Thursday 5 December 2013

Dear East London Christian

East London Christian, I have a dream...

I dream of a city of Christians that live in the culture of being ONE church. They come to the realization that they are in fact ONE body that merely gathers at different addresses on Sunday mornings. 

I dream of a city of Christians that rid themselves of competitiveness. Since I've been saved, there's been this underlying, subtle and never actually admitted belief amongst us that 'my church is better that yours'. It's never actually said outright but it comes out by the little statements we make...our church is THIS big...we have THIS many worship teams now...we have expanded to THIS many ministries this year....our budget is THIS much....we had THIS many people attend our conference...our pastor was invited in THAT country to preach...the Holy Spirit did THIS amongst us....it's a competitive spirit that I'm sure you, like me, are so sick and tired of. Who the hell cares how many worship teams my church has? Who cares how big your youth group is? None of it matters.

I dream of a city of Christians who will ask themselves "How best can we love and serve the community that we're in, whether they come to my church or not or serve the Jesus I love or not! How can I make such a difference in my city, suburb and community that if we had to close down THEY would notice??!! No, not the Christians. But the unbelieving community would actually say "Flip! I sure miss those Church guys...what happened to them?" Where our motive isn't to get people to pray a sinners prayer or to evangelize them into our church programs; but to love their city and those whom they come across just because. 

I dream of a city of Christians who wouldn't be intimidated by one another's gifts or talents, but would actually feel stronger by the mere fact that the very person with that gift is actually on their team - moving in the same direction as you and with the same heart as you - they not competing for your place.

I dream of a city of Christians that wouldn't just see 'spreading the gospel' as an event or tent crusade or demonstration; but would see it as living. Caring for the lost at work, helping the lost school, smiling at the lost in the queue at the Spar, giving to the lost at any opportunity even if it is giving an extra buck to the smelly car guard or the lousy waitress who was having a bad day, praying for a gym mate that's going through a tough time at home. Spreading the Gospel is a lifestyle. It's a lifestyle of living love; its an aroma of mercy and kindness that emanates through anything I do. Some times it's sharing Bible. Most times its sharing your heart.

I dream of a city of Christians who would fall in love with their city and who would not stop crying out to God to feel for the lost in their city the way He does. 

East London Christians...my dream is for us.


Sunday 1 December 2013

LIFE...

This, by many accounts, has been the toughest year of my life. It's been humiliating, painful and testing on so many levels. No matter how I try to 'spiritualize' it, I just can't. It's just been a crap year. Let me give you a quick month by month summary of what's happened:

January - HCC suffers a split, friends and work colleagues leave. The pain, confusion and discomfort during this time and some of the most draining weeks I have experienced as my convictions and values were tried and tested. Some Friendships have never been the same since.

January - financial pinch is felt - very tight at home basically breaking even. No salary increase is possible as the company I worked for couldn't afford it.

March - SARS tells us that Mandy owes R7500 in unpaid undisclosed taxes. We challenge the decision, get R500 odd less, but still have to pay R7000 which we never had.

April - Our car, Renault Megane, suffers a mechanical problem. After diagnoses of brake pads, a service and something else - R4,800

May - Something doesn't feel right on the car - gearbox problem, clutch problem and it costs us R17,000

June - very good friends left to Jozi, Claire and Charl. Our kids were very close. It was tough.

July - Mandy and her mom in a car accident. Both taken to hospital and both suffered injuries that cost money to treat and both had pain for some time after. A very hard time, emotionally and physically for all of us. Annual medical aid savings almost drained; only half way through the year.

July - financially, we are doing really badly. We are taking knocks at every turn, no increases at work, we under huge pressure.

July - I find a new job. Comes with a company car, no increased salary so in order for it to be a 'better' option, we need to sell the Renault. To cut a long story short, because I didn't have an aircon in the car and that costs R19,000 to fix, I had to sell the car for R28,000 less than what I owed. Had to refinance the R28,000.

July - The new job was exciting but came to with its own set of pressures, time away from home in travel, around 5 nights a month.

September - Mandy parents have to leave - big thing for Mandy and our kids, no more support for her, no baby sitters, tough time for all of us. A real sense of loneliness.

September - My mom diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and given 6 months to live. Major effect on our family and Ross especially. 

October - Michael falls ill, temperature hits 40, doesn't sleep for 5 nights, heavy on Mandy especially, and he is hospitalized. Medication costs are big.

October - geyser leaking and causes leaks in the one bedroom, dripping roof during funeral preparations. Bathroom is flooded, into the bedroom, geyser needs to be fixed - cost of over R5000

October - My mom deteriorates at an extraordinary rate and on the 23rd, she passed away. 

The irony of this is that I began a small group at the very beginning of the year called "Supernatural Lifestyle Group" whereby we were, as a group, going to press into truths and experientially trust God for signs, wonders and miracles in our lives, whether they be healing, financial, whatever, but longed to see the stuff!!!!!! (Challenging!!!!!!)

Have you ever watched the movie "The Pursuit of Happiness"? It's the most amazing story of Christopher Gardner who got hit by so many obstacles in a period of 5 years, through no crime or dishonesty of his own, that sent him right to the bottom. Separation from his wife, no job, no money and he had to take care of his little son. No matter what hit him, he carried on fighting and persevering. To him the fight was never over. A defining moment was when one night he hid with his son in a toilet cubicle in an underground subway to sleep because he had no where else to go. No shelter or welfare could look after him and his boy that night. He held his son in his arms, kept his foot on the door so tight that no one could come in and discover them, and he cried. He had hit rock bottom. 

I came to that moment in a way. Not as bad as Chris, but in a way, I felt helpless. Money was always short, sometimes not having enough to pay doctors or buy medication, credit card was maxed out on car repairs and hospital bills - not through careless spending. I felt as though life was hitting me to the ground and even when I was hit to the ground in pain, it carried on kicking me so that I stayed there and didn't bother getting up. One thing after another, one hit, one kick, after another...

