WHO WAS FIRST TO RISE FROM THE DEAD

Jesus Christ of course Col 1:18  He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that He would be above all others.

” Why do you say this? Was Lazarus not raised from death before the resurrection of Jesus?” 

The resurrection of Jesus is not the same as that of Lazarus. There is quite a lot of difference between them. 

“What differences?”

The stone over Lazarus’ tomb had to be rolled away before he could come out. Jesus came out of the tomb with the stone intact. The stone was rolled away to allow people see He was no longer there. Remember Lazarus came out bound by the grave clothes but Jesus left the grave clothes behind.

 “It still does not make Jesus the first.”

Lazarus and all others after being raised could still fall sick, have accidents, and all died again and were buried. Jesus having been raised from the dead never died again Rom 6:9  We know that Christ, who was brought back to life, will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. No religious leader in all of the world’s religion has a claim to this resurrection: only the Lord Jesus does.  In addition the body He rose with is no longer held back by locked doors. It is a glorious body. Jesus Christ is the first to have this kind of resurrection and when He comes we shall be changed to have that kind of body! We, however, are citizens of heaven. We look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ coming from heaven as our Savior.  Through His power to bring everything under his authority, He will change our humble bodies and make them like His glorified body. Phil 3:20-21

“Why did He have to rise then? Could he not have waited until the end of time when all of us will then rise?” 

His rising again is part of God’s plan for our salvation. Rom 4:25  God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and He raised Him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God. The risen Christ presented the sacrifice to God. But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that was not made by human hands and that is not a part of this creation.  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood he went into the Holy of Holies once for all and secured our eternal redemption. Heb 9:11-12 

“Is it all true?” 

Yes; our faith is based on this fact.

APPEARED ON THE CHURCH BULLETIN WEEK 15 2009

IT IS HER FAULT

                                  

I thought you believe it is wrong to beat your wife. 

“I do, but I just needed to let her realize I am in charge. I am sorry that I beat her, but that woman shows me no respect.” 

So you have not repented of it. 

“No I have. I feel very bad about it, but she pushed me.”

Feeling bad about it does not necessarily mean repentance. 2Cor 7:9-10  Now I rejoice, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance; for you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, without regret; but worldly sorrow produces death.

Judas felt sorry for what he did. Instead of turning to God he committed suicide, but when David was sorry for his sin with Bathsheba he turned to God (Ps51).

“That woman’s tongue needs to be cut! When she speaks, you just get provoked.”

For as long as you blame another person for your sin; as long as you believe you were justified to any degree in what you did you have not repented. When someone repents he sees the deed as being only evil, as wickedness. Gen 6:5-6 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD repented that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. See your deeds as only evil and you will then change.

“Does God repent?”

Not in that sense you think, He has no sin.

 “Please talk to her o!” 

Friend, repent like the prodigal son. 

“How?”

Lk 15:17-19  And when he came to himself, he said, I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you and am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. He saw his sin as something bringing him to death. He did not blame his employer for his calamity.  He was unworthy of his position as a son in his eyes. If you do not see your lack of self control as the root of this sin and blame your wife’s tongue, beware: you will beat her again.

“What of my dignity? I’m a man and the head of this house.” 

Why don’t we leave God to reveal that to her as you show her love? Sin can never bring any good, but repentance shall. 

Appeared in the church bulletin on WEEK 14, 2009

Confirmed dead yet born alive Week 19,2013

It was a routine antenatal visit at UNTH in my 3^rd trimester last year, but the nurse ushered me in hurriedly to see the consultant ahead of the women before me. A blood pressure up to 150mmHg which she rechecked now reading 170mmHg alarmed her. The doctor joked with me, but the resident got an even higher reading of 200mmHg. When he got 220mmHg he insisted on my immediate admission refusing even that I stand; I was promptly wheeled into the ward.

And so began the battle with hypertension, swollen legs and proteinuria. Despite medication for over a week on bed rest it hardly went down, and when Christmas was approaching my husband requested a transfer to Prof Ikeme’s private facility. About my 37^th week when we met him he wondered why no one had assessed the baby by ultrasound and sent me off to a scan centre in New Haven. Surprisingly the scan lasted well over 30minutes. My curiosity was aroused. I peeped at the report which said the fetal heart rate was zero and the liquor scanty. My husband is a doctor in UNTH; I knew that was bad news. Ikeme received the report, re-examined me and informed us the baby was indeed dead and a caesarian section was urgently needed. Oh God! I had dreamt where I didn’t awake from surgery had in this pregnancy!

My husband sent prayer requests by texts as I was prepared for surgery for 2pm; a woman having already been taken in for surgery. “Baby!” my husband called me. A sister in reply to his text said God revealed to her I must avoid the surgery; that the baby was alive. Acting on faith we fled to her place with me still in the theatre wrapper. “This baby shall be born in due time without need for intervention.” She said.  Over the next few days my faith was on a roller coaster. Memories of women who lost their babies and lives in such circumstances troubled me, and my sister vainly sought to persuade me to return to hospital, yet as I heard His word my faith would rise. My husband refused to pick Ikeme’s calls. What would he say to him? He kept treating my blood pressure with drugs at home.

