THE LAST DAYS: How Far does Religion Take us? The GROWJOURNAL September - December 2012. Editor: David Dungji Chinke Contributors: Yilkat Gopye Lami Chinke ISSN: 2141 - 9507 Published in Nigeria © 2012 by Engraved in Gold Media Enterprises +2348065721408 Jos, Plateau State Nigeria " EDITORIAL : A TIME WHEN KINGS RULED My wife had a conference at Uyo Akwa Ibom State Last year, I ceased that opportunity to travel with her and get away from the familiarity, plus the hustle and bustle of Jos. We also tried to catch up on some family time! One opportunity this visit afforded me was time to relax and watch cable TV (I hardly do). Various Nigerian Artists were on show on cable TV. There are quite a number of budding talents emerging as if from nowhere. But one day HiNolly played a video of the old song by Bongos Ikwue titled: Cock crow at dawn. The clip was a modern re-mix of the original old piece. It reminded one of the old drama series, but most of all, it ignited in me a nostalgic feeling of what we have almost lost in the Nigerian music industry. If not for a few talents who try to bring in some “mind” (as Prof. Wole Soyinka describes it) into Nigerian contemporary music style, we are indeed loosing the art of reflective meditation in most of the things we do. Some have blamed this on the invasion of western ideas into our society. Looking critically at this, that assertion is not entirely false. But we cannot completely shy away from the fact that some aspects of our own culture too promote the party spirit at the expense of reflection. I believe there is always a balance to it though. Jesus always withdrew to his quiet place of prayer after a crusade or an encounter with spiritual warfare! But He never shied away from public gatherings either. That is the example of the King of Kings!! Returning to Bongos Ikwue, I watched on as he let loose another staggering old timer piece that day, I didn’t know when I was suddenly on my feet, simply being blown away by the simplicity, and yet exhilarating prowess exuding from the act of this Never say die Old Soldier!!! At that point I thought to myself: “some people have reached that point when we begin to describe them as Trees, “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3) I believe we can say that of some secular figures within their vocational spheres of influence without necessarily alluding to their spiritual lives (although that is very important). But looking at their antecedents; thus comparing the educational system that produced them and the one we currently operate - we are forced to conclude that even though we desire to maintain a level playing ground for all in this 21st Century of humanism and democratic ideals, we also believe that we must vehemently steer clear of the desertification created by our tendency to engage in indiscriminate bushwhacking of promising young talents and indeed the cutting down of some of these great old trees – in the name of preserving cultural ideals! This edition of The GROW Journal tries to take a look at the human societal evolution as it relates to spiritual/moral ethics. " COVER : THE LAST DAYS: How Far does Religion Take us?? By David Dungji Chinke I do not assume that all who read these articles are Christian and so I approach some issues with a sense of universality. In that light will try to redefine the concept of the Last Days – which would most likely mean more of a total change of the majority way of living. Things would be apt to change for the worst, as the increasing fear of a nuclear winter and world destabilization brought about by a possibly looming third world war! The Christians view of these are not totally different, but in addition most Christians at this point would be eagerly expecting the return of Jesus Christ to rapture the church, judge the world and subsequently create a new heaven and a new earth!(Revelations 21:1-4). The idea imbedded within this is that a time will come when God himself would come and live with human beings and the world would be peaceful and free of suffering, but before this, humanity would have to be purified and rid of its evil through suffering (thus the interpretation of the whole book of revelation might remain allegorical – the concept of water and fire may be redefined)! In this the spirit world and the mortal world become intertwined and undivided! The world seems to be moving towards this, and Christians are indeed eagerly awaiting the return of Christ. This concept is foundational in Christianity and thus cannot be truly negated. But having said this, I, in the book The Kingdom of Heaven of Earth – Fact or Fiction – Our Confusion – The Works of a Silent Crusader have encouraged a more in-depth and informed study of this biblical principle! This from our antecedents, that we have always tended to be over-occupied with expecting Jesus Christ’s return and tended to segregate into closed societies and thus abandon evangelism especially through social reform. The reasons the Jewish leaders rejected Christ was not because he rejected social reform but because he insisted social reform must first begin from the individual and be done honestly from the depth of his/her heart or soul! This was not often the case as the religious leaders of the time as is also the case today, were more prone to elevating symbols and religious observances. The failures of these prophesies of Christ’s return caused disillusionment and disaffection as seen after AD 70 when Jesus prophecy came to pass with the exception of His expected return whom many expected to accompany the end of the wars! (See books on church history). These have often repeated themselves in the church as seen through the mistakes of prominent church leaders like Alexander Dowie, Herbert W. Armstrong, and others who have been lured by their members to proclaim themselves Elijah or Jesus thus forming protectorates to await the final trumpet! On the other hand we have seen Christianity become powerful and prosperous and then begin to neglect the heart and morality in favour of social reform thus creating a sodomic kingdom rather than a kingdom of heaven. Thus we do accept that the Last days are coming close, but indeed the bible tells us that Jesus will only come for a bride (the church) whose white clothing has no spots and these are its good deeds (Rev. 19:7-8). That is why the revival of Christ’s true teachings must come before the final appearance of Christ. Thus the principles of sacrifice, mercy and responsibility accomplished through the way of the cross in death and resurrection must be perfected in the character of the church. Shining as the light of the world and body of Christ. Therefore I did opine that in a context where Christians are majority and are unable to achieve this kingdom purity and uniqueness in community, its leaders must begin to chart a new course for reformation! In this way suggesting that we must look back into the individual first and then the God instituted unit of holy matrimony as a basis for this reformation. The family thus becoming the focus and attention of discipleship structures. This for the most part is being rejected by many especially outside the boundaries of Christianity for the sake of material prosperity and the quest for merry living. Many being urged on by forces against the church have pushed for the unrealizable ideality existent within segregated groups. This causing panic and chaos and thus making that kingdom ideal, unrealizable and thus the End Times Indeed! End Times Indeed! The theory of the end times has evolved into many views: 1. Things on earth will get worse and Jesus will come at the nick of time to rapture believers who are still alive as pointed out above! 2. In addition to the above some also have opined that there is a potent danger of Christ neglecting to come due to the failure of the church. And thus an ever potent possibility of a total holocaust and God would then be forced to create another world with a fresh species of human beings; thus validating the theory of “The creation and desolation cycle” – or on the other hand abandon the idea of mortal beings created in his image! 3. Some have also opted for a more naturalistic and thus scientific solution to the Messiah problem. Thus God would in the manner of the Jews and gentiles opt to elect for himself from the formerly atheistic scientists a replacement/compliment to the faithistic church – this idea is still being formulated but most often lacks enough biblical support as it tends to accommodate non moral traditions basing its doctrines on power and prosperity alone! One unifying factor in all of these views is the fact that human beings and I dear say Christians must begin to take social reform more seriously. In this line some have also added that: In addition to an expectation for Christ’s return - He the expected messiah will come and work with a governmental framework already set up by a well organized church and not a scattered one. We at GROW believe in addition to the expectation of Christ’s return that his community/body the church must indeed be pure in its relations and organization. This cannot be done without re-orienting discipleship back to its roots and foundation which begins with the individual abiding by the law of love – Love of God and Love of neighbor – the launching pad is thus the home. Marriage is an important institution that cannot be toyed with, giving the nuclear family preeminence and making well thought out provisions for the extended family and also irregularities that occur due to death and disfunctionality. It is clear that forces that may be aligned with satanic hierarchy have consistently targeted this all important institution for destruction – just as Satan did in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. The emergence of the liberal Christian church in some parts of the world can be directly or indirectly linked to this phenomenon. Even on the African continent where evangelicalism had held sway, because of the love of the family setup by the prevailing African system; the emergence of modernism and prosperity have made it increasingly difficult to sustain this. In this light we have also suggested that a balance of theology must be employed to stabilize the church in its approach to intellectualism, evangelism, holiness and spirituality. This will pave the way for a well organized church structure and union as distinct from other religions. This church will hopefully be ready and rapturable whatever the case may be! It is with initial ambivalence but now with great Joy and excitement on the expected outcome that we use the edition of the GROWJournal to Launch and announce the official take off of a project long initiated by God himself, while silently working through it without our knowledge, subsequently shared and narrated to us through divine unction; we officially bring to you THE TRAIN INITIATIVE. An initiative which seeks to consolidate on Christ’s leadership as the head engine leading our submissive families, the coaches through the love of his salvation, for growth, development and stability. " 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS AND CHRIST By Yilkat Gopye The London Olympics have come and gone; what a spectacle to see nations compete for medals and laurels. The spirit of games is a unique one that brings together the most unlikely of bedmates in the spirit of competition and unity together! There, as nations come face to face in a seeming confrontation and testing of wits, there are no swords, arrows nor guns, but the ones used in the sports of kendo, archery, and sharp shooting! There are no fist fights either except in the friendly competition of boxing, wrestling and the martial arts. Yet competition is stiff and intense, but those who emerge with medals are those whose years and months and weeks of training yield the desired fruits and also those who God showers favour on even the smallest effort they put in. it is known that it is not only the hard training that brings reward but many times upsets are known to occur as certain underdogs emerge as winners. The question often arises that; is there God in sports or does God intervene in meager issues like sports? Those who argue in the affirmative say that such occasional surprises are as a result of Gods intervention. A case in point is when the Nigerian football team was in the habit of assembling in the last minute for camping and training only to perform above expectation. Some even said God was a Nigerian or the God of football is a Nigerian. The unfortunate thing happened and soon enough the Nigerian team stopped performing so well. Many structural and functional reasons could be blamed for this fall but is it possible that God has finally turned His back on Nigerian sports sector so that other sectors will flourish? Possibly! Sports is indeed an important aspect of human existence apart from keeping millions of youth busy and employed, it provides entertainment and relaxation for many around the world. The Olympics is one event that draws thousands to its spectacle to not only participate in the games but blend interculturaly thus nurturing and encouraging world peace. The gospel does thrive in a peaceful environment, even though conflict does pull people closer to God, peace and stability is also known as a catalyst for the quick spread of the gospel through trade routes, cultural integration, and friendship embarked on in world events such as this. The atmosphere created by the Greco Roman civilization when Christ appeared on the earth was the genesis of this most popular enterprise, and as this global culture proliferates and engages the minds of our teaming youth worldwide we also pray that its birth mate the Christian faith would provide a most useful consolidator for human community as well as a panacea for the few evils that might want to hamper and proliferate themselves through it! Courtesy of the official site for the 2012 Olympics we have compiled a short list of the countries that made the African continent proud by winning medals in the Olympics. " HEALTH :BLOOD AND BLOOD DONATION By Lami Chinke BLOOD: Is the familiar red fluid in the body that contains white blood cells, platelets, proteins and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: Arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues, while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body. Blood is life; we cannot live without blood because it plays many vital roles. Functions of blood: 1 carries oxygen to our body cells and organs. 2 It fights infections. 