Twelve Years Old and Already Forgiven

Twelve Years Old and Already Forgiven

by Javan Ommani

Transcribed from the original recording; may contain errors.

Jambo. Jambo. You got it. Now, in your song books, “God Is So Good,” you will see that there is a Kenyan Swahili, and I want to sing in Swahili. And you will see my name, Javan Ommani, down there, doing the translation.

Mungu, you mwema, you mwema, wangu. And as you know, in Kenya, we are more than 42 tribes. So each tribe has its own language. So my language would be Luhya. It’s number two. Then there is Luo. Praise God.

He is being praised in every language of the earth. He is so good. Then we have Kikuyu. Then we have Maasai. Then we have all those 42 languages. They praise the same Lord and wonderful God of ours. It’s wonderful tonight to be a part of what is going on. You are a wonderful group of people. I mean, the spirit of CFO is just moving around this place. And you may be one of the many camps that still have a breathing space for CFO program. And I thank you very much.

Let’s pray that the vision shall be kept alive, the vision that God gave to Glenn Clark and others to have Camps Farthest Out, CFO, especially in the new countries that we are just opening. As human beings, some of us who are in the leadership, we may have our own interest.

And we try maybe to put up our own interest. Maybe the interest of my ministry. Maybe the interest of the work I do, which is not CFO. But thank God, people like you, who still are breathing the air of CFO, can pray for us, that we may keep the vision in our eyes and tell it and teach it as it is. Therefore, I encourage each one of you. I have Glenn Clark books, and books of those who spoke in CFO early, for me to learn from them, lest I do my own thing, but do that which they started.

Make me transmission, to transmit what they had during my generation to the new generation that is coming after me, that the voice of CFO may continue. If there was a need for CFO, this is the time for CFO. We have crusades. We have so many conferences going on. But CFO is peculiar. It’s special.

Look at the young people who come and hug this black man. When they go back to college, when they go back in their schools, and they meet black people of this country, there is no hatred in their hearts. They have a love. They don’t see any difference in the color. And therefore race. Race is no longer in their hearts.

And our world is now dying because of racism and colorism, which God did not make it to be so. People, we need to pray for CFO around the world, and especially for the leaders, what we believe and what we stand for. When we put the statement up in San Diego, California, I was there. Whoever was there, I will tell you, there were some people who argued and argued, almost to bring confusion. But some of us were praying and saying, “Glenn Clark had a vision. Let us make it stand firm.” I encourage you, from year to year, as you come together.

Maybe look to yourself like a small group. But let me tell you, you are no small. And a small camp is much better, because you are touched. But a big camp, you might go home without a touch. So I encourage you to keep on this camp alive. Wherever I shall be next year and the years to fall, I will be praying for you. And I believe the same way, you shall be praying for me. You are a wonderful camp. I have received such a love from you that I have never received from any other place. And I thank you very much. Having said that, I don’t mean I’m saying goodbye.

It’s just a start. It’s just a beginning. But I need your prayers for CFO in Kenya and other countries, our developing countries. When they see something new coming, their question is, “What is coming with this new movement? Is there money behind it? Material use behind it?”

We should be careful what we receive and what we do not receive. That is what I tell my brothers and sisters in Christ in my country of Kenya and other countries where I go to speak. And you’re blessed. You can choose what you believe and what you want, because you are not forced to. But those people cannot choose. If it has something, if it has some honey to taste, if it tastes sweet, they will take it, although it might turn out to be poison. Their own blood. God. Pray that whatever comes in those countries might be pure, to glorify our heavenly Father, God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to build His kingdom. Pray for us. We need your prayers. And I understand, unless you hear, unless you know what to pray for and how to pray, you won’t pray. After I’ve prayed for my family, I’ve prayed for my pastor and the church, what else am I going to pray for? That’s why this African has been brought before you. It was not you who chose me to be here tonight. It’s Jesus who chose me to be here tonight. It’s Jesus who chose Barbara to be here and tell you the stories that she was telling you last night. Me being a national of Kenya.

I might have not told you what she told you. But I’m going to share with you much more than that. Praise God. We are encouraged. In the Bible, in the book of Timothy, First Timothy, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 and 3.

