TT 143

TIMES TODAY TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

Knowledge of God

CONTENTS My Pulpit message - notes | 3-4 My Inspiration | 5 My Entrepreneur | 6 My Health | 7-8 My Kitchen | 9 My Sports | 10

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My Pulpit Message - notes Grow in the Knowledge of God My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 6th March 2022. Preacher: Reverend Majid Ochieng’, Deputy Senior Pastor, Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC). Topic: Grow in the Knowledge of God. Scripture: Colossians 1:1-14 This month’s theme is growing in our capacity. When we grow in still practiced today. capacity, we are able to withstand and to hold the pressures / chalAngel worship (Col 2:18) “Do not let anyone who delenges we experience because we are in this world. lights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you.”

Paul is saying that for us to grow in capacity, to be able to overcome some of these false teachings that are coming we must therefore grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ The book of Colossians is a pauline letter, meaning it was written by Paul.

Purpose of Letter Paul introduces the letter by saying, Paul, an apostle (meaning someone who has been sent, primarily by God) of Christ Jesus - To refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this role, he exalted by the will of God (meaning that perhaps he would not be where Jesus Christ as the very image of God. Col 1:15 “The Son is the imhe is at the point of writing the letter, because he was a persecu- age of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” tor of the church until on his way to Damascus he received Jesus Above all the false teachings that you are confronted with, Christ and that made a turnaround in his life), and Timothy our Jesus Christ is exalted above everything else. brother (Timothy is like one of To accomplish this Paul those Paul brought up and it is exalts Jesus Christ as the Cresaid that perhaps he is the one ator. (Col 1:16)“16 For in him who wrote this letter as Paul was all things were created: things dictating.)” in heaven and on earth, visible Verse 2 “To God’s holy We should not compromise anything, but pursue to know and invisible, whether thrones people in Colossae, the faithful who God is and to pursue all other available opportunities or powers or rulers or authoribrothers and sisters in Christ: ties; all things have been creatthat we have in church to grow in our knowledge of God. These were the Colossians. ed through him and for him.

Several hundred years Paul talks about Jesus before Paul’s day, Colossae had Christ as the pre-existing Susbeen a leading city in Asia mitainer of all things Col 1:17-18 nor, the modern day Turkey and He is before all things and in first century AD Colossae had Him all things hold together. been diminished to a second rate market town which had been sur- The first to be resurrected, the fullness of deity in bodily form and passed long ago in power and importance by neighbouring towns He is the Reconciler,” so that we are able to access God, so that we Laodicea and Police (Col 4:13) can be called the children of God. The emphasis is not in the cereDuring Paul’s three year ministry in Ephesus, someone monies, in the dos and don’ts. Jesus Christ by His grace is the Reccalled Epaphras had been converted and had carried the gospel to onciler of man to God. Colossae (Acts 19:10) and it is Epaphras who most likely started this church (Col 7:1) “7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow Knowing who Jesus Christ is one of the ways of countering servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf, 8 false teachings and to know what Jesus Christ is teaching. Once we and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.” So it is Epaphras that know that it doesn’t matter what false teachings come our way but took this letter. by the grace of God we will have the knowledge and our capacity A young church then had become a target of false teaching will have been enlarge so that we are able to withstand the pressures (heretical attacks) which led to Epaphras visit to Paul in Rome and that we face in this world. ultimately to the writing of the Colossian letter.

Tim Charlie says that the history of Christ’s church is sepThis explains why the letter was written - to counter false arable from the history of Satan’s attempt to destroy the church. teachings that were very common in Colossae at that particular While difficult challenges have risen from outside the church, the time. So it was almost like an antidote to the heresy that was going most dangerous have always been from within the church. For from on in Colossae. within, arise the false teachers, the peddlers of errors who massaSome of the heresies that were going on were: cred as teachers of truth. False teachers take on many forms cast or -ceremonialism (holding to strict rules about the permissi- crafted to times, cultures and different contexts. ble foods and the drinks and religious festivals). So access to the We can be able to overcome that by enlarging our capacities kingdom of God was through the ceremonies and what you do or and having the knowledge of Jesus Christ. do not do.

