“Prepare To Welcome The Redeemer!”

“Prepare To Welcome The Redeemer!”(Is.59:1-4&9-16&20).
Gory tales, and everywhere dead bodies in bedlam keeps increasing.
When I woke up this morning to write this message, I read in a forum how a young girl has just died from a stray bullet somewhere in Bamenda town. Reacting to the news some people suggest that it is high time each person has a gun for self-defense, because it seems authorities have become helpless.
If the citizens have the possibility to buy arms, and if they buy them, that would still not solve the problem. That can only create a vicious circle.
Two wrongs cannot make a right. An eye for an eye and half the world goes blind!
The story is told of a young couple who just moved into a new neighbourhood. Each day as they say for dinner, the woman looked out the window and told her husband that their neighbour did not know how to do proper laundry. She said the white dresses which the neighbour hung outside for drying were gradually turning into brown.
One day, as they sat down to eat lunch, she realized that for the first time the white dresses across the fence were white. She wondered if the neighbour had overheard her complaints and decided to do proper laundry.
What happened was that the husband had identified the problem and solved it. Their neighbour always did proper laundry, but the window panes through which his wife always looked were dirty. He took time to clean it without telling his wife.
Most times it is about perception. An ancient philosopher once said we should not look up to the sky to seek for answers. The answer is with us.
In the midst of myriads of Churches, with new ones cropping up like mushrooms, Churches in every remote interior and uncountable visiting “powerful (wo)men of God,” Mosques everywhere and a strong presence of dynamic traditional religions, “there is a big spiritual crisis!”
The cry of the prophets of old has not changed. Sin alienates us from God. And until there is an intentional drive towards a revival, our situation will continue to degenerate until we find ourselves in an unsavable quagmire!
Let us return to God in thought, word and deed.
Yes! “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save us, nor his ear too full to hear…” But our iniquities have separated us from our God our sins have hidden his face “so that he will not hear.” For our hands are stained with blood, our fingers with guilt. Our lips speak lies and our tongues mutters wicked things. “No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity.” We rely on empty arguments and speak lies. We “conceive trouble and give birth to evil…” So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us… justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey…”
My friend, this is how dirty our window panes have become, such that we think our neighbours’ laundries are always not clean!
Let us clean our window panes!
The compassionate God is displeased with us, but in his love, mercy and compassion “the Redeemer will come… to those…who repent of their sins.”
Let us be intentional in our quest to bring back justice, righteousness, truth and honesty to this land of our birth. There is no better way to welcome the Messiah this year.
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit open the way for a great revival in our hearts and land. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.