The Lamb of God Chronicle June 2017 Issue

Transcription

1 The Lamb of God Chronicle June 2017 Issue The Lamb of God Community PO Box Christchurch 8640 Phone [04] Mobile Website: INDEX TO CONTENTS Reflections Page 1-2 News & Articles Page 2-5 Challenges Page 7 Kairos NZ News Page 8 Web Sites Page 8 Members/Info/Records Page 9 Birthdays/Anniversaries Page 9-10 National Prayer Watch Page REFLECTIONS - The Maximised Community Life of May During this month, Kirsten and I celebrated our 25th Wedding anniversary. It was a blessing to share the celebration with the Christchurch branch brothers and sisters who have been a great support to us over these 25 years. We met each other in the Lamb of God 26 years ago when Kirsten came to Christchurch for a short stay to investigate community life in the Lamb of God. She moved into a women s household, started serving in Encounter Jesus and we were engaged less than six months later. Our celebrations included 1) an afternoon tea at the Christchurch branch meeting, 2) walking the Heaphy Track, and 3) separating on the date of our anniversary as she left for a week to attend the Sword of the Spirit International Women s Conference (IWC). The Heaphy was an amazing walk - a place to behold God s greatness, wonder and enjoy His creation; we could have prepared slightly better, and there were a few tight legs and blisters. On 9th May, Kirsten joined Mhel Caballes (Wellington) and Rina D Souza (Auckland) to travel as representatives of the Lamb of God at the IWC. The area of the 5 currents was further discussed, and I am looking forward to their sharing about the conference. The 5 currents are significant challenges that we as Christians face living in the world today. During the Month of May, Mon Samson and Abyong Calo, brothers from the Philippines, have been in Christchurch and Auckland. They are assisting us in our Kairos, University Christian Outreach and Young Workers (YCP) ministries. During their time in Auckland, they were joined by Sheba, a sister experienced in the YCP ministry (called Lingkod - translated Servant - in the Philippines), who is studying at Otago University.

2 2 Mon spent some time in Auckland and Wellington earlier this year, and we have found it a real blessing to have his wisdom assisting us with these ministries. They are important ministries that assist our young people in their commitment to Christ and are evangelistic reaching others in their age groups. At our recent National Council meeting, a decision was made to further support this work by assisting up to 3 people to travel to the Philippines for a one week conference where they train leaders for the YCP ministry. We want to try support our people serving and participating in this ministry. One morning I was touched by the Psalm that Tony Borkus used to lead us in Cluster Prayer here in Christchurch. We pray twice a month in the morning for the community and during this time, Tony read out Psalm 73, a really great Psalm to reflect on. The Psalmist reflects on those around them who seem to have successful lives while not following God. The Psalmist notes that they are making sacrifices, but it appears to have no benefit. Then the Psalmist takes this to prayer and is convicted of the faithfulness of God and where they are headed. Heaven is so important for us as Christians, we certainly do not want to miss out getting there, and we do want to help everyone we can get there. The desire for heaven puts all other things in perspective. I encourage you to have a look at the Psalm and allow God to speak to you both in His care for you and encouragement to spread His gospel. It really is a powerful Psalm. NEWS AND ARTICLES God bless, Mark C LAMB OF GOD BIBLE STUDY GROUP - SHARINGS Four brothers and sisters persevered for the past twelve weeks in listening, taking notes, and making and submitting assignments in an online Bible study course called The Old Testament in the Light of the New Testament or subtitled Stages in God s Plan. Topics included in the Bible study are the Creation, the Fall, Noah, Abraham, Exodus, The Law, David, Jesus, and the New Covenant. Steve Clark, a former President of the Sword of the Spirit, spoke in all the sessions, and the talks are recorded in an MP3 format. Here are some sharings of those who participated in the course: Thank you for letting me be part of this course. The way it has been presented via MP3 has allowed it to be played through as many times as required to make the message stick. I ve also made notes as I listened through, pretty rough in places, and managed to save the audio so I can go through the presentation again at a later date. The picture Steve has painted has deepened my understanding and appreciation of the importance of the Old Testament in light of the New, and vice versa. It s hard for us, living in the present age, with the speed of things around us, to grasp just how important it is to see God at work in a progressive way throughout history. His plan for his creation is progressive, not instantaneous, and is progressing according to His plan, even if we don t

