One of These Days

Introduction

I have the privilege to introduce to you Brother Raymond Pringle. As Shepherds, even in our last family meeting, we spoke of some of the men that we support. We first learned of Raymond maybe around 2018 through Brother Fred Ligan, who’s been working in South Africa for many years. And if you have been part of this congregation long enough, you would have seen Brother Fred Liggan come here and give his report whenever he’s here in the United States. Raymond and his wife Bonnie, they’re both from South Africa. And just to give you an idea, in one of the reports that we got from Brother Fred Lingett Liggan several years ago, in one paragraph, he said, My classes with Brother Raymond Pringle continue to show progress. He’s studying and working very hard.

We’re having a two-hour class a week and hope very in the very near future to increase the study time.

And in our last report, we indicated that Brother Fred Ligan is no longer able to do that work. And Raymond is one who was in the corporate world and could have continued with that, but his love for the Lord has led him to want to preach the gospel full time. Without taking up much time, funny story that we men should start learning. Communicating with him, myself, John and Ralph. We will talk about our wives, you know. But somehow their names just didn’t come up much. So I told him through email, um, Bonnie wants to know what you guys like to eat. And I just learned this from him. He said, why is my wife asking me why is and um so a few days ago some mail were come for Raymond and his wife, and Bonnie picked up the mail and she said, somebody change my name.

It’s Bonnie. So we had this thing going, but um it was it’s such a joy to get to know them a little better, but without taking up much time, Raymond, floor is yours.

Morning everyone.

It’s a great privilege and honor to be here with you all this morning and thank you for for being here. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to just to bring a small portion of the Lord’s word to you, but also just to look at some of the work that we’re busy with back home in South Africa. And if we had more time, um, we could probably spend half a day on on more pictures and just showing you exactly where we travel and and what we do and and the work that we do for the Lord. Um but but thank you, thank you for the time that you’ve given me this morning to to speak to you. And I really just as the elders have suggested, I’ll bring uh just a small portion of the Lord’s word, and then I’ll go into presenting some of my work um or the work that we do behind us that you can look look at and and if there are any questions or anything that you’d like to ask, you can feel free to ask me afterwards about what we do and and exactly where we’re situated.

But really, to start off this morning, I’d like to talk about these words that we often hear, and I think sometimes all of us have heard them more than once, but these words that refer to, or someone has said one of these days.

Or perhaps I’ve even said them one of these days, and there are many’re even Christians that intend to do some things one of these days.

And the question that I have to myself and to all of us and to those out there is why do people, why do people generally procrastinate? Why do people delay or postpone or put things off? And I think if we really put our minds to it, we could have so many different answers. But in our lesson this morning, and in what I want to speak about is I want to look at several things relating to these words one of these days and what God says about us putting them off. What God says about delaying our service to him. And to consider a few things when it comes again to those words of one of these days. How do you how do you and I perceive these things?

Are they important? Are they not really important? Does it really matter? Does it make any difference if if I delay and don’t make any real commitments to God? Any real commitments to Jesus Christ or any real commitments to his church, his kingdom. How does Jesus and God see these things? And does it really matter to them? I want you to open your Bibles with me. Go to the book of Luke, chapter 9. And we’ll use part of this text throughout the lesson, and I have a few other scriptures to turn to, but turn with me to Luke chapter 9. And here we’ll see Jesus calls his twelve disciples and gives them the power and authority over demons and to heal the sick. And then Jesus says to them to go out into all the areas and to preach the gospel to heal those who are sick.

He then tells them also to take nothing with. Don’t take anything with you. No staff, no bag, no bread or money, and only the tunic that you’re wearing. So when we read in Luke chapter chapter what nine, verse one to three, he says, then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick, and he said to them, Take nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag, nor bread nor money, and do not have two tunics apiece. Now, how many of these how many of his disciples stopped and said to Jesus, you know what, Lord? I’ll think about this. Give me a couple of days, maybe a week or so.

I’ll think about this and and then I’ll make a decision and I’ll come back to you. Not one of them, not one of them turned around and said that to Jesus, because when we look at at different uh other scriptures that the Lord talks to us about, and if you turn with me to to the book of Matthew, just keep your place in Luke because we’re going to come back to Luke chapter 9. But in Matthew chapter 9, verse 9, we know these verses that that Jesus so often spoke about throughout the gospels, but in verse 9, he says, And Jesus passed on from there, he saw he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to them, Follow me. So he arose and followed him.

Here we see two simple words. Two simple words, follow me. Jesus didn’t write paragraphs about what he wanted. He just said to Matthew, Follow me. And again, did Matthew say to the Lord, one of these days? Did Matthew look up at Jesus Christ? Maybe through looking through that tax office where he was sitting and said to the Lord, You know what, Jesus, just give me a bit of time. I’ll think about this. Maybe one of these days I’ll follow you. Matthew put his stuff down and he followed Christ. We look a little bit further in the book of Mark, chapter 1. If you want to read there with me, in Mark chapter 1, again, Jesus talks about these simple words, verse 16 to 18 in Mark 1.

And as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishes of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Again, two simple words that we see. Follow me. Jesus didn’t write a long paragraph again and explain what he wanted. Jesus said to them, Follow me. Did Simon and Andrew say to the Lord, Lord, like Matthew, maybe? I’ll think about this. Give me a week, give me a few days. One of these days, perhaps I’ll follow you. They immediately left their nets. The Bible says to us, and they followed Christ. Remember, some of them were fishermen. We spoke a little bit about it this morning in our Bible study.

Matthew was a tax collector. So, yes, they had jobs. They needed to feed their families and look after themselves. And I’m not saying in any way that this is what we need to do. Give up your job, give up doing everything to look after your family to be able to serve the Lord. That’s not what I’m saying. And that’s not what the Bible is teaching. But what the Bible is saying to us is there are many things that we can give up to serve the Lord better. There are many things that we can put aside and stop doing and give that time to our Lord. If you go back with me to our text in Luke chapter 9, I want us to look at verse 5 and see what Jesus says in Luke chapter 9, verse 5.

Jesus says, and whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the dust, the very dust, from your feet as a testimony against them. And yeah, ask a question, why would Jesus say that? Why would Jesus say, Shake off the dust? Shake off the dust off your shoes, off your sandals, off your feet. And Jesus is saying, Well, there’s nothing worthy of your attention in that town. Sometimes we come across, and sadly, we come across people that just don’t want to hear the gospel, just don’t want to hear about Jesus, don’t want to hear about God. And Jesus is saying, Shake off the dust, move on, because guess what? You’re going to come across people that want to hear about Christ, that want to hear about God.

Find those people, look for those people and search the hearts that truly want you to seek and serve Christ, serve our Jesus. So when we when we again we look at another scripture, and I ask you again just to be to be patient with me, looking at scriptures, jumping back and forth. But keep your place in Luke 9 and just turn back to Matthew chapter 7 with me. And look at verse 21 to 23. Matthew 7, 21 to 23. Jesus says the following Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Many people will say, Lord, we did things for you. When Christ returns, we think about this judgment day is coming. And there are many people that will say, Lord, we did things for you. We prophesied in your name. We cast out demons. We did many wonders, and we we did things for you, for you, Lord. Many people will say, I went to church as often as I could. I prayed as often as I could, and I studied the Bible as often as I could. And we know how Jesus replies to this. Because here Jesus in these verses says, Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Many people, brethren, come across and look at things like, Well, I’m I’m doing, I’m doing enough to my belief, to my understanding, I’m doing enough for the Lord.

And Jesus should accept that. But we know what Jesus says. You who practice lawlessness. We need to fit into what Jesus tells us and wants us to do, not for Jesus to fit into our lives. And that’s what He’s asking us to do is this commitment. The commitment that you and I make to the Lord is a total commitment. It’s not a commitment that I feel that should be good enough for my Lord. There are many people and even Christians sometimes that would procrastinate and say, one of these days I’m going to do more for the Lord and his kingdom. One of these days I will go to church more often. One of these days I will study more and be more obedient. And we’ve heard people say these things.

And the sad realities, brethren, we all know what COVID did to our world. It changed our world. It almost turned our world upside down. And only you and I can turn it back onto its head again by the way we serve Christ, by the example that you and I are to the world, by the way we show others how much we love Jesus, and we want him to make the decisions for us. Not to me, not for me to make the decisions for Christ. Going back to our text script in Luke chapter 9 and in verse 23. If you read that with me, if you will, in G in Luke 9, verse 23. He says, Then he said to them all, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

The point is, like the apostles, brethren, is that many faithful desire disciples desire to follow Christ and chose this to do every single day.

Sunday is enough for the Lord. But when we look at these verses that Jesus teaches and talks to us about, the point is, like the apostles and many of the faithful disciples that choose to follow Christ, when we choose to do this, we choose to do this every single day. Being a Christian has never been a Sunday thing. Being a Christian has never been perhaps a Wednesday Bible study evening. It’s an everyday commitment that you and I make to the Lord. This word that Jesus uses, desires. This is a an explanation or an understanding of his word. When you desire something, you strongly want to do it. I really want to do this. I really want to follow what Jesus wants me to do. I want Him to be my leader.

1. One of These Days I Will Go to Church

I want Him to show me the way. And that’s the word He uses to strongly desire. So when we look at just three shortly points before I close my lesson this morning, points that I want us to look at is the first one being one of these days I will go to church. Turn with me to the book of Acts, chapter 20. When we look at this particular verse that we get from Luke the writer that writes in yeah, and it says, Do we do we see any real importance in the church in God’s kingdom? Do we see any real importance in that? And when we read Acts chapter 20 and verse 28, it says in verse 28, therefore take heed. In other words, listen.

Therefore, take heed of yourselves to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Now, here at South Bambi, brethren, you have shepherds that are leading this congregation. I have never been a shepherd. I am not a deacon. I’ve taken the leadership role in preaching the gospel. That’s my role. Helping others to come to know the truth in the gospel. But if I look at the responsibility, the great responsibility of elders and deacons, but especially the elders leading the flock, it’s a big responsibility. You know, we we we need to honor these men that have taken up this role because it’s a huge responsibility. I look at some of the congregations that we’ve been to that that are also supporting me as you do, and there’s six, seven hundred brethren in a congregation with ten elders.

It’s a big responsibility, but it’s an honorable job to do, knowing that these men are leading the flock according to how God wants us to worship, to serve him, and to live our lives. So when we when we read verses like this and understanding the church of God which is purchased with his own blood, that’s what Jesus did for you and I. But he’s put this in place that we can have leadership by the elders that the congregation chooses.

The writer says, not forsaking the assembly or the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching. And when we look at this and understand the context, we we we looking at it from a point of view that when we’re getting together, as we see the day approaching, this day today, the Lord’s Day, but it should be for us every single day. Every time you and I get together, we need to be excited about it, happy about it. This morning, sitting here in the pew, is that listening to the brethren singing here is so uplifting, it’s so encouraging hearing all of your voices together. And you know, we we come from very small congregations, and when you sing, you’ve really got to sing up loud and turn up the volume.

Um, but you sing wonderful. Every congregation we’ve been to, we’ve been so inspired and so encouraged. So know those words is that it means a lot and it really encourages us. Do I want to be a family that serves the Lord? Do I want to be part of this family that serves Christ? Matthew chapter 6, verse 24. If you want to read with me there in Matthew chapter 6, verse 24. Jesus says, No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. And Jesus makes this so clear is that you cannot serve two gods. We understand our God in heaven, the God that created our heavens, created everything.

We understand he is a jealous God, rightfully so. He doesn’t want us serving anyone else, he doesn’t want us looking for for something else, maybe something better that we may think is better, but we know what where that where that is going to end. And he’s saying to us, Jesus saying to us, you cannot serve two gods, two masters, it doesn’t work. I worked in the corporate world for nearly 30 years, and it’s impossible to have two bosses, and they each want their own thing, but the company has one objective. So when we come in to serve our God, we know what his objective is. He wants us to serve him. The writer in Proverbs chapter 3, verse 6, this is a short verse, but the writer says to us, Proverbs chapter 3, verse 6, in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

In everything you and I do, acknowledge God. Put him first. Let him be the master decision maker. Whatever I choose to do, make sure God is in my decisions. Make sure Jesus is part of my life, my path. We cannot go wrong. We know Satan is always going to be out there tempting us and pushing us away from the Lord. But when we allow God and we allow Christ to be our decision maker, it makes it so much simpler.