The thing about life is that it is filled with facts. Whereas my life, as a son of God, is built and founded on truth. You see, facts change. All the time. The news reports the facts and those facts are changing. But truth is constant, truth never changes. You can bet you life on truth. The fact is, I'm broke. But the truth is, I'm loaded. The fact is, I'm bleeding from the exhaustion. The truth is, the joy of The Lord is my strength. 

So, I want to share some truths with some of you, who like me, feel beat down, who feel shot down, who feel like the wind has been hit out of their sails....I have some truth which you need to stand on and shout out:

You are more than a conquerer through Christ Jesus
Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world
You are the head and not the tail
The joy of The Lord is your strength
When the enemy comes in like  a flood, The Lord will raise up a standard against him
No weapon formed against you shall prosper
I walk through the fire and I shall not burn, I swim through the sea and I will not burn because The Lord thy God is with me

Life is tough. Yes. And we do go through valleys. Yes. It won't always be rosey and polka dots. The facts will change all the time. But the truth is that God is good, and He is good all the time. His mercy and favour follows me all the days of my life. Tough times is not his punishment. They're a part and parcel of this journey we call life. But it doesn't change the truth that we are His, His love for us in unchanging and that He delights in us completely. We can experience his peace that surpasses all understanding, know his supernatural love through the pain and feel his tangible grace as we walk through the fires. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is the lifter of our heads and the lover of our souls. 

Do you know what Jesus said to his disciples? "When I return, will I find faith in the earth?" Faith isn't just a feeling of "yeah, I believe God for this and that." Faith is an unwavering, unmoving, resolute firm stand on the very words of that what God has said, he will do. No matter what comes my way! Faith is perseverance for the breakthrough. Faith is standing and even when I want to fall, I still stand. Faith IS a supernatural thing! Given by God. When you flowing in faith, you flowing in the supernatural. I might not have seen my cancer stricken mother healed, but I want to tell you God heals cancer patients! I might not have seen my bills disappear and money coming out of no where, but I want to tell you that our Father is El-Shaddai, the God of more than enough. I might not have experienced angels stopping the car that crashed into my wife, but I want to tell you that God has commanded that his angels serve us, those that are inheriting salvation, they are with us and are around us, his ministering spirits. 

There are times in our lives where we might not be winning or pressing forward, but by golly, the best we can do is stand firm and just STAND. Stand in the knowledge, that no matter how hard we get nailed, we know that our God loves us, He is with us and that we will come through it. 

Stand my friend, don't give up....STAND.

Saturday 14 September 2013

Dear Mom

Well, what can I say? One thing I can say is that life is one hell of a journey. Many ups and many downs - with lots of fun and wild adventures in between. While growing up with you as a young boy, living with you in KWT, going with you to Pretoria and then settling in East London, you and I have certainly been on some wild adventures together. My life forever moulded, my character forever shaped and my destiny given direction by your love, your influence and your strength during those times.

What can I say? In a word: A LOT. 

What words can I use to describe my mother, the one woman who has loved me unconditionally since birth...Strong. Graceful. Honest. Pancakes. Caring. Windsurfing. Firm. Morkels. Integrity. Loving. Leader. Gentle. Courageous. Soft. Resolute. I'll be here all day describing you. All I know is that you're beautiful. Inside and out. An inspiration to me. You always have been and you always will be; long into the afterlife.

I have some vivid memories and clear ones; all through out the years of growing up. Some funny ones, some scary ones, some sad ones, but mostly funny ones. 

I distinctly remember the taste of your pancakes. You always knew how to put a smile on my face - pancakes. As you grew older, the harder it became for you to bake them. I can still picture you sitting on a stool by the stove, pouring the batter in the pan, flipping them, sprinkling cinnamon and sugar and stacking them up in the warming draw. My record of 17 in a row still stands. You still make the most delicious pancakes. Ever.

When we lived in KWT, I still remember you and I sitting in the lounge of our duplex, and you were doing the times tables with me. You fought with me to turn off KTV and I argued that it wasn't a distraction. I was right on this occasion Mom, as my maths marks were always good. Yay for KTV!! 

I remember you going out late at night, still in KWT, because your store's alarm went off. I never understood the gravity of your bravery at the time. You had a torch and the store keys, venturing to into the heart of KWT's CBD with a security alarm company guy, hoping the intruders don't see you before you see them. If I think of those times now I can only say "Flip Mom, were you freaking mad??" But no, you weren't mad. You had a job. And looking after your stores was part of it. And you were always up for the challenges. The bravest and most courageous woman I know. 

You broke into the world of management in Morkels. A fraternity that belonged to white Afrikaans men. And here you were, a woman. You never seemed to be scared or intimidated; even though I'm sure you were deep down, but you never showed it. Strength and a sharp tongue was always one of your strengths. You became Arthur Flemicks' bazooka in  lot of regions. He knew you were a force to be reckoned with and so did your staff. I remember the respect you commanded from your staff - Noleen, Antoinette, Wilson....many of them were success stories because of how you believed in them, trained them and released them. It was no wonder that you, my Mom, was the first woman in the history of the Morkels company to win the annual prestigious Chairman's Award. There was an air of fear that carried when you visited your stores - not a scared fear, but a respectful "Oh shit, here she comes." Mom, did you ever see The Devil wears Prada with Meryl Streep playing the editor of a top magazine?? Watch the movie and you'll have an idea of the respect you commanded. You had this amazing ability to be firm and strong with your staff, while at the same time able to sympathize with them and understand them. That's what made you a GREAT leader. Inel and I both have that quality too Mom.

