NOW THAT I BELONG TO YOU

The past few days have really been hard on me. Anxiety seems to be getting the best of me. Sometimes, like this morning, I can't think straight. Times of prayer have really come in handy, even when sometimes all i will do is be silent in the presence of the Lord. I know that He not only knows but also understands the turmoil in my heart. Below is a song that has always encouraged me during such perilous times. When all is said and done, I belong to Jesus. Be blessed. I hope it's okay if i ask you to kindly remember me in your prayers. You are definitely in mine.

NOW THAT I BELONG TO YOU

I belong to You

And I'll do what You want me to

You can show the way

That I will follow every day

All my life I needed

A friend to see me through

But I'll not have to worry

Now that I belong to You

Every morn I wake

And every breath of air I take

Reminds me of the time

That You became a friend of mine

All my dreams and visions

Inspiration too

Are given to me gladly

Now that I belong to You

There will come a day

When I'll have to pass away

Into a world of bliss

I hope it will be like this 

You can make me happy

In everything You do

But I'll not have to worry

Now that I belong to You

I'll be Yours forever

Now that I belong to You 

Lord Jesus, I belong to you. 

With love, 

MJ

KEEP RUNNING THE RACE

Hey friend. How was your week? Mine was good. I got time to do something which I had never considered doing. With the ongoing teachers’ strike, two of my neighbors asked me to coach their three children: two in class eight and one in form four. I was really excited. I’ve always told God and some of my friends that if I get the chance to teach someone anything I know, I would do it with all my heart, to the best of my ability. Well, this opportunity was an answered prayer. At first, I was asked to teach them Mathematics, and later on to include other subjects as well. I must admit that the math part is quite thrilling and relatively easy. As for the other subjects, let’s just say that I’m not thaaaaaat bad. I’m trying my best. As I teach them, I am also learning, and not just academic stuff, but also about the condition of my heart, sacrificial service, patience and thanksgiving. I hope to share with you about these lessons in a later post. As at now, I’ll just say that it is God’s grace that has kept me going thus far. Sometimes I don’t feel like coaching, but somehow, after a moment of prayer and placing it all in the hands of my Heavenly Father, I get the strength and the joy to teach.

Another milestone in my week was Thursday evening. Finally, I finished going through my Bible from cover to cover, the highlight of which being that evening’s reading of Revelation. YEAH!!! It took me 13 months, but I’m glad that by God’s grace I managed to finish. However, that journey wasn’t all rosy. There were times of inconsistency, laxity, disinterest and of great trials when I could not look at my Bible, let alone open it. What I can say is this: God has been faithful!!! i know how tough times can wound us, and sometimes instead of running to God’s Word to find answers, comfort and encouragement, we deliberately choose to ignore it, all because of the pain, discouragement and disappointment. I’m really glad that He has taught me these lessons that have built in me a great appreciation of His Word. I have to be honest with you; many times I’ve learnt this the hard way. All in all, all glory be to GOD!!

Today I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you. Since yesterday, I have really been thinking about something. Let’s just think about a race. What is made of? Well, there are racers, a track/course, rules, a prize, spectators etc. I strongly believe that of these components, two of them are quite predominant: the racers and the prize. The course may not capture our attention that much, and well, the spectators are not ‘really’ in the race. In any case, their main role is that of critics. The rules, strange enough, play a veeeery  important role of knitting all these components together. They govern the conduct of the racers and spectators, the design of the track and the criteria to be followed to win the prize.

Where am I going with this? This life that we live is the one race that everyone is running. All the components we’ve mentioned above are there: the racers, the spectators, the course, and the prize. Sadly, some racers seem to want to be spectators. What does the Bible have to say about such an analogy?

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Hebrews 12:1-3

This portion of scripture starts with the mention of us being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I tried to look up several commentaries for the meaning of this. Who exactly are these witnesses? The Albert Barnes New Testament commentary had this to say: He represents the ancient worthies who had so faithfully persevered, and so gloriously triumphed, as witnesses of their strife in the Christian race, and as cheering them on to victory. Wow!!! Can you imagine the scene? The patriachs, matyrs, apostles, and heroes of the faith are cheering us on as we run this race of faith. They want us to finish strong in the Lord. I like what the Bible says about such individuals:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:32-40

What great testimonies of men and women who considered the cause of the Kingdom more important than anything. God will not be ashamed to be called their God, of whom the world was not worthy. You know the way Paul, in Romans 1:16, says that he is not ashamed of the Gospel. Here we see a reversed role whereby the author of the Gospel is not ashamed of those who have been faithful to Him to the very end.

