SHOULD I TRADE MY VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

In studying Genesis 39:1-23, Joseph stands out as such a relevant character in our generation with reference to matters materialism. He has a dream like anyone of us does and this marks the genesis of his story-line that begins with persecutions and climaxes with victory. In the wisdom of his elder brother, step-brother, he was traded for 20pcs of silver in chapter 37. Later he becomes the possession of Potiphar. With and in God’s favour he becomes the prefect over other workers in Portiphar’s house. He, Joseph, was a well configured and handsome guy. This drove his master’s wife to having a desire to have an illicit sexual relation with him.

Joseph response was reasonable enough and a truthful one. My master, your husband, concerns himself with nothing in this house other that what he eats. He has set me over everything else apart from you. HOW THEN SHALL I DO SUCH AN IMMORAL THING AND SIN AGAINST GOD? That was not sufficient to tame her appetite or even draw her away, she remained persistent per chance Joseph would change his mind to which he was not willing to trade his holiness for sin. The woman decided to force him into it where he rescued himself leaving his coat with her. She authors a different narrative to set the young man into the center of the fire which catapults him to jail.

I can’t help but think deeply how this is seen as a bar too high to get to and compromise is the order in our day. Figure it this way: Joseph had few chances of living in this manner, that in committing this sexual sin he would be risking his life would his master have discovered it. And if the master would not have discovered it, then God would in either way be aware of it. Failure to do it was a death warrant since the wife would have made up the narrative she made (God is gracious Potiphar did not act as he ought to bearing in mind that Joseph was a slave). He must have been aware that death was an option in failing to satisfy the gratification of his master’s wife. It was a risk worth taking.

Statements such as brown envelop promotion, skirt/ pantie promotion, boardroom promotion, coffee job, one night stand employment, ‘sponsored’ promotion/ employment, light skin employment/promotion, etc are used to describe the privileges rendered in the wrong manner. Individuals have given themselves sexually to make a living. But the biggest question is that of WHY? Some of the reasons are to maintain status quo, competition with peers in amassing materials, social status, and some will say ‘watoto wakule wapi’ (where will the children feed from)? Does this mean that these desires overwrite our principles, moral values, godliness, etc? That we are willing to trade them for that which can be so huge a day and the next day it is gone?

Joseph was a foreigner, may be the only jew and he risked his life to honour God. If not for anything else, why can’t we trade our lives for him? There are bills to be paid and I don’t have job or the pay is too tiny and bills have to be paid is very popular. With such excuses, we end up acquiring these privileges  through the WRONG CURRENCY FORGETTING THAT WITH THE SAME CURRENCY SHALL WE SUSTAIN THEM; AND IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME AND THE CURRENCY LOSSES VALUE AND IS DRAWN OFF THE COUNTER AND REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. This is a short term solution and so would it have been with Joseph. It may have seemed like a breakthrough would he have given in but it would have ended in him being broken through in a matter of time. Integrity to God and his master mattered.

 Having pulled such an act, he was in a position to walk his neck straight whether in prison or later on when he rose to the position of second in command; over his former master if he was still making use of oxygen. It is not for the unprincipled nor the ungodly to to say no when ILLICIT offers are made. It is then a call for the Godly to say NO. Citing an example my friend shared about one of her close friends, a male, qualified for a position in an organization through facing a board in which he emerged the best. Few months down the line a department manager lands in his office during the lunch hour and makes herself comfortable on his desk, facing him (he was sitted on the chair facing the desk) with her legs apart. The message was loud and clear that sustaining that position was all dependent on his ability to ‘sign the open cheque’ in her terms. She was consistent in following up for some days to which made the young graduate to resign and keep his standards. Mind you the gentleman is not a follower of Christ Jesus. He said that he’d rather go burn charcoal in Ukambani other than do such. Where are such principled individuals fading into? Apparently, the guy is doing well where he is; I’m a witness to that. Remember he would have raised reasons of just being a young man starting life, he has no other option, etc.

