The Stream Of Life

 “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin: pour out you heart like water in the presence of the Lord.” Lamentations 2:19

Dear friends, 2012 is almost gone. You will soon enter another year. It will also be gone in a few seconds.Do you know where the stream of life is hastening some of you?
The march of time is a terrible enemy to all who persist in unbelief, but the Christian sees things differently—“now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Romans 13:11-12).

I wish you all a happy New Year

Onfire Agape Ministries Joins Refill Ministries In An Incredible Event In The East Coast; Delaware!

Onfire Agape Ministries Staff Members teamed up with Refill Ministries in a pulsating Christmas Concert on sunday December 23,2012 during their East Coast Tour; in Delaware. Among those who participated in this event were Pastor Teon Wills of New Jersey, and an acclaimed Malawian Gospel artist, Ntambo Chibambo Kaendera. Ntambo said that she was honored, humbled and blessed to have been invited by incredibly gifted  team of young musicians who have humbly submitted to the call of God, and that she truly appreciated each one of them. She said she would like to do it again next next year.
Pastor Teon wills gave a lively, humorous and moving presentation of the undiluted word of God with the result of dozens of youths submitting their lives to Jesus Christ. Steve Karigo gave a presentation of the Mission of Refill Ministries in which he explained to the youth about the role of  all their events, and cited the founding members who were present- Mr. Mchalongo, David Karigo and himself. . Rev.Dr. Samuel Ndungu of Onfire Agape Ministries also made a presentation of Onfire Agape Ministries Mission of reaching out to the Youths abroad and especialy in Kenya with the Gospel of Jesus Christ while helping those  who are in dire, such as lacking basic needs like food or as clean drinking water. To view the video of the concert in On Onfire Agape TV, Please click this link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/onfire-agape-tv#/recorded/28051100

Great Comfort To God's People

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderfull, I know that full well.” Psalm 139: 14

We have come now to the end of another year. Are you glad that God sees you through and through every moment of your life? This should bring terror to the unbeliever (Hebrews 4:13) but great comfort to God’s people in the hour of distress (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 2:25). “The eyes of the Lord you God are always upon you, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.” Do not pick out one day in the year, and say it was a bad day, but take all the year round. Take the year altogether—the ups and the downs, the troubles and the joys, the hills and the valleys altogether. This leads to conclude like the scriptures saying, “Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

What Have You Done?

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10

While the self-righteous makes the fatal mistake of thinking that good deeds lead to salvation, the saved can make the sad mistake of forgetting that salvation is supposed to lead to good deeds (Ephesians 2:8-10). Have you any reason to believe that ever since you were converted you have ever been the means of the salvation of a soul? Are there not many Christians now present who cannot recollect that they have been the means of the salvation of one soul during this year?
I hear the reply, "I have done nothing to save myself; for that was done for me in the eternal covenant, from before the foundation of the world. I have done nothing to make a righteousness for myself, for Christ said, "It is finished." But what have you done for him who died to save your wretched soul? What have you done for the salvation of the world? For those that are true Christians, I will leave you with your God.

God Will Lead The Way

“The Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 52:12

We shall soon launch into another year. Fear of the future and fear of the unknown still have to be faced by the believer. Perhaps we are trembling to go forward. Foreseeing trouble, we know not how we shall be able to endure. But the Christian has the remedy to such fear—a great God who knows the future and who leads the way (Acts 20:22-24; Hebrews 11:8-10). “The Lord Jehovah will go before you.” He has gone before you already. "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but his anger is against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).

Full Redemption

“For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." mark 10: 45

Most of us will spend lots of money to buy presents for others during this chrismas season; Christ came to spend His lifeblood to buy sinners back for God. Christmas means nothing without the Christ; Christmas means nothing without Easter as well.
If you are seeking Christ, what a sweet comfort it is for you, that there is “plenteous redemption.” You will most certainly be brought safely home, by Jesus’ grace. If you are not seeking Christ, then in God’s name I urge you to believe this—that Christ has died to save you.

Immediate Assistance Met!

Onfire Agape Ministries, INC. would like to inform our supporters while thanking them,that the immediate assistance that we had requested a few days ago has been resolved. Goodwin Memorial baptist Church in Harrusburg, PA; the church that enabled Kaiyaba primary school to have clean drinking water, has once again stepped up the plate to meet this urgent need. Originally the church had said that it could provide the flight ticket and the expenditure of the person taking the school supplies to Kaiyaba primary school, but not the shipping costs. But after some consideration, the church decided to raise the funds required to ship the school supplies too. Pictures of this worthy endeavor will follow later.

Going Home For Christmas

“We are not doing right this is a day of good news and we are keep it to ourselves.”
2 Kings 7:9

When you are at home on Christmas Day will tell about the good things God has done for you, or will you keep it to yourself? Many of us will be with unconverted relatives or friends over Christmas; and if your friends are not converted, wrestle with God for them; and then you will find it easy work to wrestle with them for God. Tell them the story and the good it may possibly do. Remember what Jesus told the man who had been possessed by demons after He had healed him: "Go home to you family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5: 19).

The Reason For The Season

 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

The unconverted cannot understand why Christians do not join them in their wild Christmas celebrations (1 Peter 4:3-4); those who celebrate the event without being able to give a sensible reason for doing so, are providing us with wonderful opportunities to give a reason for the hope that is within us. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepare to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

Immediate Assistance Needed!

The members of Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church in Harrisburg, PA; the Church that assisted the children of Kaiyaba Primary school in Kenya, to have clean drinking water after much suffering, have again collected alot of needed school supplies to assist the children of that school in their education. They have approached me, as the director of Onfire Agape Minstries, INC, and asked me to personally deliver these supplies to the school to ensure that they have arrived safely. They are willing to pay for my flight Ticket, plus all my expenses while in Kenya. A Kenyan returning home have an extra space in his container which we could share in shipping these at a cost of $1000. The church is not able to meet that cost of shipping, have said that if we cannot find $1000, they will have to use the supplies meant for the needy children of Kaiyaba primary school in their local missions. I do not wish to see that happening, after having personally witnessed the need that the children of Kaiyaba primary school have, during my mission trips to Kenya.The deadline as to wheather or not the supplies will be sent to Kaiyaba primary school is this saturday Noverber 22, 2012. I 'm appealing to well wishers; those who care about the education of needy children of Kaiyab primary school to send us immediate contributions to enable us to deliver these needed supplies to them.
May God Bless You as You contemplate regarding this matter.
Our contact address is: Onfire Agape Ministries P.O BOX 411 Myerstown, PA 17067. Email address onfireagape@minister.com Tele # 717-644-7852

Love

“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

If success in the world goes to our hearts it can do others much good; if it goes to our heads it can do us much harm . Some people, eager for money , have wandered from faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1Timothy 6:10).
...

“When I had a meagre purse I had an overflowing heart, and now I have an overflowing purse I have only a meagre heart,” said one woman.
It is a sad temptation for some men to get rich. They were content to go to the meeting-house and mix with the ignoble congregation, while they had but little; they have grown rich, there is a Turkey carpet in the drawing-room, they have arrangements now too splendid to permit them to invite the poor of the flock, as once they did, and Christ Jesus is not so fashionable as to allow them to introduce any religious topic when they meet with their new friends. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17).

The Inexhaustible Barrel

 “For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:16

The Christian does not need to go looking for problems—they are as fundamental to the Christian faith; but the Christian receives from God the ability to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). We shall not go to heaven sailing along with sails swelling in the breeze, like sea birds with their fair white wings, but we shall proceed with sails torn to ribbons, with masts creaking, and the ship’s pumps at work both by night and day. We shall reach the city at the shutting of the gate, but not an hour before.
Our Lord will bring us safe to the end of our pilgrimage; we will have enough strength to get us up the hill Difficulty, but only enough then by climbing on our hands and knees. You will have strength enough to fight Apollyon, but when the battle is over your arm will have no strength remaining. Your trials will be so many, that if you had only one trial more, it would be like the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. But, nevertheless, though God’s love should thus try you all the journey through, your faith will bear the trying, for while God dashes you down to the earth with one hand in providence, he will lift you up with the other in grace. 

