By Odon Bulamba
Welcome to all of you. God being our God is the One who gives us
everything. If I’m breathing, it is a gift from God. if I’m walking, I must remember it is a gift
from God. Being a very good God who
loves us, He did not stop Himself from only providing life but went further by
giving to us His son, Jesus. Although
many of us are happy because we are able to talk, eat, have good health but for
God, that is not enough, we have to remember the other gift which is the most
important gift: Jesus.
When I was young, I used to play soccer and
I was very good. My presence on the
field used to make the opponent team to shake before we even played. What made me so good was that I would go next
to the opponent and tell him you look ugly and they would be angry and then
they couldn’t play. I used to provocate
them and I would juggle with the ball and laugh at them.
But one time, my mum told me that your
mouth has no fees, we can talk without paying.
If you were charged every time you spoke, how often would you speak per
day? I’m sure most of us will be
speechless. My mum used to tell me, you
were given a mouth not to abuse others but to encourage others and remember
that you did nothing to be a good soccer player, thank God for that gift.
We sometimes compare ourselves to
others. How often do you thank God for
what you have and what you are? We very
often forget.
In our daily lives, we very often forget
about Jesus. It’s rare to talk about Jesus
for most people. Women can talk about
their hair and make-up but can easily forget about Jesus. Men can talk about rugby, fishing but when
it’s about Jesus, we become speechless.
We use our words to talk about many other things than Jesus.
Mathew 24:14, this gospel of the Kingdom
will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the
end will come.
This was a big assignment that was not given
to the angels or the elders but to preach the gospel was given to you and
me. We must take the gospel all over the
world and then after completing that task, the end will come. Do you take the gospel around? If yes, when was the last time? If not, what are you waiting for?
When I wake up in the morning, I very often
tell myself I need to lose weight, summer is coming. I have a little boy Levi who will hit my
tummy and say, “fatty”. Sometimes I feel shy if people are there because in my
heart, I think if a child of 6 years can mock me, shame on me. I go to the gym determined to get rid of my
fat but after a few minutes, I’m on treadmill and I’m tired. I go home.
Once home, I don’t discipline myself, I eat all the junk food. After two days later, the boy will mock me
again. When it’s time to put on my
shirt, I must choose the size that will fit me.
Some won’t fit my stomach and no matter how much I try to make it fit,
it won’t.
The shirt will tell me, I’m the right size,
you are not the right size. What is your
right size for Jesus? Jesus was born for
you and me and we were told to take the gospel everywhere and inform the world
that He is our Saviour but when He tries to fit in our life, He doesn’t fit
anymore because we are fat with sin.
When we start the marathon of Jesus, we are tired and we quit because Jesus
didn’t give us what we were expecting.
We prefer to hold onto the relationship of the world.
Luke 2, the day that Jesus was born the
angels were singing and the angels started to tell people, “Shepherds, the Messiah
is born”. The star came up and the wise
men saw it and they informed Herod, a child is born. The news to share gospel started the day Jesus
was born.
Luke 2:22, the shepherd spread the
news. What do you spread in your life,
what kind of news do you spread? You
have been saved for many years, have you ever taken that news of knowing the Saviour,
the free gift of God to others?
When a child is born in a family we inform
others. I remember when Leah was born, we all got the news, like fire in the
bush, “Ange has a girl”. We have a free
gift from God, why don’t we share it? When
Leah or Rebekah or Anna were born, they were just babies. Look at Anna now, she is taller than me. She grows like a palm tree while I’m like a
potato plant. As she grows, we don’t
know when is growing, we can’t see it and then suddenly, she is taller than
me. It’s not a matter of age to be tall
but a gift from God.
Now it’s a responsibility of these girls to
use these gifts. Netball would be good
for Anna because she is tall but I’m too short.
My gifts do not allow me to play netball. Anna can reach the hoop but I will need to be
lifted up. That doesn’t mean that
because my size is small I shouldn’t perform but I should look for something
that matches who I am to play in society.
In the Kingdom of God, you can’t blame your
small faith, you can’t blame the fact that you are not an evangelist or
preacher to share the gospel, no, it doesn’t work like that, use what you have
because after this life is a better life and the source of that life is Jesus.
I was born on a Friday at 10am. My mum used to tell me, “When you were born,
you didn’t have any hair on your head” but all my sisters were born with a lot
of hair. I was the ugliest looking baby
of my family, my mum used to tell me that she was ashamed to look at me. Even my dad would wonder if he was my
dad. The more I was growing, my
appearance changed. To see if there are
changes, you must be close to observe.
If today we call someone who hasn’t been
here for ten years and ask them which one of these children is Leah, they won’t
know who she is because they haven’t seen her for many years. If you go for a long time without seeing a
baby, you won’t recognise them. The same
with Jesus, when you first see his beautiful face, you know Him but if you
depart from Him for some time, you may end up not knowing Him anymore and He
will look like a stranger to you.
When you look at the Word of God everyday
as a mirror for your life, and you remember you have to prepare your place in
heaven.
About 6 months ago, I went to the gym and I
collapsed and I went to the hospital. I
could see everyone was in fear but I wasn’t.
Everyone was shaking even the person who was training me couldn’t
breathe properly but I wasn’t afraid. My
blood pressure was low. The ambulance
took me to the hospital but I wasn’t afraid because I had no pain but those
looking at me could see death on my face.
After some time in emergency, I was allowed
to go home. When you go away from Jesus
and you push Him far, you are like someone who is dying but you don’t notice
it. Others notice it but you believe you
are not afraid and others see the danger but you say, “I’m ok”.
The doctor was asking me, “Have you had
this and that in your family, have you had problem with lungs?” I wouldn’t know because my parents don’t
share with me because they believe you shouldn’t frighten your children. The doctor kept asking about the different
types of sickness in my family.
Today, God is asking you about spreading
the gospel of Jesus, do you spread it to your family? My next birthday, I know when it is
coming. Do you know when your birthday
is? We all know our birthday and our
age.
In life you will see someone who comes from
nowhere and God makes them to go up and up.
Don’t be surprised if yesterday you didn’t have $10 but tomorrow you
have the solution to help the world’s financial problems.
Jesus was born for you 2000 years ago for
you and accepting Him to be born in your life will make you to step from one
place to another.
90% of my trips overseas I pay
nothing. For example, I am offered to
preach in China and the church will book my flight and accommodation. Today I was not supposed to be here because 4
different churches wanted me to be there to talk about the day that Jesus was
born, to spread the news.
“Merry Christmas”, we say that when we
meet. Behind that Merry Christmas, Jesus
was born. Let’s declare it, “Merry Christmas,
Jesus was born for you”. The more we remember
our God, the more we will be proud of Him.
Your God is the One who looks after you and all you have is from God.
When my father passed away, I was 10 years
old. My father was dead and although he
was tall, handsome with a lot of money, his body lied down. Look how capable is our God, He can separate
you from your life and this world and once taken, your family will prepare the
funeral and find a piece of land to get rid of the body. If He continues to give you all that you have
now, you should be grateful. If He gives
His Son Jesus, we should be more grateful because all who receive Jesus will
not perish.
Bring all your burdens and problems and
challenges to Jesus, He is the answer and if you don’t want to give your life
to God, then one day God will ask you, “Did you spread the message, did you tell
the world, I am the saviour?” Life is
short, we should enjoy it and the best enjoyment is to be a part of the body of
Jesus. Tell Jesus, take control of my
life and then you will discover the best father and friend ever.
Christmas is a great day where we see
santas and children receiving gifts and trees and decorations which is good for
our eyes but in God’s eyes, what does He see in us, what decoration do you have
in your heart? What we see outside is
good for our bodies, what does God see in our hearts that is good for Him?
Happy New Year and happy Christmas,
celebrate in peace and may He be with us.
Things that did not work in 2018, may God change them into positive work
in 2019. If God can change water to
wine, He can change your life. All your
burdens and problems, ask God to make 2019 a year of victory.
