TheNewsGuru

Tag: Christians

  • Christians do not believe the report of the Lord – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians do not believe the report of the Lord – By Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    When God gives a prophecy, He does not allow anyone to exclude himself.

    Isaiah asks: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1). Christians have become so self-confident that we procedurally disbelieve the report of the Lord.

    Jesus says to His disciples: “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me tonight.” But Peter challenged the report of the Lord. He said: “Even if everybody is made to stumble, I will never be made to stumble.” (Matthew 26:31-33).

    And so, Peter not only stumbled, but he also fell headlong. What should he have done? He should have agreed with the report and then asked the Lord for grace so that he would not be made to stumble. Indeed, if it were not for the Lord’s mercies, Peter’s discipleship would have ended prematurely.

    Jesus said to him: “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32).

    Don’t despise prophecies

    Christians do not know how to handle biblical prophecy. If the prophecy is about breakthrough, showers of blessing, or prosperity, we embrace it. If it negative, we ignore it saying: “God forbid bad thing.” But did God forbid Noah’s prophecy about the destruction of the flood, or did He establish it?

    Jesus says: “All of you will be made to stumble because of me.” This is a word of prophecy, and we must not insist it cannot be applicable to us.

    The scriptures say Jesus will be: “As a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken.” (Isaiah 8:14-15).

    God then tells Isaiah: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” (Isaiah 8:16). How then can we say it will not apply to us? Are we Jesus’ disciples or not?

    But then we stumble at the word. How can God be so categorical? Why does He say: “all of you will be made to stumble?” Why does He not say: “some of you will be made to stumble, so we can conveniently exclude all of us?”

    I am called as a prophet. I wrote a book entitled: “Why Christians Won’t Go to Heaven.” Christians ask me: “How can you have that kind of title?” Why do you not say: “Why Some Christians Won’t Go to Heaven?” Why can you not say: “Why certain Christians won’t go to heaven?”

    When God gives a prophecy, He does not allow anyone to exclude himself. He says: “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). He does not say: “Some of My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

    Jesus says: “Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12).

    He says categorically the children of the kingdom will be cast out. He does not say some children of the kingdom will be cast out. He does not say certain children will be cast out.

    Betraying Jesus

    “When evening had come, (Jesus) sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?’” (Matthew 26:20-22).

    “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10). Therefore, O great Christian, go to the Lord and ask: “Is it me?” “Father, help me so I am not the one who betrays you.”

    But the Christians of today are made of sterner stuff. I can envisage someone raising his hand today to say: ‘Lord, I am so glad you made that statement. I have been meaning to say so myself, but I was not sure if I should. But now that you have mentioned it, let me say this. The person who will betray you is Kunle. He is just not committed to you.”

    And the Lord will give such proud upstart the shock of his life. He will tell him: “You are the one.”

    David told Nathan that the rich man who took the little lamb of the poor man should be put to death. But Nathan said to him: “You are the man.” (2 Samuel 12:1-7). In effect, had it not been for the grace of God, David pronounced a death sentence on himself.

    Be warned. You are the one. The bible is talking about you.

    Jesus says: “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” (Matthew 26:21).

    Who is going to make everyone stumble? God is. Why is He going to make everyone stumble? He wants to see how many will get up.

    Knockout punch

    They told you it was a boxing match, but you thought it was a walk in the park. They told you many are the afflictions of the righteous (Psalm 39:14), but you say many are the showers of blessing. But by the time you got into the ring and your opponent landed some hard blows on your chin, all the prosperity scriptures that you had crammed flew out of your head.

    One left hook switched off your light and when you opened your eyes, you saw the referee leaning over you, counting: “One, two, three.” Will you get up or will you be counted out?

    When we are made to stumble, we become offended. We cry out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me? Why don’t You even listen to my groans? I cry out to You in the daytime, but You don’t answer. I cry out to You at night, but I find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1-2).

    So, the Lord becomes a stumbling stone indeed. He becomes a rock of offense, and biblical prophecy is fulfilled. Therefore, John the Baptist sends emissaries to Jesus, the same man he witnessed to as the Messiah, asking:

    “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:3-6).

    Blessed is that man who is not offended by what God decides to do and what He decides not to do.

    Let us be instructed by the counsel of Isaiah. He says whatever the situation: “I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him.” (Isaiah 8:17).

  • Omo-Agege, Atiku, others felicitate with Christians at Christmas

    Omo-Agege, Atiku, others felicitate with Christians at Christmas

    Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has charged Christians to imbibe the spirit of love, humility, peace, selfless service and all other positive attributes that the birth of Jesus Christ symbolises for the world.

    In his Christmas message, Senator Omo-Agege called on Nigerians to remain steadfast in their prayers for peace and the unity of the country.

    He stressed the need for citizens to reflect on the virtues of love, peace and tolerance as exemplified by Jesus Christ in order to build a new Nigeria.

    “The birth of Christ signifies the love of God for mankind, triumph of good over evil and victory of light over darkness.

    “I urge Christian faithful to use the opportunity of the season to reflect on the reasons for the birth of Christ and keep hope alive.

    “Notwithstanding the difficult circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ, his life remains today a perfect example of the triumph of hope for mankind,” he stated.

     

    Emulate essence of the season – Atiku tells Nigerians

    As the world celebrates Christmas Day today (December 25) which showcases the birth of Jesus Christ, Nigerians have been urged to embrace peace and unity at this period, and to love one another for the sake of progress and growth in the country.

    This call was made by the former Vice President of Nigeria and Waziri Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar, in a Christmas message released by his Media Office in Abuja.

    It reads: “I felicitate with all Nigerians, particularly the Christian faithful on the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ.

    “Christmas is a time of love, therefore, I call on all Nigerians to emulate the essence of this season and unite for the greater good of our dear country.

    “Christmas is the season of love, joy, generosity and forgiveness and while we celebrate with family and friends, we should also spend time to pray for a more peaceful and prosperous nation as it is important for Nigerians to inject the healing and unifying serum of love for our neighbours into the nation’s consciousness, this Yuletide.

    “As a nation, we can achieve more if we stay united, extend hands of fellowship to one another and be law abiding. We must also rededicate ourselves to the virtues of faith in God, love for one another and make these virtues more evident and practical in our daily living.

    “As we also look ahead to a better 2022, let us not relent in praying to God to restore peace and all-round development and progress in our country Nigeria,” added the Wazirin Adamawa.

    Atiku reminded Nigerians that the revival of the country’s glory is everyone’s responsibility and urged citizens to be intentional in thinking good thoughts and sowing better seeds of harmony and unity in diversity; actions that would make Nigeria greater today and in the future.

    “We cannot move forward as a country until we all realise that we are first Nigerians, before our religious beliefs, ethnic identities, political leanings and cultural affiliations and as such, we must show respect for one another by living in peace.

    “As we celebrate, we should continue to extend hands of love and fellowship to our neighbours and live as one big family, irrespective of our social, political and religious leanings and continue to trust God for a better tomorrow and a greater country,” he said.

  • Christmas is here again, By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    Christmas is here again, By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    Two days ago I went to the dry cleaner’s shop to submit some clothes for dry-cleaning. No sooner had the first attendant finished attending to me than a teenage girl sauntered into the shop. She was carrying on her head a big load of carefully-wrapped assorted lady’s clothes which obviously she brought for dry cleaning too. “Good morning aunty, my Mum sent me to bring these clothes to you for dry cleaning. She told me to tell you that she wants to collect the clothes before Christmas because she wants to use them for Christmas”, said the innocent-looking girl to the first attendant. “Okay from your Mum?. Wait o, but I thought you people are not Christians? Do you celebrate Christmas?”, queried the first attendant. “Don’t mind them, they do. They all celebrate Christmas. They pretend as if they don’t. But they do. Everybody celebrates Christmas”, retorted the second lady attendant who was in the inner room sorting out some customers’ clothes for dry cleaning.