Love's Commendation

 “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The angels are assembled; the question is proposed to them: "Man has sinned; there is no way for his pardon but by someone suffering and paying blood for blood. Who shall it be?” I can conceive that there was silence throughout the great assembly. I do not conceve ...

that one of them would have ventured to hope that God himself would assume flesh and die. I do not think it could have entered even into angelic thought to conceive that the mighty Maker of the skies should bow his awful head and sink into a grave. I cannot imagine that the brightest and most seraphic of these glorified ones would for an instant have suffered such a thought to abide with him. And when the Son of God, rising from his throne, spoke to them and said, “Principalities and powers! I will become flesh, I will veil this Godhead of mine in robes of mortal clay, I will die!” I think I see the angels for once astonished.

Man had sinned; man must suffer. Only a real, yet sinless man could take his place; God the Son alone qualified for the task (Romans 8:3).

The Perfect Sacrifice

  “Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14

The sacrifices of the Jews did not give the believing Jews peace of conscience for any length of time; they had to come again, and again, and again, because they felt that those sacrifices did not present to them a perfect justification before God. we on the other hand, are perfect; not in character, for we are still sinners; but we are perfected through the blood of Jesus Christ, so that God can allow us to have access to him as perfected creatures. We may come boldly, because being sprinkled with the blood, God does not look on us as unholy and unclean, otherwise he could not allow us to come to his mercy seat; but he looks upon us as being perfected for ever through the one sacrifice of Christ. That is one thing.
God has taken the great precaution to sprinkle you with the blood of Christ; and now, whatever he uses you for, he uses you as a perfect instrument, regarding you as being perfect in Christ Jesus. Behold, beloved, you and I are complete in Jesus. We have no need of any other sacrifice. All others we disclaim. He has perfected us for ever. We may set our conscience at ease, because we are truly, really, and everlastingly accepted in him.

 

  For meditation: Being accepted in Christ enables us to serve God acceptably.

The Blood

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Exodus 12:13

The blood of Jesus Christ is blood that has been accepted. Christ died—he was buried; but neither heaven nor earth could tell whether God had accepted the ransom. There was wanted God’s seal upon the great Magna Carta of man’s salvation, and that seal was put, in that hour when God summoned the angel, and commanded him to descend from heaven and roll away the stone. Christ was put in the prison house of the grave, as a hostage for his people. Until God had signed the warrant for acquittal of all his people, Christ must abide in the bonds of death. He did not attempt to break his prison; he did not come out illegally, by wrenching down the bars of his dungeon; he waited: he folded up the napkin, laying it by itself: he laid the grave-clothes in a separate place; he waited, waited patiently, and at last down from the skies, like the flash of a meteor, the angel descended, touched the stone and rolled it away; and when Christ came out, rising from the dead in the glory of his Father’s power, then was the seal put upon the great charter of our redemption. The blood was accepted, and sin was forgiven. And now, soul, it is not possible for God to reject you, if you come this day to him, pleading the blood of Christ. God cannot—and here we speak with reverence too—the everlasting God cannot reject a sinner who pleads the blood of Christ: for if he did so, it would be to deny himself, and to contradict all his former acts. He has accepted blood, and he will accept it.

For meditation: Are you still stuck at the point of asking “What proves the resurrection”? Or have you advanced to consider what the resurrection proves (Romans 4:25; Acts 17:31)?

The Exodus

 

“And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:41

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

It is our firm conviction and increasing belief, that the historical books of Scripture were intended to teach us spiritual things by types and figures. We believe that every portion of Scripture history is not only a faithful transcript of what did actually happen, but also a shadow of what happens spiritually in the dealings of God with his people, or in the dispensations of his grace towards the world at large. We do not look upon the historical books of Scripture as being mere rolls of history, such as profane authors might have written, but we regard them as being most true and infallible records of the past, and also most bright and glorious foreshadowings of the future, or else most wondrous metaphors and marvellous illustrations of things which are verily received among us, and most truly felt in the Christian heart. We may be wrong—we believe we are not; at any rate, the very error has given us instruction, and our mistake has afforded us comfort. We look upon the book of Exodus as being a book of types of the deliverances which God will give to his elect people; not only as a history of what he has done, in bringing them out of Egypt by smiting the first-born, leading them through the Red Sea, and guiding them through the wilderness, but also as a picture of his faithful dealings with all his people, whom by the blood of Christ he separates from the Egyptians, and by his strong and mighty hand takes out of the house of their bondage and out of the land of their slavery.
For meditation: Are you getting as much out of the Old Testament as you should? It is full of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27)! While it may be wrong and confusing to see types in every verse or action, if you major on the types which are identified and applied in the New Testament you cannot go far wrong.

