Dear Brethren

We have been catching our breath this past week after a hectic 10 days during the visit of Pastor Ronald Kalifungwa from Lusaka, Zambia.

1. The ‘Meaty Forum’ (Friday evening 13th.).  I picked up Brother Kalifungwa from the airport at 5 p.m. the very time the meeting was due to start.  The traffic jam was bad so it took another hour instead of the usual 20 minutes.  They had waited to start, and anyway people were still coming in.  Eventually there were 70 young people in their 20s for the function held in a room of one of the big town churches.  This forum is the idea of one of our young people who desires to get the ‘meat’ to the many people in Nairobi who are hurting spiritually and do not know what to do.  Many are fed up with the nonsense that goes on in the name of worship in churches Sunday after Sunday.  The Forum is basically a panel discussion on a meaty subject.  This first one was upon ‘Truth’ – what is truth and why do we say the Bible is the only absolute standard of truth.  Totally unprepared I was asked to be one of the 4 panellists.  There was a very encouraging positive response and the event will take place each month on the second Friday.  (I am not personally on Facebook, but you can find out more on www.facebook.com/meatyforum)

2. Men’s Breakfast (Saturday morning 14th.).  We had a large group of 25 made up mostly of young men.  After a breakfast of tea, bread, egg and banana, we looked at the life of Lot.  It was very challenging to consider how such a man of faith could end up in such sin.

3. The wedding of Lydia was due to start at 11 a.m. and being the designated preacher we had to rush across town.  Of course, it was not necessary as it started almost 3 hours late, but I could not take the chance.  Such lateness is not necessarily due to the bride but to relatives who turn up at the house to ‘see her off’ – they are up-country people and need another song, another prayer, etc. before they can release their ‘daughter’.  Lydia is daughter to Catherine and brother to Nelson, both church members.  She was brought up in Trinity but goes to another church with her (now) husband.  This is why she wanted me to preach, especially having appreciated the sermon at the previous wedding in February.  Sadly weddings are not usually serious occasions and pastors joke a lot.  I was able to bring the gospel to a few hundred people from Ephesians 5:25-27, on the love of Christ.  May the Lord use it for His glory.

4. Sunday we had good sized congregations and Brother Kalifungwa preached on John 8:58 and Philippians 3:10.  He also spoke to many of the Women in their afternoon fellowship on Lot’s wife.  We are seeing a number of new faces and we are praying for saving grace to be granted and others to give themselves to the Lord and His church.

5. Pastors’ Conference (Monday evening to Thursday evening, 16th. – 19th.).  A total of around 40 men attended from different parts of the country.  They so much appreciated Brother Kalifungwa’s ministry on the subject of the Covenants.  He had 9 sessions on the covenant of Redemption, Adamic, of Grace, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New and Messianic.  There were 2 more discussion sessions on The Christian World-View and
Dispensationalism.  The one on World-View was the first time I have heard an African enunciate the Christian as opposed to the African World-View.  Very helpful and something I must make sure is specifically included in the PTC.

6. Dine & Listen (Friday evening 20th.).  This is an annual evangelistic event to which we encourage members to invite relatives and friends.  It was quite well attended by about 70 people, but as our brother began to speak on Genesis 3:9 the rain came pouring down.  I do not think everyone heard all he said as we do not have a ceiling to cushion the noise.  What that did is to give us opportunity afterwards to talk with people who were waiting for it to subside. 

At the meal I was able to talk with one man who has worked in different parts of the world.  He has been sick for a number of months and I asked him what he has learned from the experience.  He has had time to read the Bible, so what did he learn?  He has come to see that the Catholicism in which he was brought up is a religion for those who are not really committed, so I suppose he thinks what he needs is to be committed.  It was my opportunity to tell him, using Luke 18:9-14, that he needs to come to the end of himself for no amount of commitment will save him, only Christ will.

If you wish to find much more information about Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi and the various ministries please visit www.trinity.or.ke  You will find my emails 2012 Nos. 1-6, our Grace & Truth magazine, and lengthy reports on the ministries in South Sudan (January), in Rendille by our son Jonathan (February) with 70 photos posted from Rendille, and in Pokot North (March/April), plus other resources.  You can also listen to some of our sermons.

PRAY the Lord will graciously bring fruit from the ministry of His word, as He has promised. 

In Christ, Keith & Priscilla Underhill