Monthly Archives: November 2017

Attitude Transformation, Exodus, Manna for Today, Uncategorized

Singular Focus in Life

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Life presents us an opportunity to pursue many things; but what is that one overarching thing that defines all that we pursue?

This attitude, of pursuing one thing over others, is explicit in the lives of prominent figures in the Bible. They had one chief and principal thing that they pursued wholeheartedly. This helped focus their attention, and energies to a productive end. Briefly, let’s look at biblical examples in which we see prominent figures who had singular focus/desire in life and ministry.

  1. Joshua: 15 “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

In a generation that was experiencing a growing apostasy, Joshua desired to serve the Lord despite the strong opposition around him.

2. David: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Ps. 27:4).

David, desired, above all, to seek the Lord…and to experience the beauty and the tender care under God’s wings. His desire was a life-long desire; he will follow it through till the end of his life. Also, he commmitedly seeks what he has asked of the Lord. Did he fulfill this desire at the end of his life? A resounding yes, Acts 13:36 records that after David had served God’s purpose in his generation he rested with his forefathers.

3. Solomon: (when given the opportunity by God to ask whatever thing he needed): “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:9).

This man asked God to give him wisdom (a wise and discerning heart to be able to administer justice). In response, God gave him wisdom but also in addition gave him all the other things he did not  ask for like wealth, and long life. Solomon’s priorities at least at this early stage of his life were focused. He asked God for ONE thing.

4. Agur son of Jakeh: 7 “Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God (Prov. 30:7-9).

This little known man of the Bible asked of God two things. His focused desires reveal that he longed for contentment, truthfulness, and  honoring of God.

5. Jesus: 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work (John 4:34).

Our Lord, talked of accomplishing the will of God as his “food” (a daily necessity)

Also, Jesus instructed, 33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33-34).

We know Jesus accomplished his singular focus, when at the cross he said, “it is finished”.

6. The merchant in the parable of Jesus: 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:45-46).

Why this the merchant in the parable sell EVERYTHING just to buy ONE thing? It is because the ONE thing he had found was of GREATER value than EVERYTHING he had.

7. Martha (the one thing that is needed): 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

One thing is needed, and that is what Martha chose; something that cannot be taken away from her! For Martha, it was to be with Jesus, to seat under the counsel of Jesus.

8. Paul: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11).

Paul’s desired to “know Christ”; to know how wide, and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Paul achieved his purpose because at the end of his life he was able to confidently declare, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…” (2 Tim 4:7).

These desires consumed the lives of these key characters in the Bible. Notably, they desired what ultimately brings true joy and contentment. These men desired what counts eternally. Why is it important to have a singular desire/focus: we end up seeking what we desire, “one thing I have desired; that I will seek after”;  singular focus in life leads to simplification of life; it focuses our energies and pursuits; when we have our desires defined it is easy to turn them into prayers. Life is a process of simplification…

Read Satan’s thesis statement and Jesus’ Offer

Read- One more night with the frogs

Attitude Transformation, Faith and culture, General Articles from Friends, Manna for Today, Sermons

Living in Anticipation of the Lord’s Return

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The doctrine of eschatology (end times) is broadly taught in the Bible. Central to this teaching is the return of Jesus Christ for his church. Believers are not ignorant of the things that will happen in the future because the Bible talks of signs, promises, and warnings concerning the return of Jesus Christ. Through the Bible, God’s eternal plan into the future has been revealed. Jesus not only gave us the promise to return but he also gave us the signs that will precede his return and the warnings that we should beware of.

Promises:

  • Jesus promised to come back soon (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 1:7; Rev. 22:20).
  • He went to prepare a place for believers (Jn. 14:3). A place where evil and suffering will be no more. A city where there shall be no more Satan, death, tears, pain, and imperfections; for the former order of things will have passed and the new come. In this city, believers will be in the very presence of God.
  • These promises give believers/church a solid hope.
  • During his second coming the righteous will be vindicated and the wicked condemned.

Do you BELIEVE in these promises?

Signs that will precede Christ’s return:

  • Preaching of the gospel to all nations (Mk. 13:10; Matt. 24:14).
  • Great tribulation (Mk. 13:7-8, 19-20).
  • False prophets performing signs and wonders (Mk. 13:22),
  • Signs in the heavens (Mk. 13:24-25).
  • The coming of the man of sin/antichrist and the rebellion (Rev. 13; 1 Jn. 2:18).
  • The salvation of Israel in the future (Rom. 11:12; Rom. 11:25-26).

Warnings:

  • Although Jesus promised to return, he did not indicate the time of his coming. Well, is this problematic? Jesus warned that the day will come like a thief, he will come at an hour you do not expect him (Matt. 24:44; 2 Pet. 3:10). Since he did not state the exact time, is it logical to say that he has delayed? And also, if he said he would come in two or a hundred year’s time, imagine what we would be doing in the meantime.
  • Also the Bible warns of the coming judgment- the day of the Lord will bring vindication to the righteous and condemnation to the wicked. In the day of the Lord, people will be held accountable for their actions and words.

Because of Jesus’ promise, revelations, and forewarnings, WE HAVE HOPE– specifically, the hope that Christ will soon return: the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

This hope is not a passive hope. It is a hope that should accomplish something in us. This hope should transform the way we live, think, work, handle relationships, and circumstances.

2 Peter 3:11-15 reminds us that that we ought to be doing something in anticipation of the Lord’s return. The knowledge of these promises and warnings should presently shape our lives.

How should we live NOW in light of this hope of the second coming of Jesus?

  1. Live a Holy life– Longing for Christ’s glorious appearance should cause us to be holy.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure (1Jn. 3:2-3).

The promise that Jesus will return should cause us to desire to be holy; in other words, to be like Christ. This hope should produce the fruit of righteousness in us. This blessed hope should make our lives free from any entanglement of sin.

This hope brings alongside the manifestation of God’s grace to all men. It teaches us “to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we await for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:12-13).

Notably, this hope should change our actions and attitudes in a way that reflects a holy character.

The more we are unholy the more we will be unprepared for his coming.

The fact that Christ will return anytime should make us purify ourselves from sin, grudges, unforgiveness, and to be presentable before God as holy and blameless.

  1. Live as Strangers in this World–

Living with an eternal perspective means living in this world as strangers, pilgrims, and sojourners.

Jesus revealed to us our true identity. We are God’s children, and citizens of heaven but temporarily in a foreign land (Phil. 3:20). As God’s children and ambassadors we are in the world but not of the world. Eternal perspective will remind us not love the world or follow its patterns.

We explicitly see this eternal perspective in the lives of Israel’s patriarchs. We are told, Abraham and the other patriarchs, because of eternal perspective, lived “like a stranger in a foreign country”. They lived in tents (temporary dwelling). Why? For these patriarchs were “looking forward to the city whose foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10).

Life in this world, to a believer, should be lived as an exile. Eternal perspective should make us not to hold the things of this world dearly to our hearts. The world and the things therein are passing. Human life in this world is brief and fleeting. We are aliens in a foreign land. For international students here today, the KPP’s, Alien Cards, and Passports we carry around remind us of our temporary nature of our residence. Believers in Christ are equally strangers in this world.

As strangers in a foreign land we are called to manifest kingdom values. Life in this foreign land, as foreign people should cause us to pray and long for the full manifestation of his kingdom.

  1. Be Patient–

Living as aliens in a strange world comes with challenges. Faithful living of our hope brings rejection, persecution, and sorrow. Expectedly, our hope demands that we swim upstream; that is, living in a way that stands in opposition to the values that a fallen world upholds.

When we face such opposition, we should remember the world of Paul. “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” (2Cor. 4:16-18).

Are you tempted to be impatient in you walk with God?  Factually, the challenges we face are: “light and momentary” and achieves for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. The glories of heaven far outweigh our temporary challenges. We, therefore, should be patient in tribulations.

In our patience, we should also continually express our longing for the Lord’s return: “our Lord, Come!” (Maranatha) 1 Cor. 16:22); “Amen, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

  1. Walk not by Sight but by Faith–

Expectation of Christ’s return should cause us to live by faith. The ancients were commended not based on what they were or what they possessed but for their faith in God. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God.

“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” (2Cor. 4:18).

We should keep our hope by fixing our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. As a matter of fact, not all reality is seen. If you only live for what is seen then you are acutely limited in your perspective.

Living in light of eternity involves keeping in step with the Spirit; living under the guidance of the Spirit.

Eternal perspective should enable us to store our riches in heaven rather than on earth (Matt. 6:20).

It takes faith to live as a foreigner in the world.

  1. Serve the Lord with Passion–

Eternal perspective should lead us to SERVE God diligently, and with excellence; for we know our service and faithfulness will be rewarded. Such a perspective will make us serve without grumbling or seek praises from men. This eternal perspective certainly changes our perspectives on money, people, career, and work.

The hope of Christ’s return gives us the wisdom to know that we should work while it is still daytime for night is coming when there will be no opportunity to work. It teaches to maximize on every opportunity to do good to all people. If you truly have this hope it will make you invest your time in what counts eternally.

On the other hand, lack of eternal perspective makes us to live life centered on “here and now”. Such a perspective blinds us to the realities of tomorrow.

Significantly, living in light of eternity will make us WIN SOULS for Christ. Also, this hope will make us realign our purposes with God’s purposes.

  1. Be Watchful–

Sometimes when we think about Christ’s return the question that comes straight to our minds is “when?” I.e. when will Christ return? But every time Jesus was asked this question, he redirected it because the question misses the point. The main point/question is: how can I live now in light of Christ’s promise to return? (Ref. Acts 1:6-8).

Knowing that Christ will return in an unknown hour should cause us to live watchfully and prayerfully.

Be on guard! Be alert! (Matt 24:42-44; Mk. 13:32-36; 25:1-13).

Watch your way of life, your testimony, and your doctrine. Watch against false teachers/preachers.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'” (Mark 13:35-37).

Finally…

Has the hope of Christ’s return transformed the way you live your life here on earth?

Interestingly, it is said that what we think about heaven determines what we think about the present. C.S. Lewis once said, “it is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this one.”

So, when Christ returns will you be ready? Will our garment be clean? Will you wish that certain priorities in your life had changed? I want to close by saying, you have the opportunity now to live in light of the hope that Christ will return.

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Uncategorized

Celebrating Unity in Diversity: Interview Links

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Africa International University is a Christian chartered university in Nairobi Kenya. Thankfully, I have had the privileged to study at this great university for my postgraduate studies. The university has students, staff, and faculty from over 30 nations of the world. This richness of diversity here is a representative reflection of God’s diverse plan for humanity at large!

The interview link below (and photos) features some of the  remarks by the Deans from the schools of the Graduate School of Theology (NEGST), Education/Art and Social Sciences, School of Economics and Business (SBE) and the Institute for the Study of African Realities (ISAR). I had an opportunity to interview them on their views on unity and diversity. This comes at a time in Kenya and Africa when nations are facing with challenges of negative ethnicity, cessation demands, and political polarization. As Christians, how should we handle our differences… Should it be the source of our of division or celebration….

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Some of the Questions Asked are:

  • What is culture?
  • Is unity in diversity attainable or is it just good-sounding oxymorons?
  • How does Christ redeem culture?
  • What is the importance of celebrating our cultures, especially as Christians?
  • How can we be truly biblical and truly cultural?
  • How can culture be a threat to unity?
  • What are some of our precious cultural values that we have lost or risk losing?
  • Is true unity achievable in our world today? What are some of the ways in which Christians can promote unity in the society?

For more information on their responses, kindly follow the following links:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM4CWsR1JzT3lpmTdPOhe8nLFxYem2JPP9lO4mHG6STu_4bNIFnc67VF7d3ZosVYg?key=c3B3U3dVQ2NlRG5XbW1VaEw4MGdGc2RBeHRYS013

 

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Notable Points:

  • Our diversities are a gift and blessing from God to be celebrated.
  • Sameness is boring but God’s idea of diversity is beautiful and glorious!
  • As diverse peoples and cultures we need to:
    • Learn from each other,
    • Tolerate each other,
    • Appreciate one another, and
    • Find ways of celebrating our differences.

 

Attitude Transformation, Philippians- Homiletical Outlines

God’s Power to Achieve His Purposes No Matter What

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From the scripture we know that the Sovereign God is all-omnipotent to eliminate evil, pain, and suffering. But experientially, he does allow his beloved children to go through dark moments; not because he is unable but because in his sovereignty he is ultimately able to turn evil for our good (Rom. 8:28). As a matter of fact he turned the evil and hatred intended against Joseph by his brothers to bring about the salvation of many (Gen. 50:20). In his power and wisdom he allows and disallows.

When God allows his beloved to go through a hard and trying moment, he ensures he ultimately brings out something good and beautiful, for his own glory and purposes.

Apostle Paul clearly understood this biblical fact. That is why in Philipians 1:14-30 Paul’s experiences and especially his responses to situations presents to us a challenge to embrace new situations, both good and bad, with new lenses/perspectives/attitudes informed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that:

  1. God is able to use our dark moments to accomplish his purposes (vv. 12-14):

Paul’s imprisonment, chains, and suffering for the sake of the gospel was in a profound way used by God to bring about something beautiful:

  • It served to advance the gospel- The whole palace guard and everyone was now aware that Paul is in chains- for Christ.
  • It became an encouragement to many Christians to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Through Paul’s chains, God was achieving something far greater and better…

Paul did not lament over his present predicament but chose to trust in God because he knew that God was at work in fulfilling his greater purposes through lives (living sacrifices) that are fully committed to Him. He knew everything happens under God’s direction. He knew God is able to bring good out of a bad circumstance/suffering. He knew he was chained, but God’s word was not.

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2. God is able to use envy and rivalry to advance his mission (vv. 15-20)-

  • In Philippi, like today, there are those who preached the gospel out of envy and rivalry- Doing it out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, stirring up trouble. Such people do ministry to build a name/glory for themselves and not to save lives. They do not preach the true gospel. They teach another gospel which is not gospel at all. Does this matter?
  • The second group preaches out of goodwill- Paul represented this category of preachers. They did ministry in love, sacrificing their all.

In both of these cases, either with good or bad motives, Christ is preached and the gospel is advancing and bearing fruit. The spread and multiplication of God’s word is not limited by evil motives. God can use any means; He can use any raw material to advance his gospel. He can use our enemies to bring some to salvation. Even through the ministry of defrauders God can save some!

He is able. And so we should rejoice that God is able to use evil intentions to accomplish his purposes. No weapon formed against the church shall prosper.

In all these Paul maintains a joyful attitude. He has plenty of reasons to complain but he chooses to be joyful, But why? He says “I know” (term used in v 12, 19 and 25). He knows that in the end:

  • Things will turn out well for him- He admits that eventually things “will turn out for my deliverance” v.19. Deliverance from prison and/or salvation in the next life- through prayers and help from the Holy Spirit.
  • In the final run he will not be ashamed- v, 20.
  • It will result into sufficient courage- to do more, suffer more? v20.
  • Christ will be exalted- by life or by death-v20.

3. God is able to use our life or death to promote his glory (vv. 20-26)

God is not limited by what we do in the span of this life.

Being conscious of this, Paul found himself in a dilemma.

He was torn in between two alternatives:

  • Continuing to be in the body– To him this meant an opportunity to engage further in a fruitful labor. He admits this option is necessary for the Philippians because he will have opportunity to work for their progress and joy in the faith. Also being with them will make their joy I Christ Jesus to overflow on his account. This alternative is good for “them”.
  • Departing to be with Christ– To Paul this means being separate from the body that is prone to weaknesses and evil plots of men. It means being in the very presence of God where there shall be no prison, pains, cry, sin, sicknesses, and death. It is an option that guarantees eternal joy and fellowship with Christ. This alternative is a true gain for Paul!

Through our lives and ministry we are building a spiritual legacy that will outlive us. In our lives, accomplishments, and service Christ should be exalted/glorified.

4. God is over all Circumstances of Life (vv. 27-30)- 

“Whatever happens”- they say, life happens. Life is full of happenings. But believers in Christ should:

  • Conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel (not circumstances). Circumstances change but we should not change because our lives/attitudes and responses are anchored on the solid and unchanging gospel. The ‘manner worthy of the gospel’ involves imitating Christ, and living a holy life.
  • Stand firm in one spirit– contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.
  • Be courageous and strong in Christ– Not frightened by those who oppose you, because they also oppose God.

Because of God’s sovereignty, we should be joyful and hopeful in every circumstance. Knowing that God is able; and that we have been called not only to believe in him but also suffer for him.

Read also more on Paul in the book of Philippians