VOTE, PROTECT AND WAIT UNTIL YOUR VOTE IS COUNTED: A charge delivered By Bishop Elect, His Excellency Ambassador Rev Bright Otso

A call has been made to Nigerians to vote and defend their votes with determination and tenacity in the forthcoming general elections.

The call was made by The Senior Pastor of The Lighthouse Communion Church International Jos, Nigeria, a UN Global Peace Ambassador, a Chaplain, and The  Bishop Elect, Rev Bright Otso Samuel,  according to the  statement made during a Christian gathering in Jos North of Plateau State on Sunday 25th September 2022, He commended the commitment of Nigerians to see a new Nigeria is born and the  level of political awareness among  people, most especially Christians in Plateau State and urged them not to be moved by the threat or intimidation to frustrate electoral process come February 2023.

The Christian leader and UN Peace Ambassador, who described the forthcoming election as a litmus test for recently sign electronic transmission bill into law by President Mohammadu Buhari and major opportunity to change Nigeria for better, he called on the electorates to get involve in the process and prepare themselves, mobilize people from door to door and adopt legal methods to defend their votes in the 2023 general election. It should not be business as usual, vote and protect your votes, make sure your votes count. 

“We cannot make any change if we do not vote and defend our votes in the forthcoming elections; we must exercise rare courage, steadfastness and bravery to stand with our votes after casting them and ensure the results are well documented, transmitted  and announced before us by the INEC officials” he stated.

“The police and army are to protect the rights of electorates, so we must all be aware of this fact and not be intimidated by the presence of armed forces in our various polling units. As a Pastor and minister of the Gospel I will personally mobilize my colleagues to put on their Caps, shirts and jean to vote and wait until the votes are counted and announced before the people, thus I charge you again to be fully prepared against any abnormality in the 2023 presidential election by being brave and valiant to monitor your votes during the coming election,” he added.

The Bishop Elect decried the present situation in the country, stating that the country is worse off than it was ten years ago and urged the people to reject incompetence, recycling of politicians, vote buying in whatever form or Financial inducement  come 2023 general elections. Also he admonished Nigerians to put all religion, regional, ethnic and party sentiments aside and  vote for a new Nigeria of our dream.

God Bless our Dear Country 

Long live The Federal Republic of Nigeria 

H. E Ambassador Rev Bright Otso Samuel

|

THE REALITY OF DIVINITY. A Sermon by Rev. Dr. I. D. Samuel The Primate. Presented in God's City Jos on Sunday 25th September 2022

 

Text: 2 Pet 1:3-8

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Introduction:  We struggle daily to serve our Lord because we do not realize the true power that He has given us—His divine power.  He has given us everything we need for this life, in Christ, but we must learn how to share in His divine nature in our daily walk.  When we do we will develop many Christian virtues, so that we will have a fruitful walk with the Lord.

1.     His Divine Power:  not our power, but His power.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us (Rom 8:11). 

A.   His Divine Power

1)     “divine” this is God’s power, not something we can work up naturally

2)     Power--“dunamis”--God’s miracle working power, the power that makes God who He is, there is no lack to this power, it gets the job done.

B.    Given unto us

1)     Given—“doreomai”--a free gift, not something we can earn, not something we deserve.  Our Father has given us many gifts because He loves us, and they are all good.  (James 1:17)

a.      The gift of righteousness. (Rom 5:17)

b.     The gift of grace for salvation. (Eph 2:8)

c.     The gift of the Holy Spirit. (Act 2:38)

d.     Spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1-11)

e.      Ministry and motivational gifts (Eph 4:8-11; Rom 12:6-8)

C.   All things we need for life & godliness.  ALL, everything—nothing is lacking when God gives it. (The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack) Psalm 23:1)

1)     Life--“zoe”—the God kind of life.  The highest & best which Christ is, the very life of God.  A rich, full, abundant life because it comes from the Father.  Jesus came to give us life, an abundant life. (Jn 10:10)

2)  Godliness—“eusebia”—true devotion and doing what pleases God.  Practical religion of worship and praise, not just theory or theology.  A life lived in the awe and reverence of our wonderful Lord.  There is nothing more worshipful than to do what pleases God.  He desires our obedience more than anything else. (1 Sam 15:22)

D.   Through the knowledge of Him

1)     Knowledge—“epignosis”—precise, exact clear knowledge.  Experiential knowledge, not just head knowledge.  An intimate relationship with Him that affects our daily life.  God does not want us to be confused as to how to live for Him.  He has revealed His will and ways through His Word, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us in His ways (Jn16:13).  Through the revelation of the Holy Spirit about Christ we receive the faith we need to live for God.

E.    Who called us to glory & virtue

1)     Called—“kaleo”—invited, summoned, and called by the Good Shepherd.  God is the one who extended His divine invitation to us to come to Him.  He is the one who initiated it.  We could not come to Him without His divine summons because of our sin; but thank God He loved us enough to pay the price for our sin, so we could answer His call.

2)     Glory—“doxa”—honor, renown, splendor, brightness, excellence, inner glory outwardly manifested.  Like a mirror, we are reflectors of the glory of God.  God has honored us by placing His glory in our life.  Therefore, we should shine with the brightness of His glory so that others can see Christ.

a.      “The present invisible glory of the believer through his union with Christ by the Spirit is greater than the visible glory recorded in the OT (2 Cor.3:7-11)” Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, p.480d

b.     When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, his faced shined from the glory of God.  (Ex 34:29-35)

c.     In the OT, the glory “kabod” of God was hidden--seen only by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies—one time a year—on the Day of Atonement.

d.     We are the depositories of God’s glory on the earth today—it is not hidden unless we hide it—we are the Holy of Holies where His glory dwells everyday for all men to see. (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19)

3)  Virtue—“arete”—excellency, being pleasing to God, force or energy of the Holy Spirit accompanying the preaching of the gospel.  Not only are we to display God’s glory, but also His excellency of character.  Our lives are to be pleasing to God in all that we do.  When we walk in His divine power, our preaching of the gospel will be with excellency and the Holy Spirit will give it the force necessary to change lives.  His Word will not return void, but will accomplish all that God desires for it to do (Isa 55:11)

F.    Through which we have been given exceeding great & precious promises

1)     Precious—“timios”—costly, valuable, dear, prized, worthy.  God’s power gives us promises that are very valuable because of their high cost—the blood of Jesus Christ.

