We have moved! - Lighthouse@Slipway

Well, we've taken the leap and jumped in boots and all! Moving from the Swedish School to Slipway theatre was a little discomforting cos we'd grown so used to the school. But hey, you can't light a lamp and hide it under the bed - you'll burn the whole house down!

The theatre is situated in a very busy, very visible and most importantly very accessible area on the penninsular of Dar. We have started with morning meetings (09h30) and are planning a Friday night youth meeting.

Slipway is the yellow peg on the western side of the penninsular and the red line show where we have come from at the Swedish School. The other yellow peg to the north east is where our apartment is located, which is where we meet for prayer meetings currently - but we plan to move the prayer meeting to Slipway also to make it more accessible to everyone.

Here are some photos from our first meeting:

I was very happy with the way our banner turned out. The verse is from Isaiah 60 - Arise & Shine! The black void leaves space for other meeting times to be attached.

The faithful early crowd. The mustard seed that God has planted here. The chairs are extremely comfortable and so preaching must be lively to prevent dropping off!

Baptism@Slipway - what a perfect setting: in Msasani Bay, with Bongoyo island in the background. Robert Mombo is baptised at our first meeting at Slipway - a memorable occasion!

Robert shared something of his testimony with us prior to being baptised - just incredible to see God at work in people's lives! We stand in awe of Him!

May God provide the increase as we plant and water this seed He has given.

... to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls

When I was still at school, we went on a field trip to the Southern Drakensburg. We were to stay in a cave up in the mountains, then climb Rhino Peak the next day. On our way there, it began to snow and by the time we reached the parking lot, it was already an inch deep.

We hiked through the night to reach the cave while it continued to snow. The next morning we awoke to a brilliant white carpet of snow, covering an incredibly beautiful valley.

There was a waterfall near to the cave and some of us went down to fill our water bottles just upstream of it. As always, it was a competition to be first and I raced to the bank but I started to lose my footing on the smooth, icy rock and began to slide down to the water. I desperately tried to grab a hand hold but there was nothing but smooth rock and my friends were too far away to help. I slid into the freezing water and the current caught me and swept me downstream, picking up speed.

As if in slow motion, I swept straight past our teacher further downstream, his mouth hanging open and face wrapped in unbelief…. No sound coming from me, only a desperate plea for help from my eyes... then over the waterfall into roaring darkness…

Perhaps you are in that place, where having put your faith in Jesus you now find yourself in deep waters? Instead of the delightful waters of the river that flows from the throne room of God described in Ezekiel 47 and seemingly enjoyed by all around you, you find the waters you are in to be overwhelming, treacherous and frightening. Just as you find some relief, like a toehold on a slippery bank, you are swept on by the torrent. Your prayers don’t seem to help and your friends seem so far from you. You wonder if its ever going to pass....

If thats where you are right now, then you are in good company. Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 69

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

Sometimes we can be in this place because of our own folly (like me racing to the stream bank), we have acted without thought or wisdom, not consulting God - or even through deliberate rebellion. But there are times when we go through extreme difficulties while in obedience to God. Remember the disciples who ran into a storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, they were there because Jesus had told them to cross over to the other side! They were in obedience! David goes on to say:

You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from You.

For I endure scorn for Your sake,
and shame covers my face.

In that place it feels as if you have become the invisible person, nobody hears your cries for help, nobody understands the trial you are going through. As Paul Simon wrote "and friends just can't be found..."

I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons;
for zeal for Your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult You fall on me.

Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none

Above all, this Psalm is a prophecy about the sufferings, scorn and rejection that Jesus would endure for us. He quotes it as being fulfilled by his rejection and persecution (John 15:25) and of what his followers would have to face. We see Him mocked and scorned and offered wine vinegar on the cross (Matthew 27:34), and even the fate of Judas Iscariot revealed (Act 1:20).

When Christ died on the cross for us, He suffered the wrath of God poured out in full strength "the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath" for our sins, so that we would never suffer wrath from His hand, but receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9). While that salvation precludes us from ever receiving anything but grace and love from God, it does not preclude us from the sufferings that come as a result of following Jesus Christ. There are powers and principalities, forces of evil and wickedness at war with the saints of God to wear them down and to crush them and to prevent them from being effective in His Kingdom. Satan has asked to sift us like wheat - his boast before the Throne is that we will not stand the test, he accuses us day and night.

