Free-Flowing Praise

Recently I attended beyond the walls “sifa afternoon,” an interdenominational praise and worship fellowship. It was powerful in a way that can only be possible in the Spiritual dimension. Now…


There has been big debates surounding praising God in regards to songs sung by mortals with the intention of expressing their Love towards any immortal deity. Around the Christian fellowships Jesus Christ, the Son Of God says in John 4:24 “…God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”


This verse carries three most important aspects of worship that any believer must grow into. Even though the word worship here does not singularly speak of singing but the entire aspect of expression of adoration to God our creator.


A. God is Spirit
We must acknowledge that God is omniscient, He knows our hearts, He knows our intentions, He knows our words even before we speak. Therefore it is not about the sweet words and melody that we voice in cathedrals, synagogues, homes or fields. It is all about the heart. The attitude behind the voice. God is Spirit is also an acknowledgement of His omnipresence. As you sing that hymn He shares the page with you audibly voicing the words therein with you. Question is? Does He Feel you, do you feel Him. Are religiously singing memorized tunes that mean nothing or do we relationally pour out our praise to Him? When we fervently shout that praise He shares that microphone with you, question is, is it His voice in yours or Just yours? We must surrender all that is ours for all that is His and offer Free-Flowing Praise to God.

B. Man Must Worship spirit and truth

My friends, God is Spirit and we MUST worship Him in our spirit. This second spirit must not be mistaken for the Holy Spirit! What!? I know! Just read on. Well, we are body, soul and spirit. In Romans 8:16 we read “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. In simple terms the Spirit Of God who is God, communes with our spirit and confirms to us that we are Children or sons of God in regards to redemption. In the same way we MUST, according to Christ’s own emphasis, allow our worship to come from the spirit in the fullness of the truth within us, freely flowing upwords to God. The body and soul expressing what the spirit dictates. Wether prostration, waving, bowing, crying, clapping, dancing etc. But the Spirit-filled spirit remains in control. Let no flesh glory in His Presence.1 Corrinthians 1:29.


C. Those Who Worship Him
Worshiping God is not denominationalised. However and whatever way we have chosen to praise God, we should bear in mind the need to be pure and pius. The instructions are do it “in spirit and truth”, without grudging and judging. Just as faith is not apportioned to any one denomination but all who believe so are praises wether we praise His mighty works or praising the beauty of His presence, our spirits must be guided by His Spirit, saturating out hearts with the Gospel truth and lifted towards Jehovah most high.


I HAVE BEEN THERE…
I have been privileged to worship in congregations that use hymn books and encountered God’s presence. I’ve praised God with the Turkana in the scorching sandy villages of Naapetet and encountered God. We praised and worshiped in their tiny twig-huts and yes, their bony hands accompanying their spirit-filled hearts and saw God’s Joy beaming brighter than the desert sunshine in their eyes. I have been to Believers Fellowship Tabernacle Church, where the prowess of music is unmatched in Kisumu and still… the Presence of Jehovah was there. The list is endless. Let’s not idolize “our way of praise” and vilify “their way of noise”. Let us focus on God Who is SPIRIT and worship Him in truth.

David answers Key questions in regards to Praising God in Psalm 150

1. WHERE PRAISES COME FROM?
“Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!”
All songs of praises must be inspired by his Presence. Let our songs be filled by the testimony of the Gospel. Declaring His Person, Purpose and Power in the simplicity of Language so that the congregation can sing and say amen. Songs are meant for us to align our Emotion to God’s Emotion and Express them in love as Free-Flowing Praise. This can only be achieved if it all comes from God Himself. Songs are powerful invokers on emotion. Let them be Godly.

2. WHY DO WE PRAISE?
“2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”
What if all our songs were filled with His mighty works and not our bragging? What if all our worship songs were filled with the exceeding excellence of His presence? And not our jewelry and shiny shoes? It’s good to dress well in service of God, but in serving Him, He should shine forth more, because His life is the light of men. Worship leaders reduce, that He may increase!!! When you increase out of your own pride, your fall shall be as fast lightening. We praise not because we are professionals, but because we have encountered The Christ in Person or in power

3. How Should we Praise.
“3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!”
I have a question for you. Do you have any of the above? Yes, so do I! Let’s grab them and hit, strum and pluck on them as we praise our creator. Instruments are not evil. Dancing is not evil. However, let us remember that when Elisha son of Shaphat chose to prophesy out of respect for Jehoshaphat in 2Kings 3, he said “15 But now bring me a musician.”
Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

