The sacrifice of Abraham’s son Week 26, 2017

The Holy Books tell us the story of how the Almighty God requested the patriarch Abraham to sacrifice his very beloved son to God on Mount Moriah. When Abraham in obedience to Almighty God’s command brings his son to the mountain he ties him up, lays him on the altar and raises the knife to slay him. Just then the angel of God calls to him and requests Abraham not to slay the son. God has provided a ram caught in the bush as a sacrifice in place of the son!

We are today called sons of Abraham, and are facing death as well. On Mount Moriah Abraham’s son faced death at God’s command. Today we face death equally at God’s command, this time because of our sins. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son Eze 18:20. Do you realise you (just like every one) has sinned? Or can you honestly claim never to have lied, stolen, coveted what is not yours, lusted after another, or committed any other sin? For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Rom 3:23.   In His justice the Almighty has decreed all who sin shall be banished from His presence forever: as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death Rev 21:8.

But there is good news. Just as God provided a ram on that mountain to die instead of Abraham’s son (God provided it; not father Abraham) the same God today has provided a lamb to take away our sins. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! Jn 1:29.  As that ram was slain on the mount, so Jesus was slain for our sins. Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God Rom 4:25.

Right from the garden of Eden God has been providing a substitute for man. When Adam and Eve sinned against God they took measures to make up. As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves Gen 3:7.  Today we seek to cover our nakedness and shame with different things, sometimes with devoted almsgiving (zakat), and much prayer with fasting. We strive to do what is considered good for all men, but none of that is satisfying to God to take our punishment away. Then God provided a cover for them. And the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them Gen 3:21. This act, just like the sacrifice of a ram at mount Moriah was pointing to Jesus, to how God intends to help us against sin. As an animal was sacrificed to clothe Adam and Eve after they sinned Jesus has been sacrificed to clothe us in God’s righteousness. Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God 2Cor 5:21

Obed-edom Week 25, 2017

What is a blessing? Is it an indistinct entity claimed by some without tangible evidence? So the ark of the LORD remained for three months in the household of Obed-edom the Gittite while the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household2Sam 6:11(ISV). We don’t know the details of Obed-edom’s blessing, but it was glaring. Others could see it and testify about it. Obed-edom wasn’t the one bearing the news about; others reported it. Later on, David was informed, "The LORD has blessed the home of Obed-edom and everything he has since he's in possession of the Ark of God." So David went out joyfully and brought up the Ark of God to the City of David from Obed-edom's home2Sam 6:12(ISV). When God blesses you it will be seen, clearly seen and testified about.

Why did God bless him? It was because he hosted and cared for the ark. Now the ark represents the presence of God Almighty.  Have you hosted, are you hosting the Almighty? Notice the ark remained... it wasn’t coming and going. Is God’s presence abiding in your house? Or do greed, sexual sin and wickedness suppress it? Anyone who has received Jesus Christ into the heart has the presence of God. What of God’s servants, God’s children? That’s another way to host the presence. I am telling you the truth: whoever receives anyone I send receives me also; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me Jn 13:20(GNB)  . Now in 3 months the blessing was manifest. I say it won’t tarry when people will see you are blessed in Jesus’ name. People will know it is because you host His presence, not because of anything else.

And so because a man received the Lord’s presence, at a time it was considered risky to one’s life to do so, at a time an anointed king was terrified to do so, his entire household is blessed. Yet not only he. Look at that: You attract tangible blessing upon every member of your household; spouse, children and servants. Claim this upon the head of that family member you get scared will not conform to Jesus. Even those associated with you! So the Ark of God remained in the care of Obed-edom's household for three months, and God blessed Obed-edom's household, along with everyone associated with it1Chron 13:14(ISV). And just before you think it is only on other people it says on everything he has. What do you have? Business? Academics? Projects? Areas of service? They must be tangibly and visibly blessed within a time span in Jesus’ name. Care for the ark; nurture the presence of God in your life and family. You know the blessing of Obed-edom is what encouraged David to take the ark back. So shall your blessing move men, encourage kings, yes people you have never discussed with to go joyfully and serve the Lord Jesus and host His presence also in Jesus’ name. That in itself is an incredible blessing. A gatekeeper (1Chron15:24 NIV) to influence the king and by that an entire nation! What a father, what an example.

You know what? His voice is never recorded in all of these, nor any change of jobs.

Read more of Obed-edom’s blessing in 1Chron26:4-8

Encounter with the police Week 24, 2017

I am uncomfortable with the police, any police at all, because of the experiences I have had with them. I frequently pray against disturbance when embarking on a journey. I ask for deliverance from accidents, breakdowns and unreasonable wicked men (in and out of uniform). But over ten years ago we had an encounter that changed my perception. We were returning from Gboko to Enugu on a Saturday evening when our red Datsun bluebird stopped us on the road. I managed to park the car off the road and we prayed for mercy. We were around Ugbokolo and the road was lonely. So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help Heb 4:16(CEV). A police vehicle approached us from the opposite side and one of them inquired why we had stopped. Upon hearing our plight and seeing it was an electrical problem they offered to take my wife into town to find an electrician while I waited. Police!

Whilst they were gone I waited by the car and after a while a trailer driver stopped by to find out what the matter was. I told him and he inspected the car. There were other trailers coming behind him (they appeared to be in a convoy). Having identified the alternator rod that was faulty he checked with the other drivers and as God arranged it, found the right rod and proceeded to replace it. Before he finished the police returned with my wife – and an electrician bearing a charged battery! Not only had they taken her to town, when she was to get the electrician they offered to pay her motorcycle fare. Police – Nigerian police! Having assisted her locate an electrician they reasoned darkness would soon fall and took her in their vehicle back to our car, along with the electrician.

When in the vehicle they were singing in another language, my wife inquired of its meaning. Having told her she asked if they were Christians, born again Christians, and they smiled. “We are disciples” she was told. Their leader was in charge of the bomb squad in Enugu. My wife joyfully let them know we were also born again. They exhorted us to hold firm to Jesus, not to waste the love of Christ which made God move strangers to help us on such a lonely road, and left on their way. The trailer man refused to collect any payment on completing the repairs and left. We took back the electrician after our car started, dropped him off at Ugbokolo, paid him and drove to Enugu without further incident. A light shines in the darkness for the upright, for the one who is gracious, compassionate, and justPs 112:4(ISV).

In the course of time this saint of a policeman had need to come to UNTH for some investigations regarding his blood sugar and met with my wife again. He was a real flesh and blood human being and not an angelic visitor! Having completed his course and run his race he has since gone home to his reward at the feet of Jesus.

But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace Rom 11:4-5(ESV).

The stolen generator Week 23, 2017

“That generator is stolen, and you can recover it” was impressed on the police man as he saw a tricycle speeding by 7.ooam of 22^nd May on the opposite side of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. “If it is so then God slow them down” he prayed as he turned the car around to pursue. The LORD told David, "Pursue them! You will definitely overtake them and rescue the captives." 1Sam 30:8 (ISV).  Upon reaching and blocking them, 2 occupants fled. Very suspicious, the policeman immediately called for backup. Not knowing I had been robbed at night, I left in the morning as usual. Our children had woken up crying at night but we calmed them. I didn’t realise robbers were in the compound. I lie down and sleep, I wake up, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear multitudes of people, who set themselves against me on every side. Ps 3:5, 6(ISV) 

The driver claimed total ignorance, and the one with the generator claimed to be authorised to repair it. He called the supposed owner on phone who said to the policeman “I am the owner and gave him to repair it so I can watch a match at night. Mind your own business” but refused to give his location. So an arrest was made and the suspect came to my street to identify the owner, and pointed to a different house. When the guard of that house spoke over the phone in Hausa warning his listeners not to show up, that 2 had fled and the police were around, he was also arrested. The policeman was multilingual and overheard it. He had the guard call the mistress of the house (who incidentally is a member of my church) to inform her of his arrest for complicity in suspected theft. The guard was sent on a tricycle to meet with those he had spoken with, that he was bringing their stuff for them. The police overtook him on the way and waited near the rendezvous.  “Why did you bring the police for us? Tell them we are not coming. We could’ve shot you, we are seeing you” the unseen said to the guard on the phone. So the police asked him to go back, and left after about an hour of unfruitful vigil.

About 6pm I got back into the house and went to put on my generator. Lo! I could find it nowhere. So I got a torch from my wife as I informed her what I noticed. Some blocks had been placed on the ground next to the wall to enable them escape. I wondered how the thieves lifted the generator out. I then went to inform my neighbour about the loss. “Is the generator yours?” he asked “No other neighbour has been able to identify the generator. Come to the police station and claim it.” And so I went to the station where I was told “Are you the one? It is your ‘man of God’ type that is genuine.” It was there the whole story was told me. God has been at work on our behalf and I never knew what was going on. I identified the generator as mine indeed, made the relevant statements and collected it and took it back home.

Indeed “no weapon that is forged against you will be effective. This is the heritage of the LORD's servants, and their righteousness from me," says the LORD Is 54:17(ISV).                                                                                                                             Chukwudi Chukwubuihem is a canon in Enugu diocese, Anglican communion