"THE BILLIONAIRE'S GIFT" BY EDWARD IWATA

First of all, I would like to explain the reason for another long hiatus; I was extremely busy and suffering from serious writer’s block. Secondly, I haven’t really had access to the internet on my computer for a while now, which makes it kind of difficult for me to post anything.  As a matter of fact this review was supposed to have been posted weeks ago. So without further ado, here it goes.

“The Billionaire’s Gift” is a strange book. It’s strange to me because I don’t really know how I feel about it. The reason for that is partly because the majority of the book reads like one long introduction. He spends so much time introducing the characters; telling us their history, detailing life impacting moments in their past e.t.c while giving us bits and pieces of the story. This might be a style of writing other people enjoy, but I personally find it frustrating. That being said, the book tackles some important subject matter; the poisonous nature of greed and the vanity of pursuing the accumulation of wealth.

It tells the story of an old billionaire (of course) who reflects on his life and sees his whole life of chasing nothing but money as an absolute waste. He then tries to make the rest of his life mean something. It promised to be a good book, but I was sorely disappointed; partly because of the aforementioned long introduction and partly because I felt the story was too short. (This of course might have something to do with almost all the chapters of the book feeling like introductions!!)

This book is Edward Iwata’s first foray into non-fiction. I must admit I've read worse debuts. I wouldn't say it’s a bad book, it just whet my appetite for too long and became quite miserly on the main course in my opinion.

Disclosure of Material Connection:

Now I have to say this (seriously, I do): I received this book free of charge from the publisher and writer via the Speakeasy network, I'm not under any obligation to write a positive review and the views i have expressed are entirely my own. I'm writhing this disclosure in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Recommended Books

People always ask me what book and materials they should get in order know about this gracious God.and how to "walk it out". These are a bunch of books I believe will help you in your Grace walk. Check them out and have a great time with the Lord. they are by no means exhaustive and I will update them regularly

THINKING NAUGHTY THOUGHTS BY JOHAN VAN DER MERWE

If you are an intelligent man in the Church, you have definitely had naughty thoughts. Naughty thoughts are those thoughts you have about the weird and strange practices that you know do not really fit with the teaching of Jesus or are just counterproductive; the sacred Cows that are not supposed to be touched. The Church is filled with so many ideas and practices we have been conditioned to just accept, we are told that things are the way they are because that’s the way they’ve been. When people begin to poke holes and question these concepts, Scriptures are twisted and misconstrued to sustain them. The person questioning is branded a heretic and sometimes excommunicated from the fold

Johan Van Der Merwe is one of such people, he refused to just accept the status quo and started thinking deeply about the way we practice Church life. These thoughts have led him out of the institutional Church and into developing and living a more authentic, relational and communal life with fellow believers. In “Thinking Naughty Thoughts” he shares these thoughts with us and gives a few conclusions of his own. With chapters like “Do I really need to belong to a local Church?” “Why all the fuss about leadership when Jesus hardly ever spoke about it?” “Why does the pastor insist on 10% of my income when he drives a luxury car and I can hardly make it through each month?”   And my favourite; “Do you really expect me to believe that God lives there?”  You know that it’s an interesting read

However, Johan didn’t write this book to give you answers about the things that have been bothering you concerning the traditional way things are done. He writes this book to spark the discussions and the thought processes that will lead us to a more balanced and wholesome way of being the Church. He does lend his opinion about some topics and I don’t always agree with him. I think he can handle that. Johan doesn’t strike me as someone who will be have a good opinion of someone who swallows ideas hook, line and sinker. We are individuals whose lives have been shaped and conditioned in unique ways. It’s only right for us to not be on the same page on every single detail and that’s alright. And that should be especially alright in the church. As a matter of fact, here’s a quote from the book

“Why can’t we sit around the same fire or build meaningful and intimate relationships with people whom we generally like and get along with quite well but disagree with on some points of belief and doctrine? Why is belonging to the group you belong to with your set of beliefs a prerequisite for our friendship and fellowship?”

