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Ebenezer CHRONICLES
MARCH 2015
Glorious RUINS
AMOS 9:11 English | 09:00
Kids’ Church | 09:00 Xhosa | 11:00
Service Times
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 2
Paul
Paul
Dear Family,
It is always so comforting to
me to know that we are not
alone in this crazy, mixed up world of
ours. Not only are we not alone but,
as believers, we are active participa-
tors with the God of restoration in the
lives of broken humanity. In every
way we are commissioned to work
with Him to be a part of His plan - the
restoration of sonship. I am so proud
of our own Luella Campbell who ex-
plores this concept of sonship so in-
credibly well in her recently published
book, “Learning to be a son” - a must
read for everyone. “For God so loved
the world...” makes so much more
sense when we understand the concept
of sonship and begin to relate to God
on that basis. Personally I see it all as
God’s plan to restore. Eden was per-
fect. It became what we have due to
man’s decision not to relate in submis-
sion to the Father. Jesus, the perfect
Son of God, enabled us back to the
Father, back to Eden. And now
through Him, restoration!
The prophet Amos looked forward to
the day that David’s “fallen tent”
would be restored. It must be noted
that he speaks of the “fallen tent”, ex-
pressing the low condition to which
the family of David and the kingdom
had fallen. If you think mankind is
bad now, Israel was devastated then.
But the prophet Amos speaks of a bet-
ter time: Amos 9:11–12 “In that day I
will restore David’s fallen tent. I will
repair its broken places, restore its
ruins, and build it as it used to be, so
that they may possess the remnant of
Edom and all the nations that bear my
name,” declares the LORD, who will
do these things.”
What a joy to be in that dispensation
now! After the cross we have the phe-
nomenal privilege of being a part of
that restoration based upon the com-
pleted work of Calvary. He has
brought “many sons to glory” and con-
tinues to do so every second of every
day. And He uses us. Wow!
With all of the confusion and chaos
around us, from our very parliament
filled with Gucci clad, rolex wearing,
blue light brigade luxury car driving
“servants of the people” to our pot-
holed roads and litter strewn pave-
ments with street lights that work ac-
cording to Eskom’s load shedding
schedule known to no-one, we still
have hope. Hope because we serve
One much greater than the trivials of
our day to day experience. Hope be-
cause we bear the good news that God
is in the process of drawing hearts to
Himself. And where He is, there is
restoration.
FROM THE Pastor’s DESK
3 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
RESTORING THE FALLEN HOUSE
OF DAVID.
“I n that day I will restore the
fallen house of David. I will
repair its damaged walls. From the ru-
ins I will rebuild it and restore its for-
mer glory.” Amos 9:11.
As we focus on the above scripture, we
are informed by the Prophet Amos that,
whilst King David ruled his kingdom,
God gave to him everything that was
according to God’s purposes and plans.
When King David died, his son Solo-
mon reigned and ruled in his place. In
the beginning of his reign everything
went well. He was responsible for
building the temple. With the passing
of time, King Solomon began to drift
away from God. He began worshiping
foreign gods. “AND SOLOMON DID
EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,
AND WENT NOT FULLY AFTER
THE LORD, AS DID DAVID HIS
FATHER.” 1 Kings 11:6. Currently as
we sum up the state of affairs world-
wide, it’s not difficult to see that there
has been a drastic decline in the stand-
ard of living. What once was sacred to
our society, and where Godly princi-
ples were a way of life and practised by
families, has become estranged. Every
now and then we are confronted with
news of a family being disrupted
through divorce. Every now and then
we are informed of children being mo-
lested by relatives, and so we could go
on exposing the works of the devil. As
Christians we are warned in Romans
12: 2, “NOT TO BE CONFORMED
TO THIS WORLD BUT BE TRANS-
FORMED BY THE RENEWING OF
YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY
PROVE WHAT IS THAT THE GOOD
AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT
WILL OF GOD.” Our minds can often
be the area where the devil places un-
godly thoughts that cause us to sin.
However, when we focus on Jesus, we
overcome the temptation that is put
before us. Praise God there is a new
day dawning when Jesus the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords is coming
back to renew and restore everything
the devil has destroyed. I end with
these words taken from Revelation
21:3, “AND I HEARD A LOUD
VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING,
BEHOLD THE TABERNACLE OF
GOD IS WITH MEN AND HE WILL
DWELL WITH THEM, AND THEY
SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE AND GOD
HIMSELF WILL BE WITH THEM
AND BE THEIR
GOD.”
A WORD Pastor Colin FROM
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 4
KIDS' Corner
DO YOU KNOW THE ALPHABET? JOINT THE DOTS TO SEE WHAT THE MYSTERY PICTURE IS. THEN USE BRIGHT COLOURS TO COLOUR IN THE PICTURE. JESUS LOVES YOU!
5 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
WE WILL NOT BE SHAKEN | BETHEL MUSIC
Album Review Recorded live at Shasta Lake in California, We
Will Not Be Shaken is an evening of worship
led by the artist collective, Bethel Music.
Though artists like Jeremy Riddle and Steffany
Gretzinger are missing from this project, the
artists that are featured here provide an intimate
worshipful environment for these eleven brand
new songs.
For having nine lead singers, We Will Not Be
Shaken is surprisingly cohesive. Brian Johnson
and Jenn Johnson each lead two songs while
returning artists Hunter Thompson, Amanda
Cook, Matt Stinton lead one song a piece. There
are also a handful of artists that make their
debut here on the album, including Kalley
Heiligenthal, Hannah McClure, Paul McClure,
Jonathan Helser and Melissa Helser. All of
these vocalists are relatively talented and help
foster the true heart of worship: Jesus. There are
even a few points where their passion for Jesus
really bursts through, such as at the end of "No
Longer Slaves" where newcomer Jonathan
Helser cracks his voice out of complete aban-
donment while singing.
Charles H. Spurgeon famously said about wor-
ship, "True Christian worship addresses God,
not merely as Creator and Preserver, or as the
great Lord of the Universe, but as one who is
very near of kin to us, our Father, beloved of
our souls." Though the artists of Bethel Music
focus more on the personal qualities of God,
they effectively communicate both these awe-
inspiring and fatherly characteristics of God.
However, there are several areas throughout the
album that seem to lack vulnerability and ur-
gency in our need for Jesus. Even still, most of
the songs do have strong lyrical moments, and a
few even manage to avoid any problems com-
pletely, such as the beautifully penned
"Nearness" and "In Over My Head”.
The music on We Will Not Be Shaken boasts a
gentle tone which could be described as a cross
between Hillsong and All Sons and Daughters
though not as unique as the latter. The Bethel
Music band contains two violins, a cello, a
couple keyboardists, two drummers, acoustic
and electric guitars, and several background
vocalists. Filmed with two drone aircrafts and a
couple manned cameras, the DVD does a fairly
good job capturing the experience of the one-
hour evening of worship. The scenery overlook-
ing the lake and mountains is absolutely gor-
geous and offers a unique location to worship
the Creator. The breathtaking landscape back-
ground and audience of less than 100 people
(totally guessing) is a nice change from the
sometimes flashy worship in other corporate
worship contexts. As the daylight starts to fade
and dusk begins, it only gets more beautiful.
Sadly, dusk is short lived as the darkness blan-
kets the background by the fifth song and spot-
lights illuminate the stage.
There are a quite a few things that stand out
about this project--the tender tone, the excellent
musicianship, and the quality of the singers'
voices--but the lyrics could have been stronger
and the album's running time could have been
cut down considerably (the eleven tracks clock
in at a whopping hour and three minutes). If
you are a fan of Bethel Music, you will surely
find a lot to love here and, if you are new to the
band, this is a good place to start.
Review date: 25/01/15,
Written by Christopher Smith of
Jesusfreakhideout.com
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 6
Youth Home Cell Tuesday 19:00 - 20:30 In the prayer Room @ EFC
Grades R-3 17:00 -18:00
Grades 4-7 18:00 -19:30 During the school term, 40-60
children aged 5 - 13 gather at
Ebenezer Family Church
every Friday night to learn about God
through fun lessons, games and visuals.
Praise and Worship prepares their hearts for what God has to say.
