Barr. James Essien
It is with a very deep sense of humility and responsibility that I today address the rather obviously disturbing issue of Christian roles in our current political dispensation.
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Grant me the indulgence, to start by stating a few of God’s prophetic direction for this dispensation in our great Nation, some of them are:
1. Nigeria is my battle axe and weapon of war. - 2. I have given the destiny of this nation to you my people; Nigeria shall be what you desire to make it.
- 3. There was a prophecy through the late Pa S. G. Elton of Ilesha, God showed him a vision and he said he saw a great revival engulfing the whole Nigeria, starting from the southern part of the nation to all other parts.
- 4. Reinhard Bonnke during one of his crusades in Nigeria said “watch out for the country called Nigeria, she will teach America Christianity.”
- 5. At the National prayer conference of the Christian Students’ Social Movement (CSSM) in Port Harcourt, the word that came was “Son of man, say to Nigeria, though you have passed through the valley of the shadow of death and shall yet pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thus saith the Lord, you shall not die, but you shall live.”
- 6. At the first National convention of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) held at the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, the word that came was “Thus saith the Lord Nigeria and Nigerian Christians will be used by the Lord to preach the gospel in the marketplaces of the world in these last days.”
- 7. At the CSSM prayer conference at Ibadan, the Lord spoke in prophecy saying: “My church in this Nation, is my hope for the continent of Africa.”
These are God’s narrative and plan for us in this current political dispensation.
It is pathetic to note the enemies plan locally and internationally. Locally the enemy seeks to introduce an alternative reality and sentence of death into the narrative.
From the menace of killer herdsmen to the destruction created by a sponsored group known and described as Boko Haram, to incalculable incidence of mind twisting corruption and graft to the insane activities of militants, cult groups, vote buying and selling, charismatic witchcraft in the church, false and lying prophets to the controversy on tithes, church leadership to unrelenting corrupt university lecturers not to mention the Board of customs, the Police Force and strange National Assembly with the depressing spate of defections, guile and unbridled craftiness.
Total absence of relevant infrastructure- schools, hospitals, roads, mass transportation, housing and even food. The Lord our God yet speaks of this nation as his battle axe.
In the international scene, Donald Trump of the United States sees a shit hole country, Angela Merkel wonders how we survive, Theresa May in spite of the roles played by Great Britain at the 1914 amalgamation skewed create dominance for a part of the country, irreconcilable census figures and other forms of support, disparage the nation Nigeria which was their primary source of raw materials and forced uncompensated labour, in slavery and slave trade.
Our God still sees his battle axes in the Nation in spite of all the alternative reality challenging God’s narrative. It was so in biblical days. See Genesis 15:13- 14 for God’s narrative and the disturbing circumstance of Israel in the land of Egypt. In the day of Judah in Genesis 44, Judah had become a surety for Israel and the basis of his bond was his character.
Father Jacob trusted Judah, accepted him as surety. Brethren God is searching for sureties in Nigeria, men and women on whom he could hang the responsibility for the realization of the destiny of the Nation. Can God trust you to be a surety like Moses…and Esther who stood with the Jews in Persia, and said “…if I perish I perish?”
Apostle Paul became surety for 276 people in the book of Acts 27. Remember, your role is to be surety for the nation, and I assure you that like Esther, no power under the sun can take your life. Esther was allowed to write a new law, conforming with God’s narrative.
Be aware that our bondage has an expiry date, the seasons are ordained by God. God will raise you a deliverer. The promise is that the desire of nations will come. (Rev. 5) Jesus received the title deeds of the whole earth.
Brethren stop believing a lie! indeed God will give you a second touch but you must respond spiritually to prophetic words and timing without being distracted by trivialities and you must sacrifice personal interest for national emancipation (Exodus 23:10).
You must stand between the living and the dead in our nation and bring the censers with much incense to cause the plague to cease.
We must turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (Malachi 4:5), for the Lord promised he would smite the earth with a curse if we do otherwise.
God will raise a Davidic company to deal with the Goliaths in the land. In seeking for your role, you need to join the Davidic company, but you must not be trapped wearing the armour of Saul, seeking to fight with weapons that have not been proved.
To be surety, God will, as He did for blind Bartimaeus help you with your sight. When asked “what can I do for you?” He immediately responded, “that I might receive my sight.” Many of us here, in identifying our roles would first answer that question and like Blind Bartimaeus answer appropriately “that I might receive my sight.”
God will raise a Davidic company to deal with the Goliaths in the land. In seeking for your role, you need to join the Davidic company, but you must not be trapped wearing the armour of Saul, seeking to fight with weapons that have not been proved.
To be surety, God will, as He did for blind Bartimaeus help you with your sight. When asked “what can I do for you?” He immediately responded, “that I might receive my sight.” Many of us here, in identifying our roles would first answer that question and like Blind Bartimaeus answer appropriately “that I might receive my sight.”
When you look at Nigeria, what do you see? Perhaps you need to pray for eye salve so that you can start to see through the eyes of God.
In Hebrews 8, our Lord Jesus Christ became a surety for the entire earth by sacrifice. From surety, the Lord our God will elevate you to the role of a mediator. You must stand between God and the nation Nigeria so that God will spare the land.
The role of the Christian is to be a surety, graduate to a mediator one who like the sons of Issachar, understand the times and the seasons, knowing what Nigeria should do.
The word of God establishes times and the seasons, God controls the course of world events, He removes kings and sets up other kings. Daniel 2:21. I will not say more but to invite you all to proclaim: “The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.”
The life of Moses as a mediator is indeed worthy of note, though offered a new nation and prosperity, he opted to mediate, pleading with the Lord to spare Israel, a stiff-necked people.
Christians’ Active Participation in Politics
It is great assurance to recall that when the righteous bear rule the people rejoice and righteousness is the hallmark of expression in the Christian faith.
We have surrendered our corporate will and destiny to some cult boys, whose only purpose is to amass wealth to spend same upon their every lust.
To every throne there is an altar, and the dominant altar would always rule. Zachariah 9 prophesies of the order of priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, it speaks of a merger of the priesthood and the Kingship in one man. Revelations 5 speaks of our being raised as kings and priests to reign on the earth.
It is of great interest to note that our master Jesus did not reply Caiaphas when he asked “are you the king of the Jews?” but He answered Pontius Pilate a political leader. You do not try a political leader in a religious court.
The dichotomy separating the secular from the Spiritual is the devil’s method of retaining us in bondage. Christianity is not a religion but a way of life, a worldview that transcends all we do as Christians. Little wonder, the word says make disciples of them.
Recall how many struggled and died to secure suffrage and indeed universal suffrage, if there must be the desired change then you must vote, and vote you would with the guidance of the Holy Spirit choose candidates that would govern in righteousness.
In conclusion, the Christian role is to control the spiritual traffic in the land, submit himself for candidature to foster righteousness and fight to ensure that the kingdoms of this world would become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
Let God depend on you.
1 Comment
Thank you so much for this great insight. This writeup is more relevant and apt today than it did in 2018. We as children of God need to build political platforms on which to promote our presence and influence in the political space of our nation Nigeria and the world at large. If we want to spread the tenets of God’s kingdom, we need to be in the lead on the platforms that would afford us the opportunity to do so. We cannot expect ungodly and satanic platforms to allow us promote God’s kingdom and divine agenda on their platforms. I am not talking about having religious platforms, no. I am talking about platforms that promote our values as believers and the values of the kingdom of our God.