by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Apr 1, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Anyone who dies is naturally buried in a tomb where his body is left to decay and return to the dust from which he was formed. Likewise, this man died but was buried in a tomb he hired only for few days.
Some old persons approaching their life’s end would usually chose their final abode, and possibly the type of burial they prefer. Some would specifically give instructions about how and where or when they should be buried. Some others would build their own tomb in anticipation of death.
But this was not the case of this man who borrowed his own tomb because he knew he was only going to be buried for a few days. It wasn’t because he could nor afford a tomb, rather he chose to hire for He had already planned that his death was only temporarily.
He offered to die for a purpose and he was buried for the purpose of achieving a task which he was going to accomplish within three days. He subjected himself to death in order to liberate those who were bound by sin and death; and those constantly living with the fear of death. And when he was done; he exited the tomb and rose to life to offer salvation to anyone who would appropriate his grace.
In reality, everyman who dies, dies for resurrection. I mean, death is only a temporary phenomenon after all, although it is the event that ends man’s existence here on earth, but it is his transition to eternity. In essence, all who dies physically shall shall resurrect either to life or to eternal death.
When He raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).
Christ’s resurrection saves us from eternal separation from our creator. If Christ never took another breath, never left the tomb, never appeared to his disciples, and never ascended into heaven — if he never lived again — then we would never stop dying.
If he had remained in the grave like other men who died, then we would carry our sin, our shame, and our pain through the grave into something far worse than death — if Jesus had not risen from his grave. If his final breath on the cross had been his final breath. And if we never stopped dying, fear would rule our short and hopeless lives.
But death could not stifle his breath. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Our King borrowed the tomb for three short days before securing his victory over death forever. And his victory is our victory if we are willing to die with him into everlasting life.
His life, death, and resurrection may never cease to be a controversy till the end of this age. But like a hymn writer wrote, “I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me. Enough for me that Jesus save, This ends my feat and doubt; A sinful soul I come to Him, He’ll never cast me out.”
Provisions for salvation from eternal judgment is completed. It’s now up to you what you chose! You are winning! Ye, we are winning!
Greatmark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 31, 2018 | Uncategorized |
“I survive because the fire inside me burn brighter than the fire around me.” -Joshua Graham. There will always be challenges and difficulties, but those who stand out are those who have inculcated the attitude of surviving against all odds.
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by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 31, 2018 | Uncategorized |
It was the day after the most devastating eclipse. It was still very dark, and everyone filled with bewilderment.
And so everything went quite, dead silence everywhere! For the masterminds, it was another great achievement, a riddance to blasphemy and political threats.
The Hopeless and fearful disciples and believers hid in shame, wondering how their savior was so humiliated and killed. What becomes of his promises -the freedom, the peace, the positive changes and his kingdom reign, they bitterly queried.
So, it was still dark, gloomy and devastating Saturday because no one seemed to remember Easter Sunday, when he said he would defeat death forever. They were hopeless and confused!
Oh you too? You feel suspended like the disciples, just hang in there, there’s always Easter Sunday. The darkest part of the day is the closest to the morning.
There’s hope for your tomorrow. Hope in God can never be disappointed! This too shall come to pass. Wait, You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
Greatmark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 30, 2018 | Uncategorized |
“It was initially a smooth ride; we were gisting, jesting and enjoying the company of each other, as we began what is supposed to be an adventurous journey. That I’m alive to write my experience on how we narrowly escaped death is simply incredible!
We had lots of snacks and drinks to share while we anticipated the ecstasy of spending some quality time with our host. Traveling in the woods was such a beautiful sight, the lush gardens, the beautiful trees, the sparse vegetation and several solitary hamlets adorned with distinct farm lands along our transverse were amazing sights to capture.
As a lover of photographs, I was prepared to take shots of every scintillating images, and really I had more than enough pictures of captivating sights. I was determined to capture every moment, and I think I did, even after the accident.
We were sure prepared for the long journey until the excitement began to diminish and one after the other we all slept off, save the driver I presume. I guess he lost concentration at some point and dozed off when the silence in the bus became unbearable.
Suddenly, we woke up to the squeaking of the tires, followed by the cry of despair by the driver as he struggles to stabilize the car. Suddenly, one of the tires pulled out and we were headed for a very deep valley. I’d thought that it was for the fear of perishing that the driver applied the break and we got tumbling.
The thought of survival was impossible here going by the sight of what lied ahead of us. Did we eventually plunged into the valley of death? Yes, we did but we were suspended by a tree, a strong and mighty tree with an inconceivable height.
Thankfully, we were cut in between the road and the closest branch. We were later literarily plucked off the branch in somewhat a miraculous manner. This was how we escape death! It sure wouldn’t have been possible without a supernatural intervention. We were condemned to die but it was averted by an unseen hand, I believe!”
The way these sojourners were saved from the certainty of death is the way the entire human race was saved from a deserving death. The human is condemned to death and eternal separation from God by virtue of the sin and disobedience of our antecedents, Adam. And the death punishment hanging on every man was a certainty until a sacrifice was made. Yes, “The wages of sin is death…” (Rom.6:23).
However, by the unmerited of God, we narrowly escape this death because Christ took all of our sins upon himself, all of them, having offered himself as the sacrificial passover lamb. He bore the sins of the world upon himself and for this he took our punishment in order to emancipate us from the debt we owe but could not pay.
He suffered the wrath we deserved. He was Every ounce. We deserved no mercy but while still in our lost estate, God offered us redemption through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. He became the propitiation for our sins, so that we being fred from sin should be reconcile back to God.
He was crucified for us, buried for us, and then on the third day he was raised for us. This is how we escaped death! By his resurrection we were positioned to befriend God, worship him in truth and live eternally with Him (I Corinthians 15:3-4).
It was a perfect finish! Yes, his death and resurrection was a complete work of salvation; a sacrificial act that transformed us from enemies to friends of God. Nothing more is needed; no more sacrifice is necessary to restore our broken relationship with God. That Christ died and rise again all for our sake is enough!
Jesus came alive again. He is alive for us now. We have no more guilt. No more shame. No more fear. We have peace with God. We are not under this wrath, not destined for his judgment, not awaiting his fury. We are now, and forever, the objects of his love.
We are the recipients of his unending favor. We are the gathered sons and daughters who will spend eternity in the riches of their Father’s glory. All through Jesus Christ, the one who washed our sins away, the one who will cause us to never be the same.
It is Good Friday; the darkest yet the greatest day in history. The day that death was the greatest day in history. Death was beaten and our rescue secured. This is how we escaped death; Christ died for us and this is just enough!
Like I noted in my article, WE’VE GOT THE RAM;LET US GO HOME FOR EID AL-ADHA!; It is no longer a news that the plan of salvation is clear: “For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in him should not die but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
It was a good Friday because of the Easter Sunday. Yes, it is a happy day, after all. Even when you go through the darkest period of your life, don’t despair, there will always be a happy day. You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
Greatmark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 28, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Between better and bigger which is easily noticeable? I admit that better is harder to measure and not as noticeable to the eye as bigger. But, the truth is, better will overcome bigger every time. The story of Mr. Bassey the miserable warrior is worthy of read.
Any time, he prays, Mr. Bassey, also known as “Prayer Warrior”, he roars like a lion and the people around him feel the impact of his intense importunity prayers. To some who have benefitted from his intercession, they never consider his persistency as a nuisance. However, some feels he is a miserable man by virtue of his prayer point, which seemed fashioned after cajoling God to do whatever he feels necessary, with no regards to God’s ultimate purpose and plan.
I am a beneficiary of the blessings of an intercessor like Mr. Bassey, but am often startled by prayers that are intended to manipulate God or targeted at cajole Him, with no respect for His Sovereignty. Truth is, you can be prayerful and still be miserable! Anytime you try to use your prayers to change God who is perfect rather than change yourself, you’re miserable!
God is sovereign, yet his unchanging nature should not be a deterrent to making petitions for our needs. Rather, it should be a motivation to seek his intervention on any matter at all under the sun. Although, God challenged us to call upon him and he will answer us. Yet, our prayers should not be aimed at convincing God of the sincerity of our needs, because He knows what we need before we even ask him (Matthew 6:8).
Furthermore, our prayers should not be characterized by long and repetitive words, or flamboyant display of religiosity. For this kind of pagan-like, babbling prayers, Jesus warned the disciples not to emulate because God cannot be endeared by many words. Thus, prayers that are intended to woo God to act against his will, or fashioned to hamstring or curtail Him is a miserable prayer!
Speaking on the sovereignty of God; Calvinism, which is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice of John Calvin and other Reformation-era theologians, shifted the emphasis of prayers from its effect on God to its effect on the pray-er. This theology was aptly put by Matthew Henry thus, “It is true, nothing can have any influence upon him, or move him to show us mercy, but it may have an influence upon ourselves, and to put us into a frame fit to receive mercy.”
In essence, God is not moved or persuaded by our prayers, instead his response to our prayers is a show of his mercy. As Jonathan Edwards wrote, “God is sometimes represented as if He were moved and persuaded by the prayers of his people; yet it is not to be thought that God is properly moved or made willing by our prayers’, instead, God bestows mercy “as though he were prevailed upon by prayer.”
I have come to accept that no matter how good your plans are, it cannot be better than what plans God has for you. His thoughts towards us are precious and ultimately the best for our lives. Though he offers us blank checks to ask whatever our heart desires, and promised never to let us down. Yet, he knows our needs even more than we do know, and his will for us remains the best we can ever wish for in this life.
I agree that it is very difficult to attempt to reconcile the unchangeable nature of God with his responsiveness to the prayers of his creation. However, I believe the submission of Andrew Murray on this matter is noteworthy. He said, God does indeed allow Himself to be decided by prayer to do what He otherwise would not have done.” Therefore, whenever God responds to our requests, or we appear to have made him change his mind, he does this only by his mercy, and not that our prayer is potent to change him.
God commands us to pray and seek his face, with a promise that he will fill our mouth with the desires of our heart. Likewise, he expects us to trust Him and rely absolutely on his wisdom to deal with every of our request in accordance to his will.
What a joy it is to be at peace with who you are and where you are in your life. The desire to be bigger will not allow you to rest, relax and enjoy your blessings, but it will also becloud your sense of gratitude to God. Thank him for the small things; He’s got you in his plans.
Even unanswered prayers or delays can make you a better person if it is God’s ultimate plan for you. So, rather than attempt to manipulate God with your prayers, learn to trust Him. I’m certain that God works for those who wait for him. Like the testimony of Brother Jethro in my article, THE NAKEDNESS OF BROTHER JETHRO, I do know that His plans for those who trust Him are good and not evil, to give them an expected end. This is a promise of God that will never change!”
You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
GreatMark
