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There are 5 messages in this issue.
Topics in today's digest:
1. Re: Cyber Evangelism
From: Jongimpi Papu <j.d.papu@xxxx.xx.xxx
2. Bibllical Perspective on Salvation
From: Jongimpi Papu <j.d.papu@xxxx.xx.xxx
3. Re: Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
4. Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
5. Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 20:00:12 +0200
From: Jongimpi Papu <j.d.papu@mweb.co.za>
Subject: Re: Cyber Evangelism
Thumbs up, that is a great idea, let us give it a try...
-----Original Message-----
From: Mashudu Ravhengani <Ravhenmj@umdnj.edu>
To: sa-sda@onelist.com <sa-sda@onelist.com>
Date: Monday, September 27, 1999 9:26 PM
Subject: [sa-sda] Cyber Evangelism
>From: "Mashudu Ravhengani" <Ravhenmj@umdnj.edu>
>
>Dear friends
>
>Few weeks we spoke about the need to reach out to professionals or the
so-called middle class.
>Here is my suggestion - cyber evangelism.
>I suggest that we start a mailing list (and a web site) dedicated to
reaching the UN-reached.
>Instead of it been a discussion list, it will be a study/sermons list. That
means that we will send out a sermon or a study once a week to this list.
This will be a like church service since most of them to not attend church.
>Every week one of our members (SA-SDA members, especially those who are
pastors) will prepare a brief homily to send to this list.
>
>My request to you.
>1. Ask your non-Adventist friends, colleagues and relatives if they will be
interested in receiving our mails (one mail a week). Send me
(masabatha@yahoo.com) the email addresses of those who are interested.
>2. Send me your brief evangelistic sermons/ study materials/sermon ideas,
in future I will request some of you to handle certain topics.
>3. I am also looking for suggestions for the name of this new list/web site
>4. Pray for the success of this evangelist outreach program
>
>Unlike SA-SDA, this will be a moderated list, only the moderators will be
able to send out mails to this list. The recipients of the mails will have
an opportunity to respond to the mails but the response will go to the
moderators not to the list.
>
>I guess some of you have heard about cyber weddings, we will ask Pastor
Papu to conduct cyber baptisms.
>On a more serious note, Here is an opportunity for all us to participate in
evangelism. Few weeks ago somebody asked a question on how we can reach our
colleagues, here is the answer. All you need to do is to ask for the email
addresses of those who are interested. God will do the rest.
>If the people won't go to church, then the church must go to the people.
>
>I am very excited about this idea, I believe God will do miracles.
>
>Let's all pray for the success of this outreach plan and the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit in the Cyber space.
>
>Go tell it to the mountains* that Jesus Christ is Lord!
>
>Jeremiah
>
>>The King is even at the door!
>====
>To contribute to the discussions: send your mails to sa-sda@onelist.com
>To subscribe: send a blank email sa-sda-subscribe@onelist.com
>To unsubscribe: send a blank email to sa-sda-unsubscribe@onelist.com
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 20:01:36 +0200
From: Jongimpi Papu <j.d.papu@xxxx.xx.xxx
Subject: Bibllical Perspective on Salvation
Tankiso has managed in few lines to put what I consider to be a complex subject in simple terms. As far as I am concerned the issues raised in his paper have been well and convincingly articulated. What I am about to do here is just a general observation on some of the themes highlighted by my friend Tankiso.
I would like to attempt to propose a Biblical perspective on Salvation, as opposed either to African or Western perspective. The simple reason for this undertaking is that both are severely limited both in what they confirm and what they deny. In fact both perspectives are right in what they confirm and wrong in what they deny. Let me start with Tankiso's critique on the Eurocentric perspective with its emphasis on the hereafter to the total neglect of the here and now.
I want to believe that it is not just the Africans who have a problem with the one sided view of Salvation that seeks to ignore the present while courting the not yet. It was Karl Marx and his company that labelled religion as the opium of the people, this was largely because of the fascination that it showed on the hereafter while ignoring the present. His concern if I recall, was the refusal of the so called Christians to be committed to the removal of the social ills, while promoting directly or not the perpetuation of the same. What I consider to be the most interesting is the fact that even those who espoused this alien theology, did not practise it. The missionaries, most of them, preached the hereafter but made sure that they invest in the here and now. The popular saying that "they gave us the Bible and took our land..." has a ring of truth in it. Let us face it, it is only us the Africans who accepted this jaundiced presentation of the gospel and no one else. The very Europeans did not take it seriously, you can look around if you do not believe me.
As already noted the problem is not what is confirmed but what is denied. The Bible has a lot to say about the futuret, the not yet, eschatology, heaven and life eternal and we do not need to be ashamed of that. But it does not do it to the exclusion of the present. Africans must be very careful of overreacting on this issue, lest they accuse the missionaries of inventing heaven, which of course is not true.
Tankiso has articulated the significance, from the African perspective, of the present, I will not repeat it, But what we should be careful of is to overemphasise the importance of the present to the exclusion of the not yet.
