CLEANSERS

(As told by Crystelle) You have seen them. Yes, CLEANSERS everywhere. The majority of all our public places have cleansers placed in easy to see places. The intentions are clear; to reduce the spread of germs. Have you ever wondered how we can clean the dirt within us? One well known teacher said our insides are like tombs, full of dead bones but the outside of a tomb is usually clean (whitewashed in some cultures) and with flowers. Strong words, but as the new year starts, think of how you can clean the bitterness, anger, hatred, disappointments and many other pieces of junk within you. Reading the word of God is a good place to start.

The year 2012 in review

I don’t normally look back. I like what the Apostle Paul wrote in one of his letters to the Phillipians: “Forgetting what is behind, I look ahead towards the big prize fro Christ.” (My paraphrase). This time however, I thought I could sum up some keynote events that captured my attention. The 10 most hot issues worth reflecting about in 2012 for me were: 1. World end. The world as we know it did not end in 2012. Yes, you heard it. They predicted that there will be kaboom by December 12. Nothing happened, at least where I live. I slept peacefully. I was reminded of what the word of God says. God’s timing is outside of man’s control. The lesson for me is to be ready, in season and out of season irrespective of what the doom sayers predict and the best prep is to be steeped in the word of God. 2. Obama wins the USA Presidency for the second time. I paid attention because when the US sneezes, we all get the cold, at least from an economic perspective. I was fascinated by the two contenders for the post; both claiming the Christian faith but with different perspectives. Many people prayed for the best candidate to win and as always, God answered these prayers. 3. Violence in the USA. Just before Christmas, defenceless children and staff were killed by a gunman in a school setting. To bear arms is an American right but this is a case where rights become a danger to others. Someone’s freedom should end where another person’s nose starts! I trust that the law makers in the US will enact stiffer laws around carrying assault weapons publicly in order to prevent similar evens I n future. 4. Wicked weather everywhere. Critics say that Television has made it easy for people to perceive that we are experiencing more frequent extremes weather events because of the ease of reporting such events which in fact have always been around. Regardless of the ease, forest fires, tornadoes, snow falls , floods and drought were common place in 2012 and often surpassing the records. Thanks to the advancement in coping with extreme events. We saw fewer human deaths than would been the case if this were 30 years ago. The early warning tools that many governments have put in place made it possible for people to move to safer places ahead of the event. As always, some sections of the population failed to heed the warnings! Does Sodom and Gommorrah sound familiar? 5. More and more planets are out there. Perhaps you missed it. Scientists are discovering that there is much more out there than the 9 planets we are used to being told about since we were in lower grades. Is there life out there? The Rover to Mars did not confirm anything. It is very likely that the new place Jesus promised is probably out there somewhere and for sure it must be good just as it was in the beginning (in the garden of Eden). 6. The London Olympics brought some cheer to my soul. Athletes got their medals but I got the satisfaction of the Olympics from watching different sporting events, some of which were new to me. I wish that the Special Olympiads could be given the same air time as the able bodied. These Special Olympiads were a thrill to watch and aren’t we all special by God’s standards? A team from my church went to London to share the gospel message with Olympic attendees. Thank you to those who were ministered to. 7. Good food is made at home. In spite of eating out at some good restaurants, nothing beats that home made dish from my wife’s kitchen. Thank you dear. 8. Best holiday places? Three will remain memorable: Whistler-BC, Miami Fl and the warm soil of Zambia. What an experience to walk bare foot! 9. India. It broke my heart that a medical female student was raped and subsequently died from heart and sub-human complications of the rape episode. You were adorable and may God bless your soul. 10. Israel. My history lessons about Israel come from the word of God. The conflict between the Arabs and Israel remains my beef to the Almighty. It is solvable, yet the Lord lets it drag on (He knows best). The stand off in Gaza bled my heart and left more questions than answers. The Israel-Arafat death conspiracy remained unresolved. I look forward to reading about what they found out after exhuming Arafat’s body.

Remembering all the students and faculty who lost their lives on 12.14.2012

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate. their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say. they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day. "where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. "this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house." when what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. then He opened His arms and He called them by name. and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring those children all flew into the arms of their King and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face. and as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad." then He looked down on earth, the world far below He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, "Let My power and presence re-enter this land!" "may this country be delivered from the hands of fools" "I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!" then He and the children stood up without a sound. "come now my children, let me show you around." excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, "in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT." Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA See More

MISSIONARIES

Most peole think of missionaries as people going abroad to teach "the uncivilized" the ways of God. It is a part of missions for sure. Before Jesus left, he commissioned every believer to go and preach the good news. We are all missionaries, that is if we have believed. We preach the good news by the way we live and interact with others. I once heard a preacher say that "we may be the only bible someone may ever read." By this he meant the way we live and act at work, in our houses

The wonders of aging

How old is the earth?

There are 2 competing ideas about the age of the world. Those who believe in evolution tell us that the earth is about 6 billion years! Their evidence comes from the dating of rocks. Creation tells us that the earth is relatively young - approximately 6,000 years. The evidence for a relatively young earth comes from the bible and confirmed by the presence of carbon in materials that were previously thought to be extremely old. The 2 ideas are also different in another respect. Evolution espouses the Big Bang theory as the source of what we see on earth. Creation acknowledges order and the power of God as the master designer of the physical laws as well as the biotic and abiotic things. Where do you stand?

