Dear Friend
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Labour for Life
1st February is our National Day of Repentance commemorating 11 years of the 'abortion holocaust' that is taking place in South Africa - 700 000 babies have been killed since 1 February 1997. I'll be chairing the Christian Action prayer vigil outside the main gates of Parliament in Cape Town, which will be preceded by a funeral procession with small coffins and banners, through the city streets to the main gates of Parliament for a prayer vigil.
Sanctity Life Sunday is to be remembered in our churches on the 3 February, the day on which we celebrate life and also remember those who are suffering due to crisis pregnancies.
Your prayers for these events will be much appreciated.
Ex-terrorist submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
"Since I have converted to the Christian religion, things are not going well!" Sipho noted over the phone. "I got into a fight and my cell phone has been taken."
"Are you telling me that since you've converted things are going wrong for you?" I was just making sure I had heard correctly.
Sipho* is an ex-unit commander of the terrorist Azanian Peoples' Liberation Army. He was part of their intelligence structure in July 1993 when his colleagues attacked us with hand grenades and automatic assault rifles during a church service in Cape Town, South Africa - eleven people were murdered and over 50 injured - the attack became known as the St James Massacre.
"That is called spiritual warfare Sipho," I answered, "We'll talk about it when we meet next week."
Sipho had taken part in our bee-keeping training, an outreach programme in November 2006 to reach ex-combatants with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since then we have kept in touch and spent time together discussing eternal matters.
Ex-Combatants Beekeeping Course
Six ex-combatants participated in our Gospel outreach. The two mornings were set aside for Gospel presentations and the afternoons for the beekeeping course. Surprisingly, I couldn't find a church that would allow us to use their buildings and facilities; probably due to an uncertainty over the past actions of the participants.
Eventually we were blessed with the use of a small wooden church building in Khayelitsha with no running water, toilet facilities or even electricity. This meant that we had to run leads across the road from the pastor's home and use the pastor's kitchen to make food for the young men on the course.
While travelling from the township for our afternoon session to the beekeeping facility, one young man (Sipho) made sure he sat in front of the pick-up vehicle with me and misguidedly shared that he believed we all serve the same God; he said that Africans worship god through their ancestors, the Muslims through Mohammad and the Christians through Jesus Christ.
I asked him how it was that we all had a different message of salvation and that the Muslims believe the only way you can be sure of paradise or heaven is to die in Jihad whilst trying to murder Christians? The Christian God tells us that we are saved by His grace alone through Faith and the finished work of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross. I commented that the messages are very different and can't both be right.
He looked into the distance in deep thought; the seed had been planted.
Great Commission Course (GCC)
We invited Sipho to come and interact with the participants at our Great Commission Course in July 2007. Dr Peter Hammond, our director, designed the GCC as an intensive introduction to cross-cultural missions to stretch minds and muscles, which included a blend of physical challenges, academic tests, spiritual disciplines, challenging and informative instruction, strenuous hikes, demanding assignments, practical workshops and numerous outreach opportunities.
Participants had to understand the worldview and thinking of even ex-terrorists. He answered questions from the floor on one condition: 'no recordings to be made'. Every question was answered and he admitted honestly when he had no answer. Participants were surprised that an ex-terrorist could defend his belief better than most Christians their faith.
Forsaking All
When Sipho claimed to have become a Christian, I was skeptical of this conversion. Having worked cross culturally for over 17 years in business and missions, I well knew that in the African culture people are extremely gracious and normally tell you what you want to hear, rather than offend you.
Sipho and I had breakfast together. On previous discussions I had given him a clear picture of the Biblical teaching of repentance and forgiveness, not the mild, 'just pray this prayer after me' kind of message.
"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" Psalm 19:7
All the ex-terrorists I have met are idealists. They are willing to die for their cause, to change the world into a communist utopia in which we will all be free (as long as you do what you're told) and will share all resources (what I own is mine and what you own is also mine).
Repentance, asking for forgiveness of his sin, turning away from it and not carrying on in it, is well understood by Sipho. Forgiving others he also well understands - these people are bitter and angry for having fought in a revolution, and now those whom they helped come to power in South Africa are 'not sharing their power (i.e. resources)' with them.
He also knows that he must make restitution for previous sins committed.
We have a long road of discipleship ahead.
"Soon after I converted I was held at gun point by a young man. I looked behind me and there were four others; they wanted my cell phone," Sipho recalls the troubles he has had since coming to faith in Christ, "the young man holding the firearm was on drugs and was shaking as he asked for my phone, the trigger could have gone off at any moment.
"Charl, I could easily have wrestled the firearm from that young man and shot them all, but enough blood has been spilt in South Africa. We must not spill anymore."
Without having other income, Sipho has given up his employment with his political party at Parliament because it will 'compromise' his new found faith in Jesus Christ.
He would like to study at a Christian teachers training college - he left his studies to fight in the revolution - please pray for Sipho, that his dream might be fulfilled.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:7
The Bottom Line
All people need Jesus Christ to transform their lives by His Gospel. Eternal salvation is open to all who repent of their sin and turn to Him in faith.
Have you?
Charl van Wyk
* Name changed to protect identity.
Frontline Fellowship
PO Box 74
Newlands
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: 27-21-6894480
www.frontline.org.za
