Christianity today

Overcome Your Limitation

2011-10-07T12:22:00.003+01:00

For us, almost every month, God gives us a testimony, but I believe God is ready to move to a higher level. He is ready show us more of him like never before and for that to happen, we need to overcome our limitations. God wants our blessings to come and overtake us. He wants to take us to a position of overflow.
We need to be able to break any barrier that has been set against us.
In some families, the enemy has put a barrier of poverty. All kinds of limitations have been put in people’s lives and you need to break up any limitation.
Ezra4:1-4
“…Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building”

This implies, they were being discouraged, frustrated, and they were being demoralised. When you are demoralised, you become week and feeble physically, psychologically, you can’t move forward. You are limited, when your mind is limited, the body can’t do anything, your mind itself becomes the barrier. When God wants you to take a step of faith, your mind will tell you its not possible and then you also accept it.

It is said that elephants have a very big memory so they can remember things easily. So what people in a circus do is that when the elephant is in its youthful stage, a thick rope is used to tie it up. At that stage, because it is young it will do all that it can to break away but it can’t. After some time, the young elephant gives up and just stays within the limit the rope gives it. When it grows up even though it is strong enough to break the rope, its mind becomes the limitation because it always remembers that it could not break the rope and therefore gives up without trying.

Some of us, from the beginning of the year, the enemy has put so much limitations in our way so much that we have given up. We have been so much frustrated that we have given up trying. We have given up on the promises of God.

We have given up on the fact that our God is still in the business of doing miracles. You have given up on the fact that this is the year of the Lord’s visitation. The year where we hear the sound of abundance of rain.
Don’t give up, don’t let up, you feel like stopping but don’t.
It is time for you to overcome your limitation.
The same thing happened in Nehemia4:1-4

Sambalat and Tobias threatened the Jews frustrated them and made mockery of them so in order to overcome this in verse 13, the Bible says
“…I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears and their bows”
Vs.13-17
1.That is the people began to build the wall but this time, they were constantly ready to defend against the attacks of the enemy. They had their swords and their spears ready each time.

You have to press forward despite the challenges the enemy is putting in your way. You have to go and possess your possessions. But in doing so you must arm yourself with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

When the enemy comes to frustrate you and make mockery of you, begins to call you a failure, just be ready to tell him that the Lord has declared you the head and not the tail.
When he tells you that your enemies are coming to overcome you tell him it is written “stand still and see the salvation of my Lord for the Egyptians you see today you shall see them no more”. “Even though you will walk through the valleys of the shadows of death, you will fear no evil for the Lord is with you”.

When he brings debt to you tell him it is written in
Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old but I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread” so poverty shall never be your portion.

When the enemy comes against you like a flood the spirit of God will raise a standard against it. Therefore no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you, you shall condemn.

You tell the devil that in Revelations3:8 God says that God has opened a door for you and no one can shut it.

When he attacks you with sickness, tell him by his stripes you are healed.
Numbers 14:28 says As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

So just keep confessing the word, it becomes like a sword against the enemy.

2. The second thing you have to do is to getting direction from God and walking in obedience. (Jos.6:1-) The walls of Jericho were brought down by praise and by faith. But if the people of Israel had used their common sense and said this command of God is weird so we will not obey, they wouldn’t have overcome Jericho. It was not the shout that broke the walls of Jericho, but the obedience set forth the power of God to work for them. Obedience is important for victory. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
Isaac had no land and had to obey God’s command by borrowing somebody’s land and sowed that year. The bible says that in the same year he received a hundredfold. May be he had a just few grains left to live on but he obeyed God and sowed. Others had reaped nothing yet he still obeyed God.
The children of Israel were able to cross the red sea whilst the Israelites drowned because they obeyed the command of God. They did not argue or debate or disobey God. But they did just as He said they should do.
That is the next tool you need. Our walls of limitation can be pulled down through obeying the command of God on how to deal with the situation. It is not by might or by power but by the spirit of God.
2 Samuel 22:30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

The Glory must return

2011-09-29T12:20:00.001+01:00

1 Samuel 4:1-11
The Israelites were losing the battle and thought that if they brought the Ark of the Lord to the battle field, they would be assured of victory just like in the days of old.
When it arrived, they made a great noise that even the Philistines were scared when they head that the Ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp of the Israelites.
With great confidence they went into battle but they lost heavily, the two sons of Eli the high priest were slain and the Ark of the Lord was taken.
What went wrong? They were counting on their previous experiences with God and assumed that God was with them.
Their shouts were empty shouts, without the power and presence of God. These were vain religious repetitions and noise.

1Samuel 4:19-21
This situation was summed up by the wife of Phinehas when she named her son Ichabod meaning the glory is departed from Israel.
Many Christians and churches may be operating from this angle today. There are many churches that look vibrant, shouting, singing and making a joyful noise yet God has written on the doorpost ‘Ichabod’. What they may be practising would be well rehearsed repetitions of religious activities.
They may be doing all that seems on the surface to be Godly, they may be running all the religious programs but the spirit of God may have departed from them a long time ago. Ichabod means the glory has departed. The glory of God may have departed from these ministries and they may not even know it. The fact that God was with them in times past does not mean God is still with them. The fact that God used them previously does not mean God is still using them. Most of them are just holding on to their previous relationship with God.
There are many Christians today who also do everything called Christian yet on the door to their hearts, God has written Ichabod- the glory has departed from this person. He may be speaking in tongues yet it may not be inspired by the Holy Spirit. He may be professing to be Christians, they may be still used to heal the sick and great miracles may be taking place but the presence of God may have left him/her.
This teaches us that past experiences with God including miracles and answers to prayer are never a proof that God is still with us. People around him may not realise it because he may still be doing all the religious activities yet when God looks down into his heart, God sees an empty shell. No freshness of the relationship with God. That relationship has become dormant.
It is important that people who are called by God to fulfil purpose in this life make sure that they are always close to Him and do not blindly rely on the past or even on miracles that are happening today because;
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
The fact that He was with you yesterday does not necessarily mean He is with you today. That’s why we need to maintain a constant relationship with Him. That’s why our personal relationship with God must always be on a high tempo.
God is always doing new things. He is always making new wines which need new wine skins. You cannot put new wine in old wine skin. The problem with us is that we want the new wine but we want to maintain our old wine skins which cannot contain it.
What causes us to come to this point is self-centredness. The God who delivered them from slavery and from the hands of the enemy has now become an idol in the figment of their imagination. He is just there to do as they wish and nothing more or less.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not;
This means to acquire the truth by all rightful means and cleave to it, guard it and defend it even to the risk of your life.
Many have sold the truth, we have not held on to it even at the least challenge. We have forgotten so soon what our God did for us and is able to do in the face of the pending challenges
We have forgotten that we were made for Him alone and have to love Him supremely above all else. We are to lay aside our own plans, ambitions and purposes and seek to fulfill His will only. This will keep us coming to Him every day for fresh instructions on what He expects of us.
We have forgotten how to have compassion on the needy, do medical and disaster relief, help people in slums, take care of widows and the abandoned children, empower the poor, give water to those who don’t have i.e. wells, Bibles and literature to those who need them most, support missionaries, livestock for the needy etc.
How do we restore our relationship with the Lord?
1. We need to seriously repent from this sin which has separated us from the Lord and come back to Him. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2. We have to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord so that He will lift us up. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
3. We have to seek the things that are above only and not on the things of this world. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
4. Love not the world neither things of the world that seperates us from the Lord. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

BROKENNESS

2011-09-21T14:54:00.002+01:00

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
What will cause someone to talk like this? Why would Job make this statement? Of what condition is his relationship with God to cause him to talk like this?
If we want to have a right relationship with God, then the first thing we must learn is that our wills must be broken to His will.
Brokenness is the beginning of Revival in us. It is painful and humiliating but is the only way.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
“C” is a bent “I”
The Lord Jesus cannot live in us fully and reveal Himself through us until the proud self within us is broken.
Every form of me, myself and I must give way for His will.
The hard unyielding self, which justifies itself, wants its own way, stands up for its rights, and seeks its own glory at last must bow its head to God’s will. It must admit it is wrong and give up its own way to the way of the Master Jesus Christ.
It must surrender its rights and discard its own glory, that the Lord Jesus might have all and be all.
This implies dying to self ant its attitudes. It is self which tries to live the Christian life ( the fact that you use the word try means that is self)
It is self too who is often doing the Christian work.
It is self which is irritable, envious, resentful, critical and worried.
Self is shy, it is self conscious and reserved. No wonder we need a breaking. So long as self is in control, God can do little with us.
We need to crucify self and resurrect with Christ.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Our Lord Jesus was willing to be broken for us and this the more compelling reason for us to be broken. Why do we call ourselves Christians and yet are not willing to be broken.
Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God,, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
He who was in the form of God, counting not equality with God a prize to be grasped and hang on to, but letting it go for us and taking upon Himself the form of a servant-God’s servant, and man’s servant.
Jesus was willing to have no rights of His own, no home of His own, men reviled Him and He did not retaliate or defend Himself.
Prayer: Lord bend this stiff necked I, help me bow to the will of Christ. Help me die to self and let Christ rule and have dominion over my life.
Dying to self is not a one day thing but it is continual. We constantly die to self.
2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
It means every day, we are confronted with choices in a thousand ways, we need to die to self and let Christ do the choosing.
It means constant yielding to the will of Christ.
No longer my will but the will of Christ. As we are confronted with challenges that tempt the self in us, that is God’s way of breaking us so that we will be deeply rooted in Christ.
Every form of self centredness must die because it is the exact opposite of wht the will of God is.
We must be prepared for God to break this self-centrednes so that His will will grow in us.
We must cooperate with God to achieve this.

It is in the process of brokenness that we find strength;
It is in the process of brokenness that we find victory;
It is in the process of brokenness that we find the faithfulness of God;
Goodness and mercy follows us as we go through brokenness;
Unstoppable favour becomes our portion as we go through brokenness.

DEALING WITH THE AFRICAN MENTALITY

2011-09-21T14:51:00.001+01:00

For us to do this, there is the need for a change in our mindset. Our mindset about our situations and circumstances must change. You are where you are because of the choices you made yesterday. Your future is dependent on the choices you make today.
Deuteronomy 30:19 “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
Common perceptions of Africans

Permanently portraying themselves as victims? (More than 50 yrs of independence, we have to stop blaming the white man).
They work hard, but not enough to live beyond their means. (Laborers work the hardest but are paid the least)
Our attitude towards work has always been wrong. We are apathetic, lackadaisical, unmotivated and cannot work without supervision. We think bribery is the order of the day and cannot earn an honest day’s wage. Prov. 6:6-9
We don’t show initiative and when someone does that and is successful, everybody wants to copy.
We are not competitive enough in the market place. We think we can produce any shoddy goods and still make money from it. We accept mediocrity, we don’t strive for perfection. Anyone who pushes for perfection is called too known.
We have entitlement mentality. We think everything must be done for us. We can build an 8 bedroom house and think that the government must provide public toilets for us. Every development we do must be funded by the white man.
THE TURN AROUND
Despite our weak position, God takes the weak things to confound the mighty. 1Cor. 1:27-29.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God expects us to just take little steps out of the situation we find ourselves. Those are the steps He will use to confound the mighty. Just like the 4 lepers as they took steps to come out of the situation they found themselves in. God magnified their steps that the mighty Syrian army was scared and ran away.
David fought Goliath not because he was strong but because he partnered with God. That the same God who helped him overcome the lion and the bear will help him overcome Goliath. All he took was five little stones and God used only one to confound Goliath.
Like the Israelites when they were asked to spy on the land of Canaan in Numbers 13.
In Numbers13:27-33; 14:6-9. The twelve brought their reports. 10 brought an evil report. In fact they spoke about the facts on the ground. But Joshua and Caleb had the truth. The fact on the ground may be that your financial situation is horrible, but the truth is God can use that weak situation to confound the mighty.
The fact on the ground is doctors can tell you, you have a short time to live. The truth is God can heal you of that disease.
The fact on the ground is we Africans have a weak position economically. The truth is God can use this to show how mighty He is. In our weakness is He made strong. If we learn to partner God in such times as this and take steps as He directs us. He will surely take us to the top of the mountain. He will make a way where there is no way. All we need is to have the right attitude. We need to take little steps which God in turn will magnify it.

PROGRESS COMES WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Steps like learning the values of self-reliance, self improvement and risk-taking. Steps like having the values of drive, discipline, temperance and hard work. The values of self responsibility.
These values are rooted in a basic optimism about life and faith in free will—confidence in the fact that through hard work, sweat and tears, each of us can rise above circumstances of our birth. You may have been born in poverty but you do not need to remain in poverty. You may be born in a difficult situation but you do not have to remain there.
Steps like having a single mind focused on good work ethics, using technology and education as a right.

Steps like learning how to create wealth.
The West is not rich due to plunder or slavery -wealth is created through the development of saleable products which get sold to, and stimulate, external markets; consumers globally realise the value of items which enrich their lives, and change their behaviour to afford these.

Steps like having a can do attitude towards any work that confronts us and saying together with Obama that yes we can.
A never say die attitude. A readiness to what is humanly possible and let God do what is humanly impossible.
When we partner with God and take such little steps, we will be surprised what God will do with that. Just as He magnified the steps of the four lepers to confound the mighty Syrian army, He will do the same for your efforts. As you confront your Goliath in your life, God will use the little stones that you will pick to overcome your Giant. God will make you mighty. He will make you an achiever. He will make you more than a conqueror.
Never give up. Never accept the status quo. Never say never. God bless you.

Purpose

2011-05-03T18:33:00.002+01:00

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God has a plan for you. When God called us from among the crowd and said come out from among them and be ye separate; He had a purpose for calling us.
There is no one on earth here who is here as a decoration. There is a reason why God calls you. He never intended for you to be a pew warmer. His intention was for you to fulfill your purpose. Rom.8:28 tells us that everyone is called according to God’s purpose.
A Call: A calling is your office. What God has called you to do.
Purpose is the reason why you are here on earth. Purpose gives reason and a sense of direction to your call. Look at the following examples:
Jeremiah’s purpose;
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jeremiah 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
His calling was a prophet but his purpose was unto the nations, to root out, to pull down and to destroy the works of the enemy and to build and plant all that exalts God. He lived to fulfill his purpose.
Samuel was a prophet to the Kingdom of Israel.
1 Samuel 3:19-20 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
Paul’s purpose;
His call was to preach the gospel i.e. 1 Corinthians 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
However his purpose was Acts 9:15; “for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” Paul fulfilled his purpose.
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Paul would preach the gospel at every opportunity.
Noah’s purpose was to save as many people of his generation as possible into the ark and he fulfilled it. Gen.6:8. The fact that there is sin all around you is not an excuse for you to sin. The fact that there is sin all around you does not mean you cannot fulfill purpose.

God requires us to fulfill our purpose before we leave earth. Many Christians are looking out for success. In fact many Pastors are saying you must be successful. But the God whom we serve is looking out for faithfulness in fulfilling purpose.
God rewards faithfulness
Faithfulness is a prerequisite for fulfilling purpose. It is when we are faithful that we can find success. Many Christians have found success without faithfulness and God does not reward just success.
Many of us are doing what we think God wants us to do without coming to his presence to ask him. If we learn to come to his presence to seek him, he will show us what our purpose is. We have a form of godliness but we deny His leadership and direction. You just have to obey him. You may not necessarily be successful but you would be found faithful. If you read Mt.7:21-23 all the works listed there were the works of God, but the people had not identified their purpose.
Mt25:14-30 i.e. the parable of the talents.
Note that in verse 15 He gave everyone’s purpose according to your ability so you have no excuse not fulfilling it.
Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
God rewarded the man for his faithfulness and not necessarily for his success. They entered heaven because they had been faithful with their purpose.
Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Many people in the house of God will go to hell because they were not faithful with their talents. They were unprofitable servants of the Lord. They did not fulfill their purpose.
What is your talent and if God comes today will he find you faithful?
There are three kinds of people:
Those who do nothing,
Those who watch things happen in excitement and shout ooh, Aah and
Those who make things happen.
May you cause things to happen in your life. May you identify your call and fulfil your purpose.

Honour the Lord

2011-04-27T15:51:00.002+01:00

1 Samuel 2:30 “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith,, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”.
God in this scripture was telling Eli the High Priest that though He had promised Eli’s house, be it far from Him. That promise will not be fulfilled because Eli’s sons have not honoured the Lord in their life. They were the next in line to be High Priests but because they dishonoured God, the promise concerning their lives will not be fulfilled.
God says that “for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”.
The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were sinning against God at the door of the Temple. They had no regard for the law of God neither did they honour God in their lives so this law had to come in operation for them to be punished. God therefore sends Samuel to announce the consequences to Eli. The sons of Eli die in a war with the Philistines, there is a great slaughter and Israel flees from its enemies, the Ark of the Lord is captured and Eli falls backward and breaks his neck thereby he also dies. The consequences of dishonouring God are very grave.
However for those who honour God, He in turn honours them. Samuel decided to honour God all his life and was lifted up as the High Priest and prophet of Israel. He who was not in the lineage of Eli, he was not the next in line to be the High Priest, he merely ministered before the Lord but God had to change the order so that he would become the next High Priest. Joseph refused to sin against God by refusing to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. He refused to fall for the woman’s advances. This was something that many would think will cause the woman to speak to her husband on Joseph’s behalf. But Joseph refused to sin against God so God rewarded him by lifting him up to become the prime minister of Egypt. From slavery to prison to Prime minister.
God always honours those who honour him. Daniel refused to eat food offered unto idols and was rewarded to serve as governor under about four kings. Daniel again refused to obey the commandment not to pray to God. He honoured God in this action and yet when he was placed in the lion’s den, the angel of the Lord shut the mouths of the lions such that they could not eat him up and he was released the following day. Even the King of the day fasted for him. May you stand for God no matter how difficult the situation is. No situation should cause you not to honour God. No circumstance that you find yourself in should stop you from glorifying God. When we learn to honour Him, he will also honour us. Despite all the faults of David, God called him his friend because he knew how to honour God. God even overlooked his faults. May God honour you. May he call you his friend.
God will honour you if you learn to honour Him. If you learn to honour Him in your marriage by honouring your husband as unto the Lord, then God in turn will touch his heart and before you know it, your husband becomes a new person. If you honour the Lord by loving your wife even as Christ loved the church, then very soon God will also honour you and the marriage that was heading towards divorce will turn over a new leaf.
If you learn to honour God in your business by respecting your customers, by being honest and treating them right, then God in turn will honour you by giving you more customers than you can imagine. This will lead to an increase in your income. If you honour God in your work place by doing what you are paid for and not forcing people to pay you bribes but rather earn an honest day’s wage, then God will also honour you and grant you promotion. If you honour God in everything that you do, then God in turn will honour you. May you honour God all the days of your life. May God come through for you and honour you so that it will be known that the Lord that you serve has honoured you.
There are certain specific ways that we can honour God.
1. We honour God by honouring His commands. Keith Miller said “We Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities and yet almost totally pagan in the day in, day out guts of our business lives…..and never realize it”. This sums up the depravity and shallowness of Christianity today. We go to church and pretend to be holier than thou but our lights do not shine when we are in our homes or when we go to our secret places and in the communities. We mistake being busy and active participation in religious activities to mean holiness. We are dishonest in our businesses, we do not have integrity in our circle of influence, we fuel the perception that Christianity is a religion of mere words and no action. Unbelievers make mockery of our God because of our level of hypocrisy and depravity of our conscience. We mistake religious conformity to mean honouring God. We have to honour God by honouring His words.

