EARTH HOUR ON SATURDAY EVENING 25 MARCH 2017

Photograph of my dining-room while we were honoring and celebrating earth hour

My wife and our daughter and I were celebrating and honoring earth hour on Saturday and I decided to take this image of our dining-room. I painted the prophet on the right hand side of the image. 

I quoted from Exodus 35 the following words: Moses said to the Israelites, “The LORD has chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. 31God has filled him with his power and given him skill, ability, and understanding for every kind of artistic work, 32for planning skilful designs and working them in gold, silver and bronze; 33for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. 34The LORD has given to him and to Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their crafts to others. 35He has given them skill in all kinds of work done by engravers, designers, and weavers of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and other cloth. They are able to do all kinds of work and are skilful designers.

Please go to the link and search the Scriptures to read this fascinating portion.

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It was as if I had peered into hell’

Nuremburg Trial of the Nazi Criminals

Benjamin Ferencz, the chief prosecutor in the criminal trial of the Nazi war criminals said at 97 years of age: It was as if I had peered into hell’ I had the privilege of having met Mr Ferencz's son in South Africa a year or two ago - he is doing very the same kind of work he learnt from his father.

Please the moving article by Philppe Sands in the Guardian of him meeting with the son of one of the convicted criminals and how they visited the court room where his father was sentenced to death.

And the tragic occurrence during the week at Westminster in London. 

While I am writing this, I am mindful of our own bloody past. I recall the day the Zulu impi invaded Johannesburg and how the helicopters hovering around with police sirens wailing and complaining all the time. I walked out onto the streets of Johannesburg praying inside this mayhem and carnage. I do remember how 5 - 6 impi's stormed around me and just disappeared behind me in the streets. It was abundantly clear that those guys didn't wash before they arrived in Johannesburg.

Let us pray for people with murder in their hearts - let us pray that they repent and hand over their lives to Jesus Christ and live an upright life. 

 

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SOUTH AFRICA IN THE DOG BOX: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

WITH THE HELPING HAND OF NUMBA ONE

ZUMA THE PAINTER AND HIS FRIEND 

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CARTOON IS THAT THE HOLE IS IN THE WRONG PLACE 

The International Criminal Court is not satisfied with the fact that my country under the leadership of Jacob Zuma assisted the wanted man Al Bashir from Sudan to escape the hand of international justice. Al Bashir got away with impunity. And Zuma smiles.

The ICC now called upon SA to appear before the Court on 7 April 2017 to explain its failure to arrest Al Bashir. Please read the Prosecutor Mrs Fatou Bensouda's speech at the UN on 13 December 2016 and more specifically paragraphs 16 e.v. Here is the link to her report.

ICC Prosecutor Mrs Fatou Bensouda delivering her report to the UN on 13 December 2016

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PUT DOWN YOUR CELLPHONE AND PICK UP A BIBLE AND READ IT

Pope Francis on St Peter's Square, Vatican City

Last Sunday Pope Francis urged the people to put down their cellphones and to pick their Bibles to read. Indeed!

We are approaching Good Friday or what we call Easter Weekend. It is the time when people kill one another on the South African roads in the name of having a good long weekend away from home. STOP! 

Read about the murder on Christ Jesus in the Gospel of John chapter 19 and more particularly verses 33 - 37. Fortunately it didn't stop there at the crime scene. Jesus Christ is alive. It is for you and me.

God bless you while you are reading your Bible. If you don't have a Bible, please get one.

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SYNCHRONICITY? AN ACT OF GOD? HE ESCAPED FROM DEATH

Norman Ndlovu - he escaped death on 14 October 2015

He escaped death! Another not. 

Early this Sunday morning  5 March 2017, Norman and I were driving along the highway and went past the Grayston Bridge when he told me his story of 14 October 2015 - the day that bridge collapsed.

The collapsed brigde on Grayston Drive Sandton on 14 October 2015

He was in a taxi on his way from Midrand to Johannesburg and had just passed the bridge when his cell phone rang. It was his friend in another vehicle who was way behind Norman. 

This friend of his just approached the bridge when he saw it collapsing and was extremely worried about Norman. The taxi driver immediately turned around and they went back to the scene.

Norman saw the taxi driver that was crushed to death still inside the wreck.

A day or so after the disaster, I attended a petrol station in that vicinity. I spoke to the petrol attendants who appeared to be in a state of shock. Yes - they were terribly shaken up. That taxi driver was a happy go lucky person who had just filled his taxi up. He then drove down Grayston Drive and was killed instantly. 

The one escaped. The other drove straight towards his death. 

Invoked or not, God is present. 

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ROME & THE VATICAN - THE ETERNAL CITY

Seagull dipping and soaring in the wind above the Cupola of St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

I took this image of the seagull soaring and dipping in the wind - he was so curious to look at us humans behind the strong iron bars at the top of the Cupola, St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. He dipped away and then quickly coming back sometimes at arm's length almost touching the iron bars. He did that for about 10 minutes. 

I invite you to enjoy my views of the Basilica.

God bless you. 

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A RANDOM GOOD DEED

RED SHOES AND PERFUME - photographer: Nicolene Coertse

Last night (1 March 2017) my wife and I enjoyed a hamburger at a prize winning joint. It was extremely noisy, as usual, with a high turnover of hungry hammy eaters! Young kids were dancing at their own pace and sounds in their heads while the music playing blasting a different tune. People hacking away at the fries covered with tomato sauce or if you want ketchup. Young people standing around staring at their cell phones.

Old people, not senior citizens, battling away with one finger on their cell phones. Waitrons rushing around to see to every single need of their hungry hammy eaters. Cars flitting about, radios blaring.

The odd garbage collector slaving away under his load of cardboard boxes.

We were part and parcel of this motley crowd hacking away at our specially prepared hammy. And then we paid and left.

At the parking meter the lady in front of us battled to get the thing working. Then I heard a voice inside the meter machine chatting to the lady outside the box. Magic! Must have been a very tiny guy inside that machine and is he clever! He told the lady exactly what to do. She executed his instructions, got her ticket stamped and left. Wow! It worked. Follow his instructions and it will work.

Then it was our turn. And we battled. The guy in the machine told us to go to another machine.

There was a young lady standing behind us; she then tried. And she got instructions from the same guy: "Go to another machine."

And so we left - my wife and I and walking next to us was this unknown lady. She was very smartly dressed in a fine white blouse and stylish black pants. And oh my word she had the most beautiful red high heeled shoes on!

While we were executing our instructions to go to another machine she then said: "Can I help you? Give me your ticket and money, wait for me and I will get the stamp to let you out." 

We gave it to her and stood there on the driveway waiting for her.

She got it for us!

She got into a car and drove off!

An angel?

I don't think so; she certainly did an angel's work! I forgot to tell you about her perfume; after all, she might have been an angel with that perfume! Do you think an angel wears bright red shoes?

You did a good deed to two elderlies. May God bless you, young lady!

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