Category Archives: Heart and Art Foundation

SCENE ONE

THE BEGINNING

Truth often times cannot be simply stated or we would have no need of teachers, or at best it would be a parable. This is not an apology but rather an explanation for the length of this write up, contained herein are my contemplations and attempt to glean wisdom from a multitude of teachers, if this article is lengthy it is because their thoughts and words were much.

(it is advised that you read a scene per time and digest the thoughts before the next),

We will begin with examining the meaning behind the statement;  “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does it destroys his own soul. “ Prov. 6: 32

The feelers from the above are;

It takes ignorance to commit adultery thus a wisdom challenge

A man by adultery destroys, deprives, batters or spoils his soul

In the context of this text, the soul referred to the creature within the man, the source of vitality, freshness, purpose, passion, the living man.

Adultery on the other hand implies to apostate, to renounce a belief or an allegiance, it often is taken to include fornication.

Sexual relationships in my opinion is the most creative and most gratifying experience available to man. Therein man,  the most powerful, unique and influential force on planet earth is created by the union of  a man and woman or their seeds to give birth to another individual.

This new individual possesses a flesh and other non-physical part ; a soul and a spirit, the spirit and soul of the offspring is clearly distinct from those of the parents though the flesh is a random combination of both.

This distinction in the body, soul and spirit components of a new spring gives the following pointers;

1. The body of the newborn is a product of a unique random genetic mix of his parents.
2. His spirit however is very unique and very much independent of that of both parents.

My contemplation from the above is that  in a every sexual activity, there is a third factor that is responsible for the spirit of the newborn. Thus God is an active participator in every sexual activity and this is regardless of the religious orientation of the players. Thus this God-factor is the birthing power that births the spirit of the newborn (the real man), this explains why nobody is an accident or illegitimate.

The scenario like in rape or in an extramarital relationship might be wrong, an accident, cruel or improper but the birthing of the righteous spirit of a newborn is always right, it is initiated but not brought about by the parties.

This bears repetition and I will repeat it, no one is an accident or illegitimate. Like a piano master or a painter like Michael Angelo, the canvass can be wrong but not his art. For when the master is done, the canvass or the initial music would look just appropriate for the event.

SCENE  TWO

SEX NOT MARRIAGE

From the last contemplation, sexual experiences regardless of the legality or morality create a template, canvass or a system through which the infinite resource of God is channeled to create the biggest force on earth; man. It is in my opinion that this system created by the union of a man and a woman is not like a reversible reaction, it is irreversible. It also is God’s avenue for providing resources for the work on earth (ideas, passions, burdens e.t.c).

“What? know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, saith He, shall be one flesh.” 1Co 6:16

The author of this text was quoting the statement of God in Genesis that “the two shall become one” for an adultery scenario. This tells me that it is not “marriage” that makes two one but sex. One can thus be one flesh with another regardless of whether they went to the altar or not, I’ll dare say that the statement “What God has joined together” is not because the two came to the altar to become joined but rather because they partook of God’s “joining system” for creation. When we partake of sex, He joins us.

Note that the term “the two shall become one” was a statement made by God in Gen 2. It is the covenant basis for the joining. In 1 Cor 6: 16, it becomes clear that this joining is not limited to a marriage scenario but to every sexual relationship and this also can be gleaned from the fact that God didn’t make that pronouncement because there was a crowd of witnesses (as in marriage) but because  Adam spoke.

So, whenever two individuals become joined in sex they inadvertently invoke God’s joining and then spirit creation when there is a baby.

THE HOLY INSTITUTION

Sex and by extension marriage is the only institution or system that gives God a legal entry (in a way) to create in our universe, it is therefore His Institution. If humanity decides not to have sex or to pervert sex (as in sodomy and adultery) the Hands of God is in a way held back. This explains the devil’s winning strategy with homosexualism, divorce and adultery.

I am of the opinion that the system is not only necessary for procreation but also for work fulfillment, God said that Adam needed help and a sexual relationship was the answer (not just company). A woman therefore does not just bring company to man or an avenue for sexual satisfaction but also an avenue to supply soulish and spiritual resources that only her can supply. Resources that the man definitely needs for it is not good that he be alone, thus a man needs a woman except when he decides or is assured by God that he needn’t that nature of help!

Remember that the whole institution was a product of a man’s proclamation/intent; “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of man”. It is not based on ceremonies or witnesses or because we came before an altar, if that were the case Isaac wouldn’t be said to have married Rebecca.

Remember that the motivation for this contemplation began with;

“Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does it destroys his own soul. “ Prov 6: 32

SCENE THREE

THE NATURE OF THAT JOINING

I’ve hitherto deduced that there is a joining which is irreversible that allows the Creator to create a spirit and that the environment, legality or scenario of the act is immaterial to the quality of the creation as they do not contribute to the spirit of the newborn. So we are all direct creations of God held in trust by our parents.

That irreversible system, what is it made of?

This joining, to me is really holistic and occurs in three dimensions;

1. Flesh: the sexual act and maybe the mixing of the seeds
2.  The soulish-spirit component, I am yet to make a clear divide between this but suffix to say that the soul is that which is essentially man’s (under his influence or as a result of his deliberations and is more or less a reflection of and the pathway for the interactions between the spirit and the flesh). The spirit is not really his though it is the inner him.
3. As above

We do not own our spirits, the spirit is God’s. that is why He is God (The Father of all spirits).

Thus on mating individuals create an interface for fusion of the contents of their spirit (not the spirit itself), their soul components and their bodies.

This explains why one could get possessed by sleeping with a possessed individual, (spirit joining), acquire HIV or STD (flesh) and also the passions, aspirations, proclivities and ills (soulish) of his/her mate.

