All publications of Ifedayo Oshin . Johannesburg , Republiek van Suid-A

The Reasons Why It Matters which Name You are Called

What is in a name? Perhaps, what does matter which name you bear or are called?

Take for instance the name Lucifer. You wonder why anyone would choose to be called by the name Lucifer. Meanwhile, Lucifer means something positive and great, but the first owner of the name has corrupted.

Lucifer means the light-bearer, but now, he is also known as Satan or the devil. Hence, Lucifer – the light bearer is associated to devil or anything evil.

The story of Lucifer’s metamorphosis to Satan tells us that it matters what name you bear.

Names and naming are important aspects of life and identity. It is about the first gift you get when you are born. It is also your lifelong and most essential asset, you will always carry with you.

For instance, in countries like South Africa, you can’t get an Identity Card or book without a name.

Therefore, some cultures in Africa, naming is a ceremony that is not taken lightly. Some families perform rituals according to the family traditions on a particularly day- usually eighth or seventh day after a child is born.

Some of the Christian faith names their child in a ceremony that happens on the seventh in accordance with the adopted Jewish tradition- when a child is circumcised.

It is believed a child begins his/her life’s journey the day he/she is named because the name gives him/her identity as a full human being.

Popular belief about names suggests that you are what you are called. In other words, you are your name.

Perhaps, if you are called Goodluck, for instance, all things being equal, you should experience good luck in your life more than often.

More than that.

Other belief indicates your name inspires you and express the core of your being.

Hence, every time someone calls you good luck, you answer. You are good luck. Imagine being called a name without meaning or a name that means sadness or pain (if translated from local language to English), every time someone calls you and you answer, you affirm and confirm that you are sadness or pain.

Take example of Jesus which means saviour. He practically lived his name as a saviour of the world.

But someone would counter and say, this doesn’t work for me; 'my name is just a name.'

Yes, you are right.

The truth is what you don’t know don’t work for you; what you don’t acknowledge or recognize would hardly work. Even if it works, you wouldn’t be able to make the link.

What is however key about names is what meaning the name carries or the meaning the attached to the name. Hence, forever Lucifer which means light-bearer is forever tainted as evil even when it does not mean evil originally.

Hence, it is said a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.

You see, your name is all you got. It is your number one identity. It represents you even when you are absent. It goes ahead of you and you leave behind where you are.

Therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your name is not dragged in the mud or tainted like Lucifer. It was once a great name, but when Lucifer fell from grace to grass, he lost his name. Even though he is called Lucifer-the light bearer, he no longer carries the light anymore.

Also, evaluate your current name and it is meaning. if it is negative or meaningless, you may want to consider changing it and get an empowering name.

COVID-19 and Obesity: What Overweight people should know

There are worrying concerns that there is a close association of obesity and COVID-19 in the sense of complications and even death among people infected with the virus, says a report by the World Obesity organisation and a UK-based organisaiton, Public Health England-PHE.

Like many other illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, opportunistic diseases contribute to a patient will dying quickly from a health condition that may not have resulted in death. Health experts have discovered this is possible even in the case of COVID-19.

For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that heart disease, high blood pressure and high sugar are some of the health conditions associated with high complications of in COVID-19 patients.

In this regard, health researchers have also observed that obesity-related conditions may worsen the effects of COVID-19 in patients suffering from the virus, says a report by World Obesity organization.

The organization is concerned about the high rate of obesity globally saying a high percentage of people who will contract the virus, may be among those who are obese (with a Body Mass Index-BMI of 30-40).

PHE’s findings show that risk of death from COVID-19 for people with obesity is higher compared to those with normal or healthier body weight.

One of the reasons forwarded by World Obesity is that it is challenging to intubate (the process of inserting a tube into a person for ventilation) patients with obesity if they require intensive care because of COVID-19 since ventilation is primary need of COVID-19 patients.

Also, obesity makes obtaining diagnostic imaging a challenge because of these imaging machines have weight limits, and usually average obese person may weigh higher than the weight limits.

In addition, health care workers face audacious tasks of positioning and transporting obese people in ICUs because of the burden of their weights.

Worse still, the concern also borders on the inadequate healthcare facilities such as special beds and other patients transporting equipment which may not be available or adequate in many hospitals in different countries.

According to a MAPPS study conducted by the World Obesity and reported in the Clinical Obesity journal, most national health care systems around the world are not necessarily set up to cater for the special needs of patients with obesity, and COVID-19 is highlighting this inadequacies and limitations.

Just like the pandemic is exposing the cracks and gaps in many countries’ national health care systems.

There is also a concern that the pandemic and regulations put in place to curb its spread and infection may have negative impact in the sense that it will have an impact on mobility and enforced physical inactivity even for short periods of time increases the risk of metabolic disease, World Obesity reports.

In other words, lack of adequate bodily movement in form of physical exercises, for instance, may make people to be prone to obesity as they gain extra weight staying at home.

Also, experts have also notice that the need for self-isolation in cases of suspected infection, causes people to adapt to eating processed and canned food instead of fresh produce.

It is believed that if such lifestyle persists, patients and even healthy people may have weight increase bordering on obesity.

5 People killed in a Johannesburg Church shooting and hostage drama

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Five People killed in a Johannesburg Church shooting and hostage drama

The South African Police Service in Gauteng has reported a hostage situation and shooting in a church near Johannesburg.

SAPS reported that it was alerted of the incident early hours of today. The incident took place at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom, Westonaria near Johannesburg.

According to the police report, the crime scene painted a picture of a siege on the House of God as the worship place was turned to war zone. The Gauteng Police said thirty (30) suspects were arrested at the scene of the crime, while more than twenty-five (25) firearms were seized.

Exchange of shooting has led to five (5) fatalities on the side of the assailants. At the time of the report, Police said the scene is still active with SAPS Hostage negotiators.

It is alleged that the shooting and hostage are connected to the ongoing leadership tussle among three factions in the church who are contending to succeed the leader of the church, Leonard Modise. Hence, observers believed this is a violent takeover from one of the factions.

Leadership battle at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church is said to have started after the death of the late leader Glayton Modise.

Some months ago, one of the prominent leaders of the church was said to have been wounded with gunshot in a driveway shooting. It was also alleged that the shooting is somehow related to the leadership tussle in the church.

The International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. including affiliates. The church boasts of over a million membership.

How to start anything great and finish well

You can start and finish well.

There is the story of an experienced fisherman who has toiled all night to no avail. He could not catch a fish. He had reached his wits’ end and concluded that this was a bad night. He started but not very well, and now he was finishing badly.

As he was about to pack up his net, a man appeared on the scene tht changed the trajectory of his story, his business and his life forever.

Many people dread starting anything. Hence, they function well when the job has been started by somebody else. This is why many people cannot be entrepreneurs; they don’t want to do the dirty work.

There are others who are great at starting anything. But they cant concentrate till the end. They are easily distracted. They cant keep focused for too long because of short attention span. This group never finish what they start.

This is not the way and will of God.

God finishes what he starts; he is a good starter and great finisher. The promise of God is that He who begins good work in you will bring it to perfect completion.

So, how do you start great and finish strong?

Be like the fisherman.

He invited the strange man who appeared on the scene into his boat and he got instruction that made him to try again for the last time and guess how many fish he caught?

There were so many that he had to get help from other fishermen in other boats to help pull up- for it was a big catch.

Involve the Master

So to start and finish well, involve God in all your projects and activities. When God is involved, you will start well and finish great.

You must not only start with God, you must continue with him throughout the lifespan of your project. Jesus was the man that showed up by Peter’s boat and he changed his story for good.

Let God be your Project Manager and Director.

This means you will seek his inputs, advice and guidance before every decision is made. Consult with God always on small and great things. This is the lifestyle of David- the ancient king of Israel. H never did a thing without asking God.

If you are the attitude of involving and starting with God, He will release the Grace of starting and finishing great upon everything you do. With such grace, finishing well and succeeding greatly are guaranteed.

God wants us to start and finish well. God is a winner and He wants all who associates with him to be winners not losers.

God is a helper, He loves to help us succeed.

Here is His invitation

Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jesus wants you to come. To choose him. He has something in stock for you. The energy of rest that can keep you sustained and going especially when you have reached the end of yourself, when you are confused, worried or almost giving up.

