The Passionate Believer

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” [1 John 1:9] In an earlier blog I spoke about repenting on behalf of other people and said that is an impossible thing to do because repentance is a matter of the heart. God has to touch the heart of an individual to bring about transformation. It is however possible to confess the sins of other people as Daniel did [Daniel 9:16] because confession of sins is an acknowledgment that people erred. Confession of sins must be coupled with remorse. “ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” [2 Corinthians 7:10]. When we confess the sins of others, God may grant repentance [see Acts 11:18, Acts 8:22, 2 Timothy 2:25] and it is His prerogative to forgive or not, but it is imperative that we always pray for people to be saved. Now John is addressing believers since he uses the word “we”. He is ...

" And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor .” - Judges 6 Vs 12  (ESV) This is the way God addresses Gideon, calls him a "mighty man of Valor." But in verse 15   his response is completely different and somewhat weak. " And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house .” " - Judges 6 Vs 15 (ESV) So, the question I ask is this, who has the case of mistaken Identity ? Was it God who looked at Gideon and got the wrong impression ? I believe we all know the answer to this obvious yet simple question.  The same applies to us every single day. Everyday, we wake up with the same attitude as Gideon had when He responded to God in that moment. We think of ourselves in the least ways possible, as did Gideon. That's the way Gideon saw himself. But here's the point today, when God looked at Gideon...

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” . [Matthew 24:12]  The old song invites us to remember that this world is not our home and we are just passing by. And yes, we are passing by because the world to come is going to be totally and radically changed, transformed from what we see just like our lowly bodies will also be transformed. “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” [1 John 3:2].   I think believers need to hear it often and especially this time because we tend to get too comfortable and forget that we are on mission with God. He has laid out His plan and though the world may not know or understand it, the ...

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” [ Titus 3:10-11] “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” [2 John 1:10-11] Is there anything like loving someone from a distance? If so, is there Scripture which can help explain that to us? An area the word of God teaches us to love someone from afar is where there are people who cause divisions and people who teach wrong doctrine. The Bible does not mince words about these two kinds of people. Divisions separate the body of Christ and anyone who does that is at loggerheads with God. In order for us not to be judgemental, due process must be taken to help a divisive person. Paul says, “after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him” ...

"I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation."   Psalm  118 vs 21(ESV) We all have much to be grateful for but how often have we said those very words, "Thank you, Lord?" Probably not very often and even if we did it would have become a famous cliche by now. It's just two small words that may not mean much because we've become so accustomed to saying it all the time. But the expression of those words must go far beyond what we say and how we say it. Showing gratitude isn't an outward appearance kind of thing but when it comes from deep within it is quite noticeable, especially when giving thanks to the Lord. It must come from deep within and naturally expressed on the outside. Gratitude has everything to do with 'happiness' and 'joyfulness.'  Let me explain it this way: Happiness is the outward expression of the Joy that is experienced within. (That's the way I understand it to be from personal e...

It was a tense time for many students when we were informed to pay up our debts within two weeks by our Seminary. Many did not owe anything, some owed a reasonable amount, a few owed much and my wife and I owed twice as much what the next couple owed and when I was told that we would be asked to return home to collect the fees, which was a polite way to say we can no longer accommodate you as a student, the Lord gave me a certain resilient faith. I did not crack or backdown this time. I say this time because there was a time when I cracked and got angry that the Lord had left us. I was ready to leave the seminary and go back home and go back to my secular job then. I could not bear seeing my wife and children suffer. I thought it was unfair for the Lord to allow that to happen and brother Francois frantically tried to calm me down but I refused to be calmed down. This was a sinful moment of not trusting God for me.  The Lord knew what He was going to do with our situati...

Bill Johnson's book has a very significant title because everyone on planet earth is looking for some kind of purpose in their lives. At the very beginning he makes the statement in his introduction that this book isn't about wealth and fame but learning to walk in humility. But throughout the book one would see the charismatic side of Johnson as he writes. Throughout the book he touches on various aspects including one's emotional status and spirituality and how that affects our thinking. The book has inspiring little saying splattered throughout and that's quite helpful for the reader to remember what the author is saying. He uses scripture in an encouraging way to help the reader endure through difficult times. One of my favourite quotes that I must make mention from the book that's quite inspiring about David in the scriptures, " As a young man, David had killed a lion and a bear to protect the sheep. No wonder God wanted him to lead the p...

The late Eugene Peterson's work in this devotion is derived from different works that he had produced over the years. It's a beautiful devotional that is suited for all ages. Just like the The Message Bible, Peterson is brilliant in telling stories and captivating not only the mind but the heart also. He commands the reader to think hard about being practical instead of only what's being written instead of only being reflective. The best part of this particular devotional when in comparison with others, is that it's actually quite short. The reader would be able to finish the day's reading in less than 2 minutes. But it does require deep understanding. Eugene Peterson's work is most inspiring because he simply addresses not only matters pertaining to one's spirituality but issues that flow out of everyday life. I recommend this devotional, for anyone serious about personal devotion. It would be great even for young people. This kind of a ...

There are six references to John being called the 'one whom Jesus loved.' References: John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7 and 21:20 Why did John refer to himself as the one whom Jesus loved ? Did Jesus not love the other disciples? He most certainly did! "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." - John 13 vs 1 (ESV) . He loved them all to the very end. Was it a matter of pride or too much ego that he could refer to himself in such a way more than the other disciples? The answer is NO! John knew that Jesus loved the disciples just as much as He loved him, but he understood Jesus' love better than his peers did. That's one of the reasons why he could boldly claim that he was the 'one whom Jesus loved.' The question that remains for us is simply this: do we understand the love of Jesus i...

Shawn Bolz speaks of showing the love of God through prophetic revelation.  The book is beautifully written and he engages the reader through many personal stories of the people he has seen God working in their lives.  His understanding of the Prophetic seems to be on a whole different level. He can't be put into the same room as other charismatics who let loose and at times think they're speaking prophetically but in reality their words have no spiritual effect but rather causing damage. Shawn Bolz on the other hand teaches that to be involved in the Prophetic, one has to be more of a listener to God's voice than just merely speaking all the time. The prophetic is always spoken in love. God's love must be seen in every move of the Prophetic word that is spoken to people. At most times, it's our actions that prove the Prophetic true based on how we relate to and pray for people. He touches on many areas relating to the Prophetic. Whilst I did enjoy the w...

John Bevere strikes at the heart with this book. At the outset I must add that this book is a must for every Christian. It has certainly resonated with me. Relating through personal experiences, He explains the processes of being in the wilderness using scripture in its rightful context. Whatever the circumstances many Christians find themselves in the wilderness. For some, it may be a season of much difficulty in finding the purpose of life. For others, it can be a time when life becomes too much to handle. But ultimately the wilderness experiences has one particular goal and that is to be drawn closer to God. He explains that no matter how hard it may seem, one should never quit because in those very moments God is building us to become stronger through being equipped to do his will. The author teaches that the wilderness may be a dry place but if we pursue God and never give up, He will reveal His will to us. It is a place where our hidden faults(sins) are revealed to us...

By Sam Machaka We all have a very strong sense of justice or fairness especially when we think or know that we are in the right and someone else is wrong. This can be seen when king David’s anger was kindled upon hearing about how a ruthless rich man, in order to entertain his guest, slaughtered and feasted upon the only ewe lamb that a poor man in the same community had [2 Samuel 12]. He could not take any one of his many lambs but chose to deprive the poor man’s one and only ewe lamb. “Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” [2 Samuel 12:5-6].  Was David’s judgement just? Yes, it was. That was the only fair verdict to for a righteous king to declare. This man was so unkind, so unloving and so unthoughtful. He did not care about the welfare of the poor man neither did he ha...