Helping God’s Way

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not (Ruth 2: 15, 16)

Many times we are confused as to how to effectively help the needy. We are at a loss as to how to assist them without lowering their self-esteem. Some of us assume that they enjoy our handouts without realizing that it slowly kills their personhood, their reason for enjoying life.

It is our lack of that that we have many people making begging a business, people who are not needy in the least, only that they are exploiting our ignorance and desire to help to their advantage.

A few months ago a hotelier was being sought by the police for running a begging ring. Yet that was not the really shocking thing as we know many others who do the same thing. He was in the business of going to a neighboring country to import the beggars, people who are physically challenged and then positioning them where they would conveniently look pitifully needy.

I have friends who know of beggars who are landlords and successful businessmen. It is very painful if you realized that you did forego lunch to give this hopeless looking guy only to realize that he is your landlord!

I have tackled the aspect of helping the needy in my book ‘The Road to Sodom’. I just want us to appreciate a Biblical character who helped without appearing to give a handout. He helped without compromising someone’s self-esteem.

Many times we love to be appreciated for helping which is natural to human nature. The problem comes when the craving for attention through appreciation stands in the way of genuine empowerment. Inasmuch as we literally look for ways to be appreciated, especially as people who are genuinely and positively philanthropic, we ought to realize that a handout and empowerment are poles apart. Sometimes it is only possible to empower by literally disappearing into the woodwork. Let the person you are assisting feel good without being able to identify the object of the generosity.

Boaz had the power and responsibility to take enough food for Naomi and Ruth to live on until their harvest the next season. He may have required just a little request for assistance. And we know he was generous. But you see that could have short-circuited the whole process. Had he done that we definitely could not have been reading his story as he could have been the one to disappear into the wood work.

He knew that he was responsible for the two widows. But he also knew that by offering handouts he could have turned the two into beggars, killing their spirits in the process. This especially as they were more like refugees because they had been ten years away from home and so had no stakes in their comeback. They had just left their lands without any leases because you can’t lease land during a drought. They therefore came back hopelessly helpless and hungry.

Any offer for help would therefore have been very welcome to the extent of almost worshipping the giver. I am sure Boaz knew that and was serious enough about God to ever be anywhere near such gratitude. No wonder he turned to the Bible for direction.

You see the Bible had a way for providing for such needs without turning the needy to despondency or begging. The refugees, orphans, widows and the poor could count on the obedience of the community to live a dignified life. How?

When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow (Deuteronomy 24: 21)

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19: 9, 10)

But he also knew that gleaning was not very fruitful as it was more like a gathering of scraps under a table. Harvesters are not allowed to drop anything as they harvest and that was the situation Ruth found herself in before Boaz arrived. And that is what he addressed! Was that not corruption? Some may ask. That was his harvest and like the guy in Christ’s parable he could do whatever he wanted with his harvest.

Ruth may have suspected something but she had no evidence. In any case she was grateful enough to the God she had embraced for making provision for the poor in His commandments to probably think about that in addition to her being the sole breadwinner in that hopeless homestead.

Helping anonymously also dealt with another dilemma. Tongues could have started wagging that he had ‘sighted’ this foreign beauty and was making advances at her through his benevolence. This could have strained his relationship to his wife as I am sure his wife was like other women as far as relationships are concerned. It even could have closed doors to doing what he later did in marrying Ruth because the rumors could have preceded the action.

Another reason we find mention of him, which might be the key reason is that he was not only willing to risk his inheritance and marriage to salvage some poor widows but in being ready to lose his seed for another, and that anonymously.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. (Ruth 4: 5, 6)

I am sure we remember Judah’s son.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. (Genesis 38: 9, 10)

It is not an easy thing to sire and raise a child that will not be yours. Men are usually cheated into raising other men’s children if they are convinced it is theirs. Others are many times bewitched into neglecting their children as they pamper other men’s children. I have never heard of a man who raised his son consciously knowing that he will never be his offspring. It is a hard thing to conceive, yet this is what Boaz did.

Yet that was God’s prescription to such needs in society. What Boaz did is simply what God had commanded. He was simply more honorable because he went the extra mile into his obedience.

Before you shout ‘advantage’ let me also remind you that he was not looking for a fresh wife in the least. When that offer is presented we see him surrendering it to someone else and took it more or less as a last resort. That is honor.

Reminds me of Christ’s words,

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it (Mark 8: 35).

Boaz chose to lose recognition and appreciation. He chose to lose his name in a son he sired and raised. He chose to forego the opportunity to marry a respectable woman. In other words he chose all that we fight to death to accomplish. He would be classified as a fool by some, someone lacking drive and ambition, someone who dumps his name for nothing. He may be called someone who will disappear in the dustbin of history.

Yet what do we see. He actually gains more than he lost. We now read about him. He becomes the ancestor of King David and even Jesus Christ, the desire of the ages. By hiding he was raised to prominence. By losing he gained infinitely more than he chose to lose.

That is a spiritual principle we ought to take serious because it bears fruit. Yet it goes so contrary to self interest as to appear illogical. Will we take God as seriously as Boaz did?

How are we dealing with the disadvantaged amongst us? Are we empowering them or giving them handouts? Are we seeking anonymity or are we parading our generosity? Are we ‘risking our inheritance’ by going God’s way as we help?

God’s Sovereignty versus Human Choice

Where is God when we go to the elections? Where is He when they do not go our way? Where is He when there are irregularities? Who is God anyway?

I am sure that most Kenyans believe in God, though I am sure it can not be one God.

Did we pray before we voted? What did we pray? Did we ask Him for direction as we went to cast our ballots? Did He give us the direction or our prayer was just a polite way to appear to involve God in our decisions so that we can later blame Him if they do go the way we had decided even before praying for direction?

Does our voting and results overrule God’s sovereignty? Is God subject to our choices? Can God be manipulated into agreeing with our self-seeking decisions? Does He stop being God when universal suffrage takes over?

Following the debates on blogs and fb since the elections it seems that many of us have put God in the backburner as far as the election results are concerned. Many appear openly tribalistic but I think this is for creating a diversion from the real issues.

Do you believe in God? Do you confess the reality of God? Where do you expect solutions from, God or the politician of your choice?

I believe this case has laid bare our idol worship. We worship politicians and political dimensions. We play lip service to God, I think to remain respectable.

All the hatred and tribal leanings are the evidence that we are worshipping our ‘saviors’. No wonder the election was fair or foul depending on where our savior lies. I will say it again. This is not about the elections or even tallying. We are either excited or finished depending on the position of our savior. And I won’t even stand to be corrected. Just look at yourself.

People are hurt. But the culprit is not the electoral process. I think Baal has been unmasked. People can’t simply face the fact that their god is not god enough. The other side doesn’t want to delay the ascension of their god to the throne to give salvation to all. The sad fact is that some of the said gods actually believe they are so, which makes the situation even worse for their worshippers.

God brings the idols down. Remember Dagon falling down in worship when the ark of the true God was brought to his temple?

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him (1Samuel 5: 4)

If we do not stop worshipping these heroes of ours, I will not be surprised if God deals with them as He dealt with Dagon.

I know you are hurting. But that does not excuse idolatry. That does not excuse hatred which God calls murder. That does not excuse spite. That does not excuse intolerance.

For you information tribe is God’s creation. You should not be ashamed of belonging to your tribe. But on the same vein you should not also despise any other tribe for whatever reason. Nothing God created is evil, even that tribe you detest.

But I need to say that your tribe or tribal leaning is not the only reality there is. Your tribe is one of thousands of tribes on earth. Some countries have one tribe whereas others have hundreds. DRC for example has over 250 tribes. Some tribes have no visible or linguistic differences. As an example I don’t know how to differentiate between a Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda or Burundi.

Your tribal hero may not even be a leader, or his leadership may be proceeding from the devil. Looking at him as the solution Kenya needs is blasphemy because God is the only one capable of dealing with our problems conclusively. Remember God saying as much when Israel asked for a king? Treating his victory or defeat as a life and death situation not only shows us as hopelessly humanistic but displays our faith as a sham. It shows God is our Public Relations exercise.

God is bigger than Uhuru. God is bigger than Raila. God is supremely superior to the Supreme Court and is at no time bound to its decisions. None of them provide oxygen for us. None of them will give us food for our stomachs. In fact winning or losing for any of them will not improve your lot much if you do not take a proactive stance in your life.

Some of these same characters caused us to fight, kill and displace our long term friends and neighbors. What did they do? They just shared the loaf of bread amongst themselves. Some of us are still in IDP camps. What makes you think that they will bring you a piece of that loaf this time round if they get it?

Let us stop putting our faith to shame to protect these politicians who do not lose sleep when we are sleeping hungry.

It is true that righteousness exalts a nation, but it is very important for us to realize that God’s people are the one God’s looks at to determine the presence or absence of the same.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7: 14)

We simply cannot be called by His Name if we are falling over ourselves to fight for our hero, whoever he is. Losing sleep for them or the decision of the SC speaks volume about the object of our faith.

Let us stop putting God to shame for shallow political grandstanding.

In any case they have severally stated that we are the fools for creating factions whereas they will always be eating peacefully together when out of our sight.

Barikiweni sana

Man’s Responsibility as His Wife’s Cover

We live in an age that looks to trash all that God has said and seeks to reverse all He has created. God is synonymous with order. We can always know what He values by knowing what He says.

Look at the whole evolution debate. Looking at nature and especially comparing it with nature documentaries it becomes evident that creation and a Creator are never a consideration anywhere. The all pervading ‘reality’ is evolution as the explanation of nature. Yet do we realize that this is indoctrination to our children against the truth and reality of God? We are slowly sanitizing our children against God, His word and His standards. But this is an aside.

I want us to look at the family in the eyes of God’s word. I want us to examine common trends as they stand opposed to God’s revelation. I want us to look at society as it relates to that revelation.

What is the role of a man in the family? What is the role of the woman? Where does the buck stop as far as the family is concerned?

With all the psych about gender balance it is important to look at what God says before we join the flood of rebellion in the name of relevance. We like to say that one man with God is the majority yet are not willing to be that man. I have said in another post that this is not an accurate statement but I will leave that for another day. I am willing to stand for what God says even if it stands in opposition to the whole world and its systems.

As an example let us look at the homosexuality debate. God calls it an abomination and history is replete with example after example of a civilization after another not only deteriorating but completely dying or being destroyed for entertaining that lifestyle.

Yet look at our generation. Even Bible translators are scared to have that word appear in the Bible. Pastors are falling over themselves to embrace what God can’t tolerate. Gospel singers feel they are unfair if they don’t have one of them in their bands. In other words an abomination has become such a hot potato that we would rather turn our backs on God than appear intolerant of what God Himself can’t tolerate.

Let us also look at fornication. I am amazed at the church that seems to be more concerned at what society dictates even when it is directly opposed to what God, who we say we serve and are answerable to, has revealed. Pastors are scared to confront fornication in their churches. I hear some say that it is offensive since everybody does it anyway. How do they know that unless they are also involved? Does it nullify God’s word? Does it change the consequences of the sin? Does it cancel God’s qualifications? Why are we so keen to give single mothers and their offspring (mark you not widows or victims of rape) leadership positions in church?

A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD (Deuteronomy 23:2)

A bastard is a child without a legal or legitimate father. A mother who is not married to the father of her child makes the child a bastard. Even a concubine raises a bastard as we see in Judges 9 and 11. It is a legal marriage that raises children in a way that God approves.

Yet I think it is in marriage that God’s standard is sorely needed as it is the disregarding of the same that is leading to all the chaos we are presently dealing with.

God expects the man in a marriage to be the accounting partner in the family. Nowhere in the scriptures do we see God asking any wife to account for any decision or action in a family. In fact, in places where it is evident that the cause was the woman, God asks the man.

God challenges and judges Adam yet the whole thing was caused by Eve. We see Eli trying to correct his sons but he is the one who was held responsible. Even Solomon was led astray by his wives yet he and not the wives was judged. The clearest example is Ahab. He had no idea what Jezebel did to acquire Naboth’s plot. Yet we see God speaking to him as if Jezebel did not exist.

What does this mean? Simply that as the Bible says that the husband is the head of his wife, he holds the absolute responsibility as to the state of the home. The wife is clearly shielded in that responsibility. Since questions on the family are directed to man by the Creator, is it logical to share responsibilities for the decisions? If the buck stops with you, will you entertain discussion and democracy when you know none of the other partners are accountable?

Simply put the man is the spiritual head of any home whether he realizes it or not. He is the head whether he has been raised by a single and bitter mother or not. He is whether he is taught so or not. He simply is, period.

One of the greatest travesties of our generation is to refer spiritual direction to the woman leaving the man to behave as the bank, and only that. That is erroneous as she is not the spiritual head of the home. That can be equated to giving your very good house girl responsibility for the lives of your children. Though she might be even better than you the fact that they are your children will make you appear a fool, as you will be. Reason being that she can’t be asked any questions should anything go wrong. She will just move on, or probably even teach one of your sons to marry her instead of going on with school to be able to access part of your inheritance. No one will blame her in the least because YOU are the one ultimately responsible for the state of your family.

That is what I mean when I state what the Bible says, that the husband is the head of the wife. The husband is the one God holds responsible for the family, his wife included. And no wonder in the Bible there are very few names of wives even of very prominent characters. We know the apostles ministered with their wives (1 Corinthians 9: 5) yet we do not know even the name of one of them. The same goes with the prophets and kings.

This does not mean that a woman is the lesser. It simply places responsibility where it is. That is the reality everywhere. Suppose a president invited you for lunch, will you expect him to literally cook or serve you? Yet when giving credit will you will most likely not mention any of the teams.

I don’t want us to delve into theological nitpicking at this point. I just want us to realize that nowhere does the Bible call a wife the spiritual leader, or the leading partner in the marriage. At no time do we see God passing judgment or issuing a command to a married woman that excluded her husband’s authority in fact in the Torah a wife’s commitment to God had the condition of a husband’s approval to be accepted.

If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond … if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her (Numbers 30: 3, 6 – 9)

That is the plain teaching of the Bible concerning the authority figures in the home.

Do we realize that the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 was not only hardworking but also entrepreneurial? Yet we see her husband sitting at the city gates. What does he do? We are not told. But it is safe to assume part of his responsibilities was going to possess those assets. You see most transactions were done at the city gate. Yet we do not see her at any time belittling her husband for idleness.

The fact that she appeared to be more hardworking did not give her spiritual authority. That was vested in her husband and as a woman who feared God she could not attempt to usurp that authority.

May we listen to God before we auction our whole generation to the devil in the name of equal opportunity. Men please take your spiritual responsibility seriously. Ladies, do not accept to marry a man because he has this or that if you are not content that you will comfortably submit to his spiritual authority. Do not accept a man who will leave his church for yours just because he loves you. Let him give direction in spiritual matters that you will admire. A yes man to his wife is a child in a man’s body. Avoid him faster than you would a plague. He is sure to bring you enough issues for the rest of your life.

Men please get to know God more passionately. A real man is so submitted to God that anything else can get lost. A godly man will not be threatened if he forgets some flimsy worldly days in the name of love. Love for God should be the all-consuming passion in his life. Pleasing God is his number one desire.

Falling short of that is the reason many marriages are failing. This happens when a man is more sensitive to worldly standards that God’s revelation.

God bless you

Lordship Understood

And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

What is the meaning of this?  Who is a king? Who is a lord? We need to understand that before we look at Christ taking those two titles together.

A king is normally called the sovereign of a particular dominion. This is a person having supreme authority, otherwise called a supreme ruler. The superlatives describing him appear unreal because we have never had a king over us. Though the colonialists were subjects of a king, they were not able to rub their connection to the same on us. In any case we rebelled, though we are still called the queen’s commonwealth! However, if you interacted with some who had served the kingdom, you will be able to see the vestiges of the attachment to the same.

A king has unquestioned and unquestionable authority over his subjects. His word is law in all aspects. He owns everything in his kingdom, only giving a lease to whomsoever he pleases. That is why all the people in a particular kingdom are called subjects, because they are subject to their sovereign.

A king is not a product of popularity. He is never voted in office. A king is either born into the office or captures his kingdom by force of arms. That is why you find blood so constant in any story involving kings. And that is why a king who is not fair is called a despot! You are either in his good books or you are dead or fleeing.

A lord is the undisputed owner of another person. Again he bought, captured or inherited the same. The person is therefore his property just like a cow or a car. He has unlimited and unfettered access to the slave, since that is the implication of the word to the other person. A slave does not have a name, rights, privileges, even inheritance. His life is at the pleasure of his lord.

Briefly looking at the African Americans we are able to see that. We know they came from several parts of Africa. Why is it that we cannot trace any to his origin? Simply because slavery took their personhood away; they lost their names, their origins, their histories, their choices etc. They were mated like cows. No wonder marriage and family are a great challenge to them centuries later.

That is why God gives a very detailed instruction so that His people would treat their slaves differently, so that they can give a redemptive example to the ungodly and godless societies around them. It did not mean they were not slaves, only that they were more humanely treated.

Back to Jesus. Who is He according to the short description I have given here?

Just so that we do not romanticize those words, I want to bring us back to the origin of those titles. Like we have seen, both titles must be earned. They are not popularly sought. No one convinces another to become their lord. In fact, many times they are resented. They don’t win their titles by winning any arguments. They are, period. You will either submit or face the consequences.

But is Christ not Mr. Nice Guy? Isn’t He a softie?  Have we not been presented with a sovereign who is subject to His subjects? Can He have such authority? Does He have such authority?

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28: 18)

That power talks beyond power. It talks about authority. But it says much more. Authority is normally got by force. What He is saying is that He not only has the authority; He earned it.

How has He earned that authority? First is the fact that He created everything in heaven and on earth. He thus owns everything which means that everything is SUBJECT to Him as the creator.

Ever noticed that Christ never pleaded with anything when He walked the earth? He simply commanded and it was so. Even inanimate objects simply obeyed Him. Remember the cursed fig tree?

And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:40)

Whoever told our generation that Christ pleads with us? He is either our Lord and King or we are rebels or worse still are not even members of His Kingdom. In fact in a kingdom there are only subjects. No wonder when He argued with the Jews He appeared extremely harsh when He said,

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Let us reason is one verse we use to lower Christ’s authority. Yet what does the verse say?

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1: 18 – 20)

Is that a negotiation? Only a fool would treat it as such. Yes, God is offering forgiveness, but on His terms. He never stoops to convince us. He only offers grace to lift us to where He is.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now COMMANDETH all men every where to repent (Acts 17:30)

There can be no grace for disobedience. Disobedience makes grace impossible. Christ’s Lordship is what opens the doors of His bounty. We simply can never be members of His Kingdom apart from our subjection to His unchallenged authority. We do not reason with Him concerning His commands. We do not negotiate the terms of our subjection. You see His is not a democracy. He is all in all in His kingdom. We are either subjects or not members of that kingdom.

Again see these major guys being sent to hell. By all pretenses they qualify for heaven. They are doing much more for heaven than most. Yet what do we see?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)

These guys were active, even productive for the kingdom but they were disqualified. Why? Disobedience. They were not subject to the will of the king, which is what guides ALL the subjects of the kingdom. You see iniquity is not simply breaking the Ten Commandments, though it includes and even leads to that. Iniquity is simply not being subject to the King. You might be very busy pursuing the interests of the kingdom and might be really committed to the ideals of the same. Yet the only qualification for the kingdom is unwavering subjection to the king.

Let us look at a few scriptural examples. Moses was of course weaned into the Israeli way of life. Then for most of his life was exposed to the idolatrous Egyptian way of life. When he encounters God he is of course confused because, like we say in Kimeru, such a God, though He was in his system, was deep in his bones. And that is the reason we see him negotiating with Him, because he was making the transition from polytheism to dealing with the creator God. And that is the reason we see God’s wrath rising, because we can’t negotiate with God the Lord.

We see David, not negotiating with God but simply seeking clarity. Gideon does the same, seeking a sign to be sure it was God speaking. Jeremiah needs to understand his situation as it does not seem to make any sense, same with Mary the mother of Jesus. But none of them wavered once they had got the assurance that they were dealing with God and knew what He wanted.

And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. (Ezekiel 4: 12, 14)

Ezekiel is asked to do some very difficult things in the sight of Israel, yet we don’t see him refusing. He is simply explaining his background. Doing what God was ordering was of course dangerous and could have opened him up for stoning but we do not see him pleading from that direction. We do not even see him throwing hands at God. He was willing to obey but he was simply explaining his position. And that was the reason God downscaled the order.

We see Jeremiah placing his life on the line again and again when ordered to without as much as whining because lordship was clear to him. Self preservation is not among the essentials of servanthood to a lord.

When Paul encountered Christ, we first see him wanting to understand who He was. And that was the only thing he sought. After that is clarified his life takes a definite turn. ‘What will You have me do?’ is the only thing that occupies his whole life whether it took him from a stoning mob to the stocks.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.( Acts 21:13)

That is understanding lordship. As long as the Lord had spoken, no obstacle could stand in his way. When he was stoned to death and prayed back to life, we do not see him whining or even asking to be taken for medical attention. He simply shrugs himself off and goes to the next assignment to do what had caused him to be stoned.

What does Christ’s Lordship mean to you? How absolute is His command to you? How do you respond when He speaks? Do you even know that He speaks in the first place or you think His voice is the sermons your favorite pastor preaches?

Are you in His kingdom or is that the latest cliché word among the preachers? What are the implications of being in that kingdom? Is the kingdom something you are always reminded on Sunday or does it run your whole life?

I did history in primary school and hated it for all those dates. It is in ministry that I started appreciating history especially as a tool of instruction.

It is said that the UK had a problem with prisoners. Then they discovered Australia. One interesting sidebar to this is the fact that they never even once discovered any uninhabited place. But it agrees when we are dealing with kingdoms. What a king has not seen simply does not exist. Anyway they were given an offer. If they would represent the king’s interest, they would be set free and relocated to the new land. Who would refuse such an offer?

They were so far from the centre of the kingdom and could if they so wanted declare sovereignty. But they have been the loyal subjects of the kingdom to date when they refused to be freed from her dominion. Though they committed atrocities on the people they found on the land, decimating and even clearing populations, they never once misrepresented the kingdom that sent them there.

You see a king does not need to be visible, even present to be obeyed. Everything and everyone in and of the kingdom has no choice but to belong to it. It is not only cultivated. It is ingrained; every atom of the body of a subject of a kingdom will be crying out, ‘I belong, I submit’. Remember Jesus saying that if the children stopped crying out the stones will? That is the doctrine of the kingdom. Remember Balaam’s donkey speaking God’s message? Remember the burning bush not being consumed? Remember the Red Sea and the Jordan River parting? That is the kingdom.

Man is the only creation who does not appreciate and appropriate God’s kingdom. Yet that is the reason Christ came, to redeem us back into the kingdom. Not as free citizens, but as grateful and obedient subjects. We were redeemed from a kingdom we joined when we sinned, despotic from beginning to the end, only offering enticements to get us through the door to it, and then ruling us with even worse rigor than Israel experienced in Egypt during the Exodus.

The devil has no qualms at all exercising his lordship. Just look at those committed to his kingdom. How does a witch or wizard who is visited by the high and mighty and given all manner of gifts live as paupers, some even not having a bed to lie on? How does a parent sacrifice their offspring or spouse? They belong to the kingdom of darkness. They therefore do not have any choice at all. A king’s orders are law. Even his whims are law. And that is the reason we hear the same kingdom killing anybody who defies any order from its command.

Kings are also not averse in using their authority. In fact what we call dictatorship is using a king’s authority to run an elected position. Democracy itself can be worse than tyranny in that people rush to make decisions but start to complain when their decisions start hurting them. We vote for a thief or a wicked person yet complain when they display their conduct. We are very gracious when we are listening to their campaign promises even when we know they visit demonic shrines and belong to secret societies that are of course also satanic. When somebody aligned to the devil speaks, everything they say will be laced with lies because the devil is the father of lies.

A king, though he is not accountable to his subjects is subject to a higher authority, the state of his kingdom. The kingdom displays his personality, his wisdom, his kindness or lack of it. The kingdom is his advertisement of himself. He will therefore be benevolent when need be, harsh when need be, all to display his character to the world. Visitors to his kingdom carry away stories of his kingdom and the desirability or detestation of the same.

Reminds me of the naming system of the Meru, the tribe I come from. A person is supposed to make his/ her name as they live because at one time you will be given a name that you have built. When you are born (someone who is named after you), there is no flattery. The child will be given a name that will say who you are, from your character to occupation. You therefore lived your life carefully because at one time all the evidence of the same will be laid out for all to see. You see people called drunks, naggers, I even heard one called thief. It therefore became imperative for one to live the name he wanted to be given. Though some people have started corrupting the system, you can easily know who a person was simply by knowing the names of the children named after them.

