Nº 4 • MAR 2015
more good news on ctmi.org/magazine
editorial
Psalm 112:7 says that the
righteous, those who delight
themselves in the Lord and
His Word, will live a life of
discretion, and will not fear
hearing bad news. In today’s
world this is especially
comforting, as we constantly
face the barrage of negative
headlines projected by the
press. It is enough to sow
seeds of despair and fear in
even the bravest of hearts.
News of natural disasters,
horrific crimes against
humanity, as well as the
outbreak of new, deadly
viruses has become the
norm. The state of the world
just seems to be going from
bad to worse. However, we
cannot forget one simple,
yet profound, fact - God
knows it all, and has a plan
which began in eternity,
and will not be hindered by
anything or anyone; what
He has spoken will come
to pass. Man’s doubts and
questions have no effect on
what He has predestined. This
means that, more than ever
before, Christians need to be
established and founded in
the truth of God’s Word.
Publisher: CTMI Hub Office
Editorial team: Peter, Gilbert, Louise, Elizabeth
Design: Olivier, Nathalie, Alex, Sandra, Fabien, Marc
Contributors: Véronique, Tatiana, Anne-Laure
An initiative of the CTMI Communication Department.
Trianon, Mauritius • (230) 403 4500
[email protected] • www.ctmi.org
Find
280+
sermons
on ctmi.org/sermons
in video and audio
Leaders Live
The new Leaders Live program was launched successfully earlier this month. Miki Hardy met with
pastors from across Africa for an online seminar, followed by a question and answer session. Leaders
Live will be a monthly event reaching both French and English speaking church leaders. This, CTMI’s
first interactive live event, gave viewers the opportunity to be refreshed and challenged by the
apostolic ministry. (See page 4)
“
Scripture
Jesus said, “And I also say to you, that you are Peter
and upon this rock, I will build my church
and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18
”
We know that the rock He refers to here is Jesus Christ Himself, and what He would accomplish on
the cross. This is the foundation on which God’s people are being built to become His Holy edifice on
the earth. So now is the time for every believer to give his or her life without constraint, for the will
of God to be accomplished.
ctmi magazine | Nº 4 • MAR 2015 | ctmi.org/magazine
Focus on the
Central African Hub
The Central African Hub is made up principally of Frenchspeaking nations; Chad, Gabon, DR Congo, the Congo Republic,
the Central African Republic and Cameroon – home to our main
base in the region, Yaoundé. Included are the English-speaking
areas of Western Cameroon and Nigeria, and Spanish-speaking
Equatorial Guinea.
BURKINA
FASO
SUDAN
CHAD
BENIN
NIGERIA
GHANA
TOGO
CAMEROON
CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC
SOUTH SUDAN
YAOUNDE
CTMI’s activity in the region
CTMI has been extremely active in the region since its first conference
in Brazzaville, Congo in 2003. Cameroon was next, with a number of
conferences held in Douala, Yaoundé, and Garoua, following Jean-Louis
Gaillard’s initial visit in 2006. In 2012 CTMI finally extended beyond the
Congo River, and held its first conference in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, led by Miki Hardy in the capital, Kinshasa; where today a team
of over 25 brothers meet regularly under the banner of CTMI. Brother
Miki is set to return to Kinshasa later this year, a trip that will include
the first leaders conference in Libreville, Gabon. In April a CTMI team
is travelling to the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Port Harcourt for the
first time, for prospective seminars with local pastors. We anticipate
much from this hub in the future, from the evidence of so many exciting
doors continuing to open for the message of the cross to reach leaders
in the region.
Discussing media strategy for French-speaking Africa
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
UGANDA
GABON
CONGO
DRC
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA
Solid relationships with Leaders
Clearly radio and TV’s role in accomplishing CTMI’s vision to equip and
strengthen leaders and churches in this hub cannot be denied; but,
what remains the most important and valuable aspect of CTMI’s activity
in the region has been the development of solid relationships with
leaders over the years. Central Africa’s indefatigable Paul Dimalla, leads
his hub by example. His criss-crossing of Cameroon has meant that
there are now over 15 radios airing our programs in his country alone.
