TheNewsGuru

Tag: Christians

  • Free will does not exist – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Jesus told the Sadducees who came to challenge Him on the resurrection: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).

    There are two vital requirements for knowing the truth of God. We must know the scriptures and we must know the power of God. When we combine these two essentials, we easily discover that free will does not exist.

    God is sovereign

    If man has free will, then God cannot be God. If man can act independently of God, then God does not control everything.

    However, God tells us in the scriptures that He alone controls everything. He says: “I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isaiah 49-10).

    God does not just know the end from the beginning. He determines the end from the beginning. This is because He is the Uncaused cause of everything: “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

    Everything has a cause, except God. God causes everything to happen. Where does this leave man? Man is simply an instrument of God.

    Predestination

    Everything about man is predetermined: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11).

    God knows our thoughts. He says: “I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” (Ezekiel 11:5). Moreover, He determines what they are: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1).

    If man has free will, our prayers cannot even be answered. Have you ever asked God to give you favour with someone? How can He answer this prayer if the man has free will? To answer, God must overrule whatever free will he has. But the truth is that he has none.

    When the Israelites were in Egypt, God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate His people. (Psalm 105:25). But when they were in Babylon: “He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive.” (Psalm 106:46).

    Every word that we speak is also determined by God. Solomon says: “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:1).

    Indeed, God has used my mouth to speak to me. He does not only do this sometimes: He does this all the time with everybody.

    He says in Isaiah: “My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants, from this time and forevermore.” (Isaiah 59:21).

    Accordingly, Jesus never spoke His own words. He says: “The word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” (John 14:24).

    Furthermore, every step we take is determined by God. The Wise Man says: “A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24). This is validated in Jeremiah: “The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah10:23).

    God also controls all human actions. Have you ever done something good and thanked God for making you do it? Jesus says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

    How can one do that? How can we make sure our actions glorify God and not us? The answer is simple. Whatever good we do; the glory belongs to God anyway. Doing good does not arise from man’s free will. We only do good because God causes us to do good. If He does not cause us to do good, we would never do it.

    Power of God

    Nevertheless, we shall still be held responsible for our actions and inactions: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7-8).

    How is this contradiction resolved? It is resolved by the power of God which ensures that what we do never contradicts what God requires us to do.

    Man can make choices. But our choices are all programmed. The ability to make choices does not mean we have free will. We are only truly free in making choices if in making them, we could choose contrary to the will of God.

    But that is impossible. God controls the circumstances within which we make our choices. Those circumstances force us to make our choices only in consonance with the will of God, ensuring that God’s will is always done.

    Therefore, James counsels: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15).

    Choosing death

    Moses said to Israel: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

    The Israelites seemingly had the prerogative to choose. However, they all chose death. They chose death because that was truly the only choice open to them. In every situation, there is only one choice open to man and that is the choice that God wants us to make.

    In the Old Testament. God had determined that they would all choose death because life can only come from Jesus and not from Moses: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20-21).

    Therefore, Jesus says: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36).

    If we had free will, it would not be necessary for Jesus to make us free. But then what kind of freedom do we receive from Jesus? Paul says: “Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18).

    In effect, Jesus does not give us free will. He frees us from the bondage of sin. He then tells us we have no free will: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

    So then both in the Old and New Testaments: “It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:16). “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2;13).

    TO BE CONTINUED

  • Nigeria accounts for nearly 50% of Christians killed in 2020 for following Jesus

    Nigeria accounts for nearly 50% of Christians killed in 2020 for following Jesus

    In Nigeria, over 2,200 Christians were murdered by radical Islamists with the number making up slightly less than half of the 4,761 Christians killed for their faith worldwide in year 2020.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is according to the 2021 World Watch List report recently published by Open Doors USA.

    The report reads: “More Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country.

    “Violent attacks by Boko Haram, Hausa-Fulani Muslim militant herdsmen, ISWAP (an affiliate of the Islamic State group) and other Islamic extremist groups are common in the north and middle belt of the country, and are becoming more common farther south.

    “In these attacks, Christians are often murdered or have their property and means of livelihood destroyed. Men and boys are particularly vulnerable to being killed. The women and children left behind are very vulnerable and living testimonies to the power of the attackers. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice. Christian women are often abducted and raped by these militant groups, and sometimes forced to marry Muslims.

    “Christians from a Muslim background face rejection by and pressure from their families. Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency (2015 onwards) has seen a sharp increase in attempts to force Islamization on the country, including appointing Muslims to key government positions.

    “Many Christians who are driven out of their villages and away from their sources of livelihood are forced to become internally displaced persons (IDPs), often living in informal IDP camps. Given the continuous occupation of their villages by Fulani militants, the lack of government support, the lack of proper education for their children and the high vulnerability of IDPs, these believers continue to suffer even after the brutality of the initial persecution.

    “Nigeria has risen several places on the World Watch List, and persecution has worsened in all areas of public and private life. Violence against Christians perpetrated by Boko Haram, Fulani militants and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province)—as well as other, unidentified armed attackers—has led to tremendous suffering among the Christian community.

    “Nigeria entered the top 10 of the 2021 World Watch List primarily because this violence has increased and began to spill out into other parts of Nigeria, and the government seems unable or unwilling to protect its Christian citizens. Islamic extremist attacks have not abated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Christians who are staying at home to combat the spread of the virus have been vulnerable to attack.

    “Persecution, and especially violent attacks, are most prevalent in the north and Middle Belt of Nigeria. The government’s attempts to Islamize the country are more widespread, affecting even Christian majority communities in the south. Christians who have converted from Islam are very vulnerable in the north of the country, particularly in those areas governed by Shariah law. Christians living as IDPs are also particularly vulnerable”.

    TNG reports each year, the World Watch List provides an unparalleled glimpse into the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian.

    Around the world, more than 340 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus. That’s 1 in 8 believers, worldwide.

    The numbers are astonishing. But behind each number and statistic, there is a human story. The 2021 World Watch List is about these stories behind the numbers.

    Below is the list of the top 50 countries where its most difficult to follow Jesus, according to Open Doors:

    1. North Korea

    2. Afghanistan

    3. Somalia

    4. Libya

    5. Pakistan

    6. Eritrea

    7. Yemen

    8. Iran

    9. Nigeria

    10. India

    11. Iraq

    12. Syria

    13. Sudan

    14. Saudi Arabia

    15. Maldives

    16. Egypt

    17. China

    18. Myanmar

    19. Vietnam

    20. Mauritania

    21. Uzbekistan

    22. Laos

    23. Turkmenistan

    24. Algeria

    25. Turkey

    26. Tunisia

    27. Morocco

    28. Mali

    29. Qatar

    30. Colombia

    31. Bangladesh

    32. Burkina Faso

    33. Tajikistan

    34. Nepal

    35. Central African Republic

    36. Ethiopia

    37. Mexico

    38. Jordan

    39. Brunei

    40. Democratic Republic of the Congo

    41. Kazakhstan

    42. Cameroon

    43. Bhutan

    44. Oman

    45. Mozambique

    46. Malaysia

    47. Indonesia

    48. Kuwait

    49. Kenya

    50. Comoros

  • 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.”

  • The Believer’s authority – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    My niece was getting married and the wedding was outdoors. But just as it was about to commence, the weather changed; a bleak rain cloud overshadowed the place.

    I called out to a so-called pastor nearby: “Come,” I said, “Let us shift this rain.” Immediately, a cloud came over him. I could see fear written all over his face. But I did not allow him to equivocate. I grabbed his hands and decreed that the rain must go away from the location for the wedding in Jesus’ name.

    Just as soon as I finished, the cloud broke and moved away. I could not help but laugh at the “pastor.” “You were so scared,” I berated him. “But don’t you see, the cloud has moved.”

    It rained elsewhere on that day, but no drop of rain came near the location of the wedding.

    Heritage of peace.

    Jesus says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). On his departure for Calvary, he gives this assurance to believers: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27).

