Pretoria UBF Easter Conf. Report, South Africa

by WMD   05-16-2011   0 reads

We arrived at Lefika camp 4.00 pm, 15 April 2011 for three days conference. When we arrived at the conference venue, there was no electricity in the main hall. In this situation we sang songs of praise and encouraged one another. Three shepherdesses prayed for electricity to be connected by 7.00 pm, and it became connected ten minute before 7.00. Missionary Jackie said that God is so faithful that he heard even this kind of prayer topic.

Shepherd Thapelo delivered opening message based on Matthew 6:25-34. We learned that we must seek God first instead of worrying about daily needs. Jesus created our lives to sustain to do his work in every condition. God wants us to seek him first in trusting his perfect provision.  

After this we had the time of welcome reception. Every attendant spoke what was his or her personal prayer topic for this conference. Most of them wanted to receive God’s grace and to meet Jesus newly through the words of God. We studied the Bible passage of Mark 3:1-12. Shepherd Christian delivered a message based on the same passage of which Jesus commanded a shriveled handed man, “stretch out your hand” We learned that Jesus wants to heal our shameful part in our lives as soon as we stretch out to Jesus.

Next day we gathered a group by a group for studying on Mark 8:27-38. By this study we wanted to know who Jesus is so that we could confess from our hearts that “you are the Christ.” It is necessary that in this relativistic world we have to confess Jesus with our mouths that you are the Christ. We learned that Jesus is the Christ and his way of being Christ is to be suffered and rejected for the truth. The way of cross is the way of glory that take part in the eternal life. Our nature does not like to be suffered and rejected to the point of death, but it is the way for all sincere Christians in the days of Jesus and today.

In the evening Shepherd Theo shared his message according to the text of 2Timothy chapter 2. His message said that we must be strong in the grace of Jesus and endure hardship like a good soldier. His message knocked on our hearts because we were tended to be civilians those who do not have mission. We learned that we have to keep soldier’s attitude in doing the mission of preaching Jesus’ gospel.

After message delivery, we had the cession of testimony sharing. Brother Ali joined UBF church in 2004. But for many years he regarded this meeting as soccer club that he could play soccer with church members. He did not commit himself to Jesus. Now he wanted to stretch his shriveled hand to Jesus to be healed and lay a personal relationship with Jesus. Brother Zukhanye was involved with homosexuality with his friend. It oppressed down his soul and paralyzed his life with dark power. He stretched out this dark side of his life to Jesus and was healed by Jesus’ forgiving love. Sister Motheo was always sensitive about her weight thinking others would look at her unfavorably. When she was stick to her appearance she was not happy and free. But she spoke out this complex for Jesus healing. By Jesus touching she became free and became to know Jesus deeper through this conference.

We were so much encouraged by sincere confessions of sins before Jesus. We could see without doubt that the Holy Spirit moved their hearts and brought out their dark parts of life to be healed by Jesus’ grace. They received Jesus’ healing and found new direction through this conference. Joy came from Jesus Christ in our hearts because he worked in every heart of attendants.

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