PRISONERS OF HOPE

January 2009
EDITORIAL..BR N. NKOMO
Brotherly and sisterly greetings to you all at the start of yet another year of living on borrowed time on this earth.
My wife and I had the opportunity to travel to Zimbabwe to visit my father, who is not well, and something that
he mentioned got me thinking. about 2009 After viewing pictures of our two children he mentioned how what
was left was for him to see “his” 4th generation i.e. his great-great-grandchildren, of which he has one. My dad
has been a believer for many years, and I cannot imagine that at the start of his Christian walk he would have
ever considered the fact that the Lord would be yet to descend to take us home. As we have entered the new year
I challenge each one of us to truly evaluate whether or not we desire Christ to come soon. We each need to ask
ourselves if we are living like those that believe His coming is imminent. If we are not, then we need to realise
that probation may close at any time for us and that “our” door may be shut for good. If we are living as those
that understand the times in which we live, then we should keep before us that heaven has room enough for eve-
ryone and we should do all in our power, aided by the Holy Spirit, to reach out to all around us in the coming
year.
On our single Sabbath that we spent there, the Sabbath School program consisted of testimonies from a number
of adults and children that spoke of various mercies received from God during 2008 for which they wanted to
give thanks. It tore my heart to listen to stories of how people effectively lived through borderline starvation. It
made me wonder whether I truly understand the Lords‟ prayer when it says “Give us this day our daily bread”. I
heard stories from people that have literally woken with no idea of what they would put in their mouths that day,
but God has provided. I heard stories from people that have had to stand in queues for days and had to scramble
for food when it became available, and somehow God has provided. I heard stories from a family that had to sell
their only car to pull together enough money to send their children to school and put food on the table. These
and other stories of poverty and God‟s faithfulness were shared in church. Amazingly, for me, despite the diffi-
culties and deprivation suffered, the saints in that church seem to be the most content I have ever seen. They live
under conditions which would sound far-fetched were I to attempt to describe them, and yet, all I saw were
smiles on their faces. I heard no murmuring. I saw no unappreciative spirit, just genuine gladness and eagerness
to serve God.
As the program drew to an end, the lady that was coordinating the program pulled out a plastic bag with some
mangoes and said something that will stay with me for as long as I live. “These are the first-fruits of my mango
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
trees,” she said. “I have two bags full of mangoes and would like to ask that whoever is willing to assist me in sell-
Editorial ......................... ……1
ing these to please see me afterwards…..Looking at the past year, none of us have been in an accident, none of us
have required hospitalization, none of us have lost any of our children. The Lord has been gracious to us and Sabbath Fun .................. .….2

done so much for us and the least we can do for Him is to always give Him our first. Whether it be the first of our For Jonathan‟s Sake ...... .….4

