“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)

In Mark 10:18, Jesus is responding to a man who called him “good teacher” and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ response is a reminder that only God is truly good and that eternal life can only be attained through following God’s commands. He is not calling himself as good but emphasizing that the goodness come from God alone.

1. A man called Jesus a “good teacher” and asked about inheriting eternal life.
2. Jesus replied that only God is truly good.
3. He emphasized that eternal life can only be attained by following God’s commands.
4. Jesus is not calling himself good but emphasizing that goodness come from God alone.
5. The passage is a reminder that no one can attain eternal life or goodness on their own, but it comes through following God’s teachings.

Tuendelee kuongea…

Yahweh

This is a beautiful, deep song.

Tuendelee kuongea…

“Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)

I. Introduction
In the Bible, the book of Mark chapter 8 verse 29, Jesus poses the question “Who do you say that I am?” to his disciples. This question is significant because it is a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry where he is seeking to confirm the understanding of his identity among his followers.

II. The response of Peter
The disciple Peter responds to Jesus’ question by saying “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29), acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah. This statement by Peter is significant because it is the first time in the New Testament that Jesus is publicly acknowledged as the Messiah.

III. The significance of the Messiah
In Jewish tradition, the Messiah is the anointed one, chosen by God to bring salvation to the people. For Peter and the other disciples to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah means that they believe him to be the savior sent by God.

IV. The reaction of Jesus
After Peter’s declaration, Jesus tells his disciples to tell no one about his identity. This is likely because the concept of a suffering Messiah was not a popular belief at the time, and Jesus did not want to be prematurely arrested.

V. Conclusion
The question “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter’s response “You are the Christ” is a significant moment in Jesus’ ministry, in which his identity as the Messiah is publicly acknowledged for the first time. This acknowledgement has far-reaching implications for the understanding of Jesus’ mission and purpose.

Tuendelee kuongea…

“Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27)

The question “Who do people say that I am?” is a significant moment in the gospel of Mark as it serves as a turning point in the narrative. It is not only a question Jesus asked to his disciples, but also a question that every person can ask themselves. It forces us to reflect on who we believe Jesus to be and what that means for our own beliefs and actions.

The disciples respond by listing various opinions of Jesus, which are circulating in society at the time, such as John the Baptist or one of the prophets. This serves to highlight the different perspectives that people have of Jesus, and how these perspectives can vary greatly.

The question “But who do you say that I am?” that Jesus asks his disciples directly, is a personal and profound question that goes beyond the public opinion. It is a question that challenges us to examine our own beliefs and relationship with Jesus, rather than relying solely on what others say about him.

This question is significant because it highlights the growing understanding and belief of Jesus’ identity among his disciples, as well as the process of personal discovery and realization that happens when someone comes to know Jesus as the Christ. It also highlights the importance of personal relationship with Jesus and not just knowing about him.

Ultimately, the question “Who do people say that I am?” is not just a historical question, but one that continues to be relevant today as we all seek to understand who Jesus is and what his teachings mean for us. It is a question that invites us to go deeper in our own faith journey and to build a personal relationship with Jesus. It is a question that can change our lives forever.

Tuendelee kuongea…

Questions Jesus asked

So one day I was in church and the sermon, can’t remember by who, was about one of the many questions Jesus asked his disciples. I can’t even remember the question in question (see what I did there?} But the preacher said that it would be interesting to do a study on all the questions Jesus asked in the gospels.

I just let it slide, but it stayed at the back of my mind. Until this week. I started playing around with ChatGPT and decided to use it to do the research.

My first question was how many questions did Jesus ask. At this point I’ll just copy paste the responses I got.

How many questions did Jesus ask in the gospels?

According to my research, Jesus asks a total of 113 questions in the four gospels of the New Testament. This includes both questions that Jesus asks of others and questions that are directed towards him. Many of these questions are designed to challenge the thinking of those around him, to reveal deeper truths, or to encourage contemplation and reflection.

The ones Jesus asked of others

• “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27)
  
• “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)
  
• “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)
  
• “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)
  
• “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)
  
• “What are you looking for?” (John 1:38)
  
• “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35)
  
• “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6)
  
• “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35)
  
• “Why do you question this in your hearts?” (Luke 5:22)
  
• “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)
  
• “Do you not yet understand?” (Matthew 15:16)
  
• “Why are you afraid?” (Matthew 8:26)
  
• “Do you not see or understand?” (Mark 8:17)
  
• “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)
  
• “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
  
• “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6)
  
• “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67)
  
• “Why do you not understand what I say?” (John 8:43)
  
• “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:10)

And it did this in seconds.

