Word for 5772

This is word I believe I received from the Lord for the Hebrew year of 5772, the majority of it being in 2012. I still need to undestand how, but the two Hebrew symbols for Ayin and Bet (Beth) are linked to this year, 5772. Ayin (ע) apparently to the 7 (in 72) and Bet (ב) to the 2 (in 72).


A reminder about how words like these should be treated can be found at Prophetic Gifts and Protocol.

Word for 5772  (Ayin Beth, עב)

I saw something like a huge bucket of water being poured out, I guess it almost looks like Bet. I felt the water being poured down was from God. One aspect of this is an enormous pouring out, like the rains coming to bring life and provision, but pouring down like from a giant bucket.

The other aspect of this down pour is like a deluge coming to wash away iniquity. I get the feeling God is going to deal harshly with some sin and unrighteousness. Hidden iniquity is going to be exposed, brought out in the open for all to see, like King David's sin with Bath-sheba.

For the righteous God is going to pour out overwhelming blessings and provision, like promised in Mal. 3:10. This might include signs, miracles and prophetic gifts, but I'm not sure.

I sense an urgency with regards to stewardship, especially around finances. Mal. 3:10's Storehouse of the Lord caught my eye. I get a strong impression about Kingdom Principles and specifically being sensitive for what God wants us to do with the finances He entrusted to us.

I get a strong impression about this, that the Lord is going to test and watch carefully around this aspect, stewardship over finances. It is as if He doesn't want His Church to struggle with money anymore. He wants to amass lots of finances in His Kingdom, but He wants faithful stewards, sensitive to His voice, to handle the finances entrusted to them, with utmost care and reverence for His purposes. Then the Storehouse will overflow, the stewards will reap overabundantly and He'll rebuke the devourer.

For South Africa I get the impression that corruption and unfairness in government structures are going to be exposed and dealt with, harshly. I sense some serious shifting in politics, even some uncertain times. Although there were much we were unhappy with in South Africa, at least it was fairly predictable. This year we might be tested with a lot of uncertainty. We're going to have to remember God is in control and that we should keep our eyes on Him, trust in Him. The ones used to being led by the Lord will find peace in knowing from past experience that as long as you're being led by God, uncertainty around you will not affect your peace.

In South Africa the uncertainty seems to be centered around politics. In the rest of the World there is also uncertainty coming, but maybe more as Western Capitalists and Liberal Democratic values are going to be challenged and tested.

This shaking might be to align these values more and more with Biblical values. I suspect even Christians might be caught off guard.

Prophetic Gifts and Protocol

Even though I am fairly new to the prophetic, I have been trusting the Lord for revelations for more than a year now. On the basis of what I learned from Bill Hamon's books and teachings about the prophetic, I realised that publishing these words is quite a leap of faith on the one hand but also quite a responsibility on the other. I also believe that one should not discard all prophetic vision and revelation believed to be from God as God's intention is for us to use His gifts in us to edify and help His Church.

For this reason, I decided that I am going to step out in faith and start publishing some of these revelations that I believe are from God. But, let me be very clear, I am not an ordained Prophet or Apostle, not yet and if ever. I have no illusions that some of these words might indeed not be from God at all.

Therefore, I urge everyone that reads these words, to weigh these words in your spirit, to pray and ask Holy Spirit to shed His light and to show His truth. If any words that I utter here are in conflict with the Bible, the Word of God, it should be dicarded. If however, these words conflict with your specific doctrine, I encourage you to pray about it and to bring it before your own spiritual authority to be weighed.

I trust that these words will bring encouragement, truth and warning and will not damage anyone's relationship with Almighty God.

For those in doubt of prophecies being delivered in modern day times, I encourge a study on the subject. As a start Acts 2:17-18 and then the whole of 1 Corintians 12, 13 and 14.

Trojaanse Perde, Gawes van die Gees, ens.

Ek was nie seker waar om hierdie gedagtes te plaas nie, want dit kan sommige dierbare Christene moontlik baie seermaak. Maar ek het tog gevoel dit moet uit, ek moet dit net sê , al lees niemand dit ooit nie.

Hierdie kom nou al 'n lang pad waar ek begin wonder het of mense wat uit Teoglogiese fakulteite uitkom nog enigsins aan Jesus se bo-natuurlike fisiese opstanding glo. 'n Paar kundige en besorgde NG Kerk lidmate gaan eersdaags 'n boek, "Die Trojaanse perd in die NG Kerk" vrystel.

Na aanleiding van hierdie boek is daar 'n bespreking op OnsGeloofGesprek hieroor. Die kommentare daaronder is nogal insigewend en om eerlik te wees, kommerwekkend.

