Rutashubanyuma
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Why Magufuli administration misses the point on Government splurge
Why Magufuli administration misses the point on Government splurge
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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The Light of God's Smile of Blessing Is On You
After the terrifying, appalling and deadly terrorist attack during her concert in 2017, Ariana Grande returned to the Manchester Arena for the ‘One Love Manchester’ concert. Marcus Mumford, lead singer of the band Mumford and Sons, opened the concert by proclaiming that ‘love casts out fear’. In the middle of the concert, Justin Bieber declared, ‘I’m not going to let go of love, not going to let go of God. God is good in the midst of darkness. God is in the midst. And he loves you. And he is here for you.’ It was like a bright light in the midst of the darkness.
St John of the Cross spoke of the ‘dark night of the soul’. I have gone through dark times in my life. There were dark times for the people of God both in the Old and New Testament times. There have been dark periods in the history of the church. But the light of the gospel has never gone out. The light of Jesus will always outshine the darkness around (John 1:5). You have that light within you by the Holy Spirit and wherever you go you bring a light greater than the darkness around you.
After the terrifying, appalling and deadly terrorist attack during her concert in 2017, Ariana Grande returned to the Manchester Arena for the ‘One Love Manchester’ concert. Marcus Mumford, lead singer of the band Mumford and Sons, opened the concert by proclaiming that ‘love casts out fear’. In the middle of the concert, Justin Bieber declared, ‘I’m not going to let go of love, not going to let go of God. God is good in the midst of darkness. God is in the midst. And he loves you. And he is here for you.’ It was like a bright light in the midst of the darkness.
St John of the Cross spoke of the ‘dark night of the soul’. I have gone through dark times in my life. There were dark times for the people of God both in the Old and New Testament times. There have been dark periods in the history of the church. But the light of the gospel has never gone out. The light of Jesus will always outshine the darkness around (John 1:5). You have that light within you by the Holy Spirit and wherever you go you bring a light greater than the darkness around you.
Rutashubanyuma
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Amina!
Rutashubanyuma
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Amen!
Rutashubanyuma
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2 Kings 10:1-11:21
The light of young people
Every year in the UK there are Christian summer festivals for young people. Tens of thousands attend these youth events. Pippa and I had the privilege of visiting one of them. It was so exciting to see the faith, passion and enthusiasm of these young people. It is a great sign of hope for the future. It is a bright light on the horizon. However bad things look, there is hope that the next generation will do better.
If you think you are living in a dark world, study this passage and you will see that there have been times in history that are just as bad, or even worse.
This was another dark period in the history of the people of Israel. It was a time when horrific events took place, such as the slaughter of the seventy princes whose heads were stacked in two piles at the city gates (10:7–8). And there were other massacres as well (v.17, MSG). Jehu was praised for not behaving like the worst of the kings of Israel, King Ahab. In particular, Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.
However, he did not turn away from the precedent set by King Jeroboam: the worship of the golden calf (v.29). He ‘wasn’t careful to walk in God's ways and honour the God of Israel from an undivided heart’ (v.31a, MSG).
In Judah things seemed no better. Athaliah tried to massacre the whole royal family (11:1, MSG). But God protected Joash, in much the same way as he protected Moses and Jesus: Jehosheba ‘hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. He didn’t get killed. He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country’ (vv.2–3, MSG).
Later, ‘Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”’ (v.12). After this, the king ‘took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace’ (vv.19–20).
Joash was only seven years old when he became king (v.21) but this young man brought hope for the future (see 2 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 24), as so often we see hope in young people. Once again God kept a light shining even in the darkest of times.
Lord, thank you for the children and youth in our own church and the hope they bring. Thank you for the youth movements throughout the world and the light that shines through them. Thank you that even in the darkest of times, you always keep your light shining and that the light of your smile of blessing is on us.
The light of young people
Every year in the UK there are Christian summer festivals for young people. Tens of thousands attend these youth events. Pippa and I had the privilege of visiting one of them. It was so exciting to see the faith, passion and enthusiasm of these young people. It is a great sign of hope for the future. It is a bright light on the horizon. However bad things look, there is hope that the next generation will do better.
If you think you are living in a dark world, study this passage and you will see that there have been times in history that are just as bad, or even worse.
This was another dark period in the history of the people of Israel. It was a time when horrific events took place, such as the slaughter of the seventy princes whose heads were stacked in two piles at the city gates (10:7–8). And there were other massacres as well (v.17, MSG). Jehu was praised for not behaving like the worst of the kings of Israel, King Ahab. In particular, Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.
However, he did not turn away from the precedent set by King Jeroboam: the worship of the golden calf (v.29). He ‘wasn’t careful to walk in God's ways and honour the God of Israel from an undivided heart’ (v.31a, MSG).
In Judah things seemed no better. Athaliah tried to massacre the whole royal family (11:1, MSG). But God protected Joash, in much the same way as he protected Moses and Jesus: Jehosheba ‘hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. He didn’t get killed. He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country’ (vv.2–3, MSG).
Later, ‘Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”’ (v.12). After this, the king ‘took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace’ (vv.19–20).
Joash was only seven years old when he became king (v.21) but this young man brought hope for the future (see 2 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 24), as so often we see hope in young people. Once again God kept a light shining even in the darkest of times.
Lord, thank you for the children and youth in our own church and the hope they bring. Thank you for the youth movements throughout the world and the light that shines through them. Thank you that even in the darkest of times, you always keep your light shining and that the light of your smile of blessing is on us.
Rutashubanyuma
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Yes we can!
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Is this infidelity or there are others!
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