Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Come Meet Jesus!

What a wonderful privilige to work with so many other willing Jesus People. The outreach organized by Deon Beukes and Marcel de Villiers and the Middelburg drug outreach committee was a roaring success! In total Johnny Louw and myself spoke to learners at 12 schools in and around Middelburg. This outreach was in response to the influx of drugs in the area. The dealers who had been operating in the nearby Witbank were running out of clients and they shifted their focus to Middelburg. Over the last 7 years that I have been working closely with Jimmy and Elize Banks (she is the lady on my right) we had a steady flow of victims from Witbank coming into our Regeneration program. Of late it dwindled down to a trickle and we noticed more and more people calling in from Middelburg. 
Although I had been to Middelburg on several occasions in the past, we just could not get a proper action off the ground there. I resorted to what I know works best namely to leave it in God's hands in prayer. At the right time He prompted Marcel (next to Elize) to get in touch with Xtremefreedom. Rohan (with the green top) is one of the recent students from Middelburg who has completed our program and is now available to give his testimony and support other victims of addiction. Gerhard (in the red shirt) is also a recovered abuser and former dealer, who loves Jesus and has his own successful business in Middelburg.
The theme of the outreach carried a very bold statement! Come Meet Jesus! To some religious folk it might sound audacious but I believe that is exactly God's intention with the Gospel. He wants ordinary people to achieve extra-ordinary accomplishments because Christ dwells in us! Saul, who previously persecuted and hounded Christians, met the resurrected Jesus on his way to arrest and jail Jewish believers. Through Christ dwelling in him he became one of the most powerful Christian leaders of all time. It is through him that the revelation came that all things are possible through the power of Jesus Christ in us. He testified to the resurrection power of Christ that changed him into a totally new and different person. Saul became Paul and Jesus got the glory!
In a world where secular psychology and the medical model through psychiatry have almost no success rate, we see scores of young people coming through addiction by the power of Jesus! Declaring this power to a broken and hopeless generation is what God expects and wants us to do. This is inviting people to come and meet Jesus. It also makes tremendous sense to prevent young people from making unnecessary mistakes by informing them not only of the dangers of drugs but especially how to come into a living and loving relationship with God through Christ. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and joy, peace, love and self-control help us to deal with the emotional and psychological challenges of life, we do not look for a way out of our pain and disappointments. We can work through our issues and become winners! Let's face it, todays teens face a host of temptations us older people were protected from. They need up to date information from people who have been there and not only survived but learnt to overcome their personal demons.
After giving them the facts, a challenge is put out to them to make a stand for Jesus and to turn their minds from their past failures towards a new life. God has given us so many real and encouraging promises when we are prepared to turn the control of our lives over to Him, through believing and trusting in His Word. On top of that He places his mighty Holy Spirit in us to help us, guide us, comfort us and empower us. That is why Paul declared;  Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You may ask; but how do I start? Well do what the Bible requires! Call upon the name of Jesus. This is exactly what more than 3350 young people did in Middelburg between 17-19 April. They came to meet with Jesus!

 

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