THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD....

IN TODAY'S DAILY NATION, here in Kenya, and on page 16 inside the paper is a small article entitled 'Pluralism in the Religious Sector'. The writer refers to an atheistic advertising campaign using 800 buses in England on which is postered the words

'THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD.

NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.'

Not a very inspiring suggestion! But not in any way unexpected. This kind of thing will only increase, and more and more psychological attack on faith in general is going to be put in place and utilised in order that mankind may be totally delivered and set free from all moral order and integrity. The TRUTH is, of course, that if there IS no God, then we will find ourselves with even more to worry about and less to enjoy. God is the only SECURITY any one of us actually has in this world - yea in the entire Universe.
It is sad, though, that in any Country like Great Britain, which has had a Christian and spiritual awareness of GOD for thousands of years, should now be so willing to let any Tom Dick or Harry
publicly do their best to erode, erase, and DESTROY that which has held the Nation together. It seems that the United Kingdom has no one to speak for it's Heritage, or Character. Is the Government also Atheist? Are their no God Fearing individuals in its midst? Have they all died or been silenced by 'political correctness'? The Article infers also to the United States a similar connection. Is it only the Christian World that is being attacked, and so unwilling to take up arms to defend itself and the God it has so long attested to? Would Islam permit this to happen in their own world? Would the Hindu World? Only, it seems, in the Christian World is there FREEDOM to get rid of God. Very SAD. We who testify to Faith in God are indeed shamed by our silence and lack of determination to stand and be counted!

WELL WE ARE INTO THE NEW YEAR, and this week, for me, has been one of mundane and administrative activity. I have in fact been almost marooned in my Office dealing with problems of finding School Fees, and much more. This week we sadly discovered that one of our girls who is studying to be a Teacher is now with child, and thus may not be able to complete her Course. The 'father' of the expected child is not one of our boys. But he HAS offered to stand by the girl. But both 'parents to be' are mere students. Only the first time this has happened in our history. Wisdom, Mercy and Justice are needed here, and one cannot talk about transgression without the Love and Mercy that tempers and forgives. She is about 4 months on, and will probably give birth, God Willing, in May. This means she may not be able to graduate this year as hoped, and thus her life may be put on hold in some aspects. Her name is Damaris; please remember to pray for her - she is repentant, and seeking after God.
Apart from this I have also been endeavouring to find funds to pack off some of our College young people. One of these is in his 2nd Semester at Mombasa Polytechnic where he is studdying for a Diploma in Civil engineering. He needed to find £600 for the 1st Semester of the year; this otherwise represents almost one week's total upkeep for all four of our Homes and the 140 kids living in them! Quite amazing, and staggering. Paying out the money this morning was the result of answered prayer. On Thursday one of our old boys who left us twenty or so years ago arrived at Green Cottage to introduce us to his wife and two children and to show them where, at least in part, he had grown up. Henry now lives in Denver, Colorado! As he left later that same afternoon he had put a cheque into my hand that made it entirely possible for Ignatius needing to return to his Civil Engineering Course to actually GO! Thank you Henry, but Thanks also be to a very real GOD who put it into your heart and mind to give us that gift on that day. Four others have also been packed off today. I have at times to FORCE my hand to write the cheques! So Glad GOD is here for us; without HIM in our daily life and experience we would all be filled with anxiety and even despair. So GLAD that we know by EXPERIENCE that GOD does exist and is able and willing to to interact with our lives.

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During 1999 and 2000 I gave a number of ten minute motivational talks on Radio Sayare, our local Christian Radio Station. From time to time I will include the text one or another....... The series was entitle THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK.