This must teach us that not everyone is an instrumentalist! cee all clap hands, let us clap in harmony, however, when it comes to playing these other instruments let’s try diligence so that our services don’t sound like a superstitious community chasing away what Luos call Nyawawa (evil spirits from the lake)

4. WHO SHOULD PRAISE!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Jesus said if men stopped praising Him the the stones would praise. One way or another Jesus, the Christ is always praised. Verse six uses the permissive word let, you and I have got the choice to praise for the simple reason that we have breath. The breath that was breathed to the soil Adam and he became a living soul. Even if you have the tiniest bit of a heart beat, Praise the Lord. Even if you are on life support equipment, praise the Lord. The walls of your Jericho may Just come down …
Believers of all tribes and nations, let’s praise the LORD, beyond the walls of our prejudice.


God bless you.

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JUST A WORD

Matthew 8:7-8

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

This is a great teaching .. watch it.

BEAT REJECTION


The world has a way of throwing thrash at you, then cheer you as you smear it in your conscience. You personally rub it so deep that it shapes your character. We always have a choice to reverse it or rehearse it. It’s is written, ” every tongue that rises against you, you have the right (or power) to refute (or strongly reject) it.” Isaiah 54:17b


The problem is, we are so much used to external approval and acceptance that we try to find out what everyone is saying about us or who has commented on my status, we kill ourselves trying to find out who thinks what about my dressing, my speech, my style.. or today, how have they reacted to my social media post. Is it with a thumbs up or down? is it with a love or a hate emoji?

Thousand followers can give virtual hugs but they are subject to change depending on various uncontrollable circumstance. And the same thumbs that upped you will quickly twist and down you. The warm hugs may shift anytime to be hate-hot bands that scythe your very soul. In times like this David encouraged himself in the Lord.

Apart from the world, there is you. Emotional Self care is necessary.


THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE…
The only person you can be best is you. Don’t help them to beat on you by rehearsing their baseless negativity, gossip and slander, but reverse it by being the best you. Just remember this, it takes a great performance to receive a standing ovation, but it takes a cultured personality to withstand overwhelming rejection.

Do what is good, press on in doing what is acceptable and strive to do the perfect will of God. Romans 12:2b In short in your good be Godly.


GOD, WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?
I have been rejected because of my colour, tribe, social status and even because of my children’s hair, and I always went before God crying, “God, what’s wrong with me?” One day I found the answer in my tear-dump pitty-palour, which I hope you find too, that the problem is not me but those people who hate and slander. Stop thinking about all the reactions of people, friends and family, instead think of good things, things of nobility, think of things that bear good report anything contrary to Philippians 4:8-9, cast it out. You work to change you into the best you possible because no amount of effort you use will change the other person.


YOU DON’T NEED A CROWD, YOU NEED A CREW
God approves of you, be confident with God’s approval and people will shape up into it, if not, allow them to shape out. As you think so will they think of you. After all you don’t need a crowd, you need a crew. A crew floats and dives together. You don’t look for a team, you grow it.

God bless you.

GOD’S REAL. LIVE!

God is Real…
breeze upon my brow I feel
I see sun walking over the hill
birds Chirpy on a morn, still…
Then I know God is Real!

upon mine table a lil’ food
aboard a saggy stool stood,
though I sleep on bare wood.
i’ve faith that God is Good!

I meet heat, chill and cool
praising atimes empty atimes full
Though man looks I as fool
I’m confident God Is Faithful!

i’ll go with Him to all length
Him i honour with an honest tenth. .
zealous through years umpteenth. ..
For God Is My Strength!

In the city or the Field
As seed and tool I wield
So Timely is my yield

God has been My Shield

Gods light lifted me above
Light and pure as a dove..
My path empty of Curve.
Because God is Love!

In His glory my spirit shall thrive
On alien earth I’ll survive
Heavenword must I strive..

