The Eight O’Clock
News February 2019 8 am Service, Christ Church Kenilworth 021-797-6332
In the Waiting Most of us understand Advent to be the period of waiting for the birth of Jesus—the run-up to Christmas. It is a time of expectation. I want to change our thoughts a bit to focus on another advent—the waiting for the year ahead to unfold. What joy will it bring, will there be sorrows, will there be problems and pain, what will we look back on with gratitude? I watched a DVD called ‘Waiting Here for You’ – an Advent Journey of Hope—where Louie Giglio talks about the fact that we are living between two promises: the one being the first miracle of God coming down to dwell amongst us for a season in the person of Jesus and the second being our waiting to finally make our dwelling with Him in heaven. In the meantime we are empowered on this earth by the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. Life is full of waiting—we can’t escape it. Every day we are in the middle of it: a prognosis to be given, a verdict to be reached, a target to be made, an exam to be passed, a love to be declared. In these times and seasons of waiting; anxiety, desperation, depression and hopelessness may creep in. Will it all be worthwhile in the end? Giglio teaches us that it is in the waiting that God carries out His plans for our lives. We need to bring ourselves back to the truth that waiting is never wasted when we are waiting on God. Sometimes I think about people who have crossed my path; people who are always waiting for something; but not waiting on God. Their lives appear to pass by directionless and in limbo. To live for God is to give away our own power more and more; to continually die to our own plans and through that bring the wonder of the manger to a broken planet, a darkened earth. The world waited a long time for the Saviour and after 400 years of God’s silence, He sent His son. We discover the Glory of God in the face of Jesus. In the waiting through our earthly trials, something amazing can be produced. The actions of others may be the role February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
players in our trials but God is still in charge. The road may be rocky but God says: “I am with you. I am in charge. I want to give you hope in the waiting”. Emmanuel—God with us. As we live in the in-between—between the Messiah’s birth and His coming again—we fix our eyes on Jesus, acknowledging that what we see is temporary whereas the unseen is eternal. In the waiting, we live to a higher purpose which produces a greater weight in heaven. The payout in the waiting results in proven character and perseverance; we become mature and complete and this results in faithfulness (what God wants most for us). So as we look forward in anticipation and expectation to 2019, God’s number one purpose is not to make our lives easier although He often works miracles; His primary purpose is to make our lives matter, to be meaningful. ‘So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making a new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever’. 2 Corinthians 4:12 (The Message). - Cheryl Anderson
P.S. In the waiting room of life, you can choose to trust God instead of panicking. You also need to remember two things: One, God is never in a hurry. And two, God is never late. God’s timing is always perfect. - Rick Warren
The Rising Tide We had planned this mid-
week break for months and, at long last, here we were in a little corner of paradise. The white-washed fisherman’s cottage was just right. It had four bedrooms; two of them were en-suite plus a third ‘family’ bathroom and a wide covered veranda facing out over the beach, across the ocean to Table Mountain. Although in the distance, such was the clarity of the afternoon air, the mountain seemed to be within arms’ reach. The cottage was set among coastal fynbos which always looks to me as if it has struggled to survive—wind-blown and scrubby. However, here and there were lovely vivid splashes of colour cradled in either deep green or soft grey foliage, some with bright yellow stripes. The beach, which was only a short walk from the cottage porch, was reached by way of a greying wooden boardwalk which stretched out over the dunes and fynbos down to the beach itself. The brilliant white sand stretched away in a long slow curve to the left towards Table Mountain in the distance. On the right it turned sharply out to sea in the shape of a crescent before running back to the right and away up the West coast. The crescent formed a small cove filled with large majestic grey rocks. As the white sand ran down into the sea and met with the big rocks, it was covered in smaller stones and little boulders: white, grey, black and rust-red. Where the sea splashed onto the rocks they turned into shiny whites, blacks and brilliant reds. Having arrived in the mid-afternoon, we swiftly unpacked, stocked the little sunny kitchen and put the white wine and some beers in the fridge. Little Annie, however, was not quite ready to settle down and was making herself clearly understood. Granny Haley said to Peter and Nicky, “Go on you two, take Ronnie down to the waters edge while I calm your little princess here” Three year-old Ronnie quickly stripped off and slipped on his new blue (blue was ‘his’ colour) swimming costume and