An appropriate response Week 2, 2016

 

Have you heard? Apostle has been deceiving us, he's been sleeping around with women o. Ah, this news coming after Evangelist’s saga! Shame! Wicked, false brethren..

Jud 1:4, 13(ESV)  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ... wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 

Why are you telling me about them? I don’t think you are responding properly. You are so excited, even happy at their downfall.

How will I not be happy? All these people who spoil the name of Christ must be exposed and disgraced. For too long has the way of truth been blasphemed because of them.

Is that the way you see it? Gal 6:1(ESV)  Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Shouldn’t we rather seek their restoration?

Restore what? Don’t you know how many so-called restorations have swept sin under the carpet and exposed sincere sheep to ravening wolves? Wait, are you sympathetic to sin?

I doubt it, my sister. Have you considered 1Cor 5:2(ESV)  And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 

Now you are talking. All such must be removed from among us!

Don’t jump. The first thing is for us to mourn, not be excited and rejoice. Evil has overtaken someone and enslaved them. Mourn. You know, in hindsight, those who rejoice over the downfall of these ministers, and trumpet it, have quite frequently followed suit in falling...

Those ones were in secret sin as well, brother. Their own day came.

Can you listen to me? Our attitude is guided by Gal6:1. The command to keep away from their company in 1Cor5:11 is designed to bring them to repentance, not showcase my own holiness. 2Th 3:14, 15(ESV)  If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. We must mourn, fast and pray, talk less to man and much more to God. Then launch into what will both recover the fallen soldier and protect the sheep. When the Corinthian disciplinary action made the offender sober and repentant, we were told in 2Cor 2:6, 7(ESV) For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow

That is it, when he repents. They probably were never believers in the first place.

Let heaven be the judge of that. I know that, but for grace and mercy, I also would have fallen like them. No, don’t look at me like that. He has kept me from such all my life. I just know repentance is a work of grace and mercy, which are released as we mourn and pray. Shaming, though necessary,  can’t by itself bring a permanent change 2Cor 2:11(ESV)  so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 

Rest for the Spirit of God Week 1, 2026

 

I don’t understand this concept of giving God rest. It is us who need rest. Jer6:16(ESV) Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 

Yes, we indeed need rest, but God also rests. The very first-time rest is mentioned in the Bible, it refers to God Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work... 

Yes. And since that time God has been resting now.

On the contrary Jn 5:17(ESV) says But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”  and there is such a thing as God’s rest. Zec 6:8(ESV)  Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.”  We think a lot about us resting, and that is very, very scriptural. There’s rest that can be given to the Spirit of God. Give it this year

How?

First of all, are we still wrestling with His Spirit? Gen 6:3(GW)  Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not struggle with humans forever, because they are flesh and blood...”  Did you notice the Spirit of God rested on Jesus? Jn 1:32(BBE)  And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I believe it is because of what God saw in Jesus that the Spirit not only came but rested. And what was in Jesus? Certainly joyful obedience: Ps 40:8(ESV)  I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. When we do God’s will cheerfully and joyfully, like Jesus, we give Him rest. In Zechariah, those whom God sent accomplished His task. Arguing with Him instead of submitting to Him does not give rest. Job 22:21(NIV) Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

This passage talks about you being at peace, not God resting.

Yes, when we give God rest, we also are at peace. Seek to give the Spirit rest in every place He assigns to you this year. Don’t run away like Jonah, or grumble about His will. Secondly some people do God’s will with imperfect hearts and wrong motives. Wrong motives deny us rewards. 2Ch 25:2(KJV)  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. Php 1:15(ESV)  Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. Consider Act 13:22 (ESV)  of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ When God was searching, you might say He was not rested. But having found one to do all His will, all His will, then rest follows.

I see. First: joyful submission. Second: full obedience with a right heart. And the third?

Hahaha. Blessings guaranteed: Gen 2:3(ESV)  So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Take note of the “because.” Give God’s Spirit rest, you’ll be blessed.

A Carol of Nine Lessons Week 52, 2025

 

What is the point of this carol service? I do not understand it at all...

 It is singing about the promise and fulfilment concerning Jesus Christ coming into the world

My annoyance with the whole carol business is that people in my town finish carol singing and get going into fornication and uncleanness. It’s made me hate carol singing since.

O dear, we must make a distinction between what is good, and those who abuse it. Jd 1:4 (ISV)  For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Messiah. From the very first reading the promise of the saviour from sin who will destroy the works of Satan is  made in the garden of Eden by God. Gen 3:15(MKJV)  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.  Even His virgin birth is implied by calling Him “The seed of the woman”

Okay, so the lessons recount the promises about the Messiah’s coming through the ages.

 Not simply restating the promises but now giving specific clues, and directions. His identity and events surrounding His birth are clearly stated in prophecy. He would come through Abraham, (Gen 22: 17, 18  (MKJV)  that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies. And in your Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.) be a descendant of King David, and be born in Bethlehem: Mic 5:2(ISV)  "As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity. 

From eternity? Which man is from eternity. Is this an exaggeration?

Not at all. This uncovers the truth that the Messiah is divine - not a created being, but the Son of God. The readings then connect up with the fulfilment of these promises in the message of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, and how Jesus was born in a manger in that Bethlehem, a descendant of King David and seed of Abraham. Unfortunately at His birth His people rejected Him as they do today. Jn 1:11-14(ISV)  He came to his own creation, yet his own people did not receive him. However, to all who received him, those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God's children, who were born, not merely in a genetic sense, nor from lust, nor from man's desire, but from the will of God. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace and truth.

Mmmh. Nice history. I appreciate Carol Service better now. Thanks.

History? Living reality. The word of God can be made flesh in you right now if you ask Him in. That’s the whole point. The promised Saviour has come. Let Him be born in us today.

Deliverance in theatre Week 51, 2025

 

The saturation was now reading zero, and the heart had stopped. What would happen now? “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” Rom 10:13(ESV)  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

Udo was brought by her father, a pastor in North Central Nigeria, for surgery the day before. I got a call informing me they would be coming and on their arrival, the necessary tests were done, which all came out alright. I called my friend the anaesthesia provider, with whom we had performed so many surgeries to do the procedure the following day and he agreed. The theatre was informed and they made ready for us.

We ran the surgical safety checklist as usual before knife-on-skin. Shortly after incising the palatal shelf, I noticed that the oxygen saturation dipped below 94%. I called the attention of the anaesthesia provider who had also noticed. After a few manoeuvres which did not bring up the saturation the decision was made to remove the tube and reinsert it. It was no longer misting.  We had no appetite whatsoever for any drama. The risk of airway obstruction is very real in palate surgery and could cause death. The saturation went further down as he tried to reinsert the tube, but the airway was covered with blood from the previous incisions made. The heart rate was slowing down, a very ominous sign. “I need a tracheostomy now!” he told me. “Not a problem” I said in my mind, “I know exactly what to do”. I had needed to do one for a much younger patient before and I had done it. How much more with this seven-year-old fit patient? But when I incised, the bleeding obstructed the view. Another attempt failed. I wasn’t succeeding and the patient was dying on the table. What would I tell her father? How could I explain to our sponsors who called me and sent her across? Even if I wished to hide it I could not. Consequences flashed across my mind.

The heart rate came to zero as well as the oxygen saturation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was on as I called on the only Person who could deliver us in trouble. Ps 50:15(ESV)  and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. I had been acting like a professional all the while but not actively prayed while all this was ongoing. I now called on Jesus Christ  whilst doing all we knew to do.

Jesus Christ showed up there. The tube somehow got into place. Oxygen started entering the lungs. We paused chest compressions after a while to see how things were going. There was return of spontaneous cardiac activity: the girl was back with us! Hallelujah!! I had no liver to continue the surgery any longer. “Let’s recover her and let them go for now. I will explain the cuts on her neck.” Gratefully we dressed the neck wounds, watched as spontaneous activity and steady optimal oxygen saturation indicated the Endotracheal tube could come off safely. She was handed back safely to her father. An ENT surgeon reviewed her afterwards. Great had been our deliverance by God. Is59:19(KJV)  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 

In November 2021 Udo successfully underwent the cleft palate repair with us without any incident or fistula. She has continued to do well. Her father occasionally would have her talk with me over the telephone. There has been no sign of deficits at all. Glory to Jesus Christ.

The Angel’s question Week 50, 2025

 

“If you were at the gate of heaven and the angel asked you why he should open the gate and let you enter in what would you answer him?”

Well, I’ve done my best to keep God’s commandments and all those who do so get in

“Are you sure about that? The Bible says otherwise. Gal 3:10(GNB) Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!" “

What does that mean?

“Have you always kept all of God’s commandments? Since you have not been able to do so it means relying on trying to keep the commandments to earn heaven cannot work. You do your best, but the same commandment that says “You must not tell lies about other people.” also says “You must not want to take anything that belongs to another person." So where you do not kill or steal but covet what belongs to another, you are cursed and won’t enter.”

Is there another bible verse on this matter? it is not good to look in only one place.

“Ah yes there is: Gal 2:16(LSV)  having also known that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, but through faith from Jesus Christ, we also believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be declared righteous by faith from Christ, and not by works of law, because no flesh will be declared righteous by works of law There is a conclusion in this argument Rom 3:28(GNB)  For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands.”

Are you saying we should not obey God’s commands? What exactly do you mean?

“Not at all. The law is good and of God, but has no power to save someone from sin. It tells us we are sinners but cannot save. Gal 3:19, 21(GNB)  What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added in order to show what wrongdoing is... Does this mean that the Law is against God's promises? No, not at all! For if human beings had received a law that could bring life, then everyone could be put right with God by obeying it. Just like your thermometer tells you the patient has fever and is powerless to cure the fever. Something else has to come in to cure the fever – maybe an anti-malarial or antibiotic- so also the law cannot cure us from sin. Gal 2:21 (GNB)  I refuse to reject the grace of God. But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing!” 

I have been asking God for grace to obey the commands more...

“See, the fact you are asking for help to obey the commands is saying you agree you have not been obeying it fully. Don’t think when you rely on Jesus’ blood to save you, you begin to disobey God. On the contrary calling Jesus Christ into your heart and relying on His sacrifice of His lifeblood to save you actually results in power to obey God and do His will. You do His will then not to be accepted by God but because you have already been accepted by God. Rom 8:3, 4 (ESV)  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Delivered from death Week 49, 2025

 

“You don’t understand me, doctor,” she said. “I cannot stay here.” “Why?” We inquired. She was a trauma patient in the Intensive Care Unit of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, having suffered an acute kidney injury complicated by sepsis. A while before this, she was rushed to the hospital following being crushed by a heavy vehicle. The impact was mostly on the left lower limb, which was temporarily trapped. There was no apparent bone breakage, but the muscles were badly crushed. When she came, we did our best to save the limb, but it became clear the measures were not working. The injury was too much for the survival of the limb. We had also gotten talking about spiritual matters, and she would not give consent for amputation; however, a few days later, when it became clear her own life was threatened, she gave consent, and an above-knee amputation was done. We must separate the dead limb from the living person lest the living move towards death. Since the consent to amputate was given late, complications had set in. The kidneys were shutting down acutely, and infection had also set in, hence her admission to the Intensive Care Unit.

Rather than improve, her condition worsened with bleeding from the rectum noted. When the General Surgeon reviewed her, he decided to explore her in theatre urgently and stop the bleeding. We urged her to consent to this surgical procedure to save her life. Instead, she said,” No! I must get back to the ward.” I pleaded with her that this was a life-saving move, that the ward was not the right place for her now. She still needed to be in intensive care.

“I cannot stay here,” she insisted, “I have dreams that I died here, and there is no one to pray with me. All my relations are kept away from me here. I must leave this place.” The anaesthetist said to her, “He is a priest: he will pray with you.” Having received such an opening, I then led her to Christ in a sinner’s prayer. The anaesthetist and her mother joined in the prayer. I rejoiced not only that she was being led to Christ (whatever happened now, she was safe for eternity), but the anaesthetist whom I had occasionally witnessed to and longed to lead to Christ was praying to receive Jesus also. 1Jn 5:13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Then I boldly laid hands on her and requested her recovery. Mk 16:17-18  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name ... they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. Before I left, we decided to grant her request to return to the ward since her oxygen saturation in room air was acceptable. The rectal bleeding stopped. Within two days, the General Surgeon reviewed her and decided there was no further need to operate on her. Jesus had stepped in. She had a new birth and was delivered from premature death also. 3Jn 1:2  Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 

She spent some weeks in the ward to be fully healed of the amputation stump wound and was discharged. She has continued to do well post discharge

An Entitlement mentality Week 48, 2025

 

What’s that? Big, big grammar is your middle name.

Let me put it like this from the internet: it is the belief that one deserves special treatment or benefits without earning them, so that the person is convinced he must get things like money, material goods, and the help of others.

Wait, hold on. Don’t we all deserve help? Isn’t that what Christianity is all about?

Special treatment. Special treatment that you have not earned. Christians see what they have as mercy and not deserved. 1Cor 15:9-10 (ESV)  For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.

You are accusing me of an entitlement mentality because I asked for your help!

Why? You help me also, I was going to read out the characteristics for you. Do you believe you are owed certain privileges or are exempt from rules that apply to others?

Sometimes 

Are you thankful for what you have, or do you take the kindness and efforts of others as a must and not a favour? Are you disappointed and angry when your expectations aren't met?

Lk 4:23. 27-29 (ESV)  And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”  When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.  And they rose up and drove him out of the town...

 I think you need to be careful.

Do you strongly focus on your own needs and desires and not care how your actions affect others? Do you refuse to take personal responsibility for failures or mistakes, and instead blame external circumstances or other people? You know, the village people...

Whether you accept it or not, we have enemies. Jesus says so. And it is not good for your mental health to keep blaming yourself now. Guilt is a well-known source of depression.  

Unresolved guilt. The repentant acknowledge their fault Lk 23:41(GW)  Our punishment is fair. We’re getting what we deserve. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 

Finally and importantly, do you want the rewards of success without putting in the necessary work, preparation, or process? 2Th 3:11, 12(ERV)  We hear that some people in your group refuse to work. They are doing nothing except being busy in the lives of others.  Our instruction to them is to stop bothering others, to start working and earn their own food. It is by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are urging them to do this. 

I think you are misunderstanding me and are making it difficult for me to ever ask for your help again. Even you, are you sure you don’t have an entitlement mentality?

Why did you decide it is you I am referring to? Is there some attitude you must correct?