29 July 2010

“ We all grow older, but we do not all mature. Some age like wines, others turn to vinegar. Some turn sour and others sweet. The deciding factor is, do we dwell on the negatives that life has thrown us, or on the positives of God’s gracious grace?”

How we grow old seems to me to be a choice? Do we dwell on the negatives or do we delight on the positives? I have met folks that come from both camps. The one’s with the positive outlook seem still to be making an impact in the world for Him. The folks from the other camp, well I will leave you to answer that! I guess the choice is ours everyday.

This last week has been a wonderful time on the lake, with the family again. We had a wonderful time with the students. Five of the seven students that came had to cycle about 70Km to come to the school. I get overwhelmed at times how vast our district is. We have a student the has to travel 140Km by bicycle to come. What a commitment!

This week we have had some beautiful weather on the Lake. It has been great doing school and playing on the sandy shore in the afternoons. God is so good!!!

At the end of this week I will be returning to Mbala again to host the next Bible School starting on Monday. God bless you!

22 July 2010

“The Bible gives us a picture of who we really are.” RBC

When the Prophet Nathan confronts David about his adultery and murder he does so buy first telling David a story. The injustice of the story infuriates David and wants the punishment and restitution metered out. Only to be struck by the words of the Prophet,” You are that man!”

This is the character of the Bible. For some they love it as it always tells us the truth about our lives and standing before God. But some hate and despise it, because the picture the Bible is showing them of their lives, is not what they want to see. And so the Bible has become a love hate relationship to mankind. What kind of picture does the Bible reflect of our lives?

  This week has been an exciting week so far. At present we have 7 folks staying on the College land working through a Bible School. Some have travelled about 78Km to be with us for the week. It has been a wonderful joy to be able to spend a few hours with them everyday looking at the subject of Stewardship. The subject has provoked many questions and we have had a good time of interaction. Each time we have a Bible School I learn so much from the folks as we interact.

The family is still on the Lake and I do hope to join them towards the end of the week. I have a number of things to do before I go so I ask you that you will just keep me in your prayers.

17 July 2010

Generosity stems from the heart that has experienced God’s grace. Anon

If there is among you a poor man of your brethren . . . you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand. —Deuteronomy 15:7

Life is so relative, the rich are poor when they compare themselves to the super rich, the poor are rich when they compare themselves to the super poor. Living in a community where you are seen as being rich having what may seem to others as an endless supply of cash, places tremendous pressure upon you. How do you go about fulfilling the above Scripture, where it is impossible to meet all your neighbours needs and also provide adequately for your family?

Not only are you wanting to give in a way that will help, but also you are not wanting to create a dependency that brings about greater harm than good. I share with folks that one of the hardest things here is to give to people in a way that will build into their lives and not create further struggles down the road. These are some of the challenges I think most missionaries face daily. Lord give us wisdom I pray !!!

It has been wonderful down on the Lake for a few days. Next week we look forward to another Bible School taking place. May we grow together in the things of the Lord. I also need to do some work around the house and both our small car and my bike are not running at the moment.

God bless.

13 July 2010

“Don’t just spend time,

invest it.”

“Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time.” Col 4:5

TIME !!!!! How often we say that we have so little of it! I often ask the Lord why He only made 24 hour days and of that why we need to spend time sleeping? There are just so many things to do and we just do not seem to have the time to complete our daily lists.

Yesterday was one of these days for me where the list was just longer than the time I had to do it in. Two days ago our prized cow gave birth to a beautiful calf. Praise the Lord for His blessing! However, we have a challenge with the mother in that she always struggles with a retained placenta. So after my morning run with Steve, I had to do the JOB. The JOB entails placing your arm down her poop canal to massage the uterus and then clean your arm and place it into her, you know what, to clean out her uterus. Not a topic for the breakfast table. It was then off to Chris, the old man that lives on his own, to deliver 50 chicks with feed. It is just to help him and give him some meaning for his day. Two hours later I am back at the house drilling some holes for Joel’s swords that he is making. Then it is packing all the goods for the trip across the lake. I am already 1 hour late and can’t seem to find enough egg trays to transport the eggs. Half an hour later I find some sponge that will work and head off for the 38 Km drive down to the harbour.

