The Root of All Evil & Unrighteous Earnings

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4. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

People are doing many evils because of the love of money. People are killing each other because they love money. People are corrupting books because they love money.  People are writing fake vouchers because they love money. People are doing prostitution because they love money.  

1 Timothy 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Some have strayed from the faith because of love of money. In other words some have got separated from the faith!

Ecc 5:10  He who loves silver(money) will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance (wealth), with increase.

May God help us with silver and gold and give us the grace NOT to love it!

5. MONEY EARNED THRU UNRIGHTEOUS WAYS WILL PERISH

Be careful of the sources of your money!!  Get clean money!

Money gained with unrighteous ways will perish with you!  If you are work ENJOY your salary!  Do not oppress someone to get money.

Work hard to get money. Work with your mind! Some people work smart and are able to get a lot of money! Be very careful not to get any corrupt money! Do not bring a curse in your generation.

Prov 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

Know this, wealth that is got with corrupt ways or ungodly means will fly away!

Be careful of the sources of your income. The fear of the Lord will bring you truth wealth!

Partner With God

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3. MONEY BECOMES A BLESSING WHEN IT IS USED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD

Let God be your first partner in the way you use money.

(1)   We get into partnership with God when we return our tithes.

(2)   When we give our offerings we are in partnership with God.

(3)   We partner with God when we show mercy to the poor, when we assist the orphans, when we assist the widows.  Prov 19:17  He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.

(4)   We partner with God when we participate in the growth of His Kingdom! When we give to Missions! We become partners with God!

In Luke 7: 1-6, the Centurion’s servant was sick. The Centurion sent some elders to Jesus beseeching him to go to the man to serve. Mark verse 4,5  - The elders went to Jesus and explained that this man deserves your support.  The Centurion had partnered with God by building a Synagogue.

Beautiful Feet: The Advantages of Non-Western Missionaries | Safari of the Heart

Beautiful Feet: The Advantages of Non-Western Missionaries | Safari of the Heart

Money Represents Your Life

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MONEY IN YOUR LIFE

Your can improve your worth by working hard or should I say working smart. You can improve your worth by taking up a course or studies.  You can improve your pay-slip by improving your skills!  You can get more money by the more you think! Some people get more money when they think.  For some if you increase your energy you get more money. That is why some people will say you have wasted their sweat! Your energy has financial value!

Are we together? Money represents your life!

YOUR HEART FIRST

That is why people will put others in to police cells because and say, “That is my money! That was my sweat, that is my energy that he has wasted!”  There is a strong attachment between your money and your heart! That is why for some people it is very difficult to give their money – because there is a strong attachment between your money and your heart. You can’t give your money unless you give your heart first! Your heart must be given first before you can give your money.

Show me where you spend your money and I will show you your destiny.  You cannot give your money to me without giving your heart first.

Those who have given their life to God have no problem giving their money to God! They have given Him His life.  When I release my life to God then

2 Cor 8: 1-5

8:1* ¶ Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

 2* that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

 3* For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

 4* imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

 5* And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

Out of their poverty, out of their trials they were giving. They gave as much as they were able and more than they were able. They gave out of their willing heart. They gave willingly – no one forced them.  Meaning that they were able to borrow so that they could give for the course of the Gospel.

There was no manipulation! There was no deceit they did that because they love the ministering for he Gospel.

These Macedonians were beseeching these people and they pleading with Paul! They were persuading the apostle to receive their gifts. They were pleading with Paul to receive their blessings!

Give your heart first

Silver & Gold Belongs To God

1. MONEY BELONGS TO GOD

It doesn’t matter who is handling the money. If in the hands of a sinner or in the hands of a righteous person; but the truth is that money belongs to God!

Haggai 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts”.

Money in times past was made from gold and silver! Silver belongs to God, Gold belongs to God.

Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Remember this Power to Make Wealth comes from the Lord!

Ps 50:9-12

9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds.

10* For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

Everything in this world is the LORD’s and all its fullness! Whatever we possess that can be converted to money belong to God! Money is the store of value.

1Chronicles 29:12
12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

13 “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.

14* But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.

This was the time when King David was collecting from the Israelites gifts for the building of the temple.  So let us know that both riches and honor come from God. Even when I am giving God, I am not doing God a favor! Everything we have is His by right of creation.

David understood one thing that the money am handling belongs to God.  Whatever I am handling in my hands belongs to God! Even when I am giving generously I am not doing God a favor! I am actually returning to God what he has given me.

Proverbs 3:13-16
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;

14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16* Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.

