"FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL DO THE WILL OF GOD"
My dear brothers and sisters, we are certainly dear to each other because of the precious truth and knowledge of the kingdom of God which we each one of us possess in his heart. We have accepted the teachings of the Bible as being able to make us ‘wise unto salvation’ and have endeared ourselves to the practices set out by the apostles by walking as they did. We have discarded each one his father’s traditions and have come to be truly the body of Christ by association in obeying his commands.
When we come together there might be some with their mind somewhere else, some hearts that can not really focus and comprehend what manner of people ought we to be and what kind of lives we ought to live? The purpose of most our exhortations is to help each other focus and set our hearts to the ‘expected end’.
It is for this very reason we have to remind each other that of all our times on this earth the most important time is when we are alone. For when we are in the company of others we are merely responding to influences imposed by the presence of individuals around us. This is also true by what is around us in terms of sound, objects whatever our senses can respond to and cause a distraction and input some change to how we calculate issues. One is reminded by a passage in scripture of the very same principle which points out to the ever present danger of being ‘led’ into sin by that which one has put around himself or is naturally around us, for the world lives in sin and there is not many things that will automatically put us on a vantage point.
Our Master speaks of these things in that offences will come, things that cause people to sin will always be there, this is now our reality, for we live in a real world with real people, were sin is an everyday reality and our overcoming those realities is through practice and obedience of God word, experiencing a lot of conflict with the processes of what we call life. Matt 18 vs 8 -9.
Now no man can help you deal with all that which we have mentioned above, it is each man for himself. We can see your pain and sorrow but we are not able to truly share with you all that. Therefore it is that individual sacrifice that one has to make, benign to one and all, we can only suggest, we can influence by all means available to us, but it is that personal desire to see fault and error in oneself, it is that ability to let the word of God sieve you, it is that willingness to practice daily that which one has learn, it is more than daily readings and attendance at meetings, it is the mustard seed that one has in himself, potential in abundance to do the will of God. The apostles spoke of our life as one running in a race, there is that personal participation, the putting forward of consecutives steps one after another with synchronised effort and determination to complete as well win the race.
Our Lord teaches us by way of parable that our enterprising in his kingdom are like a king who takes account his resources before he goes to war or one who builds to see if he can finish the construction work. The participation of an individual in response to God’s word is a principle that need no exaggeration as it is enshrined in all the core teachings of scripture and acceptance of this teaching is an opening to greater things in understanding matters of the kingdom.
Our life is built by small events that take place every second , how we live every second in recognition of how it has all been possible without taking any one second for granted is paramount to development of a habits that will see us characterize our master and how we will live a life that is truly of servants awaiting his return.
We have to find time to take stock individually, we have to find our Mt Olivet, in the midst of the busy schedules we have, WE MUST find time to be alone, to be with Christ, and use the his mirror to see ‘how’ we look. Once we have gotten hold of that image we must try our best to remember how we look by fixing our minds on building and maintain that.
In our household we have certain things that we mention often than others, sort of issues we read from the Bible but faced them on real life and learnt the lessons which already should have covered and would have spared ourselves sorrow. At one point we lived with family that took us for granted and abused us in every way. It reminds of Hezekiah when he showed the Babylonians the treasures of the kingdom, which ties up with drinking waters from your own cistern and if they ever flow let them be yours alone. There is that which is meant to be yours, entrusted to you by God for provisions and custody as a true steward till the day of Christ.
Many other such things we learn, like the folly of Shimei, like the humility of David, his ability to admit error and endure hardships. When we have time to oneself and see such things they will make us strong as we add continually in our encounters with God word. We will then even be able to extract from our proximities that which we can use to our advantage. We will be of untold blessings when in the company of brethren. Meetings will be mutual exercises by which all will benefit, and the unity of such nature is possible in our times, anything contrary indicating compromise, cowardice and falsehood. Fellowship based on fault lines in the name of tolerance, clearly serving man as opposed to our master as outlined in his letters of responsive rebuke to the Ecclesia in the book of Revelation.
After the manner of man we prefer to be sensitive to man at the expense of the truth. I remember having a meeting with some of our number where I made my point in that I am in this to benefit, that is my first port of call. If I see that I do not benefit in my search for a meaningful attempt to serve Christ, why waste my time. Christ spoke about our personal service to him in this manner. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me”. When our hearts are in the right place we will know what that means.
Let us stand in the right position, the position asked of us by the word of God, ‘rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;’
God will make us stand upright before him, he will make us right before him and will give us an entrance into his kingdom. We have the knowledge, but this knowledge is only making us accountable if we do use it, or rather, if we do not let it bring changes in our personal lives. This is no time to follow others blindly. We should seek the truth and once the truth is found that personal decision as was on the day of baptism still continues in us, daily learning and ever vigilant to see a day as it comes, not seeking out that which gives us honour among man(Jeremiah 45 v5) But fully aware of the dangers lurking in the immediate surroundings even in our household, even amidst in our Ecclesia, only your friend knows your secret, only he can reveal it. Jeremiah was amidst a nation ready to accept the teachings of false prophets, the need for a false prophet came from the people. As a result of the bad levels of appreciation of God’s word and fear for His name we have more danger from within the Ecclesias than before. One will only be able to say no to error when he is firstly and foremost ready to be the only representative and in that situation when can truly enjoy fellowship when they see value added to the endeavours they are already making.
We are here today because of our willingness to start anew when we are shown the right way, we are disciples because each day we learn new ways and implement them with joy, we are servants because we look nowhere else but to our Master. We shall be like him if we see him as he is.
The emblems before us helps us bring our minds to that day, when he had us also in his mind. I saw you under the figtree he said to one. I saw you in such a place he will say to one and all.
Things might not be as dramatic as in those days but they our calling is equally real. For those he had set apart he sent them out to go and preach the gospel to every creature and that same gospel was preached to me first by correspondence by one Englishman and now by many African, English and all other that I come into contact with through many divers means everyday. May the Lord bless us all for the efforts we make individually (behind the scenes) in preparation for service in His vineyard. And for all those that make contributions I can not start to recount and for the memories that truly edify thank you
Gombera Tendai