The Nation Newspaper

Category: worship

  • The church has failed Nigeria – Concerned ministers’ forum

    The socio-political challenges facing the nation are down to the failure of the church to project values that will shape the spiritual atmosphere for maximal impact, a group Concerned Ministers Forum has stated.

    The interdenominational group told reporters last week in Lagos that Nigeria will never get out of the wood until the church functions in her full capacity.

    Convener of the forum, Bishop Abraham Olaleye, said the church failed the nation by embracing sensual messages that promote greed and materialism.

    According to him: “We declare with the deepest sense of responsibility that the church, of which we are blessed to be part of, has woefully failed Nigeria.

    “The church failed Nigeria by its careless embrace of the purely sensual messaging. The church has turned its historic mission upside down, abdicating its sanctifying purpose and the sanitizing power of its presence, becoming rather the chief accomplice in Nigeria’s unbridled initiation into satanic pursuit of perishable material gains.”

    The elevation of the prosperity message by the church, according to the renowned evangelist, “is patently ungodly and plays directly into the infernal plans of Satan for Nigeria, emptying the gospel of its real redemptive power while rousing gullible masses of false worshippers to mental enslavement.”

    He berated church leaders for engaging in what he described as vain competition for material possessions, saying the development creates a cynical mindset among the struggling masses.

    He stated the overflowing presence of churches across the nation has become a misnomer because of the fading influence of the faith, urging church leaders to drop material teachings for real, lasting messages.

    Olaleye called for true repentance among church leaders, saying the nation will experience a positive turnaround the moment they preach the real, authentic as against the man-induced gospel.

    He assured that once the church returns to the real gospel, there will be marked difference and progress across the nation.

    Senior Pastor of Agape Generation International Lagos, Rev Toyin Kehinde, challenges churches to return to evangelism and discipleship.

    He said: “As long as we don’t evangelise, we will keep having banditry, kidnapping and criminal acts. These bandits could have been saved if we had reached out early to them.”

    General Overseer of Christ Image Assembly Lagos, Rev Bode Orekoya, told church leaders to return to the practice of charitable acts.

    “Our youths are being enticed by criminal elements because we do not support them. If we support them with resources, they will be empowered and given to legitimate earnings,” he argued.

  • Cleric to Buhari: release Sowore, others

    Senior Pastor of the Awaiting The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ Gospel Church in Akure, Ondo State, Adewale Giwa, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to release the founder of Saahara reporters, Omoyele Sowore and other political detainees.

    On September 20, the federal government slammed Sowore with seven charges bordering on alleged treasonable felony, fraud, money laundering and cyber-stalking.

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal Court in Abuja ordered his release after observing the 45-day ruling to keep Sowore detained had expired.

    But days after meeting the bail condition, the DSS had yet to release Sowore.

    While describing the action of the DSS as against the principles of democracy, Pastor Giwa called on President Buhari to remember God that saved him from a long medical absence in the United Kingdom and set Sowore and others free.

    Read Also: ‘It’s premature for Presidency to intervene in Sowore’s case’

    “We make plans but the Lord determines our steps, according to Proverbs 16:9. Nobody is greater than Almighty God who created us, and everything is temporary, nothing is permanent.

    “I don’t know whether Christians and Muslims are serving the same God. If we do, president Buhari should think about the God that saved him from illness in the UK and listen to the cries of Nigerians.

    “Since 1999, Nigeria has produced three Presidents before Buhari and none of them is there as a sitting president. Your time shall go, and another person shall come in.

    “Out of the three past presidents, Nigerians today can talk about who did well or not. The most important philosophical question to ask ourselves is that; what can somebody say after you?”

  • Kaduna church builds bridges

    No fewer than 34 people, including 11 Muslims, have benefited from free surgeries by Mercy Angel Hospital, Kaduna.

    The surgeries were carried out by volunteer doctors from the United States of America, Wales and Nigeria.

    The team also carried out other medical interventions at the outreach sponsored by the Restoration Bible Church and Ministries, Ungwan Romi in Southern Kaduna.

    Alhaji Wada Adamu, a resident of Sabon Gari, Tudun Wada Kaduna, never thought he would ever cross over the River Kaduna bridge to the southern part of Kaduna because of the belief that the area is not safe for Muslims.

    Yet he needed to take the risk along with his son because he was in dire need of surgery to survive an undisclosed ailment.

    He eventually made the plunge and lived to appreciate the outcome.

    The General Overseer of the church, Rev. Tunde Bolanta, said the church decided to extend the intervention to the Muslim community to build bridges.

    An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Nureni Ashafa, facilitated the involvement of the Muslim community.

    Bolanta said the intervention was designed to build bridges of unity between Muslims and Christians.

    According to him: “I have personally been burdened that the narrative needed to change regarding the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna State and the nation at large.

    “We must build bridges of hope and friendship across the religious divide, restoring the confidence of the past through people of goodwill.”

    The medical intervention, according to him, was sequel to hand of fellowship extended to the Muslim community in Tudun Wada during the Ramadan fast.

    He said: “Our partnership with Sheikh Ashafa to give out gifts to 500 persons during Ramadan comprising the aged, widows, orphans and the physically challenged was significant in confidence building for our Muslim community to participate in the medical and surgical intervention.

    “Eleven surgeries were successfully carried out for our friends in the Muslim community.

    “It was a bold step for them to come into this area for surgery because according to Sheikh Ashafa, Muslims consider this part of the town (southern part of Kaduna metropolis) a red zone while Christians also consider the Muslim part of the city a red zone.”

    Bolanta believed that it was possible to rebuild the Kaduna of the past where everyone lived in peace with each other irrespective of tribe or religion.

    H said: “We hope that we can build on the friendship for the greater good of society.”

    The doctors carried out the 34 surgeries successfully, including a 5hrs 10 minutes hysterectomy of a 9.5 kg Fibroids filled uterus.

    For ten days, they carried out free surgeries to beneficiaries who could not afford medical treatment.

    Bolanta said over 1000 persons have also benefited from the skill acquisition programme of the church while the orphanage home attached to the hospital has continued to receive Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Sheikh Nureni Ashafa, who led members of the Muslim community in Kaduna to benefit from the intervention, described it as a fulfillment of the directives of God.

    He recalled how Restoration Bible Church provided food items for the Muslim community during the last Ramadan fast, pointing out that about 500 people benefited from food items.

    Ashafa said the values God will recognise is not how much money you have, but how much you are able to touch people’s lives positively, saying “where are those values that is there in to scriptures?

  • Adeyemi, Awosika, others canvass financially accountable churches

    Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre Lagos, Sam Adeyemi, Chairman First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Founder Alder Consulting, Leke Alder and other stakeholders have appealed to churches to acquire management skills that will make them financially accountable.

    They stated that only such churches with good governance structure can shape the nation in the path of righteousness.

    They spoke last week during the official launching and inaugural conference of the Christian Financial Accountability Association (CFAA) in Lagos.

    The voluntary platform was conceived for Christian leaders and financial stakeholders to explore how churches can be structured to achieve proper governance standards.

    It is determined to embark on governance activities designed to improve transparency of church administration.

    Adeyemi, who spoke as the chairman of the CFAA Nigeria inaugural seminar, called for the sensitisation of the church on the needs to drive corporate governance and financial accountability.

    He said contrary to popular thinking, most churches are actually not rich because “about 75% of churches have less than 100 members and they are just managing their little resources but the fact remains that most of the leaders lack financial management skills. This is what CFAA is out to correct through education.”

    While acknowledging the roles of churches in developing economies, Adeyemi conceded they have invested so much in nation building.

    The efforts, he however pointed out, are being eroded by lack of accountability and corporate governance.

    He appealed to churches to strengthen capacity in becoming more efficient and effective.

    “CFAA as self-regulatory association of churches and Christian organisation is better positioned in helping to realise this by facilitating financial accountability, ethical and governance standards as well as biblical doctrine for all members,” he added.

    Awosika described the seminar as timely and valuable to churches to avert future ethical and administrative crisis.

    According to her: “The biggest model of influence in our nation is the church, which shapes the mind of societies in many ways. Hence the church needs to be pragmatic in its activities”.

    Awosika was of the view that churches should be structured by providing leadership portfolios and filling them up with individuals of the right character.

    “By possessing the right structure and working right, the church will serve as a model of integrity such that when the government comes there is courage to address challenges.

    “The nation is in troubled times as there is prevalent moral decadence. The overall essence of structure is that it allows for appropriate response,” she stressed.

    Alder highlighted the underlying problems that several church bodies face with government, noting that the CFAA Nigeria will reposition the Church as an island of best practices.

    Alder noted that the CFAA Nigeria was the commencement of a new era in the administration of churches which hope to achieve not only financial accountability but also spiritual development.

    Head, Tax and Regulatory, PriceWaterHouse Coopers, PwC West Africa, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said not-for-profits organisations, such as churches, must be accountable to achieve good public goodwill and perception.

  • 250 kids get school supplies from church

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Light House Parish Lagos has donated free school shoes to 250 children in Bariga community in Lagos.

    Pupils from over 10 public and primary schools in Lagos benefitted from the scheme.

    Children thronged into the premises with their parents, and teachers with great excitement.

    One of the parents, Mosorayo  Banju, expressed gratitude for the  gesture.

    “I came with 10 children and they were all attended to. It is great effort and I must commend the church for this initiatives.

    “I will implore other individuals and corporate organization to show more support to the less privileged in the society,” she said.

    The Parish Pastor, Olalekan Koya, said the annual event was designed to give back to members of its immediate community.

    The Second Vice Chairman Somolu Parents School Forum,  Moshood Onifade, commended the church for the initiative.

    The gesture, according to him, will instill the virtues of love, compassion and patriotism among children who benefitted.

  • ‘Church leaders should allow members know God on their own’

    Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Christian Benefits, Pastor Wole Olarinde, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on the 20th anniversary of the publication and sundry matters. Excerpts:

    How has it been running a Christian magazine in the last 20 years?

    The experience is exciting and intriguing. It is exciting in the sense that the publication has afforded one the opportunity to know more about the Church, church leaders, the Christian faith of diverse denominations, practices and beliefs.

    Another exciting aspect of the one year experience is that it has helped one to develop a passion for souls, particularly the unreached souls on missions, the poor and the dejected in the society. It has widened my horizon on missions and deepened my interest in missionary activities.

    This has given me further challenges to extend the scope of the magazine coverage beyond those areas where the gospel is already known by most people to the areas where the gospel has not been heard at all. The intriguing aspect of the experience includes the lack of interest of most Christians in reading or buying Christian news publications.

    This is quite discouraging, particularly if the publication does not belong to their church or does not put the photograph of their General Overseer on its cover, most of them won’t buy it. This is why Christians Benefits often loads its cover with many photographs of pastors. All the same we thank God who has given us the grace to press on irrespective of whether we put the photographs of some G.Os on our cover or not.

    But why do most church members want the photographs of their general overseers on the magazine cover?

    This is not far from the posture of most general overseers. Directly or indirectly, many general overseers make their followers reverence them as God. It’s a pity most Christians today worship their general overseers instead of God. They see their GO as the only person whose messages they should read, whose photographs alone they should see, whose prophecies alone they should believe, whose teachings alone they should imbibe and whose warnings alone they should yield to.

    It’s quite disheartening that most Christians today don’t know or enjoy their liberty in Christ Jesus through the knowledge of the scriptures Even, when some general overseers preach messages out of the flesh instead of the spirit of God, they would believe everything rather than searching the scriptures on their own or by reading Christian news publications to verify the spiritual truthfulness of those messages from the flesh.

    They are simply satisfied with whatever the GO feeds them; even it they are errors. 11 Timothy 2:15 says “Study to shew thyself approved unto God….” And what are we to study as Christians to show ourselves approved unto God if not the Bible and evangelistic Christian publications like Christian Benefits magazine?

    But some churches feel that they must protect their members from reading publications or sermons that are against their doctrines? Isn’t that proper?

    It’s sheer hypocrisy. If they want to monitor what their followers read, would they be with them in their houses where they read anything that catches their fancy? Many churches promote and encourage pretenses and hypocrisy. And that’s why lots of Christians have dubious or camouflage personalities.

    The characters most Christians put up in the church are quite different from the one they put up outside the church. God has given everyone the will power to make independent decisions and form individual opinions based on personal convictions. Churches should not only allow but also encourage their members to read any Christianity-oriented publications to help develop themselves in areas their churches are lacking.

    Church leaders shouldn’t enslave their members to their ideologies without their individual convictions. Joshua allowed the Israelites to exercise their self-will (conviction) in Joshua 24:15, when he told them, “And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day that ye will serve….. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

    It is when the people are convicted by certain doctrines that they can be self-willed to take decisions. But when you want to force one belief or doctrine on the people by monitoring or guiding what they read without their own personal conviction by studies, you make pretenders out of them. You cannot compare a student who reads only the books his teacher recommends with a student who reads other books, journals, notes, periodicals and other materials that are relevant to his studies beyond what his teacher recommends.

    Churches should encourage their members to exercise their self-will independently. After all on the judgment day, they are not going to be accountable to their pastors but to God, based on their individual decisions on earth and not the decisions of their pastors.

    Churches should allow their members to enjoy their liberty in Christ Jesus instead of the idiosyncrasy of my pastor says, my pastor says that is enslaving many Christians. Lots of Christians can’t pray alone without their pastors. They can’t worship God without their pastors.

    Whenever their pastor is absent in church the congregation drastically reduces because most pastors have built their churches round their personalities. And when they die their flock scatters. Several vibrant churches have died with their founders/pastors.

    How has publishing widened your horizon on missions?

    When I discovered how rural missionaries suffer hardship on mission fields whilst winning souls for Jesus with inadequate funds and ill-health, I wept. My heart bled. They are people who are really doing the work of soul winning (evangelism) unlike town and city evangelists who are merely engaging in recycling activities as evangelism. As a result of my encounter with rural missionaries I developed a passion for missions.

    What do you mean by recycling activities?

    What I mean is that in Lagos and other big cities across Nigeria, most of the new converts in many churches are not actually new converts. Most of the supposed “new converts” previously belonged to some churches as members.

    So they have heard the gospel before though they may not have a serious walk with the Lord. So, what one sees in town or city churches is movement of people from church to church in cycle seeking miracles, healing, prosperity and breakthrough from one church to another.

    The so-called “new converts” in the churches are recycled converts who had previously been converted in other churches. You don’t call such people new converts but backsliding or miracle-seeking converts. The new souls that should be evangelised as new converts are on the mission fields. Unfortunately the people who are making efforts on mission fields are not being encouraged

    Why are you so emotive about the plight of rural evangelists or missionaries?

    First, unreached souls that should be converted are on the rural mission fields. Unfortunately, most of people who are making efforts towards the unreached in rural areas are not being encouraged, especially by most city churches. Most city churches are only committed to wasting fund to building magnificent cathedrals and camp grounds and competing with one another; whereas most of these hapless missionaries to rural fields lack even microphones to preach the gospel to the lost souls.

    Most city churches have fleet of missionary buses with missionary boldly inscribed on them but only use such vehicles for transportation of their members to the Owambe parties of their rich members.

    Many churches collect missionary offering but how many percentages of such offering do they channel to rural missionaries to support their missions? Some churches collect missionary offering, yet they don’t have a single rural missionary they sponsor.

    All these irk me and opened me up to what missionary activities mean in relation to the propagation of the gospel. As a Christian media ministry it is our duty to awakening churches to their primary responsibility of getting the gospel preached to everywhere according Jesus’ commandment to us believers in Mark 16:15-20 and not church conventions or anniversaries and others that are not the basic cause of the gospel.

    Churches should channel their energy to conversion of souls in the rural fields by encouraging rural missionaries with adequate funding. Instead, some wealthy town or city preachers would prefer organising Church growth seminars, Leadership conferences, Anointing Impartation, Breakthrough services etc without such programmes aimed at winning the lost souls even those in their midst.

    Rural fields are full of missionaries toiling in pains yet some church leaders in town and cities are sitting atop billions of dollars; building parishes and branches like bird nests and universities that the poor member of their churches cannot afford for their children.

    God is laying something in my heart to assist missionaries in raising funds for them to enhance missionary activities to the unreached in the rural fields.

    So, how did you conceive the idea of publishing a Christian magazine?

    God works in mysterious ways. Immediately I finished my NYSC programme in 1998, I went into a private marketing communication business with some close friends. After a year doing the business, the youth fellowship of my local church invited me to develop and edit a journal for the church.

    Incidentally, I’m always critical of some activities in churches generally. And here is an assignment given to me to promote my church activities. However, I accepted the assignment. And along the line God launched me into his purpose my life with the vision of Christian Benefits magazine.

    The Lord first arranged my engagement by Media Review magazine. On my first day at Media Review, God drew my attention to a book on the desk of my editor, Mr. Lanre Idowu, on how to run a small newspaper business with a little capital base. I digested the book and it was helpful in starting Christian Benefits magazine few months after my appointment at Media Review.

    I started Christian Benefits with my next salary of N5, 500 at Media Review.

    How is that possible to start a newspaper business with such meagre capital?

    All I did was as soon as God laid it upon my heart to start the magazine, immediately I collected my next salary of N5, 500 I started running around for the materials, interviews, articles, news and testimonies etc for the maiden edition of the magazine. Until I left Media Review few months after I started Christian Benefits, I sunk my salaries into running the magazine.

    How was that convenient, considering your other needs that required money?

    It was just the grace of God.  I had to deny myself comfort. God instructed me in September 1999 to start the magazine and I launched the maiden edition in January 2000. Few months later, I was relieved of my appointment at Media Review. I started as the only reporter, researcher, circulation officer, re-writer, proofreader, librarian, marketer, advert canvasser, editor and everything of the magazine.

    I avoided engaging staff because I didn’t have money to pay salaries. The only time I employed three people to assist me in the circulation I got my fingers burnt as I couldn’t pay their salaries any longer two months after I engaged them. So I had to disengage them and continued carrying my cross alone. I’m very popular with my flowery circulation bag that I sling on my shoulders to churches sell the magazine.

    Wasn’t that cumbersome for you alone to perform all these responsibilities?

    One should just thank the Lord for His favour and grace that gives me the strength and good health to do all these alone. I will repeat. The life and story of Pastor Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase on how he started his chains of magazines really encouraged me.

    I don’t believe one should wait till he has millions before one can venture into any business, especially if the venture has the backing of God like Christian Benefits. With focused determination, absolute faith in God and his favour, self-denial and perseverance, one can start any business, no matter how the little capital base is

    Don’t you sometimes feel scared of the preponderance failure of Christian news publications to survive for long before they disappear? Also, don’t you sometimes feel threatened by already established Christian news publications that boast of strong capital bases and resources to operate with?  

    I have never for once felt scared of anything whatsoever because I’m called of God. The Lord who commissioned His assignment into my hands has always been with me. I’m a die-hard and rugged optimist. I don’t believe that because some people failed in some certain ventures, the same may be my own plight.

    No, I don’t nurse such fears! Again, I avoid competitions. I don’t compete with anyone. I don’t envy anyone. I walk at my own pace. I keep to my originality. I don’t listen to criticism or condemnation. All these do not make me get scared of whatever any other person is doing or make me feel threatened.

    When some people compare Christian Benefits with others, I don’t bother myself. I just concentrate on doing my best within the available resources at my disposal. Most of these publications people tend to compare Christian Benefits with operate with millions, adequate personnel, materials and other required resources.

    Christian Benefits started with N5, 500 in 2000 and it survives till now. If we had similar opportunities in terms of funds and personnel like the mentioned publications, it will sure do better than what its situation.

    But all the same Christian Benefits has its own faithful and loyal readers.  So, we are not threatened by what other Christian news publications are doing. I’m not competing with anyone because I’m called of God.

  • Walking in financial dominion!

    Welcome to another impactful week. I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Walking in Financial Dominion!

    We discover from scriptures, among others, that every child of God is ordained to walk in financial dominion.  As it is written, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9; see also Deuteronomy 8:18; 3 John 1:2). It is important to note that the end-time church is ordained for financial dominion. As it is written, And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3). In addition, according to Haggai, God will be unleashing financial fortune upon the end-time church.  It is written, The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts… (Haggai 2:8-9). Furthermore, God swore to Abraham, in response to the attempted sacrifice of his son on mount Moriah, That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:17-18). If, according to scriptures, every child of God is a seed of Abraham; then, we are ordained to walk in financial dominion (Galatians 3:29). Finally, prominent among the blessings of the law is financial dominion. As it is written, …and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath… (Deuteronomy 28:12-13).

    How then can we walk in Financial Dominion?

    • Be Born Again: Every blessing in the Kingdom can only flow to us when we are saved. In other words, the salvation of our souls is the access key to the realm of financial dominion. The Bible says that Christ was slain to receive for us power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12).
    • Engage the Covenant of Seedtime and Harvest: The covenant of seedtime and harvest is a sure way to our financial dominion. However, it is important to understand that the Kingdom of God is that of order. Thus, in order to enjoy financial blessings, our offerings must be sown in this order:
    • Tithing: This is the giving of 10% of the totality of our earnings to God. This does not belong to us; it is God’s portion which He must not be denied of. It is the capital demand for access to an open heaven and the master key to a world of financial fortune. As it is written, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Malachi 3:10). We must understand that any sacrifice can bring us to any level of blessing, but only our tithes can preserve it. This is because when we don’t tithe, the devourer is guaranteed access.
    • Worship Offering: We are admonished not to come into God’s presence empty-handed. It is written, Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).
    • Kingdom Promotion Giving: This is giving for the furtherance of the Kingdom. The Bible says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33; see also Haggai 1:3-14).
    • Giving to Parents: We tap into the blessings in our parents’ hearts when we bring them venison such as they love. We provoke the release of blessings from their hearts like Isaac poured his heart out to bless Jacob. The Word of God instructs us to honour our fathers and mothers in the Lord that it might be well with us; financial blessing inclusive (Genesis 27:3, 25-29; Exodus 20:12).
    • Giving to Spiritual Parents: Our spiritual parents also constitute a platform for the release of covenant blessings. We tap into the patriarchal blessings through giving to our spiritual parents (Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:15).
    • Giving to the Poor: Giving to the needy around us is a platform that empowers us for financial dominion (Job 29:4-12; Proverbs 28:27, 19:17).

    In summary, Christ, our perfect example was and is the Master Giver. He gave and gave until He gave His life; a living sacrifice indeed! This must be why He commanded such a dimension of financial dominion while he walked the planet earth (Matthew 17:26-27; Mark 4:39-41, 14:13-16; John 13:27-29). However, as mentioned earlier, new birth is the only access we have to walking in financial dominion. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: Understanding Financial Prosperity, Breaking Financial Hardship, Winning the War against Poverty, Hidden Covenants of Blessing and Covenant Wealth. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org, Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.

  • ‘For one-and-half year, I was blind for not doing God’s work’

    Prophetess Onyinyechukwu Pricilla Edward is General Overseer Wind of Glory Ministry, Lagos. Sister, as she is popularly called, spoke with Ibrahim Adam on how she started the ministry, which celebrates its 10th in August. Excerpts:

    How do you feel having nurtured this ministry for 10 years?

    I thank God for everything. I thank God because it has not been easy.  So many people started such project but didn’t go far. I thank God for bringing me this far despite the challenges.

    How did this journey of serving in the vineyard of God start for you?

    It all started when I was about seven or eight years old. My parents then used to say that they don’t know what was wrong with me. When the Spirit of God comes upon me then, I will not know that it is the Spirit of God and I will have a message to go to certain villages, maybe in Imo State, Anambra or Enugu State. The Spirit of God will give me the address, the name of the family and the direction.

    I will go there, locate the place and the people the way that I was directed and I will give them the message.  Sometimes I will spend between three to four days or even one week on such missions.

    When I come back, my mother will say ‘leave Onyinyechukwu alone’ that she don’t know the type of child she gave birth to but my father will say, ‘leave her for me. What she is doing is something that in our family’.

    My grandmother- my father’s mother- was a native doctor. My father used to remind us how his mother used to cure people with herbs and natural things.

    My father wanted to be a priest but unfortunately he could not make it. It was only my father that understood what was happening to me in those early days. From that period I entered into the Charismatic group in the church.

    When I got married, I started the work again at Palm Groove area in Lagos. When I had my first baby in 2005, I continued the work. But at some point I said I don’t want to do the work again because the burden and stress were so much on me.

    I will be going up and down. When people come to the Ministry, I will tell them to go and look for another place that I don’t want to do the prayer ministry work again. When I stopped doing the work, I had serious headache which affected my eyes and I lost my sight.

    At that point when I became blind, I didn’t know what to do. Some people said it was because I stopped the work of God.  My parents and others told me that if I start the work I will regain my sight.

    But I told them that I don’t want to work again because I thought that the work is anytime I feel like, I do it. I was taken to Ikeja General Hospital for surgery.  After the surgery, I didn’t regain my sight. We went to Ikoyi Hospital for another surgery but all to no avail.

    The blindness lasted for one and half years. After a year and six months, in October 6, 2007 to be precise, I had a dream where a man gave me water to use and that whatever I want God to do for me, I should use the water.

    I later used the water and washed my eyes and my eyes opened. When my eyes opened, I gave God glory. With that stubbornness, I still said that I don’t want to do again; somebody will be sitting down seeing something that will happen tomorrow or next month.

    I said let other people go and do the work because my three sisters are doing the same work too. I concluded they should continue that I don’t want to do it again.

    At a time, I started business. My husband refused but I said I can’t stay indoors because I like moving out. One day as I was walking along the road, my two legs broke. I asked myself, what was going on. People came and told my husband to send me away that the suffering was too much.

    They said since he married me, he never enjoyed peace even for one day. My husband told them that if he sends me away, he may not be doing the right thing.

    The time I became blind, my people rejected me- my husband side and father’s side. It was only my father, my elder sister and my mother in-law that stood with me. Others said that the suffering was too much and that they can’t take it any longer.

    When I met a mad woman at Ojota Bus Stop, she said ‘’my friend, I love you come let me tell you something’’. She said “I am the one doing all these to you, before you can be free, go and do my work”.

    I asked the mad woman, which your work? The mad woman said I should go and buy chair, thank God that I was with some money. I bought the chair, Bible, bell and lantern. The mad woman said ‘because of the love I have for you, I am giving these things to go and start the work of God, use these chairs and sit down. As this bell is ringing, your ears will open like the bell. As I am putting light in this lantern, your eyes will be like this light.”

    She added: “This Bible, use it and preach the word of God, use it and go to war, you will go and come back.” I asked the mad woman how I can start again because I had stopped the work for long.

    She said “go home and leave the remaining one for me”. So when I finished with that mad woman, I carried all of those things and came back.  On entering my house, what I heard was a knock on my door. The person said she was looking for prophetess and I asked which prophetess.

    From there, the number of people started increasing and I don’t know how God is doing it up till now.

    What year did you meet the mad woman?

    I met the mad woman in April 2010.

    Have you had instances where people are delivered or you cast out demons and the problem which you resolved for the person comes back to haunt you?

    As human beings we have challenges because at times when some things will happen or people were delivered from one problem or one attack or the other, some people will say how manage? Is it this small girl that is doing all these?

    Let’s check whether she belong somewhere. Most times they will send somebody from the back to come and when the person comes, he or she will see a different thing from what was told.

    This healing which I put in the ministry started right from when I was in secondary school. Sometimes I will be taken inside the bush and I will hear a voice “Onyinyechukwu, if you listen to me you will do many wonders” and I will say “who are you? I want to know the person that is speaking to me.”

    I will hear “I am virgin Mary, mother Mary.” At times, I will hear “I am Jesus Christ of Nazareth, if you can obey my word, I will use you to cure so many sicknesses.”

    I will be shown different leaves that will cure different diseases and sicknesses. The voice will say: “I am going to bless you with so many things, the things I am going to give you is for the world, don’t collect money from people. If I want to bless you, I will send people to bless you.” Since then, I have been trying my best because it is not easy as a human being.

    How do you combine this prayer ministry work with your family as a married woman?

    It is not easy but I thank God for the kind of man that I married. Most times he will behave like a man he is but most times he will say “I don’t want problems with God. Go, God has taken over my wife.” He takes care of the children anytime I travel for programmes. Most times, I will be away for four to five days. It will be just himself and the children.

    What is your attitude to material acquisition?

    People do give me gifts and I will I put it back into the ministry because of the message I got when I was in secondary school. God said He is going to give me everything but is not for me.

    That anytime He is going to bless me, He will send people that will bless me. I have to obey because I don’t know the one I will do and I will offend God. I borrowed money from the bank to buy this property we are using, even the one we just acquired.

    Is this ministry strictly Catholic or inter-denominational?

    I am under Catholic Church but I am having problem with the Priests and some Reverend Fathers. They said I am too small to do this work, that I should look for any Parish of my choice here in Lagos to start this work.

    I told them that I can’t do that because there are certain things I am doing that they might not allow me to do. They do not know when I started this work. I can remember when one Reverend Father came and I said no.

    I gave him my father’s home address to go and verify where I come from. Any Parish I like, I go and worship and come back because I don’t know what is going on. There was a day I went to one Catholic Church in Ikorodu here, they refused to give me Holy Communion before the congregation because they said I am stubborn that I don’t want to listen to them and I said no problem and left.

    This is just a ministry and not a church. So anybody is free to come and fellowship, pray and go back to his or her church. We are all in the race of trying to make heaven and to seek God’s anointing in resolving some problems. The devil and bad people are everywhere and we Christians must remain very prayerful.

    You said there are some things you do which the Catholic Priest will not like, what are those things?

    Like the healing work that I am doing, sometimes I will bring some leaves and some workers will help me to pound it for the work. There are some things I do here which they will not allow me to do.

    So why are you combining prayer with herbs?

    I am combining prayers with herbs because that was what God told me and He gives me the kind of herbs to use. Even women that carry pregnancy for more than their due dates when they come to me, God will tell me the type of herbs to cook and the dosage.

    With faith, God will answer the person. The same thing with those looking for the fruit of the womb or some serious sicknesses and wounds including, rotten legs. God uses me to heal them.

    How much do you charge people for healing?

    I don’t collect a dime from people. Come and pray and let God heal you. Your thanksgiving is to God and not to Sister Onyinyechi or Wind of Glory Ministry.

  • Baptist conference meets, seeks end to insecurity

    President of the Lagos East Baptist Conference Rev Dr Emmanuel Awotunde has called on the federal government to intensify the fights against terrorists and bandits in order to guarantee better security across the nation.

    He said Nigeria cannot afford to succumb to antics of criminal elements bent on crippling its stride towards peace and prosperity.

    Awotunde spoke last week with reporters ahead of The Kingdom Life Assembly of the conference slated for August 24-29.

    The assembly with the theme “Following Jesus as a steward” holds at First Baptist Church Agbowa, Ikorodu.

    He also commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari in fighting insurgency.

    He pointed out Pastor of Nagarta Baptist Church Makere in Kaduna, Elisha Numan and a daughter of Pastor Absalom of Emmanuel Baptist Church Beri in Niger-Kebbi Baptist Church were kidnapped two weeks ago.

    He said a ransom of N7m has been placed on each of them.

    He said: “While we continue in prayers for God to touch the kidnappers, we appeal to the Federal Government to also step up efforts to free them from the kidnappers’ den.”

    Chairman of the conference, Rev. Dr. Julius Omomola, corroborated Awotunde, saying that insecurity cannot be tackled without knowing the basics for the insecurity.

    He urged the government to look into the increasing cases of kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery across the nation.

    In his words: “Our leader must see themselves as servant leaders, and stewards who are there to serve the people for a better Nigeria.”

    He suggested that rural development will help reduce rural-urban migration, which in turn will greatly reduce insecurity in the country.

    On the necessities for the assembly, Awotunde said: “The main purpose of the annual gathering is to share the word of God-in-dept through studying of the scriptures with expository messages.

    “There will be three major sessions during the programme. The evangelistic rallies every evening, the bible study and the business session where all the units will give reports of what the Lord did through them in the past one year.

    “There won’t have been a better theme in this period when some are content to be called Christians in name alone without corresponding actions and deed.”

    Awotunde commended the vibrant response of Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to fixing bad roads his administration inherited, stating that it was a commendable effort.

  • Church marks 70 years

    The St. Jude Anglican Church, Odi-Olowo, Lagos Mainland Diocese (Anglican Communion), has put together one-week activities to marks its 70th anniversary.

    The anniversary is themed: “God’s re-assurance of a glorious future”.

    The events began on August 18 and will end on Sunday.

    Read Also: Why I don’t take Holy Communion in other churches – Adeboye

    At a news conference in Lagos, Church Vicar, Ven. Z.O Dopamu said there will be a special charity day for the poor.

    Church Secretary and Anniversary Committee Secretary Toyin Olufusho said: “The anniversary will consist of sensitisation walk, Bible quiz, charity, musical concert, inter-house sports competition, gala/award night and a thanksgiving service on Sunday.