All posts by : Simbo Odunaiya

You see, we all fight battles.  For some people it is a battle with our weight, while for some others it is the battle of addiction, and yet for others it is a financial battle.  These issues seem to be with us always and it is always like we cannot get rid of them.  There is however a battle that is more deadly and that is the battle for our minds.  This battle is usually a battle between our spirit and our flesh for our souls. Whenever the flesh overcomes many consequences can result.  One of these consequences is a complete lack of will to do anything. 

I believe that all of us at one time or the other have had some of this lack of will moment when we feel down or depressed.  Sometimes it becomes so bad that we want to give up or quit.  In the heat of our moment we will say, “I am done!” – Let me just leave their job for them, or I am tired of this Church, or this family, or that group.  The worst is when someone says, I am going to end it here and now, this world is not worth living for me anymore.  Well, many people have felt like this in days of old, but we should remember what Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10: 13 – ^“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  It is common that the feeling will come, it is also common that the feeling will be overcome.  How do we overcome if we quit before we overcome? We must not quit; we must keep on keeping on.

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:15 says – “So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?”  But, at the point he wrote this letter he had been beaten and jailed at Philippi, was persecuted at Thessalonica and Berea, and ridiculed in Athens.  Now, there is no doubt he was at a low point when he wrote his letter to the Corinthians. He could have quit but he did not. But he remembered what the Lord had told him in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  My brothers and sisters whatever you are going through, it is too soon to quit.  We must keep on keeping on.

A poem in the Seed Sowers says, “the moment you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held up for so long”.  Yes, the reason you held on for so long is because the journey is worth it. So, why quit now?  Let us remain steadfast like Apostle Paul, who said “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” – Philippians 3:14.  Paul pressed on because he felt God had called him; he pressed on because he believed he had a goal or purpose to achieve; he pressed on because he knew there was a prize at the end.  Brothers and sisters, we must not think about the inconveniences that our circumstances have tabled before us; we must rather think about the call, about the purpose and about the prize at the end and keep on keeping on. We serve a God who is always present with us.  His presence will not allow us to quit. Remember that the God of the mountain is still God in the valley. God has a purpose for each of our lives.  The purpose He has for us is greater than our circumstances.  In any case if we stand firm, He has already made a way for us to overcome our circumstances.  Yes, there will be persecution, trials and hardships, but until our work here is done, God is not finished with us yet.  The devil will try, man will try, diseases will try, even joblessness will try, but it is only over when God says it is over. It is too soon to quit, brothers and sisters.  Our God is ahead of us where He is our guide, He is behind us where He is our guard, under us are His everlasting arms, and above us, if we can just try and look up, is His ever-present self in His cloud of glory!  Don’t quit yet, He still has a lot in stock for you.  Keep on Keeping on – Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

On behalf of every one of us at CICC, I welcome you to yet another weekend of Renewal and Re-dedication at CICC.  For us at CICC this annual program is about taking stock of our walk with God, taking note of things that could be done better and renewing our covenant to walk with Him all the days of our lives.  The program this weekend is tailored to lift our spirits, to strengthen our body, and to encourage us to stay the course.  Please enjoy these programs spread over three days as much as you can.  It is most important that even as you enjoy the program, find God in them and let them strengthen your resolve to love God even more.

Our prayer at the beginning of this year was for God to perfect everything that concerns us.  The most important perfection we talked about involved having a heart for God.  We prayed that as God perfects all that concerns us, He will also put His love in our hearts.  As God would have it, it has been a roller-coaster of a year.  It has been a year in which many have found it difficult to love the Lord except, of course, when He has placed His love in our hearts Himself.  It has been that kind of year in which only those who are close to God can get by.  It has been a year that has presented many opportunities to show how much we love others through concrete actions. It has been a year that has presented many opportunities to enter into a deep, intimate relationship with God just in the same way Apostle Paul longed to know Christ intimately.  It has been a year where the survival of our minds and spirit is predicated on how much we love God with all our hearts and minds.

As we have learnt throughout this year in our studies, surviving a time like this requires that we train our thoughts on how to win over worry.  Doing all of these requires that we think the truth and take every thought captive. That is God’s word for us in this year.  The more we think the truth and think the right thing, the more the love for God grows in our hearts.  We love God because He first loved us, but the more we love Him, the more His purpose for us is fulfilled by His grace and power.  How comforting and empowering it is to know that if we are passionately pursuing God’s word and purpose, in truth and in Spirit, God Himself has passionately committed himself to fulfilling His purposes in us.