lives, the firsts of our labours or the firsts of our fields, His words to us are „Try me‟.” My Fathers‟ Day ............ .….5
Mission Spotlight .......... ..…6
One may wonder why such seemingly innocuous words would make an indelible mark on my psyche, and the
Lift Up Your Heads ....... .….7
answer is simple. Given that her offering was not a tithe, and that the feast of first-fruits found its fulfillment in
Breaking Barriers .......... .….8
the resurrection of Christ, she did not have to do what she proposed to do. This is what really tugged at my heart.
Good Health……………..….10
It would have been so easy for her to tell herself that she was short of cash, and should therefore sell the mangoes
and pocket the proceeds to use as a buffer for the future. It would have been easy for her to consider the hunger
she had experienced during the past year and seek to dry the fruit so she would have something to eat later this
year. It would have been all too easy for her to simply just consume all the mangoes as they ripened. Instead, she
thought of the work of God and how she could assist with what little she has. Instead of looking to self, she exhib-
ited a selflessness that puts the work of God at the fore-front of everything. Instead of worrying about the future
and “building a silo” she placed her trust in God and had faith that God would provide.
My question for us is, how much are we willing to do for God? Do we really trust God with all that we have? Are
we willing to step out in faith and to do His bidding no matter what it may be? Would we, like the widow, give
our last two mites “knowing” that God would supply our need? Would we, like the widow of Zarephath, be will-
ing to share the last morsel of our food with a stranger, knowing that we are likely to lie down and die thereafter?
Do we place limits on what we would do based on prevailing conditions? Do we have the faith of a mustard seed?
My prayer is that during the year ahead we would all learn, like the lady that continues to give a first-fruit offer-
ing, to go “beyond the call of duty” for Christ. “..prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive
it].”
 FUN ON THE SABBATH... BY SR T NKOMO
Not much has been spoken about this topic-well, at least not some other action that shows lack of piety. Everything we do
where I‟m from. Yet it is a very serious topic, and needs to be ought to bring glory to God, not only what we say, but HOW
addressed. Not only for those who do it, but for innocent lis- we present it. We are told “A powerful discourse delivered
teners/viewers, who might not realise the dangers. I pray we from the desk may affect minds; but a little imprudence on
will take an honest look at ourselves, our motives and our the part of the minister out of the pulpit, a lack of gravity of
reason for going to church and that we will lean upon God to speech and true godliness, will counteract his influence, and
give us discernment (as a congregation) and true piety (as do away the good impressions made by him. The converts will
mouthpieces for God) be his; in many instances they will seek to rise no higher than
their preacher. There will be in them no thorough heart work.
“The minister of Christ should be a man of prayer, a man of They are not converted to God. The work is superficial, and
piety; cheerful, but never coarse and rough, jesting or frivo- their influence will be an injury to those who are really seek-
lous. A spirit of frivolity may be in keeping with the profes- ing the Lord.” 1T p. 380.
sion of clowns and theatrical performers, but it is altogether
beneath the dignity of a man who is chosen to stand between And what about those of us who are listening? Are we of „calm
the living and the dead, and to be a judgment‟ or do we laugh along at the an-
mouthpiece for God. GW p. 132. Let us tics, play along with the speaker? “Ministers
also consider this passage intended for have no license to behave in the desk like
speakers of the gospel He will be a par- theatrical performers, assuming attitudes
taker of the divine nature, having escaped and making expressions merely for effect.
the corruption that is in the world They are not actors, but teachers of truth.
through lust. The communication opened Undignified, boisterous actions lend no
between God and his soul will make him force to the truth uttered; on the contrary,
fruitful in the knowledge of God's will, they disgust men and women of calm judg-
and open before him treasures of practi- ment and right views.” GW, p. 172. Those
cal subjects that he can present to the who have a careless, clownish manner, ei-
people, which will not cause levity or the ther in the family or in society, dishonor
semblance of a smile, but will solemnize their divine Lord. Even ministers have thus
the mind, touch the heart, and arouse the misrepresented Christ, when in the pulpit
moral sensibilities to the sacred claims they have made a display of theatrical ac-
that God has upon the affections and life. tions and eccentric manners. This is not of
Those who labor in word and doctrine should be men of God, God. Eccentricities are sometimes looked upon as virtues by
pure in heart and life. 3T, p. 241. men, but they do not aid in representing Christ. Careless atti-
tudes and irreverent expressions may serve to please men of
Sometimes I sit in the congregation and want to weep at the unrefined tastes, anecdotes may amuse, but the minister who
lack of reverence that is shown for God and His temple. Not seeks to cater to such tastes has a meager appreciation of the
only do we have „the semblance of a smile‟ but there is out- dignity, simplicity, goodness, and loveliness of the character
right laughter at some humorous comment the minister has of the divine Lord. ST 10-13-90.
made. If I, a mere human being, am offended at such, if I
want to shrink into my seat or remove my children from such In the above quote, anecdotes are mentioned. Sometimes we
an unholy atmosphere, what must the Holy angels and their find whole sermons consisting of light, sometimes humorous
Creator think of our hilarity and mirth during what we call anecdotes. When we compare these to the way Jesus, our
„Divine‟ service? When we are laughing, when the presenter is Great Example, preached, we find shortcomings. When we
making these comments, are we truly aware of God‟s gran- compare it to the way Elijah (whose message we are to be
deur? Are we not „speaking our own things‟ on the Holy Sab- proclaiming!), John the Baptist, Paul, Peter preached, do we
bath day? Are we not mixing the sacred with the common? find anecdotes? Do we find anything that lessens the import
of the message? When I go to church, I yearn to hear the
What hurts even more is when the preacher truly has good
plain truths of the Bible, spoken with love for our fellow man,
points, when they present Bible truths in a new manner,
and with fidelity to God, whose ambassadors we are. I appre-
when I think “Thank you Lord, this message is timely, it is
ciate lessons drawn from the speaker‟s life that give us practi-
relevant to me, I am understanding more of Your character
cal ways of overcoming certain traits, but most times these
and will” and then the speaker goes and undoes their good
are not the kind of anecdotes we hear. .
work by making odd gestures, comical facial expressions or

2
“Ministers should not make a practice of relating irrelevant Another burden is these new methods of reaching people
anecdotes in connection with their sermons; for this de- that have been added to our worship and mission work.
tracts from the force of the truth presented. The relation of Puppet ministries, clowns, bands, religious movies…Just
anecdotes or incidents that create a laugh or a light thought the sight of these toys, outfits is enough to remove all
in the minds of the hearers is severely censurable. The truth thoughts of God‟s majesty from our minds. “The work in the
should be clothed in chaste, dignified language; and the il- large cities is to be done after Christ's order, not after the
lustrations used should be of a like character. “GW, p. 166. order of a theatrical performance. It is not a theatrical per-
I pray that as listeners, we ask for discernment to tell apart formance that glorifies God, but the presentation of the
the base from the pure gold. May we learn to judge rightly, truth in the love of Christ.” GW, p. 356
may we see which speaker is heaven-sent and deserves sup- “I have a message for those in charge of our work. Do not
port and encouragement. “I have been shown that many do encourage the men who are to engage in this work to think
not rightly estimate the talents which are among them. that they must proclaim the solemn, sacred message in a
Some brethren do not understand what preaching talent theatrical style. Not one jot or tittle of anything theatrical is
would be the best for the advancement of the cause of truth, to be brought into our work. God's cause is to have a sacred,
but think only of the present gratification of their feelings. heavenly mold. Let everything connected with the giving of
Without reflection they will show preference for a speaker the message for this time bear the divine impress. Let noth-
who manifests considerable zeal in his preaching, and re- ing of a theatrical nature be permitted, for this would spoil
lates anecdotes which please the ear and animate the mind the sacredness of the work….
for a moment, but leave no lasting impression. At the same Men who thought they had a wonderful work to do sought
time they will put a low estimate upon a preacher who has to adopt a strange deportment and manifested oddities in
prayerfully studied that he may present before the people bodily exercise. The light given me was, "Give this no sanc-
the arguments of our position in a calm manner, and in a tion." These performances, which savored of the theatrical,
connected form. His labor is not appreciated, and he is of- were to have no place in the proclamation of the solemn
ten treated with indifference.” 1T, p.447 messages entrusted to us. 19MR, p.125.
Sadly, preaching/speaking, is not the only way one can re- Please may we prayerfully seek to do God‟s will. We may be
move all thoughts of reverence from the congregation‟s sincere in our desire to reach those who we believe our tra-
mind. We find this in singing groups, the behaviour of the ditional methods of doing God‟s work aren‟t reaching. But
congregation itself and in new „ministries‟ that are spring- let us not seek to do the work of the Holy Spirit. It is almost
ing up suddenly. We, as a congregation, also have a duty to as if we are afraid that we aren‟t baptizing enough people,
be pious in our worship. I‟ve often lamented at those I see so therefore we need to try many other new gimmicks. But
sending text messages in church, those who look at the pic- the plain truths are what God desires us to give to His peo-
tures stored on their cell phones during the service, those ple. He will, and does, do the rest.
who drink water, eat sweets while in the sanctuary. I often
wonder if we have a true conception of God‟s holiness. The In apostolic times, there was no levity, no „wow factor,‟ the
angels veil their faces when they worship Him, but we don‟t old ambassadors‟ messages were simple “Repent and be
have respect enough to (at least) leave the room to do these baptized.” Ours is to plant the seed, in Spirit and in truth.
things. Not only does this make me sad for the drinker/ May we not misrepresent the God we are trying to win souls
eater, but it has a distracting influence on those around the to, but rather to magnify His glory and to let His Word
person. speak for Him. And may we, as listeners, ever be aware that
our allegiance and
But we know that those who are presenting a message, be it respect are due to
in song or in prayer, have an even greater duty to give a God and His faith-
flawless message, by God‟s grace. It is not loud singing that ful witnesses.
is needed, but clear intonation, correct pronunciation, and Those who have a
distinct utterance. “Let all take time to cultivate the voice, burden for our
so that God's praise can be sung in clear, soft tones, not souls, and present
with harshness and shrillness that offend the ear. The abil- the truth in a sim-
ity to sing is the gift of God; let it be used to His glory.” GW ple, clear manner.
p. 357.