Indien my geloofservaring nou dieselfde was as 10 jaar gelede, sou ek waarskynlik 'n reuse geloofskrisis deurgegaan het. Wat maak 'n lidmaat van die kerk wat in Jesus glo, as hy uitvind sy predikant is eintlik agnosties of glo eintlik nie in die bo-natuurlike opstanding van Jesus uit die dood nie?

Wat my bekommer is hoeveel Christene in die kerk, is vandag waar ek 10 jaar gelede was? Watter effek gaan 'n boek soos hierdie op hulle hê? En verstaan my mooi, ek dink nie hierdie boek gaan die oorsaak wees dat mense hulle geloof in Jesus verloor nie, dit gaan bloot mense wakker maak dat hulle nie meer net dinge aanvaar nie en eerder vrae gaan begin vra. Om die waarheid te sê, glo ek, gaan hierdie boek dalk 'n hele klompie mense moontlik red.

Ek moet egter nog die boek lees (en bestel :-) ), maar ek het al werke van die skrywers gesien, en het 'n idee waaroor die boek gaan. Ek sien baie daarna uit, en aan die eenkant hoop ek die boek maak groot opslae, haal groot koerante se voorblaaie en verkoop miljoene kopieë . Bloot omdat ek hoop dat die kwessies op die tafel kom en hanteer word.

My lewe die laaste 10 jaar
Twee belangrike lyne van dinge het in my lewe gebeur oor die laaste twee jaar. Hierdie twee lyne is effens onverwand, maar die som van die twee aspekte, glo ek, is een rede hoekom ek nie deur 'n geloofskrisis gaan as gevolg van hierdie aspek nie. En daarom hoop ek dit kan lig bring vir iemand wat deur rowwe tye gaan ten opsigte van hulle geloof.

Daarom gaan ek hierdie twee aspekte hier noem en 'n balans probeer handhaaf tussen te veel inligting en te min inligting.

1. Young Earth Creationism and Christian Apologetics
Ek het 10 jaar gelede Dr. Hennie Mouton se boek "Evolusie - die onwetenskaplike leuen" gelees. Hierdie boek alleen het 'n reuse impak in my lewe gehad en 'n pad begin waar ek vandag geheel en al oortuig is dat die Bybel, sonder kompromie, 'n akkurate weergawe is van die geskiedenis van die Heelal, Aarde, die Mens en sy Verlosser, Jesus Christus. Ek het sederdien verskeie boeke van Dr. Hennie Mouton en ook ander Jong Aarde Skeppingsleerders gelees. Ook ander "Christian Apologitics" boeke soos Josh McDowell, wat 'n heeltemal ander aanslag het, maar baie akkuraat en effektief.

As ek terugdink, het die Skeppingsleer materiaal (boeke, web-blaaie, videos, podgooie / "podcasts") my 'n respek vir die Bybel as die akkurate Woord van God geleer. Soos ek meer en meer respek vir die Woord gekry het, het ek begin anders dink oor dinge. Het ek elke versie en skrifgedeelte begin ernstig opneem. Wanneer 'n skrifgedeelte nie lekker in my teologie gepas het nie, het ek meer en meer in die Woord begin soek oor daardie onderwerp.

Ek sal altyd dankbaar wees aan hierdie mense vir hulle werke wat my die vrymoedigheid gegee het om op die Woord te staan en om enige aspek te beredeneer vanuit die Woord, maar meer as dit, hulle was waarskynlik baie effektiewe instrumente in God se hand om my te red van die ewige dood.

2. Pinkster kerke en die Profetiese
Hoewel die eerste aspek, Skeppingsleer en "Apologetics", 'n baie belangrike rol gespeel het in my lewe, kan ek nie die volgende aspek uitlaat uit my geloofspaadjie nie. Ek besef ook terdee dat elke liewe mens se paadjie uniek is en dit sal verkeerd van my wees om te dink my paadjie is die beste of enigste manier om 'n verhouding met God te hê. Daarom wil ek dit duidelik maak, dat ek geen twyfel het dat my eie verhouding met ons Liefdevolle Vader, Wonderlike Redder en Dierbare Heilige Gees met spronge gegroei het nadat ek uit die Hervormde Kerk uit is nie. Dit ten spyt, het ek sederdien keer op keer mense in die Susterskerke gesien wat 'n diep verhouding met God het en 'n verhouding van integriteit en respek. Soveel keer het ek ook oppervlakkige gelowiges gesien in al die kerke waar ek betrokke was (dit was darem nie so baie kerke nie). Op 'n stadium was ek een van die oppervlakkiges en wie weet hoeveel meer eg en diepper verhouding die Vader nog uit my gaan uitsnoei.

Dit alles gesê, het ek meer en meer God se tasbare teenwoordigheid begin ervaar, meestal in Lewende Woord. Wanneer mens 'n Pastoor, Evangelis, ens. sien God se profetiese woord bring en sien hoe daardie woorde lewe in die stukkendste mense bring, kan daar geen twyfel by jou wees oor God se bestaan, Vader se Liefde en Jesus se Redding en glorie nie.

Dikwels tydens lofprysing en aanbidding sal Heilige Gees die wonderlikste openbaringe en visione bring. Soveel keer sien mens wonderwerke voor jou oë gebeur.

'n Hele klompie jare gelede het 'n nuwe wereld vir my oopgegaan toe ek "Dialogue with God" van Mark en Patti Virkler begin deurwerk het.

Verder, sedert ongeveer April 2009 is ek betrokke by 'n profetiese skool waar mense uit verskillende kerklike denominasies betrokke is. Waar ek nie net Bybelse waarhede oor die Gawes van die Gees (1 Kor.12 en 1 Kor 14) geleer het nie, maar ook toegerus word in die praktiese toepassing daarvan en lering ontvang van slaggate wat profete en persone uit die Bybel in getrap het. In hierdie tyd was ek amper op 'n weeklikse basis intens bewus van God se teenwoordigheid en werking in mense. My gebedslewe het nie net 'n lewendige dialoog met God geword nie, maar ook 'n tyd van openbaringe en visie. Ek het egter geen twyfel, dat ek nog bitter baie het om te leer nie.

Ironies het ek in hierdie tyd gereeld (soms nog steeds), betrokke gewees in debatte met Skeptici en Ateïste. Die arme mense probeer die slimste argumente uitdink en dink ek ly aan allerhande halusionerings en illusies. Meer as een keer is ek aanbeveel om 'n sielkundige te gaan sien. Dit is eintlik vrek snaaks, dog baie ernstig. Inderdaad het my betrokkenheid by Lewende Woord en Prophetic Investments, stadig maar seker 'n muur (van vuur?) om my geloof gebou.

Ten slotte
Aan die een kant is ek opgewonde oor die genoemde boek, hoofsaaklik omdat dit die waarheid oor die stand van sake in die kerk gaan openbaar. Maar aan die ander kant gaan my hart uit vir die mense wat in 'n geloofskrisis gedompel gaan word. My gebede is dat God hierdie krisis gaan gebruik dat mense Hom werklik gaan soek en leer ken en nie net gemaklik agteroor sit en dinge vanselfsprekend aanvaar nie.

Mag die Waarheid seevier.

ps. Dankie vir die geduldige lesers.

Met ons land en met ons nasie sal dit wel wees, God regeer.

My gebed vir Suid Afrikaners:

Op U Almag vas vertrouend het ons vadere gebou:
Skenk ook ons die krag, o Here! om te handhaaf en te hou -
Dat die erwe van ons vad're vir ons kinders erwe bly:
Knegte van die Allerhoogste, teen die hele wêreld vry.

Soos ons vadere vertrou het, leer ook ons vertrou, o Heer -
Met ons land en met ons nasie sal dit wel wees, God regeer.

- Die Stem - Vierde vers

Vergewe en vergeet

(Met betrekking tot die effek van die Anglo-boereoorlog op die Afrikanervolk)

Daar het 'n doringboompie
vlak by die pad gestaan,
waar lange ossespanne
met sware vragte gaan.

En eendag kom daarlanges
'n ossewa verby,
wat met sy sware wiele
dwars-oor die boompie ry.

"Jy het mos, doringstruikie,
my ander dag gekrap;
en daarom het my wiele
jou kroontjie platgetrap."

Die ossewa verdwyn weer
agter 'n heuweltop,
en langsaam buig die boompie
sy stammetjie weer op.

Sy skoonheid was geskonde;
sy bassies was geskeur;
op een plek was die stammetjie
so amper middeldeur.

Maar tog het daardie boompie
weer stadig reggekom,
want oor sy wonde druppel
die salf van eie gom.

Ook het die loop van jare
die wonde weggewis -
net een plek bly 'n teken
wat onuitwisbaar is.

Die wonde word gesond weer
as jare kom en gaan,
maar daar die merk word groter
en groei maar aldeur aan.

- Totius

General Knowledge

There are more than 100 world known personalities on this painting. If you can name a minimum of 25, you may consider yourself a well-informed person, good luck.

