MARGINALIZING GOD AND FOOLING WITH IDOLS

‘Dear Children keep yourselves from Idols’ (1 John 5:21).   

Introduction

God is God and has no substitute. He alone is the one who never disappoints. Our primary loyalty and allegiance is to Him. To God alone we owe adoration and worship. The Holy Bible commands us thus: ‘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). So, ‘You shall have no other gods before me’ (Exodus 20:3). let there not be idols, no substitutes, no lesser gods, no god shelf on which God stands as one among others. He is Elohim – The Sovereign Lord who possesses all divine powers and all others spirits must bow to Him. It is  now time to ask ourselves how to identify, tear and sweep every idol from our lives in our daily Christian struggle. The first letter of John advises us: ‘Dear Children keep yourselves from Idols’. (1 John 5:21). As Christians, we have assurance of an unshakable dwelling place with God, and so can walk boldly by faith through seemingly impossible situations and become conquerors for Christ. We should not dethrone or push God out of our lives to idolize ourselves, people or things, but turn to Him to meet our deepest needs. Things are really incapable of meeting the deepest hunger of the heart.

The ‘Self, Others and things’ factors,

The tendencies of ‘Self, self, self! others, others, others! and things, things, things’! are terrible attachments that have gripped the human mind in the modern society. Although we cannot despise self, others and material things, we must not make a god of them either. Our interest in self and worldly things can make us quickly elbow out concern about spiritual issues, choke our devotional and spiritual life, and so make us become increasingly grasping, greedy and covetous.  We must watch out and be on guard against the dangerous tendency of marginalizing God and fooling ourselves. God designs us to be God-centred and not ego-centred and our hearts as St. Augustine will say are restless until they rest in Him. The things we place above God can be  good servants, but also terrible masters. Things which in themselves are not evil, are not all that matters in life. Christ did not scorn things. They are our servants and God wants us to use them wisely.  Let us give this matter a serious attention as Christians.

What is Idolatry?

 For most people, the word idolatry brings to mind figures and images of carved or molded statues worshipped by people in far off lands. It is the tendency to substitute something in the place of God. Anything that becomes an interest greater than the interest we have in God is an idol. It is something relative that becomes an absolute. You don’t need to reject God openly to be an idolater; you become one simply when you put something or someone other than God at the centre, and thus marginalize God. He no longer controls our lives because He is not at the centre. The list of things we can become devoted to the exclusion of God Himself is endless – status, work, power, fame, greed, covetousness, religious ceremonies, hedonism, materialism, consumerism, relativism, atheism, superstition and agnosticism. The deification of modern sciences and the consequent marginalization and dethronement of God has resulted to a world devoid of all meaning and purpose, with no higher order or power to guide it. Today, so many other idols acting as substitutes for God may be lurking and hiding in believers hearts as well. This makes us lose our focus and a sense of spirituality in life, and our standards of values drastically declines. I think that when we lose God, we invariably make ourselves god; and wrongly think that we can easily take advantage of Him and manipulate Him.

Negative effects of Idols

There must be no substitute for God. Him only will you serve and surrender fully to. ‘Fools say to themselves, ‘There is no God’ (Psalm 14:1). When we become more dependent on self, others, and things than we are on God, then our lives are thrown into confusion. Some of the negative effects of idols are:

·         Idols misrepresent God. ‘Turn away from idols to God, to serve the true living God’. (1 Thessalonians 1:9). ‘Our God is in heavens; He does whatever He wishes. Their gods are made of silver and gold, formed by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, and eyes, but cannot see’. (Psalm 115:3-5).

·         Idols are the biggest single hindrance to spiritual maturity. There is no breath of life in idols. ‘They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish’. (Jeremiah 10:15).

·         Our total and highest loyalty to God diminishes

·         Relative things falsely become absolutes

·         The deification of modern sciences and the consequent dethronement of God has resulted to a world devoid of all meaning and purpose, with no higher order or power to guide it. It should be noted that though science has an impressive record of achievements to its credit, it cannot be installed as Supreme God claiming the right to adoration and submission of man to it.

·         Idols destroy spiritual maturity, growth and peace with God. In fact, there cannot be spiritual growth in the life in which idols are present.

