Stormy weathers are ahead

On Christmas day, I gained a fresh understanding of what it means to be angry, hateful, and vengeful. As I watched with horror the devastations caused by the bombs of terrorists at churches near our nation’s capital and other places – devastations that took the lives of over 40 innocent people, including women and children – my heart was filled with anger, hatred, and bitterness. And this reflects what millions of people around me feel towards this menace and towards the perpetrators of this evil.

There is fear in our nation. People – particularly in the northern parts – are now scared to go out and about their businesses. The situation is very tense; so tense that the president has now declared a state of emergency in some of the northern states; so tense that a lot of churches around the country had to cancel their New Year’s Eve services.

The Federal Government and Nigeria’s security apparatus are clearly unable to deal with this menace because of disgusting levels of weakness, corruption, inefficiency, and ineptitude; but also because they are part of the problem.

This is a Government that cannot pay even the minimum wage it promised to workers. It can neither maintain good roads nor guarantee the security of lives and properties. After years of wasting billions of Naira, it is still unable to deliver 24/7 energy supply to the Nigerian people.

Yet, it is set this year to remove the fuel subsidy – the only thing the ordinary Nigerian on the street apparently gains – and there is serious doubt even about this – from government. More so, it is set to do this against the will of the National Assembly, House of Representatives, and the Labour Unions, who in this matter represent the will of the Nigerian people. If they go ahead with this plan, fuel price will go up by about 200%. That will more than quadruple the cost of living and doing business in this nation. This will heat up the level of suffering, anger, frustration, and violence in this nation.

Make no mistakes about this, my fellow Nigerians; stormy weathers are ahead.

2012 Prophecies for Nigeria

Two weeks ago, I posted a  7-verse 2012 Prophecies for Nigeria after I had been in the presence of the Lord. Over the course of 3 months, I was in and out of the Council of the Holy Ones, in God’s presence, where I was shown terrifying visions of the hopelessness of the Nigerian situation – hopeless, that is unless we do the right things about them.

Read the verses here.

In the vision, I saw the nation’s map, cut out from a rock and perched at the edge of a cliff. Then, it fell off and was dashed to pieces at the valley below. I was shown this horrible sight severally. Then I saw a date I loathe to mention; but I understood the vision to mean that by that date – which is unbelievably near – this nation may disintegrate into many parts.

This is not a time to hide our heads in the sand and irresponsibly wish that these problems will just go away. This is also not the time for empty and hypocritical rhetoric, nor for mad and mindless zeal. This is a time for all Nigerian citizens to individually assume personal responsibility for what is happening, understand their underlying causes, and confront them with the wisdom of God.

To blame only the government will be foolish. Each of us, one way or another, by commission or omission, has contributed to the crisis. As a matter of fact, this corrupt and inefficient government is nothing but a reflection of our corporate laziness, carelessness, complicity, and negligence.

Yet, our story must not end in shame and disgrace. By God’s wisdom and grace, we can do better.

This New Year’s message is from God, and it directly addresses certain segments of the Nigerian society.

#1: Christians In General

As Christians, let us begin at the individual level by dealing with our personal relationships with God. What right do we have to complain if we have not lived our lives according to the instructions of the One we profess to follow? Have we been faithful to our moral and spiritual obligations to God in terms of living out godly characters and loving others?

First of all, we must learn to put God first in all things and at all times even if this is not convenient.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
~Matthew 6:33

This timeless instruction from Jesus Christ remains the true foundation for godly success in life. Let us invest our resources in learning God’s word, modeling our character after it, and actively sharing it with others, thus being a positive influence – the light and salt of the earth.

Secondly, we must learn to pursue godliness and contentment.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you".
~Hebrews 13:5

We are living in the last days when people have become greedy, covetous, and selfish. It is the cravings of this greed that has made churchgoers unwilling to bear the truth. All people want to hear these days are ‘positive’ ‘hopeful’ messages. We want to always hear nice things from the pulpit. And the preachers are doing a good job at telling us what our itching ears want to hear. So we are now cruising on a gorgeous highway to hell!

Let us make complete turn towards God and learn to be content and thankful even for little blessings; to stand firm in the faith even when we have nothing. This will produce the kind of attitude and actions that will transform our fraudulent society.

#2: Leaders In God’s House – Particularly, Praying Christians

Shun worldliness and materialism.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
~1 John 2:15-17

Do not be entangled in the affairs of this world. You can’t be entangled with the affairs of this life and expect God to take you serious. Therefore, let go of the world. If we are to pray out our nation, we need to come out from the world and be separate. Then the Lord will hear us and heal our land.

Maintain a good conscience in the Holy Spirit.

"Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith."
1 Timothy 1:18-19

Do not allow your heart to become hardened by sin.

#3: Christian Business Men

"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow."
~ King Solomon, Proverbs 13:11

This is a year to focus on the basics of your business. The big breaks may or may not come this year; but if the fundamentals of your business are solid, and you nurture them diligently, you will do well this year.

Be sure to read this highly recommended material for more information on how to go about your business in a godly, pragmatic, honest, and diligent manner.

#4: Pastors And Preachers

Stop preaching and modeling selfishness, greed, covetousness, and materialism. Speak the truth in sincerity.

Nigerian Pastors must stop lying and giving out false prophecies. Nigerian Pastors and Preachers must begin to point people back to the gospel, to Jesus Christ, to the truth. Only the truth can heal and set us free. Only the undiluted truth of God’s word can heal our nation.

The teaching of godliness and contentment must return to the pulpit.

The teaching of the Cross and consecration must be restored in the Body of Christ.

Political preachers who court government officials because of influence and material benefits must repent. Time is no longer on their sides and God will soon visit them with judgment.

#5: Perpetrators Of Violence

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
~ Matthew 26:52

Admittedly, the security apparatus of this nation may be incapable of containing the onslaught of demonic violence that is ravaging her, because they are weak, inefficient, and corrupt. Yet, “the Almighty has set a trap for the wicked. They shall not escape.”

If you have grievances, killing innocent lives is not the way to go. Destroying people’s properties is absolutely wrong. Instead, engage the right channels to make your grievances known. The courts are there, so also is the political process. If these are not adequate, take to the streets in non-violent protests. But do not instigate God against you and your cause by shedding innocent blood.

If you do not desist from your dastardly acts, God will eventually wipe you off the earth, but He will protect the lives and properties of those that fear Him and trust in His name.

#6: All Nigerians – particularly believers

Get a hold of these prophetic verses delivered to me from the Lord. Reproduce it and share with your congregation, families, churches; let everyone begin to cry to the Lord for His mercies.

As we turn to the Lord this year, may His mercies rain upon us.

May He not visit us as our iniquities deserve.

May He forgive our sins and cleanse all our unrighteousness.

May the rod of the wicked not remain upon the land allotted to the righteous.

In Jesus name.