Posts in category: Weekly

We resumed Vuku training in Bloekombos ChungWon Church. It was an amazing time.

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For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16‭-‬17

Life is tough. Things that happen in life can easily hurt and damage us. We do everything that we can do to prevent it, but we have to admit that we are vulnerable beings.

The biggest damage that the world can do to us is changing us. We get tired and manipulated into becoming someone we never meant to be or wanted to.

It is a fearful world.

However, knowing Jesus is such a life changing experience. He keeps us inline and gives us strength to endure through any challenges.

Because all things were created in him, we don’t need to fear anything.

So when we are finally finished with this fearful world, we will be with him for eternity as we were created to be.

Just like coming home to where you are accepted and loved. Where you can rest and feel comforted…. in his arms.

Nothing can separate us from Jesus.

Making a child’s day is not so difficult. Just lose the fear of, ‘They might break it.’

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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But you, man of God, flee from all this (worldly desires), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:6‭-‬7‭, ‬11

If we can’t take nothing out of this world, what should we work for?

How shall we achieve the contentment, when all things will pass?

In this Paul’s letter to Timothy, he advises to pursuit righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. These are the characters that Jesus builds in you as you walk with him.

It means your identity and characters in Christ are the things will be with you for eternity.

Who you are in Christ is the everlasting gift from God.

Lolo is a student at CPUT studying Public Relations. It hurts me to say that we, adults, are failing to give hope to such young minds. We decide to start Vuku meetings with him at his res every Sunday

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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Psalms 32:8

Do you remember when your child took the first step?

How happy and proud you were?

Yet, you were worried sick at the same time.

It is the same for our Father in heaven for us. May be not ‘worrird sick’ part.

He is watching us every step of the way. He is guiding us every step of the way whether we see it or not.

In behind of everything, there is His love for us.

We met with Kraaifontein Vuku Family that was planted by Joseph Lee. Papama shared her experience of leading a Vuku Group with them.

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And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

This verse is from Meeting 10 – True Peace in Love.

As we we grow our relationship with Jesus, he takes over different aspects of our lives one by one.

Initially, we believe many problems can be addressed by money, but the money fails us over and over again.

When Jesus does, he doesn’t fail. So we start to surrender more and more, and realize that everything is related to Jesus and his kingdom.

Once we see that we start to believe nothing will happen to us apart from God’s will.

That is our assurance and security that we find in Jesus.

Peace of God, our Father in Heaven.

We gave Linda and Monica copies of Vuku Family Workbooks and added them to them Whatsapp group. Her first message to them group was, “I would like talking about bilbe and I want to learn more.”

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Exodus 32:1

This is when they made a golden calf… But why?

It wasn’t that they believed the stupid cow statue was their creator or a saviour.

They were scared that Moses wasn’t coming back, so they were artificially building a bridge to their creator in a shape of a calf.

We often do that as well. When we are desperate or in needs, we try anything to force God to do something. We will take any advise or ideas that might get us the ‘higher power.’

Our fear and anxiousness takes our sights and hearts away from Jesus, and force us to make plans that is not from Him.

In His time, the answers will come, and that is the perfect time.

Let’s wait on Jesus and nothing else for He is coming.

When we depended on each other in Christ, it has to be based on trust and respect for one another. We went to encourage Thembisa for sharing Jesus’s love can be tough.

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Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20‭-‬21

What is a church?

I vividly remember praying for a community that share the same passion and joy in Christ.

Where a body of belivers who work to share Jesus’s love in the world and come back to find peace and comfort among believers.

Yet, I found more divisions in churches and struggles that were crippling than empowering.

My hope for a such church seemed like an unobtainable ideal.

Now, I have you, Vuku Family, where I find peace and comfort, where I find strength and courage.

Indeed, what Jesus has done through Vuku Family is beyound I could ask or imagine.

Jesus will be praised by me for ever and ever.

Nolitha and Nolwethu has been friends for a long time. Initially, Nolitha was hesitant to start Vuku meeting with her due to fear of jeopardising their friendship. Now, they can’t stop studying on the Vuku book together.

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For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10

How did Jesus find you?

He said he came to find the lost, and we all were once lost.

He came to me in my darkest hour.
He came to me when I couldn’t love myself.

As if he knew that I needed him, and offered me hope.

The hope of better days.
The hope of little help.

Now I see it wasn’t just better days or mere help.

It was a joyful life.
It was redeeming love.

I was found in Christ.

There is a saying in Xhosa, “utatam ufe ethwele umqwazi”. It translates ‘My father died with his hat on’, and it means my father doesn’t know me. They all need someone to depend on until they are ready for the world, yet many children grow up feeling unaccepted.

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For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38‭-‬39

What does that mean being separated from the love of God?

Death exists & life exists.
Worries of today and tomorrow exist.
There are (worldly and evil) powers that affects us.
So does height and depth.

Then, what does it mean that nothing will speprate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus?

It simply means that how scary all the things (in all creation) might seem, nothing can be strong enough to overpower the presence of Jesus in you.

Nothing…

As long as you have Jesus in you, nothing will derail you from God’s Good plan for your life.

You have a gift of life that nothing and nobody can take away.

Thembisa’s life has nothing special from a worldly point of view. However, in God’s eyes, there are so many things to celebrate. How Jesus empowered her to be independent and confident. How he brought joy and peace to her and her children’s lives through Vuku Family. Here is a link to her testimony. https://iam.precioustojesus.org/blog/2019/11/12/you-opened-the-love-in-me/

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

What Paul is asking us to do are not disciplines, code of conducts or rules as a Christian.

It is confirming the charecters that Jesus has built in us through love.

When we have hope in Christ, We become joyful.

When we experience his love, we become patient even in a crisis.

When we feel His presence with us, we know our prayers are heard.

So each day, cherish faith, hope, and love in you. For these are the signs of Jesus in us.

OLIA board had AGM over the weekend. Our previous AGM’s felt like yearning to improve, but, this year, we humbly looked to Jesus for our future direction with great contentment and thanksgiving.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Luke 17:5‭-‬6

‘Increase my faith’. Was it a right thing to ask?

Jesus said a small mustard seed sized faith could move a mulberry tree that is known for a wide root system. It was very difficult to uproot.

May be the faith is a on/off kind of question than rather than how-much.

If you did have faith, God can do wonders no matter how much faith you think you have.

We had an OLIA board meeting over the weekend sharing about how well you are doing. Also we prayed for many great things to come.

I realized now that the question is not how to build our future, but to keep our faith that has been demonstrated through your wonderful works in sharing God’s love.

Because I have faith in Jesus, and so do you.