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Church: Beware of teaching of demons! (1)

Ref: (1 TIM 4 v 1): Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (2 PET 2 v 1-3): But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (ROM 16 v 17): Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (2 JN 9-11): Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. It is very important to emphasise that the biggest threat to the church today is the subject of false teachers and their teaching. It is so alarmingly true that the Bible even confirm that they will succeed in deceiving the elects! The purpose of this post is to reach out to three classes of people in the light of JUDE 22 v 23 because of compassion and the love of Christ. Sincere doubters, who are Christians but weak in their faith and are easily swayed by false teachings. Lazy Christians, who find it difficult to search the scriptures for themselves like the Barean Christians. Defiled and impenitent sinning believers who have developed itching ears. The poisonous teachings of these false teachers are polluting the spirit of the naïve and the gullible. It is my duty and yours as custodians of the true gospel to expose these false teaching and the false teachers. Gnosticism is here again This is one of the philosophies that troubled the early church. It is here again. The word Gnostic is a Greek word which means knowledge and it is a belief system that promotes the idea of a secret knowledge reserved for insiders! This belief is not far from the belief of the illuminati – cult, a group who claim that they have received special religious or spiritual enlightenment. They boast of so many presidents and celebrities in their membership. Gnostics claim that they have special knowledge that undercut the good news of Jesus. Gnostic gives their members license to sin by emphasising a spirituality that diminishes the importance of what we do with our bodies. Gnostic sees Christ more as an angel than a member of the God Head. One of the famous books of the Gnostic is the Da Vinci code. Features of their false teachings When you discern the teachings of these false teachers in the light of scriptures and with the help of the Holy Spirit you we discover the following: • Their teaching will always promote rebellion against the commandments of God, either directly or indirectly. • The teachings of the false prophets are mostly a combination of half-truth and half lies which equals error, or at other times, it is simply half-truth, of course you know that all these is error. Ab initio, their teachings are always clothed in deception; their intention is to mislead you. • When a false teacher opens his or her mouth to teach, know it that the teaching is meant to satisfy the cravings of the flesh and lustful desires. • When they preach and teach, they seek to turn the grace of God into lewdness. See JUDE 4: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” • Don’t be deceived, whenever the false teachers begin to teach, the underlining reason is to fleece the sheep or violate the sheep. The teaching are full of irreverent babbles and contradictions see 2 TIM 2 v 16: But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. • They always claim to have special revelations that have no sound scriptural backings, yet they attempt to force down their philosophies into the throat of those who are gullible and lazy to search scriptures for themselves. Please note that, there is no special revelation or knowledge that has superiority over the pure wisdom of God which is the Bible. • Their false teachings are full of terrible spiritual poisons meant to contaminate your spirit and dawn your souls in hell fire. In their numerous teachings check out what they tell you and begin to judge it in the light of God’s word. What they tell you • They tell you that they are the Christ but see MATT 24 v 4-5: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceives you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” • They tell you “Once saved forever saved” but the Bible says a different thing. REV 3 v 16-18: “So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. To be continued next Sunday

Confession of a terrorist: Foreigners fighting for Boko Haram

We do have members from Chad, Niger and Cameroon who actively participate in most of our attacks” Those were the confessional words of a member of the deadly Boko Haram sect, who was arrested by soldiers on Friday. The suspected terrorist, who was paraded before journalists on Friday night by military authorities, as a captured fighter of the Boko Haram terrorist network, confirmed that extremists from the three neighbouring countries are fighting for Boko Haram in the northern uprising. The account, by the alleged captured extremist, reinforces fears that Boko Haram has become one of Africa’s most powerful militant groups, and may be growing closer to al-Qaida affiliates, confirming that radical movements are spilling across national boundaries. The claim of foreign fighters indicates the growing influence of Boko Haram, which started out as a machete-wielding gang and that now wages war with armored cars, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices in its mission to force Africa’s largest oil producer and a country of over 140 million to become an Islamic state. The young man refused to give his name, for fear that his family would be targeted. His account sheds new light on life inside the shadowy Boko Haram, which means “western education is forbidden” in the Hausa language. The captured extremist member said religion did not figure in his life as a Nigerian Islamic warrior, insisting his leaders “had never once preached Islam to us.” He said the name of Allah was invoked only when “we are running out of food supply in the bush. Our leaders will assemble us and declare that we would be embarking on a mission for God and Islam.” He added: “I did not see any act of religion in there. We are just killing people, stealing and suffering in the bush.” Boko Haram poses the biggest security threat in years to the cohesion of Nigeria, already riven by sectarian, tribal and regional divisions that often explode into bloodletting, amid power struggles ahead of elections in 2015 that likely will be contested by the current president, a fundamentalist Christian. A harsh military crackdown in three northeastern states covering one-sixth of the country since mid-May has forced Boko Haram out of major cities and towns, but the security forces appear unable to prevent regular extremist attacks on soft targets like school pupils in which hundreds have been killed in recent months. President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, which is struggling to control the Islamic rebellion, for the first time presented an alleged Boko Haram fighter, a 22-year-old walking on crutches because of a bullet wound suffered when he was captured in a recent attack.

The good sheep

Many Christians in Nigeria would be wondering why there are no retaliatory or reprisal attacks against the fundamentalists or extremists, but a search into the scripture provides the answer. This is rooted in the concept of the good sheep which readily brings to mind the beatitude of meekness, where Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” The nature of the sheep is that of meekness. Expectedly, the sheep should be humble, gentle, obedient, modest, submissive, etc. Anyone who is meek is blessed and such a person shall inherit the earth. So, it is not out of context that the Christian is referred to as sheep in the scriptural allegories. Christians are sheep. And they are to be led by a shepherd. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of all Christians, however, there are men ordained to shepherds on earth to lead Christians to Christ. These are your pastors, prophets, elders, fellowship leaders and so on and so forth. But we live in a world where Satan is constantly battling to deceive Christians from making it to Christ or even staying with Him. He has devised many means, including using fake prophets to mislead Christians. The good and shepherd are discussed in the book of JOHN 10: 1-10. When we read and hear the Bible, we need to remember how different our world is from the one Jesus lived in. As He and the disciples roamed around the countryside, spreading the good news of God’s coming Kingdom, they saw no great industrial centres producing clever machines and toxic waste. There were no shopping complexes and parking lots. The highways were not choked with rapidly moving automobiles. For the most part, as they travelled on dusty, rocky roads, Jesus and the disciples saw wilderness and crops. Along the way, every once in a while, the road would widen, revealing a tiny village. The Bible is full of stories of sheep and shepherds. In the gospel of Luke, shepherds receive an angelic announcement of Christ’s birth and went in search of the baby Jesus. I once saw a picture hanging on a charcoal rendering of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep in order to go after the one lost sheep. And today, from the gospel of John, we hear Jesus using a shepherding metaphor to describe His role in our salvation. What did we learn about sheep from our younger days? Not much. During your growing up years, I am sure you never saw one shepherd, not one among all the many fields of grazing cattle and high corn. This discrepancy in the midst of such fertile diversity may prompt one to ask his/her sage grandfather precisely why more flocks of sheep were not to be seen. His answer would quietly simply be, “They’re too much trouble and are stupid.” Very stupid! So stupid that they require almost constant monitoring that is expensive. The world of average sheep is about as expensive as the patch of grass right in front of its own nose. They are short sighted, narrow minded creatures, basically oblivious of everything else except for the next blade of grass. And because of this, a sheep will step right off a steep gully and break her leg. A sheep will drift away from the herd, become lost and panic. A sheep will die at the hands of a predator before he knows what hit him. So, sheep needs a shepherd to lead them and guide them, to make them aware of danger and help broaden their focus beyond that next of blade of luscious grass. Christians are here compared to sheep. Not a very flattering comparison you may say, but then, we don’t wish to be flattered nor would our Lord deem it fit to flatter us. While far from flattering, it is however, eminently consoling, for of all creature, there are not any more compassed about with infirmity than sheep. In this frailty of their nature, they are a fit emblem of ourselves, at least, of as many that believe in Jesus and become his disciples. Let others boast how strong they are, yet if there be strong anywhere, certainly we are weak. We have proved our weakness and day by day, we lament it. We do confess our weakness, yet may we not repine at it for, as Paul said, so we find, when are weak,then we are strong. Sheep have many wants, yet they are very helpless, and quite unable to provide for themselves. But for the Shepherd’s care, they would soon perish. This too is our case. Our spiritual needs are numerous and pressing, yet we cannot supply any of them. We are travellers through a wilderness that yields us neither food nor water. Unless our bread drop down from heaven and our water flow out of the living rock, we must die. Our weakness and our want we keenly feel; still we have no cause to murmur, since the Lord knows our poor estate, and succours us with the tender rest care. Sheep too are silly creatures and in this respect, likewise we are very sheepish. We meekly own it to Him who is ready to guide us. We say, as David did, “O God, thou knowest my foolishness” and He says unto us as He did to David, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.” If Christ were not our wisdom, we should soon fall a prey to the destroyer.. Every grain of true wisdom that we possess we have derived from Him; of ourselves, we are dull and giddy, foolishness is bound up in our hearth. The more conscious you are of your deficiencies, the more your lack of stamina, discretion, wisdom and all the instincts of self preservation, the more delighted you will be to see that the Lord accepts you under these conditions and call you the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. He discerns you as you are, claims you as His own, foresees all the ills to which you are exposed, yet tends you as His flock, sets store by every Lamb of the fold and so feed you according to the integrity of His hearth, and guides you by the skilfulness of His hands. “I will feed my flock, I will cause to lie down, saith the Lord God.” From Sunday Newswatch

