The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • Prayer cannot fix Nigeria, says Ademola

    Prayer cannot fix Nigeria, Senior Pastor of Christ Confession Assembly Aladura Ibogun in Ogun State, Rev Adeyemi Ademola, has declared.

    He said the nation’s challenges are attributable to sin and disobedience to God.

    Ademola spoke with our correspondent at the unveiling of the church’s four hectares new Prayer Mountain in Pako Ifo, Ogun State.

    The prayer dome will accommodate over 1, 000 worshippers from different denominations across the country.

    The cleric said Nigeria will not change no matter the volumes of prayers until Nigerians truly repent from all sins and wickedness.

    According to him: “We have lots of prayer crusades going on in most places but Nigerians are still complaining of the gory situation in the country.

    “It is good to pray but the prayers of sinners, God will not hear.”

    He stated Nigerians must return back to God with all their hearts and shun all forms of evils for the nation to prosper again.

    Ademola, a member of the Aladura movement, lamented many Aladura churches have deviated from the truth.

    Many of them, he said, observe old traditions totally at variance with the word of God.

    He declared that any form of worship without directing people to Jesus is sheer waste of time.

    Ademola added that though governments promise better living, the prosperity of Nigeria is fully in the hands of God.

  • Bible Society boss launches book on succession

    THE Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) General Secretary, Dr Dare Ajiboye, has launched a book titled: Succession planning basics in faith-based and secular organisations in Lagos.Ajiboye said he was inspired to write the book because of the problems succession is creating in many organisations, including churches. ‘’Succession is as sure as death.

    There is an assumption that a leader will emerge. Once he’s gone, unplanned succession breeds conflict between the successor and other stakeholders in the system. “Succession planning, therefore, leads to better replacement. I am concerned about how successors will emerge these days. “In some churches, it is the family members that rotate the handing over among one another,’’ he said.He warned that this could lead to problems, adding that churches must adopt an acceptable method of succession to avoid rancour when their leader is gone.

    The book reviewer, Dr Olaolu Olufemi, praised the book, saying it is rich in contents with the 13 chapters arranged in stimulating order, giving new perspectives to the issue. He described it as ‘’a compelling and must-read for organisational leaders and staff, who have their eyes on leading.’’ Olufemi noted that the topic was apt as succession is a problem, which has led to crises in many organisations.

    He said because faith-based are unique, they contrast with one another in succession.Chairman of the occasion, Wale Adediran, described the author as a man of high literary standard. He praised Ajiboye for his efforts in rolling out the book, noting that in the past our forebears did not write books and this affected our history. ‘’But this is what Ajiboye has tried to correct,’’ said Adediran.

  • Engaging the power of the Holy Spirit for Sanctification!

    Welcome to the month of November, your season of encounter with the Holy Spirit! I have no doubt that through the ministration of the Holy Spirit, you shall experience Supernatural Breakthroughs!

    We understand from scriptures that every child of God is ordained to live a sanctified (Holy) life. This is because every believer by redemption has the potential to be as holy and perfect as our heavenly Father. Remember, God cannot tell us to be what he has not empowered us to be. This is why the scripture admonishes us to: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

    While sanctification does not connote a state of ‘sinlessness’, it is man’s quest to please God at all costs as a lifestyle. By this, we mean an insatiable hunger and thirst for righteousness; for blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). This makes sanctification a possible adventure which many have imbibed and are walking on the highway of holiness. For instance, we saw how Paul, the great, lived a sanctified life, and as such, he had a glorious ministry.

    In essence, our desire to please God spiritually at all times, determines our level of glorification; as no one’s life will ever be more glorified than his or her commitment to be sanctified.

    However, sanctification is not possible without engaging the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That means, when you try to live a sanctified life in the energy of the flesh, frustration sets in. This is because the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of holiness as described in Romans 1:4: … declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Thus, until we engage the Spirit in our quest for sanctification, our effort will be in vain. We saw how Jesus the son of God needed to depend on the Holy Spirit to live a sanctified life. In order words, that was the Spirit at work in Christ that empowered him for dominion over sin.

