Bishop's Message
RECOGNISING GOD
THE sons of Jacob saw the man in his splendour – he was the prime mover in Egypt, a man whose authority was second only to that of Pharaoh’s, Egypt’s supreme ruler. They needed his favour to buy precious grain to bring home to their starving families. The man was Joseph, their own flesh and […]
Bishop's Message
Is it safe to follow your heart?
FOLLOW your heart. That is an increasingly popular mantra that has taken root in postmodern culture. It evokes at once the freedom of being yourself, and the need to chart your own course in life. Ideas of the freedom of individual expression, the importance of feelings, and not letting anyone or even your own thoughts […]
Bishop's Message
The Sermon and the Listener
‘The seed takes time to bear fruit. True evaluation of the planting of the seed has to wait till the fruit is seen. Instant evaluation of sermons is based on a childish notion of how the Word works.’ AT A recent conference where several speakers preached, there was a time for evaluation at the end. […]
Bishop's Message
Why did they die so young?
HE WAS barely 20 when he started keeping a spiritual journal. He wrote down his thoughts and prayers regularly for the rest of his life – which was to end eight years later, when he was tragically killed. His journal entries reflect a maturity way beyond his age, and a deep commitment and devotion to […]
Bishop's Message
LOSSES AND GAINS
RECENTLY my computer crashed and bade a sudden farewell to me. I tried to retrieve as many of my documents as possible, but found out, painfully, that I had permanently lost a number of sermons and an article that I had written. These were for future use. Rewriting the article was not a big problem as […]
Bishop's Message
Living in a Pavlovian experiment
THE king was full of pride and an intoxicating sense of self-importance. In his arrogance he had all but forgotten the words of the prophet Daniel who came to the palace to explain a strange dream he had. He dreamed of a huge statue made with a medley of metals. The head was made of gold; the rest […]
Bishop's Message
Living beyond the Tower
THE notorious Tower of Babel was a human attempt to “make a name for ourselves”. (Gen. 11:4). In it was human pride and a sinful desire to live a God-free life. God saw that it was not only foolishness but that it also threatened the human race; He caused linguistic confusion among the people and […]
Bishop's Message
Notes on spiritual short cuts
The following is a conversation between a senior demon (SD) and a junior one (JD). The conversation is imaginary but the lessons are real. JD: SIR, thank you for seeing me at such short notice. I have been trying my best to learn as quickly as I can in my new assignment. The Department of […]
Bishop's Message
The compass and the map
HOW is it that migratory birds can fly thousands of miles and arrive at the right place? Researchers have offered several answers but most have agreed that such birds have an inner compass that helps direct their flights. Taking their readings from the earth’s magnetic fields, the birds instinctively fly in the right direction. As […]
Bishop's Message
FINDING THE BEST LIFE
THE fellow who gained the world and lost his soul. Each of us can probably name one or more miserable or foolish persons we know who could fit into this category. The original warning, of course, comes from our Lord Jesus: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his […]
Bishop's Message
The Bishop’s Christmas Message
The God who became a baby A LEADER of the early church insisted, “I cannot see how a baby can be the God who created the heavens and the earth.” He was referring to Jesus who was born in Bethlehem. Later this church leader went on to relentlessly pursue his line of thinking and became […]
Bishop's Message
A museum of left behind things
IF WE read the Bible carefully, we will discover a list of things that were left behind. When God encounters individuals, the biblical pattern is that something is left behind as a result of that encounter. Take, for instance, the case of Abraham, who lived in pagan Ur, where the moon god and goddess were worshipped. There is a legend about how Abraham […]
Bishop's Message
The wilderness state
WILL all Christians go through a period (or periods) of spiritual darkness? After all, did not the Lord Jesus say that everyone who follows him will have much trouble in this life? (Jn. 16:33). In the 16th century, there emerged several prominent spiritual writers and guides who took the position that every Christian who is following […]
Bishop's Message
The difference between winning converts and making disciples
YEARS AGO, I read of a new pastor in a church who was quite disturbed by what he saw in his church. Over the years, the church had become bloated with countless activities and programmes without a clear focus and direction. The church was going in circles, like the desert wanderings of the ancient Israelites. […]