2)     Promises—epagglema”—declarations, proclamations, assurances.  These promises are another gift from God.  He gives us His assurance of salvation.  He declares to all that we belong to Him—we are His sons/daughters (children). (Rom 8:14-16)

Ø     Bridge:  God has not only given us His Divine Power, but He has also given us a commandment to be Holy as He is Holy (1 Pet 1:15-16).  We cannot fulfill this command without His Divine Nature in us!  Praise God He has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, even the ability to be holy as He is holy through His Divine Nature in us.

2.     His Divine Nature:  not our human nature, but His nature.  His nature gives us the ability to grow in holiness.

A.   He has made us to be Partakers of this nature

1)     Be—ginesthe”—made from nothing, exist, place, change of state.  We are made to be new creations (2 Cor 5:18), a brand new being that did not exist before, when we accept Christ as our Savior.  The old is gone, God has placed us into a new order of life.  He has recreated us by His Divine Power so He can fill us with His Divine Nature.

2)     Partakers—koinonos”—joint participator, sharer, partner.  We become a sharer of the very nature of God.  We are in common with Him in His nature.  The old nature is gone, replaced by His very nature.  We are now in a partnership to see His kingdom built on this earth.  He can use us to do this valuable work, because He has given us everything we need through sharing His Divine Nature with us.

3)     Nature—“phusis”—essence, attributes, divine qualities, distinctive native peculiarities.  His Holy Spirit places not just His glory and virtue, but His very life force in us.  This makes us as much like Him as we can be—His children.  Children have the attributes of their father and mother given to them at conception.  We also are given God’s attributes at the new birth and then we grow in them day by day in our walk with Him.

B.    Through it we have escaped the corruption of the world that is through lust.

1)     Corruption—“phthora”--destruction, seduction to evil, ruining, moral decay.  Thank God that His Divine Nature gives us the ability to escape the destruction of this world.  We are sharers of a new nature that has no part in the seducing power of this world.

2)     World—“kosmos”—order, earthy things that seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.  The Divine Nature in us gives us power over the things that would try to seduce us and become obstacles to the kingdom of God.

3)     Lust—“epithumia”—diseased condition of the soul, desire for the forbidden.  As believers full of His Divine Power and His Divine Nature we have escaped from the disease that destroys the soul of man.  Instead of a craving for the things of this world, we have a hunger and thirst after righteousness.

C.   The Divine Nature of God has distinct characteristics to it that separate it from those of this world.  As we grow in our walk with the Lord we will grow in holiness.  We must add (develop) the characteristics of this Divine Nature to our life so that we can shine brightly for Him.

1.     Diligence—spoude”—earnestness, zeal, care, attention.  This is the first thing we must establish—what we do for Christ, we will not do sloppily, but with earnestness, zeal, great care, and attention.  We are in the King’s business and He deserves our diligence.  If we do not have the zeal of the Lord, we will be careless in our walk and not strive after holiness.

2.     Faith—pistis”—persuaded, belief, confidence, assurance, conviction, confirmation.  “Add to your faith . . .”  Faith is the foundation on which all the other characteristics are built upon.  This confidence comes from our being indwelt by His Divine Nature.  “Without Faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb 11:6), therefore, we must be sure we have a solid foundation to add all the other characteristics to. 

a.      If we look at our life as a building, our faith in God is the bedrock upon which everything else is built.  Without a solid assurance or conviction, we will be shaken when the storms of life blow.  But with this confidence in our life we can stand any test or trial because our faith is built upon our assurance that our God loves us and will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5).  (Draw a building as it is built below if a board or overhead is available—also could be done in Microsoft Powerpoint)

b.  We are to add “virtue” to our faith.  This is the first floor--that is, the excellency and desire to please God.  We must always strive to do what is pleasing to the Lord because of our faith in Him.

3.     Knowledge—gnosis—fragmentary knowledge, enquiry, investigation, doctrine.  The second floor is that we must always be seeking to know the truth.  Because we are living our life pleasing to the Lord, we will seek His ways and learn to walk in His truth.  Our enquiry into the things of God will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:18-23) as we seek God’s will and learn from Him.  We will “know”—“eido”--understand--the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.

4.     Temperance—egkrateia”—self-control, contentedness.  The next floor shows us that we must put into practice the knowledge that God teaches us.  As we exercise self-control, we see that our life is being lead by the Holy Spirit and we gain strength to live this life pleasing to God.  He is teaching us to master our passions and desires, so that we can “be holy as God is holy.”

5.     Patience—hupomone”—endurance, persistence, perseverance, steadfastness.  This endurance and perseverance is based on all that has been laid previously. 

a.      If we are to persevere through the trials, we must have faith.  Faith that God loves us and is in control of our life.

b.     If we are to persevere through our trials, we must know that our life is pleasing to God—i.e. we are serving Him to the best of our ability—otherwise we will see these trials as punishments for our failures and turn our back on Him. 

c.     If we are to persevere through the trials, we must know the truth about God.  We must know His great love for His children.

d.     If we are to persevere through the trials, we must have self-control.  Otherwise, we will want to give up when the going gets tough.

