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Tag: God

  • The calling of a Christian – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Mark 12:29).

    Everything about the Christian faith is one: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

    God hates the double-minded. He despises the double-tongued. The believer’s eyes must be single and focused. Accordingly, there can only be the same calling for every believer.

    Once a man meets the Lord, it is time to start praying for him that the eyes of his understanding may be enlightened that he might know “the hope of God’s calling.” (Ephesians 1:18).

    The purpose that is purposed

    What precisely is the purpose behind God’s calling? What is God’s agenda for those who are called according to His purpose?

    Paul says: “(He who God) foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called.” (Romans 8:29-30).

    This indicates that the purpose that is purposed for those called by God is to be exactly like His Son Jesus so that Jesus might be the firstborn among many brethren.

    Is that not wonderful?

    Indeed, God’s prophecy says when we finally see Jesus, we shall be exactly like Him:

    “Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, right now, and we can’t even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2).

    I know of no Christian that does not want to be like Jesus. But there is one little problem. To be like Jesus, we have to suffer.

    Problematic appointment

    When Jesus called Paul, He sent Ananias to him saying: “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:16).

    Peter says: “Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude He did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power.” (1 Peter 4:1).

    Sinless Jesus came to save us from our sins. Suffering is the only way through which we can deal with the problem of sin. The scriptures teach that we can only learn obedience through suffering. It says of Jesus: “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8).

    To be like Him, we must follow His example. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6).

    Moreover, we cannot know God unless we suffer: “For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:10).

    Jesus Himself acknowledged that if He had not suffered, He would not have entered into glory. He asked Cleopas and his companion: “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26).

    Therefore, to be exactly like Jesus, to be partakers of God’s divine nature, we have to suffer unjustly without grumbling or complaining. We are called to suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake. We are called to do good and to suffer for it.

    Jesus’ blueprint

    This is what happened to Jesus: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).

    Thus, Peter says: “This is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” (1 Peter 2:19-21).

    When the Christians in Thessalonica suffered persecution, Paul wrote a similar thing to them: “No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” (1 Thessalonians 3:3).

    When the Disciples of Jesus were flogged for preaching in the name of Jesus, they rejoiced in the knowledge that this validated their calling:

    “When they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:40-41).

    Fighting the truth

    The road to heaven is paved with good intentions. However, our good intentions are not enough. Our dilemma is that we want to go to heaven, we want to be like Jesus, but we do not want to suffer.

    The chief young ruler wanted to inherit eternal life. However, when he understood the requirements, he had a change of heart. When Jesus told him to sell all he has and give the proceeds to the poor, the man lost all interest. He wanted eternal life but found the cost to be too expensive.

    The Israelites wanted to go to the Promised Land. But when they discovered that to get there, God would suffer them to hunger and thirst and they would have to fight against giants, they opted to go back to Egypt.

    Solomon says history tends to repeat itself. As it was in the days of old, so it is now. Christians want to be like Jesus, but then again we do not want to be like Him because we despise the fellowship of His sufferings.

    New wine, old bottles

    The choice is ours to make, but the requirements will not be amended for our convenience. If God did not want us to suffer, He would have given us new bodies immediately after we were born again. But by leaving us in this body of death, He has consigned us in this lifetime to pain and suffering.

    That is why we are groaning in ourselves to be released from pain and suffering by the redemption of our bodies. In the meantime, the born-again Christian is like new wine in old bottles.

    The counsel of God says: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22). Jesus confirms this: “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).

    Satan is the ruler of this world. (1 John 5:19). Therefore, all those that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12). The devil will make sure that the wicked persecute the righteous. (Gal 4:28-29).

    “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

    He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:19-20).

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Get out of the toxic environment

    By Okey Chinye

    Read: GENESIS 19:1–29

    Meditation verse:
    “So, Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place’” (Genesis 19:14).

    Every environment you find yourself in has its people, culture, systems, and practices. A toxic environment is one in which either the people or their culture systems or practices are out of sync with your core values. A toxic environment may be your home, place of work, community, your local church, or a relationship you are involved in. Being in a toxic environment can destroy your faith, wellbeing, personal growth, dreams, progress, or even life.

    Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of very toxic environments. The practices of the people were dehumanising. The men of the city, both young and old demanded to have carnal knowledge with the men who had come to see Lot. When Lot refused, they threatened to pull down his door, until they were struck with blindness. Then Lot’s visitors instructed him to take his family and get out of the place because they had been sent by God to destroy the place. Had Lot not heeded the instruction, he would have been destroyed alongside both cities.

    Do a scan of every environment you spend time in. Are you surrounded by negative people who evoke negative emotions in you? Are you in a relationship where you are mentally and physically abused? Do you feel belittled, threatened, manipulated, caged in and unable to express yourself? If yes, then chances are, you are in a toxic environment and you need to quickly get out. If you are unable to leave, you should create a ‘psychological island’ for yourself within the environment. ‘Psychological islands’ are moments where you engage in activities that edify your mind and uplift your spirit. Such activities can include praying, meditating on God’s word, listening to inspirational music, or journaling, all of which can create a sense of peace and serenity within you.

    Sometimes, it may not be obvious that an environment is toxic. You just feel you are in the wrong place or sense that God wants you to leave an environment. If this is the case, get up and get out, no matter how comfortable the place is at that moment. God is all-knowing, the secret things belong to Him.

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

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Give us this day our daily bread

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: MATTHEW 6:9–13

    Meditation verse:
    “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

    In the wake of each day, God dispenses bread as He pleases. Daily bread can be in the form of a good break, promotion at work, a business deal, healing, or salvation for a loved one. Psalm 145:15 says the eyes of all creatures look expectantly to God and He gives them their food in due season. He opens His hands and satisfies the desire of every living thing.

    In teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus taught them to ask for their daily bread. God is a gracious father who delights in blessing His children. Jesus said, “if you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11). Have you asked God for your daily bread today? James 4:2 says you do not have because you do not ask.

    Before you step out this day, why not pray in the manner Jesus taught His disciples:
    Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

    When you expect nothing, you will get nothing. It is as simple as that.

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

    IN HIS PRESENCE: A daily devotional of

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Keep becoming

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PHILIPPIANS 3:12–18

     

    Meditation verse:

    “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

     

    You are a work in progress. You need to keep moving towards perfection because you must realise your full potential to become all you were created for. You must finish your race. God has declared the end of your life. He knows who you are meant to be. And who you are meant to become is a solution to someone’s problem. If you do not become this person, you will be robbing them of the blessing they would have gotten.

     

    Jesus Christ came to this world to die on the cross for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, we obtain salvation. Against all odds, He set His face on this goal. He did not stop until He died on the cross. Just before His death, He declared that it was finished, and then He rose on the third day. If he did not die and rise again, salvation would have eluded mankind. “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

     

    You are on a journey on this earth and there is an assignment for you to accomplish. You must keep going until you become all you were created to be and complete your assignment. Myles Munroe is quoted as saying, “the richest place on earth is the graveyard”. Many people die and are buried with their assignments still in the wombs of their destinies, thereby robbing the world. Refuse to be amongst this group. Choose rather to die empty. Here’s what Paul the apostle said:

    Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

    – Philippians 3:12–1

    Why not adopt this mindset going forward.

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

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

     

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Can God count on you?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: DANIEL 3:8–30

    Meditation verse:

    “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:18).

    Three young men stood in the moment of truth; bow down to the king’s golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace. It would have been so easy to bow, after all, it was just a small compromise to make life easier for them in a foreign land. It did not necessarily mean they were no longer faithful to God. However, they were wise enough to understand that compromising would poison their allegiance to Jehovah. So, against all odds, they chose to defy the king’s command. And God honoured their commitment.

    You may find yourself in a moment of truth sooner or later faced with a temptation to compromise just to make life a little easier. It may be to alter the figure, jump the queue, tell a little lie to look good, engage in an adulterous relationship, give that bribe to obtain a favour, or what have you. Can God count on you at such moments to say: ‘let it be known that I will not bow?’. Refusing to bow can be a very lonely road to travel. Picture Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing before the crowd, whilst the officials prepared the fiery furnace.

    It is much easier to follow the crowd. But if you want to excel in life and fulfil your purpose, you must learn to stand alone sometimes. The journey to Calvary was a very lonely and painful one for Jesus Christ.

    However, the three young men were not alone, the bible says there was a fourth man was in the fire with them. Similarly, in your own moments, you are never alone. God promises to be with you always. “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” (Isaiah 43:2). Remembering that God is always with you, will help you make the right choice in your moment of truth.

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

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Is your mind lying to you (2)

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PHILIPPIANS 4:8

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

    Here are some more examples of how your mind can distort your reasoning:
    Blaming / Denying: When you hold other people responsible for your situation in life. For instance, your father died 30 years ago, yet he is still the reason you haven’t made progress in life. You may also take the opposite tack and blame yourself for every problem — even those clearly outside your control.

    Filtering: A person engaging in filtering takes the negative details and magnifies them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation. For instance, you pick out a single, unpleasant detail and dwell on it exclusively so that your vision of reality becomes darkened or distorted. When a cognitive filter is applied to your life, you see only the negatives and ignore anything positive.

    Emotional Reasoning: Emotional reasoning is when your emotions overtake your thinking entirely, blotting out all rationality and logic. Whatever you feel is believed to be true automatically and unconditionally. If you feel stupid and boring, then you must be so. Emotions are extremely strong and can overrule your rational thoughts and reasoning. You assume that these unhealthy feelings reflect the way things really are— “I feel it, therefore it must be true.”

    Polarised Thinking (Black and White Thinking) In polarised thinking, you see things only in extremes—all or nothing. You must be perfect, or you are a complete and abject failure; there is no middle ground.

    Jumping to Conclusions: Without the individual saying so, you know what he or she is feeling and thinking—and why they act the way they do.

    By learning how to identify and refute inaccurate thinking, you can find more rational and balanced thinking. It starts with feeding your mind with the right things. Guard your minds with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). It’s always a case of garbage in, garbage out.

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

  • The calling of a Christian (1) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Quote: To follow Jesus is to go to our death and funeral

    If you answer the phone and discover that the call is from the president of your country, you can imagine how excited you would be. Your mind might make a 100-metre dash, concluding that the call is about some appointment or promotion, or something of grandeur and prestige.

    You might Walter Mitty that: “The president wants to make me the Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Or he wants to make me a strategic and powerhouse minister in his government. It can also be that he wants to make me the Board Chairman of some highfalutin parastatal.”

    When King Ahasuerus asked Haman what should happen to the man that the king wants to honour, Haman immediately concluded that the king had decided to honour him. He was lavish in prescribing the honour, not knowing that it was meant for his archenemy Mordecai.

    Impetuous Isaiah

    All that happened to Isaiah was that he was given a privileged vision of God Almighty, high and exalted on His throne. Then he overheard the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”

    Isaiah immediately got carried away. He was so excited; he butted in on a conversation to which he had not been invited and shouted: “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8).

    But his excitement soon disappeared when he heard the errand. God said to him:

    “Go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” (Isaiah 6:9-10).

    This turns out to be the most repeated scripture in the Bible. The Mathew 13:13-16 version is the scripture that God used to call me. But we may well ask: “What kind of thankless errand does this entail?”

    Not surprisingly, Isaiah was nonplussed. He asked: “Lord, how long will this go on?”

    And God replied:

    “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.” (Isaiah 6:11-12).

    Jeremiah’s angst

    This is not the type of errand that brings glory to the messenger. On the contrary, it brings reproach and opprobrium. Thus, Jeremiah has a bone to pick with God. He says to Him:

    “O Lord, You deceived me when You promised me Your help. I have to give them Your messages because You are stronger than I am, but now I am the laughingstock of the city, mocked by all. You have never once let me speak a word of kindness to them; always it is disaster and horror and destruction. No wonder they scoff and mock and make my name a household joke. And I can’t quit! For if I say I’ll never again mention the Lord- never more speak in His name- then His word in my heart is like fire that burns in my bones, and I can’t hold it in any longer. Yet on every side I hear their whispered threats and am afraid. ‘We will report,’ they say. Even those who were my friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. ‘He will trap himself,’ they say, ‘and then we will get our revenge on him.’” (Jeremiah 20:7-10).

    But the Lord God Almighty is not apologetic. On the contrary, He rubs salt into Jeremiah’s wounds, telling him:

    “If racing with mere men-these men of Anathoth-has wearied you, how will you race against horses, against the king, his court, and all his evil priests? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in Jordan’s jungles?” (Jeremiah 12:5).

    Problematic calling

    God’s calling gets us into trouble. That is the reason why Paul found it necessary to point out that: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Something that works together for good is not good. But it ends up being good.

    That was the experience of Joseph. God’s calling led to his being thrown down a well, sold as a slave to Egypt, jailed on trumped-up charges, before finally ending up as prime minister of Egypt. In the case of David, he was on the run for his life for years before finally sitting on the throne of Israel.

    For his part, Moses always knew there was God’s calling upon his life as a saviour of Israel. But when he took the initiative and killed an Egyptian and buried him in the sand in defense of an Israelite, he was shocked at the ingratitude of his people. When he tried to mediate between two fighting Israelites, one of them challenged him, asking: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” (Exodus 2:14).

    Fearing his act was an open secret, Moses fled from the king’s palace in Egypt and spent the next 40 years in the wilderness. When God finally called him to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt, Moses’ response was not Isaiah’s “Here I am, send me.” He came up with a torrent of excuses. He knew he was in trouble.

    In the first place, the same God who called him decided to kill him immediately afterward for not circumcising his children and subscribing to the covenant God made with Abraham: “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.” (Exodus 4:24).

    The Israelites that Moses was sent to deliver again turned against him when Pharaoh increased their labours in retaliation for Moses’ audacity in telling him: “Ley my people go.”

    Not so fast

    If your response to God’s call is: “Here I am, send me” then take note. You probably have not yet understood your calling. God’s calling hardly ever agrees with us.

    When God called Jonah, He told him, a Jew, to go and preach the gospel of repentance and salvation to the enemies of the Jews in Nineveh. Jonah would have none of that. He boarded a ship and headed for Tarshish instead.

    When one man offered to follow Jesus, He warned him that they would not be living in the Sheraton Hotel: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:20).

    But Jesus’ discipleship is even more drastic. To follow Jesus is to go to your own execution. To follow Him is to go to your death and funeral:

    “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24).

    CONTINUED

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Is your mind lying to you?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PROVERBS 4:23

    Meditation verse:
    “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

    The human mind is powerful: It is the seat of affect (emotions), mood, thoughts, belief, perception, and memory. Your mind can be your greatest weapon for success or your biggest limitation for failure because it can lie to you. Cognitive distortions are how our mind makes us believe things that are not true. Here are a few of such lies:

    Overgeneralisation: When you come to a general conclusion based on a single incident or a single piece of evidence. If something bad happens just once, you expect it to happen repeatedly. Or you see a single, unpleasant event as part of a never-ending pattern of defeat. For instance, if get a poor grade on one paper in one semester, you conclude that you are a failure.

    Personalisation: When you believe that everything others do or say is a direct and personal reaction to you. For instance, if a good friend of yours walks past you on the road without saying hello, you immediately attribute it to something you did or said, without considering that she may just be having a bad day.

    Magnification or Catastrophising: When you expect disaster to strike, no matter what, or you imagine the absolute worst occurring. You may also exaggerate the impact of an insignificant occurrence such as a little mistake on your part.

    Minimisation: When you downplay the importance of a positive comment or event or inappropriately shrink the magnitude of significant events until they appear tiny. For instance, if someone pays you a compliment, you downplay it.

    Global Labelling: In global labelling, you generalise one or two qualities into a negative global judgment. Instead of describing an error in the context of a specific situation, you attach an unhealthy universal label. For example, when you say “I’m a loser” in a situation where you failed once at a specific task.
    Cognitive distortions lead to mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. You need to renew your mind with the word of God. Meditate on and memorise scriptures that remind you of who you are and what you are capable of.

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

  • Tinubu: I’m happy to be back home; grateful God gave me privilege to be alive

    Tinubu: I’m happy to be back home; grateful God gave me privilege to be alive

    National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has affirmed the supremacy of God on every human being, saying only Him alone has the authority to take his life when it is time.

    He, however, stated that he is “Hale and hearty,” after a successful medical trip to the United Kingdom.

    Tinubu made the remarks on Sunday, in his “Thank you speech” during a grand reception to welcome him back home, organised by Governor Bababjide Samwo-Olu of Lagos State, on behalf of the state government, held at the Lagos House, Marina.

    The event is tagged: “Welcome Back Home Asiwaju.”

    Recall that Tinubu, on Friday night, returned to the country, after a successful surgery operation on his right knee as well as rigorous post-surgery physiotherapy, spending about three months.

    Dignitaries present at the event were: wife of the state governor Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, his wife Oluremi, former Lagos Deputy Governors, Mrs. Idiat Adebule, Abiodun Ogunleye, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, Senator Olamilekan Solomon,members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, local government chairman, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Folasade Jaji, Chief of Staff, Tayo Ayinde and other members of the state Executive Council, members of the House of Representatives, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, party chieftains, clergymen, market leaders, among others.

    The arrival of Tinubu, came barely 24 hours after a campaign group, South-West Agenda (SWAGA 2023), was flagged off in Lagos by the state Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu to champion Tinubu’s presidential ambition ahead of 2023 general polls.

    Tinubu, at the event which witnessed prayers for him, expressed gratitude to God for bringing him back to Nigeria safely.

    He thanked all the political leaders and groups who have wished him well saying, he was very happy to be back home.

    Tinubu, also thanked God for sparing his life till the moment and seeing him through the medical trip abroad.

    He said despite his medical trip he could not praise God better than any other person and all those who prayed for his safe return home.

    According to him: “I am a little emotional, but I am happy to be back home. God is the giver of life and he alone can take it. I’m grateful to Him for giving me the privilege to be alive. “I’m Hale and hearty, I can’t but praise and thank Him enough.”

    Earlier, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Gbajabiamila, Olamilekan, said they were ready to work more and already working to ensure his mandate in 2023.

    Representing Lagos Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Stephen Adegbite, quoting Plsam 91 from the Holy Bible, prayed copiously for Tinubu’s good health and his family and his destined ambition in 2023, saying, “We are praying for you. You will get there. You will not die.”

  • God is the troublemaker (2) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and End of all things. (Revelation 1:8). Accordingly, He not only brings trouble to men, but He also redeems men from trouble.

    The psalmist says: “God turns man to destruction.” (Psalm 90:3). But he also acknowledges that it is God who redeems our life from destruction. (Psalm 103:4).

    Here is the kingdom dynamic: “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.” (1 Samuel 2:6-7). “He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.” (Job 5:18).

    Contradictions of faith

    The good of God often comes only after something bad happens. God does not make the good out of the good. He makes the good out of the bad. He creates success out of failures. He creates life out of death. He creates wealth out of poverty.

    He also brings joy out of sadness: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).

    Indeed, God often makes things very bad as a preface to making them very good. This is the principle behind His salvation:

    “The law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21).

    Accordingly, Simeon prophesied to Mary that Jesus would cause many to fall and then cause them to rise. “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against.” (Luke 2:34).

    Misnomers

    Paradoxically, bad things bring out the best in believers. The wisdom of God says our enemies are not our adversaries but our allies. Indeed, they are often members of our household. (Matthew 10:36).

    Therefore, we should love and appreciate them for they help us to learn godliness and to attain the righteousness of God.

    James says:

    “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12).

    We must respond to the challenges of our troubles by working out our true selves; our God-created selves. The things that glorify God are often at variance with our pleasures and convenience.

    God is in the business of trying our hearts and our faith. He sends trials to prove and strengthen our graces. He is determined to test the genuineness of our virtues and to add to their vigour. Our faith is so important to God that He will not shield us from those trials by which our faith is strengthened.

    Believers are “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.” (Isaiah 6:3). We become even better rooted after we have been buffeted by strong winds and storms, making us dig deeper to take firm hold of the precious truths of the gospel of our salvation.

    Blessing of trouble

    Worldly ease is the enemy of faith. Faith without trials is worthless. It makes believers: “clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.” (Jude 12).

    Faith prospers in adversity. No water tastes so sweet as the one we drink in the boiling heat of the desert. No star shines so brightly as the one that glistens in the dark polar sky. And no faith is so precious as the one that lives and triumphs in adversity.

    Therefore, the psalmist testifies to the blessing of trouble:

    “You, O God, have tested us; you have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but you brought us out to rich fulfilment.” (Psalm 66:10-12).

    Know this: the fire of God only refines it does not destroy. When God’s fire burns the bush, the bush is not burnt. (Exodus 3:2-3). When silver is refined in the fire, only the dross is removed.

    Moreover, we are brought through the fire; we are not left in it. This is God’s assurance:

    “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.” (Isaiah 43:2).

    Godly sorrow

    We often confuse the absence of problems with blessings when it might be a curse. Amos says: “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion.” (Amos 6:1). The man who lives a life of ease and therefore feels no need for God is at the end most miserable.

    Rather, anything that drives us to our knees before God, making us call upon him, is a blessing. Trouble is a specialist at doing that.

    It pushes us closer to God.

    If we were wise, we would rather welcome God’s refining process than decline it. Our prayer should be that our alloy should be taken from us, rather than that we should be withdrawn from the crucible.

    When a man of the world is sad, it means something bad happened to him. But when a believer is sad, it means something good is going to happen to him. Godly sorrow comes not to make us miserable but to wipe away every tear from our eyes. (Revelation 21:4).

    Trials and tribulations, afflictions, and adversities are all designed to bring believers into closer intimacy and knowledge of God.

    Accordingly, the psalmist acknowledged to God that: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71).

    50:20 principle

    The beauty of kingdom dynamics is that it confounds all natural expectations. Samson says: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” (Judges 14:14).

    What was intended to kill became a source of nourishment. What was designed to impede became a stepping-stone.

    Joseph says to his wicked brothers who sold him as a slave to Egypt: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20).

    Had they not sold him into slavery, he would not have become the prime minister of Egypt. Had they not sold him, he would not have become the instrument of their salvation from famine.

    Troubles provide invaluable life lessons. Nevertheless, expect God to deliver you from all of them.

    Habakkuk says:

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