As Christmas approaches in Nigeria, millions of Christians are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, which is a season traditionally marked by joyful worship, family reunions, feasts, and community gatherings. Unfortunately, this year's celebration seems to carry a heavy weight of mourning, pain, fear, and anxiety because the country is no longer the same for Christians, as many are afraid of attacks during this Christmas season.

Recently, Bill Maher, an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host, in a viral video said, "I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram," he said. "This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza. They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country."

China’s Christian landscape, the state-approved Three-Self churches, and the house churches have been a topic of discussion that has attracted global attention. Nigerian Christians who are under intense persecution sometimes view the Chinese church through simplified narratives. But some erroneous impressions must be corrected.

In China, where the body of Christ has grown remarkably despite challenges, there is an urgent need for spiritual leadership to take over from human leadership if the church is to get it right, like the biblical church.

From David’s era to today, atheism has become more vocal, with some relying on science to deny God; yet this reflects a lack of understanding of divine wisdom and creation.

In times of crisis, dangers, breakdowns, or laws and orders, governments declare a state of emergency, which is a temporary suspension of normal operations to address threats and, if possible, restore normalcy. But what if God were to do the same because of what is happening in our churches today? Would we be surprised, or would we celebrate it because it is long overdue?

Recently, I came across a book titled Who is this God? written by Paul Bryan. According to Bryan, there are many different narratives of who God is by people who try to define God to suit their brand of Christianity. A holistic definition of God is needed to help us understand who the God of the Bible is.

Biblical justice is not a modern concept. It is as old as the Bible and rooted in the very character of God. The Chinese church has demonstrated that biblical social justice can be practiced in a quieter yet powerful way.

Partnership in the body of Christ is a concept that aims to bring Christians, churches, and denominations to work together with a shared objective, understanding that everyone or institutional body has diverse gifts and callings which God has programmed for the advancement of His kingdom.

I came to Christ with many expectations based on the fact that I was indoctrinated to believe that God will solve all my problems and that suffering is not my portion. Unfortunately, what I expected was not in conformity with the reality on the ground.