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Tonny Gobanga

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Truth or Lies?

We know form Jn 8:44 that the devil is the father of ALL lies, but when He told Adam & Eve in Genesis that if they eat the forbidden fruit they will know evil and good , was he telling the truth or did he lie to them?

To Err is Human....WAtch out!!!

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the
other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand.
He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies,
not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the head
abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small
error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that
error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.
The head monk, says, 'We have been copying from the copies for
centuries, but you make a good point, my son.'

He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the
original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that
hasn't been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go by and nobody sees
the old abbot.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees
him banging his head against the wall and wailing.
We missed the R ! We missed the R ! We missed the R !'

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying
uncontrollably. The young monk asks the old abbot, 'What's wrong,
father?'
With a choking voice, the old abbot replies, 'The word was...

CELEBRATE !!

The passion to Know Love and become like Jesus

This is one of the Navigator Core values. Someone once described it as the Core to the Core.

Core values are the central motivations imprinted in our hearts. When you take them away from us, we loose our identity

Definitions:

Passion – Fervor, ardor, craze, zeal, enthusiasm, excitement, Obsession, oomph drive.
Passion drives you to do the unthinkable (David and Goliath, the woman with the issue of blood)

Know “Ginosko” perceive, realize, recognize, understand.
John 13:12 ,15:8
Knowledge “Epignosis” the power of knowing facts, information, knowledge that a person has acquired thru education or experience.

Know – intimacy Adam ‘knew’ Eve and….

Knowing precedes knowledge, U must have a desire to get info then we can say that U are knowledgeable .

As I go thru life I get to see God in many new ways and I experience Christ in new dimensions at times I think I have know Him only for him to reveal another facet of Himself that I had no clue existed.

The daily experiences cumulatively form the Knowledge of God in my life and that forms the basis of my faith.

Love: A strong feeling of affection and concern for a person or people.
Romantic feelings towards the opposite sex.
1 Cor 13


CHRIST.
Colossians 2.

Over 30times, the law and the prophets talked about a messiah and all the prophecies were fulfilled with astonishing accuracy.

We also have what Theologians call Christophany or Theophany when a’ type’ of Christ appears in the OT. Melchizedek, The mighty warrior outside Jericho.

All these different men lived at different times but they had a commonality in their message – Christ.

Jewish historians described Jesus as the ‘Desire of women”
Isaiah 9:6-7 wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

Jesus enters the N.T in a dramatic way … an angel announced his birth. His dad a mere carpenter, born in a stable with no gynecologist.

The atmosphere in that part of the world changed, that shepherds and wise men could not just go about their own business, they had to look for him and pay homage.

At day 1 he was No. 1 on King Herod’s most wanted list – newspapers “baby JC wanted dead or alive!”
As an infant he became an IPD in Africa.
At age 12 he was engaging the MOGs in a theological debate and they were awed by his wisdom.

Fast 4ward at age 30, John the Baptist did what a good MC should do, he introduced him to the world and said, “behold the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”

At that moment, the Spirit of God landed on him like a dove and God gave a testimony about him saying, “That is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased!’
Even b4 JC had done anything, the father approved him, why did he do this?

WHY CHRIST?

Some philosophers talk about him as a great teacher.
Muslims refer to him as the greatest prophet.
JWs call him the 1st creation of God b4 creation!
Moonists call him the imperfect Adam because he didn’t have a wife.
Skeptics dismiss him as a myth (Zeitegist documentary)

But we who are born again need to know him intimately and to be fully persuaded that He is the one and only true messiah and the answer to ALL our problems.

Adam messed up in the garden of Eden and we became alienated from God, His wrath was aroused and somebody had to pay for that.

The torah instituted animal sacrifices that took care of man’s sins 4 a while by merely pacifying God but not satisfying him.

We need someone to act on our behalf 1 Tim 2:5 ….For there is one mediator….

John 1:1-18

Jesus knew his mission, after his temptation in the wilderness he began preaching on repentance and recruiting disciples, he only had 3yrs so he had to become deliberate and intentional.

He healed the sick, preached to multitudes, prayed and raised the dead….

He was bad news, if he wasn’t ruffling feathers with the Pharisees, he was bust turning tables in the temple, he touched a raw nerve. His publicity spread like wild bush fire, like ash thrown in the wind, he must have been the talk of the town.

He didn’t contradict or seek to obliterate the law, he came as a culmination of all things, past present and future.

His success rate was beyond compare, a resounding 100%, unmatched, unchallenged and undefeated.

He impacted the lives of men and women by imparting life into them
Love him or hate him, U couldn’t help but notice him, he was a radical, he went against the norm.
He did away with ritualistic religion and introduced us to a lifestyle; he was the greatest role model.

He allowed us to a glimpse of divine glory at the transfiguration
He allowed us to see his humanity when he was hungry and when he was tired.
He was real and genuine and unlike our Mps, he paid his taxes


Some of His titles
Gods chosen servant, Lord of Lords
Bright and morning star Prince of peace
The lily of the valley Alpha and Omega
The captain of our salvation Emmanuel, God with us!
The sinless son of God King of Kings
The Lamb of God Royal diadem
The truth The messiah
The I am

The Nature of Christ

John 14:6 a bodacious statement “ I am the way, the truth and the life…”
He is interesting because he does things in a reverse manner, call it orthodox.
He brought healing thru being bruised and being whipped
He eased pain thru being pierced
He brought freedom thru being persecuted
He brought us life thru dying
He is immutable and He is infinite

Col 1:15-20 he is the image of the invisible God…

At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light….

At the cross he dealt with my sin and its power and Im reminded about the need to crucify my flesh and how I need to die daily.

Several things happened when he hung there, the sun refused to shine and there was an eclipse, deep darkness engulfed the earth for 3hrs.

There was an earthquake and tombs broke open and many holy people resurrected and appeared to many as a testimony

The curtain in the temple tore in the middle from top to bottom thereby giving me direct access to the father

A centurion, a gentile, who observed this things got convicted and said surely this man..Was the son of God

There was a missionary who tried to reach one of the indigenous communities in Africa, he preached he built a hospital but with no apparent success.

He was so discouraged, at one time he got supplies from abroad and in there were pineapples which he really loved, he planted them and the villagers began stealing form him, he bought a dog to keep them at bay and one day as he was praying God convicted him to allow the villagers to eat his pineapples.

When he did this the villagers were shocked and said, “ We now think that U are saved, U have been preaching to us but it looks like u didn’t have God, but the fact that U have allowed us to eat your fruits, well looks like its working , you have found God and we will get saved.

Is it possible that sinners can catch a revelation of God that we who purport to be Christians can’t see….? That’s scary!

His death is a biblical truth as well as a historical fact.
We must believe in the Cross of Christ because its our central message. 1 cor 1:22 and 2:22
Phil 3:7-16 and Phil 2:6-11

Ezekiel 33: 10-20

Anyone with complimentary verses?

Thanx in advance :>

Typical conficts:Science and Evolution...

Creation science & evolution: Many conservative Christians believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. Although they have are many competing theories over details, many conclude that a literal interpretation of Genesis in the Hebrew Scriptures indicates that God created the world during a six day period. 

Scientists have reached a near consensus that the universe is about 14 billion years old and that the Earth coalesced about 4.5 billion years ago. 

Homosexuality: Human sexuality researchers and therapists have reached a near consensus that homosexuality is a minority sexual orientation, one of three natural, normal orientations, mainly caused by genes; it is unchosen and unchangeable.  Many religious conservatives believe that it is an unnatural, abnormal lifestyle, mainly caused by inadequate parenting; it is chosen, and can be changed.

Your thoughts please...

