Mark 11: 25-26
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
The miracle is tangible in our lives every day to Tinus and me. Whether you understand this or not is no longer important to me – I am past that point in my life of pleasing men, all I want to do now is to be obedient to God and what He asks of me and my family. This price we are paying is just too high to get caught up in the opinions of men.
I ministered at two events this past Saturday, and the second service was very difficult because of the hard word that I had to bring. Even though I received a lot of persecution, I decided not to tell my family about what happened. That night when I got home I cried at Abba’s feet and asked if couldn’t rather stay away from the Church please. It is so much easier just ministering at the Spirit School, because those who attend the Spirit School want to learn more about the spirit dimension and are interested in what I have to teach. But the Lord said, “Retha, I will send you – you just do what you need to do. I’ll take care of the rest.”
When I got home on Sunday, Tinus asked me what happened. How would he know, I wondered? If you read Aldo’s letters, you will see that Holy Spirit (Wisdom, as He calls Him), had already revealed to Aldo what happened. I stand in awe, completely in awe, about the greatness of our King – and He uses a child like Aldo. Sometimes I wish that I can protect Aldo and what Yeshua is doing though him, from the world; but I know I have a responsibility. This is why God sent him back – to tell the world that Jesus is alive. I am the one that needs to go into the Churches first and break the ground of what God is revealing through him.
Yes, people take me on, or laugh me out; but thankfully there is also a lot of encouragement and even a round of applause in the church on Saturday. This is the encouragement from the Bride of Christ who knows now is the hour to get ready and clean ourselves for the Bridegrooms return.
The things Aldo writes about are bold and straight to the point. He is not concerned in pleasing men. When I then need to deliver the word as “Wisdom” wrote it, it means I need to die to myself. I feel the rocks people throw at me, and there is no time to turn around or to try and sugarcoat things – all that is left is to get down on my face before God and to ask for His grace and His strength.
I spent Saturday night at Abba’s feet, and the word He gave me was Isaiah 59:19-21: From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.
Retah, I want to pour out My Spirit on all flesh, the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, THE TIME IS SO CLOSE, but there is still so much hatred in the hearts of those who say they love Me.
(Photo: Aldo reading his Bible at the Pakistan airport.) Racism is still in the Church. And when I talk about racism, I give this same word to white and black churches. How can we say we don’t have it, but churches only want to minister to a certain color people? “But we give them a separate hall, Retah!” What? A separate hall? “Yes, because if we accept them into our church we will lose to many other members.”
And you want to tell me you don’t have racism? Do you know how God feels about this? Do you know that God is busy testing our hearts with this racism – hatred - issue? Not only racism that stretches over the color barrier, but also in your family, your enemy, your collogue – anyone who you avoid because of some or other discrimination. Do you know that God says we must bless and not curse?
“You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:38-48).
His word says that we need to love, and not hate.
His word says that we must be humble, and not prideful.
His word says we need to serve, and not seek to be served.
I minister at so many Churches where the elders and the deacons are the ones with the greatest root of bitterness and racism, but because they are the ones with the influence, and money this issue is avoided. The time has arrived when God wants to take out the word “hate” (and that word comes from the pits of hell) out of our hearts. Because death-and-destruction go hand in hand with hatred, and that is why families look what they look like.
We need to repent of this hatred in your own lives, and also intercede for the generations before us. As long as there is an unrepented root, we are going to keep on reaping what they (or we) sowed (Gal. 6:7). God’s Word cannot be broken.
As a family we paid a high price for these unrepented sin, but we also learned what it means to be free and to live in the victory that comes through the blood of the Lamb when these curses are broken through repentance. It is strange to me that people fight against repenting for the sins of the forefathers, I mean – what do you have to lose? Only pride keeps us away.
After Aldo’s shunt was taken out (never to be put back in), and he has been healed after we broke the curses and repented of all the sin - I know what I am talking about. We are not the only family that walked around with a spirit of death and destruction following us. There are so many people I see who struggle with this same issue, and the answer is in the blood of the Lamb!
This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9: 18-22).
