The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • How Christians can rebuild Nigeria, by NCGF

    How Christians can rebuild Nigeria, by NCGF

    President of the National Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF), Dr Samuel Itina, has challenged Christians to begin to reflect the changes they desire to see in the nation.

    He stated that Nigeria will change when Christians mirror the changes they believe to take place in every sector.

    Itina spoke last week at the 39th conference of the NCGF in Onitsha, Anambra State with the theme “let us rise and build”.

    Addressing members of the fellowship mostly from the academic community, he lamented the precarious state of the nation.

    He charged members to build “our Christian lives, fellowship, church and nation.”

    On terror attacks, Itina said: “The Boko-Haram insurgents appear to be getting bolder and stronger every day.

    “They pick at will any target where they destroy lives and properties. And they have advanced to the nation’s capital and are threatening to spread to other parts of the country.”

    According to him, the attacks by Fulani herdsmen also call for attention.

    He condemned endemic corruption as well as kidnapping, hired assassination and armed robbery, stating they threaten the existence of the nation.

    Professor Vincent Anigbogu, a Professor of Analytical Chemistry for over three decades in the United States of America, said that Nigeria cannot afford to have leaders that work so hard to build and not preserve it.

    Speaking on The Church and nation building, the Director of Institute for National Transformation said Nigeria needs leaders with foresight.

    Anigbogu called on Christians to get involved in nation-building, warning that “If you leave God to do what you are supposed to do, you are irresponsible.”

    He added that prayers won’t change principles or bring about constitutional review where necessary to foster development or change.

    He advocated for adoption of biblical principles for national transformation.

    Anigbogu said conscious efforts must be made to develop human capacity to produce the kind of leaders desirable for the kind of change the nation wants.

    He said: “Christian leaders and followers alike must desist from running after government officials and politicians for the purpose of self gratification.”

    He added: “Desist from making money your God. Christians must ensure that they discourage corruption and not fan the embers of corruption.”

  • Shun materialism, Christians urged

    The word of God should be the cornerstone of the faith of believers as against miracles and materialism, the general overseer of the Grace Prevailing Assembly, Ojodu Lagos, Dr Godwin Nwachukwu, has stated.

    He spoke at the grand finale of the annual Integrity Conference of the church with the theme repositioning for revival.

    Nwachukwu described the state of the Christian faith today as pathetic.

    Quoting copiously from 11Thessalonians 2:1-3 and 1Timothy 4, he said people no more seek God but miracles and quick-fix riches.

    According to him: “What is available today is the gimmick of the devil; materialism is the bottom line. There is power tussle everywhere.

    “Everyone seeks fame, power and influence, forgetting Jesus .No wonder there are iniquities everywhere and love is waxing cold. In fact, what we are seeing now is a danger sign and signs of the last days.”

    The cleric proffered love as antidote to infighting and the pulling of fellow Christians down.

    “What we should pray for is the capacity to withstand challenges and be kind. Let us find a common front and promise to be better. There is capacity and power in the blood of Jesus to do what we have in mind to do,” he said.

    His wife, Mrs. Gloria Nwachukwu, spoke on why marriage is failing.

    She said the institution is under attack because most times, it is planted in unfriendly environments.

    According to her: “Marriage involves friendship love, hard work, understanding, sacrifice and denials .It is not just for anybody.

    “Individuals involved must be physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally ready. When this is done, they will be able to meet up with any challenge.”

  • Osun set to host Kumuyi

    Osun State is set to host the General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, in a visit designed to reconcile people with God.

    A statement by the Osun State Overseer of the Church, Pastor Biola Adeniran, stated that Kumuyi has visited several states for propagation of the gospel with great signs and wonders, healings and miracles following.

    He disclosed that Kumuyi will be in Osogbo, Osun State capital from 19th- 21st September to stage a crusade that will be transmitted live all over Africa and beyond.

    The venue of the crusade with the theme “explosion of supernatural miracles” is Deeper Life Camp Ground, Halleluyah Estate, Agunbelewo area of Osogbo.

    Adeniran said: “The power of God is alive in His servant, Pastor Kumuyi to save the vilest sinners, heal the sick, open the eyes of the blinds and to make cripples leap for joy of total recovery.

    “The solution to ills in our nation today is God and that is why Pastor William Kumuyi traverses one state to another with God’s messages of hope and reconciliation to bring the people back to God.”

  • Church celebrates at 40

    Foursquare Gospel Church Golden district headquarters will begin a five-day revival conference to mark its 40th anniversary.

    Other activities lined up for the celebration include messages, breakthrough ministration and all-night prayers on October 12.

    A fund-raising service for the N40m permanent site of the church located at Remilekun Street, Ketu, Lagos will also take place.

    The chairman of the anniversary, Deacon Ade Adebusuyi, noted that the church, which started in 1974 has crystallised into 19 branches and become the zonal headquarters.

    He said a book titled the living seed is also being written to celebrate the milestone.

    The senior pastor, Rev. Elkanah Oluwagbesan and others will minister at the occasion.

  • CCC parish adult harvest today

    The New Covenant Parish of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), 8 Bashorun close Ajegunle will today hold its adult harvest thanksgiving.

    Tagged Harvest of promotion, the service begins by 10am prompt.

    The shepherd-in-charge, Superior Evangelist Gabriel Abulude, said the 12th celebration will usher a season of refreshing.

    “Promotion does not come from the west or east or the anywhere but from God almighty.

    “We are positioning ourselves for God’s promotion as we praise and serve him in the beauty of his holiness. I believe all that will come will experience a level of promotion as a result of partaking in God’s vineyard,” Abulude stressed.

    He stated that bazaar sales hold immediately after the service.

  • New Lagos PFN chairman preaches love

    •Seeks reconciliation

    The newly-elected chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Lagos State chapter, Bishop Sola Ore, has called on church leaders to close ranks and learn to work together.

    He said only then will their passion to expand the kingdom of God come to fruition.

    Ore spoke last Friday during the inauguration of the new executive council of the body in Lagos.

    He lamented that there are some pastors who do not see eye-to-eye with others, a situation he said was counterproductive to the mandate and image of the church.

    While calling for love among gospel ministers, Ore said the foundation of the gospel is not “prayer, it is not fasting. It is not breakthrough and it is not water or Holy Spirit baptism.”

    The gospel, he explained, is built on love for one another. “If we ever succeed in this assignment, it must be by love. Divided we fall, united we stand.”

    He regretted the division among church leaders, saying it must be reversed to save the church.

    “It’s in the church that we fight one another. It’s in the church that we kill our wounded soldiers. We not only do that, we also supervise their burial.

    “There are pastors who don’t see eye to eye. Their followers should be pitied. There is bitterness in the heart of many of our pastors. Let’s love without hypocrisy. Our community is waiting for us,” Ore stressed.

    He stated that he did not expect to be elected as the new chairman of the body.

    According to him: “The news came to me as a shock. I did not expect it. I did not bargain for it. As a matter of fact, when one of our fathers broached the idea with me, I simply said I was not interested.”

    Ore however offered himself for service under the guidance of God.

    He pledged to pursue peace, reconciliation and empower member-churches to become change agents in all facets of life.

  • Ebola: Don’t panic, cleric urges Nigeria

    A Kano based religious leader, Pastor Felix Olotu, has advised Christians to remain prayerful in the face of the deadly Ebola virus.

    He said those who trust in God will not be infected by the virus.

    Olotu made this known while speaking with journalists in Kano.

    He said the deadly virus is not strange to his church members because it had been predicted during the New Year message that there would be an epidemic disease.

    Asked if his church will review the conditions of giving members Holy Communion to minimise physical contact, Olotu, the Kano area superintendent of the Apostolic Church, insisted that prayer is the key preventive measures for the disease.

    He urged Nigerians not to panic but intensify prayers, assuring that Ebola will become a history in Nigeria.