In the next few posts, I’ll use ChatGPT to chambua (elaborately examine) each of these questions. I’m not about to get into arguments over whether these are the only questions or if there were more. I must tell you however, that when I tried this yesterday, the questions were 19 and today they are 20.

Tuendelee kuongea…

ChatGPT

Over the last few days I wondered what was all the fuss about this thing all over the internet and decided to find out for myself what’s the big deal about it. Wah! Let me tell you Maina…

I don’t think life will be the same again.

I won’t embark here in teaching you what it is or how to start. But I am going to be using ChatGPT to create a few of the next few posts and most of the research will be from it.

Tuendelee kuongea…

New normal

I don’t like new normals that are imposed on me. I would much rather a new normal that I have created. Like, “Hey guys, tomorrow we’re going on a road trip”. Everything is in my control. Costs are within budget, timings are relatively in my control, routes etc. Then I’ve made contingency plans for any eventuality. I suppose then that’s not a very new normal. It’s something you ease into sometimes at your pace.

But life is not like that. Many people’s lives are characterized by crazy curve balls. A health challenge here, business deal gone bad there, a long relationship suddenly seems to hang in the balance, death of a loved one. Change is inevitable. We’re used to hearing it but no matter how many times we hear it, or even say it to people going through it, it doesn’t get easier to deal with when it’s our turn. Suddenly today is unrecognizable compared with yesterday.

Covid-19, a word that 15 months ago was almost completely unknown is probably one of the most discussed topics of last year and will continue to be. Actually it’s a whole family of words; pandemic, social distancing, quarantine, lockdown, vaccine. I’m sure you can think of many others.

A new normal that is characterized by uncertainty, loss of control is a lot harder to deal with. If tomorrow you won a lottery and suddenly you get new hobbies, new toys, new travel patterns (well, assuming, pandemic protocols), new wardrobe, new zip code etc. This is an easier new normal to get used to.

As I was thinking about this post, it occurred to me that this could easily be the last post I ever write! Like kidogo you hear for the next two weeks your friends discussing,

“You haven’t heard about Danzo?…”

Ok to be honest this freaked me out a bit. But you know what? The last year and a bit has taught all of us that it can happen. We’re living in interesting, unprecedented times.

So this is why you’re seeing a new post after more than two or three years. All this time I’ve had a post in my head. Complete with the title. “Caleb” I called it. But my procrastination challenge has not improved. If anything, I think it’s getting worse. There was a time, maybe five years ago that I actually sat down and wrote a very significant portion of that post but to this day I have no idea what happened to the draft and I completely lost it. And with it any desire I had left to ever continue with this blog. You never know, “Caleb” could still happen. It could be the next post I publish.

So maybe at this point you’ve been wondering when the wisdom will begin pouring out after such a good introduction. You’ll be disappointed. Get used to it. Let it be your new normal. Sometimes this blog will frustrate you. You’ll come here hungry and expecting a buffet only to find one crisp, a pringle, garnished with a small inedible plastic leaf.

Tuendelee kuongea…

Are Kenyan female gospel musicians more serious?

I know it has been a while since I last posted. I have no excuse.

This is just a thought. I love the music of Kambua, Mercy Masika, Angel Benard, Size 8 (when she doesn’t collaborate with folks like Willy Paul), the list seems endless. Male artists like Jimmy Gait, Willy Paul who come up with words like Furi furi, Sari Sari and all manner of idiotic phrases, aiii! I suppose maybe I’m not their target audience (I’m being generous here assuming they have one). Nyashinski has amazed me with Mungu Pekee. Sauti Sol impressed me with Kuliko Jana.These songs are more ‘gospel’ to me than anything I’ve heard from other male artists.

Today I’ll share a video from Kambua. The quality of the vocals, doctrinal soundness of the lyrics, video clarity wah! Amazing.

What do you think?

Tuendelee kuongea

Andraé Crouch

The music world has lost a legend. Gospel singer and songwriter Andraé Crouch died Thursday after being admitted to the hospital last weekend following a heart attack.

He was 72 and had earned the title “father of gospel music”.

here is an excellent article about him then watch probably the most popular song he ever did, “Soon and Very Soon”. He is singing with Cece Winans among many others.

