Series: Other Speakers
Sun am 3rd June 2012 – Hazel Swart & Shane Egypt
2 Peter 1:1-9; John 15:1-17; 1 Tim. 4:14; (Prov. 31); (2 Tim. 4:2); I John 4:20;
(1 Cor. 12:4-5); (1 John 2:11-14)
Hazel: What God is saying is, “I am enjoying you as people, why don’t you lighten up a little bit? Why don’t you give of yourselves a little bit so that everybody can taste and see how wonderful you are and what I have put within you?” Every one of us has been given at least one gift, but some of us are sitting with our gift still neatly wrapped up and we do not want to mess up the packaging. Why don’t you rip the packaging off and see what God has put inside?
We are so secure because we have habits that make us secure. Some of those habits are not good and we have outgrown them and should have left them behind long ago. Look in the mirror and see how far you are, and see whether you are on God’s agenda and what He wants from you.
We need to spend time to get to know Him (2 Peter 1:1-9), and to know what He has given us pertaining to life and godliness. All we need to do is tap into the river that is flowing. It is like plugging into electricity, it is quite a simple action. He has given it all; all we have to do it plug-in and get connected. If this is the life you have committed yourself to, there should be a huge amount of fulfillment, a huge amount of joy, peace, strength, dignity and self-worth that comes with it. When I know who I am and what He has put within me, I can do anything. All things are possible.
God is a genius, show His genius; He is magnificent, show his magnificence. God is a God of abundance, show the abundance. Let your light shine so that men may see.
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me… This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends… This I command you, that you love one another (John 15:1-17). The bottom line is to love one another.
When a baby is conceived it grows in a dark womb, but there are nutrients coming its way. It is growing and comfortable; then the time comes for it to be born. When the baby is born, through that difficult time good things are being activated. If you think of times in your life when it seems dark and it feels that God is nowhere to be found, and there is nobody around you, it is a good time. God never leaves you and He is doing something wonderful inside you, abide in Him. Leave behind the things you don’t need anymore. He’s calling for freshness. Be real, be honest, be truly who God wants you to be. He is calling for new life. He’s coming with the fertilizer to see if there is any life. You should be bearing fruit in season and out of season (2 Tim. 4:2). The key is to abide and to spend time, we need to draw our strength, there needs to be introspection and we need to ask God deep questions. There must be a dream inside of you.
Enjoy your communication with Him on a more playful note, rather than being so serious when you pray. We take one small step forward, one little risk and God takes 10 steps towards us, that is how great He is. Dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them. If you don’t know what your gift is, the thing that comes naturally to you is often times the thing you should be doing and you should develop skills in that area. Whatever is in you comes from God, whether you are an artist or a dancer or a prophet, it is all spiritual because it comes from God. You are enough for God, you are worth it, you are important to God.
Read Proverbs 31, look at everything that can be done; the areas of business, the areas of hospitality, the area of beauty, God can trust us and we are going to speak of His greatness. What is possible? Can you sew, can you knit; can you have enough to give to the poor? Can you plant a garden? Can you reach out to the needy and go to a sick person? First of all have the gift of observation, see what’s needed and get involved. Make sure that the people who are around you are encouraging you to do what’s good. Lose the friends that are poisonous playmates.
Creative affirmations: “I’m a channel for God’s gifts and creativity and my work comes to good. My dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them. As I create or work and listen I will be led. Using my gift is God’s will for me. My gift heals me and others. Through the use of my gift I serve God. My gift and creativity always leads me to the truth and to love. My gift and creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness. There is a divine plan of goodness for me. As I listen to my creativity I am led to my Creator. I am willing to create and use my gift. I am willing to learn and let myself be creative with my gift. I am willing to let God use me as a channel via my gift and creativity. I am willing to use my creative talents and become skilled in them.” Look at your life and then start asking questions.
Shane Egypt: We all have unique graces in this house, and if my grace is added to your grace we will bring to completion what God wants. We are talking about community living and we all belong to His bigger family. God has households, God has pockets of unique graces that He gives in a specific locality, and together we make up what God wants in the Helderberg basin.
We see the Father’s heart through the fathers of faith. When Noah was born it says he would comfort us in our work. Moses pleaded before God not to destroy the people who He had delivered. If we look at Abraham, he pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Then there’s the prodigal son who took his inheritance even before his father died. Even though he squandered that inheritance, the father was looking out for his son every day. The Father will always leave the ninety-nine and go after one lost sheep. In the Father’s heart there is a nurturing and a caring.
The gifts that God gives are from the same Spirit and the same Lord (1 Cor. 12:4-5). Out of that there needs to come the Father’s heart. In community living nobody should feel neglected because we are given to one another, to care and nurture because it is the heart of the Father. It should be in each and every one of us because we are created by Him and it is natural because we are connected to the Father. How can you say you love God and you do not love your brother? (I John 4:20). God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
John talks about children; they are glad that their sins are forgiven; young men, they have overcome the evil one, and fathers who know Him who was from the beginning (1 John 2:11-14). Children always have self-interest in the beginning. The young men are getting to know who they are, they want to be conquerors and feel they are the center of everything. The heart of fathers says: it is not for me, it is for us. If God puts us on a scale Bizweni and He weighs us, He will come and evaluate if we are the expression of His heart. God has given us to one another so we have an obligation. In community living let us have mature hearts.