Category Archives: Sermons

The Humble Heart: A Cornerstone of Spiritual Awakening and a Deepening Faith

Posted on by under Culture, Sermons, Spirituality
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In our spiritual journeys, we often seek grand revelations and dramatic transformations. Yet, the path to true spiritual awakening and a vibrant walk of faith often begins with a quiet, yet profound, shift: embracing humility. As the principles outlined in our study highlight, humility isn’t about self-abasement, but rather an honest recognition of our place before the divine and an openness to guidance. Let’s explore how humility lays the groundwork for a deeper connection with God, drawing insights from scriptural wisdom and its application in personal messages.


Humility: Approaching God with a Contrite Heart


The very definition of humility in a spiritual context speaks volumes: it’s “approaching God with a contrite heart, recognizing one’s limitations and dependence on divine guidance.” This isn’t a weakness; it’s a profound strength. When we acknowledge our limitations, we open ourselves to an infinitely greater power.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes this truth:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.” (1 Peter 5:6) This verse isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a promise. When we humble ourselves, we create the space for God to work in our lives in ways we cannot orchestrate on our own.

“Walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) This isn’t a one-time act, but a continuous posture. It’s a daily commitment to recognizing our reliance on God’s wisdom and guidance in every step of our lives.

Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane: “Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) This is perhaps the most powerful example of humility. Even in immense personal anguish, Jesus surrendered His will to the Father’s, demonstrating the ultimate trust and submission that humility fosters.


The Application in Our Spiritual Walk


The practical application of humility in our spiritual lives is transformative:

It encourages followers to pray with humility, accepting that divine intervention may come in forms different from personal desires. This is crucial. Often, we come to God with a fixed idea of what we want. Humility allows us to release those preconceived notions and trust that God’s plan, even if it deviates from ours, is ultimately for our good.

It stresses that true spiritual empowerment starts with a humble posture, opening oneself to guidance and transformation. It’s a paradox: by acknowledging our “smallness,” we become receptive to immense spiritual power. When we are humble, we are teachable, moldable, and ready to be transformed by God’s grace.


Beyond Humility: The Interconnected Principles


While humility is foundational, it’s intrinsically linked to other vital principles that contribute to a flourishing faith:

Thanksgiving (Gratitude): Offering thanks in all circumstances, for both blessings and challenges, is a natural outgrowth of a humble heart. When we recognize God’s sovereignty, we can find gratitude even in difficult seasons, trusting in His divine wisdom.

Faith and Expectation: Praying with confidence that God hears and answers, even if the outcome differs from personal expectations, flows from humility. A humble heart trusts God’s timing and His answers, even when they are “no” or “wait.”

Submission and Openness to Divine Will: Surrendering personal desires in prayer and accepting that divine wisdom may redirect or reshape one’s path is the ultimate expression of humility. It reinforces that both petition and surrender are necessary for authentic spiritual connection.


A Humble Invitation


True spiritual awakening isn’t about striving for perfection, but rather a continuous journey of growth marked by an ever-deepening humility. When we humble ourselves before God, we invite His presence, His guidance, and His transformative power into every aspect of our lives. It is in this humble posture that we truly begin to walk in faith, trusting in the divine process and embracing all divine responses as acts of profound wisdom.


So, let us cultivate humble hearts, for in doing so, we unlock the door to genuine spiritual awakening and a walk of faith that is rich, resilient, and deeply rooted in the divine.

Wolves in Robes: Discernment in the Age of Spiritual Deception

Posted on by under Leadership, Spirituality, Uncategorized

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

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Good morning, beloved. Today, we touch a tender, often buried wound—the betrayal many have experienced at the hands of those who claimed to represent God. Some of us trusted them with our hearts, our pain, and our purpose, only to be left spiritually bruised and disillusioned. It is time we speak honestly.

Not All That Glitters Is Godly

The idea that Satan plants agents in churches—men and women dressed in robes and uniforms, holding titles like bishop, prophet, and minister—is deeply unsettling, but it explains the evil we sometimes witness cloaked in holy garb. The trauma inflicted by these imposters cuts deep, especially because the harm is done in the name of God.

Let us be clear: a title does not make one holy. A robe does not sanctify. We are all called to pursue holiness and to work out our salvation with reverence and discernment.

