Stella Mckenzie Smuts: Bible Stories

The Call

Way back in 1976, a prophetess told me the following:

The Lord is going to take you to places you never dreamed possible. That which you are doing for Him now will grow into ministries you could not have imagined. Serve Him with all your heart and might.

At the time, I was in school and active in ministries such as SCA, YFC, Sunday School teaching, worship leading etc. After I left school, I always got involved wherever I could be of service.

Servicing my Heavenly Father and His people has always been a priority in my life.

Here is a question..... What does John 3 v 16 say? Yes, that's right:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.

Good…. Now, can you quote verse 15?......... what about verse 17?

Have these questions caught you off your guard? Yes, you are sure you know them but just can't remember them at this moment? I was stymied.

Let's take this discussion a little further... besides Jesus, who are the 2 people spoken of in John 3?

When I was a child, my Mother taught me the stories of Bible heroes. I have a large blue Bible Story book, which she encouraged me to read. The knowledge gained was very useful when, in my teens, I participated in Bible quiz competitions with Youth for Christ. However, as I reached adulthood, learning to quote Scriptures by chapter and verse became important. This led to quoting the Word of God from knowledge, albeit not been able to remember the references. A blessing indeed when one faces a situation and wants to declare Word over the problem. My Bible became marked as I underlined, highlighted, made notes and dated verses of importance, which spoke to my soul.

Soon the story (content) of a passage of Scripture was forgotten.

Why did Cain kill Abel? How many times did Joshua and his army march around Jericho and then what happened?

My Mother was very particular about the content of a passage. She said that if a verse began with the word WHEREFORE or THEREFORE, go and read the verses BEFORE and get the full story.

The first section of John chapter 3, is the story of Nicodemus, who came to Jesus in the night. Jesus told him he must be born again. Did you know that Nicodemus assisted in the burial of the body of Jesus after the crucifixion?

The second part of John chapter 3 find John the Baptist speaking to his disciples about Jesus.

There is so much to be learnt from the stories in this chapter.

May I encourage you to start reading the stories of the Bible again? Teach them to your children. Consider the humanness of each character. Put yourself in their shoes. Learn from the lives of the Bible characters. Make them your own.

Ministry in Africa

For many years, I have assisted my Pastor and his wife, Johan and Alta Cronje, with admin work relating to their ministry. They have been called by the Lord to train pastors and church leaders in various countries in Africa, in association with EMIT.

Training is provided throughout Africa. A total of 37 subjects are taught, spreading of knowledge out into cities, town, villages and remote areas, to people who do not have the opportunity to receive formal training as church leaders.

To learn more about EMIT, please click on the link provided.

Widow Support

After 30 years of marriage, my husband Peter, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer and passed away 3 months later. Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional roller-coaster which lay ahead. I read some excellent books about grief, but none told me how to cope with the day-to-day walk along the pathway called Widowhood.

Many widows have no one to turn to who really understands. Each ones copes differently, behaves differently and reacts differently.

Parables and Pebbles is a collection of devotions through which I will provide support and guidance to Widows. The Parables are real stories. The Pebbles all the Widow to glean from the stories and apply what they need, without ever having to compare themselves with any one else. Their experience will become their own Parable.

Please follow these devotions at https://sparrowwidows.blogspot.com

Life Coaching for Widows

Suddenly, a widow finds herself alone. This is a new era, a new season, a new way of living.

As a life coach, I will assist you to find your feet and take steps along the pathway of widowhood.

This is not counselling as I wont be solving your problems for you. Neither it is mentoring, where I would be teaching you what to do. A life coach helps you, the client, to discover your dreams and how to achieve them. I will also guide you as to how to deal with challenges, so that you will be giving yourself the best advice that you need.

For more information and costs, please send an email with your name and contact details to sparrow@asab.co.za

Clerical Services

Clerical work is my forté and I am therefore thrilled at any opportunity to use my talents to assist in any ministry which is very close to my heart. Travelling costs form a large part of my expenses. I have a fully operation office at home, from which I also do tent-work to supplement my running costs. I offer general clerical services, including typing, PowerPoint presentations, and bookkeeping to trial balance on QuickBooks. Kindly consider my services should you require any form of clerical work to be done.

Sparrow Blessings

Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Matthew 6:26 One day, I enjoying a time of Holy Communion at a railway bridge in Namibia. As I was praying for family and friends, I would break a crumb from the bread and throw it onto the river bank. {This was symbolic for me but that is a story for another day.} A small sparrow flew down and started eating the crumbs. The Lord was providing food for the sparrow and reminding me that He is my Source and Provider.