Deuteronomy 4 forms a part of Moses’ last speech to the Israelites. One of the key instruction that kept popping up was obedience the Lord’s command. This would guarantee prosperity and increase in the land which they we going to check into and occupy. He cautions them against adding and subtracting the decrees of God- he knew that this was a likelihood not only then but today as well. The order was that they should listen and obey/ follow. Between the written decrees and prosperity stands the pivot of listening and obeying. Deuteronomy 4-9: Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one: and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you might. These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, 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. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. The guarding are charged with being the first teachers of the law to their children.
If they would follow the instructions given, their wisdom, intelligence and prudence would be a testimony to the surrounding nations. That is to say that their lifestyle would be an evangelistic tool to the non-believers. The answers and responses they would give would result to the glorification of the name of Yahweh. In chapter 6 of Deuteronomy they are charged with the responsibility of teaching the same decrees. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Is that the case today?
When I think of the Shakahola crisis, fake miracles, planting of seeds (kupanda mbegu) buying of brooms to sweep problems, holy water from Jerusalem, handicaps for hire, false prophecies of how your neighbor or relative is the one visiting witch doctors to curse you, the ‘robbing of stars’, over emphasis on prosperity gospel, I’m convinced that we have negated the biblical text and far from it have wandered. If truth does not matter, why should I want it to matter to another individual? If the biblical teachings are not a priority to me, why should they be to my child(ren)? If I do not study, meditate, etc. on the word of God, how will I know what to believe in or not, when to do what and where and how? Will I even tell if I or my children are being indoctrinated to fasting to death or buying brooms to sweep Satan or planting to harvest? How will I tell if the ‘man of God’ is preaching heresy or truth? Will I even tell if I am being alienated from my family or other members of the society for the ease of brainwashing or even leading my family to disasters even death through fasting?
No wonder Ezra thought through it and made a resolve to learn, practice and teach the law to others (Ezra 7.10). In our time our anointed men of god’ have been cunning enough to realize open doors and have ended up adding and subtracting scriptures for maximum benefit. They are sowing where they have not sowed; though they have sowed to some extent by ensuring that the ignorance of many does not only remain but blossoms. The Bereans in acts 17 are said to have been more prudent in verifying if Paul and Silas were preaching rumors or the true gospel. They didn’t want to build skyscraper on heresy…Acts 17.10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Mt 28:18 -20…And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Witness, then make those new believers into disciples. The disciples will most likely reflect the master. No wonder followers of these warped believers will always reason alike and will defend them by all means. The making of disciples is to start right from Jerusalem- our houses. The first disciples ought to be our child(ren). If we are lukewarm, so shall they be. Imagine a society of lukewarm believers? This is spiritual poverty. In Deuteronomy 6:8-9″You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. The call was intentional. We are always using our hands and so having the laws in your hands was a constant reminder. Per chance you did not see them on your hands, one shall see them on the forehead of the person they meet or interact with or be with ay any given moment… as you check into the home you will spot them on the door post of every structure bearing a door. If you be along the road, gates will have the laws scribed on them. This is intentional and it takes time and sacrifices. There was no reason for not knowing.
Neither hearing nor knowing is enough. Think of how we religiously install bible apps in our phones. How many open those bible apps leave alone obeying? And when they open them by chance they barely can recall what they read. I bet that sometimes that the bible is one of the apps that the phone system proposes to be uninstalled because they are the least used apps and this would create space. Like the Israelites to the surrounding nations, the call is to walk the talk. If there is a disparity between what we confess and how we live the same, then we become a salt without flavor of light that has been positioned under the bed even after it has lit. It is when we live lifestyles that demonstrate Christ whom we confess that many shall be drawn. Gimmicks, fake miracles, rumors about Christ amongst others will never draw non-believers. They too know some truth about Christ. It starts by us mediating on the word of God and living it out. Psalms 1:1-4 blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The more Bereans we have the more the likes of Paul Makenzie and other rogue pastors will have reduced specimens with whom they can implement their warped doctrine. We shall be in a position to shift gears from the ‘man of god’ centered gospel to Jehovah. We shall be in a position to discern messages and sermons delivered to see if they really are true or false by the use of word of God- bible as the standard.
Deuteronomy 4 forms a part of Moses’ last speech to the Israelites. One of the key instruction that kept popping up was obedience the Lord’s command. This would guarantee prosperity and increase in the land which they we going to check into and occupy. He cautions them against adding and subtracting the decrees of God- he knew that this was a likelihood not only then but today as well. The order was that they should listen and obey/ follow. Between the written decrees and prosperity stands the pivot of listening and obeying. Deuteronomy 4-9: Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one: and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you might. These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, 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. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. The guarding are charged with being the first teachers of the law to their children.
If they would follow the instructions given, their wisdom, intelligence and prudence would be a testimony to the surrounding nations. That is to say that their lifestyle would be an evangelistic tool to the non-believers. The answers and responses they would give would result to the glorification of the name of Yahweh. In chapter 6 of Deuteronomy they are charged with the responsibility of teaching the same decrees. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Is that the case today?
When I think of the Shakahola crisis, fake miracles, planting of seeds (kupanda mbegu) buying of brooms to sweep problems, holy water from Jerusalem, handicaps for hire, false prophecies of how your neighbor or relative is the one visiting witch doctors to curse you, the ‘robbing of stars’, over emphasis on prosperity gospel, I’m convinced that we have negated the biblical text and far from it have wandered. If truth does not matter, why should I want it to matter to another individual? If the biblical teachings are not a priority to me, why should they be to my child(ren)? If I do not study, meditate, etc. on the word of God, how will I know what to believe in or not, when to do what and where and how? Will I even tell if I or my children are being indoctrinated to fasting to death or buying brooms to sweep Satan or planting to harvest? How will I tell if the ‘man of God’ is preaching heresy or truth? Will I even tell if I am being alienated from my family or other members of the society for the ease of brainwashing or even leading my family to disasters even death through fasting?
No wonder Ezra thought through it and made a resolve to learn, practice and teach the law to others (Ezra 7.10). In our time our anointed men of god’ have been cunning enough to realize open doors and have ended up adding and subtracting scriptures for maximum benefit. They are sowing where they have not sowed; though they have sowed to some extent by ensuring that the ignorance of many does not only remain but blossoms. The Bereans in acts 17 are said to have been more prudent in verifying if Paul and Silas were preaching rumors or the true gospel. They didn’t want to build skyscraper on heresy…Acts 17.10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Mt 28:18 -20…And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Witness, then make those new believers into disciples. The disciples will most likely reflect the master. No wonder followers of these warped believers will always reason alike and will defend them by all means. The making of disciples is to start right from Jerusalem- our houses. The first disciples ought to be our child(ren). If we are lukewarm, so shall they be. Imagine a society of lukewarm believers? This is spiritual poverty. In Deuteronomy 6:8-9″You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. The call was intentional. We are always using our hands and so having the laws in your hands was a constant reminder. Per chance you did not see them on your hands, one shall see them on the forehead of the person they meet or interact with or be with ay any given moment… as you check into the home you will spot them on the door post of every structure bearing a door. If you be along the road, gates will have the laws scribed on them. This is intentional and it takes time and sacrifices. There was no reason for not knowing.
Neither hearing nor knowing is enough. Think of how we religiously install bible apps in our phones. How many open those bible apps leave alone obeying? And when they open them by chance they barely can recall what they read. I bet that sometimes that the bible is one of the apps that the phone system proposes to be uninstalled because they are the least used apps and this would create space. Like the Israelites to the surrounding nations, the call is to walk the talk. If there is a disparity between what we confess and how we live the same, then we become a salt without flavour of light that has been positioned under the bed even after it has lit. It is when we live lifestyles that demonstrate Christ whom we confess that many shall be drawn. Gimmicks, fake miracles, rumours about Christ amongst others will never draw non-believers. They too know some truth about Christ. It starts by us mediating on the word of God and living it out. Psalms 1:1-4 blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The more Bereans we have the more the likes of Paul Makenzie and other rogue pastors will have reduced specimens with whom they can implement their warped doctrine. We shall be in a position to shift gears from the ‘man of god’ centred gospel to Jehovah. We shall be in a position to discern messages and sermons delivered to see if they really are true or false by the use of word of God- bible as the standard.
kensammoh 