Tag: African

Lunchtime ministry in the park to office workers

Mission Malawi – Chapter Twenty One

timewiththemasterLeave a comment

15.03.96
Well, this is the day that the Lord has made – we will rejoice and be glad in it!! Just a few minutes to share again before the work of the day begins and thoughts are consumed and lost forever.

I finally had a reply from the elders of one of the large denominational churches who had volunteered four mature believers to assist in the outreach. I was truly blessed by that until this morning when they came and withdrew their support on “denominational” grounds. I told them what a terrible disappointment this is for God and that the Devil has now succeeded in dividing a combined attempt to reach the lost.

By Gods grace we are now alone on this little mission. In our weakness He is strong – our hearts are willing and pure for Gods purpose.

Again, anger and disappointment sear through my heart. Please change me Lord. I have a deep peace about what is happening, a peace which can only come from you.

20.03.96
Hallelujah!! – the outreach went ahead. We showed the ‘Jesus Film’ in Chechewa, set up in the middle of the local market on a cool African evening. We couldn’t count how many people came but we estimate around 250. After the film our team began their long awaited turn to preach. Generally, they were warmly received and counselling commenced.evangelism

During the preaching however, a homeless man approached one of our team and stood right in front of him. He moved very close to his face and became very agitated. As our brother tried to preach, the homeless man began to dance and gyrate so as to block him from seeing and talking to the people. Others in our team saw this and ran over to the scene and immediately began praying…recognizing a demonic presence. “Lord we submit to you…by Your power and might clear this stronghold please in Jesus name”. The man sat down on the ground, perfectly still and quiet!

Afterwards each member of our little team were surrounded by a group of people asking questions.

Two home cell groups have been arranged for those who wanted to hear more (including the homeless man!!). Others were sent to local Churches of their choice to attend Sunday services and to gain further teaching and discipling.

Attempts to find accommodation for Andy and Sue have been fraught with misleading and dishonesty at every turn. Housing officials and private people alike. We can’t afford to pay the new rental in the house that they are staying in and so now we are in the Lords hands.

We have just found out that the scooter which was given to us has no spare parts. Amazing that the agents have been misleading us for two months. This means that now Andy and Sue will not have transport when we go to Zim.

Our funds are also extremely limited now as we have had to take funds out of the business for everybody’s needs. How often Lord, will I find myself in this situation? I don’t want to run away from these works that you are doing in me to help me learn to trust you more. I thank you for the grace which you have already poured out on me.

Other ministry work appears to be coming along well. Theresa-Anne teaches English at a local denominational church and this obviously provides much area for sharing with the children. Andy is leading two house groups a week, which he is very blessed about (particularly when he has to walk and ride through tropical thunderstorms to get there!).Teaching

Two of our young men teach “R.I.” (Religious instruction) at the local government school and it’s a joy to see how the little children are responding to the gospel.

We lead two other house groups per week within the area, which deal mainly with marital and other “domestic” challenges. We have prayed much since we came that the Lord would pour out His Spirit over this area, and we are really seeing answers, which is encouraging for those whom we are discipling.

The group we conduct at Customs and Excise is perhaps the most encouraging for us. The Lord has really touched the hearts of these men and women and changes in their lives are reported each week. No doubt the department is seeing the benefit as well!

Kathy and Sue attend an “inter-denominational” Ladies Bible study group where they have some lovely fellowship with the “missionary community”. Today, the group was praying for peace around the world. Kathy and Sue were led to share with the ladies that sometimes the Lord uses war, destruction and famine to turn lost souls to Him and that we should always for HIS will to be done.

I was asked to assist at one of the Home cell groups of a large denominational church, which is proving a real ‘bumpy ride’, as this is a group of real intellectual Ex-Pats from America and England (Help Lord!!). The gospel is simple and experiential, very different to theology, which can sometimes cause barriers when trying to receive the true gospel.

28.03.96
We have been able to successfully register a church (in order to allow us to stay legally in the country – not for the purpose of starting another denomination!!). This process normally takes three years so we can really see Gods hand on this situation and we therefore believe that the Lord may want us here for a while longer.

Kathy and the children are all well. Theresa-Anne has been registered to write her GCSE Cambridge Mathematics and English exams in May and June. The Lord has miraculously opened doors for this to come about and we are very grateful for all the precious people who are helping us here. Please pray for her.

Kathy has begun Simons reading and writing program and they are both enjoying it very much in their little school room out back. Bethany is a bit left out, but Sue is doing a sterling job of keeping her ‘pre-schooled’ for a few hours each day. Daniel (wow, how many more!!) keeps Nanna (my mother) on the hop during school hours.

Wayne is always a great help to us and has become a very practical/mechanical young man. Who would have thought that he would be such a blessing to us from such a young age – bless him as he grows Father. I am so proud of him as I see how he goes about daily chores – busying himself with something, keen to be involved. God has placed deep insight and great sensitivity into this young man and because of that, God will use him always in quiet but effective ways. He has so much to offer others and will give freely as God directs.

Andy and Sue have recovered from all their ‘tropical’ sicknesses and are now well on the way to becoming fully blown African missionaries, having survived many shattered illusions. They are such a great help to us and a real asset to the mission here.

I can’t help but marvel at the Lords power when I think of Andy and Sue. From the day they arrived here to this day, there have been such wonderful changes in their lives as individuals and in their marriage. Many ‘grey’ areas have been cleared up for them and there is a true freedom in their relationship with each other.

Andy, who was on medication for a form of epilepsy, has now been completely healed and no longer takes medication daily (or at all). He does a full normal days’ work including driving, which he was not able to do before. Thank you Jesus for your healing!

Andy shared with me how, with the help of the Lord, he has been able to truly comprehend that his ‘old self’ (the one which suffered these terrible attacks), did in fact, die with Jesus on the cross around 2000 years ago. As he became aware of past hurts and angers in his life, he was able to deal with them. They began to lessen, and so the healing became more and more evident in his life. The past hurts and unforgiveness were an area in his life where the evil one had dominion. This therefore became a stronghold in his life. As he shed these feelings, the light became stronger and stronger, resulting in a physical strengthening.

Mission Malawi is a bi-monthly publication from …”time with the Master…”

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others, Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers and very often when we share them, it results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
If you are spiritually inclined see my other site; http://www.adcrucemchristi.com
Please feel free to send in questions (see ‘Contact’) and comments (hit ‘Comments’
button).

Lunchtime ministry in the park to office workers

Mission Malawi – Chapter Eleven

timewiththemasterLeave a comment

Why not start at the beginning of this amazing series……..

South Africa
26th January 1995 – 29th May 1995

We had planned a break to S.A. and Zimbabwe for six weeks, during January 1995, so we were quite amazed when it turned out to be so long. In our last newsletter we shared about the challenges with the Combi and how wonderful it was to see the various parts arriving from South Africa to try and get us on the road.
“….We finally left for Zimbabwe on 26th Jan. On nearing the border of Mozambique (after finally getting visas, which is another whole story!), the power in the Combi began to fade. There was a terrible feeling in my stomach. As the situation worsened, I was freewheeling the down hills to try and make it to the Zimbabwe border where Kathy’s parents had offered to meet us.

Continue reading “Mission Malawi – Chapter Eleven” →

Lunchtime ministry in the park to office workers

Mission Malawi – Chapter Eight

timewiththemaster1 Comment

Mission Malawi – Chapter Eight

Customs in all cultures can bind people and often allow for the word of God to be compromised at one point or another. “This is a hard saying…” and can only be revealed by the Spirit of God Himself. We tend not to receive such words because of trying to hold on to our ‘old ways’. God needs to be seriously sought for confirmation of these deep sayings. On many occasions we saw the Word of God take back seat because customary ceremonies were being fulfilled. Christians were attending these ceremonies not for any other reason than fear of what others would say or do if they did not attend.
A normal Sunday service in a large denominational church was cancelled and visiting missionaries from another country were turned away because a funeral service was being held in the community that day. It is sad that the church should bow to the rules of men.
Generations of witchcraft have allowed dark spirits to invade the church. Those who say they are ‘born again’ believe they are on the way to the Kingdom of God. Jesus said unless you are born of water and of the spirit, you will not enter the Kingdom. This is more than just being born again. Those who are born again only receive ‘sight’ of the Kingdom (awareness of God, the sinful nature and the Devil), not entry to the Kingdom. What we saw was that those who were not totally born of water and of the spirit, brought traditionalism into the church.
Singing and worshipping was very much along traditional lines, only the words having been changed to make them ‘Christian’. Darkness was still present, deep in the hearts of those attending. A person can only truly worship God in the spirit, by the power of God’s Spirit.
We found very little worshipping in spirit, all was done by man’s will and power. Certain (scriptural) phrases and lines were used over and over again at nauseum, to stir the congregation into a frenzy of yodeling, screaming and chanting sheep, using the same format, week in and week out. Few had their hearts and minds on God, but were thinking of other things. Meanwhile those leading the service were enjoying the feeling of power which they held as they manipulated and ‘amused’ the congregation with their ‘antics’ while preaching.
“….One day as Titus and I labored in the garden, he began to share some interesting thoughts and observations with me. He said that he had noticed that most white people were able to look after material things better than the average Malawian. He said that generally, whites were able to manage businesses better as well as other situations and he wondered why it was like that. I marveled at this statement and knew it could only come from one who had been truly born again. It was not said with malice or mockery, neither from a racial point of view.
We began to share much about our races, European and Traditional African – the fact that we were both ‘Africans’ having been born and bred on the continent. Was it in fact possible for the two races to hurdle the culture barrier and live successfully under one roof and what was the answer to his question?

Needless to say our time in the garden was much longer than we had planned. We shared about the curse of Ham in the book of Genesis which spoke of Ham’s descendants being ‘servants of servants’ and the fact that this led to the African continent being born into ancestral worship. “Does this mean all traditional Africans are cursed?” he asked me. I said, “…if you think about it – we are all cursed until we turn to our Lord to be saved!”
I explained that Jesus came to the earth to restore back to us everything that was lost originally in the Garden of Eden. Therefore it doesn’t matter which culture, color, race or country we come from, we all have the same opportunity to know the Lord and be released from our past – whatever that is.
Generally speaking, this would account for the observations Titus had made – some people appeared better adapted to certain functions and other people to other functions. However, this finding in no way entitles one to be superior over the other. God intended all to be equal and He is the judge of men’s hearts, irrespective of which race they come from. The teachings of the New Testament in the Bible continually warn that there must never be discrimination.
So, as for our discussion, we talked on as the African sun got hotter and hotter. “Even your skin is better suited for indoors”, quipped Titus.
The Lord showed us that the only way for two races to live together in ‘harmony’ would be through Christ Jesus. Men have been trying for centuries to create peace and harmony with little success.
In African counties where the war for freedom has been won after many years of struggle and senseless loss of life, there is now a, “shoe is on the other foot” attitude. This type of attitude may rarely been seen in the open and even less rarely admitted, but it nevertheless is present.
It is this way because the heart of man holds onto unforgiveness and cannot be changed by systems of men. It requires deep change from the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ gave each human being a new heart, one that truly desires to do the things of God, not just talk about them.
If we, as humans can come away from our reliance on culture, we are then in a true position to ‘love our neighbor’. Not with a sloppy kind of human love, but the real love that Christ has for us. A love that cares whether or not somebody gets to the kingdom of God. For that purpose, we should be prepared to lay our lives down. Are we really in a position to do this now?
God has done much in our hearts while we have been here, in order that we live the way we do. It hasn’t been easy and there is still much to be done in all our hearts, but now we begin to see that through Jesus, it is definitely possible to live and work together in real peace….”
As human beings, we have a great need to be ‘entertained’. The world would term this ‘escapism’ – to take our mind off the things which burden us. Sadly, this has inadvertently crept into the church today as many dote on the ‘performing’ pastor. Congregations grow in the belief that the word of God is attracting many, but instead the sinister undertone of the flesh is ever increasing. People are drawn in by acting, instead of being pierced by the truth of the Word.

If we find ourselves saying, “What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, He has such insight!” then what opportunity has the gospel got through all that? It cannot get through because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person is attracting others through his personality, that is his appeal. If his life is totally laid down for the Lord, then the appeal becomes what Christ Jesus can do. The danger is to glory in men, but Jesus said that we should serve Him with all our heart and that He only, should be lifted up.
“….The Pastor that worked together with us for eight months, side by side, sharing good and bad times together, we later discovered had reported us for “abusing human rights”.
It turned out that he was disgruntled about not receiving, what he felt, was a fair wage out of the small food business. His true heart was revealed when his brother disappeared with one of our bicycles (in “lieu” of wages). His heart was more intent on gaining worldly things, than the things of God. We are never in a position to judge others. That is the sovereign work of God. The Lord showed us that people’s actions stem out of a trust, or lack of trust in God, something we all suffer from.
In this particular case, the ‘Pastor’ simply could not fully believe that God would supply all the needs of his family and consequently tried to do everything in his own power, becoming afraid when he could not see things ‘coming together’ as he felt they should. However, this was a man who was teaching and preaching the word of God, many times sharing things which were not testimony in his own life. The object of sharing this example is not to judge or ridicule this ‘Pastor’, but to expose the truth of the situation as it currently is…”
It is not the intention of this article to criticize precious brethren in Malawi or anywhere else in the world. God brings us to places, among people, and into certain situations to accomplish His definite purpose through the spirit in us. Our part is to use intercessory prayer in everyday circumstances and to bring people God puts around us, by His grace, before His throne.
“….After own little food business was closed, due to ‘red tape’ formalities, we became a little concerned ourselves. We prayed and God has used faithful and obedient brethren to support us. We firmly believe in working with our hands as Paul did, so that God can bless us with our needs, but now for the first time we are “solo” as it were, still working with our hands each day, but not in a ‘money earning’ job, so to speak. It is now living by trusting in the Lord, for the first time….”
On September 26th 1994, in answer to a word which was given to us while we were still in South Africa in 1993, our faithful brother Jacob Arthur came to join us. What a great blessing to have him with us, we are so grateful to the Lord for allowing him to come and help us; it’s been nearly six months without ‘likeminded’ fellowship.
The Lord has blessed us once again and we have been able to have electricity connected to our home. We realized just how much we had taken for granted the electricity in our houses back in South Africa. To be able to have electricity at the touch of a switch and running water in the house at the turn of a tap….surely a great blessing.

A bi-monthly series brought to you by:

…time with the Master

Next article will appear two weeks from now – watch out for it.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others, Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers and very often when we share them, it results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
If you are spiritually inclined see my other site; http://www.adcrucemchristi.com
Please feel free to send in questions (see ‘Contact’) and comments (hit ‘Comments’