Category Archives: INJILI

POPE CALLS ON MODERN EVANGELIZATION AS CHRISTIANITY LOSES STRENGTH

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2012

When Pope Benedict XVI officially marked the end of the Synod on the New Evangelization yesterday with mass at St Peter’s Basilica with hundreds of bishops and cardinals gathered there, while reiterating that the Church has a responsibility to evangelize to the modern world, he was concerned in countries where Christianity is losing strength.

The Pope was also concerned in countries where Christians do not go to Mass or celebrating the Sacraments, and not passing on the faith to younger generations. He also stressed the importance of Confession, the sacrament of God’s mercy, emphasizing that there are still many regions in Africa, Asia and Oceania whose inhabitants await with lively expectation, sometimes without being fully aware of it, the first proclamation of the Gospel.

These people he said have lost a precious treasure, they have “fallen” from a lofty dignity – not financially or in terms of earthly power, but in a Christian sense – their lives have lost a secure and sound direction and they have become, often unconsciously, beggars for the meaning of existence.

Although the Pope did not mention specific countries where Christianity is losing strength, Britain is one of the countries in Europe where secularism has become a threat to faith. There is fear that Britain may no longer be a Christian country in just 20 years according to the new report.

If trends continue, the number of non-believers is set to overtake the number of Christians by 2030. Christianity is losing more than half a million believers every year, while the count of atheists and agnostics is going up by almost 750,000 annually.

Research by the House of Commons Library found that while Christianity has declined, other religions have seen sharp increases. In the last six years, the number of Muslims has surged by 37 per cent to 2.6million; Hindus by 43 per cent and Buddhists by 74 per cent. But the number of Sikhs and Jewish believers fell slightly.

The study, Religion in Great Britain, concludes: ‘Between the fourth quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of 2010, the Christian population fell from 78.0 per cent of the population to 69.4 per cent, while the group of people with no religion grew from 15.7 per cent to 22.4 per cent.

‘If these populations continue to shrink and grow by the same number of people each year, the number of people with no religion will overtake the number of Christians in Great Britain in 20 years, on this measure of religious affiliation.’

The researchers say this could be because ‘as children grow into young adults and form a religious identity independent of their parents, an increasing proportion are coming to regard themselves as having no religion’. They point out that the decline of Christianity would have been far deeper had there not been such high levels of migration.

Another factor that has contributed to decline of Christianity in Britain and entire Europe is the individualism and relativism that have profoundly changed the culture of our day. In today’s world, “the processes of secularization and a widespread nihilistic mentality, where everything is relative, have a crucial impact on the general mentality.

This is where life is often lived lightly, without clear ideals or sound hopes, in transient and provisional social and family ties. It is the life where younger generations are not educated in the search for truth or the deeper meaning of existence that goes beyond the contingent, to a stability of affection and trust.

This has also contributed to the piling up of more than a million abortions per year in America. On top of this, the number of divorces and illegitimate births continues to rise, as fewer “couples” bother to get married and the number of people addicted to pornography skyrockets, according to Fr. C. John McCloskey III, a Church Historian and Research Fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute in Washington, DC.

According to a new Pew poll, the number of Americans who profess a belief in no religion at all has tripled since the 1990s, now accounting for one in five. This according to Fr John is because many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them.

Like America, today in Britain more abortions are carried than any other country in Europe. It has overtaken France – which has a larger population – to become the abortion capital of the continent.

The rising rate has been pushed up by abortions among teenage girls, which increased by nearly a third over the past decade where half of all pregnancies among girls under 18 in Britain end in abortion.

The figures, collated by a European pressure group, showed that the 219,336 abortions carried out in England, Wales and Scotland in 2007 topped the 209,699 in France to put Britain at the top of the abortion count for the first time.

Britain was the country where most teenage girls have abortions – 48,150 abortions among girls under 20 in 2007 against 31,779 in France. In 2007 pregnancies among girls under 18 in England and Wales went up, not down.

Even in Spain where Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination of Christianity, most Catholics do not go to mass regularly on Sundays according to an October 2011 study by the Spanish Center of Sociological Research.

This same study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 56 percent goes to mass few times a year, 15 percent go to mass many times a year, 9 percent some time per month and 16 percent every Sunday or multiple times per week.

A majority of Spaniards Catholic younger generation ignore the Church’s conservative moral doctrines on issues such as pre-marital sex, sexual orientation or contraception. The total number of parish priests has shrunk from 24,300 in 1975 to 19,307 in 2005. Nuns also dropped 6.9 percent to 54,160 in the period 2000-2005 in a country where there are over 37 million baptized, covering about 79 percent of the total population.

Today Spain provides one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world for its lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered (LGBT). Today, Spain is one of the eleven countries around the world that allows same- sex marriage and has the most progressive laws, since they also permit adoption by same-sex couples.

Another challenge to the new evangelization is the threats of Islam. Just when the synod bishops were preparing for the conference on the new evangelization, in Sudan Muslim extremists were sending text messages to at least 10 church leaders in Khartoum saying they are planning to target Christian leaders, buildings and institutions according to Christian sources in Khartoum.

“We want this country to be purely an Islamic state, so we must kill the infidels and destroy their churches all over Sudan,” said one text message circulating in Khartoum last month. The text messages were sent in July and August.

