The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • Tough times have expiry dates! (1)

    Tough times have expiry dates! (1)

    Text: Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.

    At what crossroad are you in life? Are you stuck at the junction of not knowing what the future rightly holds? Are you at the boundary of either to retrace your steps, stand in the same position or move forward in life? Are things so difficult with you that you don’t know what to do next? Is the economic situation hitting you badly and you aren’t sure if there is any hope in sight? Does it have to do with your health, education or marriage? Have you lost someone precious to you or does it have to do with your income or source of income? Are things not going the way you desired when 2024 started, and the second month is ending today? Have things turned upside down with you? Are you unhappy because of recent ugly developments?  I declare to you, as the Lord lives, that what you are seeing and experiencing today are happenstances of the night time, your morning of rejoicing is here and you are going to testify to the goodness and faithfulness of God.

    From the passage of our text, David said that night time is associated with sorrow, agony and weeping. He also said that whosoever is domiciled in darkness is exposed to the issues of weeping. It is sufficient to say that the issues of weeping, sorrow and unhappiness are occasioned by powers and agents of darkness ( Ephesians 612,13) but I have a good news for you: wait for Chapter 42! Chapter 42 is the time of light, it the chapter that ends the reign of darkness. It is the chapter of peace, joy, prosperity and a new beginning. Jesus Christ said in John 8:12 that “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”. Hallelujah! As a follow up to that, He said in John 12:46 that “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness”. Jesus Christ said in effect, that: Don’t bother yourself about the issues of life that are associated with the time of darkness, wait for Chapter 42, which is the Chapter of light. When Judas betrayed Jesus Christ, Jesus told him and his accomplices in Luke 22:53 that, “When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness”. He was killed the following day and three days later Chapter 42 came, light came, and sorrow was replaced with joy. In Matthew 28:1-3, light shone, angels came down, they rolled away the stone and He arose. Yes, He arose! In Chapter 42, the story changed, weeping was replaced with laughter and sadness gave way to unending joy.

    Read Also: Experts seek policy relief as businesses face tough times

    Job was a man who God uploaded with humongous blessings in Chapter 1. He had 7 sons, he was blessed with 3 daughters, he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys and had a large number of servants working under him. In the book of Job chapter one, the night time came suddenly for him, his life was ravaged by powers of darkness and he was consequently offloaded of all the blessings – everything! In Chapter 2, his health failed him, he was afflicted with painful sores from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet (Job 2:7). He was left with his wife who, out of great anguish, told him to curse God and die. Job refused his wife’s counsel which was borne out of ignorance. The people left with him were his bosom friends – Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Eliphaz behaved as a friend in deed. He encouraged him in Chapter 5:1, that “Call now, if there be any that will answer you, and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?” In verses 8-10, he continued that “ But if I were you, I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: He does great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: He provides rain for the earth, and sends waters upon the fields”. Bildad his second friend followed suit with encouraging words. He told him in Chapter 8:7 that “If your beginning was small, your end shall be great”. Hallelujah! Zophar his third friend too sermonized him about how merciful God is. In Chapter 19 however, Job looked up, he aggregated the views of his friends and he declared that, it surely doesn’t matter what is happening today, I care not what is happening around me, I am not touched by what the powers of darkness have done to me, I know, I know and I know that My Redeemer lives. Hallelujah (Job 19:25). In Chapter 42, a new beginning came and he was restored double.

    Dear beloved, have hope in Jesus Christ, during this Lenten season, your tough times have expiry dates, God is going to come through for you and things are going to change for your good in the name of Jesus.

    Prayer: Father, put an end to this night time, restore all that I have lost and give me a new beginning, in Jesus’ name

  • Whatever is lost shall be fully restored!

    Whatever is lost shall be fully restored!

    •  Text:”….. I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…….” (Joel 2:25)

    I have been divinely permitted to announce that heaven shall fully restore all that have either been stolen, destroyed, denied or killed to you. This is your season for full restoration! It therefore matters less what Nigeria is passing through now, with regards to the economy and security, there shall be a restoration of good things to the country. The Scripture says, that, “there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. It’s roots may grow old in the ground and it’s stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.” There is hope for Nigeria! Restoration takes a process which God has kickstarted. The ‘spiritual axe’ has been laid unto the root of all unprofitable trees that have not brought not forth good fruit, they shall be hewn down and shall be cast into the fire (Matthew 3:10). A time of restoration is a time for endless laughter, joy, peace and prosperity – it is transition from sickness to health, austerity to prosperity, valley to the top of a mountain, joblessness to employment, seemingly unending family squabbles to everlasting peace and bliss, a bad life to a good life, a movement from a house to a home and an unsafe society to a peaceful environment. The Psalmist said in Psalms 126:1 that, “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion (restoration), we were like them that dream”.

