20 Facts About Prayer

A lot has been said about prayer as the main means by which Christians interact with God. 

I'm not going to repeat so much of what has been said, but I share below a few quick-fire facts about this important subject in Christendom; 

1. God answers prayer. If you believe He does, He will; but if you as well believe that He doesn't, He won't. Answered prayer is the evidence of God's will coming alive in our lives; it's therefore more about what we pray for than whether God is faithful in answering prayer or not. 

2. God only answers prayers made in His will according to His Word. So ANYONE who believes in Him and prays this way will be answered. Christian or not. It is faith in this God that justifies the answer, because a prayer of faith in God's Word makes such a person a believer. The times of receiving answers may vary, but He will surely answer. 

Deuteronomy 4:29 says "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." 

3. God is the God of everyone, so prayer to this God by anyone is authentic. All you need to do is invoke the name of Jesus while praying, and this God becomes your God as well. That's why by faith we are saved and through confession we are delivered. This is a free gift to everyone, not only Christians. The Bible says, "and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21). It's everyone's gift. 

4. God doesn't answer all prayers. God doesn't answer selfish prayers. God doesn't answer prayers that justify or gratify our sinfulness. God does not support evil. That's the devil's work. So all prayers for evil are answered by the devil, not God. Remember the devil has power given to him by God for such occasions. (Ephesians 2:2). 

5. The devil supports all evil prayers and that's why evil prospers because it has the least opposition from him. That's why it's easy to be evil than to be good. 

6. The devil and his agents (people and fallen angels) are against God answering our prayers so they'll do anything to ensure that you and I don't align to God's will and way of answering prayers. That's why answers to prayers are delayed or postponed. (Daniel 10:12-14). 

7. It's true the devil doesn't normally save people from trouble, but if it suites his future agenda, he may. The devil can allow you to get away with a minor sin as he plans for your major fall. Not all winning is orchestrated by God. Not all victories are from God. Not all spirits are the Spirit of God. Use discernment. To prosper in evil is not to be with God. 

1 John 4:1 (ESV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

8. When someone with a sinful life in popular culture says, "ni maombi na God tu", don't take it literally. There are many gods. If they prosper in their sinful agenda and mention God, just know they're talking about the god of this world (the devil). God is not an orchestrator of evil deeds and intentions. At least not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Not that one. 

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV) In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

9. Sometimes God answers prayers we don't even know to pray about, things we have never prayed for. Sometimes He answers prayers we have never even prayed about. Our prayer lives cannot outdo God's power and intentions for our lives. God's sovereign will is way above what we can pray for. With our limited knowledge of things, our prayers only tend to scratch the surface or many underlying issues. That's why we receive blessings we don't even perceive were meant for us, not because we prayed, but because we serve a faithful God who knows what we need and when we need it. This is the beauty of belonging to God. 

10. Prayerfulness is not equal to great life results. Results are determined by God. Our work is to pray and perform all righteousness. His work is to fulfill that which is important in His agenda for us. Our attitude towards prayer should not be "I'm praying, therefore God must answer it my way" but "I'm praying, let God's will be done". Prayer should conform us to God's will and likeness, and not the other way round. 

11. Prayer is personal. We may pray for you, but you need to address your God all by yourself. He desires to have a relationship with you. There are things only your knees will solve for you. So get personal with God. 

12. PUSH (pray until something happens) is actually one of Christendom's greatest misconceptions about prayer. It implies that the more we pray, the more we're likely to get OUR answers under OUR own terms. Actually, sometimes, nothing is supposed to happen.

I'd rather we change it to: pray the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus, until you see things the way God does. Because some prayers are never meant to be answered OUR way. True story. 

13. Pray more that the Will of God will be fulfilled in your life and that you'll be willing to accept and perform it, than that what you think you deserve will be attained. This is where people claim prayer doesn't work because we're used to having life OUR way and forcing God into it. You can't force God's hand into doing what He understands isn't good for you. No, you can't. 

14. Emotionalizing prayer through chants, forged tongues and crying doesn't make it more "prayerful". Praying the Word of God by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus makes it more prayerful. That's spiritual prayer. That's enough. 

15. When you invest in good relationships with people, they'll pray for you without you asking. Investing in good spiritual relationships has a lot of advantage when it comes to corporate intentional prayer. You'll sometimes be held by prayers from saints - prayers you even don't have an idea you need. 

16. Here are prayers that can never be answered (at least not by God); 

(a) Prayers prayed wishing harm on others or so that so-called "enemies" may be silenced. 

(b) Prayers for your own selfish gratification. 

(c) Prayers that are likely to make others suffer as you celebrate. 

(d) Prayers that lack the Word of Knowledge (prayers made in ignorance). 

James 4:3 (ESV) says "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."

17. In many cases, the devil isn't even trying to oppose our prayers - he allows us to pray useless prayers for hours and days - because they are prayed in ignorance and he knows this Bible verse about ignorance: Acts 17:30 "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." 

In this era of new dimensions, our foolish prayers can't be tolerated anymore. We're either praying in wisdom or wandering in darkness. 

18. The most wonderful prayers - which never go unanswered - are prayers for wisdom, for power and strength to accomplish all righteousness. If you want God to always answer on time, pray for all His righteousness to be fulfilled in your life. Pray to become more like Jesus. You'll receive instant answers.

