1 February 2008

My dear brothers and sisters, 

We have just begun a new year, 2008 and yet a month is already gone. The period of wishes and resolutions is not completely gone yet. 

May we begin the year by wishing each other peace and happiness. I hereby convey to you wishes of peace and happiness for the year 2008. I also wish to share with you my thoughts from a word taken from the book of Psalm 18 verse 29. Our Chief Apostle referred to it recently:

“For by You I can run against a troop, By My God, I can leap over a wall.”

My dear brothers and sisters, firstly, let us closely look at the word ‘troop’.

In this context it means “enemies.” Here it simply means that we can run against enemies with the Lord. We can overpower or even break our enemies with the Lord. 

But as children of God, who is our enemy?  Let us carefully analyze who our enemy is? The Apostle Paul put it clearly for us in the book of Ephesians 6:12: 

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” 

It is clear that our battle is not against flesh or blood and therefore we shall not be against our fellow human beings but against the principalities, powers and spiritual forces of the wickedness. These principalities and powers which we should fight against are such as: 

Firstly, the growing doubt on this earth – there is too much doubt in this world. People today still doubt whether Christ is coming; whether God is really there; they doubt their leadership, the ministers who stand in front of them. Some even ask, “Are the apostles still living today?” 

Secondly, it is the restlessness of our time today. Most people want shortcuts to many things. Time is too short for many people:

• Shortcuts to riches
• Shortcuts to happiness
• Shortcuts to anything

 This is what is happening in our society today. It should not be our desire to have shortcuts to everything. I urge you, my dear brothers and sisters, not to be influenced by the restlessness of our time today. 

Thirdly, the other power we must overcome is egoism. Egoism also opposes the will to be in fellowship with others. 

Egoism is all about oneself. It is time we bend the “I” and make it a “C” for Christ so that Christ remains our star until we reach our goal. 

In this New Year, it is my desire that we move together with the conviction that with the lord, we can run against any obstacles. We move courageously because with the Lord we can overcome any battles. 

With the coming of the Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber to Lilongwe, Malawi this month-end on 28 February for the departed service, I say to you all, my dear brothers and sisters, let us run against all powers of wickedness, so that we can open our hearts and receive heavenly blessings from God through our Chief Apostle. 

I wish you much joy, peace and richest blessings from our Heavenly Father to accompany you through out the Year 2008 and always.

Hearty greetings of Love, 

Charles S Ndandula