Author: busialighthousechurch

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)

JESUS LOVES MUSLIMS TOO – SERIES 001 :- UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN OF ISLAM
Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about two billion Muslims worldwide. Scholars date the creation of Islam to the 7th Century, making it the youngest major The Muslim calendar is different from our Gregorian calendar. It is a lunar calendar while the Gregorian one is a solar based calendar. It commemorates an important event when an arabic religious reformer successful escaped from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. and it is known as hijra{also spelled Hegira or Hijra}.Hijra marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Thus the letters A. H. are abbreviation for anno hijra, which means “ in the year of the escape”.
So currently our calendar reads A.D. 2020 the Muslim calendar is A.H 1440. The Arab religious reformer was called Muhammad who was born in A.D. 570, and the escape was from the city of Mecca to to the town of Yathrib.
The Ancestry of the Arab People
A recent genetic study shows that many Arabs and Jewish are closely related. More than 70% of Jewish men and half of the Arabs men whose DNA was studied inherited their Y chromosomes from the same paternal ancestors who lived in the region within the last few thousand years.(reported by Ann Gibbons-Science Magazine). The Arab people can trace their ancestry to the second son of Noah – Shem. Hence are semetic like the Jews. According to Genesis 10:25 and 1CHRONICLES 1:19 , the semetic people developed into two major races from the seed of Eber. Jocktan became the father of the Arab people, and peleg became the father of the Hebrew people. Their commom lineage resulted in many similarities between the Arab culture and the Hebrew culture.
Abraham was a Hebrew who descended from Peleg: however, his descendents took on different identities because he had several wives. His children through Sarah became Hebrews. The bible notes that before Sarah gave birth to Isaac, she gave her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar , to Abraham in order to produce a son.
After Sarah’s death , Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah (Genesis 25:1). Keturah’s descendants became known as Keturahite Arabs. While they did not come from the pure line of Joktan, they gradually adopted Arabic culture and language. Jethro , Moses father in law who helps his, son in law, to manage and lead the nation of Israel in the desert (Exodus 18), is actually from the lineage of Abraham’s wife Keturah. Jethro in Islam is known as prophet Shu’ayb. It is apparent that the Arab Jethro and the Hebrew Moses worshipped the same eternal God. Abraham apparently taught all the members of his family about one true God. Sarah’s maid Hagar , bore Abraham his first born son Ishmael who is also an ancestor of the Arabs. Hence it is historically true to say that Arabs and the Hebrew people are closely related.
The Arabs of the sixth and seventh centuries believed that Ishmael married a female descendant of Joktan whom Muslims know as Kahtan. Thus he married into pure Arab Race. The Arabs became the nomadic tribes in North Arabia. The tribe of the Quraysh became prominent by the sixth century and established permanent settlements in Mecca. The Quraysh tribe traces its ancestry back to Nabaioth , one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, and it featured two major clans: the Umayyad clan and the Hashemite clan. Prophet Mohammed was a Hashemite.
THE RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT ARAB PEOPLE
Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia included indigenous animistic{the worldview that non-human entities(animals, plants and inanimate object or phenomena)posses a spiritual essence; often practiced by tribal groups before organized religion} – polytheistic beliefs, as well as Christianity , Judaism, Mandaeism and Iranian religions of Zoroatrianism Mithraism, and Manichaeism. Most likely the early descendants of Ishmael knew about the one true God of Abraham; however similarly to what happened to the Israelites of old, the Arabs descendants of Ishmael began to practice idolatry(The worship of an idol or a physical object, such as a cult image, as a god). By the sixth century A. D . Mecca became a center of idolatrous worship. The main religious ritual focused on the sacrifice of animals to their idols. Arab polytheism was based on the belief in dieties and other supernatural beings such as djinn.(water spirits). Local shrines and the Kaaba were places where the gods and goddesses were worshipped.
According to tradition, these Arabs had a faint knowledge about a Supreme Being named Allah. However the true knowledge of this Supreme Being was lost over time, and the early Arabs instead worshipped their idols as their mediators with Him. The Quran , the sacred scriptures of Muslims, mentions three idols by name. They are Al –Lat, Al –Uzza and Manat. Pagan Arabs didn’t believe in resurrection and the hereafter; instead, they used these pilgrimages to indulge in the carnal pleasures of life before their deaths.
The Hashemite Clan became the custodians of the kaaba (the black stone ), while the Umayyad clan became the ruling class of the Quraysh. When prophet Mohammed was still growing up, Mecca was a centre of commerce apart from the rappant idolatry.

TRADE
The Arabian peninsula trade route was also referred to as the “incense trade route”. It included a network of major ancient land and sea trading routes linking the mediteerranean world with eastern and southern sources of incense,spices,and other luxury goods, stretching from Mediterranean ports across the Levant and Egypt through Northeastern Africa and Arabia to India and beyond. World merchants had established trade routes between Europe and China. Goods were moved from Europe eastwards over the Mediterranean Sea to the great commercial city of Damascus (ancient Dimashq). Then caravans carried the goods overland through Iraq (Babylon) and Iran (Persia) over the trade routes of the silk road that led into China.
The silk road trade became a source of great financial gain; so , whoever controlled the trade routes became wealthy and powerful. During the sixth century, two great empires fought for control of these trade routes. One was the Christian Byzantine Empire that was from Constantinople, Turkey, and the other was the Persian Sassanian Empire that was ruled from Ctesiphon Iraq.
This fighting disrupted trade between Damascus and the East; as a result, the trade routes shifted southward to the Arabian peninsula. Caravans stopped on their way at the water holes of Yathrib and again in the city of Mecca before proceeding to the ports on the Arabian Sea. From these ports, merchants shipped their goods to the East.
As a result the Umayyads gained a source of financial revenue. Initially Mecca was the Arabian centre of pilgrimage, but later it grew into a commercial centre. Its merchants hired people to lead the camel caravans, one of whom was Muhammad.
THE MISSION OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD
Muhammad was born in A.D. 570. Unfortunately , his father died before he was born and his mother died shortly after. It was his uncle Abu Talib , who raised him as a young boy. Abu Talib had a son named Ali, and in time Ali and Mohammad became close friends.
As a young man, Muhammad worked for a widow woman named Khadijah who owned a trade business. Khadijah became so impressed with Muhammad that she married him. For the next twenty five years she was Mohammad only wife. Khadijah bore Muhammad four daughters and one son who died in infancy. Two of the daughters, Fatima and Ruqayyah, became important in the early Muslim community, as we shall see.
While Muhammad worked for Khadijah, he travelled up and down the Arabian Peninsula. It is interesting to note that Jewish communities existed near Yathrib and Christian communities existed in Damascus in the north and Sana in the South. Christianity was also dominant in the Ethiopia and its influence spread into southern Arabia.
It appears that Muhammad learned about the teachings of the Jews and Christians. According to Islamic tradition, this knowledge caused Muhammad to become deeply disturbed about the pagan practices of his own Arab community. As a result , he periodically spent time in a cave near Mecca to meditate.One day he had a mystical spiritual experience that marked the beginning of his mission. This mission dramatically changed the Arabian peninsula and the entire world.
According to Islamic tradition, Muhammed’s mystical experience occurred in the year A.D 610 in a cave located in the hills of Mt. Hira outside Mecca. As Muhammed meditated, a voice suddenly spoke to him saying , “Recite!” The voice added “Recite in the name of the Lord who created…..” . The voice went on to say “ O Muhammad you are the messenger of God and I am Gabriel.” As Mohammed looked up he saw an angel in the form of a man.
Muhammed immediately went home to tell Khadijah what had happened. Khadijah then took him to her Christian Cousin Waraqah, who was acquainted with the scriptures of the Jews and Christians. After hearing Muhammed’s experience , Waraqah assured him that his experience was from God. He added that just as God called Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of idolatry. He was now calling Muhammed to lead the Arab people out of idolatry.
With Waraqah’s encouragement, Muhammad resumed his periodic meditation in the cave, where he continued to receive revelations from Gabriel. According to Muhammed this revelations came to him at different times and in different places for the next twenty – two years. After the first three years of these revelations ,Muhammed came to understand his mission. According to the Quran, God commissioned him to do the following:
To bear witness that the supreme God called Allah was the only God. There was no other God in the universe. Furthermore , humankind must worship this one true God and submit to His will.
To bear the good news that those who worship Allah alone receive a reward. Allah will raise from the dead and admit them into a heavenly paradise.
To warn his people that Allah would punish those who refused to worship Him. Allah would raise them also from the dead, but He would cast them into a terrible place of fire and eternal torment.
Mohammed as a lamp was to bear the light of Allah. This meant he would preach the revelation of Allah as guidance for humankind.

So Mohammed began to preach his message publicly to the Arabs in about 613 A.D., declaring that Allah was the only God worthy of worship. He insisted that his fellow Meccans must discontinue their idolatry and he tried to convince them about the resurrection. He also sternly warned them that Allah would punish them if they rejected his message.

The Meccans mocked him and called him a madman, but he persisted with His preaching. Gradually , more people became his followers and this angered the Meccans; so they began to persecute him and his followers. When the situation became desperate, Muhammed advised some of his followers to emigrate to Abyssinia,(where Christians treated them kindly). The situation in Mecca worsened.

One day during the pagan pilgrimage ceremonies, some Arabs from Yathrib came to mecca in search of Muhammed. Since they Had heard some Jews talking about a prophet who someday would come to restore God’s laws. They were curious about Muhammed; so they invited him to Yathrib. Mahammed accepted their invitation and established a strong relationship with them. Some of them became his followers and offered to help him.

While still in Mecca , Mohammed learned of a plot to kill him. So first he instructed his followers in Mecca to leave for Yathrib, and then he planned his escape. Under the cover of darkness he fled to Yathrib. In A.D. 622. Muhammed arrived safely in Yathrib to the joyous welcome of his followers. His successful escape became known as the hijra. It marked the beginning of the muslim calendar. It also marked the beginning of a unified Muslim community under the full leadership of its prophet. Prophet Muhammeds status drastically changed when he moved to Yathrib, from that of a religious preacher who warned Meccans of danger of rejecting Allah’s message to that of being a being a respected religious statesman who instituted laws to bring about social reformation. Since Prophet Muhammed became the central figure of Yathrib, the city became known as “the city of the prophet”, (al-madina un-nabi). In time the city simply became known as Medina.

STRUGGLES TO VICTORY
When persection became extremely great against Muhammed, tradition indicates that he received a special revelation from God.This revelation gave him a divine warrant to attack the Meccans, who were now worthy of revenge because of their aggression against the religion of God and His chosen messenger. So in A.D. 624 , Muhammed gathered his men to attack a caravan en-route to Mecca – even though he and his followers were outnumbered three to one.

In spite of his smaller force, Muhammed and his men won a victory at a place called Badr and this victory increased Muahmmed’s popularity and religious credibility. Two years later , he engaged the Meccan forces at Mt. Uhud. Although Muhammed lost this battle, the Meccans were not able to destroy his following.

The Meccans decided to lead their army of ten – thousand men against Medina, but a deep trench prevented them from advancing into the city of Medina; however they led the city in siege. Then one night under the onslaught of a fierce sand storm, Meccan soldiers retreated to Mecca. Many Arabs interpreted this retreat as another miraculous victory for Muhammad.

In A.D 630 , Muhammad was able to raise an army of ten – thousand Arab supporters and march to Mecca. Realizing the hopelessness of their condition, the Meccans ceded the city to Muhammad, fearing fierce retribution and saughter; however in an act of diplomacy, Muhammad granted them amnesty, which won even more converts to his cause. Upon entering the city , Muhammad went directly to the Kaaba, where he destroyed all the idols. Then he declared the Kaaba to be the house of none other than Allah, the true God of Abraham.

With the fall of Mecca , more Arab tribes gave their support to Muhammed and embraced his religion. The religion became known as Islam, and those who submitted to this religion were known as Muslims.

The Early Rise Of Islam
After his victory over Mecca, Muhammad spent most of his time with the growing and flourishing Muslim community in Medina. There he administered social change according to the revelations he claimed to receive from God. Khadijah , died around this time; Ali married their married their daughter Fatima; and Muhammed married eleven more wives. Some of the marriages were politically motivated and were arranged to establish alliances with other Arabian tribes.

One of Muhammed’s wife was A’ishah. She was the daughter of Abu Bakr whom he had given to Muhammad as a gift shortly after Khadijah’s death. She became Muhammad favourite wife, ofcourse after Khadijah had died. However there was trouble brewing. Both Fatima and A’ishah began competiting for Muhammad’s favour and attention. This contention grew between them and become especially apparent at Muhammad’s death.

Muhammed died in 632 A.D. only two years after his victory over Mecca. According to tradition many muslims believed Muhammed died of food poisoned by a Jewish woman. (some Muslims reject this idea, insisting that Allah would never allow an enemy to harm or kill one of His prophets.) After Muhammeds death , the community faced a major problem: who would succeed Muhammad as leader of the believers?

Arab culture demanded that the community elders elect from among themselves the individual most worthy to rule. However some Muslims, led by Fatima, insisited that the next ruler be from Muhammad’s family because they wanted Ali, Fatima’s husband to rule. A’ishah who disliked Fatima, wanted her father, Abu Bakr, to rule. The Arab tradition prevailed and Abu Bakr became the next leaderof the Muslim community. He bore the title ‘khalifa’.{ one who inherits authority to rule}
INFIGHTINGS WITHIN THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EARLY MUSLIM COMMUNITY
When Muhammad died , some of the Arab tribes that promised to follow him believed that his death released them from their oath of allegiance: as a result they reverted to their pagan religious practices. So Abu Bakr felt compelled to use military force to bring them back into the community of Islam. While Abu Bakr’s rule was cut short when he died unexpectedly two years later, under his leadership all of Arabia came under the banner of Islam.

Hostilities between the families of Fatima and A’ishah continued. The situation escalated when Fatima asked Abu Bakr for Muhammad’s property when he died, a request that Abu Bakr refused , asserting that the property of a prophet belongs to the religious community . Fatima died six months after six months after prophet Mohammed died and left Ali with two sons, Hasan and Husayn.

