Small Things Are Great

The book of Acts is the second report from our brother Luke. Inasmuch as others wrote ahead of him, he felt it necessary to put the report in order. Now, what order is this? Were the others disorderly? I wrote about this order a while back — you can read it here : (https://mapstage.blogspot.com/2024/10/lukes-orderliness.html). Luke’s language throughout Luke and Acts leans heavily on legal lingua — he’s building a case, presenting evidence, and drawing conclusions. His goal is to highlight what Jesus presented and what Paul was preaching. That’s why in his opening statement, Luke writes this about Jesus: > “ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about THE KINGDOM OF GOD .” Acts 1:3 And in his closing statement, he writes this about Paul: > “ For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed THE K...

Whenever we have a court case, we try our level best to get the best lawyer to defend us — one with a proven track record, fair fees (from the heart, not just the hand), and a good report among peers. But sometimes, even the best lawyers can disappoint: showing up late, unprepared, or worse — asking the wrong questions in court. In Luke 10, we witness such a moment when a lawyer asks the ultimate Judge a misplaced question. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked, “And who is my neighbor?” That moment set off one of Jesus’ most famous parables — the Good Samaritan. In this ‘courtroom’ exchange, we see five questions...

Of the five ministry offices Christ established for the advancement of His Church, the office of the teacher is perhaps the most neglected. When the early Church began, teaching wasn’t just part of the program—it was central. Dr. Luke recorded that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” But when was the last time you heard of someone being recognized simply as “Teacher”? We hear of apostles, prophets, pastors, and evangelists quite often—but the teacher seems to have quietly slipped into the background. Are they still there? Absolutely. Christ promised five, and I know He’s still delivering five. In truth, the body of Christ needs teachers more than ever, for it is through sound teaching that the saints are equipped for the work of ministry. So why have teachers faded from the spotlight? First, the title doesn’t sound deep or demure enough. “Teacher” feels ordinary—something for children’s ministry—while the other ...

The meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar is both historical and futuristic. It’s a conversation packed with revelation, and if we’re not careful, we might read right past the treasure hidden within it. First, there’s a hungry man and a thirsty woman. Yet by the end of the story, the hungry man doesn’t eat, and the thirsty woman doesn’t drink. It’s a funny tale with a faithful lesson. Then the conversation shifts to matters of worship — men seeking a place to worship from, versus a God seeking a people to worship Him. This begins in the past but stretches into the present-future in one powerful statement from Jesus. He said, “Yet a time is coming (future) and has now come (present) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” In simple terms, it’s not about the place of worship but the posture of worship. It’s not about structures but about Spirit. The Samaritans fel...

Recently, our media was flooded with reports from Kilifi about a school where our Hindu cousins checked in with a sizeable donation and promises that turned the eyes and hearts of the faculty and students toward Hare Krishna as their god. The news caused quite a stir among believers in Christian circles. Conversations flared, condemnations flew, and opinions overflowed. But as I reflected on that story, I saw something deeper—and more troubling. I realized that we, the Christian community, had made certain assumptions before condemning. First , we assumed that the staff and students of that school were Christians. Second , we assumed that they turned away from the true God to worship an idol. Third , we assumed that because the school is in Kenya, it must be a Christian school. All three assumptions were wrong . If there had been true believers among them, the story would have sounded different. We would have heard of teachers who turned down the donation because it compromised their...

On the onset, this is disturbing. Luke 3:7–8 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “YOU BROOD OF VIPERS! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” After John proclaimed a baptism of repentance and people responded by coming out to be baptized, he turned to them and thundered, “You brood of vipers!”😂 Ningekua kwa huo umati, ningerudi home nioge na maji ya karai. 😅 Kwani iko nini! But look closer—John was pointing to something even more important than baptism. Something that, just like baptism, can be seen. He said, “Produce fruits in keeping with repentance.” In other words, don’t just get baptized— show us evidence that you’ve truly repented. I think John was sending them away not in rejection, but in redirection: to go to God, not just come to him. Sometimes the excite...

We’re in the book of Luke, and I love how it begins—with the birth of two boys. First, their births are announced by angels, then they’re forced (pun intended) into this world by their angelic mothers. 😄 "Puuuuuush!" Luke said. 😂 Ghafla bin vu, they’re both in their 30s as we get to chapters 3 and 4. The key phrase that covers all those missing years is simply, “ and the child grew… ” Today as I was reading, something profound stood out to me about my own walk of faith—and maybe yours too. It’s about baptism and what follows after. In Luke 3:22 we read: > “... the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘YOU ARE MY SON, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. ’” Take note of the words “ You are my Son .” Those words must have been heavy and heartfelt. Sounds like “Come here, boy,” or “That’s my son,” followed by a warm hug from Dad. No boy on earth can resist the warmth of such words from a loving father. Maemotions, mafeel...

The book (or rather, the writings) of Luke mark the beginning of Scripture written with a single reader in mind. Matthew, Mark, and John each wrote their gospels targeting groups of people, but Luke addressed his work to one man, a certain Theophilus. Luke never imagined that centuries later, you would be reading his writings—but here you are. 🤦 Don’t worry, you’re not intruding! By reading this document, you’re actually standing with Luke in his mission. In both his writings, Luke and Acts, we see him defending who Jesus was and who Paul truly was alongside their mission and purpose. Theophilus is believed to have possibly been a lawyer defending Paul in the Roman courts after Paul was falsely accused of advocating for another king besides Caesar. So Luke writes a brief—to help a lawyer and an outsider understand what was really going on. In this first account, we witness the birth and boyhood of Jesus Christ from an angle the other writers didn’t capture. Luke also records Jesus’ as...

A friend reached out today with a concern. Let’s call her Billionaire. She asked through sharing a clip she had seen for me to share my maoni on the same. In the clip, the speaker was highlighting the need for men to step up and lead their families in the place of prayer by covering them as a priest would. This was occasioned by hearing people say often that it’s their mothers’ prayers that have kept them and brought them however far in life—a common statement among testifiers when they speak of their reasons for success. As I was listening to the clip, the words of Paul to Timothy came to mind: “ Therefore I want the MEN everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the WOMEN to dress modestly, with decency and propriety… ” (1 Timothy 2:8–9). Notice how Paul is specific here: men and women. The men in Ephesus had abandoned prayer and instead picked up disputes and anger. Paul tells them: put your hands up in prayer, not in fights. The women, on the ...

Historians tell us that Mark was a ministry companion to Peter, and early church tradition even records that his main role was to help Peter as an interpreter. Papias, one of the earliest church fathers (as quoted by Eusebius in Church History 3.39), wrote that Mark “became Peter’s interpreter” and wrote down what he remembered of the things Peter preached. Some understand this to mean he literally translated Peter’s words into Greek, while others take it to mean he captured and explained Peter’s sermons in writing. In essence, the Gospel could almost be called the Gospel according to Peter, but since he never bothered to write, Mark gets the applause. You can however tell that this is Peter’s story by how Peter stands out. His name was changed, his speeches captured, his actions clearly told and his personality well articulated. Peter himself even refers to Mark affectionately as “my son” (1 Peter 5:13), showing just how close their relationship was. One of the best ways to get the mo...