·         Idols are deceptive and illusory. They can give the appearance of security, but crumble and break down when truly tested (Jeremiah 10:15). The idol of wealth – of things cannot stand up to the test which death brings. It breaks down

Conclusion

We must strive to identify and keep ourselves from idols. Let us stop looking around, but look up to God for hope, meaning and purpose to life, or else we may become obsessed with carnal pleasures; and enslaved by greed, lust, avarice and blind appetites leading to dehumanization and destruction of our lives. Though people and things are important to us, we must not put them in the place of God. It becomes dangerous when we put our faith in parents, teachers, government, preachers, prophets, pastors, wives, husbands and children, and look up to them more than we look up to God. Watch out and remember God’s command in (Exodus 20:3). Idols let us down. ‘You shall have no other gods before me’.

Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director, Media Service Centre, Kaduna Nigeria, 2012

TRUE REPENTANCE IS AGREEING WITH GOD

‘The Sovereign Lord, the Holy God of Israel, says to the people, ‘Come back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.’ But you refuse to do it!’ Isaiah 30:15

Introduction

The call to repentance is at the heart of the gospel. It is one of the most consistent themes of the holy Bible. Jesus opened  his ministry with the call: ‘Repent and believe the Good News’ ( Mark 1:15).  This call is addressed to all without exception – rich and poor, great and small, and children, men and women alike. Repentance is an exciting and a joyous experience. In fact, it is the ultimate surrender of self, and God willed that the entire life of Christians be one of repentance because sinful tendencies remain to varying degrees in ordinary mortals. Repentance is not just an acknowledgment of and confession of sins; it is not simply feeling guilty about one’s sins and doing penance for them. It is not just an act but an attitude. It is a daily attitude, an ongoing process and perspective. A process by which we see ourselves day by day as we really are: sinful, needy and dependent people. It is also the process by which we see God as He is: awesome, majestic and holy. We will never be able to move into a deep relationship with God except we maintain an attitude of repentance. So let us take time this lent to examine and evaluate our spiritual condition and commitment to Christ.

Lenten Invitation

Every year, we are privileged to have a special liturgical period of forty days before Easter called Lent to evaluate our lives, reflect on God’s love in Christ and live in His presence, set our priorities right and our hearts on better and noble things. We remember during Lenten season that we are dust and on to dust we shall return, and so turn to the Lord of all goodness and ask for mercy and forgiveness. His presence is tremendously super and overwhelmingly wonderful, and He cannot be out done with generosity. God the Creator, is the Lord and lover of souls who gives life, maintains and sustains it, and returns it when it has been lost (Ezekiel 18:33).

Lent is a special time when God invites us to put more efforts and energy into our relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Every day during Lent, Jesus invites us to come to Him, to turn our faces towards Him and look upon Him with faith.  It is a time for us to pray: ‘Lord, make me know your ways’ in order to gain a deeper and more intimate relationship with God (Psalms 25:4). God’s ways are ways of love, truth, mercy, justice and peace; and this is the Good News that Christ preached:  that forgiveness is available, recovery is possible and redemption can be achieved.

However, we observe that the world is in danger of being swamped by bad news. The ugly events and happenings of our times – brutal violence, religiously motivated terrorism, suicide bombings, natural calamities, ecological disasters and so many other ungodly and wicked activities leaves us feeling seriously challenged and humbled. We continue to see the impact that horrible diseases are having on our people. We see how drugs, alcoholism and substance abuse, compulsive gambling, cultism, and other addictions are placing distressing and crushing burdens on our families and the larger society. We also see how thousands of lives are perishing in the natural disasters around the world – floods, tsunamis, typhoons, draught, famines and earthquakes. The truth is that God sees our sufferings. He is filled with compassion for us and always ready to pour His grace over us. He wants to see us healed and restored. God wants to move closer to us, but the question we have to answer is: Do we want to move closer to Him? As we journey along lent, we pray God to challenge us and change us, develop the desire in us to be alone with Him in prayer, and longing to know Him better through His Word and spiritual meditations.

What is true Repentance and why is it vitally important?

Let us now take a moment to examine the  important issue and meaning of repentance. The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means a ‘change of mind’. A change from darkness to light, hatred to love and curse to blessing. Someone defines true repentance as ‘agreeing with God’. This is absolutely true and there is obviously no point disagreeing with God over anything because being God, He is always right. So we cannot argue with God or raise objections over issues that appear to threaten our ego and self-centredness. He is the lord of our lives, and that means we are no longer lord over our lives. Let us always do the right thing and stop rationalizing our decisions and behaviors, offering good reasons and unnecessarily bargaining with God. Our response to His call and challenge should not be one of resistance, rebellion and argumentation, but of godly sorrow and total submission. In the reflection book, Every Day with Jesus of January/February 1995, Selwyn Hughes categorically states that ‘when we repent, we adopt the attitude that God is right and we are wrong.’  In our commitment of the Christian life, submission is crucially essential as this sets the tilt of our souls in the direction of agreeing with God. Radical repentance is vitally important because it eliminates the effects of the shame, disgrace and guilt of sin in us.

Repentance is not a sad and negative  thing as people often see it. It is not merely the feeling of guilt or being sorry for sin, but a joyous experience that elevates you to God and makes one to agree with divine principles and values. It is a process of discovering something wonderful about yourself; realizing and digging up your potentials; acquiring a new vision; taking a new direction, and living by better values.

Conclusion

While we constantly need to remember in our Christian struggle that our carnal nature may surface at any time to disagree with God.; the good news is that forgiveness is available, recovery and restoration are possible and redemption can be achieved through the  grace of God. We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But we are still loved by God, and loved unconditionally, because His love,  mercy, forgiveness are available to us through Christ Jesus. Therefore, Let us confess and recognize our need of Him, and seek His help with humility, while earnestly  fasting, praying and doing works of charity with sincerity for divine mercy and healing upon our world.  We must totally trust God, our only secured foundation and the ultimate guarantor of justice and peace. Happy Lenten season and God bless you.

Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service Centre Kaduna, 2012

FACING CHALLENGES WITH FAITH

‘Be strong and courageous – I will never fail or forsake you (Joshua 1: 5-7’

Introduction

Have you ever faced a challenge that left you feeling inadequate, afraid and completely paralyzed? The great Biblical heroes and heroines undoubtedly suffered and experienced the same weaknesses as you do. Joshua, Moses and others never started as mighty men of faith, but also felt inadequate and incompetent. Nevertheless, they felt compelled to carry on only with the divine assurance that the Lord will go with them every step of the way and fulfill His promise to His children. Apparently, we then come to understand that conflicts, crisis and challenges are inevitable in our fallen, fragmented and broken world; But for us Christians, turning to the Lord in prayer is always the best way to respond in a crisis situation. When we are more dependent on others (creatures) than we are on God the (Creator) then our lives are thrown into confusion. In the face of the utter restlessness and hopelessness of our time, we should exercise extra vigilance and caution, and deepen our relationship with the sovereign Lord who is our only lasting refuge.

Justifiable anger

Anger you know is dangerous and can shut down communication and break relationships apart. This was our experience recently when Nigerians were angry over the sudden and shocking fuel subsidy removal . While we can think of many reasons in the light of the state of affairs in the nation to justify our anger, the only view point that matters is the Lord’s. This collective anger boiled over  into an explosive expression of rage that hurts not only the Federal Government but the generality of the masses. Massive street protest, mass rallies, shutdown were held by Nigerians across the federation to demonstrate their annoyance and displeasure with the Federal Government over the fuel subsidy removal.

During the period, many flee to their home States for fear of losing their lives during the nation - wide protest against the fuel subsidy removal called by organized Labor and Civil Liberty Groups; Curfew was imposed in some states for security reasons; several people were attacked and brutalized by security operatives in some states; unfounded and misleading rumor and text messages were making their rounds to cause confusion and panic and so to inflame religious tension and sectarian conflicts; some miscreants were alleged to have taken part in looting, extortion and burning of some political campaign offices in some States; financial analyst said the government and companies lost so much revenue and profits as the sea and air ports were shut; traders selling perishable goods watched them decay and livestock farmers who could not buy feeds for their animals watched them died slowly.

The leadership question

This unprecedented  protests shook the nation to its foundation and raised several issues on the leadership question, poor governance and endemic corruption at all level. Thanks to God that normalcy has gradually returned again after the one week of national paralyzing strike and street protest following the extensive consultation with stakeholders and the announcement of the downward review in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from 141 naira to 97 naira per litre. The Federal Government should take a bold step to carefully review and investigate the activities in the oil and gas sector in order to sanitize the petroleum industry, tackle inherent corruption, punish those found culpable without sparing individuals and corporate groups, demand for accountability and transparency in the oil and gas sector and strive to restore confidence in that sector. Since the bonds of trust between the government and the people is weakened, it should do all it can to build confidence again, govern with justice and fairness, invest in its people and provide economic and political freedom for an enduring and sustainable democracy.

Although we live in unsettling times when political alliances, financial systems and ethical standards are wobbling and shaking; although our families are in crisis and many marriages are crumbling and our condition is worsening; and we are seeing the decay of the structures upon which we have based our national pride and hope. Our hope is not completely lost. We should collectively develop a new relationship and strategy based on mutual trust that would motivate us to promote the dignity of all peoples as we journey towards our common ultimate goal.

