Submit to your spiritual leaders

A very powerful message we got at church last night at church during prayer meeting from our elder Mma Mpofu as she spoke on the importance to submit to our spiritual leaders. A topic that keeps cropping up as one of our prayer points because it is a prayer point we take for granted and not seriously. As we read Hebrews 13 verse 1717 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Mma Mpofu stressed that we should keep the laws of God that every law and instruction by God written in the Bible should be taken seriously and accordingly. Spiritual leaders being our Pastors have a obligation to protect our souls that is to say to watch over us, to pray for us, to encourage and strengthen us in times of need but us as a church and as individuals we have an obligation to submit to them, have confidence in them and to remember them in everything we do. 
We are expected by God to submit to them so that when they watch over us they might do it with joy and not to be burdened by our human natures. 
Hebrews 13 explained by Pastor Bagwasi speaks of how the church should remember, submit and obey and salute(greet) the spiritual leaders.
It is important that as a Christian and a member of the church you remember your Pastors by praying for them, showing love and kindness to them, obeying what they bring to us and hearing their messages without criticising them because many a case they have been anointed by God and so they are representing God.
Every instruction of God comes with a reward and in this case in Heb13 v 17 he is clear that when we cause our Leaders grief then we do not benefit but when we remember, submit & obey and salute them we receive abundant blessings from God. 
It is not only about tithe giving and offerings remember when you do not give from the heart it is not considered a gift but it is about showing the Pastor that we are under him and we have confidence in him in all his teachings and doings. He is human and will not be perfect but it is not our duty to judge but it is our duty to leave the spiritual leaders to God to deal with them.
In conclusion, let us ask God for forgiveness during this fasting and prayer week so that as we move to a new location in our Ministry we will be a new people who follow and benefit from the instructions and promises of God. Let us start to remember, submit and obey and greet our Spiritual Leaders.
Victory Fellowship World Outreach Centre - Gaborone

my writing journey begins

reading books and articles from authors like KM Weiland trying to get some inspiration. Will write my story from my heart but need to know how to begin, how to structure and how to come up with characters.

Zimpraise - Ndina Jesu

i used to be one of them

So many times growing up in the African tradition, our relationship with God is mostly diluted because of our cultural and traditional beliefs. Beliefs of going to spirit mediums, witch doctors and prophets are very common in Africa countries. I used to be one of those people who was just a church goer not fully invested in Christ. What is a church goer? My destination is simple really, its a someone who attends church service and the only time they connect with God fully is during church service. Once church is done the Bible is put away and you only look for it the next time you want to attend a church service.
Back to my theme of the day of consulting mediums. I used to do it but l have taken a stance not only because God is against it but because l have had my money and assets been taken by those people and still no difference came to my life. The Bible is clear of how God is a jealous God and especially in the Old Testament keeps saying that we should not have any other God but him. How should not be seen pleasing two masters. Because when your relationship with God is diluted it is as good as you are pleasing two masters. I speak strongly on the issue of witch doctors and spirit mediums, why would God burden you with someones' spirit. Each person is responsible for their own spirit and when you die the Bible says the dead know nothing Eccl 9:5. And that is true, it is only the work of the devil when he uses people amongst us to use such spirits of tokoloshis to torment our lives. I once was told l had an ancestor who wanted  to speak through me and for a moment l thought it was so cool to be a spirit medium but God had greater plans for me. He quickly took me out of my birth country and brought me to Botswana where l have managed to build a solid relationship with Him and l got to understand that what l termed cool was actually not so cool. I understood of the love God had for me and how much he desired for me to work in his Kingdom and not in the Kingdom of darkness.
The Bible in Hosea 4:6 is clear that my people perish because of lack of knowledge. We embrace the works of the devil because we lack knowledge and then blame it on culture and tradition but all this while we had a choice to make. So many times our hearts would have spoken to us to tell us what to believe and not to.  I do not condemn culture no it is who we are but l believe our experiences make our future, a concept l have come to embrace. We should be able to be in a position to understand what happened in the past and what is happening now so that we take what we can from our cultures that is positive things and let go of the negative things that keep breaking us. Many have perished but we still have a chance to amend our ways and see the light. We still have a chance to come back to God and say Lord we sinned against you because we lacked knowledge those times where times we didn't know you but we are here now use us for our rightful purpose.

and now l know

to discover a talent is one thing but to put that talent to use is the greatest achievement. Writing is a gift and making use of it has become a great achievement in my life.