Mack Update - February - South Africa

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I want to begin this praise and prayer letter by doing something different than I have done in any of my previous letters. I want to begin by reminding you of some truths written by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:1 – 4. I mention these verses because the truths found in them explain what drives us in our ministry for Christ in South Africa and also they will provide for you some information about how to pray for us as we minister in South Africa. I also begin this newsletter this way because I hope the contents of these verses will be a challenge to you as you live your life in this world. Paul writes, “Since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

I see in these verses some challenging, heart searching commands with far reaching implications for the way we live and minister: keep seeking the things above, set your minds on things above, don’t set your minds on the things that are on earth. I also see in these verses some challenging declarations which explain why we should and can obey the commands: you have been raised up with Christ, Christ is seated at the right hand of God, you have died, your life is hidden with Christ in God, Christ is our life, Christ will be revealed, you will be revealed with Him in glory.  In other words, we can and should obey the imperatives (the commands) because of the indicatives (what has happened to Christ and us, what will happen to Christ and us). How can we do anything but obey the commands of verse 2 because of the truths what has happened to Christ and us and will happen to Christ and us as described in verses 1, 3 and 4.

I have spent some time meditating on the meaning and relevance of the imperatives and the indicatives in these verses and I encourage you to do the same and while you do that we would also pray for us that we would really obey the commands of these verses. Ask yourself: What does it mean to seek those things which are above or to set your mind on those things? Can you honestly say that you are doing that? Is there evidence in your life that you are continuously doing those things? 

Then having done that with the imperatives, do the same with the indicatives. Ask yourself: what does it mean to be raised with Christ? What difference should that fact make in your life? Does your life reflect the fact that you have been raised with Christ? How does your life manifest this fact? What does the fact that Christ is seated at the right hand of God mean? What difference should the fact that Christ is seated at the right hand of God make in your life? Does your life really reflect the fact that you are identified with Christ who has been raised and is now seated at the right hand of God? How does your life manifest this fact? Go on to ask similar questions about the other declarations found in these verses. And as you apply the truths in these verses to yourself by asking these questions, we urge you to pray for us that we would be constantly encouraged by the glorious truths found in these verses to: “keep seeking the things above” and keep setting our minds “on things above” in our lives and ministries in South Africa. That would certainly be one of the main prayer requests we would pass on to you.

Now a few specific praise items from recent days

• God has moved the authorities in South Africa to grant us a three-year extension of our visa for ministering here in South Africa;
• Our daughter Beth was married to Pastor Sybrand DeSwardt on January 17 and serves with him in the ministry of and through the Lynwood Baptist Church in Pretoria;
• We were able to preach a series of what amounted to 15 sermons Grace Fellowship Church with the title of Making the Maximum Impact for Christ based on an exposition of I Corinthians 13: 1 – 7;
• We had the privilege of joining with our son Joshua in preaching at Jeffrey’s Bay Bible Church;
• We enjoyed spending a few days of holiday with Josh and his family at Jeffrey’s Bay on the Indian Ocean in a house provided by some friends of ours;
• Our class sessions at Grace School of Ministry went well with almost 60 students from many countries in Africa and even some from Europe;
• We have completed a 50-page booklet called God’s Plan For In Law Relations, which will be published by P & R Publishers;
• We have begun with the help of Deborah Howard to write a new book which will turn my series on Making An Impact for Christ into print form (P & R has already indicated they will publish it;
• Carol and I have been experiencing good health (and that’s a real praise for two people who are as active as we are at more than 73 years of age);
• Carol has had many opportunities to counsel and teach women (she is presently doing two Bible classes with two different groups of women);
• For  our faithful financial and prayer supporters: for the most part, the churches and people who support us with finances and prayer  and occasional Emails have continued (and we even picked up two new supporters in the last few months to replace those who have dropped off);
• For the many opportunities to counsel pastors and other people;
• For ministry opportunities (preaching and teaching) that come to us from many places;
• For what God is doing at Grace Fellowship Church - many new members, salvation of people through the personal efforts of pastors and people, several people were recently baptized, native language class has been developed to discuss the sermons with people  who attend but whose first language is not English; Leadership Class with many men faithfully attending; many Bible Classes; numerous black people are attending the services which is a relatively new thing for the church; evangelistic outreach and Bible studies to black settlements in Stinkwater and Mamelodi and Sunnyside; regular food and clothing ministry for refugees and poverty stricken people with food and clothing being donated and distributed by people in the church; many young adults becoming involved and excited about spiritual things and volunteering for various ministries;
• For two men (Philip Krugel and Dries Visser) who have volunteered to supervise and promote the distribution of ministry resources I have developed (they have some good ideas about how to do this and have already registered the web site for www.mackministries.org.za);For Charles Busby who continues to supervise and distribute ministry resources I have developed  in the USA through www.mackministries.org;
• For the faithful support and assistance of GMI and the people there who handle the administrative  detail work concerning our finances and medical insurance.

Prayer Requests for near future:

• God’s sustained blessing and direction on the items previously mentioned under the praise section;
• For finances of the church and the people as people here have been affected by the economic down turn that the rest of the world is experiencing;
• Strategic planning meetings of elders as we consider and plan about our ministry in Africa – for wisdom, what we should do and not do, what we should do better and how to do it, for continued unity and harmony, for developing additional elders, etc. for shepherding responsibilities as the church grows, for developing skilled disciplers and counselor;
• For the salvation of people in South Africa and the establishment of solid Biblical churches
• Regular counseling, preaching and teaching opportunities;
• Impact of Grace School of Ministry on pastors/elders from many parts of Africa and even other countries – through the teaching and fellowship of Grace School of Ministry and our Shepherd’s conferences God can impact 100’s of churches and thousands of people;
• For the development and impact of our resource ministry on pastors, churches and people through solid, practical, Biblical literature, CD's and DVD’s;
• Preaching at Family camp in Sassolburg and other places in near future;
• Preparation and fulfilling the details for a ministry to Zambian churches in April;
• Continued health and strength to fulfill various ministries (mosquitoes love me and we will be ministering in two malaria mosquito countries in the near future);
• Preparation of various kinds (preaching, administration, promotion, etc.) and enrollment for our three Shepherd’s conferences;
• For protection and safety and boldness of God’s people in a land where there is much crime and unrest.

If after all that you are still reading, thanks so much for your perseverance and interest. Now please pray and praise and reflect on Colossians 3:1 -4.