2. God Expects His People to Work

The Bible never says to everyone, like I said, should become an evangelist or a full-time preacher, but God expects his people to work. God expects every one of us to be doing something, everyone to be talking about Jesus at every opportunity that we have.

And then not so long ago, I stood up in front of a congregation. Yeah, there are many brethren, but you stand in front of people that are 100, 200, 500 people, and you realize all of these eyes are focused on you, looking at you, listening to you. And it’s it’s nerve-wracking. I’ve been preaching for full time for three years, but for many years prior to that, while working, and it’s still nervous. And yet my mentor, brother Fred Liggan, said to me, stay nervous. Because you never want to get cocky or arrogant with the Lord’s word. Stay nervous. Keeps you on your toes, it keeps you humble. So it was good, wise words that he that he gave me, and I’ll never forget those words. But as I said, God expects us to work, God expects his people to work.

In the book of John, chapter 15, verse 2, Jesus tells us that every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. This is what Jesus wants from us. These are the blessings that he will provide and give to us, and he wants us to work for him. Every branch that bears more, every one that doesn’t, he cuts off. We study those words a little bit further, and he and he we know what happens is those that don’t bear fruit, he cuts off, he trims off, and he throws into the fire. How do we ever gain more understanding in what the Lord wants us to do for him? And I often see Bibles in many people’s homes, and there’s always a layer of dust on the Bible.

Every home has a Bible, but if you’re not going to open it and study it, how are you going to get the knowledge and understanding of what to do? Turn with me to the to the book of Colossians, Colossians chapter 1. Paul says in Colossians chapter 1, verse 10, that you may that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. How am I going to increase in my knowledge if I’m not opening and studying God’s word? Paul goes on to say that we will receive a reward if we serve Christ, but we will also get repaid if we don’t. Turn with me to Colossians chapter 3, just going a little bit further in verse chapter 3, verse 23 to 25.

He says, And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord, sorry, for you serve the Lord Christ, but he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. If we’re not going to be doing what we need to do for our Lord, we’re going to be repaid.

Throughout the scriptures, this has been taught to us by Christ and by Paul and many of the writers with the different books, but Paul also tells us in the book of Romans, chapter 2, verse 11, for there is no partiality with God. God’s not going to be partial to any of us and say, Well, I think they did a fairly good job. These guys did a bad job. We’re either going to serve him according to his will, as Christ instructs us, or not.

3. One of These Days I Will Be More Faithful

Again, the third and final one that I want to speak about this morning is one of these days I’ve heard people say this, brethren. One of these days I will be more faithful to God. How many times have we heard these sayings? When I’m done with this, when I’m done with that, I’ll become more faithful. I can’t go to church today because I have visitors. I felt like sleeping in today because I’m sure God will understand. I’m tired. My children have a sports event today, Sunday morning. So I can’t serve God today. He needs to wait for me. I’ll put him on hold. Jesus says to us in Matthew chapter 6, verse 33, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

When we’re searching and seeking the truth, and we’re following what Christ wants us to do, it makes it makes it so much easier. It makes it such a great blessing, knowing that I am I have chosen to do the will of my Father. When we look at some of these questions that I’ve put down is where are we putting our faith? Where are we putting our trust? Is your faith strong enough? And nothing will keep you away, excepting maybe illness or death on a Sunday morning. Many of us that can do better in our service to God, and I think each and every one of us, if you really sat down and looked at yourself, look at yourself in the mirror. Sit down in front of a mirror and evaluate your life and ask yourself the question look at yourself in your eyes and say, Can I do better for God?

Can I do better for Christ? Can I do better for the brethren here at South Bumby? And I can guarantee you everyone will answer, yes. Absolutely yes. You and I can always do better for the Lord. Turn with me to the to 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 20 to 22. 2 Peter chapter 2.

And verse 20 down to 22. It reads. For if after they escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are they are again Latin and worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to the truth from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: a dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow having washed to her wallowing in the mire. Each of us needs to focus on this and focus on making our minds in how I want to serve serve God. Do I understand and serve and and and read the scriptures and study in Bible studies and study on a Sunday morning, understand and give my life to the Lord, but then in one sheer move, I can just give that all up and turn back to my old ways.

Like he like the writer says to us, like a dog returning back to his vomit. Do I turn back and go there and and think, well, it’s better the way I was living, the things that I was doing.

Conclusion

In how the Lord wants us to stay away from those things, stay away from turning away from Him. Because at the end of the day, we know that’s exactly where Satan wants us to be. He wants us to turn our backs on the Lord. I want to close off this morning, brethren, just with a few of these that we’ve spoken about so many times, and it refers to what ifs that word if. We know that from the from the book of John, chapter 15, verse 6 to 10, it talks about these conditions, and there’s the condition for us, if you keep my my commandments. He speaks about to us, but just to sit and read or listen to as I read through these, and it’s just a few, but it says, What if God couldn’t take the time to bless us today because we couldn’t take the time to thank him yesterday?

What if God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today? What if God would not hear us today because we would not listen to him yesterday? And finally, what if I’m the person that says one of these days? James chapter 1, verse 22 says, But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. You and I need to be working all the time, every single day of our lives for the Lord. Some days are difficult, some days it is a bit of a struggle. Some days we know we’re going to be faced with trials and tribulations. James chapter 1 tells us these things. The Lord has never promised us anywhere in the scriptures that being a Christian, when you give your life to the Lord through baptism, it’s going to be easy.

It’s going to be plain sailing. The Lord hasn’t promised us that anywhere because he knows he went through these things. So I want you to also just as we normally do in giving a lesson, send out an invitation to those of you who are struggling with things in your life as Christians. Speak to the men, speak to the elders afterwards, that everyone can pray for you. That everyone can pray for us as you often so done. Those of you who want to give your life to the Lord through baptism, through the waters of baptism, I believe the elders will help you and show you what to do and what needs to be done. So I want to close off this morning by saying to you, brethren, and and saying to me, because the lesson is always pointed at the one giving it, is that I don’t want to be the person that says one of these days.

Amen.

Once again, brethren, for for having us here this morning.

Driving on the wrong side of the road in this country. Um we drive on the right side, which is the left hand side, and we drive on the right hand side of our vehicle. So everything is back to front in your country. So I think you can understand if you ever did visit with us one day, you’re gonna be driving on the other side and on the wrong side of the car. And it takes a lot of courage when I think if I can remember correctly, in all the roads that we’ve traveled on. I’ve had my wife next to me with the GPS. My my knuckles have not left the color of white from squeezing the steering wheel, and having interlinks and big trucking vehicles, 18 wheelers and so forth coming past you faster than what your car goes.

It’s incredible, it’s frightening. So we’ve been through that. We’ve managed to get to Florida safely, and hopefully we can make our way to the airport when we leave soon to go back home safely. But thank you for being here. Thank you to each and every one of you. And and as Brother Walcott said, um, with the other elders, you know, the reason why we took this trip is also to show you that we are real people, um, we do exist, and my love for the Lord to to spread the gospel um for a long time um wanting to do this, and and now have had the opportunity over the last three years to be able to do this. Um it’s been hard, it’s been tough, um, and and it but it’s good.

You know, nowhere does do I ever read in the scriptures that Jesus didn’t have a tough time or the apostles or Paul, they all went through a pretty tough time. So I just want to run through um some of our presentation, it’s not long, and like I said, feel free afterwards maybe to catch us in the hallway if you want to ask a question. Um, but just to give you the the picture of that’s Africa, and the reason why I put that up and just sort of pointed the arrow up towards where Nigeria is. I’ve had many times the question being asked, do you know John or George or Harry from Nigeria? And no, I don’t because it’s a long way from where we live, and Nigeria has 160 million people living here.

So just to give you an idea, this is the African continent and South Africa. We’re down right near the bottom um of of this big mass of big continents, and then what I’ve done to the side is I’ve just put um there’s the 54 countries in in Africa, um, looking at the the population in 2016 and I’ve tried to do a close enough census check against your country and I I chose 2000 and I think it was 16 um but there are 1.2 billion people in the continent of Africa in your country back then there were 330 odd million America US is a big country I know that but you can just get to see in terms of of people um the population in our country in South Africa we’re looking at about 60 60 million people um so you can see us versus the US versus the rest of Africa we’re a small country but we’re very congested as well you know it’s it’s it’s there are spaces obviously in between what we call provinces what you refer to as states um but there’s there’s a lot of people in the big hub cities and we have 11 official languages the 12th one was signed off about two months ago in our country so there’s there’s 12 official languages which makes it challenging because the two languages that my wife and I can speak fluently read write and and I can preach in is English and Afrikaans and then there are two or three languages that we can understand when someone speaks it but still having to to go through the process of learning and just to give you an idea and I’ll show you in one of the slides one of the congregations the families that we that we work with they they when I preach it normally takes at our at one of the other congregations 45 minutes to an hour.

When we’re with them sometimes, it could take three to four hours because of the translation. So it can be challenging and yet those people, those brethren, those family will just sit for three, four hours and we’re doing this because we’re doing the Lord’s work. So it’s wonderful to be able to work with with this family. Um South Africa is about one point eight times larger than Texas. Just your one state and you can it just gives you that idea. So in comparison to size wise we’re not a very big country. This is our congregation and obviously on that day there were a few people that were missing or sick traveling. But Rick and and and Candy Ligan were visiting with us last year. They came out to visit with uh with his dad because as you know uh brother Fred is is in his late n in his early nineties but he he no longer can preach for for illness reasons so they were there to visit with us.

Um this is one of the congregations the family that we work with and it’s mainly Malawian people from further up North Africa but they live in our country now and this is the small little shack or building that we worship with them on a Sunday morning and as you can see I think there’s been questions asked why all the men sitting at the front and the ladies are sitting at the back because we’re so small and the room is so small those men that participate in in the work on a Sunday morning are all sitting there so they can just get up and basically turn around and and start doing what they need to do with the Lord’s Supper or song meeting. But a wonderful family that we work with, um, and this is the family that sometimes takes up to three hours to preach.

And what we’re busy with is they they sing in two of their mother tongues, and what my wife and I are busy also with them is putting the English translations or English songs into place so that when we sing together, we can all be edified together in the same thing. So again, another one of the challenges that we face with, but we do what we need to do for the Lord. And then on a Thursday, I go to the nursing home and I do Bible studies with a bunch of of the older elderly folk there that are so wonderful. And two of the ladies, in actual fact, have started attending with us services on Sundays, and we pick them up and and bring them through. They were, as far as I can remember, my wife may correct me, but as far as I can remember, from the Baptist, and they’ve given their lives to the Lord.

So it’s been a good thing, it’s wonderful teaching, and and and all of them are super alert. Some of them may not be able to walk as you can see, wheelchairs and that type of thing, but super alert, they know God’s word, and they just want to know more and and and hear more. I think if I had a a bigger vehicle, I could probably load more people in our vehicle on a Sunday to take them to worship. But good to study with them. Many of you may know brother um oh sorry, brother Bob Buchanan. Um he was with us, um, and he often does when he stops by in his trips in preaching. He’s from from Kentucky, he’ll just drop me a mail to say, I’m I’m gonna be here.

Have you got a place for me to sleep? And he pops in and sleeps over and has a meal with us before he moves on. And he’s actually in South Africa at the moment doing a whole lot of Bible studies and and lectures, um, so we kind of missed him. But on once he’s done there, and he he leaves for Switzerland, and then he’s back to back to the US. So another one of those men that often just travels and spreads the gospel. Then we had a session with some of the men and some of the classes that we we did with the men from Cosmo City and some of the men from our local congregation on customary and tribal marriages because you can understand from having 11 different or 12 different languages, there are many different customary or tribe tribal beliefs, the way they do things.

So we had classes on this and hugely successful. And the men understand just to get them and help them to understand what it means to take on a wife, but to be married to her in God’s eyes.

One of the other congregations that we go to sometimes would be the Nigel Church of Christ.

Men that know the scriptures that teach that preach.

Also a big family.

But a a wonderful, another wonderful family group, and I think they they’re about an hour or just over an hour’s drive from from where we live, and again, I alternate as much as I can with the different congregations. This is our home congregation back in Krugersdorf, and I think on your left, a young man that preaches further up north. He also works for the Lord as an evangelist. He was visiting, and we gave him the opportunity to preach with us. Um, and you can see this is our congregation. We hire a small school building or classroom on a school property. Um, and it’s safe there at least now for us because we’re behind closed gates and we don’t have to worry about someone coming in and maybe dashing through the back door because sadly it does happen where people come into churches and automatic weapons and that you know what happened.

So we’ve been lucky and blessed to have found this building. Another family that we work with is Quatema. Um a bunch of ladies, wonderful bunch of women that that we work with, and uh there is a man there by the name of Andrew, he preaches there. Um he also he also works, but he he’s doing the work there, and there’s two young men that have been recently baptized, um, and they are now starting to to get on board and help him with the work. But this family is also wonderful, these ladies are sitting there and just wanting Bible studies and just more about the Lord’s word. So we’ve really been blessed to be able to to work with them, and you’ll see they they also use a small little classroom on a on a school property.

Um, many of the areas, brethren, that we go to sometimes are dangerous. I’ve got to be honest with you. We’re faced with dangers, we’re faced with being possibly hijacked and that type of thing, but again, I’ve said to my wife, you know, we’ve been blessed by the Lord, and we’ve we’ve been safe, He’s kept us safe. But we still have to be alert, and and there are certain areas that we just cannot go into because it’s just it’s just too unsafe. And I I can’t put m you know my wife and you know our lives in danger. So where we can we go and we do we do the Lord’s work and He continues to be there with us. Like I said, we we meet with them.

This is a good two-hour drive from our home, so it’s quite a distance to get there, and again, we would rotate um on a rotational basis between these different families that we we spend time with and and teach and and preach at. Then my work over the past three years, and I’ll just put these up. As I said, our home congregation is in Krugersdorp, um, where I preach and do the Bible studies. But again, they’ve been there for many years, and there’s enough men now, and there’s enough work that that we’ve I believe put in together as a congregation to continue God’s work and preach and teach on the Bible and and do Bible studies. So that’s exactly what they’re doing while we’re not there. Cosmo City and Quatem and Pretoria, like I said, we were we rotate and and do this every month or every second month.

Wednesday and Thursday, my online Bible studies that I do with Brother Rick. Um, so we kind of when I do my Bible studies, it’s late afternoon with me and early morning with him because of the eight-hour difference in in time. Um of the things that we’ve looked at, our website has not been successful. We still have it though. The Krugersdorp is going to look up a setting of Facebook where we can interact with the community but not have interaction from them because we know sometimes people would put things onto your Facebook page that that are not good. So I’d be able to put lessons up and that we’re busy putting that to together, so hopefully we’ll have that done soon. Um this is the map of really South Africa, and I just wanted to show you where we’re based.

The first one is that area there, that tiny little piece that’s referred to as Johannesburg or Chao Tang as a province. Within that province, and it looks small, but it’s it’s large in terms of travel and distance. There’s ten congregations. So there’s there’s there’s a lot of work being done there, and these congregations have been there for for many years. But again, like I say, travel time between the two because of the space is a good sometimes hour, two hours travel in in distance apart. The congregation that we have in the northern Cape, and this is really a big desert area. There’s a congregation there in the Western Cape, which is towards, I’m sure everyone has heard about Cape Town or Table Mountain. That’s where it is.

There’s two congregations there. In the Eastern Cape, um, there are two congregations down that side, and sadly, um, recently, two of the preachers, the full-time evangelists down there have passed away from from cancer and illness. Um, so this is one of the areas that my my wife and I would be looking at going down towards that area and a little bit closer towards Cape Town. Um, as I’ve mentioned to you to Brother Walcott and to two the other um elders that I’d like to sit and just briefly go through that what we would look at being uh doing for towards the end of this year. Then in Durban, which is a coastal region as well, very similar to what the weather patterns that you have here, hot and humid, and the second largest amount of Indian people in one area, second to India.

And it sounds it sounds kind of crazy, but it’s a there’s a huge Indian population, wonderful bunch of brethren that are that are there and are serving the Lord. Some of these congregations are pretty large, they have elders, so they’re doing the Lord’s work, they’re going strong. Um we have visited with one or two of them in the past, but nothing that we’ve ever had to move down there or travel down there and and do any work. But wonderful families that we have there. Then in this part of the the country, there’s a congregation there. Brother Rob that you saw up there helping me with the tribal um lessons and and that to the to the men. He lives up there and he preaches up there with the congregation, and then way up north, just above that is Zimbabwe, Mozambique, um, those African countries, but in that region, there are a few congregations there as well.

So what we would like to be doing in the future, and and I’ll hopefully be able to speak to the elders in a little bit more detail, is moving from the the greater Chao Teng area where we live, and we’ve been living for most of our lives, or all of our lives, just about, we’ll be looking at sailing up and moving down to that region because there’s a lot of work that needs to be done there with with the gospel. My my daughters, thankfully, are both grown up and both teachers, so they they’re living on their own and and not in in home, so we can do this now and be able to work a lot more um along that region and not having to worry about you know having to go back home because we’ll probably look at setting up home there in the future.

Some of the challenges that that we have in our country is electricity problems. As many of you know every day we have no power for a certain amount of time. It’s an ongoing thing and it it’s just part of the challenge that that we’re faced with in our country which affects many of our online Bible studies. The poverty and crime as I said is also another big thing. Unemployment is the end of 2021 was 33%. I think I believe it’s now much closer to 40 and I looked at some of the statistics in your country in the US and you’re sitting on about a 4% unemployment. So this also has a huge effect on some of the challenges that we’re faced with. You know we when we look at some of the simple little things that where we serve the Lord on a Sunday morning in our building we don’t have extra classrooms.

So my wife teaches the children and often she would in summertime that is would sit outside under a tree and give class. In winter time obviously the kids can’t sit outside it’s just too cold. But those are again challenges that we’re faced with and we live with that’s part of our norm. Those are good things. Those are things that we that we do um and then the generation gap with the younger men we found and I spoke briefly about COVID has turned everything upside down this had a big effect as well because it seemed like our younger generation either packed up and left our country or turned to to other things but we’ve got a big gap um for evangelists in our country, and that’s why I decided as well, this is something that I need to do and want to do for the Lord, but to be able to try and bring younger men to wanting to to continue spreading the gospel.

And just a final word of thanks to every single one of you for your support, your kindness, your love, your prayers, and to the elders, thank you. I remember having my very first meeting with them online, and it was probably the most scariest meeting I had because looking at when I had interviews with corporate world, you’re nervous and you’re worried, but I didn’t know what to expect. And afterwards I thought, these are just normal men like me, shepherding the flock here in in Florida and wanting to do the Lord’s work. So thank you to each one of you men as well, but thank you to each person, each brother and sister in Christ here this morning. And like I said to every one of the congregations that we’ve stopped at, is no matter where we’ve been, we’ve had parents.

No matter where we’ve been, we’ve had a grandma and a grandpa, and we’ve had brothers and sisters, and walking into Walcott and Bonnie’s home was not strange because we know where we’re going if we serve our Lord. Thank you for for your time and thank you for your love and your prayers and your continued praise and support in our work in our country. Amen. Well, I know we went a little longer this morning, but there were no interpretations to be done, and we didn’t have to wait four hours for the translation to take place. So it’s it’s alright. It’s alright. So thank you, um, Brother Raymond, for a wonderful lesson. It seemed as if he knew our family theme for this year and things that we ought to do.

I didn’t tell him anything about that, trust me. We didn’t have that talk, but the lesson was pertinent to even the things that we have been talking about here as a family. So thank you for that. And just bear with me as I just make a few more announcements pertaining to the needs of our saints here. Um just want you to be aware that our sister Bernice, who was in the hospital, was discharged, and she’s been taken to her sister in law’s house in Kissimmee. Um, and we don’t know when she’ll be back to her own place, but hopefully we we are still able to reach her. Her phone.