Gospel News — Mar-May 2012

NEWS FROM BROTHERS & SISTERS

The Lord God made Adam and Eve to bring forth another seed of righteousness called Seth. Abel died in faith and will be remembered, together with men and women who were faithful to God and loved the Creator. Hebrews 11:4: "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts; and through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." In 1 John 3:11,12 we are told, "Love one another, for this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain who was of the evil one, and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous."

TONGAREN

During the quiet moment before worship one Sunday, the organist played a hymn that was new to me. I turned to the page noted the hymnal and read the words of the song, `The Lord my Shepherd guards me well,' – a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23.

No matter how often we read or hear the familiar 23rd Psalm, it seems to come to me with a fresh message of God's care for us. "Though I should walk in darkest ways through valleys like the grave, no evil shall I ever fear; your presence makes me brave; on my behalf your rod and staff assure me you will save." This message was familiar to the people who head Jesus say, `I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep' (John 10:11) Unlike a hired person who turns away from danger, the true shepherd stays with the sheep to protect them. `But a hireling, he who is not a shepherd... sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees...I am the good Shepherd; and I know my sheep.' (12-14)

No matter what you are facing today, Jesus knows your name, he knows the danger: the true shepherd stays with the sheep and

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he will not leave your side. You can say with confidence, `The Lord is my Shepherd, and He guards me well.' The lamb who died to save us is the Shepherd who lives to lead us.

Sis. Nancy Isaac, and Sis. Getquin Isaac, with Duncan, a new-born child.