Integrity is in most, if not all, cases a map to a  rough mountain whose top exposes one to a promised land though climbing the same mountain is not a walk in a park. Joseph is vomited into the prisons where his character still stands and he is again made a prefect. He ends up spending time there, forgotten only for him to rise to the second in command in a foreign land, as a foreigner in Egypt. Is that not encouraging? Being fired for declining sexual proposals and corruption and other vices does not translate to the end of life. It may not be business as norm but deep withing the conscience there will be a testimony to yourself that you did that which was right and truthful. That you can give a moral direction to others, your children, etc. What principles and values do you live with that you cannot trade them out for anything whatsoever?

Love, The Giver of New Identity

John 15:14-16 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does.But I have called you friends,for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

When we are hiring employees like farm workers, house helps, builders, etc we do vet them to that which we want having stated fourth our terms and conditions. We do expect that they will honour that which has been entrusted to them to execute. We reward them as per the delivery of that which we agreed upon.

We do not ask of their opinion when we are giving them these particular tasks. We never ask our gardeners what they think is better cultivated at a certain portion of their land, we don’t ask for the reason as to why we should dress in a particular way for them to iron our clothes. They work as per our standards, they follow instructions. This is because they are our servants and we are their bosses. A servant could be said to be more noble when compared to slave. This is because slaves have a bigger role to play. Failure to meet the command of the boss is accompanied with anguish, torture and punishment. Slaves work against their own will.

Jesus in telling his disciples that he no longer calls them servants meant a stature and a new identity in place. What defines friendship is truthfulness, openness, care & concern, and so on. Thus, Jesus reminds his disciples that he CHOSE them, He has moved their IDENTITY to FRIENDSHIP and with regards to this He had expectation from them: BEARING LONG-LASTING FRUIT. To a friend, one has no need to hide the intentions of a particular course of action and no wonder Jesus tells them that He has REVEALED everything he heard from God the Father. That means they are beyond slaves and servants and are now friends and no longer in darkness over why God is doing things in certain ways.  The fruit then that Christ calls us to is founded on one main pillar: LOVE.  John 15:17 “I command these things to you, that you may love one another. This then translates to one main command of loving one another. Thus the fruit of love is called to remain. 1Corinthians 13:13 But now faith, hope, and love remain. The greatest of these is love. And this is the response we accord the one who called and loved us first. He, Jesus Christ, has loved us with such a love that is extravagant: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Are You A Stranger To Christmas?

Luke 24.13-21 Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened. It happened, while they talked and questioned together, that Jesus himself came near, and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?” One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?” He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

Often times we quote the statement: “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?” whenever an individual is not aware or asking questions regarding a scene, issue or affair that is very obvious and in the public domain. But what seemed to be obvious in this context was not obvious. Thought they had gone to the tomb and verified that Jesus’ body was not there which was a sign of his resurrection, they were either not convinced or they had forgotten. Lu 24:22-24 Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb; and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of us went to the tomb, and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” Their eyes and spirit were blinded to the fact that the very individual they were conversing with was the very theme and subject they were discussing about. This was so till they shared in the breaking of bread together: Lu 24:30-32 It happened, that when he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight. They said one to another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”

We are in the Christmas festive and in a few days will be Christmas day. Hopefully, you and I are not strangers in the town, country, world and universe at large. It is in the public domain that this is the festive where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ though it doesn’t mean that that is exactly the date and month of birth. Like these two disciples, majority may think that they are not strangers to this fact but ironically the level of blindness is so high. Like Cleophas and his friend, majority know theoretically that Christ Jesus was born to save the world, he died, resurrected, ascended to heaven and his very present lives with us as God Emmanuel and that he is coming back to judge the world. That is very obvious. But is that all? Other than knowledge alone, we are called to believe. Other than merry and festivity, it is also a moment to reflect in the relationship we’ve had with him. 

When Cleophas and his colleague were asking ‘THE STRANGER’ about the occurrence of the time, they were ready to continue with the conversation but it turned out that they were the uninformed ones. If the same question will be asked during this festive season, why is everyone happy and marrying around? The answer of one being a stranger or not will depend on which side of coin one is for. To some it will be: This is a tradition, the Christmas festive where we always come together and celebrate together, eat together, exchange presents, and drink and so on.  Others will answer that it is a moment to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we evaluate our walk with him, visit the less fortunate, celebrate together, etc. when these answers are weighed against the scriptures, it then when we can determine who the real stranger is and needs to be advised and informed. Lu 24:31 their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight. Until we feed of his body and blood by accepting Him as the lord and Saviour of our lives, we remain aliens and foreigners to the very covenant he has established. We remain strangers till we accept Christ Jesus. Christmas will only be a sensible celebration if you have Christ born in your heart. Romans 10:8-13 But what does it say? “The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart”; that is, the word of faith which we proclaim; because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame.” For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone, “whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” The invitation is that of a welcome to the family where you’re an heir, not a stranger.

