The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • 2019: Archbishop backs ABP

    2019: Archbishop backs ABP

    President of the Foundation for World Peace and Dispute Resolution Archbishop Samson Benjamin has openly declared support for newly-registered All Blending Party(ABP).

    He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek a second term in office.

    He stated that it would be more honorable for the president to leave a legacy by giving way to younger crop of leaders.

    Benjamin, who spoke to newsmen yesterday on his return from a visit to the Parliament of the United Kingdom (UK), stated that recycling of old politicians has not done Nigeria much good.

    ABP, according to him, has an all inclusive system that is masses-oriented and mostly populated with young and brilliant minds.

    On the current socio-economic and political situation in the country, Benjamin who was outspoken against the candidacy of Buhari during the 2015 general elections said he is not surprised at how things turned out.

    “What I said is what is coming to pass. And it’s good that Nigerians are experiencing it for themselves.

    “It cost me a lot to speak out against Buhari then, but I had a great instinct that he would not perform well.

    “He means well for the country, but has not been able to perform to the yearnings of the people of Nigeria who expected much more from him.

    “The truth is that whatever he has not done now, he can’t do before 2019. This government has not impressed Nigerians,” he stated.

    While promising to help the ABP in any way he can to cause a generation shift in the nation’s leadership and correct errors of the past, Benjamin stated part of his mission in the UK and United States of America(USA) was to raise support for the young party.

    He called on other Nigerians of like minds to rally round the ABP in which, he said, every Nigerian has a stake.

    He said the party does not have a winner- takes-it- all mentality as its programmes makes room for all-inclusiveness.

    On the recent letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Buhari, Benjamin said the letter only reflected what a great number of Nigerians want.

     

  • ‘We need peace, progress in Nigeria’

    ‘We need peace, progress in Nigeria’

    We need peace in Nigeria right now and many people desire peace in their lives too. What is peace and how can one have peace? Peace is translated as Alafia in Yoruba language, Udo in Igbo and Zaman Lafiya in Hausa.

    Where there is no peace we find: distress, agitation, hatred, conflict, insecurity, disorder, fighting, disunity, war, violence, hardship and general failure. Meanwhile, where there is peace, there is law and order, calmness, love, unity, comfort, security, dialogue, patience, friendship, reconciliation, rejoicing and an unending progress and development.

    Tell me, if someone lacks peace will that person experience meaningful progress? Absolute NO. There can’t be progress/prosperity without peace. Satan knows this truth so well, so he does everything in his power to ensure there is no peace in someone’s life, in a family and in a nation. Satan continues to cheat us out of God’s abundance if we keep allowing him to deceive us. I pray that our eyes of understanding will be opened today to see how much we have cooperated with Satan, who has used his many tricks and strategies to keep us disunited and under-developed as a nation for these many years.

    How can one have peace? To have peace, to experience and live in peace, one must first be at peace with the author and creator of peace. He who is peace Himself without whom there is no peace; I am talking about God Almighty, the God of peace, who created the whole world and desires that we live in peace and progress. God Himself tells us how to be at peace with Him and in turn live in peace and have progress.

    Right now I see Nigeria has no peace, so much hatred, violence, disunity, hardship in the land, this is because Nigeria is not at peace with God; this has to change, Nigeria has to progress. Who is Nigeria? We are Nigeria; you and I, so we are the ones to bring about the progress and prosperity we desire through PEACE.

    To have peace which births progress, you must first be at peace with God and there is only ONE way by which God has given us to be at peace with Him.

    The scriptures say: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
    “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…”

    “FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN; UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN; AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER. THESE WILL BE HIS ROYAL TITLES: “WONDERFUL,” “COUNSELLOR,” “THE MIGHTY GOD,” “THE EVERLASTING FATHER,” “THE PRINCE OF PEACE.” His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice and peace to all the nations of the world…”

    Who is the person being talked about in the statements above? He is JESUS CHRIST. God has given us His Son Jesus; the giver of peace to make us be at peace with Him, making us peaceful people who live in peace with one another to make up a peaceful and progressive government and nation.

    He is the only way to a peaceful life which comes from being at peace with God. Jesus is the Good News that makes peace and progress possible.

    All you need to do is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, accept Him as your saviour and Lord then you will enjoy the peace of God eternally, for in Jesus alone is PEACE- God Himself made it so. If you say you believe in God Almighty, but not in Jesus; the one whom God sent to redeem mankind, then your belief is not in the GOD who created heaven and the earth.

    When one rejects God and trusts in self power and might to bring progress like many people do these days, such person or people will be likened to the nation Israel, spoken about in Bible times when they tried to bring about progress in their own strength with no reference to God. Here is God’s word to them:

    “The Lord has spoken out to the braggart Israel who says that though our land lies in ruins now, we will rebuild it better than before. The sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars! The Lord’s reply to your bragging is to bring your enemies against you- the Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west. With bared fangs they will destroy Israel. And even then the Lord’s anger against you will not be satisfied- His fist will still be posed to smash you…” “For after all this punishment you will not repent and turn to God. Therefore the Lord, in one day will destroy the leaders of Israel and the lying prophets, for the leaders of the people have led them on the paths of ruin.”

    Israel’s rejection of the truth was well predicted with corresponding consequences, yet they did not repent…

    Let us learn from other people’s experience and escape being destroyed eternally.

    I wish every Nigerian irrespective of religion, tribe, tongue, race, etc. will put aside our differences, stubbornness, pride and embrace the TRUTH; to sincerely believe and accept Jesus the Prince of Peace, so that Nigeria can be at peace with God and enjoy unfailing peace and progress….How glorious it will be when this happens. Oh Lord, Please bring this to pass!

    This will happen through individual decisions and also collective; let every head of families, religions, tribes, tongues believe in Jesus and call their wards to believe too, so we can have rest from all the turmoil within and all around us.

    Let us give chance to the Prince of Peace to reign in our individual lives, families and nation that we may have peace, love, good health, happiness, prosperity and progress. Cessation of enmity, hatred, violence, war, bloodletting, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, corruption and all the vices in our country. This is very possible if only we will all believe in Jesus.

    Make room for the Prince of Peace – Let JESUS into your life today!

  • NGO advocates cleaner environment in Mosques

    A non-governmental organization, Lilahi Li Islam Muslim Network has called for cleaner environment in worship places.

    According to the founder, Hayatou Isa Raufu, a graduate of Tourism and management from the University of Bohai, China the organisation pride itself with the promotion of Islam through various Mosque cleaning movement, (MCM).

    He said the major aim of the project is to encourage Muslim brothers and sisters to take up the responsibility of keeping the mosques clean at all times.

    The organisation carries out a bi-weekly cleaning exercise of mosque fisebililah after which the cleaning materials are later donated to the mosque to help them ensure the cleaning of the mosque environment themselves.

    Raufu said that the cleaning movement began on the 26th of May 2017 exactly 1st of Ramadan (1438) and has been rotated between Island and Lagos Mainland.

    The organisation promised to continue with its mission statement for as many mosques that gives them the opportunity and extend it programme to public Institution-Public schools, prisons, health centre and others.

    “Let us get closer to God this 2018  and seek his face but we must be mindful of the fact that we cannot go filthy to his sight or stay filthy and ask him for something ,we must maintain a clean atmosphere to be right with him”, Raufu said.

  • Ighodalo’s shower for pregnant woman

    Ighodalo’s shower for pregnant woman

    If there is anything that would bring smiles to the faces of the less-privileged ones these days, it should be food items and life’s essentials. To make life better for people in this category, Mrs. Ibidunni Ighodalo, CEO of Elizabeth R, a top-notch events’ planning company, and wife of Ituah Ighodalo, accountant and Senior Pastor of Trinity House, recently touched the lives of the less-privileged ones through her foundation.

    “It is important to touch lives and reach out to others,” she enthuses, admonishing her team to reach out to as many as possible. Apart from the gifts, the woman with a large heart also used the opportunity to persuade the beneficiaries with soothing words as she moved around to make the women comfortable.

    This was the scenario at the first edition of the Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation,IIF, baby shower charity called Baby’s Day Out at the open field of the Millennium Housing Estate, better known as Tinubu Estate in Ibeshe-Ikorodu, Lagos.

    Scroll down memory lane and you will discover that the IIF had announced that the event was for pregnant women and children from one day to one- year-old, but the organisers were forced to accept others who thronged the venue in droves.

    Though there was a captive population in the estate, a teeming number of people joined them from nearby and far-flung neighbourhoods around Ikorodu and beyond.

    The handouts from the IIF were in different categories. Pregnant women were given clothes, baby bath set, raw food items and a bag filled with baby toiletries. Though some mothers tried to shave some months off their grown babies, officials of IIF insisted on giving the baby clothes to the right recipients. For the baby cot bed, pregnant women took to the dance floor to dance to music from DJ Shexy in order to decide who will take it home. The elderly women smiled home with one live chicken and food items.

    According to one of the members of the planning committee for the event, the organisation was beginning to accommodate responsibilities which were not part of the original plan. Its original obligation: “We set out to help couples who were challenged with conception. It was a simple obedience to God. When you walk with God, you do not know where He is taking you. You just follow Him in complete trust and surrender. God is opening new horizons. Everything is related. When couples conceive, the next thing is a baby. The expansion of our mission is within rational progression.”

    To celebrate the new year, the team, led by Ibidunni and her husband, Pastor Ituah, visited five hospitals within Lagos: Island Maternity, Lagos, Ajeromi General Hospital in Ajegunle, the Mother and Child Hospital at Amuwo Odofin, the General Hospital in Mushin and the Gbagada General Hospital. At every facility, they distributed gifts to the babies born on New Year Day and their mothers. They also paid bills for indigent patients.

  • Cleric slams colleagues making predictions for politicians

    •Urges them to quit pulpit for politics

    A Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) pastor, Dr. Sunday Ilori, has

    criticised some clerics for “turning themselves to slaves of politicians.”

    Ilori, who is the District Superintendent, CAC Wonders Chapel, Ikotun, Lagos, condemned the penchant of some clergymen to release predictions about politicians at the beginning of each year.

    The Ilupeju Ekiti-born man of God who spoke with our reporter earlier in the week said a good number of clerics have lost the vision for serious task of evangelism, soul-winning and preparing their members for heaven in favour of chasing politicians for filthy lucre.

    Expressing regrets that many Christian ministers have turned their pupils to political soap box, Ilori advised those not interested in working in God’s vineyard to resign and face politics squarely.

    Ilori, who is also the Chairman of Ekiti Unity Forum (EUF), expressed concern about the high rate of poverty and youth unemployment in his home state of Ekiti.

    He promised to organise a public lecture and empowerment programme in his hometown, Ilupeju Ekiti, on February 10 to contribute his own quota to the development of his place of birth.

    Ilori also called for peace among the people of Ekiti State as the July 14 governorship election draws nearer. He urged the people to pray for the emergence of a good leader out of the contenders for the governorship seat.

    He said: “I have a message for 2018; the prophets of doom in Nigeria should go and join the political parties of their choice.

    “Many men of God have turned themselves to slaves of politicians in a bid to gain cheap popularity and attention and fill their pockets with money.

    “I am over 30 years in the ministry and 60 years of age; in Nigeria, we have taken the gospel like a business and see it as a war.

    “Can you imagine that these prophets don’t even prophesy about the needy in their churches. Their targets are the rich, moneybags and politicians.

    “They no longer preach about salvation, repentance again and they have turned their altars to political campaign grounds.

    “They always say this person will die this year and that person will die next year. This is highly unfortunate.”

     

  • Church holds entrepreneurship programme for youth

    THE World New Revival Ministries International, in collaboration with Apostolic Pearl Cooperative Multipurpose Society Ltd, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has concluded arrangements to host free one-week vocational skill acquisition programme on Monday15th— Saturday 20th  at 5, Pipeline Road, Pipeline Bus stop, Opposite Ejigbo Police Station, Ejigbo, Lagos.

    According to The General Overseer of The World New Revival Ministries International, Pastor (Mrs.) Margaret Oluwayemisi Durojaiye, whose MOD Foundation is the brain behind the initiative, “the workshop is geared towards training people in different vocational skills in Ejigbo/Idimu/Egbe and its environs, through skill acquisition, which will also help eradicate poverty by creating more job opportunities.”

    The training is tagged Be Skillful, Creating jobs, Empowering Lives, Become a pride to the gospel. Durojaiye said, “our mission is to train at least 100 people in different vocations and skills, as well as raise great entrepreneurs to the glory of God,” adding that “Startup funds would be available for best students at the programme, as they register to become members of Apostolic Pearl Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.”

  • Kumuyi charges leaders to focus on evangelism

    Kumuyi charges leaders to focus on evangelism

    The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has charged church leaders to remain focussed on the great commission and avoid all forms of distraction that lead the church to nowhere.

    Kumuyi said this at the just-concluded National Leadership Strategy Congress organised by the church at the Deeper Life Conference Centre, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

    The programme, which featured prayers, bible teachings, workshops and prophetic ministration, brought together thousands of workers and pastors of the church.

    He advised that the church must remain committed and obedient to the great commission of reaching the whole world for Christ as it remains the heartbeat of God for this time.

    He stated that some activities being put up by some churches today are mere distraction and a snare from the devil to distract them away from the things that have any eternal value.

    Kumuyi said that the gospel of Jesus Christ reached Africa because of the un-relentless efforts of the missionaries who against all odds sacrificed their lives, time, and skills to preach the gospel in Africa.

    “We cannot remain idle or indifference to the acts of wining souls for Christ. It is one thing that should matter to us as believers as the end of the world is near,” he said.

    He added that millions of souls are rushing towards a lost eternity. “Believers must, therefore, throw aside all flimsy excuses as there is no trouble too great, no humiliation too deep, no suffering too severe, no labour too hard, and no expense too much in saving souls. We must arise therefore, pray and do the work,” the cleric declared.

