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Tag: Christians

  • Deborah Samuel: 13 Muslim groups condemn killing for blasphemy

    Deborah Samuel: 13 Muslim groups condemn killing for blasphemy

    No fewer than 13 Muslims group operating under the auspices of Muslims United for peace and justice have demanded justice for Deborah Samuel a part two student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, who was beaten and stoned to death over alleged blasphemous statement on prophet Mohammed (SAW)

    The Muslim groups urged the state amd Federal Government to promulgate laws to criminalize blasphemy and killing for blasphemy outside the law, and faithfully enforce them.

     

    Addressing journalists in a press conference in Lagos, alongside other Muslim leaders, the Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Lakin Akintola, appealed for justice against the killers, irrespective of the nature of their motivation or the justification they claimed.

    According to him, the tragic event could be utilized as a turning point in Muslim-Christian relations and herald a new peaceful co-existence, adding that these were achievable ideals if each religious adherent would embrace and sincerely practice the sublime messages of their faith.

    He urged Christians to employ all means to fend-off intolerance and called for deep introspection by leaders of the Christian community.

     

    “We express strong solidarity with voices of reason and moderation amongst scholars of Islam and declare readiness to continue working together to strengthen the pillars of national peace, reconciliation and understanding.”

    He enjoined leaders of various religious faiths to continue to enlighten and educate adherents on the need for mutual respect, to focus on messages of love and work against voices of hatred and extremism, amongst them.

     

  • See reasons RCCG Pastor gave for poverty among Christians

    See reasons RCCG Pastor gave for poverty among Christians

    A Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Solomon Bello, on Wednesday gave reasons behind poverty within some Christian communities and the steps to take to escape poverty.

    Bello said this while delivering the lead paper at the Business Summit of the Redeemers Men’s Fellowship of the LP71, Divine Connection Zone.

    The summit had the theme: ‘For Christians Not Be Poor, To Avoid Conflicts And Financial Crises’.

    Bello, Pastor in Charge of Lagos province 71 (LP71), described prosperity as “a birthright of Christians while poverty is a curse”.

    The cleric, said, “Poverty is not for any true child of God. As long as men continue to sin against God, they will continue to struggle.”

    Bello, who is also a lecturer at the University of Lagos, listed the major factors that brought about poverty as sin, laziness, curses, ingratitude, devourer, extravagance, and procrastination.

    “Cursed and blessings are the results of the obedience or lack of it on the part of a man.

    The Bible informs us that poverty is a curse. It was the resultant effect of man’s separation from God in the Garden of Eden.

    “As long as men continue to sin against God, they will continue to struggle. It takes two to succeed, you and God,” he added.

    On gratitude and obedience, Bello said that any Christian who knew how to obey and show appreciation to God was destined for great heights.

    “An ungrateful man cannot go far in life. Gratitude will open the doors of breakthrough and success to you at any time. Appreciation of God’s goodness leads to an appreciation of your blessings and worth before God and man.

    “Appreciation of God leads to success in life. It is the shortest cut to victory. If you want the heavens to be opened for you, if you want to be made whole, then you must be ready to appreciate Him. When you return to give glory to God.

    “He will return to make your life worth living. Divine upliftment comes in the place of gratitude.

    “Every disobedience has a retribution attached to it. When you obey the commands of God, blessings follow after, but when a man disobey, the blessings are withheld,” he said.

    Bello, who warned against habit of procrastination, added that devourers had also been assigned against people who do not pay their tithes.

    On the route to prosperity, the cleric listed 11 steps which include: wisdom, diligence, labour, mystery of giving, the way of thinking, anointing, obedience, natural gifts and endowments, blessing of right placement, praises, and breakthrough by the blood.

    “The road to prosperity is a straight one if you can only understand it. God has already made every provision for comfort and upliftment.

    “There are certain things you can do to unlock the heavens for yourself and your family,” he said

    In his welcome address, Mr Segun Adeleye, Coordinator, Redeemers Men’s Fellowship, Divine Connection Zone, said the theme of summit came from the consciousness that Christians in the country were not where they were supposed to be.

    Adeleye said, “Christians are crawling when they are supposed to be flying.

    “It is strange that some people don’t know that they are poor as long as they can afford one fairly used car and struggle to put food on the table.

