Devoted 11 for web

UNSTOPPABLE!

CRC Dreamweek

Christian Conference

Issue 11 October 2014 www.devotedmag.co.za

Breakfast at

Tiffany’s

Councillor Ramokgopa,

giving hope to communities

Tereza Troskie-Herbst, Embracing beauty

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Steers becomes ‘Steers Uncut’ in stylish revamp Feed that Fire. Live it. Taste it. Live Life, Flame-grilled.

Do you remember the first time you tucked into an iconic King Steers Burger? Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? Almost a half century after its establishment, this well-known South African burger brand is stronger than ever and is loved for its classic flame-grilled burgers, Hero rolls and succulent ribs.

struggling to decide between our four fresh salad options: Chicken; Chicken and feta; Basic green or a Greek salad.

Free Wi-Fi and shaded outside seating

Steers Silver Oaks Crossing has been successfully operating for the past seven years and has now undergone an exciting revamp in line with the latest Steers concept stores called ‘Steers Uncut’. This fresh and innovative upgrade includes a brand new interior design following the current design trends. It is stylish, fresh, funky and hip!

Customer convenience is a top priority for the Steers Silver Oaks Crossing team. With the recent addition of the roof structure over the outside seating area, you can leisurely wait for your take-away order or enjoy a meal with friends and family in the shade. As they say, “Surf’s Up” at Steers Silver Oaks Crossing with the new wireless internet service.

With no password and no time limit, there is no fuss! Directly access our free Wi-Fi service to update software, chat and work on your device while on the go.

Flame-grilled chicken

Delivery to your door

Steers Uncut

Steers Silver Oaks Crossing is excited to announce the launch of the new Steers flame-grilled chicken that is now available at its store. From now on, you can look forward to enjoying your classic favourites, and you can now also savour the tender, succulent and healthy flame-grilled chicken.

The delectable chicken is prepared with specialised equipment that ensures the chicken remains tasty and juicy throughout the cooking process. Once the cooking process is complete, the chicken is flamegrilled to perfection and basted with your choice of one of the three flavours available: Hot Peri-Peri, Mild Peri-Peri or Lemon and Herb.

Different portion sizes are also available and vary from full, half or quarter chicken. New combo options will allow you to enjoy a match of perfectly flame-grilled ribs and chicken!

Handmade chips

Perfect your meal by adding a portion of carefully selected A-grade potato chips to your order. Steers chips are handmade daily, cooked in fresh oil at the right temperature and sprinkled with Steers famous seasoning. It’s what makes Steers chips a cut above the rest!

Fresh salad

Great news for the health conscious, Steers Silver Oaks Crossing now boasts a delicious fresh salad selection. You might find yourself

Steers Silver Oaks Crossing wants to excel at delivering to your doorstep by implementing a call centre with trained staff who are dedicated to handle orders in an efficient and accurate manner. So when life gets hectic or if you are too lazy to cook or drive to Silver Oaks Crossing, don’t worry! Your Steers meal can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home or office at any time, by simply making use of our excellent delivery service. Our delivery drivers are equipped with mobile debit/ credit card payment facilities for easy and convenient payment.

Trading hours

Daily trading hours at Steers Silver Oaks Crossing are Sunday to Thursdays 10:00 to 21:00 and Friday and Saturdays from 10:00 until 22:00. The call centre telephone number is 0128092149.

Steers has won the “Leisure Options Award” for the Best Burger for the past 18 years as well as Best Chips for 14 years running. Steers Silver Oaks Crossing invites you to come and enjoy iconic South African favourites, located on Silverlakes Golf Estate’s doorstep.

Customer convenience is a top priority for the Steers Silver Oaks Crossing team. With the recent addition of the roof structure over the outside seating area, you can leisurely wait for your take-away order or enjoy a meal with friends and family in the shade. As they say, “Surf’s Up” @ Steers Silver Oaks Crossing with the new wireless internet service.

With no password and no time limit, there is no fuss! Directly access our free Wi-Fi service to update software, chat and work on your device while on the go.

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T&Cs apply. Chicken visuals are for descriptive purposes only. Chicken pieces may vary from the pieces shown and subject to stock availability. © Famous Brands Management Company (Pty) Ltd 2014.

C ustomer Careline: 0860 22 55 87 www.steers.

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I n t h i s i s s u e ED’S LETTER 4 Walking with God DEVOTION 5 Be an unstoppable force!

FEATURE ARTICLE 6 Unstoppable force!

SPECIAL MESSAGE 8 From pastor At and pastor Nyretta Boshoff

Front cover picture CRC Dreamweek Christian Conference, hosted by pastor At and pastor Nyretta Boshoff, will take place in Pretoria and Bloemfontein from 7 to 12 October 2014. Read more on pages 6 & 7.

“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”

(Hebrews 6:10)

Credits

DIALOGUE 10 The governments of earth have failed us

MANAGING EDITOR Gerda Potgieter

INSPIRATION 12 Cllr Sputla Ramokgopa, giving hope to communities

SUPPORTING EDITOR Pastor Butch Lester

PROFILE 14 Tereza Troskie-Herbst, embracing beauty

LANGUAGE EDITOR Mignionette Fair

BIBLE CHALLENGE 16 Reading your Bible is a privilege

CREATIVE AND DESIGN TEAM Annerine Lubbe (Square d’zign studio)

THEME 18 Walking with God, serving people

PRINTERS SA Print Group (Bloemfontein)

EVENTS 20 Slippers, sweeties and all things nice

SALES AND MARKETING Alicia Potgieter

BACK TO BASICS 22 Serving God and people with a cheerful heart ATTITUDE 24 Stand together against bullying EDITOR’S CHOICE 26 There is no match for Mount Sheba’s beauty!

VICTORIUS WITH VICKI 28 Pay it forward UPLIFTMENT 30 Governments and churches; together they can do more GIVING BACK 32 Let the children come to me KINGDOM KIDZ 34 Family BUSINESS 38 Turn your company into a money machine FAIR FLAIR 44 Content disclaimer: Devoted is published by DeVine publishers. All rights reserved. While every precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy of information, the editor, publisher, and Devoted magazine cannot accept liability of whatsoever nature arising out or in connection with the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Devoted team and remains the sole responsibility of the writers.

Plagiarism disclaimer: It was confirmed by our writers and contributors that no part of the written submissions has been copied from either a book or any other source, including the Internet, except where such sections are clearly shown as quotations and the sources have been correctly identified within the text or in the list of references.

WEBSITE DEVELOPER Tony Hendricks CONTRIBUTORS Mignonette Fair Mmathabiso Khalema Vicki Fourie Disebo Pesa Johan Terblanche Rene Brink Fegus Ferguson

Contact Details Editor: Email: editor@devotedmag.co.za Sales:

Book your advertising space for the next issue, contact Alicia Emails: aliciajorge26@gmail.com 074 460 4123

Ed’s Letter

God

Following

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)

T

he theme for this issue is being an unstoppable force in serving God; and serving God in its essence means serving others. It is the pure love of Christ.

There are so many ways in which one can serve others, and below I have mentioned a few important ones, most of which are elaborated on in this issue: • Be a friend to someone in need; • Give your tithes and offerings; • Serve children, and especially those who are less fortunate; • Volunteer in your community and church; • Follow in the footsteps of people who inspire you; • Share your talents; • Donate things that will make others happy; • Read your Bible.

Pastors At and Nyretta Boshoff know how to serve God and they serve Him in all they do. Not only are they the founders of Christian Revival Church (CRC), but they have planted a great number of CRC family churches all across the globe … and they just keep on doing it. Recently, Pastor At returned from a successful visit to France and Amsterdam, where they took the first steps in planting family churches in those countries.

Building great churches for the glory of God is what Pastor At does best and he is an unstoppable force in this regard. This is also the theme for when CRC celebrates its 20 years of existence in 2014!

Read the special message from Pastor At on page 5.

Christian conferences are instrumental in equipping Christians in their journey with God. The Dreamweek Christian Conference is definitely a foremost leadership conference that will empower attendees to become an unstoppable force in serving God. This conference of influence (read more on pages 6 to 9) took place in Bloemfontein on an annual basis, but this year history is being made: For the first time, Dreamweek will take place in two locations simultaneously, in Bloemfontein and also in the capital city, Pretoria.

Churches and governments have to work together to make a positive difference in the communities that they serve. In this regard, the first citizens of cities and towns have an important role to play. In the first article on the relationship between government and churches, we put the spotlight on the Executive Mayor of the capital city, Councillor Sputla Ramokgopa, a godly man who is widely known for his kindness and his visionary leadership style (pages 12 and 13). Read also on pages 30 and 31 what Disebo writes about the special relationship between government and churches and how they can do more in working together.

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Do not miss our next issue as we will have a special edition to celebrate Christian Revival Church and its 20 years of existence, with the focus on plans for the next 20 years! We will also bring you the highlights of some of the family churches in this celebration edition that is coming out in December 2014.

I trust that you will find this issue of Devoted an exciting read! God bless and keep you, until next time!

God bless!

Gerda

Devotion

Be an unstoppable

force!

By PASTOR AT BOSHOFF

God is looking for a generation who will love Him, honour Him and embrace Him - people who are tired of religion and safe Christianity. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses was a victim of his past.

Moses was filled with negativity and made excuse after excuse in the presence of the fire of God, trying to hide from his destiny and his potential. God eventually became exasperated with Moses’ negativity and excuses (see Exodus 4:12) and only after God had promised him the assistance of Aaron did Moses let go of his baggage and yield to the will of God. I am continually amazed at how people twist the Word of God in order to fit their cultures and traditions into it. The Bible is all

about reconciliation. When we serve God, it implies major changes in our lives, crossing every cultural barrier and breaking every relational obstacle, because that is what Jesus came to do. He came to reconcile us to God and to reconcile us to each other. It does not matter who we are in the natural world or what our background is, the only thing that matters is who we are in the spiritual world and that we embrace this new life that God has prepared for us in Christ.

The good news is that no matter what rules are imposed, if we are in Christ, we have a future and we have a hope. God is in control and He will take us exactly where we are meant to be. If we keep our hearts pure, if we love and recognise all mankind as the creation of God, if we value every human being on planet earth, God will honour and value us for it.

If we serve God based on the principle of being a new creation; then God will do right by us. My purpose, my outlook and my value system changed when I came to Christ. I chose to walk the high road and not the low road of carnality. I now choose to esteem what God esteems. We should boast in nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ, because…

• The cross deals with our past; • The cross guarantees us a new future;

• The cross erases sin and the power of sin in our lives; • The cross is the instrument that brings righteousness into our lives; • The cross puts us in right standing with God. We boast in the cross of Christ because of what Jesus Christ did for us. We don’t live this life in the flesh any longer, but we live this life by faith in the Son of God and Christ lives in us.

So get rid of your negativity and reconcile yourself to God and to who He says you are and to how He sees you.

Note from editor: Read “Live a Yes life!” by Pastor At Boshoff.

Pastor At is the founder and senior pastor of Christian Revival Church (CRC). The church is celebrating 20 years of existence this year.

Visit www.crc.org.za / www.crcbfn.bloem-online.com for more information.

You can watch Pastor At every Sunday on TBN – 18:30; Rhema – 08:30 and CTV – 21:00 www.devotedmag.co.za

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Feature article

Unstoppable

force!

