Newsletter February 2022

God’s dwelling place

 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.  When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.  For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.  (2 Chronicles 7:12-16)

     Solomon had just completed the building of the temple in Jerusalem and had dedicated it to God as a place for His presence to dwell.  The temple of Solomon was modelled on the tabernacle of meeting, which God had instructed Moses to build – a mobile tent structure, which could be transported from place to place.  Like the tabernacle, the temple too had an outer court, where the people would offer their sacrifices and make their petitions to God.  Inside this court was the actual temple building which contained the Holy Place and, separated from it by a veil (or curtain), the Most Holy, where the high priest would meet with God and offer the annual sacrifice for the sins of the nation.  

     Yet Solomon’s temple was far more elaborate than the tabernacle of Moses’ time; it was a mighty, permanent structure, which towered high above the city for everyone to see.  Surely this building was worthy of the Almighty God!  And it was dedicated to God in a spectacular celebration with countless animal sacrifices.  God showed his approval of this new place of worship by filling it with His glory so that not even the priests were able to enter in.  However, it was after this remarkable event, when Solomon was by himself, that God appeared to him and promised that His presence would be in that place and that He would hear and answer the prayers of His people offered up there.

     Today, all that remains where the temple once stood in Jerusalem is a solitary wall where Jewish people gather to pray, as they remember the great days in their nation’s history.  Whatever happened to God’s dwelling place?  How does He manifest His presence?  God still desires to dwell with His people – with those who love and follow Him.  He is not, and never was, limited to buildings made with hands (Acts 7:48-50).  He inhabits eternity and His desire is to dwell with those who will humble themselves before His glorious presence (Isaiah 57:15). 

     God appeared to Solomon, confirming that He had accepted the place built for Him as a place of worship, and that His presence would be there.  Therefore, He would hear and answer the prayers of His people offered up in that place.  Before Jesus went to the cross and returned to heaven, He assured His disciples that they would not be left alone; the Holy Spirit would come to dwell in them (John 14:16-17).  Their bodies would be God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and in that day they would ask the Father in His name and the Father would hear and answer their prayers (John 16:26-27). 

     God is still seeking a people in whom He can dwell – and where God’s presence is manifest, where prayers are answered, where miracles take place!  Are we such a people?  Are we that spiritual temple that Paul describes in Ephesians 2:20-22, built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit with Christ as the cornerstone, who holds everything together?  Can the Almighty approve of what we present to Him as a dwelling place for His presence?                                                                   

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter January 2022 Part 2

A people for God and a land for God’s people

 “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” (Deut. 11:8-12)

Moses spoke these words to the Israelites when they were about to enter the land promised to them by God.  The LORD their God had led them out of Egyptian bondage to Mount Sinai, where He revealed Himself to them and made a covenant with them, and eventually to the border of Canaan.  The journey had not been a smooth one and, due to rebellion and unbelief, a whole generation had missed out on God’s promise of a land of their own.  Moses reminded them that some of their fathers had been destroyed by God for making themselves an idol to worship or for rebelling against him, God’s chosen leader.  Therefore he admonished the next generation to remember God’s commands, to obey them and to teach them to their children.  God’s promise was sure, and the land he was giving them was a land of plenty, but they would only be able to possess it if they depended on Him and followed His ways rather than their own.  Their allegiance had to be to Him alone; they were to worship no other gods, but to love the LORD with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength (Deut. 6:5).

     Moses compares Canaan, the Promised Land, with Egypt.  However, surprisingly, he does not refer to the hardship their parents and the generations before them had suffered there; instead, he describes Egypt as a garden.  There was a time, after the days of Joseph, when Israel had lived in peace in Egypt.  They had benefitted from the abundant water provided all year round by the great River Nile.  They, like the Egyptians, had dug irrigation canals to direct the Nile’s water far beyond its banks, thus turning dry wasteland into highly productive fields.  Even when there was little or no rain the Nile continued to supply water for agriculture, thus providing the basis for a great civilisation, an achievement of human endeavour.  

     Moses contrasts this with Canaan, a land of hills with complete dependence on the annual rainfall – the former rain in the spring, and the latter rain in autumn.  This bi-annual supply of water from heaven secured the fertility of the land; when the drain ceased, so did the crops.  Therefore the worship of the Canaanites was centred on fertility cults, involving all kinds of abominable practices from ritual prostitution to child sacrifice.  God’s command to Israel was to possess the land and destroy these people and their religious practices.  Instead, they should depend entirely on the God of heaven who would send rain from above to water the land that it could bring forth abundant fruit.  God’s blessings of abundant harvest were remembered, along with the deliverance from Egypt and the giving of God’s Law, in the annual celebrations Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).

     The Almighty God who revealed Himself to Israel at Sinai has now revealed Himself in the person of His Son Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-4).  In Him we have been made part of God’s people and thus beneficiaries of His promises.  The new birth effected by the Spirit in us through faith in Jesus allows us to enter the kingdom of God, the spiritual land He has prepared for us.  However, like Israel, we need to put God at the centre of our lives.  He will not share His glory with any other gods; nothing else must take pre-eminence in our lives.  As Israel we are to love the LORD with all their heart, and all their soul and all their strength, so must we – not from a mere sense of duty, but because we realise that He first loved us (1 John 4:19) and delivered us from the bondage of sin.

     Throughout the scriptures we see a consistent theme: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5-6)  The human desire for independence and self-reliance is the root of all sin (Gen. 3:5).  God’s answer is His provision of forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His call to a life of dependence on His Spirit (Gal. 5:25).  He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)  May that be our goal in 2022 and always.      

Newsletter January 2022

Faithful

 After the death of Moses, Joshua was to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land.  In Deuteronomy 34:9 we read that he was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.  Although Joshua’s role, on the surface, appears to be one of military conquest, in actual fact he follows Moses as a spiritual leader who is to remind the people of their calling to be God’s people.  The rest which the Israelites are to receive in the land God has given them in fulfilment of His promise to Abraham depends not on their own strength and ability but on their faith in and their faithfulness to God.  God’s promise is for His people – those who answer His call and commit themselves to His purpose that He may be glorified among the nations.  His Law (Hebrew: Torah – instruction) must therefore be at the centre of their lives. 

     God tells Joshua as the leader of His people that this Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8).  He commands Joshua to be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

     As humans, we tend to associate strength and courage/boldness with our ability to stand up for ourselves and our interests.  Even as Christians, we insist on our rights and make demands, believing that somehow we can achieve justice that way, forgetting that God’s ways are higher than man’s ways.  (Isaiah 55:9)  Everything comes from Him, the eternal Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe.  Vengeance is His and true justice comes from Him.  He is able to prosper those who walk in His ways and commit their cause to Him.  He rewards those who seek His kingdom and make His righteousness their priority.  God’s blessing is always tied to obedience to His will revealed in His word.  He will send His rain on those who put their confidence in Him and follow His instruction.

     When the Israelites reach the river Jordan and are about to cross over into the Land of Canaan, Joshua admonishes them to sanctify themselves, for the LORD is will do wonders among them.  (Joshua 3:5) They are to turn their eyes on God and to follow the Ark of His presence as it is carried ahead by the priests.  They are to keep a space between the Ark and themselves to ensure that they see where God is leading them so they do not end up running ahead of Him and thus into destruction.  He alone knows the way and He will guide them and fight for them.  All they need to do is to follow.

     We may not be at the boundary of a physical land waiting to enter in, but like the Israelites we are going a way that we have not gone before.  (Joshua 3:4)  Like them, we need to keep our eyes firmly on God.  His word needs to be at the centre of our lives.  It is only by following His leading at His pace – not running ahead according to our own understanding – that we will be able to remain faithful to Him, fulfil His purpose, and ultimately enter into His rest.

     Like everything in the Old Testament, the story of Joshua points to Jesus.  Everything is fulfilled in Him.  Joshua led the people into the land of Canaan, but they never entered into His rest.  (Hebrews 4:8-10)  Their story is one of falling away from God and being scattered, but also of God’s redemption and restoration as they return to Him with their whole heart. 

     God is faithful; He never forgets His promises.  Therefore He sent His Son, the One by whom He created the universe, the brightness of His glory and expressed image of His person (Hebrews 1:2-3) clothed in human flesh to live in the midst of a rebellious humanity in complete obedience to His Father’s purpose – even to the point of death on the cross.  Through His faithfulness, He purged our sin.  What we could not do in our own strength He accomplished by taking on humanity Himself, and by His Spirit in us He now calls us to take up our cross and follow Him.  Whatever the future may bring, God knows the way.  He will lead those who commit themselves to Him and remain faithful as Jesus was faithful.  Nothing will separate them from the love of God. (Romans 8:35-39) 

Is your mind made up?Have you put your trust entirely in Jesus?Will you remain faithful to Him no matter what may come? Will you keep your eyes on Him and follow His leading until you enter into His rest?Revelation 14:4 -These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

Newsletter December

What child is this?

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. … He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5; 10; 14)

     As we enter another Christmas season, we focus on the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We are well acquainted with the scene of the Nativity: baby Jesus lying in the manger, Mary, His mother, and Joseph standing next to Him, and shepherds bowing down in adoration.  Yet there were many people in Bethlehem that night, who do not feature in this scene: people who were in the vicinity, maybe had even seen this newborn child, yet did not recognise Him and therefore missed that miraculous moment, when the Eternal God stepped into time, when the heavenly Creator took on human flesh.  

     Some had come from far to Bethlehem, like Mary and Joseph, to be counted.  There were Roman officials around, who may have registered the couple upon their arrival, ticking off their names on seemingly unending census lists.  Inn keepers had sent them away, until finally one of them - be it out of compassion or simply to make an extra shekel from their misery - had offered the couple a place with his livestock.  Then there were neighbours, passers-by, people who were simply getting on with their lives in the midst of all the commotion.  None of these people are found in the Nativity scene, because none of them recognised who He was.      

     Instead we see a group of shepherds come to see baby Jesus.  They had been watching their flocks at night, just as they did every night.  Nothing had suggested that this night would be different until suddenly angels appeared to them, telling them to leave their flocks and go to Bethlehem, where they would find the Saviour lying in a manger (Luke 2:10-12).  They believed the message of the angels and hurried to Bethlehem where they were able to behold the glory of the Son of God (John 1:14). 

     Do you recognise who He is?  When you look at the baby in the manger, do you see the image of the invisible God?  (Colossians 1:15)  When you read of His miracles, do you see the Almighty Creator?  When you think of the cross, do see the Holy One who took your guilt upon Himself?  When you consider the empty tomb, do you see the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25) who conquered death for you?  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, let us pray that God would give us a deeper revelation of His Son, so that we can see Him for who He really is.   

     And what about those around you?  Your family and friends, your neighbours and colleagues?  What about all those you meet in the shops, when you buy your Christmas gifts, or at the post office when you post your Christmas parcels and cards?  Do they know who He is?  Let us pray this Christmas that God would reveal His Son to them as well.  Let us ask Him to give us opportunities to point them to Jesus.  How will they know if no one tells them?  How will they perceive if no one shows them?  (Romans 10:14)  Will you be that signpost?  

Pastor Konrad   

Newsletter November 2021 Part 2

By His power

 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.  And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”  (Genesis 25:22-23)

     From before the birth of Jacob and Esau, God told their mother Rebekah that Jacob was to become the heir of His promise.  Yet instead of waiting patiently for God’s purpose to unfold, Jacob seized the first opportunity to take advantage of Esau’s impulsive character by getting his brother to sell to him what God had already determined was his by promise.  Then, adding insult to injury, Rebekah conspired with Jacob to trick Isaac into pronouncing the blessing of the firstborn on him instead of Esau.  As a result of taking matters into his own hands, Jacob ended up having to flee from his furious brother to save his life. 

     Jacob seemed to have lost everything, but it was at this point, while he was all alone in the wilderness, that God appeared to him.  In a dream, he saw a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:12) And above it stood the LORD and spoke to him, reaffirming to Jacob the promise He had made to Abraham and his descendants to give them the land.

     How often do we take things into our own hands rather than simply trusting in God’s promise, waiting patiently for His purpose to unfold?  How often do we end up outside of God’s place of blessing because we try to manage our destiny ourselves?  In Jacob’s case, this resulted in more than two decades in His uncle Laban’s service, at the end of which he found himself fleeing yet again for outwitting his uncle, as he had once outwitted his brother and father. 

     How long can a person be on the run?  And what does one do when there remains nowhere to go?  The only option left for Jacob was head back to his homeland with the family God had given him during his exile and hope that somehow his brother would forgive him and receive him back.  However, news came to Jacob that Esau was still determined to kill him, so he tried one more time to work things out himself: he sent his family and servants ahead in groups, with gifts, hoping to appease his brother.  Yet again, as he was all alone, God appeared to Jacob. (Genesis 32:24-29)

     … a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.  Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.  And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”  But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”  So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”  And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”   Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”  And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

     It was after this divine encounter, that Esau’s attitude towards his brother suddenly changed.  Jacob had to come to the realisation that his only hope was to trust entirely in God’s grace.  And the injury he received during this struggle was to serve as a constant reminder that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

     Therefore, in all our trouble and in all our fragility, let us remember that God’s grace is sufficient.  Let us be confident that He will make a way by His power, for when we are weak we are strong.  

