Why Magufuli administration misses the point on Government splurge

Why Magufuli administration misses the point on Government splurge

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Hard Times

Smith Wigglesworth was born on 8 June 1859 to an impoverished family in Yorkshire. As a small child he worked in the fields pulling turnips alongside his mother. He was illiterate until, at the age of twenty-three, he married Polly, who taught him to read. He often said that the Bible was the only book he ever read.
He was a plumber by trade but had to abandon it after he became too busy with an amazing ministry of preaching and healing. There are even accounts of people being raised from the dead through his ministry. Yet, he said on one occasion that he would rather see one person saved through his preaching than 10,000 healed.
Life was not always easy for Smith Wigglesworth. He went through some very hard times. He wrote, ‘Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.’
The Bible is very realistic. We live in a fallen world. Everyone goes through hard times and some people find themselves in circumstances that make life hard all of the time.


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Psalm 119:65-72

See hard times as God’s training school

Suffering is never good in itself, but God is able to use it for good (Romans 8:28). Sometimes God uses our suffering to train us. Just as a gardener prunes the vine (John 15:2), parents discipline their children (Hebrews 12:10) and a metal worker refines silver and gold in the fire (1 Peter 1:6–7).
The psalmist writes, ‘Train me in good common sense... Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I’m in step with your Word... train me in your goodness’ (Psalm 119:66–68, MSG). When you are going through hard times don’t allow that to make you doubt God’s goodness. Instead, see it as God’s training school.
Unfair criticism is hard to receive. The psalmist writes, ‘The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying’ (v.69, MSG). Attack may come from those whose ‘hearts are callous and unfeeling’. Yet, in the midst of this, you, too, can find ‘delight’ in God’s words (v.70).
He is able to see that God has actually used his troubles, affliction and suffering: ‘My troubles turned out all for the best – they forced me to learn from your textbook. Truth from your mouth means more to me than striking it rich in a gold mine’ (vv.71–72, MSG).

Lord, ‘Teach me… good judgment’ (v.66). Thank you that as I look back on my life I can often see the ways in which you have used the hard times. Thank you that the words of your mouth are more precious than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.



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1 Timothy 5:1-6:2

Take care of those going through hard times

The Bible is a very practical book. Paul gives Timothy sensible and practical instructions on how to look after those in the congregation who are going through hard times.

Take care of the old and young
Paul says that we are to treat those who are older than us with the respect we would show to our parents, and to treat those younger than us as our brothers and sisters (vv.1–2). Someone once observed that many men should have this verse as a screensaver on their computers: ‘Treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity’ (v.2).

Take care of the needy
For example, the church is to provide for widows who don’t have any family to support them: ‘Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need’ (v.3). Those who do have family should be supported by them if at all possible (v.4).

Take care of your extended family
Paul makes a point that still has great relevance today. Not only do we have a duty to provide for our own spouse and children, but we must also provide for our ‘extended family’, our parents and grandparents: (vv.7–8).

Take care of leaders
Church is also to provide for the leaders ‘who direct the affairs of the church’ (v.17). ‘Those who work deserve their pay!’ (v.18, NLT). Their position of responsibility means that we should not easily entertain a complaint against them: ‘Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses’ (v.19, MSG). But, at the same time, the consequences of sin are greater for those in a position of leadership (v.20). Paul warns ‘keep a close check on yourself’ (v.21, MSG).

Take care of yourself
Timothy himself clearly had stomach problems and ‘frequent illnesses’ (v.23). Paul does not reproach him for his sickness. Rather, he gives him some practical advice (which may sound strange to our modern ears): ‘Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses’ (v.23).

Take care in the workplace
This letter was written at a time when Christians were in no position to lead the fight against slavery. They were a tiny minority in an empire where a high proportion of the population were slaves. Paul is not endorsing slavery. Rather, he is giving practical advice on how to live when we find ourselves in circumstances that are far from ideal. Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, however hard life is, your concern should be for ‘God’s name’ (6:1).

Lord, help us as a church to look after those who are going through hard times. May we be a community that looks after the needy, the sick and the oppressed – following in the footsteps of Jesus.



