HOW SHALL WE BE LED?

FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS Kenya has been busy choosing LEADERS.   Each, (Province) area that was once ruled by a Provincial Commissioner, is now to be known as a COUNTY with its own GOVERNOR.     People all over the Country have been looking for votes to make them Governors, Senators and Representatives - at least to choose who will be NOMINATED to be voted for in the March Election.
PANDEMONIUM EVERYWHERE!  Eldoret has been jam packed with candidates for this and that, all vying with each other for favour and Votes.  The noise, confusion, and general inconvenience, has been worse than ever seen before - not violence or civil strife though, but just excitable high spirits and chaos, that has uprooted ordinary daily routines and order on the streets.

AARON, pictured above left, is a Leader.  He was High Priest, and second only to Moses himself.   But was he a good leader?    Well he certainly was not perfect, and  on the occasion depicted in this painting he was busy miss-directing the people he had been entrusted with.   He was leading them away from GOD to IDOL - or should I say IDLE - worship.    I shall be talking about this on Sunday as I once again bring the Word of God in front of our family and local friends here in Testimony Community Church.      One of the most striking questions in scripture is found being asked in this story by Moses.    In Exodus 32v15-26 Moses, having finally come down from Mount Sinai after a VERY long absence finds the people of Israel naked and dancing in front of a Golden Calf, worshipping it.     He turns to his brother, and deputy leader and asks

What did these people do to YOU...

that you should have brought so great a sin upon them?

Having been appointed to CARE for the people (a very mixed crowd culturally and tribally) AARON, instead of keeping them from sinning (from doing what displeased the One True God), helped them to make an IDOL, and to worship IT instead of God.    He had encouraged them on a path that led to DEATH.

WHY would he want to DO that.      WHY would a GOOD leader every want to bring TROUBLE on his people's heads?       What had led him to do this?    Perhaps he had felt forced into doing so by the mood of the people themselves; they may have felt deserted by Moses and his invisible God.   Maybe FEAR made him go along with the masses who were restless and insecure.   Perhaps Moses had died on the mountain with his god........

He had been left to TAKE CARE - be the WATCHMAN over the people.    He was responsible for their lives, and their safety; their welfare.    BUT instead he had IRRESPONSIBLY led them to disaster.

EVERYONE of us is responsible to the other - that we give a GOOD example, and provide safe guidance and advice to each other - each one IS his/her brother/sister's KEEPER.      This ought to be in ALL our hearts for ALL that we live with and mix with.       Remember CAIN ?    He failed because of his spite and jealousy which he allowed to dwell in his heart, and ended up causing the DEATH of his brother in Genesis chapter 4.

SO much the worse when the Leader is responsible for MASSES of people.      And of course in any Society whether democratic or otherwise there has to those who lead!    Men and Women of Responsibility.     But will they have the people's good at heart enough to ensure they become out of control through their own weakness, or through their own ambitions.?

It seems we cannot make sure that THEY will.      We can only make sure that WE will do OUR best to be the Leader we are meant to be - Watchman who will not live to please ourselves or the people around us, but who will b ready always to proclaim the WORD of God without fear or dissimulation.
We should give attention to EZEKIEL 33.   Verse SEVEN says - 'Son of Man, I have made you a WATCHMAN over my people!'    And in verse SIX it is written is written again - 'If the Watchman sees the sword coming, and does not blow the TRUMPET, and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes away any one of them, THEN that one is taken away in and for his own perversity and iniquity, BUT his blood (his LIFE) I will require at the Watchman's hand!'    The Watchman will account for it.....you and I will account for it!

WELL now our future leaders have been nominated - but not yet finally chosen or elected to be THE leaders of Kenya.     Much prayer is being lifted up to God that the Holy Spirit will be influencing the voting and the choosing.       BUT we know that even then NO ONE is perfect.       AARON was not perfect. Moses forgave him, and God, in His Mercy can forgive us all.      We all are prone to sin, AND also to weakness and weariness - that is why the LORD constantly encourages us in Scripture to BE STRONG, and to NOT BE TIRED of doing well!     BUT there are men and women who have no regard for GOD in any way.    They also are not perfect, and may have no conscience, nothing of God working in them to make them repent or be sorry for their faults and failures that put others in danger.     We do not pray for such people to be elected into public office who live for themselves and not for God.      We pray for those men and women who have GOD within themselves, at the centre of their being, to be elected.  PRAY with us, and for all Kenya at this time, and through to the Election.
PRAY FOR ME!     Let us pray for each other - that we might LIVE the life Christ Jesus came to give us, and not to fail each other in giving a faithful reflection of that Life in word and demonstration, as we go about our work and living - our loving and hating!   Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to KEEP the LAW, and thereby not hurt each other - as per Romans 13v8-14.   Let us pray that we shall not become weary of well doing, and that we shall be found WAITING and faithfully WATCHING for the Coming of JESUS.

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THE WEEK HAS PASSED generally uneventfully, but the underlying 'miracle' of our daily provision has continued, with gifts just enough to provide our daily bread coming in from many dear partners in prayer - both from  overseas and from Kenya.   One of our old boys also came y with FIVE sacks of  MAIZE, one of our  main staple foods -  to help us with our daily need.  We thank you LORD for all your Benefits, Love and Care.   Our cows remain well and happy, producing milk for us all.   Our chickens continue to produce eggs and meat to amplify our diet.    The gardens, duly watered from above and from below, provide their own continual crops of vegetables.    We ARE indeed Blessed.

JESSE, one of my FOUR grandsons  (Eric and JohnFinney in the UK and Jesse and Jeremy)  here in Kenya, is here with me as I type all this.   He is fourteen, long and lean, and busy working on another computer here by my side.  It is such a privilege, such a real comfort to have a young man who loves the LORD to be by ones side in fellowship and in Spirit - if only for a little while.     If we have any sadness it is that so many of our grandchildren are far away from us, and that we cannot be with them, or be blessed in seeing, hearing and feeling their fellowship in Christ right here with us - (that's why it was SO special to have Tonia and Eric, Stevens children here for Christmas).    May God help each of them all to grow up and be used to BLESS others all through their lives.       In the photograph above is part of the Green Family that is here with us in Kenya.  TWO are not in the picture - MANU 28 and HELEN 23.  They are working and away from home a lot of the time.     IN the photo from top left you can see Edward (Daryl's brother) 42, Me 72, Jesse 14, Daryl 40, and then below from the left again is Esther 68, Becky 12, Jeremy 9 and Carol 39.    It would be so WONDERFUL to have a photo of ALL the Green Family - those in the UK, and those here in KENYA all together one day.   Keep close  together friends, and hang on to whatever family you may have, real or adopted, making no difference.    God delights in Family - yours and HIS.   He never gives up on any one of His, and we should never give up on any of ours.

We love you all, and will not tire of telling you so.   May our Father in Heaven continue to put His arms around you to keep you from falling.    With our affection always in His Spirit

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol