12-43pm
Well here’s a thing…for 26 years Mike & I have been coming to Betty’s Bay and I think this is the first time we have gone to church in this our favourite of little beach towns.
It was very friendly.
I sat next to a lady who introduced herself as Kathy. She sat with her daughter & every time there was prayer, they joined hands….it was tender…and moving.
There were people of all ages, about 50 or 60 altogether…
The man who led the service was warm and inviting. His name was Ettienne. We sang amazing hymns. How meaningful the words are to those songs of old…Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war, with the Cross of Jesus going on before. A time of prayer was had, especially against the violence and moral degeneration of our country. The speaker this morning was visiting. Dr. Andries Cilliers. He spoke WELL! His theme “More than conquerors.” How often we have heard that phase quoted from Romans 8: 37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Dr. Cilliers pointed out some of the things that Paul had been saying prior to this. Three times between vss 22 & 26 of Romans 8, the word ‘groan’ is mentioned.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
There is a lot of pain and anguish in our country. This is not new. Paul says the pain that we experience is not pain that goes nowhere, but it will be rewarded. The present suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. We have hope in the glory of God. Paul looks to the good news of the Gospel. God raised His only Son from the dead and because of Him, we are more than conquerors.
And so we walked away from Lakeship Chapel, encouraged. So much violence. So much we don’t understand, but sure of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. And I was grateful that a few decades ago some locals took the trouble to be a witness and a lighthouse to the holiday town of Betty’s Bay. 
If I lived in Betty’s Bay, I would definitely make this church my home church! 🙂
And so our time at BB is coming to an end. We have had a wonderful weekend and will be back in the next couple of months again. For Mike this is his favourite holiday place by far! Today we can leave late. Granny is only due home tomorrow, for her last week at home. Somehow I’m still thinking that she should stay at Ladies Christian Home. It seems a palava bringing her home for a week, only to move her back permanently, but Mike is against the idea. “Just one more week,” he says to me. Seven more mornings of not knowing what I am going to find when I come downstairs in the morning. Half the pleasure of these few days away have been a complete mental rest from the worry of Granny. I know she is being looked after at LCH.
In the meantime, I am looking forward to being back in the studio tomorrow morning. 107.5 CCFm – Rise and Shine 6-9am. www.ccfm.org.za on the www. And I’ve got tomorrow’s blog all lined up. Unless something else happens, it’s going to be on Don’t Stop Praying and it comes from me walking and dreaming and praying on Betty’s Bay beach… 28 years ago! 🙂 No wonder we love this place so much. How faithful God has been.
God bless you loads!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