ST KIARAN'S

CHRONICLE

February 2020F
 "A thankful heart is one of the primary

identifying characteristics of a believer.

It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry.

And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord

and reliance of His provision,

even in the toughest times.

No matter how choppy the seas become,

a believer's heart is buoyed

by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord."

John MacArthur
 From our Dear Pastor Rev. Mike Muller

Dear family and friends of St Kiaran’s

The year has begun with a bang and a few surprises. Some
surprises have been pleasant, while others have been
disappointing – even painful. But in all things we give thanks to
God, not for what has happened, but for God’s presence and
ongoing goodness in the midst of it all.
(1 Thes. 5:16-18).

I feel truly blessed, in that our congregation has wonderful

Elders who love you and are glad to serve you. We have folk who
are keen to be involved in leading Bible Studies and Home
Groups, and other groups in the church. Despite the fact that we
are generally a congregation of more elderly Christians, it is so
wonderful to witness the fairly high level of participation in the
church.

This does not mean that we should not pray that God will
add to our number younger
families. St Kiaran’s has so
much to offer. Let’s continue to
look for the opportunity to
invite those who are in need of
the Lord to join our times of
Bible study or worship. Let’s
not be slow to share that hope
which we have living inside us.
This simple, yet very effective
cartoon spoke volumes to me.

People may seem to be

okay and have all they need –
but that’s simply not true.
Unless they know Jesus, their
lives will be incomplete. Apart
from everything they have, they still need a “cookie.” The simple,
yet humble willingness to share the cookie will make all the
difference. Of course sharing almost anything in this way is
meaningful.
So, instead of thinking about what we do not have, and
where we think we should be, as a church in Fish Hoek – it is far
more helpful to celebrate and give thanks to God for who we are
right now – and where we are right now in our walk with him.
This will do two things for us: We will get on with being faithful to
God’s Word; and we will take care of those who we share God’s
life with at St Kiaran’s.

Let’s continue to grow together as we let our lights shine.

Your friend and pastor

Mike
M

Congratulations and our best wishes

for a great future
together are due to
Lucenda Francis,
daughter of Craig and
Shireen who became engaged to
Mathieu Thomas

in December 2019.
 ike1
MMMMM

Andrew Snyders

at his recent Ordination and

Induction to the Ministry
at
Table View United Church.

We so enjoyed his time of ministry

with us last year and now pray for
a fruitful time in his new church
with God's provision and gifts to
help him.

Andrew's mother designed and made his stole which reflects various
highlights on his journey into the Lord's service. The image on the left at
the bottom recalls his time with us in Fish Hoek through a figure with a
harvest of fish, commonly seen on our beach. The red cloth will remind
him of the Christian family home he came from as his Mom cut it from a
tablecloth which is used when the family comes together around a meal.

M
 RE-THINKING NEW YEAR AND NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
from Lucy Centlivres
The other day I started thinking – a dangerous pastime. My
mind went to the practice of NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS.

New Year is obviously a new beginning but it seems to fall at

the wrong time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, at least
as far as sitting down and re-assessing how we are coping with
life...why are we so rushed...or, if we are elderly rather the
opposite, why does time sometimes hang so heavily? And why
are our daily chores in such a mess?

But this is not a good idea in the middle of the school

holidays: children and grand-children are around demanding our
attention. Shopping for school items need to be done and 101
plans need to be put in operation at home and also at school and
church.

So why not make our New Year resolutions in the middle of

January once the schools have gone back? One of the most
important (in my view) is to re-instate or continue (as the case
may be) the habit of daily Bible reading. And here Val Ruger is
happy to help you with the latest edition of “CLOSER TO GOD”.
You’ll find her in the church foyer.

The readings this year are based on the Gospel of Luke,

interspersed with other parts of the Bible. What’s more there are
some interesting themes from time to time, i.e.
* Motivated for Mission
* “Eggsellent” Easter
* Ascension, a Continuing Ministry
* Unemployment and its Effects
* A Happy Christmas?

All this for R120: if you divide R120 by 366 (days) you’ll see
how inexpensive this is .........
And if you use this daily, you’ll b
e blessed daily ...
 Ten Questions
Once, when the people of God had become careless in their
relationship with him, the Lord rebuked them through the
prophet Haggai: “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5). He urged
them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to
evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told
them.
The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and
get our bearings. A great time for us to “Consider our ways.”
To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the
presence of God.
1. What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your
enjoyment of God?
Our enjoyment of God comes primarily through the means of
grace he has given us. He has promised to bless us most directly
and consistently through means such as his word, prayer, and the
church. One specific suggestion I’d offer would be to include
some meditation on Scripture along with your daily reading. It’s
better to read less — if necessary — and yet as the result of
meditation remember something, than to read more and
remember nothing.
2. What’s an impossible prayer you can pray?
There are more than a dozen “but God” statements in Scripture,
such as in Romans 5:8, which reads, “but God shows his love for
us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Situations that were humanly impossible were transformed by
“but God” (Ephesians 2:1–7). What’s a “but God” prayer you can
pray for the coming year?
3. What’s the most important thing you could do to
improve your family life?
If your family doesn’t practice family worship, beginning there is
the single best recommendation I could make. Just ten minutes a
day, simply reading the Bible, praying, and singing together — an
event that requires no preparation — is all it takes. My little book
titled Family Worship can tell you more.
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make
progress this year?
Would it be a personal spiritual discipline (that is, one you
practice alone), or an interpersonal spiritual discipline (one you
practice with other believers)? Once you decide, determine the
next step to take and when you will take it.
5. What’s the single biggest time-waster in your life, and
how can you redeem the time?
Social media? TV? Video games? Sports? Hobbies? It’s easy for
any of these (or something else) to take too much of our hearts
and time. Is repentance required? Trying to stop, by itself, is
probably not the answer. Actively replacing it with something
better helps us in “making the best use of the time, because the
days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).
6. What’s the most helpful new way you could strengthen
your church?
While we often stress the fact that individual believers are the
body of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15), the New Testament actually
says seven times to one that the church is the body of Christ
(Ephesians 5:23). We mustn’t let our frequent emphasis on our
personal relationship with Christ minimize the importance of our
service to Jesus through his body. How can your church be
stronger this year because of you? Serving? Giving? Praying?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most
fervently this year?
Praying frequently and fervently for someone’s
salvation makes us more sensitive to opportunities to
share the gospel with him or her. Will you commit to praying for
at least one person’s salvation every day this new year?
8. What’s the most important way, by God’s grace, you will
try to make this year different from last?
Obviously, God’s sovereignty rules over all things, and there is
nothing we can do about much that he brings into our lives. On
the other hand, under his sovereignty he gives us a measure of
responsibility over many areas of life. In which of these would
you most like to see a change from last year? You may find that
your answer to this question is found in one of your answers
above. To which of them do you sense the Holy Spirit calling your
attention most urgently?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life
this year?
For many, it might be as simple as designating a time exclusively
for prayer instead of praying only “on the go” types of prayers.
For others, it might be learning the simple, biblical practice
of praying the Bible.
10. What single thing can you plan to do this year that will
matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Short-term deadlines tend to dominate our attention. Busyness
and fatigue often limit our vision to just getting through today.
But don’t let the tyranny of the urgent distract you from
something you’re neglecting that would have enormous long-
term impact on your soul, your family, or your church.
FromF

If we .........
as grandparents ... really believe that prayer is our job
really believe that ... prayer is our weapon
really believe that ... there is a spiritual battle waging all
around
really believe that ... Satan is after the souls of our
grandchildren
really believe that … we are fighting for their very
souls .......
THEN ... we should be the most intentional, consistent, diligent, faithful,
specific pray-ers on the planet.
W

ACTS 2:38
Well Armed!
An elderly woman had just returned to her
home from an evening of religious service
when she was startled by an intruder. As she
caught the man in the act of robbing her home
of its valuables, she yelled, 'Stop -Acts 2:38!'
(..turn from your sin...). The burglar stopped
dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called
the police and explained what she had done.
As the officer cuffed the man to take him in,
he asked the burglar, 'Why did you just stand
there? All she did was yell a scripture to you.'
'Scripture?' replied the burglar, 'She said she
had an AXE and two 38's!'
 Robert Moffat, Scottish Missionary

Robert Moffat (1795-1883),

Scottish Congregationalist missionary to
Africa, was born at Ormiston,
Haddingtonshire, Scotland, on the 21st of
December 1795, of humble parentage.
He began as a gardener, but in 1814,
when employed at High Leigh in Cheshire,
offered himself to the London Missionary
Society, and in 1816 was sent out to South
Africa.
After spending a year in Namaqua
Land, with the chief, Afrikaner, whom he
converted, Moffat returned to Cape Town in 1819 and married
Mary Smith (1795-1870), the daughter of a former employer, a
remarkable woman and most helpful wife.
In 1820, Moffat and his wife left the Cape and proceeded to
Griqua Town, and ultimately settled at Kuruman, among the
Bechuana tribes living to the west of the Vaal river. Here he
worked as a missionary till 1870, when he reluctantly returned
finally to his native land. He made frequent journeys into the
neighbouring regions as far north as the Matabele country. The
results of these journeys he communicated to the Royal
Geographical Society, and when in England on furlough (I839-
1843) he published his well-known Missionary Labours and
Scenes in South Africa (1842). He translated the whole of the
Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress into Sechwana.
Moffat was builder, carpenter, smith, gardener, farmer, all in
one, and by precept and example he succeeded in turning a
horde of hostile people into a "people appreciating and cultivating
the arts and habits of civilized life, with a written language of
their own." He met with incredible discouragement and dangers
at first, which he overcame by his strong faith, determination and
genial humour. It was largely due to him that David Livingstone,
his son-in-law, took up his subsequent work.
On his return to England he received a testimonial of £5000.
He died at Leigh, near Tunbridge Wells, on the 9th of August
1883.

The Kuruman church today
The church today
draws together the
Anglican, Methodist,
Presbyterian and
United Congregational
Churches, to provide a
non-denominational
resource for the
churches and
communities in the
greater Kuruman area.
The church was
built by Robert
Moffat and Robert
Hamilton with a band
of local men.

Linda van Duyker (nee Moffat),

the dear late wife of David, was
born to a descendant of this
family.

It is not enough to own a Bible;

We should read it.
It is not enough to read it;
We must let it speak to us.
It is not enough to let it speak to us;
We must believe it.
It is not enough to believe it;
We must live it.

William A Wood
 Five ways in which giving is good for us and
for others

1 Giving makes us feel happy. It increases

happiness.
2 Giving is good for our health. Generosity
leads to better physical health and longevity.
Giving helps decrease stress which is
associated with many health issues.
3 Giving promotes co-operation and social connection.
When we give it encourages others to do the same.
4 Giving evokes gratitude. Gratitude is instrumental in
experiencing happiness, good health and strong social
interactions.
5 Giving is contagious. When one person gives, it inspires
generosity in others as well. There is a ripple effect of generosity
throughout a community.
Giving and receiving is part of our Christian faith and action.
Giving can be money, time, resources, talents and self

A reflection from Mike on an issue

he talked about in a recent sermon:

No one feels happy all the time. In his study, Durkheim

concluded “it is wrong to believe that unmixed joy is the
normal state of sensibility. Man could not live if he were
entirely impervious to sadness.” To feel depressed about the
state of your life is to demonstrate capacity to imagine
something different, and that spark of imagination can prove a
motive to change. Often in clinic, I find myself reminding my
own patients that they are not alone in feeling down or
despairing, it just feels that way – a large proportion of those
who claim volubly to be enjoying life are faking it. Social
media has extended this kind of deception, but behind the
closed clinic door you see a different picture of humanity, one
broken but with the capacity to mend, one that struggles on
against unspoken difficulties, often with great courage.
The last Mug recipe was much enjoyed – so, here is another one!

Microwave Mug Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons (1oz/30g) butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Tiny pinch of salt
Instructions:
1.Place the butter in a large mug and microwave it for 20 to
30 seconds until melted.
2.Add the egg and whisk it in with a fork. Stir in the milk,
vanilla, almond and sugar.
3.Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the batter with a
fork until smooth.
4.Cover and place in the fridge. When ready to serve
microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
5.Top with whipped cream and fresh berries and enjoy!
1. Read the Bible: It contains God’s will for our lives
2. * It is our nourishment
3. * It gives us discernment
4. * It instructs us in righteousness
5. * It contains power to overcome
6. * It is full of God’s promises

Remember this song from your childhood??

Read your Bible. Pray every day .
Read your Bible. Pray every day.
And you’ll grow, grow, grow .
Read your Bible. Pray every day.
And you’ll grow, grow, grow.

AND, if you don't,

You will SHRINK, Shrink, Shrink
you will SHRINK, SHRINK, SHRINK
St Kiaran's Presbyterian Church
Cnr. Central Circle and Recreation Road
P.O.Box 22146, Fish Hoek, 7974
Phone: 021 782 6118

Minister: Rev. Mike Muller

All are welcome at our

Regular Sunday Services

Sunday Worship Services at 9.30a.m. & 6p.m.

Holy Communion is served on the
st
1 Sunday of the month at both services

CHURCH PRAYER MEETINGS

• Tuesdays: 11.45 a.m. in the Craig

Room, or as advised.

• Prayer is offered after services for

healing or other needs, by members
of our Prayer Ministry

• Pray for our young people