3
 FOR JONATHAN‟S SAKE…..BY BR S KORANTENG-PIPIM
4. Forgiveness is not a feeling, a fleeting emotional experi-
ence. It is a conscious choice, an act of the will. Forgiveness is
a decision not to think, or talk about, or be influenced by, the
ill conduct of another.
Two Greek words are often translated as "forgive." The first,
aphiemi, means to let go, release, or remit. It is a term used
to describe the full payment or cancellation of a debt (see
Matthew 6:12; 18:27, 32). The other word is charizomai,
which means to bestow favor freely or unconditionally. This
term suggests that forgiveness is an act of grace. It is unde-
served and cannot be earned (see Luke 7:42, 43; 2 Corin-
thians 2:7-10; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). Both terms
imply that the one doing the forgiving suffers some loss or
pain. This is what happened on Calvary when our Lord Jesus
Christ chose to suffer and die in order to secure our forgive-
ness (see Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24).
Though forgiveness is not a feeling, and though the decision
to forgive hurts, the good news is that this conscious act of
the will to forgive also brings about changes in our feelings:
we experience inner peace and joy in doing God‟s will.
Must We Forgive and Forget? Our willingness or unwill-
ingness to forgive reveals much about us. Any time we cher-
ish an unforgiving attitude, stubbornly withholding forgive-
ness from others, let us remember the following facts:
1. Our unforgiving spirit reveals how we want God to treat
us. When we get very hurt, we often say things like, "I will
never forgive him" or, "Though I will forgive, I will never for-
get what he did to me." Others say, "I will always stay away or
not talk to her again as long as I live." What would happen if
God applied the Golden Rule and treated us the same way we
treat others? (The Golden Rule, by the way, says in essence,
"Do unto others what you want to be done unto you"; see
Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31.)
How would you feel if, after confessing your sins to the Lord
you hear a voice from Heaven saying, "I have forgiven you,
but I just don‟t want to have anything to do with you again"?
Or what if the Lord spoke to you audibly: "I have forgiven
you, but I will never forget what
you did to Me"? I don‟t think
many would feel secure in that
kind of "forgiveness"!
The Scriptures urge us to forgive
others, just as God has forgiven
us. The Lord has freely forgiven
us; we also must do likewise to
others. "And be ye kind one to
another, tender-hearted, forgiv-
ing one another, even as God for
Christ‟s sake hath forgiven
you" (Ephesians 4:32).
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any
4
man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you,
so also do ye" (Colossians 3:13).
2. Our unforgiving spirit reveals our unappreciation of
God’s forgiveness. A forgiven Christian is always forgiving. If
we don‟t forgive others it is an indication that we don‟t value
Christ‟s forgiveness. This fact is remarkably captured in
Christ‟s parable of the two debtors in Matthew 18:21-35. In
this story, one servant owes a king a substantial debt. When
the king threatens to sell the servant and his family to pay the
debt, the servant pleads for mercy. The king is "moved with
compassion," has mercy on him, and forgives him the debt (v.
27).
Moments later, the forgiven servant sees a fellow servant who
owes him a much smaller debt. When he asks for payment,
the man pleads for time. But the forgiven servant refuses. He
"went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt" (v.
30). When the king hears about this, he summons the for-
given-turned-unforgiving servant and says (vv. 32, 33): "O
thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion
on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?" In his anger
the king hands over the unforgiving debtor to be punished.
Jesus concludes the parable: "So likewise shall My Heavenly
Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not
every one his brother their trespasses" (v. 35).
3. Our unforgiving spirit reveals whether or not we shall re-
ceive and/or retain our forgiveness. In the teachings of
Christ, we learn that unless we forgive, God will not forgive
us. In the Lord‟s Prayer, Jesus says, "Forgive us our debts as
we forgive those who trespass against us. . ." (Matthew 6:12,
var.). He continues: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive
not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses" (vv. 14, 15).
4. Our unforgiving spirit reveals disloyalty and lack of love
for God. The story of Job teaches that our severe trials—
including the hurts and tragedies we have suffered—reveal
whether or not we love God. When Satan asked, "Doth Job
fear God for naught?" (Job 1:9), he was in effect saying that
Christians cannot continue serving the Lord when they suffer
major hurts. Or as he put it, "Skin for skin, yea, all that a
man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand
now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee
to Thy face" (Job 2:3-5).
In the great controversy between Christ and Satan, our re-
sponse to hurts is a vote for or against God. We either glorify
God or betray and mock Him by our attitude to adversities
inflicted upon us by others. Whether or not we forgive and
forget reveals our true loyalty to or love for God….
Continued on P11
 MY FATHERS DAY ...BY COLPORTEUR

There is a day that comes each week,

that is my Father's day.
it's set apart for His dear souls,
to fellowship and pray.

Of all the days that man may claim,

for one reason or another,
there's a special time that God has made
for worship with my brother.

The 7th day is Father's day,

He told us "don't forget!"
Though some may doubt and some may pout,
and some may even fret.

The Sabbath is my Father's day,

the Scriptures plainly tell;
that time and place cannot erase..
What God has made so well.

Season come and seasons go,

and there's much that people say;
but nothing mortal man can do,
will change my Father's Day !

