DECIDE TO BEGIN

If you are reading this post it means that you have crossed into the New Year, 2013. It signifies a new beginning for you.  It is a perfect time for you to act on your long forgotten dream or start a new project. In short, it is a year to take up new challenge(s) in your life.

Remember that Abraham obeyed God’s call to pursue his inheritance (Heb 11:8-10). Likewise, you need to decide to pursue your own dream this novel year. When God gives you a dream, you must prepare to pursue it.

Pursuing your dream or starting a new project is not daydreaming; it is a call to action. You need to exercise your willpower in order for you to make the toughest decision – the decision to get started.

God does not promise to bless us until we start doing something, and that is why you must make that decision to get started soonest.

You need to walk, run, talk, write, launch the project and tell people what you are starting this year!

In all of these things, trust God to enable you to keep moving once you demonstrate enough willpower to get started.

You will succeed because the beginning is often the very hardest part. I have faith in you, and I know that you will make it. This is your year.

Happy New Year

 

THE OTHER SIDE

I looked at the Durban beach this morning and it was very calm. It was 5:30 am. The view  was beautiful and it reminded me of the ministry of Jesus especially today being the last Sunday in the month of December 2012. I was convinced that if Jesus was physically here in Durban, He would probably be at the sea side teaching the people about the kingdom of God, and I would be in His congregation listening attentively.

Christians records shows that major portion of Jesus’ ministry took place around the shores of the sea of Durban in South Africa, oh no! Excuse me, I meant the sea of Galilee, an area widely influenced by Roman and Greek civilisations. This influence was primarily felt on the eastern shores of the sea where the cities were separated culturally, religiously, and geographically from the Jewish cities of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, located on the lake’s western shores. According to the book of Mattew, Jesus concentrated His teachings and miracles in these Jewish towns. This area was known by the Jewish population as “our side.”

On occasion Jesus travelled to “the other side” to teach the people. This phrase refers not only to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, but more culturally and religiously to the Gentile region. “The other side” was a specific reference given by the Jewish villagers to the Greek and Roman centres located on the other side of the lake, including the cities of Hippus, Gergesa, and Gadara.

According to the Gospels, thousands of people followed Jesus to the other side. This was no easy task for the Jews. Whether they journeyed by boat or land, they would pay heavy taxes to Rome.

Despite the physical, cultural, and religious obstacles of travel to “the other side,” the Bible records that on two occasions there were crowds of four thousand and five thousand people to hear Jesus. We know that these were mostly Jewish villagers who had travelled a long distance to hear Jesus. Since there were many Gentiles towns nearby, their complaints about having nothing to eat can be interpreted that there was no food available for the Jewish diet. The Gospels say that Jesus, out of compassion, provided fish and bread for the hungry multitudes.

Sometimes people may ridicule us, often it will take time out of our busy schedules, and it will certainly run contrary to the status quo for us to follow Jesus. Yet the reward for doing so remains the same: “He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need for healing... So they all ate and were filled” (Luke 9:11). Jesus filled their spiritual and material needs.

If you are reading this post or you are among those who follow this blog. It is my prayer that you would cross to the other side, i.e. into the New Year with me. I also pray that If you are sick in this year God will heal you as you cross over. I declare that God will also meet with all your needs as you cross with me into 2013. Perhaps you had some negative challenges in 2012, I expect you not to give up on God because He likes to do miracle(s) when you least expect. I believe that your miracle is next on God's list.

Shalom!

SEASONS OF FAITH

Doesn’t the walk of faith appear to be inflicted with paradoxes? Well, I can only speak for myself. I am certain that I did not maintain consistency in my walk of faith this year. My faith advances for a season, then retreats the next. I was ambitious for a season, then relaxed; aggressive, then passive; giving, and then taking.  In a simple word, my faith was inconsistent, yet, God remains faithful to me.

As positive and negative wires generate the power of electricity, so is faith, negatives are used with positives to create mountain-moving energy for the believer, which means that, whenever my faith is weak, God is there to make me strong.

Faith is pacing your progress. The challenges come in knowing: when to push forward, when to hold back; when to dig in; when to yield; when to hold on, and when to let go.

When you walk the walk of faith, you are assured of the divine guidance to make the right move, in the right way, at the right time.

When you kneel before the throne of the Almighty God in humility and cry out, “I need the wisdom of heaven to walk this walk of faith,” you reach the level of faith where contradictions become constructive; paradoxes become truth.

So keep trusting God to give you His sense of timing so that you can change your pace to win the race of life in 2013.

This is the season of faith in Christ and in God Almighty. Seize the moment and turn your paradoxes to reality.

 MERRY CHRISTAMAS

BENIGN PERSON

The story of the Good Samaritan is a powerful illustration of how we should meet the needs of other people. Against the historical background, this parable is even more challenging.

During New Testament times, there was a great division between the Jewish populace and their neighbours, the Samaritans. Their disagreements centred around a religious point. The Samaritans believed the true place of worship was Samaritan on Mount Gerizim; the Jews held that the temple at Jerusalem was the rightful place.

The Jews disliked the Samaritans so much that they chose not to go near their towns. Even when they travelled to Galilee, they avoided the direct route through Samaria and took the longer, more arduous trip through the wilderness, through Jericho, and up the desert Rift Valley.

This road from Jerusalem to Jericho was known as Maale Addumin, meaning, “the ascent of blood.” For here thieves and robbers often attacked the travellers.

It was along this road that Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. A Jewish man was travelling this route when thieves attacked him, beat him, and left him for dead. Shortly thereafter, a Levitical priest travelled by, but upon seeing the man, crossed the road and left him. Soon after, another Jewish man passed by and also offered no assistance. Finally a Samaritan who normally did not journey on this road came upon the beaten man. Not only did he stop, but he carried the Jew to an inn where he paid for the man’s rest and recovery.

Jesus commended the Samaritan for truly having love for his neighbour. Despite his religious, cultural, and ethnic differences, the Samaritan reached out to meet the needs of the Jew.

In the same manner, we must look out for the needs of those around us especially in this festive season. We can put away our prejudices and sacrifice our time, money and energy to help heal the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of both our neighbours and strangers.

Happy Festive Season.

YOUR GREATEST ENEMY

Do I deny the reality of evil? Not at all. I admit that there is an opposite to everything; even when we declare all the positive verses in the holy book we automatically acknowledge the alternative – negative thinking – evil.

So it is normal to run into enemies as we walk the journey of our lives. However, we need to know that God can give us victory over our enemies (2 Chr. 20:27).

What enemies have you encountered, so far, on the journey of your life?

In the journey of life we describe an enemy as anybody who diminishes your faith or confidence in yourself, in your career, in your dream(s), in your beliefs, and in almighty God!

A friend once told me that the people around me are not my enemy as I may have thought, but my strongest enemies are the negative thoughts that come into my mind. He admonished me to change my thoughts from negative to positive.

Your thoughts start with you
Photo: Google images.com

Therefore, who then is your greatest enemy? You may lament the fact that those closest to you do not give the encouragement you think they should. But nobody puts you down more than you do yourself. Nobody has rejected more of your best ideas than you have!

How many good ideas have come into your mind only to be discarded by you?

Feed your positive thoughts with some walk of faith. Believe in yourself and tell yourself that there is nothing impossible to accomplish in life. Fill your mind with beautiful affirmations and powerful promises that are abundant throughout the holy book. As a result, your journey of life will be productive, joyous, and worthwhile!

Think positive as you go into the New Year in the next 23 days.

Cheers 

SCRIPTURES VERSUS HISTORIANS ON THE DATE OF BIRTH OF JESUS

The official date of birth of Jesus Christ worldwide is the 25^th of December, but there is a good chance that he was not born on that day at all. I am not trying to be blasphemous or insult the Christian religion in any way. In my religious studies class I discovered that it was the Catholic Church, which adopted the 25^th of December for symbolic reasons.

In my curiosity for knowledge, I spoke with some pastors in my local worship centre on whether Jesus was actually born on the date mentioned above, but to my amazement, they did not know the real historical date of the birth of Jesus.

Therefore, I had to do historical and scriptural searches for answer. I discovered that December 25^th was chosen as the official date of the messiah’s birth as late as 354 A.D., by Pope Liberus, because it corresponded with the pagan festival of the winter solstice, called Natalis Invicti in Latin, which means “birth of the invincible sun.”

Real image of Pope Liberus who declared 25th December as the official birth date of Jesus Christ
Photo: Google images.com

 

The French word “Noel” comes from the combination of two Celtic words, noio and hel, which means “rebirth of the sun.”

Thus the birth of Christ is compared to the birth of the sun, which plays a very important role in many ancient religious and pre-Christian pagan cults. In places where Christianity was on the rise, church authorities tried to give pagan festivals already being celebrated a Christian connection, in this case the birth of the saviour.

The choice of December 25^th was actually quite logical when you consider that Christianity took hold mainly in the formerly polytheistic Roman Empire. The Roman worshipped many small gods, but their main festival, the Saturnalia, celebrating the god Saturn took place on or around December 25^th.

 

Proof against December 25^th

There are concerning accounts, aside from being chosen in 345 A.D., that raised the question about the date of December 25^th as being the real birth date of Christ.

Many historians rely on accounts of Luke in the Bible which according to them seems to contradict the theory that Jesus was born on December 25^th. For example, the Bible states that Christ was born during a census conducted by the Romans, and for the census to take place, all citizens were ordered to return to the place of their birth. According to historians that time of the year was very cold in the middle of winter. The question is: Why would the Romans have conducted a census in the middle of winter, the coldest time of year?

According to the book of Luke, Jesus was born before the death of King Herod, and history tells us that Herod died in the year 4 B.C. – i.e. 4 years before the official birth of Christ. The facts did not add up.

 For detailed explanations visit the following websites: http://www.comereason.org/bibl_cntr/con100.asp & http:www.christianswers.net/q-aiia/census-luke2.html. 

Augustus Caesar

To return to the account of Luke on the population census carried out the year Jesus was born, there’s more than the climatic problems mentioned earlier to consider in terms of logic. There’s also the question of dates, based on historical documents in the public domain.

 

Above are real images of Augustus Caesar who was born before Jesus Christ but no single record of Jesus is available
Photo: google images.com 

 

Historical document shows that on the wall of a temple in Ankara Turkey dedicated to Augustus Caesar (63 B.C. TO 14 A.D.), who was the Roman emperor at the time, a stone slab was found called the Res Gestae Divi August, which recounts all the exploits of the emperor during his reign.



Photos: Google images.com

The document mentioned the following three censuses: the first in 28 B.C., the second in 8 B.C., and the third 14 years after the death of Christ. If we look at the biblical and historic accounts, it lacked narrative synergy. The historical accounts would make one to conclude that Jesus was not born on 25^th December, and that he was born sometimes in the year 7 B.C.

In any case, the actual date of birth of Jesus was not really an issue to me. What does matter is that he was born into the world to protect me from my sins. All that I need to do is to believe in Him and in the Almighty God who never fails.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

SUCCESS IN FAILURE

Often our willingness and determination meets success at the point of failure. For example, the pole vaulter who runs and then vaults over the bar a little higher each time never really knows how high he can jump until he fails to scale the bar.

He succeeds when he fails! 

For failure isn’t a matter of not reaching your goal! Failure is failing to give your project all that you have!

Photo: Google image

 

Success is achieving the maximum of your potential in the situation you are in. The apostle Paul encouraged his readers to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord’ (1 Cor. 15:58).

Photo:Google image

When you honestly have attempted your ultimate best, then you have been successful, in spite of failure. The people who are really failures are the people who set their standards so low, keep the bar at such a safe level, that they never run the risk of failure.

Success is daring to face an embarrassing failure. It is only after the pole vaulter knocks down the bar raised to its highest level that he knows he’s jumped as high as he can.

Photo:Google image

 

Success comes at the point where we cannot do any better than we are doing at this moment. The applause doesn’t come until you have given all you have to give. Spectators love the winners and they love the losers, as long as both give it their best.

Enjoy

BONA MAGAZINE PHOTO SHOOT 2012

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Bona team with love

 

Emily Mafa at Bona magazine photo shoot in December 2012. She was an intern at Midrand Flame Newsletter and Bona Magazine. She is definitely going somewhere bigger in life.

 

Watch this space

YEAR-END FUNCTION AT KAYALAMI

 

 

 

 

ASCEND OUT OF YOUR FURROW

It took me many years to learn that it takes the power of God to release us from negative locked-in thinking.

Is it possible you are in a negative - thinking furrow?

 

Aeronautical engineers in the 1920s said it was impossible to fly faster than the speed of sound, but they were wrong. Is it possible you might be placing your faith on some negative precept? What ideas are limiting your growth? What opinions are restricting you?

Furrows have a way of becoming security blanket in your second childhood. My little boy has four different blankets, but there is one which is his  favourite blanket. Many of your negative, deeply ingrained opinions and well - entrenched conclusions become emotional security blankets, holding you back frrom

• daring to go out in business for yourself,
• or daring to go back to college or university,
• or daring to go to the gym for physical fitness program,
• or daring to learn another language (s) such as Zulu, French or Arabic.

I am in my mid - 40s. I promise you it takes a lot of courage to make a major career change in mid - life! For many years my spouse has been persuading me to quit my current employemnt and move to the 'corporate world'. She even organised few jobs with fairly improved take-home package, but I did not have the courage to accept any of the offers. Why? It's simply because I lack the courage to step out of my comfort zone. I love what I do for a living.

That was not all, she also wished for me to join our local gym to keep myself fit. I always came up with many excuses until last week when I came out of my furrow and made a decision to join the gym inorder to keep my pot-belly flat.

What furrows are you in? You are free to leave that furrow. A furrow, you know, is a grave with the ends knocked out.

Come alive. Climb out of it. Tackle some exciting new possibilities today! Just make sure that you are guided by God Almighty.

Enjoy...

 

CHECK THIS OUT

Perhaps I should have trained as a specialist doctor, huh

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?

Faith is not merely thinking holy and happy thoughts. God’s thoughts must take the form of good and godly goals (Phil. 3:12-14). Everyone set a goal with the hope that such goal will be realised within a set period of time according to one’s faith.

What is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). In my opinion, setting a goal is an act of faith, and no act of faith is more dynamic, more constructive, than setting high goals!

 

In the beginning of this year I set a complex but measurable academic goal for myself. At one point in the month of April it felt like I was not going to achieve my goal because of many odds in my path, but I did not let go of my faith. I never stop believing in God that He would help me to achieve my set goal.

Have you noticed how negative people avoid setting goals? Well, I know few friends who dare to set goals of any kind. Their utterances are as follows:

“Goals – who needs them? I prefer to roll with the punches,” “I don’t want to get trapped by a commitment. Isn’t that what happens when you set a goal?” “I’ve had enough disappointments. I don’t want to be set up only to be let down. Goals? No more failures, thank you.”

Failure is not a matter of failing to meet your goal. Failure is not making the most of the possibilities seen and unseen, known and unknown, in your present and in your future! The biblical parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30) clearly exemplifies this negative approach. The one who buried his talent in the field took no responsibility. He did not set any goal, and reaped nothing. The man who set goals and wisely invested his talents was praised by Jesus for taking positive action. He set a goal and he achieved it.

Use faith to set positive and realistic goals, and you will be sure to rise to the higher butte. Try it, and you’ll find that …

·         You’ll be farther ahead tomorrow than you are today. Even a little can turn out to be a lot!

·         You’ll be a happier person. When you’re focused on goals, you are distracted from worries.

·         You’ll feel that your life has value!

Goals – what are they anyway? They are impossible problems waiting to be solved by someone with this incredible power called faith! So get set to set positive and realistic goals as you approach a new year, and move upward!

I hope to see you soon on the other side in green pastures. Believe it by faith.

MGI GRAPHIC DESIGN EXHIBITION 2012

Faculty members

Bianca, Karen & Doret

Karen and friend

Lydia, Tanya, Nyeleti & Tsholo

Lydia, Tanya, Daniel & Nyeleti

Dr. Tom Brown

Mary-Jane & Ofentse

Dr. Johan and wife

Miranthe and family

 

SHOUT OUT

Solomon and Daniel Msiza (MF News Editor 2010/11)


Wishing you all the best in your future endeavours.

MIDRAND FLAME TEAM 2012

The young shall grow.

EISH! INGEST YOUR HURTS

The book of Job 9:27 suggests a way we sometimes try to handle the rejections, defeats, or failures we experience – by pretending to be okay even though we are really very terrified by the things we can’t understand.

You may have collected enough hurts to keep you from wanting to press forward. Setbacks can take the joy of God out of your life if you don’t watch out! Even success – steady, solid, and exceptional – can make you the target of criticism from colleagues who are jealous of your achievement.

Careful! Hidden hurts in the heart can nurture and nourish negative thinking. Often the most painful wounds are not the scars that are outwardly seen but the hidden wounds deep in the heart. Because they are hidden they are often the most dangerous.

Whale with barnacles

 

Ingest your hurts and stimulate a novel spirit and spurt of growth! If, in fact, your drive to grow has lost its passionate power, if the flush of enthusiasm has mysteriously diminished, then check the accumulation of negative emotions that have attached themselves to you, much like barnacles that attach to whales.

In one documentary on television, I saw a whale stopping alongside rocks to scrape off barnacles as they migrate in the ocean. In the walk of life, we, too, will pick up a collection of personal hurts that will attach themselves to our souls like parasites sapping the life and vitality out of us. Ultimately, Job found restoration not in hiding behind a false face of well-being, but in recognising and acknowledging the greatness of God (Job 42), and so can we.

Have a great week.

OLUWA NI OLUSO AGUTAN MI

Oluwa li Oluso-agutan mi; emi ki yio se alaini.

O mu mi dubule ninu papa-oko tutu: o mu mi lo si iha omi didake roro.

O tu okan mi lara: o mu mi lo nipa ona ododo nitori oruko re.

Nitoto, bi mo tile nrin larin afonifoji ojiji iku, emi ki yio beru ibi kan: nitori ti Iwo pelu mi: ogo re ati opa re nwon ntu mi ninu.

Iwo te tabili onje sile niwaju mi li oju awon ota mi: iwo da ororo si mi li ori: ago mi si kun akunwosile.

Nitoto, ire ati anu ni yio ma to mi lehin li ojo aiye mi gbogbo: emi o si ma gbe inu ile Oluwa lailai.

Amin.

WORKING WONDERS




Symbol of the cross of christ

Majestic in Holiness,

Awesome in praises,

Working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

 

That is my God in whom I trust.

SECRET PLACE

The cloud

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust (Ps 91:1-2).

Dwell in the bosom of God and He shall take care of you.
 

WHO IS YOUR ANGEL?

“All God's angels come to us disguised, and they have no philosophy but love” – Unknown.

Professor Katy Khan

Almost every religion has an angel. They might not share the same name but they share the same purpose which is to guide, protect and comfort believers (see Gen 24:7; Psalm 34: 7 and Act27:24).

According to the bible angels are created beings, non-human, spirit beings (Psalm 48:2 & Heb 1:14).

They cannot die, cannot be numbered (Luke 20:36 & Heb 12:22),are normally invisible but can take on the appearance of men when the occasion demands and manifest themselves to us (Heb 13:2).


Most references to angels in the Bible say nothing about wings

As awkward as it may sound in this 21^st century. It is my opinion that professor Khan is an angel sent into my life. She was my lecturer and a friend, but her human characteristics are like that of angels, so I call her my angel.

I am who I am because of God and her. If you ever came across a person called Professor Khatija Khan, Department of Communication Science at the University of South Africa you must know that she is an angel sent from above.

 

No words can fully describe this woman's humanity, generosity and good heart.
 

The Bible indicates that angels strengthened Jesus after His temptation and encouraged the apostles to keep preaching after releasing them from prison (Matt 4:11 & Acts 5:19-20).  Professor Khatija gave me strength and encouragement when I needed it  the most.

 In 2002 during my undergraduate studies, I was prevented by the university from writing my 2nd-year-end exam because I could not pay my tuition. That was a low moment in my life. I could see my academic dreams coming to an end, and I prayed to God for help.

 I needed money urgently and I thought that God would provide money to pay my tuition, but I was wrong. God did not send money to me, instead He sent Professor Khan into my life. It was as though a bright candle was lit in a dark ally. She gave me strength and encouraged me with the message of hope.

 

 

 

She provided guidance to me throughout my undergraduate and further studies. She saw possibilities in me when I was yet to discover my true self. She held my hand to my academic success and even where I stood now she has not let go of my hand.

 

Bible record shows that angels provide physical needs such as food for Hagar in Genesis (21:17-20). In the same way Khatija went all out to put food on my table. She ensured that I got employment after my first degree. Yes! She made it happened because she’s an angel of God sent into my life in the form of humanity.

 

“Angels are all around us, all the time, in the very air we breathe” - Eileen Elias Freeman.

If you are reading this post, it's possible that you never saw an angel with wings as you've read in books, but your angel may be in the person of your teacher, lecturer, friend, neighbour or a fellow student. He/she may come from tribes or races different from yours, and may speak different languages which you do not comprehend.
 

All you have to do is to be  alert and observant to the people around you because one of them might be an angel sent into your life. Do not allow your prejudices and stereotypes to chase the person God has sent into your life as an angel away from you, because your angel may come to you as a man or woman from a tribe or race you dislike, but  with a hand of help stretched out to you. It  will be your decision to accept or decline based on your perception.

 I accepted the hand of help and possibilities stretched out to me by Professor Khan without any hunch that she’s an angel sent to me from God Almighty.

 

THANK YOU PROFESSOR. INDEED YOU ARE AN ANGEL.