The Nation Newspaper

Category: worship

  • Why there is synergy between Afrobeat, gospel music, by singer Oluwatoke

    Why there is synergy between Afrobeat, gospel music, by singer Oluwatoke

    Afrobeat and gospel music share a profound synergy, as articulated by Jeremiah John Oluwatoke, a Gospel Afrobeat singer and the creative director of the Jeremiah Music Company (JMC).

    Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Oluwatoke emphasized how these genres intertwine harmoniously, blending rhythms and melodies to create a compelling musical experience that transcends boundaries and resonates with audiences globally.

    Drawing from common historical and cultural roots, Oluwatoke highlighted how Afrobeat and gospel music weave together to form a rich tapestry of sound, celebrating both cultural heritage and spiritual expression.

     He said: “Afrobeats, with its fusion of African rhythms, hip-hop, and dancehall, is a vibrant and dynamic genre that has drawn inspiration from various musical traditions.

    “Similarly, gospel music has a rich history rooted in African-American spirituals and hymns, which have influenced generations of musicians across different genres.

    Both genres have evolved and continue to influence each other, creating a unique blend of sounds and styles.

    “As the creative director, Oluwatoke leads a powerhouse of creativity, boasting music studios and offering services ranging from jingles and adverts production to live band performances, event planning, coordination, and styling.

    With a passion for delivering soul-stirring music, Oluwatoke’s journey into the music industry was inspired by childhood experiences of singing in family devotions, leading him to master various musical instruments and pursue formal music education.

    Specializing in gospel Afrobeat, Oluwatoke’s musical repertoire spans genres including R&B, rock, Christian music, Nigerian traditional music, soul, disco, reggae, salsa, and more, catering to diverse audience preferences.

    Currently, Oluwatoke is gearing up for a live recording concert scheduled for April 28, in Lagos, with anticipation for support from industry giants and friends.

    Turning the spotlight to gospel music in Nigeria, Oluwatoke highlights its role as a source of economic empowerment for musicians, leveraging digital platforms to reach wider audiences and monetize their craft.

     Expounding on the synergy between Afrobeat and gospel music, Oluwatoke underscores their shared history and influence, creating a unique blend of sounds and styles that transcend cultural boundaries.

    When asked about collaborations, Oluwatoke expresses interest in working with Justin Bieber on future projects, while also acknowledging the wealth of talent within the Nigerian music industry

    Read Also: Wizkid’s denouncement of afrobeats misunderstood – Joeboy

    As a solo artist, Oluwatoke believes in championing his vision while surrounding himself with a dedicated team to execute premium music experiences.

     Looking back on past achievements, Oluwatoke reminisces about the success of his anthem “Momajojo” and the impactful charity event “OMPP – One-love Mega Praise Party,” aimed at giving back to the community.

    With his unwavering dedication to creating uplifting music and spreading positivity, Jeremiah John Oluwatoke continues to leave an indelible mark on the Nigerian music landscape, bridging genres and inspiring audiences with his soulful melodies and infectious rhythms.

  • Garden of Gethsemane as a Metaphor

    Garden of Gethsemane as a Metaphor

    The Gospel of Mark (14:32, 37) recounts how Jesus and his disciples arrived at a place called Gethsemane, where He found them sleeping. This biblical episode serves as a powerful metaphor, illustrating profound truths about the human experience and divine support amid adversity.

    Gethsemane, besides being a real place, and a place of tourist attraction in Jerusalem today, is a metaphor in our unavoidable life experiences. The garden represents how limited human beings are and the betrayal of close friends whenever things get awry, whether physically, economically, occupationally, or spiritually. When things are good, prosperous and promising with you, friends abound but when things get unfavorable, either through false or malicious accusations, paucity of funds at your disposal, reducing influences, etc., the friends stand aloof, malign, castigate and turn their backs to you. Human beings, in the words of the elders, enjoy the sweet taste of hands soiled with palm oil soup but detest the sight of blood-stained fingers.

    The Garden of Gethsemane also embodies God’s unfailing support to His children, even when all have forsaken and abandoned them (Isaiah 49:15-16). It is a place where close friends deny knowing you; it is a place where a person you have assisted in times past turns his back on you. It is a place where people who spoke nicely about you yesterday, have unprintable words for you today. Gethsemane is a pavilion of betrayal of trust and a citadel of evil gang-ups. It is a place where vociferous and easily believable ‘sons of Belial’ bear very strong but false witnesses against you in their bid to either nail you to the ground or get undue advantage over you (Matt 26:60; 1 Kings 2:10 cf. 1 Kings 21:8-13).

    When Jesus Christ knew that His time was at hand, He opted to pray with His trusted allies, Peter, James and John, called the Boanerges, ‘Sons of Thunder’ (Mark 3:16). He, therefore, took them to Gethsemane to intercede for Him. Unfortunately, while He was busy praying, His ‘trusted friends’ fell asleep when they were supposed to pray along with Him. All the entreaties of Jesus for them to lift Him up in prayers failed – they failed and disappointed Him when it mattered the most. That experience marked the beginning of betrayals from His closest allies, starting with Judas Iscariot who gave Him up for few pieces of silver (Luke 22:47), to His most trusted ally, Simon Peter, who had vowed to die with Him if the need arose but denied very bluntly on three occasions that he ever knew Him (Matthew 26:59-75). The only companion that Jesus Christ had for strength in His moment of agony and pain in the Garden of Gethsemane was not any of the Boanerges, but the angel who appeared to Him “…from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43).

    On the flip side, however, the Garden of Gethsemane represents the lowest point you can get to before a rise-up (John 12:24; Psalm 27:10); it is the disappointment that leads to His appointment for you. The Garden is the breaking point that heralds a divine rising, and it is the seemingly ugly bridge that connects a person on a lower spot to the citadel of destiny. Gethsemane is an unavoidable life situation that great men of faith had to ascend for divine lift-up. Abram encountered his with Lot (Genesis 14); Daniel faced his Gethsemane with the other Presidents of Babylon (Daniel 6); Shadrack and his friends had rulers in Babylon, who conspired against them at their Gethsemane (Daniel 3); Joseph was betrayed and sold by his brothers (Genesis 37) and Mordecai had issues that were predicated on envy from Haman (Esther 3:6; 5:9-14), etc. The good news however is that their Garden of Gethsemane was the ingress that took all of them to their places of destiny.

    For Jesus Christ, Gethsemane was the needed step to the right hand of God and a name with eternal supremacy over whatever is in heaven, on earth, and below the earth (Philippians 2:8-11). After His betrayal and death on Good Friday, which was a time of Suffering of the Son, was Easter Sunday which marked the supernatural intervention of the Father (Matthew 2:6; 1 Corinthians 15:4). When He arose, He was given the keys of hell and of death (Revelations 1:18).

    Read Also: Gethsemane – The Route to Glory

    Are you facing hard times at home, work or church? Are people ganging up against you in your family, among your friends or in your commission? Are your close friends turning their backs on you at your moment of need? Are you being maligned on social media because of a slip? Is it that people you are to lean on have laced their palms with thorns? Is it that close friends who are supposed to assist you to blow off specks from your eyes have pepper in their mouths to inflict damaging harm? Brethren, do not lose hope. You are already in your Gethsemane. I congratulate you because weeping may endure for a night but your joy is coming ( Psalm 30:5).

    Beloved in Christ, do you have people hovering around you and singing your praises today? Are you enjoying the attention of a myriad of people around you at work, place of commission or the society? Do you feel that you are appreciated, loved and celebrated by people around your space? I have news for you, you are yet to get to your Garden of Gethsemane. The Gethsemane experience is an unavoidable situation of life that you must get to before you can access where God had destined for you. And when the betrayals, disappointments, evil words and gang-ups come from ‘friends’, please do not feel bad or disappointed but rejoice in your Gethsemane experience because “better is the end of a thing than the beginning” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The grievousness of what you are passing through now at your Garden of Gethsemane has an expiry date. After the suffering of Good Friday is the supernatural intervention of the Father on Easter Sunday. What you need to do is to put your trust in God, He will intervene in your circumstances, and give you reasons to celebrate and be celebrated in Jesus’ name.

    Prayer: Lord, please intervene for me at my Gethsemane and let it be the platform that will lead to my Full restoration in the name of Jesus

  • Essentials of an Effective fasting

    Essentials of an Effective fasting

    Text: “….. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove… this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matt. 17:20-21)

    One of the maladies of the Christian faith is with regards to fasting, which is now being pervasively bandied in the body of Christ, as a mantra for resolution of problems or challenges. It is nowadays very common for certain people in the body of Christ to be hasty to recommend fasting to anyone with an untoward issue of life. It has also been observed that the spiritual ego of some church members is highly lifted when days of fasting are declared to by their leaders to either climax an outgoing year or to herald the birth of a new year. There is obviously no gainsaying the fact that fasting has the endorsement of our Lord Jesus Christ because of its capacity to activate miraculous happenstances and also it’s power to enhance the spiritual growth of believers (Matthew 4:1-17). It is however important to note that the effectiveness of fasting is hinged on the compliance of believers with divinely set order (Matthew 6:16-18). Any fasting carried carried with disregard to biblical dictates is a mere hunger strike and unacceptable by God. Isaiah 58:3-5 says that, “Why have you fasted, and you have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed? “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers. You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot do as you do today and have your voice be heard on high. Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?”

