*****

I was taught to have no obsessions

A craving that would obscure my mind

I was told am called for a greater purpose

A journey I can’t dare lose focus

But now, this my obsession must be

*****

I find this I cannot walk away from

I find my eyes fixed on this one thing

When I survey that wondrous cross

Then I know I have found my obsession

My prayer; may it be my obsession only

*****

May I never walk away from this passion

Never to forget at one time what it cost my Lord

The memory haunts me to remember my sins

The achievement delights me to know am saved

So I pray never to forget who I am to Him

*****

And now my journey has come to an end

My search for purpose and fulfillment is over

I can sit all day long looking only on my Lord

Meditating on His mercies delighting on His love

What more obsession can I have but to seek Him

*****

May it be my obsession only to look unto Him

To learn from Him as I walk through life

To lay my glory on the cross for His own glory

The achievement of that cross of Christ;

May it be my obsession only

*****

 

*****

Everytime I take a look unto the cross

Surveying the wounds on His pierced body

Hearing the anguish from His words at Calvary

Understanding He had to endure all because of me

I see the wrath of my Lord killing my Lord

*****

What would I call such a painful endeavor

If my Lord so required such a sacrifice for me

Then I know the depth of my sins to be so great

I see the predicarment of my Lord so desperate

Yet it was me to bear God’s wrath for my sins

*****

What will I term this, that a father would kill;

Killing His own son for the sons of men

What’s more that the son willingly, painfully dies

Dying because of my sins facing God’s wrath

So I know the penalty of my sins only to be so great

*****

But no sin would overcome His devotion to save me

As the spear  pierced His side so my sins were overcome

Though God’s wrath was on me, His love saved me

And the fury of  God’s wrath on me quenched by His love

And now I see a man saved from his sea of sins

*****

That a man would love another that much

Even a perfect man die for an infidel like this

What would I call this but love surpassing His rage

And so I know that I can no longer walk in sin

For love overcame wrath and I am ever indebted

*****

As I continue to look at the Old Testament with the eye glasses of the promised Savior I decided to re-read this wonderful book. And what can I say but marvel at every verse seeing how grace is portrayed after every incidence in this rather small book.

We begin this with that popular verse in chapter one which many  brides love quoting from during their weddings; “…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried….Ruth 1:16-17.a” Oh! First time I read that I wouldn’t stop to admire this lady’s love and commitment. Do remember these words are not said to a bridegroom  though but to a mother in law. Hmm! I wonder when is the last time I heard or saw this  in-law relationship portrayed from this angle. But as it is this is not your  usual daughter in law as painted by our movies, there’s much to admire her already. How privileged must Naomi have felt.

Next incidence takes us to Boaz a chapter later and my favorite verse here is verse 10 of chapter 2; “At this point she (Ruth) bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you  notice me—a foreigner?” Well, that feels plenty much like how I feel as I look unto the Cross and see how loved I am. So far  if you haven’t seen it, I see God’s grace at work. Grace that a mother in law finds unrivaled love and commitment from her daughter in law who has no reason to be with her. I see grace as a wealthy man, a respectable Jew shows favor to a foreigner even  to be ready to marry her endangering his own estate out of this intermarriage. The very idea of a kinsman  redeemer points us to the cross.

As the story proceeds we see Ruth, a gentile becoming the ancestor to Jesus through Obed. And this to me sends the message that salvation  is for all and through God’s grace. What a privilege to be loved beyond comprehension, to be favored and find hope in the most  hopeless state of my sinfulness. I have found a kinsman redeemer who wouldn’t rest till I was saved and such as will present me to Himself in heavenly glory. Amen.

*****
What dirt is beyond cleaning?
What filth remains unwashed?
The blood of the lamb washes clean
Not even a stench of sin to remain
For none washes clean than the blood
*****
Though my sins be like scarlet
Though my wickedness be great
Even if none would forgive me
Christ alone will embrace me
And His blood makes me white
*****
Nothing one should desire more,
Not a greater craving one to have
Than to be soaked in that blood
Where all holiness is acquired
None to sanctify but the Lord’s blood
*****
The blood of the lamb has made me whole
By His salvation I have been redeemed
And I walk in freedom from my sin
Living in reverence of my Kinsman redeemer
And by His blood I have become a child of God
*****
None can stand to judge me now
For I bear the mark of His blood on me
Righteous I have become by His blood
A son adopted through my Savior’s love
And I am clean than ever even a saint
*****

*****
In the recent past I have been thinking so much about this book, especially as I reflect on the character of God. Now, I don’t want to look at Jonah with eyes from a judgmental angle as many people so eye him. His rage against the people of Nineveh is evident and if we understand where he is coming from perhaps we would see ourselves even more like him. Nevertheless, my admiration is on God in regard to His justice, love and mercy.

Coming to an end of the book God explains why He had to spare the people of Nineveh from a stand point that just as Jonah cared for the vine under which he took a shade so the Lord cares for the many people in that city and even the cattle of the land. This leaves me with one option in regard to my relationship with people; to love them even try loving them at all cost and leave judgement to God because they are His people. Have you ever read this verse from the book of Jude; “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” WHAT!! Not even a sinless angel could spell judgement to the father of lies and the most evil person alive if I was to say.

Thereby,I need to  know that however evil I may term someone to be, they are so much loved by God that He is ready to forgive and forget their sins as if they never existed. I shouldn’t be angry of that because I am not anything better yet He has saved me and made me a saint before Himself. This is where you say Amen.

*****

*****
I know of day beyond the ridges of time
A time beyond the seasons and climate
A day that soon comes,  soon to be today
A day in the winds fast approaching
A day called long ago to be a today
*****
A day beyond the movements of the earth
A day beyond the moon’s continual rotation
A day when day and night never will be
A day beyond times; only His glory to see
I speak of a day when His light will be day
*****
I see that day, by a glimpse only
Only soon to be clearer than day
That day soon to be called today;
Heaven will reign and I will rejoice
The day He returns, so my soul desires
*****
I see Him high in the skies coming
I desire once to be in His army
Coming down with the Judge
Plummeting with my Savior
I see a day soon to be today
*****
I cannot wait to see His wounds
To behold of His pierced side
Throw myself on His chest
To abide forever with my Lord
I see a day, with Him always to be
*****

*****

As a Christian, a young person and one fascinated by words and tune, music means a lot to me. I realize that I may so easily forget a preaching but not so with a tune. Actually even when I hear a song in the matatu that I wouldn’t really approve of as per my Christian conviction,  hours later I can hear the music ring in my ears. There’s really no escaping from music and this by far is a ground for evangelism.
However,  it troubles me desperately on the quality of our Christian music, don’t get me wrong the beats, the tune, the dance moves are all if not at least up-to the latest standards but content  oh! oh! that’s an issue. And don’t suppose am just another hater out there. I so much value the Gospel music industry in Kenya, I have heard many songs I can sing and hum all day long agreeing with their tune, composition, dance and theology but there are some am embarrassed when I hear over the radio.
Now, overtime this is blamed on our musicians but I will not do that today as a matter fact I think they are not primarily to blame; our pastors and our theology first is.
Yes, you didn’t get me wrong, what we preach is what is echoed in our music and it’s a question of whether God’s love will be propagated across all media or we will shape the Word into our own gospel which is no gospel at best. Before you as a pastor make a claim on that pulpit,  do you think of the consequences,  do you take a look at the context,  do you spend considerable time in study and do you allow the Word to speak for itself through the mouth of the Holy Spirit and then through you?
Change our theology,  revert our focus to the true Word,  be soaked in spiritual discipline guided by the Word of God and even our music will change, our musicians will change, the audience will change and God will be honored.
To all our church leaders,  our theologians, our pastors and all preachers and musicians, poets and writers;  who are determined to say nothing more than what the Word states, may you be blessed even more and may you draw all people to the path of truth. May the tune of truth only be our music for no one can fight a tune.

*****

*****
It’s been said that death is the end of all
It so much seems so by the naked eye
A body lying helpless in a coffin
A silence that the grave only tells
Yet there is a gate beyond death
*****
I doubt death ever was the end
It perharps may as well be a start
As I look on my slain Savior
As I survey His resurrection
So I know death won’t arrest me
*****
The sting of death never will harm me
The desperation of the end never to be
When He was slain so my hope sprung
And I am never afraid to pass that gate
The gate beyond the grave even unto life
*****
This I write to all who pain and live in fear
Those haunted by the sight of the grave
Seeing only the end yet such only a start
For death is but a gate and life shall be
A gate to continued life even unto eternity
*****
I catch a breath never to lose it again
For now in this life and later I will live
Live because He lives and so I live
And so even if I die yet still I shall live
For death is but a gate to life everlasting
*****

Who would have enough words to speak about life? Who actually dares to tell us how we should live? At times I wonder if we know even nearly enough of what the word entails. But as we do with all other subjects in life; we take our pens, grab some coffee and journey on to teaching the world about this simple but otherwise complex discipline.

It’s strange that we get the guts to teach people about living. Someone asked do dogs need a lesson on being doggy, you know how to behave in the accepted doggy code of conduct. Pun intended. Anyway, it seems important and I deem it to be so to speak,  to teach me and teach others what there is in life or at least to echo my thoughts supposing we could sojourn with care on this lost path in the woods.

I bet it’s hard to know why people do what they do, go where they go everyday, meet the people they meet in the evenings and live with those in their homes. But it’s easier to tell when we know what such people live for. What’s life in a minute to them? It may seem like an easy question or even nonsensical, I mean life is what it is, it’s life. But that is exactly where we go wrong, going on living never examining why we do.

Growing up, living meant a bit about achievement and having fun. You know, become someone and live happily ever after. I bet this remains the philosophy behind many young minds and even unfortunately many adults. Strive to become someone in life, someone respectable, without a need, lavishly living and that’s all. What a waste! Yet this seems like the philosophy to follow, the way of life acceptable for all ambitious people.

In time I have grown to know and especially as I study the Word that there is more to life than catches the eye at first glance. We come to life without our own choice and mostly leave without our consent. Thereby it only follows that our lives go beyond what we make them to be.  Much more it is what the designer has in mind when He molds His pot and if He chooses to dismantle the same, who would ask Him why He does so.

I am not about to share a big-just-discovered philosophy but to say at the least that the reason behind our living supersedes our cravings and our self created purposes. We are not here to become what people or the world points us to become but  to be what He says we be and thereby become what we should be for His glory.

So when I look at a child I don’t ask what they will become but in what way shall they honor the Lord as they grow and continue being that which God intended them to be. I am not waiting to become somebody in life so that I start living, I am living, I am achieving that which God has created me for by living daily to His glory. Hence whether I live up to my 25^th birthday or up to a hundred or so at no one time will my life be wasted, I will have achieved what God intended by walking in His will; bringing glory to Him. That’s my life; it’s all about His glory.