At C-CAAL we believe that the church is a place of personal and collectice rebirth and renewal: a place of reconciliatin where we come to know and relate to one another on a new basis.
Romans 3: 10
There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God.
Romans 3:12
All have turned aside, together they have become worthless, there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.
Romans 3:15
Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Zechariah 1:3-4
Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return to Me, declared the Lord of hosts, that I may return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” But they did not listen or give heed to Me, declared the Lord.’
Ephesians 2: v. 14-15:
For he is our peace, in his flesh he has made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the diving wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Mark 3:31-35
Who are my mother and my brothers? For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.
Phoebe Wabara
December 2010
Dear Sisters in Christ,
During the past years, the Lord is been revealing me that as women, we are called to be women of hope, women of reconciliation and women of hospitality.
In the Gospel of John, chapter 11, we read the story of Mary and Martha, of how they reached out to our Lord Jesus at the death of their dear brother Lazarus. " The sisters sent word to him, saying, " Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." Verse 5, says that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
As women, we know a sister and a brother who is in pain, a sister whose mother is aged and needs support, a sister who is barren, a sister who is in financial lack, a friend or neighbor who is under going a spiritual battle either at work or in marital relationship, a sister in bondage of sin, basically we know of a situation that looks like death, a situation where the Lord must be called in urgently for a 'resurrection' miracle.
The interesting thing about Lazarus's sisters is that they trusted their Lord even in a death situation. They knew that our Lord is the Lord of Resurrection and His possibilities are unlimited and unimaginable. In Verse 21-22, Martha said to Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you." Is this not amazing? This is the kind of faith our Lord is expecting from us. In Verse 25, Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he/she dies and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?
My sisters, whatever you may be going through, trust in the Lord. Our hope is in Him only.
Until we talk next, may God's supernatural blessings for 2011 be part of your share.
Peace and Hope,
Rev. Phoebe Wabara
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February 27th, 2010
God's Justice creates Hope for Victims.
This week, Christian and I hosted one of our new refugee friends from Burundi. As they shared their life story, a life lived in a refugee camp for years, we realized how often we think our difficulties or challenges are huge before we hear of others. Our new friend lives here in Houston and has 5 children. He came to the US in September of 2009. He has no job, no elementary education, and cannot visualize what future holds for him in his new home of the United States of America. Looking back is not an option for him, as since 1972, when last he saw his parents being called out- and hoped as a child they would return- he is never been able to return to his home country. He heard later on from neigbors that his parents were killed and has lived a poverty life, running from one refugee camp to another.
When Christian and I met this family in Dec 2009, he and his wife were lost to their children. We found them in one of the Houston Hospitals where they had gone and deliver a baby but their children and neigbors did not know where they were. They left with an ambulance but did not know their destination. The family did not know how to turn the heat on during the winter cold, do not know their home address, do not know their birth dates, cannot read their medicaid number etc.
As Christians, sharing humanity with members of the body of Christ regardless of race, ethnicity and country of origin, we have to stop and ask ourselves few questions: What do we do with this situation, do we continue to live as if we have not heard or are not aware? How do we engage the body of Christ to respond to such a crisis?
In Psalms 146 verse 7 and Psalm 103 verse 6, we read about a God who executes justice for the fatherless and the widow (Deut. 10 verse 18; Ps. 82 verse 3 and Isa.1 verse 17). As we see in the OT, the expectation for the Messiah was to judge the poor with rigtheousness, and decide with equity for the wretched of the land. The Messiah unto whom God's spirit rests, is to bring justice for all nations and all people. This is what the Kingdom of God is all about.
It is implied in the above verses that God who created heaven and earth sides with people who suffer violence because they cannot defend themeslves. Their rights are his divine concern. God places the weak and vulnerable under his divine concern. The person who hurts them hurts God. But God in his Justice judges the wicked and he does so by providing hospitality, hope and solidarity to those who are victimized.
So it should be with us who are Christians, children of God. As Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, we must show love and hospitality to those among us that have suffered from the effects of violence, war, ethnic violence, poverty and other evil that are against God's will for his creation. The sufferings of Christ redeem the sufferings of the weak, the poorer and the hurt.
Prayer:
Praise the Lord O servants of the Lord, praise His Holy Name, blessed be the name of our God who is seated above all nations and His Glory surpasses our understanding. He looks far down and raises the poor from the dust and makes His servants sit with the princes of His people. He gives the barren woman a home surrounded with her children. PRAISE THE LORD.. exctrats from Psalm 113.