6.     Godliness—eusebia—practical religion.  The next floor adds the fact that this endurance through trials is not just “a grin and bear it” mentality, but one that knows and accepts that God is in control of our lives.  Because of His Divine Nature in us, we are aware of His Divine Power and Presence in our life no matter what we go through.  Therefore, we can praise and worship Him no matter how hard it gets—“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. (James 1:2 NASB)

7.     Brotherly kindness—philadelphia—love of the brethren, benevolence.  As we go up to the next floor, we see that no matter how difficult life may be, we are able to help others when we are going through our pain and trials.  This shows true maturity, that when we are suffering, we can reach out to others that are hurting and comfort them with the same comfort the Lord comforts us with (2 Cor 1:4).  As we say at Healing Hearts Ministry, you hurt . . . you heal . . . you help!

8.     love—agape—God’s love.  The roof to the building is God’s love.  It covers everything below it and keeps it protected from the enemy.  We can have all these virtues in our life, but without the love of God, the building is not finished.  This is the love that reaches out to a lost world and invites them into the kingdom.  It doesn’t hoard His Divine Power and His Divine Nature, but gives it freely to all men so they can share in what God has freely given to us.

Ø     Bridge:  With His Divine Power filling us, and His Divine Nature in us, we are able to live a life full of His Divine Life.

3.      His Divine Life: not our life, but His life.  His life in us gives us the ability to truly know (experience) God.  Now that the house is built, we must live in it.  God does not want us to just exist, but He wants our lives to be full to overflowing.

A.   Makes us abound

1)  Abound—pleonazo—abundance, multiplied, more than enough, have a surplus.  Jesus said, give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over (Lk 6:38).  This is not just talking about money (in fact the context has nothing to do with money), but should exemplify our lifestyle.  From our abundance comes the surplus that we need to give to others.  If we have multiplied peace—give it away.  If we have multiplied joy—give it away.  What God has taught us by His Spirit—give it away.  All these virtues that God has given to us—give them away.

B.    Makes us productive

1)     Make—kathistemi—place or set, appoint, conduct, and bring to pass.  The characteristics of God in us will bring to pass in our life what God wants us to be.  They will set us in the place God has for our life.

2)     Barren—“Argos”--idle, inactive, unprofitable.  God does not want our lives to be unproductive, instead, He wants our lives to be productive.  We will be doing His work for His kingdom, instead of sitting around being idle, when we know that His Divine Power and His Divine Nature have been given to us.  He has given us EVERYTHING that we need to be productive in His kingdom and our lives.

C.   Makes us fruitful

1)     Unfruitful—“Karpos”—unprofitable, not having the evidence of the character of the power producing it, useless.  God does not want our lives to be unprofitable either, instead, He wants them to be profitable.  What a shame it is for Christians to not show outwardly the character that God has placed in them.  But, as we display the character of God, His Divine Power is seen to all.

Conclusion:  “Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The reason that God fills us with His Divine Power and His Divine Nature and gives us His Divine Life is that God does not want us to be unproductive or unprofitable in the knowledge of our Lord.  This is the goal for which all these virtues are given to us.  This is the reason He has built this house; that we might be doing His will, and become more like Christ in our thoughts and actions.  That His Divine Power working mightily in us, through His Divine Nature helping us to grow in holiness, will give us His Divine Life full of abundance and fruitfulness, and all the world will see it and glorify God!

The Story Of Attah Ameh Oboni - the Nigerian King who Chose Suicide Instead of Bowing to the Queen of England

Attah Ameh Oboni was a revered Igala King.

At a particular meeting held in Kaduna which consisted of all paramount traditional rulers in Nigeria and which had the queen of England in attendance, Attah Ameh was asked to remove his cap to greet the Queen of England as others had done.

Though he refused until they said he should leave the meeting if he would not remove his cap. But Attah was not like others, or was he?

It was a taboo for Attah to remove his cap in the public. The entire hall where they were staying was occupied by swan of bees which emanates from the cap of Attah Ameh Oboni which he removed in order to greet the Queen.

The Queen of England as well as other rulers in the meeting ran helter-skelter except the friendly Oba of Benin who was asked by Attah Ameh to go out before he removed his cap. The hall became empty as some were stung by the bees and the meeting ended.

According to history, Attah Ameh Oboni was asked to be arrested and handcuffed by the security people, which they did, but the handcuffs fell off his hands.

He was later locked up in a room on the instruction of the Northern rulers and guarded by the security personnel but only to find out later by the personnel that he had left the room. Yes, when the security were taking him to be locked up, he told his driver, Amanabo of blessed memory, to take the car and be going to Idah while the security locked him in the room.

He then warned Amanabo not to look back until he felt a cool breeze in the car. Though Amanabo argued a little that he cannot leave the Attah there but later obeyed and started driving back to Idah from Kaduna.

After some time, he felt the cool breeze in the car, and Attah Ameh was sitted inside the car.

The incident in the meeting made many traditional rulers which were mostly northerners to be angry especially making kings run in such a manner because of bees.

This became one important sin, and it was like “one sin too many”.

The queen of Englnad was also not happy and they (the Queen and northern leaders) started looking for a way to remove Attah Ameh from the throne since he was getting tougher and uncontrollable like others, as well as searching for an obedient replacement.

Igala has various cultural festivals, one of which is Ocho. Ocho is celebrated before farming starts, and it is the time that Attah Igala prays to God for sufficient rainfall, bountiful harvest, success in hunting. It is celebrated in the bush and the venue is called Ere-ocho, where the Attah will hunt until he kills a Buffalo or a strong animal. The community in Idah where Ocho takes place is called Ogo-Efa. He performs a little sacrifice to the ancestors using a fowl in the process, and this was to find out if there will blessings or problems in the land after the Ocho.

Before this time, the enemies at home (among the Igala people), especially those having connections with the leaders of the northern region, were working hard to get any evidence either true or false which can be used to remove him from the throne. The blood of the animal used as sacrifice at Ocho ground now became what the enemies would use against him.

Petition was written by these two Igala people to the Queen and some other Northern leaders that Attah Ameh was sacrificing humans during the Ocho festivals. Since they were looking for any means to displace him with, judgment was quickly passed that he must be dethroned, even when investigations were not yet concluded. 

