Dear Friends and Family,
I almost titled this report as “We Interrupt This Program” because our program for the day was unexpectedly cut short due to a preplanned meeting that the pastor was a part of but didn’t let us know. So, we had to cancel the last apologetics talk. But I changed the title to “All’s Well That Ends Great” because even with the abrupt interruption, the day ended great!
WELCOME TO WORSHIP
This day had a little bit of everything. It started with a typical three-and-a-half hour service including close to 90 (not a typo) mins of nonstop singing and dancing to very loud music, (One thing that almost evades our notice is that they do this all without hymnals or song sheets.) divided into two segments with a twenty-five minute sermon by Patrick in Swahili in between and a 50 minute sermon in English by me, translated into Swahili after the second segment. The rest was taken up by the pastor’s remarks, announcements, and offering.
That was followed by lunch. Lunch was supposed to be followed with a 2.5-hour seminar consisting of two apologetics talks starting at 2:30. We started late (are you surprised?) and at about 4:30, after the first, we announced the second would start after a short break. Then we found out there was a preplanned meeting at the church of area pastors at 5pm to plan a large “Kingdom Empowerment Prophetic Interdenominational Conference” (see picture album) that is scheduled for May 18-21. The pastor of the host church obviously knew about it but somehow the information never reached Patrick and I until thirty minutes before the meeting was to start.
The abrupt ending to our day at first seemed like a backward step but ended up being two giant steps forward. Let me explain why.
SPEAKING TO MUCH OF THE NATION ON TV?
My sermon, “Why Do Christians Suffer?” (because of bad choices, because the world hates Jesus, and because of the curse on creation in Gen 3) corrects what the false teachers are telling
people, which is that “God is punishing Kenya with a drought, and I know why. Follow me and I correct what is wrong.”
This sermon has been received with great elation and the pastor of the church, who was interpreting for me, was enthusiastically supporting what I was saying and later said, “We need to get you on national TV giving that message to the nation to correct what the false teachers have been telling them.”
We will be looking into the possibility of buying TV time in the future for me to give this message to a large audience in Kenya! It is not that expensive!
ADDRESSING THE LGBTQ EMERGING IN KENYA
The talk I didn’t give was on the LGBTQ threat that is beginning to raise its demonic head in Kenya. But that ended up being an open door. Let me explain.
The chairman of the Pastor’s Fellowship who was there to lead the planning meeting noy my presentations. But he was in my sessions last January. The pastor of the host church, this chairman, Patrick, and I talked about the future and agreed to squeeze in a one-day meeting as a part of my July trip.
. . . to introduce a contingent of pastors to me and what I am doing, asking for their assistance in setting up a very large meeting in January 2024 when I can address the LGBTQ issue with a large number of pastors at one time.
A third open door is an invitation by a well-connected bishop (oversees several churches) about 5 hours from the guest house where I stay.
He wants me to come there and address pastors on these crucial issues. So, we will be looking into that possibility for next January as well!
A DREAM COME TRUE
These opportunities are the kinds of things I’ve wanted to do for years but the opportunities have never presented themselves. But the initiating of our apologetics ministry focused primarily on youth has begun to open doors I have only “dreamed” about in the past. Specifically, being able to address issues that the false teachers around here use to attract untaught, unsuspecting believers taking money from them in the process.
I am energized and excited about what is ahead. With ITEM transiting to new leadership at the top, there was thought that I would start winding down. It appears to be just the opposite!
Thank you for being a part of this trip. Thanks for praying.
Many new pictures in the album. CLICK HERE to be taken to the album.
By His grace,
Steve