C B N S O U T H E R N A F R I C A P A R TN E R M A G A Z I N E
ISSUE ONE | 2018
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
02 | Building faith and bearing fruit in the future 04 | The heart of partnership 08 | Messages & Testimonies
06 | Community Blog: Perseverance & Hope 08 | Superbook Updates
11 | Partnership Appreciation Brunch 13 | Bring It On: Pat Robertson
10 | Partner Impact in Southern Africa
PO Box 37779, Valyland, 7978 +27 (021) 701 1776 www.cbnafrica.org
Visit Orphan's Promise website: www.orphanspromise.org
OUR MESSAGE | Dear CBN Partner
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Ian Walton CBN Southern Africa Regional Director Don't forget, we would also love to pray with you about anyone or anything. Give our prayerline a call on (021) 701 1776 or email us at prayer@cbnsa.org or WhatsApp us on +27 71 763 3810
I invite you to browse through this first issue of Frontlines 2018 with the reminder that our ministry through CBN Southern Africa is also your ministry. As one of our generous, faith-filled partners, your prayers and donations are integral to all the growth and life that I have the wonderful privilege of overseeing through this office. There has been so much going on in and around CBNSA even though we only kicked off the year just a few weeks ago! I’d love to share with you just some of the things that jump to my mind (in no particular order) as I think about what 2018 has already brought so far: • We have launched a Superbook Academy Pilot project, involving multiple Sunday Schools in different areas. • More and more people have been engaging with our online content via our website and social media platforms. Our CBN South Africa Facebook page is currently growing at a rate of over 200 followers a week! • Season 1 of Superbook finished broadcasting on SABC in December, and they were very pleased with the viewership. Now they are looking to contract with us for Season 2 as well! • I had the privilege of attending the Africa Arise conference in Ethiopia with the CBN USA Turning Point team. Such a richly inspiring time and the perfect way to start what I know is going to be a very significant year for us. • YWAM students (from many different nations) have been joining us every week to learn about intercessory prayer and to pray with us for our work and our nation. • Together with our Field Reps in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda, we are in the process of launching CBN Facebook pages into each of these countries. This will (in time) include content in more local languages like Shona and Swahili. • This week a lady in our business park came out of curiosity to our open prayer gathering (which we host every Wednesday at lunchtime). Before she left she had asked for forgiveness and committed to following Jesus! I love that God wants to work through us in the lives of people across distant borders, as well as right across the road! • We have successfully introduced the Superbook Bible App to parents at two fairly large local church congregations in Cape Town. There are many more churches and cities to come! With such encouraging progress and opportunity - we are so expectant and excited for the things we feel God is already inviting us to join Him in doing! And yet there’s still so much more… I am trusting that He gifts us with His wisdom and discernment as we seek to chase God ideas instead of just good ones! May God continue to bless you as you do the same, Ian 01
| FEATURE
BUILDING FAITH AND BEARING FRUIT IN THE FUTURE It’s all about where we place our trust
By Gordon Robertson 02
FEATURE |
As we end one year and begin another, it’s good to consider how we can persevere in faithfully serving the Lord. God tells us in Jeremiah 17 verses 7-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” In stark contrast, verses 5-6 say: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert.” To be fruitful, we must put our faith in God. In the story of Joseph, he had it all—his father’s favour and the coat of many colours. But we see that His jealous brothers pretended he was dead and sold him into slavery. Later on in the story when Joseph rejected the advances of his master’s wife, he went to jail. Even so, he still had God’s favour and the jailer let him run the prison. While he was there, he interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s jailed butler, predicting that he would soon be restored. Joseph then asked that the butler mention him to Pharaoh, hoping to get out of prison. It is at this point that we realize that when we start trusting in people and what they say they will do, we are in the wrong place. Remember that God
always stands by His words, and He never forgets His promises to us. The butler, however, forgot about Joseph for two long years—until Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. That’s when Joseph was finally freed, given great authority, and ultimately reconciled to the very brothers who had sold him into slavery. And then Joseph told them something amazing: “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to save many people” (Genesis 50:20). We need to have that same kind of trust—that God is working through everything.
God always stands by His words, and He never forgets His promises. We may not know where to go or what to do, but God always does. And when circumstances look bad, we can trust that He is working all things together for our good. When we have that kind of faith, we are like a tree planted by the waters, unaffected by drought and never ceasing to bear fruit. God bless you. Scripture is quoted from the NKJV. This teaching was given during a CBN US staff chapel.
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| PARTNERSHIP
The Heart of Partnership "In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." - Philippians 1:5 blogs and perhaps to even join us in prayer every Wednesday between 13:00 and 14:00 at our offices (22 Bell Close, Westlake Business Park) so that we can pray and spend time together. Alternatively you can connect with us Much like a marriage, a partnership via our prayerline. between a person and a ministry requires work, understanding, Jesus said to His disciples, “By this will communication and believing that God all men know that you are my disciples, is the foundation and centre of it all. that you love one another� so let us aim to bring each other to spiritual, The purpose of partnership is to bring emotional and relational maturity in each other to spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus. Let us love one another Christ. I would love to encourage you to and glorify Christ by building His have a look at our encouraging online kingdom through partnership.