This portion also mentions the laying aside of the weight and the sin that so easily entangles. Taking another look at the commentary, I could not have put it in a better way than this: “As applied to Christians, it means that they should remove all which would obstruct their progress in the Christian course. Thus it is fair to apply it to whatever would be an impediment in our efforts to win the crown of life. It is not the same thing in all persons. In one it may be pride; in another, vanity; in another, worldliness; in another, a violent and almost ungovernable temper; in another, a corrupt imagination; in another, a heavy, leaden, insensible heart; in another, some improper and unholy attachment. Whatever it may be, we are exhorted to lay it aside; and this general direction may be applied to anything which prevents our making the highest possible attainment in the divine life.”

As we continue with this discourse, we see the urge to run the race with endurance. Have you ever heard someone say, “I am doing my best to endure this joy”? That would be quite odd. This part suggests that as Christians there will be tough times, which may arouse thoughts and feelings of despair. Paul had this to say to Timothy in 2Timothy 2:3-4, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” We see here yet another facet of the race we are running. It’s actually a war, one in which  we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Our enlisting as soldiers is a reference of God’s divine election into His eternal kingdom which is made complete through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit in us, who convicts the soul with regard to sin, righteousness and judgment, who is our seal of promise, the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:14)

As we run this race, where are we looking? Who or what is the object of our focus? We are looking unto Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith! As I was pondering on this, I asked myself, “How do I fix my eyes on Jesus?”  However, the question evolved. “How do I fix my eyes on Jesus if I can’t see Him?” So how do I see Jesus? I found the answer in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” The key is quite simple; it’s by deliberate obedience to His commands that is a product of one’s love to Him. A I walk in obedience to Him, Jesus Christ Himself has promised to reveal myself to Him. Why are we to fix our eyes on Him? In John 14:6, Jesus asserts that He is the way, the truth and the life. In John 5:39, He tells the Pharisees that they study the scriptures diligently thinking that by doing so they will possess life, yet they refuse to come to Him, whom the scriptures testify about, to receive life. Can I make a suggestion and state that we are urged to fix our eyes on Jesus because He is the way that leads to true life, eternal life, which is actually found in Him? 1 John 5:11-12 says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

We should never underrate the grace that we have received through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It was free grace, but NOT CHEAP grace. He died the most shameful death, one that not only inflicted on Him unimaginable pain, but also made a mockery of human dignity. No man deserves such treatment, but imagine Jesus did it FOR YOU!!!YES, FOR YOU!!! However, the story doesn’t end there. The more glorious part is that He resurrected, and that forms a strong foundation for our faith. “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. BUT NOW CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20). He endured the scorn form sinful men for our sakes, and this He did to show us the perfect example in times of intense trial, in this case, great persecution from the world, the lovers of which are referred to as the enemies of God. My friend, are you a follower of the Lord Jesus? I have news for you. Christ told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”(John 15:18-21)Be strong in the midst of such persecution. He tells us that though in this world we will face many trials, we should take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33), lest we be discouraged and lose heart.

Briefly, I’ll mention something on the rules. These are the commands that come from the heart of God. David says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7-11) The statutes of the Lord are for our own good, and their benefits are immeasurable. I like how he says that IN KEEPING THEM, there is great reward. This takes us back to the issue of obedience. Paul had something to say on this: “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5), after the earlier analogy of the soldier. Unless we run this race according to the rules, we will not receive the prize. A portion of scripture that gives a reason why we may be disqualified for the prize is Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The criteria of disqualification are simply rejecting the gift of salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and hanging on to the flesh, which manifests itself in the above ways. Such acts are a vile stench to a Holy God. Where He dwells, sin has cannot coexist. In Hebrews 12:14, the scripture clearly says that without holiness no-one will see the Lord. God commands us to be holy because He holy, set apart.