And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” Genesis 13: 14-17

T

he word, unstoppable, means that something is moving, advancing, taking over and nothing, or no one can stop it! The force is so magnificent that is it impossible to stop. Synonyms for unstoppable include: unbeatable, unconquerable, invincible, bulletproof, insuperable, insurmountable…It can refer to an army of soldiers, a tornado, a stampede or a tsunami of unspeakable force!

An unstoppable force comes to mind when one thinks of Pastor At Boshoff, founder and senior pastor of Christian Revival Church (CRC).

The vision of Pastor At’s movement is ever-expanding and invading new territory at an accelerated pace.

Notwithstanding the many obstacles that he faced during the CRC Pretoria Auditorium building project, he kept on keeping on.

Nothing could stop him from completing this mission. The finished, magnificent church buildings in both Pretoria and Bloemfontein are proof of this man’s determination and commitment to God’s calling.

This year, CRC celebrates 20 years of existence and it is just the beginning of even greater expectations for the next 20 years!

For the first time ever, the popular CRC Dreamweek Conference will be hosted in two cities simultaneously, namely Bloemfontein & Pretoria, from 7 to 12 October 2014. This is a conference not to be missed!

This foremost leadership conference, hosted by Pastor At and Nyretta Boshoff, provides the opportunity for Christians to equip themselves to become an unstoppable force too. “Expect good things from a good God”, says Pastor At. Every year, Dreamweek draws great numbers of people from all over the country and the world. It has always been a huge success. It is a well-planned and organised conference which caters for a wide variety of attendees – so everyone is welcome!

The theme for this year is UNSTOPPABLE, because CRC is launching out into the next 20 years to fulfil the mandate given by God to Pastor At, namely to win the lost at any cost – therefore CRC equips people to go into all the world and advance God’s kingdom!

God uses men, like Pastor At, to build His church through vision, faith and determination - therefore no devil can stop what God has ordained! Jesus said, “…on this Rock I will build My church”! Jesus has supernatural power in a natural world. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ and if you live to be an active part of His church, then you are part of this unstoppable force!

Visit www.crcevents.bloem-online.com and www.crc.org.za

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Feature article

Reasons NOT to miss the Dreamweek Christian Conference: • This conference will equip, empower and educate you. The worldclass guest speakers are exceptional preachers, hand-picked by Ps. At, to bring you outstanding insight and spiritual enriched messages. It will be a spiritual investment of note!

• Dreamweek brings large numbers of people together annually with one purpose: to worship God. It inspires conversation between like-minded people, increases cooperation in advancing the kingdom of God, facilitates friendship and provides an opportunity to connect with new people. People from all walks of life fellowship together and build lasting memories and also ignites new passion to take back to their world.

• You will receive inspiration and encouragement as the conference has a strong sense of focus. You will be able to absorb the information continuously, which leads to greater retention of the information.

• You will receive knowledge and understanding that the purpose of life is bigger than yourself – you will learn to give of yourself to a lost world, to help expand God’s kingdom!

• You will be part of a family. You will be drenched in the spiritual environment, new ideas will be born as you interact and connect with fellow Christians and you will definitely walk away with a treasure forever.

• It helps you to grow as a leader as you will come to understand what Christian leadership is in the eyes of Jesus. Christian leaders are expected to follow Him in obedience and to live with integrity in God. As a leader in an organisation or in the community, one must continuously develop one’s leadership skills; attending Christian conferences like Dreamweek is one of the best ways to do this.

• Like the name suggests, Dreamweek is a conference where God will revive your dreams, your goals, your marriage, your business…you name it, God can revive it!

Dreamweek speakers Pastor Ray Mc Cauley

Founder and senior pastor of Rhema Bible Church in Johannesburg (South Africa) Visit: www.rhema.co.za

Pastor Rick Godwin

Founder and senior pastor of Summit Christian Centre in San Antonio, Texas (United States) Visit: www.summitsa.com

Pastor Tommy Barnett

Founder and senior pastor of Phoenix First Assembly of God in Phoenix, Arisona (United States) Visit www.dreamcentre.org

Pastor Bill Wilson

Founder and senior pastor of Metro World Child in Brooklyn, New York (United States) www.metroworldchild.org

Pastor Miles McPherson Founder and senior pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego, California (United States) Visit: www.sdrock.com

Pastor Chris Hill

Founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House of Denver,Colorade (United States) Visit: www.tphd.org

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Special message

Special message From PASTOR AT AND PASTOR NYRETTA BOSHOFF

Nyretta and I want to welcome you to Dreamweek 2014 - “One conference, two cities”. Thank you for taking the time to be with us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness over the past 20 years and as we prepare ourselves to launch into the next 20 years.

I believe: “The best is yet to come” I declare: “Greater things are yet to be done” Family, this is such an exciting time for us at Christian Revival Church (CRC). We are literally positioned and poised as a movement to take this gospel of God’s love to the ends of the earth. I believe that this is the time where we are going to see cities and nations transformed by the power of God’s grace and love!

Thank you for your love and prayers Thank you for your belief and support Thank you for your many sacrifices Thank you for every kind gesture Thank you for every act of service Thank you for your generosity and every act of kindness Thank you for your loyalty and faithfulness Thank you for making this vision possible

This is our time to arise and to shine and to make this world a better place.

• This is our time to be everything God called us to be and to pursue all God has called us to do.

• This is our time to plunder hell and to populate heaven.

• This is the time for every generation to stand up and to take their rightful place as God builds His church!

You are all the unsung heroes of this great movement and today I salute and thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart. You are the ones who have made this vision possible - from the Red Cross hall to where we are today. You are the reason I stay strong and keep on pushing forward by God’s grace. As your leader, I realize that I stand and minister on a platform of sacrifice - our Lord Jesus’ sacrifice and then yours. I am humbled by your devotion and commitment to this vision God gave us. I am inspired by your love and faith to even dream bigger and to attempt greater things for God!

More than ever, we should be passionate about our mission: “To win the lost at any cost”. More than ever, we should live committed and submitted to God’s will for our lives.

More than ever, I believe:

CRC: •

I have a tremendous stirring in my spirit.

I know something new and great is about to be birthed.

I feel anurgency in my spirit: “The nations are waiting”.

I know that the time has come to be more intentional in rising up and releasing labourers into these distant mission fields.

I see hundreds going ... carrying the fire of God. I see arrows, on fire, causing revival wherever they land.

I hear God’s voice again “Wake up the mighty men”.

Joel 3:9-10: “Proclaim this among the nations: prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up; beat your ploughshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’

Finally:

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed during this journey in the past 20 years!

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• • • • • • • •

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• Together we can do more.

• Together we will make this world a better place.

• Together we will be unstoppable.

I pray that your every need will be met during this conference. I pray that you may experience God’s love and mercy in a way that you have never encountered it before. I pray that you may hear His voice and that you may be filled with wisdom and the knowledge of His will for your life!

May you have the most blessed Dreamweek ever. May dreams be revived and hearts come alive. May your faith be inspired to believe: “Anything can happen”!

Forever in His service

Much love

Spcecial Event

Never give up

Sunday 21 September 2014

Hope!

Corrections Week is the annual flagship communications programme of the Department of Correctional Services and its message is for offenders to be positive and not give up hope. The focus of this year’s Corrections Week was on decreasing overcrowding in correctional facilities caused by the high number of inmates awaiting trial.

T

he official launch of this event was held in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 21 September at Christian Revival Church (CRC) and was broadcasted live to all correctional centres in the country, radio stations and SABC Radio.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Advocate Michael Masutha said the total population in prisons has been reduced by 30 000 against the backdrop of a growing population.

Minister Masutha says the partnership between Justice and Correctional Services should be reinforced: “Remand detainees are people awaiting trial, which means they are still in the hands of the justice system.

If we improve the fast tracking of cases in our justice system that would automatically translate in reduction in levels of remand. We have made significant progress in the last ten years to reduce the numbers of remand detainees by 31%.”

The Commissioner of Correctional Services in the Free State, Subashini Moodley, says the role of the church and communities can overcome the cycle of crime.

“In the Free State and Northern Cape, our focus has been on the importance of the church, importance of faith-based organisations and the whole spiritual life of the offender. Primarily for the Free State and Northern Cape we say the moral

regeneration focus is very important, the development enhancement of moral fibre of our communities is critical.”

The brilliant message delivered by Pastor At Boshoff, senior pastor of CRC, emphasised the critical role of the church and that the church brings hope; and that it is a rescue boat for those in need.

Pastor At encouraged the congregation, delegates, offenders and honourable ministers with his message, stating: “God loves all people and He has called us as His church to be the hope of the world because only the love of God can change a man’s heart. When you change the heart of a man, you will change his behaviour.”

He explained this, saying that God can remove hatred, anger, bitterness and violence from a person’s heart when they encounter God’s love as demonstrated by the church.

Pastor At implored the attendees and live link viewers to make the world a better place and to go beyond every boundary and break every barrier by loving, not only in word, but also in deed. “You should not only preach the Gospel to an orphaned girl, but you should give her a safe home as well; the church should be proactive in job creation; providing food and shelter for the homeless.

Compassion is God’s love in action!”

Advocate Masutha reiterated the

importance of the partnership between the Department of Correctional Services and the church and also mentioned that the church has a pivotal role to play in the rescue mission Pastor At spoke about.

He also extended his appreciation to CRC Bloemfontein for hosting the Department of Correctional Services for Corrections Week, which focuses on giving the public a better understanding and appreciation for correctional services as a key player in ensuring public safety. Advocate Masutha spurred the people on with his opening statement: “Let us walk this journey together” and he continued to highlight the importance of everyone’s involvement in helping ex-offenders in their journey to become law-abiding citizens.

CRC is honoured to have been part of such a monumental event that strives to heal and rehabilitate offenders and educate society which is the very thing they (CRC) practice.

The church firmly believes in being an ark to people who need the love of God and seized the opportunity provided by the Department of Correctional Services to do just that equip and empower society to bring healing and restoration to ex-offenders - to be a rescue boat.

Together we will do more and help heal a broken and lost world!

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Sample Text Dialogue

The governments of earth have failed us

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth …” Genesis 1:26 (NIV)

W

orld renowned speaker, Dr Myles Munroe from Bahamas Faith Ministries International, recently spoke candidly about governments of earth and their failures at Christian Revival Church.

He highlighted what God’s intentions were when He created man and the planet, namely righteousness, justice and peace. The challenge today, according to Dr Munroe “is an overall dissatisfaction with government; and citizens are rising up in protest. They are looking for transparency, fairness, honesty ... and these qualities are not to be found in human government. We somehow keep searching for the perfect government”.

Dr Munroe said that Africa is widely regarded as one of the richest countries in the world because of the natural resources, but is the worst managed and therefore the poorest continent. With so much corruption, fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of funds by corrupt governments going on, Africa as a continent has many challenges in terms of poverty and famine, despite a wealth in natural resources.

Unfortunately South Africans are also victims of failing governments. Corruption is rife in the country and especially in the form of private use of public resources, bribery and improper favouritism. Corruption is so widespread that it even leads to the creation of new words such as “tenderpreneurism”, a term which describes individuals who enrich themselves through corrupting the awarding of government tender contracts.

The role of government is to effectively manage the resources it is given: “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” This sentence from Genesis 2:15 clearly states that it was God’s intention that man should manage (keep) the world and all that is part of it. These resources, according to the Bible, include water, fruit, land, gold, resin, onyx – among others. When government mismanages its resources, the country becomes poor – and so do its people.

