Newsletter January 2023 Part 1

His name – His purpose

 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said to 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 4:18-19)

     After healing a lame man who was begging at the temple gate, Peter and John explained to the astonished crowd that it was through faith in the name of Jesus, through His power and not their own, that this man had been made well. (Acts 3:11-16)  Yet, while those who had gathered to see the miracle and listen to Peter’s proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection, the religious leaders were greatly disturbed.  They had the two apostles arrested and, the following day, interrogated them.  As they could not deny the miracle, they decided the only way to stop the spread of this message of Jesus was to severely threaten the apostles that from now on they speak to no man in this name.  (Acts 4:17)

     For Peter and John there was no option of silence.  They had witnessed the death and resurrection of Jesus and had heard His commission to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name. (Luke 24:47) They were determined to continue in God’s purpose and advance His kingdom by proclaiming the good news of God’s salvation through Jesus the Messiah.  So they returned to their fellow believers and told them what had happened.  Immediately they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: (Acts 4:24-30) “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.  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.”

     This prayer reveals the believers’ understanding of God, His purpose fulfilled in Jesus, and their role in that purpose.  Rather than focusing on their own situation and the treat of arrest, beating or even death, they looked to the Creator.  They knew the promises concerning God’s Anointed from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:44) and understood that these had been fulfilled through Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension and the pouring out of His Spirit.  All the worldly powers had gathered together as God had foreordained to accomplish His purpose of giving His Son for the salvation not only of Israel but the entire world.  They knew their role was to continue proclaiming the gospel message, and therefore they asked God to give them boldness in the face of opposition and threat.  And they knew their own limitation: it was not through their own power and godliness (Acts 3:12) that God worked, but through His Spirit in them.  Therefore they asked God to stretch out His hand to heal and do signs and wonders to confirm the message they faithfully proclaimed. 

     In response to their faith in God and faithfulness to His purpose, the Creator demonstrated His power and gave His assurance by shaking the place where they were gathered, and they were all filled afresh with His Spirit.  As a result, they continued to speak in the name of Jesus and many were brought into God’s kingdom and added to His church.

     As we gather together in prayer at the start of a new year, what will our focus be?  Will we pray just to get through difficult times, or will we see the larger picture of God’s purpose to reconcile His world back to Himself in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Newsletter December 2022 Part 2

The Sign of His coming

 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)

     When the angel of the Lord announced the sign of Messiah’s birth to these shepherds they would have understood.  Being responsible for tending the flocks in the country surrounding Jerusalem that were raised to meet the constant demand for animal sacrifice, this announcement of a child in a manger would have reminded them of the choice lambs they would separate from the flock and wrap in cloth.  This was to prevent them from incurring any injury that might lead to their rejection by the priests upon inspection.  Hearing the words of the angel, these shepherds realised the connection: the birth of the promised heir to David’s throne was, at the same time, to fulfil prophecy in the book of Isaiah of the one who would give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of God’s people. (Isaiah 53 and Acts 8:32-33).  This child, born like King David in the ‘Daughter of Zion’ Bethlehem (Micah 4:8 and 5:2) yet unnoticed by the religious elite who were anticipating Messiah’s coming, would grow up to fulfil all that was written in the holy scriptures (Luke 24:44-46).  Dying as a sacrifice for sin before rising from the grave, He would finally ascend and be seated at the right hand of His divine Father in majesty until His return to rule on earth, visible to all the world. (Acts 1:11)

     Having seen the child in the stable with His parents, the shepherds went about sharing the good news with everyone they met and glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen. (Luke 2:18-20) Mary, meanwhile, kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  As she recalled the words the angel Gabriel had spoken to her (Luke 1:31-33), she now had to reconcile the joy of giving birth to the promised Messiah, of whose kingdom there would be no end, with the notion that one day she would see her son suffer and die. 

     Later, when Mary and Joseph took the child to the temple to offer the sacrifice required for the birth of their firstborn, the prophet Simeon blessed Him and, referring to His future rejection and crucifixion, said to Mary “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35) We then read on how, at the age of twelve, Jesus sat in the temple with the teachers, discussing the scriptures with them so that all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. (v. 36)   As the family return home to Nazareth, we again read, Mary kept all these things in her heart. (v. 51)  

     Later still, after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to the heavenly Father, the Apostle Peter wrote (1 Peter1:18-31) you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.  Jesus was examined by the religious leaders, Herod and finally Pilate, but no blemish could be found in Him.  Yet He was falsely accused and unjustly judged as a sinner, so He could become our perfect sacrifice for sin. 

     When you consider in your heart the child in the manger, what do you see?  When you reflect on His birth, on His life and teaching, and on His death and resurrection, who is He to you?  Do you recognise and confess Him as your sacrifice for sin and Lord of your life?  Will you take up your cross daily and follow Him, no matter what others may think? Will you share with them the hope that is found only in Jesus?  Or will you be ashamed of Him and His words and find that He too will be ashamed of you on that day when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23)

Newsletter December 2022 Part 1

The Sun of Righteousness

 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.  And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.  But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.  You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1-3)

     The book of Malachi concludes the Old Testament by pointing to the New Testament – the coming of the Saviour of Israel and the world.  Like many other prophetic passages these verses speak of the Lord’s Day, - judgment of the wicked and vindication of those who have remained faithful to Him by depending on His grace.  However, there is something unusual about this prophecy: it is the only passage that refers to the promised Messiah as the Sun of Righteousness.

     Throughout the Bible there are many references to the sun.  In pagan religions the sun is revered as a god, as everything seems to depend on it.  The rising of the sun is the beginning of the day and, in our colder climates, it signals the end of winter and the beginning of a new life cycle.  The biblical account of creation, however, begins with God’s first utterance ‘Let there be light’, which separates light from darkness resulting in the first day.  It is not until the fourth day, after preparing the land through the separation of the waters in preparation for humanity, that God begins to populate His world. 