Newsletter November 2021

Word and life

 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8)

     The apostle Paul had been called by the Spirit of God to preach the gospel in Macedonia. (Acts 16:9-10)  He had won people of different walks of life to Jesus Christ and established fledgling churches in Philippi and Thessalonica, but due to the persecution that immediately arose, he was not able to stay with these believers for long.  During his time with them, however, he poured into their lives, teaching them in word and by his example.  To him, these new believers were like children who needed nurturing to grow spiritually.  What would he do to ensure they did not succumb to the pressures of life and opposition from those hostile to Jesus? 

     It is this concern that prompted Paul to write the letter to the Thessalonians, reminding them of the message of salvation, commending them for their openness to receive it and their example in sharing it with others, and pointing to his own conduct as an example for Christian living and ministry.  And it was this concern that caused him to send Timothy back to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing.

     Ministry is about sharing the truth of God’s word, but it is also about sharing our lives with others.  Church is not just a place where we go on Sunday mornings to receive an infusion that will hopefully see us through another difficult week.  It is not just an opportunity to listen to a few worship songs and a sermon – something that can easily be done online.  True church is community, a space where we can share the hope we have found in Jesus and our lives, with all the joys and struggles we experience as we follow Jesus.

     Paul recognised this and therefore he wrote, we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.  Yet he also realised his own limitations; he could not be with them all the time and they would have to learn to receive that same support from his fellow workers to who he entrusted their care and, ultimately, from each other.  New leadership would have to arise from among them, modelled on what they had seen in him. 

     It was on that same journey, just before receiving the call to go to Macedonia, that Paul met Timothy. (Acts 16:1-3)  He and Barnabas had decided to go separate ways, and Paul’s small missionary team of ministers needed new recruits whom he could train up for the great task that lay ahead.  And God provided, as He always does.  Paul took Timothy under his wings like a son, and soon this young man became Paul’s most trusted fellow worker.  Writing later from prison to the Philippian church the first he had established together with Silas and Timothy in Macedonia, Paul could say confidently, I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.  For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. (19-20) and “you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. (v.22)         

     Today God is still looking for Timothys – those who are willing to answer His call to serve by sharing His word and their own lives, those who will pour into others what God has given them.  Can you hear Him calling you?              

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter October 2021 Part 2

Ready?

 “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God asked the prophet in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:13).  Elijah had just experienced his greatest triumph.  On Mount Carmel, he had challenged the forces of evil before the whole nation and had seen the fire of God come from heaven to consume the sacrifice he had prepared.  Seeing this, the people had turned back to God and had slaughtered the priests of Baal.  Immediately, God had opened the skies and had sent rain on the parched land of Israel.  However, one threat from Queen Jezebel had caused him to flee into the desert and to Mount Horeb, where he now sat, wishing to die.

     All Elijah could see at this moment in time was himself and his situation.  He told God how he alone had been zealous for Him, and how everybody else was serving Baal and was therefore out to kill him.  With his eyes on himself and his situation, he apparently forgot that God had demonstrated His sovereign power at Mount Carmel and that, as a result, thousands had turned back to Him.  It is easy for us too to lose sight of God’s purpose, to think like Elijah that we are the only ones left serving Him.  Like Elijah, we may be looking for some comforting words, a pat on the shoulder and a “well done, my good and faithful servant.” 

     After we have experienced God’s power in a special way the enemy will seek to intimidate us and to rob us of the blessings we have just received.  It is then easy to lose sight of God’s greatness and His calling for our lives, and to shift our focus onto the issues that suddenly confront us.  In these situations, we need to find a place where we can once again hear the gentle whisper of God, reminding us that He is always in control. 

     God’s reply to Elijah is not quite what the prophet would have expected: He tells Elijah that there are seven thousand others.  Those seven thousand may not have stood in the limelight of Mount Carmel (yet), but they love God and refused to bow to Baal or to be intimidated by his followers.  And one of these people is Elisha son of Shaphat. 

     So God sends this great prophet on a final mission.  He instructs him to anoint Hazael King over Aram, Jehu King over Israel, and Elisha to succeed him as prophet (vv. 15-16).  Elijah obeys God’s instructions and finds Elisha ploughing a field.  He throws his cloak, a symbol of the anointing, around Elisha and calls him to follow.  Elisha immediately leaves his oxen and plough and runs after Elijah.  Then, however, he asks the prophet for permission to kiss his family good-bye.  For a moment, Elijah must have questioned whether God had sent him to the right person, for no-one who puts his hand to [God’s] plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).  Hence his reply, “Go back.  What have I done to you?” (v.20) 

     Little does Elijah know that Elisha’s reason for going back is to burn his bridges: he goes to kill the oxen with which he had been ploughing, and cooks them over a fire made with his ploughing equipment.  Elisha hears God’s call and is willing to leave everything in order to answer that call.  And he is willing to follow on God’s terms.  He faithfully serves Elijah until the day when his master is taken up to heaven and the cloak of God’s anointing finally passes on to him.

     God is never anxious about His purpose.  He never loses the plot.  He alone has the overall picture.  He knows what He is doing, and He will always find someone who is willing to leave what they are doing to answer His call and to be faithful to his purpose.   God is challenging every one of us to be that person.  What will our response be?                                       

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter October 2021 Part 1

Truth brings life

 And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”  So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.  Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. (2 Kings 4:38-40)

     In the Middle East, meals usually include bread made from wheat or barley as a staple.  Therefore whenever we read in the scriptures about a meal, bread is present.  No wonder that bread is also associated with the spiritual food of God’s word.  Jesus. when tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, responded by quoting from the Law (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3) “... man shall not live by bread alone; but ... by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”  Just as bread sustains the physical body, God’s word sustains the human spirit.

     The prophet Elisha returns to his base in Gilgal to find that there is a famine.  He instructs his group of disciples to take what edible things they can find in the house and make a stew.  There is no mention of bread and, evidently, there is not much else in the house either.  So one of the group of disciples goes into the field in search of something edible to supplement what they had gathered together.  He comes across a plant with a fruit which he does not know but, as its leaves look familiar like a vine, he takes some of the wild gourds and slices them into the pot.  As they eat, one of the group recognises the danger and raises the alarm.  One foreign ingredient has rendered the entire stew poisonous.

     In times of apparent spiritual famine, when we fail to see the desired progress in the work of God, we are easily tempted to supplement the little we have with things that look familiar and good but in actual fact are toxic.  Rather than wait patiently on God to provide the true ingredients for revival, we resort to some alternatives that lead us away from God and end up exchanging what He has given us for a deadly concoction of false teaching and counterfeit spirituality. 

     In this biblical story, the prophet Elisha has a solution: he tells them to get some flour and to put it into the pot.  We are not told where they found the flour, how much they added, and how it was able to neutralise the toxin, but we do know the outcome: the stew was no longer harmful and they were able to eat and thus survive. 

     Spiritually speaking, when we have moved away from God’s truth and tried to bring in something that looks good but is not from God, the remedy is always to return to the fundamentals of the Bible – God’s sovereignty and His purpose to reveal Himself to a creation that has turned away from Him.  The nature of deception is that it looks much like the truth; and the remedy is a return to the basic principles of God’s word.  As the stew was made good by the flour, sound teaching is able to counter the destructive force of spiritual deception.  As bread sustains our physical body, it is the truth of God’s word that sustains and renews our spirit. 

     We may feel at times that we are experiencing spiritual famine and, as a result, get discouraged, and feel we need to tweak the gospel message to make it appealing, but God always has the solution.  As we read on in the passage of scripture, we see God provide in His own way.  Seemingly out of the blue, a man comes with an offering of the firstfruits for the prophet – twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain.  This may seem a generous offering for one man, particularly in a time of famine, but rather than satisfy himself alone, Elisha tells one of his disciples to share it out among the people.  This man is perplexed – how can twenty small loaves feed 100 people?  So the prophet repeats his instruction and adds, “for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ” So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.  This miracle, of course, reminds us of Jesus feeding 5000 hungry men plus an unknown number women and children who had followed Him into the wilderness to listen to His teaching. 

     Our God, the Creator of the universe, is able to sustain those who put their confidence in Him and prioritise the spiritual food of His word.  And He is able to multiply what He gives to us as we share it with others.  God’s word brings life to all who are willing to receive it.  Let us therefore study it, meditate on it, and share it with others.  Let us recognise deception and challenge any false teaching and counterfeit spirituality with the truth of His word.        

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter September 2021

Connecting heaven and earth

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (John 1:43-45)

     When you have discovered something very special, something that really excites you, what would you do?  Would you not want to share your joy and excitement with someone else?  Who would you tell?  Philip had just met Jesus, and Jesus had invited him to follow Him as His disciple.  Like many people at the time, Philip had been waiting for the Messiah, the promised Saviour of Israel, and he now recognized that Jesus was that one.  Imagine his excitement!  Who would he share that good news with? 

     Philip went to his friend Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  Now, Nathanael was a good Israelite.  He knew the Holy Scriptures; he knew that, according to them, the Messiah, the Son of David would come from Bethlehen.  How could a man from Nazareth, that village down the road, be the Saviour of Israel?  Can anything good come from such an insignificant place?

     Nonetheless Nathanael comes along, and as he comes near, Jesus greets him with the words, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  A man who knows him without ever having met him?  A man who saw him sitting under a tree when he was yet far away?  Could it be that this Galilean was indeed the Messiah?  Nathanael declares, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”  Clearly Philip was right after all!  Were the promises of God about to come true?  Was God’s kingdom of righteousness about to be established?  

     Yes, this Jesus was the Messiah; yet he was (and is) so much more!  “Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  Nathanael knew the Scriptures; he immediately understood what Jesus was referring to.  He had heard of Jacob, of that Patriarch of God’s people.  He knew of Jacob’s dream in which the angels of God ascended and descended on a ladder that reached to heaven, into the very presence of the Almighty.  This Jesus was the true ladder to heaven.  The Son of Man had come to connect earth with heaven, God’s people with their God.  The Eternal One had come to His people.

     When you think of Jesus, what do you see?  Do you think he knows you as he knew Nathanael?  Are you conscious that his eyes are always on you, wherever you might be?  Do you believe that he is just, that he will fight your cause and meet your needs as you pray to him?  Yes, this is true; he does know and he does care.  Yet Jesus is so much more.  He came to connect earth with heaven.  He came to transform us by His Spirit so we could live in communion with the God who created us and the universe in which we exist.  Therefore, when you think of Jesus, see heaven open!  And as you see Him, point others to Him.  

One day He will come again, but this time not in obscurity.  This time, every eye will see Him and He will judge the world in righteousness and of His kingdom there will be no end.

                            Pastor Konrad

Newsletter August 2021 Part 2

The glory of His name

 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.  Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.  And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4)

     This story of the Tower of Babel reveals to us humankind’s desire to be one.  The people in the story are able to communicate with each other and therefore to agree with each other and make plans as a group.  Their concern is that they might be scattered abroad and lose their sense of community.

     We were created for community.  When God made Adam, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone” and gave him woman, made of his own flesh and bone. (Gen. 2:23) Adam and Eve were one, as they enjoyed God’s presence and the blessings that issued from it.  There was no lack in the garden and life could have continued eternally in that way.  However, Adam and Eve were also united in their disobedience, as they succumbed to the temptation (Gen. 3:5) to be like God, knowing good and evil – i.e. making their own decisions independent of God.  Consequently, they lost their fellowship with God and the resulting blessings, and before long envy and selfish desire led to the first murder in history (Genesis 4:8).  The first family community was destroyed.

     In the story of the Tower of Babel, we see humankind’s innate desire for unity and community, but we also see the original sin of Adam repeated.  Instead of turning to God, they wanted to reach heaven themselves and make a name for themselves.  They had the resources required for this task and they were of one mind and one language, so they could work together to accomplish it.  However, they left God out of the picture, and He came down to confound their plans by confusing their language.

     As a result of original sin, our society is dominated by human ambitions.  Like in this story, the quest for our own greatness manifests itself through celebrity culture and a one-sided focus on personal achievement and material success at the expense of a living relationship with God.  Even religious endeavours are far too often motivated by a desire to make a name for ourselves by being the most popular church, having the greatest ministry, rather than by a desire to glorify God.  In the value system of this world, prominence and recognition seem more important than faithful service to God and others.  Yet when things fall apart, as they did in Babel, because we have left God out of the picture, we find ourselves in the very place that we had tried to avoid – scattered and left with nothing but a pile of rubble.

