“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” - John 3:3 (NIV).
In June 1877, Shergold Smith and C. T. Wilson of the Church Missionary Society, arrived at the court of Kabaka Mutesa I. The King of Buganda had earlier made an appeal for Christian missionaries after a chance meeting with the explorer H M Stanley. Thus began the process of proselyting African natives in the new faith of Jesus Christ here.
Many of the early converts were totally committed to Christ that when Kabaka Mutesa I successor, Kabaka Mwanga II, challenged them to renounce their new faith in Christ they refused. This caused him to order the massacre of 45 early converts in 1885. But still, the Gospel survived and has flourished to this day.
Today, we have many third generation Christians. It is quite common to find one born in a home where one’s grandparents embraced the Christian faith at the turn of the nineteenth century and the family considers itself Christian. As proof the family religiously observes Christian rituals- infant baptism, confirmation in church, regular Sunday worship, Christian weddings, Christian funerals etc- as a sign there are Christians. Some families have even reserved seats in certain churches, courtesy of contributing to their construction.
All good; but the problem with third and later generation of Christians is that unlike the first generation which had to make a clear choice between abandoning old practices and taking up the cross of Christ, often at the cost of their lives, for these Christianity has become a tradition. It is now passed on like inherited artifacts, worn and paraded as the occasion demands, but not a faith of the heart. Yet one of the distinctive elements of being a Christian is not inheriting the faith as a tradition but making a pronouncement by one as a follower of Christ.
The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved” (Romans 10: 9-10). One can receive faith from his parents and generations before, but still must come to that place of making a personal decision and pronouncement that he is now a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I receive and make a personal confession of you as Lord and Savior, this I pray in Jesus’s name
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02/05/2024 - 03/05/2024 All day“That is why for Christ’s sake I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10)
We all crave to be blessed in life. But was there a believer who was so blessed beyond any circumstances without experiencing some sort of discomfort, in one way or another! A person may apparently be blessed in every single way yet have one troubling matter that constantly drives him down to his knees.
The one mightily blessed with riches may have a family situation that leaves him ever on edge. Someone who seems to be at the height of his profession may be living with an ailment that keeps him ever on tentacles. The one blessed with abundant health might from time to time be dealing with financial woes.
Why do such troubling situations plague even believers? One explanation could be found in the Apostle Paul’s life. Called into ministry and endowed with many gifts, including amazing revelations from above, yet he had a matter that constantly drove him on his knees. “Therefore in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me” (2 Cor 12: 7).
Paul would often cry out to God to free him of this particularly troubling matter. But the Lord came back with, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Cor 12: 9).
The comfort of this lesson is that God is completely aware of whatever might be ever troubling us. Moreover, it could be purposely there, that we constantly place our faith in Him, other than relying on our strength and resources, especially as He blesses us in other uplifting ways.
Prayer for today: Lord Father in heaven, today I pray that whatever matter is constantly troubling me, I know it is for a purpose and you are in total control, to bless me even more, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
