by Bill Glover (Eugene, Oregon) |
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Residents of Kenya, East Africa recently received a visit from the Almighty Creator God through the persons of two white men named Bill Glover and his son, Stephen. We arrived in Kenya on March 27, 2007 and were there for 22 days, departing on April 18. [We also kept the Passover in Kenya with them – – this point will be covered later in this article]. Many factors made this trip miraculous. The first miracle was the providing of the funds for the trip. Because of my worldwide web and articles printed in The Journal the Living God Ministry has become quite well known in Kenya and other countries. A man in Embu, Kenya contacted me asking for printed material which I sent. He advised me that there was a keen interest in God’s truths in Kenya and other countries in East Africa. He invited me to come there and teach the people. He stated he personally had studied with the Worldwide Church of God and several of its splinter groups. The words he spoke through our correspondence sounded true as he begged for more knowledge about God and God’s truths. Before long I was thoroughly convinced that I must go to Kenya and see what way I could best serve the people there. But there was one huge problem – – I did not have the financial means to take such a trip. It has always been my practice NEVER to ask any human being for support for this ministry. I only ask God to provide the means to do what He wants me to accomplish. Thus, I asked God to provide the financial means IF IT WAS HIS WILL THAT I GO THERE! Within hours three people (none of whom are part of this ministry) stepped forward and pledged the financial resources needed to pay for my trip there. This was the first miracle. My son, Stephen, pastors’ churches in the southeast – – working with people in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. For Sabbath services we use a telephone conference hookup so as to stay in touch with all that is being done in this ministry. Once the money was pledged for my trip, I made this announcement to the churches back there over our telephone hookup. Three people back there stepped forward and said, “Bill should not have to go alone – – we need to send Stephen with him!” So, the funds to finance Stephen’s trip were pledged. That was the second miracle. God then inspired one individual in Georgia to step forward and point out there would-be additional expenses separate from our airline tickets and hotel expenses. He then set forth a challenge to the others in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi that he would match whatever amount they raised collectively FOR EXTRA EXPENSES that would be needed on the trip. This was miracle number three since extra expenses arose that we had not anticipated. We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya at 6:30 a m and were met by about twelve people. We then drove to Embu, which is a central hub of the area we worked with. The next day we visited different church areas and met different people and gave sermons which were interpreted into the dialect of those people in those areas – – we encountered four different dialects in the areas we visited. The third day we took a trip and visited Masai Mara (Masai land) Game Preserve and viewed the wild animals there. I have great video camcorder films and still shots of the animals we saw. One interesting encounter was with a pride of lions finishing up the carcass of a Cape buffalo they had killed. The lions were no more than ten feet from our vehicle. DISAPPOINTING NEWS About five days into our trip God made it clear to us that something was wrong. We were being driven to several outposts throughout the country and yet we could see that nothing meaningful was being accomplished. Clearly there was an effort to impress us with the presence of different groups here and there but, as we met with these groups, we had to ask ourselves “What are we accomplishing by all this travel?” We had allowed the person who had invited us there to basically schedule our time. We saw the need to take charge of the scheduling and trust God to help us see the plan and purpose He intended for our trip. God had not, at that point, shown us WHY we were actually there. Once we took control of the scheduling and began to ask probing questions then a clear message came across to us. I will take the full blame. I had been totally deceived by our host. I made the big mistake of taking him AT HIS WORD not knowing that he had been lying to me all along in order to get financial support from me. Somehow, he had learned the “right answers” so as to feed me what he knew I would want to “hear” when I asked questions about the people over there. I had no solid reason to doubt him. However, before we took the trip to Kenya, God’s Spirit kept impressing on my mind that