Tag Archives: TARIF

Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for their Ageing Parents (Part 2)

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In a now-deleted Tiktok rant, Elsa Majimbo roared to one of her parents: “I was born, I was raised, I grew up, now you’re asking me for money – you lazy [expletive]. I’m not feeding your habits.”

This is how some African adults feel today. They rage at the thought of supporting their parents, especially if it’s a delinquent Dad or Mom. 

What should be the realistic expectations for adult children in caring for their parents? This is a common conundrum in Africa, where fathers and mothers often insist that their children finance them until death. But it’s not only about money. How should children interact with their parents’ transgressions?

Continue reading →

The State of Society is the Résumé of the Church

Posted on by
Reply

–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The Chaos is the Mission Field

In the wake of unravelling chaos—ethnic hatred, the murder of the unborn (and farmers), theft, overdependence on foreign aid, envy and entitlement, high costs of living, corruption, and failed leadership—one force alone can turn the tide: the church’s repentance.

The New Testament does not describe the church as fragile but as powerful. It is the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13), the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25–27), the ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), the sons of God (Eph. 1:5), and the heirs of the kingdom (Eph. 3:6). These are not mere embellishments but declarations rooted in Christ’s triumphant work. The church is not meant to scrape and plead for influence—it is assured in faithfulness to Christ, not as a reward for ambition but as the inevitable fruit of our calling.

Continue reading →

How Should South Africa Respond to American Sanctions?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In 1662, Jan van Riebeeck and the first Dutch settlers arrived at South Africa’s Table Mountain. By the 1830s the descendants of their Dutch forebears, called Afrikaners, had tired of British rule and friction with the Xhosa. With pastoral life becoming harder to achieve and the broad hinterland increasingly tempting, Louis Trichardt and the trekboers began the Great Trek inland in 1837. 

Since then, the Afrikaner has waged many battles, played both vanquished and victor, imposed her fair share of prejudiced legislation, borne the loss of power, shifted from oppressor to oppressed, and resettled to Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and every corner of the globe. Yet, South Africa has remained her treasured habitation.

Just under 200 years separated the van Riebeeck landing and the first exodus. Now, another two centuries demarcate today from the first wagon wheels rolling north. The question arises: Is 2025 the year of another massive Afrikaner departure from their beloved South Africa?

Continue reading →

Is Witchcraft Real? 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In December 2024 near Kwa Zulu Natal, a man admitted to a terrible crime. The life of Zandile Kumalo was taken, horrifically documented, and then spread on social media. A reporter far away in Limpopo raised the question of witchcraft in connection with this vile string of events. Enos Magwabeni interviewed a witch doctor (name unpublished, hereafter WD), called a traditional healer by those trying to dignify the sad and dark ways of heathenism, and their exchange discussing the December murder of Zandile by Sibusiso was published in the Limpopo Mirror 17 January 2025 (article not archived online). 

Continue reading →

Six Ways to Shame Your Mother

Posted on by
1

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

A Puritan once said that some parents, like Eli, bring up their children, to bring down their house. In other words, some parents, like Eli, just don’t know how to parent and they pay the price. 

Proverbs 10:1 says: “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”

This got me thinking. Where are the best and worst places in the world to be a mom? Global Citizen says it’s Somalia because over 5% of the mothers die of maternal-related complications and 15% of the children don’t make it to their fifth birthday. 

Continue reading →

Are ‘Points of Contact’ Biblical?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Pastor Paseka ‘Mboro’ of South Africa continues to fill the headlines. For years he’s drawn criticism for driving luxury vehicles in a poor neighborhood, claiming bizarre healing ability or, most recently, facing assault and kidnapping charges. But his run-ins with the law are far less concerning than his aberrant theology. 

In a clip from Reggie Yates entitled “Extreme South Africa: The Missionary Preacher”, Mboro insists his parishioners bring underwear to church so that he may bless their “vuvuzelas” and “biscuits”, euphemisms for the male and female reproductive organs. 

Mboro uses common prosperity tactics, in this case “points of contact”, in which the congregants’ undergarments serve as the conduit through which his supposed miraculous power will flow. Is this biblical?

Continue reading →

Are Same-Sex Desires Sinful?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Storms are brewing in the African church over homosexuality. The United Methodists in Africa now welcome LGBTQ+ members, though Methodists in countries like Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe have protested. The 2025 Cape Town Pride Parade expects another big turnout, even while the Anglican Church of Southern Africa has voted against blessing same-sex couples.