Come join us for some fun in the Son.
For more information, call the church office on
(043) 6425006 or email [email protected]
Join us for coffee, sports, games, music and a message Every Friday Night Grades 8 - 12 19:30 - 21:00
TEENAGERS OPENLY EXCITED IN CHRIST
7 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
For more information on the Library,
ask one of our friendly ushers.
From the Library WITH LUELLA
Fr om the days of ‘Indescribable’, Louie Giglio
has become a favourite of many of us. His down-to-earth and often humorous way of putting truth across makes it easy to understand and remember. One such series is To Tell the Truth in which he deals with the issue of temptation. This is a particularly ex-cellent teaching for young people. “Since the very days in Eden, temptation has been a very real part of our lives. Like in those early days, we are con-stantly pulled away from the truth that God has clearly giv-en us by options that promise one thing, yet deliver anoth-er. Sin enters the picture every time we choose the lie and, when unchecked, eventually leads us downward into a spi-ral of bondage, guilt and shame. “In this series we not only tell the truth about temptation, but reveal the truth about shame and condemnation, help-ing us break the cycle of sin that leads us back to the same old lies time and time again. The lure of temptation is strong, but the power of God’s
truth is stronger. When embraced and applied, truth em-
powers us to live life the way it was meant to be lived – full
and free.” (Back cover)
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 8
Our new little grandson, Draco Bougas, was born in London
on Sunday January 25 to our eldest son, George and his
German wife Verena. He looks like his daddy and is thriv-
ing and doing what babies are supposed to do.
We spent 10 days in London and were particularly pleased
to be able to present the work of HM at several church-
es. We also had a unique opportunity to speak at the Chris-
tian fellowship group at the News of the World organiza-
tion.
Whirlwind visit to Africa
Next was a quick visit to South Africa. We were blessed
with many opportunities of sharing the vision of HM. Be-
cause this was only a short visit we were not able to see many of our favourite people – if we
never got to see you then you are amongst our favourite people!
I have framed this appeal in the South African currency because the vast majority of the recipi-
ents of this letter are in South Africa. But if you are in the USA or elsewhere you can send a
check to Hellenic Ministries Box 726 Wheaton IL 60187 or go onto the HM website and click on
“Give” and specify “Friends of HM” or “Staff Support”. You can also contribute there via cred-
it card.
I realise that many of you are already heavily committed but I believe this is a great cause And
as someone has said, "Generosity isn't about how much you gave, it's about how much you
kept."
Love Nico & Bee
Hellenic MinistriesUPDATE
New Member Applications
If you would like to join the membership of our church,
please speak to a friendly usher after the service.
Merryn & Jill Knicklebein
9 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
Glorious ruins! I asked David what he
meant by that. I loved his response!
Nehemiah was sent back to Jerusalem
from Persia to rebuild the walls of the
city which had been destroyed by the
Babylonians in 587 BC.
After he had surveyed the damage and
enlisted the support of the citizens of
Jerusalem, they began to rebuild. Guess
what they used for their building mate-
rial. We learn from the scorn of their
enemies that they used the very same
burnt stones that were lying around in
the rubble from the old walls.
Can they bring the stones back to life
from those heaps of rubble – burnt as
they are? (Neh. 4:2).
Could they? Yes, they could and they
did. They rebuilt the city walls in fifty-
two days – no time to quarry new
blocks of stone. How did they do it?
When our enemies heard about this, all
the surrounding nations were afraid
and lost their self-confidence, because
they realised that this work had been
done with the help of our God. (Neh. 6:
16)
God showed the prophet Ezekiel a vi-
sion of dry bones scattered across a
valley. Then He asked the question,
“Can these bones live?” Had I been
Ezekiel I would have answered, “No
way!” Ezekiel wisely answered, “O
Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
By the time Ezekiel got to the end of
his vision, the bones had come together
into skeletons; they were clothed with
flesh and covered with skin and they
had come to life through the breath of
God spoken into them by the prophet.
Burnt stones, dry bones! What’s the
point of all this? This is the power of
God at work in people who have noth-
ing left to offer. Do you sometimes feel
as though life has sucked you dry and
you are nothing but a skeleton covered
with skin? Do you feel like you are a
burnt stone, good for nothing any
more?
