Category: Worship

By Samuel Oamen

The Senior Pastor of Vision of His Kingdom on Mission (VOHKOM) Lagos, Pastor Emmanuel E. Patrick has declared only Christians with the right spirit and passion should go into politics.

Politics, he said, is not a dirty game but one that requires sacrifice, selflessness and tact for Christians.

He spoke last week during the unveiling of Leadership, politics and God, which he authored in Lagos.

Patrick said: “Nigeria as a nation has suffered in the hands of the so- called godfathers, the acclaimed godfathers can be referred to as dogs because they have converted the original meaning of God to Dog so they have not actually put the nation in the right perspective. They have frustrated the real definition of what the nation represents.

“Only God fearing people can manage the political sphere of the nation properly, noting that politics itself is not a dirty game but the dirty people who participate in it.”

Read Also: Cleric urges Christians to participate in politics

He informed the book was inspired by God to trigger change in the nation’s political space.

According to him: “It is a unique book inspired by God to men, actually it was a commandment from God.

“When I say commandment, I mean the book commends men to amend their ways. It is a book that is full of truths that will put men in the right direction”.

He said power belongs to God and should not be used anyhow.

He urged the Federal Government to tamper justice with mercy on the case of Omoyale Sowore.

The book was unveiled by Rev. (Mrs.) Gbemisola Olaleye, the wife of Bishop Abraham Olaleye of the Abraham’s Evangelical Ministry, Lagos.

By Adeola Ogunlade

The Superintendent, Apostolic Faith Church, West and Central Africa, Rev. Bayo Adeniran, has advised the federal government to put the masses into consideration when taking policy actions like the closure of land borders.

He spoke at the church Christmas concert on Sunday in Lagos.

The federal government on August 20th ordered the closure of the borders over massive smuggling.

He said policy regarding the closure of border should be monitored so as not to be counterproductive.

He noted that any policy that would not help the populace should be tagged counterproductive.

Adeniran said: “Every government has a policy it wants to pursue to help restructure and re-programme the economy if the government feels such policy could revamp the economy but any policy that does not help the populace and even the one that help the masses but not well guarded, will be counterproductive.”

READ ALSO: Border closure saves Nigeria’s poultry industry N50b, says NIAS boss

He added that the government should ensure policies that should benefit Nigerians do not turn out to be counter-productive.

The cleric however urged those in leadership positions to embrace sacrifices and desist from ungodly pursuit of wealth.

Adeniran said: “The nation leadership must yield themselves to the use of God, our leaders and followers should live a life of sacrifices to which they yield their talents and gifts to the benefit of humanity.

“Leaders should desist from the pursuit of ungodly wealth, but seek the wealth of the nation, neighbors and community.

He continued: “The monies given to us to benefit the society should not be embezzled. This act is ungodly and it is turning us into a poor nation.

“We should not show leadership by corruption but by transparency and a leadership style geared at moving our country forward rather than backward.”

Senior Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ, Adewale Giwa, has asked the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry (MFM) Dr Daniel Olukoya to tell Christians the exact date to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Giwa, who was reacting to the statement made by Dr. Olukoya that his Church does not celebrate Christmas, questioned why majority of Christians, including Olukoya’s church worship on Sunday, contrary to Saturday known as the Sabbath day set aside by God in Exodus 20:8-10.

He said: “The name ‘Christmas’ comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life.

“The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor. But it was not an official Roman state festival at this time.

“We all know that the bible does not tell us the exact date to celebrate Christ per say.

READ ALSO: Christmas celebration not biblical, says Olukoya

“However, the bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:25 to partake in the body and blood of Christ in remembrance of Christ. Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses and not to discard it.

He went on: “In the old testament, precisely Exodus 12:14, God ordained annual celebrations in relation to His honor.

“So too, Christians deem it very appropriate to set aside a date to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, our savior.

“Humans celebrate birthdays annually and how much more our Savior whose very existence was orchestrated to destroy death and to save mankind form sin.

“Pastor Olukoya talks about turning negative situations to positive and I wonder how this is acceptable in his sight alone.

