Why Magufuli administration misses the point on Government splurge

Matthew 4:23-5:20

The source of God’s favour and true happiness

According to Jesus, true happiness does not come from all the things that society suggests. It does not come from celebrity, beauty, wealth and possessions. It is not about how you feel. It is not about what you have or even about what you do.
The Greek word, ‘makarios’ (used in 5:3–11) means ‘blessed’, ‘fortunate’, ‘happy’ – the privileged recipient of God’s favour. Or, as the Amplified version puts it, ‘happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous, that is, with life-joy and satisfaction… regardless of their outward conditions.’
In the Beatitudes (‘beautiful attitudes’!) Jesus highlights eight unexpected situations in which you receive God’s favour and blessings.

Be spiritually desperate for God
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ (v.3a). The word for ‘poor’ means ‘begging… dependent on others for support’. Here, it means being brought low or weakened to the point of realising the need to depend on Jesus: ‘You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope’ (v.3a, MSG). The poor in spirit are blessed because, through what Jesus has made possible, ‘yours is the kingdom of heaven’ (v.3b).

Weep over your condition
‘Blessed are those who mourn’ (v.4a). Mourn your own sin and the mess in the world around you. Weep with those who weep. It is not wrong to weep and to mourn the loss of those you love. Jesus’ promise is that those who mourn ‘will be comforted’ (v.4b). God’s comfort goes way beyond any kind of ordinary comfort. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘It’s almost worth having a problem in order to be able to experience [God’s comfort].’

Be content with who you are
‘Blessed are the meek’ (v.5a). The Greek word for ‘meek’ means ‘gentle’, ‘considerate’, ‘unassuming’. It is showing kindness and love for others. It is the opposite of arrogance and self-seeking. It means ‘broken’, not in the sense of a broken glass that is shattered, but in the way that a horse is broken – tamed, strength under control. Through Jesus the meek are blessed – ‘they will inherit the earth’ (v.5b).

‘You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less’ (v.5a, MSG).

Be hungry for God
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ (v.6a). ‘You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God’ (v.6a, MSG). Pursue a relationship with God as your number one priority in life. Pursuing anything else for its own sake ultimately leaves you empty. But the blessing of a hunger for God and his righteousness is that you ‘will be filled’ (v.6b).

Receive forgiveness and be merciful
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy’ (v.7a). Don’t give people what they ‘deserve’; give them what they don’t deserve. As C.S. Lewis put it, ‘To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.’ The merciful are blessed because ‘they will be shown mercy’ (v.7b).

Be completely sincere
‘You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right’ (v.8a, MSG). ‘Blessed are the pure in heart’ (v.8a). This is not just outward purity but integrity, openness, sincerity and authenticity. It is a purity that truly allows you to ‘see God’ (v.8b). A pure heart starts with your thoughts because your thoughts become your words, your actions and your character.

A key step to being pure in heart is allowing others to see us as we are – in all our brokenness and vulnerability.

Strive to bring peace
‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (v.9a). Don’t stir up conflict, but make peace. Jesus, the Son of God, came to make peace for you on the cross (Colossians 1:20). Blessed are the peacemakers ‘for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9b).

‘You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight’ (v.9a, MSG).

Expect nothing in return except persecution
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness’ (v.10a). Don’t expect anything from the world in return except criticism. But God is with the persecuted church: ‘theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (v.10b).

‘You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution’ (v.10, MSG).

We see here the third way in which Jesus fulfils the Old Testament. We have already seen that Jesus fulfils the Old Testament history (1:1–17) and how he fulfils the promises of the Old Testament prophecies (1:18–4:16). Now, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus fulfils the Old Testament Law by revealing its full depth and meaning: ‘Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures – either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete’ (5:17, MSG).
The American rock singer turned pastor, John Wimber, said, ‘Jesus is insatiable. Everything we do pleases him but nothing satisfies him. I have been satisfied with Jesus. He has not been satisfied with me. He keeps raising the standards. He walks in high places.’
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ‘raised the bar’ to the sky, not to bring us down but to lift us up: ‘I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine!’ (5:16, MSG).

