Christ Our Life In The Story Of Two Trees.

“²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.“ Gal 2:20 NKJV �

Maina 2020

Recently I noticed some development at the initial stages of a phenomenon I had observed earlier over a stretched period in my younger years.  In those days, it was just something interesting to observe, but this time round, it spoke to me so much about Christ who is our life, I had to share it here…

In the earlier observation, there was a huge tree at a very prominent place in the homestead I grew up in. The tree used to supply the family with poles from its branches for use in the farm.

Whenever a branch was cut, another shoot would grow in its place and eventually grow to be used for poles.

At some point, there was a branch stump that dried after being cut, leaving some kind of hole that would collect dust and water. With the little water and soil from dust in that hole, another completely different species of tree started growing. A “sower” must have scattered the seed there and it found some good soil to germinate.

The new tree was growing very fast, so much so that in the three month period of a boarding school term, we would come home to notice significant difference.

One would expect the tree to wither as it grew on very little soil, but it had its way. As the shoot was growing upwards towards the sunlight, it was producing roots that were growing downward towards the ground.

“The remnant of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward”. (Is 37:31, 2 Kings 19:30)

The roots seemed to have a two fold purpose. On one part the roots were seeking nutrients for the fast growing tree, and on the other, they were providing support as they seemed to hug the host tree. As the roots reached the ground and round the host tree, they became bigger and bigger, and started merging forming part of the stem.

“³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease” ( John 3 ESV )

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As the roots for the new tree grew downwards and thicker into the stem, the branches on the other hand grew upwards, eventually starting to get higher than the host tree.

What would previously be referred to being one, was now evident to any observer that there were two each of its own kind.

The older tree decreased in visibility, as the new tree became more prominent until one would be excused to identify the tree as the new only.

¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.(Eph 4. NIV)

As the new tree became bigger, it seemed to quench the life of the old tree out of it. The old tree became weaker and weaker and eventually dried out. After the old tree dried out, the new tree started closing the spaces previously occupied by the older tree and forming a smooth stem.

One could now only see the new tree, but for the spaces of the previous tree yet to be covered.  The tree has since been cut to give way for other development, but the picture is still etched in my mind – the increase of Christ until He becomes All and in all.

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Back to the developing tree on our current compound.

It was quite a disappointment earlier this week to notice that someone clearing the area cut the budding tree down including some of the roots that had started to grow downwards.

It felt so bad, my first response was to ask  God to restore it to life – I literally prayed for it. For a while it felt like the unfolding picture was gone, until I remembered that we treated the tree in the earlier time the same.

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. (Is 11:1 NASB.)”

We severally tried to cut it off the old tree, but every time we would cut it, it’d come back more aggressively. With this remembrance I was encouraged to realize that there is yet a lesson to learn of Christ, that He is the…..;

“…one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” Heb 7:16 (Emphasis mine)

Is God Speaking and What is He Saying?

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In less than a week during this “slow down” time, I’ve been able to go through the old testament of the bible in summary form.

This has been made possible through the action bible, a pictorial comic-like version that highlights the major stories in the bible narrative chronologically.

Incidentally, I’ve always considered it as only useful for children, and hence not read it through before. This time round it was hard to put it down once I started reading it.

What I particularly liked about it is that one is able to go through the narrative as a continuous unfolding story of God’s relationship to man. In that unfolding story, it is easy to note the consistency of God’s character of love and justice and His being intentional in the relationship.

On the flip side of the relationship, the inconsistency of man in his character and response to God’s expectation of him is also obvious. Man is sometimes acknowledging the sovereignty of God and during those times he prospers and is at peace, at other times he pursues his interests independent of God and falls into disfavor with Him.

At crisis times, like the world finds itself in right now, we are bound to ask ourselves whether there is something God is communicating to us through the crisis. My take on that is that God has already spoken and if we are listening we will hear what he’s been saying all the while.

What crisis like the one we are in has the potential of doing is to cause us to listen. May the Lord be gracious to grant us eyes to see, and ears to hear what the His Spirit is communicating.

