Month: May 2020

PROOF THAT JESUS IS GOD
FOUNDATION
Who is Jesus Christ? Many people today are willing to give him some honour.
Muslims say Jesus was a prophet/apostle, but not God (Koran 3:171 – O people of the Book , do not be fanatical in your faith, and say nothing but the truth about God.
The Messiah who is Jesus, son of Mary was only an apostle of God, and a command of His which He sent to Mary, as a mercy from Him. So believe in God and His apostles, and do not call Him ‘Trinity’. Abstain from this for your own good; for God is only one God, and far from His glory is it to beget a son. All that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; and the earth belongs to Him; and sufficient is God for all help.)
The Jehovah’s Witness sects say Jesus is above the angels but below God.
Many recognize Jesus as a great religious leader and nothing more.
However the bible scriptures point to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

BACKGROUND
Two thousand years ago Jesus appeared onto the face of humanity and history.
He was born in a unique divine way. Both the Bible and the Quran attest to His divine birth. Quran ( 19: 19-21) He replied : “I am only a messenger from your Lord (sent) to bestow a good son you.” “How can I have a son, “she said “when no man has touched me , nor am I sinful?” He said : “Thus will be. Your Lord said: ‘It is easy for Me, and that: ‘We shall make him a sign for men and a blessing from Us. ‘This is a thing already decreed.”
His being was unique being both man and divine at the same time.
The virgin Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ was born.
It was God Himself who had visited the world in the form of man.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of Father’s one and only Son”. John 1:14

JESUS MISSION AND PORPOSE ON EARTH
To Save Man From the Power Of darkness and Satan :- “ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”. Luke 19:10
To Die on the Cross so he can ransom us and purchase us back into the kingdom of God :- “Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
To Destroy the works of Satan :- 1 John 3:8 “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”
To give us eternal life :- 1 John 5: 10 – 11 “ All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified : He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
To enable us to be born again into the family of God :-
John 1:12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
To restore Our relationship with God :- 1 John 1:3 “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us .And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

CLARIFYING MISUNDERSTOOD PHRASES ABOUT JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES
“The Son of God”
Many agree that Jesus is the Son of God, yet they disagree what the title means. Those who doubt the deity of Christ may rightly point out in the Scripture that
Angels are called “the sons of God” (Job 1:6, 2:1 ; 38:7 ; Da 3:25)
Adam is called “the son of God” (Lk 3:38)
Christians are called “the sons of God” (Ro 8:14 , 19 ; 9:26)
Adam and angels are the created sons of God. Christians are the adopted sons of God. Only Jesus is the eternal Son of God(Jn 1:1), He is Unique and rightly called the “one and only Son of God”. (John 3:16) . God the father testistifies about Jesus in the scriptures: “And a voice from heaven said ,”This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”. (Mt 3:17)
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voicefrom the cloud said , “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Mt 17:5)
“One with the Father”
Some deny the deity of Jesus Christ saying that being one with the father is not sufficient proof that He is God. They claim the phrase in the bible simply refers to oneness in purpose, like Jesus prayed He and His disciples would be one in the following scriptures(John 17:20-22). However this not the only way they are one. They are also one in nature and character. They are both God. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:5-6)
“The Only Begotten Son”
The phrase “the only begotten son”, have caused some to stumble. They have wrongly concluded that Jesus is a created being. In the Greek language , “only begotten” is monogene . It means one of a kind. In other words, Jesus is a unique son. The NIV correctly emphasis Jesus is unique than begotten. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory ,the glory of the one and only , who came from the Father, full of grace and truth……… No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only , who is at the Father’s side , has made him known. {Jn 14,18}
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…..Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one only Son. {Jn 3:16, 18}
“The Firstborn “
The word firstborn has led some people to conclude that Jesus was born first before anyone else. This is not correct the first born son had a special position of honour in Jewish tradition. Jesus is not called the ‘firstborn’ because he was born first. He is called the “firstborn” to help us understand that he is respected more than anyone else. Jesus is the firstborn in the sense that he is the first in “rank”. He is
First among many brothers (Rom 8:29)
-“Over all creation”(Col 1;15)
-“worshipped by angels”(Heb 1:6).
Thus we see that Jesus is called the “firstborn” in a figurative. This compares Him with all Figurative language is also used about Jesus in other scriptures. He is called a lamb, a lion, a door bread, a vine, etc., to illustrate certain truths.

Q 6 Why is Jesus referred to as the “firstborn”?

       These concept ”_”Son of God” “One  with The Father” “Only Begotten son, “and  “Firstborn”—Have often been misunderstood.  They have been misused by those who do not believe in the deity of Christ.  Nevertheless, the scriptures plainly teach that Jesus is more than a prophet or an apostle.  We will now consider ten conclusive proofs that Jesus is God.

Jesus is God

    Many proofs exist to show that Jesus is God, just as the Father is God. For the sake of space, we will give only ten such proofs.  They all show why Christians believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Is the Creator Of Everything
“In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all thing were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (Jn1: 1-3)
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” (Col 1 :16)
Apostles and prophets do not create. The Quran also says that Jesus created a small bird , healed the blind,healed the leper, and infuse life into into the dead{Quran 3:49 And he will be Apostle to the children of Israel, (saying:) ‘I have come to you with a (sign)prodigy from your Lord that I will fashion the state of destiny(a bird) out of mire(clay) for you, and breathe (a new spirit) into it, and (you) (it will become a bird)will rise by the will of God. I will heal the blind and the leper, and infuse life into the dead, by the leave of God. I will tell you what you devour and what you hoard in your homes.In this will be a portent for you if you do believe } . God alone has the attribute of being Creator. The scriptures above clearly indicate that Jesus is the creator. Therefore Jesus is God.

Jesus Accepts Worship
In the Ten Commandments, God forbade the worship of any other god. (Exodus 20:3-5)
“And again when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him”. (Heb 1:6)
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a laud voice they sang “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth, wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever !” The four living creatures said , “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped. (Rev 5:11 – 14)
Jesus Is Without Sin
“ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? “ (Jn 8:46)
“Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd , “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” (Lk 23:4)
He commited no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. (1Pet 2:22)
“Therefore , since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the of Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is to sympathies with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just us we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:14 -16)
“Such a high priest meets our need —one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. (Heb 7:26)
Jesus is the only sinless human who ever lived. He was able to live a sinless life on earth because of his divine nature.
Jesus Forgives Sin
He forgave the paralytic (Mk 2 :3 -11)
He forgave the sinful woman (Lk 7:47 – 49)
He forgave at a higher level than a regular human being. We have the ability to forgive those who sin against us. However , Jesus forgave even those who did not sin directly against him. He went further and gave the apostles power to forgive sins. This was only possible because of His divine nature.

Jesus Is Eternal
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the word was God. (Jn 1:1) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8)
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “ and you have seen Abraham,!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Jn 8:57 – 58)
The universe , the angels , demons , humans and animals were all created. Jesus Christ was not created. He declares in the book of revelation that He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. This is another proof of His divinity.
Jesus Will Raise the Dead and Judge Them
“Do not Judge, or you too will be judged “, (Mt 7:1)
“Moreover , the Father judges no one , but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. (Jn 5:22 – 23)
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead”. (Ac 17:31)
“For all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2Co 5:10)
All creation will be judged, man, demons and angels. The above scriptures clearly states that this role is preserved for Jesus Christ. He will also raise the dead back to life, and the proof is that he rose from the dead.
Jesus is Called “God”
“For to us a child is born , to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”. (Mt 1:23)
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28)
There are patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all , forever praised! Amen. (Rom 9:5)
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God , will last for ever and ever , and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” (Heb 1:8)
The above scriptures refer to Jesus as God.
Jesus is Present Everywhere (Omnipresent)
A human or angel can be in only one place at one time. Only God can be present everywhere at the same time.
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Mt 18:20)
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age. (Mt 28:20)
Only God can declare the above statements , hence proof that Jesus Christ is God.
Jesus is the Ruler of the Universe and Head of the Church
“Who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand —–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him”. (1 Pet 3:22)
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first- born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Col 1:17 – 20)
Jesus is the Image of the invisible God
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word . (Heb 1:1 -3a)
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Col 2:9)
He is image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15)

Compiled by Pst. Willy Ochieng
Primary Resource : Bible Doctrines by P.C Nelson and Pius Wawire Other resources The Holy Bible , The Holy Quran

