news from tanzania
BARIADI
Beloved, we who ought to be the brothers of all Christadelphians in the world, let us love one another, for love is of God and he who loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7). But if any one has the world’s goods, and sets his heart against his brother, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17). If a brother or sister needs clothes and doesn’t have enough to eat what good is there in your saying to them “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” if you don’t give the necessities of love (James 2:15-16). Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. (Luke 6:38). Let the thief no longer steal but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need (Eph 4:32. Acts 4:34-35. Romans 15:26-27).
Bro. Joseph Isamla
DAR-ES-SALAAM
This end we are busy preaching the Gospel as well as praying for the Lord’s second coming, which seems to be very near. The following are the highlights of his second coming as we have just learnt. Shall we share our findings?
He is soon coming – Rev. 22:7.
The return will be sudden – 1 Thess. 5:2.
He will soon come to deliver creation from the curse – Romans 8:22.
Then peace and righteousness will reign on earth – Isaiah 2:4.
The outcome of this move is prosperity on earth – Isaiah 65:22-25.
But some say that he is late in coming back - not quite, God is giving us time to repent and be saved – 2 Peter 3:9-10.
Dear brother/sister, shall we use this time of delay to repent and come back to our Creator? Yes indeed, it is the right time to do so.
Bro. Samuel Mushi
IFAKARA
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says ‘I will return to my house from which I came’. And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26). Since God is one, and ours is not a world of spirits, the unclean spirit here must be the negative attributes in our nature as opposed to spirituality. These are things like selfishness, anger, greed, jealousy, covetousness, hatred etc. They are primitive and manifest in our ‘old man’! When we follow Christ. these are fought out by the spirit of Christ in us as we struggle to be obedient to ‘The Word’, they become ineffective, they pass through ‘waterless places’. But suppose for some reason, the believer falls out of grace and loses his faith. Such things will come to him saying, ‘I’ll return to my house from which I came’. The reason is that it’s a nice place for him again ‘swept and put in order’. Next, the spirit will attract other spirits more devastating. A man could be an adulterer. After conversion, we expect, he’ll forsake adultery. He may, after that, get offended by a brother/sister so much so that he breaks from the ecclesia and doesn’t attend the meetings or associate in ecclesial activities any more (doesn’t gather with Christ, v.23). The outcome being that he won’t remain strong in faith, and will, after some time, be a house swept and put in order for fleshly things. The spirit will soon fetch other unclean spirits to ‘enter (the man) and dwell there’; He may perhaps be given to drunkenness, slander, wrath, or even murder. His last state ‘becomes worse than the first’. The apostle Peter relates such a believer to a dog that ‘turns back to his own vomit’ and a pig that having been washed ‘wallows in mire’ (2 Peter 2:21,22).
Bro. Kim Mnzava
Photo: Bro. John Owen (UK) speaking and Bro. John Mnkande translating into Kiswahili, during CBM visit to Ifakara.
Photo: Bro. Alistair speaking and Bro. Kim Mnzava translating.
KASULU
I would like to send my thanks for your work in publishing Gospel News, which I receive frequently. Also I would like to tell you the news which has happened at Mtabila. Last year we had great joy to receive visitors from UK, Bre. John Owen and Alistair MacDonald, Benoit Mukendi from Arusha and Alinoti Samuel from Kigoma. We had some exhortations and the breaking of bread to remember our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank our Lord for the love in Christ, which we find in fellowship with brethren and sisters world-wide; may God bless them and strengthen all in our work to the Kingdom of peace.
Bro. Charles Hakizimana
LUGUFU 1
Our Heavenly Father is worthy to be praised in all. Everything is going well in our spiritual life. We are thankful for the nice time we had at our fraternal gathering last year at our ecclesial hall, attended by 40, around the subjects:
1) The God we hardly know Creator of all things (Bro Isidore E. Mwibeleca).
