Count your blessings

Amongst many other blessings that I’m likely forgetting, here are some things I thank God for from my April visit to the States…

I’m thankful for the fellowship of believers in Christ throughout the East Coast.  It was great to meet some members of Exeter Chapel (Amy’s church), to reconnect with members of Uptown Church (my sending church), and to connect with others over an afternoon coffee or meal.  The Lord encouraged me through many of you!

The hospitality and generosity of the Rambikur family, the von Kuhns, the Rambikurs in New Hampsire, the Augustines, the McGills, the Reeders (congrats on Evelyn!), the Britts, the Passaros, Peter Barwick and many others.  Thank you for opening your homes and hearts to Amy and me!

The generosity of 9Marks who sponsored me to attend Together For the Gospel and for Together for the Gospel’s 20+ great books that were given away to us.  America and “The West” get bashed sometimes, but I was reminded of the Lord’s kindness and generosity to the rest of the world through His people in the United States.

At T4G, I was thankful to hear of a testimony of a man who was converted at a church in DC.  The powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ saved him, but it was the local church’s love for each other (and for him and his mother) that attracted him to the message of the crucified and Risen Savior.  Love.  I guess that shouldn’t surprise us (John 17), but with the many church planting “gurus” out there, it’s easy to forget the simple power of authentic Christianity.

I’m also thankful for the Word of God that was preached at the conference.  I’m thankful for the men God has gifted to preach the Word and for the effort they put into digging into the Word and proclaiming it.

I’m thankful for the wisdom of elders and older brothers in Christ who gently corrected me and reminded me of certain truths.

I’m thankful for Pastor Phil who served Amy and I through pre-marital counseling.  Thank you!

I’m thankful for a Friday night spent at the Britt’s house, where I had the opportunity to share what the Lord has been doing in my life and in South Africa.  It was a privilege and joy to have Grant Retief in Charlotte with us to share about church planting in South Africa.  (Grant is the Rector of Christ Church Umhlanga and Chairman of The Evangelical Network Trust).  It was a great night.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to share a ‘missions moment’ at Uptown Church and to introduce myself to Exeter Chapel.  Thank you to everyone who helped in organizing these events!

I’m thankful for the joy of celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Rambikurs, celebrating the marriage of Ryan and Elizabeth and for celebrating Sammy’s (my brother) engagement to Katy.

There’s so many ”small things” to give thanks for… hitting golf balls in the back yard, playing a few holes at a par-3 course at dusk, a walk through the Connecticut woods (I miss the trees), energy and protection as Amy and I traveled, do-it-yourself yogurt places (it’s all the “rave” in the South), little league games, a backyard barbeque, a pickup basketball game with my “little” brothers (they both tower over me), being baptized into the Rambikur family through watching Pride & Prejudice (I confess, I enjoyed it), and many other blessings.

Last but not least, I’m thankful for the person with whom I shared many of these experiences, Amy.

 

A Westerner’s Guide to Investing in African Ministry: Sin, Hell and the Cross of Christ

It is great to partner with ministries that care for people’s temporal needs, including caring for orphans and widows (James 1:27).  Such ministries reflect the character of God, who is merciful and compassionate, especially toward the weak.  The temporal suffering that many people endure in South Africa should break our hearts.

It should shatter our hearts that children are raped, left for dead, have no mom or dad and go to bed hungry.  I know of a young boy who was abandoned, left for dead in a township as a newborn baby, only to be miraculously found, brought to a hospital, and taken in (adopted) by a loving Christian family.  They happen to have three other adopted children and are currently fostering a blind boy with HIV/AIDS.

The family also runs a hospital ministry that serves abandoned children by building relationships with the children, helping them learn and teaching them Bible stories.  What empowers their ministry?  Christ’s sacrificial love for them.  Africa (and the rest of the world) needs more disciples of Christ who joyfully give their lives like this family.  Their ministry brings much glory to Christ.

“No mum.  Please feed and care for me.”

