30 June 2009

Python Catcher

How risky is your job?
(Not for viewers with a weak heart.)


Animal skin to protect the catcher's arm.



Point of no return!


"Mr. Python, where are you?"



"There she is!"


"Open wide."


"Fellas, pull me out, we've got her!"


"Eh... guys, could you hurry it up?!"


"That went pretty well, last time it's the Python that had one of us!"



"Same time tomorrow chaps?"
_________________________________________________________________
I checked my email yesterday and was greeted by these pictures from a friend, and the message, "And you thought your job was tough? Just thank God and get back to work!". Thanks Kema, keep em' coming!

26 June 2009

20 June 2009

18 June 2009

Air France Plane Crash




Pictures, said to be taken by a passenger, who died with all the others, in the Air France Crash. The two were taken from inside the plane apparently, by an actor survived by a wife and two daughters. Word around the blogsphere is that they were taken with a camera phone and retrieved from the memory stick inside it. Kinda puts things into persective huh...


P.S: They could be fake, for all I know, but what you see is a glimpse of what probably went on in there.

17 June 2009

Heart Changer




Opportunities to preach the gospel, I've always felt, should be taken very seriously especially by those called to preach. It's a shame, when after the preaching of God's word, you decide to speak to someone, after, perhaps a church service or evangelistic meeting, and upon asking them how they got saved (since 9/10 Zambians respond in the affirmative when asked whether they are saved), they respond, "Oh, well, I was born a Christian." or maybe "I go to church and do lots of other good things." Upon hearing such a response, I quickly look for the person responsible for such a response, because someone obviously didn't do what they ought to have done. Either the preacher was unclear or lacking in the content of his message or perhaps the particular individual slept through the whole sermon!




I have always felt that preachers should be very clear when preaching the gospel. I have never appreciated evangelistic sermons that are comprised of bombastic words and theological terminologies that unchurched individuals would struggle to grasp. I mean if the majority of your audience is unconverted why use words they probably won't understand? I thought the whole point was to get the gospel message across!




The first/next time I/I'll ever preach, my introduction will be something like this:






"I'd hate for anyone in this auditorium to leave assuming certain things, especially since it's me preaching, and so just to make sure, I'll just make a few clarifications from onset. First off, going to church cannot save you, just like going to the garage doesn't make you a car neither does going to the Bata make you a shoe. Secondly, doing good things cannot save you because the bible says in Isaiah that our good works are like filthy rags before God. Believing in God's existence, lastly, doesn't make you a Christian because the demons believe it much steadfastly than you ever
will!"




This compulsion to always make the gospel plain has landed me in utter frustration. I always thought that if the gospel was preached such that a listener understood it explicitly and the right "atmosphere", one quiet and perhaps one with the hymn "Just As I Am" playing softly in the background, allowing the person to ponder the words of the preacher, then that person was going to get saved. I mean why not?! The sinner has understood the gospel and has had time to think it through-time to reason, how could that individual make it out of that place unrepentant?!




Ofcourse, I was sadly mistaken and terribly disappointed.




Not long ago, I commenced visiting a nearby college, LBTC, where my buddies and I would share the gospel for an hour, 3 times a week. I usually did the sharing myself. I made sure I wrestled with the person's sense of reason, showing them, through questions, that they did not, infact, know the way of salvation and I'd wait until that beautiful question was asked,"How, then, does one become a Christian?" I'd shoot my buddy colleague a quick smile communicating, non-verbally, the words, "We've got him/em' now!", and begin sharing the word ever so passionately. We were good. We had it all figured out. We were going to get the whole college saved before they'd ever have known what hit them. We forgot one thing though, one crucial thing:




It's God who changes the hearts of men.




You could create the most quiet atmosphere and even add a melancholic tune in the background after sharing the most passionate gospel message, with the clarity of the Lord Jesus Christ himself but if God is not pleased to send his Holy Spirit to convict that soul, that poor soul will not get saved!




That is why I always say to my friends that the man of God must spend more time praying than he does preaching because he, the preacher, only does less than 25% of the work, and that might be giving him too much credit! God does the most part. A preacher cannot always get his stuff right. He may be lacking in clarity, passion, depth or even general gifting but if God chooses to use him, his "below par performance" could save a hundred. Perhaps just one statement he utters could be the line God uses to bring home his own. And yet the most gifted man can preach the most powerful sermon in all senses, whereby, as my buddy says, "You feel like you could get saved again.", and yet not a single soul gets saved. Why? Because it is God who changes hearts.




It all really comes down to the one who God chooses to use, we should all pray that God is pleased to use us.




Now to the reason why I began writing this. There are people who seem like they'll never change. We all know them. The irresponsible relative (friend, colleague, father*, mother, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, aunt or gran) who is a constant burden and refuses to amend his/her ways. Always promising to change but nothing ever matures. The perpetual drunk we see all the time in the neighbourhood, reeling and cursing. Those mad men and women we see in the streets who have been passed as having suffered permanent brain damage. Those members of our communities born Muslims or Jehovah's witnesses or Atheists etc, who adamantly refuse to even hear the gospel. Those workmates or schoolmates who have no interest in the things of God.




These people make me thank God that he does the 75%+ of the work in as far as preaching the gospel is concerned. Because if it was left to us, how could we reach the above mentioned, many of whom hear the gospel but refuse to listen to it? How would we reach those who don't even want to hear the word "Christian"? Thank God that he's the heart changer. Thank God that there is still hope for those who we can't seem to even reach because with him nothing is impossible. Our role in the matter is to be played on our knees-praying that God would be pleased to change their hearts and saved them just like he saved us for Jesus sake, Amen!




*This article is dedicated to my sister Mwila, "Mwils, we're praying for the heart changer to change his heart!"

05 June 2009

Reforms



I once took pride in something I am now ashamed of.





I have mentioned before that I don't enjoy meeting strangers. I detest making the acquaintance of individuals I've never known especially when the meeting is face to face. In essence, I am anti-social and like to keep a group of close friends with whom I exclusively interact. I dread the idea of any imposter in "my inner circle" although, each addition has ended up being very welcome. Not long ago, I accepted this terrible trait as a part of me. I told myself that I was merely a typical introvert. It's not good to be too friendly, but the opposite extreme is just as bad. I've always told myself that,"...that's just the way I am by nature...anti-social."





I've heard that a thousand times from Christians who decide to settle for what they think,"Is the way they are." Why are you so talkative? "That's just the way I am" many would respond. Why are you rude? "That's just the way I am." Why don't you interact more? "That's just the way I am." Why are you so untidy? "That's just the way I am."





The Apostle Paul said something relevant, for those who are "just the way the are", in his letter to the Romans. He admonished them not to be confirmed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, i.e, through scripture. In other words, granted, you have certain things in your character that, while they may not necessarily be good traits, are what make you-you. Well, the Apostle Paul, anticipating the fact that many of us will come with weaknesses and flaws that seem to be so much a part of us, reminds us that becoming a Christian is simply the beginning of a long journey of reformation. It is an amendment of attitudes, values, character and world view. An amendment of the how we do things and even why we would do them in the first place. That's what, in fact, for those of you who are, being a Reformed Baptist is all about, its about reforming...everything.





Well, I didn't realise that in a bid to shut strangers out of my life, I had began shutting out those who I loved most. One evening, my Dad paid my brother and I a visit in our room and sorta addressed us at our points of need.





I have faith that even though I am a mess now, I will one day be a spiritual man in pursuit of the very heart of God. If I end up being anything close to that dream, my parents will predominantly be responsible for it. I thank God for them. My Dad had notice this, rather selfish trend whereby I paid very little interest to my family, especially siblings and cousins.





I've heard the term "generational curse" alot since I started listening to Dr. Voddie Baucham and I always wondered whether there was any such curse in our family. As my Dad brought to my attention this selfish trend I was developing and proved that it is typical of over 95% of the males in our extended family, I couldn't help but think that the generational curse had been brought to light. Basically, of all the men in our extended family, under 5% have interest in their extended family. Only 5% take time to visit the rest of the extended family regularly and keep in touch with their cousins and sisters, wish them happy birthday and acquaint themselves with their brother's, sister's and cousin's children. While I know almost all my Aunties, I know very few of my Uncles. They just never made efforts to come and visit me, their nephew. Dad gave example after example, even of a relative who relocated to South Africa and not even his mother knows where he is. "The males of our family have been a let down", Dad said. "As for me, it was grace which saved me."





I am the first Grandchild of my late Grandfather on my Dad's side. I am therefore the oldest among all my first cousins on my Grandad's side. Dad reminded me of my responsibility. How that being the oldest I should have noted all my cousins birthdays so that I could atleast drop them a note on their special days. I should also take time to be with them when I can and find out how they are doing and whats happening in their lives. Even my own siblings.





I have a tendency to put friends before family but that is incorrect. Rushing off to link up with friends on a chat site before catching up with my brothers and sisters is wrong.





It will take a deliberate effort on my part to take time to interact and keep intouch but if I don't care for my family, who on earth will I care for? Dad said that I wouldn't suddenly have interest in my sibling's or cousin's kids when I'm 40 years old, he told me that it's got to start now. And through this care, I will hopefully communicate the love for my saviour to my family by loving and caring for them.





If you have been as selfish as I, join me as I strive, by God's grace, to reform.


Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. ~Romans 12:2