    I left the dry cleaner’s shop pondering the words of the second attendant, “Everybody celebrates Christmas” . She was right. Christmas is the most celebrated religious feast in the world. The popularity of Christmas grows day by day. Whether or not they accept the Christian theological beliefs which underpin the celebration of Christmas, most people across the world are enraptured by the magnificent allure of Christmas even though externally they may not show it or are forbidden by the State not to show it. For example, in the past, public celebration of Christmas was forbidden in Saudi Arabia. But the public celebration of Christmas in Riyadh at the moment, much to the delight of expats and Saudi citizens, is simply phenomenal. First, unlike in the past, most shops in Riyadh at the moment are fully stocked with the traditional Christmas trees, Christmas ornaments, Christmas cribs, special festoons, rosettes and so forth. Christmas buyers could be seen pouring in and out of the shops purchasing all sorts of Christmas goodies to their heart content. The questions being asked today are: What’s driving this change in Saudi Arabia? Is this a sign of changing times?. Well, time will tell. Remember that women are not allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, something that was unthinkable in the past.

    Unfortunately the essence of Christmas is continuously being whittled down or deconstructed. While some perceive Christmas as a kind of religious interlude for family gatherings; decorations of houses; exchange of gifts; singing of Christmas carols, others see Christmastime as a time to revel in the orgy of self-deification, capricious expenditure and militant consumerism. Instead of seeking joy in the true meaning of Christmas, these people seek joy in drunken orgy and pleasure unmindful of those famous words of St. Augustine: “Lord, you stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”. In many parts of the West, Christmas now bears the colouration of a new paganism, new secularism and post-Christen culture: Christmas is understood as a mere holiday. Three weeks ago, an internal communication document of the European Union (EU) was leaked to the public. In the document, the EU had proposed to abolish Christmas by substituting the word Christmas with the so-called inclusive language “holiday season”. The document also proposed that religious names such as “Mary” and “John” and other such names should no longer be used.

    This is not surprising. The EU is anti-God and anti-religion. There are some who live and behave as if God were not going to ask them to render an account someday. Anyway, in response to EU’s attempts at paganization, secularization and satanization of Christmas, Pope Francis has said that the efforts of the EU to abolish God and to abolish Christmas result from a “watered-down” approach to Christianity that has failed throughout history. “The European Union must take on the ideals of the founding fathers, which were ideals of unity, greatness, and be careful of not paving the road for ideological colonization,” Pope Francis said. Faced with a public outcry against its satanic agenda, especially Pope Francis’ backlash against it, the EU has been forced to withdraw the aforesaid document calling it “a work in progress” and promising in a tweet to publish an “updated version” of the document.

    Anyway, EU or no EU, the essence of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the redeemer of mankind. At Christmas, we are invited to relive that deepest mystery which took place more than 2000 years ago when God took flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was born in a relatively humble city of David called Bethlehem. At Christmas we are invited to reproduce Christ’s life in our individual lives. Pope Francis urges everyone to make a concrete commitment during this Christmas, no matter how small, to visit the sick, lonely, needy, elderly persons and hearken to the assistance of the poor. He also advised that the spirit of Christmas is best lived in asking others for forgiveness, granting forgiveness, asking for clarifications and paying a debt.

    Considering that Nigeria now is facing the most dangerous existential threat since her independence, President Buhari should be alive to his constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property in the North. At the moment life has lost its meaning in Nigeria. The North continues to totter on the brink of her final collapse. Seethed with anger over the unprecedented monumental slaughtering of human beings in the North, some northern youths last week staged a peaceful protest urging President Buhari perhaps for the umpteenth time that his primary constitutional responsibility is to protect lives and property of the citizenry. When a government has failed to protect lives and property of the citizenry it is an indication that that government has woefully failed.

    All said, no matter what happens under the sun you must not be weary. You must not give in to despair. Everything may seem to be collapsing. Omicron may seem to be taking its highest human toll. Government may be irresponsible. Poverty may be grinding Nigeria to a complete halt. Your means of livelihood may be destroyed. Your bank account may be emptied of money. Your health may be failing you. Your loved one or your sweet heart might have died. But nothing is gained by succumbing to melancholy. It is true that we live in a sad world, and that many men and women of our times have stopped smiling. Take consolation in the good tiding that has been brought to us. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, is born among us. So be hopeful. Hope is our greatest asset. We cease to live when we cease to hope. We cease to hope when we give in to despair. We give in to despair when we cease to smile. So wipe away the tears from your eyes. Weep no more. Although we live in a sad world, you must regain our laughter and sense of humour. With our laughter we can challenge the sad world to look at us and be hopeful

    *This column intones the Nunc Dimittis today as it proceeds on Christmas vacation to return, God willing, in January 2022. Thanks for your company in this tireless job of clothing the naked public square. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance*

  • Christians are not saved (II), By Femi Aribisala

    Christians say we are saved. But Jesus says we are not. He puts salvation as the final bus stop, saying: “He who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22). But Christians proclaim their salvation at the beginning.

    Inevitably, Christians are in for a big surprise. Jesus says: “The last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16). Today, Christians are the first who are now destined prophetically to be last.

    This means we will be flabbergasted when we finally discover that many non-Christians that we have held in outright contempt end up in the kingdom of heaven, while we ourselves are cast out.

    God says ominously through Hosea: “It shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’” (Hosea 1:10).

    Jesus, our Saviour, confirms this. He says: “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12).

    Even though today, Christians are now the sons of the kingdom destined by prophecy to be cast into outer darkness, we still refuse to get the message. This is because Christianity is now a faith where people listen to Nicodemus pastors and not even to Jesus Christ.

    So, Jesus says to Christians: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

    Believe the prophets

    But No! We persist in building our houses on the sand, instead of the rock of the word of Christ. Jesus says: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).

    The prophets say we should not think our churches are temples of God. Therefore, God did not send Jeremiah to unbelievers. He sent him to the “Christians” of his day. God told Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the temple and make a proclamation in the hearing of all those coming to church:

    “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’” (Jeremiah 7:3-4).

    Don’t think because you go to church every Sunday that means you are going to heaven. Don’t think because you read your bible and pray every day that means you are going to heaven. Don’t think because you pay tithes and give offerings that means you are going to heaven.

    Jeremiah stood by the door of the church, and he gave a message different from the one the pastor had prepared for the service. He did not say “peace, peace, when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 8:11). He did not give a false prophecy that “all shall be well.” He did not tell the people: “there will be no road accidents involving the saints of God this year.” He did not say: “Get ready, get ready to be blessed.”

    Instead, Jeremiah called the people to repentance and warned them about the impending judgment of God:

    “Do you really think that you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and worship Baal and all of those new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, ‘We are saved!’- only to go right back to all these evil things again? Is my Temple but a den of robbers in your eyes? For I see all the evil going on in there. ‘Go to Shiloh, the city I first honoured with my name, and see what I did to her because of all the wickedness of my people Israel. And now,’ says the Lord, ‘I will do the same thing here because of all this evil you have done.’” (Jeremiah 7:9-13).

    Believe Jesus

    The word of the prophet is timeless, therefore, Jesus repeated it. He went into the refurbished temple and drove out all those who bought and sold there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the dove-sellers. He then quoted Jeremiah: “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:13).

    Jesus prophesied that the temple would be destroyed again. He said to His disciples: “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2).

    This prophecy came to pass with dramatic effect in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple. Nevertheless, pastors, bishops, and general overseers continue to build cathedrals and lull Christians into a false sense of security. The churches today remain a den of thieves where people come to double their tithes and offerings, foolishly believing that they are already saved.

    Final quest

    But we must be instructed by the word of God and not by deceitful wishful thinking. Paul says: “Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

    Since the bible talks of salvation as our hope, it means that we are yet to be saved. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls. (1 Corinthians 10:12).

    Take a look at another scripture. Paul writes to the Romans: “It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans13:11).

    Our salvation is nearer but yet to be accomplished. A Christian is not saved but on the way to salvation. That is why Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13).

    If our salvation were already accomplished, why would we need to work it out? Paul says furthermore: “We were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:24-25).

    Our salvation is of the soul. It entails the renewal of our hearts and minds. Therefore, it comes only at the end of our journey. Accordingly, Peter writes about Jesus: “who having not seen (we) love. Though now (we) do not see Him, yet believing, (we) rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of (our) faith- the salvation of (our) souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

    As long as we wrongly believe that we are entirely saved by merely answering an altar call, we are going to ensure that we are not saved. As long as we continue to take it for granted that we are heaven-bound, we are going to guarantee that we are disqualified.

  • Christians are not saved (1), By Femi Aribisala

    I was invited to conduct a teaching program in a neighbouring church in Lagos. Out of the blue, at the beginning of the session, the Lord asked me to lead the members of the congregation in singing a popular Christian song.

    This continued every day for the first five days of the program. Each day, the Lord would come up with another song that dealt with the topic at hand. However, every song that He gave me turned out to be unscriptural. Each song was based on a misunderstanding or misapplication of the word of God. He would then require me to explain to my listeners that the songwriter was not schooled in kingdom dynamics.

    Whose report

    The very first song He asked me to sing was given a major boost by the gospel singer, Ron Kenoly. It is entitled: “Whose Report Will You Believe?” It goes something like this: “Whose report will you believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord. His report says I am healed, His report says victory.”

    You may well ask what could be wrong with this song. Does the report of the Lord not say that we are healed, according to the words of songwriter? No, it does not. As a matter of fact, the report of the Lord not only says we are sick, it says we are terribly sick.

    The book of Isaiah starts with this diagnosis: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up or soothed with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:5-6).

    In the Bible, sin is synonymous with sickness. John says: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make (God) a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10). Since God would never say that a man is sinless, then He would never say that we are not sick.

    But pay attention so that you do not miss the precise nature of the report. The report of the Lord does not only say we are sick, but it also maintains that we are not healed. It does not only say that we are not healed, but it also insists that we are not saved.

    In the scripture above, Isaiah says we are covered with wounds, bruises, and sores that have “not been closed or bound up or soothed with ointment.” That means we are not healed, contrary to the songwriter’s optimistic assessment.

    Isaiah’s medical report is consistent with all scripture. Jeremiah says: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved! For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?” (Jeremiah 8:20-22).

    The prophet is baffled. There is a balm in Gilead; nevertheless, we are not healed. Jesus died for our sins; nevertheless, we are not saved.

    Still not saved

    Were the Jews healed in the biblical days of Jesus? No, they were not because God is primarily interested in the healing of the soul, leading to salvation.

    The Bible says: “Although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:37).

    Like Jeremiah and Isaiah before him, John is equally baffled that, despite the many miracles that Jesus performed, the Jews still did not believe in Him. Jesus cannot save people who do not believe in Him. (John 8:24, Matthew 13:58).

    In short, even many of those who received physical healing from Jesus in the Bible were not healed spiritually. Despite the many miracles He performed, few recognised Him as the Messiah and, as a result, few were healed of sin.

    When Jesus asked His disciples who the Jews considered Him to be, they told Him that some said He was John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others, Jeremiah. As far as they were concerned, Jesus could be anybody but the Messiah.

    Those who were more inclined to Him, like Nicodemus, permitted that he was a prophet or a teacher. (John 3:2). But they would go no further than that because the word of God has already determined that they could not. So, it was not so much that they would not believe as that they could not. (John 12:39-40).

    Divine selection

    Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and that by His stripes we would be healed. (Isaiah 53:5).However, there is nothing automatic about this promise; it is only meant for a select few. Jesus says: “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given.” (Matthew 19:11).

    To whom then does the promise of healing and salvation apply? It is a mistake to assume that it applies to those who merely quote scriptures or sing certain scripture-filled songs. The word of God does not operate through incantation.

    The word of God is only applicable to those to whom it is given. Jesus says to His disciples: “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:11-12).

    That means that by the process of divine election and selection, the word of God would be accessible to some and inaccessible to others. The question then is this: Is the word of God accessible to most Christians?

    The answer unfortunately is “No!”

    Not by incantation

    Some years back, I was on an air flight that encountered serious turbulence. So, I started quoting scriptures that I had committed to memory. One of these states that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).

    But the more I quoted the scripture, the more fearful I became. It soon became clear that, although the word of God cannot be broken, the scripture had precious little applicability to me. The scripture had not been given to me. The scripture had not been made flesh in me.

    The report of the Lord says that we are gravely sick, and that Jesus is our healer. However, if we do not admit that we are sick, we cannot be healed. Indeed, if we do not recognise that we are sick, we would not even go to see a doctor.

    Jesus says to the Pharisees: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matthew 9:12).

    If we do not admit that we are sick then the question of our healing becomes merely academic.

    CONTINUED

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your weapons of warfare (2)

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 149:1-9
    Meditation verse:
    “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” (Psalm 149:6).

    The second weapon of warfare our reading mentions is “a two-edged sword in your hand”. This is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.

    When Satan tempted Jesus Christ as He came out from forty days of fasting in the wilderness, He defeated Satan by stating the word of God. Jesus could have said, ‘Satan, I rebuke you’, instead He said, “It is written…”.

    There is no difficulty that can withstand the word of God. For every situation you are currently going through, there is a specific word; there is an “it is written” that you can deploy as your weapon. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

    “So, let the high praises of God be in your mouth, and a two-edged sword in your hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind the kings with chains, and the nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment. This is the honor and privilege you have as a child of God. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 149:6-9).

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder, Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)
    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your weapons of warfare [1]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 149:1-9
    Meditation verse:

    “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” (Psalm 149:6).
    As Christians, we do not deal with our issues in the natural ways of the world. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (NIV). Today’s reading highlights two of such powerful weapons.
    The first is “high praises of God in our mouths”. God delights in and inhabits the praises of his people. What this means is that wherever His name is being praised, He shows up there. And since God is almighty, He always shows up in the fullness of His might, and victory is guaranteed. We see this happening in several instances in the bible. The people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came to battle against Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He feared but proclaimed a fast to seek help from God. The strategy God gave to them was to praise His name. When the people of Judah began to sing and praise God, the Lord set the
    different armies against themselves, and they destroyed one another. Judah won the war without lifting a finger. The people praised and The Almighty showed up (2 Chronicles 20:1-30).
    The city of Jericho was securely shut up; no one could go out or come in. How then would the children of Israel go in to capture the city? God commanded Joshua to instruct the men of war to go around the city for six days, with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. They were to march around the city seven times on the seventh day, with the priests blowing
    the trumpets. At the sound of the long blast with the ram’s horn, the people were to shout with a great shout. They did exactly as they were commanded. The wall of the city fell down flat and people went up into the city – every man straight before him – and they took the city. Again, the people praised, and the Almighty showed up (Joshua 6:2-5).
    Praise from the upright is beautiful (Psalm 33:1). When next you are faced with a seemly impossible situation, why not deploy the weapon of praise.

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder, Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)
    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who are the people around you

    By Oke Chinye

    Meditation verse:
    “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us’” (Exodus 32:1).

    The people you surround yourself with can either help or derail you from your destiny. It is often said that if you want to know how far a person will go in life, check out the people they surround themselves with. The people around you affect your life because they counsel you, speak into your life and make ties with you in business or some other area of life. The bible is replete with examples of individuals who deviated from God’s purpose for their lives because they listened to counsel from people.

    In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul defeated the Amalekites, but spared the king and took the best of the spoils, even though God had instructed him to destroy everything. When the prophet, Samuel confronted him, he said “they have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” As a result of his disobedience, God rejected him as king and tore the kingdom from his hands. Samson lost his sight and anointing because he listened to Delilah (Judges 16). In today’s reading, Joshua listened to the people’s demand to make a golden image for them to worship.

    Proverbs 11:14 states that “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” However, you must weigh the counsel from others against God’s counsel or His word. If it is in line, then follow it, but if it contradicts God’s word or His purpose for your life, you should reject it. When Jesus told His disciples about His sufferings, death, and resurrection, one of His closest disciples, Peter, took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22). But Jesus turned and 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). Bottom line; be careful of the people around you as well as their counsel.

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder, The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

    IN HIS PRESENCE: A daily devotional of

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Changing unhelpful habits

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ROMANS 7:13–25

    Meditation verse:
    “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19).

    There are perhaps two main reasons why changing a habit is difficult for many of us. Firstly, we do not truly see why we need to change. Secondly, we do not know how to change. The process of going about that change is ambiguous. The apostle Paul said that he could not practice what he desired, but rather found himself doing what he hated. Behavioural habits are usually unconscious and automatic. that’s why when you say to someone who is shouting: “stop shouting”, he or she shouts even louder and says, “am I shouting”? Similarly, the lazy person might believe he or she is hard working.

    The first step to changing an undesirable habit is therefore becoming aware of it and desiring to change it. Whether it is a habit, lifestyle or thought pattern. You cannot change it if you are in self-denial. You must accept and call it what it is. Standing in front of a mirror several years ago at a size 22, accepting that I was overweight and needed to do something about it helped me take steps to lose the weight. I had to get past the thought that ‘it was okay to be overweight since I had given birth to 4 children’. So, accept that you are spending too much time on your phone, you are overeating or that you procrastinate. Until you do, you cannot begin the process of change.

    You must see the benefit of making that change, else you won’t sustain the motivation. Every behaviour pattern is backed up by an underlying attitude. The person who lies and exaggerates is likely to be an insecure person. So, challenge the attitude. Start by asking: ‘why am I this way?’, ‘Is this really helpful?’, ‘How is this undermining my life?’. One major factor that helped me overcome shyness, was reflecting on all the opportunities I had missed in life by being shy.

    Replace the unhelpful habit with a new and positive one. For instance, instead of being critical of your spouse, practice showing compassion and complimenting them. Rather than spending hours in front of the television, practice going out more often for a walk.

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye (Founder, TRTM)
    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

    IN HIS PRESENCE: A daily devotional of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)

  • [Devotional]IN HIS PRESENCE: Personalise your worship

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PSALM 34

    Meditation verse:
    “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34: 1).

    Worship can become a chore, especially when you have been in the faith for quite some time. It can become something you offer to God because you must. At such times, the heart can be distracted. Many Christians do not even have personal worship times. They only engage in corporate worship during Sunday services.

    Personalised worship is a lifestyle; it comes from deep within. When worship is personalised, there are no limits in terms of space, time, or activity. To personalise something means to tailor it to meet an individual’s preferences, needs or specifications. When your worship of God is personalised, you call Him names that depict who and what He means to you, personally. You recall moments of your intimate encounter with Him. You sing songs that express how you have experienced Him, and you use words that reveal your deepest emotions towards Him. Personalised worship is a love offering.

    One of the reasons God described David as a man after His own heart was that he knew how to personalise his worship of God. He knew how to express his deepest feelings and yearnings in the place of worship. One time he said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1–2). Another time he said, “Bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1). Indeed, most chapters in the book of Psalm were expressions of personalised worship to God.

    There is a place for corporate worship as well as a place for personalised worship. The bible says, “but the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23). God is looking for you. Why not personalise your worship of Him, today?

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder,The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)
    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org