Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ, This Sunday our boys and girls are sharing a Christmas presentation with us in church. It is a wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends. We are also celebrating Advent and this second Sunday, the importance of the coming of Christ is peace. The
Continue readingShirley and I count it a privilege to serve you as an Interim Pastoral couple at IBCZ. Previously we served the church as the Pastoral Couple from 2008 to 2014. We were encouraged on the Sunday, prior to our leaving South Africa this week, by the sermon preached at the
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, When reading through the letters that Jesus dictates to John for the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 one can be left with an uneasy feeling. Jesus sends messages to the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea – and
Continue readingIn his missionary journeys Paul at one point had reached Athens. We know Greek culture, particularly Athenian civilization, as the cradle for the most significant developments in society, including democracy, political thought, philosophy, science, and the arts. Nevertheless, at the time of Paul’s visit, it was a pagan culture, devoid
Continue readingIf we were to take a blank piece of paper and write how we want the rest of our life to unroll, we would most probably not include suffering, heartaches, health troubles, failures or any kind of negative experiences. With certainty, nobody would ever include the kind of experiences Joseph
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, In this, my final article, I first want to thank you for the tremendous privilege of serving as your pastor. Daniela and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you and serving our Lord with you. We thank God for each of you. Paul
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, This week and next I want to share some closing thoughts with you before I leave. This week I would like to refer to a simple verse of Scripture written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy – a young man Paul had mentored in
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, This past Sunday our theme was “starting and finishing well.” God has wonderful plans for our lives (Jer. 29:11), so we should see it not only as a challenge but as a great opportunity to live faithfully for God, discovering and living out His
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, On numerous occasions I have shared with you the importance of prayer. As I will soon be concluding my ministry with you and IBCZ enters a time of transition, I was to emphasize this again. Of course, this is not the first time a
Continue readingDear Members and Friends of IBCZ, Have you ever attended an event, such as a concert or a sporting match, for which you received an “all access pass?” I never have. But if you are fortunate to have an “all access pass,” you are entitled to some special privileges. You
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