God’s alive alive AH! LIVE!

~~~Masai

CHRIST IS THE LIFE AND LIGHT

The Gospel of John introduces us to the eternal sovereignty of Jesus Christ in ways no other book does. The punch is hit right at the start of of the Gospel. It says In in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God! By revelation we see the entire synopsis of the Bible in this verse of scripture. The word was in the beginning with the uncreated creator. The word was God. Consider verse 14 ” the word (who was God) became flesh. So we can safely say God who is Spirit became Flesh and dwelt with us! God is Jesus, Jesus is God! Now replace Word I verse one with Christ. It in the beginning was the Christ, and the Christ was with God and the THE CHRIST WAS GOD!

The Creator Of All

It’s written in verse 3 that ” all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” We are talking all life, human, animal, plants and every other thing that is lifeless. The depth of this scripture is clearly seen in Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse. Chapter 1:16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and Earth,visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Also in Him all things consist. See it says everything was made through the Word. In Genesis the Bible says “God spoke”. There is power in God’s word. When Jesus came and dwelt among us He spoke a word and the centurion’s servant was healed. The psalmist says God’s word is quick to perform what it is been sent to do. When we look at this word in light of our contemporary language we may quickly begin think verbs, nouns, adjectives conjunctions etc. If you stop to think about it, how much prayer or declaration can you make using one verb or noun. We would be limited. We see in the book of 2 Kings that the miracle was done by the “word” of the prophet Elisha. (2Kings 4:17) Or by the word of a king a matter is settled.

Let me bring us home again. Have you ever heard about “it is your WORD against mine”? indeed ! What this means is that it is your testimony about a matter against another person’s testimony about the same matter. When we testify, declare, plead or pray in line with God’s will, it bears fruit. When we pray in line with God’s perfect will, it is no longer just our word, but the fulness God’s word in our hearts flowing by the Holy Spirit to Creat hence the statement “there is power in the tongue. The tongue here representing not just the organ but the art of utterance.  But note, we have a choice to speak out and be satisfied the words of of our mouth or keep mum and starve in a ministry devoid of Christ’s power in answered prayer .

The Life and light

Up to this point we understand that the word is a living person. Verse 4 says that in Him (the Word) was life and this life was the light of men. The Psalmist writes “your word is a lamp upon my feet and a light upon my path. Christ being the way gives us the light in his life to walk the path of salvation. As the chief shepherd He guides us in the paths of righteousness for the glory and honour of His Holy name. And through the Word that God spake saying “LIGHT BE” and  caused the light to came out of Darkness we can also speak. Meaning even in the darkest situation of our lives today the Life in Christ can still produce light. And however dark and dead our lives are when we accept Jesus he becomes that LIGHT that makes us the lights upon the world.

At the same time Christ comes as the Light. It may seem easy for us who already believe in Christ to understand this very verses. But to someone who is still walking in the deviant darkness of this world blinded by the the god of this age, this statements are a deep mystery. That is why it is written that this LIGHT was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own meaning the creation of His domain, and His own people did not receive Him. If The world can not know the Christ, it can not receive Him, that is why like John we, who are born of God, have an urgent responsibility to be the light that introduces the Light to men and through us, all who hear may believe (John 1:7) and receive the right to become children of God (John 1:12)

KNOWING “THE CHRIST”


Philippians 3:10-11
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.


In Hebrew the word know is translated Yada – or Ginosko in Greek . In both languages the word to Know bears the meaning of intimate relationship and growing relationship. God the Father and and the God the Son know each other. (John 10:3) and those who believe also know the Father and the Son but more so they are known by God the Father and the Son. We are called to know God. To know Him deeper and to grow in the knowledge of His wholesness.


You can not know God the Father unless Christ reveals Him to you Matthew 11:27 says “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father and to whom He (Christ) wills to reveal Him (the Father )
On the other hand, we can not know the Christ unless the father reveals him to us. Jesus asked them who people say that He (Jesus) is they said Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prephets. But Peter said you are “THE CHRIST”. Jesus told Peter and those around, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but the Father”


