Blessed

“Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and seek Him with their whole heart”. This is a testimony of a group of young men seeking God and the blessings they have experienced.

We really learned a lot of valuable biblical knowledge in training and none of us could wait to start using this knowledge and putting into practice what we learned. Little did we know that training was just a hint of what was to come... God wanted to teach us so much more!

Going to London you could say as far as our planning we had no accommodation, no budget, no plans what so ever... This was the start of truly trusting God for everything. What happened? Well that week we slept at people's house and they took us site seeing, gave us 3 meals a day and opened their hearts towards us. This was the start of something God wanted to show us, how to be blessed…

A common term used by Christians is the simple words: “God Bless” We all use it, but normally it’s just a saying, it’s just something you say that’s nice, isn’t it? Not a lot of people know what they are actually declaring – they don’t realize the Power in the Name of God! Telling someone ‘God bless’ is an act of deliberately proclaiming someone to be blessed by God. 

Another testimony in London was in the form of a challenge: We were split up into 2 teams and given £5 each. We had to preach the Good News in an organized gathering and then return with the same amount. Our team that day met a woman who told us a hair-raising testimony and inspired us. She gave us a warm cup of coffee and packets of cookies to take with us. We then found a place to preach – an elderly gathering at a local community hall. They gave us a three-course meal… That day we were blessed much more than we served. God came through.

In Guatemala we made 2 new brothers: a 18year old God fearing South African, and an American with a extreme testimony. The first morning we were there a local family prepared a breakfast for us, we were blessed even before we started ministering.

In the first 25 days since leaving South Africa God used multiple people to bless us in different aspects. All in all we were blessed about 38 times in 24 days with either a whole meal, or a basket of food that kept a few days. God provides!!! 7 Out of those 24 days we received a free place of shelter. We were blessed with meeting people with great testimonies. We were blessed with people opening their hearts towards us. We were blessed with 2 new brothers in Christ. We got blessed with awesome teachings. We even got blessed with some hacky-sacks.

Now after reflecting on all of these wonderful blessings I quickly realized that conversations within the group handled not about the physical blessings (The food and the shelter) but much more about the spiritual blessings. That testimony of the woman in London still impacts my way of thinking, now God blessed us that day not so much with the 3 course meal but with this exceptional testimony! God blessed us much more spiritually than we realized.

Although God blessed us both physically and spiritually, the spiritual blessings hold immeasurable worth. We rate those blessings in a entirely different class. Being spiritually blessed is worth much more than any physical blessings. We are in such a blessed position travelling the world, getting the opportunity to minister people and spread the Gospel. People have often told me that we are brave and that they have a respect for us because of what we left behind to take on this challenge. John 15:16a states: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” We don’t deserve it to go on this journey, yet God gave us this chance – He blessed us with this opportunity to go.

How He blessed me personally:

In this time God has worked in my life more than all the rest of my life put together! He truly showed me the true cost of being a disciple. I am reading the book "Following Jesus" by Floyd McClung, now that together with all the spiritual food I receive through personal- and group bible study a new passion started to develop within me that simply reads: God will provide. He will bless us simply because He wants to bless us. How can we have any doubt? 

A lot of change happened in me and one aspect I have grown in the most is definitely obedience. "Obedience gives God great glory and us great satisfaction. The more we find our satisfaction in God, the more He finds His glory in us." This truly touched my heart and I thought about it for a long time. God showed me how highly He rates a obedient man. Being obedient isn’t easy - don’t be mistaken. Getting up very early after going to bed late never gets any easier, but it becomes worth it! You not only have to die to your flesh daily, but also take up your cross and start living for Jesus, daily. Too many people will easily raise their hands when asked who will die for Jesus, yet so little are prepared to truly live for Him. God blesses the obedient!

Another major aspect of change was my passion distribution. One night I read this: "Being passionate for Jesus is the only passion that will not destroy us". This made a big impact because come to think of it, whenever South Africans argue about rugby their passion usually takes complete control and the discussion ends with them becoming frustrated and angry after which someone will storm off. Relationships get hurt and bonds get broken when too much passion gets involved. The same with money or any other earthly thing, once you put too much passion into it, it creates tension and can destroy you. Our only passion should be Jesus and doing what He tells us to do!

Another blessings that I recently received was that God uses everyday things to reveal little things to me and it's amazing what you can take out of ordinary things and how the Holy Ghost can unveil a whole new concept to you out of that! Receiving a revelation from the Holy Ghost through a small object is, for me, a better blessing than receiving food. Getting the chance to evangelize someone in a divine appointed set up by God is one of the biggest blessings we as group can possibly receive!

Comparing all this blessings to what we have done thus far for God, our works, it feels that we don’t deserve 1% of it – and you know what, we don’t! Alone by the wonderful grace of God He wants to bless us! How awesome is that!

This is something that God has been placing on my heart and working on throughout the journey. What His grace is and how desperately He wants to bless us! Matthew 7: 9-11 tells us how much more God wants bless us, all we have to do is ask! Matthew 6:33 state that: “.” Being obedient to God and only focusing on Him, everything else will be taken care of.

What I am experiencing at this time is hard to explain, but I will end with this: “Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.” I am seeing more and more of God’s mercy, of God’s amazing Love! I want is to thank Him for this opportunity, not only to preach to the world but also to experience Him in a totally different way.

God is good.