Bradley’s notes – Growing and learning

Divine appointments

At the time of writing my first post, I found myself excited by the prospect of having to represent God and His Kingdom. An opportunity to face a new challenge. So there came Hazyview, after having spent time in Bela-Bela. I guess that our starting point was walking with the red cross, and although it got the onlookers’ attention from all walks of life, in my view, it symbolized the presence of Christ and opened doors for what would be potentially divine appointments in the future.

That gave me the strength to wake up the following day and spend a little more time in this tourist town of Hazyview, famous for its wildlife. I initially didn’t know where to start, but all I knew was that God was there (which Is all that mattered), and the Holy Spirit would show me where I needed to be. Close to where we are currently camped, I was privileged to meet some of God’s children.

An example is one street vendor who sells fruit while avoiding the incoming traffic from the different sides of a usually busy road. One day, I stopped to chat with him about the Kingdom of heaven, and immediately he recalled that he had seen us walking with the cross the previous day. As we talked about what God was doing in our lives, I became aware that God is omnipresent. Wherever we may be, He is there. I left him with a Gospel of John in Zulu, which he promised to read once he got home.

As I turned to move towards a public area where small groups of people were relaxing, I took that opportunity to get an audience who would listen to the gospel of the Kingdom of heaven. Even when words were insufficient to express my message, the Holy Spirit gave me the courage to speak boldly. I got some negative comments from some people but kept my focus on the good news.

This process of getting to know some of God’s children later led me into barbershops, market stalls, restaurants and different parts of the busy town. There, God revealed to me the growing need for Bibles and gospel literature. While distributing this material, I began to develop a relationship with the community, something that I noted Jesus and his disciples do while sharing their teachings.

These are challenging times, and the good news is sometimes difficult to digest, especially with the economic challenges hitting most of us. There will be times when nothing seems to be happening, but I wanted to reassure the Hazyview community that we have been sent into this world to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is here on earth and also that we need to start making it our number priority before it is too late.

When writing this article, I reached out to several people in and around Hazyview. I believe that starting something small such as providing reading material, allows the community to learn who Jesus is and what the Kingdom of heaven is all about. As humans, I am fully aware of our limitations, yet doing something is the first act of showing your faith.

Spiritual battles 

My story would be incomplete if I said that everything was a bed of roses. I had moments when I heard of the beliefs in deep ritualistic ideology being unpacked right before me. I have met several community members who have distorted the true gospel and have made it a feeding ground to satisfy an appetite for fleshly needs. In those instances, I have had to be firm about my stance on these mixed messages and how it is doing more damage than good to the body. At this point, I want to point out how important it is to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not speak out of our thinking.

I am also growing spiritually and will be the first to admit that carrying your cross and following Jesus will come at a cost. But I will hold on to the words “obedience is better than sacrifice”.

I pray that those privileged to read this article are blessed by its content. I encourage everyone to be a part of this journey that God Is travelling with each of us. I also want to give special mention to the men and women who have given up everything to serve God in this life and the eternal life to come. 

Be blessed