Perfect love Cast out Fear

Dear Friends, Family, Partners and Readers thank you for joining me today!!

It's been a while since I've posted and a lot has happened in the world! 

Well, here is what has been going on in my life lately and a short Word of Encouragement during these uncertain times.

I've been very fortunate to be working from home

Even though the lockdown is not good for small businesses, I really enjoyed the time to just slow down a bit. 

I was able to catch up on work, sleep and life in general!

There is just something about coffee in bed,

Bible Study times,

Creative Times,

And of course cooking! I do love to cook and bake, and I have not had a lot of time to do so, its was the perfect excuse now! 

However, even though I've enjoyed this life, I do miss my work colleagues, college and students and really hope and pray everything can go back to normal very soon! 

I am of course very thankful for technology, and the ability to connect with people online!!

Perfect Love Cast Out Fear!

As the media, TV and people are screaming fear at this moment there is many opportunities for us to get fearful of one aria of another.

Fear is simply False Evidence Appearing Real, But sometime it appears VERY real!

This was something that I struggled with for a LONG time. I had fear of the unknown, of people and something as silly as falling down the stairs.

These were all fears that I had. And it wasn’t until I got a revelation on how to counter fear that I was able to one by one take these fear and overcome them!

Isaiah 8:13 says

Don’t fear anything except the Lord of the armies of heaven! If you fear him, you need fear nothing else

Back when I was younger I thought this means we have to literally be scared of God!

Later I read the scriptures, and thought I understood that fearing God meant.

But then one day I finally understood that To Fear God is to fear nothing els, 

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love castes our fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love

The AMP says He is not made perfect in love - has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love

If you do not understand how much God loves you, you will be fearful. But when you truly knows how much He cares for you, you’ll trust Him to work it out! 

My dad always use to say “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!”

You need to know how much God cares about You!

The phrase “Fear Not” is used over 80 times in the Bible, probably because God knew that when we fear we lose creativity, we lose hope, we lose vision. 

To Fear God means you Fear nothing els! To fear God means you don’t fear any other situation because you KNOW and UNDERSTAND that God Loves you.

- When you understand that God loves you won’t be scared of running out of finances, because you know He will provide for you. 

Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

- When you Know that God loves you, you won’t be scared of the unknown because the Bible says God had gone before you. He’s got your back, His got you covered.

 Deu 31:8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

When I understood this, anytime fear would creep into my mind, I would stop it right there. I would trace it back to a promise of God, I would trace it back to what I know to be true of God and His Nature! 

You might think this is weird, but when I had nightmares it would be about time! I would dream I was late or ran out of time for something! It was strange for me, until I decided to trace it back. 

Why am I fearful of time? 

And it dawned on me that I was fearful of running out of time, of being to late. Running out of time to do what God has called me to do. Running out of time to see my dreams, and prophecies come to pass.

Today I would like to ask you, What is it that you have nightmares about? What do you stress and worry about? Are you scared of getting sick? Are you scared of losing your job or your business?

Trace it back to a promise of God! There are SO many promises in the Word for every situation that we go through - God your Father, has got you! He wants you to come to Him, give Him your Fear and in Return He will give you His Love, Peace and He will supply all your needs! (Phil 4:19)

I'd also like to take this opportunity to let you know if you need any scriptures to stand on, or if you simply need prayer. 

Please feel free to drop a comment below or send me an e-mail -  Heidi-Mari(at)aboverubies(dot)co(dot)za and I'd be more than happy to pray and stand in agreement with you!

Until Next Time, Stay Positive, Stay in the Word of God and Stay stay Joyful!

Much Blessings

Heidi-Mari

1 John 4:18 AMP

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

2020 a New Year, a Year of Hope

Dear friends, family, partners and readers.

It’s been a while since I’ve written! Happy blessed 2020!

We are almost at the end of February, its been a really busy few weeks starting the new year, but it’s been amazing too!

As some of you may know, I started my Internship (4th Year) at Charis Bible College and Andrew Wommack Ministries here in Cape Town. 

I found a wonderful little studio apartment to rent 7min from the college and office, even with traffic in the morning I don’t travel more than 15 minutes. I’m very blessed and happy where I am! 

The internship started in January, soon after that we had our Open Days at Charis. It was such a wonderful time, seeing new and old students return. 

Amazing guest speakers from Johannesburg and England came to the Open Days.

Tafara Butayi from Faith Hill Church in Johannesburg 

Traveling Ministers Will and Barbara Graham 

I’ve been at College in the morning doing my internship and in the afternoon I’ve been working at the Andrew Wommack Ministries Office.

We also had our Johannesburg Open Day, as this year we launched Charis Johannesburg! 

It’s amazing, people have waited so long for a college in Gauteng, we’ve had over 120 registrations for the Hybrid Program!

