Author: Emmanuel Ebinyu

Jesus is for me.

Occupy till I come

Emmanuel Ebinyu3 Comments

Someday, you will read your Bible as you always mundanely do. It could be sunny outside or even murky; it does not matter. But that day, your heart will burn as you eat away the words of life. Then, as you go through the pages of scripture, something of an epiphany will happen. Like the sight of a red-dressed damsel across the street, your attention will be drawn to one particular utterance in scripture, like a beckoning of eternity, a call familiar to the sons of the kingdom. Just like Father Abraham had when he was still in Ur of the Chaldea’s (Genesis 12:1). That scripture will sink into your subconscious, resonating into the very essence of your being, as though it is your life’s purpose to give it expression. Then for a moment, as though Einstein’s inertial frames of reference all stopped at once, as though the scripture is the manifestation of a man, in whom your true essence lies and your predestined inheritance resides, the evidence of things unseen will find a place in your heart. Then perhaps John 1:14 will start to make sense, or perhaps you have not come to think of the Word putting on flesh yet.

Perhaps, lightly, you will dismiss the motion in your heart first. Then, you will read the scripture again, marking it in your Bible and proceeding to note it down in your notebook. It could be that you may go about your daily business, but a reverberation of that scripture will linger in your heart and mind. The phrases and lines of that scripture will pop up in your mind like a man being troubled by digestive heartburn. As I have come to find out, the Lord God has made provisions in His grace that as men seek Him, he may be found of them.

Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

If there was a single-entry verse into the mystery of God revealing himself to men in the Bible, then I yet have much work to do in understanding. For it is revealed that we are the members of one body (Romans 12:4), but we have different offices (which, being interpreted, means a doing, a mode of acting, a deal, a transaction, a thing to be done, a business). Therefore, every man will experience the same Spirit, submit themselves to the same Lord, and find the same God. But our transactions will differ, each according to the grace given (Ephesians 4:7), according to the measure of Christ.

In any case, the revelation of God is not for sport, that we may brag amongst colleagues or accrue mental acuities, but for the profit of the body and the exaltation of the Kingdom of God. “For whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48)” remains a pillar of stewardship in all arenas of human endeavour, even so in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 19:12-13
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

In one of those sermons of the Lord, he made a statement that I have grown to endear. He said, “Occupy till I come.”
As I turn the pages of the Bible and walk about my personal life, he tells me that I have spaces – businesses, papers to author, audiences to address, souls to win, etc. – to walk into and utilise the “unrighteous mammon” to find a “home” according to Luke 16:9-11. Our entry into places of our occupation will always come by natural, worldly orderings. Perhaps it is a job, an assignment, a friendship, or a relationship. The Lord expects that we occupy. And as the proverbial “Trojan Horse”, the Lord will come to occupy that space if we stand strong in the grace that He gives.

Hebrews 10:37
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

As sons of God, we have been given the Spirit of God and an assurance to cry to him, “Abba Father”. This same Spirit has been given to us, that we may have the earnest of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5, Romans 8:23) in bringing forth salvation to creation. We possess a Kingdom mindset to occupy, that in there we may “groan, agitate, cry, workout, influence, possess” and that by us God may have a victory upon the earth.

For the Lord will show us the path of life; He will call us to deliver talents, businesses, and “pounds” into our stewardship, and it will be required of us to be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

As for me, the statement “Occupy till I come” became that lingering phrase by which I saw the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:8). I pray that today God will be found of you and that you will embrace his calling to occupy till he comes.

The Lord is the Hope of the Nation

Emmanuel Ebinyu2 Comments

It’s 6:23 a.m. I rush out of my house, a single room whose door is one with a window, a common architectural design for most rentals in the city suburbs. The dust rises above the loose-surface road as motorcycles whisk along the “kafunda”—narrowed paths in congested city suburbs—that connects to the dented tarmac road through Kawaala, my locality. It’s another day in this seemingly unending but laborious hassle to make a living.
It is the norm to be spotted in the distance by a matatu conductor, who thereby bellows “ogenda bulaaza” to mean “Are you going along, brother? I shrug in elitist disgust. But a man must bear the mayhem of the morning rush hour in this busy and rowdy town where everything must be earned at extra cost. Even a seat in these fourteen-seaters must be earned, if not by hearkening to the call of these hard-faced conductors; then through jostling with multitudes in this twilight of the day.

As we drive from Kasubi town centre to Kampala city centre, the crimson light of the sun in the distance graces the everlasting hills of the Kampala skyline, which is dented with a few high-rise buildings now cropping up. I wonder if it is due to an economic boom or luck. The roads are smooth because it takes no longer than 15 minutes to reach Watoto Junction. But it wasn’t always like this, and in most suburbs, it isn’t.

