ccm Cross 0063 – Soweto, South Africa | Christian Cross Ministries

ccm Cross 0063
February 17, 2014

Elshaddai Christian Fellowship
Soweto, South Africa
ccm cross #0063

GPS/DMS 26.2485° S, 27.8540° E Cross 0063 Soweto - Zola SA Web 01

3488 cdd The Gift
Cyber Daily Devotion
Volume 15 Number 052

Today’s Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” NKJV

My name is Pastor Charles Moyo and this is my ccm Cross Testimony.

I grew up in the Southwestern Township that is in the central mining district near Johannesburg, South Africa. You will probably know the name of the Township as SOWETO.

I was the youngest of six children. My dad was a domestic worker who did not know the Lord. My mom took us to church but we never experienced an encounter with Jesus.

It was 1976 the area I grew up in was a political powder keg. Reformers in South Africa selected schools to inspire change in our country. Daily student high school leaders were talking about making changes. From my perspective things were hopeless. I could not trust the government and didn’t know where the student leaders were taking us.

I was given a book by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. called, “Strength To Love.” In the book I saw how peaceful non-violence with Jesus could work for us. But I didn’t know Jesus or how to get to know him.

Then in April 1976 I attended a Bible Conference at our local high school. The Bible Conference taught me about Jesus and gave me a Gift I will always remember — it was Ephesians 2:8 that the Holy Spirit used to get my attention: “I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God” NCV

My Gift was eternal life:

That evening I gave my life to Christ and what surely seemed hopeless became opportunity for the future. I had no idea what the future held for me but it was clear to me that Jesus was my hope and would see me through.

June 16, 1976 the world around me exploded. The SOWETO riots began and the future of South Africa was aflame. But through this Jesus stood tall and I had peace in my heart. I took my eyes off the political powder keg of confusion and held my eyes on Jesus.

The riots continued and strife was all around. But Jesus gave me another gift: The Gift of Bible School. Here I learned all I could about Jesus and my relationship with him grew.

Upon graduation the Lord had another Gift for me: My endearing wife Patricia.

Together we set out to preach for Jesus and the Lord brought me back to SOWETO. The political powder keg was growing all around. The demonstrations were larger and more violent. A state of emergency was an everyday existence. But our job was to introduce Jesus. And we did! We started a church meeting in a school building — one person at a time. Our tiny church grew. That too was a Gift from Jesus!

Our family grew. The Lord gave us three Gifts. All boys. The church was growing and our family was growing. The Lord was good. Then in the midst of all this political turmoil and the Gifts from the Lord — tragedy struck.

Immediately after the birth of our third child Patricia was diagnosed with Leukemia. We set up prayer meetings. She was hospitalized for six months. I was the only one allowed to see her and I had to wear a gown and a mask. Day by day her health deteriorated.

Along the way, as our church grew, we met many pastors from the USA. One of them, Anna Mavi from Florida brought our next Gift from the Lord. She flew into Johannesburg and went to the hospital to pray for Patricia who had escalated to stage four cancer. We were told there was no hope. Where the world had no hope Jesus had other plans for our lives. Jesus healed Patricia that day. Patricia walked out of the hospital. To God be all the Glory.

Since then we adopted a little girl, another Gift from the Lord which completed our family.

Then a very interesting thing happened. We received another Gift from the Lord in a way no one could have imagined. We were meeting for church in the school building and an elderly man stepped forward. He threw Ten Rand (one dollar) in a bucket and called for the members to multiply his seed to build a new building. The church followed.

Our next Gift from the Lord was the land for the church. It was in the area of SOWETO called Zola.

Then the church continued to add funds. These were not wealthy people. They were ordinary people, many of which questioned where their next meal was coming from, but they gave faithfully unto the Lord.

Our next Gift from Jesus was the Church building — but many tried to stop us.

Throughout SOWETO there are many evil worshipers who did not take kindly to us building a church in Zola. They did everything they could to discourage us. They stole our materials and vandalized what we did and while political unrest escalated they took time off to harass us at every turn.

We bought a caravan (camper) and the workers we hired moved onto the land to protect what we were doing. They were attacked and badly beaten. But we had resolve, we had hope with Jesus. We continued and in the end we ended up paying twice as much for the church, than we should have, because of the vandalism. But to God be all the Glory — we are here and here we will stay until the return of the King of Kings.

Ultimately Martin Luther King, Jr. was right — we used his book as our model of peace in this church and shortly after we completed our new building we received another Gift.

April 27, 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected president and Apartheid officially ended throughout South Africa.

To us the Cross symbolizes the power of God as in 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” NKJV

The Cross also cleanses us as in Colossians 2:14: “He (Jesus) canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” NCV (Emphasis Added)

And finally the Cross destroys desires for this world as in Galatians 6:14b “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging. Through the cross of Jesus my world was crucified, and I died to the world” NCV

Pastors Bill and Carol this Cross is a special blessing to our neighborhood and all of SOWETO as it clearly shows that Christ is the answer. Thank you. And this Cross will help us like a Lighthouse to win the lost for Christ and equip the saints for ministry.

My favorite Bible verse is Acts: 20:24
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” NLT

Pastor Bill, my wife and I have a burden to plant at least three churches before we retire from ministry. We covet the prayers of your readers in this area.

Pictures of Pastor Charles and Patricia plus the SOWETO Cross Click Here.

Prayer: Father thank you for the Gift of healing Patricia allowing her to stand with Pastor Charles for all 27 years of continuous ministry. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

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