These are the people God loves to work
with. There is not much room for Him
in people who are full of themselves
and their achievements. Why did Jesus
choose fishermen, tax-collectors and
political activists for His closest
friends? Was it because they were not
full of themselves and certainly not full
of religion?
The most beautiful words in His ears
are: ‘. . . I am poor and needy. .
.’ (Psa. 40:17). When He hears
those words, He can step in.
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus
from the dead is living in you, He who
raise Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through
His spirit who lives in you. (Rom. 8: 11)
OWL TALK: From a Fellow Traveler
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 10
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday1 2 3
8 9 10
15 16 17
22 23 24
29 30 31
March 2015Joy Lockem Happy Birthday
Brendon Bottcher Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Jocy Nair Valerie Evans
Mzwamadoda Yantolo
Debbie Terblanche
Happy Birthday Victoria Adjei-Twum Sabanine Smith
Geoff Meikle
Mercy Sampong
Happy Anniversary Quinton & Sabanine
Smith
Happy Anniversary Tony & Connie van Schalkwyk
Happy Anniversary Emmanuel &Veronica
Okah
Happy Anniversary
Renier & Chantel Roets
Sunday (All)
Tuesday (Business)
Wednesday (All)
Friday (Men)
Happy Anniversary Ebenezer Family Church
Communion
Mark & Glynis Bennett
Mark & Cathy Smith
Happy Anniversary Chris & Brenda
Breckle
11 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
08:15-08:45
07:30-08:00
05:45-06:15
07:30-08:00
Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 4 5 6 7
11 12 13 14
18 19 20 21
25 26 27 28
March 2015 Happy Birthday
Happy Anniversary Nicole de Jager
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday
Pragasen Chetty
Veronica Okah Colin Gottsch
Geoff Meikle Judy Zeelie
Colin & Judy Zeelie
Sunday (All)
Tuesday (Business)
Wednesday (All)
Friday (Men)
Ebenezer Family Church
PRAYER TIMES
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 12
If you prayed this prayer today, we would love to hear from you!
Contact the office on (043) 642 5006 or email [email protected]
Our prayer is that you would discover the Author of Love...Jesus. His life and death represent the greatest gift of love the world will ever see...a
gift for you. All you need to do is accept it, a brand new start to a life lived in relationship with God.
Meeting God is as simple as praying a prayer...asking Jesus to meet you right where you are. If you are not sure that you know God, and that you are going
to Heaven, then make this your prayer today...
Dear Lord Jesus, I need You, I need Your grace to forgive me
and I need Your love to change me. Thank You for Your amazing love.
Thank You for giving me life and eternity. But above all, thank You for dying on the cross for me.
I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.
Now I am a Christian, which means that You live in me.
I belong to You. I will live my life for You and I will love You forever...Amen
Our Prayer For you
Call upon The name Of the lord and be saved
Romans 10:13
13 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
Date Name Number
01/03/2015 Dorcas Pillay 071 675 1872
08/03/2015 Nombeko Fatyi 083 580 3553
15/03/2015 Anusha Chetty 084 589 4996
22/03/2015 Mel Osmond 083 565 4194
29/03/2015 Diane de Abreu 0824664453
Join a
today home cell
Name of Home Cell Leader
Address Day they Meet Contact Number
Anusha Chetty 85 Queens Road Thursday 0845894996
Tony Garde 31 Wodehouse Street Wednesday 0828234898
Geoff Meikle 29 Joubert Road Wednesday 0726416504
Michael Stevens 16 Raglan Road Tuesday 0829002338
Dorcas Pillay 25 Alamein Crescent Wednesday 0716751872
Cynthia Valela 16 Blaine Street Wednesday 0833780173
Anele Valela (Youth Cell)
28 Douglas Street Prayer Room
Tuesday (19:00-20:30)
0828170040
Luella Campbell (Evergreens)
16 Cambridge Road Wednesday
(09:30) 0844445301
PLEASE CONTACT THE HOME CELL LEADER FOR THE TIMES THAT THEY MEET
Flower Duty
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 14
THREE MONTHS TO LIVE by Luella Campbell
