News from the Musebeyzu family in Rwanda

Pastor Julia and Doctor Emmanuel and Juliette and Grace ... how time has flown.

Dr, Emmanuel Musebeyezu and family, former members of St Mark's and friends of the Van Heerden family, are doing really well back home serving the Lord. Juliette tracked me down on Facebook, and now we are in touch again. She starts university soon and her sister Grace is at varsity in the U.S. I thought I would share the the mail from Juliette below.  

"Everyone here is doing pretty. At the moment Mom is the Pastor in charge of the only Presbyterian English Community In Rwanda. She is mostly very busy with the community and church activities. I'm also often busy since I joined the church choir  and worship team 5 years ago. The English community stared in 2005 so its 6 years. The moment we left South Africa, Dad started work at King Faisal Hospital, but is currently trying to start a private practice. Grace just finished her first year of University and I'm starting mine in 2 weeks. My brother Nyathi is starting Grade 4 in 3 weeks as well. How about you? how is Marianne. Daddy at the moment is in Senegal, but the moment he comes back he's going to write to you. He's been asking me too look for your email for a long time... then the other day I remembered how good you were with computers and technology so I instantly thought of checking for you on Facebook. And there you were!"

Our friendship loves on. The Lord be praised.

Geoff and Marianne.

work is good for you

29 July 2011

Proverbs 12:9 Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.

One cannot fry eggs without breaking the egg shells, in the same way one cannot saw wood without having sawdust, so for everything that we do there will always be a cost and a result. So whatever we do we need to understand that there will be a consequence and that each action we take will have a cost of some kind or another. Many want to do things, yet they are not prepared to make the effort or pay the cost, and then when they do not have what others have they blame everyone and everything but themselves.

Having come from a home where one had to work hard and with very few privileges, studying part time while working a full day, starting at the bottom of the work pile of life and eventually able to have achieved a decent salary and reasonable life, and others try to make you feel guilty because they have not done the same. God has promised that those who seek His ways, those who work hard and trust in Him will be blessed. Each person has every opportunity to achieve their God given plan in life, all they need to do is put the effort in and do the work. Even the sparrows have to leave the nest to find the food, so we too need to work and provide for ourselves and our families.

Be encouraged today to thank God for the ability to work and to provide. 

David

Point to ponder: Work is a gift.

Question to consider: Are you a content worker?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Food security

27 July 2011

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

As people we require certain basic elements no matter who we are as people, this applies no matter where  in this world. The first basic element is food security, are we able to get food and is the volume of food needed sustainable, the second is security in regard to where we sleep and is this is also sustainable? Within these two basic elements we find the basis of society and the struggles of humanity, it is also the root of our problems as society because those who have, want more and those who do not have become marginalised.

For most of us we do not struggle in these areas as much as a mother would be struggling for her family in Somalia, yet even on our doorsteps here in South Africa we are faced with similar situations in some areas. We need to ask ourselves the question what is it that we need to be secure, secure in our food supply, secure in our homes, secure in society. When we realise just how secure we really are, we should count our blessings, because we are part of a very privileged few in context of world poverty. It is in the bounty of what God has given us that we are able to give to those who are poor.

Be encouraged today to give thanks to God for  His manifold blessing upon you.

David

Point to ponder: God has blessed you.

Question to consider: Are you grateful?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Culture

27 July 2011

Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

There are many different kinds of culture and ethnic values which bring about the unique differences between people. The difficulty with this is when these cultures clash and become issues between people, this may be seen all around the world as the mobility of people increases globally. The one major problem is when a person of one culture moves into a different country and then expects the people of their new country to change their culture to suit theirs. In a cosmopolitan and cross cultural community like South Africa even with many years of experience each community maintains its own culture which then entrenches the differences between people rather than the similarities.

It is when people meet together and food is served that we most often experience each other, and when people reject the food as different and do not eat it, it is seen as a rejection of the other persons culture. So when we visit other countries or people different to us visit us we need to be aware of how sensitive people are to their own culture. So when we visit, we treat the things that they are sensitive about as holy and we eat what is placed before us with grace and thanksgiving for their welcome of us, even if it is not what we are used to. For these people it is the best that they can do, and so should be received with the love that is given.

Be encouraged today to be more sensitive to the cultures of others.

  

David

Point to ponder: We are all pilgrims in a foreign land.

Question to consider: Are you culture sensitive?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

The world at war

26 July 2011

Luke 21:8-10 And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

What is the world coming to, bomb blasts in Norway, famine in Somalia, AIDS rampant in Africa, corrupt politicians, just some of the things that pass through what we see on TV. We have become so immunised to the news that we see, pass a few comments and live life in our insular world without even being aware that behind the scenes something more sinister is lurking. Most of us are afraid even to go there because this will just cause us to become depressed and anxious, so we would rather deal with our own reality than get involved in some one else’s.

Yet when we who become observers of the world and the people therein, we see that even in the apparent chaos there is hope, there is the hand of God who with His plan for this world will succeed. The sad part is that the world is rejecting all things Christian, the world is more interested in cross cultural relations, peace at all costs, open trade and the use of the threat of war and revenge if you disagree. In the end times the world will become partitioned into two camps, those who are Christian and those who are not. The Christians are all those who accept Jesus Christ as Messiah and so become part of the blessing and inheritance of all Israel and its tribes who are the CHURCH of Jesus Christ. Those who reject this way and turn to the ways of the world then fall under the curse of the law and so disease, famine, poverty, corruption and lawlessness becomes their lot.

We may even see this reflected even within the Church as people who proclaim Christ with their mouth but fail to submit to His rule and dominion over the life failing to receive His blessing.

Be encouraged today to pray for the second coming of Jesus Christ in our life time.

David

Point to ponder: The world is at war with Jesus Christ.

Question to consider: Are you conscious of your duty as a Christian?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

What we can do for Jesus

It’s NOT about ME!”

What can We do for

JESUS?

a weekend with

the

Rev Abraham Akih

When: 6, 7 August, 2011

Where: St Mark’s Presbyterian Church Yeoville

Saturday: 9.00am till 4.00pm

Sunday:  10.00am Morning Worship

12.00pm Congregational lunch

13.30pm: Final Session

Solomon and I met with Abraham this morning and are really looking forward to this weekend.

Abraham already has ideas about what he will preach and teach on, and we are all very encouraged and expectant.

Please also put a note on blog that glasses left in church two Sundays ago are in the office if the owner is looking for them.

A servant heart

23 July 2011

2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

How often do we find ourselves in places where we are uncomfortable and out of our depth? For most of us this seldom happens, largely because we are used to the place we are in and we do not expose ourselves to the challenges that may cause us to be in a different place. When one starts to serve the public and especially the Christian public on tends to rather serve the public than Christians simply because Christians being served have an expectation that they are there to be served. There are so few Christians today with a servant heart.

Yet a Christian should be a Christ follower, a disciple and student of the Master. It is clear from the life and teaching of Jesus Christ that He came to earth to serve, yet this teaching seems to be very far from the minds of people who believe that they are Christian. Humility in this regard is made apparent not in submitting to the abuse of people but rather in a gentle response of Christian behaviour in those who serve Christ through serving others. It does not help to respond to people who do not know how, in ways that are beyond their comprehension, when the only example of servant hood is that which they see in you.

Be encouraged today to ask God to give you a heart like Jesus, to be a servant of others.

  

David

Point to ponder: Christians have the heart of a servant

Question to consider: Are you a servant for Christ?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Fair Scales

21 July 2011

Leviticus 19:36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Certain types of businesses provide certain characters, and when you deal with them it is so often that the character of the business becomes part of the character of the person you are dealing with. So when one deals with lawyers, they deal with law and legal interpretation, and not necessary justice. When you deal with used car salesman you are dealing with a person who has to make profit on the car they are selling and the car that they are buying. So they want to get a good car cheap and then sell it at top price making money out of both ends of the deal. In the same way one has to count everything, check everything, a 500ml bottle is not always filled to 500ml, a tin of food is  not always filled with the product to the amount on the can but filled with liquid to make up the volume. Dishonest people will always find ways to be more dishonest, no matter whether they wear a balaclava to cover their face or a business suit to hide their intentions.

The sad part about this is that very often good people are trapped into a business that forces them to act in an uncharacteristic way, and when they try to use honest scales and fair business practice they cannot survive in this corrupt system. It is extremely difficult to stay in business when ones competition is selling stolen goods, when scales are unbalanced, and the government that should check does not. Yet as Christians we can make a difference by speaking out and bringing people we can to be influenced to change by doing the right things in the right way, no matter what the cost.

Be encouraged today to use fair scales and right business practice, whether you are buying or selling.

David

Point to ponder: Be fair in all you do.

Question to consider:  Are your business actions justified before God?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Power of Imagination

20 July 2011

Romans 8:15-17 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

What makes you content? What is it that motivates you to think, to dream, to imagine, to lift you out of the mundane and the normality of life and bring you into that place filled with hope, encouragement and strength enough for the day? I believe one of the greatest gifts we have is our imagination and it is when we use this gift in a constructive way we are able to reach beyond our wildest  expectations. For some of us we may read a novel and imagine ourselves to be the hero or the heroine, sometimes the story is so close to who we are and our own disappointments we feel the pain of those around us.

When we understand that we need to use and exercise our gifts in order to become proficient in them, and so we can imagine ourselves to be sons and daughters of the King, saints worshipping in the presence of the Living God, ambassadors to the world representing with authority the King of kings, the One who allows all governments on earth has appointed you to be His for ever! What is a little trouble along the way, what can stop us when we have the gift of who we are. Just imagine if you could live as the true daughter or son of God, using all the authority given to you to change the world.

Just imagine God has done it! Do you believe It! Just imagine.

Be encouraged today to believe it you are the child of God a co-heir with Jesus Christ of the Kingdom of Heaven

David

Point to ponder: You are God’s ambassador.

Question to consider: Can you believe what you imagine?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Make a difference

19 July 2011

Proverbs 10:9 He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

It is so good sometimes to just sit and ask yourself what you have achieved during the day or yesterday and then realise that you actually have done many things, some mundane but essential, some extraordinary in a very ordinary day. I always used to marvel at the skill of people doing their work and then understood that each person develops a unique ability to do what they do. I may be able to sweep the leaves up in the garden, but I just do not have the skill to sweep 2km of littered streets each day. God has placed each of us in the situations that we are in with the ability and the talent to firstly learn to do the work and secondly to be able to do it effectively.

So each person has the gift of looking back on a day, a week and a lifetime and to be able to reflect on what they were able to achieve. So many of us have learnt more about what we cannot do and what we have failed to do, that we always live a life of inadequacy, never believing that we were ever good enough. When we comprehend that we can and have made a difference even if it is only a small thing, that difference must be important to us. So each day we should mediate and reflect on what we have done in the day to make a difference for us, as nobody can make a difference like you do.

Be encouraged today to be positive about what you do in the day.

David

Point to ponder: Make difference.

Question to consider:  Do you make a difference?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Fair Wage

18 July 2011

Romans 4:4 Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.

A Christian principle is that if you do not work you do not eat, in the same way each person that does work needs to be able to produce enough to provide for the needs of the family. A home, food and clothing, whether the worker is self employed or not is the basic need of all of mankind. In the world today the driving force behind industry are the financiers who invest in business in order to make a profit, so if a business does not produce dividends then the funding is withdrawn and the business is bankrupt. The people working are no longer seen as individuals with families but rather a component in order to ensure productivity and thus profit.

Jesus made the point that  workers deserves their wages, and that profiteering on the work of others is evil. The use of interest or usury is the source of this evil and was forbidden in all Christian countries up and till about 1840 when slave trading was prohibited and usury replaced it as another form of slavery. One could not invest in a company unless you worked in that business, even Lloyds the insurance company could only invest in potential cargo profit at that time.

Today there is almost no person that can buy a property or start a business without the need of external financing, and so the entire world is dominated by the financiers. The only power a worker has is the labour of their hands. Even though we may run short of fuel and gas, they too are entitled to earn an adequate wage, so when they go on strike we need to understand that it is the only way that they can negotiate in a profiteering and corrupt system.

Be encouraged today to pray for a peaceful end to the current wage strikes.

David

Point to ponder: .

Question to consider:  ?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Forgiveness

15 July 2011

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

It is amazing what the power of forgiveness can do, and just how many people there are who have not yet understood it. Forgiveness and the ability to forgive  is the prerequisite to the understanding of the Christian life, yet so many Christians are still struggling under the burden of unforgiveness. To be able to forgive another, is to be able to act in the same way that Christ responds to each of us, the more we are able to forgive the more Christ-like we become.

