The 2017 Zambian Reformed Conferences (plural because there are two conferences running in parallel but being united in the evening sessions) are being held at the Dream Valley Lodge in Lusaka from Monday 21st to Friday25th August. This is the 28th year of these conferences but only the second to be held at this venue. And what a venue! There are few places in Lusaka where you can have a conference while seeing Kudus and Zebras roaming freely around.
The conference began promptly at 18.30 hours as scheduled with the singing of “Jesus paid it all”. Charles Bota, the conference organizing committee chairman, led the meeting.
“Yours truly”, on behalf of Pastor
Ronald Kalifungwa who chairs the inter-church elders meetings that host this
conference, welcomed all who were present. Countries already present were
America, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda,
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Attendees from Tanzania and Malawi were still on the way. Also, all the provinces of Zambia, except for Northern
Province, were represented.
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| Charles Bota, conference organizing committee chairman, leading the meeting |
Pastor Kayombo went on to say that Paul
did not tell Timothy to bind heretics or the devil. Rather, he commended to him
Sola Scriptura. Paul urged Timothy to continue in the Scriptures that he had
learned from childhood. Which Scriptures was he referring to? He argued that it
was both the Old and New Testament (e.g. 1 Timothy 5, 1 Peter 3:14–15). Then he
expounded 2 Timothy 3:16–17. He spoke about...
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| Pastor Ndonji Kayombo preaching on the first night of the conference |
The origin of the Scriptures—The source is God and he gave them to us through inspiration.
The offer of the Scriptures—They are
profitable/useful. They are doctrinally useful (doctrine and reproof, i.e.
teaching and detecting error) and they are practically useful (correction and
training, i.e. straightening and nurturing).
The objective of the Scriptures—They
equip us adequately for service as men of God.
The operations of the Scriptures—They
produce in us good works that glorify God.
In application Pastor Kayombo said—(1)
We have a heritage we must preserve. Unless we see the Reformed disinctives
from the Scriptures for ourselves we will soon lose them. (2) We have
everything we need to know about life and godliness in the Scriptures. (3) We
need to validate the sufficiency of Scripture by humbly submitting to the
Scriptures in all areas including our homes and in the church, and (4) We will
stand before God in judgment to account for the way we have used the
Scriptures.
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| Part of the congregation on the first night of the conference |
That was how the first day ended. I have been reliably informed that Facebook Live was used to share the conference sermon on the Internet. The same will be done tomorrow (Tuesday) onwards. If you want to be part of the conference, check on the Biblical Christianity Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/KBCBiblicalChristianity/?ref=br_rs)