    Furthermore, the Scripture describes the Holy Ghost as the refiners’ fire that purifies the sons of Levites so they can offer unto God offerings in righteousness. It is written: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness ( Malachi 3:5).

    It is common knowledge that gold is precious but until it passes through the furnace, it holds no value. Likewise, every one of us carries an enviable destiny, which must be processed through the refinery of the Holy Ghost for our real values to manifest.

    In addition, according to scriptures, there is the mystery of iniquity; nevertheless,  there is also the great mystery of godliness which can swallow the mystery of iniquity just like in the case of Aaron’s rod swallowing up the rods of the magicians (2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16). However, it is important to recognise that the mystery of godliness lies in the ministry of the Holy Ghost.  There is no personal effort that can set a man free from sin; except through the Spirit (Romans 8:13).

    A wise man once said, ‘When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.’  It also means, if we don’t know why we need something, we may never be committed to it. This is why we need a better understanding of why we need sanctification to avoid being victims of sin and its evil vices.

    WHY DO WE NEED SANCTIFICATION?

    • It is a Requirement for Answered Prayers: The Scriptures lays credence to the fact that without sanctification, our prayers will remain unanswered. It is written: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me... (Psalm 66:18).

    For New Levels of Anointing: Our enviable destinies require new levels of Anointing; but we cannot achieve this if we keep living in sin (Psalm 45:7; Luke 5:39; Proverbs 1:23).

    Security of Destiny: Many great destinies in scriptures crashed for lack of sanctification. Among others is Achan, who saw a wedge of gold, coveted it, dug the ground and kept it there. That did not only end his destiny, but his entire family, were stoned to death (Joshua 5:19:25). We saw another great destiny by name Gehazi who was the heir apparent of the prophetic office of Elijah but his destiny crashed because of the love of money. Also, Judas, one of the twelve disciples was not left out as he sold his master for 30 pieces of silver, after which he hanged himself (Mathew 26:14-26; 27:3-5). It is regrettable that many will do anything to get money; and this has landed them in miserable and irrecoverable conditions.

    As regards the lust of the flesh, Samson and Solomon, who had great destinies, crashed as a result of lust (Judges 16:1-2; 1 Kings 11:1-3). In addition, pride is a sin before God and as such, we cannot fulfill destiny with it. We saw the great destiny of Ahithophel, crashed to pride because his counsel was rejected; as a result, he hanged himself.  Likewise Herod and Nebuchadnezzar destinies crashed as a result of pride. No truly sanctified man walks in pride because the anointing of the Holy Ghost naturally destroys it. However, today, by the encounter of the Holy Ghost, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life will be destroyed and that will open up your destiny to a colourful fulfilment.

    Nevertheless, 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 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: Anointing for Breakthrough, Understanding the Anointing, Anointing for Exploits, Release of Power. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:20 p.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

  • THEME: THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD (20)

    Sub-Theme: The Strong Belt of Truth

    Topic: The Spirit of Truth

    What is the way out for someone who is saved but still finds himself/herself falling into his old sinful ways?

     

    Apostle Paul’s analogy of the struggle between the old sinful nature and the new life, and his counsel will be of great help to us.

    He narrated thus: “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I cannot. I do what I don’t want to do, what I hate is what I’m doing.  I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, but I cannot help myself, it is no longer I who do it but It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

    I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t.  When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.  Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, then it means that sin still has me in its evil hold. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still in bondage to sin. So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible situation I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly sinful nature?

    Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.

    So there is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the Holy Spirit which is mine through Christ Jesus, has freed me from the continuous circle of sin and death.  We are not saved from sin’s hold by knowing the commandments of God because we cannot and do not keep them, but God put into action a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours (except that ours are sinful) and destroyed sin’s control over us by giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins.  So now, we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives and no longer obey the old evil nature within us.

    Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that will please God.  

    Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to sin and death because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never obeys God’s laws.  That’s why those who are still under the control of their old sinful selves, who want to follow their old evil desires, can never please God.

    But you are not like that. You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that if anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ living in him, he is not a Christian at all.)  Yet, even though Christ lives within you, your body will die because of sin; but your spirit will live forever.  And if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in you, he will make your dying bodies live again after you die, by means of this same Holy Spirit living within you. So, dear brothers, you are not bound to do what your old sinful nature begs you to do.  For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption into the family of God and you can call God, “Father, Father.”  For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God’s children.”

     

    Not until Paul took the focus away from himself “the I factor” as seen several times in his narration above, and focus on Jesus who had delivered him from his bondage to sin, and had given him the Holy Spirit to help and empower him to put under control his sinful nature as it rises, did he become victorious. Knowledge Is Power; know that Jesus has delivered you from the bondage of sin and given the Holy Spirit to help you live a righteous life. In your strength you cannot prevail over your sinful nature, only by the power of the Holy Spirit can you prevail. When someone does not know and put into remembrance all that Jesus has done for him to live in victory over sin, then he will still be under the control of sin and this will eventually lead him to hell fire- this you have to prevent from happening.

     

    When the sinful nature controls your life, your life will produce these sinful/evil results: impure thoughts, fornication, adultery, lack of self-control, idolatry, hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, division, wrong teaching, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, Spiritism(that is, encouraging the activities of demons),etc.

     

    When the Holy Spirit controls your life, He will produce this kind of fruit in you: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

     

    Those who belong to Jesus have nailed their sinful desires to the cross and crucified them there. They crucify every sinful desire that rises up and put it to death every day by the power of the Holy Spirit.

     

    The cross of Jesus is still active to grant victory from sin and gives eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus.

     

    To be set free from sin and live in complete victory over your old sinful nature, all you need to do first is PRAY, telling Jesus to set you free and asking Him for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit- your helper. You also have to be in constant personal fellowship with God (through daily Bible study and prayers) and fellowship with other believers, so you can grow in your faith. It is equally very important that you constantly remind yourself all that Jesus did to deliver you and keep you in victory over your old sinful nature, just like Apostle Paul did in the narration above.

     

    Renew your mind daily with the victory Jesus has granted you and you will remain victorious over sin.

     

    TEXT: Ephesians 6:10-18, John 8:32, John 14:15-18, John 3:16, Romans 7: 15-25, Romans 8:1-17, Galatians 5:16-25.

     

  • Enemies of Success!

    We understand from Scriptures that success is the birthright of every child of God. However, it is not just ordinary success but outstanding one. By this we mean, standing out among our peers. Also, all-round success is God’s plan for us and as such when we succeed, God is delighted; because it glorifies Him. As it is written: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

    However, we will only experience success when we do whatsoever God says we should do. In other words, when we do what He commands, we are entitled to His blessings. This is because God is no respecter of persons and the scriptures cannot be broken (Acts 10:34-35). If we disregard God’s conditions for breakthroughs as written in scripture, we will suffer the same calamity the world is facing. Like I have always said, whatever we desire from our inheritance, we need to know the fundamental requirement to accessing them. The good news is that, there is a covenant of success already in place. All we need to do is to locate it and comply with the demands. A wise man once said, ‘’let your learning lead to knowledge and let your knowledge lead to action. God’s Word also says: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22). Therefore, it is wisdom to work with all that we have learnt.

    Let us recognise that success is not an issue of chance, but of choice. What we do with what we have learnt reveals whether or not we want to be successful. No one can stop a covenant child of God from succeeding; not even the devil. So the devil is not our problem as people erroneously think; neither is any mortal man. No one but ourselves can stop us from getting to that glorious place ordained for us. Many people in the society have lost sight of these facts, taking God’s covenant for granted and thereby living an unsuccessful life. That is why, it is important to explore certain cautions we must take heed to, if success is our goal. In other words, there are things we must guard against, so as to experience outstanding success. These are:

