The Godly Home Series by Denny Kenaston (playlist)

Independence Day…for Bro. Denny!

Bro. Denny Kenaston fought a good fight; he finished his course; he kept the faith.  On July 4^th at 2:02am he quietly traded time for eternity.  He was a true soldier of the cross, a man of God!  Though we only met a couple of times his messages and book have had a great impact on our lives!

Not Bored!

As a followup to the April 24th post...the water tower and the plumbing are finished!  That doesn't mean I'm out of work! I have a list of things that need done around the school.  Today I'm in the classroom "acting" as teacher!

One of the walls of the Manyatseng church is shifting out...bad foundation.  I need to see that it gets fixed. 

Next month we begin a new quarter in our Bible School classes.  I'm planning to teach church history.  I'm looking forward to it, but I just need to do a lot of reading and preparation as this is my first attempt at teaching this subject. 

Thankful for God's guidance in all our projects!

True Christianity

In my recent reading of church history I’ve come across some quotes that are very applicable to today, though written more than four hundred years ago.  In his book, The Pilgrim Church E.H. Broadbent quotes Staupitz, a mentor to young Martin Luther.

“Christ help us that we may come at last to live according to the Gospel which now sounds in our ears and which many have on their lips, for I see that multitudes misuse the Gospel to give liberty to the flesh.   It is the fashion now to separate faith from evangelical life, as though it were possible to have real faith in Christ and yet remain unlike Him in life.” Johann von Staupitz

As Staupitz penned those word he must have had I John 2:6 in mind: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

Luther also challenged people to pious living.

“If we look aright at what people now do who reckon themselves as Evangelical and know how to talk much about Christ, there is nothing behind it.  Most of them deceive themselves. They learn indeed to speak words, as a parrot repeats what people say, but their hearts do not experience them; they remain just as they are, they neither taste nor feel how true and faithful God is.  They boast much of the Gospel and at first seek it earnestly, yet afterwards nothing remains; for they do what they like, follow their lusts, become worse than they were before and are much more undisciplined and presumptuous… than other people….” Martin Luther

One of the verses of “God of Grace and God of Glory” written by Harry E. Fosdick speaks of the lack of holy living:

“Cure Thy children’s warring madness;

Bend our pride to Thy control;

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,

Rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom,

Grand us courage,

Less we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,

Less we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.”

 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Paul the Apostle

Two Birthdays in a Week

Happy fourth birthday to Titus!

Two Years Old

Where has two years gone?  Happy Birthday to Shoshanah!

FALL

Fall! It’s such an amazing time of year when earth sheds its summer garb in preparation for the coming winter.  The feelings, the sights, the sounds and the smells are all so nostalgic, conjuring up the accumulated experiences of the past.  Something about the changing seasons I like.  Is it the alternating weather patterns or the transformation in the landscape? Could it be the smell of wood smoke wafting in the crisp air or the cool clear nights?  Whatever it is it’s real and bracing!  Though the change in scenery is limited here we visually feast on the clusters of scattered poplars, the orange berries of the hawthorns dotting the countryside and the blanket of fallen leaves.  Fall! It’s the time we bid adieu to summer and anticipate the coming winter.

Water Tank

Quite often the water is off in the Ladybrand area.  Our mission school currently has 30+ students which has some unpleasant implications when there is no water!  For some time I have been working on making a back-up source of water a reality. First we had to move a small section of the fence and then weld in another piece.  After that we cemented four poles in the ground.  A friend of the school welded the platform for the tank and last week we got it all in place and "strapped" down.  We still need to brace the poles and do the plumbing. 

A Mother's Heart Cry

"I look and behold a terrible thing in our generation ...

The people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge. Where once they gave attendance to reading Scripture and “meaty” teaching, they now read romance novels, humanistic devotional books filled with fluff, and enjoy being excessively entertained by the flickering blue light of the screen of amusement."

Follow this link to read the whole article...

http://www.ephrataministries.org/remnant-2012-03-mothers-heart-cry.a5w

Unwelcome Visitor

Last week while I was away Titus saw this not-so-little fellow in the boys bedroom. Thankfully no one was hurt.  We think it came in the house in the firewood we carried in or in a bag of kindling. We've been more careful what we bring in now!