THE ULTIMATE COST

A story is told of a navigator whop owned a very amazing yacht. He had invested his time as well as resources in making the yacht. He made a journey into a new land and docked it at the docking zone within that area and went to attend to the issues that had brought him there. As he returned to the to the docking bay he never found his yacht. He searched for it with his efforts bearing nothing.  After a while he found another  sailor with a yacht similar to his. He was could absorb the idea that that was not his yacht; however, he was willing to pay anything just to possess that yacht. He paid for it with all the precious stones he had and money that he had with himself – he was a rich man.

In the beginning, God. Genesis 1:1. He created all that was, is and will ever be. He said let there be, and it was. As for man, he created him on the 6th day Genesis 1:26-31. The cunning nature of the devil ruined it all by drawing man into sin creating a separation between man and God. The fellowship they used to have in the cool of the day broke when man ate from the tree of knowledge and death – which was the only not-to-do they had been given.

God created man for a reason. Fellowship being one of them and not separation. Thus, He  chose for an avenue of reconciling man back to Himself which is the reason Christ comes in space – John 3:16. He paid the ultimate price- death on the cross- which was a cruel indeed. He has become curse he who hangs on a tree Galatians 3:13. The man who paid double cost for his yacht was motivated by the love it. It meant something to him. We are in His own likeness and He, out of love, has sought to reconcile us back to Himself. His love is extravagant, immeasurable beyond anything else.

He, God, is quite conversant with our hearts. He knows well that out of the heart  of man comes wickedness:  evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander Mathew 15:19, Jeremiah 17:9-10. What man requires is not a set of rituals on which hand to use while perusing the Bible or How to enter bathroom, positions for prayer. Man needs a saviour. He needs redemption from self- from sin. The redemption has been given through the shedding of the blood of Christ at Calvary. Whatever that is required is for man to submit to Him and He’ll set you free. It is only in so doing that 2 Corinthians 5:17 will become a reality. A new creature will be born out of every person that receives Christ Jesus. His love has costed Him twice. He has paid the ultimate cost moved  by love.

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True Liberty

Recently as a country (Kenya) we celebrated the day we became a republic, self-governing. That meant/ means liberation. The experience with the colonial masters was not a good one whatsoever and so when the old persons try to explain it to us we just learn of the cruelty of the then masters. The injustices and oppression. Slaves had they become. The first-hand experience by the old may seem not to sink in us but we can identify with it and not even imagine being there. With the freedom we apparently have we can’t imagine ourselves being slaves to someone,can we? If one was to explain this case to a person of a different nation or continent they may never understand what that means.
In creating the universe God created man and bestowed upon him freedom. His creation was perfect. Genesis 1:31…Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. But sin entangled man when he fell into Satan’s plan by planting doubt in him and the rest is history. Genesis 3.1… “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” and there was a gap. However, God had not created human beings to be separated away from them. He created us for fellowship with Himself. And thus, He sought to liberate us from that which has overtaken us: the sinful nature. This is the genesis of Christmas. Even if an alien joins you in celebrating independent day with you, it may not get deep down their hearts; likewise Christmas.
Christmas is the story of love. John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. Love the LORD with all your heart, soul and mind and love thy neighbor as you love thyself is the greatest command that was left to us by Christ. The latter part of the command has become the ultimate purpose why people celebrate Christmas. The change has been from the reflection on the freedom, liberation and salvation that has come with the crucifixion, dying and resurrection of Christ. Much weight lies on merry, happiness and joy and what have you that comes with friends coming together including holidays and gifts giving. This is not bad or evil whatsoever if done in the right way and for the right reason. However, it is not the fundamental.
Person to person has overtime become the reason for Christmas. However, the greatest gift one can offer to an individual is liberation – but from what? It is liberation from self. This will only come when an individual sets him/herself under that which is bigger than self and that’s GOD. It doesn’t come from being good but rather from rising from the dead to the land of the living. The coming of Christ was not to make bad people good but to bring dead people to life. Trying to explain this to whoever that is not in Christ is not easy but we are admonished to do so. Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in HIM.
God is the reason for this Christmas. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Anything else we do is secondary to this. Full joy and happiness will only come if we let God be the priority while everything else is secondary. If we are to call ourselves liberated people, then we must realize Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The coming of Christ Jesus was to save the world and not to condemn it, John 3.17. May this Christmas of 2018 not pass by without asking the fundamental question of the purpose as to why it exists because Easter is roaming around the corner. The salvation story is cast between Bethlehem, Calvary hill and an empty tomb displaying the  redemption and victory of Christ for us. Becoming part of this story is through acceptance of what Christ offers: Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Consider your ways and I will be with you

Often times when teams or individuals want to achieve something, unity of purpose must be a key. For how can two walk together unless they agree (Amos 3:3)? An agreement comes from communication between or among the individuals. One part could be relying on the previous for it to materialize – Conditional is the best description. God has called man to reason together with Him and to work with Him. In the beginning he created the heavens and earth and everything including man. He had power to fill earth with human beings but left procreation to man as well as cultivation of Eden. He also left naming of all creatures to man. After his fall, God called man and brought in a mechanism of saving him. A first he made clothes for them, Eve and Adam, from a slaughtered animal to cover their nakedness. A foreshadow of the slaying of His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary – John 3.16-17… For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. And as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name John 1:12. Isa 1:18019 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. In all these scriptures the call is to consider one option then the giver of the condition will keep his side of the deal; just as the old saying that a deal is just as good as the giver of that particular deal. In Haggai 1& 2 God calls the Israelites to the attention of what was happening and the cause. Their attention was directed towards self and forgot Him who had done so much and unto whom they had previously directed their attention unto. The economy, life of freedom from Babylonian captivity, amongst others. Just as the modern times whereby self is far much taken care of that we often forget that the creator want us to worship Him and not the creation. But, questions often arise: we make too much, where is it going? Where are these attacks coming from? Why this why that? Then the voice emerges that we should consider our ways. We’ve got to go back to the crossroad where we can get the right path seeking God in spirit and truth, establish justice, enhance morality, etc. Sure enough, when the Israelites devoted to the rebuilding the house of God, He promised them that He’ll be with them. That they should never fear. For His spirit is not of fear and timidity but of boldness and courage. All this is dependent on the choices we make – though they have consequences. Freewill is the best gift that he has placed in man. Once He is with us, nothing else can shake us. Though our glory may have been lost, he will refresh us again and we will become new and glorious again than the former. Remembering that prior to the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites had landed into the comfort land and forgotten the counsel of God in Canaan. Injustices, worshipping of idols, etc. were norms. Gods admonish on us is that if we who are called by His name will humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven, and will forgive our sin and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). The initial path is accepting His son Jesus who has died, resurrected and lived for us. Christ has paid it all and awaits each one of us to open our hearts and He’ll dine with us. When will you consider Him your Lord and Saviour for the saving of your soul, country, etc.?