The Muslim community again faced the succession problem after Abu Bakr died. Ali was growing in influence and many felt that he should be the next khalifa, because he was the father to Muhammed’s grandsons. However Umar was elected with the elders according to Arabic culture.

Umar is credited with compling the Quran from the revelations that Muhammed received. He is also responsible for standardizing major Islamic practices.
After Umar the next Khalifa was Uthman . Who was the first Kalifa not from Muhammed Heshimite clan but from the Umayyad Clan. He standardized the Quran into an official text. He had more financial and political interest than religious interest, hence moving his administration to the more prosperous city of Damacus instead of Mecca. Many Muslims complained his lack of religious focus . On the other hand he is the one who instituted the Quran as the official Islamic text. Uthman ruled as khalifa for eleven years. Meanwhile Aishah(Muhammed wife) continue to grow influence in the upcoming Islamic community and because of the rivalry she arranged for Uthman to be assassinated.

Finally Ali became the fourth Kalifa. The first four rulers are known as the rightly guided ones by the Sunnis. The Shites however did not recognize the first three khalifas , they hold that Ali became their first legitimate ruler.

As we conclude that this teaching has given you a better understanding of Islam as a Christian so that you can better reach out with the love of Jesus Christ to your Muslim neighbor,friend and maybe even family without prejudice. May the Lord bless you as you shine forth His Love and share the good news.

Researched and Compiled by
Pst Willy Ochieng
Busia Lighthouse Church

Primary resource : Muslim Ministry in the African Context , by Harry Morin

Marriage from the rocks to The Rock – Series 001 The Opposing Forces To Your Marriage
IDENTIFYING THE ENEMIES OF YOUR MARRIAGE
SELFISHNESS
Unfortunately when most men and women enter into a relationship they ask the question “what’s in it for ME?”. That is the wrong question for a believer. Instead we should ask ourselves what I can give in this relationship. The best attitude as you enter into a relationship is to be selfless. If marriage is all about you, You will soon be drifting away from each other. The key is to surrender and to desire to serve one another. You must be willing to forgo what you think is rightfully yours. Are you willing to be the last in your marriage relationship? Then you will be able to move your marriage from the rocks to the Rock (Christ Jesus).

CASE STUDY; – Gabriel and Carol (not their real names) met after college. Gabriel worked with the government while Carol worked with a local NGO. Their friendship soon turned romantic and within three months they were married. All was well during the friendship, but things changed soon after their big wedding. Gabriel still wanted to “hangout” with his bachelor college friends at the local pub until late in the night while watching the latest premier league match. While Carol remained “home alone”, late into the night. Soon their relationship became rocky and the marriage deteriorated and after two years , Gabriel and Carol went their separate way.

Ephesians 5: 15 – 17 :- So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like these who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
A Christian believer needs to be careful how they live but especially in a marriage we must be considerate of our partners needs. We must purpose to wisely and with love to meet their needs. We must be ready to go “an extra mile” for our partners to strengthen our marriages. You must be thoughtful. Small things matter in a marriage. Do not take things lightly, be sensitive to the needs of your wife or husband.
LACK OF COMMITMENT
Marriage is a covenant relationship.
CASE STUDY: – Owino came into the big city for the first time when he was enrolled at the University. It was a big change for him from his rural village. Being social and a quick learner he soon fitted into the ways of city life. He joined a big church and was able to use his gift and passion of playing the keyboard during the church worship services. He soon met and fell in love with Njeri. They went to see their pastor and shared about their new relationship. Everyone in church was excited and a committee to plan their wedding was formed. Unfortunately what Owino did not share with Njeri and the pastor was that while he was in form three he got Nafula pregnant (his high school girlfriend) . Although he was still in school the parents insisted that they get married in accordance to African customs and he support the unborn child. Nafula would continue living at her parent’s home under this arrangement until Owino completed his education. For a while he faithfully honored this arrangement, but they lost touch when he came into the city. All was well for several years after Owino and Njeri married. Until Nafula traced Owino and demanded him to honour their previous arrangement. He secretly did until his wedded wife found out and their marriage found itself on a very rocky path. Fortunately they searched for counsel from mature believers and their pastor who helped them restore their marriage, although it was a difficult path for them to follow. ( nb ;-all the characters mentioned are fictitious )
In our case study we find the brother with divided loyalty and commitment in his marriage, which is a common occurrence in many marriages. It may not be extreme like in our case study. Nevertheless marriage demands total commitment to your spouse above your job, ministry, parents, business. I once was leading a thriving Christian ministry, but the ministry became a strain in my young marriage. I was suddenly faced with a choice to continue this great ministry or work on my marriage that was suffering at that point. I am glad I chose my marriage above my ministry. Today, God has given a wonderful ministry and he also preserved my glorious marriage. I give the Lord all the glory and praise. My brother, my sister, it takes commitment to your spouse.
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.

Naturally children are committed to their parents, but the above scriptures shows that at the point of marriage that commitment must shift to your spouse.
REBELLION (1SAM 15:23)
Today it is politically incorrect to use the word rebellion, rather we prefer to use more ‘appropriate terms’:- like independent minded or progressive. The truth of the matter is that God instituted marriage. He clearly gave leadership to Adam by creating him first (Genesis 2:18) and referred to Eve as Adam’s helpmate. So we can argue all the equality we want, but that does not move the family principals of God. The man is supposed to lead from the front. However the kind of leadership God delegated to man in the family is not egoistic or dictatorial. It is servant leadership that bears most of the weight in the marriage and the most responsibility for its sustenance. Paul compares the role of the husband to that of Christ to His Church.
EPHESIANS 5:22 – 25 :- For wives this means submit to your husbands as the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church .He is the Saviour of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands , this means love your wives , just as Christ loved church. He gave up his life for her.
The bible clearly instructs wives to submit to their husbands. Husbands are supposed to offer leadership in a marriage . This does not mean he dictates every decision. The couple are equal before God , but the man assumes the position of the captain of the ship . For harmony in the leadership of the marriage and home his wife supports and is active in the decision making process and agree by consensus there is no competition opposition or rebellion in the decisions agreed upon.
CASE STUDY :- Wairumu and Nduati have been happily married for ten years. God has blessed their marriage with three children, John, Praise and Nicholas. Wairumu is a banker with a multinational bank, while Nduati is a prominent businessman in town. All was well in their marriage until, Nduati’s business began to ‘slump’ because of the economic slowdown in the country. His business profits reduced to an all-time low. On the other hand the bank awarded Wairimu, the long awaited promotion to managerial level due to her long faithful service in the institution. You would expect things to be fine the marriage. Unfortunately the financial dynamics have shifted. Initially Nduati was the main bread winner in this family. All over sudden this responsibility has shifted to Wairimu and stress is beginning to show in her as her new responsibility is taking a heavy toll on her. The once submissive wife and mother is no longer willing to do budget like they did earlier in the marriage. She is not willing to explain all her expenditures to Nduati and he feels she is rebelling his leadership as a husband. Fortunately they pay a visit to their best couples (who are mature Christians) home who advise and pray with them and soon the situation improves. {nb:- all characters in the story are fictitious }