‘Frustration in the land has affected gospel artistes’

Lola Martins-Olukoya is a gospel artiste, who had ministered in the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria. Lola, who inherited the singing talent from her father, was a choir girl at the age of 10, and has never left the choir ever since. Today, the mother of four has built a career in gospel music. In this interview with DAYO EMMANUEL, she talks about her music, her passion and the fact that gospel artistes should bring people to God instead of merely for dancing and entertainment. Excerpts: How did you start off? I started as a young girl in the choir when I used to attend church with my dad in Ekiti. I travelled out of the country and I made it a career in London. I decided to leave it but it kept on coming through prophecies, I even have a call of God upon my life more than that. I was in the choir throughout while I was in Nigeria and when I left the country, I still joined a choir in the UK. My pastor actually advised me to get a promoter and followed his instruction. …and how far did you go with the promotion? Well, it went well. I was ministering in the UK, and whenever artistes come from Africa, we minister together. Things are more organised over there than what we have here in Nigeria. I am a gospel minister though I still perform and sing secular songs. It is not how they do it in Nigeria, where you as a gospel artiste cannot do any other song. I do secular songs, but it is not the dirty type; it is such that can bring sanity to the society. What is your message? Basically, the core of my message is to make people know God. You know the world of today is so frustrating and it draws people away from God. People are not recognising God as they used to. When I was growing up, as children, we were more into the things of God, unlike what we have today. My message is to make people know that God exists, we cannot see Him physically, but He exists. We should be closer to Him than before. I want people to come near to God, no matter who you are, you need God, even the herbalists know God, they may not know how best to worship Him, they may think it is through the idols they can get to Him, but somewhere in their hearts, they know God exists. They know a God created the idols, they believe the idols will bring them closer, the Muslims as well believe Prophet Mohammed will bring them to God, just like we Christians believe Jesus Christ is the only way to God. So the rallying point here is this, God and my music is a way I use to introduce people to God and make them know He needs to be appreciated. I am not an activist so to speak but that is how I pass my message across. Going into the situations of countries like in our own countries, we are going through a lot and I have songs to address these issues. Are you based permanently in Nigeria now? No. I am not based here permanently for now; I still shuttle between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. I have to, owing to the situation on ground now; I like to have my own ministry here in Nigeria but not a church. You must have interacted with a lot of our gospel artistes here, how do you see their message? You know there is frustration in all aspects of the nation. So, it affects the gospel artistes too. You will see a lot of our gospel artistes doing the secular entertainment things, though there is really nothing bad in it but they have to distinguish themselves. You know the happenings in the country has affected a lot of them, an artiste will always be an artiste. Artistes are there to entertain but in the gospel music industry, we are not to entertain the world, we are to minister to them and worship God, so something is amiss when gospel artistes now get neck deep in entertainment instead of ministering. You will see that a lot of our artistes are more into entertainment do you foresee a problem? Yes, they do it a lot even in the church, they entertain a lot. When you are ministering and people are not sober, crying, getting closer to God, they should see it from the ministration how far they are from God, people should feel the presence of God when gospel artistes minister. The frustration like you said has actually affected every aspect of the nation, including gospel artistes. Do the home churches of these artistes encourage them? The churches are not helping at all. In my case, no body helped me but God. You cannot receive anything if God has not sent it; the so called men of God in Nigeria are not being supportive. I can see some of these young upcoming artistes are better than some of the established ones, but no encouragement and that is why they are running out of the church. How do you advise pastors in this case? They are my fathers in the Lord; I am just an evangelist, what I can say is that they should be focused; most of them are just running after what will benefit them. Like I said, the frustration in the land is more, and most of the young artistes just want to do whatever they feel like doing, they just want to do something radical. Coming back to Nigeria after about 12, how can you say the country has fared? A lot of things have changed; there is more civilisation but our people should emulate what other civilised nations are doing. My producer, whose studio I use when I did a work, said he cannot produce it because of pirates; he said also that I had to join a group of gospel artistes. And right there, they have so many factions. I told him I would just join PMAN though I couldn’t do their politics. The question about civilisation is another thing. How did you meet Christ? I have been in the church at a very young age, but I actually recognised Christ in 1994 through evangelism from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). Pastor Alfred Ajifowowe was the one who actually ministered to me. My dad was a patron in the CAC and was there since the days of Apostle Babalola. I inherited some of the talents of my father, he was a singer, and my other siblings sing as well. Three out of my four children are singers; one of them is a secular musician, so it is a family thing. The pastor actually led me to Christ; you know it is a different thing to be going to church and to really have salvation experience. I was already married and have children. My album is titled Irohin Ope (thanksgiving). There are seven tracks in it and we are now promoting it. I want my fans out there and Christian and non Christians to get copies for spiritual upliftment. From Sunday Newswatch

Gay marriage: African Bishops threaten to pull out of Anglican Communion

African Bishops at the just-ended second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), in Nairobi, Kenya, have resolved to pull out of the Anglican Church, if their American and European counterparts continue to encourage homosexuality within the communion. The conference was attended by 358 delegates, including 331 Bishops, representing tens of millions of faithful Anglicans worldwide, including Nigeria. Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-East Zone, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, made the disclosure yesterday on arrival at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Chukwuma said different communions of the Anglican Church may decide to secede if the said counterparts insist on imposing homosexuality on the church, and warned that such a decision might lead to the disintegration of the Anglican Communion worldwide. Several Bishops of the Anglican Church from the South-East that arrived the airport from Nairobi agreed that what Bishop Chukwuma said was their position, stressing that they would severe their relationship with the Anglican Church worldwide if their pro-gay Bishops do not back down. Chukwuma cited Ephesians 2: 19-20 to prove that they could no longer relate with church leaders who cannot practice what the Bible preaches. He said: “The GAFCON started in 2008 as a revolt against the Lambert Conference on this same-sex marriage issue, and we are trying to build up our faith to make it known to the whole world on the authority of the Bible, and we believe that we will face the faith together for the better of Anglicans. “This time around, after having it in Jerusalem, we now had it in Africa, in Nairobi, and we are saying we have other issues to discuss than homosexuality and lesbianism. We want to talk about education, our faith, and the way Islam is invading our churches, among other things. “We are standing seriously on the authority of the Bible to defend our faith. There is no going back, as we are not going to compromise. We made it known, even to the Bishop of Canterbury (Justin Welby), and to the whole of Europe, that there is no compromise as far as the Scripture is concerned. We can all go to our tents, and we are ready to stand on our own and on the authority of the Scripture for the future of the Anglican. “Yes, we will secede because if you look at Ephiseans Chapter 5, verse 5, we don’t have anything to do with those who are already becoming disobedient. So, why should we yoke ourselves with unbelievers? We love them, but we hate their sins. If they don’t repent, they go their way, and we go ours.”

‘Increasing spate of divorce among Christians embarrassing’

The Senior Pastor of Total Gospel Bible Church, House of Goshen Parish, Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, Pastor Sola Adebawo, is a widely-travelled conference speaker, who makes appearances on international radio and television shows. In this interview with CHARLES OKONJI, he explains some salient issues in the body of Christ. What kind of church is the House of Goshen? House of Goshen is a parish of the Total Gospel Bible Church Incorporated with Headquarters in Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, under the leadership of Rev. Sunday Daniel Akingbelure and Pastor Bukky Akingbelure as General Overseers; and Dr. Yomi Oduwole and Pastor Tessy Oduwole as Deputy General Overseers. We are a fast growing multicultural Pentecostal church on the Lekki Peninsula in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria. Ours is a warm congregation of friendly people with a wholesome atmosphere ideal for family worship. The church provides regular servings of rich courses of spiritual victuals, including profound life transforming teachings from the Bible, electrifying and soul lifting worship, battle-conquering and miracle-inducing prayers, divinely inspired counselling, creative platforms for spiritual development and discipleship plus an ever-available opportunity for service and sacrifice. Our church is a veritable place for steady and stable spiritual growth, functional knowledge and deep understanding of God and His Word. We provide awesome platforms for personal expressions and destiny actualisation. At the House of Goshen, everybody is somebody. Our vision is to be a major reference for Christ-centred leadership and also a centre of spiritual, ethical, social, economic, cultural and political influence in Lagos State, Nigeria and the World, by positively affecting our immediate environment with the Total Gospel of Christ. To achieve this, we have a mission to raise a prosperous people with positive influence in all spheres of life, through the transforming power of the Word of God, effectual fervent prayer, and soul winning, by the preaching of the Total Gospel and practical-impact-based Christianity. You are a staff of Chevron and equally a pastor. How do you cope with your ministerial work and the secular job? I have been asked this question at many fora, both locally and internationally. My first response is a re-echo of Apostle Paul’s declaration, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” While I cannot lay claim to any conceptual formula for multi-tasking, what I can say is that the Lord always sustains whatever He ordains. When God commissions you on any assignment, He provides all you need to deliver on it. This includes environmental and climatic provisions; wisdom, grace, people and other resources to work with. He understands your life’s commitments and He mobilizes the factors of life to aid the assignment. Don’t forget, the scriptures say “… all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” The purpose of life is a major driver for the distribution of life’s investments. Atop the pyramid of life is attention to God, then family, then career, and afterwards comes everything else. Each person must determine the order of importance in his or her life. For me, I would be nothing without God! So it makes sense to give Him priority attention and then allow Him position everything else in my life in their due order. The creed for bi-vocational ministers like me is to understand that everything has its place and to give everything its due place. I have observed that the trend of my spiritual commitment and performance at work moves in the same direction. In other words, when I’m spiritually compliant, my professional performance grows and vice versa. Therefore, I have understood the strong influence of my spirituality in my career. The Bible says, “The root bears the stem and not the other way round.” My spirituality is the root of my career success. If I want to continue to perform exceptionally at my secular career, I necessarily must ensure to nourish my spirituality. It is the definition of who I am. Some people have said that Nigeria is witnessing high rate of crime in spite proliferation of churches in Nigeria. As a pastor, do you think the gospel is having much impact on the lives of the people? I agree that the rate of crime in Nigeria is increasing at a disturbing rate. But it will be inappropriate to attribute this to seeming ineffectiveness of the gospel. You can argue that the sole factor influencing the peace in any country is the gospel. While this will be true in part, it will not be a valid argument in whole, particularly, since you have countries like Switzerland with very lax regulations on all moral subjects and cannot be strictly called religious; yet hasn’t fought a war in centuries! I would rather posit that the gospel is a strong factor for generating peace in any society. What is critical is what people do with the ethical principles, which the gospel of Christ proposes. We must not forget that the responsibility for maintenance of law and order is reposed in the government of the country. We have entrusted the leaders of our country with the duty of protecting citizens. This is the way it is in every society, whether religious or not. When leadership begins to fail, we look around for whom to blame. The moral crisis we witness in our country today is the result of years of ethical permissiveness and degenerative lowering of the standards of personal characters. The Bible asks a very valid question, “can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes will not be burned?” Can anyone walk on live coals not reasonably expect his feet to be bruised? The gospel has grown in this country in an atmosphere of hostility and social antagonism. Every moral and ethical suggestion we have presented had been ridiculed as religious bigotry or social retrogression. Yet, we forged ahead proving consistently by the testimonies of our own lives that the gospel of Christ has the power to transform lives and build character. We cannot take out of life what we did not invest into it. Our society has discouraged young people from attending church services early in their lives, only to allow them do so as adult criminal prison inmates! People who commit crimes as adults are those who have rejected moral instructions as younger persons. Character is formed over time. The gospel recommends that we guard our thoughts, because they form our habits, which form our behaviour, which form our character, and determines our destiny. Another worrisome issue is divorce, which is even rampart among Christian marriages. How do you explain this phenomenon from the context of the scripture? God forbids divorce! This expresses the mind of God very articulately on this subject. Divorce is not of God. As a matter of fact, God says, in the Bible, “…I hate divorce….” The increasing spate of divorce among Christians is not only worrisome, but embarrassing. It is a reflection of how much the church is being influenced by the environment. The symbiotic influence of church and society is a reality no Christian should gainsay. Whether this is desirable is another question. But as a chosen generation, peculiar people, a called-out people, we must understand the need for us to bear the standards of God for our society and not allow our lives to be soiled by the grease of corruption that has covered our world. Divorce is the sign of growing weaknesses within the moral fabrics of the Christian church. We must return to the teaching of the fundamental principles of God’s word on marriage. We shouldn’t allow the influence of the New Age philosophy to redefine our faith. The foundation of God stands sure, and the word of God cannot be altered to suit a growing libertarian theology! Boko Haram has caused a lot of havoc in this country, particularly in the northern region. Following the death of many Christians and churches burnt, some people are calling on Christians to retaliate. What is your view on this? It is a painful situation that we have on our hands. But we cannot forget who we are. This is not the first time that Christianity has been attacked in human history and, of course, in our country Nigeria. But no attack, bombings or murders can kill the spirit of God inside us. Every drop of blood of a Christian spilled will wet the ground to germinate the seeds of the gospel in our land. We do not need to retaliate. We serve a God of peace. Vengeance belongs to God. As a Christian leader and concerned Nigerian, what advice would you give to the government on how to tackle the menace of Boko Haram? I will address Nigerian Christians first. All Christians should rise up in consolidated actions against this assault of evil. First, we should raise platforms of prayer and support for Christians who have lost relations, churches and fellowships in the attack. Also, we must put increasing pressure on the leaders of our land to ensure the unwarranted attacks on Christian places of worship cease. Also, all people of all faiths should speak up against this evil. We must come together very strongly at this time as a nation, irrespective of faith and religion, to fight against this evil that’s targeting the very root of our existence as a nation. The government needs to address the issues from a multi-faceted approach – political, economic, social, and of course spiritual angles. Our experience is typical of nations who forget their God. When the leadership of Israel sinned in the Bible, it is the nation that got afflicted. We need national repentance to be led by the leaders of our country. This will bring the hands of God down into our situation. Some pastors like Pastor W.F. Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church and Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, among others, left their secular jobs and went into full-time ministering. Do you have such plan? The days of life are a gift to men. The value of life is not in duration, but in donation. “Cast your bread upon the waters”, the Bible says, “and after many days you shall find it”. My life is donated to the one who made it. Like the clay, I am in the hands of the Potter to do with me as He pleases. My only prayer is that whatever He does with me, He should ensure I make Heaven at last, with my wife and children! I cannot talk about a plan outside God’s purpose. God’s purpose is the plan. What do you think tithes and offerings are meant for in the house of God? Tithes and offerings are meant for deployment in God’s service as the Levite is led by the Lord. The concept of tithe was created by God to ensure his full-time ministers have provisions to meet their own needs. Offerings are freewill donations meant to develop the church. But tithes are specific, 10 per cent of profits, designed to meet the need of the ministers. It is different from offerings. By Levitical ordinances, Levites (full-time ministers by today’s interpretation) are to live on tithes so as to allow them concentrate on caring for God’s flock rather than running around seeking means to meet their personal or family needs. This is the order of the Bible. It is not a matter of personal opinion. I pay tithe, and I do not draw regular financial benefits from the church, since I have a day job. But my full-time church employees get paid from the tithes that come into the church. That’s the way the Bible proposes it to be. Culled from Sunday Newswatch

Kukah berates national confab •Says it will create more problems for Nigeria

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, The Right Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, has berated the Federal Government’s national confab which is expected to commence soon, arguing that the conference will only create more problems for the nation. Kuka, who earlier expressed optimism in the oneness of the country, related his fears, saying that the confab had been fraught with many irregularities before its commencement. He stated this while making his keynote address as the guest speaker during the 6th Cardinal Anthony Okogie’s annual lecture, which was held on Thursday at the McGovern Hall at the St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos. Kukah, while dwelling much on the topic “Calming The Storm, Witnessing In A Time Of Insecurity”, said that “many people have been clamouring for a Sovereign National Conference. Now it is here. I don’t believe that Nigeria’s problems can be solved through a National Conference. This is because the delegates are not going there as one Nigeria but as different ethnic groups. This will even create more problems to the country.” He stressed that Nigerians have politicised every issue on the altar of religion and tribal sentiment, adding that “Nigeria is not the only country with many tribes, cultures and religions. If a person commits an offence in USA, the offender is tried as a criminal but in Nigeria people will try such a person on the grounds of his religion, tribe, thereby bringing sentiment into the case. This is Nigeria’s biggest problem and until Nigerians see one another as Nigerians and not from religious perspective, the nation will not know peace.” From Tribune Newspaper

The fear of God’s wrath drove me into music —Alawiye-Aluko

Bisi Alawiye-Aluko is a gospel artiste with a difference. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, she reveals the reason behind her dumping her accountancy profession, why her husband follows her to all her shows, among other issues. Excerpts: WHAT have has been sustaining your career? The sustainability of my music career is beyond my imagination. Instead of giving instances, I will return all glory to God for making me a vessel unto honour. He has been using me to bless lives through the ministration of songs. My songs have been a source of inspiration in ways that I cannot imagine. What has remained your major challenge? This is what you cannot leave out in the life of any human. But I want to believe that without a cross, there won’t be a crown. Once again I want to thank God for His grace and the sustainability of my life. I know He has a purpose for still keeping me. Though it has not been easy when I came into the limelight; I don’t see every challenge of my life as an end road because He will surely create ways where there is none. Can you recall the reason behind your choice of gospel music? My journey into mainstream gospel music started when I discovered my talent for music at a tender age. The mystery began immediately I finished my secondary school education and got admitted into the polytechnic. The talent surfaced and I found my way into a studio where I waxed an album entitled “La’na Komi”. We gave it to a marketer. The song was a hit and it was beyond my imagination. I never believed I would end up as a musician. I just obeyed the directives of God back then. Meanwhile, I studied accountancy at the tertiary level, but I don’t think I would have gone as far as I have done in music if I had settled down in the accountancy profession. Can you recall the exact turning point that made you realise you possess the gift of music? I was shocked in an encounter that I had at Ile-Ife where I was singing during a thanksgiving service at a church. A man walked up to me and called my name in the presence of the congregation. He said, “Bisi, you have refused to obey and heed my words. If this people perish as a result of your disobedience, you will also perish with them.” That statement really struck my heart. How successful are you as a gospel musician? As I said earlier, I thank God for whatever I am today and I am contented with whatever I am or have today. I will be foolish if I start flaunting all assets that vanish within a twinkle of an eye. I am comfortable with what I have. What aspect of gospel music do you sing? I sing pure and undiluted gospel music. I agree with you that there are different types of gospel music today, but I am not to judge or select which should be and which should not. Whatever is not Biblical cannot pass as gospel music. How have you been able to combine your home front and music? I have been able to achieve this through divine wisdom coupled with a good and sound driving force. My home has always been awesome. My husband and I do things together; we are always together wherever I go, especially to perform. It might be strange; but to me, I derive joy in it because he believes in my vision and always guides me. Don’t you think you are lagging behind as a gospel musician because you reside in Akure? The popular belief that one will lag behind if not in the cities, especially Lagos State, is a fallacy. God is not interested in one’s location or jurisdiction to make one shine or excel in life. Despite the fact that I reside in Akure, music has taken me beyond the shores of this country. I have been to Europe to minister. At the moment, I am making arrangement to go to America. What is your take on the state of gospel music in Nigeria? The fact remains that no matter how gospel music is blended into other things, you cannot compare the adulterated with the original. We have a lot of pure and evergreen songs that never go into extinction; take a look at Baba Ayewa’s popular songs, Baba Ojo Ade, Chief Ebenezer Obey, Bola Are among others are typical examples of icons that produce songs that cannot go into extinction. This is the school of thought that I belong to. I believe originality will remain forever. So, you agree that the industry is unclean? No, not in that context. The entire earth is even corrupt. The industry and all other sectors are inclusive. The fact remains that whether we want it or not, we need the entire entertainment industry to be purged and it is when the bad eggs are removed that we can enjoy God.

Ripples From Chime's Demolistion of MFM'S sOUTH-East Headquarters

Emotions rose high on Thursday October 10, 2013 in Enugu when officials of the state government carried out their threat by demolishing the multi-purpose building of the South East regional headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, situated along Zik Avenue, Enugu. It will be recalled that in September last year, when Governor Sullivan Chime was out of the country for medical trip and for vacation, bulldozers arrived the church and were ready to pull it down but could not because the church instituted a law suit claiming that they acquired the place legally and that the church plan got government approval. Religious leaders from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and that of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) pleaded with the government to re-consider its position. According to the former resident pastor of the church, Pastor Kennedy Udeogaranya, they were grateful to the government for giving them a place to relocate. He however opined that government should give them time to relocate. Pastor Udeogaranya told reporters pointedly that the place they were given by the government was a land in dispute, saying that two communities in Enugu North and Enugu South Local Government Areas of the state were each laying claims to the ownership of the land even when the government had given the church the certificate of occupancy to the said land. Emeke Ogene, an Enugu resident told Tribune Church that the MFM acquired the land legally and there was no reason why the place should not be demolished. “Don’t mind them. The church acquired the place legally. This idea that they did not get government approval is not true,” he said. The Commissioner for Land, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam, said they would not pay compensation because the church did not get government approval before building. He said that the governor gave the church an alternative place to relocate because he was a man who liked handling things peacefully and amicably without seeking recourse to court action and violence. Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, (ECTDA), Ikechukwu Ugwuegede said the government pulled down the edifice because the church did not get government approval. He said what was uppermost in the mind of the government was to the security of lives and property and that is what prompted the demolition. Detachments of armed policemen and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSDC) were stationed at strategic points apparently to wade off hoodlums from carting away the property of the church as well as quell any rebellion. A statement issued by Ugwuegede, on Thursday, insisted that the structure was illegal and unapproved, adding that application for approval was rejected in March, 2012. According to him, “copious opportunity was given to Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries to make good the illegality ever since then. With the allocation of land of more than 4000sq m to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles more than three months ago, the state government believes that they do have an alternate area to develop. “It must also be borne in mind that with the seasonal rains and floods this year resulting in the collapse of three buildings within the capital territory and the loss of one woman and an unborn child, the state government has a duty to all and sundry, including adherents and worshipers at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles. “No responsible government will stand and permit a predictable catastrophe to befall its people before taking appropriate steps. The state government had also identified other structures which must be brought down to present any unsafe condition or illegal structure from remaining” he concluded,” he said. As at last Thursday, when Tribune Church visited both the demolished church and the new site given to the church by the government, some of the church members were still seen discussing the demolition exercise as they claimed that they were not given enough time to relocate. Meanwhile, rods, plywood and other valuable property belong to the church were being evacuated from the rubble. Culled from tribune Newspaper