Friend, this has been a long post, but I felt I had to share these things with you. The best part of this is the reward, which is the most glorious. In Genesis 15:2 God tells Abram this, “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I AM YOUR SHIELD, YOUR EXCEEDINGLY GREAT REWARD." That is the core of this message. GOD IS OUR EXCEEDINGLY GREAT REWARD!!!! Don’t get lost in the way of thinking of this present age, which asserts that material gains, amazing careers, relationships and “fun” are the end point. I am not dismissing these things as pure evil. These are great things which are good gifts from our Heavenly Father, but ultimately, having the Father Himself is the greatest reward anyone can receive. When this world comes to an end, will you have run the race well and will you receive the prize of dwelling in the presence of the Holy God for eternity? How I pray that at the end of it all our testimony will be the same as Paul’s:

I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.FINALLY, THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, WILL GIVE TO ME ON THAT DAY, AND NOT TO ME ONLY BUT ALSO TO ALL WHO HAVE LOVED HIS APPEARING.(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Friend, let’s keep running this race in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Your fellow athlete in the kingdom,

MJ.

     

HAVE...

Hi friend,

I hope that you are well this day. What can I say? It’s one of those days when am kinda low. I don’t know why. Just can’t shake off this feeling. Had some in prayer to place everything in the hands of Jesus Christ, the one person who understands me far much more than I even understand myself. Today I choose to go to Him, weary and heavy-laden to get rest. I will take upon myself His yoke and learn from Him for He is humble and gentle in spirit. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. I will definitely find rest for my soul. Is it okay if I ask you, dear friend, to remember me in your prayers? That would be more than appreciated.

Well, I am currently going through a book by John Mason called “Conquering an Enemy Called Average.” Today I landed on a great treasure that I wanted to share with you. It has added value to me and I hope it will do much more to you. Here it is.

HAVE …

Have peace enough to pass all understanding.

Have hope enough to keep your hem looking forward.

Have strength enough to battle obstacles and overcome them.

Have commitment enough not to give up too soon.

Have faith enough to please God.

Have fun to enjoy every aspect of life.

Have patience enough to let faith complete its work in you.

Have love enough to give to those who deserve it the least but need it the most.

Have focus enough to say no to many good ideas.

Have forgiveness enough to never let the sun go down in your wrath.

Have honesty enough to never have to remember what you said.

Have character enough to do in light what you would do in the dark.

Have gratitude enough to say “thank you” for the small things.

Have purpose enough to know why not just how.

Have perseverance enough to run the entire race that is set out before you.

Have wisdom enough to fear God and obey Him.

Have responsibility enough to be the most dependable person you know.

Have confidence enough to know that you and God make a majority.

Have kindness enough to share what you have and who you are with others.

Have mercy enough to forgive and forget.

Have devotion enough to do the right things on a daily basis.

Have courage enough to face and fight any opposition to what you know is right.

Have optimism enough to know that God’s plan is best.

Have trust enough to know that God will direct your steps.

Have expectancy enough to be on the lookout for miracles every day.

Have enthusiasm enough to show that God is in you.

Have obedience enough to do what is right without thinking twice.

Have direction enough to know when and where to go.

Have knowledge enough to have your mind continually renewed.

Have credibility enough to cause others to want to work together with you.

Have generosity enough to give before being asked.

Have compassion enough to be moved by the needs of others.

Have loyalty enough to be committed to others.

Have dependence enough to know that you need God.

If I were to add my own, I would say, “Have love enough to make others see Jesus Christ in you.” As always the main objective of my posts is to point to Christ, not to anything or anyone else, I included. How I pray that we may grow in the knowledge of the custodian of our souls.

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23

May the grace of our Lord be with you.

MJ

FROM THE HEART

Hey friends,

How are you fairing on? It has been a while since I last posted something on this blog. Very many things have happened since then, both good and bad. As for the good stuff: some of you already know that I completed my undergraduate studies in the University of Nairobi in June and by God’s grace I passed my exams and graduated on 24^th August with a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science. I praise God for that. Later on in July, I got a chance to volunteer at the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) World Camp. It was a great experience. I made many new friends, shared experiences with them, acquired new skills and most importantly I got a chance to share with gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with some of them as we engaged each other in various discussions. I will share more about that camp very soon. Apart from that, I have had a lot of time to read the works of great evangelists from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. These men had a lot of wisdom as they gave insights on the Word of God.