Your partnership is very important to us. It is a commitment that we do not take lightly. A partnership is two or more people binding themselves towards a single vision which is to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Did you know about our prayerline? We are available to pray with you! Feel free to contact us on our prayerline (021) 701 1776 or you can email us at prayer@cbnsa.org or WhatsApp us on +27 71 7633 810
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MESSAGES AND TESTIMONIES |
Testimonies from SA "I was on the verge of losing my home, and I cried out to the Lord for help. I used to refer to my home specifically as my 'house'. A few days later, while I was watching the 700 Club, during the prayer time for viewers; Gordon Robertson said, "There is someone who is about to lose their house. The Lord has heard your cries and has answered your prayers." I knew that was for me. I received the Lord's promise and stood on it. Matters had become very dire. My furniture was being taken and the court case was pending. At the 11th hour, a family member who, to all intents, I was enstranged from; stepped up to the plate. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord influenced this. This particular family member is not a Christian. The Lord kept His promise to me and I didn't lose my home, formerly known as my house. To God be the Glory! " - Charmaine, Cape Town "I would like to testify about the goodness of our Father in heaven. First of all I would like to thank Him for His word and His promises and that He will never leave nor forsake us. I would also like to sincerely thank you for honouring my prayer request which has long since been answered. I am healed completely! Praise be to GOD! " - Obuile, Botswana Thank you to all our partners for the ways you have prayed for people who reach out to our prayerline! If you would like to volunteer for our prayerline, please give us a call (021) 701 1776
WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK Kindly take two minutes to complete the CBN partners communication SURVEY. Follow this link to view online, on your tablet or mobile phone: https://s.survey planet.com/By q3eAb4z. Alternatively, please call our office for us to conduct the survey telephonically on (021) 701 1776 or you can email us at info@cbnsa.org 05
| COMMUNITY BLOG
Perseverance & Hope Written by Taytum Allwood “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:5 NIV
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ONLINE |
These two words, “perseverance and hope”, have really been highlighted in my life as the new year begins. If you think about an elite athlete who is about to run an important race, he or she is prepared in every way possible to run to his or her best ability. They have the physical training in place, their minds are prepared and their bodies are nourished with all the right food that will make them strong. Their ability and performance is dependent on the work they put in.
WE'RE SOCIAL
It is the same with our faith. God can only move when we are moving. He can only draw near to us when we draw near to Him. There is action involved. In other words, as we run the race set before us with perseverance, God provides everything we need to run our race well. Perseverance is the physical willing and training of our minds and bodies to keep going and never give up. Hope is the fuel our souls need to run with purpose … The expectation that we are running towards a significant and eternal goal. Hope is the “fuel” that keeps our engines running. Our modern generation, myself included, shy’s away from true perseverance. If it’s easy, we’re happy. I long to run the race God has put before me this year with perseverance and a heart full of Hope. This means I need to action some things in my life like seeking God, saturating my thoughts and heart with the truth of His word, reminding myself daily of the hope I have in Christ, learning to love others more than myself (it is more blessed to give than to receive) and when things get tough, to keep pressing on and never give up.
For more encouraging articles like this one, please check out our website at www.cbnsa.org and our social media pages. May you know God’s presence, love and sustaining strength throughout 2018.
For more Kingdom content, and to stay updated with the latest from our CBN Southern Africa movements, please follow our social media platforms. www.facebook.com /cbnsouthafrica www.twitter.com /cbn_southafrica www.instagram.com /cbnsouthafrica
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SUPERBOOK |
IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
Superbook is happening in Southern Africa! The team has begun to expose our local churches to the amazing Superbook Curriculum that is available to Sunday school teachers and leaders for trial. Last Sunday we were at Connect Church for a visit and this coming Sunday we will be at Life Church in Seapoint. Please contact Yolanda on (021) 701 1776 for more information about how to get the Superbook curriculum into your home church.
HOLIDAY CLUB IN DECEMBER You may remember us talking about our partnership with Danielle, from Living Hope, during the course of last year. This relationship with Superbook and the holiday clubs has continued to grow and strengthen. Gizmo joined in the fun in the different communities of the Southern Cape region for the December 2017 holiday clubs. This is what one of our volunteers had to say, "Most of the children knew that the holiday club was coming and that the fun and games were going to be something to look forward to. As in the previous year, the numbers kept growing. It was amazing to be part of the preparing and also watching the ministry in action. It is also incredible to witness how the Lord is at work in these poorer communities. Children’s lives are being touched by the work CBN is doing through Superbook. " Thank you to our partners for making it possible for us to join hands with local ministries! Over 200 children were reached through Superbook daily at this holiday club alone.
