KACHELBELA: Protect Your Parent's Dignity

KACHELBELA: Protect Your Parent's Dignity: Dear Diary, # Shem_Japheth_Challenge # Mothers_Day   # FathersDay Are you acting to maintain your parents's dignity? So, l...

Protect Your Parent's Dignity

Dear Diary,

#Shem_Japheth_Challenge

#Mothers_Day #FathersDay

Are you acting to maintain your parents's dignity?

So, last Sunday was Mother's Day and all social media pages were awash with great tributes to the mothers. In my Sunday School class we invited Pastor Mrs. Mary Wairimu Nyaoro to come and share with us. She talked about Honoring our parents from Ephesians 6:1-3. Since then I've been pondering on that message and today I decided to put a lesson in the Sunday School curriculum am working on.

Maximum speed, am at Genesis 9:18-27, the story is about the Sons of Noah-Shem, Ham and Japheth. So, Noah planted a vineyard and decided to indulge in the fruit of his labor. As a result he lay naked in his tent, v.20-21. Ham somehow caught the glimpse of his father's nakedness and instead of discreetly covering him, he was amused. He couldn't keep it to himself, but exposed his father's nakedness to the ridicule of his brothers. Thankfully, Shem and Japheth were mature, they didn't share in Ham's amusement, instead, they took a garment, went backwards and covered their father's shame, v.22-23. When Noah woke up and discovered what his son had done to him, in the heat of the moment, he pronounced a curse on Canaan, Ham's youngest son, v.24. That was a severe blow on the family ties and fellowship; a division in the house; rejection etc.

God commands us to honor our parents, Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3. Truth be told, our parents' nakedness can take many forms including but not limited to moral weakness and failure, material poverty, physical disability/weakness and illness or old age. Whatever form it might take, God expects us to cover the nakedness and shame. Indeed children should act to maintain the dignity of their parents. We shouldn't abandon them into misery or isolate them. We shouldn't see their needs and simply talk about it but we must take practical and tangible steps to remedy the situation like Shem and Japheth did to their Father. If we neglect our parents, there are consequences that can destroy our families. 

Honoring our parents comes with a package of blessing as well i.e long life and prosperity. Thank God for Mother and Father's days in May and June respectively, but every day we should honor and cherish our parents.

So, help me God to honor my parents. Help me teach my Sunday Schoolers to honor their parents as well.

Faithful scribbler,
NzakuNashipae

KACHELBELA: Who Will Stand Against the Tide?

KACHELBELA: Who Will Stand Against the Tide?: Dear Diary, # Who_Will_Stand_Against_the_Tide ? # Exceptional   # Favor   # Success Can a Kenyan stand against the tide of corruption ...

Who Will Stand Against the Tide?

Dear Diary,

#Who_Will_Stand_Against_the_Tide?
#Exceptional #Favor #Success

Can a Kenyan stand against the tide of corruption and still be successful?

Who is annoyed as I am by the scandalous corruption in Kenya? NYS has become a conduit for scandalous theft. I thought EACC was going to arrest the run-away corruption! And by the way, are there faithful Christians and Muslims in GoK and in public service?

Quran 28:4; 89:10-12 because of increase in corruption, the Lord will pour upon them a scourge of punishment. Indeed, your Lord is in observation. the Bible says, as in the days of Gibeah, Kenya has sunk deep into corruption, Hos 9:9; woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption, Is. 1:4; God has observed all this corruption, Gen 6:12, and He will remember the wickedness and punish them for their sins.

Just because everyone is doing it, can there be exceptionals? Just like in the days of Noah, the increasing wickedness of humanity is summed up in the words, "Every inclination of the thoughts of mankind's heart is only evil all the time, corrupt and full of violence," Gen 6:5,11-12.

In Noah's time, wickedness had reached an avalanche but this man, Noah, found favor in the eyes of the LORD. He is described as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God, Gen 6:8-9. Are there such exceptional men and women in Kenya?

No matter how much evil has become part of the society, you and I can find favor in the eyes of God. We can walk in righteousness and blamelessly. We can teach our children to live righteously and blamelessly too. Our household can be saved. In addition God will reveal His plans and purposes to the exceptional men and women, Gen 6:13. We can stand against the tide of corruption and still be successful? Yes!

Noah, his wife, sons and their wives were saved. In my opinion, Noah's walk with God influenced his household and so they were saved. Are there exceptionals in NYS who can influence the ministry to uphold righteousness? Certainly, safety is found in standing against the tide and in upholding God's righteousness.