“The Church in the first century did everything in their power to turn pagans away from their annual paganistic celebration on December 25 to a celebration of the birth of the most important being on Earth and in Heaven, Jesus Christ.

“If that is not turning negative into positive, then we must seek another dictionary for English definitions.

“I don’t think anyone knows the exact date that Christ was born. However, the fact remains that the birth of Christ is worthy to be celebrated annually through singing, dancing, prayers and sober reflections in gratitude of His LOVE for us. A love that no human to date has been able to manifest…

“Not one of us can claim to completely understand the workings of the mind of God.

“There is no need to engage in futile argument especially when as humans we pick and choose the part of the bible that we want to indulge in. I do understand that Pastor Olukoya and his church worship on Sunday.

“Has he forgotten that that Sunday was co-opted by the early Christians who tried their best to transform pagan practices into Christ following?

“Does the pastor not know that the bible clearly identifies Sabbath as Saturday?

“At this juncture, I would like to pause and plead that we think about the message we put out there for Christians who are vulnerable.

“God looks at the human hearts and His ways would never be our ways. The hearts of the early church was right on point to turn human pagan practices into worshiping and honoring God.

“It does not matter the exact date. It matters that we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus in a manner that is pleasing to God.

“A Pastor should consider making sure that his teachings and practices are completely sanctioned by God before he does more damage to vulnerable Christians who are struggling to celebrate Christ.

“For some people, knowing Christ begins with celebrating his birth. Let us pray for the grace of God to help us share the WORD according to the will of God , and not to engage in futile argument.”

Welcome to another exciting week! I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Exploring the Wonders of Godliness!

According to the scriptures, we can only become what we believe. As it is written, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). It is important to know that whatever God says is established in heaven to be manifested on the earth. If He says Be ye holy for I am holy. That means He has made available the provisions for our empowerment to live a holy life.  So we must believe that we can become holy because holiness is attainable by faith.  Godliness is a value-adding virtue. It impacts positively on every area of our lives. Everything that works in the Kingdom has godliness at its root (Acts 20:32). It takes sanctification to access our inheritance. By the act of resurrection, sin has no more dominion over us. We, therefore, have the legal right to stand against sin (Romans 6:14; Colossians 2:15).

Also, it is important we recognise that sin is a mystery and its ultimate goal is to distract us from God’s way, so we can miss the best of life (2 Thessalonians 2:7). However, godliness is a greater mystery (1Timothy 3:16). By inference, the greater mystery of godliness will always swallow up the mystery of iniquity. So we need an understanding of the mystery of godliness to dominate the forces responsible for sin and unrighteousness.

Nature of Sin

• Sin is demonic: Behind every deadly habit is demonic forces. Satan provoked David to break God’s law by numbering Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1; see also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy2:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7). In Luke 22:3, satan was behind the betrayal process. He masterminded the act and after the deal, Judas’ eyes were open. He couldn’t see until the deed was done.

The demonic spirits of sin include the following:

• Seducing spirit: It is also called the spirit of whoredom and it is behind all forms of sexual immoralities (1 Timothy 4:1-2). The spirit of whoredom pressurised Samson through Delilah until he met his waterloo. It worked on David and he took Uriah’s wife and killed him. Also, Joseph was seduced by Potiphar’s wife. He suffered momentarily but ended up in the king’s palace (Hosea 5:1-4; Judges 16:4-9; 2 Samuel 11:1-6; Revelation 2:20).
• The spirit of filthiness: It is also called unclean spirit (Mark 6:7). Satan clothed Joshua, the high priest, with a filthy garment and stood at his right hand to resist him (Zechariah 3:1-5; Matthew 10:1; Mark 5:1-15).
• The spirit of covetousness: Nothing is enough for the covetous. They continuously desire more until they lose their lives. For instance, satan was responsible for Judas’ covetousness, until he became the son of perdition and was destroyed (Luke 22:3-6). Furthermore, Achan and his household were destroyed because of the spirit of covetousness at work in his life. This spirit also ended the destiny of Gehazi. He went after Naaman for riches until he lost everything and ended up a leper (John 12:6; Joshua 7:20-21; 2 Kings 5:20-24).
• The spirit of pride: That was the spirit that dethroned satan. Hence, he is the brain behind pride and he engages it to disconnect us from God. According to scriptures, God resists the proud but gives more grace to the humble. This spirit destroyed King Herod and turned king Nebuchadnezzar to an animal. It can make anyone lose their place with God because until our humility is proved, we cannot qualify for His lifting (Acts 12:21-23; Daniel 4:30-33).
• The spirit of the world: This is the spirit behind the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and we can only overcome it by the Spirit of God (1 John 2:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:12).
• The spirit of addiction/bondage: There are certain habits and addictions that have held us captive, but we can overcome because whatever is born of God overcometh the world (Romans 8:15; Luke 13:16; 1 John 2:14-17).