“UNNATURAL” IN ROMANS 1

Romans 1:26 uses the word “unnatural” to describe romantic, same-sex attraction because this desire contradicts the original condition. “Unnatural” means contrary to the factory settings God installed at birth, such as a person’s sex.  

Continue reading →

From Kings to Courts: Does the Bible Support Any Government System?

Posted on by
Reply

–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The recent riots in Kenya is another example of the weakness of governments in Africa. The failure of governments in Africa regularly make the news. Whether it is corruption, neglect, incompetence, or outright scandal, Africans long for better governments. But what makes for good government, according to Scripture?

Government is meant to serve the good of its people. As Romans 13:4 puts it, “The civil authority is God’s servant for your good.” But what does this actually look like? What should government protect and promote, and what principles should guide its structure? 

Continue reading →

Did You Cross Over into the New Year?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The beginning of each year is always an interesting time for the observer or onlooker. After the excitement of the festivities passes and the increase of unwanted kilograms dawns upon us, then comes the time for ‘declaring & decreeing’, ‘overnight cross-overs’ and ‘40 days of prayer and fasting’. This has become a ritual in Africa. Many of the adherents of Pentecostal/Charismatic theology prioritise attending the cross-over services which their churches hold on the last day of each year, into the dawn of the New Year. 

Continue reading →

The Two Worlds in Africa

Posted on by
1

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Of the 80 members in the South African Tsonga churches, 15 members have full time jobs. Several of those 15 are informal jobs such as cleaning houses or selling snacks to school children, meaning that the pay is less than R2,000 ($110) per month or R66 ($3.70) per day. One man told me that he is 100% satisfied with the job he has had for a year because it pays R4,500 ($250) per month. Other members work from time to time doing hair, building, or cleaning when part time work presents itself. 

But that should be compared with a friend in Johannesburg South Africa who told me that it would be hard for a family to live with less than R30,000 ($1,666) per month. How could it be hard to live with 10 times more than other Christians are making? 

Continue reading →

Nigeria, a Muslim Catechism and a Boise State Linebacker

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world to follow Jesus. Militant Muslims hunt Christians there the way a lion stalks a wounded gazelle. 

According to the Open Doors Watch List, North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians, but Nigeria is the most deadly. In 2023, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed worldwide (that’s thirteen murdered a day) and 90% of these martyrdoms happened in Nigeria. More Christians are killed in Nigeria than all other nations combined, most often by Islamist jihadist groups like Boko Haram. 

Continue reading →

Sown, Grown, Blown, Mown, Gone 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Every hour, over 300 people in Nigeria die. That’s five people every minute. This is more deaths per hour than any country in Africa and fourth highest in the world. China is first, at 1,300 deaths per hour, followed by India (over 1,000) and the U.S. (340). 

The hundreds of Nigerians that pass into eternity every hour remind us of the brevity of life, as do life expectancy rates around the world, especially in Africa. Though numbers are on the rise compared to just a few decades ago, when life expectancy in Africa was 36 years old in 1950 (compared to 64 years old today), modern life expectancy is minuscule compared to the earth’s earliest days when Adam lived for 930 years and Methuselah died at 969. Enoch went to heaven as a young pup at age 365, but only because the Lord took him away before tasting death.

Continue reading →

The Best of Between Two Cultures: 2024

Posted on by
Reply

Based on traffic, here are the most popular articles from 2024. 

  1. When Are Two People Really Married?
  2. Review: Engenas Lekganyane and the Early ZCC
  3. What Bill Gates, Spurgeon, and Muslims Teach Us About Bible Memory
  4. Am I Gay?
  5. How Long Was the Ark of the Covenant at Abinidab’s House?
  6. A Dozen Practical Ways to Evangelize
  7. Seven Ways a Husband Should Protect His Wife
  8. The Christian and the Bride Price (1): What is Lobola?
  9. Kenya’s Eco-Tax Revolt: A Christian Response
  10. Ancestor Worship in the Church

Bringing Biblical Balance To A Climate Of Extremes

Posted on by
Reply

–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

One of the constants in the news is climate change. I began studying and following the issue 20 years ago when it was called “Global Warming.” When the earth wasn’t heating up fast enough, the name was suddenly changed to the more general and easily exploitable “Climate Change.” 

