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A Martha Munizzi Live performance of “DANCE” recorded at the “Change The World” concert on December 7th 2007. Enjoy!

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ENNERDALE: Fear, nostalgia, skepticism, a lethargic preponderance to please hang like seed-pearls and characterized the atmosphere around the council chambers.

Fred-Norman Students during A visit by an American Evangelism Team

 It was yet another one of those rocking-chair types: ‘almost century long’ Ennerdale Ministers’ Forum meetings all of which had been convened with one purpose and mandate: the adoption of a constitution which would govern the business of the Forum.

This particular evening, determination characterized the steering committee’s chair. The fair-skinned, almost grey haired gentleman came determined to see the constitution adopted. The Committee’s chair sat on pins and needles trying so hard to maintain a servant heart as the affairs of the meeting almost dead-locked yet again. In what almost seemed like the Mugabe-Tsvangirai saga, one minister wouldn’t agree with the meeting over the adoption of the constitution. His reasons: the usual problem Ennerdale has been recycling for centuries- failure to attend meetings by Ennerdale Religious leaders.

However, Mr. Chair… displayed a remarkable ability to serve his colleagues and never lost heart, explaining even the most redundant of queries from the floor. Ultimately it paid off: the constitution was adopted to the relief of many.

Now action will be the pudding as the saying goes: the taste is in the pudding.

Prior to this meeting, about 120 invitations were drafted for invitations, but of all the people who got the invitations, only about three cared to send an apology in, while the rest decided their ‘business’ was much more important than the business of their community which by the way is in shambles. Drugs, car theft, teenage insolence, pregnancies, alcoholism, murder, the breakdown in the family nucleus to name but a few, couldn’t concern some ministers. One wonders therefore, which God they represent, because my Jehovah is total different, He is completely concerned about Ennerdale and her state disturbs Him bad.

However, and eventually after, I almost quit the Forum; a decision was made to adopt the constitution as a working or a living document which will be open for amendments during the cause or tenure of its existence. That’s at least fair, I thought to myself and at least there is some snail-pace of a progress…phew! What a sigh of relief.

You may wonder what on earth is this boy writing about? But let me answer your question before you put words in my mouth. I am a self appointed critic of the body of Christ under the banner of what I call ‘God’s Business’ and I hope you realize it is really His business, although most of us make it ours! And that is a very big mistake, God can do without us, need we make ourselves important and therefore bar the ameliorative dispensation of his business and mandate on earth. To that end, we will be required to give due account. Ignorance is no bliss. Forget that excuse, it’s as old and out-dated as the devil’s other tricks are to a praying child of God. You will not be pardoned on the basis of: “I did not know”!

Amen. I’m out.

By Prince t.
© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651
Or email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

To me this woman was either one of these two things. Either she was a complete sell-out (pimp) or a complete genius.

But, who was this woman and why is it important this morning that I write about her?

I just read a very interesting article about her in the Times Newspaper (Tues, July 28, 2008). The author, a certain Nica Cornell, entitled her piece: Eva opened my eyes and I must admit mine were opend too. I am not meeting the legendary of Krotoa for the first time though. The first time I did was in my Media class at Rhodes University. I did a bit of study about the women but then I was fully laden with prejudice myself because I had just read along with that article for my course another author who writes without mincing his words about “Blackness”. For anyone who knows him Franz Fanon is a dynamite in these matters, and his expositions on the topic will truly mess you up (in a good sense though). I recommend his book: BLACK SKIN, WHITE MASKS  to anyone who wants to know what I am talking about.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Krotoa, or Eva, was the niece of Autshumato, a Khoi leader and trader. While she was young, she worked in the household of Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape colony. While still a teenager, she learned Dutch and Portuguese and like her uncle, worked as an interpreter.

By 1664 she had married a prominent member of the Dutch colony, junior surgeon Pieter van Meerhoff, who was then assigned to be superintendent of the prison on Robben Island.

Eva returned to the mainland in September 1668 after her husband was killed on an expedition and returned for a time with her children to the mainland.

Suffering from alcoholism, she left the Castle in the settlement to be with her family in the kraals. In February 1669, she was imprisoned at the Castle and then banished to Robben Island.

She died in 1674.

Know you history, South Africa and you will see that prejudice has no place within your boarders. The discourse of Rainbowism perfectly discribes what kind of people you are. You are neither black nor wahite, you are simple the shade that lies between. But have you ever seen that shade? I havent, which tells me that shade doesn’t exist and if it doesn’t then what? Read through the following and may be it will help dispel the indentity confusion and crisis you are facing right now that is if you still think you are white therefore privileged or Black therefore underprivileged. That’s nothing but nonsense. Grow up!

Diary, Jan van Riebeeck Krotoa, called Eva by the Dutch, is the…

http://chnm.gmu.edu

Krotoa, called Eva by the Dutch, is the first Khoikhoi woman to appear in the European records of the early settlement at the Cape as an individual personality and active participant in cultural and economic exchange. Eva joined Commander Jan van Riebeeck’s household at the Dutch fort at around age 12. She was closely related to Oedasoa, chief of the Cochoqua Khoikhoi, but it is unclear whether her family sent her to the Dutch to work and learn the language or whether she made this decision on her own.