19. The most important thing about prayer is that we should never stop praying. Keep the line to heaven open at all times. Even so-called foolish prayers are useful so long us they are directed to a true God. 

20. Instead of always whining and complaining before God for everything not going right, try praising Him. Try thanksgiving. Try praying for another person in the same status and situation. There's so much fulfillment when we pray for others and approach God with a thankful heart than when we're always seeing what He has not done. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (ESV) 

pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

May we have a prayerful Easter weekend, and may we pray more earnestly that God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. 🙏

Morris 2.0

Always Ask

Let me share with us some tiny wisdom I have learned over time. The wisdom is this: when in doubt, always ask. It costs you nothing to ask. 

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Have you ever been in a situation where things were being said about someone you know quite well and you didn't know what to make of it? 

It may have been that what was being said was either true or false; you just didn't have enough evidence to verify the facts. And this kept you "hanging in there" waiting for the story to end so that you may deeply reflect on the allegations. 

With such scenarios playing a lot in my life of late, I have come to realize that if you depend on another person to tell you the whole story of another person, there will always be bias (good or bad.) 

Take for instance a story an old man - who should be respectable according to public understanding - told me about a year ago: that this lady we both know and with whom we had been interacting several times had been pregnant in a manner I don't know and had given birth to a baby I had never seen. 

Not that she couldn't get pregnant, but the story startled me because for the whole period the allegations were being thrown against her, I had been seeing her in perfect "babylessness".

Now, after listening to the story, I sensed that it was sh*t. Yes, I just said that. The story was sh*t. It was that way because it had so many holes:

1. There hadn't been any visible evidence of a pregnancy: there was neither a baby bump nor any other physiological changes associated with pregnancies for all the time I was interacting with her. 

2. There was no need for me to know about someone's private affairs like a relationship or a pregnancy. Those two things are private, and him telling me about them without the consent of the lady meant that this old man had no respect for people's privacy. I felt like shutting him down. 

3. Why would he care about it anyway if he was going to do nothing about it but just report to Morris? Am I God? Or had God appointed him as an accusing angel to talk about what goes wrong where and with whom? 

See? That's what made me write this blog. Stuff like that makes me feel bad about how people approach other people's successes or failures. 

And for that matter, if you're faced with such ballooned stories in life, you got a few options with you; 
1. Face the story-teller and shut them down, or 
2. Say nothing, or 
3. Do what this blog post is advising you to do: ask. Ask both the victim of the story and the story-teller to sync the two points of view. 

In my case, I picked number two. I said nothing. 

Why? Because 
1. the evidence was clear that none of what he was saying was true; and 
2. silence ensures that he won't bring me any of those fake stories any time soon once he realizes that I don't give comments on people's private lives. 

It may be that you have heard funny stories about a prominent person or a great leader; or that someone is blaming the leadership in a certain place for a certain mess. Either shut that person up, say nothing, ask the story-teller how sure they are that what they are saying is true or go ask the person being badmouthed if what is being said is true. After that, deal with whatever truth you find in a gracious way. 

Here are some other things you can do:

1. Verify a story first before drawing conclusions. 
Go to the victim and get their story before you draw a conclusion. There are always two sides to a story. Get both before victimizing anyone. 
Proverbs 18:17 (ESV) "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him."

2. Don't poke your nose into people's private lives. It's none of your business. 
Don't go investigating without prior background information. You may end up being a gossip-monger. Even the Bible supports this here: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NIV) "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you."

3. Only pray to God or pass on the information to other parties for help after getting the whole story. 
Don't give the devil a chance to play you into his conniving slanderous schemes. 

Conclusion
Here's a simplified version of what I'm saying... 
1. Quietly listen and understand. 
2. Ask questions to get views from both sides. 
3. Take action. 

It costs you nothing to ask, so always ask. 

God bless. 

Bonface Morris. 

Stuff I Learned and Discovered Last Year (2016 Edition)

Stuff I learned from 2016

This is a summary of my journal entries from the year 2016 in point form. 2016 was a year of deep learning for me by the way. Feel free to pick quotes from these lessons: that's what  they are for anyway.

If you may be interested in more entries from previous years, read more on what I learned in 2013 here, in 2014 here and in 2015 here.

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Lessons on life and personal growth

1. Sometimes you stick in the same place for a while not because you don't want to grow, but because you want others to come to where you are. At such times, you only grow inward because growth on the outside will cause an imbalance. And you don't want that.

2. If you want to know something more about the character of a mother, look at her sons. Sons almost always replicate the mannerisms of their mothers. Almost always. 

I observed a few mother-son relationships and discovered this: a boy is almost always as good or as bad as his mother.

3. Probably, one of the worst things in the world is to have a useless voice; a voice that is always sidelined and neglected. A ghost voice.

People with ghost voices are very defensive; sometimes from within but mostly it is seen in how they decide to not follow and do things with the masses.

4. Don't waste time thinking too much and worrying about tomorrow's outcome that you have no control over; instead, enjoy and work out today to your level best. At least when tomorrow comes, you'll be proud that you did your best today.

5. In 2016, I came to appreciate the importance of hard cover books; not fully though. They came in handy when power blackouts came about.

6. Everyone has an opinion on everything. Even silence, in and of itself, is an opinion.

7. You choose who to befriend. You choose who to propose to. You choose who to marry. It's your choice. The only thing you don't choose is when you'll die.

8. It seems everyone wants to be part of a great story, but very few are ready to be part of the making of that story. Always remember this: that every great thing you see took time and effort.

9. War always precedes greatness.

10. Here is the one single advice I'd give to this generation (both the young and old): listen first, react later.

11. Always know when to give up on an argument or discussion because some people just won't lose - even after realizing they are wrong.

12. Make friends with elderly people: both men and women. Tap from their wisdom on life, family and investment. It may be the best free advice you can ever receive in your whole petty life.

13. Be content with the fact that not everyone will agree with you, no matter how smart you are.

14. This is how scary wisdom has become: for every smart thing you're going to say in this world, always know that there's someone somewhere who knows a little more than you do but they have chosen to say nothing about it.

15. "Online" is now a real place: with buildings, with people, with personalities, with relationships, with cars, with jobs, with churches, with feelings, with clubs, with malls, with roads, with homes, with playgrounds... Online is a place.

16. And don't compare yourself to other people because there will always be someone who is better than you. Appreciate yourself as the best of yourself. That always works.

17. There is now the emergence of something I call "soft pride" where someone agrees that what you're telling them is the right and true thing to do but decide to do against it because they - as individuals or in the present culture they live in - think it doesn't apply to them. 

18. There are days when life requires that you simply stand still, days when you walk, days when you go sprinting, then days when life throws you in for a marathon. Never mix them up.

19. Listening to eBooks by converting them to audiobooks using a Windows Software called Balabolka happened to me last year. It made my ebook-reading life so sweet.

20. Always discern the difference between people respecting you and fearing you, between people envying you and refusing to give you support.

21. This generation is so excited about #Hashtags as if they are THE SOLUTION. They are not THE SOLUTION. They may be part of the solution, but they are not THE solution.

22. That one thing we fail at most but which is required almost everywhere, by everyone and in everything, is consistency. We lack discipline, and that is a problem.

23. The more open-minded you are, the less you judge. I wrote something on open-mindedness here.

Lessons on relationships, family and marriage

1. Relationships do not survive on love. Relationships survive on friendship, on mutual agreement and on trust. Love isn't overrated, but its role is to complement these three (friendship, mutual agreement and trust) and to ensure they smoothly work in unison.

2. I learned that most people don't talk about the real issues in relationships: finances, sex, faithfulness, work, ministry etc. They don't take real steps towards change because they think they'll change once they're married. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about marriage.

3. If you're single and you happen to meet a saved lady or guy that understands what contentment is, don't let her go before you make her yours. It's hard nowadays to get a person that isn't a gold digger, saved or not. 

4. Treat every date you have with your girlfriend as if it's your first date.

5. Things are not what they seem. Campus students, parents, Christians and everyone else should always remember this. Get the details first before making noise about something or fully appreciating anything.

6. If love to you means spending a lot of money, then you have not known love.

Lessons on leadership

1. The level of our commitment is shown in our consistency, not in our good words.

2. Greatness is when you ask for help even when you think you don't need it.

3. I sat down and wrote two constitutions for different groups I lead in church: the Youth and the Worship Team. It proved quite exhausting but it is becoming very key in bringing the change we all desire.

4. Reasonable millennials desire authenticity more than they crave "coolness". Always know that. 

PS: I actually wrote a blog about this here.

5. Never underestimate the intelligence of your readers and listeners.

6. A leader should never expect those under him/her to pursue a vision that the leader is not into; unless that leader is only a leader by title and not by action.

7. As a leader you need to learn to respect people's decisions, whether good or bad.

8. As a leader, be a person of your word. Be the first one to be faithfully committed to the words you say. People only trust people who do what they say they will do.

9. People follow the momentum given by the leader. When he/she says that they can't, it's almost true that the whole team can't.

10. As a leader, learn to face the outcome of your decisions whether good or bad.

11. Ideas are great; but ideas without an actionable plan, they are just wishful thinking.

12. I am a horrible counselor, but I can make a good coach. Why? Because I am too action-oriented. Just sitting around listening to someone without offering direction feels offensive to me. 

13. Have nothing to do with people who think that you can't slay giants. You are made for more.

14. Leadership within meetings is a one-sided kind of leadership. Very ineffective.

15. If someone else can do it, please allow them to do it.

And then there was a whole blog on what I have learned in leadership in the past 10 years. read it here.

Lessons on Christian living

1. The tragedy is not knowing Scripture. No. The tragedy within most of us Christians today is resolving to speak out Scripture only in order to sound "spiritual". We actually don't believe what it is saying. That's the tragedy. We argue with God because we think His ideas are outdated. That's the tragedy.

2. I've realized one thing in my walk with God: that in order to mesmerize us, He has a habit of coming in full force to help us just after we have given up on ourselves.

3. I discovered that people's understanding of the Christian life and how it should be lived is messed up. People excuse quite a number of things, including; sex before marriage, worrying, lack of faith, conforming to the world e.t.c.

4. People want perfection, God wants brokenness; people want to give you praise, God wants to make you whole. Notice the difference.

5. God and man may give you advice/counsel, (which you may choose to accept or reject), but it has always been and it will always be your choice.

6. The past will always haunt us. It is therefore our responsibility to make today a better past for tomorrow; so that whatever will haunt us tomorrow from today will be good memories, a stable and praiseworthy foundation and a life lived for the glory of God.

7. God is always in a good mood.

8. The problem today is not that there are no answers in life; the problem is that we give up so fast. We give up so fast on almost everything: on God, on friends, on family, on people, on systems, on our relationships and marriages, on life... we give up so fast. That's the problem.

Various quotes from books, podcasts, movies, TV shows, sermons and various web articles
1. God does not drive an ambulance - Pastor Matt Chandler.

2. Being a leader is not about being perfect, it's about weathering a storm and carrying on - 

from The Last Ship (TV Show), Season 2 Episode 9.

3. Sometimes saving one life - if it's the right life - is enough - 

from Person of Interest (TV Show), Season 5 Episode 13.

4. There are 3 words you should drop from your leadership vocabulary starting now: someone, something and someday. Read more here. 

5. A woman that can be bought isn't worth having. - 

from Marvel's Daredevil (TV Show), Season 1 Episode 4.

6. Instagram leads to depression - Pastor Matt Chandler.

7. Dating without the intent of getting married is like going to the grocery store with no money. You either leave unsatisfied or you take something that isn’t yours - Jefferson Bethke.

8. I picked up a number of quotes from an interview Perry Noble (a pastor) had with Mark Driscoll (Google him if you don't know him - that's one pastor who knows how to bounce back!). Here are the quotes:
(a) In this internet age, communication has become instant, constant, global and permanent.
(b) There are three kinds of people leaders deal with: wise (are teachable and learn from their mistakes), foolish (these just want to argue and shift blames) and evil (they just want to hurt you.)
(c) The fruit of a good theology is love. A good theology results in loving relationships. 

9. As you search for the truth about God, understand that it's best to deal with the subject of sin before you deal with the subject of prayer. When you ask God to forgive you for the things you've done, your sin will no longer be a barrier in your relationship with Him. 

- from my Devotionals. 

10. Atheism is not an ignorance problem but a preference problem: preferring self to God - John Piper. 

11. In the end, our success is not about us, it's all about God. You take Him out of the equation, you got nothing - Hillsong UNITED's Joel Houston in an interview about their movie "Hillsong - Let Hope Rise".

12. Consistency separates winners from wannabes, and diligence makes the difference between all-time greats and one-hit wonders - Pastor Steven Furtick.

13. Quotes from Elevation Church's #CodeOrangeRevival 2016: 

(a) There is a sound for revival and there is a rhythm for revival, but the time of revival is NOW - Christine Caine.

(b) Revival is when God shows me who I am today and besides that, He also unleashes the picture of me after an extraordinary encounter with Him, and asks me, "Hey, which one do you wanna be?"

(c) God can do the impossible, and He often calls us to do the impractical. - Levi Lusko. 

(d) Evidently, our world glorifies the finished product, but God glorifies the process. - Carl Lent (Senior Pastor, Hillsong New York).

(e) Do not focus on the platform, focus on faithfulness. If it is God’s plan for your life, allow Him to bring you the platform. And because your focus has always been on faithfulness, this will then sustain your platform. 

(f) It is impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature - Peter Scazzero

14. I date music, but I'm married to worship - Travis Greene. 

15. The four pillars that lead to ministry success are; (a) don't focus on growing the church, focus on growing people, (b) character and integrity (not charisma) (c) humility and (d) generosity - 

from an interview between Rick Warren and Justin Blaney (founder of Innovate 4 Jesus.)

16. Yes, God is for us; but ultimately, God is for God - Pastor Matt Chandler. 

17. Ladies, imagine your future sons turning out like your boyfriend. If that thought makes you cringe, you should probably break up - Jefferson Bethke.

18. We are not waiting for the move of God, we are the move of God - Pastor Steven Furtick.

19. At the center of our anxiety is our pride - Pastor Steven Furtick. 

20. If you cannot be honest with yourself, how can you get the truth out of anyone else? - 

from Quantico (TV Show).

21. You will never know your capacity, how far you can go, until you accept a challenge - Pastor Steven Furtick.

22. Your freedom affects more than just you - Cameron McAllister, RZIM.

23. The idea of love in the absence of truth is meaningless - Michael Ramsden, RZIM. 

24. Quotes from LEADING YOUNG (a leadership hard cover book by one Gibson Anduvate): your leadership will be determined by what motivates your decisions. If you want to be the kind of leader who wields true life-giving influence, you must choose to serve... and... many aspire to leadership but few have what it takes. The younger generation of leaders is looking for role models and mentors but they are few and hard to come across. 

Bonface Morris.

Fasting: A Short Study

Here is study number two prepared by the youth at my church.
Feel free to download and share.

Download link > Fasting: A Short Study (110kb)

Personal Growth: Open-mindedness

Open-mindedness

"I just don't like them, so I'll have nothing to do with them!" is one statement we hear often.

It is mostly put across by a person who wants everyone else around them to live and figure out life the way they do and the disgust is usually due to a difference in opinion, taste or preference... But what such a person rarely sits down to consider is this: do they think that they too are LIKEABLE by everyone else? Really? 

