B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #164

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #164

I Cor.. 16:9  ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
March 13, 2010

News.
Denis Mulumba in Johannesburg was in a car accident recently. We thank the Lord that he was not hurt. May His angels continue to watch out after Denis and his family.

Bad News/Good News
It is with regret that we let you know that the present leadership of the LCEA, Tanzania, Pastor Angowi has shown clearly that he does not want to have fellowship with the CLC and that in turn involves our sister churches. One sinner destroys much good. There has been an issue of misappropriation of funds. For instance we gave them money to print a revised hymnal and it was not done, but the money went somewhere. This is only one instance of actions that are not in line with God’s Word.  Now Pastor Angowi has closed St. Peter’s Seminary and is trying to sell the building, which we gave them. One can only wonder what moves such to do this.
Good News is that now up to 21 men will be starting seminary training in our sister church the CLCEA.The devil has been thwarted in preventing ongoing training.  Even among Christians love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. This has lessons for all of us. Our fellowship is one not only of word, but of actions. Either we work together or we separate. The high standards of God’s Word are what we hold to.
In 2000 the leadership of the LCEA voiced total agreement with us in our doctrinal discussions. Since then this rupture has occurred. There were a couple problems prior to this that appeared to be resolved with the LCEA. Now there can be no resolution except clear repentance on the leadership’s part. Fellowship is broken.
Further Good News is that a number within the LCEA do not approve of what has gone on and want to remain in fellowship with the CLC and the sister churches. Pastor Nathanael Mayhew is dealing with this under his call to East Africa. Pray that many have their eyes opened to disapprove of the leadership’s actions. Pray for those who want to remain faithful to the Word of God and its high ethical standards. Pray that those who have been unfaithful to these standards repent.


9th Annual Meeting of our lead pastors in India-Oct. 2009


A REPORT ON THE CLCI SEMINARY – 2009
by Pastor Jyothi Benjamin

I have great pleasure to submit my report on CLCI seminary to this conference.  The Lord was very gracious to us in all aspects of the CLCI Seminary.  The CLCI Theological Seminary celebrated its 11th commencement on June 15th at Nidubrolu.  There were 12 graduates.

Rev. V.S. Benjamin gave the commencement address.  He greeted everyone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and told briefly on the responsibilities of the pastors.  He spoke from I Thess. 5:14-25.  He gave the instructions to the newly graduated students, as they enter into paths of service and the CLCI ministry with new life.  All the graduates received these instructions very carefully.  Finally he congratulated the graduates and repeated his warning to graduates about their new phase of life to keep it pure.

Seminary professor Pastor Isaiah and Pastor Nireekshana conveyed their greeting to the graduates. Due to the lake of time, only two graduates gave their testimonies regarding their three years training experience they have received in the CLCI Bible Institute.

Seminary Principal Jyothi congratulated the graduated students and conveyed his best wishes and blessings. He encouraged all thehe graduates to be faithful in proclaiming the good news despite of apathy or opposition.

Graduation day is ‘filled with multiple emotions; feel elated yet dejected, happy yet sad.  As the roots of seminary eduction are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.  Now they are ready to serve the Lord with their whole hearts.  They will find themselves refreshed in their work by the presence of the Lord.  St. Paul said in thee book of Philippians chapter: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As newly graduated students, they are sure to have a great measure of satisfaction in entering into CLCI preaching ministry.  May the Lord continually bless these 12 young men as they go into the field of Gospel as shepherds to spread the Word of God to the sheep.  These 12 are the witnesses to what thee Lord can do through the power of His Word. Acts 6:4 “…But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Study of Angels part #6

A glimpse beyond

God does not reveal everything to us. He does reveal a great deal for our minds to grasp. In His Word He reveals what He will of His will. Deut. 30:11-14 “For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” There are of course many thing He does not reveal to us because our minds in their sinful state could not grasp these things. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” Deut. 29:29 In His Word there are further things revealed in part about the angels, while many things are undisclosed, secret and known to God. Following is a glimpse into things revealed in part through the Word about the angels.

• I Cor. 13:1 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels…” Paul tells us by inspiration that there is a language that angels speak. We do not know what it is. Whenever the angels spoke to men on earth, they spoke in the language of the people they visited. Think of Gabriel telling the message of God’s coming or the mass of angels announcing the Savior’s birth. From the passage above there would appear to be a language spoken in heaven by the angels and likely that will be what we will speak.
• I Cor. 6:3 “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?…” We know that on the last day we will sit on thrones and judge with the Lord. He grants this to us. In verse two Paul says that we are to judge this unbelieving world, as Jesus clearly taught. Matt. 19:28 This glimpse gives us a perspective on the evil angels that we shall concur with the Lord in their perishing.
• I Pet. 1:12”…things into which angels long to look into.” We should not think of the angels as if they were robots programmed by God the programmer. Just as angels rejoice over a sinner who repents, so they long to know what God knows and what will take place.
• Gal. 3:19”…it was ordained by angels…” We think of God revealing to Moses on Sinai. But God had His holy angels at His beck and call. They served Him in ways we cannot understand. In Heb. 2:2 it is again stated that “the message was declared by angels”. Acts 7:53 says that the law was “delivered by angels.” In Deut. 33:2 and Ps. 68:17 the masses of holy angels are also mentioned in connection with Sinai.
• I Tim. 5:21 “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you…” The angels are not disinterested bystanders in heaven waiting for a command of God to send them forth. It would be better to think of them as witness to the affairs of men and as a divine cheering section. In I Cor. 4:9 we see them witnessing, “…we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.” They witness when women keep their proper place, I Cor. 11:10 “…because of the angels.”

Pastor Koenig