Dr. Don Raney, Zac Johnson, and I stood on a hillside near the viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley. Cut into the hillside is an indigenous stone home, with three calves lowing not fifty meters away. The overcast and foggy morning is slowly being transformed into a warm, winter, Kenyan day. We have come here with Linus Kirimi, one of my best friends on this continent, and another pastor and man of God, Simon. There is no church in this area, Linus reports, and God has given him and Pastor Simon a vision for a local body of Christ here, near the viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley.
The area is Kiambu, a place of intense natural beauty and lush flora. To get to this idyllic hillside, we have driven off the main highway from Nairobi, through a pine forest evenly planted, skirted by hedgerows. The road is rough, rugged, and rutted, and our journey is slow-going, mainly because of my concern for the vehicle, and the mzee Simon in the back seat.
As we stood on the grassy hillside among the lowing calves, Linus Kirimi asks me to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the persons gathered. I introduce myself and my American friends to the Kenyans gathered nearby. I then read the story of Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus from John 3. I tell these Kenyan women and men of Jesus, and all that He has done. I remind them of their sinful nature, and revel in the love of God for them. I tell them of the thief on the cross who cried out for mercy to the Christ, and was promised an eternity in paradise.
When I lead the prayer at the end of my presentation, one woman, Mariana, and one man, Peter, pray aloud with me. Their English is tainted by the tradition of the Queen, but the authenticity of faith experience is simple, transparent, and refreshing. Upon the close of the Amen, I ask Mariana and Peter to become the first members of the Uplands Baptist Church, which will gather for the first time on July 17th, one week from this coming Sunday. They seem eager to found this local body of believers.
Zac Johnson is overwhelmed by what has just happened. In response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there has been no resistance, no rejection, and no derision. There has been acceptance, contrition, and confession. Christ's words, that the fields are white unto harvest could never be more true.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Praise be to God!!! I will be praying for you team and their courage to spread the Gospel. For it is the power unto salvation. I will also add Uplands Baptist Church as well as Mariana and Peter to the prayer list. God is pleased with what you are doing Pastor Shaw. Stay encouraged.
ReplyDeleteMichael Petty