Coming from a sexually and physically abusive childhood, orphaned while still a toddler and adopted at a young age, you could have easily turned into a bitter, vengeful, nasty person who thought the world owed her something. But I never saw that. You were always prepared to work hard. You knew the value of treating people well; all people, not just the people who were good to you. You were a perfectionist, sometimes painfully so. But I saw the value in it - if I had the ability to do something well and right, then I should do it right and do it well. You drilled this mindset into me. Thank you. You even taught me to pray. I remember the one time my room was so untidy, you came in and said 'You better pray this room is clean by the time I come back.' You taught me to appreciate what I had. You bought me this mini hifi, 3 disc cd changer, once. I remember how I guarded this thing with my life. You taught me to never take things for granted and I suppose that why today I'm able work hard for the things in my life and really Appreciate them. I suppose if I was rich and everything was given to me without the sacrifice required I wouldn't have this quality. Thank you Mom.

You are an amazing woman. You always have been. Always game for a laugh, not afraid to laugh at yourself......or me :-) I will love you forever.

Your son

Ross

Monday 15 July 2013

An Addict's Addiction

Their palms sweat. Their heartbeat rises. Sometimes their body shakes. And sometimes they perspire. "Should I? Or shouldn't I?? I don't want too. I want to not want it." they scream to themselves. Inwardly of course. It's the invisible battle. The one no one ever sees. Not their family. Not their friends. And most times, not even their spouse. Some days they're fine and have 'it' under control. Other days they could literally go mad with the craving. It tears them up inside.

If you've ever spoken to an addict. Or maybe you are one. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. At times you've tried to stop. You really have. But then in a few days you start up again. The cycle continues, and you're oblivious on how to stop it once and for all. Cocaine. Cigarettes. Panado. Spirits. Hustler. Heroin. Blackjack. Weed. Internet porn. Slot machine. Coffee. Beer. They say 82% of all people in the western world are addicted to something detrimental. And only 14% of those ever come to a place where they able to stop it, silence it and win. The others never know what it's like to be free.

I was an addict once. I tried all the formulas. I read books. I cried. I prayed. I read some more. And I prayed some more. For over 17 years. And then...one day...it clicked. It's like a light switched on in my heart. Not my head. My heart. I finally came to a place of believing. And it was simple, but yet totally profound, life changing...and....addiction ending. The light was this: I finally believed who I was and what had been done for me. I was no longer an addict. And my addiction no longer had power over me. I was God's son, I was made right with God by no effort on my own. And His Son had broken the power of my addiction. It no longer had power over me. I had to believe. and i did. I came to place of believing. 

Today I'm free. I'm experiencing and living out now what I believed back then. I'm not an addict and that addiction has no power over me. I'm still vulnerable. But not controlled. I can still fall. But it's power over me is broken. 

If you're an addict...know one thing. Freedom is real. It's not a pipe dream. It's not a mirage. It's indeed possible. Read the books and even pray if you like. But if you must do one thing, do this: Believe. In your heart believe. Jesus, in fact, did break sin's power over mankind and reconciled us with God. Believe it.

Freedom to you.

Saturday 6 July 2013

My conversation with a passionate atheist

I recently had some sushi with a friend of mine. He's an atheist. A vocal one. We have a great relationship in that we both are passionate lovers of life and never back down on what we believe. We both possess the ability to argue well and make our points sound like the right ones. BUT we also have the ability to agree to disagree on tough issues without them effecting our friendship. Hard to find that nowadays. And so...we had one of those conversations. Last week.

One out of three times, at our regular 'get togethers', we always end up chatting about the possibilities of life after death and God (or in his case 'god'). And so this last time it was one of those 'get togethers'. We chatted about religion, Christianity and God. As much as I try and persuade him with some really intellectual 'fact', nothing seems to move him. I share my own testimony of how Jesus found me, how Jesus changed my life and given me life. I tell of the miracles I've seen and the healings I have witnessed. I share scripture from the Bible. I plead my case in loving and gentle ways every time we get onto these topics and yet there is always this imaginary wall that my words bounce off, right back to me. I can sell just about anything to anyone, but somehow to one of my dearest friends, I can't seem to influence him to follow my best friend and Heavenly Father. No matter now sincerely I try.

But then...this last time, something happened. I sensed a crack in that wall. It may just be a slight one, but a crack nonetheless. I was straight and firm with him. "Dude, think about it." I said. "The very fact that I am sharing this with you, must show you my love for you. I'm like a guy who was trapped on the top floor of a burning building. I found the way out. I ran down and got free. I look up and see my friends and family in that same building, engulfed in flames, and I know I need to shout out to them the way out. I may be a lunatic and I may be coo-coo in my head. But the fact is, I believe this stuff with all my heart. I believe that one day we all will die. I believe that there will be a judgement before God. And only those who have received Jesus, follow Jesus and believe in Jesus will go to heaven. Hell will be real for many well intentioned good people who rejected God. The fact I'm sharing this with you must show you that you're important to me and that I love you enough to show you the way out. There is an escape route and its not in you trying to live a good life or being religious. It's you believing in a savior." 

His eyes flinched and his whole countenance changed as he soaked up my words. He could see I wasn't trying to 'sign' him up to my country club i.e. get him to be a member at a church or convert him to some religious unpractical practice. But that I was really trying to share an escape route from an eventual fiery hell.

No, he never fell to his knees and cried out to God to save him. He never collapsed in repentance and asked Jesus to remove his sins. I wish he had. But that didn't happen. He finished his drink. He smiled. And he said 'Are you paying or is it my turn?' as he gestured for the waitress to bring the bill. He never said anything then or since. But I know something happened. I saw the wince. I saw his eyes. The wall cracked for sure. 

My mandate from my Father is to love. Love ecstatically. Love without measure. Love till I can't love any more. Converting is HIS job. Mine is to love. And so I do. Everyone as much as I can. Just love. Changing hearts and convincing people of Gods love and existence is God's part. And I'm not about to take over His job. 

How's your loving going???

Monday 24 June 2013

Man of Steel

Superman. There's no other superhero boys desire more to be when growing up. 'It’s a bird, it's a plane. No, it's Superman!' Music to any small kid's ears while day dreaming of America's oldest comic book hero.

I grew up watching Christopher Reeve's 1980 classic Superman: The movie. My dad introduced the flying capped superhero to me when I was 3 years old. By 4 I knew all the words to the important bits of the movie. By 5 I had my own suit: red cape and yellow undies. So, with Hollywood's Superman reboot coming up in a few day’s time, Man of Steel, I thought I would share my story:

My mom was so cool, when I was 5, I had both Spider-man and Superman costumes. One day I decided to take them with me to pre-school in Port Elizabeth. I packed each one into a yellow Checkers packet. As soon as I arrived I asked my best friend who'd he'd like to be. Just think, two normal boys, two nobodies - instantly transformed into two superheroes! This is what it was all about. Surely! My friend chose Spider-man. We changed in the bathroom at break time. As soon as we were kitted out, we ran screaming out into the yard, with great yells of excitement, ready to defend whoever needed our help. You never quite know what baddies could get up to in our playground forts and hide outs. We were ready for anything! Jason began jumping from tyre to tyre and then climbed a net that hung from a large jungle gym - showing off his Spider-man abilities. Most of the kids were caught up in the fanfare of it all. Some clapped for us. Others ran away. We didn’t care, the adrenaline rush was awesome!

It didn’t take long to realize that my friend Spidey was getting all the attention. "What exactly can Superman do, while Spider-man memorizes everyone with his rope climbing?" A thought popped into my head. It was simple. What does Superman do which no other superhero can do? Fly. I eyed out the highest point possible, the play ground's 50 step slide. Once you’ve climbed 50 steps, you are a long way from mother earth. It took an age to climb to the top. Why not? I had the suit on. I had the cape. When Clark Kent dons the suit, he can fly! So why not I? I climbed the slide, step by step, fearless as Superman himself! I was about to do what no 5 year old had ever done...fly. I reached my summit and called out to my peers in the playground "Hey, look at me." With that I stretched out my left arm, in perfect flying poise. And I took the leap, fulfilling my childhood dream, and launched. And I flew. Straight to the ground. From what I was told, I didn't fly. Well, not for long. I hit the ground hard. A teacher came running. My parents got the call and I landed up in St George’s hospital. I stayed there for two weeks with concussion and internal bleeding. Not quite what I had in mind when I took the leap!

As for my suit…who knows where that went? My mom probably had something to do with that.


I must admit, some 30 years later, I still catch myself dreaming that same dream: flying like my superhero, Superman. I wasn't the first kid who thought he could fly. I’m sure I won't be the last. 

Friday 14 June 2013

Money is tight!

It's tough people!! I'm sure I don't have to tell YOU that. But it's funny how we sometimes think it's only us that's feeling the financial pinch, when in fact, everyone is. Your friends. Your neighbour. Your drinking buddy. That rude oke at work. We're all feeling the pinch and have been for the past 12 months. Hardly anyone is receiving any salary increases at work and yet monthly expenses are rising fast. I must admit, financially - things are tough, and living within your means is a lot harder than it sounds. 

My wife and I really do try. But then the car steering wheel gave problems - R3,100. Then the gear box packed up - R11,800. Then the licences' expired - R740. Then a SARS payment - R7,200. Electricity has gone up monumentally! Petrol has shot up by 40% over the past 4 years....and it's still rising. With the exchange rate shooting up over R10 to the US dollar, our petrol is going to jump even higher and will hit the R13.00 a litre hurdle in the next few days, which in turn will raise the prices of our food. I don't mean to be funny, but a loaf of bread, a 2lt Milk, some vegetables, some mince and 2 minute Noodles came to over R120 the other night!

Think about that for a moment. If you have 2 kids like we do, a 2lt Milk and a loaf of bread only lasts 2 days. Those two items cost R17.99 and R11.99 respectively. Our family is spending R450 a month on milk and bread. That's without putting anything on the bread yet! A jar of peanut butter and margarine will set you back a further R60. I could literally go on and on....!! Luxury items like a TEX or a packet of CHEESE CURLS are further and further away...It's tough people. It's really tough.

I did something naughty the other day. I was behind a 45 year old guy at the ATM. He finished drawing money and walked off. He left his slip behind. I glanced at it and almost fell over. He withdrew R300. He was withdrawing it from his credit card account with was R135,000 IN THE RED!!. And I thought I had problems. I turned back to take a look at this guy, but it was too late. He had climbed into his white BMW, a 2010 model I think, and drove off. 

Don't fool yourselves either - those that look like they haven't got problems because they still buying clothes, driving smart cars and eating out - the majority is on credit. They spending the bank's money. They just not sure how to curve their lifestyles to within their budgets. Did you know that58% of people are in over 3 months arrears with at least one account. That's scary!  

I don't see the pinch ending any time soon. It's tough and it seems to be getting tougher. I just keep reminding myself and my wife that we need to stay on top of things - don't spend more than what we earn, live within our means and be very wise with our spending - when the car breaks and other things come up which we can't control - it's in those times where we trust the Lord even more. I can't imagine anything changing unless He changes it. Because  right now it's seriously pear-shaped!

Friday 7 June 2013

The "Get Rich" Gospel....where can I throw up?

The Prosperity Gospel has got to be one of the top 3 in Christianity's Worst Contributions to the World. To put it in a word: Disgusting. Sick. Vomit. Awful. (Sorry, couldn't make my mind up on the most appropriate one.) Now before you stone me, let me tell you why this false gospel is one of the biggest embarrassments to the Church of Jesus Christ.

