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by Calven CelliersAn acquaintance of mine in Los Angeles includes me on his mailing list with a “Weekly Word”. Last week’s devotion included the following story about a gentleman by the name of Edward Kimball. Edward Kimball was a Sunday School teacher who was concerned about one of his young students who worked at a shoe store in town. One day Kimball visited him at the store, found the student working in the back stocking shelves, and led him to Christ then and there. Dwight L. Moody eventually left the shoe store to become one of the greatest preachers and evangelists of all time.  D.L. Moody went to England and worked a profound change in the ministry of F.B. Meyer. F.B. Meyer, with his new evangelistic fervour, influenced J. Wilbur Chapman. Chapman helped in the ministry of converted baseball player Billy Sunday, who had a huge impact upon Mordecai Ham. And Mordecai Ham, during an evangelistic campaign in North Carolina, led Billy Graham to Christ. And we all know the incredible way God used Billy Graham to reach millions of people worldwide with the gospel. Billy Graham apparently communicated the gospel to more people than any other person in history. And to think it all started with a humble Sunday School teacher named Kimball.As I read that story, I was reminded of a game I used to play with dominos as a child. I’d spend long periods of time painstakingly balancing dominos on their short end at just the right proximity to one another in long rows and different formations. Once I was done, I would knock the first domino over and watch with glee as the cumulative effect would cause the entire row to tumble one after the other in quick succession.This got me thinking about the knock-on effect of our witness in the world. Cumulative impact is an encouraging way to think about the process of expanding God’s Kingdom on earth. It might not feel like your witness is doing much, but I want to assure you, your contribution is significant. Have you ever experienced the frustration of putting together a puzzle, only to discover in the end that a piece was missing? Even though that piece is just a tiny portion of the puzzle, its absence leaves a very noticeable flaw in the whole picture. As believers, each and every one of us has an important part to play in God’s amazing plan, and before you even say that your part isn't important because it isn't a visible one like preaching, consider the many behind-the-scenes people – people you've probably never heard of – that God has used to change the course of history. History may not record the names of all the behind-the-scenes individuals, but history would not have been the same without them! No part in the Kingdom of God is insignificant!In this well-known verse from 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul illustrates that each and every one of us as believers have a significant…

by Luke KincaidEarlier this week I had a disagreement with someone in our complex which ended up turning into a bit of an argument. Later in the evening I debriefed with Cammie to make sure that I wasn’t out of line in any way and figure out if I had dishonoured Jesus in how I had spoken to this person. In the moments following this debrief I realised that I didn’t feel guilty and didn’t regret this interaction which was strange for me. I am not the best in these situations and often let my emotions get the best of me and end up saying something I probably shouldn’t. But this time was different. And upon pondering on all of this I truly sensed God nudge me and let me know that this was the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification in my life. Sanctification is the process of becoming more and more holy as the Holy Spirit works within us to make us more like Jesus. Something that I struggle with in our instant gratification culture is that sanctification takes time – sometimes a lot of time:“Sanctification is a slow work. There are numerous reasons for this. I conclude with two. First, we can resist the work of the Spirit. Again, one factor of our sanctification is ourselves. Therefore, when we defy the Spirit’s work, Scripture calling that “quenching” the Spirit. Another way to say this is that through our stubbornness we effectively snuff out the flame of the Spirit in our lives. The result of such “quenching” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:19) may lead to a season of spiritual dryness. Second, there is no part of our human existence unaffected by the fall. Our bodies, minds, emotions, relationships, and more have all been spoiled by the decay of sin. Thus, to find healing and restoration is a lifelong process. Though slow, this process of sanctification is good, because it gives us numerous opportunities to lean upon God and see him consistently glorified in our lives. Like a spouse for whom our affection grows the more we see their beauty, so too is our relationship with God as we grow in our sanctification” – Coleman Ford.So, while sanctification is slow and we can actually play a role in hindering the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, I want us to be reminded of the following: 3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification – 1 Thessalonians 4:3. It is God’s will that every disciple of Jesus become more and more holy as we are conformed to the image of Jesus. But be encouraged of the fact that it is a process, that it doesn’t happen overnight. When you continue to stumble in the same ways be reminded of the fact that the Holy Spirit is with you and ask for His help to grow you from a place of weakness to one of strength. Much love,Luke

