Fearless Friday 2

This time around half of us went to Groote Schuur Hospital while the other half went to Rondebosch

About +40 of us came ready to experience the power of God move in people’s lives on 13 April 2011. Some of us did the God Test, some outreached ‘Treasure Hunting’ style while the hospital team went trusting God for miraculous healings.

 

And, there were many testimonies afterwards of people being healed in the hospital, people breaking down into tears as they were told of God’s love for them and many others. We’re putting a video together of some of the guys sharing their testimonies.  I’ll post it up soonest!

My encounter:

The team I went with met with people from the Hare Krishna faith who, in our terms, were doing an outreach of their own. They were chanting their god’s name hoping to get more people to sing along with them in the belief that singing god’s name brings his presence to earth.

We walked up to them and started chatting to them. We put aside our ‘outreach faces’ and asked them to tell us about their faith. this led to a 40 min conversation (not argument) where the lady (whom I was speaking to) told us in detail why they believe what they believe. We merely posed questions to her in hopes to minister the truth, questions such as “What gives you the certainty in your belief”, “what’s the criteria for heaven, who decides and how do they decide?”

At a stage she asked us the same questions and we got a chance to minister the gospel of Jesus to her and how that’s changed our lives. Her response was that “that’s what works for you and in our faith we accept that…” She then had to leave. We’re trusting that God planted seeds on her mind & heart and that what we ministered to her will go a long way to bring her salvation.

It’s also encouraging to see that though we step out in faith for God to reach people, God also meets us and we always leave so encouraged and blessed to see Him at work.

Fearless Friday 2 pictures

Some photos from the outreach on Friday 13 May 2011.

Read about the outreach here.

Removing the thorns that choke the word

Who is removing the thorns and clearing the rocks from the rocky places?

Usually when I read or hear the parable of the sower in Mark 4, in my heart I usually say “God, help me be the good soil” and I never used to stop and wonder “hmm what about the guy whose heart is rocky places? What about the person who hears the word and its immediately stolen from?”

So as I’ve been seeking to be a true disciple of Christ I find God nudging my heart & I feel my spirit crying out saying: “I want to be the person who will fight for the truth to stay in their lives, I want to help remove the rocks and the thorns so that hopefully next time the sower sows the word his heart will receive it and if not, I want to continue labouring for the truth in his life.”

Without realising it, It feels to me that when I see a friend going the wrong way, subconsciously I’m saying “aw shame, he must be the rocky path (i.e. no root in him) or have thorns (i.e. too many cares of the world)” and I move on with my life.  And so I feel the challenge from God when He says “go and make disciples of all nations” to care enough to do something purely because of Christ. And, it’s not a thing to now want to literally disciple every person we come across but to hear who God’s sending me to and respond to that – Jesus had many crowds following Him but he only  walked closely with the 12.

This is what makes discipling someone something I don’t take lightly because it’s not about telling people what to do or teaching them to be holy. It’s about opening our lives to people & showing them God & more especially God working in us so that their hearts can come alive to God – i.e. it’s imparting not giving suggestions (can’t give what I don’t have). It compels us to want to trust God to live lives that are full of His presence so that we do have something to give. It’s walking with someone through their challenges being patient to see God move in their lives while at the time encouraging them to step out in faith – i.e. application & not only bible knowledge.

Discipleship is not a course or a class, it’s caring enough in Christ for someone that we are moved into action for their sake…. and so help us God.

Young Covenantors

Kids coming in Sunday school can often find it difficult to transition into the youth groups, this is why we started a young covenantors group to bridge the gap. it’s headed by Jason & Jessica Stanier and serves to intentionally equip young people as they make a shift into youth.

On Sunday 1 May, I was blessed to be invited to speak to this group of ages 11 to 16 about leadership. it was a funny trying to figure out at what level to pitch, but in the end it’s was awesome to see how these young people with usually short concentration spans listen intently and respond.

 

To have an audience with this vibrant age group I consider it a privilege, and these youngies are soo excited about God it’s humbling!