Author: joeachi

Having previously taught on the above subject matter, in Part One, today I am continuing with the second part under two sub-topics, the first of which is:
SELFLESS SERVICES: THE HALLMARK OF A FAITHFUL STEWARD HERE ON EARTH
Luke 17:7-10; 1 Corinthians 9:1-23.

The watchword for any responsible steward should be faithfulness. This is so because as a person employed to manage another’s assests, the steward’s primary focus should be on prompt service delivery; personal interest, or self gratification, must be shelved and not allowed to interfere with that goal!

“So, likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”. Luke 17:10.

The statement by our Lord Jesus Christ, which is quoted above, has aptly defined how the Christian steward’s attitude towards ministry should be:

1. The steward should do “… all those things which are commanded…” them in their area of service by the Lord, or by whomsoever He delegates His authority to so command. See Hebrews 13:17.
2. The steward should also carry out such services as “… unprofitable servants…” as though they have no rewards to gain from it. See 1 Corinthians 9:1-23.
3. The steward should view such services they render in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an obligation they owed to Him, and not as a volunteer work that must await their convenience. They should see it as “…that which was our duty to do…” 1 Corinthians 9:16-17.

When we bear in mind that Christian stewardship refers to the responsibility that the Christian has in maintaining and using wisely the gifts that God has bestowed on them, (be they financial, intellectual or spiritual gifts) for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every living soul, and to the world at large, then we would be more careful to deploy those gifts solely for that purpose, instead of consuming it on ourselves. For this to be possible, we must do the following:

1. Live An Examined Life: _2 Corinthians 13:5-6; Lamentations 3:40

By constantly taking stock of our lives we can be sure that we are still yielded and surrendered to doing the will of God. This is very important because it is our continued obedience to, and dependence on, Jesus Christ that gives us more grace, strength and renewed zeal for the fulfilment of our stewardship in line with His will.

If something goes wrong with our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can be sure that it will affect our ability to continue to be faithful stewards of the gifts which God has bestowed on us for the services of His Kingdom.
“Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5.

It is possible to gradually drift away from the Lord until all that is left for us to hold unto in ministry are the memories of our past relationship with Him, whereas we do no longer receive further instructions from Him anymore. If this describes our present relationship with Him, we would do well to humbly admit it and seek reconciliation with Him once again.
“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord”. Lamentations 3:40.
However, if anyone fails to return to the Lord, upon discovery that their relationship with Him has been compromised, that action could open them up to demonic manipulation, as seen in the scripture below.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron…” 1 Timothy 4:1-2.
This is the sad case with most self-professed servants of God today, but their undoing actually began when they failed to constantly examine themselves to see whether they were in a right standing with God, or not.

2. Live A Controlled Life:
Titus 2:1-8; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:22-26.
If by God’s grace we have passed the test of self-examination, then we must also strive to possess the virtue of self-control, which is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, if at all we are to render a selfless service to mankind as Christ’s faithful stewards.
It usually takes a great deal of self-restraint, coupled with constant prayer, fasting and trust in God’s power, to be able to serve others selflessly. This is so, because man is instinctively self-centered, and this self-elevation needs to be broken down before he can be able to serve as a truly faithful steward of Christ.
A lack of control over our 5 basic emotions of joy, fear, sadness, disgust and anger would certainly leave our lives open to the forces influencing self-centeredness.
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without a wall”. Proverbs 25:28.

The joy of success at achieving our aims, the fear of losing the things or people we cherish, the sadness we experience when things don’t work out the way we’d wanted, the disgust we feel for things or people who don’t measure up to our expectations, and the anger we express when we feel belittled or taken for granted; all have a profound effect in driving up the human instinct to give their self-interest top priority. While this may be applauded in the secular world, the Christian faith, on the other hand, frowns at self-centeredness or selfishness and views it as a vice which can impair a Christian’s stewardship.
The Bible teaches that the Christian should put other people’s interest above their own as a mark of true humility and love, which are key in the rendering of selfless services. To be self-controlled means much for the Christian steward; it means that they can effectively cast a restraint, rather than gratify any desire of their heart, which will not glorify God, or enable them to serve others as Jesus Christ would have done. Matthew 25:31-40.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” Philippians 2:3-4.

Below are some areas of our lives where we need to be self-controlled in order to render a selfless service to others in Christ’s stead:

i. When we control our appetite for food so we can:
a. Fast more often and, thus, be spiritually strong and sensitive to effectively minister as Christ’s stewards. Mark 9:28-29.
b. Share our food with those who are not privileged to have as much, or as little, as we do. Matthew 25:35

ii. When we control our spending habit so we can give more to support the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the needy persons around us. Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:19-21; Deuteronomy 15:7-11

iii. When we control our fleshly desires. We can be a model of Christian purity to the world around us and, thus, be able to lay a good example for them to follow. 1 Corinthians 9:27; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 1 Peter 2:11-12.

iv. When we control our temper or desire for revenge and, thus, choose to suffer wrong patiently that we may be a silent witness of the beauty of the Christian life to our offenders and to the world at large. Romans 12:17-21; Matthew 5:38-45; 1 Peter 2:21-23.

v. When we control our success or achievements in life so that we do not unnecessarily direct attention to ourselves rather than on the gospel we have been called to preach for the salvation of lost souls. Romans 12:3, 16; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 4:6-7.

3. LIVE A SACRIFICIAL LIFE
Romans 12:1; Luke 9:23-24; Matthew 10:38-39; 19:27-29; Galatians 2:20
Christianity is based on the principle of self-sacrifice, which is symbolized by the cross upon which Jesus Christ sacrificed His life in order that those who believe and accept Him in faith as their Lord and Savior may be saved. John 3:16.
Following this same principle, the Christian steward is expected to offer a sacrificial service to God and humanity. For this to be possible, we must daily put to death all conflicting personal interests for the greater good of God’s Kingdom so as to effectively preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He said we must deny ourselves, carry our cross daily and follow after Him.

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” Matthew 10:38.

Below are some areas of our lives which we are required to sacrificially give up in order to offer selfless services to the world around us as God’s faithful stewards:

1. OUR TIME: _Mark 6:30-34; Acts 20:17-21; 2:46-47.
It is interesting how much time Jesus Christ committed to carrying out His earthly ministry. He sacrificialy committed the whole of His last 3 ½ years to doing nothing else but His heavenly Father’s work, while taking no thoughts for leisure or respite from the harsh elements of nature, namely: the heat by day and the cold by night. He had no home to call His own.

“And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” Matthew 8:20.

We can say the same thing about His disciples, that they went through all of that trouble with Jesus Christ ministering to the lost and hurting without a murmur. They truly understood what it meant to sacrifice their time for the salvation of others.

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” Mark 6:31.

When Paul the apostle came to believe in and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, he also imbibed that same virtue of self-sacrifice. He served the people, “…from the first day…” that he came into Asia, and “…at all seasons…” He served and taught them “Publicly, and from house to house…” leaving no one within his reach unattended to with the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the duration of those three years which he spent in Asia. Such commitment and sacrifice deserve our commendation.

Since God is the giver of time, we must use the time He has given to us more for Him and less for ourselves. Like John the Baptist, we should be able to say that “… He must increase, but I must decrease”. John 3:30.

2. OUR TALENT: Ephesians 4:7-13; 2 Timothy 1:6-9; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 7:7.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” 1 Peter 4:10.

There is not a soul that ever lived whom God has not properly fitted with some abilities by which they could render services to His Kingdom if they so wish. But, in reality, that is not what we see the majority of mankind doing; most people fend only for themselves by use of those divine abilities but would hardly honour the Lord, who gave it to them, by the use of it.

“For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that” 1 Corinthians 7:7.

Paul, who made the statement above, lived a life worthy of emulation for those who want to render a selfless service to mankind in Christ’s stead, because as an Apostle richly endowed with spiritual gifts (Romans 15:17-19; Acts 19:11-17), scholastical honours (Acts 22:3) and entrepreneurial skills (Acts 18:1-3; Acts 20:33-35), he never used any of those personal endowments to enrich himself, although it was easy for him to have done so as the sole Apostle to the gentile converts. He, rather, chose to live an austere life and would not utilize any of the benefits attached to his offices, which were his to enjoy and to do with as he pleased.
1 Corinthians 9:1-12:
“Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord? … Have we not power to eat or to drink…? If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so, hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void”. 1 Corinthians 9:1, 4, 11-15

Such selfless and sacrificial services should be the identifying mark of God’s true and holy stewards today. But what we see, instead, is a selfish and greedy horde of unholy and self-proclaimed “men of God” who devour the helpless and poor souls they claim to be serving. Ezekiel 34:1-16.

Pastors today use their spiritual gifts as money-making machines to enrich themselves rather than to advance the cause of the Gospel. Most evangelists will not accept an invitation to minister unless they are guaranteed financial rewards; in fact, some insist that the money be paid upfront before they honour any invitation. Today Gospel Artists sing for money, not for God’s glory anymore. Christian authors see Christian literature as an investment to fall back on, and not as a tool to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt God wants us to also benefit from the talents and gifts which He has bestowed upon us, but it must be with such moderation and discipline that clearly demonstrates selflessness. 1 Timothy 6:6-12.

3. OUR MONEY/RESOURCES: Haggai 2:8
Perhaps one of the most difficult sacrifices, which most people struggle to make for God’s work, is that which involves their finances, or assets. This difficulty stems from the fact that we tend to see our financial and material resources as the fruit of our labour and, therefore, see no reason why we should not do with them as we please. This kind of reasoning is wrong for the Christian steward, for it is like a child who refuses to give his father a piece of biscuit from a whole pack that he had given to him simply because there has been a change of ownership.

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

If only we would reason that we are the work of God’s own hands, and that all the blessings that come upon our lives are also by the work of His own hands, then we would have no trouble sacrificially giving our finances and/or resources for His work here on earth.

Since God is the giver of life and every good thing, and since He has chosen us to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, may we sacrificially discharge those duties with the conviction that “… We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”.
Luke 17:10.

This brings us to the last Sub-topic titles: HEAVENLY STEWARDSHIP: THE EXCLUSIVE PRESERVE OF THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL STEWARD
Matthew 25:14-46

In this last sub-topic under this series, we are going to look at the study from the following points of view:

1. CHRIST’S RETURN TO EXAMINE OUR STEWARDSHIP
Matthew 25:14-19; 25:31-33; 2 Corinthians 5:10

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” Romans 14:12.

Our earthly stewardship would come to an end at the moment we die; but whether we die or remain alive until when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth, we His stewards shall be gathered to Him to give account of our stewardship. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. Each Christian steward will be required by Jesus Christ to account for how they have employed their talents and spiritual gifts, and how they have utilized all the opportunities which God gave to them in the advancement of His cause here on earth.

2. GOD’S REWARD FOR FAITHFUL AND HOLY STEWARDS
Matthew 25:20-23; 25:34-40; 19:27-30; Galatians 6:9-10

The striking thing to observe here is that God is more interested in our faithfulness to carry on with our stewardship than He is in the success of our mission, but it is we who must determine to be faithful to it or not.

Don’t build your hope on the number of persons you are reaching out to in ministry because God adds to His Church with or without your input; strive, rather, to be faithful in your walk with God, no matter how small your labour field is or how few the flock you oversee there. Remember, your attitude to God’s work is more important than the work itself because He can go ahead and do it even without you.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” Revelation 14:13.

Our eventual admittance into heaven would not be based only on the fact that we have won souls for Christ or have achieved great success in His Kingdom business. There are great preachers and evangelists, with much souls won and great works done to their credit, who are presently languishing in hell because they were not truly faithful to God. God can use anyone either as a holy vessel (2 Timothy 2:19-21) or as just an ordinary channel (Romans 9:14-18; James 7:11-12) to fulfill His will; but the choice as to which way He uses us is always ours: you can choose to either be a faithful and holy vessel in which He dwells to do His work here on earth, or else become an unfaithful steward that He would, nevertheless, use as a sign-post to direct the lost to Himself. Whatever we choose to be, God’s will must still be done!

3. THE REPROOF AND CONDEMNATION OF THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARD
Matthew 25:24-30; 25:41-46; 24:45-51

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delays His coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” Matthew 24:48-51.

God is more interested in showing mercy to the unfaithful stewards than He is in punishing them. 1 Timothy 1:15-16; 2:3-4.

God is longsuffering and merciful; He would only pass judgment on the unrepentant after He has exhausted all other avenues to get them to repent and turn away from their unfaithfulness.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel” Ezekiel 33:11

In Matthew 25:24-30, the Lord did not punish the unprofitable servant only because he failed in his stewardship, but more because he was arrogant and unremorseful. He knew of his failure but did nothing to obtain the mercy that should freely have been shown to him by the Lord who keeps “… mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” Exodus 34:5-7.

We should strive to be the faithful stewards whom the Lord has called and commissioned us to be; but in the event that we find our works to be falling short of His standards at any given time, we must approach Him at His throne of Mercy and Grace and seek for His forgiveness and renewal of our strength to offer that acceptable service which He desires from His faithful stewards.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16.

The End

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10

As the church age draws closer to its end, we the body of Christ would do well to admonish ourselves to strive to be found faithful and good stewards of the grace which God has richly bestowed upon us at that time when we each believed in and continued in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

God, who chose us to serve Him as stewards of His “manifold” (or various manifestations of) grace, did it so as to give us the chance to prove here on earth that we can be trusted with greater and nobler services in our next life in His heavenly kingdom. Our faithfulness to Him now is the proof that we can be so trusted to serve Him and His Christ forever in the coming ages of His everlasting kingdom.

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:1-2.

We were not saved and commissioned to serve God because we were found faithful in the first place, no, but because God wants to give us the chance to prove we can be trusted with eternal riches through our faithfulness with the temporal ones which He has bestowed upon us through grace. Matthew 25:14-30

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” Matthew 25:14-15

Consequently, therefore, our future with God in Heaven is heavily reliant upon our present life as we serve Him here on earth.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21

We shall be considering this study under the following sub-topics below:

1. Genuine Conversion: The Most Basic Requirement for God’s Stewards
2. Selfless Service: The Hallmark of a Faithful Steward Here on Earth
3. Heavenly Stewardship: The Exclusive Preserve of Holy and Fruitful Stewards

1.GENUINE CONVERSION: THE MOST BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR GOD’S STEWARDS
Matthew 18:1-4; 2 Timothy 2:19-21; Luke 22:31-32

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Just as our admittance into the kingdom of heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23) is basically based on genuine conversion of the heart, so also is our suitability as a steward in the service of God’s kingdom. What, though, does the word “conversion” actually mean?
In ordinary language, to convert anything would mean to alter its physical or chemical properties from one form to another. The same thing also is true about the spiritual conversion of lives; it is a complete change (as Acts 26:18 puts it) from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. See also 1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:12-13.
Spiritual conversion (or being born again) must not be taken to be the same thing as repentance or the forgiveness of one’s sins; for while repentance and the forgiveness of sins are experiences which happen instantaneously, conversion, on the other hand (which is the actual goal of repentance and forgiveness of sins), is a process of change which can take place in as short a time as within minutes, or for as long as within years, all depending on how earnest and true the penitent sinner’s response is toward the grace of God (2 Corinthians 5:17) which has been made available to them through Jesus Christ for a new life.
Although the grace and mercy of God is made available to all who turn to God through Jesus Christ in repentance, its workings, or benefits, are manifested differently in them, depending on how each person responds to that call. This is basically the reason why Christians manifest some differences in their spiritual growth and/or experiences. See 1 Timothy 4:13-15; Philippians 2:12-16; Acts 17:10-12; 1 Peter 2:1-3.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12

As to the reasons for the discrepancy in the spiritual growth of different Christians, the Holy Bible in Hebrews 5:12-14 has this to say:
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
The substance of what we are trying to establish here is simply this: that God tries the heart for spiritual maturity, which is the evidence of genuine conversion, before He bestows the grace of stewardship (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) on anyone. That we have repented of our sins and have received forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ does not automatically mean that we are deemed suited to be ministers or stewards of the mysteries of God’s kingdom; we would be deemed to have attained to this status when we, by the means of God’s own grace made available to us in Christ, work on our character until it reflects that of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:17-32; Colossians 2:6-7.

In concluding this first sub-topic, we would like to reflect on two of our pilot scriptures, namely Matthew 18:1-4 and Luke 22:31-32, and to learn some valuable truths from them with regards to genuine conversion.
From the accounts of those Scriptures, we understand that even though Jesus Christ’s disciples had repented of and received forgiveness for their sins, yet they were not genuinely converted until at some later points in their walk with Christ, thus buttressing the earlier point raised that conversion of the heart is a process achieved over time; not because that is how God wants it to be, but because that’s what His longsuffering can achieve with mankind’s inconsistency, just as Galatians 4:19 says below:
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
This errant attitude of the disciples of Jesus Christ is also evident in the following accounts of the Holy Scriptures:

1. They were obsessed with their personal worth. Luke 22:24-27; Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:33-35
2. There was selfish ambition and strife among them. Matthew 20:20-24
3. There was murmuring among them. Mark 14:3-9
4. There was love of money and betrayal, at least in one known case. Mark 14:10-11
5. There were unreasonable promises made by the disciples (Mark 14:26-31) but which they could not keep in the end. (Mark 14:44-52)

It was for the reasons above that Jesus Christ addressed Peter concerning their future thus:

“…But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:32

It is praiseworthy to note that those disciples (except for Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus Christ, who would eventually commit suicide) came out of their initial dismal experiences and proceeded to do great exploits for God’s Kingdom (Mark 16:20) because they did not give up, but rather waited on God (Acts 1:12-14) for cleansing and renewal until they were converted, as Christ had said earlier, and were also filled with the power of the Holy Ghost as He had earlier promised to them. Luke 24:49
The same condition must apply to anyone whose desire is to meet the basic requirement for stewardship in God’s vineyard; they must be disciplined enough to wait on the Lord, and to work on their own weaknesses, until they are converted and made ready for stewardship in God’s Kingdom now on earth and, hereafter, forever in heaven.

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21.

    To be continued...

True Christianity is a practical way of life, and the resultant life of the practicing Christian is a godly life. We can, therefore, say that godliness is the essence of true faith in Jesus Christ. We could be all we want to be for Christ in the church, at home, or anywhere for that matter, but if our lives do not reflect His godly virtues, then we are anything but true Christians. This is so because true Christianity is the practice of the heavenly life here on earth; “…Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:10. “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

The word seek in the context of the scripture above is an active word. It could be defined as looking out for, searching for, yearning for, etc., which are all practical words. In Christianity, you practice here and now on earth the life you would forever live in heaven with God, His Son Jesus Christ and all their subject. To the extent that this aim is daily achieved in your life, the better your chances of making heaven your eternal home with God.

How can a mortal sinful man live a godly life in this sinful world? Is it even possible? Well, we shall find out as the teaching unfolds. Consider the scripture below:

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” Psalm 15:1-2.

From the scripture above we can make out the three essential ingredients that make up a godly life to be as follows:

1. UPRIGHTNESS OF HEART: Psalm 15:1-3
To be upright in heart is the same as being holy in your heart. Verse three mentions three vices of the defiled heart, the absence of which is sufficient proof that a person’s heart is upright. They are namely:
A. He That Backbiteth Not With His Tongue: Gossiping, backbiting, and malicious whispering are evidence of a wicked sin-defiled heart. See Matthew 12:34-37; Psalm 41:5-9; Proverbs 16:28; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 1 Samuel 29:6; 2 Samuel 22:22-24.

2. TRUTHFULNESS AT WHATEVER COST: Psalm 15:1,2,4.
To be truthful is to be able, at all times, to speak, agree with, or make representation of people, things, or situations the way that they actually are, with no regard to personal opinion or self-interest. Some sterling qualities of people who walk in the truth are:
A. They have no fear for or show respect to those who are evil and dishonor God by their life style. Esther 3:1-2; Matthew 10:22-31.
B. They hold their conscience bound to what is right and consistent with the truth, whether it is in their favor or not. Judges 11:30-40; Genesis 14:14-24.

3. RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CONDUCT: Psalm 15:1,2,5.
To be righteous means to be consistent in doing the right things or making the right decisions. This requires a great deal of discipline and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The following are some of the attributes of righteous persons:
A. They have a good sense of justice; they are impartial and will give to everyone their dues. Proverbs 17:15; 24:24; Isaiah 5:23; Jeremiah 5:28; Ezekiel 33:12-16; 34:17,20-22; Galatians 6:7; Revelation 20:11-15.
B. They do not exploit or take advantage of anyone for their own benefit. Proverbs 14:31; 22:16; Exodus 22:21; 1 Samuel 12:1-5.
C. They are selfless and generous to all alike. Matthew 5:44-48; Genesis 18:1-8; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Acts 4:32-37; Hebrews 13:1-3.

From the foregoing, therefore, we can conclude that godliness is the consistent practice of the virtues of holiness, truth, and righteousness. And because they are action-based, a Christian cannot sit idle and attain to these virtues: a Christian must diligently seek for them.

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” 1 Timothy 6:11,12.

Jesus Christ came into this world to make it possible for sinners, as we all were/are, to receive God’s transforming grace and be born again. It is only when we believe in Him and unconditionally accept Him into our heart that He can work from within us to give us the new life – the born again life!

2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. “

We spend our time in the pursuit of so many temporal things which cannot guarantee any satisfaction beyond this temporal fleeting life that we are living, while all that time Jesus Christ is waiting for anyone who would call upon Him for the gift of eternal life, filled with all the goodness of God, both here on earth and for eternity in heaven. If this does not sound like a good deal I wonder what else will! So, are you in?
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”.

1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

As humans we are by our nature inclined to make decisions, express opinions and pass judgments, all in a bid to align our thoughts with the reality we face in order to place our selves in a position of advantage.
While this may be a necessary way of life, if it’s done with truth and empathy as guiding principles, nevertheless experience has proved that due to mankind’s imperfection they seldom follow those principles; they’re mostly biased, choosing self above others in the matter of justice, even where the scales tilt against them. It is with this inherent weakness in view that God counsels us to relinquish our rights to judge others to Him so that we do not bring our selves under condemnation.
Matthew 7:1-2 gives a solemn charge to this effect when it says: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”.
There is, however, a limited exception to the charge above as we shall consider in the following sub -topics below.

Judging Others As An Appointed Duty
Exodus 18:13-26; Deuteronomy 16:12-20; Judges 2:8-18; 2 Chronicles 19:4-7; Ezra 7:25-26; 1 Corinthians 6:1-5; Luke 22:28-30

The word Judge can be defined in two ways, namely;

1. In its noun form, it means a public officer appointed to decide disputes in a law Court. In ancient Israel it means a leader having power and authority to lead.
2. In its verb form, it means to form an opinion or conclusion about a person or a thing.

We are, however going to focus on the noun definition of the word, Judge , in the first of three sub-topics in this series.