    Jesus is our Prince of Peace. Therefore, those who have Christ have received the peace of God that surpasses that all understanding. We not only live in peace; we have peace to give. We can decree peace and God will establish it.

    This also means that a lot of prayers that Christians still pray are not prayers of faith. Jesus says: “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24). Since we have received peace, we should not act like those who have not received it.

    There is no point in continuing to pray for what we have already received. For instance, Peter makes us understand that: “(Jesus) Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes (we) were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

    If we were healed, then we are. It makes no difference if we occasionally feel sick. “Thank you, Lord, for healing me” is different from “heal me, O Lord.” Praying for healing now means thanking God for taking sickness away from us, according to His word.

    Asking again and again for what we have already received shows we are still in the school of unbelief. It is not surprising, therefore, that the psalmist says: “O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, how” long will you be angry with our prayers?” (Psalm 80:4).

    In the Book of Acts, we often find the disciples praying to God. But once it came to healing, they issued commands. When Dorcas died, Peter simply said to her: “‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.” (Acts 9:40).

    Likewise, when he saw a lame man at the Beautiful Gate, Peter told him: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6). And immediately, he lifted the man up and he started to walk.

    Kenneth Hagin

    Kenneth Hagin claims Jesus appeared to him in a vision. But while he was talking to him, an evil spirit crashed the meeting, causing a racket. Soon, he could no longer hear what Jesus was saying. When Jesus took no action against the demon, Hagin finally cried out: “You foul spirit, get out of here in Jesus’ name!” Immediately, the demon ran off.

    Jesus insisted it was up to Hagin to do something about the situation. He told him: “If you hadn’t done something about that, I couldn’t have.”

    The moral of this story is that Jesus has given us the authority to put the devil under our feet. What we do with that authority is now entirely up to us. Jesus says: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19).

    This authority does not only apply to those who work in deliverance ministries, it applies to all believers, including old and new converts.

    Jesus says furthermore: “These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18).

    Jesus does not even talk here in terms of prayer. He says we only need to touch the sick and they will recover. This is because this prophecy is already fulfilled in the believer: “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.” (Isaiah 10:27).

    Like Father, Like Son

    Jesus was a king with a difference. He exercised complete authority in all areas of life. He healed the sick and cleansed the lepers, exercising authority over sickness. He stilled the storm and walked on water, exercising authority over nature. He cast out demons, exercising authority over the forces of darkness.

    He forgave sins, exercising authority over sin. He awarded eternal life and raised the dead, exercising authority over life and death. Jesus cursed the fig tree and it dried up from the roots. He multiplied loaves and thereby fed the multitude. He caused fishermen to catch more fish than they could handle.

    “When the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” (Matthew 9:8).

    Indeed, God has given such power and authority to men. This is the believer’s authority. John revealed that Jesus gave the power to become children of God to all who received him and believed in his name. (John 1:12).

    The bible affirms that: “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31).

    The believer is born from above. He is born of God therefore he is above all. The natural man is not only earthy but under the bondage of elemental spirits. The believer, on the other hand, has full authority over them.

    The centurion understood this. He said to Jesus: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

    “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’” (Matthew 8:8-10).

  • Fighting the good fight of faith – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Members of the Healing Wings choir came to me with the suggestion that we should establish a recording studio at the back of our building in Festival Road?” I thought it was a good idea, so we sat down to discuss how to bring it about. First, the building would have to be sound-proofed. Then, we would equip the studio.

    By the time we had finished with the planning, the price-tag for the project came to 7.5 million naira. I was able to raise 2.5 million naira, which meant we had a big shortfall of 5 million. Not to worry, I went on my knees and asked God for the money.

    Way back when, He had made me a promise: “(I will) make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

    God’s answer blew my mind. He told me he had already given me the money. The required 5 million naira was even then sitting pretty in my bank account.

    Miracle funding

    Indeed, some weeks earlier, 5 million naira was deposited in my bank account. But, strictly speaking, the money was not mine. It belonged to an Alhaji in Ibadan to whom my brother had sold a piece of land.

