Hoping and fearing for Nigeria
eviticus 9:6, “And Moses said, Thisis the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the
of the LORD shall appear unto you.”
Glory is defined as the splendour of divinity, the brilliance of his appearance, wealth, and power of the Godhead. Jesus is the perfect illustration of the image of God and the Bible says in 1John 4:17 that for as he is so are we in this world.
You are a reflection of God’s dignity and splendour. You are designed to live the rainbow life; a life of colour and dignity.
The question is, how do you provoke the outpouring of this new level of glory?How do you bring the best out of your life? Leviticus 9:6, “And Moses said, Thisis the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.” The glory of God does not appear unto everyone but it can appear unto you if know what to do.
So there are things you can do to bring the best out of your life. Let’s look at it from the perspective of glory.Let me highlight four keys. 4 Keys to the rainbow life 1. Sight. The future you see determines the future you apprehend. I’m not talking about seeing with your naked eyes but with your spiritual eyes. I’m talking about Vision; I’m talking about Dreams! Great living starts with a picture, held in your imagination, of
Hope and fear are emotional forces that determine the present and future of a person. The absence of hope could lead either to a healthy or unhealthy fear. Many people fear sickness, war, death,failure, hunger, poverty, recession and whatever causes trauma. Normal people pray against these fears and hope for health, peace, life, success, wealth, affluence and comfort. The fear of the future makes some people to amass wealth and this could lead to greed and all forms of corruption that Jesus warns against. He says: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”Jesus illustrates this with a parable of a farmer who had a rich harvest. The farmer said: `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’”Then he said, `This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.And I’ll say to my soul, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry” “But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke: 16-23).
Nigeria as a nation was gripped with fear before the 2015 Presidential elections. Many feared that Nigeria would disintegrate. Some feared that there would be ethnic, religious or political war that would soak “the dogs and the baboons” in human blood akin to a deep ocean that flows with malevolent waves. There was fear of anarchy and the nation what you would like to be or do.We looked at this last week when we considered goal setting.
2. Study. If you are going to be better than you are right now, you are going to have to learn something better than you know right now. The difference between seasons is information. Until you learn something new, you cannot have something new. Daily study of the Word of God is vital key to transformation.The 2Corinthians 3:18,“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Over the years, I have seen tremendous changes in the lives of many people both in terms of their desires and conduct and in the peace and comfort of life. As they committed to practicing revealed truth and principles of life in the Bible, they have moved from lack to abundance and have also been growing in generosity and influence.
I have seen myself growing in faith and strength to tackle problems and deal with challenges.
The secret is looking at the Word of God as your standard of moral and spiritual behaviour. As long as you keep looking at the Lord Jesus Christ, your life will be transformed from glory to glory. The life of the believer should be getting better and brighter by the day. Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Through the word of God would be made ungovernable. Some Christians feared that the Sharia law would be fully implemented in every corner of Nigeria. These fears made some people to relocate from North to South and from South to North. The light of hope dazzled the eyes of Nigerian citizens with the Presidential victory over the incumbent who accepted defeat and congratulated the winner of the election. The hope was marked with joyous contents of the change that dawned upon the nation. People rejoiced that very soon a naira would be equal to a dollar, that every unemployed youth in the land would receive a stipend of five thousand naira a month, that the new government would beam every corner of the nation with constant power supply, that the potholes would vanish from the federal highways, that terrorism would be history in every part of the nation, that unemployment would forever go on vacation and everybody rejoiced in the hope of change.
In 2017, this hope appears too deep with terrible consequences that some people purportedly fabricated a rumour that has gripped the nation to unstable marrow. Traditionally, no one should rejoice at the death even of an enemy. Besides, according to William Shakespeare, death is a necessary end which will come when it will come. CAESAR told his wife CALPURNIA,“Cowards die many times before their deaths.The valiant never taste of death but once.Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,it seems to me most strange that men should fear,seeing that death, a necessary end,will come when it will come” (Act 1, Scene 2). Should anyone question why the death of the president made so much and the work of the Holy Spirit within, the believer is transformed daily.
Studying and meditating on the Word of God produces faith which is necessary for transformation. John 11:40, “40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
Transformation within leads to transformation without: producing tangible evidence of our union with Christ. Until God changes you, he cannot change your circumstances! If you are truly following the Lord, you will not remain the same. You will be improving daily in character, behaviour, and wealth.
Through the word of God the champion in you will emerge, in Jesus name!
3. Strategy. Every miracle begins with a conversation. Whenever we pray God responds with an instruction. The instruction you obey determines the future you create. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, they ran out of wine. This was brought to the notice of Mary who told Jesus. He responded with an instruction. He told them to fill large water pots with water and they ended up with wine. Abraham’s greatness came through FOLLOWING THE STRATEGIES AND PLANS GIVEN BY GOD in order to take him to the place promised. God not only REVEALS your destination, he also wants to show you HOW to get there. Abraham’s greatness came through COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. This is the one thing echo, I refer the person to the statement of Caesar’s First Lady Calpurnia: “When beggars die there are no comets seen, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes” (Act 1, Scene 2).I hope and pray that the President would use the occasion of his rumoured obituary to do a deep reflection on the fears and hopes of the nation God has given to him to govern. I hope and pray that he would take this obituary as a message from God akin to the obituary that changed the life of Nobel.
Alfred B. Nobel (1833-1896) was a man who amassed his fortune by producing explosives. He actually invented dynamite.When Nobel’s brother died, a newspaper ran a long obituary of Alfred Nobel, believing that it was he who had passed away. Thus, Nobel had an opportunity to read his obituary while still alive. What he read horrified him. The newspaper described him as a man who had made it possible to kill more people more quickly than anyone else who had ever lived.Nobel realized that he was going to be remembered for evil whereas he thought he was a great scientist. He decided to make his life useful to humanity by sustaining life. He established the Nobel Prizes that is now presented for outstanding achievement in literature, peace, economics, medicine and the sciences. How many people have the opportunity to read their Obituary before they die? Only those God wants to change for the best to meet him in heaven. (http:// www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/ aid/271383).
It appears that hope has become the nature of Nigeria since independence. The Citizens expect so much from their leaders. They want the natural and that summarizes Abraham’s walk with God.
Principles are overrated. He has given general principles in all areas of life andwill want to give strategies in specific areas per time.Vision is overrated. Most people know what they want and where they want to go but they do not know what to do to get there! Strategy is the missing link. The role of strategy cannot be overemphasised. Strategy simply matters!
How do you get divine strategy? By asking in prayer! Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
4. Sacrifice. The right sacrifice provokes the glory of God to flow into your life:
a. Of Time in prayer and worship: especially praying in tongue. When you pray in tongue you speak mysteries (1Corinthians 14:2). 1Chronicles 16:27 says, “Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.” Moses asked the Lord to reveal his glory to him; God responded positively (Exodus 33:18). Manage your time by managing your priorities.
You will not have power if you don’t spend quality time with God in studying the word and speaking with Him in prayer. b. Talent. c. Treasures. d. Fasting (Isaiah 58:8) human resources of the nation utilized in a way and manner that no Nigeria would long to run away from the fatherland except when duty calls and there is absolute need to travel outside the shores of the native land. This high level of hope in leadership is the reason why Nigerians are not very patient with their leaders. In less than two years of governance, some Nigerians feel that a change is necessary to usher in a messiah akin to the messianic expectation of the Jews. From the many calls I have received from our Muslims partners in dialogue and the messages of phobia for religious revolution, it is very clear that Nigeria urgently needs to respond to the genocide of Southern Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria, where blood keeps flowing like a river. The present condition of the nation is so bad that some religious leaders are being pursued for inflammatory statements.
In the view of the International Community, every Nigerian is perceived as chronically corrupt except each individual has to prove his innocence and be cleared. It now appears that every Nigerian is a suspected thief, Boko Haram member, herdsman and kidnapper until the person is proven innocent. The Green Passport is gradually become a burden of shame to those who carry it. The Green Card of Nigerians is being threatened in the United States of America. The card for Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has been rendered useless outside Nigeria. It is no longer possible to do online transaction with Nigerian ATM card. No one has predicted yet the end to the fear of the continuous fall of oil price that had been the main source of national income. Instead of these fears to be addressed by technocrats and scientists, religious adherents are suspecting each other
When the offering for atonement and worship is properly done, the glory of God will come down. Faith and the rainbow life It takes faith to bring down the glory of God. John 11:40 “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Conclusion God’s intention is that man lives a life of true dominion, comfort and overwhelming blessings. However, realizing this divine desire depends on man’s prompt, total and consistent obedience to God’s instructions.
You shine when the glory of God comes upon you (Isaiah 61:1). You are created a star and you will shine for the world to see!
You shine when the glory of God comes upon you (Isaiah 61:1). You are created a star and you will shine for the world to see!
From this week, you will see the glory of God! You will experience full scale deliverance and restoration!Everything limiting your destiny and progress, gives way now!
Everything the enemy has used to tie your marriage, your womb, your business, your finance, your spouse, children; etc. burns to ashes now in the mighty name of Jesus!
Welcome to your year of POWER and PRIVILEGE!!! amidst the killings that have refused to abate. The terrorists and herdsmen are gradually dismantling Nigeria given the agitation for secession from some regions.
Nigeria is presently living under the fear of suspicions. Everything in Nigeria is now given a religious interpretation. For instance, the Nigerian army’s Logo has existed for many years and no attention of any Christian has been drawn to theArabic script in the logo:The transliteration of the Arabic script on the Nigerian Army logo is: Nasrunminallah which means “Victory Comes from God Alone”. If not for the religious sentiments of the nation, the meaning of this Arabic inscription does not contradict the Christian faith. Because of islamophobia, some Christians are worried why it is written in Arabic. Ordinarily, the “Lord’s prayer” and the “Hail Mary” can be written in Arabic which does not necessarily mean Islam. It is possible to be an Arab without being a Muslim. I am afraid that if these fears are not controlled, the unity of the nation is under threat. These notwithstanding, if the good Christians and Muslims in Nigeria can come together to address the fears of the Nation, Nigeria will survive. It is my hope that if the Nigerian Inter-religious Executive Council (NIREC) is resuscitated, the Christians and Muslims would have a forum to honestly put their cards on the table and draw a better road map for the survival of the nation. May God make Nigeria flourish again with good leadership! May the perpetuators of the obituary of Nigeria have a change of heart! Nigeria shall survive with God on our side.