    • Self Reliance: One big barrier between us and God’s blessings is reliance on self. As we may recall, when God wanted to bless Abraham. He said: …I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). Abraham’s success is still being celebrated today because God made Him. God’s blessing was what made Abraham a success, not his expertise or hard work. Likewise, it is God’s blessings that will make us successful, without adding any sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22). Thus, we must stay connected to God always. A reliance on our expertise, wisdom or hard work alone disconnects us from His blessings. The story is told in 2 chronicles 26 of King Uzziah who was marvelously helped of God. But, in the next verse, the Bible says: …when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God (2 Chronicles 26:16). King Uzziah whom God prospered so much ended His life in misery as a result of self reliance. As we may recall, the race is not to the swift, neither is the battle to the strong. Favour is not to men of skilful or understanding. It is God that determines the events of every man’s life. Therefore, we must look up to Him and rely on Him always. We shall not fail!
    • Disobedience: God leads by instruction (Psalms 32:8) and His Instruction is the high way to distinction. When God speaks, He speaks to correct, reprove and rebuke so we can get on course with His agenda. By His commandment, any believer can be on top of his world; as it is by doing what God says that we change levels. But if we are smarter than God, we will remain at the same level (Isaiah 34:16).
    • Pride: Some Christians are so full of pride that they don’t know that it’s their pride that has gotten them grounded. No matter how loaded the potentials in us are, if we walk in pride, we don’t have a future. It takes meekness to learn and apply ourselves to it (James 4:6).
    • Envy: A lot of Christians fall victim of envy without knowing. It is important to know that our thoughts are as important as our words. Every evil thought against any man lifted by God brings evil upon our lives. Remember, when God makes somebody our head and we curse him, we will perish. Also, when we see people rising around us, we shouldn’t wish them evil, or we will never rise. Everyone that comes against a man who is enjoying a covenant rise from God comes under a curse. Remember God told Abraham …I will bless thee and curse him that curses thee. Many are under such curses today. Therefore, we must gird up the loins of our minds and rejoice from the depth of our hearts with that friend of ours who is lifted by God.

    In conclusion, success does not come from any human source but from God. If we must experience outstanding success, it is wisdom to comply with God’s instructions and as we do so, I see us enjoying all-round success.

    Nevertheless, one step to a successful living is being born-again. If you are not born-again, you are not entitled to it. 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 my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”  For further reading, please get my books: Success Strategies, Success Systems, Maximising Destiny, Exploring the Secrets of Success. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:20 p.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.

  • Impact of recession will soon be over, cleric assures

    Nigerians will soon stop feeling the impact of recession, Senior Pastor of Praise Arena, Jummy Adetoyese-Olagunju, has stated.

    He asked them to be optimistic and sustain prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said the recent data by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics on the nation’s exit from recession is an indication of answered prayer.

    Speaking with our correspondent in his office, Adetoyese-Olagunju noted recent developments have clearly shown God was bent on fixing the recession fever.

    According to him: “OPEC took considerations of our peculiar situation. Nigeria and Libya were given unrestricted production, which is indeed an uncommon favour.

    “That implies that our dollar will become stronger, the economic that was just thriving to survive will now have a better leverage.”

    The cleric, a energy expert, said if the nation succeeds in attracting new investors to the oil sector, things would take a turn for the best.

    He pointed out the agriculture, tourism, mining, transportation, manufacturing and arts sector offer the nation’s best opportunities to increase Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

    He supported calls for diversification of the economic while pleading oil-producing communities should be included in development plans.

  • Christmas a pagan festival, says GKS

    Christmas is a pagan festival because Jesus was not born in December, The God’s Kingdom Society (GKS) has declared.

    The church said the popular December 25th celebration of Jesus birth has nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

    Its Station Minister in Lagos zone, Brother Timothy Esimagbele, stated these last Sunday during GKS freedom day titled ‘There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed’.

    The service was to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ in October.

    Christmas, he said, was an ancient festival dedicated to the god Saturn, later adopted by early Christian leaders with the motive of converting pagans.

    Esimagbele said GKS through assiduous study of the bible knew the truths about Jesus birth, which he said was found to have happened in October.

    Buttressing the October date with biblical facts, Assistant Station Minister for Lagos zone, Brother Isaac Ennang, said in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s conception (December), the angel Gabriel was sent to a virgin called Mary to give her the message that by the miracle of God, she would conceive and bear a child to be called Jesus.

    “Consequently upon the annunciation, Mary, no doubt, was in high spirit. With haste, she went straight to a city in the upland of Judah to meet Elizabeth,” he stated.

