In Kambia, Sierra Leone!

To the glory of God, I arrived in Sierra Leone 12 days ago and then travelled on to Kambia. The original plan was to come in July, but I had to wait out the Ebola crisis. There were also a few days of panic after I found out that my passport had to go biometric before my travel, but, praise God for His mercies, a helper was found who took us through a nail biting, two-month, although bribe-free process of getting it. Praise God for my family and friends who contributed financially and in many other diverse ways to help me raise my air fare and initial missionary support for this trip. If you would still like to help, please contact me for further details. I have to pay for my own upkeep here as well as pay for the services of a lady who will help me round the house. For the one year that I will be here, I will be teaching Sunday School, training more teachers and helping out in a newly established mission school in Kambia. The name of the organisation is Givers' World, where a church and a school have been growing for the past 5 years. I have already been praying about the next step; what God would have me do after this year is passed. Do pray along with me. It has been exciting seeing, old faces - the children have grown so much. I have met a few additions to the family and some new people as well. I will eventually have a place of my own, but that place is not ready yet. For now I am staying with another lady missionary who has graciously allowed me into her home. Please pray for good health for me at all times, and that I will hear God clearly in all that He is saying to me. I ask also for utterance, that the things I say will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Also pray for my protection. Yesterday I managed to kill a scorpion that was headed straight for my feet as I sat on my bed. God bless you all. In Him,

Yes, I'm a Fabulous Woman

https://www.facebook.com/kosy.dankwa/posts/901403543270366

My preaching debut! Experiencing God's love!

Henry was a troublesome preschooler. He knew the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, but he just wouldn't sit still and was always causing some form of commotion in the classroom. His teacher who had just come out of training did not know what to do. All her cries of 'Henry sit down', and 'Henry stop it' fell on deaf ears. This went on for some time, until one day the teacher spoke sincerely to Henry. She put her arm around Henry's shoulders and told him, "Henry, you're my friend you know! I like you very much. She let him be the leader of a marching song once, and that was the last time Henry ever disturbed in class. He was transformed from then on. Love! It's the most powerful force in the world. God is love! V 9 of our passage says “By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” ‭‭Let's just concentrate on God's love for a minute. God is love! It is not possible to separate love from God. That is His nature. That is who God is, and our human minds cannot even understand it completely. His love is unconditional. His love is infinite, it has no end. He wants relationship. He wants you. Jer 31:3 says I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is God talking. He says, "I love you". I love you ... Child's name, Adam, Eve. But the world seems not to receive His love. How come? Why is it so difficult for the world to believe that God loves them? Why would people reject the gospel, which is a simple 'God loves you and wants you to come to Him'? Why would even believers find it hard to accept that God loves them? One factor is Satan's lies. He's been lying from the beginning, and believe me, he's very good at it. He started in the garden of Eden, and he nailed it the first time! "God isn't interested in your welfare. Why would he leave you in this horrible situation? Why hasn't he rescued you? To Eve he said, Why doesn't he want you to eat the nicest fruit in the garden? He's keeping the best thing away from you. Eve believed his lies, and the whole world has followed suit. His best lie is "God doesn't love you".  sound file?

YES, OCCUPY TILL I COME!

Jesus' words still echo in our ears today: "Occupy till I come..."  This phrase has become so popular, and easily rolls off the tongue, but what’s the real meaning?

Let's read the story in question, from Luke 19:12 onwards. 

12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten minas, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’”

A similar story in Matthew 25 starts this parable saying: "The Kingdom of God is like this!", which is such a profound statement.  That could translate to say, "This is all that the Christian's world is about."  We are to occupy this world until He comes.  What then does it mean to occupy for the Master? 

I believe it is the same thing that God has been saying from the very beginning. Remember what He said to Adam and Eve in the garden?  “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  Genesis 1:28. God is saying the same thing today.  "Fill up the earth with my seed."  Not just physical seed as in people having many children, but spiritual seed, which involves us, His children, harvesting lost souls into the Kingdom.  God wants us to fill the earth up with His children!