Challenges for the New Year

The challenges before our government are numerous. Challenges such as peace, and security and economic development, poverty eradication, food and energy shortage, ethnic and regional strife, human rights, democracy, good governance and environmental sustainability among others. The government should squarely combat the climate of poverty in Nigeria by challenging unjust and oppressive structures that keep our people in poverty through high unemployment, dependency on foreign aid and inadequate health care. There is no doubt that the effects of the climate of poverty is greatly magnified by environmental degradation caused by poverty and cultural practices. The root cause of our poverty is bribery and corruption, lack of good merit system and the implementation of sound economic policies. This has made vast majority of Nigerian rural population, 80 percent to live below the poverty line.

In fact, the level of poverty forces many families to send their children out on to the streets to hawk and sell produce, chewing gums, sweets, kolanuts, pure water and do some menial jobs at times, thereby denying them the chance to go to school. The government must do everything within its power to provide educational and recreational facilities and activities for our children and youth; take positive steps to improve living conditions for Nigerians, provide good access to employment and health facilities for all citizens.

Conclusion

We live in a period of great restlessness and fear. But even then, God is in control as the Lord of the universe and master of every situation. He has place these challenge before us as a developing people, and we must not retreat or try to avoid them. Therefore, the happenings and developments around us should perpetually rouse our consciences in a very timely manner, to confess and recognize our need of God who is the pride and honor of his people, and also the solid foundation and support for everything. It should challenge us as citizens of Nigeria to keep our eyes on God and faithfully follow His instructions and divine will. Then He will lead us into a deeper relationship with Him and greater opportunities to serve and build our nation. Our job is to stay focused on God and obey Him – not the difficulty of our challenges. Now is the time to unite together to help build a virile and stable Nigeria. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service Centre, Kaduna Nigeria 2012

OUR JOURNEY IN THE ADVENT PERIOD AND TECHNOLOGY IN CHRISTIAN HOME

‘Do not be afraid – I am with you! I am your God – let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you.’ (Isaiah 41:10)

Introduction

Life is a journey. Let us pause for a moment and consider the purpose of our life. What are we living for?  What are our ambitions – to change the world for better or for worse? Are we living to pursue our own interest or to fulfill God’s will? Jesus  of Nazareth, a remarkably wonderful historical figure  born in a stable to a teenage mother with no wealth and influence teaches us that the only goal of lasting value and fulfillment is serving God and doing His will. He spent the majority of His time with the poor, outcast and downtrodden and was crucified by His fellow citizens at the age of 33. Yet 2011 years later, He has two billion followers, and His message remain ever relevant and impactful. Kings and presidents quote Him; brave men and women have died for Him; and many adherents of other faiths – Jews, Muslims, and Hindus among them revere Him as a prophet and a teacher. As Christians, we need to remember that when we are going through hard times, the Lord is with us even when our circumstances seem to shout that He has deserted and neglected us. So let us look up to Him expectantly and with silent trust this Advent.

In an age before cars, trains and airplanes – in a time when radio, television, satellite, telephone, and internet did not exist – Jesus charged His disciples with a seemingly impossible task: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19). It has become even more challenging for us Christians in this modern world of amazing electronic media with its new technologies powerfully shaping modern minds, values, attitude, mentality, behavior and lifestyle to take the mandate of Jesus serious.

Understanding the New Media Technologies

These new technologies – computers, lasers, global system of mobile communications (GSM), cell phones, cable and satellite telecommunication, internet, face book, email, chat, texting, twitter, World Wide Web (www) and U-tube which are evolutionary process, are creating greater acceleration, opportunities, possibilities, problems and challenges. So, Christian parents must become conscious of the new language, techniques, cultures and perceptions of the modern media world, because if we are not informed, we will become deformed. We must strive to acquire skills and good understanding of the usages and application of these new technologies and implore new methodologies for effective Christian witnessing.

In this world of amazing electronic media and a million ways to communicate, social networking is a big business. Things like face book, twitters, emails, chat and texting reveal our hunger to connect with another, yet many people still feel lonely and don’t get it right. Kids don’t talk to parents, parents don’t talk to kids, and husbands don’t talk to wife. Surprisingly, many homes, workplaces, and even Churches and our parish communities are becoming gatherings of strangers. We live and worship together without truly knowing each other. In fact, the age is becoming unreasonably demanding with too many confusing choices and too much information. However, in all these, the church encourages the right use of these modern inventions and technologies for the sake of human development, justice, peace and for the up - building of the global human society at all levels.

