CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO SUFFER IN NIGERIA

A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has peace in Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has trouble in the world. 

Jerry Brown-Johnson took his young son, Jedidah, to a children’s hospital. When he got there, he was told Jedidah would have to be given an injection. Because it is often difficult to find a vein in children, the injection would have to be inserted through his head. 

Jerry had to hold down Jedidah while a vein was provoked by slapping him repeatedly on the head. Then a needle was inserted. You can imagine how painful this must have been for a boy barely two years old. But Jerry was pleased for his son to go through the ordeal in order to prevent him from the greater agony of sickness and death. 

Trusting God 

The truth is that Jedidah needs to be taught to trust his “old man” in pain as well as in pleasure. Even though he might not understand why he had to be given the injection, the presence of Jerry while the pain was being inflicted on him should be sufficient as a source of reassurance. 

Job said of God: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (Job 13:15). He asked a telling question of his wife who wanted him to curse God when he fell into adversity: “Shall we receive only pleasant things from the hand of God and never anything unpleasant?” (Job 2:10). This shows Job’s commitment to God was on a solid foundation for better for worse. 

To what exactly is the believer called? What kind of life can we expect in the world? Are we called to prosper in the world as many have led us to expect? The answer is an emphatic “No.” It is the ungodly who prosper in the world. (Psalm 73:12). As a matter of fact, the believer is called to suffer in the world. Peter says: “To this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21). 

Peace (shalom) is another word for prosperity in Hebrew. For a Christian to have peace in the world is to negate the ministry of Christ. The bible pronounces woe on those who are at ease in Zion. (Amos 6:1). If we have peace in the world, then we have no need for Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has peace in Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has trouble in the world.

 Overcomers 

Bad times are inevitable in a world of sin and sickness. Therefore, Solomon counsels: “Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other- so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). Christianity does not promote expectations of worldly advantages, but of heavenly reward. Jesus says: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). 

There is a fundamental difference between gaining the world and overcoming it. The Christian faith is an instrument by which we overcome the world. John says: “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. (1 John 5:4.) 

When a man overcomes the world, he survives without those things the world esteems. When a woman overcomes the world, she sings even though she is barren. (Isaiah 54:1). She is unfazed, even though she is single. When a man overcomes the world, he is not ashamed to be born in lowly Nazareth. He is comfortable riding a donkey instead of a Cadillac. 

The believer is called not only to suffer, but even to suffer unjustly. We are called to suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake. (Matthew 5:10). We are called to do good and suffer for it: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” (Philippians 1:29). 

New wine 

The Holy Spirit is given to prepare and strengthen us for the journey ahead. He is given that we may be supernaturally empowered to bear all our trials without complaining. He is given that we may be patient and longsuffering in the crucible of life, and that we may face its inevitable ordeals joyfully. (Colossians 1:10-11). The promise is that, after we have suffered for a while, God will restore, establish and strengthen us. (1 Peter 5:10). 

God has left the new creation as new wine in old bottles? This is because he wants us to work out our own salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13). He wants us to take the kingdom by force. (Matthew 11:12). He wants us to strive to enter the kingdom through the narrow gate. (Luke 13:23-24). He wants us to labour for the food which endures to eternal life. (John 6:27). He wants us to labour to enter into the rest of God. (Hebrews 4:11). 

For this reason, Jesus warns us to count the cost before accepting his invitation to discipleship. If we are not prepared to pay the price, we should not even embark on the project. (Luke 14:28-30). 

Losing to gain 

A lady phoned me from the United States with a burning question. “Doctor,” she said, “since you committed your life to Christ, what have you gained?” I told her I had gained Christ but this was meaningless to her. She wanted to know what I had gained in the world. 

She hit the nail on the head by asking the wrong question. I told her that her question came from lack of understanding of kingdom dynamics. In the world, you gain by gaining. But in the kingdom of God, you gain by losing. Her question should therefore have been: “Doctor, since you committed your life to Christ, what have you lost?” In order to know Christ, we have to lose so many things we have acquired in the world. 

What are the Isaacs in our lives? What are those things that compete for the love of God in our lives? What are those things that compete with God for our attention and devotion? Is it our husband, wife or children? Is it our homes, jobs and possessions? Jesus requires that we give them all up for him. (Matthew 10:37-38). If we are not prepared to give them up we cannot expect to be heirs of God. 

How do we recognise a true believer? Not by his church attendance record. Not from the number of scriptures he can quote. One of the ways we recognise a believer is by how he responds to affliction, to temptation and to difficulties. (2 Corinthians 6:4-10). Satan has a simple thesis: slap the Christian and his faith will be scattered. Kill his son and he will become an unbeliever. Break up his marriage and he will stop going to church. 

However, true believers put on the whole armour of God and are able to stand against all the devices of the enemy. They do not put on the armour of Saul: they put on the whole armour of God. (Ephesians 6:11). “Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction.” (Job 36:21). 

 By Femi Aribisala

A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has peace in Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has trouble in the world. Jerry Brown-Johnson took his young son, Jedidah, to a children’s hospital. When he got there, he was told Jedidah would have to be given an injection. Because it is often difficult to find a vein in children, the injection would have to be inserted through his head. Jerry had to hold down Jedidah while a vein was provoked by slapping him repeatedly on the head. Then a needle was inserted. You can imagine how painful this must have been for a boy barely two years old. But Jerry was pleased for his son to go through the ordeal in order to prevent him from the greater agony of sickness and death. Trusting God The truth is that Jedidah needs to be taught to trust his “old man” in pain as well as in pleasure. Even though he might not understand why he had to be given the injection, the presence of Jerry while the pain was being inflicted on him should be sufficient as a source of reassurance. Job said of God: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (Job 13:15). He asked a telling question of his wife who wanted him to curse God when he fell into adversity: “Shall we receive only pleasant things from the hand of God and never anything unpleasant?” (Job 2:10). This shows Job’s commitment to God was on a solid foundation for better for worse. To what exactly is the believer called? What kind of life can we expect in the world? Are we called to prosper in the world as many have led us to expect? The answer is an emphatic “No.” It is the ungodly who prosper in the world. (Psalm 73:12). As a matter of fact, the believer is called to suffer in the world. Peter says: “To this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21). Peace (shalom) is another word for prosperity in Hebrew. For a Christian to have peace in the world is to negate the ministry of Christ. The bible pronounces woe on those who are at ease in Zion. (Amos 6:1). If we have peace in the world, then we have no need for Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has peace in Christ. A Christian does not have peace in the world: he has trouble in the world. Overcomers Bad times are inevitable in a world of sin and sickness. Therefore, Solomon counsels: “Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other- so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). Christianity does not promote expectations of worldly advantages, but of heavenly reward. Jesus says: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). There is a fundamental difference between gaining the world and overcoming it. The Christian faith is an instrument by which we overcome the world. John says: “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. (1 John 5:4.) When a man overcomes the world, he survives without those things the world esteems. When a woman overcomes the world, she sings even though she is barren. (Isaiah 54:1). She is unfazed, even though she is single. When a man overcomes the world, he is not ashamed to be born in lowly Nazareth. He is comfortable riding a donkey instead of a Cadillac. The believer is called not only to suffer, but even to suffer unjustly. We are called to suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake. (Matthew 5:10). We are called to do good and suffer for it: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” (Philippians 1:29). New wine The Holy Spirit is given to prepare and strengthen us for the journey ahead. He is given that we may be supernaturally empowered to bear all our trials without complaining. He is given that we may be patient and longsuffering in the crucible of life, and that we may face its inevitable ordeals joyfully. (Colossians 1:10-11). The promise is that, after we have suffered for a while, God will restore, establish and strengthen us. (1 Peter 5:10). God has left the new creation as new wine in old bottles? This is because he wants us to work out our own salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13). He wants us to take the kingdom by force. (Matthew 11:12). He wants us to strive to enter the kingdom through the narrow gate. (Luke 13:23-24). He wants us to labour for the food which endures to eternal life. (John 6:27). He wants us to labour to enter into the rest of God. (Hebrews 4:11). For this reason, Jesus warns us to count the cost before accepting his invitation to discipleship. If we are not prepared to pay the price, we should not even embark on the project. (Luke 14:28-30). Losing to gain A lady phoned me from the United States with a burning question. “Doctor,” she said, “since you committed your life to Christ, what have you gained?” I told her I had gained Christ but this was meaningless to her. She wanted to know what I had gained in the world. She hit the nail on the head by asking the wrong question. I told her that her question came from lack of understanding of kingdom dynamics. In the world, you gain by gaining. But in the kingdom of God, you gain by losing. Her question should therefore have been: “Doctor, since you committed your life to Christ, what have you lost?” In order to know Christ, we have to lose so many things we have acquired in the world. What are the Isaacs in our lives? What are those things that compete for the love of God in our lives? What are those things that compete with God for our attention and devotion? Is it our husband, wife or children? Is it our homes, jobs and possessions? Jesus requires that we give them all up for him. (Matthew 10:37-38). If we are not prepared to give them up we cannot expect to be heirs of God. How do we recognise a true believer? Not by his church attendance record. Not from the number of scriptures he can quote. One of the ways we recognise a believer is by how he responds to affliction, to temptation and to difficulties. (2 Corinthians 6:4-10). Satan has a simple thesis: slap the Christian and his faith will be scattered. Kill his son and he will become an unbeliever. Break up his marriage and he will stop going to church. However, true believers put on the whole armour of God and are able to stand against all the devices of the enemy. They do not put on the armour of Saul: they put on the whole armour of God. (Ephesians 6:11). “Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction.” (Job 36:21).