When you have a glimpse of the Father you thirst more and more of Him. My wife and I have grown so alike in the past sixteen years. We are so intimate that sometimes we think alike. One person buys one thing from a store Kilometers away only to find the other has bought the same for the same reason. We even give Chorus answers in whole statements. But as much as we are alike and intimately so, she is still the greatest mystery of my life. I need to know her more and more each morning. That is the same way we must be with God Elohim. We must know Him well in what He wills for us and others but also stand in awe of Him every time we encounter His Presence, and thirst after Him as the deer panths after the water Brooks.


A GLIMPSE OF GOD!
Enoch knew God and walked with Him until He was no more! Noah had a glimpse of Him and trusted Him to finish an extremely enoumous project despite the hostile environment. Abraham had a glimpse of God and embarked on a journey to a place he could only see in the spirit. Moses, when he had a glimpse of the godly chose to forsake his princely status, a status he had known for four decades, and chose the Affliction of God’s people. The Fishermen and Sinners saw a glimpse of ABBA and never turned back. When we know Him we can do the imposible. We are prepared to lose everything to gain Him.


A Field Of Treasure!


Matthew 13:44
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.


The young man secured the treasure and travelled back home. Notice, when he came back he did not just buy the treasure, he bought the field! When we know God and His Word which is treasure, we not only buy invest in the Gospel. We we intentionally lose the entire world and buy into His entire Kingdom. After all what is the use to gain the whole world and lose your soul.


Everything For Christ!
This is why Paul writes to say he counts all that he knows as rubbish so that he may gain the knowledge of Christ. When he is writing this letter, he has been in Kingdom service for over ten years! But he still thirsts for the Knowledge of Him who called him into this marvelous light. We are called the same.
Are we ready to Know God. Then the question to ask ourselves as believers is how do we know our God.

How do You Know God?
Law- Punishing God. When we know God through the requirements of the law we know him as a punishing God. The law shows us how much we are incapable of pleasing God and in need of a savior.
Christ – A Perfecting God. When we know Him by the revelation of Christ who is the word made flesh, we begin to know him as the Lord God Who desires to Perfect all that concerns us (Psalm 138:13) Christ is the savior who makes it possible to please to please God by faith.


LEVELS OF KNOWING GOD
1. Knowing God’s Person –
Shadreck Messhack and Abednego are people who knew their God. They believed in God even if God would not deliver them from the fiery furnace. Daniel 3 Paul says oh that I may know Him, implying knowing God’s person.


2. Knowing God’s Purpose
We must continue to desire the purpose to God both to save and sustain. To protect and provide. To humble and to lift higher. Paul says oh that I may fellowship in His surfering. Implying The purpose of God as expressed through Jesus in His ministry and death on the cross. It doesn’t mean that Paul desired to crucified as Jesus but he desired to be acquainted with why Jesus gave His life for him. Surely this must be our desire too.


3. Knowing God’s Power
God is infinitely powerful. He is omnipotent. With Him all things are possible. Paul says oh “that I may know the power of His resurrection!” He even prays for the church in Ephesus to know the same. This is the power that validates our Gospel. For without the resurrection our preaching would be in vain. Our faith would be in vain. (1 Corrinthians 15:13-14)

When we Yada God we Don’t just Speak About Him.
God says that creation Awaits with groanings for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19) As believers we must show forth God’s glory in every area of ministry and life. As the saying goes we are the only Jesus that some of our friends and acquaintances know. We must strive to domonstrate God’s person, purpose and power. It is possible.


Daniel 11:32
Those who do wickedly against the covenant
he shall corrupt with flattery;
but the people who know their God shall be
strong, and carry out great exploits.


For those who pervert the covenant shall be corrupted by by flattery, meer words, spineless sermons, but for those who shall stand by the covenant to be intimate and grow in the Knowledge of God the father, there is a promise of Strength and Great Exploits.
I don’t know of you, but I desire to know God more and more.

Father God, use me to declare and demonstrate your person, purpose and power. In Jesus Name. Amen.

COUNT IT, ALL JOY

The best way to profit from our trials

James 1:2-5

“2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”


In times of Crisis we easily grow desperate and like Job we quickly say (Job 9:33 ) I have no mediator between God and I so how can I understand my suffering, essentially, who will lay his hand on both of us. As much as this was so in the times of Job’s pain we have a different covenant. In this covenant we have Jesus interceding and Arbitrating for us in the throne room of God.

Unfortunately we spend time and energy, just like the friends of Job Moralizing, Philosophising, Theologizing our suffering and we miss the whole point which is ‘God is faithful, Holy and righteous. ‘


God does not Tempt.
In the midst of a test or a trial we have a desire to escape by Philosophy, Moral law and Religious steps, it is this stage, where we badly need a way out that the enemy comes in to tempt us, if we take the bate we fail.


But we must “Count it all Joy when we fall into various trials”, let’s be patient and await maturity in the faith. The truth is God does not remove the test, He brings Himself into the test to strengthen and guide you towards victory.

WISDOM IN TRIALS

At face value the fifth verse of James 1 seems out of context. But a deeper look at it reveals that in the midst of troublesome times wisdom seems to be the first natural casualty. Many of us have witnessed here in Africa, (and around the world ) especially when there is a funeral of a loved one, the blame game gear shifts to fast and furious. Easily escalating to fights. Verbal fights and fist fights. At that point our whole purpose seems to be blinded by grief, rage and fear. Now James writes and says, ‘if anyone lacks wisdom (in the middle of Crisis) let him ask God, and He shall give liberally and WITHOUT REPROACH’


The most obvious question we ask in time of lose, sickness, death or (like now) a pandemic, and the chain of other afflictions unleashed by the crisis, is:- “why are we going through this” or “why me” these questions are the gate openers for foreign opinions from people (and sources) who “mean well” yet afflict us even more.
“WHY?”


The Philosophising Friend
These are friends who will bring into your situation all the world’s logistical variables as to why you are going through what you are going through. Asking why, and how come!!! Worse still is when this philosophical friend is yourself.


The Moral Friend
Jobs wife told him to ‘curse God and die.’ (Job 2:9) Why would she even come up with such a suggestion being married to a righteous man in God’s own Testimony? (Job 1:8) Could she have thought Job deserved better. She must have thought, How could God do such a thing to my husband after all he has done for Him. She spoke from the abundance her heart.


Moral friends are a well meaning companions who seem to know the rights of every creature. Being around them leads you to the feeling of entitlement. Even before God! Again it is worse if this friend is yourself. We have to acknowledge God’s graciousness in all that we desire to receive.


The Theological Friend
Apart from Elihu, all the other three friends of Job (Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad) talked to job as men who fully understood the mind of God. We all have a friend who is master of God-Knowledge. It is written, who can understand God’s mind? His ways are above our ways and same are His thoughts according to Isaiah 55:10.

Before the beautiful story of Job ends, we hear what God has to say about their purported comfort to Job. He says: ‘Who is this who darkens consel by words without knowledge’. We must be careful what we say when people are going through hard times. When we go through rough patches. Sometimes saying “Oh Lord God, you (only) Know” (Ezekiel 37:3) should be enough. Better still, let’s do it psalms and hymns.


The friend who sticks closer
When I had lost my brother Mike, I couldn’t think clearly, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t pray, I couldn’t listen. Many well meaning people tried with scriptures to encourage me but it wasn’t working. Then On a drizzling suturday morning, My great friend Pastor Alfred walked through our village gate, we hugged one another and just sat in one tent. We simply sat there without saying much. After a few minutes, I felt hungry and for the first time in weeks my taste buds awoke to the sensation of hot tea. Something inside of me came alive. I felt the presence of God. Later that day, we were joined by five more brothers and sisters from church, who had travelled 300km to be with us, unlike Job’s friends, they became to my wife and I, the perfect picture of “sufficient grace” in times of weakness. There are moments in life when grace is not just preached, it is demonstrated. May the body of Christ arise and be the perfect picture of grace to them that suffering.

Friends from Church. ..


Freinds, a friend who sticks closer than a brother is not necessarily the talkertive one, neither is he or she necessarily the oldest one. Elihu was the youngest of Jobs friends, Job he spoke last, (Job 34:4-9) he poke only after listening to three important participants in Jobs suffering.


1. He listened to Jobs companions.
2. He listened to Job, and highly important,
3. He listened to God. (Not Satan)
Finally when he Spoke, he spoke from the Spirit not the flesh. (Job 34:18,19)


If we must speak, let us speak by revelation and discernment. But again I say let us be quick to listen, and slow to cast our finite opinions. It’s much better to provide that shoulder to lean on than to provide lectures on Theology, philosophy and Morality.

For you to be able to count it all Joy, we must listen with wisdom to the voices in our environment around our trials. Do not stop to ask for wisdom in every tiny step. This way your mind shall stay renewed and though your out tent wears away, your spirit man is renewed from strength to strength for the glory of our God in Heaven .

Conclusion
Wisfom must teach us In times of trial not to struggle with the sovereignty of God. Wisdom must teach us to commit all to God and never blame God for anytjing. On a Personal Job says in 13:15 though He slay me yet will I trust I Him.


Father God, teach us to trust you in the valley of they shadow of death, may we trust and obey your rod and stuff, for you alone know the path to the Table of triumph ahead. Bring us into full maturity lacking nothing.