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