     As we consider history, we find that human efforts to create unity have usually been based on oppression.  Strong leaders unite a group of people at the expense of others.  Nations conquer and rule over other nations.  Political ideologies dominate and oppress those who oppose their ideas.  Today the world seems more divided than ever before and many are crying out for strong leadership – and it will come, as the Bible foretells, in the form of the Antichrist.  Yet, one final time, God will confound human attempts to create a unity without His presence.  While humanity endeavours to make a name for itself, JESUS will return to confound its efforts and establish His everlasting kingdom of peace.  In that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10-11)

     Meanwhile we, as Christ’s body on earth, are called to be a community that declares His name and reflects His glory.  Jesus is the Head, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph. 4:11-15).  Therefore let us be different to the world; let us not strive for our own individual greatness but rather, as living stones, be built up together into a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5) – a dwelling place of God’s presence (Eph. 2:22) to the glory of His name.

Newsletter August 2021

Called according to God’s purpose

 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.  Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.  Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:1-4)

     As the community of believers in Jerusalem grew a dispute arose.  One of the key features of this community, the decision to have all things in common so no one would suffer lack, became a problem as some felt neglected in the distribution of that which had been donated.  This dispute was along ethnic lines, which suggests that there had been a demographic shift in the congregation.  The church was still made up entirely of Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah, but now a division emerged between those of Hebrew and those of Greek background which posed a serious threat to its unity.  Something needed to be done, particularly as this dispute would distract the apostles from the focus of their calling – prayer and the ministry of God’s word.

     Wherever people live and work together, there will be problems as we each tend to look at the situation from our own perspective, not taking into account how others are affected.  However, what originally poses a problem can also be turned into an opportunity.  In this particular case, the issue and the positive response of the leadership resulted in more people being released into ministry.  As we read on, we soon see that those identified for the task of managing the distribution of material goods on the basis of their good reputation, spiritual anointing and wisdom themselves became proclaimers of the good news of the kingdom of God. 

     And it was through another problem – persecution, climaxing in the stoning of Stephen – that Philip ended up preaching first in Samaria and then to a Jewish Ethiopian official who was travelling back from Jerusalem to his home country.  Thus Jesus’ commission to proclaim the gospel message not only in Jerusalem and Judea but also in Samaria and the entire world began to be fulfilled.

     There is, however, another positive outcome of the dispute between the Greek and Hebrew Jewish believers; it prepared the church for a much greater challenge that lay ahead.  Soon they would have to incorporate converts into their midst who had no Jewish background at all.  The sudden influx of Gentile believers necessitated a complete shift in the thinking of the apostles, and the resolution of the earlier dispute had served to prepare them for this new challenge.  If they had, at the time, focused on administrative matters rather than on prayer and proclamation, they would probably have missed God’s prompting to reach out into completely new missionary fields.  And they probably wouldn’t have had the spiritual insight to understand what God was doing, even though Jesus had told them before ascending to the Father. 

     As we progress on our spiritual journey and spread God’s word to a lost world, we will surely face difficult situations that require a shared leadership which ensures all areas of ministry are adequately covered and people within the kingdom community – the church – can rise to the place where they are able to answer God’s call for their lives.

     It is interesting to note the primary criteria for choosing those who would serve as administrative leaders: their credentials mentioned are a good reputation (being known for faithful service within the church), the anointing of the Holy Spirit and godly wisdom, which suggests that they were already engaging in prayer and study of the scriptures.  They would need to have the spiritual understanding to participate in what God was about to do.

     Given the fact that the church operated in small groups that met in homes, we may assume it was there that they had found opportunities to prove their faithfulness and develop their ministry.  If we are to follow the biblical example, we conclude that it is still in such small groups that leaders are identified and developed before being selected to the leadership roles God has for them within His church.  And we also recognise that God can, at any time, release such leaders into new roles as He chooses, even if it means moving them into new territories for the benefit of His kingdom.  This in turn, creates opportunities for others to step up and fulfil their calling. 

Newsletter July 2021 Part 2

Once for all

 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” (Acts 4:15-16)

     The apostles Peter and John had been arrested for proclaiming Jesus as the Saviour of Israel.  They had healed a lame man in the name of Jesus and, when a crowd gathered in amazement, they had declared that it was not by any power of their own but through faith in the name of Jesus that this man had received healing.  The same Jesus who had been crucified as a false Messiah had risen from the dead and was now working through His followers by the Spirit.

     When the religious leaders heard of it, they had them arrested and brought before their council.  The healing as such was not a problem to them; and hardly deniable.  It was the name of Jesus that offended them - the One whom they thought they had got rid of once and for all, but whom God had vindicated by raising Him from the dead.  Those who proclaimed His name needed to be silenced.  So they decided to threaten them and send them away, hoping that that would be the end.  However, Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  (Acts 4:19-20) 

     When they were let go, the two apostles immediately went to their companions who shared their faith in the risen Lord.  And together they raised their voices to God, declaring His sovereignty and purpose (Acts 4:25-28): “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’  For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 

     They understood that God, in His wisdom and power, had allowed normally opposing worldly forces to gather together in unison to kill Jesus, not realising that, in doing so, they were fulfilling God’s plan to provide a sacrifice for sin that only He Himself could give – His beloved Son.  The One they wanted to get rid of once and for all became the ultimate sacrifice – giving His life once, for all.

     And they also understood their role in God’s purpose: to proclaim His name, beginning in Jerusalem and continuing until all the world would hear the message of salvation through Jesus.  Their prayer therefore was not for relief from the threats of the religious leaders but for boldness to continue what they knew they were called to do, knowing that God would continue to confirm His word through the power of His Spirit, not their own power and ability (Acts 4:29-30): “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  And God heard their prayer and granted their request (v.31): And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

     As our world is becoming increasingly hostile to the gospel message of salvation through Jesus alone, and normally opposing forces are joining together against His people, what will our response be?  Will we be silenced through fear?  Or will we, like these early disciples, recognise that we are on the side of the sovereign God, called to play our part in the fulfilment of His purpose – that all will hear and receive salvation through faith in the One who died – once, for all.     

Newsletter July 2021 Part 1

Open eyes

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:1-3)

     Jesus is in Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles.  His disciples have heard Him debate with the religious leaders and declare in the Temple “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12).  Now they come across a blind man sitting by the wayside to beg from those going to worship in the temple.  This man has never seen light; all he has known in his life is darkness.  Surely somebody is to blame for his condition – if not he himself then maybe his parents.  Jesus, however, corrects his disciples; the man’s plight was to reveal God’s glory.     

