A Re-evaluation of Prayer in the Hebrew Scripture for contemporary Christians

Prayer has been much abused by many Christians today. The Saint needs prayers in order to remain in his saintly state. The sinner needs it too for God to overlook his continued sins. Perpetrators of injustice pray for the status quo to remain; victims of injustice pray too for a change in the condition. Prayer could be used to achieve anything conceivable, both good and bad. Almost everyone believes it. This paper broadly examined what proper prayers entail in the Old Testament of the Bible. Prayers must be matched with right conduct. Prayers should instill the lacking but much needed personal justice and good behaviour in the citizenry

True and false prophecy in ‘all Christian practical praying band (ACPPB)’, Ufuma, in the light of Jeremiah 27-28

Jeremiah proclaims a message of God’s judgment against the rulers and the people of Judah because of their violation of the religious and the legal traditions of the nation but Hananiah opposed him preaching a message of peace and salvation and predicted the nation’s deliverance from the hands of their enemies. Both claim to have God’s authority. Jeremiah 27-28 provides a window into the problem of discerning a true prophet from a false one. Christians are also being challenged with such opposing prophecies by prophets and visioners in All Christian Practical Praying Band (ACPPB), Awka who all claim that their prophecies come from God. This study adopts exegetico-hermeneutical method of interpretation in the application of the narrative message of Jeremiah 27-28 to the fact of truity and falsity in prophecy in ACPPB. It is discovered that prophecy is a call, and not all comers’ affair. Prophecy lacks empirical proof and is sometimes manipulative and susceptible to barratry. The study further discovered that true Prophets claim to prophesy by the Spirit of God while false Prophets prophesy from their own mind but also claim to do so by the spirit of God. True prophets are consistent in their prophecy while false prophets change their words to fit the situation of the moment. Just like Prophet Hananiah, there are prophets who could be genuinely called but have refused to stay within their call because of loss of focus and desire for material gains The prevalent worldview of our people concerning easy solution to life’s problems that leads to abuse of prophetic consultations needs to be changed.Keywords: True, False, Prophecy, Christian, Practical, Praying, Ban

Old Testament scholarship in Africa

Old Testament can be said to be co-terminous with African life and culture. This means that it is able to serve as a springboard for the internalization of African values and vice versa. In the light of this, Old Testament study in Africa is crucial. Scholarship in this context means serious academic research or study in the area of Old Testament. This vital area of research is being faced by many challenges which hinder its effective growth and development in Africa. This paper therefore examined the necessity and challenges of Old Testament scholarship in Africa. Cooperation among African universities and Old Testament scholars, evolvement of African methodology, planning of curriculum that reflects African perspectives and writing of textbooks that reflect African standpoints are paramount among the solutions suggested

JONAH (1-3) IN DIALOGUE WITH JUDAIC NATIONALISTIC VIEW OF YAHWEH: THE UNIVERSAL ISSUE

The objective of Jonah’s dialogue with Judaic nationalistic view of Yahweh is to widen the spiritual horizon of his co-religionists. Jonah questions their religious and racist prejudices and finally makes them aware that God cannot be the monopoly or the property of any single religion or race. Jonah makes these important prophetic points about the nature of God without ever losing his sense of humor while creating his outrageous and outlandish story with its many separate plots. One outcome of the dialogue shows that no one has the capability at any point in time to run away from or stay outside God’s presence. To be outside God’s cultic presence means to be trapped more within his structural presence. The universality of God’s presence is an incontestable certainty. Another result of the dialogue reveals that God’s powerful deeds, salvation included, cannot be limited by what is customary in human behavior and tradition. Deliverance belongs to God. Deliverance was offered to Jonah, a self-conceited unrepentant Jew, irrespective of his vain proud attitude and why would it be denied self-reflective Assyrians, non-Jews, who actually are penitently self-flagellating. The study further discovers that obedience to God is the highest currency in prophetic service. Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish did great magic in accentuating his lesson on obedience and understanding of the universality of God to all people. Obedience to God is maturity in spirituality that engenders, amplifies and teaches universalism, as opposed to bigotry and narrow-mindedness.  Article visualizations

Israel’s Genocide on Amalek (I Samuel 15) and Jos Crisis in Nigeria: A Socio-Religious Discourse

The issue of genocide has been an ugly occurrence in human society of all times. Genocide particularly in Jos, Plateau State Nigeria in recent times has been given religious interpretations. Religion which should be an agent of peace in a pluralistic society as Nigeria has today become almost an agent of discord. This work examined the issue of genocide in Jos in the light of the Old Testament Israel’s genocide on Amalek. The study showed that most of the evils of our time attributed to religion are not entirely religious issues as popularly acclaimed, only that religion has allowed itself to be used by some people as a means of achieving their political and economic interests. The paper discussed the effects of genocide on human society such as danger to public health, social insecurity, and prolonged enmity, violation of fundamental human rights, psychological trauma and economic crisis. This study concluded that there should be a sharp distinction between state matters and religious matters in Nigeria. Frankness in dialogue and sincere reconciliation are imperative to curb future genocide re-occurrence in Nigeria

TORAH-ADONAI (תּוֹרָה־אֲדוֹנָה) AS THE SECRET OF ISAIAH’S VISION OF PEACE (ISA 2:2-4): AN ESCHATOLOGICAL DISCOURSE

Peace is an ever enduring objective of life sought after by all rational beings. Faith men of all times cling to peace as God’s cardinal teaching for societal building and stability. Isa 2:2-4 makes the link between the observance of Yahweh’s torah and the enthronement of peace in the society. Using the prophetic ‘far-off’(futurism) and historicism models of interpreting Isaiah’s vision, the study points up the torah as the (hr'At) secret of peace, the instrument of right judgment (jP'v.mi) , the foundation of the new social order and as a moral guide, directing people to higher values now and in the future time. Before the law there was chaos and no peace; under the law, it was fractional and half-done peace but under the messiah, whose period marks the last and final dispensation in Jewish division of the times, it is all encompassing peace for everyone. This universal religion of Isaiah’s vision of peace, as the study shows, has the truths and nuclei of torah-adonai as its bottom line. It is prophetically designed for the transformation of man by God for the peace of all and it will continue until the accomplishment of all things.  Article visualizations

An Appraisal of the Use of Psalm 35 as "Dangerous Prayer‟ in Mountain of Fire and Miracle (MFM) Church

The appeal to God‟s justice is basic for understanding the efficacy of Psalm 35 and for comprehending the point of view of the Old Testament man. Like all other individual lament psalms it has unjust accusation behind its lament and it is on this basis that it seeks to be vindicated and no doubt on this platform too, the request gains validity and fulfillment. MFM has gone further than the other African prayer-based churches to target the evil one for annihilation with the verbal spiritual missile of Psalm 35. MFM uses psalm 35 as imprecation for dangerous prayer and it could work so if the contents, intentions, circumstances and the contexts of the prototype passage are similar. For the eligibility of usage of this prayer dangerously and for its efficacy, justice must be on the side of the one praying. The whole thing bothers on the much needed but grossly lacked sincerity, honesty, social justice and good attitudinal behavior in our society. It is one‟s good behavior, sincerity, justice and faithfulness, as possessed by the psalmist, that provide the opportunity of having God‟s listening ear for justice and vengeance in situations of injustice and marginalization. God is justice and a just man is intrinsically in alliance with God‟s will. The essence of every prayer is to get in tune to God‟s will not man‟s own will

Re-interpreting Genesis 34 in the Light of Religious Violence in Nigeria

Religion plays significant roles in social harmony, yet it also serves as a motivation for violence. In Nigeria, religion has been at the centre of most violent conflicts, thereby gaining notoriety as one of the prime security challenges confronting the country. Genesis 34 is an important chapter in the Old Testament Bible. It demonstrates the violence done to Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob by Shechem and also the violence done by the children of Jacob to Hamor, Shechem and the whole community. This shows the reality of violence in every nation that is made of up of various tribes and ethnic groups. The reality of violence in Nigeria is even more pronounced as the nation is made up of millions of people with many ethnic groups and with various religious affiliations. Genesis 34 also gives the causes of religious violence in both Israelite and Nigerian societies. Paramount among the causes of religious violence include religious intolerance, religious fanaticism, lack of forgiveness, poverty, unemployment, suspicion and lack of trust. In order to control religious violence in Nigeria, this paper recommends that there should be respect for one another, respect for sanctity of human life, forgiveness and rightful engagement of youths