SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 20, 2016, PAGE 43
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OW do we know when we are sick? We probably feel uncomfortable, have a high temperature and are unable to eat. But our feelings are not the sickness. Our feelings are symptoms of the sickness. Our feelings are actually defensive mechanisms alerting us to the fact that we are sick. Our feelings tell us when there is sickness lurking somewhere in our bodies. So when we get to a doctor, his assignment is that of determining the precise nature of the sickness. He does this partly by asking us about the symptoms. But what if we are sick and have no symptoms whatsoever? What if we are ill but don’t feel sick? Such a situation might actually be life-threatening. Some sicknesses, like AIDS and cancer are "sleepers." For a long time, people who are afflicted by them are unaware of them. Thus, some people just fall down and die. "But he was alright yesterday." "But I saw him today and he looked fine." He might have looked fine but in actual fact he was not. He might have looked alright, but as a matter of fact he was in the throes of death. Our feelings are our bodyguards. If we have no feelings at all, we might fall asleep, put our feet in a fire, and not know until we were completely burnt. We might just wake up dead. But because we have feelings, if we put our hands in the fire unknowingly, the searing pain would immediately call our attention to it. Seen from this perspective, pain is actually good for the body. It protects it. Pain alerts us that there is something wrong, so that we can take prompt re-
S TILL NO AVED NOTT SSA medial action.
Pleasures of sin I have never met anybody who liked sickness. But most people love sin. People don't enjoy sickness, but we enjoy sin. One of the peculiarities of sin is that it is pleasurable. The bible is insistent in warning against the pleasures of sin. Sin kills the soul, while sickness only kills the body. Therefore sin is infinitely more deadly than sickness. Jesus says: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). God sometimes permits sickness in order to save from sin. Indeed, sickness can sometimes be beneficial if it alerts us to the existence of lurking sin. Similarly, the wisdom of God sometimes prescribes suffering as the alternative to sin. The scriptures commend Moses for: “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” (Hebrews 11:2526). So if our feelings serve as
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved defensive mechanisms, alerting us to the existence of sickness, what defensive mechanisms do we have to alert us to the existence of the more deadly sin? This requirement becomes even more imperative given the pleasurable nature of sin. How can we tell what sin is lurking in the inner recesses of our souls? How can we tell in good time so that we don't end up in hell?
Blindness of David How could an anointed man like David, who walked so closely with God, have nevertheless slept with another man's wife, impregnated her, killed her husband and finally married her and be seemingly impervious to the sin? When he was told the parable of someone who committed a similar sin, he insisted that the person deserved to die. Somehow he never made the connection that he was guilty of the same offence. It never occurred to David that he himself was a dead
man. David’s conscience bothered him when he cut Saul’s skirt and when he conducted a census in Israel without God’s approval. But it did not bother him when he had Uriah killed. While he was busy conceiving and executing his plans, it never occurred to him that he was dicing with death. Not until a prophet was sent to him over nine months later did David realise the gravity of what he had done. In effect, David was dying of sin, but he did not know it.
Prescribed amputations What can we do to avoid this kind of predicament? Let us be instructed by the procedure with regard to sickness. Because there are some sicknesses, like cancer, which have no discernible initial symptoms, it is advisable to go for periodic medical check-ups, even when we are feeling fine. The thing about cancer is that it can be ar-
rested if detected in its early stages. But if it is allowed to spread, there is no known cure. Often what is done in the early stages is to remove the cancerous cells. This sometimes entails amputating the affected parts of the body. For example, mastectomies are performed whereby the breast is removed. Or hysterectomies are performed whereby the womb is removed. The same kind of approach is prescribed for the even more deadly sin. Jesus taught that salvation is the prime objective of life. Using medical metaphor, he describes the struggle for life: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:2930).
Fighting for life Jesus emphasised that the main struggle is against sin. The great battles of the life of a believer are not against the devil. The great battles are against sin. The believer strives and fights battles against sin all life-
long. In these battles, we are encouraged us not to give in or give up because we are more than conquerors through Christ’s love for us. (Romans 8:37). Those who love the Lord should hate evil. We who hate sickness should also hate sin. Sin is far more devastating than sickness. It is far more devastating than the dreaded AIDS. The wages of sin is age-lasting (spiritual) death. The effect of sickness is only temporal (physical) death. Therefore, it becomes imperative to go for periodic spiritual check-ups where the soul is scrutinised for lurking sin. That is why churches where pastors persistently preach “prosperity messages” are deadly. These pastors are quack doctors telling people all is well when it is not. What kind of church was David attending that allowed him to be so oblivious to his sin? What kind of messages was he listening to that made his conscience to be so seared? What kind of pastor did he have? That is why it was necessary for God to send Nathan, a true prophet, to expose his sin to him. Thus, a repentant David would no longer live in the kind of self-delusion many of us live in today. Every so often, David would go before the Lord and say: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24). Jeremiah warns: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).