Lord, help me this year to live by the values of the Sermon on the Mount and to be characterised by the Beatitudes, so I might be a light to the world around me.

Genesis 9:18-11:9

The source of love and unity

Love covers and protects. It does not seek to expose other people’s weaknesses and faults. It does not delight in other’s misfortunes.
Today’s passage begins with the rather strange account of Noah getting drunk. The fact that he was a righteous man did not mean that he was perfect. Shem and Japheth are commended for ‘cover[ing] their father’s nakedness’ (9:23).
Love and unity go hand in hand. The Tower of Babel is the symbol of disunity (11:1–9). The people said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves’ (v.4). This act of pride and power-seeking led to disunity, symbolised in the confusion of different languages in the world. ‘The Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth’ (v.9).
The day of Pentecost was the reversal of Babel. The Holy Spirit enables people to say: ‘each of us hears them [speaking] in our native language’ (Acts 2:8). The gift of tongues symbolises the fact that the Holy Spirit reverses the disunity of Babel and unites all peoples and languages.
This is a common experience today as we see the Holy Spirit bringing love and unity across churches, languages and nations.

Lord, may we never seek to make a name for ourselves or our own church, denomination or movement. Rather, may we seek to glorify your name. Pour out your Spirit, O Lord, on the church as on the day of Pentecost. May there be a reversal of Babel. May there be an end to disunity. May your Spirit and the values of the kingdom of God bring love, joy, peace, true happiness and unity.

Pippa Adds

Matthew 4:24
‘People brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering… and he healed them.’
I am going to pray for anyone I know who is sick or suffering today; it’s quite a long list.

Verse of the Day

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety’ (Psalm 4:8).

Duuh

Directions for Life

Pippa and I are often in a hurry. We are not good at planning our car journeys. We often set off in the wrong direction and frequently get lost (even with a satnav!). I don’t know why it has taken me so long to learn the importance of getting good directions and following them.
Many of us are like this in life. We charge off in a hurry. We don’t realise the importance of getting good directions for life. If you follow God’s directions for life, you will enjoy his blessing and bring blessing to others.

Psalm 5:1-12

Start each day waiting for directions

When embarking on a journey the best time to get good directions is before you begin.
In this psalm, we have a wonderful example of how to begin each day: ‘Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly’ (vv.2–3). David is ‘waiting for directions’ (v.8, MSG).
There is something special about beginning your day by laying your requests before God. The whole day has a different dimension as you ‘wait expectantly’ (v.3).

Lord, today I lay my requests before you and wait for directions. Lead me, O Lord. Spread your protection over me. Surround me with your favour as with a shield (vv.8,11,12).

Matthew 5:21-42

Follow Jesus’ directions for life

There are some general directions that apply to every car journey. They are the rules of the road. Jesus’ directions in the Sermon on the Mount are like a ‘highway code’ for a life of blessing.
Following Jesus’ directions involves a radical lifestyle. He challenges us to be ruthless in dealing with every wrong attitude, thought, word and action.
Our words should be words of blessing, not anger. Do not speak angry words against your brothers and sisters (vv.21–22). ‘The simple moral fact is that words kill’ (v.22, MSG). But, words can also give life. Choose today to speak life-giving words of wisdom, encouragement and blessing.
We are called to do everything within our power to bless those we have fallen out with (vv.23–26). If we remember a ‘grudge’ a friend has against us, we should go to the friend and try to ‘make things right’ (vv.23–24, MSG). If we encounter an ‘old enemy’ we should ‘make the first move; make things right’ with them (v.25, MSG).
We need to guard what we do with our eyes and our heart. If we allow them to become corrupted then, far from being a blessing to others, we will be rotten ourselves.
Take radical action. When teaching on adultery, Jesus says it is not simply about the physical act: ‘Don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices – they also corrupt’ (v.28, MSG).
Jesus speaks of the eye as the starting point of adultery. Take radical steps to avoid such a course (vv.29–30). As Job said, ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl’ (Job 31:1).
Marriage is intended to be a place of blessing one another and a source of blessing for others. This means a life of radical faithfulness within marriage (Matthew 5:31–32). Jesus speaks against using divorce as ‘a cover for selfishness and whim’ (v.32a, MSG).
We are to live lives of radical integrity in which we say what we mean, and mean what we say: ‘Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one’ (v.37).
Blessing others means blessing even those who do bad things to us (vv.38–42). ‘Don’t hit back at all… No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously’ (vv.39,42, MSG). To return evil for good is demonic. To return good for good is human. To return good for evil is the way of Jesus.