She learned to speak fluent Dutch and Portuguese, and acted as an interpreter for the Dutch for most of her life. She converted to Christianity and in 1664 married a Danish surgeon, Pieter van Meerhoff, who was rising in the service of the Dutch East India Company. Together they had three children. After his death on an expedition to Madagascar, Eva became an alcoholic and was eventually sent to the prison colony on Robben Island for disorderly conduct. She died in 1674 and was given a Christian burial.

21 June 1658:

“Fine weather with N.W. breeze. The freeman Jan Reijnierssen came to complain early in the morning that during the night all his male and female slaves had run away, taking with them 3 or 4 blankets, clothing, rice, tobacco, etc. We thereupon called the new interpreter Doman, now called Anthony, who had returned from Batavia with the Hon. Cuneus, and asked him why the Hottentots would not search for the runaway slaves, to which he coolly replied that he did not know. [Little is known about Doman, though he was one of the important interpreters between the Dutch and the Khoikhoi in the early years.

He was taken to Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) to learn Dutch, and there he seems to have noticed the threat that the Dutch posed to indigenous ways of life. When he returned to the Cape, he consistently advocated Khoikhoi interests, especially of the Peninsular tribes, over those of the Dutch in trade negotiations.] The Commander, not trusting him, then called the interpreter Eva alone into his office and privately asked her whether our blacks were not being harboured by the Hottentots.

On this she asked whether such was the Commander’s opinion, and being answered in the affirmative, she (speaking good Dutch) said these words, namely: “I tell you straight out, Mijnheer Van Riebeeck, Doman is no good. He told the Hottentots everything that was said in Mijnheer’s room the day before yesterday.

When I told him that it was wrong to do so, he replied: ‘I am a Hottentot and not a Dutchman, but you, Eva, try to curry favour with the Commander, etc.’” She added: “Mijnheer, I also believe that the Fat Captain of the Kaapmans harbours the slaves.” On being asked what the chief would do with the slaves,

Eva replied: “He will present them to the Cochoquas to retain their friendship, and they in turn will deliver the slaves to the Hancumquas living far from here and cultivating the soil in which they grow daccha [also dagga, of the cannabis family], a dry herb which the Hottentots chew, which makes them drunk and which they highly esteem.”

23 September 1658:

“The interpreters Doman, or Anthonij, and Eva wished to visit their friends and asked for some copper, iron, beads, tobacco, bread, and brandy as a reward for their services as interpreters, and presents for her mother and their friends and all the natives whom they, especially Eva, would visit, to induce them to bring a larger number of cattle, as well as young horses, tusks, civet, amber, seed pearls (of which they were shown and given samples) and hides to the eland, hart, steenbuck, etc. They promised to do their best and hoped that we would soon see the fruits of their efforts; toward evening they thanked us politely and gratefully in good Dutch words for the presents they had received. They then left.

When Eva reached the matted hut of Doman, also known as Anthonij, outside the fort, she at once dressed herself in the hides again and sent her clothes home. She intended to put them on again when she returned to the Commander’s wife, promising, however, that she would in the meantime not forget the Lord God, Whom she had learnt to know in the Commander’s house; she would always think of Him and endeavour to learn, etc.”

26 January 1661:

“The interpreter Eva has remained behind to live in the Commander’s house again, laying aside her skins and adopting once more the Indian way of dressing. She will resume her services as an interpreter. She seems to have grown tired of her own people again; in these vacillations we let her follow her own will so that we may get the better service from her. But she appears to have become already so accustomed to the Dutch diet and way of life that she will never be able to give it up completely.”

This lady, whoever she was did one thing right, and that is: break the barier of animosity that existed between the white and the Black race. And lets use her as a point of reference to understanding who we are, where we come from and where we must go as a nation.

By Prince t.© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651
Or email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

Ennerdale: Last week Thursday, I attended a meeting, dubbed the “Faith based Forum” a City of Jo’burg’s sterling initiative aimed at involving and providing a forum for deliberating on tangible deliverables that would see to it that all people, citizens and immigrants to this city enjoy the peace and tranquillity commensurate with every human beings right for free movement.

In what seemed like a democratic agenda, xenophobia, or should I say the aftermath thereof was on top of the agenda. The presentation was made, and what caught my often very critical yet objective mind as a journalist were two very important points. I want to make reference to these two points in passing.

1.      The re-integration issue: that is to say; ways or efforts made by the government of South Africa to re-integrate the displaced victims of xenophobia back into the blazing heat of the fire of hate, anger and brutal barbarism as perpetuated against immigrants to South Africa, including asylum seekers for that matter, by South Africa citizens.

2.      Secondly I want to touch on the “alleged misrepresentation of facts by the media concerning this aforementioned issue”. The claim made by one religious delegate or participant at this meeting was that “the media blew out of proportion what was actually happening on the ground.”

I was appalled to say the least and I find these types of remarks an indication of gross misinformation on the part of those people who call themselves leaders of their respective communities. For your own information the convening forum (above) is meant to hold accountable and vet the ‘business’ of the government from an impartial stand point. However, the above claims which are obviously meant to please blazes a trails which, as far as I am concerned, leaves a lot to be desired.

It is in this vain, that I have therefore deduced that a “political psychosis” of sorts exists in Africa, if not around the world today. This said ‘Psychosis’ can thus best be captured in one word: DENIAL. Why I called this ‘condition’ (medically) denial will be clear a little later, but first the definition and a brief historic background to orient you to the position I am coming from.

