10 most read-posts of 2018

As the year draws to a close, here are the 10 most read posts of 2018.

10. Keep the main the main thing

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/01/keep-main-things-main-things-in-2018.html

“Life is short, do not waste time on things that do not count for eternity. Do not waste your life living in sin or pursuing the temporal. Neither should you waste it going through life half-heartedly.”

9. Reflections on the 25^th Anniversary of Faith Baptist Church

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflections-on-25th-anniversary-of.html

“The Lord builds His church; he saves people; his purposes are set in heaven and no one can thwart them or say to him, what have you done.”

8. The rise of atheistic thinking among young African intelligentsia

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-rise-of-atheist-thinking-among.html

“One trait this group of people has is a scornful attitude towards Christianity and Christians. With the easy flow of information on various platforms, the new breed of atheists has gained a daring boldness in their talk and mockery of Christian beliefs.”

7. Five things you should know about your Pastor

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/09/five-things-you-should-know-about-your.html

“It is important that you learn to submit to the pastor you have and not the pastor you wish you had, just as in the same vain, pastors should pastor the people they have and not the ones they wish they had.”

6. Four dangers facing the church in Zambia

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/03/four-dangers-church-in-zambia-is-facing.html

“The people of God have always faced opposition both internally and externally. Christ assured the disciples that challenges of all sorts will follow them because of their decision to follow Him.”

5. Challenges and joys of a young pastor

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-challenges-and-joys-of-young-pastor.html

“Pastoral ministry comes with a lot of unique challenges and joys; these challenges and joys become more peculiar the younger you are.”

4. Satan’s agenda for the Christian

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/08/satans-agenda-for-christian.html

“Dear Christian, we have a formidable enemy, and he is on a mission to sift us like wheat. We dare not take him on in our own strength for the arm of flesh will fail.”

3. What the church in the west should know about missions in Africa

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/11/what-church-in-west-should-know-about.html

“Cross-cultural ministry is both an opportunity and a challenge to display the power, wisdom and glory of God before the watching world”

2. The rise of the reformed Baptist movement in Zambia

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-rise-of-reformed-baptist-movement.html

“No work can flourish, unless the Lord blesses it. If this was a human effort, it would have crashed years ago. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it”

1. Types of members that do not build the church

https://chopomwanza.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-rise-of-reformed-baptist-movement.html

“No work can flourish, unless the Lord blesses it. If this was a human effort, it would have crashed years ago. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it”

Happy 2019 to you All!

MAKING THE MOST OF BIBLE CONFERENCES

One of the traditions we have adopted as a family is attending Bible conferences together. In the last five years, we have committed to participate in two conferences every year. Conferences are not everything, but they are helpful and have a place. It is therefore necessary that we are intentional about making the most of them if they are to be of benefit. Let me suggest a few points to consider.

Go prepared & expectant to hear God speak

The whole point of conferences is to spend time together thinking through a specific topic of Scripture. It is therefore important that when you decide to attend a conference that you go prepared and expectant. Prepare your heart and mind to hear from the Word of God, but also expect that the Lord will speak to you. Pray to that end.

Participate & enjoy the singing

There is a blessing from hearing hundreds or thousands of people raise their voices in praise to God. Join in and enjoy it! It is a ‘foretaste of glory divine.’ While I love and appreciate what is called ‘special music,’ nothing beats congregations joyfully raising their voices in anthem to the Lord. Participate in the edification of one another.

Enjoy & foster fellowship

Conferences give us an opportunity to meet different people from different churches and places. They provide us with a rare opportunity to have a glimpse into what the Lord is doing in different places. Be intentional about connecting with different people; ask questions, and be amazed at how the Lord is building his church in many places in different ways. It helps you appreciate the fact that God’s work is not just your own little bubble; rather, it is global. So enjoy and foster fellowship.

Know the difference between a conference and the church

As good and as helpful as conferences are, they are not the church, and they cannot fulfill the purposes of the church. Conferences are not adequate to fully equip you for the work of ministry to the edification of the body. They are helpful and have a place, but they are not the church. I once heard someone explain the difference between conferences and church life by comparing it to the difference between going to a restaurant and a home cooked meal. A meal at a restaurant is not essential to your well-being, but it is nice and has its place every now and then. Home cooked meals on the other hand are what grow us, and therefore they are necessary. They are not always as spectacular and fancy as the ones at the restaurant, but they are steady, nice and healthy. So enjoy the conference singing, fellowship and preaching, but remember that those sweet, spectacular and special arrangements at the conference are not the normal way of life, so after the conference, go back to the ordinary way of life next Sunday and be thankful for mum’s home cooked meal.

What the church in the West should know about missions in Africa

A few months ago I was engaged in a conversation with an American pastor who is slowly becoming a dear friend. His church has sent and supports missions in Europe, South America and Africa. Upon hearing that I am from Africa he wanted to hear my thoughts about missions in Africa and what his church should know about the state of the church on the continent. What started off as a one on one conversation ended up being a group talk with a few other brothers joining in. This prompted me to put my thoughts into writing for the sake of clarity. Two caveats are wise at this point. Firstly, I will largely draw my thoughts from the Zambian scene, and secondly, I will speak in general terms. So, there are exceptions to every point that follows.

