John 3:31-36 – He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Jesus' testimony was trustworthy because He had come from heaven and was speaking of what He had seen there. His words were the very words of God. Our whole spiritual life depends on our answer to one question: "Who is Jesus Christ?" The heartbeat of John's Gospel is the dynamic truth that Jesus Christ is God's Son, the Messiah, the Saviour, who was from the beginning and will continue to live forever.
It is this very question and these exacting truths that Patrick presented at a recently concluded conference held in one of the townships off of Luanshya, this past week. Well over 1,000 believers attended the conference and heard the unashamed proclamation of Jesus Christ and the cross. Many we
re challenged, many came forward recommitting their lives and families to the Lord and others were greatly encouraged by the boldness of the concluding message on accountability. Pray that the fruit of our labours may mature with time, bringing forth a great harvest for the kingdom.
The Christian Resource Centre continues to be a great source of outreach to the community. A number of young adults have been visiting the reading room and initiate conversations ranging from morality in this day and age to life choices. I spoke with one young man yesterday morning who is trying to discern which route he should take: whether to continue working the family farm with his grandmother or to embark on a life of "chasing his own dreams". How would you answer a question like this? You see, things really aren't as different as you might think from life in the United States or Europe. Our young people have the same concerns, hopes and dreams. Pray for wisdom as we counsel young people, encourage others, and provide scripture education through the correspondence school and leadership training.
Concerning the work of the Lighthouse Children's Home, the orphanage we started some years back: The remaining five (5) children are in their teens. Three are preparing for their grade 9 exams (Nancy-18, Dickson-16 and Shadreck-16). Because these children began school so late in the stage, there are deficiencies in their learning. Therefore, we have arranged additional tutelage for each in an effort to give them a level of confidence and comfort in their studies. Exams begin in November and go on through December. Please do pray for them. John, our eldest boy in the Home, is only in grade 8 at the age of 17. He has a tendency to hang out with the "wrong crowd" from time to time and finds himself "in problems" as we say around here. Pray for John, that he
develops more of a sense of "responsibility" and "separation" as he tries to live his life in Christ among his unbelieving friends without compromise. The youngest, Andrew, is now 13 and smart as a whip. This morning I walked into one of the rooms in the Christian Resource Centre where he does his piano practice. There he was, sitting in front of the keyboard with a blindfold on, trying to
play one of his pieces by memory. I don't know if he smelled my perfume or felt my presence, but he removed the blindfold and just smiled from ear to ear his sheepish little smile. We are very proud of our children and the accomplishments each has made over the years. However, like every other teenager we know, they are apt to "walk in, okay…run in to temptation" with their eyes wide open so we'd really appreciate your prayers for them and for us. Please don't pray for patience. You know what happens when we do that!
So, there's a brief synopsis of this weeks' activities. Apart from Patrick spending some time on the roof of the Christian Resource Centre attempting to find any leaks before the rains start in November, and the renovation program for the seminar room…
We really do appreciate your prayers and support of this diverse ministry. With all that is going on from week to week, we need to remember Who it is we serve, why we serve and our partners. Thank you for helping us meet needs both spiritually and physically.
In His Grace,
