I remember the time when, as very young Christians, having been rejected by our family and friends because of our new faith, we found ourselves in a small community of believers – our new family! The church was still in its beginning stages and Miki and I were full of zeal, as we still are, by His grace. The call of God on our lives was very clear to us, and we were determined to go all out to serve Him. In our desire to see things done the right way, we were often outspoken and confronted issues we felt were wrong. We soon became a threat for those leading the church then, and it came to the point where we were asked to leave. This was tough as this little group of Christians were the only people we had on earth at that time. Our families did not want to have anything to do with us because we had deserted our religion; neither did our friends.  It was a very hard time for us, especially as we were so young in the faith. For us, Christianity was the greatest thing on earth, but we were discovering a side to the church we had never thought existed.

What could we do? We had no other choice but to leave.  I remember clearly how lonely we were at that time, and how many possibilities there were that came our ways and ideas that went through our minds: offers to buy a tent to go and evangelise… ideas of starting our own Ministry… joining another church… and most of all, of becoming bitter… there is no doubt it could easily have been a time of destruction for us if we had not kept our hearts pure!

In those days, as I was seeking the Lord about the whole situation, I remember clearly how Jesus, through His Spirit, comforted me and showed me that we did not have to worry for we had a shepherd. I came to understand that some sheep are more adventurous than others and venture out further on the mountains. They often face danger but if anything happens to them, He, the shepherd, will deliver them.  I also understood that the difference between sheep and goats is that one has horns to defend himself, while the other has no natural weapon to do so. Instead, He has a shepherd. I, therefore, realised that we should not try to defend ourselves, or do anything as a result of what had happened, for He had not called us to take our lives into our own hands and defend ourselves like goats, but instead to be like sheep and trust in Him, our Shepherd.

Another thing I came to understand then was that the church is where it is and is in no way perfect, so we would doubtless get hurt along the way!  When we were, we should forgive and move on.  He was the one who would bring justice within the flock and judge one sheep from another. The important thing was that He would take care of us, His sheep, and bind up our injuries, strengthen, and heal us, as described in Ezekiel 34, (a scripture that I did not know at that time).

I shared all this with Miki and, even though both of us knew that something had to happen and that we could not stay all by ourselves forever, we chose to be still and wait for the Lord Himself to lead us into what He had planned for us.   We did not want to rush into making a decision and acting in the flesh.  Funnily enough, not long after, the same brothers and sisters who had asked us to leave came and begged us to come back to the church…

As I was reading that chapter in Ezekiel today, I was reminded of this particular situation and was so grateful that by using this small illustration, the Lord was able to protect us from becoming bitter and wanting to retaliate because of the injustice we had suffered.  One of the greatest lessons we learnt during that time was one of forgiveness: how, as born again Christians, we are called to forgive in every situation, and not to dwell on the past and things that have happened to us that may have hurt us. That our brothers and sisters are not perfect, and that we are to have a heart of grace for them and must not entertain unforgiveness in our hearts. He wants us to be free to live in the present, and not to be bound to our past.

I am so grateful that this small episode in our lives was a platform for us to grow, and that Miki and I encouraged each other to forgive, and not to allow our hearts to harden during that time. As He did for Joseph, God used the bad intended against us, for our good! And it was a great victory over all that could have happened if we had allowed bitterness into our hearts and had grown hard towards the brothers and sisters who had hurt us. One thing is certain, if that had been the case, we would have been unable to serve the Lord the way we are today, and would have been miserable and bound by our past and unforgiveness! What a lesson for us all!

Over the years we have served the Lord, we have seen many brothers and sisters become bitter as a result of situations they have been through, that they were never able to forgive and release. As a result they have stopped moving forward and have become imprisoned, trying to prove their point and avenge themselves, and even getting other people to join them in their ‘fight’ for justice! How sad!  Men and women, who could have been serving the Lord wholeheartedly today – free and fulfilled despite the situations they have to face. Yet, we all have the same Bible, the same Lord, and the same faith! And Jesus did instruct us clearly to forgive as He has forgiven us… and warned us that unless we forgive our brother, He won’t be able to forgive us! Especially, as there is always the possibility in it all, that we are looking at the speck in our brothers’ eyes without considering the log in our own.  This is why the Lord keeps saying that we must walk humbly before Him and not set ourselves up as judges in His house!

Furthermore, by harbouring resentment in their hearts and having others join them in their desire for revenge, they often cause reproach and division among Christians and hurt the body of Christ. As it is said in Proverbs 17 v 9: “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends”! Moreover, didn’t Jesus’ leave us with a commandment, which is to love one another?  That love that the famous chapter 13 of 1 Cor is all about…  And how can we ignore the warning of John, in 1 John 1 v 9 – 11?

Therefore, let us stand in fear and trembling before the God we serve, remembering, that God is God, and that He has not called any of us to take justice into our own hands in His house. He is the just judge and will bring justice in His own time and way.

As the Psalmist says in Psalms 9 v 21 “… we are but men…”  Brothers and sisters, may we never forget that we are men… mere men!

Let my people go, that they may serve Me

These were the very words that God instructed Moses to say to Pharaoh when His people were in slavery in Egypt. Pharaoh was not ready to bow to this command, and as the plagues got worse, he came up with some kind of compromise…“Go you men and serve the Lord” (Exodus 10 v 11), and then in verse 24, “Go serve the Lord, only let your flocks and your herds be kept back: let your little ones also go with you,” but Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the LORD our God…” (v24) No compromise… No half measures!

Job and his dedication to God tested
Throughout the ages, the devil has never been happy to see the people of God serve Him in freedom and without compromise. He wanted to discredit Job in the eyes of God: “… stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (Job 1 v 11) and when that did not work, he challenged God again and said, “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (Job 2 v 5). Yet Job remained faithful to his God.

The early church
God’s people have always faced opposition when they wanted to serve Him without compromise. In the book of Acts, we see the same thing: when the apostles started to preach the uncompromising message of the gospel, the High Priest called them and rebuked them saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name?” (Acts 5 v 28), and after beating them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus. (Acts 5 v 40).

Paul not spared
Apostle Paul experienced persecution throughout his whole ministry. Yet, what an example of a given life! There was no limit to His service for the Lord. His life was a challenge and still speaks today. He was persecuted, rejected, misjudged and had enemies both within and outside the church. He warned Timothy of what would happen in the last days; how believers would have itching ears and look for teachers to suit their own desires. Isn’t what we are seeing today?

The reaction to the gospel
What am I saying? Today, as the true and pure gospel of the cross is going forward, we see all kinds of opposition rising up. Not, as is said in the epistle of Peter (1 Peter 4 v 15 – 16), because we are murderers, or evildoers, but because of the stand we are taking as Christians, in our walk with the Lord: a separation from the world, denouncing all the false doctrines that have penetrated the Church today. And in our desire to walk uprightly before the Lord, we are encountering all kinds of opposition and criticism. We are even seeing Christians, pastors, join hands with groups consisting of unbelievers, to attack the church of Jesus Christ as is the case of this small group of CTMI Concerned Parents. How sad… To see born again Christians, even pastors, take part in what is being done to slander the Church of Jesus Christ.

What wrong have we done? Have we stolen from someone? Are we condoning adultery in our midst? Have one or more of our leaders divorced and remarried? Are our children swallowed in this world, lost in the gothic move and not serving Jesus? Do we owe money to people and act as if we don’t? What wrong are we doing? What sin have we committed? Yet, all hell is being let loose and attacks are coming from every side.

When the Church and the world agree
Just as in the days of Jesus, when the Sadducees and Pharisees were, for once, in agreement over crucifying and slandering the Lord, we see today the worldly press opening its columns to a group of disgruntled parents, composed of several bitter Christians and non Christians who are furious because they have lost control of their grown up children to the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is Jesus in all this? It is true that He said the servant is not greater than the master and that if they persecuted the master, the servant will not be spared but will be persecuted, but didn’t he also say “… in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Mat 25 v 40)?

When the religious leaders in the time of the early church no longer knew what to do to stop the zealous believers, having tried all kinds of things like putting them in prison, having them beaten, forbidding them to speak in the name of the Lord, being ready to do anything to stop them, Gamaliel, a man of great wisdom, stood up and said: “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” (Acts 5 v 38 – 39).

Jesus is building His church
One thing is for sure, whatever man may do, with all he has at his disposal, nothing and no one will be able to prevent the gospel from spreading. No one will be able to stop young and old from giving their lives unconditionally to Jesus and serving Him with all their hearts. No one will be able to stop men and women giving their lives for the church, loving one another, opening their homes and practicing hospitality, as in the days of the early church. No one will be able to stop Jesus from calling people of every age, from every nation, changing their lives and setting them apart for Him. Fight it, if you want to! Call it ‘brain washing’, ‘manipulation’, ‘a sect’ (as it was called in Paul’s day), call it what you want: the gospel will still go forward. Jesus is building His church and in the days in which we live we are going to see more and more miracles happening, miracles of lives changed, of young and old being radical in their service for the Lord. Unfortunately, we will also see Christians who do not want to serve the Lord fully and who are not prepared to die to themselves and give up their lives, rise up and oppose that part of the church on many grounds, and strangely enough see the world joining hands with them in their endeavours.

