TheNewsGuru

Tag: God

  • [Devotional] In His Presence: Do your best and leave the rest to God – Oke Chinye

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: MARK 4:26–29

    Meditation verse:
    “and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how” (Mark 4:27).

    Your control over life’s occurrences, whether good or bad is very limited. Jesus gave a parable about a man who scatters seed on the ground and goes to sleep, expecting a harvest. This man has no knowledge of how the seed grew into a plant and bore its fruits. In a similar vein, Ecclesiastes 11:5–6 states, “As you do not know what the way of the wind is, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything”. God’s understanding, control and ownership are unsearchable, while yours are grossly limited.

    So then, what should your attitude to life be? Be sure to put in your best in everything you do and, having done that go to sleep like the sower in Jesus’ parable, leaving the results to God. Increase comes from God and whatever He is involved in will grow. In every endeavour in life, there is a seed time and a harvest time. It is only a matter of time.

    Here’s God’s command to you: “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Are you going to obey this command today?

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

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

  • God is the troublemaker (1)- Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Armed robbers broke into a man’s house. They cornered him in his bedroom. In desperation, he pleaded to be allowed to say his last prayer. His assailants were amused. They told him to go ahead but make it brief.

    The man went down on his knees. “Father,” he cried silently, “I need you to deliver me. Don’t let me die like this.”

    He had barely started the prayer when sirens were heard. The robbers panicked and made a dash for it, leaving behind everything they had gathered.

    He later discovered there was a fire two buildings away from his house. The sirens came from the fire brigade on the way to the burning building.

    But his deliverance was much more than he presumed. In the haste to make a quick get-away, one of the robbers dropped his wallet. Inside were 10,000 dollars in 100-dollar bills.

    “That,” said the Lord, “is your disturbance allowance.”

    Troublesome life

    Nobody likes trouble. Nevertheless, it habitually confronts us. A man who rejects trouble is like a boxer in the ring who is upset when his opponent hits him.

    Job says: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1). Eliphaz concurs: “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7).

    Troublemaker God

    In the scriptures, God claims responsibility for all the trouble that takes place in the world. He says: “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7).

    “Now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7-10).

    Amos says: “If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?” (Amos 3:6).

    Solomon counsels that trouble comes by God’s appointment: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

    Indeed, God was the architect of all the travails of Job. It was God who invited the devil into Job’s affairs by asking him: “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8).

    Thus, when Job’s wife told him to curse God for his troubles, Job rebuked her: “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).

    Death of Lazarus

    So, let us apply this understanding to what happened in Bethany.

    “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.” (1 Samuel 2:6).

    Jesus caused Lazarus to fall sick. Then He killed him. When His disciples queried Him about Lazarus’ condition, He told them: “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (John 11:11).

    When they thought He was speaking of Lazarus having a nap, He said to them plainly: “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad.” (John 11:14-15).

    What are we to make of this? When we get into trouble, the Lord is glad. When we are sick, He is glad. When we encounter difficulties, God is glad.

    Moreover, He wants us to be glad as well. Jesus tells us to cheer up when we are beset by trouble. He says: “In the world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

    Our afflictions do not upset the Lord; it is our lack of faith that upsets Him. The psalmist says: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19).

    The Lord is glad when we get into trouble because He is our deliverer. Our troubles merely provide avenues for the showcasing of His power of salvation.

    Paul says: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

    God says He redeems from trouble: “That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (Isaiah 41:20).

    But without faith, there can be no deliverance. Without faith there is sin, for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23).

    Alpha and Omega

    Nothing happens except by God’s decree. God causes good and bad things to happen for His own purposes. Those purposes are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9).

    When we understand what God is after, we will not be distressed or confounded in our afflictions We will stand in atonement with Him and say: “Father, Your will be done.” We will say this, recognising that: “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

    Since God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, (Revelation 22:13), then we must know that everything originates from Him and ends with Him. Since He is the End of all things, then the end of all things must be good, for God is good. (Matthew 19:17).

