Category: Book releases
Books authored by Andrew C. Phiri
Notes on Daniel (Volume I) is now available on Amazon. You can download a PDF copy here.
NOTE: If above link works incorrectly, open Amazon from your browser and search for the book title: Notes on Daniel by Andrew C Phiri.
An in-depth study on the subject of Law, Grace and the Sabbath.
NOTE: I always receive requests for free copies of Reflections on Faith books. I have always responded to the requests whenever resources are available. However, after starting the radio ministry, there has been a surge in demand which can’t be contained with the limited resources. Even so, we have been encouraged by the spiritual impact among the few people who have received the books. If you would like to be part of the small group of ministry partners who help with paying printing and shipment costs for free distribution let me know. Send your email to contact@andrewcphiri.com
What is the Secret Place of the Most High? How do we reconcile God’s promise in Psalm 91 (to protect and guard His children from the fearsome pestilence) with the deaths of many of our loved ones among us? This new little book is a verse-by-verse reflection on Psalm 91.
Available in e-book (Kindle) and paperback formats
This is a story of a Karamojong warrior turned Christian. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him out of a light and spoke saying, “I have chosen you to be a light to your people. You are going to begin this ministry here in Teso, and you will continue with it even up to Karamoja and other lands.” Today we are witnesses of a great ministry that shook that primitive region of Uganda. Dead people were raised to life and incurable diseases got miraculously healed, but above all, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was preached in its purity, undented with denominational dogma or theology. Once again we have had the opportunity to see that God reveals Himself in simplicity. Brother John Mark Louse went to be with the Lord on February 26, 2015. He was 60 years old. He was survived by his wife and 12 children. This book presents to you a story of his life and some sermons he preached. It is our hope that through reading this testimony your heart will be stirred to earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the saints.
“Although he left to be with the Lord, his influence and legacy was not interred with his bones. It will live long in our memory, as a witness, that an Apostle came our way” – In Foreword by Bro. JAMES VEREMU
Introduction by Bro. ISAAC WONYIMA
Epilogue & Testimony by Bro. RICHARD GAN
Zimbabwe International Convention
Why did God step out of Eternity into Time? Why did he further give us his Son? Why didn’t he just remain ‘alone’ in Eternity? Some people go further to suggest that had God left things as they were (i.e. without creating the world) there would have never been evil and all the sufferings we go through! So, what really was God’s will or intention for all the drama we see in this world? Let us go on this intriguing journey of faith and behold the unfolding mystery of his will!
Note: This is a continuation of the series “Notes on Daniel“. To see preceding notes go to the “Sermons” button above, click and locate “Notes on Daniel“.
In 303 AD (the year the Edict Against the Christians was issued), after visiting Rome, the health of Diocletian broke down. He could not continue ruling. On 1st May, 305 AD he stepped down from power. He retired to his large spacious home in Dalmatia. He encouraged his deputy to also step down to let their two caesares rise to the rank of augustus. The joint abdication thus led to Constantius and Galerius becoming augusti for the western and eastern parts of the empire respectively. At this time it seemed obvious that Constantine, the son of Constantius who had been a right-hand man of Galerius and for which it had become certain that he was being groomed for rulership, would be appointed caesar. However, the unexpected happened: Galerius considered Constantine to be too ambitious and so bypassed him to appoint his nephew, Maximinus, as the new caesar in the eastern empire. Galerius went further to influence the outcome of who would become caesar in the west. He conspired to install a man called Severus instead of Maxentius, the son of Maximian the former augustus.
The maneuvers of Galerius were a dangerous plot which soon turned disastrous. The following year, in 306 AD, Constantius died and a power struggle ensued: the army proclaimed Constantine as their new augustus but Galerius promoted Caesar Severus of the West to the rank of augustus.
Down in the south Maxentius was declared emperor. This Maxentius also had North Africa under his control. It is important to note that these regions under the control of Maxentius supplied the Roman Empire with grain, a staple food, and thus the usurper controlled a region which was crucial for the food security of the empire.