HOW TO RAISE A FAMILY ALTER TO PRESERVE YOUR MARRIAGE ( PART ONE)
Marriage is not just a physical act but an emotional and spiritual act. 1COR 6:15 -17 “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he , shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. The apostle Paul while teaching on sexual purity to the Corinthian Church clarifies that the (marriage act)sexual act is not just a physical act , but has spiritual implications. He illustrates that a Christian engaging in immorality is not only defiling himself/herself , but is also defiling the body of Christ spiritually. Hence the spiritual part of marriage is very vital for the success of the marriage.
Therefore since marriage is also a spiritual act between to people who become one spiritual after marriage. (Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh).
Marriage being spiritual , the couple must invest in maintaining the marriage spiritually and that is by raising a prayer alter. Prayer is a very important factor for a successful marriage. Every marriage faces challenges that are larger than what the couple can handle naturally and that is when the element of prayer becomes vital to the survival of marriage. Challenges like unemployment, chronic diseases, rogue children or partners, business collapse and others are best survived in marriage by prayer. In order for your prayer to be effective you need to first ask God to do the following.
BE BORN AGAIN
“ Jesus answered and said unto him verily,verily , I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
“Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again.” John 3:7
You must accept Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
SPIRIT FILLED
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1 ;8
“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”, Acts 2:4
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the cirmcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.Then answered Peter. “ Acts 10 :44 – 46

Desire to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is a separate experience from the salvation experience. This gift avails all the gifts of the Holy Spirit outlined in 1CORINTHIANS 12 to the believer with evidence of speaking in tongues.

WALK IN THE SPIRIT DAILY
Finally walk in the spirit which is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide You daily in every decision you make. That means before you make any significant decision you purposefully try to listen to God’s direction.
ESTABLISH A PEROSNAL DAILY PRAYER PROGRAMME
Before you develop your prayer programme as a couple you must each develop your own personal prayer programmes. Many times we find either one of the partners solely depending on their spouses prayers. This wears the praying partner down and can get to a point of ‘burn out’. This may drastically affect the marriage. Therefore the ideal situation is that each partner develops a focused prayer time individually first. Here are some prayer tips.
Pray early in the morning (Ps. 5:3)
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up”
Early mornings are ideal for prayer because there are few disruptions and you get to begin your day with prayer before you face the tasks and challenges of the day.
Find a place where it is quiet and free from distractions (Matt 14:23)
“And when he had sent the multitude away,he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone.”
Prayer is serious business and work. It requires good focus and a conducive environment. From the above scriptures we can see that the Lord Jesus Christ took prayer very seriously. He stopped ministry to make room for prayer. He looked for the most ideal environment where he could fully engage and focus on prayer. He prayed for long periods alone. Each partner in the marriage must emulate our Lord and Saviour.
Pray out loudly, it helps you concentrate (Ps. 3.4)
“ I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill.”
It is okay to pray out loud , in fact it is helps when you pray out loud. King David the writer of the book of pslams prayed out loud and testified that the Lord heard his prayer. Due to our religious and denominational orientations some believers feel that it is in appropriate to pray out loud. However from the holy scriptures we can see that is acceptable. God is not disturbed by our shouting or praying loudly like a librarian would be in a library. On contrary I believe that heaven will be quite “a noisy party”, with the holy angels blowing trumpets saints singing , shouting victory shouts and worshipping for thousands and thousands of years. Revelation 7:9 – 11 “After this I beheld and , lo , a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice saying , Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God.” We can see a glimpse of heavenly activities from the above scriptures and confirm that it is “one big glorious noisy party”, and not a library lesson. Therefore if you plan to get to heaven, begin to practice here on earth with some prayer sessions that are loud and lively.
Pray from the heart . (Matt 6:5-7)
“And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you. They have their reward. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray use not vain repetitons as the heathen do : for they think that they shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
The motives of all your prayers must be sincere and pure before God. It is not really the amount , or where or how we pray that captures God’s attention ,but the condition and motives of our hearts.
Listen to God (Jn 10: 2-5)
“But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow , but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.”
Prayer is not a monologue , but a dialogue between you and God. Prayer is communication between the earth and the heavens. Allow for time to be quiet during your prayer time to listen to God. You may ask , Pastor how does God speak? God speaks through his word , through circumstances , through the ‘small still voice in your heart’ and through his servants. How will I know it is God? You will have inner peace about it. I believe for me that this is the most important part of prayer. Hearing from God. In my walk with Him I have come to realize that it does not really matter what I tell him, because He already knows my needs and desires even before I ask. What is important is what He is saying to me. What he says to me has the ability to forever transform my life. Take good quality time during your prayers just to hear the mind of God about You.
Pray over the Word as you read it.
“Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask a miss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3
It is possible to pray outside the will of God as the above scriptures illustrates. One of the tools available to the believer to pray the will of God over our lives is His word. When your prayers are based on God’s word , you cannot pray a miss.
Pray in your understanding and in the Spirit (1 Cor 14:15).
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also”
There are moments when you have to pray in the understanding to built faith and expectation. There also moments that you need to pray in the Spirit to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through you and to edify your inner man.
Pray from a clean heart (Ps 66:18)
“ If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” God answers our prayers depending to the conditions of our hearts. If our hearts are full of jealousy, unforgiveness and bitterness we cannot expect a breakthrough in our prayers. Have time in your prayer sessions where you repent of known and unknown sins. Purposefully choose to forgive those who sin against you. Do not allow bitterness of any kind to form in your heart. Do not hold those who wrong you. Forgive them.
Pray in faith (Mk . 11:24)
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them” . God has given us an open cheque when it comes to prayer. The conditions to cash this spiritual cheque are three according to the above scripture a)desire – You must want it strongly , expect it to have it, be unsatisfied until you receive it. b) believe – be confident about your answered prayer, accept / regard as true even before you see it. c)receive – get / possess before it manifests /express willingness to receive and accept as true and valid even before it happens in the natural. Regard as favorable and with thanksgiving.
Be bold before God (Heb 4:16)
“Let us therefore come bodly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Approch the throne of grace bodly. Enter into God’s presence with confidence , because your are a child of a loving God who has became your Father through your faith in Christ Jesus. Do not fear . God is willing to answer your prayers more than you know.
Do not give up. ( Luke 18:1)
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Do not faint .Prayer can sometimes be hard word, but be persistent. The flesh , the human body hates prayer , but do not surrender. Pray until something happens. Do not give up.
Use the Lords prayer as a model (matt 6:9 -13)
The Lord’s prayer is not just a prayer ,but a model or guide of prayer. In the scriptures the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They wanted to have a formulae of effective prayer. Jesus gave them the outline to use while praying. The outline includes a) Adoration – hallowed be thy name b) Petition – thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven c) Supplication – give us this day our daily bread d) repentance – forgive us our debts e) Guidance- lead us not into temptation f) Spiritual warfare – deliver us from evil
Study the Word of God.
Make a yearly bible study plan
Mark passages in the bible which speak to you directly
Take notes of what you learn
Memorize special passages
Read the bible slowly meditating on each verse.
Get a prayer Journal / notebook where you write daily about your walk and thoughts with God. Incude special needs and answered prayers.
Written and Compiled by
Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor
Busia Lighthouse Church.