  • Ekiti deputy governor-elect tasks churches on prosperity gospel

    The Ekiti State deputy governor-elect, Pastor Kolapo Olusola, has tasked churches on making disciples for Christ rather than making millionaires out of members.

    He  chided the church leaders, who focus more on prosperity gospel.

    Speaking at the 44th Annual Conference and inauguration of the  Christ Apostolic Church Students’ Association (CASA) in Osogbo, Olusola advised the church to purge itself of acts capable of misleading the multitude.

    The deputy governor-elect, who said the church had lost focus of its primary duty, maintained that for the church to work in consonance with the Christ it must go back to the basics and make disciples for the Lord.

    He said those in position of power must demonstrate the fear of God.

    Olusola, who was a senior lecturer in the Department of Building at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said: “I believe politics should be about making life better for the people.

    “If we have the fear of God I know it will not be difficult leading the people.”

    The newly- elected President of CASA, Pastor Joseph Adeyemo, challenged youths to make themselves available as tools for good work.

    He said youths must allow God to be in charge of their lives if they want to succeed, urging them to shun the temptation to go against the will of God by not getting involved in crimes and other social vices.

  • Shun materialism, Olutoye advises ministers

    A 3-day ministers’ conference by the Concerned Christians for Ministerial Integrity (CCFMI) ended penultimate weekend in Lagos with a call on God’s servants to eschew materialism and renew their commitment to the gospel.

    The convener, Reverend Samuel Olutoye, told participants at the conference with the theme who’s on the Lord’s side? to shun self-interests and work for the kingdom’s expansion.

    Urging them to stand for the truth always, the cleric stated: “in a time that deceit has become the other, telling the truth of God is the revolutionary act that must correct one and all.”

    Olutoye condemned the unnecessary attention no prosperity in churches.

    According to him: “If one does not have clean heart and right spirit, he or she cannot please God. Once the Spirit of God leaves a man, he or she has nothing to offer.”

    The cleric advised men of God to be sure of their salvation and be committed to His perfect will.

    Until they do these, he said their services and sacrifices would amount to nothing in the kingdom.

    He also emphasised that unless there’s revival in the body of Christ, eternal salvation will become a difficult task even for those who consider themselves men of God.

    He pleaded with gospel minister speak the truth at all times, saying “there’s difference between truth and facts”.

    According to him: “So many churches are moving away from the truth. And the Lord spoke to me on the need to bring back His church together and also speak to his ministers so we can receive the much needed revival in the church universal.”

    He pleaded for unity among ministers for greater exploits.

  • Prayer is the foundation of Aladura churches (1)

    Prayer is the pivot on which hangs the entire faith of the Cherubim and Seraphim Churches hence the name “Aladura Churches” in Yoruba meaning “Praying Churches.” The church believed in the absolute efficacy of prayers. Every member was expected to pray at least five times daily (6.00am, 9.00am, 12.00noon, 3.00pm, and 6.00pm).

    The founder Saint Moses Orimolade ordered that certain objects and places must be used to ascertain the efficacy of Prayers. Sacred words such as Halleluiah, Iye, and Hossanah were used as songs of Praise to God and are believed to possess the same charisma as the shouting of the Israelites over the wall of Jericho.

    Fasting is an injunction of Christ for support of prayers. Fasting is used by believers in Christ to increase their spiritual strength and to achieve success in temporal as well as spiritual matters. Members of Aladura churches were required to fast twice weekly (Wednesday and Friday) and also during the forty days of Lent. Candles were used in worship in connection with lampstand with seven branches (Exodus 25:31-37) and the seven golden lamps of Rev. 1:12-13.

    Moses Orimolade ordered the use of candles in prayer. The number of candles used at each was symbolic; 7 for the seven powers of God, 5 for the five wounds inflicted on Jesus during his passion, 3 for Trinity and 1 for One God. God himself ordered incense, to Moses and Aaron in the days of the Tabernacle. Incense raises prayers and supplications of believers to the throne of Grace.

    The Aladura churches were encouraged to use incense in worship and family prayers. Consecrated Water was used by Aladura churches for healing because of the power of God in water and power in baptism. Pharaoh was conquered by water. Noah was saved by water and Naaman was cured by water. Consecrated oil was used in healing. Olive oil was used for healing and ordaining officers.

    Sword is used for Prayers and services as a mark of warriors, which the Cherubs and Seraphs are. Staff is used in prayers by the elders as used by Moses to separate the sea and also bring water from the rock. The Aladura churches had sacred places for prayer.

    They went to mountaintops in imitation of Jesus Christ who prayed often on Mount Olivet and was crucified on Mount Calvary. Some of the popular mountaintops include Oke Igbala (Ondo), Oke Calvary (Ikare), and Okejigbo (Abeokuta). The most popular seashore is the Bar Beach in Lagos, which is still used today for prayers.

    The wearing of white garment (Praying Gown) was also significant for prayers in the Aladura churches. White clothing signified white heart and oneness in heart. It is believed that purity of heart symbolized by the wearing of white garment enhanced the efficacy of prayer. The traditional kings in Yoruba land also wore white attires as symbols of Royalty.

    It is important to note what Moses Orimolade had to say about efficacy of Prayers at the founding of “SERAFU” church on 9th September 1925.

    Hear what Moses Orimolade had to say about Prayer in September 1925.

    “There is no time in life that a Christian should be far away from our Lord Jesus Christ. The only means by which we could be near him always is by praying unceasingly.

    The only way a Christian can succeed in life’s struggle is to fast, watch and pray always with a clean hand and conscience. While we pray we keep ourselves near our God. As a strayed sheep is always a prey of robbers, let us always draw near our God which privileges abound incessant prayers.”

    “Some Christians complain that many times when they pray, they receive no reply all. It is indisputable that God answers pray but there are three major causes, which deprive one from receiving pertinent answer to his prayers namely

    1. Prayers without faith;  2. If the subject of the prayer will not be absolutely favorable to the offer or if answered, God being a merciful Father and knows the beginning and end of man, will not grant the prayer; 3.If you committed secretly or openly a grievous sin and have not found adequate time to repent it wholly and solely as to receive God’s pardon, there is little or no hope of your prayers being answered.

    The prayers of a faithful and honest man are always answered, provided such answer would be to his best advantage.

    The Classic Prayer

    It is a prayer, which Jesus taught his disciples to pray and it represents the classic prayer for all Christians.

    Matthew sets the whole Sermon on the Mount in the context of the disciples. (Matthew 5:1) ‘And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came up to him.’

    Luke tells us that Jesus taught this prayer in response to the request of one of his disciples. (Luke 11:1)’And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us how to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’

    Lord’s Prayer is not a child’s prayer or mere family prayer; it is specifically and definitely stated to be the disciples’ prayer; and only on the lips of a disciple has the prayer its full meaning. The Lord’s Prayer can only be prayed when those who pray it know what they are saying and they cannot know that until they have entered into discipleship.

    The first 3 petitions have to do with God and the glory of God. The second 3 petitions have to do with our needs and our necessities. God is first given his supreme place and then only can we turn to ourselves and our needs and desires. The second part deals with our needs and desires. First asks for bread, which is necessary for the maintenance of life and thereby brings the need of the present to the throne of God. Second asks for forgiveness and thereby brings the past into the presence of God. Third asks for help in temptation and thereby commits all the future before the footstool of God.

    In these three petitions we are taught to lay the present, past and future before the footstool of God. When we ask for bread to sustain our earthly lives, that request immediately directs our thoughts to God the father, the creator and sustainer of all life.

    When we ask for forgiveness, that request immediately directs our thoughts to God the son, Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer. When we ask for help for the future temptation, that request immediately directs our thoughts to God the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the strengthener the illuminator, the guide, the Guardian of our way.

    Being sermon delivered by: Otubu PhD (London), Dip. Theology (Ibadan) General Evangelist, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide at the Golden Jubilee Anniversary service under the leadership of His Most Eminence, Baba Aladura (Dr) Motailatu Akinadewo, Primate, Founder and Supreme Head, MCCSW