There are gospel preaching churches in Africa

There was a point in time in the history of Africa when everywhere you stepped the gospel had not yet reached there. Thankfully, through the pioneering work of a legion of missionaries, the gospel reached and spread in Africa. As a result, there are gospel preaching churches in Africa today. Yes, cults are proliferating, the prosperity gospel in hybrid form is flourishing, liberal churches have their growing masses and animistic beliefs are ever rampant. However, that is not the whole story. God has His remnants who have not bowed their knees to Baal and they faithfully believe, live out and preach the true gospel. The 19^th century version of African paganism and spiritual darkness is now two centuries behind us. The Lord has raised up voices who herald his word to the lost and he has built up solid, healthy churches in the midst of falsehood.

There are church planting churches in Africa

Furthermore, there are churches who are faithfully, sacrificially and cheerfully planting churches in places where the gospel has not reached. These churches are faithful and passionate about missions and send out missionaries. And while these statistics may not appear on the international missions sites, believe me, western missionaries are not the only missionaries doing church planting in the cities, towns and villages in Africa. In some cases the church planting efforts are done in partnership between African and western missionaries. It is worth noting that the majority of the evangelical denominations have been in existence for over 100 years on the continent and they have been proclaiming the gospel. Contrary to popular belief, the Lord is building His church in Africa and yes there is still plenty of work to be done to reach the estimated 350 million unreached people on the continent but it is important to note there are churches in Africa obeying the great commission and planting churches.

Western worldview is not equal to a biblical worldview

In my interaction with and conversations with western missionaries, very few of them adjust to the culture they go to minister in and most of them struggle with cross cultural relationships and ministry. It is not uncommon to find western missionaries serving in Africa living in a western bubble, rather than learning the culture and developing meaningful, sincere relationships with the local people they minister to and work with. Conversely their African brethren will often not be forthright with their counterparts as well. This invariably leads to all kinds of relational and ministerial problems. One unfortunate result of this is that they fail to understand the culture and develop the tendency to label everything African as evil and consciously or unconsciously brand everything western as biblical. The outcome then is that you have ministries in the depth of Africa that look like and act as if they are in the west. Sadly, this does is encourage the false notion that Christianity is a white man’s religion. Western missionaries however who are humble enough to listen, learn and build sincere, transparent and healthy relationships in the midst of diversity display the power of the gospel before the watching world.

Western fights are not necessarily African fights

In 2007, I met an African brother who, after the introductions, asked me what my thoughts were on the King James Version debate. I responded by asking him if he worked with American missionaries. I was right! We have some American friends who love a good fight and are more than eager to make a mountain out of an anthill. All you have to do is visit the blogosphere to find out what the latest fight is all about. Granted, this spirit is not always wrong because there some fights that have to be fought with the same vigor cross-culturally. However, some fights are contextual and should be kept that way. It only breeds division and strife to make an issue of something in a place where it is a non-issue. Just because “rumble in the jungle[1]” was a hit does not mean every fight should be brought to Africa!

Mutual partnerships are healthy

There is a lot the church in Africa can learn from the brethren in the West, and vice versa. Missions is God’s global work and agenda that he has entrusted to the church universal. There is therefore great potential for healthy mutual partnerships between churches locally and internationally in church planting endeavors. We can learn a lot from the church at Philippi (1:5) in their efforts to support the proclamation of the gospel. I fear that too many of us are building little kingdoms for ourselves and are sad and envious when others do the work and see God’s blessings. What better way to display God’s glory than mutual partnerships between churches from diverse backgrounds—and all for the proclamation of the gospel?

Conclusion

Unity in diversity is beautiful and God glorifying when achieved. It is, however, hard work. Cross-cultural ministry is both an opportunity and a challenge to display the power, wisdom and glory of God before the watching world. Many times we mess it up because we have the propensity to make ourselves and our desires the center of missions. Remember, missions is God’s idea and it is His work. Let us seize the opportunities that our diversity brings by joyfully, graciously and honestly working together through the challenges of cross-cultural missions.

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[1] The 1974 boxing fight between Foreman and Ali held in DRC (formerly known as Zaire)

Five types of members in churches

Whenever I am preparing to start preaching through a book, after my usual study and break down of the book, I listen to sermons on the entire book. This helps me to be ministered to through the book, but it also helps me glean some insights from other preachers who have gone before me. Last year I preached through the book of Nehemiah and listened to Alistair Begg’s series on the book. In one of the sermons he surmises that there are always five kinds of people wherever God’s work is being done. It was true in Nehemiah’s day; it is true in our day as well.

The relaxers

The first group he calls the relaxers. These are the people who have been around for a while and have become comfortable with the status quo. They are convinced that they have arrived because of what they did eons ago. This group is quick to tell you of their escapades in the past and their contributions then. By and large the relaxers have entered into semi-retirement. They do nothing; they are not burdened about anything, and they do not serve anywhere. They have boarded the bus; they sit in the back and watch as the driver takes them places, while occasionally commenting on his competence to drive.

