The Lord of the Sabbath

I am Valentine, and I love the Lord.

I was born in an SDA family, a family that dearly loves and adores the Lord. We treasured sabbath days, looking forward to them as a watchman, the break of light. We tried as much as possible to keep the day holy by not working and reserving it all to the Lord. Sabbaths have always been interesting and intimate. Not only do you meet the Lord on this beautiful day, but also friends you haven’t met the entire week due to the busy school schedule… but to me, this eventually became more of a routine. If my parents wanted me to go to church, I would go. But if they would not, then I would enjoy some good Saturday morning cartoons. But the latter never happened! Not on their watch! My parents tried their level best to bring me to Christ, as was expected. But might it be that I never met the Lord? That I never had something to testify about Him? Paul, on the way to Damascus, met Jesus, and he then says I speak of that which I have seen. And other apostles gave their witnesses.

John 3:11 NKJV

11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

Or might it be that I am getting partial truth in church to know Jesus fully? Pump me with knowledge about Jesus, something new, something exciting.. I have heard how Elijah killed the prophets of Baal several times in church, how John the Baptist preached repentance.. clearing way in the wilderness for Christ, sometimes the sermons are too common that we think Jesus is. Shock on you. This testimony is not aimed at demeaning my church, by all means I love our singing, our preaching.. but something is missing. Demonstration of power.

1 Corinthians 4:20 NKJV

20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

I have always heard of tongues. This is where my testimony begins. The Sunday goers (a reference to those attending church on Sunday) spoke tongues “shikaraba “ and we thought.. what is that! My church knew those are not tongues! We have been taught how to identify tongues! I mean… are you Kikuyu? Yes. Have you gone to Luhya land to spread the gospel? Yes.. is Luhya the only language they understand? Yes. Did you out of nowhere speak Luhya? Yes. Those are tongues. That which you spoke, which you witnessed.. those are tongues and we ran with that narrative till this day, as the present truth. Allow we to shock you? Can a whole religion be wrong ? Yes it can, if that was impossible Christ would never have been hanged on a tree.

Matthew 22:15 NKJV

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.

During my university days, I rested so much, never attended sabbath except when I was home, my Damascus moment had not yet arrived. Business was as usual… years after campus I met the Lord. And I started walking in a Christ motivated path, it is at this point that I started seeking for more.. more revelation, more wisdom more knowledge. I remember we formed a prayer group and would go to church to pray thrice a week, it was during those times that I started asking questions like why is there no Holy Spirit here? Why are we not speaking in tongues and tge question of what do you term tongues are.. could emerge every now and then, I expressed my desire to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit which I believe are not present in the church, not because God isn’t present but because we believe he doesn’t operate in that sense anymore. Talk of statutes and limitations. This is why i believe the HS is not in the church. We have limited Him to the writings in the Bible and a beautiful song we sing every sabbath. May the spirit of the Lord come down. Yes He does come, actually He is always present but works within the confines of our limitations.

Psalm 2:8 NKJV

8 Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.