“I exhort you, therefore, that first of all supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and a peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior.”

Paul writing to Timothy, he says, I exhort you to pray that prayer, supplication, with thanksgiving be made for all men of the earth, for kings, and for those who are in authority, that they may lead a peaceful life.

Sometimes when things go wrong in our governments, we blame those who are there. 90% is to blame Christians, who are called to be sons and daughters of God, who touch the throne of God with their prayers, who speak to God the Almighty, God of hosts, the rule of the earth, King of kings, King of kings, and tell Him what they want and what is their desire.

Thank God Americans prayed and God answered their prayer. I prayed with you, and I stood with you in prayer before God, and you won. But don’t celebrate yet. Getting there is one thing, but acting there is a different thing.

Yes, you prayed. But we want to see how you move. We want to see which direction do you take. Getting money in my pocket is no problem. I might get my money in the pocket. But after I get my money, what am I going to use it for?

That is the testing time. America is on its testing time worldwide. If you don’t know now, in the world, America stands to be the only super. Used to be Russia, but things went down. And thank God, He answered prayers that we prayed years ago and said, “Bring down communism.” And He did. But the superpower remains with you Americans.

It’s dangerous when you are not competing with somebody. Watch out. You might become proud and say, “I’m the only one.” God of heaven, the almighty God, who gave it to you, still exists. Graciously receive it. Freely, you have received it. Freely give.

Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Somebody went out and saw.” So you are reaping where somebody sow. Where somebody labored, you are reaping. I learned your forefathers, the pioneers of this country, prayed God and said, “God, make America Your country.

Protect it from its enemies. And let America stand for You.” And they put in “God we trust.” That’s why you enjoy what you are enjoying. You are indebted to those who prayed that prayer. But don’t lose it. It must be transmitted, be given to the new generation that is coming in. And this is the time. If I have chance and God has made me to stand before you, I must say as it is. Then I will go home free, saying, “God, I spoke what You told me to speak to Your people.”

For kings. And you know, a ministry of prayer is not only for men, and you don’t need to be ordained so as to pray. Because in the book of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 6, Revelation, chapter 1, verse 6, “And He has made us kings and priests unto God our Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” That’s an office of prayer. Intercessory prayer. Doesn’t need ordination. Doesn’t need to go through Bible college. Doesn’t need to belong to a big church. Doesn’t need to be trained.

Once the King of kings became the Lord of your life, you accepted Him, He made you a king and a priest in the house of God. What does the king do? He rules. What does the priest do? He ministers to God, and then from God to His people.

First of all, it’s our ministry before God. Fall before God. Open our ears before God. Listen to His sayings. Know His commandments. Know what He wants His people, the direction that He wants His people to go. And then come back and minister to the people. Tell them, “God is directing us on this direction.”

And you have a chance, because you already have received the King of kings. And we are the small kings. We rule. You may ask, “Hey brother, tell me how we rule on this earth.” Let us see in Acts chapter 12, verses 5. “And Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”

Those days when King Herod stretched forth his hand against the church of Jesus Christ, and James had just been killed with the brother of John, and now because it pleased the people who wanted the church down. But sometimes people are fools. They didn’t know what the Lord said: “On this rock I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall never, never destroy it.” There’s no way the evil one is going to destroy the church of Jesus Christ.

Is forever. Is founded on the rock, the rock Jesus Christ. And so they arrested Peter, and he was kept in prison waiting the next day to be charged and be executed. But the church went on its knees. The church prayed for the whole night.

Thank God for the praying church. And that was the vision of Glenn Clark for CFO, to come together and pray. CFO is not complete without prayer. So when we go to the prayer groups, we mean it. Something comes about those prayers that we pray. When I was in Ardmore, Oklahoma, CFO camp in 1979, 78, and then 79, 78, I prayed about CFO open in Kenya, and I prayed for Germany to become one nation.

In our prayer group we prayed for rich that Germany would become one nation. How is it now? Thanks to our heavenly Father, He has prayers. It’s not only us in our prayer that prayed. For maybe other people, as many as possible were praying, and their prayers was answered.

Sometimes when we face a problem, we don’t look back and say, “Oh God, I can see how You answered this prayer, and You answered this prayer.” In this situation here, Peter was kept in prison waiting to be executed the next day, but thank God, He’s not finished with Peter yet.

