Welcome to Africa

A week after our return to South Africa and some of the differences between our two life styles have become apparent. Superficially and perhaps surprisingly we live in a very similar house, in a very similar tree-lined street in a fairly similar town to our UK one except the South African place boasts a kilometre of beautiful golden sands.

Fish Hoek beach

Shopping is by no means a Third World experience either. There is little that we cannot buy here that we might wish and there are some bonuses – great meat and buttery avocados to name two. With the impeding arrival of our two inquisitive grandchildren aged 6 and nearly 4 I have tried imagining the differences they might notice. In common with most of Africa, the ladies carry their babies on their backs not in pushchairs. People sell a wide range of products by the side of the road, risking life and limb at traffic lights and you may even have a man with a large plastic bag offering, for a few rand, to take away the rubbish from your car.

A more amusing occurrence is finding someone around lunchtime lying on the grassy pavement by the side of the road. In UK we would immediately phone 999 fearing a collapse or even worse. Here it is just someone having an afternoon nap after a hard morning’s work.

However one morning in church and the differences become very apparent. A lady told of some American nurses here on placement spending a night in the Emergency room at the local hospital. This is in our quiet town not in Johannesburg. It was a night of stabbings and drug and alcohol overdoses. The nurses were trying to process their unexpected experiences.

Another church member who works with Metro Ministries in Lavender Hill, one of poorest areas of Cape Town, told of the shocking incident of a gang shoot out which had left 8 dead and 32 injured and children traumatised.  He was about to go to a meeting between police and gang leaders so he could speak up for the children in the area and to ask the gang leaders to consider the effect of their lifestyle of crime and violence on them.

Finally, another church member, a former missionary to Libya, spoke about how a colleague had just been kidnapped in Niger where he had spent over 30 years working with the locals in providing more secure food sources for them. No one knew where he was though fortunately his wife and children were safe in US.

 

What could we do but pray and pray we did. It made the topic of Brexit in UK and the Trump / Clinton presidential election seem very far away. But all these events, here and abroad, can be overwhelming for the man in the street or the Christian in the church. Do we sit back and howl about the immensity of these problems or do we take them to the Lord in prayer?

These are pivotal days. Our nations need our prayers and considered thoughts. This is the time for the Church to arise with God given wisdom and prayer.  We can show God’s perspective for the poor and needy, his great love for them and his desire for the Church to share that love with those around them and in the furthest corners of the globe. Drought stalks Africa and the effect of Hurricane Matthew is most visible in Haiti. They need our prayers and aid. Haiti desperately needs some God given long-term solutions to their problems.

Haiti

Our politicians and governments also need our prayers and for the Church to speak with wisdom and compassion about God’s view on Brexit and the presidential election because, believe me, God does have a perspective.

When the problems of the world seem overwhelming, God has some answers and he is happy to speak to whoever asks and seeks him. We may not have access to the ear of government but we have access to the highest courts in the universe, the courts of heaven. There we can hear God’s heart and petition him for our communities and nations. There we can change our world through our intercession and there we can make the most profound difference both to the rich and mighty and to the poor and suffering of our world.

21st century Gideon: an allegory Part 4

They then called on all Christians across the land to rise up and defeat the powers of darkness that ruled in their localities. The Christians called out to God for deliverance and proclaimed his goodness and mercy in all their major places of government, power and influence.  There was no hiding place for the powers of darkness.  Everywhere they tried to go, there were bands of Christians proclaiming the wisdom, majesty and glory of God and they were consigned to the Abyss. 

One group from a large and influential Pentecostal church was upset that they had not been asked to help sooner.  They had gone out as asked and defeated the major forces of evil in their area which were also badly afflicting the nation.

 

‘Why didn't you call us out earlier so we could have helped you?’ they asked.

 ‘What have we accomplished compared to you? You have overthrown two great forces of evil in the land.  What are our accomplishments compared to this?’ the pastor replied.

The large Pentecostal church was mollified at this and promised to pray for the pastor and his little band as they pursued the remaining evil forces.

They pursued these powers of darkness like freemasonry and witchcraft to their home towns and cities.  They asked the Christians and church goers in these towns and cities to help them in the overthrow of these forces. 

‘We have been pursuing these demons for ages and are tired, hungry and thirsty.  Will you join with us in the fight and give us something to eat and drink?’

 But the Christians and church goers said, ‘Who are you that we should help you?  Who says the powers of freemasonry or witchcraft live here?  When we can see you have overthrown them as you declare, then we will help you and give you sustenance.’