Sometimes Dreams Come True

Joseph was only seventeen years old when he was sold as a slave in Egypt by his brothers, for twenty pieces of silver. During the thirteen years he was a slave, he must often have thought of how he was well loved by his beloved father Jacob,of his favourite brother Benjamin, and of the old home. But before his troubles came, he had learned to trust God; and though he was a slave, people soon begun to find out that God was with him. He was so faithful in all he did that his master proved that he could be trusted, and things went well when Joseph was looking after them. But Joseph went a step lower. He was put in prison because of a false accusation brought against him.
Joseph was a dreamer,and before he was a slave, he had dreampt that he would be a great ruler and his father and brothers would bow down before him, which greatly angered his brothers when he told them about the dreams, and they were determined to prevent his dreams from coming true. He could also interpret dreams, and during his slavery and prison time,and all those thirteen years, he must often have wondered how the dreams were to come true.
Joseph had two fellow- prisoners, and one night they each had a dream, and they did not know what the dreams signified, but Joseph was able to tell them,and their dreams soon came true. It was through his fellow-prisoner that he was at last brought before the notice of the King of Egypt. And now the fulfilment of Joseph's dreams was coming near.
The King had two dreams, and neither he nor anyone else in the palace could tell what they meant. When the King learnt that Joseph, who was still in prison, could interpret dreams, he sent to fetch Joseph out of the prison, who was very quickly brought him. The King told Joseph his dreams, and Joseph at once saw that God had sent them to him to prepare him for what was coming.
Joseph not only interpreted the dreams, but advised the King what to do to prepare for the famine signfied by the dreams. The King was so pleased with Joseph and his wisdom that he made him ruler over all the whole land, to carry out the plans which he had suggested. Everyone in Egypt was told to bow down before Joseph. But though the people of Egypt bowed down before Joseph, his father and brothers had not done so yet.
The famine was very bad in other countries, and soon the news spread that there was corn in Egypt, so that from all parts of the world the people thronged the palace and store houses of Joseph. At last Joseph saw his brothers amongst the crowd, and he knew them at once, but they did not know him, and they bowed to him like the other people from other countries who had come to buy some corn in Egypt. So his dreams at last came true.
The beautiful story of Joseph is not only very interesting in itself, but is one of the most striking and wonderful picture of the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He too was the well loved of his father: His brethren, the sons of Israel or Jacob, hated Him "without a cause." They envied Him, and at last tried to get rid of Him by nailing Him to the cross. He had left His father's house when He "took upon Him the form of a servant;" but God was with Him all the time just like Joseph. He too was sold for the price of a slave. We read in the psalm that in prison they hurt Joseph's feet with felters, but they pierced feet of the Lord Jesus with cruel nails.
Joseph had two fellow-prisoners and this reminds us that when the Lord Jesus was crucified there were two other who were evil-doers, or malefactors, one benefiting from the encounter while the other did not. The way to the throne for Joseph was through the prison house, and he had only to wait God's time. The Lord Jesus had to go to the cross first, but He will sit upon His throne. The king was so pleased with Joseph when he interpreted his dreams that he made him ruler over the land. So here again we see in Joseph a picture of the Lord Jesus, who has been exalted by God after dying for us on the cross, and like Joseph, " given a name which is above every other name, and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow"
Today Jesus is the only one who can feed our souls, and satisfy all hungry hearts. When we come to God to tell Him that we long for peace, He tells us to go to the Lord Jesus who opens all His storehouses as Joseph did, and gives us as much as we can carry (Genesis 44: 1).