Further it’s been great to be back in Cape Town, I’ve been able to spend some more time with friends and family. 

Speaking of family, this weekend was my mother’s birthday! She has been such a great encourager and support in my life over the years. Words cannot express how much I love and appreciate this godly woman and mother that she is!

The Word - HOPE

Today I would like to speak to you about Hope! 

End of last year, I prayed and asked God to give me a word, scripture or picture for 2020. I was not even done asking when He already answered me with a Word 

HOPE 2020 my year of hope. I thought some on it, will I get hope this year, is it a hopeful year. What does it mean? 

⁃ Before I even did much research into the Word and it’s meaning, I was reading Andrew’s new book the Power of your Imagination. 

As I was reading this book, I discovered that I had been suppressing my positive imagination   

I discovered, that I had stopped imagining good things to a degree for certain part of my life - I seem to be having it work in some areas and not in others. 

But in other areas to avoid getting hurt again, I stopped imagining. 

Then, I came to a chapter in this book called The Power of Hope....!

Romans 8:24-25 

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not Hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

Imagination is the ability to see with our hearts what we can’t see with our eyes. Hope being the New Testament counterpart! 

Imagination and Hope have the same definition! Hope is the way the New Testament writers refer to our positive imagination! 

Hebrews 6:11-12 NKJV

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,”

“that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

And also 

Hebrews 6:19 NKJV

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,”

Hope becomes an anchor for our souls. 

Hope is seeing what can’t be seen! It helps us focus on God. 

It keeps us centred and is like an anchor that steadies us when the winds of circumstances or the opinions of man blow! 

⁃ Do you know what the opposite of hope or a positive imagination is? Worry!! We simply can’t stop thinking of what could go wrong, what you have to do to try and fix it!! The only place worry will get you into is the doctors office! 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Many people use this scripture to define faith. And even though it’s accurate there is more to it! 

Faith is a substance of things HOPED for. 

Faith gives substance to what we hope for. It births the things we see in our imagination. 

If we do not conceive something in hope, faith cannot birth it!  

We need hope! Hope is a step in the direction of faith! 

So many times we tend to say, yes don’t expect much and you won’t be disappointed, don’t expect things from people because that’s where offence comes from. 

I was sitting on it or meditating on the ‘problem’ for a couple of days. I’m sure God was laughing at me, being like of dear Heidi can’t you see it?

And then He spoke to me and said:

“You are not suppose to put your expectations or hopes in people.....your suppose to put it in Me!” Your Lord and Father who will never disappoint!! 

I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty and stupid, like duh you really thought you could do it without God?!

It was like a light went on in my brain!! Why had I never thought of it like that! I just need to put a positivities expectation, a hope, in the Lord and He’ll never let me down! He’ll always come through! 

⁃ I don’t hope on people to make me happy, God makes me happy. 

⁃ I don’t look to me employer for provision I look to God for provision. 

Something that simple! That if I wrote it on a test i probably would have guessed it right. But when God drops it in your heart, you know without a showdown of a doubt, it is true!!

Something els that was interesting in those scriptures was patience! We need to be patient, God is at work - but are you waiting on Him, His plan and timing. 

Or do you think God is to busy and you might need to help Him out with giving Him some ideas! 

Today expect God to do the impossible in your life. Ask God to show His unconditional Love to you today! Just try Him, He won’t let you down!

Heidi-Mari

Banking Details for Partnership/Giving:

Bank Name: Standard Bank 

Branch Name: Tygermanor 

Branch Code: 410

Account Holder: Miss Heidi-Mari H Lues

Account Number 33 103 780 7 

Account Type: Current 

SWIFT Code - SBZA ZA JJ

What it’s already December?!

Hello Dear friends, family and partners, it’s December the last month of year already!

I know I’m WAY overdue for a blog post, it’s been a really busy couple of weeks…..the Lord has been SO faithful I can’t wait to tell you all about it!!  

Firstly I graduated 3rd year at Charis Bible College Heidelberg on the 29th of October! 

Wow what a year, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it’s been a rough or challenging year with many ups and downs. However I do believe there was still more ups than down, and I learned so many things through it all!! 

3rd year class of Charis Heidelberg 2019! 

Haha this picture pretty much describes our class - dramatic and artistic, and yes I was the only girl! Often times referred to as Snow White with the seven dwarfs (the other two dwarfs were not 3rd years :) but they were most definitely there - haha) 

We have worked on each others nerves, but we were there for each other when we needed it.

I was truly blessed to be a part of this group of world changers!! 

The day after graduation was last minutes pack up and move back to Cape Town as a busy few days awaited…..! 

Shout out to Engela! One of my hostel and college friends who came to help me pack after very little sleep the night before due to graduation pack down. 

I was photographer for the Charis Bible College Cape Town Graduation, on the 31st of Octobers (two days after my graduation)

Where my beautiful mother graduated second year and my awesome brother finished his first year!!  

3 days later on the 2nd of November my brother got married and added another sister to our family! 

This is the Lues family!! 

From left to right: myself, tall guy in the back that’s Andrew, my brilliant Dad, Josua hiding in the back there hehe, the beautiful bride Larize, and my handsome brother CJ, my gorgeous mother, then my not so little sister Danika! In the front row we have David, then the youngest Michael and far right little Daniel! 

What a beautiful and inspiring godly couple CJ and Larize is! Setting an example in godliness to the rest of their siblings of how things can be done right and biblically in the 21st Century!  

Following the wedding, we as a family went to Babylonstoren to take some family photos with my aunt, uncle and two nephews being here all the way from England for the wedding!

And to end this year off even on a higher note, I got offered a job at Andrew Wommack Ministries South Africa!! 

Wow my heart is overflowing with joy! What an incredible honour and dream come true to work for this incredible ministry to change peoples lives!! 

I work in Marketing as the video editor, currently helping put together the Healing Journey stories that play on Faith Broadcasting Network every Wednesday Night at 9pm.

The Word - Imagination 

Why is it so important to imagine something?

Well the Lord worked in my heart about this topic, why we need to imagine good things in our lives and the power thereof!

Romans 1:21

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

When you don’t glorify God, when you are not thankful, you become vain in imagination!

Vain meaning - non productive.

Why is it important to have a good imagination?

⁃ Most people think imagination is childish, something only children do. “I don’t day dream, I’m a realist!”

• Or Christians relate imagination to a eastern religion, “we gonna sit down and imagine world peace.” NO!

Well other religions pray too, we don’t stop praying because of that!

Satan only counter-fits what is real! 

Today I can tell you, every single person reading this has an imagination, and uses it every day!

It’s not whether your imagination works or not, it’s whether you choose if it will work FOR you or AGAINST you.

This is saying if you quit glorifying God, valuing the things of God, praising God, thanking God. Your mind will start to wonder off, and imagine negative things.

Your imagination is based on where your focus is! 

However if you place value on the things of God, start praising and thanking Him, your imagination will start to work for you.

You can’t function without imagination! 

If you look up the Word Imagination, it literally means to conceive something.

If you can’t see it with your imagination, you can’t do it!

This is why a builder uses blue-print, drawing a picture first.

- Why do they say “A picture is worth 1000 words?” because it activates your imaginations!

Your imagination is the ability to see something with your inner eyes, instead of you physical eyes.

Most of you if I ask you about your house growing up, you would go to a picture of your house in your mind. If I asked you how many bathrooms you have, you will remember the picture of your house and count how many there are. You don’t have that kind of information stored up in your brain, that the moment I ask you how many bathrooms - you say 3.

You don’t have the facts stored you have a picture!

This is your imagination! Your imagination can work for you or against you. Most people’s imagination works negatively.

When the doctor says, you will die of cancer, you instantly imagine yourself on the death bed.

What am I trying to say? We all have an imagination, but what are we focusing on? 

- Are we focusing on the fact that our bank account is super low, that we have to go buy food, and we are not sure how we will make it thru this month. Are you seeing yourself starve? Out on the streets, because you didn’t pay your rent and got kicked out? 

Or are you focusing, Imagining what the Word of God says about you?

Are you imagining how money just supernaturally enters your bank account, or how your landlord comes to you and says your rent has been paid this month, or how someone invited you over for dinner. 

- Are you seeing yourself well, healed and full of energy or are you seeing yourself tired, stress out and exhausted?

This world is filled with so much negativity, are you focusing on that? Are you focusing on what just happened in the news?

 Or are you turning off the news and saying no to the world and saying yes to His Word. Imagining the good things, seeing this country profit.

What are you daydreaming about? What do you think while you drive or walk home? Are you complaining because you don’t have a car or are you thankful because you have two feet that can walk you home?

Philippians 4:8, NIV: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

Moving back to Cape Town and into my own little apartment I had no idea how I was going to make it our each month. Living expense is a lot more in Cape Town as well as driving further more. 

However I chose to trust my Lord, my Father! I chose to believe Him, that He wanted me here and will find a way to take care of Him as He always has!

And oh I didn’t even have to wait long. I was not even moved into my new apartment when I was offered the job to work for Andrew Wommack Ministries! 

The Lord provides friends! He takes care of us! All we have to do, is trust Him, wait a little and imagine Him taking care of our troubles! 

Much Blessings 

Heidi-Mari

Banking Details for Partnership/Giving:

Bank Name: Standard Bank 

Branch Name: Tygermanor 

Branch Code: 410

Account Holder: Miss Heidi-Mari H Lues

Account Number 33 103 780 7 

Account Type: Current 

SWIFT Code - SBZA ZA JJ