Yet I Will Rejoice

Yet I Will Rejoice

by Javan Ommani

Transcribed from the original recording; may contain errors.

Last week, three days, I was very sick. And I have not shared with you. It was the Sunday before, last Sunday, after church in Birmingham, Alabama, when I started feeling pain in joints and fever. And because I live on the tropical, I know when malaria starts. And so I knew I was being attacked by malaria. On Monday, I was so sick, I could not move from the room where I was staying. On Tuesday was more serious. I thought I was going to cancel my coming here. But I knew the devil was fighting for what God was preparing ahead of me. This wonderful time that I have had with you. And so I prayed. I believed the word of God. I confessed the word of God. And my friend, Ray Anderson, whom I was staying with, has been in Kenya and a missionary in my area for more than 15 years.

He came in, he prayed for me. And he said, “What can we do?” I said, “Nothing. Just praise God that I’m going to be well. On Thursday, I shall be well. Friday, I will take my bath and my shower. And on Saturday, I’m on my way to Iowa.” And exactly that is what happened. Amen.

And you have never notified any weakness in my body since I came here. Because the Lord touched me last week for me to come here. It was really serious. But thank God for what He did for me. I know He can do for anyone else.

This has been a wonderful week. And you have been a wonderful kind of group of people. Especially with Joe. If not mentioned, Matt. It’s another. He comes to me. He says, “You’re someone tonight. It’s 90 minutes.” Then he changes. “No, I’ve changed. 60 minutes.” God bless you, brother. You are so good. I wish you were in the bush country all day. I liked the white meat.

How about that? Praise the Lord. God is good. All the time. All the time. Amen. We have had wonderful leaders in this camp. And while we are just catching up, it’s just ending. Someone said they were two twins. They were born. One said, “This is the end.” And the other one said, “This is the beginning.” Yeah. Yeah. So for me and you, this is the beginning. Especially Bill. I had never seen you before. This is the only time I’ve seen you. And it looks like I’ve known you two years ago. You are really more than a friend. You are a brother in Christ. May God encourage you.

One word of prophecy again. You are there, brother. Keep up. He has called you. And the one who has called you is faithful enough to keep you going. Praise God. I’ll read a few scriptures and then I will start giving my testimonies. In the book of Isaiah chapter 49 verse 16, it says, “Behold, I have graven you in the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me. Behold, I have graven you in the palms of my hands.”

In the book of Habakkuk chapter 3 verse 17, it says, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.”

Then the book of Luke chapter 10 verses 20. “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” The disciples of Jesus Christ returned, the 70. And they said, “Lord, devils who are afraid of us were subject to us through Your name. And wherever we walked, they cried and ran away from us. Oh, Lord, You have such a wonderful name. We are happy to have known You. We are happy to have Jesus.”

And kindly He sat them down like a father sitting his children down, and He said, “Sons, rejoice not, the devil was afraid of you, and the spirits were subject of you. But there is something to rejoice more than that. Your names have been written in the book of heaven.”

And I remember that day when my name was written in the book of heaven, the day I gave my heart, simple, sinful heart, wicked, filthy, to Him, the Lord of all, the Son of God. And He received my heart, cleansed it. My name was written in the book of life. And so yours is.

There is a joy that comes because things are going right. Your billfold is not doing bad. And if you write your check, you don’t count. You don’t keep a count of your checks because you know nothing is missing.

And everything at school with your children is just fine. And your car is running how it should run. And my pastor is giving the right sermon on Sunday. I think he gave it because of the giving I gave last Sunday.

Can I call him for maybe outing, let’s have together, picnic with the pastor of this church. Oh, I rejoice in the Lord. But there is a joy that comes because nothing is doing okay with you. Nothing is right with you. Every side you look, things don’t look like shouting about them. Yet there is a joy that comes from within.

The servant of God Habakkuk, who was a prophet, and prophets have a hard time because they see what is coming and they start crying and mourning because of what is to happen before the people see. They see the problem. And he saw all these nations coming against Israel and he started crying, and he cried and he cried, and he said, “God, when are you going to answer me?”

God answered him and said, “I’m just about to do something new. Those who hear it will never believe it. But you I have just come because you prayed to show you.” Wow. Wow. Hey, hey. Wow. “I’m just about to do something new and those who hear may not believe it.”

I’ll turn the nations. I have my host ready. Does it not sound like the servant of Elisha says, “My Lord, I have seen they are coming. The Syrians are coming. The army is just coming.” He says, “Sit down, let’s have a donut.”

“My Lord, mean a donut? Haven’t seen what I’m seeing outside. Let me check. Hey, my Lord, they are just coming. What are we going to do?” “Sit down, I told you, have me a cup of coffee with a donut.”

“This old man must be out of his head. He doesn’t think of what I’m seeing. What are we going to do?” He said, “I said, sit down and let’s enjoy our breakfast.” And he said, “Lord, open his eyes.”

It is sometimes silly and foolish to pray for someone who has two eyes to say, “Open his eyes.” And it is indeed exactly what we are, blind with eyes. I thank God last week He opened my inner eyes to see by Friday I will take my shower, by Saturday I will be on the plane to Iowa and I’ll do what the Lord sent me to do here. I didn’t come of my own. I came because He sent me. I walk in His ways. I speak His word. I share the works of what He has done in my life and those people whom I have met. And therefore I’m going to do it whether the devil like it or not. I am going to line up with the word of God because it’s true. It’s powerful. And he said, “I will rejoice in the Lord.” The prophet said, “I will rejoice in my God.” Though I look out and I see the fig tree is drying up and there are no fruits and the flocks are all dead because of the drought. I will stay joy in my God. For my Lord, God is my strength.

During the reign of Uganda, it was about 12 noon. Some people were running out of our town of Kakamega, which is about 60 miles from the border of Uganda. And they said, “There are so many lorries and they are carrying people, trucks full of people from Uganda who are refugees running away from the terror of Idi Amin.” And they were being piled in the stadium, a big field in town.

And some of them, they look like they are going to die. “Pastor, what can we do?” Yes, sometimes good to pick up your Bible, big Bible, maybe with your collar, and go in and say, “Oh, in the name of Jesus, we have come to pray for you. Oh, Jesus, take care of you.” But this gospel, let me tell you, it has flesh and blood as well.

And when the flesh is tired, and the blood can’t move well, better repair the flesh and the blood, and then bring the spiritual. It will work. Okay. What do you do? Pick a bread. Pick a bread with you. Pick a jerrycan of water, cold water, just from the river.

These guys were dumped somewhere along the border, and United Nations have sent trucks to pick them, and they are in town. For four, five days, they have never seen just seeing food. And they are in thousands. If you throw their hundred breads, they just fire on it.

That is the time Uganda had really. There was a move of the Holy Ghost and revival. And going in the field with this bread, we are loaded with some breads and some water. We are taking to our brothers and sisters who have come and run away from Uganda, the terror of Idi Amin.

Christianity is a wonderful thing. We met a young lady. She was wonderful going, “Oh, God is good. Oh, God is good. Oh, God is good. He is good to me.” In this situation. “He is good.” Someone laying down doing, just waving and saying, “Yes, He is good. Yes, He is good.”

That’s the joy I am talking about. The joy that knowing I don’t know where my mother is, she might be dead. I don’t know where my father is. He may have been killed two weeks ago. I don’t know who is the next friend. I might not have a friend in this life. I don’t know whether I’m going to live next day. It’s up to God to know that am I going to die or am I going to live. And yet, I will rejoice in the Lord.

So, after supplying bread and water and we gather them, we say, “Okay, now we want to pray for those who would like to come here for prayer.” And that is the time I’m telling you, even those in high posts, they listen to what God says.

And they all come. While they are coming, you are looking and thinking of all the sermons you know in the Bible. They are not fitting the situation. All the comforting words that you know, they are not fitting the situation. This is a different situation altogether.

And God pops a word in you, He says, “Your names are graven in the hands, in the palms of God. Look straight in the palms of Jesus Christ. You will see your name. With the mark of the nail, they nailed Him on the cross.”

“Strengthen me. Give me strength.” And you share with them. Encourage them. “This world may not look as it is a world for you. But there is one. There is one just waiting for you. That’s why your name is written in the book of life.”

And the one who wrote your name suffered for read. And He wrote with the pain of nail in His hands. Words. And it was written by His own blood. No one can wrap it off. This is your joy. This is your joy. Way.

I still remember the testimony that sister in Christ there testified. She said, “Brothers and sisters, thank you very much for what you have brought for us. Come here, you bring us some food, you bring us some blankets, you help us, you comfort us. Then you leave. There is only one who remains with us. Jesus. That’s Jesus.”

You may help me as much as you can, but you can’t live with me. You can’t stay with me. I can help you as much as I can with all the love that I have for you, but I will not live with you.

Your pastor may counsel you as much as he can. He can give you the best scriptures. He can spend good time with you, but he cannot be always with you. There is only One who said, “Lo, behold, I’m with up to the end.”

Sister Barbara this morning told you about Boaz and Ruth. And Boaz said, “Yes, I’m your kinsman, but there is one who is more nearer to you than me. There is one who is more nearer to you than me.”

