WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY? Part 51

THE CHALLENGE OF..... LIVING THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE

 PARABLE OF THE NET      

"“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”" (Matthew 13:47-52)

The parable of the net is similar to that of the tares and the wheat, talking about sorting out true from false believers, at the end of the age. Yes, there is a mixture of both true and false Christians in the church. Matthew Henry confirms this in his Bible commentary.        

(3.) This net gathers of every kind, as large dragnets do. In the visible church there is a deal of trash and rubbish, dirt and weeds and vermin, as well as fish. (4.) There is a time coming when this net will be full, and drawn to the shore; a set time when the gospel shall have fulfilled that for which it was sent, and we are sure it shall not return void, Is. 55:10, 11. The net is now filling; sometimes it fills faster than at other times, but still it fills, and will be drawn to shore, when the mystery of God shall be finished. (5.) When the net is full and drawn to the shore, there shall be a separation between the good and bad that were gathered in it. Hypocrites and true Christians shall then be parted; the good shall be gathered into vessels, as valuable, and therefore to be carefully kept, but the bad shall be cast away, as vile and unprofitable; and miserable is the condition of those who are cast away in that day. 
Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.

We do need to be realistic, and concerned, about the fact that some of those who attend church year in and year out do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Attending church, reading the Bible, being an expert in theology, while being good things in themselves, do not make one a true follower of Jesus. Jesus is not into religious form(ality) but rather, into relationship, a personal relationship with Him. It is so sad how many professing Christians are either unaware they need to, or do not choose to, develop their own individual relationship with Jesus, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Being a good person does not qualify you for a ticket to heaven! Yes a vibrant personal relationship, whether in the world or with Jesus, is always a work in progress, developing from one level to another. The King James Version says - 'from glory to glory'.

18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:7)

As a result of that relationship a teacher of the Word must bring out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old. We must, through our relationship with Jesus, receive new and personal revelation to pass on to others. Of course, this revelation must be in line with Scripture, but God wants to reveal more of Him to each succeeding generation. As our relationship with Jesus develops, so He reveals more of Himself to us. It is said that those who have been married for a long time get to look like each other. (Bad news for my wife Kathy – but surely good news for me!) It is the same with Jesus. I am sure I don't look like Him physically, but inside....? While we are still to bring the 'old treasures' of revelation received through the generations, we must also discover and present 'new treasures' to accompany the old. The old is good, but the new, inspirational. 

There was a man of my father’s generation, Jack, who worked on the wharves, unloading ships here in Napier. He was uneducated, yet He had great knowledge and revelation of the Word. He had at one time, a weekly teaching night, which men would flock to. No formal theological training, but a deep relationship with Jesus. The hungry came to feast upon the revelatory Word. Such is the revelation for today, of God's kingdom being built upon the earth. The Lord's Prayer has been recited, often in rote fashion, billions of times over the past 2000 years, yet it is only now that God is choosing to reveal the meaning of the phrase…..

10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

New treasure, a new understanding of living the kingdom life now, today, this minute, is being revealed to seeking, dedicated followers of Jesus around the world. His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.

 Thank you Lord.  

 (Continued next week)

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FROM THE WORD

THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....

Narrow and Wide Gates (Matthew 7:13-14) 

Enter by the narrow entrance. For the entrance is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many travel that way. But the entrance is narrow, and the way is difficult that leads to life, and only a few find it. 

The Tree and Its Fruit(Matthew 7:15-23, Luke 6:43-5)

“Watch out for false prophets who come wearing sheep’s clothing, but who on the inside are vicious wolves. You can recognize them by their fruits. Do people harvest grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So every good tree produces good fruit, while a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven—only those who do the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me at the day of judgment, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and drive out demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Leave me, you people who practice wickedness!’ 

Wise and Foolish Builders(Matthew 7:24-9, Luke 6:46-9) 

Everyone that hears the words I say, and follows them, is like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. The rain poured down, and the floods rose, and the winds blew hard against the house, but it didn’t fall down, because its foundations were on solid rock. Everyone that hears the words I say, and doesn’t follow them, is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain poured down, and the floods rose, and the winds blew hard against the house, and it fell down—it totally collapsed.”

 (Continued next week)

 

 

 

 

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OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

 

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AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF KINGDOM FAITH BASED HOSPITAL

 PROJECT C.U.R.E

Needs Assessment Report

Kenya

Conducted 19/June/2018 on behalf of

Kingdom Health Faith Based Hospital

 

Sponsored by: David and Kathleen Tait

Assessment Conducted By: Raymond D. White

 

Background:

Malaha Village, Webuye, Bungoma County, Kenya 

Kingdom Hospital is located in a small village near the much larger city of Webuye. At one point in its life, Webuye was a major industrial center with a huge paper mill that is said to have employed 10,000 people, but that facility was closed leaving all the workers without jobs. The Assessment Representative was told that it closed at a time when the previous owners of Indian descent were losing their rights in Kenya and that they owned the mill, and that when they fled ‘in the night’ they destroyed as much of the mill’s equipment as they could. The town of Webuye is still a commercial center, but the people in the outlying areas, including around Kingdom Hospital, are almost all poor subsistence farmers. 

There are impressive hospitals, both government owned and private in the still larger city of Eldoret, about two hours drive from Malaha Village, and there is a hospital in Webuye, but there are no significant medical facilities in the Village area. 

Kingdom Hospital is the vision of New Zealanders David and Kathy Tait, a retired couple whose religious faith moved them to relocate from New Zealand to Malaha Village to start a hospital concentrating on eye care. It was clear that general medical care was needed as well, so the hospital provides general medical care and there are plans for expanding its role to general surgical care, endoscopy and other specialties. A major supporter that has made the current progress possible is Christian Blind Mission (CBM) of New Zealand. There is no other hospital offering eye care in all of western Kenya. 

With the help of CBM and other donors, the hospital now has purchased several acres of land and has built a very fine building of approximately 3,750 square feet. Half of the building is occupied by the clinic area including reception, office, exam rooms, laboratory and bathrooms, all built out. The remaining half is a shell awaiting fitting out as two surgical theatres and a surgical recovery and support area. There are plans for a similar second building, which they hope to complete within the next nine months, that will house patient care wards, rooms, and support facilities. 

The hospital opened for business in March of 2018, so it is just getting started, but there was a steady stream of patients during the Assessment Visit. The Taits serve as administrators and there are nurses and lab technicians who are full time employees. Through their extensive local connections, including importantly, anesthetist Dr. Job Kisiang’ani, the Taits have connected with an impressive number of surgeons and other specialists who want to work part time at the hospital when it is equipped for their specialties. The Assessment Representative visited with some of these and is convinced that their availability is real. 

Sponsor/Host Organization:

The Hospital is the dream of David and Kathy Tait. They have obtained major donation assistance from Christian Blind Mission (CBM) of New Zealand and have other sources of funding. They have determined to devote years of their lives to this project, having moved from New Zealand to Malaha Village, and they expect that they will be able to raise significant additional funds and in-kind gifts to move the Hospital forward from its already auspicious beginning. They are well organized and are thoughtful planners. It is in the opinion of the Assessment Representative that they will accomplish what they have set out to do. 

The situation should be monitored to ascertain the progress of construction of the second major building. 

Project C.U.R.E. Findings – Project Effectiveness 

Strengths:

 A major strength is the leadership. The Taits have a vision and have the ability to carry it out. They will operate a first-class facility that should draw patients from an unusually wide area.

 Although the full-time staff is small, the Taits and Dr. Job Kisiang’ani have excellent contacts in the medical profession, two of whom were personally visited during the assessment, who will be or will provide visiting specialists. This will give the Hospital both capability and reputation.

 The building they already have is a good one and this will be a reputation builder. 

Weakness:

 The Hospital has just opened so it is not operating at full capacity, but this should be resolved within the near future

 The operating theatres are completely without equipment

 There is some other equipment lacking and additional consumables are needed. 

Opportunities:

 A major shipment of ophthalmology equipment and supplies will allow the first eye hospital in western Kenya to become operational.

 The provision of consumables will allow funds that are in short supply to be spent on construction, salaries, and other needed items. The management team is very aware of the opportunities that not having to spend on consumables opens to them. 