What Do We Do To Break The Demonic Hold Of Sin?

• Engage the Spirit of God: Since demonic forces are responsible for every sinful habit, the war against it must be a war of Spirit against spirits (Romans 8:13). To ‘mortify’ means to destroy. Therefore, it takes the Spirit of God to destroy the deeds of the flesh (Isaiah 59:19).
• Crave the baptism of the Spirit of holiness: This is the only cure for the spirit of filthiness. Just as we engage the forces of light to conquer those of darkness, we must also engage the Spirit of holiness to destroy the spirit of filthiness. The Holy Ghost is that Spirit of holiness (Malachi 3:1-5; Romans 1:4).
• Engage the mystery of praying in the Holy Ghost: This is why the baptism of the Holy Spirit is crucial to our Christian walk. Praying in the Holy Ghost is one of the mysteries that confer mastery upon our lives against the forces of sin (Jude 20). It is a private line between us and God, which enables us to call for help when we are in need (1 Corinthians 14:18).

Benefit of Godliness

• It launches us into realms of exploits: It takes godliness to grow in revelation and it takes revelation to accomplish exploits. For instance, Job had access to the secrets of God because he feared God and eschewed evil. These secrets made him the greatest businessman in the East (Psalm 25:14). Therefore, when we walk in the fear of God, we gain supernatural access to the secrets of God that makes us Kingdom stars (Job 1:1-3, 29:4; Proverbs 1:23; Isaiah 60:1-3; Daniel 11:32; Deuteronomy 29:29).

In summary, godliness may be costly, but the end result is priceless. It cost Joseph years in prison, but he ended in the palace. Thus, godliness is the foundation of every giant in the Kingdom. The race may be slow, but it is sure to end in victory. However, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: Walking in the Newness of Life, Conquering Controlling Powers and The Blood Triumph. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org, Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.

By Aderonke Sonaike

 

Nigerians have been advised to embrace love, care and sacrifice to enjoy the best of God in 2020.

Stake President of the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake of Zion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Lagos, Moses John Ekpah, gave the advice last week at the 2019 annual inter- denominational Christmas concert.

He said: “This season is passing across an important message of love, loving God and obey Him, caring for each other, with these the trouble of this Nation will be taken care off.

“Jesus Christ has been born and has given us the idea to sacrifice for one another by dying for us and our leaders should serve with the fear of the Lord,” Ekpah said.

The concert was marked by children presentation, choir ministration, drama presentation, comedy and ballerina dance.

The Nativity drama ministry also presented a drama about how Baby Jesus was given birth to.

President of the church Peter Oyedeji advised Nigerians to emulate Christ.

“This season is not just for merriment alone but a season to help the needy and love the less privilege.

“This season is not about wearing new things but about showing Love to the Lord by helping those who need our help in one way or the other,” Oyedeji said.

By Sunday Oguntola

 

The Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has celebrated leaders whose contributions were described as exemplary.

The award ceremony also coincided with the carol service of the body.

Among the honourees were deceased leaders whose families received the awards on their behalf.

Chairman Lagos CAN, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, said: “The essence of the event primarily is to thank the Lord for His goodness to all the Christians.

“So we are having the Christmas carol to celebrate Jesus Christ. It is also a special day to give merit awards to all those who have served in this administration, who have been coordinators of local government.

“It has never happened before. We believe in our hearts that we should honour them, many of them served with all their hearts.

