Serene Truth Resource

Serene Truth Resource

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Serene Truth Resource episodes

  • the kingdom of God is like​.​.​.​a treasure.

    All over the Bible The theme: The Kingdom of God is like... summarizes God's eternal and Sovereign rule over all creation and the entire universe.
    Psalm 103:19 "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all," this we know.
    Join me as we journey through The Kingdom of God is like… series, focusing on the various aspects of God's reign.


    Matthew 13:44 ESV
    The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
    The treasure
    Our truest treasure is Jesus Christ, who meets our every and greatest need. This kind of treasure goes beyond all earthly perishable treasures and surpasses in value all earthly possessions. And in Christ all other wondrous and bountiful gifts are our portion if we look to Him. For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace(John 1:16). It can also be said that the treasure itself is the Kingdom of Heaven inherited by faith in Christ granted by the Holy Spirit. And through this faith in Christ other gifts of eternal life, the righteousness of God and wisdom and knowledge are granted.
    Colossians 2:3 ESV
    In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
    The field; hidden
    The message of the cross is entirely hidden from they that are lost, who are blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Sermon after sermon heard Sunday after Sunday, yet fallen on deaf ears until such a time when a light is shone to give light of the knowledge of God’s glory (2 Corinthians 4: 6). This treasure is hidden in the scriptures. One might call this a hiding in plain sight.If we are to seek the LORD, we will find Him when we seek with all our hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). Those who search within God’s Word would find it. Whoever will, let him come, and search the scriptures; let him dig in this field
    Proverbs 2:4-5
    If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
    Which the man found and hid again
    This does not mean he conceals it from the World, rather he takes this wonderful treasure, and places it in his heart with careful consideration that it would not be taken away from him
    Psalm 119 : 11
    I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
    The joy of found treasure
    Property laws would indicate that the man having bought the field would then be the rightful owner of that hidden treasure and in that way, rightfully inherit it.
    The redemption that lies in the gospel brings great joy to the wretched soul. Joy unlike any other. To sell all possessions and buy a field speaks volumes of the great value. This field is worth giving up all that we own- Christ is worth forsaking all Worldly pleasures for. It is of no good to gain the whole world yet lose this treasure. Those who wish to inherit the kingdom of heaven and all it’s benefits must part with all their sin, self righteousness and lawlessness.
    ©2023 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records.

    5 min
  • Easter Series | Easter Sunday: The Resurrection - Up from the Grave

    2023 Easter Series


    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    1 Corinthians 15:17
    And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins…
    The details surrounding the Resurrection were so carefully crafted that they are difficult to refute. Nevertheless the World scoffs at this truth, despite the indisputable historical and biblical evidence.
    A Case for the resurrection
    The most notable evidence for the resurrection is that the scriptures reveal an empty tomb; there was no body and the stone had been rolled away ( John 20:2). Historically, no one has ever refuted that the tomb was indeed empty. Even those that desired to suppress this truth by lying that the disciples had stolen His body were not successful in it (Matthew 28: 12-13). How could the fearful disciples have gained access to the heavily guarded tomb belonging to a prominent member of the Jewish council?
    Moreover, eye witness statements have survived years of scrutiny and more so persecution. They saw Him. First the women, and then the disciples and then over 500 people ( 1 Corinthians 15:6). They even felt the print made by the nails that drove through His hand (John 20:27). They touched Him (Luke 24 :39). Of what benefit would it have been for the disciples to have suffered persecution over a lie? Where did such boldness to persevere in the face of danger come from? Even after seeing that the penalty for their faithfulness would most certainly be death. Stephen was stoned, James died by sword, Peter was crucified and Paul was decapitated.
    Why is this resurrection important?
    If Christ had not been raised then we have no hope beyond the grave. If He had not been raised all of our best days would be lived only on this earth, with all it’s sorrows and groanings. Imagine that. To have no eternal glory to look forward to. Because of His resurrection we can say with assurance that He has overcome the World- that He has overcome death and death is not final. The grave is not final.
    Romans 6:9
    We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.
    In addition, Jesus rising from the dead confirmed that indeed He is the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and by this resurrection the Christian is declared justified. And it is this that we believe that all those who have died believing in Christ will be raised again at the coming of our LORD (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The hope has been given, and so has the condition to partake in this hope. That one must repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ, the hope for all Humanity, the Son of God who died on the Cross and rose again.
    Up from the grave He arose
    With a mighty triumph o’er His foes
    He arose a victor from the dark domain
    And He lives forever with HIs saints to reign
    He arose! He arose!
    Hallelujah! Christ arose!
    ©2023 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. All rights reserved.

