Our society's Red Gold

The book of Job

6 One day the angels[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b] also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

I love this passage. It illustrates the kind of relationship God and Satan have. Its not always war war war!!! The kind of thing that we are convinced it is. God is even fair enough to give the Devil his time of day because God is just in all His ways and that includes giving a fair hearing. Something unusual we aren't used to hearing.

For those who  are unaware, the Devil accuses the saints day and night before God and he does this because he understands that before God, all men  are made equal and His justice is unbiased. The only escape is the blood  of Christ that paid for our sins. So, for any accusation not covered for by Calvary means another penalty must be paid.

Travel with me to the second part of this story.

Here is part of an interview between the Al jaazera and the Al Shabaab spokesman. You can read the full interview at http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/2013923628350977.html

AJ: Kenya says it will go after the perpetrators of this attack and won't stop until they are defeated. What do you say to that?

SA: We are not perpetrators. We are only defending ourselves and defending our rights, the rights of the Somali people.

Today no one has a worse criminal record than the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. He's talking about tens of people killed at Westgate while he's responsible for the deaths of thousands of people killed when he was running for the presidency. If Kenyans want to hold someone accountable for crimes they should first start with him.

At this point, may I expressly state that I have not called our president a criminal, I have just quoted the words of the spokesman. However, as said in my previous post, a leader carries the aspirations of a community. So don't be quick to judge that guy. I guess he saw the president representing a certain goal and way of life of Kenyans.

So what happened after the Westgate incident in our city?

We Christians rushed to church and prayed for protection. We Kenyans tweeted and facebooked about #WeAreOne. We even went ahead to make declarations about the peace and prosperity of this country and even had a National Prayer Breakfast because we are concerned about our prosperity. We all want to pacify our security and image as a nation. That's all we cared about. 

Question is, will it happen again?

Let me now take you on a journey, a possible q&a session. Maybe then you might understand this somewhat incoherent writing.

*Scene One*

Judge: Hello prosecutor, what have you been upto?

Prosecutor: Just touring here and there like the kanjo do when looking for money. Guess what I found?

J: What?

P: I went to  your tenants' territory, the land your servants took from me

J: So what about it?  You know yo don't have any business there!!!

P:But I do. They took it but they haven't given me my red gold back. They  are still holding onto it since 2007 December. They need to pay for it if they are insisting on keeping it. So I have to go back for my pay until they give it up.

J: *Shakes His head*

P: Even if you shake your head, you do know the law. So I'll be on my way now Mr. Judge. Have a good day.

(Prosecutor walks out of courtroom)

*End of Scene*

At the National Prayer Breakfast a woman stood up and shouted, "Repent!!! My God has told you to repent." Shortly after which she was escorted out.

I am not a prophet of doom but I know some red gold somewhere needs to be given up. I also do not know how the rest of the scenes go. Maybe we will write the script or maybe we will leave it hanging and let it unfold. Only time will tell.

The heart of a nation demands for its leaders

Every time people blame their leaders, we are reminded that our leaders are our own products.

I have come to learn something of late as a leader, every leader that is voted in or buys his way into an office is a reflection of the aspirations of the people that chose him to lead them. This statement is very true since leaders lead a people towards a certain goal. The goal might be good or bad but its essentially what the voters have subscribed to. Technically this is how election and leadership works.

1. I see a goal I need to attain to and the path which I would like to take.

2. I  look around for people around me with a common goal and associate myself with them

3. From amongst ourselves, we choose the one with the clarity of the path to be taken.

4. The elected person becomes the leader and steers us towards this goal irrespective of our persistent opinions.

5. After a certain time, we grade their ability to lead us towards this goal by way of another election.

No leader is there without carrying the heart of the society since after a while of association with fellow members of the society, he understands the heart and mind of the  people around him. Every leader carries the aspirations of  his people, no matter how he got to that position.

We can never blame our leaders for corruption and impunity without first accepting that we ourselves as citizens are corrupt. In fact if the leader corruptly got into government, even the better because he is just behaving as the nature of the community requires him to. 

The reason why Africa has the kind of leaders it has is because the heart of the nation demands for such leaders. Before becoming a leader, you  must understand the heart otherwise the heart will always be in conflict with the leader. And not many leaders can bear that.

Don't blame leaders for poor leadership, remember you chose that path. The leader just takes the first step in the journey.

Open letter to workers in the Gospel industry

This is a summary of observations I have made in my short stint in ministry as I would call it. A few tips here and there and some experiences I have had within the past two or so years.

