REFLECTION ON THE PRESIDENT’S CONSULTATION WITH CHURCH LEADERS - 12TH APRIL 2018

The  President of the Republic of Namibia, Dr. Hage  Geingob  called for a meeting with Church leaders, through the Council of Churches in Namibia,  at  State House in Windhoek.  A few representatives of the Bahai community and the Islamic community were also present.  Approximately 70  people  were in attendance,  in addition to a number of cabinet ministers.  The representatives of the Christian church generally demonstrated a good  degree of unity in terms of matters  of common concern. Here  and there a few church leaders lacked clarity of  expression and speech.    

The President  opened the meeting with a reading  from Hebrews 10:24-25, after which the Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Zephania Kameeta, a retired Lutheran Bishop, opened the meeting with prayer.

The President   made a few introductory remarks which were hard to hear. It amazes me that the sound system at State House (or the management thereof) is so poor - after all good communication, and the ability to listen well  is the essence of such a meeting.

The President began by asking each person present to introduce themselves and their church affiliations. Thereafter he gave ample time to listen to the community. 

The subjects, as might be expected related mostly to the  moral issues  facing  the nation.  Gender violence, murder, abortion and baby dumping, land issues, youth issues, pornography and the internet, poverty and unemployment, the need for  the  Bible in schools  and religious/ moral education   were  spoken about by  the members of the floor.  The controversial subject  of  the proposed taxation of churches was  also mentioned.  

The Acting  General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Namibia,  Mr. Ludwig Beukes, raised  the matter of  the  ‘Comprehensive Sexuality Education’  agenda in our schools. This  agenda  has been introduced  into the SADEC community  via UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). The church perceives this to be  a  subversive  agenda driven by foreign countries and organisations. This agenda has been introduced to our Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa,  and is  intended   to ‘educate’ children  about matters of sex from an early age. This  agenda is supposed to cure the   sexual aggression  of  the future generation.  The church however believes  that  the content  of this program is harmful rather than helpful.  

SO WHAT DID THIS  MEETING ACHIEVE?

One would like to believe that the President and  his Cabinet ministers  have truly wanted to hear  and value the opinions of the church community. It is clear that the government is  under much pressure from Foreign Donor Agencies  whose monetary support  is   substantially  linked to  an agenda  which promotes  a re-writing of  not only  healthy cultural  norms and values  but substantially undermines   biblical norms and values.  

Politicians are easily tempted by the prospects of receiving donor money in the name of  national development and job creations. But the church asks, ‘At what cost?’  Short term thinking and gratification and short term political gain must be avoided at all costs. We need to  guard the fences  of our Namibian house.  We need to build a robust and healthy nation  for the sake of our children. 

The church is the moral and spiritual guardian  of the nation.  As the church  sees it, the nation  can only be built on the  proven and tested foundations of the Word of God.  

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" [Proverbs  14:34]

HOW THE SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING IN NAMIBIA

Churches  exist in societies, and the changes that happen in these societies   tend to     affect the church. Since  our world is  subjected  to the  effects of the fall described in Genesis  3  and illustrated in chapter 4, and indeed  in the rest of the Bible, the pull is sadly  ‘downward’.  

Society, contrary to popular opinion, unaided  by the gospel  and left to  itself  does not  evolve  nor improve with time.  If it were not for the   continuous preaching of the Bible  in the pulpits of the world, and if it were not for  heaven–sent reformation and revival movements   given by God from time to time, and if it were not for the  common grace and the patience  of God,  and were it not for the true  church of the Lord Jesus Christ, acting as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) in all ages, the  self-destructive nature of  fallen men  would have brought about the total   demise of this world  far sooner.

Many people  are  not sure as to what the role of the church  ought to be  in  our ever changing society. On the one hand there are those who maintain  that the church ought to accommodate herself to the times. Their representatives   call the church  to adapt her message to suit  the  times.  On the other extreme  there are those  (they are  not too many these days)  who believe that  the church ought to resist  the times, to the point of becoming isolationist and  non- interactive.  Therefore, since  they do not intersect with their society, they have no influence upon  their society, and  for all intents  and purposes,  they are irrelevant.