Why I use coffin to illustrate my preaching---Kogberegbe By Olayinka LATONA
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COFFIN is not always a pleasant especially when it is brought within a church premises because it presupposes that a fellow human being who had just died is being prepared for interment. The sight can be scary and awe-inspiring. But at the Holy Michael Church of The Lord (Aladura) Cherubim & Seraphim,
founded by Prophet Samuel Olawale Kogberegbe coffins are a common sight because they form part of the preaching tools. Odd? Asked what was the correlation between an empty coffin and the church at the 2016 Descencion programme at Ori Oke Olorunda Esan Cathedral, Ikotun Egbe Road, Egbe, Lagos, the Eruwa, Oyo Stateborn prophet, said during the church 2016 Descension programme that he uses the
coffin as an illustration to teach Nigerians to be conscious about death and change their negative ways. The octogenarian, who has been in ministry for over 50 years, also debunked a report that he slept in a coffin for 40 years. “Death is certain and we are all going to end up in a coffin one day. I only use it as an example that one day, we will all die notwithstanding our position in the society and we will give a report of our
Speakers harp on national transformation at Fakeye's posthumous birthday By Olayinka LATONA
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IGERIANS have been advised to shun all forms of ethnicity and bigotry, the twin evil that have hinder-ed peace and progress of the giant of Africa and contribute their quota towards the nation's dev-elopment. The call was made by the General Leader, Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church, Surelere District, Ayo Ni O, Prophet Sunday Korode and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State Uni-versity, Ojo, Prof. Abolade Adeniji at the first Post-humous Birthday Lecture for late Apostle Gabriel Fakeye at the church premises in Lagos. Theme of the lecture was: “Religion, Politics, Ethni-cism and the quest for true national transformation in Nigeria”.
Prof. Adeniji, who was the guest speaker, said it was high time Nigerians em-braced positive change that would engender a prosperous nation, adding that Nigeria’s journey to prosperity could only be achieved if the leadership and followership imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and accountability. In his words: “For true transformation in Nigeria, there is need for us to rededicate ourselves on the Nigerian project. It is known that this country had good promises that can work but the challenge is what can we do to make this country work? Differ-ent ethnic groups have to contribute their quota, politicians must play the politics well and religious leaders should know that they have the responsibility to
impact positively on their members and society at large. “We have put our hands on the plough; I will encourage Nigerians not to look back but instead support this administra-tion,” he stated, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the 2014 National Conference report, because, according to him, the implementation of the report would help to revamp and re-launch the country. On his part, the General Leader of the church, Prophet Korode admonish-ed religious leaders to preach messages of peace, unity and love among their members, noting that more emphasis should be laid on spiritual prosperity rather than material prosperity.
*Samuel Olawale activities to God.” Continuing, he said: “Only
if kidnappers, armed robbers, politicians can buy a casket each for themselves today, and begin to lay inside, constantly reminding themselves that death looms even as they go about kidnapping, extorting money from families and putting their victims in untold pains. "It is possible to realize at a point that all their activities will one day end up in a casket, and there, their flesh will rotten. The same is applicable to everybody on earth. We need to realize that the world is bizarre and empty; as vanity plus vanity will always end up in vanity," the prophet stated. "I have a coffin which I carry about while preaching. I did not sleep in it for 40 years. All I am pointing out is that no matter how wealthy
you are, you will not leave this world with the money. You will not go into the grave with your money; be you a civil servant who stole money; be you an armed robber or a landlord or a caretaker, your money and wealth ends here the moment you are dead. “If you are buried with an expensive coffin, clothes and jewelleries, all will be stolen from you in the night and your carcass will be left. To me, life has no meaning until we come to God. Things are going wrong in this world and we should mend our ways,” the prophet emphasized. He revealed that he would soon build a mosque for Muslim worshippers within his church premises, explaining that he believes that both Christians and Muslims call on the same God.
Prophet gives N4.5m Jeep to traditional ruler
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ROPHET Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries, Warri on behalf of Diamond Partners of Mercy TV on Sunday, March 6, gave HRM Igwe Sylvester Ayogu Eze Ndigbo I of Ofu LGA, Kogi State a four-wheel runner jeep valued at N4.5 million, a cash donation of N1.5 million and four pairs of brand new shoes. Prophet Jeremiah, in a statement, shortly before the presentation disclosed that the monarch needed an
upgrade to the status of a dignified royal father. While presenting the keys and the documents, the gospel minister decreed that all traditional rulers in Nigeria and neighbouring nations who are passing through hard times in their kingdoms are set free from any kind of bondage. During the prophecy time, Prophet Jeremiah saw the traditional ruler in the spiritual realm, and narrated how rich the man was before he was crowned an Igwe, revealing how bad fortune
had befallen the royal father. The man of God said, dwindling fortune forced the monarch to seek solution from both herbalists and churches all to no avail, until the king became a taxi driver. Interestingly, the Igwe and his wife, Lolo Calister Sylvester confirmed the prophecy to be absolutely accurate and true. Irked by the handiwork of Satan upon the life the king, Prophet Jeremiah decided to use himself as an agent of positive change to restore the fortune of the pauperized monarch.