What about what Jesus said when He was leaving the earth? His last words were: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matt 28:18-20

I would say our work is cut out for us!  It is spelt out so clearly!  Sadly, today what we see in the body of Christ is indeed discouraging and difficult to understand.  Christians are busy building their own empires and have developed tunnel vision.  We are praying for our own houses to be built, and we are forgetting God's house!  God may sadly be saying to us the same thing He said in Haggai's time:  Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Hag. 1:3-5.  What an indictment!   May God help us to be truly kingdom minded! 

This is what Jesus said to His disciples and asked them to pray about:  “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. This is found in Luke 10:2.    Can we pray that prayer?  And who are these labourers that the Lord wants to send into His vineyard of the world?  May I put it to us that the Lord is calling each and every one of us? Yes, He is!  "Oh, but I'm working", you say; "I can't go."  "I'll  just pray," or "I'll just support a missionary financially."  Well, both of these options are laudable, but Jesus commands us to go!  He commands us to go!

Ok, so you are currently employed in an office.  Instead of complaining that there are no Christians in your office and frantically looking for a new job, just hold your peace.  There is your mission field right there.  Let your light shine, that their hardened hearts may see the love of Christ. Speak with your life, and tell with your mouth about the glorious salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Do something extraordinary for the Kingdom!

When your church organises missions to the hinterlands, participate as fully as you can.  The experience may be just the thing you need to get going.

That person sitting next to you on the bus, or that taxi driver who picks you up often, have you ever stopped to ask yourself if they know Jesus?  Those children who always make a nuisance of themselves in front of your house, do they know the Lord?  Unpleasant as it sounds, children die in their sin as well.  What can you do for the children?

On the other hand, have the people back in your hometown heard about Jesus? Can you minister to your people group? Is God calling you to that? If he has called you to pack bag and baggage and go, then know that He who has called is faithful and He WILL supply your every need.

As an individual,  how do you think you can live I obedience to the Lord's command? 

Occupy till I come, that is what the King expects of us today.  Seriously, ask yourself, are you truly having dominion wherever you go? Or, has fear gotten the better of you?  On that day, will you hear the Master say: 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.'  Or will you suffer loss?  Brethren, let us think on these things!

                Occupy till I come, see that the work is done,

                      Labour in the Vineyard faithful ones.

       Feed the sheep, help the weak, be My hands and My feet;

          See that the work is done, OCCUPY TILL I COME!

GOD'S TIMING ON HIS PROMISES...

Episode 1: His name was Abram. God had renamed him Abraham because he was to become the father of MANY nations. But that was 10 years ago! Abraham was getting weary. He had waited and waited, and he didn’t even have one child yet. Had God forgotten? Had Abram sinned, thereby blocking the arm of God in his life? Maybe he did, when he slept with his maid - we are not told whether God held it against him, but what we are told is that at the time that God had ordained, Abraham had the long awaited son. Gen. 18:14 says “I will return at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” What is the key word here? It is ‘appointed time’. It was the time that God had appointed! Gen 21:2 also says, “Sarah became pregnant ... at the very time God had promised!” The birth of Isaac was right on time! What was the point of the 25 year wait, then? It was just for God’s glory to be shown. It was just for the world to see that there was no limit to God’s power. Even a post-menopausal 90 year old lady could have a child by a centenarian! That’s just how God is. Episode 2: Job was suffering, and he had no idea why. Unknown to him, he was God’s showpiece to the devil because he had been faithful. His friends came to visit him, and soon he was being accused of sinning against God. For years, seven, some say, he suffered. When God finally came to give His verdict, his friends were the ones who were found to be in the wrong, and Job was asked to pray for them. God healed him and restored him to a new and greater lease of life.

