“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12

“PUT A RING AROUND SUNDAY”

“Put a ring around Sunday” is the article in the paper called. (The Northland Age, Thursday, June 2, 2011)

It is an invitation to pop along to the weekly competition of the Waipapakauri Bowling Club on SUNDAY.

I say also “Put a ring around Sunday.”

BUT THIS IS AN INVITATION TO GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!

I am very much interested in the church. I like to learn about the church.

In his book One Hundred Bible Lessons Alban Douglas gives five

CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH:

“1. Repentance, Acts 2:38. 2. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour,  Lord and Son of God, Matthew 16:16-18,  3. Salvation, regeneration, the new birth, Acts 2:47. 4. Baptism in the Name of the Trinity, Acts 2:38; Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47,48; Acts 22:16.  5. Continuance in the Apostles’ doctrine, Acts 2:42. They lived according to the Scripture.”

He also says this about Church Discipline:

“Church discipline is like the weather. We talk a great deal about it but seldom do anything about it. Paul expected Christians to use church courts, not government courts. (First Corinthians 6:1-3)”

“Discipline means taking corrective measures as punishment in order to maintain the good conduct of church members. This is a practice seldom made effective in the churches today.” He asks, “Why?” and then asks six questions.

Here they are:

“Is it because we have grown weak and cold and fear to act on our principles?”

” Is it because we have all attained a state of perfection and no longer require it?”

“Is it because our churches are afraid of losing church members?”

“Are we afraid that the church income will be reduced if we punish sin?”

“Do we love popularity, money, large churches, easy times, more than holiness?”

“Are we afraid of calling ‘sin’ “SIN” and thus condone the evil of fellow believers?”

“The Apostolic Church was strong because it was pure.

Our modern church is weak because we have compromised our position and condoned sin in the members.”

“MAKING A DIFFERENCE

I was alert when I read “MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE” on the shopping bag. The NEW WORLD bag belonged to one of the ladies who attended the Consumer Rights Day at the RSA hall in Kaitaia.

“Making a difference.” I am reading a lot about that. And I belong to those people who want to make a difference.

Lately I read two questions in relation to “making a difference” in one of our local papers, the NORTHERN NEWS, June 1, 2011. And questions need answers!

One advertisement asks, “DO YOU KNOW A VOLUNTARY GROUP THAT’S MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?”  That is question number one.

It is all about the Trustpower Far North Community Awards. We are asked to make a nomination and by doing that we go into the draw for a $100 power voucher. It is also about powering volunteers.

And here is the second question:  “Do you want to make a difference in the lives of young Kiwis?” Kiwis are New Zealanders in case you don’t know that already.

It’s all about “The annual World of  Difference programme.”

“The Vodafone New Zealand Foundation is looking for social entrepeneurs and  will pay eight inividuals to do it.”

Of course I want to make  a difference in the lives of young Kiwis. I don’t only want to make a difference in the lives of young New Zealanders, but also in the lives of old New Zealanders. The fact is that I want to make a difference in the lives of people.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT?

The Lord Jesus Christ has made a difference in my life. He has made already a difference in the lives of many, many people worldwide and he wants to continue to do so.

But he can only continue to do so, when I am willing to tell other people what he has done for me. The Lord Jesus Christ wants his followers to be witnesses for him!

I still remember the time when the Lord Jesus Christ made a difference in my life. When that happened, the Bible became alive for me. In Matthew 28:16-20 I read about THE GREAT COMMISSION to “go and make disciples of all nations”.

I attended a Bible School for three years, became a member of a Missionary Society and went to Thailand for 13 years to work there as a  missionary. During 1980 I did more studies at the Bible College of New Zealand in Auckland. After that I became a member of the United Maori Mission and worked as a missionary in Kaitaia and Kaikohe in the north of  New Zealand until I retired.

I live now in the north of the beautiful country called  New Zealand and it is always a great joy to tell German tourists who come to Kaitaia about the Lord in my mother tongue.

“NO MAN WHO MERELY SKIMS THE BOOK OF GOD CAN PROFIT THEREBY; WE MUST DIG AND MINE UNTIL WE  OBTAIN THE HID TREASURE.” – C. H. Spurgeon

To be in to win a copy of resource book The Greatest Words Ever Spoken, tell us about how Jesus’ words impact your life.

My answer:

The words of the Lord in Matthew 28:16-20 changed the whole direction of my life and they still do. I know that the Lord wants me to be salt and light and tell others what he has done for me. Matthew 5:13,14.

(I believe also what the Lord says about hell. Mark 9:43,45.)

The Lift-Out (magazine) called CULTURE Your Arts & Entertainment Lift-Out (Sunday Star Times, June 5, 2011) has on page three a number of questions. There is a picture of Sarah Tetro and she is answering seven questions.

I am very much interested in question number three.

The question is:

Which book could you read over and over again, and why?

What a good question! What would YOU answer?

Let me give you my answer to that question:

The book I could read over and over again is the BIBLE. In fact I have read the Bible already several times from the beginning to the end, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, every word.

Why could I read the Bible over and over again?

The BIBLE is not like any other book on the book shelf for me. The Bible is alive for me. The BIBLE became alive for me when I came from death to life, from darkness to light.

The BIBLE is food for me.

In Matthew 4:4 the Lord Jesus Christ says:

“‘PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”

I have just been listening again to the teaching of  Dr. S Lewis Johnson on Romans. (Exposition)

He says that the city of Rome was full of problems.

Rome was a city of slaves, but Paul did not preach against slavery, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rome was a city of lust and greed, but Paul did not preach against lust and greed, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rome was a city of violence, but Paul did not preach against violence, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was directed toward our basic and fundamental need.

Do I ever like that!

Go to:

www.believerschapeldallas.org