Jacob in the Dark of Night

It's Valentine's Day and I am preparing hard for tomorrow's sermon. I am going to have 12 points, preaching from Genesis 32, a key chapter in the life of Jacob. First, Jacob went on his way. He departed from working for Laban. I am also departing, back to my humble abode, my inheritance. We must be on our way on a journey like Jacob was. We are followers of Jesus who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Peace was broken

Often times when God wants to call someone and use someone He isolates him and he becomes a solitary figure before he could truly hear from God and God’s equipping of His servants often takes the form of solitude. Not just John the Baptist who spent his adult years of 10 plus years in the wilderness before he came baptising. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before God called him to return to Egypt. Jacob spent 20 years in a foreign land before God called him to return to the land of his birth.

Freedom to Write

I have written 10,000 words of solid commentary on John 17 from verse 1 to verse 14, the middle of the chapter. This is accomplished in barely over a week since early February. I felt I had accomplished more in the past 8 days than 14 months of pastoring a church. What is crooked cannot be made straight. And Scripture cannot be broken.

The Lord Opens Doors

Since I was committed to leaving my current pastorate by next Sunday, I have seen the Lord opening doors for me. During my brief attendance at the AGM to witness the vote count last month, I received invitations to preach. Even for Christmas more than 10 months from now. When I received the text. a few days ago, I thought it was a mistake since Christmas passed less than 2 months ago but it seems planning ahead for this year's Christmas is gathering steam. I remember as soon as Good Friday was over during my first two pastorates, we made plans for Christmas to give ourselves about 9 months ahead of time for preparations.

Jacob in his mid-life (Genesis 32)

The wrestle between God and Jacob is a symbolic reference to every man’s mid-life crisis. By the 40s, he has to decide what to do in his life, or else the boat has sailed past him, and there is nothing much one can do if when one reaches the 40s one is still aimless, not knowing one’s purpose in life. Jacob spent 20 years of his adult life, serving for his two wives and his meagre wages and if the Lord had not blessed him, Laban would have left him impoverished. But life is uncertain to the extent that one makes it and the other does not.

Serving Everyone

A pastor's job is a great job if done well for God's glory. Today is my day of rest and I could not write as my mind was filled with events of yesterday. A pastor with a family serves his family first. When my son was with me 20 years ago, every Sunday morning we left our house at 7.40am to get to church by 7.50am for a 8am start. We were never late and our son as a young teenager was obedient and he never gave his father any troubles. Yesterday as I was not preaching and that I had already resigned, I waited for my wife and we reached the church just 5 minutes before the 9am start.

God who gives Growth

When the church is not growing there is something wrong. Early October I told my elder that things were not doing well, if the current leadership structure was in place. I was coming to a year of ministry, and I sensed many things were going backward. Our 10th anniversary supposedly a highlight of the church's calendar was organised haphazardly, practically in the last week before I knew what was going on. I asked twice for the e-poster to be made and sent to me at least one month before the anniversary but there was no action.

It is Going Well

I was afraid that it might not go well or it will take days and weeks to settle into writing or continuing with my commentary on John's Gospel. But happily I am at almost full speed with five pages written in the past one and a half days and there will be more today and tomorrow. So much so I prayed just now that the miracle of Nehemiah would also happen to me, to finish my book in 52 days like Nehemiah and the Judeans who built the wall of Jerusalem in less than 2 months. That would be a miracle.

Writing Again

I breathed a sigh of relief when I started writing again after more than 14 months of inaction. This pastoral role has taken a lot of my energy and now I am relieved of it all and began to write. I managed to comment on John 17:2-4 in its bare bones. What I do is first exegesis, explaining the text in its context and then there will be some application on the more important verses or passages. There is hardly a more important verse in the whole Gospel than one found in John 17:3, defining what eternal life is.

Communication & Fellowship

Those who serve, serve in Christian fellowship bound by love for God and for one another. This means servants of God ought to be open and sincere towards one another without hypocrisy and duplicity. If I think of my own denomination, we have over 400 full-time pastors and if we are united, how powerful that would be. But it depends on leadership to create and set an example of love and unity. In fact, I make it a point to always open to my leaders, and to serve in Christian fellowship.

Abraham walked with God

Abraham was the first. Abraham was the only one. Abraham was the first to be called by God to go to a place which destination he knew not. It is almost like buying a ticket and boarding a plane to nowhere. At least now we know our destination. It was a time of travel by foot, donkeys and camels. Yet Abraham left Ur of the Chaldean and walked thousand of kilometres to Haran, and then to Canaan as God called him. Whenever God called, Abraham obeyed. That’s the essence of faith.