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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is the unexpected God. The unexpected God means God is unpredictable and full of surprises. John the Baptist who was known for preaching repentance and baptizing people had been arrested by Herod (Matthew 4:12) He was arrested because He spoke truth to power. “For Herod, himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark 6:17-18). Those who did not know Jesus and His mission on earth at the time would have thought that the arrest of John ended the preaching of repentance, warning people about judgement and preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God. The unexpected God had already made a perfect replacement and provision for the world’s salvation through His son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this reason, Matthew wrote that Jesus had fulfilled prophecy by bringing light and salvation to those who are in darkness at the time when John had been arrested by Herod. “Leaving Nazareth, he (Jesus) went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentile the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus Calls His First Disciples” (Matthew 4:13-18)

Dear friend, nothing can stop the mission of God in the world and nothing can frustrate the will and the love of God for our salvation, “…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. (Romans 8:37-39). Beloved in the Lord, we serve the unexpected or unpredictable God who works in miraculous ways. He has made provision for our salvation and just as He made Jesus take over from John when John was arrested, God is still raising men and women of faith whom He is calling into the darkness to be “… the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14). Regardless of Herod’s ploy to arrest and silence John the baptist who was called by God to preach repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God to prepare the way for the Messiah, God Himself had already incarnated into the world through the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah to fulfil His mission in the world. The unexpected God is still active in our lives and moving in our midst doing miracles in our lives and bringing many from darkness to the light. Just as Jesus called his disciples, trained them and sent them into the world, He has also called us to be partakers in the mission of the unexpected God in the twenty-first century, we are to avail ourselves to be used to the glory of the unexpected God and for the salvation of many who are yet to be rescued from the darkness of sin and eternal death. Dear friend, have you responded to Jesus’ call just as the disciples did in the past? If yes then what are you doing through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring light to the darkness as the servant or missionary of the unexpected God? The church is called by the unexpected God to bring unexpected transformation into the world, it is for this reason, the Holy Spirit unexpectedly came upon ordinary men and women of faith to be able to do unexpected and extraordinary things in preaching the Gospel and bring light to wherever there is darkness. It is now our turn to break new grounds and bring unexpected transformations at our workplaces, market place and wherever we can find lost and perishing souls. We have the spiritual empowerment and divine mandate to radiate the light of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world of darkness to save as many as we can before His second coming. Shalom.

PRAYER

Unexpected and unpredictable God, may we continually experience your glory in our lives even as we avail ourselves to serve as the disciples of Jesus Christ in bringing light where there is darkness through the preaching of the Gospel. Amen