FROM A RADICAL RACIST TO COURAGEOUS PREACHER

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The testimony of Maarten Labuschagne testifies to the mercy and love of God

Maarten’s family very occasionally attended a local church, mainly because of his mother. His father was very dismissive of the church but was interested in ‘spirituality’, including occult practices. As a result, young Maarten knew the spiritual world was real. However, his father promoted the view that Christians were weak and hypocritical, thus not what Maarten aspired to be—strong, unbending, and unafraid.

Maarten was proud of his Afrikaner heritage, marked by struggle and an independent spirit. After army training, he spent time as a bouncer and security guard for bars and nightclubs. His fast temper and even faster fists often came close to getting him into serious trouble. Maarten was attracted to the AWB or Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resistance Movement). This is an Afrikaner nationalist, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist organization, founded in 1973

However, despite his staunch-seeming, tough-guy exterior, he was desperately insecure and suffered from severe anger and other issues. Maarten shares: “Heavy metal music, particularly Van Halen’s song Runnin’ with the Devil, was my anthem. As time went by, I tried to change, as I saw and realized I was hurting others. Strangely, perhaps, I didn’t always like acting the way I did. I saw a hypnotist (about 15 times), and a psychiatrist, out of desperation. Nothing worked—my life felt as if it was doomed.“

In September 1998, in utter desperation, Maarten cried out to God: “God, you have to change me!”, even challenging God’s right to send him to Hell if He failed to do this. My cry was mingled with doubt over whether God was real or would respond. But it was utterly genuine, a recognition that I could not save myself. I didn’t then understand the assurances His Word gives for the repentant heart, but I certainly knew that Hell was real, and I didn’t want to go there. Almost instantly, he says, he was profoundly converted and felt a dramatic release from the stress, anger, and hatred that had bound up his life.

The Bible assured me I was a new creation; I got rid of my personal weapons and other AWB paraphernalia from the old life and cut off all ties with the group. However, coming to genuinely love and appreciate people of other cultures and ethnicities would take time. One significant milestone in that process was at a service in a large, multicultural church in the South African city of Durban. Maarten was asked to give a brief testimony from the pulpit. For someone who was usually fearless, public speaking terrified him. Nervously, he addressed the crowd, many of whom were indigenous Africans or of Indian extraction. He confessed he had been in the AWB and had passionately hated them. Expecting a disastrous, vengeful response, he was instead brought to tears by many tribal African believers who came up and expressed forgiveness and love. It was then that he fully understood that they were his brothers and sisters in Christ, not any sort of enemy.

As his Christian faith grew, he was baptized and went to Bible College. He was also a pastoral counsellor at one of the biggest drug rehabilitation centres in South Africa. To help others struggling with broken lives and a lack of hope, a few years ago Maarten set up a simple website under the banner of Jesus Rules Ministries (JRM). On it, he shares his testimony and invites a response to the Gospel. JRM has since expanded to include a small church fellowship in a rural community, pastored by Maarten.

With no fear of man (Proverbs 29:25) due to his upbringing, Maarten passionately uses street evangelism to reach out to people who are broken or without hope. His trademark tools are a large cross and thought-provoking sign, complete with photos including from his AWB past, and boldly stating e.g.: If you tried the thug life or the drug life and it hasn’t worked, try Jesus!

Maarten is often ignored or ridiculed and occasionally threatened by passers-by. He recently had his main sign hijacked and dragged down the road behind a car! Despite the difficulties, the work has resulted in many powerful testimonies. Desperate people, involved in crime and violence or on the verge of suicide, have been transformed by encountering Jesus.

Michael Cook chats with former racist militia member Maarten Labuschagne in latest Creation Magazine http://www.creation.com

REPENT OR PERISH

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Great message from Luke 13:1-5. The only important truth not given by our Brother, Jeff in this video that I would add is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jeff does say that our lives must change to show our repentance but he does not add that Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to indwell our spirit in order to enable us to live a life showing the world our lives have changed due to our repentance. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is now evident in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. The ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit are also being used to bring glory to God: Word of wisdom, Word of knowledge, Gift of faith, Gift of healing, Working of miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing between spirits, Speaking in tongues, and Interpreting tongues.

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S PROVISION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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Jesus said the most important thing that He accomplished on The Cross was to enable our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to indwell our spirit to be our counsellor, teacher, and comforter. When we are baptized, we die to ourselves. and are born again by the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to live a Christian life.

