GIFT FROM ABOVE

Behold the grace of my Gift

Radiating with the effulgence of unblemished beauty
Brimming with gracious sweetness
With blossoms of inscrutable virtues
The Gift that wholly complements my person
The Gift that brings my best to the fore
An endowment that makes me honorable among men

Wow, this can only be from above
Eyes are wondering
Ears are tingling
Minds are marveling
At my Gift from above

It's your year of Jubilee!
It's your season of restoration
The lines are fallen on you in pleasant places
Yes, you have a goodly heritage

Let the songstress raise the Jubilee song
Let the timbrel begin to jingle
Let the minstrels make music
Let the dancers do me a 'bata'
Let our fellows rejoice with us

You are a living token of divine favor
An epitome of blessedness
You're indeed a gift from above
Enter into your season of glory

Simony in the Church

Some weeks ago, a friend of mine, who had just returned from his local church's leaders' retreat sorely displeased, came to my office to blurt out his displeasure with how things went down at the retreat.

Apparently, the guest speaker at the retreat was one of those self-styled prophets/evangelists. Having just "returned" from one of his "mountain trips," the 'man of God', peddled an anointing oil, which he claimed to have gotten from the feet of an angel on the mountain. For, just five thousand naira (₦5,000), anyone who desired anointing for success, would get a plop of the oil on the palm or forehead.

To my friend's dismay, not a few leaders trooped out for the 'sacred' commodity, with some pastors, who "should know better" leading the troop. My friend's 'ordeal' evokes the story of Simon Magus, also called Simon the sorcerer, who attempted to exchange money for the 'miraculous' ability to transmit the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:9–24).

For so long, Simon swindled the Samaritans, earning himself fame and fortune on account of his gimmickry. Captivated by the spell of his sorcery, the people of Samaria, both great and small, dignified and even deified him.

Thinking the power of God was for sale like magic, Simon offered the apostles money in exchange for God’s power. Peter harshly condemned his act and put him in his place. It was from Simon’s act that the term ‘simony’ was derived, which denotes, the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges, a practice that became popular in Christendom from the 4th Century A.D.

Unfortunately, many like Simon, are on the rampage in the church today. Simon Magus typifies those who Paul described as hucksters who preach for personal profit (2 Cor 2:17, NLT). Their motivation for ministry is often rooted in greed and monetary gains, and so they resort to underhanded methods (2 Cor 4: 2, NLT).

Peter’s unreserved rebuke of Simon is a strong indication that the church should not condone or encourage those who have infiltrated the church to make merchandise of the Gospel. The Christian faith must not indulge or permit charlatans to rubbish the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3) in faithfully living out the Gospel and in resisting those who make a mockery of the Gospel through distortion and deception.

Christians must take cognizance of Paul’s warning in 2 Thess.2:9-10 of the end-time activities of the messengers of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.

Bible-based Values

Values are the standards or principles that govern an individual’s behavior and choices. People’s values may derive from society, religion, or self. When values derive from society, they may change as the laws and morals of society change.

This is very true in view of the notion of moral relativism. Moral relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. Societies make their moral choicesI based on their unique beliefs, customs, and practices. People tend to believe that the “right” moral values are the values that exist in their own culture or based on their perspective of things. Some claim that changing situations make for changing morality—in different situations, different acts are called for what might not be right in other situations.

This kind of thinking is misleading, especially when it applies to making judgments about what is right or wrong. Whether we know it or not, the fact is that we are all born with a conscience, and we all instinctively know when we have been wronged or when we have wronged others. The positions of moral relativism, therefore, become unacceptable, in the light of the witness of conscience.

As Christians, we can’t go on living our lives based on shifting values. Our set of moral values go beyond society’s mores and selfish instincts. And more than the witness of conscience, the Bible, has been given to us as God’s word for learning and living. Our values should, therefore, derive from the Bible. We are called to be faithful in theory and praxis to the teaching of Scripture.

Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. At every point, the thought and actions of Christian should be subject to the continuing authority of God’s written Word. The Bible serves as a critical instrument that discerns and judges the individual's thoughts, attitudes, and actions (Hebrew 4:12).

However, we shouldn't be unaware that our resolve to exhibit biblical values is under constant bombardment from current socio-cultural waves of thoughts, views, and lifestyles in this post-modern era. We, therefore, must acquaint ourselves with the content of the Bible in diligent study and meditation, assent to it as true and absolute in defining the choices we make and our behavior, and be intentional in reappraising our thoughts and lives in line with the imperatives of Scripture

Love Behaves

"Over-rated, over-commercialized, pretty much pointless as well."

This is how Sam, a student of International Relations from the University of Nottingham described how she felt about celebrating Valentine's day.

Certainly, not everybody would agree with Sam. Many more would vilify her for being such a "spoilsport." Not with the fun, the flowers, the flurry of emotional exchanges, which often spiral into very ecstatic experiences of momentary bliss.

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Sam is right to say that Valentine's day is over-rated and over-commercialized, but I wouldn't discount it as pointless. Of course, it's evident how popular culture has cashed in on the moment. Red, the symbolic color of the event is manipulated to create a sensation that drives people's feelings and actions around the day.

The frenzied atmosphere created by the messages mediated by the media and social media sets the tone for the fun and fiesta - the shopping spree, the eating out (of overpriced junk food ), the clubbing, the hook-ups, and break-ups too, which are features of Valentine's day.