The investigators

The investigators are a curios but cautious bunch. They wonder what is going on; they are not sold; even though they are part, they really do not belong and do not participate in the life of the church. But for some reason, they want to be in the know. So, they inquire and question and wonder what’s going on and why it is going on that way.

The agitators

This group is never content with what is going on, and they are a hard group to please. They will disagree, complain and even mock whatever is happening. In the worst scenarios this group soon becomes the opposition and will often become activists who incite others. This critical group can take energy from you and leave you deflated if you do not face them with a God dependent attitude.

The expectant 

They are eager, zealous and diligent. They have a heart of service and are ever expectant and excited at what the Lord is doing in, through and among them. They are asking what is coming and what can be done next and how they can get involved. They find joy in spending and being spent. They also look for progress and growth and invariably get frustrated with the lack of it.

The organizers

They thrive on structure and order. They want to organize things and sort out things. Procedure and policy are their middle names! They are often frustrated with disorganization and want everything clearly laid out and thought through.

Alistair Begg charges that a biblical leader who is doing God’s work, God’s way, will stir the relaxers, answer the investigators, focus the agitators, guide the expectant and structure the organizers. As long as we have breath and there is still work to be done, we should never be content, and we should always strive to do more for the Lord.

Too Busy to pray

This past week I found myself studying the first chapter of Mark for some work I was asked to do. Mark is action packed and moves at a fast pace, as is seen from the reoccurrence of the word “immediately.” In a space of 40 verses, John the forerunner is introduced, Christ has arrived, been baptized, was tempted in the wilderness, and began his ministry, preaching, healing and casting out demons and choosing the first disciples. In the midst of this activity I was tempted to skim over verse 35: “… he departed and went out to a desolate place and there he prayed”. At a time when his fame was spreading, and he was experiencing success in what was becoming a busy and demanding ministry, Jesus prayed. That struck me! It struck me because when I am busy I neglect prayer. In my thinking, spending quality time in prayer when I am pressed for time is not the best use of my time. Such reasoning is dangerous and detrimental to my spiritual growth and ministry. Busyness and prayerlessness are a dangerous combination whose symptoms are seen in our attitude, work and relationships.

Impatience

When we pray, we are surrendering to the will of God and humbling ourselves to wait on the Lord, knowing it is in Him that we live, move and have our being. Only a heart communing with God in prayer will have that spirit of surrender and patience. A busy and prayerless heart, relies on its own strength and power to get things done and make things work. Consequently, such a soul gets drained, weary and frustrated. The result is you go around snapping at everyone in your path: your children and spouse at home, your coworkers, the weather, fellow road users, church mates, etc.

Anxiety

As a result of being self-reliant while lacking self-sufficiency we become experts at worry. Even when hear and read the comforting words of Scripture, to cast our cares upon the Lord for he cares for us, we in truth do not believe them. We pray, but in essence we are still confident in our own abilities and carry burdens the Lord did not intend for us to carry. The buzz word today is “stress”, we have used it so much that it has become a fancy term; the biblical term for stress is anxiety! Being griped by fear because of the uncertainty of a situation. As a result we end up grumpy, restless and irritable.  

Pride

Busyness means activities, programs and events. It is easy for one to be prayerless and still host a successful program or event. It is a mystery of ministry that one can be relatively successful while not walking or depending on the Lord, at least from the onset. Such a situation is fertile ground for pride. A person who prays earnestly and consistently has no basis to be proud because in prayer he declares his poverty and reliance on God. Not so for a prayerless individual; he relies on his experience, gifts and planning and any ounce of success soon gets to his head. As a result, such a person ends up becoming the center of ministry and ungrateful.

Joylessness

There is a childlike joy that comes from fearing God and submitting to him and his will. This joy is a result of being satisfied with your relationship with God and being found in his presence and finding that in his presence there is fullness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures evermore. It comes from a soul that proclaims with David “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land” (Ps. 63). Prayerless Christians and ministers are devoid of joy because in their pride they have become self-reliant, which then makes them impatient, anxious and joyless. 

O Lord I can be so busy and caught up in the activities of life that I neglect to pray. Cause me to realize that I was created to live in dependency. May what was said of Charles Simeon be true of me: “Never did I see such consistency, and reality of devotion, such warmth of piety, such zeal and love… he devoted the first four hours of the day to private prayer and the devotional study of the Scriptures…”

SECRET SINS IN MINISTRY

NOTE: This is a revised version of a blog from last year. 

People often assume that Christians in public ministry are immune to sin and temptation. Christians in the public eye often face the danger of assumed holiness. By that I mean, we often assume because someone has taught it they have lived it. While there are scandalous sins we constantly look out for in the lives of those who are in ministry such as sexual sins, financial misappropriation, and/or failure in marriage, there are some secret sins that often go unnoticed or unchecked. These often render a man ineffective and unusable in the Lord’s work. What makes these dangerous is their subtlety coupled with the lack of sincere accountability in the ministry.

