A ‘LifeSite News’ article about the capsising of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy recently caught my attention because of its unique perspective.  The media reported that ship captain, Francesco Schettino, who abandoned his ship, was ordered to return to his vessel by the Coast Guard. Apparently, Schettino responded by repeatedly lying and attempting to flee in a lifeboat.
A terrible tragedy

The writer asks the question, “What kind of man sneaks away under the cover of darkness from his own sinking ship, leaving nearly 4 200 passengers and crew to fend for themselves? What kind of men knock aside old ladies, little girls and young mothers to get to lifeboats first? Why, modern men, sexually emancipated men who have been raised on the tenets of feminism and our ‘contemporary’ mores.”

The Costa Concordia tragedy appears to have exposed the fault lines of the bankrupt ideology of secular humanism. The Women’s Liberation Movement aided and abetted by the liberal media have advanced a destructive ideology for more than five decades that sets women against men, dismantles the God-given institutions of marriage and the family, and diminishes the vital role of the father figure in the home.

A sign of the times
The awful consequences of the consistent emasculation of men in Western society were tragically manifested during the Costa Concordia disaster.
In the article entitled, ‘Captain Coward: Behold our brave new sexually emancipated world,’ the writer bemoans the feminist movement’s catastrophic influence on the Western world and in particular – men. He asks, “What can an expression like ‘women and children first’ mean to modern men who have been taught all their lives that women are nothing more precious than sexual playthings, and children nothing more than a disposable burden?”

A destructive cycle of selfishness
Tragically, men raised on a steady diet of pro-homosexual and feminist propaganda cannot be expected to respond to danger with chivalry and courage. Instead of opening the door for women, the sexually emancipated man rushes to the door to get out first. The contemporary politically, correct male cares only about his own needs, and views women as commodities who exist only for his sexual gratification.

This explains why pornography is a billion Dollar industry. The images in pornography are carefully choreographed to portray women as subservient sex objects. These images appeal to the narcissistic nature that defines the modern emasculated male.

A titantic failure
Self-sacrifice, masculine strength and valour are all virtues belonging to a bygone era when Judeo-Christian values still dominated Western culture. According to the article, “Many observers made the comparison with the Titanic disaster. One hundred years ago, 1st class men lifted steerage class women and children into lifeboats in the full knowledge that they were giving their lives. The captain of that ship was last reported seen holding a child in his arms seeking a way to save her.”

One hundred years later the destructive influence of humanism has sexually emancipated men and transformed them into self-indulgent, irresponsible people.

The influence of feminism
The concept of the bold and courageous man who honours God, overcomes adversity, sacrifices for his family and serves others was tossed out with other Biblical virtues. Women are told they don’t need men and must compete with them for sexual dominance in society. The Scriptures reveal God created man and woman to complete and complement each other in the holy union of marriage. Feminist icon, Gloria Steinem declared, “Women need men like fish need bicycles.” In response, men have abandoned their paternal instincts to pursue the guilt-free sex feminists offer.

The explosion in the number of fatherless children in society and the soaring abortion rates are just two devastating consequences of this ideology. Fatherless children are the greatest contributor to social instability in Westernised culture. The UK riots during July 2010 – involving youths mainly from dysfunctional homes – illustrates the dire social consequences of fatherless homes.

The battle of the sexes
Feminists regard the marketplace as another battlefield to push their agenda. Women are encouraged to ignore their maternal instincts, relegate the family to a lesser status and fight their way to the top of the corporate ladder. More and more women are raising children without the participation of men. Hollywood movies have sidelined once celebrated male virtues like fatherhood, courage and chivalry as antiquated notions. The ‘battle of the sexes’ has positioned men and women against each other. Loyalty and commitment are the natural casualties of an ideology that worships self.

The Christian culture is one of honour and self-sacrifice
The article also refers to “American Catholic apologist Michael Voris, whose series of videos on the emasculation of men and the effects of feminism on the Catholic Church and the world in general, mentions the type of men who are approved by the feminist-controlled media. Weak, stupid and ineffectual, who need to be ruled over by strong, hip, intelligent women.
That ideal, Voris says, has driven strong men out of the Church and out of family life, pushing them to find a channel for their masculinity in unhealthy avenues like criminality and the objectification of women.”

The Biblical Christian worldview instructs men to love, protect and provide for their families – a philosophy which instils a culture of self-sacrifice and social responsibility in men that positively benefits society. Instead of re-creating men in their own image, feminists have stripped men of their God-given masculinity and purpose.

Decades of indoctrination
The author contends, “Feminism’s vilification and demonisation of masculine strength suggests strong men are violent, evil and terrifying. Instead of heroes protecting women and children, feminism depicts strong men as brutal monsters, wife-beaters and child abusers.”

