it’s time to start book two

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

                                       I may not be perfect, but Jesus thinks I’m to die for.

Dear Saints,

Craig Cooney: “It’s Time to Start Book Two”

AN AMAZING TEACHING ENJOY!

Fighting the Same Battles

Recently, I was preaching from 2 Samuel 21. This is a record of a period later in David’s life. He’d finally stepped into the promise and had been anointed as king over Israel and Judah. He’d experienced much blessing and success. However, look at what we read:

“Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David.” (2 Samuel 21:15–16)

Look at those first words, “Once again.” There was a pattern. Something kept happening. It wasn’t new. What was it? David was still fighting Philistine giants, the same Philistine giants that made him famous all those years before as a shepherd boy, when he struck down Goliath. Now, many years later, he was still out fighting the same battles.

Some of us know what that is like. There are some struggles that just won’t go away. Even though our circumstances and surroundings have changed, there are battles inside us and around us that are persistent.

Up until that point, David had known success in every battle. He’d fought and he’d won. But not that time. We are told that as he battled Ishbi-benob, David became exhausted. He was worn out and almost got killed. His nephew, Abishai, saw what was happening, stepped in, and killed the giant.

The Lamp of Israel

However, this was the verse that impacted me deeply:

“…Then David’s men swore to him, saying, ‘Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.'” (2 Samuel 21:17)

It seems that others perceived David differently than he saw himself. Even though he was king, David still saw himself as a giant killer. He felt compelled to go out to battle. That’s where he had experienced success before this point. It probably gave him a sense of identity. Maybe he thought it was what others expected of him. But his men saw him as “the lamp of Israel.” In other words, David illuminated the entire nation through his life and leadership, and that lamp was nearly snuffed out in a battle he no longer needed to fight.

His giant-killing days were behind him. From that day forward, David would focus on what he had been anointed to do: lead Israel as their king.

It’s Time to Start Book Two

As I reflected on this passage, I sensed God say, “It’s time to begin book two. You are trying to write another chapter of book one, but you’re struggling and weary. That’s because book one is finished. It’s time to start book two. The main characters are the same. It builds upon what has gone before, but it’s not simply a continuation of the same story. It’s a totally new book in the series.”

This made sense to me, because each night I’ve been reading through a series of books with my son that are all centered around the same main character, but each book is a completely new story. Each book has a beginning, different chapters, and an ending. Their endings are a demarcation line: This story is over; another one is beginning. Similarly for David, book one had brought him to this point. It had been a great story of a shepherd boy who killed a giant and went on the run until he was finally installed as king. But book one was over. In trying to write another chapter, David was exhausted and almost got himself killed. It was time to start book two.

I believe it could be the same for you. You’re trying to write another chapter of a story that’s ended, but you’re getting nowhere. You’re exhausted; it’s draining you. Your light is in danger of going out. Maybe it’s because you’re trying to be the ‘old you’ in a new season. You’re doing what used to work. It brought you success; you were effective at it; people praised you for it. It’s what you think others expect from you, but it’s not what you’re anointed to do. You are still anointed – just not for that. The grace has lifted. You’re still in book one when it’s time to move on to book two.

Like David, you need to stop perceiving yourself through the lens of your history and start seeing yourself according to your destiny.

Book one was good; it got you this far, but it’s finished. IT’S TIME TO START BOOK TWO.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you.

When your bird dies and your brook dries up

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

                                       I may not be perfect, but Jesus thinks I’m to die for.

Dear Saints,

When your bird dies and your brook dries up

Many of you are in a place where God has hidden you, but suddenly your bird dies and the brook dries up and you get fearful of what to do next. We live in hard times, Your money does not quite go as far as it used to. The rent is due and you just lost your job. God had you at the brook and sent ravens to feed you now He has dried up the brook. This happened to Elijah. We have been living off the fat of the land. Maybe your ministry feels like it is drying up. You think satan is attacking you. But brother and sister in Christ let me tell you it is the Lord. And He has prepared a place where provision is positioned for you. Lets read Elijah’s story.

1Ki 17:2  And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying,

1Ki 17:3  Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, before Jordan.

1Ki 17:4  And it shall be, you shall drink of the brook. And I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

1Ki 17:5  So he went and did according to the Word of Jehovah. For he went and lived by the torrent Cherith, before Jordan.

1Ki 17:6  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent.

1Ki 17:7  And it happened after a while, the torrent dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

1Ki 17:8  And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying,

1Ki 17:9  Arise, go to Zarephath which belongs to Sidon, and live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow to keep you there.

1 Ki 17:10  And he arose and went to Zarephath, and came in to the entrance of the city, and, behold, the widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please, bring me a little water in a vessel so that I may drink.

1Ki 17:11  And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Please, bring me a piece of bread in your hand.

1Ki 17:12  And she said, as Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, but only a handful of meal in a pitcher and a little oil in a jar. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, so that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.

1Ki 17:13  And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go. Do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it, and bring it to me. And then make for you and for your son.

1Ki 17:14  For so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be emptied, nor shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the earth.

