Tag: #Alongsideoneanother

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#August2024

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

“This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;there I will give you my message.I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel.Whenever the object of clay which he was makingturned out badly in his hand, he tried again,making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.Then the word of the LORD came to me:Can I not do to you, house of Israel,as this potter has done? says the LORD.Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter,so are you in my hand, house of Israel.” – Jeremiah … Continue reading #August2024

Sunday Vibes3 Comments

#SV – Gather the Fragments!

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

The “leftovers” from the miracle of the feeding of the multitude (Jn.6:1-15) was already prophesized in the Old Testament by Elisha when a similar miracle happened (2 Kgs.4:42-44). Why is it important to gather the fragments? Jesus already provides the answer: “so that nothing will be wasted” (Jn.6:12). Part of the reasons for the sad inequality in our world today is because the leftovers are often wasted. Every year, an average of 1.3 billion tons of good food are wasted, representing one-third of all food produced, and about $940 Billion. Now, there is a natural tendency among the rich to … Continue reading #SV – Gather the Fragments!

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#SV – A God That Cares

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

The attention that God gives to us His creatures cannot be equated with any kind of care that we can get from fellow humans, not even from those who have been given the rare privilege to care for the souls of many. Those of us in that category must have been angry with Jesus, who after inviting his disciples to a well-deserved rest, still could not resist caring for the vast crowd that double-crossed them: “his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mk.6:30-34) … Continue reading #SV – A God That Cares

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#SV – What They Preached…

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

The story of the sending of the Twelve (Mk.6:7-13) is very instructive on the nature and content of the ministry of evangelization. Most times, the emphasis is on the instruction about how the apostle should dress for the journey, but what is even more important is the content of the message they should take to the people. This passage tells us that “they went off and preached repentance” (v.12). Repentance! Even the casting out of demons and healings that they witnessed flowed from repentance – the acceptance of the message of salvation, and the abandonment of the old ways of … Continue reading #SV – What They Preached…

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#SV – Set Me On My Feet

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

A prophet is the one who is set on his/her feet at two important moments. First is at the moment of the reception of the mission, and second is during the mission itself. Ezekiel was probably having a chill time when the Spirit of God entered him and set him on his feet to receive the assignment to the Israelites (Ez.2:2-3). When the Spirit of God sets us on our feet we are activated, burning with the duty to share the Gospel, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, both for us and for the people. This is why the … Continue reading #SV – Set Me On My Feet

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#SV – Dear Death!

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

#SV – Dear Death! (30 June 2024) Dear death? No, you are not a friend, and so addressing you with ‘dear’ is only a sign of pity. The finality of your physical injury is what pains us most when you take away from us, in the flesh, the presence of the beloved without a bit of care about how we feel. Your cruelty is manifested when you fail to discriminate the time and age – and so you hit the very young and at unexpected times, and we are left broken. But you know what, you are only an intruder … Continue reading #SV – Dear Death!