    So, if school started last week and you still do not have your children’s school fees, just remember that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. If your rent is overdue and you still do not know how to pay for it, remember that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

    Put your hope in God. The hope placed in God never disappoints. (Romans 5:5). And so, the psalmist counsels himself: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God.” (Psalm 42:11).

    Glory of God

    When the disciples of Jesus saw a man blind from birth, they asked Him: “‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” (John 9:2-3).

    God says: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15). Therefore, whenever we get into trouble, we should expect to see the glory of God.

    Jesus says to Martha on the death of Lazarus: “If you would believe you would see the glory of God.” (John 11:40).

    She did.

    CONTINUED

  • Only God can remove Ayiri as Ologbotsere, family dares Olu of Warri

    Only God can remove Ayiri as Ologbotsere, family dares Olu of Warri

    …says it’s a lifetime title
    … it’s a family title

    Emman Ovuakporie

    Comrade Alex Eyengho, the spokesman of the Ologbotsere Descendants of Warri Kingdom has declared that only God can remove Chief Ayirimi Emami as the Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom and will occupy the title till old age and death.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Eyengho also described the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe and others who said the Ayiri has been suspended as Ologbotsere as jokers who should be ignored.

    He said: “As of today, Chief Ayirimi Emami is the de facto and the Dejure Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and it remains so. He is functioning effectively in that capacity despite the fact that he is in court.

    However, that does not mean at any point in time, those who really want genuine peace and reconciliation cannot bring anybody to the table to talk”.

    Asked if the new Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III can appoint another person as Ologbotsere, he said “Ologbotsere title is a family title; it is not Ayiri Emami’s title. It is a family title and it is the family that recommended Chief Ayirimi Emami to the then Olu of Warri who now confirmed it”.

    “The Olu of Warri cannot make anybody Ologbotsere without recourse to the Ologbotsere family. He will only make a request to the family that he wants to give out Ologbotsere title”.

    “The family will now do internal screening on their own and then present a candidate. That was what was done and that was how Chief Ayiri was presented to then Olu of Warri who now ratified and adopted the decision by the family. Once an Ologbotsere title is given to somebody, it is till death”.

    “The person only stops being Ologbotsere if he dies. It is not a tenured title. It is till death. Nobody can remove or suspend him because it is a family title”.

  • Christians are called to judge (2) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Before I met Christ, I was contemptuous of Christians. I regarded them as a bunch of hypocrites. I particularly despised the pretentiousness on display during church services where the adulterous, the unholy, and the profane put on cloaks of holiness and righteousness. For me, Sunday church services were no better than congregations of play actors and actresses.

    But after I met Christ, the Lord gave me a dream. In it, a committee had been set up to investigate the affairs of the library of my former research institute and to come up with recommendations for reform. I was privileged to be a member of that committee.

    At the end of the exercise, we were all seated at a roundtable. Then, the committee chairman decided to read the approved recommendations to us, before sending them to the management committee of the institute. “In the first place,” he said, “we have to make sure Femi Aribisala does not steal any more books from this library.”

    Flabbergasted

    The chairman’s statement completely caught me off guard. “But I am a member of this committee,” I protested. There was a deathly silence. “But I don’t steal any books,” I continued, becoming a little more strident in my protest.

    No one argued with me. The chairman brought out a book. Or should I say he brought out something that looked like a book? When he opened it, it opened like a computer notebook with what seemed to be a television screen. He switched on one of the dials and a recorded film came on. There I was on the screen in the library, reading a newspaper.

    All the members of the committee were watching the recorded episode on the screen with rapt attention. There was no place to hide. I just knew it was a matter of time before I would steal something from the library. But before I could see exactly how the theft was executed, my wife came and woke me up.

    Nevertheless, my dream was eloquent enough. Although I was very lavish in judging others, I was no better than they were, it not worse. This recalls Jesus’ parable of a pompous Pharisee flaunted his righteousness before God in the temple, deriding others as extortioners, adulterers, and tax collectors. Meanwhile, a tax collector nearby pleaded with God for mercy, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

    Says Jesus: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:11-14).

    Prophet of God

    God says to His prophets: “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1).

    Accordingly, John the Baptist judged the Pharisees. He called them at his baptism: “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10).

    But before a prophet judges, we must ensure that we do not share in the sins we reprove. Thus, Paul says: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11).

    However, even prophets must be careful not to arrogate to ourselves the exclusive position of God; the judge of all.

    We must be careful even when the providences of God put us in positions of authority over men. We must not become uppity: “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

    We must not allow men to exalt us beyond what is due. We must reject the glorification that comes from flattering lips, for God does not share His glory.

    In the middle of a battle, David expressed a longing for a drink of water from the well of Jacob in Bethlehem. Three of his mighty men of war took it upon themselves to risk their lives by breaking through enemy lines to get him this water. But David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a libation to the Lord. Only God, he insisted, deserves such a sacrifice.

    He said: “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” (2 Samuel 23:17).

    Merciful judgment

    Our judgment must always express the love of God, for God says: “I desire mercy.” (Hosea 6:6). Since the mercy of God prevails over His judgment, our judgment of others must also be full of mercy. “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20).

    Therefore, we must speak the truth in love. Our judgment must build up and not tear down. The fruit of God’s spirit is love, and: “love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10).

    Moreover: “(Love) thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:5-8).

    This prescribes that we always hope for the best for others. We should always believe the best about them and not the worst. This principle even applies to our assessment of God. If we do not understand why something bad happens, our love for God should enable us to bear it in the confidence that it will ultimately turn out for good.

    Unrighteous judgment leads us to jump to the conclusion that God is unjust, or unfair, or even unrighteous. Thus, determined not to believe that Jesus is who He claims to be, the Pharisees maintained that He cast out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.

    Jesus said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.” (Matthew 12:25-27).

    Jesus also told the parable of a man who hid his talents, claiming God is a “hard man” who reaps what He does not sow. He said to him: “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?” (Luke 19:22-23).

  • Christians are called to judge – Femi Aribisala

    Christians are full of contradictions. We judge believers and non-believers. We judge situations and circumstances. We even sometimes judge God, our Lord, and maker. Nevertheless, we quote Jesus: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2).

     

    When we are criticized, we often respond by saying: “Don’t judge me.” But believers are called to judge. Indeed, there are many scriptures in the Bible asking us to do so. A whole book in the Bible details the activities of judges, appointed by God Himself for the promotion of His righteousness.

     

    Paul says: “He who is spiritual judges all things.” (1 Corinthians 2:15). He says furthermore: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).

     

    Jesus Himself requires us to judge. He says: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:54-57).

     

    Echoing Jesus, the writer of Hebrews says: “Someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” (Hebrews 5:13-14).

     

    Righteous judgment

     

    Scripture is used to understand scripture. So, although Jesus says we should not judge in Matthew 7, He says we should judge in Luke 12. It is then up to us to determine exactly what He means because Jesus does not contradict Himself. But He says: “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16).

     

    Does Jesus want us to judge or not? Yes, He does.

     

    In the same Matthew 7 where He says: “Judge not,” He also says: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6). We cannot identify “dogs” without judging. Neither can we determine “swine” without judgment.

     

    Jesus then goes on to say: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-16). If we are to identify false prophets by their fruits, we cannot but judge them.

     

    Jesus’ concern becomes apparent when He says: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24). This shows Jesus wants us to judge, but we must judge righteously. The Law of Moses says: “In righteousness, you shall judge your neighbour.” Leviticus 19:16).

    Righteous judgment means not judging according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. (John 8:15). It means we judge the fruit and not the motive. We do not have the capability to judge the heart of others or their intentions. Only God can read the heart and discern the motives of men. Therefore, we must not arrogate to ourselves the judgment that only God can make.

    Righteous judgment also means not being respectful of persons. Accordingly, James warns: “Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1-4).

     

    Hypocritical judgment

     

    In Matthew 7, Jesus is particularly concerned about hypocritical judgment. His message is that we must not judge others for what we are guilty of. Every time we hypocritically criticise someone, we are condemning ourselves. God must not locate in us any wrong we see in others.

     

    This was the predicament of the scribes and Pharisees who brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, asking why she should not be stoned according to the Law of Moses. Jesus told them: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7). Knowing that they were also sinners, they quickly made a retreat one by one.

     

    Jesus then asked the woman: “‘Where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” (John 8:10-11).

     

    Those who judge hypocritically are often hiding something about themselves. Their criticism of others becomes an elaborate scheme designed to distract others from our faults. Their thinking is that nobody would suspect that the man preaching that people should not steal, is actually robbing others blind.

    Indeed, we often hate the most those things that we are guilty of. And so, we identify our faults in others to pre-empt them from criticising us, and to distract them from seeing our inadequacies. But God cannot be distracted. He knows where we live.

    “Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3).

     

    Spiritual proportionality

     

    One of the principles of the kingdom of God is that of spiritual proportionality. This is repeated severally in the Bible. Jesus says: “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:2). “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.” (Revelation 13:10). “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.” (Genesis 9:6).

    Therefore, righteous judgment must be without condemnation. Those who believe in Jesus will not be condemned on the last day. Jesus gives us this assurance: “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24).

    Paul also affirms this: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1).

     

    If there is no condemnation for us, then we must not condemn others, otherwise, we lose our exemption. Jesus says: “Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.” (Luke 6:37).

    CONTINUED

     

  • Pastor Adeboye narrates fearful encounter with God: He threatened to delete me out of Earth

    Pastor Adeboye narrates fearful encounter with God: He threatened to delete me out of Earth

    Emman Ovuakporie

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has narrated how he once received a severe warning from God about pride.

    Adeboye explained that God threatened to wipe him out of the surface of the earth if he is ever proud.
    The famous man of God made this disclosure during the church’s 69th annual convention.

    The Christian leader said the divine encounter he had has prompted him to maintain humility irrespective of his achievements.

    Narrating the encounter, he said:

    “I will remind you of what happened after Lekki 98′ one of the biggest programs we ever held. We came back here at night, I was out praising God for the mighty things He had done between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, I knew the spot where I was, He said son, bend down, quickly I bent down and He said draw the figure of a man in the sand, quickly I did.

    And He said stand up, I did, He said wipe out what you have drawn with your leg, I did, He said son, if you ever forget who is the one in charge, I will wipe you out and nobody will ever remember you came into the world.”

    The preacher urged members of his congregation to overcome pride.

    In another news, Pastor Adeboye has said the successes of individuals could be hampered by some factors.

    The pastor in a post on his official Instagram handle on Sunday, August 1, listed some of the factors he believed could hamper the successes of people.

    The Christian leader also advised people who are lazy to work hard, noting that God does not reward lazy people.

  • God is not good all the time (3) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    The God of the holy scriptures does not conform to human expectations of goodness. A good man does not tell his son to marry a prostitute, as God did with Hosea. (Hosea 1:2). A good man does not instruct his servant to walk around without their trousers for 3 years, as God did with Isaiah. (Isaiah 20:2-4). A good man does not put diseases on people. (Exodus 15:26). A good man does not kill off millions of his children over 40 years in the wilderness, as God did to Israel.

    If Jesus were a good man as men call goodness, He would not be despised and rejected by men. (Isaiah 53:3). He would not call his friend Peter “Satan.” (Matthew 16:23). He would not call a woman who came to Him for healing a little dog. (Matthew 15:25-26). He would not keep company with disreputable people. (Matthew 9:10-11). He would not take side with a woman caught in adultery. (John 8:3-11). He would not deny His own mother and brothers. (Matthew 12:47-50).

    He would not pronounce woe on his adversaries and call them whitewashed tombstones. (Matthew 23:27). He would not tell some Jews that the devil is their father. (Matthew 8:44). He would not smash the wares of sellers in the temple, he would simply ask them to leave. (Matthew 21:12-13). He would not ask a man who has been sick for 38 years if he would like to be healed. (John 5:6). He would not heal just one man and leave so many others unhealed. (John 5:3-13).

    Righteousness of man

    Because men truly have difficulty with the goodness of God, Jesus presents a parable in which a man says to God: “I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” (Luke 19:21).

    God’s goodness became doubtful at some point to David, he asked God: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” (Psalm 139:7-8).

    As for Jonah, he tried to run away to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3).

    When Jeremiah ended up in prison despite God’s assurances, he outrightly accused God of deception: “O Lord, you deceived me when you promised me your help.” (Jeremiah 20:7). Since God is righteous, he wonders why the way of the wicked prospers. He asks: “Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jeremiah 12:1).

    Habakkuk is disgruntled with God’s goodness: “Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch!” (Habakkuk 1:13). The psalmist has the same complaint: “Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?” (Psalm 94:3).

    But the worst of all is Abraham, who had the effrontery to try to teach God righteousness. When he realised God would soon destroy Sodom, he asked: “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).

    As for Job, he acknowledges that God is not good all the time but brings good as well as evil. (Job 2:10). Nevertheless, after having lost his children, his wealth, and his health, he asks God accusatorily: “Why do the wicked live and become old, yes, become mighty in power? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.” Job 21:7-9).

    Presumptuous sins

    God answers Job angrily: “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” (Job 40:8). Since Job was acting like a know-it-all, God asks him: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know!” (Job 38:4-5).

    Elihu counsels Job: “Do you know the mind and purposes of God? Will long searching make them known to you? Are you qualified to judge the Almighty? He is as faultless as heaven is high-but who are you? His mind is fathomless-what can you know in comparison.” (Job 11:7-8).

    Isaiah asks: “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13-14).

    Paul is even more categorical: “Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question?” (Romans 9:20).

    The truth is that the wisdom and knowledge of God are too deep for man to fathom. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out. (Romans 11:33). There are far too many things about the knowledge of God that are simply beyond man’s pay grade. As David admits: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:6).

    Thus, Paul says: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

    Trust God

    God is not answerable to man for His actions: “Why do you contend against Him? For He does not give account of any of His actions. [Sufficient for us it should be to know that it is He Who does them.]” (Job 33:13).

    “Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, Israel’s Creator, says: ‘What right have you to question what I do? Who are you to command me concerning the work of my hands?’” (Isaiah 45:11-12).

    We do not have to understand why God does some of the strange things He does. All that is required of us is to trust Him. The wise man says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    Only God is wise. (Romans 16:27). “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17).

    As for us: “We know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10).

    When perfection comes, we will discover that there is always a good and righteous reason for everything that God does. That is why we give thanks to Him in everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:18). By faith. we know that God works all things together for good. (Romans 8:28).

    Therefore, Jesus says: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Luke 7:23).

  • God is not good all the time (2) – Femi Aribisala

    Femi Aribisala

    An ambassador is sometimes required to tell lies for his country. But is an ambassador for Christ, required to do likewise for the Lord? Certainly not! However, you might be mistaken if you listen to many of the falsehoods propagated in the churches about the gospel of the kingdom of God.

    Jesus is the Truth. The gospel is the gospel of truth. Nevertheless, many people feel an effective way to promote the gospel is by telling lies.

    They make promises on God’s behalf that He never made. They say without Christ there is crisis, implying falsely that the Christian life is crisis-free. They make financial wealth an object of the gospel. They insist God is out to make all Christians billionaires, provided they first give their hard-earned monies as tithes to the churches.

    But the worst lies of all are those told about God. These lies are told by Christians who reject the knowledge of God and who create God in their image. God says: “I have kept quiet while you did these things, so you thought I was just like you.” (Psalm 50:21).

    However, it is important never to forget that: “God is not a man.” (Numbers 23:19).

    Deceived psalmist

    A popular refrain in the churches says: “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.” But is this true? Does God Himself claim to be good all the time? Clearly, God is not good in the way that men define goodness.

    Because we insist foolishly that God is good all the time: “We call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free.” (Malachi 3:15).

    The psalmist says: “As for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. (Psalm 73:2-5).

    However, the counsel of God says: “I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘the Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’” (Zephaniah 1:12).

    Offensive God

    In many respects, many of the actions of God in the Old Testament do not conform to human standards of goodness. God Himself warns us, saying: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

    If God were to be good all the time according to man, the righteous would not die in an accident. Evil men will not prosper. Jesus would not be despised and hated by men. He would not be: “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel,” and “a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 8:14).

    For example, in the Old Testament, no case was made against incest. The daughters of Lot had sex with their father and had children with him. (Genesis 19:33-36). Their action and pregnancy could only have happened by the determinate counsel of God.

    Discrimination

    The law not only discriminated against women, it considered them less valuable than men: “When a man consecrates by a vow certain persons to the Lord, according to your valuation, if your valuation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.” (Leviticus 27:2-4).

    The rape of virgins was condoned. Moses directed Israel concerning Moab: “Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.” (Numbers 31:17-18).

    After decimating Benjamin with an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to them, the men of Israel kidnapped 400 virgins of Jabesh Gilead. (Judges 21:10-12).

    God also sanctioned discrimination against the handicapped: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron, saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.’” (Leviticus 21:16-17).

    Slavery

    The Law of Moses approves slavery: “From the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.” (Leviticus 25:44-46).

    It even approves the selling of children: “If a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.” (Exodus 21:7).

    Death penalty

    God passed a death sentence on most transgressions. The killing of witches was divinely approved: “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” (Exodus 22:18). He told the Israelites to stone anyone who worshipped the sun, moon, or host of Heaven. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7).

    Mass slaughter was sanctioned as punishment for unfaithfulness to God: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’” (Exodus 32:27-28).

    When a man was arrested for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, God told Moses: “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” (Numbers 15:35).

    God prescribed genocide for those whose land He forcibly gave to the Israelites: “Of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them.” (Deuteronomy 20:16-17).

    Children were slaughtered while livestock were spared. (Deuteronomy 3:6-7).

    The bible even details an example of cannibalism: “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” (2 Kings 6:28-29).

    Reconciliation

    The question then is this: “How can we reconcile a good and righteous God with these terrible acts?” Unlike Christian apologists, God does not whitewash them. Instead, He claims full responsibility saying: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7).

    Amos concurs: “If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?” (Amos 3:6).

    “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7-10).

    CONTINUED

  • Early morning reflections: The supremacy of God – Francis Ewherido

    Early morning reflections: The supremacy of God – Francis Ewherido

    By Francis Ewherido

    I deliberately stayed up late Monday night until I could barely open my eyes. I really wanted to have a good night’s sleep, but I ended up sleeping very little before waking up. Though awake, I stayed in bed, deep in thoughts, for about three hours until I told myself I have had enough. While in bed, two passages of the scriptures and some events of the past week tugged me.

    The first passage is the Psalm of David, Psalm 24: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” I am no bible scholar, but my understanding has always been that this whole wide world and all that mankind owns belongs to God, though our children and material properties bear our names. We are therefore no more than caretakers. Once we die, we cannot personally claim ownership of anything anymore.

    The second is Genesis 1:28 – “God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” My understanding here is that God never wanted us to own the earth; populate, dominate, subdue, yes, but not own it. This confirms that we are caretakers. Man has made substantial progress in all: populating, dominating and subduing. The population of the world is now on the borderline of eight billion, technological and human developments have been phenomenal. But in all these, human imperfections are manifest everywhere. Floods and fires are simultaneously ravaging advanced Europe due to climate change and they seem helpless? Poverty is sweeping through Africa with all our natural endowments due to mismanagement. Yet everywhere you go, man continues to play God both at individual, corporate, national and international levels.

    Right now, individuals and organisations have started drawing plans and strategizing for 2022. It is wonderful to plan because not planning is a disastrous way to live. But in planning, man is limited because he is not all-seeing. Pause and look back at your 2021 plans so far. You are even lucky you can look back. Some plans have ended abruptly because the planners are six feet below. Planned milestone birthdays will no lo longer be celebrated, factories and planned projects are now for others to execute or jettison. Some are lucky they are still alive, but their plans are on hold. When you hang to life by a thread, those plans go to the inner recesses. Staying alive is all that matters.

    Some of these deaths are those who have the money to pay for any kind of health care. If it were possible to exchange life for their death, the resources are there. It must have been very frustrating for the deceased and loved ones left behind. But God shows His supremacy and like any other person, they depart. Death is a leveler. For the rich, poor, holy, filthy, there is only one physical death: you stop breathing and your sojourn here ends. How much those left behind spend on your burial, how you are remembered and every other thing thereafter are for the living.
    Give your best to life, but also strive to get the best out of life. Delay your gratification, but enjoy a little bit of life at every point. As you know, death gives no notice. Life is fleeting. I remember my earliest times in Ughelli, Delta State, over 50 years ago. The only interests were to run errands for elders, play, especially in the rain, and go to church on Sundays. There was always food, although it was not always my choice. Primary school came and past; then secondary school. Those were anxious times because there were not enough schools to go round and not entering school with your classmate was no good option. How do you look at them in church, in the streets and market places? Avalanche of schools, private and public, has taken that weight off the fragile shoulders of pre-teens.

    Secondary education came and coincided with adolescence and puberty. Mismanagement of this period still hunts some people in their 50s and 60s till date. I remember our school principal advising us in the assembly to face our studies. “These girls you are running after, a time will come when they will start running after you, you will be the ones running away,” he would say. Then, we would retort with snide remarks. Today, the responses of many of us will align with our former principal’s. Those of us around then would mainly be between 55 and 60 years now. Priorities have changed to mainly health and family matters. Some are stranded because, at this critical age, they are struggling with school feels and money to take care of their health. Some are retired without adequate preparations. Those in Lagos still wake up at 4am every day to go to work. Waking up daily so early for some of them is too much torture for their bodies. After dying slowly, some have permanently died. If you observe, you would have been seeing obituaries of this age group.

    I am an apostle of starting early. ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL: go to school/learn your trade and start work early. As a starter, you do not have the wisdom or experience, so get a get a mentor, if your parents or those around you cannot provide mentorship, to guide and quicken your journey. I do not want to tell young people not to enjoy their lives so that they will not make snide remarks at me as we did our principal. Also, I do not want them to feel like they have missed out on anything later in life, but be careful, much of the so-called fun is a bloody waste of time that adds no value beyond bragging rights later in life. You are a middle-level officer in a company owned by the husband of your former girlfriend, so what is that?
    Pray to find your life purpose early and focus on it. Do not hurry to go into marriage, but marry early if you have the fortune of divine guidance to your future partner, the basic financial stability and a personal roof (owned or rented) over your head. Have your children early, if they come. Keep the family size trim. This is no era for large families. Except for those who planned very well, paying school fees after age 55 is stressful. Save, invest and plan for your old age and use it to give yourself and your spouse the kind of quality life that circumstances will allow you. When the kids have moved on, your spouse is all the company you might get.

    My condolences to my brother, Jude, who lost his mother-in-law, and the entire family of the late Chief Francis Agboro family, on the death of their matriarch, Chief (Mrs.) Mary Agboro. We also lost a dear family friend, Mrs. Stella Edafioka. Again another friend, Samson John Obiankej, who worked in the advert department of The Guardian Newspapers. He was a good man. In those days, he placed adverts for me in The Guardian on credit when the money was not ready. That was critical. In less than two weeks, we have lost two people in my neighbourhood. May God grant their souls eternal rest. One of the burdens of growing older is the increase in the news of death of people you know. It is tough.

    What personal lessons do I draw from these? Man is just a feeble and ephemeral being. Only God is omnipotent. So, I pray to God to help me draw clear boundaries between self-worth and humility. Life will be meaningless to me without self-worth, but wean me of any form of pride, Lord. Pride is foolishness, pride is hollow.

  • The thief in the night – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    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). Be of good cheer because He has shown us how to overcome tribulation.

    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).

    The believer must live in two worlds simultaneously. The one is physical: the other spiritual. The one is in Christ: the other in the world. The one is within and the other is without. The one is in the kingdom: the other is in the world. The one is peaceful: the other is full of turmoil.

    Therefore, although the Messiah is the “Prince of Peace,” His peace cannot be the peace of the world. Jesus says: “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).

    The Good Thief

    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.

    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.

    Despite 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 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 dashed to 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 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 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 what happened to it. The truth is I have absolutely no idea. But one thing I know now, Jesus came like a thief in the dead of night and stealthily took it away.