Author: Deji Okegbile

Jesus, the ‘Star’ to follow: Missionary Thrust.

Jesus, the ‘Star’ to follow points to the divine initiative in the church’s proactive Gentile mission. Walter Kaiser rightly claims that “the Bible actually begins with the theme of mission in the Book of Genesis and maintains that driving passion throughout the entire Old Testament and on into the New Testament.” The mission and evangelism theme above other themes ‘is paramount, defining Scripture from beginning to end.’ We are in an age when specialist short-term work, humanitarian relief and support services are all being called missions. However, the account of the Wise men show us that following the ‘Star’...

Read More

‘Epiphattitude’: Overcoming Herods inside and outside us

A renewing Christmas shaped by active expectation of fresh and future possibilities suggest that we do not need to cling to the familiarity of 2018. The New Year 2019 stretches before us like a blank white piece of paper and clean slate provides opportunity to set some goals to work toward. The Second Sunday of Christmas being celebrated as Epiphany Sunday serves as opportunity to refocus on our spiritual pilgrimages as the Magi, as well as the holy family’s flight to Egypt. The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” The feast of Epiphany...

Read More

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU – PREPARATION FOR ETERNAL LIFE

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth...

Read More

Who was lost, Jesus or his Parents?: Hope for the lost world and church in the New Year.

We give all the glory to God for the first Sunday after Christmas and the last Sunday in the year 2018. The question is, after Christmas, what follows in relation to the sense of our expectation? The New Year summons us to anticipate and find a new encounter with Jesus, the source of our hope, peace, joy and love. After Christmas, we must not make the mistake made by Joseph and Mary, who after the festival of the Passover, ‘headed home, down that well worn road to the Jordan valley,’ while Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. When Christmas become...

Read More

PRESIDENT SHAGARI: Beyond a ‘figurehead’: A Conciliator with Contentment.

The president has the whole nation as his constituency, and he should be above any petty differences between the various sections of the community – President Shehu Shagari The death of President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari the first civilian leader of Nigeria on December 28th, 2018 at Abuja put an end to ‘a conciliator who operated above the daily joust of Nigeria’s politics.’ Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, a devout Sunni Muslim and the fifth child of Aliyu and Mariamu Shagari was born on Feb. 25, 1925, in a thatch-roofed house built of sunbaked clay in the village of Shagari....

Read More