    The pervasive lethargy across the length and breadth of the body of Christ to critically study the Holy Scriptures has led to a gradual erosion of truth. It is this omission that has made believers have their residency with ignorance and falsehood. Paul told Timothy that, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth“ (2 Timothy 2:15). Please be informed that to receive anything from God, full obedience to His order or command is very key (Deut.. 28:1-13 cf 1Sam. 15:1-23). If you want to enjoy marriage as an example, submission to your husband in everything and to love your wife with all you are endowed with are non-negotiable (Ephesians 5:22-28). And, if you want to live long and be prosperous as a child, you must honour your parents (Ephesians 6:2-3) – any deviation from those set patterns is an invitation to crisis!

    It is an axiom of our faith that any deviation from God’s set order or demand, which is a prelude to the fulfilment of His pledge, weakens the potency of His promises, because He is a God of order and the Lord of set patterns. It therefore behoves anyone who desires to enjoy the full value of God’s promises to follow very strictly His commandments because His promises are not free – they are predicated on fulfilment of certain terms and obligations. To eat the good of the land for instance is not free; it is grounded on firstly your willingness and then your obedience to His command – any action to the contrary is an invitation to destruction. “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:19,20).

    Read Also: Seven people who are excluded from fasting during Ramadan

    From the passage where we picked our text, a man brought a report to Jesus Christ concerning his son who was a lunatic and would usually fall into fire and water. The man brought his son to His disciples to heal him but all their efforts were in vain. With a word from Jesus Christ, He rebuked the demon and the son was healed instantly. The disciples now asked Jesus Christ why they were unable to heal the boy. Jesus told them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:20-21).

    For your fasting to have an effect on any mountain, and not serve as a sheer religious affair or a merely hunger-strike, for it not be for weight reduction or serve as a means of detoxification, it is imperative to first accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you must ensure that you don’t have sin in your life and you must have also genuinely forgiven all that have erred against you (Is. 1:15-18, 59: 1-3; Matt. 6:12-14). In addition to that, an effective fasting must be complimented with regular prayers, and the prayers must be said in absolute faith in His name and acknowledgment that He has the power to save and deliver, for “..without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6). It is after you have done all those that you can be assured of an unhindered access to His throne of grace and mercy, and whatever human, official, spiritual, economic or matrimonial mountain positioned before you shall be lifted up and your life shall advance in the name of Jesus Christ.

    Prayers: Oh Lord, help me during this time of lent to do your will, and do not allow me to fast in vain, in Jesus’ name.  

  • God answers Prayers!

    God answers Prayers!

    By: Henry O. Adelegan

    • Text:” ……if we ask any thing according to His will, he hears us” I John 5:14

    One of the most spiritually heart rendering questions from believers in the world today is that, “does God still answer prayers?” Who will blame those skeptics when in actual fact a number of them have been praying without answer to their prayers; who will convince them otherwise when they have fasted and prayed and their ‘mountains’ have refused to move. John the beloved, from our text, confirmed that God answers prayers and that He is still in the ministry of granting triumph over circumstances and challenges of life. The Psalmist, while asserting the greatness of God said in Psalms 94:9 that, “He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? (Psalm 94:9). The position of the Psalmist was further buttressed in the words of Jeremiah that, “Thus says the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is His name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.” (Jeremiah 33:2-3). The precursor to prayers been answered, and a life of your Full restoration this year however, is that, it must be in tandem with His will. Anything outside that is a waste of time and efforts.

    Beloved in Christ, kindly be informed that your Full restoration in all facets of life is guaranteed but what will qualify you for it is by staying in His will. If you are out of His will or wander off His commandment, your season of prayers shall be mere noise, your days on the mountain of prayers shall be merely for excursion purposes and your season of fasting shall be bare religious practice which amounts to nothing, and not acceptable to God. The answer to such prayers shall be held down by the accuser of the brethren called the Prince of Persia until the wrongs are righted (Daniel 10:12-13).