80 years after, C&S celebrates Moses Orimolade

THE grand finale of the 80th remembrance of the founder of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, the late Moses Orimolade Tunolase got a massive turnout at Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, hometown of the founder of the church. The celebration, which started in July back in London, ended on Saturday October 19, 2013 with church faithful from within Nigeria and abroad who were present at Ikare, Ondo State and Lagos last weekend. The chairman, organising committee for United Kingdom and the President of the Cherubim & Seraphim Development Organisation international, Special Apostle Oladokun Aduragbemi said the activities started in London to commemorate the death of the founder of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, the late St Moses Orimolade Tunolase who died on October 19, 1933. The United Kingdom event was held at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London. According to him, “The London event was impressive due to the mass number of people that graced the occasion from numerous churches including the Celestial Church of Christ, Christ Apostolic Church, Christ Faith Tabernacle, The Redeemed Christian Church of God among others. Also present were spiritual fathers including His Eminence Baba Aladura General George O. Tunolase G.C.O.A from Ikare Akoko, His Grace Most Rev. Father Samuel Abidoye, Head of C & S Movement, His Grace Most Rev. Father O. Abiola of Order of British Empire (O.B.E), Head of C & S Aladura International, Special Apostle Prophet Gabriel Fakeye, Superior Senior Apostle Olu Legbe, Head C & S Church Zion UK & Ireland, Pastor J. Olalere, Head of CAC Mount Zion UK and Apostle Alfred Williams and Head of Christ Faith Tabernacle worldwide who was the preacher of the august occasion.”

Thrill as gospel artistes lead monarchs in worship

This year’s tenth annual King’s Day of Praise had dignitaries among whom were monarchs both within Nigeria and outside. The event which is running in its tenth year organised by its visionary, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso under his Oba Karunwi III Evangelical Movement (OKTEM), was held at Bishopscourt, Onikolobo, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The venue came alive when Tope Alabi mounted the stage to dish out her popular tracks leaving everyone present in a joyous mood. Other gospel artistes such as the Divine Twin Sister, Hannah Sokunbi, Ayan Jesu, also made the event a memorable one. The fuji maestro cum gospel musician who is also the chairman of the organising committee of the praise event, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey led dignitaries in worship through his popular evergreen songs. The performances of the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Niger-Delta and French cultural groups made this year’s concert a memorable one. In his remarks, Obey said this year’s King’s Day of Praise was indeed a success compared to the previous ones, adding that, “I am really impressed with the success recorded in this event and I want to use this opportunity to appreciate the brains behind the event, especially the visionary, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, who saw the importance to always appreciate God irrespective of one’s office or prestige.” The event was also graced by the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Yewande Amusan.

Meet Nigerian-born pastor, Alex Omokudu, is affecting lives in the Uk

The month of October in the Uk is set aside for the celebration of Afro Caribbean culture, history and those that have made a positive contribution to both their local community and across the globe. Pastor Alex Omokudu is one of those that should be celebrated for the positive impact he is making in the lives of those in his local community of Barking and Dagenham and globally. Born in a small village close to Auchi in Edo State, Pastor Alex was born dumb. He struggled through school with his difficulties and was always the target of his teachers, all of whom did not fully understand his condition and how to help him. They thought he was headstrong and labelled him ineducable. His classmates did not make things any easy for him. They constantly made jest of him. Due to his disability, he was quick to temper and lashe out at them, which always led to him being thrown out of class. He was a force to reckon with but even through the mayhem he was causing people could see he was kind-hearted. After lashing out at his classmates, during lunch, he would buy them snacks and defend the weak from bullies a trait he has carried with him through the years and that is still manifesting in the way he cares for people and feels their pains when they are passing through difficulties. When God arrested him, he that was dumb spoke and the once ineducable became a fast learner. He started his pastoral journey in Lagos preaching, healing the sick and touching lives. When it was time for him to get married, a mutual friend gave his wife his number and she called him for prayers from the UK. When she called, the Holy Spirit ministered to him and told him that was his wife. He told her and two weeks later, they were married and he relocated to the UK where God is using him to save lives. The father of three is different from other men of God because of his fear and love for God, which could be seen in the way he does things and the things he preaches about. He touches on areas most men of God would avoid preaching about so they don’t lose their members and constantly warns his members to stay away from sin, especially fornication. He has reshuffled his choir more than ten times because he perceived they where involved in fornication. His zero tolerance for sin has carved a niche for him as a salvation preacher while the manifestation of the glory of God in his life is showing everyone how prosperity can be attained from God by sowing seeds into people’s lives, living a holy life and having faith in God. While most men of God are crazy for earthly tittles, he is contented with just being a pastor. His humble nature has prevented his members from ascribing a God status to him. Though he is accepting his fellow colleagues in Christ, most of them have not extended a hand of fellowship to him. Most recently, he was invited to a church to join them in celebrating the opening of a new site. He went there whole- heartedly but on getting there, he was not acknowledged. Rather than being upset about the situation, he rejoiced with them but wondered why men of God are not supportive of one another. Pastor Alex’s display of love and care can be seen in his actions. He has sponsored numerous marriage ceremonies so that couples who could not afford to get married but want to be married can have a holy union. Members seeking mortgages are helped with funds to secure them; those in difficulties are helped, regardless of the cost. Total strangers he meets on the streets that walk up to him for help are helped. Talking about wealth and how men of God should live, he said “my wealth belong to the people whatever I make I give out. People are suffering and need help.” In most services of 5,000 people, he would refuse to take offering and ask them to go home with their money because God is interested in their heart and not their money. His talent is mostly seen is in his ability to turn the lives of gang members, murderers, criminals, drug users and dealers around. Nineteen-year-old Kenny Oladipo was a typical London youth who was into gangsterism and was notoriously known by the police. After his encounter with Pastor Alex, his life was changed for the better and he was placed on the right direction. His change was so exceptional that the police visited the church, Victorious Pentecostal Church, where Pastor Alex is the founder and General Overseer, to see the man that could affect Kenny’s life in such a positive way within a short time. Kenny is still on the straight and narrow and is currently working with Her Majesty service. Another youth touched by Pastor Alex is Jason Tsolakis who was meant to be jailed for 30 years for the role he played in a gang murder. After meeting Pastor Alex, not only was he spared jail but the fear of God now resides in him and he has turned away from his old ways. Joseph Subi 18, was caught with drugs and would have been jailed for four years. He was tagged during his court case but he located Pastor Alex during this period and he was spared jail and is now a dedicated Christian. The testimonies of the lives he is changing are endless unlike most churches where miracles are based on the law of large numbers Pastor Alex deals with each individual and this has earned him recognition from both people and the government. Councillor Liam Smith leader of Barking and Dagenham Council wrote to him, acknowledging his contribution to the positive impact of those living in the community. Moffat Ekoriko of News Africa described him as a “man with talent and character.” Pastor Alex’s ministry is growing really fast and within a short period, he has acquired things that bigger and older ministries cannot even dream of having. Due to unsuitability of air time so he could reach out to more people, God gave him his own TV station and he now owns Believe TV. The UK currently lacks good moral leadership but Pastor Alex is filling the gap. Blacks no longer have to look up to only footballers, actors or musicians whose life styles are somewhat questionable. A man whose main aim is to “make history” and inspire people, and whose greatest achievement is “affecting lives” definitely has a good vision for humanity. With his limited education, he is breaking barriers and his genuine love for God and the people is keeping UK strong. Be inspired. Culled from Tribune Newspaper