something was not right with this man. But I had no proof that things were not right. But God’s Spirit did inspire me to write three specific letters to this man (Peter who called himself a “bishop“from Makima and Embu, Kenya) reciting the example of Ananias and Sapphira as recorded in Acts 5. Three distinct times I warned him that he dares not lie to the Holy Spirit concerning the funds we had been sending him which he claimed was helping the brethren there better serve God. My wife and I were using our own personal money to help them – – we would never use the contributions of others for such until we had proof that the work there was legitimate. Once we began probing then the true nature and character of this person was revealed. He was clearly a “Judas” interested only in what he could GET out of this ministry for his own personal gain and to promote himself. I found it necessary to confront him to his face in the presence of the other twelve men whom we were training. This was done in compliance with God’s instructions found in 1 Timothy 5:20 – – “rebuke before all” so that the others can and will learn from the rebuke. This man, when confronted with the facts, could not bring himself to repent. In person I cautioned him NOT to lie to the Holy Spirit. It was clearly evident to all present that there was NO FEAR OF GOD IN THIS MAN! He had clearly yielded himself to Satan and was not interested in teaching the people the truth. In retrospect, it seems that he had studied with Worldwide and other splinter groups [AND POSSIBLY SCAMMED SOME OF THEM TOO] in order to promote himself. I found myself facing a dilemma. Knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that God had brought us to Kenya, I was absolutely certain that I must follow the example set by Peter in Acts 5 and deliver this “Judas” over to God for punishment. However, God’s Spirit inspired me to hold off delivering this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh for three reasons. One was to give him ample chance to repent and ask God for forgiveness which would be a tremendous lesson and instruction to those men we were training. The second reason was the fact that had God struck this man down in our presence then my son and I could well have been detained in Kenya for months until the government conducted an inquest. As soon as we arrived home, I contacted Peter and officially committed him to Satan the devil for the destruction of his flesh in hopes he could ultimately be saved in the final judgment (see 1 Corinthians 5:3-5). As Paul continues to say, true believers are not allowed by God to have any fellowship with one who has shown himself immoral, greedy, an idolater and a swindler (see verses 9-11). The third reason I found is the experiences of the Apostle Paul and the lessons the twelve men we trained could learn. Paul experienced ENEMIES arising in the church that forced him to take action for God (see 2 Timothy 4:10 and 14 and also, I Timothy 1:18-20). The twelve men we left to carry on the ministry we began in Kenya can and should learn from this example. They saw how patient we were in giving Peter the chance to repent and change. That we were not impatient with him but allowed him to meet with us while we were there so that we could observe any repentance he evidenced. All these men witnessed that there was no repentance and no fear of God in this man. Thus, they saw evidence that the right decision was made, and that the door remains open for him to repent. If he repents then we will welcome him back into the fellowship as Paul advised the Corinthian church to do with this man who had sinned. But if Peter does repent he will be required to PROVE himself over a period of time before any responsibility can be entrusted to him. This is clearly the way God has set and the people we are working with in Kenya see this clearly. [SPECIAL NOTICE: If anyone reading this knows of a “Peter” calling himself “Bishop” from Makima and/or Embu, Kenya claiming to represent God then he should be advised that he is a fake and a charlatan. I feel certain he is scanning The Journal at this moment trying to locate another church group to scam.] Despite the fact that God allowed a “Judas” to be instrumental in bringing us to Kenya, God turned that fact into great blessings. Word got out throughout the country that we were there. In three specific areas we visited we had people come up to us and state, “I had a dream/vision and God said He was sending two white men to Kenya who are His true servants.” In all three cases they said, “We recognize you as messengers from God!” Such comments totally humble you and cause you to bow before God and thank Him for the response you are receiving. This fact is still another miracle for the trip. IRONIC SETTING Let me take a moment to relate the ironic setting of our visit. Here we are two white men from a