2. Honour the Lord with all your heart, soul and spirit.
Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men”.
Do not relate to God in a superficial way or in pretence because He can see right through you. The genuineness of your relationship with God will be revealed when your faith is tested. That is when you will know what you are truly made off. Many people who call themselves Christians have allowed the gospel of convenience to override what God tells them in scripture so much that they do not even realise when they start to drift. A lot of Christians today accept relative truth instead of the absolute truth in the Bible. Relative truth is when you only see something to be true in relation to some other circumstances. When the circumstance changes, then that same thing may not necessarily be truth. Many find themselves in the category of people who worship God with their lips but their hearts are far away from him.

3. We honour God by honouring our parents and people in authority.
Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;). That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth”.
God has placed them over us and we need to offer that honour unto them. We honour them not because of what they do for us but because God requires us to do so. Some parents and people in authority may have treated us unfairly or may have not performed their duty as they should but we do not have the authority to judge them. All we can do is to obey the word of God and treat them with respect and honour. When we do this, we are honouring God.
It is in our own interest to honour the people in authority. It is when we honour and pray for them that we will be able to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

4. We honour the Lord by coming to His house. Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”.
It is the plan of the devil for you never to go to church. Please honor God tomorrow and come to church. You have stayed home for too long a time, start coming to the house of God to fellowship with people of like faith. God is calling you to honour Him and come to His house to have fellowship with Him.

Message from Hell

2011-04-27T15:40:00.000+01:00

Luke 16:19-31; FACTS:
1. This is a true story and not a parable (vs 19 There was. In no parable is someone named)
2. There is life after death. (vs 22 because this happened)
3. Heaven and hell are real (vs. 22-23)
4. Lazarus didn’t go to Heaven because he was poor. He went because his name was found in the book of life. He was in right standing with God. Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
5. The rich man didn’t go to hell because he was rich. He went because he was a sinner, his name was not in the book of life. Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
6. Lazarus was in a place of comfort, joy, and happiness. No sorrow, no regrets, no torment.
7. The rich man cried for mercy, he was in torment, he was in suffering, he regretted the life he had led, he was thirsty. (vs. 24)
8. When you die, your soul and spirit go to one place, either Heaven or hell. The soul is your mind/intellect, your emotions and your will.
9. There is a gulf between Heaven and Hell. (vs. 26)
( vs 23-31 main message)
You cannot repent after death. Now is your opportunity to repent.
There is a message from hell for you. Someone in hell wishes he had the opportunity that you have today so that he could have repented.
He wishes that he had listened when he heard the word of God. The Bible says now is the day of salvation 2Cor.6:2.
Someone in hell wishes he can change his position with you today because you are not doing God’s will. He wishes that you take advantage of all the opportunities you have today because tomorrow does not belong to you.
No one will come from the dead to testify to you. There are enough true preachers in the world today that you have to listen to. He is praying to God that you will listen to the men of God and be obedient.
Someone in hell is praying that you preach to his family members about Jesus. He is counting on your obedience.
Someone is praying that you will not keep your mouth shut until everyone you come into contact with is saved.
Someone is praying that anytime you meet his family member, you sit in the car with them, meet them at work place, that you will share the gospel with them.
Some of you say Oh we are sitting on the fence, There is a message from Hell for you, the fence belongs to the devil so you can’t sit on it. Awake from your sleep and slumber and seek after Jesus.
You say Oh I am standing in the middle of the road, we know what happens to people standing in the middle of the road, they get ran over by a car. God is calling you to come to His house.
Some of you have been wounded and even your faith has been killed by the Church. Christianity is the only army that kills it’s wounded soldiers. But god is saying that is not an excuse for you to go to hell. Rise up and still come to the mercy seat of God because you will find mercy there. Let nothing stop you from the love of God.
Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Sorry Folks

2011-04-27T15:36:00.000+01:00

I had to go to Africa on a missionary trip and have since not been able to update this blog. I am really sorry for this long break. However I am still there but have found a means to access the internet now so can regularly put up new update. Stay tuned. God bless you all.

Ps. Cox speaks on "Jay z disses Jesus"

2009-12-05T11:59:00.001Z

Where are all the Pastors with large congregations?

Watch the part two below.