3 It heals wounds 4 It carries nutrients and other elements through the body Blood is produced in the yolk sac of babies in the uterus and thereafter, the bone marrow. An average –weight adult walks around with nine to twelve pints of blood. Blood Types: A, B, AB, and O, with each being either positive or negative. Some are common than others with O being the most common.O negative blood donors are referred to as ‘’universal donors’’. Their blood can substitute for any blood type. Components of blood: 1 Red blood cell ---The most needed. -Transports oxygen through the body. -Anyone experiencing severe loss of blood for any reason needs red blood cells to survive. -RBC last for 120 days 2 Plasma---Is the liquid portion that suspends red blood cells. It is critically needed by burn victims and people with blood disorder. Plasma can be frozen up to a year. 3 platelets---Needed to stop bleeding. People with leukemia and cancer need platelets to survive. Trauma victims also need platelets. Because platelets only last five days, a constant supply is needed. 4 White blood cells—the body soldiers, they fight infection. Blood is precious, it is specie specific, it cannot be manufactured, so volunteer blood donors are heroes to millions or countless patients who need blood to have life. The Need for Blood [the burden]: The need for blood continues to increase over the years, globally. Today, more than two in seven people entering a hospital for care will need blood. People with life threatening diseases like cancer need blood to survive. Blood is also essential in the promotion of health. People who need blood include; -Accident or burn victims -Surgery patients -Premature infants -Individuals with diseases like cancer or sickle cell - Women in pregnancy and child birth -severe malaria or anaemia.etc. Transfusion transmissible infections [TTIs] are infections that can be transmitted to the recipient of any contaminated blood. It is therefore necessary for every blood to be screened before transfusion. BLOOD DONATION: A blood donation occurs when a person has blood drawn from the veins and used for transfusion or made into medications by a process called fractionation. Therapeutic phlebotomy: is done in conditions like polycytaemia. Aphaeresis: Is a blood donation method where the blood is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the donor. Usually the component returned is the red blood cells, the portion of the blood that takes the longest to replace. Using this method, an individual can donate plasma or platelets much more frequently than they can safely donate whole blood. After donation, the volume is replaced within 4-6hours, while more fresher and efficient red blood cells are replaced or produced within 3 weeks. Types of blood donors: 1 Autologous blood donors--donate for their future use. 2 Family Replacement donors--donate blood when family or friends need a transfusion. 3 Commercial or paid donors—donate blood for monetary compensation. 4 Voluntary non-remunerated blood donors [VNRBD]—in the developed world, most blood donors are unpaid donors who give blood for a community supply. They are the safest donors. There is a quest to achieve 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation in Nigeria. In poorer countries, established supplies are limited, hence donors usually give blood when family or friends need a transfusion Many donors donate as an act of charity. Donating blood is relatively safe, but some donors have bruising where the needle is inserted or may feel faint. Criteria for blood donation: -Individual must be healthy -Aged between 18 and 65years -Sexually safe life style -Weigh 50kg and above -Hemoglobin level of 12.1g/dl and above. -Normal Blood pressure, pulse rate. -Not pregnant or breastfeeding for less than 6 months Both males and females can donate every 3 months and 4 months respectively. All blood groups are needed. Donation Procedure: -Awareness creation -completion of donor questionnaire -medical check -One on one counseling -bar coding [donor number] -pre donation refreshment [not compulsory] -phlebotomy process -post donation refreshment and rest [at least 10 minutes] -post donation advice Benefits of Blood donation: -Self fulfillment for saving a life -Reduced risk of heart disease -Reduces iron overload -Free health check and tests -Improved health and vitality [more efficient blood cells are produced] -Priority during shortages -Non-monetary recognition of regular voluntary blood donors Most blood donors donate as an act of charity and do not expect to receive any direct benefit from the donation. Complications of blood donation: -Hypovolaemic reactions can occur due to rapid change in blood pressure. -Fainting is the most common problem encountered. -Bruising of the arm from the needle insertion. -Delayed bleeding -Nerve irritation or injury -weakness -Allergic reaction. HINTS: -Blood donation is a vital community service. -One blood donation can save three lives. -Three teaspoons of blood can save a baby’s life. -Plasma donors can give as often as every three days and plasma can be frozen for a year. -platelets last only five days. -NBTS Target is 78,000units of blood annually. PAPER PRESENTATION BY [DONOR RECRUITER] Lami Grace CHINKE @ the National Blood Transfusion service Jos, World Blood Donor Day Media parley. She is a Nurse Midwife with the Plateau State Specialist Hospital presently on deployment to the National Blood Transfusion Service. <<  <<   >>