JESUS LOVES MUSLIMS TOO – UNDERSTANDING ISLAM FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 002 –The Spread of Islam into Africa
LESSONS OBJECTIVE
To correct negative stereotypes about Muslims
To better understand Islam and its origins
To appreciate positive aspects of the Islamic religion and culture
To Foster meaningful harmonious relationships between Muslims and Christians
To challenge Christians to break religious and cultural barriers and reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.
SPREAD BY CONQUEST
Islam grew very fast after Mohammed’s victory over Mecca in A.D. 630. Arab tribes continued to pledge allegiance to the new religion.
Khalid ibn Walid’s army army secured Iraq from the Persians and Syria from the Christians. He took advantage of the constant conflict between the Persians and the Christians over the control of the significant city of Jerusalem and the profitable trade routes.
General Amar led his army westward conquering the Maghrib (the West) and bringing Egypt under Islamic rule.
Umar dismissed His General Khalid for committing atrocities against Non-Muslims and also continued to expand his influence. Damascus, Alexandria, Ctesiphon, and Mosul all came under Islam during his leadership.
Umar captured Jerusalem by A.D. 639, he promised freedom of worship and protection for Christians.
During his rule, Islam expanded east to the border of Iran and Afghanistan and to the west into North Africa.
Khalifa Umar treated Christians fairly because the Quran called them “People of the Book”. Hence he allowed Christians to practice their religion and keep their church buildings. He assured them of military protection, however he classified them as second class citizens (dhimmis), levied a head tax on them (jiziya) and forbade from proselytizing.

THE RULE OF THE UMAYYADS
Under Uthman’s rule, the influence of Islam expanded further west into North Africa and East to the Border of India.
During the next Khalifa Ali’s reign expansion was limited since Uthman had been assassinated causing instability and rebellions.
When the Umayyad Dynasty took the helm its leaders embarked once again on expanding their area of influence.
In the late seventh century general Uqba bin Nafi launched military campaigns into North Africa. The Berber tribes resisted him as they had also resisted the Romans, Vandals and the Christian Byzantines.
General Uqba finally defeated the Berber and advanced into Tunisia. Later the Umayyads moved into Algeria and Morrocco.
In A.D. 711 with a mixed army of Berbers and Arabs under the leadership of Tarik , Muslims forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded Spain, successfully planting Islam in the country and in Europe.
By 725 A.D. the first Arabs crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and invaded the territory of the Franks, but were repealed by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732 A.D.
In a period of 100 years Islam had eastward into beyond Persia into what is modern Russian Turkmenistan, had reached the Indus and the western frontiers of China and into north and parts of central Africa.
The Islamic Umayyad dynasty had established a vast domain that they had conquered in just 100 years after Prophet Mohammed’s death.
A major change occurred in 750 A.D. When the Abbasids, overthrew the Umayyads. This new empire included the territory of the previous Islamic empire except Spain. It shifted its imperial capital from Damascus to Baghdad.
The Umayyad continued to rule Spain from the Spanish city of Cordova.
North Africa remained under the control of military commanders (amirs) who were loyal and answerable to the new Islamic rulers in Baghdad.

REASONS FOR SUCCECCFUL ISLAMIC CONQUESTS

In a relatively short period Islam had amazingly conquered a vast part of the world. The Islamic empire extended from Spain in the west to Central Asia and Afghanistan in the East .
It is important to note that North Africa had come under the influence of the Christian Church. Churches existed especially among the Berbers of Morocco, Algeria, Mali and Niger.
One of the early church fathers was a Berber from North Africa – the now famous St. Augustine.
Christians of North Africa were subject to the Byzantine Empire whose capital was in Constantinople, Turkey.
The Byzantines despised the North African Christians and treated them as second class citizens. In addition, they levied a heavy head tax on them and even branded many of these Christians as heretics because of doctrinal differences.
What were the reasons for this success?
Some of the local Christians found Islam appealing for several reasons.

Financial: – Muslims levied a head tax that was far less than that levied by the Byzantines.
Cultural: -The Muslims culture was more acceptable than the Byzantine culture.
Huamansitic: – Islam offered human works by which a person could feel self-satisfied, but the Church offered only grace.
Intellectual: – Islam offered a creed that was easy to understand. By contrast, the Church was still debating the mystery of the trinity.
Political: – The local Christians saw the Byzantines as foreign occupiers who cared little about North Africans. They saw Muslims as Arabs neighbors who could identify with their social environment.
Today most of the Churches in North Africa have been replaced with mosques.
Exchange of Goods also accounted for the spread of Islam. As Africans and Arabs engaged in trade and in the process Islam was spread. Commercial centers in Morocco, Algeria and on the East African Coast in Mombasa, Lamu and Zanzibar also facilitated the spread of Islam.
The Muslim traders easily integrated into the African society ,by marrying into the ruling class and importing their religion to the African community. They infused Islamic thinking and practice into the family so that eventually Islam influenced the local African community.
When the Muslims traders established themselves in the local African community they brought in a Muslim scholar who taught the community to read and write hence promoting literacy. Of course the basic text book was the Quran enabling them promote Islam as the communities became literate.
Arabic language therefore greatly influenced and developed the Hausa, Swahili and Jula languages.
These trade languages provided a common bond between the Arab and the African people, and with the language of Arabs came the religion of Islam.

LESSONS OBJECTIVE
To correct negative stereotypes about Muslims
To better understand Islam and its origins
To appreciate positive aspects of the Islamic religion and culture
To Foster meaningful harmonious relationships between Muslims and Christians
To challenge Christians to break religious and cultural barriers and reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.
Primary SOURCE : – Muslim Ministry in the African Context by Harry Morin.

HEALING OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT MAN SERIES 001 – SANCTIFICATION AND TRANSFORMATION LESSON A
1 THESSSOLONIANS 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is not only concerned about our physical health, but also about the condition of our hearts, mind, emotions and spirits. Most of the time we focus on the well-being of our bodies which of course is an immediate concerned. A few of us are concerned about mental health especially in the developing nations where the main priority is to put a decent meal on the table for the family.
However the scriptures above highlights that man health needs are triune; body , soul and spirit all need to be considered and cared for so that man healthy wholistically.
As we grow up from infancy we all naturally encounter unpleasant situations and circumstances as we grow up. Some of this situations may seem normal to an adult, but to a growing child are very traumatizing and will leave a lasting mark in the individuals life. Outwardly the child may seem normal, but the unpleasant situation left an injury to the soul and/or spirit that may negatively shape their personality and character. The memories of our childhood affect the way we think, act and react today to issues. These memories also require healing.
CASE STUDY: – Mark {not his real name} was brought up by an alcoholic father, who beat up his mother and did little to care for his family. As he grew up he saw the pain in his mother’s eyes and vowed internally that he would not become a drunk like his father. He joined a local church where he found comfort and soon gave his life to the Lord when he turned 13. Salvation gave him a great peace of mind in spite of the chaos of his home. He was able to forget the problems of his family and get comfort from the loving church family. Soon his school grades began to improve. He performed well in his high school and was enrolled to pursue a course in medicine at his countries prestigious university. All seemed to be well with Mark until he got his first job as an intern while still at the university. He suddenly stopped attending the Christian union services and got in the wrong crowd. He soon began spending the money he earned with internship job to drink and party. After graduation his wild lifestyle continued. Once in a while he would still attend a church service and he claimed to be born again. He soon met Nelly who was a nurse at the hospital where he was first posted to work as a physician. Their relationship blossomed after one year they got married. For while again things between Mark and Nelly were all beautiful. He stopped the heavy drinking and began to attend church regularly. However after their second child Francis was born. Mark resumed drinking and even became violent. When his wife Nelly tried to talk to him about his negative ways he would turn violent and physically abuse her. Nelly tried to persevere this horrible behaviour for three more years, but finally she was forced to walk out of the marriage and they agreed to separate until Mark was able to change his ways. Finally it dawned on Mark that he had a serious problem. Although physically, financially and his outward life seemed fine and he had even given his life to Christ. He still had a sick soul and spirit because of his traumatizing childhood. They were areas in his inner man that needed healing.
DIAGONISING MARK’S INNER DISEASE
In order to diagnose the disease in Mark’s soul and spirit we must use the word of God as our standard.
The Correct Perspective of God’s Law
The Church has been established in the dispensation of God’s grace. That is absolutely true. Unfortunately they are teachers of the Word of God today who exclusively teach on the grace alone and do not highlight the positive aspects of the law that are eternal according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:17 -18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy , but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled .
Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate , and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The above scriptures clearly indicate that Jesus did not come to make the law of God obsolete rather he came to fulfill the Law. Therefore the Grace of God does not contrast or oppose the law of God rather it compliments and fulfills the Law of God. While the grace of God empowers us to walk on the path salvation, the law of God gives us the direction to salvation.
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul…..” God’s law does not need to be a set of do’s and don’ts. The laws of God when viewed under the lens of the grace of God are a blessing, a door way to freedom. They are not a curse from an angry God ready to punish offenders. The laws of God empowered by the grace of God are a restraining force that can keep you free and full of the joy of God.
The law of God is not a punishment, but an impersonal force.
Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” KJV
“Stop being deceived ; God is not to be ridiculed. A person harvests whatever he plants. (ISV)
“Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows. (NET)
There is a natural law of sowing and reaping. If you sow mango seeds you expect to reap mangoes. If you sow beans you cannot expect to reap oranges.
We know that natural laws are absolute and we obey them. In physics we learnt that “for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction”. Similarly what we sow is what we harvest. Another natural law is the law of gravity. If you throw a ball up, you do not expect it to fly into space. It must eventually fall to the ground in obedience to the law of gravity.
Both laws are impersonal and can work to your disadvantage or advantage if depending on how you apply them. Many people are not aware that spiritual laws are just as absolute like the physical / natural laws.
We are subject to God’s laws, whether or not we believe in them. Just like the natural law of gravity applies to all of us, whether we believe in gravity or not does not change the fact that it force applies to us. Similarly we may think that spiritual laws are non-existent or are relative and not absolute. We may not even be aware of the spiritual laws, but that does not change the fact that the laws will affect us either positively or negatively.
Each time we transgress them, we set in motion forces that must be reaped. Only by the unwavering certainty of the law of sowing and reaping can we know with equal certainty that we need Christ to reap on our behalf.
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith”, Galatians 3:24.
The Law that Judgements will come back upon us
“Do not judge, lest you be judged yourselves. For in the way you judge , you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2
This is the law of Judgment; when we Judge others we have sowed judgment, hence we should expect a fruit of judgment. The reaping of this seed of judgment may come one of the following ways.
We begin to subconsciously {internally} to expect others to treat us like those we have judged. “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure…” Titus 1:15 Nas
We become like those we judge.
Since we are guilty of the whole law, if we break it at one point (James 2:10), we are guilty of the same sins we judge others for.
If we do not forgive then we are not forgiven.
“For if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:15 NAS
Therefore , the sin we judge remains in us and we become like the one we judged.

Now let’s return to our case study. This was Mark’s problem, he had unknowingly Judged his alcoholic and violent father as a child while he was growing up. He hated and detested his father’s negative actions which caused their family great pain. He wisely made up his mind that he would not want to follow the path his father took. Unfortunately in the process he also judged his father and never truly forgave his him for the way he hurt them and beat his mother. If you casually asked him about his relationship with his father he would tell you that all was well and that the past had been forgiven. The reality was that Mark simply ignored the pain and had not faced it and dealt with it like many of us do. Deep down he was still judging his father. And this judgment had become a negative seed in his life that he later reaped by becoming just like him. “Like father like son”, “Like mother like daughter” is a common English saying that we all like to quote when positive qualities of a parent are reflected on their children. However the story is different when it is negative qualities of the parents that are being reflected. Mark had judged his father’s negative habits , now they we being reflected in his own life. Of course God does not blame him for his father’s negative actions, but God holds him accountable for allowing the seeds of judgment and unforgiveness to take root in his life. Now the harvest has been made manifest and he has become just like his father.
Many of us are in the same “boat”, and are in need of inner healing. We judged our parents and now we have become like them.

HOW DO YOU PRAY FOR BITTER ROOT JUDGEMENT?
-Ask God for forgiveness and make a choice to forgive.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you on how to repent you can also use the prayer sample below.
Prayer of Forgiveness
Father I come to you because You have said You want me to. I don’t know how to make forgiveness happen. I can’t cleanse my heart or change my feelings. I don’t know how to trust, and I’m afraid to hold my heart open. But now I’m making a choice to forgive. I’m setting my heart open. But now I’m making a choice to forgive. I ‘m setting my heart and will to choose to forgive again and again until you make forgiveness real and complete in me – until it becomes a way of life.
Please God, give me the willingness and strength to persevere until forgiveness is accomplished in me by your power. You know the history between____________(name) and me. You know _(name) hurt me by _(what happened)_. I release to you my right to hold this offence against him/her. I release to you my hurt, anger and /or resentment. Lord , I release _(name)___________to you—- be the judge in this matter. I ask you to cleanse me of the effect of the negative emotions that I have carried all this time. I ask for your healing touch, and I ask that you wash me and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Lord , after _____(name)_____did_____(what happened)_ to me I felt ________(be specific about how you felt- worthless, helpless, etc.). I speak forgiveness to him/her and ask you to release me from this person, emotionally and spiritually so that our relationship is no longer hindered by unforgivessness. I ask for the healing comfort of your Holy Spirit to be poured into the crushed and broken places.
Father, it is a hard thing to see and admit that I have also done hurtful things to others. I have repeated this harmful behaviour__________(name the behaviour)____and participated in this pattern. I hurt______(name)_ by _(action). I ask your forgiveness and ask that you strengthen me so that I may make matters right(where appropriate to do so). I ask you to be with me and give me courage and grace to ask for forgiveness, and give _(name)__ grace to forgive me. I ask that you bless us with restored relationship.
I ask you to restore my spirit in all its crushed and broken places. Teach me who I am, teach me my worth, especially in relationship with you. Heal the wounded hurt of the child within me. Let your light shine into all the hidden places of my heart. Pour your love in. Enlighten the eyes of my heart, Lord , so that I may see you and love You. As you really are. Help me walk in your ways. Help me pray this prayer until it is a reality in my life. AMEN.

Prayer of about Judgments
Lord , I recognize that I have judged. (state the judgment/s, as clearly as possible) I was wrong about______________. My judgments do not reflect your heart about ______, about me or about You. I realize that in judging I locked myself into doing the same thing, having the same attitude. Forgive me, Lord. And where my assessment was accurate, but my response was sinful,(bitterness, anger, condemnation), ask your forgiveness. Iask that you break the power of this judgments in my life so that the reaping of harm can stop. Break this judgments on Your cross, make into powder, and blow it away with the breath of Your Holy Spirit. I ask that you stop this pattern of behaviour and lift it out of my life or give me the wisdom, stamina and perseverance to eradicate it. I ask that your forgiveness and mercy would now flow rather than the destructive reaping of this judgments. Further, I ask that your truth would wash through my spirit and mind and impact my thought patterns and belief systems so that I can know the truth as you see it. Amen

GOD :- THE REASON FOR OUR EXISTENCE
God is so great for human beings to be able to fully understand His nature. He has no beginning or end. His is Omnipotent – all powerful, Omniscient –all knowing. Job 11:7 – “Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?” The study of Theology endeavors to study and understand God. However the truth is that the human mind cannot fully grasp the full nature of God. It is impossible to know everything about God.
Isaiah 66:1 – “This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me a resting place?” God’s greatness is incomprehensible to the human mind. Both the heavens and the earth cannot fully contain him. He is truly an awesome God.
Psalms 47:8
“God reigns above the nations. Sitting on his holy throne.”
There is no power, authority or government above God. He rules all powers and authorities in heaven and earth.
GOD’S NATURE
HE IS THE CREATOR
Nehemiah 9:6 – “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.”
God created all that is seen and unseen; he made the entire universe for his glory. Some scientist claim that the earth just began with the “big bang”. What they cannot explain is who or what caused the” big bang”. They are also at a loss to explain the harmony in the patterns of the entire universe and how everything perfectly holds together in our universe as is the reality of our solar system. The universe is like a well-designed masterpiece of art with every required detail in place. The ‘big bang’ theory {just a theory no tangible facts} explanations leaves more questions than answers. It is clear that the entire universe was well designed and created. The creator is God, Almighty.

GOD IS OMNIPOTENT (ALL POWERFUL)
1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours, O lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory the victory and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on the earth is yours, O Lord and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”
This scriptures following attributes to God :-
Greatness: does mighty acts, full of dignity, outstanding of great importance and eminence.
Power: strength, might, valour, bravery, force, great control and influence. The source of all force and power for functioning, doing or engaging. Governing the entire universe.
Glory: beauty, splendor, finery (of garments, jewels), State of high honor, brilliant radiant beauty, glory of rank, glory of renown.
Victory: Successful in all endeavors, eminence, perpetuity, strength, enduring in life, endurance of time, perpetual, continual to the end, everlastingness.
Majesty: greatly impressive, splendor, vigour, grandeur, imposing form of appearance, beauty, comeliness, Excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honour.
GOD IS OMNISCIENT (ALL KNOWING)
Hebrews 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” KJV
“And there is nothing made which is not completely clear to him; there is nothing covered, but all things are open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do” BBE TRANSALATION
“No creation can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.”

The scriptures above clearly indicate that there is absolutely nothing that is hidden from God. Everything to Him is crystal clear. He has complete and absolute perspective of everything in the universe.

1 John 3:20 “if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. ISV
God even knows the deep private thoughts of our hearts. He has privy knowledge of our intentions and motives and not just our outward actions.

GOD IS HOLY
1 Sam 2:2 “There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides you, there is no rock like our God”.
God is in a level and class of His own. He is perfectly holy. The bible clearly states that there is no other God, but Him. The bible compares God to a strong stable Rock. Holiness is God’s unique attribute. The bible declares that we can compare God to non-other.
Being Holy means to be set apart and sacred.

GOD IS SPIRIT
John 4:24 “God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” ISV, that is HE is normally not visible with the physical eye and does not appear in a physical body. Except when he took the form of a human body in the person of Jesus Christ in order to fulfill the governing spiritual laws and save humanity from sin and restore the authority the first Adam had lost to the devil in the Garden of Eden. God had given man dominion and authority to rule the earth. The devil deceived him and usurped his authority and because the first man had lost his authority only another man could restore back the lost authority. God took human form in the person of Jesus Christ and became the second Adam, the first of a new breed of men who would have authority over the enemy, who is the devil.
Apart from the above incident, God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

MAN CAN RELATE TO GOD PERSONALLY
This is a foreign concept to many world religions whose concept of God, is an impersonal God that is far removed from mortal activities and can only be accessed through prophets, special saints, angels, other spirit beings and rigorous religious activities such as prayer and fasting, meditation etc. The God of the bible is accessible to all who desire to reach him and relate to him personally anytime any place.
James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.” BBE

GOD IS LOVE
He declares in His word that he is Love and loves His creation. You can correctly summarize the bible as a “love story”, of a loving God chasing after His beloved creation with love.
1 John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knewth him not.
God has adopted as to be his sons. He desires that our relationship with him be that of Father and son. A relationship of strong love. My study of different world religions has revealed that the way their faithfuls relate to their ‘God’, is in great contrast to the way Christians relate to the God of the bible. We find that in most religions the actions of the followers is based on fear of the deity they worship. They are obligated to obey the teachings of their respective religions and if they fail to do so they will be repercussions and consequences. So the relationship with their God is based on fear. However in Christianity the driving force to obedience is not driven by fear, but by the character of a loving caring God. The motivation to obey and serve in Christianity is based on a relationship with a loving father. God has loved us so much , done so much for us and blessed us with what we did not deserve. Therefore we gladly and willing relate to Him based on Love not fear.

CONCLUSION
Hence as we conclude it is important to know that we are God’s creation. God is so great and cannot be contained in any building or sanctuary. We belong to Him. We are God’s property; hence it will benefit us to know His will for us. (1 Cor 6:19 -20). Finally and most importantly we were created to worship and adore Him. Our greatest purpose in life is to worship God. (Rev 4:11)