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| Modise and Zodwa Moatlhodi |
Modise is currently an Exco member and Head of Large Business Segment at Absa Corporate and Business Banking. He assumed this role 18 months ago, after having spent 2 years as Executive Chairman of Moatlhodi Group (Pty) Ltd, an entrepreneurial, diversified and multi-sectoral Investment Holdings Company. As of the 1st October 2008 He has taken over additional responsibilities of being the Head of Absa Africa Corporate and Business Banking. An MBA graduate and one of the first Chartered Marketers in South Africa, Modise has over 25 years experience in Financial services, having started his career as a teller at United Building Society, then moved to the then Barclays as an Administration Clerk, Teller and Savings and Forex Supervisor, manager’s clerk and relationship executive for MNC, corporate finance transactor.
He left to work for Old Mutual.Modise has always been an entrepreneur at heart because he left to start a Sales and Marketing company by the name of Modzod Corporation.He then joined New Era Life as National Manager Sales and Marketing. He later joined the FirstRand Group as Head of Liabilities and Assurance, where he helped develop the Bancassurance Strategy. He moved to Strategic Marketing Unit of the Group, having spent time in the Retail Channel Management area. He became Chief Executive of the FNB in KZN. After incorporating the former
Modise also served on Rand Merchant Bank Board, Momentum Board, Wesbank Auto Board, Inca Capacity building Board, National and Video Foundation Board and the Nepad Business Council (Banking Group), amongst others.
Modise is an ex chairman of Lekana Employee Benefits and KZN Playhouse. He is Non-Executive Director of Mshinini Investment Holdings, Umtha Resources (Pty) Ltd, Rhino Plat (Pty) Ltd, Engel and Volkers, Usante Capital (Pty) Ltd, and subsidiary companies of the Moatlhodi Group (Pty) Ltd. He sits on the Board of Real Economic Empowerment Group Limited and a member of their Credit and Investment Committee. Modise is also a member of the Pastorate of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa Naledi Assembly. He is a final year student at the AFM Auckland Park Seminary in association with the University of Johannesburg
Modise is married to Zodwa and has children. He is reluctantly taking golf lessons, enjoys the nature, spending time in the bush watching wild animals, jogging, reading, going to theatre, listening to jazz and classical music, spending time with family and loves soccer. His favourite teams are Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United.
Day 1 Devotions -
Rebuilding the ruins of our lives, families and communitiesDay 1 Devotions -
What the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup has displayed is that South Africa as a diverse nation with a history of apartheid is keen to unite and rebuild the ruins left by centuries of domination of one by another. South Africans have a hunger for peace and love among all citizens. This would not happen without the God of love and the Prince of peace Jesus Christ.
God who is Love demonstrated His love for humankind by giving His only begotten Son to die in the place of humans so that people can be reconciled with God. This is the ultimate contribution that God made to rebuild our lives, families and communities. He ended the separation that existed between God and humankind. Jesus Christ became the bridge over the gulf between God and humans. You and I can be easily become friends with God who has made it so easy that anyone can qualify by only accepting that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate prize for him or her.
Although it is that simple it doesn’t mean it’s cheap. This decision needs to be taken seriously. Once you and I have accepted that Jesus died in our place and express our need to be friends with God by inviting Jesus Christ into our lives we shall have taken an important step to build our lives. The next step is to become vessels to be used by God to make Him known in South Africa through sharing our experience of this reconciliation with others so that their lives too may be rebuilt. Like a builder who builds a brick at a time so too we will extend this Love and Peace in our families and communities. Let us learn from Simpson and Ashford song ‘brick by brick’ and Cosas slogan ‘each one teach one’. Let each of us share with one other person so that the whole community will be converted and love and peace will reign in our homes, communities and country. The bible talks about Nehemiah who also helped built ruined walls of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah falls into two divisions. The first six chapters cover the reconstruction of the wall, while chapters through 13 deal with the reinstruction of the people. With those two you have the whole book.
