Now that Curfew is Lifted

Recently the on Kenya's Mashujaa Day our President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the lifting of the Dusk to Dawn Curfew. This was a measure that was arrived at when the Pandemic was detrimental to the lives of Kenyan citizens - its was necessary for the government to put measures to control the spread of the virus in county. 

The lifting of curfew is not a license to ignore the Ministry of Health protocols that include social distance, sanitising and putting on mask in public places.  Getting vaccinated also. 

Elsewhere there are discussions whether a local church must follow the MoH protocols in particular wearing of face masks. Here is a good read for church members and leaders, underpinning these and other matters surrounding compliance or defiance to laws/rules that the Christians may find themselves in. 

 Must Churches Follow Mask Mandates? : 9Marks

Robert Robinson 1735-1790

I got this short Biography of Robert Robinson.  He lived between 1735 to 1790.  I was looking for the words of a hymn we sing from time to time. 

Read it to find what Bruce Hindmarsh, Professor - Regent College said about this ancient person. 

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https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/was-he-too-prone-to-wander

For this Reason...

 

So many Christians walk this life without a clear understanding of their identity in Christ.  Neil T Anderson says that "You need to see yourself for who you really are." You must see yourself (if you have trusted in Jesus Christ, God's only son) - that you are indeed a child of God!" You must see yourself as a child of God in order to live like a child of God.  Your blessed hope as a believer under the sun is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" - Colossians 1:27.

The Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians said, "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1)".

What reason is the Apostle Paul talking about? 

• That we who believe in Jesus Christ have been make alive from trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1) which we once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh (Ephesians 2:2).
  
• We were disobedient, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (2:3).
• But God, who is rich in mercy, 
• loved us and made us alive together with Christ 4,
• raised us up v5,6,
  
• made us sit together ... in Christ Jesus v5,6,
  
• saved us by grace through faith v.8,
  
• created us for good works v.9,
  
•  We are no longer:
•  strangers v12,
• aliens v12,
  
• without hope and without God v12,
• We are now in Christ, we have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ!

Are you struggling with an identity crisis? Are you finding yourself living in your past order of life without regrets? Probably you have not received the grace and love of God that saves those who believe. 

Are you unsettled about the current status of your spiritual walk.  Yes! You know you are born again! You are not a stranger or alien - you have hope in God.  However there is a lingering lack of peace in the spirit inside you!  One way to address this is by trusting in the Word about who you really are according to Ephesians chapter 2. 

Simply believe who you are: a child of God! Accept who God says you are and commit yourself to God's great aim for your life - to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

When your basic faith system  about God and yourself is not stable, your daily behavioral system will be unstable.  Make your relationship with God based on the truth of and you will have little trouble  working out the practical aspects of your daily Christianity.

What is Jesus Worth To You?

In David Platt’s small book “The Radical Question”, He concludes a tough chapter with Radical questions on page 19 “What is Jesus Worth to you?”

He concludes his thoughts on Redefining Jesus of the Bible as the one who is supremely worthy of sacrificial devotion. Let me excerpt some more…. “His portrait in Scripture evokes immediate and total submission. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Final Amen. He is the Bread of Life, Christ our Creator, our Deliverer, our Everlasting Father—he is God. He is the Good Shepherd, the Great High Priest, the Holy One, the image of the invisible God. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, majestic and mighty, and no one compares to him, the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. He is the power of God, the Resurrection and the Life, the Supreme Sacrifice, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the very

Word of God made flesh.

When we see a biblical picture of Jesus, we realize that the greatness of who he is demands the surrender of all we are and have.

Let Jesus demand our surrender of all that we are and have!

Who Were The sons of God in Genesis 6?

This section of the Bible is a part that has endless debate it leaves many people envisioning what the world then looked like!Looking at Genesis 5:1 "This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God." In Genesis 5:3 Adam gets a son in "his own likeness, after his image" - the image of a sinner. The likeness of this Adam is that of a fallen sinner! Unfortunately, sin was a signature in that world, then!  Death was its ongoing punishment...

This is an incidence of hubris -which refers to extreme pride, especially pride and ambition so great that it offends and lead to one's downfall.  These were probably powerful rulers that were controlled/in-dwelt by fallen angels.  It may be that fallen angels left their habitation and inhabited bodies of human despots and warriors (the mighty ones of the earth).

Looking at Ezekiel 28:11-19 " Read the passage please" and Daniel 10:13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
From these passages, it is known that great kings of the earth have "princes" ruling behind them- their power is demonic.

In closing, I would say that Genesis 6:1-4 is a description of how corrupt the world had become! The sons of God in this passage were not Divine; they were demon-controlled.  They married as many women as they wished to satisfy their immoral instincts! Children of these marriages did not bring god-kings.  Though these were heroes and "men of renown"  - they were flesh and they died in due time, like all men do.

