RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

 THE BIRTH THAT HERALDS THE TERMINATION AND DEATH Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;   Matthew 2:1-3 Aren't you wondering why the mighty king Herod of the invincible Jerusalem was petrified by the announcement of a newly born king? Why would the birth of a new baby, 'supposedly' to be a king, unsettle a king who has such great feats and commands respect from within and outside his domain? What did Herod conceive in his mind that made him lose control of his spirit? This was a king whose disposition affected his entire domain. When he was troubled, the whole of Jerusalem turned into an abyss of confusion. Not a single citizen could express joy at the sadness of Herod. This was a king who...

I woke up this morning reading a lot of social media posts about the selected dates and days for the ORO festival in the part of the country where I live. ORO is a secluded cultic 'religious' activity. Traditionally, it involves mature males and initiated participants. Women are forever banned from witnessing it, except for hearing it from inside (ETI L'OBIRIN FI NGBO OHUN ORO). Nobody reveals the activities in public. You keep what you see and know to yourself. Nobody exchanges pleasantries about what happened the day before in public. During this time, men do all they can, including appearing like the first Adam in the garden. The absence of women grants men the freedom to engage in reckless behavior. A few days ago, I was shown a TikTok live coverage of an ORO festival in a certain part of the country. Oh! What a sacrilege. An abomination, you would say. It is anti-tradition and a taboo. But that's the world we live in. Nothing seems to be hidden anymore. Smartwatche...

 Along the way, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered Jesus a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it. — Matthew 27:32 It was a challenging time for Jesus: although He was on the way to rescue mankind from the damage caused by the devil and evil, He was subjected to despicable pain from torture and eventually had to carry His own cross, enduring excruciating pain. Even at this point, the most heartless soldiers could see that the cross was becoming unbearable for Him. They knew there was no way He could reach Golgotha bearing the cross alone; so, they compelled another man to bear the cross for Him. The cross. The challenges. The greatest attacks and ridicule. The gang-up and evil plans. The betrayal and abandonment by trusted associates—all these are seriously unbearable. No matter how strong a person is, such c...