As for the not so good: life has a way of throwing many challenges at us. Some will afflict our spiritual lives, our friendships and other significant relationships in our lives, our finances, health and even our self-esteem. Sadly, in some way, all of these areas have been afflicted as far as my life is concerned. Spiritually, I suffered times of unbelief, doubt, prayerlessness, an allergy to fellowship and a time of difficulty in reading my Bible. It was hard, but you know how sometimes we really know how to hide these things from the people around us. It’s very easy to portray an image of a life well patched up, firm and strong, when in reality it’s slowly caving in on itself. This was just a mild extension of the fierce war that has been raging in my soul since early this year, when trials and tribulations t almost threw my heart into a dark corner of despair. Some of the friendships I held on to dearly slowly faded away, even when effort was made to try and sustain them. Health wise, the problem I have with my voice box (as I had mentioned in a previous post) is worse now. Singing now seems like a distant reality. Surely, with all these things happening, in a way my esteem  was punctured and by my own judgement, I could only see a failed project, to my own disappointment.

You need to understand that these times were in way interloping, so in general I had one crazy rollercoaster, the only difference being that the coming climb or slope wasn’t predictable.

What kept me going? It is those simple prayers that are quite unconventional, when I could freely talk to God as a caring friend. It was the love of my heavenly Father expressed timely though a friend, and sometimes even through a stranger. It was a portion of scripture from His Holy Word that uplifted my spirit. It was the promise in Hebrews 13:5, my creator’s reassurance of never leaving me nor forsaking me. God’s presence in all these situations is the anchor that steadily holds my life in place when the storms of this present age hit this ship that’s trying to sail to its eternal home.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 , “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The focus on and magnitude of my afflictions in this world greatly diminish in the light of eternity. Thoughts of heaven are far too lofty for the human mind to perceive. The Christian life is not one that comes with the promise of zero pain, no struggles, assured great material prosperity  and the love and affection from everyone. On the contrary, there will be many troubles (John 16 :33), times of great struggle that push us to our limits, times of lack that test our love for Jesus (consider the poor woman in the temple in Mark 12:41-43), rejection and persecution for the sake of the name of Jesus (Luke 6:22-26). However, the guarantee of a beautiful ending excites a joy in our hearts that surpasses the pain brought about by these trials. “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, no any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear form their eyes.” Revelation 7:16-17.

Friends, the end our story as believers and followers of Jesus Christ is beautiful and glorious!!

I will end this post with a story from one of the books I have been reading.

I have heard it storied of a young virgin, that at a great prince’s hands had the choice of three vessels; one whereof should be freely given her, even that she should choose. The first was a vessel of gold, richly wrought, and set with precious stones, and on it written , ‘Who chooses me shall have what he deserves.’ The second was silver, superscribed  thus , ‘ Who chooses me shall have what nature desires.’ The third was of lead, whose motto was this, ‘Who chooses me shall have what God has disposed.’ The first pleased her eye well, but not her understanding : it offered what she deserved. She knew that this was just nothing ; therefore she refused it.  The second considered, offered what nature desires. She thought that could be no solid good, for nature desires the things that please the carnal lust. This she also refused. The third had a coarse outside, but the sentence pleased her well – offering what God has disposed. So she faithfully put herself upon God’s ordinance, and chose that. This virgin is man’s soul. The golden vessel is the world’s riches;  contentful to the avarous eye. Too many choose this ; but, being opened, it was full of dead men’s bones and a fool’s bauble (an ornament on clothing): to testify them fools which cleave to the world, and at last all their hopes shall be rewarded with a bauble. Neither is this all : though ‘their inward thought be, that their houses shall continue forever ; yet they shall be laid in the grave like sheep, and death shall feed on them,’Psalm 49:11,14. The silver vessel is the lusts of the flesh, those fond and vain delights which concupiscence (desire for sexual intimacy) seeks. So says the motto , ‘it gives what nature desires’ ; but corrupt nature desires nothing but what gives complacency to the flesh. This vessel, opened , was full of wild-fire and an iron whip. God shall scourge the lustful here with the whip of judgments – diseases of the body, infamy of name, overthrow of estate, vexation of conscience. And satan shall hereafter burn them with wild- fire, such flames as can never be quenched. The leaden vessel is, as the sense and sentence declare it, the blessing of God. The one who chooses it shall have what God has disposed for him. Blessed soul that makes this election! For, opened, it was found full of gold and most precious jewels, every one more worth than a world – the immortal graces of God’s Spirit.

