Achieving True Forgiveness from the Heart

HEALING OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF MAN SERIES 004- ACHIEVING TRUE FORGIVENESS FROM THE HEART
“….And forgive us our debt, as we also have forgiven our debtors. “ MATTHEW 6:12, NAS
ACHIEVING TRUE FORGIVENESS
Is there someone in your life you have had trouble forgiving?
Forgiveness can be difficult, but…
The law of God mandates that we reap what we sow. Sow sin; reap death (relationships die). Sow forgiveness; reap life (relationships live). (For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23, NAS
Why do we reap death? : If we do not forgive, we are not forgiven.
For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14 – 15, NAS
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. Mark 11 :25 -26 NAS
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9, NAS
But it isn’t fair….
Many people scoff at the idea of forgiving, because they think it means they must:
Excuse the offense. They think forgiveness means the offender was not wrong and he is not accountable to anyone.
Actually when we forgive, we enable the offender to be held accountable: Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God.. Rom 12:19a NAS
Others feel that forgiving means that they have to Forget that the offense happened.
Nowhere in the scriptures does it say we must forget
Others feel that to truly forgive they must Deny their hurt or anger they feel thus making forgiveness almost impossible
The Psalmists did not deny what they felt (see Pslams 55, 88), yet they forgave.
Still others feel that forgiveness means Trusting the offender, and let him hurt them again.
David forgave Saul, but he did not trust him ( 1Sam 26:21,25)
When should we restore close contact?
When it is wise to do so. Disern when you can trust. Is the offender willing to stop offending? Talk things out? Take steps to heal the wound inflicted on you?
Remember :- It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8

But if I give up my resentment…….
I will have nothing left to defend myself!
When our hearts insist others owe us, we remain in bondage to reaping from bitter roots, and to feelings of hurt and anger.
If we cannot surrender our “right” to demand that an offender pay us back, we need to ask, “why can’t I trust God to bring justice?”
Forgiveness is :
Greek – aphiemi – to remit a punishment or cancel a debt – a work of God’s grace.
….Some people insist that they have forgiven….
But Jesus said, A tree is known by its fruit Matthew 12:33 NAS. Where there is fruit of unforgiveness there is unforgiveness.
Why is it hard for some people to remember where unforgiveness began? As children, they thought forgiveness was:
Minimizing (it is ok / it is not so bad)
Justifying
Rationalizing that treatment was normal; convincing themselves it didn’t hurt
Offering understanding without accountability
Taking blame for the parents (or others) actions
Forgetting what others have done to them
By all these means, they have convinced themselves that others had done no wrong, and that there was , therefore , nothing to forgive.
When people finally realize they do need to forgive:
They ask, “How can I forgive if I can’t stop feeling angry?”
Forgiveness is not the cessation of anger. It is choosing to give assent to Christ work on the cross (….count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11b, NIV
After the cross does its work, there is nothing is left to produce new anger. Residual anger will eventually dissipate.
“How do I forgive if I don’t feel angry?”
It is preferable to get in touch with the anger we’ve suppressed before we forgive. But if we cannot, we can still forgive.
Sometimes the act of forgiving makes the anger surface.
“Why do I still feel angry after I have prayed to forgive ?”
This may indicate there is another aspect of the same issue yet to be forgiven
Or it may mean that you need to process the feelings before letting them go.
How can I forgive if I realize that my parents really weren’t guilty? Shouldn’t I just declare them innocent?
Forgiveness is not always about guilt. Sometimes it is merely a way to remove our own resentment (if your child accidentally steps on his brother’s toe, don’t you have him apologize? And don’t you have his brother say, “ I forgive you?”)
Pray the Gethsemane prayer
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus entered into prayer, identifying with those who hated Him.
Our prayers should be something like : “Lord , in compassion, identify me with the heart of my offender, with is hurts and wounds. Bring to death in me that which would declare him as sinful and me as righteous. I am not better than him. I am one with him at the foot of the cross. I cry out , “Forgive us!” Set us free from the traps of hate. End all pride and self- righteous in both of us. Enable me to identify with the person You created him to be. Restore Us Oh Lord”.
Because Jesus is fully God and fully human. He took all sins into His body “ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Corinthians 5:21 NAS
On the cross, Christ prayed a prayer of intercession, Father forgive them….. Luke 23:34b
Likewise when we pray to forgive, this is a prayer of intercession.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
The Prayer ministers role
To lead in seeking out and confessing resentment held in the heart.
“ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16
To lead in expressing forgiveness
To offer assurance of forgiveness
“Then he breathed on them and said , “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:22-23
Some people feel the need to forgive God. Of course , God needs no forgiving! For such persons, “forgive “ means to let go of a falsely perceived issue
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NAS
Pray blessing on the offender
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not…. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. And if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head….. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:14, 20-21 NAS

How do I know I have fully forgiven?
Do I have strong emotional reactions when I see the person who hurt me?
Do I want relationship (if this is wise). Or do I try to avoid the person?
Do I still rehearse “speeches” I’d like to deliver?
Do I imagine ways of getting revenge?
Can I sincerely bless this person?
Do I honestly rejoice when good things happen for him?
RECONCILE :- This is the ultimate goal of inner healing (2 Cor 5:18 , Mal 4:5,6 , Mt. 17:11) …… How will you apply the healing you have received? Change your attitude towards the offender – Reconcile ; Apologize ; make restitution ; express forgiveness ; bless ; listen to what God tells you to do ; bring healing to others

Moving Your Marriage from the rocks to the Rock – Meeting Her Needs / His Needs

Moving your Marriage from the rocks to The Rock – Series 005 –Meeting Her needs/ His needs
OBEJECTIVE:-
Understanding your mate’s basic needs and purposing to be used of God to fulfill them.
Meeting Basic Needs
THE NEEDS OF A WIFE
1Pet 3:7-10 “In the same way, you husbands must give honour to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. Finally all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the scriptures say, “if you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
Eph 5:22-33 “ For wives this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the Church. As the Church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one”. This is great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the Church are one. So again I say, each man must love wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. { What is love? 1Corinthians 13:3-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoice whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.}
She needs you to understand her.
She needs you to be tender and considerate.
She needs to be treated with respect.
She needs to protected because she is the weaker vessel.
She needs to be treated as a partner in the marriage and as a joint heir with you in the kingdom.
She needs you to build her with your speech by praise and appreciation and not be harsh with her (Colossians 3:19)
She needs you to love her and for you to sacrificially and unselfishly give yourself for her.
She needs you to nourish her spiritually by the word of God.
She needs you to be the spiritual head of the household.
She needs you to cherish and value her.
THE NEEDS OF A HUSBAND
He needs a wife who will submit to him
He needs a wife who does not nag him with her words.
He needs a wife who is pure and holy, one whom he can trust.
He needs a wife who develops her beauty outwardly and inwardly, who has a peaceful and gentle spirit.
He needs a wife who will respect him as this gives him confidence to lead.
He needs a wife who will speak life and encouragement to him spiritually.
He needs a wife who will give herself to him in sexual union.

Compiled by Pst Willy Ochieng
BUSIA LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH.

The Believers Job Description

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
The Spirit of the Lord/ Yaweh’s Spirit is upon/chosen me{marked out/ commissioned /anointed by Him} { Your Qualification}
Bring{give/preach/ encourage} good news/tidings to the poor/meek/humble{oppressed}
Comfort{make,bind, help} the brokenhearted{well}
Proclaim{freedom/liberty} that the captives will be released{made free} and prisoners {those in chains/darkness}will be freed{see the light again/opening of the prison to them that are bound/ opening of the eyes to the blind}
He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
The Lord’s Favour (Lord’s good pleasure has come / acceptable year of the Lord/ Lord will show his favor/the year of the Lord’s favor)
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
A crown of beauty for ashes / fair head-dress / beauty / turban / garland
A joyous blessing / joy/ oil of gladness /the oil of joy / oil symbolizing joy / instead of mourning
Festive praise/praise/a mantle of praise / a garment of praise/a garment symbolizing praise/ instead of despair
Great Oaks planted/ the planting of the Lord/trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor/the planting of Yahweh for the glory of God
They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
Will rebuild the ancient ruins/ will be building again the old broken walls/
They will revive them / put up again / repair / reestablish
Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.
Foreigners/ men from strange countries/strangers will be your servant
You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.
You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers/servants of our God.
You will feed on the treasures/wealth/riches/ of the Nations and boast in their riches
Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
Double share of honor / heritage/ portion
Double portion of prosperity in your land
Everlasting joy will be yours.
For I, the Lord , love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Love Justice
Faithfully Reward my people
Make an everlasting Covenant

Sermon Written and Compiled by

Pst Willy Ochieng

Jesus Loves Muslims Too Series 004- The Rapid Spread Of Islam in Africa

JESUS LOVES MUSLIMS TOO – UNDERSTANDING ISLAM FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 004- THE RAPID SPREAD OF ISLAM IN AFRICA
THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS IN AFRICA
LESSONS OBJECTIVE
To correct negative stereotypes about Muslims
To better understand Islam and its origins
To appreciate positive aspects of the Islamic religion and culture
To Foster meaningful harmonious relationships between Muslims and Christians
To challenge Christians to break religious and cultural barriers and reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.

HUMANITARION AID
Until the 1960’s, European power controlled much of Africa; as result, millions of Muslims were under foreign control. Muslims viewed the colonial power not only as western but also as Christians. This foreign occupation and isolation African Muslims from the rest of the world Muslim community; consequently, African Muslims received minimal help for communal development and religious education. They lacked the resource to cultivate and spread their religion; however, two developments suddenly changed their situations.
The first development was liberation from colonial power that led to the birth of new African states. Muslim communities also experienced the relief of independence. At the same time, Western countries were becoming increasingly dependent on oil, which seemed to exist in vast deposit in the depths of Middle Eastern soil .Arabs had discovered “black gold” They owned the one commodity that was most valuable for the survival of the industrialized west-oil! Seemingly overnight, Arab nations became rich, earning billions of dollars from the sale of oil. They used this money not only to strengthen their own economy but also to spread Islam.
With the new breath of independence, Muslim countries united to form world organizations .At this point, they had the financial resources to expand their influence. So in 1969, Muslims established their own kind of “united nations,” which they called the Organisation of Islamic Conference {OIC}.By 2005, this organisation had a membership of fifty-seven countries. It serves Muslims worldwide and also promotes Islamic values and teachings to non-Islamic regions.
In December of 1991, the OIC met in Dakar, Senegal in that conference delegates affirmed their support for the uplift, the development, of the AFRICAN people. They particularly referred to the underdeveloped countries of the Sahel region. They viewed the development of this area as a necessary step for making all of Africa Islamic. The delegates also called for necessary resources to finance dawah activities and religious education.
Another conference of Muslim world leaders was held in Saudi Arabia in December of 2005. Again there was a special declaration of support for the development of Africa. The conference delegates affirmed their support for the newly formed organization CALLED NEPAD (New Economic Partners for African Development). These Muslim Leaders hope that humanitarian and development aid will attract many other Africans into to House of Islam.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Another means of attracting Africans to Islam is education. One of the primary elements of Islamic education is the madrassa, the religious school. Muslims provide elementary teaching or madrassa education for young people, often in the local mosque and claim they are education centers for the community. This strategy has become very evident in Africa. We also note with interest that Kuwait, Libya and Saudi Arabia have financed the building of mosques throughout African towns and villages.

Between 1991 and 1993, Muslims built 500 new mosques in Ethiopia, and 1999 Malawi’s president asked Muammer Gadafi of Libya to build mosques and Islamic centers in Malawi. In Zimbabwe, Malaysian Muslims financed the construction of housing colonies that featured their own mosques and Islamic centers in Malawi. In Zimbabwe, Malaysian Muslims financed the construction of housing colonies that featured their own mosque buildings. They also built Islamic schools and provided scholarships for new converts, a practice that leads to another strategy.
In addition to building mosques, oil – rich Muslim countries are granting scholarships. For example, Islamic bank (backed by Saudi Arabia) offers free education to AFRICANS who study at Islamic institutions abroad. This Africans not only receive religious education, but also are trained to return to Africa to teach secondary schools and universities. In this way, they are able to infuse Islamic values into the education of African students.
In the second Islamic conference of 1974 (in Pakistan) delegates introduced a proposal to establish two Islamic universities in Africa. Muslims build one Niger 1986 to meet the needs of West African Muslims. They build the other in Uganda to meet the needs of central and East Africa Muslims. In 1988, the Uganda University began with Just 80 students, but by 2005 its student enrolment grew to three thousand.

RELIGIOUS PROPAGATION THROUGH THE MEDIA
Another strategy that Muslims use to spread Islam is through the media: Radio , Television , Literature, and the internet. In 1966, for example, Muslim leaders met in Pakistan ways to propagate Islam. Since one of their main targets was AFRICA, they planned to establish radio stations in strategic areas throughout the continent. Years later, in 2001, the supreme council of Kenyan Muslims launched IQRA Islam broadcasting station, and both Libya and Saudi Arabia helped to finance the project. The IQRA Islam broadcasting was the first major Islamic radio station in East Africa, transmitting Islamic programmes in Kiswahili, Somali, Urdu and English. In Zimbabwe , Malaysian Muslims financed the construction of a television recording studio and provided the funds in exchange for free airtime to televise Islamic broadcast. Muslims use religious literature as another means to spread Islam. The Supreme COUNCIL for Islamic affairs in Egypt has provided most of the dawah literature for Africa. In Durban, South AFRICA, the Islamic propagation center international distributes free literature and videos for English speaking communities in AFRICA. Its founder Ahmed Deedat, was famous for his debates with notable Christians.
THE REALITY OF MILITANT ISLAM IN AFRICA
Orthodox Muslims believe God intends for Islam to rule over the world. In Practice, this means that everyone must submit to Islamic law. Most Muslims attempt to spread Islam and its laws through peaceful means; so they work in-conjunction with established systems to achieve their goals.
By contrast, other Muslims reject the idea of spreading Islam through channels of existing governments, both their own governments and foreign governments. As Africans gained their independence in the last century, there was a rise of nationalism and many new nations were born. A new hope emerged for African renewal and progress; however, many economic and social problems remained and some cases grew worse. This was true of Muslim countries as well; as a result, some Muslims blamed failure on politicians and accused them of simply adopting western colonial systems of government.
This Muslims insisted that an Islamic government was the only solution; so their resentment against existing regimes gave birth to Islamic reformists movements. Some of this movement had existed during the colonial period, and one example is Salafiyyist movement in Morrocco that surfaced in the 1920s. Members of this movement advocated a return to the religion of Salfas (ancestors), which meant a return to the seventh century religion of Muhammed and his community. This is basically the objective of fundamentalist Muslims: They want to return to the Islamic faith that Muhammed actually practiced and taught.
One of the champions of fundamentalist Islam was Hasan al-Banna, who established the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan Muslim) in 1928 in Egypt. Sayyid Qutb succeeded al-Banna and wrote articles that expanded al-Banna’s teachings. Sayyid Qutb stressed the need to change Islamic society by returning to original Islam, and he believed this required the removal of secular governments. Only then, he asserted, could Islam rule over every aspect of community and private life. In his view of true Islam, there was no room for separation between church (religion) and state (politics).
While Qutb agreed that Islam speaks of peace and justice, he insisted that the implementation of justice at times requires the forceful removal of injustice that may require physical combat. He labeled the Egyptian government an unjust system because it did not rule entirely by Islamic law. As a result, the Egyptian government executed Qutb in 1966. Although he died, his teachings lived on and became the fuel for more Islamic reforms and revolutions.
Perhaps the most notable Islamic revolution in recent times erupted in Iran in 1979 when Muslims overthrew the Shah of Iran. In addition, they ended relations with the West and established their own Islamic theocracy. The successful revolution in Iran sparked a new fervor in Islamic fundamentalism worldwide, including Africa.
HOTSPOTS IN AFRICA
By the end of the twentieth century, the African continent was essentially free from colonial rule; however there was a legacy of resentment against the former colonizers. Since the colonial powers were Christian countries, many Africans looked to non-Christian nations as a source of help; however, they needed foreign resources to fund development and education. As you might Western religion and they found their solution in Islamic countries. During the late colonial period, Muslim countries provided support for anti-colonial movements. Then, after independence, they provided Africans with strict morals, a non-western system of law, and madrassa education. Muslims growth so that today Africans hear loudly and clearly the slogan, “Islam is the solution”.
As Africa opened its doors to Islam, the Muslim fundamentalists rushed in with the goal of making Africa entirely a Muslim continent. Along with them came the militant Muslims who believe that the only way to achieve their goal is by armed force. As a matter of fact, Islamic militants have influenced the direction and politics of several African countries, and the results have been brutal and deadly.
UGANDA: For a while during his rule over Uganda, Idi Amin acted as chairman of the Organisation for African Unity. At that time, he vowed to make Uganda a Muslim state – even though Uganda was 6% Muslim – and declared Islam the official religion. To fulfill his vow, he carried out a vicious campaign to exterminate thousands of Ugandan Christians.
ALGERIA: In 1991, fundamentalist Muslims in Algeria rallied in support of Islamic Salvation Front, their national Islamic Salvation organization. They entered the political process by competing in a democratic election, but it soon became evident that the Islamic Salvation Front was winning the election. So the military forces staged a coup and stopped the election; however, militant Muslims reacted in violence that claimed 40,000 lives.
SUDAN: In 1956, Sudan gained independence from Britain. At that time, Muslims attempted to force Islam on the nation of Sudan. Contesting parties, however, formed a coalition government, which granted religious freedom to Christians in the south. However, in 1985, the government under Nimeiry declared Sudan an Islamic Republic, annulled the former agreement of freedom for Christians, and imposed Islamic law on the south. This led to the breakup of the coalition government in Khartoum, and it also led to an extended civil war between the Muslims of the North and the Christians of the south, an armed conflict that claimed a million lives. As a result, millions of refugees, Christians and animists, fled to Khartoum where social upheaval still plagues the nation of Sudan.
Sudan is one of the largest countries in Africa and Arab people compromise 45% of its population. Fundamentalist Muslims see Sudan as vital link in the strategy to win the Horn of Africa for Islam. Djibouti and Somalia are already Islamic and if South Sudan falls to Islam, the door will be open for further expansion. It will increase the possibility of winning Ethiopia (currently have appointed the first Muslim Prime Minister), Eritrea, and Kenya to the cause of Islam.
NIGERIA: By the time of British rule, Islam was deeply rooted in Nigeria. The nomadic Fulani people, who were Muslims, were primarily responsible for this. In the nineteenth century, they conducted holy wars with intent of removing all traces of African traditional religion from other Muslim communities. Although the British arrived at beginning of the twentieth century, the Fulani were able to preserve their orthodox strain of Islam. At that time, most Muslims lived in the North and most Christian lived in the South.
Although Nigeria gained her independence in the 1960, the nation suffered a long period of instability marked by military coups. Then, in 1975, General Murtala Muhammad took control of the government and strongly urged making Islam the official religion of Nigeria. He changed street names from Christian names to Muslim names, and he redesigned Nigerian currency to include Arabic inscriptions and Islamic symbols. He also tried to take control of Christian schools and hospitals.
In 1989 the “Islam in AFRICA”, CONFERENCE convened in Abuja, Nigeria and in this conference Muslims delegates resolved to establish Islamic Law in their respective states. This was the first step towards their greater goal – to make Nigeria an Islamic state. After the conference, states in the northern Nigeria began to impose Islamic law, which included expelling Christians and demolishing church buildings. In addition, Saudi Arabia sent strict Islamic (Wahabbi) teachers to stir up Islamic fervor in Nigeria. These drastic actions led to violent riots between Christians and Muslims and thousands of people were killed in the fighting. The situation became even worse when Nigerians elected a Christian Leader to be their president in 1999.
Radical Muslims continue to exploit the outbreak of violence in the northern Nigeria and to call for the death of all Christians until Islam is firmly established. Fundamentalist Muslims see Nigeria as a strategic part of their plan to bring West Africa under sway of Islam. This is true because Nigeria has the largest population of any African nation, and in the year 2000 it ranked sixth among oil-producing nations. Nigeria thus represents a large reservoir of human and financial resources that can be used in the quest to bring all of Africa under Islam.
Africans have seen what militant Islam and terrorism can lead to. For example, the first major terrorist attacks in Africa took place in 1998 when a car bomb exploded outside the Untied States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. At the same time, terrorists attacked the United States Embassy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Then in 2002, Islamic militant in Kenya launched a missile attack an Israeli passenger plane, and 2003 they carried out a suicide bombing in Morocco.
Clearly militant Muslims will go to any extreme to fulfill their objective. Most African Muslims know very little about Orthodox Islam, and they don’t know the Arabic Language or how to say their prayers. Neither do they keep the fast. In fact many are steeped in witchcraft, and many are influenced by African Sufi teaching, which ignores Islam. As a result, most African Muslims recent orthodox Islam. Why? Because they don’t like other Muslims forcing them to learn Arabic and follow strict rituals. Furthermore, they resent orthodox Muslims severely criticizing their traditional practices
SUMMARY
The African Church is alarmed and has focused her attention on the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, which is natural. However, the church must also focus her attention on the millions of African Muslims who are NOT FUNDAMENTALISTS. The African church should see the present wave militant Islam as a divine opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ with the millions of moderate non-fundamental African Muslims.
MAIN TEXT FROM : MUSLIM MINISTRY IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT By Harry Morin
Compiled by Pst. Willy Ochieng.