A Christmas Message from the Presiding Bishop
Spiritual thirst comes only to those who have the Spirit in the first place. Once you have tasted that the Lord is good, nothing else will satisfy.
If you would like to receive a free Christmas ebook: An Uncommon King by Bishop Frank Retief please send your contact details to info@reachsa.org.za
Living the Message of Reconciliation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:17-19)
We remember, on this Reconciliation Day, the miraculous transformation that our country experienced in 1994. We give thanks for many answered prayers as cooperation rather than conflict marked our transition into democracy. We also recognise that there is much more work to be done. Although there has been progress and transformation at many levels, issues of discrimination and disparity still remain. This COVID19 dominated year has had particular social and economic challenges and has led to much frustration and friction in our communities.
Scripture teaches us that reconciliation is central to the message of the gospel. Our holy God established an eternal relationship with rebellious sinners through the reconciling work of Christ on the Cross. That message has been committed to all believers as we proclaim the gospel of reconciliation to a lost and alienated world. It is the church that should take the lead in demonstrating reconciled communities from every tongue, tribe, and ethnicity and all for the ultimate purpose of proclaiming God’s reconciling work in Christ.
We encourage every believer to live out the message of reconciliation in both word and action. May the Lord help us to demonstrate reconciliation through our human relationships and to point all the more clearly to the ultimate reconciliation God has secured with sinners through the cross of Christ.
God Bless Africa;
Guard her children;
Guide her leaders
And give her peace,
for Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen.
A Prayer for Reconciliation
Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled with you and reconciled with each other.
You made us in your likeness,
you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ.
He has given us forgiveness from sin.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
different in culture, but given new life in Jesus Christ,
together as your body, your church, your people.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled, healed, forgiven,
sharing you with others as you have called us to do.
In Jesus Christ, let us be together as one. Amen.
A Just Judgement on the Unjust - Isaiah Session 2
A Just Judgement on the Unjust
Context: Isaiah 2-5
The State of the Vineyard
- What God did (v.1,2a)
- What Israel failed to do (v.2b-4,7b)
- What God will do (v.5,6)
- Why? (v.7)
- How? (5:13, 26-30)
Jesus and the Vineyard (Mark 12:1-12)
A Word to Rebels - Isaiah Session 1
A Word to Rebels
The State of the Nation
- Rebellious Children
- Rejecting Discipline
- Religious Hypocrisy
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
The Destiny of the Nation
The Hope of the Nations
The Message of Isaiah
Introducing our new study series on Isaiah
Isaiah’s Message – Salvation Through Judgement
Judgement (ch.1-39)
“For how long, O Lord?”
“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant….and the land is utterly forsaken” (Isaiah 6:11,12)
Salvation (Ch.40-66)
But in the midst of Judgement – Hope (ch.40-66), that God would yet save His people – not just Judah, Israelites, but people from every tongue, tribe and nation.
“Comfort, comfort my people….proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed and that her sin is paid for…” (Isaiah 40:1,2)
Our Salvation comes through the Suffering Servant’s Judgement (Messiah) Is.53
Isaiah’s Vision
“The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” (Isaiah 1:1)
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)
The Lord is King
- Over all the nations
- Over all the ages
An October Update from the Presiding Bishop
Dear Friends
November is upon us and we are almost at the end of a most unusual year. The COVID19 crisis has certainly created a ‘new normal’ for us and one wonders just how much longer things will continue in this vein. Some say it could be years and not months. Even so, I’m sure we are all grateful to finally see the first stages of limited physical church gatherings. Over the last months, some of our congregations have sadly reported COVID related deaths, but we are also grateful to know that many who did contract the virus, including some of our ministers and gospel workers, have recovered.
I’m also thrilled to report that unusual circumstances have also led to unusual gospel breakthroughs. A number of our workers have shared stories of people living on the far side of the world coming to faith in Christ through their online church service or Zoom meeting. Our God is at work!