We cannot overcome ... it is true, we are weak earthen vessels, subject to fear, doubt and sin... But there is ONE who has overcome on our behalf, there is ONE whose robe is dipped in blood, ONE who rides forth victoriously, whose eyes blaze like fire, whose words from His mouth strike down the nations, who has prevailed, who has conquered death, who has broken the seals and opened the scroll, who has triumphed over the powers and principalities, who has made a public spectacle of them .....

He is the ONE called FAITHFUL and TRUE!!!

He is LORD of LORDS and KING of KINGS ..... His Name is JESUS!

HALLELUJAH!!

In Him and through faith in Him we overcome ....

..... everyone born of God overcomes the world.

This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1John5:4-5)

Practicing the Presence of God

In the winter of 1626, a barren tree stripped of its leaves and fruit so impacted the heart of a young man as he saw in it the hope of the coming spring - when once again leaves and flowers and fruit would appear.

This young man - later to become known as Brother Lawrence, grasped for the first time the extravagant grace of God and the all-surpassing and unfailing sovereignity of His will. This revelation "first flashed in upon my soul the fact of God" and kindled such a love for God that never ceased to burn.

He entered the monastery and having little education, was assigned the most menial of tasks - working in the kitchen and later repairing sandals. His profound daily insights and wisdom from this humble position were captured in letters and conversations that after his death were compiled into a book called "The Practice Of The Presence Of God".

Take time to hear God teaching you in your everyday activities, through everyday events. He is always teaching , always revealing Himself to us. We need to be constantly practicing the Presence of God, every moment of every day, this is what Paul meant when he said "since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit".

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
(Ps 19:1-4)

As I sat polishing my sandals this morning, I said "Lord, what are you teaching me now .... "

When we are first saved, it is like putting on a new pair of shoes - our first ever! We are so excited and wear them everywhere we go, cleaning them daily and putting them neatly in place at night, always looking like new. After a while, they become a little scuffed and dirty, but also softer, more familiar - like an old friend that we are most comfortable with.

We need to be sure to take time to sit down and polish them. Its there that we notice the scuffs, the dry patches and the cracks. We can wipe off the dust and apply polish to those areas and buff the leather to a good shine.

As we take time with our Father every day, there is a cleansing away of the dust of the world that clings to us. As he applies His balm to our hearts, bringing healing to those scuff marks, the cracks and dry areas. Where we've suffered catasrophic pain or slipped and fallen into sin that has dislodged our souls; He is the One who is able to resoul, repair and restore. Above all as we gaze upon Him, He gently buffs and shines our lives until He sees in us the reflection of His Son.

"we should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of God; which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him " (Brother Lawrence, 1614-1691)

GRACE IN YOUR TIME OF NEED

Ange and the girls are enjoying a well deserved rest in South Africa at the moment, with Ange's folks on the farm. They have endured some huge battles here and I am in constant amazement at God's grace in them, revealing strength and resilience in the face of the onslaught. We cannot deny the pain and hardship we are facing, as Paul said:

 2Co 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Right now our future is uncertain, knowing God's call for us is to be here, yet finding every door closed. Trying to understand the contradiction of that can become oppressive as the Psalmist found out (Ps 73:16) .... when we look at it from our perspective it becomes overwhelming! Yet God calls us into His Presence into the Holy of Holies, the throne room of heaven, where we can be OVERWHELMED BY THE GREATNESS AND GLORY AND MAJESTY OF OUR GOD! There, we REgain the proper perspective, the eternal perspective, where we can declare with confidence:

^{Ps 73:25} Whom have I in heaven but YOU? And earth has NOTHING I desire besides you.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, BUT GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I shared at prayer meeting and also emailed the church a copy of Dudley Daniel's message "Kill The Baby, The Birthing Of A New Church", satan's strategy to stop or hinder the advance of God's Kingdom. We cannot afford to underestimate the scale of the warfare we are involved in, we cannot sleep in this hour. Last week it was brought to painful reality as a wonderful young missionary couple that we know, who are working with unchurched youth in schools here, suffered a devastating loss. Pregnant with their first child, an infection brought about premature labour and birth, and the child died shortly after birth. One cannot comprehend the depth of the grief and sorrow.

 

Inevitably the questions will come: "God how could this have happened to a couple dedicated to serving You?", "God how could You allow this?", questions for which there are no glib easy answers - certainly none that will bring comfort in the now. Only as the Spirit of God comes, comforting and drawing into His presence, causing the heart to cry out: "Seek His face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. (Ps 27:8). There in the Presence is comfort, compassion and the balm for our souls.

 

Recently Ange & I were praying and crying out to God, singing the refrain "...help me know You are near ..." over and over again. The very moment we had finished, an sms came through on my cellphone from Liz with the scripture:

^{Zep 3:17} The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

God's timing is incredible! Just the encouragement that we needed at a critical time. Sometime later, I wrote in my journal: "how can I find the strength to stand? In Christ Alone!" The next day, I had an incredibly encouraging email from Lydia and I looked at what I had written just the day before with a fresh appreciation of the Body of Christ standing together -

In Christ Alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

My Comforter, my All in All, .... here in the love of Christ I stand.

(In Christ Alone, Stuart Townsend)

 

Karagwe Visit

Last week, I returned to Karagwe in the north west of Tanzania with Barry Farr and Conrad Schoombee of Cornerstone Church in Johannesburg; to visit and encourage our friends in the local churches from the area. We spent two days travelling and two and a half days teaching - a pretty poor ratio, but given that we were redeemed from having to take the overnight ferry (11 hrs) at the last minute we were pretty happy with the situation! Precision Air who previously flew over Lake Victoria have withdrawn from the route and local charter operator Auric Air fortunately stepped up to the plate - albeit a good deal more pricey!

Some of the leaders from Karagwe saying farewell on our last night. (Back:) Andrew, Conrad, Barry, Jonathan, Mama, Phineas; (Front:) Kezia, Heavenlight, Appollos, Ezekiel.


We had an incredible time with the local leaders who were so hungry for teaching that we had three hour sessions in the morning followed by another two hours in the afternoon. As we expounded on justification by faith and living under grace instead of the law, people were like dry land drinking in the rain. As the revelation of grace came to people's hearts you could sense the weight of years of legalism lifting to be replaced by a freedom and gratitude.

We listened to people's testimonies of how they came to Christ and so many through miracles of healing. One young man told us of how at a certain time every month, he would start to bleed from his nose and ears for days. One day, one of the pastors also present was preaching from Matthew chapter 4 verse 23:

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

As the pastor preached, he felt faith come into his heart and he gave his life to the Lord. He was immediately delivered from the bleeding and it has never again returned. He later found out that his grandmother who lived in Rwanda used to sacrifice blood every month to demonic spirits, his bleeding started from the time that she died and as eldest in his family the demand for blood from these spirits fell on him. As he gave his life to the Lord Jesus he was delivered from the curse and its effects.




The small wooden structure where the smaller children attend creche.





We also visited the orphan project initiated by mama Mulokosi and gave donations of clothing and linen collected in the church. This humble lady, wife of Jonathan Mulokosi was literally overwhelmed by the small gift of "hand-me-downs" for the children. Last year we sent two boxes of clothes and toys for the children, many of which were in evidence when we visited. In an area that experiences one of the highest HIV infection rates in Tanzania, the number of orphans is constantly increasing. Last year when we visited there were 30 orphans in the project and this year there were 46. Mama Mulokosi has started a creche for the smaller children which is taught by a lady who was an orphan herself and the older ones go to primary school.




Mama and Jonathan Mulokosi

Martin's Birthday

Martin celebrated his birthday on Monday 26 May. We went up to Pugu to suprise him as he met with his small group there.

Martin leads with guitar in hand.

Not to be left out, Mr "Mac" Makhumbula tries his hand at the guitar!

From nearest: Doreen, Mike, Paul, Mac, Emmanuel, Tano.

The cutting of the cake - minus the candles....

"young" Paul (or "Paul Young") gives it stick!

Hearing God's Voice

Hi Guys,



I'm taking your advice on writing down what came through at our prayer meeting last night. I also want to send this to people who weren't there last night, so I'll just put it in context as well.


