Prepared For The War?

I was in Israel on 'Pilgrimage' late 2011; I guess you can call me JP! Many claimed it was a spiritual journey but to as many as cared to listen, I told that if any Christian needs to go to Israel on a spiritual journey, their Christianity is vain. Every true believer in Christ began their spiritual journey the day they had an encounter with Christ! My journey to Israel was a Historical Journey to see the sites I have heard and read about in the scriptures. One of the highlights of the tour for me was the visit to the Wailing Wall. It was both interesting and sad for varied reasons. Here were people writing prayers on paper and stuffing into the walls. I almost did same then I realized that even in the old testament when Solomon had built and was dedicating the temple, the covenant between him and God was that whenever any Israelite prayed FACING the temple, God would hear. Now in the New Covenant the Bible made it clear that WE are the temple of God Himself so the Spirit of God in me helps me to pray in accordance to God's will. Jesus then said when teaching to pray 'When you pray say...'; when teaching on worship in John 4 said to the woman at the well 'A time cometh when we shall neither worship the Father on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...'. This goes to say that all that activity at the Wailing Wall is mere religion and holds no water except we pray and worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH! Having said that, my mind was cast back to the events at the Wailing Wall because of the recent Global events and a few questions and personal conclusions are being raised in my heart. I took my time to read once again Matt 24, Mk 13 and Lk 21 to set my heart at rest. Jesus spoke emphatically about the end of the age and its signs and three things are noted in His discourse A. Jesus said when we begin to see wars and hear about rumours of wars we should know as God's people that this is only the BEGINNING of the birth pangs B. He said (Matt24:21) that the DISTRESS would be unequalled from those face from the beginning of the world and never to be equalled again. C. He promised that the days had been CUT SHORT for the sake of the ELECT (by the way that is relative to the divine calendar) because had it not been NO ONE would survive. Question here is if the Bible is true on these matters and here we are; from global warming to global economic recess, august spring setting in motion a ripple effect in those oppressed nations, kidnapping, plane crashes, insecurity, political confusion, dashed hopes, blatant global pursuit of gay rights, scary rise in divorce statistics, premarital, extramarital and intermarital affairs, fear, addictions of every sort, poverty, sicknesses and fatal diseases in short hell is on the rampage; are we the Church aware of the spiritual signal? Could it be a sign that what Jesus spoke about is coming to pass? Is the Church prepared for the pending evil? In the midst of our sermons promising of the good and the great are we preparing a people ready for the imminent war? Are we preparing people who know that this war is not physical but spiritual or have we raised a people who have no trust in the efficacy of the spiritual during war times so resort to self-help means? Of course the Master told us that somewhere around all these events He would return. I will not bother about the Premillenial, Midmillenial or Postmillenial argument but I bother if the Church is ready for both the War and the Master's return! I figure especially in this time of distress that we as the people of God need to prepare and be prepared for what is certainly ahead. We will NOT be assigned a duty post then because you and I stand today Pastor, Politician, Banker, Doctor, Mechanic, Pilot, Market woman, Business Tychoon, Petty Trader or whatever; are already at your duty post! Let's not wait for the Bridegroom to come like the foolish virgins Jesus taught about before we go to get oil in our lamps. If you've run dry like many of us have at various times, go get yourself oil NOW and be prepared!! He NEVER said we will always see sunshine but He promised that as many as will run into His loving arms He will in no wise cast out. He said that a broken reed or a smothering flax he will not quench so let everyone who names the Name of Jesus get refilled with truth not psychology, self-help sermons, emotional doctrines, traditions of men that hold no weight in the realms of the spirit but with TRUTH that MAKES free and run efficiently this race set before us!!!! I rest my case! God bless and see you next time!!!! (c) Chinelo Dillimono

THE GIFT OF FRIENDS

I was going through the Book of Job and certain thoughts began to parade my mind about friendships and what a gift it could be especially when the right principles are applied. Every single one of us needs true friends. People we can rely on and who in turn can rely on us. Nevertheless I have discovered that there are various levels of friendships. There are those who know that at anytime 'T' they can rely on us. We are their friends but they are not ours in the same way and vice versa. That is to say that certain people could be a shoulder we rely on but they do not find us their place of succour in their time of need. They have others they run to when they are in dire need of a good friend. It doesn't mean we are not their friends but we may not be a friend to them in that light or to that extent. They mean no harm and they are still and always a friend for us. For instance as a Pastor and a Pastor's wife, often times my life seems to really be like that of a fish in a fishbowl. I am available as a friend, mother, confidant, acquaintance, counsellor, etc. giving a listening ear to many and truly do not mind it at all. Most times am a shoulder for many to cry on but it can be quite an uphill task locating within the myriads of people a true friend who can be there for me especially when I need a friend to rely on. You can't share everything with everyone can you?

 In other words, you can be friend to someone in their time of need and they are not necessarily a friend for your time of need and vice versa.  It doesn't mean you are not friends but its friendship at varied levels.  The third level of friendship I find is that there are those who are not only friends to you but you are friends to. That kind of symbiotic friendship can be deeper and really mutual.  I like how the children of these days put it BBF (Best Friends Forever)

That said, let's go back to Job. Here's a man in the midst of a trying moment in his life. In the depth of despair! Quite confused about his situation because he had applied all the principles in the book so he shouldn't, I mean by normal human calculations find himself in such a tight corner. Yet here he was!  Been there done that! I dare say that many in life try to give an explanation to many things that happen in their lives. I used to live on that highway! I thought I could explain everything. Of course there should be a logical explanation for everything shouldn't there? Sorry! I equally had to learn that there are things in life that cant be explained. So here's my thought on this when it comes to friendship. I needn't be the friend who always wants to explain the whys about your life's journey because sometimes they are absolutely unexplainable! He knows the way you take and He knows the path set before you. You sure can guess already that I don't need that kind of friend either.

Job had a crop of friends who couldn't care less but to be theologically right! They 'needed' to prove to him that they had an understanding of God and His laws (they sure were far from the truth)! He had friends who wouldn't be like Jesus who would rather go against the 'Far-to-sees' (Pharisees) and 'Sad-to-sees' (Sadducees) to reach out to the woman who had been bent over for 18years. He had friends who judged him in their hearts though they sat in 'mourning' with him! No wonder at the end of the story, the Mighty one who sees in secret, and before whom nothing is hidden tells those friends to go to Job for prayers! Hmmm! Our prayer today, I think should be Lord make me a 'Friendship Gift' to someone who needs me. Not to judge nor try to explain their situation but to just be there!

I hope this makes sense.  See you next time!

