Pentecost Sunday
Psalm 104:24–34, 35b • Numbers 11:24–30 • Acts 2:1–21 • John 7:37–39
Coming Events to Diarise:
Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 3 June 2026
Women’s Monthly Bible Study – 9 June 2026
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 13 June 2026
Denominational Conference 2026 – 23-26 July 2026, Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA. (Registration Closed on 15 April)
Women’s Retreat 2026 – 4-6 September 2026
Spiritual Equipping Program (SEP) – 12-19 December 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of God the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out on all flesh.
This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, the day on which the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church. Pentecost was not only a day of the church receiving power for mission. It was also a day of reconciliation. It was the day on which the Spirit of God began to reverse the divisions of Babel.
At Babel, people were divided by language. They could no longer understand one another, and they scattered from one another. Language became a barrier. Difference became enmity. Humanity was fractured.
But on the day of Pentecost, something extraordinary happened. People from many nations, speaking many languages, gathered in Jerusalem. Then the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 disciples, and each person heard the good news of Jesus Christ in their own language. The Spirit did not erase their languages. He did not make them all the same. Instead, the Spirit overcame the barriers between them and brought them together around one message, one Lord, one hope, and one new humanity being formed in Christ.
Pentecost therefore reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not the Spirit of hatred, division, suspicion, or violence. He is the Spirit who gathers what sin has scattered. He is the Spirit who enables people who are different to hear one another, recognise one another, and belong together in Christ.
The message of Pentecost is urgent for us in South Africa today.
In recent weeks, we have seen attacks, threats, and protests directed at foreign nationals in our country. Many people are afraid. Many of our brothers and sisters from other African countries are anxious about their safety, their families, their livelihoods, and their future. We cannot celebrate Pentecost honestly while ignoring the fear and pain of the foreigners among us. Division and hatred does not come from the Spirit of Pentecost.
As believers, we must be clear: God calls his people to protect the foreigner, not persecute the foreigner. The Bible repeatedly reminds God’s people not to mistreat the foreigner, because they themselves knew what it meant to be foreigners in Egypt. In Leviticus 19:34, God says:
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself.” That is not a suggestion. It is the word of the Lord. This is not just about the people of Israel in the Old Testament. The early Christians in the first few centuries after Pentecost were treated as outsiders. In Rome they were blamed for fires that burned down the city. They were persecuted and killed for being Christians. The things they were accused for were not true.
This does not mean that countries should not have immigration laws. It does not mean that governments should not manage borders properly. It does not mean that crime should be ignored. But it does mean that we must not scapegoat vulnerable people for the failures of immigration systems, policing, and government administration.
Many foreign nationals living among us are innocent people trying to survive. They are mothers and fathers. They are children and students. They are workers and worshippers. They are people created in the image of God. Some are our brothers and sisters in Christ. To attack them, threaten them, humiliate them, or treat them as less than human is not justice. It is sin. It is not patriotism. It is hatred. Patriotism is defending the country from corrupt home affairs officials, from corrupt police, from corrupt politicians, and from bad governance.
We must also be honest that the spirit behind these attacks does not stop with foreigners. Once we begin to define people as “the other,” there is no clear end to that road. Today “the other” may be a person from another country. Tomorrow it may be a person from another province. Then it may be a person from another language group, another tribe, another church, another family, or even our own neighbour. This week I have seen workers from Gauteng being chased away from the North West because they were said to be taking jobs of the people in the North West. This is what it leads to.
We have already seen how dangerous this becomes. Some people have reportedly turned against South Africans simply because they could not speak a particular language. That should alarm us deeply. It shows that this issue is not only about immigration. It is about the sinful human tendency to divide the world into “us” and “them.” But Pentecost tells a different story.
The Holy Spirit poured out on Pentecost is against all forms of divisions and hatred. The Spirit did not create a church built on nationality, ethnicity, tribe, or language. The Spirit created a new community in Christ, where Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, Arabs, Jews, and converts could all hear the mighty works of God. That is the Church.
The Church is not a place where “the other” is rejected. The Church is a people among whom the dividing walls are broken down in Christ. The Church must therefore be a witness to a divided society that another way is possible. That is what we celebrate on Pentecost Sunday.
South Africa has real problems. Crime is real. Unemployment is real. Poverty is real. Corruption is real. Weak government systems are real. But foreigners are not the source of all these problems. If every foreign national disappeared tomorrow, unemployment would still be with us. Crime would still be with us. Poverty would still be with us. Corruption and failed systems would still be with us. And if we have trained our hearts to blame and hate “the other,” we will simply find another group to blame and hate.
That is why followers of Jesus must be careful. We must not be swept up by the anger of the crowd. We must not forward messages that inflame hatred. We must not laugh at jokes that dehumanise people. We must not remain silent when people are threatened. We must not allow fear to make us forget the gospel. Pentecost calls us to a higher witness.
It calls us to speak for the vulnerable, to pray for peace, to reject violence, to protect the foreigner. Pentecost calls us to see Christ in the face of the stranger. It calls us to be one people in the Spirit.
Jesus did not die only for people who speak our language. He did not rise only for people from our country. He did not pour out the Spirit only on our tribe, our nation, or our continent. He poured out the Spirit on all flesh.
Therefore, as we celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, let us ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. Where there is prejudice, may he bring repentance. Where there is fear, may he bring courage. Where there is hatred, may he bring love. Where there is division, may he make us witnesses of the unity that is found in Christ.
May our churches be safe places for the foreigner, the stranger, the neighbour, and the wounded. May our words bring healing rather than fear. May our actions reflect the gospel we preach. May the same Spirit who brought many languages together at Pentecost make us one in Christ today.
My prayer this week is this: Come, Holy Spirit. Break down the walls between us. Teach us to love the stranger. Make us witnesses of the kingdom where every tribe, language, people, and nation will worship together before the throne of God. Purify our hearts from hatred. Amen!
PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:
Offerings: Please remember to pray for the church’s offerings. There has been an improvement in April. We are now 3% (5% end of March) below budget for the period January to April.
Sick Brethren: Please continue to pray for the brethren who are suffering from various sicknesses.
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
___________________________
REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES
Women’s Retreat 2026
The Women’s Retreat 2026 will be held as follows:
Date: 4-6 September 2026
Venue: Rocklands Centre, Simon’s Town, Cape Town
Cost: R1,600, payments due by 31 July
Further details: Speak to your local Women’s Ministry Coordinators for payment details. There are no private rooms available, only shared accommodation. Bedding is supplied. Bring own towels.
Women of Faith Monthly Online Bible Study – 2nd Tuesday of the month
The National Women’s Ministry has started a women’s monthly bible study every second Tuesday of the month, from 7pm to 8pm. The next Bible Study will be on the 9th of June. Please diarise it and join.
NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.7 MILLION
The National Building Fund has now exceede R1.7 million.
Please support your congregation’s Building Fund by contributing additional offerings monthly or once off to the dedicated bank account as follows:
· Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
· Name: GCI Building Fund
· Account No: 6304 180 7835
· Deposit Reference: Name and Surname
You can also fundraise as a group or alone. You may have items that you no longer need or use which you can pawn and donate the funds, or approach friends and family who may be able to donate to the fund. If you need a letter to request donations please feel free to contact me.
Monthly Day of Prayer and Fasting –Saturday 13 June 2026
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 13 June 2026. Please see the dates for the rest of the year below, and diarise accordingly.
Please find some video links on Prayer and Fasting if you want to know more. Here are the links:
1. Fasting- The Forgotten Spiritual Discipline – https://youtu.be/7MgrVj_w9sY
2. Fasting Questions and Answers 1 – https://youtu.be/Mkk3U2KvPHg
3. Fasting Questions and Answers 2 – https://youtu.be/CghD-uxBbFk
4. Fasting Question and Answer #3 – https://youtu.be/ajKaWRgreLw (Question #3: How should I fast? Are there different types of fasts?)
Future Days of Prayer and Fasting:
· June 13
· July 11
· August 8
· September 12
· October 10
· November 7
· December 12
February 2026 ISSUE OF FACE TO FACE PUBLISHED
Our May 2026 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face
Mission Possible
Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study – 3 June 2026 – Ephesians
Please diarise and join the biweekly Online Bible study every second Wednesday at 19:00. The current series is: The Book of Ephesians.
To connect to the biweekly Bible Study, here are the details: Click
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89054374373?pwd=NFZVaFJjVGxqQjc5K0YyeWEzVVZMUT09
OR enter the details below to join the meeting:
Meeting ID: 890 5437 4373
Passcode: GCI2021
Time: 19:00
OFFERINGS: (should Christians pay a tithe?)
Even though some churches are not able to meet, we urge you to continue to give your weekly Thanksgiving offering that you would normally give during church services. The bank details for EFT and Cash deposits are below:
The Banking details for both the weekly Thanksgiving Offerings and the monthly Freewill Offerings are as follows:
EFT PAYMENTS
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL-S.A –
Account No: 593 800 27523 – FNB Current Account Number
Ref. NameSurname Church
Please reference your offering so that we can send a receipt.
CASH PAYMENTS
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL-S.A –
FNB Account No: 74451599946
Account Type: 32 Day Notice account
Ref. NameSurname Church
Please reference your offering so that we can send a receipt.