Behold your God- He is a faithful God

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentation 3:21-26

What does God's faithfulness mean?

“That God is faithful means that he finishes what he stats and pays for what he orders. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. He is always present with us. He always forgives us. He always directs us. He always provides a way to escape temptation.” Jim Berg

“The doctrine that God will always do what he has said and fulfil what he has promised” Wayne Grudem

The scriptures further say:

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Psalm 102:25-27 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Number 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?

What makes God faithful?

1. He is self-Existent- he is free from any cause outside himself- Exodus 3:13-14

The Lord is not affected but the happenings around Him and neither are there circumstances beyond His control. Hence all He says and purposes will come to pass. 

2. He is infinite- he is free from all limitations, no need to review and resolve or change

Because He is perfect everything he does is perfect and His plans are equally perfect. Therefore in a world where there is constant change, the Lord remains the one constant. He is never changes. 

Some implications for our lives

-   You can overcome sin- (1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 John 1:9) Have you ever considered the wonderful promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13? No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

-     You live life without fear- (Romans 8:31-39) what, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

-       You can pray with confidence and not worry- (Matthew 6:25-36) 25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

- You can read his word eagerly and earnestly (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 19:7-10) The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

AN OPEN LETTER TO POLITICAL PARTY SUPPORTERS

Dear supporters

Remember to be patriotic to an ideology and not a person

Zambian politics are generally speaking based on personalities and tribal lines. All the major political parties have strong holds in regions where the founder or leader of the party hails from. So regardless of the individual’s policies or lack thereof, the people in that region will vote for him. After over 50 years of independence shouldn’t we be committed to ideologies and policies? Haven’t we matured enough to ask people who pursue civic offices to explain to us their policies and ideologies? Dear supporter please look at more than the last name of the person and focus on what that person actually believes and why he is seeking office, that way we have a basis for holding these people accountable.

Remember its okay for others to disagree with your choice

Just because you like a certain party and candidate does not mean everyone else should follow suit. And people having a different view to yours does not mean they are fools. There is therefore no need to insult, mock or abuse a person with a different opinion from yours. It is a sign of high levels of immaturity in a person when they cannot handle opposition and criticism. Sadly there are very high levels of intolerance to opposing views in our political system. Dear cadre its okay for others to disagree with you and to actually prefer a different party and candidate.

Remember your candidate is not perfect

In the heat of the campaigns and political debate we get very opinionated and emotionally charged that in our effort to support our candidate we treat them as though they are perfect. No matter who you support and how much you like them they have character flaws and their policies are not perfect either. That therefore means as you support them do so acknowledging their weakness and flaws. And when people actually raise a flaw in your party or candidate humility demands that you acknowledge their point. Dear cadre such an attitude will save us from a lot of violence and divisions.

Remember there is life after elections

Campaigns can be a long and heated process and sadly even the counting and announcing of the results can equally be a prolonged process. Lines are drawn, things are said and emotions boil that we polarize ourselves and forget that life continues after the elections. So as you engage in  political debate let’s forget that when all has been said and done political opponents will be our neighbors, workmates, schoolmates, friends and family. They are the people you will need to work with and live with, do not let political difference divide us such that we are unable to work with each other to the betterment of our country. 

AN OPEN LETTER TO POLITICIANS

DEAR POLITICIANS

Remember you are under God

In a culture where “the chief mentality” is the norm in leaders, this is an important truth to know and believe. Political leaders have a great temptation to glorify themselves and over emphasize their importance. And their followers do not help the situation as they flatter and shower you with self-serving praises. Dear Politicians for your good and the good of others remember the Lord is the ultimate ruler, and he ultimately appoints leaders and governments. You will therefore be answerable to Him on judgement day for how you used the privileged responsibilities He has given you. Be accountable!

Remember you will not rule forever

Leaders come and go and so do governments, yet God remains forever. Many before you thought they were eternal and would remain in power forever but are no more. Pharaoh mockingly asked Moses “which God will deliver you from my hand,” and he was utterly destroyed never to be remembered again, yet the Lord remains. You are not the first, neither will you be the last to hold the position you have right now, so while at it, you want to remember that “whatever a man sows that he shall reap.” How many times have we seen those who hounded their opponents while in power receiving the same treatment afterwards? Beware!

Remember you are not infallible

While you are in power, please remember you are not perfect. We know you make mistakes ranging from error in judgement, to sheer ignorance, to utter lack of wisdom; trust me we know. Therefore, give us the honor and respect of accepting your wrongs; i.e. when you guys insult one person today and praise him the very next day because it serves your interest. Pride goes before a fall, and sadly most politicians seem to have pride in abundance. By the way, refusing to admit wrongs is suggesting we the people are very foolish or you are an infallible leader. We know neither is true, be humble.

Remember your actions affect the generations to come

What is tolerated in one generation will become a norm in the next. So as you fight to be or remain in power, remember that your actions do not just affect this generation alone; you are actually setting a trend, a culture that will go on for a time and trends are very hard and painful to undo. One example is the panga wielding and stone throwing cadres; it happened in one election, and now it is a normal thing. Or the way it is also expected that the party in power will monopolize state media and go out of the way to stifle the opposition. It is a culture that started with one generation. When you are gone, your children and their children will be at the mercy of the trends you set today. Be wise.

Dear politicians you have a great opportunity and privilege to lead and rule the nation but with privilege comes responsibility. Please step up and be responsible. Be selfless.

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." Woodrow Wilson

Three Qualities of a biblical Man

He is committed to the word of God

A biblical man’s primary and single pursuit is to bring glory to God. He strives to know the word of God and carries out His will. He does not go about setting his own agenda. The word of God is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. He knows and obeys the Lord's commands. That was Adam’s responsibility; to obey and keep the command God had given him, it was the same responsibility Moses labored to remind the children of Israel when he said “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” And Paul through the Spirit instructs fathers to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of God

In line with knowing and obeying the word of God is teaching it to others. A man who does not teach the word of God to his family is not carrying out God’s purpose for his life. It is instructive that God gave the command to Adam not to eat of the fruit. By implication it was Adam’s responsibility to teach his wife the word of the Lord. I am highly convinced that women should not marry men who are not committed to the word of God. Now I do not necessarily mean women should look for bible scholars but should rather look for men who are committed to the word of God and will let it be their rule of faith and practice.

He is committed to work

Adam was commanded to work before the fall. And God had set an example for him to follow. God worked by creating the world in six days, even though he didn’t have to work. And when he created Adam he asked him to exercise dominion and subdue the earth by taking care of the garden and naming the animals. Adam was required to exert energy and produce work of excellence. The labor of his hands was supposed to be “very good”. A biblical man does not shy away from nor avoid labor, he does not cut corners or look for quick fixes, he does not engage in get rich quickly schemes, he does not opt for the easy way out and avoid responsibility, he does not view work as just a necessary evil or just a means of earning money and neither does he produce mediocre work. A biblical man enjoys work because he views it as a service to the Lord and that his work is to be very good.

Laziness is unbiblical, unchristian and unmanly! Solomon’s rebuke rings loud when he says “Go to the ant you sluggard and learn its ways.” It was the design of our creator that we should work and subdue the earth. However, there is a difference between being committed to work and being a workaholic. The Lord rested to teach us the importance of resting. It is often a sign of misplaced priorities and disorganization when someone has to work every time and not rest (I pause and repent at this time). There is a time to work and a time to rest, a biblical man has a good balance between the two.

He is committed to family
What often sufferers when we cross the line and become workaholics is the family. After God had created Adam and given him a mandate to obey the word and work in the garden, He saw that it was not good for the man to be alone, so God created a suitable helper for Adam, a woman. So Eve was to be Adam’s companion (helper) in carrying out the purposes God had created him for. And for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh (family). Adam now had the responsibility of leading his family in following and pleasing the Lord. No wonder the Lord confronted Adam first when they disobeyed, he was the federal head.