You see God has a widow for you, but everyone is having a hard time. She gave a little of what she had and God blessed her and she fed Elijah until the rain came. Until it was time for him to move again. Consider giving a little of what you have to someone who is also struggling and God will bless you both. Remember the widow that gave all she had and Jesus said she would be more blessed than the others that gave of their abundance. Sometimes we have to give of our last and then trust the Lord.

So if your bird has died and your brook has dried up, it is time to move. Move to where God has provided for you. We tend to stay with the dried up brook, be it a job, a church, whatever it is, the situation has come to the point where God says MOVE. It may be that God does not want that to be physical, but He wants you to move into HIS WILL. Find that place and occupy that and the container of meal will not run empty and oil pot will not run dry. Cry out to the Lord in your situation and find out what it is that He requires in this season and you will be in His supply line. He did say that it would not be easy to serve Him. But He will never leave you nor forsake you. If your bird has died and your brook has dried up and you do not know what to do, then maybe your relationship with the Lord needs to be renewed, go deeper, step out for in faith. Peter would not have walked on water if he had not stepped out of the boat. Get out of your comfort zone and trust God and He will supply all you need for this season.

May your pitcher of meal never be empty and jar of oil, never fail. Be blessed this week and please pray for Israel.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you.

STOP EATING CHEESE AND CRACKERS

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

God Has Set A Banquet In Front of You

Jesus paid for your ticket. Get aboard the ship and enjoy the voyage.

Pastor Joel Osteen told a story about a poor man who lived in England and his dream was to one day leave his homeland and come to America and start over with hope and a better quality of life.

The man decided he would make his dream come true and he started to save money to buy a ticket so he could sail on a ship that would be bound for America.

He toiled daily, month after month, for a very long time, and finally, he had saved enough to buy his ticket to sail aboard a passenger ship to the destination he had dreamed of.

He also, in his mind, said to himself, “I only have enough money for the ticket but no food”, so he put several boxes of crackers and plenty of cheese in his luggage to ensure he would have enough to eat and last during the trip.

One day he finally boarded the ship and it headed to America. During most of the trip when it was time for the passengers to eat, he saw them going into the dining room and he was present too, but would always go into a corner and start eating his cheese and crackers thinking he could not afford the dining expense.

This went on for most of the trip, day after day, until finally after most of the trip had been completed, a man who had noticed him always eating cheese and crackers in the corner asked him “Sir why do always go into a corner and eat cheese and crackers every time a meal is served in the dining room.”

The man replied, “Sir, I only had enough money to buy the ticket to America. I didn’t have enough money to buy food so I made sure I would not go hungry and just brought cheese and crackers to eat.”

The other passenger, said to him, “Sir, the ticket you purchased for the trip also included the meals. You’ve been missing out on all of the food, drinks, and other privileges that your ticket provides to you.”

The man had been eating cheese and crackers when all he had to do was join in the dining room and sit at the table with everyone else who had purchased a ticket and he would have been waited on and had access to the banquet and buffet of food, drinks, and other perks that the paid ticket included.

The Moral of the Story

When I heard this story it immediately struck me how Christians miss out on so much because they continue to eat the cheese and crackers of life when they are entitled to a fabulous scrumptious banquet that God has set before everyone that accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

You see, Jesus came and gave his life a ransom for many. Any and all who accepts him receives salvation. John 3:16 (NIV); Romans 10:9.

When He shed his blood on the cross and died for the sins of mankind, he paid the price. He paid every Christian’s ticket for their voyage to Heaven.

The Ship of Zion

Continuing with the analogy of the man eating cheese and crackers during his voyage to America, there is an old Baptist hymn whose lyrics are appropriate.

The name of the hymn is “The Old Ship of Zion.” Zion has many meanings in today’s lexicon but in this sense, it refers metaphorically to heaven, the heavenly city or kingdom of heaven, and the ultimate place where Christians, those who have accepted Christ as their savior, are headed.

It’s their ultimate destination the same as America was the ultimate destination for the man referenced in this article.

The song’s lyrics encourage people to get on board this ship because it is headed to heaven and picking up passengers. The passengers who want to travel to this ultimate and most desirable location must purchase a ticket.

The cost of the ticket is simply to confess the Lord Jesus as savior and then get on board because He has already paid the price of the ticket when He shed His blood and died on the cross for the sins of mankind.

That paid ticket means you are entitled to every feast that God has planned for you during your trip (living on earth) until you get to your final destination, which is heaven.

The Banquet God Sets Before Every Christian

While on the Ship of Zion, God has made sure that those who follow Him are adequately taken care of. They don’t go hungry and should never feel like they are less than anyone else. The Lord makes promises to those who get on board this ship and those promises are guaranteed. He cannot lie.

The scriptures tell us what’s served at the banquet. It’s a feast, which means just about anything you can think of that’s good to eat is made available to you.

King David, in penning Psalms 23:5(NLT) makes it clear what the banquet is and points out that even enemies cannot keep you from feasting.