Brethren, no matter how hard or difficult things may have seemed this year, with the horrible circumstances of Covid-19 notwithstanding, God’s truth is that He will never abandon the work that He has lovingly and painstakingly invested in us, and He will ultimately bring that work to perfect completion. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (Psalms 138:7-8).  That is the truth of God’s word for us.

So, is your heart fully committed to him? If it is, then God will find you, and sooner or later you will come into the greatest joy that anyone can ever experience in this life: God fulfilling His purposes for you and through you.  Despite the calamity of Covid-19, you are still here and, God is still on the throne, still at work perfecting all that concerns you and He will not be late. Whatever your needs may be today you should listen to the voice of the Lord and do what He is telling you to do, love Him with all your mind and all your heart, and all your soul.

In this Renewal and Rededication season, concentrate on your relationship with God.  Where you are headed on a wrong path, ask for redirection; where you are getting weary, plead for a new lease of life; and where there are losses, pray that whatever is lost will be restored.  God’s truth in Psalm 71:20-21 says, “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.” My prayer is that after this Renewal and Rededication period, all those who are sorrowing will be comforted, those who are troubled will know peace, and those who are seeking God will find Him in Jesus’ blessed name.

– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

The news of people dying in recent times has just been overwhelming.  It does not really matter if the death is as a result of the deadly Covid-19 virus or due to any other reason.  The impact is the same.  The sense of loss we usually feel is immense, especially when the departed souls are relatives, friends or close acquaintances.  These deaths however help to bring to our consciousness the inevitability of death.  When people close to our age begin to die of illnesses or natural courses, the deaths are proverbs directed at us.  While we live our lives daily without paying any attention to death, the truth is that death is lurking at the corner because there is only one second between living and dying. One thing is sure, we are alive because God still has assignments for us to accomplish.  While we were praying online on Monday night and trying to console ourselves with the word of God in John 14:1-2 after learning of yet another death, one of the Ministers said – there is a mansion being prepared for each of us in our Father’s house; whenever yours is ready, the Lord will call you home – again confirming the inevitability of death.

The word of God in Psalm 66:8-9 says “Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”  Our God is worthy.  Only He can and has kept us alive. When we leave our house in the morning, only God knows for sure if we will return in the evening.  When we sleep at night, only He knows for certain that we will wake up in the morning.  Were it not for God, where would we be today? He is the reason we are living.  It is in Him we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28. 

So, my brothers and sisters, if you woke up this morning hale and hearty, know that it is because there is more work for you to do. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”  We know we cannot save ourselves no matter what kind of good works we do.  When He keeps us here, it is because He still has a lot in stock for us to accomplish.  For “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). So, if today you are still breathing, it is because God still has something for you to do for His glory.  If we are alive, God has a purpose for us.

He is the reason we are living.  Paul tells us that while we are at it, we should also remember to be renewed or transformed in our minds so that we can avoid being conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). He also wrote that he had “been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). It is a privilege to be alive.  While we are alive, we must continue to abide in Him and He in us.  And the word of God says if we say we abide in Christ (John 15:1-7), then we ought to walk in the very same way that He walked (1 John 2:6). That is the goal while we are still alive: to become more Christ-like, hopefully more and more with each passing day, so that just maybe our efforts to live a righteous life here will earn us a mansion in the hereafter.

My brothers and sisters, wherever you are and by happenstance you received this message and you are reading it, then you are still alive.  God must have an assignment for you.  My assignment is different from yours and yours is different from mine. Maybe your assignment is to witness God’s grace to someone, maybe your assignment is to encourage somebody, maybe your assignment is to just share the joy of Christ with the downhearted or maybe you are alive today just because he is not done molding you into what He wants you to be.  For whatever reason God is keeping you today, I want you to know that He is the reason you are living.  Our Lord Jesus has prepared a mansion for you where He is, but earning that mansion depends on how you lived here and whether you fulfilled your purpose.  So, brothers and sisters, let us live our lives with that Mansion in view by showing our appreciation to God almighty with a heart of gratitude and continuing to live our lives as people who know that the reason we stay alive is to worship, glorify, and honor Him.  It is all about Him, it is all for Him. The reason we are still here is to please Him.

– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

Children are special, a special gift from God, that is.  We bear children, not only because we love children, but because God calls His people to “Bring forth godly offspring.”  Somehow God has also motivated us to realize that children are a blessing.  So, those who do not have them yet pray to have their own.  Ironically, in this American society, there are some folks who consider children as a nuisance, misery, and grief.  But Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.“

What makes Children a blessing? Psalm 127 partly answers this question. Children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  In addition, children are a blessing in that they are weapons in the armory of God to protect the spiritual heritage of the Christian family of faith. They are raised to become straight arrows which are then shot out into the battle of faith, fit to do war with the enemy.  We must all pray for this kind of children, who also sit and “speak with the enemies in the gate,” giving account of their faith and the glory of their God.  So, our children are a blessing to us, but they are also like arrows in the hands of a mighty man.  An arrow is dangerous by itself, but in the hands of a mighty man, they become doubly dangerous.  The arrow is already an effective instrument, then you get it in the hands of a mighty man, and it becomes doubly effective.  Here in Psalm 127, the Bible is likening our children to arrows and we the parents can be the mighty man.  Before an arrow assumes its effectiveness, someone must work diligently to shape it.  The mighty man must still maintain his arrow, to make it effective.

Our children are like arrows. Until we release them as adults, we must spend time taking care of them, polishing them, sharpening them, straightening them, and aiming them in the direction of God’s will. One day we will release that arrow and to hit the mark we must make sure they are aimed properly!  We must direct them toward Christ and His will! We cannot start too soon, but these days, many parents are starting too late. Raising children the right way is not easy, but if we follow God’s blueprint, it makes our job a little easier and makes the outcome a little more certain.  In the same Psalm 127, the psalmist says, “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders build in vain.”  Children have been given especially to us by God. He has placed them in our care to raise, and like the house we build; the outcome is largely up to us, but the Bible says we need help, help from God. 

As we pay special attention to our children today, I want us to remember that God gave us a special assignment over these children.  The blessings of Psalm 127 will only be ours when we achieve the goals that have been set for us.  So, as we seek to implement God’s plan for us over these children, the first thing we must be sure of is that we know what the plan is.  Whenever we plan to build a house, we usually start with a plan.  So, we must make sure we know the plan.  Always have the end-result in mind.  What are we trying to achieve?  Have we checked the blueprint of God?  Do we periodically check how we are doing?  Are we building to code?

God’s plan is that we raise godly offspring.  So have a plan that brings up godly offspring. Teach them about Salvation. The Bible says that “without faith it is impossible to please God…”  They need to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior because only believers can glorify God the way He wants to be glorified.  Teach them about Love – Not only do our kids need to know Christ as their Savior, but they must also be lovers of Him and other people. Teach them about righteousness– Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness…” Teach them about Christlike Character – Throughout the Scriptures we’re taught that God’s desire for us is that we be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ: His image as it is expressed in our actions, our attitudes and in our thoughts. Now, that’s the plan. When we are through building our kids, we ought to be able to step back and see someone who is saved, a lover of God who has a great desire to be like Christ, to love like Christ, and to live like Christ; a child who will then live life according to God’s divine purpose.  A child who will be a blessing to the parents, to the community and to God Himself.  In all of these always remember to bless them just as Christ did.  Lay hands on them, cry to God on their behalf, ask for God’s help because if He does not build, we build in vain. The Lord will always do His part as our children will indeed be blessed and be a blessing.– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

Left, right, and center the news we hear these days are not palatable. Out of nowhere you just hear that an old classmate has passed on. Sometimes the relationship is even much closer than that. In this season of pandemic, you will be hard pressed to not know anyone who knows someone who has succumbed to the evil hands of this virus called Covid-19. So, when this disease comes this close to home, the battle becomes personal. Our prayer always is that we overcome. We are praying to be victorious. We are praying that when this is all over, this virus would not have had the best of us. As followers of Christ, we are praying for victory in Jesus.
It reminds me of Paul’s message to the Corinthians on how God gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57 – KJV). Naturally we tend to believe that this passage is about victory over death and it may well be. However, as I meditated over this passage years ago a more encompassing and earthly relevant victory emerged for me. I noticed two pertinent ideas from this passage. First, Apostle Paul says we can only get victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Second, he also added that this victory is only possible “when this corruptible shall put on incorruption….”
When we become Christians, we naturally believe that all victories that Jesus Christ has won have become ours too. However, is it practical to believe that we are victorious just because we have been saved? The truth is that when we are saved there is still a lot of overcoming to do. There are still a lot of battles to win. Therefore, many of us, despite our having been saved and in spite of our efforts to continue to live righteously, still have one thing or the other we need to be delivered from. This means that there is a battle we need to be victorious over. For example, many devout Christians have already succumbed in death to this Covid-19. In practical terms when we are in Christ, we potentially have all the victory our Lord Jesus Christ has won. However, Apostle Paul is saying here that we can only have this victory if our Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost gets victory over us. This means that in whatever situation we are, Jesus must be our Lord in that situation for us to be victorious. In short, we do not have control or authority over anything, until the Lord Jesus himself has complete control and authority as Lord over us. This means if we want to find life in Christ, then we must first lose our life to him. It is only then we can live in victory because Jesus Christ has victory over us. We must first lose our will, our desire and life, and let our will be completely subsumed into His will. So, whatever happens to us, if our will is in alignment with Hs will, we are victorious.
The second is more like the first. We are the corruptible, but when we subsume our life and our will completely into Christ’s will then we, the corruptible, would have put on incorruption. Our desires are usually based on our corruptible worldly desires, but when our will comes in line with Christ’s will then our desires are no longer controlled by our flesh but by God’s will for us and only then do we have our Victory in Jesus. Our Victory is in Christ Jesus, but that is only if Jesus has victory over us. We go through trials and suffering in the Christian life so that we can be conquered in surrendering to Christ. Only then can we be, “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” The word of God says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …………. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom 8:35, 37 – NIV). As we seek victory over all our battles of life today, including this rampaging virus, remember that Christ needs to first and foremost take over our life and only then shall our “Victory in Jesus” become certain. May we all be victorious in Jesus name. – Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1).  There is no doubt that my gladness knows no bounds today as we gather together in the Church one more time.  This is surely a gathering of gladness.  Today we take a first step to fully return to our Sanctuary to worship our God.  It is a tentative step, but it is a good step, nonetheless.  Tentative because we are not all here yet.  It is a good one because it a gathering of gladness and joy. 

In the last three months we have prayed about a day like this.  Not just that a day like this will come, but that it comes with gladness.  That a day like this will come when we shall gather unto joy and not unto sadness.  We look back and we see that indeed we have reasons to rejoice.  We prayed fervently that none should be missing when we gather back in our sanctuary, and indeed God has made it so.  While we are not all here in the Sanctuary today, those who are not here are well and alive and in fact many of them are rejoicing with us online today.  We praise our living God and give all glory and honor unto Him.

I have never considered what is going on right now as normal.  It is not normal not to be able to come to our church building on Sundays to worship our God.  Yes, I know that we are the Church and when we gather in Spirit online, our gathering is acceptable unto the Lord.  However, the word of God says the disciples were gathered continually in the temple, praising and blessing God (Luke 24:53).  Not to be able to gather in His temple is an aberration.  It is not normal.  Now we are here, we must rejoice, not because things are normal now, but because we know we serve a God who finishes everything He starts.  Things are still far from what we would consider normal, but there is joy in the air.  There is hope in the air.  There is peace in the air.  Like I said, we are not there yet.  There are folks at home right now who are scared to death about being in the Sanctuary.  There are folks also who will like to be here but cannot come because they have been told they are high risk.  There are others who are not here because they have to stay home and watch their kids because kids are not allowed in the Sanctuary yet.  So, we still have a long way to go.  We are therefore, looking forward to that day when no one will be left behind in our gathering.  However, every step of joy is a step of gladness.  The Psalmist says in Psalm 27:4 – “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” It is a beauty to behold when one gazes at on the beauty of the Lord.

When we gather in the house of God, we bring encouragement to each other.  I know many of the brethren are encouraged today as we gather.  The word of God says we should not forsake the gathering of the brethren as some people like to do, but we must encourage one other, so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).  This gathering of gladness today is encouraging somebody. This gathering is a blessing to someone.  This gathering is a soul lifter. We may not be able to shake hands or hug each other yet, but that too is coming in time.  Just keep your hope alive.  None of us ever thought there will be a time when we would not be able to come to the church building for Service.  It happened, and after it happened, we did not think today can come this year, but it is here.  So, let us keep our hope alive and keep our faith strong.  Faith accomplishes all things.  Our Lord Jesus says, “Everything is possible for one who believes.”- Mark 9:23. He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

It is not Eureka yet, but my brothers and sisters, I ask that you not despair.  Our God’s will, will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  This too shall pass.  In fullness of time our joy will be full.  In the meantime, every opportunity we have, to gather, will be a gathering of gladness. When we are in the Sanctuary, we will dance like David did, we will worship like David did, and we will pray like David did.  We will pray for the peace of our Jerusalem and everyone who loves it shall prosper.

– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

I checked my Facebook page today only to come across this long discussion about the relationship between African Americans and Africans in the United States.  On the surface, we are the same people, after all it is a well-established fact that we have common ancestors.   A cursory look at the different submissions showed that there is some deep-seated animosity between the two groups.  It does not often come to the surface, but when one reads through the different views there is no missing it that opinions are very much crystalized, and it will take the intervention of God to bring the two sides together.

Some of the entrenched positions include many Africans’ belief that the African American always looks down on them.  An example is many African Americans referring to new Africans as “Fresh off the Boat” (FOB), and the one that appears most vexatious is when an African American calls an African “Mfufu” just because the name is a tad difficult to pronounce. This feeling is not one-sided, because many African Americans also believe that the Africans look down on them and always feel like they are superior.  One thing many African Americans in that discussion alluded to was the aloofness they feel from the black African when struggles arise with racism, police brutality, and issues of systemic domination and suppression.  What I can call the most vexatious issue for the African American is the idea many African blacks have that African Americans are lazy, and their seeming lack of appreciation for their history and what they have been through.

I decided to address this issue in this column this week, because our congregation is a predominantly black African congregation.  We live here and if we are here, we must play our own role in making sure that there is peace between us and our hosts in general, but most especially our black kin.  Personally, I do not see anything wrong with healthy competition between two groups of people, but we must know when what we say and how we act becomes offensive to the other group.  As far as I am concerned, the African American and the African black are mirror images of each other.  Some of our most noted traits are because of the environment in which we grew.  There is nothing that the African American does that the African black will not do if they grow up in the same environment as the African Americans and vice versa. We just need to learn to respect each other and appreciate the historical background of each other.  We must also learn to accommodate whatever little differences that exist between us even now. The word of God says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

This feud between the American black and the African black reminds me of the story of Abraham and Lot in the Bible.  Lot is Abraham’s nephew, and they have both left their country, their people, and their father’s household to the land that the Lord showed them (Genesis 12:1).  In the new land they both grew, and the land could not support them because both had a lot of livestock.  Naturally, quarrels broke out between Abraham’s herders and Lot’s herders.  Abraham however handled this in a very matured manner; he looked for peace and said to Lot “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives” (Genesis 13:8). He then told Lot “Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:9).  This is a classic example of accommodation, especially between brothers.  This is my admonition, especially to us black Africans.  We must do all within our powers to accommodate our African American brethren, after all just as Abraham said to Lot, we are close relatives.  What binds us together is way more than the things that divide us.  When issues of racism arise, they affect us all.  Unless we speak, the oppressors really do not see any difference between us, and they should not because we are the same.  We must not allow them to capitalize on our differences.  We must all bind together so that all social injustices in the society can be eradicated.  In times when we need to rise, we must make sure we rise.  We are people of the same household and we are not expected to be social distancing from each other; not from them and not from their causes because their causes should be our causes. Let us come together because the broom is stronger together than alone.  May God give us the wisdom of Abraham. – Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

My father has been gone since 2009.  I remembered him on his birthday, the 16^th of June, and thought how blessed I was to have had a father like him. He was a man of God, a nice person, a wonderful husband, and a great dad, and he made sure that our needs were met physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was a disciplinarian who did what he could to teach us right from wrong despite our rebellious teenage tendencies.  He constantly told my siblings and me that we were precious in the sight of God.  He would say to each one of us, “You are the best of the girls” or “You are the best of the boys” (as the case may be).  And at least once a year, he pronounced blessings upon each of his children. I loved my dad. He was the first special man in my life, and I am so thankful that he was my earthly father.