On this point, I agree with Johan 100%.  One of the points I disagree with him most strongly about is the attempt at trying to determine whether or not a Church is spending too much on its facilities instead of using it for charity. This is something common among people from the emergent and organic church “movement”. The argument that churches are wasting money because the amount that is being spent on equipment and managing the building could be spent on the poor and the needy. Now hold on, before you start yelling “Yes!!! The Church is being wasteful and you should know that too!!!”  Please hear me out. Who are we to determine how a person should spend his money. What is the prescribed ratio of spending on oneself to spending on the poor? Should I buy clothes for the poor and fund a homeless shelter rather than build a house for myself and my family? An honest answer to this will be “It depends on what God tells you” These are not things we can determine for individuals neither can we determine them for Churches. They are solely dependent on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We cannot judge people on such issues, otherwise we become legalistic and whatever is being done by the Church for the downtrodden is never enough and whatever she does for herself to have a more conducive and fun meeting is too much.

In conclusion, the book is not about someone who has got it all figured out and is now teaching us how to do it. At best it is about someone who is still on the journey and is sharing some of the insight he has gathered along the way. The book is not too long (only about a hundred and ninety pages) and it’s an easy read. So if you have been thinking naughty thoughts, this book will encourage you and clarify some issues. If you haven’t been thinking naughty thoughts, open your eyes and smell the coffee. This book will also be helpful in that regard

You can purchase the book on amazon by clicking the link below

CONSIDERING THE WORK OF HIS HANDS

Not too long ago I celebrated my birthday. I have reached a milestone age in my life and it was worth celebrating. I didn’t have any party plans in mind so I just spent it praying and in the evening my siblings, my mother and my dear friend came over to celebrate with me, my wife and my son. It was a good day. People called me from far and wide, I received various congratulatory text messages and it all had the makings of a glorious day

But when you hit a landmark age in your life, you can’t help but reflect on the things that have happened. So I did, I started taking a critical look at my life and I must admit I was very disappointed. I wasn’t making as much money as I would want to and a few things that I expected to have happened were either not happening or they were happening contrary to my expectation. This frustrated me and it kind of numbed me to all the love I was receiving for the rest of the day. I wasn’t involved in what was going on around me any longer. Here I was surrounded by family, who were being entertained by my bright baby boy and all I could do was sulk internally and be aloof.

Of course my wife knows me better than anybody and she asked me what was up.  I proceeded to explain to her in few words the things bothering me and she tried her best to cheer me up and remind me that I was loved. I should stop focusing on the bad stuff, it will be there tomorrow. Instead I should focus on what was going on at that moment in time and enjoy the day. That sounds awfully similar to Jesus’ admonition that we should not worry about today, neither should we worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6: 25-34).

At first I found it hard to shake off the dark cloud over me. But then it became more and more obvious to me that the more important stuff in life were standing right there in front of me; good friends, a beautiful and loving wife, an awesome son and a loving family, divine health for me and for all that surround me. These things are priceless and eternal. The things I was worried about (it all boiled down to money anyway) are temporary, they do not have eternal value. They were just things that empty people hold on to in order to cover the loneliness in their hearts.

It is always important to focus on the good that God is doing in our lives instead of all the evil Satan and this fallen world confronts us with.

“EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” James 1:17 KJV (emphasis mine)

All the good things in our lives is from God, whether we know it or not. He does not do evil and I found out that I only had to take a cursory look at my life to see those gifts. He that gave me these things of value will also take care of our other needs.

I know it can be hard to see these things sometimes. Life hits us hard, and sometimes we don’t have many people like I just said on our side. But I encourage you to take a long hard look at your life, you’ll find something good and that thing is from God. Focus on that, and let God see you through your challenges

CROSSROADS BY WILLIAM PAUL YOUNG

Have you ever wondered what happens to people when they die? Does God give them a chance to accept his redemption in Jesus? The honest answer to such questions is: we don’t know for sure. In “Crossroads” Paul Young gives us a very hopeful outcome.

