Habakkuk

 

 I have noted through my study in history that, in every generation, God raises a people, a man or woman who will stand in the gap and defend the truth no matter how tough it may be. 

The book of Habakkuk echoes the same. The book of Habakkuk was written around 600 BC, a time when the kingdom of Judah had reached its zenith in evil and God was about to pour his wrath on them. 

During the time, things were messy. Violence was rampant, abductions, enslaving, murder, robbery, sexual immorality and all manner of evil were the order of the day. Sounds like the current situation all over? 

Habakkuk takes all these issues to God in prayers, he asks God to unmute his ears and listen to his cries about the situation on the ground. 

In verse five of the first chapter God answers Habakkuk. He tells him that he, God, was going to send the Babylonians, who were a powerful nation and very evil, to punish the Israelites. 

At that time Babylon was staging herself as the global super power, hence any nation that stood on her path to glory was trampled to dust. In fact one of the last kings of Judah, had his eyes gorged out, was hooked and dragged to Babylon where he died.

God’s answer to Habakkuk makes him mad. He is shocked that a holy God would send a very evil nation, which did not know or respect God to punish the chosen people of God. This makes me wonder whether dictators and all evil leaders are sent by God to punish an evil nation, am still wondering. 

In chapter two God answers Habakkuk again and tells him to wait and see. That the conquering nation would later become too puffed up with pride leading to her utter destruction. 

God also tells Habakkuk that during that tough time, the just would live by faith, that he would not abandon the righteous, which is evident in the lives of Daniel, Meshach and Abednego, who lived around that period. 

In the same answer God tells Habakkuk in 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters covers the sea.” That I believe is God’s main agenda, that he would be glorified in all the earth. Tough times may come but his agenda is supreme, that he would be glorified in all nations’ tribes and tongues. 

In the final chapter, Habakkuk realizes that God is sovereign over all the earth and that he is in control hence he surrenders the situation to God. Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and there be no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will be joyful in God my savior.” 

~~>Dunmo

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST!

For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13. 

 I have been going through a rough patch in life and recently someone, out of good will, encouragement and probably compassion sent me a motivational quote about channeling my thoughts to becoming a prosperous and wealthy person because I have that ability, the support text they used is the above quoted verse. 

From the scratch

 

From scratch it began,

Yet the scars from the scratches reveal..

That he used his hands to scratch,

Maybe to reveal, a hidden coin, penny or pain.

A scar, was once told..

Began with an itch..

The itch insisted for a scratch and..

Boom! A scar arrived.

A scar is a reminder that..

We all itch..

But every itch doesn't deserve a scratch,

Because some scratching birth scars.

Oh M.O.G, which itch will you scratch?

Where will you not scratch?

Which itch doesn't lead to a scar?

Can you itch without scratching?

I look up to Him who..

Itched with desires of grand and grandiosity,

Who was offered His own Kingdom by the villain

Only if, He could bow to the villain.

I look up to the one who..

Had the power to summon heavenly legions,

Yet he chose to drink from the bitter cup,,

I look up to Jesus, He overcame the itches, yet He bears our scars.

~~>> Dunmo

The History of the Northern Kingdom of Israel 931 BC-720 BC (The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel)

 The history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is a history shrouded with a sad reality of how wicked and bent towards evil the human heart is. It’s a history that portrays how power and its allurements corrupts the human heart, hence it’s a sound warning for those who desire to possess power.

My focus in this article will be the Northern Kingdom of Israel hence I will majorly mention the kings of the North. This is after Solomon’s reign had ended and the kingdom was split into two, the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam son of Nebat and the Southern Kingdom of Judah under the lineage of David starting with Rehoboam son of Solomon.

The man Solomon was handed over a very strong kingdom. United by his father David, who was a man after God’s own heart¹. In 1 Kings 11, the Bible gives a summary of Solomon’s failure, which was steered by his love for women, and especially women that God had warned Israel not to intermarry with.  These women drove Solomon’s heart away from God and he ended up serving foreign gods in his old age and as a result God divided the United Kingdom of Israel into two.