"God doesn't want you to drive a Volkswagen. God doesn't want you to settle with a one bedroom apartment. He has so much more for you."

"I have been blessed with enough money...you don't understand, I just bought a ring, this one I'm wearing, for $12,000. My wife's dog back home is worth $35,000. And when people drive past my mansion and see my Rolls Royce in the driveway, they know there is a God in heaven."

"And if you sow a $1000 seed right now, God is going to do something extraordinary in your life this year of 2012. God is going to cancel your debt, he's going to open doors to such wealth and blessing that you won't have enough room to contain it. Just go ahead and sow your seed to unlock God's favor over your life this year."

I don't even have to make this stuff up. It makes me want to get sick when I read these quotes made in the name of Jesus and to think what people, who are desperate to get out of their tough financial situations, will do. They will continue to struggle and wonder why God isn't blessing them with debt cancellation while the 'man of God' buys another ring, dog, mansion or Rolls Royce.
The message is the same "Give so that you will get." It's an investor's dream investment scheme. You tell investor that he can get 30 times, 60 times or even 100 times what he puts in....and he'll be busting down the door to throw his money at it. I mean, who wouldn't?? Only a total idiot wouldn't. The only problem is that even idiots know a pyramid scheme when they hear one. You might get caught once and lose some money, but never again.

But these Prosperity Preachers have been going at it for over 40 years now, and people are still falling for these lies. And before you accuse me of pointing the finger, I admit, I was one of them. I was 17 when I began watching the programs of Kenneth Hagin, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Hagin and Benny Hinn. I was caught up in this stuff for about 6 years. I saw with my own eyes how families got poorer and struggled even more with unpaid bills because out of blind faith they gave their rent money and kid's school fees to the 'man of God' who demanded they sow above their means in order to see God do a miracle..

Give more and you'll get more. You can have your heart's desires. God wants you to be blessed. He wants you to be rich. He wants you to have the best of everything. Give, give, give.....and you will reap a harvest of wealth, a good measure, pressed down, shaken and running over. It's funny, but when I study the scriptures, I see a different picture altogether preached to the New Testament believer:

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." - 1John 2:15-17

It cannot be clearer than that. The very thing these 'men of God' are telling me to desire is the very thing scripture is telling me to turn away from. It's a sad, sick and embarressing gospel that is being allowed to masquerade as the true gospel of Jesus. It has caused pain, lack and disillusionment in many believers who truly love Jesus but can't understand why He doesn't take their credit card debt away when they give their $1000.

I thank God that he is faithful and has delivered me from that satanic message that was fueled by greed and world desires. I believe that my God looks after me because I'm a son of His, and not because I gave my rent money to the church. I give where he tells me, often to my local church, the place where I and my family are connected, with the motivation to see our community make a difference in our city to reach the lost. I give out of love, not out of a promise of a harvest. Have I seen financial miracles in my life?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. Have they been a result of my giving? Who knows, maybe. Maybe not. The point is, my faith for having my needs (not greedy) met lie in the love of God towards me and in Him seeing me as His son. He takes care of His kids. My faith doesn't lie in how much I give when the offering basket comes around.


I hope that in the coming years, the church will rise up as one, and flush this sadistic gospel down the toilet because that is the only place where crap really belongs. 

Sunday 26 May 2013

Far better being His son


"A servant does not abide in the house forever, but a son does abide forever." - John 8:35

Think about that for a moment. Put a story together in your mind about how that would look. A servant / slave / maid doesn't stay in the master's house forever, but a son does. Let me put something out for you...

Suppose a multi billionaire has a servant that cleans the home, runs after the family and serves in whichever way is required. He is an employee and as employee, receives a wage for the work he does. He may even have a bonus scheme worked into his package. No matter how well this servant treats the master billionaire, runs after his wife and cleans up after their son; a time comes where at the end of the day he has to leave. He retires to the his servant quarters. He may receive his bonus and maybe even a meal. But he still has to leave.

Lets say that same billionaire has a son who's as lazy as hell, doesn't bother to work, sleeps until 10 am, hasn't the foggiest idea how to tidy up after himself and sucks whatever he can get out of his father's wealth in order to support his cravings for gadgets, computers and the like. This son may be the laziest, most ungrateful kid in the land, but he stays with his father. His poor performance doesn't change the fact that he's still the son of a billionaire. His father still welcomes him at the dinner table, to his private bedroom for chats as they lie on the bed, his father is still willing to pay for his son's studies at any learning institution in the world. No amount of laziness, lack of gratitude or bad performance could ever kick the son out of the billionaire's house. It was his father's home.

In the story, no matter how well the servant treats his master and performs in his job; he's still the servant and he has no permanent place in the father's home. No matter how well he performs, he'll never be welcome at the father's table, into his room or more importantly, into his heart. The best he'll get is a 13th cheque and a pat on the back. He's a servant. He works hard, he does his job to the best of his ability because he works for a wage. At the end of the day he has to leave.
The son however, never has to fear being thrown out or scared about being disowned. His bad behavior can never un-make his sonship. He never earned his sonship through good behavior in the past. He was born to the billionaire. He was born into intimacy. No matter what he does, there is always place at his day's table or besides him in his bed and most definitely in his father's heart. He's a son. Forever and ever. A son.

"A servant does not abide in the house forever, but a son does abide forever." - John 8:35

Wednesday 22 May 2013

How much retirement planning should one plan for?

It's funny how, when growing up, a person feels invincible. Think about it. You hardly ever get sick. You visit the doctor two to three times a year; and maybe only taking antibiotics twice a year. "Sick?? I don't get sick." Many folks in their 60's and 70's whom I know  also used to say that. Something happened when they hit 45 though. Things like kidney problems, gall stones, back issues and caterax started to plague them. 