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 MISSION SPOTLIGHT...BY SR T NKOMO
“Our aim with this newsletter is to reach our brethren in
the church, to confirm them in the faith and to challenge us
to a higher standard. Our raison d‟etre as Adventists, is to
spread the gospel. God gave us the Great Commission and
it is up to us and the Holy Sprit‟s guidance to use God‟s
Word to reach those who don‟t have any hope. We will be
starting a „mini series‟ on this topic in order to showcase
what our brethren are doing. Not for them to be glorified,
but for us to see how blessing others with the Word results
in a blessing for the „giver‟ but also so that those who are
inactive may be encouraged to do what they can do, to in-
crease God‟s kingdom.
Before we focus on the big mission organisations, we will
look at what individuals can and/or are doing in the cities,
which is where most of us are based. One does not need to
go far to do the Lord‟s work, your
neighbor might be as lost as the
bushman in the middle of the
Karoo.
One sister used to hand out lit-
erature on the train. Something
as simple as that is extremely
effective. The printed word not
only goes to the person to whom
it is handed, but that person car-
ries it to work, home or to the
doctor‟s office. Who knows who
else might read it and also be „pushed‟ to seek for truth? In
the same vein, there are brethren in the church who put
our literature in people‟s letter boxes, under doors, in com-
munal areas…This might seem like the timid person‟s way
out of witnessing (no face to face contact), but better to be
a supposedly cowardly missionary than to be none at all.
On December 14th, a group of us had the privilege of dis-
tributing SOP books. We received the funds from a friend
in the US whose 16 year old daughter desired to help the
work in our country. We asked our fellow Mowbray mem-
bers to help us hand out the 320 books that we‟d purchased
-a mixture of Great Controversy, Ministry of Healing and
Bible Readings for the Home. I must admit, I‟m extremely
shy, and it takes a lot to make me talk to strangers, this in-
cludes those I meet at church too! So you can imagine how
I shrank from actually having to talk to someone I don‟t
know from adam, in order to give them religious literature.
My heart grew cold, so I tried to take the easy way out-put
them in post boxes (timid person‟s way out!) But of course,
my dear husband, who‟d had experience before in reaching
people in this way, convinced me that I‟d not „die‟ of a panic
attack.
I paired myself up with Sis. Mbokazi and we got a lift to
Claremont. She felt that we should start at a hospital, and
seeing as I‟d had surgery in a nearby hospital, suggested we
go there-Kingsbury Hospital, as my previous experience
there-which was lovely by the way-would give us an enter-
ing wedge. As we got nearer, my heart started beating. I
tried to egg her on to make the opening comments, but she
would have none of it. So I bit the bullet and went into a
spiel about how we had gifts and we thought of the nurses
there…And after that it was a piece of (vegan) cake, as they
say. We took it in turns to talk to different people, some on
their way to church, others were petrol attendants, security
guards…It was touching to see how people are struggling
financially. They would breathe a huge sigh of relief on
hearing that the books were for free, and one lady, even
after we handed her a book, apologized profusely for not
having „a donation‟ for our work.
It was also touching to have peo-
ple who we hadn‟t even met, come
to us to ask if we had a book for
them, after seeing someone else
with a book.
Below are excerpts from a few of
the other participants.
I had a wonderful day distributing
on Sunday. People were so recep-
tive maybe it was due to the won-
derful background music that was being rendered by the
salvation army band. We couldn't have asked for a better
arrangement and as a token of our appreciation they each
got a book to take home with them.
The one notable experience I had was with the last book a
gave for the day. I gave to an aged man who was on his way
from church. When I gave him the book I had an opportu-
nity to speak to him and what a conversation we had. He
was telling how he believed that God can give us complete
victory over sin and how that the Lord has preserved him
from sinning since he was a young man, I know that this is
rather presumptuous but at the time of this ignorance God
winks. I must say I really enjoyed sharing with him what I
knew. At first he was very reluctant to listen to anything I
had to say but the Lord opened up a way which turned our
conversation to hearty conversation and he was so happy
that we had met. I believe that in the beginning he was not
even going to read the book I gave him but at the end he
was excited about the book (Ministry of healing) that he
could not wait to read it. God is so amazing and I trust that
he guide him and teach him as he has been doing.
Art ….Continued on p8
6
 LIFT UP YOUR HEADS...
NEWS: "Oregon's struggling auto dealers plan to ask the dees are encouraged to spend intimate time with the Lord,"
Legislature to impose "blue laws" prohibiting car sales on she said. "We're just evangelistic in nature, we want to
Sunday. The day off would help them cut costs during an bring kids into the kingdom of Christ."
economic downturn that has already put 19 Oregon dealer-
ships out of business this year. Nationally, sales of domestic NEWS: Australia's
cars declined more than 35 percent in 2008. Greg Re- official human rights
mensperger, executive vice president of the Oregon Auto- watchdog wants a
mobile Dealers Association, told The Oregonian his mem- third gender called
bers strongly favor the measure. "No question, there's "intersex" to be cre-
some troubled times out there," Remensperger said…..If ated for use on official
lawmakers don't approve the restriction on Sunday sales, documents like pass-
Oregon dealers could opt for a voluntary pact among them- ports and driving li-
selves. Dealers, however, figure a state law is needed to en- cences, a newspaper
sure that nobody takes advantage of the others' closure. report said on Satur-
day.
NEWS: “Christian nightclubs - the very name raises eye- The new gender would be another legally recognized option
brows - are dismissed as an oxymoron by some churchgo- alongside male and female, The Daily Telegraph reported.
ers. But fun-loving Christians see them as an alcohol-free The proposal from the Human Rights and Equal Opportu-
alternative of faith-based entertainment. Clubs with a pious nities Commission was contained in a discussion paper is-
nature began taking root in the '90s, at first in the South sued to transgender and transsexual advocates, the paper
but also in New said.
York and even The commission is a statutory body that advises the Austra-
across the pond lian government.
in London…..At
the club on COMMENT: Each of the above news articles serves to re-
Lindbergh mind us that Christ is coming soon. In the first, we see that
Boulevard near the push for the mark of the beast is obviously advancing in
66th Street, the hallways of power, and I believe the public statements
clubgoers sip that are increasing in rapidity are but the tip of the iceberg.
non-alcoholic We should not allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking
drinks called that Sunday observance will not be enforced by the state
"Pearly Gates just because a number of blue laws have been deemed un-
Pina Colada," "First Lady Fizzle," "Power Packin' Preacher constitutional in America. It only takes a single catastro-
Punch" and "Missionary Margarita" as they dance the phe, crisis or signature of the president to push through
"sanctified electric slide" and the "gospel cha-cha" to Chris- laws that are not thoroughly debated, if at all. The second
tian rap and reggae. Most of the music is recorded, but he shows the logical end of much of the music that is gaining
sometimes books live artists, like Grammy-nominated ground in our churches and it is frightening that these peo-
singer Tracy Shy, who sang at the club during a recent ple even call themselves Christians. The last article merely
event, and Christian comic Chris Clark. reflects the conclusion of the blurring of gender lines, de-
Kathy Christian, the executive director of the Tennessee- scribed biblically as
based club The Fire Escape, defends the get-togethers as an abomination,
nothing more than a "safe haven" for believers.….She said which has been
"stubborn churchgoing saints" who refuse to change with pushed by the
the times, have the wrong idea about the club's purpose. women‟s liberation
Her mission, she said, is to enhance, not diminish, the role movement and its
of the church. right hand the ho-
"Some churches think we're trying to take the kids away," mosexual interest
she said, "but [we] hand them off to local churches." Atten- group.

