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The greatest battles take place in the smallest moments PAUL DAVID TRIPP There's a lot of truth in that for battles of every kind. I know from personal experience that one does not work one night and discover that they are have suddenly put on weight. It is through small acts of bad eating choices and then bang, you have put on weight. And what is challenging is that those battles are difficult to win because they are repeated often and seem so inconsequential in isolation.  I have also found that areas where it is most difficult to be a light for Christ is in day by day faithful discipline. For example, it is easy to do an evangelism event, but much harder to know your neighbours. It is easy to pray for world peace but harder to greet that colleague who says nasty things. It is easier to give money to foreign missions but much harder to spend 10 minutes with a homeless person down the road. The challenge of Christian living is to allow God to be...

The horror suspense movie Mama (2013)  tells the story of young girls Lily and Victoria who have been rescued from a cabin after five years in the woods. At the time of their disappearance Lily was only a baby. Now she has grown up a little bit raised by a strange mysterious dark figure called Mama. Five years earlier Mama had killed their father just as he was about to commit suicide and possibly kill the children.  Mama has come to view herself as a guardian and provider of the girls, especially the youngest Lily. And though Lily has left Mama and the woods physically after the rescue it becomes immediately clear that the woods and its darkness has not left them. She lives in a comfortable nice house and yet cannot bear to sleep on the bed. She crawls on the walls, resents her uncle and his girlfriend and does and say all sort of strange things. In one moving scene Lily hears Mama calling out to her and sneaks out of the house from a very high window, almost li...

Another tragic celebrity. One wonders how parents can let their children follow someone so blatantly satanic. I can only image that the reason is that Satan has been reduced to a "mythical figure" even among who claim to be followers of Jesus. I suppose it is helpful that Kesha does not hide her satanism. We need to continue to pray for Kesha and her countless followers who are being led into satanism.  Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2014

The DNA of sin is selfishness. Sin is about wanting my way, in my own way, and in my time. PAUL DAVID TRIPP From Paul David Tripp's A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger Than You . He is absolutely spot on. It would seem the soundtrack to a sinful life is appropriately Frank Sinatra's "I Did It My Way", which ends with words : For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has not To say the things he truly feels And not the words of one who kneels The record shows I took the blows And did it my way Yes, it was my way Interestingly, Mr Sinatra's song is the most popular song played at British funerals according to the Daily Telegraph . We believe that we are now our own saviours. The Bible's message is that we all need salvation! Salvation from God and his impending wrathful judgement on the world. We are all only trial and only God can save us from Himself! Not money, abilities or religion! And certainly not ourselve...

One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children ...

Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: "Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah." (Isaiah 5:8-10) Lesson 1: God is concerned about home ownership!  Lesson 2: God is concerned about you being concerned about home ownership!  Lesson 3: Not all all forms of home ownership glorifies God Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2014

For we know that all creation groans in unison with birthing pains up until now. And there is more; it’s not just creation—all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete— for we have been saved in this hope and for this future. But hope does not involve what we already have or see. For who goes around hoping for what he already has? But if we wait expectantly for things we have never seen, then we hope with true perseverance and eager anticipation. ROMANS 8:22-25 Lesson: All true followers of Jesus experience a holy dissatisfaction with life. We are not too easily satisfied with the condition of life around us. We are saddened that our lives are not being changed as they should be. We are dissatisfied that what God has started remains tragically incomplete in this world. We are grateful for being Christians and...

No one is cast off by the LORD forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. (Lamentations 3:31-33) That is how wide and vast God's love is! What then does it mean for us? The verses that follow answers that question : Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. (Lamentations 3:40-42) I love it. Hearts AND hands. The double emphasis is self explanatory. The outward behaviour always follows where the heart has already been! Changed hearts always leads to changed posture of our hands! Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2014

The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. [Zephaniah 1:1] Is God silent? I am prompted to ask the question because not too long ago I was speaking to someone who was struggling in their faith in Jesus. They said God had become a rather remote figure in their daily experience because they just don't feel he is there. He does not appeart to speak to their situation or listen to their prayers.  He is invisible and silent!