This is why a king will be gracious, or kind, or beneficent. Though his heart may be wicked and evil, he will be what he wants other kingdoms to perceive him. The only thing a king will not be is lenient to people who oppose or belittle his authority. And that is understood.

A godly king was a king who lived in the awareness and reality of God, the King of kings. He was subject to that King’s authority all his life. Any time he strayed from that authority he lost his mandate to rule. A king who was constantly in subjection to Him enjoyed his kingdom because he was not a rebel to God. By the way even other kings will always be subject to a higher king, only that in their case it will be the prince of this world, Satan. This is the reason all kingdoms have gods they worship. Any study of kingdoms in the Bible will bring that to the fore. And this is what gave each kingdom its character.

David is probable the king who demonstrates what we are looking at here. You look at his life and will not fail to see how submitted he was to his King. Even his psalms bring that to the fore. He acknowledged his submission to that king all his life.

Even his sin brings that out very clearly. In his confession (Psalm 32 and 51) we see him confessing that his great sin was against his King. Though he also sinned against people, you see his greatest responsibility is against God. He does not need to do some public relations with his subjects. He knows that he is safe once he sorts himself with his King. That was the reason his kingdom was the greatest, a goal for any kingdom to pursue.

Saul was also a king. He was submitted to the King before he became king. Once the trappings of the kingdom became attached, he started owing allegiance to his subjects. I am sure he thought a favorite king is the one whose kingdom lasts. But then the King simply rejected him, and for thirty years he was a people’s king, unknown at all by the King of kings.

But look at David. He never owed his kingdom to popularity, though he was popular. He never fought for his kingdom. He never schemed for his kingdom. In fact we do not see him dealing with threats to his kingdom. For example why does he let Saul live yet the same was actually seeking to kill him? David was subject to the supreme King and was as safe as his relationship with Him. He was sure that nothing could touch him without first dealing with his King.

Who is your King? Is it Christ or the prince of this earth? Who calls the shots in your life? Who is the final consideration before you make a decision?

And to us ministers- are we really slaves (the meaning of the name) of Christ? Who are we subject to? Is it our churches, ministries or the King? Who are we answerable to as we run ministry? How connected are we to the King? Do we walk with the awareness and reality of being in His Kingdom? How submitted are we to His dominion?

Do we care to consult the Kingdom before we make ministry decisions or are we like Saul who made decisions based on the feeling of the people he led? How do we deal with threats to our position? How do we deal with opposition to our effort? How do we deal with personal affront?

These will very easily reveal which king I am submitted to. Christ’s kingship will leave me as His subject at peace because I know that as the King of kings He is in control of everything that happens to His subjects, of whom I am one. I will comfortably be at peace in my persecution since suffering for a kingdom is greater pleasure to a subject than anything else. I once said I believed that men allowed themselves to be castrated to earn favor and trust in a kingdom, and it was a pleasure.

I was told that the kabaka of the Baganda is called the husband of husbands. This may explain the fact that most kings practiced homosexuality as a means of establishing their authority. Thus he became the ultimate man. I was told that when he goes somewhere men will lie on the ground to give him their backs to walk on. If you are privileged to have him walk on you it would most likely result in getting a piece of land from him. Apart from being very demonic, it gave him unquestioned authority. We know of kingdoms even today where the king must sleep with every beautiful girl before giving his consent for a young man to marry her. Many times he might decide to marry her instead and the subject will willingly submit.

Again in Uganda I was told that the most persecution to the church came from the same kabaka (king). The main reason was that he could not reconcile himself to Christ having the title Kabaka of the kabakas. That was offensive and was dealt with ruthlessly. I was in a service where there was translation into Buganda and I was able to understand his problem. But Christ is really Kabaka of the kabakas, only that His kingdom is not a simply earthly kingdom.

A subject of the kingdom lives for the kingdom. He never lives for himself but only the kingdom. Everything in the kingdom must be called in the sovereign’s name. That is why we have royal this or that, king’s or queen’s this or that.