“The ones who have passed onto glory, we invited their wives or their children to come and receive the award. So it is a special day for us, a day of joy.”

On the uniqueness of Christmas celebration, Bamgbola said, “There is no other thing to celebrate other than Jesus Christ. If don’t celebrate Jesus Christ, then you have nothing to celebrate. Jesus died for the humankind; He gave His life to save all humans.

“He died and resurrected on the third day so that every human may receive salvation. That is the reason it must be celebrated. Not every day is Christmas, Jesus must be celebrated.”

Charging Christians to truly imitate Christ, he said: “Christians should know that Christmas is to live their lives in Christ. When you live your life in Christ, you live your life in peace, you enjoy prosperity.

“I am not talking about the prosperity of the world which is cars and money, no, I mean you having prosperity in God, you have peace, you have joy and your soul, spirit and body will prosper.

“So my message to all the Christians in Lagos state is to rejoice and rejoice in the Lord and it shall be well with all of you and it shall be well with me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Treasurer of the chapter and Direction of National Issues and Social Welfare (National CAN) Bishop Stephen Adegbite, said the award was to spur other coordinators to do more.

“We decided to give the coordinators awards to appreciate what they have done so that others may do more. Because they are our soldiers and they have done well.

“Without them, we cannot be everywhere. We thank God for their lives and that is why we are honouring them after serving in their offices,” Adegbite stated.

Maintaining that leadership calls for spirituality and dedication, he lauded the Chairman for demonstrating high level of spirituality and commitment to lifting Christ’s banner.

“So we as representatives of CAN, we have a wonderful leader in person of our chairman, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola who thought it wise that we should do this and we have the support of the association,” he added.

On the preparation for Christmas, he pleaded with the federal government to review its banking policy, saying, “Well, as we prepare for Christmas, let me say to Mr. President, he needs to do a lot in the New Year. Nigerians are suffering and the suffering is getting bigger and bigger.

“The policies on money and banking are not acceptable. If you want to put in your money for the year from N1million, you get N50, 000.

“If I want to borrow N1million from the bank, I will pay as much as 30% that is 300,000, it doesn’t make sense anywhere.”

Omolara Akintoye

 

Graduating students of Everest International Bible College (EIBC) have been enjoined to allow integrity be their watchword as this is one of the virtues of Jesus Christ.

Speaking at the 8th Convocation& Matriculation Ceremony of Everest International Bible College (EIBC) organized by the Christ Fire World Evangelism Ministries (CFWEM) in conjunction with Two Witness Ministries Inc. Michigan (USA) and held at CFWEM auditorium, Ikorodu, Lagos, the Vice Chancellor, Dunamis Christian University, Lagos, Rev. Dr. Francis Osibowale, pointed out that emulating the virtues of Christ will go a long way in winning many souls for Christ.

Osibowale whose speech was tagged “Discover the hidden Talent” and the Guest Speaker took his text from Act 18:24-28, urged graduating students to endeavour to go the extra mile in order to go far in the ministry. “In whatever you do, get education first, then the sky is just the beginning. Discover the hidden treasure by studying to be an authority in the word of God, above all, be faithful, teachable and  prayerful”, said Dr. Osibowale.

Recalling how it has been in the past 8 years since the inception of the bible college, the President, EIBC and General Overseer, CFWEM Worldwide, Prophet Israel Owonibi, the program has been made possible with the help God and the assistance of the President Two witness Ministries, U.S. A, Peter Smith.

READ ALSO: Oyedepo urges Christians to offer timely thanksgiving

“God had given us the opportunity to be connected to a great man of God, the President of Two Witness Ministries, U.S.A, Peter Smith, whom God has been using to disseminate the word of God, to build up the ministers through the word of God .

To the graduating students, Owonibi enjoined them that they can only excel in ministry if they change their battle to a secret place where they control. “Stop using physical weapon to fight the devil, Ps 91:1 declared our secret place of control by dwelling under the shadow of the Almighty God”, he said.

To the body of Christ, Owonibi urged them to rest more on the power of the holy spirit, until CAN/PFN unite, then God will revive us it will also transcends to the nation Nigeria.