Take upon my yoke and learn from me.

Jesus is inviting you into a relationship-a mentee-mentor relationship. He wants to mentor you in your specific area of need- be it marriage, business or career.

He can mentor and guide you to success if you will accept his invitation to learn from him. He wants to be your teacher and you will submit to be a learner under his tutelage. He wants you to exchange your ideas with his.

Do things his ways. Drop your own preconceived ideas. Trust his method.

For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.

There is peace in Jesus’ system. It works.

For my yoke is easy and burden s light.

Caravan Lovers

The story of Harry is that of grace to grass having enjoyed the lifestyle of a multi-millionaire that only a few rich white people can dream of in South Africa and elsewhere.

Narrating his grace to grass story, Harry said; “I was once a multi-millionaire. I owned a big farm and large mansion in Boksburg. I had everything you could think of, a wine colour Mercedez benz, blue Jaguar and top of the range rover jeep. More importantly, I was rich enough to marry one of the most beautiful women in the world.”

The beautiful and much younger wife was Harry’s doing and the cause of his downfall. Harry was a construction merchant before his fall. He got many lucrative and juicy contracts from government and the private sector.

Although he was a whiteman, Harry is the kind of man who knows his way around town. He wines and dines with those that matters in the upper circle of the political class. He carefully choose his friends among many Members of Parliament. He makes sure Chairs and influential members of Parliament committees are his friends long before he needs them.

Harry is generous to a fault. However, you may later find out that his generosity is always calculated. He gives you more than you ask for even when you don’t ask. He is always going out of ways to find out the needs of his friends and he will go a long way to help and meet those needs. Hence, many politicians and businessmen are indebted to him.

You would hear people say; ‘if not for Harry.” “Harry came through for me during so and so… the list is endless.

Harry made money and he used the money well. He acquired choices properties in and outside of the country. He loves the beautiful things of life. That is why many were not surprised when Harry chose to remarry just a few months after his first wife- Elle died in a car accident.

Rumours mongers had it that Harry might be involved in the car accident that caused his wife's untimely death. No, for what reason? Harry’s supporters came to his defence. Afterall, they were happy together, many argued.

Yet, Harry’s new wife was too beautiful and young that many were tempted to conclude Harry took out his old wife to get the new damsel. What a wicked world of thoughts!

Harry’s wedding to Pamela was a multi-million rand event. Although the couple lived in Gauteng, the wedding took place at an expensive resort in Cape Town.

In a rather disrespectful statement to his late wife, Harry blurted out that the day was the best day of his life.

Many excused it to too much wine. Harry was drowning his sorrow with alcohol. He misses his wife, some of his friends reasoned. Perhaps, as others volunteered, the reason for remarrying quickly after the passing of his wife was to minimize his sorrow.

Honeymoon was heavenly for the new couple. Pamela suggested the couple should take a long vacation. She advised Harry to sell his farms, Boksburg mansion and cars. They put all the money realised in joint account and bought a beautifully decorated caravan.

They travelled and criss-crossed the length and breadth of the country. Harry loved every bit of it. He never wanted it to stop.

Six months after, younger Pamela was becoming weary of their escapades. She wanted something more vibey. She wanted to see the world. But there is a small twist to the new proposed adventure.

Pamela wanted to go alone.

Harry is ever loving and trusting. He had enough money to keep Pamela on the leach. “Where are you heading and when do you begin your sojourn of self-discovery?,” he jokingly asked Pamela.

“I have always loved to visit my sister in Dubai,” Pamela said while stroking the grey hairs on Harry’s chest.

“Okey, dokey. Help yourself girl, you have the string of the purse,” Harry told her. “Just make sure, you leave some for me to buy some bread and braai,” Harry said.

Pamela supposedly left for Dubai the following week. She called Harry as soon she got there. A week gone. Two, three weeks, Pamela called again. Harry was becoming impatient.

“When are you coming home, honey?” Harry asked.

“Not anytime soon, dear. My sister is dying with a terminal cancer. She's got few months left to live,” Pamela narrated.

“Oh, boy! Sorry about your sister. Do you want me to come over. I cant get my doctor friends to help over there,” Harry volunteered.

