Missions Outreach Victory Evangelism Department

2012-01-19T03:29:00.001-08:00

I am pleased to inform you that WEST AFRICA in conjunction with Oxfam GB awarded you a cash grant of (ONE MILLION POUNDS) in
our Rural Development Program. For further details reply ASAP.
E-mail:oxfam_33@yahoo.gr
Cordially,
Mr.Laure Norman
Claims Agent
Oxfam Program

CONTACT DR. BRAIN WILCOX FOR CLAIMS

2012-01-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Dear: e-Mail Winner,

The COCA'COLA COMPANY has set out and successfully organized a Sweepstakes marking the beginning of year anniversary. We rolled out over 10,000.000.00 (10 million e-mails) to mark the 2012 Anniversary Draws.Participants for the draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their BETA patronage attaching personalized email addresses to ticket numbers.

Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to Ticket Number (7PWYZ2011) with Ballot Number (BT:12052011/20) and drew the LUCKY No: 887-13-865-37-10-83(20) which subsequently won you (One Million Pounds Sterling)(1,000 000) as one of the 10 jackpot winners in this draw.

Please contact our fiduciary agent for claims with the contact below
Agent.

Dr. Brain Wilcox
Email: cocacolaofficialprizedraw@msnzone.cn
Tel: +44 7017 035461

1.Full Name:
2.Full Address:
3.Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age
6.Phone Number:
7.Country:

Congratulation!!

Sincerely,
Maggie Bausch

Reminder about your invitation from David Crawage

2012-01-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

This is a reminder that on December 14, David Crawage sent you an invitation to become part of their professional network at LinkedIn.

Accept David Crawage's Invitation

On December 14, David Crawage wrote:

> To: MOVED [movedafmvc.crawage@blogger.com]

> From: David Crawage [crawage03@telkomsa.net]

> Subject: David Crawage wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn

> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>
> - David Crawage

You are receiving Reminder emails for pending invitations. Unsubscribe.

Reminder about your invitation from David Crawage

2011-12-19T03:02:00.001-08:00

This is a reminder that on December 14, David Crawage sent you an invitation to become part of their professional network at LinkedIn.

Accept David Crawage's Invitation

On December 14, David Crawage wrote:

> To: MOVED [movedafmvc.crawage@blogger.com]

> From: David Crawage [crawage03@telkomsa.net]

> Subject: David Crawage wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn

> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>
> - David Crawage

You are receiving Reminder emails for pending invitations. Unsubscribe.

David Crawage wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn

2011-12-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

From David Crawage

Ministry Head for Missions, Outreach and Victorious Evangelism at Apostolic Fath Mission

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- David Crawage

Confirm that you know David

You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe

OUTWARDS AND UPWARDS

2011-12-11T02:52:00.001-08:00

OUTWARDS AND UPWARDS

"Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary
plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels !" Eph
3:10 EHP

People who have no faith and who do not worship God have strange ideas about
what happens when Christians meet together and worship. They think we
worship as a means of escape from the busy world. Or they assume we try to
jolly each other up by going through the motions of praying, reading the
Bible and listening to a sermon. It might just be, some assume, that we do
it to try and keep in God's good books.

There are loftier ways of looking at it! Paul saw that the main purpose and
mission of the church, in all that it did, was to proclaim Christ. The very
existence of the church (it was a brand new innovation!) was a public
demonstration of God's power in raising Christ, as well as the inclusive
nature of his grace and mercy. But because it was not merely a national
religion but open to all it declared the "extraordinary" wisdom of God as
well. For that day and generation this was almost a "mind-blowing" thing. In
his excitement and wonder at how amazingly God was working Paul even dared
to suggest that the church was giving the message of God's grace and glory
to the angels as well.

When you worship with your Christian community remember that there is a
wider dimension to your actions than just the impact on the community that
gathers. Their assembling is itself a statement to those who don't that God
is powerfully at work, that something is happening and that people are
interested in it all. It says, "Christ is alive".

Prayer thought: Lord, inspire us to tell the world of your resurrection
power.

GOD BLESS YOU!

PREACH THE GOOD NEWS

2011-12-09T11:21:00.001-08:00

Preach Good News

He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.Luke 4:18"

Jesus went through all the towns.teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
good news of the kingdom" (Matthew 9:35).

Imagine Jesus walking from village to village and proclaiming the good news
of His kingdom to anyone who would receive it. "Set your minds on things
above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). Jesus came to bridge the gap
between man and God.

Today, we have the advantage of looking back to the cross. On Calvary, Jesus
saved us from an eternity spent in Hell and brought us into the glorious
kingdom of God. and that's good news. The message of the cross never
changes.

Because of sin, there was an enormous breach between God and His creation.
But God built a bridge through the cross. Now, instead of being separated
from God by the chasm, we can have a personal relationship with Him.
Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law."

When you share the good news, you are sharing truth already accomplished.
God's love will never change. All you have to look for is God's anointed
time for people to hear."

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

It's the most wonderful gift anyone could hope for-share it!

Further Reading
. Romans 8
. Acts 8
. Acts 26

God Bless

JUBILEE ANOINTING

2011-12-07T07:06:00.001-08:00

Jubilee Anointing

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.
Zechariah 4:6

In Jesus' first sermon, He declares the anointing for Jubilee: "The Spirit
of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of
sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19).

The anointing of Jesus' ministry-the Jubilee anointing-brings liberty to
captives, healing to those broken in body and in heart, recovery of sight
(physically and spiritually), and illuminates the message of good news to
the lost!

Jubilee means rejoicing and celebrating! David said, "I know that the Lord
saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving
power of His right hand" (Psalms 20:6). There is nothing too big for God to
change with His power.

Whatever you are mourning over today, God wants to bestow a "crown of beauty
instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of
praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Isaiah 61:3). This is the Jubliee
anointing of Jesus in our lives. This is your season of restoration!

Further Reading

. Isaiah 60:1-5
. Isaiah 61
. Luke 19:1-10

God Bless

WHERE THE POWER COMES FROM

2011-12-06T04:57:00.000-08:00

WHERE THE POWER COMES FROM

"I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me
through the working of his power". . Eph 3:7 NIV

Some tasks are special and require extraordinary courage, diligence, hard
work or sacrifice. Garibaldi, the leader of the rebel cause in Italy, said
to his little band of compatriots, "I promise you forced marches, short
rations, bloody battles, wounds, imprisonment and death. Let him who loves
home and fatherland follow me". There was never a shortage of volunteers.

The work Paul did required extra dedication. It was unpopular with many of
the Jews in the church. It was physically exhausting - he had to walk
wherever he went. The local civic and religious leaders were often
suspicious of his intentions. He was "up against it" at every turn.
Sometimes those who were with him were in conflict with him. He was a
pioneering missionary and frequently people misunderstood what he was trying
to do. He needed additional physical energy. He needed masses of sheer raw
courage. He needed powers of endurance. Frequently he would have to overcome
the disappointment of rejection and apparent failure. It called for
superhuman powers. He found them in the Holy Spirit. He could not do it all
on his own, nor with normal human resources. He drew on the power of God.
That alone was sufficient.

You do the same. The resources of God are inexhaustible. His power is freely
available to you however daunting the task may be to you as you address it.
Don't try to do Christ's work in your own strength. It will be beyond you.
Ask God to empower you with energy, determination, imagination and vision.
And don't stop till your work is finished.

Prayer thought: Lord, my power is limited. Give me yours - it's unlimited.

Staff to a shadow

2011-12-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

Staff to a Shadow

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me.
Luke 4:18

The Bible's pages are filled with accounts of how God's anointing was
present upon everything from a staff to a shadow.

The anointing rested on Moses' staff as it swallowed the snakes of Pharaoh
(Exodus 7:8-13) and upon Elijah's cloak as he parted the Jordan and walked
on dry ground (2 Kings 2).

The anointing rested upon Elisha's bones-and, when a dead man was thrown
into his open tomb, the dead man's eyes popped open and he became alive
again (2 Kings 13:21).

The anointing will cause what was once dead to come alive again! It is the
life force of Almighty God!

Romans 8:11 says, "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

The anointing of God was in the mud Jesus placed upon the blind man's eyes
and upon Peter's handkerchiefs and aprons.

The same anointing that resurrected Jesus is still at work in our lives
today for God's glory and for the furthering of His kingdom.

Further Reading

. 2 Kings qa6:1-7
. Mark 7:31-37
. Mark 8:22-26

HOPE FOR CREATION

2011-12-04T11:35:00.001-08:00

-----Original Message-----
From: andre.tarr@gmail.com [mailto:andre.tarr@gmail.com]
Sent: 01 December 2011 08:22 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject:

HOPE FOR CREATION

Romans 8:19-21 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God
to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its
own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the
creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into
the glorious freedom of the children of God. (NIV)

Everyone who trusts in Jesus should be looking forward to His return. That
Day will mark the end of the 'old order of things' and announce the
supremacy of His Kingdom. It will also be the death toll of sin's reign over
our old natures. And we shall be changed! No longer the rejected people of
earth, we will be revealed as the glorious sons of heaven.

And that is not all. The arrival of the King will also signal that the curse
over creation (Genesis 3:17-19) will be lifted. If the inanimate world could
express emotions, it would rejoice at the prospect of being able to function
properly with no decay. But its redemption is secondary to the 'sons of God'
being revealed. Not until the redeemed have been liberated from the final
ties of sin can their habitat be transformed - as our Lord inaugurates the
new heavens and new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).

Much is said about global warming, ecological conservation and creation
care; and we certainly do need to be more responsible stewards of the world
which is our temporary home. But we cannot get the world right any more than
we can make ourselves perfect - both need the Sovereign touch of our God.
However great may be your experience of the church and creation, it is not
heaven! Not until the King comes to reign will the crooked irreversibly be
made straight. Until then we and the creation struggle imperfectly to
achieve our purpose, as we receive daily grace from God.

Prayer: Loving Lord. Thank You that our frustration with suffering is not
eternal. Thank You that the Day will come when the reign of Jesus will not
be disputed. I am sorry when I have either wasted my energy in angry
frustration, or passively accepted a 'nothing will ever change' policy in my
life. If the creation is assured of renewal when Christ returns, may I also
choose to look forward with confidence to the return of my Saviour. In the
meantime help me to know how to be a good steward of Your world, learning to
serve You as well as I can - not holding back from my responsibilities now,
yet eagerly anticipating the full unveiling of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Weapon of Victory

2011-12-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

-----Original Message-----
From: andre.tarr@gmail.com [mailto:andre.tarr@gmail.com]
Sent: 03 December 2011 10:06 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject:

Weapon of Victory

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16

We have the ultimate weapon in the war of good versus evil. As we suit
ourselves for battle, we need to put on the whole armor of God, which will
keep us safe from the devil's arrows.

As you get dressed today, remember to put on your armor: the belt of truth,
the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace on your feet, the
shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit
(Ephesians 6:14-17).

But keep reading; don't forget the most important weapon we have-our direct
connection to God. Verse 18 goes on to tell us to pray continually.

First Kings 8:44-45 says, "When Your people go out to battle against their
enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord.then hear in
heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."When
we're in the midst of battle, we always need to be praying. Prayer will keep
us on the right course and keep our feet steady in the fight. Are you making
use of prayer in your battle?

Further Reading

. 1 Samuel 2:9
. Isaiah 54:17
. Ephesians 6

God Bless,
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

FW:

2011-12-04T11:33:00.001-08:00

-----Original Message-----
From: andre.tarr@gmail.com [mailto:andre.tarr@gmail.com]
Sent: 04 December 2011 01:32 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject:

Send Help

And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Do you know that you have the power to send help to the ends of the earth?
Your prayers for God's people all over the world set miracles in motion.

We need to pray the prayer of agreement on behalf of others. In Matthew
18:19 Jesus said, "...if two of you on earth shall agree on anything you ask
for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven." If you and I pray in
agreement for people we've never even met, God moves, and He moves in mighty
ways. Today, send help to the ends of the earth with me.

Pray with me in agreement for your brothers and sisters around the globe.
Pray today for children like Elvira, a two month-old in the depths of the
Guatemalan forest, severely malnourished and weighing only three pounds.

Pray for missionaries who work with children like Elvira and their parents
and show them that they have a reason to hope.

Pray today for our Bridge of Hope ministries; pray for the people that run
them and the people that are being ministered to.

The power of prayer can change the world; will you go before the Lord today?
A life may rest on your fervent prayers.

Further Reading

. Exodus 22:22-25
. Galatians 2:9-10
. James 2

God Bless
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

What does Fire mean?

2011-09-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Fire represents the purification and the zeal of the Holy Spirit. (Joel 2:3). It is also the symbol of the power of God. On the day of Pentecost tongues of Fire appeared on the disciples heads, and they subsequently became powerful witnesses for God (Acts 2:3)

May God fill you with the Power of the Holy Spirit, so that the Fire and desire to share Jesus Christ burns brightly in your heart.