MINISTERIAL PRIDE

There is the obvious and disturbing pride that you can smell and sense from a distance in a person, then there is the deadly and subtle one that rarely comes out publically. It is the pride that has to do with one’s motives for doing what they are doing. Consequently someone can do a perfectly good thing and yet their pride is fueling them. This pride is seen in two forms in ministry;

Glorying in results

In our desire to make a name for ourselves we are so driven that we want results and we want them at all costs. And when the results do not come we are discouraged and want to quit. As a result of this desire for results you find people preoccupied with numbers. How many people came, how many conversions did we get, how much was given etc. Now obviously statistics are necessary but numbers do not equal success. One test for not glorying in results is whether you are satisfied and joyfully serve regardless of the numbers. Does a great Sunday mean it was packed and bad Sunday mean attendance is low? The problem with glorying in results is that you focus on the quantity rather than the quality.

Self-importance

The second sign of ministerial pride is having a sense of self-importance. You soon began to feel you are indispensable to the work or you make yourself the center of the work that you become practically become indispensable to the sustainability of the work. You also want people to praise you and acknowledge your work and efforts. It’s not uncommon to hear ministers say things like “they do not recognize the work am doing” imagine Jeremiah looking for recognition, such kind of whining can be an indicator you have a higher of self than is biblical. The other way this level of self-importance is noticed is in our response to criticism or opposing views. Those of us in ministry should remember we are not all knowing, God is! Statements like I agree with you but… or I see your point however… now obviously there times you have to insist and hold on to your point because you are right, but if you are always right then there is a big problem. Ministers should not behave like politicians who have issues with those who oppose or criticize them. Let us have the mind of Christ (Phil 2:1-10).

 MINISTERIAL JEALOUSY

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” James 3:14

Pride will breed envy and jealousy. Jealousy is hurt and bothered when others succeed. Jealous is seeing God bless others and question His wisdom in giving others gifts and not you. Jealousy makes us forget that every good and perfect thing comes from the Father, who gives to all freely (James 1:17). In our pursuit for self-importance we turn ministry into a competition, brothers in Christ behave like supermarkets competing for consumers. And doing everything in their power to tarnish the other’s name. Jealousy and its sister envy hinder fellowship and partnership. Guard against this deadly sin, it ruins your soul. Instead let our hearts thrill with joy and gratitude at the blessings and success of others. When it comes to brothers and their ministry resolve to be their biggest supporter and not their biggest critic as a result of envy!

MINISTERIAL LAZINESS

“Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him.” Proverbs 10:26

 There is a danger of laziness in ministry because there is no supervisor checking your logins and logouts. Furthermore a lot of ministerial work is done in the closet so no one can really see whether you are been faithful or not. It is no wonder that ministers are tempted to do everything but their primary tasks of prayer and the study of the word. We should remember that laziness does not always mean idleness, it is also means aimlessness. You might be busy and yet you are busy doing nothing! Is it any wonder that some ministers are often disorganized, terrible at managing time and always doing things at the last minute? Laziness invariably leads to half prepared messages and poor planning and before long the minister and the people suffer from spiritual malnutrition, which then leads to unnecessary friction in the church.

MINISTERIAL BRASHNESS

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 1Thessalonians 2:7

A brash spirit is rash, impetuous and mean. It is the opposite of gentleness. Gentleness is defined as “sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love.”[1] It is one of the clearest evidences of salvation in a believer. The temptation to be harsh and mean is ever present for ministers. It is easy to get fed up, irritated with people and treat them with contempt. While leaders must be thick skinned they should have a gentle and tender heart. Hotheadedness and rashness in word, attitude or deed should not characterize a minister of God.   

The words of Spurgeon to his ministerial students are worthy of reflection for any minister.

“When God calls us to ministerial labor we should endeavor to get grace that we may be strengthened into fitness for our position, and not be mere novices carried away by the temptations of Satan, to the injury of the church and our own ruin. We are to stand equipped with the whole armour of God, ready for feats of valor not expected of others: to us self-denial, self-forgetfulness, patience, perseverance, longsuffering, must be every day virtues, and who is sufficient for these things? We had need live very near to God, if we would approve ourselves in our vocation”[2]

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[1] W. Barclay, New Testament Words, pp. 94

[2] Spurgeon C.H. Lectures to my students. Pp 15

Lessons on Preaching

This past July, I started school, and the course’s main focus is expository preaching in the context of the local church. The beauty about the course is that you get to sit under the teaching of different men with vast experience in preaching and pastoral ministry, but they also hold differing theological positions within evangelical Christianity. All this makes for a rich experience for the students and many unforgettable lessons that left me doing quite a bit of self-retrospection.  Here a few that I have been mulling over.

Study hard without data dumping

Someone once said, “A preacher who goes into the pulpit without preparation is a fool. A preacher who goes into the pulpit relying on his preparation is a bigger fool.” The apostle Paul admonishes his son Timothy to labor to the point of exhaustion in his study of God’s Word, so that he may handle it accurately. Study is a non-negotiable for the preacher! That said, preaching should not be reduced to data dumping. The pulpit is not the place for the preacher to bring out all his study tools and expose his knowledge (or lack thereof). The work of a preacher in preaching, after diligent study, is to deliver the truths of Scripture simply and logically. Throwing theological jargon and going on pointless mumblings are the preacher’s real temptation in sermon delivery.