Our souls are the ultimate beneficiaries of the success or loss of our spirit and flesh. And any deprivation of the spirit or flesh is a deprivation of the soul.

“…he sins against his soul”

SCENE FOUR

IMPLICATIONS

…he sins against his soul

Jesus made us to understand that adultery is more than fornication but a change of allegiance (apostate) and when one lusts after a woman or man they’ve committed adultery because they have only one person to desire or to be in allegiance to (the spouse).

The sin of adultery (this includes all sexual acts outside of a marriage structure and lusting) therefore has plenty connotations;

1. A disobedience to God
2. Profaning or trivializing of God’s main entryway (see Scene 2)
3. A deprivation of the soulish-spiritual benefits of the spouse
4. A contamination of the soulish-spiritual identity of the person
5. A state of missing the mark as God has designed the system in such a manner that the spouse becomes a channel for reaching you and adultery messes up that system
6. Deformation of the soul; the soul is always longing for growth and expression and this is the main reason people opt for relationships in the first place, we want to express the innate potentials and this development could be powerfully fueled by such sexual systems. Thus a comprehensive understanding of the tripartite nature of that system is needed to nurture, grow and cherish a marriage relationship. When individuals fail to balance the 3 points of growth (spirit, soul and flesh) or worse still venture outside that system they make a caricature of the whole works (point 4)
7. However, note that the development of the gifting, thoughts, affections, morals, vitality, purpose and intellect are all components of the soul and is man’s first duty. The urge for sexual expression also is soulish in nature and in marriage brings a powerful stimuli to the development of all other soulish components.

SCENE FIVE

Deductions from the above

1. Premarital or extra marital sex (sex outside a lifelong commitment) is a trap of purpose. (One may ask; why premarital sex since sex is essentially marriage? Answer; individuals need to attain a certain level of physical, soulish and spiritual maturity to fare well in a joint system because once they have sex they’re joined. But if they can unravel therein, stick it out and do a good job, with the right counsel, age won’t be much of a limit though peculiar problems may arise)
2. God hates divorce because it messes up the platform/system for creation (not just babies but purposes).
3. God hates adultery for the same reason; it muddles up the canvass and deprives the parties.
4. The whore monger not only sins against God, unlike other sins he sins against his soul.
5. The soulish component is the vitality, the purpose, the essence of man. It is the seat of creativity when in interface with the spiritual which can connect with God (Creator).
6. Adultery robs man of wholesome creativity, a creative individual who is whore-monger can at best produce distortions, perversions of the truth of God in him. He can be gifted but cannot truly use those gifts for the good of humanity but subjects those creativity to the influence of the spirits that he has acquired from his mates or can access him because of sin.
7. The Spirit of God does not reside in sinners, evil spirits do.
8. The gifts of God are soulish in nature.
9. Marrying a divorced individual is adultery as the bonding is not broken by the law of the land (it was never formed by it in the first place) but by God (Mark 10:11). The only provision he made for cancellation was in an adultery scenario (now we know why) and when the mate is unbelieving and leaves the partner (1 Cor 7:15)
10. The ability of a partner to sanctify his/her mate and offspring is because of the exchange of spirit content.
11. God always likened idolatry to adultery and the scenarios described above is identical.
12. Sexuality is really an issue of heart affection and sex is only an expression.
13. The subject of our affection is the subject and ultimately source of our resources (soulish resources in particular).
14. Adultery is therefore really apostasy (the Greek meaning); renunciation of faith or allegiance, it is ultimately an exchange.

SCENE SIX

In Conclusion

Man is the most powerful entity on earth and is charged with the function of multiplication and rulership on earth. He however needs a woman not only to procreate but to create a robust system through which all forms of creations arise. This creation is done in partnership with God who comes automatically on the scene and joins every two people in a sexual relationship.

The joining is tripartite and deviations from the ideal becomes man’s greatest challenge and results in a mangling, deprivation and offence against the soul and God asks; “what shall man give in exchange for his soul?”

Five minutes of pleasure?

GUILTY AS CHARGED!

If you’re guilty , you are not alone. The good news is here in black and white;

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. And standing her in the midst,  they said to Him, Teacher, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned. You, then, what do you say?

They said this, tempting Him so that they might have reason to accuse Him. But bending down, Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger, not appearing to hear. But as they continued to ask Him, He lifted Himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.

And again bending down, He wrote on the ground. And hearing, and being convicted by conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the oldest, until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. And bending back up, and seeing no one but the woman, Jesus said to her, Woman, where are the ones who accused you? Did not one give judgment against you?  And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more. Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:3-12

Point is: Jesus forgives sin, even the sin of adultery and He also gives power to sin no more.

In my dictionary, that’s a whole lot of Good news!

Thank you

Okwonna Nelson

The Premise

The nature of the individuals to which this text refers are individuals who have come to a place.

These individuals have come to a Psalm 23 and 46 place.

Psalm 23:        The Lord is my Shepherd…

                        He makes me lie down in green pastures

                        He leads me besides still waters

Psalm 46:         Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

                         A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High

God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.

There are men that have a river, not really that they are led by still rivers but that there is an inner river that makes all the difference, men whose trust is in the Lord and in Him alone.

David was of that rank.

He had known the Fatherhood of God

He had an inner stillness

He was accustomed to God-refreshing

This premise is not innate; we often arrive here after passing through the wilderness.

The Wilderness

The purpose of God-ordained wildernesses is to bring us to rest – to an inner refreshing, an inner stillness that is not affected by the shaking of the mountains and the surging of the seas.

The wilderness is often the first encounter in following God’s plan. It is the introduction to process.

Jesus was here.

Joseph was here

Jacob was here

Abraham was here

David was here

You will come here

Wilderness shows ours heart, teaches reliance on the word and, hence, we are approaching this discourse from this premise of rest.

