The first two churches in which I preached were known to me
from our teaching and visiting last September. At that time, Jesus Cares Center
declared that I was the first missionary to have ever come to their area. It’d
been long since that teaching and reconnecting with these people to encourage
them was most definitely a highlight.
The second two churches were new to me, I think Pr Tsofa
knows everyone in coastal Kenya, and were equally as welcoming as the first
two. The hope of returning for teaching sounds in all of our hearts. People in
far away villages never really believe any muzungu will come to them let alone
return, so this was the perfect opportunity to show them the love of Jesus and
to deliver the message called “Love Written in Blood.”
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| Adu Baptist Church, Adu |
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| Jesus Cares Center, Adu |
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| Shomela Pentecostal Church, Shomela |
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| Majengo Calvary Hurch, Wakala |
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| After church activities remind me of Little House on the Prarie |
A man was in a train accident
and lay unconscious for hours. When he woke he realized he was lying in a pool
of his own blood. Believing he was sure to die, he dipped his fingers in his
own blood and left the words “I love you” on the back of the train seat in
front of him (an exceedingly summarized true story). Love written in blood.
Did you know someone has left
you a message of love written in his own blood? Jesus Christ.
Like the man who wrote his
message in blood as a reminder to his family, Jesus gave us “the cup” (communion,
a symbol of his shed blood) as a reminder of his love for us (Luke 22:20). And
what is that message of love?
1.
Christ's death shows us love's duty. Jesus said in
John 12:27, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father,
save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this
hour."
2.
Christ's death shows us love's determination. “From
that time forth Jesus began to show his disciples how he must go unto
Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).
3.
Christ's death shows us love's depths. A woman
left her husband for another man and after living with him for a year decided
she wanted to return. Her husband had been praying for her, and gladly welcomed
her back. Though many of his friends told him he was "crazy" for
taking her back. "Jesus doesn't quit me no matter how I treat
Him. I can at least try to treat my wife the same way," he
said.
Number 3 is particularly poignant in a culture where men can
have as many wives as they like and where village women are so deeply dependent
on their men. So this small story spoke very powerfully to the congregations
about the depth of love Christ has for us.
From the end of the sermon we asked the group if they
believed in Jesus, if they knew he loved them, and if they wanted to be part of
his family forever. Alter calls like this, particularly with a muzungu
preaching, often result in every body standing to accept Jesus and so we left
them all in the hands of the capable pastors as we excused ourselves for our
next church.
I am so blessed! Thank you for making it possible for me to
be part of such an important tour.