Clarity clarity and more clarity

The basic goal of communication is to deliver your message to the recipients in a manner that is simple and clear for them to understand. Preachers are no different in their task of preaching. Clarity is an essential part of a sermon. Therefore, the message must be conveyed in a language and with concepts the audience can understand. Another aspect of communicating with clarity is that there is a logical flow to the sermon. One reason preachers lack clarity is the problem of preaching to an imagined audience, instead of preaching to the audience in front of you. The gospel message is an important, urgent matter that we cannot afford to lack clarity in our preaching.

Preach doctrine while applying it to the people

There are preachers who claim they do not preach doctrine; they simply preach the Bible. While their intentions are admirable, their logic is self-contradictory. To preach the Bible is to teach doctrine; it is in this light that Paul urges Timothy to teach what is in keeping with sound doctrine. Biblical preaching will shape a congregation doctrinally. However, preaching doctrine does not mean lack of application. In fact biblical doctrine affects life style. And biblical preaching tells both the “what” and the “so what”. The first questions gives you truth (doctrine), and the second question gives you the implications of the truth in your life (application).  

Work on your holiness

This was the most convicting of the lessons. God uses instruments that honor and please him in their lives. The most important work a preacher can do is focus on being holy and fighting sin in his life. That means commitment to the study of God’s Word, prayer and meaningful fellowship with the brethren. This holiness will then be seen in relationships, attitude towards others and ministry. A holy minister is not preoccupied with his reputation or success but on being faithful in the task his master has called him to. As a result, such a minister is not worried about the empty spaces in the pew but instead focuses on the ones that are filled up.

Soak your preaching in prayer

After all has been said and done, preaching is not about the mechanics, study and styles though all those are important. A man might have all those nailed down and still not bear fruit in his preaching because his is not enabled by the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason that preaching must be soaked in prayer if it is to be effective. Unless the Lord works in the hearts of men, the preacher becomes a mere orator. Prayer is an act of dependence of the work and power of God in changing lives, including your own as a preacher.

As a I pondered on these and many other lessons, I could not help but reflect on the words of Walter Kaiser when he says:

“Regardless of what new directives and emphases are periodically offered, that which is needed above everything else to make the church more viable, authentic and effective, is a new declaration of the scriptures with a new purpose, passion and power.”[1]

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[1] Walter C. Kaiser. Towards an Exegetical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981, (p. 242.)

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR PASTOR

Pastors are often a point of discussion in many circles. It is interesting to hear the different opinions people have about pastors and what they should be doing. Whereas some of the things said are true and biblical, a number of opinions are unbiblical and unhealthy for ministry. So here are five things you should know about your pastor

      Your Pastor is not a sinless perfect Saint

As a matter of fact, you will not find a sinless human being this side of eternity. So, whereas pastors ought to be holy and be an example to the people they lead, remember they still struggle with sin and temptation the same way you do. Yes, it is true, pastors have to battle lust, worry, greed, lying, stealing, anger, etc. Paul says in Romans 7

“For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

          Your Pastor is not a “jack of all trades”

The analogy of the church being a body is very instructive. It means every part has a significant role to play for the body to be fully functional and healthy. However, there are people who take the church to be a like a bus, where you can sleep and leave the driver to take you to your destination. Invariably this has led people to come up with all kinds of responsibilities for the pastor. If we summed up everything the list would include among other things: a choir master, an electrician, a sound technician, a security guard, an accountant, a driver, a chief executive officer, a therapist, etc. The apostles asked for deacons so that they may give themselves to “the word and prayer” (Acts 6:1-2). There are things your pastor cannot do, and there are things he should not do for the sake of the health of the church.

        Your Pastor does not know everything in the Bible

This is a hard truth for pastors to admit, but the reality is we do not know everything in the Bible. A pastor should be “able to teach” and know what he is teaching, but there are a lot of things we do not know in the Bible, and it is okay not to know. It’s called being human!

        Your Pastor desperately needs your prayer and encouragement

The problem with thinking pastors are super saints is that you assume they do not need your prayers and encouragement. The ministry can be a lonely, frustrating and discouraging place, and it’s a blessing to the soul to know someone is praying for you and to hear someone offer words of encouragement.  Your pastor like every other Christian needs your prayers and encouragement.

        Your Pastor is not like the other Pastor

Your pastor is uniquely gifted by God and will never be like the pastor before or the pastor after him or the pastor down the road or the pastor in the next town. No two pastors are the same, and God designed it that way. So, do not compare your pastor to another man, do not demand that he preaches like another preacher; on the contrary, demand that he be faithful to his task. It is important that you learn to submit to the pastor you have and not the pastor you wish you had, just as in the same vain, pastors should pastor the people they have and not the ones they wish they had.

Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of Faith Baptist Church

Faith Baptist Church Riverside clocked 25 years on 5^th September this year. I have been privileged to be a member for 20 of those 25 years, and in the most recent years, serve as an elder. The anniversary celebrations reflected on the faithfulness of God over the years and how that should spur us to praise and serve him. Five thoughts flooded my mind as I reflected on the Lord’s faithfulness to this local congregation.