     In Genesis 1:14, God says, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.  Interestingly, the sun is not named by the word shemesh (שֶׁ֣מֶשׁ) as later in scripture (including Malachi 4:2) but simply called the greater light to rule the day, the moon being the lesser light to rule the night. 

    The word shemesh is used in passages where God admonishes His people not to bow down it (Deut. 4:19) and where God demonstrates His power over it as its Creator, proving that it has no divine power.  During the plagues against Egypt, for instance, where worship of the sun was at the centre of religious belief and practice, the whole land was covered in darkness for three days (Exodus 10:21-22), and when the Israelites under Joshua’s leadership defeated the Amorites (Joshua 10:13) the sun stood still in the sky for a whole day.

     We today rely far less on sunlight than the people of Bible times, as we are able to produce light artificially.  However, with the climate and energy crisis we are currently experiencing, the sun has once again gained in significance.  As science is looking for answers, the focus is increasingly on solar energy as the solution.  There are even plans to beam solar energy wirelessly from space to earth.  It is therefore not surprising that images of the sun are appearing in all kinds of contexts.  Is humanity again looking to creation rather than the Creator?  Are we repeating original sin with our own endeavours by building towers to heaven rather than turning to the Lord of Heaven with repentant hearts?  Are we seeking to create our own perfect world of peace without the Prince of Peace?

     Malachi concludes (4:4-6) “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.   And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” This prophetic word was fulfilled when John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah to announce the coming of Jesus, and when Jesus returns in His glory the sun will again be darkened (Mark 13:24) so He alone will be the light. (Revelation 21:23)

Newsletter November 2022 Part 2

God’s voice in the desert place

 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.
I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

(Hosea 2:14-15)

     When God calls Hosea he tells him to marry.  However, this is not a love marriage to a woman of his choice.  Hosea has to take a harlot as his wife so he can experience that pain God feels at the harlotry His people are committing by serving other gods.  Hosea’s wife gives birth to three children: a son whom Hosea is to call Jezreel (God shall sow), a daughter Lo-Ruhamah (no mercy) and another son Lo-Ammi (not my people).  These names represent three aspects of the message that God would give to His prophet.     

     God’s mercy seems to be exhausted; those who were once His chosen people will no longer be His people.  Yet the divine Husband’s love for His adulterous wife is too potent; He cannot put her away forever.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  God still loves His people; He will restore them. 

     God does everything to keep His wife from her lovers.  He locks her in, prevents her from going out to chase after her lovers (v.6).  He takes everything from her – all the gifts she received from her true Husband but wrongly attributes to her lovers.  God will punish His people for worshiping idols while forgetting Him who brought them out of bondage into a land of blessing to reflect the light of His glory.

     When all is going well, when we are blessed and successful, we easily take things for granted.  We believe that it is through our efforts and our abilities that we have achieved what we have.  Instead of thanking the One who made us what we are and gave us what we have, we begin to worship the idol of self.  We create platforms to present ourselves.  We despise those who are not like us instead of reaching out to them with the same compassion that God showed us when we ourselves were nothing. 

     As Christians it is easy to become self-indulgent, critical and judgmental of those around us.  We feel that we are on a moral high ground and thank God that we are not like those other people (Luke 18:11).  We boast about our possessions, our achievements (Rev. 3:17) and our standards of morality.  We are only too happy to watch God judge the world in righteousness.  We think judgment will pass us by because we are God’s righteous ones, forgetting that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).  

    As we find ourselves affected by the present economic and societal crises, one thing becomes clear: when trouble comes it can affect us all.  We discover that we are as needy as those whom we have ignored for so long.  The harvest has been waiting in the fields for the labourers, but the labourers have enjoyed the comfort and security of their homes and church fellowships.  Much of this is being shaken so we will turn our focus on God’s purpose and depend on His grace.          

     Like Israel we have not really understood our calling as a light to the world.  Too often, we have used the gifts and resources God has given us on ourselves and we have limited our prayers to our own needs and desires.  We forget that God has blessed us so we can bring blessing to the less fortunate by sharing with them what God has given us – both materially and spiritually.     

     As we continue on this journey, let us allow God’s word to cleanse and transform our hearts so that we may love Him and others as He has loved us, and show compassion as He has shown compassion to us.  If we will listen to the words from His heart in the desert place, He will give us vineyards from there (v.15).  God is able to do a new thing right where it seems impossible.  He sows seed and gives rain in dry places; He will bring about a great revival, not by our effort and ability but by His mercy and grace.  God, by His Spirit, is creating a people for Himself who will reflect His justice and compassion and will bring His love and hope to those who know only fear and distress.  His kingdom alone, manifested through His people, can bring peace to this desperate world.      

Newsletter November 2022 Part 1

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 lived out within small groups. 

This fact is reflected in Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 – 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. 

 Pastor Konrad

Newsletter October 2022 Part 2

Impossible?

   “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”  So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”  (2 Kings 7:1-2)

     The prophet Elisha spoke these words at a time of great calamity.  The Syrian army was besieging the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which was ruled by king Ahab with his evil wife Jezebel.  This siege was the first stage of God’s judgment pronounced on the house of Ahab by the prophet Elijah.  The situation had become desperate and food so scarce that most of the inhabitants could not afford anything edible, not even a donkey’s head or dove’s dung (2 Kings 6:25).  Yet in the midst of this desperation, the man of God speaks a word of hope – God will provide food.  By the following day, wheat and barley will be readily available, and everyone will be able to afford it.  And when God speaks, it will come to pass, even though it may seem impossible by any stretch of human imagination. 