In all of these, what I find distasteful is the innuendo prompted by pop culture that Valentine's day is an occasion to misbehave. It's a grand opening for the display of all kind of lasciviousness. Vulgarity becomes elegance. Lewdness becomes grace. This imagery is in itself an unsavory anticlimax of the celebration of love, which Valentine's day is supposed to commemorate.

Love "does not behave itself inappropriately..." (1Co 13:5, NHEB) To behave inappropriately or unseemly means to conduct improperly, or disgracefully, or in a manner to deserve reproach. When the attitudes and actions of love become offensive to the harmony and beauty it should contribute to the social order, then like Sam bemoaned, "it is pointless."

Love seeks that which is proper or becoming in the circumstances and relationships of life in which we are placed. It is not inattentive to civility and propriety. This is the Christian love

There is much that is indecent and unseemly in the way society marks Valentine's day, in fact, in the way the popular culture defines love, that Christian love should correct.

As the world longs for improved humanity, society needs to embrace Christian love. It is love that doesn't violate but validates, it is love that seeks what is true, good, and beautiful. It is the antidote for the disorder in the social order.

The Happy Giver

When we understand the notion and the implication of God being the source of our sufficiency, we will get rid of our scarcity mentality. We have a scarcity mentality, when we feel pressured or obligated to give away part of our cherished resources when we are hesitant or reluctant to share when we feel we are giving too much, or we need to cut back on our giving. Our giving must be out of our volition and with a cheerful disposition to meet a need, not to gratify people's greed, indulge irresponsibility, or save face.

The pressured giver is a sad giver. God is interested in happy givers. The happy giver (not grudging or disinclined) is enthusiastic about meeting needs, touching lives, and putting smiles on faces. The happy giver gives intentionally and purposefully. He can't be blackmailed or patronized into giving. She gives not to make an impression of being generous. She is generous, that's why she gives.

[For] the noble devises noble things, and he will continue in noble things (Ish 32:8). It takes a generous soul to do generous things. Generosity is generic to the happy giver. He's not putting up a facade or showing off. It just flows.

So, what are the bases for the happy giver's generosity?

1. Principle: He understands the principle of sowing and reaping. "Remember this:...whoever sows generously will also reap generously"
(2 Cor 9:6). While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest...shall not cease (Gen 8:22).

2. Purpose: He understands his role as a vessel of providence (good works) in fulfilling God's purpose of care for the Church and humanity (2 Cor 9:8).

3. Promise: She understands and trusts God's promise, as the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat, and similarly convinced He will provide and increase her resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in her (2 Cor 9:10; Ps 112:9).

The Seduction of Ambition

That's normal with the kingdoms of the world, people compete with each other to achieve power, but in the kingdom of God true greatness comes from humble and willing service. This was what the Zebedee boys didn't understand.

James and John got it all wrong when they came to Jesus requesting for top positions in the Kingdom (see Mark 10:37). They wanted to be ahead of others. They were seized by ambition. They were driven by the desire to best the others.

The seduction of ambition is that we easily interpret it as a holy desire to build the kingdom of God or the pursuit of God's 'purpose' for our lives. In doing this, we attempt to add significance to our lives, even at the expense of others.

We begin to define who we are by our accomplishments. We find ourselves not just in pursuit of our destiny, but in pursuit of the accolades of men. We crave fame and fanfare. We lust after the crowd. It is blinding ambition that rationalizes an "end justifies the means" approach to life.

What we fail to realize is that beneath that craving, is deep-seated insecurity that makes us feel a desperate need for the recognition of others.

When we reckon that we are not sufficient in ourselves (2 Cor. 3:5), we won't dare make any personal claims to what God is doing through us in the Kingdom. We would regard ourselves as servants to the assignment, and only vessels through whom God is showing forth His glory.

Then, our palate for prominence will wear away.
We would simply see ourselves as nothing but captives in Christ's triumphal procession, being used to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere (2 Cor. 2:14).

A Faith Leader's Prerogative

As faith leaders, we should be committed to promoting what builds up the body of Christ and not stirring up dissensions that breed disaffection, especially on matters that simply poke our preconceived position and dogmatic notion.

We should be wary of exploiting our platforms of privilege to make controversial statements about classic traditions of the Church, particularly, when they reinforce the fundamentals of Christianity.

Our popularity or personality should not delude us into owning some kind of ecclesiastical authority to make heterodox pronouncements that only reek of showy triumphalism, and are devoid of thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, and excellent and worthy of praise.

As responsible faith leaders, we should be inter-accountable to fellow leaders of the body of faith, to the history, theology, and praxis of our common faith. We should never confuse our peculiar insight with the imperative of the orthodoxy of the articles of faith, even when they are expressed in litany or liturgy.

Our argument should be nuanced with the enrichment of scriptures, sound theology, and ecclesiastical history, and not from a conceited whim of personality clout (cult), or a reckless predisposition to rouse the rabble of our undiscerning followers.

What is scriptural or biblical is the description of what is taught in scriptures, regarding faith and praxis, and not a referent or linguistic expression in scripture, which is limited by the variant nature of manuscripts and the pluriformity of modern translations. Terminology is an outgrowth of human ingenuity and creativity, a privilege of our image-bearing proclivity (Gen 2:19), whereas, theology is a reflection and articulation of divine epistemology. Indeed our terminology should reflect our theology.

We should be learning leaders, not letting our 'lofty heights' freeze our potential to learn, grow, and become better versions of ourselves. We should not be seen to be ignorant and arrogant at the same time, lest we put a lid on our growth and that of our followers.