The Cost Of Shifting The Paradigm

One of the hardest experiences that we face is the adoption into a new scheme or role with reference to the set guidelines, that is, commitment to a thing that is contrary to the rules we are used to and that have dire consequences once broken. Mary the mother of Jesus found herself in such a situation.

She was of Jewish origin. She subscribed to the Mosaic law that punished them that had sex before marriage by stoning. She, being a female, had to be committed to purity even more. Upon receiving the news concerning her getting pregnancy, she asks a question of  “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”(Luke 1:34). 

Mary risked a couple of things from her conversation with angel Gabriel in Luke chapter 1: first she risked being stoned for getting pregnant before consummation of their marriage since she was just betrothed to Joseph. Secondly reputation is of importance to the people from East and thus the reputation of the family was at stake. Lastly she risked being divorced, by Joseph, if the stoning would not have taken place, which was their custom – breaking a betrothal was by divorce. It was a hard task trying to explain the mode through which she became pregnant.

Mary, in her response, must balance between the law, the role/ responsibility and the outcome/ consequences. At last she would have to take a risk to honour the responsibility and role midst the law and its outcome. Imagine explaining to Rabbis that she is carrying the son of God, that she is pregnant through HolySpirit, that regardless of the pregnant she is sexually pure amongst other questions smashed upon her. Introducing the Trinity: that God the Father chose her to carry the son, Jesus Christ through HolyGhost to these teachers of the law was not a walk in the park. These were real questions demanding real answers.

She was certain with the word of the angel that this was the real deal. She had to accept the call to be the medium through which God would physically come to the world. She counted her cost. Mathew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mathew 10:38-40 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. She preferred to face the consequences and was ready to advance the goal and vision of the master regardless of the risk that it would have costed her. You and I are often times faced by such situations and we are torn apart as to what really should we do. There are moments that we are faced by life, career, family, friendship, social, economic, etc threatening situations whereby the door of making decisions stops at us and there is no way to bypass it. Not forgetting we are aware of the law and set guidelines, our responsibility and the thereof consequences. We, being believers in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus by faith are but called to do that which is truthful, right and pleasing before God. The response of Mary stands true: Luke 1:38… “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.”…The development of the occurrence of events is that Mary and Joseph went through their gestation period, gave birth and so on and so on true to angel Gabriel’s word. There comes no time when we shall be wrong in doing the right thing. The Bible says: 1Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Going contrary to the traditions of men, society, etc when weighed against the conviction from the Bible will summon our attention to the threats and repercussions which we must rise over and above in knowing that he who started good work in us will ultimately bring it to a conclusion. 2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. I will presume she knew the law and at that particular moment when she was conversing with Gabriel, the opportunity wasn’t long lasting for her to make the decision. She must also have heard the prophecies about the coming of the messiah. She had to make a decision. Similarly, we will be faced with such circumstances and what will count is the conviction to follow and act in truth. Based on God’s word, we will have to allow it to speak to us and authorize the course to take, say, act upon, execute and implement. For anything contrary to God’s word is all but fall from Grace. 

LIFE STYLE PREACHING: PRINCIPLES THAT DEFINE US

Often there is a challenge that is posed once in a while during conversations: WALK THE TALK. I bet the challenge there is to have ones action testifying more to the words that the individual is giving. The call is to the adherence to consistency.

When we examine our lives, we find something worth to live for. In his preaching and time on earth, Christ Jesus emphasized of our lives being consistent. That is, the call to produce fruit worth of the very testimony we profess (Mathew3:8). 

There are situations whereby the principles, values and actions we adhere to speak more louder than the word we would have spoken. The power thereof cannot be assumed. An old testament character by the name Daniel and his 3 friends are portrayed as men who walked the talk. They spoke less and the effects of their courses of actions are overwhelming.