Solomon was talking about wisdom. When you read the Bible keenly you will find that, Christ is the wisdom of God! In this wisdom long life is in His right hand, in His left hand is riches and honor!

The Lighthouse(New Grace-Bluegrass Gospel)

Your Inheritance Awaits - Galatians 4:1,2

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Galatians 4: 1,2

4:1* ¶ Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,

 2* but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

As an heir, you have the privilege to the inheritance. Your Father owns cattle on a thousand hills. Everything belongs to Him!  Secret – Children must mature. God is waiting for you to get mature.  Your inheritance remains with stewards and trustees.  To be entrusted with what is ours we must be mature – “be over 18”

As long as you are a child, what is yours remains with the trustees.  Be over "18"  to get what belongs to you.  When you mature Your Father will give you what belongs to you.

Look at Malachi 3:6-12

6* “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

 7* Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

 8* “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

 10* Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

 11* “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;

 12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.

Verse 6 – God says, “I do not change”

Our God is a God of covenant, He does not change.  Between man and God a covenant remains intact UNLESS one party (man) breaks it.  God does not break a Covenant.  So in this passage God is telling us to Return.

How do we return?

Test Me! Try Me! Challenge Me on this! God says that he will pour out blessings on us.  Now let me say this that POURING is NOT SPRINKLING!  You need to understand this – that a curse NEEDS to be broken!  Then you must address the how to break that curse! 

Revert to acknowledge who owns all that you have!

People go to Church or to the prayer meetings and start their prayers, “Lord I pray that You bless me, I am not going to leave here until You do so” WHILE YOU ARE LIVING IN THE CURSE!

God is looking for his children to entrust with His vast estates.  Your blessings await your obedience BUT as long as you remain disobedient to His Word the windows of heaven will remain closed.

God says I shall open – MEANING THAT IT YOUR BLESSINGS ARE UNDER A LOCK!

My Rights & Priviledges As God's Child

John 1:12 But as many as have received Him, to them He gave the right to be called the children of God…

Do you know what it means to be a child of God? It means to be sorted out by God! Have you been sorted?  Hopefully this makes sense to you. If you were the son or daughter of the President, you know you are sorted.

Let us think about this right to called a child of God, it means you have:

(1)   The Right

(2)   The Privilege

(3)   The Power

If you have the right, you do not have to be intimidated! You have all the privileges that pertain to your affiliation to God - He is your Father!  Imagine that you have these three positional benefits.  How sad it is for a child of God to not know their right, privilege and power.

There is that song in society that explains a very dangerous situation to be in: A person who does not know and he/she doesn’t know that they do not know!  There are people that do not know and they do not know that God has given them their rights.  There are saved believers that live without knowing their privileges in God's son, Jesus Christ.

Did you hear of that man who travelled on a cruise ship and did not eat from the ships’ cafeteria because the thought that he had no privilege in the ship to have meals. Yet he had all his meals covered in the ticket he had paid when the had begun his journey!

There are some saved believers that live without knowing their privileges that God has given you.

John 8:32  32* And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Christ brought your REDEMPTION.  

You need to know who you are, and the blessings your salvation has for you. Your Redemption entails:

(1)  Your Salvation – Jesus says, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life of your life.  John 14:6

(2)  Your Healing – Physically & Spiritually
Let us read:
Isaiah 53:5 - But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(3)  Prosperity – Jesus became poor so that we could be rich!

2 Corinthians 8:9*

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Many a believer have concentrated only on the package of Salvation,  and not claimed from their heavenly Father the privilege of health and prosperity.

Listen to 3 John 2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Know to claim your package from God! Claim your rights.

Prosperity & Good Success

Joshua 1:6-8

6 “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

 7* “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

 8* “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

A successful person is the one who has an all round progress in your life.

The Song we love to sing with the school students says: When we walk with the Lord, what a glory He sheds on our way.

Recently I had the exposure to key personalities in this Country – from the Academia and Spheres of influence in this country.  I thank God for His grace to me to connect me to to such men and women in our beautiful country, Kenya!

The Bible says that, “the race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11

Each of us here have one been Given by Almighty God an opportunity to succeed – to have an all round progress!  God desires the best for us!

Jeremiah 29:11 – He has thoughts of good not of evil, to give you a hope and a future.

In listening to these professors and technocrats, has exposed me to key knowledge and information that men and women have equal opportunity to succeed but not all do so 

because they do not take up the opportunities available to them. These opportunities would provide them empowerment – economically and socially.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Brethren I pray that all of us get prosperous and good success.  That they will get the blessings of the Lord and succeed in being a blessing!  The prerequisite to that is, the Book Of The Law - not leaving your mouth and mind.  Meditating what is contained in the pages of God's Word will give us the truth and means.

