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Forget Game of Thrones with all its thrill and suspense. Did you know there is a far greater and far more consequential throne? One that is not fictional, contested, or symbolic, but real, eternal, and already occupied.

While popular culture captivates us with shifting power, rival claims, and dramatic uncertainty, Scripture presents a sobering certainty: there is a throne, and God sits on it.

Many speak freely of God’s love, His power, or His blessings, yet rarely pause to consider the throne from which all of these flow. And yet the Bible gives clear revelation, intentional imagery, and direct instruction—not only to make us aware of this throne, but to call us into conscious understanding of it and to teach us how to relate to it.

It is the seat of sovereign authority, blazing holiness, and final judgment—and remarkably, it is also the place to which we are invited to come. The question is not whether the throne exists, but whether we understand how to relate to the throne.

A Few Insights About the Throne

God Sits on the Throne

At the center of all existence is a throne—and it is occupied. God reigns. He is not competing for authority, reacting to circumstances, or negotiating outcomes. He is not busy somewhere in a cosmic workshop fixing problems in a distant supernova. He rules.

The throne represents absolute authority, final say, and unquestioned dominion over heaven and earth.

The Throne of Sovereign Power

And do we have evidence? Of course we do. The apostle John was given a vision of this throne:

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”(Revelation 4:2)

This is the throne of sovereign power. God—the honored King of the universe—is the Creator of everything, exercising His sovereign will by His infinite power. Nothing exists independently of Him.

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

The Throne of Everlasting Holiness

This is a throne of everlasting holiness, continually declared by angelic beings:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
(Revelation 4:8)

God is perfectly pure, morally flawless, and utterly set apart. His holiness represents ultimate goodness—light completely separate from darkness—and demands reverence.

The Throne of Judgment

Because God is holy and just, for the godless this throne becomes a throne of judgment:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it… and the dead were judged, each one according to his works.” (Revelation 20:11–13)

For the unrepentant, this throne represents final accountability. No one approaches it casually. No one stands before it without consequence.

If this were the full picture, the throne of God would be entirely unapproachable for fallen humanity.

Yet We Are Invited to the Throne

Astonishingly, Scripture declares that this very throne—defined by power, holiness, and judgment—is accessible to you and me:

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:16)

The throne has not changed—our access has.

Coming boldly does not mean coming casually, arrogantly, or with entitlement. It means coming with clarity and resolve, fully acknowledging our need for God. True boldness is not self-confidence; it is absolute dependence on God.

Failure to acknowledge our need for God is not maturity—it is pride.

We do not come to God unsure of whether we need Him, half-persuaded, or emotionally coerced into prayer by crisis alone. Coming to God is not doing Him a favor. We come because we know, with settled conviction, that we cannot live without Him.

If you remove a fish from water, who suffers—the fish or the water? The fish. Likewise, human beings will always suffer outside the presence of God.

We Come for Mercy — Not Because We Qualify

If we are to receive mercy, we must come in repentance. Sin should not keep us from God; it should drive us to Him.

If we are coming “that we may obtain mercy,” then this invitation is clearly for sinners—those in need of forgiveness.

We do not come because we qualify. We come boldly because our Savior qualified for us. Jesus bore the judgment we deserved. Forgiveness is not earned; it is received through repentance.

We Receive Grace to Help in Our Need

After mercy comes grace—undeserved favor.

Mercy removes guilt. Grace supplies help.

Grace is God’s help for real needs—spiritual, emotional, financial, and practical. Grace supplies strength for critical moments of need, but only those who acknowledge their need receive it. Those who insist they can do life on their own reject God, and that posture is pride.

Scripture is clear:

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
(Isaiah 40:29)

What qualifies someone to receive God’s strength? Admitting they are weary.
What qualifies someone for increased power? Admitting they are weak.

Weariness and weakness are not disqualifications—they are the very conditions that grant access to the throne.

Sealing the Revelation

This is the wonder of the gospel: the most unapproachable throne in the universe has become, through Christ, the safest place for the believer. The same throne that radiates sovereign power, blazing holiness, and righteous judgment now welcomes the repentant with mercy and sustains the weak with grace.

Satan’s greatest deception is convincing us that distance is safer than nearness. Grace tells the truth—returning to God’s presence is not dangerous; it is necessary. Just as a fish cannot live outside water, humanity cannot flourish outside God’s presence.

The throne has not changed—but our access has. And that access is a life-saving revelation.

Final Statement

Though the throne of God stands as the ultimate seat of sovereign power, holiness, and judgment, through Jesus Christ it becomes a throne of grace—where separated humanity is invited back into God’s life-giving presence to receive mercy and sustaining help.

Final Appeal

Today, the throne still stands—and so does the invitation. You do not come because you are worthy; you come because Christ has made you welcome. If guilt has kept you distant, if shame has silenced your prayers, or if fear has convinced you to stay away, hear the good news: the throne of judgment has become for you a throne of grace.

Come with repentance. Come with honesty. Come with need.

Step back into the presence you were created for, and receive mercy for your past and grace for your present and future. In Christ, access is open—so come boldly.

A story is told of am man planting during a drought and reaping a hundred fold, and also the same man getting extremely prosperous against all adds. Before i tell you about the man and his story, the bible says “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty “(Proverbs 22:3). In a time of drought its obvious that a wise farmer will migrate to and take refuge to areas with greener pastures, else survival especially when wealth is in livestock becomes an illusion. In a time of drought it is also obvious that a wise farmer will not plant, he will keep his seed until the situation is favorable for planting.

The Story is in Genesis 26, please find your bible are read the full story. The popular part of the story is on how there was a famine in the land. Isaac as a wise farmer wanted to take refuge in greener pastures in Egypt (symbolizing help that comes from man) but God instructed him to stay in the land of Philistines in Gerar, for God would bless him there. Against all odds, amidst a famine “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him”.

My prayer is that even in the current situation when everything’s looks gloomy, God may miraculously cause you his people to plant and reap a hundred fold. The conditions don’t have to be perfect. The economy doesn’t have to be booming for you to be blessed.

There is another rare aspect of the story that captured my interest.

Isaac became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. New King James versions states that “The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;”. This is what the profane generation calls “stinking rich” or “filthy rich”. He became so prosperous to a point the Philistines envied him. The Philistines even started filling up his wells that were dug by his father Abraham with soil. And eventually Abimelech their king told Isaac to, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”. Isaac left and settled in a valley near Gerar. Follow what he does.

First Isaac goes forth and reopens the wells the Philistines had filled up with soil. Second he digs a new well. Once he was done, the Philistines at Gerar claimed the water of the wall was theirs. Something like “The well is yours but the water is ours!”.

Third, he moves on from this well and digs a second well, and the same thing happens there as well. The philistines seemed determined to benefit from his efforts.

Fourth, he moves on from that place and dug yet another well, the third now, and this time nobody quarreled over the well. Isaac acknowledged “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

Isaac was very prosperous man yet had a very different attitude when the philistines did injustices to him. And this is the attitude we should have towards our processions.

 Isaac did not take offense when the Philistines filled up his wells with soil. He did not send his servants to fight over them nor did he rush to court for an eviction order.  When he was told to leave he did so without cursing the King and the people who had given him accommodation in their land. The philistines took not one but two of the wells he had dug, and he simply overlooked and moved on. He never went fighting over them. This is what I call “the gift of moving on”.

Isaac’s son Jacob too had this “gift of moving on”.

The story is in Genesis chapters 30 and 31.

 Jacob too like his father Isaac “ became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys” Gen 30:43.

Jacob had the same attitude like his father Isaac. Laban short changed Jacob ten-times on his wages. In fact, Jacob gets shortchanged by Laban soo many times that it be comes humorous. Sometimes one might wonder if Jacob was a daft. Yet Jacob chooses to move on. Don’t miss the point that one of the reasons that God increased his flock was out of the injustice that God had seen Laban doing to Jacob (Gen 31:12nd he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. This confirms what Rom 12:19 says, that God watches and acts on our behalf once we let go. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord.“

What captured my attention in this stories is this:

The reason these Exceedingly Prosperous Men never fought back was because they knew their prosperity and blessing were not of their own efforts. It was the blessings of God just as God had promised to Abraham for his obedience to him. To that these Prosperous men had no motivation to selfishly guard their possessions and fight back. They knew that the God who was blessing them had the capacity to bless them more and prosper them even more. The bible says that God prospered them! and they continued prospering! and became Exceedingly Prosperous!

What do you do when people take advantage of you or treat you unfairly? when mean, envious people frustrate your business? When covetous people rob and steal your possessions from you?

Many people would consider fight back. It’s the most logical and brave thing to do. But there is something to learn from these exceedingly prosperous men of God. You do not need to fight back; you can move on and let God fight for you. Let God compensate and bless you.

This is the setup. The Devil attacks what you have, your possessions, what God has provided to you or blessed you with. But his intention is not to gain from your possessions or business. He does not need them. He is after your soul. By attacking your possessions, he wants you to feel bad. He wants to awaken the spirit of hatred and vengeance towards those that he has used against you, those who have shortchanged you, stealing from you, and pulling you back. If you do that my friend,you will be taking pride of what you have. And now you will be indicating that your possession is yours by your efforts and not God’s.

If God blesses you, you do not need to fight to keep what God has provided. He is the owner and you are the stewards. If you recognize that fact, then you will not take things personally and develop bad attitude. Jesus wants to share his love to all humanity through us, even those who treat us badly. Our being should be fully yielded to the spirit of God. All of who we are and what we have.

When you are attacked on mistreated or shortchanged, remember you are not on the offense. You are just a victim. But once your attitude changes you could be on the offense!, and the accuser will accuse you of hate and pride and vengeance and other attitudes that you will develop.

So the Devil is actually not after your possessions but after the attitude of your heart. He is looking for a particular kind of response from you. The devil would like you to fight back, get angry, curse, speak evil, seek revenge or do something that will fault you before God. Remember he is the accuser of brethren. Your attitude and your response can turn you from a victim to an accused.

Ephesians Chapter 4 gives some instructions for Christian living.Eph 4:26-27.”In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold“. Do not be angered by the external circumstances to a point of doing something that will fault you. That now will give the devil a foothold since sin will make you vulnerable to his accusations.

