FAITH

Weekender

Clan dedicates lives to God

Fr Richard of the Catholic Church speaking to the Kengaglku clan during the repentance programme.

By Ps PETER AGLUM
YOUNG men from a clan in the Kundiawa-Gembogl district of Chimbu have now turned their backs on marijuana and home brew or ‘steam’ to change for the better in the new year.
The public proclamation was made during a special church-led programme of repentance, reunion and restoration held at Mandime in the Kengaglku Clan.
Chimbu Provincial Police Commander Chief Supt Buafe Hugo who witnessed event said he was impressed by what transpired there and commended the youths in the area for saying no to drugs and consumption of homebrew, which had been the root cause of so much suffering and loss for a long time.
He said the surrendering of the illicit drugs to police by youths who want to turn to a better life was healthy for themselves, their families and the community. Hugo said nowadays many deaths occurred among youths were caused by the use of illicit drugs.
The initiative taken by the clan is a great achievement for the Kengaglku clan.
Chief Supt Hugo said such programmes initiated for better living benefitted the entire community, the travelling public and it also lightens the workload of law enforcing agencies. He thanked the initiator and sponsor of the repentance programme Christine Maipson and her spouse Philip Maipson for the achievement.
Hugo said to eradicate the dangerous drug addicts in every community was not an easy task but needed combined efforts from the local churches, community leaders, NGOs and all other stakeholders.
An inter-denominational crusade hosted by Christian Life Centre, Foursquare, Lutheran, Temple Builders, SDA and Catholic churches in the week-long program made it possible for a major breakthrough and revival in the Kengaglku clan.
Hugo also thanked local parish priest Fr Richard and the Catholic Church for taking the leading role in the entire programme.
Furthermore, Hugo thanked Fr Richard for accepting the compensation payment signifying the clan’s apologies for being partly involved in the killing of late Fr Karl Morshheuser on Dec 16, 1934.
The SVD priest was attacked by the clan forefathers at Womatne in Gembogl District.
Ps Peter Tri from the Mt Hagen CLC Church thanked God for the divine intervention in the Kengaglkus clan and the surrounding communities for a change of behaviour. He urged the youths not to return to drugs activities home brew “or you will face the judgment of God.”
Community leader and councilor of Ward 12, Damien Siune said about 75 per cent of all social issues in the community were caused by youths under the influence of illicit drugs and home brew (steam).
The involvement of the word of God in the surrender programme will change the youths inside out, Siune said. He also requested the organisers of the event to host every year.
Joseph Embia who represented the youth said the illicit drugs were illegal but people made money to make from selling the stuff in packs to make ends meet.
He said that selling marijuana for them was the fastest way to making money but they have come to realise that they were also destroying their own lives and the lives of their tribesmen
Embia said in the end there was no real benefit from the use and sale of the illicit drugs but a cursed life.
“The Kengaglku youth have come up with a firm decision to cease the illicit drug activities and look unto God for agood life. I urge all youths around the country taking the illicit drugs to quit and turn to God for survival,” Embia said.
Initiator and sponsor of the entire programme Christine Maipson said once in a while she visited her home but to her astonishment saw youths and the community reeling under the power of illicit drug.
She said she came up with the initiative to eradicate illegal drugs and homebrew from the youths in the community. She has vowed to host the programme annually.
A young leader from the Kamanuku tribe Henry Caspar commended Maipson and her family for the timely support and initiative to restore her clan and the surrounding communities and urged youths to never return to the old ways.
Chimbu police officer in charge of the provincial drug squad Detective Sgt Yatefa Welis said the Kengaglku clan was well known for cultivating marijuana and production of homebrew in the area.
Police had conducted several raids in the area and destroyed home brewing equipment. Sergeant Welis said the initiative by the Kengaglku clan was the mind and hand of God at work.


Lessons from a biblical name

By Pastor ISAAC JAMES
LAZARUS is a name of two people mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible. One was a poor man found in Luke 16:19-31 and the other was a family friend of Jesus Christ whom He loved recorded in John 11:1-44.
In the Bible, names represent the character and nature of a person and are important clues apart from other signs that can unravel deeper spiritual truths and reveal the hidden knowledge and wisdom of God for His will to be done here on earth through our lives.
Lazarus in Hebrew means “God has helped.” In contrast to what Lazarus means, both stories do not reflect the real character behind their names. How could someone whose name means “God has helped” live and die as a poor beggar, while the other got sick, died prematurely and was buried with grave clothes wrapped around him?
What important life lessons is God trying to teach and warn us about in these two accounts of Lazarus’ life? If both characters lived helplessly and died prematurely contrary to the meaning of their names, there is surely some serious lessons we should learn so we too who have also been helped by God should not end up in the same manner. Instead, we should be made aware of the great value we possess and how best we can live to fulfil our purpose and destiny in life.
Lazarus the beggar
The Bible does not reveal the reason why Lazarus lived as a poor beggar. We are told that he was full of sores and was laid at the gate of a rich man desiring to be fed from what fell off from his table. To be laid at the rich man’s gate indicates that Lazarus may have been carried each day and placed there to beg. The scripture does not reveal how Lazarus became so poor to the points of desiring crumbs and worst of all, dogs were attracted to lick his sores. The world is established and governed by certain natural and spiritual laws.
According to the law of cause and effect, nothing happens without a cause. If nothing happens without a cause, then Lazarus’ poor state was not accidental nor by mistake. Lazarus was not born as a poor beggar. In fact, no one is born poor or rich. To be rich or poor is the result of observing or violating certain established laws of life.
Lazarus had internal wounds
The obvious cause of Lazarus’ poor state was the internal wounds he had that was manifested through the sores that appeared all over his body. What a person is full of inside will be manifested on the outside.
Jesus reaffirmed this principle when He said: “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:24). If your heart is full of anger or jealousy, it will be revealed through your mouth. Internal wounds unlike physical sores cannot be seen because they go beyond the surface of the skin and sometimes can be difficult to diagnose because they can be connected to prenatal and early childhood incidents.
These wounds can be caused by various factors such as: sexual abuse, spoken words, betrayal, neglect, rejection, trauma, unforgiveness, jealousy, divorce or any form of bitter experiences. Inner hurts cause harm that affects the way we think, feel and react to life’s circumstances. Poverty begins in the mind and is manifested through every aspect of our lives. Internal hurts and wounds of the soul are the major contributing factors to many marital, health and social problems.
Lazarus was crippled
Most probably Lazarus was crippled because he was laid at the rich man’s gate with no strength to even chase away the dogs that were attracted to his sores. Internal wounds can cause us to be crippled mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
When you are crippled on the inside, others will take you for a ride where they will decide what is good or bad for you hence restricting your freedom to make your own choices in life. Internal wounds will attract dogs which represents a state of insignificance and on a serious note, demonic activities.
When Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, came to see King David, he fearfully bowed down and likened himself to an unworthy dead dog because he was crippled (2 Sam 9:8). In 1 Samuel 17:43, Goliath ridiculed David as if he was a dog when the young shepherd boy came forward to challenge him. Low self-esteem is associated with the internal condition of our soul. Lazarus was overwhelmed with low self-worth that he lost his identity, sense of feeling and dignity.
Lazarus’ life however ended on a positive note when he was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom while the rich man ended up in a place of torment. Apart from the reality of the two eternal destination after death, the moral in this story is the fact that Lazarus did not live up to the meaning of his name “God has helped.” He died as a poor beggar without doing what His Creator had helped him and assigned him to do during his lifetime on earth.
Lazarus of Bethany
In the account of the other Lazarus’ recorded in John 11:1-44, he was a man whom Jesus loved, whose family were His close friends from Bethany. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He said that the sickness would not lead to death but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Jesus knew what “Lazarus” meant and the important lessons that would be unfolded for the benefit of humanity through his story. Jesus therefore purposely delayed His trip for four days which He said was good for his disciple’s level of faith.
Sickness leads to sleepiness
During Jesus delay, Lazarus succumbed to his death and was buried in a tomb with graveclothes wrapped around him. In Jesus’ perspective, Lazarus was not dead but just sleeping. The one whose name means “God has helped” cannot die prematurely with all the untapped potentials trapped inside him. Jesus would not allow His priceless investment to be affected by sickness and switched into hibernation or sleep mode. Sickness is not limited to the physical but mental, emotional and spiritual as well.
Jesus once replied to His accusers that those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick (Matt 9:12). Jesus indirectly approved the work of medical doctors and at the same time regarded the sinners and tax collected He associated with as sick people who needed Him to heal them as the great physician. The sick are not only those who are confined to their hospital beds but also those who are sick in their spirit and soul.
Our internal sick condition can cause us to sleepwalk through life without realising our significance and purpose of existence. To be spiritually sick and not knowing is more dangerous than being physically sick because we cannot be awakened in our conscience to do something about it.
Sleep mode causes death
When the disciple misunderstood Jesus, He told them plainly that Lazarus was dead and He was going to raise him up. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, He felt sad and wept not because He had pity for Lazarus and his relatives. Jesus wept because of their unbelief in who He was.
“Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the Bible. He wept because of the people’s unbelief (John 11:35). Unbelief can shorten our lifespan and reduce our capacity to fulfil our life’s purpose. Unbelief causes doubt and fear which can short-circuit our dreams and visions in life. Jesus told Martha that if she would believe, she would see the glory of God. Martha, however only believed in the future resurrection and not in what Jesus was able to do in the present.
Jesus is the resurrection and life
Jesus declared one of His greatest confessions to Martha in context to the fate of her brother Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, even though he dies, shall live and he who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25).
After Jesus told them to remove the grave stone which represents unbelief, fear and doubt, He cried with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth.” And sure enough, the one whom “God has helped” was revived and came out wrapped in graveclothes which represents dead associations spiritually, emotionally and physically. Jesus told the people to untie him and set him free.
Lazarus fulfilled his purpose
According to early church tradition, sometime after his resurrection, Lazarus fled to Cyprus where he was appointed by Paul and Barnabas as the first bishop of Kition (presently Larnaca) in Cyprus. Lazarus was not supposed to die prematurely, wrapped in graveclothes and holed up in a dead tomb.
God has helped us already
Lazarus represents each one of us whom God has already helped. We are wonderfully and fearfully made in His image and likeness; packaged with so much potential and fashioned uniquely to fulfil our heavenly assignment here on earth in our various spheres of influence. You were born to contribute your quota to make our world a better place to dwell in for the benefit of everyone.
We should not allow internal wounds, unbelief and deadly associations to wrap and supress the development and manifestation of the better version of ourselves in our lifetime. We cannot afford to die a premature death before our appointed time which would defeat the intended purpose of our Creator’s investment in us.
Jesus thought of us, when He cried out with a loud voice “Lazarus, come forth.”  The high tone of His voice was not only for Lazarus and the unbelieving crowd outside the tomb that day, but also to be echoed throughout all generations to come which includes you and I. Let the “Lazarus” in you come out!