Pastors Tobias and Susan Akelloh

John Wesley's Sermon on "Salvation By Faith"

2010-08-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

SALVATION BY FAITH
Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, on June 18, 1738. "By grace are ye saved through faith." #Eph 2:8.

1. All the blessings which God hath bestowed upon man are of his mere grace, bounty, or favour; his free, undeserved favour; favour altogether undeserved; man having no claim to the least of his mercies. It was free grace that "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him a living soul," and stamped on that soul the image of God, and "put all things under his feet." The same free grace continues to us, at this day, life, and breath, and all things. For there is nothing we are, or have, or do, which can deserve the least thing at God’s hand. "All our works, Thou, O God, hast wrought in us." These, therefore, are so many more instances of free mercy: and whatever righteousness may be found in man, this is also the gift of God.

2. Wherewithal then shall a sinful man atone for any the least of his sins? With his own works? No. Were they ever so many or holy, they are not his own, but God’s. But indeed they are all unholy and sinful themselves, so that every one of them needs a fresh atonement. Only corrupt fruit grows on a corrupt tree. And his heart is altogether corrupt and abominable; being "come short of the glory of God," the glorious righteousness at first impressed on his soul, after the image of his great Creator. Therefore, having nothing, neither righteousness nor works, to plead, his mouth is utterly stopped before God.

3. If then sinful men find favour with God, it is "grace upon grace!" If God vouchsafe still to pour fresh blessings upon us, yea, the greatest of all blessings, salvation; what can we say to these things, but, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!" And thus it is. herein "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died" to save us "By grace" then "are ye saved through faith." Grace is the source, faith the condition, of salvation.

Now, that we fall not short of the grace of God, it concerns us carefully to inquire, —

I. What faith it is through which we are saved.
II. What is the salvation which is through faith.
III. How we may answer some objections.

I. What faith it is through which we are saved.

1. And, first, it is not barely the faith of a heathen.

Now, God requireth of a heathen to believe, "that God is; that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him;" and that he is to be sought by glorifying him as God, by giving him thanks for all things, and by a careful practice of moral virtue, of justice, mercy, and truth, toward their fellow creatures. A Greek or Roman, therefore, yea, a Scythian or Indian, was without excuse if he did not believe thus much: the being and attributes of God, a future state of reward and punishment, and the obligatory nature of moral virtue. For this is barely the faith of a heathen.

2. Nor, secondly, is it the faith of a devil, though this goes much farther than that of a heathen. For the devil believes, not only that there is a wise and powerful God, gracious to reward, and just to punish; but also, that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, the Saviour of the world. So we find him declaring, in express terms, "I know Thee who Thou art; the Holy One of God" #Luke 4:34. Nor can we doubt but that unhappy spirit believes all those words which came out of the mouth of the Holy One, yea, and whatsoever else was written by those holy men of old, of two of whom he was compelled to give that glorious testimony, "These men are the servants of the most high God, who show unto you the way of salvation." Thus much, then, the great enemy of God and man believes, and trembles in believing, —that God was made manifest in the flesh; that he will "tread all enemies under his feet;" and that "all Scripture was given by inspiration of God." Thus far goeth the faith of a devil.

3. Thirdly. The faith through which we are saved, in that sense of the word which will hereafter be explained, is not barely that which the Apostles themselves had while Christ was yet upon earth; though they so believed on him as to "leave all and follow him;" although they had then power to work miracles, to "heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease;" yea, they had then "power and authority over all devils"; and, which is beyond all this, were sent by their Master to "preach the kingdom of God."

4. What faith is it then through which we are saved? It may be answered, first, in general, it is a faith in Christ: Christ, and God through Christ, are the proper objects of it. herein, therefore, it is sufficiently, absolutely distinguished from the faith either of ancient or modern heathens. And from the faith of a devil it is fully distinguished by this: it is not barely a speculative, rational thing, a cold, lifeless assent, a train of ideas in the head; but also a disposition of the heart. For thus saith the Scripture, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness;" and, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

5. And herein does it differ from that faith which the Apostles themselves had while our Lord was on earth, that it acknowledges the necessity and merit of his death, and the power of his resurrection. It acknowledges his death as the only sufficient means of redeeming man from death eternal, and his resurrection as the restoration of us all to life and immortality; inasmuch as he "was delivered for our sins, and rose again for our justification." Christian faith is then, not only an assent to the whole gospel of Christ, but also a full reliance on the blood of Christ; a trust in the merits of his life, death, and resurrection; a recumbency upon him as our atonement and our life, as given for us, and living in us; and, in consequence hereof, a closing with him, and cleaving to him, as our "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," or, in one word, our salvation.

II. What salvation it is, which is through this faith, is the Second thing to be considered.

1. And, First, whatsoever else it imply, it is a present salvation. It is something attainable, yea, actually attained, on earth, by those who are partakers of this faith. For thus saith the Apostle to the believers at Ephesus, and in them to the believers of all ages, not, Ye shall be (though that also is true), but, "Ye are saved through faith."

2. Ye are saved (to comprise all in one word) from sin. This is the salvation which is through faith. This is that great salvation foretold by the angel, before God brought his First-begotten into the world: "Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." And neither here, nor in other parts of holy writ, is there any limitation or restriction. All his people, or, as it is elsewhere expressed, "all that believe in him," he will save from all their sins; from original and actual, past and present sin, "of the flesh and of the spirit." Through faith that is in him, they are saved both from the guilt and from the power of it.

3. First. From the guilt of all past sin: for, whereas all the world is guilty before God, insomuch that should he "be extreme to mark what is done amiss, there is none that could abide it;" and whereas, "by the law is" only "the knowledge of sin," but no deliverance from it, so that, "by" fulfilling "the deeds of the law, no flesh can be justified in his sight": now, "the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, is manifested unto all that believe." Now, "they are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." "Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for (or by) the remission of the sins that are past." Now hath Christ taken away "the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." he hath "blotted out the handwriting that was against us, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." "There is therefore no condemnation now to them which" believe "in Christ Jesus."

4. And being saved from guilt, they are saved from fear. Not indeed from a filial fear of offending; but from all servile fear; from that fear which hath torment; from fear of punishment; from fear of the wrath of God, whom they now no longer regard as a severe Master, but as an indulgent Father. "They have not received again the spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father: the Spirit itself also bearing witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God." They are also saved from the fear, though not from the possibility, of falling away from the grace of God, and coming short of the great and precious promises. Thus have they "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. They rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts, through the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them." And hereby they are persuaded (though perhaps not at all times, nor with the same fullness of persuasion), that "neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

5. Again: through this faith they are saved from the power of sin, as well as from the guilt of it. So the Apostle declares, "Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not" (#1John 3:5ff). Again, "Little children, let no man deceive you. he that committeth sin is of the devil. Whosoever believeth is born of God. And whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Once more: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (#1John 5:18).

6. he that is, by faith, born of God sinneth not (1) by any habitual sin; for all habitual sin is sin reigning: But sin cannot reign in any that believeth. Nor (2) by any wilful sin: for his will, while he abideth in the faith, is utterly set against all sin, and abhorreth it as deadly poison. Nor (3) By any sinful desire; for he continually desireth the holy and perfect will of God. and any tendency to an unholy desire, he by the grace of God, stifleth in the birth. Nor (4) Doth he sin by infirmities, whether in act, word, or thought; for his infirmities have no concurrence of his will; and without this they are not properly sins. Thus, "he that is born of God doth not commit sin": and though he cannot say he hath not sinned, yet now "he sinneth not."

7. This then is the salvation which is through faith, even in the present world: a salvation from sin, and the consequences of sin, both often expressed in the word justification; which, taken in the largest sense, implies a deliverance from guilt and punishment, by the atonement of Christ actually applied to the soul of the sinner now believing on him, and a deliverance from the power of sin, through Christ formed in his heart. So that he who is thus justified, or saved by faith, is indeed born again. he is born again of the Spirit unto a new life, which "is hid with Christ in God." And as a new-born babe he gladly receives the adolon,"sincere milk of the word, and grows thereby;" going on in the might of the Lord his God, from faith to faith, from grace to grace, until at length, he come unto "a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

III. The first usual objection to this is,

1. That to preach salvation or justification, by faith only, is to preach against holiness and good works. To which a short answer might be given: "It would be so, if we spake, as some do, of a faith which was separate from these; but we speak of a faith which is not so, but productive of all good works, and all holiness."

2. But it may be of use to consider it more at large; especially since it is no new objection, but as old as St. Paul’s time. For even then it was asked, "Do we not make void the law through faith?" We answer, First, all who preach not faith do manifestly make void the law; either directly and grossly, by limitations and comments that eat out all the spirit of the text; or indirectly, by not pointing out the only means whereby it is possible to perform it. Whereas, Secondly, "we establish the law," both by showing its full extent and spiritual meaning; and by calling all to that living way, whereby "the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in them." These, while they trust in the blood of Christ alone, use all the ordinances which he hath appointed, do all the "good works which he had before prepared that they should walk therein," and enjoy and manifest all holy and heavenly tempers, even the same mind that was in Christ Jesus.

3. But does not preaching this faith lead men into pride? We answer, Accidentally it may: therefore ought every believer to be earnestly cautioned, in the words of the great Apostle "Because of unbelief, " the first branches "were broken off: and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. If God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God! On them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." And while he continues therein, he will remember those words of St. Paul, foreseeing and answering this very objection #Rom 3:27 ," Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." If a man were justified by his works, he would have whereof to glory. But there is no glorying for him "that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly" #Rom 4:5 To the same effect are the words both preceding and following the text #Eph 2:4 "God, who is rich in mercy, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), that he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves." Of yourselves cometh neither your faith nor your salvation: "it is the gift of God;" the free, undeserved gift; the faith through which ye are saved, as well as the salvation which he of his own good pleasure, his mere favour, annexes thereto. That ye believe, is one instance of his grace; that believing ye are saved, another. "Not of works, lest any man should boast." For all our works, all our righteousness, which were before our believing, merited nothing of God but condemnation; so far were they from deserving faith, which therefore, whenever given, is not of works. Neither is salvation of the works we do when we believe, for it is then God that worketh in us: and, therefore, that he giveth us a reward for what he himself worketh, only commendeth the riches of his mercy, but leaveth us nothing whereof to glory.

4. "However, may not the speaking thus of the mercy of God, as saving or justifying freely by faith only, encourage men in sin?" Indeed, it may and will: Many will "continue in sin that grace may abound: " But their blood is upon their own head. The goodness of God ought to lead them to repentance; and so it will those who are sincere of heart. When they know there is yet forgiveness with him, they will cry aloud that he would blot out their sins also, through faith which is in Jesus. And if they earnestly cry, and faint not, it they seek him in all the means he hath appointed; if they refuse to be comforted till he come; "he will come, and will not tarry." And he can do much work in a short time. Many are the examples, in the Acts of the Apostles, of God’s working this faith in men’s hearts, even like lightning falling from heaven. So in the same hour that Paul and Silas began to preach, the jailer repented, believed, and was baptized; as were three thousand, by St. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, who all repented and believed at his first preaching And, blessed be God, there are now many living proofs that he is still "mighty to save."

5. Yet to the same truth, placed in another view, a quite contrary objection is made: "If a man cannot be saved by all that he can do, this will drive men to despair." True, to despair of being saved by their own works, their own merits, or righteousness. And so it ought; for none can trust in the merits of Christ, till he has utterly renounced his own. he that "goeth about to stablish his own righteousness" cannot receive the righteousness of God. The righteousness which is of faith cannot be given him while he trusteth in that which is of the law.

6. But this, it is said, is an uncomfortable doctrine. The devil spoke like himself, that is, without either truth or shame, when he dared to suggest to men that it is such. It is the only comfortable one, it is "very full of comfort," to all self-destroyed, self-condemned sinners. That "whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed that the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him": here is comfort, high as heaven, stronger than death! What! Mercy for all? For Zacchaeus, a public robber? For Mary Magdalene, a common harlot? Methinks I hear one say "Then I, even I, may hope for mercy!" And so thou mayest, thou afflicted one, whom none hath comforted! God will not cast out thy prayer. Nay, perhaps he may say the next hour, "Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee;" so forgiven, that they shall reign over thee no more; yea, and that "the Holy Spirit shall bear witness with thy spirit that thou art a child of God." O glad tidings! tidings of great joy, which are sent unto all people! "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters: Come ye, and buy, without money and without price." Whatsoever your sins be, "though red like crimson," though more than the hairs of your head, "return ye unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

7. When no more objections occur, then we are simply told that salvation by faith only ought not to be preached as the first doctrine, or, at least, not to be preached at all. But what saith the Holy Ghost? "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ." So then, that "whosoever believeth on him shall be saved, " is, and must be, the foundation of all our preaching; that is, must be preached first. "Well, but not to all." To whom, then are we not to preach it? Whom shall we except? The poor? Nay; they have a peculiar right to have the gospel preached unto them. The unlearned? No. God hath revealed these things unto unlearned and ignorant men from the beginning. The young? By no means. "Suffer these," in any wise, "to come unto Christ, and forbid them not." The sinners? Least of all. "He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Why then, if any, we are to except the rich, the learned, the reputable, the moral men. And, it is true, they too often except themselves from hearing; yet we must speak the words of our Lord. For thus the tenor of our commission runs, "Go and preach the gospel to every creature." If any man wrest it, or any part of it, to his destruction, he must bear his own burden. But still, "as the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord saith unto us, that we will speak."

8. At this time, more especially, will we speak, that "by grace are ye saved through faith": because, never was the maintaining this doctrine more seasonable than it is at this day. Nothing but this can effectually prevent the increase of the Romish delusion among us. It is endless to attack, one by one, all the errors of that Church. But salvation by faith strikes at the root, and all fall at once where this is established. It was this doctrine, which our Church justly calls the strong rock and foundation of the Christian religion, that first drove Popery out of these kingdoms; and it is this alone can keep it out. Nothing but this can give a check to that immorality which hath "overspread the land as a flood." Can you empty the great deep, drop by drop? Then you may reform us by dissuasives from particular vices. But let the "righteousness which is of God by faith" be brought in, and so shall its proud waves be stayed. Nothing but this can stop the mouths of those who "glory in their shame, and openly deny the Lord that bought them." They can talk as sublimely of the law, as he that hath it written by God in his heart To hear them speak on this head might incline one to think they were not far from the kingdom of God: but take them out of the law into the gospel; begin with the righteousness of faith; with Christ, "the end of the law to every one that believeth;" and those who but now appeared almost, if not altogether, Christians, stand confessed the sons of perdition; as far from life and salvation (God be merciful unto them!) as the depth of hell from the height of heaven.

9. For this reason the adversary so rages whenever "salvation by faith" is declared to the world: for this reason did he stir up earth and hell, to destroy those who first preached it. And for the same reason, knowing that faith alone could overturn the foundations of his kingdom, did he call forth all his forces, and employ all his arts of lies and calumny, to affright Martin Luther from reviving it. Nor can we wonder thereat; for, as that man of God observes, "How would it enrage a proud, strong man armed, to be stopped and set at nought by a little child coming against him with a reed in his hand!" especially when he knew that little child would surely overthrow him, and tread him under foot. Even so, Lord Jesus! Thus hath Thy strength been ever "made perfect in weakness!" Go forth then, thou little child that believest in him, and his "right hand shall teach thee terrible things!" Though thou art helpless and weak as an infant of days, the strong man shall not be able to stand before thee. Thou shalt prevail over him, and subdue him, and overthrow him and trample him under thy feet. Thou shalt march on, under the great Captain of thy salvation, "conquering and to conquer," until all thine enemies are destroyed, and "death is swallowed up in victory."

Now, thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be blessing,

An Account of The Life of John Wesley

2010-08-12T01:45:00.000-07:00

From Foxes’ Book of Martyrs CH 20

An Account of the Life of John Wesley

John Wesley was born on the seventeenth of June, 1703, in Epworth rectory, England, the fifteenth of nineteen children of Charles and Suzanna Wesley. The father of Wesley was a preacher, and Wesley’s mother was a remarkable woman in wisdom and intelligence. She was a woman of deep piety and brought her little ones into close contact with the Bible stories, telling them from the tiles about the nursery fireplace. She also used to dress the children in their best on the days when they were to have the privilege of learning their alphabet as an introduction to the reading of the Holy Scriptures.

Young Wesley was a gay and manly youth, fond of games and particularly of dancing. At Oxford he was a leader, and during the latter part of his course there, was one of the founders of the "Holy Club," an organization of serious-minded students. His religious nature deepened through study and experience, but it was not until several years after he left the university and came under the influence of Luther’s writings that he felt that he had entered into the full riches of the Gospel.

He and his brother Charles were sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to Georgia, where both of them developed their powers as preachers. Upon their passage they fell into the company of several Moravian brethren, members of the association recently renewed by the labors of Count Zinzendorf. It was noted by John Wesley in his diary that, in a great tempest, when the English people on board lost all self-possession, these Germans impressed him by their composure and entire resignation to God. He also marked their humility under shameful treatment.

It was on his return to England that he entered into those deeper experiences and developed those marvelous powers as a popular preacher which made him a national leader. He was associated at this time also with George Whitefield, the tradition of whose marvelous eloquence has never died. What he accomplished borders upon the incredible.

Upon entering his eighty-fifth year he thanked God that he was still almost as vigorous as ever. He ascribed it, under God, to the fact that he had always slept soundly, had risen for sixty years at four o’clock in the morning, and for fifty years had preached every morning at five. Seldom in all his life did he feel any pain, care, or anxiety. He preached twice each day, and often thrice or four times. It has been estimated that he traveled every year forty-five hundred English miles, mostly upon horseback.

The successes won by Methodist preaching had to be gained through a long series of years, and amid the most bitter persecutions. In nearly every part of England it was met at the first by the mob with stonings and peltings, with attempts at wounding and slaying. Only at times was there any interference on the part of the civil power. The two Wesleys faced all these dangers with amazing courage, and with a calmness equally astonishing. What was more irritating was the heaping up of slander and abuse by the writers of the day. These books are now all forgotten.

Wesley had been in his youth a high churchman and was always deeply devoted to the Established Communion. When he found it necessary to ordain preachers, the separation of his followers from the established body became inevitable. The name "Methodist" soon attached to them, because of the particular organizing power of their leader and the ingenious methods that he applied. The Wesley fellowship, which after his death grew into the great Methodist Church, was characterized by an almost military perfection of organizaton. The entire management of his ever-growing denomination rested upon Wesley himself. The annual conference, established in 1744, acquired a governing power only after the death of Wesley.

Charles Wesley rendered the society a service incalculably great by his hymns. They introduced a new era in the hymnology of the English Church. John Wesley apportioned his days to his work in leading the Church, to studying (for he was an incessant reader), to traveling, and to preaching. Wesley was untiring in his efforts to disseminate useful knowledge throughout his denomination. He planned for the mental culture of his traveling preachers and local exhorters, and for schools of instruction for the future teachers of the Church. He himself prepared books for popular use upon universal history, church history, and natural history. In this Wesley was an apostle of the modern union of mental culture with Christian living. He published also the best matured of his sermons and various theological works. These, both by their depth and their penetration of thought, and by their purity and precision of style, excite our admiration.

