Perspectives

A Christian wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time ... and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall what the menu was for a single one of those meals. I do know this: they all nourished me and gave me strength. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead today."

That pretty much ended the discussion.

Humor is good!

An accident involving a bus packed with politicians happened on a lonely road at night next an old farmer’s ranch. The next morning, the farmer called in the police. When the unit commandant inspected the scene, he asked the farmer about the passengers on the bus. “They were all dead, I buried them” Officer, “They were ALL DEAD?! How did you know they were all dead?” Farmer, “Well, most showed no signs of life. Some said they were alive, but you know how politicians lie all the time. So I buried them all anyway”.

Destroy the "Ites" in Your Life

Deuteronomy 7:1-2: "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations - the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you - and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy." These enemies posed a serious physical threat, but the longer term danger was to their spiritual survival. God wanted these "Ites" completely destroyed because their worldly gods would continually pull at the heart of His chosen people; "Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods" (Deuteronomy 11:16).

Awesome reply from CEO of J.P. Morgan

This is a gem from #ZackKìnùthia (4 December 2015) ****** Awesome reply from CEO of J.P. Morgan to a pretty girl seeking a rich husband. A young and pretty lady posted this on a popular forum: Title: What should I do to marry a rich guy? I’m going to be honest of what I’m going to say here. I’m 25 this year. I’m very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I’m greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York. My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you? Among those I’ve dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit. If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden(?), $250k annual income is not enough. I’m here humbly to ask a few questions: 1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym) 2) Which age group should I target? 3) Why most wives of the riches are only average-looking? I’ve met a few girls who don’t have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys. 4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married) Ms. Pretty A philosophical reply from CEO of J.P. Morgan: Dear Ms. Pretty, I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I’m not wasting time here. From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain. Put the details aside, what you’re trying to do is an exchange of “beauty” and “money” : Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square. However, there’s a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can’t be prettier year after year. Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It’s not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worse 10 years later. By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a “trading position”. If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term – same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or “leased”. Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income.This has better chance than finding a rich fool. Hope this reply helps. signed, J.P. Morgan CEO.

What would you say about this? (Written in 2018)

Last August (2017), I vacated a rental house in Muranga as I headed down Pwani for another "Tour of Service". April, this year, I made a comeback and got another rental house in a different location of Muranga town but owned by the same former landlord. A wonderful couple. Yesterday morning, as I was walking past the old place, a former neighbor saw me and invited me for a cuppa tea and told me "Nyumba yako iko vacant!" Spotting the landlady from the balcony, I asked her about it and told her I want it back. She responds, "Mimi sina problem, pigia rafiki yako just in case someone has booked it" So after a chat with "rafiki yangu", same day, niko ndani-jana tu. A nice serene cool place, where, if you remember, I even had a monkey watching me keenly through the window as I worked on the computer keypad and a bird once decided to come in and sit watching me silently. One more thing. I had left behind a ka-small curtain, those that cover the glass part of the door. Apparently, the two subsequent tenants (I am told they have been two during my absence) decided it was good enough serving them. They also left it intact. So I have been reunited with my ka-curtain. The humor angle cannot be lacking in the life of Yours Truly.. Today, Sunday, I was to preach in Thika but my fren, in the morning, I could not locate the "gunia or carton" containing my shoes, (Na ni mingi kama zike za Imelda Marcos 👞👞), neither the iron box and most of my apparels were looking like they made part of my pillow last night or the cow decided to try chewing them. But all is well that ends well. Made it to Gospel Assembly Church Thika (albeit slightly late and dressed in strange gear for a preacher-man) and shared a message "Ministry: What is it and how does it affect you?" God is good and everything give thanks.

Before we answer this question, the term “Christian” must be examined.

A “Christian” is NOT a person:

Who has a Christian name

Who goes to church regularly

Who has said a prayer

Walked down an aisle in a church wedding

Been raised in a Christian family.

Who opens every conversation with a ‘praise God’

While each of these things can be a part of the Christian experience/life, they are not what “makes” a Christian.

A CHRISTIAN IS MUCH MUCH MORE!

A Christian is a person, who has:

By faith, received, believed and fully trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior:

John 3:16;

Acts 16:31;

Ephesians 2:8-9

So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation?

Perhaps the best way to answer this crucially important question is to:

Examine what the Bible says OCCURS at salvation

……….AND THEN STUDY WHAT LOSING SALVATION WOULD THEREFORE ENTAIL/MEAN/IMPLY.

ONCE SAVED/BORN AGAIN, A CHRISTIAN IS A NEW CREATION.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new creature as a result of being “in Christ.”

For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be;

     Canceled

     Reversed.

A CHRISTIAN IS REDEEMED.

(1 Peter 1:18-19).

     “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”

The word “redeemed” refers to:

A purchase being made

A COSTLY price being paid.

THEREFORE!

For a Christian to lose salvation: God Himself would have to revoke His purchase that He paid for with the precious blood of Christ.

A CHRISTIAN IS JUSTIFIED.

(Romans 5:1).

     “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

TO “JUSTIFY” means to:

“Declare righteous.”

All those who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous” by God.

FOR A CHRISTIAN TO LOSE SALVATION:

God would have to go back on His Word and “un-declare” what He had previously declared.

A CHRISTIAN IS PROMISED ETERNAL LIFE.

(John3:16)

     “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

Eternal life is a promise of eternity (forever) in heaven with God.

God promises, “Believe and you will have eternal life.”

FOR A CHRISTIAN TO LOSE SALVATION:

The promise of eternal life would have to be taken away.

If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then can God break this promise by taking away eternal life?

A CHRISTIAN IS GUARANTEED GLORIFICATION.

(Romans 8:30)

“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified”.

As we read in Romans 5:1, justification is declared at the moment of faith.

According to Romans 8:30, glorification is guaranteed for all those whom God justifies.

Glorification (guaranteed) refers to a Christian receiving a perfect resurrection body in heaven.

IF A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE SALVATION, THEN ROMANS 8:30 IS IN ERROR Because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and justifies AND THESE REVOKE THAT VERY SAME ACT.

• These few verses (there are numerous in the Bible) make it abundantly clear that a Christian cannot lose salvation.  
• Most, if not all, of what the Bible says happens to us when we receive Jesus Christ as Savior would be invalidated if salvation could be lost.
• Salvation cannot be reversed.
• A Christian cannot be un-newly created.
• Redemption cannot be undone.
• Eternal life cannot be lost and still be considered eternal.
• Guaranteed glorification cannot be ‘un-guaranted”

IF A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE SALVATION, GOD WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK ON HIS WORD AND CHANGE HIS MIND—TWO THINGS THAT SCRIPTURE TELLS US GOD NEVER DOES.

NOW!

FREQUENT OBJECTIONS THAT WE MAY MEET

1) What about those who are Christians and continually live an immoral lifestyle?

2) What about those who are Christians but later reject the faith and deny Christ?

3) What about the “backslidden”?

The problem with these three objections is the phrase:  “WHO ARE TRUE CHRISTIANS?”

(1 John 3:6). The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a continually immoral lifestyle

(1 John2:19) The Bible declares that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he never truly was a Christian.

THEREFORE, NONE OF THESE OBJECTIONS ARE VALID.

Christians do not continually live immoral lifestyles

Nor do they reject the faith and deny Christ.

     Such actions are proof that they were never redeemed.  NO, A CHRISTIAN CANNOT LOSE SALVATION.

Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).

Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28-29).

God is both willing and able to guarantee and maintain the salvation He has given us.

Jude tells us in 24-25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

Be blessed as you work on you work on your salvation!

Today's Turning Point with David Jeremiah

Seeing Only One Side

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
Psalm 13:1

Recommended Reading John 12:27-28

Directors of dramatic films often use a camera sequence that heightens the tension in a scene. Two enemies will be within feet of each other -- on opposite sides of a wall or on parallel streets in a city without knowing it. An aerial shot or split screen gives us, the viewers, the advantage of seeing both parties. But the actors are portraying extreme tension, not knowing where the other person is. 

That tension is what we feel sometimes when we can only see our side of the split screen without seeing God's side. We're in a situation of some sort -- trouble or danger is approaching -- and we cry out to God for His help and intervention. And either we don't hear immediately from God or we get an answer that is not what we wanted or expected. The problem is, we can only see our part of the drama. God is above it all and sees what we cannot. Consider the time the Israelites were delayed in reaching the Promised Land (Exodus 13:17-18), or the time the answer to Daniel's prayer was delayed for three weeks (Daniel 10:1-14) -- both delays were for good reasons.

If you are asking God for something and the answer is slow in coming, remember that you are seeing only one part of the equation. 

Hope is the foundation of patience. 
John Calvin 

LIFE

Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you. It is meant to, and couldn’t do it better. Every seed destroys its container or there would be no fruition.

F. Scott-Maxwell

EXPERIENCE

I've come to the conclusion over the years that some people drop out of religion because they expect the wrong things. Some people come to a church because they are looking for something they haven't been able to find or something missing in their lives. They become a Christian or become involved with a local church and expect their lives to suddenly be perfect, no more problems to face. No more attacks by Satan, suddenly their whole life should become easier with no more hassles. When that doesn't happen they just quit and give up on God.

People like this are kind of like a lady who was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family and was trying to get to the ones in the bottom of the freezer. A stock boy happened by and she asked, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

The stock boy thought she was asking for something unrealistic and far too often we do too. One of the things people fail to realize is that the peace we find in Christ is of a spiritual nature, which allows us to eventually find peace in our physical world. There are some people who can make that transition in understanding, growth if you will very quickly. Probably most people like this have already been striving to have a relationship with God. They can find a new peace that passes the understanding of most of the world, but most of us are not that way. We need time to mature in Christ from a new beginning and grow into what God intends. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:2, "Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers’ breasts, so that you may go on to salvation."

When we do that then we will find that peace in God for which we are looking. But the key is that God does expect us to grow, not just set in a church pew like a new born child laying in its mothers arms, never growing, never maturing. Paul writes about this in Hebrews 5:11-14 where he says, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

The bottom line is this; if you want to find peace in this world don't expect to find it quickly or easily. It comes to us when we give the Word of God time to grow and mature in our lives by putting to practice the things we find in it. We become as Paul said, "the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

(Messages From The Heart)

Blast from the Past.......

One time, in the late 80s, I had been assigned by my Ag. Director, NCPD Mr. Peter Ondieki to deliver a paper on Population & Planning to a Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization workshop at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri on his behalf (Don’t know if that Hotel is what became the Outspan Hospital? Never been back that side ever since). Now after doing my thing, I was relaxing in the Lounge in the evening taking the forbidden frothy liquids and got into a chat with my fellow imbiber in a huge Godfather hat and a full-size leather jacket. I told him that I was a Civil Servant and he informed he was a “sort of Robin Hood” as he takes from the rich and gives to the poor. He declined to elaborate further or even divulge his name except “Jimmy”. As I was seeing him off at the car park around 9.30 pm, (he was driving a sleek Range Rover) he informed me that being a struggling poor Civil Servant, he had left a gift for me at the counter. And true to his word, he had left me a crate of Pilsner! I enjoyed the booty with my GK “pilot” Okioma until ‘dangerous hours’. Bottom-line: God redeems and transforms even the utterly lost. The strongest drink I take today is a strong cup of black tea or mug of coffee.