A source at the Presidency has told SaharaReporters that Senator Bukola Saraki misled President Muhammad Buhari into believing that he was welcome to help broker a solution to a crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the choice of the party’s candidates for top legislative posts in the National Assembly, including President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The APC had chosen Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as their candidates for the Senate Presidency and Speaker slots respectively.
Memorise: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. -Matthew 28:20
Topic: A Watchman for God I [Tuesday June 9, 2015]
Memorise: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; - Acts 3:19
Read: Ezekiel 33:7-11 (KJV)
7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 15:25-17; Luke 5:17-39
MESSAGE:
God called Prophet Ezekiel and set him as a watchman over the house of Israel. As a watchman for God, he was to hear from Him and warn the people concerning whatsoever God told him. Just like Ezekiel, believers in these end-times, particularly ministers of the Gospel, are set as watchmen to warn the world of the impending judgment of God. One of the most important responsibilities of a watchman for God is that he or she must of necessity hear from God ( Ezekiel 33:7 ). You must hear from God in order to warn on His behalf those who are perishing. You cannot warn them using your own wisdom; rather, you must tell them what God is saying to them. How do you hear from God as a watchman? The simplest way to hear from God is through the revealed of truth, which is the Holy Bible. This holds true only for those who still consider the Bible as infallible and having eternal truths for all generations. As a watchman, you must therefore follow the admonition of 2 Timothy 2:15
'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.'
Another responsibility of a watchman for God is to maintain an intimate relationship with the One who commissioned you by remaining true to your message, because, you cannot give what you don't have. Paul emphasised the need to remain true to our message in Romans 2:21
‘Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?'
In Ezekiel 33:8, the Almighty God said His appointed watchman is held accountable for every souls that perishes if the watchman fails to sound the note of warning at the appropriate time. This is one aspect of the responsibility of a watchman, where 21st century preachers need to be careful. We need to be careful not to be negligent in our responsibility to warn evildoers without minding whose ox is gored. Beware of the fact that some pastors and teachers of the word may be condemned to the lake of fire on the last day for failure to warn people that God has set them over against sinful habits that have become part of popular culture. We are living witness to the tolerance and consideration the church is showing towards issues like homosexuality, which brought fire upon Sodom and Gomorah in the time of old. I pray that Christians, especially preachers of the word will not go to hell because of failure their to warn people against sin.
Action Point: Stand your ground in whatever sphere you find yourself to warn people against a life of sin.'
A 65-year-old blacksmith, Najim Bakare, who has been arrested by the Lagos State Police command, says he makes guns and sells them for N30,000 each.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Bakare and three others were arrested for allegedly indulging in cult activities in the Ajah area of the state.
Our correspondent gathered that Bakare allegedly sold a gun to a gang which the police have now recovered.
1. Erin Ijesha Waterfall
Submerge yourself in the cool waters of Erin Ijesha – Olumirin Waterfall and have a swell time. Within the Osun seven step waterfall is the swimming spot, which is mystical and offers swimmers something daring to do when they jump inside the water at the base of the falls. Erin Ijesha falls is referred to as Olumirin by the locals. It has remained almost secluded because of its religious significance but it is open to the public. 2. Ikogosi Spring Just be ready to lunge to great depths as your lungs endure while you duck dive down the water in Ikogosi Spring. It is tucked away by Mother Nature in Ikogosi-Ekiti, where it created a cold and warm spring to flow side by side, with few myths surrounding its origin. Visit this natural water spot and have a dip in any of the waters. There is no need wasting time if you really want to swim here, just go and make the fishes envious with your swimming skills. 3. Owu Falls Some said that the heaven has come to be among men at this highest waterfalls in the country, with water cascading down to a pool of ice cold water. What an experience to swim here during the hot weather? You are not going to be alone when you arrive at the Owu Falls because there are a lot of swimmers who are eager to make a dive inside the water. 4. Wikki Spring In the local Duguri language, Wikki is translated as ‘Where are you? Okay, if you ever find yourself in this warm water spring which is the largest in Yankari National Park, what are you going to do? This is where you can unwind and relax. This spring has become the favourite of tourists because of its constant temperate at 31.1°C.  |
The crisis within the All Progressives Congress over the choice of candidates for the speakership and the Senate presidency of the 8th National Assembly deepened on Sunday as candidates not endorsed by the party’s leadership vowed to contest the elections on Tuesday.
LAST Wednesday’s release of a damning report by Amnesty International alleging “horrific war crimes” by the Nigerian armed forces has sent shock waves within the military hierarchy.
This is because any of the military officials indicted may end up at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, The Netherlands.