The emasculated man is the tragic result of decades of relentless indoctrination by the feminist and homosexual dominated liberal media. Biblical Christian values are ridiculed and made to look archaic. However, the truth is, the values and principles espoused in the Bible produced the most gallant and masculine men in history.

Let us return to our Judeo-Christian heritage
Western civilisation produced the wealthiest and most advanced societies in human history precisely because of its Judeo-Christian heritage. Some of the most daring and adventurous explorations and discoveries are attributed to men who held a Biblical worldview. In today’s feminist driven culture, such daring exploits are unthinkable.

Restoring Biblical values within our communities
The Biblically inspired man established the greatest civilisations in human history because he understood the purpose for his masculine strength. Today, the emasculated man is destroying that same civilisation because he rejects his God-given role and purpose. The emasculated man’s redemption therefore depends on him rediscovering his masculine strength and using that strength to fulfil his God-given purpose.

As Christians we need to restore lost Biblical values to our families, churches, communities and greater society. By becoming salt and light, we will influence the world.

Farmer and evangelist Angus Buchan is a man of humble beginnings, with an exhilarating testimony of God’s grace. Through his book and feature film, ‘Faith Like Potatoes’, Angus rose to prominence and for years has impacted hundreds of thousands of men at his Mighty Men Conferences. Now the reach of his ministry has been documented yet again in a riveting new film, ‘Ordinary People’.

Charting the ministry   
The film charts Angus’ dramatic heart attack that he had on stage in 2009 during a Mighty Men’s Conference where over 200 000 men had gathered. It also looks at the revelation he received about his ministry following the health scare, and the impact he has had on others in the years that have followed. 

Directed by FC Hamman, the film closely follows the lives of three men: André Cloete, John Peters, and Lucky Nzimande. André  is a young man who has become ensnared in alcohol abuse and due to his broken relationship with his ‘strictly religious’ and absent father, is headed towards a life of ruin. John, a middle aged panel beater from Bethlehem, has begun to lose his grip on family, relationships and health.

Real stories of grace   
Lastly we meet Lucky Nzimande – a young black criminal who naively attempts to hi-jack the vehicle of two ex special-forces policemen en route to the Mighty Men Conference.

The film tells the dramatic story of the three men’s journeys and experiences leading up to the 2010 MMC. Their respective stories are cleverly interwoven with the anointed message and ministry of Angus.  Little do they know that God-orchestrated events will transform their lives forever.
A life-changing movie   

Angus plays himself in the film, but is supported by a cast of talented and well known South African actors. Director FC Hamman had his own ‘Damascus-road’ experience with God in 1981 when he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. He believes that throughout his career, God has been preparing him for this present moment. With ‘Ordinary People’ and other Christian films that follow, he is now stepping into his calling.
“The making of Ordinary People was and still is an amazing and life-changing journey. It was a pleasure working with a very dedicated crew and some of our most talented actors. Angus Buchan is an inspiration to me and I am fortunate to call him my personal friend”.

Film info
Shot on location in Limpopo, Greytown and Johannesburg, this film is a must see, as it invites the viewer on a dramatic journey of the hard blows life deals, but the redemptive hope Jesus provides. The film opens in Ster Kinekor cinemas nationwide from 5th April.

Dear Friend,

There is a certain type of happiness – we will call such joy – that is truly divine. While Christians are often warned not to be driven by feelings, this heavenly emotion is one that the believer can draw strength from, without being suspicious of its origin or trustworthiness. Such is not dependant on outward circumstances or emotional highs, it is neither neutral, fleshy nor fickle in its nature. On the contrary, this joy is holy, powerful, steadfast and enduring, a gift given freely from the hand of God.

Listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 v 22, joy has a divine character. Indeed, all emotions and qualities listed herein are divine. For, how can the Holy Spirit of a holy God produce anything in us that is not perfectly good and righteous? This would be impossible. Joy is nothing less than a heavenly impartation. Furthermore, it would seem that joy is a favourite gift of the Spirit. Indeed, at our Fire Conferences, believers who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit frequently testify of an irrepressible joy that bubbles up from deep within. “I have never felt such joy,” said one lady at a recent event. “I want to jump up and down over and over again!” In fact, the Bible frequently describes the anointing of God as the oil of gladness. Joy and the Holy Spirit go hand-in-hand, Scripture makes this abundantly clear! In Luke 1 v 39 – 56, an encounter between Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, and Mary, pregnant with Jesus, beautifully connects the filling of the Holy Spirit with the sublime emotion of joy.

Just as joy is evident in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so it is also evident in the receiving of salvation. This is the story of a 19-year- old girl who gave her life to Jesus at our Bophelong Crusade in November 2011.

Yours in Him,

Tamryn Klintworth
Evangelist

DIVINE JOY
This is the story of a 19-year-old girl who surrendered her life to Jesus at a crusade held by In His Name Ministries in Bophelong, South Africa.

Weary and confused, young Julia Mkhwanazi was searching for direction and purpose.  Rocked by peer pressure, confused by varying opinions of the truth, her world threatened to implode.  Surely, what she was experiencing could not be the sum total of what this world had to offer?  Julia was far from giving up on life, however, happiness evaded her like shadows before the rising sun.

Deep inside, Julia longed to know the truth – the absolute truth.  She longed to feel a peace that could not be shaken, she longed to encounter the Jesus she had heard so much about but had never met.  Upon receiving word of the upcoming In His Name Crusade from a friend, she felt something inside her say, “This is it!”  Knowing that her moment had come, she attended the event.  “I so badly wanted to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I wanted to be happy,” the young high school student said.  “I felt touched by the Word of God and it made me want to get saved.”

By the time the altar call was made, she could no longer contain herself.  Julia was ecstatic!  Running to the front, she accepted Him as her Lord.  “I felt like something was being lifted off of me as the Holy Spirit entered my heart,” she explained.  Then, out of the blue, she experienced an emotion she had never felt before. “I was so happy, I felt extreme happiness, I felt – joy!”  In a single moment, the life of this precious young woman was entirely transformed.  Elation replaced sorrow, certainty overwhelmed confusion and fear dissipated before her newfound Saviour.  God was real.  Jesus loved her.  A heavenly joy flooded her soul.  Oh, how He loves us!  The joy of our salvation is so precious.  Surely, nothing can compare!

Tamryn is the founder of In His Name Ministries, an evangelistic organisation dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Africa and the world. Find her on Facebook under Tamryn Klintworth or visit the ministry website at:

WWW.INHISNAME.ORG.ZA

He is not trying to be the ‘class clown’. 
He is not seeking attention or being disrespectful. He does not have bad manners and you did not teach him to act like this. He only has Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) – which is more common than you may realise, and certainly very misunderstood.

What exactly is TS?
TS is an inherited neurological (or neurodevelopmental) disorder which has its onset in childhood (5-8 years). Diagnostically, there must be a combination of motor tics and at least one vocal tic that persists for more than a year. Since tics are preceded by an urge, TS is defined as semi-voluntary but not consistent nor predictable. The feeling is described as a build up of tension, which needs releasing. Most common tics include: eye blinking, facial movements, sniffing and throat clearing, but it could be far more pronounced. Children are less conscious of this ‘warning’ but awareness generally increases with maturity. In many cases, a complete remission of tic symptoms occurs after adolescence. Other common symptoms that only occur in a minority of cases include:
•  Coprolalia: the spontaneous utterance of socially taboo words
•  Echolalia: repeating the words of others
•  Pililalia: repeating one’s own words.
Although Tourette’s is largely believed to be genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors also influence the severity of the tics. It is also suggested that auto-immune processes may affect tic onset.

There is always hope!
“My son was in art class, and doing his classic core tic with his eye-crossing and hand-twisting, when the teacher stopped the class and said out loud “Hey, stop crossing your eyes and pay attention to me!” This jolted him out of his tic in a stunned manner (typically he is unaware), and then the whole class erupted with, “he can’t help it, he has a tic”. The teacher asked my son for confirmation and apparently she looked a bit embarrassed when he confirmed it. He then turned to look at the class and said with a laugh in his voice, “Was I doing that eye-crossing-thing again guys?” Not only did he use humour to cope, but also engaged the whole class in a common mission: to educate and demystify. Today, I look at my son, and just for a moment, I have no worries for his future.” *Story adapted from http://tourettenowwhat.tripd.com

Important factors to consider
Only about 3% of Western school-age children have Tourette’s and it is three to four times more frequent amongst boys than girls. About 40% of people diagnosed with TS have ‘pure-TS’ with no other disorders. Co-occurring diagnoses most often associated with Tourrette’s are ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder). It is often more important to treat these conditions since they can cause more functional disruption for the person.

Although stress does not cause TS, it can make it worse. Change schools/jobs/lifestyle if you have to. Moreover, constantly asking the child to control his tics or “to stop it” is not only useless but creates unnecessary tension. Lastly, a child who is misunderstood, teased or even punished will fare much worse than children who enjoy a supportive environment. “Let all that you do be done in Love.” 1 Cor 16:14

What will help?
The Lord is gracious and compassionate – the world will be a much friendlier place to live in if we can adopt just a little bit of His character. Education is often the starting point since understanding may prevent bullying, teasing and embarrassment. Pay immediate attention if such secondary social and emotional problems arise. The child with TS needs to be reassured and tics often subside with explanation. Books such as: ‘I Can’t Stop!: A story about Tourette’s Syndrome’ by H. L. Niner may be a good tool to use at home and school. 
In most cases medication is unnecessary, but you still need to seek medical help. Furthermore, therapy, relaxation techniques and exercise are useful tools to alleviate tics.  People with Tourette’s may learn to camouflage or suppress socially unacceptable tics until they can get to a ‘safe’ place for release.  Families can contact The Tourette Syndrome Support Group 011 326 2112 or www.tourettesyndrome.net for info.

We serve a risen Saviour who has set us free from sin and given us eternal life with God – and He is in the world today! That is really the main point of the Easter message – and it is the Good News of salvation. Too often, when we think of Jesus rising from death, we think of Him going to Heaven – and we usually think of Heaven as some place far away. It would be better if we would think of Jesus going to be with God. And God is still at work in our world and in our lives – and so is Jesus. That is Good News!

Paul tells us that Jesus appeared many times, to various people and that much later He appeared to Paul and changed His life. Paul was telling us that the Jesus, who once lived among us as a man and did saving works among us, is still living among us, still doing those same saving works, wherever God is – and God is everywhere.
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? says the Lord.” Jer 23:23-24

God is with us today; He is in our world reaching out all the time. Let us share the message and hope of Easter.

1. Jesus came to show us God’s love and to be God with us. God still loves us. God is still with us
The story of the birth of Christ shows us that the eternal God who created all things cares enough for us to act in a costly way for our salvation. Jesus came to be “God with us”. God shows us His great love for us in that He was willing even to experience death on a Cross for us. God is still loving us. God is still with us. When we feel worthless and unworthy, we can know that there is someone who loves us – and it is the One who counts. You have a new identity, you are a beloved child of God. And when you feel that you have been rejected or beaten, or when you are up against some challenge that is too big for you, you can know that you are not alone. There is someone who is there with you.

2. Jesus came making people whole, and He still does
Jesus reached out to people and related to each of them in ways appropriate to their own need to make them whole. He healed some who were suffering injuries, spiritual and physical sicknesses and made them whole. He also forgave the guilty, humbled the arrogant, encouraged those who had been beaten down and caused those who had messed up their lives to look for a better way to put life together.

He did what was needed to help people come to full and meaningful lives. We all have to cope with bad experiences that break and oppress us. However, there are always other experiences in our lives that heal and encourage and forgive and affirm us. Christ is there in those experiences. And He works through the Church to help people find their way to wholeness.

3. Jesus came offering a new possibility to people and to all humankind
Jesus came preaching the Good News that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” and calling people to be ready to change and to be receptive to it. That new possibility is still a possibility for us today. When our lives are not what we want them to be, when we realise that all of the things our culture has told us about how to build a good life were wrong, when things start falling apart for us, there is another possibility.

We can start over and put our lives together in the way that Jesus taught us to, building upon God’s love and God’s promise, committed to God’s purpose for us and for our world. That new possibility will work. We will be surprised to find that it leads us into a truly good and happy life in this world and that it puts us in touch with a source of hope for eternity. That is possible for us because He’s in the world today.

4. Jesus came to reach out to people, and He still  does through the Church
The risen Christ is alive and at work in many ways in every aspect of life in this world, but He is especially present and at work through the Church. Many people have lost confidence in what they call ‘organised religion’. It is true that many disappointing things have happened in the Church and the name of God to cause that. But the vast majority of people in the Church are still honestly committed to the work of God. They function as the Body of Christ in the world. Through them, Christ works to reach out in love, to help, to heal, to show the way to a new possibility. Not only in the Church – but certainly in the Church –  we see that Jesus is in the world today.

5. Jesus came offering hope for the whole world – and He still does
We can look around and see our world falling apart because of the loss of human values and morality, exploitation, corruption and injustice causing famine, oppression, wars and every kind of human suffering. When these things make our hearts ache, we can know that there is hope for our world. God is still at work in our world trying to teach the world to love just as He was in Jesus.

Jesus called people to follow Him and participate in the work He was doing. You may find yourself being called to become a part of the hope of the world. Ask yourself, is there something you should be doing? Is there someone you should tell about the Good News of God’s salvation plan? Is there something you should be doing to build a better world? Jesus called people to follow Him. He may be calling you to represent Him in the world today.

6. Jesus came to give us eternal life one day and to give us new life on earth today
It is interesting how Paul told the Resurrection story to the Christians at Corinth. He first remembered the facts that Jesus had died for our sins and was buried and on the third day He was raised. He recalls the times when the risen Christ appeared to others. Then he remembers that the risen Christ appeared to him and changed his life and made him a servant of the way he had once persecuted.

Finally, he reminds the Corinthians that it is their faith in the Resurrection that has brought them to fullness of life. They were now representing the risen Christ. Jesus came to give us eternal life, but also to give us new life on earth today. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b.