Month: March 2019

By Me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by Me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth – Proverbs 8:15 – 16

DEFINITIONS FOR GOVERNANCE

The word “governance” came from the Latin verb “gubernare,” or more originally from the Greek word “kubernaein,” which means “to steer.” Basing on its etymology, governance refers to the manner of steering or governing, or of directing and controlling, a group of people or a state.

• The World Bank in a Poverty Reduction Strategy Handbook defines governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.”
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in its 1997 policy paper, defined governance as “the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels. It comprises the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences”.
• Canada’s Institute of Governance (2002) offers another general definition as “Governance is the process whereby societies or organizations make important decisions, determine whom they involve and how they render account”.

 

TYPES OF GOVERNANCE

• Theocracy: A theocracy, from the Greek word meaning “rule of God,” refers to a government controlled by religious authorities. The connotation is that the government is repressive and intolerant of values that conflict with the dominant theology.
• Authoritarian: Less a form of government than a description, this term connotes an oppressive form of rule in which citizens’ rights are restricted, putatively for the society’s security and stability.
• Autocracy: An autocracy (from the Greek words for “self” and “rule” but referring not to self-determination but to “one who rules by himself”) is a government led by one person with dictatorial power.
• Dictatorship: This term, stemming from the Latin word meaning “to declare” and originally a reference to a temporary emergency government established by the Roman Senate, now refers to an autocratic rule by one or more people.
• Federation: A federation (the word is from the Latin term for “compact” or “league” and ultimately derived from the word for “trust”) is a form of government in which subordinate jurisdictions such as states or provinces reserve some sovereignty and/or rights under a national government.
• Junta: This term — also spelled junto and derived from the Spanish word for “joined,” refers to a post-revolutionary government and carries a sense of a tightly controlled government.
• Democracy: In its literal sense, a democracy is, as its Greek etymology specifies, a rule of the people. It refers to a system of government in which the will of the people is carried out by elected representatives.
• Monarchy: A monarchy (from the Greek term meaning “rule by one”) is a government led by a person usually selected by hereditary succession. However, the ruler’s authority may vary from nominal (a figurehead) to absolute (a despot).
• Republic: A republic (the word is Latin for “public thing”) is a government whose authority is based on citizen voters represented by elected officials chosen in free elections, as opposed to a monarchy or a dictatorship.
• Totalitarian: Derived from the Italian word for “totality,” this word describes a dictatorial government.
• Tyranny: Tyranny is a condition in which a nation is under the rule of a tyrant, who seized power illegally and governs with few or no checks and balances.
• Anarchy: Anarchy is from the Greek word meaning “no rule” and refers to a society without government. Because this is an impractical if not impossible condition, it is generally used in a looser sense of chaos.

 

THE VIEW OF GOD ON GOVERNANCE

Governance is an act of administration: Governance means leading and exercising authority over a group of people. God has called us into a life of influence, control and dominion – Gen 1:28. Believers(Christians) are to take charge in all areas of life including governance. As the light of the world, we are to dispel the darkness of unrighteousness, sycophancy –Matthew 5:15-16

• God is the ultimate power who delegates functions to human beings – Romans 13:1, Genesis 45:8, Genesis 1:26.
• Governance/Government/Ruling is a calling of the Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:8
• Governance/ruling is a machinery for orderliness and sanity –Titus 1:5, Judges 21:25
• God instituted governance for administration of justice and general welfare of citizenry – Psalm 72:4
• God commanded the governed to submit to those in authority (the government) – Romans 13:1-2, Ephesians 6:5-8.
• God instituted governance as a means of serving the governed i.e to govern is to serve – Matthew 20:25-28

God wants His children involved in governance to fulfil His mandate and for the best of the governed. The Bible contains examples of God’s children who governed and left indelible footprints in the path of history. Citizenry too have their duties to provide for good governance. Therefore, governance involved the government and the governed.

God instituted governance; it is not a secular concept or people’s creation. Believers should therefore take their rightful place in deciding the destiny of their nations and turn the kingdom of this world to the kingdom of God which is God’s divine mandate for us.

Romans 13:1- 16 confer the following responsibilities to those in government.

