In Cameroon during the period of Advent, Christians and non-Christians alike keep money (in njangi houses, a community-based system), animals, and birds (especially chickens) to be used in celebrating Christmas. Parents are aware that they must buy new clothes for their children. Families who are not well-to-do try at least to prepare rice and meat to be eaten that day. During this period, many families break apart, sometimes on account of unsupplied items for Christmas celebrations.

Around the world, we see people preparing to travel great distances from one place to another to meet friends or family members for a wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Cameroon, those who live abroad, popularly known as "Bush Fallers", come back home with what they have gathered throughout the year for Christmas celebrations.

As we plan our celebrations and travels, let us be aware of the dangers of being so concerned about meeting the outward financial and material expectations surrounding Christmas that we forget to make the inward spiritual preparations. Let us totally surrender our whole selves to Christ Jesus as we prepare to celebrate His birth. He is not going to be born as a child again, because He has already done that once, which led to His death on the cross, whereby He washes away our sins. Now, we anticipate His second coming, to take with Him those who trust in Him and are doing His will.

Let us use this remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to take control of every aspect of our lives. Let us give love, reconciliation, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control a chance this year. In this way, we will be making a straight path for the Lord to travel during His second coming. We are called to be ready at all times!

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for our lives to date. We pray that You will help us this year to make a change spiritually, so that we will not concentrate solely on material and financial preparations in getting ready for the remembrance and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

It is a great thing to serve people, but we are to do so as serving the Lord, rather than as serving people.

I have had many negative reactions from people in various congregations and choir groups with whom I have come to worship God.

The most common is that each time I join a choir group, most of the choristers at first sight say I am too proud, because I try to be calm and observe how things are done in the group. When I intervene to offer my services in a situation which I observe is not going as intended, people say I want to prove that I know so much.

Each time I go to a new station, either at my job site or in the congregation, I always meet strong resistance when offering my services. What puzzles me is that those who at first spearhead calling me names, in the long run become my closest friends.

Jesus Christ offered the best of His services here on earth. Although He was misunderstood, He continued to be humble, gentle, patient, and tolerant. In the long run, it was confessed that "He really was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54b GNB)

It should be clear to us that everybody cannot understand us at the same rate. The way other people see a point is not the same way we see it, but this should not make them our enemies. We need patience and tolerance to believe that, in time, our point may be understood.

Anybody can read and quote the Bible. Therefore, reading and quoting is not enough to prove that we are God's children. Even Satan quoted Scriptures to Jesus Christ. God judges our motives. If we need services and we are treated unfairly, we as Christians should instead offer the best of our services to others and even to those who treated us poorly. That will be enough preaching. Our reactions to situations prove who we are, just like Jesus' reactions showed who He really was. According to whether we are strong or weak in our faith, showing our true character can either strengthen or weaken somebody else's faith. Our reactions may convert a soul.

Prayer: Lord, wash away pride from us, and help us to be humble, gentle, patient, and tolerant to one another as we serve You. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

One Sunday during his sermon, our pastor took water in a glass, dry whisky (popularly known in some parts of our country as afawfaw) in another glass, and an earthworm. In the glass of water, he put the earthworm, and it swam freely. In the glass of afawfaw, he put the same earthworm, and it died instantly. The pastor concluded, "This is what afawfaw will do to our system if we don't stop consuming too much of it."

After the church service, one of the Christians, who is an alcoholic and frequents an afawfaw drinking spot, told others that the pastor in church had demonstrated how afawfaw is an effective medicine for stomach worms.

Every day, people read the Bible, but most of us interpret it to suit our desires. We listen to sermons, but we tell others what pleases us. How do we interpret or preach the Word of God to other people? Let's pray for a revival that starts with me and you, and then reaches out to a lost and hungry world to bring them in.

Matthew 13:14-15 – So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: "This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see, because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes." (GNB)

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, send the Holy Spirit to open our minds, interpret Your Word to us, and enable us to preach to others exactly Your Word and not our own desires. Amen.

One of my uncles bought apple seeds and raffia palm seeds. He planted these seeds on same day on the same farmland, divided into two plots, each with enough manure. After a short while, the apple seeds germinated and grew to a certain height, but the raffia palm seeds were still dormant in the soil. After the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years of harvesting apples, the raffia palm seeds germinated in the soil. My uncle, who had almost forgotten about the raffia, became so happy.

After tapping palm wine from the raffia palms for the first year, a serious storm came and destroyed everything on the farm, except for the raffia palms — which were able to resist the storm.

My uncle still taps palm wine from the raffia palms, but the apple trees have long since been destroyed.

The raffia palms took a long time to grow in the soil, sending their roots deep, gripping the soil, in order to withstand the storms of life when fully grown.

We may have been praying to God for jobs, for healings, and for solutions to many other problems, but we may have had no solutions yet. We should not give up, even if we see others progressing, others being healed, and others with problems similar to ours seeming to obtain solutions to their problems. Just like the raffia palm seeds, the Lord is preparing us to be able to withstand the storms of life when our prayers are answered.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, give us the strength to withstand the trials we are facing now, and to be able to wait patiently for Your answers to our prayers. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.