He has also been instrumental in establishing working relationships
with pastors and radio and TV stations in Gabon, Benin, Nigeria, Togo,
Chad, and the Central African Republic. Further south in Brazzaville,
Rock Bankoussou, along with Rodrigue Mpassi, continue to oversee the
team of 25 pastors that meet regularly, and are now planning Brother
Miki’s arrival next July. Pierre & Janine Tshamala’s recent return to his
hometown of Kinshasa has added much needed strength to Arthur
Kalala’s team, who have been gathering regularly since 2012. With its 12
million inhabitants, thousands of churches and pastors, these leaders in
Kinshasa have their work cut out for them. But we can also expect much
fruit from their constant labours. For, as much as the team has already
achieved in the Central African Hub, much still remains to be done…
Media impact
Along with spiritual investment from visits and conferences, this hub is
also being reached through Radio and TV. CTMI has long-established
relationships with 20 radio stations, spreading the Gospel from the Far
North of Cameroon, all the way down to the urban sprawl of the twin
cities, of Kinshasa and Brazzaville. Across this hub, we estimate around
250 000 listeners tune in to our programs at least once a week (i.e. ±
1% of the population). In addition, our TV programs are aired on local
TV stations in a number of cities, as well as continentally via satellite,
on LMTV (Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire) and Dieu TV (Lausanne, Switzerland).
Programs of a non-preaching nature are also in high demand by many
stations, a trend which has popularised other CTMI content, such as
Jean-Louis Gaillard’s ‘365 Histoires’, as well as programs originally aired
on Nuradio. It is this type of programming which will, in turn, allow
CTMI to secure additional free slots for preaching.
Paul Dimalla has crossed Central Africa Hub borders by plane, car, lorry, and canoe
ctmi magazine | Nº 4 • MAR 2015 | ctmi.org/magazine
Roland La Hausse
Brother Roland La Hausse, is an elder from the church in Mauritius,
and with his teaching gift is an integral part of the CTMI ministry team.
Are you ready?
Preparing the Bride
Paul speaks about the Bride (the Church)
being prepared by the Bridegroom (Christ).
Naturally speaking, a bride eagerly devotes
her time and energy to getting herself ready
for her wedding day; so it is for the Church. It is
with the same eagerness in the Spirit that the
Church prepares herself for the Bridegroom
(Eph. 5: 25-27). The Apostle Peter talks
about how the Church can hasten the day of
Christ’s coming, when we will be caught up
in the air with Him, by allowing this work of
sanctification in our lives (2 Peter 3: 12, 14), so
we may take part in the marriage of the Lamb
(Rev. 19: 7-9).
Sanctification
The following question must therefore be
asked: why do we talk about the sanctification
of the Church when we know that we will
only become perfect when Jesus returns?
Sanctification has two purposes: one present
and one future. The first, and “present”
purpose, is for His people on earth to be made
holy by the work of His grace, so that they
may shine in this wicked and perverse world
(Titus 2: 11-12 • Phil 2: 14-16). The second,
and “future” purpose, is related to the place
He is preparing for us when we join Him
(John 14: 2-3). The quality of our works in Christ,
as a result of our state of sanctification, will
determine the rewards and responsibilities we
are given in the future (1 Cor. 3: 13-14 • Matt. 25:
23). The Church needs to consider the purpose
of this sanctification seriously, fearfully and
with much wisdom (Titus 2: 11-12).
Separation and sanctification
The Bride (the Church) is called to be
separate from the world (2 Cor. 6: 14-18 •
2 Cor. 7: 1) According to Jewish customs of the
time, the bridegroom’s dearest companion
was responsible for overseeing the bride’s
preparations for the wedding. We can
compare the Apostolic ministry, and the 4
other ministries described in Ephesians 4: 11,
to the bridegroom’s companion; in this case,
preparing the Church for Christ’s return. In
his letter to the Corinthians, Paul expresses
a holy jealousy concerning the Bride, and
presenting her as a pure virgin (2 Cor. 11: 2).
Paul reveals that the aim of this preparation
is the sanctification of the Church by the
work of the Cross and the Spirit so that each
Christian is transformed into the image of
Christ (2 Cor. 3: 18 • 1 Thess. 5: 23). Due to
a lack of revelation of the Gospel, and the
influence of the world system on Christians’
lives, the Church, as a whole, has lost sight of
this goal and no longer sees its importance. It
is essential that Christians desire this work of
separation from a carnal and sinful life.
Paul speaks about the putting off of our old
nature, which is dependent on our will to
put on the new nature, created according to
God’s will, in true righteousness and holiness
(Eph. 4: 21-25). The author of the book of
Hebrews also talks about pursuing this work
of sanctification in our lives (Heb. 12: 14).
We cannot wait passively, in the hope that it
will just happen. In the same verse, he also
says, “...without which no one will see the Lord”.
Here, he is not referring to losing our salvation,
but rather to the time when we will be caught
up in the air to meet Him.
Being ready for the Second
Coming of Christ
As mentioned in the Scriptures, the Second
coming of Christ will happen at two different
occasions during the seven years of Tribulation.
The first will be when the Bride is caught up in
the air to meet the Bridegroom, which will take
place at the beginning of the Great Tribulation
period. Only the Church that is ready will see
Him at that precise moment (I Thess. 4: 13-18 •
I John 3: 2-3 • 2 Thess. 2: 1 • Luke 21: 27-28). The
second occasion will be when the Bridegroom
returns to the earth with His Bride, which will
take place at the end of the Great Tribulation
period. On that occasion the whole world will
see Him (Matt. 24: 30 • Matt. 25: 31-32 • Jude 14).
Jesus uses the parable of the 10 virgins
(Matt. 25: 1-13) to warn us to be vigilant
in getting the Bride ready to meet the
Bridegroom when He comes to meet her in
the air. This parable is specifically addressed
to Christians (the Church) because it mentions
the Kingdom of Heaven, and that the 10
virgins were going to meet the Bridegroom
(v 1). Jesus says (v 10) that only the 5 virgins
who were ready went in to the Bridegroom’s
wedding ceremony when He arrived. He did
not “know” the other five (v 12), or rather He
did not recognise them as their lives were
not ready at the time of His coming. We
find another passage in Matthew 7: 19-24
confirming this same outcome, but this time
as a result of their bad works.
The Lord wants to sanctify, purify, chasten
and judge His Church today. Judgement
begins within His house (1 Peter 4: 17).
In 1 Corinthians 11: 28-32 Paul speaks of
examining ourselves, because God desires
to chasten us now so that we are not judged
with the rest of the world. This judgement
refers to the time of the Great Tribulation,
which Christians are not called to live through.
The Great White Throne of Judgement is
destined for the ungodly, at the end of the
world (Rev. 20: 11).
The day of God’s wrath
Jesus wants to prepare us before the day of
His coming; so that we are not only ready to
meet Him, but we are also delivered from the
wrath to come (the days of His judgement
on the earth, during the Great Tribulation)
(1 Thess. 1: 10). Luke warns us to be ready
for the Day the Church is taken up to meet
Christ in the air, so that we might escape this
terrifying time (Luke 21: 34-36 • Luke 17: 34-36 •
Matt. 24: 21).
Let us stir one another to be open to what the
Lord wants to do in and through us. For the
Day of His coming is fast approaching, and
His judgement is drawing near. Let us not take
lightly the counsel and warning of our Lord.
Otherwise, it might be too late!
Listen to the full audio message on
ctmi.org/sermons: “The Bride’s Condition
Before the Bridegroom’s Return 1 & 2”
ctmi magazine | Nº 4 • MAR 2015 | ctmi.org/magazine
Leaders Live | The first webinar with pastors in Africa
20+
cities
represented
280+
leaders
connected
?
35+
questions
received
Gaborone, Botswana: 9 Pastors
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: 60 Pastors
Soweto, South Africa: 21 Pastors
Francistown, Botswana: 17 Pastors
“Eoula!” National Conference
CTMI Regional Family Camp
Leaders Conference
6-8 March 2015
Miki Hardy
20-23 March 2015
Marc Labonté
26-29 March 2015
Miki Hardy
Church Visit
CTMI International Conference Don Moen & Lenny Leblanc
Trianon, Mauritius
Accoustic Concert
Coming up
Trianon, Mauritius
Madagascar
18 March - 18 April 2015
Lindsay Lajeunesse
Magaliesburg, South Africa
12-17 May 2015
Live on www.ctmi.org
Lake Region, Tanzania
Trianon, Mauritius
17 May 2015
ctmi magazine | Nº 4 • MAR 2015 | ctmi.org/magazine