ExodusMagFeb2017

Aseza
MAYEKISO
Defy Circumstances
Through Faith
CAREER FOCUS
Who Moved My
Cheese?
ALSO INSIDE
What
differentiates
an ego maniac to a
humble man?
Pastor GIBSON
NGULUBE
Called to Desciple
...
Pioneer of Spritiual Weapons
and Tactics (SWAT)
+
YOUTH
CORNER
When Suicide Attacks

ON THE COVER
THE DISCIPLE
Pastor Gibson Ngulube Called to Desciple
21
45
55
5
Career Focus Who Moved My Cheese?
Youth Corner Suicidal Thoughts
My Story Aseza Mayekiso
28
14
18
42
28
26
FEATURES
E-Woman Woman of Strength
E-Man Priorities
Money Matters Save or Spend?
Works of Faith Iron Lady
KSD Recognise the Enemy’s Tactics
. 18 What
differentiates
an ego maniac to a
humble man?
LIFESTYLE
REGULARS
53
47
51
53
Health
Beauty
Quick Meal
Editor’s Note
Inside Word
Relationships
Leadership Note
Business
Interest Piece
Youth Corner
Song of Note
Last Word
2
35
9
38
40
44
55
57
59
Song of Note
57

editor’s
note
Mfesi Mayekiso
A second issue … Yey we’ve made it! When you introduce something new to people, you
worry about how they are going to receive it. If at all it is going to trigger any sort of
interest. We are grateful and overwhelmed by the response we have received so far. We
aim to continue bringing you material that is informative as well as educative and we
hope that this will be helpful in any situation you nd yourself in.
The bible tells us of how God spoke to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6-9), telling him to go and
deliver the news he wanted him to deliver, that he should not fear as He was going to put
in his mouth exactly what He wanted him to tell the people. We are the sent, to help you
where you need help or information. Bear with us if we become too deep, we speak what
we are told to speak.
We hope that you will nd something useful in this issue!
. Mfesi M
Our rst issue focused mostly on empowerment, education and common myths of
Christianity. The aim was to bring out the issues faced by society in life, education and
leadership. We share a very important piece for women to encourage them to know and grow
their worth. Women today are very vulnerable because of a number of issues affecting their
lives. Proper solutions are lacking, instead they nd themselves entangled in unnecessary
THE webs TEAM that only diminish their value. We need to empower ourselves with knowledge and
understanding as well as empower others. It is no point acquiring knowledge if you are not
Editor going to MFESI share MAYEKISO it. That is what leadership is about, empowering others. We applaud those that
Design found this & issue Layout helpful. PRINCE PAKS /// BRANDCORE
Publishing & Advertising GONDO MEDIA
Management Whether you read OWEN it or missed NGANDU it, let us know should you require a copy: exodtl@gmail.com
gondo.outdoormedia@gmail.com +27110750379
2

From Word4U2day

...
We live in a world that relies on (and even demands)
evidence, physical evidence or personal experience. A
scientist might have a theory about how something works,
but until it has been tested thoroughly and physical proof
found, other scientists won’t believe it. It’s sound practice
but it means that even in the rest of life, if we can’t
physically sense something for ourselves, we tend to be
sceptical. When someone says they believe something
without evidence, we nd it easy to be cynical and dismiss
them. The problem is, we can fall into the habit of
automatically disbelieving everything. Sometimes God
really does ask us to just have faith in him and trust what
he’s saying, without yet having physical proof. And that
can be difcult. Even Thomas had lived with Jesus for
almost 3 years and heard his promise that he’d rise again
from the dead, but he still said, “Unless I can see his
wounds and touch him, I will not believe (John 20:25).
Did Jesus turn his back on Thomas because of his doubts?
No! He never rejects a sincere, doubting heart. Jesus
showed up in person and resolved all of Thomas’ doubts.
And as we read his word and seek his face, he’ll gently
put our doubts to rest too. When we stop living in the
‘sense’ realm and learn to ‘walk by faith’, our doubts will
begin to die.
...
2 Corinthians 5:7
Romans 10:17 NIV

1

my story
By Aseza Mayekiso
“ NEVER ALLOW
YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
TO DETERMINE
YOUR DESTINY... ”
The bible says He loves us;
He even knows the number
of our hairs. He will never
leave us nor forsake us. He is the
same yesterday, today and
forever. Oh, His name is Jesus.
He paid it for all of us. You know
I like it more when the scripture
says, He went forward. He faced
what his destiny was leading him
to be.
Many a times, when we go
through situations, we think that
God is not there. We forget that
even the most successful business
people in the world at some
stage in their lives they failed
once or twice. I started my
business in 2009. I left my 8 to 5
job without even a pension
benet to be used as start-up
capital. Believe me I loved my job
and I had a very good
relationship with my boss to a
point that even after I had left I
still did some Consulting and
drafted business plans for his
Umsobomvu Youth Fund clients
of that time. I think my decision
to start my own business was
based on the fact that there is no
security in being employed. I
remembered how I struggled to
get a job, what I went through
and the fear of being out of a
job. This was the threat that
made me start my own business,
using the skills, experience and
knowledge acquired.
In January 2005 after completing
my 3-year National Diploma in
Small Business Management, I
came to stay with my Aunt in
Palm Ridge, Ekurhuleni so that I
can look for employment. I
stayed the whole of 2005 with no
luck let alone getting a
temporary job. 2006 Jan, Feb,
dololo umsebenzi!
It was now the 15th of March
2006 and a Good Friday; I was
escorting my friend and her
boyfriend to the taxis as they
were going to the Eastern Cape
for the Easter weekend. On my
way back I meet this man who
asked me for the directions to the
nearest township, as I was
directing him he then tells me the
reason why he was going to that
place and I ignored that. He then
repeated himself and I eventually
listened even though I had
26

MY STORY | Aseza Mayekiso
doubts about what he told me,
the guy assured me and even
wanted to give me a number to
call as to conrm his statement. I
then got interested and said to
myself even though I never
pictured or even applied to work
as a Till Operator at a shop, but
it’s been too long since I’ve been
looking for employment. I have
nothing to lose if I go for this
interview and I don’t have an
excuse, as this man even told me
that he was even given taxi fare
for anyone else who’ll be
interested for this job.
‘
It was as if this man hypnotized
me because even though I had
questions about this and the fact
that it’s a Good Friday, he had
all the answers. I mean he would
“All I asked him was
not to kill me as it
was evident that he
will do whatever he
wants.”
answer my doubts before I could
ask him. The next thing, what
had promised to be a beautiful
daylight turned to be a
nightmare. I was repeatedly
raped with my hands tied with a
rope and my faced covered by
the plastic sweater which I
constantly asked him to give me
some air as I was suffocating. All
I asked him was not to kill me as
it was evident that he will do
whatever he wants. All I could
think of was that this is in the
bushes, it will take longer for my
body to be found should this
man kill me. Now it was at
Sunset, he showed me the
direction to my home, as my
hands were still tied, I tried to
loosen them and the moment he
turned to go his own direction, I
ran for my life to R59 so that by
the time he changes his mind to
come back and kill me I must be
far. Oh, Lord Bless the family
from Mondeor that found me
running like a mad person while
hiking and gave me a lift to the
nearest police station. This was
the most painful experience of
my life but zange ndimsole
nganto uYesu or ask why me
because no one deserves that. I
had to be strong not just for
myself but for my family, I had to
be the one who calls my twin to
tell her that I am ne because
she was not taking it well at all.
There is something about this
story because Christ was crucied
on the same day.
He allowed this to happen to me
because He knew that I am
stronger than that. And through
this experience I faced my
destiny. Now it’s been 11 years
since this has happened. Three
years after the incident, I started
my own business. I started my
business out of nothing. But it
sustained me. There were
challenges and lessons learnt
and every time I think of giving
up, I always think of how far I
have come and the reason why I
started. I know one day, it will be
like it’s just a story and people
would not believe it.
I chose to share this story not
because I want people to feel
sorry for me but because I
believe it will touch one or two
people who have given up or are
‘
“...and every time I
think of giving up, I
always think of how
far I have come
and the reason why
I started.”
on the verge of giving up in life.
Sometimes our breakthroughs in
life are embedded in our pain. It
doesn’t matter how many times
you fail in life, what is important
is rising up every time you fail.
You review your strategy and
change it until you get it right.
My business, Thembela Business
Communications is a marketing
and communication company, 8
years in existence. At some point
in my Entrepreneurial journey I
thought I was in the right
direction, had a big ofce in
Marshalltown with four full time
employees, driving a nice sports
car which I bought cash and
staying in the northern suburbs. I
then found a Church, it became
my home. I became more
dedicated and committed to the
Lord and I knew the devil did not
like that. He came with his tricks
and I then lost my car through a
car accident. Things were also
not going well in my business.
One of the major threats to every
business is cash ow. Cash ow
became a problem. The
insurance company paid for my
car accident claim, then I
diverted the cash into the
business. Instead things went
from bad to worse in my
business, until I even got an offer
to work on the Gauteng Tshepo
7

MY STORY | Aseza Mayekiso
5000 programme as a Business
Advisor. Well, I enjoyed my work
and the guaranteed income that
was coming with it, but there was
only one problem for me; I was
employed and for me there are
no guarantees or security when
you are an employee.
I think this is a moment now
when God asked me; ‘You think
you did this on your own? I will
allow the devil to take it from you
but I will restore it and you will
know that this is I the Lord.’ And I
was in this 4 months break away
from the city lights but God and
my books and he indeed
revealed himself and showed me
His ways, corrected my wrongs
and reminded me that I am an
Entrepreneur. So I brushed off
dust from my boots and headed
back to the city to revive my
business. It’s not yet back to its
previously ourish form, but with
God as my leader it will surpass
its previous position.
This is my journey, and with God
who is my light and my salvation;
forward I go.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the
body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can
destroy both soul and body in hell. Are
not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet
not one of them will fall to the ground
outside your Father’s care. And even the
very hairs of your head are all
numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are
worth more than many sparrows.”
...
Matthew 30v28-31
(NIV)
8

elationships
Partnership
Ayoung man walks into a
restaurant. Immediately
after seating his eye
catches the beauty of a young
lady seating across his table.
Without wasting any time, he gets
up and goes to talk to the lady.
With few follow ups they go on a
date and later decide to form a
relationship. In a matter of few
weeks, his mind was set, she was
the woman he wanted to marry,
and for her he was too. Almost a
year later things start falling apart
in his life. He loses his income, his
car and eventually his home. His
ancé invites him to come and
live with her while he sorts out his
affairs. After a lot of resistance, he
nally agrees. Few months into
the cohabitation arrangement
things change drastically. Her
expectations are not met and
eventually she loses respect for
him. It is one argument after
another. The source of the
arguments was that she expected
him to assist her with the
household chores. She was going
to work every day and therefore
expected him to assist her with
cooking and cleaning. The only
issue was that she expected more
than just assistance. She wanted
him to do the household chores
and she would assist whenever
19

RELATIONSHIPS | Partnership
she could. They were from two
different upbringings. Therefore
they could not agree on some
things.
‘
‘“You should
understand your
role and how it
connects with that
of your partner. The
man brings home
the bacon, woman
cooks it.”
In any partnership, for it to
function smoothly each partner
ought to be clear, understand and
master their own roles. Roles have
to be distinguished from word go.
If the other partner is unavailable,
the other partner then steps in to
assist, but not take over. The point
of doing that is so things don't fall
apart just because the other one
is unavailable. Even departments
in companies are managed in
such a way that employees can't
all go on leave at the same time
so that those that are not on
leave, can act on behalf of those
that are on leave. This then
ensures smooth operation of the
business.
You should understand your role
and how it connects with that of
your partner. The man brings
home the bacon, woman cooks it.
The man nds a place to stay;
woman turns it into a home. The
man provides for washing
detergents, woman does laundry.
He provides for cleaning
materials and the woman cleans
the house. The roles are
intertwined. We should learn to
master these roles whilst things
are still ne and the household
economy is good. It is when you
have mastered these roles that it
becomes easier to move to the
next level of partnership. Today
women don’t want to be
restricted, they also want to be
educated and have a career.
However, if they have mastered
their role, then this will not have
any impact in their households.
For example, hiring a helper for
cleaning and laundry relieves her
of that function while it is still
done. However, the paying of the
helper becomes her responsibility.
She still cooks the bacon though.
Her being employed also takes
care of those irregular women
needs without bothering the
husband. With a great
understanding of the roles, it then
takes maturity to agree to share
the nancial responsibilities of the
household accordingly without
feeling overloaded or
emasculated.
Life is unpredictable and things
don’t remain the same forever.
What happens if the man loses
his income? Then the income of
the household gets reduced and
the couple has to operate under
stringent circumstances. Basically
the household economy shifts to
bad. To manage costs, wife then
may have to let go of the helper
which then takes her back to
square one, having to manage
her role fully as well as acquire
the role of her husband. The
general expectation from a
woman would be that the man
should now absorb the
responsibility of the household
chores. Man may feel
emasculated by this shift and
therefore rebel against
expectation. Woman may feel
overloaded by the double
responsibility and therefore
protest for help. Without proper
“However, when we
are mature enough
to understand that
the situation is
temporary, it might
be easy to nd a
common
understanding on
how to cope with
the current
circumstances.”
‘
compromise this may lead to
constant arguments, disrespect
and loss of love in the
relationship. However, when we
are mature enough to understand
that the situation is temporary, it
might be easy to nd a common
understanding on how to cope
with the current circumstances. As
a woman it might be wiser to
continue with your double roles
with the intention to give your
partner support to nd another
source of income. You always
210

RELATIONSHIPS | Partnership
have to understand that the
situation is temporary. As a man,
it may also be wiser to jump in
and help your partner with the
household chores without waiting
to be asked, this as a nice gesture
to show her how much you
appreciate her support. Also,
ensure that you work on acquiring
another source of income.
Women appreciate just the effort
even if there is no income as yet;
just knowing that the partner is
trying is good enough.
What happens then if it’s the
other way around? A woman is
usually spoilt rotten by the
husband. She is not employed
and has no prospects of being
employed and is used to a lavish
lifestyle that the husband gives
her. What happens when the
‘“Circumstances
are not there to
destroy the
partnership but to
build you and make
you stronger as a
couple.”
husband loses income and her
lifestyle has to change? In a
mature partnership, the woman
should be open to go and seek
employment even if it is to take
care of the basic nancial
household needs, as well as
maintain her lifestyle. It might not
be to the same standard but it will
be better than nothing. This will
be while the husband is sorting
out his affairs. Again,
understanding that the situation is
not permanent is key. Where there
is no maturity, a woman will
protest to this shift and end up
either leaving the partner or the
living conditions for the man will
be unbearable.
We need to be careful in our
process of support that we do not
cripple each other. We are
partners to support each other as
well build each other. As a man
you should always encourage
your woman to do something to
build herself, whether it is through
work; study; a hobby or selfemployment.
This way you
encourage her to be independent,
that even though you are still
giving her all that you want to
give her, you are also giving her
an ability to do things for herself.
As women, our role even to a
male child is to build them to be
independent from word go. You
treat and teach your boy child to
be the kind of man that any
woman would be lucky to have.
Why then would you not do even
better for your partner? It is good
to support him through all his
endeavours, whether to look for a
job or start his own business, but
we need to be careful not to
cripple him in the process. In the
midst of that support, he always
needs to be reminded of what is
expected of him so he doesn’t
forget and get comfortable. Be
careful that you don’t nd yourself
doing things for him that he
should be doing for himself.
Support should only be just that,
support. The dictionary best
describes support as ‘providing
immaterial assistance to a person,
cause or interest’ or ‘giving
moral, psychological, aid or
courage to’. So when you decide
to spoil your wife as a man, give
her an aid to start something that
will benet her in the long run,
something she can be proud of
achieving on her own. As a
woman, give your man a listening
ear, comfort and any aid that will
help him towards his goal.
However, still give him room to
always remember that goal.
Women can sometimes
unintentionally mother their
partners to a point of
emasculating them, with the
intention to give support. You
have to be careful of the kind of
support you are giving; the one
you give to your son should be
different to that you give to the
leader of your house.
We always have to understand as
partners that where there is unity,
anything is possible.
Circumstances are not there to
destroy the partnership but to
build you and make you stronger
as a couple. When you make
God the leader in whatever
situation you nd yourselves in,
you will nd it to be easier day by
day. The problem we face as
partners is that we tend to ght
the circumstances, as though we
intentionally brought them to
ourselves.
It is under dire circumstances that
the union becomes stronger only
if you make God the controller of
it all. Do not ght it, God allowed
11

RELATIONSHIPS | Partnership
‘
“ When you make
God the leader in
whatever
situation you nd
yourselves in,
you will nd
it to be easier day
by day. ”
it for a reason and therefore
accepting it is the same as being
obedient to God. You allow his
will to operate in your union. –
Psalms 133 “How good and
pleasant it is when God’s people
live together in unity! It is like
precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down to the collar of his robe. It is
as if the dew of Hermon were
falling on Mount Zion. For there
the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore”.
The enemy will be doing
everything in its power to magnify
the problems because it is the
cheerleader of breakup. God
unites, the enemy divides. When
you consider break up you are
obeying the enemy’s voice.
Choose to obey God’s voice in a
way that even when you nd
yourself stressed, frustrated and
overwhelmed, you make God
your refuge and your comfort. He
blesses where there is unity. The
circumstances are just allowed as
a test, not to harm you but to
prosper you. Allow yourself to
enjoy the new role that God
brings to your life through
circumstances, he has a good
reason to place you in that
position. – Romans 8:28 “All
things work together for the good
of those who love the Lord”.
Trusting and obeying him is a
pure sign of your love for him.
Those that love him are rewarded
immensely.
For whatever feeling you have in
any situation in your marriage,
nd out what the bible says about
it. Then pray for God to manifest
that word in you. Be kind to
yourself and to your partner no
matter what the conditions.
Kindness is rewarded with
kindness. Strive for peace. When
you have peace you gain
contentment, and nothing can
intimidate you.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly
loved. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other
and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance
against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And
over all these virtues put on love, which binds them
together in perfect unity.”
...
Colossians 3v12-14
12

14
THIS
IS
HERE
JUST
TO
SAVE
YOUR
AD SPACE
FOR THE
NEXT
MAGAZINE
ISSUE

e-WOMAN
WOMAN OF
STRENGTH
With Ps. Viola Ngulube
s a young girl, you are
Alikely to follow in the
footsteps of those that are
ahead of you, those that have
lived life and have an experience
better than yours. You are likely to
see them as role models as they
project to you a kind of lifestyle
you see as one you would like or
nd yourself living. An 11 year
old girl says to her mother, ‘I will
never get married mom because I
have seen that in this house for
things to happen, you make sure
they happen. If you are not, then
things will fall apart. I do not
understand why I should stress
myself with a husband if I can do
things for myself’. Young girls
make their own observations and
draw conclusions based on the
lives of the women they see in
their everyday life. Depending on
the lifestyle being projected to
them, they are likely to draw
wrong conclusions. The problem
is, without facts you base your
conclusions on assumption. The
11 year old girl sees her mother
doing things but she doesn’t have
all the facts. The resources for her
to making things happen could
be coming from the husband, a
part which she has not seen. Or
the mother could have been
placed by God to do exactly what
she is doing, perhaps to teach
independence or partnership to
her children.
For whatever situation you see,
God has a reason for it. It
becomes a problem then, to say
as a young woman you are going
to do what you saw your mother,
aunt, sister or friend doing in their
relationships. The circumstances
as well as the reasons for your
union are different. You cannot
base your decisions on someone
else’s relationship.
With all that confusion, women
can nd themselves seeking
advices from the people that
probably mean well, but lack facts
in order for them to give proper
advice.
We ask Ps. Viola Ngulube, a
wife, mother, Teacher and
Counsellor to share with us how
women can avoid certain
problems in their marriages.
14

E-WOMAN | Woman of Strength
You are a wife to a Pastor. Before he accepted his calling you were living a different lifestyle as
his wife. When he accepted his calling, your life as well as his changed and you faced
challenges in the process. A lot of women face challenges in their relationships. It could be a
situation of a partner having lost their income and making the woman a breadwinner. It could
be a situation of a partner leaving his job and branching out into business and therefore require
emotional or some other support. How would you motivate these women to offer the desired
support to their partners without losing hope or getting tired?
It is a difcult kind of change, but I’ve come to realise that in marriage, it is a privilege to be
married to someone who listens to God. Because many times you ask before you get married,
you pray to God to give you a lifelong partner, and it is only through God that you are able to
nd one. So if someone hears a calling, and it happens to be your husband, you have to thank
God for that because it is not everyone who will have that privilege. It is only God that can give
you that kind of a man. That will also give you assurance that God has a purpose for your
particular marriage, regardless of the circumstances. When a calling has been conrmed, you
go through a lot of challenges. A word from God will always be conrmed even through you as
a spouse. And failure to respond to that can end up affecting your marriage negatively.
For example, you can delay your progress because God will keep on insisting until someone
accepts. You can face challenges nancially, socially, emotionally or things can just stop working
properly in your profession.
As ladies we can also become obstacles to our husbands because we will be prone to think
about how the family is going to stand. The kind of life you live is going to change for a season,
until you start following God’s purpose. I have seen it from experience that as soon as you
accept, God will start making a way for you and he will provide enablement on almost
everything. It is just a matter of listening to God and being obedient.
I would encourage women to support their husbands in any kind of a call God is bringing to
their lives, because failure to support may result in both of you being affected negatively. A
marriage is not for one person, so by not supporting your husband, you will also delay your
progress. If there is going to be suffering, you are both going to experience it as it will not only
affect one person.
On some radio show doing express counselling, a young man calls asking for advice on whether
or not he should divorce his wife. They had both realised that they had married for wrong
reasons and so they wanted to correct their wrong by divorcing.
The advising Pastor told him that they should change their reasons and not the marriage status.
A lot of women marry for ‘wrong’ reasons and when they are deep in the marriage, they realise
that the very same reasons they married for cannot help them sustain their marriages and the
rst instinct is to divorce. How can they change their marriages to what they desire rather than
wishing to escape it?
15

E-WOMAN | Woman of Strength
It is only through adultery according to the word of God that one is allowed to divorce. Besides
that, once you are in you have to remain in forever.
Marriage is just a beginning of another phase of life. If you got married for some other reason,
now that you are in the marriage you can have a fresh start in life as a couple, with a new
mindset, a mindset that is based on building up the two of you. When people get married, they
are from two different worlds, two different kinds of lives. The start of marriage initiates a
learning curve for each other. Also your expectations will come to reality, but not all your
expectations will come to maturity. This is when you see people start differing and start pointing
ngers at each other based on their expectations. God has ordained it and found it t that when
he has joined two people together, they can grow together. So I’d encourage women not to
blame themselves or the spouse and think that they made a wrong choice, there is no such
thing. When God has joined you together, there is room for you to grow together. When you do
things together and pray together you are learning each other and teaching each other. A prayer
of two people is more powerful than that of one person.
So when the two of you pray together in one accord, God will command that which you wish. So
instead of spending time complaining about marriages we are already in, we should continue
praying to God to sustain our marriages. He will provide for every need we might have, be it
emotional; social; nancial; health and otherwise. God remains God in every situation we go
through, so the marriage will work. You also do not want to affect the future and destinies of
your children by divorcing. So as a woman hold on, pray and God will sustain you. Let us be
empowered and settle our differences. Let us open a new page as people who are learning from
each other. Let us take up our duties of responsibility as prayer warriors.
A woman that has a non-progressive husband, that is neither working nor interested in nding a
source of income, an alcoholic or a cheat. That has tried all sorts of ways to remedy the situation
in her marriage but with no luck. What else can she do if the husband is not interested in
changing nor going the counselling route?
When a marriage is on the edge, normally there is a reason why that is happening. It is
advisable for the woman to be sensitive, especially spiritually. Behind every action there is a
spirit. So I’d encourage women that instead of spending their time talking about the problems
they are facing in the family, they should rather spend more time praying. Through prayer, God
will reveal to them what is really happening. When you know the source of the problem, the next
thing to pray for is the breakthrough. Doing good to your spouse is the best medicine for the
situation instead of ghting. Sometimes a person would be doing whatever they will be doing
because something will be ghting against their marriage, aimed at creating a bigger gap so
much that they only think of divorce. As women of God we always have to be sensitive and
understand that it is not always going to be all rosy. The devil is going to ght the marriages and
the good things that he can see in the future. When he ghts, he uses people and we are likely
to be the same people the devil uses in our own marriages, so we have to be very sensitive in the
spirit. When you continue doing good and praying, talk or ght less, God will intervene more. If
16

