“The Blessing of True Worship”.

The Topic for the Sermon at the Sunday Service held on 26^th January, 2014 at St. Margaret's UCZ Church in Kitwe was entitled:  “The Blessing of True Worship”.

Preacher:                    Brother Kapaya

Readings:                    Genesis 22: 1 – 18

                                      2 Chronicles 25: 20 – 27

                                      1 Corinthians 10: 6

                                      John 1: 12

SERMON SUMMARY

·         Everyone has something to worship. This worship can be either true worship ot false worship. Each type of worship has got its own reward.

·         True worship is that of God. True worship attracts blessings.

·         Examples of Worship

              

False Worship

o    An example of false worship is that of King Amaziah as read in 2 Chronicles 25: 20 – 27. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.” King Amaziah decided to worship God and yet he worshipped idols as well.

o   You may give offerings to God but if it is done without a true heart it is not true worship at all. The thing you have put in place of God is the source of false worship. False worshippers are full of pride and are stubborn.

True Worship

o   An example of true worship is that of Abraham as read in Genesis 22: 1 – 18

God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

o   True worship will always pass through test to see if it is true or not. If you are a true worshipper you will always pass a test.

o    True worship is a lasting relationship with God.

o   True worship is sacrificial. A true worshipper can give anything to God without thinking of how much it is worth. When you give to God you should give your best.

o   True worship is revelational. God will always reveal to a place of worship as was when he showed Abraham when God called him to a place of worship in the region of Moriah.

o   True worship is full of faith. Hebrews 11: 1 – 2 says:  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”           

o   The blessings you will receive will be generational. Genesis 22: 16 – 18 says “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

o   Today you have a choice of worshiping according to Amaziah or Abraham.

o   I invite you to choose your worship according to Abraham.

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK (From the Church’s Weekly Bulletin)

Most people go to church for what they can get, and they go for what will appeal to them or “bless” them! Well, if one goes to church just for what one can get out the music, or what they can get out of the sermon, or just to get blessed, such a one has missed the point.

 

We go to church to worship God, and that is done by giving and not getting. In Worship we “'give” to Him, not receive from Him. Granted,   we offer Him the praise due to His Name, we’ll be blessed with His presence because He “inhabits the praises of His people". His presence brings healing, restoration, revelation, prophecy, resurrection of every dead thing! (Exodus 23:25)

 

Do you worship God when you come to church? Do you prepare your heart for worship? When you are getting dressed or when you are on your Way to church, is your heart eager to worship God?

 

True worship means "to give homage, honour, reverence, respect, adoration, praise or glory to a superior being". It is giving honour and respect to God. In true worship, we connect our hearts to God's heart, we lift up our spirit to His Holy Spirit, and we give Him our ALL to do as He wills. We prostrate ourselves before God in reverence, and pay Him the glory and honour which is due to Him as the King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Worship is a consuming desire to give to God; it involves the giving of ourselves, our heart attitudes, our minds, our souls, and our possessions.

 God is the Beginning and the End, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He deserves our worship!

Come; let us worship the Almighty God in spirit and truth!

AMEN!

The Lord, Our Redeemer

"May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer." (Psalms 19:14).

"They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer." (Psalms 78:35).

"This is what the Lord says, your protector, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon and make them all fugitives, turning the Babylonians' joyful shouts into mourning songs." (Isaiah 43:14).

"I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. Then all humankind will recognize that I am the Lord, your deliverer, your protector, the powerful ruler of Jacob."" (Isaiah 49:26).

"For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, Lord, are our father; you have been called our protector from ancient times." (Isaiah 63:16).

"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25).

""Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you." (John 14: 1-2).

"And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too." (John 14:3).

"Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

"(Look! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.)" (Revelation 22:7).

"(Look! I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done!" (Revelation 22:12).

"The one who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all." (Revelation 22:20-21).

"From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."" (Revelation 19:15-16).

AMEN!

“God Hates Injustice”

The Topic for the Service of 16^th June 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church- Kitwe was entitled:  “God Hates Injustice”.

Preacher:  Kelvin Mufwandi

Scripture Reading:   1 Kings 21: 1 - 10

                                   Galatians 2: 15 – 21

                                   Matthew 18:21 – 35

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme for our Service is “God Hates Injustice”.

Every day we see or hear of people offending others in many ways. Some of these cases end up in courts of law. Even the Judiciary systems has been affected with some Judges having  or are still going through fire by being accused of not meting out justice fairly.

The injustices meted out to media personnel, political opponents, women children and many others in form of harassment, beatings, and humiliations, molesting, etc. are some of the injustices seen in our society today. 

In 1 Kings 21: 1 – 10 we read about Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.  The King offered to buy the orchard; however, Naboth was not prepared to sell the vineyard to the King because it was an inheritance that was passed down by his ancestors. When Jezebel, the wife to Ahab, saw that the king was upset and he could not eat she arranged to forge a letter which was purported to have been written by the King.  Naboth was accused before all the people, saying, “He cursed God and the king.” So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death.

In a similar manner we face injustices similar to that of Naboth in our work place, families and in the nation.

 In families injustices in the form gender violence, rape, defilement, choosing who to feed and property grabbing are rampant.

In work places employment on the basis of where one comes from, bribery and sexual harassment to get employment is a common feature. God is the employer because there is no job which belongs to any individual. In any case how can one be an employer without people?

In Churches elders have been accused of being selective in whom they associate with. Those who are poor and cannot give any money are usually overlooked. We serve a just God so this type of discrimination is not in line with God’s wish.

At national level there are a lot of examples of injustices to people such as political intolerance, prosecution and harassment, little or no linen and drugs in Hospitals, theft of public funds and the delayed constitution and many more.

Whatever is done in darkness will come in the open. There is nowhere in history where people have been suppressed forever. God always intervenes.

Naboth lost his life for defending what belonged to him. The Church should rise up and defend the Gospel. God gave us this country in order to enjoy life.

God says when you cry I’ll hear from heaven. We are the light and the salt of the world. God is watching every step we take and we shall be answerable in the end.

In Matthew 18:21 – 35 we are told how we should forgive others.  Jesus tells us that forgiveness should be indefinite. The figure seven times seventy is just figurative. These injustices we see in our society are as a result of not forgiving one another and we undergo a cycle of revenge (See the Sermon on 2nd June 2013).

Let it go from your heart. Let us forgive and forget. The spirit of unforgivingness brings takes away our happiness and it affects our health. It has been said that 70 percent of sicknesses is brought about by unforgiving and bitterness.

To be resentful, judgemental and having a bad attitude towards others affects our relationship with God. God is a God who answers by fire and if we do not forgive our marriages, jobs, wealth, etc.  will be affected when God responds.

"The household of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish." (Proverbs 14:11).

"Those who are evil will bow before those who are good, and the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous." (Proverbs 14:19).

Go out into the world and preach justice to all.

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

God is just. He created humanity in His image. This means humanity is designed to be just in all dealings justice is therefore one`s deal a divine inbuilt virtue in all humans. To be unjust in one’s is a deliberate choice that one makes. This implies that this virtue is ultimately within humanity’s mandate to either suppress or let it flourish. Suppression of this virtue breeds injustice.

Injustice is the absence of justice or the violation of the right or right of another. Injustice is a violation of God’s will. Injustice provokes the wrath of God.  1 Kings 21: 1-10 is an example of unjust behaviour towards those around us. Sometimes we have oppressed or told lies against our spouses and those around us in order to discredit them and justify our evil deeds. Remember your unjust conduct is a misrepresentation of who God is because you bear His image.

As you begin this week, ask yourself what you have been doing.

AMEN!

“Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

The Topic for the Service of 2^nd June 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church- Kitwe was entitled:  “Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

Preacher:  Reverend Kuzipa Nalwamba

Scripture Reading:   Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43

                                     Romans 12: 14 – 21

                                     Matthew 5:38 – 48

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme for our Service is “Breaking Cycles of Revenge.”

Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43 was part of a departing song of Moses telling the people of God on how to live. Moses was about to reach the end of his life before handing over the reins to Joshua. It was a song telling them that vengeance belongs to God.

In Romans 12: 14 – 21 the Apostle Paul has a similar message to the Romans and the Lord talks about it in Matthew 5:38 – 48.

·         God is the only one to avenge the wrongs that the Israelis had suffered under foreign nations.

·          When the Israelis decided to take revenge on their own God punished them because he found them wanting.

At a personal level how could we revenge when we about injuries that we have done to others? If you take revenge on your own you will be biased and hence the revenge cannot be justified. Leave revenge to God. He is the one who has the power of life and death and alone can be the Judge.

The Israelis had sinned by worshipping idols and they were punished for that by being persecuted by other nations.

Genuine love hates evil but it does not give a leeway for revenge. The Jews thought that a pagan nation should not rule them. The Jews had no right to revenge against the Romans.

In Acts 16: 37 requested to see Caesar after the Jews mistreated him because he was a Roman citizen. He should not have been persecuted for what he stood for as a citizen of the Roman Empire.