What a man cannot have enough of

You probably guessed it right. These are his books, ambitions and good coffee!

Damned Nations by Samantha Nutt

Samantha's book; "Damned Nations" is a must read for anyone who wants to understand how international capital is linked to the resources and conflicts in the least developed parts of the world. You will also get an eye opener on how the money you donate to charities is used. She expounds on voluntourism and orphanages as some of the growing trends that perpetuate miseries in the third world. You will be interested to note that there are no orphanages in the USA and Canada!Quite an interesting observation.

What is research?

"If we knew what we were doing it wouldn't be called research, would it?" Albert Einstein

BEING READY

I often prepare before going on a trip. When I was in school, I prepared hard for the several exams. When I look back, I can see that I have made lots of preparations for a lot of things. I kept thinking about what might be the wisest thing to prepare for in the new year. Am I ready to meet my maker if He calls me today? What can I do to prepare for that special meeting? According to God's word, I can do nothing to gain his acceptance but I can cooperate by being obedient in small things. It is interesting that people make big resolutions at the start of a year but we can possibly succeed more if we make baby steps at small things. This is how we start getting ready for the BIG meeting.

What did you get for Christmas?

"What did you get for Christmas?" will again be asked on the morning of 25th December, 2011. Whether you get your favorite present or not, it is important to remember that we all can receive the most previous gift that has ever been given, if we only stop and accept the gift. The gift is Jesus Christ whose birthday most people celebrate without knowing. He was born so that whoever believes can receive salvation, See John 3 v 16.

Zambia Votes

On September 20, 2011, Zambians will go to the polls to vote for a new president and members of parliament. I wish the country a peaceful election. I look forward to a time when leaders will come forward to serve instead of enriching themselves.

Queen City Marathon

It came and went (September 11). Congratulations to the brave souls who put up with the heat (the thermometer climbed to near 30 degree C). What I found most exciting was the effect of preparation (training) even before the race started. The majority of people looked fit. No wonder they say, it is the preparation and not the actual race that matters. For the first time, I also heard from the pasta party (before the race) that a prayer meeting was taking place at the First Baptist Church in downtown Regina to encourage the runners and their safety! This was a first and I would have liked to go.

Bible Math

You have probably heard of verses like "I will be be with you to the close of the age," "Where two are gathered, I AM `in their midst." As rightly said by the children's story teller, the bible has a different math. Simply put, one plus one is not two but three! The third PERSON is the Lord. As well, you are never alone. HE is always by your side.

PRAYER

"In prayer,it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." Daily Bread,January 3, 2011

BOXING WEEK 2011

Christmas came and went. Yes, I received presents and many other people did. The majority of people received presents that they don’t like. I know this because, the week after Christmas, also known as boxing week is extremely busy at most Customer Service desks. Lines snake through the shops as people return presents that they don’t want to keep. There is one present that we cannot afford to return. This is the true Christmas gift of the birth of baby Jesus. It is God’s love handed out freely to anyone who is willing to keep the gift. It is the perfect gift and those who keep it live without regrets. If you did not receive any gift this past Christmas, you can claim the gift of baby Jesus. Just ask.

WHO STARTED CHRISTMAS?

Tired and ready to give up on every celebration, the mother of two wondered about who started the whole thing of looking for presents etc. She figured that if only she could find the person, she would settle the matter by shooting him down. Her young daughter at the back of the car said, “Don’t worry mom, we already crucified him, according to my Sunday School Teacher.” The innocence of a child is always amazing and yet extremely powerful in putting the message across. You can celebrate Christmas knowing that nothing is held against anyone who acknowledges that his death on the cross was an extension of love to all.

2010 REMEMBRANCE DAY

The 11th November is celebrated as Remembrance Day to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in liberation wars. I was most touched and troubled to watch the second world war documentary on tv on the 11th of November. Their was a catalogue of brutality that Hitler waged against allied forces. What really shocked me most was the way the Jews were killed en mass. I know that there have been movies like Schindller's list which have shown similar misdeeds but in Hollywood fashion. The more than 2 hours documentary on the second world war carried interviews of Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt and many others. The fate of the Jews (and many others I should add)is what really bothered me most. It is unthinkable that captured Jews were made to dig their own graves before being shot, some with their children in their arms. As if this was not inhuman enough, Hitler thought the process was taking too long and resorted to mass graves and gassing people.The refrain as always is to remember these crimes but not to forget. We can do much more by ensuring that we stop the root causes that bring about extremism. It starts from within our hearts.

Billy Graham's Prayer as aired by well known broadcaster Paul Harvey

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

"THE DIARY OF A NO BODY"

I can’t remember the author. I read the book almost 15 years ago. Why do I remember the book? Well, the theme of the book is very similar to what is found in the Holy Book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes deals with the meaning of life and it was written by the wisest person according to God’s holy word; Solomon. We are told that Solomon had everything any human being could ever have: hanging gardens, beautiful women, entertainers, parlours and he built the most elegant buildings that would make today’s home flippers a joke. Yet he found all these things meaningless or chasing after the wind. This is the same matter explored in the “Diary of a no body.” The character lived a very routine life of work, life at home, tea parties and wanting to be what he was not. He did not find any satisfaction in any of these. He concluded, life was meaningless as well. For Solomon though, he made a footnote in his search for meaning in life. He discovered that the chasing after the wind made sense if one had God as a reference point. Then, everything falls into place. What a revelation!