DSI

This article has been triggered by looking at my life and also looking at some people I have managed to interact with in my life necessarily in my Christian walk. Before I got born again I wanted to become a lawyer and I joined form one at Tieng’re Secondary School with the aim that in my career I will be the best lawyer. This to be sincere was driven by Paul Muite, James Orengo and Martha Karua. Then it came a time of IPPG when I used to hear these names and until I read in the Newspaper that SECTION 2 A of the constitution was scrapped off the constitution  although I dint understand what was SECTION 2 A was saying. This passion was propelled by my father who did not know because my father used to buy a magazine the Weekly Review. My father also used to cut pieces of Newspaper containing information about politics in Kenya and mostly what was happening in the court corridors. So I used to be inspired a lot and this made me that every weekend I used to go to our market center [Otonglo] and the Newspaper Vendor [Oraro] used to be kind give some Newspaper for some days of the week and read if around. This made me look into the future and say I must be a lawyer and I must pick it from these people and continue either with them and as they leave I must run the achieve my bit.

The secondary school did not go well because the school fees failed me badly but a few hick-ups like, the Religiuos Education teachers was one of my worst enemies that she told me that in the case it is a CRE Christian religious lesson she should not find me in her class. But that worked well enough because I could read that when the CAT [Continuous Assessment Tests] or ETT End Term Test is brought I either become below number 5 and this worried her so much. We had a very loving and kind gentle man who was teaching Physics and these made me like this subject so much which made me say that I can do two things Engineering and Law.

I was disappointed when I drop out of school in the first term of my fourth year, the final year when I was just to go and complete my secondary school just because I could not register for the exams. This destroyed my morale for school and I started going for clubs, and started focusing of bodybuilding and became somehow club security and also started being local dj withing the area because I thought that because of luck of schooling this is the only thing I can do that is worthy.

A lot got me along the way I will tell the story later, then I was brought to Nairobi not to look for the job but it was my father and my uncle’s idea to remove from home because my father could not tell me anything because I always blamed him for failing me big time and I did not want to hear anything from him.

Just to shorten the story, I got saved and one person asked me two questions that I dint answer but helped me after he explained to me what he was asking for. The question was;

Stephen, What is your Gift and what is your calling?

Pastor Rodgers Cedar who is now the present Senior Pastor of JCC [Jesus Celebration Center Kisumu, Kenya asked me this question which I knew nothing about. I thank God because He sent his servant Pastor Rodgers who helped me a lot on this and after he had explained to me what he had asked me. This is when I started reading a book by the late Dr. Myles Munroe titled, The Burden of Freedom, which led me start reading many books by Dr. Myles Munroe like in Pursuit of Purpose, Releasing your Potential. I realized that he dealt mostly with Purpose and Potential. So when one day I was watching him speak he said that there are 5 questions that everyone needs to answer in life and if you can answer them very well then you will be a happy man. So I listened to these questions as he listed them, they were

1. Who am i?
2. Where am I from?
3. Why am I here?
4. What can I do?
5. Where am I going to?

Then I sat with myself and started to answer these questions but I came to realize that I did not understand his questions well because I was answering these question myopically and with a very simple and narrow mind. But after trying to understand how these question needs to be answered helped me a lot and I thought that you can also sit down and answer yourself because I realized that the bible has everything outlined but we have never read them in the same perspective. I realized some people in the bible also asked the same questions like David asked God what is man? And God also answered. So after these question is when I realized that one day I will be there before God and He shall asked me a question, ‘‘What did you do with what I gave you?’’  We will be present before Jesus in the last day like those three people who were given talents where one was given 5, another 2 and another one was given 1 and both came before the Master and He asked them to bring back what they were given and the returns that they come with. In this days Jesus has only two answers;

Good and Faithful servant, which means you have fulfilled your purpose or

Wicked and foolish servant, this means that you have nor fulfilled your purpose.

Being good and faithful or Wicked and foolish servant is not something that can be achieved in a day but it is a lifetime thing. For now if you can answer these five questions very well, you can or will be able to project yourself to be good and faithful servant. When I answered these questions the hatred and the pain against my father died and I managed to help myself have a clear focus of what God had purposed me to achieve and have it done as the bible states in Jeremiah 29:1, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, God designed everyone with a purpose and when we walk and work with Him, the statement of good and faithful shall be said about us.

