“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” – Gal 3:28 (NIV).
One day while at school a teacher asked a little girl called Dora to name her tribe and clan, just as everyone had. Dora had no idea. Later back home she asked her parents her tribe. They told her to go back and tell the teacher: “Tell them your tribe is Oweishemwa -Born Again; your clan is Okujunwa- Salvation; and your clan taboo is Ekibi-Sin!” The little girl hurried back to class and told the teacher, the same, which made everyone burst into laughter at her innocence.
This girl was the daughter of Erica and Geraldine Sabiti (later the first African Archbishop of Anglican Church in Uganda), who as were many brethren of those days (Abalokole) had their home always filled with people from all the tribes of Uganda. This is why Dora had been so confused.
When he became Prime Minister of Uganda and was asked to share memories of his upbringing, Prof Apolo Nsibambi, happily recalled that at their home headed by Simeon who had started the East African revival along with Dr. Joe Church all tribes including many from Rwanda were ever welcome. President Godfrey Binaisa whose father Rev. Anania Binaisa was an evangelist who travelled as far as Sudan to share the Gospel of Christ often shared to this writer that he grew up seeing all tribes visit their home which gave him a national consciousness early in life!
Today we live in times when so many have become conscious of their tribe with a passion to promote such against others. Yet might we pause and look at the example of the brethren of the East African revival who by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (Okulokoka) their old fixation with tribes gave way as they embraced a new tribe of believers in Christ. Transformed in the image of Christ the old had gone (2 Cor 5:17) and now they lived as the Scriptures commanded: “For Christ has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentile into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (Eph 2:14, NLT).
Prayer for today: Lord Father in heaven, today I pray in the blessed name of Jesus Christ to live a life that exemplifies that I have been born into a new tribe of fellowship with Christ, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
