BasicFeb2006

You are asked to remember that when the Mission Board approves an expense for any of our brethren overseas, the thing approved should not be drastically changed unless you check with me first. If it is something very major, I can ask the Mission Board. During this last year we have had some items approved by the Mission Board and than substantially changed. We did not know this until the audit was made. This is not orderly. A minor change does not need to be approved, but anything major should be. Working together as brothers we should work together and consult. We consulted our brethren when something was recommended to the Mission Board. It is a simple matter of courtesy to consult when there is a change. If we give something that was not requested, like Bibles, which is understood as one chief goal of our helping, there should still be consultation if there is a change. If you have any questions on this, by all means write me.

During this last year in five stations fellowships were started under Charles Gikonyo who came to understand and agree with our teachings. They have 131 adults and 108 children in these fellowships. Through the efforts of the Nairobi men the CLCK is now a registered church body in Kenya with four officers, Pastor Enosh being the chairman. At this time all pastors are studying our teachings to see if they agree and find them in accord with Scripture. Over 80 English catechisms and workbooks have been issued to pastors and people. Twenty-one children at least are to be baptized soon.

They also hope to be doing work at Mombasa where there are many Muslims. A new area where the Masai are not too far from Nairobi is being considered as a new station. There is only one Christian church in that area. The Masai are a tribe that is found stretching from Kenya through Tanzania. The tribe has only about 10 per cent who are Christian. The stated vision of the CLCK in Nairobi is, "It is the vision of the CLCK to build a church that will train and equip people for the work of the ministry, establishing churches throughout the country. The communities will know us as a Christ like influence of church integrity, a church that will make a difference ...to the hurting people. Our church members will experience a sense of belonging, spiritual stability and acceptance."

HIGHLIGHTS- Church of the Lutheran Confession of East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda)

Our brethren in this fellowship are divided up into two districts: Takama District with 812 souls served by three pastors and 11 evangelists in 14 stations, Arusha District with 538 souls served by ten pastors and assistants in 10 stations. Initial work has started also in Uganda.

The brethren in the CLCEA are doing a lot of work with the Masai. In the Takama District eight of the 14 stations are among the Masai. Of the 538 souls in the Arusha District 383 are Masai. For this reason we are giving many Masai catechisms for this work. All pastors and assistants have to study the catechism and other materials and take an examination to be qualified as a preacher and to determine unity in fellowship. The two lead pastors, Alex and Jeremiah, are working with all the pastors, evangelists and assistants so that there is unity on God’s teachings. In addition to this work the two men will make three trips in 2006 to the Nairobi area and assist the pastors there in study.

Previously, Pastors Alex and Jeremiah made a mission trip to Ugandan contacts, which have now resulted in work starting in two areas. In Kampala a congregation is going through the catechism and other materials to see if they agree with our positions. In the Mbale area three small congregations and their pastors are being supplied catechisms and other materials to go through to determine if fellowship can exist between us. The three trips to Nairobi will also include the leg to Uganda and working with pastors and people in Uganda. This is very new work and we must commit it to the Lord’s direction and care as He moves hearts and minds.

The use of the letter as a medium of divine revelation was unheard of until the time of Paul and his contemporaries. Through them Paul in his thirteen letters, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was able to address specific problems and issues of his time with perspectives that are universal and timeless. Romans along with I Corinthians were his longest letters. This letter was written likely in 56 to a church that Paul did not found and had not visited. He wrote the letter to give an account of his Gospel in preparation for a personal visit. Paul wrote very likely from Corinth during his three months there on the third missionary journey, where he was completing the collection of money from the Macedonians and Achaian Christians for the "poor saints" in Jerusalem.

The key-expression in the letter is "the righteousness of God."Foundational to all teaching on the spiritual life is the central passage of Romans 6-8. The answers to the questions of how to be delivered from sin, how to live a balanced life under grace, and how to live the victorious Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit are all contained here. In the context of "righteousness" you could look at the chapters this way:

-- The Vindication of the Righteousness of God (chaps. 9-11)

-- The Application of the Righteousness of God (chaps.12-16)

II The world's need of God. 1:18-3:20; Gentiles (1:18-2:16) and Jews (2:17-3:20) stand in need of salvation; all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23).