The flood of American and European young Christians who spend their summers overseas serving orphans is encouraging, too.  Some may sneer at these “Americans who think they can save Africa” but I don’t think that’s how the Lord Jesus see it.  He sees the heart’s motives.  Many Americans come here because their hearts are filled with genuine, Christ-like compassion towards these children.  Interestingly, some of the most Spirit-filled preachers in history, George Whitefield and Charles Spurgeon, had big hearts for orphans.  I guess they were just following in the spirit of the Preacher (Luke 18:16).

So what I’m about to write, I say affirming orphan ministry (and other mercy ministry) as something that brings glory to God.

Has the Western church (namely, America) lost its bearings when it comes to Africa?  It is Christ-like to have compassion on orphans, widows, the poor, diseased and marginalized people.  We need more compassion.  But do we have compassion for the orphans, widows, the poor, diseased and marginalized people (and everyone else) who are lost and who, without Christ, will face eternal suffering?

When you hear Western Christians talk about Africa and its problems, how often do you hear about sin (and the wrath of God against sinners) as Africa’s greatest problem?

There’s a great deal of interest in Africa, but you will never hear the truth about Africa’s problems on CNN.  The politically correct (and godless) worldview thinks of Africa primarily as victims of Western colonialism.  In reality, God is the victim of our treacherous rebellion against Him.  By nature, we all (Africans included) worship created things rather than the Creator.  And for that, we deserve God’s judgment.

One of the keys to investing wisely in Christian ministry in Africa is to regain a robust, Biblical doctrine of sin.  Clearly, Africa’s problems won’t be solved by building more wells and US government AID.  The billions of dollars the US government has poured into Africa haven’t changed the continent.  It’s like a doctor putting a band-aid on a paper-cut, while her patient internally bleeds to death.  The problem is much deeper in Africa.  Sin.

Corruption, HIV/AIDS, orphans, violence, poverty are problems, but they’re not the heart of Africa’s problems.  They are symptoms of the deeper problem.  What is the source government “corruption?”  It’s greed for money and lust for power, both of which flow from the human heart.  What is the source of violence?  Anger, jealousy, bitterness flowing from the human heart.  Poverty, while multifaceted, is (at least somewhat) connected to corrupt governments run by people (take Zimbabwe, for example) with corrupt hearts.  The heart of Africa’s problems is the human heart.

The Bible is the most up-to-date book in the world.  God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  The Lord Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23).

We need to remember the doctrine of sin when investing time, money, energy and other resources into ministries here.

We need to remember the doctrine of hell, too.  The temporal suffering in Africa is often terrible.  I recently heard reports coming from Swaziland that people are eating cow dung to survive.  (Meanwhile the King just got a brand new jet plane).  Every day in KwaZulu-Natal (where I live) countless people die from HIV/AIDS.  Disease, hunger, poverty, violence, death.  Heart-breaking, awful suffering.  But as horrible as this suffering is, the wrath of God poured out against unrepentant sinners is much worse.  It’s eternal suffering.

The Lord Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone — “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell” (Matthew 18:9).  We are sometimes squeamish about these verses, but they are the truth from our loving Lord.  He warns us about hell because of his great love for us.  We all deserve to be punished, separated from God’s presence for all eternity (2 Thessalonians 1:9) because of our rebellion against Him.  While the unbeliever scoffs at the thought of hell, his scoffing doesn’t take away from the reality of it.  Have we forgotten about hell when it comes to investing wisely in Africa?

Sin and God’s righteous judgment against sinners (hell) are Africa’s greatest problems.  (They are world’s greatest problems).

But God has provided a solution in Jesus Christ.  In His great, fathomless love, God the Father sent His only Son into the world to rescue us.  The only solution to our great problems of our sin and God’s judgment against our sin is Jesus Christ.  At the cross, Jesus Christ took the punishment for sin on behalf guilty sinners.  The wrath of God against sin was poured out on the Innocent Jesus in the place of everyone who turns and trusts in Christ alone. 