I may speak good words, wonderful words, I may encourage the much I can, but I can’t stay with you. There is One, if you listen to Him, who is nearer to you than I am. From Him alone, can receive the joy, everlasting joy, the joy that has no end, the joy that through all circumstances, it will remain with you, knowing that your name is in the book of life.

I had a chance when I was in the office working for the government to be sent to Egypt by the government to represent my government in all African ministers conference dealing with media. Sometimes God is wonderful. I’m telling you, sometimes He’s shocking.

Here I am, as I am, as small as I am, nothing. Leading the delegation from Kenya, educated men and women, secretaries, the ambassador of Kenya to Egypt, they are all seated behind me, and I’m sitting in front, and there is a sign here showing Kenya.

What do you think of that? Shocking! What am I going to do, God? But when a question comes, just slip it back, and someone who is concerned with that brings back the answer here, I am the one who is going to present it.

To but the most exciting thing on that trip was after I had been entertained, I had four bodyguards fully armed. You mean being armed? Armed. In these Arabian countries, they know how to guard their leaders, because they know themselves are rough.

Four of them, when I enter into my hotel room, two remain down as I enter the lift, two are waiting for me by the door of my room. As I walk in the room, they will stay all the night at my door.

But exciting things that happened to me was to see the pyramid. My guide was a lady. She had worked in the embassy of Egypt in Kenya. Therefore, they assigned her to me, because she understood the Kenyans, and she understood a little bit of Swahili, and she could speak English. Otherwise, they speak Arab.

And she told me, “Would you like to see where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus came?” Wow. I said, “That’s what I want.” So, on a free day, she took me, they took me to this place, tree. There is a dry wood, which they think was the fig tree in which Joseph, Mary, and Jesus rested when they arrived in Egypt. And they have built a small cathedral besides it. And there are two nuns, sisters, waiting or watching over. And it’s just in the sand. As I reached there, I was worn out that I just wanted to go on my knees and praise my God. And I did. For the Muslim to see me kneeling in the sand, they thought the Christians love their God more than we do.

With his position, I knelt just because of my Lord who saved me from the bush country. And I said, “Thank You, Jesus, for bringing me this far. And who am I, by the way, to stand where they think You were and to kneel where You stepped?”

I don’t know those who go to Israel and walk in the grave of Jesus. I don’t know how they feel, but there was a feeling I felt. I can’t explain to you. But thank God that happened. Now, the next day they took me to the pyramid.

The pharaohs thought that they will die, but one day they will come back again to life. So he had to take some gold, sheep, and other belongings, material belongings, and take with him in this big, magnificent building. I tried to end and they told me it is about 150 feet to go inside. But it is, the way inside is three feet by three feet. And some people are coming from there and you are going. By the time I reached about 30 feet, this old flesh would not take it no more.

And my guard said, “I’m not going in. Please, if you want to go, you may go alone.” I was going to go inside and take some of the gold and say, “Why not take to Kenya this gold?” But I returned halfway.

For the whole night I could not sleep. My thighs, muscles were painful. But thank God, I tested that. On Sunday we ended into a church and I think the only church that was around. This was a kind of mixture but it was Episcopal church. And the members there, the people I saw there, most of them were foreigners.

The really Egyptians are Muslims. Every corner, every block, has a mosque. After seeing so, if someone say, “Oh, the gospel has been preached and every nation has heard,” no, there are nations who have not heard about Jesus. There are people who have not heard about the name Jesus.

People who have not heard about the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all nations. Thank God for the bishop whom I found there, who was a British man, either Scottish. British. They were my masters, and so we respect to them.

And he had a wonderful service. The one, as you might know, stand up, kneel, stand up, kneel, stand up, kneel. It’s not enough, stand up, and then kneel. But thank God in a country like that to find somewhere where the name of Jesus is being mentioned.

Thank God for the good work that bishop is doing. I found the Christians still had the joy of the Lord in that country. My brothers and sisters in the Lord, the Lord has been putting us together, molding us as a family, and is coming to an end when we have to leave. And for maybe another year, we shall not see each other.

And some of us, we may not see each other until we come into the kingdom of God. I know you expect to see me there. I expect to see you there too. If there is any joy that I can say I have enjoyed, I rejoice, is to see you there. And you to see me there.

Whatever happens on this way to heaven, let us struggle, let us walk, let us walk, knowing that it is not in our own strength. There is One who has gone ahead of us and has made a way for us. And not made a way for us, He Himself is the way and the truth and the life.

If we walk this way, nothing and nothing shall make us go astray. Rejoice not the evil spirit subjected to you, but rejoice because your names are written in the book of the kingdom of God. Thank you very much. May God bless you for tonight. God bless you.