Glory to God in the highest,

        And on earth peace

            Good will toward men!

 

May the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ

   Be your strength in 2007

 

Christmas 2006

 


Dear friend

Praise the Lord for His goodness.

 

Climate change!

 Behold, wthe days are coming,” says the Lord,

     When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,

     And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;

     xThe mountains shall drip with sweet wine,

     And all the hills shall flow with it.[1]

 

The world’s observers see ‘For ination will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be jfamines, 2pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.[2]’ but this time of trouble will be cut short and the Lord will bring on His kingdom (we pray ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’)

4          Now ait shall come to pass in the latter days

     That the mountain of the Lord’s house

     Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

     And shall be exalted above the hills;

     And peoples shall flow to it.

2     Many nations shall come and say,

     Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

     To the house of the God of Jacob;      He will teach us His ways,      And we shall walk in His paths.”

     For out of Zion the law shall go forth,

     And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3     He shall judge between many peoples,

     And rebuke strong nations afar off;

     They shall beat their swords into bplowshares,

     And their spears into 1pruning hooks;

     Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

     cNeither shall they learn war anymore.

4     dBut everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,      And no one shall make them afraid;

     For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.[3] 

 

We have had 270mm rain this year compared with 460, 547, 722, 750 in recent years.  Famines in scripture are often associated with God seeking to draw people back to Himself because the consequences of disobeying the gospel[4] are ‘everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord’ (2Thess 1:8).  So, while it is sad to see the land languishing, dams empty, stock hungry, fires burning and trees dying,  it is not yet apparent that Australia is ready to call The LORD, He is GOD.  So we must be patient a little longer (See James 5: 7-8, 17-18, 1 Kings 18:30-40,  Habakkuk 3:16-18, )

 

 Another busy year has passed quickly.  Andrew lost his job last Christmas and has not yet found another.  Kathleen and Kelvin are expecting their second child in March; Hannah at 15 months is a ball of energy.  Lois has moved to Wollon-gong and though also without work, seems reasonably content.  Julie-Ann and Keith are as busy as ever.  Poest has started school.  Daisy is nearly 4 and Truli Grace was born on 23 January 2006.

 

Ellen has worked at the Christian school 3 days a week but looks for opportunities to visit the grandchildren.  She is not so keen about the possibility of working 5 days in 2007.  She has also been busy supporting ladies in the assembly.

 

Arthur had two trips overseas: in January to attend a retirement dinner for Professor Robin Thompson who has been an inspiration on the work front, and in August to consult in USA, present a conference paper in Brazil and discuss the future development of ASReml in UK.

 

He has now completed the third reading of the whole scriptures on Rhema FM (over ten years) and continues as treasurer.  There is opportunity for more to be done on that front if there was more time and skilled volunteers.

 

The Lord has continued to bless through the assembly as we seek to know the Lord and live a life glorifying Him.  A special joy has been to attend six weddings over 18 months (1 to go).  Arthur obtained registration as a marriage celebrant and conducted one of those.

 

We have no particular plans for great changes in 2007.  It is still two years before we think of retirement.  The olive trees are still alive though stressed by the drought.  We picked 150 kg last autumn.

 

 

Arthur and Ellen GILMOUR

“Cargo Vale”, 15 Barragan Rd,

CARGO, NSW, 2800

 

Arthur@cargovale.com.au

www.cargovale.com.au

 

02 6364 3288 (home)

0419 647 675 (Ellen)

0438 251 426  (Andrew)

 

    Glory to God in the highest,

        And on earth peace

            Good will toward men!

 

 

 

May the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ

   Be your strength in 2007

 



[1]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Am 9:13).

[2]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 24:7-8).

[3]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Mic 4:1-4). Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[4] God commands all men to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 4:12, 16:31, 17:24-31)