We meet for prayer at Andy and Ang's house on a Thursday. Last week Andy started with a teaching series on hearing God's voice. Last night we did Chapter 2 in the series. There is an exercise at the end of the chapter to make things a bit more hands on and to give you the opportunity to do it – Hear God's Voice.


The chapter looks at things that might stand in the way of us recognizing God's Voice. The Bible tells us that He is always speaking to us, but some things might stand in the way of our ability to discern when God speaks. One of the things that can get in the way is our "natural man". 1 Cor 2:14 says that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, because they are foolishness to him. The voice of God is spiritually discerned – we hear God's voice through our "Spiritual Man". While we were still busy with the theoretical discussing I felt rather challenged in my ability to grasp what that means – what does it look like? How do I know when my natural man is in the driver's seat and when are my spiritual ears doing the hearing….


The practical exercise suggests taking a piece of scripture – wherever you are in your Bible reading. Read it and while you're reading be aware of any revelation or insight that God might be giving you. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about what you've read, ask Him to make it personal to your life and your situation.



So, there I was, trying to remember where I was last in the Bible – I'm not so good with remembering the numbers! I knew it was Luke, so I just skimmed through the chapter headings to find my place and then I stopped at Luke 7:36. This is the story of Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman. Simon, the Pharisee, invited Jesus to have dinner with him. As I read it just came into my head that the Pharisee is my natural man. There was this sinful woman who lived in the town and she heard Jesus was there so she went into the house to Jesus. This (the Holy Spirit revealed) is my spiritual man.


Now I must digress a little. Andy and Ang have been listening to Rob Rufus's teaching on living under Grace (vs. living under law). I started listening to it last week. In this context the Pharisee in Luke 7 is also the man who lives under law. The sinful woman is the one who lives under grace. She's the one who doesn't have to justify herself – she is justified by Christ. She can come into Jesus' presence without the burden of having to deserve his love. She is drawn by it from across the city and when she finds Him she cries, she dries his feet with her hair, she pours perfume on them – how's that for real intimacy!



What a wonderful revelation: my natural man, my Pharisee, will sit and have an intellectual conversation with Jesus – maybe quizz Him on some psychological issues, try to subject Grace to the laws of science, reason about the plausibility of hearing a divine Spirit speaking to me and I'll come away with a feeling of frustration: I'll conclude that the things of the Spirit is foolishness and I'll feel rejected because I don't experience myself as part of the family where the father speaks to His children. (An interesting point here is that the natural man is not the one who is characterized as the sinful one – it is not that our sinful nature stands in the way of hearing God's voice. The Pharisees were after all the "holy" ones, but they removed themselves from intimacy with Jesus because of their clinging to the law.)



But my spiritual man, my sinful woman, can hear God clearly. She comes to Jesus despite my natural man's presence. She sits at His feet, touches Him, cries because she is so overwhelmed by the love He has for her and can rejoice in the knowledge that she is justified – just as if she has never sinned. AND GOD SPEAKS TO HER!



Thanks Andy, for listening to when God spoke to you because now I can also hear.



XXXXXXX

Lydia

Friends First!

When we place a priority on friendship as a fundamental value, we will find every excuse to get together and enjoy one another's company. Not only that but we will diligently make efforts to be friendly and to build deep and lasting friendships that are able to sustain and maintain through the trials of life and bring us out with joy!
















I know that in my life that I can get sucked up into the busyness of life and before I know it the day or the week or the month is gone and I have missed the opportunities to spend time with family, friends and future friends! ... if I have to be completely honest - it is simply laziness and selfishness to take care of my relationships. If we run out of water at home, I will quickly pick up the phone and order more water. If we run out of electricity, I will go in the middle of the night in my pj's to find a vendor still open to buy electricity. If I can make that effort for something so inconsequential and passing - how much more should I not be spending time, effort and cash on my relationships? What about a friend who is going through bankruptcy, or divorce, sickness or death of a loved one ... who will be there for them?

Our lives are slipping away and with it the most important thing that God has given us - the only thing that we will take with us into eternity, is slipping away with it! You think I exaggerate? Paul said this to the Thessalonian church:

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the
presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
Indeed, you are our glory and joy!

FRONT DOORS OF FRIENDSHIP
How high is the value of relationships on your priority list? Do you have an open or a closed friendship front-door? In other words is it open to new people - do you actively reach out to bring new friends into your friendship circle? Or do you have a poverty mindset when it comes to friends - one or two good friends and that's all I need? Can we ever have enough friends, even best of friends? When I think of my friends in the album of my life, they are the colour in the pictures, the fragrance that lingers, the echoes of laughter, the looks, the smiles, the tears, the touches.

My friend the honey bee
I have a friend in South Africa, he is the friendliest guy that you will ever meet. He is totally unashamed of going up to people and introducing himself and being friendly and becoming a friend (to the point of being forward). He has more friends than anyone I know, from princes to paupers from geeks to gorillas (no you may not ask where I fit into the continuum). The first time that I ever met him (we worked for the same company), he stopped me in the middle of the road and invited our family (Jess was 1 yr old) to join him and his wife at his cottage he had built on the Transkei coast (it was really rough, but one of the most wonderful holidays we've had). Just like that - dived in at the deep end - said here's someone I want as a friend and took the plunge! We have been best of friends ever since. He has shown me this truth - if you want to have friends, be friendly and go and make friends! Do not accept no for an answer - especially from your own fears and insecurities! He is like a honey bee flying expectantly from flower to flower and wherever he finds the nectar of friendliness he collects and stores and transforms it to the honey of life-long friendship.

BACK DOORS OF FRIENDSHIP
What is the back door of your friendship circle like? Do you allow your friends to slip out unnoticed through the back door of your life? An open, unwatched door means "easy come, easy go ...". In other words, I expect friends to come in and out of my life and will not inconvenience myself to maintain or sustain those relationships. Its all about me and friends being friends to me and not I to them. When we cultivate our friendships they become those well-watered gardens in which is found joy and gladness, praise and thanksgiving (Isa 51:3). Cultivate not only short term crops, but trees and forests, relationships that will last for a lifetime and beyond! Like a zealous gardener we can plant pretty annuals and tasty vegetables, but it is the trees that produce a lifetime of fruit or strong durable beams. It is trees that withstand the drought and the storm and the locust, but they need to be carefully nurtured in their formative years. There is no quick reward - but a diligent stewardship is required.

My friend the builder bee
I have a dear friend that phones me from South Africa every week without fail, regardless of whether or not I have phoned or sms'd him. He simply shares his week with me and asks about my week. It is the most encouraging event of my week (sad life you say?), no ... not because of any great truths or wisdom or pious platitudes but simply because this very busy friend has placed such a priority on our friendship that he has structured into his week the cost and time and effort of a phone call to a distant friend. He has intentionally crafted that honey-comb structure with which to fill that precious, golden substance called friendship. Without that structure, that honey would be enjoyed for a moment but lost over time - or come the winters of our lives there would be nothing to draw upon to sustain our friendship. I have often boasted how as men, we can go for years without speaking to our friends and then pick it up again just like that when we get together again. The sad truth is that it is simply a poor reflection on the value that we place on our friendships and our own laziness to steward God's gift of relationship. That friend through his actions, has taught me more about friendship than all the sermons I have heard or great texts that I have read. A friend indeed!

Moyo Huruma Feedback

Dear friends
I have attached the email from Jackson and Ester Leguna in Dodoma with feedback on the funds we send to assist the orphans to purchase school uniforms and books (see Heart of Compassion in Dodoma, Jan 30, 2008). Thank you for your generosity and kindness towards these children.

First of all we give thank so much to you for your support we are appliciate your fund you sent to us in total of Tsh.240,000/=

This fund used in buying for the uniforms of 12 children and their shoos and exccass books the costs was Tsh.180,000/=
remined fund was Tsh,60,000/= which used for fair for trips of all children who we sent them to Town to buy tools for them the fair was Tsh,20,000/=
Tsh,18,000/= we bought one suck of flower for the children polladge every surtday because we have day to meet to gather for teaching the word of God every sutarday in every week
Tsh.12,000/= used to buy sugar Kg 8
Tsh,8000/= and one dasen of cups.Tsh.1200/=
Tsh.2800/= used for fair of me and my wife when we were going to Town to take money to postal.