So the message of Jesus Christ crucified must be preached.  Boldly, humbly, with compassion, but it must be proclaimed.  In the townships, in the villages, to the poor, to the rich.  All over the continent and the world!

“The Lord is using ENTRUST and local churches to train up a new generation of Gospel workers…”

Preaching the cross of Christ is foolishness to the American media, but it is the power of God to salvation for all who believe.

Are we taking our cues more from the UN, CNN and Tutu than the crucified Savior?  Subtly, in our hearts, do we move away from the foolishness of the cross to gain respectability in the world’s eyes?

Africa desperately needs the Savior, our Lord Jesus.  And so it desperately needs preachers and local churches who resolve to “know nothing… except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Here’s some questions to ask when investing (giving, encouraging, visiting, etc.) African ministries:

Are your partnerships with ministries in Africa connected to evangelical, Bible-believing local churches that make Gospel proclamation its top priority?

Are the orphan ministries I invest in run by evangelical, Bible-believing Christians who can disciple these young children and point them to Christ, or will they only give the children a hope for this life?

What is this ministry’s statement of faith?  Do they diagnose the evil heart of man as the fundamental problem with the world or are they focused on the symptoms of the problem?  What’s their doctrine of sin?  Of hell?  Of salvation?

Does this ministry love the Lord Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come?  Or are they ashamed to mention His Name?

Here are some ministries in South Africa worth checking out:

THE BIBLE TALKS (Gospel proclamation, evangelism, discipleship on a secular university campus)

CHRIST CHURCH GLENWOOD (Local church, training young ministers, church planting)

ENTRUST (Biblical training, theological training, church planting)

GEORGE WHITEFIELD COLLEGE  (Evangelical theological training)

LILY OF THE VALLEY (Bible-believing ministry to orphans, Christian schools)

ZANINI BANTWANA (Bible-believing ministry to abandoned children and orphans)

Here are some ways the Lord could use you to help:

-   Pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers for his harvest field (Matthew 9:38)

-  Visit South Africa and spend time with a pastor serving in a poor area.  Your church could adopt a pastor and help to sponsor his theological training and/or salary.   Invite him periodically to visit your church in the States and preach the Word.

To make this very practical, right now, there is a dear pastor named Goodenough overseeing two churches in a poor, rural township area.  He loves Jesus (that’s the first thing out of his mouth whenever he guest preaches), he preaches the Word faithfully, he speaks the truth boldly (calls people to reject Ancestral Worship in obedience to Christ), and he’s humble, gentle, joyful.  Perhaps you or your church could visit him, check out the work he’s doing, and give towards his yearly salary so that he can remain devoted to the ministry of the prayer and the Word (Acts 6:4).

- Visit South Africa and check out some of these ministries in person.

- Visit South Africa and visit orphaned child.  If the Lord puts it on your heart, adopt an orphan into your family.

- Come serve in South Africa for an extended period of time.  Greatest needs are faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God, discipleship, and compassionate orphan-lovers.  I’m marrying one of them.

A Christian = An Exile

According to Holy Scripture a Christian is an exile in this world.  One who hates his/her life in this world.  One who is hated by the world. A stranger.  An alien in this world.  A wanderer.  One of whom the world is not worthy.

“To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion…” (1 Peter 1:1b)

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

“If you were of this world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you“ (John 15:19).

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

“They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.  They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated — of whom the world was not worthy — wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:37-38).

Where is this Christianity (which is Biblical Christianity) in South Africa?  In America?  In my own life?  I fear we deceive ourselves.  We read verses like John 12:25 — “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” — and I fear we say in our hearts, “Yes, but Jesus didn’t really mean that.  He doesn’t really expect me to live as an exile in a foreign land, longing for His return.  That’s just too… that’s just too… that’s just too, um, Biblical?”

The common form of “Christianity” in South Africa (I’m reading it all over Facebook) is a Christianity of this world, which is no Christianity at all.   It doesn’t acknowledge our true identity as exiles in this world.  It has no place for waiting and longing for the age to come.   It’s a religion that encourages the worship of created things — chasing after fancy cars, beach houses and cushy corporate jobs, all in the name of Jesus.  It must be a different Jesus than the one who was crucified on a Roman cross and calls us to follow Him (Mark 8:34-38).