MASII MISSION

These are pictures of Masii evangelistic campaign organized by the Masii Christian Chapel. Masii is a small town located 24 KM from Machakos town. This is where i have grown up.The mission included soccer

tournament, door to door and open air crusade. We had the opportunity of sharing the gospel with youth people in the soccer tournament. After the soccer tournament we headed to MIRAA COURT. Masii has been hard hit by the issue of drug abuse. In miraa court we had the chance to bond we those guys and inviting them for a cinema that was happening that evening. We thank the lord for one guy called STANO whom we meet at the miraa court and later after the cinema and guess what? The guy gave his life to Christ. One month after the mission I met the guy and he is doing okay. We strong believe that the lord we sustain Him in the midst of challenges. One of them being kuwa jobless. On Sunday we attended open air service where one of us –Mr. Evans Ragai shared his testimony and what? It came out strongly touching lives of many especially youth. All through we thank the lord for the opportunity of advancing the gospel even for that one soul. Much thanks to Nelson munyiri mirisho, Chris wanjagi njoroge and Evans Ragai for their participation. Also my boy Morris mwaura who really wanted to come but studio work was a lot. Also Hirum Thumbi for your support. And all guys who were praying for us hata wale walizusha sikuwaambia - we were working with a short notice.

OMODO: Is he a Christian?

By Walter Trobisch

On one of my trips I worshiped in African church where nobody knew
me. After the service I talked to 2 boys who had also attended. “How
many sisters do you have?” I asked the first one.
“Three”
“Are they all from the same stomach?”
“Yes, my dad is a Christian.”
“How about you?” I asked the other boy. He hesitated. In his mind he
was adding up. I knew immediately that He was coming from a polygamous
home. “We are nine” he finally said.
“Is your dad a Christian?”
“No, he is a polygamist” (Mindset….truth or perception?)
“Yes, my brothers and sister too.” He added proudly (Notice something
about this question there is something amiss….
“And their mothers?”
“All 3 of them are but only the 1st wife takes Holy Communion “
“Take me to your father” I said.

The boy led me to a compound with many individual houses …it breathed
an atmosphere of cleanliness, order and wealth. Each wife had her own
kitchen. The father, a middle aged good looking man, tall, fat and
impressive, welcomed me without any embarrassment and with apparent
joy. His name Omodo was well educated, wide awake and intelligent,
with a sharp wit and a rare sense of humour. From the onset he made no
apologies of being a polygamist, he was proud of it.

the 90%-10% principle.......

Hallo people,
hope you have been having a good and if not so good week well here is something that can change how your next week will be. It’s called the 90/10 Principle by
Stephen Covey.
10% of life is made up of what happens to you.
…90% of life is decided by how you react…
What does this mean?
Well let us use an example

There’s a man who is having breakfast with his family, suddenly his daughter knocks over his cup of coffee onto his business shirt. He had no control over what just happened.
But what happens next will be determined by how he reacts.

If he curses and harshly scolds his daughter for knocking the cup over, she breaks down in tears. After scolding her, he turns to his wife and he criticizes her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table and a short verbal battle follows. He storm upstairs and change his shirt. Back downstairs, he finds his daughter has been too busy crying to finish her breakfast and getting ready to go to school. She misses the bus and rushes to the car and drives his daughter to school. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60.00 traffic fine away for driving 40 miles per hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone., he arrives at school and his daughter runs into school alighting from the car without saying goodbye. He then arrives at the office 20 minute late, and he realizes he forgot his briefcase.

His day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.
When he arrives home, he find a small wedge in his relationship with his wife and daughter. Why? Because of how he reacted in the morning.

Here is what could have and should have happened.
Coffee splashes over his daughter is about to cry.
He gently says:
“It’s okay, honey, you just need to be
More careful next time.”
Grabbing a towel he goes upstairs and changes his shirt. He grabs his briefcase and comes back down in time to look through the window and see his child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. He arrives 5 minutes early to work.
Notice the difference?
So if someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge.
Let the attack roll off like water on glass you do not have to let the negative comments
affect you....
It only takes willpower to give ourselves permission to make the experience.