3 3 understand or see. So, the way Steve has linked it all together has been a great help to me personally, and I m sure the others involved in this series. Once again, many thanks and blessings. Jamie Rodgers [Blenheim] I have done verse studies before, but never a complete Bible Study. I always have thought that to understand the Bible you need to invest all of your time since it is such a complex book. This Bible Study showed me wrong! It helped me understand many things, see the Bible as a whole, and grow in my faith. It made me feel a lot more equipped to out into the battleground and stand strong in my faith. Even though I needed to take a break every minutes from the audio, not to fall asleep, and pause it to be able to take notes, I feel that I got to comprehend most of it. Honestly, there were some weeks in which I would love to have a break, but once I did the Bible Study, it felt so fulfilling. I definitely grew a lot in an area of my faith that I have never truly worked on. If you are the kind of person that has a really hard time reading the Bible, I would definitely recommend you joining a Bible Study. This way you commit, learn and is a really short term goal that you can accomplish. Bea Vargas [Visitor from Costa Rica] They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:32) Just like for the disciples on the road to Emmaus, during the 12 weeks of study, a fire burnt within me as we delved into the Scriptures. It was HARD work. Some weeks it was a struggle to keep up with work, community and personal commitments. Despite this, it was totally worth it. I have a new appreciation for God s plan for humanity and the way He reveals it through the Bible across both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus death and resurrection and the Second Coming that we all eagerly await are that much more powerful and significant with a little insight into the development process that brought us to the final stage of God s plan. How can we comprehend the promise of heaven without considering the relationship with God that we had and lost in Eden? How can we appreciate our ability to worship God at any time and in any place without acknowledging the intermediaries and venues that were once the only pattern of worship? How can we fully commit our lives to God without recognising God s promise to us, our obligations under the covenant and the consequences of both our failure and success in following him? For me, seeing a more macro view of God s plan has also reassured me in my personal walk. As the stages of God s plan are revealed in a progression through the Bible, you can only be in awe of the elegance of his plan and the solutions to all the ways we keep undermining it. If God can and will bring to fruition his plans for all people how can we doubt his plans for us? While often we can t see where He is leading us, hindsight so often proves that his hand was constantly guiding us to our destination. This course wasn t my natural comfort zone; I m more of a detail girl than a big picture person. However, it is so important to understand the big picture. It's all too easy to focus on the detail of the tree in front of us and miss the awe-inspiring forest as a whole and how each element fits together in harmony.

