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  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God has saved the best for the last

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God has saved the best for the last

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 2:1-11

    Meditation verse:

    ““A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” (John 2:10, NLT).

    There was a wedding celebration in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. Whilst the celebration was still ongoing, the wine supply ran out. The problem was presented to Jesus. Initially Jesus said His time had not yet come but eventually He turned six pots of water into the sweetest wine anyone had ever tasted. The master of the feast upon tasting the wine said to the bridegroom, “everyone sets out the good wine at the beginning of the feast, but you have kept the best wine until now. 

    Today’s message is a prophetic word for you in these remaining few days left in the year. Jesus Christ, the Chief Bridegroom, and Master planner of your life has kept the best part of this year until now. Wherever you have experienced lack, setbacks, emptiness, frustrations, and loss this year, set out your six empty waterpots of stone because the tides are about to be turned in your favour. If you have invited Him into your life, just as He was invited to the wedding celebration, He will fill your emptiness and lack with sweet wine. Psalm 65:11-13 says, “You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing”.

    Do not cast away your confidence. Everything will be alright in the end, if it is not alright now then it is not the end. God is saying ‘do not put a fool stop to what I put a comma’. The year will end on a high note for you. “The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this” (Ecclesiastes 7:8-10). So, wait until the end.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Is your gift yielding any profit for God?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Is your gift yielding any profit for God?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Mathew 25:14-29

    Meditation verse:

    “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:6).

    Your spiritual gift is the ability you receive from the Holy Spirit after your salvation. You receive it by grace and not by your efforts. God expects you to use it to profit His kingdom. Your gift could be spiritual, such as the gift of healing or prophecy. It could be physical such as a creative or musical ability. It could also be mental, such as an intellectual ability or great leadership skills. I Corinthians 12:4-7 says, “there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” 

    Here are some things to note about spiritual gift(s)

    • God gives spiritual gifts in different measures and proportions. In today’s reading, we see the parable of the talents, where the master gave his servants measures of five, two and one.
    • Your spiritual gift was given to you for a purpose. “And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.” (Exodus 36:1). God expects you to use yours to expand His kingdom.
    • When you use it for God’s glory, He will multiply it. Many great musicians like Beyonce and late Whitney Houston began their singing careers in the church.
    • If you do not utilise your spiritual gift, it would diminish in value and eventually disappear. The master referred to the servant who buried his talent as unprofitable and collected it back from him.
    • Your gift is the easiest route to your success and wealth because you are uniquely gifted to do what only you can do in a way that only you can do it. “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
    • Lastly, when all is said and done, you will stand before the Judge and Master to give an account of how you used your gift. (Mathew 25:15)

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • God does not give true riches to unbelievers – By Femi Aribisala

    God does not give true riches to unbelievers – By Femi Aribisala

    “The gains obtainable in the world are all ungodly”.

    The scriptures affirm that: “The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men.” (Daniel 5:21). Nevertheless, the wisdom of God says it is only the wicked who prosper in the world:

    “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:12). The righteous only prosper in the kingdom of God.

    Worldly wealth

    The riches of this world are counterfeit. Jesus says they are deceitful. (Matthew 13:22). When a man has lots of money, we say he is rich. But Jesus disagrees:

    “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ -and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17).

    Jesus says the rich in this world should not be envied but pitied: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” (Luke 6:24).

    James echoes this: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.” (James 5:1-3).

    The worldly rich are so poverty-stricken and disadvantaged that they cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24).

    He says furthermore: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24).

    True riches

    Jesus cautions about the confusion of money with true riches: “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11).

    If true riches cannot be found in this world, where then can they be found? They can only be found in Christ. Jesus says: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.” (Revelation 3:18).

    True riches are not denominated in world currencies but in the glory of God. When Moses asked to see the glory of God, he did not see money, gold, or silver. Instead, he saw the intrinsic nature and character of God.

    “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7).