The virgin chose this, and she was married to the king’s son. Choose this vessel, O my soul, and Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, shall marry thee. Even though it seems lead without, and glister not with earthly vanities, it is rich within ; the wealth thereof cannot be valued, though all the arithmeticians of the world go about to sum it. ‘There be many that say, who will show us any good? Lord lift thou up the light of your countenance upon us,’ Psalm 4:6.

Have a blessed week dear friend.

From the heart,

MJ

FEEDING THE MIND

Hey  friends. How are you doing? I am fairing on well. Today has been a very interesting day for me. I have been learning a lot of things from the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit at work in my dear friend Pastor Jon Courson.  Genesis 7-8 is full of images of salvation, the end times, the pouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh, the seal and assurance of salvation, sacrifices and many other beautiful things that God has chosen to reveal to us through His Word. Then after I finished that study, I ran into my very dear friend and roommate in 3^rd year, Sir Kevin Makokha. This is one guy who always builds me up in the faith. You know the way the Bible says in Proverbs 27:17 says: “Iron sharpens iron. So a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.” Today I have been sharpened. Kevo, as some of us call him, is one person who leaves you better than he found you. He draws  your attention to things that you easily overlook or never take time to ponder on. He challenges you to think and pray for God to teach you more about Himself and His kingdom. Moreover, he is quite an informative person as far as technology is concerned. You should see the passion in his eyes as he talks about the latest android OS, the new phones and tablets in the market and their respective specs in detail. This is one friend that I really appreciate and I truly thank God for him. If you know this guy,let him know that you  appreciate him!!!

Of late my attention has been drawn to what we watch. What do we allow to fill our minds. Technological advancement and easy access to media and entertainment content has had a really great impact on the values that our culture has begun to embrace, especially from the Western world. Some friends of mine in Church recently pointed out how many young people are living very empty lives. What is the trend of many young people? Wake up early, go to school or work, buy a series/ movie, go home, make supper, eat as you watch the series you bought, sleep late, and the cycle continues the next day. These minds slowly become saturated with ideas form movies, which when evaluated carefully, are quite farfetched, even perverted. This extends to our speech, thought process, reaction to circumstances, motives etc. in the midst of our discussion, a friend mentioned  how a friend of his has spent Ksh.18,000 in one year over the past one year. If you do the math, that’s 360 movies/series. That’s a lot of money. What’s more concerning is the time spent watching all that content and the effect it has had on that person’s character. What are some of the things that mostly appear in movies? Lies, sex, drugs and substance abuse, violence, ego and pride, selfishness, homosexualilty and lesbianism, among many other questionable vices that are being advocated by the western world. No wonder we are now seeing gay activists in care talking so passionately of their dreams of seeing a Kenya where one is not discriminated for being a lesbian or a homosexual. SHINDWE !! And I will say it again,SHINDWE!! These are things which would have caused a massive outcry in our country a few years back. Now, many are embracing these practices in the name of  being modern and ‘keeping up with the times.’ However,  I am not surprised by the unfolding of these events. The Bible teaches of man’s inherent sinful nature and the way the last days will be.  Allow me to quote 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days . People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather han lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

The instruction at the end of verse 5 is quite clear. Have nothing to do with them!!! Can’t expound on that. I would just like to ask you a few questions. When was the last time you sat down to watch something that will enrich your very self, YOUR SOUL? When did you last invest time and money in a book? If you look at your collection of literature, music, movies and other material, does it glorify God at all? It’s good to read books, but have you read your Bible from cover to cover?

As I challenge you, I am also challenging myself.  For the past 4 years, I have come across people who have invested greatly in me in terms of  literature, movies and music. These have really come in handy in the war that we I fight with the Devil, especially in the battlefront of the mind.

One day, I was having a conversation with some of my friends, and I was telling them about some of the Christian movies (movies written by Christian authors) I have watched. One of them said, “I have never watched or even heard of these movies that you are talking about. In fact, many people haven’t.  Why don’t you do tell people about these movies?”  Well, today is a fulfillment of a promise I made to my friend to let people know. Below are the titles of some of these movies:

·        Encounter

·        End of the spear

·        Faith like Potatoes

·        Never Ashamed

·        The Pastor’s Wife

·        Amazing Grace

·        Facing the Giants

·        Fireproof

·        Courageous

·        Flywheel

·        No Greater Love

·        Time Changer

·        To Save a Life

·        What Would Jesus Do

·        Movies of Bible books and characters: Abraham, Esther, John, Jeremiah, Joseph, David, Solomon, Jesus,  Paul, Samson, Genesis and Revelation

·   

Feel free to borrow from me and also suggest more titles. Friends , the battle of the mind can only be worn when we equip our minds adequately. What are you equipping your mind with? Junk? Or are you arming yourself for battle.