Absolutely everything we do, give, say, or even think, it’s like a Boomerang. It will come back to us...
Have a luvly week y’all

Turning Impossibilities to Possibilities!

Preaching at the Fundraising dinner, Imani baptist church.

TURNING IMPOSIBILITIES INTO POSSIBILITIES. Part 2

“David the Dazzling Daring Dude slays Goliath, the Glaring Giant from Gath.”

Word gets to Saul that a volunteer has been found. When David stands b4 Saul he produces his resume. Notice one thing, he did not tell the other soldiers nor his brothers about his escapades with the Lion and the Bear, perhaps they wouldn’t have listened to him, rather at the right time, at the opportune moment b4 the right guy, he chose to tell Saul what he had accomplished.

When faced with a daunting task, you need to know when to shut up, when to talk and whom to talk to because you will hear strange voices that may discourage you.

When Saul heard all these he decided to give David his Armor, to equip him for the fight…Now that’s where you and I go wrong. God has given us a promise for some insurmountable task and we fear that somehow he may not come fully for us so we try to help God with our own way which is no way at all because God is not weak and He is jealous, he is particularly keen on getting ALL the glory!

We live in a fallen world with imperfect systems and as a result we will from time to time be confronted with tough situations, big challenges ahead of us. Some of you have been in this tough situation for a very long time, it has worn you out. Just like the Israelite nation, as u go to sleep its right there with you, when you wake up in the morning, it is staring at your face reminding you of your weaknesses, your inabilities, your inadequacies, your lack of ambition and you don’t know what to do. You feel terrified.

You may have reached at the end of the rope and you are feeling flustered, that is the best place to be because you have run out of options and you are at the brink of a precipice. It is important that you realize your limitations because that is where Saul was, he had to come to terms with the fact that he was scared, he went against his better judgment to allow David to face Goliath

TURNING IMPOSIBILITIES INTO POSSIBILITIES. Part 1

“David the Dazzling Daring Dude slays Goliath, the Glaring Giant from Gath.”

This is a story which evolves much like a movie.

The setting is in the valley of Elah. Goliath the philistine champion is on one side with his army and King Saul is on the other side.

For 40days everyday morning and evening with unyielding consistency, this humongous gigantic Hercules ,Goliath  about 9 .9” tall comes out and dares the Israelites to send him one man to fight him so as to determine the outcome and destiny of either side.

No one ,not one person not even Saul who apparently was the tallest in Israel and most impressive would dare stand up to this guy, They were terrified, they were scared stiff of this grizzly looking mean giant who was determined to make minced meat out of them. He was intimidating and he looked unbeatable…unbwogable.

The enters the scene a youth, a young handsome lad 17yrs of age, his current occupation, a shepherd &part time musician who occasionally plays the harp for king Saul. He has been sent to take food to his brothers and the moment he hears the insults of Goliath..unlike the rest of the crew, he is not dismayed, he asks

“What will be done to the guy who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace form Israel?” Remember he is not a trained warrior, he doesn’t have the papers nor the qualifications. As a matter of fact all the people with impeccable credentials were shaking in their boots, they shied away despite the fact that it had great perks.

• You will receive great wealth (not riches there is a huge difference )
• You get to marry the Kings daughter ( no tuning, no courtship ,no dowry) free
• You and your family gets tax exemption( just like our Kenyan MPs)
  
  
  
  
  
  

My ALL that!

Jesus is All that,
And he did ALL that!
He is before All that,
And in Him ALL that holds together.
Without Him, ALL that can never be,
With Him All that is..because He is ALL that.

I love you Jesus.

postmodernity

Postmodernism – world’s way of thinking
Why we should care

“Michael Jackson is dead. I don’t have to believe it if I don’t want to.”
Kenyan teenager.

