I taught at the Bible School today, the lesson was how to prepare to do visitation with church members in need. To highlight the importance of preparation we read Mathew 25:1-13. “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like…” Jesus says. At the end of time and we are in the end times; yet no one knows only the Father when that time will be. The point is: Be prepared! That is what this parable is about. The ten virgins represent the universal church. We are all waiting for the coming of the Jesus, for the wedding feast to begin. Five virgins were wise, they had extra oil for their lamps since the groom could come at any time, especially when they least expected it. Five virgins were foolish; they had filled their lamps but did not have extra oil. Today as well, it seems to be a long time that Jesus has been on the way back, is he ever going to come we ask? The virgins grew drowsy and fell asleep; take note they all fell asleep. Like the ten virgins the church has fallen asleep; we worry about legalities, about fine points of theology and spend our time in endless discussion about things that have nothing to do with salvation itself and we worry very little about those not ready to meet Christ. Today it is hard to know who is ready (has extra oil) and who is not ready. The oil is the thinking of Jesus, the Way of Jesus, the Words of Jesus, and the actions of Jesus. That is the oil we need but our lamps are barely on, turned down for the long nap we are in. If we are to be ready we must have extra oil (all of the characteristics of Jesus) if the church is going to shine brightly up to the time of Jesus’ return. Those who have taken on the difficulty and the suffering of being like Jesus in all that they say and do will be ready to meet the King (bridegroom). But those who have taken the easy way out and not made the sacrifices that go along with real Christianity will be left behind. Jesus does not know them, verse 12. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

The housing is good at Mahula

Today I taught at the Bible school, Lesson three, they are doing well with their visitation asignments. I also preached at the Bible School chapel, I picked Matthew 5:13-16 as the passage. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth but if salt loses its flavor it is not good for anything.  Jesus also says we are the light of the world but if we put that light under a bushel it has no use. I picked these verses because of the discussions that I have been having with the Pastors and the Evangelist in my course. What is needed in this area according to these men is that Christians should be more like Jesus. That sounds familiar; if anything is needed in the States is that Christians should be more like Jesus. This discussion that I have been having with these men highlights for me, for them, and for leaders everywhere the importance of leaders to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus is to be the salt of the earth. Salt brings out the flavor, that which is hidden in God’s Word discerned only by the Spirit of God. Salt has healing properties; an encouraging word is life for the discouraged. Salt has preservation qualities; the cares of this world are lighter by God’s grace. But if we as Christians have lost our saltiness there is no benefit for anyone.

We are the light of the world. Light shows us the path to walk on, the path of Jesus as we find it in Scripture.  Light shows us the right way of living and leads us to what is right in God’s eyes. Light allows us fellowship with God and with each other, nothing is hidden, all our actions are in daylight. We are a light to each other but also to the world around us. A city on a hill lit up cannot be hidden. What does all this have to do with Jesus? Jesus is life and that life is the light of men ( John1:4). Where can people see Jesus, where can they meet Jesus, where can they get to know Jesus today? One place is the Scriptures and the only other place is you and me, the people of God, the church, His body. You and I may be the only Bible some people will ever read. It is therefore of utmost importance that we are like Jesus, take on His attitude, and His actions, and His way of giving Himself for others. Are we ready

Getting to the Bible school, 3 Kl., is a difficult short drive with places that will be impassable during the rainy season.

Today, Sunday we visited one of the smaller churches in the area. This place does not have an evangelist or pastor living on site so a person from this village attending the Bible school is assigned there. If you take note of the map you will be able to find the places that we visit and their relationship to each other. The place we visited was Tungun Basalla which is on the main road. A couple of things about the map: The Church has become the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria (CRCN). The only places where missionaries live currently are at the Bible School and periodically at Mahula. These two places are about three kilometers apart. The former mission housing at Idaci, Momo, Maretu, and Komfani are occupied by Nigerian CRCN staff. This is a young church and needs much prayer. Pray for the Evangelists and the Pastors, for the church leaders and the church members. There is much opposition to the gospel by those following traditional African worship. Pray for the people digging bore holes and installing hand pumps, often that activity cracks open the door for the gospel. Last but not least pray for the missionaries assigned here and to the different areas of the country; especially for the missionaries here; at Acre (The Bible School) and at Mahula. They contend with oppressive heat, (today 106 in the shade 130 in direct sun) very difficult travel conditions, years of language learning and isolation from other missionaries. The one good thing we now have in Nigeria is good cell phone service and accessibility to the internet which makes it much easier to communicate with each other here, with you and our loved ones at home.  I do think that the ease of communication with loved ones, while a blessing, slows down our interpersonal relationships with the people around us. Please pray for the work in Niger State!

Yesterday I had the second class with the students, lesson two “The Person Who Cares”. Of the many passages we looked at I liked the parable of the lost sheep Luke 15:1-7. Jesus spoke in parables so that only those with the Spirit would understand the spiritual meaning. In this case, Jesus tells this parable in reaction to the comments of the Pharisees. Because Jesus was speaking with tax collectors and sinners the Pharisees and the teachers of the law criticized him by saying: “this man (Jesus) welcomes sinners and eats with them”.

In the book I am reading “The year of living like Jesus”, the author takes note of the fact that Christians spend a lot of time trying to figure out who is in and who is out of the fold and thinks it very unlike Jesus. Often the person that is different; dress, looks, lifestyle, different than we, are out. That pretty well leaves out every young Christian girl in Mahula since they mostly go topless at home and at the well but cover up when they go out to market, church or school. That is way off the chart for proper behavior by western standards but perfectly acceptable here.

The point Jesus is making is that a good shepherd, a person who cares for his fellow human being will leave those who think they are so righteous and go look for the lost; while the Pharisees and teachers were only interested in condemning Jesus along with the tax collectors and other perceived sinners. The true shepherd, Jesus, the real church worker, the real church member, goes out to find those who are lost and when found and brought into the fold, rejoice greatly. Jesus tells us that the very angels in heaven rejoice more over the one lost and found than over the ninety nine not lost.

Jesus’ approach was so different from organized religion of his day, the religious leaders did not understand. Jesus’ approach is also much different from organized religion today because the ninety nine instead of the one lost are the center of attention in our churches. The person who really cares is more like Jesus than he or she is like the critical church member. Praise the Lord for the true shepherds of the people of God.

Our trip to Idaci went very well, we met the new Pastor Ben and many of the evangelists. We will do a Pastoral Care course for them here at Mahula because this is most central according to them. Idaci has a large Christian school and a Jr. Secondary School. Some of the kids at Mahula go to school at Idaci since the traditional leaders shut down the school that was started at Mahula. Who is going to herd and who is going to help farm was their concern.

Sunday I preached my first sermon in Hausa, I believe I got the point across: At the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells a parable of two people building a house one on the rock and one on the sand. The rock is Jesus, if you listen to Him the 20 points of the Sermon on the Mount, and you do what Jesus says your house (your life, your soul, your whole existence in the Kingdom of God will stand. If you do not listen to what Jesus  tells you to do and how we must live; you’re building on shifting sand and your very life could be lost. The good news is that Jesus gives many opportunities for us to change our ways. As God would have it we also had a conversion this morning, one of the Church leaders sons who had expressed interest some months ago.  I wanted to pray with him and lay on hands which we did. All in all it was a great service.

After church we were ready for a quiet afternoon but Matt texted Gremar if she would come to the school to check on Christy the teacher’s wife who was a week overdue, sure enough Gremar recommended she go to the hospital and Matt asked Gremar to go along so I went as well. Laura had a great supper waiting for us bless her heart. Another full day. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow we go back to Kontagora to duplicate more TLT manuals.