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”

Indeed Jesus also adds to what the voyager on the Ship of Zion can expect. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 ESV

Stop Eating Cheese and Crackers

God has set it up that none of his followers should ever be eating only cheese and crackers on the journey of life, just the opposite. They should be rejoicing and eating the buffets of banquets that are set before us on a daily basis.

We are sons and daughters of God and we are heirs and Jesus makes us entitled to the inheritance that He left when He ascended back to heaven. Romans 8:16–17 (NKJV)

Unfortunately, so many Christians fall overboard during the voyage to heaven and sometimes get overwhelmed and lost at sea. However, this does not mean they are lost and cannot be rescued. God has a lifeline and He is ready to throw it out to anyone who has fallen overboard and cries out for rescue.

In his Word, He gives two examples, among many, of how to get back on board the Ship of Zion.

One is the story of the prodigal son who demanded his inheritance from his father. His father reluctantly gave it to him and the son went on a voyage of travel and frivolity. He spent all of his money on the so-called good life and ultimately he became so poor and hungry that he went to eat with hogs.

He then came to his senses and remembered his father. With great humility, he went back home determined to accept even the lowest position his father might offer him, even as a servant. He knew that at least he would be taken care of.

His father saw him coming from afar and welcomed him back with open arms and prepared a feast for him and restored him.

He had fallen overboard but his father, like God, accepted him back when he asked for a lifeline. This is what God does for Christians when they stray but come to their senses and come back to the Lord.

The other example is outlined in 1 John 1:9; “For if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When a Christian confesses his or her sins and asks God for forgiveness it is freely given and history is wiped out. It is no longer a means of judgment against that person.

God restores as if it never happened. He only wants the best for us. Eating cheese and crackers does not measure up to God’s standards for those who love and follow Him.

Conclusion

Christians have a special place in God’s heart and they are treated in a special way that is totally different than those who don’t profess faith in Him. Yes, he loves all mankind, but those who accept Christ are given privileges and access to his love and salvation, which include banquets, business success, fulfilled lives, and love for others.

All it takes is purchasing a ticket which is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal savior. Then, one can board the ship headed to Zion and feast on all the promises of God, who never lies.

Christians don’t just eat the cheese and crackers of life, they feast on the best God has to offer.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you.

HE IS MAKING ROOM FOR YOU TO BLOOM

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

“He’s Making Room for You to Bloom!”

Mariel Villarreal,

“Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.'” (Jeremiah 1:9–10 BSB)

God has been cleansing and pruning His people. He has been rearranging and reorganizing His house. He has come to test and protect the foundations of our lives. Everything that can be shaken is being shaken—but it’s all with good purpose.

The Father is taking us from the comfortable and familiar into what feels like chaos. He loves us too much to let us stay in stagnant waters. He loves us too much to allow us to remain stunted in our growth. He is shaking things up. He is pruning and cleansing us now to make us more fruitful later.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV)

The removing, pruning, and cleansing may have caused you to ask, “God, where are You? Do You care about me? Have You left me?”

The truth is, God is not taken by surprise. God’s hidden hand is at work through the changes taking place. The Faithful Farmer is in the field of your life. He must remove the old, dead things—even things that were good for a season—to make room for the new to come. He loves you too much to let rotten fruit spoil the whole harvest. He is making room for you to BLOOM. He is answering our Psalm 24 prayer to give us clean hands and a pure heart so we may ascend the hill of the Lord:

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, God of Jacob.” (Psalm 24:3–6 NIV)

A Time of Cleansing and Pruning to Bloom

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1–2 NIV)

I recently went through a time of painful pruning. God came as the good Gardener and removed and cut things off from my life to make room for new growth. Can you relate?

As I like to do, I want to share my prophetic process to understanding what God was doing in my life.

Reviewing Dreams

I have learned to make a habit of recording my dreams in my phone, and during seasons of mystery, hardship, or confusion, I look through my dream records to see if anything I saw in the past is for my current situation.

As I started to go through my pruning season, I began to search through my dreams for any clue of what the Lord could be doing in my current season.

Sure enough, I found a dream that I had almost exactly a year prior to the day God pruned my life.

The Dream: A Man Doing Yard Work

In the dream, I was at my childhood home on Waterford Lane, talking to my mom on the phone about something difficult I was going through. A man came to do yard work at our house, and he was using a leaf blower; the noise was so loud that it frustrated me.

Waking Life

In waking life, a year later, I was visiting my mom when I woke up to the sound of a man doing yard work outside, blowing a loud leaf blower right outside my window.

Later that day, my mom and I were driving down the road. Randomly, she started telling me a story from when I was little:

“Years ago, I met the richest man in Georgia at a dinner party. I told him that there was a tree outside our house on Waterford Lane that needed to be removed. The roots were getting into the foundation of the house, and it was going to cause a huge problem for the foundation. He said he enjoyed doing yard work and tree removals, so he came to our house with his fancy equipment and removed the tree.”

Her words struck my spirit. Wait, what? The richest man in Georgia came to Waterford Lane to remove a tree because the roots were going to destroy the foundation of our house?

