The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • Breaking your family free from curses (3)

    We shall continue from where we stopped the last time on how to free your family from curses.

    1. To free your family from every curse, you must not do the work of the Lord deceitfully.

    Look at what the word of God said in Jeremiah 48:10: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.”

    The Message Translation of the Bible puts it this way. It says; Sloppy work in GOD’s name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword.

    That means when you are deceitfully serving God and pretending to serve God and yet not really involved. Or you are involved but not humble. Or you are pretending to be serious with God and yet not serious.

    So when you refuse to use the word of God against sin, and bring sinners back to Jesus in repentance; you are in serious trouble and you come under a curse.

    2. To free your family from curses, you must know, live and allow the word to live through you as a testimony.

    Jesus said in John 7:49 that; But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

    So you must know the word if your family must not come under a curse. You must also understand that by covenant, you belong to Abrahamic genealogy. And that every curse is broken and destroyed when you apply the blood of Jesus.

    Galatians 3:9 says; So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

    As a seed of Abraham by covenant, the blessing is already yours. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

    3. To free your family from curses, you must deliberately refuse to partake in ungodly relationships.

    The bible says in Psalm 1:1-3 that; Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

    You will notice that the blessing will always cancel the curses. And when curses are cancelled, promotion and increase can now set into the life of a man.

    David knew this very well and he said in Psalm 112:1-4 that; Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

    Now you can curse and cancel every curse in your life and family in the name of Jesus with the following scriptures.

    Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee. Deuteronomy 23:5

    Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. Judges 5:23

    Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Nehemiah 13:2

    I curse every curse in your life and generation in the name of Jesus.

    You are free from the effect of every curse in the name of Jesus.

    You shall not die.

    None of your family member shall die untimely in the name of Jesus.

    Be free from every curse!

     

    Contact: Archbishop Sam Amaga @ Salem Mission House, Mabushi Abuja.

    Phone: 08023018836; 08074450763

  • ‘Nothing wrong with preachers using private jets’

    ‘Nothing wrong with preachers using private jets’

    Prophet Kayode Abiara is the General Evangelist Worldwide of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).  He has been in the Lord’s vineyard for half a century. He spoke with Gbenga Aderanti on the rancour in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the private jets controversy. Excerpts:   

    Nigeria is not short of men of God and people so passionate about evangelism, yet faces a lot of challenges. Why is this so?

    If it were not for prayers, Nigeria would have collapsed before now. So, we thank God Almighty for people praying for Nigeria. People often tell me that prayers are too much that even the prayers in the CAC and Mountain of Fire ought to have destroyed the devil. But the Bible does not put us in darkness over this. The Bible says in the last days, there will be critical times because there will be rumour of war, challenges and so on and so forth. Until Jesus comes, all these problems will not stop. But when we pray, God will sustain us and those who cause problems, the power of prayer will suppress them and destroy their acts. That is why Nigeria is still sustained up till now. That is why I said in my message to this nation that Nigeria must not panic at all because of the killings and kidnapping. After all, there are many challenges in Europe, Middle East and America. Yet they overcame their challenges. There is no one without his or her own challenges. There is no country without its challenges. If you are in this world, you will face challenges.

    There are those who are of the opinion that these problems are man-made. Do you share this viewpoint?

    It is because it is the spirit of Satan that corrupts. Now, those who are corrupt don’t want to know that people are suffering. There is money in this country. But it is those who are up there that are making things difficult. I don’t know what I can call them. People are corrupt and it is only prayers that can deliver us. Some people prefer to keep their money abroad, instead of investing it in Nigeria and generate employment. For me, that is wicked and callous. How can you accumulate so much money and your people are suffering? That is why you have many unemployed graduates. Government cannot provide work. That is why I said in my message to the nation that graduates should also do vocational studies because degrees are not enough.

    Considering the number of men of God who have access to political leaders, one would have thought that things would be a bit different. Why has our situation remained the same?