The church went on its knees and started praying, and when prayers was done, the angels were shaken in heaven, and they came down to minister to Peter. Woo! How would you like to see an angel come and minister to you?

And they do, they come through prayer. They come, and he came down, and the prison doors were opened, and he came to Peter and said, “Wake up, put on your shoes, get your clothes, let’s go.” And Peter thought he was dreaming. Sometimes when they announced on the radio that Germany was becoming a one nation, some of us could not believe. We thought it was a dream. It didn’t take even war. No one fought for it in the flesh. The war, the battle was won in the spirit. So in the flesh, they only harvested what was planted in the spiritual.

When God heard the prayers of the church, He sent His angels to wake up Peter, and Peter started walking out. The chains fell off. The iron gates were opened. Peter was put out. He was led by an angel in that street that people don’t walk at night. But he was protected. You want protection? Yes, prayer can do it.

The street of the evil one that he went through. And it wasn’t long. The dictator was smitten, and he went dead. Rotten. Because of prayer. My brothers and sisters, you live in a country where such an experience, as I’m going to share, has never occurred. And it is our prayer, including yours, that it will never occur in this country. In my country, my own country of Kenya, in 1950s, when it was a colony under the British, the nationals who are African who wanted freedom in their country, which is not bad. If someone wants liberalization, to be liberalized, to go free, you let him go free. But always it is not like that, because we become so possessive of what God has put in our hands. We don’t forget the British brought civilization to us.

And we thank them for that. But when it came a time, the Africans decided to go in the bush, in the forests, and fight the British. So what did they do? A brother to a brother, they cut their own blood, shed it in one cup, and drank and said, “You will never deny me or reveal our secrets until we finish the white man.”

So they took machetes, they took spears, and they ran into the forest. But they were good brothers and sisters who were saved. They were Christians. They wouldn’t allow to do such a things, evil things. And so they were taken by their own brothers and sisters as the enemies of the country, as well as the white man.

If you are found in the church, they killed you, because you are the agent of the British. I remember, they entered in one of the schools, and the headmaster of that school was a born-again Christian. They found him, and they beat him. They beat him, left him dead. But God of mercy raised him up. The British came and took him to the hospital. He was treated. When he came out of the hospital, some of those people who beat him had been arrested, and they were in prison. He came with his Bible. He said to the prison keepers, “I want to get in there.” And the prison keeper said, “What are you talking about? They are the men who beat you. And they are wild.” He said, “No, they are not wild. They are my brothers. I want to see them.” He said, “Okay, the gate is open. You enter.” He shared with them the love of Jesus Christ. He told them how he forgave them. And he knows that what they are looking is the right, their right, our right as a country. But let us look means to use. And the only means to use is this Bible. It’s a weapon that even the white man will never defeat.

He is testifying before those who beat him and left him dead. He forgave them first to go and witness to them. He had prayed and said, “God, lead me back to those people who wanted to kill me, that I may testify to them. I may tell them about my God and the peace I feel in my heart.”

I remember being a young boy, 1958. There was a big crusade in the country, a movement, and people were giving testimonies. And a lady stood and testified how her husband was… they came in her house, and they got hold of her husband and murdered him in front of her and their children. And she said, “If there is anyone among this group who killed my husband, I forgive you.” And lo and behold, a taxi driver man, well built, a Kikuyu, stood up and came forward. He was crying. He said, “Guys, I don’t know why I’m standing here, but tonight I’m arrested. I’m under arrest through a power I don’t understand. Sure, behold, I am the one who killed her husband.” And he stretched his hand, and she forgave him.

The gospel has had its own struggle for those who love the Lord Jesus Christ. While I was assistant minister in Kenya in 1994, after the war that was in Burundi and Rwanda that killed so many people and left so many orphans, there was a group of people in a church here in USA who wanted to send some clothing and some food to Burundi. But no one would be allowed to go in.

Me being in a position of assistant minister in my country, I have my diplomatic passport. As I approached this orphanage, I found about 700 and over children between three months to 15, 16 years. I will be allowed to go in and be given protection and security enough to take me to the village where this orphanage was. I wrote them back and accepted to go. Some people in my country asked me, “Why am I going in that devastated country?” I said, “They are my brothers and my sisters.”

As I approached this orphanage, I found about 100, 700 and over children between three months to 15, 16 years. And they were singing, “Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I…” as they welcomed me through the gates.

You ask me how they were sleeping? God knows. On the open floor with nothing. Three of them had just died that day when I entered in of misos. house. And I looked as they prepared their food. And as I was given a chance to speak to them, how do you hold your heart from crying when you see such a thing in front of you?

And they saw that I had brought some clothings, and they had brought in some food. And in fact, the governor was forced, because I am in the government of Kenya. That’s why we want our people in the government. The governor went with me.

And they showed me a church building. It was a Presbyterian church, I think. And there was a white man, I think an American, who had started a Bible school. And they were over 48 students, that Bible school.

And because the students were Hutus, the Tutsis didn’t like them. So when war started, they went in, the Tutsis, and they killed those people like birds, like animals, with sharp sticks. They didn’t use bullets, white west-west bullets. And they showed me blood on the walls, blood stains. And they took me to a grave, one big grave, where all of them, 48, were buried. After two weeks, the composted bodies were buried in one grave. That was just one portion.

And they showed me the hospital where the missionaries ran away because they were coming to kill them, because they are treating the Hutus. But one missionary lady, she was a nurse, she stood her ground, and she went on her knees. And they told me as they found her praying, they just quit and left.

And she was left with the patients. She said, “If you want to kill them, me first, and then you kill my patients.” I found I put my hat off. “Lady, I don’t have a call like yours. Are you still praying to be sent as a missionary?”

Do you desire, after hearing this, do you desire to become a missionary? You must have the grace of God upon you. They showed me grace. I became a little child. I shared with them stories about Jesus Christ and the love of Jesus Christ.

What I learned from these young kids was that they were now growing together, the Tutsis and the Hutus, and they were sharing whatever they have, if it is a piece of soap, if it is a drink of water, if it is a sharing one plate, and they were loving each other. And I knew a nation is coming out in Burundi which shall never have this hatred. And a young girl about 12 years, on my farewell meeting, she stood up, 12 years, and she looked straight in my eyes and said, “Pastor, I know the men who came in our house and killed my father and my mother. They were just neighbors. But hearing what I have heard and having received this joy in me, Jesus Christ, I have forgiven them. Pray that when I go home, I will not think of it again. I’m happy in the Lord.” If there is anything I picked from Burundi, that is what I picked, and is still sounding in my ears.

Those countries go through suffering. Who is going to pray for them? Tell you, pray for Burundi, pray for Rwanda, pray for the Republic of Congo, pray for Uganda. They have had peace for a short time. What about if I testify about Uganda, which is about 60 miles from my home? And all that happened there during Idi Amin’s time, I was a witness. And we prayed for Uganda.

And how big men from the offices, high offices, ran into the churches and said, “Men, tell us how to prepare to die. I’m on the list. I’m the next to die. How am I going to prepare myself to die? It looks like you guys know how to prepare yourselves.”

Bishop Luwum was murdered. And I remember the girl who was preparing the flowers of the bishop on the bishop’s body. She said, “This has given us a step forward into the kingdom of God. And we are not going to stop until Amin has stopped.”

It’s no longer there. The prayer of the Christians. We need your prayers. We need you to pray for us, that these leaders of these nations may lead a peaceful life and lead people in peace. That’s why you are and I am a Christian. That’s why we exalt the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because we know that He lives within us, the King of peace. That’s why we pray our ninth hour prayer: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Here. Because if you don’t have peace, how are you going to pray for me in Africa about peace? And there is no peace in your own house, and there is no peace in your own family, and there is no peace in your own church, there is no peace in your own organization. What about your own heart? Do you have the peace of God?

Do you have peace with God? Because what you have is what you are going to share with the world. What you don’t have, you cannot share. If you came to me and asked me $100, which I don’t have, I’m not going to share with you what I don’t have.

Let the peace of God start with us, inside our hearts, and then be shared worldwide. Prayers, that’s a lot. And I can share and share what God has done through prayers. We went to one tribe, which is a Maasai tribe, with a missionary friend of mine.

