Disabled

28 June 2011

Matthew 8:1-3 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him;and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

During the next two days I will be out of communication in Pietermaritzburg at a meeting with the Leprosy Mission and the Disability Conexion, we will be investigating the response that the Church should have to the healing ministry in regard to disability and leprosy. Please pray for us. So many of us take for granted our good health and life without being treated like a leper, yet there are many people that have to deal with this on a daily basis.

We need to remember that God’s grace and love is sufficient despite the situation we may find ourselves in. So in your response to this what would your view be in how to minister to people who are lepers or have physical disability that inhibits them in some way or another. For me the reality is that many people are disabled, possibly physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, and the truth is that no matter what the disability, Jesus Christ is more concerned about the person being reconciled to God, than to be physically healed.

Be encouraged today to give thanks to God, for what Jesus has done on the Cross for each of us.

David

Point to ponder: We are a new creation in Christ.

Question to consider:  Have you been healed of your disability?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Be a delight

25 June 2011

Psalms 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of thy wings.

Some days are a delight and sometimes the people we meet are also, but more importantly are we a delight? The question is haw do we become a delight to those we meet and spend time with and in the same way recognise the value that we add by being so. I think it is easier to be miserable and negative than to be just be a delight to others, I suppose because being a delight means that you have to actively pursue the objective of being nice, kind, content, and helpful without burdening others with the fact that you have some ache or pain or problem.

This is not easy to do and it comes about by being able firstly to accept who you are, and to accept others for who they are. People who complain and moan, and always have something to say about themselves and others, seem to attract the same kind of people and then their greatest joy is to sit and complain about everything, nothing ever makes them content. Yet with a touch of God’s love, a kind word and loving environment even the most unhappiest person may change if they are willing to change. This change starts with the thought what can I do to delight God today.

You are a delight to God, the apple of His eye and you bring Him great joy. Go and be what God believes for you.

Be encouraged today to be a delight to others.

David

Point to ponder: You are the apple of Gods eye.

Question to consider:  Do you delight people?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Be careful

24 June 2011

James 4:4 Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Some people just seem to be poison fairies, no matter how a person would like to help them, they always bring bitterness and discouragement with them. They really do need help, but the help they want is on their terms and always to feed there own needs. It seems so often that they are in a cycle; this not only brings hurt to themselves but also all those that offer to help them. The result is that they just continue through life tainting and poisoning all those who come into contact with them, and the older they get the worse it gets until they are alone and blame everyone but themselves for the situation that they are in.

The only way that people can really change is to have a heart transplant, to take their old heart and change it for a new one, the heart of Jesus Christ. To do this they also need to realise through their attitude they are in danger, because their attitude is such that they will only hear what they want to hear, and if they do not like what they hear they will lash out in anger. So sometimes it is just better to leave them on their journey until they realise that they are their own enemy and an enemy of God. In their heart no love abounds, and because no love is found, they have no relationship with God.

Be encouraged today to be careful of befriending people who will hurt you.

David 

Point to ponder: be aware of strangers, they are not all friends.

Question to consider: Are you wary of people who can hurt you?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Messie's funeral is on Saturday

Dear all,

I would like to confirm that the funeral of the late Messie Mathibe is on this Saturday at 9am at St Mark's Presbyterian church. We would like to see all of you coming to support the family of Simeon and to support the church.

Please all elders, let us all be here early and as leaders of the church.

God bless you all

The Rev. Emmanuel Solomon Surwumwe

Shalom

23 June 2011

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

A person of peace seeks peace, a person of conflict seeks conflict. For most of us we seek what keeps our peace, and that may not be real peace but just keeping our own zone of life comfortable. True peace is a sense of well-being and security that is so part of who we are and the community that we live in that it is a true ‘Shalom’. We cannot achieve this without being at peace with ourselves and who we are and with others and who they are, and a contentment with the material things of life.

We also need to be at peace with nature, at peace with the weather, at peace with the ground and the plants, at peace with all of God’s creation, to do this we must have a heart for peace. This heart of peace is a gift from God, and the experience of this the joy of the Holy Spirit. When we listen to people speak on TV we very quickly pick up who is a person of peace and who is a person of conflict. A person of conflict will always make ‘angst’ among others and in so doing develop a situation where conflict will flourish. Where there is anxiety, conflict, remorse and guilt, there is no place for peace.

We follow the Prince of peace, therefore we seek peace.

Be encouraged today to be a person for peace.

David

Point to ponder: Be a peacemaker.

Question to consider: Are you at peace?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Un churched lovers

22 June 2011

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us.

It is sometimes sad that the person we love does not seem to have the same attitude spiritually as we have, this may be our spouse or child or someone that we are fond of. Every time we mention what we believe in spiritually it is a no-go conversation and we rather stay quiet than to continue a conversation that will just bring tension into the relationship. Some will just say that they believe and pray but do not need to belong to a church or any other religious rite. How then do we change or influence their attitude to Jesus Christ?

Simply we must live a life that becomes an example of how Christians live, we also must stop talking negatively about the church we attend or about the people that attend it. If we cannot say something good about a person it is better to say nothing. We learn to love by choosing to love, we learn to give by giving, we learn to help others by helping. All the sermons in the world cannot change a persons heart, only they can, we help them by allowing God’s grace to be seen in us. When we start to be positive about life, about our future, about the things that God has blessed us with, those that we love will see this and start to respond when they see the peace, love and joy that this brings into our lives.

Be encouraged today to be an example of God’s love to others.                 

  

David

Point to ponder: You are the only example of God’s love on earth.

Question to consider: Are you?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Do something

21 June 2011

Romans 9:1-3 I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race.

What is your desire for Christ; if you could do one thing for Jesus what would that be? Most of us spend time thinking about what Jesus could do for us, yet we seldom think and actually do something for Him. We have been exposed to the Gospel, we know that we must love, love God, love others, we know so much yet it seems we do so little. The greatest thing that I believe I can do for Jesus is to tell others what He has done for me and to hardly ever use words to do so.

The greatest times of failure in a Christians life is when we stop telling others about Jesus Christ, the greatest success is when we all start to do so. You and I are witnesses to the work of Jesus Christ in this world, we are His disciples, His students and we are being taught constantly through the Holy Spirit to go and do what we have been called to do. Let each of us be so filled with a desire, a yearning to bring others to know Jesus Christ, that it becomes more important than life itself. Time is running out, we are at war for the souls of those we love, we cannot waiver, we cannot fall, their destiny is in our hands.

Be encouraged today to be a witness for Jesus.

David

Point to ponder: You are God’s witness.

Question to consider: What kind of witness are you?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Bucket or pipe

20 June 2011

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.

The other day I was reading a book on how to make disciples and in reading it I was struck with a thought that most people sitting in a pew are buckets. Every Sunday they will be preached at and their buckets will be filled with the words of the preacher, the scripture, music and so on. Next Sunday they are back again to top up their buckets, some are big buckets and some are small buckets, and after awhile the buckets are so filled that there is no room for anymore. So they come for just in case their bucket gets empty and then no matter what is preached nothing actually can get into the bucket.

Now God did not design us to be buckets but rather pipes, we get the message in us and it flows through us top others that need it. While the message has filled us and is filling us because it is always flowing to others we are never, we always have room for more. So when we are preached at and preached to, we are able to share that which we have heard with others and not to keep it to ourselves in our buckets. So you heard the sermon on Sunday, what are you doing with it today and tomorrow? If you keep it in your bucket you have actually lost the point of the sermon.

Be encouraged today to see yourself as a pipe that flows with the love of God to others.

  

David

Point to ponder: God wants to change lives.

Question to consider: Are you a bucket or a pipe?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Messie Mathibe has passed away

Dear friends, 

Simeon Khosa (0715274306), a member of our congregation lost his wife Messie Mathibe last Saturday afternoon. The funeral might be this Saturday 25th June (need to be confirmed). The members of St Mark's would like to meet on Wednesday 22nd June at 6pm at the church to plan the funeral and try to collect cash the support the family.

 

Gal 6:10 "Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." 

May God bless you.

 

The Rev. Emmanuel Solomon Surwumwe

To know God

14 June 2011

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What is it to want to know God? Knowledge is personal empowerment and the more knowledge we have the more power we have in making decisions and living our life. This knowledge accumulates in us and becomes part of who we are and so we are influenced by what we know and our capacity to understand. At the same time the very knowledge itself programmes our way of thinking and so also our understanding. So when we are exposed to information and learning we need to be aware that all that we see, all that we hear, all that we touch, all that we smell and all that we taste is influenced by that we which we are exposed to.

So when we want to know more about God and the things of God we must be aware that all knowledge that we do have is only that which God has revealed to us, through Holy Scripture and human experience of the revelation from God. We may debate and gain much knowledge but essentially there is a mystery about God, for no matter how much we want to know God, we are limited by our own human capacity. We either believe God exists or we do not, and our starting point will always rest on this basic belief. For those who do not believe that God exists, then for them He does not, and for those that do, He does. The beginning of all knowledge about God is that He exists and His existence is self-sufficient and independent of human kind, the second part of this is that awesome fear as the beginning of process, and that faith is the start of our understanding to know God, not the end.

Be encouraged today to desire to know God.

David

Point to ponder: Seek God.

Question to consider:  Do you seek to know God?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Holy Spirit Witness

13 June 2011

Acts 2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

People are very strange in their behaviour sometimes and one wonders why? I suppose because when people do not agree with the way we think they must be strange. What sometimes makes things worse is when the strange behaviour is not because of facts but rather in the traditions that they follow that keeps them comfortable in those traditions. In the church we find many traditions and beliefs that have no biblical foundation but rather the practise that keeps people comfortable because of limited or no change taking place that may require people to actually change spiritually. When we worship the way things are done rather than worshipping our Triune God I think we have missed the point. Do not move the Baptismal font!!!

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, a highlight festival in the church, when the Holy Spirit came down in power to fill and mobilise the people of God to become witnesses to the things of God. We celebrate the day, yet we sometimes need to be reminded that the same Holy Spirit then is the same today, and when we believe that we are baptised, anointed, filled, refreshed, empowered by that same Holy Spirit, then we must live what we believe. My prayer is that you believe this and because you do, you will live who you are in Jesus Christ, who loves you.

Be encouraged today to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit that dwells in you to be a witness to God in this world.

  

David

Point to ponder: Jesus Christ has given you the Holy Spirit.

Question to consider:  Are you a Holy Spirit witness?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Equipping for Evangelistic Miniseries Conference

1^st & 2^nd July 2011

Linga Longa, Bela Bela.

Programme

Track 1:      Basic Evangelism

Track 2:     EQUIPPING EVANGELISTS

Plus:         WORLD EVANGELISM CHALLENGE

Cost:        R 300.00 Per person (includes accommodation & 3 meals daily)

Enquiries & registration:     Sharon Hahn 011 432 5750; Sharon@harvfell.co.za

                                  David Hutt 083 650 1971; dhutt@mweb.co.za

Sponsored by the south African association of evangelists

(Partial scholarships available on application)

Programme

Friday 1^st July: Arrival & registration          14h00 – 15h00

                          Introduction & welcome       15h00

                          Dinner                                   18h00

                          Fellowship                             19h00

Saturday 2^nd July:    Breakfast                       08h00

                          Basic evangelism                   09h00

                          Tea                                         10h30

                          Equipping evangelists            11h00

                          Lunch                                     13h00

                          World evangelism challenge 14h00

                          Tea & closure                        15h30

Great love

10 June 2011

1 Corinthians 13:13 So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Peace is the absence of conflict, love is the absence of sin, hope is the absence of despair, these three things are something we should all be striving for. When we speak of absence it is implied that it cannot to be found, it does not mean that it is not there but in that moment it cannot be found. So we need to ask ourselves whether we just accept that within us there should be an absence of conflict, sin and sadness, because within us we are at peace with God and God is at peace with us, sin is overcome by love, love that God has for us and the love we have for God. The result of this is a hope in our spirit, a hope that comes from that blessed assurance that Jesus is ours.

Without love in our lives we have nothing, we may own the world, we may have many gifts, but without love it is meaningless. We may have to face many things still and in facing them we need to remember that we are loved and that it is not a superficial love, but a love that is beyond reason. We just love because we can! Be filled with love, a love for God and the things of God, a love for our neighbour and a love of who we are in Christ. We truly love God by loving others and doing for others whenever we may, and in so doing we show how much we love God.