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/christians-are-called-to-suffer-in-nigeria/

BIZARRE LAW: SINGLE WOMEN BANNED FROM USING MOBILE PHONES

A village in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat has banned single women from using mobile phones, with elders deeming the technology a “nuisance to society”.  

Members of the Suraj village council in Mehsana, the premier’s home district, passed a resolution in early February outlawing the use of mobile phones for teenage girls and young women.  “Community leaders felt that just like liquor, the use of mobile phones by unmarried women was a nuisance to society,” village head Devshi Vankar told AFP, adding that a similar ban would be announced for school-age boys soon.  

He said mobile phones were distracting unmarried women from carrying out their studies and household chores in the village, which has a population of 2,000.  If caught owning or speaking on a mobile phone, the violators will face a 2,100-rupee ($30) fine, according to the council, which is also offering 200 rupees to informers for tip-offs.  However, they can talk on their parents’ or relatives’ phones.  

The ban was imposed at a meeting originally called to discuss the community’s growing alcohol abuse problem.  It comes amid a nationwide campaign by Modi to spread the use of technology in rural India.  Last year the government launched its “Digital India” initiative to help boost connectivity in India, where nearly a billion people do not have access to the Internet.  

AFP

http://www.punchng.com/village-bans-mobiles-for-single-women/

WHY I HATE PRAYERS

I’m a big fan of meditation and personal reflection.  I try to spend an hour each day in thoughtful introspection. I’ve found that practice to bring me inspiration, clarity and peace.  While I no longer call this exercise prayer, I’m comfortable with those who frame this experience as a connection with something beyond themselves – be it god or some power.  Maybe it is.  As long as your inner voice isn’t telling you to hurt yourself or me, I’d recommend listening to it.  That being said, when it comes to making requests of god, I hate prayer.

