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Tag: Christ

  • Palm Sunday: Archbishop urges Christians to emulate, share Christ’s love

    Palm Sunday: Archbishop urges Christians to emulate, share Christ’s love

    As Christians marked Palm Sunday, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, has urged them to relive, emulate and share the love of Jesus Christ with their neighbours.

    Abegunrin, who made this known in an interview on Sunday in Ibadan, said Christians should show Christ’s love to all, irrespective of their religion or race.

    According to him, God loves humanity because humans were created in His image and likeness, and out of love, He sent His only begotten son to die for them.

    The archbishop said: “Jesus Christ loves mankind so much that He willingly died for man shamefully on the cross.”

    He urged leaders and stakeholders in government to be humble in the discharge of their duties towards the citizenry, saying that their humility should be accompanied with truthfulness.

    “There is so much distrust in our land because our leaders, including religious ones, are not humble, truthful and loving.

    “Jesus Christ rode the donkey among the people; he did not bully them. Those in government should respect the citizens and keep the promises of protection of lives and property.

    “There is terror everywhere. So I advise government at all levels to learn from Jesus Christ on how to be close to the people and not to abuse their power over them.

    “Rather, they should use their power to maintain peace in the land,” he told NAN.

    According to him, Palm Sunday signifies the day Christians celebrate the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem in order to suffer, die and resurrect for the sake of humanity.

    He added that Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week in Christendom.

    “The holy week is the one leading to Easter. The high point of the week is the Sacred Triduum, which comprises the celebration of Institution of Sacred Priesthood and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday.

    “It comprises the Veneration of the Wood of the Cross and the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and lastly, the celebration of the Vigil of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave on Holy Saturday.

    “All these spiritual and redeeming activities culminate in the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday,” he said.

    Abegunrin, therefore, maintained that Palm Sunday afforded everyone, particularly Christians, the opportunity of total liberation from sin and death by uniting mankind with the crucified Jesus.

    He said that Palm Sunday also emphasised the supremacy and lordship of Jesus Christ on humanity.

    A faithful, Mr Toochi Chima, said that Jesus came to save mankind, as prophesied by Zechariah.

    Chima emphasised that the one and only sacrifice made by Christ could take away sin and cause death to pass over mankind.

    “Jesus was matching to His death that brought salvation to us. Thus, without Palm Sunday, there would be no passover, no Good Friday, no Easter Sunday and perhaps no resurrection.

    “This would have made our belief and faith as Christians baseless, futile and hopeless,” he said.

  • Accepted in the beloved – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Solomon says: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

    When I gave my life to Christ, some sins in my life disappeared immediately. However, most of my sins persisted. No matter how hard I tried, I could not overcome them. I would sin, repent, sin again, then repent again.

     

    This became a never-ending cycle and I was frustrated with myself. I am supposed to be a new creation in Christ Jesus, but the old creation would not leave me alone:

     

    “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. When I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” (Romans 7:18-23).

     

    I took my predicament to the Lord, and He answered me with a scripture that took me some time to fully understand. He said: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).

     

    Don’t be discouraged

     

    Jerry Brown Johnson brought a man to our fellowship. He was very excited at the onset. He was a new believer and he loved the Lord dearly. But soon, he stopped coming.

     

    When I asked Jerry about him, he said the man felt he was being hypocritical by coming to fellowship. He found that he could not give up his old ways. Why continue to come when he was continuing in sin? Therefore, the sick decided to stop coming to the hospital. He resolved to only come back when he became well.

     

    But we need to be patient with ourselves. We cannot be righteous in a hurry. Holiness is progressive. It takes time. It does not take place overnight.

    I gave this same counsel to a parent inclined to beat his children black and blue because they were slow in learning something he was teaching them.

    Solomon says: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

    If you have given your life to Christ and have received the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, I have news for you. God’s time and chance have happened to you. Therefore, be still and know that the Lord is God. (Psalm 46:10).

    God’s timing

    Pastor (Mrs) Adetola of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) wanted to give a message on the perfecting of the saints. God gave her a vision of a baby learning to walk. As he walked, he fell. He got up, tried again, and fell again. Then God said to Mrs. Adetola: “That is perfection.”

    The Lord has compassion for those who fear Him. (Psalm 103:13). If we are trying to live the Christian life the best way we know how but you keep stumbling and falling, God does not get sick and tired of us. He knows we require time to grow, and He is patient with us.

     

    If we are not living in willful rebellion against God, then God is satisfied with us even with the sins in our lives. Provided we continue to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

     

    It does not mean that God does not care if we sin. He does. He wants us to be holy. He knows that sin hurts us, and He dearly loves us. God hates sin. But He considers our make-up. His strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

     

    “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2).