God says we should not repay Evil with Evil nor should seek revenge, as vengeance belongs to God. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The antidote of evil is goodness. (Rom 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good., John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.)

For us to be exceedingly prosperous we also need to let go the selfish attachment to material procession, and be yielded to God by acknowledging that all that we have is from him and not from our own efforts. We need to ask God to liberate us from covetous holding unto earthly possessions and out attitude should communicate God’s provision and God’s love.

May the God of Isaac and Jacob bless you so and prosper you, and may you continue being prosperous until you become Exceedingly prosperous. But be on the Look out for the Abimeleks, the philistines and Laban of this life.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”

Mathew 5:43-48

Knowing or unknowingly we have all been enrolled into God’s University of life experiences! surprised? Some of us have been there for years repeating the same modules while others have graduated from the undergraduate and are now on the post graduate classes. My schoolmates, before you ask me what am smoking let me explain it.

Everyone want a happy successful life. God wants that even the more. He has plans to prosper us in all areas. He has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..(Jer 29:11). In context, while this of Jeremiah words were written to the Jews in exile, we also sometimes find ourselves in similar perplexing situations. Like the Jews in exiles the words in Jeremiah29:11 are equally comforting.

I want to share a perspective that has helped me grasp to better details the meaning of the perplexities, the challenges and the difficult circumstances of life that we seem to go through time to time.

Training for a better future

James 1:2-4 ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, WHENEVER you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’

Life always has its challenges. Call them difficulties, hassles, trials, hardships, setbacks and the like. No one is exempted. At some point , becoming a Christian seems like a subscription of some kind to these life challenges. A disclaimer of our faith could be: God never promised us a challenge-free life this side of Christ’s return. The above verse says ‘whenever you face trials’, not ‘if you face them’. In fact the same bible version says they are ‘of many kinds’ brother. Challenges are guaranteed.

Some trials seems to happen out of the blue: Someone close betrays you, someone steals from you, you’re made redundant, your car is vandalized, your laptop crashes, your enemy is promoted, your neighbor eats your chicken and the like.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

While the default feeling is to feel victim, your perspective, interpretation and conclusions to such challenges is vital. Each situation presents an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s God’s intention that we benefit from each challenge that comes our way. And it’s for this learning that I say we are schoolmates in the University of Life Experiences.

Preparation comes before promotion

Many times we don’t yet have what it takes to be in the place where God wants us to be. Part of God’s plan to prosper us is to develop us so that we shall be able to handle and sustain what he brings our way. It’s important to take time in preparation rather than to be advanced and later retrogress because we did not have what it takes.

Heb 12:7  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.

1 Peter 1:6-7 ‘For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.’

1Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.

I get quite startled when I read on newspapers how a leader in government or corporate world gets suspended for a reason or the other. For years they have studied and worked tirelessly to reach the epitome of their carrier, only to lose it because they did not have all what it takes. Proper preparation prevents such catastrophic disappointments.

Preparation through experiences

Every challenging life experience that we go through has two purposes.  A plus or a minus.

First, there is something NEEDED in your next level and you do not have it yet. Without it you will not sustain your next level of advancement. The challenging experience is there to help you develop or grow whatever that is.

Second, there is something in you or you have that is NOT NEEDED in your next level of advancement . With it, you will not sustain your next level of advancement. The challenging experience is therefore to help you drop or release whatever that is. This is about dying in order to live. (2Cor 4:10-11).

Challenging Experience can also teach you HOW TO DO somethings or HOW NOT TO.

And how do you know what area of life the challenge is addressing? Where it pains most. That is the area.

For every experience and difficult circumstance that you go through, it’s good to pause and ask “what is it with this experience? What am I supposed to learn? What am I supposed to develop? What do I need to drop or unlearn?.

I remember serving a hot tempered boss who was very hard on me. I never seemed good enough to meet his standards. With prayer I discovered I needed to deal with my own patience and tolerance. I also discovered my acceptance towards other people who did not meet my own standards was quite bad and unchristian. As I endured the outbursts, the scolding, the lecturing and low pay from my boss, God worked on my character. Through prayer I figured that the terrible boss had a very important role is my personal growth. After several years I passed the module and graduated to another level. My season in that organization was over.

Recently I read a book “The tale of three kings”. It’s interesting to see how life experiences prepared David to be a King after God’s heart. Quote different from King Saul and King Absalom who failed miserably.

There are no ‘SUPs’ ‘retakes’ or special exams

In our typical universities, if you miss or fail the module exams, you could sit for supplementary exams (sups), retakes or special exams. But In the University of Life Experience, the learning is experiential and there are no special exams. If you fail you repeat the class.

Suppose I bailed out on God and quit my job because my hot tempered boss? Chances is that I would have met a similar kind of boss in one of the next jobs that I took. That is repeating a class.

Suppose finances become scarce because God wants you to deal with and put some order in that area of your life. Do you bail out and take loan after loan? I promise you things will be worse-off than before.

If you bail out your work place because you can’t stand your colleagues or boss, if you quit because your enemy got promoted and not you. Be sure to expect one thing: The same caliber of people in your life again! Soon or later. Your bad boss could be holding the key to your next level. How you view and associate with him could determine how soon the advancement to the next level happens.

