FATHER GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED WORD is full of His Promises/Vows of Blessings and a Better Life for All ... IF we would only TRUST & OBEY Him and then LIVE LIFE H.O.P.E. INTENTIONALLY, i.e. pray, live, work and play within His Biblical Boundaries & Rules so that WE CAN 'SCORE' H.O.P.E. - Heaven On Planet Earth - GOALS!
Jeremiah 29:11. Matt 6 John 10:10
CLICK on THE DAY OF THE COVENANT for an excellent account by Dr Peter Hammond of the run-up to ... and the eventual positive outcome of ....the Battle of Blood River.
INTERESTING FACTS mentioned in the article which have ENCOURAGED ME that our Good God has a way of taking a negative (-) in our lives and in history and make a positive (+) out of it!
A. The Spiritual Liberation of the Zulu
Observing the significance of The Day of the Vow or Covenant is not in any sense anti-Zulu.
Peter Hammond writes:
"I have many precious friends amongst the Zulu. Having read extensively on their history, and visited many of the strategic battle sites and museums in Zululand, I have to regard the Covenant made by the Boers, and The Battle of Blood River, as the beginning of the spiritual liberation of Zululand. Only after The Battle of Blood River did hundreds, and then thousands, of Zulus come to Christ.
It needs to be noted that after their victory over Dingaan's forces the Afrikaans Christians built a magnificent mission station and church at Mgundgundlovu (Dingaanstad) within sight of the massacre of the Trek leader Piet Retief and his 100 followers who were brutally tortured and massacred. The Afrikaans missionaries built a school for the blind, an evangelists training college, and many other expressions of Christian love for their former enemies.
After the final defeat of the Zulu military, in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, Zulus came to Christ by the hundreds of thousands. Today there are millions of Zulu Christians"
B. Blessing the Nations of Africa and the World
"In Christ, the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12 and Genesis 22 are fulfilled.
In Matthew 16 Christ declares that He is building His Church and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church. (Matthew 16:18). The Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:28), and The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) are fulfilled as the children of Abraham are faithful in living and proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life. Entire nations will be blessed as they are brought under the whole counsel of God's Word.
As God's people, we need to know God and to make Him known to those who are not yet Born Again Joh 3:3.
We need to understand our history in order to build for a better future.
We need to understand the times and know what God wants us to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).
Before the Battle of Blood River, 16 December 1838, there were no known Christians amongst the Zulu nation. Despite the dedicated spiritual labours of British and American missionaries amongst the Zulus for 18 years previously, so great was the hold of superstition, the reign of terror of the Zulu kings, and fear of the witchdoctors, that no Zulus were known to have responded to the preaching of the Gospel before the defeat of Dingaan's Impis at Blood River.
One could similarly note that despite the strenuous labours of famous British missionary Robert Moffat, and others, amongst the Matabele, in what became Rhodesia, there were no baptised Matabele converts to Christianity before the defeat of Lobengula's Impis in the Matabele War of 1893."
C. Failing to Heed Advice
A passing trader warned Piet Retief of Dingaan's planned treachery against him upon his return.
Fellow trek leader Gert Maritz repeatedly warned Piet Retief not to return to Dingaan declaring: "I do not trust Dingaan!"
Maritz reminded him of the murder of Anders Stockenstrom in 1811 while having friendly talks with a band of Xhosas.
But, every attempt to dissuade Piet Retief was brushed aside.
IT IS TIME and it is good TO REFLECT ON OUR PAST!
To drive our cars forward safely we need to look in the rear mirror on a regular basis!
World-HOPE.com