God is our refuge and strength…
Posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
…an ever present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
Every night at the crusade in Oukasie the gate into the community hall area has a crew of security guards who check out what the young men are bringing in with them. This became necessary a few years ago when two of the pastors were stabbed by teens after a crusade service and we were made very aware that measures need to be taken to protect everyone. (By the way, both of the pastors were not seriously hurt.) Now we hire a security company to provide protection before, during, and after each crusade event.
The guards do a search of each young man coming through the gate and sometimes they find weapons, drugs, or alcohol. All of these items are taken away or the young man is turned away from the event. We certainly don’t want to turn anyone away…we’d much rather see them come in and receive the love of Jesus into their lives, but if they are not going to surrender the contraband we must ask them to leave to protect everyone else.
During the May 2009 crusade here is a weapon that was taken away from a young man
Now here’s the shocking thing about this story…this was taken away from a ten year old coming to the kiddies crusade! Lord have mercy! Why does a child of ten carry this weapon? We aren’t sure exactly why he had the knife…perhaps to protect himself from bullies, perhaps to steal from someone, perhaps because he had been threatened, perhaps because he saw the older boys carrying them. The list could go on and on. All of these are reasons that we need to reach these boys and girls with the message of salvation in Jesus. We need to teach them that God has a plan for their life: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Please join us in prayer for these South African children and teens.
Sister Sharon
Amen Sharon! Indeed, these precious ones need to know that there is a God who loves and created them and has a beautiful purpose and plan and future for theirs lives. One far beyond the darkness theses young ones have so far known in their lives.
Thank you all at March Min for being a ‘beacon in the darkness’ to theses beautiful children! Lord, we pray continued protection and provision for the crusades and ministry in South Africa so that it may grow and flourish to accomplish ALL You have purposed for it. Amen and Amen.
what a awsome stroy.And the more to pray for safty as you go.I sow on tv wear more minstrys like yours are taking class on self defence so that if thay get in to troble are in a fight thay can fight back maybe you all should do that to. God Bless your work Pam P
As the grandma of five, the youngest one being ten, it frightens me to imagine either of my grandsons, who are both 13 now, being caught with such a weapon on them…no parent or grandparent wants to think their child would think he has reason to arm himself with such a deadly weapon.
Because this child could very well be mine, I think I know how this boy’s grandmother would have felt…no matter what culture we are, a grandmother’s love needs no translation…so, humbly, I will speak on her behalf. “Not only am I grateful to you for taking such a deadly weapon from my grandson, but then he was then allowed to enter the Crusade and had an opportunity to hear of the love of Christ…to see the love of Christ demonstrated first hand by the leadership of the Crusade…and with all my heart, I pray he submitted to that extravagant Love that none of us can fathom, none of us deserves, but everyone feels hovering over us in such an extraordinary event. Thank you for protecting my grandson from himself, from whatever drove him to carry such a thing, for disarming my grandson of a weapon that would have given him no choice and by doing so, you gave him another day, and a better decision to make…I pray he chooses Jesus.”
“Thank You, Abba, for Your protection and the sweet message of what Your Precious Son did for every one of us…and I pray this little boy not only found You that night, but he is living a new life as a brand new creation. In Jesus Name…Amen.”