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Thanks all for birthday wishes #Goodblessyou #HappybirthdayBillySigudla

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Thanks all for birthday wishes #Goodblessyou #HappybirthdayBillySigudla

Eskom Turns 100 celebration , insert Eskom Exco with 500 Eskom guardians
Billy Sigudla Turning 38 years
Memories as Eskom Athletics Club runner
Thanks to the all might for his presence in my life

The Eskom 100 years history

The power utility Eskom celebrates its centenary, we take a look into what was once a promising state-owned enterprise of our nation.

In 1923, Eskom, previously known as Escom before the name was changed in 1987, began powering the nation when the Electricity Supply Commission was established.

Today, it supplies more than 80% of electricity generated in the country.

Dr Hendrik Johannes van der Bijl, a young scientist, was appointed by the then Smuts government to advise it on industrial development and became one of the principle authors of the Electricity Act.

It was van der Bijl’s vision that South Africa takes its place among the world’s leading industrialised nations

According to the power utility, it was van der Bijl’s vision that the Government Gazette of March 6, 1923, announced the establishment of the Electricity Supply Commission (Escom), effective from March 1, 1923.

Van der Bijl was also Escom’s first chairperson.

Eskom designed its first station, the Sabie River Gorge hydro station, which was completed in 1927, with its newest power station, Medupi power station, commissioned in 2021.

In 1999, the South African government proudly proclaimed to have the cheapest electricity in the world.

That same year, the power utility made submissions to government that unless urgent and large investments into new power stations were made, electricity shortages would be experienced by 2007.

In December 2001, Eskom was awarded Power Company of the Year Award at the Global Energy Awards held in New York.

While the power utility was celebrated at the time, years later, the company would soon be plunged into darkness.

Eskom’s Survival Depends on Debt Relief and Tariffs, CEO Says

Towards the end of 2007, Eskom implemented the first of what would become 16 years (and counting) of rolling blackouts.

During his State of the Nation address on February 9, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced government had taken a bold step and declared the ongoing energy crisis as a national state of disaster.

Ramaphosa also announced he would be appointing a new minister of electricity, whose role would be dedicated to ending the current load shedding crisis.

In the latest news, the US government has also gotten involved in expressing concerns over the rolling blackouts.

Last week, the US Embassy and Consulate in South Africa issued a security alert for American citizens.

The security alert is, according to the US, due to the ‘ongoing energy crisis’, ‘load shedding’ ‘and ‘controlled energy outages’.

It also took the opportunity to remind US citizens travelling to or living in South Africa that South Africa has a Travel Advisory Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution due to Crime and Civil Unrest, as previously reported by media.

The US also asked its citizens to prepare in advance for power outages, including contingencies for communication and water.

Some of the emergency preparedness tips it gave its citizens include having a communications plan for when there is no or limited power, ensuring that they have necessary medications, personal hygiene supplies, and eyeglasses, and identifying safe areas around the city.

Eskom is currently implementing Stage 4 and Stage 5 load shedding.

This was after the nation was crippled by Stage 6 load shedding, which saw residents without electricity for four hours at a time, resulting in many South Africans being subjected to power outages of up to 10 hours a day

Billy Sigudla

Executive Editor

Faith

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Fair-Weather Faith
 
As Jesus said I AM he,they all drew back and fell to the ground!

John 18:6

You would think Judas would have used this as an opportunity to repent. With just three words from Jesus, the crowd that came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane fell backward. Judas was seeing the power of God once again.

But Judas continued with his plan, blindsided by greed—and perhaps by his disappointment with Jesus. Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah that Judas was looking for. He was kind of hoping that Jesus would overthrow Rome and establish His own kingdom.

Yet things didn’t work out as he had hoped because Jesus revealed that His kingdom was not of this world. Judas ignored all the warnings, and Matthew’s Gospel tells us that he walked up to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.

Like Judas, there are people today who follow God yet are not interested in how they can serve Him but in how God can serve them. They will turn to the Lord in times of crisis, maybe when their marriage is falling apart or they’ve lost a job or they find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol.

God, who is so gracious and merciful, hears their cry and rescues them. But all too often, people abandon God after He has delivered them—after He has put their marriage back on track, after He has led them to get a job, after He has freed them from their addiction. In effect, they’re saying, Thanks, God! Until the next crisis! But in doing this, they’re actually missing out.

That’s because the real blessing of coming to faith is not just being rescued from a crisis. That is one of the fringe benefits, but the real blessing is knowing God and bringing Him glory. Yet so many people miss this. They want only what they can get from God, and when they’ve gotten it, they abandon Him. The greatest blessing of all is walking with God and knowing Him.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:31-37

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But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
ISAIAH 40:31
Most of us are pretty good at staying busy. We focus on the millions of things that need to get done, and forget that our strength comes from God until we find ourselves dragging. We begin to feel edgy and start to lose patience. Everything starts to feel like work, even time with family or things we usually enjoy. God tells us to cast our cares to Him, but we tend to carry all of our burdens ourselves, which causes us to become weary and discouraged. Sometimes we just have to rest in the Lord’s strength.

We aren’t supposed to do things using sheer willpower. Sooner or later, we will just lose steam. Tonight, I have lost steam. The tears are on the brink of falling, and I just want to curl up under my blankets. Things feel too overwhelming and complicated. I am clearly doing things in my own strength and need to place my concerns at the foot of the cross. When you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, look up. God is still holding tight. He won’t let you come crashing down. He is your Father, and He loves you dearly.

Here are 4 comforting verses for those times when you feel weak and weary:

1. But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

2. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

3. A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. Psalm 121:1-8

4. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:31-37

God Wants Your Weakness
I am not brave. I recently heard someone differentiate between bravery and courage, saying that bravery is the ability to take on difficult situations without fear, while courage is taking on difficult situations even when you’re afraid

Stubbornness

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Refusing to Listen

Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears … They made their hearts as hard as stone … Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called. Zechariah 7:11-13 NLT

God warned His people that they were making mistakes and would experience the consequences of their choices unless they changed. But they refused to listen. Their hearts became as hard as stone.

Then, as God had warned, they experienced problems, the fruit of their choices. They had forgotten His warnings, though, and still expected Him to rescue them.

God wanted them to understand that when they rejected Him and refused to obey His Word, they had to experience the consequences of their choices.

This can happen to us as well. The Bible reminds us that we have choices every day. God loves us and wants to bless us and answer our prayers, but He also wants us to realize that we are responsible for our choices. We will reap what we sow. If we refuse to listen to Him, we will inevitably experience consequences.

This does not have to be the end of the matter. God gives us opportunities to repent, confess our mistakes, ask for forgiveness, change, and put His Word into practice. As He promised if we return to Him, He will return to us (Zechariah 1:3).

Surrender your life anew to God. Make Jesus your Lord. If you have made mistakes, be honest with God. Confess your sins. The Bible promises He will be faithful to forgive and cleanse you (1 John 1:9). He will give you a fresh start – over and over again if you ask Him to.

Thanks giving

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Thankful Worship

This devotional I pen down today 26th November 2022 in Cape Town having 16th December 2022 the thanks giving event my dad is having for all of us at Home Brits

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2

The symbolism of that first Thanksgiving is a continual reminder of principles that are still meaningful, like the importance of prayer and showing appreciation to God. We need to realize we owe everything to Him. After all, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above James 1:17 God calls us to share from the abundance He provides, help meet the needs of others, and have thankful hearts.

#Christianposts

Abundance

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Abundant Blessings

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” – Deuteronomy 28:12

God’s promise of abundance if His people obey Him and follow His commands (v. 1). But there is more to joy than abundant resources. This joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that comes from fellowshiping with believers and from sharing with others.

God desires to bless us abundantly, but He also wants us to be generous, concerned with those in need, and share out of the abundance He provides.Thanksgiving feast.

Salvation

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How to Know That You’re Saved
Do you have doubts about your salvation? You can settle the issue today.

1 John 5:9-13

The most important issue we must settle in this life is our eternal destiny. Throughout history, churches have been composed of both believers and unbelievers, and it’s often difficult to tell the difference. That’s why John wrote his first letter. He wanted to assure the true Christians of their salvation and warn those who professed belief but lacked saving faith. John gives a four-fold test describing the beliefs and practices of genuine believers.

Right understanding of Christ and salvation (1 John 2:18-27). To be saved, we must have the true gospel and the right Savior, as described in God’s Word.
Right attitude toward sin (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:1-2). True believers hate their sin and are quick to confess and turn from it.
Right practice of obedience (1 John 2:3-6). God’s commands are not burdensome to those who belong to Christ. Although they fail at times, their life is primarily characterized by obedience.
Right relationship with God’s people (1 John 2:7-11). Christ produces within His followers both a love for fellow believers and a desire to be with them.

The Whole Earth

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The Whole Earth

The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place. Zephaniah 2:11 NASB

God knows every thought – even things done in secret. He hears words whispered behind closed doors, the private plans of kings and armies, the designs of every business and tycoon. Nothing escapes His attention. And He promises to respond appropriately in His time and in His way.

Those who know Him learn to trust Him and live according to His principles. Non-believers don’t have this sensitivity and tend to be governed by their personal interests, not by God’s Word but by their own subjective desires and private interpretations. Some are even hostile toward His people.

In his time, Zephaniah prophesied the actions of nations that surrounded Judah. God assured him that He knew those who taunted His people. He promised action “in return for their arrogance” (v. 10). Every person will bow down to Him.

Zephaniah spoke about the world he knew, but his prophecies also applied to the future, even to our time. Wherever there are people, they will eventually submit to the Lord. Everyone will know that He alone is God.

We witness the continuing fulfillment of this prophecy. We still see people who taunt believers and who defy God’s Word.

The Bible assures us that the day is coming when all nations and people will bow down to Him.We are called to serve Him, so everyone will know Him. Do your part to bring the Gospel to the whole world