#SUPERBOOKSUNDAYS 09
| ON THE GROUND
Partner Impact Look at what you are doing around Southern Africa Botswana
Innocentia is pictured above on the right, at a wedding last year.
INNOCENTIA'S STORY Innocentia (Inno) Magwete is 13 years old and in grade 6 at the Orphan's Promise funded Dayspring learning centre. She has grown up at Dayspring due to the fact that her family was one of the families who received a plot of land and assistance with building their house in the early 2000’s from OP funding. Inno’s mother was raised by an aunty who was working on a nearby farm and became homeless when she lost her job so we took the aunty in with her own 4 children and 3 of her sister’s children. At this time Inno’s father became very sick and after about 6 months, he passed away. Shortly thereafter, her mother also fell ill and was sick for about a year before she died leaving Inno an orphan at the age of 3. She now lives with her grandmother and her aunt, who are both unemployed at the moment. Her grandmother is a seamstress so she does her best to bring in an income where she can find odd jobs. Her other 2 great aunties and their large families live next door so although she is an orphan, she is very blessed to have family all around her. None of the family members earn very much money so basic necessities are scarce, therefore, Dayspring often provides Inno with stationary, clothes and extra food. Having always struggled with her school work, Inno, in the last couple of years has really put great effort into her work, so there has been a tremendous improvement. She likes being involved in the singing, acting and dancing groups as well, and is thriving in all that she does. Inno’s tragic start to life has left a mark on her but through God’s love and goodness, and the continual reminder of HIS plan and purpose for her, we have begun to see her blossom. She is a shy, sweet girl and we thank God that Inno had the privilege of growing up here and not being tossed to and fro from family to family as many orphan kids do. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for her future. To find out more about Orphan's Promise and how you can join hands with the incredible work being done in SA, please contact Leonie on 071 382 8948 10
A water well was drilled in Maun, Botswana. It was a challenging process along the way, due to the solar panel being stolen so the well could not operate. Elephants were also walking through the area and destroying the fences and the frame that was used to hold up the solar panels. The well was eventually finished and then they found that the water was too salty for human consumption. The well at this stage is being used by approximately 500 people in the area for basic household usage until they install a purifier so that it will become drinkable.
7 De Laan Below is a picture of Ernest, who works at the Aquponic garden in 7De Laan. He has been doing an amazing job, and will himself contribute to the building of a new Aquponic garden tunnel for a creche. Our partners are contributing to the good work He is doing.
PARTNERSHIP |
Partner's Appreciation Brunch On the Saturday 25 November 2017 CBNSA held their first ever partners event! We as the CBNSA team feel so honoured to have spent time, praying and eating with all the partners that were able to attend. CBN together with it's partners aim to provide opportunities, support, resources, training and sustainability for the multiplication of CBN ministry in our region which without a doubt is hard work. At the event we were able to discuss these various opportunities and projects so that wecan continue to work together to be a light on a hill. I value the relationship that CBN has with its partners! Each individual is truly an inspiration with the desire to better the lives of the communities that surround us. As the Partnership and Sustainability Manager of Southern Africa I was able to share an encouraging word about team work based on PROVERBS 6:6-8 which says, "Take a lesson from the ants,
you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labour hard all summer, gathering food for winter�. I want to encourage all the CBN partners to be wise like the mighty ant in order for us as believers in Christ to build a strong community. How so? Because: 1. Ants work hard 2. Ants know the importance of community 3. Ants prepare for times ahead 4. Most importantly ants work together and by doing so they thrive and survive as a community In light of this I want to encourage the CBN team and it's partners to continue to be like the ants: industrious, determined, and strong in the face of tremendous intolerance and persecution to work in order to extend the kingdom of Christ. 11
PAT'S MESSAGE |
BRING IT ON
Q&A
With Pat Robertson
Q: How do I convince people that the Lord is the author of all the books in the Bible?
Pat Robertson, Founder of Christian Broadcasting Network Do you have a question for Pat? Log on to CBN.com/BringI tOnline and follow the instructions.
A: Here is what you say to them. First, share this scripture verse from the Bible Hebrews 9:27 says, It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (kjv). This verse, along with Psalm 23, makes up parts of the Bible that speak to the heart of people, that speak to where they are. And those verses validate the Bible more than anything else. They have impacted people and changed their lives over centuries of time. It’s like somebody standing in a museum looking at the famous Mona Lisa masterpiece and saying, “I’m not sure about that,” and the curator responding with, This painting isn’t on trial, you are on trial.” It's the same with the Bible. The Bible is not on trial. We are on trial. the Bible is no longer on trial. It has impacted people for centuries. It has been validated as being the immortal, eternal Word of God.
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