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15). All resentment and bitterness is born out of hatred, no matter how much we claim that we don’t hate. Unless the sinful fruit that is brought forth out of the roots of bitterness are repented of, we will keep on reaping what was sown - and hatred calls out for blood.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can stop the increasing cycle of human hatred. Hatred takes us into the minus, when we forgive and repent we are taken back to zero, and from there we can move forward into the plus. Once we are at zero we need to start blessing and live in the opposite spirit that the world bombards us with every day. Where there is hatred, we need to love. Where there is cursing, we need to bless. Where we used to avoid, we need to look each other in the eye and start building relationship. We need to root out every piece of hatred in our hearts with the love of God.
Only the blood of Jesus can heal the human heart of all pain, hurt, rejection and hatred. We cannot change our hearts by pure willpower. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb. 4:12-13).
We just need to pray in faith, ask for forgiveness, break the generational curses that come from our family line, and trust Jesus. What an incredible promise to hold on to: that no matter how much the sin has multiplied or how thick the darkness tries to settle in around us – we can never exhaust the blood of the Lam. His faithfulness guarantees that His blood is always there – all we need to do is ask and repent so that He can cleanse our hearts thoroughly and completely.
I know we are standing at the brink of a great shaking in the world and also in the Church – and the body is not ready. My heart breaks when I travel around the world and the Lord gives me a word to release in the spirit: “Death” is what I see – but the Lord already paid the full price so that we can have “life”. This word is for everyone who has an ear to hear what the Spirit of the Lord says.
Test your own heart. Put your hand into your own bosom and see what comes out. Any hate and bitterness does not come from the Father of light, it comes from the hell.
Without the fullness of forgiveness, the work of sanctification and transformation is going to be too heavy. But with forgiveness - where Holy spirit helps you – the yoke is light.
God wants us to come into freedom – into life – into purity – as His bride. I want to encourage you today: Stop fighting people or the circumstances God allowed to be on your path. I found that it is these very people and circumstances that carry us to our death in Christ. Why is it that we fight so hard against these things? Because we fight dying in self! Let’s start praising God in the difficult times. I have learned that all I have is to trust in God. He really is who He said He is, and so much, much more than I can even fathom! He will accomplish with our lives what HE purposed to do from the beginning.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Eph. 5:25-27).
God is busy getting His bride ready for His return. He is not only working with the spots on the wedding gown, but also with the undergarment. The things that have been hidden for such a long time.
How we love You Lord Jesus! I know You want us to draw near to You on a new level – You love us so richly. Thank You that we can come into your presence broken, boldly, with trembling, with laughter, with broken hearts, with joy – all because You are our Abba – and You want to take care of us. Thank You that we can enjoy Your presence – and as a Father I can see how You push your children into Holiness – as we come close – You speak – You love and You guide.
“Lay down your lives for Me – isn’t that what it means to say that you know ME?”
Aldo is going for an operation on Thursday to insert the screws into the bone that has been planted into his mouth. We are so at peace with this, and we know that God has already brought us this far, it is all just part of the healing and restoration process. He is doing really well, and He is happy and at peace in Christ.
While Tinus and I were drinking coffee he asked me, “Retah, would you have exchanged this difficult road for anything else, even though it is so narrow and alone?” And as I look into his eyes he already knows my answer.
Zozzie is now only hockey, hockey, hockey; and when he prays I think he and Jesus are also only chatting about hockey. I can hear how he tells Jesus about every goal he scored on Saturday. After he spoke about the game, I could hear how he got quiet to wait to hear what Jesus had to say. I only smile at the pure relationship, with childlike faith, that he has with Yeshua.
“What did Jesus tell you, Josh?”
“Mom, He said that He was very proud of me.”
Wow, it is actually so easy to hear His voice! Just go and spend time with Him, share your heart with Him, become like a child!
This morning Josh told Aldo, “Ma’am Patrys is late Aldo. Let’s go and wait for her outside.” Aldo was still busy reading his bible and said, “No, you are speaking death Josh. Speak life and we will be in time for school.” The next moment Ma’am Patrys walked through the door. “Do you see what happens when you speak life, Josh!”
When I said goodbye I heard them blessing me all the way to the door. “Mom!” Aldo called just as I got to the door, “remember to bless the counselors today before they start!” There are 100 people coming to our office this week for counseling sessions. Pieter and Helene Theron and their team are here for the week.
Jesus said: I came to set the captives free! Thank You Lord!
Blessings to you in the wonderful name above all names – Jesus Christ!
Retah and the family.