KILLING OUR PEACE OF MIND

NOT THE BEST OF THEMES to find on the front page of a Newspaper - ANY Newspaper.    This week our Daily Nation adopted such a Headline on its Front Page - 'KILLING FREEDOM'.   This was their comment on the GAGGING of the Press under the new Media Bill just PASSED by Parlai-ment. To say this has NOT disturbed the Country would be a lie.      Everyone is wondering WHERE we are going as a Nation.      In 1968 when I first arrived, Kenya was a tightly controlled and monitored place.   There was NO freedom of speech.     Since then Kenya has travelled quickly away from such dictatorial autonomy of its government, to embrace the liberty of 'saying what you think'.     The Media Bill seems a step backwards..........an ominous one.    

BUT IN THE MIDST of all this apprehension there is one peace of GOOD news - the proposed NGO Bill did not get through its 2nd Reading, and has been quashed.       SO for the time being at least the charitable donations sent to us from one quarter or another will not be under the supervision and control of government    NEVERTHELESS general chit chat among the general populace hints at an increasingly fearful outlook regarding the intentions of our government;     The atmosphere is not as 'carefree' as it had become.........the long shadow of the 'troubles of '07' and the ominous 'claw' of the HAGUE are encouraging uncertainty and insecurity.

THIS WEEK I begin to bring our thoughts here in Testimony to a consideration of Christmas once more.     Some people of course do not believe in Christmas at all, even maligning it, and no doubt consigning to it all the label of HUMBUG!!       Well it cannot be SO BAD to set aside a time to remember the Birth of someone that changed the world, and perhaps also OUR LIVES.     We shall, as usual, be 'remembering' with songs, rejoicings, festive decorations, and even worship.

500 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST WAS BORN,   King AHAZ of Juda was waiting apprehensively to be attacked by Israel and Syria.      He was full of the 'jitters' and a VERY worried man.    He had 'friends' who had promised to help him, but was unsure how sincere they were.    His faith was shaky - like a tree in a wind - he had nowhere to anchor his life, or to turn for comfort.      A man very much like any one of US when we find ourselves alone without FAITH in GOD, and facing desperate days.

God sent a Man to AHAZ.    Isaiah the Prophet.   Isaiah took his son Shear-jashub, a toddler with him, meeting the King as he inspected Judah's defences, and he said to him -

'Stop and listen to me!

fear not, neither be fainthearted

because of these two kings, your enemies, smoking firebrands.

The will not hurt you!    Ask God for a Sign that this will be so; He will give it to you!

If you will NOT believe it, you will not be established!

BUT AHAZ, still worried and anxious would not ask for a 'sign' from God.    He had no faith in God.

And so ISAIAH said

' Then the Lord Himself shall give you a sign -

Behold a virgin shall conceive and bare a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.

BUTTER AND HONEY shall he eat

that he may know how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

The 'SIGN' was to be that of a woman who had never been sexually with a man, getting pregnant and producing a son whose name would be called Immanuel - GOD WITH US.   This spoke of a Supernatural Happening bringing God's Presence into the world on behalf of mankind to obtain an everlasting Victory.

MORE -  this supernatural child would be physically like any man, living like any man, eating any poor man's food.   Before this child would be three years old ( the age by which it could determine right and wrong) the enemies of Ahaz would be no longer a threat.

Because before the child shall know how to refuse evil and choose the good,

the land that you fear shall be forsaken of both its kings.

REMEMBER Isaiah  and his toddler son walking with him....      Not yet old enough to know right from wrong and to be able to choose.     Ahaz was clearly meant to catch the Word that within THREE years his enemies would be finished..........for AHAZ this was his 'sign'.
BUT the BIGGER, VASTER, ETERNAL sign was in the prediction of the MIRACULOUS birth of a child born to a woman who had not had any sexual intercourse with a man, born into poverty (viz. the poorest diet) a child as human as you or me..........a child who would see THE ENEMY vanquished.

DAVID once cried out and said WHY is my mind disquieted (ill at ease) within me?     It was because he had looked away from God.       AHAZ was also disturbed because he had left God out of his mind;and did not trust in him.
TRULY NONE NEED TO FEAR if GOD IS WITH THEM.
IS GOD with you,,,,,or is your life a bit of a shambles, full of apprehension, worry and fear?

Come, remember the Word - this is the time to recall, once more in another year, the story of a Virgin.
A virgin who gave birth to a man child; a man child called Jesus - Immanuel, God with us.    He was born to be with me, with you, with everyone and anyone who will receive him.     And then you and I together can know that IF GOD BE FOR US / WITH US - WHO CAN BE AGAINST US, and succeed?

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS CHRISTMAS.    Enter into its Encouragement, its Reality, its JOY and Assurance that all is well with your soul.     Make a JOYFUL sound, RING the Bells of Heaven,   Our Salvation, our redemption from all our enemies has been born, and grown to put away ALL our fears, and make us lie down in green pastures, and to lead us to still waters.       Psalm 23 in the Bible is the EXPERIENCE offered to us as we invite CHRIST to be born into our own heart and life.


God Bless and be increasingly with you and in you, day by day, till He COMES .!


John and Esther.