The South African government recently applauded the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) for committing 300 billion US dollars annually by 2035 to developing economies. This agreement also allows development banks to provide 1.3 trillion dollars annually in loans for climate financing. With this much money available, it is easy to see why the SA government applauds COP29. 

Continue reading →

A Christian Perspective on Male Circumcision Schools

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Male circumcision schools are as common throughout sub-Saharan Africa as they are dangerous. Recently in Zambia, for example, forty-eight boys were rescued from a circumcision school after parents complained that their children had been abducted. In Malawi among the Yawo people, this rite of passage is called jando, marking a new era of sexual freedom.

Among the Tsongas in South Africa, it is called madlala. I have watched nearly two decades worth of coming home ceremonies, including the days I lived at the chief’s kraal when the boys were met with cheers from the community and dances from hordes of topless women. The father of a strong young Christian in our church tricked his son by capturing him in a vehicle and forcing him to attend the school. 

While differences in this practice vary widely between tribes and countries, I’d like to give a broad biblical perspective on male circumcision schools. 

Continue reading →

How Merry Should Your Christmas Be? A Christian View of Drinking 

Posted on by
Reply

–– David de Bruyn & Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The holiday season is fast approaching, with all of its blessings but also its dangers – of which one of the most notorious and widespread is the abuse of alcohol.  It was more common in my father’s generation for Christians to stand firm and swim upstream as teetotallers who abstained from alcohol.  But in our day, a trendy ‘Young, Restless & Reformed’ generation has arisen and at times foolishly flaunted their liberties in an effort to be more contextualised and hip with the culture.  A hyper-grace (antinomian) mood has fallen on the modern church and calls a “legalist” anyone who makes you uncomfortable in their zeal for holiness.

Continue reading →

Concern Over Christianity’s ‘Growth’ in Africa—5 Common Marks of Rural Churches 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In war, the most important news and updates concern the conflict. The great reality beyond all others in Africa is the spiritual war where gazing angels are dazzled by the grace they see when true believers meet (Eph. 3:10). As we evaluate African churches, in this struggle over the souls of men some would say that Christianity in Africa is growing. But what is the nature of that Christianity? Should all of the growth be celebrated? Should missionaries pack up and be directed to other shores in this great battle? As one foot-soldier in the trenches on the Tsonga and Venda front in the northern part of South Africa, I report today on five marks that I have seen over and over in churches that use an African language. 

Continue reading →

For Richer or Poorer? Thoughts on Formal and Informal Prenuptial Agreements

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In South Africa, as in many countries around the world, there are two kinds of marital regimes: “in community of property” or “out of community of property”, the latter of which usually takes the form of a prenuptial agreement. We’ll argue in this article that both formal and informal prenuptial agreements are inappropriate for Christians.

Two Marriage Regimes

“In community of property” means that all the assets and liabilities collected by either spouse before or during the marriage become jointly owned. This means that if Sally comes to the marriage with six figures of student loan debt, her husband, Steve, will incur this financial obligation. If Joseph blows the family savings at the horse races or increases his financial portfolio by 500%, Mary his wife of 30 years feels the pain or pleasure of his decisions. 

Continue reading →

Busted for Selling A Baby—The Reason These Women Did the Unthinkable

Posted on by
Reply

–– Yamikani Katunga

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The Sale of A Baby

With Black Friday upon us once again, nothing could prepare Zimbabweans for the darkness of the headline detailing the twisted trio of a 16-year-old mother along with her mother and another woman engaging in a sadistic sales agreement. The teen and her mother, Evelyn, appeared in court having been charged with human trafficking for selling her infant for 180 USD. The buyer is a woman named Tore who had apparently been plagued with miscarriages, and upon connecting with Evelyn on Whatsapp opportunism ensued. Rather than abort the seven-month-old pregnancy they conspired with a nurse, induced premature labour, faked a death certificate, and conducted the sale. Only to be ousted by a tip-off nine months after the baby’s birth. 

Upon hearing such a bizarre chain of events, many will rightly ask, what could cause such heinous plots in the hearts of men?

Here are three possible reasons to help understand why this mother would sell her baby. 