Let my people go
As in the days of Moses, the Lord is saying again today, “Let my people go and serve Me” on my terms, as I have called them to, with their little ones, their flocks, and all that they have. God is calling men and women to serve Him in these last days wholeheartedly and without compromise. This is the Church He is raising up and will use to usher in the second coming of His Son Jesus Christ.

Where do you stand?
He is coming back soon… and will say to some, “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord,” and to others, “Depart from me…” Where do you stand today? With the scoffers? With the enemies of the cross? One with the world? Your answer to this question will determine what the Lord will have to say to you on that great day. There is still time to join the right camp!

1. Like you, I don’t believe that every Christian is called to leave his home, town and job and forsake his career to serve Jesus. However I believe that when a person has an encounter with God, his priorities in life often change and yes, there have been situations where young adults have committed their lives to serving Jesus and it has resulted in changes to previously held plans which is wonderful! This was the case of the apostles who left their nets (meaning their career) to follow and serve Jesus on His terms. I also believe that under the New Covenant one should be free to follow the leading of his/her heart. So, if someone feels the Lord’s call, that person should be free and encouraged to respond to it. However, be reassured that in our churches, there are many persons who have committed their lives to Jesus and continue in their current employment, while many others who are professionals or presently pursuing a university degree. Likewise, there are hundreds of young adults in our churches that are rooted and growing in their respective local churches in SA, UK, Zimbabwe, USA, Seychelles, etc and have never left there to come to Mauritius. Others have felt the Lord calling them for a time to Mauritius, either to spend time with the church, to work there or even study from there.
2. I also believe in reaching the world from where we work, and live and to maintain relationships with all persons in and outside the church. Aren’t we as christians called to be a “light” in the dark and to be the “salt of the earth”? Most of the young people who are in Mauritius at this time are not here to be huddled together or to serve leaders, but to be trained under the Ministry they feel the Lord is calling them to, and are getting ready to be sent when the time comes, or return to their respective country when they feel that their time here is over. Be reassured that none of them is being encouraged to become exclusive or to move away from secular influence. They are in fact becoming equipped to serve the Lord to the best of their ability and calling to impact the world wherever that will be.
3. Loving your child, is normal… but that does not imply that you should decide for him, especially when that “child” is of age, over 18 years old, and wants to live according to his/her conviction. We are not talking here of protecting a child from falling in a pool, but of respecting the freedom of choice of a “child” who has attained the age of majority, and is legally regarded as an adult and therefore has the freedom to be able to live his life according to his own judgment and to make his own choices.
   If parents feel there is a danger ahead of their child, the best they can do, if the latter is an adult and of age, is to warn them, pray for them, and release them. There is a limit where one can go to “protect” his child, who, on top of all, happens to be an adult… going beyond that is encroaching on his freedom and can only encourage him/her to draw further away. I think the two testimonies (out of hundreds) that I mentioned on my blog are a good example of that: that of the Williams family as well as that of Mrs Helldberg from Cape Town.
4. Honoring your parents is an attitude of heart before anything else. I am sure that CTMI does not seek to do any harm to any family which is the basic pattern established by God. Children should honour and love their parents and respect family members, whether they be in the church, go to another church, be saved or unsaved. However, that does not mean doing everything they want you to. If your parents are unbelievers, does that mean that to honour them, you must do what they want or expect you to do? like for instance not to go to church, or not read your bible, when you are 20, have been touched by the Lord… and your heart lives for Him??? If you believe that, then we differ in our understanding of scripture and I wont be able to agree with you there. I therefore believe that all persons should be free to do what they feel on their hearts in faith and in accordance with what they believe to be the will of God for them. Should this involve visiting Mauritius or anywhere else. It happens often, in obedience to God, that one needs to follow His leading and this might not necessarily please other family members.
   The 4-5 young persons have all come under extreme pressure not by CTMI but by their parents and respective families and having known them personally for quite some time, I am in a good position to say that all of what is being said is pure lies and is twisted. It is not surprising as some of the concerned parents are not even born again…
5. Jesus never sat down with the Pharisees and Saducees to answer all their allegations… He kept quiet and allowed them to say and do what they wanted…and did not justify Himself. Why should CTMI leaders go and sit with people who are acting in such a “pagan” way to try to justify themselves and attempt to explain spiritual matters to a group that appears to be in the flesh!!! The Lord is our judge and He will Himself bring justice in it all. He did say that we would be persecuted for the truth, and to rejoice when that happens. We will definitely not go to the level of the “concerned parents” and fight that kind of battle. This issue has nothing to do with us – it is between parents and their adult kids and it should be dealt with at that level.
   It is not a problem to talk to people, who have a genuine concern and an open heart, and answer their questions.
6. We can at no time be held responsible for the damage that is being done to the church. We never started this “saga” which came about from disagreement between the parents of some five kids over some months. Since then, as you say, others (sadly even pastors and leaders of churches) supported blindly the concerned parents “grievances” believing all that is being said about CTMI, Miki Hardy and Basil O’Conell Jones without even trying to find out the truth. All those, including the concerned parents, will have to give an account to the Lord.
   One thing we know: nothing will stop the preaching of the gospel of the cross… No man, no church, no government!!! The Lord is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it… As Gamaliel said wisely: “If this is of God… don’t take the risk of fighting God!!!”

I understand your concern…however, I don’t think this situation can be solved in the natural, by sitting down and talking it over, but only in the spirit… The gospel is gaining ground through it all and we rejoice for that!!! His grace will be sufficient to carry us through this time. As Peter and John said, we are proud to be judged worthy to be persecuted for the gospel we preach and for our given lives for the gospel and for our brothers and sisters. He is our shepherd and He fights our battles!!! He will bring His light and deliverance in His time, in His way…
I still don’t know your name, where you come from, the name of your church… so I hope that I wont see this reply on next week newspapers!!! It is hard to answer to mails or letters these days and we are learning to be very careful… We hosted people in good faith in our home, fed them and looked after them for a week… and then the next thing they did, is to go and publish on the news papers the pictures they had taken while they were staying with us and enjoying our hospitality… Isn’t that sad??? People can have grievances but the way they chose to deal with that is very sad and cheap!!! This is why there is no way we will be able to have anything to do with them as an organization or a church!!!
Lastly, let me reassure you… these young adults are well and happy as never before. They have come out of a life of drug addiction, of unhealthy lifestyle to a life given unconditionally to Jesus and are growing spiritually. If I were their parents… I would rejoice and be grateful for what has happened to them.
If there is anything else I can clarify, not in a spirit of debate, but out of concern, I am more than ready to do that… Please note that I am speaking here for myself and not on behalf of  CTMI, Basil O’Connell Jones, or Miki my husband.
On a final note, why not come to Mauritius, see for yourself, and meet these young brothers and sisters??? Or visit one of our churches or website and hear what is being preached?? You would be most welcome!

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do!” (Luke 23 v 34).

As if the Lord is not BIG enough to deal with that Himself should all they say is true!!!! Com’on guys… wake up!!! Use just a bit of your brains and you will find out very quickly that these people have an hidden agenda, they are bitter, angry, and full of vengeance… vengeance against who??? CTMI??? Miki Hardy??? Basil O’Connell Jones??? for what??? what did any of these parties do??? NOTHING!!! except preach the pure, undiluted, and powerful gospel of Jesus Christ, that has transformed their children to the point that it has changed the course of their lives… That is what happened to the early disciples… to many of us… isn’t Miki Hardy, my husband a civil engineer by trade??? What did he do when the Lord called him to full time Ministry??? He left his career to respond fully to this calling and to serve Jesus??? Isn’t it what Peter, John, Paul, and millions did when they felt the call of Jesus??? Doesn’t the Bible call it “the higher calling”???? isn’t serving Jesus the greatest and most honorable thing in life??? can we compare that to a job or a career??? And if some of these young people whose lives have been turned upside down by the Lord, set free from drugs, from a life of sin, feel they want to do something else with their lives??? where is the sin in that??? aren’t they free??? As Peter and John said to the Pharisees;

“should we obey men or God?” Acts 5 v 29.

That is normal stuff for genuine Christianity…  At the end of the day, we are listening to a group that consist of a few parents (five or six) who are frustrated because in fact, they wish they could control their 20 year old child… but are not able to… and need to blame someone for it!! What about the hundreds of young people, who are following the teachings of CTMI brought about by not only Miki Hardy, and Basil O’Connell Jones, but by hundreds of pastors around the world  and who went on to study at University and hold great diplomas today??? What about the hundreds of parents who are so grateful to CTMI, Miki Hardy for the word he is bringing and for what, as a result, has happened to their children and to their relationship between them since they came in touch with the gospel of the cross. Like, let me quote the Williams family from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe;

“As parents we feel so grateful that our children chose to serve the Lord and humbled by the hearts of our CTMI church family here in Bulawayo, in Mauritius, Durban and around the world. This little family was saved by the Lord, His Gospel and the support in the spirit of the Team He has given us”.

The mother goes on and declares that her daughter Kim went to Mauritius in 2005. At that time their family was facing a crisis they had not expected or thought would happen to them. Yet here it was in full impact. She adds

“As a mother I watched a young 21 year old girl get on a plane, full of resentment, and un forgiveness because of the problems at home. Her security at the time was her family, which was now under threat. Kim came back from Mauritius 2 weeks later and was a young woman, at peace and although still struggling in some areas, was encouraged and strengthened by the Lord through what she had received spiritually. The Lord in His wisdom chose the perfect time to touch our daughter with the true gospel and bring the strength of His grace and healing to her and us, as a family who is now truly serving him together. Today, Kim lives at home, and works for our family business as a director/accountant. We love serving, living and working together”.

Isn’t that wonderful… and more edifying to hear than all the negative things a group of frustrated parents have to say… Not only their daughter was touched, changed and encouraged by the Lord, but so was their son David who also went to Mauritius shortly after where he stayed for 3 months. Karen Williams states:

“it was very difficult as a family because we had not been ever apart, and had just been through a very difficult time. As parents though we knew this was of the Lord so we respected his decision and released him, missing and praying for him with all our hearts. Dave returned home on fire for the Lord. He qualified from his electrical apprenticeship some months later and is now the Foreman/Director in our family business. He lives at home with us and is committed to the Lord, Church, Home and work. Dave is 23 years old and still lives today, 2 years later, remembering and guarding what was deposited in his heart from his stay in Mauritius and the Lord continues to build on that foundation”. Her conclusion is that “the Lord is so faithful”!

What an example of true love: being able to release your children to do what they feel on their hearts is from the Lord, and no wonder in return they reaped a united, restored family serving Jesus as one!!!

So… whoever you are… if you have been polluted by the concerned parents into believing all kinds of lies and deceptions, it is still time to wake up to the great things the Lord is doing in the lives of not only the young people, but young and old, through the uncompromised gospel of the cross!!! Visit our website and listen to messages that have the power to change your life as well… Remember that we love you and are there for you!!!

Check out my blog regularly… much more to come !!! I enjoy talking to you, sharing those truths and helping you to see the light!!  In fact a big thank you to the concerned parents for giving us such an opportunity to defend the gospel and publish the truth… we know that as a result many many more lives will be touched!!!

As much is being said these days about concerned parents… may I say that if  you are concerned for your children, and you really love them, the best you can ever do is to let them be free… free to be themselves, free to make their own choices in life, whether it be for their carreer, or where they want to live… and be able to live true to their conviction, whether right or wrong… be there for them… by all means do not make the mistake of trying to force them to do what you want as you will only succeed in pushing them further away from you…

As Louise Hellberg from Cape Town said about her daughter Justine :

“I myself do not attend church although I have my faith, so having a child who wants to follow the teachings of CTMI, Miki and Audrey Hardy and Basil O’Connell – Jones, is a new experience for me.” and then added: “I believe my daughter will become a well rounded adult and discover for herself what to believe and follow. I don’t think it’s up to me to tell her what she should be doing. As a parent I can guide her and make myself available for debates and discussions, but I would never presume to tell her what to do. She is a free thinker and I believe her faith will get her through the painful and difficult times, some of which she has already experienced.”  This is wisdom… To conclude, she says “With plenty of love, understanding and allowing them to have the freedom of choice, I think that any young person must find their own path; if it’s following a particular religion or faith, so be it. I will always be here for her and love her dearly.”  As for her, Justine, 19 year old, declares: “Throughout this year, the Lord has steadily given me a heart to love my family, and I’ve been surprised to see recently how much I care about them, how I want be there for them. I therefore decided to study in Cape Town next year, to be close to my family at this time”.

In a letter to the Independent of Durban, South Africa (which for obvious reasons has not been published) Justine had written :

“When I came to Grace Gospel Church in Durban at the end of 2008, I found that it was all that my heart was looking for”. Following that she went to Mauritius on a visit, and again she declares ” what was preached always pointed me to the Lord; they didn’t point me to principles, they didn’t advise me to take any decisions about my life, other than to follow Jesus”.  She clearly remembers the day when Basil O’Connell Jones preached about having unforgiveness against someone, and the Lord showed her clearly that she had unforgivness in her heart against her mom. As a result she says “I repented before the Lord and that was the beginning of the restoration of my relationship with my mother and my family”.

What a testimony… this is the power of the gospel to change people’s lives, to restore and heal relationships…

So, why not rather leave it all to Jesus and put our children in His hands… He is able and He is faithful!!!

This is the day that the Lord has made… let us rejoice and be glad in it!!