Be encouraged today to be filled with God’s love.

David

Point to ponder: God is love.

Question to consider: Do you have the love of God?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Windstorm

8 June 2011

Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Last night there was a strong wind storm that blew over most of the country, with rain and thunderstorms. Areas will be having snow today and in some places it is bitterly cold, many people were cold and worried about making it through the night without facing injury or damage to property. It is at those times we are reminded of the windstorm that the disciples faced on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus slept in the boat. It is at such times that our faith is tested and we face the trials of life when it seems that the boat we are in also has sprung a leak. Yet when these things happen we need to answer the question, where is our faith?

I have been asked to pray for the town of Cullman in Alabama, where the tornado hit and destroyed homes and families, leaving many homeless and in some way hopeless as well. Between 50 and 100 children have been left destitute and in great need of loving care. How blessed are we that we still have homes and loved ones around us to comfort us when the winds are strong and the storms come. We have much to give thanks for in this day.

Be encouraged today to be thankful for a roof, dry clothes and food on the table.

David

Point to ponder: God is in the storm.

Question to consider: Do you see God in your storm?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Brilliant news for the Butlers

Hi All

I am not sure who of you have heard, Colleen Butler’s daughter Tracey gave birth to a little girl, Emma Jean, on Saturday evening. Mom and daughter are doing well. God bless.

Kind Regards

Veronika Macher

Special Meeting of Session

Dear All,

Please do not forget the Session meeting this coming Saturday, 11 June. It is a ‘ Spiritual Input’ meeting and the Rev Chris Judelsohn from the Midrand Church, has kindly agreed to lead us.Chris is the convener for Church Development and growth for the Presbytery of eGoli.

  

It is vital that all our elders are present at this meeting at this crucial time in the life of the congregation, and I appeal to everyone to be there even if it means canceling another engagement or finding someone to work in your place on Saturday.

Programme:

First half: 9.00am – 10.30am

Getting back to basics regarding the purpose and ministry of the Church.

10.30am   Tea

Second Half:

11.00am – 12.30pm

Specifics regarding St Mark’s, i.e. both the challenges facing ministry in our context and the opportunities.

The time together should provide an opportunity to reflect on the life of the congregation and the future of the ministry.

Chris hopes that by the end of the morning everyone would have a renewed sense of the purpose of the Church and an excitement for ministry, and also some ideas of possibilities that can be fleshed out in the months ahead.

Please all bring your Bibles.

Thanks and blessings,

Liz

God's temple

8  June 2011

1 Corinthians 3:17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.

You are the temple of God and you are holy, beautiful and filled with His glory and love. You are not of this world but have been made in the image of the Lover of your soul who wants to be with you for all eternity. You are the only part of all creation which is made in the image of the Creator, and because of that you are holy, because He is holy. Although we have been born into this world we are not of this world because our journey ends at the beginning of all eternity. So every life that is born of woman returns to God, no one that is born will not return to God.

When we return to God, we return tainted with the experiences of life in a sinful world, hurt by wickedness, hatred, despair, regret, but at the same time of having loved, lived and experienced peace, joy and family. We have been given so much to enjoy and experience yet we need to remind ourselves that the purpose is to learn to know our Creator and to enjoy Him. When we do we recognise that we are His and He who created us dwells in us, making us His temple.

Be encouraged today to be God’s temple.

David

Point to ponder: You are God’s temple.

Question to consider: Do you keep yourself holy?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Love

7 June 2011

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

If you love me, you will know me. So often we think that we know people and love them, but there are things about them that we do not know, or things that they keep from us. When we see them for who they are and even though we may not know everything the parts that we do know we treasure and love them because of that. So in all of us we have our good side and our bad side, and when a person knows this and still chooses to love us, what a joy it is.

So usually the people that love you are the people that knows you, and they know you as much as you will allow them to. The more they know about you the less you have to hide and the more honest you can be with them and even more so with your self. Actually I think you are very lovable, and I also think that you love to be loved. The problem is that love makes us vulnerable and the more vulnerable we are the more defensive we become. The beauty of love is that we need not be, when we allow honesty to dominate our relationships that are built on the foundation of trust.