pointing at the ocean called to me, “Gramps, come!” I assured him that I’d follow on later after helping Granny Haley. With that he grabbed his Mom and Dads’ hands and pulled them into a half-run as they set off down the boardwalk, their laughter and chatter floating up to us on the light afternoon breeze. Haley, cradling little Annie said, “Go on honey, join them, Annie has quietened down and will probably go down in a short while.” I had no intention of swimming in the cold west coast waters and set off along the boardwalk in my shorts and tee-shirt. Once on the clean white sand I looked to the left along the curve of the beach—I could see the three sets of footprints interweaving like a crazy attempt at plaited hair. They were by now a fair way off playing at the water’s edge. Ronnie’s laughter and shrieks drifted over the sound of the waves. I was about to step out towards them when I glanced to my right into the cove. There was a tall figure standing on the highest rock in the middle of the curve of the cove. The rising tide was now well above the smaller rocks and pebbles on the beach floor. Intrigued, I felt drawn to the figure. He (I assumed it was a man although the figure had long dark hair) was dressed in what can only be described as very old fashioned creamy-white Middle Eastern robes. He was looking directly at me. I couldn’t, of course, February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
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make out any details from that distance but couldn’t resist the invitation his body language projected. I could still hear Ronnie’s high-pitched laughter and his dad’s deeper voice as I made my way gingerly over the pebbles and up towards the figure on the rock. The pebbles were well under water and being of different sizes, tended to shift and move underfoot as I walked through them towards the big rocks. I was looking down and concentrating on my footing as I made my way. Just as I reached the collection of boulders where he stood, his arm came out to me. I grasped his hand which was deep in the folds of his garment. His strength surprised me as he effortlessly lifted me up onto the top of the uppermost rock. As he did so he pulled me close into his embrace, his arms around me and my face buried deep into his flowing robes. They seemed to be of an exquisite linen and smelled clean and fresh. He was taller than me and in any event was standing a little above me so that my face was buried in the middle of his chest. Then I heard his deep baritone rumbling in his chest against my face, “Isn’t it a delight to hear the innocent joy and love of a child carried on unrestrained laughter? I know that you have a deep need to be loved by your children and grandchildren and that you rejoice in their love,” he continued, “It has always been my longing to be loved by all my children. Now here you are a son of my father”. I don’t know quite what happened but I found myself weeping; tears cascading down my cheeks, soaking into his robe. I started to babble on. My concerns, failures, disobedience, omissions, illconsidered actions, selfishness, anger and on and on—it all just poured out. He was silent and held me slightly firmer; his right hand resting on my left shoulder and his left on my back just below my right armpit. After a while, during which time I had calmed down into a wonderful sense of peace, he spoke again, “Be still, I know all that. You have told me all of it before. You know it has been dealt with, so don’t let the concerns of your mind linger and overrule the truth of your father-heart. That is what I love about you—your heart is faithful.” We stood silently for a while and then I turned my head and looked down as I felt the cold water of the ever-rising tide splash over my feet. The bottom of his robe was momentarily in the sea water as it rushed over the rocks towards the beach. He was wearing sandals, the design of which I had never seen anything like before. “The tide is rising swiftly now”, he said as his hand again took mine and let me down from the rock, “be careful, mind your footing!” I stepped over the pebbles the water now up to my waste, my arms out wide for balance against the surging tide, until I made it off the small stones onto the clean, firm sea-washed sand. I relaxed and just as I did so a wave caught me behind my knees. Down I went, face-first into the sand, the water rushing over me. I spluttered to my feet shaking the water out of my hair and started to laugh just as I heard his deep rolling laughter join with mine in a shared moment of easy, unrestrained joy. I turned to face him. He wasn’t there. I stood for some time looking around. I could see Peter and Nicky slowly zigzagging their way back to the cottage as Ronnie ran hither and thither still enjoying himself immensely. As for my friend, he was nowhere to be seen. I realised that I couldn’t tell you the colour of his eyes or what he looked like. I slowly returned to the cottage. Haley was standing on the porch smiling down at me, “You took a bit of a spill there”, she called out
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laughing, “don’t you dare”, she said as she evaded my attempt at a hug, “you just get dry first!”. “My!” she said, looking into my face as I drew up to her “Are you OK? Your eyes are ablaze and you seem all aglow”. “That is a story all of its own”, I answered as she, still regarding me thoughtfully, turned for the kitchen. I followed her inside. “Won’t you pour some wine, it’s not too early. I put two bottles of that merlot we bought on the way up in the fridge to cool it a little just as we like it”. I fetched and opened the wine and poured four glasses. “How’s Annie?” I asked as I picked up two glasses, handing her one “Cheers”. “Cheers’, she said. “Well, there’s the thing. She was sort of OK but restless, niggly and not at all interested in sleeping. Then out of the blue a man appeared on the porch; weird dress, long white robes and I think he was wearing oldfashioned sandals. He gave me the most wonderful smile which travelled right up to his amazing eyes. He laid his hand on Annie’s head and said ‘Bless you both’”. She continued, “The strange thing is, I didn’t get a fright when he just appeared oiut of the blue. You know me, that sort of thing usually makes me jump out of my skin. It just seemed so, well, so natural.” “Annie snuggled into my arms and went to sleep. I looked up to say something to him, but he was gone. Really strange. Anyway, Annie is fast asleep in her room”. We turned and walked out onto the porch. We could hear the rapid drum-beat of Ronnie’s footfalls as he and the others approached along the boardwalk. “You’re hurt” she exclaimed as she followed me out. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Your left shoulder and the right side of your back are bleeding through your tee-shirt” she said. “I can’t feel anything,” I said as I pulled the still wet tee-shirt off up over my head and looked at it. She was quite right: there were two dark smudges on the teeshirt just where she had indicated but there was not a mark on me. - Barrie Jack (with Joy)
In a Library Near You... November 30, 2018: ‘It has been a difficult day, with graduation tomorrow: ongoing sorting and packing to a temporary space that is far smaller than it should be—and difficult interaction with colleagues. I have been feeling frustrated and angry, and also apprehensive about this move. It will add extra distance to my bus ride and a 15minute walk either way each day. And then I had the weekly email from Taryn Galloway with Rob Taylor’s letter etc. The first thing I saw was the verse at the top: ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ (Joshua 1:9).It leapt out at me ! - Jeannette Harris February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
HAPPY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY Jacqueline Mellor [91 on 6 February] I call on You, my God, for You will answer me; turn Your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of Your great love, Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings Psalm 17:6-8
God Sees Everyone ‘Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it and He will.’ Psalm 37 v 5 in the Living Bible—one of my favourite verses. This week I experienced a wonderful example of it. I have always wanted to paint pictures, to express my love for flowers, trees and grasses and the wonder of God's creation. I have had limited success, so I asked God if I am wasting my time. I seemed to need some tuition but was not able to obtain it. Walking past my favourite charity shop, I decided that I didn't need to spend time looking around, but somehow my feet didn't get the message and I found myself in there. Looking around I saw several shelves full of videos. Since I have a video machine that still works, I scanned the titles till I found on the bottom shelf a large selection of art teaching material. I left the shop with ten videos covering flowers, trees and grasses in water colours and acrylics for the princely sum of R10. They have proved to be just what I needed. I can't praise God enough for His kindness and the wonder of His caring about such a seemingly unimportant thing. For the love of God is broader Than the measure of man's mind; And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind. (Frederick W Faber)
- Jenni McMaster
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The Raven Outreach The name Project Raven refers to 1 King 17:6 where God
commanded the ravens to feed Prophet Elijah with bread and meat twice a day. The one million rand project was a joint initiative of The Sons of God Ministries and Badisa, to provide food parcels to families along the National roads of the Western Cape Province. The Sons of God is a group of 6 men who reach people through the medium of song and by ministering the Word of God at events organised by them, e.g. men’s breakfasts, youth and men’s camps. Project Raven formed part of their 46th anniversary celebrations in 2016. Badisa is a faith-based social development and welfare organisation rendering services to children, families, older persons, differently-able persons and persons with substance dependencies. Distribution is scheduled along the main towns from which it is further distributed to smaller communities. To date the following routes were covered: 2016 N1: Worcester, De Doorns, Touws River, Laingsburg, Prince Albert, Leeuw-Gamka, Beaufort West, Three Sisters, Victoria West, Richmond, Hanover and Colesberg 2017 N7: Citrusdal, Clanwilliam, Klawer, Van Rhynsdorp, Bitterfontein, Garies, Kammieskroon, Springbok, Nababeep, Concordia, Okiep and Steinkopf 2018 N2: Grabouw, Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Heidelberg, Riversdale, Albertinia, Mosselbay, George, Sedgefield and Knysna The initiative, in partnership with other inter-denominational ministries, aims to provide food buckets to the value of R200 to 5000 underprivileged families (the poorest of the poor). The
Beulah & Hecliff
February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
buckets are distributed by volunteers who travel from town to town approximately four days before Christmas. A 35-ton truck sponsored by RB Schroeder & Hendricks Fruit suppliers is used for transportation of the consignment of the 5000 Shoprite hamper-buckets. Both are Christian business men who support the project 100% and cover the cost of the driver and diesel for the 4-day journey. Each town has a task team consisting of representatives from Badisa branches, NGOs, churches and community leaders. The task team is responsible to identify families in need, arrange distribution logistics and ensure that a venue is available for the Raven team to offer a gospel outreach at each distribution site on the day of delivery. Last year 50 new, sponsored wheelchairs were also distributed along the route. The success of the project is dependent on partnerships with individuals, businesses, international sponsors, interdenominational church ministries and project champions. Project champions are required to partner in raising/contribute R20 000 to feed at least 100 families. Hecliff and I are blessed to be part of project raven since its inception in 2016, together with my dad and sister. Last year my niece, Nicole Druchen, joined us to assist with the children’s ministry. At each venue the children are taken outside, often as many as 200, to listen to a Bible story, learn a chorus based on 1 Kings 17:6 and each receives a party pack. My dad is one of the preachers on the team and I assist with spiritual counselling. In total we had 100 volunteers last year; many hands are required as we form a human chain to get the buckets from the truck (parked outside) to the entrance of the venue. - Beulah & Hecliff Newhoudt-Arendse For more information a speaker can be arranged
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A Ziegenhardt Wedding 1) L>R David and Marta Hellman (parents of the bride), Paul and Julia (Bridal couple) and Neil and Helen Veitch. 2) Helen and her three sons: Luke, Paul and Julian Ziegenhardt. The Wedding took place on 24/11/2018 on a farm near Worcester.
Walking with Jesus In April 2018, Peggy Wynne (nee Evans, cousin to Cheryl Anderson and Peter Barrett) suffered a spontaneous rupture of the bowel resulting in septicaemia and was on the point of death when she had the following experience:
It was almost 4 am. I lay on my back, unable to move due to all the tubes and drips to which I was attached. My back ached and I could not ignore the pain from my recent operation. My arms were strapped down to prevent me pulling out the ‘tubes and drips’ and I felt extremely uncomfortable. I wanted someone to fluff up my pillow and tell me it was going to be all right, but I knew no one would come until 6 am, when the night staff did their last round before handing over to the day staff. I had already been in ICU for six days and was beginning to have morbid thoughts about my future... ‘Oh, dear Lord’, I cried, ‘please help me.’ As the hands of the clock opposite my bed turned to 4 am, I heard His voice: ‘Come walk with Me, my child, come take My hand.’ I reached out and took His hand, warm and strong. He told me we had a little way to walk as He and His friends were going to a place they knew where they could spend the night. We walked over the stony hills and from the top of one I could see the lake in the distance. It was dusk and we walked more quickly now until we came to a rocky outcrop in a dip over the hill. Here the men gathered sticks and made a fire. We sat around the fire and shared the flat bread they had brought for supper. It was delicious. It had begun to drizzle and I shivered as the night air cooled. ‘You are cold, My child, come share My cloak.’ He opened His lovely woollen cloak and tucked me in February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
under His arm. ‘Come, it is time to rest, for tomorrow will be a busy day.’ He led me to a large rock and it was then that I noticed the clefts in the rocks, rather like small caves. Some of the men had already crept into these to shelter from the rain and cold. He indicated that we go into one and it was dry inside and still warm from the heat of the day. He lay down with me next to Him and He covered us with His cloak. It was warm, and cosy and I slept. When I opened my eyes it was 6 am. For the next three nights He came to me at 4 am and we walked to different places where He taught me, protected me and encouraged me. Then on the fourth evening when He left me He said: ‘You will be all right now!’ The following day, I was transferred to the hospital ward and pronounced to be out of danger. Praise His Holy name! - Peggy Wynne (Sent in by John D’Arcy Evans)
Extracts: Who IS This Man ? On the day after Jesus’ death, it looked like whatever small mark He left on the world would rapidly disappear. Instead, His impact on human history is unparalleled.
When Jesus died, His tiny failed movement appeared clearly
at an end. If there were a kind of ‘Most Likely to Posthumously Succeed’ award given on the day of death to history’s most influential people, Jesus would have come in dead last. YET
Jesus’ impact was greater a hundred years after His death than during His life; it was greater still after 500 years; after a thousand years His legacy laid the foundation for much of Europe; after 2000 years He has more followers in more places than ever.
Jesus is deeply mysterious... not just because of what we don’t know about Him.., because of what we do know… As NT Wright observed in Simply Jesus, ...what we do know… is so unlike what we know about anybody else that we are forced to ask, as people did at the time, who, then is this?
While the hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable, the hinge of each human life is how we respond to Him…
- John Ortberg
God’s Generosity Whatever comes your way as you journey into this New Year
2019, remember the lesson of the story below... A little boy and his father visited the country store and, upon leaving the store, the owner of the store offered the little boy some free Sweets. “Take a handful of sweets", the merchant said to the boy. The boy, however, just stood there looking up at his father. The owner said again: “Son, take a handful of sweets—it’s free.” Again the boy did not move, continuing to look up ahead into his father's face. Finally, the father reached into the candy jar and took a handful of sweets and gave it to his son. As they walked back home, the father stopped and asked his son why he did not grab a handful of the free candy. The boy with a big smile on his face looked into the face of his father and said: “Because I know that your HAND is BIGGER than mine.”* So, whatever your needs are this year, please place them in the FATHER'S HAND IN HEAVEN, because HIS HAND is BIGGER THAN YOURS.
- Origin unknown
A Prayer Based on Nehemiah 8:1-12. Jesus, I ask that we as members of Christ Church
may each experience and understand Your Spirit’s leading. May we be unified in purpose to obey and serve You. May we recognise the importance of knowing and understanding Your words and instructions from scripture. Give us a greater love to discern how You speak through scripture. Jesus, thank You that Christ Church has been structured in such a way that every member from the various walks of life and development are given opportunities to hear and understand how scripture applies to their lives. We pray especially that through our ministries we may draw young families with children into our circle of fellowship. Bless all who live and work in a society where increasingly your words are regarded as irrelevant and not applicable. Give us fresh and creative ways to demonstrate Your love for society as expressed through scripture. Jesus, as You opened the minds of Your disciples to understand scripture, thank You that so many in our congregation are blessed with the understanding and relevance of scripture to our everyday lives. The purpose of that revelation is that we might understand the authority You have given to us to be Your witnesses of grace, love and forgiveness to our hurting and troubled society. Give us greater boldness, sensitivity and creativity to share the Good News of Your Gospel with those in our sphere of influence who do not know You. As You instructed Your followers to wait for the promised presence of the Holy Spirit, so we pray for a fresh anointing of Your Spirit to grant us greater understanding of our power and authority. (Luke 24:44-49). Jesus, as the Israelites in Nehemiah’s day were convicted with the truths contained in Your scriptures give us a fresh perspective of Father’s love for us— that we may joyfully and generously demonstrate His love for those who do not know or understand Your love for them. - Mike Winfield, Intercessory Prayers 27/1/19
God’s Timing As You Go...
Habakkuk 2:3 “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it …
Look around, you'll be distressed. Look within, you'll be depressed. Look to the Lord, you'll be at rest.
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, …
- Corrie Ten Boom
Romans 5:6 “For while we were still weak, at the
Editorial Team Tel/e-mail
right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let
Ev Els
021 696 0336 emichael@iafrica.com
Cheryl Anderson
083 272 1530 canderson@beckman.com
your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” … February 2019 Eight O’Clock News
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