16
Kakuma Refugee Camp: ?Now, Where is the Water ??
... continued ~ Every time I leave Kakuma, I
always feel happier than when I arrived there
because of the warm welcome from brethren
and how people, in such harsh living condi-
tions, are responsive to the good news of the
Kingdom of God unlike those in urban setups.
That makes me more than willing to go back
there over and over again knowing that
Kakuma is a field where the ?harvest is plen-
teous? awaiting labourers.
May the Lord, who ?is able to save
completely those who come to God through
him?, strengthen their faith?for it is God
who works? to will and to act in order to
fulfill his good purpose.? Amen!
Singing to the Lord
?H
aving abolished in his flesh the
enmity, even the law of command-
ment contained in ordinances, for to make in
himself of twain one new man, so making
peace? (Ephesians 2:15). This verse makes it
clear that Jesus has abolished the law of
commandments contained in ordinances,
given to the Jews in the Old Testament. He
fulfilled them and abolished them. The laws
and commandments of the Old Testament are
not directly relevant to the new creation in
Christ Jesus. It is therefore wrong for us to
live our lives trying to obey the Mosaic law.
Hebrews 7:12 is another verse that gives us
an interesting light on this, ?For the priest-
hood being changed there is made of
necessity a change also of the law?. The Lord
Jesus became our high priest in the New
Testament, not in the order of the Aaronic or
Levitical priesthood, but in the order of
?Melchizedek? (Hebrews 7:17 and see also
verse 21). This signifies an eternal priest-
hood, a new priesthood, headed by Jesus
Christ, different from that which obtained in
the Old Testament.
Now the importance of this is that Jesus has
become our High Priest, not a high priest
under the Sinaitic covenant. What we read in
Hebrews 7:12 is that a change of priesthood
automatically means a change of the law.
Since the priesthood has been changed and
Jesus Christ is now our High Priest in the New
Testament, the law has also been changed.
This is why Jesus said: ?A new commandment
I give unto you, that ye love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one
another? (John 13:34).
Love has replaced all the laws and ordinances
in the Old Testament (Romans 13:8-10).
?Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy soul and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment and the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On
these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets? (Matthew 22:37-40). This,
however, does not mean that the Old
Testament is not useful to us today: ?For
whatsoever things were written aforetime
were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scrip-
tures might have hope? (Romans 15:4). The
things written in the Old Testament have
been written for our learning; let us now
learn what it is to walk in love.
The Law Has Been Abolished
| Bro Maxwell Choongo (Kasaka, Zambia)