Bits and Pieces Through the Journey in Christ

By NokwaNela Sijadu-Jabanga

This book is aimed at bringing people close to God as they walk with Christ and collect, learn, and use all the bits and pieces I have shared. I also challenge those in Christ to do the same in their journeys: collect and share the bits and pieces they come across with to equip fellow brethren as challenges continually appear in life. Women may relate more to this book because most of what I am sharing is from my experiences, but it is aimed to challenge people who have not yet accepted Christ to accept him as their personal savior. To those who have already accepted Jesus, its meant to enhance their relationship and stay connected to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546289036

NokwaNela Sijadu-Jabanga

My name is NokwaNela, and Im also called Nela. Im a married. Christ-loving woman. I grew up in the small village of Qanda, Tsolo, in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. Im a professional nurse and a nurse educator, though I never practiced as a full-time nurse educator, only as a mentor of nurse learners in a clinical environment. I was unsuccessful in interviews for a full-time job; apparently only experienced candidates were accepted. I was disappointed and hurt because I badly needed the job, and Id never failed an interview before. To make things worse, it was the easiest interview in my life. I reckon God was saving the best for last, because I am now using my teaching skills in the kingdom of God instead of being a teacher of a small group of learners. I became a teacher of millions of people around the world. God is amazing! It is from my teaching background that I have been able to use different teaching methods in this first book, Bits and Pieces through the Journey in Christ. I have a passion in new Christians lives, which developed whilst I was serving as a life coach at Paradise Community Church, also known as Influencers Church, Adelaide, South Australia, under the leadership of senior pastors Ashely and Jane Evans. I have worked in different places in South Africa and abroad. As a result, I had an opportunity to fellowship with a number of ministries. I am little known in other ministries, although I was regularly attending a church (I will elaborate on that later). One thing is for sure: I am known by a few because I do not hesitate to mingle and blather with people in my proximity. I later decided to sit in different places at church, just to meet new faces for a chat.

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© 2018 NokwaNela Sijadu-Jabanga. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/20/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8904-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8905-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8903-6 (e)

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Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation — Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified Bible, New Testament copyright © 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

To my husband, who unknowingly challenged and allowed me to collect bits and pieces through my journey in Christ whilst he was not born again at the time. To my daughter Sno, who supported me throughout the process, as young as she is.

Contents

Introduction

PART 1

•   The Enemy

•   Workmanship

•   Pathogens That May Cause a Troubled Marriage

•   The Woman of a Need

PART 2

•   The Bride and the Race

•   Building a Kingdom Home

•   Compressors/Pressures

•   Happy Family

PART 3

•   His Hand

•   The Messenger

•   The Light

•   You Are!

Summary

Acknowledgements

Introduction

This book is aimed at bringing people close to God as they walk with Christ and collect, learn, and use all the bits and pieces I have shared. I also challenge those in Christ to do the same in their journeys: collect and share the bits and pieces they come across with to equip fellow brethren as challenges continually appear in life. Women might relate more to this book because most of what I am sharing is from my experiences, but it is aimed to challenge people who have not yet accepted Christ to accept Him as their personal saviour. To those who have already accepted Jesus, it’s meant to enhance their relationship and stay connected to Him.

PART 1

1. The Enemy: Satan, Scorpion, Serpent

Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! (Deut. 8:15, NLT)

G OD LED THE Israelites through the desert full of poisonous snakes and scorpions. The enemy did not waste time, constantly prompting the Israelites to sin. Even after the breakthrough of crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites still listened to the enemy; they worshipped a golden calf instead of God, to name one instance. Amongst the Israelites were those who trusted and believed in God, whereas others doubted and disobeyed God—despite the protection and provision they received from Him in the desert. As a result of their disobedience, the Israelites wandered for forty years in the wilderness, even though they were only a few miles from the Promised Land.

The moment one forgets about God, the enemy takes over.

The enemy attacks believers and nonbelievers in every area of their lives when he gets the opportunity to do so. The attack on believers normally occurs when they are in the desert, spiritually or physically weak, alone, or following a breakdown that severs the fellowship with Jesus.

The enemy will try to separate the believer from God by distracting, deceiving, or making use of his schemes. The enemy will deceive in many ways, and most of the time, it will not be clear that these deceptions will not yield the fruit of the spirit. The enemy will wrap the present in an appealing package. But watch out! A poisonous surprise is waiting inside that attractive covering.

After a breakthrough, the believer may think that the achievement resulted from hard work alone, and then the person feels pride instead of praising God. The Israelites fell into the same trap: instead of praising God, they made a golden calf. Give glory to God at all times, because He deserves to be praised. Do not get trapped or tricked by the enemy, who only wants to exalt himself.

Other strategies the enemy may use include distracting and disorganizing the believer. He may make the day appear to be so busy that no time is left for fellowship with Jesus, or he may cause the believer to feel exhausted and too weak to praise the Lord.

For nonbelievers, there is no fellowship with Jesus, and the enemy attacks at any time. Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8, GNT). Sometimes there is no apparent reason for the attack. It’s simply that as the enemy roams around, he finds you unprotected or exposed and carries out his aim of destroying you. But God has the opposite purpose: ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ (Jer. 29:11, NLT).

Come to Jesus for protection and be faithful to Him. God has the power to change the situation and grant you freedom, if you allow Him into your life.

It is the enemy’s choice to attack. God will never test you, but sometimes He allows the enemy to attack you to strengthen your faith for your own good or to be a blessing to others. You will learn to withstand the enemy by proclaiming God’s promises concerning you.

All these plans God has for you will thwart the enemy’s plans to destroy you and will put the enemy to shame, bringing glory to God. First Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) says, No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. If you are under His wings, all sorts of temptations may come and go, but there will always be a way out.

Why would you forget God and give the enemy an opportunity to destroy you when God has good plans for you? Believer, keep in constant fellowship with Jesus. You are a child of God and a chosen one!

If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal saviour, I invite you to do so, because then your sins can be forgiven. You can have the authority to trample down the serpent in Jesus’s name: "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions to overcome all the power of the