    The riches of God are in God and not in the world. The glory of God is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive: “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8). We are enriched in everything by Him. (1 Corinthians 1:5).

    It is therefore a contradiction for those who have received the fulness of Christ to then hanker after the counterfeit riches of this world.

    Kingdom dynamics

    God never gives true riches to those who are not in Christ. He only gives them counterfeits. All worldly wealth is counterfeit. “For all these worldly things, these evil desires-the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to (us), and the pride that comes from wealth and importance-these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself.” (1 John 2:16-17).

    God would never give anything valuable to unbelievers. He does not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast His pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.” (Matthew 7:6). He only gives unbelievers the things He despises. Jesus says: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15).

    So, if you ever see an unbeliever with anything, know automatically that it is rubbish. The unbeliever has earthly riches because they are garbage. They are a whole lot of nothing. The only things of value are not in the world but in the kingdom of God.

    This prognosis means everything we gain in this world is rubbish.  That also includes the worldly gains of believers. The gains of this world distract and prevent us from attaining the great gains of the kingdom of God. The gains obtainable in the world are all ungodly. But great gains are reserved for the godly, and they are all in Christ.

    Our rubbish gains in the world include our pedigree, education, social status, financial resources, fame, and fortune et cetera. Once we receive Christ and He opens our eyes, we come to realise that these gains are worthless.

    That is why the highfalutin pastors of our churches are confused and confusing. Paul refers to them as: “Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:5-6).

    Righteous conversion

    Therefore, he says:

    “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-9).

    The progression in this scripture is instructive. When Paul met Christ, he initially converted his earlier gains into losses. This conforms to the prophecy that in Christ: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low.” (Luke 3:5).

    But then he soon discovered that the things he lost were all rubbish. We do not lose rubbish. We discard them. We throw them away. In effect, he lost nothing but gained everything.

    Let me state this graphically so that its true import is not missed. He now regards everything that men value such as money, houses, cars, fame, fortune, beauty, pedigree, and achievements in this world (to mention but a few) as all rubbish. They all become inconsequential.

    So, he says to those of us who are in Christ:

    “In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11).

    Riches in glory

    The world is in a drought. We live in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1). But out of the belly of the believer flows rivers of living water. (John 7:38).

    There is too much counterfeit in the world. But it is short of goodness. It is lacking in righteousness, truth, and compassion. “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14).

    There is a surfeit of money, but a dearth of mercy. People need the truth. They need the righteousness of God.

    Believers are the people with great gains who can supply what the world needs according to our riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).

  • Ex-President Obasanjo explains why Nigerians get away with many ‘stupid’ things

    Ex-President Obasanjo explains why Nigerians get away with many ‘stupid’ things

    Olusegun Obasanjo former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has explained why Nigeria and its citizens are getting away with many anomalies because God has chosen to be patient with the country.

    Newsmen reports that Obasanjo spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book entitled, “The LetterMan: Inside the ‘Secret’ Letters of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo”, written by Premium Times’ Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed.

    According to the former president, Nigeria is blessed with all the resources the country needs to prosper yet unable to to harness the opportunities.

    His words, “Only this morning, I heard something that shocked me; here at our door, Chad.

    “When Idris Dabi was killed or died, some people said he was shot from the back when he was in the war front.

    “We didn’t do anything about that. I believe, to say the least, that it is not good enough.

    “Again, I believe that God is in Nigeria, because God loves us so much that we got away so many stupid things.

    “I sincerely hope that God’s patience have no limit of elasticity. Because if it does, there will be a day that God will say look, I have had enough.

    “And if God says he has had enough, it doesn’t matter; Musikilu can write 20 books on letter men and letter women, it won’t help us.

    “So, I believe that the right lessons must be learned. We have all that we need to have. God gave us all that we need to have. That we are not doing what we need to do, God is not to blame. We should blame ourselves.”

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do your best and leave the results to God

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do your best and leave the results to God

    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. 

    If this is the case, 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 endeavor 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” (Eccl 11:6). Are you going to obey this command today?