Characteristics

1. From the finished work of Christ, we have mastery!
2. Here, we are not in a quick-fix mode
3. We are operating from rest
4. We are not hustling

The Motivation

1        We are not trying to make money

2        We are not trying to be like the Jones’s

3        We are not trying to prove a point

4        We are about our Father’s business

Eph. 2:10 for we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Heb 4:9 so there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.

Heb 4:10 for all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labours, just as God did after creating the world.

The Business Arena

When you look at governments and the Business Arena, What Do You See?

Jer. 1:11 Then the LORD said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?

What you see matters; it defines your reality and your rules of engagement.

Contemporary World Views

Most people see:

1. The rat – race
2. Pay checks
3. Connections
4. The Big names

What We SEE

The Kingdom perspective is to Systems – Spheres of Influence

The Business Arena and governments are spheres of influence – of control.

The prevailing mind-set and culture in the market place is a direct picture of the prevailing influences – either that of our Kingdom or of this world’s.

Bishops

Bishops within this context refers to overseers – men and women who to an extent are charged with the responsibility of administering the socio-economic fate of other men under their charge.

Though a Bishop in this case would be a major industry leader, I’d chosen the term to depict the spiritual nature of the responsibilities of these men and their effects on the economy. Though it is the government that administer policy, security and the rules of the economic playing field, it is the business leaders that ultimately operate that field.

Bishops operate within three main arenas – business, governments and the academia.

Responsibilities of Market Place Bishops

1. They win and administer the contracts that comprise the majority of the government’s budget.
2. They administer the pooled resources of the team – insurance, pension funds and savings of the public and the government.
3. They manage the resources of the government, e.g. oil wells, firms, etc.
4. They store the resources of the team. E.g. Banks, investment houses, etc.
5. They employ a great number of the society members.
6. They directly and indirectly influence the quality and quantity of the food on the table of the team.
7. They influence the election of the personnel on the team into government positions (note that government personnel were all from the team).
8. They are lobbied by Government to bring in investment and drive economic growth.
9. They lead efforts in the creation of new products and services and determine the level of the industrialization of the nation.
10.  They are great leaders and are often paid premiums for administering the funds of the nation.

Responsibilities of Bishops in the Academia

1. They directly and indirectly shape the culture of the people
2. They provide credibility to the policies and strategies of the other bishops
3. Their intellectual garb provides a powerful stimulus for action; they essentially seek to perpetuate the prevailing logic of the society.

Responsibilities of Bishops in Governance

1. They directly influence the socio-economic state of the people
2. They provide public leadership and manage public resources
3. They shape culture
4. They operate security and other public infrastructure

Note that the roles of these leaders are a given, someone must play that role and only few people can do that at the same time. The system is such that playing these roles – particularly for business leaders, would ultimately make one very rich; hence, the billionaire club is a default niche team. The global economy is such that some people would need to be billionaires. Hence, this article is not about material possession, but about influence.

For business leaders, examples of such leaders are the owners of the major corporation in Nigeria, their actions and inactions affect us more than we care to admit. The recent upheaval in our banking sector is a clear indicator of the potent power of a few individuals. The way our business leaders would react to the Chinese and Indian onslaught would very much determine our national economy ten years from now.

Their decision to either make more money for themselves or create more value for Nigerians would influence you. Note that value creation and money generation are not always one and the same, within a global economy, a nationalistic posture may not bring maximum returns for a business owner but would generate best returns on the long term for the nation within which he operates. The Bishop’s decision at such situations is the main thrust of this text.

Joseph as a Bishop

Gen 39:4 -5 

And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

Bishop Question

Does it matter who the bishop is? 

Your answer is important.

Our Rallying Point – It is a Good Thing

1Ti 3:1 this is a true saying, if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

Other Words use for the good work:

1. Noble,
2. Virtuous,
3. Honourable and
4. Worthwhile

Remember …

Eph. 2:10 for we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Phil 4:8 and now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

It is good thing to desire to be a Bishop.

It is honourable and for many of us, it is the good Work.

Our Case Study Bishops – Men to Study

Daniel | David | Melchizedec | Joseph | Abraham |

 14 Character Traits of a Bishop

1. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach – integrity
2. The husband of one wife: Loyalty of affection
3. Sober-minded,
4. Self-controlled,
5. Respectable,
6. Hospitable,
7. Able to teach,
8. Not a drunkard,
9. Not violent but gentle,

10. Not quarrelsome,
11. Not a lover of money.
12. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
13. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
14. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

The Trajectory of a Bishop

1. Faithful with that which is another man’s
2. Faithful with Money
3. Faithful with Little

From the above, a Bishop is a good manager.

We see such in the life of our case study bishops, these men were able to manage resources very well

Posture of the Bishop Heart

1. God focused – Spirit led
2. Love – To see God in others
3. Faith – Unbelief is not the lack of confidence in God’s ability but rather, a doubt of His revelation.

The best of our universities, businesses and public corporations that deliver the greatest value to the society today were built by well-meaning bishops. Well-meaning in this context refers to individuals whose primary motivation was not just to increase the bottom line (annual profit) but rather to provide optimum service to the society and to the nation in general and to advance the Cause of Christ. 

It is important to note that Daniel, Joseph, David and Abraham served their society as well as the Cause of God; they were not hermits, stowed away “unto the Lord”.

This is written because God has commissioned certain Bishops for certain tasks and our roles include articulating our responsibilities and the belief system within which those responsibilities would be discharged.

A bishop therefore must be a man of vision and skills, a man who lives for a larger cause other than the bottom line, he must be a man of passion, a man who loves his nation and his people. He should also be a man of faith, he should be able to see opportunities in our bleak horizon and lead his team to maximize such. As a spiritual man, he should see both the seen and the unseen, hear the inaudible and move immovable scenarios. He should be a studious man, a diligent learner committed to maximum value creation for his team, nation and Lord.

The Focus of Bishops

Learn Management

1. To Build a Team or be Part of a great team
2. To provide leadership
3. To drive followership for a cause

Learn how to build and lead an organisation – a system, a culture of excellence and of getting things done. Be wise; have practical wisdom.

Management

This skill-set is transferable – He that is faithful in little is faithful in much

Do it for free if necessary. Provide Management even when you’re not paid for it, one day you will. Remember Joseph in the prison and at Potiphar’s house

Be faithful at it.

Keep growing your circle of influence – that’s discipleship!

 Interpret Dreams

Provide Solutions, you will do these at three levels.

1. The dreams of neighbours/colleagues
2. The dreams of Pharaoh – significant people of greater influence
3. Your own dream – saving Jacob

Be solution driven – let compassion take you away…let it move you to action.

Be concerned and curious

Do something about your curiosity

Research, Research, Research!

Meditate on things…you have the mind of Christ!

What bothers you? Meditate on it.

Interpreting Dreams can be delivered at three levels:

1. Advisory                          –  Daniel
2. Project Management    –  Joseph as Prime Minister and Daniel as Administrator
3. Business Management – Leadership in the business of government David as         King/You as CEO

Providing Solutions Essentially Involve three things

• Managing people
• Managing the Vision
• Managing Results

Don’t just have good ideas, always have capacity to deliver – i.e. management capacity.

 Make Proposals          

 Raise your hand for the job!

 Joseph wasn’t asked to make an offer, He did. (Gen 41:33)

Daniel initiated his first solution provision. (Daniel 2: 14-19)

David applied for the Job (1 Samuel 17:26)

 They all had what it takes, yet they had to go out and make an offer.

Don’t wait for an invitation. You may never get one.

Volunteer ship is one way to find ourselves within the purposes of God – it does not overlook the profit that would come out of it (like David’s inquiry on the reward) yet the primary motivation is not profit.

Note: It is Beyond Isaac

Imagine if all that Abraham saw was Isaac…he wouldn’t have agreed to the sacrifice.

This is the cure for materialism; the one that measures himself/herself by the name of their car, jet or building have fallen for the major pitfall of bishopric.

The Purpose of Isaac (The Promise) is to bring us to the Divine Nature.

Remember the Oracle of Kingship – Deut 17: 14-20; the God chosen King must not multiply resources (houses and wives for himself) so that his heart be not lifted above his brethren. You can read more on this here.

2Pe 1:4.

Through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The corruption in the world comes through lust…

Finally, Be Faithful!

 Luke. 17:10 So also when you have done all things commanded you, you say, we are unprofitable slaves, for we have done what we ought to do.

Faithfulness is to do our work out of a deep sense of obligation, this is our reasonable service.

Sincerely, I do not know if you have been here. Though I doubt if you have not but really the issue is not whether you have been here or not but whether you recognize this place for what it is.

An imperfect place is that place where right is not good; it is that place where nature is different from the observed. It is that place that an entrepreneur could arrive at where though he knows he is in the right business but his experience has not been a good one. It is a man looking into the eyes of his wife – the right woman, knowing that though she is right, there is still a lot that is seemingly unpleasant with her. It is the wife weeping over a misbehaving husband that she truly loves. She was right; they should be together, now it appears as if she is right and wrong at the same time.

Imperfect places are those places in our lives where it is hard to explain everything with the truth that we know; it is Mr. Job, a righteous man apparently punished by God. His friends believed only evil people get such punishments – hence Job must have sinned; so they told him to his face…just like us.

Imperfect places are akin to the recent death of a cherished minister of God who perished in a plane crash. He has been good, but apparently evil must have triumphed over him. Imperfect places, however, are everyday places; they raise questions, taunt our answers and urge us to find true and noble understanding. The critical paths of a man’s life are lived in such places – hence all men, aspiring for the best in themselves soon find themselves at this place.

WHY?

Why should things be imperfect? Why should something so right be so difficult, why would evil triumph over the good? Why do good men perish?

Is it not right that the good enjoy the good and the bad the bad? Is it not right that a noble cause be met with all that is glorious? How could Adam, made in the image of God – the first of His works be so marred by sin? Why should there even be sin in the first place?

THE ANSWERS WE GIVE

It is common to say to the drug addict who was raised by godly parents – “you caused it”. It is normal that Job’s friends insisted that he must have wronged God. It is celebrated when we pat ourselves at the back for our “perfectness” after all, “like begets like” things don’t just happen. Karma, cause and effect, something somewhere is responsible and we are quick to point fingers.

Worse when you are the one the finger is pointed at.

“I am right” we say. “I am right!” Job never believed his culpability, he was a righteous man in his own eyes. True, that is what made the scenario imperfect to begin with; it wouldn’t be an imperfect scenario if he was an unrighteous man. A woman betrayed by the right man wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t the “right” man. An ailing enterprise would not surprise us if not that it was just the “right” thing. So, most times, we stick to our righteousness – it must be God or someone that is being unfair! To Job, it was God. To the atheist – it is God!

“I got it all right, but see what He/he/she/they have done to me. See what they are saying”.

At imperfect places, because we are right, yet in a difficult, unpleasant or bad situation, we struggle to find an explanation – to either deny our “rightness” or point a finger, most times to point a finger. Sorely tempted, some have denied their righteousness completely. You must have seen this – the believer suffers some things and rejects the faith. A sincere believer struggles with a particular besetting sin and after a while says “it is not sin” or “forget it all…it is not real!”  A businessman quits…the career person throws in the towel and a marriage crumbles.