‘Postmodernism’ is a word which simply sums up the way much of the world thinks today. It includes these viewpoints:
There is no objective absolute truth. ‘Truth’ is what you believe it to be. Something can be “true for you, but not true for me”.
‘Choice’ is a big virtue in our consumer society. And choice extends to value systems, beliefs, and lifestyle choices. All are seen as equally valid. Choice of religious belief is by mix and match – whatever you feel comfortable with.
Postmodernist thinking therefore encourages choose-it-yourself beliefs within the New Age spectrum. The world today relates closely to the postmodern view – everyone is free to offer, or find, any viewpoint.

We must present (package) the Gospel differently in a postmodern situation. People may not initially be interested in our version of truth, especially if it is presented dogmatically and without humor. However, they may well be interested in solutions which meet the problems they face in life. How? Discuss this………


Why it matters
It is important that we should help Christians (our generation) to understand the way postmodernism affects the world, the Church, and communication. Surveys suggest that a frighteningly large percentage of apparently professing Christians now claim not to believe in a range of absolutes at all. Do you believe in absolutes? Discuss and name a few?

Alabaster Moment.!

Three times we meet this woman in the gospels and
three times we see her at Jesus' feet,
her attitude, her posture
was one of worship.
In Mark 14. We meet her at the house of Simon, the Pharisee,
she entered a house full of people ,
not caring what people would think or say ,
even though they knew her,
they had her Cv but she was bold enough to go to Jesus.

Armed with her alabaster jar,
she placed it beside and began kissing his feet...
his dusty maybe smelly feet
which hadn't been washed...
she kissed them...she showed Jesus affection ,
she didn't care about the germs or anything...
she just kissed his feet some more and then she wept....

These were not just one or two tear drops
she wept ...she poured out her heart
a pool or if you would a flood of tears enough to wash the masters feet....
what sincerity....what genuineness
Then she took her hair,
the bible describes the hair of a woman as her glory.....
we really value our hair,
she could have used a towel
or a rug or her dress
but she used her hair to wipe His feet....
The masters feet,
The feet of Jesus.

Does the Bible contain errors, contradictions, or discrepancies?

A question that I keep encountering many times. I will try to tackle it as best as i can.

If we read the Bible at face value, without a preconceived bias for finding errors, we will find it to be a coherent, consistent, and relatively easy-to-understand book. Yes, there are difficult passages. Yes, there are verses that appear to contradict each other.

We must remember that the Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years. Each writer wrote with a different style, from a different perspective, to a different audience, for a different purpose. We should expect some "minor differences." However, a difference is not a contradiction. It is only an error if there is absolutely no conceivable way the verses or passages can be reconciled. Even if an answer is not available right now, that does not mean an answer does not exist. Many have found a supposed error in the Bible in relation to history or geography only to find out that the Bible is correct once further archaeological evidence is discovered.

CAT

PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS. C.A.T.

1. Define hermeneutics……………………………………………………………………
2. De fine biblical hermeneutics …………………………………………………………. ……..………………………………………………………………….............................
3. Define exegesis ………………………………………………………………………..
4. Give 3 purposes of biblical hermeneutics:
• …………………………………………………………………………………
• …………………………………………………………………………………
• …………………………………………………………………………………

5. What is the most important law of biblical hermeneutics? ……………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Biblical hermeneutics points us to the ……………………………and application of scripture.
7. Define
• Revelation ……………………………………………………………………….
• Inspiration………………………………………………………………………..
• Illumination………………………………………………………………………

8. The literal meaning is ………………….. ……… to any symbolic or allegorical meaning.
9. The golden rule of interpretation states that , “When …………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
10. The O.T is the N.T………………………and the N.T is the O.T …………………….
11. The bible was written in 3 languages:
• …………………………………..
• …………………………………..
• …………………………………..

