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Friends United Meeting |
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May 1998
The Opening of My Faith
By Herman Ngoya
When Quakers arrived at Lugulu Mission in Western Kenya near Mount Elgon, my parents were among those who first joined the Society of Friends. After my repentance, when I was thirteen, my parents took me to church, on the 29th of February 1947, to be baptized as an Associate Member by Jefferson Ford. He was an American Quaker from Indiana Yearly Meeting.
During the meeting, I kept looking at Ford, because it was the first time I had seen a white man. After a short moment of silence, the Recording Clerk called my name. I stood before the congregation, wondering how I could communicate with this white man. To my surprise, he asked me simple questions in my own Luhya language. I answered him with fear. Then he placed his right hand on my head and started praying in Luhya. He asked God to send the Holy Spirit to change my heart and that I might grow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He ended the prayer by saying, "I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!"
When we reached home, I asked my mother about Ford's prayer, because I saw no change in my heart: "I am still as I was before! Has God refused to send the Holy Spirit?"
My mother reminded me that Ford told them to continue taking me to church. She went on to say that you are on probation-be patient and believe what Ford told us: being an Associate Member means that you follow Jesus as a learner until you become a full learner of Jesus Christ to receive eternal life.
From that time I was in the habit of going to church very early in the morning to ring the bell to call the children to Sunday School before the teacher could come. My main purpose in going to church every Sunday was to receive the Holy Spirit which Jefferson Ford had asked God to send and change my heart. I went on praying and asking pastors when the Holy Spirit would come. They gave me some verses to study. One was from John 15:14, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (KJV) On the 29th March 1948 at the age of fourteen, I was confirmed by church elders for full membership.
One day, I was resting in my bed asking myself in my heart, "What is God?" I had a terrible vision. A person appeared to me, wearing a clean white garment, and he stood where I had stretched my legs while still laying on my back. When I tried to observe him clearly, he smiled and entered into my bed. When I woke up, I was very excited and sweating terribly. I stood up and stooped to check under the bed but there was no one.
Then I knelt down to pray and after the prayer my human reason started being transformed and enlightened by the will of God. I began to realize the person who entered my bed in white garment where I had stretched my legs was the Holy Spirit, who is God. I believed from that time that God is within me and I am within God. From within, I knew I touched God as love. I touched God as goodness. I touched God as kindness.
The Holy Spirit revealed so many things which had been hidden from me before. It came to me that God is a creative force, a motivating power, an over-all intelligence, an ever present, all pervading Spirit which binds everything in the universe together and gives life to everything. That brought God close. I could not be where God is not. I am within God. God is within me. God lives in all living things-animals, human beings, plants and all creatures-so we should be kind to all living things and not destroy them.
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (I Corinthians 3:16-17)
I have noted, regrettably, that the moment I backslid I would land in many problems such as quarreling with neighbors and sickness. When I confessed my sins I could resume my normal life without problems. Once you are possessed by the Holy Spirit you should maintain it by praying, reading the scriptures and singing hymns everyday. If you mix the Holy Spirit with evil thoughts you will not have a peaceful mind and heart. There will be a big war inside the heart. Read James 4:1-8.
I have experienced that once you possess the Holy Spirit you will be able to win over all temptations. Even when you are asleep and temptations appear to you in dreams, they will never win. I conclude by praising God for having given me good parents who taught me a moral conscience during my childhood.
Herman Ngoya is area superintendent of Elgon East Yearly Meeting.
Copyright (c) 1998 Friends United Meeting
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