Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10).
Unless we humble ourselves and bow down to God for assistance, the old nature will push us to rely upon ourselves, our own skills and abilities – and that will never suffice. Our natural ability is limited – but to God’s power there are no limits!! Like the Lord tells us Himself in Genesis 18:14 ‘Is anything to hard for the Lord?’
Tinus and I are in an ice-cold America at the moment where we are ministering in New York and New Jersey. It is so humbling for me to see how people come from far and wide to attend the meetings. What I sense from these people is that they are just normal people like we are – but still there is something different, something that stands out…. a longing and a searching for more of God from a pure heart. They are humbly seeking His truth with all of their heart.
Even youths grow tired and weary; and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Is. 40:30-31)
From my conversations with these precious people I can see that we all understand that our eyes are going to have to be focused on God, and Him alone, for the days that lay ahead. It is a place where we live in complete dependency on the all sufficient God – El Shaddai. This is such a fantastic place to be! Because nothing will be able to make us fearful, because we have handed everything over to God and it is in His hands. And so we only have to go forward one step at a time – completely in God’s rest.
We met a beautiful 10 year old little girl, Carmel. She excitedly ran up to me and gave me a big hug and said, “I pray for Aldo every day of my life! Is it going well with him?” We met people who drove for six hours to be at the church meeting, and they passionately asked me afterwards, “Retah, I want to have God’s nature. What can I do to get it?” Only through God’s Spirit can we forsake our sinful nature and take hold of God’s nature. It is a daily dying to self for Christ to be formed in us (Gal. 4:19). We need to realized how important it is to have Christ’s nature reflecting through us – because a tree is recognized by its fruit. The power that God allows to be manifested through us is His power, we are merely the vessel – and all the honor and glory belongs to Him and Him alone.
While we are still here in America I received an e-mail saying: “Retah, after you prayed for me and held me so tight the other night something happened in my spirit – it felt like there was a fire burning in my spirit for hours afterwards. Only when I woke up the next morning did I realize that I was free from the spirit of addiction. I have no desire to smoke anymore! God healed me and delivered me! I couldn’t stop crying… what is going on with me?”
I smiled to myself and thought of what a glorious God we serve! It was the Holy Spirit working in her that brought about the change. He is now in her, over her and working through her – He is the one burning out the old fleshly nature and replacing it with God’s divine nature.
May your desire for God and His Holy Spirit become more than anything else in your life. We need to grow up spiritually – and in order to grow we need to eat. This is also true for our spirit-life, we need to eat the solid food of the Word, and not just live on milk like babies do. The bride cannot live on baby food anymore – she needs to eat from the tree of Life! The Word also teaches us:
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Pet. 2:1-3).
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Heb. 5:13-14).
Never stop praying. People stop too quickly and so the enemy comes and snatches away your testimony just before the breakthrough. Remember what Jesus taught about praying:
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)
Turn to God; yield yourself to Him as a sacrificed life. When we start praying God’s Kingdom starts invading the earth as we seek His will to be done. When I start to tap into the Kingdom of God and asking for His kingdom to come – that is when I see people being touched and transformed in the services. This only comes by prayer and faith. That is where God’s glory light is present and all darkness has to flee for the Word says in John 1 vs. 5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
I teach people to tap into the Kingdom themselves. Whenever I do this, miracles are a part of the ministry taking place when I preach. The enemy knows that I flee into God’s glory light for my protection, and when I am there I am safe.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16)
Keep on glorifying God’s name! When God touches you, the people around you will immediately see the difference and your life will never be the same again. Keep on staying in a place of prayer, for prayer opens up a door to God and Jesus is the Way to the Father. Prayers are answered through our connection to God who responds to our love, faith and obedience to His Word. All that you need in order to connect to God is a desire – the true heart’s desire that even a 10 year old like Carmel has. It doesn’t matter how old you are. God made a way for all of us through His Son Jesus the Messiah!
During my next trip to the USA we are going to host some Spirit Schools too, because I can see that there is a real hunger and desire in the hearts of the people for the truth about Kingdom life. We prayed about it and Abba said, “Yes, Retah. Go and teach My bride about the spirit dimension and how to live in the Kingdom.” The Kingdom is actually the place where we live under the covenant protection of the ‘dome’ of the King… the King-dome. We need to know the truth about this King-dome and how to live there. It is described in Psalm 91: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Ps. 91:1-2)
To everyone who opened up their hearts and their homes to us in New York, New Jersey and Long Island – I just want to say thank you so very very much! We feel a part of the body and the bride that calls out in unison: Come Lord Jesus, come!
Back home my dad underwent a big heart operation and he is still in ICU. But we have so much peace about his wellbeing because we know that Holy Spirit is with him 24/7. Every time we pray for him we see how God is taking care of him and ministering to him in the spirit – because his spirit is so hungry for the truth now.
After one of my services we came home after 12 o’clock and I fell on the bed and cried. Quite surprised Tinus asked me, “Why are you crying, Retah? It was such an amazing evening, and such great things happened?” I answered and said, “It is because my heart is overflowing with thankfulness, and I can’t help the tears of joy and appreciation of what God has done for us!”
Last year when we did this trip to NY Aldo was so very sick – and an intense spiritual battle waited for us when we got home. But not this year. He is healthy and happy and busy studying through Ellel ministries. His granddad has gone through deliverance, he has been baptized and he is also full of peace – and I believe that he is on a road of healing and restoration. What a great God we serve!
We talk to the kids every night and I said to Josh the other night, “Zozzie, I miss you so much!” In reply he said, “Me too, Mom – a lot! But please Mom, focus on what you have to do for Jesus – we are 100%! It is going so well with us here – Jesus is here with us every night. Enjoy your time with Daddy!” I put the phone down with tears in my eyes.
For the next three days it is only going to be Tinus and I in Manhattan. We have a full program. We are going to visit people in the hospital, and we are going to a special Recovery bible study meeting, and best of all – I am going to have time to enjoy my husband! (Photo taken at hospital visit.)
To everyone who loves us so unconditionally – I bless you! Thank you for the warm welcome we received in cold New York. We are enjoying the snow, so I am not complaining about the cold, because we never get snow in South-Africa. Only some mountaintops get snow when it is a very cold winter.
Pray with me: “O Lord where do I need to change? Is there sin in my life that I have not dealt with, and that You want me to be delivered and restored from? Are there any selfish desires that You need to be purify? Is there any practical lesson of faith that You want me to learn this week? Is there anything that I still need to forsake for the sake of gaining Christ? Please Lord Jesus, let your Holy Spirit teach me the way – step by step. We love you Lord God – King of the Universe. You and You alone are the living God and we will always praise You.”
Love from Retha and Tinus – from New York city!