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December 2003/January 2004

Christian Action Conference. South Africa must use secular public holidays for Christian purposes. - Biblical principles and Voter's Guide for the 2004 Parliamentary elections.

Dear Friends,

We hope you had a happy Christmas and pray that God may bless you richly in the new year. Truly, it is the greatest of all mysteries and wonders that Jesus Christ was born "the Word[that] became flesh and dwelt among us," that God "visited and redeemed His people," and that "to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born… of God." The Apostle John says: "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world" by faith. Thus, ever since the humble birth of the Christ child, Christianity has grown like a mustard seed. Today there are more than 1,8 billion professing believers in the world. On the African continent, a hundred years ago, there were 8 million. But today there are over 350 million African Christians, and of these 100 million do not even own a Bible. The growth among evangelicals has been particularly spectacular. In 1900 evangelicals numbered 1,6 million. By 2000 there were 116 million. God is working on the African continent, and we praise Him for missionaries and pastors who pass on the love and knowledge of Christ from generation to generation. 1)

In South Africa, too, God is at work. In spite of secularisation in high places three quarters of its population still profess to be Christians. South Africa is still the leading nation in Africa. For 350 years the Gospel has profoundly affected all cultures and races, and it is this Christian foundation which has made the nation pre-eminent. God has blessed its peoples with a degree of liberty, development and prosperity which is virtually unknown in other parts of Africa.

One sign of a resurgent Christian vitality is the Christian Action Conference which was held in Cape Town in November 2003. Eighteen Christian Action organizations came together to build a greater network of Biblical activists. They want to address key issues which face South Africa today. Among the participants were Africa Christian Action, Christianview Network, Frontline Fellowship, Gospel Defence League, In Touch Mission International, Christians for Truth, Today Magazine, United Christian Action, and others.

South African Public Holidays
Among other things the Conference noted that Public holidays have become a target for anti-Christian interests. Until quite recently the SA public calendar was dominated by Christian holy days. Now secular, humanistic public holidays abound - Workers' Day, Freedom Day, Human Rights Day, Youth Day, National Women's Day, Day of Reconciliation. Ascension Day has been removed and the Day of the Vow reinterpreted. Other Christian days may be eliminated now that a review commission has been appointed by Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi. 2) With this in mind, the Christian Action Conference has issued a 2004 calendar for the practical guidance of Christians. It is not a list of public holidays but a list of days marking Christian emphases, whether holidays or not. Most of the new secular holidays are given a new purpose. Some examples of the calendar devised by the Christian Action Conference are given below:

• 1 February 2004 Sanctity of Life Sunday - to remember and protect the life of the unborn. On
  1 February, 1997, abortion on demand was legalized in South Africa. According to official statistics, about a third of a million children (333 333) have lost their lives.
• 21 March 2004 Human Rights Day - to remember that the right to life is the most fundamental of
  all. Christians should stand up for the defenceless, the battered, abused, raped and murdered. (Proverbs 31:8)
• 9 April 2004 Good Friday is the most solemn Christian Holy Day of the year, the remembrance
  of Christ's redemptive sacrifice. (1 Timothy1:15)
• 11 April 2004 Easter Sunday - Resurrection Day is there to worship our triumphant Risen Saviour.
  (Mark 16:6). Christians should see to it that this important event is again high-lighted in commercial and company calendars.
• 27 April 2004 Freedom Day should be a celebration of our Freedom in Christ. True liberty can
  be found only where the Spirit of the Lord is. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
• 1 May 2004 Workers' Day, in recent years, has successfully been used as a Day of Prayer
  for spiritual and moral Transformation. (Romans 12:2)
• 20 May 2004 Ascension Day is to remember that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven,
  that He is King of kings and Lord of lords in heaven and on earth, and that His
  followers must evangelise and make disciples of all nations. (Acts 1:9-11) Christians should see to it that this important day is returned to the calendar.
• 30 May 2004 Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It is the official
  birthday of the Church, a reminder that we need to be continually filled with the
  Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) This important day again needs to feature in our calendars.
• 16 June 2004 Youth Day is an opportunity to rally and minister to the Youth of South Africa who
  are exposed to great spiritual and moral dangers. (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
• 9 August 2004 Women's Day should celebrate the special role of women under Christ. (Prov 31:10).
  This day is an opportunity for the Church to act against the exploitation of women
  through sex and pornography.
• 1 October 2004 International Life Chain Sunday is for holding vigils and protests against abortion.
• 31 October 2004 Reformation Day is to celebrate the victory of the Reformers in making the Word of
  God accessible to all. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
• 9-16 Nov 2004 International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This is to pray for and help
  those who are persecuted for Christ's sake. (Ephesians 6:18-20)
• 16 December 2004 Day of Reconciliation. Let this be a national Day of Reconciliation with God, a
  renewal of our Covenant with Him. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
• 25 December 2004 Christmas Day is the official birthday of the King of kings. It is a great time for
  loving kindness, evangelism, charity, and mercy. (Luke 2:11)

Parliamentary Elections 2004
The Christian Action Conference also gave thought to the elections scheduled for March/April/May 2004. The Bible says: "Choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers…" (Exodus 18:21) South Africa needs God-fearing men and women in parliament. But under the present system all MPs are bound by their parties' policies, and these are often unbiblical. No dissent is tolerated. The voter therefore needs to know what the parties stand for. Hence, Africa Christian Action has issued a "Biblical Issues Voters' Guide" (a copy of which is enclosed) that analyses the policies of each party. It asks questions such as: Does the party acknow-ledge Almighty God? Does it oppose abortion? Does it give parents a say in education? Does it stand for religious freedom in education? Does it uphold Free Market (as against socialist) principles? Does it advocate Capital Punishment for murderers? Does it acknowledge the right to self-defence (licensed firearm ownership)? Does it oppose the Homosexual Agenda? Does it stand against discrimination based on race? All these issues are fundamental to the national wellbeing and of great concern to Christians.

Voters need to give their government a clear mandate on the important issues of life, especially the Nation's relationship to God. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…" says Psalm 33:12. Now that S.A. proudly celebrates the "first Decade of Liberation," it should celebrate a new commitment to serve God in spirit and in truth. For even F.W. de Klerk, a former State President, has acknowledged that previous elections were manipulated. In an interview in Nigeria he said: "One million votes for a certain political party had been neatly placed in piles into the ballot boxes during the elections of 27 April 1994." A Dutch Paper, the Nederlands Dagblad reported it on 2 December 2003. The 1999 elections are said to have returned 1,7 million more votes than ballot papers were issued. 3) We therefore pray that the 2004 elections will honour God and be "free and fair" under Him.

Let 2004 be a year when Christians act with authority - in their families, their place of work, their society, and their country. It is not for or by themselves, but for and by the triune God, for Him to Whom all power is given in heaven and on earth, and without whose blessing no person, family, or government can succeed. Let us pray without ceasing that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
May God bless you richly,
D. Scarborough.

Footnotes:
1. Frontline Fellowship News, Working for Reformation in Africa, 2003 Edition 3.
2. The President of the ACDP, Rev Kenneth Meshoe, commented: "The African Christian Democratic Party has in the past rejected calls to scrap religious public holidays, such as Good Friday and Christmas Day, and we would like to see Ascension Day returned to the calendar of public holidays. These days are sacred to Christians who are in the majority in South Africa and need to have their rights respected." He added: "We encourage Christians not to remain silent but to give their input on this matter by submitting their comments to the Dept. of Home Affairs" by January 31, 2004. Address: Rufus Malatji, Private Bag X114, Pretoria 0001, fax 012-316-7044 or e-mail to judith@dbs1.pwv.gov.za.
3. Die Afrikaner, 5-11 December, 2003: FW het geweet van grootskaalse bedrog in 1994-verkiesing.
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT
From Biblical Principles for Africa, chapter 7
By Peter Hammond

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

The only hope for Africa is to return in repentance to God, rediscover the Biblical agenda and restore Biblical principles into every aspect of personal and community life.

Many people labour under the illusion that the Bible has nothing to say concerning social structures, constitutional models or political affairs. However, as some theologians point out, while approximately 29% of the Bible deals with our personal lives, 71% deals with social, political and national issues.

God has instituted four spheres of government:
· Self government - symbolised by our conscience. (Proverbs 16:32; 1 Timothy 3:4-5; 2 Peter 1:6)
· Family government - the rod of discipline (Deuteronomy 6:1-7; Ephesians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3-4-5)
· Church government - the keys of church discipline (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9)
· Civil government - the sword of justice (Genesis 9:5-7; Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

God also established, in the government of Israel, ten key principles of freedom.

1. A written Constitution (covenant) based on the revealed Word of God (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5-8; John 19:11). A Biblical constitution will clearly define and restrict the power of government. It should act as a chain to keep rulers from abusing power. It must be written so that it is specific, clear and permanent. That is the rule of law.

"The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever." (Ps 19:7-10)

2. A separation of powers and functions into three branches of civil government:
Executive (the King), legislative (the Council and Sanhedrin) and judicial (the elders or judges in each community). These three functions of government are based on how the Lord revealed His government (Isaiah 9:6,7)

"For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King…" (Isaiah 33:22)

3. An independent judiciary and the right to a fair trial (Exodus 23:1-3)

He appointed judges in the land… He told them, 'Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no prejudice or partiality or bribery.' (2 Chronicles 19:5-7)

In Deuteronomy 19:15-19 the principles for a fair trial are set out:
i) one is innocent until proven guilty
ii) the right to due process of law
iii) witnesses must personally confront the accused
iv) a matter must be established by two or three witnesses, and
v) judges must be impartial.

4. A national legislature (law-making body) where one house was composed of representative judges or officials elected by the people (Deuteronomy 1:13-17). Of course the Law is already revealed by God, summarized in the Ten Commandments and Exodus case laws. Legislatures need only to apply God's Law to their peculiar circumstances.

Select capable men from all the people - men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials…" Exodus 18:21)

5. A second house in the legislature was composed of two hereditary elders from each of the 11 tribes (or geographic areas) of Israel, in addition to 24 priests from the tribe of Levi, and 2 lawyers (scribes) from each of the 12 tribes This unelected (but appointed) body totaled 70 men and became known as the Sanhedrin (Exodus 24:1; Numbers 11:16-17)

6. An executive officer (Judge or King) elected with the guidance of God and the consent of the elders (Deuteronomy 17:14-20).

"When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them… before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel." (1 Chronicles 11:3)

7. A decentralized state with most responsibilities and powers resting on the local government, the family and the individual (Exodus 24:1; Deuteronomy 1:13-17; Acts 17:26). Centralisation of power in a unitary state has always been a pagan tendency as seen in Nineveh and Babel (Genesis 10:11 and 11:1ff). Because power corrupts, it is wise to limit and divide the powers of civil government in a system of checks and balances.

8. A citizen's army (militia) made up of trained citizens who have the right and duty to bear arms for the defence of their home and family, community and nation (Numbers 1:2-3; Judges 3:2; Exodus 22:2; Deuteronomy 20:1-4). One of the best safeguards against tyranny is an armed citizenry.

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." (Nehemiah 4:14)

Local militia units elected their own commanders (Deuteronomy 20:9), and each soldier supplied his own basic weapons (Numbers 32:20; 1 Samuel 25:13). This was based upon the right of each law abiding citizen to own and use weapons for defence. Any attempt to prohibit the right of an individual to bear arms was unbiblical and was a pagan attempt to centralize (usurp) excessive power (Judges 5:8; 1 Samuel 13:19-22)

9. A free market economy based on the private ownership of property (Exodus 20:15, 17; Deutero-nomy 19:14) and individual free enterprise (Ecclesiastes 5:19; Proverbs 10:2-4; 12:24; 13:4,11; 1 Thessalonians 3:10). Any taxation of 10% or higher was defined as oppression (1 Samuel 8:10-18), and any taxation of property or of inheritance was strictly forbidden! (1 Kings 21:3). Institutions and individuals involved in the full time service of the Lord were not allowed to be taxed (Ezra 7:23,24). Any unequal or progressive system of taxation was expressly forbidden (Exodus 30:14-15; Leviticus 19:15). Biblical economics also forbid unjust weights (unbacked currency) and measures (inflation) (Leviticus 19:35-36; Proverbs 11:1; 20:10; Amos 8:5-7; Micah 6:11-12)

"… proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants…" (Leviticus 25:10)

10. An education programme controlled by the parents, aided by the church, but independent of the state (Deuteronomy 6:7; Hosea 4:6; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 2:8). One cannot entrust any state with the moulding of the minds of the future voters. The control of education should be in the hands of parents and the content of education must be moral, character developing and Bible based.

He knows not how to rule a Kingdom, that cannot manage a Province, nor can he wield a Province that cannot order a City, nor he order a City, that knows not how to regulate a Village, nor he a Village, that cannot guide a Family, nor can that man govern well a Family that knows not how to govern himself, neither can any govern himself unless his reason be lord, and his will and appetite her vassals; nor can reason rule unless herself be ruled by God and wholly be obedient to Him."
Hugo Grotius (17th Century Dutch Theologian).