Prayer

I haven’t always hated intercessory prayer – the type of prayer intended to alter future outcomes.  Indeed, there was a period of my life when I often requested things of God and even thought some of those prayers were answered.  When prayers weren’t answered, I’d repeat the Christian mantra – sometimes God says yes, sometimes God say no and sometimes God says wait.  This formula was fairly easy to sustain as an affluent American Christian.  All of my basic needs and most of my desires were met.  It seemed as if my prayers were often answered.

Ironically, it was in becoming a pastor that this understanding of prayer began to fail.  As a pastor, I was constantly asked to pray for some of the most heart wrenching situations – physical healing, broken relationships, destitution, addiction, and psychological trauma.  Again and again, the answers “no” or “wait” made no sense.  “Yes” seemed the only appropriate answer to such pleas.  When I told people – in response to their unanswered prayers – that God’s ways were mysterious, it rang hollow in my ears.  Answered prayers began to look more like happy coincidence than divine intervention.

Even before I became an atheist, I gave up intercessory prayer.  When people would stand up in church and celebrate the most trivial occurrences as answered prayers, I felt embarrassed.  I knew there were people in the pews dealing with unanswered prayers about horrific situations.  I began to research the science behind prayer.  I discovered there was not a single study that found prayer capable of altering outcomes unless – and this is very important – the persons being prayed for knew they were the objects of prayer.  In other words, telling someone you’re praying for them has a positive effect on them, but praying for them without telling them is useless.  Obviously, the positive impact had nothing to do with god and a lot to do with human psychology.

So for the last few years of my religious life, I tolerated talk of intercessory prayer.  What could it hurt?  If people told others they were praying for them, it brought that person some real comfort.  If people prayed for someone without their knowledge, it did no harm.  Most claims of divine intervention seemed expressions of gratitude rather than of how the universe worked.  People prayed and some disaster was avoided.  People wished for some good outcome and it happened.  Crediting such events to God was gratifying.  While there was no evidence I could see of God intervening in the world, people seemed to like to think so.

Today, I no longer see such sentiments as harmless.  Hearing them from outside the confines of religious culture, I am aware of an arrogance and ugliness to which I had been oblivious.  In the past year, I’ve begun to cringe when I hear statements like “God answers prayer” and “Prayer works.”  I’ve bitten my tongue when people describe some trivial occurrence as evidence of God’s responsiveness.  Do they really think they are so special?  I finally understand why such claims are so damaging both to the speaker and the hearer.

Consider this example.  When I was sixteen, one of my friends received a brand new car as a birthday present.  As a person driving an old beat up truck, I was obviously envious, but I understood the inequities of life.  I didn’t get irritated until my friend made it a point at every opportunity to announce, “Look at this car my parents bought for me.”  Eventually, I avoided him and his car.  Of course, there was nothing wrong with my friend being grateful for the present and for thanking his parents.  What was obnoxious was his constant need to make certain everyone knew of his good favor.

This is how I feel about claims of answered prayer.  If you really think God has intervened on your behalf, thank God and keep it to yourself.  The minute you broadcast that good fortune as divine blessing, your purpose is no longer gratitude.  It is pride and arrogance.  You are convinced at some deep level of God’s special favor.  In proclaiming this good fortune, you are also calling into question the status of everyone else.  When you celebrate even the most amazing occurrences – successfully overcoming cancer, surviving a tornado, or a sudden and unexpected financial windfall – you are suggesting those who are dying of cancer, killed in the tornado or poor and destitute are less favored by God.  Your prayers were answered, but not theirs.

Perhaps the more graphic examples of this cruelty happened in one of my last years of ministry.  One Sunday, a woman stood to announce that – after several months – her prayers had been answered and she was pregnant.  Everyone was excited and happy for her, except for me and one other.  As I looked out on the congregation I saw the crestfallen face of a woman who had recently shared with me her long depression over her infertility.  It wasn’t enough that she would never have children.  Now she had to struggle with why her prayers went unanswered.

If there is a god who answers the prayers of some men, women and children, but ignores the prayers of others, I have no interest in such a god.  That god would be source of inequity and not a god of justice.  I would hate a god who answered trivial requests while ignoring the pleas of the parents of starving children.  However, I don’t think that god or any other god exists.  I think what people claim as answered prayers are happy coincidences.  I don’t begrudge them their good fortune, but I’ve come to despise their expressions of spiritual privilege.  Isn’t it enough that life is good?  Why besmirch the character of those less fortunate?

Usually, I say nothing when people celebrate intercessory prayer, but I don’t know how much longer I can give my silent assent to such ugliness.  I wish far more Christians obeyed Jesus and did their praying – and their celebrating of answered prayer – in a closet rather than in the public square.  Those who insist on flaunting their good fortune remind more and more of my sixteen year old friend – insecure, immature and insensitive.

 ==================

Jim Mulholland spent twenty-five years as a pastor. He wrote several best selling Christian books and spoke nationally.  In 2008, he resigned when his faith faltered.  After several years of transition, Jim published the book Leaving Your Religion and began writing a blog on becoming post-religious.  You can read more of Jim’s story and reflections atLeavingYourReligion.com.

See more at: http://www.patheos.com

SCIENTISTS CRASH INTO GOD'S BEDROOM

Five hundred years ago, people in the supposedly civilized world of that time believed that men had one rib less than women. The Bible told them that God used one of man's ribs to make a woman.

 

Nobody bothered to open up a man and count. And nobody asked the people in other parts of the world who ate human flesh how many ribs men had. That ignorance persisted until Flemish anatomist, Andreas Vesalius, in 1543 opened up a man and found out that he had the same number of ribs as a woman.

It would take another 400 years before German scientist, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, in 1895 discovered the X-ray. With the discovery of X-ray we no longer need to open up a man before we can find out how many ribs he has or which bone is broken or where the coin he swallowed is lodged.

Until Thursday, February 11, 2016, our universe has been like man- 500 years ago. We cannot touch it. We cannot open it up. We do not know much of what is inside of it. We call most parts of it dark matter, black holes, supernova.

And then, we got an X-ray, sort of.

I don't know what you were doing on Thursday, February 11th, 2016, but chances are that 200 years from now, nobody will remember. What nobody will forget 1000 years from now is that on that day, Albert Einstein's theory of relativity was proven right. And with that accomplishment, the 200-year-old arc of wonders started by Michael Faraday and advanced by Albert Einstein was completed.

Before February 11, 2016, the questions being asked were: Is there a limit to science? What comes after science has ended? How are the questions that science cannot answer different from the answers that religion cannot prove? If laws created the universe as Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking argued in “The Grand Design,” who created the laws? Do laws really make things happen? If the universe did not create itself, then who created the universe? If God created the universe, then who created God? Why is the universe there? What is the universe expanding into? Where did time and space come from and what were they before they came into existence.

It is in the nature of science to first study what we know and expand on it by making a guess- a hypothesis. Using complex tests and equations that originate from known laws, scientists predict what they believe is out there- a theory. It is then followed by the difficult task of proving it in experiments that can be replicated.

The last big puzzle piece of Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravitational waves, was a path to finding answers to these questions about our place in the universe. For the last 50 years, the National Science Foundation had spent over a billion dollars trying to find the gravitational waves. In the last 25 years, the foundation has spent half of the money supporting two facilities for this purpose in a project called Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington. The facilities house two 4-km long tunnels emptied of all air and at right angles with a mirror at the end. A laser beam split into two was sent down one tunnel and reflected back where they are recombined. When gravitational waves pass the LIGO lasers they will change the pattern of the laser light. Over one thousand scientists from around the world were working on the project.

The simplest way to explain gravitational waves is that when you drop a coin in a bucket of water it causes ripples. Likewise, when mass moves in the universe it bends time and space, which in turn causes ripples. This ripple is the gravitational waves. It is often referred to as the ripple in the space-time curvature.