God’s commandment to “Judge not” does not apply to persons appointed by a lawfully constituted government authority to administer justice to the people governed under that authority, provided their judicial activities are carried out within the scope of that constituted authority by which that people have pledged allegiance to be governed. This is so in this case because that appointed person judges the people not by his personal opinion, but by using legislation generally accepted by the people and thus he is free of the charge to “Judge not” as commanded in God’s word.

In secular a country this legislation by which citizens are governed is called the constitution, but in the Biblical era the people were governed by the laws of God. Let us consider some instances below:

1. Exodus 18:13-26; Ezra 7:25-26.
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, Judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.” Exodus 18:21-22.

In the scripture above, Moses was counseled by his father in-law, Jethro, to teach the people of Israel God’s ordinances and laws, and to instruct them how they might walk in those statutes. Further more he was to appoint Judges who would hold the people accountable for any breach of those laws and ordinances.

2. Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 2 Chronicles 19:4-7.
Here in Deuteronomy, the scope of a judge’s duty is spelt out for him to follow; any wilful departure from this, and a resort to personal opinion, would bring him under God’s wrath.
“Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.” Deuteronomy 16:19.

3. Judges 2:8-18
The Bible book of Judges chronicles the accounts and lives of several Judges who judged Israel before their first King was enthroned.
“Nevertheless the LORD raised up Judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them… and when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the Judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the Judge…” Judges 2:16-18

4. 1 Corinthians 6:1-5, Luke 22:28-30
In this church age, however, we are taught that in the future Kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ, we shall be Judges, too. Whereas God remains the eternal Judge over His everlasting Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:28), here on earth during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ the resurrected and glorified Christians will rule and reign with Jesus for a thousand years. See Revelation 20:1-6. At that time the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow on those who would be found worthy the authority to bear rule upon the peoples of the earth who survived the great tribulation and witnessed His second coming.

This authority to rule over the nations is what is termed as “Judging the world” in scripture.
“Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? … Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

We would also “judge” angels in the sense that as heirs of salvation and as joint heirs with Jesus Christ over the riches and inheritance of God’s Kingdom, the angels of God shall wait on (Minister to) us Hebrews 1:13,14

“Are they not all ministering Spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Hebrews 1:14

In conclusion, therefore, we must hold that a person under an appointment to act as a Judge, whether by religious or secular powers, provided the enabling laws are right before God, and that the duty is carried out strictly under the scope of that law, shall not be guilty of having expressed a prejudicial opinion in judging others, which is what God’s word prohibited when the Lord commanded to “Judge not”.

Judgmental Personal Opinion And Its Dangers.
Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37; James 2:12-13; 4:11-12; Romans 14:1-13.

There is a good reason why God forbids us to sit in judgment or to condemn any other person, and that reason is simply because mortal man is imperfect and therefore, unfit to condemn or judge any form of imperfection in others, except where (as we saw in the last sub-topic) he is authorized to do so either by God’s Word or the civil authority sanctioned by God. See Romans 13:1-7.

Romans 13:1-2: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation”.

We can see an example of this in the account of the woman accused of Committing adultery (John 8:1-11) The mob had sought the maximum penalty of death by stoning against her, but Jesus had answered them in this way:
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”. John 8:7.

The following scriptural reasoning below will help us to know more about why it is dangerous to judge or to condemn anyone based on a personal human opinion.

1. Mankind is plague with imperfection and, therefore, cannot judge the imperfect conduct of others without coming under self-condemnation. Romans 2:1-6.
   “…for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things”. Romans 2:1.
2. Even where our lives are blameless before God, we would still be unfit to express a personal opinion in condemning any one because we did not come to be free of sin by our power, but through God’s grace and mercy therefore, we must also desire for others to obtain such mercy from God, instead of condemning them for their misconducts.

“or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:4

3. Another reason why it is dangerous for us to judge others is because our personal opinions for such judgment would be based on the limited knowledge available to us through physical observation: only God sees the motives in a person’s heart. 1 Samuel 16:7.

Having considered some reasons why God forbids us to sit in judgment over other people’s short-comings, we would now set forth to consider the dangers that we expose ourselves to when we do that.

1. We risk bringing ourselves under God’s swift judgment when we judge other people’s faults.
   “Judge not and ye shall not be judged: condemn not and ye shall not be condemned” Luke 6:37; Romans 14:10-12.
2. We risk being denied God’s mercy any further if we become habitually judgmental towards others. James 2:12-13.
   “For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shown no mercy and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” James 2:13.
3. When we wickedly begin to dig into the past lives of people so as to bring accusation against them, we would also risk having our own sinful past searched out and exposed by God.
   “They searched out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow: suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away” God As The Ultimate Judge And His Word As The Basis For All Judgments .
   Psalms 50:1-6
   From the previous sub-topics of this study, we have made out a case of innocence for appointed judges, provided that in sitting in judgment over other men’s faults they do so strictly based on the laws which enables them to so act. We also fault any judgment based on a personal opinion as wrong and offensive to God’s commandment on the grounds that no man is perfect enough to assume that role on personal merits.

In this final sub-topic, we are going to be looking at God as the ultimate Judge and His Word as basis for judgments. We shall further divide this last point into three namely:

1. God’s Holiness as Basis for determining what is right. 1 Samuel 2:2-3; Psalms 45:6-7. Our understanding of what is right and what is wrong comes entirely from our knowledge of God’s holy nature; because He is absolutely holy, we know that whatsoever does not conform to His holiness is not right and must therefore be judged if not repented of. See 1 John 1:5-6 Psalms 36:9.
   “… God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all…” 1 John 1:5.

Therefore to not conform to God’s nature of holiness is what makes anyone susceptible to judgment.
Mankind, however, do not have God’s kind of inherent holiness and, therefore, cannot judge the failures and sins of others without they themselves coming under the same condemnation.
“for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things”. Romans 2:1

2. God’s Sovereignty As Basis for His Power to Judge or Show Mercy. Psalms 62:11-12.
   God is sovereign: He is the highest and final authority; all other authorities are delegated by Him. Because of this sovereignty, God has the power to judge or show mercy on any one solely by His own discretion alone.

“God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God” Psalms 62:11.

No man possesses the power to forgive or to punish another’s sin, which they have committed against God or man except where God delegates such power.
At His trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus Christ plainly told the Roman governor:
“Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above…” John 19:11.

3. God’s word as Basis for All Judgments Here on the Earth and in Heaven. John 12:46-50; Romans 2:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-2.
   All rules and regulations for the administration of Justice must conform to the truth of God’s holy word or else they would be condemnable before Him.

When we use God’s word as the basis for judgment, then it is no longer our opinion or judgment, but God’s own, as revealed in His Holy word. This is what a delegated authority is all about. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16.
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” 1 Corinthians 2:15.

As long as we judge or condemn sin and all unrighteousness solely on the basis of God’s revealed word alone (our Personal opinion not playing any active role in this) we are using a delegated authority similar to the one seen in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 and Isaiah 54:17.
“… reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” 2 Timothy 4:2
“… every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the Servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” Isaiah 54:17.

There is no doubt that we are at the very brink of that prophetic era which the Holy Bible variously refers to as the Last Days, The Day of the Lord, or The End of the World. See 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 3:1-4, 10; Matthew 24:29-31; Joel 2:30-32; 1 Corinthians 10:11.

This era, according to the scriptures, will begin with a universal departure from the truth of God’s word by mankind. This is what Paul’s epistle termed as the falling away in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

After the falling away, or the departure from the truth, comes the day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ to salvage what would be left of the Church, which is the faithful few that held to their faith in Jesus Christ, and also to smite the world and all ungodly sinners with His wrath. Jude 14, 15; Joel 2:1-32; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand… And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?… Then will the LORD be jealous for his land and pity his people.” Joel 2:1, 11, 18.

The last event in the prophetic era of the last days would be the destruction of the heavens and the earth and all ungodly persons and their works, so as to usher in everlasting righteousness for the saints in God’s Kingdom, and to condemn all sinners to everlasting shame and eternal torment in the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment. Revelation 20:7-10, 11-15; 21:1-7.

“But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up… Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10, 13.

Today’s teaching, however, deals with the first event of the last days, and we shall consider it in the following sub topics:

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1. BACKSLIDING AND APOSTASY DEFINED.

Backsliding and apostasy are two different stages of one phenomenon which we can define as the cessation of the practice of truth, righteousness and holiness; or, in three words, cessation of godliness .

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death… The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.” Proverbs 14:12, 14.

The first sign of backsliding is self-will, with little or no regard for the word of God. Even where that person’s character is manifestly sinful and opposed to the truth of God’s word, they’d still proclaim their righteousness. See Jeremiah 3:6-11; 8:4-6. But even at this early stage of backsliding there is still hope of reconciliation with God upon genuine repentance.

“…Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:12, 13.

Apostasy, on the other hand, is the finished work of backsliding, where the conscience is finally seared and does not feel the guilt of sin or the reproof of God’s Spirit, until grace is eventually denied and judgment looms over the apostate soul. Proverbs 1:23-32; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31.
“He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1.

To an apostate king of Judah, the LORD declared:
“As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;…” Jeremiah 22:24.

2. BACKSLIDING AND APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH TODAY
Jeremiah 2:1-19; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition… even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9, 10.

The church, today, is filled with both backsliders and apostates who make up the vast number of so-called believers professing faith in Jesus Christ. However, it is easy to identify those who really are the true representatives of Jesus Christ in the world today.

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked.” 1 John 2:6.

Every doctrine of a church and the conduct of its ministers and their followers which contradicts the life of Christ, as portrayed in the Gospels and Epistles, is a falling away from the truth delivered to the church by Jesus Christ Himself. This, however, is becoming the normal order of affairs in Christendom today. See Jeremiah 23:9-17; Jude 3-16; Matthew 15:1-9.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” Jeremiah 23:16, 17.

3. GOD’S WARNING FOR BELIEVERS IN THESE LAST DAYS.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
Jude 3.

The symptoms of a backsliding church, or an individual Christian, would be easy to see and to understand if we are sincerely willing to abide by the Word of God given to us in its simplicity. At whatever time we discover in a church, or in any one person, the tendency to wrest scripture in support of what is manifestly un-Christ-like, then backsliding has set in. At such a time it would be wise to abandon self-will and personal interests in favor of God’s will and the interest of the true Christian faith, which we pledged allegiance to defend when we were graciously saved by Jesus Christ.

The following are some signs of backsliding which could lead to apostasy if left unchecked:

1. Lukewarmness in our relationship and devotion to God. Revelation 3:14-19.
2. Loss of interest in the things of God. 2 Timothy 4:3, 4, 9, 10.
3. Assertion of self-will over God’s will. Proverbs 14:14; James 4:13-16; Luke 12:47.
4. Worldliness. 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:1-4; James 5:1–6.
5. Nonchalant attitude towards the work of God’s Kingdom. Judges 5:23; Jeremiah 23:1-2.

God warns all backsliders to repent and be restored back to Him or risk the doom of apostates; many of whom are prominent leaders of churches and ministries today. If we would be healed, restored, and be made ready as the bride of Christ, awaiting His imminent return, then we must cast aside all interests that conflict with the call of God unto holiness and return unconditionally to Him in repentance. Joel 2:12-17.

“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning… Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach…” Joel 2:12, 17.

Over a decade ago, I read a pamphlet written by a young Muslim man who had converted to Christianity. His story was that two years after he became saved, he was caught up in the Spirit to meet our Lord Jesus Christ as he prayed and fasted in seclusion at his local church in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Jesus Christ led him to hell and instructed him to ask the tormented souls in that place why they had ended up there.
Upon arrival, he interviewed the first two persons he saw, who were both men. They told him their names and why they had ended up in hell.

