When I read many posts by my country men and women on Facebook, I am sad. I am sad because these posts are coming from the educated cream de la cream of our system. I see a system sunk by spiritual misdirection and lost in the culture to nowhere. A system bereft of pure understanding and misconstruing culture and religion.

We have sandwiched both and have come up with the bread that is inedible and often leads to death. Indeed the resultant is bitterness and failure. That we are selling this confusing system to the coming generation and expecting a change in the positive is to say the least, delusional. Now I understand why many have chosen to send their children out of this quagmire of the journey to nowhere. That explains why we are racing to train our kids out of the country of Nigeria if we can afford it. We have adopted the education of many western countries and where we cannot afford the West’s we settle for some African countries.

Now people will come out to say I have accused my culture as been substandard and have also lowered the standards of religion. I have not said or insinuated anything of such. When we defend honor when honor is not deserved, why will people not rob us and wait for us to say to them ‘ran ka de de’. The ‘ran ka de de’ is expected by our politicians, religious leaders, traditional rulers etc. even when they have not done anything to deserve honor.

They force it down our throat even when they should have been tied to the stake and executed. Some drum it down on us based on age even when Job 32 :9 says It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. When they see us almost catching them in their guiles, the politicians throw portions of our stolen money at us and we scramble like deprived dogs and rats. The religious leaders threaten us with curses even when God Himself has freed us from every curse.

The Kings and traditional rulers subdue us with the traditions of men and there we go scampering with pleadings for forgiveness. The old ones simply scream at us to obey our elders. And in all these, we forget what made us to complain in the first place. Sometimes they throw some pieces of fish at some of us in order to keep us under their tables thus deceiving us that we are one of them. At this level, those who were ‘lucky’ to sit under their tables to pick the crumbs of pieces of fish come back at the remaining ‘talakawas’ to defend the acts and intrigues of the bourgeoisie.

Now back to the beginning; my pain is that my people cannot see as they are completely blindfolded by the culture and religion. Their thoughts are visionless and warped. Yes they think but their thoughts lead them nowhere instead they find themselves playing the famous children’s game of ringa, ringa roses.

The book of wisdom which I have been very privileged to read tells me that as a man thinks, so is he. Prov 23:7. The very same book many of these people read but seem not to understand. The same book that is been used to hood wink many has the solution to our bondage. Unfortunately, we have not been able to see the deliverance because instead of reading the book we are listening and believing in the men and women who interpret the book. The saddest portion is that this very act is often defended by those who are supposed to know (The very educated).

Is it therefore all hopeless? Not at all. “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant. Job 14:7-9.

That I am a Nigerian and that I am writing this because I can see it, is a sign of hope. If you can see it, all you then need is the courage and strength to avoid it. I can see it and I can assure you that there are many who also can see it. And I tell you what; in I Kings 19:8, God said to Elijah; Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
The army of understanding and righteousness is coming. See them arise from the East and from the West with wisdom and power aided by the supernatural. They will arise with Justice in their wings and give victory to the oppressed.

PASTOR NOSA IDAHOSA.
March 2018

Growing up as a young Christian, Christians were not known to be whiners. These days we spend all the time whining and crying. In those days, we took the Gospel to where the gospel had never been to. We went everywhere to ensure that the Gospel was spread. For the records, it was the Nigeria Christian Corpers that took the Gospel to the Koma people in Adamawa in Northern Nigeria. It was a huge sacrifice. Some of these brethren had to strip themselves naked in order to be able to access the village. I writing this, remember when we visited a village in the deep Northern Nigeria and we were told not to preach and that if we did, we will be raided at night, all the brothers stood guard overnight and we preached in that village for 3 days. I remember sleeping on bare springs in a school somewhere in Wase village to preach the gospel. That was in the 80s.
Now fast forward to the 90s and 2000s. Christians have chosen to challenge each other in the cities with the sizes of their Cathedrals and models of their pastors’ cars. We steal members from our various churches. You find Christians these days that have traversed many churches. We advertise for members as if we are selling Blue Omo detergent. We fix loads of programs to stop our members from going to the program of others.
We now celebrate year after year with the latest aircrafts given to our GOs, and the sizes of homes just built for them. We have extended our escapades to building Schools, Hospitals and Universities that could only be attended by the rich that will not respect God. We have therefore created a vacuum. When we refused to go, we created a vacuum. Instead we began to compete over the number of ministers we have sent to Canada, the United States of America, Scotland, Germany etc. as if these people needed our ministers. We were not sending missionaries to these places but ministers. I want to tell you confidently. Stop sending ministers to these countries. They do not need your ministers. We have not been able to get many of them to the Lord anyway in spite of the number of minsters we have sent. Instead we have turned our Nigeria biased churches to hang out enclaves for Nigerians on Sundays and on party days. So if you need a place to socialize with people that understand your culture, please go to a Nigerian Church in many of these countries. Many in these churches have no clue about God. It is interesting that the same sister who attended the program the last time the ‘GO’ was around is also the one organizing for the African program biased towards African gods. Perhaps our main reason for sending our minsters overseas was to safeguard our human/financial investments that have gone overseas. I.e. so that we may retain our ‘almighty tithe’ base. We seem to be more interested in the Dollars and Pounds from these places to fuel our greed for big mansions, cathedrals and airplanes than the Gospel. We want people to prostrate before us when we visit them overseas. Meanwhile there are still villages around Lagos and in many places in Nigeria where the Gospel has not been heard till date. We are not interested in such places as we have declared them ‘non-viable’. Our unwillingness to ‘go’ created a vacuum in Nigeria and this vacuum is been occupied by others. Honestly you can never leave place empty as others will step in to fill the vacuum created. Instead of us to find out what the problem is, Nigerian Christians are whining “The Muslims are coming”. Let me quickly tell you. The Bible says occupy till I come (Luke 19:13). Since we have refused to occupy, more religions are finding their way into the system. We may scream Muslims now. We may continue to scream the Muslims are coming or like we often say these days ‘they are Islamizing Nigeria’. Thank God for the man of God who said it is because we have refused to Christianize Nigeria that they are Islamizing Nigeria. Let me quickly let us know that it is not only the Muslims that are coming. Many other religions and vices are coming. We have left the vacuum and others have to occupy them.
Enough of these whining and crying; Fold up your sleeves, wear your shoes, bring out your bibles and let’s go back to where we missed it. Let righteousness reign. Let the poor receive help from your schools and hospitals. Let us go into the places and preach the gospel. Do not create any doubt that you are an ambassador of Christ. If meat will make people stumble, please stop eating meat. Stop crying like losers and stop writing fake news asking everyone to share. We are not politicians but Christians. We walk by faith and not by sight. Stop behaving like the unbelievers who work and believe in propaganda. You cannot beat them with their weapon. The weapon of our warfare are not carnal but mighty THROUGH GOD (not through propaganda or writing fake news on Facebook) to the pulling down of strong holds. We now lack the power to cast down imaginations because we want to join them and use their weapons. Enough is enough.

Pastor Nosa Idahosa
Senior Pastor ACCM Calgary.

We know and understand that this is a disruptive moment for everyone. I call on every religious leader to be innovative at such a time. Let us come up with ingenious and effective ways of worship in the face of this global challenge. This is not the time to suspend worship but to come up with practical and workable worship environments.

I call on all brethren who are most vulnerable such as seniors, those with underlying health challenges and perhaps those who are pregnant to be most cautious.

While it might be very tempting to display our faith prowess, it might not be expedient to do such at this time. This is not the best time to be famous but the situation calls for wisdom and God-inspired decisions.

We should and must not give in to fear but activate the word of God in our lives at this time. It is time to prove the efficacy of the word of God such as is written in Proverbs 18:10 which says the name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. (NLT). The scripture is full of many of such promises and so I need not encumber this write up with all of them.

