This is a very interesting clip that helps us to get things into perspective.
During 2009 let us hope for a more just distribution of wealth.
My New Year's resolution would be to live more simply and to be content with what I have.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Church History
Why do we learn church history?
1. Church history shows us that God is working in the world to bring salvation to mankind.
2. It gives us an answer to many questions that concern our day to day practical living.
3. We can learn from the mistakes that others have made.
4. We can see good things that happened, analyse what made them good and pursue them.
5. Our consciousness for the body of Christ will be extended and we have good examples.
6. It is inspiring to learn about the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) that surround us.
7. Church history gives us a sense of destiny.
When we look at church history, we should be encouraged because we see God working out his purposes with imperfect people, like us and Luther, Carey, Wesley and Billy Graham.
What is church history?
1. Church History is the story of Jesus Christ here on earth. The church is His body.
2. It is the story of the Holy Spirit. 2. Corinthians 3:17 teaches us that “the Lord is the Spirit”. Therefore the history of the Holy Spirit is the history of Jesus and is our history, because we are His body.
3. It would be better to call the subject “the History of the Church of Jesus Christ on earth”! The beginning is in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts doesn’t finish with an “Amen” but continues to this day and will only finish when Jesus returns.
Studying church history helps us not to regard our experience as the “norm”. Many people have had many experiences with God before us. These experiences are often different than ours!
Living as a Christian is a process of “taking off” and “putting on”. We take off the old man and put on the new man. This is the process of discipleship.
1. Church history shows us that God is working in the world to bring salvation to mankind.
2. It gives us an answer to many questions that concern our day to day practical living.
3. We can learn from the mistakes that others have made.
4. We can see good things that happened, analyse what made them good and pursue them.
5. Our consciousness for the body of Christ will be extended and we have good examples.
6. It is inspiring to learn about the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) that surround us.
7. Church history gives us a sense of destiny.
When we look at church history, we should be encouraged because we see God working out his purposes with imperfect people, like us and Luther, Carey, Wesley and Billy Graham.
What is church history?
1. Church History is the story of Jesus Christ here on earth. The church is His body.
2. It is the story of the Holy Spirit. 2. Corinthians 3:17 teaches us that “the Lord is the Spirit”. Therefore the history of the Holy Spirit is the history of Jesus and is our history, because we are His body.
3. It would be better to call the subject “the History of the Church of Jesus Christ on earth”! The beginning is in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts doesn’t finish with an “Amen” but continues to this day and will only finish when Jesus returns.
Studying church history helps us not to regard our experience as the “norm”. Many people have had many experiences with God before us. These experiences are often different than ours!
Living as a Christian is a process of “taking off” and “putting on”. We take off the old man and put on the new man. This is the process of discipleship.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Nostalgia
On Monday, I did a lot of travelling. I drove for just over 1000km. The weather in the morning was terrible. It was raining all the time.
I was collecting some photo-copiers for a project in Sri Lanka.
At lunchtime I was in the city of Bochum, where we used to live (1976-82). Elisabeth, my wife, grew up in that city. An old friend came to help me collect one of the machines in the city and the thing was so heavy, it nearly broke his back!
I went on to collect another and was going to go past Lippstadt. I used to live there too (1971-73). At that time I was still in the Army and lived in Churchill Barracks, Suedstrasse.
Thanks to my navigation-system I managed to find the street and was very surprised at the state of the old barracks.
They were in a magnificent condition. I suppose the British Army must have moved out there around the mid-90s. The buildings had been converted into flats.
The old cinema was a church. An open university is based there and it looks like the old Regimental HQ (which we referred to as the kremlin), was now a music school.
I belonged to 22 Signals Regiment. The place we were worked, garages where we kept our vehicles with equipment, were gone and other houses had taken their places.
At the other side of the camp other regiment was stationed - an artillery regiment (27 Regiment Royal Artillery). They used to have self-propelled guns, I think they were M110 or something like that. If I remember rightly they had 90lbs shells. Well, there a children's playground on the place were they used to be kept.
I walked around the place and memories began to be relived. I found my old room or at least the outside, I could see my old window.
During the two years I was there, I thought the time would never end. But in the meanwhile 35 years have past since I was last there.
As I pondered all the things that had happened over the last 35 years and at the same time the impressions of my time in Lippstadt were so present with me, I realised how quickly everything soon passes.
I wrote to our daughter in the USA, that even though she is so young, she need to make the most of every day.
Happy Christmas
I was collecting some photo-copiers for a project in Sri Lanka.
At lunchtime I was in the city of Bochum, where we used to live (1976-82). Elisabeth, my wife, grew up in that city. An old friend came to help me collect one of the machines in the city and the thing was so heavy, it nearly broke his back!
I went on to collect another and was going to go past Lippstadt. I used to live there too (1971-73). At that time I was still in the Army and lived in Churchill Barracks, Suedstrasse.
Thanks to my navigation-system I managed to find the street and was very surprised at the state of the old barracks.
They were in a magnificent condition. I suppose the British Army must have moved out there around the mid-90s. The buildings had been converted into flats.
The old cinema was a church. An open university is based there and it looks like the old Regimental HQ (which we referred to as the kremlin), was now a music school.
I belonged to 22 Signals Regiment. The place we were worked, garages where we kept our vehicles with equipment, were gone and other houses had taken their places.
At the other side of the camp other regiment was stationed - an artillery regiment (27 Regiment Royal Artillery). They used to have self-propelled guns, I think they were M110 or something like that. If I remember rightly they had 90lbs shells. Well, there a children's playground on the place were they used to be kept.
I walked around the place and memories began to be relived. I found my old room or at least the outside, I could see my old window.
During the two years I was there, I thought the time would never end. But in the meanwhile 35 years have past since I was last there.
As I pondered all the things that had happened over the last 35 years and at the same time the impressions of my time in Lippstadt were so present with me, I realised how quickly everything soon passes.
I wrote to our daughter in the USA, that even though she is so young, she need to make the most of every day.
Happy Christmas
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Suffering of the Brethren
Recently I was in a Muslim country. I was amazed at the freedom the people had. we had public meetings on the streets. What a freedom. They told me that they had recording all my messages. I asked what they would do with them and they told me that they would be broadcast on public radio....
I didn't expect that.
But there is another story. In one place the police searched everyone going to church. Evenso half the men were armed! The police had been looking for bombs! Heavily armed they escourted us out of the town when the meeting was finished.
The pastor told me that 75% of the town belong to a radical islamic group and actually is was fearing for his life. It could no longer sleep in the town and comutes day by day to be with his people.
Last week a friend called me from Andhra Pradesh in India and informed me that five of his tribal pastors had been kidnapped by the Naxlites (Maoists). In the end they managed to be freed, but they had guns pushed into their bellies and put against their heads. Miraculously they were spared. The senior tribal pastor is the son of a martyr.
Friends is Sri Lanka started to extend their church building. People in the village protested first of all saying they were building a shelter for the Tamil Tigers. That brushed aside the local government said that to get building permission, you must obtain the signatures of 66% of the people living within 500 metres of the church. This is impossible as there is much intimidation going on. A deputy mayor, himself a Buddhist, was appauled at the injustice of this situation and he began a campaign to help the Christians. He gave the Christians to personally present their case before the appropriate government minister. They had four interviews with him. In the end the minister has declared the rule to be unlawful and the Christians are allowed to continue building.
Fanatical Buddhists are so enraged by this decision that they are going to hold a demonstation in front of the church this coming Sunday (21st December). The demonstration get out of hand because of agitation and they quite often turn out to be violent.
I wonder if you could prayer for this situation.
I am very moved by our brethren who are prepared to suffer for their faith.
I didn't expect that.
But there is another story. In one place the police searched everyone going to church. Evenso half the men were armed! The police had been looking for bombs! Heavily armed they escourted us out of the town when the meeting was finished.
The pastor told me that 75% of the town belong to a radical islamic group and actually is was fearing for his life. It could no longer sleep in the town and comutes day by day to be with his people.
Last week a friend called me from Andhra Pradesh in India and informed me that five of his tribal pastors had been kidnapped by the Naxlites (Maoists). In the end they managed to be freed, but they had guns pushed into their bellies and put against their heads. Miraculously they were spared. The senior tribal pastor is the son of a martyr.
Friends is Sri Lanka started to extend their church building. People in the village protested first of all saying they were building a shelter for the Tamil Tigers. That brushed aside the local government said that to get building permission, you must obtain the signatures of 66% of the people living within 500 metres of the church. This is impossible as there is much intimidation going on. A deputy mayor, himself a Buddhist, was appauled at the injustice of this situation and he began a campaign to help the Christians. He gave the Christians to personally present their case before the appropriate government minister. They had four interviews with him. In the end the minister has declared the rule to be unlawful and the Christians are allowed to continue building.
Fanatical Buddhists are so enraged by this decision that they are going to hold a demonstation in front of the church this coming Sunday (21st December). The demonstration get out of hand because of agitation and they quite often turn out to be violent.
I wonder if you could prayer for this situation.
I am very moved by our brethren who are prepared to suffer for their faith.
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