Christmas Greetings

We're in Livingstone this Christmas and it's a balmy, breezy, sunny, 90 degree F. day outside. Though it was extremely hot yesterday, I still think everyone is enjoying being in the apartments this year as opposed to camping out in the bush.

We still have a lot of news from the past couple of months to deliver to you. In fact, three teams have come and gone since our last update. We will post those pics and tell you about those trips. But for now, it seems right to put all other things aside and just talk about Jesus.

We've been reading some excerpts from "God's Gift of Christmas," a little book written by MacArthur, with the kids over the last few weeks. One of the excerpts was on Luke 2:11 which reads - "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." In the Greek the title Christos means "the anointed one." That title signified that an ultimate authority was anointing someone and placing him in a very high office. In Jesus' case, the ultimate authority who anointed Him was none other than His own Father, the Sovereign of the universe. God Himself declared Jesus to be The King of kings and The Lord of lords.

In light of what is happening in the Western Province these days this truth is very reassuring. The Lozi royal establishment and the senior chief continue to drag their feet. It has been confirmed from a few sources that our speculation appears to be correct - the Kuta is stalling on purpose to see if we will resort to bribery. In their minds we will be willing to pay "under the table" in order to move the process along. So we are still in a bit of a standoff. We also read recently that the president for the Barotse Patriotic Front, Mutangelwa Imasiku, confirmed in an interview that a group of people from Western Province would soon announce the Limulunga Declaration which states that the Lozi people of Western Province want to declare Barotseland its own country and separate from the rest of Zambia. In response the government warned those trying to cause anarchy in the country that they would not be tolerated.

Interesting, isn't it? So as we sit in our home in Livingstone with all of these little "kings" and "lords" shaking their fists, insisting that they be recognized, Jesus Christ the Lord, "the anointed one," sits on his throne in Heaven and laughs (Psalm 1:4).

May Christ be praised and may all of you enjoy a very, merry Christmas in the Annointed One.