    God is not giving to frivolities; He is not like men of this world that will make promises when soliciting for support and give excuses when the time for indemnification is nigh. “….  The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Samuel 15:29). Therefore, whatever He said, He has the capacity to fulfill because “…. the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof”(1Corinthians 10:26;  Psalms 50:10-11; Roomans 11:36)- He can suspend the laws of nature, reverse order, put logic to shame and make “… foolish the wisdom of this world” (1Cor. 1:20). It consequently does not matter what you may be passing through now, as the LORD lives, and according to His word, it shall end well, and it shall end in celebrations. This is your season of restoration! Weeping may endure for a night, according to David, but joy unstoppable shall come in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). This is your morning of joy!

    God promised in our text that there is hope for restoration for every issues of personal life, economy, matrimony or nation. Restoration makes an outcast a celebrity! Naaman, once a Commander of the Syrian army, was afflicted with leprosy and ought to have been confined to the colony of lepers but when he had an encounter with the Restorer, his lost years were restored. He left Syria as a leper but he returned with the skin of a new born baby (2 Kings 5:1-14).

    Restoration brings back latent capabilities!  There was a man named Jabez because he was conceived under a terrible situation. God created him with honour that surpassed the endowments of his brethren, he had the destiny of a leader but experienced the jaundiced life of a nobody. When Jabez identified this error, he cried to God and was restored (2 Chronicles 4:9-10). Gideon too had this same fate. God created him as a mighty man of valour but untoward circumstances of life reduced him to a lilliputan – instead of leading God’s army against the ‘Boko Harams’ from Midian, he was hiding his wheat from them until God found him out and restored him (Judges 6:11-12).

    The devil’s assignment in this world is to kill destinies and turn the journey of days into years, steal the joy and peace of homes and marriages, destroy the family unit, frustrate bonds of love in churches and fragment national cohesion by reverberating delimiting sectional cum political cleavages (John 10:10). Now that the devil is aware that he has but a limited time, he is more committed to his destructive agenda more than ever before (Revelation 12:12). The devil’s onslaught is launched in the affairs of men and polity when men are spiritually asleep (Matthew 13:25); that is, when spiritual things matter less, when vain glory of life are lifted high and celebrated, when love of/for money is placed above selfless service to humanity, when aspirants to political offices discountenance God’s plans for “getting there at any cost”, when people abhor the light, which is Jesus Christ, and cling more to darkness and its works (John 3:19).

    Read Also: Greedy politicians fuelling attacks on Tinubu over hardship -Arewa Think Tank

    Brethren, it doesn’t matter how grave your situation is, there is hope for you. Are you an economic or social outcast like Naaman? Have you been rejected by your family members like Gideon? You are not hopeless. The power that restored their lost years is still available today; is it that what is in your plate is far less than what you are truly worth? All is not lost as the power that restores is same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 cf Job 14:7-9). What you need to do, is to return to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the scent of water, during this Lenten season, He will accept you like the Prodigal Son and restore all the grounds that you have lost (Luke 15:11-24;John 6:37). He is a loving father. He is concerned about your state and all that you are passing through now, more than your parents or anyone else (Isaiah 49:15-16). He will do “exceeding abundantly above all you may ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

    •Prayer: Father, pay my life a visit today, wash me clean of my sins and restore unto me the joy of my salvation, in Jesus’ name.

  • Adeboye, Ezekwesili charge citizens on rebuilding Nigeria

    Adeboye, Ezekwesili charge citizens on rebuilding Nigeria

    The wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye has challenged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for the rebuilding of the ruins of the country.

    Adeboye spoke yesterday at the 10th Pastor E. A Adeboye Annual Birthday Public Lecture held at the Youth Centre RCCG, Redemption City of God, Ogun State.

    Speaking on the theme of the lecture tagged: ‘Rebuild, Renew, Restore: The need of the Nigeria Nation,’ Mrs. Adeboye said the country needs men and women who will be intentional within their sphere of influence in rebuilding the ruins of Nigeria, noting that the parlous state of the economy requires collective actions from all and sundry.

    Citing some biblical verses, she urged the citizens to emulate the likes of Nehemiah and Esther, who according to her stood up when it matters most for the rebuilding of their county.

    While decrying the Japa syndrome by the youths who are seeking greener pastures outside the shores of the country, she said, said “Nigeria is home, you still have the green pasture with you anywhere you go, more so, Nigerians were once sent back from a particular country.

    “In our homes, churches, schools, colleges, and various public places, we need to show a sign of rebuilding. Let up uphold the values of righteousness, purity, genuine love, patriotism and shine as light in our little corners,” she stressed.

    Read Also; PBAT and unrelenting opposition (2)

    The cleric further implores public office holders to be good stewards in the discharge of their responsibilities because they will one day give account to God.

    “People’s blood will be required out of your hands. You have a responsibility to lead well and shun all forms of selfishness, corruption, and attitudes that could further ruin our beloved country,” she said.

    Speaking earlier in a keynote address, former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili said that the abysmal state of affairs of the country requires the courageous acts of the political class to care about delivering good governance to the people.

    She noted that the critical nation formations which should now be well negotiated through the citizens’ emergency rescue plan for Nigeria is urgent.

    “Rescue plan for Nigeria are in two blocks which are the people with a new set of values, a rallying vision of the people of Nigeria, an agreed common identity which everyone respects and values and a public leadership recruitment system for high quality of leadership decision.

    “The second block which is restructuring include: institution building agenda, a new constitution adopted through a yes or no referendum on its provisions and a transparent and credible electoral system that deepens our democracy, efficiently conducts elections so that it regulates and penalise poor public leadership delivery by politicians to citizens by their power to vote,” she said.

    Earlier, the Convener of the prorgamme, Pastor Elder Tunji Onileaja said that the public lecture was meant to open our eyes to see the need to rebuild, renew and restore the lost glory of our fatherland.

  • Ministry taught me not to trust anybody, especially senior ministers – Archbishop John Osa-Oni

    Ministry taught me not to trust anybody, especially senior ministers – Archbishop John Osa-Oni

    Walking with God for 52 years comes with its ups and down, but oftentimes, this is rewarding, The National Vice President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (South West),  Archbishop Alagbala John Osa-Oni shared with journalists, his 52 years of serving the Lord, challenges, lessons learned, and place of the church in revamping Nigeria. ADEOLA OGUNLADE reports

    How would you describe your walking with God in the last 52 years?

    It has been with serious pain, stress, and serious beating. There were times when we were going on evangelism that we received some lashes of cane, and until they saw the Bible fall off our hands, they thought we were chasing their daughters.

    It is part of it; some of those lashes were for the Lord. It has been successful, nothing else would have been better than what God has made me to be, not what I studied in school.

    Walking with the Lord is the key and not working for him, Gen 17, God told Abraham to walk with Him and not work for Him.  When you work for Him, you have a demand. I never asked God for one car or anything, but just walking with Him, He does what he pleases with my life. It has been awesome walking with him.

    What were the challenges you faced walking with the Lord?

    I started walking with the Lord in February 1972. I was beaten in Benin City. I started with the Church of God Mission. I was one of the young men feisty for evangelism. You can ask Rev Joseph Eribo, Evangelist Ojo, who can tell how fierce I was. The day I gave my life to Christ was the day I started preaching and that same day I won 12 souls to the Lord.

    It became unbearable for my parents. In 1974, they sent me out of the home past midnight. My father was one of the assistant Chief Priests in my community. He did not know what he did, he did them in ignorance and I have not taken that against him. I love them.

    A few years ago, I went back to the house he built which was dilapidated, I rebuilt it and increased the room. I took care of him. I brought them to Lagos with my mummy before she died, to enjoy life.

    Sometimes, he will go on his knees begging to show appreciation for what God has done in my life. Going through Secondary and tertiary education was tough. But God has always raised helpers at different points in my life. I once attended Deeper Life Bible Church. It was not a church, but the communion among us was remarkable. You can go to a brother’s house unhindered, and eat their food, and it does not matter what you see in their rooms when they are not around, you eat and drop the key. Then, we were close, ate together, and trusted one another. The Christian faith then was fantastic. I still pray for the old-time believing faith. Many are in faith today because of what they want to get.  We were not in faith for anything but in faith, because we wanted to serve God that was why we could clean the floor and do anything, expecting nothing. Today, cleaners in the church are paid. It was different from what we met in 1972 as SU as we were called those days; a whole lot of things have changed.

