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Kenya UBF
January 31, 2014

To Raise Qualified Spiritual Leaders

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” (Titus 2:7-8)

Part 1. God Raised Ezra’s of Today (2013)

Last year, UBF Kenya chose Ezra 7:10 as our spiritual direction. "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel." As the number of our ministry grew, we prayed to pay more attention to raise excellent bible teachers like Ezra. We prayed for fellowship leaders to grow as independent Bible teachers among us.

At the beginning of the year, we studied entire book of Ezra in three lectures. After we finished the book of Ezra, we study about the blessings of Tithe from Malachi. We learned that Tithing is not about money, but about experiencing God lively in our practical life. More graduate leaders joined voluntary tithe faithfully.

From February, we studied Matthew’s gospel. At the same time, fellowship leaders began preaching Sunday messages in turn. They studied their passages at least two weeks earlier, and prepared message and did rehearsal. Though some failed to do once or twice, God helped them grow as independent messengers of God’s word. At the same time, every Sunday, all members gathered in teams and wrote Bible testimonies based on the Sunday passage and shared together. Since students were always busy, this program helped them meditate God’s word faithfully and grow in the power of the word of God.

Through this, God did a new thing for East Bible Conference. Since the messengers were first time to prepare the message, they spent every Friday night praying, repenting and meditating God’s word for several weeks. Senior fellowship leaders and M. Moses supported them in prayer and in rehearsal. God blessed their spiritual humility before God. Their messages had a one clear point and were full of repentant spirit. Owning to this, 36 freshmen attendants were dedicated their personal testimony writing and sharing. Due to time limits, some of them shared after the conference.

Owning to the might work of God’s word, among those who attended the conference, about 25 freshmen volunteered to dedicate their heart to write their life testimony and review their life before God. We provided a spiritual environment for them to gather together and meditate on their life before God, and 12 freshmen finally finished and shared their testimonies in our leader’s meeting. Their turning point was so clear and graceful to witness how Jesus changed their lives from sinful life to God’s centered life. Through this, God blessed them also to be remnants of our ministry throughout the year.

When we approached second half of the year, we were supposed to invite and serve another freshmen year. But due to the change of academic schedule, we could not do so. Eventually, it seemed we had not much things to do instead. And there was a danger that we all gradually fell into a spiritual stand-still. We observed that some of our members were also drifted to the peer-pressure in the campus, and some also involved in relationship rumors. After much prayer, our senior leadership took a spiritual direction to have an impromptu Spiritual revival weekend conference utilizing public holidays that came on October.

We chose to study 1Kings 18 and Mark 8:27-34 as main lectures under the title: “Remove Baal, Follow Jesus.” Two fellowship leaders served each message, and the other two fellowship leaders served representative testimonies for each message. Both messengers and testimony speakers proved that they had grown as independent excellent Bible teachers among us. Through their messages and testimonies, most of attendants were deeply touched to repent their luke-warm life and renewed their spiritual commitment to Jesus.

In this way, God raised many Bible teachers among us. When we focused on raising excellent bible teachers like Ezra, God blessed us that our fellowship leaders grew as independent messengers. Our graduate leaders also were raised as main speakers in the conference. Our student leaders grew in faith and commitment to the word of God through faithful deep bible study internalizing them to heart and obey them.

We thank God for his work among our missionaries too. Moses & Iris family moved from Sudan and joined us from the beginning of the year. It was not easy for them settle down with new ministry environment and new self-supporting job. But with great humility and co-working heart, they served us as one of their families, and created friendly environment with young student members especially through dancing practices. M. Livingstone made a great spiritual progress in self-supporting and in managing his family, and due to his spiritual struggle, revival fellowship doubled its members. M. Joshua grew in shepherd’s heart through helping a graduate shepherd’s sin problem. He not only taught him the word of God, but also cried for him and fasted for him to overcome sin problem. Women missionaries created a holy vessel through prayer meetings with mothers of prayer in house churches, and raised many sisters in our ministry, and now our sisters are outnumbered in the ministry.

Part 2. To Raise Qualified Leaders (Titus 2:7-8)

In 2013, the most shocking things happened. During EBC2013 conference, two main speakers preached such a powerful repentant message. Afterward, they backslide to sin and eventually one of them stopped fellowshipping with us. It was the most painful experience. Moreover, God revealed that one of our fellowship leaders lived a double life between two wives. It gave us a great pain and spiritual challenge. This is also a reason to take this spiritual direction for the year 2014. In this year, we want to grow as both spiritually and humanly qualified leaders from God’s point of view based on Titus 2:7-8. “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

Personally, my year key verse for 2013 was Ezra 10:1, "While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites -- men, women and children -- gathered around him. They too wept bitterly." My personal desire was to devote myself to teach the Bible as well as to devote myself to 'throwing down prayer' for God’s flock. I was supposed to throw myself down to pray for the one who left us without solving his heavy burden of sin. I was to throw myself down crying for the restoration of the leader who lived a double life between two wives. As nearing the end of the year, however, I gave up my heart to pray for their restoration, but spent time to watch TV and relaxing instead. I felt I was not worthy and far from being qualified to be a leader. As I was searching for new year key verse, God gave me Titus 2:7-8. Even though the ministry seems to have made spiritual progress outwardly, I felt greatly ashamed that I did not make spiritual growth especially raising qualified leaders. Out of repentant heart, I took this key verse and praying for God’s mercy to make a spiritual progress this year by raising qualified leaders for this corrupt generation.

This year, we want to continue strengthening Bible studies and meditating and obeying them through deep bible study and testimony writing. During January, we want to study Titus. Afterwards, we want to study Genesis to lay the foundation of life of faith, and the book of Revelations to prepare our hearts and to live for the second coming of Jesus in a biblical truth.

Prayer topics:

1. For leaders to grow as qualified leaders from God’s point of view
2. To establish 20 house churches by 2020
3. For the deep bible study of Titus, Genesis and Revelations

One word: To raise qualified leaders!