In this sermon, the speaker shares personal anecdotes and reflections on the preaching of the word of God. They mention a specific verse that came to mind and their desire to share it with their son-in-law. They also recount a story about a child refusing to eat a simple meal and the importance of gratitude for what God provides. The speaker then discusses the significance of the Lord being a light and salvation, referencing King David as the light of Israel. The sermon concludes with a mention of a missionary lady who shared a message of forgiveness and living by God's standards.

We were like twins, even if we weren't born on the same day. But the first day we attended school, she stayed with us for some time because they were living further away. So she stayed with us. I remember, I think it was just about the first day we went to school and a bicycle was something that was in my blood. I don't know whether my mother brought me into this world on a bicycle. I could write just about a book concerning experiences on a bicycle. I was still a small fellow. We weren't privileged as the children today, where every child has got a bicycle. We had only one bicycle and that was number 28. That's quite a big bicycle. So I had to put my foot sideways and that's how I rode. My parents that day sent someone to fetch us. In Zulu, she's my sister. And he fetched us. I sat at the back, she sat in front. When we got off the main road, we went for about two or three kilometres. It goes downhill and the water would wash down and there'd be lots of sand. And anybody who knows a bicycle, and if you go at this speed, in the sand what it does. So before we got to the sand, I said, Now, father said, so and so, there's a sand down there. And then the response was, I know, I know. And then Baba says, those people who know everything are dangerous. Well, instead of giving brakes, he increased the speed. And when we got to the sand, the bicycle just did this and this and this. And we flew off the bicycle like a bullet or like a comet. Luckily, it was sandy soil. I don't know who, she or me, landed on my brand new suitcase. And that broke my heart. I don't think that I got hurt and she didn't. But my suitcase was broken. And I said, But I did tell you. So, we had many experiences together. I haven't got time to tell you all those things. But even after the Mkwenyane came, she didn't stop baking cakes I like. Every now and then, I got a huge dish full of cakes. Two of my children and sons-in-law are in Europe because Arthur's father passed away. And my two sons-in-law, Mkwenyane and Babo, they don't have the money to pay for Mkwenyane and Arthur's father. And he says, Don't worry, Dad. We're trying to broadcast the funeral so that you'll be able to be present at the service. Early in the morning, around about five o'clock, I awoke and I had this text on my heart. And I thought if I'd be there and should speak, I'd preach about this text. And that's the text I wanted to speak about. 1 Thessalonians 4, from verse 13. I don't want you to be ignorant. Someone of the speakers mentioned it. So, they are with us now in this service. And many others worldwide, wherever it can be. So I listened. And early in the morning, around about five o'clock, this verse came into my mind. And I wanted to speak to my son-in-law and give him this message. And I said, I can't do it now because it's only four o'clock in Europe now. So I said, I'll speak later, and they can sleep a bit longer. Well, I saw everything that was going on and heard. You can see and hear. And when the minister started, one, two, three, amen. The service was over. And I said, my, so quickly. I phoned him, I said, hey. He said, well, here in Europe the services are very short. I said, well, for me it would be quite nice. I don't like to listen to a sermon that carries on for hours. I wasn't made for that. But you'll have to forgive me for speaking so long. But I won't speak long, I promise you. She told me these days, she said, you don't know how happy I've been that the last two years I could be here at Kwasi Zabantu. These young men here were like her children. The last service she took for them, she couldn't stand, she sat and spoke to them for half an hour. And these young men have got a wonderful story. If I go somewhere, then I'll always take one, somebody else along before I preach. That person has got to give his testimony. I think many of you have never heard or seen what they are going to say. Many of them were criminals, others murderers, other dwellums, what are dwellums in English? Drugs. Drugs, and strong ones, and poisonous ones. And Satanists. And they're coming at such a rate, we needn't fetch them, not one of them. They come by themselves from all the different corners of South Africa. And you'd be surprised who they'd be, some are lawyers, some doctors. A lady phoned the other day and she spoke and said, you've got to take my son. We said we can't, we haven't got place. We get maybe over 100 people a week, every week. Now imagine, all the place you need, we build but we can't build quick enough. So this lady was asked, from where are you, and who are you? And she said, my husband and myself are members of parliament here in Cape Town. So from the least to the greatest, arrive daily. And if it carries on like this, the whole history of South Africa can be changed. Edith spent many hours with these young men. They are people who have come for help. They are allowed to stay for three to four weeks because of lack of space. Before she passed away, a couple of days, she invited them to come to her home for a service. She wanted to speak to them. She welcomed indiscriminately anybody who knocked on the door. She no longer had the strength to go up to the hall to take the service, but had a desire to speak to them once more. She sat on a chair and amazingly was able to speak for about 30 minutes. She told them about the Samaritan woman to whom Jesus promised that if she drank of the water he gave her, she would never thirst again. She lovingly told the young men that no matter what their past had been like, they too could receive forgiveness and never thirst again. At her last service, she attended with the Donnybrook congregation, which she loved and served for many years, on her 80th birthday, the 19th of October. She gave this message to the congregation and her family, so you can see and understand that she was a real missionary lady. She says, never, never lower God's standard. He has through this revival given us a godly standard to live by in purity and holiness. She says, do not water it down. The Lord has