One of the communication that to me stood out in, and seems to summarize the narrative of the relationship between God and man is in the King’s dream in Daniel 2. In the vision, he saw successive kingdoms of men’s civilization, and how they were all going to end at some point.

³⁶ “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. ³⁷ Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; ³⁸ in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

³⁹ “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. ⁴⁰ Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. ⁴¹ Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. ⁴² As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. ⁴³ And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

⁴⁴ “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. ⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

There is however a unique and distinct kingdom that is set up at those times that has no end. This is not like any of the kingdoms of men, but of God that crashes all other kingdoms. Once it is set up, its expansion has no end. The Price of this Kingdom reigns with a scepter of righteousness.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7)

But unto the Son He saith, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. (Heb 1:8)

Nature of the Kingdom:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Rom 14:17)

When is this Kingdom coming?

Some believe that the kingdom of God is coming with the second coming of Jesus, but I see differently from the bible. In response to the pharisees’ inquiry, Jesus had this to say,

²⁰ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21)

This means the Kingdom has been on earth since Jesus time on earth, and has been expanding on earth through the saints that have believed.

God’s present speaking:

We started with asking ourselves what God is speaking, and I think it important to ask further, how He is speaking. In Heb 1:1, the bible contrasts for us how He spoke in previous times, and how He’s been speaking since the introduction of His kingdom on the earth:

“1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Heb 1)”

What is He saying?

There are some people who consider crisis like the current one as judgement from God. I do not dispute, but I think that there is a final judgement that is coming at the end of the age. In the meantime, Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

In that light then, this is what the Lord is saying (as He has been saying):

“I have loved you so much, that I have given my only begotten Son, that if you believe in Him, you shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” ( Paraphrase of John 3:16)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Mat 11:28)

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4;14)

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

Beloved, this is your hour, not because it’s a new speaking, but because you are hearing it, for

behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ( 2Cor 6:2 )

I believe that this speaking is both for those not yet in , and those already in the kingdom. Because of the ever expanding and immeasurable nature of this Kingdom, there will always be an element we need to apprehend of the kingdom of Christ.

Sometimes the very things that worked in our pursuit of God (aka traditions) in previous times could be the very ones that we need to drop to be focused entirely on Christ, the King of the Kingdom.

NB: The last two years I’ve heard the word “utterness” severally and have wondered what it means, and how to apply it. Now I think I am beginning to understand – The Lord is requiring our total surrender to Him if we are to walk with Him victoriously in these times we are living in. “Not one hoof will be left behind!”

Of Being a Christian and Smoking the Weed.

Peter is a 19 year old man that I met last year, but only started spending time with  last month. The good news is that he received the salvation Christ offers some two weeks ago.

It is as he sought to understand how to live the new life in Jesus that he asked me, “mzee (Swahili word for old man – a salutation I have accepted as I approach 50), there is something I’d like to let you know, now that I have accepted Jesus.”  “Yes Peter.” I curiously quip. “You know I smoke weed. Do you think it is okay to do so when I am a Christian?”

If I was asked that question was some years ago, the answer would have been an outright, “NO” with capital N. “go home and burn every trace of the weed and never smoke it again.” But that time is passed  now; so I was a little diplomatic, trying to hide my shock as much as possible. What has happened since to tamper my response?

Growing up in traditional conservative Christian environment, some of the gravest sins that one had to leave behind after conversion were smoking, and drinking. I carried that perspective with me even to adulthood. One can only imagine my surprise when one day in a new church I received an invite from the men’s group leader with a note to carry with me my smoking pipe. As you’d imagine the first time I could not get myself to go – reason being that it was to be hosted in a Brew & bistro joint I felt not comfortable with.

Later in the same church I  started attending a men’s home bible study fellowship only  to realize that not only was there beer drinking, but there was a bar counter at the backyard which meant a provision in the home had been made for that lifestyle in hosting guests.

I was later to encounter a very serious (from my evaluation) believer who had a smoking pipe as his signature image. One does ask, “what happened that softened my stand?” Did those things stop being sin, or were they not sinful in the first place? Or, maybe I was conforming to the culture?

This is what I think happened – I understood that it is not that one becomes righteous because they do not sin, it is that a righteous man does not sin.

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”. (1John 3:9)

“⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” (John 16:8)

This to me means that the first step is to receive a righteousness that is not of our works, but of Christ Jesus, our righteousness.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1Cor 1:30)

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Cor 5:21)

It is then that the new born spirit receives the indwelling Lord and is convicted of the undesirable things in the life He has taken residence.

Back to our conversation with Peter. I thought of using the route of why he smokes, to which he answered that it gives him psyche to work.

I asked him to consider why those athletes that take steroids to enhance their performance are punished when they are discovered. Of course he was able to say that it is because they are cheating – the performance is not their real self.  I stopped that line of reasoning there as food for thought.

Then I said to him that my opinion was that he should consider the approach of what the habit benefits him with, by asking himself, “what value is this habit to me?” From there he’s able to make a decision out of his own conclusions.”

““All things are lawful for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything. NET (1Cor 6:12)”

By this time, he had become more open to share even how he started out of an influence from a friend, and the way it cost him a job as he acted like a mad person. Out of that he was also able to share how he desires to stop, but is unable. “Now, you have Jesus in you to help you – ask Him.”

Last time we were together two days ago he told me he had stopped smoking the weed 2 days earlier and the desire for it has gone completely.

I believe Peter was a Christian even when he smoked the weed, but not sure of its benefit to him. I praise Jesus for setting him free.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. KJV (John 8:36)”

Let us walk in this awesome freedom Christ has secured for us!

The New Normal After Corona.

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But my loving kindness will not be removed from you. And my covenant of peace will not be shaken ,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10) NASB

It feels like ages since I last posted something here. Much has been happening, and I kept telling myself I will write when things ease up, and then Corona happened.

The scripture I’ve quoted above has been in my mind and heart lately, and think it appropriate to help us to keep focused on God’s faithfulness. This is a time where things as we’ve known them are definitely being shaken, and we should expect a new normal.

What will the new normal look like? I’d like to share a post by Cheryl McGrath of Bread For The Bride that I found quite inspired for all of us to consider as we are all affected one way or the other.

Blessings to you and all yours,

Patrick

Walking with Jesus.

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“32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.”(Heb 11.)

 

Earlier last month, my family moved to the coastal city of Mombasa, some 500km from the city we’ve always called home. I however, have still some things to do in Nairobi so I’ve been shuttling every week to and fro – thanks to the new railway service.

As the train traverses the Savannah plains that is the land between Nairobi and Mombasa, one watching through the windows cannot fail to notice how fast local life passes by. From the remote villages of the vast Kamba land to the diverse wild animals of the Tsavo, one only gets a glimpse of what happens.

Given the speed of the train, there is little to experience along the way, and eventually one starts looking forward to the destination. I have wondered more than once what it would be like to experience the village life and graze cattle in the same place I see the wild animals.

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Further I’ve thought how similar our experience of the journey of faith can be:

On one part, one can look at the train journey as a life where one believes in Jesus, departs from Nairobi, and then speeds to Mombasa – heaven to meet Jesus there.

Another can be viewed as a walk with the Lord (like journey to Emmaus) where a couple of you depart Nairobi with Him when you believe, walk with him through the wildlife inhabited plains, for many days unlike the 5 hours on the train, encounter challenges with Him along the way , and scale all of them with Him. You get to the destination Mombasa, having not only arrived victoriously, but also bonded immensely with Him as you’ve experienced life in Him together.

Given a choice between the two, I’d rather the walk – tough, but immensely satisfying.

Right or Left, where does the follower of Jesus stand?

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Believer, Politics

Earlier in the year, I wrote a post on the tension I was grappling with where politics is concerned. That was in the run up to the general elections in Kenya, but now the electioneering period is over with the climax being voting last week.