-Asceticism (do not touch, do not handle, do not taste). This came as a result of severe self disciple and avoiding all forms of indulgence typically for religious reasons. Some of these things are

Growing in the Knowledge of God

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My Pulpit Message - notes Today we are not immune to false teachings. They not only come from the pulpit, they are the things that we have heard, and get into our hearts and our lives follow the things that we have heard. 2 Timothy 3:1 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. “ When you look at the society today it looks like these are the last days that Paul was talking about, and to be able to counter that, we must be at the place where our capacity is enlarged and we are also growing in our knowledge.

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The reputation of the Colossians (Colossians 1:3-8) The request to God for the Colossians (Colossians 1:9) The resultant request for the Colossians

The reputation of the Colossians (Colossians 1:3-8)

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ” It is all over known about the Colossians. They cannot hide about it. It is almost written all over. This is the reputation that I am talking about - what they are known for, what they were popular for, what has been heard about them. It is not always kind as you hear it from these Scriptures. In the book of Revelations there were churches with different reputations. There were some that were know as are dead on the vine. The Laodicean church was lukewarm.

But here is a church whose faith in Jesus Christ was so strong that the word had gone round and reached Paul even in prison. “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;” They were known about faith, about their full commitment to Jesus Christ, about putting their trust in Jesus Christ, their love for everyone else and other believers.

By the grace of God, when we have this, it enlarges our capacity to be able to overcome the pressures that we face in this world.

Verse 5, “ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,” that faith and love is as a result of where they have their eyes fixed on, as a result of knowing Jesus Christ and knowing where they are going.

Verse 7 “just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.” All these things Epaphras is the one who told them.

What am I known for as an individual? With the people at work, interact with, do business with? What is your reputation?

My prayer is that part of countering false teachings is that our life will be consistent with our faith so that there is not difference whatsoever in church and out there. I prayer that our reputation will be like that of the people in Colossae church.

are known for, they want to continue to request God. Since Paul and company heard about them they have not stopped praying for them and they are asking God to fill them with the knowledge of God through all wisdom and understanding what the Spirit of God gives.

The Biblical of God’s knowledge is not merely the possession of facts and information. Rather they are practical, having to do with godly living. So that what we have as knowledge moves from head to our hearts and then influences every single thing we do, every move we make, every decision we make, influenced by the fact that we know the LORD and He had moved into our hearts and helps us to formulate convictions that are godly.

This is whey Paul is saying that if there is one thing that he wants to request God for on their behalf is that by God’s grace you will have knowledge of His will.

Verse 10-12 “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” It is from this knowledge that Jesus is talking about, that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And out of that speaking our footsteps will follow.

Proverbs “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We need to pay close attention to know the truth, what God is expecting, to know God. Once we know Jesus Christ, He takes care of everything.

We are normally told, the best way to counter counterfeits, is to know the truth, because the counterfeits will always be changing. They can change from person to person. They are always mutating. But once we know the truth, it does not matter where you will be. You will always see it from far. That is why the chief request that Paul makes to the Colossians is that they be filled with the knowledge of God. We should not compromise anything, but pursue to know who God is and to pursue all other available opportunities that we have in church to grow in our knowledge of God.

The resultant request for the Colossians

“so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Our knowledge of God will allow us live a life that is worthy of the LORD and to be able to have the patience and endurance, no matter what comes our way.

The result of the knowledge of Jesus Christ is that we will be able to live a life that is worthy of the knowledge of God and pleases the Lord in every way and in everything we do. A life that is bearing fruit in every good work that we do. A life that is ensuring that we are growing in the knowledge of Him, that we are being strengthened in all the power according to His glorious might so that we may have great endurance and giving joyful thanks to the Father.