    6 min
  • Easter Series | Holy Saturday: The Waiting

    2023 Easter Series

    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    Luke 23:55 | ESV
    Then he took it down and wrapped it in linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb  and how His body was laid.The Waiting
    We are told little about the events between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. What we do know is that a man named Joseph of Arimathea, “a good and righteous man”, a member of the Sanhedrin who did not approve of what had occurred and was looking for the Kingdom of God, asked for the body of Jesus. The burial style of the tomb was one of honour usually reserved for the wealthy and prominent people. It is also said that the women who had travelled with Jesus saw the tomb where His body lay and intended to return the following day, the day after the Sabbath, with spices  and ointments to control the smell of decay and honour Christ’s body. An act that showed indeed that they did not believe Jesus would rise from the dead.
    One would imagine the sorrow that filled their hearts and perhaps the confusion that lay deep within as they waited on the Sabbath. Jesus Christ told them that the Son of man would be raised from the dead and yet they did not understand this. A lament could have been offered in that moment of darkness and despair. The enemy appeared to have won. The promised Messiah had been slain. And together with him, all the Hope they had could have been buried. And yet again, like Him, that same hope would rise with His resurrection.
    We can refer to Holy Saturday as a day of silence. Of stillness. Of waiting. More specifically waiting upon the LORD. Waiting for his promises to be fulfilled. Though unlike the disciples who waited with fear and despair, we must wait with hope for we know that God’s promises come to pass. The journey from the crucifixion to His resurrection cannot be told without the day of stillness. For it is after that day that Christ’s power through His resurrection is shone. 
    Low in the grave He lay
    Jesus my Saviour
    Waiting the coming day
    Jesus my LORD.

    ©2023 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. All rights reserved.

    4 min
  • Easter Series | Good Friday: Where is the good?

    2023 Easter Series

    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

    He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
    The puzzling nature of the word “good.” 
    One would expect that a day such as this would in the very least be labelled “bad”. Where is the good in Good Friday? Is it in the betrayal of Jesus (John 18:2-6)? Is it in the way Peter denies Jesus (Mark 14: 53-54, 66-72)?  Does it take its root from the way the soldier’s mock Jesus and cast lots for his garments? Or is it in those nails that pierced through our Saviour’s skin.
    A crucifixion was considered the most humiliating of deaths. Reserved specifically for the worst of criminals. Christ was given a crown of thorns, beaten and mocked. And His death on the cross likely came by asphyxiation or suffocation. Why was the sinless Saviour meant to suffer the penalty for crimes he did not commit by such a gruesome death? And to top it all off He felt God’s abandonment as He turned His face away from His only Son who hung on that cross bearing the full weight of humanity’s sin and God’s wrath for it. The wages of sin is death.
    But again you ask, where is the good?
    Romans 5:8 (ESV)
    But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
    Where else could greater love be found than on that rugged cross? The sinless lamb of God bore the wrath meant for us upon Himself, that we might be reconciled to God. The debt has been paid once for all. The good is in this sacrifice that was made for undeserving people who have done nothing to warrant such pure love.
    D.A. Carson wrote, “It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was His unqualified, resolution, out of love for His Father to do his Father’s will- and it was His love for sinners like me” 
    Your cross O LORD  taught me to see
    That though I fail you every day
    Your steadfast love will not fail me
    But gladly bears my sins away


    ©2023 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. All rights reserved.

    4 min
  • the kingdom of God is like​.​.​.a man who casts seed upon the soil.

    All over the Bible The theme: The Kingdom of God is like... summarizes God's eternal and Sovereign rule over all creation and the entire universe.

    Psalm 103:19 "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all," this we know.

    Join me as we journey through The Kingdom of God is like… series, focusing on the various aspects of God's reign.


    …a man who casts seed upon the soil.


