Understanding Law and Grace by Pastor Herbert Kiwanuka (The Finished Wor...

ITS ONLY GOD TO WORSHIP

WHOM SHALL WE WORSHIP.

Whom shall we worship?  What you are about to read are some of the most profound words in Holy writ, God’s inspired Word.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  “Now I, John, saw and heard these things.  And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.  Then he said to me, See that you do not do that.  For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book.  Worship God.” (Revelation 22:8-9).  The angel refused to let the great apostle worship him.  What a great lesson and example that is for all men and women today, who enjoy preeminence.  The apostle Paul wrote, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8).  Then he repeated this in verse 9.  Man-made teaching will cause you to lose your soul if you obey it.  Worship God like the angel said.  The apostle Peter refused to be worshipped by Cornelius.  Peter said, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” (Acts 10:25-26) and angel and an apostle both refused to be worshiped.  Dear Reader, do you worship some man and not God?  If so, your worship is vain.  (Matthew 15:9).  When our Lord was tempted by the devil, saying, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.  Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” (Matthew 4:9-10).  This is the final, absolute conclusion!  Worship and obey God and be saved. 

The inspired scriptures prove that God must be the only one worshiped.  (Revelation 22:8; Galatians 1:8; Acts 10:25-26; Matthew 4:910).  How shall we worship God?  This is an eternally good question.  The answer comes from God’s word:  “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24).  Notice first “the true worshipers” are the only ones that God wants to worship Him.  “… for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23).  Next, they “must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”; “in truth”, according to His truth, the word of God; by God’s authority, not man’s opinions.  Notice the word “must”.  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32).  “Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.” (John 17:17).  “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48).  All will be judgedby God’s word, which is the truth.  Conclusion: we must study God’s word to learn the truth, so one will know the truth and one can worship in truth.  God does not accept “vain worship” (Matthew 15:9), that worship which is according to man’s opinion and commandments.  Obey God and be saved.  (Mark 16:15; Matthew 7:21). 

“...must worship in spirit and in truth.”  (John 4:23-24).  Worship to God must be according to God’s inspired word to be pleasing and to be accepted by God.  If according to man’s opinions and man’s ways, it is vain worship.  (Matthew 15:9).  Your time and efforts were wasted; of no avail and worthless.  Your worship was misdirected – it was not “in spirit and in truth”.  To worship “in spirit” one MUST not only be sincere in what one does, but must be “in spirit and in truth”, as emphasized above.  “In spirit”, sincere, godly attitude, homage to God, devotion of heart, expressing our devotion and worship to God in a reverential, loving way, so as to honor and glorify God with respect which is due the Creator of man and the world.  (Genesis 1 and 2).  We cannot tell God what to do in worship.  “For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?” (Romans 11:34).  Cain tried it, but God rejected his worship.  (Genesis 4:1-10).  Nadab and Abihu tried it, but God had them consumed by fire.  (Leviticus 10:1-2).  God will reject vain worship, man’s unscriptural ways, and man’s unauthorized teachings and ways today.  (Matthew 15:9).  Dear Reader, don’t be deceived, obey God and be saved.  (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).  

True worship to God must be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) as we have learned.  May we discuss and examine some current teachings and practices engaged in today and see if they are authorized by God’s inspired word: dancing, clapping of hands, swaying and movements of the body (which on occasions can be in an immoral fashion), making unseemly noises with the mouth (instead of singing as taught in God’s word, Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), playing mechanical instruments of music in worship, shouting, “merry making”, laughing, immodest dress, and just acting like having a good time.  Is this worship “in spirit and in truth”, as God’s word teaches?  (John 4:23-24).  NO!  There is no authority for such man-made practices in God’s word!  One may be sincere, however worship to God “must be in spirit and in truth” in order to be accepted by God, as previously discussed.  Sincerity is a “must”, but all items authorized and commanded by God must be engaged in to be “in spirit and in truth”: Lord’s supper (every first day of the week, Sunday.  Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7; Matthew 26:26; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28); singing in worship (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16); praying (Acts 2:42; Acts 8:22; James 5:16); teaching, or preaching (2 timothy 4:1-2; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20); giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:7).  Dear Reader, God never did accept substitutes in worship, which is “vain worship” (Matthew 15:9) or “will worship” (Colossians 2:23).  God will reject such worship.  Who is saved?  Only those who obey God’s will.  (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). 

The inspired apostle Paul was concerned about Israel being saved, just as we are concerned today – “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Romans 10:1-2).  “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6).  Zeal is necessary for one to have, to be pleasing to God; however, it must be according to God’s word.  “…that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).  Zeal must be coupled with knowledge, God’s word.  Why so?  Note what the apostle wrote: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3).  Paul said they were ignorant of God’s word.  One CANNOT worship God “in spirit and in truth” unless he or she knows or has a knowledge of what God will accept and be pleasing to Him.  There are so many today who are attempting to worship God by doing that THEY want to do, but they do nothave any authority from God’s word for what they do in worship.  That is “zeal without knowledge” and that kind of worship will be rejected by God!  Dear Reader, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God” (2 Timothy 2:15) and be saved! 

We have seen from the Holy, inspired word of God that one must worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) to be pleasing to God.  That is: must be sincere, right attitude and heart, with love and devotion to God; according to God’s Word, the truth, by God’s authority as authorized and commanded by God in His inspired word.  “And whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17).  “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2).  Therefore, one must study God’s Word, search the scriptures to see how God wants us to worship Him, and to see what God will accept.  Otherwise, one’s worship will be in vain (Matthew 15:9).  During the holiday season of Christmas, people all around the world will be engaging in many activities and forms of worship what are wholly designed by man completely – doing the things that man likes and enjoys.  All sorts of “merry making”, dancing, many instruments of music, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc., in celebration and worship - none of which are authorized by God. All is vain worship (Matthew 15:9;Deuteronomy 4:2; John 4:23-24.  The infallible, inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17) does not teach that December 25^th is Christ’s birth.  Christmas, Easter, and many others were originated by man, not God.  Obey God and be saved. (Mark 16:15; Matthew 7:21). 

God is the Object of Worship

The angel told John to “Worship God.” (Revelation 22:9).  Satan, the devil, tried to tempt Jesus to worship him.  “And he said to Him, All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.  Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.” (Matthew 4:9-10).  The Bible is replete with teachings about worship to God only.  The apostle Paul wrote about some, “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3).  Is this not what many are doing today when they play their instruments of music in worship, dance in worship, gamble by bingo, car wash to raise money in the name of the church, clapping hands in worship, etc.?  Satan enjoys this false worship, but God rejects such vain worship.  (Matthew 15:9).  The devil tempts people today, just as he tempted Jesus.  The apostle Paul declared that there were those in Athens who “worshiped ignorantly”.  (Acts 17:23).  They were worshipping an unknown God.  The devil is pleased, but God is displeased!  Remember what Hosea, the inspired writer said – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of you God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6)  Dear Reader, obey God and be saved.  (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). 

Psalms 107:9(KJV), For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

HUNGER FOR GOD

Hunger for the things of God is not a one time experience. No man ought to be hungry for God today and be too satisfied to seek for more of Him tomorrow.

Hunger is also not the frantic short lived excitement when you listen to or read a particularly stirring message.

It is a perpetual and continuous experience that increases in response to the revelation of God.

God has sent a famine in the earth for His Word(Amos 8:11). This famine was sent so we respond to the knowledge He is pouring out.

By prophecy, in the last days knowledge shall increase(Daniel 12:4). If a man is not hungry, it is because he is indifferent to knowledge. As God increases knowledge, He desires that you be hungrier for more.

Understand our times as days of the increase of knowledge. This knowledge must provoke you to hunger. Let hunger drive you to the closet to pray, let hunger cause you to seek Him more than ever before. Hallelujah !