    “But Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Do we bother to ask what God’s riches are?

    “According to Haggai 2:8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.

    “If the silver and gold belong to God, then the logic should be that we His children should not be poor, but very rich. We can only be poor if there are things we don’t know, like where God is keeping all the wealth.”

    He said Christians could not claim to be rich in Nigeria when the rich people in the country were from a different faith, while the rulers of the country and heads of all the most important institutions were from a different faith.

    “One thing is clear, our destiny is hidden. It’s deliberate. We were born to seek and find out what we don’t know. We should be interested in knowing why we are here. We must be ready to learn,” Adeleye said.

    The panel discussion session of the summit was moderated by Mr Babatunde Awe, who discussed “Business Opportunities to Achieve Financial Freedom.”

    The panelists included Pastor Otokiti Williams, Mr Durosanya Oluwatosin, Mrs Iyabode Alayaki, Mr Abiodun Olayinka and Mrs Sofola Susan.

  • Christians do not love God [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians do not love God [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    “We are not satisfied with the goodness of God”.

    Eliphaz counsels: “If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God.” (Job 22:24-26).

    God expects to be the desire of our hearts. The bible calls Him: “The Desire of All Nations.” (Haggai 2:7). He expects us to delight in Him the way a baby delights in its mother.

    The goodness of God is not amenable to the riches of men. The psalmist says: “You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” (Psalm 68:10). A man can be as poor as a church rat, nevertheless, he is content because he appreciates the goodness of God.

    “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” (Psalm 23:14).

    I proved this scripture early in my relationship with God. I trembled at His word, and He made a covenant with me. He said: “Femi, whosoever you touch and pray for I will heal.” He then validated this with outstanding miracles.

    This covenant is now the bedrock of my ministry which God named “Healing Wings.” Thus says the Lord: “Unto you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2).

    “The goodness of God is laid up for those who fear God.” (Psalm 31:19). Moses feared the Lord. He yearned for God and desired to see the glory of God. In reply, God said to him: “I will make all My goodness pass before you.” (Exodus 33:19).

    The psalmist reiterates this: “Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4).

    The question is this: Are Christians satisfied with the goodness of God? If we were, we would not complain about anything at all. We would not mumble and grumble in adverse situations and circumstances.

    Jesus told the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14).

    How many of us have received this water from the Lord? For this reason, we are not satisfied with what we have. We are still thirsting for the world and for the things of the world. We are oblivious to the fact that: “(God) satisfies the longing soul; and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9).

    Jeremiah says lovers of God are satisfied with the goodness of God. (Jeremiah 31:14). But Christians are not satisfied with goodness. David says those who love God rejoice always in His goodness. (2 Chronicles 6:41). But instead, we long and lust for things that can never satisfy us. (Ecclesiastes 6:3).

    Bastardization of goodness

    Jesus says: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Matthew 19:17).

    However, we say all kinds of things are good, so much so that we bastardize the meaning of goodness. We meet someone and say, “He is good.” We have a meal and say it is good. We read a book and say it is good.

    We describe as good all sorts of things that are imperfect and then we say in the same breath, “God is good.” So doing, we lose the distinction between God’s unique goodness and the people and things we call good.

    David says to God: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

    Where are these pleasures, we wonder? God’s goodness is evident everywhere. It is evident in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. David says to God: “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16).

    Experiencing God

    There is nobody alive who has not experienced the lavish, extravagant, and undeserved kindness of God. We experience this every single day irrespective of our station in life. “The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.” (Psalm 145:9).

    Therefore, David says: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34). “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).

    God has already shown His goodness toward us in the most extravagant way possible by offering up His only begotten Son, Jesus, for us. (Romans 8:32). Nevertheless, we only pay lip service to God’s goodness, we do not fully believe in it.

    We say: “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good, while often complaining at the same time about the hand that God’s providence deals us. But if God is truly good all the time, why would we complain?

    Is God good?

    The truth is that we do not appreciate the goodness of God, even though we often talk about it. We chant at the end of every prayer meeting: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6).

    Nevertheless, we question God’s goodness when bad things happen to us? However, God’s goodness is not rooted in our situations and circumstances. God does not change. “His goodness endures continually.” (Psalm 52:1). “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5).

