Lessons From 2016

Sin is a horrible mess

Nothing good ever comes out from sin. This year has been another reminder of the terrible consequences of sins in my own life and the lives of others, family and friends included. From Adam through to 2016, life and relationships have felt the effects of sin. Sin not only affects the person committing the sin as they battle with the guilt, shame and all the awkwardness that comes with it but it also affects the people around you. Either your sins are against them and you are affecting them directly or they are feeling the consequences of your sins and they then have to suffer emotionally, spiritually, mentally or physically. Your sins ultimately affect your relationship with God. David cries in Psalm 51, “for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Sin messes up your life, the lives of others and your relationship with God. Nothing good comes out of it and for those secret sins we somehow think we can get away the Lord warns us that “your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Local church family is essential to a healthy Christian life

Churches like homes are never perfect. In fact that might be deemed as an understatement by some people! The simple fact that churches are made up of people means that every church will have issues, sin has a way of messing up things! However, local church family is essential for the growth and stability of even the strongest of believers. It is dangerous arrogance to assume you do need the support and encouragement of your local church family. It is in fact trying to be clever than God who instituted the local church for that very purpose. I really feel sorry for people who neglect and see no good in their local churches, they actually do not realize how important the family is to their lives. Show me a person who is not a healthy church member and I will show you a person who is suffering from spiritual malnutrition and probably living in sin. We all need the support and encouragement of the imperfect, sometimes difficult and trying local church family.  

The Lord’s work is the Lord’s

Christ says he will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16:18). That’s a truth I constantly have to remind myself of. Our task is that of a steward managing the master’s work. It is both foolish and pride to assume the Lord’s work is your doing and dependent on you. Foolish because you then bear burdens you do not have the grace to handle. It’s like a child trying to figure out where the next bag of mealie meal will come from, it is unnecessary stress because they do not have the ability and it is not their job. Pride because you think too highly of yourself in thinking the Lord’s work is actually yours. I am learning to know where my stewardship ends.

People need the gospel

It does not matter your race, gender, age or social status, we all suffer from the sickness of sin and God’s remedy is the gospel. People from all walks of life need the gospel. It is God’s power unto salvation (Rom 1:16). We have the tendency to be clever and come up with clever ideas and solutions. I learnt that God’s solution is more than enough! You can for instance tell a couple the principals of communication all you want, if they have not learnt to acknowledge their sinfulness and humbly submit to Christ, you are pouring water on a dark’s back. People need the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is good all the time

He provided all our needs at the right time. He showered us with many blessings both spiritual and physical. He gave us grace every day of the year. He answered many of our prayers. He was patient with us and forgave our many sins. Truly what the Lord has done for us we cannot tell it all. I will praise His name for His mercies endure forever!

The Festive Season, Fireworks and The glory of God

One way you know Christmas and the New Year are here apart from the decorations and the songs is through fireworks! Granted the unexpected and unnecessary sound of fireworks can be annoying and can cause your blood pressure to go up a notch, we can all agree that there are no better sights than a fireworks display in the dark sky. We look up and join the “wow” “ooh” choruses as we are dazzled by the beauty and splendor of the spectacular explosions. It is truly amazing that man can light up the sky in such a beautiful way albeit for a short while and has every right to be wowed by such innovation. I at least have every intention of letting off a few fireworks myself this week.

A spectacular fireworks display

As you are impressed by the lights from the fireworks this week, I would like to remind you that from January to December there is a light that brightens the dark sky every night and we have got so used to it that we have forgotten its glory and splendor. We have become too familiar with the moon and its spectacular light that we actually do not notice it.

The moon at dawn

The moon is 384, 400 km away from the earth and has a radius of 1,737 km and a surface area of about 38 million square kilometers almost the surface area of Asia. Its weight is over 80 quintillions (yeah let’s leave it at that). The temperature at the moon ranges from -173 degrees to 127 degrees Celsius.

The amazing thing is that year after year it makes its circuit without complications (despite its size and weight) and it faithfully and quietly lights up the sky and we simply do not notice. What’s even more amazing is the fact that the moon pales in comparison to the size, heat and light of the sun. We should be grateful the sun is just the right distance from the earth otherwise we would be toast. Even the sun is simply another star in a galaxy of spectacular stars.

The Heavens declare the glory of God

And God made them all! “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;     who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing” (Isaiah 40:22-26).

The psalmist then tells us “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3)

No wonder when the wise men from the east followed the bright star it led them to the creator of the universe who had just become man and they rightly fell on their knees and worshiped. Because while we should be amazed at the wonder and beauty of the bright shining stars, we should above all else honor the one who created them.

So as we marvel at the fireworks that will be beautifully lighting up the sky this festive season, remember the moon has been doing so for thousands of years at the creator’s command. Let your amazement and delights lead you to worship the creator whose glory is displayed daily by His creation.

The Moment I Learnt How to Pray

Every Christian knows the importance of prayer to their spiritual well-being and yet you rarely find a Christian who is satisfied with their prayer life. Praying also seems pretty easy to do, however, it can be the hardest spiritual disciplines to do and the hardest to actually find pleasure doing. How many times do we struggle to consistently be engaged in prayer and how many times do our prayers feel dry and aimless? You soon began to feel like you are saying a lot words (sometimes the same words) and yet not saying much at all. If you are like me you desire to pray more and pray better, but borrowing a phrase doing its rounds on social media “the struggle is real”.

Struggling in prayer can be rather frustrating. You may genuinely desire to pray, even set a time for prayer and yet when the set time comes you struggle to get round to praying; and the times you actually do pray, the prayers are labored, just listen to our prayers at meal times to get a feel of our struggle. So how exactly does one learn how pray sincerely and meaningfully? Desperation!

It is said desperate situations call for desperate measures, well I beg to differ desperate situations call for desperate prayer. I recently was hit from all sides and angles with issues that not only drained the life out me but also left me clueless and totally out depth. Yes I prayed as is to be expected and I went about trying to apply all the little knowledge I have acquired and nothing seemed to work, everything that could go wrong went wrong. Then it hit, I had no answers, no solutions and there was absolutely nothing I could do to solve or deal with the different issues that were unrelenting. I was desperate. And in my desperation I cried out to God, and like a child speaking to the father I poured my heart out to him. I acknowledged I was totally unable apart from Him and His grace and trying to do life and serve Him in my own ability has only made things worse.

As I reflect on that moment I realized that though it was an agonizing experience and my praying was out of desperation it was at the same time sweet communion with God. And I wondered why not enjoy such communion on a daily basis? The answer is simple, I am self-sufficient. I am not desperate on a daily basis because I somehow believe I can manage my life and responsibilities on my own and therefore, do not pray with desperation. My head and mouth say God is sovereign and in control but my life screams I am in control of things. I am thankful the Lord allowed the many issues to teach me to pray earnestly, simply and with deep desperation.  

What doom,petrol and grass reveal about the Charismatic movement!

In the past few years there has been an increase in the number of reported shenanigans done by the clergy. I do not know if the mischiefs have increased or access to information has increased due to the internet and social media. The incidents range from a pastor asking people to drink petrol to another making people eat grass and yet another claiming to walk on thin air. From the rather embarrassing failed prophecies to the recent spraying of the insecticide “doom” on people’s faces, these are just a few of the many issues that have become common practice in the many charismatic churches around our country and the African continent. Some issues are silly, comical and embarrassing while others are unhealthy, disturbing, unacceptable and utterly shameful. Yet with all the drama and activities, I see three major problems with the current happenings and teachings of the Charismatic movement in our country and the continent in general. 

  

Prophet Lethebo spraying insectcide to heal and drive out demons

It dilutes the gospel

The gospel according to the Bible is a holy God as the creator, father and judge of the world giving His only son Jesus Christ as a perfect sinless sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins by dying in the place of a sinful, rebellious people who deserve wrath and judgment, and yet if they believe in the work of Christ and repent of their sins, they will be saved (Acts 17:22-32, Romans 3:11-18, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, John 3:23). That is gospel, the good news! Sadly all we hear now is deliverance and promotion. If you believe in a “Jesus” you will be delivered from all sorts of demons, spirits and curses that need binding or loosening and have been hindering your progress in life. And the Bible makes it very clear: a diluted gospel is no gospel at all.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-10

It belittles sin

The consequence of a diluted gospel is that you invariably belittle the horror of sin. The Bible teaches us that Christians wrestle with three enemies namely self (sinful and does not seek God), the world (hostile to God and his word) and the devil (the enemy of God and his people). A man-centered gospel will always have an unhealthy preoccupation with the devil and world as being the problem and not sinful self. The common message now is that there are spirits and demons for everything the Bible calls sin. So you have the demon of adultery, theft, murder, drunkenness, lust etc. If it is not a demon, then it is the spirit of one of your ancestors. Therefore, man becomes a victim of his sinful nature and desires and is not responsible and answerable for his sins. This belittling of sin has led to the damning to hell of a lot of people. Unless a person acknowledges his sins and repents from them by calling on the name of Jesus he cannot be saved. What a tragedy!

It promotes materialism

It is true that the prosperity gospel finds fertile ground in poverty stricken Africa, but more than that it finds fertile ground in a naturally materialistic people, whose desire is to amass more and better things. We have a longing desire to quench the thirst for satisfaction in life with possessions and positions, and the prosperity gospel promises to fulfil that longing, and it promises health, wealth and promotions. Again this message is leading thousands to hell, and in a sense is God’s judgement on a people who do not desire him but simply want to use Him to get what they want. Paul Washer is spot on when he says:

“False teacher are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires… those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgement of God upon them. And they want exactly what he wants, and it’s not God”[1].

Any preacher or church that does not preach Christ is false and is misleading people. The church and its ministers should have Christ central to their message and ministry; they should decrease and Christ should increase. Every minister of the gospel should echo Paul’s charge “woe is me if I do not preach gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

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[1] Grace Community Church. www.sermonaudio.com/gcc

Meet Kennedy Kaseke

Faith Baptist Church’s third mission point is Immanuel Baptist in Kalulushi. The church became a mission point in 2015 after the brethren from Immanuel Baptist approached the leadership of Faith and asked if we could take them on as a mission point. After several discussions and prayer, it was agreed that we should initially take up Immanuel Baptist as a preaching point, and we urged the members to consider taking up the opportunity to be part of teams that would go and preach at Immanuel Baptist every Sunday.

Two families took up the mantle and owned the work, so there was no need for teams to be rotating. The two families were Kennedy and Gwyneth Kaseke and Danford and Jennipher Banda with Kennedy Kaseke as the leader. Like Paul and Barnabus the two have labored for close to two years, and the spiritual growth at Immanuel Baptist is evident and heartwarming. Three weeks ago they held their second baptism service for the people who have been saved as a result of the ministry. And in the middle of this year they began to redo membership, and the response has been overwhelming.

The Banda's and Kaseke's

Kennedy Kaseke grew up in a Christian family and got saved in 1997 in Chililabobwe when he was invited to attend a service at Grace Ministries where he heard the gospel clearly preached and surrendered his life to Christ and joined the church membership. While in high school he was actively involved in Scripture Union and sensed the call to ministry in grade eleven. After high school he worked for the mines for four years while actively participating in the ministry of the church and later became youth pastor in 2005. The following year the church sent him to Christian Voice for theological and later to CABC in 2009, and he graduated in 2012. He joined Faith Baptist Church in the year 2012 and served as an intern for six months while helping with the Church’s mission plant. In the middle of 2012 he joined CABC as the admissions officer and went on to pursue his masters with Piedmont International University.

The Kaseke family

Kennedy is married to Gwyneth, and they are blessed with two children: Karisa and Japheth. It is our prayer that he becomes our missionary pastor and takes up the work in Kalulushi in the coming year. We appreciate your prayers for Immanuel Baptist and the two families spearheading the work.