DJ Mark Stent Testimony by Mark Stent

Big Impact DJ Mark Stent takes us on an intense rollercoaster of God’s relentless love and determination for his life.

My Testimony…Thank you God for saving me

It was at the time of my divorce that the ‘wheels came off’ so to speak. I have 3 beautiful children from my previous marriage of nearly 9 years and the anger and hurt from it caused me to be bitter and resentful towards God. It was at that time that my current career as a DJ, producer and musician started kicking off. Needless to say being in the world of nightclubs, with tons of temptation and a bitter heart led me into a world of sex, alcohol and drugs in an attempt to try to mend my broken heart and escape from the pain i felt. I was so far from God, filled with hatred for Him and what He had done to me that i started seeking other things to explain how i felt and where my place was. The devil was right there to offer me all i needed.

I was introduced to a powerful psychic who told me and showed me things that completely blew me away. I was convinced that he knew the true answers to the universe…everything he said made complete logical sense. As i fell for his lies an deception he introduced me to other aspects of the occult world which i freely and openly embraced. I was amazed at the power i felt as i learnt disciplines such as tarot card reading, paganism and astral projection. The more i learnt the more power i felt, the more i despised God, but…the more my life and personal life fell off track. I had met the woman of my dreams in this time, somebody sent from God to look after me, protect me and be my guardian angel and teach me about true love. As i drew more into the power of the occult, i became more selfish, more self-centred, i hurt her, treated her badly, slowly lost respect for myself…still God kept her by my side. My first intentional drug overdose landed me in hospital where i drew more into the power of the devil…i was reading peoples fortunes and had the power to see things i never dreamed i would see. Despite feeling invincible my life continued its downward spiral.

I overdosed intentionally two more times and each time, at exactly the right moment, Vanessa arrived to save me, like an angel, just before i died each time, literally saving my life. The last attempt i was in intensive care and the doctors told my mother that i had a 1 percent chance of life and if i did live i would be brain damaged forever. It was thanks to prayer teams that my mom setup daily for my recovery that i lived. It was then that i realised that i either belonged in a mental institution or i had some serious demons in me. I went for deliverance from my suicide demons and after 5 long hours was saved by Gods grace. I tried for a long time to follow God and His word after that but the nature of my job kept drawing me back into the devils lair, where i slid back into my anger towards God for the cards i had been dealt…God did not leave me alone…He kept sending me messages, not even cryptically, they were blunt!

One that sticks in my mind was a day after a gig in Cape Town, i was hung over and sitting in CT airport and a kid of probably 16 came up to me and said ‘i was at Exclusive Books and God told me to buy this book and He would tell me who to give it to, when i saw you i knew it was for you’. I took the book, wrapped in brown paper, and brushed it off as some strange church-cult. I got onto the plane and my seat was moved and i ended up sitting next to a pastor…i sat down, opened the brown paper bag and the book was entittled ‘Conversations with an Atheist’- a book explaining to non-believers how there was NO way to refute God, no matter what you believed or what the circumstances.

Many many more of these kinds of events happened but i continued to live in the world.

It was when Vanessa left me due to my lifestyle that i started the Alpha course. In fact i did not do it for God, but to try and get in there so i could try and convince V to take me back. After 4 or 5 weeks God worked His magic and i gave my life to God again and Vanessa and i started our walk, together, with Jesus. We got engaged and planned our lives together. My career boomed. Financially things boomed. As all these things did, so did my ego. I started living a double life again, professing to be a Christian but still going out drinking, partying and living in the world. I tried to keep one foot in the door of the world and one foot in God’s door. I truly believed that i could be the light that shined in a world ruled by demons and the devil. I lied to myself and everyone else.

As my career boomed and grew, Vanessa and i fell apart again, this time she was attacked too, the devil drove a wedge of insecurity, jealousy and lies into our relationship which caused us to break off our engagement, something that hurt us both beyond measure. God continued to send me signs.

I was thrown into a chasm of confusion…how could God forsake me like this when i was trying so hard to follow Him. Vanessa was my dream girl, how could He take her away from me. It was thanks to friends that God blessed me with like Peter, Christine, Byron, Shaun, Jon, Nikki that prayed for me incessantly and took me back to church that i finally decided that God had given me a great calling and influence and that i had the power to bring so many people to God with the things that i had seen and experienced. Through my pain i drew on Him, learnt about Him, learnt that i needed FAITH AND CHOICE to follow Him…i needed to have faith that He would provide me with what i needed if i CHOSE to listen. Since i made that decision everything has changed…the things that ruled my life dont seem so important, my ego and flesh, as much as they have given me worldly succes and recognition have destroyed the real things in my life…my family, my love of my self and true romantic love…and peace.

I have been scared to take the step i need to and God has shown me that fear is lack of trust in Him. I finally took this step this week, after a week of prayer and battling with God and myself. In order for me to get away from the devils temptation, i need to get out the devils lair…when i put complete trust in Him, i will see Him…

I truly believe that God has blessed me and and has amazing plans for me. As i draw nearer to Him He shows more of himself to me and the more secure i feel, the more at peace i feel.

