July 2010
Hello – I pray this letter finds you well and encouraged.
“Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus”.- Galatians 6:17
As we begin our new Sunday series “Marked for Life” I have been thinking about some of the people who have left their mark on my life.
I remember… meeting Mark Buntain a missionary who along with his wife Huldah founded Calcutta Mercy Ministries. I met him in 1989 a few months before he died. I saw an older man whose walk with Jesus was so evident and his hunger for justice so compelling. He left me with an excitement about ministry, an example of a heart for the poor and a longing to make a difference with my life: he “marked my life”
I remember sitting in a restaurant with Winkie Pratney – an American preacher who told me he was paying and I could order anything on the menu. I was beginning as a youth leader in Nottingham and I asked him what his advice was for me and my family as we began in Christian ministry. He said, simply “take a day off every week, don’t travel a long way on that day, switch your phone off and if you like lie on the floor and throw your kids in the air”. I have tried to live out this advice since he told me although I don’t throw Sam and Tom into the air anymore. Winkie “marked my life”
I remember meeting John Mahama in Ghana. A converted Muslim with an amazing testimony he was leading a church in his spare time whilst working as a driver for another Missionary. At night he cared for his people. There were over 80 Northern people living in his church building, a run down shack, many of them were facing persecution because they had converted to Christ.
John and his wife had 5 daughters and an open home with a number of broken people living with them; his only son, Judah had just died. They had almost no money, no food and a simple promise that God would meet their needs.
Nearly 14 years later Susan and I are still part of a group who support John and his family. I dedicated his miracle new son born a year later and he established a training centre for vulnerable people called the Judah Mahama Vocational Training Centre which has impacted 100’s of lives. As I write John is just pioneering another church in Tamale and dreaming of the future. The facts are, John “marked my life”
Finally, I remember meeting Doug, a leader with the Navigators who told about Jesus on Friday 8th November 1985. The next day I invited Jesus into my life and 7 days later met Susan for the first time and married her 21 months later. Doug “marked my life” and for that I will always be grateful to him and his family that they came to the UK to reach me and others with the message.
We all have people who have “marked our lives”. Of course some have left a negative mark but take some time to thank God for people who through their love, honesty, commitment or inspiration have left their mark on you.
I, like Paul, have the marks of Jesus on me. I am His and he is mine – I have met Him and I will never be the same again. Jesus changed my life, Jesus saved my life, and Jesus marked me for life.
As we work our way through Mark’s gospel in July and August, looking at people who met Jesus and were forever changed, enjoy the series and be impacted.
Your best days are still ahead, you are loved, precious to the Father and he is with you.
Pause and Think
In June we rejoiced with Lori and Florette on the birth of their new baby. We have also sent our condolences to Dave Bennett whose dad has been promoted to heaven and to Rosalind whose sister died in June.
Please Pray for…
- Many of our 6-11’s away this weekend to encounter Jesus July 2nd-4th
- Holiday at Home – a brilliant 3 days for our over 60,s – July 13th-15th
- Interns graduation –as part of the morning service at Moat – July 18th
- The new TLC 1-1 discipleship courses – More and Stronger, being trialled by 50 people this summer.
Summer Time
From 19th July – 19th August we are going to have a smaller church programme. This will give time for some reflection and re charging of batteries as well as some practical jobs that need to be done at the TLC building. We will continue to meet at Moat on Sunday mornings, but there will be fewer programmes during the week although Open Hands will continue to function in all its ministries. As we head towards September there are many exciting possibilities and developments and our eyes are on Jesus.
Thank you for the privilege of serving you
David Hind