Small Things Are Great

The book of Joshua is the first book we encounter after the Torah. In the Hebrew arrangement of Scripture, it is not grouped with history as we often think, but with the prophets. In fact, it is the first among what are called the former prophets—together with Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Joshua comes at a very important moment. The people of Israel are standing at the edge of the wilderness, just about to step into the promised land. It is a transition moment—from wandering to settling, from promise to fulfillment. Even the name Joshua is worth paying attention to. It is closely related to the name Jesus. Both come from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which carries the meaning, “The Lord saves.” So Joshua is not just a leader in history; he also points us to something greater. He becomes, in a way, a picture of Christ—leading people into what God has prepared for them. Joshua, the son of Nun, had already shown his faith earlier. When the twelve spies were sent into the land and came back afte...

The book of Deuteronomy is one book that, in a sense, should never have been written. Not because it lacks value, but because of what it represents. It exists because of a failure that changed the course of a people’s journey. The children of Israel were never meant to spend forty years in the wilderness. The journey from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea was not meant to be long or drawn out. It was meant to lead them straight into the land God had promised them. But when they arrived at the edge of that promise, they hesitated. They saw the land, they saw its fruit, but they also saw the people who lived there, and fear took over. Instead of trusting God, they said they looked like grasshoppers in their own eyes. That moment shifted everything. Because of their unbelief, God allowed that entire generation to wander until they perished. The land would not be inherited by those who doubted Him and so, what should have been a short journey became a forty-year lesson. That is where Deuteronomy find...

The book of Judges kicks off with a unique style of writing. The writer begins by linking his present writing (the book of Judges) to it's predecessor Joshua. This is clearly notable when you realize that Joshua's death is recorded a second time in this writing. So, from chapter 1:1 to chapter 2:9, it's more of a throwback to prior events. What's happening in this portion had already happened, but in order to help his audience to connect with the flow, he begins from the past to the present. This style of writing was also employed in Deuteronomy and it's an important way of communicating. Then there's a shift.  While Joshua was leading a different generation from the one Moses led, the judges as well will be leading and dealing with a different generation. It reads in Judges 2:10 that " after that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. "  A generation ...

Sometime back on 18th December 2022, I compiled this list of advice from men who went through college/campus life, graduated and were 'out there' as we say. The question I had asked them was, "what counsel would you give a young lad going into college?" The following are their words with slight edits to keep the grammar right and the language one. Enjoy. ... ‎Wasipige sherehe it has nothing to gain. I wasted my time and life with that. I will forever regret it. ‎ ‎Pursue your dreams not what will market you. ‎ ‎It's sounds cliché, but your friends will make you or break you. Choose wisely who to keep close. ‎ ‎To play safe cos it is a journey. ‎ ‎I'd tell them to finish their assignments in time 🤣🤣🤣 ‎ ‎With GOD all things are possible to those who trust and believe HIM. ‎ ‎"Be aware that every emotion that you have is yet to experience the world. You are an adult only in body. Therefore you cannot allow your body to drive a mind that is still in its ad...

There’s a way of reading Scripture that leaves you informed—but unchanged, and then there’s a way of reading that confronts you, stretches you, and quietly asks: Where do I stand in this story? As we move through Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, one thing becomes clear: There’s more to the Law than just laws… and more to the journey than just movement. This is not just Israel’s story. It is humanities tale. The book of Leviticus introduces a language many of us are not familiar with—holy, clean, and unclean. At first glance, it feels technical, even overwhelming. But at its core, the message is simple: “ Be holy, for I am holy. ” (Leviticus 11:44) Holiness, at its simplest, means different. God was not just giving rules—He was shaping identity. He was saying: “If I am going to dwell among you, then you cannot live like everyone else.” This “difference” was not limited to worship. It touched everything: - How they ate - How they dressed - How they handled sickness - How they treated...

A seeker’s journey through numbers. Lately, I have found myself reading Scripture less like a student looking for answers and more like a seeker being searched. The more I read, the more I realize—this Book is not just me studying God; it is God revealing me to myself. I began with confidence. I thought I understood what it meant to be a child of God. But then I encountered a truth that unsettled me: “As He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17) If that is true, then why don’t we live like it? Why do we still struggle, fear, doubt, and shrink back? Have we misunderstood who we are… or have we simply not believed it? On Being Led... In the wilderness, they were led by a cloud. Today, we are told we are led by the Spirit. But I find myself asking: Am I truly led… or do I just say I am? “They camped or traveled at the Lord’s command.” (Numbers 9:23) They moved when He moved. They stopped when He stopped. They didn’t negotiate. But me? Sometimes I obey quickly. Other times, I obey slo...

There’s More to the Book of Numbers Than Just Numbers At first glance, the Book of Numbers looks like exactly what its name suggests: numbers. It begins with a census, lists, and counts of men from each tribe. But the truth is that Numbers is about far more than counting people. Yes, the book begins with a counting, but the real lesson is this: a number only counts if it still counts AT the end. As I have been reading through the Book of Numbers, six themes have stood out to me. Interestingly, the last one is actually about numbers. 1. It Is About Laws . Numbers reminds us that laws sometimes have room for mercy. In Numbers 9:6–14, some Israelites approached Moses because they had become ceremonially unclean after touching a dead body. According to the law, they were disqualified from participating in the Passover. Instead of dismissing them, Moses went to God for direction. God gave a surprising instruction: they were to wait fourteen days and then celebrate the Passover later. This t...

Understanding the Language of Leviticus can be hard if you're reading fast. Three key terms pop-up as we read along: Holy, Clean, and Unclean. For many people—especially those who did not grow up in a Christian setting—this language can feel strange. Normally, human beings think in only two categories. Something is either: Good or bad, clean or dirty, and right or wrong. But in Leviticus, God introduces a different way of evaluating life. Instead of two categories, God gives three. Things can be: Holy Clean (or common) Unclean This language appears clearly in Leviticus as God teaches Israel how to live while He dwells among them. His instructions are not only about worship; they address health, homes, clothing, work, community life, and even sanitation. God was shaping a people who would live differently because He was living among them. To understand this system, we must first understand the word holy. A helpful way to think about holiness is to think of the word different(SMN). W...

As one delves into the Book of Numbers, it is helpful to understand why the book carries that name. The title comes from two censuses recorded in the book (Numbers 1 and Numbers 26). However, these censuses were not meant to count every individual in the nation of Israel. They followed two specific principles: 1. Only men were counted. 2. Only men of fighting age were counted. This means the census was not simply a population count. It was a military count , measuring the strength of the nation in terms of those who could defend the people, the land, and the covenant community. In many ways, this gives us insight into leadership and organization. Strength is often measured by the number of people ready to stand, serve, and carry responsibility. In ancient Israel this was measured through fighting men; in today’s church, it may be seen in those who are ready to stand firm in faith, serve faithfully, and carry responsibility within the community. The Book of Numbers contains 36 chapters....

One of the things that has stood out to me this year as I read through the Bible is the theme of introduction . As I move from book to book, I keep noticing that the story of Scripture begins with God introducing Himself to humanity. Then, as the story unfolds, He narrows that introduction to smaller and more specific groups of people. It is almost as if God is patiently revealing Himself step by step. Let’s walk through that journey together. 1. Genesis: God Introduces Himself to Humanity. In the book of Genesis, God introduces Himself broadly to the whole of humanity. Anyone who is willing to listen encounters Him. He speaks with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9). He warns Cain before he commits sin (Genesis 4:6–7). He receives the worship of Abel (Genesis 4:4). He continues His relationship through Seth's line (Genesis 4:26). Throughout Genesis, God reveals Himself to many individuals: Hagar in the wilderness (Genesis 16:7–13) Abraham, whom He calls into covenant (Genesis 12:1–3) Ishma...