As Father’s Day approaches, and I think of my earthly father, I also think of my heavenly Father. I have been reflecting on the goodness of God this week and how far the Lord has brought the entire family and me. In addition, Wednesday’s Bible Study topic, “Living by Grace,” also gave me something to ponder.  I realized that as much as my earthly father did what he could to provide for my needs and protect me, it was my heavenly Father who loved and still loves me the most.

As I shared during Bible Study on Wednesday, my younger sister Grace was ill to the point where she could not care for herself. She was a single mother with two young children at the time.  She couldn’t perform her own activities of daily living, let alone care for her young kids.  I had to step in temporarily as her primary caregiver while the family decided on a long-term plan.  During the three months that I cared for her, I saw our heavenly Father’s hand at work every day.  Grace woke up every morning with a song of praise on her lips. Since it was difficult for her to breathe, she hummed the songs, and I sang them aloud.  She refused to have a commode placed in the living area where she spent most of her day or to have one brought in when she needed it.  She would say, “Sister Naajah, give me a moment to talk to my Father first.”  She would pray, gather courage, and somehow make it to the bathroom and back.  As many times as she needed to use the bathroom, she prayed for strength and thanked the Lord for enabling her walk to the bathroom to perform a function that we all take for granted. This was a daily occurrence, and I marveled at the love that the Lord poured out to my sister.

I learned from Grace how to be thankful for the gift of sleeping and waking up and for the gift of family, friends, the Church, and the breath of life. As ill as she was, she was constantly thankful for everything in her life. She gave me a new meaning to the song “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”  She talked about the love of our heavenly Father daily and openly declared it to her friends when she counseled them on various issues.  At that stage in her life, her whole being was wrapped in God’s love for her and all who believed in his son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 reminds us of this: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (KJV).  My sister was a witness for Jesus Christ and always shared her faith with all with whom she came into contact.

So, as we celebrate Father’s Day, no matter what kind of an earthly father you have or had, be thankful that you have a heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally. He loves us so much that he sent His son Jesus to die for you and me.  He has promised that someday, we will dwell with Him forever and ever.  Until then, he has given us the Holy Spirit to be our helper. What a gift! Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful men of CICC!! We love you and appreciate each one of you! – Pastor Christina Nyen

I get excited when God fulfills His words in the most practical ways.  It is not often that one can feel, touch, or smell when God moves if you do not follow in the Spirit.  When God decides to show His ways in a manifestly clear manner, it is like God coming to earth in human form.  Yes, it is like experiencing Jesus Christ in the flesh all over again. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in some fancy theological ideas that become too deep or so esoteric that it is difficult to relate with them.  Yet, if our desire is to walk in the way of the Lord, then the way of the Lord must be made very clear to us.  I am one who believes when God says He will watch over us, that is precisely what He intends to do.  The word of God says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalms 91:11).  Satan tried to exploit this in his encounter with our Lord, Jesus, in the wilderness. It is God’s word and when He says it, He fulfills it, but it must come from Him.  I had two experiences this past week, well, within eight days of each other that just confirms to me in every way that when God says it, He does it.

Last Tuesday, I was in my home office working when I felt the need to stretch my legs.  This happened around 10:30am, which is very unusual.  My usual leg stretch routine is around 11am.  In any case, I did a short routine and decided to use the bathroom, to avoid the need to get up again within a short time.  As I marched on to my bedroom, just two steps to the door, I noticed something on the floor right across the passageway extending fully from the left extreme of the corridor to the right extreme.  To cut a long story short, after I flicked on the light, I discovered there was a huge snake right in front of the door to my bedroom.  All hell broke loose in my house because my family personifies the enmity the Lord placed between the serpent and man in Genesis 3:15. None of us can stand snakes.  That is however not the point.  Can you imagine if I did not get up at the time I did?  Can you imagine if the Spirit did not direct me to look at the floor?  My daughter’s room is next to mine; her door was ajar and that was the direction the snake was headed. What if the snake went in there?  There were many other questions? I thought about all these and I was pretty sure my getting up at the time I did, and even noticing the snake was all part of God’s orchestration to keep His words that His angels will guard us in all our ways.