1. National Executive Meeting
Although we have postponed synod 2020, I have called a special national meeting of Executive and Trustees on 2nd and 3rd November. This meeting will particularly focus on the challenges we face in our current COVID19 context as well as give attention to the ongoing structural and transformation discussions. I’m conscious that, as we address these critical issues, there is potential for conflict and division – which will only feed the evil one’s agenda. We need your prayers for the Lord to ensure that we continue to ‘keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Eph.4:3). Pray also that we will ‘keep the main thing the main thing’ and work together for solutions that make us all the more effective in reaching our whole nation with the true gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, under the authority of Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone!
2. Gospel and the Economy
The economic impact of the COVID19 crisis will continue to be felt for some time. Certainly the unemployment rate has risen and many industries and businesses will face difficult recovery periods. Our churches have not been immune to the downturn and we have endured difficult days. REACH-SA has a relatively small administrative cost, but even so, we are currently consolidating office space as well as looking at other cost saving measures. At the local church level we are also seeing more ministry teams finding creative ways to employ ministry workers as well as establishing a wider ministry base of trained volunteers and partially supported workers.
I’m grateful to God for the generosity of many churches and individuals who donated to the Recovery Fund this year. We received over R600 000 in the first few weeks of the appeal and have managed to set aside close to R1m towards local church relief. Praise God!
’m also aware that we have missed our annual Good Friday collection for GWC. As you will know, this annual church appeal raises funds specifically to cover tuition fees for our REACH-SA ministry candidates. Please consider, personally or as a local church, making a contribution for this fund as part of an end of year gift to the PresidingBishop’s Bursary Fund. For every R40 000 raised we can secure a year’s tuition for a future REACH ministry worker.
George Whitefield College
Standard Bank Cheque AC
Branch: 036009
A/C: 072 100 974
Ref: PB Fund
3. Southern Africa
I’m sure like me you are feeling overwhelmed by so many social issues affecting our communities. Our country continues to battle with political tensions, unemployment, organized crime, gender-based violence and farm murders. Sadly, even crime has become politicised and racialized and this leads to even more frustrating polarization. It is not a cliche or a platitude to assert that the only hope for our land is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that we are working together to express that Gospel through word and deed. All of us can play a part in standing against injustice as we stand for Christ. Let us ensure that we do not allow divisive talk or isolationism in our social circles but rather work together to build gospel bridges and relationships. Let us express Christ’s love in doing what is right and loving in our relationships with each other. Let us also keep building partnerships across our local churches and so ensure that resources and opportunities are effectively shared. It is when the gospel is lived out in such a way that communities change, and people are won to Christ.
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:16,17)
Every blessing
Glenn Lyons
Youth Day Statement - 2020
On this Youth Day, 2020, REACH-South Africa remembers and mourns for the many young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid. As we pause to remember our painful past, we are also grieved at the many divisions that still exist in our society today. The current focus on racial injustices in the USA has echoed around the world and reminds us again of the many prejudices that remain entrenched in our society and ultimately, in our hearts.
As we remember the terrible legacy of our Apartheid past, we also confess that our own denomination bears the guilt of silence over many years when we should have made our voice heard. We commit again to ongoing prayerful reflection, dialogue and reformation in our quest to rightly reflect Christ’s united church in Africa.
We affirm that the gospel of reconciliation to God in Christ must also work itself out in reconciliation with each other. This includes caring for the poor and marginalized, standing against injustice and working for a better society. For God’s people, there can be no personal piety without public Christianity. To disregard the suffering and pain of any human being is a failure to live out God’s will for the lives of His people. This is true whether we speak of racial injustice, the abuse of women and children, the killing of unborn babies and the elderly or whatever sins might be dominant in a society.
We pray for our country and ask that God would show mercy to her people over this time of crisis. We ask God to give our leaders wisdom and courage to lead rightly and justly. We pray for Christ’s church in South Africa, that we would be bold not just in proclaiming the gospel but also in living it out. May God’s people set the example in showing Biblical reconciliation, restitution and justice in our land.
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
The Bishops of REACH-South Africa
Youth Day 2020
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 ESV)