CHRISTIANS use their own religion to judge another religion; this explains why they can never understand certain things that happen in this country.
The Koran and hadith of course are his rule of life. No matter what you think and know, once it says it then it can be done notwithstanding what you think or feel.
I don’t blame anyone but those who have accepted responsibility of office in the name of all other Christians. We have seen this many times in this country.
Fr. George Barde, Catholic Archdiocese of Jos, Nigeria says politicians will only do what can bring those votes and money.
Buhari, Pantami and Bashir Ahmed all are concerned not to be seen as bad Muslims so they will be careful not to offend their people with any politically fatal pretensions to be against the teachings of Islam when it conflicts with our so-called secular state.
Actually, so-called Christian politicians are the cause of this constant disrespect and maiming that Christians face today.
There is limit to needless and fruitless diplomacies and engagements. Christian are unfortunate not for their faith anchored on peace, love of God and neighbour but because of the cowards, the naive and greedy politicians and pastors who are our leaders.
The truth always hurts. In Papua New Guinea the National Prayer Day, has been described as a downturn in economy and the ever increasing law and order issues.
The Repentance Day in Papua New Guinea has been a focal point of reference to many of our wicked ways. However, church leaders do not guide the way which is understood that money makes the event happen.
Deacon Mudira Gaudi of Taurama Bay United church explains repentance is a firm, inward decision; a change of heart. If we turn back to the Old Testament, we find a Greek word “Metanoein” commonly translated “to repent” means literally “to turn”, “to return”, “to turn back”. This harmonises perfectly with the meaning of repentance in the New Testament. The New Testament word denotes the inner decision, the inner change of heart; the Old Testament word denotes the outward action which is the expression of the inward change of heart-the act of turning back. Where the sinner has lost his or her soul until repentance occurs.
The true repentance is found in the parable of ‘The prodigal Son’ (see Luke15: 11-32). Here we read how the prodigal son turned his back on his father and home, and went off into a distant land, there to waste all that he had in sin and dissipation. Eventually, he came to himself, hungry, lonely and in rags, sitting among the swine longing for something to fill his stomach.
At this point he made a decision. He said, “I will arise and go to my father” (v.18).
He immediately carried out his decision. And he arose and came to his father. This is true repentance-the act of turning back to the father and home.
In his own unregenerate, sinful condition, every man that has ever has turned his back on God, his father and on heaven, his home, is a lost soul, according to the infallible word of God in the holy Bible.
Each stop he takes is a step away from God and from heaven. As he walks this walk, the light is behind him, and the shadows are before him. The further he goes, the longer and darker the shadows become.
Each step he takes is one step nearer the end-one step nearer the grave, nearer hell, nearer the endless darkness of a lost eternity. There is one essential act he must make. He must stop, change his mind.
This first, essential act is called repentance in the Scripture. It is the first move the sinner must make who desires to be reconciled with God.
In the 1611 King James Version we read in Mathew 27:3-4, that Judas Iscariot saw Jesus Christ had been condemned to death, afterward he repented’ of betraying Christ for money.
Judas “repented himself.” But the word used in the original is not the word “metanoein” defined earlier. The Greek word used of Judas, ‘Metamelein,’ denotes that which people often wrongly interpret as repentance remorse, anguish. There is no doubt that this movement Judas experienced intense anguish and remorse. Nevertheless, he did not change his mind, his course, his direction.
Another man who made this same tragic error was Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, when he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears (Hebrews 12:17).
How many men today do just the same as Esau! For a few moments of sensual pleasure or carnal indulgence, they despise all the blessings and promises of almighty God. Later, when they feel their mistake, when they had despised, to their dismay they find themselves rejected because they find no place of repentance, no way to change their minds.
Without true repentance there can never be true faith. The first commandment that ever fell from the lips of Christ was not to believe but to repent. First repent then believe.
Here again it is repentance first, after that, baptism and remission of sin. True repentance must always precede true faith. Without such repentance, faith alone is an empty profession.
In many places today the simplification of the gospel message has been taken one step too far. The message often preached today is “Only believe.” But that is not the message of Christ. Christ and His apostles preached “Repent and believe.” Any preacher who leaves out the call to repentance is misleading sinners and misrepresenting God. For Paul tells us that it is God Himself who “Commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). That is the general edict of God to the entire human race. “All men everywhere must repent.”
There is no reference here to acts of open sin and wickedness. Even those acts which are done in the name of religion and morality, if they are not based on repentance and faith, are not acceptable to God.
The supreme crisis of every human life comes at the moment of the Spirit’s drawing to repentance. Accepted, this drawing leads us to saving faith and eternal life.
Christ was speaking to men who died in the very act of performing a religious rite; a company of Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their own sacrifices, while carrying out their sacrifices in the temple, these men had made executed by order of the Roman governor, and their blood had been mingled on the temple floor with the sacrifices.
Yet, Christ tells us that these men perished; they went to a lost eternity. Even their religious act of sacrifice in the temple could not save them their souls, because it was not based on true repentance.
The same is true of the religious ceremonies of many professing Christians today. None of those religious activities is any substitute for true repentance. Without such repentance, Christ himself said, “You will all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:3).
Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Let’s continue to pretend that we are nice and polite and afraid of death or torture in the hands those who use their stranglehold on the country to privilege their own side against others.
God who caused the light to shine out of the darkness that caused his light to shine in our hearts. The light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