     One of the king’s officers hears this prophecy and immediately retorts that not even God Himself could do such a thing.  Little does he realise that his doubt will not change God’s promise; God will do what He said He would do.  Therefore Elisha tells this man by the word of the Lord that he will see others enjoying the blessing of God but, because of his doubt, he himself will not partake of it.  God does bring about His purpose, but in a way that no one could possibly have imagined – He uses a group of desperate lepers who have nothing to lose in order to frighten away the entire besieging army.  All the people of Samaria need to do is collect the abundant food supplies left behind by the Syrians.  God’s promise comes to pass, and we read at the end of the chapter that the doubting officer is trampled to death by the crowd while overseeing the distribution of the food. (v.19-20)

     God will always bless His people if we are obedient to Him and believe His word.  No matter how desperate our situation may seem, God has an answer.  However, He does not work according to our understanding.  We may have decided how God should work, but He will do far more than we can ever imagine, if only we will trust Him and let Him bless us in the way He chooses. 

     In the coming months, we are sure to face trials.  We will be confronted with situations to which there seems to be no answer – humanly speaking.  But when God speaks, situations change.  When God speaks, there is water in the desert and life where there was nothing but death.  God’s word will not return to Him void. (Isaiah 55:10-11)  Let us take Him at His word!  Let us believe that revival is on the way: in our personal lives, in our church, and in our community and beyond.  Let us not limit God by our own understanding and unbelief, but allow Him to reveal His power in us, amongst us, and through us.  [He] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.  (Ephesians 3:20)  Yes, He works through us!  We may not see ourselves as much, nor may others think much of us, but God works through precisely such people.  In Elisha’s day He used a group of desperate lepers – so why should He not use you today?  He chooses seemingly insignificant instruments like us.  That way, all the glory will go to Him alone.  Are you ready to be used by God in these troublesome times?  Are you desperate for the miraculous?  Will you obey God, will you worship Him and believe that He can do anything, as His limitless power works through you and me?  If so, you will not just see the coming revival from afar but enjoy the fulness of God’s blessing with all who trust in Him.

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter October 2022 Part 1

What kind of King?

 “People of loving service are rare in any walk of life; leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.”  These words were spoken by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in his tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral.  He also stated that he knew “His Majesty [King Charles] shares the same sense of faith and hope in Jesus Christ as His mother, the same sense of service and duty.”  Of course, ultimately time will show what kind of king HM Charles III will be.

     At the time of Jesus’ birth there was much speculation, as there is today.  Living under Roman occupation, the entire nation of Israel was in expectation.  Would the promised Messiah soon be revealed and, if so, what kind of King would He be.  Was He already there, only waiting to be identified? Or would he appear suddenly, as Daniel (7:14-15) had prophesied, with the clouds of heaven?  Whatever their expectation regarding His coming, all shared the hope that God’s Anointed would deliver their nation from oppression.

     When Jesus began His public ministry, proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom and calling people to repent, opinion was divided.  Seeing the miracles He performed and listening to the wisdom of His words, many believed that He must be the One.  Others, particularly among the religious leaders, struggled with many of His teachings, actions and particularly with His association with sinners, which they perceived as a violation of God’s purity laws.  Everyone was watching: What would He do?  Would He take control and establish His kingdom in Jerusalem?  Or was He just another false Messiah, destined to failure? (see Acts 5:35-39)

     When the crowds who had witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fish attempted to make Him king by force, Jesus departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. (John 6:15) Later, however, He did come to Jerusalem for His final Passover and the people took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” (John 12:12)  On this occasion, Jesus did not rebuke the crowd, as the religious leaders demanded, but instead took a young donkey and rode on it, showing that His coming was in fulfilment of the prophecy, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (Zechariah 9:9)

     Jesus came to Jerusalem as the King of Israel; but why did He not claim His throne, oust the oppressors and restore the kingdom of David?  Why did He allow his opponents to arrest Him and to mock Him, by putting a crown of thorns on His head and beating Him.  Why did He have to die alone like a criminal, nailed to a Roman cross?  It was through His death that He fulfilled the prophetic words spoken by Isaiah, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed and by Zechariah In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.  The King of Glory gave His life so we could receive life.  The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)  And He calls us to follow His example – to lay down our lives in service as He did, so we can receive life. 

     One day He will return with the clouds, not proclaimed King by popular consent, but appointed by the Father.  That Day, Daniel’s vision will become a visible reality to all: “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter September 2022 Part 2

A heart to know God

 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,  “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.  For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.  Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:4-7)

     At the time when God spoke these words through His prophet Jeremiah, Judah had been conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and many had been carried away into captivity while others were allowed to remain in Judah under Zedekiah, the new vassal king appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.  It would seem at this point that those who were in captivity were in a worse place than those who had been allowed to remain.  However, in this vision of the good and bad figs, God says that He has carried them away for their own good.  It is precisely in their captivity that God would set His eyes on them for good.

     As we experience both economic hardship and a fundamental change in values, many of the comforts we have known seem to be evaporating.  In the face of such trouble and uncertainty, it is easy to become discouraged and complain.  We might even feel that God has forgotten us.  Yet it is precisely in our apparent ‘captivity’ in an increasingly hostile world that God wants to reveal Himself to His people in a deeper way.  While the Covid lockdown was a time of adjusting and learning new ways of doing church services, we are now facing new challenges which require new adjustments.  We therefore need to be still and seek God in order to hear what He is saying to us by His Spirit. 

     In this word to the prophet, God promises to give the captives of Judah a heart to know Him and to make them truly into His people.  This transformation is God’s doing, His initiative.  Yet there is, as always, a condition to His promise: they must return to Him, not half-heartedly, but with their whole heart.  As it was then with Judah, it is now with us.  God’s purpose is that we draw near to Him, give ourselves completely over to His Spirit, so that He can restore His image in us. 

