SPECIAL EDITION ...⚽ and our 🚶 of FAITH

We interrupt the regular posts for this special edition, based on World Cup 2018 events.
As I sat watching the 90 minutes matches (yeah I watched a couple of them 😉) I had ideas flowing through my mind.
I did share my thoughts randomly, thanks to WhatsApp Status 😊
Then during the final match, France and Croatia 😅😅 I shared so much yet I was left feeling like I have so much to say, lessons to draw from the events, particularly the Finals and the only way I could let it all out was.... You guessed it right... Through a blog post..

.... Here we go
I'm pretty much using the World Cup events as an analogy for our Christian Life.

ZEAL

Let it be understood..(wacha kieleweke 😁, you just gotta love Kenyan sayings ) ... Before World Cup 2018, I wouldn't say that there's been a time I was so zealous and passionate for football. I would occasionally grab a newspaper, scan through football updates at the back.. Struggle to watch a whole 90 minutes match. I knew a few football players ; Wanyama, David Beckham, Ronaldo,... My memory is failing me big time... Oh! How could I forget coach Arsene Wenger 😊 That should tell you, I was a low-key Arsenal fan (priiis, don't judge me 😅).
So yes, I knew a bit of this and that about football, but I never really loved the game. I wasn't a real fan. I was an occasional watcher.
But come 2018! Whew! 💡 My passion for football was something else!
I would attribute it to the fact that, my two baby brothers (and one of them happens to be a football player 😊) hyped for the whole World Cup thing.. So I would occasionally get "Which countries are you supporting? "
Yoh ! Argentina was what came to mind.. And they were all like "Hiyo itatolewa mbio 😁"
Explains why I had to have a fall back team (s) .. And that's how I ended up knowing the countries that would be competing.. I made my selection.. The zeal was building up so quick 💯

So many of us have been and are still onlookers, scanners, skimmers in God's Kingdom.. We like spying Christianity.. We know a few verses to help in claiming for our blessings from God.. We go to church occasionally, fellowships are a once in a blue moon events.
It's enough to scroll up and down the screens for a "Scripture of the Day", Message of hope for you Today, Prayers for tough times... etc
We never seem to have time to nurture a relationship with Christ. Could be total ignorance or lack of zeal.. We are dealing with the latter. 

Isaiah 39: 13 ~These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Just like I got curious about the World Cup events, we need to get curious about what the Bible holds for us. 

Romans 10:17 ~ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You may have been a spectator but there's an invitation for you to know Christ personally and become His own.
Those he called the sons of God.
Read the Word. Pray. Commune with fellow believers. Watch the zeal grow. 💡

REMEMBER THE VISION

Every country was definitely eyeing the pure gold cup worth billions of dollars 💵
But we all know that only one country, the winning country would take it home.
The country that remained focused on the end prize and what took them to Russia to begin with.
France stuck to the vision they had on day one. They won it. 

We are called to enjoy Eternity with Christ.
What's your vision of the Christian Faith? 

At the end of life, where would you rather be? On the loosing or winning side? 

Fight for that vision, like a true warrior.. Sweat, blood and all.. Like your life depends on it.. Because it does depend on it!

Habakkuk 2:2 ~ And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, 

Philippians 3:14 ~ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

STAY WOKE - KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

I cannot over emphasise this 👆
Weh! Lemme tell y'all...
Every time this 19 year old guy, Mbappe, got a hold of the ball 🙆🙆 ...I knew that something, a goal, was cooking... His swiftness, chenga-chengaing his opponents, accuracy... Kwanza this one time he scored a goal, so quick then the goalkeeper unbelievably lay flat, head facing up 😢
You call him young, tiny or whatever else..  But he got moves like Jagger 👌
During those moments, my hands were up over my head, all I kept saying was no! no! no! no! no! Covering my eyes, but still peeping through the spaces in between my fingers 😂😂😂

Our fight as Christians isn't against flesh and blood but against principalities.
We need to stay woke, with the full armour on.

Ephesians 6:10-18 ~ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God,so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms
The devil is out looking for someone to hold captive because he's focused on destroying us, the vision and plans His has for us. 

1 Peter 5:8 ~ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

WHY SUBSTITUTION EXISTS

Based on the extensive training that each player goes through, it is safe to say that they can play for a whole 90 minutes to with a half time, without needing to be substituted.
As we all know, during a match, injuries are inevitable. Upon injury, the player has to be substituted because the match won't end just because one player was injured.
Substitution brings relief, it brings on board new energy for the remaining part of the game. 

As a Christian, there are so uncountable days when we have done the Bible studies, worship sessions, all in a one man show.
There's nothing wrong with doing it all by yourself.
But there comes a time when you are overwhelmed by the pressures and events in life.
A time when you are injured and just craving a halftime that doesn't seem like it is coming up soon.
Just like the super trained players sit on the benches awaiting to step in for  wounded players, there are Christians in your life who are well trained and who are ready to step in and up when life overwhelms you.

Ephesians 5: 19 ~ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Don't die trying, especially if stems from the point of pride and wanting to keep a certain self image.
Ask for help when you need it.
Confess one to another.
James 5:16 ~  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

••Celebrate each others wins, successes. 

Don't allow jealousy and comparison to creep in your hearts.

•• Desire to do better and be better next time. There's always room for improvement. 

Remember : you should only compete to be a better person than you were yesterday. 

Those are the things that stood out for me and that I would liken to our walk of Faith 🚶 

I loved how the heavens opened up and there were showers of blessings ☔ for some minutes. I consider football as an undeniable unifying factor.

⚽⚽⚽ 2022 will be 👌

💕 💕