opened his window and his door for us to have access to him, to be able to live this standard. She repeated this again and again and over again. Three days before her death, her homecoming, in actual fact, Christians don't die, they sleep. One of her children asked her to please give her something to hold on to for the dark days ahead. Without hesitation, she said, the Lord is my light and my salvation. A few minutes before her passing on, Esther began reading to her from Revelations 21 about the new heaven. The new earth and the new Jerusalem, arrayed like a bride. How there would be no more death, and the former things had passed away. Up until then, she had not spoken for a few days, and her eyes were closed. But now, she was visibly excited, and her eyes opened, and in a minute or two she gave her last breath and passed into glory. In the early days when they were often very lean days for Jo and Edith, it was during a time like this that there was very little to eat. Edith prepared a very simple meal. They sat down to eat with the children and Jo prayed. One of the children pulled up her nose and stated she could not eat such food. The other child then shouted, and Jo immediately reprimanded her, saying, your father has thanked the Lord for the food, now we should eat it. And always accept with gratitude that which God sees fit to give. Now, just a few thoughts on this word. According to Psalm 27, the first verse. The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is my light. David's, King David's subjects called him the light of Israel. You'll find this in 2 Samuel 21, 17. And he was indeed a burning and a shining light. But he owns that he shone as the moon does with a borrowed light. The Lord is my light, my salvation. In whom I am safe, in whom I shall be saved. And he's the strength of my life as well. Not only the protector of my exposed life, but the strength of my frail, weak life. That is an expression of dependence on the Lord our God. And is a hope in divine deliverance even for whatever may come our way. The confidence of the psalmist lies in the Lord. He has experienced the Lord's presence and describes it as light. And as stronghold. That pertains to the experiences of salvation. And the confidence of the joyous and glorious victory God has promised to his people. The Lord is the light of his people. Moreover God is likened to a stronghold. Because he is the strength of his people. Providing a place of refuge for them. The intimate knowledge of God's protecting presence gives confidence and banishes fear. Regardless of how great his adversaries, the psalmist looks at the greatness of the Lord in relation to the insignificance of your own problems. The evil men are individual enemies in contrast with the national enemies. Opposition and outright war do not touch him because his heart is strengthened by the Lord. The psalmist longing for God's temple expresses the intensity of his seeking after God himself. He desires to dwell in the temple of God for the rest of his life. And to gaze on the Lord's beauty and to seek that beauty of the Lord. May God grant that these words will abide with the Newlands family. And I said, Joe, I lost my wife about 12 years ago. Or a bit over. God has blessed me with half a dozen children. My cousin, Inge, there she is behind Michael. She says, Elo, don't worry if God just gives you girls. Girls can look better after the parents than the boys. It shouldn't be like that. But unhappily, sometimes it is like that. I always said I started too late. With 40 years, I got the first child. But then twins came. And then it goes a bit faster. I got one child and then we got twins after 27 months. And overseas people are very inquisitive. And they would ask me, are you married? I said, maybe they looked at my hand and my ring was a bit big. So I just put it into the wardrobe. And said, of course I'm married. Have you got children? I said, yes. Three in 27 months. And then they were quiet. Sorry. Three in 27 months. And when the fourth one was born, I was in South Africa. With the others, I was always overseas. And I could take my wife for her fourth child to Peter Meritsburg. And as I sat there waiting for the news, you know that we men, we suffer more than you women. Like the one man who was sitting there in the passage. Nowadays they don't sit in the passage. They even go into the labour room. But some have got to be helped because they want to faint. So the sister quickly came running out to me. She says, it's just hands and feet. The child was very big. And they thought it's just hands and feet. And I said to myself, how wonderful if it would be triplets. Triplets. One, two, three. And then I counted how many children I'd have. They'd be six. And then I had to count in how many months. And I was looking forward to the time when I could go to other countries. And they asked me, have you got children? Then I could say, six in so many months. Children are a blessing. I always said, I wish I could have a dozen. But of course, if the devil is in the heart, one is too much. But then one day as I sat there and thought about this, I said, praise the Lord, I've got 12. If I count the sons-in-law. 12, and we were all living under one roof. Just imagine. And I said, oh, the wisdom of God. Maybe if I would have had boys, I'd have more gray hairs than I've got now. Because I doubt whether my own children would be as good as the sons-in-law. And I said, Joe, brother, I think you live a good time. I can see your children looking after you. It can be a glorious future. And when one of her children said, Mama, tell me, give me a verse for the future, in bed and in good days. Days of light and days of darkness. Days aren't the same. Right there and then, as if she wasn't even thinking, she says, the Lord is our light. How I wish I could speak about that light now. And our salvation. That's the secret. Well, for those who are not like myself, who hasn't got weak knees, could rise and we close in prayer. Dear Lord, we thank you that our sister is home. The journey home is the best of all journeys. Lord, that she's in a place now and can witness what no eye has seen and no ear has heard. And beholds the glory of our God. That is inexpressible. We thank you, Lord. You tell us in your word that death is gain to a Christian. And the death of his saints is precious in God's sight. Now may your grace, Lord Jesus, be with all of us. And the love of the Father. And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. With all those who love God with all their being and all their heart. To the deepest depths of their being. Amen.