Author: Deji Okegbile

HIS EMINENCE MBANG AT 80.

Posted by | Aug 26, 2016 | |

Birthdays are wonderful opportunities to let a person know what his or her life and work have meant to us. This is a personal note to my father, benefactor and mentor who turns 80 years young today. His Eminence Sunday Coffie Mbang’s name is synonymous to the Methodist Church Nigeria reconciliation after 14 years of crisis. His Eminence Mbang, the fourth indigenous and ever long serving head of Methodist Church Nigeria was born in Idua-Eket on August 26th 1936. His father, Coffie Eka-Mbang was a pastor of the Oua Iboe Church and the name of his mother is Judith Udo-Ekpo. He is happily married to former Mrs Enobong Essien on December 16, 1978. Mama Mbang is now a lawyer and the marriage is blessed with three boys – Iniabasi Abisoye, Idorenyin Segun, and Nyakno Samuel. His Eminence Mbang attended Effoi Group primary school, Eket, St Michael’s school, Aba, Salvation Army school at Akai-Eket, Government school, Eket. He also attended Methodist Boys High School, Oron, and Methodist College, Uzuakoli and later had his ministerial training at the Trinity College, Umuahia from 1962 to 1964. In 1968, during the civil war, he transferred his study from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to the University of Ibadan where he came in contact with Patriarch Professor Bolaji Idowu, and graduated in 1971 with B.A. Hons (Religious Studies). He was a member of the Scripture Union...

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HEART VS HEAD

Posted by | Aug 22, 2016 | |

‘The head and heart are often at war, and the former usually wins..’ – John Betjeman. Heart versus head is a reflection on the subtle war going on today in the church and the need to move Christ out of our heads into our hearts (Col 1:27). War is prejudicial to mission, evangelism and discipleship. The war in the church especially in the democratic setting is like a tug of war, trying to get majority ‘of people and strength on opposite sides of a rope.’ There is a daily heart tug of war in the spiritual realm for our souls because as Christians, ‘we have Satan and his demons on one end of the rope and the Lord and His angles on the other (Eph 6:10-12, Jer 17:9, Rom 3:23). The story of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who helped Joseph of Arimathea entombed Jesus provides us a helpful reflection. Nicodemus, seeking light in darkness, is a very religious person who believes the wrong way and so does not see what Jesus Christ is all about. Nicodemus confession of faith points to a formal and general head knowledge about Jesus as ‘a teacher come from God, because no one can do these miracles which you do, unless God is with him,’ (Jn 3:2). Jesus does not trust in the head knowledge and doctrine of Nicodemus. Jesus...

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METHODIST 45TH/10TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE – ABUJA 2016

Posted by | Aug 18, 2016 | |

PRAYER FOR THE 45TH /10TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE On this 21st day of the 75 people prayer warfare and fasting for 75 days (July 28 – October 10) let us thank God for the Methodist Church Nigeria Conference scheduled to hold from 3-10 October, 2016, in Abuja. The church is marching on and the gate of hell will not prevail. Let us arise and pray. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb in Jesus name. Take a day and pray along. Watch out for more prayer guide. Let us pray for our church and the Conference in Abuja using the words of John Wesley, O Lord, start with me and Give us one hundred preachers and leaders (Conference members) that fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth. Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. (Psalm 127:1) Pray that the Lord will pour his Holy Spirit out on the conference in full measure. Pray that this conference is not just a “thousand tongues” but an assembly that empowers the Methodist Church Nigeria to be more aggressive and united in evangelism and church planting. Pray that the work of the planning committee will be for God’s glory...

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WORSHIP OF GOD: BEYOND THE OLYMPIC GOLD

Posted by | Aug 8, 2016 | |

I always want to hear God talking to me through games and sports. Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the 16-day athletic gathering officially opened in Rio de Janeiro last Friday. The temporary struggles, prizes, crowns, and triumphs of the Olympic Games examined in the level of our spiritual life and eternity and God provides a reflection for us, considering the disqualification of some athletes by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Some of the athletes left the Olympic race track and regulations just as many Christians today are putting the Bible aside, leaving the grace track of salvation, faith and righteousness, hence they are disqualified (Matt 7:22-27). The reflection is that just as the early Christians were alien to some of our practices of Christianity today, modern Olympics in our modern world is full of ‘accusations of drug-taking and financial chicanery,’ a departure from ‘the peaceful diplomatic mission of the ancient Games.’ Since the beginning of the Olympic in Ancient Greece, when the first Olympic champion, ‘a cook named Corobus won the the only event – a 192-meter footrace, ‘the pomp and prestige of the Games is to raise the stakes for the worlds top athletes.’ The Games named for their location at Olympia., a sacred site in southern Greece according to legend was founded by Heracles, ‘son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene,’ as Greek religious festival to honour...

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OBAMA AT 55 – DOUBLE GRACE, DOUBLE CURE FOR AMERICA

Posted by | Aug 5, 2016 | |

‘And grace upon grace have we all received from his fullness; that is, the Law was given through Moses; then grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” John 1:16-17. Today, Thursday, 4th August, the 44th and the first black president of the United State of America, President Barack Obama turns 55. Obama at 55 is very prophetic to the future of America and Obama in particular. According to Bob Carlton and Ariele Gentiles, in their book, Barack Obama: An American Story, ‘the life of Barack Obama is an inspirational story for anyone who has ever felt abandoned, alone, different, or who has wanted to do great things and make a difference in the world … was raised by a single mom, Ann Dunham and his grandparents, rose to the top of his class at Harvard Law, accepted a faith that gives his life deeper meaning, left a lucrative career in law to work in public service.’ For the past 55 years, President Obama was involved in educating himself, starting a family, caring, nurturing, and providing for them, finding a career and Christ, and becoming the President with two terms and eight year tenure. Obama affirmed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In his address to Albuquerque resident in 2010, Obama said, ‘I’m a Christian by choice…My family, frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week. My...

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