Baptismal Joy at MKBC & Kids Alive Chapel Lusoi

It is always joyful to receive new members into Mt Kenya Baptist Church. Once a person admits his sin and turns to Christ for salvation, a key step must be taken to proclaim to heaven and earth that he is a follower of Christ. Baptism is that step. Baptism is the initial and immediate step of obedience by one who has declared his faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. This was an important matter such that those that were convert in the New Testament were baptized - Act 2:41,42. With the exception of the thief on the cross, there is no example of an un-baptized believer.

 On Sunday, 18 Apr 2010 eight  8 believers were baptized at MKBC and by default joined the membership.

In the afternoon I had the joy of doing another baptismal at the Kids Alive Boys Chapel at Lusoi.  Unlike at MKBC we did this ordinance at the river that flows at the edge of their home. Thank God for fruit that last.  Fourteen of these were young people who are resident at the orphanage and some people from the community! Praise the Lord!!!  

Twenty Four were added to the Church that meets at the Kids Alive Boys Center Lusoi.   God is good! To God be the Glory great things He has done! The Orphan ministry of Kids Alive International has been consistent to offer holistic care on the children who were one time at risk but know are cared - even spiritually! Praise the Lord!

Enjoy with me some pictures of the baptismal at the river.

As We Think Of Democracy - Not So In Church

Mark Dever in Nine Marks Of A Healthy Church pg 226 says:

A church is not just a straightforward democracy, for in churches ther is a common recognition of our fallen state, our tendency to err, and, on the other hand, of the inerrancy of God's Word. So the members of a Church congregation are democratic, perhaps only in the sense that they work together as a congregation to try to understand God's Word.

He says, "I certainly do not believe in the inerrancy of the congregational votes. Before I came to the their pastor, I spoke very openly to the congregation where I now serve, telling them that if I were to be their pastor I needed to know that I would be ultimately not working for them but for God. They could instruct the pastor to do this or that, but the pastor must not mistake such congregational input as, necessary, divine guidance."

As leaders and congregation, we strive for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; we work together for what we believe would be best for the church. And we work together so long as our understandings of God's Word and His will are sufficiently in line - "in sync" with each other - in order for us to do so.

All that to say that, as our country looks for the new constitution, Christians must have an understanding that God's Word is infallible, without error. It is a standard above any human constitution and its claims on the affairs of men should be the basis of any country's laws. This is because the demos, the people as they make decision are prone to err and pull the rope towards favoring their fallen tendencies.

Pastor Onesmus Kibera

Mt Kenya Baptist Church

PO Box 483

Nanyuki, 10400

Pastor@Mountkenyabaptist.org

About Trusting Christ & Trying To Grow As A Christian

John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace" wrote a poem about trusting Christ and about trying to grow as a Christian:

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace,
Might more of the his salvation know,
And seek more earnestly his face.

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He'd answer my request,
And by His love's constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part

Paradise Hopelessness

Paradise Hopelessness: "

A typical presentation used in the door to door ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses starts with “Have you ever wanted to live in a paradise on earth? A world of beauty, with plenty of good food to eat, no pollution, and abundant housing for all?” When we found a hearing ear we presented a product, not just a book or a magazine, but an idea, the hope of living eternally in a paradise earth. We were salesmen and that was our product. We went door-to-door with this pitch and when we got a hearing ear we presented an advertisement. This advertisement was a painting of paradise on earth. We showed these people big houses, beautiful scenery, plenty of good food, and pet lions and tigers. As they looked at our advertisement, we did what any good marketing expert would do and asked them, “What part of this scene appeals to you most?” If we were successful on selling them on “paradise earth” we could convince them to become Jehovah’s Witnesses because according to our beliefs that was the only way you could live to see it.

Now consider, when we were showing them that picture, were we appealing to their spirit or rather to their eyes of flesh? Perhaps a bigger question is if we ever stopped to consider what was missing from the picture? Yes, Our Heavenly Father and Jesus were absent from display! What can we say about a hope that desires the company of beasts of the earth over our dear Lord and Savior — Jesus! We appealed to earthly lusts to sell a hope for earthly things. We appealed to the eyes of the flesh and not the eyes of the spirit. To some extent we had our success. From the initial call forward we were instilling in those we met a love for the creation rather than a love for the creator.

So where does the problem come in? Is it wrong to enjoy good food, a nice house, and beautiful scenery? To the extent that we are in the flesh we have desires of the flesh. I’m not going to disparage a good meal in a beautiful park with your family and, if it is your fancy, a pet lion. That sounds good to me too. The problem is when we desire (crave) these things more than we love the things of God. That kind of attitudes makes us desire the “flesh-pots of Egypt” (the earth) over the bread of Heaven. (Numbers 11:4–5)

Let’s look a little bit at earthly, paradise hope offered by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and what draws people to it. You take an average person and say, “Do you want to live forever in a beautiful garden, with a big house next to a waterfall, with plenty of good things to eat?” Who would refuse? They say, “that sounds real nice because right now I live in the small flat with a window looking out at a parking garage and I can’t afford to eat much but frozen pizza and McDonald’s.” Is it any wonder that we had the most success in low income areas?