God uses people to carry out his purposes

The Lord builds His church; he saves people; his purposes are set in heaven and no one can thwart them or say to him, what have you done. Yet as you read the pages of Scripture, it is clear that God uses people. He works through instruments, vessels to do his work to the praise of His glory. From moving people to plant a church, to prompting a person to share the gospel; from burdening an individual to start/lead a ministry, to urging a member to invite a friend; from gifting individuals, to exhorting them to use their gifts to the building up of the body; the Lord uses people. By application the people should constantly be aware that they are but instruments in the hands of the mighty God.

You will never find a perfect church

Reflecting on the history of a local church invariably exposes the faithfulness of God and the sinfulness of man. In light of the ongoing battles with sin in the believers’ lives and also the fact that unbelievers make it on the membership rolls, no single local church is perfect. When you add the fact that we all have preferences, opinions and even convictions about matters, you have a recipe for frustration, conflict and growth. The lack of perfection in local churches is actually a great testament to the faithfulness and patience of God. The Lord in his wisdom has chosen to use the weak to confound the wise, so that the glory may be His alone.

Unity in diversity is beautiful

As the Lord saves different individuals and brings them into a local church, you end up with a diverse group of people. This is a beautiful sight to behold as one marvels at the wisdom of God in salvation. However, there is a greater blessing when this diverse group of strangers live in familial harmony, each using their gifts, time and talents to serve one another with joy. It is beautiful to behold when God’s children are selflessly serving one another with oneness of purpose.

It is important to count your blessings

The psalmist cries out, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Due to our forgetful nature, it is important to count blessings and take stock of what the Lord has done. This keeps you grateful. Counting your blessings helps you remember where you have come from and how faithful the Lord has been to you.

God is the one constant in the life of the church

When you stay in one church for a while, you realise that people come and people go. The church goes through different seasons; there times of growth and stagnation; there are times of unity and division, and there are times of excitement and drudgery. People come and go, events come and go, but the Lord remains constant. He is the one who builds His church. He is the faithful one.

Lessons from the Hospital Bed

The last two months have been a great health challenge for us as a family. All four of us have struggled with one thing or the other. Our daughter Tionge and I were hit the hardest. I was bed ridden for a few days, and I was left weak and drained. Not to be out done, Tionge took it a step further and spent a few nights in the hospital. It is an understatement to say that this has been a trying time, but valuable lessons of life are often learnt in the midst of storms.

Our bodies are frail

The human body is a complex organism. Its mechanism has been the source of study for centuries, yet this complex machine is frail. It is amazing how strong and energetic bodies can be rendered weak and powerless by a bout of sickness to the point of failing to stand and walk on your own. This frailty ultimately leads to our death as our breath ultimately gives way.  It is this frailty that led Job to exclaim, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.” (Job 14:1-2)

We are dependent beings

The irony of human beings is their desire and attempt to be independent. In our pride we even entertain the illusion of independence but reality is that we were created to be entirely dependent on God and inter-dependent on fellow people. God created man insufficient, and God alone is the all sufficient one and in Him we are made complete. He also created us as social beings. No wonder we are born in families and live within a community, even the church is designed to be a family, a community of believers living together. There is a blessedness to biblical dependence on God and the community.

Sickness makes you appreciate health

Ideally, we all should be grateful for good health, but unfortunately, we take it for granted and just assume that we will wake up and go about our day without a fuss. Because we presume good health, we are rarely grateful for it. Sickness therefore, has a way of knocking us out of our comfort zone; it reminds us that sound health is not a guarantee. There is something about being bed ridden that makes you thankful even for the slightest bit of good health. 

Vulnerability gives others a chance to minister to you

 Being weak and bed ridden makes you vulnerable and in desperate need of help. Being needy is in the nature of insufficient, dependent beings. Granted a person can be abused by other people, but the truth still stands that dependency and vulnerability are a part of the package of God’s creation of man. This vulnerability gives other people a chance to minister to you as they sympathize and empathize with your situation and show kindness to you. It is self-centeredness that will cause someone to abuse this blessing, and it is pride that will cause one to pretend and appear self-sufficient.

Psalm 103 has greatly encouraged my soul through this week. Hear the words of David:

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Dear Christian your pride hinders Church Growth

“An important mark of a healthy church is a pervasive concern for church growth as growth is prescribed in the Bible. That means growing members, not just numbers. Some today think that a person can be a “baby Christian” for a whole lifetime. Growth is treated as an optional extra for zealous disciples. But growth is a sign of life. If a tree is alive, it grows. If an animal is alive, it grows. Being alive means growing, and growing means increasing and advancing, at least until death intercedes” [1]

Many believers would agree with the statement above. We all desire growth in our churches; the difference lies in our approach to growth. Many of us default to a variety of programs to manufacture growth. However, the Bible teaches discipleship. Biblical discipleship means growing in the likeness of Christ and encouraging and helping others to do the same. Biblical discipleship in short is relational. The old cliché is correct—it really is “life touching life”. So if biblical growth comes through biblical discipleship, why do we avoid developing discipleship relationships?

