THOUGH THE WORST HAPPENS… Habakkuk 3:17-18Though the fig tree does not budand there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop failsand the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the penand no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the LORD,I will be joyful in God my Savior. The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between God and the prophet. The dialogue begins when Habakkuk...
LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE CALLING Ephesians 4:1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. A calling is a divine assignment. A calling is a God given passion for some duty or role or work. A call is what you dedicate your life to. A call is what when fulfilled gives you peace and satisfaction. All of us have been called to be Christians...
I AM AGAINST YOU… Nahum 2:13“I am against you,”declares the LORD Almighty.“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,and the sword will devour your young lions.I will leave you no prey on the earth.The voices of your messengerswill no longer be heard.” Nahum 3:5“I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty.“I will lift your skirts over your face.I will show the nations your nakednessand the kingdoms...
YOU FORCE GENTILES TO FOLLOW JEWISH CUSTOMS? Galatians 2:14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? At the beginning of the book of Galatians, Apostle Paul narrates his conversion and initial...
I WON’T FORGET YOUR ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH Micah 6:10Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,and the short ephah, which is accursed? The prophet Micah seems concerned about corruption in Israel, poor governance, and mistreatment of the vulnerable. God speaks through Micah and the message is against vices that are now rampant even in our society today. God is against the...
BE DISTINCT, COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore,“Come out from themand be separate,says the Lord.Touch no unclean thing,and I will receive you.” Apostle Paul warns the Corinthian church against idolatry. He tells them that they now belong to God. Their bodies and lives should not serve idols but God. They are the temple of the living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 he tells them that...
THE PLANT YOU LOVE HAS A MAKER Jonah 4:6Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.Jonah 4:7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.Jonah 4:10But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend...
THE PRINCIPLE TO USE IN GREY AREAS 1 Corinthians 8:13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. Grey is a color that is a mixture of black and white. Grey has some tendencies of black and some white. Black symbolizes the wrong and dark or dangerous. White symbolizes the clean and good. This has nothing...
IN THE EVENT OF AN OFFENCE YOUR DEPARTMENT IS FORGIVENESS Romans 12:19Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. As we relate with each other at various levels, we do offend others and we do get offended. This happens at the family level, neighborhood level, workplace level, with strangers, among...
THIS IS THE WORST KIND OF DECEPTION Obadiah 1:3The pride of your heart has deceived you,you who live in the clefts of the rocksand make your home on the heights,you who say to yourself,‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ We are told that love is blind. We have experienced at times that love indeed is blind. We have done foolish and embarrassing things in the name of love or infatuation. We...
I sit in church or religious class and I struggle to understand what is being taught and preached. I realise a few other people are struggling too. The meeting ends and we are satisfied with having appeared. Somehow in my mind I decide that only a few people can ever learn and understand certain things. But this is not right. I read scholars' articles on very serious issues, the vocabulary is deep, the language is way above the average member of the church. My mind wonders and struggles with, how can this be simplified for everybody? God's word cannot be a preserve of only a few people. So at some point in my life, I resolved that it is my mission to make things simpler that even the least educated and youngest child can understand the word of God. Apart from my love for grey colours, traveling and eating chapati, I have a passion for teaching, preaching and simplifying everything for those I address. My continuous worry, is always, was it simple enough for everybody?
Dr. Rei Towet Kesis is a Senior Lecturer of Applied Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. He has over ten years experience in teaching at the University and training pastors. He has also served the University as Dean of Men, Chaplain, Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor and currently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Student Affairs and Services.