“60 years after independence, what happened?” I ask myself. As the scourge of “black tax”, rent, “pay-as-you-earn” tax (a tax levied on gross earnings by the government), and the misinformed hopes of a soft landing promised to those who achieve academic excellence ravage my poor soul, I remember the staunch lines of scripture I had read in the previous nights. I had been perusing through the book of the Prophet Jeremiah, a man referred to as the weeping prophet. Here, like Jeremiah, I had my own questions.

Jeremiah 2
14 “Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered?

The scripture had caused me untold anguish. Why would Israel, the firstborn of the Lord, according to Exodus 4:22 be plundered? And here, like Jeremiah, I had beheld the ungodly patterns in our land. It is said that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice (Proverbs 29:2). In the not-so-distant past, we had had a godly ruler of the city, and many things had started to work. One could bank on their taxi making it in time from Kasubi, my locality, to Kampala City Square, for example. But nowadays many things made for weeping—”famine, the sword, and pestilence”—were in the land for anyone who cared to look around. After the “righteous leader”, for fear of their lives, had thrown in the towel, our sun had seemingly fallen out of the sky. There was no longer a predictable aura of progress, but one of survival and grasping for the little available.

If scripture is true, a land is exalted by righteousness, according to Proverbs 14:34. And as for me, I had believed scripture and the Lord Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. And the scripture has shown us the way to prosper. But much was not aligned in our situation. I couldn’t help but ask myself, like the Prophet Jeremiah had done in Jeremiah 14:19. Had the Lord utterly rejected us? Was it because we are the sons of Cush, who is the son of Ham, the cursed son of Noah (Genesis 9:21-27)? Had the Lord utterly saved us? Was he really impoverished so that we might be rich? Did I misunderstand the scripture? To tell the truth, I know that the Word of God is infallible, and perhaps it is me who has skewed my way.

Jeremiah speaks much about the wayward tendency of his people. The abandonment of the commandments and instructions of God to follow idols and become the masters of their own calamities Had we refused the instructions of the Lord? Did we become wise in our own ways? As it is usually said in town, the clever people are those with unjust weights, and care must be taken in any dealings when one goes downtown, lest the “illuminated ones” have a field day.

I know that the Lord is good, and there is no charge I can bring against him. Even then, which court could I ever take my case against the Lord? Maybe we veered off the path of peace and righteousness. Perhaps we mistreated the orphan, widow, and stranger in our midst. Otherwise, why are our daughters taken like merchandise without any honour? Why have the young men gone to the grave in the glory of their strength? There was always hope in our childhood. Education was the key. But as the heckling has become during university times, was the lock changed?

But there is a scripture. It speaks of a hope that does not make one ashamed (Romans 5:5). For the Lord shall surely remember his habitation, the people called by his name. This He has given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross: that we take up a place in the Church of the Firstborn (Hebrews 12:23). For we shall declare his generation (Isaiah 53:8), because our prayer is now accepted in Zion (Isaiah 18:7). The Lord of Hosts shall raise us as a people, for now we go to the mountain of the House of the Lord, and of His ways shall we be taught. This desolation that walks in the land shall pass away, and the Lord will return like the Shulamite bride (Song of Solomon 6:13) and prosper his people. Even streams shall flow instead of the corruption of sewage in the city.

Because I believe in the testimony of scripture, the utterance of Isaiah 2:3–4 is sure comfort. Things will not always be the same. Men shall not always sell their inheritance to strangers. In the day when the Lord shall remember us, these strange men will feed our flocks. The peace of the Lord—that divine peace that surpasses all understanding—shall stay in our midst and cause mourning to pass away.

It is 7:04 am as I log into my workstation to commence another day of paying my dues to the economy of the country. I read Lamentations 3:24 (NLT) with a sigh of hope:

Lamentations 3
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Shalom.

Dear young man…

Emmanuel Ebinyu1 Comment

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendour of old men is their grey head.

Youth is beautiful – a time of strength, beauty, opportunity, and unending potential. However, many young people are simple-minded (Proverbs 1:4) and take occasion to indulge in expeditions that bear a cost far too great to bargain for, and soon they pay with the price of their souls (Matthew 16:26). It is an old English saying that reminds us that there is always payment for the piper.

Youth will simply take the path of adventure, wherein their strength and beauty are appreciated and they are given a place to try out many things. This is why they are always at the forefront of revolutions, innovations, “daredevil” adventures, and all manner of firebrand causes.

In Genesis, we see a man whose strength brought him trouble. Driven by lust, Reuben climbed into his father Jacob’s bed and slept with one of his father’s concubines (Genesis 35:22), an act that brought him trouble and the loss of his place as the firstborn, (the firstborn always took the double portion according to Deuteronomy 21:17), to Joseph (later Ephraim), and eventually to Judah (Psalms 78:67–68) in the blessing of Jacob upon his sons (Genesis 49).

Genesis 49:3-4
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it – He went up to my couch.

In the examination of Reuben, who at the time of his error was a youth, we observe that strength is not always an advantage, for even the “battle is not to the strong” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Youth ministry, therefore, is a special place in the body of Christ, a time to build godly foundations for the young who will not depart from those ways when they grow old, because cycles of nature that result in age and physical growth are inevitable under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:4–7). A young man, above all, desires the instruction of his father, according to the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:1-2
1My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

In life, there is such a thing as a good foundation. The Lord Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:24–27 about the two kinds of foundations: solid rock, which provides assurance when the vagaries of life eventually come around (and believe me, they do); and sand, which is the way to a quick fix and will fail in the evil day.

Initially in my journey of discipleship, I thought that as a young man, I needed the things that would entertain me, or even excite and appeal to the standard of the time. I hoped that Church would find a way to always throw one or two updates in their programme to accommodate my energy and the trends of the season that many may be drawn to. But this is the equivalent of asking God to “be flexible” in his commandment and law because a “new breed” is on the scene. It was when I read some scriptures that I invalidated my own views.

Jeremiah 6:16
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Job 8:8-10
8 “For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers; 9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow. 10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and utter words from their heart?

The old paths. The former age. The things discovered by the fathers. These things resounded deep in my heart and soul.

My professor has a saying, “A brilliant flash overview,” to refer to one who has finally come to knowledge already matured in the field. I believe that many young people, when met with their moments of a “brilliant flash overview,” assume that it is a new thing peculiar to their generation, though there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10), and would not believe that those gone ahead of them have passed through the same stages, albeit successfully, to lead good and fulfilled lives. This is why instruction is important for a young person. They need it more than food (Job 23:12).

Proverbs 2:10-12,16
10 When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things….16 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.

When I first read the story of Reuben, I was saddened to know a man could lose his place because of the consequences of his error. But the Lord is gracious and merciful; when we repent and return to his ways, he will restore us. And I was delighted to read Deuteronomy 33:6, when Moses, in his kingly anointing over Israel, declared upon Reuben a blessing.

Deuteronomy 33:4-6
4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.
6 “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

Wisdom inspired by God in scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) that provides knowledge, counsel, good judgement, discretion; and the Holy Spirit, who guides men in their walk, are important aspects that we must emphasise to the youth because soon they will have to ‘put away childhood and youth’ (Ecclesiastes 11:10). Like I once heard from a great man in a sermon, “Young people must be filled with the Word and Spirit of God, not festivities.”

Shalom

Putting away childish things

Emmanuel Ebinyu6 Comments

Jacob is my favourite biblical character thus far. He embodies the characteristics of a man who had his fair share of the salvation journey. In Genesis 27, he is the child of his mother, supplanting Esau for the blessing. Genesis 28 is his first encounter with the God of Abraham and Isaac, the first glimpse of what his life was about. In Chapter 29, he continues life’s sojourn to the place of stewardship in Laban’s house. Throughout Genesis 29 to 35, we read about his progression from a young trickster to an old wise man whose encounter with God changes his identity forever, culminating in his ultimate life testimony when he was passing the blessing to Joseph, as captured in Genesis 48:3-4.

Genesis 48:3–4 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
3  And Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz [Bethel] in the land of Canaan and blessed me.
4 And said to me, Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you a multitude of people, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.

When I read Jacob’s story, I see a man who struggles with life, culture, choices, destiny, obedience, stewardship, honour, and everything that living on this earth may bring to anyone. But the scriptures tell us of a man who found the place he may call home—the place God always called him to—the place of his encounters at Bethel.

As a young Christian at the university, in our beloved Makerere University Christian Union, I always looked forward to gaining more knowledge. ‘Epignosis’ and ‘Gnosis’ (and many other Greek words) were part and parcel of the sermon content we looked out for because we were young and grasping for the spectacular in a bid to show our prowess and prove our potential. It was indeed a glorious time; much of it was spent reading the New Testament and continuously immersing in Paul’s letters and his gospel. Gazing back at that time, I now understand why this was important. I see the significance of Christ being formed in us (Galatians 4:19), and I honour every labour that men put in for our growth.

