God's Call

Focusing on missions and the young generation, Kevin shared a word that he titled "God's Call" emphasizing that God is calling us and we need to heed to God's call. He chose to focus on the story of Gideon in Judges chapter 6 and 7. This story was so nicely broken down clearly highlighting the significant events that happened in this chapters until God used Gideon to save the Israelites from the Midianites. If you have ever taken time to read and study the story of Gideon, then you will understand that it is one of the stories where we see God calling upon an insignificant person to undertake a significant task

Gideon, like many of us, doubted his own abilities. He had suffered so many defeats that he even put God to test, not once but three time. In the Bible story, Gideon is introduced threshing grain in a winepress, a pit in the ground, so the marauding Midianites did not see him. God appeared to Gideon as an Angel and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty man of valor." (Judges 6:12). Gideon prepared a meal for the angel. The angel touched the meat and unleavened bread with his staff, and the rock they were sitting on spewed fire, consuming the offering. Then Gideon put out a fleece, a piece of sheep skin with the wool still attached, asking God to cover the fleece with dew overnight, but leave the ground around it dry. God did so. Finally, Gideon asked God to dampen the ground overnight with dew but leave the fleece dry. God did that as well.

God was patient with Gideon because he had chosen him to defeat the Midianites, who had impoverished the land of Israel with their constant raids. Gideon gathered a huge army from the surrounding tribes, but God reduced their number to only 300. There would be no doubt that victory was from the Lord, not from the army's might.
That night, Gideon gave each man a trumpet and a torch concealed inside a pottery jar. At his signal, they blew their trumpets, broke the jars to reveal the torches, and shouted: "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" (Judges 7:20, NIV). God caused the enemy to panic and turn on each other. Gideon called out reinforcements and they pursued the raiders, destroying them.

This story does not just excite us at what God did in the end but also reminds us that God's call is not easy.  Gideon was from the weakest clan of Manasseh which under normal circumstances wrote him off from saving an entire nation. Sometimes our standing in society dictates what we can accomplish, but this is only in the world view. In the divine order, status, size, beauty and the rest DO NOT amount to anything. God searches a willing heart. He calls out to people who are willing to heed to His call. So that did not stop God from using Gideon.

The other task God gave Gideon was to destroy the altars of Baal his father had built and erect an altar for God. Gideon obeyed but it put him at loggerheads with the people who wanted to kill him. But God, did not allow this to happen. He uses Joash, his father, to tell the people that if Baal really is a god, he can defend himself. Many times when God calls us we are required to destroy the altars we have erected for ourselves that are ungodly. We have altars of self, pride, money, lack of commitment, employment you name them. Then God tell us to destroy them so that we can build him an altar. Many people will never do what Gideon did, in stead we decide to ignore God. Sad thing, that is how far God will go. He will never use us to the fullest unless we obey him. One of the things He is asking us to do is to destroy altars raised for other gods and erect an altar for God.

If you read this story, God reveals himself to Gideon through the dry and wet fleece of wool. Still he is required to reduce the men in his army to 300 men. If this was you and me we would go "What!!! God you must be joking. Are you kidding me? 300 men for people whose population is as thick as locusts? Come on God, get someone else. I ain't dealing this." Thank God for Gideon, he obeyed and put his trust completely in God. We often allow ourselves to be controlled by our limitations. We forget that God is not limited to our limitations. Everything he touches he magnifies. One time he used Samson that with a jaw bone Samson slayed thousands. Another time he asked Moses, "what do you have in your hand?" I am sure Moses was not prepared for what he saw happen next. Its time to let go of our limitations and let God lead.

Finally God gives Gideon victory in the most unique of ways, the aggressors start fighting and killing each other. Before that Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” I love what Gideon did after hearing this. The bible says that when Gideon has this dream and its interpretation he bowed down and worshiped. There is a great reward to all who positively respond to God's call.

In summary, it is clear that God is calling. We can either chose to answer or ignore. The task is not easy, many obstacles have to be overcome. We have to look beyond our social standings, we've got to destroy ungodly altars in our lives and erect an altar for God and finally, we need to look beyond our limitations. God is fighting the battle for us. He is the strength we need to accomplish the task. Whatever God requires, He provides. During the journey, all we can do is respond in worship. 

I want to sincerely bless God for our brother Kevin for allowing God to use him to bring this revelation to us. God bless you Kevin. Stay in His service.

A Call for Missions (Awakening a Generation Hungry For change)

Before Jesus departed to His heavenly throne to take His position as Lord and Christ, He spent a final time with His eleven disciples. The last command that He gave them was this: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Following this command, it was our prayer that we will obey and do as Christ commanded. So in less than a month, our bishop and pastor planned with pastor Kallest for our young people to go for a mission in Gilgil. It was a great feeling to see how many young people were excited to participate in this mission, both young, single young adults and even the married. So Friday evening we headed to Gilgil to preach and share Christ overnight, full day on Saturday and Sunday service. We could see hearts that were full of expectation, hungry for Christ and just yearning to mingle with other likeminded young people. It was interesting how our minds were changed from the desire for adventure to the desire for Christ. Adventure took a back seat while Christ became the center of our mission. Christ was represented in song and dance, word, smiles on every face, conversation, meals and everything that happened.

So many lessons I learnt from this mission. Some made my heart jump for joy while others made my heart wail. All in all, it is very clear that  work needs to be done. We have a great number of unregenerate Christians that Christ is telling us to reach out to. Why do we sit comfortable in our own churches and lie to ourselves that everything is okay? Why do we muzzle our young people and keep them from expressing their passion for Christ? One of the most amazing feeling I had is when I saw teenagers from our church that would never say or do something in church but freely did everything for Christ out there. Could this be platforms that God provides so that people can discover their inborn drives and unleash the potentials within?  Sometimes it takes exposure for us to gain experience. At home, most of the times we have so many Michals. Remember Saul’s daughter, who was the wife of David, when she saw him dancing and his clothes falling off she said sarcastically “How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!” She ended up becoming childless.

At home, the Michals of our time will do everything to keep young people from expressing their love to God, from living out their salvation. There is growing criticism on anything good that young Christians do. As blind as the current Michals are, they never notice that they have become spiritually barren. They stopped being fruitful a long time ago. They live in bitterness and any element of change scares them to death. They feel threatened and any attempt to bring change is seen as an invasion of their comfort zones. Unfortunately, when they bark, some of the young Christians scatter. But praise God for those whose resolve remain unchanged. When they decided to follow Jesus they were ready to carry the cross so they never look or turn back. They are pressing on towards the mark of the high calling to be able to reach their goals in Christ. They have sold their hearts out to Christ. They will go anywhere, sleep anywhere they can lay their heads or sometimes even sacrifice their sleep, eat whatever they can get or even go without food just for missions. They have a deep hunger for the lost, they have a passion for others. They will weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9 “However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him” keep them going.

The critics will never sacrifice their comfort for anyone or anything. They value their queen-size comfortable beds which unfortunately don’t come with added sleep. They will not even stand the smell of food that does not march their standard. Overnight prayer meetings, what a minute, are you serious? What don’t we have to sacrifice our sleep for that? When you talk about evangelism they will be wondering what the work of pastors, evangelists and the rest is? Why should they do work that is for other people.

Good news is, God is awakening a generation that will bring change. A generation with an eye and a heart for missions has awakened. Beat them with your criticism all you like, they will not falter, they have made a decision to heed to the call of Christ. They are marching on and sweeping everyone on their way. If you did not participate in the Gilgil mission, don’t sit back and become the fat King Kevin told us about. Ehud will kill you. Awake oh you sleeping giants. God is calling us to reach out. Be part of this generation. Bring change to the nations. Touch the heart of God and watch him spear nothing to touch you.

2 Chronicles 20 New International Version (NIV)

 

 

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites^[a] came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

² Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,^[b] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). ³ Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ⁷ Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸ They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ⁹ ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
¹⁰ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

¹⁴ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

¹⁵ He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” ²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his^[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his love endures forever.”

²² As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. ²⁵ So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing^[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.  

²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah^[e] to this day.
²⁷ Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.
²⁹ The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹ So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ³² He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. ³³ The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.
³⁴ The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
³⁵ Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked. ³⁶ He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.^[f] After these were built at Ezion Geber, ³⁷ Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.^[g]