Test the Spirits: A Divine Command

As written in 1 John 4, we must test every spirit to determine whether a servant is led by the Holy Spirit or by something else entirely. The tools are simple but sacred—daily study of the Bible, intentional prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

After each sermon, revisit the scripture preached. Use cross-references, study notes, and prayer to seek deeper understanding. Don’t be swayed by emotional manipulation or out-of-context verses. Even Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. That same tactic is used today in pulpits around the world.

Faith for Sale?

Beware the wide gate of spiritual entertainment and empty motivation. If the Word never convicts you of sin or leads you toward repentance, be cautious. Some churches shy away from preaching against pride and greed because they rely on the wealthy for offerings. Others demand “seed sowing” in exchange for miracles—yet Jesus never charged the poor or the rich for healing.

Let us remember: the Holy Spirit is not for sale.

Misplaced Worship

There will come a day when some will cry, “But I gave money to the church,” only to find themselves outside the gates of heaven. Why? Because they worshipped pastors and buildings—not God. Let us not be deceived into idolatry disguised as devotion.

As 1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Many churches would rather you ignore this truth while you give your last cent.

African Spirituality and the War on Identity

A more insidious deception lies in the demonisation of African spirituality. Many Christians have been taught that their culture is evil, leading to emotional, spiritual, and even financial oppression. But few who denounce ancestral practices have ever brewed traditional beer, performed libations, or participated in rituals with understanding. They speak from ignorance.

Yes, some have been harmed by dark practices and must walk the Christian path for their safety and sanity. But others receive instruction from ancestors—through dreams, visions, or seers—to walk with God while honouring their heritage. It’s not one-size-fits-all.

Even Deuteronomy 18:10, often quoted against traditional practices, must be understood in context: it was a specific instruction to exiled Jews in Babylon. Much of African spirituality, with its rituals and sacrifices, aligns more closely with the Mosaic law than we are led to believe.

Grace, Culture, and Spiritual Warfare

Jesus did not abolish the law; He fulfilled it. The Holy Spirit came to intercede, comfort, and empower us. Living under grace doesn’t mean we must abandon our culture. What matters is this: Do our practices honour universal spiritual law? Do they harm others?

Those chosen as seers and indigenous healers must still pray, fast, and wage war in the spirit. Rituals alone are not enough—we must align with both our ancestral calling and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Final Word

This is a call to discernment. A call to deepen your study, guard your spirit, and walk boldly in both faith and truth. There is no room for spiritual laziness in a world where deception dresses itself in holiness.

Let the Spirit lead you. Let the Word ground you. And let your heritage be a bridge to your destiny, not a barrier.

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Thread by @NomaDzino: So I jumped onto the ‘learning new skills’ bandwagon and signed up for MasterClass. It’s not cheap – R250/ month, R3000year. I picked Ru Paul & I was blown away. So what can a drag queen teach us about self-love, authenticity an…
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The Heavens Declare The Glory Of The Lord; The Skies Proclaim The Work Of His Hands

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Scripture Reading: Psalm 19.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

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Human beings have studied the heavens for centuries to understand the past, the present and the future. In Genesis‬ ‭1:14-19, it is written that the lights in the sky will separate day from night and serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ There are two disciplines that relate to the study of the stars: Astrology and Astronomy. Astrology comes from the words astros meaning stars and logos, meaning knowledge, and the two words together mean ‘knowledge of the stars’. It was studied in ancient times to mark the signs and seasons for people to know when to plant, and to harvest. Astronomy is the study of the heavenly bodies, an exact science based on the absolute laws of physics and mathematics. Astronomers now bear witness to the hand of God in creating the universe. ‬

At the beginning and throughout the year, zodiac charts and predictions are published for people to read, to find out what the future has in store for them. Did you know that modern astrology to foretell the future is a corruption of the original study of the Stars by the Jews known as the Mazzaroth? Would you believe that the story of salvation is written in the stars? The difference between the ancient Mazzaroth star chart and the modern zodiac chart is that the Mazzaroth has 13 signs, while the zodiac has 12 signs. The number was reduced to 12 because it was easier to divide a circle into 12 to make the study easier. This means that the charts and the predictions are incorrect. The Mazzaroth tells the story of salvation, while the zodiac charts are used to analyse character and to foretell the future. The zodiac is a corruption of the original purpose of the chart. It keeps people trying to look into the future and to control events and keeps people from focusing on God and trusting in him for provision and protection.

