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Our City of Refuge
| Bro Jonathan Simumba (Ndola, Zambia)
G
od, being a righteous God, did not want a
person who had unintentionally killed
someone to be killed by the avenger of blood
(Deuteronomy 19:1-6). Hence the setting aside
of refuge cities. However, any deliberate
murderer had to pay for their crime (vv 11-
13).
In our lives we have not murdered anyone
causing us to run to refuge city, but I know in
the past we were of the world (sinners). When
the word was preached to us, we shouted to
the world our acceptance of the word and
God’s mercy and symbolised it by putting on
the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism. We are
told that God sent his refuge city (Jesus
Christ) that we should trust and believe in his
promise of eternal life so that we might have
life for ever (John 3:16; 1 Samuel 7:12; Psalms
5:11-12: 9:9-10).
Zambia has hosted many refugees from neigh-
bouring countries who came, running away
from wars in their countries. In like manner
we have all run away from the love of the
world (James 4:4), which is enmity with God.
We have embraced the word by having His son
as Lord in our lives (1 John 5:11-12). God has
given us life through His son Jesus Christ.
What is required of us is to live a Christ-like
life: a life of service to our God, His son and
our fellow human beings (Colossians 3:1-10).
T
he teachings of the Bible on marriage are
very clear. But men and women have failed
to maintain divine standards. Difficulties have
arisen because the social conditions which
have arisen during recent times, and changes
in the ways of life about us, make it desirable
to give it some consideration.
God’s purpose was clearly that man and
woman joined together in marriage should be
joined for life. The provision of a companion
was one of the reasons for Eve’s creation. The
mind of God concerning marriage was end-
orsed by our Lord Jesus. There was one man
and one woman, the woman being a help meet
for the man. The Lord Jesus recognised this as
the standard to which men and women should
conform, because a married man and woman
when married “are no more twain” but “one
flesh”. Jesus himself said: “What God hath
joined together, let no man put asunder.”
Is Marriage Relevant Today
| Bro Gordon Ochieng (Manyuanda, Kenya)
Brothers and sisters of North Nyanza at the Fraternal Gathering at Ilisumu,
upon receiving Swahili Bibles (from the C. A. T.) and hymn books from Bro Gordon Ochieng