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 When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:36-37, ESV).
This picture is just as true for the people of Africa today as it was for the people of Galilee when Jesus walked this earth. It has been estimated that there are half a million preachers in Africa who have no theological training. Those of us who live in Africa are in constant contact with pastors who long for adequate, sound theological training. Besides pastor-teachers, the church must be built up by equipping the saints for works of service. Sovereign Grace Theological Seminary (SGTS) has a number of distinctives which enable it to make a unique contribution in meeting the needs of pastoral training and theological education in Africa. |
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Written by Bruce Button
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Wednesday, 20 April 2011 20:28 |
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After considering a possible switch to Romans, I have decided to continue with my expositions on Colossians. This week I look at Colossians 1:9-14, which deals with the vital subject of praying for one another.
In these verses Paul describes his own prayers for the believers at Colosse, and by so doing he helps us to understand how and why we need to pray for one another. We can gain much insight into his thinking by relating these verses to Ephesians chapter 6. There, after explaining that we are engaged in a battle against cosmic powers, Paul instructs us to "keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph 6:18, ESV).
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Written by Ronald Kalifungwa
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John Calvin is one of those figures that you either hate or love. Perhaps no man has ever been more slandered and calumniated by his foes, and more respected and venerated by his friends, than John Calvin. Those who hate him look upon him as a cruel and arrogant person whose work was oppressive, and who “definitely” had a hand in the “murder” of Servetus. Those who love him on the other hand, consider him to have been a gift from God, a bulwark of the Faith and a pivotal figure particularly in shaping the theology of the reformation as well as positively influencing the development of western civilization.
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Written by Bruce Button
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On one occasion while we were living in Pretoria I walked into a computer shop to get the prices of some hardware items that I needed. I was assisted by a young man who had an obvious zeal for the Lord. He helped me courteously, but his spiritual zeal clearly made him more far interested in the Christian choruses that he was preparing for his church than in the computers which made a profit for his employers.
This incident highlights a mindset that is prevalent amongst Christians today.
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Written by Isaac Makashinyi
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Not many Christians today appreciate the value of church history. In the minds of some people, the study of church history is simply a dull and arduous academic exercise that is overly preoccupied with irrelevant archives of the past. Nothing can be further from the truth. To the contrary, church history has special value for all Christians. It is the key to the present understanding of Christianity. For the church to grow and move forward, she needs to plant her feet firmly in the soil of history while craning her neck to peep into the future. The past is a storehouse of warning and encouragement, of consolation and counsel, giving us a sense of direction and hope for the future. C.S. Lewis compared the reader of history to the man who has lived in many places. This man “is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.” (”Learning in War-Time,” in The Weight of Glory).
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