Tag Archive for: Redemptive Influence

Leigh Robinson

Because of Bill

Earlier today, I had the privilege of sharing with the kids attending the RUC holiday club. It was great. The Jerusalem Hall was packed. Wall-to-wall kids and leaders. There was a great vibe. The walls were decorated with eye-catching, contemporary graphics, and the holiday Club theme — MISSION — hit me in the face as I entered. The place was pumping.

I began my brief talk by writing 60+9=69 on a flip-chart and asked the kids what they thought it meant. Some bright spark called out, “You’re 69!” I asked, “Do I look 69?” There was a mixed response. Shucks! I was hoping they’d all shout, “NO!” I then wrote 47 on the flip chart and explained that that is the number of years I have been a pastor, and that as a pastor I have had the privilege of preaching and sharing the Word of God with thousands of people all over the world.

Then I pointed them back to 9. I was 9 when I came to know Jesus. I was 9 when my sins were forgiven. I was 9 when I was called into ministry. How did it happen? His name was Bill.

Bill was in Grade 3 with me at Stanger Secondary School in KZN (‘Natal’ back then). He was the son of the local Station Master. He lived down the road. We played cricket and soccer and marbles together, and explored our small town on our bikes. Bill was not super-good-looking or exceptionally bright, but he was my friend. We were mates.

One day Bill invited me to attend Sunday School with him at the local Methodist Church. The very thought of another day of school was a turn-off, so I said no. The next week he invited me again and I gave the same answer. But he persisted. Again. And again. I can’t remember for how long he kept bugging me, but eventually I went with him.

I can still smell the musty smell in that little church hall. I can still see the rather large lady who led the worship (it was called ‘singing’ back then). I enjoyed it. I was hooked. And in the weeks and months that followed, I — a boy who came from a home where there was no Bible or church or prayer or Jesus — heard the gospel and, through the work of the Holy Spirit, came to faith in Christ. The trajectory of my life was changed at the age of 9 because of a boy named Bill. Because of Bill, 60 years of following Jesus have followed. Because of Bill, 47 years of full-time ministry have followed. BECAUSE OF BILL!

Without knowing the terminology, Bill was a REDEMPTIVE INFLUENCE.

Will you be Bill to someone?

Your friend and pastor,

Leigh

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Leigh Robinson

What might be missing in our prayers?

Imagine that your prayers over the past six months were recorded, categorized, and analysed.

What would they tell you about your passions and priorities? Would they reveal a preoccupation with yourself and your immediate family? Would they be mostly about your safety, your struggles, your sins, your stuff? Would phrases like “help me”, “bless me”, “give me”, guide me”, “save me”, “heal me” occur again and again? And what about our corporate prayers in church services and in our Community Groups and Life on Life Groups? Would we see a similar pattern there? What might be MISSING in our prayers? What do we not pray for that the early church did pray for? Can you guess?

The first recorded prayer of the early church is found in Acts 4:24-30. A bit of background will help us appreciate the significance of this prayer. Peter and John had been instrumental in the healing of a crippled beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. Understandably, this miracle caused a stir in the city of Jerusalem and people came running from all over to see the guy and those who had healed him. Peter wasted no time in grasping the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with the gathered crowd. So many believed, that the number of disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem grew to about five thousand. This greatly disturbed the religious authorities. Peter and John were hauled before the Sanhedrin, the highest religious council in the land, and strictly forbidden to teach or preach in the name of Jesus ever again.

The response of the two to this prohibition is remarkable under the circumstances. They said, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). They were then threatened and released. On their return to the other disciples, they held a prayer meeting. What do you suppose they prayed for — protection from further harassment and persecution? No. Here’s what they prayed—

“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“’Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:24-30)

Did you notice what they prayed for? They prayed for “great boldness” in sharing the gospel .

Look how God answered—“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

This tells me that a prayer for boldness is a prayer God delights to answer. In the chapters that follow we see God answering this prayer again and again in the most remarkable ways.

I suspect that the first prayer of the early church—the prayer for boldness in witness—is often the last prayer we think to pray. The prayer for boldness is the MISSING prayer in our lives, yet it is a prayer that God delights to answer.

I urge you to add this MISSING prayer to your “prayer list.” Of course we may and should pray for all the things that concern our lives, but let’s imitate the early church in praying for boldness . . . and see what God will do.