2) The Satan of the Bible (Bro. Amnobe Iyungu)
3) The Resurrection and the Judgement (Bro. Lwendo Buluma)
4) The Life in Christ (Bro. Rehani Pascal)
We do express our thanks to all the members of Lugufu 1 ecclesia for their contribution. We therefore hope that if Jesus Christ tarries we may, God willing, have another gathering. Bro. Anzulini Makutano has returned back into fellowship after satisfactory interview.
Bro. Isidore Mwibeleca
I had many problems in the camp. I was troubled because I preached the gospel to one pastor of the Society of Friends (the Quakers). I am firm in my faith and I take courage to continue in my preaching work and I pray God to give me the strength. Brethren and sisters, remember that when we are persecuted for what we believe life is very difficult and the first thing we must do is to pray. When we have burdens, we are instructed in the Scriptures to cast our burden upon the Lord, read Psalm 55:22. All through the Scriptures we read of the worthies of old who were persecuted for their belief and faith in the Lord God and without a doubt as we get closer to the return of Jesus the persecution will get worse. The ignorance and wickedness in the world concerning the Word of God is paramount and anyone who stands up for the things of God will see more apathy and experience persecution.
Bro. Amnobe Iyungu
Photo: A gathering at Muyovosi Ecclesia
MBOZI-MBEYA
I am in receipt of your letter concerning the Bible reader’s calendar, the sample you sent is good and I am sure it will be useful for brothers and sisters. Please send us ten more for Igale and Mlowo ecclesias. Please enrol the newly baptised at Igale for receiving Gospel News: Bro. Mwile James, Bro. Gerald Mwashilindi and Sist. Rahel Mwamwezi
Bro Raphael Mkeya
MOROGONO
Brothers in Christ, let us all praise the Lord for his grace extended to us in all walks of our lives. When I think of this world and the way people work in the vineyard I feel very indebted to God, who created me. I work for a long number of hours each day, leaving me with few hours for rest and reading. I would like to confirm to you that I have been receiving Gospel News. I hope that in the very near future I will be among the main article contributors in Gospel News The editorial and articles written by different brothers and sisters from all over the world are so very educative, encouraging, pleasing and constructive that I can’t stand missing them. Please, if you are able to, supply me with the book “Where there is no Doctor”.
Bro. Nkonge Mwakatage
Photo: Kasulu Sunday School
MUSOMA
Musoma ecclesia is well and all are okay. We were visited by Bro. Michael Owen last year, two contacts interviewed but we came out without any baptisms, as it is good for them to know more of the Christadelphian beliefs. They were told to keep on learning, which they are busy doing at present with the help of their tutors. I praise the Lord, as they did not give up. Here in Musoma I was staying with a young girl, my cousin, who came from Kenya and stayed here with me. She was pregnant, that is why her Mum decided for her to come here and stay with me and after giving birth to go back home and continue with her schooling. This girl died while giving birth. It was a big loss which remains in my mind till now. This girl left me with a one-day-old baby girl, called Liz Marion, who is under my care. God giveth and God taketh. This sudden death caused a lot of disturbance. Because here in Musoma we didn’t have any active brother at the time, I called the Mwanza brethren who helped me a lot. The infant is here with me. The girl, after giving birth, started to have a fit, convulsed twice and finally died on her third convulsion. Due to this shock I was unstable for some time. Now what can I do with this innocent infant who remains in my hands as the mother needed my help in her life?
Sis. Monica Achieng
NYARUGUSU
We would like to inform you that the clothing aid which you sent to the Sunday School children has been received. For that we thank you because you remind us of the advice of Paul, see Acts 20:28. In fact we are informing you that here at Nyarugusu Camp when it is the rainy season many Christians are not going to church because it is very cold and muddy. Nonetheless the materials of cold and mud are very important to us. We have not broken bread for some months, as we have no money to purchase wine; we do our best to buy wine and bread but today is terrible.
Bro. Bawili Ilangyi, Chairman, Bro. Akulu Mmandama, Sec, Bro. Mboko Asumani, Treasurer.
