Xenophobia, Displacement, Forgiveness & Unity

Our son was admitted to hospital on Monday. We will not be able to see him or speak to him for seven days. It's been very hard for all of us. The only other time we've not been able to communicate was when he was in my womb and we eagerly anticipated his birth, he is our firstborn.

This morning I played his harmonica while praying for him hoping somehow he could hear the sound in his heart. I hoped he would know at that moment we were praying for him and then it hit me- Does God feel anything like this? He knows us and speaks to us and is quite near to us but often we are too busy rushing from here, there and doing this and that good work to make time to just sit for a visit with Him. Could we sit and have coffee with Jesus? We make the time to breathe, think, maybe even listen to someone else talk? What if we had the opportunity to have that cup of coffee with Jesus? What if we took the time to listen for his still, quiet voice within us? We might just hear his voice!

That’s what happened with my friend Lawrence. A few months ago he visited our church at Green Market Square. His prayer request was always the same, “please pray for me, I need to spend more time praying and talking to God. I know I need to do this but I am finding it difficult.” We always prayed. Then three months ago Lawrence was hit by a car on the way home from work. It was a hit and run. While Lawrence lay on the ground unconscious his cell phone and money were stolen from his body. He eventually got transported to Somerset Hospital. At first he wasn't expected to live, then it wasn't likely that he would walk again. When we visited him we asked, “Now do you have time for God, Lawrence?” He laughed. We prayed. Then the doctor said, “you must be praying very hard because I am going to be able to repair your leg and there is a chance you will walk again.” Lawrence replied, “No sir, the people from church are praying for me. That is why God is healing me.” Lawrence now has a steel rod in his leg and he walks without any help at all. Lawrence has not been able to return to his business as yet at the market. But that’s not only because of limited funds. It’s because during Lawrence’s recovery time he has been seeking to know God daily. His niece, her husband and small child recently fled for their lives due to the Xenophobic riots occurring in South Africa, they showed up at her uncle Lawrence’s door in tears. All their belongings had been stolen and their car burned. Lawrence said, “Stop crying. Stand and see the deliverance of the Lord.” Days later Lawrence’s niece and her family moved into a 3 bedroom home in Parklands, fully furnished and food and clothing had also been provided for them. Prior to this they lived in a one room shack.

Lawrence’s sisters came down from Zambia at the time of his accident to care for him. One young niece was left in his care and the sisters returned to Zambia. The young niece asked her uncle when he would be looking for work as there wasn’t much in the house to eat. Lawrence replied that God would provide for them. Although Lawrence could no longer sell his wares at Green Market he began to make necklaces at home, thinking perhaps he could sell them to friends at the market who could sell them for him. People from around his community dropped by his home to buy from him! Lawrence continued to spend time with God daily. One day the Lord told Lawrence he was going to give him a wife. He had already spoken to a woman in Zambia about him and his sisters should go and meet her. When Lawrence called his sisters they thought he'd been taking too many painkillers! He laughed but told them exactly what God had said and where they could find the woman. The sisters followed Lawrences directions to the letter and to their great surprise found a woman to whom God had spoken about Lawrence! The families are presently arranging the wedding for these two young people! Lawrence is looking forward to the wife God has chosen for him and to building a new life in South Africa.

Hosea 2:14:
“Therefore now I am going to allure her. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor a door of Hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth as in the day she came up out of Egypt. “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’, you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips, no longer will their names be invoked. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that they may lie down in safety. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. “In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord- “I will respond to the skies and they will respond to the earth and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.
I will plant her for myself in the land, I will show my love to the one I called, ‘Not my loved one’ I will say to those called “not my people’; ‘you are my people,’ and they will say, “You are my God.”

This is a promise from God! God’s word does not return void. South Africa! God has called you the last greatest place on the earth! People come from around the world to see what God is doing in this nation! A miracle occurred in 1994 and people want to see what else God is up to here! Mandela was not only released from prison but promoted to the highest office in the land! God has been working on your behalf! Mandela was not bitter, he forgave and God blessed Him! He had no enemies therefore God could bless him and confidently put him into office to lead his people! He had not a corruptible heart. He survived the desert, the Valley of Achor and God made it a door of Hope! Not only for Mandela but all South Africa, and ultimately Africa and the world! The natural speaks of the supernatural! People are flocking to this country to glimpse the New South Africa; there is hope around the world for a new and better way. Why are you not part of this? Why are you taking matters into your own hands? Why are you only caring about yourselves? Madiba, like Martin Luther King had a dream straight from the heart of God! He waited for it and God put him in power to help his people just like Moses! Zuma says the priests prayed for the ANC and that ANC will remain in power until Jesus comes back. Jesus stands at the door knocking, just like the refugees from the nations of Africa who’ve come across your borders seeking new life. They seek that same door of Hope that God has made in South Africa!
God said, “I will show my love to the one I called ‘not my loved one.’ I will say to those called, ‘not my people, ‘you are my people,’ and they will say, “You are my God!”

Now is the time, says the Lord. Now is the time for the prophetic fires to be lit in South Africa to go throughout Africa! It is the fire of the glory of God! He is a consuming fire! Either you will be part of His glory that will go forth into the nations or you will be consumed and destroyed by this fire. The Lord has said he will remove the names of the Baals. Stop the rumors and bitterness; come out of agreement with it in your hearts and from your lips. He longs to abolish bow and sword and battle to betroth you as His Bride in righteousness, justice, in love and compassion and faithfulness. The Lord has invited you time and again to humble yourselves, pray and seek his face! Turn from your wicked ways that he can hear from heaven, forgive your sin and heal your land! He longs to make covenant with you! He proclaimed a great blessing which South Africa can partake of in Psalm 133:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity-
It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aarons’ beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It’s as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mt. Zion. For there the Lord commands his blessing, even life forevermore!

Oh South Africa! Here and receive God’s direction in this dire hour! Do not conform any longer to the world’s ways! God has such good plans for you! To bless you and to prosper you; not to harm you, but to give you a future and a Hope! Open the doors of your hearts and let him in!

Lay down your agendae! Give him your burdens, fears and worries! He will abolish them all so that you may lie down in safety, so that you may be betrothed to him forever. It was the Lord who allowed all to be taken away. Not to punish you or prefer anyone over you but to prepare you to “plant you for himself as His Kingdom!” Those you call not my loved ones have given safe haven to your leaders when they were in exile. Where would they be had these countries not opened the doors to them? Say to those you have called, ‘not my people,’ ‘you are my people,’ and they will acknowledge the Lord! He will command His blessing, even life forevermore!