     Then Jesus goes up to the man and does something rather unusual: He spits on the ground, rubs the dirt into a clay-like mixture and puts it on the man’s eyes and sends him to wash out his eyes.  The man obeys His instructions and, amazingly, the he returns seeing.  Those who knew him as the blind beggar are confused – is it really him or just his lookalike?

     The man confirms that it is truly him.  Now they want to know how this was possible.  He tells them “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” (John 9:11)  A miracle!  This must immediately be reported to the Pharisees – the religious leaders!  The Pharisees, however, are not enthused.  Rather than rejoice with the man and those who witnessed his healing, they point to the fact that it is the Sabbath when no work may be done.  Surely someone who heals on the Sabbath cannot be from God.  Rules are there to be kept.  This Jesus must be a false prophet.

     These religious men could not rejoice with the healed man.  They did not understand what it was like to receive sight, when all one has known is darkness.  They could not receive the Light of God that had come into their midst.  They saw Jesus, but did not recognise him.  As Christians today, we confess our faith in Jesus as God’s Son.  Yet do we really recognise Him?  Do we know what His priorities are?  Are we concerned about those who live in darkness?  Or are we too blind ourselves to perceive what matters to Him?  Is our focus merely on maintaining the religious routine we have become so used to?  Is our ambition to advance God’s kingdom rule or to promote our own causes. 

     Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.” (v.39-41) 

     Jesus divides – into those who believe in Him and those who reject Him.  He came into this world of darkness as the Light of God.  He came to open the eyes of the blind that they would see.  He told his disciples, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (v.3)  Jesus has ascended to the Father, but He has sent us His Spirit – that same Spirit who worked in Him when the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. (Eph. 1:20)  May our spiritual eyes be opened, that we may know what is the hope of His calling.  May we not be blind to what He is doing, but rather engage in it. May we truly be His body on earth, the fullness of Him who fills all in all, so we can fulfil by His power what He has begun – to bring light to those who sit in darkness. 

Newsletter June 2021 Part 2

House to house

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.  (Acts 2:46-47)

     These two verses sum up the nature and impact of the Early Church.  Having been baptised in the Holy Spirit, the disciples boldly declared that Jesus had risen from the dead and that He was the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world.  And Jesus was not only at the centre of their message, but of every aspect of their lives.  Everything they did was modelled on what they had seen in Him and inspired by His Spirit who now lived in them.

     The Early church did not have a church building.  Yes, being of Jewish background, they would meet in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which was one of the most magnificent edifices of their day.  They would go there to observe the worship requirements of the Law of Moses and to proclaim Jesus as the fulfilment of that Law.  For them, however, the temple was not the equivalent to our church buildings today – a place where they could come together and worship with those who shared their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  On the contrary, it was a rather hostile place, as the religious leaders who oversaw the temple worship were, for the most part, opposed to their message and soon persecuted them as they had persecuted their Master.  When we think of the temple, we must rather think of a public place where all kinds of people gathered – a venue where one could preach the message of the risen Christ to those who had not yet heard it.  

     So where did the first century believers meet?  Where did they worship the Lord and fellowship with one another?  It was in their houses.  As more and more people responded to the message to follow Jesus, the disciples opened their homes to these new believers.  They did not regard what they had as their own, but as God’s, and therefore it was natural for them to welcome others who shared their faith to also share their food, their fellowship and their entire lives.  This is what they had experienced when they had been with Jesus while He was on earth, and this is what they continued, as He continued to walk with them in the Spirit.

     Our understanding of church today has been shaped largely by what we have seen around us rather than by the experience of Acts.  Most people associate church with a building where we gather once a week on a Sunday morning to take time out for God.  Our busy lives and varied responsibilities do not allow us to “get involved” any more than that.  When we face struggles, we either keep them to ourselves or maybe share them with those whose “job” it is to look after the flock.

     Not so the Early Church: they had all things in common.  No one was left alone with their need – be it material or spiritual.  Everyone knew that the others cared for them, because their God cared for them.  Therefore they were not afraid to share their needs with their brothers and sisters in Christ and not too busy with their own lives to support those who were struggling.  Their faith was not merely a religious exercise tagged on to the end of a busy week – it was a lifestyle.  It reflected who they were in Christ, and it helped them survive and grow ever stronger, even in the face of constant persecution.

     Now, this model of church was not limited to Jerusalem.  As the church grew and spread throughout the Roman Empire, fellowships sprang up everywhere, meeting mainly in homes and gathering only sometimes in larger groups, as they were able.  For the first three centuries, the church was built on caring relationships within small groups.  This fact is reflected in Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 27-8:   

     … we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

     The New Testament model of church is built on small groups – now, as it was then.  It is in the caring environment of a small group that we can grow in the knowledge of God, discover the gifts He has given us, and bear one another’s burdens in true Christian love.  Let us share our faith and our lives with one another and discover the purpose and calling God has for us.  As we seek to restructure and relaunch our small groups after the lockdown, sign up to join a group!  Who knows, there may be other lockdowns and small groups (indoors, outdoors or online) may become the primary (if not the only) way to meet regularly.

  Pastor Konrad 

Newsletter June 2021 Part 1

God’s voice from the fire

 So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.  And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.  Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die.  For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?  You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’  (Deut. 5:23-27)

     Moses spoke these words to the Israelites who were about to enter the land God had promised them.  He addresses them, but in fact it is the generation of their parents that had heard God’s voice and lived.  Nonetheless, that entire previous generation, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, were unable to enter Canaan, instead dying in the course of their 40-year sojourn in the desert.   It was because they had drawn back in fear rather than near to God in order to hear Him speak to them that their faith later failed.  It was because they preferred to receive God’s word indirectly through the mediation of Moses that they did not believe they would be able overcome their enemy. 

     So what would this next generation do – those to whom it was granted to take the land?  Would they truly know God and hear His voice?  Would they walk in obedience to Him?  As we know from the Book of Joshua, this new generation failed to obey.  Instead of destroying all the inhabitants of Canaan, they left some alive and soon ended up following after their gods and emulating their sinful ways.

     The Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorates the Sinai Covenant and the giving of the Law – that momentous encounter with God which Moses was referring to in the passage above.  By appearing to him in the burning bush, God had already shown Moses that He desires to dwell with His creation without it being consumed by His presence.  His desire was a people who would respond to His call and give themselves entirely to Him, so that He could be their God and they could be His people.  Yet instead of coming near, they drew back in fear.

