Worshipping at Red Hill and Ministering at a Public School

Wednesday night we visited a church service in “Red Hill” squatter camp. My family has worked with Pastor Kennedy and his people over the last few years and it was good to see him, his family and church again. We also did a little team sightseeing on the way to Kennedy's church (a nice team photo).

We participated in the worship service with music, drama and preaching. I spoke from Matthew 5 on “Retaliation”. The Word was well received and several asked for prayer from our team afterwards. One young lady came up to me with her Mother and told of her conversion 10 days prior. She told us how she had been involved in drugs and alcohol and that God had rescued her. She rejoiced in God's presence and among His people and seemed thankful for the spiritual contribution we brought to her life.

We also had some very special hand-made blankets from the U.S. We decided to give them to some of the ladies at the service in Red Hill.

A gift of hand-made blankets for the ladies at Red Hill

On Thursday afternoon, we visited a local public school and joined them for an after-school Bible club. The children welcomed us with joy—we sang together and Pastor Regan spoke about Christ's substitution on the cross for us. A group of American's from the local YWAM training school joined us for this program and really “gelled” with the children.

Tomorrow we have 30 pastors registered for a pastor's seminar. Dave Gotaas, Jeff Tideman, Regan and myself will be leading this. Thanks for any and all prayer for us. We sense God's presence.

Blessings—we will be leaving Monday! But will keep you posted on our progress over the next few days,

Keith

Day 5: Meeting Needs and Sharing the Good News

Today we spent most of the day in one of South Africa's largest “squatter camps” or informal housing projects. The amount of people living in this poor community is staggering....

Our efforts today focused on three locations. First, we visited a ministry partner of Cape Missions International called, Step by Step (an education and rescue center for children). We brought the chidlren some fresh fruit, sang some songs, did some crafts and shared a brief message. 

Then, some of our group went to a local public high school and shared the Gospel with some teens. Third, we met with a large group of people (maybe 300-400) and brought out some shoes, clothes, blankets and food that people had donated to CMI. 

It was heartbreaking to see the needs...as always we ran out of everything! However, we were able to share the wonderful Good News of Jesus Christ. We gave out tracts in the language of the local people and prayed for the Gospel to advance in the lives of those who came.

Cape Flats

This morning our team separated into two and we headed off to various churches in Cape Town's “Cape Flats” area. Paul and Helen Gallagher, Jeff and Madonna Tideman, Ben Meade and Sam Tideman visited Docks Mission Church, Bonteheuvel (the reasons it's Bontehevel is the name of the town as there are Dock's Mission churches in many towns). Pastor Regan Martin, Dave Gotaas, Bill and Kim Hitzemann went to Docks Mission Church, Lenteguer (a different town). 

 

We enjoyed a wonderful time of worship (some of which was in Afrikaans)...a new experience for our team! Paul and Helen did a short drama to introduce the theme of the message which was from Matt.5: 21-27 called, “The Angry Heart”. Many people responded positively to the message and several people (the pastor told me) were converted after the service. Praise the Lord.

After the service our team (Jeff, Madonna, Sam, Paul, Helen and Ben) took the children for a special Sunday School. I am amazed at the capacity of this team to adjust to different contexts and cultures....to show forth the love of Christ to others....and to be bound together as one body. I have been surprised at the strength of this team to handle some very challenging ministry. Praise the Lord!

Tonight we head out to partner with a ministry that reaches children (many of whom) live on the streets of Cape Town. All for now (after a busy morning) will post more tomorrow...

 

Greetings from the WBC South Africa Team,

Keith

Telling the Truth

Last night we ministered at King of Kings Baptist Youth Group in Fish Hoek, South Africa. 120 teens came out as we ministered in song, drama.

I spoke on “Telling the Truth” from Matt. 5:37.

Matthew 5:33-37

Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Greetings from South Africa!

We’re in Cape Town awaiting the work God has for us! 

Regan is coming this morning and Sam on Saturday to complete us. Everyone on our team came a slightly different way; thus far we are present and accounted for. We officially begin our WBC Mission work this morning (Friday, March 1st). I find it best to ask God to help me see this long trip as mission work too. God used my 20 hour commute for His gardening. I was able to have “Kingdom conversations” with Reuven (Reuben, he pronounces it Reuven), Louise, Kobus and Warren. By God’s grace, I sowed Gospel “seeds” through conversation.

My first conversation was with Reuven in the TSA line at O’Hare. I was behind a large group of Orthodox Jews bound for a tour of Israel. Reuven was among them and he was my neighbor in line. We chatted about the long lines, complex security measures and then about annoying Old Testament rules regarding dress when traveling. Reuven observed them, he was weighed down with all the “extra clothing” Jewish men wear—it's quite literally a burden when going through an O’Hare security line. There was no problem for me.

As the conversation lead us, Reuven expressed surprise that I knew he had 613 rules to keep… I gently asked if he had violated any of them that day. He acknowledged he had. I thanked him for his honesty and asked what he did to find healing and forgiveness. He really had no answer that seemed heartfelt. Reuven said prayer to Jehovah for aid and recommited to keeping the 613 rules. I sensed confusion and emptiness. Inwardly, I renewed my thankfulness for Jesus the Messiah who has come. I “break all the rules” daily. Still He remains as my Advocate to the Father.

Reuven wanted nothing of my talk of Jesus. I merely touched on the “it”—the mention of Christ—this effectively ended our talk. Sad isn’t it? So close to the “cross” yet so far from Christ. It's not wasted though. God wastes nothing. Please pray for Reuven (Reuben) and his time in the Holy Land.

God's next assignment for me was Louise; she sat next to me on my flight from Chicago to Atlanta. I helped her as she was struggling to put her very heavy bag in the overhead compartment.  That gesture opened up the communication line. I asked where she was going and what brought her to the Windy City. I could tell Louise was very intellectual and liked to talk. I also noticed she was reading a book on Japanese history and culture. After a while, she asked my occupation. That's like “low hanging fruit” for a pastor! What a blessing to always have such a great “doorway” into a spiritual conversation because of my occupation.

Louise confessed her skepticism. I listened. I have found that asking questions rather than telling answers is the best approach to effective conversations with skeptics/agnostics. She was very polite and seemed open to listen to “another view” on life, the world, social issues, evil, sin, suffering and Jesus...definitely seeds planted! Pray for Louise residing in Atlanta.

Then came the biggie: the 14 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg. You need to really “pump yourself up” before you settle into a plane seat for 14 hours! Lots of “self-talk” to convince yourself to do it.

It's really intense and even more so when the neighbor sitting next to you is a 300 pound Afrikaans (white South African) rugby player. Kobus is his name, he’s a biggie too! Orthodox Jew, check. Intellectual skeptic, check. Seriously I was sharing an arm rest with a rugby player for 14 hours?  Wow! God does have a sense of humor!

Kobus is an angry man. The conversation was difficult to direct and he was quite distracted by all the entertainment options on our flight.  We did talk though, he asked me why I was going to South Africa.  That was an easy “in’ too, some more low hanging fruit. He didn't like my answer and thought I was “wasting my time.” “Why would you leave America to do this?” he said.

I quietly thanked him in my heart... Yeah, why would I? As I reflected on this I remembered Sasha's sermon last Sunday—yeah, why? We'd better have that answer worked out in our own hearts before we go about ministry/mission work. Jesus had it. We must be like Him. The reasons for His mission were clear—ours should be too. In a strange way Kobus gave me the “gift of confirming” why we are coming.

The answer I have concluded: is that it 'cost' Jesus everything to do His Father's mission. And all mission (in His Name) will cost us something too.

Remember that church....missions always costs you something...      

Will update you on more Kingdom stuff as we go!

Tomorrow night I speak to 120 teens as a youth event—please pray for me!

Miss you all at WBC, 

Keith

A Word from Keith

“You are the salt of the earth…” Matthew 5:13

England was in deep trouble in the mid-18th century. Simply put it was in nearly complete moral corruption. Drunkenness and debauchery were common place. Crime of all sorts continued to climb. The thought of the day was that those who were involved in such things did so either because it was genetic (a widely held view) or because of their environment. The solution proposed, based on either view, was to deport those who committed any crime to a faraway place and allow England to be purified in the process. Our state of Georgia was originally populated on that basis and the
country of Australia was founded as a penal colony. The results though were non-existent. Crime continued and moral depravity grew worse. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,

“Most competent historians are agreed in saying that what undoubtedly saved 18^th century England from a revolution was not the export of every criminal but the Evangelical Revivals of George Whitfield and the Wesley brothers…the whole culture was affected…”

Salt can be used in a variety of ways and Jesus may have had in mind several meanings in His illustration. We use salt to add flavor to food. Are we as believers to “add” a little zest to our culture? Or, after I’ve eaten salt I’m often thirsty. Should our presence leave people thirsty for more of Christ? I think he probably means both of these but something else too…The emphasis seems to point to salts’ use as a preservative. Quite simply - salt prevents rotting. In Jesus’ time a piece of meat left out would soon begin to rot, but a piece of meat rubbed with salt would not. The world is often uncomfortable in the presence of Christian teachings, values and lives of personal holiness. But that is all a part of being a “preservative influence”—as this type of living genuinely retards moral and spiritual decay.

Many people like to use this passage of Scripture to advocate for political activism – but politics has never changed hearts. The true hope of our nation (as was the case in England) lies in the spiritual revival of believers spurred to live lives of holiness in an insipid culture. The spiritual and moral nature of our nation is in trouble - not because of a lack of Christian political activism but from a lack of authentic Christian living dedicated to Gospel-centered lives. Jesus has told us what we ought to be, “…the salt of the earth.”

