QUALITY FOLLOWER-SHIP

We all focus on being leaders. And yeah we are leaders in one way or another. Some of us are positional leaders while others are more of influential leaders even without a position. But we must agree that there can be no leadership without followership. And no matter what kind of a leader you are, to a larger extent you too are a follower.

I would like to extract some followership principles from Jesus as shown in John 10:1-13. We know that the Leadership of Christ is accurate, perfect, complete and lacking nothing. So today we won't talk about quality leadership because we are following a perfect leader (assuming you follow Jesus). We will look at quality followership.

•  Leadership (Jesus) comes through the GATE.

Jesus does force his way into the pen but He uses the gate. He uses legitimate means. He must be let in. You are the owner of your heart and you regulate who comes in and who goes out. So you must give Jesus access. Quality followership means giving authorization and building a connection. Have you given the shepherd access to your heart? The man who enters through the gate is the shepherd. 

• Robbers and stealers come through other means.

The robbers break in. They force their way. The enemy does not ask for permission, he invades. How fortified is your pen? Quality followership means being fortified so that we can deter robbers from accessing the inside. Fortification means building ourselves strong enough to withstand the tricks of the enemy.

•     The watchman opens the gate for the shepherd.

The watchman is the Holy Spirit. Quality followership means being led by the Holy Spirit. It’s through the Holy Spirit that our hearts are able give access to the Shepherd.

•  The sheep listens to His (shepherd’s) voice.

Have you ever heard a parent describe an obedient child? They always say….. This one listens me. (Huyu mtoto huniskiza). Listen here means obedience. It is not listen in the usual sense, it is being able to figure out what you are required to do and doing it. Quality followership means walking in obedience. Should I add that it should be complete obedience?

•  He calls his own sheep by name

Where I came from, we used to give names to cows, but not to goats or sheep. It’s funny to note that these sheep of Jesus are called by name. Name here stands for destiny and purpose. Quality followership means allowing the shepherd to define us and to unfold our purpose.

• The shepherd goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.

Again where I came from, we used to look after the sheep from behind. We could not trust the sheep to follow us, so we looked after them and not lead them. Quality followership means knowing how to be led and knowing how to follow. Tracking the shepherd, trusting the shepherd to know your needs and where the pasture is and believing the shepherd is better than us.

•     They will never follow a stranger but rather will run away from stranger’s voice.

My grandmother’s sheep were like her babies. If she would get late and you try to get them outside the pen, they would literally refuse to move. Quality followership means being intimate with the shepherd. This intimacy becomes a protective means against stranger’s voice.

•    A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

True leadership is demonstrated through service and sacrifice and the fruit bore. Has the shepherd produced more life for the sheep or has life been destroyed, killed or stolen? How protected is the sheep when the wolf comes? Is the shepherd hired or he is a co-heir? Quality followership means being under a true leader.

• I have other sheep that are not of this pen, I must bring them also.

Followership does not end with being a follower; it ends in bringing others to where you are. Quality followership facilitates the development of other followers. Followers must understand that they too are leaders.

• Is this man demon possessed?... maybe not.. how does he open the eyes of the blind?

Leadership is an eye opening experience that brings followers to a place of clarity and sight. Quality Followership is walking under a leadership that takes you to the next level.

Thank you for being a quality follower of this post I hope it’s been worthwhile.

Lessons on Faith From London 2012 Olympics

London 2012 Olympics brought together countries from all over the globe. Many athletes competing could not speak one language. But that did not limit their participation.  As I was just reflecting on this thought, I realized how easy it is for the church to come to the unity of faith. You see, in any sport, the participants do not necessarily have to learn the same language, all they need to know is learn the language of the game. If it's handball, you have to know what makes it different from netball or volleyball. If it's triple jump, you need to know the drill and so with each game.

Once you understand the language of the game, whether in a global tongue like English, or in a local dialect like Kalenjin, you are good to go. And as you enter in the field to play, though speaking different tongues, all players are in essence speaking one language, the language of the game.

The Kingdom of God is bigger than our local realities, it is massive beyond the global sense. Beyond the galaxy, the seen and the unseen. And sometimes one can wonder if the maturity of the church according to Eph 4:13, will come when the church comes to the unity of faith, then will the end really come?

But following the above thinking, let us assume the journey of faith is indeed a game at the Olympics, the reality of maturity is like playing at the Olympics and the people of faith are the players. How then can we make the maturity of all saints a possible reality?

To qualify for the Olympics (maturity of faith), one has to practice, learn the language of the game and be good at it, having achieved the set standard. The language of the game in this context is the Knowledge of the Son. This means that you have to have a level of the Knowledge of the son that is substantial enough to make you qualify for maturity.

Did you realize as nations competed at the Olympic they did not send the whole country there? Everybody could not achieve the standard required to play at the Olympics! What does that mean? It means REPRESENTATION. Could it be as much as the quantum that qualifies one for maturity is unknown, the reality of representation could the secret? That as long as some people are able to achieve the set standard required, they can stand on behalf of the rest and their representation can be considered as an achievement for all? 

Back to the basic thought of this note. 

If each player, in their local reality, learnt the language of the game, and acquired the standard required to play at the Olympics, then the unity of faith we seek could become a reality. And so, the task is for me and you to strive to achieve the standard that will qualify us to play at the Olympics. To strive for the knowledge of the son that will bring us to MATURITY.

Change Me Oh Lord!

We have prayed this prayer over and over again. That God may change us. 

Then just as I was changing my son's diaper it hit me... what kind of change do I want?

You see, when a child has pooped on themselves, they are desperate for a change. They scream to express the desperation. Even if they are hungry, they will not be comfortable to suckle. As you come near them, as you hold them, they are desperately wishing you could just figure it, that they need change.

How many times have we desperately cried out to God for change. A change of diapers? When we poop on ourselves and the discomfort of sin is eating us up alive. Our hearts are so burned we are developing a rash? When our immaturity has blinded us up not to see the greatness of our God. We cry and wail, showing how desperately we need a clean slate... and God in His faithfulness, changes us or should I say changes our diaper... and as we indulge in our usual delicacies... we poop again and the cycle continues. We are ever crying to God for change.. a change of diaper!

But how beautiful would it be when God matures me up.. the kind of change that will teach me how not to poop on myself. The kind of change that matures me. The kind of change that brings me to a higher and deeper level in Him.

And just like a child, we start by pooping on ourselves and God changes our diapers, but He expects us to grow up and mature. He expects us to desire a better change, a deeper change, a renewing change.. something permanent.

And so as I lift my hands and ask God to change me, I focus on getting into a transforming process, the kind of change that makes me more like him.

Change Me Oh Lord!

Are You Zero Grazing Your Children?

Sometimes when I look at some disinfectant TVC I get so angry. What do you mean there are germs everywhere? I am not saying there are no germs, but they are not everywhere. Unfortunately we have been brain washed to the benefit of these products.

I think some of our children are reared like the broiler chicken. Indoors, lots of junk food, limited space to walk, artificial lighting and modern gadgets. Those too are experiences, but we are all sure what the products are.

I am happy I was born in my generation where I was allowed to graze freely. The things we did can kill the today’s zero grazed child. We ate some gum from a tree I have no idea what is the English name. And it was such a delicacy. We dug beetles from cow dung by urinating in their holes to force them out. We fished tadpoles thinking they were fish. We made mud slides during the rainy seasons. We ate the roadside stones when it rained just because they smelt aromatic. Oh, and we didn’t die.

I know things have changed. We don’t have forests or rivers or even space to let our children, we cannot trust them to roam around and we are too busy. When was the last time you played with your children? Outdoor?

We are limited I know, but I still believe it is a parents responsibility to create moments and experiences for their children. It is so unfortunate that most of our children have never seen a cow giving birth, or even a cow being milked. They can neither make fire nor make tea. They have never seen a tadpole leave alone a frog. It is a sad thing.

With all our excuses, we are lucky as a country that we can give such experiences to our children if we made deliberate efforts. A friend of mine Emanzo is doing such a great work with his Bush Culture Programs. And I agree with his concept. That unless we do something and create some of  these experiences for our children, they will never understand why environment is such an important things and they may never ever understand life as they ought to.

So this coming holiday, do something with your children. And if you need help, you can always contact me to help you create experiences for you children, experiences that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

www.teambuildingcompany.co.ke

A Den of Robbers

Before I share my thoughts let us consider some scriptures in John 2:13-17.

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.’’ NIV

We all know that our hearts are the temple of God. We also know our life processes are transacted in our hearts. So the question is, what transactions is your heart conducting? Referring to the above scripture, I have come to realize that for a long time, I had made my heart a market place. A place where I tell God to do this so that I can do that for Him. Where the transactions of my heart are about merchandizing, losing this to gain that for my own sake. And that is what Christ refers to as a den of robbers.

Is your heart a den of robbers? Examine your heart and check out what kind of trade has been going through in your heart.

In this season of TFM we are going through different maturity transactions. These transactions have come to reconfigure our hearts. We are learning that the cross is a transaction point, where new agreements, covenants and contracts for the conduct of life in the earth. God is whipping out the trade in our hearts and replacing it with a zeal for His house. A zeal for Him. That we may be found in Him, that we may become for Him.

