Power of Unity: Moments 2010: A nation reborn

The above clip is a clear evidence of how far a people or a nation united can go; For two Decades Kenyans yearned and even sought for a new constitution but failed to attain it. Every attempt by the country to overhaul its post-independent constitution was very elusive and marked by high levels of divisive politics among the governing elites.
However, when the government of unity was formed; there was a resolve within the leadership that Kenyans deserved a better, progressive constitution. Consequently, with unity of purpose, the government worked hard to fulfil its citizens dream and on 27th of August 2010, the new proposed constitution was promulgated in a colourful ceremony, heralding a new dawn.

The power of unity among a people, a nation, leaders etc who set their energy to acheive any set goal cannot be underrated; that notwithstanding the purpose of the set goal, whether ill or well intended....They are bound to acheive it.
I pray and wish that the spirit of unity will remain among Kenyan political leaders in the year 2011 even as they endeavour to implement the provisions of the new constitution.

May God Bless Kenya.

ASTOUNDING PRAYER BY MARTIN OPANY

Prayer is a fascinating subject; I infer that you have heard it taught in the church or somewhere else. More so, I assume that at one point in your life, you had a chance whereby you prayed, read or recited a prayer.   Undeniably, prayer is a norm in the lives of most Christian believers and a common practice among other faiths in the world.  People, who engage in prayers, pray for different reasons and in most cases, for divine intervention.

As a matter of fact, when we read through the pages of the Bible from the book of Genesis to Revelation; there are records of many prayers prayed by different people for different reasons. Captivatingly, reading through these prayers, one cannot fail to ascertain that they were more than recitation of some well-known, ear catching phrases.

In reality, most of these prayers came from the outpouring of the hearts of men and women who sought divine intervention.  Consequently, some of these prayers carry with them a whole load of meaning which sometimes, we do not tend to perceive. Presumably so, because when we read through, we do not take any solemn interest in them.

This book looks at Paul who is one among many, who prayed some astounding prayers which are recorded in the Holy Scriptures. Even so, it majors on his prayer, prayed to God for the church in Ephesus. Accordingly, it deals with his prayer as recorded in Ephesians 3:14-21.

With all certitude; conducting a keen read through this prayer, one cannot fail to marvel at some stunning statements Paul used. 

Consequently, this book dwells on and analyzes some of these statements as employed by Paul in his prayer; bringing to our understanding the most startling truth of the union Christians have with the triune God and what that entail.

 

For More Information; don't hesistate to email me.

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Love As An Ethical Subject (John's Gospel)

Introduction

This paper outlines and describes what I perceive as being the major ethical message expressed in the book of John. In particularly it deals with a few selected passages from the same with a focus on the ethical message they present to us. Even so, it deals specifically with the ethical issues of love. Consequently, the paper endeavours to show us how this ethical theme addressed in this book is important for the society we live in today.

Undeniably, love is one of the most talked about subject in our society; it is a subject of interest virtually among people of all ages. Notwithstanding, the subject bears a different meaning to different people depending on their social background and understanding.

Indeed, our society has defined and even shaped most people’s understanding in relation to this area under discussion. As a result, to many people, love is very sentimental, very sloppy and to an extent just a feeling.  However, in Christianity and especially in the light of the Holy Scriptures; love without question is a very critical subject – it is the epicentre of virtually all of the Christian ethics that exists today.

It is therefore important, that this papers main focus is on a selected sections of the fourth gospels (John’s gospel) that particularly deals with love; albeit, with an objective of drawling out the ethical importance of the same to our society in which we live in today.

God’s LOVE

Unquestionably; no one familiar with the Holy Scriptures can deny the fact that the most prominent ethical subject they present to us is that of love. Setting our focus on the New Testament; it is indeed above all, an account about love — ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..... (See John 3:16).’

This love was his love for the undeserving sinners without exception. In other words, God’s love for the world was not conditioned by the fallen human nature. Otherwise if it was; humanity did not deserve it but instead, deserved death which is the just wages of their sinfulness. In fact Paul said, ‘for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23)

God is holy and just; as such, he cannot participate in sin nor can sin be found in him. More so, sin cannot stand in his presence – it must be judged and punished accordingly; in this case, by death which is its rightful wages. Thus, we can rightfully say that the basis for God’s love towards us solely rests not in us but in him. In his epistle, John states that, ‘This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10) (SIV)

Our love for God and fellow brothers and sisters

Even so, having stated above that we did not love God, but that he loved us;   we are able on the basis of our knowledge that he loved us, to love him back.  1John 4:19 say, that ‘We love him, because he first loved us.’ However, our love for him is demonstrated by our belief in Jesus and our subsequent obedience to his commandments.

In John 13:34 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ Jesus’ assertion is very significant and has to be taken with all seriousness it deserves.

According to Houlden, ‘Love one another’ is the only moral rule given by John[1].’ Undeniably, reading through this gospel; we hardly can determine what commandments other than ‘love one another’ Jesus expected his disciple to keep. Even so, Houlden says that, ‘it is more likely that “keeping my commands” has the general sense of “obeying me”, “doing what I say”’[2].

Nevertheless, of great import is the quality of love with which Jesus expected them to love one another; to paraphrase Jesus’ assertion, he said, ‘as I (Jesus) have loved you; the same way, you also have to love one another.’

Jesus’ attention was to his disciples and by commanding them to love one another; the command carries with it the idea of reciprocity. Thus, the disciples were obliged to demonstrate love amongst them and by so doing; everyone would recognize them as his disciples (See John 13:35).

Jan Gabriël Van der Watt and Francois Stephanus Malan says in regards to the command ‘love one another’ that, ‘it expresses an egalitarian relationship expecting common reciprocation within a particular group (e.g. families or friends), implying social interdependence in each particular group[3].’

Even so, the same kind of love should be demonstrated among Christian believers in today’s society especially within a local church. Hays, says that ‘in this context, the distinctive Johannine appeal for love within the church is a poignant cry for solidarity.[4]’

Indeed the above is true in that, in John 17:11 Jesus prayed, ‘..... Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. And in v. 21 he said, ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.’ Clearly, there exists a strong solidarity between the Father and the Son; the same Jesus desired and even prayed that should be amongst his disciples.

Consequently, with the above in mind; the solidarity of the disciples was of paramount importance to Jesus and the same remains to date. In fact, anyone who has observed with great interest can agree that sadly, the Christian church lacks solidarity in so many aspects. Specifically when we consider the different denominations around; notwithstanding, even within the same denominations, most believers have no sense of solidarity. Nevertheless, this can be achieved but only through wilful obedience to Jesus’ commandments; especially through loving one another with the same measure of love as he. In other words our love should be modelled after the love of the Father and Jesus. Nonetheless, we should bear in mind that the foundation of the Father’s as well as Jesus’ love is not emotional; definitely, the same should be the case with our love for one another. Our love should not be based on emotions ‘but well relationships that are expressed in actions.[5]’ True love, we may well assert exists in activities that seek the well being of others; or a life lived for others and not oneself.

Van der Watt and Malan say that:

The Johannine ethics of love stands and falls solely on God having demonstrated his love by sending and sacrificing his son. When Jesus loves intensely he washes feet and gives his life for his friends (John 13:1ff; 15:9ff.); when believers love they follow the example of Jesus of serving and caring, even if it means shifting their own interests aside in order to serve God and others (John 13:12-20; 12:24-26)[6]

The above is absolutely true, godly ‘love seeks the welfare of its object. The purest love desires the highest good of its beloved.’[7] This was evidenced by God’s love toward the condemned and depraved world; for it, ‘it means redemption and rescue from its perilous position and degraded condition[8].’

Therefore, love is unambiguously critical and no one can claim to love God while on the other hand fail to demonstrate the same towards others. 1John 4:20-21 says, ‘if a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.’ Explicitly, our love for God and one another is inextricably intertwined – one is without the other. This love that the scriptures are so keen about can be achieved by living our lives for others. Unquestionably, the heart of the gospel as well as that of Christianity is love (I John 4:10-11). ‘Love summarizes in one word the Christian ethics. It is noteworthy that the New Testament writers demonstrate the ethical authority of love by reference to the Old Testament law.’[9]

Without doubt, love is so important; it has its ethical pre-eminence and its dictates ought to be respected especially in the light of God’s as well as Jesus’ love towards us. In addition, the fourth gospel as well as virtually the entire scriptures present love in a manner that makes it extremely indispensable as an authoritative standard for living. This is perfectly so because it communicates the essence of what the demands of the law are.

Bahnsen states that, ‘the assumption of the New Testament writers and the development of their thought, is that God's law is morally authoritative; because love expresses and follows that law, love too is a fitting standard of moral guidance. The foundational authority of love cannot be isolated from the law of God[10].’ 

Conclusion

Indeed, love is of paramount ethical importance in Christianity today just as it was during Jesus’ days on earth; it is the nature of God and cannot be washed away – it communicates the essence of what the demands of the law are and by it all Christian ethics can be summed.

It is also unambiguous; no one can claim to love God whilst harbouring hate towards fellow brothers or sisters. God demonstrated his love by giving and sacrificing his only son for the sake of the sinful world; on the other hand, Jesus demonstrated his love by washing and laying down his own life for his disciples. The disciples were commanded and even expected to demonstrate their love for one another by emulating the ensample of Jesus – laying down their lives for others.  With all certitude, this is what the commandment ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ entails.

Consequently, just as Jesus’ commandment had a great bearing in the lives of his disciples; it has the same in our today’s society. In fact, should all Christian believers live in wilful obedience to this commandment in its entirety; then and only then can others (the world) know that we are Jesus’ disciples indeed. In addition, the church would be so distinct from the world.

It was and still is the desire of Jesus that his followers should continually be in solidarity Just as he and the Father are in a perpetual union. In other words, our love should be modelled after the love of the Father and Jesus. Even so, we should bear in mind that the foundation of the Father’s as well as Jesus’ love is not emotional; without doubt, the same should be the case with our love for one another. Our love should not be based on emotions ‘but well relationships that are expressed in actions[11]’that seek the welfare of others.

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[1] J. L. Houlden: Ethics and the New Testament(London; UK: T&T Clark, 1992), 36

[2] Houlden: Ethics, 36

[3] Jan Gabriël Van der Watt & Francois Stephanus Malan: Identity, ethics & ethos in the New Testament(Berlin: Germany; Walter de Gruyter, 2006), 116

[4] Richard B. Hays: The Moral Vision of the New Testament; A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics (London; UK: T&T Clark, 1996), 147

[5] Van der Watt & Malan: Identity, ethics & ethos, 116

[6] Van der Watt & Malan: Identity, ethics & ethos, 116

[7] John Whitelaw: Commentary on John (Grand Rapid, MI; USA: Kregel Publications, 1993), 77-78

[8] Whitelaw: Commentary on John, 77-78

[9] Greg L. Bahnsen: By this standard; the authority of God’s law today(Powder Springs; GA: USA; Covenant Media Press, 2008),83

[10] Bahnsen: By this standard: By this standard, 83

[11] Van der Watt & Malan: Identity, ethics & ethos, 116

WE ARE SWIFT TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN

We as human beings are in most cases swift to judge and condemn without giving any serious thoughtfulness of issues eliciting our judgment or condemnation. It is true, that the Sudanese President Mr Bashir is an indicted man who is under a warrant of arrest; it is true that he attended our National fete at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on the 27th August 2010.

It is true that he wasn’t arrested though Kenya is a signatory of the International Criminal Court.

It is also true above all else that Mr Bashir is our neighbour and that Kenya has for along time worked so hard to help mediate between the warring parties in Sudan which led to a peace pact signed between the Northern and the Southern.
If Kenya was to isolate and bar him from attending the historic fete by virtue of his indictment, what would we as a country and the world at large have achieved? Would Kenya or the world have been able to arrest him if he stayed in Sudan?

If Kenya would have accepted to arrest Mr Bashir, would it have helped solve the problems in Sudan? If the Kenyan Government went a heard and arrested him, would it not have helped escalate the situation in the fragile Nation? In short, what would have been the outcome of his arrest in Kenya?