Specials Issues and Additional Information: Project C.U.R.E. Findings –

There is currently little storage space at the Hospital. The leadership is strongly considering buying the container and using it as long-term storage. This seems a good idea, but they should be made aware of the cost of buying the container versus shipping it back to Mombasa and the need for a crane to take it off the trailer and any other aspects of buying the container.  

Project C.U.R.E. Findings – Customs and Logistics

Although there was no meeting held with customs officials, there was a good meeting with local county Ministry of Health officials. The Hospital is a Community Based Organization (CBO), registered in Bungoma County. Its Registration Number is BMG.EAST/32/2018. Project C.U.R.E. has sent a number of containers to Kenya in recent years and should be able to help them with customs details. 

There is a paved highway in good condition from Mombasa to within 300 yards of the Hospital. This last 300 yards can be rough in the late rainy season, but there should be a way to make it passable for a container carrying truck.  

Project Plan

At this time there will be only one shipment and it will serve only the Kingdom Hospital. Hospital management is well aware that they can request additional shipments for up to five years based on this assessment, and if the first shipment is a success, there will likely be future requests for shipments. 

Institution Specific Information:

Institution: Kingdom Health Faith Based Hospital

Kingdom Health Faith Based Hospital serves a community of approximately 500,000 people who are predominately poor, marginal farmers who are farming very small plots. Most of these people are Christian. Specialty of the institution is in general health care with plans to start an eye hospital. Patients:		280/week		2 Births/week (estimate)
Capacity:	100% Total, but second building will provide more space for beds		8 Beds		5 ER beds (exam rooms only)
2 OR Rooms, not yet fitted out		2 ICU Beds		1 Delivery Rooms
Staff:	3 part time Doctors		3 Nurses		3 Central Lab Tech

 

Photo is of Kathy and David and Job, our Medical Director, with Raymond White the amazing 78 year old Assessor from Project C.U.R.E. who has done 128 assessments over a 10 year period. 

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One key element here is the setting out in chronological order (as far as it is possible to do so) our Lord's words drawn from all the Gospels, and the elimination of repetition between Gospels.

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

NEXT WEEK: A REVELATION OF.......THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES - PART 1 (2)

 Most discussions of Moses Tabernacle centre round its form and furniture.

What I am trying to do here is bring the Tabernacle to life by illustrating what it may have been like for an ordinary person of the times to visit.

 

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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused*** 

*** Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others. *** 

 QWIK QWIP: “A person who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes, but a person who doesn't ask, is a fool forever... ”

 160. Ouch!

A man had a habit of grumbling at the food his wife placed before him at family meals. Then he would ask the blessing. 

One day after his usual combination complaint-prayer, his little girl asked, "Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?" 

"Why, of course," he replied. "He hears us every time we pray." 

She thought on this a moment, and asked, "Does he hear everything we say the rest of the time?" 

"Yes, dear, every word," he replied, encouraged that he had inspired his daughter to be curious about spiritual matters. 

Then his daughter asked, "Then which does God believe?"

 

161. Kids Are Funny People

A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?" 

 

162. Lateral Thinking

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait." Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"  

 

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A DAVID MUSING

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!

We have been having a difficult few moths here in Kenya, building the hospital, both with health and bureaucracy. However, just in the last few days, we are starting to see 'the light at the end of the tunnel.' 

Just thinking about it as I came to write this, I realize that people can have 1 of 2 reactions to this. 

THE OPTOMIST (Us)

We are walking through the tunnel of tribulation and getting closer to the end, the source of the light.

THE PESSIMIST (Many)

The train is approaching and about to run you over!

Reality is, in life, when you take a step of faith, many people would prefer to see you fail. Most likely because they have not been prepared to step out in their own lives.

I just want to encourage you today to seek God's will for you, and once you have received it, step out, and ignore what the critics say. 

Our experience here confirms us in that. No, we have not reached the end of the tunnel yet, but we are getting there. No, the train is not coming. We are walking towards the light of the world, Jesus. 

Nothing is easy in God. Trials and testing are a part of our walk with Jesus. But the rewards are eternal.

Will you step out into God's will for you today?

Until next week....... 

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

 

David Tait

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