Biblical discipleship is time consuming

Training someone requires time, especially if your own life has to be an example to them. This is particularly hard in an extremely busy society and a self-centered one for that matter. It is even harder in a program-driven church where meaningful relationships are not as important. Fellowship is reduced to a program or a service. We are content with meeting each other on Sundays and claiming we love each other when in reality we never share our lives, we never challenge each other to grow, we never keep each other intentionally accountable and consequently we never spur one another towards love and good works. Biblical discipleship requires time.

Biblical discipleship makes you vulnerable

As we spend time with each other, our lives are soon opened up to other Christians, and they get to know the real us. They see us in our weak moments; they see us respond to pressure; they will know that we are not as perfect as we portray when we put on our best behavior at the church programs and meetings. Committing to invest your life in others and spend time with them is committing to be vulnerable and transparent. It is committing to truly live out the command in James to confess your sins to one another. Biblical discipleship makes you vulnerable.

Biblical discipleship requires energy

Relationships are tiring, and they can be messy. Relationships also require effort to begin and maintain. It is far much easier to organize and run programs than it is to maintain a discipleship relationship. It is even costly at times. As you invest your time and open your life to people, you find yourself exerting lots of energy, and it can be emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually draining. No wonder we would rather build fences around our lives and protect ourselves from messy, exhausting and yet richly rewarding relationships.

Biblical discipleship ensures you do not necessary receive the praise

Just like the majority of ministry, biblical discipleship is done in the background. It is away from the eyes of the world and all that is seen is growth in others. And unless the person (or worse yourself) waxes eloquent about the impact you have had in their life, the world will never know. People who thrive on praise and acknowledgment struggle with the idea that they should invest in the life of someone and see them grow so that the Lord gets the glory. Biblical discipleship removes the focus on us and puts it where it should be, namely the glory of God!

You will notice that there is one common thread in all four reasons presented here, namely, self-centeredness. We do not want to invest time in others because we are self-centered; we do not want to be vulnerable to others because we have built a false image of ourselves; we do not want to exert our energies because we live for ourselves, and we definitely do not want to involve ourselves in matters where we do not receive praise and recognition. Dear Christian, we cannot ignore the task of discipleship; we have been equipped for the very purpose of building others up in the most holy faith. 

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[1] Leeman Jonathan. Growing one another. Crossway Wheaton, Illinois: 2012.

SATAN’S AGENDA FOR THE CHRISTIAN

There are two extremes to avoid when it comes to the works of Satan in a Christian’s life. The first is the tendency to fantasize and see him in every shadow of life. This is the thinking of people whose minds are preoccupied with sensationalism that is more akin to a fictional Hollywood production. The other is the thinking that belittles the work of Satan among believers. Such a mindset betrays a naivety that is a denial of the truth of Scripture that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. It is therefore imperative that we are aware of the works of the evil one among us and be clear about his agenda in his works. 

1.                  To have Christians turn on God

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Job 1:9-12

2.                  To have Christians rely on their resources

Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.” But Joab said, “May the LORD add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?” But the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword. But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab. But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 1 Chronicles 21:1-8

3.                  To have Christians be anxious and worried

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:6-10

4.                  To impede Christians’ sanctification

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:11-18

Dear Christian, we have a formidable enemy, and he is on a mission to sift us like wheat. We dare not take him on in our own strength for the arm of flesh will fail. We should therefore take heed to the words of Scripture and be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

SATAN’S AGENDA FOR THE HOME

The Bible makes it very clear that the believer’s life here on earth is a battlefield. We are at war, and our enemy, the devil, is a formidable foe. What makes him formidable is the fact that he is a master strategist. He has a clear and specific plan for the church, the home and the individual Christian. It is therefore imperative that the Christian home be aware of the schemes of Satan in order for them to stand against his fiery darts.  Having highlighted Satan’s agenda for the church last week, we now look at what the Bible says is his agenda for the home.

1.                  To usurp the husband’s leadership in the home- Genesis 3:6

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

2.                  To prompt adultery in the home- 1 Corinthians  7:3-5

The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

3.                  To promote sibling rivalry in the home- 1 John 3:11

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

There is more that can be said as to what Satan’s agenda is for the home (i.e. misplaced values, disregard for the Bible, etc.). However, the ones listed here are merely representative. The goal here is to awaken us to the reality of the battle we have in the Christian home. We have to be vigilant and diligent in ensuring that our homes are embassies for the kingdom of God. Fathers have to be spiritual leaders and disciple their wives and children. Mothers have to be godly dispensers of God’s truth, and the children have to be obedient and seek to live out the truth of God’s Word. The Christian home should be a place where the Word of God is taught, lived out and proclaimed to the unbelieving world in order that Christian homes may withstand the strategic and deliberate plans of the evil one.

SATAN’S AGENDA FOR THE CHURCH

I am currently attending classes on expository preaching, and in one of the lectures Mike Fabrez challenged us to prepare and preach with expectations and to remember that Satan is a foe who has an agenda for the church, the family, and individual believers. This reality should fuel prayer in preaching. This tremendously challenged my perspective, and I thought I should share the truths I learned in my next three blogs. So, what is Satan’s agenda for the church? 

