It is not uncommon for me to meet a young man who would like to discuss more about pastoral ministry. Oftentimes the young man is contemplating or even convinced that the Lord is calling him to be a pastor. Now this always excites my heart because as per the Lord’s command we are to pray for more laborers in his harvest (Luke 10:2). The next thing that follows from such a conversation is the question: but how do I know for sure that the Lord is calling me to pastoral ministry? Here is my answer.

First, the man that the Lord is calling to pastoral ministry or any Christian ministry must also be the man that the Lord has called to himself first. In other words, the first thing is to be sure that you are a converted man. Be certain that you know Jesus Christ in a saving way. Sadly, church history is not void of men who went into pastorate while unsaved. But that is not supposed to be the case. Don’t be a Judas or a Demas who went into pastorate with hearts of stone. As you know it did not end well for them (Matt. 27: 3-10; Phil. 1:24 cf. 2 Tim. 4:10). It is important to seriously consider this caution from the old Puritan Richard Baxter, “Believe it, brethren, God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man, and consequently faithful in his Master’s work. Take heed, therefore, to yourselves first, that you be that which you persuade others to be, and believe that which you persuade them daily to believe, and have heartily entertained that Christ and Spirit which you offer unto others.” Here Baxter captures the heart of the matter well. I think one of the greatest tragedies in the world is a pastor who calls on others to know Christ the Savior and yet he himself doesn’t know him.

Second, prayerfully go through the qualifications of an elder or pastor in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 and see if you meet them. In these two passages Paul begins by affirming that a desire to be a pastor is a noble desire. But the desire alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by a life and conduct that honor and glorify God. He then goes on to list requirements to be met by those desiring to serve in pastoral ministry. Sadly, we are living in the world that often values more what we are able to do than who we are. But in the eyes of God who we are before him is more important than what we can do for him. In ministry holiness is essential. An ungodly minister is an eye sore to the Church of Christ. So, examine your life and conduct in the light of these two passages. Now this doesn’t mean that you should be sinless to serve the Lord then no single Christian on this side of heaven would qualify.  However, there should be a notable growth and continued desire and work to grow in these areas. Sanctification is progressive. A man who is not growing or is not interested to grow in these areas is not fit to be an under-shepherd of God’s flock.

Third, you must have a burning passion and God’s gift to preach and teach the gospel. Are you convinced that the only hope of this lost world is the gospel of Jesus Christ and you are not ashamed to preach it (Romans 1:16)? Do you feel like Apostle Paul that “Woe to me if I don’t preach the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16)?” If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes then it could be that the Lord is calling you to the pastorate. Coupled with the burning desire to preach the gospel should be a gift to enable you to preach or teach it. Of course, the gift will be sharpened with time and experience but at least you should have a gift to be able to stand in front of people and speak (preach or teach). You might never be gifted like John Calvin, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, Joel Beeke, Sinclair Ferguson, or Conrad Mbewe just to mention a few gifted preachers (and many of us are not) but you should still have a gift to communicate the gospel clearly and persuasively. I strongly believe that those that the Lord calls he also equips for the calling (Jeremiah 1:6-10).

Fourth, get involved in your local church. In discerning whether one is called to ministry we consider both what is called internal and external call. The internal call is the sense that one has that the Lord is calling him to ministry. However, internal call alone is not enough. One also needs an external call which is a confirmation from other Christians that they too are convinced that the Lord is calling you be a pastor. For this to happen you need to be active in your local church. Volunteer to be a greeter, teach children’s Sunday school, offer yourself to help with youth ministry if your church has one, volunteer to lead Bible studies when the opportunity arises. If your pastor or elders offer you a preaching opportunity readily accept it with humility and gladness.  As you serve your local church fellow believers will also be able to approve your desire and gifts for pastoral ministry. It is a great blessing when what you sense inside is also echoed by fellow believers who know you well.

Fifth, resources permitting get seminary or Bible college training from a sound and solid institution. Bible and theological training is necessary for ministry. Granted they are some people in the past and present who have served the Lord faithfully as pastors without going to seminary or Bible college. However, they are the exception rather than the rule. Jesus taught and trained his apostles for three years before he commissioned them to preach, plant, and pastor God’s people. Paul mentored Timothy and Titus before granting them pastoral responsibilities. In some circumstances it might not be possible to go to seminary or Bible college. In that context it is important that you bring yourself under the mentorship of a mature and godly pastor for a period of time. Learn and drink from the well of his life, work, and experience until you both feel that you are ready to begin pastoring on your own.

Sixth, the final confirmation of God’s call upon your life should come from the church. After successfully completing your seminary or Bible college training or mentorship under a sound and faithful minister and elders, a congregation of God’s people must call you to pastor them. It might be a church that is without a pastor, a group of believers who would like to plant a church, or a church that has a pastor or pastors but need one more pastor. This is also part of the external call. If you are planting a church, you don’t just make yourself a church planter. You must be sent by another church or ecclesiastical body. One thing that often breaks my heart is how some young people are ending up in ministry here in Malawi. A young man gets converted and in no time, he thinks that the Lord is calling him to pastoral ministry. He starts planting a church with no accountability and little or no training at all.  This is no doubt a recipe for disaster. Often that young man ends up shipwrecking his faith and bringing the name of the Lord into disrepute. Every pastor needs a confirmation of the church that the Lord rather than himself has called him to shepherd and feed Christ’s flock. This confirmation of the church will also encourage you when you pass through difficult seasons of ministry. When you are tempted to throw in the towel, looking back at the confirmation of the church encourages you to press on knowing that your calling to ministry was not an illusion but that God approved it through the external call of his people.

In summary, the one who is called to pastoral ministry must first and foremost be called to the Savior, Jesus Christ and should feel the fire in his bones to preach and teach the gospel of Christ. This is the internal call. This desire should be confirmed first by his local church and eventually by a church that calls him to minister to them. That is the external call. Both calls are needed to discern if the Lord has called one to be a pastor.

PS: It is due to my desire to help young men discern if the Lord is calling them to pastoral ministry that our church, Christ Presbyterian Church established a pastoral internship program. If you believe the Lord is calling you to be a pastor let me encourage you to consider our program. To learn more check here

When approaching the discussion of the Sabbath we need to acknowledge the various debates it creates. There is a debate on whether the Sabbath has changed from Saturday in the Old Testament to Sunday also called the Lord’s Day in the New Testament. While I believe in the latter, I should grant that there are brothers and sisters in the Lord who believe in the former. But that’s not what this post is all about. There is also a debate on how Christians should observe the Sabbath. Now the Bible is very clear that the Sabbath is the day of rest and worship (Exodus 20:8-13; Acts 20:7). There should not be any debate about it. Yet good and godly Christians differ on what this rest entails. While some believe that rest should include refraining from recreational activities others believe that Christians can still engage in recreational activities on the Sabbath. Again, this post does not intend to go into that discussion.

This post is about delighting in the Sabbath. God speaking through Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 58:13-14 says,

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The context of this exhortation is that God’s covenant people are rendering half-hearted worship to God. For example, at the beginning of the chapter the Lord rebukes their fasting which instead of being a time that they humble and devote themselves fully to God they continue sinning against God and one another. It is hypocritical fasting. Then in verses 13-14, the Lord draws their attention to another aspect of worship namely the observance of the Sabbath. Similarly, God’s covenant people are observing the Sabbath with lukewarm devotion. Instead of resting and worshipping God, they are using the day for their own pleasure. Now some have understood “pleasure” in the verse to mean recreational activities while others think it means normal daily business. Whatever view you hold, one thing that is clear from the verse is that God’s will for the day is that his people should observe rest; hence, he calls them to repent of their religious formalism so that they may enjoy God’s covenant blessings.

The Lord goes further to challenge his people to delight in the Sabbath, “Call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable.” Matthew Henry commenting on the verse writes,

“We must not only count it a delight, but call it so. We must call it so to God, in thanksgiving for it. We must call it so to others, to invite them to come and share in the pleasure of it; and we must call it so to ourselves, that we may not entertain the least thought of wishing the sabbath gone that we may sell corn.”

The 19^th Century Anglican Bishop, John Charles Ryle also agrees with Henry and notes,

“The Sabbath is God’s merciful appointment for the common benefit of all mankind. It was “made for man” (Mark 2:27)…It is not a yoke, but a blessing. It is not a burden, but a mercy…It is good for man’s body and mind…Above all, it is good for souls.”

So here are five ways that we as Christians can call the Sabbath a delight. First, we can call the Sabbath a delight by realizing that when we rest on the Sabbath, we mirror God our Father who rested on the seventh day despite not needing rest. Our Father does not get tired (Isaiah 40:28). He neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), yet in Genesis 2:2-3 we read: “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done.” One of the greatest desires that lie at the bottom of a child’s heart is to be like his father, especially, a good father. A child regards his father as the hero no matter what others think of him. Similarly, as God’s children our greatest longing should be to be like our Father. He rested on the seventh day so we should do likewise with great delight.

Second, we should call the Sabbath (first day of the week) a delight by realizing that it is a day in which God completed the work of our redemption in Christ.  On this day, Christ delivered a killer punch on our greatest enemies. Death died, Satan was disarmed, and sin was conquered. At our church, Christ Presbyterian Church, before the worship service begins, I gather with some members to pray for the service and other needs of the congregation. We often beginning by reminding each other that this is not only a day of worship and rest but it is also a day of celebrating the greatest victory ever accomplished for man.

Third, we call the Sabbath a delight by realizing that on  this day we do not only enjoy rest and worship our God but also rejoice in the assurance of God’s blessings in our endeavors for Christ. O. Palmer Robertson says it beautifully in his book, The Christ of the Covenants,

“(The New Covenant) believer does not first labor six days, looking hopefully towards rest. Instead, he begins the week by rejoicing in the rest already accomplished by the cosmic event of Christ’s resurrection. Then he enters joyfully into his six days of labor, confident of success through the victory which Christ has already won.”

Fourth, we call the Sabbath a delight by realizing that by keeping it we demonstrate our love for God. The fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) requires us to observe the Sabbath. As the moral law the commandment is still binding on all Christians. So, when we rest and worship on the Sabbath, we demonstrate our love for God (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3).

Last but not least, we call the Sabbath a delight by realizing that it is a foretaste of our eternal rest in glory. On this side of heaven, we endure various sorrows. However, the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 4:9 reminds us that “There remains a Sabbath rest for God’s people” in which all sorrow, pain, thorns, and thistles will be no more. It is that eternal state in the new heavens and earth where “God will wipe away every tear from (our) eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).  

The Sabbath should be a delight for all God’s people. It was made for us and for our good. In our bustling world in which the six days of work seem no longer enough, we should resist the urge to go along. There are many great blessings that come with delighting in the day as I have endeavored to show above. May we always look forward to Sabbath with great pleasure and never with the thought of it as being a killjoy. 

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31).

One of the doctrines that comfort believers in their daily walk with Christ is the doctrine of God’s providence. The doctrine teaches that God is in control of all things both in heaven and on earth. Even when things are not going on well or they seem scary in our human eyes, God is working all things for the good of his children in Christ.

This is our comfort even now as the world is battling against COVID -19 which has hit our country very hard. We can remain calm and hopeful in these difficult times not because we are the proverbial ostrich that hides its head in the sand but because we know that our God is good and in control.

A story is told of a boy on board a ship. Violent storms raged against the ship but he remained calm. One of the passengers was amazed by his serenity and asked him if he was not scared of the storm. The boy replied, “My father is the captain.”

Dear Christian, our Father is the Captain of the whole world. He is not only the all-powerful captain but also good, most gracious, and most merciful Captain. Not a single hair from your head will fall to the ground apart from his will. If God pays attention to a tiny little hair which you hardly even notice when it falls to the ground what more with your life and that of your loved ones? The hymn writer put it well:

This is my Father’s World

O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong

God is the Ruler yet.

What tough times we are living in! This is how my mind has summarized today.

You see, I woke up early this morning only to realize that electricity has gone off. Determined not to give in to despair I went out to exercise. I was looking forward to a warm shower after the exercise only to discover that the taps were dry. No water! Still determined to be more positive I get ready for the day.

Later in the morning I meet one member of our church. His wife had been in labor for the past two days and just yesterday gave birth to a baby boy. Praise the Lord!  But as I meet this brother, I learn that he has not yet met his son. Actually, that’s just half of the story. This brother was not able to be with his wife when she went into labor at the hospital. He was not even there when the wife was giving birth. Reason? COVID-19 restrictions at the hospital. The hospital would not let him go and see his wife as they are trying to protect the wife and other patients from the virus. Can you imagine the agony?

Soon after this meeting I proceed to deliver food items to another family in our church that is in self-quarantine after getting in contact with a COVID-19 patient a few days ago. I bring the food items at the gate and call the husband on my phone to let him know that I am there. But wait a minute! I can’t get close to him and his family. So, he just comes out, stands at a distance as if one of us is a leper of Biblical times, and briefly greets and thanks me for the items. I head to my car to get back to office.  At this time my pastoral heart is bleeding. This can’t be!

Later I get home. My girls are always excited when they hear dad’s car driving in. They come running to hug daddy. But as I jump out of the car my brain sends out a quick reminder, “Remember you can’t hug them.” So sadly, I hear myself saying, “Sorry sweetie, I can’t hug you now I am just coming from outside and who knows what is sticking to my clothes and myself.”

By this time I can’t pretend and put up a brave face any more. These are tough times we are living in.

 As I reflect on the events of the day, a song we used to sing in Bible college softly echoes in my mind:

Days are filled with sorrow and care
Hearts are lonely and drear
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near

Troubled soul, the Savior can see
Every heartache and tear
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near

These lyrics take me to two places: The Garden and the Cross. You see the main thing to remember in these difficult times is not really the virus. It is what happened in Garden of Eden about six thousand years ago and what occurred on the mountain of Golgotha about four thousand years later.

In the garden our parents disobeyed and rebelled against God by eating the fruit they were commanded not to. With that they plunged the whole human race into sin and misery. COVID-19 is just one of the consequences of that “cosmic treason” as R.C Sproul would have put it. The broken systems of our electricity and water providers are just one of the consequences of man’s fall from grace in the garden.  That single act of disobedience “made all of us liable to all miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

But praise the Lord that the garden is not the end of the story. Four thousand years later, God’s Son was hanged onto the cross to reverse “the damage” that our parents caused to humanity. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, nailed sin and death to the cross. As the last breath was about to leave his lungs he cried out: “It is finished!”

It is in these three words that our hope and comfort must lie. Yes COVID-19 might take our loved ones or even ourselves home. Yes COVID-19 will deny us some things we enjoy with our children like giving each other tender hugs. Yes COVID-19 has denied my friend the joy of seeing his first-born son come into the world. Yes COVID 19 has disturbed our normal relationship and routines but one thing we know for certain: “It is Finished!”

For us in Christ the momentary afflictions of this world are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:17-18). One day sooner or later the Lord will wipe our tears and take away all our sorrows forever (Rev. 21:4). COVID-19 might kill the body but Christ has overcome it (John 16:33). After we have suffered a little while the God of all grace who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us (1 Peter 5:10).   Therefore, let’s bring all our burdens onto the cross that the Savior might lift them away. Let’s cast all our cares unto Christ for he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Our burdens might be heavy but Christ’s arms are stronger and his grace is ever sufficient.  

Our Heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Great I AM who does not change;
Who keeps every promise and does not forsake the work of his hands.
You are the Great King of the universe.
You alone change times and seasons
You alone raise up kings and bring down kings
You alone is the true God
And the universe is filled with your glory and majesty

Father, we thank you for our nation of Malawi.
We thank you for blessing us with peace and freedoms we enjoy
The freedom to worship you and preach the gospel
The freedom to choose our own leaders
We thank you for our people and their hard-working spirit
We thank you for our beautiful country
As we sing in our national anthem, thank you for
“Our own Malawi, this land so fair,
Fertile and brave and free.
With its lakes, refreshing mountain air,
How greatly blest are we.
Hills and valleys, soil so rich and rare.”

As we approach your throne of grace and holiness
We are reminded that we are sinners in need of your forgiveness
So we confess our sins before you
Lord, forgive us for not loving you with all our hearts
For worshipping the idols of this world rather than you
Please also forgive us for not loving our neighbors as ourselves
And committing the sins of tribalism, regionalism, and favoritism
May you forgive us for being unkind to one another
As one politician once observed, forgive us for
“Often judging those we disagree with, whether politically or otherwise,
By their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”
For exaggerating their weaknesses while minimizing ours
May you forgive us for slander, spreading lies, and unkind words
Forgive us, Lord, for justifying our hatred for those we disagree with
By claiming that it is righteous anger
Forgive us for harboring bitterness and refusing to forgive
Forgive us for abusing our positions and authority for selfish gain and ambition
Forgive us for corruption that is so rampant in many levels of our society
Forgive us for dishonest gains, theft, cheating, and disregard for the law
Forgive us for sexual immorality and ungodliness in our nation
Lord, our sins are many
And you are justified to condemn us
Only you and against you have we sinned
So we pray for your mercy and grace.
We thank you that with you is forgiveness that you may be feared
Cast us not away from your presence but may you do good to Malawi
We are thankful for Jesus Christ the perfect sacrifice for all our sins.

Father, as we look forward to June 23, 2020 with great anticipation
To cast votes in the Fresh Presidential Elections,
We pray for those entrusted with responsibility of managing them
We pray for all the commissioners of Malawi Electoral Commission,
All the staff, all security agents, and all political party monitors
May you give them the courage to stand up for what is right and just
May they undertake their work without fear or favor
We pray for your wisdom and guidance for voters
As you have created us in your image, we all long for a country marked by
Justice, unity, freedom, order, and opportunities for all
A nation where law-breakers are punished and the “innocent” are protected
We desire a nation that is less corrupt and more prosperous
So we pray that you please give us a president and a vice
Who will help us achieve our aspirations as a nation
As you blessed your people long ago with good and godly leaders
Like Moses, Joshua, David, Nehemiah and others
We also pray that may you grant us upright leaders today
Yet, Lord, help us to remember that no single human being
Can grant what only you is able to give
Hence we pray that help us not to put our trust in princes
In a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
Father, we also pray that when the elections are over,
Malawi will continue to be peaceful and stable
We pray that the winners will celebrate with modesty and grace
The losers will lose with dignity
And honor the will of Malawians expressed through the ballot

Heavenly Father, as we look at Malawi right now,
We realize that our problem lies deeper than politics and leadership
Because we all like sheep have gone astray
Each one of us has turned to his own way
We have fallen short of your glory and no one is righteous – not even one
So we pray for godly sorrow over our sins that will lead to true repentance
Father, bring Malawi to yourself through your Son by the power of your Holy Spirit
That times of refreshing may come upon us
Father, may you also revive and awaken your Church from our spiritual slumber
May there be a great awakening and reformation in your Church
That we may be the true light and salt of Malawi
In Jesus’ name we pray:
Amen!

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question one asks: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

The catechism here asks a very important question which I believe every person has considered at some point. Why are we here in this world? Why did God create you and me? The catechism gives two main reasons: first we were created to glorify God and second to enjoy him forever. Let me briefly expound on these two points.

In simpler terms, to glorify God means that we were created to live our lives for God and God alone. Whatever we do in this world we should do it to bring honor and praise to God. This is why Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” Even in very small details of this life like drinking a glass of water or a cup of tea or coffee we are to do it with the purpose of glorifying God.

As we seek to glorify God we in turn enjoy being creatures of God in this world as one of the great African theologians, St. Augustine of Hippo also noted,  “O God you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”

I know that the word “enjoy” can sometimes be used sinfully.  However, here the catechism has in mind the real joy that comes as a result of a good relationship with God as we read in Psalm 144:15: “Blessed or Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.”

Friends, when we live our lives for God we quickly realize that there is nothing outside of God that can satisfy or make us happy. The Psalmist was right,  “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever,” (Psalm 73:25-26).

Let me begin by welcoming you to  “Through the Westminster Shorter Catechism.” This is a series of posts in which I will take us through the Westminster Shorter Catechism and give a brief commentary to the questions and answers that we find in the catechism.

But before we begin with the commentary,  I thought that it is important to give a brief introduction of the catechism. The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in 1647 by a gathering of pastors and theologians also known as the Westminster Assembly in England.  The purpose of the catechism was to be a tool for biblical instruction both for churches and families.

Ever since then the catechism has been used by Presbyterian and Reformed churches all over the world. So, what are some of the ways you can use the catechism? Let me suggest two: first use it for personal devotion. Read the questions and answers prayerfully while also checking the Bible to confirm that they are true. Second, use it to shepherd and teach the little hearts of your children. Just a brief personal testimony on this point:

When I was a child, my grandfather bought me the shorter catechism and taught me God’s word from it. I memorized its truths with an innocent zeal of a child. But later in my teenage years I wandered away from the faith. However, the Spirit of God continued to use those truths I stored in my mind and heart to convict me of sin and eventually bring me back to the faith.

Therefore, I would like to encourage parents who have little children to faithfully teach and encourage their little ones to memorize the catechism. Believe you me you will never regret doing it. I can’t agree more with Charles H. Spurgeon who  once observed, “I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times.”

So, may he Lord bless you as we go through the catechism together and may he bless your children as you labor to teach them God’s truth.

 

 

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17).

In June last year we made announcement that we were coming to Blantyre. We are thankful that the Lord fulfilled our plans. On September 15, 2019 we officially began our church planting efforts with our first Bible study meeting. Up until the end of December we have been studying the book of Ephesians. It has been a great blessing to go through this epistle that has a lot to say about our salvation and walk with Christ.

As a church planter I was greatly encouraged to see the Holy Spirit applying his word to our lives powerfully. One instance that stood out to me was when we were studying chapter 4.  Towards the end of the chapter, Apostle Paul writes: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (4:31, 32).

These two verses spoke strongly to one of us who was harboring bitterness and anger against a family member. At the end of the Bible study, this person asked us to pray for them to overcome this sin and to be helped to forgive and seek reconciliation. It was very beautiful for us as a God’s family to come together, surround a fellow saint, and pray that God by his grace will help them accomplish what is possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit working through his word. What a blessing!

This is one of the reasons why Christ Presbyterian Church exists. We strongly desire and pray that God will ground and root his people strongly in Christ. When members of a family seek forgiveness and reconciliation due to a conviction wrought about by God’s word, Christ is glorified. It is also a great testimony to the world of the power of God’s word. We pray that God will continue to work in the lives of his people through Christ Presbyterian Church. As the Psalmist prayed, we also pray that the Lord will establish the work of our hands.

This month we have just begun studying the Gospel according to John. We are excited and looking forward to wonderful times as well. If you are in Blantyre,  consider joining us this Sunday and every Sunday from 2pm-4pm.