Now what does a wall symbolize? Ordinarily, though, a wall symbolizes strength and protection. In ancient cities the only real means of defense were the walls. Sometimes these walls were tremendously thick and high. The walls of the city of Babylon, as recounted in the story of Daniel, were some 380 feet thick and over 100 feet high -- massive, tremendous walls. Therefore, the city of Babylon considered itself very safe.What does it mean, then, to rebuild the walls of your life? In an individual life, then, the rebuilding of the walls would be a picture of re-establishing the strength of that life. We have all met people whose defenses have crumbled away. They have become human derelicts, drifting up and down the streets of our large cities, absolutely hopeless and helpless. But God in grace frequently reaches down and gets some of those people and brings them out to rebuild the walls. This is the picture of the way the walls of any life, of any local church, of any community, of any nation, can be rebuilt into strength and power and purpose again.
Prayer
Father God in the name of Jesus Christ your only begotten Son I thank you for a gift of life through His death on the cross of Calvary. Amen
Day 2 Devotions
Rebuilding the ruins of our lives, families and communities
Nehemiah took a bold step to build the wall of Jerusalem. Amidst the struggles he went through, having to get permission from Artaxerxes, fighting the opposition from Sanballat as well as face the betrayal from his own people, the richer Jews who were exploiting their poorer countrymen. The wall was built within a relatively short period and the work testified to Nehemiah’s enemies and all surrounding nations that this work can only be done through the help of the Lord. You will never build the walls of your life or community until you have first become greatly concerned about the ruins. Have you ever taken a good look at the ruins in your own life and community? Have you ever stopped long enough to assess how things could be under God, and compared that with how they are?
Have you looked at the possibilities that God gave you in your life, and seen how far you have deviated from that potential? Like Nehemiah, you have received information, in some form or other, of the desolation and ruin in your life and community. When Nehemiah heard this report about Jerusalem, he wept and prayed for days, showing his intense concern.
You will never rebuild the walls of your life and community until you first weep over the ruins. You may encounter opposition from all sorts of people. You will need to be courageous to pick up the pieces and forge ahead in spite of the circumstances. You will also need to be cautious. When Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem and rode about the city at night he didn't just start putting bricks on top of one another. He didn't rush out and got all the people excited to build the walls. If he did, he would have fallen into the trap of his enemies.
In chapter 3 we learn how he went about this task of reconstruction. If the walls of your life and community are broken down; if your defenses have crumbled so that the enemy is getting at you on every hand, and you easily fall prey to the enemy’s attacks I suggest you pay special heed to the process of reconstruction set forth in the book of Nehemiah. We learn, first of all, that the people were willing to work; second, that they became involved and immediately started doing something. Nehemiah, in the wisdom that God gave him, set each of them to work building whatever part of the wall was nearest to each of their own houses so that they were personally involved in the work. The rest of the chapter describes how they went about building. It all centred on the ten gates of the city of Jerusalem. The people would be assigned a certain portion of the wall defined by the gates that gave access to the city. As you read through this chapter, you will find the names of these gates; the Hebrew names have great significance.
Even in South Africa, to achieve true unity, love, faith, hope and salvation can only be done through you and me making Him known. Let us therefore start with those closer to our houses, building brick by brick not finding rest in worldly comfort until the task is complete. However, let us work hard armed with spiritual weapons to make this beloved country a country that fears, loves, worships and serves God. The Jerusalem wall was built in 52 days. Then the people were reinstructed on the word of God. They stopped to remember what they were taught. They celebrated by worshipping God and committed to obeying God’s word.
This is what we need to do once our lives, families and communities ruins have been rebuilt so that there is sustainability.
Prayer
Father God in the name of your Son Jesus Christ we thank you for the help of the Holy Spirit to go through this study. Please help us to learn from Nehemiah and rebuilt our lives, families and communities. Help us to be courageous, disciplined, reflective, obedient and committed as Nehemiah was so that we can finish the task ahead of us. Amen
Day 3 Devotions
Our Identity in Christ
It is important for every child of God to understand his or her identity in God as this determines his or her approach in the world. Galatians 4:6 clearly states that “….And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!” As a child of God, once you understand your identity in God, it influences your overall conduct because God has sent the Spirit of His Son in our hearts that connect us with God as we experience Him as our Father.
Verse 1 of Galatians 4 says, as long as an heir is a child, he is no different to a slave although He owns the whole estate. So it will be to us if we do not grow in our knowledge of God and mature spiritually, we will be slaves of worldly principles. By compromising our faith, we turn ourselves into slaves to the people we are trying to please, once we start, it may be difficult to stop.