     While God was working among the captives, raising up a new generation who would be faithful to His calling even in the face of death, the people left in Jerusalem continued to drift away from God’s presence.  Instead of submitting to the Babylonians as Jeremiah urged them to do by the word of the LORD, they followed the advice of false prophets, took matters into their own hands and rebelled.  As a result of their rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, and ultimately against the purpose of God, they lost everything: their homes, their city and even their temple where they had worshipped God.

     God is not limited by our circumstances.  Let us therefore not be discouraged.  The God who makes rivers in the desert will do a new thing; He is forming a people for Himself who will declare His praise.  (Isaiah 43:18-21) He will surely deliver all who believe His promise and trust in His grace.  Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. (Psalm 14:7)

Newsletter September 2022 Part 1

Into His image

 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.  And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. (Exodus 12:20-22)

     When the Israelites left Egypt, where they had been in bondage for almost 400 years, God led them on their way.  In Moses, He had given them a leader to follow, but He wanted all of them to know that He Himself was showing the way.  That is why He gave them a visible sign of His presence to follow: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 

     As children of God today, we too have God’s presence in our lives.  We may not follow a visible cloud that goes before us, but we have God’s Spirit to guide us.  Just like God had a route planned for the Israelites to travel, He has a plan and purpose for us.  He does not leave us to wander about blindly, hoping that somehow we will get where we should be.  God directs our every step by His Spirit – but will we follow?

     The Israelites had their doubts about God’s leading, when they reached the shore of the Red Sea.  Having followed God’s cloud, they suddenly found themselves closed in with the Egyptians hard on their heels.  What would have gone on in their minds?  Why had God brought them to this place?  Was His plan really to destroy them? 

     We too may be led by the Holy Spirit to a place in our lives where there seems to be no going further.  We may begin to question: was it really God who led me here?  Did I get it wrong?  Or, even worse: does God not care about me?  Has he led me to this place in my life to abandon me?

     The Israelites asked these questions.  They complained to Moses, saying it would have been better for them to stay in bondage rather than die in the wilderness (Exodus 14:11).  Yet God knew what He was doing.  Not long after, they watched from a place of safety, as God caused the water of the Red Sea to come crashing down on their pursuers, killing every one of them.  God had led them to this place, not to destroy them, but their enemies.  He always fights for His own, even if it may not seem so at the moment.

     As Christians we can become discouraged when we turn our focus from God’s greater purpose to our immediate circumstances.  However, as God was with the Israelites when He led them through the Red Sea and the wilderness, so He is also with us in every circumstance.  As He brought them to Mount Horeb to make them into His special people, so He also wants to bring us into His presence.  He is able to make all things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  He has predestined those whom He foreknew to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:28-29)  

     God has our eternal destiny in mind, and therefore the shaping of our character is of greater significance than our immediate comfort.  It is precisely through the trials we experience that we are refined.  As we are tested in the fire of life’s adversities, the genuineness of our faith is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7) 

     Are you questioning God?  Are you asking why He has brought you to the place you find yourself in?  Do you doubt His love and His purpose for your life because things presently seem difficult?  Well, think again.  As long as we follow God’s leading, He will protect us and He will fight our battles.  As long as we remain in His will and follow the leading of His Spirit, we will overcome by His power. 

     We may not always understand what God is doing, but if we trust in Him we will experience His loving presence and enter into His purpose, no matter what our circumstances seem to suggest.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)  Let us allow the Creator to shape us into the perfect image which He always intended for us – that image which was revealed in His Son Jesus Christ our Saviour when He took on human form. (Phil. 2:7)

Newsletter August 2022

A new walk

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.   For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  (Ephesians 2:1-7)

     In this passage, Paul reminds the believers where they have come from and admonishes them to continue on the new journey they have begun with God.  Once they, like the rest of society, had lived their lives in rebellion to God’s purpose.  They had walked in the ways of this world, influenced by the spiritual forces of evil and succumbing to sinful desires rather than seeking the purpose of the Creator.  As a result, they were destined for the judgment that will one day come upon all who reject God.

     However, a change had taken place in their lives: God, in His boundless mercy, had revealed Himself to them and they had received new life in Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sin (Ephesians 1:7).  They had been adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5) and were consequently heirs of His blessings. (Ephesians 1:11)  Yet now these new believers were prone to a different temptation, which was equally worldly: religious pride.  They might just forget where God had brought them from and consequently begin to despise those who continued living in the quagmire of sin.  

     Paul dispels any such notion of pride by reiterating that everything we receive from God comes solely by His initiative.  We, the believers in Jesus Christ, have been saved by grace, the free gift of God.  And even the very faith we have found came by His Spirit, who convicted us of sin and led us to the cross where we received forgiveness.  This means that there are no grounds at all for boasting, only for thanksgiving.  All the glory belongs to God alone. (Ephesians 1:12)

     And now the God who revealed Himself through His Son Jesus Christ is working in us to reshape us according to His purpose.  In Jesus Christ, He is recreating us into His image so that we can be what He always intended us to be.  As He had once walked with Adam in the garden, God wants to walk with us.  As He had commissioned Adam as His agent to take care of His creation, He is preparing the people He has redeemed for the final restoration of His entire creation. (Ephesians 1:10, Romans 8:19-21)

     So what does it mean to walk in the good works, which God prepared beforehand?  And how are we being created in Jesus Christ?  The answer is: through our life experiences.  Everything we experience is an opportunity to choose whether we will submit to the hand of the divine craftsman or whether we will resist His purpose.  As Paul states in Romans 8:28-29 … all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  We are therefore called to give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18) even if we can’t make sense of it, always trusting that God is working to shape us into His image.  We are to walk no longer according to the course of this world but as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) in love (v.2) and with our spiritual eyes open (vv.15-16) so we can discern God’s purpose as it unfolds in our time.

