SOUTH AFRICA (Back)

South Africa has great potential to play a part in impacting the world. Within South Africa there is still a lot that still has to be done to bring forth reconciliation between all the cultures.

South Africans were protected from the worldly philosophies and thinkers of Europe and the truth of the Gospel should be taken back to Europe and to the rest of the world. We all can play a part in this and with God, all things are possible.

Many Churches in South Africa are already impacting the nations through church planting focused missions. Changing the focus, from just sending missionaries to international church planting projects, has been very successful. All church members should get active involved and teams of South African Christians should move all the time in and out of the country. The reason why Christians are to busy and don't have time, is because our priorities are totally skewed. If we first seek the Kingdom of God all the other things will be added and we would not be so pressed and busy seeking after material things.

The best way to mobilize South African Christians, is to mobilize the Local Church. The best way for the individual Christian in the Local Church to have an impact, is to start where he or she is at. God uses history to create a platform to impact the world. Whatever happens in this world, God is not surprised or caught of guard. He can also use negative situations, like persecution, to send Christians to places where He needs them. Nothing in this life is sure and whatever comes our way, it is important to use the time that we have to make a difference. If innocent people are killed and persecuted, it looks very negative. On one day a man was killed and in the natural, it looked very negative. But this one man died and paid the prize for the sins of the world.

The South African nation is relatively evangelized compared to the rest of the world. Most South Africans, at some stage, have heard the message of a Saviour - even the unsaved believes in God and in Jesus and have some kind of Bible knowledge. South Africans are also relatively open to receive the message of Jesus as a saviour. I believe God also wants to use South Africa to reach the rest of the world. There are no reason why local believers cannot move out and reach out to the rest of the world. If you are dedicated to something, all the limitations, like money and other excuses can be overcome. There is no reasons why hundreds of different teams from South Africa cannot go out on short outreaches to the rest of the world. The advantages of cross cultural outreaches have been proven over the years. People are just more open to listen to someone from a different culture. South Africans also live in a multi-cultural society and are more sensitive to differences in other cultures. It is therefore easier for South Africans to share the Gospel, in a cultural sensitive way. If you try and share the Gospel, but don't take into account the other persons customs and ways of relating, it is easy to offend. In another culture you can offend someone and don't even know why. You cannot go to an Arab man with an American culture and American way of thinking. For the Arab you have to become like an Arab. For the African, you have to become like an African.

Through emigration, South Africans are "sent" to other nations that have a greater need for Christian evangelism. Many people from the rest of Africa are also looking for a better life in South Africa. This also creates opportunities to bring these people into contact with the Gospel message. Don't allow the changes that are happening, to bring fear into your life. Rather take note of the changes and ask God how we can use these changes to help with the spread of the Gospel. The changes that we see, are history in making. Let us use history and work with God to impact this world. Let's not be moved by fear, but let's be moved by the love of God that He has poured into our hearts. Let us seize the day, let us use the time to be what God wants us to be.