'All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, everyone of us, to his own way.' - The Bible (Isaiah 53v6)

I read in the newspaper the other day the story of little MARIKUA, an eight year old girl who became lost in the Savanna for eight days. This little girl had been sent just a short distance - less than a kilometer - from her family home to collect some sugar from a neighbour. On the way there she was frightened by some dogs, and ran off the track into the tall grass, until suddenly she found herself running into a herd of Zebra. She changed direction again to avoid them and skirt round them, but after a while, standing to catch her breath and look around her, she found herself in unfamiliar territory. She had come panting out into a small open space in the expanse of tall grass she had taken refuge in. The grass was on all sides of her now, and only the slight sound of the breeze rustling the grasses could be heard. She had no idea where she was or in what direction she should now go. She was LOST!
THE BIBLE says we have ALL gone astray, and followed our own path, and in doing so have become lost. As lost as little Marikua. She was so close to home, but she did not find her way back on her own.....she tried to do so. But she wandered further and further afield until, after eight long days she was almost 80 kilometres away from home.
A massive search was mounted to find her; a search involving the immediate community, and even the Army from the local Barracks. Every effort was made to find her, and many sacrificed time and comfort in leaving their own homes and families to be part of the Search party. Day after day they searched...finding nothing! They almost gave up, but on the seventh morning one of the Party found the child curled up asleep in the tall grass, just a few metres from where they had all camped for the night. She was very weak, and unable to speak or move, helpless and close to death!
In God's eyes we are ALL like lost children, away from the safety and the love of home and family. God worries and grieves over each and every one of us, and actually sent His own Son down from Heaven to seek and find all those who are lost.

Jesus Christ once told a story about a shepherd who lost one of his sheep - just one. He had ninety-nine more still safely with him, but he was so concerned for the ONE, that he risked life and limb to find it. I have a picture in my home of just such a shepherd. In the picture he has found this lost and away sheep. It had fallen down a cliff-side and was lying hurt on a ledge. The shepherd is reaching down precariously, putting himself in jeopardy, in order to try and reach the sheep. There is another picture painted by the same painter. In that one the shepherd is seen to have secured the sheep, and is carrying it tenderly around his shoulders, back to the fold.

There was great rejoicing over Marikua's rescue. She had been snatched from the jaws of death. Yes indeed, it even made the National Press, but what about the sinner, that lost soul, still out and away right now, life ebbing away....? What of that life? Is anyone seeking and looking - does anyone care about that life? Yes, GOD cares! Jesus Christ CARES about us all. But do you and I care?
If we believe that we are Christians, then this means that we believe that Jesus - all that he is in nature and character and spirit - lives in us. And if this is true, then as He lives in us, He should be seeking those that are lost through us.
He says to all of us who trust in and believe in Him

'As my Father sent me, so send I you.'
The Bible - John 21v21

He says GO into all the world and tell them all about Me, and how I have come to bring then home to God and LIFE

MARIKUA'S situation and rescue really spoke to me. Her loss caused such consternation and concern. How concerned was I for others, for those now dying in their sins? How much effort was I putting in to finding them, and in bringing them to God? This IS our father's work. And a good son or daughter will not make their Father ashamed - they will stand for what HE stands for, support Him in what He does. Yes, and the Bible says again - ' He that winneth souls is wise '
YET so often we do not get up to look; we do not bestir ourselves to go....Why? Because we are more concerned for our own comfort and safety. Because we are SLFISH. How can we say, having believed in our own Salvation, and the way in which it was brought to us, that we will not also rescue our fellow creatures still in danger and need.

Since you were found by the Lord, and brought into Salvation, have you reached out to another who, like you, is lost and away from God If you and I are not willing to join God's Search Party, then we may discover one day that even though we SAY we are a child of God, that God Himself will turn upon us and say 'I never knew you!'

In the week ahead let us bestir ourselves, and adventure ourselves, to reach a soul for God. Will you join me in that? Will each one of you listening to this agree with me to win a soul this week for Christ and for the Kingdom of God? Make up your mind to WITNESS to what YOU know of God through Jesus Christ. Do it because Jesus did it for you - HE left everything else to come looking for US. There will be GREAT JOY in Heaven, and in all the Family of God on Earth, for every ONE that is found.

Rescue the Perishing
Throw out the lifeline across the dark wave.
There is a brother who someone should save;
Somebody's brother! Oh, who then will dare
To throw out the life line, his peril to share?

Have an adventurous and exciting week.

Love from us all here, amidst oncoming droubt and famine! He will be in it with us.

John and Esther