    What is responsible for the shift from the old-time religion?

    It is worldliness. We were not thinking about what to eat those days. We just walked with God and what we wanted to eat would just show forth. We were not looking for anything. Thank God for the person I related with from 1986 to 1989, he influenced me so much and remains my father forever.

    Read Also; PBAT and unrelenting opposition (2)

    What has the ministry taught you?

    The Ministry taught me not to trust anybody, especially the senior ministers, even co-ministers. Serve God with your life and don’t trust anybody. The people you are looking up to are trying to destroy you. You need to focus on Jesus. Hebrew 12: 2, says: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Paul said follow me as I follow Christ. Paul became a role model; Archbishop Idahosa became a role model that I can follow. I can’t find his type in this world. I do pray to meet up with those standards. He beat me, he slapped me. I was not working even when Vineyard started. Archbishop Idahosa remains my spiritual father and mentor for life. One year ArchBishop went to preach in Bethel in Ajah, and he asked me to follow him. By then, God had helped me, and I was now in a seven-bedroom apartment in Ilasa, Lagos. Archbishop got to the house at about 9:30 pm and he said is this your house? I said that I leased it for 15 years. He then said, “You leased a house for 15 years? You can’t do that, you are not a bastard, you don’t do that.” He said that I should come close, he then hit me and asked how much I leased the house and I told him and he said that the money could buy me a house.

    He refused to enter the house, and the next day, he told me to come and see him and he said that there was a plot behind him and he would give me the house. I told him that I was a Lagos boy. I could not build on one plot. He thereafter called an Elder to take me to Omo Onile where I was given two plots, very close to Bishop Idahosa’s house.

    Surprisingly, the two plots were fake, I gave the money to the contact person who was an elder in the Assemblies of God, and the rest is history.

    Later, I was taken to the family of Bashiru, who later became the King of Oworosonki, where I was given the plot of where my house is today.

    I invited the Archbishop to dedicate our former headquarters in Mushin which was about the most beautiful building in the area. When he came, as he was about to cut the tape, he told me God said it was not the place. God told him there was a bigger place.

    Many of the pastors’ children are not involved in ministry because they see the work as stressful and their fathers are not always available…

    We must carry our children along. We did morning devotion together, we prayed together, and I even made them lead the morning devotion, even family meetings. When we disagree, we bring it to the floor of the house and decisions are made and we laugh over it.

    Do you have a succession plan?

    I have been praying. In 2020, I was almost handing over to one of my bishops who had been faithful to me since he joined the ministry in 1991. After he finished his youth service, and I posted him to River State, suddenly, he came back and said that God told him to leave.

    I had told his colleagues that by January 2021, I wanted to step aside so that he could move the ministry to the next level.

    My children can work in the ministry if they are interested, but if God does not say that they will be the leader, they will not be the leader. Right now, I’m going through the pain in ministry, they are leaving their lives. So, for me, we have a constitution, the next person to me in Vineyard is Bishop Betrice Rapu from Asaba, Delta State, and the next person to him is a Yoruba bishop and other senior pastors within the system. For me, it is about capacity, and I’m trusting God to hand it over to someone below 50 years who will have the grace of longevity and can push the work to the next level. For me, I will not die on this seat, God will send someone. For me, if I find the right person today, I will step aside.

    Getting your new headquarters church came with so many struggles, can you shed more light on it?

    This place has a lot of stories. The war I went to with the civil servants was unbearable, Sometimes, I got a letter to move my structure from here within the next 48 hours. It was an uphill task. When Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was governor, Jide Omoworare who was a Senator with Architect Bayo Anibaba, a commissioner went to meet Tinubu and told him what I was going through. President Tinubu, who was then the governor of the state went on a live broadcast on the Lagos State television, and the state radio station that the land by Aswani Market belonged to Archbishop Osa-Oni and Vineyard, and the harassment by civil servants stopped. In two months, he gave me my C of O and I got the approvals for the building and I paid all the money. The blood pressure Asiwaju took out of my life made me stand for him any day and anytime, no matter what people say,  I stand with him. There is no Christian leader to fight for you, you fight for yourself.

    Can you still stand for him today amid the challenges Nigerians are going through,

    Yes, he is not the cause of the current situation. The truth must be told. The Southerners need to respect a Southerner when a Southerner is the President. What is happening to Asiwaju did not start with him, it started with Obasanjo, the Southerners who fought him.