After some days I requested my husband to induce labour, feeling the baby was now very weak.  He did and the pains came on strongly and frequently by 10pm. He confirmed I was dilating and wanted us to go to Annunciation hospital Emene. I felt the baby would come on the way and requested we return to Ikeme’s place. It was pitch dark when we arrived, and who would meet us but the nurse on duty when I fled from surgery! My husband asked her help. "My wife is in labour!" "Labour?" she exclaimed.Dumbstruck she simply shone her torch up and down at me: swollen legs and all.  Following us she said not a word as I was wheeled into the labour room. The pains were intense; my husband carried me unto the delivery couch. Taking her time to examine me after my husband she was unconvinced and requested to rupture the membranes. My fears returned when she brought the sphyg to measure my blood pressure. “Baby believe God!” my husband urged. I turned my arm to have the pressure gauged, and out came the baby. She was white, but suddenly the nurse saw her move. The nurse screamed and took over. After much maneuvers and prayers she began to cry weakly. The placenta came out looking really bad. in excitement the nursecalled Prof Ikeme who urged her to chase everyone out of my room and quickly give me medication. "She will fit any moment from now", he said. But thank God I didn't. When Ikeme saw me the following day he said “This is a miracle. In 47 years of practice I have never seen this.” Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Jer 32:27(KJV)                                                            Esther works in the records department of UNTH

The missing pregnancy Week 18, 2013

I knew I was pregnant last year. It was not my first baby and having missed my period I went to have a laboratory test to confirm it. I did the test in a brother’s lab and it was positive so I rejoiced. Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward Ps 127:3(ESV). I had two lovely boys and wished for a girl. It was therefore strange to me when the doctors informed me that my womb was empty; that the ultrasound scan revealed no gestational sac.

I had been involved in an accident in the trimester whilst driving the Toyota Sienna and could not move my legs. Actually after the accident I came out of the car myself but after a while had no feelings from the waist down. The doctors at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital asked me if there was any information I wanted to give them and I remembered and told them I was pregnant. They exclaimed, as I had already been to do x-ray investigations, and so the surgeon ordered an ultrasound scan to know the status of the baby. Two scans were done, and they were by senior residents (I still have the reports with me), each indicating I was not pregnant. I was confused since I never bled or expelled anything but my husband urged me to forget about that. My getting well he said was more important.

We had been praying and believing God for my condition, but the investigations were very expensive.  The neurosurgeon ordered an MRI scan and when my husband balked at the cost he rebuked him: “Don’t you love your wife?” Oh, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; I will set him in the safety he panteth for Ps 12:5 (ASV).  I had been warned not to stand on my feet but I was convinced in my heart God would intervene and so with some assistance I put my feet on the ground. I was shaky at first but with my feet on the ground the feelings slowly returned. I now insisted on being discharged. My neurosurgeon is a brother; he obliged.

At home the signs of pregnancy kept coming and my body was changing, how could I not be pregnant? Some suggested the earlier test was a mistake; that some labs are fraudulent. I called on that brother and he invited me over to the lab. Assuring me he was no fraud he offered to repeat the blood test without charge. When the result came out positive he called my husband over and told us God had plans for and would protect the baby and prayed with us for the girl child I desired. Worried I might have a “blighted Ovum” – a cancerous condition- the gynaecologist sent me off to a well trusted radiology centre in town. I was now in the 12^th week. The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it Prov 10:22(ESV). Dr Mgbor himself did the test with a colour scanner after reading the note and taking my history. The attending nurse gasped at a point in the scan but Mgbor silenced her with a look. “Call your husband over to come here” he said, “I see the evidence of his work and want to congratulate him.” My baby was there! 

Esther works in the records department of UNTH

Deceitful thinking Week 17, 2013

“If the Christian faith is evidence based why have so many not accepted it?” a friend asked me. This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil Jn 3:19(GW) .There is a love people have for sin and sinful pleasure. To accept there is a God in heaven who will judge all my deeds compels me to seek to obey him. But if I want to continue in disobedience I lull myself to believe there is no such thing. Critically examining the facts of the Christian faith compels a change in lifestyle. Those who have no wish for such a change reject the critical appraisal, and insist, “Don’t talk to me about Jesus!” Consider Governor Felix: He listened to Paul talk about believing in Christ Jesus. But Felix became afraid when Paul spoke about things like doing right, self-control, and the judgment that will come in the future. He said, "Go away now. When I have more time, I will call for you."Act 24:24, 25(ERV).  Do you find yourself uncomfortable when Jesus, holiness and judgement is discussed? Ever wondered why? Felix loved bribes Act 24:26.

