A Call to Prayer

We are calling for a week of prayer for Gambella, from Sunday, April 24 to Sunday May 1.

Last night, a “highlander” was bringing water to refugees in a nearby camp called Jewi when he accidentally hit and killed two Nuer. The driver and some innocent bystanders were immediately beaten to death and more were murdered later that night brining the total up to nine. This is not the only recent incident preceding and following the Jikwo, Lare, and Nininyang massacre. The hatred has to stop somewhere and we are asking the Lord to do what appears to be impossible for humans in spite of their best attempts.

Also, we had planned to bring in a Professor from Addis to teach all our students, both full-time and part-time, on the subject of Early African Church History. This is scheduled for May 2 – 6. Our faculty believe that we must take a step of faith and proceed with this course even though at present fear still keeps our students apart. We believe that this fear is not from God as He clearly says He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind and we believe we must take a public stand in faith. While we will not force anyone to attend, we are encouraging our Nuer brethren to allow us to bus them to and from the Anglican Centre.

And so we need your prayers for that week also. Satan is seeking to bring this College to its knees…and so to our knees we will go! Remember, St Frumentius is the only seminary in the area. It is no wonder that the forces of darkness rally against us in such a violent manner!

I include a poem I wrote after the most recent killing in Jewi.

We stand before the sea

We stand before the sea, dear Lord,

We stand before the sea.

We see the dust behind us,

We see our enemy.

All human ingenuity

Has failed to save the day

And in our hearts we wonder,

Will Satan have his way?

Will we lie crushed beneath his heel

Will hell victorious be?

Will hatred, strife, and bitterness

Still reign perpetually?

Will sulphurous fumes engulf us all

And drag us down below

The surface of this swollen stream

Infested with our foe?

Stand, believer, stand and see

Salvation by God’s hand!

The God who freed the Hebrew slaves

And wind and waves command,

Is still the God Who was and is

And is to come again…

His Spirit touches deep within

And turns the hearts of men.

Come, Lord Jesus, come to us

You are our only hope.

The evil one walks through the land,

Binding with his rope

Those whose pain and suffering

Have given way to wrath;

Whose hardened hearts and conscience seared

Have led them down this path.

We plead the blood of Jesus Christ

As covering for us all;

We plead for the angelic hosts

To hearken to the call;

To battle principalities

To cast down every power,

And through our prayers may God once more

Become our mighty tower.

We are a mighty army,

And rank on rank we stand

With thousands and ten thousands

Of God’s angelic band.

In fiery chariots ready

To march against the hoards

Of hell and of destruction

To break their fiendish cords.

We stand before the sea, indeed,

But firmly on the Rock!

Our faith will lead us on again

Though others may us mock.

The one who spoke and all was made

Still speaks in healing words;

Your love and care will win the day

And render hate absurd.

Johann van der Bijl © 2016-04-20