I was opportune to watch the programme "Ready for Marriage" (R4M) which is organized by Muvi Television.
The idea is to lure prostitutes out of their brothels to live a decent life acceptable to the society by exposing their pasts and at the same time advertising them for marriage.
In all the appearances and confessions put up by these "former prostitutes" I was eager to see one that will inspire me like Rahab in Joshua chapters 2 to 6 who was also commended in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.
Though I did not see a Rahab among them, I will not be quick to conclude that the organizers' effort was a failure, but their idea would have truly serve the purpose if they had taken their time to read the Bible in order to discover the things that made Rahab what she later become.
The qualities that Rahab exhibited moved God creating room for the forgiveness of her sins and granting her the right to marry from a royal family.
As a Mass Communication student, I learnt over time that a feedback is always necessary the moment a message is passed.
The first lesson I learnt in a communication class is that the value of a message should not be judged in terms of its unanimous approval hence even rejection is a response.
The message that makes one to weep can equally inspire laughter in another.
Some people may mock at the same message that makes a simple majority of people to dance around, or even cause them to become sober.
No matter the result of any message, the important thing is that every response should ultimately assist the communicator in subsequent events, especially to better define the one audience to which that communicator may not have been sent.
In the Bible (Acts 13:46; 9:15), Paul did not turn to the Gentiles until he had been rejected by the Jews, even though the Gentiles, all the while, constituted the primary audience to which God had sent him.
The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear in the Bible that those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick (Luke 5:31).
In the time of old, there was a Canaanite tradition that confers some honour on prostitutes because they were often priestesses of the Canaanite religion.
Rahab was one of the famous prostitutes who owned brothels in the land.
It was not then clear why she questioned the authenticity and respect conferred on the gods of the Canaanites, whom she had been brought up to serve, until certain revelations were made of her.
She had her house placed on the city wall of Jericho which gave her the opportunity of hearing about the Israelites' God.
This discovery made her to rebel in her heart against the idols and powers of darkness that ruled her people.
She would have reasoned that if the gods of the world's capital power - Egypt - had been humiliated by the God of the Hebrews, then her allegiance to, and faith in the God of the Hebrews must be nurtured.
She must have as well prayed for herself and her father's house to be delivered, if the God of the Hebrews made Jericho the next target.
God had communicated through His actions and through other activities in the lives of His children, Israel.
The message was received in many ways by different people.
It caused joy to the Israelites; it was devastating to the Egyptians and it made Rahab sober.
As a result, she devised a means of delivering herself and her father's house.
She hid the Israelite spies from the king of Jericho.
This act of treason might be condemned, if it were not for the judgment of God against her wicked city.
Rahab considered the curse of God greater than the curse of man, so she aided these men.
Rahab was a rare gem - the prostitute that was rare on Muvi Television.
Typical of prostitutes, Rahab should have changed her mind on the spies for the fun of it or monetized the agreement pact.
Her open acknowledgement of God as One who is in heaven above and in the earth beneath distinguished her from the ordinary, simply as one who puts her trust in the Word of God - the record of God's mighty deeds and promises to Israel.
As a result, the Lord found her worthy to conceive and bring forth a child in the tribe of Judah, in the lineage of kingship, her Canaanite identity, notwithstanding.
Her story tells us that faith in the Person, power, attributes and greatness of God is what changes one's circumstances and alters one's fate.
Rahab's true repentance and determination to serve, the true and living God, caused God to forgive her past and give her a husband called Salmon from the tribe of Judah.
Like Rahab, I want to see lots of men and women with deplorable pasts turning to Jesus and finding husbands and wives in the kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Rahab's former life was never mentioned again in the Bible but her present (Matthew 1:5) because God does not keep record of people's pasts when He forgives.
You too can take a bold step NOW and come to JESUS so as to walk away FREE! The effort of the Muvi Television producers will be productive when the ultimate benefit is not material, but a sincere relationship with God.
May God open your eyes to behold what great things that awaits to who win and save souls in His name.
You can do it better!!!
The idea is to lure prostitutes out of their brothels to live a decent life acceptable to the society by exposing their pasts and at the same time advertising them for marriage.
In all the appearances and confessions put up by these "former prostitutes" I was eager to see one that will inspire me like Rahab in Joshua chapters 2 to 6 who was also commended in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.
Though I did not see a Rahab among them, I will not be quick to conclude that the organizers' effort was a failure, but their idea would have truly serve the purpose if they had taken their time to read the Bible in order to discover the things that made Rahab what she later become.
The qualities that Rahab exhibited moved God creating room for the forgiveness of her sins and granting her the right to marry from a royal family.
As a Mass Communication student, I learnt over time that a feedback is always necessary the moment a message is passed.
The first lesson I learnt in a communication class is that the value of a message should not be judged in terms of its unanimous approval hence even rejection is a response.
The message that makes one to weep can equally inspire laughter in another.
Some people may mock at the same message that makes a simple majority of people to dance around, or even cause them to become sober.
No matter the result of any message, the important thing is that every response should ultimately assist the communicator in subsequent events, especially to better define the one audience to which that communicator may not have been sent.
In the Bible (Acts 13:46; 9:15), Paul did not turn to the Gentiles until he had been rejected by the Jews, even though the Gentiles, all the while, constituted the primary audience to which God had sent him.
The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear in the Bible that those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick (Luke 5:31).
In the time of old, there was a Canaanite tradition that confers some honour on prostitutes because they were often priestesses of the Canaanite religion.
Rahab was one of the famous prostitutes who owned brothels in the land.
It was not then clear why she questioned the authenticity and respect conferred on the gods of the Canaanites, whom she had been brought up to serve, until certain revelations were made of her.
She had her house placed on the city wall of Jericho which gave her the opportunity of hearing about the Israelites' God.
This discovery made her to rebel in her heart against the idols and powers of darkness that ruled her people.
She would have reasoned that if the gods of the world's capital power - Egypt - had been humiliated by the God of the Hebrews, then her allegiance to, and faith in the God of the Hebrews must be nurtured.
She must have as well prayed for herself and her father's house to be delivered, if the God of the Hebrews made Jericho the next target.
God had communicated through His actions and through other activities in the lives of His children, Israel.
The message was received in many ways by different people.
It caused joy to the Israelites; it was devastating to the Egyptians and it made Rahab sober.
As a result, she devised a means of delivering herself and her father's house.
She hid the Israelite spies from the king of Jericho.
This act of treason might be condemned, if it were not for the judgment of God against her wicked city.
Rahab considered the curse of God greater than the curse of man, so she aided these men.
Rahab was a rare gem - the prostitute that was rare on Muvi Television.
Typical of prostitutes, Rahab should have changed her mind on the spies for the fun of it or monetized the agreement pact.
Her open acknowledgement of God as One who is in heaven above and in the earth beneath distinguished her from the ordinary, simply as one who puts her trust in the Word of God - the record of God's mighty deeds and promises to Israel.
As a result, the Lord found her worthy to conceive and bring forth a child in the tribe of Judah, in the lineage of kingship, her Canaanite identity, notwithstanding.
Her story tells us that faith in the Person, power, attributes and greatness of God is what changes one's circumstances and alters one's fate.
Rahab's true repentance and determination to serve, the true and living God, caused God to forgive her past and give her a husband called Salmon from the tribe of Judah.
Like Rahab, I want to see lots of men and women with deplorable pasts turning to Jesus and finding husbands and wives in the kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Rahab's former life was never mentioned again in the Bible but her present (Matthew 1:5) because God does not keep record of people's pasts when He forgives.
You too can take a bold step NOW and come to JESUS so as to walk away FREE! The effort of the Muvi Television producers will be productive when the ultimate benefit is not material, but a sincere relationship with God.
May God open your eyes to behold what great things that awaits to who win and save souls in His name.
You can do it better!!!