Now that you know God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles of the world. Now that your life has been rebuilt people in the world will be zealous to win you over, but don’t let them for it’s not good. What they want is to alienate you from God so that you may be ruined like them. Now, you are no longer a slave but a son and an heir to the Kingdom of God. As humans, we are all created in God’s image; however, some enjoy a meaningful relationship with God whilst others do not. This therefore, need not make us (human beings) enemies. Let’s understand who is the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 teaches us that “…we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”. Being a child of God places you in a favourable position, because through His grace God enables you to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Galatians 3:27 say all of us who were baptised into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ. We are therefore, not alone but Christ is with us in all whatever we face. May God open your spiritual eyes so that you may see that as you face life’s battles, there are more with you than with those against you.
Prayer:
God you are worthy of all honour and praise. Great is thy faithfulness, mercy and kindness. I worship you Lord. I pray that I become fertile soil. May this investment of your word increase my faith in You. Lord I believe that your word is true, alive and the bane of my salvation. Lord may you cause a revelation of your ways in me so I can walk in them. Lord I repent from all my unbelief, I yield to the Holy Spirit that it may seal your will and purpose in my life, by the blood of Jesus. Father God I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Day 4 Devotions
We are His church-the called out ones dedicated to the Lord.
When speaking to Peter Jesus Christ said in Matt.16:18: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” The name Peter means the rock….We are the church that Jesus spoke to Peter about, therefore not even the gates of hades will succeed to bring us down. It doesn’t matter what issues you are dealing with just know that you are stronger, better and wiser than them. Our lives are founded on Jesus Christ our Rock of Ages. The old hymn says: Rock of Ages, cleft for me Let me hide myself in Thee Let the water and the blood from Thy driven side which flowed Be of sin the double cure Cleanse me from it's guilt and power…
Hear what the Sovereign LORD says in Isaiah 28:16 when He speaks of Jesus:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts in him will never be dismayed now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message which is also what they were destined for.”
Jesus Christ has been sent by God for our benefit. He is the precious stone upon whom our lives are established. What a promise God is making to all of who believe…We shall not be dismayed or disappointed. When we obey we will be building on the rock, that way we will overcome any trials, tribulations and storms that come against us. We will live victoriously because we are more than conquerors in Christ. When we disobey the word of the Lord we will stumble and fall.
Matthew 7:24 says: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. It is therefore important that we dig deep when we build our lives, families and communities to ensure that what we built is sustainable. No RAIN, STORM, or WIND can ruin what is founded on the solid rock which is Christ. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. The secret to a victorious life is to hear the words of Jesus Christ and to put them into practice. The bible says in Acts 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
What is the use of hearing the word of God preached every Sunday, and some of us even hear the word during the week at bible studies, home cells, in the trains and through listening to radio and watching TV but not put it in practice?
We are busy developing faith but by not exercising it and by not putting the words of Christ to practice, it will lead to a dead faith
James 2:17 says: “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Brothers and sisters, let us not be graves walking about with a dead faith buried in us. Let us be living stones 1Peter 2:4-7 says; “as you come to him, the living Stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
I repeat Isaiah 28;16 which says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." I encourage us to trust the Lord my brothers and sisters….Otherwise it is impossible to please God without trusting Him according to the writer of Hebrews in chapter 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. Even when we ask anything from God we must trust that He will do it otherwise we will not receive it. We find this in James 1:8 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind that man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord ”
When we are rooted and anchored in Christ it doesn’t matter what the name of the storm is, you shall not be moved….hey listen… I say you shall not be blown nor tossed by any wind
Prayer
Father God I thank you in the name of Jesus Christ that I there is no power in
this world that can ruin my life because it is built on the precious stone who is
Jesus the our Rock of Ages. I thank the Holy Spirit who leads us into all the truth. I believe that nothing can stop me from becoming what you’ve ordained for me to become. Amen
Day 5 Devotions
Obedience is the purpose and expression of love to Christ