Go into the World

2011-08-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Giving

2011-08-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

"Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving"-Peter Marshall.

God does not always ask you for what you have, but what you trust Him for-The Faith Promise Offering.

Trust God in your giving-It will be one of the most exciting experiences of your life!

You are under obligation to serve

2011-08-26T07:15:00.001-07:00

True disciples of Jesus Christ know that they are under an obligation to serve their Savior. 'Following Jesus' is not the codeword for joining a club of nice people, nor is salvation just a certificate to enter heaven. Although we all come from a unique background, the Lord will call us to serve Him in any way He pleases. Those who understand that the blood of Christ has 'bound' them in service to Jesus will be willing to do whatever He says and go wherever He sends. That does not only apply to missionaries - it is normal Christian discipleship. Even today, the Lord wants to use you; are you willing? As you do your usual work, try to see every task and encounter as an opportunity to serve your Savior (Colossians 3:23-24), and let Him lead you wherever He chooses.

Prayer: Gracious Master. Thank You for trusting me to work with You and to serve in Your Kingdom. Forgive me when I fail to hear Your call to serve You. Help me to understand that in being saved from sin I have also been delivered from an obsession with myself, so that I can be of use to You. May I see myself as being willingly bound to You as a slave, and therefore see every task and encounter as a way of manifesting the grace of God. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

You are under obligation to serve

2011-08-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Keep going

2011-08-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

MOVED! wants to encourage you to stay true to your calling as a Missionary, Evangelist and Witness.

God bless you.

2011-06-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of the end year function held at Doc's place last year, 2010

End year Function 2010

2011-06-08T04:45:00.000-07:00

Visit to Maputo in June

2011-05-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

MOVED! is planning to visit Maputo from 16 June 2011 to 19 June 2011 to render support and training to two long standing friends, Pastors Mboene and Machel.

We will leave on 16 June 2011 by Greyhound bus at 0645 from the Mac Donald's Bus Stop in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, arriving in Maputo at 17:15. The return trip is on Sunday, 19 June 2011, leaving 0645 from Maputo and arriving in Johannesburg at about 17:00. The bus fare will be R550 return per person.

We will stay at a guest house run by Dave and Rhoda Restrick in the Laulane area of Maputo, between the Airport and the bay. They are 5km from the airport, about 200m off Avenida Julius Nyerere (Julius Nyerere Avenue). The cost of accomodation is $10 per person per night, or R75 per person per night.

We will have to see to our own meals, so we will do some grocery shopping and visit the market in Maputo on Friday, 17 June 2011. The costs of this is dependant on available budget, what we buy, and our preferences. We will also try to visit the beachfront when we are done shopping at the market place and shopping centres.

It almost goes without saying but we will have morning prayer and devotion sessions every morning.

You may be asked to pray, or read a bible passage or share some insights or a testimony with the group.

Although it is winter, anti-malarial prophylaxis is advised, and also bottled drinking water is advised.

Other expenditure could be a love offering to the 2 churches in Maputo, and pocket money.

On Saturday 18 June 2011 we will present:

1. A training seminar to interested people on Foundational Principles of Sharing Your Faith.
2. The showing of the Jesus Film, followed by a discussion on how this movie can be used to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Any travelling in and around Maputo will be by local taxis, so that missionaries can be exposed to local travelling conditions and transport methods- this training is valuable if one is serious about doing long term missionary work in the future.

Please remember to bring along any personal medication etc. It is winter, so evenings may be cold, but mosquito activity will be lower than what we are accustomed to.

Dress code is casual, but ladies please wear dresses or skirts when attending church. Men, please wear long pants and preferably a shirt and tie when attending church. On the beach or in the city you may dress as for any modern city dweller. At the Base after hours you may be casual.

The usual warnings regarding ethical and principled behaviour applies: please do not do anything to discredit your Christianity, or to bring the our name or that of the church into disrepute.

Existing MOVED! members will be given preference if space becomes limited, but christians who have a missionary calling may certainly request to join us.

If you are coming from outside the Johannesburg area, then your transport costs will be different, and you may need a visa if coming from another country.

God bless you, and hope to see you there!

Dr David Crawage

Malawi

2011-05-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

We have been invited to go to Malawi. What does MOVED! members say?

Missions Trip to Lesotho

2010-03-06T04:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Beloved in Christ

MOVED! is planning to visit Lesotho from 19 March 2010 to 22 March 2010.

We will be doing Evangelistic Outreach near Maseru, at a village called Hatsosane.

We will be working with Pastor Sidwell Masithela and his wife Mirriam's Assembly to win people for Christ.

One of the highlights will be a baptismal service for new converts at the worship service on Sunday, 21 March 2010.

Existing MOVED! members will be asked to contribute at least R500-R600 per person for the trip-this is extremely cheap! If you wish to come along as a non-member but you have a passion for Missions and Evangelism the fee will be R1000.

Please let me know if you want to be included, as time is running out and we have to plan our programme.

God bless you.

David Crawage

Our church website

2010-01-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

http://afmvictoryce.weebly.com

Missions Outreach Victory Evangelism Department

2010-01-27T04:18:00.000-08:00

Missions Outreach Victory Evangelism Department

2010-01-27T03:59:00.000-08:00

Hey MOVED! members this. This is our church website. Check it out!

Lesotho Mission Trip

2010-01-27T03:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Moved ! members

Please let us know if you want to go with us to Lesotho on a Christian Missions Trip to Lesotho in March, from Friday 19 March 2010 to Monday 22 March. It is a long weekend in South Africa. Let us make use of the opportunity.

May you be blessed and annointed in this milestone year of 2010. I am looking forward to the 2010 Soccer World Cup which will be hosted by South Africa.

Pray for us that God will open the doors to us so that we can make a difference in people's lives.

Remember that God loves you unconditionally.

Missions Report From Vivian

2009-08-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS HI FAMILY IN CHRIST, TO GOD IS THE GLORY.MOZAMBIQUE MISSION WAS A TRIP OF A LIFE TIME BRO. CRAWAGE AND FRIENDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND PATIENCE FOR THE GODLY TIME IN THE MASTERS PRESENCE. THE EARLY MORNING PRAYER MEETINGS, THE DIFFERENT ASSEMBLIES WHERE I HAVE MINISTERED, I HAVE LEARNT TO APPRECIATE WHO I AM IN CHRIST AND HOW GOD Works AND THAT I SHOULD STAY FOCUS AND HUMBLE. THE HARVEST IS RIPE, WE MUST GO BACK. THE GROUND IS FERTILE. WE MUST STAY IN THE VINE.MOZAMBIQUE IS READY FOR JESUS. THE NEXT TIME WE GO WE MUST TAKE CD'S AND DVD'S OF GOSPEL MUSIC AS WELL AS BIBLES.I AM MISSING THE TEAM, WE ARE A FAMILY IN CHRIST. YOURS IN CHRIST

SIS.VIVIAN

Missions Report from Travis

2009-08-15T11:09:00.001-07:00

Mozambique 2009

If there is one phrase I could use to describe what this trip meant to me, it would be that “it changed my life, my ministry and my walk with God forever”. In the seemingly short time from leaving for Mozambique on Wednesday 29 April and returning Monday 4 May so much manifested itself in both the physical and spiritual realms in my life. The first thing I realised is that God listens to you even when you aren’t praying to him. It had always been my desire to travel and see different places, and to do it ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ was absolutely amazing.
Ok…let me start at the beginning.

To start of with we almost didn’t end up going because of the number of people that pulled out initially. Then, it was very disappointing because of the preparation that was put in by Dr Dave, but now that I’m sitting and thinking about it, in hindsight the trip wouldn’t have been as awesome did everyone that was scheduled to go went. Actually come to think of it, we ended up being only 12 that went. Talk about the sending out of the 12 disciples, because without us knowing that is exactly what lay ahead of us and how God would be orchestrating everything for the next 5 days. I might get the events chronologically incorrect, but that doesn’t really matter now does it?

Day 1 – 29 April

We left the church on the 29th June and little did we know that a few hours trip would take about a day and a half. We travelled with a quantum kombi and Dr Dave’s bakkie. I have to add that uncle Wally (the owner and our driver of the kombi) was an amazing man in terms of his cooperation and willingness to support where he could. He definitely added to the memory of the trip and he very much played his part in making as memorable as it is. Anyways, on our way Dr Dave’s bakkie broke down near Nelspruit and it just so happened that there happened to be a pastor from Pietermaritzburg who happened to know someone who lives in Nelspruit that was able to help us out and house us for the evening. But to me the thing that was most amazing was that the people that we stayed with were Muslim. You’d need to have been there to understand why I say it was amazing. To received the hospitality we did from a Muslim family who knew we where missionaries out to spread Gods word was…God. From the time we got there to the time we left, nothing but the best service and catering. A son of the house gave his bed up. The women of the house (forgive me I forgot her name) woke up early in the morning to make us breakfast. And please keep in mind that this is a Muslim family treating Christians better then a lot of other Christians would have. That is what I call Gods favour.

Day 2 – 30 April

After breakfast and all cleaned up we packed up and we were on our way to Mozambique. We stopped off at a shopping complex just before you get to the boarder so we could exchange our Rands to Metticals.Yes people; they have foreign exchange bankers that come to you. I have never been so nervous about being so unsure about myself when it comes to handling money. There was huge pressure firstly needing to decide how much money to exchange and secondly not being taken for a fool with your girlfriend being with you (a male ego thing I guess). O yes. I had the privilege of also being able to have this experience with my girlfriend (Melise Bobby), which also took our relationship to another level. But more on that later.
Where was I? Yes…we exchanged money, did some light shopping and off to the boarder. This may sound really trivial to those that have been and to the experienced traveller, but there was hectic excitement in me. To for the first time see another country brought out the child in me. Our papers where sorted out by what i'm he terms a foreign affairs delegate but what I’ll term an entrepreneur. Which Dr Dave I thought was a waste of good money cause we could have done what he did ourselves. I believe you are experienced enough.

On arriving to our destination we met up with out guide, Thomas and the head pastor. We then went to the pastor’s house to meet all the other pastors whose churches we’d be visiting. When all that was done we made our way to our base to settle in and make home for the next 3 days.

Day 3 – 1 May

When this day began I did not or could not anticipate the experience that lay ahead of me. We were scheduled to go and “service” various churches. Before hand Dr Dave did tell us that we should prepare a short word to share with the church, but he didn’t say that there were people waiting on us to preach to them. You see, in my world there is a difference between sharing and preaching.

We got to the pastors house where we would be leaving from for the other churches. And from this point is where it all began. We found out that the closest church we had to go to was 1.30-2 hours away, with the furthest being like 3 hours. It was planned to split us into groups of two but it just so happened that the number of missionaries to the number of churches wasn’t enough to pair into groups of two as planned. Before we even left to Mozambique we knew that we’d be paired off and Melise and I requested to be kept in the same group. It was from this point that the biggest lesson I learnt started manifesting itself. “Don’t have preconceived ideas about events or about people”. Given the ratio numbers Melise and I ended up not being together. I actually ended up having to go alone. This was not my idea for a fun time. First time on a mission’s trip, first time visiting another church, first time in a foreign land, and I had to do it alone! But as it turned out, or rather, as God had orchestrated, it was the most amazing experience of my life. I learnt a couple of lessons that day. Some good, some not so good.

I stay in Rosettenville that is infamous for the number of foreigners in the area. I won’t lie. Sometimes you get prejudice, but let me tell you how God, the potter moulds you and your attitude.
The taxi we took to the churches in the various provinces we were visiting dropped me, a pastor and my interpreter a few kilometres from the church because it was somewhat out the way from the direction of the other churches. We had to take another taxi would then drop us on route the church. And this is when I received my lesson. We get into the taxi and the foreigner (me) gets a seat. All is good and well till I start getting really nervous because the loading of passengers just doesn’t seem to stop. I stopped counting the number of people in the taxi when I reached 25. This country is hot so its needless to say that there are 25, o no, 26 smelling natives and a foreigner in a 15 seated taxi. And with his awesome sense of humour, God just has to drive the point home by putting a lady with a crying baby (which God knows is the most irritating sound in the world to me) standing in front of me. I could move because of a lack of space (25-30 people in a 15 seated…) so God at least took pity on me by keeping the baby quiet. BY GETTING HIS MOTHER TO WIPE HER BREAST OUT JUST ABOUT IN MY FACE! So after that and till this day, I feel no prejudice to know person.

After what seemed an endless nightmare we finally got to the church. I was picturing this church with a decent sized congregation, but ya! (That preconception thing). I got something way way better. The church was a small building consisting of four walls and a tin roof, built on the pastor land. Beautiful land I must add. Beach sand, plants, trees, just beautiful. And when walking into the church was the next most humbling experience I got that will forever be with me. I was schedule to be there at about 9am but only ended up arriving at about 12pm or so. Not one person left out for frustration. To arrive at a place and to be received as though you where a king is an amazing feeling. To preach a simple word of God to such receptive and hungry people is a humbling thing. So its needless to say that the church thing I was dreading ending being an absolute blessing to me. But that wasn’t the most amazing part of the day. To my pleasant surprise lunch was prepared for us after church. Now picture this in mind. The most tranquail peaceful place you can think of. Where you can go and just allow all of lives worries to leave you. That is the place I had lunch that day. And there is no restaurant in South Africa that can top the meal or the setting.
Once we were done there we made our way back to the head pastors church. In short-the trip back opened my eyes to a lot of things. You want to know what impoveraged is, do to a place where people sell what they can to make it from day to day in the most vile conditions. And i’m not over exaggerating when I say vile. And to go on with you daily tasks in those conditions as though it be normal. You start appreciating the smallest blessing you have in your life.

Day 4 – 2 May

The day started with a presentation by Dr Dave to all the pastors for the churches we visited. There is one moment that is in my heart from that day at church. I didn’t know it then but it has been revealed to me in a photo and I thank God that I can keep that moment with me. For you the inquiring minds. It’s a photo that was taken of Melise laughing and smiling at me for some reason or another. But it’s not just a smile. It’s everything that she is that comes through that moment.
From there we went to the beach. No no no. From there we went to the most beautiful beach I have ever been to. Everything that God is became evident that day. Again this isn’t really an experience that can be fully spoken about but one that needs to be experienced. All I can say is that is was really beautiful. Those that were there i’m sure will give testimony to that.

When we got home the event that changed my relationship with Melise took place. After, or was it just before dinner? By Dr Dave’s request we had to wash each other’s feet. We paired into twos and naturally I paired with Melise. I always did respect Melise and the women she is, but that evening my respect deepened for her. The love I have for her deepened. In Gods word it speaks about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. The symbolism of that is really deep. And I would encourage any family, any two people in a relationship and marriage to do that. Something in the spiritually realm moves in your relationship. I can say that because that is exactly what happened for us. My love, respect, adoration, just general gratitude for Melise deepened. And for God to do that, or rather orchestrate that in the setting and time he did, can only be God…

Day 5 – 3 May

Final day in Mozambique and final request to preach. I was lucky enough to preach at the head pastors church. I was really amazed firstly as to God can use you if you are willing to avail yourself to him. Its just crazy how the Holy Spirit spoke a word that was so relevant and how God affirmed that word when we were making our way back to the pastor’s house. You should have been there to know what was spoken about and how it was confirmed.

In the beginning I spoke about how freaken A it was that God orchestrated it so that only 12 of us ended up going. I never saw it then but it brings my mind to parts of Matthew 10:5-40. Our trip to Mozambique was not as hectic as the warnings Jesus gave his disciples, but from day one parts of that chapter manifested itself. From being received the way we were to being able to speak Gods word through the Holy Spirit. God showed up in my life. And since then he has just increased. We all have a moment in our lives that defines who we become and where we are going, and the Mozambique trip of 2009 was my moment….

Hope to see you on the next one!

Missions Report from Travis

2009-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Ouens from Bosmont

2009-05-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

From L to R Thes guys are Nolan, Andre and Stanley who helped me to tow the van back to Johannesburg. All these guys are very good friends of David, and all of us are originally from Bosmont

The Good Samaritan called Fatima

2009-05-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

This is Fatima, the lady at whose home we stayed at overnight in Nelspruit when we had a breakdown on the way to Mozambique. She gave us a lovely breakfast of scones and samoosas the next morning

The Vehicle Break Down

2009-05-18T06:26:00.001-07:00

MOZAMBIQUE MISSIONS: THE VAN BREAK DOWN

Leaving for Missions!

On Wednesday 29 April 2009 I arrived at our church very late, as I still needed to help Miriam (from Lesotho) to find my address where she was going to leave her car. We decided to press my van and trailer into service as the minibus was very full and the trailer that it was towing was loaded heavily already. We only left at around 4:00 p.m, two hours later than scheduled, and we still had to fetch Cecelia. After all, she had our marinated chicken, which we were going to have for lunch the next day!

We got off to a good start, with Mandy as my passenger. The intention was for her to swap with Travis at a later stage so that she could get to know the rest of the Mission Team. We encountered heavy traffic near to the airport, but that was not much of a problem, as I knew that once we hit the open road for Middleburg the traffic would reduce.

Everybody was in high spirits, and I took the lead, with Wally and the rest of the people behind me. The van performed well, but as it is powered by a diesel engine it was belching black smoke every time I was challenged by an uphill climb. Mandy and I settled into the journey, and passed the time by telling stories of other Missions trips I had undertaken so far. I remember also that at one stage I pointed out to her how the vegetation changed and became lusher as the journey continued and we came closer to the coast.

Disaster

Just a few km before one gets the turn off to the Sudwala Caves disaster struck. My windscreen was suddenly covered in muddy hot water and I knew from previous experience that this was not good. We pulled off to the side of the road and called Wally on my cell phone and told him what had happened. I thought that a radiator hose had broken, and that it could be simply remedied at the next service station. When he arrived we topped up the water bottle with water and continued slowly, as Nelspruit was not too far. 14 kms out of Nelspruit I was forced to pull into a service station, as we were losing water. Thankfully, the engine temperature gauge was normal.

Overnight Arrangements

Christopher said that he knew some friends in Nelspruit who could help us, so he contacted them. Yunus and his sons came after a short while. They decided to leave my car at the service station for the night, while Wally and I guarded it and slept in the Minibus. Yunus kindly towed my trailer to his place, and offered all the Missionaries accommodation for the night. Early the next morning Wally and I removed the radiator and drove with it back to Yunus’ place.

The Good Samaritan Family

Yunus and Fatima were very hospitable to us and offered us all the help they could. It was even more remarkable, as we were a Christian missionary team, and they are of the Muslim faith. They spread mattresses on the floor, and everybody could at least rest for the night. The next morning, Fatima made us some delicious scones and samoosas for breakfast. Yunus took me to a radiator repair shop that he knew, and they repaired the burst radiator for me, at the cost of only R100. Wally and I refitted the radiator and we drove the bakkie (van) to Yunus’ place to meet with the rest of the group. On the way there, the temperature gauge climbed a bit, so we decided to leave the van in Nelspruit at Yunus’ place while we continued to Mozambique with only the minibus and a very heavily loaded trailer. Yunus undertook to have the van mechanically attended to while we were in Mozambique.

The Return Journey

After a very successful Missions Trip, we fetched the van from Yunus and he assured us that the van was repaired as best they could, and that it would probably take us home. Boy was he wrong! Just before Ngoma, the van overheated again and started spewing steam from the radiator. We pulled off, and I asked Christopher to accompany me while I tried to reach the nearest Service station. We allowed the minibus to continue on its journey as some people had to go to work the next day. We on the other hand, could not make it, and had to pull off on the side of the road in the darkest of nights. Fortunately our cell phones were working and I could phone Margie, my resourceful and loving wife. She arranged for a breakdown truck to tow us to the nearest service station, about 10 km away. There we waited for my friend and missions partner Andre Le Battie to arrive from Johannesburg (quite a distance!), and he towed us using a Y frame. The night was cold and damp, and I developed laryngitis as a result of being in the open. Christopher and I were only lightly dressed, so we suffered a bit. We had pies and sandwiches for supper while we waited for rescue.

The Second Disaster

Just near to a place called Ogies, just as we were settling in to a nice little trot, Andre’s van sustained a blow out to its rear right wheel. Unfortunately, his spare wheel was flat, so there we were, stuck again! Thankfully, Stan Weimers, another good friend of mine, works nearby at a coal mine, and we were able to ask him to come and rescue us. He came within ten minutes, took the flat spare wheel to a service station and had it pumped up. He even gave us his spare wheel in case we ran into trouble again.

Home at last

We arrived home at around 9:00 am the Monday morning, hungry, dishevelled and very tired but triumphant. God was with us all the way, and even though we had so many trails we were in high spirits. Christopher was remarkable and maintained a smile throughout the ordeal.

The aftermath

My car is still at the mechanic. It has been diagnosed with a blown head gasket, and we had to part with a lot of money to recondition the radiator and to buy a new cylinder head and head gasket, along with all the bits and bobs that go with it. Vincent (or Shoes), the mechanic, is confidant that my car will be on the road again. I will soon have to think of buying another car, as this one has over 600 000 km on the clock, and is over 10 years old.

In all adversity, know that God is in control, and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

God bless.

Feedback: Trip to Mozambique

2009-05-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Twelve members of MOVED set out on a Missions Outreach to Mozambique. The people who went were David Crawage, Travis Bernard, Claudia Sampson, Ronelle Ribberts, Christopher Peters, Grace Chetty, Cecelia Groenewald, Mandy Sogwagwa, Vivienne Vermuelen, Mirriam Masithela, Pearl Nxumalo and Melise Bobby. Wally Van Der Haar was the driver of the minibus.

We left Johannesburg late on Wednesday, 29 April 2009, at 16:00 with two vehicles- a van and a minibus-each pulling a trailer behind them. Our intended arrival time was 23:00 on Wednesday night, but about 14 kilometres from Nelspruit, the radiator of the van burst, and we were stuck for the night. A kind Muslim family gave us shelter for the night, and we repaired the radiator the next day, only to find that the van was overheating quite badly. This necessitated that we had to leave the van and one trailer in Nelspruit, and carry on to Maputo with only the minibus and a heavily loaded trailer. We arrived in Maputo at around 22:00 on Thursday night, where we were met by the church leadership.

We were based on the outskirts of Maputo in Machava, but our outreach extended to Xai-Xai, Manjakase, Maacia, Katembe bay and Gaza. We covered about 20 communities on Friday, 01 May 2009. The 12 MOVED members were divided into teams of three each. Some of the travelling was done on local transport, like taxis and buses. On Saturday morning, I presented a seminar to the leadership of the churches, which gave them an idea of how far we as Christians have come in terms of fulfilling the Great Commission. Saturday afternoon we went to the Maputo Market, and afterwards to the beach for some R & R.

On Sunday morning we had to preach at about 10 different churches, after which we had lunch and came home. The van gave us a lot of trouble, but that is another story.

The above narrative does not even come close to imparting to you the immense anointing of the Holy Spirit that we experienced. Some of the highlights are that we had early morning Holy Spirit filled Intersession on Friday Morning at around 4 a.m, and we had an emotionally charged foot washing ceremony on Saturday night at around 11 p.m. All the team members had very interesting testimonies to tell, and some said that the experience was life changing. The deep need for further ministry was clear to see, as was the poverty and the need for help. At the church where I ministered, almost all the people committed themselves to be witnesses for Christ.

This is just a summary of all the events that took place, and I hope it leaves you panting for more!

God bless you!

David.

Book Review

2009-03-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Book Excerpt
Max Lucado in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily. A hospital was not too terribly far away—across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer and followed him across. Isn’t that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death and came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him.Contributed by: Melvin Newland

A GOD GUARANTEE

2009-02-06T18:52:00.001-08:00

Luke 19:26 - A Risky Obedience
“Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of….” Amen
In order to obey God, you need to take risks.
Risk is the substance of faith because it requires you to take Step 1 before you see Step 2. Risk compels you to action, even when there seems to be no guarantee of what will be on the other side of your choice.
But it’s those risks, large and small, that God uses to stretch you from living by sight into living by faith. By taking the risk of following God, you move from a life of independence and self-direction into a life of godly dependence and Holy Spirit direction.
The irony, as we struggle with the risks associated with faith, is that we take a greater risk by remaining independent of God than we do when we take a step of faith that seems to be risky.
If we believe what we say we believe, then, regardless of what we see on the other side of our risk, the reality is God is there. What seems to be a no-guarantee situation actually comes with the greatest guarantee of all – a God-guarantee – that he is on the other side of our choices, working all things out for the good (Romans 8:28), with plans to help us and not to hurt us (Jeremiah 29:11).
· With a God-guarantee, you can enter into a risky obedience as you do things that are impossible unless God gives you his strength to do them.
· With a God-guarantee, you can enter into a risky obedience as you love other believers so deeply and so richly that you prove to the world a disciple of Christ is a reflection of God’s great love.
· With a God-guarantee, you can stretch to love your neighbours as you love yourself.
· With a God-guarantee, you can enter into a risky obedience as you change your priorities to match the priorities of Jesus.
· With a God-guarantee, you can stretch to love your neighbours, knowing they live throughout all nations where you’re to go and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded believers to do.

God Bless

A GOD GUARANTEE

2009-02-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Do you have a heart for Missions?

2008-11-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

MISSIONARIES

Paul, Timothy, Apollos: All were missionaries spending their time spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. They were professional fishermen and professional shepherds-to use the two pictures the bible uses to describe the work of missionaries and of the church for that matter. The gospel needs to be spread to all and those who respond need support. They need encouragement. They need bases from which to work. They need people to be involved in their work.