DRIFTING

2009-11-29T11:21:00.001Z

If you truly believe in Jesus, why is he not the top of your priorities? What caused him to come down on your scale of priorities?
When you got born again, you always wanted to do the will of God and to please him, what caused the shift?
Have we become too much interested in me, myself, and I so much that everything is about our interest and nothing else?
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The level of priority you give to God shows the genuineness of your relationship with him. What caused you to move from pursuing the will of God to become self conscious? Have you been drifting without knowing?
Christianity? Try hypocrisy. Many people profess to be Christians but they are seen as hypocrites because their lights do not shine. They are seen going to church everyday but they are not the salt of their world. When salt loses its taste, it is thrown out and men walk on it. We pretend to love God but genuinely, we don’t. We love ourselves more than we love God.
When we are in our circle of influence, do we glorify God or do we just blend with them and try to be politically correct?
We prefer to remain in our comfort zones rather than be relevant in our society.
Matthew 25:32-40 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye 1 blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Whenever you are not relevant to your society, we deny him. Our actions speak louder than our words.
If we are willing to die to the flesh for him, then we can live for him. If we are willing to stand firm even in the face of death then we will be able to live for him and share the gospel to every one.
Matthew 24:45-46 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
God will come back looking for a remnant who would not have compromised or drifted from the truth. He will come back for those who have remained faithful to the call, who have not been carried away by the things happening around us. He will come back for a remnant who have not defiled themselves.

To keep us thinking

2009-11-12T13:55:00.002Z

Islamic Demographics

2009-11-12T12:59:00.000Z

It's time for every beleiver who is a pew warmer and an armchair christian to wake up from your sleep and begin to evangelise.

Christians persecuted in England

2009-11-07T17:12:00.000Z

I just can't beleive this. A christian country persecuting Christians in the name of political correctness. God save us.
All beleivers must rise up in prayer.

CALL TO ACTION Rifqa's life is in great dangerFrom Jamal Jivanjee...

2009-11-06T23:14:00.002Z

To all those who value life,

Please take a few minutes to consider the life of our sister in the faith Rifqa Bary, which is once again in grave jeopardy. On Tuesday October 27’th, Rifqa Bary was handed over to Ohio authorities for placement in foster care in Franklin County. Over the previous weekend, a very unfortunate deal was made by Rifqa’s former Florida Guardian Ad Litem, Krista Bartholomew, with Rifqa’s parent’s attorney David Colley that allowed Rifqa to be transferred back to Ohio. The gist of this (behind the scenes) deal was the following:

1. Because Rifqa’s parents are in the U.S. illegally, they refused and defied numerous court orders to produce documents detailing their immigration status. As a result, Rifqa’s parents were in danger of being arrested for contempt of court. The Florida judge who had emergency jurisdiction over the case said that even though the jurisdiction is transferred to Ohio, he was not going to release her until they produced the proper documentation that satisfied the court.

Well, in order to have the immigration issue go away for Rifqa’s parents, Mohammad Bary’s attorney, David Colley, cut a ‘behind the scenes’ deal in which the Florida court would drop the contempt of court issue regarding their immigration situation in exchange for an assurance that they would leave Rifqa alone and let her stay in foster care for the next 9 months until she is 18. This sounded like it was too good to be true, and it was! As soon as Rifqa was transferred into Ohio custody and the Florida court gave up their emergency jurisdiction over Rifqa and the immigration issue, Rifqa’s parents fired their own attorney that made the deal! Simply put, now that Rifqa was in ‘favorable’ hands in Ohio, all deals are off! They trusted Rifqa's parents hoping they would live up to their word, and because of this, Rifqa is in a dangerous situation and there is nothing the Florida court can do now because the (G.A.L.) gave the entire house away! Let this be a lesson about Mohammad Bary's real intentions.

In my opinion, this was all part of a premeditated plan on the part of Rifqa’s parents and the organization called C.A.I.R. who has been advising them according to the Florida department of law enforcement report released to the public. They have since hired a Muslim activist attorney named Omar Tarazi that is no doubt influenced by the mafia like C.A.I.R. organization whose sole agenda is to paint a positive picture of Islam in America at any cost. (The slander of the Lorenz family and the slander of 17 year old Rifqa’s own character by releasing her prayer journals to the media are perfect examples of how C.A.I.R. ruthlessly operates to accomplish their agenda.)

They completely went back on the agreement that they made to leave Rifqa alone, and I believe they now are planning to continue to pursue to get her back against Rifqa’s will. C.A.I.R. wants her silenced both now, and in the future, because they know that Rifqa’s story of abuse is common among many Muslim families. Apostasy in Islam is not something they want to shine a light on. They know that as her story gets out there, there will be a massive exodus of Muslims just like her. Indeed, it has already begun!

2. If that was not bad enough, Rifqa went back to a hostile environment in Ohio right away. In an article posted on Saturday October 24’th, three days before her return to Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Eric Fenner, the executive director of Franklin County Children Services, has said that he has stated that he “has no reason to believe that Rifqa wouldn’t be safe with her parents.” Remember this is coming from the very person who has charge over protecting her!

Rifqa then arrived back to Ohio on Tuesday October 27’th. Upon her arrival came a new set of restrictions that her parents and Muslim attorneys have been trying to impose on her from the beginning…solitary confinement! While Rifqa was being protected in Florida, they repeatedly tried to separate Rifqa from other Christians that she leaned on for strength and encouragement. Rifqa’s Muslim parents have been saying from the beginning that they don’t believe that Rifqa became a Christian on her own accord, rather they believe that her real problem is that she has been brain washed by other people through facebook and over the phone.

Immediately upon Rifqa’s arrival to Ohio, came new draconian measures to limit her freedom already! Franklin County Juvenile Magistrate Mary Goodrich put these restrictions on Rifqa at the request of the Franklin county children's services agency immediately upon her arrival back to the state of Ohio.
“Bary's use of Facebook was one issue that led to the situation, said Jim Zorn, a children's services attorney, who asked Goodrich to restrict Bary from using the Internet and her cell phone. "What we want to restrict is the other people, the other organizations, the other forces, that have interjected themselves into this case inappropriately, and has caused the additional problems that we've seen," Zorn said.

