“The Scripture says, ‘PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.’ This should be the motto of every true follower of Jesus Christ.” – Billy Graham

The Kaitaia Baptist Church is 50 years old this year and the birthday is on the weekend of August 20-22.

The Church is without a Christian minister, pastor,  at the present time. We are looking for a minister, a shepherd, whose duty it is to look after the flock.

In chapter 32 of 2 Chronicles Sennacherib is threatening Jerusalem and in a message to king Hezekiah he is writing: “On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?”

King Hezekiah is basing his confidence of course on the Lord his God!

On what are you basing your confidence?

“Take a journey with confidence from…” That is the headline of a car advertisement. In smaller letters we are told about the safety rating and that our family will be safe and sound on the next journey. We are encouraged to get behind the wheel today, get on the road today and start our journey…….. with confidence.

I have started my journey with confidence long ago!

I can say with the Psalmist:

“For you have been my hope, O  Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” – Psalm 71:5

Proverbs 3:26; Proverbs 3:32

“NICHT ERST AN DEN GRENZEN UNSERER MOEGLICHKEITEN, SONDERN MITTEN IM LEBEN MUSS GOTT ERKANNT WERDEN.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“child, youth and family” is a service of the Ministry of Social Development. On one of the walls of the “child, youth and family” office here in the town of Kaitaia you can see written in big letters:

“SAFE STRONG FAMILIES”.

Our country is crying out for safe and strong families!

Almost opposite the “child , youth and family” office here on Commerce (main street of our town) Street you find the Women’s Refuge place. At the present time you can see a big poster there in the window. On the poster is written:  “This is a no hitting place.”

We are crying out for “safe and strong families.”

In order to really have “safe and strong families” our families must first of all be saved. How is that going to happen?

It starts usually with individual family members.

There is a wonderful promise in the Bible, the Word of the Living God. We do find the promise in the New Testament in the book of Acts. Please read Acts chapter 16. In Acts 16:16-40 we find Paul and Silas in prison. In verse 29 the trembling jailer is calling for lights and asking, “SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?” Acts 16:29

And in Acts 16:30 Paul and Silas are replying,

“BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED – YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.”

Zitat von John M. Drescher:

“Es ist leicht, zu glauben, dass Gott irgendwann handeln wird, aber sehr schwer, zu glauben, dass Gott jetzt am Werk ist. Starker Glaube strahlt ins Jetzt und sieht die Hand Gottes heute handeln.”

“Your Attention Please!!!” That’s how I saw a home advertised in The Northern Age – Property Xpress, June 3, 2010 on page 18 and I tell you, I was immediately attentive. Please notice also the three exclamation marks! Four bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and two garages. Beautiful pictures showing the property of course and you should read the description. It started like this:  “The first to discover all the benefits this ‘just listed’ home has to offer will buy it and……”

And I hope you are also immediately attentive when I call out to you now: “YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!”

You probably have noticed that lots of information about the home above is given – but nothing is said about the architect and the builder.

Let me draw your attention to a home where the architect and builder is God! You will agree, once we know who the architect is and who the builder is, we don’t really need to say more about the place.  “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  – Hebrews 11:10

You will probably get excited about that building and cry out, “I want to go there!

But who is going there?

Not everybody enters heaven!

As we are, we cannot enter into heaven. We must be born again. The Lord Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” – John 3:3

But how do we get there?

Certainly not by doing good works.

The Bible, the Word of the Living God says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8,9

What a joy it was to find a portion of  the BIBLE in the local paper, THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE  ( Thursday, June 3, 2010)

Almost in the middle of page 2 I read in big letters

“THOUGHT FOR THE DAY”

“What the Bible says about being a friend:

We urge you, our brothers,

— to warn the idle,

— encourage the timid,

— help the weak,

— be patient with everyone.

— See that no one pays back wrong for wrong,

— but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and

— to all people.”

First Thessalonians 5:14-15