And we found the elders seated together. And this tribe, they don’t mix… The men don’t mix with the women. With spears. And here we are going to preach. Tell them about Jesus. What they know is about their spears. And they are fasting. They are fighting. They are warriors. So we are seated. I’m going to tell you this. And then I say, hold my peace.

And they are seated all around. And we sit with them. And there were two white men, Americans, with me, one on my right and the other one on my left. And we had an interpreter from Swahili, from me, to the people. And he goes back. One of the elders went back into the hut and came back with a gourd. And before he’s… Some yards ahead, you can… taste. You can smell it. That’s milk and blood, mixed. And urine. Cow urine. And it has been there for three, four days to make it sour. Wow. Don’t you get sour milk? That’s what you are going to get. And my friend, an American here, asked, “What are we going to do? Because you might offend them. And if you offend them, you know how. All these fears will end up in who?”

And so the other one said, “I don’t know. Pray.” And the other one said, “It’s too late to pray, man.” Sometimes it’s too late to pray. You might pray before it comes. So the elder, elder man came, and he wants to give, hand over to the guest first.

And lo and behold, Jesus said, “Don’t worry what you shall say, for the Holy Spirit shall give you the right words.” My friend here held the gourd and said, “Oh no, thank you, but my father did not teach me to take this.” And I interpreted, and I interpreted, in their language, and I see them all there. They were laughing.

Since it saved my friend, it’s going to save me, because even though I’m an African, I don’t take that. He did and said, “No, thank you. My father did not teach me to take this.” So the other one, we asked the interpreter, “What happened? We thought we were going to offend the elder man.” And he said, “No. They were so happy. They said, ‘Here are men, they are far away from their elders, but they obeyed the orders of the elders. That is what we teach you. You must obey the orders of the elders, wherever you are.’”

We had a chance to share with them about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Son of God, who was given instead of our own sacrifices of goats and sheep. Praise the Lord. God, I’m sure you are going to pray for me. And I’m going to pray for you. I still want to go back to Burundi.

And maybe the next time I’ll go back with you. Are you coming? It’s now, maybe she, and she will say, maybe he, and he will say, maybe yeah. Okay. I was going to pray about that. So, thank you very much. And may God bless you. May this night be also a night of prayer.

Before the one who is going to tell us about the letters to God, let me give you a testimony about the letters to God. I’ve been in CFO, I’ve written a letter to God, and then prayed, and got an answer, and wrote on the back. And after I have forgotten, a year after, the letter comes, I’m exactly where that letter was written for.

Just the answer I wanted, the right answer for that time, it’s coming through my, and sometimes I have to look and say, “This is my handwriting. Who wrote it to me?” Oh! It takes time to remember, it’s your own letter you wrote to God, and what God answered. So I like it so much. May God bless you. Thank you. I went down at horizontal time. And when I’m here, I usually don’t like sleeping at daytime, because night, then I will not sleep. But as soon as I went down in my bed, I was sleeping.

Then I had a dream. It shocked me, and it was really shock. In the room, we were about three people. I didn’t know who the other two were, but I can feel there was a presence of other two people.

And as I remember, we wanted to fix bulb, light bulbs. And I had one of the bulbs. And so I put my bulb on the table this way, but it started flashing, really flames. As those flames continued, the other two people’s bulbs started sending flames. And the whole room was electrified. Now, here I am in all these flames, and now it’s changing to move to my side. I thought I was going to die. And for sure, those electrification went through my body. As I wanted to move and open the door so that I could crawl out, I fell down.

And in my mind it was, I’m dying. But as I fell on the floor, I woke up. And I could feel just that thing going through my blood all yesterday afternoon. One of you asked me and said, “How do you look weak?” But I said, “Oh no, I’ve been just sleeping, and therefore I’m coming up.” At our prayer group, I was not as much as we were tonight, this evening.

As I asked, “Lord, what is this?” What came in my mind was the power of God to touch His people. Lord, use us as we come together. Let Your power touch Your people. And let the presence of the Holy Spirit be with us, Lord. We know we came, each one of us, with needs. Be it spiritually, physically, materially, Lord, we just commit before You. For those who will come to You, do Your miracles. In Your own way, Lord, we just lay our lives down for You to use it. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen.