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The “Un-Prodigal” Son We have heard so much about the “Parable of the prodigal son” in Luke 15. I am not sure if that should be the appropriate title for the parable as you may see in some Bibles. There were three main characters in the parable, the Father, the prodigal son (I prefer the lost son) and the “un-prodigal” son (the older of the two). What exactly does Jesus want us to understand from the parable? The younger, prodigal son asked for his portion of riches from their father. He went away and spent all of it in rebellious living with the “street boys and girls”. He finally came to his senses because he had hit the rock bottom (eating what pigs eat). In every day life, sometimes the only way for us to come to our senses is to reach the bottom. Be careful about stopping people from reaching their bottom. We often stand in the way of God who has all things under control in the lives of His children. The prodigal son came back, asked for forgiveness and repented of his sins. An

Exclusive to Ourselves Country clubs are social groups organized for various reasons for the enjoyment of its members. Usually, they are suburban clubs with facilities for golf, other outdoor sports, and social activities. In America, membership in the country clubs is often for the rich and well connected. The clubs all have requirements for membership. Their requirements often are for exclusion and limitation for member rather than for inclusion and the welcoming of many. It was not long ago (in the 80s) that it was discovered that one of the country clubs in the Washington DC suburbs excluded certain races like blacks from membership. This discovery made news because it was clearly against the law to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity or gender and age. Racial discrimination may still exist in some country clubs but secretly practiced. Of course I do not have proof since this is not our focus here. There is however, an on-going exclusion that you and I engage in and the Ph

Total Commitment Even to Die Last week, the nation observed a moment of silence in memory of the 7th year after the terrible, hideous act of 9/11 that ended the lives of over three thousand. This terrible act that brought to the ground the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York will never be forgotten. We continue to pray for the maimed survivors and the families of the deceased that God will comfort and heal them of their wounds and deep pains. American has learned so much from this event and we see the lasting effects in tightened security and many other areas of our lives. Though a terrible event, there is one positive lesson of 9/11 we can learn. The perpetrators and like-minded followers display for us, the true meaning of a disciple. Please hear me out. What I mean is that we see the highest level of commitment required of disciples or followers. These guys are committed to their leader and principles even unto death. We all agree that their commitment is for the w

Total Take Over Have you ever gotten into something and later discovered it was more than you bargained for? Unlike advertisements that invite you but hide important information, Jesus wanted full disclosure. What exactly is the kingdom of God like? In the Gospel of Matthew, the reference is to the “kingdom of heaven”. They are the same thing. Jesus spent His whole ministry and life speaking about the kingdom of God. He even taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come”. Jesus has encouraged us to first seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness. We must understand what it is that we are seeking otherwise we may be disappointed or come to a different conclusion. Let’s hear Jesus illustrate for us what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus used many parables to illustrate what the kingdom of God is like. We will focus just on two of these today. Luke 13: 18-20 18Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man to

Ample Time to Repent & Live for God? We are in the season for hurricanes and severe weather effects. Gustav just touched down this week doing great damages and killing people in Cuba and southern parts of Louisiana. Now, hurricane Hanna is on the way. Who can forget the 2004 tsunami that wiped out thousands in Asia? In spring of this year, an earthquake struck China killing thousands. There is calamity after calamity. After a while, you begin to wonder where it will strike next and not whether it will strike again. There is the temptation to think that those affected by these calamities have done something terrible and offended God in a way no one else ever did. You may not think so but in the Jewish tradition, there is the notion that calamity will befall only those who are extremely sinful. Even in my own African culture, I would hear as child, the elders say, “Who knows what they have done?” This implies that whatever calamity was as a result of the sins the affected p