Having been taken to Babylon at his youth age and given a place to learn the Chaldean philosophy, he had just but one principle…Daniel 1:8:… And Daniel had come to the decision that he would not make himself unclean with the king’s food or wine; so he made a request to the captain of the unsexed (Eunuchs)  servants that he might not make himself unclean. He would not engage in that which was to make him impure. Running through chapter 1-6, he is presented as one who won the hearts of the kings of Babylon to the point of proclaiming Yahweh as true God.

First, he feeds from a diet that he was certain that there was no way it was defiled since meat and blood could easily defile him; either they be from beasts prohibited, offered to idols first or even defiled during slaughter due to blood. And at the end of time he is found wiser and intelligent than all.

Secondly, he reveals to the king his dream as well as the meaning. This is so after the king has ordered the execution of all the wise men; which he was a part of. Differently, the so called wise men were sorcerers and witchcraft while himself and his three friends worshiped and consulted Yahweh. He in the process saves the lives of these dark-powers devoted men.

Thirdly, his three friends have their faith on test. An idol is prepared and at the sounding of the trumpet everybody is supposed to bow to it. Their accusers find enough evidence to accuse them for defying the order. Their explanation is that THEY WILL NOT BOW TO IDOL no matter what: whether God rescues them or not. They had seen, during the captivity of Jerusalem, God not coming through and thus they were open to whatever way He, God, would respond but their loyalty to Him would not shift. God comes through for them and as a result Nebuchadnezzar heart is shifted to God’s way.

Lastly king Darius is trapped by schemers who were malicious of the level to which Daniel had risen to in the ladder of leadership, that is, leader of all chiefs. They were all answerable to him. They said in their hearts…Daniel 6:5…We will only get a reason for attacking Daniel in connection with the law of his God. They made a proposal to turn the king to a god but Daniel, being aware of their scheme, continued with his devotion to God. By the time the king was realizing, he had made a decree that could not be amended and he knew that Daniel was a devoted man and that all this scheme was meant to cripple him. This pains the heart of the king to the point of not eating. Daniel gained the favor with king Darius and Cyrus and finally vengeance, though crooked because the wives and children of the leaders were not involved.

In all these instances, Daniel is committed to doing that which he had learnt such that all these kings keep on elevating him from a level to the other. He coexists with them peaceably in-spite of their spiritual difference to the point that they make confession and acknowledge Yahweh’s hand. With doing the right thing and in the right way, we cannot be wrong irrespective of the people we work with or live with. Being a foreigner, depending on God with unwavering principles, he managed to serve under the various kingdoms for the 70 years of the captivity of Jews. Many are the times the name of Jesus has been tarnished due to our conduct in that we preach water while taking wine. It would be better if people saw us taking water and when they inquire why we take water and not wine we can be in a position to explain. More than 50% of our testimony and preaching is through lifestyle than with talking. And the big question at the end of the day is: IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT ME FOR BEING A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST JESUS?

The Poison Contained In Reputation

The concern to have a good name is so real and if it is not to all, then it is to majority.   Fascinatingly we want to have a good name in the eyes of them that we know and know us and strangers alike. 

Reputation cuts across all people: the rich and the poor, the old and the young, male and female, parents and siblings, leaders and subjects, employees and employers and so on. Infact, reputation or a good name, is a source belonging too. It takes a popular individual to embrace a product, item, tool, behavior, character trait, etc. for everyone else to follow. Talk of influence. Talk of sales if it happens that your product is the one that is embraced. But, with similar magnitude can the effect be if the same individual ‘scrutinize your product or service’ and decide to take you back to the ground level.

This phenomenon of wanting a good name didn’t originate in our generation. It has always been there. Its popularity has been gaining muscles and popularity over time due to the advancement in technology and connectivity. King Saul, a Biblical character, of Israel is displayed as man, a ruler who had an audience to please, to gain acceptance from and a name to protect. His reputation was important to him. His description is given in 1Samuel 9:2 …Saul, a specially good-looking young man; there was no one better-looking among the children of Israel: he was taller by a head than any other of the people. What a wonderful creation. He becomes the king and a few chapters later his kingdom is at war with Philistines, whose gigantic warrior mocked and caused the army of the Israelite to shiver and cower a lot. David, a young man is led of God and finally overcomes the warrior raising the hope of Israelite’s army and nation at large. The Israelites women burst out in praise and unconsciously accords King Saul THOUSANDS and David TENS OF THOUSANDS. This clicks into the mind of Saul that he’s being demeaned yet he was the king. Enmity between the two was birthed there (1SAmuel 17 &18). prior to this Saul had failed to execute the Amalekites as dictated by God and instead allowed king Agag to live and allowed the people to bring the fattened animals with them. He was seeking acceptance to please them and not to offend them (1 Samuel 15). Similarly in 1 Samuel 13 he offered a sacrifice he was not supposed to. It was the mandate of the prophet Samuel and the answer he gave as to the cause of his action was that THE PEOPLE WERE SCATTERING AWAY. 