The reason so many Jehovah’s Witnesses deride a heavenly hope and claim an earthly hope it that this attitude has been instilled in them from their first contact and has been routinely reinforced. They say, “I must have an ‘earthly hope’ because I like the idea of a spacious house by a beautiful waterfall with plenty of good things to eat. That sounds good to me. I can’t have the ‘heavenly hope’ because heaven on the other hand doesn’t sound good to me. Being a king/priest on a cloud forever sounds — no offense — kind of boring. I’ll take the pet lion all things considered.”

But what if we focused less on a destination, heaven or earth, and more on a person. Let me ask, where would you rather be? In a squalid effiency apartment with Jesus or in a beautiful five-bedroom home without him? Very plainly, very truly, our hope is to be with him. He himself says as much -

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. — John 14:2–3

The early Christians did not preach a paradise earth but rather a person. They had decided to know nothing but Jesus. (Acts 2:22–38; 1 Cor 2:2) They bore witness to Jesus so that those they contacted would come to love him — not with the eyes of the flesh (because even when he was in the flesh his appearance was deficient and lacking beauty) but rather with the eyes of their heart. (Ephesians 1:18) Then they received his spirit so that they would come to know him, personally, intimately. (Phil 3:10–11) Then they lived their lives resting their hope in this one who is in Heaven. (Hebrews 3:1) They learned to hear his voice and they knew that even if they should fall asleep in death it would never fully separate them from him. (Roman 8:38) They knew a time would come and they would hear his voice and awake and be able to be with him eternally, to see him as he is, to sit at his table, and to dwell under his tent. (John 5:28, 29)

The Witnesses can paint many pretty pictures but Jesus is consistently missing from each of them. Jesus promised to the thief next to him on the cross. “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The Witnesses invalidate this promise by placing the thief in a paradise on earth, far removed from Jesus in heaven.

As Paul wrote there is but one hope. (Eph 4:4) One Christian hope and that hope is Jesus who is in Heaven. Hence it is a Heavenly Hope. Without him you are hopeless. That’s why we follow him today so that we will be with him forever. For many years we cultivated an earthly hope but we have been given an opportunity to lift up our eyes toward Heaven. Praise God!

"

The Race to Reconciliation

The Race to Reconciliation: "

(Author: Tyler Kenney)
Jesus sets those who need to confess and those who need to forgive in competition.

His charge to confessors:

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

His charge to forgivers:

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25)

Notice in his charge to forgivers that Jesus doesn't say, "forgive, if you have anything against anyone and they have asked for forgiveness." No, the person who is wronged is commanded to forgive his offender regardless of whether he asks for it or not.

Likewise, we don't see in Jesus' words to confessors any freedom for them to assume they have already been forgiven and can just forget about confessing.

In both instances, whether offender or offended, Jesus calls us to outdo the other in showing love. We aren't given any room to justify a broken relationship by somehow shifting the responsibility onto the other person. Jesus has made doubly sure that forgiveness and reconciliation happen by making both parties equally responsible to pursue it.

What a remarkable atmosphere our God has designed for peace and unity among his followers! He truly is a God who loves mercy.





"

Baragoi Outreach Ministry

Please be in prayer for Missionaries John Longisa and Stephen Lepakin (pictured back low). John (standing centre back) is travelling today to Baragoi via Maralal to arrive on 13 April 2010 for thier monthly Satellite Bible Institute at Baragoi. Pray for them as they share Bible Lessons on Following Jesus and Foundational Lessons.

Security is a major concern in this region!

John's estimated time of arrival at Maralal will be about 1930Hrs. They will depart with Lepakin tomorrow around 11am heading further North to Baragoi. These two men have been involved in preaching peace and peaceful co-existence of the communities that live in this region that has been plagued with cattle rustling. This vice has costed the lives of many lives of young and middle aged people who would have otherwise been productive in their own communities! Thank God for faithful men willing to stand in the gap - Ezekiel 22:30

Recently the Community leader accepted our application for 25 acres of Church Ministry Land for our Regional Ministry Center for Samburu and Beyond!

Praise the Lord for only what He can do - changing the hearts of vile men and transforming them into the image of His Son Jesus Christ! Romans 8:30 Amazing that God continues with his big picture assignment to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ!

Spiritual Leadership Conference 2010

Spiritual Leadership Conference
From March 23-26 we took a team of 15 men - Pastors, Deacons and missionaries to Camp Lukenya for SLC 2010.

We were glad to have missionary to Tanzania, Joel Muli who ministers in Tageta, Dar es salaam. We had the joy of having three deacons for the first time from Crossroads Baptist Church in Rumuruti!

The lessons and messages were very nourishing. Some of the men attending the pararllel sessions to ensure that they captured all the teachings that week.

I had the blessedness of opening the Conference with the first General session on Tuesday night! I shared with the Conference about the importance of Forgiving and Restoring from 2 Corinthians 2:5-11! For the workshop session I shared about Serving People Groups in the Local Church - a summary from Titus.

This gave us an opportunity to be fed with the word of God and skills of Biblical Preaching.

Pst Daniels, thank you for the sponsorship of these men to the SLC 2010.

The question and answer session was very challenging. It shows the challenges these men face in their respective local churches and communities as well as level of Spiritual Leadership!

We thank the Weavers for the camp facilitation. Thank you brother Dan Huffstutler for your concern for detail! Thank you for the good program. Thank you Dr. Ralph Warren for the exhaustive Course - The Task Of Preaching! Ken thank you! We thank all the national speakers at the SLC this year - You all did a good job! Pastor Kiagiri, thank you for your closing Divine Benediction message!