TheNewsGuru

Tag: God

  • 2023: Only God, not man can decide who succeeds Buhari as president – Amaechi

    2023: Only God, not man can decide who succeeds Buhari as president – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on Sunday said only God can decide who takes over as President of Nigeria from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

    The minister also dismissed suggestions that he is being touted as the country’s next president.

    Amaechi explained that he is focussing on his job as a minister and would not want to be distracted. He spoke on Sunday evening on a monitored Channels Television programme.

    “I am still the Minister for Transportation and only God can tell who will be the President of Nigeria in 2023,” the 55-year-old Minister said during the programme.

    The Minister had earlier said the Kano-Maradi (Niger Republic) rail project will cost the Nigerian government $1.9bn.

    “The project is going to cost us $1.9bn and we will source it from mostly Europe,” the former Rivers Governor added, noting, however, that the government is yet to secure the loan.

    “We are about concluding it,” Amaechi said.

    On how long it will take the country to repay the loan, he explained that it is not within the jurisdiction of his ministry but noted that the railway project will commence on Tuesday.

    “That is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. When we would pay; what are the terms of agreement for the loan and all that would be the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain said.

    “So, that question can be directed to the Minister for Finance. For us in Transportation, our job is to work with the Ministry of Finance to procure the loan and commence construction and we think we would commence construction on Tuesday.”

    According to him, the project was initiated based on national interest, stressing that it would open up the country to more investment.

    “The interest is national; the interest is about Nigeria. The Maradi terminal is just 20 kilometres away from Nigeria; just 20 kilometres. So, there is no huge investment like Nigerians are thinking,” the minister said.

  • Is God Invisible? (2) – Femi Aribisala

    Jesus that can see and ears that can hear. (Matthew 13:13-16).

     

    Solomon provides the distinction: “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.” (Proverbs 20:12).

    Two examples should suffice. The Pharisees had eyes, but they could not see. Jesus said to them: “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:39).

     

    The Pharisees had blind eyes, but they did not know.

     

    Bartimaeus, on the other hand, was a blind man who could see. What or who could blind Bartimaeus see? He could see Jesus: “He cried out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Luke 18:38).

     

    How did he know Jesus is the Son of David? He had the seeing eye.

     

    Seeing resurrected Jesus

     

    Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected Jesus but did not see Him. She thought He was a gardener. Jesus opened her eyes and identified Himself to her.

     

    Cleopas and another disciple saw the resurrected Jesus but did not see Him. They only realised who He was on His departure:

    “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:31-32).

    Note that the burning was in their heart, not their eyes.

     

    The natural eye

     

    The natural eye is not for seeing. The natural eye prevents people from seeing God. The natural eye localizes and limits our vision. You cannot see with the natural eye Someone whose glory fills the heavens and the earth.

     

    Moreover, the glories of this world prevent people from seeing God. Isaiah saw God after the death of King Uzziah. But the believers of today are greater than Isaiah.

     

    The seeing eye is the eye we use to behold God. We cannot use the visible to behold the invisible. But we can use the invisible to behold the invisible. We cannot use the natural to see the spiritual. The spiritual must be seen with the spiritual.

     

    Yearning heart

     

    God cannot be seen with natural eyes. But He can be seen with our heart. The spiritual man sees with his heart. Thus, Michael W. Smith wrote a seminal song saying: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You.”

     

    This means the invisible God is visible even now. He can be seen with our hearts. Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).

     

    When our heart is opened, we see the glory of God all the time. Thus, in the height of his affliction, Job declares the confidence that he would see God in his lifetime:

     

    “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27).

     

    The bible testifies that Job’s yearning was realised. Job said to God when God finally intervened: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6).

     

    Indeed, God hides, but He often appears in our times of affliction. He does not always hide in the storm. He appeared to me for the very first time during an armed robbery attack.

     

    When the three Hebrew children were thrown into the burning fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, the pre-incarnate Jesus showed up in the fire and was seen even by the pagan king:

     

    “Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ ‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’” (Daniel 3:24-25).

     

    This tendency for God to appear during our afflictions is affirmed in Hosea. There, God says: “I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15).

     

    But when we earnestly seek God, we find Him. He says: “I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain.’” (Isaiah 45:19). “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13).

     

    Which is better, to see God or to know God?

     

  • Is God Invisible? – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    My niece says she wants to see God, but not in this life. So, I asked her: “Who do you think you will see in heaven? Will you see God with a face, eyes, a nose, and a mouth? Those physical attributes belong to God as a man.”

    However, God is a Spirit. Jesus says: “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).

    Since God is a Spirit, would He not also be invisible in heaven? I believe since God is invisible on earth, He would probably also be invisible in heaven. He is the Lord; He does not change. The challenge then is for us to be able to see the invisible; even while we are still here on earth.

    “Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.God’s blessing

    When the Lord called me, He required me to read Matthew 13:13-16. That scripture says:

    “Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.

    For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’

    But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.”

    Creating the blind

    God says to Moses: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11-12).

    In effect, it is God who makes some people blind. He does this because if He does not set blindness in nature, we would never know that there is blindness. Natural blindness is counterfeit. The real blindness is the inability to see God.

    The same goes for deafness. Natural deafness is counterfeit. The real deafness is the inability to hear God. Jesus’ statement above means there are people who have eyes, but they cannot see. There are people who have ears, but they cannot hear.

    But then Jesus says my eyes are blessed and my ears are blessed.

    If my eyes are blessed because they see, then I should be able to see God. If my ears are blessed because they hear, then I should be able to hear God.

    I realised the hearing of God by His grace during an attack by armed robbers on airport road in Lagos in 1996. The first thing He said to me was: “Femi, nothing is going to happen to you here.” But after He said this, I was shot in the leg by the robbers.

    Then, after I became concerned about the bullet in my leg, He said to me: “Femi, there is nothing wrong with your leg.”

    Presence of peace

    On that occasion, I knew for certain that the Lord was there. I not only heard His voice; I knew He was there. I felt His manifest presence. That presence was peace. He spread peace all over me and all around me, and I was not afraid of the robbers.

    When they left, the peace was lifted, and I became afraid. I thought: “I am going to bleed to death on this road.” But then He came back and said: “Femi, there is nothing wrong with your leg.”

    And His peace was restored yet again.

    I understood much later that: “(God) will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (God).” (Isaiah 26:3).

    On that fateful day, I could hear the Lord, but could not see Him. Nevertheless, He was there. He was right there, but I could not see Him. Then He came back several days later and told to me: “Blessed are your eyes for they see.”

    In effect, on that “Damascus road,” I also saw the Lord but did not know it. Over 25 years later, I now realise that I could have seen the Lord then because I see Him now.

    Seeing God

    However, the bible tells us no man can see God. Jesus says: “No one has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18). God told Moses: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20).

    Well, we may not be able to see God’s face in this dispensation, but that does not mean we cannot see God. We can see a man without seeing His face. When we see a man, we see God because man is made in the “similitude of God.” (James 3:9). Man is made in the image and glory of God.

    But even more fundamentally, we can see the invisible God without seeing His face: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” (Romans 1:20).

    Indeed, according to the scriptures, many people have seen God. He appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre. (Genesis 18:1-5). He appeared to Jacob in Peniel. (Genesis 32:30). He also appeared to Moses:

    “By faith (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27). “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11).

    God was also seen by the 70 elders of Israel (Exodus 24:10); by

    Gideon (Judges 6:22); by Manoah and his wife (Judges 13:21-22); by Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-2); and by the disciples of Jesus.

    Paul says: “He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).

    Theophanies of God

    The Lord has also appeared to me many times. Once, He took me to heaven and set me before the throne of God. But I could not see the person seated on the throne.

    He once appeared to me as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The Lion played with me and then used its claw to stroke my eyeball. Another time, He appeared to me as Olusegun Obasanjo when Obasanjo was still the president of Nigeria.

    In 2006, He appeared to me as T.S.B. Aribisala. He said to me: “I will send you some money next month from Canada.” Within eight days afterwards, I received N11 million as unexpected gifts which I used to clear my debt to First Bank in buying the building we now use for our fellowships.