I heard the Lord say, “Mariel, I am the rich Man doing yard work in your life. I am the good Gardener and a Pruner. I showed you the pruning would come a year in advance because I wanted you to know this did not catch Me by surprise. I know this pruning has been painful, but I needed to remove this tree from your life. I am protecting the foundation of your house, your life. My work is with great, intentional care. I have a good plan through the pruning.”

In the same way God is pruning my life, protecting the foundations, He wants you to know He is doing the same for many of you in this season.

Prophetic Word 2024: Pruning to Bloom

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16 NIV)

If there is anything I have learned over the years, pruning is painful, but altogether necessary. When God removes something from your life, when He cuts down what is fruitful, rotten, and dead, He is setting you up for springtime. His hand may seem hidden; you may be looking at a barren, newly pruned field, but God is not finished with His yard work.

He is not caught by surprise. He has pruned you to bloom you. He has pruned you to make you fruitful. He is looking forward to your future—further down the road than you can see—and He is preparing a beautiful future for you.

I hear the Lord saying, “My heart is for you. Through the changes, pruning, and transition, I am holding on to you and I am not letting go. I am faithful to you! I am more intricately involved in your life than you can imagine.

“I am weaving all of the pieces together of what you are going through. You may not understand what I am doing right now, but later, when you see the fruit, when you see what’s coming, you will understand. You must have a firm and secure foundation for what is coming. Out of My great love for you, I will shake and test and remove anything coming to damage your foundations. Trust Me in the shaking. Trust Me when you don’t understand what I am doing. Trust My hidden hand at work for good in your life. You will come forth strong, you will come forth pure as gold.”

“If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him. Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:8–10 BSB)

The Lord says, “In the meantime, take up My yoke; it’s easy. My burden is light. Will you let Me catch your tears? Will you let Me take care of you? Will you listen again for My voice through the time of confusion, heartache, and pain? My heart is for you. Trust My heart for you when you can’t see My hidden hand.

“My hidden hand has been at work in the painful pruning of your life, but just wait and see; I will reveal how I am working all things together for your good in the mystery. The more you are pruned, the more you will bloom—and how beautiful your life will be! Just remain in Me, abide in Me, and you will see the outcome in due time.

“Your future is blooming with promise.”

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you.

WHEN GOD MAKES A COVENANT

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

                                                              WHEN GOD MAKES A COVENANT

The Holy Spirit is sure busy, this week He highlighted the covenants made with people in the Bible, let us look at some of them.

Noah – Gen 8 and 9 and the sign was a rainbow

Abraham – Gen 12,18,17 the sign was circumcision

Moses – Deut 28 He promised blessings

David – 2 Sam Ps 22 the sign was an everlasting throne

Jesus – brought in a New Covenant that was for all of us.

I wondered why He was highlighting covenants then He reminded me of something that happened a few years ago. I was attending a ladies meeting. We arrived at the ladies house and I was looking forward to her next lesson about the Proverbs 31 woman.

She told us that the Lord had told her that we had to have communion. We were all surprised when she brought out the tray and there was bread and water on the tray. My friend told her that if she did not have grape juice she could have told her and she would have bought some on the way, but she told her that the Lord had instructed her to use water.

We were intrigued and took communion with the bread and water. Then she took the tray and came to me and offered me communion again, saying that the Lord had instructed her to do that. I was puzzled as we had just all had communion together. She gave me the bread and then the water and then opened her bible to

Exodus

23:25  You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

23:26  None shall lose her young by miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

I did not understand, she again said “The Lord is making a covenant with you” I was undone, why me, why not with the ladies in the room, after all they had been born again long before me, and were serving the Lord, it did not make sense.

When I got home I again read and reread those words. I realized that there was a condition attached – ‘serve the Lord your God’. Well I had asked the Lord if I could serve Him, and He took me at my word, but to make a covenant with me, this was serious business.

I looked again at the covenants that God had made with the men in the Old Testament, and there were conditions and consequences in keeping the covenants.

Many preachers had successful ministries until they broke covenant and then suddenly they had problems and seem to lose their anointing. Abraham and Sarah was told they would have a son, but Sarah did not have the faith to believe it and broke covenant and made a plan that was not God’s plan and it turned out a bad thing for the Israel that is still causing them problems. 

David lost out on building the temple because he had blood on his hands. Preachers lose their ministries because they do not adhere to their calling. So you see when God calls you and gives you an anointing and mantles and you break that covenant you will lose out on what God has for you.

The other day I told God I am getting old now am I finished with my tasks, maybe I can retire? Well I could hear God laugh, and say remember the covenant, ‘I will fulfill your days’ I guess that means I am not finished yet.  Maybe you should go and ask God what covenant He has made with you.

God bless and have a blessed week.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you.

How to have a personal relationship with God

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

                              HOW TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD

That is the name of the book that I just read last week, I was so excited to read this book, I looked forward to having a deeper walk with the Lord, hear more clearly His voice, and I was hoping to be so encouraged.

