The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • Anglican choir thrills worshippers at 30

    The auditorium of the Church of Pentecost Anglican Communion was filled to capacity recently at the 39th choir festival with the theme “Let the people praise thee o God”.

    The choristers thrilled the worshippers with diverse instrumentalist and orchestra.

    Though made up of aged men and women, the choristers rendered their songs with beautiful voices.

    The women were adorned in blue gown and a black bow while the men wore black suit, shirt, trouser and a blue tie.

    The church’s Director of Music, Babajide Odedeji played the organ.

    Biodun Adebiyi aka ‘Batik’, a lecturer in the department of Theatre Arts and Music (Music Unit) at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo Campus entertained with sounds from the trumpet.

    He played Concerto in E flat major.

    The choristers sang songs, including Ibom traditional song (Boma Natumini) produced by Batik.

    The soprano singers’ added beauty to the songs with head voice and descant.

    Odedeji said music is a universal language adding that the church is the foundation of most singers we have in the world today.

    “The church stands as a platform for singer in which we have both contemporary and classical music and that is what we are doing here today,” he said.

    The Vicar of the church, Ven. Isreal Owoyele, said the role of church music cannot be overemphasised because it brings out God inside man.

  • ‘Transformation more than material prosperity’

    The General Overseer of Christ Salvation Christian Centre (a.k.a Son of Jehovah World Outreach), Ikorodu Lagos, Prophet (Dr) Adesoji Abegunde, has debunked insinuations that divine transformation has to do with material prosperity.

    Speaking during the church’s 11th annual Shiloh’s thanksgiving last week, he said transformation is not about wealth that one acquires but an inner experience with outward results.

    He said: “If you’re not transformed inward, you can’t be transformed outwardly. Many Christians today don’t think and until you change your thinking, you can’t leave where you are.”

    The former Vice chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kosofe chapter decried the commercialisation of the gospel by some he dubbed as dubious characters.

    The characters, he said, have enriched themselves at the expense of the gullible public.

    The cleric blamed poor transformation in the country on the fraudulent style of governance by corrupt leaders since independence.

    He added that though history will not forget the nationalist leaders for gaining independence for Nigeria, he lamented they failed to make proper provision for the masses.

  • ‘Genuine miracles are always verifiable’

    ‘Genuine miracles are always verifiable’

    Kwara State Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor David Adebiyi, spoke with newsmen on the forthcoming crusade of the church in Ilorin and sundry national issues. Excerpts:

    What does Christian Living mean to you?

    Christian living is a call of Christianity; without the life of Christ you are not a Christian. Before my conversion, I attended church services. I read my bible; I sang in the choir but I was not converted; I was not living in Christ. But eventually in 1976 I met the Lord. I heard the word of God that was preached to me and I gave my life to God. I yielded my soul to God. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and then I knew the meaning of  Christianity. It was then Christian living and living for Christ became meaningful.

    What can you say motivated you to come into the ministry?

    The motivating factor behind my coming to the ministry is the word of God. When I heard the word of God initially, I discovered that I was empty and blank concerning the bible. Immediately I gave my life to Christ, I yielded my life to God and since then I have been worshiping God at Deeper Life since 1976 and up till today I have not looked back by the grace of God.

    Someone recently pronounced Nigerian churches as practising merchandise Christianity. Do you agree to this assertion?

    Well, we have churches; we have good churches, true and living churches of God. We have churches that make merchandise of the people because not all churches stand on the bible. Some came out because they don’t have jobs or to get their daily bread. They felt starting church is a means of amassing wealth and therefore they make prey of the congregation. They deceive them, collect their money and use their money to buy big cars because they are not standing on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    It is possible for a church that is not standing on the word of God to make merchandise of the word of God but not all churches are making merchandise of the people. Those that stand on the true word of God know where they are going and they want to teach the truth. They cannot make merchandise of anybody because if they do, their purpose of coming to the gospel will be defeated.

    In the past the term ‘born again’ described a very serious and committed disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. But today the term has been bastardised. Do you believe so and why?

    The term ‘born again’ cannot be bastardised by anybody but it can be bastardised by everybody. The word ‘born again’ stands forever because the bible says by their fruits we shall know them. If any man be in Christ old things are passed away because those modern Christians, so to say, are not taking the word of God seriously, they commit sin, they tell lies but they carry the title.

    Being born again is not a title; it is an experience. If you are born again, it’s a real experience and you cannot manipulate experience. The experience is real because when I was born again it was not what my mother told me, it was an experience that I experienced myself. Those professing to be born again whereas they are not born again are just making mockery of the term. Someone who is not born again, somebody who is committing immorality, who is telling lies, who can cheat who can embezzle money and says I’m born again is a deceiver and therefore let’s call a spade a spade.

    He who is born again knows that he is born again. Today the devil is working against the church, making the people to believe in lies because they are deluded and they just profess to know God but in works and in power they deny Him.

    Pastor W.F Kumuyi has been visiting various states of the nation to conduct great gospel campaigns, when will it be the turn of Kwara State?

    By the grace of God he will be coming to Kwara State on the 25th to 27th of November. He will be ministering to the people at Deeper Life Campground, Eye-Nkorin, Ilorin. The theme of this crusade is “Supernatural encounter with the God of power.”

    How far are you preparing to host this African foremost and international evangelist?

    All hands are on deck to host and to welcome our father in the Lord, Pastor W.F Kumuyi, to Kwara State. All preparations are almost completed. All that is needed to be done in term of accommodation, electronics and gadgets, electrification of the venue and publicity and other areas are going on with high speed.

    What were the striking events at his previous crusades in states visited by him and your expectations in Kwara State?

    We heard from Osogbo, Osun State that there were notable miracles of healings, blind eyes were opened and deaf ears were opened and over there at Nasarawa and Benue states also there were notable miracles, signs and wonders. God normally follows our pastor wherever he goes.

    And I believe in Kwara State, our expectation is high, signs and wonders, miracles and deliverances will be the order of the day in multitude.

    In Nigeria today, there are many miracles that people profess at crusades. Are you sure we are going to see some of these notable miracles in Kwara State being verified?

    Yes, the miracle in any crusade that we hold in Deeper Life or that the Pastor is leading the church is always practical, no deceit; if they want to verify. If you say you are healed of HIV, you will bring your previous test compared with the new test and when you discover that the hospital that tested you positive for HIV after you go back to the hospital and they test you negative to HIV, we know that the power of God has touched you.

    It is not the man of God who does the work. So we don’t fake miracles, we don’t pretend like somebody who is not blind that is blind. Miracles are coming from God.

    Winners -take- it- all and bad -losers’- syndrome has been at the front burner of Nigeria politics. As 2015 general elections gather momentum, how do you think the politicians, electorate and electoral commissions can deepen our nascent democracy?

    Well, politicians should learn from the past, they should learn from history. If you do well you will reap it. If you don’t do well the whole nation will suffer. It’s the population that suffers but if they will allow righteousness to prevail, if corruption is not allowed in high places, I believe God that things will change and our nascent democracy can be nurtured by righteousness.

    What about the electorate?

    The role of the electorate is that they should elect credible, trusted candidates; they should not sell their votes for peanuts or for just a small amount of money. So, if the electorate is honest and elect right persons, if they are sincere and do not collaborate with those who cannot rule them well, they will enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.

    And the electoral commission should maintain strict neutrality and shun partisanship and corruption, ethnicity and religious affiliation, and be proactive and dispas-sionate.

  • Lagos West Diocese celebrates at 15

    Lagos West Diocese celebrates at 15

    The celebration was long-awaited. It took months of serious planning and preparations. Everyone looked forward to its kick-off. The D-day finally arrived last week.

    Members and well-wishers trooped to the expansive auditorium of the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral Ikeja, Lagos for the 15th anniversary of the Diocese.