It Is Not that Kind of Perfection that Is Needed

Though our world is ruled by cause and effect, by laws…it is not completely so. Someone said “it almost makes sense”. True, per time, in the human experience, it almost makes sense. Then all of a sudden, it makes no sense at all!

Though we might be accused of being wrong in such places, though we might be tempted to point fingers, there is a third option, rarely exploited. One day the disciples of Jesus came to Him with an apparently tough question – the classical imperfect scenario. “Master” they asked, “this man here was born blind, Sir, who sinned? Is it him or his parents?”

They assumed what Job’s friends assumed – someone must have sinned. Also, the question was a tough one because even if the parents sinned or the unborn child did, it still would have been an unfair scenario. An unborn baby couldn’t have sinned, hence is righteous, something as bad as blindness shouldn’t be his burden even if his parents sinned.

Jesus answered “it is not him or his parents, but that the glory of God might be revealed in him!”

Beyond our complaints and our right and wrong analysis; there is a motive that transcends this universe – the desire of God to be glorified in all flesh and in all places. It is this Divine intent that should guide us at imperfect places. Though we must search our hearts, we must be careful not to deny our righteousness and not to blame people or God, we should seek that which He could move heaven and earth to manifest – His glory. This really is the essence of humanity – which is that God wants to bring many sons to glory. Hence when we experience the imperfections of humanity – our hearts should always seek His glory!

Listen to the words of Christ at His imperfect places:

 “ Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it]. [Rather, I will say,] Father, glorify (honor and extol) Your [own] name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28 (AMP)

Man: Hello dear, which kind of love would you prefer?

Lady: What are the options from which I could choose?

Man: A) A military kind of love that is not too glamorous, strict but rock steady, the kind that never goes away. B) An enchanted love that is beautiful, romantic, glamorous but could fade one day.

Lady: Can I have the both of them, I want it beautiful and romantic yet rock steady. I want it like the stars, beautiful and brilliant, yet always there.

Man: Aha!

Commentator:

We want a love that is good to us, we also want it to be always there – and good for us. The stars offers a picture of such, we see it in nature – a blessed constancy, it is this constancy in nature that allows us to build civilisation, we know gravity would always be 10meters per seconds square; it is on that confidence that we can board a flight – the assumption that numerous factors would remain constant.We plead for such in human nature – we want people to be lovely and to be always lovely – good for us. When we are in relationships, we seek for such beautiful constancy, akin to that of the stars. We want those close to us to remain lovely even when we are not. We plead for a military love. For all the passion of the Boko Haram men, their willingness to die for their cause we know that their love is unlike this – it is not for us, they say it is for God, alas their God is not for us. We seek for a God that is for us – for all of us, a military kind of love.

It is not that such love doesn’t exist, it does. In God, there is a love that is there for us, for all of us even when we are misbehaving, we call it the Grace of God – a beautiful constancy. The kind that is ravishing, glamorous and always there; the kind that rejoices over us even when we are just returning home full of the filth of our trespasses. Unlike Boko Haram, we know it would not behead us, it seeks to change us, to bring us to a nature. Such a love is alien to our world, it wasn’t always there. We can understand a love that is there for good people, but that for bad people, it is unbelievable, who would believe such, who would believe our report?

Beyond Redemption

Is love essentially redemptive?

Yes, for the one that needs redemption, love offers such and more. More, because there are those for whom redemption is no longer the need, there are those who must go on to perfection, and for those, love perfects. Love makes perfect because to be perfect is to be like God – the Father, it is to share His nature. Love perfects because it is the one thing that we cannot do without the Father because the real test that we have passed from death to life is to love. We could be men of wisdom and knowledge, men of fire and power, men of influence and skill, yet, it is only in being men of love that we can truly claim to be men of God.

Hence, beyond redemption is the perfection motive.

Love Works

To love, we first have to have it. That’s why the men of Boko Haram are to be pitied, the little human love in them have been lost to an anti-love doctrine, they have learned to loathe themselves and eventually, their neighbor. The perfection in love is seen in us being filled with God – the true aim of religion, the knowledge of God’s love gained by the indwelling power of God’s Spirit is what gives the power to love and it is that same indwelling that perfects – this fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Love is to gain the capacities of God, it is to partake of the state of equilibrium that exists between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – to partake of that which exists in the triune flux of Divine Personalities. When two individuals in a marriage relationship come to love, they come to a state of equilibrium, they might not have started that way, one might have had it more than the other, but as they receive and share, receive and share – from God and from each other, they eventually come to equilibrium and from thence raise Godly seeds.To partake of this mystery is the ultimate aim of man, some actually seek for it in the stars, others would want to be stars to find it, some would want to at least wear the stars. But it is seen in the work of Him who made the stars, the one He does in our hearts, making us into His own kind of stars – beautiful constancies.

The Full Title of this text is “The Practice of Development: The Hard work of loving the Poor.”  Of recent, a pastor friend of mine recounted how delighted he was to hear another pastor teach that it could be better to give to the poor than to one’s pastor. Both men were coming from the context that giving to those who do not have is much valued in the sight of God than to a pastor who obviously has enough; I quite agree. It is very important that church leaders be provided for by the congregation, a truth both men ascribe to; hence, their posture wasn’t to cast aspersions on the character of leadership.

It is no longer news that most Africans live below the poverty line; what is news is that a lot of leaders (spiritual and political) do not really know why the status quo remains. It cannot be the will of God, He has blessed us sufficiently; on the other hand, our leaders cannot bear to think that they could be the problem, hence, the preponderance of “prayer” in the scheme of things. Now, what exactly should the prayer points be?

Understanding What to Pray for

Good prayers are products of good understanding. There are many reasons for the poverty in Africa and one of it is that on the average, the businesses in Africa are not sufficient and productive enough to meet the demands of the population.

If you’re not working for an organisation (public or private), then you are operating one yourself; otherwise, you are one of those still enjoying the efforts of parents and guardians, blessed are thou but please read on.

Consider the public sector for instance, nearly all the State governments in Nigeria rely on Federal allocations to meet their obligations; in other words, as a productive entity they do not have sufficient revenue generating capacity to even meet overhead. What this means is that the State governments, in productivity terms, are appendages of the Federal government. They are the cost-centres (cash-leaking parts) of the Federal Government.

Now, the Federal Government, is a big bureaucracy whose main source of funds is from one industry – oil and gas; and if you look close enough, ten firms; or less. Yes, the oil majors in Nigeria represent the pay masters of the entire bureaucracy. Do not let the flashy cars and slogans of State governments fool you, until States can cater for themselves, the less than ten firms in the Niger Delta are the ones paying all their bills.

Now, very few people are employed by the Oil and Gas Industry; so, all the money there goes to the FG and the less than ten firms doing the hard work. Chances are that you are not in government or in the oil and gas industry.

Now, it is important you note that the oil and gas industry in Nigeria is not as competitive as her counterparts abroad (we export only crude materials); if we weren’t, many more folks would have been employed by the value chain.

Before we continue, let’s summarise: “the entire bureaucracy in Nigeria (almost the 15Trillion Naira Government budgets) is mainly sponsored by the few firms in the oil and gas sector. We didn’t bother to shine a torch on the labour issues in the industry, but suffix to say that apart from what the government gets, the rest goes to the foreign firms who repatriate their cash.

Now, a very large chunk of the business community in Nigeria thrive by either doing contracts for the government or taking the few dollars government have and importing items (exporting the jobs), even items we can make here. Before, we blame the importers, it is important to note that it is not entirely their faults…it is easier to do so. Like water, they understandable took the part of least resistance.

The other chunk of the business community is either into Agriculture, trading or servicing these main sectors. When the volume of individuals in a sector is huge, the earnings in those industries would be relatively smaller. Hence, development is achieved when the productivity of particular industries is increased per capita. So, we must develop other sectors…there is no other way.

A good prayer on this subject, in my humble opinion, should be industry specific. Imagine that half of Nigeria’s forex earnings this year would be spent importing petroleum products…meaning that if we fix that industry, and refuse to import anything in its place, the dollar rate would practically half (that’s crude economics, but you get the point).

Giving, therefore, should be focused on this hard work of helping folks build capacity and not to feed consumerism. My heart bleeds at the level of consumerism in our places of worship, the crude oil money (remember where the cash is coming from) that could be used to develop people (assets) are used to buy clothes, sound equipment and build structures that are essentially liabilities.

Before someone reminds me of the incidence of Jesus and Mary’s alabaster box, it should be noted that the passion of Christ for which Mary prepared Him for was a singularity; the “poor you would always have with you” statement tells us of what should be the constant posture of our heart.

On Giving in the Places of Worship

Ideally, the Church of Christ represents the communion of the saints; hence, when we sign in with a Church, the brotherhood shares in our challenges. The community should care for her membership, enough to help each other socioeconomically. This is not to say that the Church is a welfare state; but that by definition, her Mandate does not exclude such. Hence, leadership should see to it that those with the gift of Administration and Help focus their energies on helping the community reach peak performance; this is difficult if the Church focuses her resources on maintaining physical structures and maintaining the lifestyle of the “chief servant”, as is observed in certain settings.

It is important to understand the general posture of the church leadership in this respect, to enable us commit to the important prayer of asking God if supporting such a posture is good stewardship. It is not necessarily wisdom to feed consumerism, under any guise; that posture is contributing a great deal to the current poverty level and is not helping the poor.

We have a similar problem in Northern Nigeria, the Emir of Kano recently asked for places of worship to be converted to learning centres. What he was saying essentially is that the resources spent on worship could as well support mental development. Resources are scarce, so we must choose wisely; right now, we have fantastic religious edifices and under performing industries…it is a choice, that’s the point I am trying hard to make; we chose this status quo. Loving our neighbours and helping the poor in our generation involves a great deal of faith and work; it is my conviction that we are very much equipped for the task.

Conclusion

The poor need help to develop and if such help is not given; very soon, we would all be poor. The dependency rate in Africa is very high, and without any constructive and well-thought out development plan, the level of dependency will only increase as this very youthful population begin to hit the golden age of forty. By 2050, Nigeria would have a population of nearly 400 million people; that’s 200 million more dependents in the next 35 years. So, we do have an emergency in our hands, hence, the need to speak the truth to ourselves in love.

I know a man, my dad to be precise who has a jealous love for his hometown – particularly, my village, Isichukwu; it means a lot to him. I also know another man whose dream is to help our town – Ekwulummili, (consisting of four villages) achieve their pride of place in the state, Anambra State. I’ve also met another man who though cares as much as these first two men, but cares more for the entire Igbo race, he wouldn’t limit his passion to just one State. In fact, he could die for it.

All these men are good men; I’ve also met similar good men whose hearts beat for the entire nation – not just for their tribe (ranging from big to small tribes) or state. For some, this choice is a necessary one. When your tribe is merely 20% of one state, you need to grow a big heart. The point is that all these men are passionate, disciplined and focused; beyond talk, they are all doing something about these passions of theirs.

I’ve also met men who don’t really care much about States, tribe or even nation, they just love their science, to them, their science community is the nation, they do not have boundaries; for others it is not science, it is business. By now, I hope you are beginning to get my point; it is easy for any of these men to belittle the other…to call them names and the like. You must have heard folks compare between Ojukwu and Zik; reading an interview on Zik of late, I couldn’t but hail the man; he really did have a large heart. Beyond his One Nigeria stance, is his passion for Africa. Some say he was before his time; he wasn’t, but we all remember differently, so let’s not argue the point. Zik, was for Africa and I bear not just his name – Nnamdi, but also his passion, add the Mandela part to it and you find the full weight of my persuasions.

Now, these passions of ours, if we really think about it are occasioned by the possibilities we see; if the challenges of a nation overwhelm you, it would be best to start with a State; if you can do little about a State, then a town will do just fine. We somehow choose these focuses based on our current and envisaged capacities; we want to count, to leave a mark, to make a difference. Not just we, but others too; the Chinese want to be competitive, so, they do their best, even if their best might inadvertently hurt the economies of other nations. Like my Tie and Dye friends at Kano, the Chinese imports really isn’t helping matters, though these guys don’t hate China, it is hard to love them right now…it is this competition of sorts, for scarce resources that make these passions urgent; “we must have it now”, our change must come now…we must build civilisation, even if we have to die building it, even if it kills us…we say so, because we don’t know ourselves, indeed we do not.

Men build civilisations, but civilisations are temporal; ancient Rome was glorious, but that Rome is no more…yea, Athens and the British empire too; and now we worry that the great America will go the same way. No race, no tribe, no nation or creed has built that lasting utopia; yet we still try, like the many before us, praying that the God who made us great shall make us greater still, we want to hold the wind.

History tells us nay, that this cannot be home; this civilisation cannot be home…though we must make the best of it, yet, we must do so as travellers passing by, on a common history…the best of us sojourners are those who recognise that where we began and where we are going are common…nothing will change that. If you miss this, what can we say to you?

It is on such note of contemplation that I consider again the neighbour question; a righteous man had been told by the Lord that the greatest commandment was to love God and to love his neighbour. A wise man, he wanted to know who this his neighbour was…apparently the God part was easier, and it indeed is. Hence, the story of the good Samaritan; the Good Lord by that story shatters our assumptions of good neighbourliness; our neighbour as defined by the Lord, is that person whom our action and inactions will affect positively or negatively, he need not be of the same race, creed, tribe or nation.

Our boundary, therefore is at this boundary of neighbour loving; we do so because we all are eternal, Rome is gone, but the Romans still are. Soon, your civilization, this our hustle and bustle will want men to even remember them. Don’t take it personal, but this doesn’t matter much, a great man was once asked, “what do you know now, that you wished you would have known as a teenager?” He gave an insightful answer: “I wish I knew that when you get to the top, there is nothing there”. True, there is nothing there but a good perspective, which I must say is something…at the top, we find a better perspective; hence, the wisdom of hearkening to the Lord, the one who made the top.

Finally, He speaks to us as individuals, not as groups, you came alone dear, and shall stand alone at the end.

In 1741, Charles Jennens penned the libretto for what he called “the sacred oratorio” and convinced his friend – George Frideric Handel to compose an oratorio for it. In 24 days of back breaking work, the genius – Handel, composed what would become his most known composition, now known simply as Handel’s Messiah.

Nearly 300 years after the first debut of the ever fresh Handel classic in Dublin, different orchestras find the Messiah one of their most loved and appreciated piece of music, greatly used by flash mobs in non-church settings, often leaving their audience in tears, hand raised and standing. It was said that King George II of England stood at the rendition of the oratorio, hence, the common tradition for the audience to stand at the rendition of Handel’s Messiah. Though, it is the Hallelujah chorus that is most commonly sung, the entire oratorio is about four hours long.

Behind and beyond the beauty of this very popular, yet ancient oratorio that reminds us so often of Christmas are the lyrics and claims of the Christian gospel.

Some parts of the lyrics of the chorus are:

Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. . . .

the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,

and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.. . .

KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS.

You can see the entire libretto here. By the way, a libretto is the text of an opera or other long vocal work.

There is a King that came

There are many kings – individuals with influence, you and I. In many ways, we are kings of our lives, Chairmen and CEO of our Life Plc.; the essence of the Christmas celebration is that the king of kings came to our earth. That the God who made the Heavens and the earth, the one who spoke with Abraham, gave Joseph a dream, inspired the psalms and the prophets, gave the ten commandments and sanctioned the judgments of the law; that this same God came to this earth in human form is something beyond wonders. It is the kind of stuff we see in movies, yet that’s the Christian claim and the reason we rejoice at Christmas.

There is a Throne in your heart

Handel sang in his Hallelujah chorus of the Messiah, “He shall reign forever and ever”; “but God already reigns” someone may ask. Yes, He reigns in Heaven and does desire to reign in our lives. He wants to make people of a particular sort; free spirited individuals who would allow Him reign in their lives. This, I must say is where the hard part begins since I am a king too.

I kid you not, I do, like you, do have my nuances, my own way of doing things, passions and expectations, it is not an easy thing to hands off the driving wheel of my life. Also, it is not only that the King of Kings wants to direct my every thought and act by issuing express commands, He does want to put His Spirit in me and make me His son.

Yes, He gives His Spirit to us in measures, yet, the born King – Jesus Christ, had the fullness of the Spirit of God without measure. What He did in Christ, is the same thing He seeks to do in me, in measures. It is true that the manner in which this mortality could contain the fullness of the Spirit of God is beyond comprehension, hence, we do not say that what happened at Christmas was a little thing – it isn’t, it is a miracle. Similarly, I do not always comprehend the notion of how the Holy Spirit of God lives and abides in me apart from the fact that He really does.

The Mind the Made the World

Understanding begins to come when I ponder at the creative genius that God is, with face enlightened by the mystery of His wisdom, my heart knows that it is a small thing for the God who made this universe to put His Spirit in me and in all who so desires. It is like downloading an operating system, to join a community of devices running on His OS; yes, everyone has the full stuff, yet it is in everyone. It is this Holy Spirit that lives in me that makes me the son of God too; the purpose of Christmas is to remind ourselves that the Son came that we too might become sons of God. The He might reign in my life too.

But There is a Virus in Me

I am not perfect, but I can be. This hardware of mine has a virus of sin – that desire to lead myself where God wouldn’t go. But God know it does, and have made a remedy in His Son too. The sacrifice of the cross assures us that the power of this virus has been broken in all who takes on His Spirit. Howbeit hard, anyone, and this includes the chronic sinner and the random sinner, who comes to the grace and mercy of the cross would find an ever-willing God. He can deal with the many sins of our lives.

My Throne, God’s Throne

God wants to reign in my life, He wants to do that with me. He wants to reign in your life too, and He wants to do that with you.

The demand that Christ makes is not that you kill yourself for Christ but that you live as a living sacrifice for Him. Now, the joy is that if the God of the whole universe reigns with me, it would only lead to glory. That, my friends, is the good news, that anyone who would allow this King to have His kingdom in him would partake of the life of the King. Sincerely, I see no better option, because the joy, beauty and wonders of the life of this King begins here on earth, and when in my folly I miss my way, He comes to me in His strength and wisdom, to lead me back to Him.

Merry Christmas my dear friend, please live and reign with the King who must first reign in you.

“God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of slave trade and the reformation of manners”

William Wilberforce (1759 -1833)

At age 21, William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament, a self-described whoring playboy. On having a life changing conversion experience in 1785, he thought to do the most rational thing; resign from the British Parliament and pursue a more “holy” calling. God had a better plan and with the instrumentality of former slave trader, John Newton, Wilberforce was convinced to stay on in politics and to seek God’s will for his life. Two years later, he entered the above in his diary – “God has set before me two great objects…” and for the next twenty years and much more, Britain saw a determined Parliamentarian argue with evidence and against many oppositions, the abolition of slavery. He was just twenty-eight years old when he took on the odds, and thank God he did.

Just three days after the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833; William Wilberforce passed on, his eyes had indeed seen the salvation of the Lord. Before then, a minor victory had come in the form of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 which though abolished slavery on British soil did not stop it from happening elsewhere.

With the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, Britain made herself the conscience of the world and literally stamped out transatlantic slave trade.

His story remains a classic example to all believers who are seeking God’s will for their lives and provides much lessons on classic Christian advocacy in the public square. It took a pretty long time, however, Wilberforce lived those years with purpose and with vigour. He showed that the minority once their purposes are founded on truth and executed with truthfulness and vigour can indeed attain to the promises of God in their heart.

Is there a Specific Call on Your Life?

Yes, there is; the parable of the ten talents tell us there is. It tells us that though God’s guidance and presence is available to all of us, there is a dimension of God’s dealings with us that is a lot entrepreneurial and if I would dare say, unguided. The servants of the master got their talents from the king and he expected them to use their initiative in the right direction.

To show the intentionality of the exercise, he came back for evaluation. Our callings are in a way, our tests. Hence, though they are different, the rewards are quite commensurate to individual performances.

Like the one talent individual, not all gifts are dramatic; yet they all provide us with an opportunity to partake of what is in the mind of the giver. Wilberforce was already in the Parliament, astute politician, it took him two years to figure out that God had a plan for his political platform.

His obedience and faithfulness affected all of us in Africa, in fact, one could stretch it to say that the world would have been a lot different if not for the responsiveness of one man.

William Wilberforce was Caucasian yet God called him to fight for the Negro cause; I believe many more Christians in Nigeria are called to the Nigerian cause by no other person than God Himself.

You Probably Are Not Called to the “Ministry”

Personally, I almost made the same mistake to think of my calling as entirely ministerial – that is, of being a pastor in a church. Though there is nothing wrong in being a pastor or serving in the ministry – Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers; we often restrict these gifting to the local church assembly. In a sense they extend beyond those; for me, I am a teacher both to the body of Christ and to the entire nation. God has gifted us uniquely and responsibly. The life of faith can be lived as a farmer with as much relevance and recognition in the sight of God as an ordained pastor. Abraham’s story is quite remarkable; his entire walk of faith was more of the sojourn of one family, yet he is the father of faith. We should look to him.

Do What You Are and Make Thy Tents

Just like we would expect a teacher to teach and the gifted musician to sing; there is a bubbling forth of the gifting of God in your life that is almost unmistakable. Please attend to it; and while you are it, do note that this fallen world cannot fulfill you; in other words, don’t expect that it is your calling that would necessarily put food on your table. Apostle Paul made tents for a reason, to keep body and soul together. Some of the challenges we see in the body of Christ today is because of the false notion that our callings must feed us; a lot of today’s secular musicians started in the church but eventually migrated to a more lucrative genre – Paul knew better, preaching or singing could be done even if something else pays the bills.

Personally, I am persuaded that once we adopt this posture of making tents and yet attending to the most important part of our calling, we more easily achieve a robust and very sustainable influence that is not bound to the whims of our audience. Don’t forget, we all are full time Christians, all of us and until we see ourselves like that, our light would not shine as it ought to. Yes, the calling includes our occupation but occupations are not necessarily at the heart of our call; for some others, it is.

“Calling is living before the audience of one” Dr. O.S. Guinness

At the end of the day, it is the “well-done…” from God that would make the difference. There is no calling without a Caller and God is that Caller.

May you live to find and fulfill the calling of God for your life in Jesus name!