B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #210
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #210
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
February 13, 2012
A Report from Pastor Gondwe in Tanga, Tanzania includes the following news in the group’s two year growth there.
One thing very important to share with you is that, the CHURCH in Tanga District is growing very fast. GOD has done wonderful deeds to many souls of His people through teachings of TRUTH and the LIVING WORD OF GOD. Due to the power of the WORD OF GOD, we have opened in Tanga District a new parish called Amani and more than 50 souls of Muslims and Maasai people have been transformed and we have baptised them and they are now CHRISTIANS. This is a big harvest to the LORD after several seminars and inter-village preaching of the WORD OF GOD for 6 months ago. On top of that, we had confirmation classes in our parishes for two years now.
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From the CLCI in India.
Pastor Nireekshana reports – ...We are conducting outreach programs in every weekend…There are difficulties due to opposition…still we are getting much calling for the new contacts in the tribal remote areas through our Evangelists. …We have many Hindu and Muslim conversions. Pastoral seminars are conducted twice annually…House to house visiting is going forward”And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:4 …This year we have conducted 18 Public Gospel meetings in different districts of Andhra Pradesh. This year CLCI public Gospel meetings attracted 7120 villagers. During these meetings and in CLCI congregations we have had 146 baptisms. …We have kept special focus on evangelizing the Tribal people in various districts of AP. As we know most of these tribal people live in below poverty line and neglected by all classes of people including government…This special tribal mission work was undertaken by Pastor V. S. Benjamin in 1985 …CLCI Audio Ministries…We have been using CDs and DVDs to send the message since their price has become very low. …Film Ministry. Since film is an effective and popular method to reach the masses, this ministry was started.We are building new churches with this help using also Telugu Christian movies dubbed in. ..Brother Raju has been working with men in prison We regret to inform that at yeddumailarm village in Medak District one of our CLCI evangelists(who was released from prison and working as our part time CLCI evangelist) was murdered by his enemies…We request you all to pray for the people who are released from prison and become our members. …Our annual VBS at Nidubrolu had 1515 children this year.
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Encounters of a Spiritual Kind
The Disinterested –John. 4:7-39
This is one of the most studied examples of witnessing because our Lord’s conversation with this woman is recorded in such detail. Naturally, too, it is an appealing study because of the immediate positive results. Here Law and Gospel are articulated. Our Lord is casting the net of the Gospel and drawing in this prospect for His heavenly kingdom. And the thing to take note of at the outset is that she is not interested. She did not come to the well to see Jesus and to inquire of Him. But the Lord came for her. It all starts with a request for a drink of water. The Lord moves the conversation from the physical and material to the spiritual. Here we have to learn from Him. How many times haven’t we wondered how to change a conversation from the mundane to the spiritual?
First of all His request takes her off guard. She was not only a lowly woman but a Samaritan at that and He talked to her. He treated her not as an inferior. All are valuable to our God. There is joy in heaven over just one sinner who repents. God would have all men to be saved irrespective of who they are. Jesus shows this concern in His treatment of her. How are we when we witness? Do we convey the idea of ‘now just sit down and listen do me’? Are we pedantic or caring?
Jesus transforms the conversation from earthly water to the water of life. In our everyday surroundings there are examples galore from which to then spiritualize. Our Lord’s invariable use of nature’s examples are well recorded and well-known. Lilies of the field and birds of the air conveyed in image form God’s preservation. The loving care of the earthly shepherd reminded of the infinite care of the heavenly Shepherd. Bread, a door, fishing and so on were used by our Lord to illustrate His truths. The reason why we have trouble moving from an earthly example to the spiritual is because we don’t have our minds so firmly set on the spiritual and consequently can’t see the corollaries and illustration examples.
An integral part of our Lord’s encounter with the woman is the preaching of the law to convict of sin. “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband…” The sinful flesh detests hearing how wrong it is. It easily bristles. We have all had those times when we had to tell someone that he was doing wrong only to have him turn on us. Likely this causes us to back off from being as they say ’judgmental.’ But it is in love that we rebuke, reprimand and expose sin. As long as we approach another with humility, knowing how sinful we are, we should not hesitate to speak the law. An important point here is that Jesus says it to her privately.
When she exposes to Him what religious knowledge she possesses, He then seeks to correct it and expand on what she knows. We should likewise, but in a spirit of gentleness and humility. Jesus moves onto the end things. We want to give people perspective also on the end of all things. People get so wrapped up in their little world that they lose sight of beyond. We want to, as our Lord did, move the conversation to eternal life and eternal death. She is definitely interested and He does just that culminating in the Gospel, “Messiah…I who speak to you am He.”
This example of the Lord hooking her as He cast the line and drew her in is of course by the Master Fisher of men. This is a skill that we must be working on lifelong. Know the Bible, know the Bible, know the Bible. Then it is that the Holy Spirit will give utterance with the Word.
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WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! By Waltraud If each grain of sand were to say, “One grain does not make a mountain!” There would be no land! If each drop of water were to say, “One drop does not make an ocean!” There would be no sea! If each note of music were to say, “One note does not make a symphony!” There would be no melody! If each word were to say, “One word does not make a library!” There would be no book!” If each brick were to say, “One brick does not make a wall!” There would be no house! If each seed were to say, “One seed does not make a field!” There would be no harvest! If each of us were to say, “One person does not make a difference!” There would never be love and peace on earth! But you and I do make a difference! We were chosen by God to spread the Gospel News! Even if one will be saved, “It will have been worth it!”
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Pastor Koenig