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ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF JOS

CHRISTIAN INSTUITE

ARCHBISHOP BENJAMIN ARGAK KWASHI (OON) DD, D.Min.

BISHOP'S CHARGE 2006

In the Name
of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

  It is a great cause for thanksgiving to Almighty God that we are able to welcome everyone to this Synod today. We rejoice to
see God’s people gathered here and we are honoured by the presence of dignitaries and elders of church and state, from this
country and from overseas. We are glad that one of our own Canons, Canon Les Martin, who is seconded to work with SOMA in
America has at last been able to make it to Jos for a Diocesan Synod!

  We particularly welcome our Synod speaker, Brother Gbile Akanni, a very dear brother who is a Baptist, married to an
Anglican! God has given to him the vision of encouraging church leaders to go back to the historical wealth of our gospel
heritage, to recapture the power of the gospel and to train up young people who will run with vigour the race marked out for the
church. Brother Gbile’s faithfulness in Bible teaching has been tested and proved over many years. His commitment to the
mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ is internationally acclaimed. A landmark of his call is the setting up of Peace House in
Gboko, which runs conferences, retreats and training seminars at no cost to the participants. We are active participants at
Peace House with this our brother, and we have witnessed people coming from all over the world to attend these refreshing and
revival meetings. His wife, Shade, a medical doctor, is equally endowed as a Bible teacher, and is a faithful worker alongside her
husband. They are publishers of Seed Harvest and they also run missionary trainings. We have the honour to welcome this our
brother to preach to us and to lead us in the Bible studies.

  Every time we come to St. Piran’s Church something new is happening, and we thank God for the hard work, the generosity
and the hospitality of the staff and congregation. This year they are led by a new Archdeacon, the Ven. Dr. A. A. Akinyemi who,
together with his wife, Atinuke, has recently joined us as full time Diocesan staff. Ven. Akinyemi is an experienced medical doctor
as well as a pastor of Ilesa Diocese, and he comes to us from the Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN) of which he was
General Secretary. We thank God for your commitment to the work of the gospel and for your willingness to serve.

INTRODUCTION

  The letter to the Hebrews has been accepted by most scholars as being a letter written to a group of first century Christians
who, because of persecution, were in danger of giving up their faith entirely. Hebrews 10:32-34 tells us clearly:

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of
suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who
were so treated. You sympathised with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew
that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

  The positive aspect of their testimony is that these Christians in spite of their circumstances had accepted their adversity
joyfully, for in this church they had great Bible teachers and leaders who must have inspired the church powerfully:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.(Heb.
13:7)

  This was a church that was characterized by generosity:

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to
help them.(Heb.6:10)

  This great letter bears a testimony of Christians who are being encouraged to stand firm in the face of adversity and to be
rooted in Jesus Christ alone, the author and finisher of our faith:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb.12:2)

  The encouragement was also for them not to drift away from the faith but to hold steadfastly to faith in Jesus Christ as the only
weapon against the devil and all his deceit and lies, and to resist all forms of evil so that by a holy life style and righteousness,
God may be glorified and the devil put to shame. The letter assures the Christians that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, his blood
and atonement are a guarantee for victory against evil.
  The letter begins by emphasing that Jesus was truly divine, “Son of God” (chapter 1), but also fully human, “Son of Man”
(chapter 2). There is no room for compromise or back-sliding: Jesus is unique in his person and also unique in his work. In Old
Testament times the High Priest had to stand day after day offering the sacrifice of animals, knowing that the next day he would
have to do it all over again; his work had no end in sight and therefore he continued to stand. In contrast, Christ’s work is
superior, final and permanent (9:12), and Christ now having completed his work sits at the right hand of God (10:12). Christ’s
sacrifice is superior because he offered not an animal but himself: he was both priest and victim, and he is the mediator of a new
and better covenant (8:6). Christ’s work is final and need never be repeated; it is for all time and obtained an eternal redemption.

  The implications of this speak directly to our situation today when many face persecution, many are tempted to turn back, many
take only one step but do not even set out on the pilgrimage which Hebrews urges them to take up (13:13-14). Here is a clear
message of forgiveness and hope for all who are weighed down by guilt and sin. Those who cannot see the point or the purpose
of life are encouraged to look to Jesus who became like us so that we might become like him (2:9, 14); as God’s children we
belong to him and he leads us to glory (2:10-13). It is because of Jesus that we can face death without fear. He faced death,
went through it and defeated the power of death, sin and evil and emerged in triumph as the one who brings peace.

  In the early church, as today, some turned away and defected. Indeed some never got further than simply saying that they
believed. To be truly “born again” is not a once and for all event; it is just the first step on a life-long pilgrimage. There must be
a personal relationship with Christ, based on repentance and faith, but this is an ongoing process, not an achievement that
happened once on a particular date in the past. We are called to believe in Jesus and to keep going, to press on with him, no
matter what the circumstances may be. This will be costly. It was through suffering that Jesus himself “learned obedience” (5:8)
and was “made perfect” (5:9). It is the way of the cross which is the way of glory, but we are not expected to cope on our own.
Jesus, having lived a human life, knows and understands what we face, and is with his people for ever (13:5). When times are
difficult past victories and successes can inspire us and encourage us (11:1-40), but we also need a vision for the future, a goal
and a hope which will excite us and draw us on and on in our pilgrimage.

Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the
camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:
12-15)

  Therefore we must not be led astray by new, but devious teachings; we must care for one another, practise hospitality, be
faithful in marriage and in the home, obey those in authority and pray for them. All this is made possible through Jesus Christ,
and only through him, as the writer concludes with this benediction:

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great
Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Heb.13:20-21)

  The essential clue and direction for this pilgrimage of life is Christ. Only in Christ can we run with perseverance - without him
we shall very quickly give up. It is Christ who is both the leader and the way, the “pioneer and the perfecter of our faith” (12:2).
Christ endured death, rose victoriously and is now seated at the throne of God. We are to follow; to do that we must ensure that
we are daily

“looking unto Jesus”

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that
so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.(Hebrews 12:1-2)

TIPS FOR THE RACE

The Cost
  “Looking unto Jesus”: Jesus is our only inspiration, our example, our companion on the journey and the goal of our pilgrimage.
To walk with him is demanding as well as consoling; it brings joy but is also costly; it leads to peace, but only through suffering.
To follow Christ and to be involved in God’s mission to the world is not a soft option, but it is the only way to true life both in this
world and in the world to come. The race we are running is not just for this life: how we run this race also affects our life after
death.

The Hindrance
   Verse 1a of Hebrews 12 tells us that two things can stop us even beginning our pilgrimage: “weight” and “sin”. We cannot
move well if we are carrying a very heavy weight; anything that we do not need should be stripped off - just as an athlete strips
off most of his clothes before beginning to run. Sin which clings too closely easily ties us up in knots and trips us up, so that we
fall to the ground. To run well, we must be able to move freely, easily and quickly. Past failures, doubts, family concerns,
disabilities or financial problems can weigh us down and stop us running with the gospel. Small bad habits (such as lies, anger,
gossip) easily grow to become big bad habits: they quickly trip us up, spoil our lives and the lives of those around us, and put us
out of the race.

The Need for Endurance
  Verse 1b now tells us how we are to run. Christians are expected to run this race with “perseverance” or “endurance”:

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?
(Heb.12:7)

  Jesus “endured” the cross, and he also “endured” enmity (Heb 12:2-3). Those who want to follow Christ must realise that to
walk in his steps means facing opposition, pain, suffering and rejection. We shall know great blessings, but great demands will
be made of us.

  If we are to run with perseverance, it is no use looking around us at the crowd of spectators and witnesses, or at the other
runners; it is no use just dreaming of the prize we hope to win. If we are to complete the race we must look to Christ. If we do
not, we shall either give up because of distractions or we shall collapse with exhaustion.

  A good athlete knows how to pace himself and he concentrates on the one thing he is doing (e.g. Paul in Philippians 3:1-10).
As Christians and especially as church leaders or pastors, we often try to do too many things at once; this may even result in a
conflict between our true calling and our assignments. An athlete who runs well does not fear what the race may bring; he is
thoroughly prepared, has listened to his coach, worked on the coach’s advice, if necessary changing his own original tactics, and
now he does not expect to fail. Of his interest and commitment there can be no doubt: he has already sacrificed much in terms
of time, discipline and diet. The implications of all this for those who are running the Christian race are clear! Are we prepared,
totally committed, willing to take advice from those with greater experience, ready to make sacrifices?

TEAM WORK

  In a relay race it is essential that the athletes work together as a true team with mutual understanding and a shared vision and
plan. Family quarrels and neglect of children’s training, opposition between different groups in the church, poor personal
relationships, lack of love among the leaders and clergy and between the different denominations: factors such as these will slow
us down and reduce the effectiveness of our witness and ministry. Moreover, we ourselves will not be able to cope with such
problems if we are prepared to cover up evil, if we take sides or punish without due investigation, if we tear down the work that
others have done before us, or if our attitude towards our “seniors” or “juniors” is not Christ-like. Such failings are sure
indications that we do not know (or are not prepared to accept) the direction in which we should be running. If we do not want to
run, we shall not run well! If our priorities are wrong, if we do not understand our call, if we do not truly allow the Holy Spirit to
work in our lives, if we do not spend regular time listening to God in prayer and Bible study - then we shall never run a good
race. Indeed, we shall not see the need to run at all.

  But - if we ourselves are eager, committed, ready to endure and to persevere, then practical “problems” such as language
barriers, transport costs, lack of material resources, even loneliness will no longer be stumbling blocks. There will be times when
the weights of life and the sin that clings closely will spoil our witness. We may fall, and if we do we must not stay where we are,
lying on the ground in the mud; we should get up and go on (Micah 7:8). God will never condone sin, either in us or in the
people to whom he sends us, but he will never abandon us; he is merciful and compassionate, waiting for us to repent:

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:32)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just
will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

  Cleansing and forgiveness come through Christ alone. He is the effective priest, seated in the heavens (1:3, 8:1) and his
sacrifice can bring cleansing, renewal and transformation to us. We must, however, realize that we can never hide or run away
from God; we must accept our failures with honesty and humility, and we must truly repent, so that our sight is clear as we
continue on our way,

looking unto Jesus.

  If that is how God treats us with such love and patience, then we ought also to treat others, including our colleagues and
church members, in the same way! Wrongs must be corrected, but with the aim of building up and not of destroying the person
concerned. Everyone must be urged not to go around with their eyes fixed on the ground, but constantly to look up to Jesus. If
we fix our eyes down on the dust and the mud, we shall get stuck in our complaints. If, however, we are looking up to Jesus, then
we shall leap over the potholes and jump out of the mud!

The Christian must keep his eyes fixed on Jesus, not just at the beginning but throughout the whole race. If you put your faith in
human beings they may disappoint, deceive and fail you. Time and again, however, Jesus has proved himself faithful,
compassionate and powerful in the lives of those who consistently look unto him.

  Because Jesus lived a truly human life he knows how difficult it can be for us and he is compassionate. When we feel that we
cannot go on, we must think of him. He triumphed, and in his strength so can we. He is the one who finds the way through the
bush. He has led all the people of God along the path of faith. He has not failed any, and he will not disappoint us. He is the
victorious pioneer and the only perfecter. He alone can bring our faith to a triumphant conclusion. Our moral integrity is
essential; our devoted service is valuable; our spiritual experiences can be inspiring, but none of these can perfect our faith. We
must rely completely on Jesus: he ran the great race and completed it; we can come to fullness of life only in him (Col.2:10)

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is to follow him ...

OUR FOCUS

  Jesus came to do God’s will (10:7,9) as a lowly (2:14, 17) and obedient servant (5:8). He has suffered the very worst that a
person can face in this world. He came to die for us; he endured and triumphed. We must not be weary or fainthearted. Do not
give up before the race is over! No-one can finish the course without divine help, but Jesus offers us all the help that we need.
Even in times of persecution, our lives are not in the hands of the rulers of this world, but in the hands of Jesus.

  We must fix our focus on Christ, then there will be no place for selfish concerns of ambition, finance, eye-service or hypocrisy
of any kind whatsoever. If our focus is on Christ, we shall not even want to steal, destroy anything, or waste God’s time. There
will be transparency in all our dealings, we shall not dwell on the past, but we shall “press on” to the future (Phil.3:14), bringing
progress and fruitfulness to the place of our primary calling and vocation.

  The problem with not looking unto Jesus is not only that we start looking at other things, but also that we almost immediately
start blaming our loss of focus on those who are looking unto Jesus and are marching forward. This, however, is no surprise
because those who are not looking unto Jesus will inevitably be moving in the opposite direction. We are saved and called to
serve and to look up to him who knows the way and to follow him through the distance of a lifetime. Failing to look up and follow
Jesus will lead us to start looking up to world systems for the solution of our problems, to principalities and powers for protection
and we end up looking and walking speedily backwards. No person, family, society or community that makes up its mind to look
up to Jesus will ever end up backwards. One of the saddest evidences of not looking up to Jesus is the loss of interest in the
progress and success of the work of the Kingdom of Heaven. This evidence is major because such people never wish God’s
work to succeed.

  If our focus is on Christ, we cannot also have our hearts and minds set on alcohol, sex, money, power or that personal
“success” which stems from pride and which despises other people, runs them down, refuses to forgive and arrogantly proclaims
self not Christ.

  If our focus is on Christ, we shall want to give of our best, and therefore unpunctuality, procrastination, absenteeism, double
standards, complaining and grumbling must go! Instead, we shall seek to live out what we preach, with sincerity and openness;
there will be an end to dirtiness and filth of all kinds; wife-beating and neglect of children will be no more. Not only will we be
concerned about paying our children’s school fees, but we shall take time to be with the children, to sit and talk with them,
enquiring about their successes and failures, taking them out, correcting them, laughing with them and telling them our own
stories. Our homes, our lives, even our dressing, hygiene, conversation and table manners will be models for others to copy. It is
such a bad witness to our faith that when it comes to the sharing of food or resources or opportunities, the first thing people see
gives no impression of our having love or any faith in Christ. It is so bad that the chaos that attends any form of sharing in the
church is such a huge disgrace and totally not glorifying to God. As Christians we must learn to take turns in a queue at any time
and in any place, and we must lead others to do the same. We must share all things with all people, justly and with fairness. We
must teach and practise equity in all things. Christ’s love will be seen through us as we work together in unity, trust and
fellowship. Instead of being concerned first with what we can get, we shall give gladly, and we will set the example in the payment
of tithes and offerings.

  A gifted sculptor can “see” the beautiful statue hidden within a rough block of stone or wood, and he works at that block with
hammer and chisel until gradually the statue is revealed. God sees and knows “you” as he created you and meant you to be,
with all your potential fulfilled, your gifts fully used, your character beautiful and Christ-like. What the world sees now is this real
“you” covered with mud and dirt, sometimes so completely covered that “you” can scarcely be seen. What must happen is for
the mud and dirt to be washed off, scrubbed off, knocked off and chiselled off until the real “you” becomes more and more
visible. This may take time and it may be painful, but this is the work of the Holy Spirit and it is a work in which we must cooperate
and in which we must help one another. We must not be satisfied with the distorted, muddy person that the devil wants us to be;
we must not be afraid of letting go and allowing the Holy Spirit to take charge; we must lose our old self in order to become our
true self.
  We ourselves do not know the way to do this, and without Jesus we shall be lost in the tangles and troubles of daily living, and
we shall miss out on true life. If we do not look up to Jesus, we may think we can cope for a while, but sooner or later fear, doubt,
confusion, hopelessness, complaining or trouble of one kind or another will set in. Life will have no purpose and we shall be
unfulfilled, frustrated and weary. Without Jesus we are an easy prey for the devil. Why should we go on with the struggle? Life
has lost its meaning. We have lost our true self, the person whom God created us to be.

  If we look up to Jesus, however, transformation is always possible, no matter what the circumstances may be. Material goods
and comforts may not come our way, but what is far more important - joy, peace, contentment and true life - these gifts will be
ours. The transformation which Christ brings is not just for us alone. It extends through us to our families, communities and to
the environment. Peace and contentment will replace fear and anxiety. Our joy will be in seeing others come to Christ, in being
used by God as agents of transformation, and in raising disciples who will be better missionaries than we ourselves have been.
Whenever and wherever the Lord calls, we shall obey and serve willing and gladly. This is the glorious vision set before us, the
goal of our pilgrimage, the reason for our journey. This can be ours, and yours too, but only if we are daily

looking unto Jesus.

  The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews has been inspired in an unstoppable way in looking up to Jesus, following Jesus, and
doing the will of Jesus at all costs. It does not matter what the circumstances may be, the prime question in the heart of the
believer is, “Who are you looking up to in this life?” The temptation is to look up to men in powerful positions, men controlling the
economy, politics, policies and leadership in both spiritual and temporal levels. The letter to the Hebrews shows us clearly that
all these powers, positions and influences were there in the time of Jesus, but they could not accomplish the will of God, nor
could they attain to the goal that God had set for the salvation of mankind. Worse than that, it is these same forces that came
together in agreement to crucify Jesus who is the Lord of life. What we have in this great phrase, “looking up to Jesus” is a
perfect example of how we are to imitate Jesus who himself looked up to God in all the critical areas of his life and ministry, and
also set his mind upon the goal of the mission of God for his life.

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

  At the age of twelve, Jesus was taken to the Temple for the bar mitzvah ceremony, and both Mary and Joseph lost him for two
days. It is a great example to us that Jesus was found in the Temple, not in the market buying or selling (not that that is bad in
itself), nor was he in a girl friend’s house, nor was he discussing how to kill somebody, nor was he slandering someone,
gossiping, destroying someone’s character, plotting evil or planning how to carry out malice or covering fraud. He was in the
Temple discussing the Scriptures with the teachers of the Law.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father
and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my
Father's house?" (Luke 2:48-49)

  Jesus’ response was definite: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” [or “about my Father’s business”] I want
to believe that at the age of twelve, he would have known that the Messiah must suffer many things at the hands of the rulers
and authorities, and be crucified. He would also have known from Scripture that the Messiah was going to be rejected, and that
everything prophesied in the books of Genesis, Malachi, Zechariah and Isaiah must come to pass. He also knew that this was his
lot, and for the next 22 years he bore the weight of the knowledge that his life was going to be cut short, his ministry was going to
suffer hardships and persecution, and that he was going to know no rest nor peace carrying the burdens of the oppressed, the
sick, the poor, the downtrodden, women and children. Knowing all this, who could carry out this task without looking up to God?

  For the purpose of our generation and our calling, the task Jesus has to bear on our behalf has not changed. He has saved
us and called us to serve in the same way as he served, to stand up boldly against evil, wickedness and the forces of hell, to
speak on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden, and to be the voice of the voiceless. Like Jesus, in order to fulfill
our goal and mission we must be deep in the Temple of God’s word with the full knowledge that what befell our Master will befall
us. That is why, just as Jesus looked up to God for help and was rooted in the word of the prophecies, so also we who are called
at a time like this must be rooted in the word of God and fix our eyes steadfastly looking unto Jesus alone, who even now is not
only our example and our inspiration, but he shares with us in this race and struggle.

  Jesus was much aware that God was in the business of saving the world. It is a business in which God invests his only Son
who shed his precious blood and offered himself as the sacrifice. We must understand that if this business were unprofitable,
God would not have invested in it, so we must consider the task of bringing salvation to the world not only as God’s business, but
as a business in which it is a privilege for us to invest. It must be said loud and clear that anything in this life into which we
cannot invest our sweat and resources will not yield us any benefit. We can only obtain good dividends from the place where the
best of our investments are.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Mt.6:21)

   Every effort and energy in looking after the environment yields dividends. Every labour of love in serving humanity has its
rewards. Every good fight against evil, wickedness and the forces of hell has the assurance of victory. Every financial, physical
or material resource invested in saving lives through health care, or the provision of education, water, basic social amenities for
the poor, needy, hungry and forgotten peoples in any community and any generation - all such efforts are guaranteed dividends
and rewards by God. The business of God is to establish his reign and his rule amongst men. This is not just wishful thinking; it
is why God has recruited us to be labourers in the Kingdom, men and women who will be Kingdom policy implementers, not
spectators or speculators, but men and women of the Kingdom, bringing the Kingdom to people. Who can do this without an
absolute and total surrender to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith? Who can accomplish this without looking up to
Jesus as we seek to attain our goal in this life?

  At the grave of Lazarus Jesus looked up to God and he called on Lazarus who had to come back to life even though he was
already walking in the streets of heaven. Death, as in the case of Lazarus, is the final enemy, bringing a hopeless situation.
Mary and her sister acknowledged that Lazarus was dead and so their hope was finished. After death is decay and that is the
end of the story. Jesus looked up to God and he caused life to be where death ruled. This was such a critical point in Jesus’
ministry as he introduces himself in a new way to those who would trust him, as he says, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John
11:25). This introduces the fact that from now on, wherever Jesus is, death automatically loses its power and stronghold. Death
is now a gateway to be with Jesus. For all who believe in Jesus death is no longer a dead end. But that is not all; to those whose
faith is in Christ, who are saved to serve, Jesus has opened for us a new way of operating in the world.

  That is why, for the purpose of mission, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther could come to his home country, Nigeria, at a time when
there were no Christians at all in Nigeria, but the Bishop, looking up to Jesus, was able to demolish the witchcraft, the wizardry
and the evil forces that held communities bound with fear, oppression, sickness, poverty and all such evil. The servant of God
fearlessly confronted these forces and brought life to the people. He brought health care, community and social services. He
established schools and introduced the gospel with agriculture and showed the gospel to be the power of God at work in the lives
of people in the community, and in establishing the rule of God.

  How could the Bishop, towards the end of the nineteenth century, ever have had a Synod in Onitsha, at a time when there were
no police, no customs, no government at all, yet this servant of God travelled through the length and breadth of this nation as we
now know it today, instituting the reign of God and building communities based on truth and justice in all their dealings in
commerce, in school, at work, at home and at leisure. We see this not only with Bishop Crowther, but with all the missionaries
who have gone out from the time of the apostles to date. It is because Jesus is alive that every mission endeavour will continue
to conquer and defeat death. Any Christian who has received Jesus Christ and believes in him and has his/her absolute gaze
fixed only upon Jesus will bring life to any family, any community or any place where previously death had been ruling.

  In the gospels Jesus had a large following of people who came along with him, numbering about five thousand. Feeding them
became a problem. Andrew said, “All we have is five small barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:9). Jesus looked up to God,
five thousand people were fed, and there were twelve basketfuls left over. Brothers and sisters, we must keep looking unto
Jesus in times of spiritual hunger, physical hunger, hunger for righteousness, hunger for justice, hunger for truth, hunger for
holiness - and, believe me, multitudes will be fed, delivered, strengthened and established. If Jesus himself looked up to God
throughout all his ministry, then if we are going to bring glory to God, we have no option other than to follow that which he laid
down for us as an example and inspiration.

  At the Last Supper, as in Gethsemane, Jesus did not write any letters to the political powers, nor did he seek help from the
controllers of the economy and the religious authorities; in fact, at this point they were nowhere to be found, as they were all part
of the conspiracy to silence the noise-maker. He went only to God. What a lesson for all of us to learn! Together with those
who hold some form of ephemeral power and those who do not, we will all at some point or another in history not only return to
God but also we will give account. Knowing this, Jesus looked up only straight to God.

  Finally, on the cross, Jesus gave a final shout, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). I have thought about this final
statement of Jesus, and I wonder whether we ever sit down and consider into whose hands we have committed ourselves, even
in this life. We may go further to ask what is controlling our lives even now. Right from the beginning, Jesus did not miss the fact
that his life, his future and eternity were totally dependent on his relationship with God. Looking up to God in everything was
therefore not an option in any part of his life, his ministry, his death and glorious resurrection. At his ascension he went back to
the goal of his whole life and ministry.

  He is now sitting on the throne at the right hand of God, so that now we who are saved and called to serve as he did, have no
option other than to look unto Jesus as we move on in this faith journey with the battles against evil, and the struggle to enthrone
truth. We must persevere in investing our sweat, our tears and when necessary our blood, in order to bring life to communities,
succour to the needy, light in darkness and life to the dying. Until the Kingdom of God reigns, we will not rest. We cannot be
spectators where injustice, corruption and all forms of evil are practised. To make matters even worse, such practices take place
in the church, and several cases have been reported to us of so-called believers defrauding one another. We in this Diocese
have dusted our old canons and Prayer Book, and by the grace of God, as we look unto Jesus alone, we will bring to book any
such so-called believers who defraud anyone else in marital relationships, financial and business dealings or in any form of
contractual agreements. All Archdeacons must resist evil first from the church and set the disciplinary machines in motion to put
things right. It is no joy that in a nation where Christians are so many and may even be in the majority, there is a scarcity of truth
and justice. It is not good news at all that Christians who claim to believe in Jesus Christ cannot be trusted - and if you cannot be
trusted on earth, which heaven will you enter? The only way out is for the church and all believers to make a conscious decision
and firm resolve to look nowhere else for our salvation in this life except to keep our eyes focused,
looking unto Jesus.

  The example and the inspiration that we have from Jesus Christ in looking unto Jesus alone is our only guarantee for victory
and our only security for mission in this life. Jesus himself said,
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." … So if the
Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-32, 36)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

  By the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have a final and full proof of the victory of good over evil, and so we need no
longer fear any form of evil. If such evil forces are constituent in authorities religious or secular, they must be confronted; if they
are resident in communities, holding people to ransom by causing fear and intimidation, they must be resisted. These evil forces
no longer have powers where Jesus rules and reigns. They will continue to exist and to carry out some operations, but the
admonition and exhortation we have is that as believers we are called not to surrender to evil because it has been defeated. We
are called not to be silent where there is oppression, intimidation, corruption and injustice because these are demonic
manifestations of the rule of the devil. We have a guarantee by the resurrection of Christ that these forces have been defeated.
To allow them to operate at all is completely illogical because they will dominate and they will rule, whereas in fact they have
been defeated. Why then should a believer in Jesus Christ serve a defeated enemy, the devil and all his demons! We have
every reason to institute the reign of the Kingdom of God because Jesus is alive and because we are not in this on our own
alone, but Jesus himself has saved us and has called us as the church to serve him in the world, and to do so by looking only
unto him. Brothers and sisters, looking unto Jesus defeats all forms of intimidation. The devil must necessarily intimidate, as in
the case of Nehemiah, by letter writing, by slander, by outright threat of battle, by blackmail and so on. But one who is looking
only unto Jesus will not be intimidated.

  Another trick of the devil is to woo one who is looking only unto Jesus in order to incorporate and colonize that resolute believer
by association, by gifts, by promises (that will never be fulfilled), as was the case with Jeremiah. But there is no option other than
to look up to Jesus alone. At other times the world would want to overrun the believer or buy him over, as was the case with
Balaam. However, there should not be any form of compromise by any believer, or by the church of Jesus Christ, when it comes
to looking up to Jesus alone. Maintaining a steadfast commitment in looking only unto Jesus makes the believer durable,
steadfast and trustworthy. Looking unto Jesus is a matter of conviction of the heart and mind and soul - and that is the call for us
today. If our community is going to change to bring blessing to the people and glory to God, there is no other way than for
believers and the church of God today to make a U-turn and abandon everything else, and set our hearts and minds on
looking unto Jesus.
OUR HERITAGE

  It is an indisputable fact that Plateau State as it is known today is the product of a massive, deliberate, missionary effort and
investment. The missionaries brought huge investments in health care delivery and training of personel in all the fields of
medicine. The missionaries established social health care concern for the physically challenged persons, rehabilitation for
leprosy patients, lassa fever patients and people with various forms of learning disabilities, including the blind. The church did
not stop its mission just at that, but has gone ahead since 1907 to establish primary schools for children, secondary schools,
teacher training colleges, adult education classes, and various forms of training in literacy, hygiene, home management, home
economics and skills acquisition as well as agricultural educational establishments throughout the present geographical area of
Plateau State. The church also brought huge investments in commerce and some form of small scale industries.

  The early missionaries, i.e. Sudan United Mission, Church Missionary Society, Roman Catholic Mission and Sudan Interior
Mission, were the ones who brought the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the communities of the Plateau, who in the early part
of the nineteenth century were oppressed, distressed, hopeless and scattered. The gospel brought education, health-care,
modern civilisation and freedom from slavery and bondage. The contribution of the gospel missions on the Plateau are not only
in every facet of life, but also visible in the lives of the products of the beneficiaries of the mission. To neglect this fact is to be
ungrateful for the labours of our heroes past and an insult to the sacrifices made by our grandparents. More than that, the
graves of the missionaries that died to bring us these benefits, and of our grandparents are rising up in judgement against us
already.

  Leaders on the Plateau therefore have no option but to work cohesively and systematically in taking decisions that will affect
the progress of the work of God amongst his people in education, health-care delivery, social concerns and the promotion of
democratic, constitutional governance in local, State and Federal levels. We shall not be responsible leaders if after contributing
to the growth and development of Plateau State at all levels we then fold our arms and become spectators, allowing the flock of
God to be misguided and looted.

  The Church is a service delivering organ of the Body of Christ and should not be allowed to be used negatively by anybody
against anybody. This must be guarded and protected jealously in order to guard against disunity and factionalization within the
Body of Christ. Each denominational leader must be held in highest esteem for the purpose of promoting a united front against
Satan and all his workers. It is therefore necessary for each denominational head to make it a point of duty to be part of an
information clearing house created by the denominational heads for the avoidance of rumours, false information and slander.

  It must be noted that in all the crises in Plateau my presentation has been that the church has been a major casualty. When it
was said to be a social, economic misunderstanding, the church was the first target and the church suffered more. When it was
said to be an ethnic misunderstanding churches were wiped out in some parts of Plateau State. When it was said to be cattle
rustling, the church suffered huge losses. The church therefore has become a political scapegoat that must be rescued from
opportunists and desperately wicked people.

  It should be made clear that the church is the Body of Christ and all who belong to a church of any denomination are members
of that Body, and whoever destroys the Temple of God will also be destroyed by God. While the church will not form a political
party and the church may not be involved in partisan politics, the church has a right to be involved in non-partisan politics in
shaping the outcome and building a just and fair society for all. The accusations suffered by the church have been largely unfair
and mostly malicious. It is my presentation that the church could bring out solutions to these problems, especially as God has
not changed his mind yet concerning the Church; even in its weakest state it remains God’s only means of salvation for the world.

  It will be unfair if the political class choose a candidate of their convenience (for whatever reason) and bring him forward
without first seeking a broad consultation of church leaders, traditional leaders, opinion leaders and elders, only to push him
through the polls (rigging inclusive). Let me predict: we will not only fail woefully, but also those who do not wish us well will
overrun and overtake us and we will go back to the days of slavery, depression, disintegration and retrogression. At this point it
will also be unfair to expect church leaders to speak to such situations or to the political failures when in the first place they were
not informed in the process of leadership selection which involves prayers, consultation and transparency.

  For the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings freedom, it is necessary and of utmost importance that the seed of
forgiveness be sown over all past pains, hurts, injuries and sins that may have befallen one ethnic group against the other, one
people against another, personalities against each other on the Plateau, and for once give God a chance to regain his position
and make Plateau a beacon of light and truth with justice and fairness for all.

  Those who at the slightest provocation threaten and actually carry out the destruction of lives and property should not be
allowed to do so. Those whose contributions bring chaos and commotion with an increased spread of destructive stories against
Plateau State should not be allowed to contest elections. People of questionable character and bad models must be stopped
from leadership. These kinds of people whose contributions are always negative should not be allowed to lead at any level.
Their contributions are evil and we know that evil and wickedness do not bring prosperity. Those who have shown themselves
productive and have contributed positively over the years for the well-being of humanity and progress of people in all spheres
and endeavours of life must be highlighted, promoted and encouraged, while those who are unproductive and destructive must
be condemned. Family life and good character must form the bench mark for election to leadership at all levels.

  It must be appreciated that the mission of the church became very successful in introducing qualified manpower for
employment from colonial times up to today. It must be noted too that the quality of this manpower produced by the mission has
stood the test of time in history, with men and women of good etiquette who are trustworthy and productive. It needs to be
mentioned that from the early sixties up to the present time, government has supported financially and morally some sections of
this mission endeavour of the church, and this is highly appreciated.

  The church in its gospel mission therefore is a major investor in the development of the people educationally, morally,
physically, socially, economically and even politically. The contributions of the church are obvious and the structures as well as
the human products are there for all to see. Our main concern is that slowly but steadily this huge investment, which is our
heritage in the gospel of Jesus Christ, is not only being eroded, but destroyed. My fear is that the sweat, the tears and the blood
of our grandparents and of the missionaries will rise against me in judgement for negligence, nonchalance and irresponsibility.
How can I explain inheriting such a mass of wealth with the investment of heaven, and instead of my protecting it or adding to it, it
would rather be said that out of negligence even what was left for me I cannot account for. It haunts my sleep every day when I
see the investment of my grandparents being burnt down or treated with neglect. Some of the buildings have not only become
dilapidated, but have fallen apart altogether and are not being cared for, while I am building new ones around the State. I appeal
again to Plateau State Government: please, in the name of God and of Jesus Christ whose servants invested their blood and
sweat in these investments, please, please return all our schools, primary, secondary and all our institutions. Our promise, as
was the promise of our parents and grandparents before us, is that we will be accountable to God and to man, as this is far more
important to our mission than anything else. We shall not cease

looking unto Jesus

POLITICS

  Democracy is not a perfect form of governance, but there seems to be no better option and so we have to make the best of it
and to insist that it works. So far the Lord has helped us but I must warn that we must not take the Lord for granted. It is my
understanding that democracy encourages freedom of choice, freedom of religion, freedom of speech. It further encourages
freedom of expression and the promotion and protection of human rights. It is surprising that some people erroneously think that
democracy is democracy only when they are the ones expressing their opinions.

  I wish to state very clearly that my appeals through the Pastoral Letters are born out of a burden for the desire to see
democracy progress. We must caution politicians who believe that the only way to express their disaffection, disapproval or
disagreement is by stirring up people to violence, destruction and disruption of peace. This kind of approach is outdated and is
fast becoming unpopular, but even more importantly, perpetrators of this evil thinking are even now meeting with the judgement
of God. Those who have shed innocent blood, those who have encouraged the shedding of the blood of others, must prepare to
meet with the judgement of God. I am not saying that we should not show disapproval of bad governance, bad policies or even
outright disagreements, but we should do so with a show of respect for the sanctity of human life, religion and institutions that
God has given for the protection of life and property and most of all respect for law and order. It is impossible for us to say that
in order for us to protect democracy we must destroy it, because that is precisely what so many politicians are predicting. The
conviction of the church and indeed of all who are looking up to Jesus is that evil and wickedness will not prosper. We will militate
against the forces of hell on our knees and we will not be docile as we watch and pray. We do so because we are looking unto
Jesus and we are led by God and convinced that victory ultimately belongs to God and not to man. We urge the faithful to
observe the following:

1.         No true child of God should be deceived and led to believe that in the coming political activities they or their children or
relatives be mobilised to die for their political party or for their candidate, or for anybody for that matter. Such sacrifice is too
high and not worth it because Jesus Christ who died for us and for our sins has already saved us from dying for useless
ventures. If we must die, let us die a good death by dying for Christ, as any death for any other reason is useless and
worthless. Those who wish to see death should first bring their children and relatives and spearhead the march to death for their
political convictions, before inviting others to join them. Pastors and parents must educate their young people, children and
relatives not to die carelessly or foolishly.

2.         No Christian should participate in negative, divisive, slanderous and “hate” politics. Such politics have no reward from
God and have no reward on earth either. Those who seek to gain by this kind of politics in the coming dispensation will meet with
the wrath of God. God is looking for builders, developers and creative minds to build the church, the state and the nation. God
is interested in supporting home builders not home breakers, peace-makers and courageous people who will stand up to
establish truth, order and the rule of law in the society.

3.         Christians who are in partisan politics must be supported in prayer by the whole church so that they may seek to
establish the Lordship of Jesus Christ in politics and practise politics that will glorify God. We are called to be different and we
cannot afford to be like the world. Politicians must also listen to the voice of God through the church and seek at all times and in
all places to make Jesus Lord.

4.        The mark of a true Christian politician consists of love for God, love for the people and love to serve God and people at
the same time. Secondly a loving servant must know and experience forgiveness from God and be willing to offer forgiveness
because the political terrain will consist of people of all kinds of cultures, tribes and even religions. From these will always come
daily criss-crosses on paths to achieve success. Thirdly, a Christian politician must be visionary to receive from God a vision to
implement for the benefit of all people. The time has come that vindictive, unforgiving, unloving aspirants must not be given an
opportunity for leadership. We want to move forward and we must move forward.
  This pastoral admonition is a prayer request as well. It is also a call to the church to be aware and conscious as we draw close
to our national voting in 2007. It is important for the church to have a clear vision and to plan ahead in order that the land may
know peace and God’s blessings, and there is no other way than seeking the way of the Lord to do good for the benefit of all
humanity regardless of race, sex, or nationality.

  Furthermore, politicians who do not first seek the will of God before vying for political office should not seek to enrol God into
their battles. My observation is that whenever elections are drawing near those who are seeking political offices start running
from churches to mosques handing out gifts of all kinds. From the last elections we now know that politicians actually consult
Satanic shrines with their monies and posters in order to try and charm people and win elections at all cost.

  I am sad and thoroughly disgusted that politicians will allow their campaign officers to deface signposts, damage good paint on
walls and streetlights, disfigure rocks and any available space in the State by pasting and painting campaign posters and
slogans, with no consideration whatsoever for the economic waste and for the destruction of the beauty of the land which has
been caused. Christian politicians and churches must build their own billboards and put up their posters rather than this
unchristian, unproductive activity that adds nothing to the success or failure of the campaign.

  Politicians must listen to their religious leaders and seek the mind of God if they are going to be a blessing to the community
and finally inherit eternal life. The church is not against politicians making donations, but these gifts and donations must be
consistent and must be a steady support for the work of God, no matter how small, with sincerity for the support of God’s work
and servants of God, not for the purpose of buying favour in order to be elected. The church is content if security and protection
of lives and property are guaranteed, even if no gifts or donations are made. Our confidence is that we are

looking unto Jesus.

MISSION

  The most exciting and most joyful part of being a Christian is being in the mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not know
anything sweeter than that; I do not know anything that I can compare with that. It is a privilege for me to be called by God to be
involved in this. As I study and read about mission enterprises of earlier years, and as I watch contemporaries of other
denominations carry out their mission tasks, especially in terrain which is hostile and difficult, but where we witness the power of
God saving lives, transforming communities and bringing great blessings, I cannot but desire that we do more. There is no doubt
that God is at work in the lives of all who are looking up to Jesus.

  One very exciting lesson that I must leave for the coming generation is something I have learned from Biblical mission and
which has been taught by CMS, and which I myself, together with my wife, have experienced. This is one key lesson: money
follows mission. We also have learned that God’s mission done in God’s way will always attract God’s resources. Whenever God
calls and sends you out on a mission he will also make sure that the resources you need to fulfill your mission are in that place.
It is erroneous to think of the first resource for mission as being money: it is people. When you lead people to Christ and they
make money, they will support you and the mission.

  A missionary must constantly keep his eyes fixed, looking unto Jesus. This is the only way to progress and fulfil your call in
mission. In support of this, Billy Graham said, “When you lose wealth, you lose nothing. When you lose health, you lose
something. When you lose character, you lose everything.”   Looking unto Jesus in mission is character development and
character building - and character is durable. We must not give in to the modern unbiblical teachings that our mission and
evangelism cannot succeed unless the money is available. Money is useful when it is available, but God does not follow money,
rather it is money that follows God. Anybody who sets his mind to do the mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ sincerely and
goes out in faith will discover that God will always honour such mission by making sure that such a mission lacks no resources.

  This point must be made here because our Primate, the Most Rev. Dr. Peter J. Akinola, led by the Spirit of God, has initiated
the creation of two missionary dioceses from Jos Diocese: they are Pankshin and Bukuru Dioceses. When these diocese are
approved by the Episcopal Synod, it is our prayer that the Bishops elected to lead these places will look up to Jesus and be true
missionaries of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to continue the work of God from where we stop. The great investments of God in
mission in our Diocese must be nurtured to flourish, bear fruit, and bring glory to God and blessings to the people. We are
called to serve; we are saved to serve, looking always unto Jesus alone.

  We rejoice with the great input of the Christian Institute and the great contributions that the staff and supporters have been to
the progress of mission and evangelism not only in this diocese but also in neighbouring dioceses and even further afield. The
Christian Institute is at the heart of our mission because any mission that loses out in the training of its missionaries will lose
steam by the second generation. We offer you this institution of Bible learning, revival and renewal orientation, with the
transformation of lives and communities as its goal, and the service of God and humanity as its training focus.

  In order to further this vision the Christian Institute feels led by God to require students’ wives to come for training alongside
their husbands. A pastor cannot operate in isolation from his family: the whole family must be involved in the ministry and
mission of the church, and the wife has a particularly crucial job to do as she leads the women. To this end we are erecting a
new storey building, and at the same time the next compound and an adjoining piece of land have also come on the market.
These facilities will enable us to have a women’s school, married quarters and female hostel on the western side of the campus;
the academic block, chapel and library in the centre; hostels for single men on the eastern side, and eventually staff housing
around the circumference of the campus. Meanwhile the Departments of Music and Health are growing and offering full-time
courses as we seek to equip leaders and pastors for the wholistic service of the gospel. God is also raising up young, energetic
and committed staff to head the administration, library, computer school and a new technical department. We are trusting that
these new developments will become a reality before the end of the year.

  Our mission of establishing schools is central and urgent because the great change, revival and transformation of lives and
communities that Jesus is bringing about will be through the church and it will be through the generation of the young men and
women that pass through our educational system.
Therefore:

1. We must pursue as a deliberate policy the growth of all our students in spiritual matters. They must be knowledgeable in the
Bible, catechism, liturgy, seasons and disciplines of the church, with a high regard and respect for the things of God. Jesus calls
us who are trainers to also be disciplers. We must not shy away from making for Jesus Christ disciples who will be honest,
committed and dedicated to serving God and humanity wherever they may find themselves. We must maintain a high tempo in
this matter so that graduates of our schools can themselves become disciplers. This is necessary because our Christian calling
is not useful without a corresponding mode of good conduct.

2. We must strive for academic excellence that can be proved and tested anywhere. We must pursue this by fighting exam
malpractice, corruption and moral decay from the first year to final year of all our students. We must train them to be disciplined,
obedient and well-behaved. We must accompany these teachings with training in hygiene, care for the environment, good
etiquette and good cultural norms and morals.

3. By the privilege we have of training children, we must train them correctly to learn how and where to give their total allegiance
and loyalty:

They must give their total allegiance and loyalty to God who created the whole world and all people. Our students must learn to
value God’s gift in creation and to uphold the dignity and sanctity of human life as a gift from God. They must also learn to care
for the environment and all other aspects of creation.

b. They must give their loyalty to the church. Jesus is the head of the church and from childhood we must teach loyalty to the
church of Jesus Christ and loyalty to Christ, without any compromise whatsoever. Loyalty to Christ is as important as loyalty to
his church, for the church is the Body of Christ and Christ is the head of the Body, the church. It is therefore not possible to love
Christ and to hate the church or to love the Church and to hate Christ. The mission of Christ in the world is the mission of the
church, and the mission of the church is to do the will of Jesus Christ.

c. They must give their loyalty to authority. Jesus has appointed apostles, prophets, teachers and other leaders in his church
and this is the order that the church has. In a world that is going against order and authority we must be an example, we must be
a clear model of what it means to be a Christian in this generation. Christians submit to order and authority as given by God, for
our God is a God of order and not of confusion.

  These things must be taught and believed and accepted first among the staff and at the same time taught throughout the
schools. The products of our schools and colleges must stand the test of time in this world. We have this single honour and
privilege given by God to impact the world through these children. Let us not miss our opportunity for while we may yet get some
reward on earth, let us pursue God’s reward in heaven as we consistently set our focus on Christ,

looking only unto Jesus.

  There is no way in which any of these mission endeavours can ever succeed without keeping our focus in this way. We are
grateful to God that fourteen years ago in 1992 he gave us our blue booklet, The Way Forward. Every five years God has
continued to expand the vision and to stretch us in following him. We are privileged to be participants in knowing one bit at a
time, as we pursue God’s vision for his church. Now in our fifteenth year of episcopacy and we are concluding our third block of
God’s vision for us in this Diocese, and reviewing the vision for the next five years. We must thank every member of this diocese,
men, women, children, young and old, clergy and lay, everybody whose contribution to “The Way Forward” has led us this far in
fifteen years, and has helped to see the next five year vision with which we will run until it is finished. Copies of the booklet in
which this is set out are here available for each member of Synod. We cannot achieve this vision on our own unless we make up
our minds and keep our focus,

looking only unto Jesus.

  Although our primary field of mission and evangelism remains Jos Diocese, Jos is only a part of the much bigger Body of
Christ. In past years, it has been our privilege to preach and do mission in other parts of this province, this nation and
overseas. This year we have also been elected as the International Chairman of SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad). On
several occasions SOMA teams have visited Jos Diocese and their emphasis on renewal and revival has made a great impact on
many lives. The new responsibility given to us we have accepted with humility as coming from the Lord, and we therefore ask for
your continued prayers as we seek to further the work of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage increasing
numbers of people everywhere to join us in carrying out the mission of Christ to the whole world, always keeping our focus on

looking unto Jesus.

MERIT AWARD

  We have consistently emphasized that the Diocesan Merit Award is for contributions in evangelism and the progress of God's
work in general. Those to whom it is awarded must have proved themselves to be available and willing to be "Workers together
with Christ", as is inscribed upon the Merit Award Medallion.

  It is therefore with joy and humility that we recognise the faithful services of the Rev. Peter Usman. He has served for fourteen
years as Bursar of St. John’s College, Jos. When we employed him and posted him to St. John’s College we were desperate to
find an honest bursar who would be able to keep clean and transparent records of income and expenditure, one whose loyalty to
Jesus Christ, the church and to our authority was not in question, one who could assist in prudent financial management to
achieve progress in the college and in the Kingdom of God. We found Rev. Peter Usman to be such, and much more, as we
found him to be a missionary with zeal for mission and ministry. We therefore had no difficulty in training and ordaining him.
Peter has proved a faithful servant to the mission of the gospel. We award him our Diocesan Merit Award.

  Peter Sambo. This is a young man who also began his work with us fourteen years ago as soon as we came here as Bishop.
Peter is everything to everybody. He is available, looking after pigs, sheep, goats and cows; he runs diocesan errands in rain
and sunshine, on foot, motorcycle, car, taxi and all. In all his errands on behalf of the diocese we have lost not one kobo. The
only thing about Peter is that he may take the message to the wrong person! Peter may make many mistakes but you cannot
fault his willingness, availability and service. Peter is always there with those who mourn and with those who rejoice. A diligent
servant of the church; with his limited education he has shown himself worthy of the call. We award him our Diocesan merit
Award.

  Gloria Ladi Kwashi. It is our singular honour to recognise this woman of character and strength in the things of God. The
world of the gospel has long ago recognised her. Even before we were married she was already a favourite preacher of the
gospel in Germany, Denmark, Ghana and among the groups and fellowships in this country. Even after our marriage she has
preached and ministered in more countries around the world than I have. Amongst the Mothers’ Union she is considered an
authority. She has designed MU wrappers, cards and pamphlets that have won international acceptance. She is an accepted
teacher of the word of God not only among MU internationally, but she has presented the gospel and led retreats for clergy,
clergy wives, dioceses and schools with great impact and results. I have enjoyed working with her for more than twenty years as
a partner in the mission and ministry of the gospel. She has been a faithful missionary and a dedicated servant. One of the
things we greatly admire in her is her ability to teach and train: a remarkable proof of this is her ability to teach and train all her
children at home from the age of 0 to10 or 11years, as each case may be. She has home schooled all her children and her only
crime is that none of her children have a Primary School leaving certificate. She amazes me. She is one of many examples of
women who in our time are looking up to Jesus. We must show our respect to this woman who has sacrificed career and
employment opportunities just to teach the children, look after her home, her husband and raise the family. She deserves our
Diocesan Merit Award.

RECENT ATTEMPT & ATTACK ON OUR LIVES

  The eighteenth of February 2006 will go down in history as a day to remember. Just as we say in the Apostles’ Creed that
Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified and was buried under Pontius Pilate, so shall it be said that between the hours of 1.00a.m.
and 4.05a.m. killers were sent to eliminate me, but did not find me, and they unleashed hell on Gloria, Rinji, Nanminen and
Morris, and after satisfactorily torturing Gloria beyond human imagination, they walked her on foot to the office using her as a
hostage to get in to beat up Susan Hosea and Felix and to take monies. All of these things happened in the time when help was
sought and called for from all available law enforcement agencies, political powers and authorities, but no help came until the
agents of evil had left the scene. We rejoice that we can be counted to suffer for Jesus Christ. The heroine of the entire
experience is Gloria, She suffered shame, humiliation and disgrace all on account of me. Only God an reward this woman. The
Bible has said that

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favour from the LORD.(Proverbs 10:22)
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

  Gloria is not only a wife, a companion in mission and a friend, but she is the mother of our children and even now my mother as
well. Gloria to me is among those women in history whose heritage in the gospel continues for ever. The damage done to her
body , especially her head, has left her a little bit blind, while the other injuries to the body are steadily healing. Most importantly,
and above all, however, we give God glory because the spiritual healing and the trauma have been borne by Jesus Christ in
ways we cannot explain. More than that some of the denominational leaders in Jos sent out prayer requests; friends, churches,
Archbishops, Bishops and Christians throughout the world kept banging on the doors of heaven and so it is no wonder that we
have witnessed such miraculous healings within the family.

  A friend of our friend Chuck Collins in San Antonio has offered to carry out surgical operations on Gloria’s eyes. One of our
SOMA leaders, Glen Petta has offered to do all the surgeries around the mouth, and my younger sister, Caroline, will do the
physical.   All of these will be done in the USA: see how God works! We are not bitter nor are we particularly worried, in fact now
that I know that someone or some people want me dead, I might now look unto Jesus even more and speak the truth even more
forcefully. If the world systems could fail Jesus in spite of his family connections and all his friends and relationships, why should I
be angry if the same fate befalls us. We rejoice because even those who want my life, have themselves got no guarantee of
their own lives, and what’s more, God knows that person or persons. God knows who gave the monies, God knows the young
men who were recruited for that purpose. God knows all these people by their names, families, tribes and home addresses. We
also know one thing - that one day we all will stand at the judgement where the secrets of all hearts will be revealed. We also
know this one thing: that everything done in secret will be exposed. That may be even while this life lasts. If God wills, one day
when one of these assassins turns to Christ we will hear the full story. I know this because one of the Muslim young men who
were sent to kill me in Zaria in 1987 became a Christian and testified publicly and on tapes of how they were paid to kill me, but
as it is with God, until a person’s time us up, nothing will happen and no such plans will succeed.

  We thank the brothers and sisters in the Lord throughout the world who for twenty-four hours a day up to today have kept the
angels of God busy and are still keeping them busy on our behalf. We sincerely thank President Olusegun Obasanjo, the
Commander in Chief, for his keen and swift intervention; the Governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua C. Dariye, and the
Secretary to the State Government, Mr. John Gobak; the Inspector General of Police, the Director General SSS, the Primate,
Bishops of the Church of Nigeria, our brother and sisters from various denominations, including the Roman Catholic Archbishop
of Jos, the C.O.C.I.N. President and the E.C.W.A. President, some Pentecostals, clergy, laity, friends and relatives, those from
next door who came with immediate help, and those from all over the world; all who called, sent emissaries, emails, texts and
prayed. Only eternity will reward you. We will yet see with our own eyes the mystery of how God brings good out of evil. This
experience has ignited a fresh commitment in us to

look unto Jesus alone.

CONCLUSION

  Looking up to Jesus is such a fascinating and transforming experience that when you start looking unto Jesus and keep your
focus and gaze upon him, you will not want to stop. When you truly see our Saviour and Lord and you experience his saving
power and love, you will not want to stop looking unto him for everything in your life, because looking unto Jesus brings a joyous
celebration of the love of God, his faithfulness, his protection and his blessings. When we stop looking unto Jesus, however, we
inevitably begin to look at other things, temporal things, distracting things, destroying things, things that will harm us inwardly and
outwardly, and we begin to move in the opposite direction away from Jesus Christ. When we look up to Jesus all complexes lose
their effect and grip on us because where Jesus is Lord, we all are on level ground, whatever our race, sex, tribe, nationality and
culture.

  When we are looking unto Jesus and we do so consistently over a lifetime, we slowly but surely begin to look like him in
character, speech and action. We not only become his representatives and followers, but we also become imitators of him.
When we look unto Jesus Christ, we see the world as he sees it and as he shows us. We see his mission to the world as he
directs it. The world sees other things; we see only what Jesus shows us.

  He is the pioneer who goes ahead of us, and yet walks beside us. He is the leader and he is the way. He is the one who makes
all things perfect. Through his one, final and eternal sacrifice, we too can be made new, and with him “endure” for the sake of
the joy that is set before us. The details of the road by which he takes us are in his hands; what exactly he makes of us is up to
him; where he places us, and what he sets before us depend upon his call. But this one thing is certain: he makes all things
great, perfect and beautiful in their time. This is his will for you, provided only that you fix your eyes on him, give your life to him,
and live for him, daily

looking only unto Jesus.

Your friend and pastor,

+Rt. Rev. Dr. Benjamin A. Kwashi
Bishop of Jos
April 2006