Burning to declare the praises of Jesus on the streets and squares of Nelson Mandela Bay

Pete Gooch SA coordinator of Burn247 and a member of the exco of Worship South Africa which is launching a national “Feet on the Street” campaign, shares on the call to declare God’s praises in the midst of troubled public spaces that has always been part of Burn247’s mandate in Nelson Mandela Bay. And he releases a trumpet call to Kingdom action.

Burn24/7 Nelson Mandela Bay has over the last decade, called on worshippers to gather in unity not only in various churches across the metro (from Kwazakele to Algoa park to Kragga Kama) but in “public spaces” such as the metro HQ police chapel, the university campus auditorium, streets around the “fees must fall” campaign, the square in front of the city hall nightly, council chambers during unrest, in the notorious suburb of Helenvale (where police said only the army could stop the gang violence) as well as a “March for Jesus” along 3km of the beach. These are examples of the mandate as the Church (not the building) to be salt and light to a tasteless dark world.

We have enough examples in Scripture to know that there is power in song, declaring a phrase or a line, blowing a trumpet, releasing a shout, worshipping at midnight in jail.

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So as the Covid lockdown eased I felt we need to worship at the hospitals; made some enquiries (and got some negative feedback from some around gathering) but then heard of some people who were praying in the Livingstone Hospital parking lot. So, instead of starting a new thing, we partnered with our prayer warrior brothers and sisters on Saturday mornings at 9am and have done so over the last two weeks.

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Something powerful happens when we worship Jesus, lift our gaze, focus on our all-powerful Creator and Athor of Life, and from that place pray and speak new life.

Hospital testimony
A testimony that comes to mind from our time at Livingstone Hospital last week is when, as 25 of us were praying and praising, a lady from the infectious diseases department came over to thank us for what we are doing. She said it gives them hope and encouragement. Our small prayer group of five felt to pray and bless her and the hospital staff that she represented. As the group prayed she raised her hands — blessed and with her faith visibly stirred with the assurance that she was not alone in the battle.

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We are also linked with Be the Change NMB, a movement which you can contact if you want to help the hospital meet its physical needs including blankets, PPE and nurse packs (Click here for more info on Be the Change and their contact details).

You are welcome to join us every Saturday morning from 9-10am at  Livingstone Hospital car park. We adhere to social distancing and should our numbers become greater than 50, we will split the group with half going to the Lindsay Road back parking lot behind the hospital. Please wear a face mask. Children are welcome. One tweak is that if more than 50 come we won’t move – 

For more info on the hospital prayer and worship campaign and future similar outreach initiatives, please see the event listings on the Burn247NMB Facebook page — not the Burn247PE group which will be deleted soon.

 

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Meeting again this Sat 9-10am @ Livingston Hospital ! Come lift up His name and declare resurrection life over this needy space in our Metro. Our God is Greater, there is power in the name of Jesus !! Welcome to bring : Blankets / PPE / nurse Packs with encouraging verses etc See @be_the_change_nmb for more needs

A post shared by burn247nmb (@burn247nmb) on Jul 30, 2020 at 5:26am PDT

We are looking to pray at the reservoirs and dams regarding the water crisis in this region and at the city hall — for breakthrough with city leadership.

We are called co-heirs with Christ. Jesus said “You (us) are the light of the world”, we are called to bring abundant life and undo the works of the evil one. Through the cross we can boldly declare in authority and I believe things happen, fear is lifted, impossibilities become possible. If they saw mighty miracles in the in the Old Testament before any apostles, or any Joel 2 “Spirit outpouring”, why do we not see an abundance of this today when the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in YOU and ME.

Walls fall, miracles occur, chains break, angels get breakthrough, demons flee, hope gets restored, dry bones come alive and viruses must bow to Jesus name. The spiritual realm is more real and a superior reality to the physical as demonstrated by many stories in the Bible and Jesus’ life on Earth when he fed 5 000, walked on water, and raised the dead to mention just a few of His miracles.

Have we watered down our Gospel message and faith due to centuries of playing church and allowing secular society to erode our expectation in who Almighty God really is? Who He has called us to be as ambassadors for Him? Ambassadors represent a king or government to those from another citizenship. Have we perhaps just settled for dual citizenship ?

I listened to Andy Stanley this last week talk around how unhelpful the term Christian is. That we should rather say or live as Followers of Christ.

Eighty percent of our nation is “Christian”, yet we have one of the most liberal constitutions and have legalised abortion.

When will the Church make a public stand, and speak out?

Reset time
We have heard a lot about the “church” being “reset” during this lockdown as well as relooking at our “culture” and what we do.

I believe it’s been a timely “reset” to relook at how we are following Jesus. I certainly have. This last week I was reminded of the WWJD (What would Jesus Do) bracelets that many wore years back and felt an extension of that in this season would sound like: WWJB (Where would Jesus BE) or #WWJG (Where would Jesus GO) if He came to our city?

Is He calling you to action ?

I’m quite sure He would be in the hospitals, the needy areas, possibly corrupt businesses, ministering to people like Zacchaeus, crooked money lenders, and shady guys doing-in the poor to make themselves rich.

Jesus’ ministry was probably 80-90% on the street and in homes. It’s time for us get out of the four walls as was confirmed this week by Oom Angus’ 29th Daily Devotion and Janet Brann Hollis’ prophetic word published in Gateway News today. The clarion call to the Church to leave the building is also being heard in other parts of the world as evidenced by reports on a California beach revival and a bold outdoor worship movement in the US.

Personally, if I were to attend another conference, or listen to another sermon, I would have probably heard 2 000+ messages by this stage and possibly acted on 5% of it. Can anyone relate?

Like the early followers of Jesus, persecution moved them to “Go”! Will this pandemic awaken the greatest missions move of us believers?

Not left to apostles, pastors and missionaries but a surge of unashamed pioneers into every place their foot treads, knowing as we GO, He is with us and has given us that space. Read Joshua 1:3-5 and Matthew 28:19-20.

I believe it will mature us all in our calling, increase our love and faith in hearing God and seeing a generation of true disciples rise up! We’ll witness streets saved and church buildings become too small to house the hunger!

#DareYouToMove #BeTheChange