Zorn’s account of Rifqa’s situation is absolutely false! Where is he getting his information? It seems as if the Ohio director of children’s services in Franklin County is reading right out of the C.A.I.R. and radical Muslim playbook for this case. Facebook did not in any way lead to this situation. What led to this situation was the fact that a very bright and intelligent girl decided to leave Islam and become a Christian. According to numerous passages in the Qur’an and other Islamic scriptures, this is called apostasy and is punishable by death. Like many others all over the world, Rifqa faced this threat of death, or even deportation back to Sri-Lanka by her own family along with pressure from the Columbus Ohio mosque that her family was actively apart of.

What crime did Rifqa Bary commit that she would be held with such restrictions from communicating to the outside world? While it is legal for 17 year old girls in this country to have abortions without parental agreement, this 17 year old girl is forbidden to have unrestricted access to her phone or facebook friends of her choosing! Is she under house arrest because she is a Christian? This sounds like Sharia law in Ohio!

Immediate Call to Action:

Before I get into the specifics of how we can help, let me say this about a very common misunderstanding that many Christians have regarding God’s sovereignty and fighting for justice. Many of my well meaning brothers and sisters in the church have wondered what the balance is between sitting back, trusting God, and actively fighting for justice. Some have said that because I am fighting for justice in Rifqa’s situation, I am taking the situation in my hands and I am not trusting that God is sovereign over this situation. That is ridiculous to say the least. First of all there is a tremendous amount of support in scripture that commands the people of God to not remain silent in the face of injustice, and to speak and defend those who cannot defend themselves. For time’s sake, I will not list those passages here. If you need help finding these scriptures along with their proper context, let me know and I’d be glad to help direct you to the appropriate passages.

All actions of justice should come from a heart of prayer first and foremost. It is from this place of prayer and intimacy with the Lord that we will find the courage, specific direction, and strength to understand and actually do what He is calling us to do! While not everyone will be called to do the same thing, the Lord will burden our hearts for the things that burden His heart as well. His sovereign heart and actions are carried out through the church, which is simply people! We cannot separate ourselves from this. We are His body, His hands, His feet, His mouth, etc…

A lack of a proper understanding between God’s sovereignty and His heart for justice is what allowed the church to sit passively by in Nazi Germany as Jewish people were slaughtered by the millions while Christians were paralyzed by fear and did nothing. Corrie Ten Boom was an exception to the rule. She was not afraid, and she knew what God had called her to do. There should have been millions of Corrie Ten Booms in Germany at that time. This same cowardice and passivity is also what has allowed over 3000 children to be murdered by abortion each and every day in this nation with little or no outcry in prayer and public against this tragedy. We must get this right! Now with that said, here are some specific things we can do for Rifqa right now:

Since most of Rifqa’s Florida support base is cut off from her, and she is now under the care of authorities that do not take the threat to her life seriously, I would like to ask you to help them understand that Rifqa is not alone and that there are many people who will not sit idly by while Rifqa is sent back to her demise. This does make a difference. Rifqa’s story must continue to be told for her sake, and for the sake of many others! Feel free to repost this article and pass it along to anyone you would like for the sake of getting the word out.

Please contact Franklin County Children Services, and the Ohio governor’s office at the following addresses and let them know that you want Rifqa to be able to have the basic freedoms to communicate to the outside world, and that she needs to be protected from her parents & the radical Islamic community:

Halloween: A Celebration of Evil

2009-10-28T10:42:00.002Z

Dear Friends,
As Halloween approaches, I think this piece provides a useful reflection.

Modern celebrations of Halloween may appear on the surface to be quite harmless, but the spiritual implications of dabbling with the spirit world are extremely serious.
What must an unfamiliar observer think of Halloween? Parents dress their children as monsters, vampires, devils, witches and ghosts and encourage them to approach total strangers to ask them for candy and other treats. Homeowners decorate their houses with images of black cats, ghosts, goblins and carved pumpkins and sometimes transform their yards into make-believe graveyards. Adults dress in similar strange and outlandish costumes and go to parties in rooms decorated like dungeons or crypts.
Why are such bizarre practices so popular? Why would anyone celebrate a holiday emphasizing the morbid and macabre? Where did such strange customs originate?
As with Christmas and Easter, we can trace the roots of Halloween far back into the pagan past. The Encyclopedia of Religion says, "Halloween, or Allhallows Eve, is a festival celebrated on 31 October, the evening prior to the Christian Feast of All Saints (All Saints' Day). Halloween is the name for the eve of Samhain [pronounced sow-en], a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year within the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles. The time of Samhain consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (31 October and 1 November)" (1987, p. 176, "Halloween").
Besides Halloween, the Celts observed many other holidays including the winter solstice (later transformed into Christmas), spring fertility rites (reborn later as Easter) and May Day as a harvest festival.
Concerning Halloween The Encyclopedia of Religion continues: "On this occasion, it was believed that a gathering of supernatural forces occurred as during no other period of the year. The eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken. Otherworldly entities, such as the souls of the dead, were able to visit earthly inhabitants, and humans could take the opportunity to penetrate the domains of the gods and supernatural creatures.
"Fiery tributes and sacrifices of animals, crops, and possibly human beings were made to appease supernatural powers who controlled the fertility of the land ... Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during the period" (pp. 176-177).
On this holiday "huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits ... The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favourable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 862, "Halloween").
Ancient practices continued today
As with Christmas and Easter, church leaders adopted this ancient celebration to serve their own purposes. "Samhain remained a popular festival among the Celtic people throughout the christianization of Great Britain. The British church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities" (The Encyclopedia of Religion, p. 177, "Halloween").
Several ancient Halloween practices still exist in modern observances. Bobbing for apples was originally a form of divination (fortune telling) to learn of future marriages. The first person to bite an apple was predicted to be the first to marry in the coming year ... The jack-o-lantern ... represent[ed] a watchman on Halloween night or a man caught between earth and the supernatural world" (Jack Santino, All Around the Year: Holidays & Celebrations in American Life, 1994, p. 26).
The Bible condemns the occult
Although some may dismiss the demonic symbolism and divination associated with Halloween as harmless fun, the Bible reveals the existence of evil spirits, led by Satan the devil, whom God holds responsible for great suffering and sorrow inflicted on the human race. Revelation 12:9 speaks of "the great dragon ... that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan ... [who] deceives the whole world ..."
The name given him in the Bible, Satan, means adversary or enemy. The apostle John tells us that "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). Satan and the other fallen angels (demons) constantly try to keep humanity spiritually blinded, turning them aside from their awesome destiny as part of the family of God.
As a loving Father, God commands us to avoid things that can harm us. Concerning the spirit world, notice what God says to His people: "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:31).
In addition to this command to avoid practices that pertain to evil spirits, God warned ancient Israel to avoid any kind of occult practices: "There shall not be found among you anyone who ... practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord " (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
God has called His people to a different standard. Instead of superstitions and myths, God tells us to look to Him for our blessings, direction and future.
Modern celebrations of Halloween may appear on the surface to be quite harmless, but the spiritual implications of dabbling with the spirit world are extremely serious. Fortune-telling, Ouija boards, astrology, voodoo, clairvoyance, black magic and the like can all be related to occult, satanic forces or the worship of natural phenomena and are forbidden in Scripture.
Jesus Christ tells us that "the first and greatest commandment" is to love our Creator "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37-38). God alone is the giver of life and all good things. To give recognition to false gods, and to imitate practices that honored them, is unacceptable and idolatrous.