The same applies with our relationship with Jesus, if we claim to love Him, we also claim that we know Him and what pleases Him. In the same way He loves us, because He knows us, and even then He still loves us.

Be encouraged today to get to know those who love you.

David

Point to ponder: Jesus loves you.

Question to consider: Do you know Jesus?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Passion

6 June 2011

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

It is so important to be passionate about things, when we meet people that are passionate about what they believe and what they care about, it just makes such a difference. To be passionate is to be human, to have feelings, thoughts, desires and the hope of seeing these fulfilled, we need to be passionate about life and the expectation of a better tomorrow. What you passionate about speaks loudly about who you are, when you passionate about your children in tells about your love for them, when you passionate about money, it tells about who you are, when you are passionate about God it speaks of deep spirit of grace.

Sometimes we forget about what we are passionate about, and we allow the things around us to swamp out our hope for tomorrow. When things about us distract us, when cares become to heavy and the burdens of life bear down, we need to come back to what we are passionate about. These passions need to be directed to bring us hope and encouragement, to bring hope and encouragement to others, but most of all it must speak of the love in our hearts.

Be encouraged today to be passionate about those things that God has given us.

David

Point to ponder: God is a passionate God.

Question to consider: When last have you been passionate?

God's love

3 June 2011

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

How great is our God, how awesome and incredible it is that a God who made all things made you and I, and even though we may feel inadequate or unworthy, He loves us with that same incredible love. We may be on the other side of the world from each other, we may be right next door, yet we have the same God who loves us both. You are a special person, loved and cherished by God our Father, blessed beyond our wildest imagination because of who He is and how He loves us now and for all eternity.

When your desk is to busy to receive encouragement, so cluttered with the business of what you do, to busy to let God take a moment and speak to you, how ever will you cope. Take a God break, take a moment every hour or so, and give God a thought or two, carry on with the work, but allow Him to carry the burden of the day. He wants too, because He loves you and cares about what you have to do.

Be encouraged today to keep your soul warm with the love of God.

David

Point to ponder: God loves you.

Question to consider: Do you feel God’s love?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

God's Temple

1 June 2011


1 Corinthians 3:17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.
 
You are the temple of God and you are holy, beautiful and filled with His glory and love. You are not of this world but have been made in the image of the Lover of your soul who wants to be with you for all eternity. You are the only part of all creation which is made in the image of the Creator, and because of that you are holy, because He is holy. Although we have been born into this world we are not of this world because our journey ends at the beginning of all eternity. So every life that is born of woman returns to God, no one that is born will not return to God.
 
When we return to God, we return tainted with the experiences of life in a sinful world, hurt by wickedness, hatred, despair, regret, but at the same time of having loved, lived and experienced peace, joy and family. We have been given so much to enjoy and experience yet we need to remind ourselves that the purpose is to learn to know our Creator and to enjoy Him. When we do we recognise that we are His and He who created us dwells in us, making us His temple.
 
Be encouraged today to be God’s temple.
  
David
 
Point to ponder : You are God’s temple.
 
Question to consider : Do you keep yourself holy?
 
Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com  

Ascension Day

2 June 2011

Acts 1:10-11 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Today we celebrate and remember the day that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and that He was seen by many people rising in the clouds from the mount of Olives and rose out of sight above Jerusalem. Since then all Christians around the world remember this day and keep it close to their heart, some take time off if they can and go to their local church to share with others the joy of Christ’s ascension to the right hand of God the Father. In the business of this world many have chosen rather to forget the importance of this day, and treat like any other work day.

We as Christians look forward to the return of Jesus Christ like a woman waiting for the birth of her child, we have a hope and a faith that this day will come soon. The world at the moment is having labour pains, preparing for the return of Jesus Christ, others are saying the world is ending and the rapture has been and gone, we hear others speaking foolishness with millions of people giving credit for the nonsense spoken. When Jesus Christ returns like a thief in the night, will He find you busy doing what He commanded you to do?

Be encouraged today to be busy doing the things Jesus asked you to do.

David

Point to ponder: Keep watch.

Question to consider: Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com