Remember 2 Timothy 3:5:”…..Have nothing to do with them!”

THE GIFT IN ME. I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Hey friends

It has been a while since I updated anything. I have been quite busy. I hope that you have been well.  One of the reasons as to why I set up this blog is to share my thoughts and experiences with you guys. It seems I haven’t been doing quite a good job, have I? I guess things will have to change.

There is something that has been on my mind for the past few months.  As some of you know, I really love music. I think the word love is the best that I could find to describe this my feelings towards this beautiful language that God has given us: Music. For me singing has been my passion since primary school. I recall how I would imitate famous musicians and sing along with them. It was fun. It was effortless and enjoyable. It’s funny how memorizing the lyrics to a whole song took quite a short time. Getting the tunes was even easier. However, for a long time, I ignored this great gift that is in me. In class 5 I literally ran away from the school choir for two years, despite great persistence by the choir mistress, the late Miss Ogao. She was really on my case, especially since my elder siblings, Mwangi and Wangari, had been active participants under her leadership. They had even represented the school at the national level. My efforts to shun Choir were not fruitful, and I eventually became an alto then a tenor. It is at this point that I just have to clarify this: I DIDN’T LIKE ALTO ONE BIT!!! No offence to any altos. Strange thing, I really enjoyed singing in the choir during my last two years in primary school. I made friends(even with Miss Ogao), travelled a lot and even grew in my gift of music.

Then came high school. That’s when things really changed, for the better. I got a lot of  exposure to new music like Acappella, Plus One, Commissioned and many more. To be quite honest, before this time, I wasn’t such a fan of gospel music. I only knew the songs we sang in church, Chico and Brenda and the few songs we had heard on an audio tape my mum had, a tape that I recorded over using a radio we heard at the time. Otherwise,  I enjoyed listening to secular artists like Boyz to Men, Usher, Westlife and Backstreet Boys. Therefore , high school was the beginning of a good change for me. My gift grew as I started writing my own songs, which I sang a lot in the showers at 4:15 am, while walking, in class, in church, during CU. Music became a very big part of me. In campus, it was all about going higher in my talent and going deeper in my relationship with Christ. through guys like Chester Kolek, John Musyimi, Mwaka Mutsumi, Eric Gichuri, Benson Karimi, George Murichu, Mercy Mule and many more, I grew a lot in these two aspects. They took time to teach me and share with me what they have learnt over the years, as well as they vast music collections, which have been a source of great encouragement to this very day. How can I foreget my dear cousin  Ndung’u aka NDOUSCH, who gave me one of the greatest gifts ever: the Acappella discography(20 albums from 1985 to 2006). Be blest sana!!

However, I suffered a big blow in 2011 when my vocal chords were damaged. It was the most trying time for me. I couldn’t do  the thing that I loved most. Little did I know  that this was a chance for me to slow down and go even deeper in my relationship with the Lord. I learnt a lot during my time-out. The lessons are invaluable. As of now, I still can’t sing as I used to, but I’m improving slow.ly. I went back to songwriting, this time with more understanding.

I wrote this to encourage someone who has a gift but is not using it, and also to someone who is using their gift to keep using it to glorify God. I could have given up on singing in 2011, but I believe that God is not done with me just yet. I have a dream that one day I will travel to the nations and sing of this gospel that has changed my life forever.

I want to share with you the lyrics to my most recent song and I hope that the message, by God’s power, will ignite a passion in you to use the gift that our Father placed in you.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Allow me to ask a simple question

And I hope that you will reply

Why does this life have this progression?

You go to school, work, marry, get kids then just die?

Or is all that we’re living for

Chasing after worldly pleasures,

Especially the ‘doe’

Deep inside, I know this one thing

There is certainly more than what I can see

CHORUS

There is more

To this life than what we can see with our eyes

There is more

Than chasing after the desires of life

You should know

Our greatest treasure is Christ Jesus the Lord

You should know

He is the reason for this life

Oh yes! You should know

It saddens me  what we have made to be

What everyone calls Christianity

It has become some other activity

When it’s supposed to define our identity

Do we know

That we are aliens and strangers here?