“No, that wont be necessary. She wants to die.. I mean go quietly with only family members around her,” Pamela explained.

Two weeks after the telephone conversation. Harry’s son, Phil, from his first wife visited him and asked about his new wife. Not convinced of his father’s story about his wife, Phil asked to see the phone number. It was a Zimbabwe land line.

Harry called immediately and confronted Pamela.” Where are you Pamela?”

“But, I told you I’m nursing my sister in Dubai,” Pamela feigned anger.

“When does Dubai become Zimbabwe, Pam?” Harry asked. The line went dead.

The next Harry got was an sms saying; “Don’t call me anymore. I have found another man who owns a big farm in Zimbabwe.”

What about my money? Harry texted back.

“I have it!” said a reply sms from Pamela. With that, she switched off the phone.

Harry lost everything without a trace. Pamela had made away with his money to Zimbabwe to live another white farmer of her age. Harry was shattered.

Your Blood Group and COVID-19: What is the Connection?

What has your blood group got to do with COVID-19 pandemic survival?

A group of researchers working with 1,600 patients and 2,200 non-COVID-19 patients in Spain and Italy have found a link between COVID-19 and blood type, says a Los Angeles Times report.

The new study finding suggests that if you belong to blood group A, you need to exercise more caution in protecting yourself from being infected by the virus.

Do you know your blood group? If you don’t, this might be the time to find out because such information has a lot to do with you and COVID-19.

Have you not observed the discrepancies in the way people in the same family experience the COVID-19 pandemic? It is possible that while two members of a family may be infected by the virus, it is possible that one may be asymptomatic and the other shows full symptoms of the virus.

Why is this so? What is the link of blood groups to COVID-19?

Scientists say it might be as a result of difference in blood groups; a correlation between blood groups and fatality of COVID-19 according to the study finding published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine.

It is believed that people with blood group type A face higher risks of COVID-19, while people with blood group type O face lower risks. However, this is also dependent on the individual’s immune system among other factors.

Hence, two friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbours could be infected with COVID-19 and would all experience differing degrees of severity and risk factors.

There are about eight blood group types. Each blood type is determined in part by the presence (or absence) of A and B antigens on the red blood cells in one’s body.

Hence, a presence of only A antigens, will give you blood type A, while presence of only B antigens, makes your blood type is B. but if both are present, your blood type is AB, and if you have neither, your blood type is O.

These are the eight blood types; A-positive, A-negative, B-positive, B-negative, AB-positive, AB-negative, O-positive and O-negative.

Hence, the New England Journal of Medicine study on blood type and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that ‘having Type A blood was associated with a 45% increased risk of having severe COVID-19.’

On the contrary, having Type O blood was associated with a 35% reduced risk of the disease.

The study did not however identify any other blood groups with a greater or lesser risk of the disease.

Also, the study did not link blood type to the risk of needing to be put on a mechanical ventilator for COVID-19 patients.

Other recent research findings have also indicated that men are at higher risk than women of COVID-19. Also, older people are more at risk than younger people.

Other risk factors include patients with underlying health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity and chronic heart conditions.

What does the snake in WHO's logo represent?

Have you ever noticed and wondered what the snake around the stick in the logo of the World Health Organisation -WHO really represent?

The World Health Organisation-WHO is an agency of the United Nations that is tasked with the responsibility of international public health. Its main objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Founded in 1948, few years after its parent body the United Nations, WHO has on its logo a short snake that is coiled around a stick with the world map on in the background.

Snake symbols are not only on WHO but mostly on Medical and Emergency Related Facilities like Ambulances, Hospitals, Surgeries, Fire Fighting Departments. Even in various churches in Southern Africa, there is a Rod wrapped around by snake used by Pastors.

What does the snake stand for?

The Rod of Asclepius?

The Rod of Asclepius is an ancient Greek symbol associated with medicine, consisting of a serpent coiled around a rod wielded by the Greek God of healing and Medicine, Asclepius.

The Rod of Asclepius is one of the two most widely used symbols of modern day medicine together with The caduceus. In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing.

Asclepius is the son of Apollo (god of healing, truth, and prophecy) and the nymph Coronis. While pregnant with Asclepius, Coronis secretly took a second, mortal lover. When Apollo found out, he sent Artemis to kill her.