2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

May the Lord help us in growing in the knowledge of Him even as we look at the bigger picture in growing in our capacity. May the LORD help us in growing in our capacities to be able to withstand all the presThe request to God for the Colossians sures that are in this world. For that to happen our reputation must be (Colossians 1:9) consistent with the word that we profess. For that to happen, we see Paul making a request to the Colossians, if there is one thing that he wishes is “ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to that they will grow in their knowledge of God and the result is they will pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His be able to live a life that is worthy of the calling that they have received. will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” -4

The reason that Paul is talking about in their reputation, what they

TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

My Inspiration When You’re in a Desert Place

By William King | Email: kingwilliam189@gmail.com | image credit: eternalarrival.com

In Mark 6, we are told three times that We feel strength that Jesus spent an entire we didn’t have, courday teaching thouage to keep moving sands of people in “a foward, grace to endesert place.” Late in dure. We look back the day, His disciples and think, “How did said, “There’s nothI make it through that ing to eat in this desert place. Send the people home.” loss, sickness, difficulty?” It was God giving you grass Jesus, however, answered, in the desert. God mak“You feed them.” ing the hard places easiYou can flourish in the desert. Right now God is er. Without His grace you creating grass in your desert place. You can prosper in a pandemic and you They said, “With what?” can succeed in a down year. Now don’t talk yourself out of it. The Most High would have gone under. those hard places easier than you Jesus asked them for what God is on your side. He’s going to make think. they had and they gave He didn’t stop the trouble, Him five loaves of bread but He kept the trouble and two fish. Then Jesus from stopping you. You directed them to have the may be in a desert place, crowd sit down in groups “on the green grass.” While facing something that you weren’t expecting, but it’s the people were tired and hungry, and before Jesus not a surprise to God. He has a green pasture that multiplied the food miraculously, God gave them He’s already ordained for you. It’s going to be easier grass in the desert. than you think.

He made the hard place easier for them. He didn’t stop them from going into the desert or keep them from the heat, but He lightened the load. We all go through desert places in life - problems that should overwhelm us, giants that should defeat us. Somehow, in the midst of these challenges, there’s a force sustaining us.

You can flourish in the desert. Right now God is creating grass in your desert place. You can prosper in a pandemic and you can succeed in a down year.

Now don’t talk yourself out of it. The Most High God is on your side. He’s going to make those hard places easier than you think.

TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

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Every Good G S ift

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Entrepreneur How to be a person of influence

By Tom Crenshaw — | www.biblicalleadership.com | Image credit: forbes.com

“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy” (Daniel 6:4).

the choice to stay the course of truth or compromise that truth, what’s inside you will always be squeezed out.

Let us dare to be a Daniel, never compromising, always faithful, responsible and trustworthy. If we are, we can be sure of one thing; We will always be a person of influence.

A person of integrity, like Daniel, is a person who is always faithful, responsible, and trustworthy. He is the kind of per- In the words of one of country music’s queens, Tanya Tuckson who earns the trust of others. He is a person of influence er, “It’s never too late to do the right thing now.” because people know he can be trusted. When he says he will do something, you know it will always be done.

About the author The Center for Creative Research, in a significant study, “learned that one thing that sounds the death knell for those Tom Crenshaw who aspire to the top rung on the ladder is betraying trust. Tom serves as Connections Pastor of the New Monmouth Virtually anything else can be overcome over a period of Baptist Church (non denominational) where he previously time, but once trust is betrayed, moving to the top of the served as a three year interim.He has been married to Jean ladder is out of the question” (from a John Maxwell Leader- for almost 50 years, and they have four children, all of whom ship Podcast). are teachers.Tom loves perennial gardening, umpiring high school baseball, coaching baseball and football, fishing for It has been said that, “It is always easy to do right when you small mouth bass, rooting for his favorite team, the Cleveknow ahead of time what you stand for.” land Indians, and listening to ‘real’ country music, the classic kind.

When you are in a pressure situation and you are faced with

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TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

My Health 30 daily routines of healthy, productive people that are easy to adopt

By Laura Berlinsky-Schine | www.theladders.com |image credit: lifehack.org

This week: Night time routines During the last two weeks we looked at morning and daytime routines respectively. This week we conclude with the last ten routines for the night.

21. Eat dinner.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but dinner is important, too. If you have trouble finding the time to cook every day, consider making your meals for the week ahead of time over the weekend or investing in meal kits to help you out. Of course, there’s always Seamless, but just like with lunch, it’s healthier and cheaper to do it yourself.

22. Make a to-do list for the next day.

The next day will feel a lot more manageable if you know what’s on your plate. Organize your tasks by creating a to-do list with your priorities, dividing the tasks up into most important, somewhat important and least important categories. Then, review it in the morning.

I don’t know about you, but I just love a good book. I find reading the perfect wind-down activity — better than TV. Maybe you disagree. If you’re not a reader, by all means, skip to the next item. But if you’re like me, and you enjoy reading, make just a few pages of a book, magazine, newspaper or even blog part of your regular nighttime routine.

24. Journal.

Getting your thoughts out on paper can help you make peace with any unresolved uncertainties and conclude the day. Of course, not every day or night goes well, and sometimes, you’ll still be experiencing stress, anxiety, annoyance or sadness over events that happened. But if you make journaling a daily habit, you may find that you’re more able to clear your mind and get to sleep more easily.

23. Read.

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My Health 25. Write down three good things that happened that day.

Many mental health professionals advise people to write down three good things that went well during the day every day.

That’s because many of us focus on the bad things that happen or the anxious thoughts we have, while forgetting the good. Instead of overlooking the positive aspects of the day, make it a practice to remember these good things, however small. This routine can have a real impact on your overall mood and outlook.

26. Straighten up your personal space.

Just like straightening up your workspace, straightening up your personal space is important for your mood and starting off the day on the right foot. When you wake up to a mess, your outlook could be adversely impacted for the whole day.

But waking up to an organized space will make you feel more positive about what’s to come. So, do those dirty dishes and put your clothes in the hamper. You’ll be grateful for the forward-thinking tomorrow.

27. Do a hobby you love.

type of outfit for every day of the week. But if you decide what you’re going to wear the night before, you’ll have fewer decisions to make first thing in the morning, when you could still be foggy with sleep.

29. Turn off your devices.

Thirty minutes before bedtime, power off your devices. That includes your cell phone, tablet, laptop and anything else that is sure to be a distraction and prevent you from fully settling down during the night.

If you absolutely must keep them on, put them in another room with the sound turned off. (In emergency situations, it’s okay to ignore the cell phone rule, of course. Certain jobs may also require you to be on call.)

Doing something you really enjoy — whether that’s cooking, gardening, drawing or playing with a pet — will allow you to 30. Go to bed at the same time every day. separate yourself from a long day of work and reinvigorate Like waking up at the same time every day, you should atyourself. At the same time, it will also give you an opportempt to establish a regular routine and create better sleep tunity to settle down, as well as give you something to look habits and hygiene by setting and sticking to roughly the forward to throughout the day. same bedtime every day. Yes, even on weekends.

28. Lay out your clothes for the next day before bed.

Is it really necessary? Actually, yes, especially if you have trouble sleeping. If you get into this routine, you’ll feel more When Barack Obama was in office, he famously noted that well-rested and improve your mental health at the same time. we only saw him wearing gray or blue suits because “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”

Now, we’re not suggesting you commit to a single outfit or

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TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

My Kitchen Muesli bars https://www.delicious.com.au | By Sarah Hobbs - Food Editor, Taste.com.au | image courtesy:kidzsport NZ

A kids classic you can make at home - a much healthier recipe to the store-bought option.

8 Ingredients 7 Method Steps 3/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar 50g butter 3 cups untoasted muesli or rolled oats 1 cup sultanas 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 1 tsp ground cinnamon Select all ingredients ADD TO SHOPPING LISTCOLES | SHOP NOW Step 1 Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base and long

sides of a 19 x 29cm slice pan.

