As you pray - 3 August 2007

We thank the Lord for His working at the Europe Summer Conference in Bilten which ended on Monday.

An e-mail from Frans Gunnink, a Dutch brother who flew over to Switzerland a bit earlier to assist with some of the practical logistics in preparation for the conference, moved me. I was reminded anew of those who work hard behind the scenes to make such a big conference a success.  May the Master reward them.

Our prayers are with Rev Erlo Stegen, the team and the brethren who are at the summer conference in Romania. I am often reminded that before the new dispensation Romania was one of the countries that were behind the 'Iron Curtain.' We thank the Lord for the freedom to hear and share the Good News.

 Remember my hardworking and efficient German translators, Johannes Wunderlich and Harald Thiede. Johannes is currently visiting his family in Germany.

Tomorrow is a big day for Domino Servite - South Africa. The Annual Sports Day is always accompanied by a lot of excitement. May it be a blessed day.

Believe it or not, we are a month away from the Annual CFT Conference, scheduled for 7-9 September.

We shall be thinking of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial leadership as they will be meeting on Sunday afternoon, mainly to discuss preparations for the conference.

9 August is Women's Day in South Africa. Bruno Hlongwane has confirmed that CFT has booked the popular spot, just outside the Workshop Shopping Centre, for our women to convey pro-life and pro-family messages. May truth triumph over deceit.

This afternoon I had a good old laugh as I was reading an e-mail from my brother-in-law, Derrick Makhoba.

During family evening devotions the Makhobas get their children to learn and sing Christian songs.

On Wednesday Derrick tried to teach them the chorus,

"Thina sibambene noSathane ubugunqugunqu."

(We are wrestling with the devil and it is a tough fight).

When the children were told that once they knew the song they would have to sing it on their own the older boy, Zamo, ran away and hid after declaring that they would not sing that song because they are afraid of wrestling with the devil.

After my initial amusement I thought a little further about my nephew's reaction. Zamo is way ahead of many modern theologians in that he has realised that the devil is an evil reality. The next step will be for him to understand that this evil reality cannot be ignored or wished away. We either submit to the evil reality or submit to the blessed reality, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)