John Wesley was of but ordinary stature, and yet of noble presence. His features were very handsome even in old age. He had an open brow, an eagle nose, a clear eye, and a fresh complexion. His manners were fine, and in choice company with Christian people he enjoyed relaxation. Persistent, laborious love for men’s souls, steadfastness, and tranquillity of spirit were his most prominent traits of character.

Even in doctrinal controversies he exhibited the greatest calmness. He was kind and very liberal. His industry has been named already. In the last fifty-two years of his life, it is estimated that he preached more than forty thousand sermons. Wesley brought sinners to repentance throughout three kingdoms and over two hemispheres. He was the bishop of such a diocese as neither the Eastern nor the Western Church ever witnessed before. What is there in the circle of Christian effort— foreign missions, home missions, Christian tracts and literature, field preaching, circuit preaching, Bible readings, or aught else— which was not attempted by John Wesley, which was not grasped by his mighty mind through the aid of his Divine Leader? To him it was granted to arouse the English Church, when it had lost sight of Christ the Redeemer to a renewed Christian life.

By preaching the justifying and renewing of the soul through belief upon Christ, he lifted many thousands of the humbler classes of the English people from their exceeding ignorance and evil habits, and made them earnest, faithful Christians. His untiring effort made itself felt not in England alone, but in America and in continental Europe. Not only the germs of almost all the existing zeal in England on behalf of Christian truth and life are due to Methodism, but the activity stirred up in other portions of Protestant Europe we must trace indirectly, at least, to Wesley. He died in 1791 after a long life of tireless labor and unselfish service. His fervent spirit and hearty brotherhood still survives in the body that cherishes his name.

This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. Last updated on May 27, 1999

Success through Failure

2010-05-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

I wish I could tell you that you will never fail. I wish I could say that your path to success is laced with gold medals. But that would be a misrepresentation of what life demands of us.

Napoleon Hill once said "When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal."

No one is exempt from failure. Politicians are used to it though they deny it half the time. Pastors also fail. There are times when they preach sermons that are not as exciting to their audiences. Marriages fail too. We cannot even mention how many businesses fail.

Yet I believe with all my heart that failure is a gift from God that opens up opportunities which success would not open. How we interpret failure determines our transition to new levels of wealth, peace, happiness and providence.

The great Lao-Tzu said, "People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure."

Do not be discouraged by failure. It may be the best thing that can happen to you. I suggest the following five steps on how to turn your failure into success.

STEP # 1: EMBRACE FAILURE

It is wrong to run away from something that has followed you. You must ask it questions such as, "What tidings do you bring me? What have you come to do?" The greatest mistake a lot of us make is called denial. We deny our circumstances. In retrospect, what we actually say to our minds is, "Why me? I don't deserve to be here. I know I should have passed that exam. After all I studied hard." You could have studied but maybe you studied the wrong material.

STEP # 2: APPRECIATE YOUR FAILURE LESSONS

Robert Kennedy said, "There are people who ask "Why". Then there are those who ask, "Why not?" If you critically asses your life experiences, would you say that your deepest and most fulfilling lessons have been from your successes? Or did they emanate from your failures? In reality, God seems to have our total attention in failure more than in success. I encourage you to learn from your failure. Stop asking why. Ask why not?

STEP # 3: BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN RISE AGAIN

When The Titanic sunk people vowed never to set sail on cruise ships. Well bigger, better and safer ships have been built since and people are cruising their way to pleasure. World wars have come and gone and cities where almost wiped out. Yet today those cities have been rebuilt. Tables do turn my friend. I believe that a decisive, determined and focused human being can only be down for so long. Eventually, you must rise.

STEP # 4: STRENGTHEN YOUR STAMINA

The worst mistake a lot of people make is that they get paralyzed by failure and they stop thinking. They basically drown in peril and wallow in self pity. I am sorry my friend that you have failed. But now is not the time to stop or to give up. By stopping now you risk being run over by more failure. In failure, there is no rest. Rest is to be enjoyed in success. Strengthen your stamina and take on your next challenge.

STEP # 5: DO IT BIGGER AND BETTER THIS TIME

Now that you have embraced failure, you have got the lesson, and you have risen and are much stronger, I say go back and do it again. Except this time, do it bigger and better. As Marian Williamson said, "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." Arise and do it again. Do it even bigger and better. The more you dare the wiser you become. We must not shrink in the face of failure. We must shine. It is only as we shine that we alter our consciousness to the greatest breakthrough that God may have for us.

In failure, there is light. There is light in the souls of those who refuse to quit. If I told you how many times I have failed, I would not even be writing to you today. What I have done and continue to do is to build my life on bricks called failure. Yes I cry sometimes. Yes I wish I were not in some places sometimes. Yes I have failed more times than I have succeeded.

May God help you my friend. Failure is not the end of your road. Turn it into success by following the five steps. Use every block and brick that life deals you. After all, Romans says "All things work together for the good of your life."

I am still the failure who became successful. Thank you for reading.

Chemichemi Community Church - The Move

2010-05-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Chemichemi Community was started in the year 2005 and had its first meeting on Sunday July 10^th 2005 in Mwengenye Settlement Scheme with an attendance of 24 people. The meeting took place in a plot that had been set aside for a school and a church by the elders of the Settlement Scheme.

In the year 2007, the building of the main Sanctuary started and an Indian who was not a Christian donated 266 iron sheets. This was before the Post Election Violence that occurred in Kenya in 2007/2008 due to the disputed Presidential elections. During this period of violence, the company of the Indian was burnt.

In August of 2008, Pastor Pinto Kali of Nairobi Baptist Church came and there was a fundraising that realized a sum total of Kenya shillings 156,000/=. In February 2009, Don Hardman came to the Church and officially opened the Sanctuary.

On 4^th of April 2010, it was a great joy as the congregation moved in to the new building that was started in the year 2007 and Pastor Pinto Kali presided during this function and shared on the ‘LIFE OF THE CHURCH’ and stated that;

a. The Church should remain connected to its source of power who is Jesus Christ.

b. God will to test each and every thing that we do.

Ministries of C.C.C

The ministries of Chemichemi Community Church include;

Ø Children’s Ministry i.e. Junior Church

Ø Youth Ministry

Ø Nursery and Primary Schools

Ø Secondary school sponsored kids

Ø 2 young ladies at Daystar University and one young man at Nairobi University

Prayer needs of C.C.C

Ø Good health for the members of the Church

Ø Members to wholeheartedly walk with the Lord

Ø Members to be committed to the vision

The Testimony of Tobias A. Omollo at Prince of Peace Ministries-Kisumu

2009-11-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

My life at Prince of Peace Ministries in Kisumu is summarized very well with the words of David in Psalm 41.

1Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

2The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

3The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness (August/September 2008 when I was on oxygen 24/7 for three weeks at Nairobi Hospital)

4I said, "O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."

5My enemies say of me in malice. "When will he die and his name perish?"

6Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

7All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8"A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place he lies."

9Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

10But you, O Lord, have mercy on me; raise me up that I may repay them (vegeance belongs to God and not me).

11I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12In my integrity you uphold me and set me in you presence forever.

13Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel (WORLD) from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen

The Power In The Word of God

2009-10-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might for the devil is a liar. Choose to have what you say, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.” Matt. 11:23-25

Speak words that carry faith and produce life, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it, will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

Bring forth good things out of the deposit of your heart, “…for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matt. 12:34

Give voice to the word of God by declaring loudly the word of God of healing, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,” Psalm 103:2-3

Speak the word of God into your heart and let your spirit diligently search to cause your desire to come to pass, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:3-

Therefore, decree with me that any attack that comes from the enemy that touches my life is defeated completely and has no power or authority in my life through the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen and Amen.

Healing Belongs To You and Me

2009-10-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

Believe this message and it will work out for you in your life.

Isaiah 53:4-5, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgression, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.”

Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

I Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Because I believe in the forgiveness of my sins, I also believe in my total healing to because forgiveness of my sins and my healing all came as one package on the same Cross at Calvary when Jesus Christ was crucified and I declare total healing in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen and Amen.

Consecration of Bishop Nixon A. Dingili

2009-07-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

On July 19^th, 2009, the Free Methodist Church of Kenya had a maiden step with the consecration of Rev. Nixon A. Dingili as her first Bishop. The Consecration Service was held at Karinde Church which is the Kenyan Free Methodist Church Headquarters with the leadership of Rev. Dr. Bishop Elie Buconyori who is the Bishop of The Burundi General Conference and the Vice President of the World Conference of the Free Methodist Church. He was assisted by Bishop Samuel Kainamura of the Rwanda General Conference.

Dr. Elie Buconyori shared from Ephesians 2:11-22 and Mark 7:31-37 and shared about the Mission of the Free Methodist Church which in brief is ‘All people deserve to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ’.

From the Sermon, the following were emphasized;

Ø Sin destroyed the unity of creation though God created people to live in harmony with each other and to worship Him.

Ø The destroyed unity as a result of sin has been restored by Jesus Christ at His Cross where all Jews, Gentiles, Circumcised, Uncircumcised, educated and uneducated all become Christians. At the Cross of Jesus, peace prevails between God and people and people and people.

Ø The Church of Jesus Christ with Christ as her leader should be talking on behalf of those who cannot talk like orphans, widows, street children etc because when Christ becomes part of our lives as Christians in the Church, then the Church can harvest the consequences of peace amongst the communities.

Let’s keep on praying for Bishop Nixon Dingili as he shepherds the Free Methodist Church of Kenya.

24th Graduation Ceremony at NEGST (Africa International University)

2009-07-11T01:56:00.000-07:00

On the 4^th of July 2009, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (Africa International University), on its 24^th Graduation ceremony, a total of 105 students graduated with Masters Degree, Post Graduate Diplomas, Diplomas and Certificates after completing their studies. The graduands were from the following countries; Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, Benin Republic, U.S.A., Ethiopia, Burundi, South Korea, Rwanda and United Kingdom.

The theme of the graduation was ‘Truth and its Transforming Power’ from John 8:32 and the Guest Speaker was Professor John Mbiti whose graduation Address was, “‘You will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free’ (John 8:32) Towards a Christian University in Africa and its Mission in Society’”.

The speaker was giving an explanation on what is truth? And from the Address, several aspects of truth were given;

· Truth doesn’t fade

· Truth is gigantic and enormous

· Truth is powerful and invincible

· Truth gives direction and orientation

· Truth confronts individuals with burning questions

· Truth sets people free to know themselves and others as it travels slowly and steadily and it is possible for the elements of truth to remain dormant before they come out

· Truth provides shades and shelter without discrimination and it is accessible to and available at all times

· Truth is higher, deeper and broader as it contains abundant waters that quench thirst

· Truth is life giving, sustaining and self propagating as it doesn’t attack, kill or steal but instead gives rest, security and peace.

· Truth is enduring and lasting as it has eternal dimensions

Absolute truth is in and from God and cannot be uprooted by the devil neither can it be altered nor polluted by falsehood.

St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until we find rest in God.”

As believers in Jesus Christ, we already know the truth as it is clearly stated in the Bible, John 14:6, “Jesus answered; I am the Truth, the Way and the Life….” May we take our time as believers in Jesus Christ to continue sharing the Good News to all as we participate in the Great Commission as stated in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.”

God is at Work 24/7

2009-06-29T09:12:00.001-07:00

Nothing is great in the beginning stages of when God first starts working in a man's life. That man's prayers will be elementary. His efforts will be clumsy and uncoordinated. His whole sense of walking with God will be spent in the shallows. But if that man refuses to give up or if he refuses to give in, if his desire and determination and his sense of purpose will capture his emotions, then God will work with his life.

It takes time, persistence, and desire. These elements become the fuel for revivals, energy for relationship with God, and absolute authority in the Kingdom of God.

There are endless ways by which God shapes the soul of a man.

· For some all it takes is a look, as with Zacchaeus.

· For some all it takes is for them to be blinded by light, as with Paul.

· For some it takes a midnight confrontation, as with Nicodemus.

· For some it takes a noonday conversation, as with the women at the well.

The only growth worth investing in is that which grows slowly. Great men are made in stages. Not overnight.

Adapted from preachit.org

Get Up and Continue Walking

2009-06-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

In our daily lives as believers, we are encountered with so many things that we sometimes end up questioning what is really happening.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

In our walk with the Lord, we are not alone and on so many times or days, we find that we bogged up with everyday down and these downs can be easily overcome when we continue seeking and trusting upon the Lord.

These everyday down that we overcome with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, they help us to be fully equipped and others too to face the challenges and setbacks that might come our way while still waiting upon the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As believers, we ought also to realize under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that our failures in the past do not and will not define our future and should make all believers in Christ Jesus to look forward and fully trust upon the Lord to be able to achieve the life objectives that they did set and when an individual stumbles or fall, the stumbling or the falling does not make sense in the literal physical life or in the spiritual to remain down but ought to stand up and continue for the fall is not the end of your Christian walk with the lord.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we ought to pray that the Lord will bring those who will be willing to correct us in love and still be willing to take an extra mile with us.

Is It Wrong To Be Convinced/Convicted By The Holy Spirit?