So the pastor and his band went and surrounded one of the religious centres in the city where the forces of evil had gone home to roost. They proclaimed again the goodness of God, his might and majesty and the powers of darkness sank into the abyss. Some of the symbols of their activities and ownership of the buildings fell to the ground as they were defeated. The Christians took them as spoil to show those who had opposed them.

They went on to another city where again they were given no help.  This time they went to the high places surrounding the city and again proclaimed the might and majesty of God.  The powers of darkness fled terrified into the abyss at the sound of the proclamation as they realised judgement was upon them and all the wicked, evil things that they had caused to have done in the land.

The pastor and his band returned to the city that had refused to help them. The people there looked amazed at the symbols that had fallen from the walls and furniture of the buildings.  The Christians and church goers of the city admitted they had been wrong and asked God and the pastor to forgive them. They turned to the Lord with fresh enthusiasm, many were saved and many more healed of their infirmities.

Then Christians across the land, realising that the powers of evil were overthrown and weak, went out and about declaring the goodness of God to all who would listen.  Many repented of their sins and were baptised. The sick were healed, the blind received sight, the lame walked, the deaf got their hearing back and wham bam, the dead were raised.

The land enjoyed peace again and the Christian heritage that had been lost was restored to them.  Christians were sent to the nations to bring the Gospel, healing and peace.  Many turned to the Lord and great was the revival in the nation.

21st century Gideon: an allegory. Part 3

Now the Houses of Parliament were not far from where the 300 Christians had gathered.  During the evening the Lord told the pastor to go to the Houses of Parliament and he would hear something to encourage him and help him overcome his fear.

Now the people in Parliament had become strong in opposing God and his ways, aided by the forces of evil which had congregated there in great numbers. They continued to pass laws that were opposed to the will of God and which were very bad for the land.  The pastor arrived in the Central Lobby just as a man was telling his friend his dream. The pastor overheard their conversation.

‘I had a dream that a huge fireball hit the middle of the chamber of the lower House of Parliament scattering us all and setting fire to the building.’

His friend who was a wise man responded, ‘That sounds like God is going to bring judgement on this house for all the wicked laws we have passed and all the evil things that have happened here.  We have not listened to Him. The Christians are going to get victory in this place.  The hand of the Lord is with them.’ 

When the pastor heard this, he went away rejoicing and praising God.  He returned to the 300 and said, ‘Get up.  God is giving the powers of darkness that rule over this land into our hands.’

So they got up and went to the Houses of Parliament. The pastor divided his 300 people into four groups, each with a candle in a jam jar, a piece of cloth soaked in paraffin and the word of God in their hands.  He gave each group some proclamations to declare. 

The groups went and surrounded the Houses of Parliament.  One group went up onto Westminster Bridge and surrounded the Clock Tower called Big Ben.  One group went along side the railings by Westminster Hall and another went and surrounded the far end of the building.  Finally one group was given permission to go into Old Palace Yard because they said they were Christians come to pray for the government. The police did not think they would cause much trouble as it was evening time and although there was an important debate going on, they reckoned they were only Christians and what trouble could they cause?

At a prearranged time, the pastor sent a simultaneous message to all 300 mobile phones. There was a ringing and bleeping and musical tones which was very unnerving for the police and any unfortunate person in the vicinity.  This was nothing compared to the noise that erupted at that moment.  Everyone of the 300 shouted at the top of their voices ‘For the Lord Jesus Christ and Britain.’  They put their paraffin soaked cloths into the jam jars and smashed the jam jars on the ground and caused hundreds of small fires.  They then, with one loud voice, proclaimed the goodness of God and his justice and righteousness in the land.   

Everyone in the debating chambers was terrified, believing the House of Parliament to be under attack. They shouted for the security guards to come to protect them.  They rushed into the chamber and assured the house that it was only Christians causing a commotion and those in Old Palace Yard were ejected by the police.

Then the Member of Parliament who had had the dream asked to tell it to the House. He told them about the fireball hitting the chamber and how he felt it was the judgement of God for all the evil laws they had passed.  The members of Parliament were frightened and their eyes opened to the possibility that they had offended God with their wicked ways and passing of godless laws.  They fell on their knees in repentance and asked the chaplain to pray for them all.

Meanwhile the powers of evil that ruled over Parliament were terrified at the Christian commotion. They turned on one another believing an even bigger demonic hoard was attacking them.  They put each other to the sword and those that were left fled to go to their home place or to find somewhere quieter to inhabit and possess.

The Christians meanwhile turned their proclamations into intercession for God to be merciful to their government and to the people of the land.