BEACON BAPTIST CHURCH
MISSION TO THE AMAZIONI
REPORT MARCH 2019
The words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 15:58 have “landed on me”in recent days…
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain.”
Stirring words of exhortation! Particularly apt in the face of the winds of false teaching, and the challenges faced by those engaged in the work of God in SA right now. What is really thought-provoking, is that Paul bases the exhortation on the doctrine of the Resurrection!
1 Cor 15 is all about the Resurrection – of Christ, of the dead, and of believers – and he concludes “…thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” Since we have victory through Christ, over sin and death and the enemy of our souls, we must stand firm, immovable, abounding…knowing that we are on the winning side, and nothing done for Christ is ever in vain!
Praise God for the encouragement of the Holy Spirit applying the Holy Scripture to our hearts.
Items for prayer:
• Bible School Classes are in recess for Easter – a very busy time in Zionist Churches, as droves of people head home for the long weekend, re-connecting with family and their home churches. Pray for the preaching of the gospel over Easter – that God will call many to Christ.
• We have been hard at work translating exegesis notes on Hebrews, and compiling tuition material for inclusion in the 4th year curriculum (for the first time). Pray for this work of translation and compilation which forms a key part of our endeavours.
• We continue to review materials on Church History, and to compile tuition materials in English. These must then be translated into Xhosa. Pray for this work to be blessed as we seek to show the hand of God at work in the Church down through the Ages.
• Research of suitable material on Biblical Counselling has commenced, to be compiled into tuition material, to be translated, and formatted for ZEBS notes. Pray for wisdom and insight as we seek to make these notes as useful to Xhosa pastors as possible.
• The committee being formed to manage and administer Sondela facilities in Mthatha. They have a Draft Constitution, and are working on a Business Plan to document the way in which the work will proceed. Praise God for these godly men who are deeply committed to the ongoing, sustainable work of the gospel of Christ. Pray for them.
• Dordrecht ZEBS – one of the senior and most influential Zionist leaders in the region has been radically transformed by the gospel. A year ago, he was very resistant to the truth of God’s Word, but the Holy Spirit has brought conviction of sin and repentance, so that he is “almost unrecognisable”- so great is the visible change in his demeanour and attitude, and his obedience to the word of God. Pray for him, and for the teachers who will be discipling him…
• Pray for our Teachers Conference to be held at Beacon on 27 April 2019. Pray for rich blessing as we engage with the Book of Hebrews, and as we discuss the way ahead for the ministry of ZEBS. Pray for the teachers, without whom the work would be so much more difficult. Pray that God would protect them from false teaching that is being broadcast – specifically “Prosperity Gospel”, Legalism, and Syncretism.
• Pray for all the students. They are hungry for the Word of God, yet the enemy of their souls will do his worst to prevent them from attending class. Pray that they may be given grace to be faithful, that they may be born again from above, of the Spirit, and that they may be set free from the bondage of materialism, doctrines of works, and ancestral worship.
• World-wide, old mission organisations are shedding numbers and slimming down in size, while small church-based missions’ endeavours are growing exponentially. Pray for ZEMA in the midst of these winds of change.
• Many from the West are being told that “the Unreached Peoples have now been reached” – and there are expectations that “the task of missions will be complete within this generation”… This is a worrying trend, as it serves to diminish support for missions rather than increase it. There is clearly a growing need for a biblical theology of missions!
We continue to pray to the Lord of the harvest – please send out workers – the fields are ready for harvest and the sun is setting!
Ron Eardley
11 April 2019.