It is the Symbolic Snake of Moses in the Bible; representing healing

Another explanation is that the snake is the same symbolic use in the Bible in the time of Moses. Snake is a symbol of healing. Moses protects his people from the snakes sent by God as discipline for their lack of faith. The bronze serpent on a rod; merely looking at it, is sufficient to cure anyone bitten by a snake and that symbolizes salvation.

The reference is found in biblical book of Numbers 21- verse 5-9- when Moses lifted the serpent to save the Israelites. A type of Christ on the cross who became sin that man maybe saved!!

Numbers 21:; “So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed.”

Is WHO a religious body then if it is logo is derived from or linked to Christian concept?

Perhaps, the world health is more aligned to the Greek mythology of the rod of Asclepius. Either way, it seems that medicine and health are interwined with religion.

Snake is also symbol of deception; as in the Snake the tempter of Eve

However, it is observed that snake also represents deception and evil in the Bible. The snake was depicted as the deceiver who misled Eve in the Bible. Hence, the symbolism of snake in health or medical practice may not be trusted in the sense that it may means something else than healing.

Deception, full of the work of darkness.never trust a snake.God said there will always be enmity between man and serpent.

Gen.3:1-”Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Snake in African and other ancient traditions

In Isizulu it is called umbilini and in some parts of West Africa such as Benin (where they have the Temple of Pythons) the snake is associated with gods and ancestors. They are considered a sign of vitality and life. In Hindu it is called kundalini, and it is believed that the snake lives in your central nervous system and has to do with Chakras.

There is also another reference to the book called The Liberation of The African Mind: The Key to Black Salvation by Adisa Franklin. In the book, Franklin briefly explains the snake symbol. It is worth reading for further illumination on the subject.

If you don’t rest you will break.

Perhaps, the experience of COVID-19, as we would soon find out, has some gains for our ailing and aging world. It has afforded it time of rest. For almost two months, the earth was shutdown from all industrial, economic and social activities of humanity. Less air pollution, less noise pollution. Less carbon emission. Families stayed at home. Couples are forced to be close again and learn each other. We stayed home and stayed with ourselves for once in decades.

Within and with all this, many things are reshaping, relieving and healing in man and his environment.

Rest is taking place. Perhaps, had this not happened other disaster might be visiting our world, lives and homes in a foreseeable future.

Rest is inevitable. It is not a lazy around, You cannot carry on as you are doing. There is a need to stop for awhile or else you will break. A roller coaster rolling non-stop will surely come off, unbundle and break.

In God’s scheme of things, rest happens on the seventh day which is like the cut off day. A day of divine rest. If God rests, we can also find rest after we have finished or completed whatever we do or going through.

Rest is in view. It is institutionalized by God as a spiritual system of the kingdom. But it comes after work. Whatever we do there will always be cessation; a time when we step away and aside.

God grants rest because he initiated the concept of rest for us to have control of balance. If it is disease there will be rest, if it a curse there will always be rest. Every exertion of energy will have a time of rest. That's why the moon rotates, appears and disappear in the course of time.

Rest is also anchored in time. It comes when a phase or circle has been completed. Rest is about seasons. The land will rest after it has given of its yield. It will be dry so that the farmer may leave it to rest and then the rain will fall and new circle will begin.

So is human life. We will have time of hibernation. Our body rest in sleep for recovery and rejuvenation.

Rest is the creator's idea of a break on pedal of life. Rest control activities of life. It is a time of waiting for the next season, the next assignment, the next hour, the next day. It is the end and beginning at the same time.

Rest is God. God rest in himself. He withdraws not from tiredness but from giving of himself. He withdraws into himself to enjoy, feel pleasure and behold the works of his hand

We too must find time to withdraw into ourselves every other 7th hours, 7th day, 7th week and .month and year... to end and then begin

To observe the intersection between starting and ending.

Rest is the time of meditation. It is a place and time at the same time, a place and time of prayer, silence. There is a covenant of power, rest, tranquil and contentment, completion and satisfaction on the 7th hour, day, week, month and even year as we round the circle of work, turmoil, struggle, hustle and enter into rest.