    Tagged triumphant convocation, the anniversary took the form of a three-day crusade for salvation, healing and deliverance of souls. The church’s leadership and membership spared no efforts to rake in as many souls as possible to the kingdom of God.

    According to the Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Rev. James Adedeji, the crusade was deliberately planned for the harvest of souls. He said nothing will best define the success of the Diocese aside from the salvation of souls.

    But besides the salvation gospel, the anniversary also afforded the Diocese the opportunity of making serious comments on the polity, especially governance. Adedeji tasked parties to present only credible candidates capable of effecting changes.

    To voters, he said 2015 presents incredible chance to chart a new course for the nation. Adedeji urged them to assess candidates well and decide only on the best.

    According to the cleric: “The issue of politics is not a do- or- die affair. Let’s allow the best candidate to emerge; we should base all that we do on merit; we will forever remain grateful for whosoever brought Fashola from wherever he was before the election then, he performed wonderfully well.

    “He too has a stake in the matter to make sure that whoever comes after him will not destroy these great things he has done. He must endeavour to see that somebody that will come after him will build on what he has started so that the state that has been known for progress will not go down the rail.”

    He urged Christians to be true followers of Christ as commanded in the Bible, saying the nation will witness progress and development if everybody truly follows the dictates of God.

    “If Christians in Nigeria are competent and true children of God, this country will not be what it is today because even the few Christians that are in politics are they righteous? My idea is that those of us who are Christians, it is high time that we stood for the truth and boldness and do what the Bible has commanded us to do,” he said.

    For the past 15 years of the Diocese, Adedeji said it has been moving from strength to strength. He said the Diocese has grown numerically.

    “It has been wholesome. God has used so many people that are my predecessors to be able to double the strength of the Diocese. Numerically, we have expanded. We started with about 100 churches. Today, we have more than 300 churches with two new Dioceses and we are still very strong and formidable,” he said.

    Giving the sermon on the occasion of the Diocese’s anniversary, the Archbishop of Kaduna Province and Bishop of Kebbi Diocese, Most Rev Edmund Akanya, urged Christians to remain faithful to the Lord.

    Akanya reminded the congregation of how God saved the children of Israel form their enemies. He therefore urged them to remain focus and be hopeful of God’s wonders.

    “Don’t think everything happening to you is for your destruction; don’t think God has not abandoned you when there are obstacles in your life. What He allows in your life, He allowed it for your success and progress,” he said.

  • The Covenant Of Rewards! (4)

    Last week, I considered two more requirements of the covenant of rewards – rendering service cheerfully and your service being love-motivated. You need to be joyful while rendering your services to God. There are many whose rewards are just wasting, simply because their joy level is nothing to reckon with.

    Also, I said if you must qualify for God’s rewards, your stewardship must be love-motivated. Please let your stewardship be love-motivated, if you must be entitled to God’s rewards without hindrance.

    This week, I will yet show you other requirements of the covenant of rewards –

    •Render your service sacrificially: The Word of God says: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24). The grace for sacrifice is the path to significant rewards.  The reason there are too many mediocres in the Church, is because most people sit down with folded hands, waiting for something to happen.

    We are co-labourers with God, and until our part is fulfilled, God is not committed to doing His part.  For instance, there may be two individuals working in the same organization and earning the same salary.  But one has built a house, without stealing, while the other has built his stomach.

    The first man knows the rule of game, so he regulates and disciplines his taste, sacrificing every luxury, in order to have a shelter over his head. But the other man is not willing to sacrifice anything.  He eats all and keeps wishing for one day when a building would drop from the sky, with his name written on it. Of course, that day will never come, because the Bible says every house is built by some man (Hebrews 3:4).

    There must first be a dying, before living can be colourful. There must first be sincere stewardship, before you can reap your rewards. Therefore, get ready to give your stewardship what it takes to succeed in life, so that you do not end up as a Prodigal Christian. Place value on your time and every covenant resources at your disposal, and invest them appropriately as a person who is in a race and is determined to get the prize (reward).

