Jan - Mar 2005

Index:

• A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

• PIETERMARITZBURG PRO-LIFE ACTION

• INDOCTRINATION OF OUR YOUTH

• OPERATION COAL

• US ELECTIONS VICTORY FOR THE FAMILY

• A RETURN TO JIHAD

• IMPORTANT DATES

MY DEAR FRIENDS

Let me start by thanking you once again for your prayer support all these years.

Looking back, there was something very special about the international call to prayer for me on 15 February 2004. Somehow I believe that when I went into the darkest patch of the valley of death on 11 May 2004 at Entabeni Hospital the prayers of the faithful were there. Had God not intervened that day today I'd be referred to as 'the late brother Fano'.

What I share next I do with much prayer and emotion.

Since September last year there have been some slow signs of improvement in my condition. Now, for someone who doesn't know how deep the health dip was this might sound somewhat rather too optimistic for a Motor Neuron Disease patient at such an advanced stage. However, although I still have all the accessories and attachments to my body I sense a gradual return of life and mobility. Of course, some days are better than others.

Does this mean that the Lord is already performing the miracle, reversing the dreaded fatal MND? Who can fathom the Lord's infinite mind? We just keep looking to Him. Whichever way it goes, His way is perfect.

This afternoon I was reminded again that my life hangs on a thin thread.
The connection from the ventilator to the trachea has a habit of jumping out, leaving me without air supply. When my caregivers are around that gets sorted out quickly. For the times when nobody is in sight I have to ring the bell for attention. That works for most of the time, but sometimes the bell refuses to work, or like this afternoon, lies a bit too far for the hand to reach. And my friends, every second without air intake counts ...

Admittedly, such incidents shake me but I hold onto the anchor - no matter what happens, God remains in control!
"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Indeed, our times are in God's hand!

Somehow when I think of stepping over into the New Year my mind automatically switches over to the beautiful poem by Marie Louise Haskins, 'The Gate Of The Year'.

THE GATE OF THE YEAR
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'
So I went forth and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.

Oh that we'd put our hand into His Hand - year in, year out!

Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi

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Report on the action against the
"CHOICE ON TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY AMENDMENT BILL"
15 October 2004, Pietermaritzburg

The `Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill' is objectionable to South Africans in general and KwaZulu-Natal citizens in particular, because:

1. It seeks to enforce a moral wrong on our people. Abortion is the destruction of unborn children and every law which seeks to make this criminal act easier to access only exacerbates the offense.
2. In effect this bill seeks to make nurses into surgeons.
3. It does not provide a specific conscience clause. According to the `Parliamentary Monitoring Group', the bill does not provide for objection "based on conscientious grounds… it does not provide for choice as the emphasis was on protecting citizens rather than the personal interests of medical practictioners…".

This means that nurses/doctors and other health workers will be forced against their consiences to participate in murder. Should they resist the state they will be severely punished with fines and sentences. Fines of R200,000 and 10 years in prison are the Government's suggestion.

On Friday, 15 October 2004, together with more than 120 CFT members, CFT held a placard demonstration outside the KwaZulu-Natal Parliament in Pietermartizburg, to voice their concern about the "Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill". The demonstration was arranged at the last minute because the Health committee has studiously tried to avoid any public attention on the abortion matter. Parliament knows, and Friday's successful demonstration confirmed, that the public are firmly against abortion (see HSRC October 2004 statistics). No time has been given for public hearings and no consultation possible.

CFT leaders handed over a document (to Health Committee secretary, Ms N. Mshengu) containing points of concern about the "Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill".

CFT held a similar action three days later on 18 October 2004.

Nevertheless, the Government has steamrolled the amendment and hopes by this, to make abortion-on-demand, easier than ever.

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"INDOCTRINATION OF OUR YOUTH"

It is of grave concern to see how our young school-going South Africans are being exposed to a subtle type of 'indoctrination'. The seriousness of the problem is increasingly evident in the compulsory national examination.

An example of this was evident in the Afrikaans Additional Language Exam (CTA-Section B) issued by the Department of Education; and written on 10 November by all Grade 9 pupils doing this subject. The comprehension and language section was based on two passages.

The first sympathetically portrays a new sangoma's excitement at her calling by the ancestors.

