EDUCATION in SOUTH AFRICA is a BATTLEGROUND
School Ministries
Throughout this South Africa Mission, our team members, Alieske, Daniela, Tobie and Erik, conducted numerous school assemblies at 5 different schools, including in Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, East London and Alexandria. We also delivered Bibles, books and audiovisual materials to other schools. Presentations included: Animals in the Bible, Creation and Stewardship, Fight the New Drug, Recognising and Resisting Human Trafficking, Applying the Ten Commandments to our Lives, Evangelism Explosion and Missionary Reports and challenges.
Ministry to Children
During the Back to the Bible Conference, the rest of the Frontline Mission team were conducting ministry amongst local Zulu children in the area. They also conducted services at an Evangelical Bible Church in Pinetown each Sunday evening. They distributed many evangelistic tracts and Fight the New Drug leaflets, Animals in the Bible leaflets and much more.
School Assemblies
At the different schools that we conducted assemblies at, the children enthusiastically participated in The Marching Song, reciting the Ten Commandments poem, learning memory tools to apply God's Top Ten, singing great hymns of the Faith, learning the Evangelism Explosion Gospel Presentation and exploring the wonders of God's Creation and our duty to care for His creatures and protect the earth from poaching and pollution.
Bureaucratic Battles Over Education
From each school, we learned of the extraordinary burdens and expenses forced upon private and independent Christian community schools by government bodies such as Umalusi. Teaching is hard enough in the best of times. However, despite no funding, or subsidies, from the government, or even tax relief, to these independent schools, they force unwarranted and unnecessary expenses and time-consuming restrictions. For one matric student at an Eastern Cape Christian school to be recognised, Umalusi demands R10,000 just to look at their email and R50,000 for the students’ matric results to be recognised! They seem unconcerned that this is a Mission school struggling to carry out its ministry in a very depressed economic environment, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Extortion in the Name of Education
The fact that these independent Christian schools are taking a tremendous burden off a government that is not even coping with its own schools, you would have thought that the least they could do was give them some tax relief. But, No! Umalusi declares that they do not care how many students are in the matric class, even if it is just one. R10,000 to register and R50,000 to be recognised is their required rate! How are missionary schools meant to survive under such outrageous extortions from a government which is meant to be civil servants?
A Country in Crisis
We experienced power failures and suspension of plumbing, even at busy petrol stations on the N2, without any water. We drove over massive amounts of potholes and witnessed widespread damage to roads, evidence of rioting and destruction of property. We drove past thousands of hectares of burned out forests, due to arson, spoke to farmers who had lost loved ones, relatives and neighbours to brutal farm murders. These attacks seem to be incited and encouraged by racist ANC, EFF and BLF politicians, who seem to be able to demonise whites and espouse race hatred and genocide without the criminal justice system even pretending to deal with such incitements to murder and torture. Some of the most beautiful communities in the country are now litter-strewn, pollution-ridden, vandalised wrecks encased in razor wire, high walls, electric fencing, burglar bars and security gates. The devastation caused by a criminal element who have seized political power is evident throughout the country.
Malice and Murder
For an economy to run well, one needs tens-of-thousands of things to be done right. For so much malice, propaganda, disinformation, riots, destruction of property, arson and murder, to not only be tolerated, but effectively encouraged by the cANCer government, is catastrophic for any country. There is much evidence that we are entering into the second phase of the communist revolution. Christians need to be alert, understand the times and be vigorous in exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness. “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16
Appreciation for Resources
Throughout the country, we found much gratitude for the Christian Action magazines in which we have dealt with Farms and Freedoms Under Fire in South Africa; Fraud, Failure and Farce – Land Expropriation Hearings; Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? And our various AudioVisual resources on this. We met with individuals and congregations who reported that they frequently screen our Reformation Society video presentations to their congregation after the Sunday morning service as part of Adult Sunday school. There was much gratitude for the newly printed New Testament Survey books. It was most encouraging to hear back from our literature distribution contacts who are ensuring that Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels, World Missionary Press Gospel booklets and Frontline tracts are being widely distributed in schools, hospitals, police stations and prisons.
Responses Across the Country
Some of the written responses which we received from people on this Mission included: “I have been uplifted!”; “May God bless this ministry!”; “Awesome!”; “Excellent!”; “Excellent truth revelation!”; “marvellous!”; “We need more of this teaching.”; “Your bold and prophetic voice is much needed.”; “A very big Thank You for your example.”; “Press on!”; “Very encouraging, uplifting and inspiring.”; “This is a Divine appointment!”; “Please also come to my country, Tanzania.”; “Great mind renewing material.”; “We need to know this truth.”; “I want to know more of this wonderful work!”; “May God continue to bless your wonderful work!”; “Absolutely relevant.”; “Very challenging and uplifting. Excellent”’ “Very profound.”; “Never give up, keep pressing on. Keep up the great work!”
Showers of Blessing
Coming from Cape Town, which has such severe water restrictions, it was a delight to drive across very green countrysides. Even the Karoo and the Orange Free State was green. In KwaZulu Natal, we experienced terrific thundershowers with spectacular lightning illuminating the sky. We walked and drove in some torrential downpours. The blessings of rain are symbolic of the spiritual blessings which are so graciously poured out by Almighty God on His people during times of Revival. We desperately need a fresh outpouring of God's grace and mercy upon our troubled times and in all too many cases, luke-warm churches.
Learning from Steadfast Servants of the Lord
It is always inspiring and informative to travel around the country, stay in different homes, visit different farms, mission stations, colleges and schools. There are so many bold and brave Christian witnesses working in difficult and dangerous situations in South Africa, shining the light of Christ, evangelising in their communities, making a positive difference. It gives one great hope for the future when we see how many faithful servants God has established throughout this land.
An Urgent Call to Prayer and Action
The difficulties and dangers they face on a daily basis could not be exaggerated. May we all be more faithful in uplifting them in prayer and standing against the evil intentions of the ANC, EFF and BLF Marxist Revolutionaries who are threatening to turn this country into a second Zimbabwe, ripping up constitutional safeguards for life and property, eroding religious freedoms and undermining Freedom of Speech. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Prayer is an essential foundation for bold, Biblical action. Prayer is not meant to be an excuse for disobedience and heartless inactivity. Those people who say, “All we can do is pray” are unbiblical. We can and must do far more than pray.
“Get Up! There is Sin in the Camp!”
In Judges 7, after the defeat of the children of Israel at Ai, Joshua was lying face down praying in the Tabernacle before the altar of the Lord. God said to Joshua: “What are you doing lying down there on your face? Get up! There is sin in the camp!” There is so much that needs to be done to bring ourselves, our families, our congregations, our ministries and our communities back to the Bible, applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life. We cannot do everything, but we can all do something. What we can do, we must do!
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
In this election year, it is absolutely vital that Christians are informed and informing, educated and enlisted, motivated and mobilised to action. We need to be informed: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” We need to be interceding: “Praying always with thanksgiving.” We need to be involved, we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We need to be making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded.
Could you not do something more for God?
Could you start a Bible Study and Prayer group in your school, home, workplace or community? “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
We need to reclaim surrendered ground, expose the fruitless deeds of darkness.
Submit to God. Resist the devil.
Fight the good fight of Faith. Stand up for Jesus.
Step out in Faith. Speak out boldly and Biblically.
Upcoming Events
Please also pray for our upcoming Missions to Mpumalanga, lecturing at Back to the Bible Mission. We have Biblical Preaching Workshops and Creation Seminars planned. Do be sure to listen to our regular From the Frontline podcasts, uploaded onto our www.FrontlineMissionSA.org. If you have not yet seen the latest Frontline News, it can be downloaded and read online, click here.
Thank You
Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and support. We have important Missions being planned, including to Islamic Sudan. There are beleaguered and besieged communities of Christians in a sea of Islam who need our prayers, encouragement and practical support. We are planning on sending another Mission team into this war-devastated area to deliver and distribute tens-of-thousands of Bibles and Christian schoolbooks to over 100 remote schools in need. There are expenses that need to be met to make this mission possible. Please pray that the Lord will provide what is needed for our teams to serve the persecuted and work to fulfil the Great Commission within the 10-40 window in the Muslim Middle East.
May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength.
Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission
Dr. Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.livingstonefellowship.co.za
www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org
See also:
Schools and Colleges Harassed by Government
Resist Attempts to Hijack Home Education