1. Who am I? (MY Identity)

“What is man?” Many have asked this question including you, but you are not alone it was even asked by David (Psm. 8:4-6) and Job (Job 7:17-18). Nowadays we look at the environment that we were born in, poor family performance in school, the jobs we are doing and we rate ourselves depending on our environment. These questions were asked by David and Job when they were in a serious problems and they were thinking that they were “born to suffer” but they din’t know they were the problem to the environment because they were different. Because you don’t have big butts, boobs, six pack, Italian suit, Brazilian wig, Nike shoes, or walking on foot, or renting a house HAS NOT, and WILL NOT make you less “MAN”. 

Nowadays we think that we are made of by our dresses, what we wear, shoes, which cars we drive, which churches we go. Which schools we attended, which grades we had. Most of the people take drugs because of self esteem(they estimate themselves lowly) they underestimate themselves. 

Who I am is not in what I do, what name did my father chose for me BUT WHAT I have come to understand is who I am.

Psm 139:14, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, my design is originally from God, I don’t need expensive clothes to make me, KNEC can’t describe me, the world think that they know me. My family are trying to describe who they think they know but that is their (observation and perception).

1 Pet. 2:9 says I am a chosen generation and royal priesthood, my genes are of greatness, I don’t need chemicals to stimulate me to be better I was born better, ever clothe I wear becomes a royal clothe, clothes don’t make me royal, I make them royal, I make things blessed including you. 

God answered those questions and said (Psm. 82:5-6) They know not …….. I have said you are gods and all are the children of the MOST HIGH GOD. Which mean you carry the gene of “The Most High God”. God created “man” to change dominate (transform) the environment Not to be dominated (Confirmed)  by the environment. (Gen 1:26, 28)

2. Where am I from? (My Origin)?

In Kenya we have been looking at ourselves in the context of our tribal lines, Kenyans have been politicized to an extent that when you introduce yourself The people want to hear your family name, Onyango, Njoroge, Mutuku, so that they may tag you. A luo, a Kikuyu, a Kamba. The bible says that we have been “……With your blood you purchased us^[a] for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. Rev 5:9 b. We always believe that we originated from our parents, our tribes, our nations or our continent. In the bible Jacob became Israel a nation, Not Jacob coming from Israel we make nations, Nations don’t make us. The 12 sons of Jacob made the twelve tribes of Israel NOT that the twelve sons of Jacob came from the 12 tribes of Israel. We are living in the bondage of our nation, tribes and family that is wring if my parents were poor, those were my parents NOT ME, the bible says we perish or taken to captivity for luck or we have rejected knowledge,  Hesea 4:6, Isa 5:13. The bible says “Those who believed Him He gave them the power TO BECOME the “CHILDREN OF GOD”. Jesus said to Nicodemus “ Unless a person is born from above he cannot see the Kingdom of God”, in simple if you are tied to your tribe, father and mother and your nation, you don’t belong to the Kingdom of God. I would like to tell you guys that our origin is heaven is not you father or mother are just a passage through which you arrived on earth. Please read John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world” in simple whosoever his/her origin is from God then overcomes the world (the parental, tribal, national, racial) boundaries, you are of God.

What is MAN from?

The word “MAN” in Hebrew means a “SOUL” Gen 1:26,28, in (27) the bible records that “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. Male and Female are just body but soul is the same. So my friend you are born of God, you are not made by your family, tribe, nation or race, these are all “SACRED”.

SACRED

This means that it is reverently dedicated to God for a purpose. So you being born in your family, your tribe, your nation, your race is reverently connected to God and it is for His own purpose. When God was talking to Jeremiah which is including you and me He told him this, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations Jer 1:5. Can we pick these words and understand them,

1. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee,  NOT before you were formed
2. I sanctified thee, God sanctified you
3. I ordained thee, God ordained you

Jesus came to reconcile us back to our heavenly father and that is why Paul says in Romans 8:11 that “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

So your origin is in God.

3. Why am I here? (My Purpose)

The word PURPOSE (WHY AM I HERE?) is a noun (a name) and a verb (an action). This simply tells us that a noun becomes active when an action or activity has taken place. If you refer to the first two question that we tackled which are (1. Who am i? (Identity) and 2. Where am I from?(Origin) the first two questions will bring you to a very crucial word called “DESIGN”. If you dint know your Identity and also You didn’t understand your origin then I bet you have NOT UNDERSTOOD your DESIGN and it is not easy to know the reason why you exist (PURPOSE). Purpose as a noun means “the reason for which something exist” and as a verb means “to have as ones objective”.

Purpose is the original intent of a thing, or the creation of a thing which was in the mind of the creator before the creation. Gen 1:26, let us make man in our image and likeness (design) and let them have dominion (Purpose)….