It’s the Holy Spirit who does a work of renewal inside us. He breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the sinner free. He delivers us from the slavery of our habits and perfects us. David says it well:

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Psalms 138:8

The Holy Spirit changes our lives for the better, He produces these fine attributes in our lives:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25

He provides the gifts for service and ministry

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

“For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-11

Have you repented of your sins, and of your rejection of God and His values? Have you rejected Jesus’ amazing offer of forgiveness of sins? If you have you do not know the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit in your life to enable you to live life as your Creator God intended from the beginning.

Sadly, many people including me have grieved the Holy Spirit and quenched His work in their lives. It is so easy to ignore the Holy Spirit. Every day, we need to say as Jesus did when He was on earth, not my will but your will be done in my life today.

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” Luke 22:42

TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE FOR ETERNITY

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A new study finds that the overwhelming majority of those who read the Bible at least three times a year have experienced transformation as a result of their encounters with Scripture. Imagine how their lives would have been transformed if they read God’s Word daily. A sizable minority of Christians who interacted with the Bible less frequently also experienced transformation.

The American Bible Society released the seventh chapter of its 12th annual “State of the Bible” report Wednesday, which focuses on “Bible use.” The survey of 2,598 adults conducted from Jan. 10-28 defines “Bible users” as those who said they interacted with the Bible at least three to four times a year.

Within this group of “Bible users,” 92% answered in the affirmative when asked if “the message of the Bible has transformed my life.” Just 8% said otherwise. By contrast, a majority of respondents who did not meet the criteria for designation as a “Bible user” (62%) did not see the message of the Bible as a source of transformation in their lives, while 38% did.

John Farquhar Blake, the director of ministry intelligence for the American Bible Society, reacted to the findings of the survey in a statement: “While we’ve reported that there has been a sharp decline in Bible reading, nearly 60 million people who engage with the Bible less than three times per year say it has had a transformative impact on their lives.

The Bible Society research shows that consistent interaction with God’s Word changes us.

Of course, it will, the Bible contains the truth about us and God’s world. It reveals the truth about our spiritual enemy (Satan and his demons) and the good news of what Jesus has done for us by taking the punishment that is due all sinners by dying in our place so that we might be restored to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we repent of our rebellion against God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our Heavenly Father then sends the Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit to enable us to combat our spiritual enemy and live a Christian life.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

We cannot live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit to be our counsellor, comforter, and teacher. He is the one that produces the fruit (9) of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, kindness, and self-control. He is also the one that provides the gifts (9) of the Spirit for ministry (1 Corinthians 12) words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, faith, healing, and miracles. He is the third person of the Trinity and we must not grieve Him or quench His work in our lives. Sadly, many of us do, we do not openly say my will be done today not your will Holy Spirit but in effect, we do not recognize the Holy Spirit’s deity and consult Him about each day’s activities.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

READING OF THE BIBLE

Broken down by age demographic, majorities of both adults aged 58 and older (75%) as well as adults aged 18-57 (65%) reported reading from a printed Bible in the month prior to the survey’s collection. Majorities of younger Bible users embraced Bible apps (53%) and searched for Bible-related content on the internet (57%) in the preceding months, while 35% of their older counterparts used both of the aforementioned methods for interacting with the Bible.

A higher share of older Bible users (46%) adopted an app-based Bible reading plan at some point in the month preceding the survey, along with 35% of younger Bible users. On the other hand, more younger Bible users (32%) watched Bible-oriented programming than older ones (23%).

FORGIVENESS

The survey also inquired as to whether respondents were “able to sincerely forgive whatever someone else has done to me, regardless of whether they ever ask for forgiveness or not.” Forty-seven percent of Scripture engaged respondents indicated that they strongly agreed with that statement, while an additional 47% somewhat agreed. Just 4% somewhat disagreed and the remaining 2% strongly disagreed.

The overwhelming majority of those in the “Movable Middle” told pollsters that they somewhat agreed with that statement, followed by 20% who somewhat disagreed, 17% who strongly agreed, and 4% who strongly disagreed. Forty-eight percent of Bible-disengaged respondents “somewhat agreed” that they were able to sincerely forgive those who had done them wrong, while 30% somewhat disagreed, 11% strongly agreed and 10% strongly disagreed.

Christians need to get back to treating the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God.

The Bible alone truly answers the greatest questions that men of all ages have asked: “Where have I come from?” “Where am I going?” “Why am I here?” “How can I know the truth?” For the Bible reveals the truth about God, explains the origin of man, reveals the only way to salvation and eternal life, and explains the vexing problem of sin and suffering.