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always preserve a remnant for you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always preserve a remnant for you

    Oke Chinye

    Read: Ruth: 1-4

    Meditation verse:

    “And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your  daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne  him” (Ruth 4:15).

    Naomi had suffered so much pain in the land of Moab; having lost her husband  and two sons. She returned to Judah when she heard that the Lord had restored  the land from famine, with her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who insisted she must  return with her. After gleaning in the fields to provide food for herself and her  mother-in-law, Ruth ended up as the wife of a wealthy field owner, Boaz and  gave birth to a son, Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the  father of King David, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world.

    And the women rejoiced with Naomi and said to her “blessed be the Lord who  has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous  in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age;  for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons,  has borne him” (Ruth 4:14-15).

    If you are a covenant child, God will always preserve a remnant for you who will  be the nourisher of your old age. It may be a child, a son/daughter-in-law, a non relative whom you brought under your roof to train or even a servant who  served you and you treated with kindness. He can use the young, old, big, small,  smart,seemingly foolish,significant, or insignificant. I heard the story of a couple  who took in a young boy and trained him in school. Today, he is a grown man  with a good job outside the country. Every year, he invites the couple over for  an all-expense paid vacation. God can use just about anyone from your past.  When He says “I will carry you in old age, this is one of the ways He does so.

    What’s the lesson here for us? Be kind to everyone you come across. Never treat  anyone with disdain, irrespective of how lowly they may appear at that time.  God’s ability to the turn the tides is beyond human comprehension. Secondly,  do not be an island. Extend the tent of your life to others; love, help, serve and  give to others. The good that you do today will come back to you someday.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • The righteous cedars of Lebanon – By Femi Aribisala

    The righteous cedars of Lebanon – By Femi Aribisala

    “A spiritual cedar is not recognised or admired in the world”.

    Nicodemus was a Bible teacher of the Jews. But when he saw the manifestation of the spirit and power of God in the ministry of Jesus, he came to Jesus in secret to broaden his knowledge about the kingdom of God.

    But then Jesus gave him a prerequisite that turned his theology upside down. He told him that for him to see the kingdom of God, he would have to be “born again.”

    Nicodemus was flabbergasted. He wondered how an old man like himself could be “born again.” Does he have to go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time? (John 3:4).  

    But Jesus wondered how Nicodemus could be the pastor of a church, and yet find it so difficult to understand simple biblical principles:

    “Jesus replied, ‘You, a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you do not understand these things? I am telling you what I know and have seen– and yet you won’t believe me. But if you do not even believe me when I tell you about such things as these that happen here among men, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?’” (John 3:10-12).

    The principles of the kingdom of God are Greek to many highfalutin Christians. Even when the inspired go to lengths to dissect these principles, many refuse to believe because it does not agree with their hopes and aspirations. They became pastors because they want to be mighty oaks. They do not want to be despised and rejected by men. (Isaiah 53:3).

    When I shared with an interactive study group that it is not the will of God for the believer to be great in this world (Jeremiah 45:5), one of our members gently drew my attention to an Old Testament scripture that seems to say the very opposite: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (Psalm 92:12).

    Here was proof text that the believer is destined to be great and exceptional in the world. Indeed, the very fact that it would do so against the odds would testify to the power of God. That which is impossible is surely not impossible with God, she insisted.

    But when we read Old Testament scriptures today, we must not be blinkered like the Jews. Paul observes that: “Their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

    If we read Psalm 92:12 with a veil over our hearts, we would be frustrated to death, waiting indefinitely to flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. But we must read such scriptures with a new heart and a renewed spirit. Otherwise, we would stand in the righteousness of Christ for years on end and discover that we are not flourishing like any palm tree and are not growing like any cedar in Lebanon or even in Nigeria.

    Our businesses are not thriving. We lose our jobs. We suffer bereavement. We are jilted in love. We are persecuted and despised.