This is the end that started the beginning. Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,………. Our God is a God of purpose who will Has never, Will never ever create anything without, “PURPOSE”. The best person is a person who always lives with a purpose. God declared the END from the BEGINNING before He begun creating it. So God has already known your end before you go through it. I believe that is why God told Jeremiah that “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jer 29:11. God says because I designed you and created you, why not contact and consult me for the thoughts or plans I have for you because I know you better, I never created you for evil but for peace and also to give you an “expected end”. Please purpose is the thing for everybody.

          If you know your purpose for going to school you will not temper with it, purpose for marriage although some go for sex and when there is a sexual challenge he looks for it outside. Purpose for going to church on Sunday that is why God corrects us in  Ecc 5:1. Like in our churches nowadays, there are a lot of turmoil because one is supposed to be an usher but trying to become a pastor and creating some confusion in church. Some should be evangelizing and yet the person wants to sing. Please anybody who is serving in any church, can you please contact God to inform you what He would like you to accomplish in that church rather doing things which create confusion and brings competition in the church.

The word purpose has encompassed a lot of things, which are

1. Success, this is attaining the desired purposed, it is also comparing what you HAVE DONE WITH WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE, NOT what you HAVE DONE WITH WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE which is (Competition).
2. Abuse, this is simply, Abnormal use, using yourself not on a normal way. Eg homosexuals, sex toys, your organ is not be vibrated, or use a plastic, or rubber, everything was designed for a purpose, use the right tool for the right purpose.
3. Misuse, This is simply missing the use, having sex at wrong time, eg, using the right tool but at a wrong time, (fornication), using the right tool but with a wrong person (adultery)

Please can we do ourselves a favor and go to God our creator and pick our plans from and walk into it, PURPOSE is the most important part of our live because it is the reason why we were Born and BORN AGAIN.

4. What can I do? (Potential)

What can I do? Is a real question that most of the people have never thought of asking themselves and the people who ask themselves this question are directing their questions to a wrong person who cannot answer the question well. This is a real challenge because most post measure what they can by what others are doing or have already done which is not really knowing your potential BUT competition. Potential is word which is found in an adjective (descriptive) and a noun (naming).

1. (adjective) having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.
2. (noun) latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness

Potential definitely means “what you are able to do or capable of doing” which you have not done. I know you have sung songs, played piano, guitar so well, you have preached many sermons, pastored evangelized many got saved, taught so well many have been developed by you, helped so many, prayed for many BUT I am talking of “WHAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE WHICH YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO”. Potential is the energy to do what you have not done, the capability of doing something you have not done.

Potential is based on the design which is pegged on “PURPOSE”, you were designed the way you are so that the “CAPABILITY” may be infused in you to enable accomplish what you were created to accomplish. Like in transport sector we have land, bicycle, motor-bicycle, car, van, mini-bus, bus, pick-up, track, trailer, train water, boat, motor-boat, canoe, yacht, dhow, ships, submarines and then air drones, hot air balloons, jet, (fighters, private, commercial) planes (war, passenger, luggage). Like looking at a car and a bus the capacity is different, so here the design also determines the potential. There are motor-Cycle and Motor-boat are both motor-powered by the design allows one to be on water an another on land and whichever one does is totally different. This is why we should NOT COMPARE ourselves “ONE TO ANOTHER”. Become the best of you NOT LIKE ANOTHER PERSON. You can learn from others BUT NEVER BECOME THEM.

God also has given us “TALENTS AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS” to enable accomplish the task He has laid ahead of us. These abilities are NOT IN YOU FOR YOU but they are IN YOU FOR OTHERS. Some people think that they are anointed for glory, NO they anointed to solve some problem for people. Like the Spiritual Gifts, you are not a Pastor to pastor you or healing to heal you BUT others. So your potential is to solve a problem for others “to make other people lives become better”. The bible says that “the spiritual gifts are without repentance” 1 Cor 12:27. Which means God has not repented in building you with that potential.

There is a tool called SHAPE which has helped me a lot in understanding yourself, that is PURPOSE and POTENTIAL.

• S – Spiritual Gifts
• H – Heart Desires   
• A – Abilities
• P – Personalities
• E – Experiences

When you can go through these very keenly they will be able to help understand your PURPOSE and POTENTIAL in order NOT to move aimlessly in life.

The Psalmist said “You are fearfully and Wonderfully made…. Psm 139:14” Not “Fairfully” but “Fearfully meaning to “a very great degree”  and “wonderfully” in a way that inspires delight or admiration, extremely well. Jesus said “love your neighbor as you love yourself” Math 22:39, simply means extend love the same you have loved yourself the original you, He never said “COPY YOUR NEIGBHOR or BE LIKE YOUR NEIGBHOR” because He knew that you were uniquely designed and built.

5. Where am I going?(My life Vision)

In the Daily Nation Thursday April 6, 2017, page 57, the page is titled “Transition”. At the lower half of the page there you find a picture and the words announcing the passing away of Janet Kanini Ikua. In the announcement there are 8 strong sentences excluding the wishes and a verse from the Holy Bible from the book of 2^nd Timothy 4:7, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, there were the words of Paul to Timothy. This will happen to you and me, death is coming to us incase Rapture doesn’t come before our deaths. My question is what will they write in your obituary, or how will they read your eulogy. What will they says apart from your parents, unties, brothers and sister, cousins, nieces and nephews which are sacred you have no choice because you cant change them, BUT now your marriage life, your training, your actions on earth here you have the right to decide.

You can now sit down and start writing your eulogy, what will people say, after knowing your “PURPOSE” and “POTENTIAL” by consulting your designer and maker, God. Now you will have known what you were born to do and your capacity to fulfill it then you sit down and start writing your eulogy (vision). Paul said “I have finished my course” this is a person who knew his course and that is what made him speak with confidence that “I have fought a good fight” not a loosing one.

Jesus said on the cross “It is finished” John 19:30, NOT “I am finished”. Jesus also mentioned that “……I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. John 17:4. They are Not talking about themselves BUT they are talking about something which has been accomplished. Jesus said very clearly that it is finished, what was supposed to accomplish is done.

          Our question today is “Where am I going?” This reminds me the first time I stepped in Nairobi from the village and we travelled at night, there were so many tall buildings which confused me and we went to the bus station the busses had different numbers, 100, 46,40, 102, 126,125,111,15, 24, 56, 41, 35. The good thing I was following my father who never talked to anyone and went and just got inside a bus and I was asking myself questions because there were many buses but my father even knew where the bus number he needed was but me I was confused because I was looking at a newer of but which later I came to realize would have NOT taken me where I was going. Where am I going is simply “VISION” which is;

A clear definition of life’s destination, anybody who cannot define properly is lost.

Seeing the end at the beginning, this is like an artist who knows what he wants to draw before he begins to draw, or whatever he wants to curve before he begins the curving it order not to waste time and material.

Vision is a Mental picture of what the future has, Clear picture of what the end you have, like my father had in mind where he was going from the village, before boarded a bus to Nairobi and a bus to the house he had already known where he was heading, so vision is having in mind what the end is.

The prophet of God which most of people are quoting when it come to vision is Habakkuk, but he begun very well “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me,…….” The prophet begun by seeking his designer and the maker with whom he knew had everything planned as he has stated “…will watch to see what he will say to me….”. This is when the designer and the maker spoke and said “…Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it”. Hab 2:1-3

Today can you sit down and write your vision, if you are a leader, where is your team heading to? What will your life become and the end of your time on earth here? If you die today what will people say about you? Like this month we are having Easter Holyday to remind us of “the finished work on the cross”. People like Martin Luther King jr. has a day in the USA as a reminder of what he did crusade for.

Please if you are leading a team, sit down write what you believe the team should achieve, and break them into segments and set a goal for a segment like “yearly”.

Vision in terms of leadership is the idea of improving humanity, advancing your community, developing people around you to the betterment. Mostly in Africa is where people always confuse “PERSONAL AMBITION” with “VISION”. Personal ambition is where you work hard for personal gain while VISION is working hard for the good of everyone.

You know if you don’t know where you are going you CANNOT say I have reached, if you don’t know what you were to do you wont know whether you have accomplished or completed. So now know what you were born to do so it will help you know how far or how much you have done. You cannot evaluate your work if you don’t know what you were suppose to do. That is why there are a lot of infightings in churches because everyone doesn’t know their PURPOSE that CHURC and also NOBODY KNOWS THE VISION OF THAT CHURCH” or the vision is only with leader.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish;…..” Prov 29:18, this is mostly cooperate leadership visionary. Because any leader with no vision is a disaster in the making

Please as I close start planning, arranging and taking your steps one at a time that is moving towards you’re your vision, so that when we will be reading your obituary or eulogy we will know you made it of “You fought the good fight of faith”.

I hope that will help you personally and slightly you team if you have one.