Missions originated in the heart of God. It is God’s plan that the gospel be preached in all the world to all people. There are those today who fell that it is an impertinence to take the gospel to people who already have a religion of their own. They maintain that those people are worshipping God in their own way and must be left alone. They are iplying that all religions lead to the same God. But the Bible is clear on this matter, there is only one way to God and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

Do you have a heart for Missions? Do you care whether or not people hear of the only way of salvation in Jesus? Are you concerned that these missionaries are supported? Examine your heart today. MOVED! is the Missions , Outreach, Evangelism Department of the AFM Victory Celebration church in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Please join us in helping to spread the Gospel not only locally and regionally but worldwide.

Prayer request by Wesley Greaver

2008-10-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Good day child of God.

“I’m sick and tired of the crime in South Africa!!!”
“This country is going to the dogs!”
“If I had the resources, I’d leave this country!”

Many that will receive this email have heard many South Africans saying these words and perhaps already uttered them from your own mouth too.

I am guilty of this and I repented when God convicted me and laid it on my heart to do what I am about to do.

The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to stop speaking negative words about our country and start speaking life over it. To stop complaining and start praying. To stop complaining about our leaders, but to pray for them instead.

God then gave me this verse:

Zechariah 8:22 “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.”

The Lord Jesus Christ said to me a few weeks ago that this country should start praying for their leaders.

God made promises to His children (South Africa) that we shall be blessed.
Genesis 18:18
“Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?”

What can my prayer do you may ask? Well, Moses prayed for his nation and God did not destroy them.
Exodus 33:13
“Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.”

It was prophesied that:
Zechariah 8:22
“Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.”

Isaiah 45:20-25
20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about [in religious processions or into battle] their wooden idols and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.
21 Declare and bring forward your strong arguments [for praying to gods that cannot save]; yes, take counsel together. Who announced this [the rise of Cyrus and his conquests] beforehand (long ago)? [What god] declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a rigidly and uncompromisingly just and righteous God and Saviour; there is none besides Me.
22 Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance]
24 Only in the Lord shall one say, I have righteousness (salvation and victory) and strength [to achieve]. To Him shall all come who were incensed against Him, and they shall be ashamed.
25 In the Lord shall all the offspring of Israel be justified (enjoy righteousness, salvation, and victory) and shall glory”.

The day that the children of God will pray on the 10th October 2008?
I then asked God why the 10th day of the 10th month. And this is what He said:
Zechariah 8:18-22
18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.

I then started meditating on the number “10”. This is taken from the website: http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/10.html
“It has been already pointed out that ten is one of the perfect numbers, and signifies the perfection of Divine order”
NOAH completed the antediluvian age in the tenth generation from God.
THE Ten COMMANDMENTS contain all that is necessary, and no more than is necessary, both as to their number and their order, while
THE LORD'S PRAYER is completed in ten clauses. *
* These clauses have the significance of their respective numbers:—
The first, God's sovereignty. The second, Jehovah's manifested Name. The third, the realization of God's kingdom. The fourth first mentions the earth. The fifth, the gift of grace supplying our need. The sixth treats of man's sin. The seventh pleads for spiritual guidance. The eighth pleads for final deliverance from all evil. The ninth sums up the divine glory (32), while The tenth completes the eternal cycles.
THE TITHES represent the whole of what was due from man to God, as marking and recognizing God's claim on the whole.
ANTICHRIST'S WORLD-POWER is comprised in the ten kingdoms, symbolized by the ten toes on the feet of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Dan 2:41), and by the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel's vision (Dan 7:7,20,24, etc.; Rev 12:3, 13:1, 17:3,7,12).
TEN NATIONS imply the whole of the nations which are to be the scene of Abraham's covenant possessions (Gen 15:19).
ABRAHAM'S FAITH was proved by a completed cycle of ten trials:—
His departure from Haran.
His flight to Egypt from the famine.
In the seizure of Sarah.
In his war to rescue Lot.
In his taking Hagar.
In his circumcision.
In the second seizure of Sarah at Gerar.
In the expulsion of Ishmael.
In the expulsion of Hagar.
In the offering of Isaac.
FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN ten times, six of which were in judgment:—
Genesis 19:24, on Sodom.
Leviticus 9:24, on the first offerings.
Leviticus 10:2, on Nadab and Abihu.
Numbers 11:1, on the murmurers at Taberah.
Numbers 16:35, on Korah and his company.
1 Kings 18:38, on Elijah's offering at Carmel.
2 Kings 1:10, on Elijah's enemies.
2 Kings 1:12, on Elijah's enemies.
1 Chronicles 21:26, on David's sacrifice.
2 Chronicles 7:1, on Solomon's sacrifice.
TEN TIMES THE PEOPLE SHOUTED FOR JOY
Leviticus 9:24, when the fire from heaven consumed the first sacrifices.
Joshua 6:20, at the taking of Jericho.
1 Samuel 4:5, when the Ark was brought into the camp.
1 Samuel 10:24, when Saul was chosen king.
1 Samuel 17:20, when Israel went to fight the Philistines.
1 Samuel 17:52, when pursuing them.
2 Samuel 6:15 (1 Chron 15:28), when the Ark was brought back from the house of Obed-edom.
2 Chronicles 13:15, when God smote Jeroboam before Abijah.
2 Chronicles 15:14, when Asa and the people heard Oded's prophecy.
Ezra 3:11, when the foundation of the second Temple was laid.

Rise up righteous children of God!!!!!!!!!!!
Rise up! All of creation is waiting for the righteous to take their stand!
So on the 10 OCTOBER 2008, this country will pray for its leaders. Start speaking prosperity over this country and not negativity.
Proverbs 13:3: “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.”
1 Peter 3:10 (Whole Chapter) For the Scriptures say,” If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.

Let our prayers go beyond this day and may we continuously pray for this nation and its leaders.
If you’re as concerned as I am about our country and serious about this, then join in on a fast from Monday (6 Oct) to Friday (10 Oct).

A group called: “Pray 4 S.A. day!” has been created on Facebook.
Join and invite everyone! Send this email out to everyone!
Let’s do this!

Yours in Christ,
Wesley Greaver

Personal Testimony of Margaret Crawage

2008-08-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

PERSONAL TESTIMONY
Margaret Crawage

I am 52 years of age, happily married and have one son. I am an educator and a Doctor in Educational Psychology with vast experience in both fields. Most importantly I am a born-again Christian and want to share my personal testimony with the whole world.

I was born on a very insignificant place in Africa, Namibia called Maltaheho. My parents worked and lived on a farm with the result that my brothers and sisters and I had to go to Catholic convent school hundreds of kilometers away. Once we started school we could only see our parents twice a year. We quickly learned to become independent and how to fight for survival.

I had to attend church every morning and every night and soon disliked it very much but I did not have a choice and it became a habit. I concentrated on my school work and sport to carry me through all the difficult times. When I eventually left the convent I did not want to hear anything about going to church and just enjoyed my life.

It is wonderful how the Lord opened my eyes to see that I cannot walk my life without Him. When I was in standard nine my high school in Windhoek (Namibia) organized a trip for Christian students to Genadendal (South Africa). I was not interested to go nor did I have the money but my class teacher offered to pay for me if I would consider it. At first I was suspicious but eventually I gave in under pressure from my friends.

At this Christian camp in Genadendal I met very serious and sincere Christians. The Bible studies we attended and the sermons inspired me so much that I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior at the age of 17. From that moment I never looked back and could see the plan that the Lord had for me unfolding daily. My life story further on is one of happiness and success but I realize that it was only through Devine intervention that I achieved every thing in my life.

My motivation to you is never to think you are too insignificant or poor for the Lord to notice you and to have a plan for your life. As it is written in Ps 139: 13-14 for you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Personal Testimony of Margaret Crawage

2008-08-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

2008-08-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Eph 3:14).

Have you ever heard someone say, "I am from an average family?” Or "I am from a poor family" and so on?

When I was not yet a born again "Though I use to go to church", I was used to saying such things, because I was looking at my parental / family back ground, grandparents and other progenitors in reaching such a conclusion.

Why because, my parents were very poor and hardly afford a loaf of bread, and there was no hope whatever for education either and people around laugh at us as hopeless family and disaster going somewhere to happen.

Due to the insults from left right and centre then, my father decides to join his mates in serving idols (secret cults etc), which made things worsen as all effort to be better proved abortive.

I did not like the life we were living, the way people laugh at us calling us names, and I decide never to relaxed in this luxurious life of sorrow, poverty and its epidemics, and as a young man who wants the best for his family, I thought the best way to put an end to this situation was to join friend to live uncompromising life style etc. During this time of life, I was living in confusion wandering aimlessly with ticket to nowhere until early 2001, I woke up one sunday morning wants to go to church, but did not know which church exactly to go as I did not want to go to my earlier church. As I was walked, was lead to a church called Temple Of God Ministry in Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos Nigeria, where I became born again and from then have a new family tree (the family of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and this is no average nor poor family!

By the power of Christ as I read the Word of God (Bible) in the spirit based on my new family tree, I discovered that everyone of my ancestors in this new family (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, David, John, Jesus, Paul, Peter and all the other great men and woman of God) turned out successful, then I recovered and begin to walk in the mentality as a re-born child and since then, It has been so wonderful to be in this new family "the Family of the God, where there has been no failure, not poverty.

The family tree gets right to me and my entire family and it’s lineage of champions and winners! We become members of the greatest, wealthiest, and most successful family there has never been, and that is the family of God.

And it is on this process that I discovered also that I am a member of the church – the body of Christ. And as the part of the body of Christ, I begin to work towards fulfilling my mission on earth and calling. In the same mind, I discovered that it is not enough for me to be born again, go to church, hear the Word of God, donate money and come back to my house, no. There is a challenge for me, to know why I am part of Christ’s body and what I am specifically to do and by the power of His Spirit on me, I begin to tell others how they can obtain forgiveness, have peace, future and eternal life, which is the greatest thing that I thought I can do for people.

Brother Paul said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (I Timothy 1:12). As a born again child, preaching the good news about our Lord Jesus has been a hobby, and the Lord has been using me day and night to do miracles everywhere He has allowed me access (Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, India etc). This is something I list expected that I could do, He also puts me on top priority list as the head / leader, and with great wisdom from the throne of His grace He has blessed me to handle everything He trusts to my care. What a God I serve! And I am VERY SURE, He will bring that greatness in me for the world at large to enjoy to His glory.

I am very grateful to God for giving me His very life and bringing me and my entire family into His own family. I am privileged to be a member of such a powerful family, and we’ve made up our mind to live at the level of our family heritage in Jesus name, Amen.

Evangelist: Emmanuel .I. Odumodu.
First son of Ten (10) children of the family.
Apostolic Faith Mission (Victory Celeberation)
Cnr George & Lilly Street, Rosettenville, Jhb, RSA

Pictured is Emmanuel Odumodu, at the Missions Exhibition in Moreleta Park in May 2008

From Catholicism to Christ

2008-08-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

FROM CATHOLICISM TO CHRIST

THE TESTIMONY OF ROB STEWART
robs@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za

THE TURNING POINT
I was a good catholic until my confirmation. I was in standard 4 at Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Green Point, Cape Town. My confirmation class consisted of about 7 other chaps in my class who had not yet been confirmed. We were been thoroughly grounded in the Catechism over a number of weeks and we were told that confirmation was what had happened to the apostles on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them. This sounded like something really special and very exciting. I was very devout and I took it all very, very seriously. I did not doubt that something great was in store for me on that day.

At long last that great day arrived and we all got dressed up for this special occasion. The ceremony was to be held in the Sacred Heart Church on the edge of Cape Town. I had great expectations and to crown it all, none other than the newly ordained Cardinal McCann was going to lay hands on us to confirm us in our faith. The Pope had ordained him, the man who was closest to God upon the whole of planet earth! And I was expecting great things, a touch from God, a feeling, and a blessing of some kind through these holy men of God. My turn came but it turned out to be just an old man muttering something in Latin, laying his hand on me and giving me his blessing. That is as far as it went. I was shattered, disappointed, confused - absolutely nothing had happened. My great hunger for the reality of God was turned to dust and ashes.

That day was the great turning point in my life. From then on Roman Catholicism was a waning influence in my life. It had made me big promises but it was very poor on delivery.

MY ROOTS
Perhaps I should back track a bit and go to the beginning of my life. I was born into a very ordinary home, between two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister. I had a turn at being the youngest child with all the attendant blessings and then at the age of 10, my sister arrived and took over my privileged position. My father was a motor mechanic and as was customary in the 50’s, my mother stayed at home to raise the children. Although my father did not earn a large salary both my parents were very frugal with money and not one cent was wasted. They had both been brought up in large families with scarce resources and in young adulthood, they had both experienced the rationing of the war years. My parents did not drink or smoke. Every cent was put to good use and they gave us the very best that they could afford. We never lacked anything essential to growing up. We were brought up on sound economic principles such as: eat it, wear it, drive it and when it cannot be worn any longer or driven any further then you can replace it. So we didn’t get the roller skates or the latest fashions. Items were bought in bulk, on sales and at discount outlets whenever possible and so my school clothes were always purchased 2 or 3 sizes too large so that I could grow into them and thus get the full mileage out of every strand of cotton. I take my hat off to my parents. Real salt of the earth people. I am sure their financial policies could be used to run a nation.