Church leaders in Sudan say they fear more persecution as they and their flocks become targets of local Islamists. In addition, Muslim extremists from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh arrive in Sudan every two weeks to undergo training in secret camps in Khartoum before they are sent to various parts of Sudan to preach Islam and demolish church buildings, according to a Christian source in Khartoum.

Muslims believe that Allah has demanded that the evil and sinful Christians be sent to the fires of hell and if Islamics are convinced that all Christians are evil, the followers of Mohammed can kill with a clear conscience. The Quran states that “all Christians will be burned in the fire.

This can easily explain why Muslim Boko haramu in Nigeria continue to burn Christians in churches during prayers, the Al Shabaab and MRC in Kenya, burning of Christian churches in Tanzania and in Indonesia where a hardline Muslim mob clashed with police and burned two churches early this year.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage That this generation can give to the generations To come- All of us have a role.

THE BIG DEBATE WHETHER WOMEN COULD BE INSTALLED LECTORS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012

The Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization is ending tomorrow with no clear solution to the role of women in the church. The proposal to allow women to be officially installed in the ministry of lector became a hot debate when the issue was raised in Proposition 17 on “The ministry of the word and women.

When it came for the time to vote it passed with 191 votes in favor, 45 opposed and three abstentions. Those in favor wanted the ministry of lector be opened also to women, so that their role as proclaimers of the word may be recognized in the Christian community.

Given that the Vatican has always been reluctant to act whenever the issue of women is raised, what Pope Benedict XVI will do with that proposal is unclear since his hands are tied. In 2008 when the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God voted to recommend allowing women to be officially installed as lectors, to date the idea is still under consideration.

The issue here is not whether women can act as lectors or Scripture readers in Catholic liturgies. They already do so all over the world, including at papal Masses. The question is whether women can be officially installed in such a ministry.

Even though canon law states clearly that only qualified lay men can be “installed on a stable basis in the ministries of lector and acolyte, at the same time, canon law does allow for “temporary deputation” as lector to both men and women, which is why women routinely appear as lectors.

These challenges call for a process of discernment, which can also serve as a way of responding to the current situation with greater courage and responsibility. Some of these challenges include liturgy, catechesis and works of charity and how, in the process of transmission, the faith needs to be professed, celebrated, lived and prayed.

This is because the Christian faith is not simply teachings, wise sayings, a code of morality or a tradition. The Christian faith is a true encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ. Transmitting the faith means to create in every place and time the conditions which lead to this encounter between the person and Jesus Christ.

The goal of all evangelization therefore, is to create the possibility for this encounter, which is, at one and the same time, intimate, personal, public and communal. In such an encounter, we feel an attraction which leads to our transformation, causing us to see new dimensions to who we are and making us partakers of divine life.

The new evangelization must focus on the way Jesus treated people. He was able to welcome everyone, without distinction, and never exclude anyone: first, the poor, then the rich like Zacchaeus and Joseph of Arimathea; outsiders like the centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman; the righteous, like Nathanael; and prostitutes and public sinners with whom he also sat at table.

To emphasize this fact, Jesus drew especially near to those on the margins of society, giving them special favour, when he proclaimed the Gospel. At the beginning of his ministry, he proclaimed that he was sent to preach the good news to the poor (cf. Lk 4:18).

To those despised and dejected, Jesus declares: “Blessed are you poor” (Lk 6:20) and, by standing with them, enables these individuals already to experience a sense of freedom (cf. Lk 5:30; 15:2). He eats with them, treats them as brothers and sisters and as friends (cf. Lk 7:34) and helps them to feel loved by God, thus revealing his great compassion for sinners and those in need.

According to many responses, the new evangelization can devote work in this area to leading Christian communities to be less concentrated on themselves inwardly in the midst of the changes already taking place and more engaged in proclaiming the faith to others. Open to everyone in every place on the globe, to the Christian faith and an experience of the Church, especially in liturgical celebrations, the dispensation of the sacraments, catechesis and the catechumenate.

This is very important given that the structure of the catechumenate, with reference Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum, is an apt means for renewing the manner in which children are initiated into the faith. This calls for the new approach on catechesis and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Bishop Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, Iraq, in his reflection to the reading at their morning prayer posed challenges to this endeavors. He pointed out that there are many who know the faith but are not participating in the life of the church. They are at best Sunday observers.

New evangelization he said seeks to bring Sunday Catholics to be disciples, a new gesture carried out by a humble church, a church that needs to ask forgiveness for ways the church has harmed people, a church that needs to seek forgiveness.

These challenges call for new ardor, new methods, new expressions, preaching the Word in a new culture. We need to look at three moments in the process of conversion: that of proclamation, of catechesis, and of ongoing formation.

Need to take into consideration the diverse circumstances of nations around the world as we strive to realize a new evangelization. Varied cultures require varied approaches. Evangelization should lead to an encounter with Jesus Christ. We need to contemplate the face of Christ.

The possibility of having a stable office of catechist and admitting women to the ministry of reader, although some felt this would not be a good direction. We need to work to overcome our divisions.

Need to give attention and vigilance to the growth of Islam. It is possible to give Christian witness even in Islamic communities. The new evangelization is not only a program but a commitment to live our faith more fully.

Evangelization has to be understood in a broad and profound theological/doctrinal framework reminding us that the new evangelization is not just a bunch of programs but needs to be grounded in the faith, the activity of word and sacrament emphasizing the primacy of God’s grace.

There is a need for all Catholics to awaken their faith and to be inspired to witness that faith and share it with others. Each culture and society needs to find ways for this to happen in the circumstances of their society.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations To come- All of us have a role.

UNDERSTANDING DEATH IN VIEW OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

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from: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

The fear of death and dying is nearly universal. It explains why some people cannot watch movies about death, while others are unable to visit cemeteries. Death is feared because it is tied into our religious beliefs, particularly if they happen to be going through a period of questioning.

[image]A priest blesses crosses during the memorial mass of some of the deceased in Siaya County. Part of Catholic belief in praying for the dead comes from a few verses in the Apocrypha, 2 Maccabees 12:39-40 says-“Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs/ Photo by Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ

2 Maccabees 12:38-45 states that when Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam, as the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the Sabbath there.

On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his companions went to gather up the bodies of the fallen and bury them with their kindred in their ancestral tombs.

But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had fallen.

The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

[image]Priests from left to right, Fr Frederick Odhimabo parish priest Ukwala parish, Nicholas Owino, Lyk community superior general and Frederick Otieno regional superior Kenya bless the grave of Mzee Leonard Thomas Okiyo, October 19, 2012 at Justice Chief Radido at Ukwala, Siaya County. Catholics believe it is an act of charity to pray for their dead when they are going through or are in “purgatory.” They don’t believe it’s all over once a person dies. If the deceased is a believer they conclude he or she is still alive – awaiting their resurrection bodies/ Photo by Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ

In Romans 14:7-9 St Paul tells his Christian communities not to fear death for none of us lives for ourselves alone and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Even Jesus had difficult time to explain to his disciples that we should not fear death. John 5:24-29 states: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned”.

Even some people who think they know what will happen after death worry that they may be wrong. Part of the fear is caused by how catechism was presented to us. We were told that if you sin you will go to hell where there is an everlasting fire.

If you died with venial sin you will be taken to purgatory, a place and state of temporary punishment in the next world. It means “cleansing” (or “purging”). Purgatory is a place where the soul is cleansed of unforgiven venial sin and/or the “debt” of sins already forgiven but not yet made up for.

Only people with mortal sin go to Hell, and on the other hand, no one can enter Heaven with even the smallest sin. Therefore, there must be a place in the next world where lesser sins can be taken off the soul.

People who die with Sanctifying Grace in their souls, but — who die with venial sin on their souls, or who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their already forgiven sins.

Even though God forgives your sins, He still requires that you be punished for them (i.e. “pay” for them), either in this life or in the next. We read that Judas Machabeus, “sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead.” (2 Machabees 12:43).

In the Bible, St. Paul gives us a list of grave sins. He states that anyone who commits these sins shall not enter the kingdom of God. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (Galatians 5:19-20).

In order to avoid everlasting fire therefore, mortal sins must be specifically confessed and named, giving details about the context of each sin: what sin, why, against what or whom, the number and type of occurrences, and any other factors when it may exacerbate or lessen one’s responsibility and culpability that the person confessing remembers.

Against the background the Roman Catholic teaching on mortal sin was called into question by some within the Church in the late 20th century after the Second Vatican Council. In response to these doubts, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the basic teaching in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor

Veritatis Splendor begins by asserting that there are indeed absolute truths accessible to all persons. Contrary to the philosophy of moral relativism, the encyclical insists that moral law is universal across people in varying cultures, and is in fact rooted in the human condition.

It is also maintained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states: “Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell.”

During this period the clergy were authorized by the Catholic Church to absolve penitents from the guilt of his sins and from punishment in the hellish inferno of the hereafter by sale of indulgences.

By making a monetary contribution to the church, a penitent would receive a partial indulgence not to commit further sins, while at the same time, diminishing the time period that he/she was to suffer in purgatory for remission of his sins.

Martin Luther is among reformist theologians who objected the sale of indulgences and the Holy See’s spiritual power to remit sins, which Luther vehemently opposed when he nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the formidable Castle Church at Wittenberg on November 1, 1517.

Luther saw this traffic in indulgences as an abuse that could mislead the clergy into relying simply on the indulgences themselves to the neglect of the confession, true repentance, and satisfactions.

Pope Leo X disregarded Luther as “a drunken German who wrote the Theses” who “when sober will change his mind. When he did not change his mind Luther was at variance with a papal bull, declared him a heretic. Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther on January 3, 1521 in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

It explains why a child’s fear of death can be devastating to the parent. This is because children generally lack the defense mechanisms, religious beliefs and understanding of death that help adults cope. They also do not fully understand time, making it difficult for them to accept that people sometimes leave and come back again.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

VOCATION SUNDAY AND FORMATION OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012

This Sunday (April 29, 2012) will be the 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations to priesthood and religious life. Instituted by Pope Paul VI on the 11 April 1964, the day is marked every Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Sunday that Jesus manifests himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18).

Vocation to priesthood or religious life therefore, means that priests and religious must be good shepherd. They must lay down their lives for their sheep. In other words, they must be with their sheep all the times even in difficult moments.

This is because he who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Jesus proclaims: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd”.

For this reason Jesus instructs: “The Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

In his message, Pope Benedict XVI for this year’s celebration in the theme: Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God- says: “It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow.

According to the constant Tradition of the Church, baptized males alone may validly receive Holy Orders. By means of the sacrament of Orders, the Holy Spirit configures the candidate, to a new and specific role, Jesus Christ: the priest.

The candidate for ordained ministry, therefore, must reach emotional maturity. That maturity renders him able to put himself in the proper relation with men and women, developing in him a true sense of spiritual fatherhood toward the ecclesial community entrusted to him.

While profoundly respecting the persons in question, may not admit to the seminary and Holy Orders those who practice homosexuality, show profoundly deep-rooted homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture.

There are two indissociable aspects in every priestly vocation: the free gift of God and the responsible liberty of the man. Vocation is a gift of divine grace, received through the Church, in the Church and for the service of the Church. Responding to the call of God, the man offers himself freely to Him in love.

The formation of future priests must articulate, in an essential complimentarity, the four dimensions of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. In this context, it is necessary to reveal the particular importance of the human formation, the necessary foundation of all formation.

That is why, to admit a candidate to the ordination to the diaconate, the Church must verify, among others, that he have reached emotional maturity of a candidate for the priesthood.

While the call to Orders is the personal responsibility of the Bishop or the major superior, the discernment of the vocation and the maturity of the candidate is a grave duty of the rector and the other teachers of the seminary.

This explains why before every ordination, the rector must express his judgment on the quality of the candidate required by the Church, whereas in the discernment of qualification for Ordination, there is a grave duty for the spiritual director.

Spiritual direction is very important for the priestly and religious formation. This is because it is helpful to have a companion with whom you can share your joys and struggles in discerning your vocation and living the Christian life.

A spiritual director should not be a guru who tells you what to do but one who listens and gives feedback about what he or she is hearing and sensing about the movement of the Holy Spirit in aspirant life soundly rooted in our understanding of Christian community.

This is because the Christian journey is not meant to be an individualistic, privatized spirituality. It is in community that we discover who we are and what we have to share.

Spiritual direction therefore, should provide an opportunity for a friendly and discerning experience of Christian community. As a community of two, you and the spiritual director attempt to discern what the Spirit is doing in your life and how you are being called to share your giftedness.

Spiritual direction is very important in formation because it explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories everyday.

Spiritual direction is the contemplative practice of helping another person or group to awaken to the mystery called God in all of life, and to respond to that discovery in a growing relationship of freedom and commitment.

Spiritual direction is not counseling, therapy, or financial advice. That is why it is very important for spiritual director to distance himself or herself when aspirant to priesthood or religious life presence matters pertaining to counseling, therapy or financial.

In some cases a seminarian may want to seek advice from spiritual director about financial difficulties at home, or talk about his or her sexual life, or matters pertaining to psychological problems. These are not the work of spiritual director.

While the spiritual director is not allowed to evaluate a candidate to priesthood or religious life, it is the duty of the rector and his formation team based on the norms and regulations of formation.

This calls for the Bishops, the Episcopal Conferences, and the Superior Generals to be vigilant that the norms of this Instruction be observed faithfully for the good of the candidates themselves and always to guarantee to the Church suitable priests, true pastors according to the Heart of Christ the Good Shepherd.

These norms and regulations must be interpreted within the signs of time. Things are changing so fast, so do norms and regulations. They must respond to the challenges that globalization entails and confront them responsibly.

Given that cultures and traditions are changing, the teaching of culture conditions should also change. It must aim at integral development of individuals and groups. This is where the promotion of the cultural heritage is called for.

They should help aspirants to cherish certain values and, at the same time, open them to an encounter with other cultures – values such as respect for elders and for women as mothers; respect for solidarity, mutual aid and hospitality; unity; respect for life; and honesty, truth and the word of honour as recommended by the Bishops of the Second African Synod.

Seminarians and aspirants to religious life should therefore be assisted to cultivate a profound spiritual life that involves listening to the Word of God, a commitment to the Gospel virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These according to the Synod Fathers are their greatest profession of love for Christ, for his Church and for their neighbour.

That is why it is very important that during formation a holistic approach is needed in the formation of seminarians and aspirants to religious life. That is why, while the importance of a solid intellectual, moral, spiritual and pastoral formation must be upheld, the human and psychological growth of each candidate should be included as a foundation for the development of an authentic priestly and religious life.

It is against the background that the academic staff of the seminary and the special formation team is to work together in order to facilitate this integral formation.

Vocation Prayer:

Lord Jesus,
you said to your disciples:
“The harvest indeed is great
but the labourers are few.”
We ask that we may know
and follow the vocation
to which you have called us.
We pray for those called to serve:
those whom you have called,
those you are calling now,
and those you will call in the future.
May they be open and responsive
to the call of serving your people.
Amen.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

USA: Minnesota Kenya Prayer Event

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from DAVID ADAWO

This is to invite all Kenyans and friends of Kenya in Minnesota, USA, and other parts of the world to join Kenyans in Minnesota on April 7th 2012 as from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at Park Center Senior High School, 7300 Brooklyn Blvd Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 for an evening of prayer on behalf Kenya. Invite all.

God bless you as you meditate on 2Chronicles 7:13-14.

“I shall pass through this life but once, If there is any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again….”
adamark

2011 HOPE CONFERENCE

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from DAVID ADAWO

Destiny Faith Ministries invites you to attend this four days of great revival, refreshing times and impartation of hope for the future as from 8/25 – 8/28/2011 in brooklyn park Junior High School. The event will be free. The theme is Launching into the deep for a catch. Luke 5:4. Time is Thursday 5pm-8pm, Friday 3pm-8pm, Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 10am-6pm.

God bless you all.

for more information please visit www.destinyfaithministries.org or call

Pastor James Maina @ 612-306-9859
Pastor Russell Doe @ 651-285-1740
Robby @ 832-577-3781
David @ 612-298-5763
Haron Ondigi @ 612-481-7620
God bless you as you plan to attend this landmark conference of a lifetime.

“I shall pass through this life but once, If there is any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again….”

USA, MN: There is hope for the future.

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from DAVID ADAWO

Destiny Faith Ministries cordially invites you to their 4th annual Interdenominational Conference as from 8/25/2011 to 8/28/2011 to be held at Brooklyn ark Junior High School, 7377 Noble Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55443. The event will be free. The theme is Launching into the deep for a catch. Luke 5:4.
The guest Speaker will be Dr. Stephen George of Beam Ministries( Texas) a worldwide minister of the gospel heavily used in healing ministry, prophetic ministry, bible exposition, word of knowledge just to mention a few, he will be assisted by other dynamic speakers from around the town.
Attend this four days of great revival, refreshing times and impartation of hope for the future and your life will never be the same again.
God bless you all.

for more information please visit www.destinyfaithministries.org or call

Pastor James Maina @ 612-306-9859Pastor Russell Doe @ 651-285-1740Robby @ 832-577-3781David @ 612-298-5763
Haron Ondigi @ 612-481-7620
God bless you as you plan to attend this landmark conference of a lifetime.

“I shall pass through this life but once, If there is any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again….”
adamark

Hope conference invitation.

Leave a reply

from DAVID ADAWO

Destiny Faith Ministries invites you to attend this four days of great revival, refreshing times and impartation of hope for the future as from 8/25 – 8/28/2011 in brooklyn park Junior High School. The event will be free. The theme is Launching into the deep for a catch. Luke 5:4.

God bless you all.

for more information please visit www.destinyfaithministries.org or call

Pastor James Maina @ 612-306-9859
Pastor Russell Doe @ 651-285-1740
Robby @ 832-577-3781
David @ 612-298-5763
Haron Ondigi @ 612-481-7620
God bless you as you plan to attend this landmark conference of a lifetime.

“I shall pass through this life but once, If there is any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again….”
adamark

– – – – –

ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND REVIVAL MEETING.
Theme: “…launch into the deep for a catch….” Luke 5:4

Venue: Brooklyn Junior High School Auditorium
7377 Noble Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55443

Thursday 08/25/2011 5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday 08/26/2011 3:00pm – 8:00pm,
Saturday 08/27/2011 10:00am – 8:00pm, Sunday 08/28/2011 9:30am 6:00pm.

This is your time to experience your miracle of a lifetime. It pays to be obedient to God’s word.
Come expecting a miracle from the Lord of Hosts, the able One.

ALL ARE WELCOME….

Rev. James and Grace
Maina, Destiny Faith
Ministries, Minnesota. Host
Pastor
World
Evangelist Dr.
Rev. Stephen
George, BEAM
Intl.
Ministries,
Guest

Jupiter Falling

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from HUMPHREY MBOGO

Jupiter Falling—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

In Him all things consist. —Colossians 1:17

One day a father bought an inexpensive model of the solar system for his son. Installing it required him to suspend each planet from the ceiling. After bending up and down several times, he was lightheaded and tired. Hours later, they heard a “plink” as Jupiter hit the floor.

Later that night, the father thought about how their flimsy replica fell apart, yet Jesus sustains the actual universe. “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17). The Lord Jesus holds our world together, maintaining the natural laws that rule the galaxy. Our Creator also upholds “all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). Jesus is so mighty that He keeps the universe in order simply by commanding it to be so!

As amazing as this is, Jesus is more than a cosmic caretaker. He sustains us too. He “gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need” (Acts 17:25 NLT). While Jesus sometimes provides for us differently than we might expect, our Savior keeps us going whether we are brokenhearted, in need of money, or enduring illness.

Until the day He calls us home, we can trust that the One who keeps Jupiter from falling is the One who holds us up as well.

Awesome is our God and King,
Who upholds the stars above;
We now bow before His throne,
Thanking Him for His great love.

The God who sustains the universe sustains me.

Joy In The Morning

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from: HUMPHREY MBOGO

Joy In The Morning—Dennis Fisher

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. —Psalm 30:5

Angie could not see through the fogged-up windows in her car. Inadvertently, she pulled out in front of a truck. The accident caused such damage to her brain that she could no longer speak or take care of herself.

Over the years, I have been amazed at the resiliency of Angie’s parents. Recently I asked them, “How have you managed to get through this experience?” Her father thoughtfully responded, “In all honesty, the only way we have been able to do this is by drawing close to God. He gives us the strength we need to help us through.”

Angie’s mother agreed and added that around the time of the accident their grieving was so deep that they wondered if they would ever have joy again. As they both leaned upon God, they experienced countless unexpected provisions for the physical and spiritual care of Angie and their entire family. Although Angie may never regain her ability to speak, she now responds to them with wide smiles and this gives them joy. Her parents’ favorite verse continues to be: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

Have you experienced extreme sorrow? There is the promise of future joy amid your tears as you lean upon our loving Lord.

New mercies every morning,

Grace for every day,

New hope for every trial,

And courage all the way.

Leave your sorrows with Jesus, the “Man of Sorrows.”

USA: Seeing The Person Inside

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from HUMPHREY MBOGO

by David McCasland

From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. —2 Corinthians 5:16

On February 1, 1960, four students from an all-black college sat down at a “whites only” lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. One of them, Franklin McCain, noticed an older white woman seated nearby looking at them. He was sure that her thoughts were unkind toward them and their protest against segregation. A few minutes later she walked over to them, put her hands on their shoulders, and said, “Boys, I am so proud of you.”

Recalling the event years later on National Public Radio, McCain said he learned from this never to stereotype anyone. Instead he should pause to consider others and seek an opportunity to talk with them.

The first-century church, like ours today, was often fractured by divisions based on race, language, and culture. Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth to help them respond to those who were more concerned with outward appearance than with what is in the heart (2 Cor. 5:12). Because Christ died for all, Paul said, “From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh” (v.16).

May we all look closely to see the person inside, for everyone is made in the image of God and can become a new creation in Christ

First impressions can mislead us
For we do not know the heart;
We can often be mistaken
Since we only know in part.

It’s what’s in the heart that matters.

sin of presumption.

4 Replies

from collins odhiambo

A message for all of us. is it?

Be Blessed.

Akollo
– – – – – – – – – – –

1 Sin of Presumption

There is a legend of a woman who had a faithful dog.

This dog was so faithful that the woman could leave her baby with it and go out to attend other matters.

She always returned to find the child soundly asleep with

the dog faithfully watching over him..

2 Sin of Presumption

One day something tragic happened.

The woman as usual, left the baby in the “hands” of this faithful dog and went out shopping.

When she returned, she discovered rather a nasty scene.

There was a total mess.

The baby’s cot was dismantled and his nappies and clothes torn to shreds with bloodstains all over the bedroom where she had left the child and the dog.

3 Sin of Presumption

Shocked, the woman wailed as she began looking for the baby.

Presently, she saw the faithful dog emerging from the under the bed.

It was covered with blood and licking its mouth as it had just finished a delicious meal.

The woman went berserk and assumed that the dog had devoured her baby.

Without much thought she clubbed the dog to death.

4 Sin of Presumption

But as she continued searching for the “remains” of her child, she beheld another scene.

Close to the bed was the baby who, although lying on bare floor, was safe.

And under the bed the carcass of a jackal torn to pieces in what must have been a fierce battle between it and the dog which was now dead.

5 Sin of Presumption

Then the reality hit the woman who now began to understand what took place in her absence.

The dog fought to protect the baby from the ravenous jackal.

It was too late for her now to make amends because in her impatience and anger, she had killed the faithful dog.

A dog deserving praise and adoration that fought to save the life of her dear beloved child received death in return.

6 Sin of Presumption

How often have we misjudged people and torn them to shreds with harsh words and even with physical assault before we have had time to evaluate the situation?

It is called the SIN OF PRESUMPTION.

Presuming things are one way without taking the trouble to find out exactly what the situation really is.

A little patience can drastically reduce major lifelong errors.

7 Sin of Presumption

Do you think that this e-mail was accidentally sent to you?

NO!

I was thinking of you! !

Keep this going.

You have no idea which one of Your

e-mail buddies could use a little hope today.

8 Sin of Presumption

Have a fantastic day.

If God is for us;

Who can be against us.

Police

1 Reply

From: collins odhiambo

You cannot defeat a Policeman!!!!!!!!!!!

Upon being stopped by a traffic officer on a fictitious driving violation, a Pastor sensing trouble, even when he knew he had committed no offense, yelled back: “I am a pastor not a wrong doer”

The officer replied: “Please, leave that pastor thing. In any case, if you are indeed a pastor, then you must have a Bible in your car. Bring it.” The Pastor speedily brought out his Bible to prove his honesty.

“Please read Matthew 5:25-26 to me.”

Incredulously, Pastor opened to the recommended passage and read: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to a judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth; you will not get out until you have paid the last penny”

The perplexed man of God “QUIETLY” made an “offering” of some shillings to his newly found “preacher”.

The Officer collected his “kitu kidogo” and said to the pastor, “End of service go in peace and argue no more.”

Yes Afande!!

NAILS IN THE FENCE

1 Reply

from collins odhiambo

Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.

(Most importantly the last sentence)

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, ‘You

have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.’

Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you! If it comes back to you, you will then know you have a circle of friends.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!

Now send this to every friend you have!! And to your family (they need to know that you love them too)…

Please forgive me if I have ever left a ‘hole’ in your fence.

Regards
collo

Clay balls

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from collins odhiambo

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it..

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person..

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.
APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE
THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS!
LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND TRUE FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THOSE YOU TRULY TREASURED AND TRUSTED
AS TRUE FRIENDS HAVE BETRAYED THAT TRUST. DON’T
LOSE HEART. JUST LOOK AGAIN BEHIND. MAYBE,
YOUR TRUE FRIENDS OF GREAT TREASURES
MUST HAVE BEEN AMONGST THOSE
YOU HAD IGNORED WHEN YOU
WERE ONLY LOOKING AT
THE EXTERNALS.
Pass this on to another Clay Ball!!!

Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your Feet’

Regards

collo

Still He Walked

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From: Harold A

He could hear the crowds screaming “crucify” “crucify”…

He could hear the hatred in their voices,

These were his chosen people.

He loved them,

And they were going to crucify him.

He was beaten, bleeding and weakened…

His heart was broken,

But still He walked.

He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.

He knew each of the faces so well.

He had created them.

He knew every smile, every laugh, and every shed tear,

But now they were contorted with rage and anger

His heart broke,

But still He walked.

He felt alone.

His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.

He searched the crowd for a loving face

And he saw very few.

Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered

Knowing that he would never be alone.

He looked back at the crowd…

At the people who were spitting at him

Throwing rocks at him and mocking him

And He knew that because of Him,

They would never be alone.

So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd.

The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross,

Intensified with each blow.

And God’s heart broke.

He had let His son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,

But instead He asked God to forgive.

Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.

As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,

He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,

But also, the face of every person yet to be,

And his heart filled with love.

As his body was dying, his heart was alive.

Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.

That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me,

…I remember his walk.

When I wonder if I can be forgiven,

…I remember his walk.

When I need to be reminded of how to live like Christ,

…I think of his walk.

And to show him how much I love him,

…I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,

……And I walk.

—
Thanks and regards,

Harold

That which does not kill me makes me stronger.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Chocolate-Fueled Car—Dennis Fisher

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From: HUMPHREY MBOGO

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. —Psalm 19:7

Many people like both the sweetness and the energy they get from chocolate. Yet British auto technicians have found a surprising use for this sweet food. Scientists at the University of Warwick have built a racecar that runs on vegetable oils and chocolate. The fuel provides energy so that the car can reach top speeds of 135 mph.

The Bible also records a surprising source of energy from a food. When Elijah had been used by God on Mt. Carmel to call fire down from heaven, this spiritual high was followed by persecution and melancholy. In response to Elijah’s depression, God sent an angel to provide food, drink, and rest for the weary prophet. The sustaining power of that food from heaven was remarkable: “So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8).

Just as we need food to sustain our physical lives, we also need nourishing food for our spiritual lives. God’s Word is “sweeter . . . than honey and the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10) and feeds our souls. It makes “wise the simple” (v.7) and provides both nourishment and energy for life’s long journey. Take time to feed on it.

God’s Word provides the nourishment
That every Christian needs to grow,
Supplying strength from day to day
By teaching what we need to know.

God feeds us through His Word.

Reflections from the Bible-The Kenyan case

1 Reply

fromPaul Liyai

Dear Fellow Kenyans,

I was told of a story about King Mumia Nabongo of the Wanga who was invited to Britain by the King of England. He traveled by road to Mombasa and was to board a ship or steamer to Britain. When he arrived at the port, I am not sure if it was Kilindini or Shimoni, but I was told in Mombasa. He is reported to have exclaimed, “Yeah! We have come all the way from Mumias and arrived here very well, but now how are we going to travel over the water? With that, he declined traveling and decided to go back home.

The story of Mumia above may be true or just a fable but I find it to be a narration intended to enforce a useful truth namely; if you can not swim why dive in the water? If you are not religious why delve in matters religion? If you know all the wisdom of the world then you do not need go to school because schools are built for fools. The same applies to Christianity or Islam or for that matter, Religion. It is those who find themselves wanting, that look for something to compensate for their inadequacy. It is the hunger in a boy’s/girl’s stomach that compels him/her to find food and not the sound of the bell”. Therefore, for those who claim to be ‘atheists’- for according to me there are such beings in Africa- you are under no obligation to read these series of reflections because they are heavily hinged on God the Creator’s Manual called the Holy Bible.

As for me, I hesitate to jump into politics, like Nabongo who refused to travel on water, because it is a sea whose waters I can not navigate through. That is why I would want to look at the Kenyan case from a Biblical perspective. You are free to agree to disagree.

Kenya as a nation can NEVER write her History without Christianity, Islam and Religion- in this case African traditional Religions- I say this because I see a lot of parallels in the events of the time of Jeremiah and what is happening now in Kenya. Please read with me the following passage Jeremiah 13

12 “Say to them: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And if they say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ 13 then tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. 14 I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.’”

For those of you who may have eyes, you may have observed that many religious leaders joined politics because they argued that when they take over from non-religious leaders, they will lead with humility and godly wisdom. Somebody in this forum said, the forest changed but the monkeys remain the same. If an individual is corrupt,he/she is corrupt from the inside, it is his/her nature that has grown for a long time and it takes God, education, training personal will and discipline to unlearn such a behaviour.

That is to say, we keep on saying that we have a new Kenya, a new dispensation etc and the people who are saying these are the same people who in leadership then. There is nothing new when Kibaki, Kalonzo, Kenyatta, Ole Ntimama, Mudavadi, Khaniri, Wekesa, Muthaura, Ruto William, Ongeri and others are still in power. If we want change, then let us have new people.

Where is Bishop Margaret Wanjiru? Where is Mutava Musyimi? Where is Sheikh Dor? Where is their voice? As both religious and political leaders, what does God tell them about Shuttle Diplomacy? What is God’s view of what is happening now in Kenya and even in Africa?

The answer is in those words given to Jeremiah, then tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness( of power, corruption, selfish ambitions, tribalism, sexual orgies_ Kakamega and Koinange-the love of money and self)all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne,( those who are political leaders like Kalonzo, Raila, Kibaki, William Ruto etc) the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem( religious leaders including pastors, Imams, priests.orkoyiots Laibons and seers of different ethnic communities like the council of elders eg the Kaya ,kalenjin,njuri njeke etc )14 I will smash them one against the other,( see what is happening now between the Rift Valley leaders and others in ODM, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSMso53vPVk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HYylzgiSyw&playnext=1&list=PLA91672A68313303C)

Children have killed their own parents and parents killed their own children because of what can not be owned for ever. This also happened during the days of Jeremiah as recorded here that they too will get drunk with envy anger and vengeance; and all these evils are rooted in the heart of man. Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually …,Mark 7:21-23: “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, .,”There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him…For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, … Look at these videos
parents and children alike, declares the LORD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYsmHVJXcqM&feature=related

Now if you look at the following passage you will see another parallel with what is happening in the North of Africa. Kenyan traditional leaders went to Libya LOOK AT THESE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gkyjM7mkoM NOW read the following

18 Say to the king and to the queen mother,
“Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns
will fall from your heads.”
19 The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah will be carried into exile,
carried completely away.
20 Look up and see
those who are coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was entrusted to you,
the sheep of which you boasted?
21 What will you say when the LORD sets over you
those you cultivated as your special allies?
Will not pain grip you
like that of a woman in labor?
22 And if you ask yourself,
“Why has this happened to me?”—
it is because of your many sins
that your skirts have been torn off
and your body mistreated.
23 Can an Ethiopian[b] change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 “I will scatter you like chaff
driven by the desert wind.
25 This is your lot,
the portion I have decreed for you,”
declares the LORD,
“because you have forgotten me
and trusted in false gods.
26 I will pull up your skirts over your face
that your shame may be seen—
27 your adulteries and lustful neighings,
your shameless prostitution!
I have seen your detestable acts
on the hills and in the fields.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
How long will you be unclean?”

The next commentary will be short and will deal with religious leaders. Remember “he whose mouth is full never speaks”
Paul

—
Muliro Gardens PICS: http://bit.ly/gkOefj

God And Guns

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from HUMPHREY MBOGO

God And Guns-Mart De Haan

Does the security of our nation depend on its military might? What would happen if we were to do away with our armed forces? If that sounds foolish, it’s probably because the idea of disarming would be as unwise today as it would have been in ancient Israel. It doesn’t make sense to lay down weapons in a world where God has often used them to protect His people. But there’s another side to this question. No nation can control its own future by sheer military power alone.

The need for God’s resources was often emphasized in the Old Testament. The Lord reminded His people Israel that He could save them without bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen (Hos. 1:7). He would provide them with a kind of national security that was unknown to the rest of the world. As Psalm 2 indicates, the nations make a lot of noise and act as if their own strength is enough. But the Lord laughs at the exaggerated feelings of self-importance of leaders who think that the race is always “to the swift” or “the battle to the strong” (Eccl. 9:11).

Where is your confidence? If your trust is in the Lord, you will have security that no weapons can ever give. “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Ps. 2:12).

It’s often easier to trust
In what our eyes can see,
But God asks us to look to Him
For our security.
God is the only ally we need.

Mid-term elections in USA: Any lessons here?

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from Absalom Birai

Today is the day that many have eargerly looked forward to with mixed feelings.It’s mid-term elections in the United states; a day that at the end of it, some will rejoice and thank family, friends,and supporters for contributing to their success and others will blame who knows who/ what for their failure.

For several days now as I have listened to the news and ads of politicians attacking each other,I have found myself thinking and wondering of how challenging/difficulty it’s to hold
a public office. It comes with a great price. No matter what you do, its hard to please all.The good news for whoever will loose is that they can come back two years later and win. In other words,its a question of time before there is another election which will give all an opportunity to try again.

Any spiritual lesson here? Yes,indeed. The Bible tells us that a day is coming when all will face the Lord of the universe who by then would have made a decision about which candidates will qualify for His heavenly kingdom.By the time,He descends to take His own,every case would have been decided. No campaigns or going to court will be of any help. The decision will not only be final but also fair. Here is what the Bible says:

” “Look, he is coming with the clouds,and “every eye will see him,even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelation 1:8)

““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”Mathew 25:31-36)

You and I have an opportunity now and not tomorrow to prepare for the final election day.Right now,it might seem to be that far,but is that not how we feel in most cases until we are caught unaware.

Pr Birai
www.pastorbirai.com