My dear friends
The 'Fire Service' at KwaSizabantu on Sunday where
witchcraft objects and others that those turning to God want to distance themselves from
were burnt brought back memories.
My father's dramatic conversion in 1970 was accompanied by
the cleansing of his heart and life. That encompassed both the invisible and the visible.
How can I forget Dad's bold step of clearing the furniture
from our lounge and dining-room? He had bought the furniture in the black market or as
they would say 'through the back door.' The code name for those who traded in stolen goods
was 'abafana abashaya induku' (boys who are good stick-fighters). When God came in such
items had to go out into the fire.
It must be understood that in clear-cut cases people need to
return stolen goods to the rightful owners or arrange to pay back for them. I know of
people who travelled many kilometres to make restitution. A friend who met with God gave
up a luxurious lifestyle, sold a beautiful farm and other assets he had acquired through
proceeds from stolen precious stones. He confessed and reimbursed the firm.
When well-known Umngeni Road Baptist Church preacher, Pastor
William "Fire" Duma, preached at a neighbouring hotel which was being plundered
by workers with long fingers stricken thieves returned loads of goods.
Dad testified openly about his fanatical adherence to the
traditional religion of our forefathers. He offered ritual sacrifices as often as he
could. My grandfather had appointed an 'inyanga' (witchdoctor, traditional healer) who
treated his big family with different objects and fetishes. Dad felt that was not enough;
he hired his own which he brought under the cover of darkness. The gospel ushered in the
light that exposed and did away with works of darkness. Dad put his complete trust in God,
sacrifices to ancestral spirits stopped and occult fetishes went up in flames - and so did
the constant fear of being bewitched.
Amongst the things that got burnt on Sunday were lots of
tobacco. That reminded me of an addiction that was responsible for most of our family's
woes. Dad's alcoholism had damaged his body and family relations. One of the miracles at
his conversion was that this monster of enslavement to strong drink was slain instantly;
never to raise its ugly head again.
It is heartening to see weapons like home-made guns and
knives being brought for destruction in a fire service. With the culture of violence in
our society one prays that God's Spirit would sweep through the country, convicting hearts
and leading us in the ways of the Prince's peace.
Some of you will remember the heaps of weapons that were
brought forward by repentant souls during the 'Back to God Crusade' led by the blessed man
of God, Rev Nicholas Bhengu of the Assemblies of God.
By the way, Rev Bhengu testified how in his early days in
the ministry as he prayed earnestly for God's mighty working the Lord convicted him about
a pair of sheets he had bought in the black market. That night he had no peace until he
had pulled out the top quality sheets, the only ones they had, and burnt them before the
Lord. As the smoke went up, God's fire came down.
We rejoice when new converts bring their devil-inspired
music, films and books to the fire because we know the harmful effects of they have on
millions of souls. On the other hand, we have also seen what happens when God's refining
fire enters Christian homes. CDs, DVDs, books and magazines that lead hearts away from God
are removed from shelves and handed over for burning.
Granted, a decision to part with articles that are close to
our hearts might be very agonising indeed but as Rev Erlo Stegen of KwaSizabantu often
points out, once God's verdict on them is "Fire" you are left with only two
choices - they burn or you burn!
"Many of those who believed now came
and openly confessed their evil deeds.
A number who had practised sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them
publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand
drachmas.
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." (Acts 19:18-20)
Have a blessed week further!
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
