Life is Worth Living

Advertisers employ different styles of advertising in order to persuade people patronize their products or services. Sometimes, they compare their services or products with some others in order to help would-be clients or customers spot out the difference(s) and make better choices. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we see the writer making some comparisons between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in order to persuade or convince his audience (the Jewish Christians or the new converts to Christianity) to give up any idea of reverting or going back to Judaism. In Heb. 12:18-19.21-24, the writer clearly explains that relationship with God in the New Covenant is not as it used to be in the Old Covenant.   In the Old Dispensation, God was seen to be almost unapproachable, inaccessible, fearsome and terrifying. But in the New Covenant mediated by Christ, everyone now has access to Mount Zion the city of the living God, the city of the God of all. A city where the blood of Christ speaks...

There’s a proverb which says: SPOIL THE ROD AND SPARE THE CHILD! It’s natural for children to be restive (always running around and breaking minor household and school rules). The fact that this is a natural tendency in children does not mean that parents should rest on their oars. When necessary, discipline must be instilled. If not, the child may grow up to be something else. That is why the rod must be spoilt in order to spare the child. We are God’s children. Isn’t it necessary that as God’s children we go through some discipline for our spiritual and moral growth?   In the light of the above, the Letter to the Hebrews highlights: “My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts” (Heb 12:5-6). The question is: Why must we endure discipline? As a response, Hebrews says: "Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at t...

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation or Dedication of the Lord to the Temple.  The Prophet Malachi, prophesying many years before the coming of Christ, says that “the Lord whom we seek will suddenly come to his temple” (Mal 3:1). His prophecy is being fulfilled even as we celebrate this feast of Our Lord’s Presentation to the Temple. Jesus has taken his full position in the Temple. Not only has He appeared in the Temple made with hands, He has fully taken up a larger space in the more exalted temples which our bodies are (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19). Again, note that “He is like a refiner’s FIRE and like fullers’ SOAP; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver… (Mal 3:2-3). The images of FIRE and SOAP are of great significance. Fire purifies; soap cleanses! As refiner’s fire, Jesus has come into us (His temple) in order to refine us and burn away every evil that lurks in our inner selves. As fuller’s soap, He has also come to cleanse the filth of sin that sticks to o...

Human weakness is a reality that can never be denied. No matter how strong and well-placed we may be, we are weak. Physically, sometimes we feel pains; and sometimes, we fall sick. Spiritually, weakness rears its ugly head as we grapple with temptations, sin and doubt; sometimes we are even overpowered by them. But faith in God is a powerful surge of energy which helps us surmount the obstacles put in place by our weakness. That is why somebody like St Paul was able to say that “when he is weak, he is strong”.    In continuation with the discourse on faith, the letter to the Hebrews (11:32-40) expands his list of Jewish ancestors who through faith conquered kingdoms and did a whole lot in the name of God. We heard of ancestors like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and so on. Yes, they were individuals who grappled with obvious weaknesses; but through faith “they won strength out of weakness”. The demon-possessed man in the gospel (cf. Mk. 5:1-20) had his own share of wea...

  In our time as it has always been, many people have risen claiming to be prophets, claiming that they can see far into the future and can perfectly predict future events. There is so much confusion as there are so many of such claims. Many of those predictions never happen as foretold. Not to talk of other evils associated with them. This forces us to ask: What is prophecy? And who is a prophet?  Last Sunday, being the Sunday of the Word of God, a lot of emphasis was laid on the “Word of God”. However, the word of God does not fall directly from heaven. It comes through a channel. God can speak to us through the events of life, through dreams, through the scriptures. God also speaks through humans. This very act of God speaking through human channels is what is strictly referred to as prophecy. Prophecy is not an act of foretelling the future events, even though it may have something to do with foretelling or prediction of future events (of course, God’s word can come as a r...

The Letter to the Hebrews defines FAITH as the ASSURANCE of things hoped for, the CONVICTION of things not seen (cf. Heb. 11:1). The letter further says that “by FAITH Abraham obeyed… by FAITH, he sojourned in a foreign land… by FAITH, Sarah received power to conceive even when she was past the age…. By FAITH Abraham, when tested, offered up Isaac…”; and so on. From the above, we see that the FAITH of Abraham and Sarah became much more striking and noticeable when they found themselves in very challenging circumstances. Yes, they faced the storms of life but they focused more on God believing very strongly that God is bigger than the storms. In Mk. 4:35-41, the FAITHLESSNESS of the disciples was noticed when they found themselves in a storm. They faced the storms of the sea but did not take notice of the fact that someone bigger than the storms was right there with them in the boat. It is one thing to shout, scream and confess that we belong to Jesus and that He is ever with us; but it...

We pay little attention to seeds when they are sown. We are not bothered so much about what happens to them and the processes they must go through before germination. The phenomenon of germination and eventual growth must take place within the context of death, decay and further complicated struggles against harsh elements which eventually pave way for new life. Seeds must be subjected to heat, they must die and decay; and out of complicated struggles within the soil, a new life emerges. All things being equal, the farmer BELIEVES that there must be germination and growth. But he does not know how it comes about. Yes, the farmer will be guided by his agricultural knowledge but still he may still operate within the ambience of faith, not necessarily faith in God but faith in the capacity of the seeds to germinate if all conditions for germination and growth are met. That is why the gospel (cf. Mk. 4:26-34) tells us about a man who scattered seeds upon the ground and went away, not carin...