| My dear friends We are thankful for the wonderful opportunity CFT had in Durban
yesterday to remind the passing crowds that the reason for Christmas is Christ the
Saviour. The brethren put in a lot of effort, creating the nativity scene, singing carols
with the people and distributing tracts. Pastor Joseph Chauke, Uncle Joe Newlands and
Bernard Hlathi gave powerful messages.
It is pleasing to see how some of our friends are going out
of their way to bring the Christmas message nearer to those around them. Daniel Wunderlich
sent me photos of last Sunday's service at Swayimane. The Wartburg brethren involved the
children, costumes and all, in a lovely way to present the wondrous story of Christ, our
Lord and Saviour.
Bruno Hlongwane and Marius were telling me the other day
about the many visitors at KwaSizabantu right now, from South Africa and beyond our
borders. May the Lord bless this time richly.
John, Sharon, their son Jonathan and the brethren at
Malelane request your prayers for this weekend. They will be having services from today
till Sunday. Tomorrow evening, the congregation's young children will be performing a
play. The community has been invited to the services.
The Raimers, Herbert, Mientjie and David flew to Germany
earlier this week to visit the brethren. For sure, they will be getting opportunities to
share about God's working in their lives and in the ministry. Remember them.
Hans Koller and the brethren in Romania are looking forward
to the visit of Detlef and Loretta Stegen. Our prayers accompany them.
Talking about Romania, I was very glad to see Koni and
Brigitte Hafner together with their three girls. They flew back to Bucharest this week.
Let us remember them and the brethren in Romania.
Martin and Lize van der Merwe have written to say that they
are having a wonderful time with the brethren in Europe. They started in the Cedarborg,
Netherlands, by the de Bruins and Hoetmers, and they are now with the Fuersts in Aachen.
Martin is being asked to share from God's Word and it is his and Lize's prayer that the
Lord will glorified through them.
Dieter Schimmelpfenning and the TAK Radio in Berlin are
inviting us to pray for their Christmas eve programme on Sunday.
The Bouzerands of Paris request your prayers for the
Christmas celebration at their home tomorrow. Quite a few people are expected.
Our prayers will also be with Onkel Friedel and Tante Rita
Stegen as they will be leaving early next week for the European winter conference that
begins in Bilten, Switzerland, on Wednesday, 27 December.
Listening to Radio Khwezi during this Christmas season I
have enjoyed many well-known carols and other songs conveying the Christmas message. If I
was asked to add one more song to the play-list my choice would fall on that hauntingly
beautiful piece by Henry Barraclough, 'Ivory Palaces.'
"My Lord has garments so wondrous fine,
And myrrh their texture fills;
Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine
With joy my being thrills.
Refrain
Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Savior go.
His life had also its sorrows sore,
For aloes had a part;
And when I think of the cross He bore,
My eyes with teardrops start.
Refrain
His garments too were in cassia dipped,
With healing in a touch;
Each time my feet in some sin have slipped,
He took me from its clutch.
Refrain
In garments glorious He will come,
To open wide the door;
And I shall enter my heav’nly home,
To dwell forevermore.
Refrain"
The more I think of my Lord turning His back on ivory palace
and coming into this world of woe the more I realise that my finite mind will never
understand the infinite eternal love that made my Saviour to come.
"All your robes are fragrant with myrrh
and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you
glad." (Psalm 45:8)
Have a blessed weekend.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi |
