NEWS FROM CAMEROON
BAMENDA
Elections are being held in many African countries this year. All of them, be they presidential or parliamentary, bring the cacophony that characterizes election campaigns which is always deafening. Men and women hope for a continuance or change of those in authority they all want peace, justice, job security, better lives and you name the rest.
`The People's Choice' was the phrase used by a ruler seeking re-electon, who claimed to have achieved so much for his country. Yet, the opposition believe he has remained at the head of a government plagued with corruption, unemployment, injustice and tribalism.
God mocked the people's choice of a king when the elders of Israel brought the children of Israel to ask for their own king after the manner of the nations surrounding them. They should have called on the Lord, but, they asked for a King of their choice and their rejecting God, was a total disregard for the sovereignty of the Almighty as ruler in the kingdom of men. In 1 Sam. 8:10-18 God shows us the ways of the kings of men.
`Democracy' is a modern word for the rejection of God's choice of a king, and man's stubbornness in continuously thinking that he can better his plight by his own means. Christadelphians for nearly two hundred years have been daily searching the Scriptures and have, since then, considered themselves as strangers of the present world governments, and have never been part of its politics. They have remained a minority in every country where they are found and some have even suffered physical assaults for their belief.
In Luke 1:30-32 the birth of God's choice of a King is announced by one of his messengers. King Jesus was born, not according to worldly standards, did not spend his life in a royal palace, but embraced the cross for the redemption of his brethren and for the Kingdom from above.
Few believed him then when he was on earth; few believed his apostles after His resurrection, and still fewer believe his disciples today. As we are sure night will come today, then morning, so are we sure of his second coming, which is soon. May we all encourage one another to meditate on the daily readings in unity, as the day draws nearer. In the blessed hope of his glorious coming,
--Bro. Emmanuel Nanji.
DOUALA
Do you remember the handicaped brother I spoke to you about? Well, in answer to our prayers, I'm pleased to inform you that he has got a job working in quite a confortable post that does not trouble him a lot. God is really great and takes care of His children and knows our needs. My father is reading `The Real Devil' and he is already beginning to fall out with the satan- angel idea he used to believe in, calling it paganism.We chatted some few days ago and I told him that once he would finished the book he would understand many things as I have.
I read about something that quite interested me about phylacteries. I have always wondered why God gave Israel this kind of command to tie up portions of the law on them, but when I read `The Real Devil' I understood the necessity of this command, especially as those pagan nations round about Israel used them for protection. Actually my ethnic group do such things. We have certain bangles or rings which some people wear on the fingers and wrists against enemies that might mystically want to attack them. My father himself used to have one that he usually wore on his wrist and after some years he would have to take it back to the witch doctor to kind of revitalise the ring or bangle. This aspect is very common here in Cameroon and I am only beginning to realise how old this practise is.
Our Ecclesia needs at least five Bibles
--Bro. Cyril Zang
I wish to extend my sincere gratitude for the NEV Bible you sent to me, and as I opened
it in my office we had the opportunity to discuss a few verses from it. Most of them were embarrassed to know that the Lord Jesus is not God because of their belief in the trinity. One of them immediately went to John chapter 1 and we had a good talk on the first verses. They realised that Jesus only existed in God's plan at the beginning as I explained from the notes.
Another major problem of the gospel in Africa is letting the people understand that Satan is simply an adversary. This is because of their conception about Satan from the beginning was different and traditional. That is why it always takes us time to change the thoughts of new converts. If we have books like `The Rear Devil' and others that treat of controversial topics, that will help us a lot in Cameroon. The commentary in the Bible is being already used to cast doubt away from the minds of the people.
I enclose a picture of the newly baptized Brothers in Douala Ecclesia. I am the recording brother giving a hand of fellowship to the new brothers.
--Bro Wambong Mathias
Receiving two Brother into fellowship at Douala ecclesia, Cameroon
Bonaberri ecclesia, Cameroon, after baptisms