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I love the world we live in today. Reason being that everyone has the freedom to choose what to like or not to like. That is a good thing, no? The problem only comes in when we want other people to like the same things we like in the same way we do. That brings about war because it is impossible and also unpleasant. 

The dictionary definition of open-mindedness is "an inclination to tolerate or overlook opposing or shocking opinions or behavior" (WordWeb Dictionary.) And I'll take the old definition of tolerance which is the willingness to recognize and respect the beliefs and practices of others as my guide-stick of the type of tolerance I'll be talking about. Please note that the kind of tolerance I'll be favoring in this post is not the postmodern one that "accepts, favors or supports ALL the beliefs and practices from other people without question" but one that "recognizes and respects those beliefs and practices." Notice the difference.

Okay, let's move on...

Each one of us has met (or has been) the person with reactions like the one in the first paragraph above: someone who only sees what is wrong in everything and everyone else. They think the world revolves around them and unless something is done their way or an opinion favors their own, everything else is bad and unworthy. They always think they are God. Well, if they were God, I would have no trouble accepting their world view, but they are not. (Anyway, even God is very much open-minded - we see it in the person of Jesus Christ as He walked this world.) Such people make very poor company. They are the kind of friends you won't what to introduce to your other friends who look at life from a very different angle. They are mostly what I call "mtu-wa-rafiki-mmoja" (the one-friend person) because it may be that only this friend tolerates their nonsense. They tolerate nothing/no-one out of their normalcy and only see things at face value. They aren't flexible and are therefore very domineering.

Now, here are the few things such people do (can we just call them, for the sake of this post, closed-minded people?);
1. First impressions are EVERYTHING to them.
Once someone flops the first time they meet them, they will ALWAYS be losers. End of the story.

2. They don't offer second chances.
They stink of perfectionism: there should be no error, no jokes, no nonsense... and people are always judged according to who they were 10 years ago. Either that, or not; end of the story.

3. They can't have fun for the sake of having fun (PS: I'm talking about good, responsible fun by the way). 
Their idea of having fun has to go all the way to: who will I be with? what kind of fun is it? where is the fun at? and why should I have fun at all? If whatever is proposed is outside what they want, they're out. End of the story. 

4. They make judgments and draw conclusions at face value.
They rarely research or inquire in order to understand people more nor do they take time to see the world from a different perspective. They lack respect for anyone who is not in their class (socio-economically, spiritually, fundamentally or age-wise.)

5. They are indifferent and rigid to change.
Change terrifies them because they love their comfort zones. New ideas terrify them because they tend to live in the past - in their "perfect" pasts.

6. They refuse correction and a second opposing opinion on almost everything.
They always want to have the upper hand in all decisions and discussions and would even leave a discussion just because people aren't in sync with how they feel/think about the subject of discussion.

7. They are narrow-minded, are obsessed with "reading people" and are continuous victims of negative automatic thoughts. Read more on automatic thoughts here. 
Explaining what they are in detail may actually require me to write another blog, but in short, they are spontaneous thoughts and opinions on things and people around you.

Well, people with the characteristics listed above (and the ones above are just a tip of the iceberg) tend to make life unbearable for others and themselves. This is revealed in the following ways;

1. How they talk to and interact with people
Open-minded people will tend to have a greater variety of friends from all kinds of classes and upbringings, less enemies and more freedom to opinion and view on life; on the other hand, closed-minded people lack the above attributes and tend to be legalistic, domineering and judgmental.

2. How people see them, interact with them and talk to them
The way we understand what people are saying like in the use of the "f" and "s" words and any other cuss words has really changed in this millennial/postmodern period. Most words no longer mean whatever they originally used to mean. Closed-minded people tend to be quite intolerant and judgmental when they hear someone respectable use a cuss word. 

Now, considering that we have seen a few things closed-minded people do and how they feel about the world around them, why not list a few characteristics of open-minded people? 
Here they are;

1. They try not generalize and see people as "a whole" but as individuals with unique choices, values and perspectives i.e. a person from a specific tribe will be handled as an individual and separate from their tribal affiliation and stereotypes.

2. They try to give people a second chance and treat them beyond reasonable doubt as individuals who can change. 
They give them the benefit of the doubt. They refuse to see and judge people according to their pasts. Open-minded people tend to say this: "I know who you were and who you are right now. I'll listen to you, I'll hear you out."

3. They refuse to think that they are gods or that they are immune to the things affecting these other people. 
They don't normalize sin, but they see themselves through the eyes of the sinner: needing forgiveness and restoration. They see pregnancies before marriage differently, they see Willy Paul, Bahati and Kanyari differently, they see Al-Shabaab and ISIS differently, they see the collaboration between Gospel artists and secular artists in any work of art or science differently... It's a whole list, guys.

4. They are learning how to see people as God sees them, thus no prejudice: that people are broken, needy (in need of a Savior) and subject to change. This's how the Lord saw the Apostle Paul and redeemed him.

5. They try to be less judgmental but more appreciating; and they accept that anyone can be used of God and become anything for His glory. They try not to draw lines or boundaries pertaining people, God's grace and His limitless favor (like the Pharisees did in Jesus' time). They try to ask questions before they pass judgement. Read on how Jesus was open-minded here in two separate stories from Mark 2:13-22 (NIV).

