RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

The children of Israel entered the Land of Promise as a united body of twelve tribes. They needed that unity to reach the land, but once they arrived in Canaan, each tribe had to take possession of its own inheritance. What you take is what you get. At this stage, collective effort was no longer enough—every tribe needed to claim and secure its portion for future generations. God had already given clear instructions regarding what must be possessed: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off... I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” — Exodus 23:23, 27 The command was simple and decisive: cut them off—destroy the inhabitants. Only then could Israel fully possess the land and live free from intimidation. The battle for possession be...

 The Defender of Faith What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?   1 Corinthians 1:12-13 Apostle Paul wasn't just a preacher of the good news but he was a defender, contender, and apologist of the Christian faith. Undoubtedly, Paul was greatly helped by God. He was the least of all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9) but he laboured more than them all—a case which he attributed to God's grace: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10. As a result of his immeasurable exploits (one instance is when he went to heaven and heard language that cannot be related to men—2 Corinthians 12:1-5), church members became divided over who should e...

 The children of Israel came into the Land of Promise as a conglomerate of twelve tribes. They needed unity to reach that point. But once they arrived in Canaan, each tribe had to take possession of its own inheritance. What you take is what you get. At this stage, collective effort would not suffice—each tribe needed to claim and secure its portion for future generations. God had already given clear instructions regarding what must be possessed: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off... I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” — Exodus 23:23, 27 The command was simple and decisive: to cut them off—to destroy all the people. Only on this basis could Israel take full possession of the land and be free from intimidation. The b...

 The Church as a Business "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's BUSINESS?" (Luke 2:49) "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this BUSINESS." (Acts 6:3) "Not slothful in BUSINESS; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." (Romans 12:11) Recently, I was discussing with a brother who has a stationery store in the city. I asked him to expand his business across town because he has enough materials to equip three to four stores at a time. He told me he has been prayerfully working on this proposition and that his major constraint is the personnel to manage the business. The people out there have no mind for business progress but rather ulterior motives for enriching their pockets. So, rather than planning his own untimely death and heartbreak, he would prefer to manage a shop than to have others that would ste...

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; [23] they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations was written by Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC to the Babylonians. The fall of this city was a consequence of the sinful life of the people of Israel and, most importantly, the many prophetic warnings from Jeremiah himself. The Babylonians were among the most heartless and ruthless imperial leaders the Israelites had to endure. Once they conquered a city, they deported everyone and brought in foreigners to take over their lands. At one point, the people came to Jeremiah to seek the counsel of the Lord. This is recorded in Jeremiah 42 and 43: - The military and tribal leaders, the priests, and all the people—from the least to the greatest—sought Jeremiah’s guidance. - In verses 5 and 6, they told him they were ready to obey whatever instructions the Lord gave, whether pleasant or not, and that God should hold them accounta...

So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron. Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. (Genesis 37:14, 18) How could Joseph have known that his brothers hated him so much? In his heart, he loved them and cared about them. When his father sent him after his brothers, the instruction was, "GO AND CHECK THE WELFARE OF YOUR BROTHERS." Even his father knew that Joseph had an undying love for his brothers. Joseph wandered in the wilderness and was not at peace until someone could direct him to where the brothers were grazing the flock. That was a reflection of his loving heart. Conversely, when his brothers saw him from afar, they did not see a loving, tired, and wandering brother. What they resolved was: "LET'S KILL HIM." Indeed, they carried out their evil intention by selling Joseph i...

 THE BIRTH THAT HERALDS THE TERMINATION AND DEATH Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;   Matthew 2:1-3 Aren't you wondering why the mighty king Herod of the invincible Jerusalem was petrified by the announcement of a newly born king? Why would the birth of a new baby, 'supposedly' to be a king, unsettle a king who has such great feats and commands respect from within and outside his domain? What did Herod conceive in his mind that made him lose control of his spirit? This was a king whose disposition affected his entire domain. When he was troubled, the whole of Jerusalem turned into an abyss of confusion. Not a single citizen could express joy at the sadness of Herod. This was a king who...

I woke up this morning reading a lot of social media posts about the selected dates and days for the ORO festival in the part of the country where I live. ORO is a secluded cultic 'religious' activity. Traditionally, it involves mature males and initiated participants. Women are forever banned from witnessing it, except for hearing it from inside (ETI L'OBIRIN FI NGBO OHUN ORO). Nobody reveals the activities in public. You keep what you see and know to yourself. Nobody exchanges pleasantries about what happened the day before in public. During this time, men do all they can, including appearing like the first Adam in the garden. The absence of women grants men the freedom to engage in reckless behavior. A few days ago, I was shown a TikTok live coverage of an ORO festival in a certain part of the country. Oh! What a sacrilege. An abomination, you would say. It is anti-tradition and a taboo. But that's the world we live in. Nothing seems to be hidden anymore. Smartwatche...