Prepare as rapture approaches, says Pastor Chidi

Pastor Chidi Anthony, General Overseer of King in Christ Church warns against the dangers of taking “the mark of the anti-Christ.” Excerpts: Ninety-eight percent of the people that come to church do not come because they want to learn the word of God. They do not even come for Christ Himself; neither do they come to become genuinely born again. But they come because they are seeking solution to their personal problems; after which they go back to their former lives. But let me tell you something, child of God, whether you like it or not, anything can happen any time from now. If De Parnassus, pastor of somebody would stand before the entire world and declare boldly that he is God to come; stand to say that there is nothing like heaven and earth and that heaven and hell are here and even had the effrontery to say he had power to give life, it, therefore, shows that the end is near. When I was meditating upon this, I cried. And you still see people rushing to the fast-expanding church called Christiana and Gracias that is located in Miami, USA to collect the mark, 666. Remember the Bible says that it is the mark of the anti-Christ. According to media reports, the church’s growth is tremendous because that is what people like. People like where they will be free and do anything even in the house of God. But let me tell you; heaven is real and hell is real. And God said, “I have made you a watch man. After watching de Parnassus speaking on CNN, I sat down to ask myself: “Am I doing the right thing? Am I giving the people what they are supposed to receive? If anything happens tomorrow, will their blood be required from my hand? The Lord said to me: “Warn them again. Tell them that my coming is at hand. “My question is: how prepared are you? Do you care a hoot about rapture? Some people will be eating with their husband or wife; one will be taken up in the sky and the other left behind. They may be working in the farm, when the trumpet is blown; some will go up in the sky and others left to face torture. If the trumpet sounds now, where will you be? You ought to know how prepared you are. I am warning you us to be on the alert. Hear me now; the enemy is very close. You need to be on the alert; and run for dear life while there is still time. How can you run for your life? There are things that you do that do not please God. Let’s take for instance; some of us are looking for money by all means, either by clean or unclean methods. What if you get this money and begin a house project or whatever with it, and when you are about to complete the project, rapture takes place. You have not enjoyed the house and you also miss heaven. Why should you kill yourself because of these worldly things? Things that have no value and cannot last forever. Why can’t you store your treasure where cankerworms, locust and palmerworms will not devour it? Why are you storing your riches in the things of the world? I hear a story shared by a certain man of God ministering raw salvation message at a crusade. After his ministration, he made an altar call and there was tumultuous rush of new converts to the altar. There was this young man that came to the crusade with his girlfriend. The message touched the girlfriend so much that she decided to give her life to Jesus Christ. As she ran out to surrender to Christ, the boy looked at the girl and told her, ‘com’on, get back.’ And the girl decided to go back as she did not want to offend the boyfriend. The boy decided that they should leave the crusade ground before the programme closed. As they were about to cross the road, an oncoming car hit her and immediately, she died. The young man ran back to the church and began to plead with the pastor to forgive him. The young man was led to Christ, but the girlfriend died without Christ. Brethren, do you know that anything can happen any time? That is why the Bible said, “I will come like a thief.” Even if you are a doubting Thomas, everything that the book of Revelation says about the end time is happening one after the other. Last time, we heard about the mark of the beast, 666. Now the American President, senators in the US have passed a law that every man in the US must carry a micro-chip on their forehead and on their wrist. That also is the mark of the anti-Christ. The micro- chip is planted on the forehead and without the chip, your ATM card will not work. That is what gives you access to your money in the bank. It is what connects you to the network. They plant it on you temple and your wrist. Remember, the book of Revelation 14 says that anybody that does not have this mark will neither buy nor sell. That means they will frustrate anyone that does not have this mark. You will not sell, buy or eat. When you cannot eat, you will be forced to accept the mark of the beast. But before this aspect will begin to happen, the rapture would take place. The saints of God would have gone to meet the Lord in the air, before the persecution. As a wise person, you should prepare yourself to be rapturable before the dawn of the persecution; the reason being that you cannot stand the persecution. You will have to collect the mark or die. But the danger in collecting the mark is that it will herald your own end. It is the mark of condemnation. This is why you need to prepare yourself that when the trumpet sounds, you will be raptured with the saints. I pray that my eyes will not see that day. Who are you? What kind of life do you live? We have come to the ‘ember months’ where many people do anything to make money. This is the season. Even people go to market on Sundays. One of my sons from South Africa called me recently and told me that he played lottery and gave the receipt to his younger brother to keep for him. He had no idea that the numbers he played could ever win. When the result came out, he actually worm some thousands of Swiss Franc. He went back to his brother to collect his winning receipt; it was a tug of war before his brother could release the receipt. The younger brother claimed that he didn’t know where he kept the receipt. We are talking about sibblings. The elder brother, asked his little brother what he meant by ‘he didn’t know where he kept his receipt.’ And fight broke out. The younger brother broke a bottle to stab his elder brother because of money. The elder brother called Nigeria to report the matter; and their father counselled the elder brother to leave the quarrelsome brother. When that other boy learnt that the elder brother had reported the matter to me, he quickly confessed their conspiracy to my son because he is so afraid of the oil upon his life. He felt that if my god-son gave their names to me to pray about, the perpetrator of the act would die. Because of money today, you see a father killing his children. You see a son killing the father or mother to get rich, ride good cars, live in mansions, take chieftaincy titles and make big friends. Young men, young women, musicians, actors actresses join church of Satan or the illuminati to acquire fame and money. At about 40 years, when they ought to relax and enjoy the money, Satan will take them prematurely. That is a very big error. It would have been better that after such death, all troubles will end; but when they die in such manner, they go to meet the main death. I don’t know the kind of sign you need to know that the world is coming to an end. Prepare now while there is time. Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

Stay out of abomination, by Reverend Izuchukwu

Rev. Izuchukwu Chukwudebelu of Assemblies of God FESTAC (2), Lagos, teaches that every form of abominable sin carries a deadly curse. Excerpts: And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister… Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her… And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. And she had a garment of diverse colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of diverse colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying. 11 Sam. 13: 8-19. Incest brings curse upon victims, cousin, spouse or maid, master, siblings, father and daughter, servant and madam. It has done untold harm to many and is still doing. In my place, certain things are regarded as abomination traditionwise. They are very old but the present generation does not possess the power to undo them except God helps. If any steals banana, cola nut, an egg or a tuber of yam, he is regarded an abominable person for life. He would have nothing to do with the community, vice versa. Friend, if human law could be so hard to bend and very harmful to the offender for life, how then do you consciously delve into what God slammed abomination and think you could go free. In my book, ‘Making Your Marriage Work’, I addressed abominable sexual sins extensively. I am yet to see anyone who indulges in abominable sins and leads a happy cum healthy life. Stay away from whatever God calls abomination; it is carrying a deadly curse. Amnon was murdered by Absalom consequent upon having carnal knowledge of the sister, Tamar. With benefit of field experience, I have seen many who were ruined by abominable sin. I stand a better chance to advise you to desist from such because none comes out of it smiling. Check people who hang around their brothers wives and sisters husbands, they are so dry and wretched by every standard. You can equally check out on those who hang around their maids. There is none who is involved in abominable lifestyle that leads a fulfilled life. He is only pretending to be; in the actual sense he is leading a frustrated life. This could include many different items. Then get rid of them in the most effective way: smash and burn them, throw them into deep water and the like! Pray the prayer for release from any curse: Jesus became a curse that you might be free from every curse that was ever cursed humanity and received God’s blessing in your place. You do not have to ‘earn’ your release. You do not have to be ‘worthy’. If you come to God with thoughts like that, you will have no solid basis for your faith. God responds to us only on the basis of what Jesus has done on our behalf, not of any merits we may fancy we have in ourselves. There is no set pattern for responding to God that everyone has to follow. The key to release is not some particular type of response. Faith can be expressed in many different ways. Just be your real self with God. Open your whole being to God’s love as a flower opens its petals to the sun. Now believe that you have received, and go on in God’s blessing! Your part is simply to open yourself, without reservation, to all that God wants to do in you and for you through His blessings. Do not limit God to doing only what you think. Do not try at this stage to analyze what form the blessing will take or how God will impact it to you. Leave that in God’s hands. Let Him do it just how and when He feels. Remember, God never makes one believer a carbon copy of another nor does He produce Christians on a factory assemble line. Your belief largely determines your relief from prevalent curse. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Eph.3:19-20. Divine exchange Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isa.53:4-6, 11- 12. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven. The entire message of the gospel revolves around a unique historical event. ‘The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.’ Jesus endured in our place all the evil consequences that were due by divine justice to our iniquity. Jesus was wounded that we might be healed. On the physical plane, Jesus bore our sicknesses and pains that we through His wounds might be healed. Jesus was equally made sin with our sinfulness that we might become righteous with His righteousness. When Jesus became identified with our sin, it was inevitable that He should also experience the death that is the outcome of sin. He bore the sin of all men and so died the death due to all men. In return, to all who accept His substitutionary sacrifice, Jesus now offers the gift of external life. Jesus died our death that we might share His life. Jesus endured the evil that we in turn might enjoy the good. Heb 12:2. Execution on the cross was the most shameful of all forms of death, reserved for the lowest class of criminals. Two of the cruelest wounds brought upon us by our iniquity are shame and rejection. Both came upon Jesus on the cross. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Heb. 12:2-3. Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might become rich with His riches. Isa.53:9-10, 11 Cor. 8:9. Some people picture Him as poor throughout His earthly ministry, but this is not accurate. He did not carry a lot of cash, but at no time did He lack anything He needed. When He sent His disciples out on their own, they likewise lacked nothing Luke. 22:35. So far from being poor, He and His disciples made a regular practice of giving to the poor John 12:4-8, 13:29. Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