Well I read and read, and the book was very well written, had plenty of scriptures to refer to, and of course the do’s and don’ts. But as I neared the end of the book I must admit I started to get a bit worried. I really thought that this book will show me the way to walk with God in a new way, to understand Him better, to have a personal relationship with Him on a new level. But as I ended the book I felt empty, I was so disappointed. There did not seem to be an anointing, a fire, an excitement. Don’t get me wrong there was nothing wrong with the teaching, but that is all it was – a teaching. I just felt that the author did not achieve to bring me into that personal relationship that he was writing about.

Then I found another book, which promised to provide you with a picture that would prove that God exists. I was excited, if you have ever seen that  video called ‘indescribable’ wow! After seeing that I could really believe in the God that made it all. So here was an author claiming that he had pictures that would reveal God to even Atheists.

Once again I was excited, I started to read and the sentences were short and then the first picture, of the northern lights came up, sure that was exciting, who can explain the beauty of those colors in the sky, and the many shapes. But scientists explained that it had something to do with the magnetic pull on the earth.

I paged on and continued to read and there was a picture of the Grand Canyon, well that did not really inspire me, so I hoped for more and the next picture was of a dormant volcano.  Ok I was disappointed but hoped for more, only to discover the next chapter was – wait for it – recipes of food that was good for your body. What a let down. Here I was hoping for a great reveal of our Magnificent God and all I got was recipe’s! really! Now I do not know about you, but since the night when I felt a hand in my hand, while I was crying into my pillow and I felt the peace of God flow over me; I wanted to get to know this God. I heard His audible voice and it scared the living daylights out of me, but I still wanted to pursue Him. I just did not know how to get there. When He gave me miracle healing I was just more determined to get to know God for myself. Not just sit and listen to others having encounters, no! I wanted to experience His presence for myself.

I just did not know how I was going to achieve that. People give you advice, find a quiet place and read the word and meditate and sit in His presence, well most people get nothing out of that experience. Maybe they feel a touch, for a moment, but imagine having a friend but you can never sit down with them and enjoy a cup of coffee, they are always at the other end of the line on a telephone. Like having a penpal and they send you one black and white photo. You don’t know what color their hair is, or their eyes. You cannot give them a hug, or receive a hug in return.  I felt that way about Jesus, I wanted to fall down by His feet and thank Him for dying on the cross for me, and give Him a hug. Oh no, you say we cannot do that. BUT I was not satisfied; I had to find a way. I discovered Jacob’s ladder and my imagination went into overdrive. I thought those angels could go up and down. Then I found a scripture that said ‘come up here and I will show you things you cannot imagine.’

I decided that I was going to accept that invitation. I suggested it to my friend Marie and she agreed and we drew a picture of stairs (I felt I was a little too old to climb up a ladder) and then I said ‘how will we know we have reached heaven? So we drew two pillars, then the floor and a podium where the three thrones would be.

We closed our eyes and imagined we were walking up those stairs until we saw the pillars – I was so excited I was going to knock on heaven’s door – I stepped out onto the floor and saw Jesus sitting on the throne. I knew this was not real – right, it was just my imagination – I fell onto my knees and started to worship Him and then something unreal happened, He came forward and said ‘Welcome my daughter’

Well I got such a fright that I came out of it, that was not what I expected, meeting Jesus face to face.

I thought well that was a nice way to use your imagination, but it felt so real. I looked at Marie and she was sitting there with a smile on her face and tears of joy running down her cheeks, she had, had an encounter too. Later I decided to go back and see what would happen and the same thing happened, Jesus got up and came to me. I was still not sure if I was imagining this and in the next few days kept going back, and I found that it was true, I was having a face to face encounter with Jesus. One day I came back from church and they had sung that song ‘dance with me’ and very boldly I asked Him to dance with me, and He did. After that He used the visits to give me direction for the assignments but other times He gave me things. A ruby, a bunch of flowers, a crown, and often He gave a sword. I realized that everything He gave me had a reason and I found a dream dictionary and looked up what the things He gave me meant. It was a journey of discovery and I was so happy. No longer was Jesus that man that died on the cross for salvation, He became my mentor, my friend, my Savior, and so much more, later He took me to meet the Father, that was awesome, as He is so BIG you cannot imagine. He called me by my name and I was undone, I said to my friend, ‘He knows my name, He knows my name’ she just laughed at me. But I did not stop there, I invited the Holy Spirit to come and sit next to me, and He shared the heart of God with me. Now I had achieved what I had set out to do – to meet God.

I even started to use the throne room visits as a counseling tool, and taught others to go there and they all had awesome encounters. I share some of these in my book called ‘The throne room’ and I still go there to spend time with the Lord. It beats trying to get my mind to get quiet in the rush of this world we live in and I was never successful in meditating I just would get distracted. So going to His door and knocking was the next best thing and He obliged to let me in.

This blog was inspired by the Holy Spirit I hope you will now go and knock on heaven’s door.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! At the moment I am having a problem with paypal but if you want to sow into the ministry let me know and I will send you the information you need to sow. Thank you

5 ways to build up God’s Kingdom

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

“5 ways to build up God’s Kingdom”

I spent most of last year, studying and contemplating on the book of Nehemiah. At last I was finished, I thought! For years God brought the phrase “Nehemiah finish the task” across my path. The first word that I heard from God after I became born again, was Ezra 5 and that was all about building. I never saw myself as a builder, I just liked to read books and go fishing with my dad. Then God spoke audibly and said “you will be a fisher of men” well I did not see myself as any of those.