    Kumuyi asserted that opportunities for evangelism abound daily on the streets, hospitals, motor parks, bus stops, inside the bus or taxi, prisons, homes of neighbours, schools, markets, urging the soul-winner not to wait for a perfect opportunity as every situation is an opportunity.

  • Pentecostals threatened by trivialities, says cleric

    The Senior Pastor of Bearer of Light, Pastor Samuel Oyemade, has challenged church leaders to focus on the transforming message of Jesus as that remains the roadmap for sustaining the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria.

    Oyemade said this at the Bearer of Light International Ministers Conference held recently at the church headquarters in Igando, Lagos.

    The theme, Preserving the Pentecostal fire to the next generation, brought together 1000 Church leaders from across the country.

    He said that although Pentecostal movement in Nigeria is still very young, it is presently threatened by the influx of church minsters that major on trivial and material possessions as against the core message of Jesus and the redemptive power of the cross.

    He noted that Pentecostalism comes with faith, divine healing, deliverance, prosperity and other benefits but it should not becloud the church from its responsibility of proclaiming the core message of Jesus Christ.

    He recalled that from the time of the founder of Christ Apostolic Church, Prophet Joseph Babalola, Pentecostal movement and many independent African churches came alive. He claimed that it has been the best time for the church in Nigeria.

    “Many churches imbibed Christ-like spirit and the gospel of Jesus spread round the country, but the Pentecostal movement is volatile today because the increasing cases of some of the independent churches serving their own interest is alarming and a big distraction to the body of Christ,” he stated.

    He declared that the real gospel of Jesus is the gospel of transformation and not reformation as it has the capacity to change a wicked man to a righteous man regardless of other factors and prepare men for heaven.

    Oyemade cited a recent report that the number of pagans had increased in some western countries and if nothing is done, we will have more intelligent people not belonging to any religion.

    He noted that information technology will increase the knowledge of people and when people know too much and are not guided, there will be a serious problem.

    “It is because the new economy is driven towards convenience for users. It is the spirit definition of the world. You cannot separate the economy from the spiritual world. If the church is not seeing the spiritual world, the economy will define it as we are in a new economy different from the past and is driven towards convenient and cheaper goods,” he said.

  • RCCG declares 80-day prayer and fasting

    RCCG declares 80-day prayer and fasting

    The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has declared 80-day prayer and fasting for the church yesterday at the annual Minister’s Thanksgiving of the church at the New Arena, Kilometre 43, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    Adeboye announced this prayer and fasting exercise after a prophetic declaration. Thousands of the church ministers from across the country were on ground at the meeting with awards given by Adeboye to the best performing region, provinces on house fellowship, church growth and tithing.

    The GO said that first phase of fasting and prayer will start on the 11th of January and end on the 1st of March, while the second phase starts on the 1st of July and ends on the 30th of July, 2018.

    He noted that although the church always embarked on 40 days of fasting and prayer annually, but with the 80 days, it is going to be double blessings for every member that obeys.

    God, he claimed, told him that stubborn mountains will fall, many people will wake up to realise that their future is not in the hand of any man and as a result, a lot of lost grounds will be reclaimed, while saboteurs will be disgraced and displaced.

    He noted that aggressive praise, prayer, giving and faith are important to receiving abundant blessings from God in the New Year.

    Adeboye posited further that victory over the challenges of lives is not complete until people make it to heaven, where they will live eternally with God.

    He said that the greatest victory of all in life is to finish well in one’s steadfast walk with God.

    He said that last year, he lost a couple of his sons in the Lord. “I know that they finished well. Though God took them suddenly that I had no chance to negotiate, they are in heaven laughing and rejoicing that they finished well,” stated the man of God.

    The cleric encouraged worshippers to trust in the infinite power of God to heal, deliver, protect and provide for the needy and noted that God can turn against a sinner who refuses to repent of his sin and evil practices.

     

     

  • Cleric charges Atiku to consult God

    Cleric charges Atiku to consult God

    Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to consult God before running for president in 2019

    The primate warned that if the Waziri of Adamawa fails to consult God, he “may not get it right.” The warning was contained in Ayodele’s 2018 prophecies, where he called on Nigerians to be prayerful.

    He also predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s aides will create problems for him. Ayodele said Buhari will have to do a lot of alliance to boost his political chances.

    The clergyman also said Nigerians should pray against scarcity of food in the country. Part of the prophecies read: “Bread will be scarce in the country, even garri. Some markets will be shut down, and let’s pray against explosion in some markets.”

    The cleric listed five politicians who are likely to be future president of Nigeria.

    He identified Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rotimi Amaechi, Babatunde Fashola and Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    According to him, “a lot of things will happen in 2018. We see political assassinations, we see killings, we see that we have a lot of issues among our governors. For the presidential election, this is what you should be expecting. The presidential candidate of the PDP will be imposed; he will not be democratically elected after their presidential primaries.”