“Mrs Campbell, I am afraid I have some bad news for you. Your biopsy report came back this morn-ing . . . Your lump is malignant and has spread to you liver. I am so sorry to have to tell you that the prognosis is not good. The cancer is an aggressive one which does not respond well to chemotherapy. You probably have no more than three months to live. . . !” Thank God, although I am almost seventy five, I have never had to hear words like that. At my age one doesn’t need a shocking diagnosis to think about death! So I had better be prepared. After all, I don’t need to be seventy five to face the possibil-ity of dying tomorrow . . . or today. Violent and untimely deaths are part of our world. Would I fall apart and weep, like King Hezekiah, when Isaiah announced his impending death: ‘O God, give me time!’ If he had known what was ahead in the fifteen extra years God gave him, would he have been so quick to cry for healing? Would I weep and beg for healing? Probably not! At seventy five, healing of my body would be less of a priority than making sure my soul was well. After all, if I were healed now, I would only delay the inevitable – unless, of course, Jesus returned and saved me from the ordeal of dying of cancer. Would I drop all my inhibitions and go after every sensual pleasure I could think of? Would I blow all my money, go on a world cruise, look for a hus-band, go bungee jumping or fly to the moon or the equivalent? Would I eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow I die? I don’t see the point of doing any of these things for two reasons: I would have to give an account of what I have done, and I would proba-bly be too sick to enjoy any of them anyway! I’d like to be like Enoch, to walk with God so inti-mately that, when my time comes He would say to me, ‘Come home with me today,’ and, like Enoch I would just be ‘no more’. But that may never hap-pen. I don’t want to get all religious about the thought of dying, but I have to be practical about it. I am an all-my-ducks-in-a-row kind of person. I would at least try to die responsibly! God told Hezekiah to get his house in order. That was a command from heaven, so I guess it would apply to me as well. Getting my house in order would be quite a big job. There are many parts to it and I would need to be careful not to leave any-thing out. I wouldn’t be available to answer ques-tions, now would I? Firstly, my will is a big one. My will must be detailed
and explicit. There must be no doubt about who gets what. It must be my will, not the will of one of my offspring who thinks I am incapable of thinking straight and tries to manipulate me into giving him what he wants. My will must be fair and impartial. I can’t cut someone out just because he has an-noyed me at some stage, or load one and deprive another because I have favourites. Together with seeing that my will is in order, I must buy my piece of real estate in the cemetery. want my body to be planted in the ground like the seed of which Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. . . So it will be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown in perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spir-itual body. (1 Corinthians 15: 37, 42-44) Secondly, someone must know where my docu-ments are and what they are all about. Another duck to be put in the row! And what of my clothing? I belong to another gen-eration! All they would need to do would be to put everything in a box and give it away! Thirdly, I would keep short accounts with God. It goes without saying that it would take far longer than three months to take care of this one! I re-member reading David Watson’s book, Fear No Evil, years ago. He had cancer and no amount of prayer or treatment was helping. Something in his book caught my attention that I have never forgot-ten. In January, 1984, he wrote, and I quote: ‘God hasn’t done anything for David,’ people are now beginning to say. ‘We’ve prayed and prayed, and nothing has happened at all.’ Medically speak-ing, that seems to be true. . . However, God has been far from inactive in my life. At about one a.m. on Advent Sunday morning, I had a bad asthmatic attack. In my helplessness I cried out to God to speak to me. I am not very good at listening to God, but between one and three a.m. God spoke to me so powerfully and painfully that I have never felt so broken before Him (and still do). He showed me that all my preaching, writing and other ministry was absolutely nothing compared to my love-relationship with Him. In fact, my sheer busyness had squeezed out the close intimacy I had known with Him during the first few months of the year after my operation.