Lord, help me this year to follow your directions for life and to spread blessing wherever I go.

Genesis 11:10-13:18

Trust God to direct you one step at a time

What I love more than anything when I set out on a long car journey (even better than a satnav), is to have someone in the car with me who knows the directions and tells me, one step at a time, where I should go. In the journey of life God offers to accompany you and direct you one step at a time into a life of blessing.
This is one of the key moments in the Bible, as God initiates his rescue plan for humanity. The previous chapters have been a tale of ever increasing sinfulness and separation from God. In these verses suddenly everything shifts as God reveals his solution – Abraham!
God promises Abraham: ‘I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’ (12:2–3).
God chooses one individual and blesses him, and then one nation and blesses them – but his plan is always that they will pass the blessing on (v.3b). This is key for our understanding of the Old Testament, as it explains why God chose Israel – so that through them the whole world might be blessed.
Ultimately this promise is fulfilled in Jesus. He is the fulfilment of all the promises and hopes of Israel and through him ‘all people’ can be blessed.
This is now God’s purpose for you. The apostle Paul writes, ‘Those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith’ (Galatians 3:7–9).
The church is blessed, like Abraham and Israel, not for its own sake but in order to bring blessing to the whole world. If you have been blessed by God, it is not for your own selfish indulgence or self-congratulation; it is in order that you can be a blessing to others.
God calls Abraham to leave his country, his people and his father’s household and go to the land God is going to show him (Genesis 12:1). Abraham did exactly as the Lord directed him (v.4, AMP). He trusted God to direct him one step at a time. He could not have seen the next steps at this time but he trusted God’s promises.
This has been my experience in life. God may give us a general picture of what he wants us to do – but as far as the details are concerned he leads us one step at a time. The life of faith involves following his directions one step at a time.
The journey is not always entirely smooth. Abraham was very much a flawed human being just like us. God blessed him with great wealth (13:1, MSG) and a ‘stunningly beautiful wife’ (12:14, MSG). Nevertheless, in an act of weakness and deception, he allows Pharaoh to take her as his wife (vv.10–20).
Then, after ‘quarrelling arose between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s’ (13:7), Abraham decides that there has to be a parting of the ways between himself and his nephew (vv.8–11). Actually, it was not Abraham and Lot who fell out – it was, as so often happens, their followers. The reality of friction in human relationships is very evident.
Lot chose the best land and left Abraham with what looked less good. But, again, God gives Abraham directions. He tells him: ‘look around from where you are’ (v.14).
God said, ‘I’ll make your descendants like dust – counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So – on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you’ (vv.16–17, MSG).
When you are disappointed by someone or something, resist the urge to give in to feeling angry or bitter. Instead, ‘look around from where you are’ (v.14); fix your eyes on God and see things from his perspective, not the enemy’s. Trust him to help you in these difficult situations, rather than trusting in yourself. His plan is to bless you.
It is only because of the grace of God that Abraham is promised these amazing blessings. The intention was that he would be a blessing to the whole world. Likewise, for you. You are called to live under God’s blessing and bring blessing to those around you.

Lord, help me this year to follow your directions, one step at a time, to live under your blessing, and bring as much blessing as I can to everyone around.

Pippa Adds

We all need guidance every day in all the difficult decisions of life. Following a straight path saves us wandering off wasting time and energy. My prayer today is this: ‘Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness… make straight your way before me’ (Psalm 5:8).

Verse of the Day

‘In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation’ (Psalm 5:3).

Ninaamini

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