Step 2 Combine the honey, sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

Step 3 Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly.

Step 4 Remove from heat. Combine the muesli, sultanas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Step 5 Pour over the hot syrup and stir to combine.

Step 6 Spoon into pan and press gently with the back of a spoon.

Step 7 Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from oven and set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into 5cm x 9cm rectangles to serve.

TT 143 | MAR 8th - 14th | 2022

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My Sports Formula 1 announces it will race at Imola until 2025

https://www.formula1.com/

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DT Dobie Mercedes Benz GLB 200 PRIZE FOR first golfer who scored a hole in one on the 13 green in the concluded Magical Kenya Open

Roy John Kyalo (left), the General Manager for Passenger Cars at DT Dobie hands the documents of a brand new Mercedes Benz GLB 200 to Francis Okwara (right), the Director of the Kenya Open Golf Limited and Zuhuru Odhiambo (center), the Sponsorship Director. The stylish Mercedes SUV provided by DT Dobie is the prize for the first golfer to score a hole in one on the 13 green in the Magical Kenya Open which ends on Sunday (March 6th) at Muthaiga.

The Formula 1 Rolex Grand Prix Made in Italy Emilia-Romag- for sport in Italy but also a great enrichment for the top internana, at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari International Circuit in Imola, tional motorsport series that has confirmed in its calendar for will remain part of the Formula 1 calendar until 2025. several years one of the most difficult races, but also the greatest, and the one that’s mostly loved by both drivers and teams.

This follows two successful Grands Prix in Imola during the pandemic and the inclusion of the race in the 2022 champion- “Of course, the long negotiations carried out by the Automoship. bile Club of Italy managed to achieve the desired goal thanks to the important support received from various local authorities.

Imola first hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 but subsequent- Among all, I would like to underline the enthusiastic work of ly became the San Marino Grand Prix venue from 1981-2006. the Emilia Romagna Region and its President Stefano Bonaccini.”

The circuit returned as a Formula 1 venue for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020.

President of Emilia Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, said: “It’s an extraordinary result for the Emilia-Romagna region and for the Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: Motor Valley. The confirmation that the Made in Italy and Emil“I am delighted that we will be continuing our excellent part- ia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix that will be held at the Enzo nership with Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix until and Dino Ferrari Autodrome in Imola until 2025 is a reward to 2025. The circuit is iconic and has been part of the history of our an important team effort that involved the Ministry of Economy sport and they have done an incredible job of hosting two races and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ice (i.d. the Italian during the pandemic. It is a proud moment for our Italian fans Trade Agency), the City of Imola, ACI, CON.AMI and Formula to host two races and for all our fans around the world to see 1, of course. this fantastic circuit on the calendar for the future.

“After two successfully organized editions, a unique event of “I want to thank everyone involved in making this happen and great international appeal and absolute prestige was confirmed the work of the Emilia-Romagna Region, in particular the Pres- in the long run along the Via Emilia despite the limitations imident of the Automobile Club of Italy, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, posed by the pandemic and while preparations are already unPresident of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, the Ministry derway for the 2022 edition. of Economy and Finance, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the City of Imola. We are all looking forward to being back in “The event will allow us to turn the spotlight on both a region Imola in April to thrill our fans.” which is home to great champions and world-famous motorsport brands and Italy, a country rich in unique, internationally President of the Automobile Club of Italy, Angelo Sticchi Dami- renowned excellence in all fields, starting from the automotive ani, said: “Today’s agreement ratifies the presence of the Formu- industry. For us, this is a great source of pride and a precious la 1 Rolex Grand Prix of Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna at opportunity to discuss values, knowledge and professionalism the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola until 2025. Imola, its that translate first and foremost into work, innovation and the great history and the strong tie of its territory to the world of en- ability to do business together and with great passion.” gines deserved this recognition. This is not only a great success

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