The Passionate Believer

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house” [Genesis 41:51] Life is full of twists and turns and Joseph was one young man who experienced a number of them. He was the youngest then in his father’s household, one who is normally supposed to be the baby of the family, spoilt, loved and protected by everyone, but that was not the case for him. We all know how the story went. He shed a lot of tears and like our Lord, Joseph was acquainted with grief, sorrow and rejection [Isaiah 53:3] yet there came a time in his life when the Lord blessed him with family.  Names have significance in many cultures and many people in Southern Africa can identify with and understand why Joseph called his firstborn son Manasseh which means “causing to forget”. Scriptures say, ‘For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house’ [Genesis 41:51]. Like Job, Joseph was a ri...

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Luke 18 vs 9 - 14, ESV Most of us when looking at this passage can rarely say that we're like the tax collector. We're  more like the Pharisee in many respects. Especially when we think we're 'worshipping' God,...

I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [John16:33]  If there is anything we all do not like, it is suffering. No one ever votes for it and only a few people wish it even on their worst enemies. But reality is, we were born into a world which is full of suffering and pain and we are not in control of what happens to us or what happens to our loved ones. We may try to control our pain by using medication [thank God for medication and science], exercise or by ignoring the pain. These may work but only for a while but they cannot take away the greatest pain which awaits unregenerate people. Then there is emotional pain which we can also try to mitigate up to a certain level but that pain is really part of our lives. No one ever invites pain and some think it is a “negative” thing to teach about what the Bible teaches about pain and suffering. I was once told that I ...

Joshua chapters  6 - 9 Joshua defeats Jericho with ease but encounters problems along the way when they decide to move against AI. Joshua did not consult with God, therefore he didn't know about Achan's sin until it was too late. We need to prioritize consulting God and seeking His divine will and in doing so we can and will prevent defeat unlike Joshua who was defeated by a small town known as AI. He was also decieved by the Gibeonites (Joshua 9 vs 14) . All this occurred for one simple reason. He did not consult God and he paid the consequences of that decision, as compared to the other times when he did consult God and recieved victory. The same is true for us also. We can choose to seek what God thinks on every matter concerning us and apply His word that will bring us victory or we can be, not just ignorant but arrogant to what God desires and never seek him and be defeated by every circumstance in our lives. One of the things that is so important in seek...

Andrew Wommack is very much motivational in this book. He finds his inspiration from being a part of the charismatic movement and that is clearly seen in his writings. I did enjoy reading it though. Using scripture, he talks about using the power of the imagination. How we think affects our relationships as well as our future. He does inspire the reader to consider his thoughts more carefully.  From that perspective, he shows how the word 'Imagination' itself is used in scripture to express the thoughts and feelings of a person. He's quite strong on the 'If you can see it in your mind, then it's possible', understanding that is backed up by the charismatic movement. While this is not the time to become too theological on the matter, I do believe that understanding how we think does affect how we operate in our daily lives and in ministry too. My favourite two chapters that I found quite interesting were three and Ten, I believe it does some justice to th...

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” [Hebrews 12:1, ESV]  Every country esteems people who have exhibited various feats of courage and exceptional behavior as well as people who have taken selfless risks to help or save others.  They call them heroes and many like Nelson Mandela became like world heroes. Some are national and political heroes and others are sports heroes and obviously everyone knows that there are many unsung heroes like fathers and mothers who have shaped the lives of many people. Hebrews 11 however introduces us to some people who we generally call the heroes of faith where we see the likes of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all the way to Moses, David, Samuel, and the prophets among others [Hebrews 11:32].  That list also includes women like Sarah who I suppose was a ...

This devotional is quite unique in it's make-up. Trevor Hudson uses the Serenity Prayer as the backdrop for this particular devotional. Quite amazingly, to be honest, I knew only the first four lines of this prayer as it brings back many memories(It was stuck on my bedroom wall and iI would say this prayer before my matric exams). Shockingly, most people either only heard of the prayer or only knew the first four lines. ( I did check by undertaking a small survey in my neighbourhood). In that light I'm grateful for Trevor Hudson along with SCM(The publisher), for putting this devotional out there.  The author uses this prayer along with scripture and in reading you find he speaks from much experience. By using this prayer he tackles issues that most people face almost everyday. He talks about physical issues concerning health as well as mental issues which could lead to depression. He talks about finances and relationships too which are all important. Th...

“… And why did He make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't be unfaithful to the wife of your youth” [Malachi 2:15] There are some things and verses that seem clear when we read about them in the Old Testament but when we dive deeper and wider, we find that the Bible progressively reveals the true meaning in other books. We however see the true meaning of all things ultimately in Christ. Most of us grew up thinking that God’s will in procreation was simply for the earth to be full of people; for them to be fruitful and multiply [Genesis 1:28] and when all is done then well and good; God’s purpose is fulfilled and we give ourselves a pat on the back because we think we have done a great job. But procreation is not all and it is far from God’s purposes on its own. The Lord was not looking for the world to be full of wicked people; remember He destroyed the world at one point because He saw “… that human evil was growing ...

This book by Dr. Derek Grier is quite simple and yet sophisticated in nature. The book is divided into eight chapters, of which he takes eight New Testament people from Scripture and shows how Jesus dealt with them. At the end there is a summary of each chapter explained in a few points. Thereafter a few questions follow that makes all that was read in the preceding chapter very personal to the reader. The author asks questions that hits to the  core of a person's inner being. His teaching is quite expository as he deals with texts from scripture line by line. He makes it easy for the ordinary reader to latch onto some important biblical truths that would have been otherwise difficult to understand. He has the ability to provoke the readers' thought patterns by making it personal. At the end of each chapter he mentions his own story of how God worked in his life and brought him to the place that he is in right now. I admire his blunt honesty as he shares exp...