Bringing it home to the political arena, places of work, leadership and governance and all places where we live and work acceptance and reputation still disturb us. It so happens that with the technological advancement we experience it even in our private spaces. The world is interconnected and social media is the main sniper in our generation. With Facebook, Instagram, Snap-chat, Twitter, etc. we socialize and become antisocial at the same time. It is in these sites that in the name of seeking for approval, acceptance and followers that enmity have risen. For example take a photo of two individuals and let them upload it Instagram whereby one gets 100 likes while the other gets 1 like and see if the latter one won’t develop a negative liking towards his/her friend. But the question that begs a serious address is: WHEN DID LIKES, RETWEETS, COMMENTS, SHARES BECOME THE INDICATOR FOR APPROVAL? It is with such that hostility, enmity, broken relationships have risen including suicide. Many have gone ahead to embrace foreign character traits, immorality, nudity, drug abuse etc. all for the purpose of making a name for themselves, becoming popular, becoming acceptance and so on.

However, the story doesn’t have to end or take this course. The problem comes when we use the wrong standards: COMPARATIVE LIFESTYLE – wanting to be like the other person, having many followers, likes, shares, etc. These likes and shares and so on are not evil but the problem is when we fail to understand that the opinions of others may shape you but the ultimate standard is God. No wonder the bible says in Genesis 1:26… And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth. No man was a design plan for the other BUT ALL HAVE A COMMON DESIGN: GOD. King David had an understanding of this concept no wonder he writes in Psalms 139:14…I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. This is the same man who dances unto the LORD when the ark of covenant comes back from the land of Philistine till his ROYAL ROBE fells off and his wife despises him. He gives a very profound answer in reply to her question in 2 Samuel 6:19-22… So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD.” At the point of dancing his reputation was of no importance compared to the GLORY OF THE ALMIGHTY. The one thing we often forget is that I may dismiss your photo, thought, post on social media but I don’t know you which begs the question: WHY SHOULD A STRANGER’S OPINION SINK ME INTO A DAMPNESS THAT IS UNNECESSARY? EVEN IF WE KNOW EACH OTHER, ARE FRIENDS NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE CONTRARY OPINION? Many more questions do arise.

But here is my opinion: every thought, view, action, etc. must be COUNTER CHECKED against the correct standard: GOD. And how to do it is to check what his word says concerning us: human being; I included. At the end of the day, that will count more on what I post and share and what I get back. BOTH the shared and the feedback information must be checked with respect to the BIBLE if the reputation is to be said to have no poison. OTHERWISE, THERE WILL BE POISON IN THE REPUTATION.

 

The Foundation is Love

The Bible says, And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.Genesis:1:28. Is this not a call to have authority and dominion, rulership, leadership and authority as well as dominion and productivity. 

This means that human life is worthwhile than any other thing including plants, materialism, riches and belongings.is this the ideal situation or ‘vitu kwa ground ni different’ (on the ground things are different)? It may sound like a simple statement but the reality is that we live different from that which we proclaim. 

Think of it this way: when someone loots public funds meant for medical equipment as well as medication then in hospital people die and suffer due to lack of such, poor roads which hinder mobility and cause accidents, when policemen and traffic authority compromise for unroadworthy vehicles and reckless drivers to continue on our roads and kill hundreds, when illicit goods are allowed into the nation and many suffer at the hands of such things, the question that should come to us is: between people and materialism which one is or ought to have dominance over the other? Be there a god that will finish who we are is materialism. 

Unto every man is the hunger and desire to own more  and more and more. It’s the society of every man unto himself and for himself. It’s worth noting that this is not a one time event and occurrence but a gradual process where we kill the conscience bit by bit. And God keeps on whispering to us but when we say yes today, tomorrow becomes hard to say no to similar situation. 

However, God has set the best example in showing the value of man over material through love. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. John:3:16. Even if I was the only sinner in the world, Jesus Christ would still have been sent to die for me. What a manner of love? The standard he sets is this: if we are to say that we love him, then love must be the very foundation upon which we’re based on. That means the value for humanity must supercede that of any other thing. In so doing, the fulfilment of Genesis 1:28 becomes the reality. 

Shooting thy foot, poisoning the future

‘I want to raise a generation devoid of conscience’ said Hitler. His motive led to him foreseeing the execution of thousands of Jews. It feels bad, doesn’t it? What started as a single idea and thought of an individual was actualized and led to a holocaust. It may seem as if it is an alien but it is the very philosophy that is on rise with our modern society. The doctrine of falsehood. When the art of relativism jets in, then everything is permissible. In his book, the enemy of the people, Henrik Ibsen depicts a character by the name Dr. Stockmann who makes one the following discovery: I have already told you that what I want to speak about is the great discovery I have made lately—the discovery that all the sources of our moral life are poisoned and that the whole fabric of our civic community is founded on the pestiferous soil of falsehood.
This falsehood is hedged and sandwiched in what is esteemed as liberality, freedom and rights. We live, off course, in a free world and people are free to make choices and decisions and the standard is that as long as it does not hurt the other person it is okay. Hurting the other person then becomes the standard. But note that there are many things that do not hurt others yet it is still wrong. But falsehood will often make things so appealing that a mere man cannot decode the coded message. Yet, when the one who has discerned the content and air their view they are attacked with every rebuke possible. In so doing our generation is full of people who are taking everything they say, see and hear and implement it in their lives. At the moment it seems fun, a thing of the youth and teens but with time when fruits come out, we will have to reap what we have been sowing. But is that not the obvious thing: that upon sowing one will have to reap. Failure to reap is part of reap.
The Israelites were on numerous time warned by God that upon their arrival to Canaan they should not imitate the trends of the ungodly tribes they will find there because doing so will lead them to captivity and God will judge them. More often he did send them warning by many prophets and when time came for God to let his wrath unveil, they were in for the real shock. But it was too late because they had to reap all they had been planting. What can one liken that generation to if not to a man who is armed with a pistol in his arm, pointing it to his foot as they lay as a troop in wait of the enemy and his fellow soldier warns him that if he won’t be keen he will shoot himself. Unfortunately he keeps on responding how equipped he is and cannot commit such an error and as the enemy draws near he shoots his foot and calls it accidental. The enemies lay hands on them and his colleagues flee and struggle to save him and he becomes a liability and in the end they are captured and taken hostage.
That is exactly where we are fast-tracking to: raising a generation devoid of conscious. We have and are poisoning the moral fabric of our society and expecting that the state of affairs will remain the same. We are facing an enemy we are aware of but ignorant when we are warned about the approach towards the right ways. It will be prudent to curb and tame the wave before it lands on us with our ignorance. It will not be seen today but the future will manifest and behold, we will be lamenting when it is too late.we are not only ruining the current but the future generation and they will point fingers at us. We will be the casualty as well.