On September 11, 2015, the two LIGO facilities detected gravitational waves in space. The one in Louisiana picked it up first and 7 milliseconds later, the one in Washington picked the same waves up. The gravitational waves occurred 1.3 billion years ago when two massive black holes about 30 times the mass of the sun and travelling at half the speed of light collided. Remember, 1.3 billion years ago when humans had not appeared on earth and when we were beginning to see the spread of multicellular life here on earth.

This is how big a deal this is. In 2012, the CERN’s discovery of the Higgs particle solidified the standard model of physics and opened up new ways to understand our physical world. With the detection of gravitational waves, our interaction with our universe has changed forever. Not only did this discovery prove Einstein’s theory of relativity, it also proves the existence of a binary black hole.

Since Michael Faraday discovered the electromagnetic induction in 1831, scientists have been fascinated about how energy is transported. Working off Faraday’s law, James Clerk Maxwell discovered that magnetic fields and electrical fields when coupled together lead to electromagnetic waves. While mechanical waves need a medium to travel through, electromagnetic waves do not. Meanwhile, German physicist Heinrich Hertz applied Maxwell's theories to his work on radio waves. He proved that the velocity of radio waves was equal to the velocity of light and as such radio waves were a form of light. He also figured out how electric and magnetic fields transform into electromagnetic waves.

With an electromagnetic wave, scientists were able to see objects that emit visible light, like X-rays and gamma rays.  That could only show us objects further back 400,000 years after the big bang. Beyond that, we were blind. Light could not penetrate the earliest period of the universe due to interstellar dust. Objects in those spaces do not emit electromagnetic radiations but instead they emit gravity.

Unlike electromagnetic waves, gravitational waves will pass through any matter without being distorted. In gravitational waves, we can retrieve information about astronomical events that happened billions of years ago. With the discovery of the gravitational waves, we will be able to see what happened at the initial singularity. Which means it is now possible to find out what happened seconds after the Big Bang.

It is going to change everything we think we know.

When Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1915, it was not clear how to unify forces of nature and quantum gravity. As scientists start to 'hear' and 'see' black holes, those remnants of dead stars, the possibilities are endless.

Scientists say that the discovery of gravitational waves is like a deaf person hearing for the first time or a blind person seeing for the first time. "It's like Galileo pointing the telescope for the first time toward the sky," LIGO team member Vassiliki (Vicky) Kalogera, a professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern University in Illinois, told Space.com.

Within the reach of scientists is an understanding of the inner workings of the black hole; what happens in a supernova; what are dead matter; and a possible look inside of the burnt-out stellar corpse called neutron stars- a teaspoon of a neutron material weighs up to a billion tons.

An advanced LIGO three times more sensitive than the old LIGO that discovered the gravitational waves is already in place to take mankind to a new frontier.

Michael Faraday’s work on electricity and electromagnetic induction made it possible for us to have electricity, satellite, cell phone, cars, internet, and all the modern gadgets that make us have a better understanding of our world. With the discovery of the gravitational waves, we can now understand better how galaxies and stars are formed and their evolution. One thing is for sure- just like the X-ray, the radio wave and the electromagnetic waves have enhanced our knowledge of our place in the universe, gravitational waves is poised to lead us to objects we never imagined.

Scientists have crashed into God’s bedroom and in the fullness of time, it will be clear that our understanding of our place in the universe has changed forever.

By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo 

.................................................................................................................

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo's latest work is This American Life Sef! It is available on Amazon.com

WEIRD: A LIVING CHILD RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY PASTOR

Pastor Chris Okafor, 45, the founder of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle ministry (also called Liberation City) has further exposed the gullibility and ignorance of the Nigerian christian when it comes to claims of miracles. One week ago, I heard that he had raised a child from the dead, but I did not write about it as I could find no video. I knew of course that it was a lie, but I needed to prove it was, and the video below in which he puts up a show for his congregation two Sundays ago was all the proof I needed.

From around the 1:30 mark, he carries the 'dead' child to the altar where he lays her down, and she can be clearly seen, as the camera zooms in, to be breathing, and that her eyes are wide open. He then pours 'holy water' on her and she of course reacts to water being splashed on her face to a tumultuous applause from the congregation. The only extraordinary thing that happened was that the thousands gathered there that Sunday morning were too blinded by their utterly absurd christian beliefs to even notice that the child was alive. What is wrong with these people? The story was that the parents of the child who fell ill rushed her to the church instead of a hospital, and this is actually a very normal occurrence in Nigeria. It was reported that the child died just before they got to church, and she was promptly handed over to the pastor who resurrected her.

Mr Okafor, also known as 'the oracle' is separated from his wife, with whom he has four children, amid allegations, from her, of physical abuse. His miracle is no different from this one I wrote about where another Nigerian pastor purportedly grew a shortened limb. It is extremely saddening that these charlatans and fraudsters are allowed to get away with so much flimflam. Those who speak out against them are shouted down and warned not to invite the wrath of the christian god for speaking out against a 'man of God'. Well, I will continue to expose their deceit and villainy and wait for the wrath of God. For now, God is certainly feeling mine.

Posted by Nigerian Anarchist

Heading Edited by me.

WHO IS GOD?

"I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability."
― Oscar Wilde

Some time ago I was sitting with a group of people who were intrigued by me; and kept on asking me questions about my work. One of them finally asked "What religion do you follow?" I'm always weary of this question so I said in a diplomatic way "Well I believe that there is a superior being that has created us all, I call Him God. He is everywhere and all around us and is plain simple love." And then the dreaded question "What is your God called, who is He?"

It was one of those questions that had come to my mind so many times before -- is my God different than yours? Is yours better than mine? Does that mean that there is more than one creator of the Universe if people from different religions have different gods? Am I right to believe in a certain God while you are wrong because you don't agree with what I call my God? Who IS God?

From the beginning of time humans believed in a higher power, something bigger and more powerful than themselves. They needed to believe in someone who had inconceivable powers and was so much bigger than themselves and also to answer the big mysteries of the world. So they worshiped the sun, the moon, fire and even created gods of the seas. Anything explainable was considered an extension of the holiness of God even love and beauty intrigued humans and they made goddesses of love and beauty.

When I look into my heart and think about God or as I'm told "my God", this is who He is:
1- He is my friend and confidant
2- He is everywhere all around me in the littlest corners of the world
3- God doesn't reside in some holy building where I need to go to find Him; he lives inside of me in the deepest darkest corners of my heart.
4- He is not there to just make me feel small but he sees my successes as his own, as I am created by Him.
5- God is love, the love I see and feel everywhere
6- He talks to me through my heart and soul- if I only listened
7- Religious rituals don't bring me closer to Him but loving his creations does

I know that God, Allah, Jesus, Bhagwan, Buddha are all names of the same higher power that created all of us. The same powerful being that created all of us from love, yet we separate ourselves from each other trying to prove that our religion is better than the other. We are fighting wars, killing people trying to prove how we are the righteous ones and it is our right to demean and destroy others who don't agree with our religious rituals or the name we give to our creator. What we need to remember is the
My God or yours-God is Love and that is all that we need to know.

Follow Tami Shaikh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tamik100

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tami-shaikh/who-is-god_2_b_9165058.html?

WHY 'MEN OF GOD' DONT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” 

In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of God. 

“Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). 

Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent. Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they can become “children of God.” (John 3:3).

 

Bigmanism 

 

Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.” “This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.” The more boastful, the greater the public appeal. 

 

However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it. (Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25). 

 

The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28). 

 

Celebrity pastors 

 

When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship. 

 

Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips.” (Psalm 12:3). 

 

Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good works and yet not glorify us? 

 

The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of “Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men, their good works in the world become bad works according to the estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of “children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God. This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank drafts. They give money to people and organizations that don’t know them and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is to thank God for whoever they are.

 

 Ungodly charity 

 

Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating at home or in a restaurant? Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). This means conspicuous charitable organizations are ungodly. Yes, that includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalized, they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God. It also means charitable programs organized by churches are ungodly. They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do not speak the righteousness of Christ. 

 

God-ward devotion 

 

Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says: “Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of God’s commandments. Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).

By Femi Aribisala

By Femi Aribisala

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/

The kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of God. “Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent. Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they can become “children of God.” (John 3:3). Bigmanism Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.” “This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.” The more boastful, the greater the public appeal. However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it. (Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25). The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28). Celebrity pastors When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship. Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips.” (Psalm 12:3). Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good works and yet not glorify us? The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of “Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men, their good works in the world become bad works according to the estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of “children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God. This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank drafts. They give money to people and organisations that don’t know them and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is to thank God for whoever they are. Ungodly charity Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating at home or in a restaurant? Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). This means conspicuous charitable organisations are ungodly. Yes, that includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalised, they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God. It also means charitable programs organised by churches are ungodly. They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do not speak the righteousness of Christ. God-ward devotion Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says: “Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of God’s commandments. Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/

The kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of God. “Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent. Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they can become “children of God.” (John 3:3). Bigmanism Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.” “This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.” The more boastful, the greater the public appeal. However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it. (Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25). The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28). Celebrity pastors When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship. Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips.” (Psalm 12:3). Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good works and yet not glorify us? The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of “Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men, their good works in the world become bad works according to the estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of “children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God. This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank drafts. They give money to people and organisations that don’t know them and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is to thank God for whoever they are. Ungodly charity Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating at home or in a restaurant? Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). This means conspicuous charitable organisations are ungodly. Yes, that includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalised, they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God. It also means charitable programs organised by churches are ungodly. They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do not speak the righteousness of Christ. God-ward devotion Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says: “Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of God’s commandments. Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/

WHEN "I DON'T KNOW" IS THE BEST ANSWER

Creation stories attempt to explain the creation of the Earth (or universe) and the creation of humans (or of life on Earth). There are hundreds of creation stories but let's just imagine there are only two: the Jewish story and the Norse story.

The Norse story says the god Odin battled the ice giant Ymir. After an epic battle, Odin defeated Ymir and used the giant's body parts to create the Earth--his blood formed the rivers and seas, his bones the mountains, his hair formed the trees, and the sky was made from his skull. Humans came from the giant's armpits.

The Jewish story says that Yahweh created the universe by thinking it into existence. He made a man from dust and a woman from the man's rib. He created everything that exists in just six days.

More than a thousand years later, humans invented a new way of explaining things. They looked at facts (evidence) and formulated possible explanations that were consistent with the facts. They called these explanations 'hypotheses'. Then they asked, if this hypothesis is true, what further evidence should we expect to find? And what evidence would prove the hypothesis false? They searched for evidence or carried out experiments and discarded falsified hypotheses. They continued to test, debate and refine surviving hypotheses until they explained the facts extremely well.

This process has proven phenomenally successful. It is now known as the scientific method. We know it works because we create tools from its successful hypotheses and these tools work. My computer is such a tool. So are passenger jets, cars, medicines, televisions, eye glasses and space rockets.

So here we are in the second decade of the 21st century, and we have a choice. What should we believe about how the universe came to be? We can chose the Jewish creation story or the Norse creation story or we can see what science can tell us.

Science has formulated a handful of hypotheses to explain the origin of the universe but they are very difficult to test. Work is proceeding but we cannot yet be confident that any of these hypotheses are correct. Right now, science can only say, "We don't know".

What will you bet on:
The guess made three thousand years ago by the Jews?
The guess made almost two thousand years ago by the Norse people?
Or will you say, I don't know?

Only one of these answers makes sense.

 

By Bill Flavell