A Review of Most Rev. Musa Panti Filibus’ Speech

 

The post before this review will form the bases of my discussion here: The body of Christ, Christians represented the church and the shepherds, the leaders. We can see that from the onset of the very beginning of Most Rev. Musa Panti Filibus’ speech that the church acknowledges witnessing the people’s frustration, suffering and groans captured vividly in the scriptural quote, "Teacher, don't You care that we are perishing?" (Luke 8:24). A perspective pointing to how the ‘the teacher,’ ought to help mitigate the agony, distress and misery. Who are these folks? They are the farmers, traders, business persons, civil servants, legislators, policemen, the army, navy, Airforce, the governor and even the governor’s/president’s cabinet. All church members of the body of Christ are called Christians and a large number are members of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN).

Just as we have so many crying for help as members of the body of Christ, so too, it is frighteningly clear that those who perpetrate these acts and cause or support the mayhem and misery that has to do with political corruption, misrule, are also in part, members of the body of Christ. So it was very proper to hear the Most Reverend speak on the people’s behalf as a leader with the responsibility to lend a voice to the issues of killings, kidnappings, corruption, injustice, impunity and other ills in the land. In the same vein, it is also as important that he and other church leaders speak against all those responsible for the problems because as long as they keep quiet, these political leaders involved will continue to think that they are doing the right thing. Moreover, keeping quiet communicates support for the wrong things the politicians are doing.

Now regarding ‘Hope in Christ,’ quoted by the Most Reverend, Psalm 23, particularly the following section, ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.’ Comes to mind. It shows clearly, God’s providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and so affording grounds of confidence in His perpetual favour.

God is good and worthy of our trust. The psalm metaphor is of a shepherd that cares for the sheep to describe the wisdom, strength and kindness of our God. Trust here is being shown as a firm belief in the character, ability, strength, intention or truth of the sheepherder in the person of Christ. The overriding concern here is that while suffering, it is possible to forget that God has been and will always be God, the author and finisher of our faith.

Proverbs 3:5: one of the most familiar verses in the Bible reminds us to Trust in the Lord with all our heart…  It is a call for a total “Reliance:” To “trust in the Lord,” total dependence upon God. Clearly showing that when we put our trust in Him, we hand to Him, the most valuable of our life possession; our “immortal soul,” to His safekeeping

There always would be ups and downs in life. When times are good, it can feel easier to profess to have conviction, hope, and faith in God unlike when times feel difficult when all of a sudden, life throws up unforeseen complications; someone you know gets sick, a job is lost, A friend or family is kidnapped, dies, etc. All the things you felt secure in or with all of a sudden become shaky and uncertain. The question then becomes, how do you trust that God is good in these circumstances? How do you trust Him when you do not understand whether He was listening, or watching over you? When you cannot see a resolution? These are all valid questions. and like the Most, Reverend quoted, there comes the enquiry as to whether the ‘teacher,’ no longer ‘cares.’

In his speech, the Most reverend made it clear that it is even more important to trust God in times of hitches, reminding us all of God’s unchanging character that can assure us a firm foundation when things feel unsteady and uncertain. So, when it comes to trusting God, that means believing in His reliability, His Word, His ability and His strength. The Bible says that God cannot lie. That He always keeps His promises. That He loves you and has good in store for you. Trusting in Him means believing what He says about Himself, the world and you are true.

 

Trusting God is more than just a feeling; it’s a choice to have faith in what He says even when our feelings or circumstances would have us believe there is no way out. We are meant to believe by the call to have ‘hope,’ because our feelings and circumstances matter and are very much worth God paying attention to as He has promised. Any other outside God is not reliable enough to base our life on. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. God, on the other hand, does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of our trust.

 

Apart from raising men to live right and impact their environment with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God, Church leaders who are considered men of influence in society ought to speak up in defence of the defenceless. Prophet Jonah who was sent to the people of Nineveh comes to mind at this point. The people were living in sin; according to the dictates of their flesh. God had to send a prophet to them to warn them. Hopefully, prayerfully, we have in The Most Reverend, Archbishop Musa Panti Filibus is the messenger of our time.

However, before and beyond the intervention of God to defend us, men and women who can come to remind and help purge our minds of the need to be righteous and have a rethink of our ways, there has always been the scripture, or the Bible, or His Word. God knows you need somewhere to go when you feel unsure. That place is His Word. It is unchanging and completely trustworthy, so that is the source of the ‘Hope,’ the Most Reverend called for. The Bible records ways God has responded in difficult times in the past. It reminds you that He is trustworthy whatever your circumstances.

The truth of Scripture frees us from the expectations of earning our salvation (John 8:32). It also frees us from the unrealistic scenarios that we run into during worries. If we do not run to the Word to remind us of the truth in difficult times, it is easier for us to be led astray. We all need a strong foundation of Scripture to stand on, especially when we feel uncertain. The Bible is God’s unfailing, unchanging Word. We all ought to cling to its truth when life throws us a bender.

The second part of the speech called for unity in the body of Christ. It is telling because the call was most directed to our church leaders; men meant to live right and impact their environment, the values and principles of the kingdom. Disunity in the body of Christ is an obvious communication to the world of mixed messages about the oneness of the headship of God.

When the body of Christ operates in disunity, it can develop and give rise to sins which fall into the trappings, plan and purpose of the devil, resulting in the continued cancerous plight that the world has plunged into. Continued disunity is an illustration of the selfish and egoistic tradition-driven faith we practice today that is dragging the body of Christ into grave danger of misrepresenting God to the world. Disunity in the church paints a false picture of God in the world. We must as the Most Reverend says, remain diligent to keep the spirit of peace that binds us. Otherwise, we risk painting false pictures of the Godhead that is and forever remains; One Spirit… One Lord… One God and Father of all,” (Eph. 4:4-6) Unity in the body of Christ should testify to the unity of God’s eternal Three-In-Oneness. God is One. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are unified in purpose and essence, as should be mirrored in the church body. When believers in the church body are divided, it communicates to the world that the message of salvation in Jesus Christ is subject to amendment and/or discontinuity.

All being well, all those who were in attendance at the convention listened and prayerfully went home with the lessons the Most Reverend delivered.