The Nation Newspaper

Tag: faithfulness

  • Adeboye’s wife charges youths on faithfulness to God

    Wife of the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye, has charged Christian youths to remain faithful to the Lord by shunning sins and all forms of unrighteousness no matter the challenges around them.

    She spoke at the 2018 Redeemer’s Day celebration organised by Christ The Redeemer’s School Management (CRSM) of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at the Redemption Camp, Ogun State.

    The two- day event tagged victorious generation held in all regions of the church, featuring school parade, talks on Christian adornment, talent discovery and display exhortation, arts and science exhibition, sporting event and football competition.

    She said that every generation has its own challenges and experiences urging them to conquer the ones associated with their time.

    “Jesus has won the victory for us on the cross. We must not settle for failure or unrighteousness. We must be a generation of peace, fruitfulness, holiness, diligence and greater works,” she said.

    Rather than joining agents of evils, she challenged youths to must resist them with full force.

    Adeboye, who is also the Vice President Education of RCCG and Chairperson of Christ The Redeemer’s School Management charged: “We must do away with fear and not surrender to evil. As we confront the evils in the land to overcome them, your protection is assured”.

    She asserted that no matter what the world is saying, we must not yield to temptation,  but resist it and keep our eyes gazed on Jesus at all times

    “To enjoy our victory, we must not allow anything to disconnect us from him. They devils major work is to disconnect us from our source but we must not give him a chance,” she said

    Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Yetunde Onanuga, charged parents to be alive to their responsibility of inculcating the right moral attitude and ethnics in their children for sure footing to weather academic rigors.

    Onanuga, who was represented by her Senior Special Assistant, Mrs. Abiodun Oyedele, argued that qualitative education is synergy of effort among the government, the parents and the private sector.

    Assistant General Overseer (RCCG), Adminstration and Personnel, Pastor Johnson Odesola, called on the federal government for sincerity in the disbursement of scholarship opportunities for indigent’s students across the country.

  • ‘Faithfulness key to harvesting prophetic promises’

    The church’s main auditorium was beautified with fresh plants and varieties of fruits. Different fruits hung on all the entrances, windows and pillars all around the church even as people trooped in to join in the celebration. It was harvest time at Cherubim and Movement Church, Surulere District Headquarters (Ayo Ni O).

    The event drew many from within and outside the church, including traditional rulers, royal fathers, top government functionaries and leaders of sister churches. For the great “farmers” of the church, it was more than just another celebration – it was time for reflection and thanksgiving. From its inception, workers at all strata of the church are called “farmers” in the Lord’s vineyard; and a time was reserved yearly when they would come in one voice before their maker with thanksgiving. Welcome to the 2017 Adult Harvest Thanksgiving Service.

    This year’s was a grand celebration for all strata of farmers in the Lord’s vineyard, With gifts in hand, they came in appreciative reciprocation for the grace of “planting” (in God’s vineyard and the labour of their hands), and the opportunity of not only reaping, but doing so bountifully.

    With the theme: “Harvest of Divine Fulfilment”, this year’s edition underscored the cause and effect relationship between sowing and reaping, reflecting on approaches to human endeavours on earth.

    The guest preacher, Supreme Head of Motailatu Church, Cherubim Worldwide, Elder Israel Akinadewo, (Baba Aladura), hinged his exhortation on the essence of investing quality physical and spiritual efforts to unlock the divine revelation of the Almighty to believers.

    Baba Aladura stated that Nigeria will only harvest the lofty promises of prosperity from the Almighty to humanity if faithfulness reigns supreme in all spheres of the country.

    He said the country, like individual households, must set aside an occasion to express gratitude and appreciation to the almighty for His faithfulness towards it, observing that it is one of the essences of harvest celebration.

    According to him, the Almighty does not waiver in His pledges to humanity, but rather, men fail to meet the conditions attached to his prophecies.

    Drawing reference from the book of Genesis, he said harvest time from the perspective of the Old Testament implies giving every first fruit of one’s effort to God along with the obligation of gaining more souls into the kingdom of God, according to the New Testament.

    “Harvest in every season is for you to look at what God has done for you and the extent you want to give back in recognition of his blessings over everything that you have done. The first condition for Nigeria to reap God’s blessings is faithfulness. There must be fairness in the sense that we must be able to recognise everyone. We must have absolute trust in God. Even as a nation, we must start giving thanks to God because when you give thanks to Him, He will be there for you in the next season. We must be obedient and also be there for humanity because that’s the essence of love,” he said.

    Reiterating Baba Aladura’s words, the District Chairman and General Leader, Prophet Sunday Korode, observed further that harvest is the by-product of all labours, endeavours, and exercises that we get into either through enterprises, including farming, trading, academics, functions in corporate establishment or government.

    “The idea is that if you are able to plant some seeds in the ground and it germinates properly, you normally have to celebrate it. It is the crown and complexion of God’s blessings on man’s endeavours. It is also made mandatory by God that all first fruit of our harvest should be to God.”

    Korode also  enjoined the country to consider itself as seeds planted by God to eventually blossom with fruits in order to harvest goodness, saying: “In any position, you are first and foremost the seed of God that will be good for God himself to say I’m glad I planted you.”

    On his part, Chairman of the Harvest committee, Emmanuel Olanrewaju, appreciated the gesture of all who supported, saying bountiful blessings awaited them. He also enjoined the leaders at all levels to seek honesty and exude the spirit of service from leaders for the country to fair well and realise its objectives.

     

  • Cleric canvasses faithfulness among pastors

    President of Fellowship of Christian Ministers Nigeria, Rev Isaac Ogundiran, has appealed to church leaders to remain faithful to God and the Great Commission.

    He spoke with our correspondent at the induction of the newly elected and returned National Executive Officers of the fellowship in Lagos.

    Ogundiran said faithfulness is one of the essential qualities of leadership especially for church leaders expected to live above board in all things.

    Anyone without it, he said, is unworthy of being addressed as a minister regardless of the titles, skills or talents.

    He lamented unfaithfulness among some ministers of the gospel, stating they will receive divine retribution if they don’t repent.

    He restated commitment of the fellowship to equip and prepare church leaders for greater service for the Lord.

    Grand Patron of the fellowship, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, challenged the newly inducted leaders to live and stand by the word of God.

    The word, he said, remains a sure refuge against any storm that may come their ways.

    He said: “As a servant to God, you are required to lead in your various communities and fight the common enemy Satan and all his forces in a spiritual warfare with armour of prayer, the word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and holy living.

    “l have learned to stand by the Bible and the word of God as it has never failed me. I am bold and fearless because I stand by God’s word.”

    He said their election to the leadership positions in the fellowship was a higher calling that requires greater sense of responsibility and good moral.

  • The Strong Belt of Truth (5)

    “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” A sin exposed is a sin defeated; do not hide sin. The unfruitful works of darkness are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, etc.- these works belong to the kingdom of darkness, with Satan as the head of this kingdom.

     

    There is another kingdom, which is the kingdom of God; it’s also of Light. Being evident by these lifestyles: Love (for God and neighbour), joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Those who live thus belong to this kingdom and are the children of God.

     

    Where one belongs is known by the kind of life one lives. Someone’s lifestyle tells it all. Hmm, the Good News remain that God has made a way of escape for all of us; in that He sent His dear Son Jesus Christ to die, in order to deliver you and me from the kingdom of darkness and its unfruitful works and be converted; be born into the kingdom of God.

    God says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with ALL your heart”. If you will sincerely call on Jesus to set you free from the kingdom of darkness and its unfruitful works, He will. The kingdom of darkness is doomed forever, it’s a place of everlasting torment in hell fire, God does not want anyone to be there- please escape for your life. Know that only those who believe and accept Jesus as their Lord and saviour will inherit the kingdom of God; a place of everlasting life in heaven.

     

    Jesus said, “…you shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH will set you free, he who the SON sets free is free indeed! This is so reassuring, satisfying, and complete. Knowing it was God Himself who planned it all, that those who believe and accept the salvation/deliverance His son JESUS offered will be FREE from the bondage of sin. They will remain free as they follow Him.

     

    The people of Old had to offer animal sacrifices again and again for their sins to be forgiven, yet they continued to struggle in their sins and continued sinning. That never stopped them from living in sin. God sent Jesus to lay down His life once and for all to end the animal sacrifices and set you free, giving you and me complete victory over sin. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us, to give us the power and divine assistance we need to live righteous, obeying Him always. Do not keep enjoying sin; do not hide your sin- CRY OUT TO JESUS WITH ALL YOUR HEART TO SET YOU FREE FROM YOUR SIN.

     

    I was once in the kingdom of darkness. I did not fully understand the significance of the death of Jesus; I only had head knowledge of the story and believed it my own way. The full knowledge of my sin, its guilt, and consequences changed all of that, for I continually cried out to Jesus in my sin to set me free, I trusted Him completely for my deliverance, and He delivered me. I had an encounter with Him that forever changed my life. Now I can boldly say ‘there is power in the blood of Jesus’ because…He touched me and made me whole. Now I am in the kingdom of God, I belong to the family of God. I was blind but now I see, I was dead but now I live!

     

                   SONG:        AT CALVARY

    1.       Years I spent in vanity and pride,
    Caring not my Lord was crucified,
    Knowing not it was for me He died
    On Calvary.
    Chorus:     Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
    Pardon there was multiplied to me;
    There my burdened soul found liberty,
    At Calvary.

     

    2.       By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
    Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
    Till my guilty soul imploring turned
    To Calvary.

     

    3.       Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
    Now I gladly own Him as my King,
    Now my raptured soul can only sing
    Of Calvary.

     

    4.       Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
    Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
    Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
    At Calvary!

     

    TEXT: Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesians 5:11, John 8:32, Jeremiah 29:13.

    FROM: FAITH NWACHUKWU