FURTHER STUDY: Amos 8:11, Luke 6:21

GOLDEN NUGGET: Understand our times as days of the increase of knowledge. This knowledge must provoke you to hunger. Let hunger drive you to the closet to pray, let hunger cause you to seek Him more than ever before.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your word. It convicts me to deeper places in communion and prayer. I respond to knowledge by seeking more. Each time I am launched into these eternal depths, my spirit is exposed to the ultimate experience of your person. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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HOLY TOASTING

HOLY TOASTING ⌚🌐🌍

Boy: do you have a boyfriend?
Girl: No. I don’t want a boyfriend.
Boy: Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’.”
Girl: But I don’t love you.
Boy: 1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love.”
Girl: So how do I discern that your words are true?
Boy: Matthew 12:34b “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
Girl: But how can I be sure that you are faithful and honest?
Boy: Mark 13:31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
Girl: But why me? There are so many girls out there.
Boy: Proverbs 31:29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all!”
Girl: But what do you see in me, that makes you love me?
Boy: Song of Songs 4:7 " You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."
Girl: But really, I’m not that beautiful … you’re exaggerating.
Boy: Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Girl: What will happen if I say yes?
Boy: Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
Girl: How is it that you know so many Scriptures?
Boy: Joshua 1:8 “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. "
Girl: Wooow, I can see you really love God.
Boy: Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him!”
Girl: Hmmm. Ok please just give me some time to think about this.
Boy: Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Girl: owwww I love you already
Boy: Revelations 22:21b "Amen."
please share to make people laugh joor

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KABAKA WARNS BOBI WINE: STOP THREATENING THE KINGDOM USING THE MEDIA AND RELATIVES

Buganda Kingdom has finally come out and said that Bobi Wine was occupying Kaazi-Busabala land illegally. The Official Statement on Bobi Wine ‘s land issues has finally been released as seen below;

Bulange, Mmengo: On Friday April 8, 2017, Nkuluze, an organ of Buganda Kingdom exercised its rights by taking possession of its land in Kaazi-Busabala. This land is adjacent to local singer Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s (commonly known as Bobi Wine) One Love Beach.

In December 2011, Bobi Wine deposited UGX20,000,000 (Twenty Million Uganda Shillings Only) with Nkuluze together with an application to occupy 0.5 acres of land. The UGX20m was his own valuation.

On several occasions, Bobi Wine was informed that the lease application for this land had not been approved and should therefore not carry out activities beyond the confines of One Love Beach. Previously, Nkuluze had agreed to sub-lease 6.25 acres of land to Bobi Wine and there is no contention on this land.

On September 17, 2014, Bobi Wine was informed in writing that the land he applied for wasn’t available for the sub-lease. He was requested to personally attend a meeting on September 29, 2014 with Nkuluze regarding this transaction. Bobi Wine didn’t turn up for the meeting.

On January 18, 2015, Bobi Wine was again informed in writing that the sub-lease of 0.5 acres he had applied for in Kaazi-Busabala will not be permitted as the land lord intends to use the land for different purposes. Bobi Wine was informed that the UGX20m he had deposited would not be refunded since he owed the same office UGX18m (Eighteen Million Uganda Shillings Only) as part of the sub-lease for the 6.25 acres of his One Love Beach. The 6.25 acres of One Love Beach were leased to Bobi Wine at UGX103, 370,000 (One Hundred Three Million Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand Uganda Shillings only) which he had been paying in installments. It is Nkuluze that sub-leased him the 6.25 acres and nothing was demolished on these 6.25 acres.

Bobi Wine was informed that the balance of UGX2m (Two Million Uganda Shillings Only) on the UGX20m he had deposited would be used as part payment of ground rent. At that time, Bobi Wine was in arrears of UGX16,800,000 (Sixteen Million Eight Hundred Uganda Shillings Only) and was informed that his ground rent arrears now stood at UGX14,800,000 (Fourteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand Uganda Shillings only) for the period ending December 31, 2014.

On June 26, 2015, Bobi Wine was informed in writing by the Kingdom that he should cease carrying out activities on the 0.5 acres piece of land as the sub-lease application had not been approved. By this time, Bobi Wine was illegally occupying this land and using it as a parking lot for his One Love Beach. He was advised to concentrate all his activities within the 6.25 acres whose lease had been approved.

Instead, Bobi Wine didn’t only occupy the 0.5 acres, he further encroached on the land by approximately another 1.5 acres. This means that Bobi Wine was now occupying approximately two acres illegally.

On July 1, 2015, Bobi Wine was informed in writing to stop any activities he is carrying out on this land and advised to shift his One Love Beach parking lot within the legally leased 6.25 acres. Bobi Wine refused to adhere to all these instructions.

Finally, on March 27, 2017, Nkuluze informed the O/C Police of Kaazi-Busabala that they will take possession of this land on March 29, 2017 to enable the land lord use his land at his discretion. Bobi Wine was duly informed and got a copy of the letter to O/C Police of Kaazi-Busabala. Bobi Wine didn’t contact Nkuluze upon receiving this letter.

From 2011 to March 2017, Bobi Wine was informed in writing regarding this land and requests to meet him and solve the issue amicably fell on deaf ears.

It is, therefore, surprising that Bobi Wine is now using the media to put the good name of the Kingdom in disrepute when it is him who occupied the land illegally and forcefully.

Some members of Bobi Wine’s family have made phone calls threatening Kingdom employees regarding this issue. We advise Bobi Wine to restrain his family members from making such threats.

Ssaabasajja Kabaka Awangaale

Owek Noah Kiyimba
Minister of Information, Protocol and Kingdom Spokesman

Stella Nyanzi, the Ugandan accused of insulting the president

Ugandan activist Stella Nyanzi has been charged with cyber harassment for referring to President Yoweri Museveni as "a pair of buttocks".

Ms Nyanzi is a controversial academic, who campaigns on a variety of issues, from sanitary pads for schoolgirls to gay rights.

Last year, a dispute about her office at Uganda's most prestigious university led her to stage a topless protest on national TV.

In a conservative society, where homosexual acts are outlawed, she has become an extremely divisive figure.

Her "buttocks" post was the latest in a string of sexually graphic social media entries.

While her audience has continued to grow there are mixed reactions to her musings. Some call her brave, others call her immoral and vulgar, the prosecution in the current case has questioned her mental health.

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Stella Nyanzi: In her own words

Image copyrightBAKISULA STEPHEN

"Why should I cushion Uganda's leaders, yet they neglect Ugandans?"

"Museveni has no money for the sanitary pads he promised, but he is promising street cameras! The lies."

"I threw off my clothes to draw public attention to my oppression and abuse at work."

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Her Facebook post was described as "obscene or indecent", contravening the Computer Misuse Act 2011.

She has denied the charges, saying she only writes in metaphors, and some have argued that the charges are an attack against freedom of expression.

Stella Nyanzi is a 42-year-old mother of three - a daughter of 12 and two nine-year-old boy twins.

She strongly believes that as a Nnalongo - a title given to a mother of twins under Buganda culture - she has a licence to use vulgar language, because that same vulgar language was used during the traditional initiation ceremony for her sons.

Ms Nyanzi is also a human rights activist, campaigning on LGBT issues which are particularly sensitive in Uganda.

On her Twitter handle, she refers to herself as a "queer laughist and writer". She also calls herself "a die-hard Facebooker who loudly speaks her mind based on her banal experiences of life".

In a recent interview, she explained: "I'm a queer by specialisation. I do things queer, I study queer communities in Uganda, that is the language we speak."

This is not the first time that Ms Nyanzi, who describes herself as a medical anthropologist, has literally set social media alight.

Ms Nyanzi first got attention in social media circles in the run-up to the hotly contested general elections of February 2016.

Image copyrightBAKISULA STEPHEN

Image captionMs Nyanzi has accused President Museveni and his wife Janet of failing to honour a campaign promise

She did not hide the fact that she was a staunch supporter of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye.

Her writings were often laced with sexual imagery, which fascinated some and repulsed others, especially supporters of President Museveni.

Since then her writings have continued and so have the discussions on the content.

Naked protest

A year ago she was in the spotlight when her battle against eviction from an office at the prestigious Makerere University's Institute of Social Research came to light.

This time her opponent was the renowned academic Professor Mahmood Mamdani, Ms Nyanzi argued that she was being forced to lecture PhD classes which was not part of her contract as researcher.

Professor Mamdani had her office padlocked in a bid to ensure she was relocated.

Ms Nyanzi responded with rants on social media, coupled with a nude protest.

She locked herself in at the premises, and stripped naked in front of TV cameras, causing nationwide shock.

Image copyrightBAKISULA STEPHEN

Image captionMs Nyanzi appeared in a magistrate's court in Kampala

This year Ms Nyanzi turned her attention to the country's minister of education and first lady Janet Museveni.

This after the government reneged on a campaign promise, made by President Museveni, to provide free sanitary pads to schoolgirls so that they "do not run out of school when their menstrual periods start".

In her customary graphic language, Ms Nyanzi accused the first lady of being out of touch with reality.

This forced the often interview-shy Mrs Museveni to post an interview via her Twitter handle to deny the allegations.

She also said she had forgiven Ms Nyanzi. But this did not stop the diatribes against Mrs Museveni.

Last week the government scrapped a tax on sanitary pads, which some see as a concession to Ms Nyanzi's campaign.

However, she was then arrested last Friday.

Many assumed that this was because of her comments about Mrs Museveni, although this was not mentioned in court.

Apart from the charges, the state prosecution has also made a request to court seeking to ascertain her state of mind, leading to fears she could be sent to a psychiatric ward. She was remanded in custody until 25 April.

While the outcome of the legal process is not clear, Ms Nyanzi is not apologetic and shows little sign that it will change her willingness to court controversy.

FRAUD DETECTOR

Th e Association of Fraud Examiners refers to payroll fraud as “any scheme in which an employee causes his or her employer to issue a payment by making false claims for compensation.” Th is means that every organization that pays employees can be a victim of fraud. Who are the culprits? It is oft en the person you would least expect -- the long-term, trusted employee. One of the best prevention measures is having solid internal controls, which includes monitoring your employees. How do you do this without upsetting folks? It is easy. You just explain that you are instituting the policies and procedures to ensure public resources are safeguarded at all times and to protect employees from false accusations. Several common forms of payroll fraud: • Falsifi ed wages • Mid-month draws • Ghost employees • Benefi t schemes We will describe each type of payroll fraud and what you can do to prevent and detect it. • Falsifi ed wages: Th is is one of the easiest schemes to execute. Employees claim hours they did not work or falsify their time sheets or timecards in some fashion. People with access to the payroll system may be able to manipulate information in the system to pay themselves compensation they did not earn. • Mid-month draws: Some organizations that pay employees once a month allow employees to receive part of their salary in the middle of the month. Th is is called a mid-month draw and the draw payment is deducted from the main payroll run at the end of the month. In this form of scheme, the mid-month payment is not deducted from the normal salary, giving the employee compensation he or she did not earn. • Ghost employees: In some cases, organizations are defrauded through payments to employees who do not exist or to former employees. In some cases, current or former employees have access to the payroll system. Th is fraud usually occurs in organizations that have a large number of employees and weak internal controls. • Benefi t schemes: Several schemes involve benefi ts, but they all boil down to an employee receiving benefi ts or extra compensation they did not earn, such as excess leave. In addition, employees oft en attempt to hide fraudulent payments in benefi ts expenditures. Payroll Fraud Risks Reporting fraud online The Washington State Auditor’s Offi ce has a tool for reporting suspected misappropriation online at: www.sao.wa.gov Our mission: The State Auditor’s Offi ce holds state and local governments accountable for the use of public resources. Independence • Respect • Integrity AUDITOR OF STATE WA S H I N G T O N NOV 11, 1889 Washington State Auditor’s Office Troy Kelley Payroll Fraud Risks :: 2014 | 2 What you can do Th e best defense against payroll fraud is a good off ense. Having strong internal controls with suffi cient monitoring is the key to preventing and detecting payroll fraud. Here is some guidance for preventing and detecting payroll fraud: • Establish and follow solid internal controls, including monitoring. Be sure to question items that do not meet your expectations. • Ensuring employees, especially those who process payroll, take vacations. Th is requires another employee to perform the payroll function and is a common way that organizations fi nd out a fraud is occurring or has occurred. • Periodically review fi nal payroll reports to ensure the information meets your expectations. • Review employee addresses and bank account numbers to determine if multiple payments are going to the same address or bank account. Th is is a common way organizations are defrauded when family members work for the same organization. • Review benefi t reports to ensure they are accurate. Look for items that do not meet your expectations, such as employee paid benefi ts being paid by the employer, deductions that do not make sense, etc. • Review budget reports to ensure benefi t expenditures are where they should be. If costs are not where they should be, review the transaction support to ensure they are legitimate. • Review the vendor database for payroll vendors to ensure those expenditures are legitimate and supported. • Departments should review payroll distribution lists for reasonableness. • Monitor overtime payments. Are they supported and approved? Are they reasonable? • Review leave accruals for reasonableness. Have employees taken leave? Do you know of employees who have taken leave, but reports don’t show a decrease in the accrual balance? If so, follow up to fi nd out why. • Do you have employees who earn compensation or exchange time? Ensure you have policies and procedures to monitor the time. Ensure employees are following the policies. Th e key to preventing and detecting payroll fraud is adequate monitoring. You can have the best internal controls in place, but you must monitor them to ensure they are being followed. Without monitoring, chances are the policies are not being followed. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

SAY NO TO OVERTIME FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO

These actionable steps will help you to avoid working overtime

I recently published an article on working overtime is pointless. The response was overwhelming. It was pleasing to know that so many people could connect with the issue; the article received more than 100,000 views in just a couple of days.

‘Want to get things done quickly and go home on time? Stop relying on emails to manage projects and start using a project management tool.’

Continuing the topic, I am going to share some actionable steps that will definitely help you to step out of the office on time. So, without wasting too much time in the prologue I’d like to get straight to the topic.

Here are some actionable steps you can take to finish things on time -

1) Be realistic with deadlines

There are two things to keep in mind when you are setting deadlines for your work. Number one is the amount of work you already have, assigned to you. Number two is the time estimate that the new work is going to take, which has been assigned to you now. You need to set a deadline with due consideration to these factors.

After all there is no point in having set a deadline, which you are unable to meet and it might impact the overall project progress. So it is better to set a realistic time-frame based on the two factors mentioned above and ensure that nothing slips through the crack and you can easily get things completed without having to stay late at work.

2) Say NO, wherever needed

Another possible scenario in the case mentioned above could be when you don’t have the power to set a deadline for your work, i.e. the manager has already assigned you the work, without even asking.

This is where you need have to keep a straight face and tell the manager about your pre-occupied work schedule. This will lead to two outcomes - either the manager will understand the scenario and prioritize your work so that the important things get done first. Or, he will simply delegate the task to someone else. And this will avoid the instance of something unwanted, like missing deadlines, from happening.

You can follow some quick tips mentioned in this post that will help you to become adept at the art of saying no, gently.

3) Embrace the right technology

Automation has taken almost every industry like a storm. With technology bringing so much advancement in every facet of work, there is no denying the fact that processes have become faster. The challenge lies in not just embracing technology, but embracing the right one.

For instance, if you are finding it difficult to meet constantly changing project requirements, team meetings, tasks and deadlines using emails, then switching to a software like ProofHub can be the best thing for you. This will not only save you time which was earlier wasted on managing multiple activities, but also help you to get things done on time.

This is just one of the countless examples where technology can be of great help in getting rid of the problem of working overtime.

4) Limit distractions

We live in a work culture surrounded with demons of distraction. From the constantly buzzing chat notifications and emails, to social media updates, whatsapp messages and never ending meetings, all these things eat up a big chunk of your productive time. Some of these are simply unavoidable, but some are.

For instance, you cannot simply part ways with office meetings but you can avoid whatsapp notifications, checking emails constantly and more. Once you switch on the working mode, keep all these distractions as far as possible so that you can meet the deadlines. And you will get to know that getting things done on time is lot easier than you ever thought!

On a concluding note I’d like quote the words of Tony Robbins - the path to success is to take massive, determined actions. If you really want to get rid of the struggle of having to work overtime every day, then these simple steps will help you achieve that with ease.

Give them a try and I’m sure you would see a positive change in your life, within a matter of days!

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