One of them said his name was Paul Gindiri. He was a notable firebrand evangelist who preached in Plateau State and the surrounding northern states before his tragic death due to prostate cancer in 1996.
The other man said his name was Benson Idahosa, who was also a popular preacher in Nigeria.

This Christian brother said he did not know about them prior to his visitation with Jesus to hell for the following reasons:

1. He was a Muslim during their lifetime on earth and was thus oblivious of their religious activities.
2. He was a newly converted Christian when he visited hell and had not known much about popular Christian preachers.

Abubakar Sadiq, as his name was, observed that these men were in their own shallow pits in hell. He said Benson Idahosa was, at the time, actually turned upside down in his pit of liquid fire.

The Lord Jesus authorized him to ask why they were there, and this is a summary of his interview with each of them.

PAUL GINDIRI — DIED 1996
After saying his name, he revealed to Abubakar Sadiq that the sin that condemned him to hellfire was GUILE (deceptive intelligence).
God’s Word warns His faithful believers to avoid the use of guile in achieving their aims, whether in preaching or in ordinary life.
1 Peter 3:10 says: “For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”

BENSON IDAHOSA — DIED 1998
After introducing himself, he also disclosed that the sin which damned his soul to hellfire was COVETOUSNESS.
In Luke 12:15, Jesus Christ said: “…Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Then Abubakar Sadiq asked him if he had gotten used to his torment in hellfire, to which he said no—that the torment is renewed constantly.

BIMBO ODUKOYA — DIED 2005
While he was still there, he said a woman called out to him and begged to be interviewed. She said her name was BIMBO ODUKOYA. I’m sure many of us in Nigeria know of the tragic Sosoliso Airline disaster at Port Harcourt Airport, which claimed the lives of some young schoolchildren. Bimbo Odukoya initially survived the crash but sustained serious injuries, which eventually resulted in her death the following day.
Sadiq Abubakar said Jesus Christ specifically instructed him not to grant her an interview, so he ignored her plea.
Jesus Christ also revealed the names of many pastors to him, both locally and internationally, who were still alive and whom he was instructed to warn because they were on their way to hellfire unless they returned to the narrow way to heaven.
Abubakar Sadiq said he told our Lord Jesus Christ that he had no knowledge of those preachers and their ways, so he needed to be enlightened so as to know what to say. He asked Jesus Christ if those people were on their way to hellfire because of certain things they had done, but Jesus Christ answered that for some of them, it was not necessarily because of their own personal deeds, but because of what they allowed in their congregations.

Of all the big names I know in the Nigerian Church, only the name of Pastor Williams Folorunsho Kumuyi of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Nigeria, was not mentioned as being found wanting before God.

To say the least, I was saddened by that revelation after reading the book. It also sobered me. I realized how thin the line is that delineates the boundary between what is acceptable to God and what is not, and how casually we have treated both as though they are one and the same before God. As long as we are comfortable with anything, we assume God must be comfortable with it too!

Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I have chosen to write this message about the two sins of Guile and Covetousness because they are among the most subtle sins Satan uses to destroy many of God’s children, especially those who carry His anointing, as we have seen in the cases of the two men he mentioned.
I was especially saddened by the names of Paul Gindiri and Benson Idahosa. To say the least, I believed his testimony, not because I had to, but because it carried a compelling conviction in the heart that only the Spirit of God can give. If I had wanted to judge the veracity of that pamphlet by the great works of those ministers of God, I would have been persuaded to think that this spiritual young man was dreaming out of the abundance of his imagination. Evangelist Paul Gindiri and Bishop Benson Idahosa, as they were then known, were household names in the Christian community in Nigeria. Bishop Benson Idahosa was to Southern, Western, and Eastern Nigerian Christians what Evangelist Paul Gindiri was to Northern Christians. They shaped the Evangelical and Pentecostal landscape of Christianity in those regions.

Now, to say that those men could not make it to heaven after so much service to the body of Christ is, to say the least, heartbreaking. One might even be tempted to doubt the genuineness of such a claim. However, the truth remains that our God does not have respect for anyone who shows no respect for His Word, no matter how much they have labored for His Kingdom.
Ezekiel 33:13: “When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live; if he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.”

With God, the emphasis is not so much on the works we do for Him as it is on the faithfulness with which we do them.
It is easy to see the great works people do with the eyes of flesh, but only the divine eyes of God can see the motive and condition of the heart for doing those works, and some of those motives may fall short of His standards for acceptance.
Isaiah 66:2: “…saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

Let us focus on the two sins named above and see how we can identify and avoid falling into them as we serve God.

GUILE
Guile is, simply put, deceptive intelligence. It is the subtle manipulation of facts or circumstances to achieve a desired effect or aim. Anyone who speaks much must be careful to avoid this sin, especially preachers and teachers over God’s congregations.
See James 3:1-6:
“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3:1-2

It is easy for people to resort to guile when their ego is at stake. The same can be said of some preachers who feel they must convince their audience at all costs to accept their doctrinal views, even when the facts they present are not scripturally sound. When people want to avoid confronting the truth without losing face, they resort to guile. I do not know how Evangelist Paul Gindiri ended up with the guilt of guile before God, and I cannot assume to know. However, given his many confrontational encounters with Muslim audiences here in northern Nigeria, one cannot help but assume it may have been in the course of some of those arguments.
Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Christian lawyers, teachers, and preachers of the Word of God must exercise extra caution in executing their duties, because the guilt of guile can be established against anyone who, with subtle, clever phrasing of words, seeks to avoid speaking the truth as conscience demands. It may seem like the only escape route at that moment to avoid saying direct words, but such nuanced responses, though appearing clever, are also guileful.
The truth has no other version; it cannot be explained in any other way without compromising it. The truth must be spoken as it is, devoid of unnecessary nuances and guile.

In all His heated encounters with the religious leaders of His day on earth, Jesus Christ stood solely by the truth. Apostle Peter later extolled His virtue when he wrote to the churches in 1 Peter 2:21-22: “For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.”
Even though Jesus Christ spoke the truth all the time, there were occasions when He maintained silence—we must imbibe that virtue.

Luke 23:8-10: “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad, for he was desirous to see Him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him, and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned Him in many words, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.”

Satan has his own strategy of making people sin with the words of their mouth, even when they didn’t mean to, so each child of God must be economical with words when the occasion demands it.
Luke 11:53-54: “And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently and to provoke Him to speak of many things, laying wait for Him and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.”

The truth may be uncomfortable to speak or to hear, but that is what God demands we speak all the time. If anyone will not hear the truth, we must, like Jesus Christ, keep quiet at that moment instead of saying what will suit them and thus fall into the condemnation of employing guile to please them.
James 1:19 says: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, _slow to speak, slow to wrath.”_

COVETOUSNESS
I believe this is the more dangerous of the two sins under focus in this sermon, and its prevalence in the church today should give every well-meaning Christian serious concern.

Why it is more dangerous:
Covetousness often masquerades as a legitimate ambition or desire to improve one’s situation, which in itself is not bad. But when such a desire becomes an obsession with material acquisition, as it often does, then it becomes covetousness, which is sinful before God. The two are almost similar, except that ambition plans strategically and waits patiently for results, while covetousness is driven by competition and an intense desire or envy for what another person has, and becomes discontented until it gets it too.

Covetousness is the lust of the eyes. And just as lust in the heart for the opposite sex, even without physical contact, is counted by God as sexual sin, so also is covetousness: to be envious of or to desire what someone else has amounts to the sin of covetousness, even if you fail to acquire it.
Exodus 20:17: “No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.” JC

I am convinced that most people with a covetous tendency do not recognize it; they excuse that attitude as ambition. However, for ambition to be healthy, it must be self-inspired and not induced by another person’s achievements. If another person’s achievement puts you under pressure to be at par with them, then that is no longer ambition but covetousness. When you have an insatiable desire to acquire wealth or material possessions at any cost and by any means possible, that is covetousness.
1 Timothy 6:9: “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.” NLT

Why it raises serious concerns for us today:
Covetousness has been doctrinalized in many local churches today and is commonly termed the prosperity gospel. By contrast, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior taught the virtues of godliness and contentment, which are the very opposite of the so-called prosperity gospel.
Matthew 6:31: “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.”
Matthew 6:32: “Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:34: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

For about two thousand years since His ascension to heaven, Jesus Christ’s disciples all over the world have faithfully adhered to His core ministerial values: the redemption of the soul from sin, deliverance of the spirit from Satan and demons, and the healing of the body from sicknesses. Nothing was ever said about prosperity as a core value of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry until the 20th century when it was championed. What informed the paradigm shift from Jesus Christ’s teaching on the redemption of the soul as a prerequisite for eternal life to today’s teaching on the prosperity of the Christian as proof of redemption?

This whole new doctrine began in the United States as the church’s effort to align with the cultural “American Dream,” which is a capitalist ideal. The idea is simple: if God, through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can redeem the soul, deliver the spirit, and heal the body, then He can also help the Christian achieve the “American Dream.”
The proponents of that new gospel may have meant well for their audiences, but it is evident they never anticipated the far-reaching consequences it would later unleash on the world at large—a consequence so large in scope and so heavy in cost that the body of Christ is still reeling from its negative impact.

Today, the word of God prophesied about two thousand years ago has found fulfillment in the lives of many Christians of this generation:
1 Timothy 6:3: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing.”
1 Timothy 6:4: “He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions.”
1 Timothy 6:5: “And constant friction between people of corrupt minds, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” NLT

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I conducted an online research on how this all began, and below is a summary of my findings:

The prosperity gospel wasn’t championed by one person from one country—it developed in stages across the U.S. first, then spread globally. But here are the key figures and where they’re from:

1. U.S. — The originators (1940s-1980s)
This is where it started, mainly within the Pentecostal and Word of Faith movements.

• E.W. Kenyon (1867–1948) — USA: Often called the “father of Word of Faith.” A Baptist pastor who blended evangelical theology with New Thought ideas about faith and positive confession. His writings influenced later leaders.
• Oral Roberts (1918–2009) — USA: One of the first to bring it to mass audiences in the 1950s-60s through his healing crusades and “seed-faith” teaching—give money as a seed, expect a financial harvest.
• Kenneth Hagin (1917–2003) — USA: Called the “father of the modern Word of Faith movement.” He systematized the theology in the 1970s-80s and trained a whole generation of preachers through Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Kenneth Copeland (b. 1936) — USA: Hagin’s student. He made it a global brand through TV, books, and conferences from the 1970s onward.
• T.L. Osborn (1923–2013) — USA: He taught prosperity as part of redemption from the early 1960s, though his focus was missions rather than personal wealth.

2. Nigeria — The African pioneer (1970s onward)

• Benson Idahosa (1938–1998) — Nigeria: The first major African preacher to adopt and popularize prosperity teaching in Africa after his time at Christ for the Nations in the U.S. in 1971. He’s called the “father of Nigerian Pentecostalism,” and his 1973 revelation marked the start of prosperity preaching in West Africa.

3. Other global champions (1980s-2000s)

• Joel Osteen (b. 1963) — USA: Made it mainstream through Lakewood Church and TV, with a softer, motivational version.
• Creflo Dollar (b. 1962) — USA: Prominent Word of Faith teacher from Atlanta, Georgia.
• David Oyedepo (b. 1954) — Nigeria: Founder of Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel. He’s Africa’s wealthiest pastor and built prosperity teaching into one of the largest church networks on the continent.
• Edir Macedo (b. 1945) — Brazil: Founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Mixed prosperity with deliverance ministry.

The pattern

• Rooted in the U.S. in the post-WWII healing revival, influenced by New Thought and “Gospel of Wealth” ideas from the 1800s.
• Exported to Africa and Latin America in the 1970s-1990s through Bible schools, missionaries, and media. Nigeria became the biggest hub in Africa.

Important note: Not all Pentecostals teach the prosperity gospel. Many reject the “name it and claim it” version while still teaching that God provides for needs.

In concluding this sermon, I think it is necessary to share my own firsthand information about Bishop Benson Idahosa, as he was then known. Although I have not actually met him in person, I have listened to and watched his messages. It is unlikely for anyone to be his audience and not be awestruck by his faith in God, passion for souls, and boldness in confronting any challenges to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, posed by anything or anyone. Perhaps this is the more reason I still mourn him today and sometimes wish that Abubakar Sadiq’s revelation was not true. But the more I thought about it, the more I see why it must be the truth. Below are some of the things I learned firsthand from Benson Idahosa’s messages and from information gleaned from online documents.

FIRST: After he got saved at the age of 14 in 1952, he began his ministry in 1957 at the age of 19. In 14 years of preaching (by 1971) he had planted more than 6,000 churches in Nigeria and Ghana. All that while, his message was simple: salvation, healing, and deliverance through the name of Jesus Christ. All went well with him and the ministry, and God was glorified.

SECOND: In 1971 he left Nigeria to study at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A., under a scholarship from Gordon Lindsey. While there, the prosperity gospel, which had already been in America for three decades, greatly influenced him. He made new acquaintances with some prosperity preachers like T.L. Osborn and Oral Roberts. However, by the next year (1972), after he had returned to Nigeria, the seed for the new phase of his ministry had already been sown.

THIRD: In 1973 he began his prosperity message, claiming that God wants believers delivered from poverty just as from sickness.
He also claimed to have received a direct revelation from God: “The world is complaining of poverty…. I have asked the cashiers of heaven to be on duty as long as you have a need…. I shall supply all your needs according to my riches in glory.” Philippians 4:19.
He also claimed that God told him:
“Wake up, go to the church in the morning, and tell them poverty died last night.”
From that year onward, Benson Idahosa began to teach prosperity as part of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It became central to his ministry.

FOURTH: In one of his messages, which I listened to, he said that he and his wife visited the T.L. Osborn family in California, U.S.A. His host took him around the high-brow estates of that state to help him look for a house to buy. At the time, his ministry was not yet financially strong enough to buy any of those properties, so the Osborns proposed a deal: he could choose any house he liked, and they would make payment, which Benson Idahosa would repay in the future when his ministry had made enough money.
After they had returned from inspecting those beautiful mansions, Benson Idahosa said that very night God spoke to him and sternly warned him not to spend that night in America, or else He (God) would kill him.
He woke up afraid and told his host what had happened and of his plans to return to Nigeria immediately, even though it was fast approaching midnight. His wife would not follow, saying it was his call, not hers. Well, he was able to catch the last flight and barely made it back to Nigeria.
Personally, I strongly believe that that encounter with God at the T.L. Osborn home was God’s clear warning that his newfound alliance with American prosperity preachers was unacceptable. However, despite that warning, he went on to forge an alliance not only with T.L. Osborn but also with other American churches where he often graced their pulpits as a guest preacher.

FIFTH: Shortly before his death in 1998, I read a newspaper publication of a message he preached, which was one of his last before he died. In that Sunday sermon, he was reported as saying it was time for the ministry to return to the first messages they were initially known for. He acknowledged that the prosperity gospel had brought many blessings to them, but that it was time to revert to their roots and focus more on the message of salvation.
Well, he had, by those statements, actually told the truth, because a preacher who at one point was riding a bicycle from one location to another doing ministerial work for God, but at the tail end of his ministry was riding expensive cars and flying in aircraft, must have truly been blessed. But can we attribute every blessing to God? If, just before his death—perhaps less than two weeks prior—he saw the need to return to his beginning, then I doubt he was satisfied with what his ministry had become. He seemed, rather, to have been troubled.
Proverbs 10:22: “The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” NLT

I must state clearly here that I have nothing against anyone being blessed, as long as it is from God. Indeed, I personally pray for God’s blessings, but in strict compliance with what the Word of God allows.
The founders of the prosperity gospel are almost all dead now, but their works have survived them. The pertinent question to ask is: has the prosperity gospel made the body of Christ any better than it was before the 20th century? Personally, I do not think so. It has transformed many local churches from a heavenly-minded bride into a worldly-minded harlot. Their messages reek of covetousness, and their vision is more of earthly values than heavenly ones. Can we say with certainty that a church such as that is blessed by God?

It is high time we returned to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and lived by faith, as the true disciples of Jesus Christ did in the olden days, believing that God will take care of our needs as we serve Him wholeheartedly.
Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have, for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

Let us watch out for merchant-styled ministries and ministers who are out there looking for yet another soul to make their disciple, just for the fleeting promises of this present and temporal world, while doing nothing tangible to help them experience the true redemption of the soul from sin and worldly vanities.
2 Peter 2:3: “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

God will judge every covetous heart and the lips that, by guile, have deceived precious souls into accepting a man-conceived and man-propagated gospel, which was never championed by Jesus Christ or any of His faithful followers.
Let us be wary of the danger of destroying the labor of our predecessors who protected the sanctity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their life’s blood so that it might reach to the ends of the world, as Jesus Christ commanded. Impeding the spread of the true Gospel’s message is not without dire consequences, both in time and in eternity.

Galatians 1:6-8: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another; but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

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A Reason To Preach
Mark 5:1-20.

In the Gospel according to Apostle Mark, we read about a remarkable encounter between Jesus Christ and a possessed man whom demons had driven away from friends and family. In fact, they had forced him to live in the graveyard among the dead. What a terrible way for anyone to live!

It was obvious that all attempts by his friends and/or family to help him stay at home, by restraints, had failed, as the malevolent spirits in him kept breaking his chains and sending him running back to the graveyard.
Mark 5:3 – “This man lived among the tombs and could not be restrained, even with a chain.
Mark 5:4 – Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to control him.” NLT

A casual reading of this account of scripture will pass for just another story about Jesus Christ’s activities while He walked the earth, but looking deeper and more intently, we see the suffering of a helpless man and the compassionate heart of God towards him.
Mark 5:5 – “All day long and throughout the night, he would wander among the tombs and in the hills, screaming and hitting himself with stones.” NLT.

One day, however, God heard his cry. Jesus Christ came to his rescue and delivered him from those legions of demons who had made his life a foretaste of hell on earth.
Now, the remarkable thing about this story is not the deliverance of the man, but what followed afterwards: the people of the land, the Gerasenes, asked Jesus Christ to leave after He had helped deliver one of their own.
That’s odd! They should have rejoiced, instead, that the man they’d failed to restrain from harming himself and others had finally been healed of his madness, but it seemed that they became indignant instead.
Could it have been because of the loss of two thousand pigs, which the demons had drowned in the lake after Jesus Christ had cast them out of the body of their victim? If it was, then the feeling amongst the inhabitants of that land must have been that it was too much of a price to pay for the deliverance of a helpless, suffering demonic man; but how wrong they were! The very fact that Jesus Christ let those pigs perish in order to save the man underscores the high value which God places on a soul over the worldly possessions that people are relentlessly craving for, and which have robbed many people of the opportunity to truly know and serve God.
Luke 16:13 – “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Luke 16:14 – The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this.
Luke 16:15 – Then he said to them, “You like to look good in public, but God knows your evil hearts. What this world honors is an abomination in the sight of God.” NLT.
The same is still true today: that God can flatten mountains and fill up valleys in order to save just a soul! If need be, He can withdraw blessings, terminate employment, or impoverish anyone just to save their soul.
The Gerasenes got it all wrong; they may have thought that the loss of those pigs was one loss too many, and they wanted Jesus Christ to leave at once to avert further losses.
Mark 5:15 – A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, but they were frightened when they saw the man who had been demon possessed, for he was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane.
Mark 5:16 – Those who had seen what happened to the man and to the pigs told everyone about it,
Mark 5:17 – and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.” NLT

Well, how about the lunatic that was healed? Did he share in their view? Never! There was no way that he could have ever done that; in fact, it would have been concrete evidence that he was not cured of his madness if he had joined forces with his natives to oust Jesus Christ from their land for healing him. So, what was his stance at that time? The record below shares it:
Mark 5:18: “When Jesus got back into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too.
Mark 5:19 – But Jesus said, “No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.
Mark 5:20 – So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.” NLT

The fulcrum of this message is in the scripture just quoted above, and it is to the effect that only an encounter with God can move anyone to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While the natives of that land saw a threat in Jesus Christ, the man whom He had just delivered saw a Saviour and friend! The very first day he had an encounter with Jesus Christ was also the very day that he also decided to follow Him — he didn’t even think of first going to see his family or friends. What Jesus Christ just did was far greater to him than anything else, as his decision to go with Him would show.
Today, when I see how people who claim to be saved are reluctant to share the Gospel with those who need to be saved before hell claims their soul forever, I begin to wonder if they had actually had an encounter with Jesus Christ at all! There can be no claim of being born again without a prior encounter with Jesus Christ the Saviour. That can never be! And if there was a genuine encounter, then there can’t be an excuse to not share the Gospel, except where that encounter had been lost or had been faked all along!
My beloved mother of blessed memory knew the Lord before I was born; in fact, I was the child of her prayers. After three girls were born to my family, she specifically prayed to God for a male child, and an angel of God appeared by her bedside at night, with a baby boy in his hands, stretched towards her. I was that baby boy! She loved me dearly until her death two years ago. But as closely knit as we were together, yet when I had an encounter with Jesus Christ, as a teenager, and He became my Lord and personal Saviour, I was everywhere preaching the Gospel and leading other youths to do the same. My mother became concerned for me and tearfully pleaded with me to take it easy on myself because I was not only doing street evangelism but had significantly lost weight due to constant fasting. If she had shed those tears for any other reason than my involvement with the Gospel, I probably would have capitulated because I held her in very high esteem. But in this case I didn’t relent. Although I loved her so much, yet a greater love for Jesus Christ compelled me to preach, pray, and fast in a way that I had not known was possible until that time. I didn’t care that my physical looks were giving my beloved mother some concerns, least of all anyone else; all I cared for were the strength and grace which I drew from the Lord in those spiritual commitments, to carry on with His work.
I think the Apostle Paul was having something similar in mind when God’s Spirit inspired him to write the words below:
2 Cor. 5:13 – “If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
2 Cor. 5:14 – Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live.
2 Cor. 5:15 – He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

No one can outlive their encounter with Jesus Christ; no, not any more than a car can go beyond the limits of the fuel in its tank! As long as Jesus Christ truly lives in the heart, the evidence of the encounter continues: the absence of the one must be the absence of the other. So if, as a professing Christian, you can no longer see (or have never seen) the need to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost, then I also, as a Christian, am right to question if Jesus Christ still lives, or had ever lived, in your heart.

Those who have not had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ have no right to preach the Gospel, seeing they would have no message from the Lord to preach. The preaching of the Gospel must be preceded by a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ, and this is where every Christian must be careful to not allow themselves to be led astray by anyone who declares people to be saved, or born again, simply because they had come out for an altar call.
For the avoidance of doubt, if after an altar call your life still remains the same as before, then you have not yet encountered Jesus Christ, because no one does and remains the same. Something must have gone awfully wrong with that altar call, and it can be either because the whole exercise did not meet God’s acceptable standards, or that Jesus Christ was simply not part of it altogether. If He were, He’ll make Himself manifest; that’s why it is called an encounter!
Name every Bible character, from Genesis to Revelation, whom God had used, and see if there’s been any one case without a definite encounter with God prior to their ministry. So, why should anyone think that it ought to be different today?!
2 Cor. 13:5 “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.” (MSB)

The proof of one’s encounter with God lies in the works that they do for Him subsequently; at least the Holy Scriptures exhibit this pattern throughout, but I will just mention a few.
Abraham had his unique encounter in Genesis 12:1-8; Jacob in Genesis 28:19-22; Moses in Exodus 3:1-10; Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:4-10; Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8; Apostles Peter, Andrew, James, and John in Matthew 4:18-22; Apostle Paul in Acts 9:1-6.
I could go on and on and list more names of people with a proven encounter with God, and they all had a message to carry out for the Lord because God does not call anyone without a reason and a message. So, what’s God’s reason for your call, dear Christian? Has He given you a message? Have you carried it out, or is it still dormant after such a long time?
The demon-possessed man in our text did not waste any time in carrying out the Lord’s mission for his life: there was no time to sit with family and discuss the mission! It was a task he knew must be carried out immediately because that was the command from the Lord:
Mark 5:19 “…Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (NKJV)
We might want to know how the man responded to Jesus Christ’s instruction to share the good news of God’s grace upon his life: did he go to his friends? No, he went to the entire ten cities of his native land!
Such was his zeal for the Lord that he must have thought it a small thing to share his encounter with Jesus Christ only with a handful of friends.
Mark 5:20 – “So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.” NLT

I believe that God has inspired this message to make someone uncomfortable with their cold and indifferent attitude towards God’s call in their life. If you’re that person, the Lord is still calling you to “…Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.” Mark 16:15.
On the other hand, I believe that this message is also a wake-up call to those who cannot trace their profession of Christian faith to a definite encounter with Jesus Christ; to you I say that there’s still a limited time to seek and find Jesus Christ for a genuine salvation encounter. You must not seek Jesus Christ through anyone else: just call upon Him directly, and earnestly, until you have an encounter, as I’m sure you shall!
Isa. 55:6 – “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Isa. 55:7 – Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” NLT

Finally, to my dear fellow labourers for the kingdom of God, I encourage you to keep your testimony of God’s encounter with your life, knowing that the loss of your testimony is also the loss of your ministry. If you must have a continued reason to preach the Gospel to the world, then you must protect your divine encounter with God through Jesus Christ His Son; to lose it is to lose the validity of your call from God, and ministry to the world.
1 Tim. 6:11 “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
1 Tim. 6:12 – Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” (NKJV)

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Titus 2:1-15; 3:1-15; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 4:1-6, 17-18.

( A Summary Of My Book On The Topic)

Grace, over the years, has been defined in various ways—either to suit the audience to whom the definition is given or to portray it in the light of what it truly is according to God’s Word. Some of these definitions, which fall short of scriptural standards, have led to a gross abuse of God’s grace. This is because they present grace as an insurance against the penalty or consequences of sins wilfully committed by the sinner.
This, however, is wrong. Grace actually empowers us to do the very opposite, as the scripture below clearly explains:
Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
Titus 2:12
“It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,” Titus 2:13
“while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” (NIV)

Definition of Grace
What, then, is grace?
From a balanced view of the Holy Scriptures, we can define grace as the spiritual impartation of God upon man to enable him to live as God expects, despite all the challenges he faces (see 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; 1 Corinthians 15:9–10; 2 Corinthians 8:1–6).
Simply put, the language of grace is declared in Philippians 4:13:
“I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me…” (AMP)

From the foregoing, we can see that grace gives the ability to live a positive and impactful Christian life—not the opposite, as erroneously defined and taught by some.
Sometimes such errors arise because of the inability to distinguish between the operations of grace and mercy. It is often mistakenly believed that grace takes care of our sins. No—mercy does that. It is God’s mercy that moves Him to forgive the sinner upon repentance; but it is grace that enables the sinner to take that step toward repentance.
Without grace, God’s mercy—though inherent in His nature—would be exercised in vain, because no sinner would embrace it unless influenced by grace.
Ephesians 2:8–9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)

The Operation of Grace
God has made His grace available to all mankind. However, this grace does not operate in isolation; it is accessed by those who humble themselves before God, whether saints or sinners (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5–7; Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15).
Although grace is available to all who humble themselves, its operation differs according to individual spiritual needs, as determined by God. The sinner needs grace for salvation, while the believer needs grace to live the new life in Christ.

The Operation of Grace in the Humble Sinner
1Tim.1.13
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief “
1Tim.1.14
“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus”. (NIV)
The primary aim of preaching the gospel is to expose the sinner to God’s grace, which brings salvation. However, grace benefits only those who respond with humility.
When God’s Word is faithfully preached, His grace is released, appealing to the sinner to yield to Christ. If the sinner humbly responds, the Spirit of God begins the work of salvation. If pride resists, the opportunity may pass.

The Operation of Grace in the Life of the Humble Christian
1Cor.15.10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (NIV)
Grace continues to work in the life of the believer, enabling them to live according to God’s will. Just as humility is required for salvation, it is also required for sustained spiritual growth and effectiveness.
Grace enables the Christian to:
*live righteously
*serve acceptably
*maintain fellowship with God
*grow in spiritual strength.
The more humble the Christian, the more evident the operation of grace in their life.

Examples of the Operation of Grace
Grace for Obedience
Grace empowers believers to live in obedience to God.
Grace for Christ-likeness
What once seemed impossible becomes natural through grace.
Grace for Service
True service to God is joyful and unforced when sustained by grace.
Grace for Fellowship
Grace creates a deep desire for fellowship with God and His people.
Grace for Ministry
Effective ministry is evidence of grace at work.
Grace for Endurance
Grace provides strength to endure trials without murmuring.
Grace for Sacrifice
Grace enables believers to live not for themselves, but for God.

The Danger of Abusing Grace
Grace can be abused either deliberately or through ignorance. In both cases, its operation is hindered.
Common Ways Sinners Abuse Grace:
*Through Pride
*By Seeking Comfort in Sin
*By Rejecting the Truth
*By Choosing Vanity over Eternal Life.

Erroneous Abuse of Grace by Christians
Among believers, abuse of grace often stems from wrong doctrine or ignorance of Scripture. This can lead to:
loss of spiritual conviction
false confidence
distorted interpretation of Scripture
spiritual blindness

The Call to Humility
1Pet.5.6
” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ” (NKJV)
Grace flows through humility. Whether sinner or believer, the key requirement for accessing grace is a humble heart.
God’s “mighty hand” represents His dealings with man—moments where grace is made available in abundance. At such times, one must respond with humility to benefit from it.
Manifestations of God’s Grace:
Conviction of sin
Anointing for service
Manifestation of power
Unction of the Holy Spirit

Conclusion
Grace is God’s divine provision for both salvation and daily Christian living. It is not a license to sin but a power to live righteously.
It is accessed through humility, sustained through obedience, and expressed through a transformed life.

Hello once again, dear friends, and all fellow members of God’s family reading from across the world. 

As you must have already known by now, my name is Joseph Achi, from Nigeria. 

I serve the God who made the heavens and the earth, through His Son, my Lord and personal Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Today I am sharing with you the fourth part of my encounters with the saving power of God through His Son, Jesus the Christ. 

I am sharing these testimonies with you for the sole purpose of glorifying the name of Almighty God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to encourage faith and commitment in His name all over the world among all who have already  believed in Him, and  also among those who would believe through these testimonies. 

Romans 10:11-12: 

“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Sometimes in the year 2010, while working in the City of Lagos, in the southwest of Nigeria, I received a revelation from the Lord about an impending danger to my life. This was revealed to me while I was asleep.

 In that dream I saw myself in a strange place with very high walls. 

I was tied both hands and feet with ropes. There was a large cauldron with boiling liquid not too far from me, and a very old woman was attending to it. She looked fetish; I’d say she seemed to me like a witch doctor . The whole place looked like a ritualist’s shrine and I had a clear understanding that I was going to be killed and used as a sacrifice unless I was delivered  by some stroke of luck from that hopeless situation. 

While the woman was going about her fetish procedures I suddenly discovered that my bands were loosed, and that I could move. So I waited until the unsuspecting witch doctor came to stand opposite me with the cauldron of boiling liquid between us. Then I quickly rose and pushed it over against her, thus spilling the whole hot liquid on her as she lay sprawled on the ground. This resulted in her death instantly. 

Her attendants made attempts to apprehend me, but somehow I was able to scale that high wall, and made good my escape. Then I woke up with a start. 

I shared this terrifying dream with my wife and, after we had prayed about it, I subsequently forgot all about it over time.  However, sometimes later , probably that same year, I received a phone call from a very wealthy man whom I had met and became acquainted with while I was still working in the northern part of the country. I’d lost contact with him for some years due to some problem with my phone, so it was a pleasant surprise to me when he called. I told him that I had relocated to the city of Lagos, owing to an external transfer from my place of work. 

He told me he’d be coming to Lagos, anyway, and that he’d be happy if I could come and visit him when he was there. Of course I looked forward to it too because he had been a good family friend. 

When he eventually arrived Lagos, it was at a time when I was so busy at my place of work, with virtually no spare time for visits except to refresh myself, eat some food, and sleep after returning very late from work. 

He kept calling, and I kept making promises to visit him, but each time my work schedule would drag way beyond my normal closing time, and late into the evening. 

At some time he began to sound so desperate to see me,  so much that I became suspicious because, given that he was a very rich man; in fact he’s from one of the wealthiest families of the Muslim elites in the far north of my country; so it seemed rather strange to me that he would need my attention so much that he’s be worried. Well, I decided to handle the situation with extreme caution.

He kept calling me relentlessly, and the more he did, the more my spiritual senses suggested to me that all was not well.

At this point I like to shed more light on my relationship with this man so that the reader can better understand why I had my reservations about him. I came to know him when I was privileged to officially serve him at a very critical time when that service mattered so much to his reputation as a highly placed Director-general of a government establishment, at the federal level. Actually, at that time, it wasnt my schedule to attend to him but the only staff, whose schedule it was, was unavoidably absent and no one else was trained to handle that schedule; not even me. However, my superior authorized me to attend to him, so after studying a few precedents for guidance I was able to draft and have certified the documents he needed, just in the nick of time. To say the least, he was overjoyed at my ability to execute the official documents exactly as was expected, and since that time he took a liking to me. Sometimes he would invite me to his house, and we would go out to see his friends, or just drive around to some places of interest to him. 

But, fast forward, at this material time that he had asked to see me at Lagos, his desperation betrayed something, which I sensed were

hidden motives, because given that he was not only rich, but was older to me, at least, in my estimation, by not less than twenty years;  and also given the pedigree of a typical rich person in this part of the world, it was out of place for him to want to see me that much for nothing. In fact he had never called me that much time before, or was he ever so desperate to see me at any other time before this time under review.  

At a point he became very angry that I could not keep my appointments to see him, the fact notwithstanding that I had tried to explain my own predicaments to him. 

At his last call to me, he sounded so worried at not going to see me. He said he’d be leaving for the north the next day and earnestly implored that I should try by all means to see him. Much against the restrictions I felt in my spirit I decided to make a sacrifice that day to see him, not minding my own inconveniences. 

So when I got home at night, I made out time to go and see him. 

He lived in a very high brow estate in Lagos island. He described to me that his house was not too far from the first of two entrances to the estate. He gave me his house number.  

