As you pray -28 February 2009

My dear friends

My heart is definitely not the only one that was moved as I listened to Onkel being interviewed on Radio Khwezi the day the roof beams and other building materials arrived from Europe (4 February). He thanked God and gave Him all the glory. There and then he invited people to the opening of the reconstructed auditorium on Easter Sunday, 12 April. That to me testifies of faith and vision. 

Seeing the reconstruction team, comprising of experts and the brethren from South Africa and overseas, warms the heart. Some onlookers testify of the pleasant atmosphere at the building site. The Lord has granted amazing progress within a short time. Let us pray on.

At the service at KSB today Onkel Erlo confirmed again that Ian Engelbrecht and his family are moving over to Australia. He feels the Lord is leading him to assist in the ministry in Australia.

Afterwards Ian and the family got an opportunity to bid farewell to the congregation. They will value your prayer support.

As Gideon Jacobs and most of the brethren are moving over from Smithfield to Welkom, our prayers also go to those who feel the Lord wants them to stay on and serve Him in Smithfield.

We are only one week away from the KwaSizabantu Ministers' Conference. This time the theme is,

"THE URGENCY OF THE HOUR"

“See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise,
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
(Eph 5:15-1)

It is our prayer that the Lord will presence and glorify Himself and that there will be abiding fruit from the conference.

Some of the brethren from Europe have arrived early for the conference. More are expected in the coming days. We pray for safe travelling mercies.

Ferny and Christine Jaegle came by together with Sophia, a Greek friend of Christine's from their student days. There is something very special about the tie that binds us as God's children.

Warm greetings from snowy Romania. Lidia Veciunca shared about some blessed moments in the ministry.

We shall also be thinking of Detlef Stegen as he prepares to fly back after four weeks of ministry in Romania.

"The Church Dare Not Have an Influence

In his penetrating book The First Circle, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the famous Russian author who defected to America, makes an interesting observation about how the Russian authorities handle the church. He writes: "No one stops them from ringing their bells; they can break communion bread anyway they please. They can have their processions with the cross. But they will in no way allow them to have any connection with social or civic affairs." The church was allowed to go through the motions; it could have a presence, but it dare not have an influence."

eSermons

Have a blessed week.
 
Pressing on!
 
In His love
 
Fano Sibisi