It is undeniable; the repercussions of his arrest might have been so severe - Kenya would have lived to regret its action…should that have happened, what would those condemning Kenya do to salvage the situation?

I believe that Mr Bashir has learnt some valuable lessons by attending our historical fete…Psychologically, the man must have been moved and challenged.

By virtue of his attendance, witnessing the peaceful, colourful, festive and democratic promulgation of our new constitution…may have set the ball rolling in his mind considering that there is an upcoming referendum next year in Sudan.

The man may want to make history despite his loathed image by making sure that he works hard to ensure that the upcoming referendum in the South early next year succeeds . Should that happen, then the people of Sudan would be the ultimate beneficiaries. That is the course with which all Human Rights Groups and other Organisations are advocating for.

Thus, though we condemn Mr Bashir’s visit to Kenya…we should work hard to help salvage the Sudanese Nation rather than being the same people who would lead to its destruction.

Mistakes are made by us but we also learn from them and once that is done, we improve our present which in-turn influences our tomorrow.


M. Opany

Letter Sent to several Leading Church Leaders Who Were Opposed to the New Constitution before the Referendum.

I write this with all humility to the Church in Kenya; I have followed closely the campaigns on the proposed constitution…I am aware that the church is indeed opposed to the same on the basis of a few contentious clauses which it has voiced all along. It is however disheartening to note that the church is becoming divided each day on the position it has taken so far – a house divided cannot stand. More so, I am afraid that the church’s credibility on its position seems to be in question; especially for its association with those perceived to have denied the country a new constitution over the years and have been opposed to it for their political and selfish reasons. Consequently, I ask myself, ‘has the church lost its cunningness, fallen into the shrewd ways of our politicians and now are being led to the gibbet as the referendum draws near?’
I pray and wish that the church can come back to its senses and reconsider the position it is holding regarding the proposed constitution…. I wish they change tact now before the referendum date, I wish they accept the presidents invite to support the proposed constitution with a strong view that their concerns will be addressed after the 4th August 2010. I believe this would lead to a change of perception…it may seem risky but it may be the best way to salvage its image! The church lost its credibility during last elections which is well known to a greater extent by most Kenyans…today the same is happening; the credibility of the church is in question!
In Matthew 10:16 Jesus was clear in his mind, he was aware of where he was sending his disciples, that is: As sheep in the midst of wolves – what he simply meant was, ‘I send you, inoffensive and harmless, into a cold, unfriendly, and cruel world. Your innocence will not be a protection.’ However, ‘be wise as serpents…’ Serpents have always been an emblem of wisdom and cunning, Genesis 3:1….

The Egyptians used the serpent in their hieroglyphics as a symbol of wisdom. Probably the thing in which Christ directed his followers to imitate the serpent was in its caution in avoiding danger. No animal equals them in the rapidity and skill which they evince in escaping danger. So said Christ to his disciples, you need caution and wisdom in the midst of a world that will seek your lives. He directs them, also, to be harmless, not to provoke danger, not to do injury, and thus make their fellow-men justly enraged against them. Doves are, and always have been, a striking emblem of innocence. Most people would foolishly destroy a serpent, be it ever so harmless, yet few are so hard-hearted as to kill a dove.

In conclusion, I pray that the church acquires the shrewdness of a Serpent and the innocence of a Dove in dealing with all its concerns regarding the proposed constitution….I pray that the Spirit of Wisdom guide the church leaders so that they outdo the most cunning and skilled politicians in Kenya….as it stands, it seems that the political atmosphere and its shrewdness supersedes that of the church.


By Martin O. Opany (UK)

THE LIVING WORD CHURCH BUILDING

Its been a journey; a memorable journey that has been long; thanks be to God the creator of all creation and the Lord Jesus Christ for his unfailing love.
The building on the left side, built using corrugated iron sheets is a place of worship, it is indeed a humble building however, to have got it has been mountainous. When God called us to go start the work in this small town, we did not know anyone but as we obeyed the calling of God we have constantly seen his goodness.
We remain hopeful that as he has carried us through this far, he will continue to do so as we walk with him each day.