7
We met different people with different opinions .Some to actually saw me speaking with the person I gave the sec-
could openly say that i can not get your books if they are ond last book to and they stopped and waited for me to fin-
talking about the Bible because i don't read a Bible, while ish then asked "Is there one for me too" which also reminds
others were thanking us and could not even believe that me that there are people out there who do not know what
they were being given free. good things have been made available for them by the
One thing i have noted is that, i think, it is easy distributing Lord's sacrifice.
books than tracks because people are tired with promotion
papers that are distributed at each and every corner of our I enjoyed myself and hope the Lord will allow me to par-
streets,so much that, they don't even listen to someone take in such work again.
offering them the word of God through small papers. Zukisani Zamela
Alice Ngalawa.
I was one of the members that went to Rondebosch. When
I started looking for people and what do you know, two we got there, I was so nercous and wished that I had not
cops are coming my way. One male and one female.I gone there. I gathered my confidence and prayed that the
started telling them about the literature but the male was Lord would help me. I was filled with excitement when I
initially not much interested. But as I was explaining to the gave out my first book…One man said he started walking
lady he also was interested and then ultimately they both fater when he saw me with the books. “I did not have any
took copies. money to buy the books, so I started walking faster, but if
they are for free, I will take them” In less than half an hour
I was surprised that GC was the first one to finish to be an hour, all my books were gone, and I wisjhed I had more
honest. Then the other two were neck to neck. to distribute”
It shocked me how sometimes I Ngqabakazi Mawoneke
would tell people that I have
these books, then before I can I echo Sis Mbokazi‟s words „We had a wonderful time! Peo-
say much they cut me of telling ple are yet open to present truth and are searching for the
me they are not interested, and truth everywhere. I pray that the Lord may use us all to fin-
then I quickly say they are free, ish His work which would cause Christ to come! „
and they still are not interested.
I would then think to myself EDITOR: We would like to express our thanks to all those
that it actually is what happens that supported the literature distribution by giving funds,
when God says "Here is salva- praying and being foot soldiers. Without you the morning
tion and it is free." and people would not have been the blessing that it was for us nor for
still say "no thank you" those that received the books. I ask that we all continue to
pray that those that received copies of the books, and their
The last person I gave my book families, may be led and guided by the Holy Spirit to read
them and receive greater light from above.

BREAKING PAST BARRIERS.... BY BR J WATERS

It was October 14, 1947, a day long to be remembered in his-
tory. It was 6:00 am as test pilot Chuck Yeager traveled to
Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert of California.
The plan seemed routine in many ways, for after all, this was
going to be his ninth powered flight aboard the Bell X-1. The
test crew poured over that day‟s scheduled flight, planning
to increase the speed record up to Mach .97, just a hair‟s
breadth away from that formidable and seemingly danger-
ous barrier, Mach 1, but still within what seemed to be the
envelope of safety. At approximately 8:00 am, Yeager
climbed aboard the mother ship, a B-29 bomber, specially
designed to carry the rocket plane in its bomb bay. The crew
completed the checklist and took off as planned. As the
bomber climbed through 12,000 feet, Yeager climbed down
8
the ladder and into the cramped cockpit of the X-1. Every-
thing was going perfectly, as they continued on up to the as-
signed drop altitude of 20,000 feet. Yeager methodically
went through his checklist, finishing up just in time to hear
the B-29 pilot call down to him to get cleared for the drop.
The climb speed on the heavily loaded B-29 was only 180
mph, while the X-1 had a stall speed of 240 mph. This made
it necessary to put the bomber into a shallow dive before re-
leasing the plane hanging below. Yeager gave the go-ahead
for the bomber pilot to release him when ready.
Within a few seconds, he heard the familiar .Crack!. of the
shackles as they dropped the X-1 toward earth. But alas!
The speed at which he had been dropped was too slow, and
the plane immediately went into a perilous stall, plummet-
ing earthward for several hundred feet. Yeager, a seasoned
pilot, brought it quickly back under control, and, picking up
speed in a shallow dive, fired all four rocket engines in rapid
sequence and proceeded to climb to 42,000 feet. Leveling
off, he continued on 3 engines as he watched the Mach
Meter speed toward the unbelievable. The needle tipped the
scale! In that brief moment, he wondered if he could even
believe his eyes. There had been no violent shaking as he had
expected, but instead simply a brief buffeting of the aircraft
and there he was! Little did he realize how far-reaching his
achievement would be for the future generation of super-
sonic flight. He had overcome the unknown and broken the
sound barrier.
I would like to parallel this simple, yet historically profound
story to barriers that each one of us face in our Christian ex-
perience, barriers which are caused by us being fearful of
really surrendering ourselves completely to Christ, or barri-
ers that arise as a result of that unwillingness and end up
breaking our connection with Christ, causing family discord,
and leaving us feeling miserable. Think with me for a minute
and reflect over the past few days. I‟m sure
you can think of at least a few barriers that
you faced, and either broke past with the
Lord, or will have to face again sometime,
maybe under completely different circum-
stances. With that in mind, let‟s look at
how we deal with these in real day-to-day
life.
1 Cor. 12:9 says, .My grace is sufficient for
thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness . Break-
ing past barriers requires a simple choice of faith.
Up until the point that Yeager broke through the sound bar-
rier, man had been comfortable staying within the limits that
he decided were reasonable. After the barrier had been bro-
ken, he experienced a whole new realm of possibilities and
freedom opening up that had hitherto been unknown.
The same is true for us. If we are afraid to give a complete
surrender to Christ because of what it may cost us, we will
never be able to experience true freedom in Him. We will try
to make ourselves comfortable in how we are, comfortable
with the way we live our lives, but there will never be peace
in that kind of Christianity. God promises that His grace is
sufficient to meet every need and if we choose to accept that
by faith and surrender our self completely to Him, He will
take us beyond those barriers that are presently holding us in
bondage and we will experience new heights of freedom!
This past winter was remarkably colder than most of the
winters that we have had here in our part of Montana for the
past several years. The temperatures were much colder than
normal and stayed that way for a longer period of time than I
can ever remember in the nearly 18 years we‟ve lived here.
Well, needless to say, with cold temperatures comes frozen
water, which is great as long as that frozen water isn‟t in the
pipes. Well, this Spring when my father went out to turn the
water system on in our guesthouse, it didn‟t take very long to
figure out that there was a major problem! Water came
flooding out from the wall that divides the bedroom and
bathroom, soaking the bedroom carpet in seconds. Father
quickly raced back across the yard to the main shut-off valve
and turned off the water. I immediately ran to see what I
could do to help him.
Broken pipes are usually enough of a trial without the added
pressure of having soaked carpet to dry out before our com-
pany came the next day. To make matters worse, the pipe
that appeared to be broken was inside the wall. So out went
the furniture, and the trim and wall paneling all had to be
taken off. After a little bit of looking around, we located the
broken pipe which turned out to be a T-joint in the cold wa-
ter line (right next to a stud of course!) and we proceeded to
fix it. We allowed time for the glue to set and then turned the
water back on to test it. Another leak! .Shut it off!. I shouted
as I grabbed a towel.
Before I continue, I want to share with you a very important
element in this article that is illustrated
well by this story. It seems that often, at
least with these particular kinds of trials,
they seem to get bigger the closer we think
we are to surmounting or breaking past
them. Self does not like to die without
a struggle, nor does Satan want us to be
successful in breaking beyond them
through Christ. The barriers arise when we
don‟t choose to allow Christ to keep us in
our trials. When we decide to take the management of situa-
tions back into our own hands, we create a barrier between
our souls and our Saviour who is waiting to save us from our-
selves.
As the story continues to unfold, not only was there a second
leak, but a third as well. It seemed that every time we fixed
one, we found another. God was, in His love, using these cir-
cumstances to see if we really would face that great barrier of
self and break beyond in His power, or fall short of the mark.
I‟m thankful to say that we saw it as a learning experience,
actually able to laugh together about it instead of having to
face it again in another form, or a different set of circum-
stances. And the added blessing in this situation was that be-
cause we both chose to allow Christ to keep us by His power,
there was no need for any barriers to arise within the family
either, as very often tends to happen in similar situations.
The issue at hand is this: whatever form of barrier we find
ourselves up against, regardless of what circumstances seem
to have brought it to view, it is in the mercy of God that He
reveals to us another layer of self that needs to be dealt with
and overcome. By taking hold of Christ in a personal, practi-
cal way, each one of us can overcome every barrier that we
face, so that we can have that experience found in Isaiah
40:4 ..and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and
the rough places plain.. Through Christ we can overcome!
9
 GOOD HEALTH
What bearing did the regarding of God's com-
mandments formerly have on the removal of sick-
ness?
"Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, ...and the
Lord will take away from thee all sickness." Deut. 7:11-15.
When through disobedience King Jeroboam's
hand withered, how was it restored to strength?
"And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's
hand was restored him again, and became as it was before."
1 Kings 13:6.
When Miriam was afflicted with leprosy, what did
Moses do in her behalf?
"And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O
God, I beseech thee." Num. 12:13.
Are there cases when it is best not to apply to
earthly physicians?
"And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was dis-
eased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great; yet
in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physi-
cians." 2 Chron. 16:12.
When Elijah prayed for the restoration of a child,
what was the result?
"And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and
cried unto the Lord, and said, a Lord my God, I pray thee,
let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord
heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came
into him again, and he revived." 1 Kings 17:21, 22.
When Hezekiah prayed for restoration from sick-
ness, what answer was returned to him?
"Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have
heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add
unto thy days fifteen years." Isa. 38:5.
What was a part of the work of Christ while He was
here on earth?
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their syna-
gogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and heal-
ing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease
among the people." Matt. 4:23.
What impressive words does Matthew use to show
further the burden that the Saviour took in this
matter?
"Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
Matt. 8:17.
When the woman touched the hem of Jesus' gar-
ment and was healed of her infirmity , what gave
effect to the touch?
"And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy
faith hath made thee whole,. go in peace." Luke 8:48.
Is the gift of healing given to the church of Christ?
"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, sec-
ondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues." 1 Cor. 12:28.
How is this gift exercised?
"Is there any sick among you? let him call for the elders of
the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14.
If the sick one is restored to health, by what power
is it accomplished?
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him." James 5:15.
Did Christ bestow the gift of healing upon His dis-
ciples?
"Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave
them power and authority over all devils, and to cure dis-
eases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God,
and to heal the sick." Luke 9:1, 2. "Now Peter and John
went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer...
And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was car-
ried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is
called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the
temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the
temple asked an alms... Then Peter said, Silver and gold
have I none; but such as I have, give I thee: In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him
by the right hand, and lifted him up; and immediately his
feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up,
stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple,
walking, and leaping, and praising God." Acts 3:1-8.
Was this commission to cease with the twelve
apostles?
"And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In
my name... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." Mark 16:15-18.
What special work is necessary for one who ex-
pects to be healed?
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for an-
other, that ye may be healed." James 5:16.
Why is it that in some cases persons are not healed
in answer to prayer?
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye
may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:3.
Why could not the disciples, on a certain occasion,
cast the demon out of a child?
"Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why
could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Be-
cause of your unbelief." Matt. 17:19, 20.
10

PRISONERS OF
HOPE
The bulk of this newsletter is
authored by members of the
Mowbray SDA church whose
desire is to provide a thought
provoking newsletter for Ad-
ventists dwelling on the banks
of Jordan; in the process ap-
pealing to entire fidelity to the
Bible and the Spirit of Proph-
ecy.
You see, the fundamental issue at stake whenever we face any trials (including hurts,
losses, etc.) is this: Will we continue to trust God, believing that He knows what is best
for us, and that He has power to sustain and deliver us? Will we do what He has asked us
(in this case, to forgive others) even in illness, financial crises, embarrassment, pain, dis-
appointment, ridicule, rejection, death, etc.? (see Job 19:6-27). Or will we do His will
only when things go our way?
Perchance you have been hurt by someone near or dear—maybe a relative, co-worker, or
spouse. The one who has wounded you seriously might even be a churchgoer. You may
have been hurt, betrayed, defrauded, humiliated, or wounded by a fellow church mem-
ber, elder, Sabbath School teacher, or pastor. And you cannot bring yourself to forgive.
Perhaps you are still hurt and angry.
Regardless of the cause of your hurt, remember that your hurt is part of the great contro-
versy between Christ and Satan. In the light of that cosmic conflict, the Lord urges you to
make a conscious decision to forgive the perpetrator of the offense. For as long as you
continue to carry the bitterness and resentment, you will never be free. You will forever
remain a slave of the person who has hurt you.
It could be that, even now as you read this page, your marriage is falling apart. Perhaps
you are considering an unBiblical divorce (see Matthew 19:9) because of the hurt and
pain you have suffered in your marriage. While we may not always understand why peo-
ple choose to hurt us, remember that the Lord can bring something good out of our pain-
ful experiences, just as He did in the case of Joseph. After experiencing all sorts of hurt—
jealousy, malice, and hatred from his brothers; harassment, blackmail, and false accusa-
tion from Mrs. Potiphar—the injustice of imprisonment in an Egyptian jail and being for-
gotten by one of his fellow prisoners—the Bible records that Joseph later understood that
even in his terrible ordeal, God‟s divine hand was still directing affairs for his good and
the good of humanity (Genesis 45:5; 50:20).
Writes Ellen G. White: "He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ.
Whatsoever comes to him comes from the Saviour, Who surrounds him with His pres-
ence. Nothing can touch him except by the Lord‟s permission. All our sufferings and sor-
rows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and
privations, in short, all things work together for good. All experiences and circumstances
are God‟s workmen whereby good is brought to us" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 489).
Conclusion. If you are struggling with „unforgivingness‟, remind yourself of how God
has forgiven you, and respond in kind. Well, David should know: "The Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither
will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His
mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He re-
moved our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:8-12).
Forgiveness is possible when you understand and have experienced God‟s Own forgive-
ness. If you are still wondering why you must forgive and forget. The story of David and
Mephibosheth teaches us that the most compelling reason to forgive is not because that
individual deserves it, but "for Jonathan’s sake."
Contact Information:
+27(0)21 556 9971 086 608 7075 +27(0)83 268 7575
poh@itshe.com  PO Box 34197, Rhodes Gift, 7007, Cape Town, South Africa 11