Definition

Denial is the refusal to acknowledge the existence or severity of unpleasant external realities or internal thoughts and feelings. (www.minddisorders.com).

Theory of denial

In psychology, denial is a concept originating with the psychodynamic theories of Sigmund Freud. According to Freud, three mental dynamics, or motivating forces, influence human behaviour: the id, ego, and superego. The id consists of basic survival instincts and what Freud believed to be the two dominant human drives: sex and aggression. If the id were the only influence on behaviour, humans would exclusively seek to increase pleasure, decrease pain, and achieve immediate gratification of desires. (More like the current Mugabe, Vavi and Malema’s preponderance, to brutality as have been making headlines in our print and electronic media)

The ego consists of logical and rational thinking. It enables humans to analyze the realistic risks and benefits of a situation, to tolerate some pain for future profit, and to consider alternatives to the impulse-driven behaviour of the id. (Much more like the MDC Tsvangirai and ANC’s Jacob Zuma, whatever their legitimate motivations may be).

The superego on the other hand consists of moralistic standards and forms the basis of the conscience. Although the superego is essential to a sense of right and wrong, it can also include extreme, unrealistic ideas about what one should and should not do. (More like the religious personalities).

Suffice it to say that these three categories or personalities or forces all have different goals (id, pleasure; ego, reality; superego, morality) and continually strive for dominance, resulting in internal conflict depending on the amount and magnitude of pressure they are able to exert onto the often unbridled demands of the other.

 Such resultant conflicts (as emanating from the said (above) pressures produces anxiety on a much more gradable scale at least. For example, the ego, which is a mediator between the two extremes of the id and the superego, attempts to reduce this anxiety by using defence mechanisms.

Definition

Defence mechanisms are indirect ways of dealing or coping with anxiety, such as explaining problems away or blaming others for problems which we are not prepared to bear responsibility of, especially if they are face-threatening to us.

Thus, Denial is indeed one of these many defence mechanisms. Its primary tenet entails ignoring or refusing to believe an unpleasant reality. This is exactly what the ANC government is currently doing with regard the xenophobic attacks that happened in the country recently.

My claims are not at all unfounded. I just read this morning with much consternation, indeed a new episode of violent eruptions levelled against foreigners whose re-integration into the communities to which they once belonged were, according to government officials (including the one from the meeting referenced above) “were a success.”  I reckon this statement refers to another imaginary, place indeed probable, in which the profundity of ‘success’ as a lexicon is indeed gradable on a scale of mediocrity and utter disdain, in as far as the value accorded human life (even immigrants) in South Africa and Africa (Zimbabwe) is indeed concerned.

Human crisis were turned into political stunts and an extra mileage to de-humanise, manipulate and abuse people and tie their lives to a ballot paper elsewhere in Africa. Crisis of humanity was reduced to talks-about-‘nonsense’-talks, all in the name of saving a dictatorial face. Such is the power of defence, and in the wrong hands its power can be utterly obliterate and at worst pretty dogmatic to say the least.

Defence mechanisms are necessary and very crucial to human living. They protect one’s psychological wellbeing in traumatic situations, or in any situation that produces anxiety or conflict. However, they do not resolve the anxiety-producing situation and, if overused, can lead to psychological disorders.

Here is a political psychosis in full-throttle, as captured by Yazeed Kamaldien of The Times. Kamaldien writes: “RENEWED violence greeted foreigners who returned to Cape Town townships this weekend, BUT, government officials have claimed reintegration is a “success.” A terrible psycho-drama in action, indeed.  But then political careers are at stake… therefore a career is mightier than a human life in this instance, I guess.

Although Freud’s model of the id, ego, and superego is not emphasized by most psychologists today, defence mechanisms are still regarded as potentially maladaptive behavioural patterns that may lead to psychological disorders. And it is true that we are facing another neo-episode of psychosis or mental disorders which I would like to call, “politico-mental-psychosis”

The Freudian research postulates that certain personality disorders tend to be characterized by denial more than others. For example, those with narcissistic personality disorder deny information that suggests they are not perfect. This is a very likely stance of political governance in Africa especially. Not being perfect in Africa is not only a threat but an insult, however, history shows that heroes elsewhere were never perfect people, no wonder they surrounded themselves with a myriad of advisers to counter their imperfections, hence appearing perfect to those to whom know knowledge and insight has been given.

Antisocial behaviour is characterized by denial of the harm done to others (such as with sexual offenders or substance abusers). Therefore, denying the harm done to the foreigners in our neighbourhoods and areas of jurisdiction, for fear of jeopardizing our political careers is very much commensurate of a political, full-blown psychotic malignant. Denial will only allow this malignant to fester and spread to other areas of the same body. This can be avoided. Shout for help and “you shall find it, knock and the doors will be opened, ask it shall be given you”, I quote and paraphrase the Biblical words of wisdom.

Furthermore it should be noted that Denial can also be exhibited on a large scale— among groups, cultures, or even nations. Lucy Bregman gives an example of national denial of imminent mortality in the 1950s: school children participated in drills in which they hid under desks in preparation for atomic attacks. Another example of large-scale denial is the recent assertion by some that the World War II Holocaust never occurred. (www.minddisorders.com).

Treatment of denial

The most crucial treatment is accepting ones condition before any other means of intervention will be effective. Denial is treated differently in different types of therapy. Reintegration of foreigners is too early and secondly, the attacks were never only xenophobic. Therefore research should be undertaken to ascertain the real cause and roots of the problem, then address those problems first before any effort is wasted in the so called re-integration process. These are just fancy words that simple means irresponsible and lack of pathos with regards the present situation. Talk to South Africans and remind them of bombings that happened in Botswana due to the people who sought refuge in Botswana in order to dethrone the apartheid monster, remind these forgetful citizens how their plight affected and cost their neighbouring countries whom they now see as “aliens” to be brutally detested at all cost.

Borrow a page from psychoanalytic therapy and put these unthankful brutes on therapy. In psychoanalytic therapy, denial is regarded as an obstacle to progress that must eventually be confronted and interpreted. Timing is important, however. Psychoanalytic therapists wait until clients appear emotionally ready or have some degree of insight into their problems before confronting them. In the humanistic and existential therapies, denial is considered the framework by which clients understand their world. Not directly confronting denial, therapists assist clients in exploring their world view and considering alternative ways of being. In cognitive-behavioural therapies, denial is not regarded as an important phenomenon. Rather, denial would suggest that an individual has not learned the appropriate behaviours to cope with a stressful situation. Therapists assist individuals in examining their current thoughts and behaviours and devising strategic ways to make changes.

Power abuse is just similar to substance abuse, so study Traditional treatment programs for substance abuse and other addictions. These programs view denial as a central theme for hampered progress in life. Such programs teach that in order to overcome addiction, one must admit to being an alcoholic or addict. Those who are unable to accept such labels are informed they are in denial.

South Africa should know by now that they are sitting on a crisis time bomb and should do all in their power to militate against such. Otherwise, what goes around comes around, not in a bad sense but what if tomorrow the sun doesn’t sun on our ground, but shines next door? How will we speak to our neighbours? How will we approach them? I wonder!

By Prince t

© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article please contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651 or
Email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.
 

Ennerdale: The church is slowly discovering its purpose and mandate within the communities in which it is based. This morning I attended a “couple’s breakfast” hosted by AFM Shalom Ministries in Ennerdale.

The heart of the ‘talks’ or discussions at this breakfast I gathered were relationships-based: between parents and children. The major discussion seemed to revolve around “basics” of ‘rearing’ children, and I use the word ‘rearing’ very loosely here. One speaker nostalgically traced her childhood memories under the now so-called, yet extremely effective way of raising children her parents subjected her to: the so-called old-school-parenting system. She very thankfully praised her parents for instilling in her “values, which I would love to pass on to my children”, she said matter-of-factly.

In our societies today, no wonder the young people are referred to as the ‘generation x, a question of ‘values’ let alone morals never really arise. Lack of values and morals are the most celebrated traits in our times. This is a shame. I have personally seen very old people who still behave like babes, now that’s pathetic and I won’t mince my words about it.

Not so long ago, the South African government in its quest to Americanize or Europeanize its citizens passed a law, which has no value or place in an African country or context. Africans are raised to respect the elders, and other people are raised to negotiate ‘rights’. Rights or respect? Which should we opt for in today’s times of brutal moral decadence our communities are living at the mercy of? I reckon, like me you opted for respect, because within respect exists the highest order of ‘Rights’ and their upholding and enforcement.

This (above) widely opposed (I say so because I was involved in a match against it) piece of legislature gave way to a heart ranching onslaught of unbridled truancy to our children. It allowed children at the age of twelve years old to make life altering decisions without the consent of their parents. A twelve year old girl can now go to the hospital and solicit for an abortion, legally without her parents ever knowing about it. I guess they will only know when something goes wrong and she dies, in which case they will be acting solely as ‘undertakers’ (those funeral guys, know them?)

Times are changing and this has come as a rude awakening for committed and loving parents, especially the church. There is need now more than ever before in its inception for the church to brace itself and go beyond praying and fasting to squarely tackling-head-on the perils of our times that threatens its sanctity and legitimacy as the moral pulse and barometer of our communities.

In its quest to do this the church is doing church the “unusual” lethargic way it used to. It has and must definitely be as fast and ahead of its time than technology is, or else it is only remedying what has been damaged. A proactive church is what our communities need today. That old, lethargic hymn-singing church did well for its time, but it is not enough for today.

Get me right here. What I am saying here is not, that the church should bring the world into the church but that the church should aggressively now more than ever before go out into the world and dilute and in time completely transform it (the world philosophies about life) into the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Education is needed. And I want to speak briefly about “Temperaments” or as they are often referred to as “The Four Temperaments”.  These formed part of the discussions that took place at the breakfast I just made mention of above.

Mrs. Mc Gluwa, the speaker who presented this topic, did it in the vernacular so that no one says they didn’t get it. (She spoke in Afrikaans).

I summary her presentation was: if we don’t understand our children and if we can’t provide the answers to their questions, verbalized, subliminal and unvoiced, then the world will. The world has nothing to offer us, as I just showed you through the types of legislatures our governments are toying with.

BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE FOUR TEMPAREMENTS:

Temperament theory has its roots in the ancient four humors theory of the Greek doctor Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who believed certain human moods, emotions and behaviors were caused by body fluids (called “humors”): blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Next, Galen (131-200 AD) developed the first typology of temperament in his dissertation De temperamentis, and searched for physiological reasons for different behaviors in humans.

In The Canon of Medicine, Avicenna (980-1037) then extended the theory of temperaments to encompass “emotional aspects, mental capacity, moral attitudes, self-awareness, movements and dreams.”

Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) disregarded the idea of fluids as defining human behavior, and Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Alfred Adler (1879-1937), Erich Adickes (1866-1925), Eduard Spränger (1914), Ernst Kretschmer (1920), and Erich Fromm (1947) all theorized on the four temperaments (with different names) and greatly shaped our modern theories of temperament.

Hans Eysenck (1916-1997) was one of the first psychologists to analyze personality differences using a psycho-statistical method (factor analysis), and his research led him to believe that temperament is biologically based. He proposed in his book Dimensions of Personality  that Neuroticism (N) or the tendency to experience negative emotions, and Extraversion (E) which is the tendency to enjoy positive events, especially social ones were his equivalnet of the four ancient temperaments.

THE FOURTEMPAREMENTS:

According to Hans Eysenck, temperaments are divided into two biological based categories: which are: NEUROTICISM (N) or the ability of a human being to experience NEGATIVE Emotions, and secondly EXTRAVERSION (E)which is the tendency of a human being to experience or enjoy POSITIVE social events especially. The following is his classification of the four, in relation to his Neurotic and Extraversion classification of the same.

•  High N, High E = Choleric
• High N, Low E = Melancholic (also called “Melancholy”/pl. “-ies”)
• Low N, High E = Sanguine
• Low N, Low E = Phlegmatic

1. Sanguine

Sanguine indicates the personality of an individual with the temperament of blood, the season of spring (wet and hot). A person who is sanguine is generally light hearted, fun loving, spontaneous and confident. However they can be arrogant, and indulgent. He/She can be day-dreamy and off-task to the point of not accomplishing anything.This also describes the manic phase of a bipolar disorder. Their humour is often exploitative.

2. Choleric corresponds to the fluid of yellow bile, the season of summer (dry and hot). Cholerics are doers and leaders. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. On the negative side, they are easily angered or bad-tempered.

In folk medicine, a baby referred to as having “colic” is one who cries frequently and seems to be constantly angry.

3. Melancholic is the personality of an individual characterized by black bile; hence (Greek μελας, melas, “black”, + χολη, kholé, “bile”); a person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very kind and considerate, melancholics can be highly creative – as in poetry and art – but also can become overly pre-occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world, thus becoming depressed.

 The temperament is associated with the season of autumn (dry and cold). A melancholic is also often a perfectionist, being very particular about what they want and how they want it in some cases. This often results in being unsatisfied with one’s own artistic or creative works and always pointing out to themselves what could and should be improved.

This temperament describes the depressed phase of a bipolar disorder.

There is no bodily fluid corresponding to black bile; the medulla of the adrenal glands, which decomposes very rapidly after death, can be associated with it.

4. Phlegmatic

A phlegmatic person is calm and unemotional. Phlegmatic means “pertaining to phlegm“, corresponds to the season of winter (wet and cold). While phlegmatics are generally self-content and kind, their shy personality can often inhibit enthusiasm in others and make themselves lazy and resistant to change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality, the phlegmatic has many friends. However the phlegmatic is more reliable and compassionate; these characteristics typically make the phlegmatic a more dependable friend.

Armed with this information and much more, christians will be able not only to understand their children, but also to interact with them in ways that would foster a dialogue of understand amongst them all. This is needed now than a decade ago, or else we have no one to blame because very soon we will cry fowl after the world has finished dealing with our children. Prayer is fuondational, but prayer must go with action. The world acts while we pray in a vaccum. The Bible encourages action (see James).

By Prince t.

© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article please contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651 or
Email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

24 July 2008.
Johannesburg, South Africa: The legislature of the City Of Jo’burg (CoJ) has partnered with Religious leaders in the Gauteng area in an attempt to echo a common tune towards remedying a host of issues that concerns the wellbeing of the people of Jo’burg. Today marks the fifth (5th) Faith Based Forum meeting with the City of Jo’burg.

In her welcome note, as appearing in the fourth (4th) issue of The Stakeholder’s Newsletter, the speaker of Council, councillor Nkele Ntingane said the challenges the City of Jo’burg faces in creating a “better life for all are not only issues of service delivery”. “Government, no matter how committed it is to the principles of good service delivery, cannot operate in an unfettered manner”, she added.

She further advised that there is need for “a strong and critical supportive” Council to ensure that the proposals of the Executive, are “effectively scrutinized” and appraised as necessity demands. She added that for the democratic process to be legitimate and be seen as such by all stakeholders “there must be on-going community participation in the democratic process”.

For her part, the Human Development Directorate (HDD) representative Ms. Thuli Mlangeni today told the delegates that it is a duty and an obligation for the city of Jo’burg to ensure that “all its people”, that is every human being who falls within its jurisdiction, whether migrants or not, “do not feel socially excluded nor victimized”. Ms. Mlangeni was delivering a presentation on the progress made by her department so far, especially following the aftermath of the atrocious xenophobic attacks which almost tarnished the reputation of the country.

“Faith Based Forum is going to be the main catalyst in the reformation and reintegration of the xenophobic-displaced immigrants”, she said. She also said “the city’s programme on common Citizenship and counter xenophobia is committed to the agenda of addressing social exclusion.” According to Ms. Mlangeni, the implementation of the Re-integration plan for the 2730 displaced persons within the Human Rights parameters remains a major challenge for the CoJ. She however acknowledged the involvement of various churches that helped in this aftermath. “Immediately after the attacks, churches made donations towards solving the problem” she enthused.

She further called on the church to get involved in grooming community leaders who will be able to harness the youthful energies of the violent perpetrators within our communities. Ms. Mlangeni bemoaned the quality of leadership within our communities today, saying perpetrators of violence are the youth, “therefore leadership is a necessity”.

Addressing the delegation on violence in schools, an executive from Phaphama Initiatives, said at least 15% of learners (at least two million learners) in South Africa have been exposed to violence at school, while at least 20% of secondary school learners are exposed to violence, other than sexual violence. She continue to say that at least 15% have been exposed to drug use by a family member, while the other 20% know siblings who have been in jail.

She said that exposure of youngster to criminal activities thwarts the psychic and mental development of these children. “if children see that solving a problem is through the use of violence, then, that is what they will learn”, she cautioned.

However, she further lamented the fact that although children grow up seeing such violence in the home, research have shown about 90% of students as saying they felt much safer at home than on the streets. Commenting on this she said this shows that these youngsters have accepted the ‘normality’ of violence at home and have been numbed by its effects.

Therefore, violence in schools is a direct reflection of violence in the community, she lambasted. Furthermore she said that absent fathers were contributing negatively to the general welfare of society and requested pastors present, to take up the issue of fatherhood at their pulpits. “Criminals are not out there, they are in our homes, we are breeding and fostering criminals in our homes” she lamented.

She warned the delegates, saying that at least 16% of youngsters between the ages 12 to 14 have considered getting involved in crime or criminal activity. While for those aged between 18 to 20 about 22% of them have considered crime.

She went on to make some recommendations towards alleviating violence in our schools and homes, saying that “targeted early preventative interventions” should be the focus of our efforts. “We have a duty to lobby the government on these issues as religious institutions”, she exhorted.

On their part, the FBF said following the deliberations they made towards this noble goal by the government, they would consider their voices crucial to the process should a report back be availed them in the form of an appraisal. “Report back is very crucial”, they said.

By Prince t.

© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651
Or email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

23rd July 2008.
Florida/ Johannesburg: “Money indeed makes the world go round, but it is certainly not the most important thing for which human beings exist.” This seemed to be an obviously unsolicited consensus among an extraordinary breed of Christians, who had convened in one accord under an extremely peculiar spirit of a “business Unusual” gathering, to quote President Thabo Mbeki’s post Polokwane National Address coinage.

The importance of money to living can not be over emphasized. However, this all time truth continues to find varied expressions among people of different colours, creed or faiths, especially. While some are to this day still shy to acknowledge its importance others can do just about anything to have it.

It is to the latter category that the Bible finds no solace and therefore vehemently disproves. According to the Bible, it is not money but the love of money that is the root of all evil. The Bible attributes its claims to the evils as perpetrated by man, whose singular pursuit in life is to amass and accrue wealth in the form of money. According to the first book of Timothy 6:10b, “people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain (ISV).

The church is ready and prepared morally and ethically to do business the unusual way. A day with Pastor Ray was one such exploits of the church as it embarks on the spirit of business Unusual. This annual event is one among many other business related events under the auspices of The Business Fellowship, a business wing of the Heritage Faith Worship Center, under the capable leadership of Pastor Earl Morrison. According to Pastor Morrison the vision of this ministry is to “help business and career people walk in the blessing of the Lord which makes rich and adds no sorrow”, he said. He further explained that the focus of this seminar in particular is “to develop a consciousness of unity in the area of commerce and group economics”. Through this ministry, we develop business owners and career people who are committed to responsible prosperity” he emphasized.

For his part Bishop Sherman gave the delegates, John 15:1-8 as a strategy and a fault proof process to success. “If you are not fruitful you mean nothing to anybody”, he said. “A man is measured by his fruits”, he further warned the delegates. Bishop Sherman is a very successful Christian business tycoon, who started from nothing. To his name he does not even have a grade 12 qualification. But that did not deter him from building for himself a multi-million wealth portfolio, to which he takes no glory. Bishop Sherman was yesterday testament to the fact that making money is not a sin. “Your labour is the premium expression of your worship”, he told a delegation of Christian Business man and women at a one day business seminar organized by the Heritage of Faith Worship Center in Florida, Johannesburg.

He lamented the fact that the “so-called “church” has commercialized Christianity, saying that “everybody is embracing the ‘word’ Christianity but are you supporting a Kingdom cause?” he asked. He then told the delegates that the process of life “starts with a thought, then speech and then action”. Furthermore Bishop Sherman said that fruitfulness or success starts with a gift in service. In other words Christian businessman should be determined to serve God’s people in accordance with their needs and in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself is a true epitome of a servant ‘in-service’.

He also said that it is crucial that Christian business people invest in relationships because it is through relationships that they will be able to be of influence to anyone within their sphere of influence. “Without influence you are a slave to the atmosphere of another”, he said. According to Bishop Sherman, if you are dominated by another’s atmosphere you will change toward it, because the atmosphere enacts change. “Change puts a seed in your hand, and then a harvest, anyone with seed has dominion”, he said.

Edwin foster of Foster Transport suggested that delegates form syndicates if they wanted to start businesses citing the fact that institutional lending was very difficult to obtain, especially these days. He also advised the delegates to consider franchise business ventures saying that franchise business was a very lucrative venture whose failure is very minimal in South Africa, which stands at a measle 11% considering the fact that at least a third of all new businesses fails in South Africa.

He further indicated that the franchise market in South Africa was very open, citing that at least about 17 sectors are involved, compared to the 50 and 25 in the USA and Australia respectively.

On his part, the key note speaker of the day, Pastor Raymond Le Fluer reminded the attendants that “we are not business people to make money, although we can not avoid making it, but we are “in business so that God may be glorified when we help the poor” he said. “Sustainable leadership is therefore a requirement and a necessity”, he added.

Pastor Le Fluer further indicated that “ethics were very crucial in Christian business because business is not a game”. He therefore suggested that as Christians we need not rush into the kitchen to serve Jesus, before we sat at His feet and be served by Him in his manifold wisdom. “The fact that He (Jesus) is in your house does not mean that you have a relationship with Him”, he warned. He further referred the delegates to John 12, the story of Martha, Mary and Jesus. He said that Mary knew how to wait on Jesus while Martha was busy with everything else but waiting on Jesus. “Don’t go to the kitchen before first sitting at His feet”, he advised. He moreover said that a big business requires an equally big prayer life”therefore.

The Religious Right Is AWOL From The Real War
By Chuck Baldwin
July 23, 2008

This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2008/cbarchive_20080723.html

I want to begin this column with one of my all-time favorite quotes. It
comes from the great German reformer Martin Luther. He said, “If I profess
with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of
God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at
that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be
professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier
is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight
and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

Luther’s trenchant statement reminds us that today’s Christians, especially
our Christian leaders, are conspicuously absent from the field of battle.
Oh, they may host large crowds in their gatherings; they may deposit
multiplied millions of dollars in their financial accounts; they may receive
thunderous applause from politicians, but they have fled the battlefield at
the point of attack.

For the record, the real battlefield today is not abortion. It is not
homosexual marriage. It is not Social Security. It is not al Qaeda. It is
not taxes. It is not inflation. It is not electing conservatives. It is not
posting the Ten Commandments. It is not even the high cost of gasoline. That
is not to say that those issues are not important and not deserving of our
best efforts and attention, because they are. But those issues do not
represent the major battlefield today.

The battlefield where the devil has amassed his greatest forces and is
thrusting his deadliest armies is the surrender of our national sovereignty
and independence, and the creation of global government. And it is our own
political and corporate leaders that are facilitating this chicanery.
Furthermore, by refusing to oppose this surrender, our Christian leaders are
complicit as well.

Obviously, the surrender of our independence has been ongoing for some time.
However, under Bill Clinton and especially under G.W. Bush, the pace has
quickened exponentially.

Doubtless, the biggest reason President Bush has more aggressively hastened
the pace of America’s merger into supranational government is because he
enjoys widespread support among evangelical Christians. Absent opposition
from Christian leaders, G.W. Bush has virtually had a free hand. And please
know this: before Bush was a Republican, before he was a “conservative,”
before he was a Christian, he was and is a globalist, as was his father and
grandfather before him.

Because our national Christian leaders are content to revel in the lap of
political cronyism with President Bush (and the Republican Party), they have
abandoned their positions as watchmen on the wall. Instead of being watchmen
and heralds of truth, they have become political lackeys and toadies for the
GOP.

Now, just yesterday, James Dobson declares that he “might” support John
McCain. This in spite of the fact that only a few months ago Mr. Dobson
promised, “I cannot and I will not vote for Sen. John McCain as a matter of
conscience.”

Ah, but that is just the problem: when it comes to groveling before the GOP,
our Christian leaders have no conscience. Hence, James Dobson is now
publicly saying he “might” support McCain.

The ones who are doing the yeoman’s work in trying to warn the American
people to what is happening in regard to the surrender of our country’s
liberties and independence are people such as Congressman Ron Paul and Dr.
Jerome Corsi.

Many of you know Corsi as the man who co-authored the Number 1 New York
Times best-seller, “Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against
John Kerry.”

Jerome Corsi holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science. He
is not some fringe-radical (not that Harvard hasn’t produced its own
radicals). Religiously, my understanding is that Corsi is either a Roman
Catholic or Episcopalian. However, Corsi is doing what James Dobson, Tony
Perkins, et al. should be doing, but aren’t: he is sounding the trumpet of
truth for the real battlefield.

In a nutshell, Corsi warns us that G.W. Bush is secretly working to merge
the United States into a trilateral government with Canada and Mexico. Corsi
maintains that back in March of 2005, President Bush, Mexican President
Vicente Fox, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin entered into an
agreement that binds the three countries into a regional or hemispheric
government.

Corsi insists that this is one of the central reasons why Bush is so adamant
about granting amnesty to Mexico’s illegal aliens. Bush is simply following
through with his commitment to Fox and Martin.

Corsi also notes that this new hemispheric entity already has a name. It is
called the North American Union (NAU), and it is being created without any
input (or even knowledge) from our legislative or judicial branches of
government. The official name of the agreement made between the three
leaders is the “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America” (SPP).
Obviously, the new NAU is modeled after the already established European
Union (EU).

Folks, please be aware that President Bush has already committed the United
States to a regional or hemispheric government. When completed, this
regional government will control everything relative to the “security” and
“prosperity” of this new North American Union. That includes everything
relating to travel, law enforcement, trade, education, military matters,
etc. So, what is left out? Nothing.

Please remember, too, that all of this is being done without any input from
the American people or their elected representatives at the state or federal
level. I would even dare say that the vast majority of congressmen and
senators are completely oblivious to the fact that this is even happening.
With the attention of the American people (and Congress) focused on the
Middle East, Bush and his cabal of elitists are moving forward with plans to
surrender our national independence and merge our country into a regional
government. Friends, this is the real war; this is the real battlefield.

When America loses its sovereignty and independence, we will lose all of our
fundamental liberties. The Constitution will be meaningless and irrelevant.
The Bill of Rights will be moot. The principles of religious liberty, the
right to life, and the Christian foundation of our country will be passé.
And, as I said at the outset of this column, our national leaders,
especially our Christian leaders, are totally absent from this battlefield.

The surrender of our national sovereignty and independence is where the
battle currently rages; it is where the devil is at this moment attacking
(to quote Luther). But where is the Religious Right? They have flinched and
fled in the face of battle. They would rather hold onto their precious perks
of power within the ivory towers of partisan politics. Luther is right:
their actions are disgraceful.

This article is a response to an article in the Business times, Sunday the 20th July 2008, duly entitled “Big mouth, big money”. In this article Business Times’s Abdul Milazi spoke to one of the celebrated businessman and author of the “Popular Rich Dad, Poor Dad series which sold more than 17 million copies” according to Business Times, (pg11,2008). I read this man’s Business views and found his business acumen and “financial IQ” (to use his own words) quite impressive.

However, there is one very important error in theological cognition (for lack of a better word) and comprehension that I particularly want to highlight and briefly allude to. I have taken the liberty and the audacity to shed some light to proponents of wealth like Mr. Kiyosaki here, in order to clear the air of misconceptions such people often find themselves engaged in for lack of real knowledge about Biblical issues or simply put, Biblical discourse.

Let me be quick to note that the said lack is mainly due to their erroneous propensity to purport to have certain understandings about certain issues such people have no literate authority over. I refer here particularly to matters whose bases are Biblical in nature. And I want to caution people who are not only given to sophistry in much of the cases but also who are grossly ignorant of; first the inerrancy of the Bible and secondly the infallibility of the same. It is very important for such a class of people to understand that the Bible is a ‘discipline’ in and of itself and it is more so, a one discipline that one should not attempt to engage ones intellect, except such a one is given that insight and such an ability to disclose or engage at a reputable level with its content and insights, by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is not just a book, as most are given to thinking. It is the living word of God. And I am not saying this to amuse or to propagate any particular dogma or religious position. I am saying this to enlighten those who would like to engage themselves with its sayings and wisdom which is beyond any human intellect.

Unless the Bible is illuminated and its sayings broken down to man’s level by the same Holy Spirit, who by the way is the spokesperson of the trinity, then, all guys like Mr. Kiyosaki are doing is further propounding as it were the gross lack of insight and understanding that the Bible requires of its scholars- the Christians. Note that Christians here again I am referring not to that religious bunch, like Mr. Kiyosaki’s Sunday school teacher, who denied him (Mr. Kiyosaki) the opportunity to have his question (see Business Times, Pg 11, 20th, 2008) answered appropriately therefore, aiding him to avoid what is now transpiring through Mr. Kiyosaki’s understanding, with reference to 1 Timothy 6: 10, although Mr. Kiyosaki is not quoting the whole scripture because should he have done that, he would have understood its meaning even without his religious Sunday school teacher.

The following scripture is very simple and straight forward. It does not say be poor! It says do not covert or worship money. Money, to quote one of those many slogans about it, indeed “makes the world go round”. I am typing this on a computer, money was used to buy it, I am posting this article on the World Wide Web, and money played a role. I am in a house, I am using electricity, and money is needed for all these. But what the scripture is saying in part is: money is not the be-it-all, end-all of life. There is more to life than money. Have you ever seen a rich man die? Ever heard of one taking his money with into and beyond his grave? Ever asked yourself why? So if none does then what does that say about money and its value or importance in our lives as people?

Do you not realize there is a much larger cause than money or its pursuit that we are here now? Our lives are much more precious than money, and if that is the case then it means we live for something much more valuable than accruing wealth and money. We need money in order to aspire toward that noble purpose. And I want to be quick here and suggest that the reason why many people think money is evil while some think it is ‘life’s be-it-all’ is because both campuses are devoid of Biblical wisdom and are therefore LIFE-ILLITRATES. Ever heard of computer illiterates? Yeah that same concept is what I am referring to here. As much as some or most people are computer illiterates especially in Africa, it is also true that a huge majority of people, especially money lovers are totally LIFE-ILLITRATE, and this is sad.

I don’t want to go further explaining this scripture, beyond what I have already done. I want you to study this scripture believing that the Holy Spirit will give you revelation of what exactly this scripture is saying, especially about money. And I also pray that He (The Holy Spirit) will lead you into all Biblical truth, and also I pray that you will begin to take Biblical illiteracy, therefore LIFE-ILLITRACY as something not to be proud of but rather something to be shunned and condemned utterly.

International Standard Version (©2008)
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief.
King James Bible
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Bible in Basic English
For the love of money is a root of all evil: and some whose hearts were fixed on it have been turned away from the faith, and been wounded with unnumbered sorrows.
Darby Bible Translation
For the love of money is the root of every evil; which some having aspired after, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
English Revised Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.