Employment Equity

8 March 2011

Proverbs 12:11 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense.

In every society there are different needs and different ways these needs are expressed, and not all societies are the same; the result is that the employment pattern would be different. Yet in all of these societies a generic trend will be found. All people need to eat, so farming and food production would be common, although what may be farmed would be different dependant on the climate. In the same way doctors, teachers, undertakers, shop keepers etc are needed. For them to live and work they need a building and infrastructure so engineers, artisans and architects are needed, because of this contracts are established and so lawyers have something to do. So one can think of other work that results from this all.

To have employment equity through legalism is not ideal as this will always be biased towards enforcement and penalty. To have equity one must imply that people are equal, yet it is common sense to understand that each person in society must be equipped and be given equal opportunity. This equipping is determined by the capacity of the person in the first instance to be able to be educated and trained. So people equally educated and trained should be given equal opportunity if this does not happen an unjust system will occur. The sadness is the number of children in school who have no intention to learn, neither the capacity to work when they leave school.

As Christians we need to understand that the world in general is unjust, simply because the world system is based on power and greed. Employment must be based on a persons capacity to work and add value to society. In the same way being a Christian we must work to grow the Kingdom of God and to add value to the people around us, for we have received His unmerited favour to do so.

Be encouraged today to thank God for the way He has capacitated you to be a blessing in the society you are in.

David

Point to ponder: God blesses us with work and talent

Faithful

7 March 2011

Psalms 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

To be faithful is to be filled with faith. This faith is an intuitive trust, an unexplainable loyalty, inexplicable integrity either in a person or a situation. So when we say we will remain faithful in our marriage this implies that we will trust, be loyal, have integrity towards our marriage partner and in our marriage. This also responds to friendship and the way we relate to those we call friend. Many people claim to have faith, but struggle to be faithful, to themselves, to others and to Jesus Christ. We are not called to be successful but to be faithful.

The question we ask of ourselves is how faithful are we in our relationships, are we faithful to the Church, are we faithful to others, and most of all are we faithful to ourselves? Our faithfulness should not be dependant upon another, or a situation, but to understand that this is a personal choice, no matter what the other person has done. Yet there seems to be many that have no understanding of what it means to be faithful, neither in their business, nor their relationships, the result is a bankruptcy of faith.

Be encouraged to be faithful today, tomorrow and always.

David

Point to ponder: God is faithful.

Question to consider: Are you faithful?

Rev Moshe Rajuili killed stepping off bus

Rev Moshe Rajuili .... his passing has left the world a poorer place


6 March 2011

Dear friends,

It is with great pain that the Online team brings you this news. Our session clerk Elizabeth White called yesterday afternoon to confirm that Moshe, our Interim Moderator for so many months and mentor to Solomon, had been killed in a an accident in Pietermaritzburg.

Moshe and Eunice had travelled to the Western Cape to celebrate the birth of their twin grandchildren, Eunice then flew home to Johannesburg, while Moshe caught a bus to Maritzburg to check on their house. On alighting from the bus, a taxi, whose breaks were faulty, slammed into Moshe, killing him.

Solomon and Giyani went around to visit Eunice last night, but she had been sedated. Session met this morning to see if there was any way which we at St Mark's could assist. The decision was to await for word from St Giles as to how we can best assist.

Moshe will always be remembered as the man who gossiped the word of God. The world is a sadder place for his passing, but there is no doubt that he is with the Lord.

Blessings,

The St Mark's editorial team.

News and hope

5 March 2011

Psalms 26:3 For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee.

At the moment the work at Linga Longa is focusing on maintenance because we have not had a group coming since December last year, so the result has been that our income has reduced while our expenditure has been constant. The problem is that maintenance is ongoing and the property has to be in good condition for just in case we have a booking. The result has been that one becomes concerned about income and the fact that churches are not doing retreats and weekend camps where people get to know one another. The other result has been us having to trust that God will be faithful in times of difficulty, so our prayer life intensifies, and we live in hope.

Because of this we know that God will provide, and we know that because we are faithful, God will respond to our faith. This is a lesson well worth learning, but it does not stop there, it means going out and promoting what Linga Longa is all about and why the a mission to churches about the healing ministry is so important. It is when we do that God will respond, if we do nothing, God has nothing to respond to. So we all learn that the need to be active and proactive, we need to labour and keep going. Next week I am visiting ministers, priests and pastors in Pretoria and Johannesburg telling them about what the Christ Healing Fellowship is all about. We need your prayers!

Be encouraged to know that God is faithful.  

David

Point to ponder: God is faithful.

Question to consider: Do you loose faith when your income is stressed?

Fruit

4 March 2011

Matthew 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Yesterday I was spraying weed killer around the perimeter fence and I found the a place where the Marula tree is. The fruit of the tree was laying on the ground, but all the fruit that should have been in the road way was gone. One could almost expect to see an Elephant and game gathered at the tree to eat the fruit. Also on the way I passed the Guava tree and enjoyed a few sweet juicy guavas. Each of these trees with fruit was a surprise as one does not expect to find fruit on a tree in March. I suppose this is their normal time to bear fruit, just I was not aware of it, and I suppose that is what made the surprise all the more pleasant.

I suppose we too are like fruit trees, and we bear fruit at our normal time, some of us may bear fruit all year round, others maybe only in their season. When people are on the journey doing whatever people do, when they come across a person that bears fruit that they may enjoy on the trip, what a joy it is! It is equally disappointing when a person on the journey comes across a person who should be bearing fruit and isn’t. The fruit we bear should always make a difference to others on their journey of life.

Be encouraged to bear good fruit and in good time to be of help to others.

David

Point to ponder: The fruit we bear is a blessing.

Question to consider: Are you bearing fruit?

Moles

2 March 2011

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

It is mole season again, all over the place mounds of sand are appearing and you can see the route they have taken below the ground. All attempts over the past few years have not worked to discourage them, they just come back again and again. In nature they have a purpose to aerate the ground and to provide access of water into areas through their tunnelling, although no matter how hard you try you cannot even drown them. We may get aggravated and upset when our gardens are turned upside down, but they are just doing diligently what moles are designed to do. They just cannot help being a mole.

We too have a God given design, and that is to love God, to love one another, to worship God and enjoy what God has given us in life. The difference between us and the mole is that we are not as wise as a mole, we keep on getting distracted and then forget what life is really all about. Sometimes we are so busy digging holes for others that we forget to love, sometimes we are so busy enjoying what God has given us that we neglect to love. When a mole hits an obstacle in their tunnel they just by-pass and carry on, we on the other hand try to move the obstacle. Some people may get upset because you left a trail in their life, but better to leave one, at least they know you passed by.

Be encouraged to be like a mole, fulfil what you were designed to be.

David

Point to ponder: You were designed for love and to be loved.

Question to consider: Are you doing what you were designed to be?

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Alison back from Australia

Hi John and Dawn

I am back from Oz and receiving the mail re Logan.  I feel so for that family, especially for Logan.  We prayed for him last Monday night at Trinity Methodist in La Lucia, and will do so again tonight as Monday 7-8pm is our Church prayer meeting.

All was well with the family in Sydney and my brother and sister-in-law came down from Adelaide to spend time with me - that was very special.  It is also good to be back home.

Lots of love to you both and to the Elders at St Marks - I do still miss you guys.

Alison