The Nation Newspaper

Tag: God

  • God forbid I end up as a teacher!

    SIR: You either say this often or hear people say the above every now and then. You’ll like to know what prompted this. I had a talk with one of my students at the end of a class recently and the beautiful young lady said to me, ‘I wanted to study Medicine but I was offered Chemistry. It’s manageable anyway but what I ain’t cool with is the education.’

    I laughed and remembered that when I chose to study English Education back in Lagos State University, LASU, only about 10 of us in a class of 30 willingly chose the course. In fact, education students are seen as second class students; the same way teachers are seen either as second class workers or poor people. I even recalled how some parents I knew kept their children at home for a year more because they didn’t want them to study education.

    What’s the truth of the situation?

    First, like I enlightened the young lady, let me also make it public that education is just a double honour. It is nothing but an advantage. A graduate of Chemistry Education can do most of the things, if not all the things that a graduate of Chemistry can do. But, a graduate of Chemistry is not a teacher and must take a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) to become a teacher. Again, those days in LASU, when the English major students would refer to the Education students as second class students, I can remember I stood up in one class and asked them (the English major students): What job awaits a graduate of English? Of course they were quick to mention the many things they can do but the truth is there is no specific work that awaits them. A graduate of ENGLISH EDUCATION, CHEMISTRY EDUCATION, BIOLOGY EDUCATION and other educational courses is a QUALIFIED AND CERTIFIED TEACHER. And the next big question: Why should anyone want to be a teacher?

    Now, permit me to argue subjectively here. Teaching is the first job that will never cease to be available. Decrease in juvenile delinquency, crime rates and other things might play down the role of lawyers in any society. You can say this of many other disciplines. But of course a society that stops the services of teachers is on the ruin. Again, there is no profession as dignifying on earth as being a teacher. Guess the fulfilment of any of those who taught Ambode. He doesn’t need to give them a kobo; it’s just fulfilling sitting in the corner of your room and saying to yourself I taught that number one citizen of Lagos State.

    Let’s get religious now. I don’t know what Christianity says on this. But in Islam, there is only one job you will continue to be blessed for even when you are dead: TEACHING. Every time people use the knowledge they gained from you positively, it gets to you as a blessing in heaven. I shouldn’t forget to add this. At least four of those who taught of me and other education students as second class students back then in LASU have called to know how they could go about a PGDE since teaching is the most guaranteed occupation.

    Any day, anytime, anywhere: TEACHING IS A NOBLE PROFESSION!

     

    • Bamgbose Ganiu,

    University of Ibadan.

  • Fashola: ‘Power belongs to God’

    Babatunde Raji Fashola, the amiable former governor of Lagos state and the man whom President Muhammad Buhari has saddled with the enormous responsibility of overseeing three critical ministries of Works, Housing and Power, was in Ilorin, Kwara State this penultimate week.

    For me, it was an opportunity to meet once again, a man with whom I had worked closely with while in Lagos and serving as the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in that unique state of aquatic splendour. And from the interactions, it was evident that BRF, as he was to be eventually branded by the people of Lagos, has not changed much; particularly in terms of his commitment to working things out, literally drawing out water from the rocks. He has grown older, of course he has advanced in age but this type of ‘growing older’ is the one facilitated by exposure to the pressure of work, work and work. And when you notice that the man has been much traduced by political naysayers; when you consider the weight of opposition that accompanied his emergence as a federal minister and the burden that has been placed on his shoulder; you can only commend him for how far he has gone.

    Let me share this: there is this cartoon that went viral some months back. It was a drawing of President Buhari and BRF. Buhari, ever to the point, faced his Minister of Power and asked, ‘Fashola, what happened to Power?” Well, if you expect the Minister to answer the way a former IGP answered an almost similar question when the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida asked, “my friend, where is Anini?”, then you got it wrong. Trust the Nigerian sense for the comical, BRF, in that cartoon, simply replied his boss: Power Belongs to God!

    Yes, power belongs to God. He gives and takes it from whom He wills. It is a message that celebrates the essential BRF.

    But beyond the theological, that cartoon encounter also exposes the kind of pressure that has come to bear on the minister. His boss, the President, wants results and he needs results because that is the gauge people would use to measure his performance in office. And if there is one area where Nigeria looks for urgent results, it is in the area of power.