I am back

It is a blogging shame, but its been more than two years since I last did something here. And what a time it has been. Francois Viljoen made me think of starting to blog again. Perhaps I'll try to keep them short, this way I'll find more time to do it. I do also post quite a bit on my Facebook profile, but access is of course limited.

So what happened in the meanwhile. Firstly I got permanently employed. And what a pleasant experience, especially considering that I was fairly successfull working for myself. It was surprising to find a work environment that allowed growth as this one.

I also spend 6 months in Lagos, Nigeria with my wife and children. What an experience! Although I felt much safer there than in South Africa (really!), it was probably the most difficult time of my life. I learnt quite a lot about African politics and how bussiness is done in Africa, especially in Nigeria. It was a very educating time for the whole family. We now appreciate South Africa just that much more.

Even Nairobi, Kenya seemed so much better now than two years ago. I suspect that both Nairobi as well as myself has changed in the last two years. The biggest change in me was probably because of the 6 months in Lagos.

Will be back soon.

In the meanwhile, how old do you believe the Earth to be? Thousands of years old or Billions of years old?

The Boiling Frog

I heard a story about a frog that I thought applies quite a lot to most people in their Jobs. Not sure if the story about the frog is true or not (hopefully not!) but it makes a good analogy for what I'll say later. Furthermore, P L E A S E don't go and test this on a frog!

The story goes like this. If you'd put a frog in a pot of hot boiling water, it will immediately jump out again. However, if you'd put him in moderate water he'll quite enjoy it. If you now turn up the heat just a fraction, he might get slightly uncomfortable, possibly start moving around, but not enough pain to jump out. After a while he gets used to the warmer water and relaxes completely. You then turn the heat up a little more, similar reactions, but again he gets used to it and settles for the new situation. The story goes that this will go on and on until the frog dies and gets boiled, never realizing he's on his way to be boiled, just getting used to the environment every time.

Now you might have possibly heard this before, but it may just illustrate something I started noticing in the working environments.

My first job was computer literacy training and that did not demand too much after hour work. Here and there we had exams to evaluate and I also studied part time, but this didn't disrupt my personal life too much. Besides that I was still very young and single. I got a much higher paying job and at the same time got married, this was after about 4 years in the training job.

Initially I learned more than anything and I stuck to sort of standard office hours. Later I got better and better at the work I was doing (UNIX System Administration, Programming, etc.) After a year or two this resulted in me getting more work from different projects. The demand on my time and personal life got more and more. The good side of it was that I started earning much more, I got really good raises, although never what I wanted or felt I earned.

This continued more and more and my last year at this company turned out to be extremely successful. I was in a position in the company where I could never have dreamt I'll end up in. Because of some seemingly temporary money problems we (the whole company) didn't get increases for quite a long time, and that was when South Africa still had very bad inflation. I was away from home quite a lot, despite having a baby that was not even 1 year old. I kept on telling myself and my wife it is only temporarily and its necessary to maintain my growth in the company. I have to also say that I did try to set some boundaries at work to not spend ALL my time at work. At the end of the brilliant year, the company however went down the tubes, we were told they won't be able to pay our salaries anymore!

Anyhow, to get back to the boiling frog. My own experience and certainly what I've picked up around the business world is that the following tend to happen. The work at some stage demands a little more of your time, initially its a bit uncomfortable but later you get used to it. Then you become more successful (promotion, etc.) and a little more of your time is required. You think its justified since you got a promotion. Then again more is demanded of you without a promotion. Again you start feeling more discomfort, especially at home, but you get to cope with it. This gets worse and worse.

Then things start to fall apart at home. Your relationship with your wife and children gets worse and worse. Since you start noticing some of the symptoms, you start feeling guilty, although most people won't admit it. Because of all the fights and unhappiness you feel more and more like not being at home. Longer hours, perhaps starting to play some golf or have some time out with the friends, because you deserved it after the hours and hours of work. You probably feel your wife and children does not appreciate how hard you're working. And a vicious cycle gets momentum.

During every step, it seems like a small thing, but just one day you realize your life is a mess. Hopefully this is long before the word "divorce" starts becoming a threat. This might also be caused by a stress related incident like a heart episode, or some other psychological episode.

Slowly, but surely the Frog became boiled and died without noticing what happened. If you realized this was going to happen on the first time you were confronted with working a "little overtime", you would possibly not have started down that road, but you were not placed in a boiling pot, the heat was just turned up a little at a time. The result however may be devastating.

So please feel free to share your experiences, your decisions when the heat was turned up a little at a time, and what do you think is the solution to this.

T: stress work Life Family Personal