THE GOSPEL IN THE STARS

People looked to the night sky to remind themselves of God’s promise of salvation. Mary the mother of Jesus praises the Lord in Luke 1:54-55, saying He has helped his servant Israel and remembered His promise to Abraham and his descendants just as He promised her ancestors. In the book of Job, written before Genesis, about a man who lived before Moses in chapter 26, verse 13 it is written: “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” In the absence of a written bible, Job would have known about God’s plan for redemption from the stars. The gospel in the stars begins with Virgo, the virgin and ends with Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It is the story of the conflict between the Seed of the woman (Virgo) and Scorpio, the seed of the serpent. This was declared by the Lord in Genesis 3:15 to the serpent or Satan, saying that the seed of the woman would crush his head while the serpent would bruise his heel. The son of the Virgin Mary is Jesus Christ the Son of God, while Scorpio points to the Antichrist.

WAS THERE REALLY A STAR THAT LED THE WISE MEN?

Amos 3:7 says that the Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. The Magi followed a star to find the new born king Jesus Christ. An Astronomer, Michael Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically adept astrologers. They also knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. Most likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological signs, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader.

Astronomers have calculated that the sign of the birth of the king began on April 17 of 6 BC and lasted until December 19 of 6 BC. The earliest time the men could have arrived in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus would likely have been at least a toddler. Remember Herod’s instruction to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of 2, to ensure that he removed the threat of a Jewish King. Herod is considered to be the first Antichrist.

The story of salvation in the stars is also found in the book of Revelation. It depicts the visions of the past, present and future that were given to the Apostle John when he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. The Book of Revelation is written in symbolic language and contains several layers of interpretation and symbolism. This is just one. Revelation 12:1-6 says a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. The woman represents Mary and the nation of Israel and the child is Jesus Christ.

THE CONSTELLATIONS

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The story of the gospel begins with Virgo, the sign of the Virgin spoken of in Revelation. According to astronomers, the birth of Jesus was on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year between 18 and 20 September, a time when the constellation Virgo is hidden by the sun and the new moon appears beneath her feet! The sign of Virgo represents both the house of Israel and Mary, the Virgin who gives birth to Jesus Christ, who will rule the earth.

JUSTICE AND MERCY

Libra is the sign of the scales. In Daniel:5 , Daniel interprets the writing on the wall to Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar saying he has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Libra represents the condition of the human race after the fall of Adam and Eve. There are two main stars in the sign of Libra, which tell the story of the prophecy. In one side of the scales, there is a star called Zuben Al Genubi. It means “the price which is deficient.” Undoubtedly, it points to the price which man might attempt to pay for redemption. There is no way one can obtain salvation through good works for the price is deficient. On the other side of the scales, however, there is a star called Zuben Al Chemali, meaning “the price which covers.” It is a picture of the price paid by Christ for the redemption of the sinner.

‘THE LAWLESS ONE’

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Scorpio represents the seed of the serpent, and is also depicted as a dragon or serpent trying to sting the heel of the mighty hero Ophiuchus, who is seen in the ancient star charts wrestling with a great snake, called Serpens. Ophiuchus is the 13th sign that is missing from the modern zodiac charts and lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius. While the Scorpion or dragon is trying to wound the heel of Ophiuchus, the head of Scorpio is being wounded as told in Genesis 3:15. It is said that the word, Scorpio, means “the Lawless One,” and as such, represents the seed of the serpent — the Antichrist. In Revelation 13:3, the beast is wounded in the head, this also identifies the Antichrist. God knew this before the world was made and placed the message in the stars. We should therefore put our trust in an all-knowing and all powerful God rather than predictions of the future and hidden knowledge that is based on inaccurate star charts.

THE ARCHER

Sagittarius appears in the form of a centaur — half human, half horse. The original meaning of the word centaur means two natures and represents the two natures of the Redeemer — His deity and humanity. The Centaur, or God-man, has a great bow in his hand, with the arrow aimed at the heart of Scorpio, the enemy. There are three other constellations places alongside Sagittarius to help to tell the story.

The first is Lyra – pictured as a harp and refers to the praise — so deserved by Sagittarius. The brightest star in the constellation is called Vega. It means, “He shall be exalted.” It directs our attention to the praise from the harp. In Revelation 5:9, we are told that the host of heaven will sing a new song saying, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation” (v. 9). The host of heaven will sing, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (v. 13).

The second is Ara— an altar seen upside down, with its fire poured out over the South Pole — called “the regions of outer darkness.” Here begins a cloud of stars, which runs throughout the heavens. Today, it is called the Milky Way, but in some ancient star charts, it was referred to as “the lake of fire.”The word Ara, name of the upturned altar means, “it is finished. There is no more sacrifice for sin.

The third is Draco, a long winding constellation made up of stars, which wrap around the northernmost part of the hemisphere. It covers one-third of the circumference we are reminded of Revelation 12:3 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven.” Some 4,700 years ago, the great dragon star, Thuban, was in fact the polar star. Over the centuries, however, Draco has fallen from his lofty position and has been replaced by Polaris — kicked out of heaven because he tried to usurp the throne of God and caused a third of the angels to rebel against God. This is in line with Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!”

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Capricorn is a goat with the tail of a fish. The goat represents the sacrificial animal used on the Day of Atonement and the fish represents that body of believers who have received life out of the death of the great sacrifice. Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial goat and believers are represented by the fish. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the Church while, in turn, the Church represents the body of Christ — thus the head of a goat and body of a fish. When Jesus appointed His first disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said, “I will make you fishers of men.”

LIVING WATER

Aquarius is the great water bearer. Our Savior identified Himself as the fulfillment of Aquarius in John 4:14, He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Furthermore, we can see its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out upon believers. Throughout the Bible, water has been symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The water bearer can be seen pouring out his water upon Pisces, the fish that represents that which was born of water and of the spirit — that great body of believers down through the ages.

Aries is the Ram, the sacrifice for sin under the law. The ram represents the Lamb of God without Blemish in Revelation. Taurus is the bull, the traditional sacrifice for sin. The bull or ox is one of the personalities of Christ reflected by the Living Creatures before the Throne of God (Ezek 1:10; Rev 4:7). The bull or ox symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke.

THE DUALITY OF CHRIST

Gemini – the Twins, with one usually being considered immortal and the other mortal – the Immortal One who comes at the Second Coming is the same as the mortal Son of Man who came at the First Coming. So, Gemini symbolizes the dual nature of the Messiah (that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human): Suffering Servant and Conquering King. John 1:1-2,14 says In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Cancer is depicted as a Crab. A crab holds on without letting go and sidesteps to avoid danger. The Arabic name for this sign is “Al Sartan”, which means “who holds” or “binds”. The Latin name “Cancer” means, “holding” or “encircling”.John 10: 27-28 says “My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

‘OF PEACE AND HIS REIGN THERE SHALL BE NO END’

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Leo is the Lion. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Revelation 5: 5 says when John weeps in his vision “But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” He paid the price to save humanity and has the power to unleash the Apocalypse that will destroy the wicked. Jesus Christ is the one Jacob spoke of to his sons on his death bed in Genesis, when he said the ruler’s staff shall not depart from between Judah’s feet until He comes. Jesus Christ is descended from Judah. His is the name above all names and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

THE PROMISE WRITTEN IN THE NIGHT SKY

The message seen in the ancient star charts tells a story quite different from that which astrology would have us believe. Those who foretell the future using zodiac charts pervert God’s original message given in the constellations. Satan did not invent the zodiac. He has only perverted what God originally created. God made and named the great constellations and their stars. And the meanings of their names represent the message of redemption — from Virgo, corresponding with His birth at Bethlehem, to Leo, corresponding with His return as the “lion of the tribe of Judah” to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

So when you look up at the night sky remember that the story of God’s promise of salvation is written in the stars and we can live with peace and joy in our hearts, knowing that our sins are forgiven. May the Lord bless you and pour out his Holy spirit upon you and give you the wisdom to understand his signs and spread the good news to all the people we meet.

