http://www.teleioschurch.co.za/

Teleios, 42 Antrim Road, Johannesburg (2026)

05/06/2026

✍️BLOG FRIDAY✍️

We Are All Just People

Luke 6:37,38 (NLT)

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

I just love the manner in which Jesus used the process of measuring grain in a basket to ensure the full amount. The same measure you give, will be given back to you.

If we apply a critical approach rather than a more compassionate approach to others' shortcomings, we will receive a full measure of criticism in return. We are to love, not judge.

Now don't get me wrong...

Not all judgment is wrong. However, the Bible does encourage righteous judgment.

John 7:24 says: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Righteous judgment involves discernment based on God's standards, truth and righteousness.

If I had to ask...

How many of you know of someone very dramatic, always overreacting, stubborn, self-righteous, and selfish in your circles?

I bet there are many names and faces of family members, friends, and colleagues running through your mind because we all know of someone in our social circles who's extremely dramatic, stubborn, and troublesome.

Now if I had to flip the question and ask... How many of you are as difficult as the people running through your minds right now? I'm sure your response will be "no, not me!!!"

My mother always used to say...

"Before you point your finger at others, look at the three fingers pointing back at you."... It simply means there are more fingers pointing back at you than the one finger you are pointing at others.

She will end her sentence by saying... "You'd better watch yourself!!!"

I guess what she was trying to teach us was to first examine ourselves before we point out the faults and mistakes of others. I think Mommy really just wanted us to guard against hypocritical judgment.

Hypocritical judgment is the act of evaluating or condemning someone else's actions and shortcomings while you yourself are equally guilty of the same things. It is extremely important to carefully examine oneself before we cast judgment on others.

Self-examination helps us to see some of the shadows in our lives, and what I've come to discover in most instances is that the traits that bother us in others are often the habits we struggle with, we must develop the habit of doing introspection and self-examination.

The statement made by Jesus, "Do not judge others", speaks against the hypocritical attitude that tears others down in order to build oneself up...

Remember, we as a Christian community must always judge from a biblical perspective. Showing love and care, much grace and patience, because souls are the most valuable in the kingdom. We are to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.

People will always have different opinions on certain matters, but we must still find a way to work together despite our differences.

Yes, there are moments when people push you to the edge in ministry... But what is ministry without people?

Beloved...

12. Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13. Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace... - Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)

The lyrics of the song "People" by one of my favourite American gospel artists, Jonathan McReynolds, says...

"Loving and hating and opinionated,
Loners in basements and those
congregated,
Deliver me from people...

Cause I can't point them out
I won't say their names
I don't know the damage
Or which one to blame
It's just people, people
Deliver me..."

But he ended the song by saying..

"Forgive me when I'm one of those
people..."

So I have come to embrace the fact that we are all just people saved by grace.

I must admit, it is difficult to live with you, but there's no way I can live without you...

We are all just people.

Brent Phillips

04/06/2026

Worship with us every Sunday @ 9am 🙌

📍42 Antrim Road, Meredale, Johannesburg South

03/06/2026

THE SIN OF DISINFORMATION

How should Christians respond to controversial narratives and claims in today's information age?

In this insightful teaching, Apostle examines the discussion surrounding the alleged "White Genocide" in South Africa from a biblical perspective, exploring God's standard for truth, discernment and integrity in a world filled with competing voices.

29/05/2026

✍️ BLOG FRIDAY WITH APOSTLE BRANDON ✍️

Harvest Time: A word for South Africa

South Africa finds itself in a very fragile space. We have the narrative of white genocide, and this narrative is used to canvass support from the international community against the current regime. We have the ongoing xenophobia issue, the current unemployment rate sitting at 32%, and our president facing a possible impeachment tied to what is now known as "The Phala Phala" scandal. All these issues are leading us into the local government election, which will take place on 4 November 2026 across our country.

The truth is this: South Africa is in her harvest time.

For years, we have allowed politicians to corrupt our judiciary. For years, our government ignored the plight of the masses and went about business as usual, and now we have come full swing into a harvest season, and what we are harvesting is a failed crop. South Africa is a nation that operated with tremendous pride because, for years, we served as the economic hub of Africa. We were the first and only African nation to host a Football World Cup. We boast arguably the best infrastructure and road networks on our continent, and our flagship airline was once the number one-ranked on the continent year after year. Number one in exports on our continent, and the number one attraction for international investment. With all this success came pride, and we now find ourselves at a critical juncture, with hard times upon us.

Prophetically, as a nation, we are in Daniel 4. This is a powerful chapter that highlights the successes of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, and how this success fostered pride. The governing authority of the day forgot how God helped them to attain power and be established as God's choice. Let's consider a few verses from that chapter:

Daniel 4:20-22 — "The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth."

Daniel describes Babylon as a great tree that grew powerfully and served as a safe haven for everyone — a reference point of the grace of God over a nation. South Africa is at a similar juncture, a mighty oak that served the nations of the world on so many levels and was respected as an authority that reached deep into the African continent. South Africa, like Babylon, forgot that God rules in the affairs of men, and this selective dementia led to this:

Daniel 4:23-26 — "Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.' This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king. You will be driven from human society and live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules."

The key: the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world, and He gives them to anyone He chooses. A prerequisite for the ruling party to experience the restorative work of God is simple — when you learn that God rules in the kingdoms of men!

South Africa is a nation that forgot, and as a result, God gave South Africa a full harvest for the seeds it has sown over the years. South Africa is at a critical crossroads where it must renegotiate its destiny with God. What South Africa must understand is that God never has a shortfall of people, God never has a shortfall of nations, and because He rules in the kingdoms of men, He transfers power to whom He chooses. The false sense of entitlement we as a nation have developed toward the favour of God has brought us to a critical juncture where destiny hangs in the balance. Unless we make a significant U-turn, the harvest we are experiencing now will be compounded.

God loves South Africa. In 1994, He saved this nation from a bloodbath, and there are various intervals in her history from 1994 where the grace of God on her was as clear as daylight. We took it for granted.

The prophetic theme hovering over the nation is Daniel 4. Like ancient Babylon, which once experienced the grace of God, the nation's destiny hangs in the balance — until we realise, at a national level, that God rules in the kingdoms of men!

We are reaping the harvest of poor governance and lawlessness. God will help us!

Brandon Bailey

22/05/2026

✍️BLOG FRIDAY✍️

Continue to Do Good

Today’s article discusses the importance of continuing to do good and the capacity to endure, despite the challenges of walking with Christ.

Doing good is an ancient admonition that applies universally, regardless of time or place. The Lord warns believers to expect persecution and tribulation for His name’s sake, as stated in Matthew 13 and Mark 13.

Highlights from the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, explain the different soil conditions and the expectations of growth and reproduction. The seed planted in stony rock has no root. This describes a person who receives the word of God with joy initially, but becomes easily offended when tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word.

“And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Gal. 6:9

What are some of the challenges in continuing to do good for others?

1. Offense and Stumbling in Faith

- Taking persecution personally instead of seeing it as “because of the word”

- Internal conversation: “Lord, I thought You loved me… how could You allow this?”

- Danger: becoming offended (σκάνδαλον / skandalon), turning the trial into a stumbling block that leads to distrust and withdrawal from the Lord.

“…when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.” – Matthew 13:21

2. Weariness and Exhaustion in Well-Doing

- Growing utterly spiritless, worn out, and exhausted from constant pressure.

- Temptation to shut down doing good and move into self-protection:

“I’m done being the bigger person.”
“I’ve got to look out for me.”

This directly conflicts with Galatians 6:9:

“And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

3. Forgetting the Cost of Discipleship

- Not fully counting the cost at the beginning of following Jesus (Luke 14:27–33).

- Surprise and confusion when persecution actually comes:

Jesus already said:

“You shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake…” – Mark 13:13

- Challenge: aligning expectations with what Jesus truly promised, not a trouble-free walk.

4. Identity Confusion: “Why Is This Happening to Me?”

- Many often interpret persecution as a sign of personal rejection or God’s disfavor, instead of evidence of the word they carry.

- The Enemy’s Narrative:

Turn a spiritual attack into a personal narrative of rejection, shame, or abandonment.

- This can lead to questioning God’s love and their own calling.

5. Discouragement from Others Falling Away

Watching others:

- Fall back,
- Compromise,
- Chase platforms, money, or mixture.

Seeing immature behavior in those who “should” be mature can be deeply disheartening.

Temptation:

- “If they couldn’t make it, maybe I won’t either.”
- “Maybe this whole thing isn’t worth it.”

6. Isolation and Forgetting

Early believers had to remember what they heard; holding onto oral teaching, doctrine, and admonitions.

Under persecution, we can:
- Neglect to rehearse the word,
- Forget prophetic promises,
- Stop gathering with others (Hebrews 10:25).

Result: losing their internal conviction of truth of the Word that sustains endurance.

7. Temptation to Shift Focus from Jesus to Survival or Success

Under pressure, some move from:
- Pure pursuit of Jesus → to pursuit of safety, image, influence, or money.

Persecution can expose motives:
- Are we truly in this for Him, or for the benefits or for what He can do for us?

The heart battle: continuing to choose to do good, knowing that in due season we shall reap if we don’t faint.

Let us continue to remember that we are in a common boat, that we have a common enemy, but we are given God’s exceeding great and precious promises made available to every believer.

Linda G Ubeku Linda G Ubeku

21/05/2026

THE BIBLE AND XENOPHOBIA

Considering the fiery and divisive issue of alleged xenophobia in South Africa in recent years, Apostle Brandon delves into the issue from a biblical perspective.

15/05/2026

✍️BLOG FRIDAY✍️

Retreat Is Not An Option

In case you missed it, the last five months in South Africa have been a MOVIE!

In this week alone: our President said "I will not resign" as pressure built from the ConCourt verdict over the Phala Phala incident. Unemployment numbers were released showing 8.137 million unemployed South Africans in Q1 2026. The Church has been under attack from the CRL Committee. The world is calling us xenophobic, and President Donald Trump seems intent on snubbing us from the G20 gathering. There have been arrests, dismissals, and a major uptick in political activity with November local government elections looming.

If you asked me to summarise 2026 in South Africa so far, I would use one word: DRAMA.

But why does this moment matter? Because it is against this societal and cultural backdrop that we, as believers in Jesus, must live faithfully and represent the King and his Kingdom well.

Here are two things that should inform how we position ourselves right now.

Holding ground: RETREAT. IS NOT. AN OPTION.

As national turbulence increases, we become more and more tempted to disengage from the world around us. To retreat from culture into our church silos and leave the public square to whatever is trending, whoever is popular, and whichever worldview is loudest.

Have we retreated so far from cultural engagement that evidence of God at work in the nation is no longer visible, because the light has refused to walk into the room?

The inheritance we carry from those who fought before us in this faith is clear: we don't hide away. We will not be silent. We have a faith in God that should make us bold, principled, and clear. Just read Hebrews 11.

Our foreign relations policy as the Kingdom of God is laid out plainly in Matthew 5:13–16, to be salt and light. Salt doesn't announce itself. It works. Light doesn't seek applause, it simply refuses to be absent. When people see our works and take note of our presence, they will glorify our Father in heaven.

The absence of the true sons of God in the public square only amplifies the voice of the counterfeit. Beware of forfeiting a moment because you chose not to unite your voice around a Kingdom agenda, one that goes beyond party lines, racial divides, and ideological positions not founded on Scripture. We must be clear about what the Father values, aligned with a biblical foundation, building towards a hope and a future.

Remember Jeremiah 29:7 "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

Gaining ground: The Ambassador's Cry

Do not forget who you represent.

Confidence in our institutions is at an all-time low. Social media gave an entire generation a front row seat to the private conduct of public figures, and what they saw during COVID, with food parcels meant for the vulnerable offloaded at officials' homes, said everything. As a Millennial, I've watched the gap between what leaders said and how they actually lived get exposed in real time, over and over again. In the Church. In government. In business. Trust has been shattered.

Therefore, one of the greatest levers of influence for the believer comes down to one word: INTEGRITY.

How are you living when nobody is watching? When the offer is made and itching palms want you to compromise?

A core value Apostle Brandon Bailey has taught us is simple: Increase with integrity. Why? Because God is more interested in how you got there than the fact that you did. Doing it God's way maintains your integrity and stewards your influence.

We should all wake up every day, reminding ourselves: I AM AN AMBASSADOR.

Whether in private or in public, remember, you are an ambassador for Christ. Whether you are fighting for justice or advocating for peace. Whether you are in the comment section online or at a family braai, let your conduct be seasoned with grace. Keep at the forefront of your mind that you represent Christ.

Protect your witness.

Kyle Murray

08/05/2026

✍️BLOG FRIDAY✍️

THE VALLEY DOES NOT DISQUALIFY YOU; IT REVEALS YOU

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me…” — Book of Psalms 23:4

One of the greatest misconceptions in the body of Christ is believing that valleys are signs that God has abandoned you. Scripture teaches the opposite. Valleys are often the places where God exposes whether your faith is real, whether your calling is genuine, and whether what He placed on your life can survive what is happening around your life.

David does not say, “Though I camp in the valley.” He does not say, “Though I build in the valley.” He says, “Though I walk through the valley.” That word matters. Walking speaks of movement. Continuity. Forward progression. It reveals that the valley was never designed to become your residence. It was designed to become your proving ground.

But there is something else hidden in that text.

Walking with God requires obedience.

The Spirit may call you. Heaven may mark you. Purpose may be written over your life. But obedience is still your responsibility. God can anoint you, but only obedience can sustain you through the process.

Throughout Scripture, one pattern is impossible to ignore:

Suffering. Obedience. Exaltation.

God will often allow His people to enter seasons that break pride, expose motives, and refine character, not because He is trying to destroy them, but because He refuses to release public oil on people who have not survived private pressure.

One of the clearest examples of this is Joseph. Joseph was betrayed by his own blood, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and eventually locked in prison (Genesis 37:23–28; Genesis 39:20). Everything around him screamed that his life was over. But Joseph understood something many believers still struggle to grasp: your environment does not have the authority to cancel your assignment.

While other people would have shut down, Joseph kept functioning in his gift. In chains, he still interpreted dreams (Genesis 40:5–8). In isolation, he still served. In rejection, he still obeyed.

That is what separated Joseph from everyone else.

He did not wait for the palace to act like he was called.

He carried his office in the prison.

And when heaven’s timing aligned, the same gift he stewarded in obscurity opened the doors of Egypt’s palace (Genesis 41:14–16; Genesis 41:39–41). The prison was not where Joseph was forgotten. It was where Joseph was qualified.

And eventually, the same brothers who sold him had to bow before him (Genesis 42:6).

The pit was the betrayal. The prison was the process. The palace was the proof.

And that sounds a lot like:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” — Psalm 23:5

We see the same pattern in Jesus Christ. At His baptism, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Gospel of Matthew 3:16–17). Heaven publicly affirmed Him. But what came next? Not applause. Not platforms. Not crowds.

The wilderness (Matthew 4:1).

Because being marked by God does not exempt you from testing. It guarantees it.

Then in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed:

“O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” — Matthew 26:39

That was not weakness.

That was obedience under crushing pressure.

The cup represented suffering. The cross represented sacrifice. But Jesus understood that if He abandoned obedience to protect His flesh, He would compromise eternal purpose.

So He submitted.

Gethsemane became the valley. The cross became the suffering.

The resurrection became the vindication (Matthew 28:5–6). The ascension became the exaltation (Acts of the Apostles 1:9).

Paul the Apostle carried the same revelation. Before going to Jerusalem, Paul said:

“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem…” — Acts 20:22

Then the prophet Agabus warned him that chains were waiting (Acts 21:10–11). Everyone around him interpreted the prophecy as a reason to retreat (Acts 21:12).

Paul did not.

Because mature believers understand something carnal believers often miss:

Not every warning is permission to escape.

Sometimes God shows you the cost because He wants to see whether purpose still matters when comfort is threatened.

Paul’s response shook everyone around him:

“For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Acts 21:13

Paul understood that the presence of God was worth more than personal safety. The Spirit compelled him. But obedience remained his choice.

Even Abraham teaches us this principle. God promised Abraham a son through Sarah (Genesis 17:15–19). But between prophecy and fulfillment, impatience entered. Human reasoning took over, and Sarah introduced Hagar into the process (Genesis 16:1–4).

A child was produced.

But it was not covenant.

And that is one of the most dangerous lessons in Scripture:

You can produce something in your flesh…

And still miss what God intended in the Spirit.

Disobedience can create results.

But only obedience protects glory.

This pattern is everywhere. David had caves before crowns (First Book of Samuel 16:13; 22:1–2). Daniel had lions before promotion (Book of Daniel 6:16–23). Joseph had prison before the palace. Jesus had the cross before resurrection. Paul had chains before legacy.

The pattern is undeniable.

God does not publicly announce people He has not privately tested.

That is why Paul writes:

“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience…” — Epistle to the Romans 5:3–4

And James the Just writes:

“Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations… that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” — Epistle of James 1:2–4

So if you are in a valley right now, do not stop walking. Do not stop serving. Do not stop praying. Do not stop carrying what God placed inside you.

Because valleys do not destroy the called.

Valleys expose them. Valleys refine them. Valleys qualify them.

And if you remain obedient under pressure, the same God who sustained you in secret will prepare a table before you in public (Psalm 23:5).

And when He does—

He alone will get the glory.

The Spirit compels us, but obedience is a choice.

- Nathaniel Greef Nathaniel Greef

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