4 Finally, I loved Steve s conclusion: Revelations 22:20b Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The best is yet to come! Rachel McKenzie [Auckland] 4 AUCKLAND BRANCH NEWS MEN S BREAKFAST - On 22nd April 2017, the Auckland branch had their first men's breakfast for this year at St. Joseph s Catholic Primary School Hall. It was well attended by brothers from the branch and a regular visitor to our men s breakfast. We started off at 8 am with Praise and Worship led by our men's breakfast coordinator Cosmos Misquita. The main theme of the Praise and Worship was The Resurrection and the call to keep the fire burning in our hearts. He was ably supported by the father-son music team of Neville and Nathan Coutinho. The message received was from a brother going through difficulties and challenges at his place of work. He felt the Lord asking him to cast his cares on the Lord and to go out and help those around him in need whom he could help and that the Lord would, in turn, look after his needs. This was followed by a talk on Commitment given by Christopher Fernandez. He encouraged all the brothers including the leaders to be faithful to their calling to serve one another in the community, at home and their place of work. He reminded us of the 3 S s in commitment namely Sacrifice, Selflessness and Service. To be effective, we have to be committed. We make our commitments, and then our commitments make us. The scrumptious mince breakfast was prepared by the pastoral groups of Alwin and Mira D'Souza and Allen and Judy Carneiro. It was a wonderful time of prayer, reflection and fellowship. We were truly nourished in body, mind and spirit as we left and returned to our families. We look forward to the next men's breakfast and urge all our Auckland branch brothers to bring along their sons and friends to the next breakfast as part of our outreach. Neville Coutinho OUTREACH BY THE EJers - On the Sundays when we do not have the General Community Gatherings, the EJers [EJ is Encounter Jesus, our high school youth program] either have a social activity or service. For our service activity, we decided to ask the nuns at the Carmelite Monastery if they needed help with anything. On the 29th of April, a Saturday, the EJ group went to the cloistered convent to help clean up the garden. We started at 9:30 am with a prayer. Although it was raining, we managed to get a lot of work done. The day was blessed as it was a time for everyone to bond together as a group and help in our service activity. The group was allocated different parts of the garden to clean up, and we all worked together as a team. Although the day was a very wet, cold and damp one, we managed to persevere and get on with the job. It brought us great joy and happiness. The nuns were more than happy to host us and were very welcoming. Our work was originally scheduled for a Sunday, but since the nuns at the convent do not believe in doing manual work on a Sunday, we moved to a Saturday. This was a very unusual experience for me, it took me back to many, many years ago when Sunday was considered the day of rest. All was not over, and the best was yet to come. After putting in good, honest and hardworking service, we were treated to morning tea

5 5 which was very refreshing. Looking forward to similar events where we can reach out and hopefully we will get a bigger group of volunteers at our next service outreach. Thanks and God Bless to all the organisers for giving us the opportunity to SERVE. Lyncia Fernandes A LIFE OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE CELEBRATED!!! 29th of April 2017 was a very special day celebrated in the branch. We were honoured to have our dear Roger and Veronica visit us. This gave the members of the branch an opportunity to take the time to honour and thank them personally for all the work they have done over the years in building the Lamb of God community in New Zealand. Greg and Maryanne who knew Roger and Veronica for many years spoke on behalf of the community and shared many experiences. They thanked them for all the pastoral care, love and support, prayers and encouragement received in the Auckland branch. We also had Aaron Fisk, who composed a song for them based on their humility and perseverance. Our newly wedded couple Dominic and Laura Schryvers, had a moment too to say thank you to them for all the many things they have learnt from being in community. A beautiful cake made for the occasion by our very own Jessie De Zoysa was presented to Roger and Veronica. There was great fellowship the entire evening, our master of ceremonies Hazel Patrao coordinated the evening with games and dancing. Thanks to Allan & Pam D Souza and Allen & Judy Carneiro and to the members of their pastoral groups for organising the Lord s Day celebration and planning the event. To top it off, a gift box consisting of notes of every kind was presented to Roger and Veronica by Sarah McCormick. Thankyou notes, encouragement notes and notes that would help Roger and Veronica financially in proclaiming God s love to others, were given by members both young and old. Roger & Veronica, over the many many years of living and walking in your Christian faith and living the community life, you have faced a lot of challenges, and you have accomplished a lot of successes, had a lot of experience and fulfilled a lot of dreams. May all these help you continue to walk this Christian life with your head held high. As you continue in serving the Lord and help build communities across other places, let this journey be touched by the beauty of God s perfect timing for your life and may you continue to recognise HIS guiding presence in the years to come.

6 6 On behalf of the brothers and sisters in the Auckland branch of the Lamb of God Community, I take this opportunity to say once again THANK YOU, dear Roger & Veronica. We pray this verse from the book of Psalms (Psalm 121:7-8) The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. God Bless Harry

7 CHALLENGES IN LIVING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY Resource for House Group Discussion by Tom Caballes Turning Back Time - June And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28 ESV] If you could travel back in time, what actions and decisions would you change? Sometimes we wishfully think if we can only time-travel, how we could right the wrongs we have done in the past. But we live in a single timeline, and we are stuck with the consequences of the decisions we made in the past, whether it is for the good or bad. We are all sinful people, and our actions and decisions are sometimes tainted by our [and others ] sinful nature. But God promises that everything will work out for good, for those who love Him [Romans 8:28]. God can rescue our past indiscretions, sins, bad decisions, mistakes, and regrets, and turn them into gold. Jesus death and resurrection can redeem all our past. Do you believe so? So How Do You Look At Your Past Mistakes, Failures, and Wrong Decisions in Life? 1. Have a realistic expectation of your earthly life it will never be perfect - this side of eternity. You have to deal with your [and others ] fallen human nature at times, including all your decisions in the past, present, and future. Marriage, family life, relationships, and community will never be perfect. Life is not meant to be a bed of roses. The truth is - life is a struggle! Learn to take the good in life as well as the bad. 2. Take personal responsibility for the decisions that you made in the past. Stop blaming anyone else, and don t justify or make excuses own your mistakes, learn from them, and carry on. Taking personal responsibility is the only way to move on; otherwise, you will forever be stuck in the past. 3. Do not resent or be angry at the things you cannot take back. Forgive the people who offended you in the past and that includes you! Live with no grudges, hatred, or resentments learn to let go! Offer to God all your hurts and wounds, and in due time, your Divine Healer will comfort and restore you. 4. Have a positive outlook in life. Count your blessings and appreciate them daily! Thank God for your blessings. There is hope as long as you have God with you. Look at the constructive thing you can do. You always have a choice. Look at the positives - or be gloomy, sad and angry by looking at the negatives. 5. Make the most out of the situation. At times it is not your fault move on. Realise that you cannot change the past, but you control your present and future. Have a different perspective on your situation you may need to ask a trusted person on how to make the most out of your situation. 6. Do not wallow in the past. Stop regretting. Wishful thinking cannot change the past. Live in the present, not in the past. Plan for the future. Move on and press on! 7. Look forward to spending eternity with God. Your earthly life, by that time, including all your mistakes and regrets, will only be a distant memory as you walk with God forever. Your sufferings will be gone one day and forever! Your troubles are light and temporary compared to what you will have in heaven. OTHER SCRIPTURE PASSAGES: 1. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13B-14 ESV] 2. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. [Jeremiah 29:11 ESV] 3. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison... [2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV] 4. Other references: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 103:2-5; Ephesians 4:31; and Hebrews 12:15. FOR REFLECTION OR SHARING: 1. What one thing can you change in your life if you could turn back time? 2. Can you accept and live with the fact that you cannot change the past? 3. What good and positive thing can you do to make the most out of the situation?

8 SUMMIT 8 KAIROS NEW ZEALAND YOUTH NEWS Kairos New Zealand and Singles Schedule of Events / to 11 July Winter Oasis 2017 in Auckland [for high schoolers] 1 to 3 September Get Set 2017 in Auckland [for tertiary and singles] 7 to 11 January 2018 Summer Oasis 2018 [for high schoolers and up] WEBSITES WORTH NOTING KAIROS South Pacific Web Site check it out at You can network and chat with other young people by going to this website: We designated every Friday night at 10 pm as a time to meet other young people. Go and visit the International Kairos Media website: We updated our Lamb of God website We also have two new domain names which point to the same website: and Try them! The Sword of the Spirit website is This website is where we can know more what is happening in our communities around the globe. The Lamb of God is a community of the Sword of the Spirit. Sign up [free] for Youth Culture Newsletter The most recent edition of the Youth Culture Newsletter is now available online. Please visit the website below: This link is a recommended Sword of the Spirit publication for youth and parents. Living Bulwark Sword of the Spirit Highly Recommended! This Sword of the Spirit on-line publication has received more than 43,000 visits (an average of 135 visits each day) in its first year. All back issues for the past 12 months are available at To view the current issue of the online magazine, go to SENDING NEWS FOR CHRONICLE PUBLICATION Branches are encouraged to news, photos, happenings and snippets to Tom Caballes at office.lambofgodnz@gmail.com. We close on the 20 th of the previous month.