Negative applications of these technologies and effects on Christian homes

Sexually charged videos and programs makes the youth more accepting to premarital sex. Some channels and pornographic sites today show immoral films under the guise of blue films. It is alarmingly shocking  to see pornographic videos cassettes, tapes and CDs being sold in open markets and shops in Nigeria, at cheap and affordable rates to all especially in some major cities in Nigeria. Studies have shown that children/youth that watch lots of sexual/cigarette/alcohol/violent content on television or the net are likely to pick up these habits, because the product placement makes such behavior normal and acceptable. The internet has hate sites to defaming and attacking religious, ethnic and societal groups. It is sometimes indifferent and even hostile to the Christian faith and morality. Television is full of programs that depict risky and dangerous behavior such as illicit sex and substance abuse as cool, fun and exciting. Positively, there should rather be television discussion and program about the consequences of drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking cigarettes and having pre-marital and extra marital sex.

The trap of fear and self - deception

The headlines on our dailies seem to offer little or no encouragement these days. The nation’s faltering economy and violent ethnic tensions and killings have even worsen matters. How easy it would be to give in to cynicism and despair at these tough times. The global drastic economic changes resulting in the sudden loss of jobs and financial insecurity are causing many people to think they have failed. The feeling of insecurity frequently leads to indecisiveness, fear and self- deception. We become so consumed with self doubt that we cannot make any decision at all. However, God wants to set us free from anything hindering our spiritual growth and development this advent. The world does not offer hope for those in despair and fear, but God does. He understands the pressure of our situation. We are not alone. He knows our frustrations and plans to use each one to strengthen and prepare us for His future blessings. Let us assume a Christian businesswoman is involved in some shady practice. If her conscience is drugged by self deception, she would brush the matter aside and say to herself: ‘There are many areas where I am honest. I do not cheat on my husband. I read my Bible daily. I give a tenth of my income to God’s work. But she has a blind spot. Most of us have fallen into the state of self – deception where the clear distinction between good and evil has become blurred by specious arguments that have as their end self-interest. Let us take those specific areas of fears and insecurity to the Lord and allow Him to show us the truth in each area.

Some Questions to help us identify areas of fears and insecurity

The following statements that insecure people often make about themselves taken from the InTouch Magazine of August edition, 2009 can help us identify areas of fear and insecurity in our lives:

§  Why border trying? I will never get it right.

§  Everyone is looking at me, just waiting for me to make a fool of myself.

§  I am a failure.

§  I am ugly and awful to look at.

§  I can never win. I am just a loser.

§  No matter how hard I work, I never get any recognition.

§  I am incompetent at everything.

§  Nobody could ever speak well about me.

§  I have failed before; once a failure, always a failure.

§  I don’t see how anyone could ever like, respect, or accept me.

§  I don’t deserve to be treated well.

§  I don’t fit here or anywhere else.

§  I am an incompetent person, and nothing can change that.

§  Why would anyone care to hear what I have to say.

§  No one cares about what I think or feel.

§  People are nice to me only when they want something from me.

Conclusion

As we prepare for Christmas we must remember that regular communion with God through prayer and spiritual reading of Scripture about the prophecies and promises of God for His children would help us avoid the trap of self-deception, over-indulgence, materialism, idolatry, or apathy. We must struggle as Christian families to grow in Christlikeness and be molded into the Lord’s image by making positive use of all technologies God places within our powers to bless humanity to His glory. So, do not be afraid but trust God!

Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director, Media Service Centre, Kaduna Nigeria, 2011

CHOOSE LIFE AND BLESSING

‘But the Lord says, ‘Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new I am going to do. It is happening already- you can see it now! I will make a way through the wilderness and give you streams of water  there’. Isaiah 43:19; Isaiah 12:2

‘This day… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. No choose life, so that you and your children may live’. Love the Lord your God, obey Him and be faithful to Him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that He promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Deuteronomy 30:19-20

There is intense invisible spiritual battle taking place all around us. Our enemy, the devil and his entire demonic host are working against us every day. We must not be caught unawares, but brace up to become spiritually charged and battle - ready through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Biblical story of how the brave shepherd boy David fought and defeated a Philistine giant named Goliath should inspire us this new year. He achieved this victory not with any sophisticated weapon of warfare, but with a simple homemade sling and five stones. His answer to Goliath ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God’ (1 Samuel 17:26), implies that he saw the battle in spiritual terms from the very start. David responded in faith, and reaffirmed that the battle is not his but God’s. He faced the challenge with godly perspective. Rather than focusing on the problem that lay before him, he placed the Lord at the centre of his circumstances.

David made a strong profession of faith: ‘I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted’. (1 Sam 17:45). Indeed, we can draw great comfort, courage and strength from the names of God in Holy Scriptures. He announces Himself as El-Shaddai – God is enough. The strengthener and nourisher of His people. Elohim – The one who possesses all divine powers. When God steps in and takes charge of situation, He will bring hope and breathe fresh vitality and powers into our lives. I can tell you from experience that major problems seem exceedingly insignificant when measured against the greatness of an omnipotent God. Adonai – Lord and master of the universe. This is the time I want to believe that God wants us to look up and see that He is still Adonai  - The Lord of the universe and Master of every situation. We shall become victorious if we prayerfully look up to Him and ask for grace, strength, wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit to take a stand against the spiritual powers of darkness and the tyranny of evil and wickedness in the world.

Yes, we are at war and it is a fight for our lives – not our physical lives but our spiritual lives.  For the Apostle Paul says: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”(Ephesians 6:2). Dr. Charles Stanley, president/publisher of the In Touch Ministries opines that one of the primary reasons believers are defeated in battle is because the enemy catches us completely unawares; and to win a war, we must know that we are in one. St. Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:11 to ‘Put on the full armor of God’. Dr. Henry Von Dyke says: There is absolutely nothing that man cannot do without – except God. Declare for God and choose life and blessing this New year.

The issues of life and death are fundamental issues set before us.  Let us vote for life and choose life with God as our Creator and Designer. Today we are thankful to God because He alone has the answers that really resolve matters and do not let us down. So we must depend on the Creator and not upon the creature anymore. In an age when the world has to consider the possibility of running out of many of its mineral resources, Christians need to fix our gaze upon God, who created and design the universe – the God who is enough and the air, sun, and rain He gives never runs dry. God alone has the resources and power to meet our every needs. God is sufficient and enough. He makes the impossible possible (Genesis 30:22-23; 17:1-8; 35:9-15). There are many things in this world of which men think they do not have enough – some nations claim they do not have enough money, oil, mineral resources and power. But even in this God is enough. The one kingdom that is unshakable is the Kingdom of God. God is unchanging and dwells in an unshakable Kingdom. We must choose to declare for his Kingdom.

We live in a period of great restlessness and fear. All around us at the moment is a great shaking of earthly values – the kingdom of finances, oil, stock market, health is shakable. The medical doctor suddenly announces you’ve got an incurable illness. This is shocking and shakable. The government suddenly announces the removal of subsidy on petrol. This is a shocking coup which is also annoying and shakable. Today our faces too carry stories of anguish and hope, and we’re all crying out desperately for peace, security and justice in the world. These are times of unprecedented pains, troubles, temptations, terrorism, calamities, tragedies and catastrophes of earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, erosions, floods and typhoons literarily affecting every one across the globe. Lives are vanishing and perishing indiscriminately and the human suffering is incredibly great.

As a nation, we are experiencing a man-made scourging poverty compounded by violence, injustice, insecurity, corruption and greed. We are experiencing political leadership that seek to foster divisions based on ethnic and religious differences. We are experiencing socio-economic and political circumstances that feels tough and unbearable;  our questions and prayers appear to go unanswered, our faith is faltering and God seems distant. Humanly speaking, we cannot digest and make a sense out of all these horrors and tragedies. These stories of the terrible violence and horrendous disasters around the world broke our hearts and challenge our faith. These horrific tragedies leaves us confused and bewildered, as we’re finding it hard to believe in a God whose Sovereignty controls the Universe, and yet allows these tragedies to happen. Yet, even when we do not see immediate change and response to our prayers, we must still believe and trust God’s faithfulness.

As we journey though the desert of life, we are daily confronted with serious dangers and difficulties; but discover however that God is in each crisis. Therefore, we should keep our gaze continually fixed on God; for if we gaze too long at our problems, we will become obsessed by them; they will dominate us, and it will not be long before we become a problem to ourselves and to others. Let us choose life and blessing always. God is enough even in our despondency and utter helplessness and hopelessness. He will make all things new. Today, look the right way, focus continually on Him and see His glory instead of the gloom around us. God alone has the answers.

Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director, Media Service Centre Kaduna Nigeria, 2012