NHCF Blog

by Caryl MollI sat at the kitchen counter and put my head in my hands. I was distraught…“Please Lord, can you help? I know it’s a small thing for you, but I feel so attached to this strange, wild bird. This is an impossible request I know, but you have said that ‘nothing is impossible for you’. Forgive my doubt with these things Father, but I really pray for a miracle for our dear ‘Seagull’. Please can you intervene? Seagull’s ankle is tangled up with fishing line.  We are desperate to catch her, remove the entanglement and release her.  Please Father…Is it possible somehow that you are able to cause the twine that is wrapped around her ankle to just disappear…? Or can you help me to catch her with our trap? Please Lord, I pray for a miracle for Seagull.”I felt rather bashful putting this request to our mighty God. Aren’t there much more important matters for Him to hear? Why should my obscure little prayer be heard by the almighty Father of the Universe? I didn’t hold out much hope at all… I’d probably just have to accept Seagull’s horrible fate.But God had other plans… “SEAGULL’S” STORYTwo years ago a little Hadedah Ibis chick hatched in a nest in our neighbour's big tree. We woke up, one day, to the most awful, grating screech – very unlike the usual Hadedah calls in our city. Fearing that the bird was caught up somewhere, I rushed out to investigate and potentially rescue it. The horrible vocalization drew me to the tree where the chick was perched. It was a real surprise to discover that there was nothing visibly wrong with her - except for the crazy vocalization.We named the chick "SEAGULL"The weeks that followed were extremely noisy.  We had to endure some serious screeching emanating from the tree as her mom dutifully fed and cared for her. Soon Seagull was trying to fly. The odds were out as to whether she'd survive or not. We heard her antics constantly - often waking up to her screech in the morning and breathing a sigh of relief with the knowledge that;"SEAGULL is alive!"Over the months that ensued we followed (audibly and visibly) this strange bird's progress. Her voice didn't change but I worried about her ability to integrate into Hadedah society. In addition, her flying skills were hampered - she demonstrated suspect aerial manoeuvres and just managed to skirt electric fences around our neighbourhood. In addition, she sported badly ruffled feathers and mostly perched on only one leg.For two years we watched Seagull mature and then amazingly she pitched up with a mate one day. Her looks improved too. Eventually, the two produced a chick of their own.  For many months we followed their progress. Seagull was alive and thriving and retained her odd voice. (Most Hadedahs look similar, but this was Seagull’s unique quality which enabled us to follow her so closely) Quite simply...she was beautiful! SEAGULL became a permanent neighbourhood resident…

by Luke KincaidUp until a few moments ago, I realized that I was prone to take for granted that Paul, who wrote a majority of the New Testament, was a real, flesh and blood, Holy Spirit led, human being. He was just like you and me and he was able to make such an incredible impact on the world around Him because of the incredible value he placed on knowing and obeying Jesus.I was reminded of this while reading through the first chapter of Matt Chandler’s book “To Live Is Christ To Die Is Gain” which is a road map for authentic Christian maturity from the book of Philippians. In chapter one of his book, Matt Chandler recounts the start of the Christian church in Philippi as told in Acts 16 and this is the portion of the story that really stood out to me: 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. – Acts 16:20-24Paul and Silas were imprisoned because of Paul casting out a demon from a young slave girl who was making money for her owners through demonic means. The following is a rather lengthy excerpt of Matt Chandler’s words but I think they paint such an amazing portrait of who Paul was:As Westerners, when we think of ‘the stocks,’ we picture New England in the 1700s, the embarrassment and shame of having your head and hands stuck in a public contraption. But that is not what first-century Roman Empire stocks were like. These devious contraptions would contort the prisoner’s body into all sorts of excruciating postures, locking limbs and joints into place to the point of making the entire body cramp. The prisoner’s body would seize up with searing pain, and then the Romans would just leave the person there for days. Notice that the jailer is not commanded to treat his prisoners this way. The magistrates simply ask him to keep the missionaries safe, and instead he tortures them. So we aren’t dealing with a very nice man at this moment. This jailer is very good at his job, and he probably likes it more than he should. But when it comes to taking pride in one’s work, this guy could not out-enjoy Paul. ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them’ (Acts 16:25). If you hated the gospel, wouldn’t the apostle Paul be the most frustrating human being alive? It did not matter what you did to this man, he loved…

by Calven Celliers Earlier this week I decided that it was high time I took my car for a proper clean, INSIDE and OUT! Whilst I often wash the outside, even have it polished from time to time, I don’t have the inside cleaned and vacuumed very regularly. Oh sure, I throw out any accumulated till slips, pamphlets, sweet wrappers and the odd leaf that finds its way in under my shoe, but I’m talking about a thorough clean. As I sat there watching them first soap, wash, rinse and then shine up the outside, then wipe down, and vacuum the interior, I began thinking about how relevant this is to our lives as followers of Christ. One of the biggest mistakes we as Christians can make is to put more time and energy into outside activities, keeping up appearances, than into inside character-developing disciplines. Just think of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and how terribly wrong they went all because they emphasized the outside over the inside.      “As religious leaders, the Pharisees often challenged Jesus because they felt threatened by his teachings. Jesus taught that spiritual cleansing and renewal took place in a person’s heart and showed on the outside in acts of mercy and justice. But the Pharisees taught a religion of mostly man-made rules and ceremonies. On the outside they appeared pious, but on the inside, many were filled with sinful thoughts and intentions.” (Roger Greenway) I definitely pick up a rather harsh tone in Jesus’ reprimand to the religious leaders regarding this matter. In the Gospel of Luke, He said, “39 …You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy — full of greed and wickedness!40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?” (Luke 11: 39 & 40NLT)  Religious people often focus on the outward rather than the inward. It’s all about behaviour modification, conformity, and good deeds. Religion appeals to people’s tastes, preferences and ambitions rather than to hearts yearning for truth and cleansing. A relationship with Jesus, however, calls for transformation from the inside out as you devote yourself fully to Him. It’s dethroning yourself and enthroning Jesus; it’s complete divestiture of all self-interest as you surrender all of you to all of Him, giving God veto-power in your life. When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour, God doesn’t just forgive us our sins, He begins a lifelong process of changing our very nature. A true and balanced spiritual life calls for God’s renewal from the inside out, as He creates in us the likeness of His Son. It involves personal disciplines such as prayer, meditation on the Word, and fellowship with God and His people, as the abiding Spirit of God nurtures us and prepares us for the challenges of daily life as God’s servants in this world. The truth of the matter is that we can polish away at the soft glow of a…

by John DoyleCount it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you maybe perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)  That word "steadfastness" in Gods Word incorporates "Endurance".  James is writing to the 12 Tribes of Israel that had been dispersed to different towns and countries to help proclaim the message of hope in the Lord Jesus. They went through many trials as we read in scripture but James reminds them of God's Promise He gave to those who "ENDURE". In these days of the Lockdown and the challenges we have with Covid-19 there are many who are quitting and giving up. We are seeing this politically and socially and many businesses are suffering. As God's People lets not fall into this trap of the evil one. I am sure you are discouraged about certain things and perhaps weary with trying to be there for family and help others at this time. Its not an easy journey and many are asking God to intervene and that's a good thing and yes we should all be praying for Gods Divine intervention in this situation that we are all facing at this time. I am sure you will remember situations in your own life where you have had to press on in Faith and witnessed the presence of God. You found out that once you have got through it, that as a finisher you still had wounds and weariness but you still chose *ENDURANCE* because you know from life that God blesses Endurance. The Land of Promise, says Jesus, awaits those who endure - What an amazing promise from the Lord! Let the one who is taught the Word share all things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will you also reap. So the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary of doing good, for is due season we will reap, if we do not Give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6-10) Lets be an encouragement to each other at this time and "ENDURE" this journey together and be like Jesus who Endured to the end and then said "IT IS FINISHED". Its time to sing with me: "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold their wings of strife,When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain,WE HAVE AN ANCHOR THAT KEEPS THE SOUL, STEADFAST AND SURE WHILE THE BILLOWS ROLL,FASTENED TO THE ROCK WHICH CANNOT MOVE, GROUNDED FIRM AND DEEP IN THE SAVIOUR'S LOVE"  May the Love of the Lord Jesus flow through…