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As children growing up during the sunset years of colonial South-West-Africa/Namibia, we celebrated Guy Fawkes Day on November 5. The macabre spectacle of cheering children burning an effigy of the Guy and then roasting marshmallows over his embers still strikes me as rather odd.
Guy or Guido Fawkes was an historical figure…an ex-soldier recruited to stand guard over a carefully hidden stash of 36 barrels of gunpowder stacked up under the House of Lords. In many was he was a fall guy, if you will, for a group of so-called gentlemen who, for religious reasons, were plotting to blow-up the British Parliament buildings while King James and his government were assembled within it. Had the gunpowder plot succeeded, more than a structure would have been reduced to rubble.
This sad tale comes to mind as I reflect on what is happening in the Church at present. Like the barrels of gunpowder hidden under the House of Lords, foreign ideologies and philosophies are being carefully hidden under that which is foundational to our faith…the very Word of God. In many ways, it is the same plot of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Has God really said? But if one tugs and keeps on tugging at the threads of Scripture, the whole fabric of what it means to be a follower of the God revealed to us in the Bible will come undone.
The worst part of it all is that the scheme is not only being hatched outside the hallowed halls of Christendom, but from within. And this is the most agonising thing of all. As King David once wrote: “It is not an enemy who taunts me – I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me – I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you – my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.” Yet now, it seems we are no longer walking together. Our paths lead in different directions.
Let us not fool ourselves. The red-hot emotional buttons being relentlessly pushed by our explosive plotters are not single items issues. They are united by one common goal and that is to destroy all that is revealed as Truth in the Word. Has God really said? To affirm that, “yes, he has indeed said, and, in fact, it is written”, is to invite a hail of charges against us akin to the allegation brought against our Lord of being in league with Beelzebub. And there we stand, in the dock, with the Word.
Thankfully, here at Christ Church, Heiloo, we do not stand alone. Our parishioners love the Word and seek to know it and hold it to be the foundation for their faith and practice. While dark clouds gather on the horizon, we continue to build on our one sure Foundation. What he has said, we will do, and where he leads, we will follow.
This past month, Louise helped start up two Women’s Bible studies…these are in addition to a mixed home fellowship group and a Men’s Bible study…all meeting by-weekly on different days of the alternate weeks.
Johann continues to preach at Christ Church on Sundays and has also been preaching at several other churches within our Diocese when needed. He has also started confirmation classes with two young men. We are both still enjoying our Dutch language lessons and are also doing what is required to get Dutch driver’s licenses. Neither of these tasks are easy, but we can see some improvement, so we keep moving forward.
“For the Life of the World: The Multiplication of Simon Peter” will be published at the end of November. It is currently available for pre-order (https://langhamliterature.org/books/for-the-life-of-the-world).
Johann is also working on a series of books on the life of Paul written as narrative commentaries on his letters as they were written. Thankfully, he has just received a library card from Tyndale, a local seminary, so he will have access to more information. The first book in the series, on Galatians, is just about complete.
Johann is also meeting with local pastors for prayer and encouragement and is exploring ways to help with the training of young church leaders in Africa through an internet mission organization called GlobalRize (https://www.globalrize.org/).
Praise Items:
For a wonderful time with our US family and friends this past September.
For a good, restorative and productive time at the SAMS-USA Retreat and the New Wineskins Missions Conference.
For our residency cards. We will be collecting them in early January. That was the first appointment date available!
For good health and happiness.
That most things necessary for living in the Netherlands are just about all in place.
That our children, grandchildren, and Louise’s mum are all doing well.
That we continue to attract quite a few visitors to our Sunday Services.
Prayer Items:
Please pray that Christ Church, Heiloo will be a beacon of light in our community. Pray for increasing depth in spiritual growth and outreach.
Pray that all efforts to erode the foundation upon which our faith is founded will come to nothing.
Pray that we may gain additional supporters whose hearts burn for revival in a largely secular Europe. Our support has taken a bit of a dip of late.
Finally, allow us to thank you all for your continued participation in the ministry our Lord has called us into. Without you…without your prayers and encouragement and support…we would not be able to do what we do.
You remain in our thoughts and prayers.
Johann and Louise |
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