Lidia Veciunca inviting us to thank and praise God with her. Her teaching qualifications
which she obtained from Northwest University through Cedar College of Education have
been fully recognised by the powers that be in Romania.
Lidia is part of the vision for the establishment of a Christian
school at Voiteg Mission. A preliminary licence has already been granted by
the education department. Lidia requests that we pray for the rest of the
process.
Greetings from Pastor John and Sophia Manousarides in Greece. You
will remember that Sophia visited us recently together with Ferny and Christine
Jaegle from France. Let us remember the Manousarides family and their ministry.
We join the family and friends of Helmer Frommholz and Mandy
Nierich in wishing them God's blessing as they get married in Germany today.
Johan Claassen has requested further prayers for Mario Rocha who
is presently in Mozambique to assist with some important registrations for Zavora Clinic.
Johan also mentioned that his parents, Oom Francois and Tannie
Henriette, are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. We thank and praise God
together with them, the family and friends and wish them God's blessing.,
It is good to have part of Australia with us. Onkel Helmut and Tante Carmen Trinkle came
by this afternoon. Amongst others, we know them for their love for the Lord's work. May
the Lord bless them, the family and the ministry.
These days I was reminded of Radio Khwezi's counselling help-line
in a special way. It was impressed on me that there is a great need out there. People are
walking about with aching hearts and dragging heavy burdens. It should be our duty, our
privilege, indeed our labour of love to bring them to the One who said,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28)
Joseph Greyling of TNT is thankful that they (together with the
True Love Waits team) have been invited to take part in the 'Sweet Surrender
Drug Awareness Day' in Chatsworth, Durban, today.
Time flies. It feels like we celebrated Christmas and the New Year
just the other day but today we are a bit under three weeks away from the Easter weekend
(10-12 April). May the Lord grant us a fresh revelation of His plan of salvation.
So, the correct date for the dedication of the new auditorium at KwaSizabantu is Saturday,
11 April, during the Easter weekend. The verse that accompanies the invitation is,
"For the Lord is good; His
mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
I just had to share the following article from eSermons,
No Celebration without
Confession
Another set of “money-changers” in the church seem to
have lost their reason for forgiveness. Catholic priests have expressed concern over the
sharp decline in the number of people desiring to take confession. We hear a lot of talk
about the word celebration in our church today. There can be no celebration until there is
first confession. In the parable of the prodigal son, the banquet does not occur until the
boy had first come to himself.
A Sunday School class in a church once made an unusual request one
day. They requested that the prayer of confession be taken out of the order of worship.
They gave the following reasons:
1. Confessions imply that we are bad people.
2. Our children will get a negative image of themselves.
3. Guilt is damaging; we need to think positively.
4. Worship should always be uplifting and make us feel good.
This sounds like the philosophy advocated by that book some years
ago "I'm OK you're OK." Tell me then. If I'm OK and you're OK then what are we
doing here? The refusal to acknowledge that we are sinful people is damaging the church
today, and it is damage that is coming from within, not from without. We have bought in to
the modern culture that we should have a positive self-image through positive thinking.
Friends, sin is real, and it is too destructive to ignore. The cross reminds us just how
serious our sin is. The failure to express our sin before God and one another devalues
God's redemptive grace. It is not positive thinking that will remove our guilt; it is
God's redemptive action.
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com
Have a blessed weekend.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
