Our Church

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) established separate churches in 1881 because white members objected to sharing the Holy Communion with people of colour. The four churches that resulted from the separation were:

1. the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) for Europeans,

2. the Reformed Church in Africa (RCA) for Indians,

3. the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) for Coloureds and

4. the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (DRCA) for Africans.

The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) resulted from the unification of most of the DRCA congregations and the DRMC on the 14^th April 1994. The URCSA is still involved in negotiations to get all the DRC family churches (DRC, RCA, URCSA and the remainder of the DRCA congregations) to reunite. The name Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (in continuous tense) and the incomplete circle in the logo reflect the church's hope for the reunification of the DRC family.

URCSA is divided into 7 regional synods; namely:

1. Cape Synod,

2. Free State and Lesotho Synod,

3. Kwa Zulu-Natal Synod,

4. Namibia Synod,

5. Northern Synod,

6. Phororo Synod and

7. Southern Synod.

URCSA David Street Branch is located in Tlhabane, a township next to Rustenburg in the North West Province. It is part of the URCSA Rustenburg-Tlhabane Congregation under the leadership of Rev. B. F. Moalusi. It is part of the Saulspoort Presbytery in the Northern Synod. The URCSA Rustenburg-Tlhabane Congregation is made up of 9 branches; namely:

1. David Street Branch,

2. Kopman Branch,

3. Luka Branch,

4. Mamerotse Branch,

5. Meriting Branch,

6. Monakato Branch,

7. Phokeng Branch,

8. Robega Branch and

9. Tantanana Branch.

[CYM Northern Synod is made up of five sub-regions, namely: Belekra, Bojanala, Gauteng, Siyanqoba and Tswelopele. CYM Saulspoort Presbytery is part of CYM Sub-region Bojanala.]

 

Bible Study: THE CROSS

This is a summary of the Bible Study held by members of the ministry on the 16^th March 2016, in preparation for Good Friday on the 25^th March 2016.

• The story of the cross is foreshadowed in Genesis 22, when Abraham agreed to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, just as God agreed to sacrifice His only Son, Jesus [John 3:16.] As they were traveling to the site where the sacrifice was to be made, Abraham told his servants to remain behind while he proceeded on with Isaac. He put the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac, just as the cross was carried by Christ [John 19:17.] But then the Lord provided a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac, just as Christ was sacrificed in our stead as sinners [1 Peter 1:18-19.]

• The story of the Passover also foreshadowed the cross. In Exodus 12, Israel was in bondage in Egypt. It was the blood of a lamb (without blemish) that was smeared on the door frames that ensured that the firstborn of the family of the people of Israel would not be killed, while all the firstborn in Egypt died. As a result, Pharaoh freed Israel from bondage. Likewise, we have been set free from judgement for our sins through faith in the blood that was shed on the cross by Christ (who had no sin) [2 Corinthians 5:21.]

• In John 3:14, Christ told His disciples: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." He was referring to an occurrence in Numbers 21:5-9, where Israel sinned by speaking against God and Moses. God punished them by sending poisonous snakes that killed a lot of them. The people repented and asked Moses to request the Lord to save them from the snakes. But the Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and set it on a pole; anyone who was bitten and looked at the bronze snake would live. Instead of God taking away the snakes, God provided the solution in the form of a snake. In the same way, God did not take away the penalty of sin (which is death) when Adam sinned, God provided a remedy in Christ who died in our place to pay for our sins on the cross [Romans 5:8.] The snake represents a curse, and Christ was made a curse for us [Galatians 3:13.] 

• Old Testament prophets also foretold the events of the cross:

§   King David in Psalm 22 says:

o Psalm 22:1a	–	"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Which is what Christ said on the cross in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34?
o Psalm 22:7-8	–	"All who see Me taunt Me; they mock Me and shake their heads. They say, 'Commit Yourself to the Lord! Let the Lord rescue Him! Let the Lord deliver Him, for He delights in Him'” [Matthew 27:43.]
o Psalm 22:18	–	"They are dividing up My clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for My garments" [Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, John 19:24.]

 

§   Prophet Isaiah wrote:

o Isaiah 53:5	–	He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; He endured punishment that made us well; because of His wounds we have been healed [1 Peter 2:24.]
o Isaiah 53:6	–	All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack Him [1 Peter 2:24-25, 2 Corinthians 5:21.]
o Isaiah 53:7	–	He was treated harshly and afflicted, but He did not even open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not even open His mouth [Matthew 27:12-14, Mark 15:3-5, 1 Peter 2:23.]
o Isaiah 53:8	–	He was led away after an unjust trial – but who even cared? Indeed, He was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of His own people He was wounded [Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 14:55-59, Mark 15:6-15.]
o Isaiah 53:9	–	They intended to bury Him with criminals, but He ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because He had committed no violent deeds, nor had He spoken deceitfully [Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:50-53.]

• Christ predicted His own death and resurrection to His disciples numerous times [Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 20:26-28, Mark 14:25, John 3:14, John 10:17.]

• Jesus also told His disciples that He was willingly giving up His life at the cross to wash away our sins [Matthew 26:51-56, John 10:11, John 10:18.]

• The cross teaches us about obedience [Matthew 26:39,42, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, Philippians 2:6-8.]

• The cross washed away our sins and redeemed us from the punishment we deserved [John 1:29, Romans 3:24, Romans 5:6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 13:11-12, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 3:5, 1 John 4:10.]

• The cross shows us that God and Christ love us [John 3:16, John 15:13, Romans 5:8, Galatians 3:20, Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:25, 1 John 4:10.]

• The cross made us new creatures [Romans 6:10-11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20-21, Galatians 6:15.]

• The cross brings us blessings [Galatians 3:29, 1 Peter 2:24.]

• The cross gives us reconciliation with God and made us God’s children [Romans 5:1, Romans 5:10-11, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 2:12-13, Colossians 1:19-22, 1 Peter 2:25, 1 Peter 3:18.]

• The cross gives us freedom [Romans 3:24, Galatians 5:1.]