Jul - Aug 2003
Inde x:
A LIFE
WELL-SPENT OR WASTED
A KwaZulu-Natal daily newspaper provided a wonderful message in the obituaries section
that was just begging to be preached on.
Perusing through the death notices I came across piles of obituaries, which plainly show
that the deceased left no Christian heritage at all. As much as the family and friends may
have loved their parent or friend, it’s clear that any mention of the Lord or hope of
heaven was noticeable by its absence. Consider the following (names are excluded on
purpose but the notice remains exactly the same):
- "I will miss you more than you can ever know. Fly high our darling mom."
- "This was your gift to the world. You were a man of unlimited generosity, selfless
beyond human boundaries. Filled with the spirit of light."
- "Now you can dance with the fairies."
- "You shall be my Angel and Shining Star".
- "Soar with your pigeons in peace and without pain.."
- DAD, YOU GAVE US CHRIST
- "Dad, the greatest legacy you left me is the gift of knowing Jesus Christ as my
Lord and Saviour. Although I miss you, I rest assured that one day we will meet face to
face."
- (about the same man) "You lived to please God and your noble ways touched our
lives. You have run the race, you have fought the fight of faith and now you’re
resting in the arms of Jesus. I am proud to have had you as a father."
- (again, about this same man from another family member) "The greatest gift a father
can teach his family is the Word of God, for with it comes peace, prosperity, exceeding
abundant joy, rulership and dominion, and the hope and promise of eternal life with
Jesus."
The commander of the space shuttle Columbia where ship and crew were lost in that awful
re-entry tragedy left a godly heritage for his family. This is what Rick Husband did for
his children before he left on his last fatal trip: He made 17 videos for his daughter and
17 videos for his young son, each one a "devotional with Daddy" for each day he
was scheduled to be gone - it was Daddy with the Word of God and Daddy praying with them.
Can you imagine what a treasure that will be to them?
Live a life that will be remembered for godliness. You may not have a close family or
children, but the Lord has called you to invest your life in those around you.
Finally, what really counts is how God sees you. He will write the final words about your
life.
"They that turn many to righteousness shall shine like the stars forever."
Daniel 12:3
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed..."
Prov 31:28
Here lyes a man, who all his mortal life,
Passed mending clocks, but could not mend his wife.
The 'larum of his bell was ne'er sae shrill
As was her tongue, aye clacking like a mill,
But now he's gane- oh, whither? nane can tell-
I hope beyond the sound o' Mally's bell.
An American newspaper carried the following excerpt about the funeral of a famous
boxer: At the funeral last week, Justin paused at the open casket and put a St.
Christopher medal around the neck of his onetime sparring partner. It joined several
rosaries, a pendant picturing Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a bright red pair of boxing
gloves that were buried with him. "Joey's up there now," Pierce said that day,
"fighting with the angels."
Would you like to be remembered like this?
- ANNA WALLACE
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna,
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,
And the Devil sent him Anna.
- The following is in the Necropolis, Glasgow:-
Here lyes Bessy Bell
But whereabouts, I cannot tell.
- In a Thurmont, Maryland, cemetary:
Here lies an Atheist
All dressed up and no place to go.
- For a banker from London:
"Beneath this stone old Abr’am lies;
Nobody laughs and nobody cries;
Where he’s gone or how he fares,
No one knows and no one cares."
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CFT IN
TV-DEBATE ON ABORTION
On 6 May CFT participated in a debate on the television
programme: The Big Question, broadcast on SABC2. The topic: "Abortion: Should
abortion be allowed?"
The Big Question is a television programme re-commissioned for its second series by
SABC's Religious Department. Every week a "Big Question" is asked that
challenges people about their moral frameworks.
Linda Magqabi (Chairman of CFT Mpumalanga) represented CFT's pro-life stand on the panel.
Also on the panel were Dr Eva Seobi of Doctors for Life (pro-life), Willem Landman, the
CEO of Ethics Institute of SA, a section 21 organisation (www.ethicsa.org), who debated in
favour of abortion, as well as Cathy Albertyn from Applied Legal studies at Wits
University. She is also involved with a reproductive rights organisation. CFT members
present in the audience were Daniel Matomela, Grace Bezuidenhout and Lydia Pheko, each of
whom had an opportunity to comment.
At the end of the debate the audience voted overwhelmingly for the pro-life voice. After
the debate one of the people in favour of abortion admitted to Linda that the outcome of
the votes was not surprising, since South Africa is largely pro-life.
The debate was aired on 15 May.
Kathy Hearn, one of the organisers, told CFT that the programme illicited good response.
Of the phone-ins received, 974 were in favour of abortion, 2760 were NOT in favour and 258
gave further comments.
CFT thanks Linda and the others for their support.
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The second part of the article on Body
Modification is not placed in this edition, but will appear in the September/ October 2003
edition.
TRUE LOVE
WAITS REPORT
TLW has had an exceptionally busy two months of tours, day trips and meetings in
various parts of the country with amazing results. One fo the numerous trips was to
Lichtenburg.
True Love Waits, The Naked Truth about Drugs (TNT) and a speaker on Rock Music were
invited to a Youth week at the Afrikaanse Protestante Kerk in Lichtenburg from 14 - 17
April 2003.
The True Love Waits evening was opened with the drama `The Pearl' - in which purity is
symbolised as a pearl that should be protected. The message of restoration at the cross of
Christ for those who've lost their purity is also clearly given. (Though we did not feel
like top actors, it's amazing what is possible when a group of young people have a burning
message). The team, consisting of Johan Claassen, Liam Buys, Rianne Mout and Janetta
Combrink then held a talk about what true love really means, and what it means to be
sexually abstinent before marriage.
One young girl mentioned her concern about standards of morality (quite accepted in
society and even in some churches), which she feels are encouraging youth towards greater
sexual freedom. Some also wanted to know how they were to handle and assist a school
colleague who was sexually active. More than 70 young people signed the pledge card for
abstinence.
From what some of the youth from various congregations told us, we realised that even in
the church a message is being preached which young people feel does not meet the standard
God expects from them as Christian youth.
The hospitality of the Fouchés and Meyers who hosted us was great. Thank you.
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PERSECUTION NEWS
SHIITE MUSLIMS THREATEN TRUE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN IRAQ
(Baghdad) For Christians in Iraq, this is an odd time; they are suspended between hope
that they might gain true religious freedom and fear that they may lose what rights they
had. When Hussein was in power, Christians were not permitted to run religious schools or
proselytize outside their churches. But they could hold services regularly, church
officials said.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Christians say they are being harassed and threatened
by members of Shiite Muslim groups who are grabbing power and who appear eager to
transform Iraq into an Islamic republic.
Monsignor Ishlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of the Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq reportedly
said in a letter to retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, who has been heading up the
postwar reconstruction efforts in Iraq: "We want to tell the Americans that we have a
2,000-year history in this country. We want to tell them that we want our religious
freedom and our cultural rights ....Security is the main problem we want America to think
about." (latimes.com, 9 May)
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FROM THE
CFT-PRESIDENT
My dear friends
One of the big adjustments motor neuron disease (MND) has brought
into my life is changing roles.
My brother, Moses, used to remind me that from early childhood I
was the spokesman for the other children. So I got used to being gently
tapped from behind, "You go and speak to Dad..."
Moses used to say that I am his Aaron.
School life was not very different. If I didn't volunteer, others would do so on my
behalf. So, I ended up making prompt and impromptu speeches quite often.
In a recent visit, a friend and classmate at Dlangezwa High School, Dr Isaac Mtshali,
reminded me of a speech I made on behalf of the Matric class during a visit to Ingwemabala
High School in 1975. It was after that vote of thanks that Mr Mavundla, Principal of
Ingwemabala responded, "I have been moved by the flexibility and the pliability of
this young man's tongue."
In the ministry, apart from preaching, I had the privilege of interpreting for people from
different parts of the world. I enjoyed listening to various accents and conveying
messages to the others.
Well, MND has changed all that. Moses has to be my Aaron now. Gone is the flexible and
pliable tongue. My family and close friends have become my interpreters.
It's sometimes painful to see how people struggle to understand what I am trying to say. I
know exactly what I want to say, but even as I try, I realise myself how skewed the words
are.
As I pondered on this, a thought occurred to me.
God in heaven has a lot to share with His people on earth. In His eternal wisdom He
chooses to use human beings like you and me. He needs us as His spokespersons and
interpreters.
'Spiritual MND' is hindering many who should be speaking for God. Sin and lukewarmness
have neutralised them. Yes, many preach, but the message is often so unclear and twisted
that it's of little effect. Those who look to them for a godly walk are confused and
frustrated by their 'lameness'.
God have mercy on us!
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
And he said, Go, and tell this people..." (Isaiah 6:8-9)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
(Romans 10:13-14)
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