Newsletter #38

Dear Southcity and friends

What a joy it is to have a Father who loves us eternally and completely! Today, this letter comes to you with an encouraged and faith-filled heart, and I trust that after reading it, you too will be encouraged by the words of our loving Father.

While a group of us were praying together last Thursday, as is our practice, God caught our attention with the following words:

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.' - Jeremiah 32:15-19

Like Jeremiah, I too have prayed for understanding, and would like to highlight just three of the things I believe God wants to encourage us in at this time:

Firstly, 'Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land' - Families will settle and enjoy the fruit of their labour on this coast. This is both for the church and for the people of the coast. Persevere and look to God to be your wisdom and great reward!

Secondly, 'It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you' - God is looking for men and women who will respond in faith, not to reason only. Reason can restrict because it deals with what can be seen and understood. Faith deals with believing God is sovereign and nothing is too hard. Will you move beyond reason, and act in faith and trust that God's purposes are mighty and deeds are great?

And thirdly, 'you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them' - I believe God is saying that one of the fathers' responsibilities is to leave an inheritance for his children. It is a 'sin' not to. And when there is no inheritance, the children have to live in the difficulty of that. This is both individual and for the church. What are we sacrificing today in order to leave to our children tomorrow, both our bloodline children as well as the household of God?

I hear God ask us: Will you pursue the impossible in me, trusting my purposes, even when things around you seem to be screaming out 'no!'?

Our Father wants to fill us with faith and courage in order that we may accomplish his purposes on earth. Be encouraged friends.

I am really looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday as we worship God together, reconciled to him and to each other.

Much love

Rich

Newsletter #37

Hi friends

An incredible joy! That's what I think it is to know that we are part of God's family, and the varied and fullness of expression that is experienced therein. Having just had the privilege of being involved with three different churches these past 10 days, I am so grateful to God that we are part of something so much bigger than just Southcity Church.

Friends, I want to remind you of the incredible inheritance we have in the saints, all over the world. The joy of knowing and touching others who love Christ outside of our immediate context is being able to celebrate what God is doing amongst them or to stand with them through difficult times. It was humbling to see the honour that was given to Southcity amongst each of these churches. In Philippians 2 we read of imitating Christ's humility:

'If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not only look to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.' - Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)

I pray that each of us would imitate Christ's humility as we read here. That we would honour one another and prefer one another, not allowing Satan a foothold into our lives which leads to bitterness, envy, disunity, strife and being critical. Let us celebrate what God is doing amongst us and amongst others, and stand with those that need comfort.

On a different note, we received a phone call last week which was really quite funny and disappointing all in the same breath. So just to be integritful with you all, the director of the show that Jacs was interviewed on (and in which I might add, she was outstanding) phoned very embarrassed to say they had had a technical glitch and the interview is unable to be screened. And since it is due to be aired on Friday, there was no way of a reshoot so close to time, so it will have to take place another day. It was funny because it puts technical glitches in our Sunday meetings etc into perspective. Here is a professional studio, who produce for TV on a daily basis, experiencing what some of our volunteers experience once in a blue moon in our context. And it was frustrating, not for Jacs glory, but for the million viewers we longed to see hear the gospel through the avenue of parenting.

But, our lives continue to be an offering for Him, and it is our joy to serve Him and His people.

Church, I feel encouraged and excited for our future and look forward to being with you on Sunday as we worship our great King and God.

Much love

Rich

PS - Sarah and Chelsey's visa's have come through, so after a long five weeks for them, they fly out tomorrow (Friday) to make their new home with Clif in Doha, Qatar. Give her a call and pray for them as a family.