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By Agaju Madugba |
 Private Nigerian universities better than public ones, ex-Governor Akpabio saysPrivate universities in Nigeria are better than public ones, a former state governor has said. Godswill Akpabio, who governed oil rich Akwa Ibom State for 8 years, stated this on Sunday at the 13th undergraduate and 14th postgraduate convocation of Babcock University. The immediate past Akwa Ibom governor was awarded a honourary doctorate degree in Global Economic Development by the university at the event held at the university stadium,Ilishan in Ogun State. “I want to say here that private universities are better than the other universities and I want to also say that when graduate(s) of privately owned universities present their certificates,they have more opportunities to be considered for |
 National
leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is
clearly still excited about his party’s nationwide victory at the
recently concluded elections.On Sunday, he noted how he and other party officials were mocked at and derided when they conceived the idea of forcing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, out of power two years ago. |
A 31-year-old teacher working with a private school in Ibadan, Oyo State, Adebola Adetola, has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command after the family of a Primary Three pupil (names withheld) reported to the police and accused him of having sex with their daughter. |
 Overhaul Presidency, Inject Fresh Blood, Seadogs Tell BuhariPresident Muhammadu Buhari has been advised by the National Association of Seadogs to take urgent steps to dismantle the bureaucracy in the Presidency so as to bring in new persons with fresh ideas and orientation. |
1. The business traveler We have had Mamalettes whose husbands travel a lot or work in the offshore business complain about their terrible cheating habits. The truth is that men are more likely than women to have extra-marital relationships. Traveling regularly, meeting new people, sleeping in nice hotels provide a perfect opportunity for these s3xual escapades to happen. |
Ahead
of the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, Oba Adeyemi III,
Alaafin of Oyo is pictured above at the Ibadan airport on his way to
Abuja in the company of his Ayabas. One of his sons, Prince Akeem
Adeyemi a.k.a Skimeh Obasegun is one of the Federal Honourables to be
inaugurated as the Representative of the four local governments in Oyo
Metropolis. Pics of them landing Abuja are below.
 |
Topic: Messengers without a Message [Monday June 8, 2015]
Memorise: Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. -2 Timothy 4:2
Read: 2 Samuel 18:19-33 (KJV)
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 14:1-15:24; Luke 4:38-5:16
MESSAGE:
One anomaly noticeable in the Body of Christ today is the presence of messengers running around without a message. An example of such messengers is Ahimaaz in today's Bible reading. After the death of Absalom, Joab, the captain of David's army, sent Cushi with a message to the palace; but Ahimaaz volunteered himself to also deliver a message to the king. In spite of the fact that Joab reminded him that he had no reason to go since he had no message to deliver, he insisted that he would, and he was allowed to. The funny thing about this story is that, Ahimaaz outran Cushi who actually had a message to deliver. When Ahimaaz got to King David and he was interrogated, the emptiness of his message was laid bare, and the king therefore asked him to step aside for the person who actually had substance in his message. One cannot help but wonder: what was the essence of Ahimaaz's effort, so much so that he outran the person who actually had a message?
The attitude demonstrated by Ahimaaz can be referred to as zeal without meaning. This is the situation of some so-called ministers of the gospel today. They are messengers sent by their belly or by the devil (Romans 16:18). How do we know messengers without a message? We know them by their deceptive speeches, which are geared towards making people "feel good" when they should be sober about their lifestyle of sin. Apostle Paul, while giving his final charge to Timothy, his son in Christ and a young bishop, instructed him to:
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." -2 Timothy 4:2
Today, many so-called sermons are actually motivational speeches, given by motivational speakers disguised as preachers. Their message cannot be the word of God; it contains no rebuke, no reproof and no doctrine. As a matter of policy, they would not teach doctrine because they say they have not been called to do so! One cannot help wondering who commissioned them in the first place. It is their belly, of course (Philippians 3:17-19). Beloved, I advise you to be careful of the ministers you listen to, and to filter the type of sermons you admit into your spiritual sub-consciousness. On the other hand, if you are a deceptive preacher of the gospel, desist before the anger of God comes on you without remedy.
Prayer Point: Father, help me to recognise Your appointed messengers, and grant me the grace to listen and do according to Your bidding through them.
Topic: The First Commandment with Promise [Sunday June 7, 2015]
Memorise: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. -Exodus 20:12
Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 (KJV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Bible in one Year: 1 Kings 12:16-13:34, Luke 4:14-37
MESSAGE:
Our God is a God of reward and an excellent motivator. He gives a law, and specifies the reward that will follow if we keep it (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). In like manner, He also indicates the punishment attached to breaking any of his laws (Genesis 2:16-17). In our Bible reading, we read about the first commandment with a promise. Apostle Paul got the inspiration on this truth from Exodus 20:12. It is unfortunate that this law of life is not being heeded by the young folks of today. This is the reason why life expectancy is reducing. The story was told of a young boy in a very remote part of Africa, who respected and honoured his parents to the extent that their wish was law in his life. One of the rules his parents gave him was that he should not eat anything that did not come from them. “What if I was given something to eat outside, what should I do with it?” he asked his parents. They said, “Bring it home before you eat it.” One day, this boy went out with his friends to a neighbouring village where they were given food packages. They had scarcely stepped out of this village when all other boys started eating their food, which unknown to them had been poisoned. Only this boy remembered the instructions of his parents and refused to even open his pack. All the other boys died as soon as they got back to their village, and he alone survived the attack. To a young man or woman reading this devotional, I advise that you take this commandment which has longevity as its reward very seriously.
Besides, there are two categories of parents: biological and spiritual. Parents of both categories should be honoured (Malachi 1:6). A believer must exhibit this trait so that unbelieving parents will know that the best life to live is the Christian life. God watches over His words to honour them. If you honour God by obeying this injunction, He will keep you from evil. The problem with present day youths is that they think they know more than older people do; hence, they disregard their instructions, particularly those of their parents, to their own peril. Such youths can’t seem to learn from the story of the rebellious Absalom, who met a premature death at the prime of his life (2 Samuel 18:9-15). He was so unruly that he temporarily deposed his own father. Many youths in Church today scheme to get their pastor out of the way so that they can be in charge. May God salvage this generation from the spirit of rebellion in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point: Father, grant me grace to keep the first commandment with promise, even when it’s not convenient to do so, in Jesus’ Name.