Parting shot, "When God judges the world - as He was about to with the flood - no giant (mighty man), no deity, no human has any power against Him!

Doing Good Today

"Question"

I came across a journal about helping the hurting of course there was no better example than the parable of the good Samaritan(Luke 10:25-37)..-putting into consideration the way things were at the time of Jesus there is a big disparity with current times and people take advantage of those helping them.

It is clear we have been called to a life of servanthood. But what should we do so that our services may not be taken advantage of?

"Answer"

Let us know that Ephesians 2:10[1] calls us His Workmanship for good works.  We are encouraged by the Scriptures to do good!

Titus 3:8 "This is a faithful saying...that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works..." Maintaining is a daily routine, something you do as a matter of duty – when you feel it and when you don’t. Matthew 5:16 talks about other giving God the glory when they see you good works.  So, what is the motivation of our doing good?  Is it so that we can be seen by men? Certainly not! Our deeds may attract the attention of men, but our motivation is that we are not men pleasers by God pleasers!
Ephesians 6:6 implying on servants and masters admonish the believing servant not to do their duty with eye-service, as men-pleasures doing the will of God from the heart.
Our good ought to be done in sincerity of the heart – so our deeds appeals to the motives.

I admire politicians in our county, when they do good – they must publicize it.  Reason, they owe it to their constituents.  However, for us who believe when we do that good deed let us follow the example of the Good Samaritan.

First it an answer to lawyer who was testing our LORD – Luke 10:25. He gave a right answer from Deuteronomy 6:5. He still wanted to justify himself and so, he is given the right illustration:

The Priest, the Levite represent those that know the law and keep it – but they ignored the needy person!  The Samaritan was considered in that day as the one who does not know the law – He ends up keeping it and then some!  The man who fell among thieves was in need!  James 4:17 says “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Also, the Good Samaritan did good expecting NOTHING in return – He gave a pledge that he could come back after his business and settle the needy man’s bill!

For us, it is a clear sign that we need to do good because it is right to do.  Do good simply because you are God’s workmanship for good in this world.

Secondly, if there is evidence or signs that it is going to hurt the one you are helping – then wisdom is needed.  The reason is that helping can also hurt, especially when you continually give fish to a needy person instead of showing them how to fish.  This can be explained further in a book “When Helping Hurts”.

Thirdly, you may never know the motives of those who may in turn want to take advantage of you. Use your discretion, ask God for wisdom, use common sense and your general knowledge – to make a decision whether to or not to engage!

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[1] Eph 2:10 “For we are His Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.

Essentials For The Season

ESSENTIALS FOR THE SEASON:
PRAYER, LOVE, SERVICE

1 Peter 4:7-11

⁷But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” ⁹Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer is essential

Peter admonished the believers that the end is at hand, the imminent return of Christ for His church is near!  This means that there is shortness of time remaining, and so a motivation for you and me to live for and serve Jesus Christ.

Prayer is of high priority during these times of COVID-19 too.  This time has become an end for others. Prayer is essential in suffering, it requires to be clear, reasonable, sober communication with God.

 "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Love is essential

A Christian’s unselfish love and concern for others should be exercised to the point of sacrificially giving for others’ welfare.  Even while we see and accept the fault of others.

Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all sins.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“⁴Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

This week our encouragement is for each of us to take up our phones and call some in your household of faith, and then some in your family or networks.
One, find out how they are fairing on,

Two, share a scripture or spiritual principle
Three, pray with them
You are doing this with a consideration for love for that other one, prayerfully considering what opportunity lies therein for service as God’s workmanship.

Equipped for Service – verse 10

1 Peter 4:10 tells us,
“¹⁰As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

We who believe should be diligent in using our spiritual gifts.  Each gift is to be used to serve or minister to others.

Let us keep this in mind, that God has equipped us for service.  That as we serve:

1.      Each Christian has received a gift.

2.      The gift is a result of God’s grace.

3.      We are responsible for the use of that gift.

4.      We should use the gift for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

5.      We should serve through God’s strength.

Realize that you have been equipped for good works!
Think of that saint – that believer you are concerned about. Think of that relative that has been affected by the COVI-19 scenarios.
That elderly person in your rural area that you want to protect from the effect of the virus – consider what to do, go ahead and fulfill the doing.

"We should serve through God’s strength."

Galatians 6:10

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

As we close,
Prayer is essential, Love is essential and you are Equipped for service.

It is your turn to call and find how (put their name down) is doing, share a scripture with them, and pray with (put their name) and as you ponder follow the spirits leading as to how to serve or minister to them.

Let us pray,

Dear Lord Jesus,
We thank you for the season that is in front of us.  We thank you that it does not hinder us from considering the opportunity that lies before us for fervent prayer.  A prompting from You to serve and minister to others, truly knowing that each of us has a gift – we are equipped to serve and minster!
Lead us now, that you may be glorified among us in Your name,
Amen!