    When Yar’Adua became the President, the tempo ceased. When Jonathan became President, the war began. It is the Southerners that do not want a Southerner to become the President of this country. The truth must be told. Jonathan went through hell.

    They should give Tinubu a chance; he is just seven months old. I believe that God will use him to restore Nigeria. He said that he is coming to repair Nigeria. He saw that things had been bad. After the Supreme Court, I expected that all Nigerians would work together to rebuild Nigeria.

    Do not make the nation ungovernable for him. It is our country. I am not a citizen of another country, but Nigeria. All the presidential candidates agree to the removal of subsidies. Let’s be patient, there is indeed hunger in the land. Nigerians are resilient. We should not allow politicians, whose children are not in the country to instigate them to put laws into their hands.

    What then is the role of the church at this time?

    The church did not 100 percent stand with Asiwaju. The church must come to a point to stand with him. The church played a game, and Asiwaju was magnanimous enough to put Christians in good positions. The Bible says that we should pray for those in authority. I cannot speak ill of those in authority. Sanwo-Olu is our governor, I can’t speak ill of him but pray for him. The body of Christ owes the present government prayers. We can’t stop praying, even when the resources are in our hands. We can’t stop praying.

  • Words uttered are altars (3)

    Words uttered are altars (3)

    Text: “….As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you” – Numbers 14:28

    • Henry O. Adelegan

    From the preceding messages, it was brought to the fore that following the grumbling of the Israelites, God told Moses and Aaron that what the people grumbled about must be their possession. Consequently, God cursed them and said that, anyone who is above 20years of age will die in the wilderness and their young ones will embark on a journey of 40days for 40years. The Israelites were rewarded according to their confession. It was further highlighted that when we are in agreement with God, according His words, such confessions shall come to effortless manifestation because God puts His word above His name (Psalm 138:2) and even if heaven and earth pass away, His words shall stand forever (Matthew 24:35).

    Not only that, God has promised that as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is the word that goes out from His mouth, it will never return to Him empty but shall accomplish what He desired and shall achieve the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:10,11). 

    Please be reminded dear brothers and sisters that, things don’t just happen until they are commanded to happen by the Word of God. When you utter the written word, God makes your voice irresistible to the elements of the world. Changes only occur where and when they are commanded to occur in the place of prayers and complimented with action. You must therefore close your eyes and ears to whatever you are facing or happening around you now. Whenever what you are seeing is in conflict with what is written, opt for what is written, and what is written shall be your possession. The written words that are confessed in faith move every human, physical, matrimonial, occupational, economical and spiritual mountains, because the moment you open your mouth wide confessing His written words and become a loud faith talker, God will fill your mouths with loud and awesome testimonies (Mark 11:23; cf Proverbs 18:23) – words uttered are altars!

    Lastly, the confessed word moves God to action. Jesus Christ said in John 14:10b that, …. ‘The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works..” Jesus Christ said that I confess but it is God that does the work for me to possess. This means that whenever you speak in faith, it is not for you to know how it will manifest because the Almighty God will go ahead to perform His duty of perfecting what had been spoken.

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    Beloved in Christ, to enable you get maximum benefits from the positive words uttered during this season of Lent, you must confess your sins to Him and plead for forgiveness, ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life from today, get acquainted with His declared words through association with a place of worship where sound word of God is preached, read your Bible regularly and ensure that the words read and preached reflect positively in your life and living. 

    Consequently, you must begin to confess what He said in His words and not what you are seeing, particularly concerning Nigeria. You must never limit yourself in the place of divine blessings because you are at liberty to declare your expectations by … ‘calling those things which be not as though they were.’ ( Romans 4:17). Please remember that WHATEVER IS TOO BIG FOR YOUR MOUTHS TO SAY, WILL BE TOO BIG FOR YOUR EYES TO SEE. As the Lord lives, your uttered positive words shall be your eternal altars in the name of Jesus Christ..

    Prayer: Lord, guide the words of my mouth in line with your will and let the word confessed profit in my life life in Jesus’ name.

  • Friends, members celebrate James two years after demise

    Friends, members celebrate James two years after demise

    Friends, well-wishers and associates of the late founding General Overseer of El-Shaddai Covenant Ministries, Dr James O. James, have paid glowing tributes to his memories on the second anniversary of his death.

    James, a former lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Kaduna, according to them, was an inspirational and selfless leader who affected destinies and families in no small way.