9 9 IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT OUR RECORDS Membership Records and Data: Branch leaders are responsible for keeping updated records and then ing all new attendee additions, deletions, address, phone changes, births, deaths, transfers, etc. to: Tom Caballes BIRTHDAY INFORMATION [Day and month, but the year is optional.] Branch leaders are asked to keep updated records and all new attendee additions to: Tom Caballes GETTING CHRONICLE & OTHER NEWS BY [1] If you are receiving The Chronicle as an electronic edition, we just need to hear if and when you change your address. Notify [2] If you are receiving this by hard copy but you have an address, please send your address to [3] The Chronicle has a national and international mailing schedule. If you want to add an address we can send the Chronicle, please notify office.lambofgodnz@gmail.com. Wedding Anniversaries - Happy Anniversary! NAMES DATE BRANCH Bernie & Bernadette Black 05/06 Christchurch Manuel & Cheryll Lobo 05/06 Auckland Vitus & Arca Fernandes 08/06 Auckland Jojo & Ella Jalandoni 10/06 Central Philip & Alison Middlemiss 10/06 Blenheim David & Marilyn Hamilton 11/06 Christchurch Birthdays for This Month - Happy Birthday! NAMES BIRTHDAY BRANCH Christie D'Costa 01/06 Auckland Hans Jalandoni 01/06 Central Chris Aston-Grieve 02/06 Christchurch Robert Van Doorn 02/06 Christchurch Kerry O'Neill 07/06 Blenheim Andy Crocker 08/06 Nelson Mike Cullimore 09/06 Blenheim John Caballes 10/06 Central Reuben Garrett 11/06 Blenheim Tony D'Costa 13/06 Auckland Joseph Gomes 13/06 Auckland

10 Howell Tungol 13/06 Central Chanelle Anngow 14/06 Christchurch Darren Humphries 14/06 Christchurch Petal Sequeira 14/06 Auckland Aaron Fisk 14/06 Auckland Liana Borkus 15/06 Christchurch Micah Briguera 16/06 Central Marisa Misquita 18/06 Auckland Francesca Humphries 20/06 Christchurch Maria dos Anjos D'Souza 23/06 Auckland Ethel Peters 23/06 Auckland Mark Powick 24/06 Nelson Irene Hong 25/06 Auckland Nazareth Aakaanksha 27/06 Auckland Benjo Fernandes 28/06 Central Murray Mcguire 30/06 Nelson 10 PRAYERWATCH SOLDIERS OF CHRIST, ARISE Fight the good fight. Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The Lord will carry out his purpose, Jeremiah 51: 12 NIV SOLDIERS OF CHRIST - SUBMISSION The next attribute of a good soldier is Submission, a word we avoid like the plague in today's world. To be obedient is also to submit to an authority that is appropriate to the situation we are in. If we are in the army, we need to submit to our superiors as they have the authority and failure to submit will see that person in real strife and suffer the consequences of their actions. All a private does in the army is in submission as the way he dresses, the way they leave their barracks in the morning, carry out drill on the parade ground and as they go about their daily work. As part of the training, you can be hauled out at any time of day or night to go on an exercise; total submission is needed in the army. Once trained then you will be sent to where the army is sent to serve and may even suffer injury or death. Outside of army life, submission is needed as children need to submit to parents, pupils to teachers, workers to managers or supervisors. The laws of the country are another area we need to submit to, and we often see the serious consequences when people break the law and are taken to court or run from the police. We need to submit to God s law as well, and in the breakdown of society, we can see the problems that this leads to. Nobody likes to submit, but an army or organisation would not be very successful unless its soldiers or members submit to the orders of its commander or leaders. Our commander is Jesus who is the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, He is also the son of God who came to free us from sin which meant submission to God the Father by his death on the cross, so we owe obedience or submission to the highest of all authorities. Insubordination is