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Jeremiah 43:1-45:5

Stay faithful to God in hard times

Mother Teresa said, ‘I am not called to be successful but to be faithful.’
At this point in his ministry, Jeremiah was probably in his mid-sixties. He had been a prophet for forty-seven years. During this time, he had seen Jerusalem reduced to ruins. He had faithfully spoken the word of God, but his message had been consistently ignored and rejected by those to whom he was sent. He had also suffered a great deal due to their opposition and disobedience. All this must have been very disappointing and discouraging for Jeremiah.
Even after all that happened, and though his earlier prophecies had been fulfilled, the people still refused to listen to him. Jeremiah was telling them ‘everything the Lord had sent him to tell them’ (43:1). He was telling the truth. But he had to put up with what must have been the very hurtful slander of arrogant people saying to him, ‘you are lying’ (v.2).
In spite of Jeremiah’s warning, they ‘disobeyed the Lord’s command’ (v.4). They ‘entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord’ (v.7). Although the Lord warned them ‘again and again’ (44:4), ‘they did not listen or pay attention’ (v.5). They said to Jeremiah, ‘We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!’ (v.16). Jeremiah’s message was flatly contradicted by those who heard it.
Jeremiah’s ministry must have appeared to be a failure; once again full of discouragement and disappointment. Even so, he remained true to the task that God had given him and faithfully delivered God’s words to the people.
In chapter 45, we encounter another person’s discouragement and disappointment – Jeremiah’s associate Baruch. Baruch, despite being of high birth, had to play second fiddle to Jeremiah. His role was to record Jeremiah’s prophecies. He despaired of the fruitlessness of his efforts. He said ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest’ (45:3).
But the Lord says, ‘Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not’ (v.5).
It is always a temptation to be self-centred and to seek great things for ourselves – whether through money, success, position, fame, reputation or respectability – but we must never seek any of these things for ourselves. At the end of the day, it does not matter if our life appears to have been a failure and ends in disappointment. What matters is faithfulness to the Lord. God will reward each person according to their faithfulness, not according to their apparent success (see Matthew 25:14–30).
When you are faithful to God, you allow him to work and to achieve his plans through your life. Jeremiah and Baruch must have felt like failures, and yet few people in history have had a greater impact than they. The prophecies they recorded are a key part of God’s revelation to the world, and contain some of the most important prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament – and how many authors can claim a readership of billions over 2,500 years after their death?

Lord, help me to be faithful in following you regardless of hard times: afflictions, smears and difficulties. May I never seek great things for myself but rather seek to see your name glorified.



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Pippa Adds

1 Timothy 5:1–2
‘Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat… older women as mothers.’
I do wish there was more respect for the elderly in our society. Life must seem perplexing with technology changing and, when movement is slow and painful, even doing the simple things in life is a struggle. The Christian community is so important and it is doing amazing work, but there is still so much more to do.



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Living Content

Her hands were full of rings, bracelets, necklaces, chains and other treasures. Torrents of lava were erupting and pouring down from Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. As she fled, this woman was not prepared to leave behind her valuable jewels. Encumbered by her treasures, she was overwhelmed by the rain of ashes from the volcano and was buried under it.
During the course of modern building operations, her petrified body was found outside the area of the buried city of Pompeii, an ancient Roman port. Her body was unearthed in a sea of jewels. She lost her life in an attempt to save her treasures.
Jesus warned us that ultimately you have to choose between money and God (Matthew 6:24). In the New Testament, there is no ban on private property or making money, or even enjoying the good things in life. The command to the rich, however, is that they do not ‘put their hope in wealth’ (1 Timothy 6:17). A selfish accumulation of wealth and an unhealthy obsession with material things will never bring contentment. What promises security leads to perpetual insecurity.
Ultimately, contentment only comes from putting your hope in God: ‘godliness with contentment is great gain’ (v.6). The promise of God’s word is that those who ‘put their hope in God’ (v.17) find ‘a firm foundation’ and ‘take hold of the life that is truly life’ (v.19).


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Psalm 119:73-80

Hope in God’s word and invest your time in it

Time is your most valuable possession. You can make more money but you cannot create more time. How you spend your time is evidence of where your hope lies. If your hope is in God and his word, then you will invest time in them.
The psalmist places his hope firmly in God’s word: ‘For I have put my hope in your word’ (v.74b). What does this mean in practice?
Spend time seeking to understand God’s word (vv.73,79), meditate on it (v.78), delight in it (v.77) and learn it off by heart (v.73).
When you are going through difficult times, continue to trust God’s word: ‘Your testing has taught me what’s true and right’ (v.75, MSG). Trust in God’s faithfulness, ‘unfailing love’ (v.76) and ‘compassion’ (v.77).
Spending time with God is the way in which God breathes his wisdom into you (v.73, MSG). He comforts you so that you can live, ‘really live… live whole and holy, soul and body’ (vv.77,80a, MSG), and always walk with your ‘head held high’ (v.80b, MSG).
If you live like this, it will encourage others to do the same: ‘May those who fear you rejoice when they see me’ (v.74a). Likewise, it is encouraging for us to see other people who are hoping in God’s word.