15 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
. . . As the Lord put various names into my mind I began to write letters to about twelve people ask-ing forgiveness for hurting them, for still being inwardly angry against them – whatever. It was the most painful pruning and purging I can re-member in my entire Christian life. But fruitful! Already some replies to my letters have reduced me to tears. Whatever else is happening to me physically, God is working deeply in my life. . . ‘Father, not my will but yours be done.’ In that position of security I have experienced once again his perfect love, a love that casts out all fear. . (“Fear No Evil – a Personal Struggle with Can-cer”, David Watson, ©1984 by Anne Watson, Hodder and Stoughton, pages 170-171) David Watson died peacefully very early on Feb-ruary 18th, 1984. After reading David’s story, I would not want to wait for my dying moments to experience the peace and perfect love of God which I could enjoy now while I still have life. Jesus came to set me free from the tyranny of selfish living and unfor-giveness. This life is an apprenticeship for the life to come. I must make sure that I walk every day in the peace of God and led by the Spirit. I have to remember that God’s plan is to take many sons to glory (Heb. 2: 10). That implies that I am a son (or daughter) of God. Of what use would it be to wait until I hear the terrible diagno-sis, ‘Cancer!’ and the prognosis, ‘No hope . . . only three months to live,’ before I get my house in order? Getting ready to die takes much more than a few last-minute preparations. It takes a lifetime in this world to prepare for the next. How thankful I am that the Lord called me to follow Him at a young age! I was saved from the mess I could have made had I not turned my life over to Him at the age of fifteen. Even after almost sixty years of doing a makeo-ver, He still has a long way to go before I am anything like His Son. My greatest preparation for dying should not take place in the few weeks, days or hours I have left. That would be really irresponsible dying, to say the least. Fourthly, I would write my own eulogy. If I can’t be there in person, I’d at least like to know that my pastor will do it my way! Eulogies are often noth-ing more than whitewashing the real person in-stead of telling it like it is. I want them to say goodbye to the real me and to remember me as I was at least for a short while. I want my eulogy to be factual but not boring, real, not fanciful, and truthful, but not degrading, so I would write it myself.
I wouldn’t drag out all the skeletons in the cup-board – leave them to rest in peace – but I also wouldn’t raise myself up on a pedestal and leave the mourners to wonder whether that person real-ly lived. My eulogy, first and foremost would be about the One who created me, redeemed me, rescued me from a life of self-destruction and made my living worthwhile. Not religious – I hate that too – but realistic. After all, I would not have lived at all if He had not supervised my beginning in my moth-er’s womb. Whatever I became and whatever I did was because of Him and through Him, and He deserves the credit for who I am. Fifthly, I would prepare my own funeral service. For the believer a funeral should be a time of celebration, a ticker-tape send-off. She made it! She survived the journey! She’s home and dry and the devil just lost another one! As one dear old servant of God said, when a fellow mourner commiserated with him on the loss of his wife, “I have not lost her. I know exactly where she is!” Even mourning must be realistic. We may be separated from a loved one for a while but what are a few years compared with eternity? As time passes, we become used to living without the presence and company of the person who has gone on, and the sense of loss slowly fades be-cause we know that he or she still lives and we shall be together again soon. My funeral must be a celebration – a full music team with every instrument and musician in place – no traditional songs which people often sing at funerals, and a glorious message of hope. Jesus conquered death and I am more fully alive now than when I was in the body. My old, worn-out body will be replaced by a resurrection body just like the body of Jesus and I will never die again. The only appropriate Scripture reading for me would be from 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter. After all, isn’t that what dying is all about – shedding the old skin like a butterfly emerging from its pupa, that I might fly free forever in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ? So why not celebrate with those who share the same faith that I have gone home to be with Je-sus? But at least give me a royal send-off! The reception on the other side will be even greater. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will re-ceive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1: 10-12)
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 16
Word Search
17 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
Our God is faithful. I thank the Lord for the Ebenezer Family Church for
teaching the word of truth on completely putting our trust in the Lord.
And I also thank the family of Ebenezer for praying unceasingly for all
the needs of the body of Ebenezer Family Church. I can never forget the
Wednesday early morning praying group that never hesitates to pray for
anything and everything no matter how big or small. We simply trust the
Lord for His wonderful intervention and as He promises us in His word:
He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Sunday teachings that are pure-
ly from the Bible, which is the Word of God, have taught me a lot and
have actually grown me a lot in understanding the Word and trusting in
the Lord. The members of my cell have also contributed a lot in building
and growing my faith in the Lord. My son, Odwa, went back to school to
finish up schooling in 2012 at the age of 27 after dropping out. It has not
been an easy journey for us as a family and for him particularly as he had
to stay in a foreign place with strangers and had to adapt to an environ-
ment that he is not used to where there is no clean water, no electricity
and he had to travel for about 50km to buy groceries with very poor
transport. God is good all the time as He protected him and provided him
with good health. No serious illnesses affected him for the period of his
stay in this area. He persevered and finally got his matric within three
years. We serve a merciful and a faithful God. I have learnt to trust Him. I
still trust Him for Odwa’s future, especially his commitment to the Lord.
Cynthia Valela
TESTIMONY: Cynthia Valela
Ebenezer Chronic les| March 2015 | 18
Poetry Page BECOMING ISHMAEL
ANUSHA CHETTY
“Abram, look upon the velvety night sky,
As numerous as the stars, shall your descendants be.” A momentary lack of faith birthed a series of problems.
From Sarai’s impatience with God’s promise,
To Abram’s inevitable take-over from God,
The danger of trusting in their own efforts,
The incubated idea of Ishmael became………….
She was born a princess, yet became a servant.
Given to Abram as a substitute wife,
Hagar’s haughtiness and pride sealed her future.
Overcome by her problems, she ran away,
Then the Lord showed her, it’s not the solution. Her cries of distress nurtured the spirit of Ishmael,
Yet the promise of the Almighty remained, “God hears”.
Caught in a process bigger than he was,
Ishmael’s seeds of jealousy over Isaac grew.
Leading to corruption, idol worship enticed.
His actions and choices made him part of the problem.
His resolve to be ruled by his circumstances,
Fed and festered his hostility towards his relatives,
Bequeathing an inheritance of strife to his descendants.
Our Ishmael becomes the mess in our lives,
Stubbornly refusing to change the things we can.
Yet, God’s plans are cognizant of people’s mistakes,
For the descendants of Ishmael saved the Jewish people,
Through the wisdom of Joseph in Pharaoh’s land.
Yet, Ishmael remains an adversary of the chosen nation,
Denying the Crucified Christ, the Risen Redeemer.
Are we in the will and plan of the Lord?
Or are we in the business of doing things for God,
Slowly evolving and becoming…………Ishmael?
19 | Ebenezer Fami ly Church | March 2015
CRÈCHE BITS proudly presents
POLLY THE PARROT We have a new addition to the Ebenezer Family.
He rules the roost in Aunty Margaret’s office.
Polly has become a part of the family. With his
chirping and whistling every day, he keeps our
spirits up. But do not be fooled by his fluffy,
brightly coloured exterior. Polly will defend him-
self with a beaked attacked when the situation
calls for it!
Welcome, Polly. We hope you enjoy your
Ebenezer experience.
FUN FACTS ABOUT PARROTS Fact 1 - Definition: Parrots are usually brightly colored tropical birds with short hooked
beaks and the ability to mimic sounds. There are about 250 different species.
Fact 2 - Parrots are described as zygodactylous. A zygodactyl bird has the first and
fourth toes directed backward, the second and third pointing forward.
Fact 3 - They have a short rounded or even tail, and some have a naked space on the
cheeks such as the gray parrot, or jako of Africa and the Amazon and the green parrots
of America.
Fact 4 - Many species of parrots, as cage birds, learn to imitate sounds, and to repeat
words and phrases.
Fact 5 - Parrots eat seeds, nuts, fruit, buds and other plant material.
Fact 6 - They are highly intelligent birds.
Fact 7 - Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents.
Fact 8 - Pet parrots are popular due to their sociable and affectionate nature, their intelli-
gence, bright colours and their ability to imitate human voices.
EBENEZER FAMILY CHURCH
NEDBANK BRANCH CODE:
125519 ACCOUNT NUMBER:
1013198875
Monday to Friday : 07:30 - 16:30
facebook.com/ebenezerfamilychurch twitter.com/efckwt
Ebenezer Family Church @efckwt
GIVING 2 Corinthians 9:7
Tel: (043) 642 5006 Fax: (043) 642 6513
www.efc.org.za [email protected]
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