The second passage describes a traditional healer's joy at the fact that he too may now be regarded as a professional doctor and may also issue sick certificates.

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OPERATION C.O.A.L

Operation COAL has been started to get the smouldering coals amongst the CFT members flaming up again.

"C" stands for Christ
"O" for Obedience,
"A" for Action and
"L" for Light.

Chairpersons were asked to identify "stokers" in their areas; their task is to help stoke the fire in their committee and region. On a regular basis the stokers will meet at provincial level, where spiritual support, testimonies and relevant information and training will be provided on particular issues.
Aims and objectives of operation COAL
* To mobilize (activate/ 'call to arms') current members of CFT.
* To recruit new members, especially the youth.
* To encourage more 'localised' action; promote 'cell' activities.
* Promote well-planned and organised activities.
* Provide information to members on relevant issues and to provide guidelines and strategies for possible actions.

May operation COAL kindle the CFT fire!

"I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"
Luke 12:49

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US ELECTIONS VICTORY FOR THE FAMILY

The USA election results prove that pro-family issues are of enormous importance to voters. Candidates could not hide their views on the issues that mattered to the electorate.

Consider the following pro-family results on 3 November 2004:

* There was a resounding coast to coast rejection of gay marriage. 11 states have successfully voted to amending their constitutions to ban Massachusettes-style gay marriage, by overwhelming margins from a high of 86 percent in Mississippi to 59 percent in Michigan. Even in Oregon, the measure passed by 56 percent a clear majority.

* In Oklahoma, former Republican Congressman Tom Coburn, one of the most pro-family of lawmakers, and South Carolina Congressman Jim DeMint will go to Capitol Hill as members of the Senate.
* In Louisiana, David Vitter is a proven pro-family leader who has taken on the gambling industry, the abortion industry and will be the first Republican Senator in Louisiana since Reconstruction (after the Civil War).

* A pro-life president has the opportunity to make one to three appointments to the US Supreme Court in the next 4 years, the same court which legalized abortion in 1973 with "Roe vs Wade". Pro-abortionists fear that Bush appointees may reverse the '73 decision.

The USA election results sends a strong moral message to the whole world. The family does matter! Politicians who vote for abortion, gay marriage, pornography etc, must be ousted.

'Christians for Truth' in South Africa (representing 104,000 members) will continue to conscientise voters; encouraging South Africans to vote according to Biblical family values.

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A RETURN TO JIHAD

Dr David Philips writes...

The jihad, or holy war against infidels, lies at the heart of Islam. Muhammad used the jihad to establish the earliest Muslim communities, first at Medina and subsequently at Mecca. The Qur'an instructs Muslims time and again to use the jihad to bring unbelievers into submission to Allah. The early Caliphs, who led the Muslim community following Muhammad's death, used the jihad to conquer neighbouring Arab regions.

During the centuries that followed, the remarkable expansion of Islam into North Africa and Europe achieved through the jihad threatened the survival of Christian Europe. Today, Islamic jihad campaigns continue and are currently being waged in Afghanistan, southern Sudan, northern Nigeria, eastern Indonesia and other countries. Throughout its 14 century history, Islam's borders have always been bloody.

Islam is essentially a community or nation, not just a religion as understood in the Western world. No distinction is made in Islam between political, military and religious leadership - Muhammad and the Caliphs who followed him exercised all three roles.

This union of religion, politics and military action is achieved through shariah law. Hence the introduction and preservation of shariah law has always been a central objective of Muslims.

Shariah law assigns different rights to different people groups: only Muslims have full rights; "People of the Book" including Jews and Christians are subjugated with limited rights; unbelievers or idolaters are enslaved (or killed).

Islamic thought divides the world into two distinct camps: the House of Islam where shariah law applies and the House of War elsewhere. As the name implies, the House of War (which includes the whole Western world) is an inevitable target for Islamic jihad. Muslims know of Jesus as God's prophet, born of the Virgin Mary, sinless and ascended to heaven to return again. Christians pray that Muslims may know Jesus as the eternal Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and who alone offers forgiveness and true peace.

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Please take note of the following dates:
Stay in contact with your local CFT committees, as CFT-actions might be arranged on some of these days.

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