ANGER & VIOLENCE
Proverbs 15: 18 ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife: but he that is slow to anger appeasth strife.
We encourage young people aspiring to marry to plan for a reasonable time of courtship. The reason is so they can get to learn about each other before the actual marriage. We advise that is better to break a courtship than a break a marriage.
The courtship period gives you an opportunity to check out for undesirable characters and habits that your future partner may have. If she does not keep time during the courtship, please do not expect her to keep time in the marriage. If he does not call regularly during the courtship, do not expect him to call regularly in the marriage. If he has a short temper and is violent during the courtship, he will be the same in the marriage. We all get angry once in a while, but we must be able to control and manage our anger. Unmanaged anger is destructive especially in a marriage situation and results to violence, injuries and sometimes fatalities. Most of the conflicts in marriage are due to uncontrolled anger. The bible says he that is slow to anger has the ability to appease strife. In today’s everyday language this means; he who can manage his anger, can also manage conflict. In marriage conflict is the norm. You must therefore be ready to manage it. The first step is the ability to manage your anger. Pst , Dr. Alfred Gitu who took me and my Wife Nancy through marital counseling over twenty years ago surprised us in our first session with him. He asked us, “have you ever been in a conflict before?” Desiring to look good and mature before our esteemed Pastor, both Nancy and I vehemently denied ever having to conflict during our courtship. We expected him to congratulate us for being such a wonderful couple. Instead he gave us a look of disappointment and said, “If you have never had a conflict, I don’t think you are ready for marriage, because in marriage you will have plenty of conflicts which you have to manage.” That was a turning point in our outlook of marriage and we have since proved that Pst. Gitu was right.
We have also discovered that when we manage our anger, eighty percent of the conflict is automatically managed. I also want to add that is not worth staying in an constantly abusive, violent marriage. It may be more appropriate to separate for a season as you both obtain godly counsel , prayer and healing.

ADULTERY
The sixth commandment “thou shalt not commit adultery”. (Exodus 20:13) This is the ultimate level of unfaithfulness in any marriage. God also takes this sin seriously. In the old covenant adultery was punishable by death. {Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.}
Although the death is not executed physically under the new covenant, a spiritual death occurs to us when we engage in adultery. The marriage bed is sacred and must be kept holy. When we get involved sexually with someone who is not our wife or husband, we defile ourselves, our marriages and families and enter into a curse as believers. It much more worse for a Christian believer to be unfaithful in their marriage than a unbeliever. We are not exposing ourselves to venereal diseases like H.I.V AIDS and the shame that comes with the act , but we are also spiritually defiling the marriage covenant relationship that we are in and ultimately our relationship with God.
Case study: David and Susan{ not their real names} have been married for four years and are Christians. Before David got married he was involved in several short term relationships that were sexual. However after giving his life to Christ he decided to change his wild lifestyle and get married to a good church girl and settle down. Susan and David have had a fairly good relationship, although he has not been able to share his addiction to pornography with his wife Susan. On top of that they do not openly share sexual expectations with each other. Due to David pornographic problem, lately he has been feeling unfulfilled with ‘the bedroom act’. At the office, David has found himself closely attached to the girl with a “bad reputation” Clare. They have been spending long hours after work, at Clare’s request for counseling about her endless wild sexual escapades. During one of those time alone, David and Clare got themselves in a compromising situation and one thing led to another. It was too late when the realized they had committed adultery. Susan found out about it and instead of talking to her pastor or Christian counselor, she decided to take matters into her own hands revive a relationship with “an old flame”. Now there marriage has hit rock bottom and there is talk of separation and divorce.
Adultery is destructive and it has destroyed many marriages and lives. I pray that you do not become part of that statistic in Jesus Name.
FAILURE TO LEAVE AND CLEAVE
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.
When two people get into a marriage they must realize that they are coming from different and diverse backgrounds. Both parties must be willing to adjust from their former mindsets and lifestyle to together make their new home. Unfortunately that rarely happens. Many couples refuse to “come out from home”. They get into marriage but still want to do, think and relate the way they used to. They still want to relate to their parents and siblings the way the previously related. This situation results into conflict and can even break a marriage. If you are ready for marriage you must be willing to change. Especially for Africans who are closely connected to their extended families this becomes a major challenge. In Africa you still do not marry only a person, but the family and community he or she comes from. As much as there are some positive aspects to this, there must be some boundaries set up with the prospective in-laws for you to enjoy a healthy Christian marriage. The couple must be willing to leave their parents’ home and begin their new home.
Case Study: – Joseph and his brother Mark were brought up with their single mum. She worked hard to provide for them a comfortable childhood. By the time they became adults their family was very close. Joseph being the first born, unconsciously began to play the role of a surrogate father in order to his protect his younger brother and his single mother. These made him mature faster than his age. When he met Maggy their love quickly blossomed and was soon married. All was well until Maggy got concerned of the long phone conversation Joseph would have with his mother and younger brother who was still in college. Sometimes the phone calls came late the night. Maggy tried to talk to Joseph about this, to no avail. She therefore reacted by inviting her younger sister to their home to help her with house chores as she waited to join college. As she felt isolated by Joseph’s actions she also decided to get comfort and friendship from her sister. This further drove the couple apart, straining their relationship. Both Joseph and Maggy although married and living under one roof , were still in their respective parents homes. ( all characters in the above case study fictitious)
After leaving….. , the bible talks about cleaving …..The second bit of cleaving involves purposeful getting learn about your differences, similarities and ‘sticking it’ out together , no matter how hard it is and forging a new life and future together, committed to one another to the end by the grace of God.
POOR COMMUNICATION
Words are powerful. We must be careful how we use our words. Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. We must realize that our words have consequences especially in a marriage relationship. What we speak, where we speak, to whom we speak , when we speak and how we speak will ultimately determine if we communicate effectively and the success in our marriage. Communication is a major marriage breaker if used incorrectly and the reverse is true. Good communication establishes a strong marriage. To communicate properly in your marriage, it is important to note that men and women communicate differently. Women tend to be more emotional and detailed in their conversations compared to men who are generally more objective and ‘straight to the point’ in their communications. Women tend to talk more compared to men and have a stronger need to talk. Both couples should factor these facts for them to communicate amicably.
FAILURE TO TAKE UP RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROLES IN MARRIAGE
For marriage to work properly, both the man and woman must clearly understand their unique roles and responsibilities clearly. This is important, because as each individual comes into the marriage they have certain expectations they believe their partners will meet for them. These expectations may vary from one culture to another, however generally men are expected to be providers and protectors, while women are expected to be home makers and care givers especially for the children. With globalization and affirmative actions for women this roles are quickly shifting with the independent corporate woman emerging. Couples getting married today should factor in the emerging roles of especially women and agree on how they will navigate their roles and responsibilities. However, the more things change, the more things remain the same. Women will always expect their man to be provider and protector no matter how much she earns or her status in society, While men always expect their women to be caregivers and homemakers even when she is C.E.O or Prime Minster. When she comes back home she is just his wife and mother to her children and vice versa for the man.
BEDROOM PROBLEMS
We plan to have a full session later, but the most important thing when it comes to bedroom matters it is important to talk, be open and discuss your needs.
Genesis 2:25 :- And they were both naked the man and his wife and were not ashamed. Sex is beautiful, holy in marriage. Unfortunately some people come into the marriage with a negative attitude , due to their cultural or pre-marital sexual experience and this drastically affects sex and the general situation in the marriage. The bible says that Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed. Married couples need to borrow that philosophy when they do, bedroom matters will greatly improve.
POOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
We will take full session on this, but briefly it is important for the married couple to have a common account and budget for all their needs together.