    Note that every great season of reward is preceded by a great season of sacrifice in your stewardship. So, do not expect to reap rewards until you are prepared to sacrifice whatever will qualify you for the rewards you anticipate. Remember, a man can only reap what he has sown.

    However, nothing empowers a sacrificial life like love (Romans 8:35-38). There is no star without a scar. Sacrifice entails going the extra mile and investing to make something happen (John 10:18). It is your sacrificial input that makes a star out of you, and your reward is sure! You won’t be foot-dragging; you will sacrificially be forging ahead because your reward is sure!

    It is not late to re-position, to ensure your reward reaches you. Once you re-position yourself, God will focus His rewards on you because of your stewardship.

    • You need endurance: The law of endurance is a cardinal law in the journey to your rewards. It is the price you pay to ascend your throne, as everything precious comes out of pressures. Proverbs 27:21 says: As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.  How much heat you are willing to endure today, determines how high you will fly tomorrow.

    The Church is full of earthen vessels, but a few gold and silver, because not many people are willing to endure the heat of the furnace and the pressures of the refining pot.  But those who take shortcuts in life end up having their lives cut short, and those who dodge the heat miss the height.

    Endurance is the identity of men of prominence. It is a required quality in your stewardship for rewards in life. Unless a man strives lawfully in a race, he cannot win the prize. Think of this! It is my prayer that you will receive grace from heaven to give your service what it takes, so you can make the most of it.  You will not miss your reward, in Jesus’ name!

    Friend, the power for endurance and sacrificial stewardship is for those born again. You become born again, by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are set for this, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Cleans me with Your Blood. Forgive me of my sins. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again!” I will conclude this teaching next week.

    Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books: Born To Win and Understanding Your Covenant Rights.

    Friend, come for a life-changing encounter at Faith Tabernacle in Canaan Land, Ota, from December 9-13, at Shiloh 2014, captioned, Heaven On Earth. Shiloh is an annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family worldwide. God will deliver you from stagnation, frustrations, failure and destitution at the event. Be there!

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

  • Pentecostal Bishops: Boko Haram an enemy

    The United Interna-tional Association of Pentecostal Bishops (UIAPB) has described the activities of radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram as a declaration of war on the sovereignty of Nigeria.

    In a communiqué at the end of its quarterly meeting in Lagos, the group said Boko Haram, attacks on defenceless civilians, especially Christians, has reached an uncomfortable level and should not be treated with kids’ gloves.

    The bishops also called on the federal government to devise a consolidated strategy to dislodge the terrorists once and for all before next general elections.

    According to them: “The conference views with seriousness and great concern the unabating level of insecurity in the country and called on the Armed Forces to do all within its power to arrest the situation.”

    The body praised the federal and state government as well as health workers for containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    ”It is one area that has shown that it can be done well when there is willingness and cooperation. We believe that Ebola was eradicated with that level of commitment because of the fear that it does not know class. If corruption was Ebola, we are sure it would have been eradicated by now.”

  • RCCG donates street lights to Lagos community

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) The Lord’s Chapel Gbagada, Lagos, last Sunday, inaugurated the third phase of its street light project.

    The street lights were donated by the church to fight crimes and illuminate the community at nightfall.

    The facility will also be powered by the church daily free of charge to the environs.

    Declaring open the project on behalf of the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Brown Oyitso said giving back to the public is the responsibility of any corporate organisation to put smiles on the faces of others.

    Stating that government alone cannot address the needs of communities, Oyitso said the church decided to complement ongoing government’s efforts to bring succour to the society.

    The gesture, he said, is: “motivated by the instruction that our general overseer gave to us that the church should not only be seeing as taking from the society but also give back to the society.”

    Urging Christian organisations to ensure that they contribute their quota towards the development of their communities and the nation at large, Oyitso said: “Church should not be seen as a taker but also as a giver.

