REFLECTIONS ON 2008
December 16th, 2008It has been a year we have seen God work like never before and we praise God for that. As per this past Sunday (14/12/08) we have 608 responses to the Gospel for the year. This is truly amazing. We saw 18 people being baptized and meetings grow in number. We had many teams and individuals from other countries visiting us.
We had 14 students successfully complete a further year of studies. We have representation in the Philippines, Malawi and Kenya. In addition we had one of our 3rd year students go back to Zimbabwe to his own church as a Pastor an yet another student is planning to go to the Eastern Cape to start a work there.
We heard testimonies of how God saved of our people from a life of alcohol and now they drink the Word of God, how others came to the mission, found Jesus Christ, turned their lifes around got a job, accommodation and are going on with the Lord.
Of the 608 who responded to the Lord, some where already attending another Church and continued there, some disappeared with the Xeno-phobia violence, some where only passing through the city, some have remained with us, but the sad part is a large number fell by the wayside. This despite having in place, extensive follow up procedures. The majority of the people we minister to and are found within the city are without fail form part of dysfunctional families often having many wives and or lovers or simple unwed and living in sin. Ethically and morally dysfunctional, where wrong is deemed right and with very few having a proper understanding of what is good and bad. Socially a large number of these people have dropped out of society and unable to function properly within a “normal” society. Alcoholism and drug addiction is clearly evident.
In addition a large number are unable to think or act rationally and because of living so long in sin, their lifes have become one huge web of confusion, problems, hopelessness and defeat.
It is, in light of this, we are absolutely persuaded that unless God comes down in a mighty moving of His Spirit upon us the people of the City will be lost for all eternity. It is not some new method or means or technique which can turn these people to the Lord it is only Him moving in mighty convicting power that can cut through this web these people find themselves in, and that they can be restored to the Lord, their families and to a sound mind.
Christmas is about the Birth of a man, who is God, who lived a sinless life, died a substitute death, rose again bodily and ascended into heaven. We celebrate the birth of Jesus who would become a curse that we might live and have HIS Spirit without measure. This brings hope to us and for the people of Johannesburg who sit in darkness and are caught in the web of sin, confusion, hopelessness and defeat.
Will you not join us this Christmas by praising God for what HE has done in the city this year but also plead with HIM to pour out His Spirit upon us.
God bless and have a blessed Christmas
