Greetings from Kenya

Pastor Francis Ngugi of Nairobi, Kenya, sends our church his greetings and reports on his ministry:

Precious greetings in Jesus Name!
I and family we are doing fine and are steadfastly doing the work of the Lord here in Kenya.

My kids are back home for December Holiday to resume in January this year.

I am preaching my heart out spreading the Gopspel of Jesus Christ. Right now am expounding the "Sermon On The Mount" in Mathew 5-7.
The Sunday of 28th Nov. I preached on: BLESSED PERSECUTIONS, from Mt.5:10-12. They are called blessed persecutions because men's curses and revilings results from Christ's blessings to the victimized:Jesus taught that those who exhibit gogly lifestyle silently rebukes and reproves the ungodliness of men thus provoking their resentement: The resentment can be expressed in revilings or verbal abuse, defaming and slandering, all aimed at injuring, wounding and paining the godly: such responses is a strong prove of human depravity: It's amazing that men's curses and Christ's blessings should meet in the life of the same person: Persecutions with blessings should be "for Righteousness' sake" and can take the form of annoying, taunting, oppressing and tormenting: This means that one is opposed because of his right living: But there is a CAUTION: A believer should see to it that he is buffeted for right doing and not on account of his own misconduct or foolish
behavior:The words "for righteousness' sake" caution us to see to it that we are opposed and hated solely because we are Christ's followers and practice the truth we profess, but not on account of our own injudicious behavior.

On the sunday of 3rd Dec. I preached on THE ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF A GOSPEL MINISTER, from Mt.5:13-16. My aim was to sensitize the church on apostasy and how they should discern the right fold to feed on spiritually: Just like a patient mind's the competence of his physical doctor, so should saints mind the expertise of their soul's physicians: Gospel minister's carry the Word which acts like the salt of the earth: It is a thorougher presentation of the Word that gives taste to the souls and lives of men: the figure of salt for the Word is relevant because salt's scientific properties, when applied to raw flesh, has similar results to the Word properly preached to human flesh: Rubbed to injured raw flesh on a human body, salt brings effects of irritation, biting, stinging, corroding, cutting, piercing and so on: Salt also makes our meat tasty and do preserve it from rotting by acting as antiseptic in the sphere of decay: This applied to effects of the Word preached to the souls means this; As salt arrests natural corruptions, so the Word preached militates against human moral corruptions: But if salt be mixed with dust and rubbish, it looses it pungency (sharp taste) and efficacy, same effects with the Word if preached minled with levity, exciting anecdotes, frivolity and cunningness that nullifies its power: Gospel ministers should PREACH SALT AND NOT SUGAR, but then have fortitude to braze the responses of the hearers: this is so because it is contrary to nature for those whose consciences are pricked to be pleased with those who wound them: Preaching it as it is will usher one into trouble like John the Baptist whom Herod jailed for condemning his act of taking the wrong woman: Ministers have to exercise Faithfulness and diligence to preach the real thing even if it may be untasteful like salt: Pulpit has its own dangers if one become menpleaser, yields to the demand for smooth speaking, and
substituting convictiong messages for tickling stories pleasant to the ears of the audience, and being full with trivialities and novelties: Jesus said that if the salt looses its taste tis is good for nothing but to be thrown away to be trampled under feet: Ministers with wrong tendencies makes the salt useless as it looses its taste and acrimony: Such ministers become unprofitable and valuelessto God and man: The consequences it to loose their influence and just like their tasteless salt Word) is good for nothing and get thrown out to be trampled underfoot by me, so do these ministers become irrelevant. Have you ever thought that the Bible has not shown case of those prophets of Old Testamnet and ministers of New Testament who apostatized ever becoming restored? Lets think about it seriously and takr care of ourselves.

I have emailed you family pictures and some for me doing ministry inside the church, and hope you will enjoy seeing them.

I sincerely thank you for your prayers, support, love and encouragement as I preach the Gospel of Christ here in Kenya.
You are treasured beyond words by my family.
With much love I remain.

Your's in the Lord's service,
Pastor Francis Ngugi
Nairobi/Kenya