2009-06-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

According to The Complete Christian Dictionary For Home, School and Office, the term ‘convinced’ means ‘to be persuaded or to persuade someone else that something is true; to cause someone to believe.’

For example, ‘I am convinced that neither life nor death...nor any powers...nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 8:38-39)

According to the New International Bible Dictionary, the term ‘conviction’ is defined as,‘the first stage of repentance, experienced when in some way the evil nature of sin has been brought home to the penitent, and it has been proved to him that he is guilty of it.’

An example of such is in Psalm 51, where David realizing he had sinned against God, is overwhelmed with sorrow for his transgression and cries out to God for forgiveness and cleansing. An example in the New Testament is found in John 16:7-11, where Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit comes, ‘he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Here the word ‘reprove’ (NIV ‘convict’) means ‘convince’ (so RSV) or ‘prove guilty.’

The thought is that the Holy Spirit addresses the heart of the guilty and shows how inadequate ordinary standards of righteousness are.

In my walk as a believer in Christ Jesus, I have come to a point where I am left wondering with how we as believers behave. I would like us to share about some two instances. The first instance is about a young man who was in his mid twenties. He refused to compromised his faith in Christ and accept teachings that were not right and were literally out of the scriptures that the church he was fellowshipping in were starting to be engaged in and even the Bishop of the Church was welcoming. The young man refused the teachings and was willing even to be taken to the Bishop of the church. When word reached the Bishop, the young man who was in college was sent out of the church and because he was being sponsored by the church, his scholarship too was cancelled immediately. The Lord was faithful and provided for his school fees until he graduated from the College with a bachelors Degree. During the time when he was sent away from the church and scholarship stopped, other believers were coming to him and telling him, ‘why couldn’t you just keep quiet and then let the church continue paying for your fees and then after graduating, you can now leave the church?’ The young man wondered how believers who truly knew the teachings were wrong would tell him that. He kept on trusting upon the lord and the Lord saw him through. In brief, I can say that this young Christian man was convinced and persuaded in the truth found in the Bible.

The second instance is about a man who was in his late thirties. This man sinned and the Holy Spirit convicted him and he went out and confessed of his sins to his family, relatives and even ministry partners that he used to work with. When the ministry partners heard of the sin he had committed, they forced him to say it before the congregation where they used to go to church. After doing all that was expected of him, the young man was shown the door and told not to fellowship in that particular church but look for another church to be going to. He eventually left the church. After he had left the church, false accusations started coming concerning him and was wondering why the Holy Spirit convicted him and the step that he took to confess his sins to other believers. In the same church during these difficult moments for this man, there are other believers who were also wondering why he shared this with the church leadership and they even told him that he was stupid.

These two instances can leave one wondering what is right to be done in their Christian walk with the Lord. I would like us to ask ourselves the following questions;

a. Should we stand for the truth of the Bible no matter the cost and the repercussions of standing for it or not?

b. When convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, should we only confess it to God and let it be our own ‘skeleton in our closets’ not known even to our spouses, relatives, mentors, pastors etc or should we be willing to be vulnerable and allow God to minister His healing in our lives.

I believe as a Christian the answer is with us in the Holy Bible and let us remember that the Holy Spirit addresses the heart of the guilty and shows how inadequate ordinary standards of righteousness are.

The Wounded Healer

2009-06-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

A quotation by Henri Nouwen from The Wounded Healer comes to mind:

"[We must] enter ourselves first of all into the center of our existence and become familiar with the complexities of our inner lives. As soon as we feel at home in our own house, discover the dark corners as well as the light spots, the closed doors as well as the drafty rooms, our confusion will evaporate, our anxiety will diminish, and we will become capable of creative work. The key word here is articulation. Those who can articulate the movements of their inner life, who can give names to their varied experiences, need no longer be victims of themselves, but are able slowly and consistently to remove the obstacles that prevent the spirit from entering. They are able to create space for Him whose heart is greater than theirs, whose eyes see more than theirs, and whose hands can heal more than theirs. This articulation, I believe, is the basis for spiritual leadership of the future, because only they who are able to articulate their own experiences can offer themselves to others as a source of clarification."

A Higher Calling

2009-06-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Are there times when you feel like switching off your mobile phone because you do not want to receive a call from your Pastor, Business partner or any other person, or when the phone rings and you see the name on the screen you don’t want to pick up the phone and talk to him or her. You just let the phone ring until it disconnects ant the person on the other side gives up.

There are times that I have done that in my own life even as a Pastor especially when I feel pressed or very low in my spirits and just needs to take a rest from nearly everything. When sharing about the ‘HIGHER CALLING’, I am not sharing about a call from Safaricom, Zain, Orange, Telkom Wireless, Vodacom, MTN or any other because after being in possession of the gadget for almost a decade, I have come to realize that there are times when call from these Companies do not go through or fail because their servers are jammed or they may be having some technical problems.

The ‘HIGHER CALLING’, am sharing with us about is that from above. A calling that is not only available to those who can afford to buy a mobile phone and the airtime but a calling that is free and for all of us who are alive.

I Thessalonians 4:3-8, ‘It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.’

God is calling us today as His sons and daughters to be;

Ø Sanctified

Ø Avoid sexual immorality

Ø Learn to control our bodies

Ø Live holy lives

Though as believers we are aware of the calling and the standards that God has set for us as his sons and daughters we still find ourselves not meeting the standards and we really feel very bad when we realize that there are things that makes us fail. It is high time believers need to be wise and alert in our Christian walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and be aware of the schemes that the enemy (devil) uses to make us unholy.

i. Fear. II Timothy 1:7, ‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.’

ii. Loneliness. II Timothy 4:16, ‘At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me.... But the Lord came to my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ’

iii. Money/Greed. I Timothy 6:9,10, ‘People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with griefs.’

iv. Immorality. I Timothy 5:1,2, ‘Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.’

v. Bitterness. Ephesians 4:31-32, ‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and forever more.

Why I Live

2009-05-31T08:16:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and might.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”

Deuteronomy 11:1 “You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances and His commandments.”

Your love for earthly relations such as that between you and your pastor, between you and your brother, between you and your sister, between you and your workmates and the list is endless should be low as compared to your love for God.

Matthew 22:37 “And He said to them, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND’”.

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

John 21:15-17

Vs 15 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to Him, Yes Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my lambs.

Vs 16 “He said to him again a second time, Simon son of John, do you love me. He said to Him, Yes Lord. You know that I love you. He said to him, Shepherd my sheep.

Vs 17 “He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me. And he said to Him. Lord you know all things; you know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Tend my sheep”.

It has been said that “You can do without loving but when you love, you will do it automatically”

The evidences that show that you love Jesus are;

a. Service. I Peter 1:12 “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look. I John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth

b. Second evidence is Surrender. John 21:18 “ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Peter surrendered to Christ Jesus and History has it clear that he refused to be crucified the same way Christ was. He was crucified upside down. His head down while his legs up.

c. The third evidence to your love for Christ Jesus is submission. John 21:19 “Now this He said signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this He said to him, Follow Me”

Valleys in a Christian's Life

2009-05-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought as a Christian that there are valleys that each and every Christian encounters in his/her life? These valleys are from the Bible and I thought of sharing with those who might have an opportunity to visit this blog.

- The first Valley is the ‘Valley of Elah’ where we have to conquer our emotional, physical and spiritual ‘Goliaths’ who their main goal is to enslave and conquer Christians. In this valley, there is war and there is no substitute for war. You are either victorious or defeated.

- The second Valley is the ‘Valley of shadow of Death’. Psalm 23:4. In this Valley, as Christians we should not allow fears to take control of our lives for the Lord is always with us and it is in this Valley that as Christians we get disciplined by our Father who really loves us. Read more on what the Jewish shepherds used to do with their rods and staffs while taking care of their sheep and you will see how correction brings comfort in the Valley of the shadow of death.

- The third valley is the ‘Valley of Fears’. I Samuel 30:4. This is the worst day of your life. The day when your nightmare becomes a reality. This is a time when trouble hits you so much that you feel as if the earth has come to an end. When trouble hits us so much as Christians, what do we do? Do we go ahead and weep or what do we do? Psalm 30:5 (b) ‘Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.’ Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ Ecclesiastes 3:4 (a) ‘A time to weep and a time to laugh.’

God bless you richly.

Spaceships will Never be Eagles

2009-04-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Jamie Buckingham of Melbourne, Florida shares about Spaceship Columbia in the book ‘Power for Living’ by saying that the spaceship was a magnificent scientific feat but its power to leave the earth and stay aloft was created by man.

Eagles because of their ability to find the thermals are able to stay aloft indefinitely, often without even moving their great wings. Spaceship Columbia was not an eagle and as a result it was destined to fall to the earth.

The problem with all of us is that we have a certain amount of natural power, but for some reason we do not have enough to make it all the way to the end. A few seem to get a good start, but even they fall to earth in the long run. And the rest of us never do even get off the launching pad. We just sit there and sputter. Sometimes we don’t even have enough power to do that, and the first little breeze that comes along topples us into the dust where we lay forgotten as though we never existed in the first place.

Recently a group of highly successful people, people who have risen to the top of their profession, were asked about their lives. These people are not hunks of metal, destined to come tumbling down sooner or later. They are like true eagles soaring the heights. When they were asked about the power that keeps them aloft, they all gave the same answer. God.

That’s right; they said their power for living came from a personal relationship with God. Unlike the spaceship Columbia, which was put aloft by man’s efforts, they all said they had tried man’s way and found it empty. But when they turned to God and allowed Him to control their lives, they began to soar.

“God?” you say. “Well, He might be able to help folks who already have made it. But what about me?”

Wait a minute. God is not just for the famous, or the rich, or those nice folks who dress up to go to church or the synagogue. God is for everyone. He loves those who are helpless. He loves the alcoholics, the drug addicts, those who have lost power and are tumbling end over end in space, headed for a sure crack-up (unless they burn out first on reentry). He loves the fellow who’s out of work, the homemaker caught in the web of adultery, the lonely teenager, the frustrated businessman. He loves you. And if you will let Him, He will not only direct your path, but will give you power to live.

Isaiah wrote about this long time ago when he said: “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Adapted from Power For Living by Jamie Buckingham

Bishop Dingili and Bob Rogers Visits the Akellohs at NEGST

2009-04-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

We praise the Lord for giving us another opportunity to be visited with Bishop Nixon Dingili and Bob Rogers at NEGST. These ministers of the Lord have been a blessing to us and we really cherish the friendship that started in the year 2000 to date.

It was a blessing to have these fellow ministers of the Word come and fellowship with us as a family.

Bishop Nixon Dingili (The 1st Bishop of FMCK)

2009-04-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Please join us in praising the Lord with the Free Methodist Church of Kenya in her historic step by electing her first Bishop Rev. Nixon A. Dingili. Bishop Dingili has been a pastor in Kericho, South Rift District Supt. and National Supt before the church gave him the responsibility of taking care of the Kenya General Conference. (Picture Left to Right; Rev. Patrick Musigali, Mrs. Susan Akelloh, Pastor Tobias Akelloh, Bishop Nixon Dingili and Rev. Neddy Dingili 9th March 2009)

Bishop Dingili is married to Rev. Neddy Dingili who is the Bible School Director of the Free Methodist Bible School in Kenya and the Lord has blessed them with two beatiful kids Leslie and Keslie.

Be lifting them up before the Lord as this task is not an easy one. May the good Lord grant him wisdom as he takes care of the flock

In the name of 'privacy'

2009-03-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

When God created man in His own image and likeness as clearly stated in the Scriptures and I believe in this as the origin of man, one of the reasons for this was for fellowship which was to be very intimate with Himself and I believe that He wants and desires that fellowship to continue in the world today with Him and with fellow human beings.

In the name of ‘privacy and silence’, our contemporary society has come to a point where we have disconnected ourselves with one another, be alone and eventually being lonely which results into depression and desperation. What is the result of all this; drug abuse, low ethical standards in the community, high rate of suicide, shootings and killings in various learning institutions.

I have a conviction that it is time for us to start accepting to hear the ‘noise’ that comes from our neighbors and friends and reconnect back to enjoy the fellowship that comes from our Creator.

Success through Failure

2009-03-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

While reading your Bible at least once every year as it is the custom of many Christians and is highly recommended to many other Christians worldwide, have you ever come to the passage of scripture in Genesis 9:20-23 where Noah became drunk and ended up being naked, how about the passage in Genesis 20:1-6 where Abraham lies to Abimelech about his wife Sarah and God nearly strikes the King dead. As if these examples are not enough, the Bible continues to give an account of Moses exalting himself and striking the Rock instead of talking to it as he has been instructed by God and this costed him the price of entering the Promised Land.(Numbers 20:7-13). How about Elijah’s murmurings in I Kings 19 after the contest with the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel? Have you also read in II Samuel 11 about David’s great ‘double sin’ of having a sexual affair with Uriah’s wife and also making Uriah be killed in the battle field? Or Jonah’s rebellious spirit for not wanting to go to Nineveh to deliver the message of the Lord and instead running to Tarshish which made the sailors and business people lost a lot of ‘money’ by throwing their goods into the sea? How about Peter’s denial of our Lord Jesus Christ on the night when He was about to be crucified on the Cross because of the sins of all humankind? How about the passage in Acts 15:36-41 where Paul not wanting to go to mission work with John Mark because he had earlier deserted them and as a result a sharp disagreement coming up between Paul and Barnabas and Barnabas taking John Mark and sailing with him to Cyprus while Paul takes Silas and goes through ‘Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches.’?