Jessa Anderson - "Worship The Lamb" (Official Lyric Video)

USA Photos

USA Photos

Charlottesville Auto Shop Offers Second Chance to Those in Need - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

Charlottesville Auto Shop Offers Second Chance to Those in Need - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

Breadth from Depth

Breadth from Depth:
William Still was a gifted pastor in the United Kingdom. He has impacted the lives of great preachers in our day like Sinclair Ferguson, Ian Hamilton, and Phil Ryken. This is a quote from his book The Work of the Pastor. In our churches we need to labor for both breadth and depth. But as he asserts, the breadth, often and necessarily flows from the depth:

Some of the hardest nuts to crack in the Christian world are those who have been so busy evangelizing that they have never allowed the Word to be turned upon them, and who therefore regard the Bible as a mere book of Gospel texts to hurl at others, or at least to bait them with. The sad decline in the quality of Christian life and witness in our country (United Kingdom) is largely due to the fact that the evangelical church has for several generations been a huge nursery, not only of infant babes but, much worse, grown-up babes…If our use and direction of the power and gifts of the Spirit tend in practice towards a short-sighted tactic rather than to long-term strategy, then we shall precipitate a problem that we may not have the means to solve. As a result the whole school of Christ will become one vast kindergarten, overflowing the classrooms. Nor will there be any teachers for them, because all the should-be teachers are out driving more and more infants to school. And when the teacher is away, the children play! Here then we have a school overrun, almost infested with infants, and all the monitors, guardians and teachers are out looking for more!…It is doubtless, a fine thing to be evangelistic: who is not, who deals faithfully with the Word? But it is one thing to gain converts, another to produce evangelists, missionaries, ministers—not to speak of powerful witnesses for Christ in innumerable lay fields. The church’s task is not only to gain converts, but so to build them up that they are ‘thrustable out.’

Keith & Kristyn Getty - Behold the Lamb

Shallow Small Group Bible Study - funny video from RightNowTraining.org

Two New Missionaries

In the annual business meeting the MKBC adopted two new national missionaries.  These men and their families are serving in two extreme locations and to diverse people groups

 

End of January, the pastors and deacons presented two new missionaries for adoption for support at the MKBC.

The first one is Joseph Leleruk from Suguta Marmar.  Suguta Marmar is a small trading center found on the way to Maralal.  It is at the boundary of Laikipia and Samburu Counties.  Brother Leleruk and his family were members of Bible Baptist Church Kawangware in Nairobi.  He felt the burden for his people of Samburu. He left the comforts of the city of Nairobi where he had a job earning him Kes 15,000 ($175).  He left with no pledge of support but a burning passion to reach his people of Samburu (who are cousins of the Maasai tribe). He started a small congregation with the help his pastor and church. The church that he came out of was not able to continue supporting him.  He kept the faith though!

Our first contact with Leleruk came with Pst Daniel Kalasinga a vateran missionary of MKBC who had gone on an evangelistic campaign in Kirimon in that area.  It was then that we made plans for him to come to the Mt. Kenya Baptist Church, during our Missions emphasis month of September 2011. 

His testimony of how he left his comforts of the city of Nairobi where he had a good paying job to go to Samburu was inspiring!

Our second missionary is Josephat Misuko Nyang’au who is from the Bible Baptist Church Wendani in Ruiru, near the city of Nairobi.  He was introduced by Missionary Ole Konnerup and there after by Pst Sudi his pastor. 

Brother Nyang’au and his wife Zophia visited the MKBC in early October 2011 for our Missions emphasis.  His Church has sent him to the area of Jamuhuri in Nairobi to start a new congregation.  Currently they have a small Bible study ministry in the said area.

It is with this that we are reminded of our participation in the great commission   Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20* “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We will be blessed because we participated in this commission.  It is likened to that farmer who sows seed.  God will bless with the harvest.

2Corinthians 9:10* Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

God has supplied the seed through the MKBC forks and wished that to be translated to sustainance and usefulness or fruit for you.  God will provide what you need (Philippians 4:19) and what you desire v 11 so that thanksgiving will be made to God thru you! Praise the Lord!

Our prayer requests are that :

-       More support funds will be available to support these missionaries,

-       The families of these missionaries will have their needs met – not only for sustainance but also health and the education of their children.

-       That these missionaries will be empowered with tools to enhance their Ministry work of the Gospel.

May your giving this year be translated to fruit that remain, grace and favor in our lives that will cause thanksgiving through us to God!

Blessings!