We should live

Our lives in holiness and reverent fear of the Lord

This world will pass away

But the Word of God will always remain

(Bridge)

You should know

All men have sinned , fallen short of the glory of God

You should know

The wage of sin is death, thus says the Word

You should know

For we like sheep have all gone astray

You should know

God couldn’t stand the distance, He made a way

You should know

For God so loved the world He gave us His Son

You should know

To redeem us to Himself and make us one

You should know

This is the miracle for you and me

You should know

Oh it’s not fiction, IT’S REALITY

(You should know, You should know, You should know

The love of God

You should know) x3

You should know!

The battle within

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." 

--Galatians 5:17 

In every believer's heart there is a constant struggle between the old nature and the new. The old nature is very active, and loses no opportunity of plying all the weapons of its deadly armoury against newborn grace; while on the other hand, the new nature is ever on the watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us will employ prayer, and faith, and hope, and love, to cast out the evil; it takes unto it the "whole armour of God," and wrestles earnestly. These two opposing natures will never cease to struggle so long as we are in this world. The battle of "Christian" with "Apollyon" lasted three hours, but the battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from the Wicket Gate in the river Jordan. The enemy is so securely entrenched within us that he can never be driven out while we are in this body: but although we are closely beset, and often in sore conflict, we have an Almighty helper, even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is ever with us, and who assures us that we shall eventually come off more than conquerors through Him. With such assistance the new-born nature is more than a match for its foes. Are you fighting with the adversary to-day? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on! For God Himself is with you; Jehovah Nissi is your banner, and Jehovah Rophi is the healer of your wounds. Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence? Fight on, "looking unto Jesus"; and though long and stern be the conflict, sweet will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward. 

"From strength to strength go on; Wrestle, and fight, and pray, Tread all the powers of darkness down, And win the well-fought day."

Cast your cares upon the Lord.He cares for you

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee." --Psalm 55:22 

Care, even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by our Saviour, again and again; it is reiterated by the apostles; and it is one which cannot be neglected without involving transgression: for the very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting ourselves into His place to do for Him that which He has undertaken to do for us. We attempt to think of that which we fancy He will forget; we labour to take upon ourselves our weary burden, as if He were unable or unwilling to take it for us. Now this disobedience to His plain precept, this unbelief in His Word, this presumption in intruding upon His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this, anxious care often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly leave his affairs in God's hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself. This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counsellor, and resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going to the "broken cistern" instead of to the "fountain;" a sin which was laid against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt God's lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking. Thus want of confidence in God leads us to wander far from Him; but if through simple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are "careful for nothing" because He undertakes to care for us, it will keep us close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."Isaiah 26:3

Hey guys.I hope that your week has begun well. For me, this is a very defining season for me. My four years in campus are finally coming to an end. It has been quite an interesting journey, full of ups and downs. As we like to say it in SALT(our university fellowship): It's been real!It's been fun! It's been Jesus!!!! 
However, this final year has really taken a toll on me. Things didn't quite turn out the way I would have wanted them to. At the end of the day, God's plan comes to pass. As Paul said in Romans 8:28,"And we know that in  all things God works for the good those who love Him,who have been called according to His purpose."(NIV) Therefore I know that all my experiences have been ordered by Him, the very one who fashioned me in His own image. Today I was feeling quite low and somehow disillusioned, simply because some things weren't working out as I expected, but then a song came to mind and my spirit was uplifted. As most people know, I have a strong passion for music. A group that has been a great blessing to my life is the Gaither Vocal Band. The following  words are from one of their songs. 

There is no problem so big that God cannot solve it,

There is no mountain so tall that He cannot move it,

There is no storm so dark that God cannot calm it,

There is no sorrow so deep that He cannot sooth it.

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,

I know my brother that Jesus will carry you.

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,

I know my brother that Jesus will carry you.

I know my brother, I know my sister, that JESUS will carry you.

Find comfort and encouragement in these truths.


Hebrews 13:5-6
"Keep your lives free form the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
                "Never will I leave you; 
                  never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
               "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. 
                What can man do to me?"


 Be blessed my friend. Rest in the everlasting arms of the Lord.

The Holy Bible

Hey friends! Isn't it a beautiful day? Here is a beautiful poem that I really love. I couldn't help but share it with you. Enjoy the weekend

THE HOLY BIBLE


Dear Children of the Earth, 
From: Your Father in Heaven. 


