The Iron Bar
Many people in Nigeria have a fatalistic view of life, through their religious beliefs, that interferes with personal responsibility, and initiative. Their view of God and life can be strongly colored by this predeterminism that takes and pushes the "sovereignty of God" to a ridiculous and sometimes dangerous extreme. This is reflected in the way people drive their cars. Nigeria has one of the worst death and accident rates in the world, Often they seem to think: "If God or Allah wants me to die today, it will not help if I drive safely, wear a seat belt, or keep my car in good repair, as to brakes, tires, etc. I will die anyway. On the other hand, if God or Allah wants me to live today, there will be no need to wear a seat belt, cross the road safely, etc. . . .
One home where we were staying was on the fourth or fifth story above the people walking below. On the balcony or veranda just outside the sitting room, was an iron bar, lying precariously partly over the edge of the balcony. It looked as if a gust of wind would topple it off the edge, or, if the dog might bump into it. I asked the question of our highly educated and mature hostess, "Don't you think it would be good if we moved that iron bar away from the edge of the balcony, so it will not fall on the heads of the people below?" This highly placed Christian lady replied, "Oh, God would never allow that to happen!"
Malaria Medicine: Don’t plan on getting sick in Africa.
The life expectancy is not very high in Nigeria, and in many countries like Nigeria. Malaria kills more people than does AIDS. In addition, with the introduction by the white man of white flour, white rice and white sugar, each of which have been proven to rob the body of needed vitamins and minerals, diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. It is unlikely that this and other diseases will be detected in the first place, or treated in the second place, because of the lack of finances and facilities. I am, at the time of this writing, 65 years old, and there are many meetings where I minister, where I am the oldest person present, although there are exceptions. One of the things that I like to share is the importance of "Body Stewardship".
Kosiato!
While the overall official language of Nigeria's 120 million people is English, there are 3 major languages that act as a kind of umbrella covering, with over a thousand sub languages that relate to people groups within that country. Think of it, nearly half the population of the United States in an area about the size of Texas! The Yoruba language is spoken mostly in the west and south west part of Nigeria, while Ibo is spoken in the east and southeast, and Hausa is spoken in the north.
In the Yoruba, the word, "Kosiato" means, "no difference", or, "the same". "Oyinbo" means, "white person". While preaching, I will increasingly intersperse words from the languages of the people to whom I am preaching, so as to better relate to them. One of the things I teach is how to live and be and walk like Jesus. I teach them what we call "The King's Greatest Secret!" This book can be available to you if you contact us. It tells how we can think of ourselves having been crucified, dead and buried with Christ, along with all of our inferiorities, inadequacies, inabilities and dysfunctions, because Christ took us with Him to the Cross, to the death and to the grave. But then, He raised us up in newness of Life, as a whole, new, beautiful, glorious, able, stable, adequate, sufficient, creation in Him, that He is available to be the Life of. We teach them from the Bible, how they can simply relax in the loving arms of their Heavenly Father, and sweetly allow Jesus Christ to live His glorious Life through them, to love with His love, be wise with His wisdom. Christ no longer remains just to help or save or heal, but He BECOMES our wisdom, our Helper, our Salvation, our Health, our Enabler, our very Life!! The Scriptures speak of how we can have the very same look (2 Cor. 3:18), the same walk, in 1 John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."
NKJV, and how we can be as He is, 1 John 4:17b, "Because, as He is, so are we in this world." !!! NKJV Kosiato!!! No difference. There are times, when preaching this word, that the people are shouting in unison, with a deafening roar, "Kosiato! Kosiato!! Kosiato!!! The Holy Spirit has made this revelation real to them. Once I was preaching to a crowd of thousands in the open air, in a town surrounded by hills. As they shouted, the hills around echoed the sound, and as they danced for joy and leaped with new found freedom, the dust rose up into the air. Remembering, years later, when they see me, they call me "Oyinbo Kosiato!"