In addition, all the Igala cultural festivals including the Ocho were immediately banned and this remained for almost 63 years until Governor Yahaya Bello unbanned them based on the appeal of the present Attah Igala.

Already, before this time, the Oba of Benin who had such friction with the British had already been dethroned and banished from Benin. So, Attah Ameh Oboni knew that at that point, no matter what spiritual approach applied, it can only postpone the evil day as his enemies will never relent until he was removed by them.

The result of the blood sample which was taken from the Ocho venue and taken to University of Ibadan for analysis had arrived and it was proved that it was the blood of an animal and not human. Sadly, the revered King, Attah Ameh had passed on before the result was brought.

But Attah Ameh, being very sure that he was wrongly accused and framed up by his enemies, especially those from Igala who wrote the petition against him marking the beginning of his planned dethronement, made some pronouncements before his death.

He was allegedly quoted to have said that ” the person who wrote the petition against him would have that hand dried up, and that the leader of the gang or petitioners would be buried three times”. And they all came to pass.

While the hand dried as said, the other was buried as stated, first was the leg, second was his hand and the third was himself, all buried at various times at different locations.

In addition, as this information of his dethronement was given to him in a meeting from where he was supposed to go back to Idah and prepare to leave the throne, he stopped on the way in another Igala land called Dekina.

That was where he committed suicide.

Before taking his life, he was allegedly quoted to have said that the town, Dekina will be popular but its development will not be as much as its popularity.

He was also quoted to have said that because Igala was the genesis of his ordeal, there will be disunity among the Igala people until the reign of his own blood (son) as Attah, and all Igalas irrespective of their locations will be reunited again.

HOW ARABS CAME TO BE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF AFRICA

Arab slavery had already begun in Africa more than 700 years before the European transatlantic slave trade. The slave trade began when the Arabs invaded North Africa for the first time in the 7th century AD. The first Arab entry into Africa was through Egypt. An Arab military general named General Amir Aben Alas invaded Egypt in December 639 AD. Amir had successfully conquered Egypt and went ahead and conquered other places such as Tunisia and western Libya. Once these areas had been completely conquered by the Arabs, they imposed tributes of 360 slaves in all regions they occupied and controlled. With this Islamic slave trade in Africa, North Africans were Islamized by their Arab slave masters. Today, many Africans pose as Muslims without knowing how the owners of such a religion brutally enslaved their black African ancestors for over 700 years. Remember that every time you see a modern Egyptian claim to be of North African origin,

I AM THIRSTY Part 2. Johnny Riley Jr.

 