In a story that channels C.S Lewis and George Macdonald, Crossroads tells the story of a self absorbed, "self made" man and how God takes him on a journey to discover the emptiness in his heart and the redemption that ensues. He suffers a brain tumor and falls into a coma.  His soul encounters Jesus and the Holy Spirit who take him on this fantastic journey.

I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag; suffice it to say that once again Paul Young helps us to explore those dark parts of our soul that we refuse to acknowledge. The truth is that those parts are the things that impact our personalities the most. Our fears and disappointments-coupled with fake religion have resulted in our distrust for God, survival mechanisms and over reliance on self.  

The thing I like most about the book is that it shows us that no one is all bad. Some people are mostly good, while others are mostly bad, but they’re not all bad. We are all in a journey trying to find happiness in a heavily tainted world. And God is with us helping us find our way through the darkness. As with the Shack, Paul emphasizes the fact that God in his love for us will not complete the healing process without our participation. It always starts with an invitation o participate. Even the Gospel we preach is an invitation to participate in his Life. Even though he has finished it all, died on the cross and included us in the life of Christ, he still beckons us to believe and participate. This shows love and respect for his creation.

Many other books raise such high standards of spiritual discipline and asceticism that you end up with a feeling of inadequacy. This book however, makes you appreciate the spiritual in the mundane; seeing God in everyday life. I personally don’t enjoy climbing mountains, taking hikes or going on fasts. I rather enjoy family, friendships, and laughter as gifts from God.  To me these things are most holy.

So grab a copy and enjoy a moving story about Gods amazing Grace and his unrelenting pursuit of humankind. I’ll leave with one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“But don’t I need walls? Aren’t they good things?”

He felt the hug from behind. “You need boundaries” said the voice of Jesus, “but not walls. Walls divide while boundaries honor”. Tony let himself relax into this tender embrace, his tears unexpectedly appearing and spilling softly onto the ground. 

THE SECRETS OF LEAVEN BY TODD WYNWARD

Seldom do you read a “Christian” novel that captures your imagination and keeps you turning the page. “Secrets of the leaven” does. In his first novel, Todd Wynward spins a story filled with suspense and intrigue. With each turn of the page something new happens. The story progresses and just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He spins a story of conspiracies and ideas that give “The Da Vinci Code” a run for its money.

The story revolves around Thomas Whidman a young seminarian who has lost his faith. His uncle and one time mentor is a famous revivalist and televangelist. He finds out about an ancestor whose very existence is a family secret and meets a mysterious Zen teacher who wishes to introduce him to a long forgotten brand of Christianity and an old secret society that follows Jesus in a way Thomas and much of mainstream Christianity has never experienced. The lives of these people come crashing together in a battle between orthodoxy and revolutionary thinking.

One thing I like about this book is that it explores difficult theological concepts without being too preachy. Tom Wynyard weaves his rather strong views in the story and the conversation seamlessly, without sounding forced, winding and boring to the reader. The central theme of the book, to my mind, is the age old debate amongst preachers and theologians; James versus Paul; faith versus works. While I have personally reconciled whatever contradictions might seem to exist on the surface, many people still believe there is a conflict in the two books. While Todd does not discredit Paul totally, he certainly leans more on the James side of the argument. Faith without works is dead and we who claim to be followers of Jesus need to get our faces out of our selfish little worlds. We need to get out of our comfort zones and reach out to the hurting, the homeless and the lost. We need to start loving these people without an agenda; preaching with our actions rather than with empty words.