So, I would urge you to keep tracking, keep enquiring, don’t get familiar and don’t lose the sight of the bigger picture.

That I May Understand

I was going through the story of Easter in the bible just to conect with the reason for the season and I must say I was refreshed. When Christ died, in John 21 we find that Peter who was one of the key disciples had actually returned to fishing. I mean, that was so soon. He should have waited for a week or something. But I love the realness of Peter, he is rational and practical. But the problem with this is, following God needs faith, and faith always beats rationalism and practicality of things. So he had to be transformed to walk in faith more than sight. And the best thing is Jesus didn't give up on him. The bible actually titles this passage; and Jesus reinstates Peter.

The best thing about God is that He calls to use us the way we are. But as we walk with him he transforms us into men and women of faith. So we can never give up on ourselves. We have to believe that God is able to use us the way we are, and better still he is able to transform us into what he has in mind. And in our walk with him, who we are will most times conflict with who God wants us to become.

The guys on the way to Emmaus walked with the risen Jesus without realising who he was. I learnt it is very easy to walk with Christ and miss him. I mean, he was just another guy on the road until he broke bread. And I know many times I have walked with Christ and missed his reality. And as I was reflecting about Easter my prayer has been that God may open my eyes.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples before ascension, he made a statement that transformed me. He said, haven't you understood the scriptures? I was to die and arise again. He then gave them understanding of scriptures as they wait for the Holy Spirit for power. Have you ever struggled with faith? When the word does not make sense? When you can't understand the reality of God? I have been there. And this part of scripture really encouraged me. That indeed it is God himself who increases our faith. It is God himself who gives us understanding of scripture. And so I have been praying that indeed God may open my eyes, increase my faith, give me understanding of scripture and empower me by his spirit.

I just want to know Christ and the glory of his resurrection.

Suddenly.... takes a long time

Have you ever seen a tree?

With big ripe fruits?

Ready to eat?

What did you think?

Oh! What a nice tree!

Offering something

For the stomach

Certainly not this!

Once a seed

Had to grow

Mature,

Give birth, and

Nurture

So,

The next time you see a tree, 

With big ripe fruits, 

Ready to eat,

Suddenly…takes a long time

Making it Special

When I was three weeks old, my mother run back into the house from the communal water tank in the slum after some women told her she could kill me by laying me on my back as I sleep. She could not have imagined having killed her child out of ignorance. But I wouldn’t have blamed her, I was her first child and she was only twenty with no one to help as such.

When I was four months, I had a severe attack of meningitis and am told the doctor said I didn’t have much chance to live and if I did, I would have a damaged brain. Now that am alive, I just need to verify the part for a damaged brain.

When I was seven months, I got measles two months before the vaccination. The ward at Kenyatta was crowded, with mothers spending their nights on the floor as they watch on their babies. The two kids next to our bed on either side died. My life was spared.

I was a sickly kid, who cried all the time and at times especially when my younger brother was born; I was only one and half years old, I would be taken to my aunts just so that my parents can have a break.

When I was six as we were playing in the grassland in the Ngong forest, a black mamba almost bit me, luckily someone spotted it as it approached me and hit its head. When I was ten during the December holiday, another snake almost did the same luckily my dad was with me to kill it.

When I was a teenager, I run away from home severally and attempted suicide more than once. I passed that too. And many other times when I was so sick and I got healed, and times when God has watched over my life and preserved it without my knowledge.

So, today as I celebrate my birthday, I look behind and see the faithfulness of God. And as I look to the future I believe it will be great and glorious. And for my birthday, I want nothing more than a grateful heart. That is how I want to make it special.

Thank you God for this far that you have brought me, I can face tomorrow, because I am with you.

The Glass Roof

There is a glass roof in my house

I can see the furthest I wanna go

The sky aint even the limit

But I can’t even leave the ground

The furthest I have gone is just up the ceiling

I wanna fly way above

Break this glass roof

And peperuka up in the sky

And release my full potential

Beat the System, not Yourself

We are socialized to think that life is a linear affair. There is a set way we raise our kids and expect them to do certain things so that they can become something better. This is true especially when it comes to education. Here in Kenya you are expected to go through the 8-4-4 system in hope to get a good job after graduation.

From my experience, the system loses so many people in between who are left figuring what to do with themselves. There are no proper provisions for those who are cut off from the system. And as usual, they ‘hassle’ their way into life. Some make it while others find themselves stuck in the mess.