    They spoke at the second anniversary of his demise at the Lagos headquarters of the church with the theme ‘’No gree for drugs.’’  

    At the Founder’s Day 2024, they said James lived an exemplary and impactful life that will continue to change lives and families.

    His wife, Dr Temitayo James, said being married to him was the best thing that happened to her after salvation. According to her: ‘’He had a heart for God and the people. He lived with the mind set of making changes. He was an angel who did good all the days of his life.’’

    Bishop Dare Oshowo, his friend of over 40 years, said James was a committed servant of God who served his generations.

    He urged Christians to live one day at time, knowing God could call them home any day to render account.

    The founder of Fountain of Life Assembly said James, though dead, was still speaking through his impact and changed lives, saying living was not about acquisition but transforming people.

    Assistant General Overseer (South) of the Ministries, Dr Oyeleke Ajiboye, said his thriving business was a reflection of the teachings and mentorship of James, who he described as an inspirational father.

    He said the legacies of James would continue to reverberate for years to come, stating the transformed lives and destinies were testimonies of his commitment to the works of God.  

    To help tackle the scourge of drug abuse in society, the event held a panel session on the prevalence of the menace.

    Pastor Keji Hamilton, a former drug addict and band member of late Afrobeat singer, Fela Anikulapo, said drug addiction is a spiritual problem that requires the church to take decisive actions.

    The Director of House of Joy Rehabilitation Centre said the drug industry is a multi-billion venture that barons and sponsors would do anything to sustain. He said the church must be ready to take dismantle the strongholds spiritually.

    Dr Sunday Amosu said the society is sitting on a keg of gun power based on the prevalence of drug addictions, even in mission-based tertiary institutions.

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    He said many of them have students battling addiction that are desperately hidden away from the public. The psychiatrist said something must be done to assist youths break away from the destruction of drugs.

    Dr Abiodun Kawonise said it was important for parents to become aware of the symptoms of drug addiction so that they can seek help early.

    Mr Olakunle Babalola, a dedicated public health professional, said substance drugs remained a major challenge for many youths, stating that most ladies battle the issue while society keeps paying attention to the guys.

  • Cameroonian gospel artiste Sean Emmanuel makes Africa proud with ‘Hallelujah’

    Cameroonian gospel artiste Sean Emmanuel makes Africa proud with ‘Hallelujah’

    Cameroonian-born and English-French speaking gospel hip hop rap artist and award-winning songwriter, professionally known as Sean Emmanuel, is making waves across the globe with his most-anticipated praise & worship newly released hit song titled “Hallelujah” featuring an amazing talented singing sensation and vocalists known as Kwube and Gee Gaone.

    The melodious soul-lifting classic hit song produced by Xuzi is topping charts and rocking airwaves across the globe and is available on all major music platforms worldwide.

    The prolific songwriter who already has notable singles under his strap, with hit songs like “Surugede” featuring Darlingtino, Moko featuring Cameey, “I’m Stunt”, Drop Bomb, Look at My Dab,  amongst others is well on his way in writing his name in gold on the world’s music stage.

    There have been enthusiastic reviews from people on social media and all around the world.

     Sean Emmanuel’s energetic performances in several notable shows in Nigeria such as Ay Live 2017, Yaw Live on stage 2017, Untamed2 by Funny Bone and Beef 2 with Mc Shaggi sharing stage with legendary Nigerian superstar 2baba and many others are testaments to his rising profile.

    “Hallelujah” by Sean Emmanuel has a unique style that can be traced to west and central Africa while having an afro groove that appeals to ears beyond borders.

    In the lyrics of the song, he preaches, 

    “You are God… There’s no one, in heaven or on earth like you.

    You are Lord….

    There’s no one, in heaven or on earth like you

    You made nature to sing your praise. You made all things new

    You made nature to sing your praise. You made all things new…

    Chorus:

    Hallelujah to the lamb of God who made all things new

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    Hallelujah to the King of kings who made all things new

    Hallelujah to the lamb of God who made all things new

    Hallelujah to the King of kings who made all things new”

    Sean Emmanuel is becoming a universal household name. With his latest body of work project “Hallelujah”, available on all major music digital platforms (iTunes, Apple, Spotiy, Amazon, and so on) for streaming and downloads nationwide he has scored another big mark on the music scene.

  • Eben leads top gospel stars to Grace Nation’s ‘Night of Exodus’

    Eben leads top gospel stars to Grace Nation’s ‘Night of Exodus’

    Gospel singer Eben (Emmanuel Benjamin) tops the list of artists lined up for a special vigil at the Grace Nation Global Church a.k.a Liberation City on Friday in Lagos.

    The programme titled ‘Night of Exodus’, the second of such in the New Year, will see the popular praise artiste bless worshippers at the vigil tagged ‘Night Of The Spirit’.

    Also to feature in the one-night spiritual extravaganza is Gozie Okeke, who will be backed by a strong in-house collection of artistes, including Gabriel Peters, C.Bernard and the church’s ‘Praise Team.’

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    The highlight of the night is  the ministration of the host Pastor and Founder of the church, Dr Chris Okafor. 

  • Words uttered are altars (1)

    Words uttered are altars (1)

    • Henry O. Adelegan

    Spoken words are very powerful in the life and destiny of any person, family, organisation or nation. The words uttered, to the ordinary minds, are ordinary; but to the spiritually minded, words altered are altars – they are altars with capacity to make or mar lives and destinies. Spoken words gain entry into human lives and destinies in a very subtle manner and leave either a positive or negative impact. No wonder the writer of Proverbs in Proverbs 6:2 said that, “You have been trapped by what you said and ensnared by the words of your mouth”.

    From our text, the people of Israel following the frightening words of the faithless spies raised their voices against Moses and Aaron, and they rebelled against God. They forgot all the miracles the Lord had done for them; the Israelites despised His mercies and spurned His might. In their ingratitude, they preferred death. Their murmur and vile words against God got Him angry, hence He decreed that their confessions must be their possessions. God told Moses that, as the Israelites have spoken vile words to Him so shall he do to them ( Numbers 14:29-37) – the words they uttered became their altars.

    Beloved in Christ, while studying the Word of God is a key to public manifestation, validity is given to the Word read through obedience to what He says. It is however important to note that the process is incomplete when the Word read and lived are not confessed. Your confession is your possession! ( cf 2 Corinthians 4:18). A man of God said that “Every closed mouth is surely a gateway to a closed destiny. He that had shut his mouth has shut the pathway to his destiny”, because confessions leads to possessions. In 2 Kings 4:8-end, the Shunamite woman carried a dead son on her back and was rushing out of the house. When her husband saw her and asked if all was well, she operated in faith and said that all shall be well. Eventually, the dead son came alive and the words she uttered became her altar.

    Dear brothers and sisters, it is pertinent for you to confess what you are seeing in the Word and not what you are seeing in the world, particularly at such a time when Nigeria is not exempted from the trending adverse global issues. It is mighty words, the unseen, that provoke mighty works that are seen. To be mighty in results, you must be mighty in words. Everybody’s world is a product of his words. God gave Himself unto us as an example of speaking what He desired into creation. In Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26 & 29, God spoke and in verse 31, He saw all that He spoke. Beloved, what you say is what you will see. It is what you say that sets the pace for what you see. You are a product of your words. When you speak what God says, His report shall overrule the reports of the professionals. Beloved, you are not supposed to wish or wait for a change, you are to speak change into being. Don’t look at what is happening around you, you must operate like the Shunamite woman, speak what the Word of God is saying. Don’t forget that things will follow a natural cause of action unless there is a declaration for it to be otherwise.

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    The Doctors might have told the woman with the issue of blood in Mk 5:25-34 that it had ended with her having tried for 12years  but she refused their report. The day she saw Jesus Christ, she said I believe that if I can touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole. Her confession paid off. She struggled through the crowd, she endured the beatings, she enjoyed the caustic rebukes, she didn’t complain about the shoving around and the pushing front and backwards of the multitude until she got to Jesus Christ, touched Him and the challenges of 12 years ended, even without a single prayer from Jesus – her uttered words became her altar!

    The word of God is the highest level of words. God is the most high God, His word is the most high word. When a man chooses to speak the word of God or the words that are in agreement with the word of God, that man is operating in the highest level of language and power available to man. He is speaking from a frequency that is far above the devil, his demons and the problems they cause on the earth because everything in the universe were created by the spoken word of God and they all respond to the spoken words. It shall continue to be well with you and all that are yours this season of Lent and thereafter in the name of Jesus.

    Prayer: Lord, please guide the words of my mouth and let my confessed words facilitate my full restoration in the name of Jesus.

  • Consider your ways!

    Consider your ways!

