Red letter

Dear Beloved,

Hephzibah (My Delight)

Every promise I have made to you is TRUE, because I am not a son of man to lie,

Nor a son of man to change MY MIND.

While you were yet a sinner, I died for you.

Not because of your love for me; it had nothing to do with you but everything to do with ME.

You come from a royal lineage-priesthood, a peculiar nation.

You are royalty, bought not by silver or gold but the BLOOD OF JESUS.

The Blood that saves and never loses its power.

The blood that strings victory, hope, faith, love with each flow.

The blood that oozes eternity.

Love 3 in 1(God,Son&Holy spirit).

PS; Easter is a reminder of God`s red-letter to us. A letter that is worthy to be shared by all who have received it so they fall in love with the writer.

Racheal Kizza © 2017

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Book review 5

Book title: Building A Discipling Culture

Subtitle: How To Release A Missional Movement By Discipling People Like Jesus Did.

Author: Mike Breen and Steve Cockram

Pages: 269

The book provides a solution to a discipleship crisis in the church.

A brick by brick method is formulated in the book with emphasis on discipleship, as the answer to releasing a Missional movement that will turn the world upside down. The authors believe, ‘If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples. ’

The book questions the norm and church lifestyle, evidencing the loopholes in the system, providing practical solutions that have been tried and tested. Leaving church leaders to answer a question, `Do the lives of the people who attend church every Sunday look like the lives of the people we see in the New Testament? The authors note that effective leadership builds the church and not the other way round.

The book further highlights the need for leaders to have deeper relationships; Up (with God), In (people) and Out (those outside). This triangle works for the church too and its balance guarantees deeper relationships. `People are hungry for community.” Although the book was written for a western audience and springs with western examples.

This book is a must have piece that not only offers practical answers to the church but individuals as well.

Racheal Kizza © 2017

Book review#6

Title: Homegrown Love

Authors: Evelyn Karungi & Elma Asio

HomeGrown Love is a short story collection written by two amazing ladies; Evelyne Karungi who is a law graduate with a master`s degree in social sciences ,and a certificate in United Nations Studies. She lives in both Kampala and NewYork. The other writer is Elma Asio who is an accountant with a bachelor`s degree in commerce and has been writing stories for as long as she can remember.

The stories are shared in two parts giving both writers time, space and paper to share their stories. All stories are inspiring and cover a wide range of topics, including importance of holding onto hope and letting go of misguided love, integrating past hurts into a functional life, and how to cope with watching friends disappear as the golden years slip way.

In part 1 ,Evelyn takes us on a journey of love and the forms love takes from heartbreak to the art of confusion. I have been in love before and experienced heartbreak so my memoirs resonated with the flipping of each page in part one. We all react differently to heartbreak and like Livy aka Tough Cookie , “I am not in denial, I just don`t have the time to stop and think.” I relate with her but the pain always needs an outlet. Part 1 ends with the way of love with an attached scripture from 1 Corinthians 13; A beautiful passage on what love is according to God. “Love never gives up.” Love cares more for others than for self.

Part 2 takes centre stage with a conversational tone on a tale of black roses. The pains of love, whether it is with a Dave who put a ring on it or with a loss of a friend like Cookie who made life seem theatrical each day. The chapter is dedicated to Homegrown love where the writer reminds us to remember where we came from. And as we remember that, we know we are perfect, beautiful and special.

Homemade loves are just that and no one can change that fact. I have heard moments where I too wondered where did my love go? A common occurrence in every day life when we wonder where did our love go for our kids, family, careers, God, friends, etc but we say we are okay to the world and strong yet we need to be shown the path back to love. I related with the stories in the book too and the ending is perfection itself-“Only bruised.’’

We all go through situations and circumstances and we all should grieve the best way we know how to and then say “I was only bruised and I give myself permission to live.’’

The Language left me in awe , it is simple and for those who don`t remember their English and literature classes, use google as you enjoy the melody of each sound tagging at your heart and mind.

The book cover is simply beautiful; a glowing lamp with beautiful butterflies looming around it a typical depiction of love tales in our African traditional society. The stories were told over a fire or a lamp and it always warmed the hearts of the listeners. May the book warm every heart that reads it as it has warmed my heart.