Though this is a sad situation, there is still hope for those who find themselves cut off from the system. And the way to survive is by learning how to beat the system at its own game; by developing something that cannot be ignored and by creating one own niche. But since most people believe so much in the system, once they get cut off they imagine that is the end for them and live like losers the rest of their lives.

I have observed people who are cut from the system at class eight and by learning how to do things with their hands, they earn a livelihood. I have also observed great minds that go to high school and come out as hooligans. Yet I have observed form four leavers who do not manage to go on and they learn a trade that becomes Business Empire. Yet again, some great minds join campus and lose focus and direction, to go back to the village and live the same life the class 8 drop out has been living.

Then we have those who graduate and get good jobs and then they just get lost in the system. Attending a burial of such a person, you don’t hear anything significant that came out of their lives.

My point is in one way or another, the system may not accommodate everyone. But when we are cut off the system, we shouldn’t beat ourselves. We need to learn how to maximize the minimum resources we have to reap the maximum benefits. At the end of the day, it’s not the strongest or the wisest that survives, it’s those who learnt to keep adapting to the changing circumstances of life that finish strong and better.

It so easy to live life miserably, beating ourselves because we didn’t make it to campus or because we didn’t get our dream job or something of such sort. It is also so easy to deceive ourselves that since we are in the system we are safe, but nothing is sure these days, you could lose your job, your business can go bankrupt, your husband can die, anything can happen. But that should not worry you as much as the inability to adapt to the unexpected.

The system may cut you off, don’t beat yourself. Beat the system. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter how glorious the beginning was if you don’t get to the finish. And when it becomes hard to continue, never hesitate to turn to God for renewed conviction, courage, and strength. “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians1:6 NIV

It’s in the valley I grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!

Author Unknown

Am a beggar of grace

Like a beggar

Who daily lies on the street

Helpless, crippled and disabled

I live at the street of mercy

I try with my own strength but I am incapacitated

I commit to leave the streets but it¢s become my habitat

I can't stand the onlookers and all day I ask why me?

I wish I could do it by myself

I say never again will I lie

I say never again will I disobey

I say never again will I do it

But I find myself doing what I detest

I accept to sit all day at the street of mercy

To beg for God's grace

And though I don¢t deserve it

I know by myself I can¢t

I am forever a beggar of grace

Whispers

A line in a popular hymn states, “As He whispers in my ear, I am His and He is mine.” What are the things God is whispering to you today? His voice will speak the best words you will ever hear. Quiet your heart. Hear Him saying to you, “Come to Me. Draw close to Me. Come closer still. Let Me comfort you with My mercies… encompass you with My grace… assure you with My presence… embrace you with My love.” God has so many tender things to whisper to you. Each day He invites you to come close, to draw near, and to listen.

Learn to draw closer to God daily. It’s in the small things, whispers and sighs. Worship is a lifestyle. All u do every day. On Sunday we just come to celebrate our live in Christ as a community.

Draw nearer......

In silence................

Be in a hurry to listen....... not to talk.

You have two ears............... one mouth.

Enjoy the presence of God.

Feeding the fireplace

A good friend of mine keeps on telling me that I can never be a good human rights activist. And I think he is partly true. I sometimes fail to understand how I can go on hunger strike to force the government into action. I also don’t believe I can chain myself at some gate shouting loudly and wailing for action. I think I love myself too much.

Without questioning the genuineness of an activist, the concept of self denial works well at time. The principle of choosing to deny one self’s basic rights for the good of a larger family. Yeah, I may not be a human rights activist, but I am an activist in my own right.

As a young man I have gone through the university of life and at some level I have had to do some things to call for action. For example I have had to deal with some kind of addictions. And for some of these habits to cease I’ve had to actively deny myself some basic rights in regards to the said habit to bring out the desired output.

Let me use the analogy of feeding the fireplace to explain. For one to keep the fire burning, one is required to keep feeding the fireplace with fresh firewood. As the firewood burns, more fresh firewood is required. They also say, where there is no wood, the fire goes out.

For us to get off sinful habits, we must stop feeding ourselves fresh firewood that propels them. For example if one is struggling with addiction to pornography, one stopping to watch new porn and stopping replaying the stored images in his head, is in essence not providing fresh firewood and thus the fire goes out. But the moment fresh firewood is provided, the fire keeps burning.

The same applies to things like worshipping God. When we constantly feed ourselves with fresh wood such as the proceeding word of God, the fire keeps burning for God. And when we leave the fireplace unattended, the firewood finishes and the fire goes out. And we wonder what happened.

Yeah, you too can be an activist in your own right. It just depends with what is your fireplace? Call yourself into action.