    Ennang said that according to the gospel of Luke 1: 30, 40, and 56, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months—January to March.

    “The angel appeared to Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s conception and Mary went stayed three months; six plus three equals nine, when Elizabeth gave birth in April.

    “Having been equipped with this knowledge, let us now count Mary’s conception from January as was manifested in Elizabeth declaration. We will arrive at September as the nine month then in the tenth month, October, Jesus was born.”

    He also said the fact that churches observe the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in April confirms his birth could not have been in December.

    “We all agree that Jesus lived for 33 and a half years. Now, let us admit he was born in December as some churches teach, it will mean, therefore, that his 33rdbirthday fell in December and six months later, in June, he was crucified; which is not true.”

    Ennang explained with Jesus 33rd birth anniversary being in October and six months later will be in April, this argument  pointed to the fact that Jesus was born in October, not December.

    In his own message, read by Brother Esimagbele, President of God’s Kingdom Society, Brother Godwin Ifeacho, said those who give themselves to various sinful practices should retrace their steps and repent.

    He said the birth of Jesus Christ was no doubt a world event and the gospels do not leave us in doubt about the universal scope of his mission.

    He advises followers of Christ to serve in sincerity and in truth until the end for their blessings and salvation in the world to come.

  • 26 years after, CAC crisis nears end

    Hope is rising on the final reconciliation of the 26-year old crisis in the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) fold.

    The warring factions that had been at logger heads with the mainstream General Executive Council (GEC) met at the Pastors’ conference recently.

    The Pentecostal Church had been in crisis since 1990 when its leadership dismissed some Pastors including late Prophet Timothy Obadare, Pastors J.O Adegoroye N.E Udofia, J.A Akintola and P. Alayo over alleged anti-church activities.

    The aggrieved factions went to court for resolution of the disputes, the last of which favoured the GEC adjudged as the authentic ruling body of the church.

    Also, the criminal case against its leaders was resolved in their favour when the Federal High Court, Ibadan dismissed the suit.

    However, a delegation of the Supreme Council led by Pastor Henry Ojo visited Ikeji-Akeji conference for a solidarity re-union where he delivered the message of their leaders to the GEC.

    Among those in the delegation are Pastors Henry Ojo from Port- Harcourt, James Onagwa and Matthew Olaseinde while another team was led by Pastor Paul Obadare of World Soul Winning Evangelistic Ministry (WOSEM).

    Ojo appreciated the rousing welcome accorded them at the confence, stressing the delegation acted on directives of the Supreme Council faction.

    He said it was high time the CAC put an end to the protracted crisis, pleading for reciprocal visit by the GEC to Supreme Council Pastors’ conference at Alasepe Camp Ground, Ikire.

    Obadare urged all factions to reconcile to fulfill the CAC’s motto “one fold and one shepherd”.

    Akinosun expressed happiness for the visit by the other factions, stressing the crisis was a sad commentary on the church.

    According to him: “I have always believed that court cannot be the best alternative to solve the problems within the CAC.

    “All human efforts to unite the church using human wisdom had failed but God had resolved to end the crisis in His own time.”

    Akinosun promised the delegations if the church finally reconciled, no one would lose its status or ranking.

  • ‘God will move through Bonnke’s farewell crusade’

    ‘God will move through Bonnke’s farewell crusade’

    Chairman Central Working Committee (CWC) for Reinhard Bonnke’s Farewell Crusade, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, speaks with Dorcas Egede on the significance of the crusade. Excerpts: 

    How did you become chairman of the farewell crusade?

    I’m always called on by God for every job He wants me to do. I am the chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lagos state and I never solicited for it. I was called upon to do the job.

    Before that for five years, I was the chairman for Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Lagos state. I was also called upon to do the job. So, it’s God who always sends for me when He needs me to do a job.

    When I was called upon to be chairman of CWC, I got the message that all the Christian fathers and mothers in a consensus, decided that I should be chairman at the crusade when Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke informed them that he was going to have his last crusade as the Lord led him. So, that’s the way it came; it came from God.

    How has it been organising the crusade within a very limited time?

    Ah! It’s really tough. A crusade of this magnitude would normally take about a year or a minimum of nine months to organise. But because of the time the Lord spoke to Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke about the first quarter of the year and the time it took for him to come and inform the Christian leaders in Nigeria.

    This crusade has been planned in the shortest time possible but you see with God all things are possible and there is nothing impossible for God. It doesn’t take God years to do anything. It takes Him one minute to do whatever He wants to do.

    For as long as God is involved, you can be sure that the whole thing is about Him, it’s to glorify His name and so even the things that look difficult or impossible, He’s there to handle them.

    Crusades have been held in this country which ended in controversies. How sure are you this will not end up like one of those controversial crusades?

    Well, one thing about Reinhard Bonnke’s crusades in all the nations and in Nigeria is there are never marked by crisis. His first crusade in Nigeria was in 1985; since that time he held in Lagos 2000 and later in 2006.

    He was in Owerri, Calabar, Port- Harcourt. The only one that so far witnessed any problem was in Kano, following the one in Kaduna where there were a lot of healings, where the cripples were rising up and walking.

    And so in Kano they were scared that if there was a repeat performance of what happened in Kaduna, Muslims would begin to follow Bonnke and that why they rose up then to attack the crusade.

    Granted, there have been crusades marred by controversies. The Benny Hinn crusade is a classical example. Controversies arise because of money but by the grace of God that cannot be heard in this crusade.

    This time around, as the chairman of the crusade, I’m being very careful. I’m not being hypocritical here. People in the church know my background and they know the kind of man I am. I was Managing Director of two different banks.

    I was also Vice President of the sixth or so largest bank in the world in the ’70s in America. I’m very strict with everything that I do and I brought that discipline into the things of God. Everything about this crusade is being monitored; financiers are monitored so critically. The work is being done.

    Moreover, prayers are going on very aggressively; the devil is always against souls being won for the kingdom of God. We are talking souls being won in millions in Lagos and beyond. We know what we are faced with but our trust is in the name of our Lord God Jehovah.

    Our country is beset with too many problems beyond understanding. Is it not a tall order to expect that this crusade will address all of these problems?

    No. This crusade cannot address all the problems, only Jesus can address all the problems. But this crusade is brought about by God to impact the nation and continent of Africa. We believe with the presence of God in this crusade – since it’s the last crusade the man of God will hold and hundreds of thousands of people are coming from all over Africa and all over the world – there would be a healing in the land and that healing may be unseen physically.

    But we believe from this crusade Nigeria would be permanently healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The vices we complain about to God, it takes God no time to cleanse this nation and we believe He will.

    The absence of unity has always dogged the ranks of churches. How united are churches for this crusade?

    The good thing about Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke’s crusades is that from the time the Lord called him, his crusades have always been for the church in any nation. It’s not sectional and he has always insisted on the entire church coming together in any nation he goes.

    The crusade is not for Pentecostals or for Catholics or for Methodists. It’s the church crusade. That’s his vision and he’s very strict about it. That’s why whenever he goes to any nation to talk about his crusade all the church groups, the denominations rally around. The Lord has used him to strengthen the unity of the church in Africa and in Nigeria.

    In some crusades the motivating factor has always been money. How much do the organisers of this crusade intend to make?

    Profit? There is none. Any nation (especially African nations) Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke hosts crusades, offerings are raised but he leaves the offering in that nation.

    In 1985, the offerings raised were used to start the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) as far back as then. From Lagos to Calabar, to Port Harcourt, everywhere he goes, Reinhard Bonnke doesn’t touch the money raised in offerings. He leaves it for the church in that state.

    For this crusade however, we have decided not to raise offerings. You will see that not one penny would be raised from anybody, so that it wouldn’t become a problem.

    Wherever Bonnke goes for his crusades, he brings the resources. He has sponsors supporting him and they are all coming. They are billionaires and multibillionaires. They’re coming because it’s the last crusade in his life.

    A lot of money goes into publicity, security and other details. Several millions have been paid for the land being acquired for the crusade opposite OPEC near Spark Light Estate.

    Like previous crusades, the land will be sand filled to make it good for the crusade and after the crusade it will be handed back to the owners. So, a lot of investment goes into the crusade.

    What measures have been put in place to address security, transportation and welfare?

    Of course, we have very strong committees saddled with different responsibilities. There is a committee handling transportation, welfare has its own committee. We are expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors in this country and there are committees working to take care of every detail.

    We just believe God that all will be well. Security is so crucial because of the situation in our nation and around us in Africa. We believe God is the security Himself and we believe that He is taking charge but all the security agencies have been brought in and every possible human effort for security is in place. Above all, Jesus is the ultimate security.

    Are there any benefits for participating churches giving their time, human and material resources?

    Yes there are. And what they stand to gain is souls. This country, as you know in recent years has been bedeviled by many vices; even the church itself is under serious attack. Because of the way we are running the churches, so many people are leaving the church and going back to their traditional religion.

    Even many people inside the church still visit herbalists’ shrines. So, that’s one of the great things about the crusade to bring back the heart of men to God and all the participating churches will be involved in the evangelical effort because the crusade is for evangelism.

    The unbelievers around are going to be invited and every church will end up having souls in their areas as people who give their lives to Christ during the crusade will be added to the church. This is the main gain.

    Share with us your knowledge, thoughts and convictions about Reinhard Bonnke and what you expect God to do through him during the crusade and fire conference.

    Incidentally, I was back to the country in 1979 so from the first crusade in 1985 I have been following the things God has been using him to do in this nation. Though I was just a regular Baptist church goer when he started his crusades in Nigeria, you couldn’t but see it on the television.

    Many are in the faith today through Bonnke’s crusades. Someone like Pastor Sam Adeyemi gave his life to Christ in Ilorin at a crusade of Reinhard Bonnke. God has used him to multiply the church.

    So, personally I believe in his vision that God called him to be a great evangelist for the world. His ministry has been followed with signs and wonders, millions of souls come into the kingdom, people are healed of all manners of diseases.

    I believe in my heart that God is going to do great things in this nation through him. Whether you’re at the crusade venue or watching us from home, I believe that if you have faith you will receive your miracles. People will be healed in their homes; lives will be touched in homes.

  • Nigeria needs good governance, not restructuring-Akinola

    Presiding Bishop of Rhema Christian Church and Towers Sango, Ogun State, Bishop Taiwo Akinola, has declared what Nigeria really needs is good governance, not restructuring.

    He said any political system or arrangement that does not deliver good governance will amount to nothing for Nigerians.

    He also said Nigerians should learn to hold leaders accountable to stem the tide of corruption.

    Akinola spoke last week with reporters ahead of the annual Rhema world convention slated for November 5-12 at the international headquarters of the church with the theme foretaste of heaven on earth.

    According to him: “What the Nigeria state needs at this time is not this debate as to whether more power should be given to the States or not.

    “What we need so badly is good governance. In fact, it can be questioned how judiciously the States have managed the power they currently have.”

    The cleric said the debate for restructuring could be a master stroke to divert attention from poor governance in the country.

    He said: “Presently what Nigeria needs is good governance, propelled by nobility, dignity and fear of God in the hearts of all political actors.

    “And, these are required to meet the basic needs of citizens in the areas of security, good and qualitative education, quality health services, justice and fair play, robust rule of law, infrastructural amenities etc.

    “Any debate that will not guarantee these is simply a time waster, and therefore not acceptable.”

    He also frowned at the recent criticism of churches and their leaders in the social media, saying churches are being made to pay for the ineptitude of government.

    Akinola said churches are not established to provide social amenities but save souls, saying community services are only secondary responsibilities of churches.

    “The church was not instituted by Jesus Christ to build hospitals and schools but to lead men and women from sin and Satan unto God.

    “Providing certain societal needs, like building schools and hospitals is only a secondary mission for the church.

    “Primarily, it is the duty of government to provide basic amenities and build schools and hospitals.

    “The government is the legal custodian of the proceeds of our patrimonies and should rather be responsible for providing basic social amenities.”

    He assured the convention will attract thousands with notable ministers lined up for the one-week activities.