February 2019

Greetings from all of us at QMBC! We acknowledge the goodness of our God and His help during the past year, and we can look forward with confidence to another year of serving Him in this work.

An analysis of the daily news, whether local or international, shows that in many ways the world is headed for doom. Man cannot fix the problems, but God can and will in His own good time. By way of encouragement for us Christians, let us look briefly at some Bible passages touching on our future blessings. Even in his deepest sufferings, the Lord Jesus had his heart set on “the joy set before him” (Heb. 12.2). How much more do we need to be occupied with future glory! The Apostle Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8.18). Peter wrote of “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow” (1 Pet. 1.11). We have no concept of these glories: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (Isa. 64.4; 1 Cor. 2.9). Peter tells us that we are going to “be overjoyed when his [Christ’s] glory is revealed” (1 Pet. 4.13). Peter also tells us that “if you do these things, you will never fall, and that you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1.10-11). Finally, the natural environment, so corrupted by man’s greed for minerals, fuels, and much more, will all be fully restored under the beneficent hand of the Lord when he comes to reign over the earth (see Zech. 14.9; Isa. 11. 6-9; 35.1-2; Joel 3.18). How worshipful and thankful we should be as we patiently await the fulfilment of all these things!

We are very happy to report that we are presently in the process of changing our mail collection arrangements in Papua New Guinea, following a recent successful visit to that country by our Chairman. He was able to personally visit and discuss the arrangements with the people concerned, which is much more satisfactory than trying to negotiate via phone calls and emails! We would like you to pray with us that the new arrangement will facilitate the flow of mail from PNG, as it has been very spasmodic for the last couple of years.

A phone call from one of our past students last month indicated that he wanted to re-commence doing the lessons. He first joined QMBC in 1995 and had left off doing the lessons about eleven years ago! Also, some students in PNG have just returned their answer sheets from lessons we posted to them in 2015. This is very encouraging and we are so thankful that the students do keep their lessons, and eventually they remember about them!

Our new website is now up and running, though we are still having a few ‘teething’ problems. One of our committee members has been involved in setting up the new website, and we are very thankful for his help. You may like to take a look at www.qmbc.org.au to see the new format. The online lessons through the Mailbox Bible Club International in USA are also now available via the website.

Praise Points

• For the successful visit to PNG by our Chairman.
• For the completion of the new website and the availability of online lessons.
• For past students who have indicated a desire to re-commence their lessons

Prayer Points

• That the new arrangements for the mail from PNG will result in increased returns.
• That backup for existing workers will be provided.
• That a suitable permanent person will be found for the position of Director.

From our Students

Please take time to read the enclosed excerpts from some of our students’ letters and answers to assignments, which we are sure you will find interesting.

From students doing the basic courses:

Elizabeth, age 61, USA:

Back in 2013 I became homeless and did not know what to do anymore. I was in the park, heard singing and went to fill my water bottle. This old man came up to me and said “Hi, I am Pastor…..” He took me off the street and put me on his homeless ranch in California. He got me back studying the Bible and brought me back to the Lord again. I was baptized in 2014 in the river. [Elizabeth commenced doing our lessons a few months ago].

Jambia, age 45, Hong Kong:

Thank you so much for your good mission, your lessons are so great to me, they always encourage and give me more confidence to seek the truth. I thank God that I found the truth and from my heart I chose to take Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I can feel the joy which comes from His salvation.

Snigdha, age 31, Thailand:

I found Jesus Christ here in prison when one of the Christian missionaries told me about Jesus and His sacrifice for us. I used to be a faithless person, my life had no purpose. Then, I was arrested for laundering counterfeit currencies…my life was over, but now with Jesus Christ, I have a hope. I have received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I repented and confessed my sins and I asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me. I cried when I read the Bible. I am willing to grow into Christ and to be a better Christian.

Henry, age 26, Thailand:

Although I was born and brought up in a Christian family, I came to know Jesus as my personal Saviour when I was grown up. Because of the great love He has for mankind even to the point of accepting to die on the Cross of Calvary in order to save the world. That’s why I was convinced that He was worthy to be my Saviour. Ever since then Christ has been living in me. I am happy to have Jesus as my Lord and personal Saviour. He is worth it.

Monica, age 38, Thailand:

I’ve known who the Lord Jesus is, since I was born and raised in a Christian home. To be honest, I never had a close personal relationship with Jesus. Just like some people I thought I would go to heaven through all the good things I’d done. Through being brought to prison, He has taught me to give my heart to Him. Also through your lessons I’ve asked God to come into my life and help me.

Michelle, age 43, Thailand:

I came to know Him as my Saviour through the teachings of the gospel I listened to…I have passed through a lot of difficulties because of the mistakes I have done. Through it all I have learnt to depend on Him and His works. I have already received Him as my Saviour. That is to say I’m saved.

Clare, past student from Australia:

I often think very fondly back to 1978 when I was four and started to do your lessons by mail. It was one of the most treasured highlights of my childhood and I absolutely loved doing the lessons as a child. I now have a little boy and was wishing he could have the same experience too and was thinking that you probably weren’t still going by now, all these years later, but I googled you anyway, and I can’t tell you how amazed I am that you are still going and that you still mail them out!!

Justine, past student from Zambia:

I want to thank QMBC for the inspiration I got when I was doing the lessons whilst on death row. I was sentenced to death in 1999 of the treason I did not know about, but after taking the [QMBC] course I came to understand that God wanted to meet me in prison because I couldn’t hear His voice outside. The lessons may seem small to the ones who think they are for children but they have made me to be where I am today. In prison I did your lessons and I even became prison fellowship secretary and eventually became a tutor to my fellow prisoners and prison officers. Then my sentence was commuted to 10 years because of prayer and fasting as well as dedication to the things of God. I was released on 4 July 2004…I have said all this to show you the impact the lessons have had on my life and they have helped me to influence others. It’s not a small thing for one to be delivered from death row to becoming a pastor because of believing in the lessons you prepare.

From students doing the Panorama Course:

Luke, age 33, Papua New Guinea:

We have to be humble and depend on God and trust him fully so God’s favour will be upon us. We must faithfully be obedient to his Word and depend on God and trust him fully to take us through every situation and circumstance.

Luke, age 33, Papua New Guinea:

God is a spiritual God but to manifest himself physically in the seen world from the unseen, he had to create a body who is Jesus Christ who was human but also God. Through Jesus, God revealed his power and might to those who were lost and needed a ransom. Jesus is our ransom who paid the ultimate price to set every person free from Satan’s prison of slavery.

George, age 37, Solomon Islands:

Yes, I always pray for others, for those who are sick, that they will be healed of their sickness. For those who have problems, and those who have overcome their problems. That through faithful prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit, God will answer my request of saving others as well as my own family.

Paithoon, age 24, Thailand:

Before I came to know God, I had many problems in my life such as smoking heroin. Then God performed a miracle on me; he helped me to stop it. He changed my life, and took away selfishness, jealousy, and many other things.

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