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Newsletter - May 2005
Greetings from all of us at Alôn.
This year our life together on the farm is the busiest and most varied ever, and we see God’s blessing as we endeavour to push forward as ‘one new man’ to complete the tasks at hand. A word that has become more a living reality in our walk together in unity:
‘I will give them singleness of heart and action,
so that they will always fear me for their own good
and the good of their children after them.’
Jeremiah 32:39
The biblical context of this verse is ‘future restoration’ for Jerusalem. And yet an application for us today is: If we are willing and faithful in pursuing real unity that is built on His truth and love, God will enable us to advance in becoming what He wants us to be. However, this requires surrender, even disowning of ourselves and aligning our desires with His.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
Philippians 2:4 - 5
The Bible teaches that God’s will for our lives is that we live in obedience to Him. Therefore, the question could be asked, “Do we always delight in obeying Him?” Our responses in real life situations prove the true condition of our hearts in this regard. When trials, testings, temptations and pressures come our way, do we resolutely commit to obey Jesus and adhere to the ways of God, or do we bow down to our flesh, or to that which seems reasonable and rational, or even yield to our selfishness and independence? Without such obedience we will not enjoy the benefits of God’s kingdom to the full. Many believers hear and agree with God’s Word, but only those who apply the Word personally will be ambassadors of His Kingdom.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth
so that you have sincere love for your brothers,
love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 1:22
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed,
but praise God that you bear that name.
1 Peter 4:16
We need to realize that condoning disobedience in our lives carries severe consequences, i.e. spiritual defeat and death. Therefore, let us be zealous to repent and take steps in becoming more committed to a life of obedience in our Messiah.
CONTENTS:
1. Wedding Blessing – Andrew & Bianca
2. Wedding elAmerica – Adriaan & Jaime
3. Mosaic
4. Mitzpeh
6. The debut CD
7. Blue Mountain College - 2006
8. Babies arrived and on the way
1. Wedding Blessing – Andrew & Bianca
To the day, three years before, Andrew and Bianca were married in London. This year at the Alôn Farm, with friends and family gathered from Tasmania [Australia], England and South Africa, an occasion of blessing upon their union was celebrated. The ceremony was held in the garden in the ‘goupa’ and had the added sign of blessing in Africa – rain! Thereafter followed a wonderful, festive evening of live music, dancing and gourmet cooking.
A few days later, Chris, Andrew’s mother visiting from Hobart, Tasmania, gave her life to the Lord. The sincere joy of finding true saving faith was very evident. The next day she and Sharon, also part of her party from Australia, were baptized on the farm. All glory to God who alone gives ‘new life’!
2.
Wedding elAmerica – Adriaan &
Jaime
Towards the end of last year, on Saturday 11th December, Adriaan and Jaime
were married in a beautiful ceremony on the Alôn Farm. The ceremony and
reception were absolutely wonderful. A testimony of God’s provision for
Jaime is that Adriaan has taken on fatherhood as a God-given call towards
her son, Isaiah. Many friends and family traveled from far, including some
of Jaime’s family from the USA. There were other guests from Europe as well.
Everyone present sensed God’s seal on this new ‘instant’ family. Jaime’s
family from America arrived on the farm a week before the wedding. An aspect
that made this wedding so special is that they could testify that the Lord
touched their hearts while visiting here in Africa.
3.
Mosaic
The
building of our new African-style venue for meetings and functions, prepared
also for the wedding in December, was completed only hours before the
occasion. This is our largest project to date and many community members
were involved in creating water features, designing and making creative
pieces like lamps, pots, floor tiles and furniture. A new 18 metre swimming
pool with the most panoramic view has been built to make the venue very
special and attractive, but is also a need with the growing community.
4. Mitzpeh
Mitzpeh, meaning ‘lookout’ or ‘watchtower,’ is the name we have given the new farm recently purchased across the valley. This property shares a common boundary with the other three farms that are part of Alôn. The three homes on the new farm provide more accommodation and two families have already moved there. A studio for pottery and sculpture is envisioned at Mitzpeh as well. We have also moved our metalwork and woodcutting operation there.
5.
December 2004 Outreach
Sixteen Alonites braved the heat and humidity on a two week outreach that
included the Muzarabani area of the Zambezi valley in northern Zimbabwe and
the city of Beira on the Mozambique coast. One testimony of a church, only
three months old, clearly demonstrated the hunger for God’s word in these
remote places. This congregation of around 100 people gathered at 9:00am,
some having walked many kilometers to get there, gave of themselves
wholeheartedly all day until we left at 6:00pm. Throughout this scorching
hot day they hardly ate or drank – they would have been happy for us to
remain for an evening meeting as well. Such sacrifice is unheard of in more affluent situations.
6.
The debut CD
We are trusting the Lord to make the way with the recording and release of our debut music CD. We laid down this project and closed the studio for two years awaiting the Lord to make the way open for the release in this ministry within the greater vision of Alôn. God has provided a man of great experience, who has joined the family at Alôn and he is putting action and his heart into Aviv recording studio.
7. Blue Mountain College - 2006
About six years ago the Lord imparted the vision for a school with boarding facilities here on the farm. The heart of this vision is to raise up young people in the ways of God, and to equip them with skills for life and the workplace. We are praying and believing the Lord to provide in every way to realize this very exciting vision. Pray with us as we trust God to bring His word to pass. The launch for the high school [12 – 17 year olds] is set for January 2006.
8. Babies arrived and on the way
This year Etan and Lorinda have been blessed with a second son, Luca. Scha and Christine now have a boy and a girl, following the birth of their daughter, Mikka. Jaime, who married Adriaan in December, is also pregnant. But the next arrival will be Bernie and Alex’s second child – and so God’s promise of weddings and many children is being fulfilled!
A few words in closing:
The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood [cannot comprehend] it.
John 1:5
The obvious meaning of this portion from John’s gospel is that unbelievers cannot comprehend that Jesus is the Messiah, the Light of the World. Yet for us, who regard ourselves as believers, this can also speak of the compromise and unbelief within our own lives that blinds us to God’s truth and light. This condition will hinder our growth and cause us to miss out on God’s best. We need to be open to be shown the right way by others, i.e. God’s light can come to us through the correction of a brother. As we all have blind spots, merely meditating on the scriptures will not bring about “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” that our heavenly Father would have for His children. God wants us to know Him as a Father. This implies more than knowledge, but also discipline, otherwise we are illegitimate children (Heb 12:6-11).
God does not bring His light to us on our terms. On the contrary, He will even allow us to be offended in order to teach us His ways that will lead us into ‘abundant life’. However, our own pride, legalism and self-righteousness can keep us in darkness. Although it is true that the Light can dispel any darkness, yet we can easily resist the work of the Holy Spirit. God’s plan for us is that we become ‘messengers’ who live ‘His message’ and thereby He can use us as His anointed vessels as we will have gained true authority rather than fleshly and religious arrogance:
i.e. His will established by His hand into our lives and not of our own ambition.
Sometimes we think we know God, and that our lives are quite in order. But we need to see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word, His ways and the principles of His kingdom. We need to be worshippers of the Living God and not of self as our own ways lead us astray and make us to rob God of His glory in order to endorse and justify our own ambitions, ministries and celebration of what we can do for God.
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,
and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard,
but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:25
PS. Again we testify that the Lord our Provider has made the way for us to build the new ‘Mosaic’ Centre, buy the new farm ‘Mitzpeh’, extend our Cape base, and continue with building going on here at home base plus the enlargement to our sanctuary ‘Beit Yehuda’ – all on a cash basis and no money owing. Thank you Father!
Andrew & Bianca
on their day of celebration