foreign country that do not speak their language meeting with different groups made up solely of black people from different tribal backgrounds that have been greatly influenced and even prejudiced by “traditional Christianity” which is totally contrary to the Bible and holding tribal beliefs, customs, and superstitions from their ancestors. Being white men from America, WHAT DO YOU SAY IN A SERMON TO A BLACK CONGREGATION IN KENYA, EAST AFRICA? Before I answer that specific question as to “what does one say to such a group,” let me relate an encounter I had with a group of church people from Orange, California USA also staying in the same hotel. At breakfast I struck up a conversation with about six members of that group and witnessed powerfully to them. They had asked why we were in Kenya and I told them we were there to teach the Scriptures to people who had requested our visit. In this conversation I related how we had learned that Kenyans come from different tribal backgrounds with many and varied beliefs and superstitions and that they had also been taught many myths and superstitions promulgated by traditional Christianity. That we had determined to speak the clear truths of God as recorded in the Bible and not hold back anything. I also advised them that on the flight over I had worn a sweatshirt on which I had printed on both the front and back the wording “ASK ME WHY YOU WERE BORN!” [Actually, I had two shirts imprinted with this wording.] Fifteen people on the flight over had approached me and said, “Tell me why I was born!” Before leaving America, I prepared a small pamphlet titled “Why Were You Born” which I gave to all who asked the question. This brief pamphlet stated simply that most people live and die without knowing WHY they were born. Then I posed a few key questions about life and religion that everyone should be asking themselves. Then I close this pamphlet with the invitation for anyone to contact me for further information. I wore this shirt on the flights to and from Kenya and three days in Kenya and had many people stop me and ask the question to whom I gave the pamphlet. Several employees of the hotel where we stayed asked for further information. Five different members of the police contacted me about this question and received the leaflet. Now to the question of what does a true servant of God say when addressing a congregation in Kenya or any other country, that holds beliefs totally contrary to the Bible. I bring this out because one member of this church group from Orange, California stated that their “clergyman” had been invited to speak in a local church and that he was quite nervous. My response to this man was “If one speaks the pure unadulterated Word of God as recorded in the Bible then there is nothing to be nervous about!” This man did not actually know how to respond to such a comment. But six of them took a copy of my small pamphlet and we will see if there is any response. But this one thing is sure – – none of them had ever heard someone speak so dogmatically before. The point I am making is that Christ said His message would be preached in all the world AS A WITNESS just before the end comes. At least the one hundred people who asked questions and received this pamphlet got a witness even if they do not act on it. So did the group from Orange County California. But there were many other miraculous encounters while we were there. One group that had separated itself from the Church of God Seventh Day heard of our presence and ask to meet with us. We had a meeting with five of them at our hotel that lasted more than two hours. During this time, we could not find a single topic where we disagreed. We were all totally amazed over this because of all the contentions in the “church” today. They were amazed to find two white men from America who taught the very things they taught and believed. And we were equally amazed to find this harmony with them. They had separated themselves from the Church of God—Seventh Day because they had come to believe that church was neglecting the true teachings of Christ and also building a wall around itself claiming it is the ONE AND ONLY true fellowship and if you do not belong to that group you are not right with God. That same twisted mentality has contaminated all the many different splinter groups that evolved out of Worldwide and that seems to have contaminated all other churches and religions throughout the ages. The point of this is quite simple. In Kenya, East Africa we found (rather, they heard about us and made contact for a meeting) a group of GOD’S PEOPLE SCATTERED that has NO DENOMINATIONAL TIES WITH ANY OF THOSE DENOMINATIONAL FACTIONS. We made it clear to the people of Kenya that we did not come there to teach them “DOCTRINES” of any religious sect or denomination. That if a person accepts and believes in the JESUS CHRIST OF THE BIBLE