Bible Zone: Enter with wonder!

Our dedication is to Jehovah our Salvation, Jesus the Christ our Lord and our God. This same dedication is by HIS work in us as we move at HIS direction in Zambia, Africa. Holiness by HIS Grace, the gift of eternal life in Jesus, is our desire for the Tribal People of Africa; that they may turn to HIM receiving forgiveness, remission of sin, just as we have received according to the Scripture.

Phil and Melody Stephens, Servants of Jesus the Christ

Friday, October 21, 2011

Follow Follow I Will Follow Jesus....

...anywhere, every where, I will follow on, everywhere HE leads me I will follow on! Good old hymn for a Band of Brothers in the army of the Lord of hosts. Just a short story, by an old man, for the glory of a Blessed Savior, one and only God our Savior, our Redeemer Messiah Jesu. Was getting some timber today for a project, minding my own business (shamefully so ) when the work of Jesus overtook me (bless HIS name for overcoming our selfish use of HIS time HE has given us). See the photo, Eric and Namachana. Bernard who helps us at our home, Bubba's Bible College Student, exalted the holy name of Christ our Lord to these 2 precious souls. I got sucked into the perfect storm of the spiritual war. Taught them of His Royal Highness, King of Righteousness, King of Shalom, Prince of Peace, Man of Sorrows who carried our grief and was wounded for our transgessions, bruised for our iniquity, the Healer of our Sins and their results, death; then preached repentance and faith in Jesus Messiah the only wise God. They claimed to believe in Him not trusting their religion. Gave them Bibles...now look again at the photo. I do love it so, this walk of the Word of Life!



Phil

Monday, October 17, 2011

Sunday Blessings



Yesterday, Melody and I visited with Jacob Nasibebo and the people he is ministering to. They meet Friday for discipleship and services on Sunday morning. From small beginnings in the Lord, great things appear, ask the Apostles.

During the service while prayer was being offered up, I took a picture of George and Kelvin [do not tell me my eyes should have been closed without giving me a verse...HA gotcha]. George, unchurched, starting coming to be discipled by Jacob. Now he is a faithful follower of Jesus Messiah our Savior. Kelvin has been coming faithfully for a few weeks, and joy of learning Christ is beginning to be seen in his life.



Grandma in middle of group picture, Jacob's 90 plus yr old Grandmother was singing and smiling all the time. She has gone to church since a girl, practicing witchcraft all along. The first time I met her she was mumbling in a 'tongue' Jacob had never heard but assures me it was not any Zambian language, ....you figure it out....while shaking her head at me with obivious anger; anyway a year later she came to services, proclaimed that she was now following the Jesus of the Bible that Jacob taught and repented of witchcraft. Been smiling ever since!



After the service, Jacob gave Kelvin a Bible. What glory is seen when our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ is our Life.


Servant of the most high God, Phil.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Please Forgive Me

I have struggled a bit since last post. Just tired all the time, and a shelf fell on me, got problems with neck and shoulder. Not complaining cuz at 61 am thankful to be able to do anything, just has reduced my time in the bush villages where the action mostly is.










There is one other pressing matter that has occupied my time and will for a while. Have been working on series of Lessons for our Zambian Pastors, leaders and anyone who wants to seriously minister for Jesu Kristo here in Zambia. Am on Lesson 30 at the moment and it is an effort to declare Jesu from Genesis to Revelation as Jehovah who is our Savior, our deliverer.










I am not a desk kind of guy, not a writer by choice, but this has been a direction the Lord has led me and it has been revolutionary, by their testimony, in the lives of those who have used it. It is 99.5% internal Scriptural evidence with a very small addition from generally accepted history, less than a 1/2 %. Enuff of that!










Yesterday, Pastor Kebby Malamo and his wife, Etambuyu met with me to determine their agreement for Kebby to go to our bush works for some days each month for training leadership. Etambuyu is a city girl like Melody, my wife. Bush jest ain't her thang! Opps my Texas jumped out before I cud stop it.










I told them to consider and pray over how much he could be gone without harming their home life, personal and family. I gave them a week or so to pray and discuss the issue, went to get them a sandwich and something to drink and Etambuyu was saying something to Kebby in Lozi. I caught all the words, but no understanding with my Texas mind.










When the old man returned to the table Kebby said Etambuyu had made her position clear as a Preacher/Evangelist's wife. When they married, Kebby was going for a week at a time to Evangelize. She knew it was right. What ever time he needed to strenghthen our ministry was good for her. The Lord had prepared her already to stand by Kebby and the ministry of Christ in which we labor together.










This is one step closer to the people we minister with, not needing me as they serve Christ from the heart. Our end goal is disciples of the Lamb of God, our blessed Redeemer, not disciples of man or man's religion.










Now we will not allow him long absences from home, but maybe 3 times for 4-5 days per trip every 2 months he will go to the Habbanyuku valley to train up leadership for the 2 churches there. Meanwhile he is at our home translating our material into Tonga and Lozi.










This morning Kebby came in the gate singing "I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free...." .....strange..?... naw, just glad to be free to serve the LORD JESUS who made Kebby free from sin and because HIS eye watches Kebby....I aked him!

Here is picture of Kebby with the smile of the Life of Christ shining out to a lost and dying world.






Well, am going to Habbanyuka tomorrow, maybe a new story for the pages of God's book regarding HIS work among the children of men!






Barely Sanctified by the Crucified, Fully Justified by the Resurrected.

Your servant for Christ, Phil