What Do We Say When We Come Back?

Bible Reading: Luke 15:17-21

Focus verse: John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives”

The reading in Luke talks about a son who after living a wasted life, a life of sin and separation; he realized that it was time for him to go back to the father.  He is reminded of the good social life he used to live while with the father and he now carefully plans how he would win back the heart (love) of the father. He identifies that his sins have separated him from the father and is not worth to be called a son. He as well knew that he had no authority to reinstate himself, only the father could make him as one of his again. All he had to do was to accept his sin and ask for forgiveness.

We all at one time have wronged our friends, our bosses, our families, our spouses or people we really love and cherish. We have made them be broken in the hearts so that they could not find peace. We’ve made some of them to regret if surely they made right choices to have us as friends or spouses. Some have lived with the pain and agony we have caused then so that anytime they are reminded about the pain/scars we caused them, they still weep bitterly. To some, the pain is today completely healed while to others it has remained a fresh sore/pain always. Why? The difference lies on what we said when we came back to them, whether we said the truth/confessed and asked for forgiveness or denied/lied further and remained with the guilt. The Bible says “Truth sets us free”.

Equally we have all sinned against God. All sins whether one or hundreds is enough to separate us from God. He is not happy when we are separated from him and wants us back all the times. Many desire to come back when they realize they are far from Him. We should remember that it is what we say when we come back that unites us back to Him. Many people come back but still live under the guilt of the sins committed because they did not truly confess to Him and repent. They want to falsely justify their own mistakes. God is not pleased when we walk under the guilt of sins that separated us from him. It’s not coming back to the church or Christian family or walking with Christian friends that tell we have come back to God. The major concern is whether we confess to have sinned and ask forgiveness when we come back. Unless we do that, we still live under separation and the guilt of our sin.

Our repentance can set us free and bring healing to the hearts of our friend or loved one that we have made to suffer. Our marriages and broken relationships with friends can blossom again if we accept to confess our wrong doings and ask God to reestablish us again. Do we have friends who are living with scars/pain because of our wrong doings?  Are we responsible for the regrets in the lives of our loved ones? Only a statement of “forgive me for all the wrongs I did to you” is enough to help them heal.

Eliazar Wambo
Bethesda Faith Ministries and
Repairer Christian School

The Unstoppable Church of Christ

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 5:11-16

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:14  “You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

The year 2020 has been a very difficult year for so many people around the world.  The pandemic has brought about many hardships.  Since we have never seen a pandemic like this in our lifetime, people and governments around the world are unsure of how to handle this problem.  But this virus did not catch God by surprise.  God knew this virus was coming long ago, and we have seen how God is using this virus to accomplish His purposes.  Jesus said His Church is a light to the world and that light is set on a hill and will not be hidden.

I am reminded of the "light on a hill" when I go to the ocean.  I remember a very tall and thin house with a strong bright light on the top.  It is called a “lighthouse”.  When there are storms out in the ocean the lighthouse will guide the ships and boats safely into the harbor without running aground.  

 

We are in the middle of the storm with this pandemic.  Let us look to The Light of the world.  The Church of Christ is unstoppable.  This pandemic will not stop God's Word from going forth. Sometimes the future doesn’t look very bright.  Right now our culture seems very dark spiritually. As believers we are called to live in this ungodly world, and sometimes we are tempted to give up and quit fighting against the forces of evil that are around us.  We wonder how can we effectively share the good news of the Gospel that Jesus called us to proclaim?  Let’s never forget that Jesus gave us a command to impact this world as both salt and light as His ambassadors.  So how can we do that?  The answer lies in where our power comes from.  Our power comes from The One who created the universe and He cares about us deeply.  We can’t do this in our own power, but we tap into our God who has limitless power.  God will give His church all the power and resources necessary to complete His purpose and plan.  So align yourself with God’s unstoppable church today where we can receive unlimited power, so that nothing can stop us from completing the plan He has for us.

 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

I Have Come to God

Bible Reading: Psalm 16

Focus Verse: Psalm 16:8 "I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me."

David writes the Psalm 16 and proclaims that when he came to God, he found refuge, a Master, good things, heroes, pleasure, inheritance, blessing, a guard, pleasant land, a guide, an instructor, fellowship with the Lord, stability, gladness, safety, the way of life, joy of God's presence and the pleasures of living with God forever!  David's discovery is a direct result of his heart toward God.  When David humbled himself, didn't trust in his own pride, didn't seek other gods or even speak their names, but instead came to the true God, he found all these things, but his joy above all was the very presence of God.  David found that in looking for safety, he found so much more!