    Without wanting to admit it, this leads us to the subconscious conclusion that the promises of God are illusory. We feel God just says a lot of things without meaning them. He says a lot of things without intending to bring them to pass. Thereby, the letter of the scripture kills our faith. Little by little, we stop believing in the word of God. When we hear someone pray a promise of God, we say the amen of Jeremiah; the amen of doubt and unbelief. (Jeremiah 28:6).

    But when the veil over our heart is removed, we read Psalm 92:12 again and discover that this scripture that was so damaging to our faith is true to life. We suddenly discover that although our businesses are not thriving, although we lose our jobs, although we suffer bereavement, although we are jilted in love, and although we are persecuted and despised, nevertheless we are flourishing like the palm tree and are growing like a cedar in Lebanon.

    However, this flourishing and growth are not physical but spiritual. We discover that the Lord is not trying to make us physical but spiritual cedars. We also discover that a spiritual cedar is not just different from a physical cedar. It is its antithesis. Jesus says: “That which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit.” (John 3:60. Therefore, a spiritual cedar is the opposite of a physical cedar.

    A spiritual cedar is not recognised or admired in the world. The eye does not see, the ear does not hear, it has not come into the imagination of men what makes the spiritual man a cedar in Lebanon. (1 Corinthians 2:9). The natural man cannot see it because he has a veil over his heart. But God has revealed it to us by His Holy Spirit.

    Thus, Jesus came as the light of the world to teach us how to understand the Old Testament by being the fulfilment of all its prophecies. (Matthew 5:17). After we have received Him, we should not put the veil back on our hearts:

    The Jews believed the kingdom of God would bring about the restoration of Israel to its former power and glory. The symbol of this expectation was the cedar of Lebanon. With the advent of the kingdom, it was anticipated that Israel would be head and shoulders above its neighbours.

    The cedar was magnificent by all accounts. It grew straight up, sometimes for two or three hundred feet or more. Every kind of bird could nestle in branches and seek refuge in its shade. (Ezekiel 31:3-6).

    This expectation seemed to be confirmed by the vision given to Daniel:

    “I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.’” (Daniel 4:10-12).

    However, no sooner had this vision been given to Daniel than the Lord asked that the tree be cut down. (Daniel 4:13-17). Ezekiel notes that the counsel of the Lord is to bring down the high tree and exalt the low tree. (Ezekiel 17:24).

    Isaiah also gives a similar message: “The day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up- and it shall be brought low.” (Isaiah 2:12-17).

    Jesus says: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” (Matthew 11:25).

  • God does not desire sacrifices – By Femi Aribisala

    God does not desire sacrifices – By Femi Aribisala

    “God is not a blood-guzzling vampire”.

    A man sinned against his wife even as men sin against God. His wife caught him in the act of adultery with his mistress. So, the husband went home to his wife with sacrifices. He brought her a brand-new Mercedes Benz car. He also included a bouquet of flowers for good measure.

    But does his wife require these sacrifices? The answer is “No!.” Gifts of cars and flowers are not part of the marriage covenant. What she desires is a repentant and faithful husband. Cars and flowers are no substitute for these. They cannot atone for his sin of adultery.

    The same principle applies to sacrifices for sins. God has no use for them because they cannot atone for sin. It is repentance that atones for sin. It is a broken spirit that atones for sin. If we repent, we do not need to bring any sacrifices at all.

    David committed adultery with another man’s wife, killed the husband, and then married his wife. Nevertheless, God required no sacrifices for his sin.

    David confirms this in his psalms. He says to God: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.” (Psalm 51:16).  He repeats this in his messianic psalm: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have opened; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.” (Psalm 40:6). 

    But the problem here is that, unlike David, the ears of so many pastors and Christians have yet to be opened. Their deafness would appear to be a chronic spiritual disorder.