As i start, for the first time, putting ALL my faith in God i want to thank Him for never giving up on me and cleansing me of my past and for showing me the power of prayer through people who truly loved me for me.

I AM TRULY PROUD AND BLESSED TO BE BORN AGAIN!

God is God by Cara Franco

WHO AM I…I AM HIS!

Isn’t it amazing how we can trust God in our situation today and forget about Him tomorrow? How we remember Him in some things and others He is furthest from our minds! Yet He tells us continually to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6). Wouldn’t life be more hassle free with someone else directing the way? Think of a holiday tour; you go where they take you, where they lead you, they organize it all you just have to pitch up. And of course there is free time where you can do as you please. Well that’s how life should be if we trust and acknowledge God in all our ways, we wouldn’t have the stress we allow ourselves to carry or the issues we get ourselves into. Not saying life would be a bed of roses but it sure would be easier than we make it. Stephen Curtis Chapman once wrote a great song:

“God is God and I am not, I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting.”

So if we truly walked in that, no bed of roses, but pure bliss I tell you. This is my story…

In the year 2000, God spoke to me and told me to go to the U.K. I didn’t know where or how but when, I did know – March of 2001. At the time I was working for a corporate company, in the church worship team, living and being content in life. When God told me to go, it was not to work, although I planned my way and got a working/holiday visa. I had not saved up any money as my salary paid my car and you know our day to day needs… shopping, movies, girls night out, hehe.

I kept telling my family in March next year I will be going to the U.K with not much support, as at the time so many young people would leave school and venture off to England to ‘find themselves’. I didn’t have to do that, God had found me, but yet the opposition stood against me. So I asked the Lord, “If this is your will, my parents will be in agreement.”

I resigned at the beginning of January 2001 and 2 weeks before the 5th March, a friend called asking if I’d gotten my ticket yet. I must say the nerves of not knowing had almost gotten the better of me and I was hesitant, but I did research and when I got to the travel agent they said I received the last available seat on that flight, for a great price! I still had no idea where I was going but I knew to trust the Lord.

That Sunday a young lady whom I hardly knew at the time, came and asked me, “So I hear you going to England, where will you be staying?”

In which my response was a clear, “I dunno!”

From there God made a way, she was going to stay with a friend of hers for 3 days, so that was the start of my amazing journey.

My 3 days turned into 3 months at this friend’s house in Bristol. It became my home from home and God allowed me to minister in churches, and into people’s lives, what a blessing! And He in turn ministered into my life where I’d been holding onto past baggage etc. So being in a country where I had no close friends or family I could talk to, God became the best friend He should be in all our lives, and I became whole! I then traveled around the U.K to Scotland, York, Harrogate, Stratford-upon-Avon, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge etc. etc. etc. and God opened the doors everywhere I went. I did not stay in hostels but the homes of the most beautiful people I had met or met along the journey. The amazing thing of it all was that I was not working but God was providing all the way.

Ok back to the – well almost beginning – the day I left on my plane, someone I’d just met and maybe spoken to 4 times gave me 400 pounds cash, which was equivalent to R6000. At the time the pound to rand was between 15 and 17 to 1! Why England? Because at that time it was the most expensive place in exchange for our Rands and God was trying to teach me to trust Him and stretch me, big time!

So that money lasted my first 5 weeks and then I was like, “Ok Lord, what now?” The amazing thing was, wherever I stayed I never paid a cent. At times I would feel like I needed to, but the Lord had opened the doors for me and many times the people blessed me with even more than just a roof over my head, they were all amazing. Let me continue…

I would go to church on the Sunday and God said, “Cara, put 10 pounds in the offering.”

In my mind I would quickly calculate and be like, “Lord that’s like over R150.”

Which to you may not be much but at the time I was counting every penny, thinking “what if I run out of money? Then I’m stuck in a foreign place with no one I really know.”

But I would do as God said, sometimes with a struggle in my heart, other times I just did it no questions asked. After the service someone I’d never met would come up to me and tell me, “Sorry to bother but God told me to give you this.”

When I would open it, it was 100 pounds. This happened several times. I would put in 2 pounds and get 50 in return. I would put 5 and get 50 and so forth. One Sunday they announced that the team from Hillsong were coming to do a worship conference, the cost was 95 pounds. I really wanted to go, but was way over what I could afford, so I just left it. When the offering came by God told me to put in my 5 pounds, I did and left it at that. The lady I stayed with leant over to tell me she thought I should attend the conference in which I nodded, smiled and thought, “Uh huh. Way, way over what I can afford.”

But aren’t we funny? May be too much for us, but nothing is too big for our God. After the service someone came and gave me a cheque for 95 pounds. God again blew my mind! And so my months continued, everywhere I went God made the way and when I left someone would bless me with enough money for my next leg of the journey, unknown to them God was using them mightily!

