IN FRONT OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN KAIKOHE

I am always looking forward to reading the “Coffee News”. I really liked very much what was written in the last issue under the heading “On the lighter Side.” It sounded really good and familiar. There it said, “Be happy with what you have. If you spend your life looking for greener pastures, you might find you’re too old to climb the fence.”

The Bible came to my mind and Paul’s letter to the Philippians and there it was, what I was looking for in chapter four the verses eleven to thirteen.

Paul says there, “…, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” And he repeats, because it is important to him, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,….” So it is actually a secret to be learned.

1. He knows what it is to be in need, / He knows what it is to have plenty.

2. He knows what it is to be well fed. / He knows what it is to go hungry.

3. He knows what it is living in plenty. / He knows what it is living in want.

And then he finishes by saying,” I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

HAVE I LEARNED THAT SECRET?

HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT SECRET?

SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM,”LORD, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.”

John 6:68

The outside looks good!

I have heard that saying. You must have heard it also.

TYPE “TANE MAHUTA” INTO SEARCH AND READ THE WHOLE STORY!

THE OUTSIDE (at the top) LOOKS GOOD, BUT THE INSIDE (at the bottom) IS ROTTEN.

And it really is rotten!

The inside is rotten!

First Peter 1:18,19

“FOR YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT WITH PERISHABLE THINGS SUCH AS SILVER OR GOLD THAT YOU WERE REDEEMED FROM THE EMPTY WAY OF LIFE HANDED DOWN TO YOU FROM YOUR FOREFATHERS, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST,..”

The teacher was an atheist. In order to get his viewpoint across to the students he wrote the following on the blackboard:

GOD IS NOWHERE!

One of the students believed in God and did not like what he saw written in front of everybody. He got up from his seat and made a horizontal line between the ‘W’ and the ‘H’.

GOD IS NOW/HERE!

GOD IS NOW HERE!

Only a short sentence. Thirteen words. But what a challenge!

“If we were nearer to Jesus we would be nearer to one another.” That’s what I read in a book today written by C.H. Spurgeon.

What a challenge for me personally. What a challenge for all those who belong to the body of Christ. But it is especially a challenge for those, who are pastors of churches.

“IF WE WERE NEARER TO JESUS WE WOULD BE NEARER TO ONE ANOTHER.”

There is only a small town, but there are ten to fifteen different churches with ministers. Are they working together?

You have probably heard about D. L. Moody. When he came to a place to evangelize, the ministers of that community were sitting behind him praying for the listeners while he was preaching the GOSPEL!

But where are the Evangelists today and where are the servants of the Lord who are willing to work together?

wd

Isaiah 49:15

“CAN A MOTHER FORGET THE BABY AT HER BREAST AND HAVE NO COMPASSION ON THE CHILD SHE HAS BORNE? THOUGH SHE MAY FORGET, I WILL NOT FORGET YOU!”