The Word of God and the testimony
of our Lord Jesus Christ were taken to Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg, KZN from
Friday 27th through Sunday 29th April 2012. The 27th
April was a public holiday named Freedom Day – the date of South Africa’s first
democratic elections in 1994 – which was a springboard for the sharing of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, who is the ONLY One who can truly make you free (see John 8:32,
36). I was able to speak to a few young “up-and-coming” African cyclists under
their team tent, and I do request prayer for Siphiwe Msibi, Bongani (a Zionist)
and Pecko who engaged me in conversation and asked searching questions, and
also for their teammates who heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, too. [On
Saturday, I was able to hand them each a Sesotho ‘Help From Above’ – ‘Thuso E Tsoang Holimo’ – booklet as I
had found out they were from Gauteng province and Sotho speaking.] A few other
conversations were had with various cyclists and some of their family
spectators, and there were also some who rejected the Biblical material on
offer to them. We pray for God’s mercy to all who heard and received the Gospel
of His blessed Son Jesus Christ.
Many Gospel tracts were handed
out on the first day, and later I was joined around lunchtime by Frances, Dehan
and Peter and Sheila Clover from a local Baptist Church who handed out Gospel
Tracts and evangelised one-on-one on this public holiday. Their sacrificial endeavours
were directed in the direction of the heretic following of the ‘Universal Church
of the kingdom of god’, who were present for an open-air prosperity-gospel service
at the Midlands’ Cricket Oval, alongside the Sax Young Cycling Track. It was
also during this time that I engaged an unmarried young mother, with her infant
in her arms, named Lungila – a ‘Universal Church’ attendee – who was extremely
open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, praise God, who said she would definitely
read the material I had given her and she would examine the claims I had shared
with her about the UC’s Brazilian pastors sharing ‘another gospel’ and not the
True Gospel of the Bible.
Later, when the co-labourers had
left me, I found myself being enraged with a righteous anger against the false
preaching by the English speaking Brazilian pastor – who had an isiZulu
translator – who spoke a man-centred, prosperity-blessing, false gospel for all
to hear, including those in attendance at the BMX and Cycling tracks as the Cricket
Oval is right next to them. I was at the refreshment tent at the time and
raised my voice against the heresies he was teaching – calling him to teach the
people correctly and that he is sending them to hell with his lies – that they
must all ‘Ukupenduka’ (Repent). It was at this time when one of the UC’s ushers
came eye-ball to eye-ball with me telling me to leave, but I called him to “repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21) to his face.
The usher was ushered away by another usher. Praise be to God for giving me
boldness and courage to withstand these evil speakers. I dusted off my feet
after many on the Oval’s bleachers and those standing around heard the call to
repentance!
On Saturday, Brother Lungisa
Zondi and I headed back to the tracks. We handed out some Gospel Tracts and had
some brief conversations. It was whist standing up at the top of the bleachers
watching some of the action taking place on both sides of us – the bleachers
were between the BMX and Cycling tracks – during one of the BMX heats a rider crashed
going into turn one, and whilst he lay there injured on the track (we had
sympathy for his mishap and prayed our God would heal him of his injuries),
whilst he was receiving first aid medical attention, there was a lull in
proceedings as the Lord opened an opportunity for me to raise my voice from the
top of the bleachers and use the accident as a reference that we do not know
what might befall us, and just as this young rider did not know that he would
be receiving this medical attention today, while he knew that he was taking
risks being a BMX rider, so is life full of risks and calamities and death can
visit any person present at any time. From there our gracious God allowed me to
share the Law and the Gospel of Grace to competitors and spectators alike
calling them to repentance toward Him. I heard some murmurs, which did not
distract from the preaching of the Good News of our Glorious God Jesus Christ. I
had asked Brother Lungisa afterwards who filled me in who ‘murmured’ – some from
the tents below us – as I had also noticed some quizzical glances during the
preaching, but we also wished the rider a speedy recovery in Jesus’ Name when
he was taken away by ambulance. Praise be to Jesus!
Later in the day we had another
interesting encounter with a young coloured Roman Catholic man named JP. What started
the conversation was that we saw three men in bright red tracksuit tops with a
badge over the heart and Ephesians 6:11 emblazoned thereunder. I looked up the
Scripture first, being:
11Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. ~ Ephesians 6:11
When I noticed on the back, just
below the collar was an emblazoned “The armour of God”, I questioned JP, who
was standing closer to me, where they fellowship? Where are they from? Etc.
Making ‘small talk’, and then we found out that JP is a Roman Catholic and his
two friends are protestant believers – although the two friends never entered
into the conversation at all – Lungisa and I shared with JP the heretical
teachings of the papal system. He listened at first, but then started getting
defensive, until later he said: “This conversation is ending now.” We
challenged him and do hope and pray the Holy Spirit brings this man to examine
his faith and the false teachings he is receiving about Mary being sinless, the
mass and substantiation, child baptism, praying to saints, statues and idolatry,
doing the rosary and “Hail Mary’s”, the teaching of purgatory, Mary being
co-redemtrix and co-mediatrix (heresies) in the RC Catechism, etc. He was not
well versed in his own beliefs of the Romish Church as a new-believer of that
system and it would appear that his two ‘protestant friends’ have never warned
him of the RC heresies. We do wander if they are true friends at all? We also
shared the analogy of: “Imagine if we drove past your house on the way to the
tracks today and we saw your house on fire and your family caught inside. If we
did not stop and help, would you call us friends? No, of course not! You would
have wanted us to stop and help. Well, we are now warning you that your house
is on fire.” We were warning him of the “wiles of the devil.” The three of them
left shortly thereafter, and we had some “stares-to-go” from them! This was yet
another day giving Glory to Jesus!
On Sunday, we headed out again to
the SA Champs and Lungisa had a long conversation with some question-asking
youth on the same bleachers we found ourselves on the day before. We handed out
some more Gospel Tracts and took some photos of the proceedings on this last
day we would be there. We do thank God our Father for allowing us the privilege
of sharing His Word with all He directed us to. Soli Deo Gloria.
Photos can be viewed Here.
City Centre Evangelism
On Wednesday 2nd May I
was strengthened of the Lord Jesus Christ and was able to preach non-stop
outside the Master of the High Court, Pietermaritzburg’s building for two and a
half hours without a break and without anyone coming out to stop me. I also
noticed some windows were opened and a staff member stood at the window on the
first floor listening. Our Lord Jesus Christ continues to glorify our Father.
On Thursday 3rd May,
Lungisa and I were lead of the Holy Spirit to preach at various points in
Pietermaritzburg. We started walking down Church Street. Outside PEP Stores Lungisa preached to lines
of people gathered on the curb to the sidewalk as they waited to get various
government grants. While Lungisa preached in isiZulu, I handed out Gospel
Tracts to all in line and passer-by foot traffic. From there we proceeded down
to the Magistrate’s Court. There were some illegal street hawkers plying their
trades selling their wares on the sidewalk as I preached the sins of sinful man
being transgressors of the law and sinners against God and redemption through
Jesus Christ alone. Many heard including court-goers, and when the City
Municipal Police arrived, they spoke to Lungisa about me preaching outside a
court building that has trials in progress, I was able to finish and it was also
at the very time my preaching had ended. We thanked the officers and Lungisa
gave them Gospel material, too! No time to argue about rights to preach or not,
when the Word went forth at its given time, but the illegal hawkers they
scattered like cockroaches being found out when the lights are turned on! They
heard the Word of God; they might have escaped the authorities in this
lifetime, but they haven’t escaped God their Judge. Unless they repent, they
will perish!
We continued down Church Street
passing masses of humanity until we came to the Muslim mosque. Brother Lungisa
and I were greeted at that time, as we prepared to open the Word of God, to the
blaring midday “call to prayer”. Lungisa said he was willing to preach even
with that noise, but it stopped, and the Islam-worshippers of the moon god made
their way past us towards the mosque. While Lungisa preached I handed out some
more Gospel Tracts to the foot traffic downtown, when an Indian woman standing
nearby came over and asked me for one. Her name is Chandin and she is a born
again believer of Jesus Christ. Chandin told me that her sister, Shamilla
Ramsuk, has just had an operation and is in the East Street Midlands Hospital (which
was about 200-300 meters away from where we were standing) and that she is a “kinda-believer”
and she wanted us to pray for her. I asked her certain questions about her
sister and found out that she does believe in Jesus Christ, but her belief is
not strong. I took down the particulars of Chandin’s sister’s whereabouts at
the hospital and was told that visiting hours was at 15H00. I said we would
visit her. She then left, and I started trying to get Gospel material into the
hands of the Muslim men returning to their work from the mosque. I managed to
get one or two men to take, might be more, but what I did notice, that I shared
with Lungisa after he had done preaching, was seeing that the men either rolled
up the hems of their pants to show off their socks or ankles or had them sewn
short, as a show that they are not “prideful” but “humble.” This is outward
works of self-righteousness. Yet they were full of pride not to take some
material, as they either clasped their hands behind their backs or nodded “no”,
coming from the mosque, but what caught some of them in their lust was seeing “money”
extended to them – yes, the “Ten Grand” money tract. Makes you think, doesn’t
it? Why did they go to the mosque at all?
We than headed back uptown to
where the “seed-sower” was parked and made our way back downtown to the
hospital as promised. We found a parking right outside the hospital – thank you
Father – and made our way in to go and visit Shamilla. At 15H00 we visited her
and we were able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her and her husband.
We gave them Bible literature, when Chandin also arrived. This was more a trial
for us as well as an opportunity to share Christ with this family – would we be
obedient to a request to visit someone in hospital? We thank God for directing
our steps to preach at various points along Church Street, and therefore we were
approached by Chandin and had this blessed opportunity to visit the sick in
hospital and share Christ. Praise God for showing us to be not only hearers,
but doers of the word (see James 1:22). We left them each with a copy of “Why
Christianity?” (www.livingwaters.com)
and we prayed for Shamilla’s healing both physically and spiritually in Jesus’ Name.
It was an absolutely wonderful day, all praise and glory to our Great King and
God – our Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous.
Saturday City Outreach and the Hindu Temple
On Saturday 5th May we
headed out as usual into our city to preach on the corner of Church Street and
Commercial Road opposite the City Hall – a very busy intersection, with a ‘Flea-market’
also on the corner in the old Court gardens. This day we would have a larger
gathering of seed-sowers: Lungisa Zondi, Thulani Mkhize, Phillip Amakye, Jono
Anderson and me. We had gone to buy some booklets and isiZulu Gospel pamphlets
and then hit the street corner. Lungisa had arrived earlier and was preaching
already before we arrived at various times. Town was bustling with much foot
traffic, the preaching went forth, Gospel material was handed out, Phillip sang
a praise song to Jesus and Lungisa was asked by an African girl to go with her
and investigate some wicked men who used evil witchcraft to hustle her out of
her money. It all was happening today, and even our supply of booklets and
pamphlets were gone in no time at all – about 600 or so. Our Lord had me
expound Hebrews 8 and 9 – showing a better new covenant sanctuary and sacrifice
through Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Saviour. With our Gospel Tracts
exhausted, we decided to go buy the last box of English booklets and hopefully
head out to the Copesville Informal Settlement – as we had been speaking about
the wickedness that had beset that area. On our way downtown, we had also
sought the Lord where we should go preach. It appeared to be ‘aimless driving’
around this corner, down to where the Sangomas (Witchdoctors) gather with their
devilish concoctions and herbs, turned right down a one way, almost turned to
go against the traffic (not realising it’s a one-way east), righted the vehicle
and after negotiating some heavy traffic we found ourselves back in Church
Street passing the Muslim mosque heading out of town, when – here proceeding on
Church Street heading towards their temple is a whole gathering of Hindu
devotees with incense, smoke and coals, orange flower-like decorations, all
filing down the sidewalk to the beating of tambourine-type drums. What a
clatter. This was what we were looking for. We headed to the Hindu Temple to
distribute Gospel Tracts to warn them of idolatry and point them to Jesus
Christ.
On arriving, we made our way to
where the Hindu devotees were filing into the temple. So we approached some men
sitting at two tables outside the walls of the temple – one had all idols and
other paraphernalia on it and the other some fruit. We were checked-out and it
was spiritual warfare immediately. I asked what was happening with all the
commotion and then asked if God lives in idols. That was all that triggered the
vilest filth to pour out of men’s mouths, who told us to &%#^!$* take our
Bible and &%#^!$ take our Jesus and &(@^#$% get out of here!!! When
challenged that they were supposed to be worshippers and they were cursing so
badly they subsided somewhat, but still poured scorn and filth from their
filthy hearts. People were telling us to leave. I attempted to read Psalm 115
against the idolatry taking place; the evil and wickedness was prevalent in
that place. It was thick!
Lungisa and I ventured across the
road, and he raised his voice and preached against the wickedness of idolatry and
pointed them to Christ Jesus, but there were mockers who came and engaged us
across the road. One Indian man passing by was not even in the temple, but had
alcohol on his breath and was inebriated and appeared to be the self-appointed
spokesperson for the entire Hindu community and ecumenicalism. He told me that
we all worship the same God and that we must just all love everyone. We have
heard this lie so many times, but the biggest idolatry of all was when he told
me that the Hindus also believe that their father and mother are gods and they
take preference even before God the Creator. Blasphemy, he was called to repent
for he is a wicked man to think parents are gods before the Creator God. After
this man, there was an elderly Indian man that was in his car that was parked
in front of Lungisa listening for a long while, before moving into the side-street
and dialoguing with me. The conversation never really was going anywhere,
because as he would ask a question, he wouldn’t let me finish an answer when he
would be on the next point – which was mocking God’s Word. Lungisa preached on,
when this man in the car said I was swearing at him, because I called him to
repent of his wicked and evil ways. He parked his car and angered he came
sticking his fingers in my face. By this commotion, the small crowd was
gathering, from people leaving the temple. I pushed the man’s finger out of my
face telling him to get his pagan hand out of my face, when he started
resorting to racial slurs against me, calling me: “@#*&^% Yorll white ting.
Get out of here with your apartheid!” I can understand that these men uttered
such filth by the demonic spirits governing them. At a point, I called Lungisa
to join me dusting off our feet and leaving, which we received rapturous
applause, but it was then that I noticed Thulani speaking to a young African
man, witnessing to him, and him and I also ended up witnessing to another
African man drawn to the scene by the commotion, but wanting prayer. We shared
the Gospel with him, telling the Indians that we are going nowhere until we
have spoken to these that want to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At this
point they left us.
Brother Lungisa preached on,
until another Hindu priest came out from his home-temple, about 100 metres down
the road from the main Hindu Temple, and we engaged him in dialogue. At one
point I tried to reason with the man that: “What if I believed your grey fleece
top was yellow. Would what I believed to be true, be true?” He then retorted: “What
if there were 1000 people who said it was true, then you would start doubting yourself.”
I said: “That cannot be true. I wouldn’t doubt myself. So you are saying that
would be truth to them?” He then answered with the most incredible answer I
have ever heard: “Yes, because majority rules!” “WHAT!!! You’re lying to me!
You can’t be serious!” was my response, but laughing he was most serious. I was
also shown his idolatry statue to which he and his devotees pray, and I read
him Psalm 115 and for a time he listened, but he was in denial of the Truth.
There was nothing left for us to do, but he did take a Gospel of Jesus Christ
booklet, despite his own protests.
Our Great God gave us a glimpse
of the utter debauched and reprobate minds and evil and wicked hearts He has to
look upon everyday. What a stench it is! What an abomination! O, how miserable our
own sin must be to God our Father! Let us keep this warning foremost in how we
live our lives. Our Great God is a strong tower and a place of refuge. He
delivered us from evil men, and He is worthy of all praise and worship. Jehovah
is Mighty to save.
21Keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22And
of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with
fear, pulling them out of the fire;
hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24Now unto him that is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. ~ Jude 21-25
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