He came robed in his African finery and spoke with an accent that reminded you, by his every word, of his origin. His name is Bishop Ben Bahati, and he is from Kenya and was our guest speaker at church last week. He made three points in his message that continue to stand out in my mind and as I continue to process them even today, I realize that maybe, I too, am to share them.
Ben was a lost soul living on a cardboard mat in a tiny shack in Africa. He had nothing; no money, no family, no hope. And one night the Lord presented himself to Ben and asked him if he was ready to serve the Lord.
With no other place to go, Ben pleaded yes. It was a choice.
His first point: We all have choices and God has called each of us to serve him and follow him. That one night changed Ben Bahati's life. His first is point was not just to say yes when God calls but to know that your yes is a package deal. Ben now has a wife and children and a job that gives him a great sense of purpose and appreciation for the Lord's hand in all that he does.
This next point is one that really has gripped me. It was something in the way he said it. He was speaking of Jesus and His resurrection. He said you can bury the truth but it always will be resurrected. I thought about the many times I have tried to bury the truth, a hurt, a shame, a regret, a disappointment, a mean spirited action, but how many times has it risen to the surface and ultimately I have had to face it. Truth does not stay buried. It rises and Jesus Christ helps "us", through his word and nudges, to rise above those hidden challenges that cause us defeat and turmoil. But we have to allow them to come to the surface and face them head on.
The third point was that Ben had chosen to serve God but how? Was he going to self appoint himself to serve his small African tribe on behalf of God or was he going to submit to God's ways and faithfully and prayerfully submit to an inner calling that is of God's tribe. He affectionately called it a choice between the Nirobi ( I think that is what he called it but it was not clear) tribe which was limited in geographical location or the God's Halleluia tribe that has no bounds. I loved this because it was so relevant to my everyday choices.
Am I doing what is in the realm of my own little world? Or am I prayerfully listening to my inner soul and reading God's word and honestly expecting him to put me in situations that might not be so comfortable but plainly is his call for my service unto him.
We can choose initially to serve Christ, but the bigger picture is to follow him everyday in every way.
Christ is the truth, the honest, untainted truth that overrides the lies that we so often allow to sway us into temptation, pride, fear and regress. As he has risen so do we each time we make the choice to follow him and accept his invitation to serve him and his kingdom and be a active part of his glorious tribe. The world is clamoring for attention but it is when we shift our attention to God that we find peace and purpose in our everyday walk. Accepting the challenge to walk with God is a package deal... and the benefits of His power, love, grace, guidance, forgiveness and strength are overflowing. And as happened to Ben, the earthly gifts of family, friends and purpose are also added to his bounty.
Dear friends, I do not write often anymore but I encourage you to ponder some of these points. We do have choices everyday on what we say, what we do, how we act and how we interact with God. He stands with us forever, his promises endure for an eternity and we who trust him and believe in HIm are benefactors of His heavenly realm of offerings....if only we accept him and who he is and what he has given.
When asked specifically what Ben's title is by church member Gordon, who is well acquainted with African
ways and customs this was his reply:
Kenyans call Ben "Bishop Ben Bahati". It is not an official title-like it would be in an Anglican or Catholic church; the title seems to be acquired by any black pastor (even in America) who is responsible for a group of churches. Ben is responsible for 100+ churches in six sub-Saharan countries and thus he is a "bishop"
Americans call him "Ben", with no title.
Blessings, Cathy
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