But I believe this book falls into a ditch that Frank Viola always points out; boxing Jesus and his kingdom into a certain category; this time it’s to the realm of social justice. While the Kingdom of Heaven includes social justice and social welfare that is not all there is to it. The kingdom of heaven is Jesus himself, a man who is not just a man but God in the flesh. Yes, the modern institution that parades itself to be Christianity leaves much to be desired in the realm of true religion, the same can be said of a religion that focuses on ascetics and just being good. To my mind, they are two sides of the same coin. Now, I’m not saying Todd doesn’t believe in the other aspects of the Gospel. I just think this book leans more on the “doing” aspect. But I guess that’s what happens when we realize one of God’s desires in our hearts. We become so obsessed with that cause that we think that being a follower of Jesus is all about this cause or ministry God has given us. It’s a problem we all have. But Jesus is much bigger than any concept or ideas, he encompasses them and goes beyond them because He is I AM, a being that is the root and sustainer of all being. He is not just a “doing”.  He is not God because he did anything; he does what he does because he is God. That distinction is very important in shaping our Christian worldview.

This difference in opinion aside, “Secrets of the Leaven” is a great book. This book is good if you seek to be challenged in your walk with God or if you just like good stories with well rounded characters and a well thought out, suspense filled plot. However, be warned. This book raises some serious questions and makes some really strong assertions. He rejects some long-held sacred traditions of Christianity. So if you are one of those who is easily offended by anything that rocks your theological boat, this book is not for you. Or maybe it is exactly for you. Maybe you need to start asking questions. Maybe you need your faith-boat rocked to see whether or not that boat can stand stormy seas or it will be shipwrecked. We all need to be shaken sometimes. That way only the things that are real and true about God remain. Or you could read it and regard it as just a wonderful thriller.

I read the book and did not lose my faith. Rather my faith was strengthened and it brought some things to my mind that I hadn't considered before. Now go get the book, I'm off to read the Epistle of Saint James

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

To all the Fathers that have decided to stick with their wives and children. All those who refused to run away. Who put their children’s need above theirs; we say a big thank you and God bless you. No earthly Father is perfect, but we appreciate that you try.

And to all who have a strained relationship with their fathers, rest assured that your Father in heaven loves you and is there for you at all times

Happy father’s day

IT'S MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK

There is this line of thought in certain theological circles that has pushed us to view Jesus’ dying on the Cross from a fresh perspective. The question is how does Jesus’ death on the cross atone for our sins? How does he wash away our sins and make us new. I would very much like to add that you read this post to the end to get my take on things. If you stop at the middle you'll get the wrong idea.

The most popular view in modern times is the Penal substitution theory; Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve upon him. It is the idea that God was angry with us and he HAD to punish and destroy us for our sins. So he sent his son and destroyed him instead. Jesus did no wrong; therefore his death is more than enough to satisfy Gods bloodlust. This might be a big exaggeration of the theory, but it reflects the general idea behind it. Penal substitution is the prevalent theory in modern western Christianity. It is certainly the theory that triggered the reformation. It is so enshrined that many believe that it is the legitimate and oldest view of the atonement. Once anyone says anything to the contrary, he is accused of heresy and unorthodoxy.

But there are several other views on the atonement, much older and much more popular among the early church fathers. These views also find credence in the New Testament and can be more easily gleaned from it. There is the Ransom theory, the Christos Victor theory, The Moral Influence theory and many others.

The flaw in extreme application of the Penal Substitution theory is that it makes God out to be some sort of monster. Most times, its proponents put God’s sense of Justice or Honour over and above his Love. But God is Love, everything he does flows from his love. He is not some sort of morality judge whose only concern is that we live perfect lives. I find it absurd that Love would have some sort of animosity towards us that he would need to appease by brutally murdering his own son. The very idea also presupposes that the Father loves humans more than he loves the Son. Think about it, if he can sacrifice his son to satisfy his own bloodlust, the unity and love that is the essence of the trinity is eroded.

Thankfully, many around the world are beginning to see the gospel for what it really is. There is a revolution of the “Grace Message” all over the world. This has led people to reexamine some of our longheld beliefs and thereby unearthing various older and more orthodox doctrines. The doctrine of the Trinity is returning to the forefront. It is beginning to shape the way we view the Bible and our various concepts; including the atonement. As a result, we are seeing a resurgence of the other theories of the atonement.

But this is also leading to some reactionary thoughts by many people. Some want to reduce the work of Christ to a psychological level. They say that he took our beating in order to identify with us and that He let us kill him to shock us into seeing his love for us. This line of thought presumes that we were the ones with the bloodlust (which we were) and God only came to satisfy it. While I can identify with the premise behind this theory-I certainly think it has some valid points- I think it is unwise to ignore the other aspects of scripture. These show us that sin was a real spiritual problem; it didn't just exist in our minds. It wasn't just an illusion or a lie we came up with in our fallen state. Something caused us to fall. It is called sin, which put us in Satan’s control and death was the end result. These aren't just psychological problems, they are strong spiritual problems too and the scripture bears witness with this. Jesus came to do much more than balance our psychology. He came to reconcile everything back to himself, he came to destroy the power of Satan and his demons, he came to destroy all rule and authority and establish his own kingdom, and yes he also came to take our place and pay the price of our sin-he died our death. And he achieved all these things and many more on the Cross. Let us not accept one aspect of his sacrifice in place of the other. Instead, let us take it all in and put each one in its proper place and balance. We shouldn't make God out to be a monster, neither should we make him out to be a sissy either. He is love but he is also a judge, therefore his judgement is true and fair. But it is not scary; his judgement was to cleanse us from our sins and bring us back to his side, psychologically and otherwise.

Below is a short video by someone who is many times more knowledgeable than I am in these matters. Dr N.T Wright discusses briefly a balanced view of the atonement. I’m sure he speaks more clearly in the few minutes than I could possibly have done in my write up. Enjoy

 

FRANK VIOLA'S GREAT NEW BOOK AND 25 FREE BOOKS IF YOU GET IT ON OR BEFORE THE 7TH

If you know Frank Viola, you know he releases Seminal, paradigm shifting  books. Not only are they seminal, they are also dedicated to our spiritual upliftment. His ministry and his books have helped me and many others in our journey to know the real God and engage in a real face to face relationship in him; personally and in context of community 

Frank has just released his new book, God’s Favorite Place on Earth. Here he expounds on the one place where Jesus was never rejected, and where three of his best friends lived; Bethany. He then uses this facts to show us how we can become that Bethany and begin to get deeper into that journey with God.

If you get the book between May 1^st to May 7^th, you will also receive 25 FREE books from over 15 different authors. Aint that awesome!!!! How gracious of Frank to do so

Below are some of the endorsements for the book

“God’s Favorite Place on Earth is the kind of book I’ve discovered I need to periodically find and read. Frank Viola’s pen and voice are consistently both penetrating and trustworthy. Beyond his invitingly beautiful writing skill—which makes reading a joy and a sight-seeing tour that brings God’s Word into 3-D when he relates narrative passages, I’m grateful for the depth of his themes.”

Pastor Jack Hayford, Chancellor of The King’s University, Los Angeles

“Frank Viola surpasses himself in his best book yet—a work of serene, soaring magnificence. Part novel, part biography, part theology, part Bible study, Frank’s imaginative touch and command of prose haiku leaves the reader resolved more than ever to be a Bethany—God’s favorite place on earth.”

Leonard Sweet, Drew University, George Fox University, sermons.com

“The best thing I can say about Frank Viola is this: When I read his books—and I read them all—I don’t think much about Frank Viola. I think about Jesus. And I learn to love Him more. This book is no different. Read it, and you’ll find yourself thinking, if you’re like me, ‘I knew Jesus was great, but… Wow!’ And that, at least from me, is as good as it gets.”

Brant Hansen, Radio personality and blogger 

Click GodsFavoritePlace.com for ordering information and easy instructions on how to get your 25 free books

ADIEU BRENNAN MANNING

A few days ago a stalwart of our faith passed on to the bosom of our Lord; a place where he was always most comfortable.

Brennan Manning was a great man who lived, ate and breathed the Grace of God. A fantastic writer who moved us with his words. A raggamuffin of a man who did not let the fact that he was flawed (like we all are) deter him from living in relationship with God and ministry. He did not try to conceal his faults, neither did he act like it was alright to have them, he recognised them as faults. However, he did not see it as cause to run away from God. He made us all realise that the Grace of God is bigger than our Sins. His love is absolute. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Towards the end of his Life, he suffered a great deal due to a debilitating disease that left him dependent on a caregiver, however through that circumstance he showed us that regardless of what we go through or where we are in life; All is Grace. Below are two quotes by Brennan that exemplify his writing and what he meant to us

“I want neither a terrorist spirituality that keeps me in a perpetual state of fright about being in right relationship with my heavenly Father nor a sappy spirituality that portrays God as such a benign teddy bear that there is no aberrant behavior or desire of mine that he will not condone. I want a relationship with the Abba of Jesus, who is infinitely compassionate with my brokenness and at the same time an awesome, incomprehensible, and unwieldy Mystery.” 

“My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” ― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Goodbye, Brennan. Rest in the arms of our Divine Lover

THOUGHTS ON EASTER

Hello everyone!!! Happy Easter. Hope you had a splendid time. We had a public holiday from Good Friday till today so it was pretty awesome. Got to spend time with family and friends and eat really nice food, what more can I ask for.

The best part of it is that we get to reflect on the basis of our faith again; the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. this is a pivotal aspect of our faith. Too often, I think due to the grotesque nature of his death, we pay a lot of attention to the crucifixion than every other aspect of the atonement. This is dangerous, this overemphasis leads to almost idol worship of the cross. It is Jesus we serve and worship. Not the symbol of his death for our sins.

But the Bible paints a different picture. Paul the Apostle states it thus

^“12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied”….  1 Corinthians 15:12-19

If Jesus had not risen, we have no assurance of our Justification, if he had not risen, we have no inroad into the eternal circle of relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And if he had not risen, it simply would have meant that sin was more powerful than Jesus and death had won. In short, “we are still in our sins”

But praise God that Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. And he has ascended to the right hand of the Father and taken us right along with him.

I used to wonder, which is more important, the death, the resurrection or the birth of our Lord? I have come to the conclusion that they are all of equal importance. Each event plays a pivotal role in the being of Jesus. However, I strongly believe the resurrection is the event that requires our most rejoicing. It is the culmination of our Lords mission to planet earth. It represents the death of our old man that was condemned by Sin and our newness of life. A life where we can enjoy unbridled fellowship with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; free from guilt, condemnation and the constant need to perform at our very best. He loves us just as we are and the resurrection enables us to embrace that love. Therefore, let’s celebrate Easter everyday of our lives, knowing that God has raised Jesus from the dead and we are not in our sins.

May the Grace of our Lord be with you

SCANDALOUS GRACE

Sometime this week, the Council of State granted pardons to several Nigerians; some were pardoned post-humously, other people who were pardoned are alive and well. One of the people pardoned is the Former Governor of Bayelsa State who was convicted on corruption charges.

This has led to serious outcry from the populace; the most prevalent view being that a Government that says it is currently fighting corruption should not go around pardoning people who have been convicted of corruption.

While I don’t intend to delve too much into the propriety of the issue (whether or not I favour this particular pardon is something I’ll keep to myself. It is irrelevant. What is done is done and the Council of State was well within its rights to do so), I do intend to draw parallels with the nature of man to the extravagant nature of God’s grace.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is the following in Romans 5:8:

“But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.”(Amp)

At first glance, this seems like a harmless sentence. But a closer investigation reveals a truth that is repulsive to our natural senses; God has forgiven the sins of every man, woman and child on planet earth. He didn’t just do this by sweeping it under the table or overlooking it. He did it by coming in the human flesh and taking the punishment for sins of the past, present and future upon himself and dying for it.

This means one simple thing; God is not punishing the sins of anybody. That is such good news to me. It frees me to be me and let God work in me to become the person he has made me to be. However, those who oppose this presentation of the Gospel oppose it on many grounds the two most prominent grounds are

1.      We are giving people a license to sin

This to me is ludicrous because nobody needs a license to sin in the first place. People sin because they want to. They don’t need anybody to tell them they can sin. At any rate, telling a person that God has forgiven all his past, present and future sins is not invariably telling them to just live anyhow. The motivation for living a Godly, Christ exalting life should not be the fear of punishment, it should be love. God is love and anything done without love is useless. God took out the fear aspect of Sin in order to insert his love into our hearts (Romans 5:5) now we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:18-19)

2.      We want people to get away with their wrongful actions

This really reflects most of the controversy trailing the recent pardon. Let’s be honest, we all have someone we think should go to hell. We all have someone that we think should not be forgiven due to the gravity of their actions. At least we can all agree that we don’t want Adolf Hitler in heaven. Yet, it seems to me that God is not concerned with all of that. He does not deal with us based on the enormity of our sin. He says though our sins be as red as scarlet, he would make us as white as snow. There is no sin too great for the blood of Jesus. There is no sin that he did not die for. No hurt that he did not redeem in order to give birth to the new creation. It is funny that most people are quick to pass judgement on others when it is not them or their friends and relatives that committed the crime, when it’s us, most of us will not hesitate to seek mercy. This is not to say that God does not appreciate the evil and destructiveness of sin. He is more aware of it than we can ever imagine; which is why he redeemed us in order to heal us

It is important to note that the Former Governor of Bayelsa State had already served his sentence. The pardon just gives him back his right to vote and be voted for and to serve in public office. In other words, it takes away all the disadvantages of being an ex-convict. The same can be said of us. The bible tells us that when Christ, all died (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). His death was our death and his resurrection our resurrection. Therefore when he took the fire of God’s judgement for our sin on our behalf, we were there with him being punished in him. He died because of our sins and rose because of our justification (Romans 4:25). Some will read this and immediately conclude that I'm saying all are saved and all will go to Heaven (so to speak). Well, I’m not. To quote Andre Rabe “romance anticipates a response”. Faith is our positive response to God’s act of love and it is faith that leads to eternal life.

God’s grace violates our sense of justice. Sometimes we can’t even accept it for ourselves. We want to receive some sort of torment for our acts in order to ease our conscience. In this season of lent, I think it is fitting for us to explore this topic of the atonement some more. May God help us to understand and bask in the indiscriminate, vulgar and extremely scandalous grace of God.

THE MESSAGE FOR THE UNCHURCHED

Have you ever been told by a Pastor who is trying to justify all the expensive lights and the excellence and professionalism of their Church workers that they are doing these things for the “unchurched”? They believe that the high level of professionalism and the fact that the place of worship looks similar, if not better, than the best night clubs and concerts is what brings in people who want to have nothing to do with Church.

First of all, let me just say that I agree totally that whatever we do as a body, we should do it well. We shouldn’t be seen as sloppy and mediocre. There is a Spirit of excellence that I believe should accompany a believer. When God created the world, he looked at his work and saw that it was good. He never did anything halfway good or a little corrupt (every element of corruption we see now is as a result of Adam’s fall). Therefore, I believe we should be diligent and efficient in all our fields of endeavor. I also believe that when we gather, people who have not been gifted in an area of ministry have no business in that ministry; especially in music, and I believe those that have the gift have a responsibility to get better at it. I also believe that mediocrity can be a big turn off to an unbeliever; where everything looks sloppy, the “unchurched” professional who is used to excellence might not be tempted to come back 

However, I don’t think attracting the unbeliever should be our motivation for excellence. Neither should it be excellence just for the sake of excellence (perfectionism) we are excellent because we do whatever we do as a means of worshipping our Lord. We are not peddlers or salesmen and we certainly are not a business organisation. We are a community saved by Grace and partaking of the Life in the Trinity through our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is that life that the unbeliever sees and wants to partake of. All the lights and stuff can bring in the “unchurched” but it cannot usher them into a relationship with Jesus, it cannot give them life. The unbelievers are not looking for a morally upright place that looks like a club, they’re looking for Life. They might not even know what they’re looking for. They might not be able to articulate the inner longing, but they know there is more to life than flashing lights and money (I know, because I have been an unbeliever before). That is what Jesus came to give us, the relationship with the Godhead that we were created for. This is the deepest and eternal purpose for our existence; to be embraced by God and to embrace him back. And we will not be satisfied until we are enlightened of this glorious truth of the Gospel; that God embraces us, accepts us and will never leave us.

   

This is why I joined the Church. I went to a wooden shack, where you had to take off your shoes and worship barefoot on a floor that wasn’t tiled and had no carpet. But I was accepted for who I was; no one expected me to change before they became friends with me and they gave me a sense of belonging. They loved me in spite of my imperfections and saw the good person in me that I did not even realize. That is the community that all humans long for. Even now, many years later after many of us don’t fellowship in that place any longer. There is a deeper bond and fellowship that defies distance between us. It was there that I began to see the real Jesus through the way I was treated and it was attractive, regardless of the fact that we were doing most things in a very mediocre and unscriptural way. This is what all people long for, and we are attracted and stay in such a place whether it is in an air conditioned room, in someone’s living room over dinner or in a wooden shack, with or without professional singers and ushers. Interestingly, most people that came and complained about the mode of worship or lack of professionalism were Christians (me included) who were comparing the Church to others. Most mega-churches are packed full of Christians cross carpeting from other Churches to a better looking place and unbelievers who just come to have a look at the place. 

 

When we lose sight of what we are and devalue and dilute our message, we find ourselves trying to be like the world in order to win the world over. The truth is that the world has won US over to them. In this scenario, the lights might draw them in but it can’t make them stay. In an attempt to stay “relevant” to the unbeliever, motivational speaking becomes the message of the Church. It becomes a place where you come to hear tips for success spruced with some Bible verses every Sunday and the only catch is you have to “give your life to Christ” for these tips to work. How laughable!! This is why there is almost no difference between believers and unbelievers nowadays. In fact, it seems like some unbelievers are more loving than believers. What do we expect? When we are being taught the world’s way of thinking and succeeding in the cutthroat economy, we end up like the world; ruthless and only concerned with being millionaires. Even our giving is in order to see it multiply a thousand times, so we only “sow” into “fertile soil”. We no longer give because we are generous; it is to satisfy a very self centered purpose.

Let me reiterate that I absolutely believe in doing whatever we are doing well. I have no beef with the lights and the great music and efficiency. But there is more to being a Church than just looking like a well run office. There is a Life we have and a loving fellowship we share- with God and with each other. That is what we offer to the unchurched and the backslidden and nothing should distract us from that.

 I pray the Lord opens your eyes to the reality and beauty of his Church and that his Grace be with you.

Back again and some words of encouragement

Okay, so I've been on a hiatus. And since I don't think I owe anybody explanations, I will not explain. Suffice it to say that I'm back and ready to roll. 

First of all, how has the New Year been? Hope we're all off to good start? Like a mentor of mine says "you can never recover from a good start". However, even if things seem unsure and very hazy for you right now, rest assured that God has still got your back. I recall Joseph telling his brothers that God turned all their evil deeds against him for the good of himself and many nations.

Think of Jesus, lied against, lashed severely and killed in the most horrible way. God turned that evil into his greatest triumph. He will do the same for you. Just don't throw in the towel yet. Trust him and he will never disappoint you. God has a way of making you forget your hard times when the good times come.

Bear in mind, God is not the one causing whatever bad things or disappointments in your life, he's the one turning it around for your good. He loves you and is not the maker of evil

May the grace of our Lord be with you