    Of course, we must continue to be concerned about our sins and continue to strive for righteousness. But we must be willing to accept ourselves with our sins and inadequacies in the meantime because God does.

    Properly understood, God’s grace never encourages us to sin. On the contrary, it provokes us to righteousness. Paul says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12). But remember this: “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).

    We are co-labourers with God. But He determines the times and the seasons.

     

    Slow but steady

    Spiritual growth requires time, just as physical growth requires time. It does not happen in a hurry. No matter how eager the baby is, it cannot become an adult overnight. Therefore: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2).

    We grow slowly physically as well as spiritually. So, stop harassing yourself for your transgressions. Isaiah says: “Whoever believes will not act hastily.” (Isaiah 28:16).

    “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3).

    Looking unto Jesus

    Jesus was born a King. What kind of King do you get in a baby boy who is still learning to walk and talk? And yet, baby Jesus was a King. Wise men came from the East to worship Him even at the age of two years.

    He did not start by being six feet tall. At one point, he crawled and could not walk. At another, he was as small as a midget. He did not start by being full of wisdom; he grew in this incrementally. “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.” (Luke 2:52). He did not start his ministry until he was thirty.

     

    At Jesus’ baptism, God said: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3”17). At that point, His ministry had not even begun. He had not preached the gospel. He had not healed the sick. He had not died for sins. And yet, God already declared that He was pleased with Him.

     

    This is because God calls those things that be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17). He knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, God bases everything on the end and not on the beginning. So, He knows that at the end, we will be exactly like Jesus.

     

    Therefore, even now, He declares that we are accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1;6). We are accepted, even as we are. We are accepted even with your inadequacies. We are accepted, even with our sins. We are accepted, even with our failures.

     

    If you are in Jesus, the Son, in whom God is well pleased, then God is also well pleased with you. We were accepted in the beloved before the foundation of the world.

    CONTINUED

     

  • Fictional coincidences – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    My DVD player has a slow-motion application. When you press it, you see the film you are watching in slow-motion. That way, you are likely to notice things you would otherwise have overlooked.

    When I first met the Lord, he set my life to slow-motion for the first two to three months so I could see things I had not noticed before. Suddenly, I discovered that everything about my life followed an ordered pattern. There was discernibly a guiding hand to all the things happening around me.

    I would ask the Lord a question and wait for him to answer; and he answered every time. But what was fascinating was the way he answered. In some cases, he answered directly in my mind. But more often than not, he used the things around me to answer.

    I would turn on the television and he would use someone on the screen to speak to me. Someone would come to visit me and would answer my question without my asking. I would open my bible and the answer would speak to me from one of the pages.

    After some time, the Lord switched off the slow-motion and everything went back to normal speed. But now I know it is up to me to be observant. Accordingly, I now spend every day of my life on the look-out for God. I make it my business to know what God is doing in the situations and circumstances of my life.

    On one occasion, I asked the Lord a question while driving. When I looked up, the answer was there; boldly written on a billboard. I then wondered whether the billboard was a vision or whether it was really there. So I went back again on the same route. When I got there, the billboard was right there, with the same message on it.

    Apparently, it had been there for a while. But why was it that the exact time I asked the Lord the question was the exact time I drove past the billboard? Did I ask the question or did the Lord cause me to ask it at that particular time? Your guess is as good as mine.

    After some time, the Lord switched off the slow-motion and everything went back to normal speed. But now I know it is up to me to be observant. Accordingly, I now spend every day of my life on the look-out for God. I make it my business to know what God is doing in the situations and circumstances of my life.

    It is my business to know the purpose he has purposed for me. Jesus says: “I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4).

    Finger of God

    Once, the Police arrested my former Business Manager, Ernest Oboh, on trumped-up charges. I had to go to the station to see what I could do. Before I left, I said a short prayer asking God for help. I asked him for the favour of God and the favour of man.

    When I got to the Police Station, I spoke to the arresting officer. The man listened to me intently for a few minutes and then directed that my Manager be released immediately. Then he gave me his reasons.

    He said to me: “I am releasing him for three reasons. I am releasing him because I have a lot of respect for people who have grey hair, and you have a lot of it. I am releasing him because I understand you have a doctorate, and I just have lots of respect for people who have doctorates. I am releasing him because you are a pastor, and I just have a lot of respect for pastors.”

    I told the officer: “I am sorry to disagree with you, Sir. You are not releasing him because of any of those reasons. You are releasing him because before I came here, I went down on my knees and prayed and asked God for favour.”

    You see, right from the beginning of that episode, God brought the case to a man whose mind he had already prepared to be sympathetic to me. All the issues about grey hairs and doctorates were simply the devices of God. Somebody else could have hated me precisely because my hair was grey, and he could have hated me for having a doctorate.

    Strategically-placed helpers

    Many years ago, some Liberian refugee members of our fellowship were arrested for “loitering,” and we had to go to the police station to secure their release. So we knelt and asked God to take control.

    When we got to the Station, we were directed to the office of the Divisional Commander. Immediately I walked into his office, I saw the kingdom of God. All over the walls were posters with slogans affirming the supremacy of Christ.

    When I sat down, I said to the DCO: “I see, Sir, that you are a Christian.” In answer to that question, he and I started sharing testimonies about the goodness of the Lord. This went on for some thirty minutes, after which he suddenly said: “By the way, why have you come to see me?”

    I told him some members of our fellowship were arrested for “loitering,” when all that happened was that they were going home after attending a Christian fellowship. I wanted to see if I could appeal to someone in authority to secure their release.

    The policeman was angry. “For loitering!” he exclaimed. “What nonsense. That should not happen, this is a free country.” He not only directed they should be released immediately but that those who arrested them should be summarily locked up.

    Don’t panic

    Joy Ogwu’s son was going back to the United States from Nigeria. He had an American passport and a Nigerian passport simultaneously. He came in with his Nigerian passport, which meant he did not have a Nigerian visa. But if he tried to leave with his Nigerian passport, they would require him to show a visa for his destination.

    That meant he would have to show his American passport. But dual nationality had then been suspended in Nigeria. If he only showed his American passport, they would ask him how he got into the country without a Nigerian visa.

    It was a “Catch 22” situation. Joy took the matter to God and asked for his help. Then she went to the airport with her son. But on getting there, she had a panic attack. Perhaps there was someone she knew who could help her? Perhaps if she spoke politely to the immigration official he would overlook the matter? Perhaps; perhaps; perhaps.

    Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke: “Did you not ask me for help? So why are you still anxious?”

    Remorseful, she stood there in the middle of the airport terminal apologising to God. She had scarcely finished praying her apologies when someone called her name: “Professor Ogwu is that you?”

    She looked up to see this distinguished military officer standing in front of her with a big grin on his face.

    “What are you doing here?” he asked.

    “My son is traveling to the United States.”

    “Where is he?” the man asked taking charge.

    He took charge so completely he ushered him past immigration and literally on to the plane. Problem solved.

    When Joy told her husband what happened, he was unimpressed. “It was just a coincidence,” he insisted. Coincidence my foot! Our God is not “a coincidental God.”

  • Trending video: Internet agog as masquerade gives his life to Christ

    A video showing a yet to be identified lady evangelist Christenizing a masquerade has become a subject of interest to several Nigerian netizens in the social media space.

    In the video, the evangelist did not only prayed for the masquerade but also urged him to give his life to Jesus Christ and eventually made him (masquerader) take off his costumes.

    Watch videos:

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  • Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    The Jews asked Jesus: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” He said to them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.” (John 6:28-29).

    Jesus is the Saviour therefore, undoubtedly, belief in Jesus is fundamental to salvation. Often, when people came to Jesus for healing, he would ask: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). When he visited his hometown, John notes: “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58).

    Jesus did not tell Nicodemus to become more religious to obtain eternal life. He did not tell him to give more tithes and offerings to the synagogue. He simply told him to believe in him: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

    Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to determine precisely what it means to believe in Jesus; especially because although demons believe, nevertheless, they are not saved.

     

    Active participle

     

    Faith in Jesus is an active participle. If we believe in Jesus, our actions will testify to our faith. James says: “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18). Likewise, the psalmist says: “I believe therefore I speak.”

     

    If we believe in Jesus, we would not be overwhelmed by sickness because he is our healer. If we believe, we would not be dismayed by loss because he is our redeemer. If we believe, we would not be intimidated by giants in the wilderness of life knowing he is our shield.

     

    If we truly believe, everything we do and do not do will derive from our belief. Indeed, anything and everything that does not come from belief in Jesus is a sin. (Romans 14:23).

     

    So answer me this: what precisely has your belief in Christ ever caused you to do? Those are the things that validate your salvation. Have you ever removed the roof of a house because you believe in Jesus? Has your belief finally led you to lay down your life for Christ’s sake?

     

    We walk by our faith: we don’t merely stand by faith. Believing requires us to step out of a boat at Jesus’ command and walk on water. It requires us to forsake all and follow him. It requires us to walk a tightrope across a great big gorge to get to God. That tightrope is Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

     

    Rise and walk

     

    I was cornered by armed robbers on the way from the airport in Lagos. Nevertheless, the Lord assured me: “Nothing is going to happen to you here.” After he said this, one of the armed robbers shot me in the leg, seemingly contradicting God’s promise. But then the Lord continued: “Femi, nothing is wrong with your leg.”

     

    Should I believe the word of the Lord, or believe the evidence of the bullet in my leg?

     

    Later on, the Lord said to me: “I allowed you to be shot because I wanted you to see yourself using crutches. You have been using crutches all your life but did not know it.” Then he asked me: “Can a man with a broken leg walk without crutches?” I did not think so. But he insisted: “He can walk by trusting in me. Now, put down your crutches and walk.”

     

    I put them down but could not walk. Therefore, I had to learn to walk again, but this time by trusting in God. That is what it means to believe in Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, we do the impossible. When we believe, we rise from our sickbed, take up our bed and walk.

     

    If we believe, we would not stay too long on any mountain: we would go forward. Because they believed, Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land. Because they did not believe, the rest of the Israelites perished in the wilderness.

     

    Disbelieving believers

     

    So many so-called believers do not believe in Jesus. Most believe with their lips and not with their heart. Many profess belief in the Jesus they do not know. But true faith must be grounded in knowledge. Peter says: “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.”(2 Peter 1:5).

     

    You cannot believe in Jesus from merely reading about him in the pages of the bible. You have to know the Jesus of the bible. You have to enter into a personal relationship with him. Paul says: “I know whom I have believed.” (2 Timothy 1:12).

     

    It is a shame that today’s Christianity is rife with contradictions. The president of the Christian Union is jilted in love and falls into depression. In truth, she does not believe in Jesus. She does not know Jesus is the redeemer. The choirmaster’s project fails and thereafter he loses all hope. He does not believe in Jesus. He does not know that the hope in Jesus does not disappoint. (Isaiah 49:23).

     

    The evangelist loses a child in a car accident and refuses to forgive the driver who hit her. She does not believe in Jesus. She does not know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25). The usher’s business collapses, and he stops going to church. He does not believe in Jesus. He does not know that the Father of our Lord Jesus is not mediated through results.

     

    Believe to see

     

    Thomas says of the resurrected Jesus: “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”(John 20:25). Poppycock! Seeing is not believing. The Jews saw Jesus’ multiplication of five loaves to feed five thousand and still did not believe in him. They came asking to see another miracle before they would believe.

     

    Miracles don’t lead to belief: belief leads to miracles. We don’t see to believe; we believe to see. David says: “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13).

     

    Faith in Jesus opens the eyes of the blind, enabling us to see the kingdom of God. Accordingly, Jesus said to Martha who was mourning her dead brother: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Thereafter, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, even though he had been dead and buried for four days

     

    When Nathaniel believed what Jesus told him, he received a promise. Jesus said to him: “You will see greater things than these. Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:50-51).

     

    “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3).

     

  • The Yes of Christ, By Stephen Ojapah MSP

    The Yes of Christ, By Stephen Ojapah MSP

    Stephen Ojapah MSP

    “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vowed. But I say to you, do not swear at all, not by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by the earth,’ for it is his footstool” (Mathew 5:33-34). We are gradually coming to the end of my two month long reflection on the Gospel of Mathew Chapter 5. There are profound insights in that chapter in the life of a Christian. In the earlier verses, Jesus talks about the beatitudes, poverty, purity, suffering, peacemaking, mourning, meekness, mercy and persecution (Mathew 5:3-11). He equally speaks about the saltiness of his followers (Mathew 5:13). The Salt element can be likened to the Christian’s participation in public and spiritual affairs were their presence adds value and quality to people and issues in the society. Jesus enjoins his followers not to break the Law. He expects that at all times the bar should be raised and Christians are to encourage people to uphold moral standards in every circumstance.

    Today’s reflection, Jesus builds a wall around oath-taking: “Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your Yes mean Yes and your No mean No. Anything more is from the evil one” ( Mathew 5:36). There is a recent comic video that has gone viral. It is about a politician and a Chief Judge who is supposedly administering the oath of office to the politician who just won an election. Instead of the traditional use of the Bible or the Quran, the Chief Judge used an iron to administer the oath. He said to the politician “Hold this, this is iron and repeat after me”. Afterwards, he proceeded in this manner: “In the administration of my duties while in office, if I steal any public money let Ogun kill me”. Nigeria is presumably a religious country if seen through the prism of Christianity and Islam. It seems that as Nigerians increasingly embrace either of the two religions, the same Nigerians in equal measure appear to be less trustworthy. Our forebears in this country never practised any of the two religions, yet in comparison to present adherents of both religions, our ancestors seemed virtuous in keeping to their word. Ironically, even without knowing Christ as we claim to have known him today, our ancestors exemplified in their lives the teaching of Christ on truthfulness and honesty. Their “yes” was their “yes’ and their “no” meant “no”.

    Traditionally, an oath is either a statement of fact or a promise with wording that relates to something considered sacred as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to give an affirmation instead. As a matter of fact, even when there is no notion of sanctity involved, certain promises said out loud in ceremonial or juridical purpose are referred to as oaths. The word come from Anglo-Saxon āð . It refers to judicial swearing, solemn appeal to deity as a witness to the veracity of the truth or the promise being made.

    Oaths usually a cultural significance especially a deity is invoked. The essence of involving a deity is an invocation of a divine agency to be the guarantor of the oath taker’s own honesty and integrity in the matter under question. By implication, this incurs divine displeasure if the oath taker fails in his or her sworn duties. It implies great responsibility and attention in the performance of one’s duty since a deity has been called upon to be the witness and guarantor. The concept of oath is deeply rooted in the Jewish culture like other cultures in Ancient Near East. For instance, in Genesis 8:21, when God swears that He will “never again curse the ground because of man and never again smite every living thing”. This repetition of the term never again is explained by Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac Commonly known by his acronym Rashi a biblical commentator. It serves as an oath where God swears by Himself to keep His word. In biblical tradition, the first human being known to have taken an oath is said to be Eliezer. He was the chief servant of Abraham. His master asked him to promise that he would not take a wife for Isaac from the daughters of Canaan, but from among Abraham’s own family.

    The foundational text for oath making is in Numbers 30:2 “When a man voweth a vow unto the Lord, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” For its part, Islam takes the fulfillment of oaths extremely serious: “God does not hold you responsible for mere utterance; He holds you responsible for your actual intentions. If you violate an oath, you shall atone by feeding ten poor people from the same food you offer to your own family, or clothing them, or by freeing a slave. If you cannot afford this, then you shall fast three days. This is the atonement for violating the oaths that you swore to keep. You shall fulfill your oaths. God thus explains His revelations to you, that you may be appreciative. Quran Chapter 5: 89.

    I don’t know in detail the mind of Christ when he said: “Let your Yes be Yes.” It can, however, be inferred that Jesus had in view the slippery character of the human person particularly as exhibited in his encounter with the Pharisees. Jesus lived with the Pharisees, the Scribes and the religious leaders of his time. He constantly had backlashes with them, accusing them severally of double standards. Jesus did not take it kindly in his depiction of the Jewish authorities as men who did not always honor their words since in many instances, they promised what they could not fulfill. In contrast to the Pharisees and the Scribes, Jesus enjoined his followers to ensure that their word was their bond. In other words, if their word could not be trusted, meaningless and invalid was their oath even if they swore by the all the deities in the world.

    All of us at some point or the other have taken oaths to do one thing or the other: religious leaders, public servants, elected politicians, medical doctors, military personnel, and married people, etc. Two things easily surface during oath-swearing ceremonies: (1) the easiness of oath-taking and (2) the difficulty of keeping what is promised. As human actions do not always march words, it means that the taking of oath must be done in good faith as a result of a properly formed conscience. Oath of any kind imposes a heavy moral obligation on a person. That obligation is graver for politicians who have access to government resources that ought to be judiciously managed for the commonweal.

    For that reason, does anyone honestly trust the words of Nigerian politicians? Who among them can truly say he or she is a person of integrity, whose word is his or her bond? For the ordinary Nigerian who easily swears “in the name of God” or “Allah”, does he or she know the gravity of calling the divine deity to be a witness to his or her lies? It should not surprise anyone if Nigerian documents like passports, certificates, credit cards, etc are viewed with suspicion outside the country. Even the official government seal on a document is not often considered as a guarantee of authenticity. What is at stake is the moral integrity of a people. Therefore, let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”!

    Fr Stephen Ojapah is a priest of the Missionary Society of St Paul. He is equally the director for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism for the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, a member of IDFP. He is also a KAICIID Fellow. (omeizaojapah85@gmail.com

  • Our inheritance in Christ – Femi Aribisala

    Femi Aribisala

    I know your ambition is to be a rich businessman or woman, or a famous musician, or a renowned writer. But is it possible for me to change your ambition in just one article? Can I possibly alter fundamentally the desires of your heart?

    Let’s give it a try.

    Jesus does not say: “Blessed are not those who hunger and thirst to be doctors, lawyers and wealthy.” He says instead: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” (Matthew 5:6).

    Do you want to be righteous? If so, how determined are you? What are you prepared to do to secure the righteousness of God?

    Do you know what Tiger Woods did in order to become Tiger Woods? Do you know what Aliko Dangote did in order to become Aliko Dangote? What are you prepared to do in order to become exactly like Jesus Christ?

    Pride of Life

    A friend of mine overheard me ordering recharge cards for my cellphone. “How much are you ordering?” he wanted to know. “Why are you asking?” I wondered. Then he showed me his phone. He had recharged it to the tune of one million naira. Just imagine that! That was his pride of life.

    “Have you seen my new car, the 2021 model? It moves at the speed of light.” “I just bought a new cell-phone. This one recognizes my voice and can have a conversation with me.” “You won’t believe my new Rolex wristwatch. If I call any major city in the world, it will immediately tell me what time it is there.”

    Our ambitions are often defined by the pride of life. “What do you want to have achieved by 5 years’ time?” “By 5 years, I hope to have a yacht.” “By 5 years’ time, I hope to have my very own private plane.”

    But do you ever say: “By 5 years’ time, I hope to have stopped telling lies entirely.” “By 5 years’ time, I hope to have stopped lusting in my heart.” “By 5 years’ time, I hope to have stopped quarreling.” Jesus says only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be fulfilled. Buying a yacht will not satisfy you. Neither will you be satisfied by becoming the owner of a jet-plane.

    Glory of God

    Is God proud? As far as I am concerned, God is the only person in the universe that can be proud. Man has absolutely nothing to be proud of. But then, what can God possibly be most proud about? One thing is for sure. God is very jealous of his glory. He says: “I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8).

    What precisely is the glory of God? What is God most proud of? The glory of God is God’s character. The glory of God is the righteousness of God.

    When Moses asked to see the glory of God, what did he see? “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’” (Exodus 34:6).

    God is extremely proud of his righteousness. His divine nature sets him apart from everybody else. It makes him unique and it is the best thing he can give to anybody. That was his plan for us from the beginning of creation when he said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26).

    If we are to be in the image and likeness of God, we must be: “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4).

    Righteousness of men

    This creates a fundamental dilemma because man cannot be righteous like God. Says Eliphaz the Temanite: “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in his saints, and the heavens are not pure in his sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!” (Job 15:14-16).

    Bildad the Shuhite concurs: “If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm?” (Job 25:5-6).

    So then, with man, righteousness is impossible. But let us not forget: “With God, nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37).

    Hoping against hope

    God promised Abraham a son when he was past child-bearing age. As a matter of fact, the scriptures say Abraham’s body was already dead. In order to have a child in his old age, Abraham had to believe in God. God had to become the hope of Abraham.

    If our hope is in God, we can never lose hope. If our hope is in God, it is never too late. If our hope is in God, the situation is never hopeless.

    Against hope, Abraham believed in hope. He knew it was impossible, yet he believed that God would make him the father of many nations. God then accounted Abraham’s faith for righteousness.

    What would God have us hope against hope for today? He would have us believe he will make us righteous. He wants us to believe that the day will come when we will not be able to sin anymore. No unrighteous thought would come into our mind ever again. We would hate nothing and no one but only love. We would love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as Christ loves us.

    This is our hope in God, and it is hope that does not disappoint. It is this hope in God that is the anchor of the soul.

    Rain of righteousness

    At some juncture in the ages to come, God will issue a decree: “Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8).

    Yes: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23). Nevertheless, God wants us to share in his glory by making us righteous. To assure us that he will fulfill this solemn promise, he gives us the Holy Spirit, who is our hope of glory.

    “God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

    Christ in you, the hope of glory. The righteousness of God is our hope of glory. We are heirs of God. We are not heirs of what God has. We are heirs of who God is: “(Therefore) we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:5).

    “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3).

  • Easter: Saraki charges Christians to emulate virtues of Christ

    President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on Christians and Nigerians across the nation to work towards emulating the virtues of Jesus Christ as epitomized by his passion, persecution, death and resurrection during Easter.

    In a message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki also stated that all Nigerians must remain constant in their efforts to promote unity across all lines.

    He noted that it was imperative for all Nigerians to come together in order to build a country that both present and future generations can take pride in just like the work of Christ which has endured for over 2000 years and has continued to inspire generations.

    Saraki stated: “This weekend, we join our Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria and across the world to celebrate the Easter festivities. This commemoration is a time for deep reflection as it marks the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his victory over death. It is a time to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need.

    “It is also a time for all of us — regardless of faith, or ethnicity — to come together to pray for the peace of our nation. We must all remain constant in our efforts to promote unity — across all lines — because united, our nation remains stronger and we thrive as a people.

    “As we do this, we must all collectively work towards playing our part in the development of our nation and its economy,” Saraki stated.

  • Christmas and the demonisation of Christ, By Bobson Gbinje

    Christmas and the demonisation of Christ, By Bobson Gbinje

    “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned

    Nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.”

    (The Morning Bride – William Congreve)

    By Bobson Gbinje

    Jesus Christ is the authentic Messiah and unblemished signet on the escutcheon of all Christians. He is the generalissimo of the cosmogony and the dymistifier of the tetragramation. Although the exact date of his birth remain scripturally hazy. But the commemoration of the birth of the great son of the living God, the Prince of Peace is fundamentally obligatory and critically crucial for all Christians. The total veneration of the messianic quintessence on December 25th, January 6th by some and 1st October by others is in recognition of the Bethlehemic Zeitgeist and the spiritual élan of all Christians and non-Christians alike.

    But the bacchanalian orgies, unthinkable licentiousness, Dionysian exuberance, moral depravity, hideous consumerism and sexual escapades which has characterized Charismas celebrations for ages, glaringly shows that, there is the complete demonization of Christianity and Christ. Hence, the Indian and Hindu statesman Mohandas Gandhi said “I have never been able to reconcile myself to the debaucheries of the Charismas season. They have appeared to me to be so inconsistent with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ”. Yet, Jesus Christ remains the reason for the Christmas season,

    Some hypocritical but wealthy Christians carry their teratoid Christmas theatrics so far that they go as far as Bethlehem or Jerusalem to celebrate their Christmas and back it up with a pilgrimage later. Jesus lived a humble and self-effacing life. He told a Samaritan woman who centered her worship at Gerizim, a mountain north in Jerusalem: “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the father”.

    Nevertheless, the hour is coming and it is now, when the true worshiper will worship the father with spirit and truth, for indeed the father is looking for such like ones to worship him” (John 4:21-23), Christianity and Christmas are completely sunken in the ways of secular humanism and wickedness. They incarnate satanic idiosyncrasies that have completely demonized Christ and all what he stood for. Christians can no more vouch for their faith and have no moral locus standi to parade themselves as soldiers of the cross. What a shame!

    Under gruesome Catechization by Pontius Pilate Jesus Christ firmly asserted that “my kingdom is no part of this world, if my kingdoms were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from this source”, but so called Christians proclaim the heavenly kingdom and still embody all the rat race of demonic sortilege, spiritual wickedness, pride, envy, greed, oppression, treachery and covetousness.

    Christians in position of authority and leadership do not know what it is to serve and be servants of the people, like Christ demonstrated. They are cocooned in the shameful oubliette of corruption and graft. Christians in the churches, business places, politics, professions and evangelical mission have successfully philistanised and demonized Christ and his teaching. The ethos of Christmas is lost in the thicket of hypocrisy. There is utter christlessness in man. Hence, the essayist William James (1842-1910) position that “man biologically considered that whatever else he may be into the bargain, is the most formidable of all the beast of prey and indeed the only one that preys systematically on its own kind.” What a shame that God’s own creation man has become a treacherous and degenerate beast to man and his creator.

    Jesus Christ is the first born of all creation and the only begotten son of the causeless cause of causes, Jehovah God. He is the second greatest authority in the universe. This son of God was sent by His father, God Almighty to give life as a sacrificial ransom for mankind thus opening the way to eternal life for Adam’s offspring that will exercise faith in God. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the legality of the indemnity. After the crucifixation of Jesus Christ, He ascended into Heaven and is now restored to heavenly glory and rules as king with authority to destroy all the wicked and to fulfill God’s original plan on earth. Does he not deserve true honour?

    In Hebrew the word Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation”, whilst Christ called, Mashiach or Messiah means the “Anointed one”. Jesus Christ the anointed one is not just a vague sham. He is a historical, spiritual and vibrant personality who existed amongst men and carried out palpably tangible acts for all to see. There is no personality and no name that transcends the totality of the universe than the name of Jesus Christ. He is worthy of honour and commemoration. He is truly really deserving of praises and adoration. He is indeed the height of pulchritude and the finest thing that ever happened to mankind. He deserves all the glory.

    But, are men really giving Him all the glory? Has He not been consigned to the cesspit of nothingness by our depraved conduct, through the apotheosization of the money, the worshipping of power, certificates and titles? Do we still appreciate his sacrifice and abnegation for us? How do our debaucherous proclivities during Christmas tell on his integrity? Is Christmas a season forGodlessness and Christlessness? Are our Christian leaders now the contemporary antichrist and apostle? Will the gospel of Jesus Christ survive given the dwarfishness of our evangelical zeal? And will mankind survive the libidinous holocaust?

    Finally, mankind is luxuriating in the St. Vitus Dance and treading on the epicenter of a precipitous precipice. We are running against time. We must make a great dramatic turn around. We are living in the perilous time and we need no ghost to tell us to turn to Jesus Christ. We cannot through our base conduct during Christians and after Christmas demonise Christ for darkness cannot overwhelm light. He has done His bit the rest is left for us to be Christ complaint. As we celebrate Christmas, let us spare a thought for the less privileged amongst us and refocus on the need to serve God and truly honour Jesus Christ. Let us rekindle the spirit of solicitude Rei socialize (concern for the social order). Happy Xmas.

     

    CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE

    08023250378

    MANDATE AGAINST POVERTY (MAP)

    WARRI.

  • The new creation in Christ Jesus – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    The scriptures say the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. So how come most people cannot see it? How come men could not see the glory of God in Jesus Christ?

    They could not because Jesus is the quintessential spiritual man. The same applies to the New Creation. The New Creation is a spiritual man. However, the glory of the spiritual is veiled from the natural.

    Paul admits that for a long time he only saw Jesus from a human point of view. Therefore, he did not believe that this most ordinary man from Nazareth was the Messiah. After Christ revealed himself to Paul on Damascus Road by the special grace of God, he resolved that he would never again see men after the flesh but would only see them spiritually.

    Christ in you

    Once a man gives his life to Christ, God comes to dwell in him. He then carries out a life-long transformative work in him. What does this entail? He works in Christ into the believer, systematically transforming him more and more into Christ’s likeness. (2 Corinthians 3:18). Thus, Paul says to the believer: “Christ is in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27). Christ is in you, not as a result of any self-application, but because God is installing Christ in you.

    Let me illustrate this kingdom dynamic with a parable. A man called Mike Teeson gave his life to Christ. But after he confessed Christ, he continued to be quarrelsome and to beat people up. He still thinks he is Mike Teeson, but the counsel of God says he is a new creation. If he fulfils the word of God, he is in for a big surprise. One day, he is going to wake up and realise he cannot fight anymore.

    Because God is at work in Mike, the word of God says, “the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:33). This means Mike will soon discover that the old man of the flesh will become subject to the new man of the Spirit. First he might find it increasingly difficult to beat people up as usual. Soon, everybody Mike fights will beat him. Soon, a little boy will slap Mike and he will discover that he simply does not have the strength to fight back anymore.

    What exactly happened to Mike? Mike lost the biggest fight of his life, the fight against Jesus Christ. What Jesus did was to make Mike into a useless fighter. Paul speaks of this future eventuality as if it had already been accomplished in the past: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

    Mike might have anticipated that as a believer, he is going to become a good Mike Teeson. That is wrong. Mike is going to become somebody other than himself. He is going to be a totally new creation. Indeed, Mike is slated to become exactly like Christ: “Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2).

    Veiled glory

    Why did people who lived in biblical times fail to see the glory of Jesus? The problem here comes from being used to a completely different type of glory. It comes from being so thoroughly socialised in the glory of the world that we fail to recognise and appreciate the peculiar glory of the kingdom of God.

    The glory of the man of the world is temporal; it does not last. The man who won the gold medals in the Olympic Games is soon forgotten. The president’s term of office comes to an end. The former Miss World is now an old woman. But the glory of God endures. It does not fade. It lasts forever.

    The devil offered Jesus all the glory of the world for a very meagre requirement: “simply bow down and worship me.” But Jesus would have none of it. Why would he trade the genuine article for the counterfeit? This only happens when we don’t know the original or don’t know its value.

    What would you give for the glory of the world? How far would you go in order to be the Managing Director of your company? It is said in the world: “All is fair in love and in war.” Can a man make you an offer you cannot refuse? Can you be seduced by the world? Of course you can, for you are a man of little strength. That is why Jesus taught us to pray: “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.” (Matthew. 6:13).

    Counterfeit wealth

    Observe that according to the Lord’s Prayer, the true kingdom, the real power, and the glory that does not fade all belong exclusively to God. Therefore we need to ask the Lord not to allow us to be deceived by the counterfeit. We must be careful not to be seduced by the glory of this world?

    A pre-eminent glory of man in the world consists in the abundance of his possessions. But in Christ, such glory is meaningless. Show me your wealth in the world and I will show you my faith in Christ. In the world, people live by money. When a man has money, he has “made it.” But in the kingdom of God, the just shall live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38). If the Lord is really our shepherd then we shall not want. We shall no longer hunger for the “goodies” of this world. When a man truly has Christ, he has all he needs.

    Confronted with the choice of relinquishing all he had and inheriting the kingdom of God, the rich young ruler opted for his wealth. The bible observes that he went away sorrowful because he had many possessions. What the wisdom of God is saying here is that the wealth of many is going to be the cause of their eternal sorrow. The rich man of the world might have something today. But the problem with “today” is that it only lasts “ten days.” (Revelation 2:10)

    However, the New Creation not only has today, he also has the future. By his faith, he overcomes the vanities of the world. Jesus came and bequeathed him with the abundant life. He gave him a life that may be devoid of the things of the world, but that is full of the things the world does not have: love, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

    The natural man cannot see the things of kingdom of God. For example, Isaiah could not see the glory of God until King Uzziah died. The inferior glory of the king blinded him from the superior glory of God. (Isaiah 6:1). Therefore, he declares: “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” (Isaiah 40:4-5).