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Leigh Robinson

Far, Far Away

As a Bible College student I was introduced to the great missions hymn:
Far, far away, in heathen darkness dwelling,
Millions of souls forever may be lost;
Who, who will go, salvation’s storytelling,
Looking to Jesus, minding not the cost?

While it is true that all people are by nature sinners and are therefore “far away” from God (Ephesians 2:13), living in “the dominion of darkness” (Colossians 1:13), it is also true that millions (more correctly, billions) of people are far, far away. By “far, far, away” I do not mean that they are necessarily more sinful; I mean that they have no knowledge of Jesus, no Christian frame of reference, no knowledge at all of the Biblical narrative. In addition, they have been born into a culture where they have been indoctrinated with religious beliefs that are false. So they not only do not know the truth, they believe a lie. This makes them “far, far away.”

Just this morning I received an email from missionary friends who work among the unreached Moskona people group in a remote part of northern New Guinea. The subject line of the email read: “Please pray for the Moskona.” This is what followed:
“Andy and I just came back from visiting a family where their one year old baby died. They lost their three year old last year and now the father and the eldest child are also sick. The family say it is witchcraft related so they are not going to even try western medicine, even though Andy and I think that they may simply have malaria. Instead they carry on with traditional potions!!! Words cannot express how frustrated we feel! The mother is lying curled up holding her dead little girl and won’t move… can you blame her? I would feel like dying too. We are trusting the Lord for His intervention and HEALING.”

Your unconverted family member, neighbour or work colleague is by Biblical definition “far away,’ in “the dominion of darkness.” They need to be moved to the right, from the “dominion of darkness” into “the kingdom of the Son.” But at least they are not far, far away. They’ve heard the gospel; they have some knowledge (even if it is deficient or distorted) of the Christian message; they have been influenced by Christian culture. But what about those who are far, far away? Someone must go to them, learn their language and culture, patiently and painstakingly share the message of Jesus with them, love them sacrificially, even die for them.

As we focus on moving people who are far away to the right (toward the cross and salvation through the gospel), let’s not forget those who are far, far away. Let’s learn about them. Let’s pray for them. Let’s go on a short-term missions trip to meet some of them. Let’s give sacrificially to those who have been sent to reach them. And let’s say, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

At Rosebank we are committed to be a Redemptive Influence among those who are far away AND those who are far, far away. Get on board!

Your friend and pastor,

Leigh

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admin

Fresh Vision from a 94 year-old

Billy Graham, having just reached his 94th birthday, has recently announced a post-US election campaign to ‘bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every possible place in America before his 95th birthday’. He says ‘no election will ever solve America’s most basic problems…because the trouble, at its root, is in the human heart…’. Graham says ‘although my age and health have limited me physically in recent years, I plan to spend the next 12 months … doing all that I am able to do in helping to carry out a fresh vision God has given…’

What an example and inspiration to those of us who feel the years are passing by, our strength is weakening and our best years are over! As Craig Groeschel, a speaker at the recent Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit said ‘If you are not dead you are not done!’ We all have an active role to play in addressing the issues of life and country.

In South Africa, in addition to the many things we can give to thanks to God for, we know that we are facing a number of major issues including joblessness, poverty, crime, violence, corruption, a crisis in leadership confidence and the continuing breakdown of morals, values and the stability of family life. Many of us ask where the nation is headed and how quickly.
The Manguaung conference , the South African government, the media nor the traditional healers will provide any certainty about rectifying our collective ills. As Billy Graham says, the root cause is the condition of the human heart.

What can we, as RUC congregants, do? Well:

  • we can start by obeying the Scriptures that exhort us, in 1 Peter 2:17 and in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, to pray for our leaders.
  • we need to be intentional about spreading the Gospel and earnestly seeking God’s changes in the hearts of those people that we are able to influence.
  • We can ensure that in every part of our lives we honour God and obey him from a heart of love.

    • In these times, our witness to everyone, our family, workmates and friends, of the work Jesus has done in our individual lives is essential if we are to change the world around us – one life at a time’ irrespective of our age!

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Leigh Robinson

It Only Takes ONE!

Leigh RobinsonNext to Billy Graham, D. L. Moody is probably the most famous evangelist America has produced. He was instrumental in tens of thousands of people coming to know Jesus in both America and Britain. Many people have heard the name of D. L. Moody, and today the famous Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and Moody Press Publishers bear on-going witness to the effectiveness of his ministry. Most people have never heard the name of Edward Kimball. He was Moody’s Sunday School teacher when he was a boy. One day he visited Moody and after sharing the gospel with him led him to Jesus. I bet he never dreamed that his witness to that one little boy would have the impact for eternity that it did. 

We’ve all heard of Stephen Lungu. He’s the Director of Africa Enterprise and has a worldwide ministry through his preaching and writing (his autobiography Out of the Black Shadows is being made into a movie) but none of us knows the name of the young woman whose testimony God used to capture Stephen’s heart as he sat in the back of the tent meeting in Harare waiting to firebomb the event. Yet God used her to change the life of a young man he had chosen to use mightily.

Yes, it only takes one.

Stephen Lungu will be preaching at RUC this Sunday (8am, 10am, and 6.30pm).

Invite someone you know to come with you to hear him! Who knows what God might have in mind for that one.

EACH ONE INVITE ONE.

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Irene Robinson

Christcare Therapies

In 2009 Rosebank Union Church did a four week study entitled “Faith @ Work” which dealt with the significance of work from God’s point of view, bringing our faith life and our everyday life together. Before she did this study God had been working in Joanna Coetzee’s life with regard to this important truth and the study confirmed what the Lord had been doing in her heart and mind. Wanting to use her profession to actively show the love of Christ to all she treated, Joanna had begun to run her biokinetic practice along these lines.

After my hip surgery at the end of 2011, I was one of the patients Joanna treated. I wanted to do hydro-therapy so chose to go where my recovery would be the easiest. It wasn’t long before I had a strong sense of God being very much a part of this practice. 

San Sereno Retirement VillageOutside her rooms at San Sereno Retirement Village is a notice board with a Bible verse on it that is changed regularly. A page on the board has the words “I am thankful for….” and anyone walking past can write something on the by this board. People have written some wonderful messages and it’s been a means of encouraging people as well as identifying other Christians. 

Patients know that they will never get an appointment between 8:00 and 9:00 on Thursday mornings because that’s the time Joanna and her colleagues pray for each other and for their patients. I have been fortunate to be included in those prayers! They record what they are praying for and praise God as they see Him answering those prayers. 

Joanna helping a patientWhile I’ve been doing my exercises in the water, I’ve seen some of the very sad and heart wrenching circumstances of other patients, such as those crippled by rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s and other degenerative diseases. As a result of a motor cycle accident, a very severely handicapped young man is unable to function normally but Joanna works with him regularly in the water with the hope and prayer that she can help him have a better quality of life. Sharing Christ and his love with her patients is Joanna’s deepest longing. How powerful it is for someone to know that the person treating them is asking God to help and heal them, both physically and spiritually.

Twenty-nine year old Stephen, a Zimbabwean, was severely disabled in a car accident. Not having medical aid, Joanna and her team treated him for an entire year at a very reduced rate. Their prayers and treatment worked miracles and Stephen has improved significantly. One can’t help but wonder what quality of life Stephen would have today if he had not been able to be under Joanna’s care and influence.

Joanna is taking her desire to do even more for Christ through her practice by letting one of her staff, Riana, work every Wednesday at Park Care Frail Care Centre, helping to rehabilitate residents who can’t afford treatment. They’ve set up a rehab centre with equipment that’s been donated and this enables the residents to do their exercise/rehab programs on their own when Riana is not there. At a time when our culture is very money orientated, it’s remarkable that Joanna is willing to pay Riana to help those at Park Care.

Joanna is now in the process of registering as a NPO “Christcare Therapies,” intending to recruit other professionals (biokineticists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, etc.) to donate their time to help more of the residents at this centre. Their hope is to set up similar facilities at other centres around Johannesburg. They’ve even been approached by the Biokinetics Association of SA to assist them in setting up basic biokinetics centre in government facilities as part of the new NHI (National Health Insurance) drive.

JoannaWhy does Joanna, a young mother of two small children, do this? In her own words, “to have more and more exposure to spread the Word and the love of Christ through our work.”

Joanna is learning to listen to God and go where He leads. She is truly merging her faith in God with her career as a biokineticist.

 

 

 

Note:

If you are a professional who would like to be part of Christcare Therapies – please contact the church office on (011) 7846214 and we will put you in contact with Joanna. 

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