I spent 6 weeks in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a friend I met once and had begun to email a few months back. There again God opened my eyes to His awesome wonders and provision in my life. He just always reminded me to trust Him! On my last Sunday there I was sitting in the church service and God said to me, “Cara, do you believe I can take an offering for you?”

I responded, “Lord I know you can BUT who am I? Offerings are taken for guest speakers/singers etc, not for nobody’s like me, I mean I’m just here visiting this friend.”

God said again, “Cara do you believe I can?”

It left me quiet in my Spirit pondering deeply on this. How much do I really trust My God? At the end of the service the Pastor called me up and told the church they would be praying a blessing over me as I left and traveled back to England. I was about to sit down and she said to the church, “The Lord has impressed on my heart we need to take an offering for this girl.”

Well that was me finished in tears, in disbelief, “Me Lord, who am I?”

I am God’s beloved child, that’s who I am, whom He cares for and loves, whom He makes a way for and opens doors no man can shut. He who only has the best in store for me, if I would just choose to trust Him!!! You see, this is not a prosperity message that we’ve all been given for years – give and God will bless. That’s not the principle here! It was being obedient to what God was requiring of me! It has nothing to do with money but with Gods provision and my reliance on Him, not on me. We are to be obedient to God no matter what the cost, ‘cos funny thing, we always think its such a great cost to us but when we step out the boat and trust Him, there was no cost at all and it’s the most awesome times of your life!

There were many more things that happened in this journey where God always just took my breath away. He is so faithful, so amazing and left me in awe always! We gotta know the God we serve. We gotta trust Him above all things and know when He says something He will do it, if we only had faith as a mustard seed (Mark 11:23-24)!

But that’s our problem in all things, not only when it comes to money, we don’t have the faith. But God is concerned in every detail of our lives. We just need to allow Him to be God and be the center of our lives, that every decision we make, He is at the center. The word says in Him we live and move and have our being. Yet as I said at the beginning, we have God on the sideline as a spectator using Him when we need, when He is a loving God desiring for us to commune with Him everyday, every moment, to trust Him and know He IS. So next time you find yourself trying to work it all out, let God be God and you will see HE does move mountains.

If we only believe!

A Veggie Tale by Bronwynn Ricco

So I don’t have an amazing story to tell. I didn’t raise a man from the dead or heal the sick. I haven’t walked on water or parted the Red Sea. But I do know that in all things God is faithful. God is truth and the truth will always prevail. Whether you ask God for the small things or the big things He will always be true and faithful to His Word. This is a truth that I have experienced myself. This is the story; one small request meets one great God.

It was Tuesday morning. I was driving to church when I got stuck in some traffic so I had some time to think. While thinking I felt an anxiousness come over me. Not much petrol in the tank, not much food in the fridge for dinner that night and very little money in the bank account to get us through the rest of the month was the cause for my anxiousness. And so I prayed. I asked my Heavenly Father to be my provider. It was a simple prayer, I asked for vegetables. Sounds silly but we didn’t have any veggies in the fridge and I was worried about what I would cook for dinner. All I asked was that somehow, God would make a way where there seemed to be no way. No one knows that we don’t have much at the moment and I wasn’t going to ask. At that the prayer ended, and that was that. I didn’t think about it for the rest of the day. I left it with God.

Later that day when my husband got home he walked in and called me to come have a look at the boot of the car. When I saw what was in the boot I felt like crying. We were blessed with a boot full of food. Fruit, veggies, meat the works. God had provided, as always. I felt the love of a Father embrace His daughter and I was reminded that He is always faithful. The funny thing is that I asked for veggies and we got so so so so so so much more. When God gives He exceeds your expectation. All you have to do is believe and trust that His truth will always prevail.

Studying for exams by Clint O’Moore

As we all know studying for exams can be a very stressful time in one’s life, well for me it is anyway, not knowing what the outcome is going to be. And I wonder how hard the examiner is going to make the exam. Many of these thoughts start rushing through my head. When do i start studying? And what part of the book do I start with? Am I going to hit a blank in the exam?

After all of that I start thinking, have I studied all the right stuff? All of this starts sending me in a flat spin and I haven’t even opened the text book yet.

This is how my exam started. I was a big messy ball of stress and confusion. So I went to classes and we flew through all the work. This stressed me even more. I felt we didn’t really spend enough time on the chapters for me to feel confident at all. Now at this point, I must tell you that at school I was the guy that if he passed he was happy. I never really applied myself or anything more than want to pass. Studying and this learning thing was not for me.

So after all my classes I had to teach myself to learn and learn everything we had done. I was also told by the company I work for that if I failed I would have to pay for the course out of my own pocket. As one would think, this really scared me. Then I remembered a friend Bronwynn from home cell talking about her exams during one of our testimony time. She was saying how she was praying about her exams and how she was led to study certain things and those things were in her exam. So I thought to myself, will God show me what to study and how will He show me? Would I hear angels singing and have a shining light through my bedroom window on the chapters I need to learn? Yes this may sound funny but I really didn’t know what to do or expect.

It was ‘all men to battle stations’, coz I was in a state of red alert. I heard of people talking about a Heavenly peace during hard times and exams. Would I be able to experience this? I didn’t think I would. It’s only for the “MATURE” Christians, I told myself, you’re not close enough to God. These were the thoughts that ran through my head over and over again. I had all this negativity around me and in me that did not belong. So I started praying, asking the Lord for guidance and wisdom to tackle this situation I was in.

I brought it forward to friends and family and asked everyone I knew to please pray for me. I knew it would be hard and I really didn’t have any idea what to expect. As the days went on I studied as hard as I could and I prayed about it as often as I could. I squished in some study time during work hours to.

Till it came to the Wednesday before my exam. I went to home cell and again asked people to pray for me. Strangely I was not stressing at this point as I thought I would but I didn’t realise it. I was the only student in my class that was willing to write my exam as soon I was going to. The rest were going to wait at least a month after the course before they wrote.

That Friday was the day of my exam. It was to start at 11H00. Now during my school exams I would take my text books to school and study on the day. Thinking that, that would help. It never really did for me. But on this day I went to exam with nothing other than God in my heart. I had calmness before my exam I had never experienced before. I would describe it if I could, but there are no words I could find to. At the training school they told me that they were running late and do I mind waiting? I told them I didn’t mind, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat outside watching a movie on my phone. Then the examiner lady came to me and told me that their link to Microsoft had gone down and I would have to wait even longer. That too didn’t bother me. I said another little prayer while sitting outside and carried on watching my movie.

Then 12H00 came around and the examiner called me and told me that I could come and do my exam. I sat down and saw that the exam was a two and a half hour exam. A little frightened by this I clicked the screen to show me the first question. What’s this? I know this. Again a calmness that I can’t explain came over me. I went through my exam a question at a time.  Forty minutes later I was done with my exam. Everything that I had learnt I had gotten in my exam almost word for word. I was quite surprised and went to the examiner and inquired if there was any more to the exam. She told me there was not with bit of a shocked look on her face.

She went to my workstation where I had done my exam and said let us see how well you have done. The examiner printed my results and I had gotten 972 out of 1000. She congratulated me on my pass. WOW, I thought. I didn’t do that well at school. I thanked the lady and took my results and phoned and told all my friends about what had happened.

I learnt a few things from this experience and as I write my story for you I continue to learn. Letting go and giving your worries to God is one of the hardest things I have had to learn but I have been rewarded time and time again doing so. A verse from the bible keeps popping up in my life.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

I have Christ in me and I know whatever I come to in life, God will guide me through, for He is my Light. Jesus calmed my storm and He never left my side. I just had to turn my head to see He was always there and put my faith in Him. I thank God for all His promises and the people in my life He has sent to show me His light and all His glorious works. I found that the testimony of others had help strengthen my faith in letting God do His will and that sharing Gods great works had helped me through my tough time.

Ricardo Katza – From Lost Boy to Foot of Gold

Ricardo Katza aka ‘Ricky Ricks’!

Take a look at the life-transforming power of God in this testimony by Ricardo Katza,
aka ‘Ricky Ricks’ aka ‘Foot of Gold’ aka ‘Best left foot in SA’.

He has represented SA aka Bafana Bafana 20 times up to date and captained in 8 of those games.

Ricardo is club captain of current 3 times Absa PSL Champions Supersport United.

Hi I’m Ricardo Katza, club captain of current 3-times Absa PSL Champions Supersport United. I’ve been wit d club 7 years wit 1 year remaining on my current contract.

I’m born on d Cape flats in Hanover Park in 1978, where I grew up in a mix religion environment as my mother is Christian & my father Muslim. I grew up in between d 2 so I didn’t have 1 of them as my role models, because they were always working 2 sustain me/us, leaving me wit my grandparents. Later on, Mitchell’s Plain became my battlefield. 2 stay alive & fit in wit friends. After finishing Matric in1995 – which was rare 4 a teenage boy growing up on d Cape flats – I went a way so many teenagers @ that time went down: dagga, alcohol abuse, part gangsterism (Lost Boys 201), stealing… I even stopped playing football.

It was on 29 Dec 1996 that my life got flipped upside down, as I invited Jesus Christ into my life. That morning I decided 2 attend church, not knowing that God had ordained that day 4 my life 2 b changed. I was immediately set free from those addictions by God’s grace up 2 this day.

Exactly 2 years later, I signed my 1st full-time professional soccer contract wit Seven Stars FC under d guidance of Gavin Hunt, who amazingly has been my coach d last 3 years @ 3 times Champions S.SPORT united FC. From Seven Stars I moved on & played @ Ajax Cape town then moved 2 Hellenic for 3 years then up country 2 S.SPORT whom by God’s grace I’ve been @ 7 years now & counting… 6 years I’ve been d captain. I’ve also represented SA a.k.a Bafana Bafana up to date 20 times, being d captain in 8 games.