    And to be candid, Fashola has been up and doing since he assumed office only that as the Yoruba would aptly put it, the hen’s feather would not allow anyone to notice that bird also sweats.  During his visit to Kwara, BRF visited my boss, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. And from the report he gave to the governor; he submitted a DVD report, uncommon in this clime;   we only need to extend our hands of support to the man in order to achieve what he has set out before him.

    According to Fashola, if you live in Kwara or have had reason to pass through the federal road called Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa, going to the north, you will know that travellers spend weeks, at times, before getting to their destinations, yet that road is a very important strategic road for agriculture. Statistically, Fashola said on daily basis, not less than 5,000 trucks pass through that road and about 18,000 small vehicles. Imagine having even only 500 trucks and 2,000 smaller vehicles stranded on a road on a single day. Yet that has been the experience which the Federal Government is committed to change, according to the report from BRF.

    That section of the national road was his first port of call upon landing in Kwara. Now with contractors back to site for repair and rehabilitation, the time spent on the road has drastically reduced. And that is the beauty of democracy, as the minister himself said it:”This is what democracy really means to those people. That is why they voted so that one day a journey of an hour will no longer take them one week.

    He also talked about efforts in the power sector. Let me quote him: “The only matter that I’m sure interests and concern the people of Kwara State as it does other parts of Nigeria is power. We have set out a very simple roadmap where we have identified the problem. We don’t have enough power as a country, so we must get more. So, the first leg is incremental power. The second leg is to stabilize power and the third leg is uninterrupted power. The first leg is largely everybody’s responsibilities. It’s the responsibility of the government and the responsibility of the citizens. So we are expanding opportunities for power; we are signing solar agreement; we are starting solar project; we are looking for power from coal; we are trying to resolve the gas issues; we are developing more hydro capacity. Right now, most power we are using is coming from the hydro power plants and we are going against the odds from about 2,000 to about 3,500 megawatts.

    “Yes it is true that the rains have helped, that’s what hydro energy is about; more water means more power and off peak when there is no water there is less power, because that is the energy that drives the electrical parts of the generating plant. But what is unsaid is the fact about maintenance, repairs that we started which has improved the amount of energy that we can get from those hydro plants. Before now, even though the rains were there, we couldn’t get more energy. Now we are getting more energy because we are fixing turbines, we are maintaining parts; we are getting close to 400 extra megawatts from those hydro plants, which was not there to be taken last year.  We are also talking to the gas people; the communities that are angry, and when all of that come together and we merge that with the gas outage which is about 3,000 megawatts, the prospect for more reliable and increase power clearly lies ahead. And I know those communities will not be angry forever.”

    Power belongs to God. But he has allowed BRF to be in charge of generating and supplying electricity to Nigerians under the current government. And from his accounts, he is walking the talk, as the ruling party promised during electioneering campaign. Right now what the minister needs is our prayers and support to make his efforts in the works and power sectors successful.

    BRF needs to be commended for creating synergies between state governments and the federal seat. For instance, Governor Ahmed made the minister to realise that “in 16 years, the visit by BRF was the first time a federal minister would sit down to discuss issues of road and power with the state”. An excited Ahmed said while responding to the progress report from Fashola: “This is the first time any representative of the federal ministry of works will come and sit with us, review the status of our road and work out strategic ways to get them to the levels that will be beneficial to us and the economy. We’re very excited and are happy. We thank you so much for this”.

     

    • Oba writes from Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • In god’s name?

    •The Federal government should treat with gravity acts of religious violence

    It is a grand irony. Adherents particularly of the two major religions in the country often express the belief that the God they serve has at least two major attributes. First, he is a deity characterized by infinite love for his creations and second, he has unlimited power. Yet, some of those who profess these religious faiths many times tend to exhibit a degree of  hatred for their fellow human beings that is unworthy of a loving God while also perpetrating hideous crimes against humanity in the name of defending a creator supposedly more than able to defend himself.

    For instance, the protracted Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives in the North-East of Nigeria has been projected by its misguided protagonists as a holy war in the name of God. True, the country has had cause to heave a sigh of relief at the substantial progress made over the last year in downgrading Boko Haram’s offensive capabilities and gradually restoring normalcy to the embattled region.  However, there are rising anxieties over the recent increase, in different parts of the country, of cases of religious intolerance that have resulted in the violent deaths of innocent citizens.

    One of such cases occurred on June 2 at the kofar Wambai market in Kano when a 74-year-old woman, Madam Bridget Agbahime, was clubbed to death by an irate mob for alleged blasphemy. The deceased’s offence was her reported objection to the Islamic, feet washing rite being performed by a Muslim man in front of her shop before going for worship at the local mosque. Responding to an obviously false alarm that the victim had blasphemed the holy prophet, Mohammed, the unthinking mob snuffed life out of the helpless woman.

    Another such dastardly act of religious extremism occurred in the Kubwa community of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, at 5am on Saturday, July 9. On that fateful day, Deaconess Eunice Mojishola Elisha Olawale, was brutally murdered while carrying out her daily evangelistic mission in the area. Incidentally, the mother of seven who is also married to a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), had reportedly been carrying out early morning evangelism without incident for several years in a hitherto peaceful community populated by both Christians and Muslims.

    Again, on Friday, July 15, Muslim youths were reported to have attacked the Saint Phillips Catholic Parish, Baki Iku, near Zuma Rock in Niger State, destroying the church’s properties including doors, windows, the altar and musical instruments, beating up the security men and chasing away a group of women holding a prayer meeting in the premises. The youths’ grouse was reportedly that Friday is the Muslim’s day of prayer and that Christians could only worship on Sundays. This is grossly reprehensible.

    All of these atrocities constitute a gross violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion as well as the sanctity of human life and property in the country. It is unfortunate that, while arrests were said to have been made by the police authorities in these cases, none of the suspects have been charged to court for their alleged criminal infractions. It is important that those who engage in such acts of impunity are swiftly brought to justice as a future deterrence to other like-minded felons.

    We call on political and community leaders, traditional rulers and clerics of the different faiths to collaborate in inculcating the virtues of tolerance and peaceful cohabitation in the diverse peoples of our various communities. The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, certainly struck the appropriate note when, in the aftermath of the Kano tragedy, he said: “We will not accept a situation where people either Christians or Muslims, would hide under the umbrella of religion to commit crime. If someone had insulted God, the person should be left for God to take care of”. We concur.

  • LOVE…The most excellent way (4)

    LOVE is the most excellent way to live – To love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind also to love your neighbour as yourself. To excel in everything- LOVE. When you live the life of love then you please God completely.

    Today we will be talking about LOVE FOR NEIGHBOUR. Who is your neighbor?  Your neighbour is simply your fellow human being.

    Love for God and love for neighbour can not truly be separated because your love for God makes it possible for you to love your neighbor. If you say you love God you will obey His command that says: love your neighbour as yourself.  God is love, only when you know love can you practice love. The love people confess/profess to each other without knowing God and having an ongoing relationship with Him is not love that is why it fails- true love never fails as God never fails every other thing will fail but not God/love.

    The person that knows God is the one who can truly love, for God will help him to love. The first step to knowing God is when you accept and believe in His Son Jesus Christ whom He sent to reconcile us to Himself.

    God prepared me before making me write this message; He helped me get rid of the hatred I didn’t know was in my heart for someone. Do you know you can hate somebody’s lifestyle so much that hatred for that person gradually sets in?

    To you this person is not that ‘important’, in that you can comfortably do without him/her so you totally ignore him though with hatred for him in your heart- this is unacceptable to God. Know that hatred is a sin and it hinders our relationship with God and our blessings, so this person is actually very important to you- you’ve got to make peace. God wants us to get rid of all forms of hatred in our hearts.  No matter how bad a person’s lifestyle, we are not permitted to hate his person, in fact we are to show more love to him. This can be very difficult but if God says so, then it is possible as you trust Him to help you.

    You are not to accept and follow in the wrong ways of the person but never hate him.