References:

https://www.bible.com/111/psa.19.1-14.niv

http://www.bibletruthonline.com/themeaningofthezodiac.htm

http://theconversation.com/can-astronomy-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem-35126

http://heavensspeak.blogspot.com/2009/12/gemini.html

Poverty, Violence and Crime in SA. What Can We Do About it?

Posted on by under Culture, Leadership
By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei
It pains me to write this. SA is a beautiful country. But the contrasts are hard to ignore. The ultra-rich 1%, the better off 9% that manage on credit & the 90% that are not able to make ends meet. We complain about crime, violent protests & derelict infrastructure. How did we get here? When we talk of apartheid and colonialism, people want to shut it down and say ‘get over it’. But it’s not over. Both had a terrible & lasting impact on the psyches of Black people which will take generations to erase. The violence & crime we see today is a direct result. 
The violence and oppression of Black people in South Africa because is now manifesting as violent crime such as robbery, rape etc. Black men felt powerless & took their emotions out on women & children, those weaker than them. They turn on foreigners for the same reason. The violence of the protests is a result of not being heard until essential infrastructure is damaged.
Black people have been underpaid and many still are, compared to white people in the same jobs. If you don’t pay the parents a living wage, they can’t feed their children properly. Inadequate nutrition & mental stimulation before age 3 leads to irreversible brain damage. Research has shown that poor people live under unremitting stressful conditions which lead them to make poor decisions of the short-term kind. They are unable to plan beyond getting the next meal by any means available. Those people unfortunately are the majority of the 90%.
Captains of industry complain that there are no skills in engineering, science & maths. Where will the skills come from? The people do not have the capacity to learn due to childhood malnutrition, because their parents were poorly paid plus they had ill-equipped schools. The same people complain about crime & how it deters investors. They refuse to connect their desire for short- term profit 2 generations ago to the social problems that we see today. They pretend that everyone has the same 24 hours & equal opportunity while bypassing BEE rules. 
There are no easy solutions. I agree with Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng  @UCT_VC calling for a wealth tax on the 1%. The 9% are burdened by income and value-added tax which take up a significant portion of their income. The wealthiest 1% do tax planning and manage to get away with legal avoidance of taxes because they can afford professional tax advice. The project for national renewal needs funding.
We need sound ethical leadership at all levels of society. The focus on short-term profit needs to be done away with. Shareholders who put pressure on businesses to make a profit at all costs are equally responsible. Naturally they belong to the 1%. The same shareholders look the other way when their executives bribe or make “facilitation payments” to get government business. The culture of corruption in the public sector is not a post-apartheid phenomenon. However our leaders learned from the best and have taken corruption to another level. Now there is nothing left to steal.
We can start by ensuring children are properly fed & early childhood learning centres are built. Then we can stop manufacturing criminals. This requires parents who are working to be paid a living wage. It’s a no- brainer. The multiplier effect alone of improving workers’ incomes will create a bigger more profitable market in the long run for business.
To address the issue of violence, we need conflict resolution work & debriefing to happen in our townships and schools to enable people to solve problems without resorting to violence. The work that Forest Whitaker @ForestWhitaker is doing with his foundation in the Cape flats is commendable. We need more of that. 
60% of households in SA do not own a book. Only 14% of the population read for leisure. A novel on average costs R250 in a bookshop. We need government to support the publishing industry by zero-rating VAT on books. Festivals like the Abantu Book Festival  @Abantu_ need support to build a reading culture. Because South African history is not taught in schools, works of fiction or historical novels and works of nonfiction can fill that gap. The lack of knowledge of history, whether our own i4 that of others means we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
The film industry can also be used to turn the culture around. Nollywood & Bollywood are the biggest film industries in the world by turnover. Investment in local films to provide entertainment and facilitate a culture change. Mobile cinemas can help reach people in remote areas. If we can make films that show what South Africa can be to the younger generation, then we have a chance to re-engineer the national psyche to create our best selves.
Government needs to be serious about creating employment for adults without STEM skills. It’s no use talking about 4IR in a developing country without basic infrastructure, roads, railways, bridges, water and electricity. That work can be done by unskilled people, just pay them. If you keep them busy and pay them well, then they can look after their families and not be tempted to rob, rape and kill.
If you don’t want crime, then stop creating fertile conditions for it, Incidentally among the 1% are those making money from the drug trade, trafficking of stolen goods & human trafficking. They too are responsible for corrupting government officials, who then look the other way as they continue with their nefarious activities. Luckily for them, they can afford armed private security & sip champagne & cognac behind high walls & gates. They can scoff at ‘the wretched of the earth’ but there will come a time when all that money will not save them, when social systems collapse completely.