I recommend the book to all people who appreciate the fusion of fiction and reality. The writers share their stories with humor and compassion allowing the reader to feel every emotion and resonate with a character or story shared.

Racheal Kizza © 2017

Book review 4

Photo courtesy: thehelpmates.com

Book title: Passion and Purity

Subtitle: Learning to bring your love life under Christ`s control

Author: Elizabeth Elliot

Page count: 192
Elizabeth Elliot is a popular seminar speaker, radio teacher, and missionary and best-selling author.

Passion and Purity emphasizes the need to commit daily to Christ all matters of the heart and to wait upon Him.

Elizabeth through letters, diary entries and recollections shares her intimate thoughts and journey with Jim Elliot revealing her struggles with loneliness, longing, impatience, fear and hope. Her fusion of the bible and personal reflections cements her beliefs and gives the book a Christian back bone.

Passion and purity dominate the book as the core themes with Elizabeth describing passion as normal. Elizabeth candidly says that, “If your passions are aroused, say so-to yourself and to God, not to the object of your passion.’’ The passion is material for sacrifice and ought to be offered to God who perfectly understands.

She gives an odyssey of passion and purity; it takes on the form of sacrifice, submission, esteeming God higher than any passion two people feel, waiting, praying in the word and being honest with self and God. She reveals the hardships that come with keeping God as the focus at all times even when passion steps and the question of purity looms in stronger than ever.

She emphasizes that ‘waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one`s thoughts.’ Waiting on God requires certain levels of submission because in our weakness, His strength is made perfect.

The book is complete with practical illustrations from Elizabeth`s life, letters from readers on the matter at hand, giving it more flair and making it relevant to Christians today relating, dating ,courting ,single and married.

Racheal Kizza © 2017

Procrastination robs you of much more than just time.

The Sneaky Thief of Destiny – http://wp.me/p8otSg-15

Book review 3

Book title: This Kingdom Business

Subtitle: A manual for Christian life and endeavor

Author: Hillary Turyagenda

Pages: 324

ISBN: 9781475100242

Published: 2012

Hillary Turyagenda is a minister of the word and the spirit who has a passion to see people established in the truth and purposes of God. He was called by God into full time ministry –Spirit Alight, The Lord`s candle on 1st march 2010 .Since then the ministry has flourished.

This Kingdom Business is written for such a time as this when many are coming to Christ and they have a limited understanding resulting into the limited application of God`s word.
It is fundamental to understand the king and the country we belong to as citizens of the kingdom because our identity is formed therein by virtue of who we spring from. Our king is the lifeline of the kingdom.

Hillary believes that for Christians to thrive in this kingdom business, the journey of faith in God never stops. “When we walk in faith, our actions correspond with our faith and we have a replay of the Acts of the Apostles.’’
He implores Christians to practice love at all times and let love be the sole motivation. “The pursuit of a love-service should begin in the pursuit of a love conscience. A love-consciousness is the fuel for any lasting vocation of love.’’ Love is the most powerful tool we have to propagate this kingdom business. It breaks all barriers/boundaries and limitations.

It is no kingdom business without prayer which is our form of communication in the kingdom. Prayer based on the word yields results and every Christian must grow in the word. Each Christian ought to create a pattern of reading, studying and meditating on the word of God which is the truth. This in turn equips and enables them to carry out the great commission without leaving the burden to the evangelists in the “mission fields.’’ When each day Christians are in a mission field.

He delves deeper into the topic of discipleship piquing my interest; discipleship encompasses teaching newbies the word both in theory and practically. There is a cry for every church to embrace discipleship and be intentional about equipping their people to be ready in season and out of season.

It ends on a high note with the talk on praise and worship and how music creates an atmosphere and ought to be used as a tool for teaching the word.
There is so much truth in one book and it is not a book that can be read lightly. One must be focused and intentional in order to fully grasp vital principles in order to excel in this kingdom business.

The book is deeply hinged on scripture with a detailed understanding of each verse quoted fanning Hillary`s gift as a teacher to life.

Get yourself a copy on Amazon.com.

Racheal Kizza © 2017