It's funny how when growing up, we live for the here and now. We don't give much thought to when we hit 50 or 60 or even 90. We're 30, we're peaking and we have lots to live for. We hardly give any thought to pension plans or retirement annuities. We hardly ever think about how we're going to live when we can't earn a salary any more do we? 

The thing is though....how much time should we spend thinking about our retirement? How much money should we be putting aside now for that stage of our lives? I mean, how long are we talking about? 10 years? 20 years? 40 years? Some people live till they're 90 you know! How much financial planning should we be putting in? And also, are we willing to sacrifice our "living" now for a time when we can't do much "living" when we're older anyway? What happens if we sacrifice financially now and then we die when we hit 60? We could have done so much more "living"when we were alive and able. How much is too little? How much is too much?

I think a balanced approach would be wise. Having a pension plan or an RA now in place; and probably a house. At least when a person hits 60, they don't have to pay a bond or rent any more. And for normal households, that's around 30% of their monthly income. Making sure they have a medical aid would be crucial. A really good one as well. But how much does that cost? And more importantly, how much WILL it cost? Medical aids aren't cheap you know; and you DO NOT want to land up in a South African government hospital (ask anyone who's been to one). 

And living expenses in 30 years time is another story:
Did you know that a 2lt Coke was R4.99 in 1996. In 17 years the cost has tripled. Think about this with me...if that's the case, then simple maths tells us that in the year 2030, the cost of a 2lt Coke will be around R45.00. If you're 40 years old now, 2030 will be a mere 2 years into your 'retirement'. 
Did you know that the cost of fuel (petrol unleaded) was R7.08 p/litre in May 2008. It's now R12.10 a mere 5 years later. To fill up my car in 2008 cost just over R400. It now costs just over R700. It's only 5 years later. Imagine the cost of fuel in 2040????

The scary thing is that today I see many older folk who struggle - they have had to cut their medical aids, they live barely making ends meet and they some are living in old age homes because they have no homes for whatever reason. The only really well off older folks are the ones who were quite rich when they were able to work, and so had the money to set aside for their retirement. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I'm 32. And I have 336 months to go till I reach 60. That's 336 more months to put aside some savings for when I stop earning a salary at all. Am I doing enough. How you doing?

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Money, Match Fixing and Cricket



It always disappoints me when I read/hear of match fixing of any kind in the sport I love to play and watch. The story of Hansie's fall was an eye opener for me as to how much easy money one can make without actually doing anything to jeapodize the outcome of the game. Below is the article written by Neil Manthorpe about the latest fixing in India during the IPL. 

"Three Indian cricketers from the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise have been arrested by Delhi police for ‘spot-fixing’. Or ‘over-fixing’ as the cops called it in their statement. Here are some FAQs I have encountered in the last 24 hours:

Q – What the hell happened?
A – Three bowlers – two ‘no-names’ and Shantakumaran Sreesanth who was once brilliantly talented and played 27 tests and 53 ODIs for India – allegedly accepted money from match-fixers to concede a given number of runs (or more) in a given over.

Q – How difficult is that to do?
A – Pretty tricky because all three players were required to concede 13 or 14 runs in their stated over and one of them was one short! He only conceded 13 and he was supposed to have conceded 14. Bowling pies is pretty straightforward but you can’t be certain that the batsman won’t top-edge one straight up in the air and be caught!

Q – How do the gamblers know which over to bet on?
A – The bowlers gave a predetermined signal. They played with their watch or, in Sreesanth’s case, he placed a towel in the top of his trousers at the start of his second over and then helpfully indulged in some stretching and loosening up exercises to allow the punters some extra time to place their bets.

Q – How much were they paid?
A – Sreesanth, who was on a contract with the Royals of $400 000, was allegedly paid around $75 000 to bowl his six pies. If proven guilty, it will end his career. Doesn’t seem worth it, does it? Doesn’t make sense. Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were on much smaller contracts so the ‘bribe’ may have been more tempting, but it’s still not worth ending their careers.

Q – So why did they do it?
A – Have you ever actually seen $50 000 in cash? Or $100 000? Has anyone held it out to you and said ‘you can have this, it’s all yours. I just need one small favour…’

Q – There are some players, though, who can’t be bought? Surely?
A – Maybe, but Hansie Cronje taught us that nobody, ever, should be presumed untouchable. Nobody. Greed and obsession can strike anyone, without reason or logic.

Q – Is this an isolated incident? Or is the IPL just a fertile breeding ground for match-fixers and gamblers?
A – The gambling industry in India, which is illegal, is worth billions of dollars a year. If organised correctly, each of those three corrupt overs could have been worth tens of millions of dollars. No, it’s not isolated. And yes, it’s very fertile.

Q – How were they caught?
A – Recorded cellphone conversations and BBMs, and tracking huge movements on the betting markets.

Q – Sad day for cricket!
A – No. It’s never a sad day when cheats and criminals are caught.

Q – How do we eradicate it?
A – That will never happen. Impossible. While there is money around, there will be corruption. And even if a cricketer is immune to the lure of money, there is love and lust, both of which can and have been used to entrap sportsmen."

Sad. Really sad.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Lie to me

If you google 'Lie to me TV series wikipedia', you'll get a boring synopsis that reads:
Lie to Me is an American crime drama television series. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman and his colleagues in The Lightman Group accept assignments from third parties (commonly local and federal law enforcement), and assist in investigations, reaching the truth through applied psychology: interpreting micro expressions, through the Facial Action Coding System, and body language.

