| My dear friends We thank the Lord that our Dutch CFT secretary, Nelly van den Bergh,
is back safely after spending some time with her loved ones.
A hearty welcome back also to the Heckels, Ernst, Renate and
the children, who have just returned from Germany.
CFT-Pietermaritzburg will value your prayer support for
their prayer protest a the City Hall tomorrow evening. They will be presenting a prayer
and poster message to the homosexual community that are holding a beauty pageant in the
hall that evening. CFT has also sought the support of local churches for this action.
Femke Steenstra and a Dutch friend, Geke, have just returned
from the Orphans Centre at Mthaleni, near Pomeroy. Femke will be heading for Mpumalanga
next week to visit the DFL Orphans Centre at Malelane. Pray for her.
Our thoughts are with three couples, Emmanuel Hlongwane -
Edna Shezi, Muziwenkosi Seme - Zanele Xaba and Julius Gumede - Lungi Zuma, that will be
getting engaged at KwaSizabantu on Sunday. We wish them God's blessing.
The top management of the University of Zululand has
scheduled an official visit to Radio Khwezi for Tuesday, 31 October. UNIZUL and Khwezi
have established ties in order to co-operate in the fields of broadcasting, academic
empowerment and social engagement programmes.
As the Lord reminds us let us pray for the ministry of BC
and Lucy Sadie together with the crew in Hermanus, Western Cape. Former CFT secretary
Rentia Sadie is with Petra College, an institution that specialises in children's
ministry. Remember them too.
Tannie Elize Loots from Potchefstroom requests that we pray
for the ministry in Malawi where their son, Pieter, is a missionary amongst the Yaos. The
Lord is at work and there are challenges for Pieter and his co-workers.
You will remember that Didier Schott asked us to pray for
the Democratic Republic of Congo's final round of presidential elections on Sunday, 29
October. The international community is holding its breath, hoping and praying that the
DRC will not return to yet another civil war. In the run-up to the elections there have
already been deadly clashes.
Part of me went with Onkel Friedel and Tante Rita Stegen
when they flew to Europe on Wednesday. They will be joining the brethren in the
Netherlands this weekend, thereafter minister with the Eurochor in Romania and then closig
off in Germany and Switzerland.
It is our prayer that the Lord will bless the young couple,
Rob Ubbens and Joelle Vermeulen, as they will be getting married in the Netherlands
tomorrow.
Let us accompany the Eurochor in prayer as they start
tonight in two buses on the long journey to Romania. The couples Verstraeten, Kalisky,
Reufer, Hege and Marc Remond will join the young people on this trip, alongside Onkel
Friedel and Tante Rita. Hans Koller and the Romanian brethren will co-ordinate the
programme within the country.
The planned itinerary is as follows:
Timisoara - 29 October, at 10:00 - Biserica Baptista, at
18:00 - Biserica Penticostala
Deva - 30 October, at 18:00 - Biserica Baptista
Resita - 31 October, at 18:00 Biserica Baptista
Sibiu - 1 November, at 18:00 Casa Sindicatelor
Arad - 2 November, at 18:00 Biserica Baptista
Lugoj - 3 November, at 18:00 Biserica Baptista
Our brother Ferny Jaegle has quite a tight itinerary for the
month of November. Your prayer support will be appreciated.
From Thursday 2 October to Sunday Ferny has been invited to
hold services in Genets d'Or, Alsace.
Tuesday 31 October is Reformation Day. Churches the world
over will be celebrating the birth of the Reformation on 31 October 1517, the day that Dr
Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg.
The Reformation Society of South Africa will be holding the
Reformation Celebration at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek on Tuesday.
As Dr Peter Hammond points out, "The Reformers fought
for the principles that Scripture alone is our final authority, that Christ alone is the
Head of the Church, that salvation is by the grace of God alone, received by faith alone
on the basis of the finished work of Christ alone."
More than at any other time we shall hear the "Battle
hymn of the Reformation" that is so dear to many of us - "A mighty fortress is
our God."
"A mighty fortress is our God, a
bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle."
"And He must win the battle." He did. He does. He
always will.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)
Have a blessed weekend.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi |
