GOSPEL READING : Mark 10:17-31 :
RICH FOR GOD.

I remember visiting a Mennonite Church in the Amish County, Pennsylvania, USA, during the summer 1993 after attending the 9th World Congress of the International Council of Christian Churches in Philadelphia, PA. The very kind Pastor there welcomed me to attend twice their church services. What did I see?

Every Sunday, an elderly farmer used to arrive at the Church compound thirty minutes before service started. I could see more than 20 kids running towards his Chevrolet pick-up shouting with joy and singing. As soon as he parked his vehicle, he got out and distributed sweets to each one of the children who were so excited.

The following Sunday, I was there again and the giver came as usual and parked his pick-up at the same place. Kids moved to him in a hurry and he distributed sweets again to each one of them. Then I approached this kind man and asked him whether he did so every Sunday. He said: “Yes, of course, I have been giving and giving sweets to kids for years while praying for them as well. They know I can’t come to Church without some joy brought for them in my pockets. My ideal is to give joy to all the kids in this Church and have them always remember coming to Church every Sunday.”

From this true story, one could say that sweets meant nothing. But I believe this weekly love gifts meant something great in these children’s lives even when they come to leave their little town to go to live somewhere else. It was written in their hearts and minds. They knew someone at Church was thinking about them and praying for them every Sunday.
God is A Giver! Our Lord Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to give and give blessing upon blessing to men despite their unbelief. His mandate in the Holy Trinity was and is still “GIVE, GIVE and GIVE!” That’s what He also wanted taught to this rich young man who came to Him with a deep concern about inheriting eternal life and who unfortunately was a super-selfish who had never had a chance to experience “GIVING WITH LOVE”.
“Oh, you want to come with me to Heaven! Jesus checked, it’s easy BUT NOT VERY EASY, Sir, because candidates to Heaven should experience GIVING first. So, go, SELL and GIVE WITH LOVE to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and then COME, FOLLOW ME”.

“Giving” is a Godly medal that does not belong to worldly selfish and over proud people. “Giving” is the super-light for believers on the avenue to Heaven. “Giving” is the ultimate and perfect Prayer of Perfect people that God accepts.

“Giving” is the breath of Love!
For Love without Giving is not Love at all,
And Giving without Love
Does not belong to God’s Business
But to man’s pride !”

“Be Perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, NIV)

In the love of Christ,

Contact us:
EPISCOPAL FREE CHURCH-PROVINCE OF BURUNDI
Bishop Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President
P.O. Box 197 Gitega (Burundi)
Tel: (+257)79 877 097
Email: baransajust@gmail.com
SKYPE: Justin Baransananikiye
Website: http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org

Ineffective Prayers smashed down by
The Rulers of the Darkness of this Age…

« Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set
Your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before God,
Your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me
twenty one days…” (Daniel 10.12, 13)

Having walked with the Lord Jesus Christ for only a few days at the beginning of his ministry, his disciples discovered that his way of praying was completely different from theirs. Their prayers indeed were still reflecting the litany formulas learned in the synagogues from the Pharisees. Jesus prayed with power in intimacy with his Father. “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11: 1), his disciples asked Him. And Jesus taught them the basic prayer that contains the key principles of an effective prayer that pierces the cloud of the “rulers of the darkness in heavenly places” and goes straight to God.

Later, the apostle James who had also attended the JESUS’ SCHOOL OF PRAYER, wrote: “You lust and do not have… because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4: 2-3). In other words, “You do not pray according to the key principles that the Master has taught us”.

One day on his way back from Jericho, Jesus encounters the blind Bartimaeus who shouts loudly: “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me! The crowd wanted to silence him thinking he was screaming to beg as usual. But the Lord commanded them to bring him nearer. Why? Jesus wanted him to approach Him personally and discover the majesty and greatness of his love, and thus be able to properly formulate his need with a calm mind.

“Have mercy on me, Jesus! ” is different from Rabbuni, that I recover the sight! “, isn’t ? And Jesus answered a prayer whose purpose was precisely expressed in freedom.

Now, what about these millions of prayers made every minute on the five continents, in our different churches, saying to God:
– “O Lord, give us peace!” while He has already granted it to us in Christ more than 2000 years ago (John 14:27) and that we have rejected it ourselves?
– “O Lord, make that righteousness may reign in the world,” whereas He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations (Psalm 98: 2)?

Are these prayers comparable to those which would say to God:
– “O Lord, teach us how to pray” as we face the terrorist threat, or the climate change? As we face,… face ?
– Or, “O Lord, teach us to do your will” (Psalm 143.10), which alone frees us from selfishness, from pride and from hatred, these terrible vices demons that create social inequalities and revolts in the World?
– Or, “O Lord, teach us to walk in your ways” (Psalm 119: 3), your holy ways that create in us a generous a humble heart that accepts to share with the poor living at the other end of the earth?
– Or, “O Lord, give us understanding so that we may keep your Law” (Psalms 119.34) and may your Holy Spirit convince us of lack of faith in your faithfulness to your promises? (2 Timothy 2:13).

Why do we always seek to give lessons to God while we ourselves are on war against His commandment of love and those of humility and righteousness? (Micah 6: 8). Let us first win the battle that rages in our own hearts and reconcile ourselves with the Lord by voluntarily returning to obedience to ALL HIS WORD. For these human prayers full of human feelings will in no way become COMBATTIVE and VICTOROUS PRAYERS that we need to put to cast and defeat the demons of terrorism which are making the whole world tremble today.

Contact us:
EPISCOPAL FREE CHURCH-PROVINCE OF BURUNDI
Bishop Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President
P.O. Box 197 Gitega (Burundi)
Tel: (+257)79 877 097
Email: baransajust@gmail.com
SKYPE: Justin Baransananikiye
Website: http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org

If Christians of the 21st century don’t adopt urgently the strategy of the OVERNIGHT COMBATTIVE PRAYER as Christ did, the Church will soon lose the war imposed on Her by terrorism. All those attacks conducted in various cities of Europe and America, etc., are simple distractions, for the ultimate goal of terrorism is to reach the fortresses of the Church of Christ in the West and definitely muzzle Her. Are we aware of this? But then why does Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Heavenly Father choose the NIGHT as the propitious time for the COMBATTIVE PRAYER against Satan and his demons?

The Holy Bible tells us that at creation God called the darkness, NIGHT (Genesis 1: 5). Apostle Paul identifies Satan and his demons as “The Rulers of the Darkness of this age”, of the NIGHT (Ephesians 6:12). Thus, it is clear that the intensive OVERNIGHT COMBATTIVE PRAYER constitutes an excellent frontal and direct spiritual attack plan against “these dominions … those rulers of this world of darkness, those spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”. In fact, it is during the NIGHT that all these powers of evil come together and define their plans of attack against the Church and against humanity in general. The destructions carried out by the terrorists are simply executions of the orders dictated by this spiritual empire of evil during the darkness, during the NIGHTS.

The Lord Jesus understood earlier Satan’s malignant strategy of assembling his army to organize and activate it during the NIGHTS while men are tired and fall asleep. Did not Christ say, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”? (Matthew 26:41). Christians, what else are we looking for now? It is time to accept to be also recruited into the ranks of the forces of light, the forces of good, among the intercessors led by Jesus Christ. It is He who gave us the example of OVERNIGHT PRAYER FOR OUR CITY (John 7, Matthew 23:27, etc.). Just as we are, his disciples did not yet understand what the Master was doing. Do we understand it?

2. THE SECOND ARM OF THE BALANCE OF OUR MINISTRY:

The more precisely we pray for our city, for the unbelievers therein and against the plans of satanic forces against it (1 Peter 5: 9), the more God will put on our heart a precise and organized work program equal to the strength He gives us during the OVERNIGHT COMBATTIVE PRAYERS (I Corinthians 10:13).

That is why the Church of Christ with the support of all nations should, at this very crucial juncture of terrorism, seriously think on a strategy of fighting these demons by an organized work of intercessors from all denominations and all nations without distinction. This major project undoubtedly calls for an URGENT organization of a worldwide ecumenical conference dedicated to the issue of terrorism. It shall not be a gathering from which ordinary declarations of condemnation will emerge as usual, but rather a development of a common spiritual strategy OF OVERNIGHT COMBATTIVE PRAYER for our cities ON THE FIVE CONTINENTS.

Contact us:
EPISCOPAL FREE CHURCH-PROVINCE OF BURUNDI
Bishop Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President
P.O. Box 197 Gitega (Burundi)
Tel: (+257)79 877 097
Email: baransajust@gmail.com
SKYPE: Justin Baransananikiye
Website: http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org