Compiled by ,
Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor
BUSIA LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH

THE WAR WE MUST EACH FIGHT
Christianity is a religion that ushers its believers into peace beyond human understanding. {John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid / John 16:33These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. }
Nevertheless Christianity is not a passive or timid religion like many mistakenly believe. Bible Scholars and historians agree that Jesus Christ had an action oriented and many times controversial / confrontational personality. He actively confronted the religious and social ‘status quo’. That is why the religious leaders of His days {the Pharisees and the Sadducees} viewed him as ‘public enemy number one’ and a dangerous revolutionary that needed to be eliminated.
The following statement Jesus Christ made describes the conflicts that He and his followers would face while on earth and he sounds more as an army general than a timid pacified religious leader; Mathew 10: 33 – 39 “ But whosever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword .For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
As a Christian believer it is impossible to realize the purposes of God in your life by being passive, timid and desiring not to “rock the boat”. Yes it is true that we have received the most fundamental objects of our Christianity without any effort on our part. We did not work for our salvation, it is a gift from a loving heavenly Father, paid for at the cross by His loving Son Jesus Christ. {Rom 5: 15 -18/ Rom 6:23). However after we receive the free gifts of God, of salvation and his grace, we are empowered to work and fight to possess all that God has for us. The Apostle Paul gives the church at Ephesians the blueprint on how to engage in this war that each believer must fight be a victorious Christian.
EPHESIANS 6:10- 18
Lastly(finally) be strong(be strengthened)[Greek :- “endoonamo’o “ –be strong , endue with strength , receive strength , increase in strength , also be bold , headstrong ] in the Lord, and in the strength of his power(his mighty strength/the power of his might). [ Greek :- “krat’-os” – force , power , great power , dominion ]
God expects us to be Strong. They will be moments you will feel weak, feeble and exhausted, but you must encourage yourself in the Lord. The challenges that will come your way will require strength and determination to overcome. Your strength levels will vary depending with your circumstances. When you are low in strength, God’s strength will be available. You only need to ask. Your battle is spiritual, therefore you will need supernatural strength available only from, God the Holy Spirit.
Take up the instruments of war (Put on the whole armor of God) so that you may be able to keep your position (to stand) against all the deceits (the wiles/schemes of the devil) of the Evil One.
Some believers still feel that they do not need to fight, because Jesus did it all for us at the cross. No doubt the work of Calvary is complete and perfect. However we must execute what was established at the cross by our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ in our personal lives. If we did not need to fight anymore, they would be no need to put on the armour of God or to take up the instruments of war. The enemy strives to deceive you and move you out of your God ordained position, using evil tricks and schemes.
For our fight (struggle/wrestle/ wrestling) is not against flesh and blood (human opponents), but against authorities (principalities) and powers (cosmic powers), against the world – rulers of this dark night (darkness around us/ this world / this age), against the spirit of evil in the heavens (evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm / spiritual wickedness in high places).
The scripture confirms that there is a battle, a struggle, a fight every believer must engage in. In the Old Testament the children of Israel had to battle their enemies before they could enter into the” promised land”. Joshua and the Israelites had to physically battle the heathen nations in Canaan to possess the their land of inheritance. Believers today have to do a similar battle. Only it is not a physical battle like that of the Israelites of Old, it is a spiritual war that the believers engage in. Apostle Paul tells the Church that “Our battle is not against flesh and blood (human opponents)”. In other words, the arena for the believers battle is different. The tools and equipment for this war are also different. Even the motives for this fight is different, unlike other battles that are for the ego and glory of man, in this battle God Almighty receives all the glory. The scripture goes ahead and identifies the enemy. The enemy is not a physical one, but a spiritual enemy, the eternal enemy of God – Satan. Who has mobilized demonic powers to fight against the purposes of God on the earth. The purposes of God on earth are personified in the Christian believer, hence the believer automatically becomes an enemy of the devil. Despite that fact, we are comforted by the words of Jesus when He declares that he has overcome the world and that ‘greater is He that is in us than the one in the world.
For this reason take up all the arms (amour/ the whole armour/ full armour) of God, so that you may be able to be strong (take a stand / withstand / stand your ground) in the evil day (whenever evil comes), and having done all( have done everything you could) , keep your place(stand firm/ stand ).
The bible instructs the believer to take up arms /armour/full armour of God. The Christians arms are not guns, bombs, jet fighters or missiles. The Christian armour is spiritual and may seem useless to the carnal mind, but is extremely potent spiritually and ultimately affects even the physical world. Everything that happens in the physical world, first took place in the spiritual realm. The first chapter of the book of Job , clearly illustrates this reality. The book begins in the natural realm with Job’s family going about their normal daily business in the first five verses. In the sixth verse the scene seamlessly moves to the spiritual realm. Amazingly the conversations that are going on between God and the devil about Job adversely transforms Job’s situation in the natural realm, although Job and his family are not aware of what is going on in the spiritual realm. We must be aware that there are conversations in the spiritual realm about us and not all the spiritual transactions about us are beneficial. Therefore we must be ready to engage, converse, transact and even war in the spiritual realm in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
The word of God advises us to “stand”. We cannot expect God or others to stand for us. In order for you to stand, it takes effort on your part to succeed. Hence we also have a role to excel in our ‘walk with God ‘and there are powers which are working contrary to our “standing”.
Take your place (stand, stand firm , stand therefore) , then having(having/your loins girt about with truth / fastened the belt of truth around your waist / by fastening the belt of truth around your waist/utility belt of truth buckled around your waist ) your body clothed with the true word, and having put(putting on) on the breastplate of righteousness ;
Our first armour is the belt of truth. The enemy biggest weapon is lies. Many world wars have began because of lies and propaganda. Scriptures teaches us that the devil is the father of all lies. We can counter his lies with the truth. The Word of God is the truth. Today, new age and eastern religious teaching suggest that truth is relative. That is truth depends on the situation and the person that behold it. This removes all universal standards to truth making truth vague and unattainable. The bible doctrine is clear on the subject stating that God and his word are truth. What the bible declares over you and me is what is absolute truth to stand on. If the bible says am I healed then that is truth, If the bible says that fornication and adultery is wrong then it is.
The second armour is the breast place of righteousness. The word of God teaches us that we serve a holy God and therefore must be holy ourselves. The devil is the direct opposite of holiness and righteousness. For us to overcome the wiles of the enemy, we must be righteous. This is a problem for the human race. After the fall of man in the garden of Eden we lost our ability to be righteous. The very nature of man is evil. The prophet Isaiah states the condition of man as follows “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away. ISAIAH 64:4. The best intentions, thoughts and nature of the fallen man are evil before a holy and perfect God. What can we as believers do to attain righteousness then? Since we cannot obtain this condition on our own we need help from elsewhere. And that was Jesus Christ major mission here on earth. He came to avail God’s righteousness to humanity. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away behold all things are become new. We are to put on Christ’s righteousness. We do not rely on our own righteousness to overcome the enemy, but that which was purchased for us at the cross of calvary. We depend on the righteous of Jesus Christ, that we then put on as our breastplate. Ancient armies put on the breastplate to protect the area around the heart. The word of God cautions us to protect our heart above all else. It further reveals to us that out of the heart the issues of life emerge. In other words the condition of your heart, ultimately determines the quality of life you will have. Therefore it is vital that the righteousness of Jesus Christ protects the condition of your heart, especially against bitterness and unforgiveness that the enemy would love to throw at you.
Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet ; / being firm – footed in the gospel of peace. / and shod with preparation of the gospel of peace / by fitting your feet with preparation that comes from the good news of peace.
One of the greatest spiritual weapons we have is the opportunity to share the good news / the gospel of peace with others. Every time we evangelize , we have a chance to plunder the kingdom of darkness. Revelation 12: 11 “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die”. When we share the gospel of Jesus Christ in love we are fighting and defeating the kingdom of darkness no matter the outcome. Our part is to proclaim the gospel of peace and God’s part is to bring in the harvest. We are co-workers together with Christ.

And most of all (Above all), taking (shield of faith) using faith as a cover to keep off (put out / quench / extinguish )all the flaming arrows( fiery darts) of the Evil One(wicked) .
The next spiritual artillery is faith. The writer of the book of Hebrews states that it is impossible to please God without faith. We must believe that he is God , he loves us and has the ability to help us even when our circumstances sometime speak contrary. The enemies strategy is normally to instill doubt and rob us of our faith. Someone once said doubt is faith in the devil. The bible does not advocate for blind faith. It points to the source of our faith in Rom 10:17 “So faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the word of Christ”. We believe what the word of God says about us to be the true reality even before it manifests in the physical. Abraham believed that he will be a father of nations although he was an old man without a son. Moses believed that he would rescue the children of Israel from captivity although he did not have an army. David believed that he would be king although he was not of royal blood. Jeremiah believed he spoke the word of God despite his young age. Esther believed she could be queen although she came from the politically wrong nation. Ruth believed she could be part of the chosen nation of God although she came from the wrong tribe. The list of those who chose to believe continues… You too will fight and defeat the enemy of your destiny if you can believe.
And salvation for your headdress and the sword of the Spirit, which is word of God. / also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of Spirit, which is the (spoken )word of God.
Our last and not least of the weapons is” the helmet of salvation”. Salvation is the state of being saved. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ we enter into a state of salvation. This state is not dependent on how we feel or what we face. We did not earn salvation it is God’s gift to us. All the benefits of salvation are available to us. We do not need to work to receive this free gift of God. The enemy would like to make us to think that we need to struggle and work to receive salvation. When we clearly understand that God has already saved us and that salvation depends on the work of the cross of Jesus not our own efforts , we will be restful in our minds , putting on the helmet of salvation covering our thought life and living a victorious life.
(Pray in the Spirit at all times )With prayers and deep desires (Praying always with all prayer and supplication / request in the Spirit and watching thereunto / With every prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit)), (with every kind of prayer and request)making requests at all times in the Spirit, and keeping watch(be alert with your most diligent efforts), with strong purpose, in prayer for all saints.( and all supplication / request for all saints ).
Finally the best medium to execute this war with the above weapons is the medium of prayer. The Lord Jesus talked extensively about prayer , he taught his disciples how to pray , some of his prayers are recorded in the gospels and most importantly he had a lifestyle of prayer that every believer needs to emulate. Mark 1:35 ‘’And in the morning , a long time before daylight, he got up and went out to a quiet place , and there he gave himself up to prayer.” I urge you to rise up and engage in the fight for your life and destiny. Do not settle for less. God has a great purpose and destiny for your life. Take up the spiritual weapons available to you and move into the arena of prayer. Partner with the Holy Spirit and take back what rightfully belongs to you in the spiritual realm, it will soon manifest in the physical realm. Prayer changes things.

Pst. Willy Ochieng.
Senior Pastor,
Busia Lighthouse Church.

THE POWER IN THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

SERMON 002

THE MEANING OF INSPIRATION

Inspiration is the process by which God “breathed”, His message into the original writers of scriptures. He moved them by the power of the Holy Spirit to write the scriptures during different times of the history of man.

Inspiration was God’s influence on the minds of the writers of the Bible. The inspired writings are the infallible rule of faith and practice.

All Scripture is God – breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Tim 3:16 – 17).

The Apostle Peter explained that holy men of God spoke “ as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”. (2 Pet 1:21). This facts make the bible a unique book. It was written by different people , from different backgrounds , but all were guided by the Holy Spirit.

The bible remains a leading bestseller over the centuries and has been translated to more languages than any other book in the world. The writers of the bible spoke and wrote by the authority of God. It is therefore God’s  book. It is one of the oldest books in the world. Parts of the bible were written 4000 years ago, but it is still a relevant book today. The bible has the answers to this profound questions in a man’s life

·         Where do I really come from?

·         Why am I here?

·         Where am I supposed to go to from here?

Why you should believe the inspired word of God

1.      JESUS AUTHENTICATED THE SCRIPTURES WRITTEN BEFORE HIM

Jesus approved the Jewish torah, the history books, the poetry books and the writings of the prophets , written before he was born on earth as the inspired word of God.

I tell you the truth until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, nor the least stroke of pen will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:18

2.      THE BIBLE IS A CONSISTENT MASTERPIECE

Although the bible is a library of 66 books written by different writers , during different times of history over a period of 1600 years, in different locations and in different circumstances. Each writer amazingly contributed to the same theme and goal. Having been an English and Literature teacher for several years it never seizes to amaze me , that when I read through the bible (have practiced this for the past twenty years) from Genesis to Revelation it seems that it is the same author writing the different books. The themes of Love, Justice, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Righteousness, Wisdom, Salvation and many more are consistent throughout the bible.

A good illustration is that of many different painters, each painting on the same material using their unique painting skill,  to paint the same beautiful picture.

3.      The Bible reveals Man to Himself

‘The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart.’Heb 4:12

The bible is man’s manual written by the creator of man; God. According to the above scripture the bible has the ability to penetrate, divide, dissect the different parts of man that is body , soul and spirit. It reveals the true nature of man.

Several years ago I was involved in leading a house fellowship / church cell group in the capital city of our nation. A young man joined our Church cell group. We will call him John (not his real name). John being a new believer was still struggling with some sin issues. Understanding that he was still growing spiritually the group members were tolerant and loving towards him. However he persisted and simply refused to change even after several months. One day a sister who hardly knew John was ministering at our fellowship. She powerfully shared the word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. After ministry in the cell group ended, brother John followed me out of the house where we had been meeting in. He was visibly angry and upset. I asked him what was the problem. He started, “who told this lady all about me?”. I had a very difficult time explaining to John that nobody told the lady minister anything about him, but that the word of God has the ability to cut through the very nature of man and reveal our deep thoughts and intentions. Eventually John accepted the truth about the word of God, he allowed the word to transform him. I met im several years later and he was faithfully serving the Lord together with his new lovely family. The bible is able to reveal the true nature of the heart of man.