    God made me know that hatred makes one live in total darkness which of course can lead one to hell, this is the worst that can happen to anyone. Like I said I didn’t know I was harbouring hatred in my heart for this person. Yes, I don’t like his way of life, all the negative attributes, deceits are all glaring for me to see. Unknowing to me the root of hatred had started growing in me for this person such that I couldn’t see anything good done by him. No one is completely bad without any positive attribute- it’s impossible, we have to deliberately focus on these positive attributes no matter how small they may be- this will help our hearts.  God in His mercies brought this person to mind and made me know I hated him and the dangers of hatred- being covered with darkness.  Darkness!  I was so scared when He showed me the extent of darkness I was in because of the hatred I didn’t realize was in me. I asked God what to do to reach out to this person in love and my loving and merciful Father told me what to do. He made me go show love to this person by giving him gift, I am also to pray for him always especially in his area of weakness – what a loving father we have who is so responsible for our lives- he sanctifies us and makes us ready to be with Him forever. Pray for anyone not living right, don’t condemn the person, the prayers will bring about a change we want to see in him. You are so privileged to know and live in the truth so be merciful to others who aren’t where you are today.

    The Bible says “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in Him.”

    God wants us to love without conditions, even when that person is not meeting up with our expectations. This kind of unconditional love God showed us in that while we were yet sinners He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins, setting us free from the bondage and slavery of sin and eternal death in hell- God wants us to do likewise, to love unconditionally. Give love the same way God has so loved you, show love to all especially the unloving, when you do this it shows that you are a child of God.

    Your love for God is expressed or seen in your dealings with others.

    This help is coming to you today because God loves you and wants you to enjoy His blessings fully. Heed His word today- show love unconditionally. Search your heart; if there be hatred already growing for someone…get rid of it fast.

    Let love, peace and forgiveness reign in our hearts and in NIGERIA!

    TEXT: Matthew 22:37-40, 1John 3:14-15, 1John 4: 7:11, 5:1-5, Romans 5:8, John3:16.

    FROM: Faith Nwachukwu.

  • God saved me, says shot bricklayer

    God saved me, says shot bricklayer

    Forty-year old Yinka Olatunji who was macheted and shot when the police and some hoodlums stormed Imowonla in Ikorodu, last Tuesday, has thanked God for his survival.

    Olatunji, a bricklayer, is afraid of a fresh attack if discharged from the hospital.

    He told The Nation: “I still keep wondering how I got into this condition. I am a bricklayer; that is what I do for a living. I don’t have any connection with land grabbing matter. I woke up as early as 6:30 am on Tuesday morning to go and complete the work I am doing on a site. Around 7am, I wanted to get started when I remembered I needed to call a labourer who can assist me. I was about to move outside when I heard noise and saw some guys with arms together with some policemen, they held guns and the guys shouted, ‘he is part of them’ they quickly ran towards me and I started shouting I am a bricklayer, I only came to work.

    “They surrounded me and started macheting me. I was helpless. The policemen were there watching the guys brutalising me. One of policemen later pitied me and told his colleagues that he is sure I am not part of the land grabbers as I have said I am a bricklayer. So they shouldn’t allow me to die in their hands. That was when the guys stopped and they drenched me with a bowl of soaked clothes they sighted and left me helpless. They shot in the air.

    “I was crawling when some women ran to help me before my people rushed me to the hospital. I have been here since Tuesday. The doctor already told me that I can be discharged but I decided to wait behind because I am afraid I can be attacked again. I have three kids who still need care. I am appealing to the Lagos State Government to rescue us in Imowonla. I can’t bear all this trouble. We are not safe.”

    The hospital’s Medical Director, Dr Ismail Akeem, said Olatunji had been discharged but he refused to go home, adding: “He pleaded to still be in our custody for his safety and security. He was brought on Tuesday morning badly injured. We confirmed injuries at his back, hands, thigh and head close to his skull. We had to quickly commence treatment because he was at the verge of death as he has lost lot of blood. Even while they brought him, we were careful because we still heard continuous gun shots.”

  • Police officers need God

    Inspector-general  of Police  (IGP) Solomon Arase has said police officers need  God to function.

    He explained that the strenuous nature of their job makes God an important factor.

    The IGP spoke in Abuja yesterday during the Thanksgiving Service to mark the 11th Biennial Police Games and Week at the National Christian Centre.

    Arase said:“The spiritual upliftment of police officers is very important because it is God that put in vision in our minds and being police officers, our job is so strenuous and difficult. So, we need the presence of God to be able to guide the citizens right.

    “If you are a banker and you make an error, you lose money but as a police officers, if you make an error, you lose lives and you know that is very critical. We police officers must be very prayerful and close to God so that our decisions and the things that we use in pushing up our men are such that are not fatal to their lives.”

  • Police officers need God- IGP

    Police officers need God- IGP

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has said police officers need the presence of God to effectively perform their duties.
    The IGP spoke in Abuja on Sunday during the Thanksgiving Service to mark the 11th Biennial Police Games and Week at the National Christian Centre.
    He explained that the strenuous and difficult nature of their job makes the presence of God an important factor.
    According to Arase, “the spiritual upliftment of police officers is very important because it is God that puts in vision in our minds and being police officers, our job is so strenuous and difficult. So, we need the presence of God to be able to guide the citizens right.
    “If you are a banker and you make an error, you lose money, but as a police officer, if you make an error, you lose lives and you know that is very critical. We police officers must be very prayerful and close to God so that our decisions and the things that we use in pushing up our men are such that are not fatal to their lives,” Arase said.

  • I will be talking about God and His love – Cornelius Tay

    I will be talking about God and His love – Cornelius Tay

    Former Country Manager/Managing Director of Forever Living Products (Nigeria and Benin Republic), Mr Cornelius Tay was in January named as Mission President of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria.

    In this interview he speaks on he plans to spend the next three years to serve the church  by providing leadership for hundreds of missionaries and engaging in full time proselyting work alongside young missionaries in his mission area.

     

    The Deseret News, based in Salt Lake City, Utah USA published in January the announcement of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, naming you as one of 168 new Mission Presidents of the Church called to serve worldwide. How did this happen?

    The announcement that was made at the beginning of this year, and published by the Deseret News, in Salt Lake City, and online came from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose responsibility it is to prayerfully consider, choose and assign new Mission Presidents to serve from time to time as part of the missionary programme of The Church worldwide. What this means is that a new set of 168 Mission Presidents will continue the great missionary work of the LDS Church across the world. These people are going to be engaged in missionary activities and helping thousands of young full time missionaries from different countries around the world to carry out their missionary activities of inviting all to come unto Jesus Christ and helping families find happiness through the Gospel of Christ. The First Presidency of the Church, in the U.S. Headquarters, and the Apostles who work with  them have prayerfully considered these 168 persons, and they had concluded that these are the people that GOD wants at this time to help push the missionary work of the Church forward in various countries. And it means that these people must now detach from their normal private activities and take this as full time assignment. As for me, it is a humbling feeling that I have been considered worthy to do this. It is something I had always prayed will come at one time or the other in my life; that I will be able to devote all my talents, my resources and my time to help in the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people wherever I am asked to go. Basically, that is what this is all about. That, for the next three years, I will be engaged in full time missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am very grateful that the opportunity is being extended to me and I also believe that it is GOD’s will that this is what I shall be doing.
    The way you say it, this is purely religious work. You just retired from Forever Living Products (Nigeria / Benin Republic), where within a few years you raised the stakes, guiding the company from the 14th position in global sales to the 3rd position by 2014. FLP Nigeria remained Africa’s first, since 2009 and throughout the years you managed the company. Did this impact on your present assignment from the Church?

    One of the reasons I considered this new assignment divine, and GOD’s will for me, is because a few years back, I had decided that I will bring my professional career in advertising and marketing management to a close in recognition of my 40 years in that line of business. I started my career when I left the University of Ibadan in 1975 and went straight to my first advertising and marketing communications appointment as Client Service Manager at ROD Publicity Limited, one of the earliest indigenous advertising companies in Nigeria. And from there, I made my modest impact in the Nigerian and international accounts advertising industry. I switched my career in 1990, when I founded CT&A Direct Marketing Limited, which enabled many companies to utilise integrated marketing communications to build brands more effectively. And by 2007, I was approached to manage one of the leading multi-level marketing companies in the world, when I took on the assignment to become Country Manager / Managing Director of Forever Living Products International Inc. for Nigeria and Benin Republic. So, by 2015 I had given 40 years of my life to this line of business. It was therefore not surprising that I had to retire in 2015 to spend more time with my family – my wife, children and grand children, and to begin writing; because I have a lot to share. So, basically, it was time for me to move on to something else. I believe that every experience that one has gained in one’s career will always be helpful. Even when I retired in 2015, I set up Cornelius Tay and Associates (the consulting arm of CT&A) to help people with marketing and management issues. Since I left Forever, I have been offering free professional marketing and management advice to companies and individuals who approached me. It is something that we call “Consult for Free” service. And anyone who wanted to know how to do business in Nigeria or promote products or services or build brands, I encouraged them to approach CT& A and through that platform we are able to offer them guidance on a pro bono basis. Now, I am leaving all of that and I am going to be working for Christ, talking to everyone about the great love GOD has for this world and all people. I am going to be devoting the rest of my life in the service of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. And I believe that this is what will give people everywhere the ultimate happiness that the world is searching for.
    They want you to grow the church further in the country. Just like you did in FLP. It must be worth the pay?