Forgiveness is a mental decision made and so becomes a fact for both parties and it should not be clouded by emotions. We may still experience the pain of the injury whilst we have already forgiven the person that has caused us the pain. To wait for the pain to be healed before we forgive, just perpetuates and depends the wounds, but once we have forgiven the healing truly begins.

Many of us do not have sound relationships with family and colleagues, because we feel that we have been offended or that they hurt us in some way, the result is a brokenness in both parties. It is better to forgive and to build than to be angry and destructive.

Be encouraged to forgive just as Your Father in heaven has forgiven you.

David

Point to ponder: You are forgiven.

Question to consider:  Do you have the courage to forgive?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

End times

14 July 2011

John 16:33 I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, He is love personified, He is the joy of salvation, and He brings order from chaos, and where He is we find peace, love and joy. Many people claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit, many claim to be many things in the name of Jesus Christ, but no matter what we claim, or in what situation we may find ourselves in we should always have His peace, His love and His joy. The fruit of a Christians life is found in these three things.

So when people talk about ends times and that Jesus is coming soon, we rejoice with the concept, yet we do not realise that He should have already invaded our hearts and all that we do. When Jesus does return He will bring peace, love and joy, yet so often end times is seen by others as bringing chaos and war. It is the sin of man whose fruit is chaos, war, discord, wickedness and it is because in the end times this will be the normal practise of man. Because of sin mankind brings its own destruction upon itself the consequence of which is hunger, poverty, disease, unemployment and the abuse of the worlds resources for greed.

As Christians we should have no fear of the end times, because we will be transformed in a twinkling of the eye into immortal bodies alive with Jesus Christ for eternity.

Be encouraged today to be filled with love, peace and joy.

David

Point to ponder: Where Jesus is peace abounds.

Question to consider: Are you filled with love, peace and joy?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Pray for Change

13 July 2011

Acts 9:13-14 But Anani'as answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name."

When one thinks of the Apostle Paul we think of the two natures that was seen in him, that of his pre-Christian and that of his post Christian life. In his writings of the various letters to the church, this becomes very apparent. Yet one can think of what he was like before he came to Christ on that Damascus Road, he caused fear And anguish amongst the followers of the Way of Jesus Christ. He caused many Christians in his day to pray for him and for their own safety and fears that he caused amongst them.

In fact if one thinks of a modern day kind of Saul of Tarsus one may be inclined to think that in South Africa that this may be a Julius Malema, because he has the same passion and creates the same tension as Saul would have done in his day. Could one imagine if Julius had the same experience as Saul and he started to preach Jesus Christ to all of South Africa with the same passion? What a missionary he would be for Jesus Christ.

Be encouraged today to pray for people like Julius Malema that he may have a Damascus Road experience.

  

David

Point to ponder: Jesus Christ is able to change anybody.

Question to consider: Do you pray for people like Julius to become true Christians?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Blinded

12 July 2011

John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them."

In each of us there are elements where we cannot see clearly, for some it is the physical for others it may be emotional and in others it may be spiritual, and in others maybe all of these. We sometimes allow things to stop us from seeing clearly, this may be the prejudice that we have, or it may be the anger that we carry. Often we are influenced by what we see through the interpretation of others, and so how we respond is coloured by their opinion.

One of the most common things that influences in what we see are our emotions, we allow them to bring into us interpretations which are then clouded by our own feelings and our own definitions which then causes us to respond accordingly. Manipulative people understand this and we find ourselves being used and abused by them because they know that we respond in certain ways. So if one is emotional about something we see within it things that others do not and we tend  to force our views on them. Yet we should constantly be aware there are the ways that God intends us to see and the blindness that we have to His views in order to have our own way. Our daily prayer should be to see the path of our life as God sees it rather than through the blindness of the world.

Be encouraged to see with God’s eyes rather than with your own.

David

Point to ponder: See with the eyes of Jesus.

Question to consider: Are you blinded by your emotions?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Night blind

6 July 2011

Acts 2:42-3 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

If something is important to you, you will make time for it, but if it is not important then we would rather do what is. Now each of us have different values and interests, these will depend on what is important for us, so if our children are important for example we will make time for them. If one was asked is Jesus Christ important, most Christians would answer ‘yes’, however because He is important does not necessary mean that we would make time.

So if one has to choose between Bible study or watching your favourite TV show as an example it would seem more people would choose the TV. In the same way if one has theatre tickets in the evening attendance is guaranteed, but if the same person was asked to come to a church a teaching event in the evening, the answer is usually ‘I do not go out at night’. What we then understand is that Jesus Christ is only important on a personal basis but His Church and its activities are not. Many people loose sight that the Church is the only place where we get to know and love Jesus Christ and for those who are trying to build the body of the Church it is sad that so many people do not see it as important. So all church events which often takes place in the homes of Believers should be supported because it is important for Jesus, so it should be important for you.

Be encouraged today to support your church and the events arranged.

PS:  I will be in Port Alfred from tomorrow and will be back on Tuesday

David

Point to ponder: We meet Jesus Christ in the fellowship of Believers.

Question to consider: Do you attend church events?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Pleasing God not people

5 July 2011

Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Some people just expect you to walk around with a permanent smile, and when you greet them they will confront you if you do not have a smile. Now when we live together and we understand each others personality there is often no need for words or even a smile. Our attitude to life is not a reflection of our face but rather a reflection of the life we live. Jesus was not a happy-go lucky person with a constant smile like Buddha, but a serious minded person doing the business of His Father. In the same way we to need to be serious minded and not trying to put on a happy face to please others, but to actually focus on the day ahead and the need to complete the work of the day to please our heavenly Father.

In the same way we need to understand that some people need you to please them all the time, what they want is what they want and they will only agree to do something if it is accordance with those wants. For them there is no compromise so they need to have happy faces about them, because in their world everything is based on their wants. They will hide this in many ways using any means available. When we understand this we need not be concerned about their wants, but rather to face the goals of the day, and do what has to be done to please our heavenly Father. It is when we have a clear focus of what we need to do in a day that we are able to achieve much, but when we become distracted we loose focus and achieve very little.

Be encouraged today not to be distracted but to focus on pleasing our heavenly Father.

David

Point to ponder: Jesus was serious minded in pleasing His Father.

Question to consider: Are you serious minded in pleasing God?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Water blessing & a curse

4 July 2011

Isaiah 41:18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

For the past few weeks someone had kept on closing the valve to the dam that supplies all the properties with water from the main dam, each property is entitled to 24 hours of water supply from the furrow.  My neighbour has his dam and because of this the dam level dropped trapping two wild otters, he was only able to save the one. Water has its blessings and its disasters and what can save us can also kill us, so we need to be always so careful in this regard. So on Friday we removed the valve, because it is safer to have a constant flow than an irregular one, because then you know there is always water in the furrow.

We all need to also keep our swimming pools and dams protected so that animals and children are always safe. Please pray for little Daniel that fell into a swimming pool and is recovering in hospital today, praise God he is alive and doing well.

When we are inconsistent in our prayer life, our worship life and study of the Bible and we allow others to control our relationship with God, we find that we are in danger of our spirituality fluctuating according to how we feel about things and others who influence us. We should be independently connected to God and allowing His water of eternal life to constantly overflow, bringing life to others because our dams are filled with His love.

Be encouraged today not to allow others to impede the flow of your relationship with God.

David

Point to ponder: God’s love is like a river.

Question to consider: Are there any blockages between you and God?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com

Thick smoke

1 July 2011

Proverbs 9:6 Leave simpleness, and live, and walk in the way of insight."

The drama of a veldt fire on the side of a highway with the wind blowing thick smoke over the road is a very scary experience at the best of times. It is amazing how many people do not even slack down but carry on through the smoke at speed. Yesterday somebody was burning a fire break and with the wind blowing it was soon out of control, the smoke billowed over the road and the flames were shooting high into the sky. Cars travelling did not realise that one car had stopped in the middle of the highway because of the smoke, and within seconds about ten cars and a taxi were scattered damaged all over the road.

We saw the smoke in the distance and slowed down and had to pass the accident scene via the centre median of the highway. It was a shocking sight.

In the same way we see many things that could harm us and a wise person becomes wiser when they take the appropriate action and enter the smoke with caution. In life there are many things that cloud our vision and we should take care so that we make our decisions while we have clear sight. Some of these things that cloud our view could be physical, emotional or spiritual, or mental and we should not rush blindly on without first seeing where we are going.

Be encouraged today to not to loose sight of the road you are on.

David

Point to ponder: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Question to consider: Are you sometimes blinded by the smoke of life?

Our webpage: www.chf.yolasite.com