I want my words to touch your inner being,
I want your precious spirit's eyes to be seeing,
I want the world to know that you are mine,
And to put a tingle down your spine!!


You'll find my words in a special book,
It wont take long, just have a quick look.
There are sixty six little books bound inside,
You'll find me in there with arms open wide.


You will see that I sit upon my throne,
Searching the world for a people of my very own.
It tells you all about my worldly creation,
How it all went wrong, and the birth of a nation.


It tells of their lives of trouble and strife,
But mostly it tells of their faith in life.
Its got stories and proverbs and songs galore,
But about a special man, there are gospels four!!


At the centre of my book, is Jesus your special friend,
Although, he's actually there from beginning to end.
And on that day, when you finally realize,
That you need my Son to open your eyes.


He'll be there knocking at the door of your heart,
You only have to say "Sorry, Jesus, I want a new start."
You see that's what my Holy Bible is all about.
It tells that "I LOVE YOU ALWAYS," without a doubt.


Janice Hingley

Hey friends. I trust that you are well today. I am. Of late, my most treasured times have been times spent reading the Bible. It’s been so clear to me how at times this book may just seem as a collection of good inspirational stories, even to many who claim to be Christians. As I was doing my daily reading today, I was reminded again that I too was once in that position. However, things have changed a lot especially over the past one year. Seeing the Bible as the inspired Word of God Himself really changed my perspective. This started when I began seeing God in a whole new dimension, but that’s a story for another day. For the rest of the week, I’ll just be sharing some thoughts on the Bible: the true, Holy, and inspired Word of the living GOD.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I love poems!!! I leave you with this one. As you read it, remember how privileged you are to hear from and read the most precious book given to mankind. It’s true, it’s real, it’s everlasting and it can be trusted. Be blessed!    

YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY BIBLE

You can trust the Holy Bible from the first page to the last. You can trust what it says about the future, and what it says about the past.

There really was a Noah, who built an ark with a hammer and a nail. There really was a Jonah, who lived after being swallowed by a whale.

There really was a town called Sodom, destroyed by fire and brimstone from above. And God really did feed the Hebrews with manna, sent to them with love.

There really was a virgin Mary, who conceived Jesus in her womb. And it's true he came to life again, after being buried in a tomb.

It's true Jesus healed the sick, and gave sight to those who couldn't see. It's true he healed the deaf, and walked on the Sea of Galilee.

He healed some who couldn't walk, and raised three persons from the dead. He fed a multitude of people with only two fish and five loaves of bread.

The Bible tells us of hell.....a place for those not forgiven of their sin. And it tells us of heaven.....a place Christ's disciples are sure to enter in.

The Bible speaks of many things..... some easy, some hard to understand. But the Bible can be fully trusted, for it came from God's almighty hand.

So, don't pass judgment on the Bible. It's always right, never wrong. For God has given all its contents, and there's not a verse that doesn't belong.

No, don't pass judgment on the Bible. It's God's infallible Word. Just listen to God speak as you read it. You'll be blessed by what is heard.

By Pastor Bruce Oyen B. A., M. A., D. Min.

"The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." --John 1:14

Believer, YOU can bear your testimony that Christ is the only begotten of the Father, as well as the first begotten from the dead. You can say, "He is divine to me, if He be human to all the world beside. He has done that for me which none but a God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a heart of adamant, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He hath turned for me my mourning into laughter, and my desolation into joy; He hath led my captivity captive, and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think as they will of Him, to me He must be the only begotten of the Father: blessed be His name. And He is full of grace. Ah! had He not been I should never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape from His grace; and when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit to His mercy-seat He said, 'Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee: be of good cheer.' And He is full of truth. True have His promises been, not one has failed. I bear witness that never servant had such a master as I have; never brother such a kinsman as He has been to me; never spouse such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a better comforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside Him. In life He is my life, and in death He shall be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness He makes my bed; in darkness He is my star, and in brightness He is my sun; He is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and He shall be the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan. Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: and of truth and grace He is full, infinitely full. My soul, this night, bless with all thy might 'the only Begotten.'"

WOW!!

This is exciting.my very own blog!!To whoever is reading this, i hope that you will be blessed anytime you visit this blog. i believe that God will use this as a tool to reach many with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage us to live upright, godly and self-controlled lives.this is the beginning of something beautiful.