    In 2012, He appeared to me on a mountain as Barrack Obama, president of the United States. He shook hands with me and took photographs with me.

    But these were all in dreams. Now I know that we should be able to see God when we are wide awake and not only in visions while asleep.

    TO BE CONTINUED

  • Free will does not exist (2) – Femi Aribisala

    The wisdom of man says man has free will. But God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. (1 Corinthians 1:20). Foolish man bases truth on his own thoughts and reasoning. But God says to men: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9).

    God says to the foolish king of Assyria who thinks his conquests results from his efforts:

    “What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger. I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet. But the king of Assyria will not understand that he is my tool; his mind does not work that way.” But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws?” (Isaiah 10:5-7/15).

     

    Foolish man thinks his actions and inactions come from his free will. But the only wise God declares that only His will is done: “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’” (Isaiah 14:24). God says: “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10).

     

    “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 12:8-10).

     

    Disciples of Jesus

     

    Jesus told His disciples: “Without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Nevertheless, they foolishly contradicted Him. He said to them on the night of Calvary: “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” (Matthew 26:31).

     

    That was the will of God.

     

    God says: “’Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I (will bring) it to pass.” (2 Kings 19:25).

    But Peter foolishly insisted the will of God would not be done. He asserted instead his own will, saying to Jesus: “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” (Matthew 26:33).

    Therefore, Jesus said to Peter: “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” (Matthew 26:34).

     

    It is a no-brainer to ask whose will was done, that of God or that of Peter. Peter denied Jesus not once, but three times. The other disciples who also willed not to desert Jesus all deserted him. Is this not eloquent proof that the will of man is never done but the will of God is always done?

     

    Example of Pharaoh

     

    God told Pharaoh: “Let My people go.” But although He said this, He did not want Pharaoh to let them go because he planned to destroy Pharaoh and His army in the Red Sea. Therefore, although He sent Moses to bring terrible plagues on Egypt that would have broken the will of any man, He hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not heed the words of Moses.

     

    God continued to harden the heart of Pharaoh with the result that he met his Waterloo in the Red Sea. “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore, He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (Romans 9:17-18).

     

    There was no free will on the part of Pharaoh that could have prevented his downfall because the will of God had decreed his downfall. The same destiny prevailed regarding Samuel’s evil sons: “They did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.” (1 Samuel 2:25).

    Jesus provides the answer as to why Pharaoh and Samuel’s sons were evil and others good. He says: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33).

     

    Who makes the tree good or bad? God, the Almighty, that is who. The result is that, in every situation, it is the will of God that prevails.

     

    Wisdom of man

     

    But the wisdom of man is contrarian. He asks: “How then can man then be held responsible for his actions?”

     

    Paul quickly shuts up the foolish who ask such impertinent questions, thinking they are wise: “Indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (Romans 9:20-21).

     

    This is where the power of God provides the answer. Although God’s will is always done, nevertheless man is responsible for his actions. Assyria will still be held responsible for allowing itself to be a negative instrument of God: “When the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’” (Isaiah 10:12).

     

    God will punish those who are disposed to be used for evil purposes, and He will reward those who are inclined to be used for noble purposes.

     

    “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

     

    Note that, in every situation, God determines the vessels and He determines their use. But His determination never violates the disposition of the vessel.

     

    Salvation by grace

     

    Because man has no free will, salvation is by grace and not by works. Man cannot be saved by his own effort: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

     

    Indeed, God’s salvation provides no room whatsoever for man’s free will. God says: “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’” (Isaiah 65:1).

     

    Jesus, our Saviour, reiterates this. He says: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you.” (John 15:16). He says furthermore: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44).

  • Free will does not exist – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

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

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

    God is sovereign

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

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

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

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

    Predestination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Power of God

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

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

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

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

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

    Choosing death

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TO BE CONTINUED

  • Fictional coincidences – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    My DVD player has a slow-motion application. When you press it, you see the film you are watching in slow-motion. That way, you are likely to notice things you would otherwise have overlooked.

