Greetings from Luanshya! Tonight the note is from Sherry.
"Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them and take the stony heart out their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." (Ezekiel 11:19,20)
As I progressed through my Bible reading this week, the Lord revealed this old gem of truth from the scripture above. The new heart, the heart of flesh, and the new spirit can be realized only through the new birth, a birth from above. Thus are new creatures created unto God (2 Cor. 5:17). The stony heart is that of the unregenerate, which refuses to heed and submit to the will of God (Zech. 7:12). On the other hand, the heart of flesh can be responsive to God's voice and message if it seeks God wholeheartedly. We are humbled by the fact that the Lord continues to use us to escort people into the kingdom of His love and receive a new heart of flesh.
Last week Patrick and I visited a home in the local Police Camp. Sgt. Derek Kazembe and his wife Grace have been attending the church for a couple of weeks, at our invitation. During last Sunday's service, the couple broke down into tears. They both expressed a desire to know more of Christ as Saviour. Thus, during our visit with them, Derek and Grace placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Since their salvation, they have observed five believers baptized and have embarked on the first lesson involved in Design for Discipleship in preparation to begin a small group study among our young married couples. During the weekdays, brother Chibumba will pay the young couple a visit guiding them through our "Connections" class material so that they understand what "becoming a part of Fellowship Chapel" means.
I am teaching Sunday School again. One of the teachers has had to step aside, temporarily, due to a very heavy school exam schedule, which will conclude in late December. So, here I am. The series the children have just embarked upon is "God Makes A World." Their lessons focus on Creation trying to dispel the ever present quandary of the theory of evolution. Two other teachers have resigned due to some personal problems in their lives so the Sunday School Department is rather short-handed these days. Pray for new teachers to come forward and the opportunity for Patrick and I to hold another Sunday School Teacher's Seminar in the near future. The remaining Sunday School class will begin a month long series on the subject of "Human Suffering" as seen in the book of Job. Pray for the children. Pray for the teachers.
Monday Sherry spoke to the youth about "The Lamb" Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb. She compared the bronze serpent of Numbers 21 with the Passover lamb and with the cross of Christ. The young people were awe struck by the comparisons and illustrations. Many questions were asked and many lives affected towards considering how Christ has been seen in the scriptures from beginning to end. The vivid word pictures that the Lord has provided His people should bring us all onto our knees in praise for His love for us, especially when the closing thought was "Christ died once for all". No longer were repetitive sacrifices necessary to receive redemption. Christ truly is the Lamb of God.
The work among the youth continues to flourish. As the young people look at the various symbols of Christ in the Gospel of John, it seems to touch home that the Lord Jesus used symbols of every day necessities. Last week we looked at "The Living Water" from John 4. A comparison was made between physical water whereby thirst is never quenched and the spiritual water of Christ where the believer will never thirst as His water is eternal and living. This week our lesson focused on "The Bread of Life" from John 6:1-15; 25-60. One of the comments made during the lesson was that Jesus is the bread of life; He satisfies the hungry heart. I posed a question for the young people to consider. "What step will you take to be nourished by the Bread of Life?" Hopefully some left with a little "food for thought" and will respond to the Lord's invitation to take part.
Ministry through the correspondence school continues to be an encouragement. Every day someone new comes in to discuss their lessons or desire to begin or even resume lessons. Just the other day a high school boy came in all excited that he was about to go into grade 12. He was told, some time back, that he could not continue lessons until he reached this level. He had done all the children's lessons previously and we're usually not sure how well the comprehension is when it comes to the more detailed lessons. So, we invite the younger children to resume lessons when they reach grade 12 Well, he just couldn't contain himself and pled to be permitted to resume. After a brief chat he was given his next lesson and left with a huge smile on his face. Just this morning I marked his exam paper. I can't wait to see his response when he collects his results this afternoon. He performed very well!
Leading people to Christ, guiding others through discipleship, being available for counseling and encouragement, providing Christian literature and lessons for edification and growth, holding periodic training seminars and maintaining the Lighthouse Children's Home are a fulfilling vocation to which we believe we have been called. We are thrilled that the Lord has led us to this varied ministry and equally pleased that you are a partner in every activity. Thank you for your prayers and support.P>
In His Grace,
Sherry (& Patrick)
Dr. Patrick and
Sherry Coleman
Luanshya, Zambia Africa