Finally in all our decisions, we should consider Rom 13:1-5 very carefully;

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.” Rom 13:1-5 (NIV)

We will soon be out of this because although we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil because He is with us.

God bless you all brethren.

Pastor Nosa Idahosa.
Snr Pastor ACCM Calgary.

Christianity is not a religion that had never been under pressure. However, let me say that there was a time when Christianity thrived under a less hazardous atmosphere. Perhaps that explains the relaxed mood many Christians have found themselves today. Maybe that is about to change. A thoughtful Christian would have known that this environment will not persist or endure for a long time.

Recently, Christianity has come under all manner of vicious attacks. These attacks are not limited to any continent. The weapons of attacks are as diverse as the continents where the attacks are coming from. Some have been physical, causing bodily harm and resulting in untold casualties and fatalities. For example, in Africa, precisely in Nigeria there is a huge and palpable fear that the religion is under severe attack by the Muslims especially when it is perceived that lots of the people in authority are from the Muslim sector. Also, there appear to be subtle moves to sell the Islamic religion not through the normal process of personal conviction but either by force or by fraud.

In the Western world, especially in Canada, the Christians are under severe pressure to give up their fundamental beliefs by the government of the day and surrender to evolutionism rather than creationism as believed by the Christians. Also, the LGBTQ community backed by the government of the day has targeted the Christian faith as their major enemy. Even when the Christians have submitted to allowing the LGBTQ community to be and to go their way and believe whatever they believe. The system has put the Christians on the defensive by threatening to starve them of much needed government funds and subsidies. These subtle moves by the government seek to bring Christianity on her knees. For instance, In Alberta, Christian schools have been forced to adopt LGBTQ principles, agenda and philosophies with the threat that if they refuse, they will be starved of funds by the government. As if these threats were not enough, the government has gone to the most vulnerable in our society; our children and have forced the Christians to let the Christian schools teach them what they LGBTQ believes and not what the Christians believe. And to further alienate the parents of these Children from what their Children are been taught, the schools have to sign not to inform the parents of what their Children are participating in. Stories have it that school curriculum and textbooks are being changed to accommodate the believes of the LGBTQ community. Such is the oppression that today’s Christian must endure in Canada. I think it would have been morally justifiable to excuse our Children from this quagmire of confusion and let the children decide for themselves when they reach the age of accountability. Alternatively, we have chosen to sell our propaganda into their young minds thus creating sufficient confusion for these young minds as they hear one thing from home and a totally different thing from school. The kids really do not know what or who to believe now.

Various degrees of oppression and repression are being suffered by Christians all over the world. In many parts of the Middle east, churches are not allowed to be built and physical persecution of Christians causing bodily harm are ubiquitous. It is not different in Asia. Unfortunately, in some parts of Europe, the word ‘anti-puritanism’ has been used to silence the Christian believer and to gradually obliterate Christian values from the system. Let me quickly say this before I continue that in spite of all these, I want to submit that the annihilation of Christianity is impossible.

So, under such an intense pressure, the question is what is the Christian’s response to the present-day challenge we face? The persecution of Christians is not new to Christianity. The Bible has examples of many of such. In Acts of the Apostles, just at the birth of Christianity, Herod did it and this led to the death of James and the imprisonment of Peter. In the time of Queen Esther, there was a plan to annihilate the Jews, the race from which Christianity emanated. In Rome, many Christians were thrown to the lions and were eaten. It is on record that many of the Apostles of Jesus Christ were either beheaded, burnt or made to suffer one humiliating death or the other. In medieval Europe, many Christians were tied to the stake and burnt for not obeying what the authorities thought were the right things to do.

Now my question to today’s Christian, is what is our answer to modern day plan and proposal to emasculate Christianity? To this I answer that guns and cudgels might not work. The Christians have to be careful with political maneuvers and theatrics unless God directs such exactly.

So, what are we going to do? I leave this question to all Christians to begin to come together and find answers to.