E-WOMAN | Woman of Strength
you are a bread winner continue being the bread winner, everything is well known by God. What
we don’t realise is that God can use any of us in a marriage, so we always have to be sensitive.
Sooner or later your husband will realise that you have been good to him and the marriage is
where it is because of you. The blessing can come through either.
As women we are empowered. God has placed in us power to shape and direct our marriages
and take them to where we want them to be through prayer. Avoid saying negative things to
your husband no matter what the circumstances. Words are powerful.
You are a mentor to younger women. What advice can you give to women to strive to be the
best versions of themselves in both self and wife areas?
As a lady, the most important thing you should value is yourself. Just be who you are. Don’t try
and wrestle yourself with what you have, lacking or haven’t done. We are talking about even
your past, background or upbringing. Blaming yourself for what could have happened. Just be
who you are. Make the best of what God has given you. Aim for what God wants you to be.
Make the best of the situation God has put you in. He has a reason. Don’t regret as that will pull
down your condence, instead be the best of the current you. Always thank God for the
marriage you are in. Doing that will make you avoid the unexpected pieces of advice which will
lead you to go astray from what God has planned for you. People can tell you what they think
you want to hear.
It’s usually said that for a man and woman to be in marriage, the man has to be at least 3 years
older. You and your husband are the same age. What makes it easy for you to show him respect
and obedience as your husband and the leader of your household?
This is where spiritual maturity comes in. You have to exercise a lot of spiritual maturity and
unfortunately with this generation the stigma is not only about age. It is also about the levels in
their professions; the amount of money they earn etc. If the wife makes more money than the
husband, the belief is that the woman can boast saying that ‘I am the breadwinner’ because she
is bringing in more money and is entitled to more say.
It brings a lot of problems into marriage. You have to understand what God says about
marriage. When He ordained marriage He put principles which have to be adhered to if the
marriage is going to work. Money, age and profession don’t matter, even the stigma of a wife
giving birth to only girl or boy children, or no children at all doesn’t matter, what matters is what
God says about marriage. The importance of making sure that marriage works is to understand
what God says and not rely on our own understanding.
17

e-MAN
PRIORITIES
ne of the important
Olessons that you learn
when God strips you of
everything that you have and
takes you to the bottom of the pit
is humility. One preacher
described it as a process in which
God will be creating a vessel of
honour out of you. Humility is
described in a lot of ways in the
dictionary but mostly as a low
level position. The important
denition is ‘a cause to be
unpretentious’. Does humility
apply to male species or is the
ego or arrogance more
appropriate to show how
masculine you are? What
differentiates an ego maniac to a
humble man? Priorities!
A man married with one daughter
vowed to himself that he will
always work hard, earn enough
money to take care of himself and
his family based on his
background of lack as a child. He
wanted to give his family a better
life than what he had as a child.
He managed to build a business
for himself and his business was
doing well and so he could do the
things he had vowed to do. His
family did not lack, they had
everything they wanted. When his
daughter was doing Grade 12,
she had a conversation with her
mother that she wanted to explore
international options and so the
mother agreed without taking that
seriously. It was the beginning of
the year and she thought the
daughter would change her mind
and therefore never bothered to
share this with her husband. The
father wanted to do something
amazing for her daughter as a
high school graduation present.
All that year he was working more
than he did previously, chasing
this deal and that business
opportunity and he was hardly
ever at home. Almost at the end
of the year he managed to get the
amount of money he required for
the present he wanted to get for
his daughter. He did all his
arrangements and decided that
he would give it to her at
Christmas. The daughter had
been getting good grades and
based on that he was condent
that she was going to pass.
Christmas came, along with the
exchange of gifts. Even the
mother was unaware of her
husband’s plans for their
daughter, it was a surprise.
‘
“What differentiates
an ego maniac to a
humble man?”
18

E-MAN | Priorities
Imagine the surprise the daughter
got when she received the keys
for her favourite car. Joy and
excitement overwhelmed her. She
was over the moon and so was
the father. He had succeeded in
achieving one of his best plans
yet. Those few minutes of joy
dropped and opped like a
balloon when the daughter
shared her surprise, ‘Mom, Dad I
have been accepted at an
Engineering school in London.
There is a company that is willing
to fund my tuition provided I work
for them after graduation. I don’t
know where they will place me as
the company has branches all
over the world’. There’s that
emoji face with two very big eyes.
It suddenly dawned to the father
that what he spent all his life
working towards achieving was
drawing to an end. His drive, his
reason to wake up every day early
in the morning and come back
home late at night was no more.
His daughter didn’t even need
him to pay for her further studies,
she had that sorted out. What
about that car he worked for the
whole year to surprise her, what is
he to do with it now that her
daughter doesn’t need it? Reality
starts kicking in. Not only does his
daughter not need his nancial
support, but she will not be
around for him to see or spend
time with her anymore. Suddenly,
all that work seems like such a
waste of time and energy. One of
the biggest problems men have is
ignorance, the belief that things
will stay the same while they are
out there chasing the bacon.
While there is nothing wrong with
working hard to give your family
all the best, there is something
very wrong with you doing that at
the expense of their desires. Men
have a tendency to shift their
priority to their dream. When you
spend all your time, energy and
efforts in building a business and
making money, you shift the
priority in your life. You should be
able to balance your efforts.
Every single wife and child want
the good life, no doubt about that
and a man that can provide that
‘
“While there is
nothing wrong with
working hard to
give your family all
the best, there is
something very
wrong with you
doing that at the
expense of their
desires.”
is a winner. However, they also
have something else they value
more, your time with them. It is
through spending time that you
get to catch up with your family.
Find out what is going on in their
lives and what their needs and
desires are. When you do not
have time for them, you hardly
get a chance to nd out what their
needs and desires are, and
believe me they change. You will
still be hanging on to something
you were told last year, not
knowing that it has changed. The
worst part of it, is nding out that
what you are working so hard for
is not needed anymore. How
hurtful would that be when you
put your blood and sweat on
something only for someone not
to appreciate it, all your efforts for
nothing? People appreciate
getting what they need, not what
you need to give them.
A couple once attended marriage
counselling because their
marriage was falling apart. Two
people living in the same house
but have two different desires. The
husband was doing everything he
could to chase a career, move up
the ladder so he could constantly
improve his family’s lifestyle. All
those things the husband was
getting for them she could not
appreciate. He was complaining
that the wife is ungrateful and
unsupportive. He did not realise
that he was being selsh. He was
chasing after what he wanted and
not what his family wanted. That
is how the dream becomes a
priority rather than your family.
She could not appreciate any of
the things she was getting
because she had no one to enjoy
them with.
Her argument was ‘what is the
point of him working so hard for
things that he does not even get
to enjoy?’ Imagine working all
your life to own a beautiful house
for your family but you never have
enough time to spend in it. How
can a wife alone enjoy the house
without proper company? Your
dream has to be in line with that
of your family and
communication is key.
Communication only happens
when there is time spent. When
there is lack of time spent,
communication falls off and
automatically the connection
between you and your family.
19

E-MAN | Priorities
The key is being able to balance
your efforts. Chase your dream of
providing for your family but
balance it by spending time with
them. That way you will get all the
support you need in any
endeavours. You will also not be
chasing a dream that only
satises you because you will be
in tune with what everyone else
wants. You do not want to nd
yourself in a position where you
get no appreciation for what you
do as well as no support because
you are doing your own thing
whilst everyone else is doing
theirs. Fact is, for men chasing
money to provide becomes a
habit than it becomes a necessity.
Once you start you are more
likely to always chase in order to
provide something better. So if
you do not learn to balance it
early you can easily lose control.
People get tired of waiting and
start making their own plans. Do
not be disconnected to a point
that you don’t even know the
plans others are making and how
they affect yours.
‘
‘“How can a wife
alone enjoy the
house
without proper
company? Your
dream has to be in
line with that of
your family and
communication is
key. ”
The difference then between an
ego maniac and a humble man is
determined by the priorities they
have set for themselves. When
you chase a dream to do
something for others that is not in
line with what they truly want, it
benets mostly you and that
makes you an ego maniac. You
have set your priority to doing
things that make you feel good
about yourself without caring if
the others care just as much.
However, when you balance your
dream with that of your family,
you are in tune with what they
want and aim to please them,
which makes you a humble man.
Spending time with your family
doesn’t make you weak; it
actually makes you stronger
because a man that can balance
his time is a man with high
capabilities, love and humility. He
is a man that God will bless
accordingly. Be humble and learn
to balance your efforts by
spending time with your family.
That way you will be able to
provide for your family
accordingly.
“The one who trusts in his
riches will fall, but the
righteous will ourish like a
green leaf. The one who
troubles his family will
inherit nothing, and the
fool will be a servant to the
wise person. The fruit of
the righteous is like a tree
producing life, and the one
who wins souls is wise.”
...
Proverbs 11v28-30
(NET)
20

Pastor Gibson Ngulube and his wife of 25 years, Ps. Viola Ngulube

the
disciple
“...I WANT
PEOPLE
TO BE ROOTED
IN THE WORD
AND KNOW
THEIR
WORD.”
Pastor
Gibson Ngulube
22

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
orn and educated in
BGweru, Zimbabwe. A
Teacher and business man
by profession and a Pastor by
calling.
Before accepting his calling as a
Pastor, he was in the acting
industry in Zimbabwe. He
performed in street theatre,
community theatre at the time,
with a group called Action
Generation. A group of friends
coming out of high school and
during their gap year decided to
form an acting group.
They were going into schools in
Zimbabwe, teaching and doing
stage drama. In 1989 he enrolled
for teaching at a teachers’ college
and continued acting whilst
studying. During that time, a
school drama group he directed
at Tafara High School excelled in
regional competitions held at the
time and progressed to the
national competitions where there
were adjudicators. One of the
adjudicators, a director of the
Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation took interest in one
of the group’s productions and
became interested in nding its
director. Pastor Ngulube had
directed the play. The ZBC
Director invited him and his best
actor to the studios. That is when
he joined the television industry.
He has featured on a sitcom
called Parafn aired in
Zimbabwe. He was also a disk
jockey which is now called a DJ.
A few years back I found myself
going through what others call
suffering, which I call alignment.
A car has to go for wheel
alignment every 10 000 km. That
is to ensure smooth driving as
well as conguration of the
wheels. It also helps the tyres from
being damaged. As we go
through life we take everything
one day at a time while worrying
about the future, but we never
stop to ask ourselves what our
purpose is and if we are living
according to that purpose. God
who created us is in control of all
that happens in our lives and
aligns and realigns us whenever
he sees the need. He aligns us so
that whatever he has planned for
us, our lives, characters and
attitudes go hand in hand with it.
That we may be able to achieve
that which he has planned. The
alignment process is however a
very uncomfortable process, but if
you allow yourself to be guided
and directed by him, it gives you
hope than suffering. He makes
divine provisions for you that will
enable you to go through the
process, not with ease but with
support.
Pastor Ngulube is one of the
divine provisions God made for
me through my alignment
process. He was not just a
strategic provision but a mentor
that guided and taught me how to
understand, endure and rejoice in
the process. It is through him that
I learnt and understood who God
is and his role in my life. It is also
through him that I got to
understand who I am in Christ.
In our quest to get to know the
man behind the Pastor title we
asked him…
23

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
How did you know you were called into ministry?
First I dreamt I was with a man of God and we were walking. In this dream I was holding two
snakes. It was as if I saw a screen with no sound. As we were parting, the sound came not from
the screen but from me saying, ‘If it’s like that then I’m no longer interested’, and I put the
snakes down. Coming back it started raining and the voice came saying leave all your friends.
On my right hand there was a maize eld. After that I had a series of dreams where we would
be praying in the dreams and I would continue praying even after I wake. I started by watching
the television services while my wife would go to church. I asked God to guide me to a church
and a message came while I was watching one of the services, ‘Salvation doesn’t come to you in
your house’. So I decided to go and join the church of the man of God that I was with in my
dream. He was an elder at AFM. My rst day at church, there was a convention and so when I
arrived the church was ending. There was then an alter call as they were closing for those that
wanted to give their life to God. I took the call and I was prayed for, I became ofcially born
again and I’ve been with AFM since.
In 1997, a message came saying I should leave everything I was doing including my friends. A
total transformation, so I left it all. There are things that were not aligned with the call God had
on my life. My Pastor at our rst church prophesied that we were going to be Pastors, me and my
wife.
In 2000 God called me into ministry. In Zimbabwe if you are called into ministry you have to do
that strictly, and nothing else. So I prayed to God to conrm the calling to my wife as well, which
he did. We were then on the same page. However, I had reservations with the thoughts that
there would now be one income in the house if I answer the call. So I started reasoning and
therefore resisting the call. In 2003 we then relocated to Botswana still on the teaching job. I
only went to Bible College four years later after moving to Botswana due to resistance from my
part. I enrolled in 2007 with Auckland Park Theological seminary for a Bachelor of Theology. I
started with long distance learning, but I quit my job in Botswana in 2011 and came to South
Africa to continue my studies. In the same year God provided a job for me, an opening came at
Midrand Christian College where I could continue teaching. I completed my theology studies in
2012 and graduated in March 2013. I started ministry integrated learning with AFM in 2013
and did my practical training for two years with my mentor Dr Dennis Erasmus of Impact Centre.
I was ordained as a Pastor in 2015 June at AFM.
A lot of Disciples in Pastorship are great at delivering the word but they sometimes have another
gift they have been given. What would you say your gift is?
My gift is in the ministry of deliverance and healing.
24

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
You have pioneered a SWAT (Spiritual Weapons and Tactics) programme. What motivated this
program and what do you hope to achieve with it?
It started when I was at Impact, intercession service. We were praying and then God told me to
start a SWAT team. I was given a scripture 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ‘Though we walk in the esh,
we do not war according to the esh. For the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons,
but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and
every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every
thought captive to make it obey Christ’. So our battles are fought in the prayer room. Paul in
Ephesians 6:12 says, ‘we do not ght against esh and blood, but against principalities and
powers of this dark age’, that is where the concept of SWAT came from. That we don’t ght
people, we ght the spirit behind because people are used by the spirits.
I started going on the prayer retreats on my own and I started at Mount Zion. I did three days
and three nights there praying, and the Lord was strengthening me. With the church, our rst
SWAT camp was at Shabback in Vereeniging with a group of nine men. The testimonies that
came after that were great. We eventually extended the retreat to the church and the rst camp
was of 30 people and now the numbers have increased to about 65.
The bible tells us about a time when a lady came to the disciples with a child, she needed her
child’s demons to be cast out but the disciples failed. When Jesus came he cast them out and the
disciples were asking him how he did it, he told them that ‘this kind does not go out except by
prayer and fasting’ – Matthew 17:14-21. There are certain stubborn afictions which will not
leave a person except by prayer and fasting, and the Esther fast is the best fast. The book of
Esther tells us how that fast came about. I’ve seen this prayer and fasting break chains, provide
healing and breaking stubborn spirits. It opens doors. For myself, the rst 3 day and 3 night
opened doors for me for Botswana. My things started moving in a mighty way. My rst ever
Esther fast was in 2002.
You say you are not a preacher but a teacher, and your way of articulating the word proves that.
What differentiates a preacher from a teacher?
I do both preaching and teaching. Teaching grounds people, preaching ignites the faith. Faith
comes by hearing the word of God. Preaching brings faith. Teaching gives you the roots in what
you have faith in. Someone who has been taught knows the word and understands their faith
and the basis of their faith, so they grow and become established. They are not easily swayed by
every wind of teaching that may arise because they are rooted in the word. I like doing more
teaching because I want people to be rooted in the word and know their word. I teach three
quarters and preach one quarter.
Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 when he gave the great commission, ‘Go therefore and make
disciples of many nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son and The Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’
Teaching makes disciples, and disciples are followers of Jesus. It turns a convent to a disciple.
25

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
You motivate your congregation to want to grow more in God’s kingdom, move from one
position to one higher. You are not only teaching but mentoring the congregation. How would
you encourage someone outside your church to have the need to grow in God’s Kingdom, and
what would you tell them to look for in order to identify a place where they can nd this kind of
mentorship?
Unless someone seats at your feet like Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and learnt from him they
can’t grow. It’s a journey that one has to walk. Jesus spent three years teaching the disciples,
teaching them, discipling them through word and deed. Teaching them about the kingdom and
also demonstrating what he was teaching, and he stayed with them. For someone who is
outside, I would encourage them to nd a good ministry where they can be grounded in the
word. It’s a lifelong learning.
26

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
My rst service at your church, you told a story of a man that tried to help a buttery out of its
cocoon and in the process disturbed its development. A person like me then that is just being
rerouted by God does not understand the signicance of this process. How can you make them
understand this process and its signicance?
James 1:2-3 says ‘Brethren count it all joy when you are faced with suffering, knowing this that
the trying of your faith produces patience.’ The cocoon period is a period of trials. When Iron is
being puried, it has to go through a furnace. Malachi 3:3 says ‘He will act like a rener and a
purier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and rene them like gold and silver.’ That period of
trial, every Christian goes through it. These trials are rening us, at the end of the trial you
emerge a better person. It does not matter what you go through, it is how you come out of that
experience that matters. How it has moulded you and what lessons you have learnt from it.
Romans 8:26 says all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, so God will
turn it for your good. Like James encourages that we should count it all joy when we enter these
trials because the testing of our faith will produce patience. We should let patience have its way
so we may be perfect lacking nothing.
When you are patient, you are not moved by anything and you are not in a rush for
gratication. You can wait out anything until perfect time comes, in the fullness of time. It’s a
very difcult period, a period where most people fall away. A lot of people drawback, give up
and say this is not working and feel their deliverance is taking long. They don’t know that these
trials they are going through are producing something good from them. You have to go through
the purier’s re and pass through once the impurities have been removed.
You are a teacher and a business man. How would you encourage another Pastor or Reverend
that has no other career except that of being a disciple to pursue other avenues of earning an
income?
In the book of Acts, Paul says I have worked with these hands to supply my needs. He was a
minister of the Gospel and also a tent maker to supply his needs. He says all my needs I met
them through the work of these hands. There is a teaching and a belief in some circles that a
man that is called into ministry has to leave everything, like I left some things. But working with
your own hands and providing for your family is also encouraged in scripture. In Timothy the
bible says that a man that does not take care of the needs of his family is worse than a sinner.
You have to be a tent maker, be in the market place. Preach the gospel while also tent making,
providing for the needs of your family. Paul also says that those who preach the gospel will eat
of the alter but I’m saying I don’t have to eat only from the alter, I can also use my own hands to
supply my needs and those of my family.
Before I became born again, I always had a phobia that I’d look and behave like a robot if I
become born again. Since I was raised in Anglican, there are allocations for people. Married
women join mothers Union. Youth join Sunday school or youth; men join Ebenezer and young
27

THE DISCIPLE | Pastor Gibson Ngulube
women join Agnes. So if you were none of the above you’d feel like an outcast, for example
youth, unmarried and have a child you become the fallen. But now that I am a born again I
understand things differently.
What would you tell another soul that has a certain phobia as well but very interested in giving
his life to Christ?
Jesus says when the son of man sets you free, you are free indeed. All these other things are
doctrines of man who put regulations and impediments into the gospel. It happened in the early
church, Acts 15:1 tells us that the Jews were asking the Gentiles to be circumcised in order for
them to be accepted into the kingdom. Paul had to tell them that there are now no Jews or
Gentiles, we are one in Christ. These other outward rudiment ordinances have been made away
with. The Lord said I will write my law in their hearts. So instead of having law that restricts from
doing this and that, it is the law in our hearts, which is the Holy Spirit in us that will convince and
convict us of what is right and what is wrong. We are convicted by the spirit, we act on
conviction.
The spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons and daughters of God. If I do
something or wear something that does not bring peace in me, the spirit will say no. But If I’m at
peace with what I do or wear, my spirit bears witness, outward rules and regulations have been
made away with. The law of liberty in Christ teaches us two commandments, Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, mind and soul; Love your neighbour as you love yourself. It’s more the
Spirit in us convicting us, than to have these outward rules and regulations that actually stie the
growth of a Christian. I would say to somebody that they should learn what freedom in Christ
really means and test it.
The disciples that you are creating, do you encourage and guide them to carry the torch and
move forward when they feel they are ready?
Jesus says teach faithful men this, who will also teach others. Disciples should disciple others.
God created things to reproduce after their own kind so a disciple should produce another
disciple. Yes we encourage them to go out there and do the work even before they are ready.
The Holy Spirit says I will teach you what you say, to minister in your place of inuence. The
whole purpose of discipling is to bring others to Christ. The shepherd takes the sheep to the
green pastures.
The sheep feed, they drink the water and when they are full they produce the milk and will
reproduce after their own kind. It is the sheep that reproduce and not the shepherd who makes
them reproduce. The shepherd only takes them to green pastures and provides them with what
they need to grow. Once they are grown, they’ll reproduce after their own kind. So a Christian
should be able to point to another a disciple that they have discipled and brought to the Lord.
28

KSD
Recognise the Enemy’s
Tactics
major belief that dwells
Awith most of us is that we
have control over our lives
and our plans. However, what we
do have control over is our
choices and decisions. The
decisions we make lead to us to
making certain choices in our
lives, but the plans and control
belong not to us. Our lives are
controlled either by God or by the
enemy, depending on the choices
29

KSD | Recognise the Enemy’s Tactics
we make. When we are born as
children, though from sin, we are
free of sin. We are all God’s
treasure, born with a purpose to
serve him and prosper. However,
as we progress through life and
the enemy sees the potential and
purpose God has placed in our
lives, the enemy strives to divert us
from our predestined journeys
and with condence, hopes to
recruit us to his camp fully.
Sometimes God allows the enemy
to deceive us in order to
strengthen us. He then walks in
parallel and continuously throws
us a lifeline called grace. It is our
decisions and choices that make
us not to take the lifelines,
instead, follow what seems easy.
What we don’t recognise is that
anything too easy if you have not
yet given your life to God, comes
from the enemy and it is not to
prosper us, but to harm us.
What we should always strive for
in our decisions, is to take the
hard way, because that way will
be carrying prosperity. Most of the
times we seek a quick solution to
our problems, and might be
deceived enough to believe that it
is easy. Nothing is ever as it
seems. What the physical eye tells
you and what actually is, are two
different things. In each and every
camp there is work, whether
God’s camp or the enemy camp.
The only difference is that in
God’s camp you are exposed to
the work and intensity from the
beginning. You are not deceived
into believing that it is an easy
way through.
You are shown the truth of it and
then you make a decision of
whether or not you want to be in
that camp. Once you go through
‘
“You become in
charge of your
decisions by making
them and sticking to
them no matter
what is thrown at
you.”
the hardships, everything else
becomes easy even when it is a
tough circumstance. However, in
the enemy camp, you are shown
whatever you want to see and
believe, and only when you are
deep in you see the reality of the
hardship. That then becomes a
lifelong hardship until you decide
to switch to another camp or die.
You become in charge of your
decisions by making them and
sticking to them no matter what is
thrown at you. You will denitely
face a challenge if the decision
you have made is the correct
decision because the enemy will
be trying to convince you
otherwise, and trying to make you
change your mind. Be a
determined person. If you are
unsure, consult God before you
even make the decision. If you
have no control of your life and
plans, at least have control over
your decisions.
James 4:13-16 NIT - “Now listen
you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow
we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there, carry on
business and make money.’ Why,
you do not even know what will
happen tomorrow. What is your
life? You are a mist that appears
for a little while and then
vanishes. Instead, you ought to
say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will
live and do this or that.’”
A child was born, pride and joy to
her parents. Her father dies at her
early age and her mother
struggles to make ends meet.
From the early grades, she is
always top of her class, an A+
student. At the age of 8, her
mother marries another man, a
father gure comes into hers and
her brother’s life. At the age of 9,
the ‘father’ starts seeing her not
as a child, but someone he can
sleep with. From that age until the
age of 16 when she decides to
run away from home, she is an
unwilling sleeping partner to her
mother’s husband. Because God
walks in parallel with us when the
enemy is in control, he provided
her with a friend, which
introduced her to her family. By
virtue, they become family. She
then considers them as family
than she does her biological
family. The enemy stole her joy by
taking her father, and then it stole
it again by bringing into her life a
man that was meant to destroy
her. When she decided to run
away from home, God had
shown her grace and thrown her
a lifeline. She took it! And God
restored her joy by blessing her
with another family. What the
enemy aimed to do was not only
to steal her joy by bringing that
man into her life, but aimed to
destroy her as well by destructing
her from one thing she was great
at, education.
However, it could not steal her
mental capacity and her dream,
so she soldiered on. The enemy
takes everything it can to steal
your joy, but it cannot take your
God given gift or your dream.
30

KSD | Recognise the Enemy’s Tactics
‘“But never be mistaken into thinking
that the enemy will eventually
give up and leave you alone, it will
always pursue you,
which is why it is good to be able
to recognise its tactics.”
Always have a dream no matter
what, because that dream is the
one thing that will keep you
focused on your goal, and the gift
will be the one to take you there.
She became a doctor eventually
and led a successful career. But
never be mistaken into thinking
that the enemy will eventually give
up and leave you alone, it will
always pursue you, which is why it
is good to be able to recognise its
tactics.
It brought again into her life
another man that came and
destroyed her. Came as a friend,
used her and dumped her for her
‘sister’. This is the one that
succeeded at destroying her,
another man hurting her. She
lived with the hurt inside her to a
point of being on subscribed
medication, based on her trauma
of abuse, family loss and hurt by
the man she loved. This destroyed
her as after this man she never
found happiness, no matter how
hard she tried. Eventually, the
enemy succeeded in killing her
too. She committed suicide and
gave up the ght.
The enemy uses spirits to control
us. They will be in control of our
lives as we think we are. They
come in even the weirdest form, a
form you will not recognise as a
spirit. In the Garden of Eden, it
came into the snake in the form
of a spirit to inuence the snake.
Inside the snake it managed to
convince Eve to eat from the tree
that they were forbidden to eat
from. You will take actions which
when you think about at a later
stage you ask yourself, how and
why did you do them and you will
have no answer. The answer is the
spirit which will have been
operating on your behalf at that
moment. There are two forms of
spirits that can inuence your life,
the Holy Spirit or the evil spirit.
The Holy Spirit is there to guide
you and teach you. Others say it
operates as your conscience. The
evil spirit encourages you to be
wild, in the process destroying
your life.
There are different forms of the
evil spirit, recognise them. Any
behaviour or mentality that leads
you to wasting your life away is of
the evil spirit, and it is there to
destroy you. Any behaviour or
mentality that leads you to build
yourself and perhaps drive you to
be ‘boring’ is of the Holy Spirit.
Rather be boring than nonprogressive
to your outmost
potential.
Being ‘boring’ encourages you to
be focused, driven and
determined. Strive for that!
However, if your joy has been
stolen in any form, rest assured
that when you seek God as your
refuge, it will all be restored.
KSD
31

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9

works of
faith
IRON LADY
Nomthunzi Vuza
n my days of Facebook, a
Ifriend always used to remind
us with a status every Thursday
morning about how she was
looking forward to her weekly
doze of spiritual uplifting from her
favourite radio show. A lot of
young women seemed to like and
follow the show judging by the
comments. They would be going
on and on about it. I had not
listened to the show nor was I
interested in listening to it. My
sister sometime, sent me a
message telling me about a
woman that had made an
amazing prayer on the show. I
started to wonder what this show
is all about but still, I could never
bring myself to listen to it.
Eventually I decided to and the
day I tuned in, it was a show of
‘Imithwalo’ burdens. A young boy
had visited the station to share
personally his burden. He had
nished Matric with very good
results but had no money to
further his studies. He was
employed at Shoprite trying to put
it together but was now sharing
his burden with the hope that
someone would actually have
mercy and help. He had brought
his statement of symbols and it
‘“Her being a mother
and a member of
society gives her
enough motivation to
help people in the
only way God has
shown her.”
was aired on the station. A few
minutes later, a number of
listeners sent in messages offering
to help him. I have been hooked
on that show since that day. I feel
that I have missed something on
Thursdays if I have not tuned in to
the show. I was reminded that day
of how God is always there to
help if you ask. A number of
people share their burdens on this
show and they are prayed for,
and some share their
breakthroughs, some get answers
to their prayers by getting the help
that they require.
LelikaYehova ihlabathi
nenzaliseko yalo (The World and
all that is in it belongs to God) is
a religious show on Umhlobo
Wenene FM airing on Thursdays
9am to 12pm. The show is hosted
by an Iron Lady Nomthunzi Vuza,
33

known as Mama ka maAsi. There
is a saying that whatever is in the
hands, depends on the hands
carrying it. You can give two
people a lemon, one would eat it
and throw it away because of how
sour it is. The other one would
take it and mix it with water, ice
and sugar and drink it. This show
could not have found any better
hands. Nomthunzi has made the
show a show that any child of
God would want to be part of.
She covers a lot of issues facing
the society today and she is not
afraid to call a spade a spade.
Her being a mother and a
member of society gives her
enough motivation to help people
in the only way God has shown
her. She is a pillar of strength; a
woman that makes you want to
be a child of God or get to know
God. She does not paint it to be
anything fancy. She touches on
the hardships and problems
people are facing and facilitate
prayer on those issues. She
encourages people to put it out
there, whatever it is that concerns
them in a quest for help and
encourages those that are able to
help to do so. She has given
people ideas on how to go about
assisting the society with the
needs they have.
Nomthunzi Vuza is a mother,
grandmother, sister and a woman
of God. Born in Peddie Eastern
Cape, she is a teacher by
profession and started on
Umhlobo Wenene doing a kiddies
show in 1989 and has since been
with the station. Her career
includes but not limited to
motivational speaking and MC.
Her aim is to encourage the
discouraged and give hope to the
hopeless. She believes in serving
the Lord and His people.
[Source: www.umhlobowenenefm.co.za]
34

inside word
Believe!
t is said that whatever you
Ibelieve will happen.
People believe in a number of
superstitions, and because they
believe them they usually come to
life. Growing up we used to
believe that when you see two
particular black birds in the sky,
you must say ‘luck is mine’ and
strangely luck came in even the
smallest form. Faith is dened by
the dictionary as ‘a strong belief
in a supernatural power that
controls human destiny’.
Whatever you believe comes to
life because of your faith in it.
Your belief speaks life to it.
The faith of a Canaanite woman
brought healing into her house.
She went to ask Jesus for help
when he came to her areas for
her daughter was troubled by
demons. Jesus tells her in
Matthew 15:24 "I was sent only to
the lost sheep of Israel". She was
not an Israelite but a Canaanite.
That statement from Jesus was
clearly telling her that she had no
business asking Jesus to help her,
but she was not discouraged. She
needed help from the one person
she believed would be able to
help regardless of her nationality.
Even when the disciples were
chasing her away and telling the
Master to ignore her she was not
discouraged. Instead, she said
"Lord help me". She did not care
of whom she was in his or his
disciple’s eyes, all she cared
about was what she believed
Jesus could give her, the release
of her daughter from demonic
powers. She trusted that the mercy
of the son of David will help her
regardless. She believed in his
mercy and held on to that belief
and that belief granted her what
she needed, healing of her
daughter from demonic powers.
Vs 28 Jesus says, “Woman, your
faith is great! Let what you want
be done for you.”
Luke 8:46-48 Jesus said,
"Someone touched me, for I know
that power has gone out from
me." When the woman saw that
she could not escape notice, she
35

INSIDE WORD | Believe!
came trembling and fell down
before him. In the presence of all
the people, she explained why she
had touched him and how she
had been immediately healed.
Then he said to her, "Daughter,
your faith has made you well. Go
in peace" She believed that just by
touching him she will be healed.
All Jesus asks in John 14:1 is that
we believe in him as we do to the
father. What I'd love to
understand is why it is so hard for
us to believe in Jesus as we
believe in anything else. He says,
'if you do not believe me believe
because of the miraculous deeds
themselves'. I know that
somewhere somehow in our lives
we have experienced a miracle
that we had no explanation of.
Why then is it that even when
miraculous things happen it is still
difcult for us to believe?
The one thing I will grant to the
false Prophets and Pastors is that
they know how to ride on a
person's faith. They know how to
make a person use his own faith
to receive that which they want.
Take the faith of the bleeding
woman who believed that just by
touching Jesus' garment she will
be healed. She was healed by her
faith because Jesus did not even
touch her. The false Prophets are
using the very same methodology
to make people believe that they
are the ones healing them, while
people receive what they desire
because of their faith. That is why
they can spray them with doom or
make them eat grass and still
some of them receive healing, it is
because of their faith not the
grass or doom. The doom or
grass is a mere mockery of God's
word and their faith in Christ.
What they should be teaching
them is to take the faith they have
and direct it into prayer and ask
God directly that which they
desire. Because when you have
that kind of faith you do not need
any Prophet or Pastor to pray for
your desires. God works with
faith, if you believe, anything is
possible. Jesus tells his disciples
that, "I tell you the solemn truth,
the person who believes in me will
perform the miraculous deeds
that I am doing, and will perform
greater deeds than these, because
I am going to the Father." - John
14:12.
One thing that the enemy will do
is to plant a high level of doubt in
your head that even though you
ask, you do not believe that it
shall happen. When you do that,
God sees that as a sign of
disloyalty. If you do not believe
that what you ask for will happen,
it means you do not believe in his
omnipotence. You do not believe
he is sovereign. When you do not
believe it means you are listening
to the other voice, the voice of the
enemy and therefore believe
more what he tells you than what
God tells you. You are
automatically obedient to the
enemy than you are to God
because he says 'anything you ask
me in prayer believing, it shall be
given to you'. Even when you have
prayed for something and
believe, the enemy still comes to
you to tell you that it is not so,
even though you believe God has
granted you. He will be playing
with your mind making you what
you have already received. - Luke
8:49-50 While he was still
speaking, someone from the
synagogue ruler's house came
and said, "Your daughter is dead;
do not trouble the teacher any
longer." But when Jesus heard
this, he told him, "Do not be
afraid; just believe, and she will
be healed." Whatever the enemy
tells you, stand rm in your belief
and eventually he shall ee from
you.
Faith is not as difcult as we see
it to be...
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First believe that Jesus came,
went through afictions and
eventually died on the cross.
Believe that he came to
demonstrate to us how God
works
He went through all that as a
sign of obedience, no matter
how difcult it was
He loved and trusted the
Father and showed his love
through obedience
Because of that obedience
God resided in him and
enabled him to perform
miraculous deeds
No matter what the devil threw
at him he believed his father's
word and acted accordingly.
He professed his love through
afictions
Then act the same way that Jesus
did and you shall receive your
own powers. Do not be a slave of
the enemy rather a slave in Christ.
It is then that your faith will work
for you. The voice of the enemy is
loud and God's is a small still
voice. But because you know what
God has told you in his word, you
shall not hear the voice of the
enemy. It might be difcult but
practice, gradually your faith will
grow.
36

“Before you are a leader,
success is about growing
yourself. When you become a
leader, success is all about
growing others.”
- Jack Welch
37

LEADERShIP
NOTE
Revenue or Mission
hen a business idea
Wcomes to your mind, you
rst assess its viability.
Once you are convinced it is
viable, you then put together a
business plan. Pitch it to a few
potential funders in order to
acquire funds if it requires
funding. Those that agree to fund
you, do so because they believe in
the idea and its viability. You start
the business eager, driven and
dedicated to its objectives.
I read a story of a blind male,
which together with other fellow
blinds, started an organization to
ght for the concerns of the blind.
They knew their objective when
they came together and decided
to turn this vision into an
organization. They then pitched
this idea to others in search of
funding. They succeeded in
acquiring funds from a company
that decided to adopt the
organization. The funding
company put together an
executive committee to deal with
the organization’s non-prot aim.
However, after a while the
committee was dissolved and the
organization fell under the
funding company as a
responsibility, rather than a
separate entity. The funding
company later changed the
original objective of the non-prot
organisation to a money making
project. This came with a name
change later. Investors always
show a resounding interest in
your business idea and when they
see a sound potential of good
return on investment, they will
invest.
However, in most cases they want
equity as collateral and to be
hands on in order to ensure safety
of their investment. But in so
doing, they might drive you to
deviate from your aim because
their aim is to get returns on their
investment while yours could be
different. It is better to get an
investor that even though they get
a stake in your business, they are
willing to be silent and pose their
suggestions through an executive
committee or board.
There is encouragement in the
business sector to innovate, that
you should not let your business
be stagnant but to move with the
times. There is nothing wrong with
innovation as long as you do not
lose the objective.
In order for you to operate within
your objective, you have to
acknowledge the Blesser. A
business idea never places itself in
your mind, neither does a
business opportunity. It is an
orchestration of a higher power.
When God places an idea or
opportunity in you, it is for you to
serve a purpose; a desire he has.
You are being mandated to carry
God's purpose. I believe as
people, we are created to serve
each other as God's children. The
one that has is to help the one
that doesn't, by offering them
either a job or that which they
desire. The one that does not
have is to offer the one that has a
service in order for them to get
that which they desire. We all
need each other and therefore
none is more important than the
other. You might feel its ok to
show no appreciation for the one
that offers you service, because
38