    My oldest brother sold the backyard of our family house in Ibadan to him for 5 million naira. However, I refused to sign off on the deal on the grounds that our family house is not for sale. But my brother had not only collected the money, he had spent it.

    When I refused to sign the agreement for the sale, the Alhaji threatened to have my brother arrested. We either must refund his money or sign the papers for the sale.

    Then my other brother came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested that we should sell another plot of land in Moor Plantation that we inherited from T.S.B. Aribisala, and then use part of the proceeds to refund the Alhaji.

    So, we sold the Moor Plantation land for more than the needed 5 million naira, and the money was paid into my account. We then divided the balance between the three of us, leaving 5 million for the Alhaji.

    But then we hit another bottleneck. My oldest brother refused to sign the agreement for the new Moor Plantation sale. He insisted the money should have been paid to him, the oldest brother, and not to me, the youngest.

    It was while we were at this stalemate that the issue of building a studio came up. The Lord told me He orchestrated the stalemate so I could use the 5 million naira earmarked for the Alhaji to establish the studio in the meantime. He promised to refund the money at the appropriate time.

    Shepherd’s voice

    Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27). “They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:5).

    By the grace of God, by that time, I knew the voice of the Lord. So, I knew He was the one who gave me the go-ahead to use the 5 million naira. Therefore, I used the money to put up a spanking studio in Healing Wings.

    But a few weeks thereafter, the impasse with my brother was resolved and I was required to pay the 5 million naira to the Alhaji in Ibadan. I confidently asked the Lord for the money, but all I got was the silent treatment. He ignored me and did not provide any money.

    I suddenly found myself in a quandary. The Alhaji from Ibadan was not amused. He wrote me a stinker. He called me all kinds of names. I was accused of being a thief; a 419 man to boot. Worse still was the reaction from one of my brothers. He was very quick to hurl insults at me. He told me that I had been pretending all along to be righteous and Christian when he knew that, deep down, I was nothing but a crook.

    I could not defend myself but turn to the Lord. I cried out to Him: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.” (Psalm 22:1-2).

    Reproach of men

    I did not know then what I know now that God deliberately puts those He loves in such cul-de-sac. He does this because he wants us to share in the reproaches of Christ.

    David says: “For Your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children; because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” (Psalm 69:7-9).

    I did not know at the time that the answer I sought from the Lord was already written in the scriptures.

    Paul says: “In all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true. as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10).

    Fight of faith

    As believers, God requires us to fight the good fight of faith in all situations and circumstances. Since I knew it was God that put me in that conundrum, I had to take all the abuse and insults with fortitude and determination, waiting for the salvation of God.

    In the end, the Lord provided the funds to repay the Alhaji in Ibadan. He not only did that, but He also gave me, at the same time, the money to send my son, Femi Kevin, to boarding school. This not only shut up my abusive brother, but he was also confounded when he asked after Femi Kevin and I told him: “He has gone to school in England.”

    The Lord says: “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.” (Isaiah 51:7-8).

    Therefore, the writer of Hebrews counsels: “Let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore.” (Hebrews 13:13).

  • Miyetti Allah greets Christians at Christmas, sues for peaceful coexistence

    Miyetti Allah greets Christians at Christmas, sues for peaceful coexistence

    The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), South East zone, has felicitated with Christians urging all to use the Christmas period to pray for peaceful coexistence.

    The Southeast Zone Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, said in a statement on Thursday in Enugu that imbibing the teachings of Jesus Christ would promote peaceful coexistence all over the country.

    “It is yet another special time when our Christian brothers and sisters from the Southeast travel home in their numbers from across the world for Christmas.

    “The members of MACBAN in the zone heartily pray for journey mercy to those that will be embarking on one journey or the other within this period.

    “We welcome our brothers back to their home states,’’ he stated.

    Siddiki also felicitated with the various state governments in the zone and urged them to continue to ensure the security of lives and property.

    He said that though the outgoing year had its challenges, Nigerians were resilient enough absorb all the shocks 2020 threw at them.

    “We wish to thank the various state governments and host communities in the zone for allowing us conducive space to ply our trade of cattle rearing and sales.

    “We appreciate them for exhibiting exemplary lesson in brotherhood among the various tribes in Nigeria. We shall continue to pray for a better country where rights and privileges will be equitably spread.

    “We pray that 2021 guarantees all of us greater life, good health, prosperity and unity in God’s name,’’ Siddiki added.

  • Speaking to mountains – Femi Aribisala

    Femi Aribisala

    A few months ago, God gave us a word of prophecy in Healing Wings. He said: “A storm is coming.” The obvious question was: “Why did He give us this word? What were we supposed to do?” Just as he predicted, the storm came in the form of the EndSARS protests that engulfed Nigeria and led to killings, riots, and looting.

    In the scriptures, Jesus was with His disciples when a storm struck, but He was asleep in the stern of the boat. His disciples quickly ran to Him. They woke Him up with a foolish prayer: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Jesus rebuked them. He asked: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:35-41).

    How can they perish on the sea when the Saviour is in their boat?

    Inevitably, in some situations our prayers must make God angry. Some prayers, like those of the disciples in this case, show lack of faith. Instead of praying, what should the disciples have done? They should have dealt with the storm themselves. They had the power to deal with the storm.

    Author of our faith

    Confronted with the storm, Jesus did two things. He rebuked the wind. Then He admonished the wind. He spoke His peace to the sea: “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was an immediate calm on the sea. The disciples then asked: “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

    Jesus is the manner of man we are supposed to be. Instead of praying to Jesus, the disciples should have rebuked the wind and spoken peace to the sea. The promise of God to the believer says: “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you.” (Job 22:28). However, the disciples could not declare a thing because they had no faith.

    Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So, what have you heard? James says: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” (James 5:17). What can we learn from Elijah? Elijah declared to Ahab: “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1).

    And there was no rain, according to the word of Elijah.

    Mr. Ambassador

    You are now a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26). You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3). You are an heir of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17). You are an ambassador for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20).

    When I was working as Special Adviser to the Minister of External Affairs of Nigeria, we went on a trip to Jamaica. The Nigerian Ambassador to Jamaica was not a career diplomat. He was a professor from the University of Lagos. He complained that he had been writing to Lagos for permission to change his car and to change the furniture in his official residence but to no avail.

    One of the foreign service officers who came with us laughed at him. He told him it was obvious that, before he arrived at the post, one of the career officers in Jamaica had taken over his car. Others must have poached the furniture in his residence. Under the circumstances, nobody in Lagos is going to answer you. All they must be doing is laughing at you.

    Then he hit the nail on the head: “Mr. Ambassador, he said, “you are the Ambassador. You control the funds. If you need a car, buy the car. If you need furniture, buy the furniture. It is up to you. You don’t need anybody’s permission to do what is within your right.”

    The problem was that the ambassador did not know he was the ambassador. Or he did not know what it means to be a Nigerian ambassador.

    The new you

    Similarly, many disciples of Jesus are unaware of the prerogatives of their discipleship. Many new creations in Christ Jesus don’t know what it means to be a new creation.

    If you are a new creation, “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are now a citizen of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. (Philippians 3:20). You are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6). It is no longer you who lives, but Christ lives in you. (Galatians 2:20).

    You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Ephesians 2:10). You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13). It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. ((Philippians 2:13). Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God. (1 Corinthians 6:19). You have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16).

    You are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14). God supplies all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2).

    Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39).

    Power with God

    As a new creation, do not operate in the false humility of Gideon who, when the angel called him a mighty man of valour, he contradicted him by insisting that: “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:15). You are who God makes you to be. You are more than conqueror through Him who loved you. (Romans 8:37).

    Jesus says: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8). Well, if you are born again, then you have received power. That means you now have power with God. (Genesis 32:28). It also means you are in Gid and God is in you. (John 14:10; 17:21). That means you have received the power to speak to mountains and storms. When you speak, every mountain and hill will be brought low. (Isaiah 40:4). When you speak, the mountains will skip like rams, the little hills like lambs. (Psalm 114:4).

    That is the promise of God. Jesus says: “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22-24).

    This means stop bothering God about your problems. Speak to your problems. Say to them: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!” (Zechariah 4:7).

  • Witchcraft in the church (2) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Jide inherited a generator from his late “guardian.” He used it for business purposes by renting it out to people who needed it on special occasions. It so happened that the generator in his church was stolen. The pastor insisted that church-members should not be told about the theft; otherwise, they might conclude that God was not in the church. He asked Jide if the church could use his generator in the meantime.

     

    Den of Robbers

     

    Jide was agreeable to this: some of his best customers were churches. But one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, after the church took his generator, Jide was not paid a dime. Two months, three months, four months afterwards; still no payment for the use of the generator. Finally, Jide summoned up courage to confront the pastor. If they would not pay him for the use of his generator, at least they should give it back to him.

     

    The pastor was very offended. He preached a fiery sermon in which he told the people in no uncertain terms that their destinies were tied to his church. “Don’t you know,” he asked menacingly, “we have the power to withhold your blessings?” The royal “we” referred to the pastor himself. Then he button-holed Jide after the service and went for the jugular: “Don’t you think you should give the church your generator?” he demanded.

     

    Jide was troubled and could not answer. He came to me to seek counsel as to what he should do. I immediately pointed out to him that a robbery was in progress. I said to him: “Jide, forget about having any discussion with your pastor. Hire a van and go and remove your generator from the church.”

     

    Gangs of priests

     

    In biblical days, Shechem was a “city of refuge” as well as a city of levites and priests. The cities of refuge were established to provide hiding-places for the guiltless refugee on the run for his life from a stubborn pursuer. But the priests banded together as a gang of robbers, and they waylaid the hapless on the way to Shechem.

     

    In effect, those appointed to teach the people the truth of God that they might live were the very ones who endangered their lives. Thus, Hosea observes that: “It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now it’s a gang of priests assaulting worshippers.” (Hosea 6:9).

     

    Today, pastors are no longer preoccupied with the rehabilitation of thieves. They are now single-minded in swindling members of their congregation.

     

    Devouring widows’ houses

     

    Do you know it is recorded in the bible that Jesus once sat down, as if in a cinema, and watched a robbery taking place in broad daylight? This robbery took place in the favourite den of robbers; the church. But you might not even be aware of the incident because pastors have done their level-best to distract Christians from realising exactly what was going on.

     

    Jesus was engaged in one of his favourite discourses; the hypocrisy, greed and covetousness of the religious elite. He says: “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” (Mark 12:38-40).

     

    He then illustrated this by going to the treasury where he observed the rich putting in a lot of money in the offering-box. He also noticed a widow who came and dropped in just two pennies. Jesus pointed out that the poor widow gave much more than the rich because while they gave out of their abundance, she gave out of her poverty. Indeed, he noted, the two pennies she gave were everything she had. (Mark 12:41-44).

     

    Pastors, who Jesus refers to as thieves and robbers (John 10:8), use this scripture to rob people all the more; thereby confirming they will receive greater condemnation. They hold up this poor widow as an example to be emulated and tell their poor church-members to give all they have. Sometimes, they even tell them to empty their pockets into the offering-basket, promising them a big windfall from God if they do so.

     

    419 churches

     

    However, Jesus’ position is the exact opposite of this deception. The point he makes is that the widow was robbed. What could she have been told to make her give all her livelihood to the church? How is she supposed to live thereafter? Pastors who bewitch poor church-goers into doing this don’t care what happens to them. Moreover, they can always blame it on their lack of faith when their false promises on God’s behalf fail to materialise.

     

    Jesus’ demonstration shows the church system is immoral and downright wicked. One of the primary purposes for the collection of offerings should be to provide for the widows rather than taking the little they have in the name of God. Jesus was so disgusted with this practice that he prophesied that the temple, where this robbery took place, would soon be destroyed. He said: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:2).

     

    This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Roman army completely destroyed the Jerusalem temple. Even so shall God destroy every church that men have built and used to deceive and to extort money from the poor.

     

    Under the Mosaic Law, tithes were only collectible from those with land and livestock and not from widows and the poor. But today, the poor are the prey of money-grubbing pastors and televangelists. I once gave a big Sony television to my most industrious employee. But in no time whatsoever, it ended up in her pastor’s house. Don’t ask me how it got there.

     

    Witchcraft in the churches

     

    Listen carefully; if you are poor, don’t give any offerings. God will not hold it against you. If you are broke, don’t give any offerings. God knows you don’t have money to give. If you are in debt, don’t increase your indebtedness by investing in a “sacrificial offering” in hope of reaping a fantastic harvest. Offerings are not investments or lottery tickets; no matter what mercenary pastors preach. They are given: “according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12).

     

    What would make a poor widow give everything she has to a church? It can only be as a result of some form of manipulation. Many Christians don’t realise they have been bewitched by their pastors. The rich man can empty his pocket at the instance of a silver-tongued pastor and then jump into his Jeep after the service and drive home. But the poor woman who follows suit risks having to walk all the way back home.

     

    The message therefore becomes clear. Armed-robbers extort money from innocent victims by putting guns to their heads. Pastors rob widows of their houses by filling their heads with enticing words. The methods may be different but the objectives are the same. Both the armed-robber and the conniving pastor are working for the same master, and it is not Jesus Christ.

  • Masturbation, use of sex toys is satanic, come to God for sanitisation says Cleric

    Masturbation, use of sex toys is satanic, come to God for sanitisation says Cleric

    A cleric, Rev. Tajan Moltok, the Jos Resident Pastor of Shepherd House Assembly International, has condemned the use of sex toys for sexual gratification, saying it is a perversion of nature.

    In his sermon titled: ‘Understanding the Anointing’, the cleric condemned the act during the anointing service on Sunday in Jos.

    He said that the act was a sin of lawlessness and a degeneration of morality in the society, cautioning that children of God should not indulge in it.

    “This act reminds God of Sodom and Gomorrah.

    “Masturbation is becoming a lifestyle, people do not have control over their sexual urges. Do not give Satan a chance,” he said.

    He said the church must return to God and be sanitised to live aright to His glory, saying anointing is what makes the difference in the life of a believer.

    “The church must come back to God . You cannot be in church and you are keeping malice with someone for one year. The anointing will give you a forgiving spirit,” he said.

    He said the children of God needed the anointing because of the wickedness in the world.

    Moltok urged the congregation to yearn for God’s anointing, as it would renew their strength and empower them to be victorious against their foes.

    He also conducted special anointing prayers for protection, wisdom and mercies of the Lord.

  • Cleric addresses use of sex toys by ‘Christians’

    Cleric addresses use of sex toys by ‘Christians’

    A cleric, Rev. Tajan Moltok, the Jos Resident Pastor of Shepherd House Assembly International, has condemned the use of sex toys for sexual gratification, saying it is a perversion of nature.

    In his sermon titled: ‘Understanding the Anointing’, the cleric condemned the act during the anointing service on Sunday in Jos.

    He said that the act was a sin of lawlessness and a degeneration of morality in the society, cautioning that children of God should not indulge in it.

    “This act reminds God of Sodom and Gomorrah.

    “Masturbation is becoming a lifestyle, people do not have control over their sexual urges. Do not give Satan a chance,” he said.

    He said the church must return to God and be sanitised to live aright to His glory, saying anointing is what makes the difference in the life of a believer.

    “The church must come back to God . You cannot be in church and you are keeping malice with someone for one year. The anointing will give you a forgiving spirit,” he said.

    He said the children of God needed the anointing because of the wickedness in the world.

    Moltok urged the congregation to yearn for God’s anointing, as it would renew their strength and empower them to be victorious against their foes.

    He also conducted special anointing prayers for protection, wisdom and mercies of the Lord.