Emperor Severus marched with the army to go and fight Maxentius. This army had previously been led by Maximian, Maxentius’ father. Maxentius managed to win the hearts of the commanders and soldiers and turned them against emperor Severus who got arrested and was forced to abdicate.
In 308 AD Diocletian and Maximian called for an emergency meeting at Carnuntum, a Roman fortress on River Danube, during which it was decided that Licinius be appointed as the new augustus of the West and Constantine be recognized as his caesar. Galerius remained as augustus and Maximinus as his caesar in the east. Maxentius was deemed an illegitimate ruler.
The council at Carnuntum did not produce the desired results: Constantine and Maximinus could not accept Licinius as their senior. The following year, in 309 AD, both Constantine and Maximinus had to be recognized as augusti. The empire now had four augusti!
Power struggles and civil wars continued in the coming years. However, with time, Constantine was rising to take over the whole empire. In 312 AD Constantine invaded Italy. The first battle was fought at Turin and Constantine had a resounding win against Maxentius’ forces. Another victory followed at Verona. The crucial struggle would occur on the Milvian Bridge over River Tiber.
The battle of the Milvian Bridge
This was not an ordinary battle; it changed the course of world history! According to Eusebius of Caesarea, an eye-witness historian of the 4th century, On 27th October, 312 AD, the day before the battle Constantine saw a vision of a cross in the sky and underneath it the words, “in hoc signo vinces” which means “in this sign, prevail”. Awaking from the vision Constantine needed no further explanation. The next morning he ordered the painting of the cross on the soldiers’ shields, to march into the war as Christian soldiers.
Maxentius and his army sabotaged the Milvian bridge to hinder their foes from crossing over. In case of defeat, they made a temporal bridge of boats which they could use to run over and retreat to Rome. However, in the heat of the battle which ensued, Maxentius and his army fled over the temporary bridge but which collapsed causing many, including Maxentius, to drown! The body of Maxentius was retrieved from the river and beheaded.
River Tiber
After the battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine committed himself to giving liberty to the Christians. He met with Emperor Licinius to confirm important political arrangements.
Artistic portrayal of the Battle of Milvian Bridge (Image created in 1666)
He believed that the Christian God had caused his victory. Britannica Encyclopedia notes:
Shortly after the defeat of Maxentius, Constantine met Licinius at Mediolanum (modern Milan) to confirm a number of political and dynastic arrangements. A product of this meeting has become known as the Edict of Milan, which extended toleration to the Christians and restored any personal and corporate property that had been confiscated during the persecution (Matthews and Nicol, 2019).
Constantine went further to do more than what was in the Edict of Milan. He became so devout to the cause of the Christian religion that he built Christians many structures and raised bishops to positions of power in society.
By 313 he had already donated to the bishop of Rome the imperial property of the Lateran, where a new cathedral, the Basilica Constantiniana (now San Giovanni in Laterano), soon rose. The church of St. Sebastian was also probably begun at this time, and it was in these early years of his reign that Constantine began issuing laws conveying upon the church and its clergy fiscal and legal privileges and immunities from civic burdens. As he said in a letter of 313 to the proconsul of Africa, the Christian clergy should not be distracted by secular offices from their religious duties “…for when they are free to render supreme service to the Divinity, it is evident that they confer great benefit upon the affairs of state” (ibid).
This was a big turn in history! By the year 313 AD the tetrarchy system was no more as there were only two rulers in the empire – Augustus Constantine in the West and Augustus Licinius in the East. In 324 AD a war broke out between the two halves of the empire in which Constantine emerged victorious. Constantine reunited the empire and established himself as the sole ruler.
Next: Rise of Papal Rome
Matthews, J.F. and Nicol, D.M. ( 2019). Constantine I. Britannica Encylopedia [Online]. Available from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Constantine-I-Roman-emperor#ref22045 [Accessed May 6, 2019].
This book is now available both in hard-copy and Kindle format on Amazon. We supply free copies to people who can’t afford to buy to help us cover printing and shipment costs.
There was a time when everything in creation revolved around the perfect will of God. Both the course of nature and human beings lived by God’s established laws. At that time everything was right and healthy. It was man, the only creature endowed with free will and given the privilege to rule over everything else on the planet, who in trying to venture out of the perfect will of the creator threw everything out of balance!
Through time the population of the world grew. As the moral compass of man became more ossified, wickedness increased. “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen.6:5). Almost all human beings had become vessels of evil and hence placed themselves on the path to death. God decided to bring everything to a halt. A flood was sent to destroy everything except righteous Noah and his family.
From the three children of Noah the world started being repopulated. Although evil still persisted in children of disobedience, the Lord God started a work among a people that came to be known as Israelites. Their eyes were opened to see the way that leads to life – “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc.12:13).
God made a covenant with the Israelites: they were not to pollute themselves with the vain practices of other races. They were thus forbidden to get mixed up with the customs and traditions of other nations. God was doing an important work in them which would ultimately become a light to other nations. Various ordinances were given to Israelites to teach them obedience. In the fullness of time, Christ came to fulfil all what those practices of the law had pointed to.
When the Lord Jesus paid the price of redemption all authority was given to him by the Father. When he resurrected he gathered all saints who had been held captive by death in Sheol unto himself. From being captives of death they were now held by the power of life: “When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive” and ascended to heaven with those Old Testament saints (Eph.4:8, Mat.27:52-53). The whole family of heaven was thus gathered in Christ and became named after him.
The Lord commanded his disciples saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Mat.28:18). All those on Earth who die to themselves and rise in the newness of life to live by his will, signified by water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Act.2:38), also become part of the family and are hence also gathered into Christ.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross he paid the price for redeeming the world. By that price the “power” which Satan had boasted of by saying “[it was] delivered unto me” (Luk.4:6) was now to be given back to the Redeemer, the “second man” or the “last Adam” which is the Lord Jesus Christ. By paying that price, all things – both the world of Gentiles and Jews – shall be restored. Like the Lord Jesus had proclaimed before his death, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die” (Joh.12:32).
Good news to the Gentiles
Now, it was unthinkable that one day Gentiles, the ‘unclean animals’, would be cleansed from their vanities. Apostle Peter was shocked when he saw that vision of unclean animals being offered to him to eat. “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean” he answered. But the vision spoke about a people that had never been part of the faith of the Jews. A people who were dirty with pagan beliefs and practices but now God would cleanse and graft them into the family tree.
When Peter was led to speak to a Gentile gathering he interpreted his vision to the people saying, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: he is Lord of all” (Act.10:34-36). Yes, even among the Gentiles there are those who would surrender and live by his will and hence call him Lord!
What Peter experienced had been signified in the time of Noah when both clean and unclean animals were gathered as one into the ark of safety. It was strange and unthinkable but through time Hebrew prophets had actually hinted to it (Gen.12:3, Isa.60:1,65:1-2, Psa.86:9-10, Rev.10:7).
As the Gospel of the resurrection of Christ spread in Israel the unexpected happened. Jews rejected the message of Salvation upon which Paul declared, “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves” (Act.28:28-29). Sad as this was, it was the working of God. He had determined a period of time during which he would only deal with the Gentiles – “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom.11:25).
The ultimate objective of this mystery of God is to bring everything under the headship of Christ: “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph.1:9-10, NIV). All that would come under this headship are those who willingly do so after perceiving the vanity of the world and the joy of living by his will. Yes, “that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [the Gentiles] also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye [the Gentiles] believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph.1:10-13).
Notice that “trust” or “faith” in God’s counsel stands at the centre of this mystery plan of God! It is important to know that the fall in Eden was caused by a desire to veer away from the perfect counsel of God. Veering away from the creator’s wisdom, which is the way of the Tree of Life (read Pro.3:18), has been responsible for all the troubles of the world, and the only way healing will come to the nations of the world is by getting restored to (and eating of) that tree. That healing will occur during the millennial reign of Christ. The counsel of his Word, through his chosen kings around the world, will heal the world of all the turmoil it has gone through. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”, apostle John narrated his vision, “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Rev.22:1-2).
Dearly beloved, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc.12:13-14). Amen.