    • Text:”……. therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways……” – Haggai 1:5

    Regardless what you think about death, it will come to us all, sooner or later. The question is: Are you preparing for death? Please be informed that we are all closer to dying today than we were yesterday. It will therefore be logical to also consider: what about the “hereafter?”. What about life after this one is over? Is this all there is? A few relatively short years on this earth and that is it? Surely not, because after death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We shall all give account of our stewardship before God (Romans 14:10-12; Revelations 22:11-13). Then, it shall be a time for separation and reward (Matthew 25:31-46). When the end comes, the question is: how will you be remembered? “The clock is running’ wrote an American historian and author, Alice Morse Earle, ‘make the most of today, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift and that is why it is called the present”. Every day that you are greeted ‘Good morning’ is a day closer to that day for mourning and every ‘Happy new year’ felicitation is a year closer to the end of your years. Please, consider your ways before it is too late.

    Many years ago, a very successful man who invented the dynamite woke up to find his Obituary in all the newspapers. He decided to use that very rare opportunity to find out people’s comments about him. The headline he saw among others was startling, “Dynamite the king dies, and he was the merchant of death”. After seeing that headline he became downcast and thought to himself if that was all he meant to people and if that was how he was going to be remembered when death came calling eventually. The man never wanted to be remembered as “the merchant of death” hence he decided to rewrite the history of his life. Like the message of God through Prophet Haggai to Sennacherub and Joshua the high priest to consider their ways, the Dynamite man considered his ways; he redefined his values and decided to embark on peaceful missions henceforth. That ‘King of dynamite’ was Alfred Nobel who is globally remembered today, not as a merchant of death but for the great Nobel prizes being awarded. Quite unlike Alfred Nobel, many in the world today are agog with dissipation of energy on issues of life and things that won’t add up eventually when this world ends; and very assuredly, the world shall end with us one day (Matthew 24:38-39).

    It is baffling that with the way death has been coming for great people around, some are still ignorant that no one, irrespective of age or anointing, can stop death whenever it decides to come (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Death is certainly no respecter of persons. It doesn’t matter your age, educational qualification or status in the society, when death comes, everything will come to an abrupt end. Empires have come and been dumped in history books. Powerful politicians with great oratorial powers have come and been forgotten. Flamboyant preachers of the Gospel have died and have not been raised. Political office holders that have embezzled public funds to the point of causing the nation great pains have expired without taking a dime with them. Death will come for you unexpectedly as it came for people who were watching a football match involving Nigeria and South Africa at the recent African Nations Cup in Cote d’ivoire or as it came for one of our national pride, Roosevelt Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Bank holdings, with his wife, son and others in that unfortunate air crash. Your end too will come one day and it shall come unexpectedly. Haggai the Prophet is calling you, particularly our leaders at the home-front, spiritual positions and the three tiers of government in the states and nation, at this time of Lent, to “Consider your ways!” and I add this- before it is too late. It is important to let everyone, especially the political gladiators, know that everything with a beginning shall surely end somehow and sometime. It must also be remembered that everyone with a responsibility have an obligation of accountability and shall ultimately be rewarded for every overt and covert acts by God (Ecclesiastes 11:1; 12:13; Revelations 22:11-12). I recall with great pain in my heart what we were needlessly subjected to during the currency scarcity season in our country. That was the height of wickedness of man to man, all because of mischievous political calculations. May God forgive our leaders for the lives that were lost and hardship we experienced during that dreadful time.

    Beloved, please note that you are a pilgrim here. Jim Reeves sang that, This is not your our home, we are just passing through….. Whenever your time is up, at a time unknown, you shall be called home. It will be apt to ask you: how do you think you will be remembered when that time comes? What will be the genuine testimonies of people about you in your community, your place of work, your family members and members of your church? Will you be missed or will they say chorus ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’? More importantly, will heaven be happy to have you back or will it be a case of a failed life? The word of God to you at this time of Lent is for you to reflect very deeply on how you have been living your life, to reconsider your ways, to come to Jesus Christ who came to deliver us from the pains of this world and regrets of life hereafter, to acknowledge that He is Lord and to ask Him to come to your life. You need to redefine your values like Alfred Nobel, repent of your past deeds, have a change of attitude, invest in the work of the kingdom, assist those that are less-privileged than you and be a person of love. As God lives, you shall testify here and not regret hereafter, in Jesus’ name.

    Prayers: Oh Lord, help me and don’t allow me use the temporal pleasures of this world to destroy the bliss of the eternal home, in Jesus’ name.