We must
thank our God in all circumstances
Bro. Morgan
Sibusiso Zondo ( Kempton Park, South Africa)
Firstly I would like to thank our
heavenly Father who gave me this opportunity to write this to my dear Brothers
and Sisters worldwide in Christ our Lord and Saviour.
I had a very stressful time
recently but by the grace of our heavenly Father who has provided me with
Brothers and Sisters it was not too hard for me.
I’m currently staying in a shack
with my half sister and friend. As you all know we are living in a wicked
community and I was assaulted by someone who threw a burning paraffin stove on
me. I thank my God with great joy because He rescued me and I wasn’t burnt as
badly as I thought.
Because of that event I went to
stay with Sis. Leonie and Bro. Paul Verster for some few days and it would
take me many pages to explain to you the details of the love they gave me.
I believe we
all know how weak we are in facing hard times alone, but what encourages me is
the fact that I’m in Christ Jesus and I belong to the good family (the
Ecclesia), indeed if it waeren’t like that I couldn’t continue in the way. I
do feel weak sometimes and unstable-minded because of the circumstance, I face
in this life, but I’m strong because of my brothers and sisters who are always
standing by me.
Brothers and
Sisters, we must be content for Christ’s sake because our heavenly Father will
pay back trouble to those who trouble us. So “ we must give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1
Thess.5:18).
May our heavenly Father soon send
His Son so that our joy may be fulfilled and my Brothers and Sisters be
rewarded for the fellowship, love, comfort and the warm hands they gave me.
Is Anything
Too Hard For The Lord?
Bro. Dzongai Sumburera (Gwevu,
Zimbabwe)
Hospitality
was very important among the people of the East and still is today.
The
three men mentioned in Genesis 18:12, did not ask Abraham for any
refreshment. He went out to invite them (verses 4 and 5) and was generous to
them in the extreme (verses 2-7).
Many of us face economic hardship, but let us not make that
an excuse to avoid being hospitable. Read Hebrews 12:13 These were no
ordinary men; indeed, the one speaking was an angel: verses 12 to 14 make
this clear. This was God’s special representative who came personally to
announce to Abraham the fulfilment of His promise. Sarah was to have a child
which, humanly was impossible. What a comfort to know that God can do all
things and yet He cares about you and me enough to know our thoughts.
Sierra Leone Fraternal
Above:
Brethren squatting in front and the Brother standing on right are from
Liberia. Standing at the back, some of the newly baptized Brothers and
Sisters from Wanjama and Kenema ecclesias.
Below:
Sisters preparing food for the fraternal.
Feel Love in our Hearts
Sis. Liberty
Mandap (Hong Kong)
This love
does not only imply romance or a marriage relationship, but the love we have
in our hearts. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love
is of God.” This is clear yet difficult for many of us to comprehend.
I want to
share an imaginary story about a blind woman who was desperate; with the loss
of her sight she felt hopeless. She was always sad and depressed and sometimes
felt she wanted her life to end.
One
day a good man came her way as she was crossing a road and nearly met with an
accident. The man managed to hold her when she stumbled. She wondered who he
was and thanked him for saving her life. The man asked her if she felt his
hands holding her and she said she did. After a short acquaintance they
became friends and she told the man about her sadness. The man told her that
although she could not see she could feel – she could feel the unseen thing,
the love of God in her heart. This is something we can all have and
experience if we trust in God’s Holy Word.
By nature we
all are weak one way or another, but the Lord said to the apostle Paul, “My
grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2
Cor. 12:9). Sometimes, brothers and sisters are judged by others for their
wrongdoing, yet if they are repentant to God He forgives, “If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9); “Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Rom. 4:7); “…be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake
hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).
Exhortation
- Confession
Bro Emmanuel
Mphambo ( Randburg, South Africa).
One
of the reasons behind our gathering together to memorialize the death and
resurrection of Christ is to obtain and celebrate the forgiveness of our sins.
This was accomplished through the sacrifice of Christ. So we thought it might
be useful for us to consider confession. For it is clear that confession must
precede forgiveness. Through the use of some scriptural examples we hope to
clarify some of the characteristics that are related to confession, certain
elements that must precede forgiveness. And then when we do admit our sins,
certain obvious qualities that must accompany the confession that we make.
A young boy
once told his parents about his crime before they found out. In other words he
confessed to them his sin. There is something magical about this confession.
Despite his parents being upset they were never quite as angry as they would
have been if they had found out about the crime themselves. For some reason
hearing their son admitting his mistake was less offensive to them. Confession
of sin then is an important step that softens the blow of punishment.
Confession of our sins is more useful than trying to cover then up.
Let’s
spiritualize this story. God is the father in the illustration, we are the
young boy that has done wrong. We must turn to God and allow Him to cleanse
us. Romans tells us that the punishment for sin is death. There is no point
trying to soften death’s sting by trusting in our own strength. Our only hope
is to place our trust in God, in His merciful hands and confess to Him our
sins, leading on to His forgiveness. The boy who brought his crime to the
attention of his parents instead of hiding it, evidently understood certain
principles that we would do well to remember when we bring our sins before
God. Firstly the boy knew his position before his parents. If the boy thought
that he himself was the ruler of the household, he wouldn’t be worried about
telling his parents about his crime. And this is much the way that the world
treats God today, they deny His existence, thus establishing for themselves
that they can do whatever they please.