The second experience again confirms God’s words but in a profoundly different way.  We have this unwanted privilege of living amongst trees in our home.  So, each time there is a significant storm, we are mostly inside praying that if any tree must fall, let it fall away from the house.  God has been faithful in that regards.  This last Wednesday, one of our neighbors showed up in our house to help with our little garden.  He called my wife and asked that she moves our car so he can work freely. Well she did and moved it about 30 feet away.  The guy insisted she must move it another 30 feet, so she did.  We then left to walk/jog only to get caught up in a fierce storm.  Well, by the time we came back we saw a huge tree smack in the middle of our driveway in front of our garage precisely where our car was moved from.  I looked at it and immediately concluded that this is another guardian angel episode.  Why did this guy show up in our house the same day the storm showed up?  Why did he insist the car must be moved way back?  How come the tree landed exactly where the car would have been?  There is only one answer I can get to these series of questions, and that is – He will command His angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways.

People of God, God will do what he says He will do, but we must also do what He asks us to do.   Our part is to surrender completely to His will.  Our part is to focus on Him and His purpose for us.  When it comes to the issues that beset us daily, God’s part is to take care of us.  That is the promise He made to us and He is righteous enough to fulfill it.  You see, when we surrender our lives completely to Jesus, He watches over us, He takes care of us, and He orchestrates everything that concerns us in His perfect and impeccable timing.  His word in Psalms 121:7-8 says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”  And so, shall it be, because He is always true to His words. — Pastor Simbo Odunaiya

I don’t know about you, but the events unfolding in the past one week have made me wonder whether I am still in the United States of America.  While I understand the anger of the people, I just wished the way they were vented was a little less on the carnage side.  There was a lot of destruction and a lot of looting.  I bet the looting was not part of the program.  However, in the melee that ensued there is no knowing what could happen.  The best way to protect things like this from happening is to make sure that they have no reason to start.  Generally speaking, it is hard for me to fault the anger I see expressed in the placards and the defiance of the people who staged civil protests all over the United States.  I felt the same anger myself.  For me it is not even about black or white, it is more about the lackadaisical way the police officer took the life of another human being.  On the other hand, looking back at similar events in this country, one cannot remove the part that race must have played in how unperturbed this officer was as he took another person’s life.  It has happened one time too many.

There is no doubt in my mind that the murder of George Floyd has a lot to do with what is presently going on.  To be clear, the carnage, the arson, the looting is definitely not the way to get the change that is desired in the way the police relates with people of color in this country.  However, the anger, the pent-up anger, which was brought to a head with the murder of George Floyd has a lot to do with whatever is being expressed.

What is going on in America at the moment is a great revelation about race matters in America. It is disheartening in this age to still be confronted with the evils and bitterness of racial profiling.  There are just too many times that racial profiling has resulted in the death of innocent people that it ought to cause any God-fearing person to pause and think.  With all the noise and the uprising due to the senseless killing of a young man, Trayvon Martin, in Florida in 2012 based on an equally senseless “stand-your-ground” law, one would think that efforts would have been made to make the laws a little more just eight years later.  The “stand-your-ground” law is essentially a license to kill for whites who for one reason or the other become quite anxious whenever they encounter a black person.  This law essentially enables the codification of racial prejudice as self-defense.  On the other hand, when a black person invokes the same law, the courts are quick to dismiss it.  All over the United States, records show that the law enforcement system disproportionately arrests and sentences black men, but also fails to protect them when they themselves become victims of crimes.  In addition to these, there is racial inequality in the economy and there is flagrant racism everywhere you go.  There is still a long way to go.

The last time something like this happened was when Rodney King was mercilessly beaten by four policemen in Los Angeles in 1992.  As usual, the justice system failed Rodney King then, but Rodney lived to talk about it, unfortunately not the same for George Floyd.  Rodney’s question then was – “Can we all get along?”.  That question he asked still matters today.  Can we all get along?  Can we decide to live together in peace?  If only we will live and let live, we will all be able to get along. In this country now, it is difficult to look at any issue that matters without being divided along racial lines.  Why should color matter in whether I receive a good education?  Why should color matter in whether I have access to good housing?  Why should color matter in whether I am treated fairly in a court of law?  When will Martin Luther King’s dream for his four little children come to pass for all of us and all our children, that we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character?  It is disheartening that in this day and age America still has difficulties in the perception of right and wrong simply based on the subject of race. Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians 3:28 said “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Might I add that when it comes to justice there should also be “nether black nor white”, we are all children of God and I am sure God wants us all to just get along.– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya