The Comrades Marathon
On Sunday May 31, 2015, the world renowned ultra-marathon was being run for the 90th year between the coastal city Durban and the capital City of Choice of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. This year was an up-run which would finish at The Oval cricket ground in the picturesque surrounds of Alexandra Park.
Brothers Lungisa and Gary were out there to preach the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua HaMashiach, the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides our cosmopolitan ‘Rainbow-Nation’ of many ethnic and diverse people groups, there would also be a greater mixture of foreigners at this event due to its international appeal! We always delight in proclaiming Christ Jesus to the nations, especially when the nations and ethnic groups come to our neck-of-the-woods!
Christ said that we are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature – it truly is a blessing when our Creator has the nations coming to our doorstep. Brethren, use every opportunity to reach as many souls as you can, whenever you can. The theme Scripture portion would be:
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
For the record: There were two South African winners – in the Men’s race Gift Kelehe in a time of 05:38:36 – who did some push ups at the finish line for good measure in this just under 90km race – 14 years after his brother Andrew won in 2001. This is now the first time brothers have won this marathon!
Caroline Wostmann then became the first South African to win the women’s race since 1998, when she finished in a time of 06:12:20. This follows her victory in the Two Oceans Marathon held in Cape Town earlier this year.
“I’ve had such an incredible year, such an incredible day – all glory to God . . . I’m in a huge amount of pain, I pushed myself to the limit,” she said in a television interview after the race.
Indeed, ALL GLORY TO GOD!
We also pray that many people heard the Good News of salvation by God’s grace through faith in the redeemer Jesus Christ!
— ooo —
The Royal Agricultural Society Show
Days 4, 7 and 9
On June 1, 4 and 6 we came out at various times to proclaim our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to this dark, dying world. Many Gospel tracts were distributed. Sadly we noticed that there were some people who received literature that crossed the street and disposed of our material in a trash can on the other side. We know God’s Word will never return void, and we do trust and believe the witness and testimonial accounts of many souls being saved through disposed Gospel tracts. Whilst one person judges them self unworthy of receiving the gift of everlasting life through repentance and faith and by their rebellious action of casting the Word of God from them, another person is miraculously given a life line where they pick up a Gospel tract and God uses it for the salvation of a hungry soul seeking His forgiveness of their sins.
It never amazes me when arrogant lost souls voice their disdain for the public proclamation of the Gospel being heralded in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – the very Saviour of the world – when they shout out: “Why don’t you go and preach in a Church!” Little do these misinformed individuals realise that the majority of lost souls, like them, are never attending Church buildings to hear the way to receive everlasting life and therefore the world’s open spaces is where the “church congregation” can hear the preaching by open-air street evangelists. The reason why lost souls do not want to hear the preaching of Jesus Christ in open public spaces is because they love their sin and they don’t want to be confronted in their “pig-sty.” They do not want their sinful worldview challenged while they are drinking in their iniquity like water.
If sinners do not accept that there are moral absolutes, for they know right from wrong, then these very individuals should stop complaining about all the crime, fraud, load shedding and inept governance in South Africa and just accept it as a given and be quiet! The Truth is, the Gospel of repentance and faith in and through the Lord Jesus Christ will bring about change and a better life for all when men, women and children surrender their wretched lives over to Almighty God. True peace and joy is only found in Christ! The reason we see so much crime, xenophobia, drug use, murder and abortions, prostitution and pornography, adultery and fornication, drunkenness and thieving, lying politicians is as a result of a reprobate godless society who thinks works-based religious practices can solve problems! That is the lie they believe. The Truth is, the only way to be set free is through Jesus Christ, who said:
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ~ John 14:632 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ~ John 8:32
There was a lady who also stood by and listened to the preaching of the Gospel on day 7 (June 4) who said she needed to hear what was being preached. We know we do not labour in vain, as we read:
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58
It is also a troublesome situation when we pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers into His harvest field, and we have professing “Brothers” who preach a soft, powerless: “Jesus loves you and is coming back” message to hardened sinners without even preaching / sharing the FULL counsel of God’s Justice and Grace! Jesus truly loves and He is coming back, no doubt, but how does that awaken a slumbering sinner headed for Hell? Uttering this statement does not show the sinner his true plight before a Sovereign and Holy Judge of the Universe! It seems that there is a “belief” that by just telling sinners that “Jesus loves them” is sufficient to get them into heaven, and that one must never confront or call out wickedness for that is “unloving”! I have previously been accused of preaching “no love” by those who “only preach love”! The greatest love is letting your light shine before all men warning wretched sinners of damnation in the lake of fire which is the second death to come and that there is a way, the only way to escape God’s wrath is by His mercy and grace – and it is through repentance and faith by trusting in our Lord Jesus Christ! This is when they will Glorify God our Father in Heaven!
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Soli Deo Gloria!
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