    “A parable was told in the bible about the good Samaritan and since then the question is asked, who is your neighbour? So, we are advising other churches to team up with RCCG and help humanity as much as possible.”

    The Assistant Pastor- in- charge of the parish, Pastor Kehinde Buraimoh, said the church is bent on showing forth the light of God in the area.

    One of the residents, Mrs. Oby Ekpo, appreciated the gesture of the church.

    She said: “We have been in the state of darkness for years and when they approached us that they wanted to do the street lights we were happy because we know that it will help us to curb the rate of crime in this our environment and also enhance security.”

  • Presbyterian Church seeks clean politics

    The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria has appealed to politicians to avoid acts capable of plunging the nation into crisis.

    Rising from its fourth quarterly General Assembly Executive Committee (GAEC) meeting in Calabar, Cross Rivers, the church urged political parties and their members to conduct their primaries, congresses and other electioneering activities with utmost decorum.

    In a communiqué at the end of the meeting, the Church noted the apparent helplessness of the military in the face of the worsening security situation occasioned by the heinous activities of the terrorist Boko Haram sect.

    The communiqué signed by the Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church, Most Rev. Prof. Emele Uka and the new Principal Clerk of the Church, Rev. Eseme David William, expressed dismay over the federal government’s proposal to establish cattle ranches for Fulani herdsmen.

    While insisting the ranches should be established only in states where cattle is the main occupation, the church said ” any attempt to establish cattle ranches in other states would only replicate the tension and friction between Fulani herdsmen and host communities, thereby worsening the security situation in the country.”

    The church also commended the National Assembly for approving the provisions for local government autonomy and Independent candidacy.

  • Motailatu moves against secret cults

    Anybody belonging to a secret cult will never be allowed to hold membership of the Motailatu Cherubim and Seraphim Church Worldwide (MCSCW).

    This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a delegates’ meeting of the church in Lagos last week.

    The church also resolved not to be involved in the funeral activities of anyone found to belong to a secret society or cult.

    In a statement signed after the meeting by the founder and primate of MCSWC, His Eminence Baba Aladura Motailatu Akinadewo; the General Evangelist, Prof. Joseph Otubu and General Secretary, Elder Dr Israel Akinadewo, the delegates stated: “no member of the church should belong to a secret society.”

    It added: “The church will not be involved in the burial of anybody found to be a member or associated with any secret society.

    “Any member of secret societies shall not function in the church hierarchy nor be a member of any committee of the church, under any circumstances and will not be allowed to participate in the burial of any departed member of the Holy Order.”

  • UAC vows to expose ‘herbalist’ churches

    The United Aladura Churches (UAC) has dissociated itself from white garment churches involved in criminal and shady practices.

    The body comprising churches under the Cherubim and Seraphim; The Church of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide; The Fellowship of Christ Disciples Ministry (a.k.a. Independent) and the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), stated that those involved in those practices are not genuine members of the organisation.

    The President of UAC, Baba Aladura Samuel Andrew, assured that the body will work vigorously to sanitise all white garment churches by exposing and flushing out the bad egg among them.

    “There are some churches claiming to be white garments wearing/Aladura but do not practise the doctrines as laid down by our Lord, Jesus Christ and the founding fathers like Moses Orimolade Tunolase, Josiah Ositelu, Joseph Ayo Babalola and Bilewu Oshoffa.

    “Leaders in some of these churches are alleged to be ‘herbalists’ in white garments who go about deceiving unsuspecting public. The UAC is set to expose such people and their ‘churches’, Andrew vowed in a statement.

    For the purpose of sanitisation of these dubious churches, he said committees and sub-committees will be constituted to visit churches in all local governments in states where the UAC operates to determine the genuine ones.

    He lamented: “Most churches just use white garment to cover up their evil activities, whereas they are just herbalists in disguise.

    “The UAC will investigate such churches, expose them and take necessary actions deemed fit to discourage such satanic activities.”