It is all about your calling, we are all called by God to be someone in the Kingdom. It is important to learn what your calling is. Sometimes you have more than one calling but it may be seasonal. For a season I was called to be a messenger. But then He led me back to “build up my church”.

Well like you I bet, I looked at myself and saw only a housewife. Why did He not call people like those whom we consider the generals of the faith, you just have to open You Tube and there are hundreds of qualified pastors, prophets, evangelists etc, so why is He speaking to you about a calling on your life. Well saints it is because WE ARE ALL CALLED. The Words of Jesus in Mathew 18,19 and 20 is for all of us.

28:18  Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

28:19  Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

28:20  Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close {and} consummation of the age. {Amen (so let it be).}AMP. This is a command from Jesus Himself for us to go and fulfill our callings. So I thought, how do I fulfill my calling to be a builder. Then I realized that what I was doing with sending out this post every week, was building people up, and sending out audio messages, and talking to people one on one even though most of that is on Whattsapp, I was fulfilling my commission of “go and build up My church” . Now I realize why God gave me the task of Nehemiah to finish, so that I can understand my calling.

The Great Commission is the call for disciples to make other disciples:  

As Christian disciples of Jesus, we are supposed to help in building up the Kingdom of God. We all intend to do it, but often talk ourselves out of it with a variety of excuses.  The number one excuse is that we don’t have time.  Another excuse is that we just don’t know how to really go about doing it.  Evangelizing is bringing others to Christ.  It is not the same as making disciples, but it is an important first step.  See, a person can be saved by God’s grace without becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship means you are personally dedicated to the life of Jesus Christ.  That’s why The Great Commission requires two actions:  1.) baptizing them…, and 2.) teaching them… 

Here are the 5 areas where you can get to work fulfilling the Great Commission:

1.  In Your Own Life: Strive to set a holy example to your family and friends. People notice whether or not you walk the walk of a Christian disciple. Check whether or not you line up personally with the scriptures.  Start with the 10 Commandments.  Assess how the fruit of the spirit shows up in your life.  Do you have a prayer life?  Do you study the scriptures?  People are watching.
2.  In Your Home: Who are you at home? Does your family see you living up to the standards of a Christian Disciple?  Whether you are a child or a parent, your family should see you setting the example, and demonstrating Christian values in our home.
3.  At Your Job:  People at work, notice your behavior and pick up on whether or not you demonstrate Christian values.  Your, customers, clients, co-workers, and supervisors should be able to see light of Christ shining in you!  And when given the opportunity, that measure of credibility will make it even easier to do deliberate kingdom building.
4.  In Your Community: We often talk about outreach, and undertake annual projects around the holidays. These are important opportunities to do kingdom building in the community.  It is so important to consider that there are probably people living within a mile of our church who have needs the church can address.  Do they know we are here to help?  Do they see us reaching out beyond our church walls?  More importantly, has God laid on your heart any idea or project that could help where you talked yourself out of speaking up because it seemed like too much to handle?  Giving to a charity, participating in outreach, or hosting your own project are all great ways to do your part in some kingdom building.
5. 5. At your church: every member of a church has at least one gift. Everybody at church should be serving in some capacity. There are a variety of ministries where every member should be able to find something they can do to help the church in kingdom building. We should all be doing something to fulfill the great commission.

Remember that the Great Commission requires us to baptize people and teach them to become disciples. We must be about what we are called to do.

My greatest desire is to see that churches would raise up disciples but most of them just sit in the pew Sunday after Sunday and never go out and make disciples of others. The best way to do that is to join a Cell group, I found that in the Cell I could do a number of things, receive teaching from the leaders, pray for people, share my experiences with God, ask for Prayer if I need it, and become a disciple. In church you can only praise and worship God and receive a teaching, but in the cell they can explain that teaching if you did not understand it. You can join groups, such as intercessory groups, outreach groups, sing in the Choir, play a musical instrument. There is even a group that cleans the church. Yes that is serving God too.

I hope that you have a new understanding of building up God’s Kingdom. But how do you find out what God has called you to do, well, all you have to do is ask, you will discover that you may already be doing what God has called you to do. Even if it is only to give a sandwich and a glass of water to someone in need.

Just remember we are all called to be a builder.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!!

SPIRITUAL NAMES

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

                                                             Spiritual Names

Have you noticed that God sometimes changes people’s names?

 Many people in the Bible like Abram and Sarai had their names changed by God. What happened here was God was placing a mantle on them about their destiny.  Not only did He add part of His name to theirs, but they then had a destiny to complete. Abram became Abraham the father of nations, and Sarai became Sarah mother of nations. You see immediately they could see their destiny, every time Sarah called her husband she was saying ‘father of many nations’.

While studying Nehemiah I came across many names in that book, and wondered why everyone who worked on the walls and gates were names. God was making sure that they would be remembered. When you do something for God He makes a note of it.

 In the same way God kept on changing my name as I went on each assignment for Him to churches as a messenger.  The first name I was given was ‘Elizabeth’ I wondered why He was giving me that spiritual name. Eventually I figured it out, she was the mother of John the Baptist, the messenger that foretold of the coming Messiah. God gave me that name to point out my destiny as a messenger. Then He changed it to Sarah, and I wondered what that was all about, until I realized that I was getting a whole lot of spiritual children, you see once again He was pointing out my destiny. As a Rahab I learnt to walk by faith, As an Esther I learnt all about God’s favor on my life. As Anna I learnt to prophesy and be a teacher. You see each time there was a destiny attached to it. Then for a while I was not given a name, and suddenly the name of Nehemiah came up, I was baffled, what was that all about until I He said “go up the hills and fetch lumber and build my church”

I knew that I was not a going to build an actual church, because I am not a Pastor. It took months of study and searching the scriptures before I felt that it had something to do with building but what was it. Then God spoke – Go and build up My church’ wow! Ok, so from messenger to builder. A new assignment and destiny.

Once again I tried to tell God I am not a builder, until I looked at what I was doing, and yes I am building. By praying for people, by counseling, by teaching them! Yes, I am building up the church, you must realize that the church of God is not a building of bricks, but people. You and I are the church.  God uses people to build up His church. Every time you share a scripture with a friend, or send them a You tube video of a sermon, you are building up the church. It is not only the 5 fold ministry that do the work, but everyone of us is called to do this building, sometimes you get broken down people and you have to build them up so that they are strong in the Lord. Then sometimes you have to clean them out, even correct them. Show them the right way. Help them with forgiveness, pick them up when they fall. Everyone of us is a builder in God’s Kingdom.

Now that I am done with Nehemiah  I wonder what my next name will be? It is so exciting to serve the Lord, He always comes up with something new and exciting, in the meantime I will continue to build up the church.

How do you build, by praying, studying the bible, getting to know the Holy Spirit who is your guide, and who gives you the building material, getting intimate with Jesus and worshipping the Father. Getting yourself equipped is vital, you cannot build a building without learning how to do it, what tools you need, and how to follow a building plan. All this is supplied by God to help us complete the work that we are called to do.

I have met many Christians who have no clue how to build up others, they do not study their bibles, it is easier to go and sit in the pew on Sunday and let the Pastor teach them, but they do not even realize that if they do not test that sermon, how do they know what he preaches is even the truth. The Bereans used to study the word and encouraged everyone else to do the same. It is time for the body of Christ to stop being lazy and get the tools they need, Jesus wants to come and fetch His bride but they are not ready, do you even realize that you will be rewarded for the work you do in His Kingdom.

Or are you ok with just the crown of salvation, there are many crowns that await us at the Bema judgment seat and Jesus waits to welcome us with those words ‘Good and faithful servant’ we are all called to be servants.

Have a blessed week.  

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!!

REKINDLE THE FIRE

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

                                                   REKINDLE THE FIRE

Sometimes we feel empty, depressed, out of sorts, nothing seems to go right, this emptiness just makes you feel like giving up, even your body feels tired.

It Is just the enemy trying to get you away from your destiny. You do know that before God put you in the womb, you had a destiny, and even in the womb, the enemy will try to kill you, to prevent you from living out that destiny. I remember hearing a man of God, telling how he could remember when he was in the womb, now that is something fantastic, imagine that, BUT he remembers that he saw something coming into the womb, and then a hand took him and moved him out of the way. Only years after he was born, he found out that his mother had tried to have him aborted. BUT he had a destiny. He became a great preacher.

Now most of you have received prophetic words that show you your destiny, but the enemy attacks you and you just want to be left alone, not have the pressure to fulfill this destiny. Or you want to be on fire for the Lord, but everything comes against it.

This morning I want to give you a Prophetic Word that should encourage you and put you on fire, uplift you and give you joy, give you courage to move forward. To say to satan, ‘enough, I am a child of God and I will go forward and be on fire for the Lord.

: “You will go beyond where you have been in the past. You had fire in one season, but now you will go beyond and BE fire for the next season. You will draw back the bow and shoot beyond where you have gone in the past. You will ford and eddy and you will go into that water, and yet you will not back up when the water deepens around you. You will go beyond!”

“The fire is coming in you and melting away what is trying to cause you to slumber in this season. You have lost your ‘soul press’. I am rekindling your soul, for there is an identity in you that is going to be fiery and will burn your way through this season. Momentum is coming through the fire gate. Catch the moment and you will create the event you’ve been watching for. You have said, ‘The event is escaping me.’ Catch the moment when I blow up through your soul and awaken the past deposits of My glory that have fallen asleep.