In contrast
to this we need to recognize that God is the supreme Ruler. He is the one who
sets the rules; He is the one that has the power to enforce them. The boy who
confessed his mistake realized that his parents were in control So recognition
of God is essential to confessions that we make.
In Isaiah 6
we learn a valuable lesson. Isaiah before he starts his ministry to speak to
the people, is presented with a marvellous vision of God. He sees God sitting
upon a throne attended by creatures praising his name, and the vision causes
Isaiah to confess his sin. In verse 5, after seeing the vision, Isaiah says “Woe
is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD
of hosts”.
The vision
clarified in the mind of Isaiah the position of God in his life. He saw God as
supreme; he saw that God was powerful; God had authority in Isaiah’s life.
This understanding was essential to Isaiah’s confession.
If we can
picture God in the same vivid manner, we too will be startled to confess our
sins rather than trying to cover them up.
Recognition
of wrong is another requisite for confession. To illustrate this let us
consider the example of Judah and Tamar in Genesis ch 38. Judah was a man who
had three sons the first of which was given to Tamar. The first son was so
wicked that God killed him. And Judah gave his second son to Tamar as a
husband. And the second son was also very wicked so that God smote him and he
died leaving Tamar a widow yet again. So Judah promised to Tamar his third
son, as soon as he was old enough to be given to her as a husband. But when
the child grew Judah didn’t fulfil his promise. So Tamar was left a widow
without seed. Tamar decided to take matters into her own hands and dressed as
a prostitute and sat at the side of the road. Judah came along that road, met
her and unknowingly had an affair with Tamar his daughter-in-law. Tamar became
pregnant and was charged by the people with prostitution. Let us take up the
account in verse 24…”And it came to pass about three months
after, that it was told
Judah,
saying, Tamar thy daughter in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold,
she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be
burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By
the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee,
whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.[the pledge] And Judah
acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that
I gave her not to Shelah my son”.
So we learn
from this that Judah recognized sin in others but he was blind to his own
error. Without even giving Tamar a chance to defend herself he condemned her
to death. He as prepared to judge her for the very sin he himself had
committed three months earlier.
The great
task then in this situation is to recognize ourselves as the sinners. It is
impossible to confess our faults if we are blind to this fact. The light of
Bible truth must be directed to examine ourselves. If always we direct this
light towards other people we will never see our own sins. And if we do not
recognize them how can we confess them to God?
It takes
courage to admit wrongdoing. Saying, I was wrong, must be one of the hardest
phrases to get our tongue around. It’s very difficult to admit these sins to
our heavenly Father. Imagine the Israelites under the Law of Moses walking
towards the tabernacle, taking the sin offering. A person who walked that way
with a female goat beside them would surely attract stares from people around.
It would be humiliating. People would question what you had done.
Confessing
our sins to others has always required great courage yet this is a command
from God. James in chapter 5:16 says: Confess your faults to one another
that ye be healed and pray for one another. So although this confession is
difficult, the character of God makes it easier. Why not confess our sins to
God who is willing to completely forgive us. God was willing to let His son
die for our sins. There is no limit to God’s love. So we must admit our faults
to God in prayer. God already knows our sins before we confess them for He is
everywhere present and He witnesses everything that we do and He will judge us
for them. So admitting them to God can help us. What is there to lose? And
there is no point whatsoever in hiding our sins from an all-knowing God.
We know then
that a sinner who confesses his sins is admitting to several things:
-
First of all in his confession there is an acknowledgement of God as a supreme
authority in life.
-
Second, he recognizes that he’s done something wrong, that he’s a sinner.
-
And, finally, he recognizes that God is a merciful God who is willing to
forgive.
But it’s a
big step to admit wrongdoing. A big step but a crucial one. And once we decide
to make that step the Bible goes further to explain how we should proceed with
our confession. Our confession must be accompanied by several characteristics.
There is a
wonderful confession made in 2 Chronicles ch 33. A very wicked king of Judah
was moved to repent by the affliction that God sent upon him. The change in
character of king Manasseh is manifested in his prayer. Manasseh was a
horrible king in his early reign. He became king at the age of twelve and one
would hardly recognize him as being the son of Hezekiah. He ruined the orderly
reforms that his father had made. He re-established false worship in every
corner of the nation. He built groves. He rebuilt the alters for the worship
of false gods. He built an alter for worship of stars and placed it right in
the temple. Manasseh stoops so far that he even cast his children to be
sacrificed to false gods. And king Manasseh made the entire nation follow his
evil practices.
That quick
summary of Manasseh’s life takes us up to verse 11 ”Wherefore
the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of
Assyria,
which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried
him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God,
and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto
him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him
again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was
God”.
So the
rebuke of the Lord against Manasseh in carrying him away to Babylon moved
Manasseh into prayer. And it’s no doubt that Manasseh turned to Yahweh and
sought for deliverance. It was a major turn for this king. He turned 180
degrees. He no longer trusted in the gods of wood and stone but he made
supplication to the Lord, no doubt asking God to forgive him of the sins that
he had committed. Manasseh made a confession to God.
From this
example we learn that humility must accompany our admission of sins. The king
finally acknowledged that it was not of his own accord or power that he ruled
this nation. Manasseh had to learn not to trust in his own strength, his own
strength was taken away when he was taken to Babylon.
So we see
that God will not accept confession from a proud person. God is willing to
forgive even the most horrendous sin. There is no sin too large that cannot be
forgiven. Take comfort in knowing that there is no limit to the mercy of God
if we approach Him in the proper manner.
Finally,
let us read a passage that we would all do well to memorize, two short verses
from 1 John chapter 1:8-9 which says: “If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Water Baptism
Bro Erick Mutai (Sosiot, Kenya)
Jesus
commanded all those who believed in him to be baptized in water.Jesus said, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:18-19). To be “baptized” means to be “totally
immersed”. When a person repents from his sins and believes Jesus died for
him, he or she is to be taken to water, put right under it and brought up
again.
Understanding Water baptism
is the key to a victorious and liberated Christian life. The act of going
under the water and rising up from it is a picture demonstrating what has
happened to the Christian believer.
FOUR STAGES OF CHRIST’S WORK
1
He died… we died.
“For we know that our old
self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered
powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has
died has been freed from sin.” (Rom 6:6,7).
2
He was
buried….we were buried. “Or don’t you know that all
of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We
were therefore buried with him through baptism into death” (Rom.6:3-4).
3.
He was raised ….we have a New Life in him (Rom.6:4-5).
4.
He ascended…..I ascended in Him.
“And God
raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus……(Ephesians 2:6)
WATER
BAPTISM IS…
1.
Our funeral service!
A burial
service is not to kill a man off. This is only performed when the man is dead
already. And so, because we have “died” in Christ, we bury our old life in
water baptism.
2.
Our resurrection to New Life.
WE rise out
of the water demonstrating and declaring you are a new creation in Christ
(Rom.6:8-11).
In water
baptism we declare to all our friends and acquaintances that we are no longer
part of Adam’s race and the kingdom of darkness; but that we are a new
creation in Christ, belonging to the Kingdom of God!
Signs of
the Times
Fighting
between Christians and Muslims
Fighting between Christians and
Muslims in Plateau State Nigeria has increased to such an extent that in May
the Nigerian President declared a state of emergency there, as recently
hundred of people have died in these religious clashes. The fear is that the
problems will escalate as they did in 2001 when in the capital city of
Plateau State, Jos, a thousand were killed. There are Brethren and Sisters
living in this area who had to flee in the 2001 massacres and we do need to
remember such in our prayers and pray more earnestly for Jesus to return and
deliver his people.
Malnutrition
The Food and Agricultural
Organisation estimates 842,000,000 people are undernourished, three fifths
of them living in the Asia/Pacific area and a quarter in sub-Saharan Africa.
In some areas the situation is progressively worsening. In Congo for example
from 1990-2001 the food supply dropped by about 3% a year. In contrast to
America where the food supply continually increased over the same period.
Whilst the FAO make recommendations for improving the output in poor
countries. The only permanent solution is in the establishment of the
Kingdom of God “Then shall the earth yield her increase” (Ps 67:6). So great
will be the harvests that “The plowman shall overtake the reaper” (Amos
9:13); the people will not have the time to gather in the abundant harvest,
before the time comes round for ploughing again. “I will call for the corn,
and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the
fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field” (Ezekiel 36:29). These
marvellous changes will be a source of blessing for all nations. Come, Lord
Jesus, please come to feed the poor and needy and bring to an end the
malnutrition of millions.
“In the
last days…men shall be …without natural affection…fierce”
(Tim3 v1-3).
A leading article in a May
(Sunday Telegraph) British newspaper was headed, “Passengers fear for their
safety as violent crime on railways soars by 30 per cent”. Where is all the
violence leading? Ultimately the Kingdom when “They shall sit every man
under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid”
(Micah 4:4). “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor
destruction” (Isa.60:18).
Israel:
Annual Population Statistics
Communicated by the Central
Bureau of Statistics Spokesman Monday, May 05, 2003
On the eve of Independence Day
2003, Israel's population stands at 6.7 million. The Jewish population is
approximately 5.4 million (counting for 38% of the world's Jews); the
non-Jewish population is approximately 1.3 million (82% of these are
Muslims, 9% are Christians and 9% are Druze).
Israel's population has grown
more than eight-fold over the 15.5.48 population of 806,000.
Since last Independence Day, the
population of the state of Israel has grown by 131,000, an annual growth
rate of 2%.
Three million people have
immigrated to Israel since 1948, with more than one million coming since
1990. 31,000 have immigrated in the past year. 140,000 babies were born in
Israel during the past year.
Comment.
The return of the Jews to the land of Israel is the fulfilment of such
prophecies as:-
He shall assemble the outcasts
of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners
of the earth (Is 22:12). He that scattered Israel will gather him,
and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock (Jer31:10). In those days shall
Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely (Jer33:14-16) I will take
you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will
bring you into your own land (Ezek 36:22-24) I will take the children of
Israel from among the heathen, wither they be gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them on
nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel: and one king shall be king
to them all (Ez37:21-22) I will save my people from the east country, and
from the west country: and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the
midst of Jerusalem: (Zec 8:7-8).
An
introduction to God’s Heavenly Law
Bro Ronnie van Rooyen (South Africa)
(Part
1)
Introduction:
As readers of the Bible we are
introduced to God’s law in both the Old and New Testaments and yet the majority
of us have no legal background to appreciate the work of the Lord Jesus Christ
within the context of litigation as defined by God’s Heavenly Law (meaning that
the law found in the Bible has its origin in heaven as the heavens are God’s
[Psalms 115:16]).
Although there
is no need for us to become experts in law, there may be a need to gain some
basic understanding of the mechanics of law with the sole purpose of
appreciating how the Lord Jesus Christ has become the prime ‘advocate’ in
interpreting the Heavenly Law, not to our condemnation, but to offer us life and
peace.
So, if we had
to ask a ‘law student’ about the term ‘law’, we would certainly be told that
there are different types of law, such as contractual law, tax law,
administrative law, maritime law, etc. We may also be informed that the ‘law’
consists of common law, statutes and case law. God’s Heavenly Law is no
different, in fact we will discover that man’s laws are based on God’s laws as
God’s laws came first.
The Heavenly
Law has its beginnings as a common law in the book of Genesis. But what is
‘common law’? Well it is a primitive form of law, i.e. society formulates an
informal communal law, and if we turn to the Bible we find, for example, that
the instructions we suppose Adam gave to Eve while they were in the Garden of
Eden may be classified as a form of common law.
If we wish to
define common law further, we will find traces of it pre-flood as Adam, Eve,
Cain and Abel, clearly had communal rules (based on instructions received from
God) pertaining to behaviour, marriage, violence, murder, etc. Interestingly,
even today no law states, “thou shalt not kill”. Its origin is found with
common law, and as students of the Bible we believe it had its beginnings in the
book of Genesis with Cain and Abel. We know that Cain was a murderer (Gen 4:8)
based on God’s judgement at the time. Today, this judgement forms part of every
society’s common law and, maybe unknowingly, communities are in a way upholding
one of the most basic laws of God, a common law dated back to Genesis 4.
Post-flood we
find that common law develops further and we read of how Abraham’s concept of
sacrifices is expanded as he is commanded to offer his son, Isaac. We also
discover that God’s law makes provision for a specific priesthood as we read
about Melchizedek and later Joseph – and all of this happened prior to God
formulating a contractual agreement with the nation of Israel in the form of the
tables of stone.
However, what
should we try and glean when studying law? To my mind, within the context of the
Word of God, we need to gain a basic understanding of how the ‘law’ operates,
and in Genesis 26 we are given a glimpse of the mechanics of God’s Heavenly Law.
Here we are
introduced to various aspects of God’s law. Notice how we are suddenly given
detail about the law as if we are supposed to know that the law consists of
various pillars: “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge,
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws”(Gen 26:5). Now although it may be
difficult to fully understand what this verse is actually implying, may I
suggest that this section of scripture is in fact introducing us to the various
forms of law.
What I am
suggesting is that, like man’s law, God’s Heavenly Law consists of various
pillars that modern scholars of the law also assign to the law. In other words,
I am suggesting that we are told that Abraham was obedient to various forms of
law, and these forms of law can be described as:
·
Common law, and
·
Old
authority, and
·
A
specific law such as contractual law, and
·
Case
law (where a judge has interpreted and applied a specific law to a case between
a plaintiff [claimant] and a defendant).
If our
understanding of the verse is correct, well then we are told that Abraham is
indeed a man of God. What we are suggesting here sets Abraham’s obedience on a
higher plane, and similarly we should ask ourselves the question: How do I
match up against God’s various forms of Heavenly Law? This question needs
to be asked because James reminds us that “whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (ch 2:10). Maybe we
are now in a better position to consider the full meaning and impact of James’
words and challenge to us.
The mechanics
of the Heavenly Law
Jurisdiction as part of the mechanics of the Heavenly Law:
Another aspect
associated with the law is the very important aspect of jurisdiction. It
is always critical to establish whether a court of law has the power of
jurisdiction, i.e. has it authority to hear and judge a particular case?
In the Old
Testament God provided cities of refuge, and the jurisdiction (influence of
power) of the Law of Moses was not valid in these cities. Obviously this points
forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, who nullifies the jurisdiction of the Law of
Moses on our lives, thereby saving us all from the sure curse of death. We read
the following in Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Again, once we
improve our knowledge of a specific field associated with spiritual matters we
become so much more appreciative of what the Lord Jesus Christ did and still
does for us. It certainly is a scary thing to know that a judge will show no
mercy and proclaim the death sentence upon you and me. To then hear that there
is a place of refuge, which falls outside the jurisdiction of this unsympathetic
judge, makes us realise what a friend indeed we have in Jesus!
Case Law as
part of the mechanics of the Heavenly Law:
Based on this
table, it is clear that in the legal world, case law forms a very
critical part of judging, as it indicates how the court and a judge interprets
and applies law in practice. What is absolutely fascinating is how the Old
Testament’s case law always results in death, whereas the New Testament’s case
law always brings about hope. Let’s now do a similar exercise, considering
adultery, and see how the Lord Jesus Christ, as a judge, ushers in a new case
law and therefore improving on old case law:
Now that we have a very basic
understanding of the mechanics of law we can begin to appreciate better the
conflict which took place between the Lord Jesus and the champions of the Law of
Moses, the Pharisees.
