Dear brothers and sisters
We great you in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are getting this email because you submitted your contact details on the housechurchresource.co.za website or because you have shown interest in the deeper things of God.
A journey towards depth and authenticity
Over the last two decades there have been many believers in South Africa that have sensed that God would like to recover the faith and practice we see revealed in the New Testament.
As a result, the Lord has taken many on journeys that involve things like detoxing from religion, meeting in homes, building Christ centered relationships with other believers (rather than ministry-based or meeting-based relationships), recovering the centrality and supremacy of Jesus, and learning to know and live by the indwelling life of Christ.
Since starting the House Church Resource website in 2011, we have heard from many believers all over South Africa who are meeting in simple ways and pursuing deeper intimacy with God and one another. In fact, we still get emails from people every week looking for simpler expressions of Christ they can join.
In general, the desire expressed by those we have been in contact with is a one of greater depth and authenticity in their Christian walk.
A silent but deep work
For many years we talked about hosting a camp in South Africa to bring together all those that were on this journey, but for whatever reason it never materialised. Like with all things, God does things according to His own divine timing. We appreciate the words of Paul in this regard.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” (Gal 4:4)
For the last two decades or so, God has been moving in South Africa in an invisible and seemingly random way outside of the institutional structures. He has been dealing with individuals, families, and very small groups of people.
He has been speaking to their hearts, arranging their circumstances, teaching them His ways, and taking them on often difficult and painful journeys. Journeys designed to give them deeper experiences of the cross, community, and Christ.
We thank and bless the Lord for this work that He has been doing in the lives of so many. We know that He has been doing this work for Himself. Because He desires a people that are utterly and totally for Him and Him alone.
We sense that the Lord wants to speak
Over the last few months there have been some of us that have been getting a distant sense from the Lord. Like a faint impression that the Lord wants to begin building on the foundation that He has been establishing here in South Africa over the last few decades.
Many of us have always known that He was doing things with a goal in mind, but we could not quite put our finger on what it was. We are still not entirely sure what He wants to do, but we are beginning to see in part.
A net/network: One of the clear impressions we are receiving from the Lord is that He would like to connect all the individuals, families, and groups that He has been working with. Almost like the way a net is put together. Someone mending a net which has been broken into many pieces may first mend the various parts, but eventually they would put those pieces together in order to form a full and usable net.
In order to participate with the Lord in this regard we have created a website and a Facebook group to function as a central point of connection. We have called it the Deeper Life Network. You can join the network by submitting your details on the website and by joining the Facebook group.
Pray/seek the Lord: In order to gain deeper insight into what is in the Lord’s heart, we have felt the Lord encourage us to seek His face. Although we do not know exactly what He would like to do, what we do know is that He wants us to posture our hearts in a position that will enable us to hear.
Interestingly, the Lord also charged His disciples to wait on Him after He had ascended. To wait for what He wanted to give them. They had received much training from the Lord for three years, but still the Lord charged them to wait on Him.
We appreciate this practice that the Lord gave them and which they continued to obey as they progressed as the people of God. They did very little without first hearing from the Lord through fasting and prayer.
A time of prayer
Initially we felt that a few of us should get together to seek the Lord in prayer for a weekend in December. However, after seeking the Lord about this we have felt to open it up for all those who are on this journey.
Some of the aspects that we would like to pray into include the Lord’s work in South Africa (including asking the Lord to raise up workers), the spread of the gospel of the Kingdom, the church life in each locality in South Africa, the government and socio-economic conditions in South Africa (so they may be favourable for the Lord’s work), the growth of the network, and what events we should arrange for 2019.
In addition we would just like to wait on the Lord to speak to us about whatever is on His heart.
In order to make the event as accessible as possible to all South Africans we have decided to host it in Bloemfontein. It is the most central city in South Africa and we have a good relationship with some of the brothers and sisters there. There are also a variety of accommodation options in Bloemfontein, from Hotels and Guest Houses, to Air BnBs and camp sites.
Considering that most people see family from the 24th to the first few days in January, we felt to host the time of prayer on the weekend of 22 December. We have not yet confirmed a venue, as we would first like to see how many people will be coming.
We do not yet have a set programme, but this is currently what we are thinking:
- Thursday 20 Dec: Arrival and evening meeting
- Friday 21 Dec: Fasting and payer
- Saturday 22 Dec: Fasting and prayer
- Sunday 23 Dec: The Lord’s table and departure
This is an open invitation to all those that are on a deeper journey with the Lord and His people. So please forward it on to anyone you may know that resonates with what has been shared.
After our time of prayer we will send out an email to all those who have registered on the Deeper Life Network website to share with them what the Lord spoke to us.
So if you are unable to make it to Bloemfontein but you would like to stay informed with what is going on, please make sure that you sign up to the Deeper Life website.
If you would like to join us on this weekend please register at the following web address by Friday 07 December.
http://2018bloemprayer.
We are looking forward to hearing from the Lord, and doing so together with all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.
In Christ,
The saints in Cape Town, Alberton, and Bloemfontein
For any queries please email us at:
Check out these very interesting blogs! Dylan Cromhout and Nathan Odell are busy with groundbreaking work for the Lord down in the Capetown area. Check out there blogs and websites and get involved if you can. The work they are doing is really commendable.
Dylan Cromhout
Nathan Odell
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