A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.

Yesterday was a blessed day for my family and myself because, by the special grace of the Almighty, one additional year was added to my life and sojourn on earth.

To God be the glory and honor.

Remarkably, I received two  WhatsApp messages from two different persons. These, I will like to share with you.

1.       The first message came from Venerable O.U Igbinosa, the presiding Pastor of St. Peters Anglican Church, Benin City. This is my Church and my fellowship place when in Benin City. The message is not really a surprise because, every morning, Venerable O.U Igbinosa sends to me The Daily Devotional Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). However, this particular message is very instructive and the reason I will share it with you all today: –

“THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: SATURDAY, JANUARY 28,2017
BIBLE READING: HEBREWS 11:13—29
TOPIC: EMBRACE GOD'S ASSURED PROMISES

During the time of these heroes of faith, God revealed the future to them and they identified with it. Though God's promises to us in life most times manifest in the future, we should firmly relate to them. The secret of success in the faith life is to see the promises of God, embrace them, be assured of them, and confess (acknowledge) that we are people on our way to inheriting the said promises.

Had the heroes of faith reminded themselves of the things they gave up, they would have had the opportunity to return. Through the Word of God, let's follow their footsteps and desire something better than we have at present. Let's follow the example of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who bequeath to their descendants the faith to believe God for their inheritance which was still in the future. Let's learn from Joseph who prophesied the future deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. Let's forsake the enticements of the present world like Moses did. By faith, we too can INHERIT His promises.

Prayer:-  "Lord, let me see, be assured of, embrace and acknowledge Your word".

2.       The second message came from my political friend and associate, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, former Edo State Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). The message also is very instructive and I share with you :–

“God is Faithful! - The Best Piece I've Read This Year!

In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. "Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you." They hugged and the boy ran off to school.

Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties.  Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard. When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying.

Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble.  He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one.

One of the parents looking on asked, "What are you doing?"   "Digging for my son," Samuel answered. The man then said, "You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable," and tried to pull Samuel away from his work.

Samuel just kept working. As time wore on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a worker tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble.  Samuel looked at him and said, "Won’t you help me?"   The worker left and Samuel kept digging.

All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging.  Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins.  But, Samuel just kept working.  He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. "Help! Help!"  Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again.  Then he heard a muffled voice, "Papa?"

Samuel began to dig furiously.  Finally he could see his son.  "Come on out, son!" he said with relief.
"No," Armand said.  "Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me."  Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared.  Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, "I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!"

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful.

How much more faithful is our heavenly Father!  Whether trapped by fallen debris or ensnared by life’s hardships and struggles, we are never cut off from God’s faithfulness.  He is true to His character.  He is reliable and trustworthy and can always be counted on.

Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations…"

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever" .

Keep trusting God to the end.”

The two messages preached the following:-

(i). Promise of the Father (God)

(ii). Faith/belief in the Promise of the Father (God) and

(iii).The fulfillment of the Promise of the Father (God).

The salient point in Venerable Igbinosa’s message is that:-   “God's promises to us in life most times manifest in the future, we should firmly relate to them. The secret of success in the faith life is to see the promises of God, embrace them, be assured of them, and confess (acknowledge) that we are people on our way to inheriting the said promises.”

Likewise, in the second message from Comrade Erhahon, Samuel’s promise to his son Armand, was also in the future. However, just hours later, there was an earthquake in Armand’s school, that is, hours in future. In comparison, the future in both cases were just moments in time.

Samuel kept his promise to his son, Armand and Armand kept faith and belief in his father’s promise.

In the presence of God and His promises, a thousand years in the human eyes is only a passing second or moment for God.

How often do we question God? How often do we think God is not answering or will not answer our prayers? How often do we not have faith in the Promises of God? And thinking that He has abandoned us?

In our Bini language, we say -
Egheosasere, meaning, God's time is the best.

I therefore wish to thank you all that sent birthday messages through facebook, WhatsApp, SMS, telephone calls, etc and pray that God will meet you all positively at your point and hour of needs.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY AND HONOR.

Eddy Ogunbor.

Oba Of Benin Exiles Isekhure

by Adekunbi Ero

For the suspended Isekhure of Benin Kingdom, Nosakhare Isekhure, afflictions indeed come in multitudes. The erstwhile chief priest of Benin was suspended from his traditional duties January 17 by the Benin Traditional Council, BTC, on the orders of Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11, the Oba of Benin on sundry allegations, including abuse of his position, pronouncing himself the head of the royal family and deliberate refusal to perform his traditional duties during and after the burial obsequies for the late Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, as well as the subsequent coronation activities.

Nosakhare Isekhure

But on Wednesday, the travails of the 67-year-old Isekhure were further compounded when he was ostracized by the Oba. The magazine gathered that the BTC may have been provoked to move against him following the perceived effrontery by his family, Ihogbe N’Ore to threaten the palace with legal action if within 14 days it did not prove the allegations leveled against the Isekhure. Isekhure’s family had spurned his suspension, stating that “the reasons given to support the purported suspension are facts that have been distorted” and if not corrected, were capable of misleading his admirers.
 
The banishment of the Isekhure was announced at his No. 9, Sokponba Road traditional palace and residence by a high-ranking palace chief when the Oba’s emissaries, including palace chiefs, chiefs priests, and some rugged youths swooped on the palace to execute his orders of sealing it up in order to safeguard the shrines and traditional items that had hitherto been in his custody, including artifacts, relics and other paraphernalia of the office of Isekhure. Scores of passers-by, neighbours, and residents of Benin watched in awe as the life-size statue of the Isekhure was pulled down, along with other structures. As at the time of going to press, bricklayers were busy erecting a fence to seal up the entry points to the palace even when the embattled Isekhure was inside the house.  He had advised relocating to his personal residence following his suspension.

A Benin chief who did not want his name mentioned, said it was unheard of that an individual would threaten a court action and even give an ultimatum to the Oba of Benin. According to him, “the Oba owns the Isekhure. The important part of what he fails to understand is that he has to be humble”, stressing that sealing off the palace was part of the process of ostracizing him. The Ihama of Benin had been reassigned the duties of the Isekhure which historically, according to the BTC, he originally performed. Efforts to reach the suspended Isekhure were unsuccessful as his phone had been switched off.

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