Well its off load all the goods for the Lodge, that the family is looking after while the managers are away, and head off to the filling station to load up 200L of fuel and 50L of Kerosene. It is then onto the boat and across the Lake, about 40min, to the Lodge. Great to see the family again. What an interesting day!! Now I just ran out of time to finish tiling our new shower, but maybe next week. Through out this day my desire is that in all this busyness God may be glorified as I rub shoulders with the world. God bless.!!

8th July 2010

“The greatest blessings come to the one who freely gives and expects nothing in return.”

Anon

As we enter August the pace of ministry seems to increase and we just are so thankful that we have so many opportunities that the Lord has opened for ministry. I believe that the greatest gift we can share is the Gospel, where a life can be transformed by the inward working power of our Lord.

At present we are busy running a Ladies Bible School. Last year I had a number of my students ask if we could not arrange a special School time for their wives. They commented that they were learning so much but that their wives were being left out. And so we started a wives Bible School programme and it has been so well received. We are so fortunate that we have a lady teacher, Renata, who willingly comes and spends time teaching the Ladies. Ladies are very influential up here in different ways to how we would see it. She certainly has a way of making an impact in the home, church and society.

My family is still at the Lodge on Lake Tanganyika, lodge sitting. They have also been very busy with a number of guests coming and going. I look forward to joining them tonight for a few nights before I return. As many of you are aware we only have two games of the World Cup left. This outreach has been such a great success in so many areas. Thank you for your prayers!!!! It comes to a close on Sunday and I look forward to our lives getting back into their usual routine. But oh it has been so worth it!!

 

5th July 2010

“If you adore Christ as Saviour

you won’t ignore Him as Lord.”

Anon

How is it that so many want Jesus as their Saviour but fail to take Him as their Lord? Do we do this because we fear death and the consequences thereof? Is having Christ possibly just an ace in case Heaven and Hell is real?Oh we miss out so much when we ignore Him as Lord. God designed us to worship!!! Sadly we have chosen to worship the temporal instead of Jesus who is the eternal. The best life, is a life where Christ is in the driving seat. Let us surrender to Him not only as Saviour but as Lord as well.

I praise the Lord for the wonderful ministry these last two days. On Sunday I was able to preach at Chipanda Baptist Church, which is a rural church about 15Km from our house. It was great to share from Hebrews 5 where Adam is compared with Christ and how sin and death came through one man, but eternal life also came through one man, Christ.

On Monday afternoon I was able to speak to the youth at the Youth Conference in Kowa Village. Eight Churches in the district had sent their youth. What a wonderful time!! Pray for those who made a confession of faith, that it may be real, not only taking Christ as Saviour, but Lord as well.

3rd July 2010

“In the drama of Life, God is the director behind the scenes.” Anon

Wow!! these last few weeks have passed by quickly. We were so privileged to have some visitors from Hilton Baptist in South Africa. What a wonderful time of fellowship. They spent the morning holding a Holiday Bible Club at Luse Orphanage and then in the afternoon and evening they started to repaint the inside of our house. And yes they brought up all the paint for the whole house. The rooms that have been completed look so good.

The day they left we received a call from some very good friends of ours, who manage a lodge on the Lake. They had to make a very urgent trip down to South Africa as their mom was not well at all. Because of this turn of events in their lives they asked us to Lodge sit while they are away. Now we also were fortunate to do this last year and we had such a blast. The difference this time is that the place is really busy with lots of guests coming and going. The ministry still also has to continue and this coming week we are having the pastors wives come for some training. And so Lynne and the children are Lodge sitting and I am still up in Mbala continuing with ministry. I will pop down every so often to see how they are all doing.

We thank the Lord that we are still showing the World Cup Football and that every night the Gospel is being preached. We continue to stand on His Word that His Word will not return void. Seeds are being sown!!

And so things are quite busy at the moment. But I do take comfort in the fact that God is directing the course of our lives and that all things are for good to those who love Him. I am glad that He is the one in control!!! We just need to be obedient and walk in the path that He has laid out for us. He is the one that gives us the strength for His tasks.

God bless!