Greetings, brethren, in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Please find herewith the latest news from Sovereign Grace Bible Church.
Family
I thank God for my family, who have stood with me in all difficult and challenging times. More so, I thank God for them in that we are preaching the gospel of Christ together.
My wife’s health has been stable and very encouraging. We thank God for that as it relieves the unnecessary anxiety that often come upon us when she’s feeling week and sick.
Ministry
Thank you for your constant prayers and support. We are excited to report to you that we have permanently returned to Olievenhoutbosch. We are awestruck by the way in which the Lord orchestrated things to bring us back and we are grateful to be the feet that carry the gospel here.
Since 29 August 2021, we have been going around the streets of Olievenhoutbosch, distributing tracts, informing people about the church, and inviting them to join us. Some people showed a keen interest to visit us and we pray God will draw them so that they join us.
While talking to people, we learned that others have likewise tried to plant churches in the area, but the community did not welcome them and made planting difficult for them, so that they have not returned. We were advised to speak to the leaders of the community, which we did, and they seemed to appreciate that we came to them first. We are thankful that the Lord guided us so we would avoid unwarranted hostility from the community, and we continue to seek ways in which we may be seen and truly be a part of the community for the sake of the gospel.
Sunday morning, 19 September 2021, we had our first worship service. It was truly a blessed time together, as we sat under a tree and sang songs to the Lord. The sermon came from John 3:7–8, reminding us about the mystery of the wind, as Jesus likens the Spirit to wind, which is a reminder to us that, as we reach out to the community with the gospel, our duty is simply to cast the seed and God alone will work in the hearts of men to change them. We were encouraged to be patient with the people and to lovingly proclaim the gospel without compromise.
Prayer items
As we continue to work toward putting up a structure, we intend to continue the work of evangelism and to invite the community to join us. We yearn for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us as we engage in evangelism and seek to be known in our new area.
- Pray that the Lord will help us get favourable quotations and people who will assist us with the structure, as we also continue to pray for you that the Lord may expand your ministry to even more places throughout the world.
- Pray that our old members may return in full numbers since we were affected and separated by the country’s lockdown rules of the past.
- Pray that the gospel will come out in power that the Lord will do wonders in saving our community.
- Pray for God’s grace towards the future and growth of the church (SGBC).
Yours in Christ,
Bheki Bembe