• Judge/punish evil work (justice) – Romans 13:3,4
• Reward good work (reward/award) – Romans 13:3
• Ordained to do only what is good to the citizenry (Rule of law/fairness) – Romans 13:4
• Attending continually to needs (welfare) – Romans 13:6

 

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN GOVERNANCE

• To provide/effect positive and lasting change – Genesis 1:26, 41:33-38
• To make righteous laws and decrees which will promote national progress – Proverb 14:34
• To bring blessing and breakthrough to the citizens – Proverbs 11:11
• To avoid paying costly price for bad leadership – Romans 13:12
• It is God’s will and instruction – 1Peter 2:13-15

 

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN THE BIBLE

Much of Daniel’s career was spent at the highest levels of the Babylonian government, where he served as the chief advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5: 11- 12; and 1: 18 – 21) The Bible tells of several other people who served God while working in government positions. Some of them came to believe in Him while so employed. The table below lists some of the more noteworthy.

• Joseph (Genesis 39 – 50) – After being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, he was taken to Egypt, where God arranged matters for him to eventually become the Chief Executive Officer of the nation.
• Caleb (Numbers 13 – 14) – He served a spy for Moses when the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan. Years later he served as a leader to help divide the land.
• Joshua (Numbers 13 – 14; Joshua 1: 1-3: 17) – He served as a spy with Caleb and later was called to succeed Moses as Israel’s leader.
• Deborah (Judges 4 – 5) – She is the only female judge over Israel mentioned in the Bible. After her military commander was victorious in battle with her help, she led her people in a victory song.
• David (1 Samuel 16 – 31;2 Samuel 1 – 24) – He rose from obscurity as a Shepherd to become the permanent King of Israel.
• Solomon (1Kings 3 – 11) – Successor to David, he was best known for His wisdom, but also excelled in international trade, building projects which included the temple, amassing great wealth, and writing much of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and probably Songs of Solomon.

 

Stay Blessed!

 

For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0302-772013 or 0268130615

Email:  saltnlightministries@gmail.com

Website:  saltandlightgh.org 

 

 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope— the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14

INTRODUCTION

We live in a culture that relentlessly pressures us to cover up our imperfections with the veneer of an image that shows worldly success. But no matter how hard we may work to seem successful, we can still feel like a failure inside, because even if we do achieve what our culture views as the “perfect” lifestyle, something will still be missing.

So what is that missing ingredient? The most important ingredient of all is a close relationship with God. Without that, we will be broken deep within, despite the veneer on the surface of our life.

We must go deeper than the surface lifestyle our culture promotes, so you can discover God’s perfect love and find real fulfilment. Here are 12 things we can do.

1. Don’t try to live like a celebrity.

Ironically, the more you shine a spotlight on yourself while you’re seeking approval from others, the less satisfied you’ll feel. In God’s eyes, you’re valuable even when you’re not visible. Fame and fortune may bring you temporary happiness, but they can never bring you lasting joy. If you allow yourself to decrease and invite God to increase in your life, you can discover the extraordinary life God has planned for you. – Philippians 2:5

2. Don’t search for meaning through consumption.

Every purchase you choose to make naturally reflects your personality and values. But if you think that you must buy certain products or brands in order to find personal meaning (such as buying a certain shirt because it makes you feel cool rather than simply because it’s functional), you’re giving products too much power over you. Never define yourself by your consumer choices, because that’s settling for far less than your true identity as God’s beloved child, made in His image. Only your relationship with God can really define who you are as a person. – 1 Timothy 6:6-7.

3. Don’t use the virtual world of technology to escape the real world.

Hiding out in an online fantasy won’t bring you real satisfaction. God has wired you for real relationships, nurtured through face-to-face contact. Even the greatest online experiences can’t match the beauty, complexity, and depth of the real-world relationships God intends for you to pursue with Him and other people. – Jeremiah 31:3.

4. Shift your focus from success to faithfulness.

Base your decisions on how you can best be faithful to God rather than how you can be successful according to cultural values. As long as your motivation is to express your love for God by doing your best to obey Him, you’ll be a true success no matter what results you get from your efforts – and God will give you the grace to recover from mistakes and keep moving forward toward a good future. – Joshua 1:8

5. Shift your focus from impressing others to being honest with them.

Stop trying to impress other people by projecting a certain kind of image. Instead, ask God to help you clean the veneer off your life and honestly show the people close to you the kind of person you really are – brokenness and all – trusting that God will work powerfully in your relationships when you do so. – Psalm 27:1

6. Encounter God in a transcendent way.

Stop trying to shrink God down to a size in which you feel comfortable with Him. Instead, make peace with the fact that God is much bigger than what you can fully understand, and embrace His mystery and awesome power. Spend time in prayer approaching God in a way that helps you discover the wonder of who He is, rather than simply accumulating knowledge about Him or approaching Him only as a religious act. Pour out your deepest thoughts and feelings to God in prayer, and invite Him to change you as you spend time with Him. Listen carefully to what God has to say to you in prayer. Be willing to make sacrifices and take risks as God leads you. Trust God with every part of your life, holding nothing back from Him. – Matthew 6:5-13.

7. Relate to your fellow Christians as brothers and sisters.

Realize that fellow believers are in the same spiritual family as you, and you’ll be together for eternity. So build close relationships with others at your church and care for each other as siblings would. – John 13:34-35.

8. Make habits of confession, repentance, and forgiveness.

Regularly confess your sins to God and repent of them, ask the people you’ve hurt to forgive you, and forgive the people who have hurt you. Incorporating these practices into your life consistently will help prevent damage to your relationships with God and others. – 1 John 1:8-9.

9. Serve other people to serve God.

Overcome our culture’s selfish “What have you done for me lately?” attitude by serving others wholeheartedly whenever God calls you to do so. When you do, God’s power will flow through you and He’ll use you to help make the world a better place and draw people into relationships with Him. – Matthew 25:34-40.

10. Remember that the things of this world are like vapour that will someday vanish.

Your house, your car, your clothes, your electronics equipment, and every other material thing in this world will be gone when you die, since you can’t take them with you into the afterlife. Then, all that will matter is what has eternal value: your relationship with God. So invest your time and energy into that, making God your top priority and loosening your hold on material things. – Matthew 6:19-21.

11. Abide in Christ

Abiding in Christ means staying connected to Him. Every day, spend time with Him in prayer and through other spiritual disciplines (like solitude, silence, and Bible reading) to maintain a close bond with Him. Obey His commands, even when doing so is difficult. Pursue His kingdom first, and He’ll give you everything else you need. Ask Christ to align your passions with His so you can learn to value what He values. Every day, try to fulfill more of His purposes for your life. – John 15:4-5.

12. Help others discover Christ’s love through you.

As you relate to people in your daily life, trade dissatisfaction for gratitude, getting for giving, hype for reality, transactional relationships for grace-filled ones, and what’s common for what’s extraordinary. Then you’ll help change our veneer-covered culture by leading the people within it to seek Christ. – Matthew 28:19-20.

End Note.

Life in Christ is exciting and fulfilling. Let’s enjoy the full benefits of being children of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

Please continue to join us on Asempa 94.7 FM – Sundays 5.30 am., Sunny 88.7 FM – Tuesdays 5:30 am; and Uniiq 95.7 Fm – Saturdays 7:30 pm; for our Radio Bible Study as well as Sunny FM 88.7 FM every Sunday at 3:30 pm. for Hymn and their Stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. – Romans 8:9-10.

 

INTRODUCTION

Lent started on Wednesday 6^th March, 2019 and is a period 40 days (excluding Sundays) that precedes the celebration of Easter and continues through Holy Thursday (April 18, 2019). Romans Chapter 8 gives a good understanding of what our new life in Christ entails. Enjoy it and share it with family and friends!

 

Life Through the Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

 

Present Suffering and Future Glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

 

More Than Conquerors

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Stay blessed!

Please continue to join us on Asempa 94.7 FM – Sundays 5.30 am., Sunny 88.7 FM – Tuesdays 5:30 am; and Uniiq 95.7 Fm – Saturdays 7:30 pm; for our Radio Bible Study as well as Sunny FM 88.7 FM every Sunday at 3:30 pm. for Hymn and their Stories.