You may say, “I hate bribery, but I don’t believe Jesus”. It is not limited to bribery. People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking. And so they do what they should not do.  They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, greed, and hatred Rom 1:28, 29(ERV). Whenever truth becomes intolerable to a person an alternate truth is sought. The mind that refuses to grasp truth now willingly accepts and promotes error. You cannot accept consensual sexual union between unmarried people or between the same sex (married or not) as being acceptable, or desirable or correct and hold to Jesus. If you are not hungry for righteousness, how will you seek the bread of life? If you are not weary of sin, how can you cling to holiness?  Am I communicating?

Consider this response to evidence. The soldiers brought first hand evidence of the resurrection to the rulers. At the same time, some of the soldiers who were guarding the tomb went into the city. They went to tell the leading priests everything that happened Matt 28:11(ERV). They did not doubt the truth of what the soldiers told them. They were not disciples, and they resorted to cover up. "Say that Jesus' disciples came at night and stole him while you were sleeping. If this is reported to the governor, we'll personally persuade him to keep you out of trouble."Matt 28:13(ISV).  My friend has chosen his own truth. Will you choose yours or Jesus the Truth?

An authentic faith Week 16, 2013

I once had a discussion with a fine young lady about her faith. “What really do you believe about God and hereafter?” I wanted to know. She was a bit hesitant at first and then told me frankly she would not exactly fit into a particular mould of faith. She said something like this: “I just find bits of faith that resonate with me and I identify with it. I have travelled around many parts of the world and have met people of diverse faiths. They are all essentially good people sincerely working on moral living. It would be unjust to believe or declare them wrong simply because I was not born where they are. Let’s face it if I were not born in this part of the world I would not be a Christian!” My friend was willing to regard herself as a Christian in terms of population statistics, but was not persuaded the Christian belief is the only, ultimate truth. Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save anyone. We must be saved through him! Act 4:12(ERV) 

I am sure a lot of people struggle with such matters. They wrestle with thoughts like “You are not even in the clear majority; other faiths have graphic and real experiences of the supernatural. How can you claim to be exclusively correct? This Christian thing may be your own truth, your own expression, but surely not THE truth, ONLY truth to the exclusion of all others.” My answer to that is this: if the Christian faith is without distinct proof then you should put it on similar pedestal as other faiths. However listen when Paul addresses people from other faiths: So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved by humans using their own imagination and skill.  Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice through a man whom he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead Act 17:29-31(ISV). In essence the Christian faith is not a fantasy. It is reasonable. Secondly and importantly: the Christian faith is evidence based. The proof is the resurrection of Jesus. Does any other faith have a saviour who died, rose from the grave and still lives bodily? Mark you the resurrection is no empty claim: After his death Jesus showed the apostles a lot of convincing evidence that he was alive. For 40 days he appeared to them and talked with them about the kingdom of God Act 1:3(GW). I challenge you: examine the proofs of Jesus’ resurrection and doubt to more. Reason and proof are incontestable, not so?

Deadly chemistry Week 15, 2013

“Something so wrong cannot be so sweet. I cannot understand how it could be bad. It feels so right!”

You are married and should never start having affairs with anyone for any reason. It is wrong. Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery Heb 13:4(ISV).

“But we have such chemistry together. We are soul-mates. Sleeping together is just an expression of the wonder of our relationship. How could it be wrong? It was more exciting than any time with the one I wedded.”

What do you mean by chemistry?

“Don’t you feel it with your loved one? You poor religious fanatic missing out on life’s pleasures! We have this uncanny bond together. We just sense what the other wants without a word. We almost hear our thoughts sometimes, and get the right expressions effortlessly. You know I have tried to do the right thing as you say and keep away, but it is so hard to keep apart. It takes too much energy just trying, so I just believe it must be alright to do the natural thing of giving in to the feelings.”

Poor soul, in bondage to sin: But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 1Tm 5:6(KJV). You are showing all the symptoms of poisoning. Frowning? Take this issue of chemistry. Do you know about carbon monoxide?

“What has that got to do with our discussion?”

Everything I would say. There is a substance in your blood that carries oxygen to your tissues: haemoglobin. It is designed to carry oxygen but carbon monoxide can poison it. When it comes in contact with carbon monoxide, which by the way is a colourless and odourless gas like oxygen, the chemistry is very strong. The affinity between haemoglobin and carbon monoxide is approximately 230 times stronger than the affinity between haemoglobin and oxygen so haemoglobin binds to carbon monoxide in preference to oxygen. Yet haemoglobin is meant to carry oxygen to your tissues not carbon monoxide. In fact some scientific sensors would read “normal” for people poisoned with it as though they had lots of oxygen in the blood rather than poisonous carbon dioxide! If drastic steps are not taken this results in death.

“How does that apply to me?”

Don’t you see? Even in nature there are strong bonds that are poisonous. Stronger and greater chemistry than with your spouse is a manifestation of the poison. Even if you doubt the message of the Bible see the truth in nature. Do not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient Eph 5:6(ISV). Repent. 

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