THE RESURRECTED JESUS CHRIST

Christianity is founded, or rather stands and falls, on the person of Jesus Christ. He is the third person of the Trinity. He is God himself though in other faiths like Islam He’s referred to as a prophet; off course that is not true. The Christian faith makes sense when it has to be anchored unto Him. Salvation, for all people, is found in no other than Jesus Christ (John 20:31).
Lest we forget, His resurrection is of significance as well as His death. Much is written and preached about His death yet it is of importance we focus that he was raised from the death too. Thomas, the doubting one, commits an act that is recorded for us to note and get a deeper meaning about Christ Jesus.
John 20: 24-29…..Now Thomas, one of the twelve, named Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them, if I do not see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and if I do not put my hand into his side, I will never have belief. And after eight days, his disciples were again in the house and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were shut, Jesus came, and taking his place in the middle of them, he said, May peace be with you! Then he said to Thomas, Put out your finger, and see my hands; and put your hand here into my side: and be no longer in doubt but have belief. And Thomas said in answer, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, because you have seen me you have belief: a blessing will be on those who have belief though they have not seen me!
If an individual said that He would bodily die and spiritually resurrect, there would be nothing so amazing about it after all how do you verify a spirit of a certain individual. But is the person made the same claim and stated that he will bodily resurrect, you would be able to verify the results which is the case here. Jesus had said that he will die and on the third day he would resurrect (Mathew 16:21, 17:23, and 20:19). Thomas emerges in the picture as one who is doubting to seek to know if really Jesus had resurrected. He touched and he verified it.
The women who went to the tomb to undertake embalmment were witnesses too of the bodily resurrected Christ Jesus. All they found were the linen that had covered his body. The disciples similarly at the tomb had the same scenery and not only that, they encountered him on the first day of the week, at Tiberius. In fact he breaks fast with the disciples in chapter 21 John vs 1 -16. Ghosts don’t eat, bodily creatures do. The resurrected Christ
In acts 1:1-11, it is stated that in a span of forty days he manifested himself all over unto the disciples and unto over five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:9). He, Jesus Christ, has ascended unto the heavens and an angel of the Lord came and asked these men vs 10-11… And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing, And said, O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
The faith of a Christian is captured in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Would he have not resurrected, there would not have been salvation. The resurrected Christ is soon coming. The coming, second, is this time round of a glorious king who is coming to judge the world. Mathew 26:64…Jesus says to him, you say so: but I say to you, from now you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.

PURGATORY, DOES IT Exist?

Jesus. He is highly regarded in the Christian and Islamic faith. According to Christianity He is God and unto Islam He is a prophet. Either way these are the two faiths I do interact with often. As to whether He is God or prophet, I leave it there. If the two faiths esteem Him, then His life: actions and words do matter to us a lot. The two faiths also have eternity in the scene. The description to get where, heaven or hell, varies. Either Islam or Christianity is correct while the other is wrong- case for another day. What happens after death is my concern in this article. From a common point of view I’ll pick Christ.
What happens to an individual after death? Can anything be changed after death? Jannah. This is an Islamic funeral prayer offered in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and ALL DEAD MUSLIMS. If no one fulfills it, then all Muslims will be accountable. This is not only done before the burial but also in the continuous life, that is, all along. No wonder Muslims always say this statement ‘peace be upon him (PBUH) everytime they mention Mohamed or one of his disciple. But they are dead, why pray for them to change or will God review His decision? This practice is also practiced by traditionalist who keep on conducting libations and offering sacrifices to the dead – classified as the living dead and the ancestors and spirits and such wayward believes. More to it Catholicism also practices this. I have been to burials where the mass was conducted by catholic and they prayed that the dead be forgiven and his/ her soul delivered from hell. Purgatory, the place for temporal punishment, is a belief they hold dearly. This makes me think then that there is no need to fear dying even if you are a sinner because if such a place exists you’ll still get to heaven after going through purgatory for just a shortwhile. Additionally I’ve heard of my friends and relatives who are Catholics take the names of their dead relatives for prayers, that’s long duration after burial, to pray for them so that their souls rest well and that God may have mercy on them. But, is that the truth? Dis Jesus Christ really teach that anywhere?
What does Jesus teach about life in eternity? Referencing Christ’s word from the Bible, since Quran doesn’t have His citations, He gave a description of what happens. Luke 16:19-31 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’
Mundu aakagirwo na miti iria etuiriire (your hut is built using the stalks you have gathered). How one lives this life dictates where one spends eternity. The prayer for the dead is an unbiblical doctrine for people who don’t want to come to terms that their friends/ relatives/ buddies never lived the way He (Christ) wanted. One can’t dispute Christ’s word unless with another of His reference. Indeed he said that He’s the way, truth and life John 14:6 and not only that but live in obedience to his word. John 15:1-15. He claimed this because He is the Saviour John 3:16. Just like the rich man, after death the book is closed and what awaits is God’s judgement and whatever the living do, it will never alter the place where God has dictated for your life. The earlier we accept that life is to be lived as God has ordained it, the better we are in securing our eternal destiny in heaven, otherwise, the destiny is the opposite. The conclusion of the matter is this: AFTER DEATH: JUDGEMENT.