1. Collaborations in ministry do not start at the place of skill, but at the place of honour.

Trying to do a collaboration or a project with people has been one of the hardest things ever in Nairobi. And this is not because that we lack resources or people, but because we are unable to discern and honour one another.
Honour does not start by honouring another person's  ministry but honouring an individual's life because ministry essentially should be an overflow of one person's relationship since at the end of the day anyway, its our sacrifice back to God. most artists I have met rarely do have time to interact with the person of Christ vested in an individual and are quick too run after a person's gifts talents and abilities rather than the character of a person or the heart of a person.

2. Big/established names or reputations.

Reputation is a good thing because it generally means that the ability to attract a crowd is easier, even though the reputable person or establishment is full of nonsense. Unfortunately for many, growth of repute compared to humility is indirectly proportional. People are moreso concerned about getting to the next level in the industry instead of the next level in devotion to Christ. And we judge this not by the depth of the songs sung or fire of the ministry but in how people relate to one another. Christ said, how will they know you are my disciples unless you love one another? And this trend is seen especially when relating to nobodies  in the market. We always want to be the next big thing and maybe Christ has called us to be the next small thing with the quantification of the effectiveness of our ministry being indirectly proportionate to our size.

3. Loyal friendship

For a while, i lost interest in working with people based on the fact that artists befriend other artists on what may be described as on  contractual basis. After doing a project or show together, so is the friendship. I HATED and still do hate this insincerity where no person wants to really know one another, they just want to get what you can offer then run away. More like a one night stand instead of a marriage. Finding sincere friends in artists who want to know a person beyond political expediency is a rare thing nowadays and I an glad for the few sincere friends I have.
Sincere friends do work with friends even when there is no profit of any sort involved in the ministry. (Profit may include not only money but also repute and connections and any other thing that is deemed as essential towards the expansion of a person's ministry).

4. There will be no ministry in heaven, just worship and fellowship with God.

This revelation did change my perspective towards ministry. Realizing that the ultimate purpose of God is to untie us all in Christ (Ephesians 1:10) changed everything. Heaven is enjoyable for those who know what fellowship with God and man is, not for those who've been working themselves off to impress God. I mean, what can we do to impress God with that is so wow???? If someone can convince me using scripture that man can impress God or do something to add value to God and i'll take down this whole blog.

5. Fame.

Fame and reputation in the world equates power and the church has taken up this doctrine so we keep on chasing fame in the hope of becoming powerful ministers. God says he uses the FOOLISH things of this world to SHAME THE WISE. No one wants to be foolish nowadays but unfortunately, if we really want to follow God, we must be ready to appear as foolish. Christianity is not just about partaking in the joys of Christ but also in the SUFFERINGS of Christ. (I know I touched something right there). To be a christian, you must be ready to embrace embarrassment. Even Christ was hung completely naked, not with undergarments as photos would like us to believe and for men, we do know that that is the ultimate shame of a man.

6. Love

What can I say, artists know 1 Corinthians 13 with their lips and not with their hearts.

Conclusion.

During the Move Tour 2011, my friend made an observation and said, "you cannot fake unity". The reach record artists were not united because they were in sync, they were in sync IN THE SPIRIT because they were united.

Passion conference: Happens every year in the states and started by Louie Giglio when he was nobody and when nobody artists like Chris Tomlin and David Crowder offered themselves to help push the initiative. In this year's conference, they attracted 55,000 students in one dome. All because of commitment with no profit.

Gaither Vocal Band: These guys started singing way before I was born and what has kept them together till today is loyal friendship. They are friends and they are family to one another. That is why their songs, old as they may be, were not just a written record, but a unity of spirits all with one aim and that is to worship God.

The day Kenyan artists will look beyond themselves and selfish expediency is the day real effective ministry will be seen. Nowadays our ministry is just sweet to the ears but with no effect in the spiritual realm.

Fame and reputation in the world translates to power. Unfortunately, we've married the church to this FALSE DOCTRINE. Fame in the physical is irrelevant in the spirit. To be effective in the physical, you must be effective in the spirit and not the other way round.    

My take on the existence of Zombies

Hello people, its been a while, like the longest while ever. This pilgrim had to go on a journey and this is turning out to be a very exciting journey!!!

Zombies are very interesting, don't you agree? The ability to move without life in its flesh and bones can sometimes be so fascinating to imagine. Imagine meeting a zombie, (i'm sure kambas don't have to stretch their imagination so much in this case), what would be your reaction and if you get a chance to say hi, what would be the manner of your interaction. Luckily or unluckily, we do not have this priviledge in reality.

...or so I thought.  

Let me tell you a story. (pssst, zombies are real)

One day my very good friend asked me one of those questions men don't like to be asked if we don't have answers for them at the tip of our tongues. In fact, it was a good thing I was already done with my lunch otherwise it would have lost part of its taste. So she asked me,"what is your vision? What vision is this that your girlfriend is submitting to?" Well, I sort of had an idea but I didn't have the words at the tip of my tongue that day but it really gave me something to think about on the way home, for quite a while. Its one of those "epiphanies" that we always seek but come in such subtle ways. 

At this point, may I put a disclaimer, this post in no way attempts to address boy-girl relationships but give an answer to a question that has all the wrong answers. Neither I'm I a life-counsellor, just a pilgrim on an eternal journey.

 

So why vision? 

Proverbs 29:18 

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (KJV)

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. (NIV)

Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

 

To understand vision, one can look at it from two perspectives, none greater than the other: a car on the road, or a boundary or fence. A car will take move you from one destination to another and a boundary will keep you within the limits of a certain jurisdiction within which only some rights and priviledges can be accorded. Anything that occurs outside this jurisdiction is not the responsibility of the jurisdiction. 

A person with vision, has the priviledge of being able to get from point A to point B, which are all certainties. What is the use of attempting to cover a distance which you aren't sure that exists in the first case anyway? A person with vision has a goal and a goal in this case need not necessarily be a personal self-centered goal. A vision bearer is not the owner of the vision but a custodian of the vision, and a custodian understands that the property in his possession does affect not only him, but a second party, third and so on. A vision has never been designed to be the property of one individual, otherwise, companies could only have CEO's as its employees and families with only the father in the house. This is the manner in which human beings have been designed, in order to be dependent on one another. Therefore, there is no vision too personal to the extent it only needs the vision bearer. 

This is in concordance with the fact the fact that vision is greater than a person. a vision that is smaller than the bearer is just an idea, nothing more.

A person with vision has direction in life, which is all too necessary in order to be able to move in our individual lives just as SIGHT is as important to our perception of the physical things in life. Vision determines PERCEPTION. For example, a person whose vision is to build a vain empire will look at money as the only necessary thing to build his vision and will therefore go to great extents to retain that money. However, on the other hand, a person whose vision is to help children will look at money as a tool for building schools and other things that children need. The object, money, is the same in both instances, but the way the two visionaries view that money is what makes money what it is to both of them.

A person with vision has a jurisdiction with boundaries. If a jurisdiction has no boundaries, then that is just open space. That is why outer space belongs to no one. A man with vision has a DOMAIN. Within this domain, is the only place in which the man has exclusive autonomous power. This is the place where a man is secure because it is his. It is like being in your own house. Inside your own house, there is a sense of security, whether false or true because we have an idea of it and what should be in it. A person with no idea of his vision will constantly live in fear and an aura of security will clothe his very being. A person without vision will end up trying anything and everything in order to cover up for that sense of insecurity ending up being a Jack of all trades, but a master of none. A busy body with no real fulfilment in life. And that is what a lot of men are today, because of lack of vision. In such instances, there is usually a struggle to create a false sense of security by accumulating wealth but it remains false because they just become squatters on a piece of land, having nowhere to call home (or my domain).

SIGHT AND DOMAIN. Most people do say that a person must have an identity but it takes more than identity to become someone in life, that is if you have first found your true identity in Christ. all other identities are fleeting identities. Identity is not linked to the things we do or the successes we achieve in our lives but a unique revelation of the person Christ created you to be in order to serve his purposes in time and eternity. Achievements, talents, successes, acknowledgements are all coats we wear at one time or another, depending on the occasion, but they can never be the skin that we can never remove. Simple test, take what you claim to be and imagine your life without it: lawyer, banker, singer, engineer, all that and imagine your life without it. If you felt hopeless, naked and afraid without it, chances are that that is your acquired identity and that it is a midescription of who you were really created to be. If you are able after undressing from all that and still being confident that the love of Christ has clothed you regardless of being "irrelevant" chances are that you have found your identity. However, back to my point, after having acquired an identity, so what???

And that is where my friends, vision comes in. Vision is the driving seat of our lives. It is one thing to know who you are, but another completely different thing to know what to do with yourself. Without vision, we cannot move, we stagnate or go in the wrong direction and eventually die. Contrary to many opinions, death is not when the pastor says ashes to ashes, dust to dust when burying people, but death is losing yourself. And zombies are real, just look at people all around you. Some are perishing in mansions in the elite communities of your town, some are perishing in the seat of the company C.E.O., some are zombies within the streets, zombies performing on stages in the name of musicians, students in class and we meet them on the road everyday and the worst zombies are found in nowhere else but in CHURCH. Some are moving towards their deaths at high speeds, others are already at the destination. Building graves in the name of 100 million shilling houses or travelling in 18 million shilling coffins like the nice coffin of the model Mercedes Benz or Range Rover Evoque. Visionless zombies is who we've become as a society. And our ladies continually chase these zombies in hope of finding life but alas, none at all exists.

I could go on and on about vision but today, i'll stop here. I'm hoping a zombie will read this and somehow ressurect from this death we call "lack of vision". 

At this point, i'll take the opportunity to claim all proceeds arising from my win of the bet. Please send me the money asap all you who betted against me :)

Real talk or truth talk: My response to SECULAR WORSHIP

Real talk or truth talk: My response to SECULAR WORSHIP: This is my reply to a very annoying blog ( http://greatnessnow.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/secular-worship/#comment-1710 ) ;that I read by a...

My response to SECULAR WORSHIP

This is my reply to a very annoying blog (http://greatnessnow.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/secular-worship/#comment-1710);that I read by a certain pastor in which he tries to justify the use of secular tunes during worship. I am not a pastor but I will not see guys perpetrate a lie and just stand by and watch. In fact the fact that the person has a huge number of followers and is misleading them is what annoys me most. I could say so much but this is not a church service, just a blog.

First of all, worship is spiritual and not just an act or a religious obligation. Worship goes and extends beyond the music and performances. The physical is just a method through which we express worship artistically. In fact, let me say this, WORSHIP IS NOT AN ART. Worship is simply a reverence for a being, a reverence that compels us as human beings to act in a manner that shows that we put value in the opinion of that which we revere. That is why worship is a lifestyle, whether you are a believer or not. Worship is a response to that which we HAVE EXALTED IN OUR LIVES. So whether we like it or not, we are always in worship, it just depends on whom or what we are worshipping

Now that worship has been clarified simply for what it is, my second point is this: does the being we revere have a certain expectation as to how we respond to its attributes or as to how we worship it? Now I cannot answer for all the millions of gods out there but I can say this about the God I worship (Jehovah). Yes there is a manner in which God expects us to respond in worship towards Him. Not just anything will just go into the presence of God. When you read the bible especially when He prescribes the sacrifice of animals, He DEMANDS that the animals shall be unblemished or in other words pure. Now according to the chemistry I learnt, when we speak of pure elements, it means that these elements have not been cojoined with other elements, that is purity. PURITY IS NOT SO MUCH A STATEMENT EXPRESSING CLEANLINESS BUT A STATEMENT DENOTING SINGULARITY. God is not in the business of receiving impure worship. God even in psalms 24 states that he who has clean hands and a PURE HEART (a heart that is singular in motive) is the person who will ascend the hill of the lord and stand in his holy place.

Now onto my next point, John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

It is for God, through the Holy Spirit to convict a human being of sin. People do not get saved because of a good sermon or a good session of praise and worship, but because the Holy Spirit used such an avenue among many others to convict the person of sin. I personally know of a friend who was convicted in a pub thus showing clearly that God does not need our cleverly carved out ideas to do His job. He even goes further to say in Romans 11:34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

Clearly it is not the work of praise and worship to convict the world of sin.

It is for God, through the Holy Spirit to convict a human being of sin. People do not get saved because of a good sermon or a good session of praise and worship, but because the Holy Spirit used such an avenue among many others to convict the person of sin. I personally know of a friend who was convicted in a pub thus showing clearly that God does not need our cleverly carved out ideas to do His job. He even goes further to say in 

Romans 11:34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

God does not need our ideas to call men unto himself, a vessel does not plan how to be used, a vessel just submits to the will of the one who holds it. We cannot claim that due to change in culture, we need to show God how to do ministry. He is the creator, the alpha and the Omega. He is all-knowing and has no need for our advice for His principles do not change. He knows change and has ordained change and if we seek the mind of God, He will show us how to adapt to change.

The subject of using secular songs or tunes in worship.

Romans 8

⁵ For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds onand ^[a]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and ^[b]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

⁶ Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that^[c]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].

⁷ [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.

⁸ So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

The mind of the flesh will always cogitate excuses and every other sort of fallacy that will promote the satisfaction of the carnal man. Let me say this without apology now, THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE, and if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We cannot promote carnal actions and still offer that as our worship to God. To be carnally minded in that manner means that as a person, you do not revere the Holiness of God, have no revelation of it and still oppose the message of Holiness. The bible clearly states that we have been set apart for God's purposes and we should leave the things of the world.

James 4

⁴ You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

⁵ Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?

We cannot claim to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit if we entertain the promotion of such carnal ideas. There is a reason why we call him HOLY Ghost or HOLY Spirit. HOLINESS is a must in worship and that means purity. Not the nonsense of mixing carnal ideas with those of the spirit. We cannot do what we please and expect God to accept that. God will only accept what He has put in His word and nothing else for He has exalted His word ABOVE himself.

So at the end of the day, do we know who we are worshipping?

Ministry and impact

First of all, let me start by apologizing for being on a two month break. I haven't been anywhere really, in fact more online than ever, but still........... But just in case you are wondering, I am very much alive and okay.

Now to the reason why you all visit this blog. 

Of late, I have been asking myself, what is ministry really, in the perspective of a Christian in service to God. What does it mean to be in ministry and to be a minister. when and where does it occur, what is the aim and other many questions that you should seriously ask yourself if you are in ministry or rather, serving God. Why is it a priority?

Today I do not have cleverly crafted answers or stuff like that, just the honest thoughts of a man being sharpened by the counsel of God as each day goes by.

Being at the helm of a ministry at times really makes you start thinking objectively, about things to come and such stuff. But more importantly the impact that as a minister, as a person you are bringing, and as a ministry too. At the end of the day, fruit has to show, and not fruit as the world knows it, but fruit that is recognizable in the realm of the spirit.

So what is ministry about? From the way I look at the gospels, it has never been about the name or the shows or the crowds that Christ could pull, or any of the other disciples could pull. It has never been about platforms. If it was about numbers, I guess we would have staticians sitting at church boards instead of real pastors. If it was about the brand, then our advertisements would be full of announcements for church services and what nots. if it was about the shows, then crusades would still be greater crowd pullers than gigs at carnivore. if it was about platforms, Christ would have spent all his days in the synagogues, of which the least stories have been written from there concerning his ministry on earth.

Why do I say so? 1 Corinthians 13 is a great testament as to what am saying. We could do everything that pertains to being a full mature Christian who is fired up to preach the gospel and look spiritual while at it, but at the end of it all, miss the point of the gospel, a.k.a. the good news. The good news of a love that not only saves but transforms.

What is it all about? Why do we do what we do? Where should our focus be? Ministry is preaching the identity we are in Christ. Many at times it has been said that the only bible a person will ever read is a Christian. Being aware that we are constantly being looked up to as the very representation of Christ is all the platform we need to be ministers of the gospel. Ministry has never been about finding the right opening but perceiving each moment as a chance to be the Christ nobody knows about but so desperately needs to know. The microphone and the pulpit has its role, but it is useless without the representation of Christ manning that place.

When is ministry? Ministry is everyday, from the moment you wake up to the point at which you snore. Ever moment we are awake is a chance to be Christ-like for that is the meaning of the word Christian. Therefore, there is no designated time for ministry, just so long as you are awake.

How do we gauge our impact? This is probably the hardest question since it also touches on what has now been a source of competition among ministers of the gospel for congregants, fans, who has more albums, who can pray longer, did people remember and recognize you for your service and other vain standards that have crept into the church. A similar scenario found in 1 Corinthians 3. The problem with this question is that at the end of the day we want to be "glory thieves". Taking the glory instead of realising we are all gardeners in the field.

However, still we need to  give ourselves a reality check here. Out impact or our fruits in other people's lives is not in how they have good memories of us because we could play around with their feelings (especially musicians) but to the extent to which there has been a genuine change in their character or spiritual state. Christ was not about the business of preaching the good news that our ears love to hear, but the hard truth that changes our lives. A gospel that itches you but yet transforms and conforms you to the image of Christ daily. Our impact spiritually (because that is where it matters) cannot be gauged by the number of wall posts we get after a good sermon or show or performance, but by how much the exposed truth has made somebody to change genuinely, be it on a personal level or corporate level. Saying "its Jesus mayne" is a reflective statement that we should get to pray for grace to understand because at the end of the day, ministry is about the work of Jesus in an individual's life.