Newsletter July 2022 Part 2

One body

 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Ephesians 4:1-7)

     Writing from prison, the apostle Paul admonishes the believers in Ephesus to live in a way that honours God.  Their attitude towards one another is to be characterised by humility and love.  In everything they do, they must be motivated by a desire for unity within the body of Christ, the church.  After all, God is one, and He has called them – and us today – in one hope.  We all are children of one heavenly Father, who is above all and – by His Spirit – lives in us all.  And it is through His Spirit that we are united in one body.

     Being one, however, does not mean that we are all the same.  God, in His wisdom, has given to each of us different gifts according to His grace.  We are called and endowed with gifts not because of our merit or our own efforts; God distributes His gifts as He Himself chooses.       

     And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - 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. (Ephesians 4:11-15). 

     Paul points out that God has called some to lead within the body of Christ.  These leaders are not the head of the body; Christ Himself is the head.  It is He who calls each individual and places them in the body according to His will.  It is He who directs the body to function as He desires.  So then what is the purpose of leadership within the church?

     Paul explains that the role of leaders is to equip the individual members of the body, the saints, for the work of the ministry to which God has called them.  They do so by teaching the truth of God’s Word to those they lead.  As each member grows in the knowledge of Christ and discovers his/her God-given place in the body, the whole body can grow into the “perfect man” that God desires it to be.   

      Like members of a physical body, each member of the church has a particular role and purpose that only he/she can fulfil.  Thus each member is equally important.  If one fails to function in his/her role, the whole body lacks as a result.  But if each member does his/her share as Christ, the head, directs the body is built up in unity and love to the glory of God. 

     What is your place?  What is your calling?  What gifts has God bestowed on you?  Are you determined to do your share in His body?  Are you asking Him to reveal to you what ministry He has called you to?  Are you looking for an opportunity to develop the gifts God has given you?  There are many things to do within God’s church.  Some roles and functions may be more conspicuous than others, but they all work together for the building up of Christ’s body. 

     Over the past year we have been holding vision meetings to outline the local church vision and encourage participation in the various areas of ministry.  This year, we expect to see the release of gifts and callings in a new way.  We will now focus on resuming training and re-establishing accountability structures, some of which have not been operational due to lockdown and the resulting changes.  Will you be part of what God is doing?  Will you work as part of God’s team so the body can grow to maturity under the direction of Christ the Head?

                                    Pastor Konrad

Newsletter July 2022 Part 1

Depending on God

 “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 rain 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) 

Newsletter June 2022 Part 2

Word, Spirit and Light

 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6)  As Christians, we believe that the world was created by God.  In Genesis 1 we read that the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  God continues to speak, and at His word the waters are divided, land appears, life springs forth – first vegetation, then animals and finally, when all is prepared, God creates humanity, the crown of His creation.  He makes them man and woman, created in His own image and likeness.  God’s purpose is for the humans He has created to dwell in the world He has created for them and to enjoy fellowship with Him and with one another.  However, following their desire for independence, the first humans turn from God and consequently the earth that was created as a blessing for them becomes cursed. 

     Yet God does not cease to speak.  As we read through the Bible, we hear Creator calling humanity back to Himself.  From Genesis to Revelation, the story of God is a story of restoration through reconciliation.  God speaks, calling us back to Himself, to the relationship for which He had created us from the beginning.  He speaks to Noah, instructing him to build an ark to escape the judgment He is bringing on rebellious humanity.  He speaks to Abraham, calling Him to leave his life of idolatry and go to a land He will give to him and his seed.  There He will bless him and make him a blessing.  When Abraham’s descendants suffer as slaves in Egypt, God speaks to Moses, calling him to lead them out of bondage and into the land He promised to their ancestor.  At Mount Sinai, He speaks to Israel, establishing a covenant with them and giving them His laws to live by as His special people.

    Throughout the Bible we read how God’s people, time and again, break His covenant with them by rebelling against Him and serving idols, and how God, time and again, initiates reconciliation by calling His people to Himself through the prophets.  The Bible is God’s word – God’s call to us to return to Him.  As He spoke in the beginning and there was light, and He now speaks into our darkness to bring His light. 

     In 2 Peter 1:19-21 we are told that we have the prophetic word confirmed, which [we] do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in [our] hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.  It is through the Bible that God reveals Himself to us.  It is by reading His written word that we understand God’s character and purpose.  His word is a lamp to [our] feet And a light to [our] path. (Psalm 119:105)  As we meditate on God’s word and He enlightens our understanding by His Spirit, we receive life.   

    The Bible is far more than an instruction manual for moral living; it is God’s revelation of Himself, ultimately fulfilled in the coming of His Son Jesus Christ.  The entire scriptures that we know as the Old Testament point to this climax.  In the New Testament letter to the Hebrews we learn that God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:1-4). 

As we search the scriptures, let us remember that the scriptures testify of Jesus (John 5:39).  As we allow the Spirit to shine on the pages of our Bible, the day will dawn and we will see clearly.  Let us hear God’s voice as He calls us through His word to relationship with Him in Jesus.  Let us recognise and receive the whole Bible rightly divided as God’s word and walk in His light as we are led by His Spirit. Let us allow His blood to cleanse us from sin and let us have true fellowship with Him and with one another. (1 John 1:7) 

Pastor Konrad  

Newsletter June 2022 Part 1

A people of the Spirit

 Moses said to [Joshua], “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:27-29)

     Following their encounter with God at Mount Horeb where He established His covenant with them, the Israelites embarked on what was to be the final stage of their journey.  God had delivered them from bondage and led them through the Red Sea and the desert, where He had miraculously sustained them with manna from heaven.  Now, as they resumed their journey, God continued to provide for them.  However, instead of appreciating God’s faithful provision while looking forward to the fulness of His blessing in the Land flowing with milk and honey where He was taking them, they craved for the foods of Egypt. (Num. 11:4-6)