I am in a forum where a question was raised and I took some time to respond to it. The question was, "what is the essence of belonging to a Church?" This question was asked in the context of a burial event where "the church" could not agree with the family on fees attached to laying the remains of the beloved to rest and friends had to step in and do it however they thought best. Here is my response; Because this question was asked in the context of a burial, I will respond in three parts: 1. Who I am and why I speak as a pastor. 2. What the church is. 3. Why the church becomes involved in burial matters. 1. Who I Am and Why I Speak. My name is Japheth M. Ndonye (Map). I am a born-again Christian and a member of the body of Christ. I came to faith in 1997, grew deeply in my walk from 2004, and was called into pastoral ministry in 2012. I have served in missions and discipleship for many years — in high schools, colleges, and local churches. I have also served as a y...

As we journey through Leviticus, it is easy to get lost in the procedures or ignore them entirely — the inspections, the isolations, the scraping of walls, the shaving of hair, the washing, the sacrifices and many more. At first glance, it feels repetitive and almost unrelatable to us today. But if you slow down and look closely, you'll notice a pattern. In Leviticus 13 and 14, the same word(tzaraath) is used to describe a skin disease, a contaminated garment, and even mold in a house. We see the priest examining a person, then he examines a building. The process is strikingly similar; Inspection - Isolation - Re-inspection - Removal - Restoration. Just as a human body can be declared unclean, a physical house can also be declared unclean and both are treated with seriousness. That should make us pause. God does not treat uncleanness casually — whether it appears on skin or on stone walls. Why? Because He dwells among His people. The camp is not ordinary space. It is shared space w...

Toward the final section of Exodus, the story suddenly feels like we have walked into a construction site. For many chapters, Moses receives instruction after instruction — measurements, colors, fabrics, wood, positioning, crafting techniques. Nothing is vague, nothing is assumed. Every detail matters. From one end of the camp to the other, specific people are assigned specific tasks because they had been gifted for the same. Reading it, the picture is simple: this is a foreman directing a site that belongs to someone else. God designs. Moses supervises. The people build. Eventually the workers return with their finished pieces. Not the tabernacle itself — but the parts that make it possible. They bring them to Moses, and he inspects everything carefully. Every ring, every pole, every garment, every stitch. Box after box ticked. The work matches the instruction. Everything checks out according to Moses, but will God say the same? Only after inspection does assembly begin. Now the camp ...

Near the end of Exodus, just when Israel is organizing materials to build the Tabernacle, Moses gathers the entire community and says something unexpected: “ For six days work shall be done, but the seventh day shall be holy — a Sabbath of rest to the Lord.” To us, that sounds normal. To them, it was revolutionary. These were former slaves. Pharaoh had worked them relentlessly. There was no rhythm of rest in Egypt. Production was constant. Value was measured by output. Brick quotas did not pause for reflection. But now their new Leader introduces something radical: Stopping work is obedience. Working nonstop is disobedience. That must have sounded shocking to them. All of a sudden, lighting a fire for labor purposes could cost you your life. This day was legally protected from productivity. This was more than a schedule adjustment. It was identity reconstruction. Thinking further, this was the first time they're learning about rest. Humanity never had a weekly, monthly or yearly ca...

“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain…” The problem in Exodus 32 did not begin with rebellion. It began with silence. Moses was not dead, God was not absent, the covenant had not been cancelled and heaven was not closed. But it felt quiet and sometimes that is enough to shake people. The Israelites had seen plagues, a divided sea, water from a rock, bread from heaven, thunder on a mountain. Yet forty days of waiting unsettled everything. When Moses delayed, they interpreted the delay as abandonment. Silence became suspicion.  “As for this fellow Moses…” they said. Notice how quickly respect dissolved when presence was removed? The man who stretched out his staff over the sea is now reduced to “this fellow.”🤦 Distance reshapes memory and delay edits history. But their deeper mistake was this: they had attached their faith to the visible mediator more than the invisible God. When Moses disappeared into the cloud, they assumed leadership had van...