Family Bonding

By Gifty Agyemang

This book has come at this critical moment when families are tearing apart for various reasons. It is, therefore, a voice crying in the cities, towns, and villages for families to be properly bonded as required by the chief architect of marriage, God almighty. The contents of this book, therefore, have the full potential to encourage families to stay and live together in peace. This is against the backdrop of the collapse of the family system which not only affects individuals but also society at large. The book passionately calls on all and sundry to endeavour to guard jealously the priceless family unit, because what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his family?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Apr 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491896976

Gifty Agyemang

Gifty Agyemang is married to Isaac Agyemang, and their union has been blessed with four beautiful daughters and a son. She holds a first degree in French and Spanish from the University of Ghana, Legon. She also holds an MBA in finance from the same university. Gifty is currently working with one of the leading financial institutions in Ghana and has been in that industry for the past thirteen years. She is a member of the counselling and follow-up committee of Pentecost International Worship Centre-Atomic. [e-mail].

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Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

© 2015 Gifty Agyemang. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/06/2016

ISBN: 978-1-4918-9473-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-9697-6 (e)

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Foreword

Chapter 1 What Is a Family?

Chapter 2 Do We Need Families?

Chapter 3Can Two Walk Together Except They Have Agreed?

Chapter 4 A House Divided against Itself

Chapter 5 Who Is a Father?

Chapter 6 Help! I’m a Single Parent!

Chapter 7 The Bonded Family: Joseph and Mary

Chapter 8 It’s the Little Foxes That Spoil the Vine: Deal with Issues When They Start

Chapter 9 Challenges That Threaten Family Bonding

Chapter 10 Technology: A Blessing or a Curse on Families?

Chapter 11 Where the Treasure of a Man Is, That Is Where His Heart Will Be Also

Chapter 12 Play Time Is as Important as Pray Time

Chapter 13 Mending Broken Walls

Chapter 14 What Are the Benefits of a Bonded Family?

Chapter 15 Conclusion

References

•  To all married couples who strive to keep the family bonded together

•  To all single parents who endeavour to keep their families united

•  To my dear, loving husband, Isaac Agyemang, who has supported me in good and bad times; to our four daughters: Nana Yaa, Abena, Elorm, Ewurama, and to our son: Kwesi

•  To my extended family members who have made enormous contributions to my progress in life

•  To the memory of my late father, Charles Kweku Ahatsi, and my late mother, Gladys Ahatsi

Acknowledgements

To the Lord God Almighty, the one who knew me when I was a clot of blood in my mother’s womb, to Him alone be all praise! It’s by His grace that this book has been completed. His am and His I will be all my life.

I am deeply indebted to my dear father in the Lord, Apostle D. K. Noble-Atsu (retd) for taking time off his busy schedule to read through the typescript to ensure the message in this book comes out clear and unambiguous. May the Lord bless and increase him in multiple folds.

Thanks to the district pastor of PIWC-Atomic, Pastor Antwi-Boasiako, and his wife, Mama Akosua Antwi-Boasiako. I have been inspired by your message on Taking Territories. This book is the result of this message and many others that you have challenged me with. May grace be multiplied onto you without measure in the name of Jesus our Lord.

I also want to say thank you to the rest of the leadership of PIWC-Atomic. The Revd Kingsley Larbie, the Revd Emmanuel Anim, and Elder Owura Sarfo who have greatly inspired me by their thought-provoking and life-transforming sermons. My presiding elder, Evans Kwame Ayim, thank you for allowing God to use you to bless and challenge my faith as a child of God.

I am grateful to Mrs Rose Addai and the leadership of the Women’s Ministry of PIWC-Atomic, who gave me an invitation to talk on the topic "Family Bonding." Had it not been for this invitation, I might not have written a book on this topic. God bless you all, great women of the gospel, who labour in the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am also grateful to all my cell group members Parakou and Pillar 2 of PIWC-Atomic. Our Bible discussions have been so insightful and have shaped my mindset as a child of God. This has enriched the contents of this book.

Mrs Sussana Mbroh, but for you, there would not have been a chapter on single parents. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

I also greatly appreciate the insightful contribution of Eld. Isaac Dwamenah of PIWC-Atomic.

I am also indebted to my brother, Dr Reuben Coffie, and his wife Diana, for their great contribution to this book.

I wish to say a word of gratitude to Mr Annor Nimako, a writer and a book publisher, for making helpful suggestions, copyediting, and helping in the preparation of the typescript for typesetting.

I just want to say thank you to all whose names I have not been able to mention. I am so grateful. May the Lord bless and reward your labour of love.

Preface

On 26 November 2013, I was invited to give a talk on Family Bonding at Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) - Atomic by the Women’s Ministry. During my preparation, the Lord laid it on my heart to write a book on the topic that I was invited to speak on.

It has been a long journey of sleepless nights. At the start of writing the book, I would sit down to write, but my thoughts would not flow as fast as I wanted. I realized sometimes I got my thoughts together when I was not writing. I started taking notes of ideas and concepts that came to mind in the course of the day. This made my writing much easier. It was a strenuous task, but I persevered and finished the draft. The most challenging aspect of this whole project was the editing stage. My aim was to come out with a valuable book and thank God for the great dedication of all the editors that I came into contact with. I believe this has been achieved.

Family Bonding, as the name suggests, is about the family. We live in an era where the family is losing its significance, and society is paying dearly for that. We have not understood marriage as the Creator intended it to be. In our day, we even hear of things like marriage of convenience and the like. You can marry today and divorce tomorrow with the slightest provocation. In the mind of God, marriage is a covenant between God, man, and woman. This kind of union cannot be easily broken. To understand the marriage covenant, couples must first be aware that God loves them unconditionally, and they can, in turn, show that kind of love to their spouses. This book seeks to emphasize that marriage is for life and the parties involved have unique, though complementary, roles to play.

The stories in the book are all true stories, but the names have been changed to protect the characters.

This book is not for only married people; the married and the yet to marry can be blessed by reading it. Although this book is written from the Christian perspective, non-Christians could also enjoy reading it.

Take your time, relax, and enjoy the book.

Gifty Agyemang

3 December 2014

Foreword

The phrase family bonding, which happens to be the title of this great and wonderful book, is a concept which is almost as old as the universe. This particular viewpoint is reinforced by what has carefully been observed as God’s attitude towards and special design and concern for the family system, which He Himself has brought into being. A careful reading through the Old Testament reveals that scarcely does the Bible mention any prophet or leader’s name without mentioning the particular person’s father’s name. For example, the Bible mentions the name of Joshua and adds, son of Nun (Joshua 1:1), The words of Nehemiah ‘son of Hacaliah(Nehemiah 1:1a), The word of the Lord came to Jonah ‘son of Amittai’ (Jonah 1:1), and so on.

Indeed, it is very obvious that God’s intention is to see to it that the family system remains just as He has designed it. He wants to ensure the continuation and complete sustenance of the family system till eternity. In fact, God desires that the family system continue to be the microcosm of society because it is in the family that the tone is set for the morally successful life of society. That is why the sages maintain that it is the health of the family that determines the general health of every nation. The reason is that procreation and proper training of children take place within the family. And God has intentionally and purposefully decided that one man (a husband) and one woman (a wife) shall be joined together in holy wedlock and, when blessed with a child or children, they shall train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn (depart) from it. The family system is, therefore, very important to God and is indispensable so far as the continuation of the human race is concerned. Simply put, God is passionate about the family system.

It is against this backdrop that present trends of lesbianism, gayism, and cohabitation, which are militating against the continued existence of God’s established family system, are very worrisome and, for that matter, are attracting serious diseases such as chlamydia, hormonal disorders, cervical cancers, herpes, and gay bowel syndrome. This may mean God is registering his disapproval of such lifestyle, which is another way of saying it is not good and cannot work successfully.

God, therefore, has a blueprint concerning the roles of the father, the mother, and the child, in order to ensure orderliness and complete discipline in the family and, for that matter, the society. See, for example, Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Ephesians 6:1-4. God, in his infinite wisdom, has intentionally brought a completely bonded family into this world to show that a bonded family concept is possible and achievable and is not equal to chasing a mirage. It is wonderful and significant to note that the completely bonded family being referred to here is, in a sense, made up of human beings like any of us. Find out the names of those who form that particular bonded family.

The author of this book, Mrs Gifty Agyemang, has carefully and successfully given sound treatment to what can be termed the anatomy of the family system. She has traced its origin, ingredients, the father’s role, the mother’s role, and the children’s role. From her deep, touching, and passionate discussions, laced with an evangelistic zeal and touch, the reader sees clearly that the family system is really indispensable in this world. And by way of putting a polish on her beautiful presentation in a language which is down to earth, she touches on factors which she labels little foxes that spoil the vine and