Keith M. Doyle

Kingdom People: Living as Christ’s People in Christ’s Power

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied’ (Matt. 5:6)

Happiness through Holiness

Major V. Gilbert tells a story from the British Liberation of Palestine in WW1. The Allied forces were driving up from Beersheba across the desert (combined forces of Brits, Aussies and Kiwis) and were pressing after Turkish troops on fast retreat. The attack out-distanced its water carrying camel train. Water bottles were empty…the sun blazed above and beat down on the weary men…even the vultures wheeled above expectantly. Major Gilbert describes their fatigue, ’Our heads ached, our eyes were bloodshot and our tongues began to swell but desperate to catch our foe we pressed on all the more’.  Finally they got to Sheria where they knew there would be water wells. The Turks held on for a while – but the Allied men battled on knowing that if they didn’t secure the wells many of their men would perish from thirst and exhaustion. Finally, after a fierce battle, they entered the Sheria station on the heels of a retreating Turkish army. The first objects to meet their eyes were large stone cisterns filled with cool drinking water. Everyone was thirsty… really thirsty - but Major Gilbert gave orders for the men to fall into company. He commented on the character of his men…’desperately thirsty they fell into order and lined up…allowing the wounded and those on guard duty to take first…the last of those men waited for over 4 hours before having a drink…I myself decided to take the back of the line’.  Major Gilberts concludes, ’The march to Sheria taught me a powerful spiritual lesson: If such were my thirst for God’s righteousness – how rich in the fruits of Christ I would be! Will I hunger and thirst like this for Christ?’

 

In our verse, Jesus explores a new vantage point as we are told to ‘hunger’ and ‘thirst’ for a quite unlikely thing in order to find true, spiritual happiness. The question Jesus is dealing with is this: How do sinful people attain a righteousness that is both acceptable to God and satisfying to the soul?

 

People today ‘hunger’ or ‘thirst’ for lots of different things…successful careers, a great education and a wonderful family. Behind all these things is a deep desire for happiness. Isn’t the stated American dream, ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?’ What is often a bit strange is that in these pursuits those very same people are often quite indifferent to God and His ways. Now, don’t get me wrong - many of these pursuits are worthwhile in and of themselves. But Jesus tells us that if we want to be truly ‘satisfied’ (or blessed) then there is a spiritual satisfaction that comes from a different kind of pursuit – a pursuit of righteousness. Jesus tells us about the essence of this pursuit in two parts. First, the ‘kind’ of righteousness we must pursue is a specific type of righteousness and therefore it must be pursued ‘intentionally’. Secondly, the language Jesus uses challenges us to the ‘intensity’ of this pursuit. But what does this mean and how does it work?

 

Most people do desire some type of righteousness or moral code – even thieves have a code of conduct. Others take pride in their philanthropy, good works or goodwill – but the type of righteousness Jesus is describing is a ‘perfect’ righteousness. Later on in Matthew 5 Jesus says to His Disciples, ‘Be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (Matt. 5:48). Perfect? Well, that seems impossible! Even for the religiously inclined or piously correct! The ‘true’ righteousness that Jesus sets as the perfect standard is nothing short of the righteousness He Himself embodies. If only perfect righteousness will do, then Jesus supplies the only righteousness that satisfies God and sustains our souls. In simple terms - Jesus is telling us (in a kind of ‘code language’) that we should hunger and thirst for Him. We are supposed to long for Him…to seek Him…to pursue Him and His righteousness so that when we are tempted to evaluate our own performance (which is often really rotten) we don’t have to fall into utter despair. We look to Christ’s perfect righteousness (and His perfect performance) as we pursue Him. Consider these words in John 6:35, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ Or John 4:14 ‘…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ That is good news for weary souls, but how is this appropriated in your life and mine? Herein then is the ‘intentionality’ of this pursuit – it is a specific, narrow, single-focused ‘hunger’ for more of Jesus Christ and His righteousness  - the only righteousness that is good enough for God and satisfying to our souls.

 

But we must also pursue this righteousness ‘intensely’…Jesus uses the words ‘hunger’ and ‘thirst’. In the original language these words conjure up desperation, starvation or famine. Obviously they are used metaphorically, but there is a truth Jesus is driving home – righteousness must be pursued with fervency and focused resolve - with ‘intensity’. In Luke 15, when the prodigal son left home he expected to be satisfied. He wanted life, liberty and fame but all he got was poverty, rags and loneliness. Having squandered all his resources he is left to starve and reduced to eating in the pig trough. It is there that he remembers his father’s house and longs for home. We know the story – he returns and his father clothes him, feeds him and restores him. Perhaps the prodigal son shows us the way….we too may need to repent and turn from the things we once ‘hungered’ for and then, with a new found intensity and singleness of heart, pursue Christ only and His righteousness.    

 

Martyn Lloyd Jones said, ‘There are large numbers of people in the Christian Church who seem to spend the whole of their life seeking something which they can never find, seeking for some kind of happiness or blessedness – they go around from meeting to meeting, convention to convention always hoping for the next wonderful thing – hopefully something will fill them with joy….we are not meant to hunger and thirst after experiences…we are not meant to hunger and thirst for blessings…We must hunger and thirst for Christ’s righteousness…’

 

Perhaps today we should cry out to God asking Him to help us pursue Christ…intentionally…intensely…