Then came the time after university, when we leapt into the great expanse of the marketplace and nations, just as Jacob had to leave the covering of Rebecca, his mother, and his father’s house. It was inevitable that we dispersed after university; as scriptures elaborate in Ecclesiastes 1:4, ‘one generation passes away and another comes.’ From then on, I had to intentionally walk by the statutes, laws, judgements, testimonies, commandments and ultimately the fear of God, as I had so learned, and I had to ‘allow another to take hold of me.’

“Learning” Christ was wholesome. But, soon after, I had to ‘work out my salvation with fear and trembling’, because I was no longer in the presence of fellow Christians nor under the covering of University Christian Union leaders (whom we affectionately called Papas and Mamas) (Philippians 2:12). Therefore, another had to take hold of me—the Lord’s Spirit himself. God, in his faithfulness, has been and is still ‘working in me,’ as he does in all of his children, ‘both to will and to do.’ Teaching me principles through the lives of men like Jacob, some of which have become increasingly relevant to my salvation journey as I progress through young age towards maturity and sonship:

Discipleship
Possibly the most significant component of the journey. Jacob went into Laban’s house and learned how to raise cattle (Genesis 30:29), and this would be his testimony as his occupation (Genesis 47:3). Every Christian must become an apprentice to a system of soul-winning, follow-up, service, and patterns (Matthew 28:20). It is thus necessary to be planted in a church or ministry in order to be instructed (Psalms 92:13).

Stewardship
Genesis 30 and 31 outline the back and forth between Jacob and Laban’s family concerning the wealth of Laban–his cattle. Laban greatly prospered during Jacob’s tenure with him (Genesis 30:27–29), and the testimony of scripture is that Laban bore witness of increase because of Jacob’s stewardship.
We are all to be stewards of God’s mysteries (1 Corinthians 4:1-2), whether in employment, family, or ministry. Our way is the way of God—to be true to Him who called us into the fellowship of his dear son.
The Word of God, the Way of the Lord, is our way, and we are its custodians in this world. And because we are children of God, guaranteed to bear fruit if we abide in Him (John 15:1–15), the world will only recognise us by our fruit, whose manifestation it surely yearns for (Romans 8:19-22).

Instruction (And to be instructed (Jeremiah 6:8))
Heeding to godly counsel, convictions, testimonies, commandments, and laws that keep us in the way of righteousness and justice is important. Several aspects speak to any young person, including cultures, family, trends, the physical, and the economy. But only the Word of God can give us ‘light and life‘ (John 1:4, 8:12) and a sure inheritance. For Jacob, he made a vow (Genesis 28:20-22), whereby the Lord would be his God, and he followed it up with action (the paying of a tenth – Genesis 28:22). I believe that it is this conviction that got him through the difficult periods of his eventuality.

Contentment
The evil day is a surety beneath the sun (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7), the floods of ungodliness will appear someday (Psalms 18:4-5), and worries of all kinds will sneak in because of the sinful nature of this present time. It is good to be still and know that the Lord is God (Lamentations 3:27) and that he is the ultimate inheritance of the saints (Acts 20:32). You must carry contentment and a grateful heart along (1 Timothy 6:6).
After naming himself Esau (Genesis 27:19), Jacob had to eventually answer to his own name (Genesis 32:26-28). For in the acknowledgement of his identity and the unwavering acceptance of himself, his destiny was then truly blessed.

The Secret Place
The encounter at Bethel, where Abraham first raised an altar to the Lord (Genesis 12:7), was Jacob’s first stop on his journey away from home. During his life, the altar of his meeting with God, which he raised (Genesis 28:18-19), called to him and guided him to the blessing that was his inheritance.
As a Christian, you must learn to pray (Luke 18:1), seek God from a pure heart (Isaiah 55:6), meet him in his sacred tabernacle (Psalms 48:1), face to face (Isaiah 33:17, Job 19:27), and observe the beauty of his holiness (Psalms 27:4).

Jacob met God in his life and certainly fulfilled his mission, dying in Egypt at the beginning of the children of Israel’s sojourn there, as prophesied in Genesis 15:13. His life bears witness to the fact that he lived according to the God of his fathers and was buried alongside his people (Genesis 49:29-33). And now the Lord is Jacob’s God, speaking of the people who seek their God (Psalms 24:6).

Every man and woman must therefore put away childhood (Ecclesiastes 11:10), “embrace sound doctrine”, and “make full proof” of their life and destiny as God intended it in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 4:3-5). And if you’re still unsure, remember those who, through faith, received a favourable report (Hebrews 11:2). And might I take the liberty to say – remember Jacob.

The Lord will help us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.