“Your soul has been dry and your soul has cried, but today there is a sound of rushing waters in your soul that is causing your soul not only to be healed, but to see. By seeing deep into your soul, your identity will be displayed. Allow the rivers flowing from My throne to flow in your soul so that your soul comes alive in Me with new energy to press forward. Your soul will now see! You have not seen your identity reflect the desires deep within you. I am causing a river to cause a reflection to come through you that you have not seen. The identities of My people in the earth are now changing and they will have a different identity as they cross into their future. Remove that which is not reflecting Me. Words have been spoken that stopped you from digesting My word in the past and stopped you with fear from branching out into places that I am calling you to branch out into. Those words are now being pushed out by the River and the Fire in you so that you will have a boldness to say, ‘This is who I am in this season’.

“There is a smell of sacrifice that I am calling to arise from My people because the fire that was once burning has been rekindled. You have smelled the burning from the past but have not seen the fire. Smell the burning and watch, for the fire will come alive. I am blowing on the fire. The smell of burning is on you, but now the fire will blaze in you. There must be a release of new fire through My people. Ask Me to open that fire gate and cause the smell of burning that has been purifying you in the last several months to turn to a new, blazing fire. The fat is going in the fire! You have been trying to lose weight on your own, in the flesh. You have been trying to get rid of weight – not just physically, but spiritual weights – and the fat is going in the fire. The fire gate of heaven is opening and the fat is in the fire! You will move toward the river and go beyond the river and the depth you have been in the past season.

If you feel that you have lost your fire then this word is for you. Dig deep and find that fire gate and allow the Lord to rekindle your fire.

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! You can sow using the PayPal link below

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SPEAK LIFE INTO YOUR SITUATION PART 2

                                             HADASSAH MINISTRY

Dear Saints,

                                 “Speak Life Into Your Situation” Part 2

Even in the midst of what looks like catastrophe, keep speaking the blessing, keep the ship of your life on a steady course, and before you know it the storm clouds will clear and you will have broken through your difficulty and left it far behind you.

Tell Your Troubles Where to Go = Your every decree is pregnant with the power and potential to revolutionize your life. Psalm 2:7-8 indicates that God utilizes this prerogative, and grants the same to His earthly ambassadors:

I will declare the decree: “The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You…'”

David used his right to decree and declare to turn the tides of Israel’s unfavorable fate and to defeat their enemy Goliath. In the book of 1 Samuel 17:46-51, David addresses his enemy with conviction and authority:

“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him…David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword…out of its sheath…and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Since the spirit realm is the causal realm, Goliath was dead long before he was struck by the stone and beheaded by the sword.

Remember, according to Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Choose to use your tongue to bring life and not death, to bless and not to curse—even when it comes to your “enemies.” Learn the art of blessing, for in blessing a thing or a person, that thing or person must bless you. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14). When you bless, blessings will be drawn to you, or as Deuteronomy 28:2 says, “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.” Conversely, in cursing a thing or a person, you draw curses upon yourself. Remenber the word says “ what you sow you will reap”.

Again, as James said: “A double-minded man (is) unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). What did he mean? A double-minded person is a person with conflicting thoughts—someone who holds two different opinions at the same time. That person is the pilot who steers his ship towards one port for a while, then reverses to steer it towards another in the opposite direction. “He…is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). At one point your life is headed towards blessings because that is what you have spoken, and the next it is headed towards cursing because that is now what your mouth is proclaiming. James again describes this pilot’s plight later in his letter:

With it (the tongue) we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.—James 3:9-10

I am convinced that Believers tend to live beneath the standard God has ordained for His children because of ignorance. We do not know that our daily declarations and decrees have the power to alter our destiny and change the quality of our lives. Proverbs 13:3 states that “He who guards his mouth (watches what he says) preserves his life.” Or again as James said, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect (mature) man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). If guarding your words causes you to keep your life and grow in maturity, imagine what happens when you do not guard your words?

Speak Out Your Blessings: Hosea 8:7 (NIV) states, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” This demonstrates the powerful nature of words. Whatever you sow will come back to you multiplied. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.—Galatians 6:7-8 I decree and declare that you dwell in the secret place of the Most High God and dwell under the shadow of the Almighty, and everything that is misaligned I command to come into divine alignment.

• That you have the mind of Christ and therefore seek things above and not beneath.

• That you ascend into new realms of power and authority and access new dimensions of divine revelation.

• That you wear the helmet of salvation to protect your mind from negative thoughts that would derail God’s purposes and plans for you.

• That truth protects your integrity, righteousness protects your reputation, the Gospel of peace guides your every step, the shield of faith secures your future and destiny, and the sword of the Spirit grants you dominion and authority.

• That new cycles of victory, success, and prosperity will replace old cycles of failure, poverty, and death in your life.

• Today is the dawning of a new day. Your season of frustration and failure is over, and you walk in a season of success and prosperity. Old things have passed away; all things have become new.

• That Psalm 25:21 ministers to you, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.”

• That your thoughts are governed only by things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse (Philippians 4:8-9 The Message).

Be Blessed. Speak life into your situation!

Shalom.

Catharina.

If these letters have touched your heart, please pass them on to others. Consider putting them on my email list. If you need salvation, contact me so that I can give you the necessary information.  Thank you to those who are sowing into this work. May God bless you abundantly!! You can sow using the PayPal link below

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