     Frustrated by the lack of appreciation of those God had called him to lead, Moses lamented, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? … Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’  I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.  God responded by instructing Moses, “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. (Num. 11:11-17)

     This instruction is reminiscent of Moses’ father-in-law’s advice to delegate responsibility, but there is one key difference: this time, it is God who instructs Moses to delegate leadership responsibility and consequently He promises that He will anoint those who are to assist Moses with the same Spirit that is upon him.  In order for this to happen, they are to come to the tabernacle and stand with Moses in God’s presence as He talks with him.  These are the same elders of the people who had previously drawn back from God’s presence for fear and said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” Yet here God was giving them another opportunity to receive what they had failed to receive on that earlier occasion – the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.  (Num. 11:25)

     Through this incident, God demonstrated to the leaders of Israel and to Moses what could have been, before giving them over to what was really in their hearts.  A wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp … And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (Num. 11:31-32).  The people’s response revealed their priorities, and as they were indulging, God sent a plague that struck them dead while the meat was still between their teeth.  

     These people were not ready for the blessings of God because their hearts were still in Egypt.  Therefore, when they came to the border of Canaan, they could not see beyond the strength of its inhabitants and the fortifications of its cities.  It would take a new generation, led by Joshua who always stayed close to Moses, to enter God’s promise.  God’s purpose was and has been since, to form a people that would desire His presence above everything else; a people who would not draw back for fear of losing their lives but would trust in His mercy and thus receive true life.  Moses understood God’s heart when he replied to Joshua, “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”  And God’s purpose was fulfilled on that day of Pentecost, when He poured out His Spirit upon the disciples and Peter declared, “the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39)

Newsletter May 2022 Part 2

God’s justice

  “Your words have been harsh against Me,” says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’  14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?  15 So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free. (Malachi 3:13-15)

     Throughout the ages, God’s people have complained.  So much of what we see and experience just doesn’t seem fair.  Good people suffer while those who practise evil seem to get away with it and even benefit from their wrongdoing.  So we ask the question, ‘Why does God allow such injustice?’

     Speaking through the prophet Malachi, God rebukes His people for their harsh words against [Him].  By suggesting that there was no benefit in serving God (v. 14), they were questioning the very integrity of their Maker and Lord.  By claiming that the wicked and proud were being blessed, they were implying that God was unjust.  By assuming the role of judges, they were in fact elevating themselves above God, who alone is just!

     How many times have we questioned God, when things have not gone our way?  How many times have we begrudged the seemingly undeserving for their apparent success?  Have we not, like God’s people in the days of Malachi, spoken harshly against God?  Who are we to decide who should be blessed and who should be punished?  Do we see as God sees?  Where were we when He laid the foundations of the earth?  (Job 38:4)  Are we more qualified to run the universe than the One who created it? 

     We are mere humans; our view is limited and we see only what is happening in the here and now.  Meanwhile God is watching and taking note of all we do and say (Malachi 3:16).  He is just, and His judgment will come – in His time.  He is in no hurry to bring justice to the world, but when it does come, what will be written about us in His book of remembrance? 

     Malachi states (3:16) that those who feared the LORD spoke one to another.  What would they have spoken about, as they meditated on His name?  Rather than complain and question God’s justice, they would have declared His glory and majesty.  Rather than focusing on the sins of others, they would have marvelled at God’s boundless mercy that had caused Him to forgive their sins.  That’s why God calls them His jewels! (v.17)  When judgment comes to the world, He will spare them.  Then all will be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who truly serves God and one who does not. (v.18)  Until then, we must trust that God is just and that He knows what He is doing – without our presumptuous instruction.

     As humans, we want to see justice done immediately.  We want God to deal with those who deserve punishment in our eyes.  God will judge the earth.  But He will do so according to His perfect justice – not ours.  And He will do so in His time.  To God a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. (2 Peter 3:8)  He is still calling others, as He has called us, so they too can receive His grace and turn from their wicked ways to serve Him.  It is not His will that anyone should be eternally lost. 

     One day Jesus will return and then He will judge the world in righteousness.  On that day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Meanwhile let us do all things without complaining and disputing, that [we] may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:14-15) And let us in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for [us]. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter May 2022 Part 1

Witnesses of Jesus Christ

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.  Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things.  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49)

     After Jesus had risen from the dead he appeared to his disciples as they were gathered together.  They saw Him and touched Him, and He showed them His wounded hands and feet and ate in their presence.  There could be no doubt – He was alive!  Jesus then explained to them from the scriptures the purpose of His death on the cross and commissioned them to proclaim to the whole world the good news of remission of sins in His name.  However, to be effective witnesses they needed more than just to see and hear; He would not leave them alone but would send the Holy Spirit to live in them.  That way His presence would be with them always, and He would guide them and empower them for the task that lay ahead.  For this reason they had to wait in Jerusalem before embarking on their mission.  Only by the power of His Spirit could they continue the work He had begun – to advance God’s kingdom, to bring His light into the darkness of a lost world.

     Ten days after Jesus’ ascension to the Father, on the feast day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, and immediately they began to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and demonstrate its presence through miracles of healing and deliverance.  And the Spirit in them brought about a love and unity among the disciples that the world had never witnessed.  Early Christian writers comment that it was the love the Christians had for one another that convinced others of their message.  Witnessing the loving community of the believers, as much as the miraculous signs, opened people’s hearts and minds to the message of Jesus Christ.

     While Jesus was still on earth with His disciples He spoke much about love.  The ultimate proof of His love for them and the world was His death on the cross, and this was to be the focus of their preaching and their lifestyle.  It was as they centred their lives on the cross, trusting in His grace, that they experienced God’s forgiveness and love.  Consequently they were able to love and forgive others and to experience the unity that comes only by His presence manifested through His Spirit.