People who bail out of class usually get stuck in one module for many years, dealing with issues they should have dealt with years ago. Others learn to discern the purpose of every challenge and within no time they learn and graduate and move on to other levels.

Paying school fees

In life you can either accept wisdom from others especially those who have gone through similar kind of experience or you can go through the same kind experience only to arrive to the same conclusion. The book of proverbs in the bible is loaded with such wisdom.

The experience might cost you something, yet you will arrive to the same conclusion. And whatever it will cost you is called “School fees”. People who don’t take advise end up paying lots of school fees.

Sometimes back I used a lot of money to set-up a cyber café. Only for thieves to break in and still everything except computer mouse. While this experience developed endurance and perseverance in me, it taught me an important lesson of taking care of the so called “Shogi” or “watchmen”. You ignore them and they will ignore your business or even yourself when danger comes. A friend had advised that with my considerable assets, I should ensure that the watchmen around are my friends, which I ignored. I ended up paying a lot of school fees for my ignorance.

Some years back, a colleague from the office was favored and given the opportunity to lead a great team. He lacked key leadership skills. It was unfortunate that he could not take any of the advice given to him. At the end he failed terribly in his assignment and got demoted.  And that is paying school fees. And if he did not learn from that experience, he will continue to pay school fees in his career until gets angry enough to learn.

People who bail out of challenges end up repeating the modules year after year, and that’s a lot of school fees.

James goes on to say: ‘You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance’ (James 1:3). That’s why, though we pray for deliverance from the pressure, God sometimes delays it. Anyone can survive a five-minute challenge. It’s when it goes on for days, weeks or months that we develop perseverance in trusting God and keeping a thankful attitude to him. There is some challenge we faced as a family for months; we prayed and it stayed put. So don’t complain; instead, let perseverance ‘finish its work’ (James 1:4).

For how long does the challenge lasts? It depends with the module. And it is only the Dean of the Experience Learning who knows. But passing the exam is a must.

The Key to Passing the Exams

The right attitude is the key to passing the life experience modules exams. In the high seas, it’s the set of the sails and not the waves that determined the way the ship sailed. ‘The set of the sails’ is your attitude. You can have exactly the same problem as someone else; the other person can end up in misery and despair while you end up in greater maturity and Christian wholeness—all because of the difference in attitude.

James tells us what your attitude should be when facing challenging circumstances. Instead of grumbling, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ you should ‘consider it pure joy’ (James 1:2)! That doesn’t mean it is pure joy—it’s probably pure frustration. But you must choose to ‘consider’ it that way. It’s a choice to see the problem from a different perspective.

It does not mean pretending you’re enjoying the problem when in fact you’re not. Don’t say, ‘Oh, glory to God, I have lost my job. What a pleasure!’ That would be ridiculous and unreal. What ‘considering it pure joy’ does mean is:

Give thanks to God in the situation: ‘Thank you, Lord that you’re in charge, with my best interests at heart. I could have done without this, but you know what you’re doing and I don’t love you any the less because of this.’

Declaring your intention to benefit from it: ‘Lord, I’m not going to let this get me down. I’m going to use it as an opportunity to grow in my faith and become more mature. Let me benefit as much so as I don’t have to go through such a challenge again.

My experiences have taught me a lot and I’m happy with my learning, if not with what I went through to learn.

Many Organization use reward policies, practices and processes to support the delivery of its business strategy. This is evident in Kenya where the current generation is known to like free things.

Bong points

Bonga Points is a loyalty scheme for all Safaricom ( the leading communications company in Kenya ) Pre-pay and Post-pay subscribers. The program allows the registered subscribers to earn One Bonga Point for every Ksh.10 spent on voice calls, SMS or data. The more you use your Safaricom line, the more points you get and the BIGGER the rewards!.

Bonga Points can be redeemed for rewards ranging from Talk-time (Minutes), Data, SMS and MMS bundles to Air tickets and Merchandise

The Psychology of Reciprocity and Rewards

Reward are appetitive stimulus given to a human to alter behavior. Rewards typically serve as reinforces; something that, when presented after a behavior, causes the probability of that behavior’s occurrence to increase.

The Law of Reciprocity on the other hand says that when someone does something nice for you, you will have a deep-rooted psychological urge to do something nice in return.

This concept has proven to be especially powerful when applied to businesses.  if a customer receives positive treatment like loyalty rewards – they will be more likely to ‘return the favor’ in the form of more purchases, or referrals.

I am not a Psychologist so I will stop it here, but the principleS of rewards are not farfetched, in fact I find them straight in the bible so I will not stop here yet.

The Bible Bonga Points

The bible promises a reward for the good deeds we do. It means that for every act of virtue we earn “Bonga Points” from God.  Our walk of faith is hinged on rewards for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The following scriptures are an example of the reward system in the word of God.

Prov 19:17 whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Mat 6:3-4  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Luk 6:35  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.

Col 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Mat 6:6  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Redeeming Rewards and Favors

In our society if you help someone at his point of need, he will be indebted to return the favor, and if he is someone influential and powerful, majority of the people will look forward to the “return favor”. This is very common within the political arena and work environment.

Suppose it’s the president or the CEO of a big institution you helped, he offers you some cash, but as a wise person you decline the money since you helped out of the abundance of your good heart. But secretly you will wait for the best opportunity to ask in return for something of greater value than the cash. And since you never took the cash, that opportunity (and it is only one) will be reserved for you. He will be indebted until you redeem it. But even if it’s the president who owes you a favor you will be very careful how you utilize that single opportunity in order to maximize on it.

The book of Esther in the bible, a beautiful Queen Esther perilously appears before the king. She gains favor in his sight and is immediately offered anything up to a third of the kingdom. She does not redeem the favor but in her wisdom does something fascinating.

Esther prepares a banquet and invites the king. She gains more favor with the king who now raises the value of the favor up to a half of the kingdom! Still she will not cash in the favor.

Esther invites the king to a second banquet to which she requests what is of GREAT value, more than the third and the half of the kingdom: her life and that of the Jews. She saves the Jewish people from annihilation.

Redeeming Bible Rewards “Bonga points”

Like any reward program there are instructions given in the bible on how we redeem these rewards. But what is intriguing is these instructions are contrary to the popular social norms where the law of reciprocity is upheld.

Mat 6:1-4  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,   so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Your rewards for your good deeds can only be redeemed by two options. (1) Receive the rewards here on earth from men or (ii) Receive your reward and blessings from God. And you have to make the choice of how you want your reward. Think about that before you read on.

The bible says that if you do good deeds to be seen and appreciated by men there will be no reward for you from God my friend. Show off your rightness and we give you the praise you are craving for and that’s it, the heavenly reward is gone. You have traded your reward from God with the praises of men.

Time will not allow me to talk about the “Boss pleasers” in the work places who work to prove how others are working badly. Hasn’t the bible instructed that Col 3:23-24  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward”

That moment you receive praise from them for your good deeds, your reward is totally redeemed, no matter the expectations you will still be holding. Only the good deeds done in secret will be rewarded by God.  There are people who do good deeds just for the camera. They need to feature in the hall of praise. They are like the men of Jesus’s days who “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” Joh 12:43 

And even in heaven “ the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done( Mathew 16:27). I guess of the angles holding the reward inventory list will say “Ah this one was fully paid back on earth,” and another will wonder “How did such a man trade this wonderful reward for some praises of men? Isn’t the same men who praised him talk ill of him?”

And if the person you helped in secret offers to reward you in secret, don’t take the reward. Run my friend run. Offer instead to the Glory to God who is using you as vessels to help and meet the needs of his people.

And if you feel unappreciated. And if the hard work you do has not been fairly rewarded. Don’t go for praises from men. It is alright, greater will be your reward from God who sees even what bosses don’t see. ” For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work …Heb 6:10

Jer 31:16  Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD;

2Ch 15:7  But you be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded

I am not the typical “math is fun” guy that goes beyond counting money. In fact I had real challenges with math subject from high school through campus life; But one thing I remember is calculus; probably because I was a fun of Professor Calculus in Tin tin comic books. I was taught that Calculus is a branch of mathematics which helps us understand changes between values that are related by a function.

Functions and Graphs

If the value of a quantity, A, is dependent upon the value of another quantity, B, then we say A is a function of B.  Examples: The loudness of a stereo (L) is a function of the position of the volume knob (V) and The rate of a chemical reaction (R) is a function of the temperature (T). We can write this functions as L(V) and R(T) respectively.

Linear (straight line) Equations

One of the important types of equation is that of a linear function, that is: Y (X) = MX + C The value of c is a constant and is the intercept on the y axis, the value of m is the slope or gradient of the line.  Other Equations included Quadratic Equations, Higher Polynomials, Rational Functions, Trigonometric Functions, Exponential and Logarithmic Functions.

One thing was common with these functions: – Calculating the slopes or gradient of the curves. There was the Graphical methods (I enjoyed plotting graphs), Numerical Methods and Differentiation method which was magical.

Derivatives (Differential Calculus)

Differentiation (calculating the Derivative or slope of a function ) allows us to find the “rate of change” at any point.  For example, it allows us to find the acceleration or rate of change of X (velocity) with respect to Y (time) on a graph of Y against X which is the Gradient of the curve y(x) at given pint X.

A German philosopher and mathematician called Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz introduced the Leibniz’s notation “dy/dx” that represents the amount that y changes instantaneously when there is a change in x. That is the derivative of y (with respect to x) written as dy/dx, and pronounced “dee y by dee x”.

Differential Calculus in the bible

The book of James gives us some insight on applying this differential calculus to our Christian walk.

James 4:7-8. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Devils can flee

James 4:7 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.

This verse represents the fact that Once submitted to God , then resisting the devil (change in X) will result to the Devil fleeing (change in Y).  

We can present this on a graph of Y against X.  On the X axis = resist the devil and Y axis = he will flee from you. We can deduce that the more you resist the devil the more he flees from you. If you want the devil to flee further, resist him the more.

Satan employs various strategies to attack our faith and assurance in God. He will use lies, trials and temptations. It’s important that we do not get ignorant of Satan’s schemes. Remember he has been there since the creation of the world and is quite experienced.  His strategies are in the three areas of temptation of Sin in first John: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.

“ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

Lust of the flesh – temptations that makes the flesh feel satisfied. Referring to what the body desires without regard to the will of God and anything craved excessively or inappropriately. (Galatians 5:19-21 gives some examples of the “works of the flesh”

Lust of the Eye – visual appeal with desire or pleasure that we shouldn’t look upon. Referring to to those things we literally see and those we perceive, imagine or put our “mental” eyes. Coveting and materialism are good examples.

Pride of life – the arrogant spirit of self-sufficiency that brings attention and Glory to self with the desire for recognition, applause, status, and advantage in life. Pride itself is one of the sins that God hates most. It is the sin that made Lucifer (the beautiful angel) turn into Satan (the adversary). (Isaiah 14:14).

Eve (Gen 3:6), even Jesus himself (Mat 4:3-10) and every human in history has been tempted in this areas.

On our own we cannot defeat Satan’s schemes and we are warned to “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  (1Pe 5:8)  

Resisting the devil is not a passive “avoid sin” kind of life. We need to be active on the defense and offense.  We need to walk in the spirit “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:16). We need to always be prayerful and Walk in Christ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.(Col 2:7) And “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.( Eph 6:11) 

We need the power of God which is availed to us through Christ.  When Christ died and rose again Satan was defeated, Jesus delivered the final blow at Calvary

1 John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil.”

Hebrews 2:14, “Christ took on human nature that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Colossians 2:15, “God disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him.”

God drawing near to you

James 4:8   “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

This scripture represents the facts that when you Draw nigh to God (change in X), and he will draw nigh to you (change in Y).

We can present this on a graph of Y against X. On the X axis = Draw nigh to God and Y

axis = He will draw nigh to you.  We can deduce that the more you draw nigh to God the more he draws nigh to you. If you need more of the presence of God, seek him more. The depth of your hunger will determines the height of your revival.

The more we seek of God the more he is found of us because.. He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). All human kind have a deep longing for the presence and the Glory of God. There is an innate longing of the human heart for something outside itself, something transcendent. Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to God’s placing of “eternity in man’s heart.” God made humanity for His eternal purpose, and only God can fulfill our desire for eternity.

Our relationship with God should not be cautious and passive. There is a big difference between not wanting to offend Jesus and loving Him with a passion. The desire to not offend is cautious, but a loving heart only has eyes to eagerly follow and to please.

 “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalm 14:2).

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

MOSES:  Leading 6 million people and the status that comes with that nor performing miracles in Egypt was satisfying to Moses. He wanted more than miracles and fame. Exodus 33:13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech you, let me see your glory. And Moses got to know the ways of God while the sons of Israel only got to experience the acts of God.  Psa 103:7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. No other prophet has been like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.

DAVID: Far above the Status and Fame of a King, David had passion for God and God sought him .. a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people .1 Sam 13:14

PAUL: With all that characterize an apostle: Miracles, Signs and wonders had one passion of knowing Christ. Paul was after the Giver and not the Gifts “…that I may know Him” Php 3:10. He Considered many things loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ.

What is the greatest passion of your heart? Who consumes your thoughts and fans the flame in your heart? God’s greatest passion is that we will search for him as a lost treasure: to believe in him and then passionately long to know and love him more and more. He created us and allowed us to be where we are in our time and season that we might seek him

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:26-27

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“The past is gone and does not exist anymore”. This is a statement that I would wish was technically true. I will not rush to agree with it as the consequence of such ignorance cannot be ignored. The past has no existence in the reality-of-now but it does exist in the thoughts of our minds; and that existence in fact can hold you down and affect your present and your future. It is easy to get stuck in the past and dwell in its experiences, whether good or bad .

While it’s true that reflecting on the past can be a helpful learning tool for making better choices going forward, spending too much time looking back and wondering  “What ifs “ can be detrimental .

“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Deal with the Past – Good riddance!

We need to break the power of the past dominating our present and

determine our future. Onward ever back ward never. Jesus says (Luke 9:62).. “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”.

We should break and never allow the past to exercise a hold on us. The more we look back the less able we are to see forward. Ever wondered why cars have a big front windshield and comparatively very small rear mirrors?  We should choose to be forward focused, not past possessed.

Looking back at injustices and wrongs done in the past might hold someone in a space of self-pity, bitterness or even have an entitlement for empathy. Looking back on struggles, failures and expectations that never came through might bring in  a self-doubt whether we are good enough or whether victory will ever be found.

Dwelling on the past successes can give a false assurance that things must go well today. Wallowing on past achievements can slacken individuals with capacity and potential to a comfort zone. After all don’t they deserve to spend all their time basking and taking pleasure in the delight and glory of their past success? I don’t think so as “Time and tide wait for no man!”