We can put it this way; the man is responsible for providing physically and spiritually for his family, just as he is responsible for protecting them physically and spiritually as well. In other words the Lord is going to hold us accountable for how we lead our families spiritually (I have to repent once more). The wife of a biblical man will be more spiritually mature after marrying him because he leads and guides her in the ways of God and so it goes with the children. Jim berg is spot on when he says: “A man’s home is not his castle, his hunting lodge, his crash pad, his entertainment center, or his business center. It is where he exercises dominion over the spiritual growth of his family”

If we are to be honest this is an impossible task. No man can do this in his own ability. The only way a man can truly be a biblical man is if he has experienced the grace of God and is living by the grace of God. If a man is ruling without any conscious dependence upon God in prayer and bible study, his dominion will not bring blessing to those whom he oversees.

If a man’s power is not supernatural he cannot expect supernatural results. If he is sowing to the flesh he will reap destruction; if he sows to the spirit, he will reap life.

Men be Men

There used to be a time when we had a universal definition for a man. There also used to be a time when the difference between a boy and a man was more than just the size and physical appearance, but alas that is not the case anymore. As David DeWitt has painfully put it:

“A man is an increasingly hard thing to find. We live in a society of boys-twenty-, thirty, forty, fifty and sixty-year old boys. Many guys seem to have the goal of maintaining a junior-high mentality all the way through life. The ultimate in life seems to be to retire, still a boy.”

In the words and thoughts of Jim Berg there are three major stages in the development of a male: “boy, man and patriarch. This means there are two major transitions he must make if he is to fulfill the character God gave him. As a boy he must decide to be a man, and as a man he must decide to be a patriarch.” What is even more convicting is the definition of the three stages as Berg goes on to say

A boy is a male who is generally chaotic; not yet having established order for his life. 

A man is a male who has taken on responsibility for establishing order for himself and for his immediate family. (immediate circle of friends or co-workers if he is single)

A patriarch is a man who has taken on the responsibility of establishing maturity (wisdom as a way of life) for himself and applying it to his extended family.  

What makes a boy a boy is that he pursues chaos. He has not ordered his life. His life is not yet headed in a direction. He lacks discipline to accomplish tasks. He has not taken significant must ownership of values or virtues. 

What turns a boy into a man? This is the most important and most basic transition in the life of a male- and it is where most of us fail. If a boy does not become a man, all future development is merely a fabrication of the real thing. Of course, a boy will get bigger and older but size and age do not make a man. Manhood is a spiritual decision a boy make. If he doesn’t make this decision, he will remain a boy all his life. A boy is chaotic. His challenge is becoming orderly. 

DeWitt’s summary of the current state affairs is worth noting, even though it is from the American point of view. 

“Many men, teens and above, are locked into the mindset of the average American junior high youth. His heart is easily captured by the latest fashions, pop and reality show idols, superheroes, electronic games, sports personalities, junk foods, sexual enticements- both real and virtual, chemical stimulants- both legal and illegal and the crude and sensual humor and violence of the most popular video clips and blockbuster movies. He is easily bored and resists correction. He endures work and school as necessary evils between pursuits of pleasurable experiences offered on the midway of the world’s carnival”   

Spiritually, this kind of male has little tolerance for preaching unless it is high in entertainment value and instead of spending the formative teen years preparing for adult responsibility, these years are thrown away in the pursuit of pleasure. 

With these rather depressing descriptions before us, what then is biblical manhood? A few quotes to provoke our thinking will suffice.  

“God has bestowed on man both supremacy and a mandate, both an authority and an assignment. Man is God’s deputy and representative on the earth. Therefore a man is obligated to exercise an assertive, aggressive and godly rule over the various realms of God’s creation” Mark Chanski

“Someone who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and expects a greater reward” Robert Lewis

“Masculinity means initiation. To be masculine is to take initiative. To provide direction, security, stability, and order, to lead, to head, to husband… initiation is the bottom line of masculinity. It means taking the lead; the lead in providing, protecting, mentoring, and befriending. It means caring for developing our mates, our children, and ourselves. It means taking the lead in apologizing, the lead in seeking forgiveness, and the lead in vulnerability. Masculinity means initiation.” Stu Weber

When you look at these definitions you right away see dominion and responsibility. But you also see that been a man is impossible unless you are God-fearing, led by the word of God and living by the grace of God.