then he cannot help but learn the doctrinal issues in the Bible because such a person will be studying the Bible WHETHER THESE THINGS ARE TRUE (see Acts 17:11 and John 5:39) and trusting the Holy Spirit to guide them into the truth (see John 16:13-16). We were overjoyed to learn that there was not a single Biblical issue on which we disagreed. We had two rather long meetings with this group and some of them accompanied us to the airport when we left Kenya. It is an unbelievably JOYOUS feeling to encounter a group of people from a different race in another country on another continent some 12,000 miles from home who believe the same as you! This experience alone was worth the trip to Kenya. Several in that congregation (including three ministers) asked my son and me to pray for and anoint them. We were blessed and honored to do this. Going further in what a true servant of God will say to a black audience in Kenya, East Africa, I must relate a superb job my son Stephen did in his first sermon. But first a little necessary background. One of the vivid points one confronts upon arriving in Kenya is the abject POVERTY everywhere. Tens of thousands of people literally are living from hand to mouth day by day – – literally scratching out an existence and not a living. Several times I could not help but weep over what we saw as we went from place to place. The poverty we saw was appalling but the most HAUNTING thing we saw was the HOPELESSNESS evidenced in peoples’ eyes. I can at this very moment close my eyes and feel extreme sorrow for these people who have no hope for a future AS THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW! But I rejoice that God used my son and me to bring HOPE to a people who had no hope – – to reveal the Almighty Living God to a hungry people. We were privileged to bring to them the GOOD NEWS that they were and are being invited to be among God’s FIRSTFRUITS – – SONS OF GOD, HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST (Romans 8:16-17). This is the only hope for mankind and God has delivered this message to Kenya in a powerful way and quite a few are responding. [I also pointed out to the Kenyans that the reason God is offering them a chance to be among the “first fruits” is because many of those whom the Father has chosen have decided to get spiritually lazy over their calling – – like the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25.] This haunting experience of seeing the HOPELESSNESS of the people forced me to think of all the other countries in Africa. Several nations in Africa are actually WORSE OFF THAN KENYA. Then I was forced to think of South and Central America and Mexico where very similar conditions exist. Then there is China, India, Russia, and so many other countries where the masses are held in slavery by dictators and even tribal leaders. But then I remembered WHO WE ARE [meaning those who truly know the Living True God of the Bible and follow His ways]. Paul’s words found in Romans 8:22-23 literally jumped off the pages of the Bible at me and Stephen as we addressed the situation in Kenya. This entire world is anxiously WAITING FOR THOSE OF US CALLED AND CHOSEN BY GOD TO GET OUR PERSONAL ACT TOGETHER AND BE ACCEPTED INTO GOD’S FAMILY AS BORN-AGAIN SONS OF GOD, HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST (see Romans 8:16-17) so that God can use us to bring salvation to the rest of mankind. We stressed this over and over again and again. Stephen and I realized that God had sent us to Kenya to DELIVER A MESSAGE OF HOPE TO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO HOPE AT THE PRESENT TIME. The truly sad aspect is that these people have no idea why their lives are so bleak and miserable. They do not know enough about God to seek Him. But God sent my son and me to Kenya so that even though they are not actually seeking God He has chosen to reveal Himself to certain ones there (compare Romans 10:20 with Chapter 11:11-32). White missionaries have “worked” in Africa for some 300 years. Catholic and Protestant groups have continued leading these people into HOPELESS LIVES. The “religion” taught by the missionaries and the present church leaders are NOT showing the people how to dig out from the curse they are under. In fact, traditional “Christianity” is keeping these people ENSLAVED under false religion and a false “god” – – NOT the GOD OF THE BIBLE. I know of religious groups who have visited Kenya in recent times but the message they took there was NOT the “GOOD NEWS” of the TRUE JESUS CHRIST OF THE BIBLE. The “object” of these crusades is to get people to “make a decision” for Christ. But there is no FOLLOWUP in teaching them HOW TO LIVE TO PLEASE GOD. The “religion” taught by these false ministers is MEANINGLESS and POWERLESS as it does not show the people HOW TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE. I also know of some ministers claiming to be of The Church of God whose “objective” was to indoctrinate the people about “the Sabbath, the Holy Days and other points of doctrine.” These men seemingly do not realize that NOT A SINGLE DOCTRINE WILL SAVE ANYONE! Salvation does NOT come from “OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW” but through GRACE and through the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST which is accounted to humans because of their FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD (please study Romans 3:10, 20, 25, chapter 4:3, Galatians 3:6 and James 2:23) BACK TO STEPHEN’S SERMON With what has thus far been recorded here, one can now see the importance of Stephen’s first sermon in Kenya. Having witnessed all the abject poverty, ignorance and superstition Stephen was inspired by the Holy Spirit to use the example Jesus gave when He encountered the Canaanite woman as recorded in Matthew 15:21-28. Stephen boldly compared the people of Kenya to the “dogs” Jesus referred to in this passage. He said, “What I see here in Kenya are people scrambling around UNDER THE MASTER’S TABLE like little dogs hoping that someone sitting at the table will toss them a scrap now and then. He then pointed out that God sent us to Kenya to announce the GOOD NEWS that they are being INVITED BY GOD to get up off the floor and to SIT AT THE MASTER’S TABLE and receive blessings FROM THE HAND OF THE MASTER – – GOD THE ALMIGHTY FATHER! Will you stop for a moment and imagine two white men in a country made up of black people from various tribal backgrounds and with a toxic mixture of pagan Christianity and tribal customs and superstitions and boldly telling them they need to REPENT of their ways and turn to the God that is sending them this message! For the first few days we did not get much of a response. We attributed this lack of response at first to the fact that these people must have been in a STATE OF SHOCK. We had suddenly stepped into their dark and deceived world and began to shine the LIGHT OF GOD on them and their ways. We held nothing back from them. We pointed out the TRUE HOPE that God offers to them and asked them what their former way of life had netted them (see 1 PETER 1:18 – – being “REDEEMED FROM THE EMPTY WAY OF LIFE HANDED DOWN FROM FOREFATHERS“). They had never heard such preaching before. Thankfully, they did recover from their shock and began to respond to God. White missionaries have been working in Africa and deceiving them for over three hundred years. They helped ENSLAVE the African people to the ways and teachings of Satan the devil. We were there – – sent by God – – to help them break this bond of slavery to Satan. One statement I repeated over and over again and again was “You people have now been EXPOSED to THE TRUE GOD OF THE BIBLE and your lives will never be the same from this day on.” [In all the meetings we held we had only one person who came to us and stated respectfully that he was not at this time ready to accept all that we taught. We cordially shook his hand and let him know how he could contact us further should he choose to do so.] ENCOUNTERING A BIGAMIST It is truly amazing how many people God brought to us – – we did not need to go out searching for them – – they sought us out. One extremely interesting encounter was with a bigamist. Kenya law allows a man to have more than one wife provided he can afford more. We found this man to be fascinating and he also was fascinated with us and what we taught. We actually spent five evenings with him (one evening in his home for dinner with his favored family). He brought up the bigamy problem as he was relating to us his conviction that God had chosen him for a special “healing ministry.” Since others had confronted him over the bigamy problem, he wanted to know our view. We used the Bible to show that such is a sin and that God clearly states that a true minister can have ONLY ONE WIFE. His Initial response was that God “told” him that the important healing ministry God had for him would cancel out any sin involved in the bigamy. We pointed out that sin is the breaking of God’s laws and that the wages of sin is death and that the only way God forgives sin is through deep repentance where the person stops sinning. Even though the words spoken to him were very bold and straightforward, they were said respectfully. Once we had pointed out God’s clear statements, he finally said “Well, God also told me that I was going to have to make certain changes in my life!” I will be corresponding with him so as to keep in touch. But it will be interesting to see what he decides now that we are gone. In fact, we asked him point blank whether he would merely dismiss what he had learned from us once we were gone. He is one of those I told that their lives would never be the same after they have been exposed to the truths of God through us. All through the years I have told people this as they were having trouble reconciling the truths of God with their choices in life. On many occasions people have checked back with me later relating that they had been unable to get around or forget these truths. Just one of the many beautiful things about being a representative of the Almighty God is the fact that you do not have to defend your position since the Bible is very plain and needs NO interpretation from any man. Besides, as God’s true servants, it is not OUR job to try and convert anyone. That is God’s job through the Holy Spirit. No one can come to Christ and be a true Christian unless and until God the Father calls that person (John 6:44). TROUBLING MEMORIES There are many memories from Kenya that trouble me greatly. One is captured in a photo of an elderly grandmother with a load of sticks on her back. The caption I placed under this photo is “Senior Retirement in Kenya.” This worn out human being has spent (actually wasted) her life packing heavy loads on her back eking out a bare existence and had finally “graduated” to a relatively light load of firewood sticks which she had rummaged around and found and packed them home to her dwelling. I did get her permission for the photo but did not dare try and photograph her dwelling. I had to be careful what photos I took lest the people come to think I was somehow belittling their residence. Most of the homes we visited had dirt floors. Some we merely saw from the outside but realized they too had dirt floors. Most of the “dirt” in Kenya is identical to the RED GUMBO CLAY SOIL I have seen in the state of Oklahoma. The kitchen in most homes is a very small square room with a dirt floor and with a very small stove situated in the corner. This small stove is similar to what we in the United States call a “hibachi.” The fuel used is either wood or coal [the coal used is “homemade”] We ate several meals cooked over these stoves and it is truly amazing how good the food is. The typical African dish is made from rice or maize (corn – – prepared like “grits” in the Southeast in the U.S.) with peas, beans, or other staple items mixed in. Then they serve a vegetable” stew” to add moisture to the rice or corn. They dish you up a heaping bowl of this food and give you a “tablespoon” for eating it. We also ate dinner with three professional families in different areas and were served a variety of delicious items in a buffet style meal. Yet the meal was served in a large bowl and we were given a “tablespoon” for eating. In most cases, after the meal, we were served a cup of sweetened hot tea laced heavily with milk. The meals were delicious and the company and fellowship great. PASSOVER IN KENYA We arrived in time to observe the Passover. It was the FIRST REAL PASSOVER for these brethren. I conducted the services, and a translator translated my words so that all present could understand what they were doing with these symbols. I had already sent printed material which thoroughly explains that no one should partake of these symbols of bread and wine who had not repented and been baptized or who was not mature enough to be baptized. During the service I stressed that we must take heed to God’s warning found in 1 Corinthians 11:27-31. The bread and the wine are very sacred emblems TO GOD and SHOULD BE TO US ALSO. God states emphatically “That is WHY many among you are sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (verse 30). A person MUST be converted enough and spiritually and physically MATURE ENOUGH to “EXAMINE HIMSELF BEFORE HE EATS THE BREAD AND DRINKS THE CUP” (verse 28). These are God’s warnings – – NOT mine! The minister conducting the Passover services does not “police” the people by trying to determine who is eligible to partake of these symbols. God says clearly that each person must make this determination – – make this judgment – – and certainly he or she must be physically and spiritually mature enough to make such a judgment and will be held accountable for the decision made. ONE MEMORABLE PASSOVER OBSERVATION Since there was NO ELECTRICITY in the meeting hall where we held Passover services, we had to begin services right at sunset so that we could be finished before it was too dark to read the appropriate scriptures. Present at the service was a young mother with a baby about nine months old on her shoulder. She had walked carrying this child for more than four miles THROUGH THE BRUSH just to keep the Passover with us. I only had a brief encounter with her after services before learning her story (I was meeting and greeting as many people as possible realizing we possibly would never meet again in this life). After a few minutes I looked around (IT WAS NOW DARK) in hopes of learning more about her BUT SHE WAS ALREADY GONE! I learned that she had already left on her trip back home through the African bush. Needless to say, that I was totally stunned and truly amazed with great admiration at this young mother ‘s example. Here was a young woman packing a nine-month-old baby for almost nine miles over rocky trails to keep God’s Passover with God ‘s people. As I sit here today at my computer writing this article, I still find myself stopping and thinking and (still stunned) evaluating what I witnessed. I ask myself whether I would be willing to walk carrying a nine-month-old baby on my shoulder some nine miles through the bush so as to keep God’s Passover. I then think of all the people I have known over the past 54 years and ask HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT? How many would consider the Passover “IMPORTANT ENOUGH” for such a sacrifice of time, effort, and fortitude! Thus, here is another important reason for our trip to Kenya – – so that God could use this experience to ask all of you reading this account JUST HOW MUCH YOU PERSONALLY VALUE THE PASSOVER AS WELL AS YOUR INVITATION FROM GOD TO BECOME HIS SONS, HIS HEIRS AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST (see Romans 8:17)! I truly hope and pray that each of you reads this article over and over again and again until you have received the message God wants you to gain from this trip to Kenya! Yes, this trip to Kenya was for your benefit too! Do any of you dare read and prayerfully consider James 1:22-25 and then prayerfully study this article and then do this self-examination? THE “LEAST” OF THESE The entire trip to Kenya and all the experiences encountered force me to consider and review Matthew 25:31-46 in light of James 1:22-25. We found human beings in Kenya who are hungering and thirsting for the true word of God – – not the “dog’s vomit” and the “sow’s excrement” preached by Satan’s ministers as well as many ministers claiming to represent God. How many of you reading this article feel genuine concern for others scattered across this earth who are hungering and thirsting for the truth of God that you believe you have? Those scattered people the Almighty God is calling in Kenya and in so many other places ARE LITERALLY THE “LITTLE ONES” CHRIST IS SPEAKING OF IN Matthew 25. I personally know of people claiming to be the people of God who, upon hearing of our trip to Kenya asked, “why should we be concerned with those people in Kenya or other countries?” If you have God’s Spirit and if you hope to be in the kingdom of God yet you show no concern for “these little ones” (babes in Christ) then you definitely fit the category Christ mentioned in Matthew 25:41-46. Remember Christ spoke these words – – I am merely quoting Christ! We all need to consider what God says in Romans 2:2-11. It is truly amazing how many people GOD BROUGHT TO US while we were there even though we did NO advertising. It is also truly amazing how many people have come to the services since our trip there. ENDEARING ENCOUNTERS Most of the people we visited are poor people. Yet in many instances they chose to take from their meager possessions and give me a gift. One family could find nothing to give until they found four chicken eggs which they proudly gave to me. My human impulse was to refuse the eggs and ask them to eat them rather than to give them to me. But I knew that refusing them would be very offensive. So, I graciously took them and had the motel chef prepare a couple of omelets for my son and myself the next morning. Another family gave me a live chicken. The mother ordered her son to “Go catch a chicken” and when he brought one, she presented it to me. Since we would not have been allowed to bring a live chicken to America on the plane, I gave it to one of the leading men in our group. Another person gave me a pineapple. Three others gave us bags of Kenya tea. Two women gave handmade bags for me to bring to my wife and another gave a bag for Stephen’s wife. Another lady gave me and my wife a cup with an inscription regarding the trip to Kenya. THE MOST RESPECTED GIFT Most of the gifts we received were tokens of thanks and appreciation for our presence and our efforts to bring them the good news of God and His family. But one gift was very moving to me personally. This one man, who was the head of his family tribe, regarded himself a “Shepherd” of that family. He always carried a “Shepherd’s Staff” wherever he went as a symbol of his status. He called my son aside and said, “come into my home for I want to give your father a gift and I will allow you to present it to him.” The gift was a hand tooled Shepherd’s Staff. This individual has become a devoted follower of God through our ministry there. He is a unique person in other ways. He always wears a white turban on his head. This turban is called a “tabernacle” that symbolizes “the dwelling of God here.” He wanted to know what I thought of his turban and my reply was, “I have no problem with your turban but I am much more interested in your HEART than your turban.” He seemed to really like and respect that answer. PETER’S JEALOUSY Remember the Peter (the Judas) mentioned earlier the one who invited us to Kenya? Well, as we learned, his motive and intent was that of self-promotion and greed. He wanted to GET FOR HIMSELF – – not serve. What he wanted is something he can never obtain – – true respect and admiration from others. We learned that he is a man distrusted and disliked by all that know him. Yet, what he witnessed was a “white man” from America coming to Kenya and obtaining the love, the respect and admiration he lusted after but could not obtain. He used some of the money he got from me to try and bribe others to follow him. We did not bribe anyone but presented the truth straight from the Bible. Because we represented the Almighty God to them, they all witnessed many miracles (and continue witnessing miracles to this very day) and saw proof that our ministry is from God. Peter became envious and jealous of what was occurring, and the gifts given to me. He tried to take the chicken away. He even grabbed the Shepherd’s staff from my hand and tried to hold on to it. One could see he was visibly upset over the love and respect given to my son and me. But since he was greedy, vain, and proud as well as a deceiver, he could never receive such respect or admiration from others. He is truly a miserable man with no hope of finding fulfillment in life and the only “hope” he has is being called to JUDGMENT before the Christ he dishonors every day. He is truly a pitiful human being Even though these gifts are not of great monetary value they held great significance with the people who gave them to me. A GLORIOUS SUMMARY The message we brought to Kenya is the message we are taking to the entire world. In short, the thrust of that message is that the ENTIRE WORLD is ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED NOW TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY OF GOD (see Romans 8:19-25). This is so that the masses can be brought out of their servitude to sin and into the glorious liberty of being SONS OF GOD, HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST (Romans 8:16-17). That is the message we took to Kenya and it is a MESSAGE OF POWER – – not just nice sounding platitudes such as “I’m saved,” or “I’m born again.” The message we bring is THE WAY OF LIFE AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE. We stressed that God will not bless anyone in their sins and will not save anyone while they are in their sins – – we must change! All people on earth need God’s blessings BUT THEY NEED REPENTANCE FIRST! John the Baptist preached REPENTANCE. Jesus preached REPENTANCE. Paul and the other apostles preached REPENTANCE and we preach REPENTANCE. But we also preach that each person has the obligation from God to SEARCH HIS OWN HEART AND SOUL and make necessary changes (see James 1:22-27). We recognize that very FEW people are willing and able to do this and most are not willing to carefully study the entire chapter of Matthew 25 and apply it to themselves word by word. World events show we are rapidly approaching the time of Christ’s return. Jesus often warned that MANY would be unprepared when He returns. Will we personally be ready for His return? There is one final reason for our trip to Kenya. It was so that this article could be written and all of you reading this be given the chance to evaluate where you stand before God. What I stressed in Kenya is that EVERY ONE OF US IS GOING TO DIE EVENTUALY – – THE ONLY QUESTION IS HOW! Will we die SERVING GOD AS HE REQUIRES, or will we merely die with no hope or with a false hope believing that all God wants is token obedience to His Sabbath and holy day commands and a few other points of the law? That is the primary question we each should ask ourselves – – and we need to make certain we come up with the right answer. God help us all in this evaluation of ourselves! EPILOGUE What will happen in Kenya now that my son and I have returned to America? Actually, there has been growth both spiritually in the individuals but also in the number of people turning to God. I keep cautioning them that their personal growth toward the Kingdom of God and the growth of God’s work in Kenya is dependent on the efforts they put forth in serving God. I have informed them that the main reason God is now working in Kenya is because many God has called in other countries have become lukewarm and refuse to shake off their spiritual lethargy. That if they do not remain steadfast and stay close to God, they too will be left out of the Kingdom at Christ’s return. Their attitude and growth are truly encouraging fruits of this ministry. We pray that God will keep this zeal flowing and growing. |
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