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Tag: Femi Aribisala

  • Climbing the Mount Everest of eternal life – By Femi Aribisala

    Climbing the Mount Everest of eternal life – By Femi Aribisala

    “How badly do we want eternal life?”

    Jesus is walking down the road, and there is this strange man in flowing white agbada running after Him.  The man is running like a mad man.  He is running and shouting.  What could possibly be the matter?

    But wait a minute.  The man running after Jesus is no ordinary man.  He is actually the Governor of the Central Bank.  He is the one reported by Forbes Magazine to be the one of the richest men in Nigeria.  What then is the meaning of this?  How can a man of that stature be running madly down the road?

    Rich men don’t run

    Have you ever seen a rich man running before?  God forbid!  Rich men don’t run.  They stroll.  Rich men don’t run after anybody.  Men run after them.  If a rich man wants to talk to someone, he simply sends his servant to get him.  But this particular situation is different and peculiar.  One of the richest Nigerians is running madly after Jesus in the street.

    When he finally gets to Jesus, what does he do?  That is the most incredible part.  When he gets to Him, he falls down on his knees and pleads with Him.

    You don’t mean it!

    The Governor gets on his knees on the road in front of everybody?

    Yes, he does.

    What does he want?

    Obviously, he wants something only Jesus can give.

    The rich young ruler in the bible is a representative Christian.  He is a wonderful child of God.  His heart is in the right place.  He is not slothful in business.  He is fervent in the spirit; serving the Lord.

    But there is a need in his life, and it is urgent.  There is a need in his life, and it is great.  It is a pressing need.  So pressing, he forgets he is a big man.  So pressing, he forgets he is a rich man.  So pressing, he forgets he is wearing a white lace agbada and the street he is kneeling in is muddy and dirty.

    Seeking Jesus

    I know you have run after a bus before.  It was the first bus in a long while, and you just had to catch it.  I know you may have run after a woman or man before.  You were smitten, head over heels in love.  But have you ever had to run after Jesus?  Have you run after Him and the quicker you ran; the faster He walked?  Have you ever run after the Lord until you were completely out of breath?

    Have you ever run after the Lord, until you made a complete fool of yourself?  Have you ever run after the Lord, until you lost your dignity, your pride, and self-respect?  Have you ever run after the Lord until you became completely broken?  Have you ever run after the Lord, naked and not ashamed?

    My prayer is that you would find it in your heart to do this, so that you might inherit the kingdom of God.

    Orthodox Christians cannot stand people who run after Jesus.  They are uncomfortable with them.  They believe they are overdoing things.  Never mind that Bartimaeus is blind.  “Is that why he should be crying after Jesus like that?  Is he the only one with a problem?  Of course, we all have problems.”  “Sister Fernandez, take it easy now.  Lord Jesus, please send her away; she is making a nuisance of herself.”

    Just think of that woman who comes to Jesus kneeling down and kissing His feet.  She is washing His feet with her tears and wiping His feet with her hair for heaven’s sake.  Don’t you think that is a little much?  Could you really do that?

    “My Lord, King David, do you think it is dignifying for the king of Israel to be dancing like that?  Your Excellency, you made such a fool of yourself before every Tom, Dick, and Harry.”

    “Sister Bisi, how idiotic you were in church today, crying and rolling on the ground.  Don’t you have any self-respect?  Were you not concerned about indecent exposure?”

    If you are one of those who justifies yourself before men, then the move of the Holy Spirit is not for you.  God only honours those who honour Him, and He honours them with Himself.

    Seeking the kingdom

    The rich young ruler, the Governor of the Central Bank if you will, runs after Jesus like a mad man.  When he finally catches up with Him, he goes down on his knees in the muddy street.  What does this man want? Clearly, he wants something money cannot buy.

    The man does not ask Jesus for bread.  He does not ask him for fish.  He does not ask for long life.  He does not ask for even greater riches.  He does not ask for the life of his enemies.  He is not looking for a wife, a job, accommodation, or promotion.  He is not looking for signs and wonders.  He has one urgent desire; he wants to inherit eternal life.

    How badly do we want eternal life?  Do we want it badly enough?  Then we need to open our mouths and tell the Lord.  The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force.  We must let Him know that, should He return today, He must not leave us behind.  We are going with Him on the first flight.  Father; the one thing we desire from You is to spend eternity with You.

    Please do not let us miss this common salvation.  Please do not let us despise this unspeakable gift of God.  Let Your mercy rejoice against Your judgment in our case.  Please Lord; let us not fail to inherit You.  Help us to labour to enter into Your rest.

    Let he who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.

    Presumptuous Christians

    Our representative Christian, the rich young ruler, wants to know what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.  But the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Jesus tells him: “You know the commandments; how about trying to obey them?”  Have you tried fulfilling those requirements and succeeded?  Haven’t you, O great Christian, already discovered that you could not do what God requires?  Why are you here asking for more things to do?  Have you done those ones you already know about?

    The man is a Christian; so he should not have been so ignorant of the ways of the Lord.  He should have come to Christ in defeat.  He should have come saying:

    “Lord Jesus; I have tried my very best, but alas, have come short of the glory of God.  I have done all I can, but to no avail.  I have tried not to get angry but have lost my temper.  I have tried not to be covetous but could not help but wish I were the one who got a new car and not my brother.  I have tried to remain pure in heart but could not help but look at a woman lustfully.”

    “I need You to help me.  I need You to deliver me.  Lord Jesus, what can You do for me?  How can You deliver me from this bondage to sin?”

  • The thief in the night – By Femi Aribisala

    The thief in the night – By Femi Aribisala

    “He steals our bad habits, addictions, and sicknesses”.

    Our God is a God of miracles. But sometimes He chooses to heal. Miracles are instantaneous: but healing is a process. Miracles are clinical, but healing is relational.

    With healing, we get to know the Doctor. We experience His loving-kindness. We realize He is a comforter. We then know we have a High Priest who is deeply touched by the feeling of our infirmities. When we are afflicted, the Lord is afflicted as well. He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows.

    If we understand that the purpose of life is to know God, then whatever it takes to know Him must be acceptable to us. If we accept that our final preferred destination is the salvation of our souls, then however God chooses to attain this in His wisdom must be acceptable to us.

    Way of tribulation

    Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). That way is the way of tribulation and affliction. It is through the fire and through the water that God brings us out to His place of abundance. (Psalm 66:12).

    Jesus does not promise us a rose garden in this world. Instead, He prepares us for affliction. He says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

    The psalmist concurs: “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!” (Psalm 34:19-20).

    Time and againe, Jesus identifies Himself as someone who catches unawares the unrighteous in their wickedness. He says: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15).

    But there is another way by which Jesus comes as a thief.  When He does, He surprises not the unrighteous but the righteous. Jesus comes as a thief to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness in order to take away our iniquities by stealth.

    Jesus is the thief who steals our bad habits, addictions, and sicknesses.  He robs us of them in the dead of night without our being aware of it.  We just wake up one morning to find we do not have the strength to be quarrelsome anymore.

    Or we discover out of the blue that we have lost our passion for pre-marital sex.  Or the Lord himself asks us about our chronic asthmatic condition and, suddenly, we realise to our pleasant surprise that it has been months since we had any attacks.

    As usual, Jesus, the thief in the night, had stolen it away.

    “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10).

    Wrestling with God

    As a young believer, I woke up one morning to discover a lump at the centre of my ribcage.  I panicked and quickly went to see a doctor.  He gave me a whole set of multi-coloured tablets and informed me he would have to do a culture test to determine precisely what was inside the lump.

    I went home and started taking the tablets.  Then I changed my mind and foolishly threw them all away.  I reminded myself that Jesus had revealed himself to me as the Great Physician when He healed me miraculously of bullet wounds.  If He healed me then, He would heal me now, I reasoned dogmatically.  So, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked Him to heal me.

    In spite of my prayers, the lump in my chest grew even bigger and it became uncomfortable.  Whenever I touched it, it was painful.  I prayed and prayed, and nothing happened.  Then one Sunday morning, I decided to really wrestle with God.

    Immediately I woke up, I “confronted” the Holy Spirit: “I will not let You go today unless You heal me.”

    Jesus says the kingdom of God suffers violence, so I decided to take my healing by force (Matthew 11:12).  I told the Lord: “I know You are a healer, so I am telling You now.  I am going to church this morning and I am not coming back without being healed of this lump in my chest.  I just want You to understand that.”

    Balm of Gilead

    When I arrived in church, the first thing I did was to go down on my knees and talk again to the Lord: “Father, I am here by appointment to receive my healing.” I sat down in expectation, convinced something had to give. When the praise-worship started, I entered into it with alacrity, clapping and singing to the Lord with all my strength.

    Suddenly the praise-worship leader, Valentine Obi (now CEO of eTransact), stopped the choir mid-stream. He said: “There is somebody here who is looking to the Lord for healing. The Lord says He is going to heal you today.”

    I could not believe my ears. Can you imagine it? My case had become so important to the Lord He stopped the praise-worship of an entire church, just to give me a personal message.  I felt very special.

    When the praise continued, I became even more intense.  Suddenly, Valentine stopped the choir a second time.  This time he said: “The Lord said if you are the person who is believing God for your healing this morning, come out so I can pray for you.”

    I made a dash for the altar and was surprised to find two other people there.  “What are they doing here?” I thought; convinced I was the only person the Lord could possibly be referring to. And so, Valentine prayed.

    After the prayer, I checked the lump in my chest. It was still there, and it was still painful. But it no longer mattered. What mattered to me was that the Lord had responded to my insistence that He should heal me in that service. That response was more than enough.

    Several days later, the Lord asked me one of those puzzling questions. “Femi,” He said, “what happened to the lump in your chest?”

    I really did not understand what He meant by the question, so I decided to take a look at it.  When I opened my shirt, I could not find the lump there anymore. You may well ask when and how it disappeared. The truth is I have absolutely no idea.

    Let there be light

    After I left the hospital, the Lord told me to read this scripture: “God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; He publicly honours them and destroys the power of their enemies. He nurses them when they are sick and soothes their pains and worries.” (Psalm 41:1-3).

    Then He said to me: “Femi, you know Me as a doctor. But I also want you to know Me as a nurse.”

  • Riches in glory – By Femi Aribisala

    Riches in glory – By Femi Aribisala

    “The world is rich in money, but it is poor in mercy”.

    Jesus says to His disciples: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16).

    We blundered at the first birth, presuming we were born to pursue our own dreams, have illustrious careers, make a lot of money, and make a name for ourselves. But now our Maker leaves nothing to conjecture. We are born again (a second time) to produce the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:11).

    Peter writes our curriculum vitae. He says to the believer: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, (God’s) own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

    How do we proclaim the praises of God?  Is it by what we have? Certainly not! Jesus says: “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15).

    We proclaim God’s praises by what we are. God says: I am what I am.” (Exodus 3:14). He does not say: “I am what I have.”

    True riches

    According to Jesus. one of the reasons why God leaves the believer in the world after our conversion is to determine if we can be entrusted with true riches. He says: “If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:12-13).

    Thus, Jesus looked at His disciples and decided to make the thief, Judas, the treasurer. In that position, Judas used every opportunity to steal time and again from the common purse. Little did he know that in so doing, he failed a simple integrity test. Had he remained faithful, he would have qualified for true riches.

    True riches endure. Money, on the other hand, grows wings and flies away like an eagle towards heaven. (Proverbs 23:5).

    According to Jesus, money does not belong to the believer.  It belongs Caesar. (Matthew 22:21). What then belongs to the believer?  God Himself. As God proclaimed concerning the Levites in the Old Testament: “I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28).

    Glory of the world

    God blessed Solomon because he did not ask for the world or for the worldly.  These are what the Gentiles seek.  God blessed him because he sought wisdom to understand kingdom dynamics and to rule according to kingdom principles.

    “God said to Solomon: ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honour or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life- but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king- wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).

    Therefore, those who understand kingdom dynamics seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and the kingdom of God is spiritual: it is not physical.

    What is the glory of man in this world?  What are those things about which he makes his boast?  What are those things that are the pride of his life?  A rich man glories in his possessions.  A strong man glories in his strength.  A powerful man glories in his influence.  A wise man glories in his wisdom.

    Some glory in their connections, some in their family background, some in their looks, and others in their experience.

    But what is the glory of the believer in Christ?  What is the glory of the spiritual man?  What is the glory of that man who has been born of God?  He glories in the fact that he knows God and that God knows him.  He glories in the cross, which paved the way for his reconciliation with God.  He glories in the name of Jesus.

    Glory of God

    The glory of man is often tangible, physical, and earthy.  But the glory of God is denominated in spiritual currency.  Man is an instrument for the manifestation of the glory of God.

    Jesus says God has deposited light, which is another word for glory, in the church.  Now he enjoins us to allow the glory to be made manifest.  He says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

    When Moses asked to see the glory of God, he saw no pride of life.  He saw no houses, no lands, and no riches as men call riches.  But he saw the riches of the glory of God.  He saw mercy, he saw grace, he saw goodness and long-suffering.  These are the riches of the glory of God.

    God is rich in mercy.  He has riches of goodness and forbearance and long-suffering.

    The design of salvation is for God to display the riches of His glory in the life of believers: “That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.” (Romans 9:23-24).

    Believers are not called to showcase the glories of the world.  We are called to show forth the glories of the kingdom of God, which are clearly absent in the world.

    While the world is rich in money, it is poor in mercy.  While the United States, for example, is awash with dollars, it is short of goodness.  While there is an abundance of gold in South Africa, it is devoid of truth. The world is lacking in righteousness and in compassion.

    Therefore, Isaiah laments that: “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14).

    The believer is born again to salt the earth.  He salts it with the fruit of the Spirit of God.  He supplies the missing quotient of love, joy, and peace.  He salts the earth with the riches of goodness.  He is kindhearted, honest, faithful, and just.  The world is starved of these attributes.  But they are the ornaments of the kingdom of God.

    Look around you.  There are people in your neighbourhood who need mercy.  There are people next door that need compassion.  People need the truth. They need the righteousness of God.

    Paul says: “My God shall supply what you need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

    Christians are the riches in glory of God.  We are the ambassadors of the kingdom of God. This makes it our responsibility to supply what is sorely lacking in the world.

  • A Muslim-Muslim presidential disaster for the APC – By Femi Aribisala

    A Muslim-Muslim presidential disaster for the APC – By Femi Aribisala

    “Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.  The APC plan for a Muslim/Muslim ticket in this day and age in Nigeria is nothing short of madness”.

    Bola Tinubu is standing on the horns of a dilemma.  He became the godfather of the APC out of burning personal ambition to seek greener political pastures for himself in Abuja.  The APC calculus is to present a Northern presidential and Southern vice-presidential ticket against the PDP’s Jonathan/Sambo ticket in the 2015 presidential election.  If that APC vice-presidential candidate is not Tinubu himself, then all bets are off as far as Tinubu is concerned.  However, the prospect of a ticket with Tinubu as vice-president is already ensuring that the APC is badly in need of aspirin.

    An APC vice-president that is not Tinubu poses grave political danger to Tinubu.  It means Tinubu has been sowing for somebody else to reap.  If that person happens to be Yoruba, he or she could quickly become a contender for Tinubu’s much-vaunted position as the Asiwaju of South-West politics in Nigeria.  That is the reason why Tinubu schemed against Mulikat Akande  becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  Therefore, all systems are “go.”  Tinubu must be APC’s vice-presidential candidate by hook or crook.  If not, it is most likely Tinubu will end up by scheming against the APC in the coming presidential election.

    Truncated democracy

    The first imperative is to ensure that the chairman of the APC must be someone Tinubu can manipulate.  Therefore, he insisted that Bisi Akande, the former ACN chairman well-schooled in Tinubu’s gamesmanship, must be retained as APC chairman.  Those were the days when Tinubu’s word was law in ACN.  But now in APC, he got into a shouting match with Tom Ikimi, who insisted the APC chairman must come from the South-South.  Tinubu lost out to the new power-brokers of the APC governors.  Bisi Akande resigned and the post was zoned to the South-South.

    Then phase two of the battle began.  Tinubu needed to ensure that the APC chairman is not his new arch-enemy, Tom Ikimi, a known Atiku Abubakar man.  So he shopped for a more malleable alternative.  He finally settled on John Odigie-Oyegun, former governor of Edo State.  But when the permutations were done, Odigie-Oyegun could not be assured of victory in a democratic poll.  The answer, therefore, in typical Asiwaju fashion, was to truncate democracy in APC.

    Tinubu engaged in backroom deals whereby, instead of electing a new APC chairman, Odigie-Oyegun was rigged into the office.  APC governors went along with this charade out of fear Tinubu might otherwise lose interest in the APC and deny it of valuable South-West support.  The lie was sold to the convention that all other candidates had agreed to step down for Odigie-Oyegun.  As a result, he was declared the new consensus chairman of the party.

    Ikimi’s exposure

    However, Tom Ikimi refused to play ball.  He not only boycotted the convention, he announced that the whole thing was 419, ACN style.  Ikimi declared that the election was rigged principally by Tinubu, who he claimed “unilaterally” appointed Odigie-Oyegun as party-chairman.  Said Ikimi: “I did not step down for anybody. When it became clear to me and many others, including my supporters, that the outcome of the contest would not be determined by a free and fair vote at the convention, most of the delegates, tired and weary after waiting for more than 24 hours for accreditation all day at Eagle Square, departed.”

    Ikimi went further to reveal that the entire scam is designed to pave the way for a Muslim/Muslim APC presidential ticket with the Asiwaju himself as Muslim vice-presidential candidate.  Hear Ikimi: “I felt strongly that if we were bound to proceed on the basis of zoning that both party offices as well as key offices in government such as President, Vice President etc., should be put on the table and zoned at the same time. My suggestion was motivated by strong information I had received of plots being hatched to steamroll a Muslim/Muslim Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket for the APC in the 2015 election and with specific individuals in mind as the beneficiaries.”

    This plot is not just thickening: it is also unraveling.  Tom Ikimi is not just an ordinary member of the APC.  He is one of the founding-members.  As a matter of fact, he presided over the negotiations leading to the merger of the different parties that make up the congress.  So what we have here is more than speculative.  It is coming from one of the APC insiders.

    APC delusion

    Femi Fani-Kayode also left the APC for the same reason.  Stating publicly the reason for his departure, Fani-Kayode declared: “I am a devout and committed Christian and I cannot remain in a party where a handful of people that have sympathies for Boko Haram and that have a clear Islamic agenda are playing a leading role. This is made all the more untenable when some of those people are working hard silently and behind the scenes to impose a Muslim/Muslim ticket on the party for the Presidential elections next year.”

    Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.  The APC plan for a Muslim/Muslim ticket in this day and age in Nigeria is nothing short of madness.  It will not fly.  It will not only be rejected outright by Nigerians, it will tear the APC apart.  Indeed, it is already beginning to do so.  Bola Tinubu cannot be elected vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  He cannot even win a free and fair election in Lagos today.  That is how unpopular he has become in his South-West heartland.  It did not help matters that he was quoted as insulting virtually all Yoruba traditional rulers.  The defeat of sitting APC governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, by opposition PDP candidate, Ayo Fayose, is surely handwriting on the wall.  Tinubu cannot deliver the South-West to the born-to-rule Northern cabals of the APC.

    It is amazing how the political ambitions of some individuals can completely blind them to the political reality of present-day Nigeria.  A situation where some terrorists are holding the country and 219 Christian girls hostage by insisting that Nigeria must become an Islamic Republic does not permit the scheming of a political party that insists power must return to the North to present a presidential ticket where both the president and vice-president are Muslims.  This would surely be interpreted by Christians and Muslims alike as capitulation to Boko Haram.  It would also confirm the suspicions of some that the APC is sympathetic to the Boko Haram cause.

    Abiola/Kingibe precedence

    The argument that the Muslim/Muslim ticket of Abiola/Kingibe was accepted by Nigerians in 1993 is disingenuous.  That ticket was accepted because the presidential candidate, Abiola, was from the South; and he was running against Bashir Tofa, another Muslim but from the North.  2014 is not 1993.  A Muslim/Muslim APC ticket today would combine the insistence that power must return to the predominantly Muslim North, with yet another political incendiary; the Islamisation of Nigeria according to a Boko Haram agenda.

    This would not only fail, it would be politically disastrous.  It would ensure that the 2015 election will be fought on religious grounds.  It would then become apparent to everyone, Christian and Muslim alike, that Nigeria needs to be protected from the APC.  The very fact that major power-brokers in the APC are even seriously entertaining this idea is eloquent testimony that the APC is up to no good.  The religious situation in Nigeria today is particularly delicate, especially given the malicious bombing of churches and killing of Christians by Muslim insurgents in the North.  How then can a political party that aspires to rule the entire country be so insensitive to the prevailing situation?

    Elections are not about choosing between the best alternatives.  Most times, they are about choosing between bad alternatives.  The PDP and the APC are both lousy options.  If we had the druthers, we would say “a plague on both their houses.”  Unfortunately, they are the only viable choices available to Nigerians in the coming elections.  Forced to choose between the two, there can be no question that the PDP is by far the lesser evil.

    APC sectarianism

    APC is a party of convenience.  It is the party of autocratic political masqueraders pretending to be democrats.  It is the party of power-hungry politicians with regional agendas.  It is a party of those inclined to plunge Nigeria into sectarianism because personal ambition is given greater saliency over the national interest.  It is the party of those who have remained largely silent and complicit in the face of Boko Haram insurgency.  It is the party of those who are inclined to use the national tragedy of the kidnapping of innocent Chibok schoolgirls for party-political gain.

    The very fact that Fani-Kayode felt the need to protest to the powers-that-be in the APC that “the APC is not an affiliate of Al Qaeda and neither is it a Boko Haram party, a Janjaweed party or a Muslim Brotherhood Party” shows it is beginning to be perceived as one or all of the above.  In life, perceptions are often more important than reality.  It is a testament to the disdain with which the APC holds Nigerians that it is doggedly refusing to address these growing perceptions.  On the contrary, it seems inclined to confirm them.

    Catch-22

    The APC is in a catch-22 situation.  If it does not field Buhari as presidential candidate, it will lose invaluable Northern support that only Buhari seems able to guarantee.  If it does not field Tinubu as its vice-presidential candidate, it will lose Tinubu’s ostensible South-West coattails.  The answer is the political suicide of a Buhari/Tinubu ticket, since both politicians are Muslims.  Whatever the permutations, an APC presidential ticket that includes Tinubu will end up as a Muslim/Muslim ticket, because the APC does not have a viable Northern Christian presidential candidate.

    In the meantime, the APC is going to provide the political Nollywood of the coming months.  The upshot of these shenanigans is not only that the APC will come to grief in the coming presidential elections, but that Bola Tinubu will lose his meal-ticket in the South-West.

    (This article was written in June 2014.)

  • The new tithing scam from thief and robber pastors – By Femi Aribisala

    The new tithing scam from thief and robber pastors – By Femi Aribisala

    “Even the truth can become deceitful if used deceitfully”.

    I wrote in 2013 that: “every Pastor who collects tithes is a thief and a robber.” I was roundly excoriated by the thieves and robbers. But it has been a losing battle for them.

    Jesus says: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). The psalmist says to God: “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130).

    As more and more light has been shed by the light of the world, more and more Christians have been released from the captivity of pastors operating from dens of thieves. A few years ago, Daddy Freeze re-opened this issue in Nigeria, and the pastors were again up in arms.

    Desperation

    The president of the PFN said those who do not pay tithes would soon die. No such things happened. Another false prophet among them even prophesied that Daddy Freeze himself would soon die. But the blessed man is alive and well.

    But things have gone from bad to worse for tithe-collectors. One of them, a highly respected “Man of God” in Nigeria made a statement so outrageous and unscriptural that it must only have been borne out of desperation.

    He charged all the pastors under him to tell the members of their congregation that those who do not pay tithes will not go to heaven.

    This MOG forgot that heaven is not his to give. There is no guarantee that he himself will go there. So, how can he arrogate to himself the right to prevent others from getting there?

    Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13).

    The MOG’s desperation reminds me of a story I heard about another pastor who says it is a sin for women to wear trousers. One day, he was praying for some people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit when a particular lady he prayed for immediately received the gift of speaking in tongues.

    Then, he noticed that she was wearing trousers.

    He called her back in annoyance, before remembering that he was not the giver of the gift. The Giver did not seem to mind her trousers.

    Bankrupt

    It was only a matter of time before the tithing scam in the churches was exposed. People have been paying tithes for years but have yet to receive physically the blessing of Malachi 3:10 that there shall not be room enough to contain. They have been paying tithes, but only the pastors have been getting richer.

    It is not as if the promise of Malachi is of no effect. The windows of heaven were opened by Jesus Christ. He is the one who secured for us the blessing that no room can contain.

    But the mysteries of the kingdom of God have not been revealed to pastors because hearing they hear but do not understand. (Matthew 13:13).

    Because of their covetousness, they failed to realise that the robbers of God that Malachi railed against were not the Israelites, but the priests. They were the ones who were cornering ALL the tithes, neglecting the orphans, the widows, and the poor:

    “‘And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.’” (Malachi 2:1-2).

    So, they said those who do not pay tithes would be cursed. But God would never curse Israel for God would never curse those he has already blessed. Moreover, the scriptures affirm that New Testament believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).

    Creflo Dollar

    The tithing scam is not working so, one by one, the scammers are singing a new song. The latest convert to a new anthem is Creflo Dollar. Creflo was so committed to tithing that he once said that if he had the druthers, those who refuse to pay tithes would be lined up and shot. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLsDNxZcOa8).

    Now Creflo says: “The teaching that I have shared in the past on the subject of tithing was not correct… I could never understand it clearly because I had not yet been confronted with the gospel of grace… I have no shame at all in saying to you, throw away every book, tape, and video I ever did on the subject of tithing.”

    But the gospel of grace is not a new addition to the bible. It was always there. Paul says: “You are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14).

    Creflo and others cherry-picked the law and decided that tithing was applicable under grace because it was convenient to use the law to browbeat Christians into providing the funding to build their religious empires.

    Should we now believe that they have seen the light when it is no longer convenient for them to peddle the lies of the past? I do not think so.

    New scam

    It is human to be mistaken and then see the error of our ways. But the mistakes become cynical when they are to our profit. The corrections also become suspect when we offer no apologies for past errors, but now promote new self-serving principles.

    Creflo now says perhaps the reason why tithers were not blessed according to the Malachi promise was that they tithed under the law. Now, they should give under grace and be blessed.

    Moreover, he now points out that the biblical tithe was more than ten percent. Those who are no longer constrained by the tithing principle can easily give far more than ten percent. The new question is: “how much do you love God?” Give lavishly to show your love for Him.

    “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

    Of course, this is true. It has always been true. It was true all the time that pastors were threatening non-tithers with the devourer and with the denial of heavenly blessings.  But even the truth can become deceitful if used deceitfully.

    So, give. Give lavishly. Give willingly and cheerfully. But do not give to Creflo and his like. Do not give to pastors, especially tithing pastors. Do not give to the so-called church, which is really not the church. Give to widows, orphans, and the poor. Give to the Lazarus at your gate.

    They are looking for more money for their empire-building. They need more money to cater to inflation. The cost of aviation fuel had quadrupled, so they need more money to fly their planes. Do not let millionaire mega pastors use new tricks to rob you of your hard-earned money.

    “He who gives to the rich will surely come to poverty.” (Proverbs 22:16).

  • Wrestling with Jesus – By Femi Aribisala

    Wrestling with Jesus – By Femi Aribisala

    “Many of us so-called Christians are living a li”.

    For a long time, Jesus was a big problem in my life. I simply could not handle the truth of God that He reveals.

    Before I met Jesus, I was convinced I was righteous. I lived my life under a strict code of principles and precepts which I believed set me apart from the rest of humanity.

    But the truth, which I only discovered much later, was that these principles were absolutely rubbish. The problem with Jesus is that His righteousness is diametrically opposite to mine.

    Jesus the righteous

    When I met Jesus, His message was unambiguous. There could only be one conclusion from His teachings: Femi Aribisala is unrighteous.

    I was confronted with a choice. I must either choose the righteousness of Christ or conclude He only says a load of pious nonsense. I could not come outright to say Jesus was talking rubbish because I came from a Christian home and was raised as a Christian.

    But at the same time, I sought refuge in the misguided conviction that Jesus’ righteousness is impossible to fulfil. I was convinced, for example, that there was no way a man could get to the point where he would never again look at a woman lustfully.

    There was no way that one would slap a man on the one cheek, and he would readily turn the other cheek. That man would no longer be a man but a weakling and a coward.

    There was no way a man would take your coat and you would give him your cloak as well; unless you were stupid. There was no way a sane human being could be expected to love his enemies and pray for them.

    In short, I concluded it is impossible to be the kind of man Jesus prescribes.

    What then should I do about the declared truth of God’s word?  I decided it was better to stop reading the Bible, especially the words of Jesus. I reached the conclusion, which I now realise was a major piece of deception, that if I continued reading the Bible, I would certainly end up as an atheist.

    Sooner or later, the illogical and irrational nature of Jesus’ teachings would get to me, and I would conclude that Jesus Himself was a load of rubbish. Since I did not want to reach that conclusion, I decided to stay away from Jesus as much as possible.

    Living a lie

    That was my way of dealing with the truth, and it was completely idiotic. The problem with Jesus’ truth is that it does not leave us alone. We can run away from it but are nevertheless soon overtaken by it.

    Jesus’ truth does not go away. It is always there, staring us in the face. It is always there, compelling a choice. If we harden our hearts, there remains only one way out: we must become abject liars.

    It is one of the major tragedies of contemporary Christianity that most so-called Christians are living a lie. We name the name of Jesus but ignore His commandments. We continue in sin but delude ourselves that Jesus has taken away our sins. We say Jesus is Lord, but in all practical matters reject His lordship.

    Accordingly, Jesus asks: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

    “The one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed, and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:49).

    If Christians were to put Jesus’ words into practice, we would be known as the most righteous people on earth. We are not because we ignore Jesus.

    Instead, most Christians are hypocrites. A hypocrite is a play-actor, a pretender, and a deceiver. He is formally and outwardly righteous, but inwardly insincere and evil.

    Jesus says of the Pharisees: “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28).

    Hypocritical Christians

    Hypocrisy among Christians is particularly harmful because it speaks of a terrible heart condition. The hypocrite knows the right thing to do, pretends to do the right thing, but does not believe in doing the right thing. Hypocrisy is pretending to be righteous when our heart is far from God.

    The scriptures say we can change our life by changing our hearts. That is the message of Jesus’ beatitudes. However, the hypocrite says we can change our life by changing our appearance. Hypocrisy fundamentally denies the existence of God. Our actions keep begging the question: “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” (Psalm 73:11).

    The hypocrite is only concerned about men; he does not reckon with God. As long as he fools men he is satisfied. Peter calls hypocrites wells without water. (2 Peter 2:17). Jude says they are trees without fruit, twice dead. (Jude 1:12).

    Hypocritical Christians need to repent because Jesus pronounced woe on hypocrites. He warns: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20).

    And so today, we have many people whose Christianity does not go beyond going to church, quoting the scriptures, singing praise songs, and going to prayer meetings.

    Beloved, how do we respond to the truth?  Our answer will determine whether we inherit life or death. Do we fight against the truth?  It is a losing battle because the truth is impregnable. To fight against the truth is to fight against God. We cannot win.

    The helper

    One day, I found myself in a church and the preacher preached a message I could not understand, except that something in me connected with it.

    It was time to stop fooling myself and accept defeat. My righteousness is inadequate. I needed to succumb to the righteousness of God. I went forward and prayed a heartfelt prayer of repentance. I asked God to help me and keep me on His righteous path.

    From that day, something strange happened to me. I discovered a power from within, teaching me the ways of God; enabling me to obey the commands of Jesus. Accepting Jesus means accepting His words and precepts. It means living by His words.

    Jesus says: “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19).

    I suddenly discovered that the commands I felt were impossible to obey can be obeyed with the help of Jesus’ Holy Spirit. He is appointed to lead us into God’s truth. Jesus says: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” (John 14:6).

    Thanks to Him, we can no longer deal with truth in the abstract. The truth is now a person with a personality who comes down from heaven to dwell in us and lead us in the paths of righteousness.

    Jesus says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).

  • Mercy triumphs over judgement – By Femi Aribisala

    Mercy triumphs over judgement – By Femi Aribisala

    “The adulterous woman was sentenced to eternal life”.

    This world is a world of judgment. We insist on retributive justice. We send transgressors to jail. We judge offenses. We sometimes even judge God.

    But judgment never wins; mercy always wins. Judgment without mercy is of man. But with God, mercy always ultimately triumphs over judgment.

    The gospel

    The gospel is the most powerful message in the world because in it God’s mercy triumphs over His judgment. It is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. The gospel reveals a big surprise that is anathema to man. It reveals the mercy of God.

    Mercy is when we do not receive the punishment we deserve. With God, nobody deserves mercy. We deserve death but receive mercy.

    Therefore, it is a misnomer to say God is a God of wrath. God is love and not wrath: “His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).

    God is a God of mercy. It is God’s mercy and not His judgment that endures forever: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentation 3:22-23).

    Everywhere we look, we see the mercy of God. Everywhere we look, we see the grace of God. Everywhere we look, we see the love of God.

    We see God’s mercy in every disaster. We see it in every calamity. We see it in every accident. We see it in every act of kindness.

    Unmerciful servant

    Jesus tells the story of a servant who owed his master a great debt. Because he was unable to pay, the master forgave him the debt. But the same servant refused to forgive his fellow servant who owed him some money and had him locked up.

    The unmerciful servant despised the grace of God. Therefore, the master delivered him to torturers. But I ask for how long? For how long would he be tortured? He would not be tortured forever because God’s mercy will ultimately prevail.

    With God, even the destroyed are redeemed from destruction. Even when it is God who brings about the destruction. God redeems from the destruction that He ordains. (Psalm 103:4).

    Judicial correction

    Judgment is necessary for correction. But judgment is a bad teacher. The judgment of man sometimes worsens the man. He comes out of prison a worse person than when he went in.

    But the purpose of God’s judgment is to reveal God’s mercy. It is God’s mercy that melts the heart. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.

    Judgment brings correction but mercy brings connection. (Romans 2:4). We love God because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19).

    Justice served

    God’s justice was not set aside. The penalty for our sins was paid in full. But it was paid for us by Jesus Christ:

    “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

    In Egypt, judgment was passed on the Egyptian first-born son. In Christ, judgment was passed on the first-born son of God. By union with Christ, we were crucified with Him. We died when He died. We then rose when He rose from the dead.

    Thereby, the Lord upheld His justice while at the same time revealing His mercy. “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” (Psalm 85:10).

    Because God’s mercy rejoices over His judgment, Jesus came for sinners. He came to save, not the righteous, of which there were none, but sinners, which was everybody. But those who do not believe in mercy will not receive mercy.

    The prodigal

    Who would love the Father more: the Prodigal Son, who squandered his inheritance on riotous living, or the faithful older son? Definitely the Prodigal Son because he receives mercy on his return home.

    Jesus says of the sinful woman who crashed a dinner party to kiss His feet: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47).

    The older brother of the Prodigal Son insisted on judgment. But the Father insisted on mercy.

    Unmerciful Christians

    Christians are the unmerciful servants of Jesus’ parable. They insist the judgment of God will prevail over the mercy of God. They insist God will burn sinners in a fiery furnace for eternity. Nevertheless, they say: “Go to hell” when angry with someone.

    They judge the disobedient, forgetting that they were also children of disobedience who received mercy. They forget that nobody deserves the mercy of God.

    “For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” (Romans 11:30-32).

    Thus, Jonah did not want Nineveh to be saved. Jonah was a Jew and the Ninevites were the archenemies of the Jews. Nevertheless, God asked Jonah to preach the gospel to the Ninevites. Jonah refused and had to be compelled.

    Likewise, the Jews did not want Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit. When they learnt that Peter had preached to them, they served him a query. He had to tell them the Holy Spirit is not his to give. It is the gift of God.

    God says: “‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:15-17).

    Law of Liberty

    A woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus. Her accusers asked Him if she should be stoned to death according to the Law of Moses. But Jesus said: “Let he who is without sin among you throw the first stone.”

    He knew that her accuser were all sinners. If anybody stoned her, he or she would also have had to be stoned to death.

    Did Jesus thereby abrogate the Law of Moses? No, He did not. The woman was sentenced to death, but Jesus died her death from the foundation of the world. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:23).

    Judgment was passed on the woman, but she was judged by the law of liberty. She was sentenced to eternal life. She was also sentenced to a tutelage whereby she would no longer even have the disposition to sin. She was sentenced to be a partaker in God’s divine nature.

    Accordingly, James counsels believers: “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:12-13).

  • The surrendered life – By Femi Aribisala

    The surrendered life – By Femi Aribisala

    “The Good Shepherd lives for the sheep”.

    When man imagines God, he sees Him carnally strictly in terms of His power and might. But when God manifested Himself in the flesh, He came as a meek and lowly suffering servant.

    Isaiah foresaw Jesus as: “a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.” (Isaiah 53:2). He wonders if anyone would believe his report. The prime expression of God in Christ is not His power but His love. Thus, while others say God is powerful: the disciple of Jesus says God is love. (1 John 4:8).

    Powerful love

    Power is a key expression of the Law of Moses. This is often demonstrated through retributive justice: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Exodus 21:24).

    But Jesus reveals that force is not that powerful, but that love is the most powerful force of all. A man can put a gun to our head, and still fail to obtain from us our most prized possessions because they are kept in our hearts. But when we are overwhelmed by love, we give everything, holding nothing back.

    Thus, God asks the believer in the confidence of His expressed love for us: “My son, give me your heart.” (Proverbs 23:26). We obey because we are overwhelmed by God’s love. John says: “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

    How does Jesus love?  Let us listen to Him: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13).

    We must love by laying down our lives for others. We must not fall into the Christian confusion that Jesus laid down His life for us, so we do not have to do so. He laid down His life for us, to show us we must lay down our lives for others.

    The example Jesus set for us preceded Calvary; so, this is not about Jesus dying for our sins on the cross. We lay down our lives for others by serving them.

    The Good Shepherd

    Jesus says: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11). Many Christians refuse to understand this simple statement. A shepherd does not die for the sheep: he lives for them. A dead shepherd is of no use to the sheep. But a living shepherd leads them to green pastures.

    Jesus, the Good Shepherd, does not die for the sheep. Nevertheless, He gives His life for them. Jesus is talking here about the life of the shepherd and not about his death. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep in the sense that His entire life is devoted to taking care of them. Without a doubt, it is far more difficult to live for the sheep than to die for them.

    Jesus’ crucifixion was a one-time event, but His priesthood as our shepherd is everlasting. Jesus remains our Shepherd today and He is still giving His life for us. The enemy decided to kill the Shepherd so that the sheep would scatter. (Zechariah 13:7); but God countered and neutralised this by raising Him from the dead, never to die again.

    As our Good Shepherd, Jesus should be emulated by His flock. How are we to follow Him in the giving of His life?  Is He asking for His disciples to be killed?  No!  He is asking us to love others by living a life of service.

    He says: “Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:27-28). Jesus is asking that we also give our lives as a ransom for others.

    This shows the cross of Jesus was fundamentally His incarnation and not just His crucifixion. His cross was in laying down His life in heaven to come to earth as a Man to show us the way of salvation.

    Jesus says: “My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:17-18).

    The “life” Jesus laid down was surely the spiritual, and not the physical, life. Jesus teaches that physical life is inconsequential: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:28). The physical life was taken from Him against His will. Therefore, He said in Gethsemane: “Not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42).

    But no one took His divine (eternal) life from Him. He voluntarily relinquished it in heaven to take up a mortal life on earth. After His earthly death and resurrection, He took up again His heavenly life.

    Love by works

    Following this example of Jesus, we do not love by faith. We love by works: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went around doing good.” (Acts 10:38).

    “I don’t do anything bad to him.”  That is not loving. Do you do anything good for him?

    “No matter how hard I try, he just continues to insult me.”

    Do not give up. Love does not stop loving. Jesus says:

    “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” (Luke 17:10).

    Someone wrote to me and said: “My life seems to be without meaning. I don’t know God’s purpose for my life.”

    It is always impossible to know God’s purpose for us when we are self-centred. But once we concentrate on others, we have a purpose. Love is the greatest purpose of all, for God so loved the world. Our great purpose in every relationship is to love. So doing, we fulfil Christ’s mandate.

    God told Abraham: “I will bless you and you will be a blessing.”  In every situation, we must position ourselves as a blessing. Our assignment in life is to serve others, even as Christ served the world.

    There is so much pain in this world. This is a world of sin and sickness. It is a world of trouble and turmoil. Our role is not to add to the evil, of which there is a surplus. Our role is to add to the good, of which there is a deficit. If goodness and mercy are following us around, then we should have a lot of goodness and mercy to dole out to others.

    John says: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:14-16).

  • The blessing of peace [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    The blessing of peace [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    “Worriers are problem worshippers. They run from pillar to post”.

    Jesus says: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

    There is a spirit in the word of God. That spirit is peace. When God speaks, He speaks peace. The psalmist says: “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints.” (Psalm 85:8).

    The things written in the Bible are for our peace. Jesus says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

    There was a storm and Jesus spoke to the waves: “Peace, be still.” And the sea was as calm as glass. As believers, we can also decree peace and it will be established. This is because we are sons of peace.

    Jesus says: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:5-6).

    When husband and wife are quarrelling, and a believer is called to mediate, he can decree peace. Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9).

    Gospel of peace

    The gospel of the kingdom of God is designed: “To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:79).

    At the birth of Jesus, the angel proclaimed to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Therefore, the gospel is called the gospel of peace. (Romans 10:15). So, whenever you go to preach the gospel, first decree peace.

    Prince of peace

    Jesus is the prince of peace. He brought peace and preached peace: “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36).

    Jesus mediated peace between God and man. God was in Christ reconciling Himself to man so that man could be reconciled to God. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1).

    Jesus mediated peace between Jews and Gentiles: “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.” (Ephesians 2:14-15).

    Acute distinctions

    The peace of man is elusive: the peace of God is real. The peace of man is temporal: the peace of God is eternal. The peace of man is external: the peace of God is internal in the mind. The peace of man makes sense: the peace of God surpasses all human understanding.

    Men often conceptualise peace as the absence of war. This is then negotiated through diplomacy and international peacekeeping. But God’s peace cannot be negotiated by men at the United Nations. It is the peace that only God can give, and it comes from a steadfast faith in God.

    Isaiah says to God: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3).

    People often say in frustration: “I just want some peace and quiet!” When you hear this, you know immediately that the complainant is seeking the elusive peace of the world and not the peace of God. For there to be peace in the world, there must be quiet. Not so the peace of God.

    The peace of God remains even in turmoil. It persists even in the middle of storms. It is established and sustained by the confident assurance that the word of God cannot fail.

    Unrelenting peace

    The peace of God does not come and go. It abides forever. It is constant and unrelenting. It is immune to changes in our situations and circumstances. For this reason, it is likened to a river: “‘For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.’” (Isaiah 66:12).

    If you stand on a bridge across a river and look down, you will notice the water keeps flowing in one direction without stopping. So it is with the peace of God. Like a river, it is always flowing in those of us who are privileged to have it.

    Worry worshipers

    Worriers are problem worshippers. They run from pillar to post, achieving nothing constructive but increasing their blood pressure.

    God worshippers are different. Like Jonah, we sleep through storms because God “gives His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2). When we invite God into our situation, the very first thing He does is to flood our hearts with His peace.

    This peace is the signature of Jehovah Shalom. It tells us the ever-present God is manifestly there. That is why Moses, in his wisdom, was not in a hurry to take the children of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised land.

    He said to God: “If You don’t go with us, we are not going.” He knew without God’s presence they would know no peace on the way. Therefore, God reassured him: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14).

    However, the Israelites did not have faith in God. They could not trust Him to protect them against their enemies. Therefore, they could not enter God’s rest, and so, out of all those who left Egypt with Moses, only Joshua and Caleb survived. All the others perished in the wilderness.

    Entering God’s rest

    Jesus renews this invitation to God’s peace to all humanity. He says: “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29).

    We may be labouring for money. We may be burdened because we do not have a child. We may be depressed because we do not have any pride of life like a job, a car, or a home. But the Lord does not promise any of these.

    He is not a God of money. Neither is he a God of children. He does not say: “Come to Me all you who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you a job, or a car or property. He says: “I will give you rest.” I will give you the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

    Garden of Eden

    Once, the Lord visited me and led me through the early chapters of Genesis. He told me He planted a garden, east of Eden. In it was every kind of precious and luscious fruit. The garden was planted by the rivers of water, and the trees brought forth their fruits seasonally.

    Then the Lord suddenly turned the entire episode on me. He said to me: “Femi, I have planted this garden in your mind. I want you to tend the garden, keep it and dress it. Every plant that I have not planted must be uprooted.”

  • The blessing of peace [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    The blessing of peace [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    “When God wants to bless a man, He gives Him peace”.

    The scriptures tell us about a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. It was a physical ailment that affected her body. But physical ailments often have other implications and ramifications. In her case, the physical ailment affected her wallet and her finances. She spent all her money seeking medical attention but to no avail.

    But most important of all, the physical ailment also had an adverse effect on her mind. How do we know this? We know because Jesus did not just heal this woman of her infirmity. He restored her peace of mind. He gave her a command: “Go in peace.” (Mark 5:34).

    It is important for this woman to recognise exactly what she has received from the Lord so that she does not easily surrender it to the thief. Jesus did not give her any money. He did not give her any properties. He did not give her any position in society.

    But he gave her good health. And he gave her peace.

    Believer’s inheritance

    Christians are often particular about what the Lord has not given, and we ignore what He gives.

    When a man writes his will in his old age, he gives his most prized possessions to his favourite children. What did Jesus will to us on His deathbed?

    When Jesus was going back to heaven, the one item Jesus willed to believers is peace. He said: “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).

    When He rose from the dead, it was also the first thing He gave to His disciples who seemed to have lost their peace of mind because of His crucifixion. He appeared to them and said: “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19). (“As I was telling you before I was rudely interrupted at Calvary.”)

    Peace then must be Jesus’ most prized possession. Note that Jesus makes it the responsibility of the believer not to allow his heart to be troubled or afraid. He that has received peace from the Lord guards his inheritance jealously.

    The wise man of the scriptures says: “A man of understanding holds his peace.” (Proverbs 11:12). He does not relinquish it.

    Invaluable peace

    Peace is a very precious commodity. It is more valuable than gold. There is so much gold in South Africa, but very little peace there. There are so many dollars in the United States, but very little peace.

    When a man has no peace, he cannot even enjoy prosperity. Jeremiah says: “You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.” (Lamentation 3:17).

    Men are inclined to guard our material possessions. We burglar-proof our houses. We put our treasures in safes. We put our money in the bank. We put our gold in Fort Knox. But our hearts are wide open. This is very foolish.

    Solomon counsels: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).

    Contrary to what is popularly taught in the churches, God does not bless people with houses, cars, lands, or jobs. He blesses people with peace. The blessing of God is the peace of the heart and the mind.

    The psalmist says: “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11).

    Jesus blessed the woman with the issue of blood with peace. He did the same with the woman who anointed His feet with fragrant oil and kissed them. (Luke 7:49-50).

    When God wants to bless a man, He gives Him peace. When He is angry with a man, He withholds His peace from him. He says to Jeremiah in His anger at Israel: “I have taken away My peace from this people.” (Jeremiah 16:5).

    The thief

    Jesus says: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10). However, the thief is not after our money. He is not after our material possessions. He is not even after our children. He is after our peace. He attacks our wallet, possessions, and children as a means to remove our peace.

    God is a God of the Heart. The bible says he searches the heart and the mind. He does this to see if His peace is established there. He allows us to go through trials and tribulations to see if we would surrender or retain our inheritance of His peace.

    Do we grumble and mumble in our heart of hearts at the cards that God’s providence has dealt us? Or do we continue to bless God and make melody to him in our hearts even at the darkest midnight? The Lord wants to know.

    That is why David prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14).

    Attack by armed robbers

    My introduction to God was the peace of God. God spoke to me for the very first time in the middle of an armed robbery attack. He said: “Femi, nothing is going to happen to you here.” When He said this, the peace of God came down.

    I was no longer afraid of the robbers. I just knew I would be alright. I knew this even though one of the robbers shot me in the leg. It made no difference to me. The man pointed a gun at me, and I did not care. He told me to lie down face down, and I refused.

    But when the robbers left, the peace left me. I became worried seeing my bloodied leg. I feared I would bleed to death on that lonely road. But suddenly, the voice of the Lord came back. He said to me: “Femi, nothing is wrong with your leg.” Immediately, the peace returned.

    Thereafter, I experienced no trauma from the attack. A few weeks later, God miraculously healed my bullet-ridden leg.

    Spiritual peace

    That peace I experienced on that fateful day was God Himself. Peace is a person. His Name is Jesus. Paul says: “(Jesus) Himself is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14).

    When the pre-incarnate Jesus visited Gideon and instructed him to fight against the Midianites with his limitations, Gideon got a new revelation about God: “Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace.” (Judges 6:24).

    Indeed, God is Jehovah Shalom; the God of peace. (Hebrews 13:20). Where there is peace: there is God.

    God is spirit, which means we cannot see Him. But we can experience Him. We can experience inexplicable peace, which is the spiritual essence of God. This peace of God banishes fear from us.

    God says: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.” (Isaiah 43:1-3).

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