Rev John MacLeod
THE annual Mbuma Zending mission day was held, as usual, on 30th April. About 5700 people assembled at Geldermalsen and the proceedings throughout followed the usual pattern with Ds. Tj. de Jong in the chair. That everything went smoothly from beginning to end bore testimony once again to the dedication, hard work and skill of the organisers – all volunteers. Throughout the year, and largely behind the scenes, Mr H van Vliet, the Mbuma Zending Secretary, toils away and we believe that is largely through his meticulous planning that these meetings prove to be so successful year after year. Almost all of the members of the Mbuma Zending Board were present and it was a pleasure to meet with them and confer with them about mission matters. Their interest in, and support for, our African missionary activities remain unabated. For instance, at the meeting it was intimated by the Chairman that a lump sum of £25,000 was being specially donated in order that an operating theatre could be added to the Sengera clinic and the total collection for the day amounted to 108,000 Dutch guilders, which in sterling comes to approximately £34,300. This was about £3500 more than last year. This is indicative of the generosity of our Dutch friends and the level of their support. We are deeply grateful to them.
This year, the Rev Petros Mzamo and Mr Levi Ndlovu were present. They were entertained most hospitably in the home of Ds. And Mrs Tj. De Jong at Staphorst. The writer was under the hospitable roof of Mr and Mrs J Slabbekoom in Dordrecht and he is deeply indebted to them and to Mr and Mrs Van Vliet for all the kindness shown to him.
Address by the Rev John MacLeod at the Mbuma Zending Meeting:
“IT gives me great pleasure to be among you again and I regard it a great privilege that I should be given the opportunity of addressing you.
“I would like to convey to you – our Dutch friends – the greetings of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Foreign Missions’ Committee.
“It does not require much spiritual discernment to conclude that our day is indeed a day when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. On every hand it is all too evident that spiritual death is reigning to a fearful extent and that he who is the god of this world, is all too successful in blinding ‘the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.’ Millions upon millions of our fellow-creatures are perishing in their sins – without Christ, without hope – and departing this life to die eternally under the wrath and curse of God. The greatest calamity that can overtake a sinner is to be given over by God and to be left to perish in his sins. The greatest calamity that can overtake a nation is for it to be forsaken of God and left to go its own way under the influence of the deceiver of the nations. What is the remedy? How is the blinding power of Satan to be counteracted? The answer to that question is clear enough – it is by the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel of Christ is ‘the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first but also to the Greek’; it is the great weapon that was placed in the hands of the Apostle Paul when he was commissioned to preach the Gospel to poor perishing sinners – Jews and Gentiles – lost and ruined on account of their fall in Adam – children of wrath led captive by the devil at his will. He was sent ‘to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God to receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those sanctified through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’. These words direct attention to man’s need. Dear friends, is that not so? Is it not true of all of us in this vast assembly that, by nature, we are spiritually blind, not realising what we are, where we are, nor where we are going? We need light and direction. The Apostle Paul was to be instrumental in turning many to righteousness; we say instrumental because the Lord Jesus made it plain to him, as He makes it plain to every gospel minister, that without Him they can do nothing. For sinners to be saved it is necessary that the Gospel come to them ‘not in word only but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.’ Our labours in Africa are directed towards sowing the seed of the Word in the hearts of sinners – men, women and children – but we are altogether dependent on God, the Holy Spirit, to make it effectual to the salvation of those concerned.
“The presence of a Zimbabwean minister and elder here today is evidence in itself that the Lord has been pleased to bless our endeavours and we believe that there will be many in glory with Christ who will ever praise Him for raising up and sending to darkest Africa the Rev J B Radasi as He did in 1904. The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland mission was then established in the hope that the eyes of poor blinded sinners there would be opened and we believe that our continuing-presence there, in the face of many difficulties and unrelenting Satanic opposition, has hitherto proved to be a source of blessing. The greatest blessing of all is the forgiveness of sins – ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.’ The Saviour spoke of His blood as being ‘shed for many for the remission of sins.’ We are to proclaim as loudly and as widely as possible that Christ is exalted ‘a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins’. The time is short. Eternity is ahead of us; now is the ‘accepted time’; now is ‘the day of salvation.’ ‘The night cometh, when no man can work.’ Millions in Africa are perishing through the spread of AIDS and this adds urgency to the work.
“On behalf of the Foreign Missions’ Committee I desire to thank you most sincerely for your kindness and generosity in supporting our mission in Africa, and we hope that you will continue to do so. Above all, we desire you to pray that the Holy Spirit would bless the work being done there in order that precious never-dying souls may be begotten again and thus become heirs of an inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.’
“‘Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen and Amen’.”
Address by the Rev Petros Mzamo at Mbuma Zending Meeting:
(Based on Psalm 68:1 and Numbers 10:35)
“IN this psalm the moving of the ark is the type of the Lord Jesus Christ going forth to cast out all His enemies, which are also the enemies of His Church; and to set up His own kingdom which is the kingdom of grace. It is that kingdom of which He says that it is not ‘meat and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ He has established His in the hearts of His people, made a ‘willing people’ in the day of His power. The Lord Jesus sets up His kingdom in the hearts of His people, making them a willing people through the preaching of the gospel of the Son of God and Him crucified. By His death, He conquered all His enemies, even death and the grave.
“This brings joy, happiness and peace when tracing the victories of the Ark through the wilderness in opposition to many enemies until it ascended Mount Sion. The preaching of Christ crucified to the Jews is a stumbling block, to the Greeks it is foolishness. ‘For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved it is the power of God.’
“Christ going forth has ‘on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.’ His enemies from the great to the small strove mightily to destroy the Head of the Church. It was not easy to rescue the souls of the elect from the grasp of Satan and sin; to open the prison house: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ Yes, the Mighty Conqueror. As the Ark ascended Sion’s hill, so the Lord Jesus ascended to the heaven of heavens leading captivity captive. The Father welcomes the all-conquering Saviour of sinners.
The true church of God in our day and generation is meeting with many enemies – men and women who have gone out to every land to preach ‘another gospel’ which is not that of Christ. They are spreading erroneous, damnable teachings in every land destroying themselves and others. Godlessness, worldliness and the powers of darkness are combining in every land to destroy the true teaching of the gospel of Christ. The prayer of Moses should be the prayer of the true church, even in our day: ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.’
“I take this opportunity of expressing my sincere thanks and much appreciation to our Dutch friends for the great and wonderful support they give to the mission work in Zimbabwe and in Kenya.”