    Mark 4:26-29

    And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

    Scripture shows Jesus giving a total of 4 parables of farmers and farming techniques showing that he was familiar with it. For the experienced farmer, a short description of the process would be as follows: The ground would first be prepped and ploughed upon usually after the first rain (Deuteronomy 11:13-17). If the rains did not come the ground would not be soft enough for the plough blade to break through. Next came the sowing of seeds. On a smaller scale, the farmer would walk along furrowed land, throwing seeds onto the ploughed land from a bag clinging to his side. Seed that was cast upon “good soil” and watered upon by an abundant source of water such as rain sprouted. And from those seeds came grain ready to be reaped by a sickle held in one hand and the stalk of the crop held in another. With one swipe of the blade the grain would be cut at the shaft, bundled and transported to the threshing area making the harvesting process complete.

    Growth and sanctification is of God

    A ready and willing heart to receive God’s teaching are the workings of the Holy Spirit upon hardened flesh in the same way the rain softens the ground for the ploughing and seeds; providing the necessities for the Word of God to bear fruit in one’s life. And when that heart of the wretched sinner comes into contact with the seed, that is, he hears of the gospel, he is immediately transformed. The word he receives bears all fruit. The sinner is renewed. And neither man nor woman can explain the mystery of how this change has been brought about. It is of God and no man can take credit for the salvation of any believer. Ours is to echo the words of Paul as he says “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”

    It is true that not all sowing can be successful as in Mark 4:4-7. But again I say, it is of God. He decides what seed will bear fruit.

    Lastly, this change that is not of man’s own doing is also not of his sustaining. For it is only God who saved you who can keep you and continue to sanctify you to present you to Himself. In the same way that he preserves the crop until the time of harvest.

    1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24

    “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ”

    6 min
  • Easter Series: Easter Sunday // The Grave is Empty.

    2022 Easter Series: Easter Sunday


    Title: The Grave is Empty.

    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    Recorded at Depen8 Studio, Ndola.

    Vocals arranged, mixed and mastered by nathan musonda of Depen8 Studio (Forthwith Record).

    Instrumental by Yoni Charis.


    Content licensed under Serene Truth Resource.


    ©2022 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. 

    All rights reserved.

    5 min
  • Easter Series: Holy Saturday // In the Silence & Waiting

    2022 Easter Series: Holy Saturday


    Title: In the Silence & Waiting

    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    Recorded at Depen8 Studio, Ndola.

    Vocals arranged, mixed and mastered by nathan musonda of Depen8 Studio (Forthwith Record).

    Instrumental by Yoni Charis.


    Content licensed under Serene Truth Resource.


    ©2022 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. 

    All rights reserved.

    4 min
  • Easter Series: Good Friday // The “Good” of the Cross.

    2022 Easter Series: Good Friday


    Title: The “Good” of the Cross.

    Written + read by Nokuthula Lumba

    Recorded at Depen8 Studio, Ndola.

    Vocals arranged, mixed and mastered by nathan musonda of Depen8 Studio (Forthwith Record).

    Instrumental by Yoni Charis.


    Content licensed under Serene Truth Resource.


    ©2022 Nokuthula Lumba | Forthwith Records. 

    All rights reserved.

    4 min
  • Advent Devotional (Read by Cherryl Katjivena)

    2021 Advent Devotional


    Title: For Those Who Wish to Celebrate.


    Written + read by Cherryl Katjivena


    Recorded in Windhoek, Namibia.

    Vocals arranged, mixed and mastered by Depen8 Studio, Ndola, Zambia.


    Instrumental by Chiso Beats.


    Content licensed under Serene Truth Resource X The Saintly Social.


    ©2021 Forthwith Records. All rights reserved.


    7 min
  • Christ-Centered Christmas (Read by Kaunda Salimu)

    Written and performed by Kaunda Salimu at Ndola Baptist Church Christmas Play 

    Instrumental by Chiso Beats

    Mixed and Mastered by Depen8 Studio, Ndola, Zambia

    Releases on 24th December 2021.

    Content licensed under Serene Truth Resource ©2021 X Kaunda Salimu ©2016


    ©2021 Forthwith Records. All rights reserved.

    6 min

About Serene Truth Resource

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Serene Truth Resource was established under Forthwith Records with the goal of equipping men and women with God's Truth, which is the foundation and pillar upon which the church of the living God is built upon.