My dear friends
A discussion we had with Mario Rocha on Saturday evening got
me thinking. Now, there is a brother who knows something about what following Christ with
an undivided heart can cost one.
We reflected on the resistance and opposition that
Christians often meet up with from close relatives and friends. Some simply refuse to
accept the change that a new life in Christ brings with it.
Just a few weeks ago when the mother of one of our
colleagues died we were reminded of the turbulent times in their relationship. When
Fuladile came to Christ as a girl Mrs Sithole was furious. When her beatings, threats and
prohibitions had failed to dissuade Fuladile from her faith the mother stripped her of all
her belongings including the clothes on her body and chased her away from home.
It was Fuladile's perseverance and kind deeds to her family that later turned the mother's
heart around.
A fact I have established over the years is that whilst on
the outside people oppose Christians they have a quiet admiration for Christians that are
true to their faith. It might surprise us to hear that non-believers are inwardly
disappointed when a Christian falls. Why? Whether they admit it or not non-believers look
up to believers as a beacon of hope - a hope that an alternative to their lifestyle is
possible.
It was in 1974 that I first heard the triumphant song,
"Gelekeqe"
"Omush' uyehlukana nesono, aphile
gelekeqe ...
Intomb' iyehlukana nesono, iphile gelekeqe
...
Insizw' iyehlukana nesono, iphile gelekeqe
..."
Through Elias Dludla, a member of our quartet at Dlangezwa
High School, we had been invited to an engagement service at Upper Nseleni, outside
Empangeni. Pastor Ernest Mcambi of the Baptist Church gave a powerful sermon about the way
of purity for Christian young people.
The message of "Gelekeqe" is that it is possible
for young people, for young men and women to be set free completely from sin. I was
impressed by the youthful vigour with which the young people sang that day.
In 1976 I heard the song again sung enthusiastically by
nurses from McCords Hospital, Durban. That was at Umnini Camp, Umkhomazi, where we spent a
lovely weekend sharing about heavenly matters. It was very encouraging to hear those young
professionals who were facing the lures and temptations of the big city proclaim boldly
that by God's grace they had conquered the evil one.
Later, when I joined the ministry I had the privilege of
singing the wonderful testimony with the KwaSizabantu Choir. As we sang I pondered on the
song's challenging message.
A burning question within me in these days of rapidly
declining moral standards is how many Christian young men and women can still sing this
song with conviction. Further than that, do their lives testify to what they confess with
their mouths? Such young people will be a beacon of hope to millions of others who would
like to be given the assurance that a life of purity and victory is possible.
In a video I watched last year on the ministry of Dr Billy
Graham one of the most moving moments for me was when the former USA president George Bush
Senior, friend of the Grahams, stepped forward and re-affirmed his commitment to his wife
with whom they have been married for over fifty years. There was a thunderous applause at
the stadium!
Despite an alarmingly high divorce rate in many countries
and the skepticism amongst some young people about the chances of a successful marriage
there is still a longing for the "happy-ever-after, till-death-do-us-part"
marriage. In this respect, the likes of Mr and Mrs Bush are a beacon of hope to many.
These days I read the story of Horatio Spafford once again.
This wealthy businessman lost everything in the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871. A
little later his wife and four daughters were crossing the Atlantic Ocean when their ship
collided with another one. All four daughters died.
Several weeks later as Spafford's ship passed near the spot
where his daughters had perished he was inspired to pen down these words,
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my
way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul..."
In the midst of two major tragedies Horatio Spafford stands
as a beacon of hope that indeed, nothing will separate us from the love of God. If the
soul is right with God then no matter what comes our way, everything is well.
For me, one of the most beautiful pictures of a man holding
onto his faith to the very end is that of the dying Jacob. Imagine him, dying yet
pronouncing blessings on his grandchildren. Weak, leaning on his staff, dying, yet with
his last breath still pouring out worship to God.
"By faith Jacob, when he was dying,
blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his
staff.." (Hebrews 11:21)
Jacob would have identified with Paul who as he approached
his end declared,
"I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
Jacob and Paul are beacons of hope that even death cannot
stop our victory march!
Have a blessed week further.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
