ARE YOU A MALE OR A MAN?

You can be forgiven for wondering: what’s the difference between a male and a man? And that is precisely the problem with society today, particularly, the Nigerian nation. Most people do not realize that it takes much more than being male to be a man. Ben Kinchlow, it was who put that truth into a powerful aphorism, popularized by the late Edwin Louis Cole: being a male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of choice. In other words, the fact that you were born with the ’Y’ chromosome simply makes you a male; but you have a choice whether to remain just a male or rise to be a man.

This is a truth that has eluded most men, including Christian men, over the ages. It is a truth which unless the men of any nation become acquainted with and eventually internalize, that nation can never really develop. At best it might experience stunted growth, but real development to the level ordained by God shall be impossible.

So what makes the difference between maleness and manhood, you ask. The answer is simply this: Christ-likeness. In fact the Holy Spirit caused a man of God to put it into the maxim: manhood and Christ-likeness are synonymous. That man, Edwin Louis Cole went on to build an international men’s ministry around it and through that ministry founded what is known today as the international men’s movement.

This is also the truth that some men have, these past few years, been propagating among Christian men in Lagos and some cities of Nigeria. It is the truth that this group of men has now decided to aggressively propagate beyond the confines of their current areas of influence.

Operating under the umbrella of Christian Men’s Network Nigeria, this ministry is an affiliate of the Texas, United States-based ministry of Ed Cole, as he is more popularly known. Under the spiritual guidance and leadership of one of Nigeria’s foremost teachers of the word of faith, Rev Dr Chris Tunde Joda, this network steps out this Saturday with an event known as Luncheon with the President.

It this event, Dr Joda, more endearingly known as the coach to those of us who receive our spiritual nurturing from Christ Chapel International Churches of which he is founder and senior pastor, will be talking to the men on The Culture of Christian Manhood.

This is not CMN Nigeria’s first event. In fact those of us involved have lost count. There was the Mighty Man of Valour Conference held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt between June and July 2001 which featured, apart from Dr Joda such great men of God as Rev Larry Titus from Youngstown, Ohio, United States of America who had been in ministry for 35 years. There was also Minister Emmanuel Asiedu Appiah, then Executive Director, Leaders International, a body, which had identified Africa’s 21^st Century Challenge as that of Developing Godly Leaders. An internationally acclaimed Business Consultant and CMN representative in his home country, Ghana, he conducted series of word-based workshops on leadership and management. Kunle Falola, a Minister of Songs, who used to be known as Dizzy K, also came in from his London base to minister in anointed and prophetic songs. Of course Dr Edwin Louis Cole’s video ministrations also featured prominently.

At the close of that particular conference believed to be first ever such gathering of Christian men in Nigeria; a very perceptive communiqué was issued to which I shall return presently.

Over the years there had been the quarterly Breakfast with the President which held mainly at the CCIC Joy Centre Auditorium in Surulere. There was the Mighty Man of Valour Award special event held at a popular eatery in Surulere during which the president, Dr Joda received the network’s Mighty Man of Valour Award. Three of the network’s partners were also honoured with the Man of Valour award at the event which featured Rev Dr Jide Awosedo, Chairman/Chief Executive of Grant Properties Ltd as guest minister. The Ikeja Chapter ran an entrepreneur development seminar series titled Wealthy Place; while its chapters in Ojokoro, Victoria Island/Lekki were also very active.

From the foregoing, it is clear that Christian Men’s Network Nigeria has neither been idle nor is it new on the events circuit. So what makes Saturday’s event special, you wonder? Well it is special because right from that beautiful morning in February when the president directed the coordinators to put it together, something clicked in most hearts that it was going to mark the beginning of a new phase for the network. That phase, you may describe as pre-movement stage. And everything had been done simply in agreement with the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The theme for instance took a while in coming! That’s because the president would not be led by even his own wisdom in this business of raising mighty men of spiritual substance and discipling them, considerable as it is. Then the coordinating team found itself putting considerably more effort than usual in spreading the word across churches in Lagos and beyond! Much more effort in fact than should ordinarily be required for an event holding in a 300-seater hall!

But most strikingly for this writer who happens to be at helm of the coordinating team was this feeling in my spirit since the last quarter of last year that 2006 was going to be the year of the Kingdom man in Nigeria. All the pointers have been there since the year began. At the February meeting I spoke about earlier the President under the unction of the Holy spirit said that a men’s movement that will turn things around in our nation was about to begin. He pointedly told the men in attendance that they were created for glory and must prepare to walk in that glory in this year of the Lord’s glory as prophesied by the late Brother Kenneth Copeland.

A perusal of that 2001 communiqué (see In the Beginning) tie s everything together.

All things considered the time for Nigerian Christian men to break denominational and other barriers, come together and sharpen one another to take their place is NOW – on the eve of another round of electioneering, democratic transition and economic reform consolidation. The time to stop being just males and stand up to be men is here. The time to learn the ways of Christian manhood is here. That is the significance of Saturday’s meeting

SSHHH, HERE COMES THE CROWN PRINCE

Message @ Breakfast with the President February 2006)

King David was as usual reflective. He surveyed the universe around him; the blinding brilliance of the sun, the majesty of the moon, the twinkling splendour of the stars, the vast endless sky, the flows and ebbs of the mighty ocean. He was awe-struck. Then he looked at himself and saw the relative physical insignificance of man compared to these great works of the Creator and he wondered aloud in Psalm 8: Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?" 4).

Promptly came the answer from right inside his spirit: You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor. You let us rule everything your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power (5&6).

Think about that. God did not simply give or pass on his glory and honour to man, he crowned him with both! Crowning is an ultimate gesture. In the world, when a man is to be crowned, it’s a big event - drums are rolled out, red carpets are laid and dignitaries are invited to honour the new Oba, Obi, Emir or whatever title may be conferred on him. That was what happened when God crowned man. He summoned the rest of creation and declared to them: behold my crown prince; he shall be your king; you will be subject to him and he shall lord it over you.

That was God’s great pleasure at creation; to make you His crown prince and He Has never changed and will never change His mind. But when man succumbed to sin and fell at the Garden of Eden, the glory departed, the crown fell off man’s princely head. That what Apostle Paul meant in Romans 3:23 when he declared: All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. So, for a season, man walked the earth without the original glory and honour; a prince without his crown.

But the Almighty God would not allow His will to be thwarted by anything or anyone; not by sin, although He hates sin, and certainly not by satan, its author. So Jesus Christ enters into the picture to restore the glory.

Now let’s put this in perspective. When Jesus came to earth, He came as son of man NOT as Son of God. He emptied Himself of the glory that belonged to Him as an integral, inseparable member of the Godhead. He took on the full nature of mortal man. That’s the import of Apostle Paul’s declaration in Philippians 2:6: Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality (God’s Word Bible). That is also corroborated in Hebrews 2:9 which reads: What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels…which was the status of fallen man.

That passage of scripture however went on to reveal the glory-restoring essence of Jesus’ sojourn on earth like this: Because of God's wonderful kindness, Jesus died for everyone. And now that Jesus has suffered and died, he is crowned with glory and honor! … So God did the right thing when he made Jesus perfect by suffering, as Jesus led many of God's children to be saved and to share in his glory.

This dimension of Jesus’ redemption work was a mystery for quite a while. Apostle Paul puts it this way: For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people… And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory (Colossians 1: 26-7).

So, since Jesus lives in you, the glory and honour has been restored to you. You are God’s crown prince with all the power and authority that goes with that status. Notice, as we saw earlier, it is the same glory that Jesus operated in while here on earth. Read Philippians 2:6 again. It is through the power and authority inherent in that glory that he did all that He did on earth. He healed the sick, raised the dead, caused net-breaking draughts, wrought miracles of provision – all as a reflection of the glory!

Remember Jesus’ encounter with the storm? In Luke Chapter 8, we saw the Lord Jesus sleeping peacefully in the midst of a violent storm. His disciples were scared stiff. The Bilble records it like this: The boat was taking on water, and they were in danger.

They went to him, woke him up, and said, "Master! Master! We're going to die!" Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to stop. The wind stopped, and the sea became calm.

The original Greek translation of that scene showed that all that the Lord Jesus said to that so-called violent storm was something like this: Sshhhiiii.

Continues the passage: … Frightened and amazed, they asked each other, "Who is this man? He gives orders to the wind and the water, and they obey him!" You know the answer? He was the crown prince who knew the power and authority that the glory and honour has conferred on him – and is willing to exercise them.

You are God’s crown prince in exactly the way Jesus was while on earth. So when next that storm comes your way, do not fret, do not panic, just calmly look at it and say: sshiiiii. It must obey you.

CMN MUST HELP TO MATURE THE NIGERIAN MAN

BREAKFAST WITH THE PRESIDENT (February 2006)

Christian Men’s Network Nigeria will this year play an even greater role in the maturing and development of the Nigerian man. This is because God is depending on men to play their roles in the family, in society at large, in the economy and even the governance of Nigeria effectively.

Speaking at the first CMNN Breakfast with the President in 2006 which held February 18, Rev Dr Chris Tunde Joda, President of the Network declared that men who would not play there roles as priests in their homes leave room for role reversal which can only lead to disorder. And it is this disorder that becomes manifest at the macro level.

Dr Joda said CMNN must see itself as a men’s movement and henceforth operate as one in order to draw more men into the fold and send a signal to the camp of the unrighteous. As we approach election year 2007, Christian men must become aware that we have a role to play in the unfolding scenario. To stay away from critical areas of the national life is to abdicate out responsibilities as carriers of God’s glory who must function as change agents.

The President spoke on the theme, Man, Created for Glory (see message).

Rev Folarin Ola-Ishola, businessman and Centre Pastor of Christ Chapel International Churches, Lekki also ministered at the event which was hosted by the Surulere chapter..

CMN NIGERIA - HOW IT ALL BEGAN

MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR CONFERENCE 2001

The first-ever Men’s Conference in the country held in three Nigerian cities between Wednesday, June 27 and Friday, July 6, 2001. It took off in Abuja Federal Capital Territory June 27- 29. Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital hosted the conference June 29 -July 2 while the southern oil city of Port Harcourt took its turn July 3 – 6. In each city the facilities of CCIC/VOFM were utilised.

Built around the Christian Men’s Network concept that manhood and Christ -likeness are synonymous, the conference had the theme, Raising Mighty Men of Valour … a revelation of maximised manhood the Conference was attended by men drawn from a wide spectrum of society from within and outside CCIC/VOFM across the denominations.

Ministers and Facilitators also came from a variety of backgrounds. Apart from the Host Senior Pastor, Rev Dr Tunde Joda, there was Rev Larry Titus from Foursquare, Youngstown, Ohio, United States of America who had been in ministry for 35 year. Dr Edwin Louis Cole’s video ministrations also featured prominently.

Minister Emmanuel Asiedu Appiah, Executive Director, Leaders International, a body, which has identified Africa’s 21^st Century Challenge as that of Developing Godly Leaders conducted series of Word-based workshops on leadership and management. He is a Ghanaian internationally acclaimed Business Consultant and CMN representative in his home country.

Kunle Falola, a Minister of Songs also ministered in anointed and prophetic songs.

The Conference was preceded by four weeks of intense publicity using the various media of mass communication – radio, television and print. Rev Tunde Joda addressed a media conference and appeared on one of the most popular breakfast magazine programmes on Nigerian Television. Banners were produced and placed at strategic positions in the three cities. Rallies were also held in Lagos. The men’s fellowship of each of the centres of CCIC made joyful noises and distributed flyers to publicise the conference in their respective localities. This climaxed with an all-centre rally in which the centres were grouped into three each group took off from a selected point in a colourful motorised parade around a section of the city before all groups converged at the international headquarters of the church, venue of the conference.

There were Morning and Evening Sessions. Generally, the morning sessions which opened at 9:00am with intercessory prayers and praise and worship featured mainly workshops. There were three workshops of about one hour each.

The evening sessions were a mix of workshops, and praise and worship and teaching services. The weekend of June 29 – July 1 in Lagos was however more intensive. Average attendance for the morning weekday sessions was 600 while for the weekend it averaged about 800. Evening sessions drew an average of 1,500.

COMMUNIQUÉ OF MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR CONFERENCE 2001

After ten (10) days of listening to the anointed men of God, drinking from the deep well of divine wisdom that it has pleased God, the Almighty to make available to Nigerian men at this time in the life of our nation and, meditating on it all, we feel led to make the following declarations:

• That the State of the Nigerian nation today is a reflection of the state of the Nigerian man;

• That given that the generality of Nigerians are not satisfied with the state of the nation, the Nigerian man is, like Gideon in the Bible currently wallowing in the threshing room of low-performance and irrelevance, with many unable to provide for their families and contribute to the uplifting of their community and the nation.

• That in spite of this unsatisfactory situation, men from the rest of Africa, at several fora continue to express their expectation of Nigerian men to provide the leadership that God has ordained for Nigeria;

• That from the foregoing there is an urgent need to address issues of manhood as related to the Nigerian man vis-à-vis the God-ordained foundational role in the family, the community, the nation, the continent of Africa and even the world;

• That in addressing these critical issues, the Scripture provides a COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE not only for spiritual development but also for the attainment of self- and group-fulfilling leadership to the family, the community and the nation in all facets of life including public and corporate governance;

· That a critical starting point is the need for Nigerian men to PUSH THE FRONTIERS of their God-given CREATIVITY and RESOURCEFULNESS and RAISE THE STANDARDS of PERFORMANCE and BEHAVIOUR in their private and public lives;

• That these imply that Nigerian men must say a firm NO to laziness, mediocrity, expediency, ethical compromise and inferiority complex in all that they do and ENTHRONE a culture of hard work, excellence, Godly living and FAITH in the goodness of GOD;

• That towards providing a powerful forum for ensuring that iron can continue to sharpen iron in the raising of men of valour, of integrity and of purpose to take Nigeria and Africa to the heights ordained for her by the Creator, CHAMPIONS FOR CHRIST is being expanded to draw membership from outside of CCIC/VOFM – from other churches, social groups and elsewhere.

• Finally our CLARION is this - NIGERIAN MEN, ARISE!

SIGNED:
Rev Dr Tunde Joda
President, Champions for Christ
Tuesday, July 10, 2001.