4.      The Bible has the ability to Positively Transform

Millions of people over the centuries credit positive change in their lives to the teachings of the bible. Exposure to the teachings of the bible has made drunkards to become sober minds, thieves and robbers to become faithful workers, immoral and indecent people to become pious and righteous, sick and unhealthy to receive healing ,the shamed have been glorified , the poor have become wealthy, the sinners have obtained forgiveness , the oppressed have obtained freedom , the unschooled and unwise have obtained wisdom not available in the world best universities.

The teachings of the bible has not only positively influenced individuals , but entire nations and even continents. Europe , Africa and  America can directly credit their civilizations to the teachings of the bible.

5.      The Bible points to the Only exclusive way to Salvation

The bible is God’s manual to man, giving him direction on how to obtain salvation. God is the author of life and salvation, in His book the bible, He has explained and illustrated to Man how he can be saved. From the first book of the bible; Genesis, to the last; Revelation , God is pointing man to His exclusive way to Salvation. The four gospel books which focus on the life of Jesus Christ, magnifies the plan of God for the salvation of man.

THE BENEFITS OF THE WORD OF GOD IN A BELIEVERS LIFE

A)     THE WORD OF GOD IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE

“The spirit is the life giver ; the flesh is of no value : the words which I have said to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63 (BBE Translation). In the beginning God spoke the words “let there be….” And it was created. Hence the Word of God is the source of life. The first chapter of the gospel of  John  equates the person of Jesus Christ with the Word of God, making it impossible to separate God and His Word. It is therefore correct to say that ‘God and His Word are one, inseparable and the source of life’.

B)     THE WORD OF GOD SANCTIFIES US

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”. John 15:3 (KJV) The word of God has the ability to ‘point out our sins and failures’. Thank God it does not just stop there, but the same Word also has the ability to sanctify us and justify us unto purity and holiness.

C)     THE WORD OF GOD IS THE LIGHT OF OUR LIVES

“Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns ant the morning star rises in your hearts”, 2Pet 1:19 (NET) The world is a dark and murky place. Currently the world is facing the worst pandemic in decades with hundreds of thousand of people sick and thousands already  dead just in six weeks throughout the world. Such calamities leave individuals, families , communities and even nations with a dark cloud of un answered questions. Only the word of God can shine the light of Christ in this murky darkness and give supernatural answers that are able to satisfy the broken and depressed souls of men.

D)     THE WORD OF GOD IS SPIRITUAL FOOD

“But he answered and said ,”it is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.” Mat 4:4 (NHEB) Jesus spoke this words after the devil tempted him to eat after praying and fasting for forty days. It was natural for Jesus Christ to desire food after this long period of fasting. Instead of listening to the advice of the devil, the Lord shows us a ‘higher way and a greater need ‘,than the temporal food His body requires. Through his conversations with the devil , Christ reveals to us that man has greater needs than the obvious physical needs we are all aware of. Man being a triune being, is made up of soul, body and spirit. The devil would like Jesus to prioritize his physical needs of eating bread to satisfy his hunger. In contrast , Jesus number one priority is to satisfy His Spirit Man. He reveals to us that the food of the spirit man is the word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Therefore the word of God is our spiritual food. In order to grow spiritually, we need to ‘eat ‘ the word of God.( 1 COR 3:1-2)

E)      THE WORD OF GOD IS A SEED IN OUR LIVES

“The ones that fell among the thorn and bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn’t mature. But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance.” Luke 8:14 -15A wise man once said, the most powerful thing in the world is a seed. He went on to say that, although seeds are generally small and insignificant before they are planted in the ground, they have the ability to reproduce larger and more significant things than the original seed. One single seed has the ability to endlessly multiply. It therefore comes to no surprise that Jesus would compare the word of God to a seed in the above scriptures. He wanted to illustrate the nature of the word of God. To the natural and carnal mind the word of God may seem meaningless, but if the same word of God is planted into a believing, willing and ready heart:; it has the ability to transform significantly a life, a family, a marriage, a situation, a business, a ministry or even an entire nation.

F)      THE WORD OF GOD IS A SWORD AND A SPIRITUAL WEAPON

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17 When the devil tempted Jesus , he constantly answered him with the phrase “it is written……”. He used the word of God as a weapon  to demolish the arguments of devil. The bible in several scriptures symbolizes the word of God as a sword. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double – edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. Heb 4:12 . The believer needs to saturate their minds and hearts with the word of God. The Holy Spirit dwelling inside the believer stirs up them in times of need or spiritual warfare , to use the word of God as a weapon against the tricks and attacks of our spiritual enemy – the devil.

G)     THE WORD OF GOD EMPOWERS US

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came,  and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock”. Mat 7:24 -25 . This scripture illustrates the word of God in the christian’s life, as a well-built permanent structure, that is able to withstand rough weather. However it qualifies that in order for the word of God to empower the believer and establish them in their walk with God, it is not only enough to hear the word of God , but the word of God must also be done or applied in the believers life.

Sermon Compiled by

WILLY OCHIENG

SENIOR PASTOR

BUSIA LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH

WHEN THE WORLD SYSTEMS ARE TESTED

ISAIAH 56:1 – 12

->Watchmen are blind/dogs who can’t bark: ARE WE AS CHURCH LEADERS (Spiritual Watchmen) AWARE OF THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN? IS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST PLAYING ITS ROLE IN THE WORLD AS LIGHT OF CHRIST AND THE SALT IN THE WORLD? ARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AS BELIEVERS? Experts and historians are saying that the world has never gone through tough times as these since the World War 2. The COVID -19 pandemic has pushed the world’s governments, economies, health systems and even religion to their limits. The entire globe seems to be staggering and struggling to keep up.

– Has the Lord allowed Covid -19 pandemic to test the system of the world? If so why?

Why does a good God allow bad things to happen to his beloved creation? We can find some answers in the book of Job.  God allowed the devil to test Job, a faithful man, walking uprightly and blameless before God. He lost his businesses; his family and his health like many people have during this Covid – 19 pandemic. Initially Job didn’t understand why God allowed him to go through all the pain and the suffering, but when he got the full perspective of God’s plan about his situation, Job was glad. The end of the story of the turned out great. I honestly believe that despite the challenges the world is facing, it shall be well with the believers. As the apostle Paul told the church at Rome that, “and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”. Rom 8:28”

The big question is ; what does God expect of us during this trying times? Seven centuries before the birth of Christ, prophet Isaiah of old, spoke the mind of God to the Nation of Israel while in captivity. Isaiah 56 captures what God expects of the believer during difficult times.

Here are some thoughts from the scriptures

1)    Time  to introspect your life

God allows times of testing for us to introspect. This is a time to ‘look inside’ and evaluate every area of your life. A believer needs to ask themselves if they are ‘walking right with the Lord, Are my habits and behaviour in line with the purposes of God? We all need to check and see ‘how our walk of faith is playing out?’ are there areas in my life where I am “out of order?”Is my sense of justice in line with scripture? Do I allow all my major decisions to be influenced by the Holy Spirit,is my sense of right the same as that of the Christian values?

2) Get an eternal perspective

The wrong view of things can make us make wrong decisions and have wrong priorities, goals and objectives. Hence the right perspective of life is crucial. When things are normal we tend to have a temporal perspective of our circumstances. However when we are facing challenges beyond our capabilities like the current covid – 19 pandemic we become ‘open’ to look beyond ‘ourselves ‘ and our current circumstances. Throughout the bible we learn that life only makes sense when we look at it wholistically. The book of Job in the first chapter clearly reveals two perspectives influencing the life of Job and his family. The first perspective reveals the natural or temporal realm where we see Job, his family and their struggles with their circumstances. The next perspective reveals the spiritual and eternal realm where we can here the conversations of God, the angels and even the devil. The conversations show how the spiritual realm influences the natural realm. Although Job experienced hardships in the natural realm, the genesis of the problem was conversations in the spiritual realm. Could it be that the current disaster the world is facing also originated in conversations in the spiritual realm? Isaiah 56 says ‘my salvation is near’, ‘his righteousness will soon be revealed’, the lord’s deliverance and vindication for his people is ‘near’. We are sojourners here on earth with a limited time of 80 or 90yrs if we are lucky. Beyond life here is eternity. You and I need a clear view of eternity.

3) Keep the Sabbath

When God gave his laws to the children of Israel, one of the cardinal laws was keeping the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a time for rest and putting all work aside. (Exodus 16:23, 25; Exodus 20:10). This was a time of sanctification and focus on God and his holiness. (Exodus 20:8). God himself rested and sanctified the Sabbath after creation as an example to us. The consequences of failing to keep the Sabbath were serious, resulting in the death and separation of the defaulter. The New Testament did not diminish the importance of the Sabbath; rather it revealed the true meaning of the Sabbath in the person of Christ Jesus. Throughout the gospels it seems that Jesus Christ is in conflict with the Pharisees about how to observe the Sabbath day. They felt he was rebelling and not properly observing the Sabbath as prescribed by the Law of Moses. Christ makes a profound statement when he declares that the Sabbath was made for man and man for the Sabbath. He goes ahead and declares that he is the Lord of the Sabbath. This revolutionary statement ushers believers into a new dispensation of the Sabbath. In essence the teachings of Jesus Christ point to Him as the believers Sabbath. “Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. Christ offer us rest from our labours and efforts. Through his death at Calvary he has provided for us the free gift of salvation. Many believers are too busy to even spare time with God. They are not keeping the Sabbath. I wonder, is it possible that the lockdowns and the curfews we are currently experiencing throughout the globe is God’s way of reminding us of the importance of keeping Sabbath?  In the old testament God allowed the children of Israel to go into captivity so the land would enjoy the Sabbath. I believe this is a great opportunity for you and I forge a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who is our true Sabbath.

4) Attitude of foreigner       

Like today, in bible times the foreigner’s rights and privileges were limited. They didn’t have the rights of the citizens. When David was a refugee in the land of the philistines, because king Saul was pursing him, he was wisely denied the right to fight alongside the kings of the philistine against the nation of Israel ( 1st SAM 29). The philistine Kings new that although he was living amongst the philistine as one of them, his heart and loyalty was with Israel. Believers today need the same kind of attitude David had, a ‘foreigners attitude’, here on earth. As much as we live and are part of the systems of the world, we must never lose our true identity as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, led and ruled by Jesus Christ. We are all ambassadors of the kingdom of Christ propagating the Gospel of the living GOD.

5) Attitude of a eunuch

Eunuchs in ancient kingdoms served in the courts of Kings and Queens, entrusted with very precious and valuable assets or people in the royal palaces. They were highly trusted and some of them grew to places of prominence in the ancient kingdoms. (Acts 8:26 -39) However becoming a Eunuchs came at a very high price. They had to forgo their rights for procreation and become slaves to the monarchy. The eunuch lived solely for the king and the kingdom. In this era of democracy, civil rights and liberty it is politically wrong to speak about surrendering your rights to anyone. But my brothers and sisters we are not giving up our rights and privileges to just anyone, we are surrendering them to the creator of the universe who is also our loving and caring father. A  Good number of our earthly fathers had good intentions for us as children and brought us up well despite of the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds (equally a good number of them had no idea of fatherhood or were outright abusive).All the same as children our fathers (parents) were custodians of our rights and privileges. They determined what was good for us until we could decide for ourselves. Life assumed that they were wiser than us, therefore they made decisions for us. The word of God teaches us that the creator is wiser than the cleverest of us. (Isaiah 55:8, 9). Like the Eunuchs of old, we need to become spiritual eunuchs and surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to understand that without Jesus we cannot reproduce anything spiritually that can last for eternity. (John 15:2). May we have an attitude of a spiritual Eunuch, totally dependent on and living for Christ Jesus.

6) Worship and honour his name

When the systems of the world fail, when all hell break loose when the very foundations we stand on become unstable, what are the children of God supposed to do. Paul and Silas were living their dream; preaching the gospel ,casting out devils, wining souls and planting churches; when they run into trouble.(ACTS 16:16 -26). Instead of complaining and finding who is to blame for their calamity, like most believers have done by  joining , the ‘faithless”, in doing during the Covid – 19 pandemic, Paul and Silas saw a great opportunity to worship and honor the Lord. The bible describes it as such “that the jailer thrust them into the inner prison”, definitely not an enviable place to be. With the current economic upheavals , crisis in the health sector and lack of clear global leadership during this trying time, the entire planet seems like an  inner prison cell.(a good illustration considering the lockdown and curfews issued by many governments because of the Covid 19 pandemic) The Christian brother and sister can learn from the apostle Paul and Silas to worship and honor the Lord in the “dark hour”. When we do this God will come through for us and provide a miracle, like he did for Silas and Paul. Despite the current challenges and hardships, when we make a deliberate choice to worship and honor God, He makes for us a way where there is no way.

7) Become a house of house of prayer, a house of sacrifice

The only time Jesus become really tough and almost physical was he threw out the traders, businessmen out of the temple, who had turned the house of God into a marketplace. He quoted our focus scripture in ISAIAH 56,:”It is written , my house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”(Matthew 21:13). The new testament teaches us that God no longer dwells in buildings, but in the hearts of believers in Christ Jesus who make up the body of Christ. Therefore when God refers to His ‘house of prayer’, He does not mean a physical house made of bricks and mortar or otherwise, but he means believers of Jesus Christ. God expects you to be a house of prayer. Especially tough times like this when humanity can’t really find logical explanations of the global events, no matter how hard they try . There is a limit to science, philosophy and other logical disciplines. Some answers are only found in the supernatural realm. That realm is accessed by prayer in the glorious name of the risen Jesus Christ. Call on that name today on behalf of yourself, your family, your community, your nation and for all humanity. Our God is faithful He will answer us. He has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. He will gather us into our ‘God ordained destinies’ and to Himself for a glorious eternity.

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