Dear Friend on the Journey,
Life is a journey, and I am so glad you are my fellow traveler on this God-ordained road. What a joy to walk with God! In one of my recent discussions with African leaders, I was struck by what a great man of God said and I quote: “…we cannot afford to stop praying…”
This dear Pastor, and friend of mine, understands Africa. We discussed the spirit of prayer and the need to proceed with planting more churches in Sudan. The above statement comes from this humble but powerful man of God. He is the lead pastor of the largest and fastest growing Pentecostal church in Sudan with this quote; “We cannot afford to stop our intercession and prayer for one minute, or we will be attacked by the Muslims.”
This statement stirred my spirit, and I realized that we must plant many more churches as fast as possible. We have seen this happen to other places in Africa. They build a mosque and then buy all properties around that mosque. They saturate one area completely and supply the basic needs until all become Muslims. In America, we opt-out of prayer with the same ease as if we opt-out of a financial investment. Opting out of a financial investment or any other investment plan may not affect you, but opting out of prayer will destroy us. This pastor’s words pierced me, and I realized that this has become so intense that when they stop they are attacked. The preaching of the Gospel and expanding the influence of the church is not another thing we do. This is the most crucial message the world has to hear. There is no way out, and we have not one minute to stop. Let us never plan to ease our involvement or stop our expansion; for This Message will change the world.
In our discussion this pastor shared with me, there are immediate challenges in Sudan and Liberia. Pray that somehow the Lord will provide for these nations.
CHURCH PLANTING & SOAKING RAIN
Soaking rain is sometimes the only answer to break a famine and drought. The area where we will pioneer this year, and even next year, must be soaked with churches as soon as possible. This one area alone needs 40 new church plants, and we must cover all possible areas once we enter a territory. My prayer is for the Lord to soak this territory with so many church plants until the enemy flees the area. I hear about soaking meetings where people sit and soak in the presence of the Lord. How about a region being soaked in His presence? This is the only way is to make the church more visible than ever.
MORE THAN JUST TENTS
The emphasis is not only tents. One tent is just a covering that gives the poor a place to gather. Pray with me for support, food, chairs, other equipment, teaching material, and etc. To touch a person’s life takes more than a sermon. Even a blanket and a glass of water are included in the full gospel. We have dozens of tent churches in place that were planted over the years, and our help is still crucial there for it is a process to strengthen each church plant after it was birthed. I can spend a year just going from church to church teaching basics and will still not cover them all.
WELCOME PASTOR DEON VAN STADEN
Pastor Deon van Staden, a dear friend of mine from South Africa, came on board with our GNN family. He and his wife, Rynette, have a lot to offer and will now serve on our side to make our ministry even more effective in South Africa. There came a time that Moses needed help to hold up his arms, and that is how I can describe the role of this dear pastor and his wife at this time. Pastor Deon will immediately help to administrate the tent plants, prepare the ground for me before I go in for the training of Pastors, and work with our orphanages in Africa. We will introduce pastor Deon and Rynette to you as the time goes by as there are other aspects of ministry they could possibly get involved in.
The cry of Africa is training. We are working behind the scenes on material to make it available for pastors and believers. Blessing someone with a tent is just a small percentage of what needs to be done. If we can train a leader, we can influence many more people. Helping someone to catch a fish is better than giving a fish. We thank the Lord for bringing Pastor Deon to our side. Thank you for your prayers for this couple.
ELECTRIFIED AMERICAN MEETINGS.
God is touching people in an amazing way. A fresh revelation of who this Jesus is, is sweeping into the meetings. People fall in love with Him all over again. It sometimes feels as if we have just entered a party where exuberant joy comes over the people. People are being set free as I speak. It is so encouraging to see how His word electrifies an audience and sets so many free at one time. A spirit of awe hangs over the meetings, and I cannot really explain what it is. New Testament dynamics is at work and that does something people and I need so desperately. Join us and come allow this freshness to overwhelm you. More is about to come, for He is an endless mine with so much more to be discovered. Healing, freedom, joy, deliverance and so much more is at hand. Now is the time. Come.
NUGGETS FOR MEN
1. Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood…fiber.
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Luke 12:43
2. Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once every minute someone dies inside for lack of it.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
3. Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking.
Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. Proverbs 29:20
NUGGETS OF TRUTH
One giant oak tree is from one nut that held its ground.
A ship in a harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are built for.
John A. Shedd.
We cannot afford to stop,
Pastor Andre van Zyl.
GOOD NEWS TO THE NATIONS
Good News to the Nations 