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Collosians doorknobs.

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If you’ve ever sat in a church fellowship and felt out of place—like everyone else “gets it” except you—then Colossians is a letter worth reading slowly. It speaks straight to anyone who has believed, repented, and genuinely turned from their former ways, yet somehow still feels “not enough.” A friend once told me that when he got born again, a seasoned believer pulled him aside one Sunday morning and advised him, “Don’t be like them.” In this case, “them” meant the very brethren he was going to worship with. That short statement from a seasoned believer shook him, and it made him observant. It’s sad how believers can drift, little by little, from a relationship with God to a relationship with other believers only. Both are important, but one tends to become religion—and it’s always the latter. You can often spot this drift when someone can quote other believers fluently but hardly quotes the words of God anymore. Or when someone knows their denominational rules by heart but is shaky o...

HIS Story: The Journey of God’s Family

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When I think about the history of the Church, one picture comes to mind—a simple five-step rhythm: Creates – Adam Converses – Abraham Comes – AD Calls – All Collects – All Saints For many years, I was oriented to believe that the Church began in the book of Acts. But when you step back and look at the bigger picture, the Church—if understood as God’s family —was established on the very first day of creation. God created a home and placed His first family member in it: Adam. From there, the story unfolds. Humanity kept falling short. Again and again. And in the middle of that downward spiral, God developed favourites. Several stood out, but Abraham stood tallest. Eventually, God became known as the God of Abraham , and later of his son and grandson. Out of that family came a nation—Israel—named after Jacob, whose new name “Israel” would sound strange to our British-trained ears. It’s like naming your child “Kenya.” But that was his name, and from him came a people. Unfortunately, the fa...

Rich, Romantic and Rifted Romans.

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I must confess—this has been one of the hardest letters in the New Testament for me to grasp, and honestly, I still wrestle with it. First of all, it’s too long to be called a letter. Who even writes such a long letter? Who!? Paul just sat there and released over nine thousand words like it was a defense for his master's degree. This thing caused debates for centuries. Some ancient scholars wanted to cut it after chapter 8, others argued, “No, it only makes sense up to chapter 11!” And every time I read Romans afresh, I find myself repenting for something I misunderstood before. Truly, this letter humbles theologians. Then there's the scribe. Eh! Can we take a moment of silence for the scribe—Tertius. That brother suffered willingly. The poor guy must have stopped Paul at least twice with, “Boss, ink imeisha.” Then later, “Nisaidie na maji tafadhali.” and definitely at some point, “Back in five—I need the little room.” I pity and celebrate him. Romans is the one book I’ve writt...

The Actual Wall That Divided Believers.

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When I first read(pt) this line- “ the dividing wall of hostility ,” in the letter of Paul to the Ephesian Church, my mind quickly goes to the curtain that was torn into two. That's the wrong thoughtline. You see, when God handed Moses the blueprint for the Tabernacle, the design was beautifully simple: Outer Court → Holy Place → Holy of Holies. Three spaces. Two parties. One God. But by the time we get to Jesus’ day, things had evolved… or rather, expanded. Herod the Great—though small in stature, chose to go big and add a few personal touches. He turned the Temple into a massive architectural statement. And with this expansion came something that had NEVER been part of God’s original design: The Court of the Gentiles. This wasn’t some cozy fellowship area; it was a massive outer compound where non-Jews could hang around the worship of Israel’s God—near enough to hear the choir, but far enough to know they were outsiders. 😁 Separating this court from the inner Jewish areas was a...

The journey: Corinth to Ephesus.

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Now, Acts 18:12 to 19:41 is our transition from the Church in Corinth to the Ephesus Church. This transition is one epic transition that’s all about men… and one woman—well, a goddess—whose claim to fame was that she “fell from heaven” with breasts so wonderful that the whole city bowed to her. You can already tell this story is going to be epic. After 18 months in Corinth, Paul has to say goodbye to that fellowship, go THROUGH Ephesus, then later go TO Ephesus. But before he even packs his bags, one man is beaten up, another one is shaved(it wasn't November?), and a couple tag along with a needle and thread in hand. In his first passing through Ephesus, Paul does nothing much; he simply promises to come back if God wills it. God willed it!👏👏👏👏 But before Paul returns, one of our educated brothers checks into Ephesus and becomes a renowned teacher. His name is Apollos—eloquent, sharp, on fire—but he only knew the gospel up to John the baptizer. That meant he talked about bapt...

The Mystery That Found Us: Ephesians

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As I was going through my notes, I realized that Ephesians is the letter I’ve written about more than any other Pauline letter — and for good reason. It’s tied to one of the most remarkable fellowships in the early church. This was the fellowship Mary, the mother of Jesus, belonged to. It’s where John the Revelator fellowshipped until he was dispatched to the island of Patmos. It’s this very fellowship that urged him to write down his story about Jesus — the Gospel of John — since he was the last living apostle. From Ephesus, he also penned the three letters that bear his name (1st, 2nd, and 3rd John). And because of this same fellowship, Paul’s letters to Timothy were written. Ephesus, therefore, wasn’t just another congregation; it was a thriving, influential body of believers — a nerve center of faith. Even today, the ruins of that church and what’s believed to be the grave of Mary still stand, echoing the legacy of a community that truly embodied the gospel. This time round, as I r...

When James finally met Jesus

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In the writings of Paul to the Corinthian Church, I came across a line that is short but with so much content. It’s one of those verses you can easily skim past in Paul’s long list of resurrection witnesses — “ Then He appeared to James .” (1 Corinthians 15:7). No thunder, no crowd, no sermon. Just a quiet line about a very personal moment. But think about it. James — Jesus’ younger brother. The one who grew up under the same roof, ate from the same bowl, fetched water from the same well. The one who saw Jesus barefoot, dusty, laughing with neighbors, maybe fixing a broken chair in their family workshop. When people started calling Jesus “the Son of God,” James might have whispered, “ Really? The same guy who borrowed my sandals? ” John 7:5 confirms it — “ For even His brothers did not believe in Him .” James probably whispered to his other brothers, “ Eh, our big brother needs rest. Hii imezidi sasa. ” In fact, Mark 3:21 tells us, “ When His family heard about this, they went to take ...