s words, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19, ESV). He only comes to steal, to kill and destroy everything and anything he can possibly lay his hands on.
After watching this broadcast, my heart hurried back to our Pappa God to tell Him of their terrible suffering, asking our Lord Jesus to rescue them from the Kingdom of Darkness. I begged Him to break down all those fortresses of lies in their minds that are holding them captive. I nearly suffocated in a cloud of sorrow when I thought of the total mess and destruction the human race, the crown of our Father’s creation, brought to the beautiful world our Pappa created and prepared in the beginning for their enjoyment and sustenance. The words our God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, suddenly had a much more and deeper meaning to me, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner, but my salvation will be forever. And my righteousness will not wane.” (Isaiah 51:6, ESV). Yet, because of love, God provided a way out of this darkness through the cross of our lord Jesus.
I sighed contentedly as my heart gratefully followed our Lord back to Eden and sensed a love story being told by the river in the garden which divided into four branches. To my delight I found this river flowing all through the Scriptures, the river of life, providing the eternal life of our Lord Jesus. Because of our Pappa’s keen eye for even the smallest detail (like the number of hairs on my head), I realized that the names of the four river branches was not randomly chosen, but for a specific reason and asked Him to reveal to me this chapter of the Divine Story of Love.
Picture of mosaic representing Pishon from Church of Theodorias ca 539CE
The name of the first river branch, Pishon, means bursting forth; fast and strong flowing. I am humbled by the strength and force of the life of our Lord Jesus, bursting forth into the wasteland of our hearts after the Holy Spirit has planted that first little mustard seed of eternal life. The river Pishon surrounded the Land of Havilah, a land noted for its gold, bdellium (aromatic resin) and onyx.The name Havilah literally means circular. The gold was of the finest quality and indicative of the purity, the acceptance and security of our God’s love encircling and protecting that exquisitive relationship between our King and us. I am reminded of the golden censer filled with incense and the prayers of the saints, “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne.” (Revelation 8:3, ESV)
Bdellium, a tree resin, is an aromatic tree gum like myrrh containing essential, aromatic oils and is largely used for therapeutic purposes, perfumes and incense. This land of Havilah, the Eden of our hearts, is beautifully described by the Lover of our souls, “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.” (Ezekiel 28:13, NIV). It reminds me of our prayers being a sweet smelling sacrifice that brings so much joy to our Pappa’s heart. I love spending time with my sons and, to their chagrin, I always want to know everything about everything that happens in their lives! Our Heavenly Father, being the Father of all fathers, surely longs for His children spending time with Him, trusting Him enough to talk to Him about anything!
The onyx is a gemstone and was widely used in jewelry, ornaments and carvings since antiquity. In the book of Exodus our Lord instructed the Israelites to use onyx stone in the tabernacle and the garments of the priests. The breastplate of an Old Testament High Priest contained twelve gemstones, representing the twelve sons of Jacob. The eleventh stone had to be an onyx, representing Josef. To me it symbolizes the abundant life of our Lord Jesus, delicious fruit of the Spirit and inner strength that would be added unto us and abundantly increased daily according to our need (Josef means, God will increase/ adding on). Since our Lord Jesus is our only High Priest in heaven, taking us all, in Him, to our Pappa’s throne of Grace, we can rejoice in the fact that we are all little gemstones in His breastplate of Righteousness. He carries us so close to His heart that we can hear the heartbeat of His love. Even the world considers the onyx stone a symbol of “spiritual” strength and protection, peace and confidence.
Breastplate of a High Priest
Dear Ones, as Fibromites we are all acquainted with fibrofog! Clear thinking does not come easily to us, even less to me since my husband firmly believes that I was born with my head in the clouds anyway! Nevertheless, I hope and pray that by now you can perceive, if only a little, the treasure of love our Lord has hidden for us curious ones to seek and find in the garden of our hearts.
In a following post I would love to continue on this expedition, seeking all the wonders buried deep in the ancient soil of Eden, and its rivers, waiting patiently to be discovered and enjoyed by our Pappa’s children. I am so grateful to be able to share that beautiful River Song bubbling up in my heart, singing of my love for my God, praising His goodness and glory.
I want to love you and leave you with the following: suffering causes only one of two things; it either breaks you or creates a passionate love for God in the depths of your heart!
His Loving Embrace 