Today I use soccer as a launching pad 2 proclaim d Gospel, giving my testimony & preaching when called upon in churches, prisons, schools, soccer tournaments, tv interviews, news paper interviews…. in SA & lately into d Africa continent.
Doing coaching clinics is also a vital part of my ministry as I believe God has given me an open door 2 preach His word on d local, national & international sporting arena, especially soccer.

I’ve a beautiful wife & 2 lovely kids… Praise God 4 my wonderful support system @ home!

My hope is in God, He’ll direct me re: my future.

Psalms 37v4 ‘Delight myself in d Lord & He’ll give me d desires of my heart’

God can take d place of anything but nothing can take His place…

Faith on Wheels by Lauren Quin

This is my testimony of one of the many times I’ve had to ‘re-learn’ that God is always faithful and to stand on the promises our Father has made to His children.  With each time that I revisit this lesson I always learn the same age-old lesson:  To know our Father is to know that He will never ever fail us.

It all began 4 days before payday when all seemed to be going wrong with my finances after receiving some unexpected bills.  This left me with no money to see the week through, not to mention getting to work and back…

But this time I decided I was not going to do the logical thing.  Although my bank balance was close to zero I knew that our Father, the source of all provision, was going to take care of this one.

I however forgot very quickly what that actually meant and proceeded to spent my entire Sunday evening bargaining with God and requesting that He supply me with a lump sum before Monday morning.

God, however, had a different take on this…

Nonetheless on Monday morning I left home with just enough petrol in my car to get me to work.  I spent much of Monday morning worrying about how I was going to get home.  But true to His Word, someone handed me R20 ($2.50), which according to my calculations would (with much freewheeling) get me home and back in the morning.  With a smile on my face I put R20 ($2.50) into my car and yet almost simultaneously began to think, “Lord, what about tomorrow?”  And from the depths of my spirit began to hear ”Do you have enough for today, my love?” I answered: “Yes Lord.”

I gnawed at my steering wheel and warred with my flesh all the way to work on Tuesday.  I arrived, however, on time as promised.

Once again, between answering a string of emails and attending 2 meetings I began to doubt…”Maybe I should just put my pride in my pocket and phone the bank”, I thought.  But deep down I knew, this time it was just God and I.

With clenched teeth I watched the ticking of my silver clock, which very ‘ironically’ had the words “Time to Shine” sandblasted into its glass face.

Two hours before it was time to leave, the company accountant handed me R30 ($3.75) as a reimbursement for printing I had long forgotten about.  For the second time in 2 days I had to get on my knees and apologise to my Father (who by the way just adores me) for thinking that He would leave me in the lurch.  Who did I think my Father was?

Lying in bed that night I realised it was only Tuesday and I had two more days to go before the long weekend.  Once again, from the depths of my spirit came the gentle voice: “Do you have enough for today my love?”.   “Yes Lord”, I answered.

For the first time that week freewheeling to work became exciting and the curiosity surrounding the mystery of where my next R30 ($3.75) would come from became more and more appealing.

By the end of Wednesday I thought I was making progress.  But by the time I walked out the office with 2 passengers in tow (who needed a lift to the taxi rank) – I was not doing too well…

While the 2 of us piled into my little car I remembered closing my eyes for a fraction of a second and felt like I had been taken all the way back to Monday again.  It also began raining, which sent my mind racing with pictures of how my evening might pan out.  Regardless, I reminded myself that God’s promises are bigger than what my petrol gauge was telling me, and proceeded to turn the key, only to be followed by a dead “click”.  I had forgotten to switch my lights off and my battery was now dead.

After an hour of attempts of push starting the car in the parking lot, Portia, one of my passengers couldn’t wait any longer and left to catch the 6 o’ clock bus.  This left Ningi, my second passenger, alone in the pouring rain, with a damsel in distress.

By the time another hour had passed it was dark and Ningi was still single-handedly pushing me up and down the parking lot. (He saw this as an opportune time to have an hour long debate with his ex over the phone, which he held in his other hand – and I thought guys couldn’t multi – task!)

By this time I just had to giggle to myself as I had a sneaky suspicion that my car was not going to start and that God’s hand was somewhere in the middle of it all.

Fifteen minutes later my boss arrived with Jumper leads in hand and proceeded to ‘charge’ my car.  After 20 minutes there were no signs of life and amid the revving of the 2 vehicles could hear the hearty laughter of my Father and His words: “Lauren, what are you doing?  You’ve got a free ride home!”

At this point in time the situation became hilarious as I burst out laughing in surrender at how ridiculous I had been in trying to do things my way.  My colleagues just frowned and shook their heads, probably thinking that I was a basket case.

And indeed, I not only got 1 but 2 free rides after abandoning my car in the lot that night.

Lying in bed later that night I knew that although my boss would collect me for work in the morning I still had one last trip home the following afternoon, and again, from the depths of my spirit came the same gentle voice, “Do you have enough for today my love?”  And for the last time (In this lesson) I answered: “Yes Lord”.

On Thursday Ningi Jump started my car and someone who owed me lunch money gave me R30 ($3.75) to get home for the long weekend.

I serve the greatest God.

Evelyn’s Testimony by Evelyn Munyiva

Most testimonies would go something like: “Before I got saved I used to be a drunkard, Used to love the ladies or guys…” (whichever applies) and stuff like that, but not mine.

I was born into a Christian family and for a long time I thought I was saved, until I answered an alter call when I really understood what salvation is. But it wasn’t easy, because I used to want to have a testimony that sounded like everybody else’s.

I used to ask God, “so what exactly did you save me from?”

I thought that I was pretty clean compared to others, but I realised that God was saving me from a lot worse than anybody else. One thing being “godly” – I had started taking for granted why Christ died on the cross. I realised that I was taking advantage of God’s grace and I was judging others, thinking that I was holier than them. That realization broke down any walls of pride and self-exaltation that I had put up. I started to see that God didn’t love me more than the rest of the people.

But then I hit another hurdle. I started thinking that since I hadn’t been a murderer or thief or anything that would be considered ‘big sin’ to be saved from… then maybe God loved me less. I started to struggle with low or non-existent self-esteem. And through that I felt the need to go into the world so that I could come back and get saved all over again.

Thank God for the support system that I had in church and also the fact that what I was trying to go do was extremely revolting to me. I opened my eyes before it was too late. God has been my constant friend and He has continually affirmed His love for me. And now I can hold my head up high because nobody is a nobody. God doesn’t make mistakes. Now my deepest conviction is to reach out to people who feel small, not good enough or who think they can’t amount to anything. God saved me from that pit of self-destruction so I can show others that they can hold their heads up high too. Yeah, everybody has one or two insecurities about themselves but not dwelling on them is the key, looking above for help. Our shortcomings alow for God to get all the glory.

I pray that God may use me to touch someone’s life as He did mine and as He is still doing, because I am not perfect. We are precious in God’s sight, His jewels, His own possession. Even if nobody else ever wants me, I know God will never leave me.

I am His and He is mine.

Highway Rodeo by Brandon Evans

God on the Move!

So my wife Candace and I decide we’ll take a little ride out on the bike to Bible study two Sunday nights ago. We ‘kitted-up’ in the leather jackets, 2 pairs of pants and boots – in this cold weather much warmth is needed.
We quickly prayed inside our house for God’s angels to encamp around us and the blood of Jesus to cover us while we travel, as we so often do when going anywhere. It was around 5:45pm when we left from Midrand, and headed for Petra Ministries in Randburg. We got onto the highway, and Candace had this really bad feeling about an accident, so she just thought well maybe it’s because I haven’t been on the bike for awhile, then again she had another thought and so she rebuked the thought and just continued to pray.

I for some reason noticed the reflective yellow and black chevron signs on the side of the highway and noticed these sand bags on the bottom part of the signs, holding them in place and I thought imagine hitting one of those sandbags on the bike.
I thought ‘that’s nonsense, stop thinking about that’.
About 3 km further on we were taking it easy, doing +- 120km per hour in the fast lane on a downhill just after William Nicol Drive. Before I had time to react, we
launched right over a hard rubberized bottom block. This is the part which holds the chevron sign upright, it had been left right in the center of the fast lane.
Candace flew in the air, still holding onto me with both hands, her feet and bum in the air and both feet landed perfectly back on her footrests, there was no speed wobbles or anything. It was as if the Lords’ angels had kept us perfectly centered as we hit this block of hardened rubber straight on.

If any of you know anything about bikes, this is a Ducati 996R, weighing in at 198 Kilograms, fully loaded with Candace and I thereon. The suspension bottomed out at the back and we slowly got to Church. We had an awesome time at Bible study and then our friend Matt asked us to come around for some coffee. We agreed and asked him and our mom Linda to follow us to the nearest petrol station, just to make sure all was in order with the bike. The bike felt fine on the way there and we chatted awhile and then decided to pray for the Lords protection over us travelling back home etc, once again asking for God’s angels to go ahead and prepare the way and encamp about us as we travel. We left the station and had some coffee at Matt’s place, it was just after midnight and time for us to get going after some cool fellowship and prayer.

We got back on the highway and started the slow journey home, we could feel the bike getting lower and at this stage the bike was scrapping the ground at the bottom over every little bump, so we took the Midrand turn-off and turned right to head home and at around 30 km/h the back wheel just totally seized up and the bike came to a quick stop, there were no cars around this time of the morning and it was dark. The whole back seat and exhaust pipes under were lying on the back wheel, a bracket that holds the suspension had bust. This could have happened at any part of the highway even around one of the corners, that could have been disastrous.