Christians, we are exiles.

A truly spiritual woman

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).

One of my fears has been to marry a woman whose heart is in love with the present world.  I’ve wanted to marry a woman who is other-worldly, a woman whose treasure is in heaven (Matthew 13:44), a woman who is truly spiritual.

Thankfully, God’s Word sheds light on what authentic spirituality looks like worked out.  The Holy Spirit, through James, warns against worldliness and contrasts it with what a genuine expression of active, lively faith in Jesus Christ (“pure religion” in one’s heart) looks like — “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

By the providence of God, I met such a woman almost two years ago in Orlando, Florida at training for Pioneers.  Her name is Amy Renée Rambikur.  Anyone who knows Amy will agree with me that James 1:27 describes her, both in her compassion towards those the world ignores (especially orphans) and in keeping herself pure from the world with its selfish ambition ( James 3:14).

Amy Renée Rambikur, disciple of Jesus Christ and…

lover of orphans.

I love Amy’s heart — she is a truly spiritual woman.

So I was humbled and delighted when, on Christmas Eve, I asked her if she’d marry me…

And she said… “Yes!”

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17a)

Please join me in rejoicing in God’s amazing grace towards Amy.  She is His workmanship.  “Of His own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:16).

Please join me in rejoicing in God’s amazing grace towards me through Amy’s friendship.  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

And please join us in praying that, whether in South Africa or elsewhere in the world, our lives would reflect the glory of Jesus Christ — that we’d act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

Adoniram Judson, bold evangelist

I’ve been enjoying Adoniram Judson’s biography, To the Golden Shore.  Judson was a missionary to Burma in the 1800s.

I particularly enjoyed his encounter with his Buddhist language teacher.  Where is this boldness among modern-day missionaries?

Excerpted from To the Golden Shore, pg. 185…

“The conversation had begun one day when they were working together at the book-piled study table on the veranda.  Always alert for an opportunity to bring up religion, Adoniram remarked that a man they both knew had died.  The teacher [a Buddhist] had admitted that he had heard so.  “His soul is lost, I think”, said Adoniram. 

Buddhist teacher:  “Why so?”

Judson:  “He was not a disciple of Christ.”

The teacher was skeptical.  “How do you know that?  You could not see his soul.”

Judson:  “How do you know whether the root of the mango tree is good?  You cannot see it, but you can judge by the fruit on its branches.  Thus I know the man who died was not a disciple of Christ, because his words and actions were not such as to indicate the disciple.”

Buddhist teacher:  “And so all who are not disciples of Christ are lost?!”

Judson:  “Yes, all, whether Burmans or foreigners.”

Buddhist teacher:  “This is hard.”  (He then thought upon the idea for awhile).

Judson:  “Yes, it is hard, indeed;  otherwise I should not have come all this way, and left parents and all, to tell you of Christ.”

Marijuana is bad for your health

Today at The Bible Talks in Pietermaritzburg, two Rastafarians reviled me as an evil “Colonialist”, mocked Christianity, and called upon “Jah” to send fire from heaven on me.  (He didn’t answer).  Then, they quoted Scripture and argued some ridiculous interpretations, my favorite being the first one listed below:

“The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow” (Revelation 1: 14a) .  They misquoted this verse, focusing on the wool.  “The hairs of his head were like wool!” one of them exclaimed.  Simultaneously, he removed his red, yellow-and green knitted cap (mind you, it was ~70 degrees F) and whipped out his dreadlocks.  “His hair was like wool!” he shouted, pointing to his dreadlocks.  (At this point, he was talking to some of my African Christian brothers).  He then pointed at me (the one white guy) and said, “Not silk!” (like Jeremiah’s hair), but “wool.”

They also abused Genesis 2:13, focusing on the “land of Cush” but, of course, ignoring the references to the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.  They claimed that the tree of life is marijuana, that they offer daily burnt offerings to God (smoking marijuana), that the burning bush that Moses encountered is still burning in Ethiopia, that a dead king of Ethiopia (he is yet to rise from the dead) is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, they interpreted 2 Samuel 22:9a – “Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth…” in reference to smoking marijuana, and pointed out the references to “God Most High.”

Sickening stuff.

Up until today, I thought the Shembe Cult and Trinity Broadcasting Network led southern Africa in Scripture-twisting, but I think the Rastamans have them beat.  What’s amazing is that the Rastafarians I met today seemed to really believe what they were saying. 

Here are some reflections on my Rastafarian encounter:

1)  Anti-Colonial resentment runs deep in Africa.  (How else could one believe such things?  Well, #7 and especially #5 might explain their beliefs, too).

2)  Sound Bible teaching is vital to the growth of the Church in southern Africa.  Ministries like ENTRUST are critical.  (If you don’t know about ENTRUST, I’d encourage you to learn more about them.  The Lord is doing great work through some South African ministers who trained under Dick Lucas and David Jackman).

3)  Biblical Theology is very important.  Most of the southern African false doctrine comes from twisting the OT Scripture.  At The Bible Talks (Pietermaritzburg), a group of us are reading God’s Big Picture (by Vaughan Roberts) together.  Great stuff!

4)  The Church in Southern Africa desperately needs African men who love and cherish his Word.  (God has granted me the privilege of learning from dear African brothers, both from South Africa and Zambia).  May God raise up many more who will boldly proclaim Christ and Him crucified and Risen!

5)  The heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  Fallen man, by nature, chooses to believe lies.

6)  I was reminded of God’s amazing grace in my life.  (Eph. 2:1-10).

7)  Marijuana is bad for your health.  

Please join us in praying for these two guys and the many others on the University of KwaZulu-Natal campuses — that God might open their eyes to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Colossians: True Spirituality

I’ve had the joy of studying Colossians over the past several months (I’d like to continue for several more) both personally and with the The Bible Talks students.  I continue to be amazed (and thankful to God!) for this powerful, little letter.

God speaks today through His Word and exposes the foolish teaching of “spiritual fullness now!” broadcast by the self-proclaimed “anointed” men on the television and in pulpits throughout southern Africa for what it is — empty, deceitful lies — false spirituality.  Thankful for the timeless truth of God’s Word!

Here are some thoughts and observations from this amazing, little letter:

1.  The gospel in Colossians is primarily described as a word of hope (1:4, 1:23, 1:27).  The emphasis is on the future glory that believers will experience when Christ returns.  “When Christ who is your life appears, then [and only then!] you also will appear with him in glory” (3:4).  For now, the believer’s life is “hidden with Christ in God” (3:3b).

Paul emphasizes the “future glory” to be revealed when Christ returns for good reason.  The false teachers were claiming (perhaps “naming and claiming”?) a “fullness now” spirituality.

2.  Paul prays that the Colossians would be filled with “the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (1:9b) and that they would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might” (1:11a) but why?

He prays for knowledge (which, 2:3 says, is found in Christ alone) so that they would “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” (What that looks like in day-to-day life is explained later in 3:1 — 4:6).

He prays for power (again, found in Christ alone) “for all endurance and patience with joy” (1:11b).  Nothing glamorous, nothing flashy — day-to-day Christian living.

3.  True ministers of the Gospel (like the Apostle Paul) suffer to preach Christ (2:1-3) so that the people they serve would grow to maturity in Him (1:28).  False teachers base their authority on dreams and visions (2:18) and attempt to capture people (Colossians 2:8) for themselves.

Experience-based authority (sadly, authority based on dreams and visions is common in Africa) is a sure sign of false teaching.  It’s striking how many cults have started (Mormonism, for example) because someone claims to have had a “vision from God.”

