(A) Acts 8: 1 – 8
Paul was in complete agreement with the killing of Stephen. And a great wave of persecution of the believers began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled into Judea and Samara. (But some godly Jews came and with great sorrow buried Stephen).
Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them.
But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus! (The Living Bible).
(B) John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
(C) John 15:18 – 23
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
(D) Rom 12: 14, 17 – 21
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse … Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge: I will repay” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (NIV)
(E) 1Chr 16: 13 – 22
O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant: the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And has confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, unto thee I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance when ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
And when they went from nation to nation, from one Kingdom to another people; He suffered no men to do them wrong: yea, he reproved Kings for their sakes. Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm (KJV).
(F) 1Pet 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and an holy nation, a perculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Brethren, these are Words of God for a traumatized church undergoing persecution. It is not easy to comprehend these admonitions when bombs are detonated in places of worship and people die for no other reason than for the fact that they decided to worship God in obedience to His admonition that believers must not forsake the assembly of God’s people.
How can a man explain to a traumatized church who has just lost loved ones to the cold hands of death, who is tending to the injured in the hospital that it is not right to seek revenge. But that is the truth! And that is the expectation of God upon our lives. This is hard teaching, but it is the truth and that is why many left from following Jesus in his days.
The Church in Nigeria had become complacent and lookwarm. A great many of us have become artists and show Business impresario telling the people what they want to hear and warming their way into people's pockets. The allure of filthy lucre has drawn a great many away from preaching righteousness and holy living. The business of prosperity on earth has overtaken the desire to lay our treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupts and where thieves do not break through or steal. Matt 6:19-20.
In most churches, the great commission has been left to a motley group referred to as EVANGELISM TEAM as if other members are not supposed to engage in evangelism.
Christianity has been relegated to an urban phenomenon in Nigeria where men of God built giant overcrowded edifices to the neglect of evangelizing the larger population in the rural areas. Whatever happened to Christ directive for us to go to the” uttermost part of the earth”.
This is the scenario of Spiritual laxity that saw to the resurgence of the enemy of the church to wreck havoc. Let no one think that geographical location is a protection from the wiles of the evil one.
The church must arise as one and claim our heritage in the Lord. We must not use the arm of the flesh for it will fail. We must arise knowing that our weapons of warfare are nor carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of stronghold
(2 Cor. 10:3 – 4) for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.
Brethren this being the case what must our response be?
The Church of God in Nigeria must in response to the present circumstance embark on a series of actions immediately. Let no Christian by reason of geographical location think that he is safe when brethren are attacked for no other reason but for their faith. The church must bind together as one to protect and defend one another as a protection for all in Nigeria.
The following actions are therefore recommended:-
1. PRAYER:
a. We must now more than ever before “pray without ceasing”. We must deploy all our spiritual weapons of warfare to bring about a quick cessation of the present hostilities.
b. We must pray for wisdom for the country’s leaders and courage for them to take the right decisions and finally;
c. We should pray for the repentance of the traducers of the church and the salvation of their souls. These prayers are to be said at family altars and at every gathering of Christians especially on Sundays.
d. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should continue to declare national day of fast on a quarterly basis while local churches should complement these with teaching on praying and fasting to achieve results.
2. A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON:
The church should not wait for government or public spirited individuals, as is often the case, to provide for those in distress or displaced. I suggest that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) set up as a matter of urgency a BETHEL shelter foundation. This foundation is to raise funds from mandatory contributions by every Christian in the country as a national Christian response to the present situation. Contributions on cash or kind, donations etc. into the foundation should be encouraged.
The purpose of Bethel Shelter foundation as proposed is to :
i. Provide immediate succour to displaced or distressed people especially
Christians by way of providing emergency shelter, Clothing, medicaments and feeding.
ii. Provide funds for the immediate rebuilding of burnt or
damaged Churches in any part of the country.
` iii. Serve as a collation point for all assistance, small or big, to victims
of religious crisis which are most often Christians.
This will be a definite way of matching faith with action in the light
Of biblical injunctions not to revenge.
Every child of God in any part of the country should be encouraged to contribute to this fund in order not only to provide relief for our distressed brethren but to also positively demonstrate to the agents of the devil that no matter the extent they go in perpetrating evil we as children of God will in obedience to Him overcome evil with good.
3. A MARSHAL PLAN.
The Christian Association of Nigeria must put in place a marshall
plan to evangelise the unreached peoples in the country especially in
North-West and North-East. Individual denominational approaches
is accomplishing little in the face of mounting challenges which
sometimes manifest in the form of violence. Christians must now unite
and aggregate their evangelistic efforts towards a unified objective.
In furtherance of this, CAN should sponsor a bill in the National Assembly to make it illegal and an offence to deny any group of people the right to own places of worship in any part of Nigeria. A strategic approach must be evolved for evangelism in the Northern States. Until the light and Truth of Jesus is beamed into those communities, darkness will continue to envelope the land with its attendant consequences of violence, sorrow, tears and blood.
Finally brethren, the Church is the hope for Nigeria. We must not allow these distractions to divert our focus. Nigeria is the trigger from which world evangelism heralding the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be fired. Infant Jesus Christ was brought to Africa (Egypt) for safety from the rampaging Herod. This time Africa will take Him to the world to herald His second coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Nigeria is Key in Gods agenda for the world and this prophecy is imminent hence the rampaging murderous antics of the wild one. Just as I was concluding this article, the COCIN headquarters in Jos, Nigeria, was hit by suicide bombers, I commiserate with the Church and the affected brethren.
But we must not be distracted, the end is near, blessed are those whom the Lord will find obediently watching and waiting !
Elder Samson Opaluwah
27th, February, 2012.
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