And is it not wonderful to witness
our Judge in action, to taste his mercy, and to see how he introduces new case
law without an objection being raised by the Pharisees! The woman we read of in
John 8 had no hope of life, but with Jesus at her side she suddenly fell within
a jurisdiction where the Law of Moses had no say. However, the Lord Jesus
Christ, in formulating his judgement, refers to the Heavenly Law (of which the
Law of Moses is a part), and so dynamic is the Son of God that he interprets and
applies the Law of Moses to offer life instead of death.
We leave Jesus here, having learned
so much, but also realising that the Lord Jesus has left us with a greater
responsibility than before. If the Law of Moses required much detail in
application, well then the Law of Christ requires much application in the
smallest detail. None of us is without sin too, so we pray that God may instil
in us a lasting memory to remember this case law as we deal with one another.
God willing, we will continue next
time to consider the various options that the law may offer us, the choice of
being judged or not, and then draw Part one to a conclusion.
(To be continued).
Nepal
from the eyes of a
UK
Missionary
Bro Jonathan Fry (U.K.)
On
arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal I was faced with a bittersweet feeling. The
tree-covered foothills and Himalayan mountains are breathtaking and beautiful.
However, the poverty and suffering that surrounds you, reminds us ultimately of
mankind’s disobedience and its consequences. It reminds us of the urgent need
of Christ’s return. It was an amazing experience to meet some of my Brothers
and Sisters in Nepal and learn what life was like for them in these turbulent
times. Quite often the language barrier can be frustrating, but the power of a
smile can be so encouraging, showing the love of our
Saviour Jesus Christ and the
Power of the
hope we share. The importance of talking to friends and relatives about God is
evident in both ecclesias in Kathmandu. With no opportunity to preach outdoors,
without the risk of imprisonment, both ecclesias have sprung in growth due to
their conversations with interested friends and family, this is uplifting to us
all as we strive to proclaim the Truth in our daily lives. Our trip to Nepal
helped me realise how 'comfortable' life is in the UK and urged me never to
forget the needs of our Brothers and Sisters living in hostile countries around
the world. The passion for God and His righteous way I saw in those I met has
uplifted my spirit and I look forward to the opportunity, God willing, meeting
with them again in Nepal or the Kingdom.
Report from Nepal
Bro Satyadeep
(Dhumbharai Ecclesia)
Nepal is a
small country of only 141,577 square km and has around 20 million people. Nepal
is a meeting place of two religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. It is interesting
to know that the number of gods is greater than the number of people who live
there. Officially, Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom in the modern world.
Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal, since the joining together of the three
cities in the Kathmandu valley in 1768 by King Prithivi Narayan Shah, who is the
forefather of the present king of Nepal. It is only in recent times that Nepal
was opened to people
from
other countries and then Christianity came to Nepal. There was, and is, a fear
for the rulers that the country might lose its culture and religion if
Christianity was to take hold. Christianity was a completely the new religion
to this country when it came in and there has been a great struggle for freedom
of religion and for people to understand that this is the truth. The people who
changed their faith before 1990 were put into prison and there was much
persecution and suffering for those who stood firm in their beliefs. It was in
1987 that Christdelphians came to Nepal from the UK. The first to be baptised
were Bro Kishan Gurung and Sis Kalawati Gurung by Bro Peter Fry when he and his
family came in 1992; this baptism was immediatlely followed by that of Bro Sher
Thapa. The Truth has flourished since then and there are now two ecclesias in
the heart of Kathmandu, Bulbule which has 39 members and another small
ecclesia, Dhumbharai, which has eight members. The ecclesias are close to each
other on the north side of Kathmandu. We can see that the truth has grown and
that the Almighty Father has never stopped working in the lives of those, who
live here and has abundantly helped and strenthened them to do His work. But it
is still difficult to preach openly because one can be charged if found
converting, so the best way is to preach to our relatives and friends.
Unemployment
is great in the country and our Christian lives in the ecclesia are affected by
this. We are grateful to those brethern and sisters who have left their
footprints, who have always prayed for the Truth to prosper here. They have come
to visit us from all over the United Kingdom and we having loving thoughts of
them all. Many have come and stood beside us and have helped both spritually and
physically . Those lovely brethern and sisters are always in our mind. we hope
to see them in the Kingdom if we do not see them in the flesh again. Though
there is no peace in the country and there is great political unrest, there are
still brethren who have a strong desire to come and visit us. There has been no
harm done to travellers. There is much poverty and there is no peace. “For we
know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now"
and we look forward to that day when Christ will come and restore the Kingdom Of
God , and God’s will be done in the whole earth.
One Spirit
Bro. Gennady
(Poltava, Ukraine)
Our faith in the Gospel is based upon the Bible, and we came
to it by rejecting the false views of many mere men. We are warned very clearly
by Paul that in the last times, many especially bad false teachings will arise,
and from such who teach them, we must turn away (2 Tim. 4; 3:1). If we are to be
true followers of God’s word, then we must take these words of Paul very
seriously. We know we are in the last times, and so we must be aware that these
things will happen. We are also all aware that there are many who call
themselves Christians who do not even teach what the Bible says and are
organizing their churches and teaches in order to attract power and money to
themselves.
So I wish to draw our attention to the teaching of the Bible
about the one body, because this also is a main doctrine of our faith. We must
take this as seriously as we take any other doctrine of the Bible. Any who seek
to destroy this beautiful doctrine are destroying the faith which is the Gospel.
Jesus died because through His death He would gather together in one the
children of God. If we are divided, then we are making His death for nothing.
This is why I ask all brothers and sisters to take seriously the command and the
Bible teaching to live in one body and with one and the same spirit between us.
The purpose of Bible reading for us is that we find the truth, we find the true
way to live, so that our way of life is what God wants. He wants us to be one,
to learn to accept each other, and live with each other in one spirit. Ephesians
4:1-6 is a very beautiful passage of the Bible, about how there is only one
faith, one hope, one baptism, one body. We must “walk worthy” of that calling,
Paul says, which means that we must be one, otherwise we are not walking worthy
of the calling of the truth we have been given. The ecclesia is the one body,
the one temple, where God lives. It cannot be that there are two bodies or more.
Each part of the body must be allowed to work with the other parts of the body,
otherwise the body will
destroy itself. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to work through us, because we are
His body. We must be ready for Him, we must allow Him to work through us. Amen.
Give Respect
to Get Respect
Bro. Modest
Gwademba (Tiriki, Kenya)
Someone has
not acted according to what you expected. They have slighted you in their
behaviour. They have ignored you or been short in their responses etc. You feel
that you have not been given the proper respect you deserve. You feel let down.
What are your
feelings towards yourself? How do you behave towards yourself? Do you always
remain in the high stage of self respect and create thoughts that are lofty and
pure? Are your actions noble and beyond ulterior motives? Are your words
always soothing and uplifting or are they of the degrading and ‘cutting down’
variety? How is your self respect?
It is always
easy to expect and demand respect from others. It is popular to criticize
others for not being respectful or for being rude or for not showing the proper
appreciation. It is less popular to demand respect from ourselves. Without self
respect we can never gain respect from others. Without self respect we will
always be performing self defeating actions.
With self respect we become the
elevated ones; we become lovely in behaviour. And because of our vision and
actions we become the foundation of our community. We cannot get respect by
asking for it and we only receive it when you give it to others.
Abwad and his Brother Atsianji, the
sons of
Bro
Mondest Gwademba
The Sermon
on the Mount
Bro. Joseph
Oppong (Shama, Ghana)
That which is
called the Sermon on the Mount(Matt ch 5) is a searching and powerful utterance
of Jesus. The very high standard that Jesus sets can only be appreciated by
those who are called by God and who accept the Word of God without question. It
shows clearly the outlook and the attitude of the mind of Christ, and it is
impossible for us to appreciate these ideals without understanding Jesus.
Therefore to those who are prepared to accept the invitation of Jesus to forsake
all and follow him there is no greater guide than these words that he uttered.
The opening
words, called the Beatitudes, are designed for life, and although we probably
know them by heart, do we have them in our heart? Although there is a vast
difference between the speed and tensions and temptations of today and those of
the days when Jesus taught in the land of Israel, the challenge to obey the
words of Jesus remains just as strong. The words of Jesus are not so much a set
of rules as a set of principles which are timeless in their application and
demand our wholehearted response in spirit rather than the letter of the law.
The Sermon on
the Mount gives directions. The words that Jesus speaks are not nice separate
ideals, but different aspects of the complete new man in Christ. All the words
of Jesus are essential. It is a waste of time for us to say that we apply parts
of the words of Jesus and forget other parts.
So whilst we
analyse the qualities that Jesus sets before us one by one, we must not lose
sight of the whole picture presented to us. That which Jesus wants us to do is
based on his own character. The words “blessed are” refer ultimately to the
blessings of the future Kingdom, but inasmuch as the disciple strives to live
the perfect life, there are wonderful blessings for those who in their ways and
characters love God and keep all His words.
The first
words are “the poor in spirit”. The word poor indicates being destitute and
implies the words recorded by Isaiah 57:15, “For thus saith the high and lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy
place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” We
recognize our helplessness and our unworthiness, and if we are wise we throw
ourselves upon the love and mercy of God. Poverty of spirit is the opposite to
natural wilfulness.
We follow
Jesus during his greatest mental emotional trial in Gethsemane. When he knew
that the greatest hour of his suffering was near, he prayed, and his sweat was
as it were great drops of blood, so great was the struggle within him. Then
from his heart he uttered these words which we ourselves are often reluctant to
say, “not my will, but thine be done”.
It is hard for
us to say those words, especially if they are going to cause us grief or pain,
but we must ultimately remember that God does know what is best for us. So the
first words of Jesus tell us the first requirement of the true disciple. And
this requirement is emptying ourselves of pride, of wilfulness, of the things
that the flesh desires, and this is necessary before we can fill our minds with
the things that our Lord shows are important in God’s sight, to make ourselves
more like Jesus every day.
So Jesus says,
“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Why should a
brother or sister be blessed for mourning? It appears a contradiction in
terms. We grieve realising our inadequacy in keeping to the high standard set
by Jesus. This grief must have the sincerity of Paul when he exclaimed, “O
wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve
the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom 7:24-25).
That which is in the mind is vitally
important. As a man thinketh, so is he. In our minds, in our hearts, in our
desires, in our works and faith, it is essential that we serve God. We are of
course saddened by the grief and evil around us in the world, and whilst we pray
for the day of redemption, we see the example of Jesus, who took away the misery
of thousands by healing them. He gave comfort even to those who walked away
from him. Paul says, “Do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the
household of faith” and Jesus is our example. (Gal 6:10).
In Matthew
7:12 the Lord Jesus Christ says, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets.”
Paul said in
Galatians 6:7-9, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.”
Paul tells us
in Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of
Christ.” Also in chapter 5:22-23, he says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law”.
Paul says,
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all
them also that love his appearing.”
Preaching
the Gospel
Bro. Charles
Daka (Mufulira, Zambia)
Whenever God
chooses a people, He not only satisfies them with the hope of glory, but graces
them with a ministry, a service, a work in His name.
Within a
couple of months of their leaving Egypt, God told Israel through Moses “You
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an Holy nation.” (Exod.19:6). They
were to minister God’s Name and holiness to the nations so that His Name would
be honoured.
They failed to
uphold the honour of God and God said “They have even defiled my holy name by
their abominations: wherfore I have consumed them in mine anger” (Ezek.43:8).
AN ELECT RACE
In spite of the overthrow of Israel
and Judah, in spite of their sufferings as people, they failed to learn any
lesson from their experiences. When Jesus came to bring them renewed life and
salvation they rejected him. It is written that the Kingdom was to be taken
from them and given to other people (Matt.21:43). Peter wrote “You are an elect
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession, that
you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into
marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).
We have the
hope of glory, but we have the task that Israel failed to fulfil, to show forth
the Name, honour and purposes of God. We have to cry, to proclaim, to herald,
to preach the good news of Christ and the Kingdom of God, as well as the
goodness of the loving Father (Rom.10:5).
HOW SHALL
PEOPLE HEAR?
The Apostle
Paul posed an ever present problem in regard to the richness of the Lord’s mercy
towards people who would turn to him. How shall they hear without a preacher?
who will proclaim to the people the wonder and the ways of God’s love?
(Rom.10:14-15, Isaiah 52:7) “How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad
tidings of good things.”
He does this
not only to show how wonderful this task is, but that it is the duty of every
child of God to proclaim this good news. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Woe is unto
me if I preach not the gospel” (1Cor.9:16). There is such wonder in our call
that it would dishonour the love of God to withhold it from others.
If, as Paul
wrote, God raised up Pharaoh that His name might be published abroad in all the
earth (Rom.9:17), what does he expect of us, His saints, whom He had raised to
heavenly places in Christ? The Father expects that His children will preserve
the majesty and honour of His name in all that they say and do.
Paul wrote
that servants should count their masters worthy of honour “that the name of God
and His doctrine be not blasphemed” (1 Tim.6:1). Humility, modesty, love, and
the goodness of God must be portrayed in the lives
of His children so that His honour is sustained. That is the imitation of God (Eph. 5:1).
THE WISDOM AND
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
In our lives
we preach or proclaim the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
his judgments and his ways (Rom.11:33). James wrote, “The wisdom that is from
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without variance and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
We are heralds
of Jesus, our Head, who is to come again. He was the perfect word of wisdom of
God made flesh. He is the peacemaker, He is our righteousness, and every one of
us dishonours God if we withhold from others His arm of salvation.
Today the
world longs for stability, for peace, for solutions to economic problems, for
the hope of a brighter future, but it finds only discord, darkness and self
destruction.
PREACHING
PROGRAMME
This is a
programme every ecclesia and individual should be fully engaged in. The coming
of the Lord is now much nearer than when we believed. If we preach true doctrine
to people then we should have less time for unprofitable and foolish
questionings. How then should we preach? We should love in deed and in truth
(1 John 3:18). It is true that we should preach by example as well as by word.
The integrity of our response to our daily work and the ervice we give to any
who need our help are witness to the compassion of a loving God to all men.
PERSONAL
WITNESS
Our
faithfulness to our ecclesia preaches more strongly than our words. The
constancy of an aged sister who walked along the street Sundays and week nights
to her meetings in all weathers, after several years aroused the curiosity of a
middle aged couple who stopped her to ask where she went - and two more were
added to God’s household. In health or in sickness, living or dying we preach
Jesus Christ. Invite more friends to your home Bible study.
THE VALUE OF
LEAFLETS
Leaflets left
on a bus or train have sown seeds that have yielded fruit. Give them to
everybody who can read.
EVERYONE CAN
HELP
What matters
is that each of us should strive in ways that best suit us to witness to God’s
truth and love. There is joy in the possession of these divine gifts and
satisfaction to be enjoyed in this life for everyone who is prepared to
sacrifice for them, for such “shall receive a hundredfold now in this time ...
and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30).
We bear the
Name of God, our Father, we have received His wisdom, we have been redeemed by
the Lord Jesus and we need to prepare for his coming Kingdom. Let us be wise in
loving and generous in giving the life - giving gospel to all who will hear.
(Daniel 12:2-3) “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt …
and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and
ever.”
The Value of Seminars
Bro. and Sis.
Herbert Tigerepasi (Lusaka, Zambia)
The meetings
held during seminars are very helpful because they have helped in getting to
know each other as we share in the word of God and the fellowship of the
brethren. As seen from the photo, last year it was very wonderful to have the
brethren come and join in fellowship. The brethren gave each other turns to
bring the understanding in exhorting each other for good works.