LEADERSHIP NOTE | Revenue Or Mission
you feel there is plenty sh in the
sea. What you do not understand
is that God has equipped us
differently and therefore, although
you will get another sh, the taste
may not be the same. You might
get better or get worse. So why
not then appreciate what you
have and instead aim to improve
the service you get?
God places in you a business idea
for you to take care of something
that concerns him. A woman
started a business to empower
other women. Her empowering
centred on helping them open
their own businesses, developing
those businesses as well as
teaching the women how to save
and manage nances. The aim of
the business was to help women
feed their families and send their
children to school. God granted
her an opportunity to raise funds
and put this idea in motion. The
aim here is to help God's children
feed and prosper. Deciding to
change the objective and making
the business one that is driven by
making money rather than
helping people is deviating from
God's plan. It is then that God will
leave you and place the mandate
on someone else. You then nd
your business struggling and you
don't know why. It will be because
the one that had blessed it in the
beginning and mandated you to
carry it through has left you
because of your disobedience. -
Leviticus 20:22 NIT “You must be
sure to obey all my statutes and
regulations, so that the land to
which I am about to bring you to
take up residence there does not
vomit you out”.
God had chosen Saul as the king
of the Israelites from the smallest
tribe of Israel. - 1 Samuel 10:1
NIT Then Samuel took a small
container of olive oil and poured
it on Saul's head. Samuel kissed
him and said, "The Lord has
chosen you to lead his people
Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s
people and you will deliver them
from the power of the enemies
who surround them”. However,
because Saul disobeyed the Lord
and started doing his own thing
rather than acting according to
the mandate, God chose David
instead, someone who would
obey the Lord. - 1 Samuel 13:13-
14 NIT, Then Samuel said to Saul,
"You have made a foolish choice!
You have not obeyed the
commandment that the Lord your
God gave you. Had you done
that, the Lord would have
established your kingdom over
Israel forever! But now your
kingdom will not continue! The
Lord has sought out for himself a
man who is loyal to him and the
Lord has appointed him to be
leader over his people, for you
have not obeyed what the Lord
commanded you."
Revenue forms a vital part of the
business. The business carries
costs and requires income to
service those costs. Therefore, it
always requires that you pay
special attention to sales and
marketing. What you do not want
to do is to allow the business to
sail away from its objective so that
it can accommodate sales. You
also do not want to allow the
marketing to inuence the
disobedience to commands being
set by God. You are in that
business to take care of God's
concern, not to increase revenue.
Once you take care of Gods
commands, he will take care of
the revenue. Do not get it mixed
up. God takes pleasure and
shows favour to those that obey
him. - Leviticus 26:3-4 NIT "If you
walk in my statutes and are sure
to obey my commandments, I will
give you your rains in their time
so that the land will give its yield
and the trees of the eld will
produce their fruit. Vs. 9-10 I will
turn to you, make you fruitful,
multiply you, and maintain my
covenant with you. You will still be
eating stored produce from the
previous year and will have to
clean out what is stored from the
previous year to make room for
new.
What you need to concern
yourself mostly with is an effective
cost management. Marketing has
to operate within the boundaries
of its budget. Sales need not
compromise the business'
mandate in order to clinch a deal.
Finance has to ensure wise
spending of the existing income
and you as the leader, have to
obey and operate according to
God's commands. He will give the
commands to you and others
might not understand your
decisions, but it is better to be
second guessed than to be
disobedient. Understand what you
are mandated to do and stay
within that mandate. Do not be
Saul and want to do things you
are not mandated to because that
only leads to where you will not
rest, and a constant struggle to
rebuild your business.
39

usiness
Compliance
t is dened as acting according
Ito certain accepted standards.
It has proven to be one of the
most common reasons why a
business can dissolve. Depending
on the type or form of entity you
are running, you are tied to a
certain type of rules and
legislations aligned to your
business. These rules are there so
all entities of the same form
operate within the given
conditions. Not complying would
be one of the biggest downfalls of
your organization.
If you operate in South Africa,
your compliance includes but
not limited, to be:
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Ÿ
Registered if your form of entity
requires registration (e.g. CC,
Company, Trust, NPO).
Registered for income tax (Any
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form of entity, even PBOs).
Registered for VAT if your entity
qualies to be a vendor. (If
your annual income exceeds
R1m or voluntarily if annual
income is less than R1m but
greater than R50k.)
Registered for PAYE/SDL/UIF if
you have employees.
You are required to submit
returns;
40

BUSINESS | Compliance
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
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provisionally and annually for
income tax,
monthly or bi-monthly for VAT,
monthly, bi-annually and
annually for employee tax,
return on earnings annual
returns for the Workmen's
compensation fund,
annual returns for CIPC
yearly and bi-annual
employment equity reports to
the Department of labour,
annual training reports to SETA
for re-imbursements.
All these, excluding VAT are
annually assessed and require
that you pay any shortfall should
any arise during assessment. VAT
requires you to provide proof of
invoices on certain amounts
claimed and that the records be
kept should SARS ever wish to do
a surprise audit. Complying with
your tax matters enables you to
easily obtain a tax clearance
certicate when you need it, which
is usually a requirement for due
diligence.
SARS even offers an option to
register your company as a small
business corporation or turn over
tax for micro businesses to lesson
your tax burden. Turnover tax for
micro business is an option for
those businesses with an annual
turnover of R1m or less. It
replaces the normal taxes and
brings them under one basket.
There are also tax benets if your
organisation makes an annual
gross income of R14m or less,
SARS offers an option to register
as a Small Business Corporation
(SBC) which then qualies the
organisation to receive tax
benets aligned with SBCs. It
would be wise to check if your
organisation qualies for these
benets. SBC benets don’t apply
to a Sole Proprietary or
Partnership by Turnover tax does
which comes with its own benets.
You are required to have a BEE
certicate which identies the level
your organization is within. All this
helps the organization in applying
for tenders or doing business with
other companies. The BEE
accrediting rms will do a
verication process which will
require you to supply them with
any information they require.
CIPC annual returns are to ensure
that your business is in operation
or active, if returns are not done
CIPC will deregister your
company.
The 2008 global nancial crises
raised a lot of ags and some
conditions were put in place to
avoid such risks in future.
Companies are to have a risk
management strategy in place
especially if working with a lot of
projects and/or handling third
party nances. Generally, every
company should have a risk
management strategy in place to
lower the impact any liability may
have on the organisation due to
risk incurred. Implement a
delegation of authority to combat
fraudulent and irregular activities,
and generally comply with
corporate governance policies.
Though depending on your public
interest score (PIS), you are
required to keep a set of
accounting records and prepare
annual nancial statements.
Accounting records are to be kept
even if PIS is lower than 500 for
proper nancial management.
You are to perform a liquidity and
solvency test before you make
distributions.
It is important to know and
understand compliance matters
that are aligned with your form of
entity and the kind of
complications non-compliance
will rise. A lot of organizations
nd themselves stuck with a huge
tax bill if they do not manage
their tax matters, and SARS can
easily take them to the cleaners to
recover that which is owed. The
re-registration process costs
money and time, and can cause
you to lose business if your
business is found to be inactive
according to CIPC records. There
are also liabilities that can be
attached to either individuals or
companies if rules and
regulations are not followed as
stipulated in legislations, and if
there is no risk management
strategy in place. This can be very
costly to the organisation
depending on the liability
You can either hire a compliance
ofcer to ensure all compliance
functions are adhered to, or
outsource the function. It is a vital
function of your business. It needs
to be assigned as a role in order
to keep abreast to changing
regulations and ensure
compliance. It usually forms part
of the responsibilities of a
company secretary, nance
manager or Accountant. A
graduate in Business
Management or Business
Administration would be a perfect
candidate.
41

MONEY
MATTERS
Save Or Spend?
ne person says being
Oemployed will never
make you rich, while the
other argues that you can be
employed and still become rich? I
believe that it all depends on how
you structure your income. Is it
inuenced by needs or is it
inuenced by the amount in your
bank account? I once had a
friend that saved 50% of his
income and endured living in a
shack for a predetermined period,
in order to have enough to
purchase the type of house he
desired. I believe that wherever
there is a short term sacrice,
there is a long term gain. Sure if
you work for a company that
offers endless bonuses, short term
and/or long term and 13th
cheque, you are likely to nd it
easy to invest and grow your
money which will eventually make
you rich.
However, even if you are not
exposed to such, you can structure
your income in a manner that
allows you to save and grow your
money no matter how much you
get a month. It may take you
longer to be rich but it can
happen. The trick is in knowing
how to grow your money.
Understandably the cost of living
is too high and we sometimes nd
ourselves in tight situations mostly
rising from the unexpected
expenses we nd ourselves with.
That is why it is recommended
that we have two saving bags.
Someone once said saving is not
a thing anymore because of the
change in the value of currency,
keeping your money is. Saving
means putting money away for
future use, while keeping means
maintaining what you put away in
a constant status. The value of the
currency might change, so will
price ination and interest.
What is important is knowing how
to grow your money against the
volatile value of currency. The two
saving bags are for two different
circumstances, a long term saving
bag and a short term saving bag.
It is said that your long term
saving bag should at least consist
of 20% of your annual salary
while your short term bag should
have at least $2000 since all
currencies are measured against
the dollar. Now that is how you
keep your money in tune with
volatile markets. Your short term
bag is for emergencies while the
long term is to cover you in case
you lose your income. You should
also have a retirement plan in
place, which you can incorporate
with your long term bag, or have
it separately.
So how can we manage our
money? Let’s look at the
following assumption: Your
gross income is R30k and your
net income R20k.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Allocate 10% of gross to tithe.
Allocate 75% of your net
income to living expenses.
Incorporate your expenses into
that 75% and not the other
way round. Of course if you
can do less than 75% do so.
It is apparently recommended
that you save about 20% of
your monthly gross income but
since the 10% of gross goes
into tithes, and that on its own
is investment, and also being
realistic, you can work with
10% of net income allocation
to savings. If you can save
more that pushes your goal
forward, so save more.
Have a goal or goals to save
for. Your goal/goals keep you
grounded and serve as a
reminder as to why you are
carrying that temporary
sacrice.
42

MONEY MATTERS | Save Or Spend?
ne person says being
ne person says being
ne person says being
Oemployed will never Oemployed will never Oemployed will never
make you rich, while the
make you rich, while the
make you rich, while the
other argues that you can be
employed and still become rich? I
other argues that you can be
employed and still become rich? I
other argues that you can be
employed and still become rich? I
believe that it all depends on how believe that it all depends on how believe that it all depends on how
Ÿ This is what that structure would look like:
you structure your income. Is it you structure your income. Is it you structure your income. Is it
inuenced by needs or is it inuenced by needs or is it inuenced by needs or is it
Net Income
inuenced by the amount in your inuenced by the amount in your inuenced by 20 the 000 amount in your
bank account? I
Tithe
once
(10%
had a
of 30k)
bank account? I once had a bank account? 3 000 I once had a
friend that saved Saving 50% of (10% his of 20k) friend that saved 50% of his friend that saved 2 000 50% of his
income and endured Net living in a income and endured living in a income and 15 endured 000 living in a
shack for a predetermined period, shack for a predetermined period, shack for a predetermined period,
in order to have enough to in order to have enough to in order to have enough to
purchase the Ÿtype Then of house incorporate he purchase your expenses the type of (necessities) house he into purchase the R15k: the type of house he
desired. I believe that wherever
there is a short term Rent/Bond sacrice,
desired. I believe that wherever
there is a short term sacrice,
desired. I believe that wherever
there is a short 4 500 term sacrice,
there is a long term Car gain. (Incl. Sure Insurance if there 33%) is a long term gain. Sure if there is a long 4 term 900 gain. Sure if
you work for a company Groceries that (10%)
offers endless bonuses, School short Fees (15%) term
and/or long term Electricity and 13th (4%)
you work for a company that
offers endless bonuses, short term
and/or long term and 13th
you work for a 1 company 500 that
offers endless 2 bonuses, 200 short term
and/or long term 600 and 13th
Fuel (7.5%)
1 100
Other
800
If you wish to stay in an
apartment that costs R6000, this
simply means that you need to
nd someone to share it with or
share with your partner because
on your own you cannot afford it.
If you do not wish to share, nd
one that is within your means.
Forget about status or what others
will say just for a little while; keep
your eye on the ball.
You will need a vehicle with an
instalment of not more than R3.5k
to cover the insurance. Not
having insurance creates liability
so always have insurance on your
vehicle, especially if it still belongs
to the lender. If you stay closer to
work or have a good public
transport system, it is
recommended to own a vehicle
less expensive or none at all until
you can afford one of your
preference, and put away more
towards your future expenses.
Your living expenses always need
to be directed by the 75% amount
of your net income. Don't base
your desire to increase spending
on a salary increase or
adjustment because that mostly
covers change in tax and price
ination. Instead, base it on the
change in the 75% allocation for
expenditure. No matter what the
circumstances, exercise the
discipline to not touch the other
25% of your net income, allocated
to your tithe and savings. We are
highly pressured by a number of
things; hence we nd ourselves in
tight nancial situations most of
the times. What we don’t take into
account is that none of us is
previewed to a friend’s or cousin’s
net income or extra mural
activities they have in order to
increase ow of income in their
households. We only know what
they tell us. So rather than
working with what you don’t
know, work with what you know,
your net income; current nancial
needs and your goals.
It's all about discipline!
43

