Please uphold Simango family in prayer

 Siyapi flanked by his family at St Mark's ..... please alert us if you know where he is

Dear friends,

It appears that Siyapi was hijacked/abducted on Friday and he is still missing. His car has been found near his place of employment in Sandton. Nothing seems to have been stolen, but there is evidence of a possible struggle, but no trace of Siyapi. Sharai is understandably upset and is trying to stay strong for the childen. Please may we all pray for his safe return. 

Blessings,

Liz.

Sleepless

31 August 2012     

1 Samuel 3:8-9 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Is it not sometimes mind boggling when you are able to sleep late and then you wake up an hour before you normally do and then cannot get back to sleep. So after tossing and turning you get up and start the daily chores, thinking with an early start you will get through more, but you usually don’t. Now this happened to me this morning and so I also decided to place the hoses to water the gardens, but then got caught up in watching the birds, hundreds of birds. A big flock of green eyed finches, and a number of other birds were in the trees, on the roof of the cottages,  on the lawns, eating the seeds from the trees. It was simply amazing. The result I am late to get to the office!

If I had slept in and taken my time I may just have missed this wonderful sight, so maybe God just planned it for me and got me up so I could see it. I think that God often wakes us up to share something with us, yet we want to sleep, so when I cannot sleep I usually know that God has something to say. So the best is get your Bible, read, pray and listen to what God has to say.

Be encouraged today to listen to God speaking.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: God has a lot to say.

Question to consider: Are you listening to God?

Baptismal covenant.

30 August 2012   

 

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

One may study the Bible and try at all costs to find the baptism covenant or that of confirmation and it is simply not to be found. In the wisdom of our Patriarchs or the first Believers, baptism was a sign of acceptance of the conditions of believing that Jesus Christ died, was raised by the Holy Spirit to life, lives and reigns at the right hand of the Father and will be returning to this earth. We see this in the various creeds and in the Bible and the Church in its wisdom has given to us those vows that are said both at baptism and confirmation. We proclaim this by accepting Jesus Christ as LORD over us in every way.

These vows are not made to the Church but to God, so God and the person making the vows  are both committed to that covenant which is sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ. So many people today make these vows but are not committed to keep them, they continue to allow evil to control them, so breaking their covenant with God. It is better for them to be made well aware of the relationship that God expects from them and this is done through example of others, bible study, regular church attendance and a life committed to fellowship and following Jesus.

Be encouraged today to read your baptism vows and be reminded of your covenant.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Baptism brings us into covenant with God.

Question to consider: Do you keep your baptism vows?

Honour the Lord

29 August 2012     

Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

When we look up at the heavens and stand amazed at the magnitude of the universe, and we realise how small and insignificant we are in all of creation, we then need to stop and think. The LORD placed the galaxies in their place, in perfect order and He gave us on this small planet Earth His Word, He gave us Himself. He placed you and I on this earth to do those things that are right and pleasing to Him. For us to love those things that He loves and to do those things that pleases Him.

When we believe that we can do what pleases us and disregard what pleases the LORD then we cannot expect the LORD to be pleased with us. The LORD made us in His image and when we sin we distort that image, and the world sees that distorted image and is deceived by sin into believing the distortion rather than His Word. We need to stop, look up and see the greatness of the LORD in His created heavens, repent and fall down before the LORD, begging His mercy for our arrogance and pride. Honour the LORD by doing what is righteous in His sight, be obedient to His Word, living a life which is worthy of His image, not our own.

Be encouraged today to honour the LORD in all you do, and teach.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Bring honour to the LORD.

Question to consider: Do you honour the LORD your God?

Make today count

27 August 2012     

Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it! When we come to this day and we have a heart that is filled with rejoicing and we are glad because we have this day, then surely we should make today count. Each day should have it’s moments of extraordinary within the ordinary, those anointed moments that brings joy and laughter, hope and love, peace and surety to ourselves and to those we meet. Make today count.

To do this we need to be firstly obedient and secondly submissive to the word of God, to start to understand that we are appointed and anointed, we are somebody in the eyes of God. Once we have that in our hearts then we do what we have to do in the day with a joy and a delight, because we do it as if we are working for the Lord. We give of our best because Jesus is the best, and as we do this in this day, we make today count for Jesus.

Be encouraged today to make today count.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Make today count.

Question to consider: Have you ever wasted a day?

Good Words

24 August 2012    

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

In my opinion one of the reasons I believe that I am made in the image of God my Creator Father, is that I have a voice and a language I speak. All other parts of creation may have a voice but it cannot speak. My God speaks and communicates with words and He is the Word, all of creation knows and hears His voice.

So when we speak, we should speak words with careful thought, rather to praise than condemn, to love rather than hate, to be positive rather than negative, for it is by our words that others judge us. Idols in our lives cannot speak, yet they are able to control how we speak and of what we speak. If we have the idol of money then all we speak about is money, how much we have or how much we won, if our idol is our work, then that is all we speak about and so on. In the same way our problems become our idols and these dominate our thinking, rather than us bringing our problems to God and to speak to Him about them.

Be encouraged today to be mindful of your words.

 

David

Point to ponder: Our words tell others about us.

Question to consider: How do you speak?

Keep it flowing

23 August 2012     

Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

When you pipe water from one point to another it is not as complicated as having to dig a furrow and to lead the water to where you need it. Often the walls of the furrow collapse and the water flows every where but where you need it. It is like playing sand castles on the beach. We have a bricked and cemented furrow running from the main conservancy dam to all the 7 properties feeding the dams on those properties. To small holdings up from us the cattle have broken the furrow causing no water to flow except to drain away into their land causing a swamp.

When we think of it the love of God is bigger than the biggest dam and through His Holy Spirit He has formed furrows for His love to flow to where it is needed. When we maintain the furrow it flows to where it is needed but when for what ever reason we do not maintain the furrow or allow it to be damaged then that flow cannot get to where it needs to be. We maintain and care for that furrow through prayer, praise, thanksgiving and fellowship  and in that way God’s love comes to those in need. Each of us are accountable to ensure that God’s love continues to flow.

Be encouraged today to keep God’s love flowing.

  

David

 

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

Question to consider: Are you the blockage in the furrow?