The legacy of violence created by colonialism and apartheid will continue until the cycle is broken. There can be no freedom or security is the majority of the people are living in poverty & fighting for the scraps. Breaking that cycle requires conscious and ethical leadership that is prepared to do the right thing for the greater good. SA is not irretrievably broken at this point, however the longer we wait, the close we edge towards being a failed state. The country north of the border is almost there. South Africa is not special, no matter how highly we think of ourselves, it can happen here too. It’s not too late to stop it. Our future depends on what we do now.

The Mark of a Christian Leader

Posted on by under Culture, Inspiration, Leadership, Sermons

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

I attended the recently introduced African Contemporary Service at Northrand Methodist Church today. With hymns and choruses sung in IsiXhosa and SeSotho, there’s nothing like worship in African languages. We worshippers are never at a loss, as long as there is music and the Wesleyan Methodist Church is one of the most musical of congregations.

The sermon was an amazing God moment for me, having recently assumed a more senior leadership position. Titled the Marks of a Christian Leader, it was to celebrate the induction into leadership of oMama bo Manyano, the Women’s Fellowship. The ladies were resplendent in their red, white and black uniforms, taking the oath of office to serve in the Executive Committee. Rev. Mntambo was in his element, effortlessly switching from IsiXhosa, to IsiZulu then SeSotho and mixing it with English. He exhorted the ladies to lead like Jesus Christ.

Marks of a Christian Leader

Firstly a leader must build a team, a group of people working together for a common purpose. A leader takes responsibility for every member of the team. After calling the disciples, Jesus was committed to their welfare. In John 17, he prayed for them. You must pray for your team members if you are a Christian leader.

It’s easy to lead with your title, if you have the position and authority. However, it’s not easy to lead by character. People will obey a title but they will follow a character. A leader should be loving, humble, kind and gracious for people to follow. When you lead by title, people will do the work when you are there and stop when you are not there. When people don’t follow you, they speak ill of you when you aren’t there. Lead by character not by title.

When the team members are expected to give 100%, a leader gives 110%. A leader must inspire their followers. The word inspiration comes from the same root word as that of spirit. As a leader you must breathe into people, your life, your character and influence. A leader is one who can show the way to others. If you don’t know the way, find the way. Depend on Jesus, He knows the way, because He is the way, the truth and the life. One shows the way he or she has walked. If it’s uncharted territory, he or she must move forward into the unknown with confidence. Focus on God who has called you and not the situation or other distractions in the environment.

Leadership and Perfection

Leaders are not perfect. Take the example of David, King of Israel who committed adultery, then plotted to have the woman’s husband killed. However God did not remove him from leadership. Paul, a sinner and a zealot who persecuted and arrested Christians was called by God, and became the greatest apostle. Peter, his life was a comedy of errors, saying and doing what was inappropriate all the time. On the mountain when Jesus was praying, he wanted to stay in the glory of God and suggested building 3 shelters, one for Jesus, another for Moses and another for Elijah. When you experience the glory of God, you need to take the glory with you to the valley, to the sick, the lonely, to those that need his love. Don’t keep it for yourself.

What does God require of a Christian Leader?

Firstly, true spirituality. Be filled & controlled by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit, who are you not to be? To fill your life with the Holy Spirit you must look upwards like a nestling waiting to be fed. Pray for the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you may live and lead. Secondly, be humble. Leaders must serve. The greatest shall be the least. God will elevate you. When God calls you to lead, no one can stop you.

What are the Marks of a False Leader?

A false leader joins a group for personal gain. He or she seeks a position for himself or herself. A false leader wants to occupy all positions and doesn’t want anyone else at the top. He or she uses other people as stepping stones to take him or herself to the top. Such leaders causes conflict within the team, and are constantly finding fault with other people.

