The Uprising

The Uprising

I have had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home; my parents were and always have been very supportive of me and my vision. In 2002 I gave my life to the Lord, and although I had grown up in children church, I for the first time understood fully what my decision involved..

'you are the light of the world'

High school was an interesting time for me as I began to flourish at sport and was selected for both the provincial team and the 1st team at my school, St. Stithians Boys’ College. With the sport and recognition I began to enjoy the social scene and all that comes with top level sport. In 2009 I realized that what I had dreamt my life was going to be and what God had planned for me were two very different things. I de-registered from my degree, and began to pursue a life in ministry. I enrolled to study theology, and the rest as they say is history.

'a city on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither can people light a lamp and put it under a bowl'

The Uprising came about in 2011. However I had had the concept placed on my heart as early as 2009. My first year out of school I felt that God was saying that Jo-Burg, the city built on materialism, and on the pursuit of personal gain, had influenced the churches of Jo-Burg. Where ever I looked it felt that there were many churches, but that they were more concerned with building their own individual empires. Where as God was calling the church, all of it, to be building His Kingdom, not focusing on individual empires and recognition.

As a result a group of youth pastors that I had been working with came together and decided to form The Uprising. Our intention is to build a movement behind which all of Jo-Burg’s youth can unite behind. We envision that we will become a worldwide youth movement. Whereby we ignite this generation to become a generation of change.

'instead they put it on its stand so that it may give light to everyone in the house'

We are a stand alone organization, uninfluenced by individual churches. And that is what sets us apart, at any event we focus on creating excitement and showcasing the youth of Jo-Burg, but with the ultimate goal of guiding the flock into youth groups within their area.

'in the same way let your light shine before men' Matt 5:14-16

We are a movement of many youth groups, individually run, and with their own way of doing things, but we are united behind one banner, the banner of Jesus Christ, and the desire to bring about a revolution among this generation, one that will change this city, and the world for Him.

'that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.'

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The X-Structure

The X-Structure

Deep in the heart of the electronic beats of Cape Town emerged a band who call themselves the X-Structure. Here is their story in unique story-telling form. Enjoy.

Nightowl sat perched on the rocky outcrop of the high peak he had just scaled. Catching his breath he studied the view. He sat in awe staring at the giant structures jetting out from the ground. Their presence putting his being into perspective. The sky was a perfect blue. He was somewhere in the wild mountains of the Cape. It had been a tough hike to the top but he made it in the end.

As the sun lazily began dropping to the horizon nightowl sat contemplating his life and the events that had brought him to this point. Life had not always been pleasant or easy for him, he recalled. Throughout his early years he had struggled with himself and the acceptance of who he was. There came a stage where he could not bear it any longer. That's when he changed. Not by his own strength or will did this happen. It was something else. Something he had discarded many years before. Something he had never really understood. In his darkest hour he had cried out for help to someone, to someone greater than him, to someone he had left for dead. Then it happened. In the dead of night he was saved from his inner turmoil. Saved by one who he would come to know as his greatest friend and companion. Their adventures together would go on far beyond what he had ever understood to be. So who was this mystery saviour? This ultimate friend? It was in fact, as you might have guessed by now, his creator. The One who had given nightowl the gift of life.

The sun had by now left for the day. Nightowl shifted his position on the rock. He now lay flat on his back using his backpack as a cushion. The stars were there as they always were. Another sign from his constant companion. He searched the sky for his favourite star. There it was. He found it. The Dog Star, Canis Major, was shining brightly from its corner in space, Orion's belt always close by. The Southern Cross was not visible yet so he'd have to wait till his favoured constellation came into view. Nightowl was grateful for life and the ability to perceive it. He was grateful for the life he had been given and the understanding he now had of it. After the dark times he went through he really understood the good times, illuminated by the light he now saw. He still faced bad things and would most definitely still face many more, but he had now learned a deeper truth to it all and would take on those problems for he knew he would overcome them. By midnight the Southern Cross was faithfully pointing the way south. South to where home was. nightowl smiled and said goodnight.

At five the sun started rising over the eastern mountains. Nightowl was awake, the kettle already boiling. He sipped on the steaming coffee, greeting the morning air and the One who had made it. He felt rested and excited for the future, for he knew not what might happen but he knew that whatever happened would be for the good. His hike down was easy for he had the strength to do it and in that to do so much more. It all depended on him if he would use it. He had made his choice and would follow it wherever the Spirit of adventure led him.

