WordToday

Jacob’s story reads like one of those teary soap-operas that keep some glued to televisions year in year out. Of the Bible’s godly men, he stands out as one of the most notorious Bible characters. The story of his life straddles the first book of the bible like a colossus, gobbling up 15 whole chapters (Genesis 25-49). God’s decision to give this maverick acres of bible-space should tell you something about God’s view of the Christian’s life. Here is a running (or rambling J ) commentary of his biography. See if you can glean some parallels with your own journey in the faith. While still in the womb he jostles (I think it’s more like wrestles) with his twin brother causing his mother great discomfort. As she cries out in pain a prophecy is made that sets the stage for the tumultuous life he would lead. " ..the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob)…." Gen.25:23 However Jacob was not going to patiently wait for the prediction to come. As their mother labored t...

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Gen.18:19 My wife asked me the other day why God picked Abraham out of all the men of his day to be the one he would call to start off the nation of Israel and eventually bless the entire world through Jesus Christ. I didn't have a very good answer but now I do know something else. God chose Abraham so that he could teach his family the ways of the LORD. Thus Abraham's primary role was to bring about a godly offspring even in the midst of a people that worshipped multiple gods and cared little for the One True God. Over the years God has not changed His strategy for ensuring a righteous remnant can still be found. You and me as parents are his means of ensuring this. Like Abraham He has charged us with the responsibility of bringing forth...

    If you’re looking for somebody who loves You Won't You look my way, look my way... Do you sometimes get out of bed in the morning and a tune starts playing over and over in your mind as you prepare for the day? Today it is this song by Lenny LeBlanc that won't go away. Someone once told me to always sing out (in the shower of course) the song I wake up with. He tried to convince me that it really is my inner-self waking up to pray or praise much like how birds spontaneously chirp at the coming dawn. I don’t know how true this is because sometimes I wake up with the last catchy tune I heard in a matatu playing Classic FM. Funny thing that today I don’t feel particularly enthusiastic about this beautiful song playing in my mind. Why?  Well, I think the lyrics place a subtle demand on us to love God in an unmistakable way. This I know I have not done well today. Can you imagine telling a girl, "If you are looking for somebody to love you...

All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him.  I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. Songs of Solomon 3:1-2 Believe it or not, there is a deeper story here but before we delve into the details let us course through the story as it appears at first sight. On the face of it, this sounds like Solomon's latest catch pining for her lover-boy king. Now some would protest at the thought of King Solomon being labelled a Casanova but consider this; the man had 300 wives and 700 other women in his harem. It is possible that there were others not officially accounted for. By any standards his conquests trump many of our contemporaries. Not that this is anything to be specially admired. However he beat our extremely prolific Kenyan super-dad Akuku Danger who is reput...

I thought it rather unfortunate that at this time of the year my bible reading plan should take me to of all books, The Songs of Solomon! As I begin I am quietly wondering how it squares with the Christmas season since chapter 1 is clearly about romance. See how it starts; Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine. 2 However in the spirit of being a good, prudish and proper Christians during this season join me as I hypothesize that this first verse does mirror in a curious way, God’s love for you and for me-his love for humanity. I start by declaring that, "Christmas is God’s greatest statement of love!" Both the depth and broadness of God’s love  find ultimate expression in the events that occasioned the birth of Christ. When we celebrate Christmas we are in effect saying, “God we applaud you heartily and respond to this great love you have unashamedly expressed for us”. For God di...

  I once found myself in the company of our former youth pastor (now senior pastor of a medium-size church in Parklands). He is generally a very simple, humorous and approachable man unlike some of our raucous tele-evangelists. More than once I have visited the church where he pastors just to listen to him.  Having grown up in the rough in a tough Nairobi neighbourhood, his language is often tinged with heavy slang giving his sermons an authenticity that is both hilarious and refreshing. On this particular day I had arrived early for a training at some other venue and as I sat down to wait I spotted the man some distance away. All week, I had felt compelled to remember him in prayer. Now I felt a strong urge to tell him that I had been praying for him. As I approached him a sudden unease gripped me. By the time I was telling him that I had been praying for his safety, I was trembling like a leaf. However, in his usual genial ma...

Grace for many means freedom to do many things as they deem fit. It also means quick relief from guilt-inducing sinful acts. Grace is a bit like Panadol for quick relief from pain. “In the presence of God, there is joy. Even when you sin ” so says the FB post. My own judgement is that people who reason like this have either; Not studied the New Testament scripture keenly enough or Misjudged the character of God How so you may say? Read on if you enjoy a good debate. We start from the popular maxim; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!” This is gleaned from Hebrews 13:8. Many who triumphantly decree (yes, I hear nowadays people ‘decree and declare’) this scripture sometimes do not pause to ponder its deeper implications. To say that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and into the unseen future simply means, well what it says; Jesus does not change! He does not change in the sense that; He does not get any wiser-f...