Tuendelee kuongea

Happy new year! Jubilee Ride updates

Day 16. 27th December 2013. Johannesburg to Nottingham Road via Newcastle. 521kms

This day was bittersweet. My wife was to leave Johannesburg and fly back to Nairobi (the bitter part) and the ride towards Cape Town would resume. I enjoyed and thank God so much for the time he allowed us to spend together (the sweet part). Since the day we all arrived in Johannesburg, so many things had happened. Moses had headed out to Cape Town via Durban the next day.  Mbeche’s wife could not arrive on 25th as we’d hoped so he flew back to Nairobi planning to fly back in with her around 3rd January. John and his wife spent time with family and left for Durban through Swaziland. Mburu and his wife rode (on their bike) off to Durban together with Mwongela and his wife (in a hired car). So on this day it was going to be just Nick and myself. Nick’s wife Jush was also leaving Johannesburg for Nairobi together with my wife.

We had a good ride and when we stopped for breakfast at Heidelberg we got advice on how we could use a more scenic route and also avoid tolls. This is how we ended up using the Newcastle route. It was awesome.

This country has a lot of beautiful landscapes and great roads. We passed through Ladysmith (the home of the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo singers) and got to Nottingham Road around 6pm. One of the support vehicles had arrived and had found accommodation for us. The other support vehicle arrived later and now had Wangui and Nzisa (ride doctor) who had arrived earlier from Nairobi. Nottingham Road is an expensive town and is a beautiful retirement sort of place. Rich older people have settled here and many have guesthouses they operate. Though expensive, the quality is very good. That evening before we slept, Nick got an email from a guy in Port Elizabeth called Kevin who said he had been following what we’re up to and would be glad to meet us when we get there and would organise for us to meet some Kenyans living there. We called him and promised to get in touch on arrival.

Day 17. 28th December 2013. Nottingham Road to Butterworth. 536kms.

Nick had also been in touch with Mburu and the others who had left before us. These guys really had issues in Durban. There was no accommodation anywhere in Durban and they ended up sleeping in Mwongela’s car. Mburu had problems and had to replace his tyres. They had also met with a leader of the Christian Motorcycle Association there and wanted Nick to go meet him. We then decided to split up. Nick would go to via Pietermaritzberg to Durban then East London while I and the support team would go to East London directly.

So now it was just one bike and the two support vehicles. 10 kms into our journey we found the spot where Nelson Mandela was captured. It was a great stop. SA really treasures Mandela. There is a small museum at the spot and a wonderful optical illusion sculpture.

This might not look like anything, but move back and look at it again from the right angle and you get this

Please tell me you can see Mandela’s face in the sculpture. Made me think. A lot of times we see our lives as just a mass of illogical and unrelated events, but step back and see the big picture and you’re totally blown away when you see what God, the master sculptor has been up to. Wow!

This day ended up being Mandela day for us since we also passed Qunu, pronounced Q(click)unu (!) the village with his home and and where he was buried barely two weeks before. When we got to his house, it was guarded by very friendly cops who politely told us we could not go in since it was private property but they we could take pictures from across the road.

As you can see, I’m in my rain gear. It was a rainy and very windy day but in the background you can see Mandela’s house. In this picture, the focus is me and my bike (!) But if you look at what’s really important you’ll see the home of a real African legend, hero and global icon. So in this picture and in life, perspective is everything.

So when we got to a town called Idutywa we tried to get accommodation but it was so difficult because there was some major event at the town (kinda like the story of the birth of Jesus eh? No room at the inn? …) so we went about 30kms further to Butterworth which was even worse. At least in Idutywa there were a few rooms. Here there was not a single one. We had dinner and we had to make a decision, either go back to Idutywa and make do with what we had got or head further out towards East London. We chose the latter and barely 5kms later we found a beautiful place called Nzovuyo Lodge. Yet another spiritual lesson. Sometimes we get discouraged and wanna go back to where we know and are comfortable with, but if you take just a few steps into the unknown you find wonderful things God had in store for you. All it takes is a few little steps of faith.

Day 18. 29th December 2013. Butterworth to Port Elizabeth via East London and Port Alfred. About 390kms

This was a very cold, drizzly and foggy morning. Visibility was so bad I chose to drive in between the two vehicles till I could see more. It was a relatively short ride given what we were now used to. To put it in perspective, it’s like for the last few days I wake up every morning and ride from Nairobi to Mombasa and shine days even Malindi.

It was great to enter East London. We were reunited with Mburu, Mwongela, John and their wives and also with Nick. We left for Port Elizabeth after lunch but Mwongela and his wife were left there. Their plan was to drive to Cape Town the following day.

Entering Port Elizabeth was awesome

We hooked up with Kevin. A very very kind guy. It’s like God had an angel for every portion of our trip. Kevin was our Port Elizabeth angel!

Stop press: let me post this then I’ll try do more later

Tuendelee kuongea