    Who or what is this ‘Prince of Persia’? The ‘Prince of Persia’, apart from being a metaphor of the unseen, also stands for whatever is capable of not allowing believers have access to answered prayers. The ‘Prince of Persia’ that is reigning across the globe now, more that ever in history, is sin. We are in the perilous times that Paul told Timothy about, when people shall be “…. lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…(2Timothy 3:2-5)

     Beloved in Christ, kindly be informed that the Almighty God is holy and He cannot behold iniquities (Habakkuk 1:13). The principal requirement of God before He answers prayers is the spotless state of man. God told the rulers of Sodom in Isaiah 1:15 that, “… when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear for your hands are full of blood”. In Isaiah 59:1-2, God said further that “…..the Lord ‘s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness”.

    Read Also: Cleric seeks prayers for Nigeria

     Dear brothers and sisters, when you pray according to the will of God, He will give you all that you asked for and spice them up with the things He believes are right, good and proper for you. In Isaiah 65:24, God said that, “…. it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear”. Besides that, because He is God, the creator of heaven and earth (Isaiah 40:28), He has capacity to “….do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think….” (Ephesians 3:20; cf 2 Chronicles 1:11-12)

    For your prayers to be answered during this season of Lent, it is imperative of you to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, confess His Lordship with your mouth, acknowledge that He came to die for your sins, ask Him to forgive your sins (Romans 4:7,8), flee the appearances of sins, restitute your ways, separate yourself from people that influence you to sin and be a committed member of a Bible believing church. Following that, you must be thankful to God in all situations of life and stop complaining (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; Hebrews 5:7). And when you pray to God, you must pray in faith without doubting (Hebrews 11:1, 6. Matt. 21:22; 1 Timothy 2:8;James 1:5-7) and avoid praying repetitively for showmanship ( Matthew 6:5-8). Quite related to that, you must check your motives for prayers and pray with the right intentions (James 4:3). This season of Lent is the time for your prayers to be answered. It has been divinely established that there is no plan of hell and there is no scheme of men that shall be able to hinder your testimonies.

    Prayer: Oh Lord arise and deliver me from whatever is standing between me and my answered prayers in the name of Jesus.

  • It is His mercy and not your merit

    It is His mercy and not your merit

    • By: Henry O. Adelegan
    • Text:”…..Nebuchadnezzar……was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen…….” (Daniel 4:33)

    Whatever you are in the public space, whosoever you are in the polity, wherever you are in the sphere of decision making, your parental upbringing, your beauty, brilliance, talents or abilities, all that you have acquired in life and the position you are occupying in the family, place of work, church or nation are all products of God’s grace, and not predicated on your works (Ephesians 2:8-9; cf 1 Corinthians 4:7). All that you are flaunting which are giving you a false sense of importance are through His mercy and not your merit. The only character that can sustain His mercy on you, keep you standing and never allow you go down in relevance, influence and power soon is humility. Jesus Christ was an example of humility. Despite being God, He humbled Himself to the gruesome end on the Cross of Calvary. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead and rewarded Him with a name that is above every other names and that at the mention of His name every knee shall surrender (Phil. 2:6-11). It is based on this backdrop that Paul the Apostle admonished in Philippians 2:5 of the indispensability of having the same mind of humility like Jesus Christ – all are from mercy, and not merit.

    It is people who are either ignorant of the doctrine of times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 9:11) or that are a product of questionable parental upbringing who feel that they are above board and are consequently haughty, uncontrollable, unapproachable and wicked when they attain positions of authority. Perhaps it is important to remind such people that power is transient. Someone was where you are yesterday. You are there today and another person is waiting by the door to take over all of you from you. You are a product of His mercy and not absolutely based on your merit. The source of mercy has the final say. He said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him who wills, not of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy”.(Romans 9:15,16)

    The truth of the matter is that God is the only Eternal Father and He is the Ancient of days (Daniel 7:9,13,22).  He said that, “By me, kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth” (Proverbs 8:15-16; cf 1Samuel 2:6-8).  He is the Almighty God (Gen. 17:1), He has all powers at His command (Psalm 62:11) and gives it to whosoever He wills (Romans 13:1). More importantly, He has power to install whosoever He wills as king; and, at His perogative, He can remove installed kings. When the Israelites demanded for a king, He was the One who gave them Saul the son of Kish, but when Saul went against His command, He didn’t look at Samuel’s penitent outlook and repentant heart to give Saul another chance; He removed and replaced him in a jiffy (1Samuel 15). He is the Brightness of God’s glory, the Buckler to the upright, the Captain of our salvation, the Breastplate of our righteousness, the Chief Cornerstone and the Jehohah Elohim.

    Read Also: Mercy Chinwo set to hold first live concert in Lagos

    King Nebuchadnezzar was a very powerful King over Babylon, a king who had God’s delegated powers and authorities “… over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). One day, King Nebuchadnezzar became so self-conceited about all that God had blessed his life with and appropriated all the blessings to himself – he became so garrulous and egocentric like lots of leaders in our official spaces (Daniel 4:29-31). “…….But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him” (Daniel 5:19-29) King Nebuchadnezzar was chased out of the palace like an animal because of pride but when his sense was restored, he begged God for forgiveness and was restored after many years in the forest as an animal (Daniel 4:34-37). It is His mercy and not your merit!

    Brethren, humility is one of the hallmarks of Christianity. If you don’t want the hand of God to be against you, take stock of areas where you have been exhibiting pride, appreciate God for bringing you this and thus far, ask Him to forgive your sins, put off the garb of pride, ascribe all the glory and honor to whom it is due (God Almighty). Remember that you are a product of His mercy. Pride leads to shame (Proverbs 11:2), brings quarrels (Proverbs 13:-10), leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18) and brings down from the lofty height like King Nebuchadnezzar (Proverbs 29:23). It shall continue to be well with you in the name of Jesus.

    Prayers: Father, deliver me Your object of mercy from pride and clothe me with the garment of humility all the days of my life, in Jesus’ name.

  • Mothers, arise!

    Mothers, arise!

    Text: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons …… said, Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom”. (Matthew 20:20, 21)

    Every nation is a product of her motherhood. The resultant effect of mothers, when they are devoid of knowledge of their divine responsibilities, is that, the national space will be fraught with louts, thugs, hooligans, bad leaders in positions of authority and with the citizenry groping in the dark without knowledge of right life direction. Any society that is filled with badly behaved, rotten, ill-mannered, haughty, uncontrollable and indisciplined citizenry is an obvious failure of motherhood. Mothers, arise to your divine responsibilities! The passage of our text brings it to the fore the life of a mother who had knowledge of her divine responsibilities, a mother who latched unto her duties as a mother and was duly compensated by God. One day, the woman, Salome, wife of Zebedee, and mother of James and John, brought her two sons to Jesus Christ and made a request of Him to position them on his left and right sides in His kingdom. When the ten other disciples, children of mothers that were not alive to their spiritual responsibilities, mothers that were never heard of or seen all through the time their children were with Jesus Christ, knew what happened, they were upset with the two disciples.

    Beloved mother, are you alive to your responsibility as a mother like Salome? What type of mother are you? Are you a baby who is rearing indisciplined and ill-mannered children? What type of wife are you? Are you proud in your relationship with your husband, and consequently disobeying God? Mothers, arise! Where are the Ruths in the church? Where  are the women who are loving, respectful and caring to their mothers in law? Where are the mothers that will say to their mother-in -law like Ruth “Incline me not to leave you. Where you go, I will go. Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God”? (Ruth 1:16,17). Where are the “Jochebeds”, mothers who will sacrifice all to preserve the lives of their children, do everything to assist them fulfill divine purpose and free her family from the captivity of Egypt? (Exodus 1,2). Where are the sacrificial mothers like Esther that will be selfless and at the risk of their own lives would say to the family “I will go and meet the King, If I perish I perish”? (Esther 4:16). Where are the selfless mothers like Dorcas, the Shunamite women and the widow of Zarephath?

    Read Also: Mothers and Your Full restoration

    As mothers, you have divine responsibilities. God expects you to live lives that are worthy of emulation by people under your watch and care (1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:3,4). God wants you to be examples in humility, righteousness and right living. Abraham Lincoln said, “I remember my mother’s prayer and they have always helped me”. You are expected to provide leadership in the home and be models in Godly living, and not only as fashion models. You are duty-bound to match your words with your walk. You are to be very deliberate trainers (Proverbs 22:6) and lead your household to take responsibilities. You must guide your children to be able to stand alone in life and avoid absolute delegation of the care of your household to house helps and drivers. Give space for your children to know how to wash cars, cook and do their laundry. You must also be involved with their lives, know the type of films they watch and the online sites they patronize. It is important for you to know and befriend their friends, because association determines destination. You must teach them about the temporality of this world and let them know about eternity, morals, humility, kindness, holiness, diligence, respect to elders, faith, patience, time consciousness and management, service to God, philanthropic works (Proverbs 19:17) etc.

    Kindly be informed that a mother who will be appreciated at the integrative stage of her life must be disliked by the children at the formative and normative stages of their lives. Like Salome, you must be sacrificial and be willing to give your comfort, time, talents and treasure for your household. You must also be disciplinarians (Proverbs 22:15, 23:13) and set family laws and boundaries (Proverbs 1:8, 6:20). You are obligated to be a woman of prayers. You must be discretional with trust (Jeremiah 17:5,6) and view of the fact that we are in that perilous time (2 Timothy 3:1-4), you must be watchful of that uncle, aunty, sister or brother, driver, house help, pastor, evangelist and deliverance minister you entrust your children to.

    In conclusion, all husbands and children are duty bound to reciprocate the sacrifices of mothers and take care of them, honor and let them how much you appreciate them. Don’t wait till their passage before you write nicely worded tributes about them and commence renovation work on their buildings. Please indulge the mothers in your life with befitting lives and not befitting burials, celebrate them when they are alive, buy them cars, build houses for them, purchase good clothes for them and place them on monthly allowances. As you do all these, God will prosper your ways and grant you long life, and Nigeria shall be a better place for us all in the name of Jesus Christ.

    Prayer: Lord, give us hearts to do your biddings as mothers, children and parents in the name of Jesus Christ

  • Theme: Beware of alternatives! (4)

    Theme: Beware of alternatives! (4)

    • By: Henry O. Adelegan
    • Text:”….. one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part…..” (Luke 10:42)

    Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus had the problem of choice when Jesus Christ visited them at their house at Bethany – they were torn between taking care of Jesus Christ and sitting at His feet to listen to His word. They were caught in the web of choice between temporality and eternity. Martha chose the former. She went to the kitchen and was preparing Jesus’ meal while Mary chose the latter, she sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to the word of God. This drew the ire of Martha who apparently was so distressed and “distracted with much serving” and frustrated that her sister didn’t help out in the kitchen but sat at Jesus’ feet while she did all the work. Jesus then replied her that the choice that Mary made was the only needful thing while her own part was needless. He added that the choice of Mary was not only needful but it’s a part that no one could ever take from her.

    Mary of Bethany was a lady who knew the right way and pursued it without counting the cost or minding whose ox was gored (Luke 9:62). One day, Jesus Christ visited her family with the disciples at Bethany and while all were seated to eat, Mary had the option of either using her costly perfume on herself or ‘wasting it’, as Judas Iscariot assumed (John 12:5-6). Mary broke the costly ornament on Jesus Christ and also used her hair to rub it on His leg. She chose the best of the available options and was acknowledged by Jesus Christ that she chose wisely. She voted for the manna from above, she chose Jesus Christ who is “….. the bread of life….” (John 6:35) and had the guarantee of never to hunger or thirst. Mary chose to meditate on the word of God and strained herself to do all that was written therein hence she had good success (Joshua 1:8 cf 2 Timothy 2:15). She didn’t lose her reward as Jesus Christ promised that “….Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her” (Matthew 26:13).

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    By “choosing the best”, Jesus meant that those whose priority in life is Christ, the knowledge of Him, and nearness to Him have chosen what will last through eternity, such as the “gold, silver and costly stones” referred to in 1 Corinthians 3:11-12. From this incident, we learn that those who are distracted with mundane and earthly cares are building upon the foundation with “wood, hay and straw,” materials which will not stand the fire that comes to us in times of testing, nor will they be remembered in eternity. It is incontrovertible that some people vote for things that are needless, like Martha, as against the things that are needful; a lot of people opt for things that have temporal value to ways of eternal life while others choose to be selfish as against being selfless. Jesus Christ encourages us to “Labour not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him has God the Father sealed”. (John 6:27).

    Are you serving at the tables or learning at His feet? Are you concerned and troubled about pecuniary gains and benefits for yourself and your family as against the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness? Are you living for yourself alone or using what God has blessed you with for the benefit of other people? It needs be said that the choices you make today will determine your peace and how you will be rewarded here on earth on the morrow and of course when this world shall be no more. Jesus Christ is the way, He is the truth and He is the life. Choose Him today as the master of your life, ask Him to forgive your sins, accept Him as your Lord, ask Him to come into your life and allw Him to take over the driver seat of your life, you will never regret your decisions today and in the future. 

    Prayer: Lord, give me grace to be like Mary of Bethany and not her sister Martha. When my life ends here, make me worthy of your heavenly crown, in Jesus’ name

  • Theme: His Grace will raise you!

    Theme: His Grace will raise you!

    Text: “… by the grace of God I am what I am…..” 1 Cor. 15:10

    • By: Henry O. Adelegan

    The Grace of God in human race is what qualifies the unqualified for higher posts, lifts to glorious positions and uploads to enviable honour. Whenever grace steps in for a person, every form of disabilities are overlooked. Moses, like Apostle Paul, had a terrible background (Exodus 2:11-15) but when grace stepped in for him, his  story changed (Isaiah 60:15). Esther was a lady that was unqualified to be a Queen but the grace of God qualified the unqualified Esther and made her a Queen over Babylon. Joseph too experienced His grace from the moment he was born as a special son to his parents (Gen. 37:3), and it was grace that lifted him to become the Prime Minister in Egypt, even without any certificate in Economics or a degree in either Law or Public Administration, and God uplifted him to become a global celebrity(Gen. 41:40-44).

     When grace steps into the race of a man, it puts an end to sufferings, it perfects the ways of the helpless, it stabilizes tumultuous relationships, it boosts weak economies, it strengthens the weak and it settles the hopeless. 1 Peter 5:10 attests to it that, “the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, shall make you perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you”. It is pertinent to note that human efforts are without enviable result in the absence of His grace. It is His grace that validates your race; and without His grace on you, your life, endeavors and struggles shall be fraught with endless struggles and end in disgrace. No wonder Solomon declared that “the race is not to the swift, battle not to the strong, riches not to men of understanding and favor not to men of skill but time and chance happens to them all.”(Eccles. 9:11). When His Grace steps in for you beloved, the power of God shall give you direction and do exceedingly abundantly above all that you are thinking or asking for (cf Ephesians 3:20). When His grace is on you, there is no height you cannot scale, there is no position you cannot attain and there is no possession you cannot acquire.

    This explains why the Psalmist said in Psalms 127:1 that except the Lord gives grace to build a house, they build in vain that took a loan to buy a land, and that if the Lord does not keep you, your human security is a mere social status symbol and amounts to nothing. Why? It is His grace that has the capacity to change the game of life and turn an underdog to a celebrity and turn challenges of life into testimonies! Jesus Christ said in Matt. 6:33 that when you seek first the kingdom of God and pursue His righteousness, grace shall be provoked on your behalf, the game of life will change and you shall have more than you bargained for because all your physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self actualization needs shall be added unto you. Why? It is His grace that has the capacity to change the game! It therefore doesn’t matter the challenges you are passing through in your race now, I have good news for you: the grace of God in your race shall change the story. I therefore declare that the grace of God shall speak for you in the race of your life today and grant you full restoration that shall astound your enemies and friends in the name of Jesus Christ.

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    Saul was a man with a heinous antecedent before Jesus Christ encountered him on his way to commit more atrocities against the early church in Damascus. It was following that incident that his name was changed from Saul the persecutor to Paul the Apostle (Acts 9:1-19,13:9). From our text, Paul the Apostle informed the church in Corinth that he towered above the other disciples and echoed it that his elevation to that high pedestal was not affirmed on neither his works nor his worth but by the grace of God. The grace of God found him out, the grace of God changed his life story and the grace of God lifted him up. I am confident that your story of lift up by grace shall be next. Nigeria shall be better and stronger. God will give our leaders the needed wisdom to steer the affairs of the country and the past glory of Nigeria shall be fully restored in the name of Jesus Christ.

    To enable His grace change the game for you during this season of Lent, please cry to God to forgive your past sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ, cry to Him to help you, don’t consider that you have apprehended, forget the things which are behind, remain resolute in Christ Jesus and press on towards the goal to win the prize which has been set before you. As the Lord lives, His grace shall rest on you this month of March 2024, the game of your life will change for the best and your story shall be to His glory in the name of Jesus Christ.

    Prayer: Oh Lord, let your grace change the game of my life for your glory in the name of Jesus Christ.

  • Adebayo bags award from Canada, Ontario govts

    Adebayo bags award from Canada, Ontario govts

    The Federal Government of Canada and the State of Ontario in Canada have honoured one of Nigeria’s church leaders, Prophet Olusegun Joshua Adebayo, for his impactful role in the society and being an example to young people in Africa.

    Prophet Adebayo is the founder of Christ Apostolic World End-Time Revival Ministry (CAWERM).

    The award from Canada was facilitated by Rev. Dr Olu Aladejebi and his wife Evang Funmi Aladejebi.

     The couple came from Canada to present the award to the cleric.

    Barely two weeks after the honour from Canada, the African Students Union also gave a lifetime leadership award to Prophet Adebayo.

    The leadership of the union which were drawn from about seven countries in Africa presented the award to the cleric in his Lagos Church.

    Commenting on the awards from Canada, Aladajebi gave an account of how he facilitated the award for Prophet Adebayo.

    According to him, it was the good works of Prophet Adebayo and the great impact he has made over the years in the lives of many people known to him that made him push for the honour from Canada.

    He said that was the only way he could  pay him back for his sacrifices and love for humanity over the years.

    Aladejebi said at the presentation: “We thank God for what God is doing through our father. We experienced the miracle of God in his life. Our day of testimony is coming. My wife and I thought of what do to appreciate our father for his great impact in our lives and the society in general. 

    ‘We don’t have money. Even if we give him money, it will be exhausted.. My wife and I wrote to the federal government of Canada and also to the Ontario State government. We narrated a lot of things we experienced and the touch of God we received. And we asked that they be recognised in the country of Canada and state of Ontario.’

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    “The state government and Federal government have approved the recommendation. It is to appreciate the church of God and for the glory of God. Not all churches have such privilege. We give glory and honour to God who gave us the privilege to be able to do this. You are well recognised throughout the world.”

    He said further that the awards are a testimony to the cleric’s unwavering commitment and timeless effort in impacting his community. The Federal Government of Canada through the House of Common is hereby presenting a Lifetime achievement award of global missionary work to you. We look forward to witnessing your continued influence on community. We like to extend our wishes for the continued success of your future endeavour.”

    The representatives of the African Students, Antony Manyara while presenting their award to Prophet Adebayo noted that he has lifted many young people.

    Manyara who is East African Students Union President and also President of Kenya Students Union  said, “We are here to thank you, encourage you and position you as example to others.  We watch your service a lot in East Africa. We wish you come to establish more branches of your Church in East Africa more than West Africa.

    “This award is being presented for your good works, for building men and building Africa. The youth of Africa have benefited a lot from you. We have the challenge of young people going astray. If we can learn from your person, African youth will do well. The president, Osisiogu Osikenyi has given me the grace to present this instrument of gratitude for your selfless contribution to the progress of Africa”

    Responding to the awards from Canada, Adebayo thanked the facilitators and expressed gratitude for the recognition.

    He expressed willingness to continue to project right values and impacting more lives.

    While responding to the award from African students, he expressed appreciation to God for being an African.

    He said: “I bless God that I am an African. All over the world, apart from children of Israel, Africa is the most blessed continent. The West are using our resources to prosper. China came to limelight through Africa. The seat of God is in Africa. God speaks to me concerning Africa and the youths.”

    He appreciated God for the life of the African students while making a prophetic declaration that one of them would become a president. 

    His words, “I give God glory for your life. One of you will become the president of your country. It is not of the flesh, it is of the spirit. One of you will become president”

    He said further: “God spoke to me that he wants to endow the youths in Africa. God told me many things will be discovered in Africa that will be of global benefit. God said to me Africa will begin to invent some technology that will be different from that of the West.”

    Adebayo recalled an invention by a Zimbabwean and how the West is trying to frustrate the invention. 

    He warned that some people are after the life of the inventor because they believe nothing good can come from Africa.

    He urged young people in Africa to rise and support the cause of technology and give a backing to the Zimbabwean that came up with the unique invention on car and aircraft that do not use fuel.

    The cleric also used the opportunity to campaign against Big Brother Africa programme asking that the programme be replaced with a pro-technology programme that will be of huge benefit to humanity. 

    “God told me that he has deposited knowledge in Africa. I want to encourage you to move around African countries and discover youths that have technological knowledge.

    ‘ Youths of African rise for this. Presidents of Africa should stop embezzling the continent’s wealth. Any country that has resources should rather plan to maximise the resources”

    Other award received by Prophet Adebayo was the Africa Heritage Award early in the year.

    The facilitator of the award, Mr Damilola Akingbagbihun who unfortunately has passed on described Adebayo as an inspiration to the African continent.

    He noted that the cleric is proudly African, always putting on African attire during his public engagements.

  • 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.

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    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