(c) Chinelo Dillimono 2015

My Thoughts About the DANA AIR Plane Crash

An unfortunate situation has occurred once again in our dear nation. Its still hurting me because I was seated at the airport in Abuja waiting for my 4.25pm flight when the passengers on that Dana Air plane to Lagos boarded. Ordinarily I would have taken Dana if I was heading to Lagos. Do I count myself fortunate? Not in the least because not one person on that flight deserved to die either! Everyone in Nigeria right now blames our government and the aviation minister as well as DANA Management but I however blame the following: 1. EVERY NIGERIAN who boarded the plane previously and never took a step to complain especially the last set that disembarked the plane and felt something was wrong. I heard someone an aeronautic engineer on board one of the Dana flights earlier spoke up when he saw leaking hydraulic but because the pilot assured that its ok and sure enough plane landed safely, he picked up his bags and went home mute. Someone may argue that there was a publication and the authorities should have taken it up but point is how many in authority do have or take d time to read the papers? 2ndly others who saw d publication, what did they do? 2. THE STATION MANAGER who knowing plane was bad still allowed it to fly because his Management insisted but point is, if he had refused won't he have lost his job? Question is how many Nigerians would have fought his cause even those he would have been trying to save from an imminent crash? Can u imagine d verbal abuse, threats and insult he would have suffered at the airport from those he would be 'saving'? 3. THE FEMALE DANA STAFF who granted an interview on Channels TV on monday morning because she knew and rather than speak up then is speaking now. Question is if she spoke earlier would she not have lost her job? Would her words as an insider and a concerned Nigerian be taken seriously? If she loses her job who would stand for her cause? 4. AVIATION MINISTER whose office and position demands by virtue of the sensitivity of that sector that any slight complaint be taken seriously as no less than 100lives are at stake every time a plane takes off from any Nigerian Airport. Why didn't she stop Dana from flying that plane until absolutely certain of its safety? Someone may argue that Nigerians always tend to peddle false info but isn't it better to be safe than sorry? Why didn't she tread on the path of safety and wait for Dana to prove beyond all reasonable doubts that their plane is safe? 2ndly if the information given in ThisDay was false why didn't the Aviation Minister act on safety grounds and allow Dana Air to refute the information? They still had the option of suing ThisDay if information was false. Question is if she had grounded the plane if n when she received the alert, can u imagine how many 'friends n stake holders' of DANA AIR that would have bombarded her lines with pleas, promises and even threats because they have a stake in the airline? 5. THE CHURCH in Nigeria whose fundamental and cardinal assignment is to teach people to love God and love our fellow man. How can we say we love God whom we cannot see when we don't love people whom we do see. Jesus taught a simple Golden principle, do unto others what you would have them do unto you but the operational principle is the Nigerian proverb-scratch my back and I will scratch yours! Honestly, having said all this, I also blame myself because I am equally a Nigerian with the Nigerian hang ups, mentality and attitude to things. Having asked these questions, the most pertinent question here is if I was in the shoes of any of the people mentioned would I have acted differently? Truth is I don't know now but I suppose my attitude would be same as the regular Nigerian who doesn't bother except it affects us personally! Would I want to lose my job for ingrates who wouldn't bother even after I have saved them at the expense of my job? NO! There's no guarantee and no where for recourse except in the law courts which of course we know their processes are expensive, long and cumbersome! So my family and all who count on me for their daily bread would have to suffer untold hardship because I want to 'save' lives of people who don't care so why should I bother? Would I want to lose face with some of our National Political and Money bigwigs who have a stake in the said Airline at the expense of my political network geared towards my 'political career' and future? NO! Would I want to be looked at as a trouble maker at the airport or even on the plane and given funny looks by fellow Nigerians for shouting 'wolf wolf' alone? NO! Would I want to 'waste' my hard earned money taking extra steps for a cause that am not sure may receive needed attention and of course no appreciation for my efforts and expenses? NO! Would I want to take up a cause against Dana with no assurance of security for my person or family in a country where people are killed at random and NOTHING is done about it? Absolutely NO! So the point is Every Nigerian and I mean EVERY single one of us is to be blamed for the Dana Air crash of June 3rd 2012 in Iju, Lagos! We are simply a people that don't CARE until it hits our door front! We are a true illustration of the Hausa proverb that every corpse is like firewood passing by until its a corpse from my house! Trust me when I say that every promise by the President and the Minister to investigate into the cause of the crash is simply an exercise in futility. Who is going to conduct the investigation? Isn't it Nigerians? The same fundamental problem will certainly show - NIGERIANS DON'T CARE when there is no stake in it for them. We are a FEARFUL, BIGMOUTHED people who talk a lot, criticize a lot, condemn every government effort yet we are the GOVERNMENT SABOTEURS ourselves, blame everybody else, and take no responsibility whatsoever for our actions! What is happening to the multitudes of persons lost in the recent bombing around the nation. Are the perpetrators GHOSTS? Don't they dwell among us? Do they reside in government house? Doesn't mean its not possible because even those in government are full of blame too. Certainly the perpertrators must be sponsored by some bourgeoise! Hmph! We are yet to have more misfortunes because we don't care. Bottom line is we ALL as a people must come to terms with our deep seated dysfunction-Lack of Care for the next person and begin to deal with ourselves then things like this can be avoided or at best loss of lives will be brought down to its barest minimum. We want a better Nigeria? I personally believe it will ONLY get better when we STOP shifting blames, become accountable individual, love Nigeria intensely, become patriotic in our thinking and actions and see NIGERIA as our individual and collective responsibility!! It will get better when Christians everywhere in this Nation begin to WALK the TALK, be the LIGHT and SALT and stop all the demon chasing but live the HIGHER LIFE indeed!!! We need to stop talking about the light but BE the light! Show we care! Show that the next person is so important. I rest my case fellow NIGERIANS! Or I daresay END OF PART I !!! God bless NIGERIA God bless our LEADERS God bless all our PEOPLE! (c) Chinelo Dillimono