About 400 people gathered to worship Jesus on the roof of the Mimosa Mall in Bloemfontein on Tuesday evening, Christian marketplace leader Dr Arno van Niekerk told Gateway News.
There was an amazing atmosphere with people of all ages and races excited about gathering together to worship in the marketplace after the lockdown and a number of people who happened to be at the mall joined the worshipers during the evening, he said.
He said about 30 people responded to an invitation to give their hearts to Jesus. The worshipers prayed for church leaders who attended, as well as for the election aftermath, the nation, the municipality, local schools and businesses.
Van Niekerk expressed thanks to the mall management for allowing the gathering during a time of Covid-19. He said they had been holding rooftop worship events for 11 years and he believed this week’s gathering was their 44th event.
The theme of a message that was shared during the evening, based on Romans 1:16, was about not being ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
“There was such excitement, as if people were sensing something new in the nation. God is really birthing a nation of worshipers. And I believe God is using these kinds of events.to unlock the Church — to break the shackles and bring a boldness upon Christians in order to stand up for what we believe,” he said.
He said he hoped the Bloemfontein event would inspire Christians in other towns and cities to gather and worshp in the marketplace.
“Because people are drawn to Jesus when we lift Him up and that is the heartbeat of this. We need the nation to really come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and us as Christians should step out of our comfort zones. It’s easy to worship the Lord in our churches, in our homes, but we need to go to the marketplace.
“And this is an example of how powerful it is — the message and the impact and many lives being touched. And the marketplace is open for Christians to share the good news because we have good news and we cannot stop sharing.
“So may this just encourage many others to do the same. Whether it’s small groups of bigger groups or whatever. You need to go to the marketplace where the needs are, That’s where Jesus went and many many are reached,” he said.
Van Niekerk said that expressing our faith in the marketplace is also a way of protecting our religious freedom.
“You know, if you don’t protect your religious freedom you are going to lose it. And the best way to protect it is to proclaim it in the marketplace — where many, many get to hear the good news.”
So it’s not one of those and they were also a number of church leaders there, we prayed together with then, we prayed for the city. We prayed for after the elections, also for the nation, the schools in the city, the churches, the businesses the municipality and andthe nation — that God will really change this nation, redirect sa, set His standards in place, lin cities and towns and the nation as a whole.
It was a mixed crowd of people from all races gathered Unknown Speaker 2:04 together.
we sang most song in English but they were some songs in Sotho and some in Afrikaans. So it was really a really inclusive event.
Amazing for mm to give us this opportunity as well during this time of Covid. So big thanks to them
44th event over 11 years — 4 times a year == so special actually. missed some events in lockdown. Next year 8 Feb.
So Christians around the city and gathering the young people and old — worshiping the Lord with the people and such excitement and you know, it’s always as ifpeople are experinecing something new in the nation. God is really birthing a nation of worshipers. And I believe God is using these kinds of events. to to to unlock the church to you know, break the shackles and bring a boldness upon Christians in order to stand up for what we believe and to not be ashamed of the gospel. Romans one verse 16 was the message last night
, brief message last night as well, and that we are unashamed of the gospel because it’s the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
And was quite striking how The people engaged and — you know, when we started praying everybody, you know, really prayed together quite intensively
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What a fabulous idea. May we all take worship and truth onto the rooftops and into the market place.