11 11 unthinkable; rebellion is intolerable, we don t dictate to him what we want, but we ask him, Lord, what would You have me do? As soldiers for Jesus, we are to work together as a team, mutually submitted to one another. Ephesians 5: 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Under the Lordship of Christ Himself, who has called and enlisted us in the Lamb of God a community of disciples on mission. Together we are invincible, united we conquer. Soldiers of Christ, Arise, and put your armour on! If you have any comments or questions concerning the Prayerwatch, then please send them to me or give them to one of your branch leaders to send to me. God bless and watch over you all. Alan McKenzie - National Coordinator, Prayerwatch LAMB OF GOD PRAYERWATCH - PRAYER INTENTIONS SPIRITUAL WARFARE Against strongholds of Apathy, Witchcraft, Confusion and other named spirits. INTERCESSORY PRAYER COMMUNITIES Protect and bless the life and mission of SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, Patmos & Cornerstone Lamb of God [Fiji], Families for Christ [Melbourne], Vanuatu Group, Light of Christ [Nelson], The Covenanted Community For Christ, [Penang & Taiping], FAMILY Auckland: Yvonne D'Souza, Central: Jun & Angie Briguera, Henri & Cutie Zalamea, Joel & Tiza Sison, Robert & Ethel Caballes, Tom & Mhel Caballes, Peter & Stephanie O Connell, Blenheim: Mark & Mary Jackson, Mike & Cheryl Garrett, Christchurch: Roger & Veronica Foley, Robert & Karin Van Doorn, Darren & Julie Humphries, Tai & De Stirling, Niul Kay, Lyn Keane, Pauline Marsden, John & Monica Haughey, Annette Sargisson, Chris & Maureen Lyons, Ian & Pārbati Hamilton, Trevor Wall, Joan Corbett, Southern: John & Janet MacManus, Mike & Judy Prendeville, OTHER NEEDS Auckland: Clifton & Anora D'Costa, Southern: Florence & Susan Quigley, HEALING CANCER Auckland: Central: Ron Blackwell, Blenheim: Carol Cullimore, David Aberhart, Christchurch: Mary Anngow, Robin Corbett, Trevor Wall, Southern: Christine May, HEALING HEART Auckland: Collin Sequeira, Maryanne Hall, Central: Paul Oliver, Blenheim: Chris Fredericks, Philip Middlemiss, Christchurch: Dorelle Ham, Undine Cavanagh, Niul Kay, Andre a Forster,

12 HEALING 12 Auckland: Winona D'Costa, Mira D'Souza, Peter D'Souza, Maria dos Anjos D'Souza, Thomas Hong, Vimath Sequeira, Alwin D Souza, Joan Lobo, Alfred Saldanha, Shalini Saldanha, Allan D Souza, Simone D'Mello, Karyn Coutinho, Cheryl Lobo, Harry Lowe, Central: Stephanie O Connell, Jacob Muollo, Henri Zalamea, Aly Fernandes, Jojo and Ellamae Jalandoni, Cutie Zalamea, Blenheim: Peter Greig, Josiah Grieg, Grace Weston, Mike Garrett, Anita Fredericks, Judith Rodgers, Barbara Ryan, Jamie Rodgers, Micah Rodgers, Chris Fredericks, Christchurch: Lisa Borkus, Karin Van Doorn, Chris Aston Grieve, Veronica Foley, Siobhan Forster, Bernie Black, John Murray, Chris Lyons, Monica Haughey, Bronwyn Harborne, Pauline Marsden, Ian Hamilton, David Black, Fr John Rea, Southern: Fr Merv McGettigan, Daniel MacManus, Steven & Judy Homes & Family, Rhoda Woodfield, Alan McKenzie, Judy Prendeville, Richard May, Others: Julianne Masilomani, John Keating, BEREAVEMENT Blenheim: Philip & Alison Middlemiss, Chris & Anita Fredericks & family, COVERING PRAYER National Council, Kairos Ministries, Branch Life, Lamb of God Centre, Branch Visits, Clustering in Auckland, Ministry of Fr John Rea, Employment of Members, Light of Christ Special Ministry, Wellington branch [sickness among extended family], and the Ashburton Group in Christchurch. I have made you a Watchman Ezekiel 33: 7