TO WHOM HE HAS CALLED

MESSAGE TOPIC: TO WHOM HE HAS CALLED 

By Victor Erinfolami (As inspired by The Holy Spirit) 

FOUNDATION SCRIPTURE: JUDGES 4:1-24

FORWARDS:
· The opportunities God has Prepared for us as believers are not only great but they have far reaching impact on our future than we thought or can ever imagine.

· God wants to reach out to this hurting world through that next opportunity He is bringing your way.

FACTS SHEET ABOUT THE STORY OF JAEL, THE WIFE OF HEBER THE KENITE

· There is a powerful king of Canaan who rules from Hazor, named Jabin and the Bible recorded that for 20 years through the captain of his army-Mr. Sisera, he has mightily oppressed the Children of Israel. Judges 4:1-3

· This captain of the Army, was also famous for his brutality and his 900 chariots of Iron. Judges 4:3

· A Prophecy has gone out ahead of her-Jael, about what God will do through her. The prophecy by Prophetess Deborah was what introduce Jael without her knowing. Judges 4:9 and we learn here that God intends to use a woman to defeat the enemy of Israel. That Barak, the great general will not get the glory for the war, just as God has decided to use a seemingly ‘powerless’ to defeat the seemingly ‘powerful’. Judges 4:17-24, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

· Jael a ‘House Wife’ who is married to Heber the Kenite, proves to be a strong and determined woman. She proves to know what the will of God is even as a House wife she knows who the enemy of God is and did not for the sake of the Peace between her husband and King Jabin, Judges 4:17, but she did not miss the opportunity to end the life of a vicious enemy of the Children of Israel. 

· The name of Jael was recorded in the Bible and among the Legends of her days because she understands what the will of God is and for recognizing the enemy of God’s people. Judges 5:24-27. Do you know what the will of God is for your life? Or are you simply following every trend, every wind of doctrine and conforming to every worldly ordinances?

· The bible recorded how Jael went step by step to achieve without hesitation the death of the arc-enemy of the children of Israel. Judges 4:17-21.

God will cede the life of your enemies and that of their families into your hands in Jesus name!

You will not spear the life of your enemies in Jesus name! What will kill you will not become your friend or hobby in Jesus name!

And God will use you to put an end to the activities of the enemies in your family and your generation in Jesus name!

· God solve the problem of a whole country through a courageous ‘House Wife’, whose name cannot be denied in one of the greatest history of our faith. Judges 5:26-27
LOOK AT GIDEON IN JUDGES 6:11-16
God made a captain out of a fearful commoner and by him and his 300 men defeated an army of more than 120,000 men Judges 8:10.

CONCLUSION

God can use anyone to achieve His purpose and solve any problem/challenges at hand at any time in this world, irrespective of your gender, status, position, class, or level of self-esteem.1 Corinthians 1:26-29

God’s charge to us

1. Find out what the will of God is for your life and follow after it.

2. Walk by faith and not by sight. Hebrews11:6.

There is a reward for those who are and will diligently seek God.

AF Hosts Recital in SA

AF Hosts Recital in SA

By Damilare Victor Erinfolami

Mr Carlos Gomes Da Silva

Alliance Francaise recently hosted a Recital that features two International Portuguese Musical stars, José de Eça and Luis Costa, the duo performed to the thrill of their audience on the Occasion of Portuguese Language Day.

The event organized by The Portuguese Embassy in collaborations with Alliance Francaise and the Portuguese Section at University of Pretoria was to promote the Portuguese Language in South Africa and bring the Portuguese speaking people together.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Portuguese Embassy’s Head of Education Department, Mr. Carlos Gomes Da Silva said the Recital is organized as part of the yearly Programme of the Embassy to promote the Portuguese language in South Africa and among non-Portuguese speaking people in the country. He said the Portuguese Language is the second most widely spoken language in Southern Africa, Africa as a whole, also the official Language of Angola, Mozambique and the United Nations. He furthered that other activities in the year are also slated for The University of Cape Town, Harare in Zimbabwe, activities which includes Portuguese Cultural Performances, Dance, and Musical presentations.

The Portuguese Pianist, Luis Costa, said the hospitality of the African people is a great thing and he has amazing experience while teaching in Namibia and Zimbabwe, that his experience with Zimbabwean students was memorable because they have amazing talents and can quickly learn and perform under his tutorship.

The international Tenor singer and foremost Portuguese Soloist, José de Eça, said he sees music as a universal language without borders and that African Composers has a huge influence on their Portuguese counterpart and thus creating a fusion in their music. He said although he cannot perform alone as a singer but he has enjoyed his work together with Luis because of their friendship and great results from the synergy between them in their performances and that definitely they will be elated to perform again in Africa. He furthered that they will also perform in Durban, South Africa and conclude their African Trip by their Performance in Harare, Zimbabwe in a six days annual cultural and musical festival organized by HIFA. Founded in 1999 by Manuel Bagorro, HIFA is now the largest cultural event in Zimbabwe and among the eight major festivals in Africa.

The Recital begins with songs by famous Portuguese composers and ends with the acclaimed Neapolitan songs, the audience also enjoyed German, French, Brazilian and Spanish melodies.

NIGERIA/SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONS, THE JOURNEY SO FAR!

NIGERIA/SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONS, THE JOURNEY SO FAR!

 By Damilare Victor Erinfolami

The Nigeria/South African relations have on the overall being a testament of brotherhood that exists between the two African biggest economies and their pivotal roles in regional peace and development has put the two countries on a pedestal of continental leadership.

Both countries being former British colonies and members of Commonwealth of Nations and Africa Union shared common history and have been each other’s ‘Brothers Keeper’ at different times in history. During the era of Apartheid in South Africa, Nigeria was one of the Countries that supported the Anti-Apartheid Movements, including the African National Congress and gave help to Liberation Stalwarts, in form of Scholarships, Asylum and issued more than 300 international passports to South Africans who wants to travel abroad. Many opinion leaders, Human Right activists and musicians in Nigeria made statements and sing songs against the then Apartheid government in South Africa.

After the era of Apartheid in South Africa around 1994, Nigerians are welcomed with open-arms by the people of South Africa as a kind gesture for the brotherliness shown the country during the trying times. Thousands of Nigerians were given opportunities in areas where professional human capital immigration is needed and are soon settled in the country. Despite some misunderstandings arising from Nigeria’s ECOWAS interest position in the African Union Commission’s Chairperson elections that saw the South African former Minister of Home Affairs, Nkosana Dlamini-Zuma in as the Chairperson of the African Union both countries have since forged a stronger ties. South Africa led by President Nelson Mandela’s ANC mediated in the political crisis in Nigeria since 1993 following the annulment of the Nigerian elections on June 12, 1993. In June 1994 Nigeria's military ruler, General Sani Abacha arrested and sentenced for execution 40 political opponents including former Nigerian head of state President Olusegun Obasanjo as well as Chief Moshood Abiola. President Nelson Mandela sent Archbishop Desmond Tutu and then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on successive missions to Nigeria to lobby for the release of Obasanjo, Abiola and nine others. The aftermath of the execution of the Ogoni Leaders led by Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 by General Sani Abacha’s government, South Africa is put in opposite direction to Nigeria, with South Africa calling for Sanctions and expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations due to the military actions of the then Military government of Nigeria.

The Trade and Investment relations of both countries have been nothing but interesting since history, with South Africa making a remarkable success in the Telecommunication Industry in Nigeria, during the 2001 GSM launch and presently still getting a huge chunk from her investment in the industry. With South Africa investing $1.8 billion in building the Mobile telecommunication infrastructure in Nigeria and by 2005 MTN, the South African Telecommunication giant announced a Pre-tax earnings of N65 billion on Revenue of N199 billion between April, 2004 to March 31, 2005, coupled increased subscriber base of 123 percent and contributed R9.3 billion ( about $1.3bn) to the Group’s revenue.

South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission also hosted in Pretoria in November 2009.The conference among others noted that OANDO, an energy conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria had recently been listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and Dangote cement had invested a record $378 million in South Africa's cement industry which as since grown. With trade worth $2.1 billion traded between the two countries in 2008 and this increased to $3.6 billion by 2012.

 Statistics made available on Wikipedia analyses trade indices between the two countries from 2012 as 83% of trade was been taken up by South African imports of Nigerian crude oil. Between 2002 and 2012 South African imports from Nigeria have increased by 750% (mostly increases in oil imports) whilst Nigerian imports from South Africa have increased by 130%. The Nigeria - South Africa Chamber of Commerce serves to improve and facilitate bi-lateral trade relationships between Nigeria and South Africa. Its offices are in Lagos, Nigeria and it has in its membership 315 companies currently trading in both Nigeria and South Africa. It is made up of blue-chip companies, Nigerian companies and South African companies.

Nigerian business people have therefore expressed concern over the pace and perceived rapid expansion of South African business interests in the country but hoped that Nigerian businesses will also in due time enjoy similar opportunities in South Africa. The Nigeria/South African Bi-National Commission which is a veritable tool to promote relations between the two states has not done much in that direction.

With growing collaborations between the two countries and ongoing economic synergies, it is hope that the pockets of negativity in their relations will be expunged for a great and a prosperous relations that will be mutually beneficial.