Yours faithful scribbler,
NzakuNashipae
© Jesus loves you

KACHELBELA: Enterprise Without God is Delusional

KACHELBELA: Enterprise Without God is Delusional: Dear Diary, #Progress_Without_God_is_Delusive #The_Cainites_Folly Am working on our Sunday school curriculum and I decided to start it ...

Enterprise Without God is Delusional

Dear Diary,

#Progress_Without_God_is_Delusive
#The_Cainites_Folly

Am working on our Sunday school curriculum and I decided to start it all in Genesis. You know, God created everything morally good but our first parents decided to screw it up. At first glance, the taking of the forbidden fruit seemed like a trivial matter, a mere misdemeanour. The serpent had boldly asserted that no harmful effects would be experienced, only a God-like awareness. But from Genesis chapter we quickly see that Satan’s promises were blatant lies. Adam and Eve fell and passed on the DNA of sin to their descendants.

Fast-forward, Genesis 4, Adam and Eve in obedience to God’s command to multiply and fill the earth, make love and voila! Behold two children, Cain a farmer and Abel a shepherd. In the course of time, the two boys bring sacrifices to God. Abel, by faith, brought a more excellent sacrifice that won God’s affection, but Cain’s agricultural produce is rejected. Overwhelmed with envy and anger, Cain plots to fatally eliminate his apparent competitor, in spite of God’s gracious confrontation and warning to master the sin that was crouching at the door of his heart. The unrepentant, rude boy was sentenced to more severe punishments-unproductive toil and restless wandering. However, God still assured Cain of His gracious protection, v.12-14.

Maximum speed, Cain left God’s presence and build himself a city. Why a sentenced restless wanderer would build himself a city in spite of God’s assurance of protection intrigues me, v.15. Did Cain build himself a city to thumb his nose at God? Cain attempted to build himself a settlement perhaps to distract his troubled mind and unproductive toil, v.16.

You see, Cain went out from the presence of God and dwelt at Nod. In fact, he got married, built a city to make a lasting name for himself and his descendants invented many enterprises and founded cultures, v.20-22. But, was God at the centre of Cainites inventions and enterprises? Well, I don’t think so. Why? Looking at the progression of events in v. 23-24, God is not at the centre of it all. Cain was sentenced to a life of wandering and unproductive toil and now he defied God by attempting to make a lasting name for himself without God’s presence-Enoch, v.17. His grandson, Lamech defied God’s plan for a monogamous family and married two wives, v.19. See how Cain’s pride reached an avalanche in Lamech, even by exalting himself above God, v.23-24. Polygamy and sensuality was drastic departure from God’s plan; violence and selfish ends, you see, Lamech boasts of murder. Indeed, progress without God makes people proud, arrogant, selfish, immoral and brazen murderers, v. 23-24.

We live in a world of dizzying hi-tech inventions and advancement. In our age, developments which are made to benefit man have become twisted to promote destruction; creative art e.g., music are perverted into wicked expressions and degradation of people made in the image of God. Inventions and enterprises without God have become daunting nightmares. Whatever is done apart from God’s presence is only delusive. If God is not at the centre of our enterprises and progress it is in futility.

Progress with God requires that we have faith in Him; it requires that we take Him at His word; it requires that we acknowledge our frailty instead of boasting of our wisdom and strength; it requires total dependency on God.

Faithful Scribbler,
NzakuNashipae

KACHELBELA: The Enoch Challenge (Walking with God)

KACHELBELA: The Enoch Challenge (Walking with God): Good morning/afternoon/evening y'all, Devotion bites Dear Diary, Walking with God #The_Enoch_Challenge Genesis 5 introduces us...

The Enoch Challenge (Walking with God)

Good morning/afternoon/evening y'all,

Devotion bites

Dear Diary,

Walking with God

#The_Enoch_Challenge

Genesis 5 introduces us to the first genealogy. It begins by acknowledging that man has his origin in God, v.1. Specifically, it's Seth's godly line who stood for God in an increasing corrupt world

In this genealogy, Enoch gets a special mention as a man who pleased God, Heb 11:5. Enoch had faith in God. It is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is believing that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him diligently, Heb 11:6.

Undoubtedly, he is a man who excelled in godliness, 22-24. He made every effort to live a holy life, he embraced God's ways. Truly, two can't walk together unless they've agreed to do so, Amos 3:3. Enoch must have had embraced and agreed with God's fundamental truth. Otherwise there's no way he'd hav walked with Him.

Enoch was a preacher of righteousness. He preached against the unrighteous lifestyle of his generation; he prophesied of God's coming judgment against ungodliness and immorality, 1:14-15.

God took Enoch. He entered heaven without experiencing death. Indeed, there's hope for future life to those who faithfully walk with God. Christ will come to take us from this earth to be with Him eternally.

If you're a born again Christian like me, let's ponder Enoch's life. We live in a wicked generation, but are we living a holy life; are we faithfully walking with God; are we embracing and agreeing with His absolute truth; are we preachers of righteousness; are we denouncing sin and warning people to flee the coming wrath; are we anticipating eternal life in the presence of God? If you're not a born again Christian, here's an opportunity for you to put your faith in God and embrace His saving grace.

Take the challenge.

Yours faithful scribbler,
NzakuNashipae
© Jesus loves you

KACHELBELA: Jethro Challenge (Effective Leadership)

KACHELBELA: Jethro Challenge (Effective Leadership): Dear Diary, #Leadership_Nuggets from Exodus 18  #A-Day_at_Work_with_Father_in_Law  #Advice #Priorities #Teachability #Mentorship #Pro...

Jethro Challenge (Effective Leadership)

Dear Diary,

#Leadership_Nuggets from Exodus 18 
#A-Day_at_Work_with_Father_in_Law #Advice #Priorities #Teachability #Mentorship #Productivity

Dear diary as you know, I was in Youth and Sunday School leadership for a decade. Now, as a temporal ‘retiree’, I look back and a mseto of feelings and emotions engulf me.  From your pages, you know I had quite some successes and failures equally. You know about those stupid mistakes as well as the joys of the incredible successes. From these tete-a-tete scribbles, you know there are things I wish I knew and practiced then but now that am wiser, let me share these important nuggets with those who are in the leadership now.

FYI, Moses had separated with his wife Zipporah and two sons-Gershom and Eliezer for a while. In the course of time, Jethro, a priest of Median and Moses’ father-in-law heard about how God had liberated Israel from the tyranny of Egypt. He was super excited and sent a word to Moses in the wilderness that he was bringing the boys and wife home. Moses was thrilled and waited for them to come home. He went out to meet them and cordially welcomed them home. They had awesome time enjoying the company of each other and in the presence of the Lord eating together as a family and reminiscing the great things God had done, v.1-12.

Fast-forward, the next day was son and father-in-law day at work and the experience took Moses’ leadership game into a whole new level. Moses took his seat to serve the people as a solo judge and the people stood around from morning until evening. Man! This must have been the most inefficient system for impatient people like me. Morning to evening, waiting up for a one-man system to serve millions of people with serious and trivial disputes? I can’t! Well, Jethro, is just the perfect father-in-law I need. He patiently waited; he didn’t interrupt; he keenly observed and made relevant notes. Later and at the convenient time he sat for a tete-a-tete convo with his son-in-law. Lovingly he asked, “Moses my son, what is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge..,?” v.14. Moses was kind-a, dad, this is how we roll, “The people come to me to seek God’s will. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions,” v.15-16. Dad Jethro was not impressed but good thing is he opened up and shared very helpful nuggets that took Moses leadership into a whole new level. Thank God Moses was teachable. Jethro pointed out that solo-judge was absolutely not a good strategy for Moses and the people. He gave him a wealth of advice as follows:

1. Priorities. Jethro pointed that Moses’ primary role was to intercede for the people. He was the people’s representative to God, v. 19
2. Training/mentorship. Instead of making all decision all alone, Jethro pointed out that Moses needed to teach/train the people to be able to make most decisions themselves. All he needed was to teach the people God’s decrees and instruction and model an example of the way/how to live and behave, v.20-2.
3. Delegation. Jethro encouraged Moses to find God fearing, faithful and trustworthy men and delegate/have them serve as officials and judges over smaller groups. They could be able to settle trivial disputes and only bring to Moses difficult ones, v. 23.

Who doesn’t love such a father-in-law? V. 24-26 tells us that Moses listened and did everything his godly father-in-law advised. The results must have been commendable. By focusing on the primary priority, mentoring, empowering and equipping the right people, it made it easy for Moses to be productive. It also gave the people a lot of satisfaction. Besides, time was saved.

Dear leader, in whatever capacity, are your priorities right? Are you teaching/training/mentoring/empowering/equipping other saints to serve their God given purpose in their generation? We can’t ignore our priorities, mentorship, empowering and equipping other saints for ministry and expect to be productive and successful. For retirees, it’s not too late to do something.

This is a wise scribble from the diary of a faithful scribbler.

Yours faithful scribbler,

NzakuNashipae