Hi Everyone
Here’s this month’s Gone Fishin’ Newsletter.
Every month a team from our fellowship at Calvary Wellington heads out to our regular fishing holes – the Naenae Market and Hillary Court shops, or the Hutt Riverbank Fruit and Vege Market. There we share the Gospel to those in our immediate community.
Once a month I publish a simple newsletter that is distributed to the fellowship (or for anyone else who stumbles across this website), as a way of encouragement, and as a tool to equip us to be better evangelists.
You can read the last Field Reports from 23-27/10/23 Outreach here.
Enjoy!
Gone Fishin’ Monthly Newsletter – November 2023
“Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
(Eph 5:14-15).
Hi Everyone
Praying that this finds you all well. The year is going fast, so I hope you are redeeming your time sharing the Gospel with as many people as possible!
Speaking of which, the Bible tells us why and how we can redeem our time in our verses above.
After imploring us to wake up, rise up, and look up (which is a sermon in itself), Paul tells us to walk circumspectly, with wisdom, and redeeming the time.
Walk with circumspect
“See then that you walk circumspectly…”
To walk circumspectly means to walk in a ‘careful and prudent way’ (Harper-Collins). This would mean constantly checking every foot placement, to ensure that there are no hidden obstacles, cracks, or uneven surfaces that can cause us to stumble. It is a deliberate action, to be always aware of your immediate surroundings. It is something I have to focus on the natural world myself, as my former broken ankles would attest to!
As Christians, we need to be deliberate in everything we do and say in our daily walk. And if we focus deliberately on our God-given task at hand, we will be less likely trip up on whatever life throws at us. We have been promised trials on our Christian journey, and it makes sense that we should keep our eyes focused on the next step, and not constantly worried about the next faraway hill / valley / river to cross.
Walk with clarity
“…not as fools but as wise…”
To walk wisely means to think about the direction you are going. This would mean sticking to the path and not wandering around aimlessly, and getting lost. A wise man uses his map, compass or the sun and stars, to ensure his direction is sure. He knows his destination and relies on tried and sure ways to get him there. If the road is foreign to him, he will not rely on guesswork, or what seems right to him, but uses the necessary tools to guide him.
As Christians, our compass is the Word of God. It is a wise man who constantly checks against the Word for any course alterations needed. If we rely on our hearts, our feelings, or what seems right to us, we can wander way off course into danger, into the jungle of heresy, where danger lurks at every dark turn.
Walk with correction
“…redeeming the time…”
To redeem the time means to be purposeful in all you do, to until the job is done. This would mean sticking habitually to your goals. There is still 24 hours in a day, and once they are gone, you can’t get them back. To ensure that a man’s time is not wasted frivolously, he focuses on the most important tasks first. If he is lazy, or allows himself time to chase rabbits on the trail, he will never make it to his destination in the allotted time. If he is late for his appointment, it may be cancelled.
As Christians, we need to know that time on earth is short. It is for this reason we need to stay focused on the tasks we need to do – reading the Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and fulfilling the Great Commission. The time we waste on frivolous things only distracts us, and we can’t get that time back. We can redeem it though, by ensuring that from this time onwards, we will commit to change!
And we do all this “…because the days are evil.”.
This world is certainly getting darker and darker, and Satan is using all means possible to distract us and trip us up.
Let us stay focused – let us walk circumspectly, be wise, and redeem the time – all for God’s glory!
Tell Me Conference / Wellington Mission Week Recap
Thank you all for the great attendance at the Tell Me Conference. Glen tells me it is the biggest turnout he has had!
It is encouraging to see how important the Great Commission is to you all, and I pray you find opportunities to put these skills to the test wherever and whenever possible!
I know it is not always possible to take time off work, and totally devote your time to evangelism. We still had an awesome week, with dozens of Gospel conversations, and hundreds of tracts given away!
You can read my daily reports of the outreach at https://headcountone.net/category/wellington-outreach-2023/.
You can find Glen’s reports at https://www.operation513.com/battlelog/id/2857/
and https://www.operation513.com/battlelog/id/2859/.
I will be doing Schoolies Week again on the Gold Coast, from 18-25 November, so would appreciate your prayers.
Last year I had a ball, so couldn’t turn down the offer to come back!
To see what Schoolies is all about, have a read of my daily reports from last year at https://headcountone.net/category/schoolies/.
Reminder: December’s Outreach will be our big Christmas one at the Hutt Riverbank Fruit and Vege Market on the 16th!
Keep your eyes peeled on the church notices for when we will need help putting the gift packs together!
I’ll see you at my place at 10am this Saturday for prayer, before heading done to the Naenae shops!
Blessings
Craig.
Witnessing Tip: Time waits for no one!
The time of Christ’s return is unknown to us.
We may or may not have tomorrow.
We rest easy that our future is certain, but so is the unbelievers!
Don’t wait until tomorrow to tell them the Good News!
