Ancient Words Ever True

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. – Isaiah 9:2 AMP God has always shown Himself constantly thinking about how to make life better for us, His children. In the beginning, when God was setting up the earth to be habitable for man, the first thing He did was to cast out darkness. He said, ‘Let there be ligh t;’ and there was light. Today, as a result of the Fall of Man, darkness has found its way back into our world and indeed our lives. Darkness has covered the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but God has sent a ‘Great Light’ and His glory is once more visible. This ‘Great Light’ is Jesus, who we celebrate His Coming at Christmas. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” (John 8:12) Do you still have dark or shady areas in your life – those areas where you are uncertai...

“…you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” – Matthew 1: 21(MKJV) This was the message from an Angel of the Lord to Joseph, declaring the PURPOSE of Jesus’ birth. Simple as it sounds, this properly captures the whole essence of Jesus. Scanning through scriptures (like 1John 3:8, Isaiah 61:2-3 etc.), we may find several other ‘purposes’ of Jesus’ coming; but this, to me, sums up all of them . A full understanding of the full nature of sin will make us understand the gravity of this purpose. Just to throw some light, we present the two aspects of sin that Jesus came to save us from. One is the GUILT of sin; the other is the POWER of sin. The GUILT of sin is what drives us to God AFTER we have sinned. That is what prompts us to ask God for forgiveness. Now, God not only forgives us; HE goes further to cleanse us from our iniquities! This is only possible because of the blood of Jesus shed for us on Calvary. So, John tells us, “But if we walk in ...

“And she [Mary] brought forth her son [Jesus], the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger-- because there was no room for them in the inn.” – Luke 2: 7(MKJV) One spectacular thing about the birth of Jesus, which we celebrate every year, is the fact that there was no room in all the inns in the whole town of Bethlehem for Jesus to be born! Mary had no other choice than to give birth among animals. Today, there is still a need for Jesus to be ‘born’ in our hearts, our families, our places of work etc. Actively or passively, we have rejected Him in our ‘inns’, choosing instead to accommodate all forms of mundane things. How long is He going to wait? How long is He going to knock on the doors of our hearts? For how long are we going to live our lives without Jesus taking the lead? This season presents us yet another opportunity to give Jesus a place in our lives. He need no more be born in a stable (place where horses are kept) and laid in a manger (container from wh...

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” ― St. Francis of Assisi

Whereas we (Christians) have been taught that ALL scripture is God-breathed, and so should be equally accepted, we will do ourselves a lot of good if we pay a little more attention to the very words of Jesus. Jehovah has told us, “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him (Matt. 17:5);” so it is to our own peril if we fail to be very conversant with the very words of Jesus – irrespective of how well we know other portions of scripture. We want to draw attention to one of Jesus’ several words. In Matthew 21:31b, Jesus said [to them], “truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you.” (AMP) Before we look into the context of these words, we want to highlight a point: that tax-collectors and harlots are regarded among the Jews as the worst of sinners. So Jesus was telling His hearers in essence that these people they regard as the worst of men will get into the kingdom of heaven before them – if they ...

Sometime in 2006, after I secured my admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka and was done with the necessary registration, I stopped at an uncle’s house when I travelled home, and as an impressionable youth is wont to do, I was hoping he would grease my itchy palms with some naira notes. One thing led to another and we began to discuss, he enquired of me about Zik’s Flat, and before long, he was talking about how Zik used their money in the long defunct African Continental Bank to build his Onuiyi villa which includes the famous Zik’s Flat. For the benefit of those who do not know and those who know but must have forgotten, Zik was the ceremonial president of Nigeria from 1963-1966. Before this position, the Great Zik, as he was fondly called, was the former premier of the Old Eastern Region, the publisher of the famous West African pilot and the party leader of NCNC. Suffice it to say that, Zik was a very wealthy man by the virtue of these positions. Whether this sagacious ...

Sometime this year, I wrote an article where I explained how I stopped praying for Nigeria and our leaders long ago. I also added that I always sit down in Church if such prayer points are raised whenever I find my way inside the gathering of brethren. However, the events happening in our country recently calls for sober reflection amongst every well meaning Nigerian citizen. That our political leaders are inept and corrupt is stating the obvious. That the leadership of our nation is clueless is no longer a secret. That there has been no significant improvement in the lives of vast average Nigerians since the advent of democracy is an open secret. But more disturbingly is this fact: that there has been no leader of this Nation who has been openly castigated, ridiculed, attacked, opposed than our present president is a truth that needs no proof. Thus, it is clear to any discerning mind that this country is gradually descending into anarchy, lawlessness and imminent political showdo...

Several years ago, while reflecting on Jesus’ Parable of a rich man’s great supper (see Luke 14:17-24), I came to the conclusion that Heaven cannot be as interesting as it’s being painted for us. Almost always, the description of Heaven is largely physical (material), and for that reason, everybody (EVERYBODY) desires to get there… In that parable, the rich man invited some people to partake in his banquet, but they turned down the request. Other things were more important to them, so they missed the feast. Actually, the celebrant declared, “none of these men who were invited shall taste of my supper.” For this reason, I believe – and dare say – that when presented as it truly is, Heaven will NOT be as appealing to so many of us as it is now. In his book, Holiness, J C Ryle raised some serious issues along these lines. What follows is an excerpt from that great work. ********** I appeal solemnly to everyone who reads these pages, How shall we ever be at home and happy in heaven,...

When I was a little boy, once in a while I visit families with my parents. Usually, on such visits, food and/or drinks are served. Coming from an environment where children are strictly taught never to eat anything in another person’s house, all I needed to decide whether or not to accept the food offered was to cast a glance at my mum or dad; I will get their consent or disapproval instantly – without any word spoken! The idea of wordless communication, especially when it comes to relationships, is still seen today as impossible. However, I will show from Scriptures that it is highly attainable, and as a matter of fact, the highest form of communication that God desires that we attain as His children. I am confident enough to postulate this because, in addition to the testimony of the Word, I have experienced it severally over the years – albeit it’s just a foretaste. *** David made an interesting observation about how God communicates to the world His glory and mighty works. In ...

Several of you reading this post fall in the category of about-to-marry or old-enough-to-marry. It is not unlikely that you are already in a relationship you believe will eventually lead to marriage. But before you say, I do, let me take some time to bring forth to you the “old-school” recommendation of letting God show you whom to marry, and hopefully, show you a few compelling reasons to go for this old-fashioned option. I have assumed that you are a child of God who has an up-to-date cordial relationship with God, and knows when He speaks, and how to hear from Him. I also recognize that times have changed and in the midst of so much knowledge, the child of God is usually at loss in this matter. With these in mind, I proceed. A Long Journey First, you must realize that marriage is the beginning of a life-long relationship. While it may seem this point is obvious enough, I have come to realize that more often than not, we think of a relationship that ends in marriage, not one t...

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven… Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth…” (Matt. 6:9-10 RSV). At some point, I began to question the relevance of this snippet. Why do I need to pray for God’s kingdom to come, and for His will to be done “on earth” when it’s already a settled matter that Jesus will come again to establish that Kingdom and enforce compliance to the will of His Father? Then I understood, by the help of God, that I, I mean, we children of God have a crucial role towards making it happen in real time. I understood the reality of Peter’s charge that we keep “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God… (2Pet.3:12 EMTV)”. Yes, this snippet from what we now know as The Lord’s Prayer represents the core desire of God for the world which He has made. And, from what I’ve learned from Scriptures, it will eventually be realised when Christ comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead; then His kingdom will have no e...

Today is the Christian Church Worldwide celebrates the Feast of Pentecost. It’s already 50days since Easter – how time flies! Today, as we commemorate the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church of Christ as promised by Jesus, we will survey the implications of that out-pouring to us and to the world. Summarily put, the primary reason for that out-pouring (with the accompanying signs) was to announce the exaltation of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God and His new status as both Lord and Christ. Peter in his sermon puts it this way, “…Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear … Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly  that God has made  this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord AND Christ (Acts 2:33, 36 EMTV)”. To the disciples, their Master has suddenly become the Most Powerful Entity (MPE) in heaven and on earth, and s...

“The LORD rewarded me because of my righteousness, because my hands are clean. He paid me back because I have kept the ways of the LORD and I have not wickedly turned away from my God, because all his judgments are in front of me and I have not turned away from his laws. I was innocent as far as he was concerned. I have kept myself from guilt. The LORD paid me back because of my righteousness, because he can see that my hands are clean.” – Psalm 18:20-24 (GW). Look again at the passage quoted above. Do you recognize that line of thought? I’m sure you do. It is common today like it was in the Old Testament days for Christians (and even moralists) to come to God reminding Him of how faithful they have been; or to attribute God’s goodness to them as a result of their faithfulness to Him. Soul-Winners and Preachers, in a sincere desire to de-populate the kingdom of darkness, make bogus claims that living a life of righteousness will shield them from all calamities of life; yet a simpl...

Many times in life, we learn very valuable lessons from the most unlikely people and circumstances. We rarely learn by direct instruction. Little wonder the Bible declares that “Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding. Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death (Eccl. 7:3-4 GNB)”. Such “negative learning” usually leaves a long-lasting and indelible mark in us. Today, we turn our attention to Absalom. His story spans through 2Samuel 13 -19; however, we will zoom in to Chapters 13 and 14 for our meditation today. Absalom is one of King David’s sons; a very handsome young man whose became very popular among his people. He later became rebellious and declared himself king of Israel, causing David his father to run for his dear life. In the course of the war that ensued, his long hair got caught up on a tree and he hung there in the air helplessly while his mule kept running. He was ev...