Lord, as I put my hope in your word today, may I be an encouragement to others: ‘May those who fear you rejoice when they see me’ (v.74a).



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1 Timothy 6:3-21

Hope in God and not in wealth

The apostle Paul begins this passage by warning against those who teach false doctrines – rejecting godly teaching and the ‘sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (v.3). These people have an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes (v.4).
These false teachers cause ‘constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain’ (v.5).
Paul’s words about wealth in this passage apply to everyone – especially to those of us who live in the West, where we are rich in comparison to so much of the world. Paul writes, ‘Command those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment’ (v.17).
Don’t be tempted to think that you would be more content if you had more money (provided that you have food and clothing, v.8). Be content with what you have materially: ‘… godliness with contentment is great gain’ (v.6).
Contentment is worth more than all the wealth you could possibly accumulate. People who want to get rich ‘fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction’ (v.9).
Paul is often misquoted as saying, ‘Money is the root of all evil.’ What he actually says is, ‘The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil’ (v.10a). Money can do a lot of good. But the love of money is extremely dangerous. ‘Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after’ (v.10, MSG).
Whether you are very wealthy or have scarcely any money, the danger is the same – to love money. The temptation is there, whether it is to love money you already have, or money you would dearly love to have.
Instead of loving and pursuing money, love and pursue: ‘a righteous life – a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy’ (v.11, MSG). He urges Timothy to ‘fight the good fight of the faith’ (v.12a). The ‘fight’ starts with our hearts and minds focused on Jesus (vv.13–14).
He does not command them to give all their money away, but not to put their hope in it. If you get your attitude towards money sorted out, it will help sort out almost every other area of your life. Paul gives five ways to sort out your attitude to money (vv.17–18):

Don’t be full of yourself
One of the dangers attached to wealth is arrogance: ‘Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves’ (v.17, MSG).

Don’t put your security in wealth
‘We enter the world penniless and we will leave it penniless’ (v.7, MSG). Wealth provides only a false security. ‘Quit… being so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow’ (v.17, MSG). The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.

Put God first
Put your hope in God, who richly provides you with everything for your enjoyment (v.17). There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things of life. God provides all good things for our enjoyment. But recognise that it all comes from him and it all belongs to him.

Do all the good you can
Paul urges the wealthy to ‘do good’ and to ‘be rich in helping others’ (v.18, MSG). Don’t focus on how much money you can make, but how much good you can do. It is possible to be materially rich but spiritually poor. Equally it is possible to be materially poor but ‘rich in good deeds’ (v.18).

Share your resources
John Wesley said, ‘When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.’ Generosity is the way to break the hold of money in our lives. ‘Be extravagantly generous’ (v.18, MSG).

Everything you own ultimately comes from God. Therefore, be willing to share it with others. Francis Bacon said, ‘Money is like manure. It’s not good unless it is spread around.’

Lord, help us not to put our hope in wealth but to be content and to put our hope in you. Help me to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.



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Jeremiah 46:1–47:7

Hope in the Lord and not in powerful people

Some people put their hope in riches. This is what the Moabites and Ammonites did (48:7; 49:4). Others put their hope in powerful people – as the Egyptians did.
The prophet Jeremiah realised that the Lord (Yahweh) was not just the national God of Israel but was Lord over all the nations of the world. He was given a message by the Lord for Egypt and the other nations.
He warned against relying on Pharaoh in spite of the fact that he was one of the most powerful people in the world. Those who trust in ‘Pharaoh’ are heading for trouble (46:25).
By contrast, he promises those who serve him: ‘But you… my servant, you have nothing to fear… there’s no need to worry… Depend on it, I’m on your side… I’m not finished with you yet’ (vv.27–28, MSG). In Christ, he promises to you also peace, security and contentment. He is with you. You do not need to be afraid.
Ultimately, it is the Lord alone who is our hope. As Pope John Paul II put it, ‘Christ is the source of hope for the whole world... Jesus Christ is our hope.’

Lord, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Help me always to put my hope in you and serve you only. May my trust never be in money, powerful people or anything else. May my trust and contentment always be in you.



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A photo worthy a thousand words!
IMG_20201018_224238_295.jpg


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