Meaning of the Sabbath

Of all Biblical subjects, the Sabbath is one of the most misunderstood. It is a subject whose meaning has evaded many people and led to the practice of obsolete rituals in Christianity. I do not claim to be an authority on this subject but rather a student of the same. Hence I welcome you to this amazing journey of discovery.

The Sabbath was initially instituted by God when he rested after completing his work of creation. He sanctified the day and blessed it (Gen 2:2-3).

We encounter the subject of the Sabbath again when the Israelites are on their way to Canaan. Here God sets it as one of the Ten Commandments, a day to be remembered. In it God commands complete cessation from physical work. It was to be observed by every member of the community of Israel (Exodus 20:8-11).

Footprints

Of eld is told 

The story of a walker. 

A stealth walker 

Whose silent walk 

Dust never raised 

Leaf never rattled 

Life never trod 

Yet on these 

Historical rocky, 

Concrete sealed, 

Ironclad roads 

Traversed by the walker 

Two thousand summers past 

Proudly protrudes 

His embossed footprints 

Silent prints that echo 

The walker’s travail 

They tell of his sojourn 

From alien lands 

Far and beyond 

The grip of mortals’ 'maginations 

They tell of his pain

They tell of ………….  His empty tomb

They tell of his silent 

Thunderous stomping 

That engraved 

His footprints 

On these, 

Concrete 

Rocky 

Ironclad 

Stony 

Hearts. 

They tell of ............. my story

~~>Dunmo

The Art Of War

War is an art

Won first in the heart

A performance to master

Cue taken from the ringmaster

Wielding the blade of surrender

Braced to slay the contender

Armored with humility

To thwart the foes's hostility

To win this war

Your foes fearlessly gore

With kindness battered

Till friendship is hammered

In this art of war

Be the mighty Thor

Masterfully brandish your sword

All your enemies floored

~~> Dunmo

The Name above All Other Names

The English dictionary defines a name as “a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed or referred to”. It is common sense that the first thing we get acquainted with in a person that we are new to, is their name. This is because, the name of a person gives a brief history of the bearer of the name. Through the name of a person, we can know their religion, tribe or nationality, ancestry and more. Names are very significant in the society. It is impossible for one to be a member of a human society without a name.

The Rise and Fall of Samson

Samson was born when judges ruled Israel. This was before the era of Kings. Judges were men or women who ministered justice to the people. They attained their leadership position due to their wisdom or courage in difficult times.

Samson’s father’s name was Manoah. His mother’s name is not mentioned. According to the scriptures, Manoah’s wife was barren. An angel of God appeared to her and informed her that God had chosen her for the task of delivering a child who would later be a judge over Israel which at that time was a colony of Philistine.

During that time, there was suffering in Israel due to the oppression caused by their masters, the Philistines, which is the reason why God decided to raise Samson as a judge through whom Israel would be delivered from their yoke of slavery.

Meaning of the Cross

Without doubt the cross is the most revered symbol of Christianity. It has attracted both positive and negative sentiments across all cultures and societies. If one has to understand Christianity, he or she should understand the significance or the meaning of the cross. Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, you can never escape the subject of the cross. The cross is the core of the Christian faith. If you and I are to grow in the love of God, which is the first commandment, then we should come to the full knowledge of the cross.

The significance of the Blood of Jesus

Even though the function of blood and how it circulates in the human body was discovered in 1615 by William Harvey, yet across the world, every nation has had mysteries attached to blood from ancient times. At least every culture has some kind of rite or ritual associated with blood, some of which are practiced to date.

There are those who argue that the Biblical aspect of the blood was borrowed from ancient Near East Semitic tribes, but that notion does not have a strong basis. The Bible being the most reliable and accurate ancient source of history₁, seems to have set in motion the universal reverential fear which emanates from the shedding of blood (Gen 4:10). From here also stems the universal dignity for human life.