1.                  To persecute the church

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 2:10

2.                  To keep the church apart

But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 1 Thessalonians 2: 17-18

3.                  To promote conflict in the church

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:23-26

4.                  To oppose the church’s evangelism

But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Acts 26:6-18

5.                  To get people to leave the church

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

In view of Satan’s agenda for the church, preachers must heed Paul’s solemn charge to the young preacher Timothy—to preach the word and not relent from doing so at any time. The congregation must be devoted to praying for the preacher and the preaching of God’s Word. Furthermore, congregations must demand that the preacher preach the Word so that they can be equipped to submit to God and resist the devil.

It is instructive that Paul says to the Ephesians believers that when members are equipped, they do the work of ministry and the church is built up and is able to withstand the fiery darts of the devil (Ephesians 6:12-16).

The types of members that build up the church

Studying through the book of Ephesians gives you a fresh view of the church: a diverse group of people who have been radically transformed from their sinful nature by the power of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary where he paid for the sins of the world as a substitute sacrifice. These diverse people who have no reason to live and work together, let alone care for each other, choose to live in love and unity in the church to the praise and glory of the Lord’s name. This is powerful and attractive when it is lived out in a local church. This therefore means that every member has to be devoted to building others up. Previously, I discussed the five types of member that do not build up the church. Today I would like to discuss six types of members that build up the church.

The attending member

Attending is the most basic way members build each other up. It is also the most obvious way one shows commitment to the body just like class attendance is the easiest way a student shows that he is serious about class and studies. There is something encouraging about knowing a brother or sister is going to be present at a church service, and you are going to worship God together. The writer of Hebrews tells the believers to “stimulate one another in love and good deeds” and to “encourage one another,” and the way they are to do this by “not forsaking the assembling of the believers.” (Heb 10:23-25). You cannot build others up if you are not meeting with them regularly and faithfully. It is therefore no wonder that those who are regularly absent from church meetings are often stagnate in their faith and become complaining and grumbling members. Dear Church Member—church meetings are not about you or your convenience. Build others up by faithfully attending church meetings.

The encouraging member

“Encouragement is shared with the hopes that it will lift someone’s heart toward the Lord (Col. 4:8). It points out evidences of grace in another’s life to help them see that God is using them. It points a person to God’s promises that assures them that all they face is under his control.”[1]

The encouraging member commends, recommends, praises, thanks, comforts, urges, supports and complements other members. We often think of encouraging as merely giving praise, like a spectator in the terraces. However, biblical encouragement is more than that; it is a fellow teammate urging you on in a play to either put on a defense against an opponent or take them on in attack. And encouraging is not flattery. It is not just being nice and telling people what they want to hear; rather, it is honest and sincere. It will commend those who serve well, and yet it will also urge those who are struggling in their walk with the Lord. Such kind of member is a great blessing to the body; strive to be one.

The confronting member

As we live together as a body, we will soon discover that we are sinful people. We will sin against each other, and we will struggle personally with sin. The sin will pose a challenge to the unity of the church and the glory of God. This therefore requires members to confront one another in love and with gentleness. The confronting member is the opposite of a gossiper and slanderer. They obey the charge of Scripture to confront and restore people who are living in sin (Matt. 18:15-18, Gal. 6:1-2). What motivates the confronting member is not just that someone’s sin has offended but that the Lord is offended by sin. They confront out of love for God and other believers.

The praying member

I have always been struck by Samuel’s statement to David when he said, “far be it from me that I may sin against you by not praying for you” (1 Sam. 12:23). We have a responsibility to pray for each other. The spiritual and godly member is devoted to prayer. They have learned to depend on God so they highly value prayer. The praying member learns to talk less to people and more to God about people. The praying members are the unsung heroes of churches. If prayer is what drives the church, then the praying member is essential to the health and growth of the church.

The serving member

Attending is good and important, but members should do more than just attend. They should serve. They do the work of ministry. They use their gifts to serve God and serve other members. They build up the church with their gifts and talents. There is great encouragement that comes from knowing you are not the only one on the team. There is great comfort from knowing that you have teammates fighting with you and encouraging you as you battle. People who are not serving in the church are very discouraging to the rest of the body.

The patient member

This may seem a bit odd to some but patience is a virtue that is very important for the individual believer and the congregation as a whole. The Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. Our walk with the Lord is a process, and we will not grow over night. This therefore means that we have to learn to endure with each other’s weaknesses and short comings. We have to learn to forgive without holding grudges and disciple one another with all patience. A patient member graciously puts up with other people’s failures and realizes that no church is perfect, and as a result, they are joyfully patient. A church with patient members is a church where members confront one another, encourage one another, confess sin to one another and forgive each other.

Conclusion

Dear Church Member—pursue these things in your own life and encourage them in other members. These are good things to pray for one another. The type of members that build up the church are faithful in attendance, committed to encouraging others, while confronting sin. They serve faithfully and are patient with others. This builds up the church of Christ.

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[1] https://www.9marks.org/article/encourage-one-another-giving-grace-with-your-words/