On 14 May 2023, during the Impact for Christ Ministries Sunday service in Holy land, South Africa, the church hosted a delegation from Bridges for Peace. The delegation comprised of Reverend Rebecca Brimmer: the International President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bridges for Peace; Reverend Peter Fast: the incoming International President of Bridges for Peace; Mr. Chris Eden: the National Director for Bridges for Peace, South Africa; Reverend Tom Brimmer and Ms. Cecelia Eden.

Visit by Bridges for Peace Delegation to Impact for Christ Ministries

On 14 May 2023, during the Impact for Christ Ministries Sunday service in Holy land, South Africa, the church hosted a delegation from Bridges for Peace. The delegation comprised of Reverend Rebecca Brimmer: the International President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bridges for Peace; Reverend Peter Fast: the incoming International President of Bridges for Peace; Mr. Chris Eden: the National Director for Bridges for Peace, South Africa; Reverend Tom Brimmer and Ms. Cecelia Eden. Bridges for Peace are Christians who support Israel and are building relationships between Christians and Jews in Israel and around the world.

Revered Peter Fast and Reverend Rebecca Brimmer delivered the keynote speeches during the Sunday service. Reverend Fast remarks were based on Gods relationship with Israel, which is characterized by three things: covenant, faithfulness and restoration. He premised his teaching on Genesis 12: 1-3, when God called Abram, “Now the Lord said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

 Reverend Fast taught that in the Holy Scriptures, God promised Abraham three things that would change all of history: descendants, land and through this arrangement blessings are going out to the entire world. Moreover, God further strengthened his covenant with Abram in Genesis 15 and attached his relationship with Abraham to who He is as a Holy God.

In addition, Reverend Fast quoted Psalm 105:7-8, which says that “He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.” Reverend Fast described how God is a faithful God and He is not a man that he should lie.

Reverend Fast further taught on the restoration of the Jews to Israel. He mentioned that the prophet’s in the Bible spoke about the Jewish people returning to their land and that they are the only people in all of history who returned to their land. He referenced scriptures such as Ezekiel 9 and Jeremiah 16: 14-15, which mention that He will longer going to be known as the God who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but the God that returned them to the land that he promised to their fathers.

Reverend Fast also mentioned how Bridges for Peace is involved in helping Jewish people from Ukraine return to Israel as well as Ethiopian Jews return to Israel. Reverend Rebecca Brimmer taught on the greatest commandment of Jesus Christ, which is found in Mark 12: 28-33:  

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment. And the second, like this, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all your heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Reverend Brimmer taught that the first thing Jesus quoted in the passage from Mark is the most famous Jewish affirmation of faith called Shema. The name stems from the first word of the affirmation in Hebrew, which is Shema. “Hear (Shema), O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6: 4-5).

The word Shema means to hear, to listen in order to consent or give heed, and to obey. Shema entails listening carefully in order to obey. It is not enough just to hear, you must also do. Jesus said you have to acknowledge that there is only one God, the God of Israel and you shall love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.”

Jesus says these commandments sums up all the law and the Prophets.  Jesus was also affirming his beliefs in the Holy Scriptures. Reverend Brimmer mentioned that when you love God you will not serve other Gods and that we will love him with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength. She encouraged the congregation to get to know God, for how can we serve someone we do not know? In addition, that we need to love Him for whom He is in all of His aspects. She encouraged the congregation to study the book of Exodus chapter 34, to find out how God describes himself.

Reverend Brimmer stated that from John 3: 16, God showed that He loves all people in the planet and it is His greatest desire for the people to get to know Him.  She added, that God loves righteousness, justice, Zion and the Jewish people. She also asked the congregation, a crucial question of how could people profess that they love Jesus and not love His family. Furthermore, the Book of Deuteronomy speaks about the special relationship of God and the Jewish people. Isaiah 49: 15-16, describes how God loves the land of Israel and the people of Israel. As Bridges for Peace they have chosen to love the things God loves.

Lastly, she mentioned that Jesus is returning and coming back to Jerusalem as told in Revelations 21.