The Meaning of Death

If there is anything that you and I are certain of, it is that at some point we will die. Whether we die of Corona virus infection, accident, war or of old age as most of us would desire, we certainly will die. As someone jested, “You will not come out of life alive”. Death is the most certain thing in this planet and as a result, I strongly suggest that you keep it in the front of your mind, because I know that we all have it in the back of our minds. My idea of keeping it in mind is not so that you have an abnormal fantasy or obsession about death or live in fear of dying, no, that will lead to depression. What I want you to take time and think about is, if you die, will that be the end of you? Will your death change who God is? Will your death alter the truth about who God is?

Love

Slender and curved 

Beautiful smile and glare 

Classic wear and smear 

Gracious glide and stride 

Admirable and amiable 

Beautiful! Lovely 

Tall dark and handsome 

Muscular and agile 

Designer suits and scent 

Owner of latest toys 

Stashed accounts 

Handsome, lovable

Time

Tick tock, Tick tock 

Persistently proceeds, 

The chime of time 

The precious of all, 

Earthly commodities 

Tick tock, Tick tock 

Today smiling optimistic toddler 

Tomorrow wailing nostalgic older 

For time is a revealer, 

Of wasted time

A Brief History of the Church of Christ

Before we begin this amazing journey, I lack the words to express how important history is to a people. Wayne E. King¹ said “humanity is a continuous process and without a past there is no future.” I concur with that statement. I also agree with Henry S. Commager² that “For a people to be without history, or to be ignorant of its history, is as for a person to be without memory”

Church history plays a very significant role in understanding what the church is or is supposed to be. Through church history you will be able to eliminate unnecessary traditions and practices from the church which are a hindrance to the fulfilment of the Great Commission and the mandate of Jesus Christ. It is a journey that I welcome you to take with me. Please note that this is not a detailed history of the church of Christ, I might have skipped some areas that you deem important, I did not do that intentionally, it is because of lack of enough time. Hence I ask you to bear with me.

A Brief History of The Temple

It is with utter pleasure that I take this opportunity to walk you through a journey of the history of the Temple. If you are influenced by a tradition that was established in the past, then the past should be clear to you, because, as George Santayana put it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”¹ . Hence I welcome you to this journey of discovery.

The history of the temple can be traced back to the desire of God to dwell among his people. This goes back to Genesis when God would visit Adam and Eve in the cool of the day so he could hung out with them. Later sin created a rift which separated man from God and for many years God used specific chosen people to communicate his will to his people. Although God hid his face from his people, his desire to dwell with his people was never quenched. It is God who initiated the move to restore man to fellowship with Him.

The Passover and the Lord’s Table

Throughout  history, there is one denominator that cuts across all cultures and nations when it comes to communication, or passing on of information from one generation to the next, and that is symbols. A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Hence symbols are not in themselves the idea or the event but rather a representation of the idea or the event that they symbolize. All world religions have symbols which bear some sacred truths and Christianity and the church has its share of the same. Among the many symbols and sacred rituals in Christianity, I feel obliged today to write about the Passover and the Lord’s Table.

Your Guitar

Lord reach out and take,

Your guitar

Your stringed instrument in me,

From eternity fashioned

Play me like a guitar,

The melody of your eternal orchestra

The strings of my will tuned,

To follow the rhythm of your song

Let the nations wiggle,

At your song may the tribes jiggle

Play me like a guitar,

The melody of your eternal orchestra

God

You command Reverence
Of Sages in all ages

Your ways inspire adoration
Yet Scorners at you sneer

Peers at me jeer,
But I, in you trust.

~>Dunmo

The Grace of God

In 2 Kings chapter 5 we find the story of Naaman who was a great general in the Syrian army. He had secured victory for Syria against her enemies and as a result had become the king’s favorite commander. Naaman had it all but good health. In the prime of his success, leprosy, a deadly killer disease then, checked in, threatening to nip his life in the bud. Luckily for him, in one of his army’s military expeditions against Israel, had captured a girl who knew about the prophet Elisha’s miracle working ability, at the time, the girl was his wife’s maid, hence Naaman having learnt about the prophet set out to Israel to secure his healing. He carried a lot of gold, silver and expensive clothes which he intended to give in exchange for his healing.