6. They correct the errors in their societies after getting the facts right, and don't seem judgmental while doing so.They correct with love and kindness. They do so without compromising on their beliefs and values. They don't condone bad behavior, but they seek to understand why it exists and how best it can be changed. Click and read this article that can be helpful in showing us on how to balance between speaking the truth and loving other people and this one on how to disagree without becoming enemies with someone.

You now notice and understand that it is a good and healthy thing to be open-minded because it helps us in three ways; in our relationship with our own selves, in our relationships with others and in our relationship with God.

I'll therefore show us a few ways on how to cultivate a nature of open-mindedness. Here they are;

1. Pray that you'll start seeing people as individuals with different personalities and as separate entities.
People are different, so capitalize on that.

2. Strive to always see the best in people, not the worst in them.

3. Give more good compliments on the good you see, advice on the areas that you notice need improvement and offer less criticism on the bad you see.

4. Pray that you'll start seeing people for who they are and who they can possibly become instead of who they were and what they are perceived to be.

5. Don't allow the enemy to feast at your table.

This is what it means: don't allow bad unverified thoughts concerning people to crowd your mind. I grabbed this one from a sermon by Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church, which he preached recently at Elevation Church's Code Orange Revival. You can directly download and listen to the whole audio sermon here or get the whole database of sermons from Elevation Church here.


6. Practice the good habit of weighing every gossip, speculation and rumor with facts. Do it first with the Word of God (the Bereans did that as reported in the book of Acts 17:11  - and that is why they were called a people of noble character) and then with available facts (do some basic research on people, someone or something before making conclusions.) Things are not always what they seem.

Here is the conclusion of the matter:
You don't have to like everyone or everything, but you really have to get along with everyone and everything. That is life, so make the choice.

And...
Quote: Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out. - G K Chesterton. 

Read this article on prayers some too open-minded and unwise guy offered to Allah recently at church's general assembly plenary session in USA to see exactly what Chesterton meant in that quote.

See you later.

Bonface Morris.

Talking Point: Millennials, Authenticity and 'Coolness'

In the recent past, talks, podcasts and blogs on millennials and how people can understand and relate with us have emerged. People are trying to define and redefine us, spill bytes upon bytes of advice on how to deal with us, generate talks on what we are and what we are not, and are ineptly consumed in the pursuit of elaborating what we want and what we want not... and whatnot.

Actually, it is like everyone is diverting their attention towards us and how to accommodate us; it is a great gesture, and one worthy of appreciation and admiration.

Note: We define a millennial as someone who was born somewhere between the year 1980 and 2000; authenticity as "a state of being real and genuine, not copied or false" (Merriam Webster Dictionary) and coolness as "a state of adapting to a specific culture in order to be ONE with it".Also, I am of the school of thought that there are two types of millennials; the rational type and the irrational type. This post will mainly favor the views held by rational millennials.

So in the spirit of trying to "reach out to us", understand us or be "acceptable" in our midst, people seem to be in support of this notion that they need to speak like us, think like us, wear clothes like us or chill with us (as a form of present-time "coolness".) That is a good effort but it is not true, not entirely. We desire authenticity more than that hypocritical charade of becoming like us.

I'll explain.

We are different, that's a fact. Millennials are different. That's why it's becoming harder to understand us as the days go by. We are edgy too: always looking forward to the next big/best thing and seeming unsettled, disconnected and discontented. We are obsessed with all kinds of "useless" trends too: fashion trends, music and entertainment trends, gadget trends, internet and social media trends, gossip trends... which all seem stupid to the rest of the people around us. Our phones or trendy gadgets are almost always stuck onto our faces and we are mostly oblivious of what is happening around us because very few things that interest the general public (and especially people older than us) interest us. Yes, we are all that. We are different, but we are not stupid. 

Let me say it again: millennials may be many things but they are not stupid.

Let me go on and help us understand us better by drawing a few contrasts here and there; 

Note: Here are a few general characteristics of millennials:1. We always seem to shift between knowing what we want, who we are and "searching/finding ourselves".2. We have a keen eye and desire for change and are very open to change. Lack of change disturbs us like a plague. Also, we love being at the center of change.3. We always seem to redefine everything across all cultures we exist in, thus painting ourselves as cultural reprobates.

Millennials may seem to hate rules and the law - which may be true in some cases - but we mostly just hate being limited to one way of doing things. Most millennials are charismatics and are greatly driven by vision and "the next big thing" mentality that helps them live extraordinary but very volatile lives. We love being fired up and authentic, so that not many of us will blindly follow a visionless person unless God has really worked on our impatience. We can listen to an elderly person as long they are making sense and are speaking to our greatest needs (both individual and societal needs.) The more spiritual of our kind seem to have a very different and refined definition of what a Christian and spirituality REALLY look like in this generation... Therefore, the faster non-millennials realize this, the better they may influence us towards positive living. 

While looking closely at authenticity, our worldview and how the people around us behave, maybe it is a high time we told the world why it's a big deal to us that someone should seek to be real and authentic than to be "cool" when dealing with us.

Here are a few examples of how millennials think authentic living (living a real, Godly and intentional/purposeful life) differs from "coolness" (trying to fit in and please us). These views represent a major part of the millennial's worldview;

1. Being authentic means speaking the truth to us no matter how unpredictable the outcome may be.

The truth will save us. So just give it to us. Blunt, honest, truth. That's being genuine, and genuine is great. You earn more respect by telling us where that money goes than pretending we don't need to know or that "we are just kids" and we don't deserve to know. You earn more respect from us by explaining why things are the way they are than just dropping us rules and regulations to follow. Also, "coolness" sometimes dilutes truth. We'd prefer if truth is handed down to us just as it is. That'll make us think deeply about it.

2. Being "cool" without content is like a great car that has a spoilt engine: beautiful but utterly useless. 

Have something useful to say to us, if not, shut up. Why? Because we have trained our ears so well that they can sniff unpreparedness and lack of content from miles away. (Sieving through chunks and chunks of information on social media on a daily basis has perfected this in us.) If you have nothing important to say, switch back to point number one: don't force your emptiness on us. Just confess it: "Guys, I'm bilaz what to say today, please bear with me." We do understand, and we'll respect you for that.

3. Live what you preach - that's definition of an authentic life. 

Authenticity, unlike "coolness" lives only but one life wherever it surfaces. I know so many people who are complaining that it is harder to find people of my age group in church, but I am here to say that the reason may be that they are so fed up with Christians who say one thing in church and among fellow Christians and yet do another thing elsewhere: hypocrites and double-minded people. God hates such people. We hate them too, and with lots of passion. If you're not living what you preach, you lost us long time ago. If you want to help us, be yourself, be real, be vulnerable, be like Jesus: live what you preach.

5. Authenticity to us means not putting us all in one bucket. 

Not all millennials are the same. We think differently, we do things for different reasons and we process situations differently. That's what humanity is all about: independence in the use of all our senses and emotions. Authentic people make an effort to understand us as individuals but not as "a group of aimless lads". The less you generalize, the better.

Now, let me show us a very perfect example of the kind of authenticity we desire: Jesus. 

There is no better example in the whole of the universe of a man who maintained being perfectly authentic and yet avoiding to be "cool" like the rest of the people in His time. 

See below how Jesus effectively lived an authentic life (and may millennials and non-millennials alike learn from Him in humble admiration);

1. Jesus had authentic love.
He loved openly and truthfully. He loved like He lived. He loved with grace but also with truth. How He kept that balance between grace and truth is what Christian discipleship is all about. It is the mystery upon which Christian living is founded.

2. Jesus had an authentic emotional life.
He didn't pretend around. He cried when He had to (like at Lazarus' funeral) and when He was angry at the Pharisees, He never pretended to be okay. The one thing that is central with authenticity is this: there is no authenticity minus vulnerability.

3. Jesus had an authentic personal and social life.
What He said on the pulpit while talking to people is what He lived in His private life. No compromise of principles, no change in His state of thinking. Even the Bible says He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8.)

4. Jesus had authentic relationships.
He had friends whom He cared about. He cared for them deeply. How do we know this? He told them. He showed them. They felt it. They knew it.

5. Jesus had an authentic ministry and calling.
Everyone, including His family, disciples and the whole of Israel and its surrounding territories, knew what He had come to do: to set people free, and nothing could block Him from meeting that vision and goal. Every part of His mission on earth was directed towards that vision; which means Jesus was a visionary whose main vision was to see mankind redeemed. Period.

6. Jesus practiced authentic discipleship. 

He not only criticized the common trends in His generation's religiosity, but He took a step and showed those around Him what He really wanted by LIVING IT. He mentored people (and still mentors us today) to be like Him.

See? Jesus, our Lord, and all His life spoke one message: I am authentic. Now, that's the kind of authenticity we want to see in everyone else. 

Here is my parting question: 
Is your life as Christian or a leader or as a common "mwananchi" authentic? And if not, what are you doing about it?

Bonface Morris. 

Temptations and How to Overcome Them

Every devoted Christian has been tempted or will be tempted in the near future or at some point or another in their life. That's the truth of the matter. I hear that even non-Christians are tempted too (but you'll have to read on and see what I have to say about that.) To what degree and for what reason we are tempted, I don't know (only God and the devil know.) All I know is that Christians are tempted by the devil so that he may make them fall from the gracious glory of our God and the eternal hope that is in our Lord Jesus Christ.

This post is somehow for new born Christians who want to understand how temptations work on this side of life and it somehow (the post) attempts to show us how we can overcome them. It may also prove useful to many of us who've never understood this whole temptation thing. I'll use questions in order to easily guide us in understanding a few things about temptation.

So, here goes...

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What is a temptation?
A temptation is something that seduces or has the ability to seduce someone towards sin.

Are temptations normal, are they necessary, and are they to be enjoyed?
Yes, temptations are normal to everyone; Christian and non-Christian alike. And they are necessary because;
1. They help in testing our faith and thereafter in spiritual growth: unless the devil tempts and tests our faith in God and what we believe in, it would be impossible to tell if we are growing or are still stuck in the same place.
2. They help in revealing who we truly are: strong or weak, Christian or non-Christian, hypocrite or true child of God, whether we are of God or of the devil.
3. They help to either reveal the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22-23) or the fruit of the evil spirit (power of the devil working through our sinful nature) in us.
There is nothing wrong with being tempted, but there is everything wrong with falling into temptation (sinning.)