Probably the most common stronghold in a person’s life in past mistakes and failures. Well each one has a number of those. If not watched, Failures of the past do plague a person with guilt and condemnation. Yet we are judged on what we are and not what we were. Once forgiven there is no condemnation of the past deeds. Romans 8.1” Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

Td Jakes puts it that – “You are not yet free when your former oppressor is still after you. You are a runaway slave…running and looking at your back. If your past is still after you then you are not “Free indeed” ( John 8:36) you are “a runaway slave”. It is until your Pharaoh (whatever is behind pursuing you) is completely destroyed in the red sea that we can be “free indeed” and take up your tumbrels like Miriam and give the Lord a dance Exodus 15:21.

God wants to “Setup” and destroy whatever is pursuing us from our past,For Israel to be free, God had to setup Pharaoh and destroy him (and his power)in the red sea.

Decide to deal with the past. Shake off the shackles of the past experience and move forward. The past is past and has no life.

John 8:36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Php 3:13 Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

The Plot

Moses liberates the children of Israel from Egypt and embarks on a journey to Canaan under the directive of God himself. And it happens, when Pharaoh lets the people go, God does not lead them by the land of the Philistines, although it was the direct route to Canaan; for He says, ‘In case the people become discouraged when they have to fight, and they return to Egypt’. So He leads them through a far difficult route- by the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the LORD goes before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; so they travel by day and night:

After watching the Israelis go, the Egyptians have a change of heart. And they cannot not explain how the entire Egypt gave out such huge quantities of gold, sliver , clothes and livestock to their slaves. Pharaoh and his entire army, the Special Forces and Navy seals are in hot pursuit. Its operation ‘Roll back’.

Six days later the children of Israel are camped by the red sea” where the desert had “shut them in” (Exodus 14:2-3). Before them is the impossible sea, around them is the mountainous desert; and right behind them is the fast approaching Egyptian army ready for the onslaught. There is no way of escape. Just like the Normandy beach, the Red Sea beach is ready for a bloody slaughter. The Egyptian forces catch up with the escaping slaves but that night a pillar of fire separates them from the Israelis and prevents any advancement.

This is a classic plot of an action packed thriller.But what was about to happen here is what is more than intriguing. Let’s have a close look at the scene from different point of views – POV.  (In film POV generally refers to a shot that directly represents a character’s view point. It determines how the audience feels about a character or situation.

The perspective of the Egyptian soldiers:

To the Egyptian soldiers, catching up with the escaping slaves was very encouraging moment. More so they were convinced that the Israelis did not know the route for escape and were now trapped and entangled in the wilderness. Victory was about to be on the Egyptians side! The commanders would soon be receiving medals, the slaves would soon be back to the construction sites. They were ready for the final press to a great conquest!

The Perspective Children of Israel:

Unlike Moses who was familiar with the land and understood the route that God told him to follow (Exodus 14:1-4), the Israelis encounter with reality was the moment the journey came to a dead end at the red sea beach. They were terrified, the moment of annihilation was hours away. They can hear the sounds of the horses and the soldiers sharpening their swords. They desired serving the Egyptians than dying in the wilderness.

The Dark Night

The night is dark and cloudy. A pillar of fire separates the sons of Israel and the Egyptians to prevent any Egypt advancement. The night presented the Egyptians and the sons of Israelite very different circumstances. But the turn of events and how this circumstances were turned around is was is majestic.

The Night to the Egyptians:  

This was a night of Victory and Preparation to concur. Soldiers are on high moral in readiness to enter the hall of fame.  This was a moment of Pharaoh and his commanders to strategize on the onslaught.  The Soldiers are Sharpening of swords, painting their faces, oiling the chariots’ wheels,and painting graffiti on the weapons. The commanders and captains are posing for photos only to discover cameras weren’t in existent in that era.

The Night for Israel:

This was a dark night and Fearful night. A Night of uncertainty and worry. The enemy had caught up with them and was camping right at the beach. Only a pillar of fire was holding the lines against Egyptian advancements.

God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea, and divide it so that the sons of Israel should go on dry ground through the midst of the sea

When Moses put his arm out at God’s command, the waters of the Red Sea parted and were seemingly frozen in place on either side of some dry land by a strong cold wind.

Exo 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And Jehovah caused the sea to recede by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground.

Exo 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea

The Egyptians not relenting, are again in hot pursuit.They go after the sons of Israel to the midst of the sea, with all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. No tanks, submarines or fighter jets existed then. If the encampment at the beach was not scary enough, this moment was the breaking point for Israel.

I will not assume that the sons of Israel marched on majestically singing “hallelujah kumbaya” since they knew that God was on their side. I bet they were perplexed and with great fear pushed their wagons and livestock with haste. Reaching the other end of the sea was matter of life and death.

Enters the defining moment

In the morning watch (from 3:00am – 6am) trouble and confusion befalls the Egyptians as God looks upon them. Chariots starts loosing wheels,the ground becomes muddy and the chariots and horses are unable to move. The reality draws to them that they aren’t going to make it to the other side. The soldiers sound the SOS Alerts and request booth Naval and Aerial reinforcements; only to discover their days there were no such brigades.

The Sons of Israel are now on dry land across the red sea. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea. And the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared.

And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. There did not remain so much as one of them.  And Israel saw that great work which Jehovah did upon the Egyptians. And the people feared Jehovah, and believed Jehovah and His servant Moses. 

