Chance At Love

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Once I was ayoung man ruddy and wild
I knew the Lord and loved him like a child
Yet my wit was unmatched and my zeal beyond borders
This here is a story of how a little trouble saved another

A Chance at Love by Godswill Ezeonyeka

While prayers went on, every pastor in the crowd was summoned
I joined them on stage curious to see why they where called upon
Lost within this little crowd a little boy ruddy and wild
I never would have suspected what I would find

They held hands together and prayed ever so passionately
For hearts that were not theirs to find love they could not give
Thier prayers must have been answered for soon it was bait and I was fish
My curiousity had bought me a ticket to meet with Jesus

As I watched on I desired to be like them on this stage
To do all I can so that all may have what I got on this day
I wanted the entire world to know how love found me on a stage
But here comes the usher “Young man” he says “this is not your place”

I have since journeyed far into the world with passion so strong
I have watched love fire up in the hearts of many a heralding song
But as the days run wildly by and my strength stops to be what it once was
I fear my passion bears no more fruits and my word stir no more hope

Yet as I walk home a picture of good old days gone by
I meet a man scarcely as old as I am waiting at my doorstep with a smile
Says he found love the day a young man ruddy and wild, sought Jesus on a stage
“But I never said a word”, “Your passion was enough, it showed me the way”

I have lived a life of testimonies but this will forever remind me
I am blessed to have been found by love so true and more blessed to evangelize it
But when my efforts seem to have no effect, I will yet share these words with the world
For my God will use anything and anyone to give a dying soul, a chance at love, eternal love.

Godswill Ezeonyeka

(c) 2018

Christ and Crumbs

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A tearing loaf is losing its parts,
With the drawing apart of its whiteness within,
Halving its whole,
And leaving an abyss betwixt,
New incompletenesses,

A torn loaf sends shreds raining down,
Relics of fullness, signs of wreck,
Its white lands on earthen ground,
To defy dirt awhile,
Till it lies six feet deep,

This shared loaf once one,
Is multiplied by demise,
To reach the tongues that trust,
Enliven a billion bellies,
And reside in our flesh and blood,

In Christ’s flayed frame we find,
Skin shredded as crumbs,
Raining down from Heaven’s table,
His very self multiplied abroad,
To fill a billion hungry hearts,

Ikenna Nwachukwu

(c) 2018

Niel’s Exegesis

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We cant save, we are the saved.

Perhaps we have barbed ourselves by lifting biblical phrases, again perhaps, out of context.

Our view, or stand, however; is to me as clear as yours. I wont quote 1John3:11-16 or even go into some long exegesis about how we are doing what is natural to us. It is obvious we all see things differently.

We are younger than you, and in our time, today, when we see a mosquito or a fly, we swat it and pray that we dont already have malaria.

When a lecturer tries to sleep with my friend, we get a recording device and set him up…but we pray the senate dont cancel the class results because of him. We know we cant fight BokoHaram, so we leave that to God. But we switch off the TV when we catch our young siblings watching BBNaija. And we change the station when they’re gone and watch GameofThrones.

We want to ignore the world, we also want to change a few things, get some money, go to work and hope the kids can be left alone with the Tv.

I dont have kids yet.

But I once watched porn. Someone should have told me it would erode my self esteem and that I was misdirecting my time, but no, everyone was ignoring the world.

But I blame no one. And am not even telling anyone to change…I’m just venting. In real life, I will listen to you, because I trust you. I will fix my eyes on Jesus and pray for those who I could have helped. After all, all of my help comes from the Lord; they should trust God too.

I just thought perhaps I should love my neighbour as I…nevermind. I will just pray for him.

Where is it written in the Bible that there should be a balance between what is our and what is God’s responsibility?

We should all seek, first, the kingdom of God…

…Madonna once sang, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions; what did she know about good?

…like Paul says, Ephesians 4:11-25, we are all growing to that level where we are rooted in The Truth, all the while trying to speak truth to each other.

The Niel

(c) 2018

Frank

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Reducing scarcity dissolves celebrity statuses so its safe to say that ‘being Frank’ saves the day,

I’m here to be Frank, I can’t pretend just to please anyone… I’m here…to be Frank,

I want friends who are wise so I can fool around safely. So I never wonder if I’m wrong since they shoot their thoughts straight at my phone just to bullseye me with a sharp ‘I miss you’,

I want friends who forget that I have to go and sigh at my goodbyes like we’ll never meet again. Their eyes glow when I appear; I am a star, they are mirrors,

Maybe that’s why they say ‘Tell me your friend, and I’ll tell you who you are,’ because that’s not in the Bible,

But my friends though…

I’m upset when they’re amused and I’m used to the use of my absence for the discussion of weightier matters,

But do I change them like I change shaving sticks? No. I am enough, they are enough,

Some books book a book-long look of flukes for me to get hooked on to with the look of a promise like, ‘Look, if you took on this and that look and hook on to this and that spook, your nook of Looks will be so warm, johns will pray to host you. You can mark it anywhere’,

But they are all tax collectors and like a Mat you write ‘welcome’ on, they are hardly ever inside the story building up as our lives, so they don’t see our flaws while promising windows for each sealing,

Temperaments and Peppermints have taught me this; If you are predictable and pleasant, there still is no guarantee that the other person will be,

In my search for the pinnacle of a stable relationship I took a stab at a popular question. No one sees the selfishness of the silence this question is serially supplied with, the question is…

What are friends for?

Is a friend in need a friend indeed? If yes then answer this;
Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friend, which of your friends can you die for?

Don’t worry Jesus died for your friends so don’t worry,
Gies of God to each other. A friend in need is just opportunely so. So once again, let’s ‘be Frank’; I am friends with you because I love you. I won’t always want you around but that’s not a reflection of my displeasure.

And when I’m gone just carry on, don’t mourn, rejoice every time you do recall my voice. We’ve come a long way, from where we began, and I’ll tell you all about it, when I see you again,

I’ll be careful when I am ‘being Frank’ with you so I don’t hurt you in a bid to say my mind,

The stench of fellowships…often murdered by honesty;
The smeh smeh whispers of Frank.

Its safe to say ‘being Frank’ should be replaced with being ourselves,

After all, who is Frank? I don’t know him. Let’s keep it simple,

I am The Niel Quchi; and I just want to make common sense.

The Niel

(c) 2018

BOOK REVIEW: EXPLORING WORSHIP, by Bob Sorge

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Author: Bob Sorge 

Pages: 262

Edition: 22nd

Publisher: GCEE BRUNO CONCEPT LIMITED, Lagos, Nigeria. 

Reviewer: PHILIPA ORAEGBU
 
 
 
God seeketh worshipers not worship. Why then do I need to worship if he seeks it not?
 
Bob Sorge, an ardent writer of thought provoking practical books, ignites hearts yet again with this piece, Exploring Worship: A Practical Guide to Worship . Bob, a former music director, expresses his belief and desire to see leaders and worshipers equipped in the spiritual and practical aspects of worship. His writing is not just theoretical; it retells real life experiences and contains bible references. With these, he is able to show the importance of spiritual sensitivity in the art and act of worship emphasizing the place of the Holy spirit and a worshiper’s ability to discern.
 
“Worship”, though a common term in the faith and commonly regarded as just the act of singing slow songs, is beautifully exposited in this book. Exploring Worship clarifies the diverse misconceptions of the term while expounding its simplicity, essence and exclusivity. 
 
The book is divided into two sections: The Heart of Praise and Worship, and The Leading of Praise and Worship. The first section of the book comprises 7 chapters and dwells on worship and praise as expressions unto God, while the latter has 3 chapters and relates the practical aspect of worship. 
 
The first chapter discusses praise and its distinctive extroverted nature. Its essence, and how it’s perfunctory on will and not emotion. Bob proceeds to explain when, where and how one should praise. Praise, being extroverted expression, is done in varying ways. Some of these are common; others are not very widely practised. 
 
The second chapter addresses our approach to God’s presence: an individual approach and congregational approach. Worship as a Christian communal experience is described as an excercise which requires both on the worship leader and worshippers to bring to life. The author makes it clear that there are sacrifices to be made by all involved, in order to actualize worship. 
 
Chapter three emphasizes the use of praise as a weapon of spiritual warfare. The scriptural basis of its use is not without explanation, likewise the exposition on the use of the forms of expression of praise as spiritual weaponry.
 
Chapter four explores the term ‘worship’, its distinction from praise, its essence, and how the Holy Spirit is an integral part of worship. Worship as revealed is not bound by time or place but rather is dependent on “spirit” and truth. 
 
Who really are worshipers? How does one become a worshiper? What does it mean to worship without guilt and what are the attitudes that could hinder an acceptable worship? These questions are answered in detail in the fifth chapter of the book. 
 
Worship has three aspects to itself as written by Bob, the vertical aspect where the worshipes communicates with the Lord; the horizontal aspect, in which the worshiper communicates with the congregation; and the inward aspect of worshiper’s internal communication. All of these are found in chapter six. 
 
Chapter seven talks about the link between prophecy and music, the difference between psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and how they should be incorporated into today’s congregational worship. There’s also some discussion about walking in prophetic worship by faith. 
 
Chapter eight delves into the art of leading worship. The author wants us to understand that proper worship leadership is learned. Worship leaders don’t just spring up; they grow by learning. Further explained are the qualifications a leader should possess: musical expertise which is of great necessity; the leaders preparation both musically and spiritually; and the leaders leading– and not controlling -worship. 
 
Chapter nine exposits the importance of a worship leading team in a church, the role of the pastor and worship leader in congregational worship, the various members of the worship leading team and their place in the church. 
 
And finally, chapter ten makes known the need for planning worship services, the need for sensitivity, preparation and balance as regards worship services, creativity in providing good variety in worship services, and practical steps to writing songs and teaching new songs.
 
If you are desiring insight into the world of worship, the art of worship and leading worship, you will find this book useful. It demonstrates, among other things, that worship is not about the subject (worshiper) but the object (God) . And this, in the end, is the key message we all need to internalize.