12. In the accommodation principle, God the ……………..is communicating with man the …………………………..
13.”No part of the bible may be interpreted so as to contradict any other part of the bible”, what is this principle called? .................................................................................
14. Define this statement, “Allowing the implicit to explain the explicit.” ……………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
15. What is the Original meaning of the Greek word, “Kolasis”? ………………………
16. What is the 1st century meaning of the word “Kolasis”? ……………………………..
17. Give me one of the 6 principles that you have already learnt (been taught) which are not in your pamphlet .eg Words have meaning etc. ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………

Biblical hermeneutics

Biblical hermeneutics could be summarized best by 2 Timothy 2:15,

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Biblical hermeneutics is the science of knowing how to properly interpret the various types of literature found in the Bible. eg, a psalm should often be interpreted differently than a prophecy. A proverb should be understood and applied differently from a law. This is the purpose of biblical hermeneutics - to help us to know how to interpret, understand, and apply the Bible.


The most important law of biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally. This means you understand the Bible in its normal/plain meaning. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. Many make the mistake of trying to read between the lines and come up with meanings for Scriptures that are not truly in the text. Yes, of course, there are some spiritual truths behind the plain meanings of Scripture. That does not mean that every Scripture has a hidden spiritual truth, or that it should be our goal to find all such spiritual truths. Biblical hermeneutics keeps us faithful to the intended meaning of Scripture and away from allegorizing and symbolizing Bible verses and passages that should be understood literally.

My Stench and His love

Trapped in the mire,
Bogged by indecision,
all around me
still i desire to go ,
I trudge and grope around...
I cant find my way,
I ... think Im Lost....

It begins to rain,
I cant run... in fact Im now sinking
Slowly but surely,
I try calling out but my voice is lost..
soon hailstones from above
begin to rain on me,
It feels like 1000 blows raining on me simultaneously,
Im in pain....Im hurting
I feel like crying
I feel dejected,despondent,
depressed,sad,
Im sinking in the doldrums.....
all around me is thorny,
It feels like many sharp broke bottles are there
pricking my torso
and my feet are giving way

The Wrath of God vis-a-vis the Grace of God

"In order to fully grasp the grace of God , we must understand the wrath of God!" - Temwani Weche



This was a quote my friend told me recently and it just blew my mind.

this has no direct scripture reference(quote) but its a conclusion made when you synthesize it as part of the whole counsel of God's word. IN the OT God dealt with guys hapo na hapo ...when Adam sinned his wrath was aroused and it had to be satisfied.

All the levitical sacrifices merely pacified him(the sins were atoned for) until Christ came and introduced grace and when he died on the cross, he became our propitiatory sacrifice and God's was totally satisfied (past,present and future sins) were catered for.

Now this is grace because what U and I deserve is Death, his wrath but then he gives us his unmerited favor and extends MERCY so that we are declared, righteous...blameless even when we sin, hence the doctrine of eternal security.

When U read Revelation as from chapter 15 and u see judgment, u see how awful and how bad his wrath is and what kind of business will be going on there esp. chapter 16...

The Veracity of the Bible.

The Unity of scripture.

A collection of 66 individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more than 40 authors who came from many walks of life, the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words which God moved men to record.


Prophecy in Scripture.

The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, certain cities, and mankind....even upto today as i type this content..scripture is being fulfilled right in front of us. Prophecies concern the coming the Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those by men such as Nostradamus, biblical prophecies are extremely detailed. There are over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and His lineage, but also how He would die and that He would rise again. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible contains.

Divine Origin.

Its unique authority and power is simply amazing. While this evidence is more subjective than the first two, it is no less a powerful testimony of the divine origin of the Bible. The Bible’s authority is unlike any other book ever written. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word. Drug addicts have been cured by it, homosexuals set free by it, derelicts and deadbeats transformed by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners rebuked by it, and hate turned to love by it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.