IS YOUR GOD ASLEEP?

How long will you falter between two opinions, if the lord is God, follow him but if Baal; follow him.

Elijah presented himself against an evil battle; fighting against Baal and challenging that Baal is not the real God. That was some hundreds years ago. Today there are still people who continue to doubt if God really exists, they question His actions and put insults on the children of God. I am talking of the real God here not these other gods you see in the world today.

Elijah went further to mock the god when there was no sign that Baal will send fire to burn the sacrifice at Mount Carmel “cry aloud for he is God, either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a long journey or he is sleeping and must be awaken. To no avail. All was in vain as no fire came. Embarrassment engulfed their faces as they saw Elijah laughing and mocking them.

Then it was the turn of Prophet Elijah to plead with His God for fire! ‘Let them see that you are God’ in no time fire came and consumed the burnt sacrifice. When they saw this they said “yes he is God, yes! He is God”

We just have too many gods in the world today, some are hidden inside our hearts, when we try to denounce them, they rise against us. They make us believe they exist when in true sense they are just an illusion, when we ask them anything, the don’t respond and the don’t care. They are just ripping from us and wanting fame that they cant pay back

But we have a true God who is not asking too much from us but total surrender and obedience.a God of possibilities and a God of answers, he will never betray you in times of need and will stand by you at your point of need.

The bible tells us that he never sleeps nor slumbers, always awake and listening to us when we need him. When we lack, he is there to provide and when we are seek he is there to heal.

For how long will you continue to doubt his abilities and that he exists? For how long will you remain misled, this is the lord I have met, a God who restores life when gasping

Most of all, he sent his only begotten son to die for us showing his unwavering love. He hides us from evil when we face pain.

Time to submit ourselves to his will and we shall see how good he is.

WINNERS CHAPEL IN MALAWI

It is said that exposure contributes to experience and experience is the best teacher of all. Some days after Easter, my mind has been bustling with bouncing ideas of wanting to explorer perspectives of lives and beliefs. Hardly have I come to terms to accept the reality that there are other religions that started from the veranda not long ago and have made up the rides and storms to rise above doubts and become a force to reckon with while others are busy with issues of gossip, backbiting and corruptions.

The factors contributing to the rise of these churches are on how they laid their foundations and taught their followers who they really are. Here in Malawi, churches that have risen and attracted a large scope of congregants are churches that have their foundations attributed to local founders. Some of the notable churches are those of apostle Stanley Ndovie of living water, Madalitso Mbewe of Calvary family church, Felix Zalimba and many other names. There is also a church that has came with pomp on the local scene in the name of Winners chapel, I understand others say this is their A.K.A. their real name is Living faith Church.

Last Sunday, to the surprise of many, I made unexpected and a surprise visit to winner’s chapel in the heart of Lilongwe City on the outskirts of area 33 along the Kamuzu central Hospital Road, close to the popular biwi furniture place. You see an imposing building that stands out questioning whether it is upstairs or the design outside is deceiving, the windows are far high with others bottom all round the building which is wall fenced and well painted. If you go inside the building, you realise that it is a one sided upstairs hall.

It is a church that owes its origin to Bishop David Oyedepo of Nigeria who became a born again in the year 1981. On a trip to visit Christian friends, Oyedepo, upon arriving at one of his friends, got a note on the door step that his friend had travelled. This meant that he lost out on accommodation; he says the Holy Spirit instructed him to look for a quite place that he may talk to him. In obedience, he looked for a modest hotel at the outskirts of the town for privacy sake. The planned quite place led to an encounter that will affect the world for generations to come.

He said the Lord showed him a line of people battered, tattered, beaten and oppressed and wailing in agony. The sight was so vivid and the anguish so real that he began to cry with them. And as he asked the Lord the reason for the lamentable state of the people, the Lord told him ‘and from the beginning it was not so’ Indeed from the beginning, life was not so till our first parents went against the will of God with the consequences of their sinning falling on all human kind, he took it as a mission and a mandate given from above to foster.

The composition of the church is what caught my attention; mixed with rich, poor, intellects, uneducated, businessmen, working class and many other people. All were seated together listening to the message which was being preached by a Kenyan national pastor Amos as I inquired.

I went in through the door labelled grace and sat right at the back close to an usher who I managed to provoke by asking him a number of questions about the church. I hope I was not diverting his attention form the message that was being preached at that particular moment, however I knew that if I don’t ask, I will not have any other chance to do so as I never knew the setup of the church and what happens after service. At the same time, I face difficulties in understanding a sermon clearly when I don’t know the name of the person preaching or talking to me.

He was preaching on he title ‘favour from God’ quoting a number of scriptures which I was not able to grasp as I did not go with a pen and a paper. He emphasised much on the part to be played by individuals and Christians not to miss favour from God. Some of the mentioned were; tithing, giving to the less privileged in a practical faith, reading the word of God and obedience to our masters.

Soon the sermon was over and people were flocking forward to the mercy seat for repentance prayers and to be prayed for. My mind was still wondering and looking around the whole with interest of how magnificently they built the church.

As a person born in a military family, the whole service moved so fast that not so long all the first comers were called upfront to be welcomed, a handshake from the pastor was enough for me to feel welcomed, I felt like home as people clapped in unison that they had visitors amongst them.

For some moments, this rubbed all the rumours I have been hearing about the church, my heart went there to worship and I believe I did just that and went back home, I met old time friends also who recognised me and my faith and congratulated me for realising that we serve the same God that worship with them was like a blessing to them too.

The church indeed has a structured and well organised style of worship and powerfully constructed sermons wit a good technique of whooping new sheep. I hope I never compromised my faith in going to visit this church and did it to experience new style of worship, but ‘once a military man, always a military man’

On an adventerous Gospel mission

many will nort understand why I decided not to worship at my church the salvation Army soon after the easter sunday and opt to go out for new experience on this particular sunday just like you are not understanding why i am posting too many of religious text on my blog than ever before. you will find my experience so fuscinating and wonderfull.

My friend Misheck can bear testimony that I was saying it inn a joking way that i wont attend sunday service but go somewhere. indeed i did just that and the port was calvary family Church. It has a long family background attached to it which is making me abit sceptical to explain.

The church was full to capacity, I in My explossive, Brand new DB, made my first steps on the corridors of this church, so confident and expectant that i will get blessed. surprisingly, the church was filled to the brim, or should i say full to capacity? I sat on the last chair of the Corridor thinking that as a new comer someone will care at take me to the first pew. it was never to be as peoplewere going in and out just giving me a big hug, infact they know that i am salvation army Die hard and big gun that it was surprise to many. I heard one asking, 'What has happened at salvation Army for Emmanuelt o come here?'

nothing at all has happened. I took it as a big adventure to grace this church for the first time. the aim was to experience the holy spirit in a different way and see how our friends do worship. this particular sunday, they had one long service with a long testimony of a divils advocate who came to malawi sent by the devils kingdom to disturb three churches in the country. i was very far that i dint get the rest of the testimony.

as the sermony time drew colser I decided to draw closer as much as i can that in dont miss a thing, and there was the pastor preaching. 'you should confess what the lord says about you and not what people or you think is about you.' so touching was the message that maltitude of people flocked forwad to receive special prayers. I was blessed. however i still missed the sound of the trumpet at my church.

after the sermon, it was time of holy communion which i never wanted to partake that i silently moved out and met a long time friend, media practitioner, talk of the moment errupted, what do you think about the next coming elections? blaming the media for treating the president with kids gloves after a number of goofing.

minutes later i left the place for home, touched and blessed.

I will miss those moments!

The spiritual welfare-christian remedy

Today I have decided to keep you posted and directed in a spiritual way. all this week as I wrote on my skype is a week of reccess and review, part of it I decided to review my life spiritually to see if i am in the right direction. By now i know wher i stand that i realise that it is a spiritual welfare I am going through.

I have been attending youth capacity building workshops for sometime and one of the exciting characters I met during one of the processes was my mentor, Meble Birengo, a youth Capacity building focal person working for the Regional facilitation team. every time she stood to mention spiritual welfare i felt 'a wave' inside me that was so hard. you would feel the emphasis and get themeaning of what she wanted to say right away as she would teach it like she is inside the word.

from one definition, this is the soul strugle against evil. we are made to understand that in evryday life we meet challenges that are easy and difficult to come through and go through. this is the sole heart of welfare that can make us fall or stand. however the rock of ages keeps assuiring us that it will never leave us alone but sustain us to the end. these struggles do come in a way of waves but in a form of spiritual battles that invade us. the bible tells us that we will never be tempted beyond what we can manage. in all the temptations also will be shown the way to go through.

one song I used to sing while I was in the sunday school was;

'its no longer i that liveth,
but christ that liveth in me
its no longer I that liveth
but christ that liveth in me

in me..............in me
Jesus is alive in me..................alllellluyah!!!!!!!!!!

Its no longer I that liveth
but christ that liveth in me.

i liked so much the version done in my language as it iss so appealing and moving that i have been singing this song this whole week.
what i would love to say is that we are in a war against darkness that we cannot win on our own unless we ask the heavenly military men to fight for us. I imagined if Jesus had asked heaven to send an army and fight on his behalf what those invaders would have done. they would have fled with fear and trembling. but he allowed them do what they did to allow the 'mission to be accomplished' for he was buried together with our sins that when he raised we were once again clean, sadly the devil does not give up.

however we neeed to remember that he left the holy spirit with us that prays for us, he interceds on our behalf and cries 'aba' for us. this spiritual welfare is so confusing if taken physically but if fought spiritually with ephesians 6 applied we shall counquer and win.

I would suggest the following as some ways to shake off the devil that he willl free from you and never come back;

• Tell the truth and dont lie
• respect people and dont curse them
• say gentle words to the best you can that insults
• read your bible always
• pray always
• dont steal from God

possess the devil and dont be possessed brothers and sisters

Emmanuel wishes to say you are more than conquerors quoting the bible; in all these things you are going through, what shall you say? NDINU OPOSA AGONJETSI! MORE THAN CONQUERORS WE ARE INDEED, say it repeatedly to yourself the whole day and you shall see a miracle coming your way.

Glad was part of 2009 easter

just like christmas cerebrations last year, i am glad i made it to the easter celebrations this year. it was time of renewal and recommittment to the work of the olord under very unfavourable conditions in thye outskirts of Lilongwe.

The easter celebrations this year were held at Dowa which had to cost MK700.00 to and fro with accomodation inclusive. that was not much that a lot of people from my church made it compared to other corps. it was the first to see people so commiteed during all the mmetings. chairing themeeting was another privilege i was given and so glad that a lot of people made it.

The weather was so cold and sicking, two blankets would have done a good job thatn one taken that we had to go nbegging for bed sheets from friends to help with covering up. it never helped as everyone was feeling the freeeze.

I usual singing is my passion that i sung like no one cares to shame the devil. with the newly lebbled Salvation Army Lilongwe Corps Anthem 'vinila jehovah' people took to the floor to dance for the lord.

O f interest also was the eating part, others did not like the sheep bought for food that they opted for veges living the killed sheep lying helplessly with people failing to finish the meat. with a christian heart some of eat was shared to other people. sadly on the last day pumpkin fruits were cooked for lunch, what a bad ending, no one from the band eat the maungu saying its not good for lunch, i guess that can be alluded to culture.

wauka wauka was funny, it was cold and to be awoken 3am for the march was boring, that we opted not to wake up bu wait for the march past at 8am, people came pleading tha we wake up to no avail. lastly a mob of christians with brass instruments playing stormed our room to force us to wake up, pulling our blankets on the way, yes we did relactantly and played the instruments like no one cares. this forwed a number of whistle stops open air turned to home visits as we stormed every house in the community, preaching, singing, ululating, dancing and praying for the sick. it was well done and well organised despite the hunger of being woken early in the morning. jesus won the battke at last as everyone left with smiles.

out of all, the host expressed optimism that the campagn will bear fruits ' we are expecting more tha 60 people next week sunday' the surgent major of chakhaza outpost said.

i liked it!

wishing you a blessed easter weekend

ooooooooooh! gooooooooooosh! i dint know its knock off time. but i cant go without wishing you a blessed and fruitfull easter holiday.

the author will be off to dowa for a easter meeting and back on monday. hope God will bless you the way he will bless me. lovely people