The Facts: We too encounter similar challenging experiences. Some time we are faced with battles, situations and circumstances and end up in doubt if victory could ever be found. From our point of view there seems to be no hope nor an end to our turmoil.

Even with assurance that God is fighting for us we end up with the feeling of uncertainty, perplexity and wish the situations were different.

The Revelation: In the Darkest of the night, when it seemed the end of Israel was nay, God changed the situation and by the morning the Egyptians were finished.

In our darkest night, when we are confronted by impossibilities,we can trust in God for he knows the right moment to turn around the situation for the glory of his name. Even if defeat seems inevitable. It does not matter what you are up against, as long as God is on your side victory is assured.

Some Life situations are like Israel situation. We find ourselves in situations that are almost catching up with us, ready to finish us up. The children of Israel was caught up between the Egyptian army and the red sea. That is like being caught up by approaching bills, responsibilities, expectations, uncertainties. YET in that DARK NIGHT God will cause the strong East wind to blow a path for you. And when the night is over you will have a way out of your situation.

How did Israel leave Egypt? It was a night and day non stop rush for seven days, like no one’s business.  Run for your life when God tells you it’s time to move. Yet (Exodus 12) they left with a lot of silver, gold, clothing, flocks, herds and very much cattle from the Egyptians. When it’s time to move from your “Egypt”, may you move with Gods favor and with much plunder.

Psa 124:2  Except that it was Jehovah who was for us when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;

Isaiah 59:19. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him

Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

Psa 37:12. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

Psa 37:14.The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

Jos 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed. For Jehovah your God is with you in all places where you go.

Psa 37:39.The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, BECAUSE they take refuge in him.

Deu 31:6  Be strong and of a good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid of them. For Jehovah your God is He who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.

2Ch 20:15 And he said, Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! So says Jehovah to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in tro

Photo Credit: Pintrest

There is a big difference walking on a straight line and on a circle. Life is a straight lineand not a circle.

There are many things that I feel I should have done way back then. Some I have started doing now, but the season, the context, the time, the environment are not the same as when the opportunities first presented themselves. I am not in regret but in thoughts…

Life is a straight line with a definite start and stop. The start mark is the day when you were born, and stop mark is the day you will die. Now depending on your age, you are somewhere in between those two marks. In my world of computers, life can be like a scroll bar; and this life’s scroll bar has a slider that moves only in one direction. The slider position represents where you are now, depending on your age.

Excuses will always be there for you opportunities wont!

Now pull yourself together and let’s take a deep dive.

Each day that we have encountered in life, each day that we have consumed off the line is never coming back again.

The things that happen, the experience we have, the opportunities we pursue, the accomplishments and failures we have, the resources around us, the seasons we are in, the people we connect to, the impact we create: most of these happen only once in life. We only have one childhood, one school life, one youth life, one college life, one adult life, one work life, and one Old age. These moments and seasons of life are not coming back. It’s a straight line, life is not a circle.

You are never going to have the same neighbors again, you are never going to the same school with the same classmates again, and you are never going to work in the same company with the same colleagues again. The bosses you have could be there for this season only, and soon they or you will leave the organization. Nothing is permanent.  The people of influence that you have come across in life are not coming back in the same environment and context again.

Seize the moment

Appreciate every moment, celebrate those around you, help those in need and give honor to whom honor is due. Put your talents to work, take initiatives and give your best to everything because these moments are not coming back. Enjoy the fruit of your labor, take care of your body, maximize every situation because there is not any another like it.

Our God is of many chances, and opportunities might come back again but in different seasons, circumstances and environments. Some chances just comes once, never to be seen again.

At every stage, every age and every season of life there are things that if done then, will have a greater impact. If over analyzed, procrastinated and done later the impact is no longer the same.  Seize the moment and make your life extra ordinary.

what if?

what if you learnt to play a music instrument back then when you felt the passion? What if you were there for someone when you should have?  What if you wrote blogs and books from way back then? What if you went for trips, showed love to your siblings, took an evening class, composed that new song and wrote down your vision? What if you shared and helped those who were in need when it was in your power to do so?  What if you started that business that would make a difference? What if you focused on your strengths and abilities? What if you took effort to discover identify, clarify and make good use of your gifts and talents? Now and not later?

So if you are waiting to do something later, i wonder how and what the impact will be? We should be doing whatever we feel we need to do now and not then. Like the…

“sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what israel ought to do, 1 Chronicles 12:32 

It’s often and truly said that “we are not preparing to live. We are already living”. As the days counts away let’s not forget to make the days count. Live the moment. Life is happening now!

I don’t want to get to heaven with my life full of unrealized visions and dreams, full of business that could have changed the world . I don’t want to be ignorant of the people around me because every moment is precious and it’s never coming back.

There has always been a great purpose for you at each stage and age of life, there is a reason and a purpose why you live in your particular neighborhood, in this time and age and not the past nor the future. There is a reason why you have the people you have in your life, there is a reason why you are in the career you in now and a reason why you are at your current place of work.

Acts 17:26-27 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live

What things do you Sense God telling you to do at this season? what are you going to do about them?

Ecc 9:10  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.

Published by Benny Njoroge – ” I love learning something new every day and making someone see the hope to hop yet another day”