    When I first met the Lord, he set my life to slow-motion for the first two to three months so I could see things I had not noticed before. Suddenly, I discovered that everything about my life followed an ordered pattern. There was discernibly a guiding hand to all the things happening around me.

    I would ask the Lord a question and wait for him to answer; and he answered every time. But what was fascinating was the way he answered. In some cases, he answered directly in my mind. But more often than not, he used the things around me to answer.

    I would turn on the television and he would use someone on the screen to speak to me. Someone would come to visit me and would answer my question without my asking. I would open my bible and the answer would speak to me from one of the pages.

    After some time, the Lord switched off the slow-motion and everything went back to normal speed. But now I know it is up to me to be observant. Accordingly, I now spend every day of my life on the look-out for God. I make it my business to know what God is doing in the situations and circumstances of my life.

    On one occasion, I asked the Lord a question while driving. When I looked up, the answer was there; boldly written on a billboard. I then wondered whether the billboard was a vision or whether it was really there. So I went back again on the same route. When I got there, the billboard was right there, with the same message on it.

    Apparently, it had been there for a while. But why was it that the exact time I asked the Lord the question was the exact time I drove past the billboard? Did I ask the question or did the Lord cause me to ask it at that particular time? Your guess is as good as mine.

    After some time, the Lord switched off the slow-motion and everything went back to normal speed. But now I know it is up to me to be observant. Accordingly, I now spend every day of my life on the look-out for God. I make it my business to know what God is doing in the situations and circumstances of my life.

    It is my business to know the purpose he has purposed for me. Jesus says: “I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4).

    Finger of God

    Once, the Police arrested my former Business Manager, Ernest Oboh, on trumped-up charges. I had to go to the station to see what I could do. Before I left, I said a short prayer asking God for help. I asked him for the favour of God and the favour of man.

    When I got to the Police Station, I spoke to the arresting officer. The man listened to me intently for a few minutes and then directed that my Manager be released immediately. Then he gave me his reasons.

    He said to me: “I am releasing him for three reasons. I am releasing him because I have a lot of respect for people who have grey hair, and you have a lot of it. I am releasing him because I understand you have a doctorate, and I just have lots of respect for people who have doctorates. I am releasing him because you are a pastor, and I just have a lot of respect for pastors.”

    I told the officer: “I am sorry to disagree with you, Sir. You are not releasing him because of any of those reasons. You are releasing him because before I came here, I went down on my knees and prayed and asked God for favour.”

    You see, right from the beginning of that episode, God brought the case to a man whose mind he had already prepared to be sympathetic to me. All the issues about grey hairs and doctorates were simply the devices of God. Somebody else could have hated me precisely because my hair was grey, and he could have hated me for having a doctorate.

    Strategically-placed helpers

    Many years ago, some Liberian refugee members of our fellowship were arrested for “loitering,” and we had to go to the police station to secure their release. So we knelt and asked God to take control.

    When we got to the Station, we were directed to the office of the Divisional Commander. Immediately I walked into his office, I saw the kingdom of God. All over the walls were posters with slogans affirming the supremacy of Christ.

    When I sat down, I said to the DCO: “I see, Sir, that you are a Christian.” In answer to that question, he and I started sharing testimonies about the goodness of the Lord. This went on for some thirty minutes, after which he suddenly said: “By the way, why have you come to see me?”

    I told him some members of our fellowship were arrested for “loitering,” when all that happened was that they were going home after attending a Christian fellowship. I wanted to see if I could appeal to someone in authority to secure their release.

    The policeman was angry. “For loitering!” he exclaimed. “What nonsense. That should not happen, this is a free country.” He not only directed they should be released immediately but that those who arrested them should be summarily locked up.

    Don’t panic

    Joy Ogwu’s son was going back to the United States from Nigeria. He had an American passport and a Nigerian passport simultaneously. He came in with his Nigerian passport, which meant he did not have a Nigerian visa. But if he tried to leave with his Nigerian passport, they would require him to show a visa for his destination.

    That meant he would have to show his American passport. But dual nationality had then been suspended in Nigeria. If he only showed his American passport, they would ask him how he got into the country without a Nigerian visa.

    It was a “Catch 22” situation. Joy took the matter to God and asked for his help. Then she went to the airport with her son. But on getting there, she had a panic attack. Perhaps there was someone she knew who could help her? Perhaps if she spoke politely to the immigration official he would overlook the matter? Perhaps; perhaps; perhaps.

    Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke: “Did you not ask me for help? So why are you still anxious?”

    Remorseful, she stood there in the middle of the airport terminal apologising to God. She had scarcely finished praying her apologies when someone called her name: “Professor Ogwu is that you?”

    She looked up to see this distinguished military officer standing in front of her with a big grin on his face.

    “What are you doing here?” he asked.

    “My son is traveling to the United States.”

    “Where is he?” the man asked taking charge.

    He took charge so completely he ushered him past immigration and literally on to the plane. Problem solved.

    When Joy told her husband what happened, he was unimpressed. “It was just a coincidence,” he insisted. Coincidence my foot! Our God is not “a coincidental God.”

  • Only God can keep Nigeria’s border with Niger safe – Buhari

    Only God can keep Nigeria’s border with Niger safe – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that only God can effectively supervise Nigeria’s border with the Republic of Niger.

    According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari stated this in Abuja while receiving former Vice President Namadi Sambo, who heads ECOWAS Election Mission to the West African country.

    Buhari applauded the outgoing President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, for not attempting to tamper with the country’s constitution of his country, and elongate his stay in power, after serving for the maximum two terms.

    “I come from Daura, few kilometers to the Republic of Niger, so I should know a bit about that country. The President is quite decent, and we are regularly in touch. He is sticking to the maximum term prescribed by the Constitution of his country,” Buhari said.

    “Also, we share more than 1,400 kilometers of border with that country, which can only be effectively supervised by God. I will speak with the President and offer his country our support. We need to do all we can to help stabilize the Sahel region, which is also in our own interest.”

    On his part, ex-Vice President Sambo congratulated President Buhari on the successful return of abducted schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State, and also his 78th birthday, last week.

    He pledged that ECOWAS would ensure peaceful and fair elections in the Republic of Niger, despite current political, legal and security issues, adding that meetings were already being held with the relevant stakeholders.

  • Why I called myself god in human body- Laycon

    Why I called myself god in human body- Laycon

    BBNaija 2020 winner ,Laycon Agbeleshe a.k.a Laycon has opened up on why he calls himself a god in human body.

    The rapper made this known in a recent chat with Clout Africa.

    The ‘Awa fierce’ crooner said he didn’t go into the Big Brother House hoping to win.

    In his words:”I didn’t go into the house hoping to win.Let me not use hoping, because you hope to always get something good.I went into the house with just one mindset, promote your music. To be honest, I was still explaining to someone two days ago .The person asked: ‘You are supposed to go to Istanbul right’? I replied by saying : ’Is that part of the prize’?

    “The reason I don’t know about all these things is that in my head, I didn’t think of winning. I just wanted to promote my music. But then, coming out and winning it, it feels unreal. I still haven’t comprehended everything to the final detail, because I like to always comprehend everything. I still like feel some type of way every time I wake up.I cannot even walk down the streets”.

    Asked why he calls himself a god, Laycon said:” Calling myself a god in a human body is a conviction, an affirmation”.

    On how he feels in the shocking increase in his music downloads after leaving BBNaija house, Laycon said:” I felt very good, that means they love the music.It makes me feel that I achieved my main reasn for going into the house and also got something extra”.

    Laycon also thanked those who voted for him, adding that their votes got him here

    “I feel grateful, I am thankful, I am happy.I went there or something and came out with mre than I expected.I am grateful to everybody that actually got me here”.

     

  • Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favour with God, By Stephen Ojapah

    Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favour with God, By Stephen Ojapah

    Stephen Ojapah

    Today is the last Sunday in our four week preparations for the great Solemnity of Christmas. Many institutions, parishes and religious congregations have organized some sort of spiritual programs of preparations, in the form of retreats, recollections, sacramental confessions, and some, corporal works of mercy. By feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in some circumstances, burying the dead: especially the hundreds of our soldiers killed, due to banditry and Boko Haram attacks and are silently buried without any national honors. Preparing the right way is a means by which many Christians seek to find favour with God.

