A. THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
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SPROUTING OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
A question lingering in your mind as you are reading this probably would be: “So did you share your experience with Martie and what was her reaction to it?” My answer to that simply is: “No, I did not.” You see my experience was something that had happened deep within, it was not out in the open as when someone responds to an altar call in church, going forward before the eyes of family and friends. When that happens and your dear ones are present, they would be all excited and congratulate you, slapping you on the back. They may have tears running down their cheeks and you would immediately almost be forced to speak about that which had just happened to you. The ice would then have been broken and the way opened for you to go out into the world and testify to your newly found salvation. But in my case, my new life in Christ was like a tender little plant sprouting forth and breaking through the surface into this unknown world, unassisted by the hand of man. It was a very personal experience and I had no urge to verbalise it.
However, the evidence of it became apparent in my life in many different ways. Somebody once said that Kikuyu grass is such a strong grower that it would even break through the edges of a tarred road. Now that is how it was with me: I just could not hide this new life that was growing within me. It was like Kikuyu boosted by handful’s of superphosphate and daily showers. What is especially still so very vivid in my mind, is the exceeding thirst I had for the Word of God. I read it in the morning; I read it in the evening. During lunch time at work, I closed my door and read it some more. I devoured it. I could identify with the psalmist that said it was as honey to his palate (Ps 119:103). I underlined all the verses that spoke to my heart. I always had a pocket Bible with me and even when we would go away fishing for the weekend, I would have it with me and read it, and read it, and never get sufficient of it. The Old Testament stories and the stories recorded in the Gospels, had a special appeal and it is the same up to this very day. I love to read, not only of what people said, but especially of what they did. I love to read how God dealt with people, seeing Him at work in their lives.
DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE CHURCH
I am, however, sorry to say that I did not derive the same satisfaction by interacting with the church at large at that time. Prior to my salvation, we had not been to a church meeting for at least a year, since it did not appeal to us. Now suddenly there was this urge within me to get back into a meeting and listen to the Word being preached. I took Martie along with me, chose the nearest congregation of the denomination of which I had been a member up to that time. It was an evening meeting. The minister announced that they would be having a function to raise funds for the church and that everybody would be welcome and all were encouraged to join in to bake cakes which would then be sold on a certain day.
I was in the clouds for here now was my opportunity to do something practical to give vent to this joy that was within me, and so Martie and I remained behind after the meeting together with the members of the church that were like-minded. We of course did not know any of them because we were not members of that congregation. Great was my disappointment when they took no notice of us at all, sort of just looking us over, wondering what on earth we wanted. Nobody came to us to invite us to join them. We almost felt like gate- crashers breaking into a sacred party. After a while we just turned around and made our way home. Yes, we really were disappointed, but not in God. I came to realise that they did not share this burning enthusiasm for the Lord. To them this was simply another item on the church’s agenda; a social thing to do together; a good thing that would also create funds. They were not doing it to bring joy to the King of Kings.
DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD!
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