We hopped off the bike and I lifted the back seat and tried to push the bike to the side of the road for safety, I kept having visions of having to push the bike all the way home (+-5km) while holding the back seat off the back wheel, uphills, down hills etc etc. Oh and did I mentioned we had no mobile/cell phone on us either (LOL!)
There we were stranded… next thing Candace says ‘Lord we need someone with a bakkie (Pick up truck) to help us.’
Next thing… out of nowhere this red bakkie with a yellow warning light on the roof comes past, travelling in the opposite direction, so I throw my hand up to wave him down and it looks like he’s going to carry on driving onto the on-ramp of the highway, next thing he swerves and makes a U-turn and stops just behind us.
Patrick (God Bless him!) listens as I explain the whole story and he agrees to help us out, so we load all 198 kilos of bike onto the back of the bakkie and I sit on top of the bike as Patrick slowly drives us home to safety. Well, we got home in one peace and sat on the bed and just marvelled at how God was so faithful in getting us to Church and back home again and everything that happened in between. So don’t ever under estimate the power of prayer and remember, that in all things

‘God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (Romans 8:28)

The report back on the bike is: Ro,b a Superbike racing mechanic has assessed the damage, which is the following:
* Front Axle (To be replaced)* Front Rim (He can have this repaired)
* Rear Rim (He can have this repaired)* Stabiliser arm and rose joints

Rob said it doesn’t look like the rear shock is leaking however he can only assess that properly once he has the Stabiliser arm, he said: Whatever you hit… you hit it HARD! You are very lucky you didn’t get hurt. (Thanks and God Bless you Rob!)

Thank-you Father God in Jesus’ name for Your Grace, Mercy and for answered prayer, for your angels and for using people around us to help us where there seemed to be no hope. Amen!

It is so important to share testimonies with one another and at combined cell church group last week Wednesday Candace and I shared this testimony with everyone and one of the members at Church heard it and sms’ed and phoned us the next day, she had just been in a similar situation, stranded with her car etc and God came through for her, this really encouraged her, so look out for Luisa’s testimony coming soon to Regener8ed… God is soooo Good! Love you all!

My name is Loyiso Twala by Loyiso Twala

My name is Loyiso Twala, a resurrected, Christ-believing, Holy Spirit filled, tongues-talking and Kingdom-inheriting Godman… who happens to trade as an art director in the cutthroat advertising industry.

Yes, the advertising industry. The industry that is infamous for drug abuse, demigod egos, sex selling, alcohol abuse, parties of debauchery & revelry. To be a witness to all of this all you have to do is attend the annual Loeries Awards event in Margate, South Africa.

That is my exhibit A. there’s a famous saying that says, “All that happens at the Loeries stays at the Loeries, because some of the stories if not most are quite extreme. It’s the kind of stuff that would disqualify you from inheriting Gods Kingdom.

I will also say that it is an industry where I have met some of the greatest people. By that I mean, some of the greatest minds on this earth are in advertising. Outside of the things mentioned above, the advertising industry is filled with solutions people. Very smart people trust these presumed crazy people enough to give them business solutions that will be profitable for them. So you have one individual who is a creative person, but has dabbled into various industries, from government social issues, to medical products and down to bubblegum. So a lot of the people are quite knowledgeable in many differing topics. That has helped me grow somewhat, to learning a whole lot but also open my mind greatly.

In advertising, you also focus a lot on people’s behaviour, traits and conduct. You learn what makes them tick. You learn what turns people on. Your work as an advertiser is presented in areas where everybody is shouting for the markets attention. Everybody’s attempt is then to shout louder. It is an option. But to be effective you have to know your market very well so that you know whether you must rather tickle them in the right place or simply whisper calmly in their ear just to sound different. This requires knowing people quite intimately to have insight into what they are most likely to respond to. Through this I have learned quite a sore truth. All that I have listed in the first paragraph is known of the advertising industry and also stands to tell you what people in the market are like. Advertising is one of the greatest mirrors of the hearts of society. Because advertising messaging and communication is based on what people will respond to, it raises a question: what people are like when you see the kind of advertising that is produced to reach them? An advertiser only uses sex to sell a product because he knows that the market responds positively to sexual stimuli. Is it questionable nonetheless? I say yes. But the point I am making is what I clarify next.

Before we throw stones at a whole industry, we must look at the people the industry is modeling itself after. Advertisers and consumers alike are in need of a check. As a Christian who spends his time in this industry I look to stand for the faith I have in Jesus Christ by not saying I will not be part of an industry that has such a negative perception against it from the general population, but just like the Christian who is also a consumer and says that I will go shopping with the money God has blessed me with but will not spend that money on things that displease God, like drugs, alcohol, pornographic movies and the likes; I work as an advertiser with the creative gift that God has blessed me with without promoting products and services that displease God, such as the lottery, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, condoms and things of that nature. I also do not apply tactic that would not please the Father, such as using sex to sell a product. There are products and services that people need that I do promote.

When you look at it in a broader scope you see that Matthew 28:18-20, which is popularly known as the Great Commission of Jesus Christ is actually the principles of advertising.

Jesus gives the church all authority and says go and teach the whole world to obey me like you do and then teach them to be disciples of mine like you are. And throughout all of this, I will be with you.

So we have to persuade the world of God’s Gospel as the truth so that their lives can change. We sit there today as Christians with the powerful Gospel, which is the truth from God. This is now the “product”. We have the responsibility to “sell” it to the market place of sinners. That is our preaching. Preaching is an announcement, which essentially is what advertising is.  The authority is now the go-ahead from our client to reach the market for them. Jesus Christ is the client we are serving in this analogy. The market is the world. So, God is into advertising. It is just that any Christian who is in advertising mustn’t practice what other advertisers practice but rather be the light in that darkness. This is where I am until God moves me elsewhere.  This is a brief story of how I make it today as an advertiser without losing displeasing God for the sake of pleasing men. I’m having fun. Yes, creative people love God too. After all, God is a creative. Read Genesis.

Zawadi was excited.

It was going to be the first time ever for her to vote.

The whole deal of her exercising her civil right seemed really cool, so that day she said her morning prayers and headed to cast her vote. She stood patiently in line and made sure she voted. She went home thinking that in two days the results would be out and a new president would be in place. The rest of the day didn’t have much going on, just people in small groups talking about who was most likely going to win.

The following day she got up, went to buy breakfast for her family, but to her shock, the store keeper told her that he couldn’t sell her anything because she wasn’t from the same tribe as him. She laughed it off because they had been friends for along time so he couldn’t possibly be serious but since she didn’t want any arguments, she went to the next shop and the storekeeper told her the same thing. Clearly something was wrong so she went to her close friend’s shop where she was sure she would get what she wanted.

After breakfast, she left to go open her grocery store, one she had been running for a few years now but what she saw left her paralysed with shock. Her stall had been burnt to the ground and before she could even think it through, to try and figure out what might have happened, she heard loud chanting behind her and turning around she saw a group of young men holding machetes in the air and chanting disturbing slogans. They surrounded her, demanding her full name and what she was doing in the streets.

Gripped with fear and tears rolling down her eyes, she was barely audible as she mumbled her name. She was lucky, it turned out that the men were from the same tribe as her, so they let her go, with a warning not to walk around because it was dangerous. Zawadi hadn’t had the time to watch news on television before that incident so when she got home she knew she had to find out what was happening. She sat wide-eyed in shock as she watched all the events unfold on T.V. She didn’t want to believe that it was her peaceful country with the killing and burning of property, but for sure it was.

She had to think fast, most of her neighbours were from a different tribe and she knew it wouldn’t be safe for her and her family to stay there. So she took her three year old daughter, Akinyi and her parents, and went to seek refuge at a nearby church. She tried to say a short prayer but it seemed like she couldn’t get through to heaven. It was as though the lines were dead like after a storm. Nevertheless, she got her family safe, or so she thought, and they all huddled together alongside all the other people from her village.

It was such a quiet evening; everyone was trying to get a little rest from the all the hustle and bustle of the day but it wasn’t long before they heard some noise from outside the church. Zawadi and some of the other adults went outside to see what all the fuss was about but the minute they stepped out, they heard screams from inside and turning to look they saw flames covering the church that their loved ones were in.

Her heart seemed to stop, there wasn’t anything anyone could do other than watch in despair. As the fire slowly died after what seemed like hours, she and the other people who had escaped the deadly ordeal decided to look for a safer place to spend the night, despite the pain they were all feeling: deep sadness of watching their loved ones burn to death.

They found a police station a few miles away where they spent the night. Early the next morning, there were police trucks, which were taking people to safer areas. One of them was headed to Zawadi’s grandmother’s place. Since she didn’t have anything on her, all her clothes had burnt in the church alongside her whole family, she decided to go and stay with her grandma. On the way all she had were questions in her mind: Where was God now that she needed Him so much? What had gotten into her old time friends so they had turned against her? What was left to live for?

All this was too much for her but she didn’t lose hope, something good always comes out of a bad situation, that’s what her pastor had preached on the previous Sunday. She got to her grandma’s place but there wasn’t anyone home. Her first thoughts were that her grandma had been killed, but after asking around she was told that there was a camp that had been set up just near the town for all the people in the area so that they could be kept safe under the watchful eye of the police. So she headed straight there and as she held her grandma in a warm embrace, she knew that although trouble may last for a night, joy would come in the morning. She had to trust God’s word since it is true.

A month later, she was back home with her grandma. At least they had each other. It is all calm now but her pain is still fresh, she is not cross with the people that burnt down the church, God has been teaching her that forgiveness is the key to healing and though it is hard, it’s possible.

It’s hard to look at people whom you have grown to love like your own family for so long in the same way after they get up one day and burn down your house, everything that you have worked for and leave you with nothing, but God says in the book of Luke 6:32-36, how different are you from the non-believers if you love only those that love you back, and lend to only those that you are sure they will pay back?

Jesus said that the world shall know us by the love we have for each other. The love that Jesus had for us that He died on the cross for us when we were still sinners, is the same love we have to give to those that hurt us. It is hard but its doable, if Jesus says to do it, then He’s going to give you the strength to carry you through.