Continue reading →

Climate Cults and Cash Cows: Green Policies That Starve Nations While Feeding False Narratives

Posted on by
Reply

–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Rumor has it that carbon emissions have boldly escaped the grip of God, as though the Almighty misplaced His sovereignty. Further whispers suggest that winds and waves now answer to climate scientists and global summits rather than their Creator, while trillions of dollars and human ingenuity scramble to fill the supposed vacuum in divine governance. In this narrative, God is relegated to a footnote: powerless, apathetic, or perhaps altogether absent. The cosmos, once orchestrated by His will, is now a tempest to be both feared and appeased. Humanity, formerly bearing His image, must clean up the mess of its own rebellion, while divine promises are relegated to myth.

If God is dead—and the alarmists’ gospel tacitly preaches this—then, by all means, let us fear. Fear that the sky might fall, the poles might melt, or the oceans might consume us. Fear is the natural religion of a world that denies its Creator. Those who do not fear God will inevitably fear everything else.

Continue reading →

Decades of Depravity: What to Learn from Smyth’s Sexual Scandal

Posted on by
Reply

–– Richard Peskett

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

It has been well said that “time and truth go hand in hand.”  The Lord Jesus said, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

John Smyth served as a leader in Christian youth camps in the UK for many years. But he misused his position and violently abused many boys. When his behaviour was brought to light in 1982, he fled to Zimbabwe, where, in 1986, he founded a Christian youth organisation called Zambesi Ministries. Again he subjected boys to appalling abuse. This too eventually came to light, and so he moved with his family to South Africa in 2001. He died in Cape Town in 2018.

What is the relevance of this today? Well, it was this past week that the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, commented on what had happened. He bemoaned the neglect of the church. He said that the Anglican church had failed to protect congregants from abuse. Leaders in the Anglican communion are seeking ways to prevent such grievous events from happening again.

What can we learn from these tragic events? Here are three lessons.

Continue reading →

What Does A Trump Win Mean for Christians in Africa?

Posted on by
1

–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Donald Trump is a divisive figure. Reactions to his victory in the U.S. Presidential election are usually polarised: some seem to celebrate it, and others appear to mourn it. But what will a Donald Trump presidency mean for Africa, and for Christians in Africa in general?

Some have pointed out that many American Christians voted for Donald Trump not for what he was, but for what he was not. In the last four years, the Democratic Party has pushed further left, endorsing and promoting aggressively progressive agendas. These include a radically pro-abortion stance, the promotion and protection of transgenderism in sport, public life and even in families, an anti-Israel stance and a tolerance of incipient anti-semitism. The Biden Administration’s attitude towards the border and immigrants revealed a hostility towards national sovereignty and a friendliness towards globalism.

Continue reading →

Whatever Happened To The Lord’s Day

Posted on by
2

–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In the Southern African country of Zimbabwe, Harare lies as a rapidly growing capital city that is bursting at the seams. Many years ago the population was officially estimated at 2 million. A few more censuses have been taken since then, but it is hard to come up with the true figure as the Government of the land is inadequately resourced to effectively carry out a successful census of the people of Harare, not to mention Zimbabwe! The population is something to behold, especially on Sundays. Yes, that’s correct, on Sundays! 

Normally, weekdays in big cities are characterised by the hooting of cars and the calling out of touts who are either selling oranges and apples or directing the masses to their ‘ride home’. The CBD sounds like a symphony of migrating bees, there isn’t much space to maneuver and everyone is in a rush to get somewhere. Sadly, this too is the status quo of Harare on a Sunday. When the rest of us are coming from gathering with the Lord’s people, the CBD is busier than ever. I could be accused of making sweeping statements or judging wrongly, but based on what has been happening on the ground, the hoards of Hararians are not coming from church, but are trading! In other words, for many people, the best day to go for any sort of shopping is a Sunday. 

I suggest two possible contributing factors for this: 

Continue reading →

Unequally Yoked in Business

Posted on by
Reply

–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

‘Pastor, should I start a business with an unbeliever?  Would it be wise for me to partner with this person or not?’  I’ve been asked this question many times, and I believe the Bible has answers.  

Right now in South Africa, about 29% of the workforce is self-employed.  Over 80% of South Africans believe entrepreneurship is a good career path, and there is a growing interest in starting new businesses, despite economic hurdles.  But for the believer, the first question must not be, ‘How much money will I make?  Will it succeed or not?’  

