Update from the President

Lilongwe, Malawi

We have been traveling a week now, and have been to South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and now back in Lilongwe, Malawi. We will keep the Sabbath here, and Passover following on Sunday night. I have written about the first part of our journey on my TravelPod blog, that you can view at http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/victorkubik/20/tpod.html. It's been a challenge to use the Internet here after leaving South Africa, so newer entries are slower in coming.

But, I'd like to comment about a momentous visit yesterday, Wednesday, April 5, to Chipata, Zambia, to visit one of our newer congregations. While I'll describe this more fully in blogs and articles, I want to share some of the joy and adventure that we experienced.

First, I want to thank our new Lilongwe pastor, Lewis VanAusdle, and his wife, Lena, who have taken well to caring for the Lilongwe, Malawi, congregation. They also assist with visits to the new Chipata, Zambia, congregation and its deacon, Filius Jere. Also, just-married Brennan and Michala Hilgen have moved here, too, to volunteer a year of service to the churches and to LifeNets. They have all immediately taken to tasks and needs at hand. In one month they have visited just about everyone in the Church and are quickly bonding with the brethren. They are setting the pace and example in quality of service by our younger generation for others who are serious about United Church of God's mission.

The six of us set off early on Wednesday, to Zambia. Chipata is only two hours away from Malawi, but another country away. We had to cross the border, and for white foreigners it is an ordeal. It is expensive, with immigration officials unsympathetic and uncaring. On this short stretch of road we were stopped no less than half a dozen times to check everything from passports, driver's license, insurance, vehicle registration and questions about who we were and what we were doing. At the border, visas cost us all about $400 just for the right to enter Zambia and return to Malawi. What was published on the Internet about visa rules and fees was not known by the officials, who were robotic in their dealings with us. Our motives were to do good spiritually and physically, and we had to pay for the right in this harsh environment.

Entering into the settlement where the Chipata church is found was an exciting and happy moment. About 30 people assembled mid-week for our meeting. We were greeted by deacon Filius Jere, as we shook hands with the entire group who sang a welcoming song. We walked into the church building that is being completed. It was dedicated in a special service a month ago, on March 4. Financing, in large part, was provided by LifeNets Australia, and you can read about that event: http://lifenets.org/chipata-zambia/.

As we assembled, Filius Jere spoke first and gave a background of the church and his role as deacon there. He is a retired professional journalist who still has a radio program that has been featuring the Beyond Today program. By editing the program, he has allowed for 8 minutes of commentary time in which he talks about the church. His discussion about the Sabbath was particularly well-received. His work was featured in the January/February 2016 United News at https://www.ucg.org/members/news/broadcast-in-zambia-and-malawi-produces-fruit. Filius Jere has also produced some literature in the Chewa language and showed us some of the material that they send out for listeners to his program.

Then I spoke and gave a short message explaining that the church consists of those people whose lives are transformed. We are to be a living epistle of Jesus Christ, written by the Holy Spirit with the Word of God on the tablets of our hearts.

Then my wife, Beverly, spoke about the work of LifeNets, which has helped with a water well and a new borehole to follow, maize production and more.

Then we went out into the fields to see the maize about to harvest. It is autumn here. This was followed by a delicious lunch. Filius Jere and I went out into a maize field and recorded a podcast. Then we took a group photo and returned back home to Lilongwe, Malawi. It was a wonderful day. We enjoy the brethren equally with our four outstanding workers from the United States. The lovely time with the brethren more than offset the hardships of getting there.

Please keep our ministry in your prayers this Holy Day season, especially those who are traveling internationally to serve our brethren. This includes Mario Seiglie to Guatemala; David Dobson to the Philippines; Scott Hoefker to Colombia; Jorge de Campos to Angola; Tim Pebworth to Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Cameroon and France; and Paul Moody to Nigeria and Ghana.

A Major Key to Success

In the latter half of the collection of Psalms, there exists a remarkable Psalm that contains a major key for success in our personal lives, as well as that of the Church. Its authorship is attributed to none other than Moses himself. Ancient manuscripts designate it as a prayer of Moses.

Did Moses originally write Psalm 90 as a daily prayer guide for the Israelites in the wilderness? It speaks to "all generations" (verse 1), which would include us today. This Psalm puts our lives in context with the eternal nature of God and powerfully directs us to a major key to success in this life: "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

How is this a major key to success? Consider how the New Living Translation renders this verse: "Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."

The point of this? Whether young or old, we are to better understand how we spend our time! Do we live each day to the fullest possible? Do we spend time drinking in the word of God—that living water—for guidance and direction?

There are certain things in life about which we are to have a sense of urgency. I don't mean an emotional fear-driven frothing and anxious thrashing about, but a sense of deliberately and purposefully pursuing the tasks before us.

We are directed by Jesus Himself to these dual tasks: "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33, emphasis added throughout). The latter part of this verse fits well into this present Holy Day season and the purpose of numbering our days.

This deliberate pursuit of critical spiritual goals realigns and redirects our lives. The apostle Paul mentioned twice in separate letters that we are to "redeem the time" (Ephesians 5:15-16 and Colossians 4:5). Paul could have written the popular words "seize the day," but he didn't. He chose some interesting Greek words. If translated into 21st century English, "redeeming the time" would likely come out as "make the most of every opportunity" or, as the English Standard Version puts it, "making the best use of the time."

Here's some background: The Greek word translated "redeem" is transliterated exagorazo. It comes from two Greek words: ek, meaning "from out of" and agorazo, meaning "to purchase." The Greek for time, transliterated kairos, is also interesting. It refers to the idea of an "opportune" or "right" time. The time in which to do something in a timely manner. If someone said, "It's harvest time" to you, that use of "time" would infer that it's time to get moving and start harvesting crops—they're not going to get harvested by standing around. Coupled together, these verses mean we are to buy back—to purchase with a sense of deliberate urgency—the opportunities that God has afforded us. Why? Paul adds in Ephesians, "because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). When Paul wrote during the first century, both the land of Judah and the Roman Empire were showing cracks of major moral decay and corruption of character. Today, we don't have to look very far to see horrible acts of collapsing morals, from hideous gassing of children in Syria, the wholesale abandonment of biblical principles in the United States, and more. These days today certainly have their contemporary stain of "evil."

"Making the most of our time" has direct application to us and understanding what it means to "number our days." The more we learn and apply biblical principles in our lives, the more our lives will be more satisfying. When we truly "number our days," whether old or young, we know that "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Colossians 3:23).

This reflects what we read in Ecclesiastes: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). As in Psalm 90, the latter part of verse 10 in Ecclesiastes notes that the time will come in our lives when we no longer work or have the opportunity to make the most of our time because our human physical lives will have ended. A sobering but motivating thought for young and old alike!

So, we are not to be anxious about these things, but deliberate in our actions. This is true both in our personal lives and in the work of the United Church of God. We earnestly should want to fulfill our part in "bringing many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10), relentlessly working both to improve ourselves and how we go about fulfilling the work of the Church.

As these Days of Unleavened Bread advance, we study deeply the words of Psalm 90, that we all may "gain a heart of wisdom" (verse 12). And as you study, fervently pray the prayer of Moses, that the "favor of the Lord our God rest upon us" (verse 17, New International Version), and that, as Moses concluded, God would "establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands" (verse 17).

Apply this major key to success. Let us learn to number our days, redeeming the time, that we may be given a heart of true wisdom in these darkening days!

I wish you all a meaningful and profound Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. May the Eternal God bless and prosper you. I thank God and pray for you all.