WordToday

Habakkuk threw a tantrum (Hab.1: 1-4) when he felt that God was taking too long to answer and eventually God did answer him. But how did God answer?  He gave a very perplexing response. “ 6  I am raising up the Babylonians     that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth     to seize dwellings not their own….” Hab. 1:6 Now, Habakkuk must have understood immediately what this meant. It suddenly hit him that God had decided to do much more than he had anticipated in his initial prayer. Instead of just dealing with the wicked individuals in his country, God would instead raise up a cruel and wicked nation-the Babylonians. According to God, they would conquer his country.    Now how is that for an answer? Ha!   Habakkuk was not at all excited at God’s out-sized response. But was God’s response out-sized? Let us see. The truly discerning man or woman often finds that they are burdened as much as God’s Spirit is burdened by a particular situation.

About 6 years ago, there was much disillusionment in our country following the PEV. Political intransigence and posturing were the order of the day. The church leadership was also striving to find its place once again after fumbling during the pre-election period.   At some point the NCCK issued an uncharacteristically blunt statement that made international news; " The impression and expression of most Kenyans is that they have a moribund president and an ineffective prime minister," "In their hearts, Kenyans cannot understand how they can be going through an extremely difficult period, with no hope in sight, yet the president ... is extremely quiet about those issues, almost as if he has lost touch with reality." Odinga, though charged with coordinating government ministries, "complains about the same people he is supervising instead of streamlining their operations," NCCK.   At another event, religious leaders caused a storm when they read s

So we welcome politicians into our churches. No problem in that. In fact they should be welcome. But when we give such men our pulpits we best be sure that we know them well. There is no need of welcoming to our pulpits men we know don't keep their word, are needlessly violent or even engaged in criminal activities. Even when they carry wads of cash we must not allow them to assuage their guilty conscience by donating to our projects. For such sacrifices can never clear the conscience (Heb. 9:9) When we give them our pulpits to speak half-godly words simply because we seek their donations then we pander to their vanity and so fail to point them to the Saviour who alone can cleanse a guilty conscience (Heb.10:22). We must tell them that they are welcome-but only as part of the listening, worshipping congregation. And if they must donate, let us accord them the same treatment as other donating congregants; perhaps a brief salutary acknowledgment of their presence but no more