We can struggle with our safety, our pain, our sickness, our sorrow, our worry or anything else that the world has to give us.  Troubles come to every human, but what matters is that we respond in the way that leads to life.  Verse 4 talks about those who look for answers in other gods.  A false god can be through your own prideful efforts, a sin that gives a temporary pleasure or distraction, seeking other spirits or witch doctors, or even just an obsession that keeps you occupied. These things will take your troubles and multiply them and leave you feeling empty and unsatisfied.

God is the one who satisfies.  God is the one who brings joy by His presence.  When we have lost everything and are all alone, we can still have the presence of God to show us the way of life and the pleasures of living with Him forever!  Do you have God's presence because of trusting Jesus with your life?  Have you come to God through Jesus?   "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16  Do you have the joy of His presence?

~Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Serve God and be a Blessing

Scripture reading: Acts 9:36-42 

Focus verse: Acts 9:39 – "Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."

I have often seen different kinds buildings but whenever I see them I am able to judge their workmanship differently based on how the builder did his job. Whereas all the builders may have the same material and time to do the job but the outcome can widely vary. A good job markets the builder by its self while a poor workmanship fetches no market for the builder. In other words, your service can always market you and may want people to wish that you still serve with them for a longer period. 

Dorcas is a good example in the Bible for us to copy. She lived an impactful life and spent her time, skills and talents to serve others. She could make robes and other clothing and share them with the poor. She had done so much so that when she fell sick and died, the people she had served felt a big void and wept bitterly for her life. We are told that the ladies carried the robes to where she laid upstairs and showed Peter all these evidence of a great work that she did while a live. Dorcas had lived a life of love for others and served from the bottom of her heart. She used a thread and a needle to work out different robes and never used her skills to exploit others but for God’s service. 

Just like Docras, we all have the chance to serve God. We all have God given gifts and talents and God wants us to use them to serve others. God has given us different resources but He desires of us to use them in touching other peoples’ lives. Have we served in a manner that when we are absent then we are missed by the people we have served? Can the people around us give some evidence of our work to the Lord as the ladies did with Dorcas robes? What is it that we have that the people around us will remember and thank God for? Are there something’s that the people can show/point as your evidence of service to the Lord even in churches we serve at? Each day that we pray for God to give us a new day to live, then we should ask ourselves how we spent the previous days He allowed us to live. God wants us to spend every moment of our lives to serve Him and be a blessing to others. The Christian life is not a life of self-centeredness but a life of giving for the sake of others just like God did to us through his Son. Colossians 3:23 – "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

 

Pastor Eliazar Wambo

Bethesda Faith Ministries

Blind and Seeing, Saved and Unsaved

Blind and Seeing, Saved and Unsaved

Scripture Reading: John 9:13-34

Focus Verse: John 9:25   “The blind man answered and said, Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

The Pharisees questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The Pharisees accused Jesus to be a sinner for healing on the Sabbath.  The blind man could not speak bad about the man who healed him.  He testified about what he knew to be true.  He was blind, but now, after the mud applied by Jesus, he could see.  The man knew this had never happened to anyone before and believed that Jesus was from God.  There was no doubt that he was blind and now he sees.

There are over six billion people on planet earth, and they all fall into one of two categories, saved or unsaved.  Our Bible story is about a man that was born blind.  Jesus had compassion on this man and healed his blindness so that he could see.  Do you know before you were saved you were blind.  Not physically, but spiritually.  Before you received Salvation, Satan had blinded your spiritual eyes to the truth that God wanted you to know.  When I was six years old I accepted Salvation into my life.  At that point of being saved I didn’t know everything about the Bible.  About all I knew was that I was once lost, but now I was saved.  The blind man didn’t know much about Jesus, who had healed him.  All he knew was that he was once blind, but now he could see.

That is the power of a changed life.  There is power in the message of the Gospel.   We can’t always expect God to do things the way we would.  If your friend was having a problem with their eyes I don’t think you would spit on the ground and then put mud into their eyes.  But when Jesus did this, it changed the man’s life.  After that the man testified “One thing I know, once I was blind, but now I can see.”  The world is full of people that are blind.  They need to be healed, so they can see the truth of God’s love for them through Jesus.  We all have a story to tell.  So go find a spiritually blind person today and share with them how they can see the truth of God’s love.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Wait Patiently and Confidently

Scripture Reading:  Romans 8:18-30

Focus Verses:   Psalm 37: 7-9   "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."

Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 8 reminds us that we, believers, along with creation, have a hope of the day when we will live in "glorious freedom from death and decay" and be with the Lord with new bodies freed from sin and suffering.  This hope started the day we were saved, born again, given the Holy Spirit and began looking toward this promise with joy and freedom.  We must wait patiently through our suffering, pain, conflict and sadness but confidently because the Spirit reveals this truth in our hearts and "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

I have never been a very patient person.  If something is broken, I want to fix it right away. If I planned to meet someone at 9:00 and it’s now 9:01 I’m looking at my watch wondering, "Where are they?"  I have learned to settle down and be patient after I started traveling to Kenya.  I understand that when I get off that airplane in Nairobi that I’m now on "Kenya time”.  I know if someone says a meeting is starting at 10:00 then I should expect the meeting to start at 11 or 12 or even later.  This has helped me, even in America, to be patient more often, but I’ll tell you something that is really testing my patience right now.  Patience with this pandemic has been a real challenge.  The pandemic with Covid19 started last March and we are still in it after 5 months.  Perhaps there is something God is trying to teach us, and we are not going to get out of this situation until we learn it.  Or perhaps, God is working on a plan to use the pandemic for His Glory.  Our focus verse says “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him”.  Maybe God wants us to know Him better.  If you are not able to work because of the virus, maybe you should be spending more time with God.  I’ve been reading a book about the End Times.  When we see things happening like a worldwide pandemic and much chaos in our world, we can’t help but wonder if we are living in the last days before Christ will return.  We don't know when, but we live with our confident hope.  

Let us wait patiently and seek His face, so we can see what God is doing and not be so busy that we miss what He’s trying to show us.  Let us not focus on the trials, but on our shepherd and His direction.  If you struggle with these hard times, Page wanted me to add this verse of comfort, 
"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Truth Can Never Remain Hidden

Truth Can Never Remain Hidden

Scripture reading: Acts 4:1-22 
Focus verse: Acts 4:18-20 – "Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

A story is told in my community of man who used to be very jealous and did not want to share his food with others. One day after he prepared a nice meal and placed on the table, he saw one of his friends coming into his house and he decided he would hide his food quickly under one of the chairs so that he would eat it after the friend had left. Because he did this in a hurry, he didn’t know that part of the plate carrying the food was not well hidden. When the friend walked in and they had greeted each other, the friend sat down and begun to tell this man of what incident he met with on the way to his home. He stated that, “As I approached near your gate, I met a very big snake whose length was about the distance from this seat to that plate with food under the other chair.” And the friend was very shocked to notice that his friend had spotted the plate he had hidden with food. The truth finally came out! 

Peter and John after they healed a crippled beggar, are brought before the Sanhedrin to explain how it happened and in whose name did the healing of the crippled beggar happened. This is a man who had been at the temple gate always asking for alms but on the day he met with Peter and John, his fate changed and he was healed. This disturbed the Sadducees (teachers of the law), the rules and the high priests. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit boldly told them that the healing was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they had crucified but God raised from the dead. This truth angered them and decided that they would warn Peter and John not to speak again in His name. They knew that this truth could change many other lives so they planned on ways to hold the truth hostage and stop it from being spread. But again, Peter tells them to judge for themselves whether it was right in their sight to obey them or God. He stated that it was too hard for them to know the truth and fail to speak out. 

Truth will always defend itself and will finally reveal itself no matter how hard one can try to hide it. Satan is the father of all lies and has always tried to prevent The Truth from being known, but he has always failed. He may try to bring a challenge in our lives to make others doubt the presence of God and his promises upon those who trust in Him. He may bring threats of diseases to make people not trust in the healing and saving hand of God. He can even use the authorities to try and destroy the truth of what the word of God states. We live in a world where Satan is using the even the media to spread lots lies about God, and about other godly leaders. One thing, lies will never ride over truth! Like Peter and James, we all have the responsibility to stand and speak the Truth of God’s Word and what God is doing. We must not be afraid even when Satan is bringing threats upon us, but should choose to defend the Truth at all coasts. Whatever way Satan uses to hide the Truth, God will finally let the Truth be known and many will come to Him through that. Truth has unstoppable power and nothing will stop it from working.

Pastor Eliazar Wambo
Director of Bethesda Faith Ministries