If you had to ask me, "So Ross, what's the Lie to me TV series like?" I'd reply by jumping off my chair and while doing a star jump and proudly proclaiming "FREAKING BRILLIANT, OFF THE HOOK, A MASTERPIECE NEXT TO NONE!!!! AWESOME!! RADICAL!!! " Okay, probably not so calming....but! I might be over dramatizing it a bit but hear me out dude: It's brilliant. You're speaking to a movie/series fanatic here (well, if you asked me that is). I've watched over 1000 movies and over 100 series in my life (I don't think thats a lie either), so I think every now and then I know what I'm talking about, and the truth is that Lie to me is an excellent show! It takes on fantastic real life scenarios, mixes it with some excellent actors who play interesting characters, and introduce an unknown science to the viewer that is quite captivating: the science of micro expressions, manipulators, leakage and indicators in the way people lie. It unravels the science that lie-telling ain't a cultural learning but a natural human instinct that can be spotted, if looking for it, on anyone. It's a fascinating show.    


The show is inspired by the work of of a guy named Paul Ekman, the world's foremost expert on facial expressions and a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Paul Ekman has served as an advisor to police departments and anti-terrorism groups and acted as a scientific consultant in the production of the series. In the TV series, the main character is a guy named Cal Lightman, unbelievably portrayed by Tim Roth, who is one of the most raw people you'll ever see. He suffers from a god complex, he's extremely intelligent and cuts to the crap. It's a character which most viewers would want on their side if they had to pick teams for lie competition! 


I've watched 19 episodes in 6 days (2 days I didn't watch anything) and I've enjoyed every one of them. So I beg you in the most severe way possible - hire or download ...get hold of 'Lie to me - Season 1 Episode 1" - you won't stop. And, you'll thank me.  

Monday 13 May 2013

My Blackberry Bold 9900

Okay, I admit it, I am crazy about gadgets. You know, iPads, iPods, Plasma screen TVs, Blackberrys, Blueray players. It's true what they say about us guys - our toys are still for boys, except now they cost an arm and a leg. Literally!

Last week Monday I woke up at around 6:20am and it felt like Christmas morning. It was the day for my cellphone upgrade...drum roll...roll out the red carpet.I entered Vodacom that morning feeling like Richard Branson....I felt important. I don't know why. I was just getting a new piece of plastic with which to make phone calls. It's funny how the craving to have an 'image' grabs us as times. I was caught between a Blackberry Bold 9900 or an iPhone 5. I compared the features and the monthly price. I chose the Bold 9900. I like Blackberry. I like BBM, even though Whatsapp is free for all smartphones. I don't know, I suppose I feel more 'at home' with Blackberry. So I made my decision. "Bold 9900 it is!" I told the Vodacom guy. It was the white one. I opened the box and smiled at my new toy. My heart literally began racing. I signed on the dotted lines and paid my R105 starter fee. That was it - I had my new phone!

I took it to work and put it on charge. I was so proud. That night I charged it to the full, all ready for the next day - Tuesday. I set my ring tones, downloaded my preferred pics and photos, downloaded some songs and videos from  my laptop and inserted most of my contact details. I was ready. My Bold 9900 was awesome! I left the office that night and as I walked outside I realised my phone was in my pocket. I reached for it and pulled it out. And then...the unspeakable happened. It happened in slow motion. Time actually froze - like in the Matrix. I saw it leave my hand and head towards the tiles in the flash of an eye. *CRASH!!!* My heart sank and I grabbed for it as fast as I could hoping if I grabbed it quick enough it would be okay. It wasn't. The screen was bust. Thank God I insured the darn thing. But heck, it was bust. My new toy. My beloved gadget. I had committed the unpardonable sin. I dropped it. It was barely 24 hours old. Has this ever happened to you?? Nothing could cheer me up. I was angry. I was very cross with myself.

Vodacom couldn't do anything and neither could Blackberry. It was broken. And it was my fault. One day into a 2 year contract and my phone was useless. R7,699 worth of phone broken. Vodacom suggested I take it to a Vodacare shop that repairs phones. "YES! Of course!" I said. I took it first thing Saturday morning. I pleaded with them to create a miracle on my behalf and in agony ( I'm a good actor!) I pleaded my case....I'm sure they bought my desperation. I left it with them. Hoping. And praying.

An hour later I received a call to say I could come and collect it. They had replaced the screen. They were checking the software, but all seemed normal. It was ready for collection...AAAAND....it was done for free. I was blown away. Upon receiving the call I was at a restaurant with my family. Right there and then, I broke into a jig resembling Justin Bieber and Usher! (I thought the moves were quite impressive.) I collected my phone and I was happy again. My pride and joy was fixed. My gadget was repaired and returned back to me! Aaahhhhh....the relief, the joy.

It kind of makes me wonder....if that's how I felt over a blinking phone, imagine how God feels about us. And to follow that up with another question: Think how He feels when we get broken.Just a thought....

Sunday 12 May 2013

PDV - the former coach Springbok supporters will never forget

"You can never write the Cheetahs off you know. Any team has a chance to win but remember they also have 50% chance to lose." I chuckled to myself after hearing this campy statement from Peter De Villiers, the man who AlgoaFM is using this year as their Super 15 'expert'.

I have never been a Peter De Villiers fan. I could never make sense of what he said, while at times he did display some acute rugby knowledge. But I do think PDV is his worst enemy. Just have a look at this video clip to see my point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi8ioPBh2vo

I haven't read his book, but I want too. I believe he holds nothing back while exposing SARU's short comings and mistreatment of him. I still remember watching the press conference of his appointment and gasping at Oregon Hoskins' reply to a jounalist's question regarding the criteria of PDV's appointment - "it was not made on pure rugby alone." He then spoke in circles while admitting that Peter was an affirmative action appointment. If PDV was white, I'm sure his cheeks would have reddened in embarrassment. Right there - it was quite clear - this was going to be a hard road for the man whom SARU admitted wasn't good enough. To my shock, while reading through his book at Exclusive Books (we all do it!), his contract with SARU still hadn't been finalized or agreed too.

But still, with everything that's transpired over the past few years, I still have my reservations about the man whom many Springboks supporters loved to hate. Especially when he makes dumb ass comments like he did this morning.    

Friday 10 May 2013

The Department of 3 Months!


What is it with our government departments? Everything takes over 3 months to get done whether it be certificates, diplomas, etc. Other countries, with better systems in place take 14 working days at the most. Why are we the '3 MONTH’ nation??

I wanted my N6 Diploma. The actual thing – the piece of paper. I passed the subjects and I've been qualified for over 10 years. I passed with 3 distinctions. But still to this day - no actual document to brag with. Or proof! Last year I decided that enough was enough and that I needed this darn piece of paper. On 6 May I applied again, sent my documents. In December 2012 I had received my 3 certificates (N4, N5, N6). I then needed a letter from my employer proving that I have worked in the field in which I studied. I took them my employer’s letter. I was then told it was the wrong format. "So what format must it be" I asked. They then gave me a template example to follow. I took the letter back to them - the original. They sent it off on 2 March 2013.

On 4 May I received a letter in the post with my application to say that my application for my N6 diploma had been rejected because I needed an ORIGINAL letter from my employer. BUT IT WAS!! It's not my fault my company's letterhead is black and white. They thought it was a copy and sent it back. It took them 2 months - TWO MONTHS - 60 DAYS - to receive it, deny me and send it back. I was furious to say the least. I got a guy in my company to colour our company's letterhead blue (just for this purpose) and took them the letter. It was rejected. "WHAT NOW??" I pleaded. It didn't have a company stamp on the letter. No one, up until now, had said anything about a company stamp. I then got it stamped and took it in today.

I am one frustrated South African. Why is my country's internal system so inefficient? Why does there seem to be a 'don't-care' attitude with most government officials??

As a huge supporter of South Africa cricket, I sometimes wish I could have been present at some of the best matches our guys have played - 438 game, beating Oz in the Tests 2-1 2008, So I wrote the following piece about what it could have been like if I were to have experienced the Allan Donald vs Mike Atherton duel back in 1998 at Trent Bridge. I hope you enjoy!


Trent Bridge 1998
It was only days ago when my heart sank as Angus Fraser blocked out Allan Donald’s over to secure England a draw at Old Trafford. And now, needing to put up a fight in the 3rd innings and again put England under the kosh, the boys were throwing it away. Shucks! England were given just over a day to score 242 to seal the deal. “My bru, we need a blinking miracle if we going to pull this off!” I mumbled to the oke behind me. He was just as dumbfounded at our boys’ batting display. Someone will have to rise to the challenge! Hansie would surely have to turn to White Lightning! Forty minutes ago the Proteas were all out for a meager 208. It was the 4th afternoon of the 3rd Test. The Proteas batted first scoring 374 with Hansie making a valiant century, carting their debut spinner to all four corners of the park. England replied with a gutsy 336 to make sure they were still in the fight.
The boys took the field, and within a few overs Shaun nicked off Butcher. Hussain strode in. He was in with Atherton. “We need another wicket tonight if we going to have a chance of cleaning them up tomorrow’ I thought. I saw Hansie gesturing to his number one strike bowler to warm up. “This was it! This was surely the game’s defining moment.” My excitement was mounting. Over up. Allan walked up and gave his cap to Steve Dunne and marked out his run up. Atherton, having a chat with Hussain, peered through his helmet’s visor; he must have sensed what Allan was getting ready to dish up. I clapped my hands together in anticipation; geeing myself up. When Donald took the ball, anything could happen. Little did I know but the next 40 minutes would forever be recorded in the great annuals of cricket history. Allan, after the first ball, decided to come around the wicket. “Whoo Hoo – let him have it AD!” I screamed, knowing some short fire balls into Atherton’s rib cage were coming up. The atmosphere in the ground was silently electric as AD ran in. It was short. It was nicked. Taken! I jumped. I screamed! “Got him! It brushed the glove! Yes baby!” I joined in with my Proteas as they celebrated. Kallis ran from first slip to a cheering Donald as did the rest of the guys. Atherton was out. Time stopped. My stomach sank. “You can’t be bloody serious.” I shouted. The umpire was unmoved. No raised finger. Celebrations ceased. Not out. The Barmy Army cheered even louder. I was the mooring. But flip was I pumped. I could see Allan dropping some f-bombs mid pitch while Hussain, at the other end, just smiled and turned away; knowing the luck he’d just seen. Allan turned around and walked back to his mark. Atherton, without uttering a word, trudged down the wicket, tapped a few cracks, and surveyed the field. He cleared his head and fronted up for the 3rd ball of the over. Four more balls were bowled. No wicket. 

This was getting tense. We needed that second wicket. We had to get it. Allan had to get it. 15 minutes past, and Allan was still on the rampage. The boys were clapping and getting in the batter’s ears. Hussain was looking nervous. Donald glided in, jumped, landed and released. Hussain fended and Boucher grabbed. I leapt from my seat. “There it is. That’s the wicket we needed.” I shouted in the split second as the ball skimmed off Hussain’s bat and into Mark’s gloves. And then, like a slow motion replay, it popped out. “NOOOOOOOO!!!!” Donald screamed in disbelief. “Jislaik it! How could this be happening! Atherton edged it and he’s given not out. Hussain edged it and the keeper drops it. What’s going on?” the guy pleaded behind me. What made us feel worse was that replays showed that if Jacques had stayed at first slip, he would have been perfectly positioned for Mark’s rebound. The proverbial ‘if” strikes again. The disappointment on the young Mark’s face was clear to all; he never meant to drop it; who does? Even Allan’s bum tap gesture after the over couldn’t make up for what some of us thought was the game changer. To many supporters it was a game to forget and yet, to others of us, we’ll reminisce about that 4th afternoon duel for many years to come. We saw history unfold before our eyes and it was glorious. Truly.