Here I think we will fall into the same trap as the missionaries. Any focus into the present with little or no regard of the future or the end is not only futile but disastrous. Salvation makes sense only if there is resurrection (1 Cor. 15 - Paul's teaching on the significance of resurrection). This one sided approach can lead to nothing else but social gospel, a view that perceives sin as being social injustice, lack of housing, and poverty, etc, only. If there was a time that Africans in particular and the whole world in general needed the blessed hope it is now. How do you comfort a person who has lost his beloved one, if we ignore or take little thought of the hereafter. We believe that there is a Great Controversy, that encompasses the past, present and future aspects, to neglect the future aspect, renders the whole subject meaningless.
I think what we need is a Biblical perspective, to let the Bible speak in its own terms. What is important is not what we say about salvation, but what we think the Bible is saying, to me that is where authenticity lies. If one looks at the ministry of Christ, he will be convinced that for Him, the present as well as the future was important. He spend most of his time healing, making people whole, giving them food, his ministry is best summed up in Luke 4:16-. Paul talking about faith in Hebrews 11, lists at least three aspects. The forward looking aspect, "they longed for a better country", the retrospective aspect,"they considered him faithful who made the promise", and the present, they saw the promises at a distance but welcomed them. For them the promise what not just a pie in the sky, it was what they were experiencing in their lives. Jesus wants us to experience now what he is promising us, peace, joy, happiness, life of no anxiety, here we see that Sabbath in a very special way, is a not only the commemoration of the past, it is also a foretaste of things to come. In other words Rev. 21:1-4, can be repeated at least once a week on Sabbath, this is what is meant by the proleptic nature of faith. But we should always remember that the present suffering or even joys for that matter cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed...
Lastly, it is my belief and the current understanding in our church, that eschatology is three dimensional, the past, present and future. There is no vacuum. A lot can be said on the above, maybe let me leave it there, for your comments. I think we owe Tankiso a lot for the issue he has raised, this can help bring some lost dignity in some of us(Africans). In fact this qualifies us for missionary work in Europe and elsewhere, to bring this lost dimension in Salvation.
Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!
Jongimpi
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 10:29:50 +2
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@welspta.pwv.gov.za>
Subject: Re: Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
I was actually excited to discover that there is an initiative of
this nature. As SDA's, our challenges are much greater now because we
are not only living in the time of the end but at the end of time.
I have had the opportunity to serve God's Church at different levels
in different situations and hence, got some fair exposure to some of
the burning issues as we are standing at the door of the new
millennium. I believe that our God does not change (Mal 3:6) and his
principles are eternal. However, our responses to some of the issues
may need adapting and adjusting to the times for their application,
practicability and relevance.
I look forward to a fruitful and enriching Christian experience
through this established line of communication. God bless.
Mr Lulama R. Zantsi
P.O. Box 11536; THE TRAMSHED; 0126
Republic of South Africa
Tel. (27-12) 312-7675
Fax. (27-12) 312-7719
Cell. 083 764 6060
There's time to say something; there's time to say nothing BUT
there's no time to say anything. Therefore, say the right words
at the right time and at the right place.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 13:58:58 +2
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@welspta.pwv.gov.za>
Subject: Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
I was actually excited to discover that there is an initiative of
this nature. As SDA's, our challenges are much greater now because we
are not only living in the time of the end but at the end of time.
I have had the opportunity to serve God's Church at different levels
in different situations and hence, got some fair exposure to some of
the burning issues as we are standing at the door of the new
millennium. I believe that our God does not change (Mal 3:6) and his
principles are eternal. However, our responses to some of the issues
may need adapting and adjusting to the times for their application,
practicability and relevance.
I look forward to a fruitful and enriching Christian experience
through this established line of communication. God bless.
Mr Lulama R. Zantsi
P.O. Box 11536; THE TRAMSHED; 0126
Republic of South Africa
Tel. (27-12) 312-7675
Fax. (27-12) 312-7719
Cell. 083 764 6060
There's time to say something; there's time to say nothing BUT
there's no time to say anything. Therefore, say the right words
at the right time and at the right place.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 14:02:55 +2
From: "Lulama R. Zantsi HM 610 X 7675" <wels124@welspta.pwv.gov.za>
Subject: Welcome to sa-sda@onelist.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
I was actually excited to discover that there is an initiative of
this nature. As SDA's, our challenges are much greater now because we
are not only living in the time of the end but at the end of time.
I have had the opportunity to serve God's Church at different levels
in different situations and hence, got some fair exposure to some of
the burning issues as we are standing at the door of the new
millennium. I believe that our God does not change (Mal 3:6) and his
principles are eternal. However, our responses to some of the issues
may need adapting and adjusting to the times for their application,
practicability and relevance.
I look forward to a fruitful and enriching Christian experience
through this established line of communication. God bless.
Mr Lulama R. Zantsi
P.O. Box 11536; THE TRAMSHED; 0126
Republic of South Africa
Tel. (27-12) 312-7675
Fax. (27-12) 312-7719
Cell. 083 764 6060
There's time to say something; there's time to say nothing BUT
there's no time to say anything. Therefore, say the right words
at the right time and at the right place.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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