My mother’s parents came from Sicily. Her maiden name was Licata. Her father was a sailor and came to South Africa to look for a better life. Well so we were told but of course he could have been running from a Mafia vendetta. I can’t remember my grandparents but I get the strong impression they weren’t wimpish in any sense of the word. They were strong stock, people with minds of their own and who weren’t shy to stick to their principles.

My father’s parents were from British stock. My grandfather’s family seems to have been in South Africa for several generations and I think they probably came out on their own steam sometime since the first British occupation of the Cape in 1795. There is no verbal history as to when they came as one generally finds with South Africans who came over with the 1820 Settlers or during the Anglo-Boer War. My grandfather was an interesting character because he left a lucrative job as a manager in Garlicks to become a missionary to the coloured people with City Mission in the city of Cape Town. On one occasion an unwilling proselyte stabbed him in District 6. He survived the incident. District 6 was a very poor area of Cape Town set aside for the Coloured people. The previous government levelled it in the 1960’s. My grandmother was an orphan from England who came over as a young girl of 16 expecting to find the streets paved with gold.

So, from these two diverse streams of humanity my parents united in holy matrimony and became one in all things except in mind. My mother is as stubborn as my father and my father is as stubborn as my mother. So no one ever won an argument in our home. After a few days or weeks or months a truce is non-verbally agreed to so that life can be normalised. They never divorced because divorce was just unthinkable to that generation. They will surely stand up at the resurrection and condemn this generation for taking the easy way out and destroying children in the process.

My father has avoided religion all his life it seems. When he wanted to marry my mother, he received stiff opposition from my grandfather who was not happy for his son to be marrying a Catholic and did not attend the wedding. This, coupled with the fact that my grandfather neglected his family in his service to God, definitely had a negative impact upon him.

Women are usually more open to spiritual things and my mother was no different. She made sure that we went to Catholic schools and tried to take us to Mass regularly. At one stage she used to read me stories about the lives of the saints before bedtime. I can’t remember her ever praying with me or teaching me to pray but I had a desire to know about God.

SCHOOLING
The first 4 years of my education were spent in a Government school, as this was the most convenient at the time. We then moved to an area, which was near to a Catholic school (CBC), and I was duly sent along. This as quite an experience for me as my standard 2 teacher, Mrs Bradley was a zealous Catholic. Prayers to Mary were said at the start and end of the day and between periods. Her large statue looked over the class from a pedestal on the sidewall and during the month of May candles were burnt to her and fresh flowers placed at her feet. Monday morning was traumatic if one had failed to attend Mass the previous day. “Who did not go to Mass yesterday? Why not? You know that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass?” I was terrified of this harrowing procedure and nagged my Mother to take me to Mass to miss this interrogation every Monday morning.

All the Catholic feast days, which fell during the week, were celebrated by the whole school at Saint Mary’s Church just two blocks down the hill from CBC. The day before, every class was sent to church so that confession could be heard by the priest thus enabling everyone to partake in Holy Communion. And so I was introduced to Roman Catholicism. We were taught that it is the only true Church and I was very grateful to be one of those who had the truth. I threw myself into it all and practised Catholicism from my heart with devotion to Mary and the Saints.

Then came the confirmation bombshell and I started questioning. “Why did I have to confess the same sins, say the same prayers for absolution and then go away and do the same things all over again? Why did I have to say to the Priest: ‘Bless me father for I have sinned’, surely it is God who alone forgives sin?”

At the end of standard 5 we again moved, this time to the first home to be owned by my parents. It was too far to commute to Christian Brothers College so I was again sent to a Government school. I had now thrown off allegiance to Roman Catholicism but there was a vacuum in my heart. I started reading what must have been the first of the flood of New Age literature. Lobsung Rampa and Dennis Wheatley. I tried Astral Projection without success. Then one day, as I was walking home from school with a friend, Philip Gerber, I was discussing these things with him. He turned to me and said, “ As far as I am concerned if you believe in that stuff you are rejecting Jesus Christ”. Wow! That struck home. I still believed in Jesus. I certainly did not want to reject Him and so I stopped reading Eastern Mysticism. I wasn’t a practicing Catholic anymore but I somehow separated between the failings of Roman Catholicism and Jesus Christ. He had not let me down. My reading of Eastern Mysticism had raised big questions and doubts in my mind about the person of Jesus Christ. I had gone over all His miracles in my mind to try and think of some way He could have faked them, or to try and think of some natural explanation. After much deliberation I was in checkmate. I could not come up with any reasonable or logical explanations for these great signs. Although I did not fully understand the person and the work of Jesus, I accepted that He had done all these miracles and was therefore worthy of some kind of attention.

Yet I was still a long way off from coming to know Him as Lord and Saviour, by yielding my life to Him. At this stage of my life I was very close to my older brother, Desmond who was extremely rebellious. Although I did not want to drop out I found the rebel image very attractive. Rock music became my god. Jimmy Hendrix was my hero. I spoke the language of the gutter. I tried smoking but didn’t like it. I tried Marijuana but it didn’t make me high. I tried drinking but I didn’t like not being in control of my limbs or getting violently sick. I didn’t know it but God had his hand on my life and was keeping me from going into full self-destruct mode.

I entered Matric, the final year of my schooling, with no direction in my life, more interested in girls than in schoolwork with no clue about a career. And I thought I was such a big deal, especially when with my friends discussing lust and vulgarity. One day right at the end of second break after leading my friends in discovering new depths in vulgarity, Henry Truebody drew up to me as we were walking to the lines and said, “Rob, why do you have to be like that?”

If he had hit me with a shovel, he couldn’t have had a greater impact on my life. I was speechless. I had no answer and I went to the lines wondering to myself, “Why do I have to be like this?” Henry Truebody was a Christian and I now believe it was God speaking through him to me, although I did not realise this at the time. My response to this was to start on a self-reformation programme and by the time I went for military training in the middle of the following year I had given up all swearing and vulgarity and had started praying again.

AIR FORCE GYMNASIUM VALHALLA PRETORIA
Military training was the best thing that happened to me. In a nutshell, during those 11 ½ months a desire for God and for study was placed into my heart. The sheer shock of being in such an adverse environment really shook me up to the very foundations of my being. It was like arriving on a different planet with a different set of rules and nothing in your previous life has given you any preparation for this strange and hostile place. Run, run, run, everything had to be done on the trot. Shout, shout, shout, nothing you ever did was correct. Eat, eat, eat, there was never enough food. Amazingly, Henry Truebody my friend, my buddy from school, was placed in the same bungalow, his bed was opposite mine!

During the first week at morning parade Henry’s name was called. He had been chosen to undergo a fitness test that day when we were relaxing. After that it was Physical Training and then a Corporal falsely accused him of a misdemeanour and made him report for punishment drill at the end of the day. It was as if all the troubles of Job were being visited upon him in one day. Henry was quite upset by these events and in the tea break he sat on his bed and took up his bible. As he opened the Bible his eye fell upon a very encouraging verse. This strengthened him so much that he went through that day rejoicing in the Lord. Boy! Was I impressed! I immediately started reading the bible but it made no sense to me. I had not yet met the Author.

During the first week of basic training a Church parade was held so that we could link up with the Chaplin’s from our respective Churches. Although I was nowhere spiritually I was still technically a Catholic. So off I went to meet the Catholic Chaplin. He was a very pleasant man but totally out of touch with my spiritual needs. I wanted to know how I could link up with God in this alien environment but he lovingly reassured us that we were welcome to come over on Tuesday evenings and play games such as chess and monopoly at the manse (how disgustingly shallow!). However, the following Tuesday evening a special speaker was coming, a Priest who would speak about life after death. Well at least that sounded interesting. The time came to go back to the bungalow and on my way back I met up with Henry and I told him about my disappointment with the Catholic Priest. He however, had something quite astounding to report. As a Protestant he had gone to the Free Churches Parade – a synonym for ‘Protestant’. Several hundred chaps were at the Church parade he attended. It was held in a hall and the guys were all very rowdy and noisy. The Chaplin had raised his voice and called for their attention and then said, “You can play the fool if you want but I am telling you that 2 or 3 chaps out of every intake end up dying before the end of their military training!” Henry continued his report, “After that you could have heard a pin drop!” Well when I heard that I nearly dropped. Suddenly the statistics of dying in this terrible place became uncomfortably vivid. 2 or 3 out of 1400 guys! It could be me! I felt I was staring death in the face. A realisation of my mortality and the fleeting nature of life were birthed in me there and then and it has never left me. The cannon of God had fired another salvo and each shell had found its target in my heart.

Tuesday rolled around and off I went to hear about this mystery of death and how to face it. The little Catholic Church in Voortrekkerhoogte was crowded to capacity. I was obviously not alone in my interest in the afterlife. The elderly Priest delivered his speech. It was all too neat and unconvincing. He spoke with absolutely no authority on the subject. Several people asked questions that he was not able to deal with very convincingly. Again I left the Catholic Church, spiritually hungry for reality, for truth, for God and I went away hungry, deflated, disillusioned. Perhaps one just had to do ones best, pray and do good works; perhaps one didn’t need this Church rigmarole?

One weekend before our 6-week basic training was completed and before we were allowed weekend passes, I went to visit another school friend who was also in our squadron, Michael Matthews. A book was laying on one of the beds in the bungalow. I loved reading and it looked interesting. ‘Run Baby Run,’ the story of Nicky Cruz, a gangster who turned to Christ. “Whom does this book belong to?” I asked. “No one, take it if you want it” came the reply. This book clearly relates how Nicky Cruz came to Christ and was ‘born again’. It was very attractive but not enough to convince me to cross the line and surrender myself to Jesus. Very soon we came to the end of our basic training and I started getting used to the army way of life. The stress I was experiencing lifted and with it the desire to get close to God.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
I had finished school with no direction and no job. I was in the June intake for the Air Force Gymnasium and had 6 months to fill before this time. I took the first job that came along in order to earn some money – as a post office clerk! This was boring, meaningless work but a ray of light came unexpectedly into my directionless life. My brother was working at Groote Schuur Hospital as an orderly and mentioned that there were laboratories in the hospital where all the pathology tests were done. Now that sounded like something I would like to do. We made enquiries and an interview was set up for me during my 7-day pass in Cape Town. My Matric results were dismal but Prof Uys seemed interested when I told him about the microscope I had owned since a child and that I used to skin animals and dissect them to see what went on inside. Besides, those were the days when males were considered of some worth because they were not likely to fall pregnant and thus seemed a bit more reliable than women in the work place. And so I got the job! I started as a trainee medical technologist 2 weeks after finishing my military training.

Spiritually I was still in self-reformation mode, saying a prayer on the way to work and keeping my tongue in check. For the first time in my life I was motivated to study and I immersed myself in my work and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was amazed to find that an old classmate of mine from CBC, Reginald Linden, was also doing medical technology. He introduced me to a good friend of his, Peter Rossouw. I had been connected with the next link in the chain of my spiritual destiny. Peter and myself were instant friends. We both loved the outdoors and all the intricacies of nature. Peter’s older brother, Dean, had recently become a Christian, a Jesus freak, as they were known then. We discussed it in length and decided that certain people needed a crutch in life but we weren’t into that religious stuff.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
We left it at that but within 3 months Peter came to work after a weekend and started telling everyone he had been converted. We had some heated discussions about it but remained close friends. Little did I realise it but Peter was earnestly praying for me. Someone once said that Peter is like a puppy dog. This is a very apt description of his enthusiasm and Peter was very enthusiastic about serving God. It was like all his natural enthusiasm had been soaked in petrol and set alight.

After finishing my military training I had visited several church services of different denominations with my girl friend. There was nothing striking about any of the churches we visited. We didn’t visit the church Peter went to because it was at the opposite end of Cape Town and I did not have a car yet. I had been going out with my girlfriend since I was in standard 9 and all my spare time was spent with her. On one occasion Peter invited me to a special meeting in the 3 Arts theatre. I quite enjoyed the contemporary gospel music at the beginning of the service and I was feeling quite relaxed and at ease when the preacher got up to speak. Nothing in my previous experience of Churches prepared me for what was to follow. Roger Voke preached with passion, great power and clarity. I had never heard preaching like that before in my life and I was overwhelmed. He preached a totally uncompromising message that if one did not accept Jesus it was the same as choosing the devil. I knew that his message applied to me, as I had not yet asked Jesus into my life. As the bible says in 1 John 5:12:He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. But I was glued to my seat during the altar call. I stubbornly resisted the call of God that came to me that night. Peter couldn’t wait to ask me what I had thought of the meeting and started quizzing me as we drove out of the parking area. To try and cover up my true feelings about the message I attacked the preacher; “Why did he have to shout like that? That was totally unnecessary!” Peter was crestfallen at my response but as he drove me home I realized that I really had no excuse. I finally understood the truth I had been looking for so long. For the first time in my life I knew what God expected of me but I drew back. As it turned out, my life was to take an unexpected turn before I was ripe for the kingdom of God.

About 3 months later my girlfriend and I had a big argument. We had gone to a movie one Wednesday night and she insisted on having a cigarette. There was just no way that I was going to have a girlfriend who smoked. I laid down an ultimatum which I thought would bring her into line; “If you are not going to give up smoking then we have to break up.” To my surprise, she insisted that if she could not smoke then she did not want to go out with me anymore. Both our parents had expected us to eventually get married but now it was all over.
At first I was not too upset by this turn of events as I thought she would change her mind after a few days.

Friday night and I was at home and bored. Normally I would have been with my girlfriend but now I was at a loose end. What could I do? Suddenly I had a brain wave. Peter was always asking me to come to the Friday night meeting at the Assembly of God church in Pinelands. Anything was better than being at home on a Friday evening. I phoned Peter. His voice betrayed his astonishment: “Hi Rob. Really? Sure, I’ll pick you up in ½ an hour!” As we drove to the meeting Peter enthusiastically spoke about the meetings and serving the Lord etc. and I started to have second thoughts but it was too late to get out of it now.

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
It was August 1974 and the Assemblies of God movement was growing rapidly and new churches were being planted as many young people turned to Jesus Christ. This was a world–wide phenomena that followed the Hippy era of searching for truth and reality in drugs, sex and mysticism. About 30 young people from the Pinelands area had been converted and so a new church was started in the little, thatched Girl-guide hall.

There was a buzz of activity as ex-hippies, surfers with golden locks and high school kids were gathering for the meeting. There was excitement in the air and a spontaneous friendliness that was not put on or overbearing. I was greeted and welcomed by many. Then the meeting started with some songs of praise. This was now truly amazing. As I watched them lift up their hands in worship and devotion to God I felt that I was in the company of people who truly knew God personally and if I desired, anyone of them could introduce me to Him! I had been to many church services but not one of them compared to this simple little meeting in the Girl-guide hall. Here was true spiritual life, Godliness and New Testament Christianity and although I probably wouldn’t have verbalized it like this at the time – I had finally come home. I did not make a public profession of Faith right away but in my customary fashion, I thoroughly checked it out. About 10 days later I went forward to sign my surrender to Jesus Christ in prayer.

The first thing that changed in my life after that first meeting was that the Bible became a new book to me. I had been trying to read it for several weeks but it made no sense to me. That night I opened my Bible and I understood what I was reading. From then on I could not get enough of the Bible. I would spend hours reading it. I would read it in the bus on the way to and from work. I kept a little pocket-bible in my shirt pocket so that whenever an opportunity presented itself I could make the most of it by reading the word of God. During this time I realized that things between my girlfriend and myself were finally over and I was devastated. I cried my eyes out and read my soul full and found that Jesus was my burden bearer. His words came alive in my heart as He said to me; "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). I remember arriving a little late at the meeting one evening. I was under a black cloud of depression as I got into the Girl-guide hall grounds but as the song of praise from the meeting drifted out to me it was instantly broken. Depression is a family illness and I was firmly in its grip before I came to Christ. About three weeks after my conversion one of the young men (Charles Spilhaus) came up to me and said: “I just want to tell you that your whole face has changed since you became a Christian. I remember the first night you came because you had such a look of heaviness in your face but now you look like a different person.”

The AOG in those days based their meeting structure on Acts 2:42: Bible study, prayer, breaking of bread and the Gospel meeting. This was just what I needed to get over my spiritual anorexia. Jesus Christ had come into my life, of that I was assured but I still had to learn what it was all about. I learnt what God thought about my reformed lifestyle, my prayers and my attempts to be good as stated in the book of the prophet, Isaiah: ‘All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away’ (Isaiah 64:4).

That was a shock. When I was a Catholic, good deeds were strongly encouraged. I now had to remould my thinking according to the Bible and its clear teaching is that you must come to Christ first because: ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23) ‘and: the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). The issue of our sin must first be dealt with by believing in Jesus because He died on the cross on our behalf and took the punishment for our sin. ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).

The fact that Jesus came to die for the sin of man was prophesied 800 years before His birth by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53:5-6):
‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’

By trusting in His righteousness and not our own we are forgiven and become the children of God as stated in John 1:12-13: ‘Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.’ And to those who believe, God has made the glorious promise of eternal life: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’.
(John 3:16).

I had always found church to be like breakfast, something you got out of the way as quickly as possible on a Sunday morning so that you could get on and enjoy the day. To my surprise I found the church that met in the Girl-guide hall to be unique. There was no clergy-laity split. Everyone was involved according to their gifts in preaching, public prayer, outreach etc. Here was a church I could get involved in! They recognized that every member was just as important to God as the minister; everyone’s contribution was valuable. Many times we experienced the wonderful presence of God in those meetings.

The wheel had turned full circle. I was finally in the place my heart had longed for from the time of my confirmation in the Catholic Church. My search for the truth about life, death and eternity had been answered.

CONCLUSION
I have recorded my testimony because today, nearly 26 years after my conversion, I am still awestruck by these events in my life. God has been very merciful to me. I don’t know where my aimless life would have led to without His intervention. Secondly, I am hoping that God would be able to use this simple story to help others find the way to Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. I am also concerned for Catholics. Especially my relatives who have everything in life except the main ingredient. I know that there are many Catholics who have a desire to serve God but because His truth has been covered over by so many centuries of tradition they do not know the way. May God use this testimony to touch their hearts and bring them into the truth about Jesus Christ.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
(Romans 11:33-36)

24 June 2000

Merv's phone lost and found

2008-08-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mervyn Maart sent me a message on my cell phone that last week he lost his cell phone but prayed about it. He got it back this week, and he is so grateful. He wants to say glory honour and praise be to Him! God often shows us His power in something like this. It sounds unusual to lose a cell phone then find it again, but God does this for his children, especially when they are faithful.

You go Mervyn!

Testimony by Vic Wheeler

2008-08-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

My Testimony, from Uncle Victor Wheeler, a sinner saved by Grace.

Lord Jesus I love You with all of my heart and everything that is within me, for dying on the cross of Calvary for a sinner like me and many others, once and for all.

When I was a child I saw a picture hanging on the wall. I asked my mother who that was and she said: “ The Lord Jesus”. As I child I said in my heart “I want to know Him!” I never forgot what I had said, it was always on my mind, but my desire was only fulfilled at a much later stage of my life when I was baptised in the Full Gospel Church in Springs by Pastor Freddy Anderson. Both my brother and my father were baptised along with me, although I was a mere sixteen years old at the time. As can be expected, I did not know much about the Gospel then. I have two brothers, one named Andre who lives in Krugersdorp and who has his own business, and the other named Trevor who lives in Toronto, Canada, for the past 23 years, since 1985. My brother Michael and my father are passed on to be with the Lord. My sister Arlene, an ordained pastor, with a special calling for the Healing Deliverance Ministry, lives in Kempton Park. My wife divorced me after I became a reborn child of God, but we still remained friends until she died. She sadly died in a freak car accident in late August/early September in 1997, on the same day that princess Diana was killed. I was shattered and broken hearted, and to make matters worse, I still had to write an examination for my diploma at Bible School on the day of the funeral. By the Grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I managed to complete the course, and graduated in November 1997

The day I became a reborn child of our Lord and Saviour was also the day I realised that I was lost. Then the Lord Jesus found me. I met a Christian couple from Germiston called Hennie and Martie, members of the Christian Motor Cycle Association. They lived in the Witfield area of Boksburg, and attended the AFM church in Witfield, bordering Germiston. They prayed for me, and introduced me to the Master, Teacher, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord.

I repented with remorse for my sins. I asked to be forgiven for my sins, and committed my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. That day, I accepted him as Lord of my life, and did a 180-degree turn around and decided to follow Him. I duly prayed the Sinner’s Prayer, and was redeemed that day. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17)
All the old passed away, and everything became new. Redemption and Transformation took place, and I became a new creation-a new creature-in Christ. I stopped doing all the things I used to do, by His Mercy and Grace that endures forever.

I am still on the road of salvation, at the grand old age of seventy. I will be seventy-one in May 2009. I intend to follow the Lord until He calls me home to Beulah Land, or until the Rapture takes place.

When I graduated from Bible School, they prophesied over my life that God would use me in my latter years and I really started seeing the fulfilment of that prophesy from 2000. I used to attend a church in a tent on the corner of Hay and Tulley Streets in Turffontein until 2001. My role was to spread the gospel and to secure the tent. The tent impressed many people and many used to visit it. Many people were disappointed when the tent was removed eventually.

The Lord has since led me to many different churches and denominations, both in and outside the country. I have been to many outreaches and evangelistic visits. I have visited many churches in Kimberley, made many visits to Santa Hospital and even visited the Police Barracks. I have done street evangelism and door-to-door evangelism. I have also visited places like Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Mbabane in Swaziland, Kwazulu Natal, Kranskop, Lesotho, and Orlando in Soweto. I have even done evangelism in a church called Citywide, helping with their spiritual needs, and doing house-to-house visits.

I have a strong passion to spread the Gospel (the Good News) announcing to all that will hear the truth that all can be saved and be set free from sin and misery and one day go to Heaven.

We are living in very treacherous times, and if we do not do what the Bible says we would have failed hopelessly. We should have been held accountable and responsible for our disobedience, and the odds would have definitely been stacked against us. But Christ became a humble sacrifice and died for our sins so that there could be reconciliation between God and man. He paid the price at Calvary once and for all!

During my times of hardship and chastisement there was only one set of footprints in the sand. That’s because Jesus was carrying me in those times, and He still does it now.

My desire is still to do Evangelism in Africa, so that my Lord’s Name may be glorified. All honour, praise and glory to His Holy Name. I am honoured to be His champion, His vessel and instrument at the age of seventy years young!

I hope that this testimony will be a blessing in your life.

Yours lovingly,

Uncle Vic Wheeler

Mervyn and Stanley

2008-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Mervyn Maart and Stanley Van Heerden chatting after church

Stan Van-His Vision and Mission

2008-08-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

STANLEY VAN HEERDEN
GENERAL INFORMATION ON MY MISSION AND VISION FOR THE YOUTH
BACKGROUND INFO:
In 1968 I was introduced to the BIBLE- BAND YOUTH MINISTRY.
I eventually became a youth- volunteer , this meant that I had to be
always available to take on any role or perform duties when
needed to do so.Some of these duties was to be a group leader on camps,
or youth club leader in the townships and at school.This was experiential
learning.In 1976 I was eventually selected to be part of a group of young
leaders from the BIBLE BAND to go on a cross-cultural tour to GERMANY.
In 1982 to 1985 I became missions co-ordinator for the BIBLE BAND.
My duties included conducting camps in MAGALIESBERG,DRAKENSBERG,
COASTAL REGIONS for the youth in J.H.B.These experiences moulded me,
shaped and determined my future and destiny.Since 1990 I have been teaching.
MY MISSION TO THE YOUTH OF SOUTH AFRICA:
My aim is to reach the youth in our communities through various means.
One of these is through camping.My VISION is to empower the youth to
become responsible,productive and mature leaders of our communities,
armed with a christian ethos as born again desciples of our LORD AND
SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.`
The camping ministry is quite a unique experience,it is EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING to pause…reflect,with nature,the environment,the mountains,
rivers,trees,birds,flowers,animals,stars,clouds,moon,sun,rain,cold,warmth,people and GOD
forming A COMPLETE,EXPANDED,TRANSCENDING ,FULL EXPERIENCE OF SELF DISCOVERY, A SORT OF SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IN WHICH THE WHOLE PERSON is involved,the physical,the emotions,the senses,the mental the soul and spirit in a LASTING SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE WITH A SENSE OF WONDER WHICH INEVITABLY LEADS TO A RE-EXAMINATION ,CONFRONTATION OF ONES PRIORITIES,GOALS,VALUES,DESTINY AND PURPOSE IN LIFE,IN RELATION TO SOCIETY,ONESELF,PEOPLE AND GOD.It is indeed the total experience,the ultimate sense
of being, of empowerment and completeness .The camping experience provides a person with the opportunity to detach oneself with the normal hustle and bustle of daily chores and activities,
and provides a space for new discoveries and a wonderfull occasion to make lasting and profound connections with other,people,nature, oneself and GOD which in turn must impact with new
thoughts,visions,insights and a wider perspective of issues and life.
Inorder to make the above a reality for all campers,my camps will be value driven,
Highly ethical,safe,well planned,organised ,well managed and co-ordinated yet inspiring.
The camp program will be intrinsically linked with CHARACTER BUILDING,LEADERSHIP TRAINING ,ENVIRONMENTAL AND AND SPIRITUAL AWARENESS PROGRAM.
Each camper will be required to keep a daily journal,read the bible daily,pray daily,and
Have quite time at least twice a day, share his/her experiences around a campfire,
Participate in general discussions in groups and perform one or the other duty
or carry out some task individually or in a team,to make an attempt to contribute
to a positive,happy and adventerious journey for all campers.
LONG TERM AIMS AND OUTCOMES:
-DEVELOP LEADERS WITH MORAL ENTEGRITY
-PROVIDE YOUTH:- WITH ENTREPRENEURAL,CAREER SKILL,
-CROSS CULTURAL MISSIONARY SKILLS,-RESEARCH SKILLS,PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS,
-SCHOLARSHIPS AND FUNDING
STRATEGIG PARTNERSHIPS /NETWORKING WITH:
THE WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP SCHOOL,BIBLE BAND ,M.O.V.E.D,VARIOUS CHURCHES,MOUNTAIN CLUB OF S.A,. CHRISTIAN CAMPING MINISTRIES IN S.A.GOVERNMENT AGENCIES(E.G GUATENG ENTTREPRENEURAL PROPELLER),BIG BUSSINESS, T.A.G (TOGETHER AGAINST CRIME)
OVERSEAS MOVEMENTS OR ORGANISATIONS ,CITYYEAR,

BIBLE BAND GALLERY

Personal Testimonies

2008-08-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

MOVED! members have been asked to contribute their personal testimonies to this site. I expect that these testimonies will be very interesting and will lift the Lord Jesus Christ up high. To Him be all the glory, and may these testimonies be a source of strength and encouragement to all who read it.