    There is no monetary benefit or reward in the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. I am not saying money is a bad thing in itself. It is the love of money that is bad. Whenever we see a shift to the love of money, when money becomes a “god” in the affairs of a people, we have seen what happens. Greed, avarice and destruction. I am grateful that in my life I have had enough for my needs. In times of difficulties, true faith has enabled me to call upon GOD for the basic needs of my family. GOD has blessed me. I have never lacked. In my entire career, I have operated at the pinnacle of the career, whether it was in advertising or in marketing, or in management, I have operated at a very high level. I have been part of major accomplishments for companies, for brands, for people. But in all of these accomplishments, money has never been the object of all my career successes. In all the places I have been able to work, in all the assignments that I have been able to handle, in all the tasks that I have been asked to perform, in all the wonderful success stories that I have been a part of over 40 years of my career, money was not the driving factor. The driving factor was a desire to do something that is above average, that is exceptional. It is the joy of accomplishing great things that has always been the driving force for me. Money should not be the factor that should enable one to want to accomplish the best result in anything you are doing, any endeavour. But selflessness, and the ability to make other people happy around you, to share, to empower people to be happy. These should be the identifiable factor. My belief is that what brings happiness, above all else, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have not been given targets to meet or promised a financial reward. I am simply asked to speak of Christ and encourage all to find happiness through His Gospel. This is the great work the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asking me to engage in. This is not about money.
    How then did they choose you?

    Since the announcement was made, and people have seen it on the internet, people have wondered: How were you appointed? This is not like a professional appointment. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you do not seek or aspire for positions. You are called by revelation. That means that the Prophet of the Church had spoken GOD’s wish for me to do this work at this time. This means that the leadership of the Church has considered one worthy enough to carry out this specific assignment that is related to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is not surprising that the men and women of the Church who are called to serve, without pay, accept to serve. This is because from the very beginning, on the way to become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they understand that they would devote themselves to the Savior, Jesus Christ and seek opportunities to draw nearer Him through service and devotion. So, you don’t have to apply to serve your Redeemer in the Church of Christ, because GOD knows who He will need in any given time to advance the work of the Saviour. And when you belong to a Church where its activities and programs are driven by revelation, when the prophet of the Church and the First Presidency of the Church approach you to do something, you must know that is the will of God concerning you. For me, this the essence of pure religion. That is practising the religion of Christ. It is a practical demonstration of your faith in Jesus Christ that you will leave everything at a point in your life and go do the work of God.

     

    Records show you always excel in your chosen fields. This must do with growing the Church?

    I don’t think that has to do with this. In fact, as I take on this assignment, I have submitted myself totally to be taught, and guided and instructed by the Holy Spirit concerning the task that is placed before me. My success stories in marketing and management line of business is not the reason why I have been asked to do this. The reason why I have been asked to do this is that GOD in His infinite wisdom, knowledge and mercy has seen that I can be of use and He will prepare and support me to accomplish the task that I am given. If I need anything from my previous experience or accomplishments in the marketing and management line of business, the Holy Spirit will bring it to my attention and remembrance and application. But what I rely upon, will be the Holy Ghost in helping me to do what I have to do and a deeper appreciation of the Gospel of Christ.

     

    How do you intend to reach out to areas where the Church is not on ground in Nigeria?

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  is doing very well in Nigeria. And personally, I believe that GOD has not finished His work with Nigeria yet. GOD has a lot more to do with this country. And one of the reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so strongly planted in Nigeria and growing all over the country right now, is because the opportunity is being given for more and more Nigerians to understand the Church, to relate with the Church, and to learn about the Gospel of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, that has been restored for this present time. As more people freely accept the invitation to become more knowledgeable in the things of GOD and to seek the power that is available to everyone who believes in the Saviour, Jesus Christ and declare their willingness to follow Him, the more likely the fullness of the love of GOD people will experience in homes and communities everywhere. I have no doubt that GOD has not finished His work with Nigeria. GOD is going to unfold His work for this nation. We must engage in well doing to benefit from the blessings in store for us. That is my thinking.

     

     

  • God’s standard for locating a marriage partner (2)

    DEAR Reader, Last week, we saw the importance of spiritual compatibility in your choice of a marriage partner. This week, I will be showing you how to Depend Absolutely on God, in your choice of a marriage partner.

    How is your personal walk with God?

    Are you trusting Him with the small, day-to-day decisions? Are you living in continual dependence on Him? Are you in the place where He can get your attention? You must ask yourself these crucial questions.

    Why do I need God’s help in choosing a mate?

    The concept of marriage originated solely from God. Mankind had absolutely nothing to do with the institution of marriage; except for being a recipient of its manifold blessings. It was God Who decided that it was not good for man to be alone and made a helpmeet for him. After that, He (God) presided over the first ever wedding ceremony recorded in history. This is why God’s help is highly needed.

    You need God’s help to prepare you for marriage and to help select the person who will be best for you. He will enable you to select someone who will help you fulfil God’s plan and purpose for your life. As Christians, we have to learn over and again that we must wait on the Lord; the One Who provides all we need. All you need to do is come to God in prayer with an open spirit. Be confident that God loves you, and knows your end from the beginning and wants the best for you.

    What does the story of Isaac and Rebekah tell us about trusting God?

    Abraham and his servant Eliezer (rather than Isaac and Rebekah) give us the example to follow (Genesis 15:2-6, 24:2-4). In verse 7, Abraham expressed his trust in God’s ability to lead Eliezer to the right woman for his son. Abraham said: The Lord . . . will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. This statement of faith was not wishful thinking. Rather, those words grew out of a long-term close relationship that Abraham had with the Lord. He could look back and see how the Lord had met every need and led him in the past. He knew that the Lord could be trusted to guide him in this crucial choice for his son, Isaac.

    Abraham was a living, breathing example of the truth of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  As Abraham lived by faith, the Lord blessed him and guided his life. His servant Eliezer displayed the same kind of faith when he prayed: O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham (Genesis 24:12).

    As a single person, you can have the same confidence and quiet assurance that your life is under God’s control. As long as you walk humbly, submissively and obediently, you need not worry that you will somehow miss God’s direction about which way to turn. Just as Abraham humbled himself before the King of the universe, so should you seek God’s Kingdom first and He will take care of all your needs (Matthew 6:33) which include helping you to find a spouse or to live for Him as a single person.

    Some single persons express the fear that God may give them someone they do not want, when they commit everything unreservedly into His hands. So, they do not pray at all about it.  This means, they do not trust God enough to give them the best.  God’s Word says: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11). No earthly parent will want to give a harmful thing to his child, and God is more loving than earthly parents. Be sure therefore, that God will give you a partner after His own heart.

    How should I pray for God to lead me to the right partner?

    You have to pray often! God is intimately interested in hearing your requests concerning this matter. As you bring your requests before Him and submit yourself to His direction, you can be sure that He will give you nothing but what He wants for you (Psalm 37:4-5; Matthew 7:7-12).

    When the servant of Abraham spoke to Rebekah about his purpose for being in Nahor, he said: As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren (Genesis 24:27). Eliezer had followed instructions and was in the place, where God could give further direction. We too must be “on the way,” walking in obedience to God, if we expect Him to lead us.

    How does the Holy Spirit guide my choices, thinking & feelings?

    Even though the New Testament contains several examples of how the Holy Spirit can lead through inner impressions (Acts 8:29; 11:28; 13:2; 21:11; 1 Corinthians 14:30), separating our subjective feelings or urges from the voice of the Spirit is not always an easy thing to do. However, we can be sure that the Spirit would never violate the clear commands of the Bible. The Spirit would never tell us to choose to marry an unbeliever. He would not lead us to marry for money or guide us to marry in conflict with the principles of the Word of God.

    Are you in the place where God can lead you?

    For instance, you can’t expect Him to direct you to a Christian mate, if you are hanging around people who don’t have good reputations, or engaged in premarital sex. God won’t direct you if you are neglecting times of personal prayer and worship, or harbouring sinful attitudes. You can’t expect God’s help in choosing a mate, if you are living in disobedience to His will. This is why it becomes very important that you surrender your life to Christ and become born again.

    Surrendering your life to Christ means to confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord.  If you are ready to be born again, please say this prayer:  “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

    If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

    Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org; OR 07026385437 and 08141320204.

     

    For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

  • God’s standard for locating a marriage partner

    DEAR Reader, With joy unspeakable full of glory, I sincerely welcome you to this edition of Family Life in Jesus’ Name. This month, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we shall be looking at God’s Standard for Locating a Marriage Partner.

    The success of your marriage depends on these points that I shall be discussing with you on this column. They are very simple and cannot be overlooked, because your success in marriage is not guaranteed without following these principles. This week, we will be looking at Spiritual Compatibility.

    The first principle according to God’s own standard for locating marriage partner is to marry among God’s own people. The Abrahamic covenant does not permit a believer to marry a stranger; it must be from among your brethren.

    Abraham understood this principle to the point that he gave his servant these strict orders: You will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac (Genesis15:3-4). The Canaanites were notorious idolaters. Their gods and goddesses promoted worship that included human sacrifices and fertility rites with perverse sex. Modern day Canaanites are not always so obviously pagan. They can appear religious in a positive sense, but being religious is not enough.

    A personal relationship with Jesus is the cornerstone of any successful marriage.  There is no meeting point between a Christian and a sinner/unbeliever. God’s Word says: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

    A saved person and an unbeliever cannot have real fellowship, communion or concord. This is primarily because there is a fundamental difference between the character and lifestyle of one who is saved, and one who is not.

    As a born-again believer in Christ, you must guard against the temptation to overlook this most basic issue of spiritual compatibility. Just because the young man or woman is kind and considerate, or seems to be genuinely in love with you, you draw the conclusion that he/she is the one. Don’t allow your feelings to lead you to trample on your relationship with the Lord.

    Don’t ever be deceived to think that you can go ahead to marry an unbeliever, with the intention of converting him or her. Even though the apostles Paul and Peter spoke of the possibility of winning an unbelieving spouse to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:12-16; 1 Peter 3:1-2), that does not mean we should go into marriage knowing we are spiritually incompatible. A believer who marries an unbeliever may be facing a lifetime of spiritual unrest in the marriage and a battle for the spiritual well-being of their children. So, beware!

    How Do I make The Move?

    Look in the appropriate place and ask the Lord for help. To find a compatible, spiritual wife, Abraham sent Eliezer to the logical place – his hometown (Genesis 24:3-4, 10). Eliezer didn’t go into a pagan Canaanite village to look for a wife for Isaac. Eliezer prayed about the marriage he was arranging (Genesis 24:12) and saw God’s leading. Nothing could have been more practical or wise.

    Don’t base your decision on one “sign.” Even though you may believe the sign is from the Lord, don’t throw out wisdom. When Eliezer asked the Lord for a sign (a young woman who would offer water to him and his camels), he didn’t jump to the conclusion that Rebekah was the right one when she offered water. The text tells us that even after she passed the initial test, Eliezer quietly observed her and wondered if she truly was the one who was right for Isaac (Genesis 24: 21).

    The most logical move you can make is to put your searching heart into God’s hands. This is why it becomes necessary for you to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. What the Holy Spirit does is to illuminate your spiritual eyes so that as soon as your physical eyes come in contact with someone, you will know whether such a person is the right person for you or not. If that person happens to be the right person, there will be a confirmation in your spirit. If that is not the right person, the Spirit of God in you will warn you to keep off.

    Eliezer had observed Rebekah’s character, as she humbly brought water for him and his camels. When he talked with her, he knew that she was from the right family (Genesis 24: 24-27). Then, as he talked with her father and brother, Eliezer received added confirmation when they were quick to give their approval. The final indication was Rebekah’s own declaration that she was willing to go (Genesis 24:58). The combination of all these factors helped to verify the choice.

    However, it is important to know that until you are a born-again child of God, God cannot lead you to make the right choice. To be born again entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are ready to be born again, please say this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

    If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

    Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org; OR 07026385437 and 08141320204.

    For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).