Off to Ohio foster CAIR...Update from rifqabary.com

2009-10-27T13:49:00.000Z

Judge Daniel Dawson has relinquished Florida's emergency jurisdiction and ordered Rifqa to return to Ohio where she will be placed in Franklin County Children Services. It is unclear whether the parents complied with the judges thrice-repeated demand for immigration paperwork.

This order comes the day after the FDLE interview was released in which Rifqa adamently reiterated the horror she lived with in Ohio for years.

This also comes on the heels of a report from Arizona where an Iraqi man is on the run after driving over his daughter for becoming too Westernized. The daughter's name? Noor. Ironic? Or a foreshadow?

Paperwork was due in court at noonRifqa's parents had until noon on Friday, 10/23/09 to submit passports and immigration paperwork to Judge Dawson in Florida. Because juvenile court records are not public, it is currently unclear whether her parents complied with this request.

There are several possible scenarios with this issue.

1. The parents comply and turn over the documentation that proves they are in the U.S. legally. Rifqa would then be sent to a foster care facility in Ohio.

2. The parents can't comply because they are illegaly in the U.S. but submit whatever they have. Judge Dawson could send Rifqa back to Ohio even with incomplete documentation.

3. The parents can't comply because they are illegaly in the U.S. Judge Dawson could decide that Rifqa won't leave Florida until her immigration status is worked out.

4. The parents can't comply because they are illegaly in the U.S. The DHS or INS could decide to deport the entire family to Sri Lanka.

Rifqa should be allowed to apply for amnesty. Contact Governor Crist and plead with him to keep Rifqa in Florida. Contact information is on the 'How To Help' tab.

'He would beat me'
The transcript of Rifqa's interview with FDLE was released. She gives details of her life and the fear of her father. Notably, she asked for a lawyer and was denied; the interviewer validated this denial by saying that only susptects, not victims, get lawyers.

To listen to the interview, click here.

To download the full transcript, click here.

For more coverage of this interview, click here.

Rifqa will be returned to Ohio
Judge Daniel Dawson decided that Ohio holds the proper jurisdiction in this case and will send the girl to Ohio into a foster care facility. He retains Florida's emergency jurisdiction.

However, the judge has demanded that the family turn over the immigration paperwork that he has requested at the last 3 hearings that the family has refused to disseminate (thus placing the parents in contempt of court). He said Rifqa will not leave Florida until the immigration status of the entire family is resolved.

Pamela Geller was in the courtroom for the hearing. Click here for her report.

Click here for the CBN News report.

Update on Rifqa

2009-10-27T13:44:00.000Z

The Few

2009-10-24T18:02:00.001+01:00

The Few from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

The fire

2009-10-15T14:39:00.001+01:00

Is it worth loosing your family over your career? Pt2

2009-10-10T10:25:00.000+01:00

This often unappreciated and underrated woman is the one who draws up the budget, does the shopping, decides what meals to prepare and sometimes even rushes the children to hospital when they fall sick. And it is she who helps them cope with the unsettling changes that take place during teenage.
It is no wonder, then, that some mothers don't even know when her daughters had their first period, and that would be shocked to learn that they have actually reached this milestone.
The result is that such children grow up to be comfortable with their house-helps and prefer to go to them for advice rather than to their own mothers, since they have not formed a close bond with her.
Under their noses
It is these same house-helps who wait on their husbands, take their bath water to the bathroom, make their tea just the way they like it and have since discovered what makes them tick, what makes them happy and what sets them off. Yet wives are surprised when they discover that their husbands are having an affair with the house help right under their noses.
One of the women Saturday magazine talked to, a lecturer and professional counsellor, confessed that two years ago, her marriage was almost broke up because of the amount of time she was spending at work.
"Between my clinic and lectures, I did not realise just how little time I spent at home because I was always rushing somewhere," she recalls.
It wasn't until she overheard her house girl of two years asking her husband whether she should prepare for him "the usual tangawizi and lemon" to treat his cold that the alarm bells went off.
"My husband had never asked me to make him anything for his cold and, worse still, I had not even noticed that he was unwell," she says, adding that this is what jolted her to take action.
The following week, she gave up three classes, which meant that she could get home early at least three evenings a week to prepare the evening meal and have some quality time with her husband.
"I don't think there is any married woman who believes her husband can have an affair with the house help, or worse, leave her for one, but what we forget is that she, too, is a woman and that human beings are naturally drawn to those who treat them well and show them that they matter," she says.
She says that since then, she has been doing more for her husband, including serving him food, preparing his meals once in a while and spending more time with him.
"Our relationship has improved, and although I am earning less than I used to, I am more relaxed and have more time for myself," she observes.
Which brings us to the question - is it really possible for women to have the best of both worlds? Is it possible for women to have outstanding careers as well as happy and contented families?
Kenyan women have been fighting for equality for quite some time now, and they are getting it. They are rising to positions once reserved for men and earning as much as, if not more, than them. But at what price?
According to an article published in the The Mail of UK recently, women may have won the fight for equality, but "It has left many of them imprisoned and exhausted". This is according to Erin Pizzey, a British women's rights activist and author. Pizzey adds that the idea of women happily combining career and a family has turned out to be a myth.
In the article by Paul Revoir, she observes that women's freedom of choice to have both has left them with less spare time than they had before, and as a result, lost something very important.
"Many women don't have a choice now, they have to work, they have to work hard, and I just see an exhausted generation of women trying to do it all."
Pizzey's views are supported by Helen Fielding, author of the popular Bridget Jones series of novels, who criticised women who aspire to "have it all".
In an article published in a recent issue of The Daily Mail of the UK, Fielding is quoted as saying that many young women today struggle to have successful careers and families in an idealistic society that expects them to balance these roles perfectly, a battle that leaves them "confused".
"They feel they should be getting up at six in the morning and going to the gym, then doing a full day's work, coming back late and feeding 12 people for dinner. It's a modern disease," she is quoted as saying.
Explaining why it is not possible for women to have it all, she argues that there are only so many hours in a day and as a result, you either spend most of them at work, or at home raising children and making a home.

Is it worth losing your family for a career?

2009-10-10T10:22:00.001+01:00

Ladies,
Take heed!!!LLLLLLM

By CAROLINE NJUNG'E Posted Friday, June 5 2009 at 16:19
In Summary

Today's career woman seems to have it all; a good job, nice car and beautiful house. But behind this façade of success could be an unhappy husband and neglected children.
It is a controversial, even taboo subject among some, but the fact is that a number of career women are losing their families and homes to their house helps. In their quest for impressive academic credentials a successful career and enviable social network, they forget to nurture what is probably the most important part of their lives - their families.
The result is that they wake up several years later to find that they have lost their families. Their children have developed into secretive, broody and rebellious teenagers while their husbands, whom they long stopped giving serious thought to, have become emotionally withdrawn and carved out a new life for themselves.
Women who have found themselves in such a position will probably relate to Margaret Mwangi.
Two years ago, 41-year-old Margaret Mwangi (not her real name), a senior manager in one of the largest banks in the country, thought she had it all. Already a Masters degree holder, she was a year into studying for a PhD in financial management and had won several awards for her outstanding performance.
She was earning good money and had extensive contacts. But as she rode the wave of her success, she forgot to channel the same effort and energy she directed at her career towards her husband of 14 years and three children.
Margaret would be up by 4 a.m. to get ready for the day's numerous strategic meetings and for mandatory 30-minute jog around her upmarket neighbourhood.
She would leave the house at 6a.m., as her husband and children were waking up to prepare for the day. Thanks to Martha, the efficient and capable house-help she had had for eight years, Margaret knew that her family was in good hands.
Martha would prepare a healthy breakfast, ensure that everyone's clothes, including her husband's, were ironed and laid out and that their shoes were polished.
Given Margaret's busy schedule, including her daily evening classes which ended at 8p.m., she usually got home at around 9 p.m., tired to the bone. By then, the children were in bed, having had supper and completed their homework with Martha's help. In Margaret's mind, she was a good mother and dedicated wife since she ensured that her family was well taken care of.
But due to her constant absence from home, her once close and loving relationship with her husband faded, to be replaced by a cordial one, devoid of emotion and passion. Their conversations were perfunctory and usually, after asking about each other's day, she would take a shower, have a quick meal then collapse in bed, exhausted, with things that needed to be done at work the next day going in her mind.
She could not even recall the last time she and her husband had been intimate, but this did not really bother her. According to her, all marriages lost the initial fire they had after a couple of years. After all, hadn't her friends confessed that they were going through similar experiences?
That's why Margaret was shell-shocked when her 45-year-old husband announced that he was marrying another woman last year. But nothing could have prepared her for the bombshell that he dropped shortly thereafter - the other woman was Martha!
How could he do this to her after she had worked so hard so that they could all have a good life and a secure future? It is not like he or the children had been neglected - they lived in a clean home, had healthy, wholesome food everyday and led organised lives, she argued, as she tried to come to terms with the shocking news.
But when her husband pointed out that it was their live-in house help who did all these for the family, the argument instantly fizzled out.
During the last five years of their marriage, Martha had practically usurped Margaret's roles of wife and mother. She cooked for and served the man of the house, washed, ironed and laid out his clothes and dutifully cleaned and polished his shoes everyday. She even made the couple's bed, as well washed and changed the linen because Margaret often left early in the morning and returned late at night.
But more important, Martha had raised the couple's three children almost single-handedly. When they were young, she would wake up in the middle of the night to lull them back to sleep or warm them a bottle of milk because their mother would be too exhausted to do it. And when they started going to school, she walked them to the bus stop, picked them up in the evening and helped them with their homework.
"How then can you claim that you are my wife and mother of my children if someone else has been doing what you should be doing?" her husband had retorted when she asked how he could embarrass her by having an affair with their house help right under her own roof.
Not ready to live in the same house or share her husband with Martha, Margaret walked out of the marriage with the children. Although she can offer them the comfortable life they were used to, re-learning how to be a mother to her children is proving very difficult.
The older two, a boy and a girl, are teenagers. Sulky, disobedient, and disrespectful, they are constantly getting into trouble at school. The other, now eight, is clingy, teary and has not stopped asking when they will move back home to "daddy and auntie".
Margaret recently learnt that her former house help, a single mother of two, had given birth to a baby girl, who had been named after her husband's mother.
Margaret's case clearly demonstrates the situation in which many women find themselves after entrusting their family's welfare and the running of their households to their house- helps.

Update on the Rifqa Story

2009-09-29T14:46:00.002+01:00

The latest hearing, September 21st 2009

The Extended Lorenz Interview

Rafiq Barry Gives Her Testimony

2009-09-27T12:06:00.003+01:00

We take our freedom of worship for granted. Let us learn from this girl and worship God in spirit and in truth. Her love for God is so real. There is no pretence in her at all.
The Church must wake up now.

CBN NEWS REPORT ON RIFQA

Are You Ready

2009-09-21T20:54:00.001+01:00

Truth from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Jesus Died

2009-09-21T20:47:00.001+01:00

Jesus Died! - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.