by Graham MolWould you agree that right now we all could do with the following things?EnduranceEncouragementHope When we first went into lockdown in South Africa, during the early stages of the pandemic, I'm sure not many of us expected things to still be as they are right now, nearly a whole year later. There have been many challenges that we have faced and continue to face. Many have experienced loss, whether it be loss of income and work or even loss of loved ones. We have weathered so much of the storm and yet it continues to rage. Under the circumstances there is much that can weary us, dishearten us and cause despair.It is a blessing then to heed the Apostle Paul's words to the Church in Rome:We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:1-6 NIV)During times of struggle and trial, Paul identifies three sources of endurance, encouragement and hope.The first source is from each other. "Those who are strong" are to bear with those who are weak. Bearing in this case is not a case of tolerating, it means to uplift, carry, sustain, support. As believers we are to be thinking of and caring for each other, and this gives us the opportunity for those who are "strong" at that time, to help those who are struggling, knowing that at another time those who were "weak" could be the "strong" ones. What a difference a kind word, a sympathetic ear or a helping hand can make, to help us endure, to lift our spirits and grant a measure of hope.Another source that Paul identifies is Scripture. The stories of God's people, of how the Lord called, blessed, taught and sustained them, of how He delivered them from trouble and gave them strength when they needed it, are all a source of encouragement for us. The faith of people like Joseph, Moses, David, motivates us to trust in the Lord, to persevere, to endure. For us today, we have the accounts of Christ's life, His coming to this earth, His teachings, His love displayed on the Cross and the victory in His resurrection to give us hope. As we regularly spend time in God's word we increase the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to bring it to life and apply it to our situation.Lastly, Paul notes that God…

A short "farm" story by Caryl MollDriving in torrential rain along narrow, dirt roads is definitely not for the feint-hearted. However, this never deterred the residents of our small farming community in the 1960’s. People gathered regularly on Friday evenings for social get-togethers. “A little rain never hurt anyone,” they would say. “We need every drop for our crops…”One evening we were on our way back home after sharing dinner with friends. The rain was pelting down as my Dad navigated the slippery road. My mom sat in the passenger seat beside him and I was stationed behind them - peering through the gap in the front seats and trying to hold myself steady in the swaying vehicle. There were no car safety belts in those days.“Please be careful, Daddy,” I pleaded as the car skidded in the mud and I held on tightly.My Dad loved slippery, dirt roads. It was his personal form of entertainment. Often, he’d purposefully accelerate to pull the car through the thick mud, grinning widely in his enjoyment. He certainly didn’t share my angst.Suddenly, my Dad applied the brakes. I grabbed the side of my own seat to stop myself falling through to the front and glared at my father whose focus was on the road ahead.“What’s wrong?” I stared at my Dad as he opened the car’s door.“Wait here,” he ordered.Despite the heavy rain, my father edged around to the back of the car and opened the boot. There he retrieved a cardboard box and moved to the front of the vehicle. My curiosity was heightened.“Look there,” my Mom exclaimed as she pointed in the direction of the headlight’s beams.It looked like some sort of animal – the size of a rabbit – in the middle of the road. But it sat, frozen in the bright light.  Most rodents would simply dart off to the side, so it was obviously not one of them.My Dad’s silhouette stood out against the car’s beam as he moved forward towards the little animal. He grabbed hold of it, placed it carefully in the box, closed the lid and turned back to the car. Then he placed the box back in the boot.“What is it, Daddy?”“I’ll show you in the morning,” he grinned at us.Early the next morning, whilst still in my pajamas, Dad called me to our front lawn.  He had retrieved the cardboard box from the boot of the car. He undid the connecting lid pieces carefully to reveal the mystery from the night before.  It was the strangest creature I had ever seen…“Is that a frog?” I asked in amazement. “..But it’s HUGE!” I couldn’t believe my eyes.The huge AFRICAN BULLFROG – about 20cm in length - stared at me in silence. Its skin was a silky green and yellow and it had thick black stripes running down its back.  It also had the most awesome ‘white and black’ eyes.I reached into the box to gently touch its slimy body.  The poor creature took fright…