South Africa in particular, has seen great leaders (such as Madiba) and some not-so-

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great leaders who were (and are) associated with all those things a godly leader should not be associated with: corruption, nepotism, fraud, and all sorts of criminal and immoral activities. However, citizens find themselves in a situation where holders of high offices are frequently heard quoting the Bible, but their private (and official) lives do not always reflect this.

Many people rightfully ask themselves what God then looks for in a leader? What are the standards and behaviour we seek in a person chosen for a role of leadership and service to others?

The call to leadership is a consistent pattern in the Bible. This Book of all books provides guidance in this regard and reveals that He has promised us guidance: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding … He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.” (Proverbs, 2:6) Exodus 18:21 says the following: “Select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness”.

Leadership then requires, from a Christian perspective, that the moral authority of that leader is credible. By implication it means that followers should have confidence in the core values and moral foundation behind the words of that particular leader.

A website on Christian Leadership points out that God is the Ultimate Leader and there was never a more suitable role model for Christian leadership than Jesus Christ.

It goes further by explaining that “He was the Model Servant Leader, submitting His own life to sacrificial service under the will of God (Luke 22:42). He sacrificed His life freely out of service for others (John 10:30). He came to serve (Matthew 20:28) although He was God’s Son and was thus more powerful than any other leader in the world. He healed the sick (Mark 7:31-37), drove out demons (Mark 5:1-20), was recognised as Teacher and Lord (John 13:13), and had power over the wind and the sea and even over death (Mark 4:3541; Matthew 9:18-26).”

From the teaching and example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we learn that being a (servant) leader means being a servant who submits themselves to a higher purpose which is beyond their personal interests or the interests of individuals; somebody who uses the power entrusted to them to serve others and who serves the needs of others before their own; and most importantly a teacher who teaches their followers, in word and deed, how to become servant leaders themselves.

(Sources: http://christian-leadership.org/ jesus-the-role-model-for-christian-leaders/)

Twelve Ways to Be a Godly Leader By “Chuck Lawless” 1.

2.

3.

4.

Prioritise the Word in your personal life.

Make prayer a part of your DNA. Never outgrow accountability.

Genuinely believe the Kingdom is larger than you.

5. Live with urgency.

6. Guard your speech.

7. Mentor someone.

8. Share the gospel with non-believers.

9. Keep learning.

10. Be a person of integrity in all matters.

11. Take care of yourself physically.

12. Meditate on your conversion experience.

(Source: http://thomrainer.com/2013/11/05/twelveways-to-be-a-godly-leader/)

Our question is: Do you think South Africa has the right leaders in place at the moment and what is your hope for this country?

Write to us in no more than 100 words and stand a chance to win one of a few great prizes.

Sample Text Tel: +27 51 446 2440

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Our service delivery standards is our outright advantage and strength.

We constantly deliver on turnaround times of 2 to 4 hours in our region which is far better than the industry norm.

Many of our technicians holds the highest levels of certification with our international suppliers and count amongst the most qualified people in their field in SA. Our Service Department consists of well over 40 Hardware, Software, IT Technicians as well as Service Controllers and Drivers. www.devotedmag.co.za

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Inspiration

Cllr Sputla Ramokgopa

giving hope to communities

By GERDA POTGIETER

Pretoria is a city of influence. Situated in the bigger City of Tshwane municipal area, it has as its first citizen a man that is working with churches and communities for the benefit of all.

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he Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Cllr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, also fondly referred to as Sputla, is a respectable man who leaves a positive impression wherever he goes. He has been the first citizen of the capital city since 2012. Since he took office, one can see positive changes everywhere and on many levels. He is an excellent leader; and it seems that this mayor is making a positive and lasting change in the city and in the communities – a change that is widely recognised and appreciated.

It has previously been mentioned that Pretoria has been a city of worship from early on, and still is today. It is a place where members of all denominations and religious beliefs can freely express themselves (Read: Historic Pretoria, a city of worship, in Issue 8). It is common knowledge that the current spatial landscape of the capital evolved from the fusion and incorporation of disparate entities, which in itself presented the city with a mixture of people from all races and cultural groups. One will find churches across the city, and the Municipality has recently donated over 140 parcels of land valued at over R60 million to local churches. In this regard the Mayor said that “this programme (the donation of land) commenced with churches as institutions that served as sanctuaries to oppressed people and also played a critical role in the liquidation of apartheid and the subsequent creation of a democratic society”.

It seems that Cllr Ramokgopa understands and values the role that churches play in uplifting and taking care of the communities. He understands that serving God implies serving His people. But, who is this leader who makes it his business to ensure that the capital remains a city of worship? Is he a man walking with Jesus; and what role does religion play in his private life? That is exactly why the devoted team put together this profile for the benefit of our readers.

Cllr Ramokgopa is no stranger to leadership positions. His professional profile makes for an impressive read, and I will quote from it: “He currently also serves as the Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Tshwane Region. He served as Tshwane’s Ward 51 Councillor between 2000 and 2005. He served in the leadership of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the ANC Youth League at the University of Durban-Westville. He has extensive experience in corporate governance and served as the CEO of the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC), an entity of the City of

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Johannesburg, and of the Johannesburg Market, which is the largest fresh produce market in the world by volume.

He has been recognised for his sterling business leadership and has been voted the 2008 MTN Boss of the Year and the 2009 CEO of the Year (adjudicated by the Institute of People Management). He is also the 2010 Black Business Quarterly title bearer: Young Business Achiever of the Year”.

The Mayor is also highly skilled and qualified, and the city is in good hands in this regard. His qualifications include BSc Civil Engineering from the University of Durban-Westville, Master of Public Administration from the University of Pretoria, Master of Business Leadership from the University of South Africa, and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from the University of Stellenbosch. He is currently writing his PhD thesis on local government finance at the University of Pretoria.

It is also clear that he is in sync with the needs of communities.

Growing up in Atteridgeville, he attended Seaparankwe Lower Primary School, proceeded to Patogeng Higher Primary School and finished at Hofmeyr High School. He was a keen soccer player as a young man, and was given the nickname Sputla for his skill and creative manoeuvring of a soccer ball. To this day he is still an avid sport enthusiast and watches football, rugby, cricket and Formula 1 race driving; he also likes to attend live matches. For relaxation he likes reading up on economics and politics.

I asked Cllr Ramokgopa if he is a follower of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and if he has a story to tell about his walk with Him. His eyes immediately lit up when he confirmed that he is a devout Christian and that throughout his life he has seen that God’s light is shining on him. He was brought up by a godly mother who embedded in her children the knowledge that it would not be possible to survive without God’s help and continuous existence, and that there is a higher Power at work in their lives. With eight children to raise it could not have been easy for his parents in their efforts to give them all a decent living.

The Executive Mayor says: “There were many challenges, but my mother kept on assuring us that God will provide and that He is taking care of our needs.

As I grew up and became successful in my own right, I came to understand not only the sacrifices my parents made for us children, but also the many blessings we received. I could, and still can see God’s light shining on us, even in the difficult times.”

His life as a child and the challenges they faced as a family made him aware that poverty is a reality and something that should be defeated so that all can enjoy a dignified life, as God intended. With

Inspiration the example his parents provided him, from a young age, he came to understand that all of us have to contribute to defeat poverty and that we should start by helping poor children to be educated.

And it was exactly what he did. He started to sponsor one child’s school fees and uniform, and today he has 560 children benefitting from his personal budget! But what struck me most is that this wellspoken person is so quick to boast about positive changes others make, but you have to drag the information out of him when it comes to what he does for others. He is clearly not one to help others just for the sake of getting known for that.

The Mayor also brought his philanthropist spirit into his office and his place of influence. His office runs a bursary fund of R10 million for children to help them go beyond matric. “Race is not a prerequisite to apply, only good marks”, he is quick to explain. Then there is also a school uniform project and support for children with special needs.

On top of this, schools in underprivileged areas are supported with free basic municipal services so that they, in their own way, pay it forward in making it easier for needy children to attend school for free.

The Mayor is actively involved in community work and runs a soccer team. He started this when he realised that teenagers are challenged in many ways and that drugs and alcohol are huge problems that impact on the quality of the lives of the youth. His team consists of 120 soccer players between the ages of 7 and 25 and the rules are strict: You behave yourself when you are part of this team and you respect others, or you are out!

His life motto is “Live truthfully and you shall prevail against all adversity”, and it seems with such an impressive CV that he knows what he is talking about. He believes that when you live truthfully you will have a less stressful life because you do not have to remember the truth, it comes naturally. The truth also remains the same under all circumstances and to the end.

“Because of my upbringing it helps to build character and the challenges test us to overcome future challenges. If your relationship with others is built on truth, you will overcome all challenges. If you

live your life faithfully and truthfully, failure is only temporary. This has been validated,” says the Mayor.

He has great plans for our city and he is adamant to plan properly for the future and not leave things to chance. He has launched a strategic plan, called Tshwane 2055, that clearly spells out how the Municipality plans to bring about lasting positive changes.

“The reconfiguration of space, especially the central business district, is important. I strive towards peaceful assistance of all races to create opportunities for people to interact. I see the entire City of Tshwane as a liveable environment which talks to the amount of time people spend outdoors; and where the kids can play joyfully. Racial harmony brings great opportunities.”

“Our strive is found in our unity,” says the Mayor.

“As individuals we can go so much faster, but together we can all go so much further. I am convinced that God is on our side.”

“Our history is littered with challenges and conflicts; but it also shows that we have the ability to resolve them. Our future is in God’s hands and therefore our future is looking good.”

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Profile

Tereza Troskie-Herbst embracing beauty

Devoted is the media partner for an exciting new event that will change the way people look at beauty pageants. We launch this special event with this profile of the founder and face of the event.

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Tereza and Bennie Herbst

Kayla Berr

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y and Joe

www.devotedmag.co.za

li Bosman

hey say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But it is hard to ignore an exceptionally beautiful woman, especially when she presents herself with confidence, grace and – above all –integrity.

Tereza Troskie-Herbst is such a woman.

She inherited the double barrel surname when she got married to the man of her dreams on 12 September 2014. She is well-known for her work in the beauty industry of over 25 years, but few people know about her philanthropic spirit, because they unfortunately got caught up in the gossip that has followed her in the past.

Gossip and slander never come from a place of love, is without the intention of good will and can ruin people and families because it has no respect for justice. As Christians we should be more aware of the propensity of gossip, especially on TV, on the radio, in newspapers and magazines.

The apostle Paul provides a key on how to deal with gossip in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

They say that real queens build their castles with the very stones that were thrown at them; and to me, Tereza is such a queen. She has not only proved herself to be a real queen in the world of beauty, but also in her personal life and in the way she treats other people. To profile this dynamic and beautiful woman is not an easy task and I looked for inspiration in the meaning of her name, as it is always interesting to see what a person’s name say about her/his personality traits. I believe when you choose a baby’s name you are in some way shaping that baby’s future! In many ways it is an important influence on the development of a person’s personality.

The name Tereza (also spelled Theresa, Teresa) is from the Greek therizein, which means “harvester” (to reap, collect or to gather). If you visit Tereza at her home, her love for gathering things that are important to her, is evident all over the house, from the kitchen to the private rooms.

Her collection of jewellery is formidable and I think some jewellery shops would love to get their hands on some items, collected over many years from all over the world.

The website Seven Reflections describes the name Tereza as “If positive, you develop high spiritually, as you have a God’s protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.”

Now, I think that people who know Tereza intimately will agree that the above profiles represent her in more than one way. Devoted has asked Tereza some questions so our readers can get to know this amazing woman of God. Q: Tell us about some of your achievements over the years?

A: I won Mrs South Africa in 1999 and I still reap the fruits of that title after 14 years. It took 22 titles to get to that one platform that normally takes you to the next step in your career. However, my biggest achievement is watching my 16-year-old son grow up, knowing I have a hand in the development of this beautiful young, soon-to-be, grown man.

Q: What was your mind-set when you achieved these? What drove you?

A: Throughout my career and life I generally stayed close to God. I tried to break through my limitations; to give attention to small detail; to

Profile create a sense of purpose; to be a blessing in the house of God; to have faith in everything I do; to be financially disciplined and to have the ability to create, attract and produce. The main force behind my focus is the fact that I have to be a role model for my son.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Who is the person behind the many beauty titles?

A: I love life!! I love my family! They play a very important part in my life. Every decision that I make, I make with them in mind. I like to have structure.

Everything must be planned. I like organised chaos!

It is important for me to build good relationships with others. Whatever I do, I put a lot of heart into it. I like to live with a positive attitude and I believe in miracles.

Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?

A: Dreams change every day as we grow as people.

That is why I believe in a vision to work for. A vision planned out in five-year parameters. For the next five years I want to build a sustainable business with wings widely spread nationally and internationally. My purpose is to establish, together with my remarkable team, a brand that will become a household name, a name that will be whispered by thousands.

Q: You recently got married. What can you tell us about your family life?

A: My family is the most important thing in my life.

I love spending time with my son.

Like every other family, we also have the challenge of spending quality time with each other. That is why we have certain traditions to keep us closer as a family, such as eating at least one meal per day together as a family.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: God inspires me. I have a lot of admiration for a lot of people. Role models and talent are everywhere, but the inspiration of the Bible is what keeps me inspired to go on and never give up.

Throughout her career as a beauty queen, Tereza has been associated with various charities in South Africa.

Her community involvement included, inter alia: • Goodwill patron for the Cancer Association.

• Fundraising campaign for a 2-year-old girl in need of a heart transplant and also for a boy in need of a bone marrow transplant.

• Collecting clothes and food for people that sell newspapers on the streets.

• Collaboration with the University of the Free State to raise funds for abused children.

• Scholarship fund to give three less fortunate students the opportunity to study.

• Annual special events with celebrities to raise money for handicapped people.

• Fundraisers for neglected animals.

Between 1985 and 2000, Tereza won no less than 19 beauty titles. These included: Junior Model of the Year (1985); Senior Model of the Year (1986); Oyster queen of Knysna (1987); Miss Community Chess (1987); Miss Herolds Bay (1988); Miss Mossel Bay (1988); Miss George (1988); Miss Cheetahland (1988); Miss Southern Cape (1990); Miss Kwagga (1987); Miss Picardi (1990); Miss Teen (1986); Miss Old Grey (1990); Miss Bloemfontein (1991); Miss Oranje Toyota (1991); Miss Lamberts Bay (1994); Miss Knysna (1990); Miss Mossel Bay (1990); Mrs South Africa (1999). Winner of Strictly Come Dancing Provincial (2008) and Celebrity Dancer Strictly Come Dancing (2009).

In 1999, she was also registered at Topco International Model agency under a celebrity portfolio, where she was regularly booked for functions, television work and motivational speeches which brought a direct income for the Mrs SA fund. In 2000, she was the first runner up in Mrs United Nations and won awards for best body; best hair; audience vote as winner; best dress; judges’ vote as winner; congeniality, best presentation book of representing Mrs SA and best face. She was also the 5th runner up in the Mrs International beauty pageant.

Tereza also spearheaded a beauty pageant called Dreamgirl, a few years ago with more than 7 500 entrants the first time around and more than R2 million worth of prizes. After some challenges and teething problems she took the project back to the drawing board, acquired the help and support of experienced people in the field and is now ready to launch an exciting new beauty pageant with a difference.

This envisaged new event is a spiritual upliftment and educational project for the youth, where young women will get the opportunity to showcase their talents and dreams. Tereza got the idea for Dreamgirl in 2000 while she was representing South Africa in America as Mrs South Africa.

The original concept has since been adapted to suit Tereza’s walk with Jesus. The most important value points of the new concept include: • The educational-based prizes that are on offer.

• Young girls are given the opportunity to earn a sustainable income.

• Participation presents a life-changing experience.

• Participants are not going to be judged based on looks only.

• Life coaching workshops will be presented by worldclass business coaches.

• Participants will be able to showcase their talents in front of thousands of people on television, in newspapers and magazines.

Despite all the glamour and accomplishments, Tereza stayed humble and with her feet firmly on the ground.

She regards the birth of her son, Jamie-Marcel Troskie, in 1998 and the changes she was fortunate to make in the lives of others as her biggest accomplishment.

Devoted is excited and honoured to be the main media partner for the upcoming event. We believe that a woman can pursue success in any field she desires, and this includes beauty pageants.

The alignment between Christian values and “pageant values” are unique. Do not miss out on the next issue of Devoted for more information on the upcoming event. Also visit our website, www.devotedmag.co.za from time to time to follow the progress of the event and when to enter.

Highlights of Tereza’s career: 1988: She started modelling and has since done 1 500 fashion shows, won 21 beauty titles and eight international awards.

1990: She entered the business world by opening a gift shop, employing seven people.

1991: She joined an international health organisation and became the marketing director within six months with the responsibility to train and manage 14 000 people throughout South Africa.

1994: She opens a Beauty Health and Stress Clinic, La Beaumont (Pty) Ltd; providing jobs for 14 people.

1996: She opens Tereza’s Design, providing designer clothing to several boutiques, employing nine people 1999: She is involved at Elken Primariuss Private College, an Afrikaans Learning Institute for students.

2000: She becomes the marketing director with the majority shareholding, with 54 employees and 250 students.

Sources: www.kabalarians.com www.sevenreflections.com

Pastor At Boshoff (in the middle), with the new couple and there families

ta Boshoff astor Nyret p h it w za Tere ghters and her dau

Jamie, Tereza

and Bennie

embracing beauty www.devotedmag.co.za

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Bible Challenge

Reading your Bible is a

privilege

“But he answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

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y grandchildren (five and seven years old) just love to read their Bibles. They call it their “Jesus book” and I just love that they have this special name for the Book of all books.

They do not miss out on an opportunity to read their Bibles, but most of the time they want me to read to them. These are such special moments that I will cherish forever – even long after they are old enough to read for themselves!

So the other day I asked my seven-year-old grandchild: “Why do you love to read your Jesus book so much?” “Because”, he said, “it tells me about Jesus and how much he loves little children. I like to read about His magic too.” From the mouth of babes…

We learn by repetition and this is why we have to read the scriptures repeatedly to embed it in our minds. Reading the Bible is not only a rule which needs to be followed by Christians, it is a huge honour to read the Word of God. The Bible is inspired by God and it is given to us so we can know Him by reading and studying it. Through Bible study we build a relationship with Him that is essential for our spiritual welfare. As we gain knowledge about Him, we will allow God to institute changes in us for His glory.

There are many reasons why daily Bible reading should be part of a Christian’s life. For example Ichthys.com, a ministry website devoted to spiritual growth through detailed Bible study, points out that “Christians should read the Bible for themselves every day without fail!”

The website Why Scripture emphasises that “the Bible is the single most important book ever written. It is an eyewitness account of historical events of such magnitude that they have literally shaped the world in which we live. Without this book, the Western world and a good deal of the Eastern world would be completely different today than if the events of this book had never occurred.” (Source: www.ptl. org/alive/whyscripture.php) The abovementioned site also provides five primary reasons why Christians need to read the Bible (written by Dan Buttafuoco, president of the Historical Bible Society): 1. The Bible has transformed the world.

2. People have died torturous deaths simply to gain access to this book.

3. It is a most accurate book of antiquity.

4. It contains a life-changing message of freedom.

5. It connects you to history’s most important figure.

(Additional source: http://christianteens.about.com/od/ understandingyourbible/tp/11-Reasons-To-Read-Your-Bible.htm) We are told from a very young age that Christians are supposed to read the Bible, but we are not often provided with reasons why we should. A friend of mine shared that he gets up at five in the morning to pray and read his Bible. He is convinced that it helps him making lifechanging decisions: “All I have to do is to seek the Lord’s face, study and

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meditate on His Word, and its meaning and depth would be revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. The lessons learnt through some experiences were: firstly, that you may seek the Lord’s help and guidance; secondly, that He does intervene when you ask according to His will; and thirdly, that He often uses circumstances or people to steer us in the right direction.”

Over the years I also started to read my Bible on a daily basis and discovered for myself what value it adds to my life by making Bible reading and intensive study a daily habit. I now share this knowledge with my children and grandchildren: • It builds my relationship with God, it gives me insight into His word and helps me to understand how the entire Word of God coheres. It has helped me to grow in understanding of God as I read and understand more of His Word. Matthew 4:4 says: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” • It helps me to find direction in life, especially during times that I face tough issues. “If you want favour with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself.

In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:4–6) • Reading my Bible regularly has made me a wiser person as the Bible covers all topics of life and offers all kinds of advice - from relationships to money, it’s all in there. James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who give generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

• It gives me peace when the rat race is becoming too much to handle. Reading the Bible can help us sort through all the craziness to see what’s really important; and it gives strength and comfort when we face major life challenges. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

(2 Timothy 3:16) • By reading my Bible, I have learned a lot about history. The Bible is full of real history, and it can give a person insight into other areas of history. “The Ministry of Jesus Christ is based on the written Word. God transforms the hearts of people through His Word.” (Luke 24:44 – 47) • It brings a new perspective so that I have a clearer view of things.

The Bible is full of answers on how we should live. Hebrews 4:12 tells us: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

I read somewhere that the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years; and it was completed approximately 2,000 years ago.

Bible Challenge It is an awesome thought, especially when one realises that none of its contents have ever been proved to be inaccurate. It has been translated into its present form directly from the original languages from a vast supply of ancient manuscripts and has been translated into every existing language and the process still continues. The printing press was invented in the 1400s by Gutenberg; and the first book to be printed was the, now famous, Gutenberg Bible.

From its beginning the printed word was designed to spread the Gospel and it will continue to do so. Even in today’s technological era, there are still many people who prefer the printed version to the e-version. There is just nothing that can come close to the look, feel and smell, of a printed book – especially when it is the Bible.

“We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and mankind’s nature does not change; it is as relevant for us as it was when it was written. While technology changes, mankind’s nature and desires do not change. We find, as we read the pages of biblical history, that whether we are talking about one-on-one relationships or societies, ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’” (Source: www. gotquestions.com) However, it is not merely enough to read the Bible. We should study the Bible with the aim to apply it to our lives. Bible study makes our worship come alive. Bible study is one way through which we receive communication from God and we should do everything in our power to keep the communication going.