Jesus  never intended  His church to be an uncritical  follower of  culture or societal norms. Jesus Himself was not afraid to take on    religious and cultural establishments  in His day. What mattered to Him was  that  the truth  of God’s plain Word should be applied  to  man’s thinking,  thus correcting the continuous  drift of society  into  evil and falsehood.  The church must do likewise.  

The church is  not a  cultural  phenomenon.  The church is not an institution designed by man.  The church is  not an uncritical  rubberstamp  of  her society. She  is  a creation of God.  She is the ‘ekklesia’[1]  of God. She is the people  of God, purchased by the  death of Christ on the cross.  She represents  the people  that are ‘called  out’  of the world , and called to belong to God.[2]   She  is ‘God’s new society‘[3]. She is  called  by God to be God’s alternative society. She is  called  to proclaim the gospel  to this corrupt  society, declaring  the  good news  that God has made a way for sinners[4]  to be reconciled  with God  through believing in Christ and to be changed  by Christ once more  into a God  fearing, godly people. So, the  gospel  is not only  an announcement concerning how sinners may be  reconciled with their Creator. The gospel  is also an announcement regarding ‘how we should live’.  

 SECULAR VERSUS BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 

In this regard  one of the  greatest  challenges in our day has become  the matter  of biblical anthropology (i.e. the doctrine of man)   severely clashing  with  an aggressive secular  and atheistic  anthropology  that is challenging  the way in which we have traditionally and biblically looked  at God and man.

I consider how the landscape has changed even within my life time. I find that the  greatest challenge started when society began  to   abandon  the biblical  distinction concerning the  different  roles of  men and women in favour of an ‘egalitarian view‘.  The biblical view is ‘complementarian’,  meaning that men  and women have been created by God  to complement one another, rather than to compete with one another. The egalitarian  world view recognises  no functional  difference  between men and women, and therefore  men and women are now competing with one another, rather than completing  one another. The  gender wars  have become  not only a feature of  the international community, but indeed also of Namibian society. 

This ongoing gender  war  has opened a   proverbial can of worms. If  we  challenge the biblical view of  the unique design of men and women  in terms of their unique design in terms of their  differing roles, and their  different  sex, then   we  must  not be  surprised  that,  following the abolishment  of these biblical distinctions,   further cracks  appear.  The little  crack in the pipe has now become a serious  water – leak.  Lack of gender distinction has now become gender confusion. And  all of a sudden,  and at a dizzying speed,   the gay, lesbian and transgender    agenda has appeared with an astonishing  force and  strength,  challenging   everything sacred:  marriage, biblical sexuality, child raising principles, education.  

In the  church  the  prevailing trend    in  Namibia has  been   to  almost uncritically  endorse   the prevailing  culture, even to the point   to  which  the plain  meaning   of the  Bible,  the  Word  is of God  is challenged and re-interpreted  to suit  the  culture.   For instance, the  Bible  knows nothing of women elders and  pastors   leading the church,  and yet  it is true that more and more  women take over the leadership roles of  the Namibian church. The Bible  would  firmly challenge this development. People would call this a fundamentalistic position, when in truth  it has everything to do with the authority  of Scripture  which is being plainly ignored.   

It is this  tendency to rebel against biblical authority in the church   which  ultimately gives way to the great  spiritual apostasy of the church  and thus ultimately to the  disassembly  of society. 

Namibian  churches and pulpits must be prepared  to see this and  to pray, preach and obey    the gospel, rather than pandering   to our society's  whims and fancies.

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[1] From the Greek word  ‘ek’ & ‘kaleo’ -  literally, ‘ to be called out’. The church is  the people of God called out of this world and called to belong to God . She is  God’s  new society  

[2] 1 Peter 2:9-10

[3] John Stott : Commentary of Ephesians , BST Series (IVP) , p.26

[4] The  Bible  makes it clear  every man is a sinner :  “ All have sinned  and fall short of the glory of God.” ( Rom  3:9-26) 

NAMIBIA IS 25 YEARS OLD TODAY !

Today ,  the Republic of Namibia  is 25 years old! We have  much to be thankful for 

Having been born in this country and having  begun my pastoral ministry in Windhoek   at the beginning of 1990,  three  months before  Namibia was constituted as an independent Republic,   I have been privileged to see  25 years  of progress and peace in Namibia.  

We thank God for political  stability. We thank God for  25 years in which  the people of Namibia  have  been able to  participate  in the privileges of citizenship, a privilege which was formerly  denied  them  under South African rule.  

We pray  that as our 3^rd president, Dr Hage Geingob is sworn in today ,  we may  continue to experience peace  and stability, such as we have  known.  

Our prayer also  is that the Namibian  church may   take her calling to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ seriously  in the days ahead , and that she would  fulfill her pastoral  and  prophetic role in Namibia.  A  country  can only be stable if  her citizens learn  to  live under authority . The primary authority  we refer to is  the  God who has made the heavens and the earth (Acts 4:24). God   has instituted the authority of the governing authorities( Romans 13:1-7) . He  has ordained that civil society  ought to  live humbly under  the rule of  God, who  gives us  the kind of leaders  we ask for.  God fearing, moral , responsible leaders  are a blessing  from God , for they do much under God to  prevent   all sorts of evils  that would undermine the moral fibre of our society.

So  then, far from resting on our laurels  let us learn to  encourage our leaders  in  the future  by regularly praying for them, and  by regularly reminding them that there is a God in heaven  to whom all earthly authority  must  one day give an account (Philippians 2:9,19) . Let  our churches  help our  political leaders by  raising up  God fearing  people and citizens  by  the  faithful preaching of the  Word of God.

People that fear God  will be   positive, constructive  citizens   which will make  a land governable  and  biblically  prosperous.

Praying for Namibia as we Prepare for National Elections on the 28th November 2014

“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.”  ( 1 Chronicles 12:32)

Every age has its unique challenges, and  the challenge is basically  always the same— to  understand the times  and to know  what to do in such times .  Those who understand the times  within the framework of    biblical wisdom,   will be  our wisest  leaders.  Namibia  is  standing on the threshold of  a new era  and of  another   election  in which a  new president and  a  new national assembly  are elected. 

In  1 Chronicles 12:32   we find   this  interesting verse.  Soon after  Saul’s death the  nation of Israel  was in turmoil.   A change in leadership  always  has the potential to disturb the peace of  a nation. Saul’s  tribe, the Benjamites,  had their own  ideas about who was to be the successor  to the throne in Israel.  The majority of  Israel  however were not of the same mind, and so  they  aligned themselves  with a rising star in their midst,  whom God actually had chosen prior to this-  David, the son of Jesse  of the tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 16). They  were  now  assembling in  Hebron to  make  David  their  new king.   

Now,  at that point in Israel’s history,  there were  two hundred leaders of the tribe of Issachar  of whom we are told that they  were  “men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.”

Two hundred  wise  men – what a  dream  - what a bonus!  Blessed is that nation that has such men.   It shall be well with that nation, and so it proved to be under the leadership of David.

The outgoing president  : Mr H. Pohamba

The ability to correctly analyze contemporary situations and to know what to do  is what good  leadership is all about. Every generation needs such  leaders who can understand the times and  who  know what to do in the light of  such times.

The God who has created this world and all there is in it (Psalm 24:1) has given us  a Word about  wise governance as well as many warnings  concerning abuse. Now,  Namibia is not a Theocracy  like Israel, and Namibia may  well consider itself to be a secular state but this fact does not  impress God.  God remains the rightful owner of this earth, and He will hold the nations of the world, including  Namibia,   accountable. (Psalm 2)

It is  right therefore that  we should seek the LORD  in seasons  of prayers  in these days. We  must  pray  for  future leaders  to be endowed with   an understanding  of, and a commitment  to  biblical  wisdom as applied  to the issues of our day.  Wise men need to know that “true truth”  needs to be fought for in every new generation.  The current war  against   a distinctly biblical world view  needs to be  discerned.  Evil is never distant.   We need  people  of the statue of the  sons of Issachar , “men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do .”

NAMIBIA AND NORTH KOREA

New Independence Museum built by NK

For a number of years now we have been observing  that North Koreans  have been used to  build  Namibian National symbols  such as the grandiose State House, a new Independence Museum and the   Heroes acre  in our capital city, Windhoek.

Given the fact that Namibia is a free  and democratic country, it is ironic  that  we should  allow  an  oppressive, sinister   regime such as North Korea, to  build  our national symbols of freedom.  

We have just heard that  North Korea  has  jailed and  possibly executed  33 Christians.

The Washington Times (March 6^th, 2014)  citing the South Korean  Daily Mail   carried the following  report,

“North Korea tyrant Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered that 33 Christians believed to be working alongside South Korean Baptist missionary Kim Jung-wook be put to death.

Heroes Acre  Windhoek built by NK 

The South Korean missionary — who was arrested last year — and his accomplices have reportedly started 500 or so underground churches, Breitbart reported.

South Korean press cited by The Daily Mail reported that Mr. Kim has charged that the 33 are attempting to overthrow the government — the same accusation that led to the execution of the North Korean leader’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek, and all Mr. Jang’s relatives.

The missionary aides will be put to death in a cell of the State Security Department, The Daily Mail reported.

Their announced executions come just a day after reports surfaced that North Korea’s Number Two, Choe Ryong Hae, hasn’t been seen at several recent public events he normally would have attended — fueling talk that perhaps he’s the latest to be purged from Mr. Kim’s government.[1]”

Kim Jong-un of North Korea

Surely, this is an outrage! Namibia has a large professing Christian majority  and  we should not be silent on this matter. We know of course  that God will   in His time, severely judge  North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un  for  the murder of  Christ’s people, but  we also  want to remind  our government that alliances  with  such  countries  will not leave us unscathed from the wrath of God.  [Habakkuk 3:2]

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[1] Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/6/kim-jong-un-calls-execution-33-christians/#ixzz2vllsCQjf

Five Foundational Matters Which The Namibian Church Should Be Praying For At This Time

Yesterday  (06/03/2014)  the  Namibian  nation was called to prayer  by our President in response to a  series of cruel  murders  of young women  by their boyfriends.  We need to understand that these murders are symptomatic of  what goes on in the heart  of our people. A mere  glimpse at the symptoms will not solve  our problems. The church has two  powerful weapons by which she may help the country:  

(i) to preach the Word  

(ii) to pray  regularly  for the spiritual health  of the nation .  

To be sure, prayer for our country needs to be an ongoing work of the church. 

Here are  5 foundational  considerations for  continued intercessory  prayer ...

1.  Pray  that  God would give  our   churches  the  ability to  see that  the neglect of  the Word of God and Prayer has indeed reaped grim  rewards. We have believed  the  lies of humanism, and its  doctrines  that teach  us to  rely on the wisdom of man  more than  the  wisdom of  the Word of God. For this we need to repent.

2. Pray that our  churches and nation  would see that  the  most basic and foundational institution  upon earth – covenantal marriage,  the foundation of the family,  is  indeed God’s idea. This sacred institution has  been  spurned  by our generation and thus   has produced  this social chaos in which we now  find ourselves.  For this we need to repent.

3.  Pray  that we would see that  we have neglected our parental duties  towards  our children. Too many children in our country have grown  up without godly  nurture  and instruction. Too many  children nowadays  grow up in single parent families,  or  are being raised  by  persons who are not their  parents.  We ought to repent  that we  have bought into modern  humanistic  values that forbid  the parent to discipline their  child in biblical love.

4.  Pray that  the Namibian church  would wake up from its   non - commitment to the authority of God’s Word, and that preachers  would arise to  fearlessly  proclaim the  whole counsel of God,  speaking the truth in love.  Pray  that God would  forgive the church  for her many sins  and restore her (2 Chronicles  7:14)

5. Pray that the Namibian government   would   have the wisdom to keep all  immoral   and subversive forces out of the land, and to firmly punish  all evil doers   and murderers appropriately and in such a way so as to  discourage any further acts of violence.  

6th of March 2014 - A Day of National Prayer!

When last have you heard of a President of any country who in response to calamity calls his nation to prayer?

President Hifikepunye Pohamba has dared to do this, against the background of media ridicule and cajoling .

Namibia is currently in the grip of a spate of angry men who kill their girlfriends, and it is continuing. This morning’s newspaper (The Namibian 05/03/2014) reports of yet again another such murder. A man stabbed his girlfriend to death in cold blood while her children were watching. This is incident number 10 since the beginning of the year !

Our president is concerned, and so should we. I have done some analysis of the ‘angry Namibian man syndrome’ in my last blog post.

There are historical precedents for calling a nation to prayer such as was the case in the days of John Wesley , the famous Methodist Preacher who tells us in his journal of a deliverance in 1756. The king of England called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of a threatened invasion by France.

Wesley wrote: “The fast was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquility. He added later in a footnote: “Humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion by the French was averted.”

Below also  find an example of a proclamation and a call to national prayer and fasting in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, the president of the USA. 

If you are in Windhoek , please feel free to join us  on THURSDAY , 6^th March 2014  for  an hour of prayer at Eastside Baptist Church  between 18h00 and 19h00  as  we intercede  with the church at large  for our nation .

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By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Whereas the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the supreme authority and just government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and of nations, has by a resolution requested the President to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation; and

Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord;

And, insomuch as we know that by His divine law nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do by this my proclamation designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the people to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite at their several places of public worship and their respective homes in keeping the day holy to the Lord and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the divine teachings that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high and answered with blessings no less than the pardon of our national sins and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 30th day of March, A. D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

By the President:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State .

NAMIBIA - A NATION OF SICK MEN ?

Today’s  headlines ( 24/02/2014) in   “The Namibian” carried the title, “Nation of sick men”  written by Shinovene Immanuel and  Nomhle Kangootui.

This headline  comes  in response  to  the ninth killing  this year, and the sixth in about three weeks  of women  by their boyfriends.  The last killing, on Saturday   was said to  be  a 33 year old  Motswana  woman  who was  stabbed nine times and who had her throat slit in her flat at the Paulinium  Seminary. It was said that she was studying to become a pastor.

The article reminded us  that this gruesome murder came  hours after President Pohamba’s call, during a cabinet meeting on Friday, for a day of   national prayer.  He declared the 6th of  March as the National Prayer day.   Our church will  certainly join this initiative !

What  then shall we say?

Clearly, all this  deeply troubling. The   blood of these nine murdered women cries out from the ground. The heart of the nation  is  laid bare  at such times.  Deep anger  is expressed  and scape goats  are sought. The government is blamed, and  the church is blamed. Much heat and little light  is generally shed  on the true causes  of  such atrocities. The Namibian  Newspaper allowed  someone in their ranks to vent  their (uncontrolled) anger   against our President’s  call to prayer on the front page.  The article  (found below for your interest and information )  reflects  anger  upon anger. We are dealing here with an angry  newspaper  editor and  an   angry nation!

Back to the horrible murders. What shall  we  say about  the murderers? Our  psychologically  conditioned  society  says:   “These are  sick men!”  Sickness is thus  blamed for their actions, and if you take that  thought further, you could say , “their  sickness made them do it!”  That gives them sort of an excuse, doesn’t it ?

Here’s where Christian wisdom comes in. Biblically  we would not call them sick men.  These are angry men  who did this.  Anger is a sinful emotion,  which when not controlled   leads to all sorts  of pathological problems. The Bible  wisely observes : “Do not let  the sun  go down on your anger , and give no opportunity to the devil “ (Ephesians  4:27).  Well, clearly the  devil has had his day! He has found another  member of the human race  willing to perpetrate  a crime  which,  according to the Scriptures,  is worthy of the death penalty!

 “Why are these men angry?”  I remind you that we all  get angry at times. But  we, who come from  healthy  Christian families learn to control our anger.  I can assure you that these men did not do  this on the spur of a moment. Their hearts  were already filled with so much  accumulated anger, that  the argument   which they had  with their so- called girlfriends  was merely the straw that broke the camel’s  back. 

Much more needs to be said as  to why  there are so many angry men in our nation. Here are  a few  considerations  which contribute to  our understanding of the “angry man  syndrome” . These considerations  are rarely, if ever,   discussed in the media :

1.      Men, when they were young boys,  were not helped  by their families to deal with their anger. Absent fathers and mothers  are the curse of our nation.

2.       Anger is a most destructive emotion. Bottled  up anger  leads to  all sorts  of  societal  problems: suicide , murder , alcoholism , drugs etc.  

3.       Systematic biblical teaching  and application in the home and in the church on the subject of    proper relationships  and  the dealing with the emotions  ( including anger)   would certainly have  helped such men.

4.      Men  are often  provoked  by  the  vicious , uncontrolled tongue of a woman. A woman can drive a man to insanity.  When provoked,  men   tend to be physically violent . The woman by contrast, lacking physical strength   provokes with the tongue, and the tongue is a small  instrument that  has often set the world on fire!  Having said this, it  does not excuse  such  a  horrible deed, but it must be considered  as a factor.

5.       The marginalization of men  and the constant ridiculing and downplaying  of the male figure in our society  is  beginning to reap bitter   consequences.  The Ndeshi and Jakes column in the Namibian newspaper bears eloquent  testimony to that. Jakes clearly  is the ever  stupid  male!

6.      The  current   ‘gender  agenda’   blurs the  distinct  identity  and traditional roles   of  male and female. It  generally  favours women.  Men grow silently angry and frustrated in the process.    

7.       The Bible has amazing wisdom  to offer  concerning  the healthy  interaction between men and women. Men are called to be Christ-like  loving leaders , and women are called to be  Christ-like  partners . That is the secret ! And it really works .

The question I have  is this : Are Namibians willing to  listen to the wisdom of the Word of God?  You may be surprised  to find  the answers  here to your ultimate questions!

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Here is the article on the front page of “ The Namibian” (24/02/2014)   by  an unknown  writer . I  have expressed my surprise and disgust to the Editor of the Namibian for such  poor journalism.  

God Save us from Who?

IF OUR government is in such a hopeless state that President Hifikepunye Pohamba, his entire cabinet and the Swapo Politburo call for divine intervention to solve a nationwide problem then Namibians should be very worried.

The declaration of 6 March 2014, a Thursday, as a national day of prayers is nothing short of government’s acceptance that the politicians, who we voted into power, are overwhelmed by the challenges and have failed the masses.

Most worryingly, not only has the President, the cabinet and Swapo disregarded the very Constitution they enacted and which they are sworn to defending, but may well have sown the seeds for religious fundamentalism.

In a country founded on the principles of secularism, it is worth posing the questions: What god are we calling on for divine intervention? Whose god do we pray to? Who should people pray for [victims, criminals, would-be victims and would-be criminals we assume]? How far will the state take religion and religious interventionism now that the government brings the country to a standstill in order to pray?

Needless to say, the agnostics and atheists have been cast aside from this equation.

It may not be obvious now, but many moons down the line different religious groups (including the dominant ones such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism in our part of the world) and their different denominations would most likely begin fighting for turf.

Where religion predominates, and different sects start to demand control, views harden, killings and violence become the order of life. Evidence of religion-driven violence abound in the United States of America, China, India, Palestine and Israel, Afghanistan, Nigeria, the Sudans and the Central African Republic.

To the contrary, no proof exist that the absence of religion is the cause for common crimes such as murder and theft.

Our government will be better served by sticking to defending the Constitution in its totality and tackling challenges facing Namibians head-on without having to take a day off for prayers.

Besides, the rot is at the top where several leaders have publicly and privately been implicated in cases of violence against women and children (both domestic and in public).

President Pohamba has listed 13 points, including the day of prayers, as actions his government needs to take. How cynical!

All of those could have been acted upon many years ago – violence against women and children is an old problem in our country. Some, such as the proliferation of alcohol and drug consumption, have been ignored and tacitly encouraged over the years.

A crucial catalyst for despair and lawlessness – poverty in the land of plenty – does not even get a mention.

It is not the political leaders’ place to lead religious activities. And there’s nothing wrong with our Constitution. In the absence of complete capitulation, therefore, they must do to the job [fulfil promises] based on what they convinced Namibians to vote for them.

Namibian Reflections and Challenges at the End of 2013

I call upon the church  to remain faithful to her Lord Jesus !

I  am in the process  of completing  24 years of  pastoral  service   at the Eastside Baptist  church – the only church that I have really known and loved  as a pastor. I will be turning 55 in December 2013 and I am  truly desirous  that whatever time I have left  in Christ’s service on earth, that I should be a good and faithful servant of Christ, whose call I have  followed since June 1978.  

I am  aware  of the fact that it is before Him that I stand or fall… and I will be upheld, for the Lord is able to  make me stand. (Romans 14:4)

If I have 15 (or more)  fruitful years left in pastoral ministry, then I am praying now   for  more grace and help  to make the Lord Jesus Christ unavoidable to the people  that I am called to minister to. I really  do desire to end well. I do not  wish to be  a  reckless and careless fool (Proverbs 13:16) discrediting the Lord  or His church. 

Two things  constantly occupy my mind  as I consider the ministry: Prayer  and the Word! Not that I consider myself an expert  in either, but  I believe  that these  two disciplines must  occupy the heart of the pastor and  of his ministry.  I do earnestly pray  now,  at this time of my life,  that I  shall  not stand still  with regard to these, but that  I shall  continue  to grow  in these disciplines  on my way to the heavenly city.

2013 has been a relatively quiet year  when I compare it with past years.  Obviously,  I have  continued to   fulfill   the main responsibilities of  my ministry, but  I have led no small group  (home fellowship)  this year, nor have I  taught   in our  School of the Bible.  Instead,  my wife and I  were  a part of a home fellowship,  being ministered to. We deeply appreciated  the level of good teaching  which we have received from  a  retired elder.  

I have spent  much time  thinking,   looking  at  the issues  which we face in our city and country.  

I have spent time talking with, and interacting with pastors from other denominations.

It has been a “Nehemiah year” for me.   Nehemiah  did an inspection tour  of the city  of Jerusalem  which had been destroyed by the Babylonians. Here  is what he writes…

“…So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire…. (Nehemiah 2:11-13 ESV)

I am not  a man  of the stature of a Nehemiah. Neither do I see myself as the saviour of my city and country. But I do have the burden of  Nehemiah  for my city and country, as I do see so much destruction  among us… so many destructive influences   bearing upon us.

With the help of God I do want  to  continue  the ‘fight of faith’ in  our context in  the years ahead.  

The broken walls and gates  of our society are  manifold: 

I see  many broken marriages  and  unruly children;  I see many  school teachers that are not coping with the many  ill- disciplined children  in their schools, all which  derives from  the  brokenness of the home.

I see the gay  agenda forcefully advancing, and along with it I see a false tolerance  developing; I see sexual immorality becoming a norm.

I see lack of  proper  administration  of justice  in our courts  and  I see corruption  and greed in the market place; I see the  wide gap between rich and poor.

I see   a  dangerous cult called  “prosperity teaching”   engulfing our  churches. I see  the  entertainment  driven ministry and liberal theology which affects  our pulpits   and pew, progressively emptying our churches.  I see disillusioned people  leaving  the churches that have abandoned their  gospel calling, and going nowhere…

I see  many  good  Christians doing their own thing in  para church organisations. I see little   rallying around  Bible believing, Scripture affirming  churches. I see people paying lip service to the church, which surely is  the most biblical organisation on earth, the very body of Christ of which He is the head. 

I see the love of many growing cold as they are sucked into materialism  and the  excessive  pursuit of pleasure and leisure.  I  see many professing Christians  nowadays  preferring  Sunday sport  and leisure  over  worship. 

What is this but coldness of heart?

What does one do when the  spiritual gates are broken down, and  when the  walls are destroyed and when the enemies of God  mock  the man and woman  who believes in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture?  

We continue to do what the church has always done!

We continue to  call  people   to  have faith  in Christ  and His Word alone. 

We continue to call  all  people on earth to repent and believe in the gospel reminding everyone  that there  is  a day of judgement  to come and that only those who believe and trust  in Christ  will inherit eternal life. 

We  continue to call on converted men  and women  and their  families  to  faithfully  sit under  the preaching  the Word in faithful Bible believing churches. 

We continue to call  all  Christian  people to  attend  public  prayer meetings of their churches  and  to engage in private prayer. 

We continue to call people to set their Sundays  apart for  public worship, that is,  to start and to end  the Lord’s day in worship.

We continue to call upon all believers  to  lead  holy lives. We call  all believers  to resist evil  in every form and to do good to all – even our enemies. We call upon all believers  to  be salt and light. We call upon all believers to  forsake the company of those  who corrupt  the gospel and who lead immoral lives, whilst retaining loving and open arms  to those  who wish to turn from  evil  to Christ. 

Yours for the love of Christ and His church,

Joachim Rieck 

December 2013