Grapevine
June 2004
When
we look to God for deliverance of any kind, it is so human to look for
something in sight that will help the Lord out. If only we can find a little
something for God to begin with, we seem so much better satisfied.
But
it is not at all necessary for us to see any help in sight, nor is it necessary
for God to have any relief in hand. He does not need anything to begin with. ~tn the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). What did He make them out of?
Nothing! Absolutely nothing! When the earth was made, what did God hang it on?
Nothing? It hangs alright, doesn’t it?
The
God who made the earth, sun, moon and the stars out of nothing, and keeps them
hanging on nothing, can supply all your needs whether there is anything to work
on or not. Have faith in God!
ARE YOU
STRONG ENOUGH?
There are those who think that being a Christian is a
sign of weakness. Some would go as far as to say that religion is a crutch that
people use when life gets difficult.
The example Christians are called to follow is that of
Jesus Himself. Jesus was outspoken and revolutionary: He changed lives.
Ultimately He gave His own life so that we can live if we
follow Him. If we do follow Him, He calls us. at
times, to be as outspoken as Him. Christians are called to expose injustice and
to stand up and speak as Jesus would: argumentatively but convincingly. Arid
those Christians who feel called to evangelism, in whatever form, must talk
about their faith in the open, often subject to ridicule.
I don’t know about you but I’ve never heard of a
crutch that makes great demands of the user. Being a Christian can take real
guts. Yes, the Lord Jesus does provide spiritual support. but
think about those times when you have heard a conversation criticizing bible
bashers, ~ religious creeps or the
God squad. The Christian must stand firm in the face of such
opposition.
Many people choose to stay put in their nice cosy
lifestyles, hiding ii their peer groups. afraid to
speak out. But what about you? Have you got the guts
to follow Jesus?
Pay special attention to the wording and spelling. If
you know the Bible, even a little, you’ll find this hilarious It comes from a Christian elementary school test. Kids were asked
questions about the old and new testaments.
The following statements about the Bible were written
by children. They have not been retouched nor corrected.
(
1. In the first book of the bible, Guinessis.
God got tired of creating the world so he took the sabbath
off.
2. Adam and
Eve were created from an Apple tree. Noah’s wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah
built an ark and the animals came on in pears.
3. Lots wife
was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball of fire during the night.
4. The Jews
were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with unsympathetic
Genitals.
5. Sampson
was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a
Jezebel like Delilah.
6. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
7. Moses led
the Jews to the
8. The
Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert, Afterwards,
Moses went up to
9. The first
commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
10. The
seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
11. Moses died
before he ever reached
12. The greates miricle in the bible Is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed
him.
The
Prayer page
Dear
Lord, teach us to be generous, teach us to serve You
as You deserve.
To give and not count the cost. to
fight and not to heed the wounds.
To toil and not to seek rest. to labour and not to seek reward.
Except
for the knowledge that we do Your will.
0 thou. who clothes the lilies and feeds the birds of
the sky.
Who
leads the lambs to pasture. and
hart to the waterside.
Who
multiplies loaves and fishes. and
converted water to wine.
We
thank the Lord.
Jesus
has come into the world to give us faith.
We
will carry the faith with us.
Jesus
has come into the word to give us hope
We
will carry hope with us
Jesus
has come into the world to give us love
We
will carry the love with us
Jesus
has come into
the world to give us joy. praising, singing and
dancing
That all may know that Jesus HAS come into the world. Amen
Maasai
The following
amounts of money were given at the end of the mission.
Try Pastor
David Kereto of the
This will be
used by the church to help those in need.
To Moses and to
Joseph: I 0000 KSh each
To John the
cook and Johnston: 3000KSh each
A thank you
and help for them to carry on with their mission work. ll of them work so hard for the mission
as interpreters,
drivers and much more. John the cook was the only one who had not asks Jesus
into his life, and then to all our joy at the end of the mission he asks us to
lead him in prayer, inviting Jesus Christ into his life. To school fees earlier
in the visit: £800 + 15000 KSh (ca. £ 115 in
sterling)
This enabled
the school fees for three more children to be paid: the fund had run dry when
we arrived.
This adds up
to total of about £2735 +$96 + all the materials we took with us and the
Bibles that we purchased.
So we were able to financially bless the local churches a great deal. Add
to this the contents of
the teams suit cases which were much lighter at the end of the mission as they gave away their clothes
boots etc.
Thanks to all
including J.A.M. our Sunday school, who donated the £200 that went towards the
school fees. And all who sponsored me enabling me to go on the mission.
At the end of
the mission money left from the team fund and what was left of their own
spending money went into the total of £2735 + $96.
We were able to give financial
help to Pastor David and his team to help those who were in need. But it seems
so little to what is needed. Like all the team I came away with the picture of
how poor the Maasai were. We went to tell them about Jesus. But they did so
much for us in their willingness to hear about and to know him despite their
low standard of life. They found great joy in receiving him into ~lieir lives. Like the rest of the team I caine back feeling they had taught us something. We had
moved forward in our faith.
Please
pray for the Maasai who are in need of’ clean water, food. schooling
for the children and a better standard of Iife. On a
sad ,note may I ask you all reading this if you would pray for the lady team
member who was on mission in Uganda and was taken iII after a bite and has
since passed away in hospital out in South Africa.
Please
pray. giving thanks for her life and her work for the
Lord and that God will give comfort and strength to her Husband and family as
they struggle to come to terms with their loss. And that God will watch over
all who work for him in many parts of the world keeping them well and safe.
If I rise on the wings of the
dawn,
If I settle on the far side
of the sea,
even there your
hand will guide me,
your right hand
will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:9—l()
Yours in Christ Eddie
Top Ten Beauty Tips for 2004
1. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
2. For beautiful eyes, look for the good
in other people.
3. To lose weight, let go of stress, hatred, anger, contention and
the need to control others.
4. To improve your ears, listen to the word of God.
5. To improve your nose, smell the roses in your life and count
your blessings, giving thanks for each one of them.
6. For poise, walk with knowledge and
self-esteem. Rather than walk this earth lightly, walk firmly with
determination and leave your mark.
7. To strengthen your arms, hug at least 3 people a day. Touch
someone with your love.
8. To strengthen your heart, forgive yourself and others. Don’t worry and hurry so much.
9. To strengthen your back, carry someone else’s burden for them.
10. For the ultimate in business, casual or evening attire put on the
robe of Christ; it fits like a glove but allows room for growth. Best of all,
it never goes out of style and is appropriate for any occasion.
- Do these things on a daily
basis — and they
will certainly make you a more
beautiful person.