John 4:13-1

Jesus answered and said unto her, Everyone that drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. 1. Those who have read with care the addresses of Christ must be struck, not only with their illustrative character but, which is very important in the use of illustrations, with their perfect adaptation to the case in point. The force of His imagery is heightened by the fact that the emblems and figures used were taken from objects which the audience had in view at the time He addressed them, and from external things with which their minds were thoroughly familiar, and with which they had a special interest. When the multitudes sought Him at Capernaum for “the meat which perisheth,” He began to speak of “the meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” In the case before us, He gradually leads the mind of the woman of Samaria from the material water that she was drawing from the well of Jacob to the “living water” that He could give, and which would be in her “a well of living water springing up unto eternal life.” 2. There are two kinds of wells, one a simple reservoir, another containing the waters of a spring. It is the latter kind that is spoken about here, as is clear not only from the meaning of the word in greek but also from the description of it as “springing up.” That suggests at once the activity of a fountain. A fountain is the emblem of motion, not of rest. Its motion is derived from itself, not imparted to it from without. Its “silvery column” rises ever heavenward, though gravitation is too strong for it, and drags it back again. So Christ promised to this ignorant, sinful Samaritan woman that if she chose He would plant in her soul a gift which would thus well up, by its inherent energy, and fill her spirit with music, refreshment, and satisfaction. I. The Thirst of the Soul Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again.” It is not difficult to discern traces of this thirst in the faces of those whom we meet commonly. If we take our stand at the corner of the street and scan the faces of the passing crowd, it is only now and again that we gaze upon a countenance which is significant of peace. How rarely the face suggests the joy and the serenity of a healthy satisfaction. We are confronted by abounding unrest. The majority of people seem to be afflicted with the pain of unsatisfied want. The very faces are suggestive of a disquieting thirst. We have a varied vocabulary in which we describe this prevailing condition:—“restless,” “discontented,” “dissatisfied,” and  “not right with himself.” Water is essential to animal and vegetable life. With a constantly recurring Appetite, we seek it. To have no thirst is a symptom of disease or death. But the soul also, not having life in itself, needs to be sustained from without; and when in a healthy state it seeks by a natural appetite that which will sustain it. And as most of our mental acts are spoken of in terms of the body, as we speak of  seeing the  truth and grasping, as if the mind had hands and eyes, so David naturally exclaims, “My soul thirst for the living God.” In the living soul, if there is a craving for that which maintains and revives its life, which is analogous to the thirst of the body for water. The dead alone feel no thirst for God. The soul that is alive sees for a moment the glory and liberty and joy of the life to which God calls us; it feels the attraction of a life of love, purity, and righteousness, but it seems continual to sink from this and to tend to become dull and feeble and to have no joy in goodness. Just as the healthy body delights in work, but wearies and cannot go on exerting itself for many hours together, but must repair its strength, so the soul soon wearies and sinks back from what is difficult, and needs to be revived by its appropriate refreshment. I think there is something implanted in man’s heart, a  fallen creature as he is, which defies him to be content with anything but God alone. It is a trace of original majesty, which leaves a mark of what he was before the fall. He is always panting for something fresh, and that is no sooner attained than it palls upon his taste. And this strong necessity of loving something makes a man form idols for himself, which he invests with fancied perfections, and when all these fade away in his grasp, and he finds their insubstantiality, he must become either a misanthrope or a Christian. When a man has learned to know the infinite love of God in Christ to him, then he discovers something which will not elude his hold, and an affection which will not grow cold; for the comparison of God’s long-suffering and repeated pardon, with his heartless ingratitude, convinces him that it is an unchangeable love. O God, where do they tend—these struggling aims? What would I have? What is this “sleep” which seems To bound all? Can there be a waking point Of crowning life? The soul would never rule; It would be first in all things, it would have It's utmost pleasure-filled, but, that complete, Commanding, for commanding, sickens it. The last point I can trace is—rest beneath Some better essence than itself, in weakness; This is “myself,” not what I think should be: And what is that I hunger for but God? II. The Wells of the World All things that are of the earth are unsatisfactory. Our spirit craves something more than time and sense can yield it. Nothing which comes of earth, even if it should yield a transient satisfaction, can long maintain its excellence. Pointing to the water in Jacob’s well, our Lord said, Everyone that drinketh of this water shall thirst again”; and therein He took up His parable against all earthly things, whether they be fame, or riches, or fleshly pleasure, or aught else beneath the sun. He that drinks at these shallow wells shall not quench his thirst, or if for a time he imagines that he has so done, he will be undeceived, and in a little season, the old craving will return. “That which is born of the flesh” is flesh even at its best, and “all flesh is as grass and all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth.” The religion of the flesh shares in the common fate, if it has a man’s self for its author, his energy as its impulse, and his own opinions for its creed. It may for a little while flourishing like the flower of the field, but “the wind passeth over it and it is gone.” Waters from his cistern may stay a man’s desires for a space, but ere long he must thirst again. Too often we try to allay a spiritual thirst by a carnal draught. My Nigerian Son Dr I. D. Samuel told me the story of his childhood friend by name Amos: "In his early life was burdened with the sense of his shortcomings in the presence of his Lord, and his letters home lacked their usual buoyancy, his mother wrote to him:—“Your father and I fear very much from the tone of your letters that you are depressed. We fear you debar yourself a proper quantity of wine.” That is a type of suggestion which is often made to people who are troubled with spiritual unrest. They are recommended to material ministries by which their feverish unrest is only intensified and inflamed. But they “thirst again.” Others attempt to realize satisfaction and peace by immersing themselves in stimulants like novel-reading and theatre-going, and in the manifold pleasures of society. They intensify the social stimulant. Yet they “thirst again.” Others plunge more deeply into business. The songster is languishing! How then? Re-gild his cage. The soul is languishing! How then? Re-gild her cage. Seek for more gold, more gold, and surround the soul with material treasure. And yet the soul refuses to be appeased, and “thirsts again.” Or, again, we give opiates to our disquieted and feverish souls. How many people find an opiate in making a promise to amend? They find contentment in their intentions. But the satisfaction is only transient. They speedily awake out of their unnatural rest, and they are thirsty still. Others give themselves the opiate of self-disparagement. Many a man thinks he is becoming better because he severely condemns himself. They esteem it a sign of virtue to denounce themselves as fools. They discover a sort of spiritual comfort from their self-severity. All these are pitiable evasions. At the best, they are only transient ministries, which, when their immediate influence passes away, leave us in deepened disquietude and intensified unrest. No man is so poor, so low, so narrow in capacity, so limited in heart and head, but he needs a whole God to make him restful. Nothing else will. To seek satisfaction elsewhere is like sailors who in their desperation when the water tanks are empty, slake their thirst with the treacherous blue that washes cruelly along the battered sides of their ship. A moment’s alleviation is followed by the recurrence, in tenfold intensity, of the pangs of thirst, and by madness, and death. Do not drink the salt water that flashes and rolls by your side when you can have recourse to the fountain of life that is with God. There is a Persian legend of the well of Chidher, the fountain of eternal youth, which men are ever seeking and never find. They have thousands sought in vain Overland and barren main, Cider's well,—of which men say, That thou makest young again; Fountain of eternal youth, Washing free from every stain. To thy waves the aged moons Aye betake them, when they wane; And the suns their golden light, While they bathe in thee, retain. From that fountain drops are flung, Mingling with the vernal rain, And the old earth clothes itself In its young attire again. Thitherward the freckled trout Up the water-courses strain, And the timid wild gazelles Seek it through the desert plain. Great Iskander, mighty lord, Sought that fountain, but in vain; Through the land of darkness went In its quest with fruitless pain, When by a wealth of conquered worlds Did his thirst unslaked remain? Many more with parched lip Must lie down and dizzy brain, And of that, a fountain sealed Unto