AFRICAN WOMAN, FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME!

.........Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Israel......(Jud.5:7)
 
I had the privilege of attending the African Women Arising conference between March 13th and 15th, 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria. (I do hope as many of you that were able to attend had a wonderful time in God’s presence).
 
One key message that was reiterated over and over again by the Speakers, was the need for women (especially African women) to rise up and take responsibilities for things happening around them. That as women, we have entered the kairos time (or season) of our lives, when God wants to use us to do great exploits for Him in our generation. Not in competition with men, but in partnership with them, so that together we can take the Kingdoms of this world for our Lord and Master. This is a season when God is releasing Entrepreneurial spirits upon His daughters, so that they can be empowered to be financiers of His work on earth. The Bible records that a number of women ministered to the Lord Jesus Christ out of their substance. That is, they met His financial needs in the work of His ministry. God is looking for such women in this time and age. Will you be one of them?
 
The passage above is from the Book of Judges, and they were the words of a great woman of God called Deborah. At that time, the nation of Israel had been besieged, oppressed and terrorized by the Canaanites. Even the leaders of the Army of Israel had become discouraged and at the point of giving in to the continuous battering by the Canaanites, until Deborah spoke out. She saw the decadence and the desolation around her, and rose up to play her role in bringing an end to it. She encouraged and challenged Barak an Army commander until he also was bold enough to mobilize his fellow commanders and soldiers to go out to battle. They eventually got the victory,  even as another woman called Jael was also used by God to kill Sisera – the Commander of the Canaanite army. (Judges 5: 17-22)
 
Dear friend, what have you noticed around you that has ‘ceased’ or ‘have broken down’? What desolations have you seen around you?.......... High rate of immorality, abortion, child abuse, women battery, illiteracy, corruption etc? Why not rise up as a woman that God has empowered for such a time like this, and play your own part? You do not have to have a lot of money before you make an impact. All you have could be your paper and pen, your voice or just a relationship that God could use. Remember the widow, when Elisha asked her, she said .......Your maidservant has nothing in the house, but a jar of oil ....(2Kgs.4:2).
 
God will not expect you to use what He has not given you. He will only use what He has committed into your hands....it could be a gift, a talent, a relationship, a burden or a passion. He wants His Kingdom principles established everywhere His children are, as ambassadors of heaven. What are these Kingdom principles? Whatever mission or assignment that will promote  the virtues of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom.14:17) will preach the Kingdom of God. You do not have to be called to be a preacher or a Pastor before you are used by God. God is looking for ordinary men and women who are only willing and available to be used by Him.
 
The Visioneer of the  African Women Arising conference Lee Grady and publisher of ‘Charisma magazine’ (a US based Christian magazine) talked about Mary Slessor and how she came as a missionary to Africa and still she made an impact in the eastern part of Nigeria many years ago. She was a young girl of about 29 years with a small stature, who had left the comfort of her home country in Scotland to bring the gospel to what was then called the Dark Continent. She refused to just be an ordinary missionary, but chose to be one that would impact the lives of the people she believed God had sent her to in Calabar. She not only preached the gospel to them, but also with the love of God in her heart stood against cannibalism, wickedness and most of all the murder of twins in the land. At that time, the birth of twins was considered an abomination in the land. They would be killed, and their mothers banished out of the land.  Her health and life was at risk. She spoke out against all these evil acts, until it became a law not to kill twins in Nigeria. She never got married but  devoted the rest of her life to impacting the Calabar people until she was called home to be with the Lord about forty years after. What an amazing testimony!
 
Dear great woman of Africa, the whole of Africa and the world at large is  waiting and crying out for your manifestation. Find a cause to live for, and pursue it with all your heart. As you do so with the sincerity of your heart, God will  prosper your way and make you a success all the way. Why? Because this is the season and time that He has promised to do so. Do not sit by and just watch ‘life cease’ all around you!
 
It is time to arise and to shine because your light has come, and  the glory of God has risen upon you (Is.60:1) ! God bless you!