The post election atmosphere is far from what most of us hoped it would be; “let this hullabaloo end we go on with our normal lives”. There’s much uncertainty with the declared ‘winning side’ on one hand celebrating, and the ‘loosing side’ on the other hand refusing to concede.

It is not for me to say what side one should stand on, as I had a surprise thought last week while considering what Jesus’ position was on some of these disputes;

“13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12)(emphasis mine)

Often times I’ve wondered why Jesus would sound so unconcerned about such an ‘obvious’, or ‘outright ‘ case of unfairness. The details of that response may not be the subject of the current consideration, but rather where the believer stands and the effect on us when these scenarios are presented to us.

It is increasingly becoming obvious to me that the interest of God on earth is on a family, a body He can express His will on the earth in and through, the Church. His focus therefore becomes the transformation of those in the family to a place of standing for love towards all, and an invitation to those outside to join the family so that they can be part of this family that He by His love in and through them draws the world to Himself.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom 12:2)

..By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”(John 13:35)

I sign off today with a excerpt from an article I read this morning which really expresses in simpler language what has been in my heart;

“Genuine Christianity is neither left nor right. It is not a sub-culture but a counter culture….” https://acalltotheremnant.com/2017/08/14/we-are-neither-left-nor-right/

Christ, the basis of our unity.

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Believers unity, Christ prayer for unity, That they may be one

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; (Ps 133. KJV)

“Will He answer this my prayer?” asked Dr Rachel. “Yes, He always does.” I responded. This was part of a conversation my wife and I had sometime earlier in the year with a learned acquaintance.

The conversation led to talking about whether God answered every prayer of Jesus while on earth. According to Dr Rachel, God did answer all apart from two instances. “What! which ones?”, I was obviously very curious to know which these instances were where God the Father did not answer the prayers of His Son, of whom He said He was well pleased.

Dr Rachel proceeded to give the two instances;
1.”39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.(Matt 26)“, and
2.“that they may be one, just as We are one.”(John 7:22.)

The consideration for this post is more for the second prayer, and less for the first one. Perhaps in future God will give us an opportunity to examine the first one in another post. The question then becomes, “Did God answer Jesus’ prayer for unity of believers or not? ”

If one is to just look at what is evident externally in Christendom, there are as many believe systems among Christians as there are denominations if not more. In my own christian walk, I’ve been to at least 5 denominations and to some degree each has been different from the other. The answer may not always be evident to the natural eye, but I believe the Holy Spirit is working towards that end;

“13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph 4.KJV)

Oh, what a glorious end!…,but how shall this be?. I believe the Holy Spirit is at work in every child of God, conforming us to the image of God’s Son, leading each to submit to Christ as the head of the body, the church, the one new man.

So to my friend and many that may be wondering whether Jesus’ prayer for believers’ unity was answered or will ever be answered, I can answer that with confidence, a resounding yes! , and urge us all to let go all other ground (nationality, race, gender, creed, …) of unity, apart from Christ, for all other is sinking sand, the ground upon which if we build our lives upon will eventually crumble, but Christ the foundation which has been laid will stand for eternity…Christ our life, and only basis of true unity!

“I am your inheritance.”

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.(Rom 8)

Mutuku stretched out his hands as he suddenly rose from his desk realizing he was almost alone in the office. They had had a long meeting where he had reported on the progress of the project he had been in charge of; which was largely going on as planned. The meeting had stretched beyond the envisioned two hours as different people sought to verify the statistics he was presenting, and that is how he ended up having a late lunch. When he had come back to the office, he succumbed to the demand of a full stomach and drifted into a light nap.

It was as in this half asleep state that he contrasted the events of the last one year with those of the rest of his life since he was a young child. Going back to his early years, he remembered how he had gone to Sunday school and been taught to be a good boy. At the age of fourteen, he responded to an invitation in a school evangelistic meeting and given his life to Jesus. After that he had committed his life to living the best of life he could.

He had played by the rules both at home and school, which had worked very well for him as he was a favorite of his teachers and an envy of his peers. From his performance in school and all the way through college, it was obvious he was going to make a good life for himself , and he truly did not disappoint when he got into the job market.

On the flip side however, Mutuku had some misgivings about his life that he had not shared with anyone. With all his successes in life, he did not feel like he was good enough, that he had accomplished as much as he’d have wanted, or that would please God. That feeling of inadequacy led him from church to church seeking the knowledge of God that would enable him to please Him enough.

In all the five church congregations he had been part of, he incidentally had found himself rising to the place of various responsibilities by virtue of his diligence. From the outside he seemed fine and doing well, but he was dying from the inside, because of the pressure to maintain the image of one who has every thing in the right order .His life had become like a clay pot that was suspended and he needed to support it, and he knew if he let go it would crash into many pieces that he could not reassemble back.

Ironically, the fact that he looked ‘with it’ on the outside mostly worked against him, as more people around him even had more expectation of him, in effect making the ‘pot’ even more heavier/laborious to hold in place. It had taken Mutuku’s wandering mind to realize that even though the laborious life had become the norm in his life, the last couple of months had been significantly different. He could not exactly put a finger on the exact time that the shift had occurred, but there was a definite change.

The Different Life:

In Mutuku’s reflections he observed the recent changes in his life evidenced by not only his experiences, but also the comments of some people around him. “Mutuku, do you know you have changed?”, one of his colleague had asked him after a potentially explosive conversation the previous week over work done poorly and delayed in delivery by one of the people he had been supervising in a project under him. Instead of his ‘no nonsense’ usual stern way of dealing with project team, he had sought to know why the usually efficient worker had done so dismally this time. It was upon asking that he’d learn later that she had had a sick child that week, the same week the husband had deserted her for another woman. Mutuku’s wife at home had also commented that he had become kinder to his children and no longer shouted at them.

In his personal life, he noted that he was no longer under pressure of circumstances. He was calm under pressure, and seemed no longer hurried in anything, and most importantly in his time of reading the scriptures and in prayer. While he had had a lifetime of daily devotion, it had become a religious activity to the extent that he would either feel guilty or hurry through whenever he missed a day. Now he was having a most relaxed time of meditation, reflection and communion with his Father.

What had happened to Mutuku?:

Dear reader, it is at this juncture I share the moral of Mukuku’s story. Many of us can identify with Mutuku’s life to some degree because we all start our life journey thinking that our works are the ones that count for acceptance and a life that is pleasing to God. While there is a lot that accrues to a life that is lived according to the rules, there is yet more when we count all that is gain apart from Christ as ‘dung’ compared to that which is promised in Christ.

“20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.[j] What do I still lack? 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”” (Matt 19)

The change in Mutuku’s case, had been different from what people around him had thought, which was the loss of his mother exactly an year before. Most people especially those in the office did not know that there was a crisis where the family estate was concerned, with every of his siblings wanting to have the best share of his parent’s property. It was as he was wondering what part of the property he’d claim, that he started hearing a statement;,

“I am your inheritance.“

At that time he did not even know that statement as part of scripture, but somehow he knew it was God speaking to him. He soon did the unthinkable and disinherited himself from his parent’s property to the surprise of all – including himself. Just to make sure that he was serious, and not just making an empty threat, his siblings asked him to sign on paper that he would not claim anything. He went ahead and put it in writing and signed it.

That day as he bent his head on that desk, he realized how in more than one way, the statement that had led to his decision one year before had taken real meaning with practical outworking of the same. He observed that he no longer held anything worldly too dearly to allow it to stress him up or burden his life. He held everything loosely, apart from that one treasure, the Lord his inheritance.

Like Mutuku, we can all get to that place where the Lord is our inheritance. The place where we cease from our labors and enter Christ finished work, the place of rest. That is the place of knowing no one or anything according to the flesh, for the flesh profits nothing while the spirit gives life. It is resurrection ground where all things have become new.

Beloved, there remains a place of rest, let us enter it.

The Present Lord.

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I AM, Present God, trusting God

Photo by Victor Maina

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb 13:5)

“For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2Cor 6:2)

Have you ever been under much pressure to make a decision on something where you are not sure and then felt relief when the urgency is removed, maybe a deadline has been shifted to a later date? Not that you have resolved the issue, but just the fact that you do not have to make a decision that moment makes for a feeling of relief? I have been, more than once and comforted myself that by the time the new date comes I will have made the decision, or gotten a solution.

I was in such a place three weeks ago, but it was unfortunate that the relief was not out of confidence that God is in charge, but rather that I had some time to get a solution. My wife had just gotten a baby which was a source of great joy to the Maina family and friends. There was on another hand a part of the story that was hidden to many and that was the hospital bill which was way beyond what we had capacity to settle. Initially, I got frantic thinking what I was to do, and I even made a call to one friend against my decision earlier to never tell any human being my needs unless led by God to do so.

True to the word, the person could not help me and that is when I realized I had not talked to God about it. The situation looked impossible, but then, “Is there anything impossible with God?” Somehow I started reminding myself that the Lord is aware of the situation and there is nothing too difficult for Him. I cannot dare take any credit for what happened later in the day as I believe God orchestrated it all, for all the while I was fretting, He knew my need and had a way to meet it using someone I could not have thought of even if I was to seek for a solution.

It happened in the evening as I bowed my knee crying out to God. As I started to pray, I was not sure how to pray and I made it as clear in my conversation with Father. Before going too far, I heard a text message on my phone, and there was the solution to my issue. I did not respond to the individual immediately as I was not certain there was no mistake, but true to the word, the issue was sorted that night through that text message.

Beloved, our God is faithful, and is dependable – He can be trusted with our lives, and no one that puts their trust in Him shall be ashamed. His seeming quietness in our time of great need is not an indicator of His absence, rather an opportunity for us to exercise ourselves in absolute trust in His manifold wisdom.

The question becomes, “will I bow to the demands of the systems of this world when under pressure, or will we draw from God’s abundant grace, and like the Hebrew boys say, ”

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”(Dan 3.)”

It is a we stand for the testimony of Jesus Christ that the He will be manifested to the world;

25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”[a]”

Dear friend, I hope you can in the midst of these words I share glimpse what I am trying to communicate, that God is not just in the past, or in the future, but also in the present. He has made Himself known to us as the present God, the great I AM.

Natural vs Spiritual, which serves the other?

Tags

growth, natural life, spiritual development, the cross

“11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”” Rom 9.

When we are introduced into how this world works as little children, we grow up knowing that as the path to fulfillment; get good education, get a means of livelihood, start and raise a family, and then the cycle is repeated by the next generation.

Somewhere along the way, we encounter the Lord Jesus and a new worldview is introduced. “31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matt 6.)”.

There is a danger that lies in not apprehending the fullness of the implications of the new life, the new paradigm, and this is the danger; taking the new life as a support for the natural pursuits.  How is this expressed? In our prayers, we’ll be found asking the Lord to bless our pursuits as if that is the reason we believed in Him, to give us success in the world.

The new paradigm requires that the nourishment and growth of the new man of the spirit in Christ becomes the new pursuit while everything else serves that pursuit. For example in my current circumstance, I trusted God for a job and He gave me one, but I have found challenges during the time that have pushed me to almost quit. Lately however, I have thought that sometimes I get this thing the reverse way i.e. the pursuit of the Lord serving my natural circumstances, while it ought to be the other way round.

I believe the right way is God using my natural circumstances to serve His spiritual end which is conformity to the image of His Son. “28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.(Rom 8)”

God’s end in His dealings with us is our conformity to the image of His Son. This process takes the form of our daily circumstances, be they good, not so good, or bad to our natural man and our response to the circumstances.

Are we going to respond carnally or is our response informed by the ever willing and present guide, the indwelling Holy Spirit? More than once He’s stopped me in the middle of  ‘standing for my rights’, or ‘giving a piece of my mind’ in an unfair situation. I believe part of the reason God allows us to go through sometimes very trying situations is to bring us to a place of total dependence on Him.

Blessings to all that wait on Him.