Friends, sin can and will delay or rob us completely of our blessings. However, we should not be quick to go and accuse people going through lengthy trials of being sinful, thereby compounding their grief. And if you are going through a painful trial yourself, please be encouraged. God is never late, He is always on time. Maybe He wants you to learn something, or He just wants a closer relationship with you. Just be faithful and wait for Him. At the APPOINTED time, the release will come!  

Part 2... What to do while you’re waiting

Ok, so you’re going through a severe time of testing. Everyone, including God seems to have abandoned you. Wilderness experiences are definitely not fun. However, wilderness experiences are a part of life. Everyone goes through wilderness experiences, some are short, some unexplainably long. What should your attitude be as you go through? One of my favourite quotes of Joyce Meyer’s is, ‘Complain and remain, praise and be raised’! An attitude of gratitude is definitely something to be coveted. Find things to be grateful for everyday, otherwise it becomes very easy to slip into depression. Praise God all the time, just because He is God!

When Job was questioned by God, Job insisted that he had not sinned. True, he had not sinned prior to his ordeal, but I find his position during the ordeal bordering even on arrogance (Job 23). God did address this, and he had to repent. Look at Job 38:1-5; 40:1-14 and 42:1-6. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to copy this behaviour. Your first step should be to ask God to forgive you of any sin you may have committed and let Him lead you out of it. If you cannot see anything wrong that you have done, ask God to show you. After all, there is no human who does not sin. Repent and let there be a complete turn-around from whatever it is. This is not to say you are going through this trial because you have sinned, but just to cleanse your heart from sin. Let the Word of God be your food at this time. Learn all you can from God’s Word. Nourish your soul as fat as you can during this time. Then just sit back and trust God completely. At the appointed time, the breakthrough will come. Isaiah 60:1 will then be true of you.: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you!

God is TOO kind to be mistaken; God is TOO good to be unkind. So  if you don’t understand, if you can’t see his plan, if you can’t see  His hand, trust His heart! (Words of a song by Babbie Mason)

But Even if He doesn't...

Daniel 3:1 - 30

Er... Is this the shortcut to Glory?

Have you ever been tempted to take a shortcut? Have you ever had to tell a ‘small’ lie to glaze over the fact that you have been slack? It could be anything. What springs up in your mind?

Jesus has offered us the ultimate prize of glory. However, the road there is one of sacrifice and total dependence on the Holy Spirit. Jesus experienced it Himself when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness after His 40 day fast. Three times, the devil tried to get him to compromise: “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. The father of lies tried to entice Jesus with a shortcut to bogus glory. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Was Satan really able to give the Son of God all the kingdoms of the world? Of course not, it was all a huge ruse. Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' Jesus had the RIGHT answer for him. After all, He was the Son of God! Thankfully for all of us, the devil did not succeed in this mission!

But you see, Jesus had already been promised all the kingdoms of the earth by his Heavenly Father. However, itwas at a very high price; the price of his own blood, sweat and tears. The wonderful thing is that this was a price Jesus fully intended to pay! He shed his blood and died for the salvation of the whole world because we were helplessly lost and separated in our sin. You and I are where we are today because of the OBEDIENCE and precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. He chose glory, but He got it the hard way. 1 Pet 3:18 says For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, and so we can be saved! If you have not yet made use of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross by handing over control of your life to Him today, you are not yet on the road to glory. Jesus is coming soon! He will surely come and take all His loved ones to be with Him in Glory. Give your life to Jesus today!

THE SON OF GOD

The Easter season is just over, but I want you all to know how it was in the Jerusalem streets so long ago. Why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey? To show humility? Maybe. To keep a low profile? Well... So he wouldn't be seen as a warrior? These are all true, but there was a reason every Israelite could identify with. In those days, the sons of the King rode on mules. Everyone knew that - 1 Sam 13:29 So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. Jesus was telling the whole world that He was the Son of a King!

The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! The Son of God had His triumphant entry indeed!