In an effort to encourage its members to start reading their Bibles more often, a number of ministries have challenged their congregation to start reading their Bibles and to discover that the Word of God is alive and powerful. Pastor At Boshoff from Christian Revival Church (CRC) also launched an invitation to his congregation from the 12th of May 2014 to read the Bible from cover to cover over a 90 or 120 day period (Visit www.crc.org.za to read more about this Bible challenge).

Very few people have read the whole Bible. Why not start to study

your Bible and learn the Word of God? The more people we can encourage to join the Bible reading challenge, the better our chances of starting a spiritual revolution that will change the world. Bible reading challenges are important as it challenges participants to go to the source of faith and to see all the Bible can mean to them. Regular and continuous Bible study is the only way: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105 (NKV).

The Devoted team has also found two interactive websites that help believers to study the Bible constructively. www.thebiblechallenge.org is a resource to help you read the Bible on a daily basis. You can access the previous day’s reading by clicking on the dates in the calendar. This site challenges you to read the entire Bible over the course of one year. The site offers a reading every day. www.bigbiblechallenge.com is a site more orientated towards children. It has 100 Bible readings, arranged in 20 sections or “challenges”, each containing five Bible stories. Children can explore it on their own, but it is more fun if they do it with their parents or any other adult.

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Theme

Walking with God serving people

By MMATHABISO KHALEMA

“Wherein time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of obedience.”

(Ephesians2:2)

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efore we were born again, we walked according to this world. In whichever direction it was headed, that’s where we were heading. We followed our sinful inclinations and passionate desires. But God saved us, even though we were dead because of our disobedience. No matter how “good” we tried to be, or how smart our human reasoning told us we were - we were caught in a downward spiral, and really could not figure this thing out by ourselves. Jesus saves us by grace when we first believe - a free gift of adoption into the family of God. For the first time we get to come boldly into our Father’s presence, and cry out with joy: “Abba!”, “Daddy!”

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”

(Ephesians 2:4-5) And why exactly does God adopt us as His sons and daughters when we first believe?

Here’s why: “For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”. (Ephesians 2:10) A masterpiece is defined as “the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman”. We are now part of God’s family

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- and we now walk with Him. It brings Him great pleasure to have a huge family of His own to relate with and be in covenant relationship with us. However, as a new-born baby welcomed into the world, walking must still be learnt. A sturdy diet of the Word must be administered. This retraining is easily done by going to home cell. As sons and daughters, we are now engaged in a war taking place in the spiritual realm - one between God’s kingdom and the kingdom of darkness.

However, the war has already been won - we are an army under the commandership of the Holy Spirit proclaiming the good news that there is peace between God and man through faith in the name of Jesus: “And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him… no longer counting their sins against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19) We can have assurance that the walk is an adventure when we’re well-armoured.

In Ephesians 2:10-19, Paul exhorts us to put on the full armour of God to be able to walk strong. This is our responsibility. When Jesus says “follow me”, He means that He does the leading. For a believer to be led better by the Holy Spirit, he/she has to determine once and for all that the Word of God has final authority in his/her life in every single aspect of their life - disregarding popular culture, lofty philosophy, and all other high-sounding

nonsense that attempts to exalt itself against God’s Word.

The world which we live in is constantly attempting to dilute our faith with its culture and values and way of doing things. Fear for faith, and filth for purity. The world’s ways are always, without fail, contrary to the principles of God. The only way to escape the down spiral is to keep our eyes on Jesus.

He says “My yoke is easy, my burden is light.”

(Matthew11:29) Here He refers to God’s doctrine - the Word of God, and its simplicity! We should always keep looking into the perfect law and apply it so we can walk from strength to strength, ushering more and more sons and daughters of God into the Kingdom of Light.

Jesus is the ultimate example of how to walk victoriously with God. As a child He studied His Father’s Word. The Bible also shows us that He went away to pray on His own every morning. He did not take this for granted, because He knew that He could not do anything without His Father. Even after He was done serving the people around Him, He knew he had to go back into His Father’s presence and draw strength from Him. In Luke 11:1-13 He teaches His disciples the pattern of corporate prayer. When we pray with others, and our focus is on God’s kingdom, and calling people into the

Theme Kingdom of Light, we are made strong and learn to discern God’s heart and move on the earth in a particular time. When we pray in the Spirit - as Paul urges us to - as part of our armour (Ephesians 6:18: “Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion.”) This way we pray God’s perfect will and break new ground in the spiritual realm. The astounding expansion of the early church in Acts is a clear example of the results of this perfect prayer.

We should always remain filled with the Holy Spirit to be effective in walking with God: “We have been set free to serve one another in love.” (Galatians5:13) We should not serve out of a religious sense of duty. Walking with God is serving people.

These are inseparable acts. At our adoption, “a spiritual gift is given to each one of us so we can help one another” (1 Corinthians 12:7). As sons and daughters we are by no means hired help, but we have responsibilities, chores in our Father’s house. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us that we’re each given spiritual gifts of a great variety and that we should use them well to serve one another. God is glorified when we use our gifts.

The following definitions of the word “serve” in the dictionary made an impact on me: Act to fulfil a purpose, role or function;

contribute or conduce to; devote (part of ) one’s life or efforts to; assist. We already have these gifts in us - blessed to be a blessing. Use it, or lose it!

A part of our service to our Father includes our tithes and offerings - many Christians only consider this part of our worship in terms of financial resources. However, God’s intention is that whatever gift He has given you - 10 percent belongs to His house - as a reverent acknowledgement of your reliance on Him as your prime source. This includes time, talent and abilities. In Malachi 3:10 He dares us, “Try it! Put me to the test!” This is one of the only times God challenges us to test Him. On some of us He has bestowed the gift of being great teachers, hospitality, the gift of song, a passion for arts and media, caring for children, being an amazing hostess/usher, counsellor, intercessor, administrator, and a whole host of other gifts that are unique to our individual personalities. “If you do, I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in!” And this is if you give a mere 10 percent!. A giver in all aspects, He is always fashioning us to be more and more like Him so that His kingdom is lit up when we prove His faithfulness by merely obeying His Word.

I challenge you to take up God’s original dare. Dare to walk with Him wholeheartedly, uprightly, carry the Word every day, pray in the Spirit, determine to connect anew with your home cell as brothers and sisters, and to serve with excellence where your passion is.

The church comprises of a number of vibrant ministries where your gift will be welcomed and multiplied by God for His kingdom. His laws are unstoppable! “I shall build my house, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. (Matthew 16:18) Consider it a calling of the highest honour to build His house as a son or daughter of the King of kings.

“For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.

(Ephesians 2:10)

Events

Slippers, sweeties and all things nice

These are the ingredients for an amazing pyjama party!

Christian Revival Church (CRC) is once again at the forefront with this fun idea. The church recently hosted a pyjama party for young girls, soon to become young ladies.. Young girls from Grade 4 to 7 were invited to listen to their church mother, Pastor Nyretta Boshoff, on what it entails to become a young woman.

Pastor Nyretta handled the sensitive topic like a pro! Being a mother of two girls, now grown women, she knew exactly how to handle the tough questions that came from the inquisitive minds.

The girls had a ball and judging by their reactions, and from the mothers who were allowed to accompany the youngsters, they felt extremely comfortable in the secure environment that was created

for them. Everybody, including the pastors, was dressed in their pyjamas. This gave the girls a sense of belonging (a feeling of “we are the same”) and put them at ease with the adults in the room.

And as always when girls come together, there were lots of yummy treats, fluffy and pink things! Not to mention fun, fun, fun! And the pulpit for the occasion? A nice, comfy bed!

A pyjama party, also known as a sleepover or a slumber party, is a party most commonly held by children or teenagers; and a popular way to interact with peers. The sleepover is often called a “rite of passage” when a young child, or a teenager, begins to assert independence and to develop social connections outside the immediate family. (Source: Wikipedia) The girls went home with their parents after the “girl-talk” and did not sleep over at the church. Nevertheless, it was a great evening for them, and it was clear from their on-going giggling and chatting that they absolutely loved the time with their church mother.

Events

Breakfast

at Tiffany’s

CRC Johannesburg Ladies event

By MIGNIONETTE FAIR

“Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.”

– Audrey Hepburn as Holly Go lightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

I

f there is any truth to this quote then the ladies from CRC Johannesburg definitely owe Pastor Nyretta Boshoff and Simone Fredericks a lot after the wonderful Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed ladies breakfast which took place on the 30th of August!

The morning was filled with little-blackdresses, pearls, sparkles and all things fabulous! It was hosted at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton and what a wonderful time we had.

The morning started off with a fun ice breaker and instructions on how to take the perfect selfie, followed by some practical experience which was great fun.

After a delicious breakfast, Isabella Makuta shared her amazing testimony. She is in top management at the prestigious Group Five

construction company and also raised her three boys (now men) all by herself. She embodies grace, strength and her faith in God and His provision encouraged many ladies at the event.

Finally it was the beautiful Pastor Nyretta’s turn! The mother of CRC spoke about baggage in our lives and that God intended for it to be light and easy (Matthew 11:30).

“Baggage should be a good thing,” said Pastor Nyretta, illustrating her message with some gorgeous handbags and vintage bags.

“On the carousel of life, we can decide if we are going to let the baggage pass us by, or if we are going to pick it up and drag it along.”

It truly was a powerful message – you choose if you are going to pick up that hurt, offense, bitterness, jealousy, or whatever

else! You also choose to let it go by and keep your baggage light and easy, the way God intended it to be.

Pastor Nyretta encouraged the ladies further by saying that we should not let other people or things pack our bags for us – we are the only ones allowed to pack our bags.

And if life adds something unexpected to our baggage, we choose our attitude towards that extra package.

The name Tiffany means “revelation of God” or manifestation of God” and in many ways this ladies breakfast was God revealing Himself to the CRC ladies in a new way.

Thank you pastor Nyretta, Pastor Simone and all the other ladies involved in making this breakfast “divinely & utterly” fabulous!

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Back to Basics

Serve Him Serving God and people

with a cheerful heart

By MIGNIONETTE FAIR

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6 ) You can’t build a strong house without a strong, basic foundation. Devoted is going back to the basics of Christianity with this second article in our new series. We hope to help you build a relationship with God which cannot be shaken and to help you be more effective in reaching your world for Jesus.

S

erving…! Does that word leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Or does it scare you? Frustrate you? Make you angry? Or maybe you just couldn’t care less about that word?

If you answered yes to any of these questions – keep reading.

In Luke 22:27, Jesus said the following: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

Some of the meanings for the word “serve” in the dictionary include: • To be of use in achieving or satisfying; • To be of some specified use; • And to perform duties or services for another person.

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You might be thinking: The Bible says that our righteous acts are like filthy rags to God. (Isaiah 64:6) And you would be completely correct!

However, in Galatians 5:13 the Bible also says: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” So why then is serving God and people such an important part of being a Christian?

Firstly, it glorifies God. In Matthew 5:16 it says: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

And again in 1 Peter 4:10 the Bible says: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another…in order that in everything God may

be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

Secondly: If it was good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for me. We find many examples in the Bible of where Jesus served the people around him. He even said the following in Mark 10:44-45: “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…” He also lovingly washed his disciples’ feet and told them to do likewise in John 13:14: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

However, this does not mean that being a servant will just happen or even be easy! I know of many people who go to church and home cell every week, but when it comes to serving others or serving in church, they are

Back to Basics quite happy to just sit on the side-line and be a bystander. The bad news is…they are missing out!

Serving God and people is one of the best things in the world! You feel fulfilled, you are filled with purpose and vision and you have a chance to make a difference in someone else’s life. Serving someone is one of the greatest acts of love, and God will honour you for it. “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.” (John 12:26) Jesus even says in John 15:13 that there is no greater love than when you lay your life down for your friends. I believe that serving is a beautiful sacrifice unto God, but also unto people. However, in order for it to be a beautiful sacrifice, we need to do it with a cheerful heart.

King David puts his love for serving so beautifully in Psalm 100:2, “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”

Below are some interesting things that have been said about serving in the kingdom of God.

•

Thomas Watson said: “Good duties must not be pressed and beaten out of us, as the waters came out of a rock when Moses smote it with his rod; but must freely drop from us, as myrrh from the tree, or honey from the comb.”

• Jack Hyles also said, “God’s people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged.”

So … consider yourself challenged!

There are many areas where you can start

serving. It might be overwhelming to decide where to begin, but the secret is to just begin somewhere!

Find out where the need is in your church and jump in! Whether it is helping out the ushers, at children’s church, street ministry, hospital ministry or just helping your home cell leader on a weekly basis – you matter!

And we need every woman, man and child to do their part in order to advance God’s kingdom and to win the lost at any cost!

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Attitude

Stand together against

bullying

Bullying comes in all sorts of forms, but they all have devastating effects on the victim.

Cyber bullying, relational aggression, physical bullying, emotional bullying, verbal bullying, sexual bullying and prejudicial bullying stem from the bully’s need for attention and desire for social power.

L

oneliness, depression and anxiety contribute to high levels of psychological stress, with the consequences of attempted suicide, suicide, psychosis, substance abuse, eating disorders and anti-social personality disorders. Trouble fitting in can lead to the victim being less sociable and thus being ostracised by their peers. As a result, they become loners, with few or no friends.

The victim may not be able to handle their emotions and may act out aggressively.

Acting out when they are called names or experience any threatening behaviour causes the cycle of bullying to continue.

Highly anxious and mistrustful of people, the victim may appear aggressive, defensive or hostile. This is because they are living in a heightened state of awareness, wary of when they will be bullied again.

The victim may struggle academically as they feel unsafe at school, which may drive them to bring a gun or knife to school for protection. They are highly distracted by the emotional stress and often don’t follow rules

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laid out in class. If the bullying epidemic is not rooted out, the victim may become a bully themselves.

How to combat bullying?

Studies show that parents spend an average of 15 minutes per day speaking to their children. To really understand what is going on in their lives, let every day be a reminder of the valuable influence that you as a parent or guardian have and can have on your child’s life. If you suspect something is wrong and feel that your child doesn’t want to talk about it, here are a few ways of getting them to open up: • Take your child out for a milkshake or do an activity together that you have not done in a while. Then begin with a social conversation, with questions like: How many new friends do you have at school?

How is your boyfriend/girlfriend? We haven’t seen your friend in a while, how is she/he?

• Don’t ask questions that can lead to a yes

or no answer – ask open-ended questions.

• Change the “you” to an “I” in your questions. As soon as you ask questions like “you are not yourself?” your child will put up a wall of defence. Break down the barriers by rather posing the question like this: “I feel that you are not yourself”. It changes the tone and they won’t feel as though they are being attacked.

• Once they open up to you, it is important that you explain that it is not their fault and that they are the victim. Give your child a choice by asking whether you as their parent can sort it out for them, if they would like to deal with the bullying together, or whether they can manage the problem themselves (with your guidance and loving support).

Practical tools in the fight against bullying

Christian Art Media (CAM) recently launched a Help Stop Bullying Campaign and, together with Stop Bullying Now SA’s programme, supply the following tools to

Attitude help parents/guardians and their children to deal with bullying: • Stand Strong/Staan jou man by Nick Vujicic. Nick was born without arms and legs – and no defence. His story of overcoming continuous bullying into his adult years is the perfect tool on dealing with bullying. (Also see Issue 10 of Devoted for a review of this magnificent book.)

• Hidden Rage is one of the most powerful films against bullying, depression in teens, suicide and school violence. (See the review in this issue of Devoted) These resources will be filtered into the Stop Bullying Now SA foundation, with messages that are powerful, practical and relevant.

Apart from Stop Bullying Now SA’s primary and high school programmes, training seminars are also being held for teachers and parents. Should a child or guardian be too frightened to mention a specific bully at their school, they can contact Yvette Winson from Stop Bullying Now SA. She will approach the school they attend in order to address the issue, keeping the tip-off strictly anonymous.

Challenge: “Standing Strong Together”

The Devoted team would like to challenge all parents, guardians, teachers and schools to help us address this devastating problem in our society in collaboration with CAM and

Stop Bullying Now SA. Let us shine a light on this epidemic and be proactive. Let’s create a safe environment for all our children.

Get your school to take part in one of the following visible pledges: • Designate a wall where students can make a hand print and/or sign it; • Ask learners to stand in formation to spell out “STOP BULLYING” and take an aerial photo for them to share on their social networks; • Challenge other schools in the vicinity to do the same.

Should you feel despondent or require more information, please contact Yvette Winson and her team at Stop Bullying Now SA and request their programme to be implemented at your child’s school. They can be contacted on the following e-mail address:stopbullyingnow.sa@gmail.com.

For further information on the campaign, please visit: facebook.com/ ChristianArtMedia and click on the STOP tab. Twitter: #StandStrong #HelpStopBullying Eduplex Private School is a proudly Anti-Bullying School in Queenswood, Pretoria. For more information, contact us on 012-3337143 or visit: www.eduplex.co.za

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Editor’s choice

There is no match for

Mount beauty!

Sheba’s

“No ma’am, I do not expect anything. I want to service you”, said Bingo with a bright smile when I offered to pay him for washing my car! This completely surprised me, because I cannot remember the last time anybody did anything for me without expecting something in return! I found Bingo washing my car on the morning after I arrived at the Mount Sheba Lodge in Mpumalanga.

At first I thought I was receiving special treatment, but I soon realised that all the guests were treated with the same courtesy.

It is awesome how something so small can make a person feel so welcome. What a blessing!

I

must admit upfront that I am a very spoiled traveller. I have stayed in so many different hotels, resorts, guest houses and other types of accommodation all over the world – from six star institutions to those that are not even rated! If you travel as much as I do, you are constantly looking for that special something – the “wow” factor. I found that “something” in the excellent customer service at the Mount Sheba Lodge.

Situated in the eastern cliffs region, the road to the resort is panoramic and one of the most beautiful environments in our country. It truly is a spectacular area. As you drive on the R36 road from Lydenburg on your way to Pilgrims Rest (beware of the huge potholes!), you will find the turn-off to the resort. The first part is a gravel road, but it is a surprisingly comfortable drive. The lodge is situated in the Mount Sheba Nature Reserve and the beautiful scenery also contributes to the feeling of relaxation and has a mysterious promise that the “best is yet to come”.

Tucked away in a breath-taking mountain range, the Mount Sheba Lodge is situated in the culturally rich province of Mpumalanga. The lodge, built in 1968, overlooks a magnificent, indigenous, tree-covered nature reserve of about 400 hectares.

The welcome was something that I truly appreciated after the long drive from Pretoria. Each guest received a clean, white, damp cloth to clean their hands with and were offered some peach tea (“it is home-made”, the friendly receptionist assured me, which made it even more special). We were soon fully informed by the staff on what to expect, what was on offer and where the room was.

The lodge consists of white buildings with thatched roofs. It has an old-world charm to it and the magnificent Drakensberg in the background adds to its beauty. Unfortunately we only stayed for one night, but we decided to make the most of everything on offer. After a quick coffee, we walked around to enjoy the natural surroundings. And it was at its best!

Situated in the rainforest, the scenery is just breathtakingly beautiful and the air was the purest I’ve inhaled in a very, very long time. It was hard to imagine the world out there where everybody was running the rat race! At some point I stood still for a long time and could not believe the quietness of the place. It was as if time had come to a complete standstill and you could actually hear the quietness, if that is at all possible!

Mount Sheba Lodge has much to offer for the nature lover - from beautiful waterfalls, the magnificent rainforest with an abundance of flora and fauna; walking trails and a wide variety of bird species and small animals. It does cater for families, but the romantic setting makes it the ideal place for couples to reconnect with each other.

We had dinner at the restaurant and the food was out-of-this-world, professionally and politely served with grace and friendliness – something that I have not experienced in South African restaurants for a very long time. What I

Editor’s choice also notice was that the music was very subtle and in the background as it is meant to be, and it was carefully selected to enhance the romantic atmosphere of the place.

The next morning we had breakfast next to the swimming pool overlooking the Drakensberg Mountains. It is hard to describe the beauty of the surrounding area, but many adjectives come to mind such as magnificent, majestic and breath-taking. The promotional brochure of the Forever Group Resorts explains it as follows: “take in the breath-taking scenery, laze away in front of a log fire on a chilly night or explore the fauna and flora of this magical landscape via 14 hiking trails”. But the brochure does not do it justice.

All the staff at the Mount Sheba Lodge are well trained in all aspects of customer care and it clearly shows - from the general management (who welcomed the guests personally) to the reception staff, the waiters, the cleaners, the gardeners … they are all in sync with each other and with their guests. If you value customer care as much as I do, this is a breath of fresh air in a country that is challenged on so many levels for poor service delivery!

In a nutshell, this is what Mount Sheba has to offer: • Breath-taking scenery and magical landscape

• Romantic log fires in the rooms • Close proximity to popular tourist destinations such as the historic Pilgrim’s Rest, God’s window, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Blyde River Canyon, Kruger National Park.

• Excellent service and warm hospitality • A magical ambiance of exclusivity • Indigenous forest hiking trails • Bird watching • Conference rooms and team building • Tranquillity and peace • Squash, table tennis, board games, trout fishing, tennis • Restaurant with gourmet dinners We had a fantastic stay at the resort - it truly is the perfect getaway.

So, what was my reaction to Bingo when he told me that he does not expect payment for washing my car? I insisted that he take it as a blessing, because I believe that as a Christian I am privileged to understand that it is an absolute blessing to bless others - with the hope that they also pay it forward!

(Website : www.mountsheba.co.za )

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27

Victorious with Vicki

forward Pay it

By VICKI FOURIE

One morning, my grandmother woke me up.

Excitedly she said, “I’ve just had the most wonderful dream!”

“Huh?” I responded, still half asleep.

“You and I are going shopping!”

Then she dragged me out of bed, and it was off to the shopping mall. Turns out, the dream that she had didn’t involve actual shopping, but it did involve my parents: She wanted to spoil my parents.

The shopping list had the following on: Champagne, chocolates, flowers, beef jerky, bubble bath, and candles. When we got home, we announced to my parents to make no plans for that evening. We drew them a bubble bath and lit the candles.

After they each had their bath, my grandmother and I massaged my parents’ hands and feet, and all the while there was peaceful music playing in the background. My parents ate their chocolates and beef jerky, and drank their champagne from fancy glasses.

It was amazing to see the effect it had on my parents: They were

laughing, giggling and enjoying the whole affair. It was such a simple thing to do, and yet it turned out to be such a wonderful evening - not only for my parents, but for me and my grandmother as well.

This whole event made me realise something: We always tend to take, take and take even more from our parents. How about we start giving back? How about putting back and helping out where we can – even financially and emotionally? Without even being asked to do so?

I can’t think of a better way to pay it forward. Our parents love us.

Let’s start by loving them back – not just with thoughts and words – but through our actions as well.

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

Luke 6:31 (ESV)

DO IT: Think about the members of your family.

Is there anyone going through a tough time at the moment? Be creative! You have to think of ways that you can spoil them.

WEN ‘n kopie van Dagstukkies vir dogters Vicki Fourie het onlangs ‘n pragboek die lig laat sien, Dagstukkies vir dogters. Die boek gaan beslis jou nuwe vriendin word op jou pad na ‘n nuwe ontdekking van Jesus se liefde vir jou.

Vicki is ‘n baie gewilde skrywer van, onder andere, Devoted se Kingdom Youth-reeks. Nie net is sy ‘n voormalige skoonheidskoningin nie - sy het haar merk gemaak as motiveringspreker.

Vicki is ‘n pragmens wat haar liefde vir Jesus verkondig en aktief uitleef; en sy laat geen steen onaangeroer om jongmense te motiveer om te bly glo aan hul drome nie.

Om in aanmerking te kom vir ‘n kopie van Vicki se boek, Dagstukkies vir dogters, skryf vir ons in nie meer nie as 300 woorde hoe jy jou ouers ‘n spesiale bederf gegee het. Stuur jou brief na: editor@devotedmag.co.za voor die einde van Oktobr 2014.

Slegs een kopie is beskikbaar, dus moet jy gou spring. Die redakteur se keuse is finaal.

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29

Upliftment

Governments &Churches:

together they can do more!

By DISEBO PESA

Part of the role the church plays is to bring peace, provide leadership and support to its communities. In the same way, governments also have similar objectives. No organisation can provide support to communities on its own and therefore needs support and help from the public and other organisations. It makes sense then that governments and churches should form partnerships to uplift the communities in which they operate. As the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane says (read article on page 12): “Individually one can go so much faster, but collectively we can go so much further!”

I

t is so important, in the broken world we live in, to instil biblical values in communities, so the same values can spread to other communities across the nation. The church is God’s “hospital” through which His people can make a difference all across the world.

Christian Revival Church (CRC) recently reached out to school learners through an established partnership with the National Department of Public Service and Administration. This is the national department that sets standards in the South African Public Service. The church and the government worked together on projects like career guidance so the learners are empowered to understand why they should follow certain career paths.

If healthy nations are going to be build, governments, communities and churches should work together and be able to depend on each other. There is a dire need for these close relationships to support people who will, in return, serve their governments, churches and communities.

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The collaboration of these three institutions will bring about nations that are forever growing spiritually, socially and economically.

This interdependence should be promoted and strengthened so the people of our nation can be self-sufficient and responsible through the application of the values learned from schools, churches and the government.

Platforms that link students and professionals, who prepare them to pursue the right courses, provide direction. Experts should take the time to educate learners about the right fields leading to the learner’s chosen career.

In this way, learners are motivated to rise to the challenge through these exposures.

Motivated learners who feel cared for are often more willing to offer their voluntary services in the church and community and they participate with dedication at school.

This makes a societal difference through an unbreakable value chain. Inspired learners work hard and their high pass rate automatically grants them permission to institutions of higher learning. Learners even invest more time and effort to study. Such

exposures instil a lot of sense, discipline, responsibility and accountability in learners.

Platforms like these are vitally important to make learners realise that hard work and dedication are the key elements to reach their destiny.

Compassion means that the church of God serves as the link between the government and society. The church should purposely fight and overcome poverty on every level. The community is standing on the shoulders of the church and the government for direction.

When communities receive salvation, they step into kingdom strength, liberty, peace and security - the burden becomes lighter. When a person finds Jesus, they move from darkness into light.

As Christians, we stretch forth our arms to love our world, because people are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image - we are commanded to love one another with the same measure. Together we can do more, and each person, whether in the church, community or government has a crucial role to play.

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Giving back

Let the come to me!

No child ever asked to be born; and no child deserves to be hungry or uneducated.

Christianity is ALL about giving. Christians are called to make a difference in people’s lives, including the lives of children.

Picture by Sarel van Staden s Christians, we should get involved in wiping out poverty and especially partake in all forums that aim at eradicating poverty. Now is the time to give back some of what you have accumulated by the grace of God. Now is the time to be proactive and to show our precious children that there IS a God through Who they can and will have a future. Now is the time to start paying it forward!

There are so many good causes that urgently need funding, other resources and assistance to continue with the work they are doing. The quality of your life is equal to the quality of your contribution and if you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly improve your own life in the process. When you do random acts of kindness on a daily basis, your own life becomes far richer. It is true, that the noblest thing a person can do, is to give to others and to focus on a higher purpose in life.

A single person or organisation cannot run their community development programmes on their own and they need the help of supporters and partners to help build South Africa by taking care of its children. This is why it is so important and valuable to join forces with other supporters to help the needy children in places like pre-schools and day care centres. This way, ideas and resources are shared to help better the lives of these children in a number of day care facilities. There are so many ways to support a child, and nothing is more rewarding than helping to build a child’s future.

Devoted supports a number of community outreach programmes that need help and support. In this article we highlight some of the projects for your information. This is a strong plea from our side to find it in your heart to volunteer at some or all of them, for the benefit of the vulnerable children.

Adopt-a-crèche project

Christian Revival Church (CRC) has a mandate to reach out and care for needy, local communities. The church runs an Adopt- a- crèche programme to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in society – the children.

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The Adopt-a-crèche programme was officially launched in Bloemfontein in the Mafore area by Pastor Nyretta Boshoff.

Cecilia, the principal of the crèche, started in a tiny shack with 30 children and today the crèche is fenced off and boasts three classrooms, a lapa and flushing toilets. The programme has adopted 24 crèches in the Bloemfontein area. Other CRC churches are also pursuing the vision of the programme and have started to implement this in their own areas.

The project was originally started to assist day care centres that were under resourced in the local communities to help them comply with government standards and regulations.

The support which the programme offers includes maintenance and upgrading of existing buildings (mostly shacks); provision of basic toiletries, stationary, furniture and equipment; the supply of basic clothing, blankets, school bags, and other much needed items. The women, who care for these children, are also trained and equipped.

In Pretoria, the Adopt-a-crèche programme was launched in October 2009 at the Swavelpoort squatter camp (Plot 10). During that time the crèche ran every Wednesday. It has since grown into a permanent crèche and it now runs every day. It also joined forces with the nearby Kungweni Day Care Centre.

By the end of 2010, the project extended to a total of three crèches, two of which are in the Mamelodi area. It has since grown to a total of nine crèches/day care centres. Each of these crèches has been allocated to a home cell group for continuous support.

The home cell groups support the crèches morally, but also by engaging with other stakeholders in identifying opportunities to raise the crèches to a standard where they can adequately provide for the educational needs of the young children in their care.

With the help of these supporters, the caretakers of the crèches are uplifted so they can become more efficient in their business and community. At the same time, the standard of education for the kids is raised; and they have more hope and a great future to look forward to.

The programme was created to assist under resourced crèches and day care

centres in the less privileged communities who needed additional support. Some of the support provided is as follows: • Maintenance and upgrading of the buildings/shacks, which includes painting, shading, fencing, waterproofing, etc.

• Education is enhanced by training the teachers & assistants.

• Furniture, such as tables, chairs, filing cabinets and jungle gyms is provided.

• Stationary is also provided, which includes toilet paper, tissues, Vaseline, face clothes and soap.

• Other necessities, such as blankets, mattresses, warm clothing, schoolbags with stationary and school clothes are also provided.

One of the biggest challenges at the crèches is the collection of school fees.

There are so many unemployed parents and although some of them do receive a child grant, they cannot afford the fees of R100 per month for each child. Therefore, the choice that most parents are forced to make is that the children wander in the streets without any education. For only R100 a month you can make a difference in the life of a needy child and family.

Should you wish to join others in making a meaningful difference in the lives of these vulnerable children, please contact a CRC home cell group for more information. The church has an extensive home cell network in all the towns where a CRC family church is based. You can contact the home cell closest to you and you can assist them in providing much needed support to a crèche in your immediate area. You may also contact the church offices directly.

For more information on the Adopt-acrèche programme, please call: Bloemfontein: 051 525 2883 Pretoria: 084 217 3142 Or visit www.crc.org.za

The feeding scheme

Meals are prepared in the Pheteho Community Centre in Bloemfontein and distributed in the informal settlements to children, the unemployed and the elderly.

The food is handed out to each person

Giving back personally in order to emphasise that they are not simply the poor being fed, but that each person is important to God. The feeding scheme started in July 1999, reaching 200 children, twice a week at the time. Presently, more than 1 035 litres of soup (4 000 mugs) are prepared daily at the Phetoho Community Centre and distributed in the informal settlements..

The food is merely a doorway to reach the underprivileged; and CRC members are simply channels through which God can bring transformation and restoration!

The Community Children’s Church (C3) (Bloemfontein) Reaching 13 000 children on a weekly basis gave rise to the establishment of the Community Children’s Church or C3. Where 1 000 children were previously transported

by bus to CRC church on a Sunday, the church is now taken to them in a converted … which opens up to become a stage. This ministry coincides with the areas where the feeding scheme operates. Little leaders are being raised up in a home cell structure (home visitations), enabling the women involved in this ministry to gain access to homes. A platform is then established to sense any brokenness or abuse within the family, to build a level of trust and refer such abuse to the relevant authorities for further investigation.

African Feast is the first of many income generating projects the ministry has envisaged to assist in sustaining the feeding scheme and for job creation. It currently operates as a tuck shop on the school premises and as a take-away for the community.

Talitha Cumi: place of safety (Bloemfontein)

This place of safety is a safe haven for abused children between the ages of two to ten years, who have been legally removed from their homes. The baby home takes care of babies from birth up to two years.

Being exposed to the horrific circumstances that these children are faced with on a daily basis, impressed the need to alleviate it in some way on some of the women in the church and the Talitha Cumi vision was born. In March 2008 the Talitha Cumi: place of safety was opened and it has been a safe haven for about 26 abused children. The registered babies’ home for 15 little ones (birth to two years of age) opened its doors at the Phetoho Community Centre during November 2010.

Here are some reasons why we should help our needy children and families: • • • • • • •

You could be the last person to help a child (or young person) before they start doing crime to satisfy their basic needs; You can be the one to help feed a child who sometimes has to go without a decent meal for days; You feel satisfied and content in helping a child in need; You help find solutions for a huge social problem; You give a child a fair chance of having a better life; You help the poor families by educating their children; When you help others, it increases your own physical and emotional well-being.

Contact CRC Bloemfontein for more information or to get involved:

Tel: (051) 525 2883 • Fax: 051 522 5202 • Email: pa2psnyretta@crc.co.za • Web: www.crc.co.za • www.crc.bloem-online.com

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Kingdom Kidz

Family

By JOHAN TERBLANCHE

T

here is a place on the west coast of South Africa called Namaqualand.

This region is a semi-desert but every year around the middle of August to middle September this place becomes a flower garden. Millions and millions of flowers suddenly appear. Most of these are yellow and orange but there are also red, white, purple and pink ones. Now, if you walk around and pick a few flowers of the same kind, say for instance you pick ten daisies, you’ll see that though they look the same, each one is different.

We are also like this. We’re all human, yet we all differ - even identical twins have different fingerprints. We all have the same basic needs yet there are needs that are specific to us. For instance some might dream of being rich and healthy while others simply dream of a meal each day.

Now, let us take a look at Matthew 6:28 – 33: “And why do you worry about clothes?

Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one

In this Bible verse we see two things: Firstly, God made the flowers and takes care of them but, more importantly, God will take care of our needs for He knows our needs. All we need to do is to stay in the presence of Jesus.

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of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass-grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won’t He be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what He requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things.”

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Education

By RENE BRINK

Discover life Breaking free from addictions

If you are struggling with an addiction, the most important step is to admit that you have a problem.

You can never break free from anything if you live in denial. It is also important to realise that there are many types of addictions, not only drug or alcohol addiction.

Y

ou might have tried everything you possibly could to break free from your addiction. You might have gone to rehabilitation centres, support groups, and even tried religious church meetings.

You might have stayed clean for a few months, a few years even, but it just seems like the addiction keeps on coming back. My friend, it is almost impossible to break free from your addiction without Jesus in your life. The Bible says that: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)) Now you might ask: How do you surrender your life to Christ? The Bible says in Romans 10:8-10: “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

You were freed from all addictions 2 000 years ago: “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

You might have the mind-set that you will always stay an addict. This can be true and false. It is true in the sense that you have to stay away from all mood-changing, mind-altering substances. And no, you are not an addict for the rest of your life. The truth is: “… if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36).

All you have to do is to accept the truth (what the Bible says), more than the facts (what the world says). This applies to every area in your life. It is not God’s will for anyone to perish. John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Imagine for a moment: You may have a child of your own, or it could be you. Jesus was born into this world, just like you and me. He had to

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endure temptations from the devil, and He had to go through the exact same pain as us. He must have also felt lonely at times. But just like Him, we are in this world, but NOT of this world. Even if you were the only person alive on this planet, He would still have died for you.

He loves you in spite of you. He loves you just as you are. You are accepted, whole, complete, and beautiful in the eyes of our Saviour. You are not a mistake: “For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

(Psalm 139:13, 14).

I can tell you one thing, as long as you have breath, you still have hope. You still have something to do to build His kingdom. It does not matter if you were a prostitute, a drug addict, lesbian or gay, a drug dealer, a rapist, or whatever the case might be. He loves you and nothing can separate you from the love of God. In Romans 8:38, 39 we have the confirmation of this truth: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 1:9 also states: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Allow Jesus to impact your life just like He impacted the life of the woman who was caught in adultery mentioned in John 8:1–12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”

You might be reading your Bible, going to church and praying, but you have no relationship with Jesus. If you have never given your heart to Jesus, or maybe you did at one time, but you have grown cold, pray the Salvation Prayer and mean it with all your heart! Your life will never be the same again and Jesus will give you a clean slate! You will be a brand new person!

South African

National Blood Service (SANBS)

Traditionally, the months of September to December are extremely difficult at the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) owing to preliminary exams, preparation towards the final quarter of the year and the rest period during the festive season. As a result blood drives at schools and universities are generally not possible during the coming months. This, together with poor turnouts at company‘s and organisational blood drives, places immense pressure on the blood stock levels.

“SANBS needs to maintain a blood stock level of 5 days at all times by collecting 3000 units of blood per day to meet the demand of the thousands of patients who are reliant on blood transfusions for their survival.”– Vanessa Raju, Communications Manager of SANBS SANBS is encouraging all regular donors and those who have made a conscious decision to join this cause of ‘saving lives’ not to miss out on their next donation date. One can donate blood every 56 days; thereby helping the SANBS to help save the lives of others during this critical time of year.

Members of the public who meet the minimum requirements to

donate blood are urged to visit their nearest donor centre as soon as they possibly can.

Minimum blood donor requirements: • Ages between 16 and 65 years • Weigh 50kg or more • Good health • Lead a sexually safe lifestyle To find out where your nearest donor centre is visit www.sanbs. org.za, call toll free 0800 11 9031 or sms your NAME and POST CODE of the area you live in to 31454 and we will sms you details of your nearest blood donor centre.

ABOUT BEING A BLOOD DONOR

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE

The decision to become a safe blood donor means that you commit to participate in a vital community service which ultimately improves the quality of life for many.

The South African National Blood Service has various measures in place to protect the health and wellbeing of both blood donors and patients.

These measures ensure that our blood supply is among the safest in the world.

Voluntary, non-remunerated (unpaid) donors who give blood regularly are the safest blood donors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that people who give blood freely and without expecting financial reward have little reason to conceal information about their lifestyle that may make them unsuitable to give blood.

A person can donate if they: • • • • • •

Weigh at least 50kg or more; Is between the ages of 16 and 65; Is in good health; Lead a sexually safe lifestyle; Consider their blood safe for transfusion; Commit to donate blood regularly.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BLOOD DONATION You cannot contract HIV/AIDS from donating blood. All needles and finger prick lancets are new, sterile and used only once. After use, each lancet and needle is placed in a special medical-waste container and incinerated.

Trained staff collects all blood donations and very strict protocols are followed to ensure that all blood donation procedures are safe and hygienic.

MAIN BLOOD GROUPS: Chemical substances found in red blood cells determine blood groups. The two most important blood group systems are the ABO system and the Rhesus (Rh) system.

IN 2010 THESE WERE THE AREAS BLOOD WAS NEEDED FOR:

27%

26%

Medical cases: Obstetric & e.g. cancer treatment Gynaecological cases: childbirth

21%

Surgical cases: cardiac surgery

Within the ABO system, people can be one of four types: O, A, B or AB. Within the Rh system people can either be Rh positive or Rh negative.

10%

Paediatric cases: e.g. child leukaemia

6%

Orthopaedic cases: e.g. hip replacements

6%

Research

4%

Group O is known as the universal blood type as it can be given to patients of any blood group. It is, therefore the most valued blood type.

Casualty: e.g. trauma and accidents

Toll free: 0800 11 9031

www.sanbs.org.za

Business

Turn your

company into a money machine

By FERGUS FERGUSON

Novice entrepreneurs quickly learn the depth of the truth behind the saying: “It takes money to make money”. Beyond profit, cash flow is king in business. Launching a business can be next to impossible without cash to work with.

I

t is therefore vital for start-up businesses to establish a healthy cash flow as quickly as possible during the first year of operation. Extreme lending standards continue to cripple many start-up businesses.

So, what can new business owners do other than trying to borrow from family and friends and maxing out their credit cards? These practical tips will help you to generate cash flow while creating a customer list that will serve as a foundation for repeat business for years to come.

1. Primary service or product: One of the easiest ways to boost cash flow and profit is to direct your customers to your best-selling (or primary) product or service that has the highest profit margin.

2. Deposits or pre-paid contracts: If your business offers a service, deposits are a great way to generate cash flow. However, you need to make sure you deliver on the back end, or else you won’t be in business for very long. If you have a productbased business, you could also do the same with pre-orders, with a percentage of the final price going to secure the order or a certain delivery date. The key is to be creative, as there are endless possibilities in making this model work for your business.

3. Periodic “closed-door sales” for new customers or loyal customers: This is a great way to create a captive audience for your product or service.

Set it up as a workshop, class or demonstration in an environment you can control and with a sales and pricing process you can direct. For this event, “sale” does not necessarily mean “discount”. Offering an exclusive, limited-time purchasing period for new customers (and for loyal customers in the future) is an incentive for them to get the latest, greatest, best or most innovative products or those with the greatest value before everyone else.

4. Shorter payment windows: Depending on your company, you could combine upfront payments with shorter periods for payment, especially if you are offer a service.

It’s best to position the shorter periods for payment as an offer with something like a small discount to act as an incentive to pay early.

Another good option is a small gift or some other kind of value-added offer. You could also use this to thank your clients and as an incentive to keep customers consistent with shortened periods for payment.

5. Loyalty programmes price: Establish a loyalty programme and add enough value so you can charge a nominal joining fee of about R25.

While there may be some initial, upfront costs for producing loyalty cards or customer tracking, the extra cash generated over time is worth it. Not only can you create a highly targeted list of better customers, but this is also a simple way to generate cash quickly just by asking for it.

6. Don’t give Discount: Rather offer additional incentives such as free delivery to assist you in closing the sale. Help the customer focus on the benefits and quality of your product, not the price. Don’t be afraid to lose the sale. That way you will attract only A and B grade customers and clients.

You can expand on these strategies and also look into increasing your value adds at different buying, sales or customer points along the way. The key is to test and measure what works for your business and what doesn’t, because no strategy will work perfectly for you every time. If you market correctly, test and measure everything you do, keep your winning strategies and kill your losing ones, you will eventually find your cash flow “sweet spot”. This will lead to larger profits, increased cash flow and a healthier, more successful business over time.

Fergus Ferguson is a franchisee of the global business coaching company – ActionCOACH. He is an accredited business coach who assists business owners to significantly grow their profits and develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Main: +27 12 665 1015 • Mobile: +27 82 650 0867 • Email: fergusferguson@actioncoach.com

Website: http://actioncoach.com/fergusferguson

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PROUDLY SUPPORTS DREAMWEEK CRC CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE SA Print Group (Pty) Ltd is proud to be associated with this special edition

of Devoted that celebrates the Dreamweek Christian Conference of Christian Revival Church (CRC). For the first time ever the CRC Dreamweek conference will be hosted simultaneously in Pretoria and Bloemfontein and our company is proud to be associated with this historic occasion.

Congratulations Pastor At and Pastor Nyretta, you will also soon reach another important milestone with the 20 Year celebration. During the last 20

years you have contributed a great deal to our communities; and you have built a solid reputation in the communities that you serve. You can be very proud of the growth you have achieved in these years!

We are looking forward to the next 20 years and beyond; and we are proud to be part of your journey in building the Kingdom of God!

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For a free quotation please send a mail to: quotes@saprintgroup.co.za or contact us on 086 1000 730 www.devotedmag.co.za

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Fair Flair

Walking with

God

By MIGNIONETTE FAIR

“As God has said: I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

(2 Corinthians 6:16)

T

here is a poem with the name “Footprints in the Sand”.

It used to hang somewhere in my parents’ house and it intrigued me; I read it over and over again.

Basically, the person dreams that they are walking on the beach with God. They could see their whole life flash before their eyes in scenes and in each scene they could see footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there was one set of footprints and sometimes two.

This bothered the person, because it was during the low points in their life where they saw only one set of footprints. So the person said to God: “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

God’s response? “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you.”

We are sometimes so quick to reprimand God for not fulfilling His Word or not answering our prayers. But often, we don’t see the full picture…the picture of God carrying us when we are too weak to walk.

When we walk with God, we can always be assured that He will be at our side – always watching, always ready to lend a helping hand. Proverbs 3:5-6 gives a beautiful example of what happens when we walk with God: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

I want to encourage you to keep walking with God – and remember walking implies action! Keep reading your Bible, keep praying, keep going to church, keep serving, keep reaching the lost – because when you do, He will make your paths straight.

The longer you walk with God, the truer this statement will become for you. “He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:3) And during those low times when it feels like you are all alone, you can look back on the one set of footprints and know that your God, your Refuge and your Salvation was carrying you all the way.

(Footprints in the Sand was written by Mary Stevenson)

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