'He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' Micah 6:8

The inspiration behind the name:

Somewhere, out there, in the infinite reaches of space, an epic cosmic formation can be found. Formed by a system of vast greatness and profound intent, this formation is known as the 'X' structure. Etched out in a great plane of dark blue light, it resembles the image of an X that has been marked off on the proverbial map of the universe.

Now back on a peculiar planet, called planet Earth, a certain adventurous band can be found. They ventures forth, and in and around, a dimension known as the dimension of sound. They are known as The X-Structure.

By now you might be thinking what these two distant entities have in common? And the answer would be simple for they have both been created and chosen by grace, to be a part of this creation and the grand story of life.

The theme of The X-Structure's music is always that of hope and of a greater purpose. Seeing that the music does not contain lyrics it is more of ambient background music that allows a person relax and allow the Holy Spirit to move them through the music. The intention is always for people to move closer to God and to get to know Him more, and indirectly themselves more. A lot of irreligious people listen to The X-Structure and I therefore do not always try to overtly preach the Gospel but rather to do it indirectly through the general revelation of God, such nature and human existence and experience, and then slowly bring in the message of the Gospel through song names and interaction with listeners via social media and the internet. Each album also has a specific theme which contains a story or message that accompanies the albums and delves further into the Gospel and the heart of God.

You can follow their latest project, Soultrek here.

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Gateway News

Gateway News

25 years ago I was an arrogant young South African newspaper journalist who thought Christianity was for weak people who needed a crutch to help them face the challenges of life. My wife, Val had become a Christian a few years previously while we were living in Zimbabwe where I was posted for two years. I magnanimously (or at least, so I thought) tolerated her delusion but made it clear that it was not for me. But during a season in which I was working at night as a sub-editor in Port Elizabeth I used to stop at various drinking holes late at night and got into a lifestyle that even I could see was self destructive and incompatible with my role as a husband and father of two dear little girls. So one day I decided to take the advice of an acquaintance, given to me at a braai about a year previously: "You should read the Gospel of John". I read it and knew immediately in my heart that this was truth. Val had been praying for the years and the Holy Spirit was wooing me. As a step of faith I left my newspaper job about a year later to get out of night work and to share more of my life with my family. In the years that followed I worked in various freelance media fields.

Fast forward to June 2010 by which time I was a partner in a small real estate business in PE. I started a blog in which I posted testimonies about amazing things that God was doing in various people’s lives. It was good to be writing again after a break of quite a few years. Man, I thought, it was especially good to be writing Good News instead of all the bad news I used to write in my old newspaper days!

By the end of 2010 I knew in my heart that the Lord was calling me into full-time Christian writing. I shared this with Val and early in 2011 we asked elders in our church to help us test the call. Within days of getting a go-ahead from the elders I had a coffee meeting with Trevor Jennings, a friend and coordinator of Transformation Christian Network, a ministry that links leaders in Nelson Mandela Bay with the objective of transforming the city. By the end of our coffee chat, we decided to startGateway News.

And so, in February 2011, by faith, we launched Gateway News with the objective of reporting Eastern Cape Christian news. Very soon we realized that God had a bigger vision for us and we adopted a national focus. The Lord continued to stretch us and today our vision is to reach every Christian in South Africa with quality, local, national and international Christian news and news from a Christian perspective.

In Matthew 9:36 (NLT), we read: ”When He (that is Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." I sense that Jesus looks with compassion at Christians in South Africa today whose opinions are being shaped by media sources that inspire fear rather than faith, and which call right wrong and wrong right. We are trusting God to grow and use Gateway News to inform, encourage and activate Christians: to help them to live out a biblical world-view.

God has been faithful in bringing us stories of amazing things that He is doing in our nation. We have been privileged to report on inspiring news that no secular news provider would publish. In our first year we had the joy of seeing some “activation” happening on a grander scale than we could have anticipated, when we were used as a catalyst in staging a mass prayer day at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Another goosebumps moment was when we were given the chance to say a few words to the men at the 2012 Karoo Mighty Men Conference, and 1 000 men subscribed to our newsletter there-and-then via sms. We have been blessed by talented Christian writers from various parts of the country who are making a valuable contribution as columnists. And yet, we are also aware that we are still only scratching the surface of the Kingdom stories and perspectives that need to be shared with our people. We are aware that we are totally dependent upon the Lord to reach the readers, recruit the writers, and raise the resources and partners needed to realize the task before us.

And so we hold on to words like “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” ~ (Zech 4:10 -- NLT).

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