Sa Beach

Greetings to all who love the Lord,

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” – Romans 12:9-13

A verse so practical that it hurts. If the believer or the local church would only apply these things to everyday life, the Christian walk, church, and world would be revolutionized! This section is so easily understood, but so difficult to apply; these exhortations can simply never be accomplished in our own natural strength. They can only be accomplished by the Father’s grace working upon us, they can only be accomplished by the Son’s life being manifested in us, and they can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit’s power working in us. It takes supernatural power to accomplish these things because they are contrary to our human flesh.

It is with great excitement that I bring news of answered prayer, in that our brother, Matthew, has agreed to talk with me over this next period, about being called as an elder. Both he and sister Steffi have proven faithful to the Lord in the church and in their witness. Both are progressing well in their studies. Brother Matthew has a heart to teach God’s Word, and as a couple in the Lord’s will and timing, expressed a desire to plant a Biblical church in Indonesia (which is Steffi’s homeland, and where Matthew had lived for three years.) Please continue to pray for this family, and particularly for Matthew, as he grows in leadership skills.

We have completed Peter’s second letter to the church in Asia Minor, and will now begin with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. The spiritual growth in the church has been very encouraging, and it is wonderful to see the Word of God being applied to our daily lives. Please pray that this growth continues.

Our Bible studies have started to grow in number, and the fact of the matter is that I have been having to find the answers to many doctrinal questions at the end of each study. Visitors are asking many questions; one lady was told by her church that if she doesn’t speak in tongues, she isn’t saved! Another person was to be sent to learn “speaking in tongues.” Still another from a Roman Catholic background told me that there is no such thing as being saved, born again etc….. Please pray!

The night gospel patrols in our area have been encouraging in that our more timid brethren have started developing a measure of boldness in presenting the Gospel to strangers. The radiance on their faces after ministering is quite astonishing. We have had some encouraging results which have opened doors, but please continue to pray for fruit.

I continue to walk the streets and beach area in our community, but as it is winter, most are indoors. A number of homeless folk that I ministered to at the Living Hope shelter many years ago have returned to Muizenberg, still in the very same lost state as before. The positive side of this is that I need no introduction: I pick up where I left off!

I mentioned the many new ministries in the area in my last report, and this has continued to grow steadily. Unfortunately, there’s also some alternate spirituality groups that keep people in subtle bondage. I was told by a new professing Christianity that, “All roads lead to heaven and Jesus is only one of them.” The man, Muizenberg, is in spiritual darkness, please pray that the Lord brings revival.

Please continue to pray for my work with the Bible Institute. We have completed the New Testament 1 course, and after a short break, have commenced with the Old Testament 1 course. Our students are proving to be diligent, and are applying themselves well. 

The Christian Leadership Programme, which is the course that I teach, is a course for Church leaders that do not meet the criteria for full time study through circumstance (whether historically, educationally, or economically), yet are called by God to lead His church. The course aims at assisting these students to be better prepared, in a theological ministry context. We have eight seminars and two conferences per year, which cover specific areas of ministry, and stimulates good relations and networking between leaders. Please pray that the CLP, which has exponentially grown over the years, continues to provide training to more pastors and church leaders, particularly from the many poverty-stricken areas of our city. The CLP has now also extended the programme beyond Cape Town by being online. Please pray that the CLP continues to be sustainable, even as the teaching faculty are volunteers, and the costs of materials and good resources continue to be burdensome. There is a cost for the students, but as many are in financial distress, the gathering thereof is difficult. In saying this, the Lord has always been gracious.

Please continue to pray for the Drakenstein Prison, pray that the Lord continue to save men, despite heinous pasts and that the brothers continue to be faithful in the harvest.

Please Pray:

  • That we stand firm and grow in our boldness to the Truth.
  • That we grow in Biblical knowledge and wisdom.
  • That we have the privilege of witnessing Gospel fruit.
  • That the right venue for gathering becomes available (it is becoming more difficult at our present place of worship.)
  • That we are safe during our outreaches.
  • That the Gospel message saturates our area, and many come to know Christ.
  • That those that are unemployed are given work.
  • That the marriages of the church are God honoring.
  • That the foreign African brethren in our midst be given reprieve as the government has intentions of starting a process of deportation for all foreign refugees in December (closing bank accounts, etc.)

Yours,

Des Cramer