4.  Super-spirituality (like that of the false teachers in Colossae) undermines the assurance of genuine believers.  Hence, Paul assures the believers in Colassae that they are genuine (1:1-14) as evidenced by the work of God’s Spirit in them.  The Spirit’s work is evidenced, not by signs and wonders, but through their faith in Christ (1:4) and love for other believers (1:4) because of the certain hope laid up for them in heaven (1:5).

5.  The doctrine of election (1:3) provides assurance to genuine believers.  It’s a wonderful truth.  Paul thanks God for the Colossians (1:3) because of the Spirit’s gracious work in them.

6.  Paul charges them to “stand firm” in Christ (2:6-7).  They (and we) must not shift from the hope of the gospel (1:23).  The world wars against the idea of loyalty, and especially wars against loyalty to old ideas — especially the offensive truth that Christ died on the cross (1:20b) to rescue us from God’s wrath and give us peace with God.  We’re called to remain loyal to Christ.

7.  Jewish laws such as circumcision, food and drink laws, the festivals, new moons, and Sabbath-keeping are all shadows that find their fulfillment in Christ.  “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belong to Christ” (2:17).  (Christ + observing rules from “shadow-land” does not make one extra-spiritual).

8.  False spirituality looks very appealing in the eyes of the unbeliever, but in actuality, it’s completely powerless to affect any change in someone’s life.  “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (2:23).

True spiritual life comes from union (by faith) with the risen Christ and creates inward change.  “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” (3:5a, emphasis added).

9.  True spirituality (living under the Lordship of Jesus) is very practical… it involves day-to-day life.  Being a submissive wife (1:18), a loving husband (1:19), an obedient child (1:20), a patient father (1:21), a loyal servant (1:22), all done from a heart that aims to please the Lord (1:23).

10.  A mark of genuine Christian spirituality is submission to God-ordained authority.  (The unbelieving world hates the concept of submission to authority, as does our flesh).  Paul is writing under the authority of God (1:1) and encourages the believers to submit to God-ordained authority (3:18-25).

11.  The gospel centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (1:15-20).  He is supreme Lord and all-sufficient Savior.  He has made “peace by the blood of his cross” (1:20), reconciling rebellious sinners (1:21) to God the Father.  The “record of debt” that stood against us has been “nailed to the cross” (2:14b).  What glorious grace in Christ!  How thankful (3:15) we ought to be for this truth!

12.  True Christian spirituality has one source — the Lord Jesus Christ.  “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9a).

I’m thankful for Rev. Dick Lucas’ commentary (BST) in helping me to better understand the message of Colossians.

Happy Thanksgiving… no regrets!

November 25, 2010

Two years ago today, my grandfather on my mom’s side “Pop Pop” died.  It was the first time anyone in my family died.  I remember how time stood still and the trivialities of life were seen in light of eternity.

Before he died, God had been helping me to view life from an eternal perspective.  During that time, God moved my heart to leave the US and serve in South Africa.  When I told this to Pop Pop a few months before he died, he told me with much joy, “Jeremiah, you’ll never regret it!”   Looking back, his words were (in a sense) prophetic.

I am so thankful to God for bringing me to South Africa.  I am not on a long-term field trip, or a “gap year” or a spiritual journey to find myself… I am a sinner who has experienced the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ.  Serving in South Africa is just the overflow of God’s grace to me.

On this Thanksgiving, I thank God for “Pop Pop’s” words of encouragement, that I will indeed never forget.  In the words of John Newton (Pop Pop loved the hymn Amazing Grace…. so do I!), “let me dwell on Golgotha.”   O, how I thank God for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Let me dwell on Golgotha

John Newton

Let me dwell on Golgotha,
Weep and love my life away!
While I see Him on the tree
Weep and bleed, and die for me!

That dear blood, for sinners spilt,
Shows my sin in all its guilt:
Ah, my soul, He bore thy load,
Thou hast slain the Lamb of God.

Hark! His dying words; “Forgive,
Father, let the sinner live;
Sinner, wipe thy tears away,
I thy ransom freely pay.”

