Archive for May, 2006

Luc 1: 13 – 17

« 13 Et l’ange lui dit : Ne crains pas, Zacharie, parce que tes supplications ont été exaucées, et ta femme Élisabeth t’enfantera un fils, et tu appelleras son nom Jean* .

14 Et il sera pour toi un sujet de joie et d’allégresse, et plusieurs se réjouiront de sa naissance ;

15 car il sera grand devant le *Seigneur, et il ne boira ni vin ni cervoise* ; et il sera rempli de l’Esprit Saint déjà dès le ventre de sa mère.

16 Et il fera retourner plusieurs des fils d’Israël au *Seigneur leur Dieu.

17 Et il ira devant lui dans l’esprit et la puissance d’Élie, pour faire retourner les cœurs des pères vers les enfants, et les désobéissants à* la pensée des justes, pour préparer au *Seigneur un peuple bien disposé. »

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Joshua 10:12-14 - On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:  “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.    The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

This was a major battle for Israel as they entered the Promised Land.  Up to this point, the Israelites had fought and won only two localized battles (Jericho and Ai).   continue

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

This is not a conditional love (“I love you if you do something for me” or “I love you because you did something for me”) but a love “in spite of”, which is not a feeling, but a commitment to someone’s well being, no matter what.  This is the true mark of the disciple.

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He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”   ”I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. - John 4:16-19

There are many lessons to learn from the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman.  In the present story, which is well-known to most believers, Jesus waits alone at a well (Jacob’s well) outside a Samaritan village, and when this local woman comes to fill her water jar, Jesus asks her for a drink.  The woman immediately argued with him, saying that it was inappropriate for him to speak to her.  Jesus then told her that she had missed an opportunity to ask him for “living water.”  She did not understand that he as talking about REVELATION from eternity, not just physical water.  So she continued to argue with him.  Finally Jesus said that he had water that quenches our thirst forever.  The woman asked for this water, saying that she did not want to have to fetch water from the well any more, as it was tiresome work.   continue

Jeremiah 35:1-19 - ”…But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.  Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’  We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us.“

The people of Jerusalem were being unfaithful to the Lord and were resistant to the revelations brought by Jeremiah. The Lord brings in this dedicated family as a contrast.  continue

FUNDISHO #2: KUIITIA DAMU YA YESU

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FUNDISHO #1: WOKOVU KAMA MFUMO

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FUNDISHO LA 3:

UBATIZO WA ROHO MTAKATIFU – Yohana 1:26.33

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“…Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?“ 1 Corinthians 9:6

Maranatha pastors receive no salary from the church.  We support ourselves with secular jobs and careers and perform our ministry duties voluntarily, receiving reimbursement only for some travel expenses.  This is God’s calling on our churches.

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“…they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” - Matthew 4:24 (NASB)

Matthew describes the five types of infirmities of people Jesus healed during his ministry on the earth.  These different healings give a deeper understanding of the five-fold ministry in God’s project.  Because Jesus – as our great High Priest – had all five ministries, it is interesting to see how He used each of them in healing people.  The five ministries are listed in Ephesians 4:11.  The Lord appoints apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and the doctrine of the ministry is provided in other teachings.  For the sake of understanding the infirmities Jesus healed, it is only necessary to understand the general focus and purpose of each of the five ministries.  

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