III Justification by faith alone. 3:21-8:39; Salvation is God's gracious gift; man is justified on the basis of faith alone, not of works. This is true both of Jews and Gentiles, and it means that the believer is to live a life of purity and holiness, since he lives under grace, and not law. The Spirit enables the believer to live a triumphant life, and no power can separate him from God's love in Christ Jesus the Lord.

IV Jew and Gentile in the plan of God. 9:1-11:36: God has not forsaken His people; but His people have always been a minority, not the total number of Israelites. They too are saved by grace through faith, as are the Gentiles, and both are within God's redemptive purposes; though we cannot fully understand it, we can rely on God's all-embracing mercy.

V Ethical teaching. 12:1-15:13: How God's grace works in the lives of believers; how they are to relate themselves to the state and its rights; how 'strong' and 'weak' Christians are to treat each other, living in harmony and accepting one another as God in Christ has accepted them all.

I Cor. 16:9 For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

News from the Brothers in Africa

NCLC - Nigeria - There are two new students this year in the Bible Institute.

LCEA - Pastor Malyi who preaches at Mamba and Meru and Pastor Msuya who preaches at Dodama area have joined the church with their members leaving the large ELCT (Lutheran) church which has become more liberal. Also Pastor Mduma of Arusha has joined through colloquoy from the African Inland Mission.

CLCEA - A new parish was started at Nenchumpi among the Masai. A new evangelist by name Mushi is joining also going over our teachings.

CLCK Nairobi - Kenya - While going through our teachings, it appears that a couple pastors do not accept infant baptism. Unless there is agreement, we cannot work together. Sixteen children were baptized at Ngong, 8 at Nyahururu and 11 at Muranga. Registration is complete for the church with the government.

CLCK Etago - Kenya - They are making plans to host the two day pastoral conference this fall. Work on the third classroom in the aids/orphan school has started.

EELCT - Togo - Roofing is going forward on the church site at Segbe. It appears that one preacher who was going through our teachings is disappointed in no salary and may not be with us.

Thumbnail Sketches – I Corinthians

Corinth received a relatively lot of Paul’s attention with several visits and several letters. One of his letters was not inspired and so is not available anymore. He first visited Corinth on his second journey and spent 18 months there. Acts 18:11 At the conclusion of his third journey he visited there for three months. Acts 20:2-3 As far as we know the only other place that received more of his time on his journeys was the Ephesus region. In spending this much time and writing so much there was on the one hand a harvest to be had there and on the other a multitude of problems to be dealt with. This big port city was a center of commerce, wealth and sin. It was the center of Achaia, southern Greece. In reading through the epistle we see how Paul addressed the problems such as immorality and factionalism, only two among many. In these chapters we have a lot of practical Bible advice such as in chapter 7 on marriage. In dealing with errors on the resurrection Paul penned that great chapter 15 on the resurrection that has so much to say on this key teaching.

I Introduction – l:l-9

II Factions – l:10-4:21

III Sexual Morality – 5:1-7:40

IV Christian Liberty – 8:1-11:1

V Public Worship – 11:2-14:40

VI The Resurrection – 15:1-58

VII Personal Matters – 16:1-24

Thumbnail Sketches – II Corinthians

This is the great letter that has so much to say on the ministry. So to consider this letter I have picked out a passage for each chapter that speaks to the public ministry.

1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy… - The pastor is the servant not the boss of the congregation with the goal of joy in Christ.

2:14;17 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. –This is the ministry of the Word as it is being carried out as to its results.

3:6 Who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life. – We are above all Gospel preachers.

4:13-15 Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence, - We are speakers of what we firmly believe in order to be in the resurrected glory with the hearers.

5:9 …we make it our aim to please Him. – Men pleasers are all over the place, but God pleasers are far fewer. As pastors we are to set the example.

6:l “Working together with Him, then, we entreat you… - We are co-workers with God and through us He works. What greater glory here can there be?

7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. – Repentance, sorrow over sin, will be replaced with joy because of the Savior from sin, that we proclaim.

8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich. – A beautiful way of stating the Gospel!

9:6-7 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…God loves a cheerful giver. – In the ministry this applies as well as in all facets of life.

10: 3-5 For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, - We wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and through that the Spirit conquers.