Christian decision-making always begins with, ‘What does God’s Word say about this?  What will be most pleasing to my Lord?’  To answer this question in relation to business partnerships, let’s ask three questions:  (1) What does it mean to be unequally yoked?; (2) How does that differ with employment?; (3) Will this partnership compromise my Christian witness?

Continue reading →

11 Wives and a Fiancée Half His Age — What It Means to Hold Marriage in Honor

Posted on by
Reply

–– Gideon Mpeni

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The monarch of Eswatini, King Mswati III, made headlines last month as he engaged Nomcebo Zuma, the 21-year-old daughter of South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma. The engagement was made official at the end of the eight-day reed dance ceremony—a traditional rite of passage for young women and girls held every year.

“The 56-year-old monarch is currently in a polygamous arrangement with 11 wives – and has been married 15 times in total.” What we see here is an entire kingdom whose cultures and traditions violate God’s Word, here we see how they have fine ways of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish their traditions, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day (Mark 7:9). 

Continue reading →

A Biblical Answer To South Africa’s Murder Epidemic

Posted on by
1

–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Just a few weeks ago, 18 people were massacred in cold blood in the Eastern Cape. In all, 15 women and 3 men were senselessly slaughtered for reasons still unknown. Here in the Cape, 7 people were gunned down last week in Bishop Lavis in what looks like a gang-style murder. The day before the Bishop Lavis tragedy, 5 people were murdered in Atlantis on the west coast north of Cape Town. Sadly, those headlines have already evaporated in the minds of most due to the everyday occurrence of homicide in South Africa. Murder is so common now that most are hardened to this loss of human life. 

Continue reading →

The Breakdown of the Family in Africa: A Christian Perspective on Migration, Marriage, and Parenting 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Jonathan Klimek

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The African continent is grappling with a significant challenge: the breakdown of the family unit. Economic necessity is a key driver of this issue, which compels many individuals to leave their home countries in search of work, particularly in South Africa, now a major destination for migrant workers. Although the financial support sent back home offers some relief, the long-term absence of parents and spouses creates deep and lasting fractures within families. This article explores the roots of this crisis, its devastating consequences, and how the Bible can inform our response.

Continue reading →

The Africanisation of Theology: Rightly Handling the Word within the African Context  

Posted on by
Reply

–– Warrick Jubber

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Earlier this year, the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa launched a new academic journal titled “African Christian Theology.” According to the website, the journal promotes Christian perspectives “through deep engagement with African contextual realities.” This is but the latest in a great effort to “Africanise” Christianity. Various books and journals promote so-called African Christian theology, African Christian ethics, African expository preaching, African pastoral care, and African hermeneutics. 

This raises the critical issue that confronts the African theologian of how to interpret and apply the Word of God within the African context. Some may assume this to be an issue that is limited to the academicians, but since “everyone’s a theologian” as R.C. Sproul rightly reminds us, it is an issue relevant to every believer on the African continent. 

Continue reading →

Africa’s Love Affair with Tyranny: How the Civil Government Became Africa’s Favorite Idol

Posted on by
Reply

–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Africa is a continent intimately acquainted with tyrannical regimes. For much of the last century, several African nations have hosted dictatorships like ill-mannered houseguests who refuse to leave—resulting in over 220 military coups, with 109 successful ones. Political chaos is as much a staple in African governance as bureaucratic red tape is in Western democracies. The results? Violence, censorship, corruption, towering national debt, and economic collapse. It’s the kind of grim reality that would make even a dystopian novelist throw in the towel. Yet, remarkably, many of the continent’s citizens, though crushed under the tyrant’s boot, seem to have taken this abuse as a badge of honor, treating it almost like a national pastime. In many ways, their oppression is self-inflicted.

Continue reading →

On Parenting: Are You Bribing Your Way Through?

Posted on by
1

–– Malamulo Chindongo

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Not long ago, I was sitting in an airport when a family of four appeared. The little boy, who seemed about five, was having a meltdown I’d heard many times before. His mother was doing all she could to calm him down, but nothing worked. In just a few minutes, I witnessed a parade of bribes being offered to the child, all of which he flatly ignored. First, an iPad with his favourite cartoon was tossed in his direction, but to the surprise of his parents, he refused it. His screams echoed through the terminal. Next, his favourite candy was suggested, but that didn’t work either. I couldn’t help but notice the father—though very present—had mentally checked out, preferring to watch the chaos unfold rather than intervene.

Continue reading →