Our Government in our area were very thankful for your support and they asked me to send their thanks to you.
Thank you for directed me to communicate with others organization But you have been the resouce of the support for these children so these children want more support before we start to communicate with other organization because that organization require regstration Number which we will process for long times
The children require things as follows
1.Clothes
2.Daily food
3.Medicine expenses
4.the good place of sleeping they have no beds and more many expenses for education etc.

We give God glory for growing Church now, the church is very growing now two times of numbers you know before
Thank you for all things you doing for God and the work you working for HimMay God bless you we are appliciate your activities for our ministry

Thank you again
Yours in christ

Jackson & Ester Leguna

This Is How We Know What Love Is ...

When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Price of Glory died;

My richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.

As we have surveyed again the wondrous cross this week, I have been overwhelmed once again by the love of God. My head has cleared, my focus has sharpened and my eyes re-opened to the wonder of His great love. The clarion call to the battle standard of our Great King echoes throughout time and eternity ... and His banner over me is Love.

 

^{1Jn 3:16} This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

 

Heart of Compassion in Dodoma

Children from Moyo Huruma, Dodoma.

Ester Godfrey - Std7 .......... Roda Staniel - Std1
Erasto Jonas - Std1 ............ Catherine Joseph - Std1
Vumilia Moris - Std1 .......... Nusura Mohamed - Std5
Juliana Chilongola - Std4 ... Hawa Mustapha - Std4
Sada Mustapha - Std5 ....... Fatuma Issa - Std3
Elizabeth Francis - Std5 .... Grace Mwacha - Std7

I was approached by the couple (Jackson & Esther Leguna) who lead the church in Dodoma that I visited last year, who care-assist 50 orphans in their community. They go under the name Moyo Huruma (Heart of Compassion), this couple really do express that heart of compassion - with so little, giving everything that they have to whosoever comes. As yet they have not managed to negotiate their way through the red-tape to register as a community based organisation and thus be in line for assistance, but that is their intention. They requested financial assistance for 12 of the children going to school, as they cannot attend unless they have school uniform, books and shoes. I immediately put the request to the church, with the challenge to give up food for the day and give that money for the orphans. In that way, people can give according to their means, as well as fulfil the call of Isaiah 58 to share your food with the hungry. The response was wonderful and heartfelt, and without wanting to start a meaningless tradition, I believe it is something that we will repeat!

What do you think? How did this experience impact you?

FATHER'S BLESSING
This past week as we took time to fast and pray for the orphans at Moyo Huruma in Dodoma (thank you for your contributions!), I was reminded of this amazing text in Ephesians, revealing our Father's heart of compassion on us:

Eph 1:3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

What a gracious and amazing Father! He has placed upon us His love, identity and acceptance - not because of what we did (or can do!) but because of what Jesus did. That's why it's freely given - not grudgingly or obligingly or dutifully, but it pleased God to extend His grace to us.

How can we not respond in praise and awesome wonder?!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

(1 John 3:1)

The Love Of Jesus

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)

So often we say that love is an action, it is doing things - especially for God and for the poor. While it is true that love acts, not all action is a result of love. How easily deceived we can be! Our most magnificent acheivements count for nothing if not done in love! So often when we evaluate ourselves, we do it on the basis of the first paragraph:

I pray every day, read my bible and go to church. I can recite verses from the bible and can explain the doctrines of the Christian faith . I give money to the poor through my church and my family thinks I'm an idiot for being a Christian.

Want a reality check? Substitute your name in the place of love in the second paragraph and read it aloud... Shocking isn't it? As I read the passage and applied it to myself, I wondered... Would my wife say amen to that? What about my children, my neigbours, the guy in the traffic, my employees or colleagues? In Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12 we read:

What God has said isn't only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.

God is not looking for an outward conformity to His word, a religious obedience to rules and regulations but He wants to change our hearts which will result in changed behaviour and actions. Read that passage again, this time substituting the name Jesus for the word love. How incredibly comforting is that? That is the way of Jesus with you and I, and as God's word says, He is transforming us into Jesus' image as we commune with Him in His Presence. It's His work to transform us, it's ours to come into His presence and submit to His dealings of our hearts. The result is that we can go out into the world with the love of Jesus which will bring praise and glory to God!

Love

Andrew