The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1)

There is an incredible variety of literary techniques that God used in His Word to convey what He wanted to reveal to us. Symbolic language is one of the chief characteristics of apocalyptic literature, of which the book of Revelation is an outstanding example. It contains the account of visions in symbolic and allegorical language. At this point, let me mention that Revelation contains a variety of rhetoric or literary techniques namely metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, imagery, hyperbole and chiasm among others. We will encounter these techniques and it is of paramount importance to understand so that we do not misinterpret scriptures. 

Here is the prologue or the initial opening remarks of the book of Revelation. "1.The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." The above opening verses are very significant. This prologue describes the source, contents, and audience of the book. First, this book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Yesterday I mentioned that the Greek word for revelation is apocalypsis which mean to uncover. It takes the cover off the hidden things of God. First, the source of the revelations is God. He gave Jesus these revelations. He gave them to show his servants what must happen soon. Second, this is a revelation about Jesus. It is the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one who rose from the dead, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is a revelation of God’s glory and power. Third, this revelation gives a certainty of the things that must soon take place. Well, am sure someone will wonder, how soon is soon? In my view soon could mean that it will happen in the near future or to mean the certainty of what must happen. I can’t speculate when soon is soon but all I know is that God has said it, it will happen. As for the precise time, I don’t know. So what must you and I do as far as this revelation is concerned? Acknowledge that the source of this message is God Himself and that as verse three say, God will bless the person who reads, hears and keeps the words of this message. John warns that there is not much time left. Verse 4, introduces us to the seven churches and seven spirits of God. These representative churches are mentioned by name in Rev 1:11, and each is the recipient of a message (Rev 2:1–3:22). We are being informed that John sends the message to the 7 churches in the region called Asia. So, does that mean that it not applicable to the contemporary church? Certainly no! Seven is the biblical number suggesting fullness and completeness; thus the seer is writing for the whole church. Seven is a sign of something perfect or complete. John starts his letter with a prayer for grace and peace from the eternal God (who is, who was and is to come. The Alpha (first letter of the Greek alphabet) and Omega (the last letter of the Greek alphabet)).

In the following verses, John introduces himself and the glorified Christ to us, “ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus,Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” 

Verses 12-16, Jesus is portrayed in all His glorious appearance. He is clothed with a garment right down to His feet, and girded with a golden girdle, thereby emphasizing His priestly and royal dignity. His hair, white like wool, symbolizes His wisdom, while His eyes that are as a flame of fire, symbolizes that nothing is hidden from His sight. His feet like fine brass as if they burned in a furnace, depict His absolute holiness and purity. As for the seven stars and lambstands are clearly explained. In verse 20, "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Christ Himself is the Lamp. 

Let me pose a question who are those angels? I'll answer that tomorrow as we look at the individual churches. 

Baraka,
Kachel

The Red Sea and the Jordan River Must Give Way For The Children of God to Move On into Their Destiny

In my devotion today I read about the Crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17-14:31) and the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1-4:7). I thought about the many obstacles that stand in our way to prevent us from entering into our rest and destiny. The various obstacles we face each day can cripple us, make us hopeless, discouraged and prevent us from living and fulfilling our life's purpose. At the sight and/or in the middle of these obstacles it is easy to feel afraid, dismayed and hopeless. After reading the above bible passages, I became confident and hopeful that the Red Sea and the Jordan River must give way for me to plunge into, move on and cross over to my destiny and that God must be glorified in and through it all. 

I took note of the following:

1. God's Presence

Moving on in and being in the presence of God must be our number one priority. In Exodus 33:15, Moses prayed to God, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." Never venture into anything unsure of God's presence. 

When the Israelites left Egypt, God was with them. By day, He went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. These pillars never left their place in front of the people (Ex. 12:20-22). When they were crossing River Jordan, the Ark of Covenant (God's presence) went ahead of them and the moment the priests carrying it put their feet into the flooded river, the waters were cut off and they crossed over to the other side on dry land (Josh. 3:14-17). There is something about the Presence of God-it gives protection, guidance and victory.

2. Do not be afraid/dismayed

I hear theologians say that there are 365 bible verses that say "do not fear." Well, personally I have not counted them but I have read a number of them and I believe that indeed God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. When the Israelites lifted their eyes and saw the chariots of Pharaoh marching after them, they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. Ex. 14:13-14, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 

As long as you are in God's presence, you've nothing to fear. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, do not be afraid but be still and know that He is God. God is with you and He is your fortress (psalm 46). 

3. Do not forget His benefits

The Old-hymn, "Count your blessings name them one by one..." Psalm 103:2 says, "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits." If you start to count you will discover that God has been and is good to you all the time. Personally, I have tasted of the Lord and I know that He is good. He has done me well. I am blessed. After moving on and crossing over, do not forget His benefits. Praise Him, raise to Him a memorial, an altar and worship Him. Honor and acknowledge Him. After crossing the Red Sea, Miriam and Moses led the Israelites into a song and dance for the YAHWEH (Ex. 15). In Josh 4, when they finished crossing the River Jordan; they picked stones in the middle of the River to serve as a memorial forever that God was with them and tasted His goodness and saw His power. Do you have a song and a dance for the LORD? Do not forget His benefits.

The Red Sea and the Jordan River must give way for the child of God to move on and cross over.

With love,

Kachel

The Love of a Child

Have you ever sat down looking at your phone wishing that someone would give you a call? Last night I needed that call and yes my phone rang, it was one of my Sunday schoolers who I haven't seen for some months.

My caller, "Sasa teacher Kachel. Nimekumiss. How have you been?
Me: I'm fine. How you doing? ...sema?
My caller: "Me niko poa. Nlikuwa tu nataka kukusalimia nijue ka uko poa, nimekumiss na ninakupenda."
Me: Awwwww, thanks baby...."

A few gifts are as wonderous as the love of a child.

Inspired to inspire: Self-Confidence

Inspired to inspire: Self-Confidence: We all carry treasures in fragile containers. Have you ever confidently done something and expected that someone who matters to you will ...

Self-Confidence

We all carry treasures in fragile containers.

Have you ever confidently done something and expected that someone who matters to you will affirm you? How did it go? How did that affect you?

Let me share two experiences that made a tremendous impact in my life. My early formative years I grew up in the country-side. Enrolled in a school where we were taught in the native language. Your guess is right! My inflection was affected. In my native language, we omit letter H where it’s supposed to be and of course insert it where it’s not supposed to be-my name betrays me! Long story short, in class six I changed school from country-side to the capital city. I was so excited. My day one in my new school was traumatizing. I was asked to introduce myself in class and because usually I am bubbly. I did my thing confidently but noted my classmates were giggling. I didn’t give a care. So during our Swahili lesson, I offered to read a passage in class... I pronounced a certain word badly and all the class was Rolling-On-The-Floor –with-Laughter (ROTFL) blame it on the mother-tongue effects! That killed my confidence and I never made any attempt to answer questions or read passages in class. My esteem went down because everyday my class-mates teased me. I became extremely shy (yea, for those who have always known me as a bubbly parrot, I once was a very shy girl). On the positive side, I worked hard to ensure that my inflection and nuance was perfect. Today I must say that my twang is good, but do I say! I’m confident whenever I have an audience to do my public speech.

The other story that changed my story for good... after I cleared high school, I enrolled for a certificate course “HIV/AIDS Training and Counselling” with Kenya Youth and Orphans Empowerment Program (KYOEP). After I successfully completed the course, I was posted in 3 training centres-Madaraka, Kahawa-West and Wangige as a Trainer and Counsellor. It’s at Wangige Training Centre where my public speaking skills and teaching abilities were commended. My oldest student was a 72year old man and this man gave me the greatest single gift-self-confidence. He said, “Young girl, you are gifted. You are a great teacher. Your nuance is perfect. Your pronunciation so clear. You will go far....” The confidence gave me the courage to be who I am today. I have had opportunities to speak to big and small audiences-tens, hundreds and thousands of people.

One of my favourite bible memory verses was Jeremiah 1:5 and 2 Timothy 1:7. I always told myself that I am God’s spokesperson to nations and that God has not given me a spirit of fear. I memorized these verses each day and looking back, what shall I say! Today, more than enough times I have been called to speak in different forums and I have been paid handsomely. I have taught God’s word in Schools, Universities and Colleges and in Churches. I carry a treasure in a fragile container. I can’t thank God enough for the gift of self-confidence.

That selfconfident girl,

Kachel

Kid's are Precious

Late one evening of the 1800s, D. L. Moody arrived home from speaking at a meeting. His wife askd him,"So how did it go...?" Moody replied,"Pretty well. Two and a half converts." His wife was silent for a while pondering. With a smile she said, "That's sweet. How old was th child?" Moody answered, "No. It was two children and one adult.
Children have their whole lives in front of them while the adult's life is already half gone."

Many times when missioners come from the mission fields&when giving reports I hear them say, "1,2,3,10 or 100 men and women got saved." Mostly, children are never accounted for! My Question is, is it that we don't see their significance or is it that they are not acknowledged and led to Christ or is it that we think they're too young to be born again?

‪#‎ChildrenMatterToGod‬

Inspired to inspire: The Power of Forgiveness

Inspired to inspire: The Power of Forgiveness: How easy it is to preach and tell people about the power of forgiveness! Well,in my opinion, it is easy said than done! I h...

The Power of Forgiveness

How easy it is to preach and tell people about the power of forgiveness! Well,in my opinion, it is easy said than done! I have been hurt by people I considered my close friends. I have been betrayed by people I trusted. I have been disappointed by people I went out of my way to help. I have been despised by people I treasured! I can go on and on.... I know how it feels to struggle with forgiveness! Logic says, "Tit-for-tat is a fair game." Or "If you hurt me once, I ain't going to let you hurt me again!" Forgiveness says, "If you hurt me I will still love you. I'll take a risk of loving you again even though you may not love me back." 

Er, what about when someone keeps harming/hurting you and never say sorry? Tough! Nevertheless, one must be willing to forgive with or without an apology! In my devotion and reflections tonight, I've read Genesis 33. If I were Esau and my brother Jacob checks in unceremoniously! Considering he conned me my birthright some 10+ yrs ago, would I run to meet, embrace and kiss my con bro? Would I be merciful and gracious to him? Come with me and let's look at Luke 6:29: Matt 5:39. It says, "If someone strikes you on one cheek,turn to him th other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic." Am not sure how easy this is but am hopeful,Ezekiel 36:26 is applicable, "I (LORD) will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." 

After reading and reflecting on the above passages I can say this: 

1. Forgiveness defies logic 

2. Forgiveness goes beyond our natural bend. It's not natural. 

3. Forgiveness makes us feel as if we are appearing weak to others. As we show love to those who've hurt/despised us, we heap coals of fire upon their head. 

4. Forgiveness requires risk. If you love, u put yourself in a position to be disappointed,rejected,taken for granted. 

I've realized that I tend to pull back to guard myself from any further pain or disappointment whenever someone hurts me. And this brings me my last point that: 

5. To forgive requires work. It's not an instant event in the mind but an ongoing act. 

In conclusion, I admit it's not easy,I know this too well because I have had my share of struggle to forgive some people. I realize that forgiveness is not about how good you feel about forgiving someone but it's about obedience to God. Only God can work in our hearts and prepare us to embrace and kiss people who've hurt,despised,betrayed us. Only the Holy Spirit can help us. 

Forgiveness brings healing, unspeakable joy and peace in our hearts. 

With love 

Kachel

Inspired to inspire: Children Matter to God

Inspired to inspire: Children Matter to God: I read this point in a book am reading "Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions" that the moral and spiritual foundation of...

Children Matter to God

I read this point in a book am reading "Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions" that the moral and spiritual foundation of children are generally determined by the time an individual reaches age nine. 

How significant? 

The author of this book states that children matter on the battlefront. "Satan's single-minded purpose is to destroy God and rule the universe. He puts his most destructive resources well packaged into play. He knows too well that if the character and the hope of children is destroyed,he rules the world! He's very intelligent and sharp enough to realize that if you win over children,you've won generation(s). We are busy battling homosexuality, abortion,garbage imbedded in music and movies,pornography, gambling and drugs abuse etc but the battlefront is in the mind,heart and soul of children. Satan knows the easiest way to inflict the maximum possible pain on God is by winning over children to himself, resulting in a lifetime of unrighteous behavior! Children have a special place in God's heart&Satan knows God's "weakness" is that He loves children."

So? Train children to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul, then we'll no longer invest time battling over moral and spiritual issues such as stated above. Godliness will be entrenched in their heart, mind and soul. If we effectively teach them God's principles and expectation; instill in them a thirst for righteousness and a passion for God & develop a biblical worldview in them, generations will be won for God's glory! What if every parent/guardian, teachers, pastors and church ministers invest in training children in godliness? 

With love Kalekye Nzaku