them, in death complain. If its springs to thee are known, Weary wanderer, tell me. From beneath the throne of God It must well, a lucid vein; To its sources lead me, Lord, That I do not thirst again, And my lips not any more Shall the earth’s dark waters stain?. III. The Eternal Spring 1. What, then, is this “living water”—this thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying gift promised by Christ? The answer may be put in various ways, which really all come to one. It is Himself, the unspeakable Gift, His own greatest gift; or it is the Spirit “which they that believe on him should receive,” and whereby He comes and dwells in men’s hearts; or it is the resulting life, kindred with the life bestowed, a consequence of the indwelling Christ and the present Spirit. And so the promise is that they who believe in Him and rest upon His love shall receive into their spirits a new life-principle which shall rise in their hearts like a fountain, “springing up unto everlasting life.” 2. As regards this wonderful water, there are four points to be specially noted. (1) It is a gift of God—“The water that I shall give him,” says Christ. There is no suggestion as to digging deep with much learning into the bowels of mysterious truth to find the water for ourselves; this priceless draught is freely handed out to us by our Redeemer, without our bringing either bucket or line. There is no hint in the text that we are to purchase the life-giving water; it is presented to us without money and price. There is no allusion to a certain measure of fitness to qualify us for the draught, it is purely a gift to be received by us here and now. Our Lord told the woman that had she known the gift of God she would have asked and He would have given. Sinner as she was, she had only to ask and have. There is no other way of obtaining eternal life but as the gift of sovereign grace. The divine gift of eternal life is not in us by nature. It cannot be produced in us by culture, infused into us by ceremonies, or propagated in us by natural descent; it must come as a boon of infinite charity from heaven, unpurchased, undeserved. Wisdom cannot impart it, power cannot fashion it, money cannot buy it, merit cannot procure it, grace alone can give it. If men desire wages they may earn them beneath the mastership of sin, for “the wages of sin is death.” On the side of God, all is of grace, for “the gift of God is eternal life.” Whoever, then, is to be saved must be saved by the boundless charity of God—in other words, by the gift of the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. (2) It is a fountain within.—“It shall be in him,” it is something that we may carry about with us in our hearts, inseparable from our being, free from all possibility of being filched away by violence, rent from us by sorrows, or even parted from us by death. What a man has outside of him he only seems to have. Our real possessions are those which have passed into the substance of our souls. All else we shall leave behind. The only good is inward good, and this water of life slakes our thirst because it flows into the deepest place of our being, and abides there forever. A friend said I stood a little while ago in the fine old ruin of Middleham Castle. I passed beyond the outer shell, and the inner defences into the keep, and there in the innermost sanctum of the venerable pile was the old well. The castle was independent of outside supplies. If it were besieged it had resources of water in its own heart. The changing seasons made no difference to the gracious supply. That is the purpose of our Master in placing the “well” within us. He wants to make us independent of external circumstances. Whatever the season that reigns without, He wants fullness and vitality to reign within. So the Master’s gift is the gift of a well, “springing up,” leaping up, “unto eternal life.” We are renewed “by his Spirit in the inner man.” (3) It is a springing fountain.—“The water that I shall give him shall become in him a springing fountain”; it shall not lie there stagnant, but shall leap like a living thing, up into the sunshine, and flash there, turned into diamonds when the bright rays smile upon it. Here is the promise of the activity. There seems a small blessing, in this overworked world, in a promise of more active exertion; but what an immense part of our nature lies dormant and torpid if we are not Christians! How much of the work that is done is dreary, wearisome, collar-work, against the grain. Do not the wheels of life often go slowly? Are we not often weary of the inexpressible monotony and fatigue? And do we not go to our work sometimes, though with a fierce feeling of “need-to-do-it,” yet also with inward repugnance? And are there not great parts of our nature that have never wakened into activity at all, and are ill at ease, because there is no field of action provided for them? The mind is like millstones; if we do not put the wheat into them to grind, they will grind each other’s faces. So some of us are fretting ourselves to pieces, or are sick of a vague disease, and are morbid and miserable because the highest and noblest parts of our nature have never been brought into exercise. Surely this promise of Christ’s should come as a true gospel to such, offering, as it does if we will trust ourselves to Him, a springing fountain of activity in our hearts that shall fill our whole being with joyous energy, and make it a delight to live and to work. It will bring to us new powers and new motives; it will set all the wheels of life going at double speed. We shall be quickened by the presence of that mighty power, even as a dim taper is brightened and flames up when plunged into a jar of oxygen. And life will be delight-some in its hardest toil when it is toil for the sake of, and by the indwelling strength of, that great Lord and Master of our work. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit rises superior to all disadvantages, like a spring which cannot be kept under, do what we may. Our engineers and builders know how hard it is to bind up the earth-floods from overflowing, and the spiritual floods are yet more unconquerable. It is wonderful how springs will bubble up in places where we least expect them. The great desert of Sahara will no doubt be made a very easy county to traverse, and, perhaps, may even become a fertile plain, from the fact that there is water everywhere at no very great depth below the surface, and where it is reached an oasis is formed. The government of Algeria has sent engineers into parts of the Sahara bordering on the French possession, and these men have bored the rock by Artesian wells, and greatly astonished the natives; for in the wilderness have water slapped out and streams in the desert. At the magic touch of the living water, palm trees have sprung up and undergrowth of vegetation, so that the solitary places have been made to sing together. When the Lord gives our souls to drink from the fountains of the great deep of His eternal love, and to have a vital principle of grace within us, our wilderness rejoices and blossoms as the rose, and the Sahara around us cannot wither our verdure; our soul is as an oasis, though all around is barrenness. In the mid garden doth a fountain stand; From font to font its waters fall away, Freshening the leaves by their continual play: Such often have I seen in the southern land, While every leaf, as though by light winds fanned, Has quivered underneath the dazzling spray, Keeping its greenness all the sultry day, While others pine aloof, a patch band. And in the mystic garden of the soul A fountain nourished from the upper springs, Sends ever its clear waters up on high, While a dewy freshness around it flings, All plants that there acknowledge its control Show fair and green, else drooping, pale, and  (4) It is an eternal fountain —The water of a fountain rises by its impulse, but however its silver column may climb it always falls back into its marble basin. But this fountain rises higher, and at each successive jet higher, tending towards, and finally touching, its goal, which is at the same time its source. The water seeks its level, and the fountain climbs until it reaches Him from whom it comes and the eternal life in which He lives. The Christian character is identical in both worlds, and however the forms and details of pursuit may vary, the essential principle remains one. So that the life of a Christian man on earth and his life in heaven is but one stream, as it were, which may, indeed, like some of those American rivers, run for a time through a deep, dark cañon, or in an underground passage, but comes out at the farther end into broader, brighter plains and summer lands; where it flows with a quieter current and with the sunshine reflected on its untroubled surface, into the calm ocean. He has one gift and one life for earth and heaven—Christ and His Spirit, and the life that is consequent upon both. “It shall be in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. The grace continues with u and overflows into blessed immortality. The Spirit that redeems will also be perfect. Whatever may be our estate when it finds us, our ultimate attainments will be the likeness of the Lord. The living water rises from Heaven and rises towards Heaven. We shall at length be presented blameless before the Throne of God. “Never thirst.” That does not mean that in the Christian life desire is ended. “The ill of all ills is the death of desire.” In the redeemed life desire is intense and wakeful. There is desire, but no despairing. There is longing, but no languishing. There is fervour, but no fever. There is aspiration and contentment. There is striving and rest. We still thirst for the fullness of grace not yet received, but there is no pain in the thirst. In the Christian life, the very thirst for greater fullness is itself a delight. If I may quote Calvin, “Believers know desire, but they do not know drought.” Hallelujah!!!

I AM THIRSTY-Johnny Riley. johnnyrileyjr.com https://www.facebook.com/johnnyrileyII

 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.”    John 19:28

What does it mean to be thirsty?

All of us have had the sensation at one time or another, and most of us have mistaken the sensation of thirst for something else.  My children were famous for that.  They would come to me when they were young all hot and sticky from running around outside and say “Dad, I starving!”  They knew their body needed something, but they hadn’t been able to name it as “thirst.”  It’s pretty common isn’t it?  Our bodies are made up of almost 70% water.  By the time we have the sensation of being thirsty, scientists say, we are already a quart down.  Isn’t it amazing that we need a physical reminder to help us recognize our own needs?

Jesus talked a lot about being thirsty, such as when he spoke to the woman at the well.  If you remember that story, Jesus asked the woman to give him a drink.  The woman responded, “How is it, that you, a Jew, asks a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” Jesus answered, “if you knew who that is saying to you ‘give me a drink’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water… (and went on) Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.” Their conversation continued, but Jesus, through this illustration, demonstrated to the woman her own need, her own ‘thirst’ if you will, for something more than water.  She was in need of a savior, but Jesus used a physical sign to help the woman recognize her own need.  It’s interesting to me that when Jesus asked the Samaritan woman to give him a drink, he used the same word for thirst in the Greek as he spoke from the cross.

“I thirst.”  

We could hear these words  from the cross as Jesus finally showing us his human side.  We could interpret these words simply as a part of the humanity of Jesus.  After all, He is suffering a physical death, and experiencing all the pains that go with it, and he is simply thirsty.  And we can reason this out because this is coming from the same man who remained silent through his trial, silent through the beatings, silent through the last few days of mind-boggling torture, and perhaps, he has finally had enough of the silence and lets his guard down and shows that he is as human as the rest of us.  Why not? 

But I believe that Jesus, though physically suffering, was not talking only about physical thirst.  Look at the verse from the Gospel of John, “After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to complete/fulfill the scripture), “I thirst.”   

It’s the phrase directly before those words that I want to focus on… “And Jesus, seeing that all things were now fulfilled, and in order to make perfect the scripture said ‘I thirst.’” Do you see this?  All things were complete, in other words his mission on earth fulfilled; the work he had to do on earth is now finished.  And if we look back on Psalm 22 and Psalm 69, we can even make a connection to the scriptures that Jesus is referencing in that phrase. 

But I believe that Jesus, always the teacher, always the one to point the way, always the one to help us recognize our own needs and the needs of others, had an additional purpose for choosing those words.  I believe that Jesus was giving one final reminder, one final plea from the cross, for us to recognize what his mission was all about.  I believe Jesus was giving us one last word... one last way to recognize our own need for a savior, one last way to recognize that we are all truly thirsty.  

You see, we humans have a way of thinking that we don’t really have any needs, or at least needs that anyone else can or should help us with.  We are raised to be confident in our own abilities.... Self assured...  we can do it on our own.  And we’re socialized to think that if we do have needs, or do need help from someone else that we are weak, or lazy or incompetent.  It’s the philosophy behind the American dream isn’t it?  If you work hard enough and have enough drive, you can have anything.  We have become, in a sense, our own Gods.  Jesus, in those two words, just as with the woman at the well, directs us to think about our need for a savior; for our own thirst for living water.

And not only do we need help to recognize our own thirst, we need help to see those around us who are thirsty.  Who among us, if we were at the foot of the cross that afternoon and heard our Lord and savior say he was thirsty wouldn’t rush over to Jesus to give him a drink?  It would be the greatest honor, wouldn’t it?  What a privilege to help our Lord when he was in need by giving him a drink to soothe his parched throat and lessen some of the agonizing pain he must have been in. 

Yet, Christ tells us that we have that opportunity to serve him that drink every day.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us of the last judgment, when the king will say to the righteous, “Come, you that are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 

But the righteous answered, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or sick, or in prison?”  And the Lord answered them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are in my family, you did it to me.”  

So… Jesus tells us… we have the opportunity every day to care for Him in the way in which we care for each other.  Yet we walk by people every day who are thirsty, we walk by people everyday who are hungry, and sick and naked and in prison and helpless and hopeless.  Have we missed seeing Christ in them?  Have we forgotten that when what we do unto the least of these, we do to him? 

I’m not casting any judgement here because I do it myself!  I’m great at it.  What’s more, I can even be in the middle of doing “God stuff” and still miss the message.  I can be in my car with the stereo blasting and the windows shaking cause the gospel music is so loud… I’m rocking and praising and thanking God for everything.  And I’m driving right by homeless people on the street.  I’m riding right by the hospital and the prison and the unwed mother shelter and the soup kitchen. 

And that’s why this message from the cross is so beautiful.  There is no condemnation... there is no judgement... there is no shaking of the head in disgust, even though Christ knew we would fail at this over and over again.  In the beauty of that last moment, and out of the depths of His physical suffering, when all his work on earth was done, there comes one simple plea from the cross.  “I thirst!”  And it comes to us today from “the least of these… from the welfare mother… from the victim of abuse… from the oppressed... from the disabled... from the victims of war and famine and poverty…

Jesus softly says “don’t forget:  All those I have created are all around you… all those in my family are part of your family… there are people out there who need your help!  From the mouth of the man who spent his life and his ministry as a servant, comes one final plea for us to love and serve others!  Don’t forget... some people need your money!  Don’t forget, there are people out there who need your time, your skill or your friendship or your ear or your presence, or your love! Those of you who hunger and thirst for righteousness yourselves... reach out... I thirst.

Jonah David Jang Speaks-TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAILS IN THE END

 

A full statement by former Governor of Plateau  State Sen Jonah  David Jang after he was acquired of all crimes levels against him by the Efcc.

The truth always finds its way out, even years and years and years later.

The truth always prevails - Tyler Hamilton.

The above quote succinctly captures the position we are in today, following my vindication of the charges preferred against me by the EFCC.  

I must confess that I had known from the onset that leadership was not an easy task but I stepped out to make a difference, having been a Military Administrator in two states. The benevolence of the Plateau people and the grace of God made me the Governor of Plateau State from 2007-2015. My previous experience as a Military Administrator and the driving force which was to leave a mark on the plateau as I did in my previous assignments never changed.

It was with this zeal and drive that we implemented the 10-point Agenda anchored on a 3-Pillar policy to deliver the dividends of democracy for our dear state. Our desire to open up the state through infrastructural development was audible to the deaf and visible to the blind. This we were able to achieve with the meagre resources that accrued to the State at the time, in addition to the IGR raised in the state.

Our Administration’s record speaks for itself as the state is dotted with developmental strides that affect the economy of the state and the daily livelihoods of the people. Our primary role as a government was to provide security of lives, property and welfare through the provision of services for our people. We had done that to the best of our abilities via prudent management of the resources available to us, such that the average Plateau citizen could eke a living for himself.

It is, however unfortunate that people whom I will best describe, for now, as the champions of retrogression and enablers of hardship for our people, came after us with bogus and fictitious claims of mismanagement. Thereby necessitating a protracted judicial journey of over 4 years, trying to prove our innocence in the courts.

Because I knew that I was not guilty of the charges preferred against me, I saw the process as mere persecution and not a prosecution.  Nigerians are witnesses to the fact that the current administration at all levels has spent more time passing the buck of their failure to the previous administration than they have given attention to governance. Little wonder, almost eight years after, it will seem that our achievements stand tall while the present Government has little or nothing to show for the goodwill that it enjoyed.

In the course of this travail, I spent over a week in EFCC detention and another 10 days in the Jos Custodial Centre (prison). Those times we spent there, gave us another perspective on life and I count it a blessing because it has all ended today with this loud and clear vindication by the courts.  The tortuous journey leading to my vindication today has only strengthened me to stand more on the path of truth and continue to work assiduously with well-meaning plateau people and Nigerians for the good of our dear state, Plateau and the nation at large.

I hold no grudge against anyone as I consider whatever I have gone through as the price I had to pay for choosing the path of leadership. I give God the glory for bringing me through and I call on all Plateau sons and daughters, including people of goodwill on the plateau not to wish our leaders bad. Let us close ranks and speak with one voice so that Plateau will emerge out of its current state to take its rightful place of pride as the envy of other states. The Plateau we have always known and been proud of has taken backstage but the onus is on us the reclaim our state and build builds the land of our dreams as was planned by our founding fathers and the generation of past leadership.

I dedicate my victory in the court to God and the people of Plateau State with whom we worked to build a prosperous land. I thank the entire legal team led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN and Barrister Edward Pwajok SAN, my family who suffered all kinds of harassment and denigration through this period for standing firm and believing with me that it was only a phase that would pass. I am deeply grateful to my friends and associates for upholding me and all those who were persecuted alongside me in prayers and for their commitment to true friendship and camaraderie. I must thank the Judiciary for standing firm on the side of truth and justice not forgetting the Press on the Plateau for their unbiased coverage .  

Th judicial journey of the past 4 years is not something to wish even the greatest of your enemies. It was not only distracting but robbed me of the time and attention to pursue personal goals. I had planned on retiring to my home place in Du but I, unfortunately, had to go out of my way to keep sourcing funds to pay my lawyers to secure representation in court. As genuine as those efforts are, freedom is better. We give God all of the glory and continue to rest in Him, for only in Him is true freedom guaranteed.

Thank you.

Senator (Dr) Jonah David Jang, CON

KASU Prof, Matoh Dogara, Set To Launch Book On The Fundamentals Of Geoscience

 

KASU Prof, Matoh Dogara, Set To Launch Book On The Fundamentals Of Geoscience

An academic book, which is a masterwork for chief executives, undergraduate and postgraduate students, on the Fundamentals of Geoscience, is ready to be launched soon.

The book, a classic and cream of the crop for increasing knowledge, is for those seeking knowledge in the meta and geophysics world.

The author, Professor Matoh Dogara Dary, of the Kaduna State University (KASU) in the book coined up and researched resource materials on solid earth, hydrogeology, potential field methods, an electrical and electromagnetic method, remote sensing and geographic information systems, and seismology for mind development and knowledge base for nation building.

Dary, a professor of applied geophysics, has over a decade lectured in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in the department of physics before venturing into politics. He said the book touches on radiometric, environmental geophysics, and geochemical prospecting.

Dary in his journey to becoming a professor of geophysics in KASU had a brief political stop over as a Local government administrator, a cabinet member, and deputy speaker, of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

He said the book will be suitable for those seeking knowledge in geophysics, and geography and will greatly enhance multidisciplinary studies and research.

Chairman of the contact and mobilisation committee on the book launch, Prof. HO Aboh, said preparations are on top gear to announce the arrival of a new idea to the world.

According to Aboh, the committee members, namely, Dr Attahiru Abdullahi, and Adamu Nuhu Bargo, have started consultations and created awareness of the unveiling of the masterpiece of Professor Dary.

He said the committee visited the Kaduna Polytechnic Rector, Dr Umar Suleiman, who accepted to serve as a member of the Book Launching/Presentation Committee. 

KADUNA POLITICAL AFFAIRS