When I got to the estate, the security guards at the main entrance quizzed me and, after being satisfied with my answers, gave me direction to the house, which was close by. Indeed it had a very high wall and a massive gate, just like the one I saw in my dream, but at that time I didn’t even remember that I had had such a bad dream.  I walked straight towards the house, but as I drew near, it was as if something just switched off in my brain. I only came to myself after I had walked a considerable distance deep into the estate. I had never entered that estate before, so I did not even know where I was heading to anymore, and it’s not a kind of a place that you could start asking someone to show you your way as everyone was cocooned in the comfort of their luxury homes. 

While still roaming aimlessly in the estate , his call came through to me: I had earlier on called to tell him that I had been shown his house by the guards, so he now asked why it was taking me so long to reach it. 

In my own innocence I tried to explain to him that I did not know when I walked past his gate, and that I’m somehow lost in the heart of the estate. After asking for some certain clues around me, he told me that I had gone way too far and was closer to the second gate, and that it would be easier for me to exit the estate via that gate, take a vehicle and come back to the first gate. He said he’d detail his guard to come outside and assist me to come inside.

 I was, in my innocence, grateful to him for the gesture. 

When I got to the first gate the second time, I spotted the house just nearby and was surprised that I had missed it the first time. So this time around I fixed my gaze steadfastly on it and proceeded to walk up to the gate. The number of the house was clearly written on it.  

Please, bear with me that I’m avoiding to specifically mention certain things in my narrative; it is due to some security concerns. 

True to what he had said he’d do, there was a man standing in front of the gate to guide me in. He was a hulk of a man, about six feet plus, and I could even see that one of his eyes was bad.  I looked at him intently and he returned the look, but that was all I remembered again. By the time I came to myself I was once again roaming in the heart of that big estate. My would be host’s call came again after sometime, and he was saying something like his guard said someone ( obviously me) approached the house but simply walked past it. 

Well, by this time I was somehow feeling embarrassed at not being able to simply walked to the gate of a house which was clearly in my view. Even the security men had been surprised when I had returned to the first gate that second time to say that I had missed my way. They still pointed at the house emphatically to me. 

Once again my check revealed that I was closer to the second gate of the estate.  My host, who now seemed upset, simply asked me to go to the entrance of the second gate, and wait for him to come and pick me up in his car. 

I did. 

After some time he called to say that he was at the second entrance of the estate, where I said that I was waiting. He said he was in a white car with tinted glasses, but after looking around I couldn’t sight any car.  I told him I could not see any car around. He also said that he could not see me either. He proceeded to asked me to describe what I could see around, so I proceeded to describe my immediate environment, right to the spot where I was standing in front of some ornamental trees by the gate.  At that point, also, some commercial motorcyclists had parked outside the gate and I included them in my description. 

He agreed with everything I said, except that he still maintained that I was no where to be seen in that place.  

Then the scales fell off my eyes!

By this time he was very angry. But I was just perplexed. Why couldn’t we see each other?

Why was he angry instead of being surprised that we seemed to be invisible to each other?

Could it be that he was angry probably because he thought that I was only lying that I was there at the gate?  But bearing in mind that I had clearly described the current scenes at the gate , to which he had also admitted to seeing, I believe that he was also convinced that I was truly at the gate, just as he was at the time. But because he was, nonetheless, angry after all those facts, I started sensing that something evil was brewing: he must be angry because of something else; something he feared he was going to loose. But as to what it was, your guess is as good as mine. 

It was at this point that the Lord clearly spoke to my heart: He simply said, “ Go back home”. 

So I left that place for my house. 

It was at that time that I became afraid at the whole thing that had transpired. 

I became aware that it was God that was preventing me from walking into that house. Who knows what would have become of me if that had happened?

I became aware that the event of that day was linked to the dream that I had had earlier on. 

As I took a commercial motorcycle back home, the man kept calling my phone, but I refused to  answer his calls. 

I was so afraid, but I was equally grateful to God for “switching off my brain” those two times, and also for putting a veil between me and my adversary at that final meeting place. 

PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!

After that incident, he went ahead to reclaim a choice plot of land he had earlier gifted to me in a government reserved area, but I didn’t care much when I got to know about it, even though I had invested some money in trying to develop it. 

He never called me again, until many years after, and when he did, he sounded like he missed me; but my unenthusiastic response must have been the reason he hasn’t called again ever since for over a decade; and, to say the least, I am the happier for it. 

Praise God!

If you’re out there, and are having a hard time believing that God exists, or that He does not care for those who trust in Him, then this is my question to you: who restrained me,  twice, from my  ill-fated  purpose that night? Who put a veil between me and my would be abductor, and possible killer? Even though the unfolding drama was not consummated to its  planned conclusion by my adversary, yet was it not God, Who sees the end of a thing from its beginning, that showed me in a similitude, via a dream,  how that incident would have happened even before it came to pass?

Who spoke to me at the entrance of that estate, asking me to go home?

It was my  God , “That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;”

Isaiah 44:25.

I sincerely and passionately call upon everyone reading this narration to put their faith and  trust in Him, and to accept Jesus Christ His Son as their Lord, and personal Saviour, if they have not truly done so before. 

Jesus Christ is just a fervent prayer away!

John 17:3 :

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

God bless you for reading. 

Hello, once again, my friends from around the globe. It is my hope, and earnest prayer, that you are all doing fine in your daily work and walk with God. May God’s continued grace and mercy be upon y’all, in Jesus Christ’s Mighty name.

So far, I have shared two out of the four testimonies I wanted to share with you, and today I’ll be sharing the third one. However, before I do that, I want to encourage you all to share my posts with your family, friends and all acquaintances, so that they can share in the blessings inherent in my posts. Further more, if you have any questions about my posts, or any edifying comments to make; feel free to do so in the comments section below each post.

My Third Testimony.

Once again, I welcome you to my platform, and I’m hopeful that your time here will be well spent as you read about one of my many encounters with the Lord Jesus Christ.  But, before I proceed, let me quote a passage of the Holy Scriptures from the Psalms:

Psalms 121:1-8

 (A Song of degrees.)

“ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

My testimony in part two explained how God delivered me from death in the hands of Muslim jihadist. 

This third testimony I’m about to share is also on the same page. 

On Sunday night, the 20th day of February , 2000, my Lord Jesus Christ showed me a vision of what was going to happen in the next day, being Monday the 21st. 

At that  time of my life I was newly married and had relocated from my family house in a Muslim dominated part of the state to where the population was dominantly Christian. 

Earlier on the governor of my state , Kaduna, had announced the introduction and adoption of the Muslim sharia law in the state , which is equally divided in its population distribution among Christians and Muslims. Of course there was a strong opposition from the Christian population who felt that the state , being a secular entity,  should not adopt or enact any particular religion’s law for use over the whole state. The Christian Association of Nigeria, an umbrella body of all churches in the country , after an unsuccessful attempt to dissuade the state from going on  with this matter, declared Monday, the 21st day of the month of February, 2000, as a day of a peaceful protest to air the Christians’ grievances, but little did anyone know that it would lead to a five day bloodbath and large scale destruction of properties; the worst in the history of kaduna state. 

So on that Sunday night the Lord clearly revealed to me that the next day was going to be a bloody day; He showed me graphically how it was going to be. In fact He showed me a women I was going to meet and rescue or else she was going to be stabbed to death; I saw her as a very fat and fair skinned woman, and He showed me how some Muslims would bring her down and stab her multiple times to death. 

After I had woken up and had had the morning devotion with my wife and 5 months old son, and was getting ready to start preparing for work, I explained to her that  the Lord had revealed to me how that day was going to be a bad one for the state, and that she should not step out of the house to look for me should anything happen subsequently because the Lord would be with me and I would return to her and our child. 

She didn’t want me to go to work that day for fear of what would happen, but I assured her that it was alright and that she should have no fear. 

When I stepped onto the major road,  I was taken aback by the size of the protesters I saw carrying placards and marching to the governor’s residence some twenty kilometers, or thereabouts, from my community. I was later to understand that indeed the same march had been organized by every other Christian community within the state capital and that they were all to converge at the governor’s residence to stage their peaceful protest. 

No one ever thought that the turnout would be so high. Almost all commercial buses were filled to capacity and I barely managed to find a bus to my place of work , which was some  thirty kilometers or more away. 

It seemed like the whole town was moving in one direction that morning and the noise of the protesters rent the air. People were in jubilation mood but my spiritual senses told me it was not going to end well. 

By the time I was half way into my journey I had begun to notice other opposition factions: though fewer in number and without any placards, the words I hear them uttering raised some serious concerns to me and, I believe , to any one who was peace loving. One particular man in the second bus I boarded was shouting at the top of his lungs,  saying that blood would flow that day. When he alighted from the bus near to my place of work, which was heavily dominated by Muslims, he continued shouting out his threats and I could see that there were some persons already on ground doing the same. 

At my office the atmosphere was tense. My Christian colleagues were worried because we were at the heart of a Muslim community and we could hear the ominous drum beats of war and anarchy vibrating in the air. War was inevitable!

We didn’t have to wait long before the first signs of war emerged: I started seeing columns of smoke from different locations of the town rising into the horizon. At that time some of my colleagues who could leave did so immediately before the roads were barricaded by jihadist, as they are won’t to do any time there was such conflicts.  

When it was past 11am some armed jihadist barricaded the major road opposite to the entrance to my office complex. A military officer driving to his place of work at a military Academy, just about four hundred meters away from us, ran into them and his vehicle flipped over. He barely avoided being killed by the jihadists because just at that time a team of soldiers had come to the road to disperse them.  So they opened fire to give cover for their officer to escape.  It was at this very moment that the head of my branch office ordered every staff to run out and join the soldiers back into their academy. 

While it was safe inside the military academy and everyone seemed relieved from the fear of death, I, on the other hand became restless: I felt I had to leave and see my family even though I knew that my community was safe for them to be. 

I weighed the options carefully,  but as outrageous as the thought was to venture out of that safe haven onto the sound of the raging violence we could clearly hear coming from inside the town, that was what I persuaded myself to do. I called one of my colleagues aside and disclosed my intentions, and though he passionately pleaded with me to not do it, nevertheless I did not relent. I sneaked out of the military facility and headed home on foot. 

Right from when I left the Military Academy at 4:00 pm, some five hours since the killings began, I found myself in the midst of a multitude trekking back home or to some other places. There were no vehicles but just a human traffic. They were almost all of them Muslims because no Christian dared to move freely in that part of the state at such a time. 

I also became aware that my western style corporate dress code could give me out as an easy target because it was not common for a Muslim to be seen dressed in that manner around that area. 

MY FIRST MIRACLE: 

Just then a car pulled up by the road side and offered to give a few of us a ride. Every one near made a rush for it and I was one of the eight persons who got lucky. 

He was a Muslim from the south western part of  Nigeria, and he explained to us that he was headed to the south of the state capital ,which was actually my destination, and needed company. But he plainly warned us that should we run into any kind of trouble along the way, everyone would assume responsibility for their lives. 

We all agreed. We drove on at a snail’s speed. I started seeing the the casualties of the conflict: burnt vehicles with the charred remains of their occupants; dead bodies covered in their blood – the evidence of a gruesome murder; helpless Christians running for dear life seeking for where to hide. 

Of the eight of us who entered that vehicle there were just two of us who were Christians. The other passengers knew this by our facial features and attire just as we also knew  that they were Muslims by their’s. 

Soon we got to a place where the jihadists barricaded the dual carriage road. There was a multitude of them , upwards of a thousand people or more. As soon as the vehicle started slowing down they made a beeline for it. I could see burnt vehicles around; a testimony of more  lives lost to violence. 

At this moment some occupants of the vehicle started alighting because there was no way of getting past that throng. Only myself, the other Christian and the driver remained inside. I guess that when they saw all those Muslims alighting from the car they concluded everyone inside was a Muslim so they began to slow  down in their approach and to turn back to their spot of convergence. But when the men who alighted reached them, they suddenly started returning back to us; ostensibly someone had revealed to them that there were Christians inside the vehicle. 

My heart beat raced. The driver saw beforehand what was about to happen so her stepped on the gas , swerved left and hit the median separator. The car miraculously climbed over to the other lane and he sped off in the direction we had come from. I could see the jihadist giving a  vain chase, but nevertheless their harmless roar of dismay was able to catch up with us. We were still safe in the meantime, though. 

MY SECOND MIRACLE: 

The man drove for sometime and then stopped at somewhere which seemed safe. It was a high brow part of the town where the wealthy lived. Such places hardly ever witness a share of the violence. He faced us and frankly told us that he had done his best for us and would not want to jeopardize his own life going beyond that point because the next town was dominated by Christians. He was a Muslim. We thanked him for the risk he took to save us. But deep within me I knew he was only a vessel; God was the one who saved us. 

I alighted and instantly entered the residential area of that place. It was a predominantly Muslim elite settlement. 

The streets were deserted. I purposed to pass through that area  and go to the same Army barracks where I had taken refuge with my family as narrated in my second testimony. 

The few Christian elites residing there could not remain indoors for fear of what might happen. I met some of them in the street. They looked perplexed. 

I asked a woman if it was safe to proceed through to the Army barracks from that axis, but she directed my attention to a column of smoke just rising to the horizon about two hundred feets away; she said it was a popular hotel that was being burned by the jihadist, and that was why they had to abandon their houses because they were uncertain of their own fate. 

Just as she was done speaking with me, a jihadist broke into the street about  fifty meters from us, and everyone ran away into their apartments leaving me alone in the middle of the street. 

The jihadist approached me cautiously, each of his  outstretched hands clutching tight to a dagger. He wore only a black shorts while the rest of his bare body was painted with a blue dye and laced with charms and amulets. 

Strangely enough I felt no fear. I looked at him straight in the eyes. He stopped and started performing a popular dance native to the Hausa and Fulani warriors. Just then he abruptly stopped dancing and started looking wildly to his left and right as though frantically looking for someone or something. 

Now it seemed like it was taking  him an eternity to attack and kill me! He still remained transfixed to his place with outstretched arms and those frantic left to right glances. 

Then the Lord spoke very clearly to me. He said I should go back to the road side I had come from. 

I turned back and head back the way I had come. Some Muslim residents who had been watching the drama from above the walls of their houses looked at me in bewilderment: I could read the expression in their faces. They would look at me and then look back behind me, apparently wondering why I was not attacked by that warrior. 

I can’t deny that at some point I had the feeling that he would suddenly rush towards me and stab me lethally in the back. But no such mortal blow ever reached me. 

Hallelujah!!!

MY THIRD MIRACLE:

When I got to the major road, I stood wondering which direction to take. To my left the road led to the place where I had first narrowly escaped being killed by that mob. To my right the road led to the next community which was largely a Christian community, but it was also in that direction that I first started seeing the casualties of war; the road was covered with dead bodies and burnt vehicles. I wondered if I could make it safe to that community. 

As I stood there wondering what to do, I suddenly saw about fifty jihadist coming from across the opposite side of where I was. I believe they were on their way to join the others in burning down the hotel under attack. 

They made a face to face contact with me but simply went past me to my left and right sides without so much as a query as to who I was, except for the fact that one of them rammed his left shoulders against mine and continued moving as though he didn’t touch anything. At this time it would be okay to say that God had rendered me invisible to the sight of the jihadists.  

Hallelujah! Praise Jesus Christ!! Glory be to the Most High God Jehovah!!!

MY FOURTH MIRACLE:

After they had all gone, I was once again left alone and undecided as to my next line of action. 

Then I prayed to God and asked Him to guide me as to where to go next, to which He clearly answered that I should turn left and see: I turned and saw a multitude of Muslims razing an already burnt church to the ground. The Lord clearly said for me to go that way and pass through that mob and go my way. 

Wow!

It was still the direction where I had first narrowly escaped death, but this time there was no room for doubtful hesitations any more; I had already experienced three divine interventions,  so to question God’s guidance was not in my plate and neither, indeed, can be!

I went through that mob and ( if you can’t believe this I will understand with you 😅) I practically had to shove my way past it because it was so tightly packed, and yet for all that none of them even questioned or even seem to be aware that something touched them. They were totally oblivious of my presence among them. 

Praise you Jesus!!!

MY FIFTH MIRACLE:

Once I had  passed that mob I went into that community while still maintaining a straight course in the street adjacent to the dual carriage way.  At some point I noticed some youth just reclining outside their home, and they fixed their gaze on me from a distance. It was obvious that they were discussing something about me. Presently I got to their spot and passed by them; all pairs of eyes pierced inquisitively into my being. Then a verdict was reached: I heard one of them said triumphantly to the others in the Hausa tongue: “ I told you! He’s a Muslim”. And the remainder of them chorused their affirmation in the same tongue saying, “ yes it is true that he’s a Muslim. “

But I didn’t dress in any way like one of them and I had my tribal facial marks, too. And then to crown it all I had in my right hand , which is to their side, a Charles Spurgeon’s book titled ‘Eleven Sermons On Prayer.’ 

Before that time, since I alighted from that car, I had been struggling with a voice advising me to tuck that book away into the inner pocket of the jacket, which I wore over my shirt, to avoid giving out that I was a Christian. But I recognized it was satan’s voice, so I resisted him and held on to the book. In fact I was hitting it against my thigh to the rhythm of the Christian song I was humming as I walked past them. Incidentally, those youth were the only ones who seemed to have seen me since my encounter with that warrior with drawn daggers. So if with all those clues about my Christian identity they could still see me as a Muslim, then there was just one explanation for that: that God  had made them blind so as  to see me as such. 

Hallelujah!!!

MY SIXTH  MIRACLE:

No sooner had I gone past them than  I came across some exhausted jihadist sitting on a culvert. It was obvious that their violent activity that day had taken its toll on them. They watched me silently and harmlessly as I passed by them, but after I had gone far they started calling out to their comrades to come over. I didn’t panic and take to my heels. I walked on until I diverted to an adjoining street, then to another again before emerging into a popular part of town which is heavily populated by Muslims. I saw some Muslim faithfuls standing in different groups and conversing in sad tones. I actually heard one of them bemoaning their loss in order parts of the state where they were overpowered by those they had hoped to conquer. He queried angrily: “ why is it that each time we carefully plan to fight the Christians it turns out that we are always the ones who lose the most?!”

As I continued walking along, I saw a middle aged man running to meet me in that busy street. He spoke to me in the Hausa language saying: Mallam! Mallam! ( Teacher! Teacher) we have just slaughtered a man behind the house. Come and see!!!

The average muslim is taught that it is a great blessing if he kills a none believer. So I understood why he was elated at such barbaric thing as slaughtering a fellow human. 

Well, be that as it may, it was obvious that I was still carrying on the likeness, not only of a Muslim

Man, but now a Muslim Cleric! 

Hallelujah!

I looked at him indifferently. He noticed my lack of enthusiasm and left me still celebrating his inglorious feat. 

MY SEVENTH MIRACLE:

I will skip some of the events of that day because I want to spare you some of the details. 

Fast forward, I successfully reached the next Christian community after trekking for about three hours, through Muslim communities; my own “valley of the shadow of death”, which Jesus Christ carried me through. But just as I was approaching , there were volleys of gunfire.

I had already taken a wide compass and avoided that first barricaded point of the dual carriage way, where I had narrowly escaped death, and now I was back on the road far ahead.  So I was quite visible on the road when those shots were being fired. This was almost around 7 pm, even though it was still bright enough at the time to see around. 

Then I saw a fat and fair skinned women running in my direction  with a tremendous effort. She was running from the danger behind her. She could hardly breath because she was overweight, and that effort at running had almost knocked the breath off her. 

I recognized her at once as the woman the Lord had clearly revealed to me in my dream the previous night.

I stopped her and asked where she was running to, and she pointed to the direction I had just miraculously managed to come out from in one piece. 

I said, “no you cannot go back there because they will kill you”. 

All she could say in between deep lung-ful breathe was, “ my children! my children!! my children!!!

I calmed her down and led her off the road to avoid being hit by stray bullets. We made our way into a sugarcane farm by a stream and wove our way into the community from that axis which was relatively safe from the duel taking place at the major road. 

Then I asked where she children were , to which she named a Muslim community where they reside. I warned her not to go back to that community that day. I had this deep conviction that a kind Muslim neighbour would take her children in and care for them until normalcy was restored.  You must here understand that there are good Muslims with whom a Christian can live peacefully with here in the north; so I told her this accordingly and she believed me and calmed down. After all I knew God had sent me to her and I knew He’d do  just that because , as His word says in Isaiah 44:26 ,  He is the God “That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; …”

I asked her if she knew anyone in that community, and as soon as she said she did, I asked her to stay with them until normalcy was restored. I made sure she was comfortably seated somewhere before I left and head into the direction to my own community which, by the way, was still about thirty kilometers away because  I had gone off course trying to weave my way through town to avoid the hot spots of the conflict. 

That woman I met twice, first in my dream and then in reality, was my seventh testimony for that day. 

Hallelujah! Glory be to Jesus Christ!! Amen!!!

If meeting and helping to save that helpless woman was all God led me through that valley of the shadow of death to achieve, then it was worth every risk I took and the glory is now being multiplied to His name as people read this testimony all over the world. And, to this end, I must thank God for providing me with this great platform, as the medium for the sharing of this testimony. May  God be praised forever! 

There are other encounters which I had that day but , like I have said a few lines back,  I would rather not square the now; certainly not because they are any less worthy of mention, but because I want to keep my testimony within tolerable limits. 

Well, in summary,  I proceeded in my journey through the night and spent that night in a small farming community by the kaduna river.  

There was no way I could communicate with my family to tell them how I was doing, and to find out how they fared as well, because the GSM system of mobile communication had not been introduced in my country at that time until the next year following this encounter. 

Any way, by the next morning,  I left that peasant settlement just as it came under serious attack. I crossed the river and  made good my escape. 

I covered an estimated 20 kilometers from that river, and reached home at 2:00 pm, that day, after I had encountered yet some other wonderful manifestations of God’s power, which I can’t share here for now. 

Upon reaching home, I met my grief stricken wife and innocent little boy, who was oblivious of what his weary father had gone through in the last 22 hours. 

To say the least, my Neighbors had given up hope on me when  I didn’t show up the previous night, but my wife said she assured them that I’d come back.  And thankfully God brought me back home safe and sound even though I looked very dirty an emaciated, having waded through a river and a swamp, and had gone without food and water for many hours. 

Looking back now it seemed like a dream that all those great miracles happened to me within such a short space of time. Indeed , what God cannot do does not exist. 

I pray for you out there that the grace of God , which gives salvation to those who in simple faith believe and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, be multiplied upon you to the saving of your soul, in Jesus’ Christ’s Mighty name. 

May the unfailing love of Jesus Christ and His inexhaustible power keep you far beyond the reach of satan and all wicked persons , in Jesus Christ’s name. 

If you’re reading this, and are not yet born again, I invite you to consider that only Jesus Christ could have done all of those amazing miracles in my life because I’m born again: so, friend, won’t you also invite Him to come into your life today? May you be blessed as you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, too.  

Amen. 

God bless you.