In our case we should know what our rights are as citizens of the Republic of Zambia. The recent beating of worshippers in a Church in Lusaka by some political thugs comes to mind. When we are being persecuted as Paul was we are not at the mercy of the persecutors.

God is in charge and he is going to avenge on our own behalf. God’s punishment of our enemies is usually very severe and we do not even rejoice when that happens. God is truly a God of justice. Jesus in Matthew 5:38 – 48 tells us “a Tooth for a Tooth or an Eye for an Eye” type of revenge results in a cycle of revenge.

God’s revenge may not necessarily be a punishment of the enemy but his reformation.

Our sins were forgiven at the Cross and yet we were sinners.

AMEN!

  

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Invitation to the Holy Communion

In many cultures, African cultures included, the sharing of a meal is the   form of fellowship and communion. The sharing of a meal is the most basic and most central family ritual, in which members of the family engage. The invitation to a guest to share in the family is accordingly an important gesture for and communion.

It is significant that Jesus chose a meal as the best context for us to remember Him. There is no

better symbol of communion, friendship and fellowship than a meal. It is instructive that Jesus did to leave to chance the question of how He was to be remembered, but sought to give His disciples very concrete clues,   guidelines and a very definite context. It is also instructive that Jesus chose a communal rather than an individual meal situation for the context of His remembrance. But we live in a world where meals – even family mealtimes-can no longer be taken for granted. In a world where some have more to eat than they can consume, there are millions who go hungry for days on end. Effectively therefore, at the global meal table, there are millions who are excluded.

What excludes them? Poverty, injustice, ethnocentrism, racism, sexism and HIV/AIDS, do. As long as the global meal table excludes some people, the church is unable to witness to and remember Christ. We must be careful that the Holy Communion does not become just mother of the many

exclusive immoral meals where few are nourished and many go hungry. Not only does Communion remind us a basic human act, it also inspires us to work for a world in which there is genuine communion among all human beings, and between God and humans.

To the table of Christ we bring bread and wine; Made by people's work in an unjust world; Where some have plenty and most go hungry; some are applauded and others despised.

At the table, everyone is fed, and no-one has to pay; Everyone shares the cup of pain and celebration; Everyone is honoured and no-one is despised.

AMEN!

“If He is not Among the Dead, You Aren’t Either”.

The Topic of the Easter Sunday Holy Communion Service of 31^st March 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church was entitled: “If He is not Among the Dead, You Aren’t Either”.

Preacher: Student Minister Chileshe Chepela

Scripture Reading: Luke 24: 1 - 11

SERMON SUMMARY

The St. Margaret's UCZ Church was having an Easter Conference from Monday 25^th March 2013 up to today. Today marks the end of that Conference.

You may have missed one or two things that were discussed during the Conference by the various speakers, who are men and women of God. However it is my prayer that you have picked a thing or two from the Conference. (Note: I, Henry Nasilele, took notes throughout the Conference and I shall write these in my Facebook Notes and my Blogs in the next few days).

God is always speaking to us in many ways. He spoke to Abraham and Joseph and made them great men. These men went through so many hardships but God knew what their destinies, which, He has planned for them.

Our theme for the topic of today is: “If He is not Among the Dead, You Aren’t Either”.

The story of the resurrection of Jesus is very well known to all, even Sunday school children are able to recite it with ease. Many people take it as mere folktale.

Today let us listen to it as if we are hearing it for the first time and take a serious note of what it means to us.

When the women we read in Luke 24: 1 – 11 went to the Tomb of Jesus, they were not sure who was going to help them roll out the big stone that sealed the entrance to the Tomb. However, they believed that God was going to help them to do so.

In our lives we have so many stones that torment and enslave us such as poverty, disease and hunger, to mention but a few. We are always wondering who is going to remove these stones for us.

In most cases we are dependent on other people and not God to resolve our problems. Many people visit witchdoctors for their various ailments and some depend on “powerful people” in society to help them to get employment, etc.

May we look to God as the author and finisher of our fate and man is only there to support us.

Men with wealth do not realise that it is perishable. Money can buy you a very comfortable bed but will never buy you a peaceful sleep. Money may buy you entertainment but it will never buy you joy. Money will never buy everything you need in life.

Let us not depend on things that are perishable. Let us look up to God for our needs. There are many unhappy marriages in wealthy families and many people wonder why this is so. Remember it is not about money but it is about God. It is only God who can deliver us from our problems.

Money can buy a passport to go anywhere in the world but it will not buy your passport to heaven.

The women who came to the Tomb of Jesus depended on God to remove the stone for them because they had faith.

“If you have put your life in a tree watch out for Charcoal Burners and Lumber jacks. One day the tree is going to be cut down.”  It is only when you put your trust in Jesus that your life is assured. If he is not among the dead, you aren’t either!

The disciples of Jesus were troubled on a Friday because their teacher was put to death. However he was resurrected on a Sunday.

John 16: 21 say: “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”

You may be in sorrow on a Friday but wait for a Sunday because the day of resurrection comes on that day. When a Sunday comes in your life things will change.

If you put your trust in God a day is coming when things will be alright with you. A little more prayer and a little more faith is all you need. The bad things that you have passed through in your life are not important, but your faith in Jesus is important because those things will become your testimony.

Wait, a Sunday is coming in your life.

Don’t worry about people gossiping about you because a day is coming when they are going to say. “Sorry”.

Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Jesus is not among the dead and if you believe in Him you are not among the dead.

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Luke 24: 1 -11 is a narrative of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

Verse 1, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the    tomb.

Verse 2, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

Verse 3, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Verse 4, while they were wandering about this, suddenly two men in clothes, that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

Verse 5, ln their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

Verse 6, He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee.

Verse 7, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

As you begin this new week, remember to celebrate this Easter in style. Keep telling yourself that if Jesus is not found among the dead, then you aren’t either. He is your life when He appears; you appear with Him in glory. Don’t let anybody down play you, your life is Christ.

AMEN!

“The Servant's Obedience”.

Part of the Congregation waving Palm Branches at the Palm Sunday Service

The Topic of the Palm Sunday service of 24th March 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church was entitled “The Servant's Obedience”.

Preacher: Reverend Chipasha Musaba

Scripture Reading: Matthew 21: 1 - 11

SERMON SUMMARY

Today the whole Christian world is observing Palm Sunday, which marks the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection.  For many Christian churches this marks the beginning of Holy Week, which concludes on Easter Sunday.

This triumphal entry symbolises the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into our lives.

Jesus introduces himself to us as the King.

There are three aspects of this message which we are going to look at:-

1) Jesus commands the bringing of the donkey and colt to him.

His final assault is to release those who are in captivity of the enemy. Look at your life with respect to Jesus' command to untie the donkey and the colt. When the name of Jesus is mentioned you will be untied.

Your life is tied despite what you think of yourself as being more important than others.

Jesus wants you and your children to be set free just as he commanded to untie the donkey and the cult.

Many people who are bonded by witchcraft think that they are "powerful", but in fact they are in bondage of Satan.

In many families small children are tattooed at birth with the belief that they would be "protected" for the rest of their lives, but in fact bonded to the kingdom of darkness.

Many people are full of themselves and say "I am not a person to play with." but in fact they are in bondage. Adultery, fornication, theft, drunkenness, etc. are some of the bondages such people are tied to.

Jesus wants you and your children to be untied.

2) Jesus rides on a donkey.

A donkey is a sign of peace. Allow him to usher in peace into your individual life. Allow him to come into your life and your story will not be the same.

Say this to yourself: “Jesus is coming to me and ushering in peace into me."

Many people are suffering from high blood pressure due to stress brought about by lack of peace in their lives.

Let peace be a reality in our lives.

3) Inevitability of the human response in the coming of Jesus into our lives.

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" ~ Matthew 21: 9 b

You are nothing without Jesus. Let Jesus take charge of your life. Untie us Son of David!

When a change takes place as a result of Jesus comes to take charge of your life people will not recognise you and they will ask "Who is this?". People will not be able to predict about you because God is unpredictable.

The Easter Conference at St. Margaret's UCZ Church in Kitwe from Monday 25 March to Thursday 28th March 2013 is for people who realise that they are bonded and they need to be untied.

The theme of the Conference is “Refined in the Blood of Jesus the Christ”.

You are all invited for this conference.

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Matthew 21: 1-11

What should this year’s Palm Sunday entail to mankind throughout the world?

Most people believe it's a Christian celebration hut in essence goes beyond Christian jurisdiction. If focus is on the whole humanity, the loosing of the Donkey and the Colt points to the redemption of both the experience and the inexperienced.

Get ready to the Chris’s triumphal entry into your life!

Be part of this year’s Easter Conference under the theme, “Refined in the Blood of Jesus the Christ”.

AMEN!

Your Testimony - A More Effective Sermon !

In our lives we go through so many trials and temptations .

The situation one finds himself can sometimes become so desperate that one looses all hope of ever coming out of it.

In my life, I have experienced several trying moments.

I am sharing them with you here for the glory of God.

In his book, "The Purpose Driven Life" ....Rick Warren says:-

"You may not be a Bible scholar,but you are an authority on your life, and it is hard to argue with personal experience.

Your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because unbelievers see pastors as professional salesmen,..".

In 1961, when I was only eight years old, I suffered from a sickness that almost took my life.

For over three months, I was bed ridden with no hope of recovery. My parents took me for treatment at various health centres without any improvement.

Finally they sought services of a traditional medicineman who, somehow, managed to restore by health!

As a result of this sickness, I had to repeat my Grade three class (then called Standard "1") in 1962.

When I was doing my fifth to seventh grades, between 1964 1966, I used to stay with my Grandparents at Moonga Village which is found on the perimeter of the Barotse flood plain in Mongu District.

I was then attending a school which was some four kilometers from the village.

My parents were then working at Namachaha primary school which went up to Grade four.

The school was located on the Barotse flood plain. It used to shift to the dry land (Kuomboka) annually during the flood season which is between April and July.

The Barotse flood plain is very rich in fish and milk during the dry season, hence it was always a pleasure for me and one relative of mine, whom I was schooling with at Namachaha school during our lower grades, to visit my parents regularly.This would be on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend holiday.

The journey to the school was over a stretch of some fifteen kilometers across a mainly grassy and sandy piece of land.

Because of the danger of being attacked by bandits, in areas which were not populated, we used to travel in groups of between ten to fifteen children.

After crossing the Zambezi River, it was safer to travel in smaller groups in populated and nearby villages.

On one particular trip, I and my relative were the last ones to head towards our destination.

It was then getting very dark. We were only guided by footpaths and silhouettes of trees and lights from fires which marked the presence of oncoming villages.

At one time we drifted offcourse westwards, until we reached very thick vegetation which was near a tributary of the Zambezi River.

We were very scared and had to run towards a village which we could figure out in a distance.

When we reached that village the residents there were surprised to see us. We had just travelled through some unmarked landscape, without a foot path.

We told them that we were going to Namachaha School. They told us that we were almost there. However, they advised us to spend the night in the village.

As children, we were advised not to spend nights in strange villages for fear of being bewitched, and thus we turned down the offer.

We were then advised to be rush as it was already very late in the evening.

Due a large number of school children travelling to the school on a regular basis, the footpath approaching the school was fairly wide. We could therefore manage to run on it without difficulty.

When we reached the school it was close to midnight. Our parents were surprised to see us. They wondered how we managed to reach the place under difficulty conditions.

The following morning we learnt that there were some lions that had come to the area recently and had killed a number of cattle in the neighbouring villages.

On hearing this, we trembled at the thought of what could have happened to us if we had come in contact with the beasts!

On 28 October 1994 I was admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital. This was after I lost nearly two litres of blood due a bleeding peptic ulcer.

I went into a comatose state as result of shock brought by the loss of blood. My life was saved by emergency blood transfussion. My breathing was assisted via an oxygen mask for several days.

I stayed in the ICU ward for a total of ten days.

The peptic stomach ulcer was as a result of a heavy beer drinking habit which had been going on for nearly twenty years.

In April 1996 I was temporarily dismissed from employment with a workmate.

This was after investigations of one senior official, linked us to his questionable activities.

On appeal, we were both found innocent. The truth was that the official used our positions to carry out his activities behind our backs. The ordeal took 51 days of torment before we were reinstated.

On 18 May 2005, I was in another near-death situation due to a diseased appendix in my stomach. An operation to remove it, saved my life on 19 May 2005.

The surgeons who removed it could not believe their eyes at how big it had swollen and puss filled due to infection. This could have killed me instantly, had the infected appendix burst and fed the puss into my blood system.

On 8 January 2010 I was out employment , after a fixed term contract which was due to expire in a year's time, was terminated without notice.

My efforts to secure another job or start a business has not been easy.

As if that was not enough, my only source of income, rentals for a house I have in Lusaka, were not been forthcoming for over six months.

The last tenant vacated the house on 31 December 2009 after a dispute.

I have had four potential tenants who intended to occupy the house from January 2010. In all cases they withdrew at the last moment due to one reason or another!

The fifth person who showed interest to rent the house in May 2010, turned up to be a con man.

It took me an agonising sixty days to get another tenant.

I believe that the Lord shall see me through this episode of my life as He had done before.

The Bible says :-

"Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!" (Psalms 46:10).

"No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

"At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (John 16:26-27).

"But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you."" (John 11:22).

Amen!