I will be with you always

2008-08-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS

Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus Christ said we are to go to everyone and make disciples. We are to baptise, and teach them to obey the words taught by the Master.

But…We do not need to do it alone! He promises us that He will be with us every step of the way to guide us, to lead us, to show us, to help us and to comfort us. The One who taught with such great authority, who healed so completely and who died and was raised again is still with us, even today. He was declared to be the Son of God with power and still retains all authority in Heaven and Earth.

It is a daunting and terrifying task to challenge people about their level of commitment to Jesus Christ. One opens yourself to insults, ridicule and disrespect. Indeed, you are liable to lose very good friends and even make enemies, because a great number of people live fairly “good” lives, and have a set of principles or morals that are of a very high standard. The only thing is they do not want to make a commitment to follow Jesus. Then there are people who have other religions, let alone other ways of expressing their Christianity. There are even people who profess to be Christians but avoid going to church as far as possible.

If you go around trying to convince people to become disciples of Jesus Christ, you can expect to encounter resistance from a wide range of areas. We can, however, take comfort from the fact that we will not be alone, and Jesus will be there with us, no matter what! I know from personal experience and from many testimonies that in spite of great difficulties, people have been able to win others for Christ and were given a way out of difficult situations in miraculous ways.

Just trust the Master completely when He says that He will always be with you, in surprising ways and at the most appropriate times.

As the ministry of Jesus Christ lengthened into the second and third years, He gave increasingly more time to His chosen disciples, not less. My prayer for you is that Jesus Christ may show special favour on you, and that He will choose you and set you apart for a special anointing and special task within the discipleship. As you walk with Him and start to know Him more intimately may His presence be with you more and more along the way.

Always remember God loves you.

Previous trip to Moz- tent accomodation

2008-07-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of from our last trip to Mozambique. As you can see, we make use of two to three man tents which can be set up very easily. These tents are mosquito proof and water proof and are ideal in the warm weather of Mozambique. Each tent is shared by only two people, so there is a cell of privacy into which one can withdraw if the need arises. The loss/ misplacement of personal items is minimised because you keep your things in your tent.

The other advantage is that this system of accomodation is very flexible and can be adapted to suit the needs of the group, i.e one justs adds tents if the group is larger, or removes tents if the group is smaller. If some of the team members need to stay over at villages, they move with their tents!

Trip to Mozambique-Early planning stage

2008-07-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

MOVED! are in the early stages of planning for a trip to Mozambique for the second weekend of September 2008. Please pray for success, and that precious souls may be won for Christ

Mozambique Trip

2008-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of our Missions trip to Mozambique. In the background is a typical church made from sticks and grass found in the area. This church had no roof.

Tent Church in Naturena

2008-07-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Photos of some of our church members in Naturena. This church is still struggling for funding to build a church building. At the moment they are accomodated in a tent situated in a field. Most of the people seen here are singing in Praise and Worship

The Sinners Prayer

2008-07-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend

If you are MOVED by what you have read on our blog, and you want to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Personal Saviour, please pray this prayer with us, believing that Christ has unconditionally accepted you as a Born Again Christian.

Accept with absolutely no doubt that your sins are all washed away by the blood of Jesus, and Know that Jesus loves you.

The Sinners Prayer

Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner

Please forgive me of my sins

Please come into my life and be my Saviour

I give myself over to You

I want You to have control over my life

Thank you for hearing my prayer

Amen

The next step is to look for a fellowship/ church where you can live out your Chrsitian life, and where you can grow spiritually. May God bless you.

David Crawage

An info Bulletin from our Early Beginnings

2008-07-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Tell the World that Jesus Saves!

OUR EARLY BEGINNINGS
This is an info bulletin which was sent to all MOVED! Members when we were just starting our Missions work

From The Outreach and Missions Department (MOVED!)

Hello everybody! We are a group of about fifty people who work for Christ as part of His Worldwide “sales team” to introduce, demonstrate, and promote the acceptance of Jesus Christ into every person’s life, in obedience to the Great Commission (Mathew 19:28).
Our Mission work was started by sending a team in cooperation with Life Centre Ministries to Mozambique and Malawi as our first tentative steps into the field. We rapidly advanced to the point where we had to launch our own Missions work. We prepared by spending an exciting weekend on “the farm” (Pastor Bernie and Cathy Lebattie’s place in Walkerville) on a Missions Exercise, where our team was introduced to what could be expected in the Missions field, such as living in tents and experiencing the bush. An advance team was sent to Mozambique in February last year, and at the end of September thirty of us went on a very successful Missions trip to Mozambique via Swaziland.
We have already undertaken a scouting trip to Lesotho, where Pastor Sidwell has already started a chuch which belongs to the AFM Victory Celebration family. A Lesotho missions trip is in planning. Other foreign Missions under planning are a trip to Zambia, a team which will join with Kingfisher Mobilisation Centre to go to a remote part of India, and certain members who plan to go to Oman and Malawi.
The “Jerusalem Focus”, (introducing Christ to our Local Community) is in full swing. By God’s Grace, about sixty people in our church has successfully been trained in Sharing Jesus Without Fear- a course presented by Pastor Gerald Carlo, which taught us how to share our faith. The Judea component of our Mission work is still a work in progress. We are a well organized and motivated team for the LORD.
Our main focus in our work is to spread the Good News that Jesus saves. But we also distribute bibles, second hand clothing, food, and render basic medical and dental care as a means of caring for the physical needs of people. We are also responsible for all forms of Outreach including Prisons Ministry, Hospital Ministry, Care and Development Ministries and Home Cells.
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are indeed few. It is our fervent prayer that each and every person in our church becomes involved in Missions in some way- we HAVE to- it’s a command from Jesus Christ Himself. If you do not feel called to be a Missionary we still need your support and intercession. If you feel called to be a Missionary, let us know. Not sure? We can help you to discover your calling. On the other hand, God may inspire you to be a “Missions Partner”. That is, you may feel a burning desire to be of assistance in this great work, but other commitments have tied you down. You can help to fulfill the Great Commission by giving us financial support- just R50 a month from only 100 people means that we can do plenty to tell the World that Jesus Saves!
We would love to tell you more about this exciting part of God’s work but space prevents us. Please let us know if you need more information.
Remember: God loves you no matter what! Nomakanjani!
David Crawage. (Outreach and Missions Dept)

MOVED!- Our Principles

2008-07-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

MISSIONS, OUTREACH, EVANGELISM DEPARTMENT of AFM VICTORY CELEBRATION

Our Principles

1. Our work must be Evangelical
2. Our work must be Evangelistic
3. Missionaries ought not to become local assembly pastors
4. The chief work of the Missionary must be training of local inhabitant Christians
5. Local Pastors and churches should not be supported by foreign funds
6. We should aim for the largest centres of population
7. We must concentrate on unoccupied territories
8. In matters of finance there should be information, prayer and faith
9. We should never go into debt
10. Allowance should be based on needs, not worth
11. Our overheads should be kept low

Practical guidelines for being a Prayer Misssionary

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Prayer missionaries
Practical guidelines

1. First look at the basic explanation/description of what a prayer missionary is and how a
prayer missionary works. The purpose of prayer missionaries is to fulfil the Great
Commission through prayer. (Matt.28:8-20).

2. Choose a country or unreached group as your prayer focus. A prayer missionary is
someone who adopts a country or geographic area and prays for that country. It is
someone who does not physically go to the mission field, but is doing mission work
through prayer – from his or her home. The prayer missionary prepares the spiritual
ground so that the seeds sown by the missionary will fall into fertile ground. The
advantage of the prayer missionary is that he/she can go into countries and places
where the preaching of the gospel is forbidden. Nobody can prevent the prayers of the
prayer missionary to cross borders and have an effect over long distances.

3. See the chapter with prayer pointers on how to pray for the unreached.

4. A prayer missionary can be any person who is willing to do the work of prayer, as
instructed by the Lord: a retired person, a student, a businessperson, secretary or a
shop assistant. You have to make a commitment to be a prayer missionary. Ordinary
missionaries make a commitment to go to a country for a year, two years or as long as
they live. It is good if the prayer missionary can commit himself/herself to do mission
work, by means of prayer, in a specific country for a year or two or longer.

5. Pray and ask the Lord in which country you should do “mission work”. Do thorough
research on the country you want to pray for. Get a map of the country, mark the
important cities and towns and pray each day for a couple of those cities. Visit the
library, watch TV, listen to the radio, read the newspaper and be sensitive for any
information on that country. What people and groupings do we find in that country? Who
are the president and the leaders of the country? Which religion(s) do they have? Which
churches and mission organisations are working there and who are the missionaries?
Write down all the relevant information to use for intercession. Use the book Operation
World for basic information on the country you are praying for. If you have access to the
Internet, you will find a lot of information on different countries and groupings. You can
even subscribe to a newspaper or magazine of that country to get regular information.

6. Get a file or a scrapbook to file the relevant information on the country you are praying
for.

7. Pray for the leaders of the country, the government and everyone in positions of
authority.

8. Pray for the spiritual workers of the Christian churches in that country. Contact believers,
missionaries, local churches or mission organisations in that country; get information on
them and pray for them.

9. You can sometimes focus on a specific city or town if the Lord leads you.

10. It is important to identify with that country, that you will begin to love the country and its
people. For example, you can fast and pray regularly for that country. Do the work of
prayer as if you are physically in that country. Do not see your work as prayer missionary
as optional, thinking that nobody will know if you do not pray. Pray as if nobody else is
praying for that country. Take spiritual responsibility for that country.

11. Do not think children cannot be prayer missionaries. Children are faithful intercessors.
Parents can help children to get a scrapbook with photos of missionaries and a specific
country to stimulate them to pray. The Spirit of God is tremendously active in
empowering children all over the world to be intercessors.

12. The task of the prayer missionary is basically as follows:
• To prepare, through prayer, the ground for the seed to be sown.
• To support the spiritual workers and the work of the Lord through prayer.
• To give protection in prayer for the work of the Lord against the attacks of the devil.
• To take authority in prayer over the strongholds of the evil one, against his plans and
devices and to pray for them to be broken, so that the Kingdom of God can be
extended.

13. There are four basic subjects for which the prayer missionary should always pray:
• for workers in the harvest and for more workers in the harvest (Matt.9:38)
• for open doors so that the gospel can spread quickly (Col.4:2-3)
• for lasting spiritual fruit on the labour (2 Thess.3:1)
• for the necessary funds for the advancement of the gospel (Rom.10:14-15; Phil.4:19)

How to pray for the unreached groups/nations
– Ask the Lord for specific portions from Scripture when you pray for a specific group.
What is on God’s heart for that group? (John 3:16-17; 2 Pet.3:9)
– Pray for the important leaders of the group or nation—those who have most influence—
that the Lord will remove their spiritual blindness through His Spirit. (2 Cor.4:4)
– Pray that this specific group/nation will become dissatisfied and disillusioned with their
idols. (John 8:32; 16:13; 2 Tim.3:7)
– Pray for supernatural/extraordinary manifestations of God among such groups. (visions,
dreams, healings, etc.) (Acts 2:19; Acts 4:30; Heb.2:4)
– Pray for open doors so that missionaries can take the Word to that group.
(Ps.2:8;Col.4:3;Matt.9:37-38) Pray for their protection, for wisdom, for the anointing of the
Holy Spirit on their work, for unity amongst the workers and for godly love for the
unreached. (2 Chron.16:9; Ps.34:7; Ps.91; Eph.1:17-19; Zech.4:6; John 17)
– You should know that persistent prayer will weaken the resistance of demonic powers
and the hold the evil one has through demonic strongholds on people. Pray and ask the
Lord to reveal to you (your prayer group) where the evil one has strongholds. Ask the
Lord for a strategy on how to pray about those strongholds and demonic rulers and to
take authority in the Name of Jesus over the working of demonic forces.
– Pray that the Spirit of God will establish leaders within the unreached group, who will
build a strong church amongst their own people.
When praying in more detail for the unreached, attention should be given to three basic
aspects:
A. The Church worldwide
– Pray for the church for a new vision for missions. Pray that information about missions
will reach congregations and will make them aware of the existing need. Pray that
ministers/pastors will preach more about missions and that it will become a matter of
urgency in every congregation.
– Pray that the church will send out more missionaries. Very few congregations are not
able to send and support at least one missionary, even if only short-term.
– Pray that the church will make funds available to take the gospel to the unreached.
– Pray that the church will realise the importance of intercession and that every
congregation will include prayer for the unreached in their weekly prayer programme. It is
the task and privilege of the church to pray, together with Christ, for the salvation of the
nations. (Heb.7:25)
– Pray that the church will realise that God rules over the nations of the world and that they
are in His hands. (Ps.2:8;Ps.47:3-4,8-9) God has authority over the nations and that is
why the children of the Lord have to call out to God for their salvation.
(Job.12:23;Isa.52:10)
– The church should pray that God’s plan for, and purpose with, each nation on earth will
be fulfilled. (Rev.5:9;Ps.22:28-29)
– The church should pray with the knowledge that He who is in us, is greater than he who
is in the world.
(1 John 4:4)
– The church of Christ should humble itself anew before God because we have up until
now, had so little concern for the Great Commission. We should confess our lack of love
and our brokenness. We should pray for unity in the Body of Christ and among individual
members so that we can have credibility with the unsaved and can fulfil our commission
as a united front.
– Pray for men and women with vision who will have the ability to mobilise and accompany
the church in the execution of the command and mandate to take the gospel to the ends
of the earth.
– Pray for the missionaries who are going out into the harvest: for quick acclimatisation,
that they will learn the language quickly, will understand the culture and customs of the
people and that they will live among the people with wisdom and holiness.
– Pray for the necessary resources to communicate the gospel effectively to the
unreached; media ministries, (TV and radio) videos and audio cassettes, Bibles and
spiritual books in their own language, correspondence courses, etc.
– Pray especially for the growth of youth and children’s ministries.
– Pray that churches and the various mission organisations will network and will work
together to reach the different unreached groups. Lack of unity in the church is probably
the biggest single reason for the poor progress of the church in reaching the unreached.
– Pray for cross-cultural missionaries and especially for tent-makers and Christians in
professional careers to go to these unreached groups and work there.
B. The church in the unreached groups/countries
– In many countries and among most of the unreached groups a church has already been
established and in some cases, there are a small group of believers. It is for these small
churches and groups that we have to pray. They are a light among these unreached
groups.
– Pray for the development of leadership in such groups. Godly leadership is necessary for
healthy church growth. Pray that the believers will quickly grow into mature disciples of
Christ.
– Pray for perseverance in spite of persecution in countries where Islam, Buddhism, etc.
are very strong. In such countries, Christianity is seldom tolerated. People who convert
to Christianity are often persecuted and pushed out of the community.
– Pray that God will fill His children among the unreached with the Holy Spirit and that a
zeal for missions will take root among them. Pray that these believers will realise their
responsibility and will not back away from the challenge or any form of intimidation and
resistance.
– Especially pray that new converts will not choose to emigrate, because that weakens the
Christian testimony in those regions and groups.
– Pray for unity among these small groups of believers and pray against false teachings
that often enter and cause division in such small churches.
– Pray for freedom to come together to worship God and to preach the gospel.
Unfortunately, most unreached groups live in countries where there are restrictions on
preaching the gospel.
– Pray for an unusual outpouring of the Holy Spirit on these small churches. (Acts 4:31)
– Pray that the believers will put a lot of emphasis on prayer.
– Pray for revival in the church in that country. When we pray for revival we have to pray
for at least the following issues:
a That Christians will confess their sin and turn away from it: ‘if my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land. (2 Chron.7:14)
b That there will be a hunger for God Himself in the church; ‘You will seek me and find
me when you seek me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:13)
c That a new generosity will enter into in the church. That members will give their tithes
and more than their tithes for the work of the Lord. “Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD
Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so
much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Mal.3:10) ‘and if you spend
yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your
light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.’(Isa.58:10)
5
d For unity in the Body of Christ in that country “that all of them may be one, Father,
just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21)
e For brokenness among believers; For this is what the high and lofty One says—he
who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with
him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the
heart of the contrite.” ( Isa.57:15)
f For boldness for the believers: ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your
servants to speak your word with great boldness.’(Acts 4:29)
C. Pray specific and practical prayers for the salvation of people among
the unreached
– Pray that the Spirit of God will work in their spirit to urge them to seek for the True God in
Christ Jesus.
– Pray that whole families turn to God – this will make it easier for converts to remain
standing.
– Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare their hearts to receive the gospel when they hear it.
– Pray for conviction of sin among the unsaved and that it will encourage them to seek
after the peace and deliverance found in Christ.
– Especially pray for the salvation of people in positions of authority and leadership. Pray
that these people will confess their sins and boldly proclaim Christ.
– Pray that the unsaved will become tired of sin and that they will realise that their own
religions are false and evil. Pray that they will start searching for truth and for enduring
peace in their hearts.
– Praise God as you pray for the unsaved and know that God can save and heal people

The Most Important work of a Christian

2008-07-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK

Many people like to work for Jesus in various ways. It makes them feel good, and God blesses one and all for the effort.

But, what is the most important work that a Christian can do for the Master? The answer lies in his last words, his last orders to his disciples.

In the Bible, Mark 16:15 says: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

If we truly want to be pleasing to God, obedient to Him, and doing His will we will put World Evangelism first. We should do everything in our power to spread the Word of God to all nations- all our talent, all our resources, all our knowledge, all our spirituality, and also our money.

Many people are moved by skilful appeals and give a little here and a little there, and have little to show for it. There are people who are supporting many nearby enterprises, yet they could have the joy of supporting many missionaries in far off countries.

Did you know that MOVED! is affiliated to MAC, which is short for Missions Activation Centre. By giving just R400 per month, we can support one missionary in India for a month, though MAC, who already have an established Missionary Work there. It is a well known principle in Missions that if you can not go yourself, you should consider providing the funds so that someone else can go in your stead.

God's word contains a dark warning: "his blood will I require at thine hand". If we withold the Gospel, this is what God will require from us.

Have you considered that us Christians could be the reason for Christ not yet returning to Earth in all His glory at the end of the World? God's word says that " This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached among all nations and then shall the end come"

If the King is to reign, we must finish the task. He is counting on us. How long, I wonder, are we going to keep Him waiting? Lets have one objective, and that is to evangelise the World in our Generation.

If you want to be part of this work, let us know!

Do you know what the word NOMAKANJANI means? It means "No matter what!" This is our war cry, and by that we mean we will do whatever it takes to do the work, no matter what.

No matter what obstacles, or irritations, or handicaps or hardships we have we will keep MOVING to spread the Word of God to all the world.

Dear reader, if God is speaking to you to do Missions and Outreach work, I would like to encourage you to take your first tentative steps in that direction. God is holding out His hand and will surely catch you when you stumble.

Centennial Celebration Pictures

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Emmanuel, David, Stephanie

David and Les Weideman

Photos from Centennial Celebrations

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Pastor Reinhardt Bonnke in action

Rodney and two friends

Our exhibit

Linda Kock in her Jesus inspired outfit at our exhibit

Faith Promise Offerings (FPO)

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FPO is money given to the Lord to enable soul harvesters to bring in the lost.

Learning to use earthly things correctly is one of the greatest challenges facing Christians today.

In the light of the recent world conditions, and the commands of Christ, we must give everything above basic necessities to complete World Evangelism

What the FPO is:

I hear the heart of the Lord concerning the lost

I cannot go myself but I want to enable others to go in my place

FPO is money given to the Lord to enable Soul Harvesters to bring in the lost.

I don't have the money but I promise by faith to give, in dependance upon the Lord.

It is a personal commitment to God

It is an opportunity for trusting God.

It is an expression of willing obedience to God

A promise to God... in dependance on Him.

It is the availing of my resources to God to bring in the Lost.

What the FPO is not!

It is not:

A gimmick

A pledge

A commitment to a person or a committee

A cash offering

My normal tithes

My normal offering money

Money I have in the bank

Money I have spare every month

Money I can afford

FPO is a matter of the heart:

I do not have the money I promise

I believe that God will enable me to give.

FPO money is miracle money

Every month I trust god to enable me to give

I believe God

I promise by faith

God provides

I also make sacrifices to give my FPO.

AT THE END OF THE MONTH:

I write out my tithing cheque

I put my normal offering money aside

I write out my FPO cheque

HOW GOD ACTS UPON MY FAITH

God then takes care of the rest of my budget in the following miraculous ways:

Increase in salary

Promotion at work

Blesses my business endeavours

New business contacts come in

Payment of monies owed to me comes in

Faithful, trustworthy employees work for me

Keep it Simple:

Live a simpler lifestyle

Live sacrificially

Live less luxuriously

Spend your resources responsibly, in the light of eternity

Always ask: Can I go without this?

Employ my talents and giftings to make extra money to give to missions.

What value the Faith Promise Offering holds:

It facilitates systemic giving throughout the year

It generates more money for world missions than any other method

It enables church leadership to plan ahead for their world missions involvement

It opens a way to increased growth and maturity

A biblical call to missions support

3 John v 7-8 says: It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.

More Verses about churches giving for God's cause:

Phil 4:10-20

2 Cor 8:1-5

2 Cor 8: 6-15

2 Cor 9: 1-15

Conclusion:

When the power of faith and promise, the enabling grace of God, and a vision for the unreached people of the Earth converge in the local church, there is hardly a limit to what can be accomplished for world evengelism.

God bless you .

David will at some future time share his testimony about how God blessed him in a surprising way when he decided to participate in Faith Promise Offering.

A bit more about David Crawage

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David Crawage accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour in 1973, (a long time ago hey?) while I was in Matric. It was at a Billy Graham rally held at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, on or around the 16th April 1973. I attended the rally very reluctantly, and only went there because an extra space became available in my aunt's car at the last minute. I did not believe that a difference could be made in my life as I was very scientifically minded (still am), and my grandfather (David Harris) used to preach to us almost daily. I said that there was nothing Billy Graham could say that would influence me, as I "heard it all before".

Little was I to know that a simple but powerful message was going to be preached that day. Billy Graham preached on John 3:16, "For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Billy said that we should repeat it after him , but personalize it, so that it went something like this: "For God so loved David Crawage, that He gave his only begotten Son, so that David who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. " He went on to say a few more things, about how one could receive the Lord as personal saviour no matter how sinful one's life may be, etc. After a short message he made an alter call. I found myself in the front, with tears rolling down my eyes and accepted the Lord into my life. Up to today I can not say how I came to be at the front of the stage, giving my life to Jesus. What I can say is that for some strange reason, everything looked new afterwards! Isn't it that the Word of God says that He makes you into a new creature? for me it is true! I had a Mentor by the name of Frank Hulley, who counselled me that day, and who gave me a bible which I still have.

I attended the University of the Western Cape from the following year, and completed a degree in dentistry in 1981. I met Margie there, at a Christian camp (in a place called Kommetjie), organised by Mr Niels, a wonderful missionary who influenced our lives greatly. We got married in 1980, and have one son, Rodney.

Margie has a doctorate in educational psychology, which means that I don't get to win any arguments! We all serve the Lord, but my passion is for Dentistry and Missions- I am not sure which comes first, as I believe that God called me to both.

I hope that this brief testimony will perhaps light a fire in your heart to also accept the Lord as your personal saviour. It will be the best thing that ever happened to you. God loves you.

Photos from our Mission to Lesotho

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ABOUT MOVED

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MOVED is the Missions, Outreach, Victory Evangelism, Department of the Apostolic Faith Mission Victory Celebration in Rosettenville.

Currently the organisation has about 50 members. We seek to share that Jesus Christ has come to save us from sin

We are an accredited to MAC( Missions Activation Centre)

Recently participated in a Missions Exhibition at the centennial celebrations of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, which was started by John G.Lake in 1908. (Photo top right)

Our Church Vision: To be a Christ centered church that worships in excellence and is committed to reaching the community.
Our Church Mission: To be a socially relevant missionary church. That is to love God, love people and bringing God to the people.

Dr David Crawage is the Chairman of this organisation. (Photo bottom right)

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