interest
Business Funding
magine attending a networking
Ievent and by God’s grace you
come across an individual that
seems highly interested in your
business idea, he asks you if he
can see your funding proposal.
You do not have it, and so he tells
you to email it to him. Except you
know that chances of him looking
at it rst thing in the morning or
even that week are pretty slim
considering how hectic he might
be, unless his business is in
venture capital, start-up
investment or private equity. There
goes your biggest opportunity yet.
We live in the world that is
technologically inclined and
anything can be accessed in an
instant, whether though a smart
phone, tablet or laptop. If you
have a business idea that requires
funding, always carry with you a
printed copy of your funding
proposal as well as a soft copy.
You can never know who you may
run into.
A funding proposal structure will
consist of the following:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Title
Project Overview
Background Information or
Problem Statement
Project Detail (Goals &
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Objectives; Clientelle;
Methods; Administration)
Available Resources
Needed Resources
Evaluation Plan
There is a number of funding
agencies that are available to
look at people’s applications. In
South Africa that includes:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Department of Trade &
Industry (DTI)
National Empowerment Fund
(NEF)
National Youth Development
Agency (NYDA)
Industrial Development
Corporation (IDC)
Small Enterprise Finance
Agency (SEFA)
www.fundingconnection.co.za
gives you details on the sectors
and type of businesses as well as
amounts covered by these
agencies and more.
You hear a lot of negativity
around funding agencies but that
does not mean you cannot try
and put your application through,
you’d rather have your own
experience than not take a
chance. The Minister of Small
Business Development seems to
be working extensively to ensure
funding support for small
businesses. Billions of rands have
been pumped into SEFA by both
IDC and government to assist with
funding requirements.
Also, there are a number of
private investors or angel
networks that are looking strictly
to fund businesses. I would
personally recommend the private
investor route but with a thorough
analysis on their demands. You
would rather avoid any
investment that will lead you to a
direction you do not wish to ever
take with your business, or which
can make you lose your business.
Be sure to understand their
interests and if you are able to
meet them.
Private Investor websites to look
at:
Ÿ www.investmentnetwork.co.za
Ÿ angel.co/south-africa/investors
Ÿ www.angelhubventures.com
There are companies as well
dedicated to enterprise
development funding which
includes micro-nancing. If you
see one that has a criterion you
meet, put through that
application.
44

CAREER
FOCUS
“WHO MOVED MY
CHEESE”
ome people may be aware
Sof the book Who Moved My
Cheese, by Dr Spencer
Johnson. The book is an
inspiration to embrace change.
Change can be confusing and
mostly frustrating if handled
incorrectly or even if addressed
incorrectly. We have companies
and individuals nowadays
specialising in Change
Management. These companies
or individuals are there to assist
and encourage a work
environment that embraces
change.
A few years ago a new CEO
joined the company I was working
for and immediately started
analysing the company
environment, its employees and
its future possibilities. She sees a
need to restructure the company
from the way it does business to
the roles each employee has. She
has a vision in terms of which
employees should be performing
what roles in the organisation.
Immediately she started hiring
people for new roles and for
existing ones. Now, when one
hires someone else for an existing
role, one has to move the person
currently in that role to a different
role and help them embrace the
change. This is not what
happened in this particular case;
the existing employees were not
helped to embrace the change
that came with the vision. This
resulted in resistance, or should I
say resignations and a loss of
valuable employees.
The book Who Moved My Cheese
is designed to help individuals
faced with change to embrace the
change without the assistance of
45

CAREER FOCUS | “Who Moved My Cheese”
anyone, no matter what kind of
change.
I read an article by Strive
Masiyiwa sharing his experience
on his encounter with a New York
based taxi driver. A conversation
broke between the two of them
about the Uber cars being
designed to drive themselves,
which makes the taxi driver’s job
redundant. He was amazed at
how the taxi driver was embracing
the change coming, by looking
for other alternatives before it
comes so he does not nd himself
out of ‘cheese’. He then advises
that each and every one has to
change their careers at least every
5 years, not necessarily by
moving companies or changing
jobs, but by changing the way in
which they do their jobs.
“We ask God to
open doors for us
and create
opportunities.
Because He knows
us best and what
we need, He does
that in His
way and not
always the way we
expect.”
‘
I once worked for a boss that
started calling everyone that had
worked for her in the same job for
at least 3 years ‘furniture’. The
truth is you have to move for you
to remain relevant, comfort
makes you redundant. Whether it
is changing jobs or changing the
way you do your job. You have to
keep with the times. Every year
there is a new graduate, fresh
mind that would be better suitable
for your job because of the fresh
ideas they’d be bringing, which
then makes you irrelevant.
If your boss encourages you to
move either to another
department, add a responsibility
or change your responsibilities all
together, do not ght it. They
would have seen something in
you that you perhaps do not see.
My former CEO had mentioned to
my boss that I was being
underutilised and therefore she
decided to add on my
responsibilities. Her adding on my
responsibilities though was
moving me to another direction I
never would have thought of, and
eventually I would have had to
leave my responsibilities all
together. What she was doing was
to reactivate the dead abilities I
had laid off due to being
comfortable, at the same time
directing me to my ‘suitable’
position while introducing change
in my career. I did not embrace
the change and so I left, but now I
see that had I stayed and
embraced the change I would
have found myself growth and
joy, because that which she was
moving me towards is what I am
doing and enjoying now.
We ask God to open doors for us
and create opportunities. Because
He knows us best and what we
need, He does that in his way and
not always the way we expect. We
sometimes don’t see His hand
because we are too afraid to
embrace change or too focused
on trivial things to see what He is
doing for us. The door can open
in a direction that you had not
even thought of or ever
considered, but He knows where
it leads. Or an opportunity may
come from where you had not
imagined or even see it working
out, but He knows where it leads.
Trust Him and follow His lead,
and make Him your comfort
through whatever frustrations that
the change may bring. But most
of all keep your mind open to
new possibilities and go wherever
your shepherd leads you, He
leadeth you to green pastures.
Wonder why career people are
always studying and attending
workshop after workshop, or even
constantly changing jobs? Mind
you, job hopping increases
instability but a career is not a
career without change, it is
stagnation. So, hop wisely!
27 46

health
Stress
y colleague would always
Mwalk into the ofce
carrying his laptop bag
like it’s a mountain. He was
constantly showing u symptoms,
blocked nose, head and
backaches, as well blocked chest.
If I didn’t know what a stressed
person looks like I had no doubt
from that point on, just by looking
at him. Eventually he consulted a
doctor for his ongoing u
symptoms and was told that he
has an ongoing Bronchitis
condition and the doctor had to
put him under supervised
medication. That is what stress
does to you. It nds a part or
organ in your body that it can
infest and takes control of it using
pain or some annoying feeling.
No matter which angle we look at
in order to identify the common
causes of stress, one conclusion
comes up, worry. Jesus in
Matthew 6:25-34 teaches us not
to worry. “Therefore I tell you, do
not worry about your life, what
you will eat or drink, or about
your body, what will you wear.
Isn’t there more to life than food
and more to the body than
clothing?” Vs. 32 “For the
unconverted pursue these things,
and your heavenly father knows
that you need them.” Vs 34 “So
then, do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Today has enough
trouble of its own.”
The biggest issues that
contribute to us worrying are:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Being unconverted.
Being a perfectionist or control
freak.
Inability to accept uncertainty.
47

HEALTH | Stress
Ÿ
Ÿ
Lack of exibility.
Negative self talk.
We can already see that these
issues are mostly driven by lack of
trust or believing in God. Jesus
tells the disciples that you should
not worry because there is One
that will take care of all your
needs as he already knows what
needs you have, your Father. He
continues to say in Matthew 7:11
“If you then, although evil know
how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good
gifts to those who ask him!” Our
biggest problem is that we believe
that everything is up to us, we
have control of everything that
happens around us and therefore
can determine how things pan
out. This is why we struggle when
things either get out of hand or
take a turn we had not expected
or even a turn we have no control
of. Jesus says Father in heaven is
ready and waiting to give when
you ask. Why is it then that we
cannot rather use all the energy
we have, strong enough to waken
the emotions that cause stress,
towards praying to God for
intervention when we nd
“Our biggest
problem is that we
believe that
everything is up
to us, we have
control of
everything that
happens around us
and therefore
can determine how
things pan out. ”
‘
ourselves in situations and
circumstances that are out of our
abilities? We worry because we
believe that we have the power
over things that concern us. We
have an ability to solve problems
that we nd ourselves in and we
only just need to work hard, be
smart and everything will go
according to our plans. What
happens then when nothing goes
according to plan?
There are situations that I nd
myself in at times that I know very
well that I have no capabilities of
getting myself out of. In those
times I tell myself that ‘I know my
Father. He says asks and it shall
be given. I will never leave you
nor forsake. All things work
together for good for those who
love the Lord. Seek me in prayer
and I will avail myself to you if
you seek me with all your mind,
body and soul.’ Most of all I know
that whatever I ask for if he
doesn’t give me, it is because he
has something better planned or
will give me at a suitable time.
Then why is that still with all that
knowledge and understanding, I
still nd myself worrying when I
am faced with a difcult situation?
I have no idea, but the one thing I
know is that whatever bothers me,
once I pray about it I become
ne.
There are a lot of ways that the
enemy attacks us, and health is
the biggest weapon of them all.
Things you see as minor are not
minor to him as he uses them to
get what he wants. We have come
to understand stress as normal,
something that you will go
through now and then, not as an
attack by the enemy.
If we look at the areas of our
lives that bring us stress we can
surely see that those are mostly
areas that contribute a major
part of our lives:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Studies or school.
Relationships or marriage.
Financial life.
Busy lifestyle driven by work.
Children and family.
48

HEALTH | Stress
These are the areas that the
enemy attacks in order to push up
the release of stress hormones
including adrenaline and cortisol,
which rouse the body for
emergency action. Your heart
pounds faster, muscles tighten,
blood pressure rises, breath
quickens, and your senses
become sharper. These physical
changes enhance your focus on
the problem urging you to do
something. So tell me, if this is
how your body reacts on a daily
basis how can it not be easy for it
to give in, in some parts of it?
That is what then triggers the
health issues that arise from how
you react, based on what the
stress hormones, adrenaline and
cortisol urge you to do.
You are likely to:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Binge eat which eventually
leads to obesity or not eating
which will eventually lead to
malnutrition.
Drink excessively which can
lead to a number of health
issues including.
A disrupted brain function.
Digestive problems.
Skin conditions.
Succumb to depression, anxiety
and sleep problems if you are
always trying to think of the
problem and cannot nd a
solution for it.
Feel pain of any kind when you
are overly using your brain.
Suffer from heart disease,
which can be a result of high
blood pressure; weight issues
and overly use of the heart due
to adrenaline.
It is said that Chronic stress which
‘“Change your
attitude. Change
the way you look at
life and its
inevitable
challenges. If you’re
generally hopeful
and optimistic,
you’ll be less
vulnerable. ”
arise from being frequently
stressed out, disrupts nearly every
system in your body. It can
suppress your immune system,
upset your digestive and
reproductive systems, increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke,
and speed up the aging process.
It can even rewire the brain,
leaving you more vulnerable to
anxiety, depression, and other
mental health problems.
What can you do then to manage
stress in your life that it does not
eventually cause too much
damage e.g. chronic diseases?
Ÿ
Establish a good support
network. It is no point holding
on to things or people that
don’t give you support, but
criticise and diminish your
condence in your abilities.
Find a structure that contributes
to making things easier for you
to manage. If its people you
cannot get rid of, learn
patience with them as well as
understanding that they are
not your support network and
nd those that will be. When
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
you have people you can count
on, pressures don’t seem so
overwhelming.
Exercise self control. Know
your limits, what you can and
cannot do and ask for help
where necessary. Exercise
condence in yourself through
prayer, as well as trust in The
Lord.
Change your attitude. Change
the way you look at life and its
inevitable challenges. If you’re
generally hopeful and
optimistic, you’ll be less
vulnerable. Adopt an attitude
that allows you to embrace
challenges, believe in a higher
purpose, and accept change
as an inevitable part of life.
Learn a better way of dealing
with your emotions. Know how
to calm and soothe yourself
when you’re feeling sad, angry,
or afraid. Having the ability to
deal appropriately with your
emotions can increase your
tolerance to stress.
Exercise regularly. Keeping
active helps calm your stress
levels, lift your mood and
distract you from worries. Yoga
or any cardio exercises are the
best.
Go out more. When you
connect with other people you
tend to forget about your
worries and at times may
realise that they are nothing
compared to what others are
going through, which can then
lesson the pressure on you.
Your responsibilities should not
hinder you from having a
social life.
Listen to some music. Music
has a way of uplifting or
making you feel calm.
49

HEALTH | Stress
Ÿ
Ÿ
Eat healthily. If you have ever
gone on a detox program you
know the difference it makes to
your body. It makes you feel
like a total load has been lifted
off your shoulders. When you
constantly eat healthy food that
is how you will constantly feel.
Contrary to the fatty processed
food we nd ourselves eating
when we are stressed, which
actually make us feel worse.
Rest more. Busy or Social
people always say that ‘I’ll
sleep when I’m dead’. Not
resting can actually fast track
that. It can also slow down
your productivity which then
automatically pushes you to
work more and stress more.
Resting will encourage
emotional balance.
No matter the situation is thrown
at you, learn to manage your
stress levels by focusing on
anything positive. God is that
something positive. He has the
power and ability to carry all your
burdens. Matthew 11:28 ‘Come
to me all you who are weary and
burdened and I will give you rest.’
“Therefore, I tell you, do
not worry about your life,
what you will eat or
drink, or about your
body, what you will wear.
Isn’t there more to life
than food and more to
the body than
clothing?...So then, do
not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about itself.
Today has enough
trouble of its own.”
...
Matthew 6v25&34
50

BEAUTY
BEAUTY
TIPS
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Use a face wash to cleanse
your face twice a day. Do a
quick wash in the mornings
and thorough wash at night.
Scrub or exfoliate every second
day.
Use a Toner to cleanse excess
dirt.
Include at least one product of
anti ageing in your facial care
range if 20 years of age or
above.
A BB or CC cream moisturises
as well even tones your skin.
Use it in place of foundation.
Maintain your nails. Paint your
toe nails with an exciting
colour. Use a natural colour for
your nger nails, or keep them
short and natural.
Scrub your feet at least once a
week. Oh So Heaven offers a
wide range of products to take
of your feet. You can use a
scrubbing stone or the Scholl
Velvet Smooth.
Shave your excess body hair at
least once a week. You can use
Veet hair removal or a razor
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
for sensitive areas.
Use correct colour for your
foundation and powder. If not
sure visit a beauty store for an
advice.
Wash or treat your hair at least
once a month, especially
weave or braids. You can use
the spray shampoo for your
braids if avoiding wash at least
once a week. Ask for advice
for a proper conditioner for
weave so not to accumulate
oil.
Use facial oil to moisterise in
dry season e.g. winter.
51

BEAUTY | Top Ten Beauty Tips
25

quick
meal
ur chef of choice for this issue is the East London
Oborn Sibahle Mntongana popularly known as Siba.
She hosts a cooking show called Siba’s Table on
Dstv’s Food Network channel. You can also nd more of her
recipes on www.sibamntongana.com
We share one of her recipes...
Seven
Colour Rice
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, nely chopped
250 grams (9 ounces) smoked bacon, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 heaping tablespoon mild curry powder
400 grams (14 ounces) cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ÿ Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the garlic
and onions until slightly soft, 2 minutes.
Ÿ Add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy.
Ÿ Add the peppers and cook until just starting to
soften, 2 minutes.
Ÿ Add the curry powder and cook for a further 30
seconds or so.
Ÿ Add the rice and thyme and stir until combined.
Ÿ Season to taste and keep warm, covered with foil
or a lid, until serving time.
53

13

youth +
corner
SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS
By Jonathan Davis
I'm trapped in a box with no intentions to survive
Praying.... asking God why am I still alive
I go to sleep each night knowing everything I say is a lie
Knowing that is enough for me to breakdown and cry
My father taught me to be tough and conquer your fears
My mother taught me how to love and it's ok to shed a couple tears
I struggle each day to survive living my life with doubt
I'm trapped in a death hole with no hopes of getting out
I've been tormented by the devil ever since I was a little boy
He is the puppet master and I'm his #1 toy
I've been bullied, misunderstood, charged with guilt to my heart
Slowly but surely I'm loosing my mind.... And my heart and soul is falling apart
I can't help myself no matter how hard I try
I need to nd a way the clock is winding down to the day I die
It's like the devil has control over me at least that's how it seems
He usually gets me like Freddy Krueger.... When I'm asleep, in my dreams
55

I was raised in the church my mom said when you're in trouble look for a way in the light
But I'm too lost in the world and blinded by the night
At this point in my life I am mentally unstable
But I'm going to keep my eyes on God because I know he is able
I have worn a mask all my life nobody knows or understands me
They think I have it all good... look harder and you will really see
I love you mom and I'm really trying to nd a way
But the only way you can help me is to continue to pray
There were times you never listened to what I had to say
That's part of the reason I am who I am today
But I'm on the right track I'm determined to nd my way
All because you said you loved me and it will be ok
I used to live each day with no hopes for tomorrow
Walking with my head down lled with shame and sorrow
There were times where I felt I was on the world's hit list
So depressed my face looking like death ready to slit my wrists
As a man I feel for myself I have to provide
It's enough pressure for a man to commit suicide
As I engraved death in my arm I started to bleed
Even though God is all I want and all that I need
Stress is building up in my heart and mind
Wondering when my time is up and if I'm ready to die
I put the gun to my head and closed my eyes
I said Lord take me now I'm ready to die
As I pulled the trigger no bullet came out
Then I thought to myself aren't I suppose to be dead now
I opened my eyes and saw the light
A voice said I love you with all my might
If it was my mom I don't know why
Then they said I love you it's not time for you to die
So as I look to the sky I thank God for saving me
If it weren't for him I don't know where I would be
I know it’s all over, my faith has been restored
I have no thoughts of death.... evil can't touch me anymore
Now you know who I used to be and how I became the new me
When I was trapped in a box........ But now I'm free
[Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/teen/faith/]
56

song
of note
MADE A WAY
By Travis Greene
Made a way
Don't know how but you did it
Made a way
Standing here not knowing how will get through this test
But holding unto faith you know that
Nothing can catch you by surprise
You got this gured out and youre watching us now
But when it looks as if we cant win
You wrap us in your arm and step in
And everything we need you supply
You got this in control
And now we know that
You made a way
When our backs were against the wall
And it looked as if it was over
You made a way
And we're standing here
Only because you made a way
You made a way
Now we're here
Looking back on where we come from
Because of you and nothing we've got
To deserve the love and mercy you've shown
But your grace was strong enough to pick us up
And you made a way
When our backs were against the wall
And it looked as if it was over
You made a way
And we're standing here
Only because you made a way [x2]
You move mountains
You cause walls to fall
With your power
You perform miracles
There is nothing that's impossible
And we're standing here
Only because you made a way
You made a way [x4]
Don't know how but you did it
Made a way
Don't know how but you did it
Made a way
Don't know how but you did it [x4]
Don't know why but I'm grateful [x4]
Don't know how but I'm grateful
And we're standing here
Only because you made
And we're standing here
Only because you made a way
And we're standing here
Only because you made
You move mountain [x4]
You cause walls to fall [x4]
You cause chains to break [x4]
Giants fall [x4]
'Cos you move mountain
You move mountain
And everything is easy for you
'Cos you move mountain
Yes you move mountain
Mountains are moving [x4]
Strong holds are breaking [x4]
'Cos you move mountain
You cause walls to fall
With your power [x4]
You perform miracles [x4]
57

usiness
Featuring
By Writer
23

last
word
Prayer
atthew 6:6(NIT) - “But
Mwhenever you pray, go
into your room, close the
door and pray to your Father in
secret. And your Father who sees
in secret will reward you. When
you pray do not babble
repetitiously like the Gentiles,
because they think that by their
many words they will be heard.
Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need
before you ask.”
At our prayer sessions one day,
one of our leaders tells us that
when we pray we need to practise
ACTS (Acknowledgement which
comes in the form of praise;
Confession, meaning we need to
confess our sins to God;
Thanksgiving, that’s being
grateful to him for even the little
things he has done and
Supplication which is asking that
which we need God to do for us).
The leader then says that in most
cases we dive right into
supplication without even
acknowledging God and I
realised that I was also guilty of
this kind of praying.
I listened to a Pastor once saying
that Praise is the key to God’s
favour. He made an example of a
child coming to his father and
telling him how good and how
awesome he is, saying all the
wonderful things that put a smile
in his face. He says when the child
does that, already the father is
smitten and nds favour in him
and so if the child comes back
after 5 minutes and asks for a
chocolate he shall receive it. In
other words, the Pastor was
encouraging that always praise
God even when you are deep in
trouble and want to dive straight
into supplication, praise him rst
because that shows you
acknowledge He is almighty.
Confessing our sins is one of the
things we choose to forget when
praying, as though we do not sin.
The bible says we sin in thought,
words and actions. I know I will
think things that are totally
against God’s word or name
because the heart is a deled
place, so even if I don’t say
anything already I have sinned.
When you come before God you
want to bring yourself pure, and
therefore confessing your sins and
asking for forgiveness takes care
of your purity for that moment,
because unfortunately sinning
continues as soon as you start
thinking.
Give thanks to God for everything
else he has done for you. I
realised the other day when
praying that when we are caught
in circumstances and we need
God to bail us out, there is a
tendency of forgetting everything
else he has done prior to that
circumstance. I remembered the
Israelites when they were
complaining on their journey
about thirst and hunger, that they
had already forgotten where God
had taken them out of. The
everyday slavery and unpleasant
living and working conditions,
59

CAREER FOCUS | “Who Moved My Cheese”
something they were freed from.
All they could think of was the
thirst and the hunger they were
facing, which by the way, was
nothing compared to what they
were going through back in
Egypt. Breathing or seeing
another day light on its own is a
blessing and something to thank
God for, the fact that you are
even able to pray is something to
be grateful for. There is a lot you
can thank him for so give thanks
for what you have already
received rst.
Supplication comes last. Once
you have given God all which is
due to him, it is then that you can
ask him that which you desire
from him. If you are like me this is
the part of your prayer where you
spend most of your time, a part
which I also nd tricky because it
is where your faith is tested. I nd
myself wobbly at times when I put
my request across because I
would be thinking about how
ridiculous I sound or if at all I
should be asking God for this.
The truth of it is that you always
have to take your requests to God
in prayer. Though he knows what
your desire even before you ask,
you still have to ask because God
answers prayers and nothing else.
It is your communication channel
to him. Ever wondered why you’d
want something from someone
and you know that they know
what you want and they will give
you but they are just waiting for
you to ask. That is what praying is
about, asking God for what you
want even though you are aware
that he knows because that is how
he works; he answers prayers.
“Ask, it will be given to you” –
Matthew 7:7(NIT).
Jesus says to his disciples in
Matthew 21:22 “And whatever
you ask in prayer, if you believe,
you will receive.” Jesus tells them
to ask without doubt and it shall
be given to them. Doubt usually
arises because you have asked for
things before and they were not
given to you. Imagine a child
coming to you before dinner
asking for a bowl of ice cream.
You know very well that if you give
her the ice cream, she will not eat
her dinner and therefore you say
no. God is that kind of a parent.
He exercises his will to every
supplication we bring to him. If
according to him you deserve
better or it is not the right time or
he has different plans etc., his
answer will be no because he
knows best and whatever he does
is for the good of us. – Jeremiah
29:11(NIT) says, “For I know what
I have planned for you. I have
plans to prosper you, not to harm
you. I have plans to give you a
future lled with hope.” That then
should not be the reason why you
doubt when you ask. Sometimes
we do not get what we have
asked for because we did not
believe even though we were
asking. Ask with the belief that
God will give to you because you
know that if he doesn’t, he has a
good reason. So exercise belief
that he will give it to you (hope),
because he wants you to have
and not lack. There is power in
prayer when you pray believing. –
Jeremiah 29:12-14(NIT) says,
“When you call out to me and
come to me in prayer, I will hear
your prayers. When you seek me
in prayer and worship, you will
nd me available to you. If you
seek me with all your heart and
soul, I will make myself available
to you.”
The bible encourages prayer but
in everything that you do with
God, faith is the basis of it all;
belief. Many times we are
destructed when we pray and we
loose focus and that can lead to
wobbliness or doubt. Exercise
focus when you are praying like
you are talking to God right in
front of you, as though you see
him. It’s not about how long your
prayer is or how loud you shout; it
is about belief. That is why it is
said that prayer is a weapon,
because with it you have God on
speed dial. So even in time of
trouble, when you call on him in
prayer (believing), he will rescue
you.
People tell stories of how they
escaped robberies just by calling
out Jesus. Because at that
moment they knew they had no
power and their strength was with
God, so they believed and God
answered. Prayer became their
weapon. – Genesis 15:6(NIT),
“Abraham believed the Lord, and
the Lord considered his response
of faith as proof of genuine
loyalty.” Let’s face it, when you do
not believe, you are basically
doubting God and his abilities,
but when you believe you are sure
of who he is and what he is
capable of and belief is a sign of
loyalty, you are binding yourself to
him.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIT), “Call on me
in prayer and I will answer you. I
will show you great things which
you still do not know about.”
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