     The message is still the same, and so is the path to true Christian community: the cross.  It is at the cross of Jesus that we see ourselves and others through God’s eyes.  It is when we recognise His infinite love and His undeserved acceptance that we are able to love and accept ourselves and others.  The sacrifice of God’s Son teaches us how precious we all are in His sight.  Fear of failure and rejection involve torment; but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)  In Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross, we experience perfect peace – within ourselves and with one another.  That is why the answer to division both in the church and in the world was and still is the message of Christ crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2) 

     The day that Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-4) he realised his own deficiency and Christ’s sufficiency.  That is why He could say with full conviction, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)  That is why He could tell others with that same conviction that “the message of the cross … is the power of God.”  

     Have you truly encountered the One who was crucified and rose again?  Has your life been transformed by the power of the cross?  Does Christ live in you by His Spirit?  Can others see His life in you?  Jesus died and rose again!  It is by His Spirit alone that we can know true life and be true witnesses of His resurrection.                      

Pastor Konrad     

Newsletter April 2022

Beloved Son and Suffering Servant

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and

went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

(Luke 9:28-36)

     When Jesus went about teaching about the kingdom of God and doing miracles large crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of illnesses and delivered from demonic oppression.  They came because they had needs and Jesus met their needs.  However, He also challenged them regarding their commitment.  He knew that He posed a threat to the religious and political establishment and that they would conspire to kill Him; and He knew that this was the purpose for which He had left His place in glory and taken on human form (Phil. 2:6-8).  He knew that many who were celebrating His miracles now would soon be discouraged and lose faith as they could not see beyond His humanity. 

     Jesus had just warned that following Him would mean giving up all; that, to receive the true life He was offering, they would have to give up the life they knew.  For many, He knew, the cost of discipleship would prove too much; once pressure came, such people would turn away.  Yes, some of the disciples would live to see His kingdom come with power, but not without sharing in His suffering.

     Alone on the mountain top with Peter, James and John, Jesus allowed these three disciples to catch a glimpse of who He really was.  As the Father drew back the veil of humanity that concealed His divinity, they were able to see Him in all His glory.  Peter recalls this encounter when He writes (2 Peter 1:18) we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  What a privilege to be present at this moment of revelation!  What an experience!  Surely having seen Him transfigured and having heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” they would never doubt again.  And yet these three, like the rest of the disciples, were overcome by fear and unbelief when they saw Jesus arrested and taken away to be crucified.  It was as if He had never told them that He would rise again to overcome the power of death – once for all.

     Fortunately, the story does not end there.  After His resurrection Jesus showed Himself to many and they believed (1 Cor. 15:5-8).  These witnesses then proclaimed the message of His resurrection everywhere and many more came to faith in the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  And as they proclaimed His kingdom, His power was manifested and many miracles were done in His name.  Jesus is still on the throne; He still rules supremely, and His power is still at work.  Yes, those early disciples suffered persecution, and some even died, but their eyes remained firmly fixed on the risen Lord, now seated in glory (Acts 7:55-56). 

Therefore let us, like them, not be discouraged because of what we see happening around us.Let us continue to trust in God.Let us believe that He is still able to do the impossible – to stretch forth His hand to heal and protect.And let us remember that we have an eternal hope beyond this life.Let us find comfort in the assurance that those who have died in Christ have merely gone before us and are now forever in His glorious presence (1 Thess. 4:13-18).Let us look to the day when there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (Rev. 21:4) as all things are gathered together in Christ (Eph. 1:10).

Newsletter March 2022 Part 2

Sovereign God

So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “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.’

27 “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 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:24-30)

     Having been arrested and commanded with severe threats not to speak again in the name of Jesus, Peter and John returned to their companions and reported what had occurred.  Yet rather than succumb to the threats of punishment for proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the disciples turned to God in prayer, determined to do what they knew was right. (vv.19-20)

     Their prayer begins, like other prayers recorded in scripture, with the recognition that God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  They then recount His prophetic word spoken by David and fulfilled in Jesus – how He had allowed the powers of this world, represented by the unbelieving Jewish and Gentile authorities, to unite in order to fulfil the divine plan of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus.  Worldly forces that would normally have been at enmity with one another had come together as one so that all would recognise that, in actual fact, there are only two kingdoms – the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God, now fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah Jesus. 

     Finally, the disciples’ prayer concludes with a request for boldness to fulfil their part in God’s plan – to proclaim the arrival of God’s kingdom.  They knew that Jesus would one day return and would reign for all to see.  In that day, He will judge the world in righteousness, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He alone is Lord.  There will no longer be two kingdoms but only one as all things will be made subject to His rule.  Meanwhile the message of God’s kingdom needs to go out into all the world.  Therefore proclaiming this message was the early believers’ focus - whatever it might cost them.  And therefore their prayer request was not for comfort but for boldness to do what they could do, and for God to do what they themselves could not do:        

   … 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 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.

Newsletter March 2022 Part 1

Which fear?

“So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea.  And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.  Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’  (Deuteronomy 1:19-21)

     Moses spoke these words to the Israelites on the eastern side of Jordan (Deut. 1:1) as they were preparing to cross over into the land He had promised them.  He recounts the failure of their fathers to possess the land due to fear.  God had delivered that generation from Egypt by His mighty hand and had brought them through the desert where he had provided for them miraculously to Mount Horeb.  There He had made a covenant with Israel, promising to be their God and to give them an inheritance.  In turn they were to worship Him alone and walk in obedience to Him. 

     When that previous generation arrived at the boarder of Canaan, they proposed to Moses that they should select men from among them to spy out the land.  The plan pleased Moses well (Deut. 1:23) and he appointed one man from each tribe to go.  However, with the exception of Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim and Caleb of the tribe of Judah, these spies brought back a negative report: yes, the land was good as God has said and its fruit was good, but the people of the land seemed too strong in their eyes.  Instead of believing God’s promise they were overcome by fear and decided to select a leader who would take them back to Egypt. (Num. 14:4)  

     It is interesting to note that this recounting in Deuteronomy of the failure to enter the land is immediately preceded by the account of the tribal leaders’ appointment to assist Moses with the task of judging the people.  There Moses reminds the people how he asked them to select wise, understanding and knowledgeable men from among their tribes to hear cases on his behalf and judge righteously. 

     This appointment of elders first narrated in Exodus 18 (just before the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai) is often used as an example of plurality of leadership.  Just as Moses in his time was not able to bear the burden of leading God’s people alone, no individual minister can manage this today.  There must be some form of delegation to share the load of leadership.  But why do we find this story retold in Deuteronomy at this particular point?  How does it fit in with the narrative of the departure from Horeb and the subsequent failure to enter the land?  What about all the events that occur in between, particularly the climax – the divine encounter at Mount Horeb and the establishment of the covenant between God and the people He has chosen for Himself? 

     The answer to this question may be found in chapter 5 of the book of Deuteronomy where Moses recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments followed by the tribal leaders’ refusal to come near to God’s presence due to fear.  Instead of hearing God’s voice for themselves, they requested that Moses alone should go near and convey all that God would say to them. (Deut. 5:27) Their fear of being consumed made them miss out on God’s purpose of being near to them all. (Deut. 4:7) 

     God revealed Himself to the Israelites in an awesome display of His power and majesty so that they would fear, but not so as to drive them from His presence.  His desire was for them to recognise that He was the Almighty God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and that He had chosen them. Their election was simply due to His mercy.  It was not because of their own righteousness that God was giving them the land, but because of the wickedness of its inhabitants (Deut. 9:5), and they were to be the agents of His judgment and an example to all nations of His goodness. (Deut. 4:6) Therefore they could be sure that His presence would go before them, and they would be able to take the land.

     God’s purpose was (and still is) to reveal His holiness and power to a world that had turned from Him and has followed its own ways.  Due to their response, however, they were unable to understand this purpose and instead they looked to their own ability.  Consequently, when they were faced with a seemingly far superior enemy, their hearts failed for fear.  Instead of recognising that God was with them, these leaders said to Moses, “Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” And instead of encouraging an already frightened people, they asked, “Where can we go? Our brethren have discouraged us” (Deut. 1:27-28)

    There may be a variety of requirements for leadership of God’s people, including talents, skills and education, which can be of great benefit in the work of God’s kingdom.  The most important requirement, however, is to know God – to know Him in both His majesty and power and His mercy and love.  Such knowledge can only be attained as we draw near with godly fear, as we enter His presence with a humble heart and full assurance of His boundless mercy.  “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”  (Deut. 5:29)

Pastor Konrad

Newsletter February 2022 Part 2

The Community of God

 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?  Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.  The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 10:12-15)

     Moses spoke these words to the Israelites after reminding them of their fathers’ deliverance from Egypt and the covenant He had established with them at Mount Horeb.  Moses had warned them not to fall into the sin of idolatry as their fathers had while he was on the mountain receiving the tables of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments.  Now these tables lay in the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder of God’s purpose – to live in loving relationship with Him and with one another.

     So far this second generation of the Exodus had known nothing apart from their seemingly endless journey in the wilderness, but now they were finally on the verge of entering the Land of Promise.  Aaron had just died and Moses himself would soon follow.  Without these leaders, it would be easy for them to enjoy the blessings of the land while failing to remember the God who had delivered their fathers and brought them into their inheritance.  Moses therefore reminded them that it was not because of their merit that God had chosen them, but purely because of His love.  All He was now requiring of them was to love Him in return and live their lives to please Him.

     In Egypt, the Israelites had been strangers without rights, oppressed and exploited for the benefit of that powerful nation.  The new existence that God intended for them in the Land of Promise was to be different.  As God Himself is just and does not show partiality, the new community was to be governed by love and justice. (Deut. 10:17-19)  As He had delivered them from oppression and made them into a people as numerous as the stars of heaven, they too were to show kindness to the weak – the fatherless, the widow and the stranger.  Their love for Him and for one another was to be a sign to the nations of the world that He alone is God, the almighty Creator, who loves and cares for His creation.

     Sadly, as we follow the story of God’s people, we see them turn time and again to the ways of the world, worshipping other gods and oppressing and exploiting the weak among them.  God therefore sends them prophets who warn them of the consequences of their disobedience.  Rejecting God by practising idolatry and injustice would ultimately lead to their expulsion from the land and their scattering among the nations whose ways they had chosen to follow.  God would hide His face from them (Deut. 31:17-18) until they recognised their sin and turned back to Him with all their heart.  Then He would bring them back to the land and restore them. (Jeremiah 3:14-18)  In that day there would be no more need for an ark nor for tables of stone, for God would rule over them and write His laws in their hearts so that they all would know Him and live in obedience to His will. (Jer. 31:33) 

     When the eternal Word became flesh (John 1:14), God’s heart was ultimately revealed.  In Jesus we see the expressed image of God’s person, the brightness of His glory. (Hebrews 1:3)  When Jesus was about to leave His disciples to return to His heavenly Father, He gave them one new commandment (John 13:34) … that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  By the Holy Spirit, God’s presence now dwells in the midst of His people, making them a shining light of love in a dark world of conflict and injustice.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden as long as the light of God’s love reigns within it (Matthew 5:14).  As we allow His light to shine within His community, many will see and come to it, and there they will find salvation.