    In the scriptures, there are people whose lives exemplify, how only He can bestow this incredible favour on them, in spite of their unworthiness. One of such is Mary the Mother of Jesus. “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:27-30).

    Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation; and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin. While many schools of Buddhism emphasize self-discipline and effort as the path to enlightenment, something akin to the concept of divine grace is present as well. One of the most prominent examples of this is the doctrine of the Jodo Shinshu branch of Pure Land Buddhism, founded by the 12th-century Japanese monk, Shinran. In Buddhism, the concept of ‘merit’ refers to the power of good karma built up over time through meditation, effort and spiritual practice- in Japanese, ‘Jiriki’, or ‘self-power’.

    Grace in Christianity is the free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings. Common Christian teaching is that grace is unmerited mercy (favor) that God gave to humanity by sending his Son, Jesus Christ to die on a cross, thus securing man’s eternal salvation from sin. Within Christianity, there are differing concepts of how grace is attained. In particular, Catholics and Reformed Protestants understand the attainment of grace in substantially different ways. It has been described as “the watershed that divides Catholicism from Protestantism, Calvinism from Arminianism, and modern liberalism from conservatism”. Catholic doctrine teaches that God has imparted Divine Grace upon humanity and uses the vehicle of Sacraments, which are carried out in faith, as a primary and effective means to facilitate the reception of his grace. For Catholics, sacraments carried out in faith are the incarnational or tangible vehicle through which God’s grace becomes personally and existentially received. Reformed Protestants, generally, do not share this sacramental view on the transmittal of grace, but instead favor a less institutionalized mechanism. For example, in the Catholic Church, the primary initiation into a state of grace is granted by God through baptism in faith instead of by a simple prayer of faith: (sinner’s prayer). Although, Catholics would not deny the possible efficacy of even a simple prayer for God’s grace to flow: which we see in Baptism by desire. In another example, for Catholics, the sacrament of reconciliation in faith is the primary means of transmitting grace after a mortal sin has been committed.

    Hindu devotional or bhakti literature available throughout India and Nepal is replete with references to grace (kripa)) as the ultimate key required for spiritual self-realization. Some, such as the ancient sage Vasistha, in his classical work Yoga Vasistha, considered it to be the only way to transcend the bondage of lifetimes of karma. One Hindu philosopher, Madhvacharya, held that grace was not a gift from God, but rather must be earned.

    Salafi scholar Umar Sulayman al- Ashqar, dean of the Faculty of Islamic Law at Zarga Private University in Zarga, Jordan, wrote that “Paradise is something of immense value; a person cannot earn it by virtue of his deeds alone, but by the Grace and Mercy of Allah.” This stance is supported by hadith: according to Abu Huraira, Muhammad once said that “None amongst you can get into Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone … not even I, but that Allah should wrap me in his grace and mercy. The Quran says “God is the Possessor of Infinite Grace” and “He bestows this grace upon whomsoever He wills (or desires).Grace is something attainable by those here on earth from God who meet certain Quranic criteria. For example, they “believe in God and His messengers”, and they “race toward forgiveness from their Lord and a Paradise whose width encompasses the heavens and the earth.

    For us Christians, we see in Mary an example of God’s grace in action. A favour granted to her without her working hard to earn it. God is the reason for our Christmas celebration. With His action in the life of Mary, he transformed the lowliest of women into a spiritual power house of faith, and mercy. In the midst of all that bedevils our world. All we can hope and pray for is the unmerited favour of beholding his face at the end of our earthly sojourn. May his words come to us again as it did through the angels. Do not be afraid, for YOU have found favour with God.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR READER!!!

    Fr Stephen Ojapah is a priest of the Missionary Society of St Paul. He is equally the director for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism for the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, a member of IDFP. He is also a KAICIID Fellow. (omeizaojapah85@gmail.com)

     

  • Walking by faith and not by sight (1) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Paul says: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). He is not telling us how we should walk. He is telling us how we walk. This is like telling a boy that we don’t walk with our hands. We walk with our feet. Believers walk by faith. Those who believe in God walk by trusting Him.

    Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3).

     

    Little children learn to walk and talk. Like them, Christians must learn to see.

     

    All men are born blind. As a result, we cannot see God. Because we are blind, we steal right in front of spiritual CCTV cameras, foolishly thinking no one can see us. Because we are blind, we cannot see that God is standing right there looking at us while we are engaged in all manner of ungodliness.

     

    Therefore, Jesus says: “‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains.’” (John 9:39-41).

     

    This means we need to admit we are blind and pray that God would open our eyes. “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.” (Proverbs 20:12).

     

    The ability to see is a privilege given to those who are disciples of Christ. To them, Jesus makes this promise: “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:19).

     

    Then we will discover that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. (Romans 1:20).

     

    Trusting God

     

    A workman quoted a certain sum for a job I wanted him to do. I responded by drastically slashing the price. The man protested, saying: “You don’t trust me.” I replied: “Of course, I don’t trust you. Why should I? I don’t know you.”

     

    What about God, do you know Him. Has he earned your trust? If not, we need to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. As we grow in the knowledge of God, our trust in Him grows.

     

    God told me a storm was coming. I believed Him because He had told me so many things in the past and they all came to pass. Therefore, when He told me a storm was coming, I not only believed but told others to prepare for it. Then the storm came in the form of a violent EndSARS protest in Nigeria.

     

    Certainly, if He tells me something else in advance tomorrow, I will believe. I will see it even if I cannot see it, if you know what I mean. For this reason, Paul says it is possible for our faith in God to grow. The correct translation for faith here is trust.

     

    It is necessary for our trust in God to grow from faith to faith. As we see daily the workings of God, we need to get to a point where we trust God in everything. Has He said it? Yes! Then we know He will do it or bring it to pass.

     

    Holy Spirit tutelage

     

    As a new believer, God will give you some revelations. Thereafter, they will disappear. But then: “The gifts and calling of God cannot be revoked.” (Romans 11:29). Therefore, do not worry. You are just undergoing training. The training can last for many years. At the end of the training, the gifts will reappear.

     

    I thought I was a slow learner, only to discover that God is a slow teacher. He does not like novices. Therefore, He takes us through an exacting period of training. Now, after over 25 years, my gifts have blossomed. For example, now I see things before they happen. Now I am fully inducted into the office of a prophet and a seer.

     

    As a new believer, God taught me a new song. I woke up singing: “When the Spirit of the Lord is upon my soul, I will dance like David danced.” I thought it was a one-off. But now, the Holy Spirit chooses praise songs, and He sings them all day long in my heart.

     

    Use the gift you have. Let nothing discourage you. If it does not seem to work, don’t give up. God is not mediated through results. Jesus says: “Whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:12)

     

    Faith’s good report

     

    How can I travel from Lagos to London in the confidence that my plane will not crash or be blown out of the sky by terrorists? I can do so by trusting in God.

     

    The writer of Hebrews says: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” (Hebrews 11:1-2).

     

    By faith, we obtain the good report that if we travel by air from Lagos to London we will not die in an accident on the way.

     

    Do you have the good report of faith? What does it tell you? It tells you that you can face any challenges because God is your helper. It tells you that, because of Jesus, you can overcome the world. It tells you that whatever God brings before you providentially, He will give you the measure of faith to handle it.

     

    Will things get better for you or will they get worse? “Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come.” (Hebrews 9:11).

     

    It all depends then on what you can see. Can you see that you can pass through the Red Sea? Can you see that you can defeat Goliath? Can you see that you can feed the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes? Can you see that you can walk on water? Can you see that you can turn water into wine?

     

    You can see all these things if you know that God is with you. That is why we walk by faith and not by sight. To walk is to live. We live by faith. We live with God and we walk with Him. That is the essence of Christianity. True Christians are the people who live with God and walk with God.

     

    Jesus’ name is Immanuel meaning God with us. God is with believers. He is always with us. He never leaves: He never forsakes. He said to Joshua: “I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5). He says to all believers: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).

    CONTINUED