    Sometimes his goodness comes to us through adversity, suffering, and pain. Thus, God required Job to continue to have faith in His goodness even though He allowed the devil to unleash bad things on him.

    Goodness is the nature of God. It is not in man. David admits this to God: “My goodness is nothing apart from You.” (Psalm 16:2). But when we delight in God, He meets us with the blessings of goodness, he sets a spiritual crown of pure gold on our heads. (Psalm 21:3).

    The goodness of God is part of our inheritance in Christ. Jesus prayed to God the Father that we should experience the fullness of God’s goodness, and that the joy of the Lord should be fulfilled in us. (John 17:13). Accordingly, goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit of God who has been given to us. (Galatians 5:22

    Therefore, we must rejoice in God always. He must be our joy and our delight:

    “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

  • Christians do not love God [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians do not love God [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    “Christians do not seem to know that God is someone to be enjoyed”.

    The first and great commandment enjoins us to: “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.” (Matthew 22:37).

    However, Christians seem largely unable to do this. The first commandment is expressed in tautological terms. The love that God requires permits no other love. But we love so many other things apart from God. These other loves compete with the love of God in our hearts.

    Jesus asks Peter: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). If we were to love anything else, it must be through and because of our love for God.

    Loving Jesus: hating others

    The Christian faith is very personal. Jesus says: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37).

    Elsewhere, He goes even further, saying: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

    We are not called to observe the rites of religion. We are not required to obey some rules and regulations. We are called to have a personal and intimate relationship with God.

    John expresses it in this manner: “We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too.” (1 John 1:3-4).

    However, Christians do not seem to know that God is someone to be enjoyed. Our Father in heaven is the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17). Yes, we worship God, we praise Him, and we pray to Him. But we do not enjoy Him. God is not a friend to most of us.

    A hard man

    For many, God is a hard taskmaster who is to be feared. One man says to God in one of Jesus’ parables: “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.” (Matthew 25:24).

    We say to God: “Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?” (Job 21:14-15).

    We see spending time with God as a chore. We struggle with it. We avoid it as much as possible. David says: “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1).

    But going to church is something we do out of obligation and not with gladness. A lot of the time, we look for some excuse to avoid it altogether. Prayer meetings are a No-No. They must drag us to attend those. And when we go to vigils, like Peter in Gethsemane, we sleep under the anointing.

    “Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.” (Micah 6:2-3).

    “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:32).

    However, we do not see God as an ornament, or as a pearl of inestimable value for which we sell all that we have to acquire it.

    Distracted worship

    When we pray to God, our mind does not stay on Him. We are distracted by all kinds of things. As we are praying, we are thinking of cooking dinner. Or we are anticipating the football match coming up the next day. If the telephone rings, we interrupt the prayer and keep God waiting while we answer the call.

    Then there is the issue of fasting. We see this as a burden we sometimes must endure when we desperately want something from God. Otherwise, fasting is out of the question. We do not fast just because we want to be nearer to God. When we fast, we continue doing as we please.

    We fast because our understanding is that the relationship with God always requires a sacrifice. But a sacrifice is not something we give willingly. Sacrifices are things we give grudgingly. Sacrifices deny us of something we want: food, money, or leisure. Sacrifices are exacting and burdensome.

    At the end, we ask God: “Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?” (Isaiah 58:3).

    When our petitions are not answered, some even reach the conclusion that: “It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?” (Malachi 3:14).

    Mercy, not sacrifice

    But God is not interested in our sacrifices. He says again and again: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6).

    “‘Why this frenzy of sacrifices?’ God’s asking. ‘Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams, and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, running here and there, doing this and that — all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?”

    “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings — meetings, meetings, meetings — I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.” (Isaiah 1:11-15).

    God wants us to love Him. He wants to speak to us face-to-face as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:11). But very few of us see ourselves as friends of God. He is too serious and austere for us.

    We would never joke with God. We cannot imagine Him smiling at us.

    When we want to relax, we do not go to God. When we want to have fun, we do not go to Him. Instead, we visit our buddies, we go to the cinema, or watch television, or surf the internet. We only go to God when we want something or need something. Or we go to God when we want to be religious.

    Jesus warns that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and make us unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22). Earthly wealth prevents us from enjoying God. When we lay up wealth and riches for ourselves, we rejoice in our possessions, like: “The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.” (Isaiah 43:14).

    CONTINUED

  • Easter: Tinubu sends Good Friday message to Christians

    Easter: Tinubu sends Good Friday message to Christians

    A former Governor of Lagos State, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has urged Christians across Nigeria and the world at large to imbibe on Christ’s life of service, sacrifice and compassion as they mark Good Friday.

    Tinubu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential hopeful, made the call in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

    According to him, Good Friday is a precious opportunity to be thankful to God for His mercy and a time to reflect on ones belief in the Divine and what that means as one go about the conduct of daily lives

    “This year has brought together the sacred days of two of the great Abrahamic religions and as Christians commemorate the sacrificial death of Christ, Muslims observe the Holy Month of Ramadan.

    “In this, we are reminded that we Nigerians may be of different religions, yet we are of one family. We serve but one God,” he said

    Tinubu said that given that each of the great faiths hold compassion, devotion, humility and peace among their pillars, there should be no room amongst them for those who might use religion to divide and sow discord among brothers and neighbours.

    He said Nigerians must stand against those who sought to do injustice to another because of their religious creed, ethnicity, or place of origin.

    He, therefore, advised Nigerians to live a life of compassion, love, and selflessness , which Jesus preached and lived, and for which He gave his innocent, blameless life.

    “God made all humankind for his purpose and that purpose no man has the right to disrupt or question. Thus, we mark our common humanity and dedication to peace for all.

    “As we celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice this day, let us remember the millions of people who have been displaced by violent conflict and attack in our own nation.

    “On this Good Friday, let us remember our sacred duty to uphold the dignity of every human being and let all who suffer be close to our hearts and become our brothers and sisters.

    “May we labour to give them relief and to end the cause of their oppression. Let us truly do good to one another this Friday,” he said.

  • Do Christians really like Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    Do Christians really like Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    “Christians say we love the Lord, but the truth is we do not like him”.

    The bible is a book of prophecies. God says in the scriptures: “Don’t forget the many times I clearly told you what was going to happen in the future. For I am God- I only- and there is no other like me who can tell you what is going to happen. All I say will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

    Even some of the historical situations presented in the scriptures are prophetic. Therefore, they are fulfilled again and again. For example, the persecution of Isaac by his brother Ishmael is re-enacted in the persecution of Joseph by his brothers and repeated in the persecution of David by his brothers, and again replicated in the persecution of Jesus by his brothers.

    Furthermore, the process continues today in the persecution of true believers by pretender Christians.

    Prophetic Christians

    Since the true believer is created in the image and likeness of Christ, our identity is in the word of God. All we need to do is search the scriptures to determine what manner of men we are and what the future holds. This is because the bible does not merely predict the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also foretells the birth, growth, and development of believers and the church of Christ.

    It is the prophetic revelation about Christians that is of particular interest here. The scriptures indicate that Christians will not like Christ. The church in the wilderness rejected Moses. The Israelites rejected the prophets. The Jews rejected Jesus. Christians will reject the word of God.

    God says to Ezekiel: “I am sending you to the people of Israel with My messages. I am not sending you to some far-off foreign land where you can’t understand the language- no, not to tribes with strange, difficult tongues. (If I did, they would listen!). I am sending you to the people of Israel, and they won’t listen to you any more than they listen to Me! For the whole lot of them are hard, impudent, and stubborn.” (Ezekiel 3:4-7).

    Indeed, the scriptures detail not so much how Jesus is hated by men, as how He is hated by His own people. John says: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11). That statement is prophetic. Today, Christians are supposedly the people of God; so, the scripture now applies to us. It means Christians will not receive Christ. Jesus Himself observes that: “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house.” (Matthew 13:57).

    Christian animosity

    Most Christians do not like the Jesus of the bible. We may say we love the Lord because He is our Saviour, but the truth is we do not like Him.

    “Why don’t you like Me?” asks God? “What did I do to drive you away?” “What iniquity did you find in Me that turned you against Me?” (Jeremiah 2:5). “Hear, O you mountains, the LORD’S complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a complaint against His people, and He will contend with Israel. ‘O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.’” (Micah 6:2-3).

    Moses says God created man in His own image. However, George Bernard Shaw was right when he said: “We have decided to return the favor.” We have created God in our own image. God says again prophetically: “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you.” (Psalm 50:21).

    Christians do not really like the God that is revealed in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we contradict Him at every turn. We do not want the God who insists we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44-45). We prefer a God who sends the fire of the Holy Ghost to destroy our enemies. We do not want the God who says those who use the sword will be killed by the sword. (Matthew 26:52). We prefer a God who will be on our side when we go to war.

    We do not like the God who says we should turn the other cheek. (Luke 6:29). We prefer the God who gives an eye for an eye. We do not want the God who desires mercy. (Matthew 9:13). We prefer a God who exacts eternal punishment on sinners.

    The God revealed in Christ is far too demanding for us. He wants everything we have. (Luke 14:33). But Christians prefer a God that only requires a tithe. We do not like the God in Christ who regards men and women as equals. We prefer the God who legislates women must not wear trousers. We do not like the God in Christ who says we should bless those who curse us. (Matthew 5:44). We prefer the God who allows us to abuse our opponents.

    Christians do not like the Jesus who was born in poor and humble circumstances. We prefer the Jesus of our mega-pastors who fly around in jet planes and even establish their own airlines. We do not like the Jesus who did not go to school and get a formal education. (John 7:15-16). We prefer would prefer the Jesus who boasts of his Ph.D. We prefer the God who establishes church universities where money is made by collecting high school fees.

    New improved Jesus

    Indeed, the real Jesus of Nazareth has become so offensive to Christians that we have created a new improved Jesus more to our liking. This new Jesus is no longer poor, meek, and lowly. But according to some, He is a rich man who wears “designer clothes.” Some Christians even claim the donkey Jesus rode in humility into Jerusalem was a brand-new “Continental Donkey;” thereby ascribing to it the same status as today’s Cadillac.

    Christians have given Jesus a spiritual makeover. He is no longer physically ugly according to prophecy: “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2). The modern-day Jesus preferred by Christians is very handsome. He is not even Middle Eastern any longer: he is European and blue-eyed.

    In effect, we have fulfilled the prophecy which says of the true Jesus: “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:3).

    But even more than the fact that we do not like Jesus personally, we certainly do not like His doctrine. We do not like His insistence that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross in order to follow Him. (Matthew 16:24). We don’t like His requirement that we have to lose our life in order to save it. (Mark 8:35).

    We do not heed His warning that we should not be worldly but should be hated by the world. (John 15:18-20). We do not obey His injunction not to have any other father but God. (Matthew 23:9). We do not agree with Him that it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24).

  • Understanding kingdom dynamics – By Femi Aribisala

    Understanding kingdom dynamics – By Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    “The things of men are the things of Satan”.

    Christians do not love God. We are not interested in the kingdom of God. Instead, we love life. We love this world. We are lovers of pleasure. We do not want to suffer for Christ’s sake and for the sake of the kingdom of God.

    We love money, worship money, and serve money. We have idols in our hearts. We want to gain this world and the world to come. We want to have our cake and eat it too.

    Making godly choices

    But choices must be made. We either choose life and live, or we choose death and die. We either hate this life and live, or we love this life and die. Do we want this life, or do we want the life to come? We cannot have both.

    Are we living for this world, or are we living for the world to come? Are we living for man, or are we living for God? Are we living for the flesh, or are we living for the Spirit? Are our treasures on earth, or are they in heaven? Do we want the life we have, or do we want the life Jesus wants to give us?

    God kills before he makes alive. He does not put new wine in old bottles. The spiritual man is not a reformed man. The spiritual man is a completely new creation. He is the man birthed by the Spirit of God. Jesus says: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3).

    Carnal Christians

    Paul berated the Corinthian church: “I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

    They were supposed to be spiritual but were carnal. They were behaving like natural men when they were supposed to be spiritual men. Paul says: “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Romans 8:9).

    Carnality involves the preoccupation with things of the flesh and those pertaining to the material world. Spirituality involves the concern for heavenly things of the spirit or the soul.

    Man is flesh and blood, but God is a spirit. Jesus says: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). The two are immiscible: worlds apart. Jesus says: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).

    Man is natural, but God is spiritual. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

    Man is flesh and blood, but God is spirit. Nothing good comes from the flesh. (Romans 7:18). The flesh is human nature. It is sinful nature. It is the body of death. It is the body of sin. It is that part of man that is always in opposition to God. It is the part that causes us to sin.

    “The works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21).

    Those who are controlled by the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But those who are ruled by the Holy Spirit are heirs of eternal life: “God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

    Walking in the flesh

    God did not redeem the flesh. Instead, He condemned sin in the flesh. Accordingly, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8).

    Nevertheless, Christians continue to walk according to the flesh. We continue to talk like mere men. Even those who are born again are still carnal. The conundrum is that when we look in the mirror, we discover that we are looking the same after we receive Christ into our lives.

    After the advent of the Holy Spirit, we are still doing the same things. We are still eating and drinking. We are still struggling to make ends meet. We are still going to the hairdressers, going to the barber, buying and wearing new clothes and shoes.

    However, we ignore one simple injunction:

    “From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:15-17).

    We must not know ourselves again according to the flesh. How we look on the outside no longer matters. The issue now is how we look on the inside. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

    As a result, we are still mindful of the things of men and not of the things of God. Jesus says by their fruits you shall know them (fruit of the Holy Spirit). But we still know people by their outward appearance. We know them by how rich or influential they are. We know them by how beautiful, handsome, or well-dressed they are. We know them by what brand of car they drive, or what make of cell phone they use.

    Man-made things

    When Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross, Jesus rebuked him. He said to him: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

    This means, from God’s point of view, the things of men are the things of Satan. All the products of this world are man-made and not God-made. They all come from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This ensures that everything man-made is evil. No matter how “good.” Everything man-made has evil in it.

    However, everything God-made is good. Nothing God-made has evil in it. Everything God-made is a blessing: “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22).

  • Ash Wednesday: Go beyond ash taking, imbibe Christian virtues – Cleric urges

    Ash Wednesday: Go beyond ash taking, imbibe Christian virtues – Cleric urges

    As Christians begin the observance of 40 days Lenten season, Rev. Fr. Cyprian Mbamara of the Abeokuta Catholic Archdiocese has called for self-denial.

    Mbamara gave a sermon at Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church in Lusada near Lagos, to mark 2022 Ash Wednesday.

    Ash Wednesday heralds the commencement of the Lenten season – a 40-day period of abstinence and sober reflection by Christians.

    The 40 days precede Easter during which Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    Lenten season is commonly referred to as Lent and is characterised by prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

    On Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on the foreheads of Catholics and some other Christians in the form of a cross, signifying that they are dust (humans) and would return to dust in death.

    Lent is aimed at deepening Christians’ love for and commitment to Christ.

    Mbamara urged Christians to pray, fast and give alms to the needy during Lenten season.

    He added that they should abstain from eating meat and spending lavishly.

    According to the cleric, Christians should eat what they desire less, during the Lenten season.

    “Eating meat is generally understood as being a life of luxury, as many who cannot eat or afford meat whether chicken or beef, see it as a reserve for the rich whereas, fish, egg or milk are believed to be affordable by even the poor.

    “Many will not ordinarily prefer these dairy products where there is meat to be eaten since it is more desired and enjoyed.

    “Therefore, we, as Christians, must humble ourselves during this period of Lent, and be like the poor, eating the things we less desire,” he said.

    Mbamara, however, advised that the Lenten season should go beyond the rituals of taking ash and engaging in fasting, saying that it must create true Christian virtues.

  • Pilgrimage will enhance leadership, development- NCPC boss

    Pilgrimage will enhance leadership, development- NCPC boss

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev Yakubu Pam, has urged intending pilgrims to ensure that they return with innovations to help in the development of Nigeria.

    He gave the advice when he and some pilgrim leaders arrived at Amman, Jordan on Thursday to appraise the state of readiness on the forthcoming pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan.

    In a statement by Mr Godiya Mathew, NCPC’s Information Officer 1, Pam said that “Pilgrimage is a journey of moral and spiritual significance”.

    He said that the Christian pilgrimage goal was to build increased faith in Christ, help provoke Nigeria’s nationalism, and enhance leadership and development.

    He recalled that the Pilgrim Commission was working with its mandate to conduct pilgrimage activities to holy sites around the world.

    Pam further said in 2022, Jordan was included on the list of pilgrimage destinations.

    “I am in Jordan with pilgrim leaders to ascertain the preparedness of the ground handlers.

    “We are to also visit the holy sites and inspect the hotels for intending pilgrims and as well inspect the aircraft at Queen Alia Airport.

    “The kingdom of Jordan is home to religious, archeological, and tourist sights, with a population of about 11 million, of which 97 per cent are Muslims and three per cent Christians.

    “It is recorded to be the most peaceful country in the Middle East and a safe and peaceful country with narrow streets,” he said.

    The NCPC boss said he and the pilgrimage managers were well received in Jordan.

    This, he said showed the acceptance of the Christian Pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Jordan.

  • Stop seeing politics as dirty, Gov. Diri urges Christians

    Stop seeing politics as dirty, Gov. Diri urges Christians

    Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri, has advised Christians to actively participate in politics and stop seeing it as dirty if they want to positively impact on the society.
    Diri gave the advice while speaking at the end of a two-day programme of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, tagged “Light Up Bayelsa Holy Ghost Rally”, at the Oxbow Lake in Yenagoa on Thursday.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Diri urged Christians not to be aloof to politics or remain unconcerned but rather join to influence decision-making for the good of the generality of the people.
    He said Nigeria is in dire need of people that would salvage it from its many challenges, adding that the church should not be docile in the face of insecurity, corruption and other vices threatening the country.
    The governor stated that under his administration, peace had come to stay in the state and that the days when people resort to violence to settle differences are over.
    Speaking about his achievements, Diri said within two years in the saddle, his administration had changed the landscape through various projects from road infrastructure, Educational and health structures to lighting up of the major roads and building of a mega media complex, among numerous other projects.
    Diri, who expressed joy that the programme coincided with activities marking his second year in office, declared that his administration had adopted it as part of its second anniversary celebrations.
    He thanked the RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for his continued support for his administration.
    He said: “You are a good father. So, after consultation, we decided to give you the name “Ebidaowei of Bayelsa, meaning the good father of Bayelsa.
    “Our story as a government in Bayelsa will be better told by you, Daddy G.O. When we were told that you were coming to start the year with us, we opened our arms to welcome you.
    “This government will be two years old on February 14. You have been a part of us, supported us, prayed with us and prayed for us. You have continued to support us by coming to begin the year with us.
    “As part of our second-anniversary celebration, we have adopted this programme. Bayelsa has been lighted up. Bayelsa will not go back to Egypt.
    “As your government, we came in 2020 at the time of COVID-19. In 2021, we had some respite and effectively governance commenced.
    “Within this short period, our scorecard is on the streets. We have constructed roads. There are between 15 and 20 concrete roads constructed in Yenagoa.
    “We are taking on a big-ticket road project from the Ecumenical Center at Igbogene to Tombia roundabout and later to Government House.
    “We are taking on the Yenagoa to Oporoma road, and by February 14, we will drive from Yenagoa to Angiama.
    “We are taking on the other senatorial road from Sagbama to Ekeremor in Bayelsa West.
    “Our desire is that by February, we will drive on tarred road to Aleibiri. Before our government completes its first four years, we will drive on tarred road to Ekeremor.
    “We have taken one of our signature projects, because we see the media as very important. We are building one of the biggest media complexes in Nigeria today and before February 14, it will be commissioned.
    “In terms of sports and youth empowerment, your government has done so much that at the last sports festival, for the first time, Bayelsa came third in Nigeria. Bayelsa last year won the Federation Cup, called AITEO Cup.
    “We have continued to light up Yenagoa city. Our streets will no longer be in darkness.
    “Your government is also very concerned about the other senatorial road in Bayelsa East Senatorial District, which has been on the drawing board for decades.
    “That is the road from Nembe to Brass. We have resolved that since it is a Federal Government road, if nothing is done this year, your government will start its construction.
    “Also, we are poised to commission the Nembe Unity Bridge by February 14. The collapsed Elebele bridge, started and completed by your government, will be commissioned also on February 14,” he said. (