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.

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.