SNATCHED from INSANITY!

Nicholas Kibet

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO, in March 1987, we were asked to admit a three year old Boy.  Jacaranda Cottage had a space, and Miriam Joshua Mbithi (then houseparents) gladly opened their heart and arms to receive little Nicholas Kibet.   He was very small indeed for his age; almost stunted.   He could not stand up or do anything for himself.    He could say not one intelligent word, but only unintelligible gibberish.   Neither would he agree to eat anything on our menu.   It seemed he was completely disorientated.     It was a daunting situation, but Joshua and Miriam persevered and got down to prayer for him.
A few hours BEFORE his arrival in Jacaranda, Nicholas had been wrenched from the arms of his birth mother.  She had given birth to him on the streets of Eldoret, a poor beggar woman, homeless, nomadic, and insane.     She could be violent at times, and people were afraid to accost her.   One social worker trying to intervene when she was cutting her baby's hair with a piece of broken glass, was rewarded by her turning upon him, cutting his hand deeply with the glass in her hand.     No one tried to interfere after that for some years till the Police finally went in force and took her and baby Nicholas in Charge, bring him to us in Testimony Faith Homes, and her to the Hospital ( she eventually died there).    For the three years Nichols and his mother were together she never let anyone touch or be near him.   She alone took care of him, feeding him from dustbins and whatever she found in the gutters of the streets.    She herself only spoke 'mumbo jumbo', and thus Nicholas had no proper words in any real language.   Not the best of starts for his life, and now he had to cope with sudden and probably, to him, frightening change.
We had no idea how he would grow up or how affected he would be from the years of exposure to every danger and privation that he had been subjected to.
He grew up to be a quiet, obedient child, but not able to retain certain facts and figures in his head.   He learnt to read and he attended a Course after Form 4 that was intended to qualify him as a Game Park Ranger/Guide in the tourist industry - but he could not remember the names of the animals.   He failed to qualify and after a little while we let him attend a Catholic College where he learnt to cook and to bake.    He graduated with a Diploma from there, taking a year longer than most to do so, and without completing his written examinations.     Practically he was fine, and seemed able to remember what to do, and even how to do it.      He had come to know Jesus Christ, and to believe in Him early on in his School days, and his faith was his firm foundation and strength.

Today, at 28 he is working in Eldoret in a new and modern Cafe in the latest Shopping Mall.     He cooks and sometimes waits on customers himself.    His honesty has earned him the trust of his employer who has increased his salary twice already.   The Cafe is busy and popular, and he has been an instant success - because he is very outgoing and friendly, honest, hard working, and presentable.       With prayer and the help of his own personal faith in Jesus, he has been able to overcome his shortcomings,      We meet often either in town, or here in Testimony, where he still calls in for a chat and a cup of tea.    He is good to talk to - full of Thanksgiving to God, full of pride in his work, and hope for the future.   Nicholas will be a Joy for ever.     Not rich perhaps, but certainly through his example and good heart he will make others richer.

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TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO I wrote in the June Newsletter -

The Wind, the Fire, and the Earthquake are still great and fearful forces,

speaking of power, and glory,  BUT God was not in any of them.

He was in the 'Still Quiet Voice' - a voice both still and quiet.

Yet a Voice that still commands both man and the elements completely.

How desperately we need to get back to this; how we need to get back to Jesus;

to the Love of God flowing through us, cleansing us of every evil;

every evil thought and spiteful word; filling us with a passion for others to be Saved!

AND THUS we have ourselves felt to beware of the tinsel trappings,

the worldliness, of our profession, and instead to be more sober,

redeeming the time.

Romans 13v10-14

2.Timothy 4v-5

Acts 2v41-47

John 13v 35

1.John 2v9-11

1.Corinthians 13v1

Matthew 7v21-23

1.Kings 19v1-13

THEN, at that time, I had quoted from the words of Jonathon Edwards 1703-58 in his Personal Narrative -

'On January 12th 1723, I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect my own; to act as one that had no right to be himself in any respect.    AND solemnly vowed to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else as part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and to His Law for the constant rule of my obedience; engaging to fight against the world, the flesh and devil, to the end of my life'

And also from the words of John Wesley 1703-91, who said -

'I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion.    THEREFORE, I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any renewal of true religion to continue long.    For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches.    BUT, as riches increase, so will pride anger, and the love of the world in all its branches.'

AND THIS WEEK (25 YEARS LATER) I have found myself reading from Dietich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945 (The Cost of Discipleship)

'Cheap Grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.   Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.                              

COSTLY GRACE is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.   It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods.   It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.     Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.   It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.   It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.    Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: 'ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.   Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us   Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Costly grace is the sanctuary of God;  it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs.   It is therefore the living word, the Word of God, which he speaks as it pleases him.   Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart.  Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.'

READING THIS  I was yet again forced to realise how quickly the 'spirit' of a man yields to the flesh.  We 'say' we are following Jesus, but what do we leave in order to do it?    How much of the old life, the old comforts, and trappings of our old worldly life are we taking along with us?   How much is it ME in me following Jesus, and how much of HIM?      How much of my own way, my own opinion, my own wisdom, my own 'rights', my own 'security',  have I left behind to Follow Him?    

I felt suddenly a hypocrite!    God help us all to 'examine ourselves' and to discover indeed if we be still IN THE FAITH.  

DANIEL ARAP MOI, 2nd President of the Republic of Kenya once said -

'Without the teachers and Christian Missionaries I would never have acquired my formal education, nor the Christian faith which has permanently re-shaped my life.   LEADERS will never win the confidence and co-operation of the masses, unless they live an upright life, and unless the people see them to be leading that upright life.   It is true that 'actions speak louder than words' for the example of ones own life is a more effective lesson than volumes of writing or decades of speech.'   (Kenya African Nationalism)

DID HE MEAN IT?     Did he BELIEVE IT?    Some will say he was indeed a hypocrite, and that he lied to himself if not the nation.     Is he any different to me, to you, to us all?     Do we not so often justify ourselves in the midst of our worldly wise ways and practises  -   By GRACE I am saved.

When I was yet IN my sin, Christ died for me.  I did not deserve forgiveness but I was forgiven!

And Paul asks ' AND because GRACE ( this undeserved mercy and loving kindness ) is there for me, shall I continue in sin (GOD FORBID IT)  -   yet to I indeed persist?    Do I continue in dealing with the world around me;   STILL, in so many ways, wheeling and dealing in my mind and actions as the world does.     Am I still OF the world, still in love with myself more than GOD?    Will I still tell a lie, take a bribe, justify the sin around me instead of loving the sinner enough to WARN him of his ways.     Where do I stand.     Where DO I Stand?      Selah!!!!

We love you.    We love you for loving our children to give them a chance to be IN the world without being of it.     We need your prayers to minister this gospel to them in love, cherishing them for Christ's sake.

John and Esther