by Onovae Akpoesiri | May 25, 2016 | My Story, NAAS, Share your view
Adventist Student in Nigeria Shares Her Faith
adebusoye damilola from Delta Conference, WNUC, Nigeria.
Foundational Christian Experience
I grew up in an Adventist home raised up by principled parents. I enjoyed regular church attendance, yet, for a while, my foundational church experience was basically a routine for me. I needed to experience God for myself. I struggled with deep and intense fear as a child and had difficulty in relating this experience with others for fear of being mocked or reviled. God delivered me from fear through peculiar experiences. The first of which he verbally spoke a psalm of which I read and became assured of God’s protection and power to relieve me from fear.
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I read and memorised psalm 91 and when plagued with intense fear, I recited the words of the psalm and as faith in God built, my fears subsided.
This experience gave me a strong realization of Christ’s personal interest in him, that he would speak to me rather than leave me to my personal struggles. For this reason, with a deep sense of gratitude I resolved to know God better. Thus I studied the Bible as well as a lot of other books including the great controversy
Sabbath Convictions
As I studied, I became impressed with the significance of true Sabbath keeping. I was learning that it was wrong to buy, sell, attend classes or write examinations on God’s Holy day. Not as a burden but as a test of obedience and a sign of our allegiance to God.
Whenever I brought up these issues to my dad, he made a lot of reference to ministers and minister’s children who did same things on the Sabbath and made it clear that such stands would not be tolerated in his house
Shrinking from fear of being severely reprimanded, I wrote my JAMB examinations on the Sabbath. After some years of not being able to get admission into the university, I finally got admission in UNIBEN to study a dream course. I repeated my study on the great controversy and on keeping God’s Sabbath holy. Then I made a more decided decision to stand for God whatever the cost.
Broken Dreams
Entering the university and studying a dream course was a source of great joy to me. I had a defined academic plan putting God in mind. These plans were threatened when 6 of my first semester exams fell on Saturday including a major course. Worse still I barely got encouraged by anyone as they would rather be silent that encourage me to keep the Sabbath holy at so great a cost. The words of the hymn “Jesus is all the world to me” was a source of encouragement to me as I bent under the weight of a major tough decision
The consequences of my action, the foreseen reaction of my parents, the risk of failure, mockery or pitiful counsels from concerned course mates were for a while a weight on my mind. But this statement amidst others encouraged me:
“True Christian principle will not stop to weigh consequences. It does not ask, what will people think of me if I do this? Or how will it affect my worldly prospects if I do that? With the most intense longing the children of God desire to know what He would have them do, that their works may glorify Him. The Lord has made ample provision that the hearts and lives of all His followers may be controlled by divine grace, that they may be as burning and shining lights in the world”
counsels for the church page 51
I memorised this quote and it constantly encouraged me.
On the day of the first exam i dressed for church and the kind family I stayed with, though having good intentions made a decided efforts to stop me from what I was doing to “destroy my future”, for that was how they classified my actions. On another occasion, few classmates sat me down to change my mind-set but I was determined to stand for God at whatever cost. In this trying period Jesus was a very present friend, a faithful companion and God.
While on probation the exams fell again on the Sabbath and I knew I had to leave school. Telling my parents about my decisions was a tough call, they were utterly disappointed. My dad insisted I stay in Uniben dictating the consequences of my rebellion. I chose to obey God rather than man with the assurance that if father and mother forsakes me God would pick me up.
Leaving UNIBEN, I had no assurance of financial support from my dad as it was also a tough time for them. In the most miraculous way ever at a time I had resolved to fate of not going to school that year, 2 days before the chance of a part scholarship I was to be offered expired, the Lord made financial provision for me to be in a private institution where there is no Sabbath exam. How God provides for my school fees each year still remains a mystery
Looking back now in retrospect, I don’t consider my decisions as so great a sacrifice. It pales in comparison with the faithful actions of a day sacrifices of Abraham, Apostle Paul, Huss, and Martin Luther. It pales in comparison to what Jesus sacrificed for me. Many even now excuse rebellion to God for the little privileges of life. But I often ask myself how it would feel to resurrect to the resurrection of condemnation just because of a certificate, job or family member. God forbid! Then how worthless the things for which will sell Jesus will appear in our eyes but then it will be too late to let go of them. Far too late.
Sometimes people make reference to the time I have lost in leaving UNIBEN then I must refer them to the much time I have gained reserved by God’s grace for me… eternity with Jesus for me is worth a thousand years of self-sacrifice.
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by Onovae Akpoesiri | May 22, 2016 | Adventist nigeria, seventh day adventist, world Church
The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a denomination with a focus on Christ, the Sabbath day and Christ’s second coming.
The history of the Seventh Day Adventist church cannot be explained without some certain characters. First let’s look at William Miller.
William Miller was born to a Veteran of the America Revolution in 1782 in Pitts-field, Massachusetts. He received his education in Low Hampton, New York. As a young boy, he loved to read books most especially religious books. He considered himself a Baptist Christian.
He married Lucy Smith in 1803 and then moved to Poultney, Vermont. While in Vermont he was elected to several public offices. He became a Deputy Sheriff and eventually Justice of Peace. Miller abandoned his Christian beliefs and became a strong Deism. Miller was enlisted as a lieutenant and rose to the rank of captain during the war of 1812. As the war raged on, Miller reignited his love for religious book most especially the Bible.
In August 1831, he started his preaching career, filling in for pastor’s absence and doing the sermons at his church. As he continues his preaching career, Miller was convinced that the Bible have codes for the future. While studying Daniel 8 and 9, he concluded that the 2,300 years prophecy has passed and that the Second Coming would happen very soon. After more studies, he concluded that Ezra 7:2 explains further that Christ will come in 1844.
In 1840 he began his Millerite Movement. The message was so strong that about 50,000 people followed the movement. He never set an exact date for Christ coming but felt it was around the spring of 1844. When the spring of 1844 passed, Miller was embarrassed but with the help of Samuel S. Snow and other followers, they were convinced that October 22, 1844 was the exact date for Christ second coming.
After October 22, 1844 , William Miller and his followers were disheartened and disappointed. Miller never prophesized again even though he still believed that Christ will come again. In December 20, 1849, he died and was buried in Low Hampton, New York.
After the great disappointment, the millerite divided into three (3) section
The first division believed in ”shut-door theology” which meant the door was shut to gaining salvation, Joseph Turner organized it
The second division held the Albany conference to discuss three purposes: to strengthen the faith of the Advent, how to carry one the congregation, and to convert others to the religion. This group was led by Joshua Vaughan Himes.
The third division also known as the Sabbatarian Group believed that October 22, 1844 was the day that Daniel 8 was talking about the cleansing of the sanctuary of heaven. This was led by Hiram Edison. The third division became what is now known as the Seventh Day Adventist.
Ellen Gould White wiki
Seventh Day Adventist Church Comprehensive History, Facts and figures
The history of the Seventh Day Adventist Church will not be complete without mentioning Ellen Gould Harmon. Ellen was one of the people involved in Millerite movement. She was born on November 26, 1827 in Gotham, Maine. She is one of the eight children of Robert and Eunice Harmon
Ellen had an accident at the age of nine and had medical problems for the rest of her life from the injury. The injury caused her to end her education. She became saved at age 12 and started to attend Adventist meetings and believed in the Advent message that she heard Miller preached about.
After the Great Disappointment, Ellen was seeking to know the truth and she experienced a vision. At seventeen years old, she believed God was prophesying to her. She said Advent people traveling to New Jerusalem and eventually ended with Jesus coming back letting the Adventist to enter Jerusalem. In 1845, she experience a second vision known as the Bridegroom. Then she experienced a third vision about God and the Adventists. Her visions seemed to support the Adventists’ faith with promising prophecies by White describing hope for the second coming of Christ. She reportedly had other visions where she was in the presence of Jesus or angels. Altogether she had 2,000 visions and dreams that lasted from less than a minute to four hours.
When she was 23, she met James White, an Adventist preacher, and they married in 1846. They wrote a 46 page tract called Seventh-day Sabbath that was published by Joseph Bates. They were convinced that the Sabbath day was being neglected and was important to their faith. Six months after publishing her tract, she had another vision that there was a light halo around the fourth commandment and stirred up confidence in her tract and from Adventists. James continued to preach and worked in his spare time. They had a child together, but Ellen soon left to travel to send her message widely throughout the country. They both felt the need to publish works to inspire their faith. James published The Present Truth which was a paper and would contain Ellen’s prophetic views about the church and warning.
Ellen wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books. She is the most translated author in literature and the most translated American author
Below are some books she wrote
- Patriarchs and Prophets – Reflections on the first half of the Old Testament
- Prophets and Kings – Reflections on the second half of the Old Testament
- The Desire of Ages – Reflections on the life of Christ
- The Acts of the Apostles – Reflections on the early New Testament church
- The Great Controversy – Reflections on Christian history and prophecies about the end times
- Steps to Christ – an evangelistic book explaining how to have a living connection with Jesus Christ
- Christ’s Object Lessons – an exposition of the meaning of the parables of Jesus
- Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing – an exposition of Jesus’ lessons in the Sermon on the Mount
- Testimonies for the Church
- Early Writings
- Selected Messages
- Education
- The Ministry of Healing
James White died on August 6, 1881 while Ellen G White died July 16, 1915. They were both buried side by side in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan.
Seventh Day Adventist Church was officially founded in 1863. Prominent figures in the early church includes Hiram Edson, James Springer White and his wife Ellen, Joseph Bates, and J. N. Andrews.
Seventh Day Adventist Church Comprehensive History, Facts and figures
The Seventh Day Adventists believe a variety of different things. The religion as a whole agrees on the 28 fundamentals. These 28 fundamentals include the doctrine of God, the doctrine of Humankind, the doctrine of Salvation, the doctrine of Church, the doctrine of Christian life, the doctrine of the Last Things.
- The Doctrine of God
1. Holy Scriptures – are divine inspiration of the word of God.
2. Trinity or Godhead – there is one God in three persons.
3. Father – is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation.
4. Son – is God the eternal son Jesus through him salvation exists.
5. Holy Spirit – inspired the words of Scripture and was active during reincarnation, incarnation, and redemption. - The Doctrine of Humankind
6. Creation – God is the creator of all things & the Bible is creation’s history.
7. Nature of Man – Men and women are made in the image of God and have free will. They became subject to death after they sinned and their ancestors shared their fate. - The Doctrine of Salvation
8. Great Controversy – All humanity is now involved with a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, his law, and His sovereignty over the universe.
9. Life, Death, and Resurrection – Christ was perfect and he have his life as the atonement for human’s sin.
10. Experience of Salvation – Christ gave his life and Christians can experience salivation through his death. Jesus delivered them from sin.
11. Growing in Christ – Walk with Jesus and do not live in darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaningless of our former life. Meditate on his word, sing praises, gather for worship, and participate in the Church’s mission. - The Doctrine of the Church
12. Church – The church is a community of believers who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.
13. Remnant and Its Mission – The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
14. Unity in the Body of Christ – The church is one body with many members called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
15. Baptism – By Baptism we confess our faith in the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in the newness of life. - The Doctrine of the Church (continued)
16. Lord’s Supper – The Lord’s Supper is a participation in the emblems of the body and blood of Jesus as an expression of faith in Him, our Lord and Savior.
17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries – God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity.
18. The Gift of Prophecy – the Holy Spirit gives the gift of prophecy and was a key mark of the first church with Ellen White’s prophecies. - The Doctrine of the Christian Life
19. Law of God – The 10 commandments are the laws of God and are shown in Christ’s life.
20. Sabbath – The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The Sabbath must be upheld and requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.
21. Stewardship – We are all God’s stewards entrusted by him with time and opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources.
22. Christian Behavior – We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heave. We must involve ourselves only with things that produce Christ like purity, health, and joy in our lives.
23. Marriage and the Family – Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. A Christian marriage is to God and our spouse and should only be shared between people of a common faith. - The Doctrine of Last Things
24. Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary – There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man.
25. Second Coming of Christ – The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The time of the event has not been revealed, and we must be ready at all times.
26. Death and Resurrection – The wages of sin is death. Death is an unconscious state for all people and the righteous dead will be resurrected when Christ returns.
27. Millennium and the End of Sin – The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. The wicked will be judged during this time, and the world will be desolate. The righteous dead will be resurrected. Satan and his angels will be destroyed.
28. New Earth – On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning in his presence. God will dwell among his people and death and suffering will not exist anymore.
Stats
According to the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research – General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (2016)
- CHURCH MEMBERSHIP BY WORLD DIVISIONS
East-Central Africa
3,225,454 - Euro-Asia
113,367 - Inter-American
3,615,558 - Inter-European
178,831 - North American
1,218,397 - Northern Asia-Pacific
703,034 - South American
2,410,578 - South Pacific
445,590 - Southern Africa-Indian Ocean
3,514,069 - Southern Asia
1,558,039 - Southern Asia-Pacific
1,369,475 - Trans-European
86,384 - West-Central Africa
683,318 - Attached to the General Conf:
Middle East and North Africa Un
3,644 - Israel Field
700 - Total Church Membership – 19,126,438
- Union Conferences and Missions –132
Local Conferences and Missions— 632
Churches —————————–78,810 - Education
Tertiary—————————115
Working Training Institution –49
Secondary————————-2,296
Primary —————————5,332
Total ———- ——————-7,792 - Health Care Institutions
Hospitals and Sanitariums —–175
Clinics and Dispensaries ——-385
Nrsg Homes, Retirement Centers, Orphanages, Children’s Homes —169 - Companies ———————–69,213
The facts and figures are subject to change
List of Adventist Institutions in Nigeria and Their Address updated
by Onovae Akpoesiri | May 7, 2016 | Food for thought, Members Writeup
I have always imagined how heaven will looks like: so many birds singing sweet songs, lion dining with the lamb, street of gold, room made of diamond, ceiling made of silver, and lots more.
Recently I traveled to see my niece, when I got there, she was watching a Barbie collection and she was so focus on it. As I sat with her, I began to see beautiful sites and what really drew my attention was the beautiful mansion, the golden streets, the perfect vegetation and the robe they wore. I said to myself perhaps that’s the way Heaven would look like.
Then I started picturing heaven like those images I saw in the barbie collection until one day I saw a text in the bible. That scripture text has changed the way I view heaven and I will be delighted to share it with you.
1 Corinthians 2:9 kjv
But as it is written: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
So if it can come into the mind of humans to design those beautiful castle in Barbie collections, build Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab structure in Dubai, Space Needle in Seattle, Sydney Opera House,The Shard in London and many other great sites built by man, yet the Bible says eye have not seen what He is preparing for us.
The bibles says in John 14:2
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Just take a minute and imagine how a city would looks like if the architect is Jesus Christ. The God of perfection has promised to prepare a place for us, so imagine how that city will be like. Do you really wants to miss it?
In John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The important thing is to believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and personal saviour and then every imagination about heaven will be actualized.
John 10:9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
and lastly
Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Remain steadfast in the lord, keep trusting him.
Soon the cloud will open and the trumpet shall sound, and by His grace, we all will be in that mansion He is preparing for us in Jesus name-amen.
By Onovae Akpoesiri
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by Onovae Akpoesiri | Apr 9, 2016 | Adventist nigeria, world Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a major Christian denomination with a significant presence in Nigeria. We worship on Saturdays, not for personal reasons but Biblical, which are founded in the scriptures and dates back to creation. We believe that Sabbath is a Holy Day and should not be used for any personal, civil, or public business.
ORIGIN OF SDA CHURCH IN NIGERIA
The church in Nigeria began in 1914 by a Missionary, David C. Babcock after coming from a mission in Sierra Leone.
Babcock’s family was accompanied by two Sierra Leonian workers. They were R.P Dauphin and S. Morgue. After arriving in Nigeria, Babcock left his family in Lagos and embarked on a tour of the hinterland. His tour took him as far as Jebba, on the Niger River. Babcock eventually selected a mission site at Lalupon, 16 miles north of Ibadan area. Hence, Babcock’s family became the first Missionary family to establish the Seventh-Day Adventist church in Nigeria and since its establishment in 1914; the church has made significant progress. Early conversions made at Erunmu were possible through preaching and the establishment of schools
Babcock learned the Yoruba language in less than 5 months in order to preach the gospel. Babcock University was named after him. He pioneered the work of the Adventist Church in Nigeria in 1914. He was based in Erunmu in Oyo State, Nigeria.
In 2014, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria celebrated 100 years of active proclamation of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ through her pulpits in churches and public campaigns; educational institutions, health and welfare institution,
Nigeria has a population of more than 180 million people, making it the most populous country in Africa. About 278,000 Adventists live in Nigeria. That’s about one Adventist for every 612 persons.
The church has contributed to the growth of the nation, especially in the educational and medical fields. It also shares the truth of the gospel to a countless number of people through rural and urban evangelism. Adventists are very loving people who care for the environment, promote healthy practices and help those in need. They hold on to scripture as the only basis of truth.
Nigeria has many Adventist primary and secondary schools as well as Babcock University and Clifford University, which has more than 20,000 students.
There are 3 Unions in Nigeria
-Eastern Nigeria Union Conference
-Northern Nigeria Union Conference
-Western Nigeria Union Conference
Eastern Nigeria Union Conference
Aba East Conference
Aba North Conference
Aba South Conference
Abia North-Central Conference
Akwa Ibom Conference
Anambra Mission
Bayelsa Mission
Cross River Conference
Ebonyi Conference
Enugu Conference
Imo Conference
Port Harcourt Conference
Rivers East Conference
Rivers West Conference
Northern Nigeria Union Conference
North Central Nigeria Conference
North East Nigeria Conference
North West Nigeria Conference
Western Nigeria Union Conference
Delta Conference
Edo Conference
Ekiti Conference
Kogi Region
Kwara Conference
Lagos Atlantic Conference
Lagos Mainland Conference
Ogun Conference
Ondo Mission
Osun Conference
Oyo Conference
by Onovae Akpoesiri | Dec 29, 2015 | Daily Digest, Food for thought, Members Writeup
True faith and true prayer — how strong they are! They are as two arms by which the human suppliant lays hold upon the power of Infinite Love. Faith is trusting in God,–believing that He loves us, and knows what is for our best good. Thus, instead of our own way, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership, and accepts its blessings. Truth, uprightness, purity, are pointed out as secrets of life’s success.
It is faith that puts us in possession of these. Every good impulse or aspiration is the gift of God; faith receives from God the life that alone can produce true growth and efficiency.
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,” [1 JOHN 5:4.] It is faith that enables us to look beyond the present, with its burdens and cares, to the great hereafter, where all that now perplexes us shall be made plain. Faith sees Jesus standing as our Mediator at the right hand of God. Faith beholds the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him. Faith sees the robe and crown prepared for the overcomer, and hears the song of the redeemed.this faith will see you through.(GC)
The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the result of labored argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means; they are gained in the audience chamber with God, when with earnest, agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power. {GW 259.1}