Note: Sometimes suffering comes to Christians as a temptation and other times as a test. Normally, there is nothing to be enjoyed when being tempted, but it later produces a better you whenever you overcome it. The apostles Paul and Peter say the following about temptation (in this context, temptation and suffering being the same thing);Paul says this in Romans 8:18 (ESV) "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."And Peter says this in 1 Peter 3:14 (ESV) "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled."

How are Christians tempted and how is it different from non-Christians?
The devil tempts Christians (like he did to Christ Jesus in Matthew 4) in order to deviate him from God's original plan for their life. Thus temptations always seek to make the Christian fall (leave God and forsake what the Christian had earlier believed about God.)
I wouldn't say that non-Christians are tempted because that is their nature and introducing sin into their lives is simply making them worse than they already are. I would say the devil uses sin against the non-Christian in order to stamp his ownership on him/her.

Who tempts Christians? God, the devil or themselves?
The devil tempts Christians.
He does this with the assistance of the sin that lives in the person being tempted.
The apostle James puts it this way in the Book of James;
James 1:13-15 (ESV) 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Here is the unique thing we should note about God, the devil, sin, temptations and tests: temptations are from the devil and they rely on the sin that is left growing in us. They lead to sin and death. Tests are from God and they lead to a deeper understanding and relationship with God. Sometimes (and it is most times actually), God uses the devil's temptations in our lives to grow us in faith, love and in a deeper understanding of who He is.
The Book of Job says this about the nature of God and temptations (this was an answer to Job and his friends who thought that God is evil and tempts people);
Job 34:10, 12 (NKJV) 10 "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity. 12 Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
Also, when you look at the definition of temptation as stated above, it is impossible for God to tempt us. It is unimaginable for a holy God to "do something that seduces someone towards sin or to seduce someone towards sin." It is unimaginable for God to do that.

Which are the three key areas where every devoted Christian will be tempted?
Looking at Matthew 4, we realize three key areas;
1. We will be tempted by the devil to misuse God's Word for personal gratification.
Verse: Matthew 4:3 (ESV) "And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.'"
2. We will be tempted by the devil to doubt God and His promises to us, and will be persuaded by the enemy to neglect God's way and follow quick fixes. These temptations seek to sieve through our faith, our sonship in God, and what we know about God and His character.
Verse: Matthew 4:6 (ESV) "...and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
3. We will be tempted by the devil in our priorities and what we value most and hold dear above everything else:
Verse: Matthew 4:9 (ESV) "And he said to Him, 'All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'"
Almost all temptations fall into these three categories.

What should we do when tempted?
The way we overcome every temptation thrown at us differs because of a few reasons;
1. Our levels of spiritual growth (which determines our understanding of God, the devil, sin, evil and righteousness.)
2. The sin that easily puts us down. This sin is different for everyone. The Book of Hebrews calls it "sin that clings so closely" (Hebrews 12:1).
3. Our closeness to God.
But we should take heart because this is what the Lord has said about us when being tempted;
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
As we strive to overcome temptation, we should always know that God knows about it (what we are facing) and that by His Holy Spirit, we will always overcome. He does not delight in us falling under temptation.

Here is what we can do when being tempted;
By the means of the Holy Spirit, a Christian can understand the form or kind of temptation thrown at them and the same Spirit will help them deal with each one as it deems right and overcome it;
1. There are temptations that call for fleeing, so we'll need to run away when facing them i.e. sexual sin, gossip etc. There is normally no negotiations with such sins.
Verse: 2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV) "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
2. There are temptations that call for resistance i.e. when being persuaded by friends to do something evil or when being persuaded to forsake the truth you have believed.
Verse: 1 Peter 5:9 (NKJV) "Resist him (the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
3. There are temptations that call for warfare i.e. demonic attacks and temptations inspired or fueled by words.
Verse: 
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV) 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
In Ephesians 6:10-20, the apostle Paul lists the weapons we use in this warfare. (Click the link to read the Bible passage.)
4. There are temptations that call for mercy and bearing with one another.
Verses:
Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV) 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Jude 1:22-23 (ESV) 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Above all, pray, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and apply God's Word in every case. The writer of the book of Revelation says that this is how we overcome the devil; "...they triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony... (Revelation 12:11, NIV.)

For how long do temptations last?
It is different for everyone. But here is what we should consider; 
1. All Christians will experience various temptations throughout their spiritual lives whether they like it or not, because they are now permanent enemies of the devil. 
2. Some temptations will last longer than others depending on if we fight well through the temptation and overcame the devil, or if God feels we have learned the lesson that came with the temptation. 
3. Some temptations are likely not to end (like take Paul's example when he says in 2 Corinthians 12 that... "...and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me..." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, NKJV).
It therefore requires discernment from our part as enabled by God's Spirit to know which type of temptation we are facing right now and how long it may last.

Are there rewards for overcoming temptation?
Yes.
Here are direct promises from our Lord Himself from the Book of Revelation directed to the various people who will overcome various temptations:

Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28 (ESV)
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 3:5, 12, 21 (ESV)
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

The apostle James also promises this very thing >
James 1:12 (ESV) "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

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Stay blessed... and may the Lord keep us all away from temptation and deliver us from the evil one. And if tempted, may we overcome so that we may receive His reward both here on earth and when we meet with Him on His second coming.


Bonface Morris.