The paradox of Africa - Consider this:
Africa is the world's second largest continent and has over 730 million people. 54% of the world's gold is in Africa, 97% of the world's chrome, 85% of platinum and 65% of magnesium. Despite its huge resources it is the most indebted continent, only one in five household has electricity, only 16% of the roads in Africa are tarred. It is still highly impoverished and largely underdeveloped. In 1968 Malaysia came to Nigeria to collect palm seedlings, today, Malaysia is the world leading producer of palm oil. It is safe to ask 'what is Nigeria's position in oil palm production today?' What is Nigeria's position in Cocoa, rubber and groundnut production? What is the state of our rail network, our roads and other utilities such as electricity and water supply.

Today too, Africa is beset by tribal and religious wars and unrest. People are killed daily for reasons as flimsy as intolerance. Nations are experiencing natural disasters that is virtually obliterating whole cities and changing the topography of the world. A case in time is the current ordeal of Haiti, the Tsunami of Asia and Hurricane Katrina of New Orleans. My strong belief, is that man has excluded God from his life and arrogated to himself the wisdom and power for' affairs beyond his control. Man may predict, but man most times cannot prevent.

The Danger of Excluding God
The Israelites gathered data and strategized (Joshua 9:7-14) but 'they did not consult the Lord' (Joshua 9:14). They had to live with the consequences of Joshua's omission which produced a class of people who became hewers of wood and drawers of water for ever'. This appears to be the mistake of many African leaders who have mortgaged the destinies of their people on the altars of occultism, sorcery and witchcraft thereby condemning them to live as "hewers of wood and drawers of water. The Church is the last hope and you can be God's carpenter:

In every civilization and every great nation, amongst every people who have become great, there has been the voice and the wisdom of God. Righteousness still exalts and sin is still a reproach. The advantage of the Holy Spirit that the church has is tremendous and can never be overstated. None can totally fathom the victories and the triumph for the glorious house of lively stones whose head is Jesus through whom we reign triumphant in all things.

For this reason the Lord has elevated the church and set it up on a hill to manifest his glory and to draw all men described by the prophet Isaiah as 'sheep gone astray'. The church must take its place in politics, government, education, law, sports, and entertainment and let God intervene. In all spheres and dimensions of life, God has ordained that the Church should show the light of his will. So we should go in this confidence that the One who has ordained us has also equipped us abundantly to succeed.

If the church does not step up to be counted then is the land filled with darkness but it shall not be so in our generation for I and they that God has given me, we are made for signs and wonders. Join me to speak up against the evils that have pervaded our land; to decry the carnage in Jos, to send help and prayers to the displaced and wounded in Jos and Haiti, and to help rehabilitate the orphans and the vulnerable.

Our story will yet be told, as of the apostles of old and the patriarchs of our faith how great the things were that God wrought through us to the amazement of all ages. In the heavenly equivalent of the records of the Acts of the Apostles, we are determined to add a new chapter. The book will not be closed till our story is written.

Like MODECCAI ASKED ESTHER who was strategically positioned in the palace by God "Do you not know that you have come into the Kingdom for such a time as this? You also cannot afford to remain silent in the face of evil". Esther rose to the occasion and responded "If I perish I perish'~ Also like MOSES, who even though he inherited a big problem created by another leader (Aaron) he promptly addressed and corrected it? "Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so became a laughing stock to their enemies" Exodus 32: 19,25. Brethren it is time for the church to rise up and takeits God given place .

Carpenter like Nehemiah
Finally, I challenge us all to rise up and become carpenters like Nehemiah in the hands of God to fight: the horns of Lack, Limitation, Hindrances, and Devouring horns plaguing people everywhere today. Nehemiah showed deep care and compassion to the plight of the people, refused to be diverted, or to exploit, manipulate or defraud his people, prayerfully confronted his enemies, and refused to disobey God, and went ahead to finish what he started in record time.

I have made my vows to God that I will heed his voice and carry this vision with all awareness of its enormity and eternal weight. I know that with you by my side, there is only one possible outcome ... we shall win and indeed we shall overcome.