Wednesday, 6 July

Today we left for Elandskloof. After a morning of prayer, podcasts and packing, off we go! Otto, Tina, Tristan, Caitlin – what a time! Car convo’s, food and blood bought family! 

What an eye opening day! It all began with watching The Ben Domenech Podcast on education in America (https://youtu.be/4q3c3D1kJzI). A few things I took out of that was;

• It happens gradually and it happens suddenly. What we see now has come from a 100 year old pipeline. It was not accidental, it was intentional, almost always from atheists, socialists and eventually marxists, that knew that the affections of the younger kids were their top price if they would want to affect social change. Classrooms are the best places for social change. They did not necessarily know where it would go, but they knew where it wouldn’t go. 
• The first step to recovery is knowing the depth of your problem. 
• Children are the most impressionable. To children, whatever their teachers say, is gospel. Go with teachers who have gone through a different pipeline. 
• You can’t deprogram children enough on Sunday morning and Tuesday night church and around the dinner table, considering the culture and the reinforcement of social media and other forms of culture. Give them other ways of fortification. 
• If you can, get out. Tactically retreat and find another option. Unpack the things that really do matter. Be aware of the fact that you are up against something that is not going to change. Get them out as fast as you can and fortify them.  
• Progressives are trying to consolidate their monopoly. We have to create first an alternate ecosystem. The change is going to come through an alternate ecosystem. 
• Insurgency: Phase 1: Creating the necessary networks, connecting people. 
• The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation, can become the philosophy of government in the next. 
• We are behind the curve in creating our reinforcements. We need future wise young people to be the salt and light inside the culture. First, families; second, churches; but third, schools; with how much time schools have on affecting the way people think. 
• The first thing you can affect is the concentric circle most close to you. Are you defaulting to an assumption that is not most useful to your kids? You get to affect the most change, first. Individuals and families need to take a radical reorientation of their own lives. 
• Education is not a subject and does not deal in subjects, it is instead a transfer of a way of life.
• God gave us a purpose. If we take God out of the purpose, what is your purpose for?

Destinations, discovering and dormitories. What a place! What a people! Settled in and ready for anything, but first fellowship! After dinner, we ended off our day with a session with Ps John. 

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. (Daniel 1:1‭-‬9, NKJV)

Daniel in the lions den, well that what a knew, his name was Daniel and he was thrown into a lions den. What is the significance of this man? What’s significant about these people around Daniel is that God blessed, protected and gave abundance to His people, when they served Him. when they didn’t serve Him, they lost the battle. God only needed 1 covenant man who believed God, so that things could be turned around for Him. 

What do you consider to be the kings or gods of this world that try to dominate us? These spirits present themselves as gods. Your desires comes out of your obedience to God – this is where your joy comes from. In the right time and moment, when you hear Him, He gives you the desires of your heart. To be in a place where anything in the world controls your future, is not a good place to be in. The enemy is always out to steal talent and solutions, that God wants you to do. The system is always going to target the best of what God has. Daniel chose not to defile himself. 

There is no other way you can serve God, but for yourself – no one else can serve God for you, you have to make a decision to serve Him. The system comes to look for you so that it can control you. By controlling someone’s self-esteem, you can control them, but God can make you good enough (In the Name of Jesus, I sprinkle the Blood, I plead the Blood and I hold the Blood. I say, in the Name of Jesus, desist from your work against me, my self-esteem will not be controlled by you, but every fiber of my being in in control of and under the command of Jesus). 

Daniel put his entire future on the line, because he had already believed Jehovah was the only God to serve and he would die serving Him (I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than a master anywhere else. I too, desire to life a lifestyle of serving You, dying to myself. I desire to die serving You, Lord). Everytime you make a decision to serve God, even when you die, you are better off. 

I choose and make the decision that I make a stand for God, no matter what. I make a determined purpose not to go the systems way,, and in doing so, I will find favor and goodwill. I choose to SIT, LEARN AND LISTEN. 

Only when you are faithful, God raises your profile and makes your gifting and calling known to your spiritual leaders. 

• Where were God’s people to prevent? Whatever we permit, God must permit. 
• How do you not let your biasedness just go on to your children? You, as a parent, influence your child before the government ever has a say. 

We are best suited to find an answer because we have sought God for His will for our lives. God can only talk to people to the extent of their commitment and based on their determined purpose (My determined purpose is to know Him). He is waiting for you to pursue Him – to bring to the Church what the devil wanted you to bring to the world system, but the devil will not pass this way in our lives. 

Sweet, spiritual dreams! May He come to visit you in your dreams!

Thursday, 7 July

Early morning for all of us, but filled with Holy awe and adventures. How good is our God! Kitted up and ready to go. 35 km ride today! Uphills, uphills and more uphills. I went into this ride with a very clear prompting from the Holy Spirit to die to self – to not go all in and try to be in the front the whole time. Earlier there were people experiencing conflict about the ride and the profile of it. I knew, within me, that I should stay with them, to encourage them to do what felt to me like a mountain just a few months ago. Prior to this weekend, I was pressing into God for big and bold relationships, for recovery, restoration, restructuring and reigniting of relationships. So I came into this ride being very aware to take every opportunity to build relationships. Just by dying to self and sticking with those at the back, I could have those opportunities, to help them, to build with them and to grow with them (Obedience unlocks opportunities). 

After a few hours on the saddle and an incident with Izaan falling off of her bike and having to be taken to hospital, we went for pancakes at Harry’s Pancakes in Dullstroom where Ps John sowed a significant seed into “Accident prevention” by blessing us all with lunch. After lunch, we adventured through Dullstroom, experiencing the very essence of what Dullies is – sleeping on benches outside of stores, chasing away spiders and just fellowshipping. 

Back at camp we had a session with Ps John. What a session! Praise God for continually flooding the eyes of our hearts with great light. 

The best way to fight the devil is by taking away his power. When a seed has been sowed, a harvest must come back. When you are a covenant man, its about covenant, not the sticks and stones you have to fight the enemy. Knowing things about covenant gives you great courage. When you are beloved, you have favor and goodwill. When you make a commitment to put everything on line for God, you become a focus for Him because He can use you for the assignment He has for you. Rely on God. When the world says its black, God says its blue. God promotes you, not the system. The ambition of doing something is nothing if you don’t have covenant. 

Brother Jerry told Ps John to tell us the following:

“When God called me, I knew that I had to immerse myself in the Word of God and give myself to the Word of God, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do in the future. It didn’t always go smooth, it didn’t always go smoothly with me. It didn’t always go smoothly, even when I was preparing and spending 8 hours a day in the Word. I had to go and get a job and work at a place, and the only job I could get was to work in the women’s lingerie department.” 

It was an embarrassing thing for him. 

“I didn’t work there long but I never stopped 8 hours a day of being in the Word. I would go to work, and I would either make hours before work or hours after work where I had committed to give my time to God so that I could learn.”

He was listening to Br Copeland’s tapes, studying the Word and studying Br Copeland’s messages. That is all that he knew at the time. 

“I made a decision that was of the highest quality, it was a no quit decision, it didn’t matter what it took, I made a decision to spend 8 hours a day with God for whatever God was going to be with me in those times. Whatever time, whatever they are sowing now, it is just the beginning of a no quit life. They can’t afford to be in a position where they just see this as a moment in time and then they can go on to their future. If they really want to see God work in their lives, they have to make a no quit decision. They have to make a no quit decision. You can’t quit. You can’t quit on God, what God has for your life. Just like I had to give myself completely to the Word that was presented to me, and I had to make a decision, again, an uncompromising decision that I would receive the Word, live the Word and make it my own. You have to make it your own. Things won’t always go as smoothly as you think they will.”

Working in the lingerie department was a blow to his ego to the call of God. He could’ve said ‘God, you can take care of me in a better way than this’, and in the end God did, but he was prepared to do whatever it took not to go back to bodywork on a full time basis, not to go back to what he knew. He did jobs from time to time for people that he could do after hours, but that was not his main way of earning income. He never went back, he only moved forward. 

“Don’t quit ever. Don’t quit on what God has put into your life and into your heart. Don’t quit.”

The “don’t quit” spirit is in me. 

Those that have stuck it out with God and the One that brung them, they have gone on to do things for God. The only thing preventing you from what God has and wants for you, is your own choice. 

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:22‭-‬24, NKJV)

Lord, Take my whole life and use it for Your glory!

This is about me and God, and if I choose Him, He will use whatever I give Him, for His glory. 

• We need to be on the attack, by declaring the Word and being bold and clear in your decision making. 
• In a pressure moment, the soul wants to lead, but when your spirit man is fed, your spirit man will be the dominant force. 
• All of us are supposed to be leaders. When you are led by God, you will always be led to do what He wants you to do. 
• It doesn’t matter what the size of the choice is. Even a small choice can lead to big things. 
• You can only get a victory if you don’t quit. 
• When your spirit man is so full of the Word of God and the life of God, the devil can’t contain that. 

I don’t have to carry that baggage for one moment, I can just walk into the future with God, not having to ever look back at what happened. I have the outcomes that my words create. 

Holy Spirit will speak to your spirit in your sleep, where you will wake up praying in tongues or knowing something you didn’t know before, because your spirit is alive to God. you will have visions and dreams by the spirit of God. You will see things in the spirit. 

We can be spirituals. 

Our day ended off with cooking and dishwashing duty with Luke, Thandeka, Anke and Jared, building relationships, encountering one another. Experiencing one another like never before. Singing songs, playing around, eating chocolates and just loving on one another. We laughed until our stomachs and jaws ached – we had a good dose of medicine. A moment I will never forget. 

Friday, 8 July 

Today we woke up with yet another artwork from God being displayed to us – skies we have never seen before. A reminder that He is so in the detail, in the uniqueness and relationship. His mercies are indeed new every morning. A day where I stepped into His very presence, feeling the presence of His angels all over me. 

56 km ride from Elandskloof to Ribbokkloof awaits us. Our first long-distance back to back ride. At first the ride went smoothly but as soon as 15km had passed, legs started aching, bodies were being challenged and everyone was pushing themselves HARD. along the ride, we stopped for lunch. What a gem that god just put on our path – a Kwarrie! One of the most spectacular thing I have ever laid eyes on. We took a dip after having lunch, then – WE CELEBRATED! It was Luke and Nicola’s birthday. It was so special and such a privilege to share this day with them. 

After this stop, things on the ride got very real, very quickly. There were times I felt as though I wouldn’t be able to finish the ride – I pushed my bike, sat next to the road and walked the hills out. The last hill just kept going and going and going. At the top of that hill was our stay for the night – Ribbokkloof. At the reception, I stopped my bike, took off my shocks and shoes – I was done! Only to find out we weren’t done. I had to put my shoes back on, get back on my bike and continue riding. The last bit was a very serious downhill. I did not feel comfortable at all going down on the bike. I got off of my bike and pushed my bike down. Everything was hurting. I hit a low. After a few meters, my feet were numb. I stopped and took off my cleats. 

Leigh-Ann Cawood Add session with Ps John

Saturday, 9 July

Today is the longest cycle of the trip. 

We woke up between mountains. It was so special. We packed up, loaded the trailers and off we went. Our ride started with an enormous hill. We cycled uphills and downhills, through passes, through tree plantations, and through farms reaching speeds of 42 km/h, making our way to Middelburg. 

We cycled next to the railway for kilometers. We came across a ditch right next to the railway, where we had to push our bike’s. We had multiple cars in convoy following us to Middelburg – one having a trailer attached to it. Simon drove the cars across, having a few hands to help him maneuver the trailer along with the car. This will remain an unforgettable memory!

With only a few km’s left, we picked up the speed on abound to Middelburg. We finally reached our destination, 60 km’s later – Seattle Middelburg!! After coffee and lunch, we headed back home. 

Throughout this whole trip, my comfort zone’s and boundaries were tested. I reached limits I haven’t reached before and broke through barriers – mentally, physically and spiritually. I had opportunities for growth, opportunities to go big and bold in relationships, opportunities to love. It just became so real to me that there truly is a time and a purpose for everything under heaven.