DARING FAITH

Talk of being fearlessness, boldness, audacity amongst others. These are some of the synonyms we use to describe the traits of willingness to undertake things that invoke risk or danger. These words we use in our daily lives with relation to matters relating to economic life, social life, amongst others. It is noting that in Christianity that is visible and evident.
What’s faith: Hebrew 11:1-3…Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Additionally, the Christian faith has evidence and ain’t blind.  1 Kings 17:1-2 is a narrative about a season that there was draught and hunger in Israel following prophesy by Prophet Elijah – who is no exception of the calamity that befell Israel. By the word of God he made a move to Brook Cherith and soon the brook dried. The LORD later directs him to Zerapheth where he was to be sustained by a widow whom the LORD assured him that He had commanded her to do so.
Upon finding her Elijah borrows water (1 kings 17.10-11…”Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”.) And as she makes the move he asks for bread/cake too …1 kings 17:11… “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand …and he wasn’t aware of her status to which she expressed her true state of affairs… 1Kings 17:12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die. Elijah then replies …1Ki 17:13 – 14… And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'” Think about the risk in this idea. You’ve a kid and all that you can give to it for survival is what is demanded of. May be the woman couldn’t mind about herself like the kid. That’s not a simple thing to think about. Would you give or not? Even with the assurance that God had said it that still was a risky step for her. However, she chose to trust the word of God, of whom she may never have heard of in similar experience before. She did the risking and undertook that daring step to prepare the cake for Elijah. Consequently, the bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah…1Ki 17:16. Her daring faith made it possible to make her moves superseding the risk of losing her kid to the obedience of God’s word.
In John 2:1-10 there is a wedding at Cana of Galilee, Jesus is present and wine runs out. Mary, Jesus’ mother is present requests Him to make a way out and then admonishes the servant present to follow His instructions. Vs 5…”Whatever He says to you, do it.” Being experts in wine preparation they must have thought: how is He going to make wine and we know wine is not prepared in a day? What kind of wine will He make? What will it taste like? What else will He demand of us like ingredients? Jesus tells them in vs 7… “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. At the back of mind the ‘what else?’ question was probable. Waiting for further instructions He tells them in vs8: “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. Wait a minute! That’s all?  We ain’t tasting first so as to be aware of what we are taking to the master? At the back of the mind, remember there is no history of Him performing such miracles. This is the first He’s performing. As they take a step after the other they must be shaky due to uncertainties of not knowing whether it’s water or wine they are taking to their master. This may cost them their lives or work depending on what their master will perceive out of what they deliver. But, they had in mind the admonishing by Mary. To their surprise the master affirms positively …vs10 … “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
In these two cases, there was a high degree of risk involved and the characters were direct partakers of the probable outcomes both directly and indirectly. Additionally, there was the assurance of the word of God. It takes courage to rise over the fear of the outcome/ risk, no matter how dreadful they may be, to obey and act on the true word of God. It is the unshakable-courageous-unwavering-daring faith. Hebrew 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

More Than a Baby

There is every kind of thought when Christmas is mentioned. To some it’s a time to merry and to some it’s a time to mock others. This is caused by the interpretation and misinterpretation and understanding and misunderstandings one has towards Christmas. Today, I passed through a marketplace and I heard someone invite a Muslim to Christmas service and later on a sharing at the home. The Muslim lady responding by asking: ‘are you celebrating the 2018th birthday of Jesus the prophet. The lady explained that it’s just a day of celebrating the incarnate God and the conversation moved on. To others it’s a time to rave, enjoy, merry and meet the long lost buddies and relatives. I was also once a member of that school of life but today, I have a very clear understanding, First, the focus is not on the day but the person and secondly his impact to the creation. Kids often sing the song baby Jesus….. And so on and on. But the big they grow they realize that Jesus is not the baby again and there is more to that. Prophet Isaiah prophesied…. Isaiah 9:6-7 for to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father forever, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his rule and of peace there will be no end, on the seat of David, and in his kingdom; to make it strong, supporting it with wise decision and righteousness, now and forever. By the fixed purpose of the Lord of armies this will be done. He shall be called Emmanuel meaning God with us. That is the very character of God: omnipresent. He shall be God with us. Peace that’s beyond any human understanding can and will only be given by God which is the very description that Isaiah gives in the description of the prophesy of the coming of Messiah. Mighty God and the everlasting father. The bible says that we’ve been fashioned in His image. We are His children the workmanship of his hands which is the very description of Christ. And his kingdom is everlasting. He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Thus, the very description in the prophesy by Isaiah is the reality of tat which is established in the new testament from the conception of Christ to His death and Crucifixion. Messianic role was his major role in his coming. Only God who is big enough to blot out our sins which is the very thing he did on Calvary. The reason why some won’t let him in is because their inside is dirty and want to clean it beforehand but that’s not how it ought to be. You can only be clean by welcoming Him and letting him clean you. Often 0n 25 & 26th Dec people ask: (gakenge nigaciare) is the child born? But the complete question should be: Is He born in your heart? Has his working on that Calvary tree made any sense in you? Have you made Him the redeemer of your life? The reality is, the Messiah is more than a child: He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords deserving all the praise thereof.

How to manage anger and stay happy

LOVE LIFE, LIVE LOVE

One day a young girl was sitting by the fireplace with her grand ma. The fire crackled and glowed as the heat from the fire warmed their outstretched hands. As the young girl gazed into the flames, her grand ma started speaking.

‘My daughter, inside all of us, there is an ongoing battle between two powerful wolves.’

‘One is an angry wolf full of jealousy, greed, resentment and all the negative and useless emotions.’

‘The other is the wolf of happiness. He is the wolf of love, joy, peace and hope; the wolf of serenity indeed.’

The girl sat there unsettled. After a moment, she asked her grand ma,

‘But grand ma, which wolf wins the battle?’

‘My daughter, it is the one you will feed,’ she replied.

We should avoid occasions of anger. This can be people, places and things. This way, we can avoid feeding ourselves with harmful…

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Men’s vs God’s approval

1 Samuel 15: 1-34. God lays instruction in the heart of Samuel to be conveyed to Saul for execution. This consisted of total destruction of the Amalekites and all they owned. EVERYHING was the target. Reason being: we don’t know but the righteous God and Judge knew why it needed to be so. Saul is obedient; but, in partiality. He is obedient to make a move/go. He destroys majority but not all. He fails to destroy the king and secondly he allows people to carry back with themselves the spoils in terms of the best livestock in the name of having something to sacrifice to God- this was contrary to God’s instructions. The hard decision is not between a bad and a good thing but between two things which both seem to be right. The actions of Saul are revealed to Samuel who confronts him. The answers that Saul give illustrate the position or the ground and source of his authority.

1Sa 15:13-21 Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, Blessed are you by Yahweh: I have performed the commandment of Yahweh. Samuel said, what means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? Saul said, they have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said to Saul, Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh has said to me this night. He said to him, Say on. Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel; and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. ‘Why then didn’t you obey the voice of Yahweh, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?” Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal. Samuel said, Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

His answers and responses to the justification of his erroneous acts was based on the people. He preferred honour/ respect/ fame/ a name/ reputation before men than to honour God. Later on he is informed of how God has rejected him and a demo from his own act of tearing Samuel’s robe serves as an illustration to which he responds again in vs 30: Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, Please, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.  Saul had chosen to build a name for himself by hooks and crooks. Whether by allowing wickedness or righteousness, it didn’t matter provided his name ‘grow bigger’.

In mark 12, Jesus teaches about the source of authority by challenging others so that they can awaken to the realization that the real authority: constant and no-changing is God’s. The whole issue of people being our authority is so much evidential in our daily lives. There are so many things we engage in or fail to do simply because there is a reputation we are jealously safeguarding. Other things we do underneath and in privacy and guard them from coming to the public scrutiny because if they did then our ego/ name/ reputation would downgrade. But, the big question which all of us ought to ask would be: whether in privacy or public, known or unknown, to others or to myself, IS WHATEVER AM ENGAGED IN OR PERMITTING TO TAKE OCCURRENCE GLORIFYING GOD APART FROM PEOPLE’S OPINIONS? Anything we do in life seeking the approval of men is for our own glory and this makes us gods making us proud, arrogant, rude, etc but anything done for the glory of Yahweh brings us to humility, closer relationship with Him and how much of Him we need. The approval of God is the paramount thing in life upon the course of our lifestyle and it comes by obedience to His word.

Justice Be Our Shield And Defender

This is one of the statements that is derived from our national anthem, Kenya. The national anthem itself is a prayer:

(verse: 1)

O God of all creation

Bless this our land and nation

Justice be our shield and defender

May we dwell in unity

Peace and liberty

Plenty be found within our borders.

(verse:2)

Let one and all arise

With hearts both strong and true

Service be our earnest endeavour

And our homeland of Kenya

Heritage of splendour

Firm may we stand to defend.

(verse:3)

Let all with one accord

In common bond united

Build this our nation together

And the glory of Kenya

The fruit of our labour

Fill every heart with thanksgiving.

This, justice, is one of the key pillars in the task of our national building whose main concern is fairness, equity,impartiality, objectivity,.. These are terms we hear and encounter daily, practice or even act contrary to them. How often are we real to these words in executing them? Is this one of the life expectations that qualifies the statement: life is full of surprise and irony? Is injustice not so rampant tracing its genesis from our families, societies, fellowships, nations, worldwide, etc?

Justice is what every heart longs for; but, in one way or another bias is the outcome. At such moment we ask if there is any just man. Or whether justice means anything to anyone. The good news is that men may fail to be just even if not all but there is one who is ultimately just in all His ways: YAHWEH. He has created us to be like Him and emulate His virtues.

Injustices is more likely to be faced by the poor while favoritism is likely to be experienced by the rich and wealthy one. The reverse is rare. God has already said it in Leviticus 19:15 …”‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. This says it all.

Leviticus 25 sets out some outlines which were meant to create a stable society where everyone had a sense of belonging. However, with time all this was lost and buried in the graveyard of forgetfulness. Nehemiah 5 gives a good evidence to this due to the outcry of the Jews who had returned from captivity and the experience they had due to the injustices that were occurring by then out of breaking the standards of Leviticus 25. This is a reflection of our today’s society in that the words of our national anthem have become void and myths which have resulted to a man eat man society – his is the beginning of the lack of desire to live in such society or even to let the generations to come  to find it.

However, all is not lost. There is a people standing for justice and it also gives us a chance to stand and change the society beginning from right where we are at. The responsibility is not cast on the leadership but on all of us; all of us. As a christian, i believe that when we have the fear of God and the honour and respect of all people in the acknowledgement that we share the same origin and bear the image of God, we will treat them as ourselves. Would like to be treated. Justice is founded on love. But as the scripture puts is, one cannot serve two master but one has to prevail. Matthew 6:24″No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. There is always a choice to make.

-a bible study guide by FOCUS Kenya: nation building

The Lord Searches………And Rewards

 

One of the undeniable truths I have seen in the Old Testament is the fact that priest and prophets were very critical to the rulership of the kingdom of Israel. From the likes of Aaron, Samuel, amongst others. They spoke of or for God to the people and the kings who also inquired about God’s direction and say over issues. They were more of ‘intermediaries’ between people and God.

Accountability is key to a group of people or even individuals. It’s the aspect of being answerable to someone. Its essence cannot be overemphasized because it is key to our day to day life as well. I presume that the priests and prophets kept the leaders accountable to whatever they were dedicated to do because they couldn’t stay mute when kings and their leaders and subjects took the wrong counsel and decision or fail to give them input or advice or share the LORD’s voice over various matters. Such was Joash who became a king at the age of 7 years and reigned for 40 years under the priesthood of Jehoiada.

During his inauguration there was a covenant that was established in the house of God that He would serve as per the counsel and instruction of God. There is evidence that he observed this covenant. His zeal for God moved him to the restoration of the temple to its original state and tore down even the altars of Baal. They: king Joash, the priest and all the people continually offered sacrifice to God ALL THE DAYS OF JEHOIDA THE PRIEST. However, after the death of Jehoiada there was a paradigm shift. The people bowed unto Joash, I guess to be allowed to worship their other gods (idols). They went back to idolatry. The efforts of Jehovah to persuade them to true worship through the sending of prophets fell on deaf ears for they would not pay heed to them.

Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the dead prophet, is put to death between the altar and the temple for calling their actions to account. The people were agitated by the truth with which Zechariah spoke and conspired to stone him with the command of king Joash. Later king Joash is killed by two men who were part of his leadership and bore the pain of the death of Zechariah. This was after invasion by Assyrians.

By Joash accepting people’s request seems as if it was an opportunity for him to exercise full authority without the influence or questioning by anybody. He had a desire to give authority and make decision freely without aid. After all there was order and he needed his influence and say to be felt. After this his name must have been on the lip of everyone.

Secondly, to affirm his position and strengthen his decision, he authorized the killing of anyone who rose to challenge that which he has allowed. He validated his decision by bloodshed; a situation in which Zechariah falls a victim. But he forgets truth stands unshaken. Times change but truth doesn’t.

Paul asks the Galatians about their bewitchery in that they started in the spirit but are ending up in flesh. It seemed that they had kicked off well and progressed a while but when left by themselves they turned to other things. Joash started it all well and the unfolding was splendid but upon the ‘departure’ of Jehoiada they turn to idol worship. Behold how true it is even with our lives. That the love for God overtakes us but as time unfolds we become conformists to the worldly patterns. When we are with brethren we are okay that time but when time to depart and go our own ways like change of location, place, group, job and we are new wherever we are at we get new masks or our real we comes out of us. Unfortunately or fortunately, wherever we go there once a time will be a man or woman who knows you and will ask what on earth has happened. During them days in campus someone could show you some guys who were chairpersons of their high-school Christian Unions in their high-schools and the two scenarios couldn’t reconcile. As far as they are away anybody who knows them they are ‘real’ to the world. Likewise after campus for some of those who were in Christian Union.

The most undeniable truth is that from men you can try to hide but unto the omnipresent and omniscient God you can’t hide. Truth has it that everything lay bare before Him including the deep things of life. Accountability to men is essential and unto God it is more than essential. If we are accountable to God truthfully, then unto men it will be possible.

• 2 chronicles 24
• Luke 49-51
• Galatians 3:1-9

It’s not about the abundance possession

December is the month that’s marked with a lot of festivity especially in Kenya whereby we have Jamhuri day on 12^th, Christmas on 25^th together with 24^th as its eve day, boxing day on 26^th  and 1^st Jan with 31^st Dec as its eve. It is the month of unleashing that which we have been saving for times like these. It is a time of fun, entertainment, pleasure, merry and others with our friends and at different places.

In line with this am reminded of the parable in Luke 12:16-21. The concern of this farmer was to have his storage upgraded because he anticipated a plentiful harvest that season. This indicates how hardworking the guy was and how he had strived for an increased harvest to be realized. This is indeed quite commendable. However, the problem that is evident is his perspective and perception for life. His main agenda and concern was all about pleasure, merry, drinking and fun. He said to his soul: Lu 12:19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”‘

Eating, drinking and merry aren’t evil but they should not be the ultimate objective of life. God’s response to this man’s thought was that he was a fool because he was rich enough yet poor in the things of God. A man’s heart is where his wealth is laid. If it is in God, theirs is life; but, if in pleasure, that’s a castle and a storage for destruction. In citing this parable Jesus Christ is not encouraging laziness nor discouraging handwork, not at all, He’s warning people against the error of living life that’s defined by the materialistic world. That materialism is not all that there is.

After having fun and all that pertains to these celebrations we must ask a fundamental question: what’s my ultimate goal and purpose in this life? Am I rich or poor in Christ? The challenge He has called each of us to be is in Mathew 6:33…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. One actor said that His desire was that all people on earth would grow reach and wealth for them to realize that we need more than that; God.

And I conclude then with Luke 12:15b…. for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. It is in finding Christ Jesus and having Him as the Lord and redeemer on your life.