‘Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation’

Presiding Minister of House of Prayer Ministries, Pastor Segun Adewunmi, in this exhortation, differentiates between praying and watching. Excerpts: To watch and pray means different things. While praying is talking to God, watching is hearing from Him. Prayer must include watching because it is a conversation that must be two ways communication between the petitioner and God. Every believer has a guardian Angel that forms the link between him and God. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries”. (Exo 23:20-22) In ignorance brother Gideon thought God had forsaken Israel in view of the terrible affliction visited on Israel by the Midianites and the Amalekites. Until he was convinced that God has indeed given him power to fight the Midianites and prevail. As soon as Gideon offered the kid and unleavened cake of epha of flour and flesh as offering he became another man because the very God that he thought had forsaken Israel started to speak right from the inside of him. “And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:13-15) “And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die”. (Judges 6:22-23) The above is how a two-way communication system was established between God and Gideon. What is implied here is that prayer cannot be one way. In prayer we do not talk to God but talk with Him. Every believer must therefore possess the Revelation gifts of Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom and Ability to discern and understand the spiritual environment. The Word of Knowledge is the complete understanding of the situation of things. It is not only about knowledge but also perspective. Knowledge is knowing while Perspective is a deeper understanding of why. “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”. (Psalm 103:7) Word of wisdom is a projection into the future that tells you what you must do for a predetermined goal in the situation you are. Yet ability of discernment will guide you to recognise your own thought and differentiate same from the desire of God. The above are the complete equipments required for watching. Sadly many believers and indeed so many prayer doctrines encourage believers to pray without watching. Believers are subjected to long fasting and prayer for that which God has answered. Some are so busy with prayers that attempt to let them see that the problems they are praying about has been solved is seen as a disturbance and interruption to their prayer. They do this because of their lack of watching while praying. Similarly Satan changes strategies in his warfare against us. This situation requires us to also change our strategy against him. Our ability to know what Satan does and how to counter him is also in our spiritual watch. The Bible clearly warns us not to be ignorant of his device. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. (1st Peter 5:8) Nehemiah was programmed to be confused by the message of a monk advising him to run into the temple for safety against an impending attack. “Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.” (Neh 6:10-14) If Nehemiah had not watched with his ability to discern, he would have fallen a victim to the tricks of Satan. Similarly Jehoshaphat through his discerning power was not convinced by the bold prophecies of four hundred prophets led by Zedekiah who told Ahab to go into the battle at Ramoth Gilead. “Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” (1 King 22:6-8) Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