A True Leader

A true leader led by the Spirit knows how others are feeling. He or she communicates with the people. They do not let problems simmer. If you see a problem deal with it kindly & graciously. A true leader asks what is wrong, not who is wrong. When you blame people for mistakes, your organisation does not grow. True leaders serve, like Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet. He does not expect to be served. Lead by character and not title so people can follow you.

The Learned People Shall Govern

Posted on by under Culture, Feminism, Inspiration, Leadership

My favourite poem Nikki Giovanni called Hot Chocolate starts with the words: ‘This is not a Poem…’ So to speak of the Abantu Book Festival one would say:

This is not a Book Fair
It’s an experience.
Not just a meeting place
For writers and buyers
But an intersection
Of ideas, values and perspectives
Of what it means
To be a man, a woman,
Or in-between

Every second and every inch of space
Ours to express ourselves
Unapologetically African
No fucks given
No offence taken
Consciously intellectual
No ‘woke woke’rhetoric here
Only honest conversations
Agree or disagree
We sit at the feet of experience
Yet learn from youth

A happy place
Where colleagues and contemporaries
Become friends
And friends reconnect with the joy
Of long-lost siblings
A safe space
where everyone acknowledges,
understands and accepts
Your particular brand of madness.
And realises its genius.

A place of reflection
Of introspection
A place of power
A place of resistance
The legendary township of Soweto,
Where Apartheid received
Its most deadly wounds
In this place
Babylon’s whiteness
Must Fall.

A stone’s throw from
That sacred place called Kliptown
In this place
We declare that:
The People Shall Write
The People Shall Read
The People Shall Learn and
The Learned People Shall Govern

Long Live the People’s Book Festival
Long Live!
Long Live the Spirit of Ubuntu!
Long Live!
Amandla!
Awethu!
Imfundo!
Eyethu!
Inkululeko yaBantu!
Mayibuye!

©️ Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

Why Does God Not Hear Our Prayers For Our Country?

Posted on by under Culture, Leadership, Relationships, Sermons, Uncategorized

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

When I read about the recent incident at St John’s College, in Harare, Zimbabwe, I was saddened and appalled. Sad because this is a Christian school where ostensibly Christian parents, in blind ignorance and prejudice not only chose to end a man’s career, but put the critical preparation of A-Level exam students in jeopardy.

The deputy headmaster was under threat of having his sexuality revealed to the whole world by the reporter of the biggest daily newspaper in the country. This is in a homophobic nation where homosexual acts are punishable with a jail sentence. When he revealed his sexual orientation to the students and teachers at assembly, there was an uproar by elements of the staunchly conservative professedly Christian parent body. He was forced to resign after receiving death threats.

The school badge has a sheep and the motto is Dominus Pastor, meaning the Lord is my Shepherd. Symbols are powerful. They are tell the world that this is a school with Christian values. The Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ in Psalm 23. Jesus preached and modeled love, service and above all compassion. Parents agree to uphold these Christian values when they apply for admission of their children to the school. It is appalling that in 2018, in an technologically advanced global society, learned and wealthy people, who should know better, behave like this in a professedly Christian country.

Why was he forced to resign? The parents were aghast that they had a homosexual teacher at the school all this time. Out of ignorance many people associate homosexuality with paedophilia. There have been no reports of sexual abuse at the school. This is unlike the case of Parktown Boys High in Johannesburg, South Africa where a waterpolo coach was convicted of over a hundred counts of sexual abuse of students. The reaction suggests a collective fear that he would influence their sons into becoming cross-dressing, make-up wearing, heavily perfumed Nancy-boys. This is totally irrational, he had been there for years and there was no problem. However, Zimbabwe is a patriarchal society, so there is zero tolerance of views or activities that fall outside the heterosexual masculine supremacist norm.

Surely the parents had a right to object? Yes by all means. But was their objection based on facts and evidence of abuse? Or was it based on an unfounded fear based on the collective ignorance about and suspicion of homosexuality as an orientation and a lifestyle choice. My view is that their objection was based on the latter.

In terms of individual responsibility, was it necessary for the reporter to even ‘out’ the man? After all he had been living what appears to have been a respectable life, exercising his personal relationship choice without bothering anyone? One would think that corruption, the cholera outbreak, the cash crunch, the deteriorating economic conditions and post-election political shenanigans are more news-worthy stories of public interest. The fact that the teacher in question is white, teaching at an expensive elite private school made this an opportunity too good to pass up. What about the other more high profile black politicians and business people who are rumored to be closet homosexuals or those who engage in homosexual transactional sex for business deals? What about those that are bi-sexual, yet engage their proclivity for the forbidden on the down low? Ironically some of these men and their wives may well have been among the vociferous mob that forced the man to resign.

We pray daily for God to deliver our nation from bloodshed, injustice, oppression and poverty. We have worn ourselves out praying and claiming the promises of Chronicles:

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭.

We have fasted, cried and prayed, begging God saying

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

Psalm‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭

And what is God’s answer?

““Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:6-10‬ ‭

This is God’s Word to the prophet Isaiah in Chapter 58 says what he requires of true fasting. True fasting that brings the answer to our prayers for a better world. That true fasting begins with you and me. What are the choices that we make daily between what is wrong and what is right that make this world what it is today? You may wonder what impact your choices have as an individual. A society is made up of individuals whose character and actions collectively influence the behavior of the group. So the world we live in today is a result of the sum of choices made by many individuals today.

We as Christians cannot pray to a loving and just God to deliver our nation from injustice when we ourselves are unjust and oppressive to one another. We steal from the public purse; murder our enemies; do not pay our bills; deprive workers of their just wages; commit adultery; sexually abuse children; beat our wives; rob our employers and bribe public officials. We gossip, slander and malign people’s characters for sport. Then on a Sunday, we praise God with the same tongue that tells lies and give the church as offerings, money that has been swindled or stolen from others, while denying help to our families when they need it. We still visit traditional healers in the dead of night seeking charms for success and curses for our enemies. We go to the graves of our loved ones to cast spells of doom on our families. We follow the heretic teachings of false prophets who tell us what we want to hear, but do not preach salvation, love or mercy. What kind of people are we? Do we deserve this mercy that we cry out for? Why should the Lord as our Shepherd come to our rescue when we behave like wolves preying on the innocent and vulnerable in our society?

The book of James, chapter 3:11 the writer asks : “Can salt water and fresh water flow from the same spring? ” The answer is no. Enough of the self-deception. Let us stop pretending that our souls are wells of living water when in reality they are contaminated and salty to an extent that, the people drinking from them become sick and are thirstier than ever. We must stop praising God with our mouths when our hearts are far from him. If we really want God to deliver us, we have to stop: being selfish; repent of our evil deeds; and we must show love and compassion to other people. Only then will God hear from heaven and turn and heal our land.

Walking on Eggshells

Posted on by under Feminism, Leadership

Try.

Try walking.

Walking on eggshells

In high heels

Heel toe, heel toe.

Tread softly

To avoid injury

To that ego,

Ego so big there’s not enough room

in the office

Even in the basement,

A reminder

Of the pecking order.

A prized parking spot

for his wheels

Bavarian Motor Works’ finest

Luxury SUV

While you squeeze

Your plebian set of wheels,

A Volkswagen between

The pillar and the dusty pipes.

Yes all animals are equal*,

Only some are more equal

Than others.

You would do well

To remember that little fact.

Smiling through gritted teeth

At the backhanded compliments

On your efforts

to hold onto

That bottom rung

Of the corporate ladder.

*From George Orwell, Animal Farm

*Picture courtesy of Pinterest

©️ Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei 2018

Mother’s Day

Posted on by under Feminism, Leadership

This is who I do this for

The unborn generations

And the children I bore.

Let me remind you who I do this for

My matrilineal line

Those who’ve gone before.

This is who I do this for

The women that never made it to school

Or to the factory floor.

Let me remind you who I do this for

Those that died in childbirth

Too far from the hospital door.

This is who I do this for

The women in domestic service

Still getting up to scrub the floor.

This is for the hustler,

The worker,

The housewife,

Bespectacled academic

High-flying executive

The married one

The single one

The one grieving

Longing to hold

Her departed child

one more time.

You deserve more than a day

Of celebrations

You are worthy of celebration

For all time.

©️ Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei