Do you want my business?

It never ceases to amaze me how some business managers just don't get the fact that in order to secure your business they do need to deliver service. When you try to get them to accommodate you with a special request it is just too much work for them. Unfortunately for people like that, they just won't get my business.

That begs the question, is the Church a service organization? I absolutely believe we are. We need to serve people that are hurt and broken in order to lead them to a place where they can accept Christ as Saviour.

Jesus demonstrated this principle and taught us that in order to be a leader we must be willing to serve the people we wish to lead. He washed His disciples feet and ministered to them time and time again.

Above all else, Christ demonstrated service to the body of Christ when He gave up His life as a sacrifice for our sin. From this example we need to learn that in order to grow in our leadership skills we need to first serve the body of Christ and minister to those whom God places in our path.

Wrong side of the mountain

I remember my mom telling me about her Mount Kilimanjaro adventure. The bulk of the time of the journey is spent climbing to different levels and acclimatizing to the altitude. The final ascent and decent are done in one long, exhausting day.

Have you found yourself on what seems to feel like the wrong side of the mountain? I know I'm feeling that right now. The challenge that lies ahead of me feels totally insurmountable. What I do know for sure though is that I have to keep on going just one step at a time.

It is during these phases of life that we feel as though we actually must be doing something wrong, perhaps even going in the wrong direction. The climb is slow and hard and all the while the air seems thinner and thinner making it hard to breath.

What an experienced climber knows though is that a slow ascent is necessary for survival. Go up too fast and you are likely to die from altitude sickness. So too in life the Holy Spirit is our experienced guide and he leads us up those challenging mountains of life slowly. Then when we are ready, we can make the big push to not only reach the summit and experience the glory of victory but to also descend back to safety.

I know it is hard, but trust your guide, He knows what He is doing.

Not according to plan

There are times in life when it seems that things are just not going according to plan. For someone who likes following a schedule that can be a challenge. Being gracious when you feel let down is difficult but in truth it is the only response that is valid.

Understanding that other people face the same challenges as you do will go a long way to finding the strength you need to be able to take a deep breath and take things in your stride. Grace is always rewarded one way or another and chuck in a little patience and you will soon see the fruit of your efforts.

Paul faced many imprisonments and there were many times during these seasons that he did not receive any support from the church, yet despite this he learned to show grace to others and not get offended at their lack of support when it was difficult for them to assist him.

Learning to show grace is an important part of our spiritual growth so if you are feeling stretched in this area right now, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you wisdom to know how best to respond to a given situation.

700

As another mile stone has arrived with today's blog being my 700^th blog written, I want to take a moment once again to stop and give thanks. Firstly doing so through remembrance. I remember an evening some time in my first year of living in Jo'burg where I was attending a youth cell group. We had a guest speaker who had a prophetic gift. I will never forget my dismay when she said that one day I would write books. This came as a shock to me then as writing a book was the furthest thing from my mind as my desire at that time was to be a singer. It seems she was right though.

For this prophetic message I give thanks to God today. To God for your grace which has carried me so many times when I have been tired and weary, Thank You!

To all the friends and family who have encouraged me to keep on writing. Thank You!

To all my readers across the various platforms across which these messages are carried, thank you for your continued support!

To God only be the glory and honour! Amen!

Happy Independence Day

I'm always drawn to those little facts of History that you just don't learn by a quick glance. The reason for this is that they bring alive to me, what I believe to be God's infallible timing.

July 4^th 1776 is remembered as the day that the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. It is however what happened 50 years later that got my attention.

In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

50 is a number representing salvation and deliverance. Could it be that God stamped His approval of America's independence through this coincidence.

God's desire is for all nations to live in freedom from oppression and peace. As America celebrates its independence day tomorrow on the 4^th of July, let us South African's celebrate with them for God has taught us the significance of independence in our own special day on the 10^th of May, 1994.

What's the limit?

There is one thing my sister and I could both not resist, a bottle of pickled onions. Without fail, every time a new bottle got opened it would be met with the question, “what's the limit?” I recall two being the standard response. Lol!

There are many things in life which we wish had no limits. Weekends, parties, family time, fun and entertainment. Sadly these things too have limits placed on them.

There is one thing that I know for sure there is no limit on and which we are free to indulge in as much as possible and that is worship. We may think of worship only taking place in church with music and choral singing, but that is definitely not the limit of where worship can be enjoyed.

Worship is something we can always carry in our heart. We can sing in the shower, rejoice in the car and even whisper sweet nothings to God any time of the day, all of which are worship. Don't let a time and place limit your experience of the presence of God. Lift your heart to God and worship Him.

Donkey talk

Nothing can frustrate a person more than dealing with people who are just too plain stubborn to change. For some reason they have put their blinkers on and cannot see past what might be a temporary inconvenience to reach lasting success.

The problem with that mentality is that it can lead to the collapse of a department or company and sometimes only an aggressive turn around strategy will solve the problem. The problem with that approach is that it leads to casualties of one kind or another which is highly undesirable.

The question is, are there alternatives? I suppose that is where skilled negotiators come into the picture. They step into the picture, calm any tensions and work until a win-win situation is found.

Jesus was our negotiator. He stood before the Father and pleaded our case with His blood in hand. The result? We now have full access to the throne room of God, allowing us to enter His presence in worship and best of all, our salvation is guaranteed for eternity.