Restoring Shalom

Shalom is the word from the Bible that describes the pervasive and comprehensive condition of well-being experienced in the Creation when God completed His work.  It is shalom that has been vandalized by sin.  The gospel is that shalom begins to be restored in our lives and in the world through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  That work of restoration continues as Jesus, through His Spirit, empowers the church to preach and live the realities of His present rule and reign.  Here is a deeply encouraging insight into the heart of the hope of the gospel from a very important book by Cornelius Plantinga:

“To speak of sin by itself, to speak of it apart from the realities of creation and grace, is to forget the resolve of God.  God wants shalom and will pay any price to get it back.  Human sin is stubborn, but not as stubborn as the grace of God and not half so persistent, not half so ready to suffer to win its way.  Moreover, to speak of sin by itself is to misunderstand its nature:  sin is only a parasite, a vandal, a spoiler.  Sinful life is a partly depressing, partly ludicrous caricature of genuine human life.  To concentrate on our rebellion, defection, and folly-to say to the world ‘I have some bad news and I have some bad news’-is to forget that the center of the Christian religion is not our sin but our Savior.  To speak of sin without grace is to minimize the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, and the hope of shalom.”  (Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, p. 199)

This is why we go to Tanzania.  This is why we drill wells.  This is why we ask you to pray and ask for God to favor with His blessing the little bit that we do.  God is restoring shalom.  We are privileged partners with Him in that work.

 

Mike Malone

Drilling for Life

Water means life.  In partnership with McLean Presbyterian Church (McLean, Virginia) and First Baptist Church (Corinth, Mississippi), Christ the King has begun a new round of projects bringing fresh water to six villages in the diocese of Mara-Ukerewe, Tanzania.  As of this writing the surveys are being conducted, and the drilling for water, which will change life for as many as 30,000 people, should be completed by May 15.  It is not an overstatement to suggest that we are drilling for life.  Anyone familiar with this part of the world knows that water IS a life and death matter for the people living here.  Each of these wells will be managed by a local church in the diocese for the benefit of the entire community.  A committee structure is in place in each village which ensures the orderly distribution of water, the collection of modest fees for the maintenance of the well and the provision of water to those in these villages without means to secure water themselves (the aged, handicapped and orphaned).  Please pray that these wells will serve not only to bring health and well-being to the people of these villages (aspects of what the Bible calls Shalom), but that these churches will be enabled to introduce more villagers to Jesus Christ, who is the Water leading to Eternal Life.  Pray that this ministry of compassion will open the door to the wider proclamation of the gospel.  Water for this life matters.  It matters a great deal.  The Water that leads to eternal life matters a great deal more.  Water does mean life.

Thank you for praying, and if you are just learning about the ministry of Impact Tanzania and are interested in learning more about opportunities to assist in this work through our well-drilling programs, Adopt-a-Pastor programs and future publishing efforts, please contact us at www.ctkvb.org.  We welcome your interest!

 

Mike Malone

mission.

“I dream of a Tanzanian church that can multiply itself.”

Traveling on a mission trip usually allows for a strange feeling of freedom, especially if the journey takes you out of the country. It seems much easier to tell a complete stranger about the Creator who loves them. It’s easier to have a translator tell someone, “Jesus died for our sins and arose again!” Our anonymity and our hometown allows us to keep our distance- literally! We (most likely) will never see these people again in this life. They will never see if our words match our daily lives. They have the freedom to think we’re strange or wrong because we’re foreign. We don’t mind too much if we are mocked or ignored by complete strangers.

Is the American church multiplying itself? Should this be our prayer for our own country?

While we are praying for our brothers and sisters, may we take a moment to reflect on our daily lives. What keeps us silent here? Is it fear, pride, selfishness? Is this mission field being ministered to by its own Church? Do we need Tanzanian evangelists to come and preach here?

Please pray for the Body in Tanzania, and the Body here. Pray that we do not put trust ourselves, but that we trust solely in the Lord and boast in His Name. Pray that we may be salt and light here. Pray that the Church in Tanzania and the Church in America will “multiply itself” through the Lord.