    Pagan sacrifices

    Sacrifices are ritualistic. When a man sins, he gives a sacrifice and assumes this takes care of his sin problem.  In effect, sacrifices are “bribes” given every so often to placate a demanding deity; without the burden of repentance for sins. Therefore, God declares to Israel: “Bring no more futile sacrifices.” (Isaiah 1:13). 

    Sacrifices come from the perversion of those who claim the gods need to be appeased with violent and bloody death.  It is the way of the idol-worshipper; therefore, according to kingdom dynamics, it cannot be of God.   

    What does the one true God require instead?  David provides the answer: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart- these, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17).  Solomon concurs: “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:3).

    God does not change. If He desired sacrifices, He will still desire them. If sacrifices are no longer necessary today, then it means God never desired them. Christians need to listen to the truth. It is written in the prophets:

    “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.  For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.’” (Jeremiah 7:21-22).

    Jesus did not destroy the law: He fulfilled it. If you commit adultery today, you are still a sinner, even though Jesus fulfilled the law.  Christians continue to fulfil the law against adultery. But no Christian sacrifices animals today. That shows God never desired sacrifices.

    God says in Hosea: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6). Jesus reiterates this. He says: “Go and learn what this means:: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13).

    Christians have obstinately refused to learn what this means. Some now insist Jesus Himself was a sacrifice for sins. But why would Jesus give to God what God does not desire? And since Jesus Himself is the God who created the heavens and the earth, is it not foolish to presume that God would sacrifice Himself to Himself?

    Human sacrifices

    Of all Israel’s sins, none was more abominable than the sacrifice of the firstborn.  God says in admonishment: “You took your sons and daughters whom you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?” (Ezekiel 16:20). 

    This heinous ritual is lambasted by Micah. He observes that it is ridiculous for a man to think he can give sacrifices to God.  He wonders sardonically what we could possibly give that would satisfy Him:

    “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God?  Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6-7).

    The abomination of human sacrifice was one of the reasons why God sent the Israelites into Babylonian captivity: “They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence.” (2 Kings 17:17/18). 

    Why then would God himself turn around only to offer His Son Jesus as a human sacrifice to Himself?

    Sacrifice of fools

    God Himself pours scorn on the entire sacrificial system, He says: “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:9-10).

    God is not a blood-guzzling vampire.  He asks: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” (Psalm 50:13).  Sacrifices mean nothing to God.  He says this unequivocally: “Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me” (Jeremiah 6:20). 

    God again speaks through Isaiah and asks the children of Israel to bring no more sacrifices to Him:

    “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats.  When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts?  Bring no more futile sacrifices.” (Isaiah 1:11-13).

    God even uses very strong language to reject sacrifices. He says: “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; he who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.” (Isaiah 66:3).  This shows the sacrificial system is totally objectionable to God.

    Testimony of Jesus

    Jesus demonstrated His disdain for sacrifices by smashing the sacrificial implements in the temple.  He maintains the kingdom imperative is to love God and our neighbour instead of giving burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark 12:28-34).

    Jesus teaches that all God requires as atonement for sin is repentance. He warns: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3-4).

    This is Mark’s report of the objective of the ministry of Jesus and His disciples: “They went out and preached that people should repent.” (Mark 6:12).  They did not go out and preach about the need to make sacrifices to God.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What is God saying to you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What is God saying to you?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: HABAKKUK 2:1-4

    Meditation verse:

    “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what He  will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected” (Habakkuk 2:1).

    When God speaks to you, do you hear or listen? Although hearing and listening  may sound like the same thing, truth is, there’s a world of difference between  the two. Merriam-Webster defines hearing as the “process, function, or power  of perceiving sound; specifically: the special sense by which noises and tones are  received as stimuli.” Listening, on the other hand, means “to pay attention to  sound; to hear something with thoughtful attention; and to give consideration. 

    Hearing is a passive behaviour of perceiving sound by the ear. Listening is  choosing to do something; it is an action. Listening utilises more senses in your  body than hearing. In listening you move beyond perceiving the sound to  processing and understanding, to give a suitable response or act. Hearing is 

    physical, listening is cognitive. 

    Habakkuk set himself upon the rampart and stood his watch to listen to what  God had to say about the evil that was going on. That speaks of preparation and  positioning. And God spoke to him. God longs to speak to you all the time. He is  relational and He created you for His good pleasure. However, you will not hear  or understand what He is saying if you do not prepare and position yourself. God  cannot be heard in noise and chaos, only in silence. Your heart must be ready,  your ears open and He must have your full attention. I have come to realise that  the best way to position yourself to listen to God is to wait on Him in fasting and  prayer.  

    A famous song says: “God has something to say, listen, listen, pay close  attention, for God has something to say”. God has something to say about every  area of your life- your marriage, children, health, career, relationships as well as  your walk with Him. He wants to give insight into that situation. He wants to  direct your path. Isaiah 30:21 says, “right behind you a voice will say, this is the  way you should go, whether to the right or to the left” (NLT). Will you listen to  the voice?

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • Did God order Muslims to rule over Christians? – By Stephen Ojapah

    Did God order Muslims to rule over Christians? – By Stephen Ojapah

    “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6).

    Jason Soroski a renowned bible commentator has this short analysis to offer about this passage. “As Jesus tells his disciples that he is the way, there are multiple meanings involved. First off, he addresses our very human instinct to know where we are going before we start a journey. The disciples wanted to know the next step, the next turn, the ultimate destination of where this journey in faith would lead them”. He is the definite Faith experience that every Christian should long for. This kind of exclusivist, passage of the bible creates a sense of entitlement to the keys of heaven by Christians. Nevertheless, Jesus made himself clearer by saying, “I have other sheep too that do not belong to this fold, they too listen to me” (John 10: 16). As you read the early passage with a sense of entitlement, the second verse, humbles you with the generosity of God, how the windows of heaven is not limited to anyone religion.

    The people of Israel for centuries have prided themselves, as the chosen race. St Paul in his letter to the Galatians made it abundantly clear, in Jesus: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Humanity is one, no matter the linage we use in addressing one another. Any attempt by a race, tribe, or religion to establish supremacy over the other, is not only, unscriptural, against international law, it is damn right evil. The Apartheid in South Africa enjoyed a lot of scriptural backing: Genesis 11, Deuteronomy 32:8, Acts 1:8, and 17: 26, 1 Corinthians 7: 17-24, and Revelation 5:9 and 7:9.

    Learned and seemingly godly Reformed theologians developed an impressive biblical case for apartheid—apartness. They were totally convinced that the Bible endorsed the separation of the races. They insisted that their policies were pleasing to God because they were grounded in Scripture. The Reformed Church of South Africa was the largest denomination in the country by far. They had a number of large and well-supported theological seminaries with very high standards. Their best scholars had doctorates from mainly Dutch Universities. What is more, they were very evangelistic and worked tirelessly to see black South Africans converted and worshiping in their own churches.

    In the 20th century, in the face of external attacks on white rule, the best-Reformed theologians gave their able minds to developing biblical support for separate development (Apartheid). They argued that the Bible taught that humankind, by the will of God, was separated into different races that should each have their own lands. They insisted that Apartheid was pleasing to God because Scripture endorsed it. Broughton Knox made a case for the Biblical foundation of Apartheid at Moore College, Sydney, in the mid 1960’s before the principal, and Donald Robinson, the vice-principal. Stephen Bradley, the bishop of the breakaway Church of England in South Africa, spoke to students in support of Apartheid at the invitation of Dr. Knox. The “biblical” case for Apartheid is as follows:

    The world is predicated on a number of unchanging creation “orders” (i.e. God-given hierarchies, institutions, structures, and relationships), namely, the family, male leadership, the state, work, and race.
    The Bible teaches that God has created different races. The story of Babel tells us that the separation of people into different races with different languages is God’s will. In Acts 2:5–11, Rev. 5:9, 7:9, 14:6, and other passages, the Bible clearly states that God recognizes that people are divided, and identified by race. For the Apartheid theologians, difference between races trumped any similarities.
    Acts 17:26 was possibly the most important text for Apartheid theologians. “From our one ancestor God made all nations (Greek ethnoi) to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the time of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live.” This text was interpreted to mean that God had divided all the people of the world into different nations or races and allocated a region for each. They saw this as unambiguous endorsement of the policy of separating the different races of South Africa and allotting an area to each. Acts 17:26 was to them what 1 Tim. 2:11–14 is for complementarians. This one text settled the matter. Those who accepted what it said were obeying God, and those who did not, were opposing God.

    As we approach the 2023 General elections, we commend the entire process into the hands of God, and we pray that God will give us credible leaders that will take Nigeria to the standard of relevance and importance in the International community. As we prepare for this process, we are equally worried on some of the ongoing video clips in Hausa Language circulating in some parts of the country especially in my beloved northern Nigeria. Here I have translated the preaching of two leading Islamic Clerics from Hausa to English. As it concerns the supremacy of Muslims over Christians, so long as elected positions are concern. Thanks to the final views of my brother and friend Shiekh Maraya.

    “Election is around the corner; the simple message is that Muslims should vote into power their fellow Muslims, God didn’t create an unbeliever (Christian) to rule over a Muslim it can only happen by accident but not by destiny. Vote a fellow Muslims brother into power the party shouldn’t be a problem, the condition in Taraba state is disheartening and everyone is fed up reasons because Muslim didn’t cooperate with each other, voting a Muslim into power is a blessing therefore we shouldn’t throw away the blessing.

    Mallam Jalo has spoken about it and I have pity on him each time he pours out his mind concerning Muslims and their lack of cooperation with one another. He says some Muslims in Taraba state are not willing to work together, it is better to work with a fellow Muslim than an unbeliever because on the day of reckoning, you will be placed side by side with an unbeliever and this is trouble for you. No matter how horrible or bad a fellow Muslim will be he is always better than an unbeliever is. An unbeliever will insult you, your religion and your personality but a Muslim will never do that. May God bless the entire Muslim Ummah” (Sheikh Abubakar Mukhtar Yola).

    “A particular religion or tribe should not oppress another religion or tribe. When a Christian political aspirant chooses a Christian, as his/her running mate this will be an oppression on the Muslims, and this is also applicable to Muslims. Therefore, there should be justice, fairness and transparency so that there will be love, unity, peace, progress and harmony in our country because Nigeria is the only place we can all call home. A Christian should choose a Muslim as a running mate and a Muslim should do the same. Some religious leaders go contrary to their teachings and preaching in their various places of worship. Some go as far as canvassing for votes for the members if their faith, just because they are of the same faith. This is against section 97 of the 2022 amended constitution and punishable by the law, with 1-year jail term or payment of 1 million naira as a fine and in some cases both punishment are applicable but the law enforcement agencies do not punish the perpetrators of this offence. That is why many do and get away with it.

    Political aspirants should not be hungry for votes, or do disgusting things in other to attain positions instead; they should be concerned about the peace and stability of the country. In Kaduna state, the governor is a Muslim and his deputy is a Muslim too but if you check thoroughly what have the Muslims benefited? Nothing! Their houses, shops, business places and mosques have been demolished and destroyed, the sane Muslims have been sacked from work and also tuition fees have been increased the same Muslims cannot afford the fees but when the governor was a Muslim and a his deputy was a Christian none of these were recorded. When there is cheating and wickedness in the system, God will certainly leave us to our bad deeds. In the Hadith God says I am therefore do not be cheats. God did not create only Muslims in this world every human being was created by him. Therefore, I am calling on political leaders to be free and fair while choosing their counterparts” (Shiekh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya).

    Let the ministers of peace, promote the culture of merit and equity, and let the preachers of hate, tribe and religion, give peace a chance. God did not create Muslims supreme over Christians.

     

    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)