Reflections from the Zambezi

The following are notes on Pitfalls of Reformation that I took during a seminar at the Northern Annual Reformed Conference in Ndola, Zambia. The seminar was by Brian Njobvu, pastor of Fairview Reformed Baptist Church in Mufulira. The seminar was held on 19th April 2019.  What is a pitfall? It is a carefully concealed snare. On the surface, a pitfall appears harmless. The path to Reformation is laced with many snares just like Christianity in general is laced with many snares.  These pitfalls are orchestrated by the devil.  Throughout history our forefathers have fought with these pitfalls. In our 30 years of Reformation we are not where we ought to be because we may have fallen prey to some pitfalls. We must be aware that there are pitfalls on the way.  1. The Pitfalls of Reformation 1. Losing the Wonder of God's Grace. Amazing Grace ceases to be amazing. Is it possible that you have lost the wonder if God's grace?  2. Neglecting our personal devotions with the...

This is an account of how we worshipped in the morning service at Kabwata Baptist Church on Sunday 21 April 2019.  Emmanuel Mkandawire called the service to order by reading from 1 Corinthians 15. We then s ang the hymn "Low in the Grave He Lay Jesus my Saviour" He then opened in prayer. We then s ang "Above All Power" followed by t he hymn "Jesus Christ is risen today".   Afterwards we sang the song "What gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer".   The pastoral prayer was made by Charles Chakonta. Specific prayer was made for Sierra Leone which is 63% Muslim.  The consecutive Bible reading was done by Bobbline. The reading was from Esther chapter 4.  We then sang the hymn "When. I survey the wondrous cross".  The preaching of God's word was done by Kasango Kayombo the pastor of Ibex Hill Baptist Church.  The text was from 1 Corinthians 15:1-19. (Incidentally, I had read this passage earlier on).  Pastor Kayombo opened by stating tha...

It was my privilege to attend the inaugural Northern Annual Reformed Conference (NAREC) at the Zambia Baptist Association Conference Centre in Ndola last week. The venue is a beautiful venue along the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway and next to Protea Hotel. It has beautiful landscaping, a spacious Conference hall, offices, kitchen and dining area and hostels. The Conference was held from 17th to 20th May 2019. The theme won the Conference was: Here We Stand - Restating and re-Affirming Our Reformed Baptist Heritage. The theme hymn of the Conference was: Faith of our Father's Holy Faith. Participants at the Conference were drawn mainly from Reformed Baptist Churches in the Copperbelt, North-Western, Central and Lusaka provinces. It was good meeting some old friends especially from the Copperbelt and in particular my former church: Nkana West Baptist Church.  The sermons preached during the Conference were:  Standing and Contending for the Faith Once and for All Delivered to the ...

Cape Town - Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles were the last sound to echo in the ears of jazz lovers from across the country as the 2019 edition of Cape Town International Jazz Festival came to a close last night. The two-day festival, which also featured a free concert and masterclasses and workshops throughout the week, had performances from R&B diva Chaka Khan, local jazz legend Jonathan Butler, Grammy Award-winners Soweto Gospel Choir and the darling of the South African pop music scene, Shekhinah. Crowds flocked to Shekhinah’s performance on Friday night, while last night Butler was the main attraction, with French group Gipsy Kings, featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo. The 20th edition of the festival featured more than 40 acts and crowds in excess of 37000 people. Festival director Billy Domingo said he was surprised at the enormous success. “Not in our wildest dreams did we think we would reach one decade, let alone two. Not because we did not have...