Monthly Archives: October 2018

God Is Real And Jesus Is The Only Way To Him!!

Hope and Faith, , , , , , , , , ,

Last month, I decided to take up a challenge from our Bishop to share the Word of God as I traveled to a nearby East African country for a work assignment. I was inspired by his sermon and testimony last month shared below.

So on the first flight trip from Nairobi, I sought strategy from the Holy Spirit on when and how to approach the young gentleman next to me. He was a Tanzanian national who had been away from home for over 3 years undertaking his studies in one of the Asian countries. And so after I told him the purpose of my travel, I paused for a while as I read the Kenya Airways magazine, Msafiri, I decided to take the conversation a step further. So I inquired if there was an opportunity for him to attend church on Sundays given the cultural/religious difference in the foreign country. He confessed that there was one available near him and he did attend. He was not born again but he shared that his mother always mentioned the need for him to do so and use his singing talent for the Kingdom of God. We continued to talk a bit more on character and holy living. He kept on asking why a young girl like me was so passionate about “church things” and we concluded it is more about the willingness to open up to the Holy Spirit and not about age. We talked more about not just attending church but accepting Christ in one’s life to be the guide in all that we do. I am glad that a seed was planted in him to rethink his life and his future according to God’s will. Every time I remember this conversation, I pray that the seed in him will be protected from the evil one and it will one day grow! I wish him all the best as he desires to start his own business.

On the trip back to Nairobi, I sat next to a gentleman from the United States who was in the company of his parents visiting East Africa for a holiday. I first noticed he had an insect bite on his neck most probably from his adventure. Contrary to the previous one, it was a bit difficult to find a place to spark a conversation with him and how much I kept on praying for an opportunity to open up. Lo and behold, when the flight attendants passed by to serve some snacks, we happened to order the same drink and this made this gentleman smile. Bingo!!! There was my chance. The conversation began with discussing his bite on the neck which was from a fly, I think the Narrow bee fly, in their adventure just as I had presumed. The profile of my neighbor was that of a young man who was once born again but moved backwards in his faith as doubt filled his mind of the authenticity of the Bible. He started reading other religious books searching which faith had the true God. At that time, he was dating a girl that seemed to have more faith in God than him and that was fine with him. And just as in the previous trip I had, a seed was planted for him to rethink his life and reconsider giving Jesus his life who can then answer all his questions and bring peace to his soul. He seemed to be aligned to the fact that Jesus is the true way but I could still see that wavering in him. Before long, the flight landed and that is when we actually got to introduce ourselves to each other and it was indeed a pleasure given the discussions we had!!

How do you know that God is alive and real? Do you believe that He is the one true God and all other gods are just works of men? What gives you that utmost deep assurance of your belief? Do you share him in your marketplace? As I write, I remember this song.

How do I know that my God is God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob? Well because He is God!! What if I was born in another culture and not a Christian upbringing, would I be born again right now? I choose not to look at the “What If?” questions. I will look at the reality of my life and it all points to the grace of God in my life. I have been saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 14:6 says:-

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 :-

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Please read the following for more insight.

Is Jesus the only way to be saved?  What must I believe to be saved?

God bless and see you next week Friday!!

#JesusIsReal #Godisnotdead #Jesus #God #TheGreatCommission

Only One Denarius For The Last And First!!

Hope and Faith, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello! Hello!

Yes, the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Let the one with ears hear this trumpet loud and clear!! The owner of the vineyard will give each of his workers one denarius. It will not matter the time the worker began working, as long as by the end of the day, all were found toiling the land. He will give whatever is right. Matthew 20 :1-16 says:-
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Let us be honest for just one second here. Do we as believers act like those hired early in the morning or those that came one hour to end of the day’s work? Do we feel so justified for more blessings from God because we were raised in Christian families and got born again at very early stages in our lives? Do we feel that others are more sinful than us and when they finally receive Jesus Christ, we are envious of the great work of the Lord in them?

I once was. At least the one that felt was so righteous because of my “good deeds”. The one that felt entitled to all the blessings the heavens could pour on a human being here on earth. I may have not said it out loud but just because my thoughts were filled with such a horrible mentality does not make it any better. It may actually be the same if you ask me. I still wonder where I got the standards/benchmark to match myself against. I feel I need to slap myself silly sometimes for such a stinking attitude. So here I am confessing my sins that I may be healed.

The plan today is to have a short post, so let me see if my objective will be achieved!

What is really the source of such a scenario in the church? in the Body of Christ? in God’s Kingdom? I will not speak for others but only for myself. Mine was pride which I shared in a previous post some time back including the video below.

When I look back, am grateful that I was gracefully broken. That I was disciplined by my loving father. He loves me enough to correct me. Did you notice in the passage above that the owner of the vineyard did not take back the denarius from the workers that complained? Rebuking them he did, but did not take back what was already given to them, their reward. I want my reward of eternal life but I want to receive it with the right attitude. It matters to me that I please my Father in all that I do, even in the small things that are not so popular. Pride blinded me to the right path of living. The right way according to God. No matter how great our gifts are, without love we are nothing. Let my gifts match how much love I show unto others. God has been gracious to me over the years and I should praise Him more for being the same to others. Gracious, Just and Faithful!! Most of the time for me this is easier said than done but that is the Jesus way!! Love is the Jesus way! Is it yours?

Be Blessed! See you next week Friday!