Another encouragement is that God is
pleased when people come together and praise him unlike when they are divided. I
emphasise to my fellow brethren to have real love, where giving is concerned,
and many other things. Agape love comes from the depth of the heart, where
forgiveness is granted, loving people unconditionally whether one is working or
not, whether one is a widow, an orphan, etc. The greatest love that one can ever
receive is that from our Father, who freely gave His only begotten son to come
and die for us on the cross, so that if we believe in him we should never perish
but have everlasting life. I can proudly say that the meetings that we have been
having have really helped me and the entire family because we are able to
reflect on the love of God each moment these meetings/seminars come along. We
praise God for this.
Standing left is Bre Herbert, Arnold,
Ozious, a friend and
Bro Davies,
kneeling Iron Zulu, Sis Mary and Sis Theresa.
NOTES
ON THE DAILY READINGS
September 1
- 1 Corinthians ch. 15
The Resurrection
There will be no need to write of
the doctrine of the resurrection nor to show that it is the key to the
fulfilment of the promises – of the covenants. We wish to write on two points
in connection with it:
The nature of the raised body.
There have been differences concerning this; some have said that it will be like
the body of Adam before he sinned, and yet others that it will be already a
changed immortalised body. If the former, then a change must have taken place
before or at the resurrection, for the body entered into the grave a corrupt
body which Adam’s was not before he sinned. Paul says (v. 42) “it is sown in
corruption”.
But when he says (v. 42) it is
“raised in incorruption”, does not this indicate that a change to incorruption
has taken place? If this were so, then why should those who are thus raised
stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10) and moreover what of those
who are alive when Christ returns and who certainly have bodies of corruption?
The change follows a process
indicated in Christ himself who died, rose and revived (Rom. 14:9). This is the
order to be followed by those who are subject to a resurrection. They are
raised with a body like that they had before. Together with those who are
alive, they stand in judgment to receive in body the things done in the body (2
Cor. 5:10). The righteous will be revived - He “shall also quicken your mortal
bodies” (Rom. 8:11). The wicked will not be changed and therefore die “the
second death”.
September 2
– 1 Corinthians ch. 16
Aquila and Priscilla
From incidental references one can
trace somewhat of the life and character of Aquila and his wife Priscilla, for
both Luke, in the Acts, and Paul in his epistle, mentions them. They were among
the Jews who had been banished from Rome by Claudius, and one writer says the
Jews were expelled because they often created disturbances because of
‘Chrestus’. If this name (a common one) is the same as Christos, then the
disturbances were amongst the Jews because of the teachings of the early
Christians.
It would certainly seem that Aquila
and Priscilla were already Christians, for Paul soon became known to them in
Corinth, a meeting helped by the fact that they were tentmakers like Paul. They
journeyed with him to Ephesus (Acts 18:19) and afterwards returned to Rome (Rom.
16:3). Both when at Ephesus and Rome the ecclesia met in their house. They
were able even to instruct Apollos in “the way of God more perfectly” (Acts
18:26) and it is clear that they had risked even their lives for the sake of
Paul (Rom. 16:4). And here Paul adds that “all the churches of the Gentiles
owed thanks to them.
They must have been two great
stalwarts among the early Christians, showing the virtues of hospitality,
of ability to teach, of fortitude and courage and were “heirs together of
the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7).
Anathema Maranatha (v. 22)
There is really no need for a
capital ‘a’, and the sentence should read: “Let him be anathema” (accursed).
Maranatha is a separate expression and means ‘The Lord cometh’.
September 3
– 2 Corinthians 1 and 2
All the promises are in him yea. By
this the apostle means that all the promises made to the fathers as especially
stated in the covenants of promise, receiving their affirmation or fulfilment,
in Christ. As Paul says when writing of the promises to Abraham (Gal. 3), the
seed promised was Christ, even as Peter said concerning the Davidic covenant,
“God…would raise up Christ to sit on his throne” (Acts 2:30). The word “Amen”
in the same verse (2 Cor. 1:20) means “so be it” in the sense of fulfilment.
James uses the same word at the beginning of a sentence where it is translated
“Verily” and where it means “of a truth” or “truly”, and is a call for the
exercise of implicit belief in the words the he should speak.
2 Cor. 2:14-16.
This refers to a Roman triumph when
the victorious general was accorded a triumphal procession through Rome – he
being seated in a chariot behind which notable captives walked chained
together. Incense was scattered as the procession proceeded and flowers were
strewn before the chariot. This incense and sweet smell is the savour (or odour)
of verses 15 and 16 – to the victor an odour of joy and life, to the captives an
odour of death.
Verse 17 – “Corrupt the word”
An allusion to the dishonest
vintners, who diluted the wine with water. Paul therefore declares that he was
not afraid to speak the whole counsel of God whether it offended or not.
September 4
– 2 Corinthians 3 and 4
The Two Ministrations
Paul had shown that the law of Moses
– even though a ministration of death (because it could not give life) – was
glorious, yet not so glorious as the faith which is in Christ Jesus, but many of
the Jews of his day rejected Christ and to demonstrate their error Paul quotes
the incident of Moses and the veil (Exodus 34:29-35).
When Moses came down from the Mount
with the two tables of stone, his face shone so that the children of Is