Church activity that involves the sending of individuals and groups to preach the gospel to others is known as witnessing or evangelisation. It is often called the Great Commission/ Go Ye Commission derived from Matthew 28:19-20 wherein Jesus Christ commissions His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded them. He said surely He is with them always, to the very end of the age. This has frequently involved not only evangelization (in order to expand Christianity through the conversion of new members), but also humanitarian/welfare work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged, promoting economic development, literacy, education, health care and taking care of orphans, widows and the aged. Christian doctrines (such as the "Doctrine of Love" professed by many missions) permit the provision of aid without requiring religious conversion. If we accept that this is what our purpose is, then we should understand why the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-23 is so important. It reads as follows:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
This prayer suggests that it is only when we are one and united under God as brothers and sisters that the world will believe. I therefore submit to us that if we are committed to winning souls, we must start by being one
We read in Matt 12:25 that: “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
This is reason Jesus instructed His disciples in Acts 1:7-8 not to leave Jerusalem but wait for the Holy Spirit. Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t baptise them with the Holy Spirit before he ascended to heaven? I think He knew what waiting can do to a group of believers. How many of you know what I am talking about? It is in waiting that the true colours of a person come out. Jesus knew that the disciples had things to sort out, remember they had issues, some wanted to be preferred over others, Judas had committed suicide and Peter had denied him three times before the rooster crows. After Jesus was taken up to heaven the disciples went to Jerusalem, we read in Acts1:14 that after they all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
I submit to us that once they sorted things out in unity, with prayer and supplication, conditions necessary for the Holy Sprit to come down were set.
We read in Acts 2:1-8 that: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
For the church to succeed in its purpose in the world, we need to unite and be one. Then the Holy Spirit will come down and empower us to achieve what Jesus has set out to achieve, to seek and save the lost, to restore us to our former glory. It is for this reason in His prayer he said…”I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one”
These two ingredients are critical for our success: Unity and the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
In John 14:12 Jesus said “What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. In fact, he will do even greater things. That is because I am going to the Father.” Brothers and sisters we have no excuse for us to win we need to unite for the Holy Spirit to come down we need to unite For people to come to Jesus they need the Holy Spirit
Prayer
Father God in the name of your Son Jesus Christ I pray that you send your Holy Spirit to help us with the Great Commission. We learnt that it pleases you when we obey your instructions. You promised that You will never leave us nor forsake us, so I pray that let me experience your presence all the time. Let me go about doing good like Jesus Christ. Amen
Day 6 Devotions
Learning to trust God
We should trust our Lord Jesus Christ and not doubt, just like trees planted by the water we shall not be moved, it doesn’t matter what storms or winds come our way God promised us in Isaiah 43:1-5 that “But now, this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. It is fascinating to read from this text that God is challenging us to trust Him and not fear. Elsewhere in the bible God says He has not given us the Spirit of fear. This implies that we shouldn’t be afraid because God is with us. He says He has created and redeemed us. This is so powerful to hear God say this to us, affirming that He himself has made us and formed When you form something you get intimately involved with what you are forming.
Life often takes us through highs and lows, often you feel like you are in a storm and fire…Here the creator of heaven and earth says we shouldn’t worry because none of these things will harm us. The text we read above indicates that God has called us by name, which means He knows us, a name is music to the owner’s ears. I remember one day I had come out of a session where I had a name tag attached to the lapel of my jacket and I had forgotten that it was there. I got into a lift and people I knew not called me by name. I was so pleasantly surprised thinking that I was famous because even people I don’t know call me by name. it was only when I got in front of the mirror hours later that I discovered why
God cares for us to the point that He counts the number of hairs on our head…I imagine some of us with less hair due o balding are pleasing to God because He goes through our hair quickly….On a more serious note God cares so much that He let His only begotten Son die in our place. What love! God says in the text above that we are precious and honoured in His side, its about time that we believe this about ourselves. We are sons and daughters of the Most High, a royal priesthood! So we are of the royal blood and belong to an everlasting kingdom. Let us therefore trust God that He will do as He has promised by living as celebrities of heaven.
We should endeavour to represent God on earth and not doubt his promises. Trust is one of the key components of our life here on earth. When God says He called them by their name, that implies an intimate knowledge of who they were and are. When they became His, He changed their name because He had changed their character.
Jacob - Trickster to Israel – Prince with God (Abram – High Father to Abraham – Father of a Multitude) When we came to Jesus in our past, He did the same thing for us. (What we were called – lost, children of the devil, sinners, the wicked, the children of wrath, the damned.) (What we came to be called – Saints, Children of God, The Redeemed, Saved, Citizens of Heaven, etc.) When we think of what we were and what Jesus has made us, it ought to cause us to enjoy our salvation! If we are serious about our success, we will take these words and apply them in our lives. If we are serious about changing our communities will be more eager to do according to what s written therein about us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father in the name of your only Son Jesus Christ we pray that we should have a growing trust in you through the help of the Holy Spirit. Help us not to look at the storms, no high volumes of water or how fierce the fire is burning, but to you the author and finisher of our faith. Amen
Day 7 Devotion
RESTORATION OF MEN
When God created Adam, He created him to be a family leader and provider with the help of Eve. But most men have neglected that responsibility, and sometimes this is so because of evil forces that is working in their lives. As a result of this they find themselves in “Prisons”
1. Physical prisons
If we look at the society the percentage of men is less than that of women. But inside the jails there are more men than women. This shows that there are more men doing crime than women. Why?
2. Mental illness
When we get to traffic intersections, you will find small boys begging for food. These are men of tomorrow but they start their fending themselves for food and shelter. They are not growing up in homes where there are parents, especially fathers, to provide and teach them the right ways. They are also introduced to things that cause them to end up in prison. Again you will find that there are more men roaming the streets with mental illnesses and eating from rubbish bins.
3. Alcohol and drug abuse
Homes are dysfunctional because fathers are slaves to alcohol. They are fighting with their wives because they are always drunk and there is no money for the family needs. Young boys and men are hooked on drugs with no future of ever making it in life. This substance abuse leads to other forms of crimes e.g Robbery and rape. And as a result they end up in prison. Some boys even demand money from their mothers in order for them to sustain their substance abuse. They steal household items from their homes and sell them to get money to buy more.
4. Emotional and sexual abuse
Women, girls and babies are victims of sexual abuse mostly in the form of rapes. There are boys as young as 7–14 years who are raping young girls. Is that normal? No. Women are subjected to emotional abuse by their partners and some are afraid to leave because they don’t have anywhere to go. Some have children and have no jobs, the husband / boyfriend is the sole provider. In extreme cases, the man even sleeps with his own children. In other cases, once the woman / girl is pregnant, they are forced to abort.
5. Adultery
This has become a norm in our society whereby married men are involved in extra marital affairs. Some men no longer respect their wives as they are forced to accept the situation. That is why so many marriages have ended up in divorce.
6. Premature death
In most households the father or husband dies before the wife due to natural causes or accidental death. As a result most households are headed by women.
7. Homosexuality
There is an increase of homosexual boys and they are even going public to an extent of getting married.
8. Pornography
This has also caused problems in marriages because men are hooked on pornography to satisfy their sexual needs. The wife no longer gets the attention she deserves and the marriage becomes emotionally “cold”.
9. Child neglect
Most homes, especially in our black community, are headed by women. It’s either the
woman had children outside of marriage, widowed or is divorced. In both cases, men neglect their financial responsibility for the children. They even give up on their parental rights just because they refuse to maintain their children financially.
What we need are men after God’s own heart like David. We read in the bible about David's story on choosing and anointing; the other is dealing with what is obnoxious to God – how God used him to overcome evil. And the end result of all that happened in David's life (and of what will happen in our lives if we give them over to God) is praise back to God, which is so rightly due to Him. That's the final analysis of what a Christian should be when he's been delivered, set free. He then knows that his life is hid in Christ, and that the new life is found not on this earth, so to speak, but he draws his power from above. And we'll see the power which comes as a result of David's obedience to God. The Bible says that out of the heart are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Many people today are displaying the virtues of an outward appearance, but deep down there's nothing there, nothing that responds to the overtures of God's grace. The above ills are happening in our society because no one is standing in the gap for one’s family or community. Will you be that person?
Prayer
Father God in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit I pray for men who are meant to be heads of families but are occupied by the ills similar to those listed above. I ask that you set them free in the name of Jesus Christ. Please restore them to their rightful position. I ask that they be like David as men after God’s own heart. I ask in Jesus Christ name. Amen
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