 Along the way, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered Jesus a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it. — Matthew 27:32 It was a challenging time for Jesus: although He was on the way to rescue mankind from the damage caused by the devil and evil, He was subjected to despicable pain from torture and eventually had to carry His own cross, enduring excruciating pain. Even at this point, the most heartless soldiers could see that the cross was becoming unbearable for Him. They knew there was no way He could reach Golgotha bearing the cross alone; so, they compelled another man to bear the cross for Him. The cross. The challenges. The greatest attacks and ridicule. The gang-up and evil plans. The betrayal and abandonment by trusted associates—all these are seriously unbearable. No matter how strong a person is, such c...

 The Purpose of Pain 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT "Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Pain, from a personal perspective, is something that alters or moderates our lives. Sometimes it leads to utter destruction; in other cases, it leads to redirection. Pain is not pleasurable. Our lives are conditioned to be at ease and to enjoy the beauty of life. However, when pain sets in, some of it is natural and arises from...

  VICTORY AT LAST James 1:12: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Temptation becomes inevitable, especially in a world where: "Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed." (Isaiah 59:14). "Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked." (Isaiah 59:15). Temptations are everywhere. They are as potent from one location to another. But the aim is the same: to make us deny the love of God. We are to endure every form of temptation, even sickness that threatens our lives. The Bible says temptation is a tool to try our faith. We endure temptation, however, because of our love for God. Ultimately, those who are able to endure temptation have one motive: the love of God. When confronted with the seemingly unavoidable temptation from Potiphar's wife, Jos...

  "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." - Romans 2:29 Since my previous write-up on the above subject, I have received several mixed feedbacks, especially from Christians. Some were ecstatic, praising God for doing such a wondrous thing. However, others opined that such an acclaimed conversion is nothing but a business tactic. They argued that his affiliation with the Celestial Church indicates that he is merely religious and pretentious about his faith in Christ. This group believes that the Celestial Church is not a place to find a true Christian. (Please, wait before you start casting aspersions on anyone.) Meanwhile, as fate would have it, I have been drawn to several of Wasiu Ayinde's songs on TikTok. I am still wondering why I consistently stumble upon his songs even though I do not follow his handle. I can only hope I will not be tempted to start...

 BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US. 1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brethren, pray for us. Matthew 8:14-17 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose and ministered unto them. When evening came, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out the spirits with his word and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." The sickness of Peter's wife's mother was likely new to Jesus, but Peter was already aware of it. It is reasonable to conclude that the mother-in-law had been living elsewhere, perhaps with her husband. However, due to her illness, she was brought to Peter's house for prayers, knowing that Peter was a disciple of Jesus and could pray for her. It was hoped that she would receive an instant miracle. Unfortunately, th...

"Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love." — Colossians 1:12-13 Yesterday, I stumbled upon a TikTok video about the conversion of Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde to Christianity. The creator of the video, who is also an Alhaji, was pleading with fellow Muslims to appeal to Wasiu (a popular Fuji musician in Nigeria) to return to the Islamic fold. He urged his audience not to allow this to happen, just as it occurred with Alhaji Ayuba (another popular Fuji musician who is now a Christian). However, since I have not accessed a verified source regarding his conversion, I had my reservations. Even now, I have not found a reliable source to confirm this information. Today, while riding a bus whose driver played one of Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde's albums, I heard one of the tracks in which he sang: "AANU MO RI GBA, ADE ORI O...

 THE MISCONCEPTIONS  John 20:1-10 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not un...

The Passion for Mission. "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you." And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them, I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished." (Acts 22:1-5) Who says we have no job?   Who says we are lazy?   Who says we are not learned and well-equipped educationally?   Who says we are not well-fed?   Is there anyone who would accuse us of being without fo...

 THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION IN THE HOLY PLACE "From the time that the regular sacrifice [that is, the daily burnt offering] is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up [ruining the temple for worship of the true God], there will be 1,290 days." — Daniel 12:11 AMP "But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it." — Jeremiah 32:34 Sometime in 2023, I wrote a blog on this topic from a completely different yet complementary perspective. At that time, it focused on the reckless drive of the church to maintain its financial status and fame, often by employing ungodly means of making money. This time, I want to address the abomination concerning the tenets of the Scriptures. Are you aware that here in Nigeria and in other countries, some famous and popular pastors are editing the Bible? I suspect that soon we will have a new Canonized and Contemporary Apostolic (Non-Pauline) version of the Bible. This proposed Bible w...

 WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? Some months ago, during the presidential elections in Nigeria, there was a clamour among the Christian community for a Christian to rule Nigeria again, especially in light of the Muslim-Muslim tickets projected by the ruling party. A message from a Christian cleric went viral online, sharing his experience with both Muslim and Christian brethren. He was sent on a mission to another state in Nigeria for a pastoral assignment. One night, while still on his way, he joyfully approached a Christian church with a mission house. He introduced himself to the pastor in charge and expressed his desire to spend the night there. However, he overheard a heated argument between the pastor and his wife, who contended that she could not accept any stranger into the pastorium. Meanwhile, the cleric softly requested to spend the night in the church auditorium, but he was denied. His next point of call was a mosque, where he was gladly accepted and offered dinner. He slept joyfu...