Eyes on Heaven

What happens when young people set their sights on heaven? What happens when the object of their attention is no longer the person next to them, friends, responsibilities, career choices, relationships or even their own selves? What would happen if the generation that will lead this land in the years to come would look to God for guidance?

There is an awesome thing that happens when a young person allows himself to be led by a power greater than him or herself. In any case, we are always under some sort of authority. We are either in God or the devil’s camp. The human being cannot exist in a vacuum, she is either for or against God. This is a choice we all get to make. Those who decide to believe that God does exist are already on the way to a final decision. They must then deal with the issue of which God or god to believe in, from the many on offer. There is only one God as far as Christians are concerned, and He is the God of the Israelites. He is the God who sent Jesus to die on the cross on our behalf. The All Powerful, All Present, All Knowing God made Himself of low repute and put on our frail nature in order to set us back on track. This is the God we talk about at 3D Teens Unit (Teens' Church at the Nairobi Chapel Ongata Rongai). He is the God who speaks creation into being, yet allows Himself into the most mundane of our situations. 

Songs for the Disobedient

The words of Ezekiel 33:32 have cut me deeply this morning. The Lord is concerned about people listening but not heeding the voice of wisdom. They love the sound of the instruments, the sweetness of the voice, and the melody of the lyric but are not willing to heed the command that is contained therein. 

As one who considers himself to be a musician, this is a wakeup call. I cannot pretend not to care about how people’s lives change once they have left the concert. Are they really touched by the music on the CD, or are they merely enjoying the melodious passage of time? Do the words have power or are they empty praises and vain worship?

Are my encounters with God similar to these music lovers? Do I also love the mountaintop experience and the transfiguration yet leave without a clear objective to obey the commandments received?

One month later......

It has been one eventful month since I really got into the thick of things with the internship at the Nairobi Chapel. I was assigned the task of leading the teens in our church and it is quite an experience. People who know me well know that I am good at supporting already existing projects but this time I am supposed to lead one.

I currently live in the Eastlands area of Nairobi which means that I use two public buses on my way to work and two back home. To avoid getting stuck in traffic, I wake up much earlier than I used to. I have also had to develop the habit of going to bed earlier so that I can get adequate sleep. Hopefully soon I can move to another flat that is closer to the office.

The program I am part of is quite demanding. The main activities of the week are:

·         Classes on leadership and church on Tuesdays and Thursdays

·         Staff and departmental meetings

·         Planning for Sunday teens services

·         Discipleship groups

·         Weekly visits to primary and high schools

·         Required reading (we read books that have been recommended by the organization then we write a critique on each book)

Saturdays are reserved for the Bible study group that I lead, and I really look forward to these meetings. I am in church on Sunday morning by 7:30 am, to plan and pray for the service. We typically meet as leaders as we wait for the volunteers to arrive. After church on Sunday, I am pretty much free but I am always tired at this point. Mondays are our Sabbath day so hopefully soon I will begin to actually use them to rest.

Well then, that is a brief outline of my week.

Fork on the Road

Sometimes in life, we stop enough to think about some decisions that we have made. Sometimes the decisions have clear consequences that we feel we can live with, and sometimes the decisions have consequences we feel are too heavy for us to deal with. There are other times when we are not sure whether to continue with the path we had earlier chosen or whether to return to a previous road that we had elected not to take. 

I find myself at such a state in my life. There are some decisions that I made recently and I am not sure I want to head in the direction I had earlier chosen. Yet there remains in me a desire to continue on this path. I am a man at the entrance to a forked road. There are many options available but there are only two methods to choose which direction to follow. The first method is to choose the path that gives me maximum benefit. If all goes well, this path will make me rich and hopefully happy. I would also feel that I did what I wanted to do as opposed to following another person’s vision. The second method is to completely abandon myself to the path that I feel is God’s perfect desire for my life.

It may seem an easy matter for a Christian to follow God’s path but what happens when any of several given paths may be God-ordained? This is a lovely opportunity to immerse oneself in prayer, to seek the face and guidance of God. Hopefully I will see His finger pointing me in the one direction, but until then, many thoughts flow through my mind.

Building Momentum

At first, it was terribly difficult to let go. I was used to a certain lifestyle, at my own pace doing my own thing. I mostly decided where to sleep, what to eat, and what to wear and when to wake up in the morning. I loved the life for it allowed my artistic side to flourish, although my body had begun to grow in indiscipline.

Then I started the internship at the Nairobi Chapel and everything in me started fighting back. I had to wake up at 5 in the morning; I had to dress formally in shirt, trousers and office shoes. At least I still don’t have to put on a tie, but I have a feeling that may change with time. I am equally grateful that Sunday attire for me still consists of jeans, t-shirts and sneakers.

The internship program is intensive in its demands on my time, energy and abilities. I am learning many things rapidly and also need to apply them just as fast. I am in charge of our (Nairobi Chapel Ongata Rongai) teens’ church and have the beautiful task of growing our numbers and coming up with relevant, Godly, impacting and fun content for this fellowship. Luckily, I find an already charged up and loving crew who have been taking care of this group since the year began and this can only get better.

I am slowly building momentum, and hope that once we start moving, nothing shall be able to stand in our way. Our aim is to reach Rongai’s teens for Jesus, one at a time. Our model is to evangelize, disciple, fellowship, discover and nurture talent, then use it for ministry. Looking forward to what’s ahead. 

Holy Noise

Sometimes we go to worship God with hearts that are not anywhere near his desired level of connection and sincerity. We look good on the outside, hands raised, eyes closed, and our lips move as though they were saying deep prayers. Others around us would look at us and think we are already connected to the very heart of heaven, seeing visions of things to come.

Inside our hearts, we know we are far from God. We know our lips are saying prayers we have said so many times that they might as well be secular, for there is nothing holy in them. Our hands stay lifted high but our minds are on other things, perhaps even on sinful things. We seem outwardly to be talking to God, but are instead taking a tour of evil. God looks beyond our façade. He sees right through our pretence to the very seat of our emotions and He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He is well aware of those who indeed worship Him truly and those who only put up a show.

The worship of God is a very serious matter. Instead of putting forth a semblance of piety, why don’t you take the time to sort yourself out as you come to the house of prayer? Why don’t you read His word and see His promise of forgiveness and grace? Why don’t you speak His word into your life, purifying yourself and preparing yourself for the service? Nothing is wasted when we spend time in repentance and prayer. Then we can boldly approach His throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

A Worthy Cause

In the very near future, I propose to record a song I wrote sometime last year. It is in Swahili and is called Dadi na Mami. It is an attempt to put in song what so many go through in homes with an abusive spouse or parent. It took about seven lyric-writing efforts before I felt that I finally had something good enough for the people affected by this social evil.

In the process of preparing for the recording and release of the song, I have been doing some research into this matter. There is so much information on gender based domestic violence available on the internet but the facts are not so accurate because there are many who suffer silently and are too frightened to come forward.

There is an urgent need for those of us who know of such abuse to take a proactive role in stopping this wickedness. We need to do everything in our power, because ignoring those who do this is similar to agreeing with it. We can no longer be silent as people who call us their friends suffer at the hands of abusive spouses and parents. What are you doing about it?

Perfect Score

I went for an interview today. There were many questions asked and some of them concerned matters that I was tempted to lie about. I had to answer the questions that dealt with my personal walk with Jesus. I gave my most honest response, and I realized that I am not doing too well as far as my personal devotions are concerned. My heart is filled with worries about the prevailing circumstances and about the future that seems so uncertain. There are many open ends in front of me and there doesn’t seem to be a set and secure future ahead. In my own eyes, I did not achieve a perfect score.

I was asked the question that I like the least; and that concerned the direction of my passions both now and in future. If I was to be offered a good sum in form of a salaried job, would I take it or would I still desire to serve God using my gifts? This was strange because I have been trying to answer that question in the past few days. What would I do if I didn’t have to be paid for it?

I would like to pose the same question to you. In which direction do your passions lie? What would you do with your life, if money wasn’t an issue? What would you gladly do for free for the rest of your life? If you know the answer to this question, are you doing that thing presently? Or are you waiting for the day when you will have enough money in the bank to release yourself to pursue your true passion? 

Failing Well

I watched a dance competition on DVD the other day. It was up to the normal Hollywood standards of excellence as far as the production was concerned. The dance crews were really good and it was easy to see why some of them were touted as possibly the best dance crews in the country. There was a lot of innovation and technical aptitude and sometimes some of the moves performed exhibited extreme athleticism. Those guys were really exceptional.

What touched me most was the realisation of just how normal those dancers were. When performing, one would be tempted to think they were from another planet or dimension. They cried, laughed, got scared, got excited, got tired and got injured too. There were moments when the fans and judges loved everything they did and there were also times when their performances left them crestfallen. Some were bitter when they had to leave the competition whereas some graciously accepted defeat.

The team that won had unsuccessfully auditioned three times before and this was fourth time lucky. This group started the competition as underdogs and then went on to win over the hearts and minds of the viewing public culminating in their much deserved victory. What intrigued me was the fact that they went back home every year from unsuccessful auditions and kept on improving themselves. They never gave up or decided to go try something else.  They were so focused on their goal that it didn’t matter how many times they were going to be rejected. They kept at it and finally won the competition beating very stiff competition in the process. They were quick to thank God for their victory before acknowledging anyone else.

This led me to consider the level of passion that I have for my dreams and I extend the same reflections to you. How willing are you to fail in the pursuit of your dreams? How do you handle rejection? How much effort are you already putting into achieving your goal? These people are extremely gifted but also extremely hard working. Does this reflect you level of commitment to the achievement of your dreams?

Hallo world

I have been away for a while, but it feels like the right time to continue posting on this blog. I have had quite a number of upheavals in my personal life and this blog was the greatest casualty in terms of my output. I needed to be relatively silent and to learn, listen and observe what God wanted to do through my life. I have been reading quite a number of books and the latest one is Revival by Charles Finney. Many of us need personal revival before we can attempt a communal revival or the conversion of our friends and relatives who don’t personally know the Lord.

I have learnt in the past few weeks that God does still have a plan and purpose for our lives, even when we deliberately stray off-course. His purposes for us remain on-course. Whenever our faith falters and doubt sticks a foot in the door, God buffers our faith reserves and completes the work that we are too weak to accomplish. When the ideas we had for the future meet a seemingly immovable obstacle, we are encouraged in the knowledge that God has an unstoppable agenda for us.

So I welcome myself back to the blogging world and trust God for useful insights to come on this blog, both for you and for myself.

Runaway Beast - The End?

The guards wouldn't normally concern themselves with a suicidal prisoner but this one was different. They had a particular disgust for child molesters and they weren't going to let him escape trial. They quickly opened the cell and rushed the man to the nearby hospital. Life was slowly trickling out of him and as they reached the entrance of the hospital, the man breathed his last. The doctor declared him dead on arrival and it seemed he had his victory, although it was actually a losing situation either way.

Everyone at the hospital looked stunned as the prison wardens held their heads in grief. They thought that the wardens were mourning for the departed prisoner, but they were really mourning his escape from what awaited him in prison. They proceeded to take the lifeless body to the morgue and then began their muted drive back to the prison.

The victim stood near the window of her hospital ward and looked out as the scene unfolded. She too, saw the man being bundled into a body bag and understood what had just happened. Her monster was dead, and he had escaped punishment for his crime. She could only feel anger and bitterness with life. With her eyes up to the cloudless sky, she yelled angrily at God and stepped closer to the window ledge. Arms out wide, she dared Him to do something to stop her next move. Then with a well-calculated step, she let herself fall from the building.

Runaway Beast Part Two

The mob quickly found their man, there wasn't much hiding space. Blows and kicked landed on his body as the first arrivals began venting their anger on him. He knew it was only a matter of time before his demise. The lone policeman nearby seemed hesitant to involve himself in the melee, but was busy calling the station for reinforcements. He didn't know which one he feared more, imminent death at the hands of the mob or the assault that awaited his kind in the local prison.

The leader of the mob, the victim's uncle, dragged him by his long dishvelled hair onto the market center amid cries from the trading women baying for his blood. Then came the father of the victim with a machete in his right hand and a block of wood in his left. ''Choose your death'', he growled. The perpetrator was too stunned to talk and so the father took the initiative to land a blow from the wood squarely on his temple. He passed out immediately, death could now come, he couldn't feel anything else.

The coldness of the cell and the stench of human waste woke him up rudely from his slumber. The police reinforcement had come just before the father used the weapon in his other hand to finish him off. Now he was in the cell, alone and afraid, no longer assured of anything. He couldn't return to the past and undo his mistake, and oh how we wished he could. He knew he had a problem but had never sought help for it, now his problem had overwhelmed him and the only solution seemed to put himself out of his misery. He took off his tattered and bloodied shirt and quickly made a knot. He tied it against the window grill and wrapped the noose around his neck....

Runaway Beast

He turned around sharply, just in time to notice the stone hurtling his way. It grazed his cheek as he narrowly avoided full contact with the projectile. His legs were strong and he especially needed them to be at that particular moment. With loyalty, they carried him farther and farther away from his assailants and he disappeared into the jungle of traders and buyers at the local market. It was an extremely narrow escape and he knew it. Luckily, he only had a small scar on his face as a visual reminder of his near-death experience.

The mob continued relentlessly searching for him in the market. They knew him, after all, he had been among them for a while. They had trusted him with their families and property, and he had disgustingly betrayed their trust. The small child he had abused still lay in hospital, under critical condition. The mother had caught him in the act and raised the alarm. He had managed to knock her down and flee but not before the others had heard the cry and realized the cruelty of his actions.

He could hear them shouting in the streets as he hid behind the local slaughterhouse. The stench of blood and animal entrails was a small matter compared to the fate that awaited him if he was captured. He could hardly breathe for fear of the mob. Closer and closer the calls approached him, as if someone had seen him run inside the building and alerted the rest. Now it was very clear that they knew he was inside, and it was only a matter of time, before they got their man......

to be continued