Update of the launch last night:
We had an amazing book launch last night (1 December)! It was filled with songs and dance of worship to the King, and we give Him all the glory! The new books will be available from our web-store from Monday, 6 December. Please note that for the launch we made a limited special edition of Aldo’s Journal. There will only be 1000 of these special edition journals available. The usual journals will be available in Gospel Direct stores around South-Africa from early next year.
“Arise My love”
We are back from our tour to Israel and my spirit wants to explode from thankfulness! Today I can say with all the disciples: “Truly Jesus, You are the Son of God!”
The Lord blessed us far above what I could have hoped or prayed for. I have been to Israel four times previously in my life, but never before had I experienced such breakthrough in the spirit like this time. I can honestly say that I have never felt the hand of God upon me as I did that day when I stood before the Messianic congregation to deliver my testimony. I could see Yeshua standing before me the entire time. At some point the anointing was so strong that my ears started whistling and my legs turned to jelly beneath me. I clearly heard Yeshua say: “Thank you for your obedience, Retah.” Then I saw the fire of God on the Hebrew translation of A Message from God that I was holding in my hand.
Apart from this, I can testify of many more moments where I experienced Yeshua in the midst of us. On Mount Carmel we had an amazing time of worship, and the anointing on our group was so thick that all of us ended up on our faces. Other tourists that were also on the mountain came to stand among us – they were drawn to us because of the anointing, and wanted to experience it for themselves. While we were down with our faces to the ground before our King in humility, I noticed that Aldo was lying next to me. I took out some anointing oil and started anointing his hands and feet. Shortly thereafter he sprang up and started to anoint everyone in the group. As he did this all I could do was to remain on my face before God and thank Him for His goodness.
Aldo came along on the tour for a very specific reason – something that the Holy Spirit had planned: Aldo’s baptism in the Jordan (“From Nehemiah to Naáman free”) was what we had to go and to. We found a special and private place along the Jordan river for baptism, and Aldo was brought down under the water seven times just like Naáman was told to do by Elijah in 2 Kings 5. When he came out of the water I could see VICTORY written all over him. “I am free!” he said. The seven times washing of Naáman was just another step of obedience we had to do.
I found that Israel has a way of exposing what is really in our hearts. There is really an open heaven and God’s glory light shines through it to show us our hearts; and that is why every part of you, where you haven’t completely died to yourself, will be exposed like an x-ray. The parts of you that have already died will not even be picked up by this spiritual x-ray machine, but the parts of the selfish me, myself and I that are still seeking self-gratification will be brought to light. Those living parts are more difficult to hide in Israel because the glory light of God is shining so brightly there.
So, every night I humbled myself and fell to my knees (sometimes at the places where we were visiting) and pled with God, “Please Lord, help me to die to myself!” What hard words, but what an important prayer.
In myself I could see how this glory light revealed so many things. Under this new intensity of light that hides nothing, it shocked me to see how much “self” there still was. Thát is part of the Israel experience – to search your own heart, and deal with what you find there. I hope and trust that everyone on the tour was open to Abba revealing their harts to each one personally.
At the Wailing Wall this revelation opened up to me even more. As I saw the Jewish people praying at the wall, I just knew that we should never judge them; because even we who have Yeshua as our Messiah still build walls between us and God, and these walls blind us from the truth. They are built with the stones of those parts of us that haven’t died to self yet, or yielded to God’s will. That is why God wants us to be transparent – and this comes through repentance and laying down our lives.
We need to be confronted with dying to self, serving one another and being the least in order to grow more like Christ. We are not always ready for what Abba reveals through this x-ray machine, but I honour God for taking such personal and intensive interest in each one of us, so we can all learn and grow to maturity in Christ.
I looked at Tinus throughout the tour, and I could see how Abba took out a piece of His own heart and placed it in Tinus. When I look at my husband I see the beautiful servant heart of Yeshua. I saw him carrying Aldo on his back at the places where he couldn’t walk himself, where he was constantly checking to make sure that Aldo didn’t miss out on any fun of the tour experience, where he patiently helped Aldo to work with his money. I also saw a firm Daddy that could minister discipline to him in a loving way, because he sees the man of God inside of Aldo that still needs to be guided sometimes. Today I salute you my wonderful husband – for who you are in Jesus, and that you patiently walk out this road with us till the end.
Boaz (our Israeli bus driver) accepted Yeshua as his Saviour on the last day of the tour, and that was one of my personal highlights! He is one of the first fruits of our Hebrew book. To everyone who sowed seed into this project – know for sure that your harvest is going to be big! And that God’s favour is upon you.
To everyone who was with us on this amazing spiritual journey – thank you!!! Thank you to each one for embracing Aldo, that you gave him freedom to be himself. As a Mommy I tell you today, from the bottom of my heart – thank you.
We have already received testimonies out of Israel, but I have decided to protect these precious people and not to put their testimonies on the internet, because most of them are Jews who are now making a decision to follow Yeshua as their Messiah.
Tonight (1 December) is our book launch, and believe me – the spiritual fight is on. Everything that could have gone wrong, has gone wrong; but I am so calm and peaceful because I know Who has the last say. I choose to die to myself by not becoming fearful, or trying to do anything out of my own strength. When we worry and try to take matter into our own hands, it means that there are still parts of self alive and kicking, and this is the places where the enemy arrows can hit and wound us.
I honour God for faith in Him, dying in Him, and victory through His Son; that everything will be finished in time – even if the books will still be hot of the press when people receive them tonight.
Our theme for tonight is “Arise My Love” – it is a new season that we are entering into, where God wants His bride to arise and where He wants to blow new life into her. His life, His peace, His joy, His heart, His hands and feet – His Promised Land.
All the honour to our Abba who is always in control of everything in our lives.
I bless you with “dying to self” today.
Josh is so happy we are back! He said, “Mom, I don’t think you should go to Israel without me ever again - I can see how much happened there!”
“And how can you see this Joshie?” I asked.
“In Aldo’s eyes, Mom. They are shining!”
Indeed they are.
Love
Retah and family.