     It is no coincidence that God chose Pentecost, that time when Jewish worshippers from every country and language were gathered together in Jerusalem to commemorate the giving of the Law, as the time to pour out His Spirit on the disciples in the form of divided tongues of fire.  God once again was speaking from the fire, but this time His presence remained on each of the disciples, communicating to and through each of them, so that all those present could hear them declare the wonderful works of God in their own languages.  And they were able to receive His Spirit without being consumed.

     God’s intention has always been to dwell in the people He calls to Himself.  He wants to speak to each of His own individually, so that they can hear Him and walk in obedience to His voice.  However, God’s presence cannot dwell with sin.  Where sin prevails, His fire consumes.  Therefore He first had to deal with sin by providing the ultimate sacrifice Himself – Jesus.

     When John the Baptist saw Jesus of Nazareth, he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29)  He then went on to testify, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32-33)

     After Peter had explained on that Pentecost what was happening, those listening to him asked, “What shall we do?”  The apostle replied, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) 

     God wants to dwell in His people by His Spirit – in all who will turn to Him and call on the name of His Son Jesus for the forgiveness of sin through His sacrifice on the cross.              

     Pastor Konrad

Newsletter May 2021 Part 2

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by [the apostles] during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

     Luke begins his Acts of the Apostles by reiterating that Jesus who had been crucified rose from the dead and that those whom He had chosen were eyewitness to His resurrection, not just once but over a period of 40 days.  During this time He instructed them from the prophetic scriptures concerning the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth and sent them to proclaim this good news not only among their own people but to all nations.  Yet despite all that Jesus had explained to them, their focus was still on times and seasons.  They wanted to know when God would restored the kingdom to Israel, but Jesus pointed them to the immediate task He had for them:  you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

     Yes, Jesus had come into the world as the promised Messiah, the King of Israel, but for now He would return to His heavenly home.  Nonetheless, God’s reign would be manifested through the presence of the Holy Spirit who would work in them to transform first them and then through them the whole world.  Their witness would not merely be an account of what they had seen and heard, but a demonstration of their daily experience of God’s life-transforming presence.  This is why they had to wait for the Holy Spirit.

     As humans, we often struggle to wait for God’s timing and instruction.  We see that something needs to be done and we look for solutions.  This is true both in our own personal affairs and in our wider society.  Be it conflicts, injustices, disasters or a pandemic – we focus on what we can do to fix the problem.  This is also true, all too often, of the church.  We who know of God and His purpose to restore His fallen creation back to Himself in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:10) so often revert to our own ideas and come up with our own solutions rather than wait patiently on God for His direction.

     Even during the short period of 10 days following His ascension, these followers of Jesus identified a need and came up with a solution of their own.  Jesus had appointed twelve apostles and now, following Judas’ betrayal and death, there were only eleven.  They determined what to do and decided to select two from among those others who had also been with Jesus from the beginning and had witnessed His resurrection, and then to allow God to choose between the two proposed candidates to fill the vacancy.  They cast lots to determine God’s will, and Matthias was chosen.  Interestingly we never hear of Matthias again.  This does not imply that He lost his faith and abandoned the group of disciples, but as we read on, we hear of others suddenly appearing on the scene as God raises them up and empowers them by His Spirit to proclaim His message and perform miracles in His name. 

     Today, as the lockdown restrictions are gradually lifting, we too find ourselves at the point of new beginnings.  Much has changed as a result of the long lockdown and the different challenges we have faced.  We have reflected, have had to adapt to new situations and, as a result, we have changed.  While some may have struggled with their faith during this crisis, others have found themselves drawing nearer to God and growing in confidence as never before.  Let us therefore all determine to seek God.  Let us allow Him to (re)build His house after this shaking. 

What is God saying to you? Is He perhaps calling you to something new? Are you ready to step up and serve in His kingdom, not in your own strength and ability but by the power of His Spirit? Will you seek His face and answer His call?

Newsletter May 2021 Part 1

Sent

 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

     Writing to the mainly Gentile believers in Ephesus, Paul states that they are no longer strangers to the covenant of God and excluded from the blessings.  Through their faith in Jesus Christ, the promised Saviour of His people Israel, they are now included in His purpose.  God is building a new temple for His presence, not made of stone but of people.  What holds them together is not their background but their faith in Jesus.   And this faith is based on the fulfilment of the prophetic scriptures as taught by the apostles – those sent by Him. 

     After His resurrection, Jesus had appeared to His followers.  He invited them to touch him and ate with them, so they could see that He was truly risen from the dead and they were not just seeing a spirit.  Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  (Luke 24:44-45)  He showed them from what we now know as the Old Testament that, through His death and resurrection, He had paid the price for humanity’s sin.  He then sent them as witnesses of His resurrection to proclaim repentance and remission of sins in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (v.49)  That way they would fulfil their part in God’s purpose.

     The Anointed One of Israel had come not, as many had expected, to be their king only, but as the Saviour of the world.  He came to fulfil God’s purpose that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (Ephesians 1:10)  Through the apostles’ proclamation of the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel, all who believe, Jews and Gentiles alike, are now able to enjoy God’s salvation.  And having believed, [they are] sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (vv.13-14)

     Today God calls us who have put our trust in His grace revealed through Jesus Christ to proclaim this good news to all, irrespective of their background.  It is through faith in Him and the remission of sin by His blood that we have become His people and received His Holy Spirit.  It is now for us to share the testimony and teaching of the apostles with others. 

Jesus Christ has ascended; He has returned to the Father. Now God dwells in His people, both individually and as a community of believers from every background. Let us look to Jesus, depend on His grace, and allow Him to build us together into His temple, so He can manifest Himself to the whole world through us.

Newsletter April 2021 Part 2

Led by God’s Spirit

 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)

     After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples as they were assembled with the doors shut for fear.  Despite the empty tomb and Mary’s testimony of her encounter with the risen Lord, they were still afraid of those who had killed Jesus.  Suddenly He stood in their midst, blessed them and commissioned them to continue the task He had begun – to reconcile a sinful world to God through the forgiveness of sins.  It was now for them to proclaim this truth, so that all who believe in Him could receive eternal life.  However, Jesus did not send them in their own strength and ability; He breathed His Spirit on them.  Because they believed in Him and received the forgiveness that His sacrifice on the cross brought they were now able to receive the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38-39)    

     Before going to the cross, Jesus had spoken to His disciples in private about the coming of the Helper.  The word Parakletos used in the original Greek text of John’s gospel and translated in a variety of ways in the English versions, means ‘one who comes alongside’.  Jesus had told the disciples that it was necessary for Him to go away, to ascend to the Father, so that the Spirit could come, not just to dwell with them but in them. (John 14:17)      

     Although Jesus is not with us in body as He was with those first disciples, He is present by the Spirit.  Through the Spirit He comes alongside us and communicates with us concerning every aspect of our lives.  He knows the future and therefore He is able to guide us through the uncertainties we face.  In a time when all we have trusted in seems to have failed, we can have the confidence that the presence of the almighty and all-knowing God is with us.  The Spirit of truth in us keeps us from deception by bringing to our remembrance all that Jesus taught and by telling us things to come. (John 16:13).  Whatever the future may bring, whatever our fears may be, we find peace in the knowledge that the One who has overcome the world remains with us. (John 16:33).

     So how do we hear His voice?  How can we know what God is saying to us?  By seeking Him in prayer.  It is when we take time alone with God, when we shut out the noises of the world around us, that we learn to hear His voice.  As a child recognises the familiar voice of a parent, those who spend time in the arms of the heavenly Father learn to discern the voice and prompting of His Spirit. 

     While He was on earth, Jesus Himself taught us by His example the importance of prayer.  Despite His busy ministry with people following Him, asking Him questions about the kingdom of God, and wanting Him to attend to their physical and spiritual needs, Jesus made time to be alone with His Father.  It was in those times, often at night when others were sleeping, that He received instruction.

     When the religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, of making Himself equal with God by calling God His Father, Jesus told them, (John 5:19) “... the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does the Son also does in like manner.”  When He was about to leave earth and return from His human existence to His heavenly home, He said to His disciples, (John 16:23), “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ... (16:26-27) In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.  Through the death and resurrection of His Son, God has made the way for His Spirit to live in us; therefore now, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

Newsletter April 2021 Part 1

From death to life

 “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour.” (John 12:24-26)

     Jesus spoke these words in response to a request.  Some Hellenist Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover had evidently heard about Him and wanted to meet Him in person.  So they asked the disciple Philip for an audience with his teacher.  Philip told Andrew and together they brought the request of these pilgrims to Jesus.

     What exactly the men expected we do not know.  Perhaps they wanted Him to lay His hands on them for a personal blessing.  Perhaps they had specific questions they wanted to ask Him personally.  Whatever their hopes might have been, we can assume that neither they nor the disciples who brought the request to Jesus would have expected the reply they got.  Jesus spoke of His death; and not just of His.  Anyone who desires to follow Him must be willing to die with Him.  Just like a grain of wheat needs to be given up to the soil in order to germinate we must give our lives up to receive true life in Jesus. 

     A farmer is willing to commit a portion of seed from his previous harvest to the soil, because he knows that this is the only way he will receive his next harvest.  He is confident that his sacrifice will bring much grain.  So it is with our lives.  For us to grow into the fullness of God’s purpose, to become what He has destined for us to be, we must be willing to die.  We need to surrender our will, our plans and our desires to him.  Only then can we experience true life. 

     Philip and Andrew wanted to introduce those pilgrims to Jesus, but Jesus’ focus was already on the next stage in God’s plan of salvation.  No longer would He be among His disciples in bodily form.  Through His death on the cross, He would make the way for God’s presence to dwell in them by the Holy Spirit.  No longer would people have to seek a face-to-face audience with Him – they would see Him through His disciples.  For wherever people call on His name and follow His call, He promised to be present.

     Jesus had told His disciples, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5) but now He was about to leave the world.  He was going to lay down His life as God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and then to rise again and ascend into the Father’s glory from where He had come.  His followers would now be His body on earth, the new temple, the dwelling place of God by the Spirit.  It is through their lives that people would from now on see God, as they would shine as lights in the world in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. (Phil. 2:15)

     Do you hate your life as it is?  Are you fed up of being just another grain in the barn?  Have you laid down your life for God?  Are you allowing His Spirit to live in you, to direct your path, so others can see Jesus in you? 

     Only a seed that dies can bring forth much grain; and God promises that it will!  He will honour those who are willing to follow His Son to the cross so that His light can be revealed in them.  His presence will be with them and guide them in a world of turmoil and hostility so they can be true witnesses of His power and love.                                

Newsletter March 2021 Part 2

First place

      Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”  So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honour your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 

(Mark 10:17-20)

     As Jesus travels along, He is approached by this man, commonly known as the “rich young ruler” (cf. Matthew 19:20 & Luke 18:18).  The man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  He appears to be quite sincere: he addresses Jesus respectfully as “Good Teacher” and nothing is mentioned that would suggest ulterior motives.  This man clearly knows the requirements of the Law and seeks to fulfil these to the best of his ability, yet something is lacking in his life.  He senses that there must be more to serving God than he has experienced so far.

     Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21)

     Jesus knows this young man; and He loves him.  He knows that his trust is in his possessions, and therefore He challenges him to let go of them.  For the young man, however, this is asking too much.  He would probably have been willing to give away something of what he had.  But everything?  Surely God would not require such a great sacrifice of him.  Had God not blessed him with his wealth in the first place?  Is God not a rewarder of those who serve Him?   

     Yes, God rewards of those who seek His face.  He blesses those who serve and worship Him.  But God wants us to trust in Him alone.  He knows our hearts; He knows where our affections are.  And He will challenge us on the things that are dearest to us.  Are we willing to forsake all for Him?  Will we set our minds on things above or on things on the earth?  (Colossians 3:2)  Do we find confidence and security in what we have and can do?  Or do we rely entirely on the Eternal One, the Creator, who holds the universe in the palm of His hand?  

     God has blessed us in many ways.  Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. (James 1:17)  Yet we are not to focus our lives on the blessings we have received - our careers, our wealth, our reputations, our ministries, or even our families. God wants to know that our sufficiency is in Him alone.  He will test us with the things dearest to us.  He will challenge us to see where our affections really are.

     So what if we do put God before everything else?  What if we really give up all to follow Him?  What if we have truly made Him the centre of our lives and live to fulfil His will rather than our own?  Jesus assures us that there is no one who has left [all] for His sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time …and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30) 

     We can only experience the fullness of God’s presence if we truly make Him the centre of our lives.  Therefore let us live our lives for God.  Let us invest in His kingdom.  Let us not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

     In what area is Jesus challenging you?  Are you like the disciples, who let go of everything to follow Him?  Or are you like the rich young ruler who held on to what he deemed his and walked away sorrowfully.  Jesus loved him but He could do nothing for him.  One day we will all have to give account and many who are first will be last, and the last first. (Mark 10:31)                  

Pastor Konrad