While I hear this grace revealed,
And obtain a pardon sealed;
All my lost affections move,
Wakened by the force of love.

Farewell world, thy gold is dross,
Now I see the bleeding cross;
Jesus died to set me free
From the law, and sin, and thee!

He has dearly bought my soul
Lord, accept, and claim the whole!
To Thy will I all resign,
Now, no more my own, but Thine.

How to know you’ve been living near Durban for awhile…

1.  You call the Bible “the Báh-bull”

2.  Your favorite adjective is “lovely” and you use it to describe pretty much anything — sunsets, steaks, songs.

3.  Your second-favorite adjective is “dodgy.”  (American equivalent = “sketchy”).

4.  You think Australians sound like they’re from Boston… especially when they say, “Mark’s gospel.”

5.  You no longer do double-takes when you drive by the many mosques (it still upsets you, though!)

6.  Your jaw no longer drops upon seeing half-naked Zulu women on post cards (though you are still surprised to see them walking around at petrol stations).

7.  You call gasoline, “petrol”; cookies, “biscuits” and biscuits, “scones”

8.  If you need to give someone driving directions, you reluctantly refer to traffic lights as “robots” to point them in the right direction.  (Deep down, you think this is an insult to robots).

9.  You slow down at green lights to check for Kombis (taxis) coming the opposite direction.

10.  You don’t use your blinkers to change lanes… you just “glide.”

11.  You no longer get frustrated to encounter trucks driving 10 mph on the highway… except when they drive in the fast lane.

12.  You don’t fret when you hear loud banging on your roof and the dogs start barking crazily (it’s just the monkeys).

13.  Car alarms and sirens sound as natural to you as hadedas (African birds).  (Just part of the background noise).

14.  You can put your gear shift in reverse, pull the hand break, clamp on the burglar lock, and get out of the car in one motion.  (Takes about 1.5 seconds).

15.  You use the word “rubbish” in most of your sermons to describe something that’s not true.

16.  You say, “yah” instead of “yeah.”  (Think Germany).  When you are disgusted by something, you say, “aeeesh!”

17.  When you’re running late, you tell people, “I’ll be there just now” (and don’t give them a time).

18.  You are familiar with “walkie talkies” and “bunny chow” — you’ve never tried the former and enjoy the latter.

19.  On occasion, you say “bru!” (instead of “bro”) but feel very awkward doing so.

20.  When people hear you talk, they think you’re either from Canada or England.

21.  You miss your family and friends in the States very much, but don’t want to leave Africa.

Grace

Today, after preaching in downtown Durban I met up with my friend Ayanda.  (I’ve been evangelizing Ayanda over the past several months… since about March 2010).  He and the young lady he hopes to marry someday (Amanda) just had a child.  Her name is Alwande and her middle name is Thandeka.

This afternoon, Ayanda invited me to meet his girlfriend’s family and to see the new baby girl.  So, we were upstairs with the extended family, and Ayanda and Amanda were filling out the paperwork for the new baby…  As they were filling out the paper work, someone said, “We need an English name for the child.”  And then, seemingly all at once, they looked at me.  There was a mixture of Zulu and English, but it suddenly dawned on me that they were asking me to give the child an English name to accompany the Zulu names.

Alwande Thandeka Grace

I was in shock (but very honored!) that they were asking me to name the baby… I imagine a big smile came upon my face, as I thought to myself, “Are you serious?”  Talk about being put on the spot.   So, I took a few moments to think, and told them the first name that came to my mind.  I smiled and said, “Grace.  Her English name is Grace.”

In the car ride back to Pietemaritzburg I explained to Ayanda what “grace” means and pointed him to Ephesians 2:8.  When I told him, “Ayanda, the whole story of the Bible is about God’s grace,” his whole face lit up with joy.  In his thick, African accent he rejoiced that I had chosen to name his new daughter Grace.

When I woke up this morning I certainly wasn’t planning on naming a Zulu child.  It was a real gift from God, and I pray that God’s saving grace would be upon her on life.