These Bible characters are some of the noblest ones in the whole Bible and it is very rare in one’s Christian walk not to hear about their stories. As I was trying to reflect on them, I came to realize that they failed in their walk with the Lord in one way or another as the stories tell clearly but at the same time, they did not remain in the state of being failures but started again afresh and continued to serve the Lord.

Have you ever felt like being a failure in your walk with the Lord and thought that you have completely missed it out, I would like to encourage us all that we still have the potential of being successful through failing when we go back to the Lord with all our hearts and ask of Him to remould us again for ‘we are the clay and He is the potter.’

“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.” Charles Noble.

“Success is that way just a little after the splat. It is not time yet to throw in the towel.” Unknown Guru
God bless you richly

17th Spiritual Birthday

2009-03-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

On March 8th 1992, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Today as I celebrate my 17th Spiritual birthday, I would like to share with you the story of the eagle which I have heard others share with me. I have been told that an eagle has a life span of between forty to seventy years. The first forty years are like normal but in order for it to get to seventy, then it has to be willing to take an extra step.
As it keeps maturing, its beak and claws start becoming weak as a result of the continuous growth and by the time it gets forty, it is not a good hunter as before when its beak and claws were strong. Due to this, the eagle takes a maiden trip to its nest where it first starts by hitting its long beak hard on the rock until it breaks and a new one starts growing. After the beak growing, it uses it to remove its long claws from its legs and after the growth of the claws and the new beak; it then uses them to pluck the thick feathers on its chest and wings in order for new ones to grow. After the eagle growing new beak, claws and feathers, it leaves its nest and comes back and it can come and live for the next thirty years being effective in its hunting skills until it reaches seventy.
As I celebrate this birthday today, it is my sincere prayer that I learn from the eagles and what they do in order for them to continue living until they reach their peak. I pray that God will help me remove the overgrown claws, overgrown beak and the thick feathers that make me become less effective in my walk with the Lord by confessing both known and unknown sins, read my Bible daily, fellowship with other believers and continue trusting the Lord to help me grow a new beak, claws and feathers.
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.

Prince of Peace Sanctuary in Kisumu

2009-01-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

In November 2008, the Lord enabled the Prince of Peace ministries Church in Obunga slums to have it's roof completed. The contractor is currently doing the final touches on the walls of the Church building. We give all the glory to God for His faithfulness in providing the funds that were needed for the completion of this sanctuary. It is our prayer as a family that it will be used for the glory and honor of God

Study to show yourself approved

2008-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

In September 2007, my wife Susan Akelloh joined Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology for a M.Div in Christian Education. She is done with her fisrt year and is now joining second year. Pray for her studies at NEGST.

God bless and thanks for being part and parcel of our lives

A Fast Pleasing Unto the Lord

2006-09-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

Don Chapman said, "Pray as you can, not as you cannot".

When the Lord joined my family with that of Bob and Karen Rogers in February 2000, nobody knew what was lying ahead in the Ministry that the Lord had called us in. Early this year, Bob Rogers, Pat Palmer and Rev. Nixon Dingili-National Supt of Free-Methodist Church in Kenya visited to see the work of the Lord we are doing in Obunga Estate in Kisumu. I involved the three in praying for the sick, had a house fellowship, shared meals together and had an opportunity to minister to a group of people suffering from HIV/AIDS and had accepted their condition. We visited with them the small farm that the Group cultivates vegetables to supplement their income and also to provide for them meals. The team prayed with us and the Group members in the farm and then they left for the USA.

After much prayers and waiting upon the Lord, I one day got an e-mail from Bob telling me that the Lord was speaking to them on a personal way as a family to help this Group. I did not know what was happening until last week when Rev. Nixon Dingili came to Kisumu and shared with me the blessing that the Lord had given to this Group. It was $,1,000 donation cash to support this Group.

As we continue serving the Lord here in Kisumu, we are really grateful for all that you have done in person and as a group and as a prayer partner. I really thank God for you.

As we continue being partners in this Ministry, please reflect on the words of Isaiah 58:6-12

POP Kisumu Fighting HIV/AIDS in Kisumu!

2006-08-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

HIV/AIDS is a reality and we are here to make every effort to fight this scourge. Through the efforts put together with our sister Church Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas USA, we were able to buy a water pump to St. Vincent DePaul Community Group which is a group made up of people living with HIV/AIDS in Obunga in order for them to use for irrigation in their farm. Thanks to our Sister Lauren Zaruba for all the efforts made.

Secondly, POP Kisumu in conjuction with our short term missionaries who visited us in June, were able to buy pairs of goats to Tido PLWHA group to help them get some income and also raise their living standards. The families and the entire group is really grateful to our missionaries and above all to God who made this possible. We give all the glory to Jesus our Savior.

POP- Like a mother caring for her little children!

2006-08-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians 2:7
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.

Prince of Peace Ministries Kisumu-Kenya in conjuction with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas, USA have been working hard to support New Life Homes in Kisumu. New Life Homes is a ministry that is taking care of abandoned children. Most of these young ones are HIV Positive. POP Kisumu has been trying to give them what they lack most-parental touch.

Obunga Estate Will Never Be The Same Again!

2006-08-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

The history of Obunga is well known. Ask somebody in Kisumu about Obunga estate and the person will tell you of all the vices that are present in this community. Nobody will be willing to tell you that there is anything good. They will talk about local brew, drug abuse, child abuse and poor living conditions.

Thanks to God who says in his word that 'His ways are not our ways neither are His thoughts our thoughts'. The Lord is moving in Obunga in his own Mighty way and souls are accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
You can be part and parcel of this change by particiapting through prayers or supporting financially.

A Place Where the Grace & Love Abound!

2006-08-03T01:48:00.000-07:00

God At Work in Kisumu!

2006-08-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

POP- A Beacon of Hope!

2006-07-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Personal Profile

2006-07-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Pastor Tobias carrying Prudence & Oscardave.

The dedication of Prince of Peace Kisumu-Kenya by Rev. Oscar Benavides and Pastor Tobias A. Omollo