Tuesday, 5 April 2016

Christian camping and its benefits

Have you ever asked yourself what the value in attending a Christian camp is? Is the concept of Christian camping biblical? Have you once felt unconvinced to attend one? or do you still feel unconvinced? Here are few reasons why you should take such an activity very serious especially the CYC camp coming up this month (April 22nd-April 24th).

There are many factors that make Christian camping a positive and valuable experience. All of these experiences are found to some extent in the local church and in other types of ministries, but they are strongly present in Christian camps.First, in most Christian camps, there is an extensive exposure to the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12tells us that the Bible is living and powerful. A typical day in a Christian camp will have some form of personal or group devotions, an evening chapel service, and a Scripture memorization program. This repeated use of the Word of God over a week's time is very valuable in letting the Word dwell richly in the lives of the campers and staff (Colossians 3:16). God often orchestrates the various times in the Word to emphasize the same themes from different angles or to offer a variety of emphases that will meet different needs in the different individuals.There is also the opportunity for campers to observe and learn from godly mentors (counselors, staff, and speakers). Many campers come from broken homes or grow up with less-than-ideal role models because one or both parents are unsaved or weak and immature in their faith. As Paul encouraged others to follow his example as he emulated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), these godly mentors are able to model loving discipline and the freedom it offers.

They are also able to show unconditional love, model how a godly man or woman behaves, and display God-centered living before the campers. Commonly, it is God's written Word that He uses most to affect and change lives, but often He also effectively uses the "Bible" bound in shoe leather—godly mentoring.A Christian camp is typically sponsored and supported by a number of local churches. These churches commit and encourage their members to systematically pray for the campers, staff, and speakers. God promises that the fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) accomplishes a great deal (James 5:16). God, in His grace, works in response to these praying saints, and it is the campers (as well as the staff and speakers) that receive the benefit of these unseen labors. Another beneficial factor is what is commonly absent at a Christian camp: TV's, cell-phones, mp3 players, computers, video games, etc. These distractions serve to busy the mind and keep young people from focusing on the deeper questions of life such as, "Why am I here?" "What will happen to me when I die?" "Does my life have meaning?" While occupied with fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:3), young people have little time to ponder such questions. When these mind-occupying distractions are taken away, campers have the time to ponder the Word in a much deeper way than a once-a-week church experience allows.

Once distractions are removed, campers find themselves surrounded by God's creation, an environment that turns their minds to Him and to the eternal and away from the world.A Christian camp also provides a place for godly young people to grow in serving Christ, both behind the scenes in tasks that Amy Carmichael might have described as "holy drudgery," but also in learning how to share the gospel, give devotions from the Bible, and pray with others about their needs. God not only works in campers' hearts, but He is typically busy in the lives of staff and counselors as well.Another major blessing is that Christian camping allows the broadening of one's circle of fellowship. For many campers, new friends they meet at camp one year, and continue to see year by year, become lifelong friends that they care for, pray for, and encourage in Christ for decades. And it has happened more than once that a camper even ends up meeting his or her future godly spouse while attending or serving in a camp setting. God has greatly used Christian camping in calling out ones to be saved and to serve Him as Lord, whether as missionaries, pastors, or just as importantly, as "full-time Christians."

 

Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-camping.html

Thursday, 1 October 2015

HOW RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES ALTER NATIONAL UNITY

Moslems, Christians and other indigenous religion worshippers can live in peace and harmony in Nigeria if policy makers make stricter laws to stop those who want to use religion as instruments of exploitation and trouble making. Nigeria is a nation state where all tribal and religious interests are treated with parallel importance. Many religions preach peace yet, the paradoxes of peaceful religions are now the pathways to complex blind spots for trouble making. The fundamental principle of Christian and Islamic religions are peace and attainment of heaven. Those who are inquisitive would not hesitate to ask if these religions are adding peaceful values to national unity or draining national resources with the controversies they generate. If the idea of Peace is prioritized by those responsible for molding the minds and behaviors of their congregation, religion would be seen as a spiritual entity free from politics and materialism. The level of religious politicking amongst religious leaders in recent times are now causes for concern among those who have not make up their mind on the faith they want to belong. Religion would remain a constant source of human miseries and drain of national resources when violence messages are mixed with peaceful doctrines.


Nigerian policy makers have consciously avoided some hot topics and conferences to quell tension and unrest they thought would emanate from such events. The elements of tension and unrest from the areas policy makers have deliberately avoided over the last 50 years are indications that these delicate topics are the key to peace Nigeria sought. A former Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa once said that Nigeria can work better if Nigerians are willing to learn and respect their differences. 

The differences in languages, cultures, religions, traditional institutions and so on are not the barriers to national unity but, some treacherous mindless few with reckless disregard for national unity who are responsible for brewing tension and unrest; armed with religion and greed. Christians and Moslems could have avoided incessant troubles if the bright idea of Balewa has not been neglected. Balewa's ideas would have formed the basis of national integration and national consciousness, shaped by the supremacy of a Nation state that would protect the interests of all ethnic nationalities and their religious beliefs as long as they are not inimical to national interest
 
Nigeria is a heterogeneous society with more than 300 African Traditional Religion (ATR) worship by nearly 500 tribes. Christianity and Islam are introduced religions to Nigeria at different time and space. Christianity was first introduced to kingdoms, Empires and Clans along the coastal regions of Atlantic Ocean and hinterland by Portuguese and British explorers about 1400's and 1600s. Meanwhile, kingdoms and Empires in the North also practiced indigenous African religion (ATR) like their Southern counterparts before Usman Dan Fodio introduced Islam to the North about 1804. Before these introduced religions, there were no historical records of escalating disputes or unrests resulting from indigenous religions. Christianity and Islam are the only two religions which came with education and codified holy books to guide the attitude and behavior of their followers. These holy books have stories of great men and women, stories of wars and peace; humans have had more warring histories than peaceful ones. The usefulness of these holy books (Bible and Koran) is to harness peaceful stories and experiences towards promoting global peace not the other way round.
British colonial government amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorate of Niger area in 1914 to a status of a nation state called Nigeria. Nigeria was coined from Niger area by Flora Shaw, the partner of the first Governor General of Nigeria, Lord Frederick Lugard. The colonial authorities saw power, greatness and potentials in the unity of diverse ethnic nationalities; it is not surprising that Nigeria has turned out to be the giant of Africa. The colonial authorities gave existing kingdoms, empires and clans limited powers because of their direct social link to the grass root. Many decades later, modern Policy makers are looking for decisive alternatives to forge sustainable peaceful mechanisms for Nigeria. Peace is possible if religious and traditional leaders tame their followers to embrace peace, unity and social protection a Nation state has to offer.
Nigerian social architects and social engineers should return to the drawing board to design a Nigeria project that would accommodate interests of all stakeholders in order to move Nigeria forward and, all aggrieved burning issues resolved by expertises in conflict and crisis management. Policy makers should focus on what Christianity, Islam and ATR can offer to the stability of Nigeria. They should discourage all negative teachings that could destruct the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians. Religion and politics should be complementing one another in the promotion of national peace, ironically, religious ideologies has been hijacked by a few individuals who use it as instruments of violence and intimidation in a country which is constituted as a secular nation state.
Religion can offer peaceful solutions to Nigeria's social problems when corruption is minimized by 85%. Most religious worshippers are now the modern gladiators of our time, a further probe by agnostics who questioned if God is a God of war or peace. Most believers fight, loot and kill in the name of God yet, the God of the Moslems is not different from the God of the Christians. The problems between religious faiths are not God made, they are consciously designed by men with superior thinking ability than most of their contemporaries who just obey the orders of a superior mortal being. This brought to mind the issue of Islamic banking which has generated a lot of controversies among Nigerian Christians and Moslems. If Nigerians Moslems and Christians are committed to peace and unity of Nigeria, they would have rooted their understanding on the concept of a Nation state which represents interests of all religions and tribes since they are not inimical to national interest, they would have realized that Islamic Banking is not harmful to non Moslems(it is a Moslem community Bank). Islamic Banking DEALS on ethical banking and investment. How many Christians would be proud to invest their money in brothels or criminality? This is exactly what Islamic banking represents (ETHICS). This cat and mouse relationship between Christians and Moslems in Nigeria has stained the reputation of Nigeria than what most of their followers could imagine. Churches, Mosques and shrines are not in the position of authority to dictate how Nigerian can be governed. They can render spiritual and counseling services towards the peaceful development of Nigeria. It is up to Nigerian policy makers to decide the best way forward to a sustainable peaceful development in Nigeria for the next 300 years.
Policy makers should strive harder to separate their religious beliefs from their paid duties from the Nigerian Nation Sate, that would enable them to treat other religious believers as Nigerians rather than allow religion to cloud their emotions when discharging their official duties.

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

OCTOBER 1ST, 2015 (Unity in Diversity)

The hand cannot say to the eye "I do not need you"
The head cannot say to the leg "I'm better of without you"
I need you, you need me. We need each other even though we operate differently.
     An event to foster unity among us is happening on October 1st, 2015 and I want you to be there because it promises to be super awesome.
Venue: The Youth Centre, Willie Omiyi street, Aguda Surulere, Lagos.
Theme: Unity in Diversity (Variatate Concordia)

Featuring: 
Guest speaker: Frank Macaulay(Herbert Macaulay's Grandson ),  
Victor Osuagwu( Actor)


Mimi Orijiekwe (Model & Actress )
Paul Adams (Actor)
Mc Dammy
DJ Triple O
and other guest appearances including our very own choir.

Time: 1pm

Visit christianyouthcrusaders.org for more details.
See you there!


Supported by: 
- Alert Global Magazine
- Gospotainment (@gospotainment): Nigeria's Number 1 urban online gospel radio station.