    Leaders are not alone. There are people surrounding them. There are good and bad people and sometimes bad people are more than good people. Leaders get diverse advice from their aides and it will be very difficult for them not to listen to their advisers, lest they are branded autocrats. If they ignore their advisers, they will abandon them and in extreme cases, work against them. We must not blame them. Instead, we should continue to pray for them. If men of God give these leaders advice, they will table it at their meetings and when they table this at their meetings, not everybody will agree with such a view. Sometimes the advisers or aides are responsible for the bad decisions leaders take. What I do is to pray. I don’t go to the President’s house. I don’t seek to see the President. The authorities of the Christ Apostolic pray for the nation and government in power. Either good or bad, we continue to pray for them. But it is very important to pray for government in power.

    Before the election, it appeared you had an unspoken support for President Jonathan. Would you say you still have the same feeling?

    Nobody can please the world. When Yar’Adua was there, he was tagged ‘go slow’. People were not pleased. Even before Yar’Adua, it was still the same complaint about former President Olusegun Obasanjo. They said he was not doing well. Jonathan came but he is still regarded as being slow. Even God, people are not pleased with Him because whenever it rains, they complain that the rain is too much. When it is sunny, people complain of too much heat. So what do you want God to do? I’m neither holding brief for President Jonathan nor backing him. He is really trying but the job is massive. Many people are criticising him. We want to thank God for his life because he is a man of peace. I’m not a politician, but we are telling the whole world the truth. Nigeria must be patient. Nigerians want magic from any government that is in power but it should not always be like that.

    Some people say the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has become an arm of government. What do you have to say to this?

    Many people say that but it is not so. It is good to be close to government because it is an opportunity for men of God to tell them the feelings of Nigerians. I don’t want Nigerians to see CAN as an arm of government. But sincerely it is very good to move very close to any government so as to advise it. Look at the way the President of CAN has handled the issue of Boko Haram, Islamic banking and other issues concerning Nigeria and Christians in particular. There is no way the leadership of CAN can be antagonising the President. We are men of peace; our father Jesus Christ is a man of peace and we must pursue peace.

    What are the implications of the Catholic Secretariat pulling out of CAN?

    If there are misunderstandings, let them come to the table and settle them amicably. The Bible says: ‘Let us come together and reason together’. If the Catholic Church is not happy about something, it should come to the round table to discuss. There are many good people in the Catholic Church. I think the disagreement is being blown out of proportion.

    Some people have argued that the rancour has a lot to do with the next election in CAN, do you agree with this?

    We will continue to pray. We cannot behave like politicians because all Christians believe in Christ Jesus. We cannot fight against ourselves; it is not possible. It is the media that blew this out of proportion. I don’t think they are fighting themselves and I don’t think there is politics in all of this. When it is time for election, they will come together, irrespective of who wins, irrespective of the denomination. The winner will be supported by all.

    Last year, you said Boko Haram was going to be a thing of the past but today they are still killing people. What is the problem?

    It is not too late. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would come. He didn’t come until after 800 years. So, it is not too late. But it is an opportunity for us to pray very well. Nigeria will overcome her problems. Nigerians should not worry and not panic; God owns Nigeria. Killings and kidnappings in Nigeria will stop. By the grace of God, my message to Nigerians is that they should put their minds at rest.

    Clerics have been accused of living ostentatious life style. How do you explain this?

    I know you are referring to planes being owned by men of God. Abroad, young men like you have planes and jets to travel for their businesses. It is a glory to Christendom that the President of CAN has a plane and they bought it for him. I want to celebrate my 50th anniversary in the ministry. If somebody comes and offers me a helicopter, should I say I don’t want it? I can’t say I don’t need it or I’m not in a position to fly in it. The Bible says give and those who give are obeying what Jesus Christ instructed. They have and they gave. The President of CAN was given an aircraft and some people are angry. I don’t know what is wrong with them. I want to appeal to all Nigerians that if there are Christians God has blessed, they should not be criticised; it is not good. Pastors use private jets not because of ostentatious life style but as a matter of necessity.

  • Rotimi Makinde gives marriage another shot

    Rotimi Makinde gives marriage another shot

    ACTOR-CUM-POLITICIAN, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, member of the House of Representatives, representing Ife Federal Constituency, has decided to give marriage another shot.

    His new wife, Oyebanke Oyelami, we gathered, is a final year student of political science from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and the reigning Miss Osun .

    The movie producer and auto dealer sent tongues wagging recently when he stepped out with the beautiful lady. Last week, he had a formal introduction to the family of the beauty queen.

    Makinde is a man who has his hand in many pies. The father of three started having matrimonial crisis with his former wife before he was sworn in as a federal law maker.

    Sources say the politician’s wedding to his new love will take place as soon as she is done with her academics.

  • Commanding Supernatural Success!

    Success in life is a life-long adventure, as no one actually graduates from the school of success. The amazing thing about success is that we all, whether white or black, educated or illiterate, have equal opportunities to either succeed or fail in life.

    Everybody knows what he or she is looking for. Ask any man in his right mind, and he will tell you that he wants to become successful. The problem is that most people do not know what success looks like, so they never find it. But a reasonable search begins with a detailed description. Because of the wrong description of success, many have been searching for it in futility.

    What is success?

    Success is not possessions. Most people mistake success for possessions. They think one is successful when one has houses, lands, cars, etc. Possession is not a correct description of success. Jesus said a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15).

    For instance, money is not an accurate description of success, as many moneybags in town are abject failures, having failed in their families, careers and communities.

    Success is not by position. Some people also think success is defined by the position one holds. For instance, until recently, coup planning and execution was the order of the day by the armed forces of some African nations, because the coup planners mistook position for success. You can see that success is not by position.

    “So, what is the description of true success?,” you may ask. True success is accomplished stewardship towards God and men, serving God’s purpose and promoting mankind’s welfare here on earth (Luke 22:25-27).

    Note that the Bible is the greatest Book ever written on the subject of success. Its values are trans-generational. Every striking success begins with access to God’s Word (Joshua 1:8). What the Word does is to show you what you must do to turn your frustration to celebration, your stagnation to outstanding success and breakthroughs.

    Recognize that success delivers on laws. These laws are what I call, the Biblical laws of success. We walk by common sense, we run by principles and we fly by instructions. Joshua 1:8 says: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

    You have to do what the law says, before you can command good success. No one will ever command success, without embracing all God’s commandments. Then only will He set you up on high above the nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1). In exploring the Biblical laws of success, let me show you the foundational law.

    What is this foundational law?

    “The law of love: The love of God in the heart of man is the anchor law of success (Matthew 22:36-44). That is what makes it foundational. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3). That means, prophecies are even fulfilled on that platform. Prophecies are fulfilled to the level of your love for God. That’s the anchor law of success, not using God, but loving God. Just show me a true lover of God, and I will show you another global phenomenon in the making.

    Outstanding success is the heritage of only the anointed, selfless and unreserved lovers of Christ. The things you are looking for are right there beside you; all you need to do is to submit to the right choice. For instance, my heartbeat for God is my greatest asset. Please understand that you need a heart for God, to make real marks on earth. Outstanding success is your birthright, but the love of God is the gateway to experiencing the fullness of that right.

    Some Anointed Lovers Of God In Scriptures:

    •Joseph: Joseph, the lover of God, became Joseph the king. Joseph the prisoner, became Joseph the Prime Minister in Egypt. He was challenged, but he came out a success (Genesis 41:41-42).

    The doors of destiny can never be closed against a true lover. A true lover of Jesus will emerge a highflyer, the weight of enmity notwithstanding.

    •Job: Job, the lover of God, became Job the business king. He was the greatest of all men in the business world, in his days (Job 1:1-3). Job said: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him… (Job 13:15). He would let go of anything, except God!

    A true heart for God qualifies you to make a great mark on the earth. The love of God is immune to failure; it is failure-proof. So, in the school of success, the law of love is the foundational law. That is the anchor law that makes all others to work. Anything you love more than God has placed a limit on your destiny. Anything you love more than God, makes you an idolater.

    Friend, the grace to have a heart for God is the privilege of children of God. You become a child of God as you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. You can be His child now, if you have not been, by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, for saving me! Now I know, I am born again!

    I will continue with this teaching next week.

    Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, you can get my books – Exploring The Secrets Of Success, Success Strategies and Success Buttons.

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have three services on Sundays, holding at 6.30 a.m, 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with us through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Gbenga Adeboye’s widow, battles hard times

    Gbenga Adeboye’s widow, battles hard times

    LARA Adeboye, rememeber her? She is the widow of the late ace broadcaster, Gbenga Adeboye, aka Funwontan. Sources informed us that Lara is now a shadow of herself and seems to have fallen on hard times.

    After the demise of her hubby, she was romantically linked with Lukmon Ajuwon, the Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Ajuwon, Iju – a Lagos suburb. And things were definitely taking shape for her, until she fell out with her lover boy.

    It was widely reported that she got married to a civil servant in Abeokuta, but all that seems to have gone awry too as sources revealed that she is now back in Lagos and things are not really rosy for her again.

  • Taiwo Odukoya plots son’s wedding

    Taiwo Odukoya plots son’s wedding

    JIMMY Odukoya, the first son of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya and late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, will be getting married come March 9. Popularly called Pastor J, he will be signing the dotted lines with Oluwakemi Sade Banjoko at St. Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden, UK and the reception will follow at the Quendon Hall, Quendon Park Estate, Saffron Walden.

    A pastor, gospel rapper and singer, Pastor J, while in college, was one of the founders of a dance crew on campus and was involved in various musical events and competitions. His elder sister, Tolu, also got married last year November.

  • How Muslims, Christians can live in peace, by Saka

    The General Overseer of Mountain of Loosing Bondage (Oke Tude), Dr. Shamsudeen Saka, has described the tensions between Muslims and Christians in many parts of the world as needless since they serve the same God.

    He said both adherents will come together one day to worship the Almighty God at the throne of judgment because there is only one God.

    Saka spoke at a parley with newsmen ahead of the 23rd anniversary of the ministry slated for February 26.

    According to him: “There is no reason why the Muslims must fight the Christians, it is not written in both the Quran and Bible.

    “Islam is a religion of peace, likewise Christianity, Isa 19:23 and Quran 14:22 preach peace.”

    Saka, born into an Islamic family, said he got the call in 1989 while on a holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

    He said the intention of God by sending prophets to different people in different geographical locations is not to create confusion or segregation as being practiced today.

    “Religion does not segregate; the intention is to bring the knowledge of God to people and not to build a caste system.”

    Though he started out as a witch hunter and herb practitioner, the cleric said he has been preaching the message of love between Christians and Muslims.

    This, he said, informed how the ministry succeeded in blending the two forms of worship into one without any rancour.

    He added: “At this mountain, Muslims and Christians worship together without any rancor.”

    He supported the calls for dialogue by the federal government with the terrorist Islamic sect Boko Haram.

    “The Boko Haram imbroglio is a manifestation of the ills of the society. The federal government must constitute a committee with eminent religious leaders that are not biased and respected by both parties to mediate in the crisis.

    “If the crisis is not nipped in the bud quickly, there is the tendency for similar groups to spring up and terrorise citizens,” he said.

    The theme for the anniversary is Prayer for the peace of Nigeria by Christians and Muslims.

  • Yosola Kuku regains grooving

    Yosola Kuku regains grooving

    ONE of Lagos top spinsters, Yosola Kuku, has regained her lost steam in partying. The daughter of top socialite, Chief Bewaji Kuku, who works with an oil firm, adopted a new lifestyle when her romance allegedly crashed. She built a fortress around her privacy. This must have been pulled down as she has been spotted at gigs letting her air down.

  • Cleric tasks churches on discipleship

    The General Overseer of Pentecostal City Lagos, Pastor Peter Atoyebi, has challenged the body of Christ to remain committed to raising disciples as demanded by the great commission. He said only true disciples can represent the church well and survive the increasing socio-economic challenges facing the country without compromising.  Atoyebi spoke at the first anniversary thanksgiving of The Mantle Prayer Ministry, an interdenominational outreach in Ewu Oliwo, Sagamu, Ogun State. He stressed the needs for the church to intensify efforts in preparing believers for discipleship remains urgent as many souls die daily without the hope of eternal life. He also lamented that corruption, cultism, immorality, terrorism, moral bankruptcy; murder, drug addiction and crime have continued to increase in every sector of national life despite the abundance of churches. Atoyebi said: “God is looking for the vibrant Church that will be able to exert spiritual authority over the satanic forces of violence in the land and speak to troubled waters in the nation.” President of the Ministry, Pastor Isaac Olaomo, gave thanks to God for His faithfulness. He said: “We have seen God saving souls and working miracles when we put our implicit trust in him. We are mobilising Nigerians to pray for their families, communities and the nation at large in the face of the increasing socio-economic challenges facing the nation.”

  • Believe God for great things (2)

    When Jesus rose again from the dead that was a complete turn-around for the entire human race.  That was a great thing that has changed the whole world permanently. Jesus Christ actually died on the cross.  The Bible makes that very clear.  But on the third day, He was raised back to life, never to die again, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

     He died for the sin of all mankind – mine and yours (II Corinthians 5:21). He was made a curse for us that we may become truly blessed (Galatians 3:13-14). He, by the grace of God, tasted death for all mankind, so that we may partake of God’s everlasting life (Hebrews 2:9). He defeated Satan completely on the cross and gave victory to everyone who believes in Him (Hebrews 2:14–15). He conquered death.  He conquered the grave.  He conquered sin that opened the door to free us from all our woes, and made it possible for everyone who believes in Him to be free indeed (John 8:36).

     That indeed is a glorious turn-around for all human race.  And you can partake of that victory from this day.  The Bible makes it clear that if God did not spare His only Son but gave Him up for us all, then, there is nothing else that God cannot do for us.  In Christ Jesus, therefore, all things are possible for you.  Only believe (Romans 8:32).

     EXPERIENCE GREAT THINGS

     You can experience God’s great mercy in your life, like David did (I Kings 3:6). You can enjoy God’s great goodness, which He has laid up for those that fear Him (Psalm 31:19). You can experience God’s great faithfulness as He brings His great promises to pass in your life, fulfilling His great plans for you (I Corinthians 1:9). God’s great grace can rest mightily upon your life in such a way that other people shall know that you are a carrier of uncommon grace (Acts 4:33). You can become a partaker of God’s great wisdom, as a gift from heaven.  That was the hallmark of Solomon, and it reflected in all that he did.

     GOD CAN MAKE YOU GREAT

     God can bless the work of your hand and make you great indeed. God can put His mighty hand upon you and use you greatly for His glory. God can bless your seed, your children, so they can be mighty upon the earth.  This is part of His covenant of blessing to those who fear Him.

     His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed (Psalm 112:2).

     You can become a great man in the sight of God and men.  You can become a mighty man of honour, a mighty man of wealth.  And this is not a factor of your gender, race, age, education, background or experience, environment or location.  It is not even in the hands of other men.  It is between you and God, even though He will use other men for you (Isaiah 58:14).

     GOD CAN INCREASE YOUR GREATNESS

     No matter how great you have become and the dimension of grace you have enjoyed, God still has something better for you.  He can still increase your greatness, and comfort you on every side.  The psalmist prayed that prayer, and he experienced it in reality.  You can pray it too and see God perform it in your life (Psalm 71:21)

     Now then, what is that great thing you want the Lord to do for you?  What is that great turn-around you want the Lord to give to you?  Can you be definite and specific about it?  Jesus needed to ask from Bartimaeus what he wanted, in spite of Bartimaeus’ visible blindness.  It is what you desire in prayer by faith that God will give to you (Mark 11:24).

     For further information, counseling and prayer, please contact me on telephone number: +234 816 308 7780, +234 816 363 6364 or send an email to bishopwaleoke@sotsm.com. You may also write to P.M.B 60, Agodi Post Office, Ibadan.