Whilst I was in America I had a dream where I saw my dad dying, and Jesus showed me that it was happening in the present. I woke up from my dream and immediately said to Tinus, “My dad is going to die.”
Right after that I received a message from Ma’am Patrys saying: “Retah, your Dad is very weak – I hope you will be back in time to greet him before he goes to heaven.” At pled with Abba Father to be gracious to us and to keep him alive until we returned from America.
On the flight back from New York, Tinus and I were blessed to have two empty seats next to us – that meant a much more comfortable flight, and even some sleep. Once we settled in, I laid back into the arms of Jesus and cried. There were still so many things that I wanted to say to my father – I hoped and prayed that we would be in time so I could still have the chance to do so. The next moment I saw the garden where Holy Spirit always takes me in the spirit. It is my sanctuary... a valley filled with lilies. This time I saw my father there with me. Jesus, my dad and I laid on the grass and talked to each other.
I told my dad, “Dad, you and my brother had such a special time in the hospital and you had an opportunity to discuss everything with him. There are still so many things that I want to say to you.... Dad, I have always wanted you to bless me. Will you please do it now?”
My earthly father then blessed me right then and there amongst the lilies. I told him how thankful I was for the way he laid down his life and walked away from things that were wrong. I honoured him as my father, and said my last goodbyes. A supernatural peace came to rest upon me because of this special meeting I had with him in the spirit – and I slept peacefully for the rest of the way back to South-Africa. The next morning I told Tinus about what happened on the flight. We went directly to the hospital from the airport and found my father in I.C.U., very weak and fragile from the serious heart operation he underwent a few days before.
When I took his hand he said, “Retah, something strange happened – I saw you in the spirit last night... you and Jesus. Do you see this T.V. screen in front of me... as clearly as that picture, thát is how clearly I saw you – even more so. But Aldo was also there watching us. Do you have any idea of what I am talking about, because if you don’t it was probably just a dream?”
The tears rolled down my face. “Dad, it wasn’t a dream,” I told him. “We were with Jesus in the spirit. He took us to the garden so we could talk to each other.” My dad then also started crying and pressed my hand. The two of us knew what happened there and that I received my blessing. When we came back home Aldo wrote this letter:
Jesus says that you truly experienced Him yesterday in the garden. Wisdom says that you are crying a lot for your Dad.
On Thursday afternoon I went to greet him again at the hospital before I had to fly out for my ministry meetings in Natal over the weekend. He looked so beautiful. He was still weak and I massaged his arms and feet to try and bring some relief. Suddenly I realized how nice it was to touch my dad. In the past I never felt the liberty to do this, because there was a hardness in the spirit that opposed me. But now he only had Holy Spirit living inside of him, and I couldn’t get enough of touching him and looking into his eyes. His eyes were a clear blue colour and full of love. We finally broke through the walls of separation that kept us apart for such a long time.
“Dad, I have to leave soon to catch a plane to my ministry event; but I will see you again on Monday! Let’s hope you are out of I.C.U. by then.” He smiled at me and said, “Be good, Retah.” I smiled too and thought to myself, ‘I wonder if he is saying his final goodbyes? I know he loves me, but it is difficult for him to say I love you. Maybe this is his way of saying goodbye forever?’ But I knew he told me he loved me in the garden; so if Be good is his way of saying an unspoken I love you, that is fine with me. I smiled and kissed him on the forehead.
I arrived home late on Sunday evening and read Aldo’s letter that he wrote over the weekend. He wrote:
Satan attacked Grandpa last night in the hospital. There was a heavy battle raging. Wisdom helped Grandpa against Satan himself. Mom, together you and Grandpa will now both see Him [Jesus]. He has overcome them [the enemy]. Mom, Jesus says you and Grandpa were in heaven. Wisdom says that hell was loose over him. Satan wanted to steal his life, but then he vigorously fought back with Jesus. Grandpa and Jesus are together now. Jesus says Grandpa is free now.
I immediately phoned my Mom and she confirmed what Aldo wrote. “Yes, Retah. He told me on Saturday morning that there was a great battle raging for his life on Friday – but Jesus came to help him.” Little did we know that a group of friends from Moorreesburg prayed through the night for my Dad on Friday, and that was part of the reason why the enemy was driven back.
I stood up Monday morning and as I prayed I clearly saw in my spirit how Jesus came to take my Dad home to heaven. Throughout the day I sensed in my spirit that today was going to be his last day; but what was strange was that the hospital released my Dad to go home on Monday. “Am I not discerning correctly?” I wondered to myself. I couldn’t share these feelings with anyone, because everyone was so happy that my Dad was coming home and doing so much better.
At 9 o’clock Monday morning Tinus went to fetch my Dad from the hospital. It was miraculous for the Doctor to release him so soon after such a big heart operation. There were aneurisms in his main veins to the heart, and they were all replaced. After the operation there were some complications with his stomach to get his intestines working again, and he was still very weak. Everyone was stunned and excited that he could come home so soon – because that was where he wanted to be.
He was too weak to walk by himself and Tinus helped him step by step to his bed. He slept for most of the day and at the times when he was awake he and my Mom chatted and told each other how much they loved one another and how thankful they were that he was home.
Tinus and I left for the day to go to Johannesburg and minister to the man that still couldn’t speak after 9 years since his accident. On the way back I phoned my Mom, and her report was that my Dad was still very weak and slept the greatest part of the day. Late that afternoon I took some more video clips and wrote my web letter. Around 12 o’clock I went to bed. Not long after that I received a phone call from my Mom, “Dad is dead! No, Dad went home!!! He went to be with Jesus.”
Tinus immediately left to go and help my Mom while I stayed with the kids. We arranged for the coroner to come and for my Mom to come to our house. She and I spoke until the early hours of the morning. I finally went to bed, but my Mom didn’t sleep a wink. As I laid down on my bed I saw in my spirit how my Dad and two angels went up into heaven. I was running barefoot on a farm road and kept on waving and yelling after him: “Bye Dad, Bye Dad!!!” I laughed while I was waving and calling after him. He looked back, smiled at me and gave me one last wave. The first thing I told Tinus the next morning was that I saw my Dad in the spirit and that I ran after him, smiling and saying goodbye.... and that he waved back looking very happy.
After a restless night, we sat on the balcony early the next morning drinking coffee. Aldo walked in with his thumb in the air and said, “Yes, Grandma! Yes, yes, yes – Grandpa is with Jesus!” Aldo and Josh were sleeping throughout the night so it must have been Wisdom who told him. And then he wrote this letter that took my breath away:
Wisdom says that He himself came to take Grandpa. I then saw Grandpa and that he was smiling at us. He is so very happy and shining. I know that it was Satan that wanted to kill him in the hospital, but then Jesus came to save him. Grandpa asked Wisdom that he wanted to go home first and that Wisdom could come and take him to heaven from there.
Grandpa was with you in heaven [the garden]. He was at peace after that. He was so happy because he knew that you knew he was ready to go. He really changed. He loves Grandma so much but he wants her to know that he was truly suffering from all the pain. He is now with Jesus and he says “Wow, Wow!” all the time. He will live peacefully with Jesus now. I can see how he is standing with the angels and Mom you are running after him and waving at him. He saw me with Wisdom and said, “Aldo, I love Grandma – look after her for me.”
I stand in awe of God’s greatness and power! How can I doubt what He shows me in the spirit? I doubted because the doctors released my dad to come home... but home meant heaven.... he went to his eternal home with Jesus!
My Dad is with Jesus and that is the greatest blessing he could ever have given me. The last few weeks of his life he was so clearly walking and living in the spirit and bearing the fruits of the Spirit. Through my tears I sill ministered at the Spirit School the day after his death. It was a deep spiritual and emotional day for me, and I experienced how Holy Spirit broke things open in a deeper revelation for all of us. I also had a new boldness to share what Abba shows me in the spirit.
Thanks You Abba Father that You love me so deeply to embrace my earthly father so tightly to Your bosom – and that You made him Your property forever. For a long time I struggled with the fact that I was preaching to all the world that Jesus is alive, but worried about the salvation of my own father. Now I heard for myself in the spirit as my dad told me, “Go Retah... go and tell them about the spiritual realm. I am so sorry that my eyes only opened to this truth after so many years. I love you.”
Through my tears of thankfulness I lastly want to honour my mother who interceded for my father throughout his life. She was a watchman on the wall for him and for our family. Thank you Mom that you never gave up!
If you are the one interceding for your loved ones – never give up! God is faithful!
My dad’s burial will be on Friday and I will be preaching at the service. What an amazing privilege.
Abba, thank You... Thank You.
Retah.