Endorsing Jonathan for 2015 should be based on performance –Bishop Chukwuma

Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, is known for his bluntness on issues of national and societal importance. In this interview with Dennis Agbo, the fi ery cleric opens up on issues surrounding the proposed national conference, the Igbo Presidency, President Jonathan’s second term and the way forward for Nigeria. Did President Goodluck Jonathan’s move to organise a national conference come to you as a welcome development? Well, it’s a welcome development for Mr. President to agree to set up a committee to look into the organisation of the national conference being agitated by many. You know Nigerians would want something and rather than him to keep quiet and for it to look like he is deaf to people’s request, he has now succumbed to it and see how it goes, just like he succumbed to amnesty for Boko Haram which today has failed. I am not confident that this national conference or dialogue will be a success because a lot of things will definitely bring a clog on the wheel by selfish Nigerians on the way they will handle it. They will be political and tribalistic about it. It is a welcome development but how far will it go, that is the question. Who are the people going to have this dialogue or conference? What is their motive, sincerely or insincerely? Now that the committee is searching for modality for the conference, how do you think it should be organised? Personally, I am not too confident about the committee. You can see Professor Ben Nwabueze backing out, saying he is battling with cancer. If you are compiling such a committee, it should be people of high intelligence, not people who have expired or people who are sentimentally against government because you want to silence them. They are supposed to be people of serious intellectual ability who have wider experience of what it takes to dialogue in Nigeria. Elders should not be involved in this committee, they should be consultants. I want to let you know that when this committee was formed, it was with mixed feelings but now the modalities for which the committee is going to come up, they are going to consult. Now the problem is who and who are going to be representatives. They are now going to fight for it thinking that this is another way of going to share the national cake. They will not be concerned about the real motive of the President. People will be very much interested in grabbing and not to serve. They will be much interested again in so much argument other than facing the true fact of the situation. Again, I must say that there are things needed to be identified as far as this conference is concerned. One is that the leadership of this nation is a problem; two, the unity of this nation, and three is the religious bigotry in this nation for which you must really have to know whether Christians and Muslims will have to co exist without intolerance which had led to so many confusion and violence in this country. There is need for religious dialogue to be involved in this political discussion and not tribalistic dialogue. The third item is the economy because the economy of this country is in problem. We need to know the real income of this country as regard the crude oil. There is a lot of disagreement and dissatisfaction about it and so there is need for us to also know who and who are responsible for the continuous violence in this country. There is need for us to consider about the education of this country. It is already being bastardized and there is need for dialogue on how education can move forward. Having more universities without jobs for them is not a solution. If they graduate, where do you employ them? These are the problems we need to look into. Also we should look into infrastructure; there is need for dialogue on equity and justice in distribution of resources of the nation because you find that there is no balance. We have to look at our zonal distribution as some zones are having fewer states. Should a zone like South- East have only five states and other zones are having six or seven? We should have a balance of number of states in a zone and then equity in distribution of resources of the nation. These are the things we need to look into. This question of dragging of leadership because some people feel it is their turn to lead and as I always say, the northerners should know that they have had a fair share of leadership of this nation. The areas that have not had fair share should be given opportunity because leadership of this country does not belong to the North. The number of years that the people from the North have ruled is more than any other zone in this country and that’s why they should not be persistent on it. The South-East and South-South are very much cheated, same as the Middle Belt. So there are so many things they have to look into in the modus operandi and if they do their statistics well, we will have no problem. But again, the implementation of whatever comes out of that conference is another thing because you find out that so many beautiful conferences had been held in this country but the implementation had been swept under the carpet. Therefore, why not go back to these conferences we’ve had before, like Vision 20:20 and the rest; where are the results, even the amendment of the constitution? For me, I am not too confident something good could come out of this. It’s going to be a noise making as usual and everybody will come back again to square one. Specifically, who or what groups should be delegates to the conference? It has to be encompassing. As far as I am concerned, it has to be by zonal representation. Each geopolitical zone of the country should have their representation. In each of these zonal representations, there should be traditional and religious representations because these are very important so you can have balance in representations. Do you agree with Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s submission that the federation should be based on the geopolitical zones? These are also areas you have to look into in the dialogue. Do you want federalism or what because right now power is so much concentrated at the centre, in Abuja the federal capital and the states and local governments are suffering. There should be devolution of power. Parliamentary, federalism or whatever should be looked into. What do we really want in this country? Which of these ones should be better for Nigeria? That brings us to the issue of fiscal federalism, should the centre continue to have so much money? No! What is more important is at the grassroots because that is where you have more effects of democracy dividends, because if the grassroots don’t feel the impact of government then nothing is happening. If it is just at the federal, the people of this country and even the people from up there come from a certain area which is the grassroots and so resources should be allowed to flow down so that there can be genuine development of the society. Don’t you think that devolution of power may lead to disintegration, which of course is what people are afraid of in this dialogue? No, there won’t be disintegration. Power can remain but resources can go down. The control of power can remain up there but the resources can go down. Making rules can be up there but resources should go down but not to hold on to power and to money. What agenda do you think the Igbo should present at the conference? The Igbo should first of all unite themselves better. I must tell you that I am not happy that there is a lot of disintegration among the Igbo. You have the Aka Ikenga and you have the Ohanaeze. Ohanaeze will always go to the conference. There is the South-East Forum, so which one? We are confused. There should be agreed forum for Ndigbo to speak with one voice. Right now, everybody wants to be a leader. Until we humble ourselves, respect ourselves and understand that somebody has to lead and others to follow; that is the problem. Shouldn’t the Igbo agitate for Presidency in the conference? We agitate for presidency when we are united. You have to get yourselves together so that when the time comes you will be able to nominate one person; not when Igbo presidency comes, 20 people will come out. You see how the northerners do their own; they step down for themselves; Yoruba, the same thing, but in the case of the Igbo, hundred people will come out. Until you come to a point where we agree that one person must represent us, we will not have a headway but if not as I said we have to put our house in order and that is the most important thing the Igbo will do now. Right now, we are not together, not organised and that is my worry. Ohanaeze said the Igbo would rather wait until the South-South exhausts their chances for presidency; is that not a way of endorsing Jonathan for a second term? Whether it’s another way of endorsing Jonathan for 2015 or not, as far as I am concerned, Jonathan has the right to contest if he performs. The endorsement of Jonathan for 2015 depends on his performance. I don’t think somebody who has failed should have a repeat of governance. If between now and 2015, there is a change in style of governance and there is reason for Jonathan to continue in office, why not? He needs to complete a second term so that Ndigbo can now talk about Presidency but if things don’t work out well and there is no improvement in security situation which we can say continue, then the Igbo should then talk about who can do better. If not, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. What we are talking about now is not somebody to represent your geopolitical zone but somebody going there to make better governance and free Nigeria from this shackle of suffering. People should be talking about how to leave a legacy in the heart of men and not property stolen to abroad or shifted to the village. Remember that each of us will give account of what we have done and the judgement of God will be upon everyone. Is Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) going to have a position at the conference? Why not? The position of CAN is how we can have a peaceful society with religious dialogue that will bring about understanding and not religious bigotry. CAN is always on the peaceful side but we have to tolerate one another and know that Christians and Muslims have to co-exist and become the conscience of the nation, to note better citizens in the realm of the spirit. When people are developed spiritually and morally then you can talk about good governance and corruption will not be in the hearts of men. Stealing will not be there. Everybody has to brace up for spiritual transformation because that is what Nigeria needs now before you can talk about good governance. Some people hitherto agitating for national conference have suddenly turned around to say no; how do you see that? It depends on what they want. If what they want is selfishness and they see they are not going to gain out of it, then they will be against it. Everything depends on what interest you have. If your interest is not being met and you know you are not going to be part of that, then it becomes a disaster when you want to back out but if you know it is for the good of all, then there is no need talking about them. The thing is how many are ready for it because the percentage has to be respected. This country does not belong to a single individual but to all of us and democratically, we must all decide with the majority vote. What is your prayer for the country at this stage of our crossroads? We need more than prayer but God’s intervention. Whatever we are passing through now may be God’s way of letting us know that he is the supreme. Nigerian’s must revert to God and ask for a sense of direction. It is only through that that the country can be better. Right now, there is no fear of God and that’s why we do things with impunity. People no more fear and respect human beings; this is the problem but we should know that God is God and that he has power over our lives and so we should trust on that God. For us, we will continue to pray to God to transform Nigeria. Nobody should think he can destroy Nigeria or any government because the destiny of this nation is in the hands of God, and God will help us. Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

Homosexuals threaten our Church, Anglican bishops lament

If the American and European communion of the Anglican Church that favour homosexuality do not renounce such acceptance, the Anglican Communion may disintegrate worldwide. That was the outcome of the second Global Anglican Future Conference, GAFCON,that ended in Nairobi, Kenya where 1358 delegates including 331 Bishops representing tens of millions of faithful Anglicans worldwide, including Nigeria, attended. Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese and Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma who disclosed the outcome on arrival at Akanu Ibiam international airport Enugu said different communion of the Anglican church may secede if they insist on imposing homosexuality on the church. Different Bishops of the Anglican Church from the South east that arrived the airport from Nairobi agreed that what Bishop Chukwuman said was their opinion, stressing that they will severe their relationships if their pro gay Bishops do not back down. Chukwuma cited Ephesians 2: 19-20 to say that they can no longer relate with church leaders who cannot practice what the bible preaches. Bishop Chukwuma said: “The GAFCON started in 2008 as a revolt against the Lambe conference on this same sex marriage and we are trying to build up our faith to make it known to the whole world on the authority of the bible and we believe that face the faith together for the better of Anglicans. “This time around after having it in Jerusalem, we now had it in Africa in Nairobi and we are saying we have other issues ti discuss than homosexuality and lesbianism. We want to talk about education, our faith, the way islam is invading our churches among other things. “We are standing seriously on the authority of the bible to defend our faith. There is no going back as we are not going to compromise. We made it known even to the Bishop of Cantabury and to the whole Europe that there is no compromise as far as the scripture is concerned. We can all go to our tents and we are ready to stand on our own and on the authority of the scripture for the future of Anglican. “Yes we will secede because if you look at Ephisians chapter 5 verse 5 we don’t have anything to do with those who are already becoming disobedient. So why should we joke with unbelievers. We love them but we hate their sins, if they don’t repent, they go their way, we go our way.” invading our churches among other things. “We are standing seriously on the authority of the Bible to defend our faith. There is no going back as we are not going to compromise. We made it known even to the Bishop of Canterbury and to the whole Europe that there is no compromise as far as the scripture is concerned,” he disclosed. Culled National Mirror Newspaper

Pres. Jonathan tours Jerusalem, leads prayer sessions

President Goodluck Jonathan in Jerusalem on Thursday led other Nigerian pilgrims to Israel in a special prayer for the numerous challenges facing Nigeria. Leading the intercessory prayer session at the Chapel of Dominous Flevit (where Jesus wept), the President particularly prayed for God’s intervention in the current political and security challenges in Nigeria. Other pilgrims who led in different prayer points included Gov. Jonah Gang of Plateau, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akin Adesina, FCT CAN President Rev. Israel Akanji and Rep. Ndudi Elumelu. The president had earlier visited Mount Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Bascillica of Agony and Mount Zion where he also prayed alongside other pilgrims at the Upper Room (where Jesus had the last supper with His disciples). Other places visited included David City, The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the last place where Jesus was kept a night before he was crucified. The president and other Nigerian pilgrims also walked down the Palm Sunday Road to the Chapel of Dominous Flevit. President Jonathan is expected to visit the Jerusalem Old City, The Wailing Wall, Golgotha, Pool of Bethesda and other holy sites in the second day of his pilgrimage. Eight governors, seven ministers and three members of the National Assembly were part of the entourage to Israel. The governors are Chief Theodore Orji of Abia; Anambra, Mr Peter Obi; Akwa-Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio; Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi, and Delta, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Others are Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue; Jonah Jang of Plateau and Gov. Lyiel Imoke of Cross River. The ministers included the supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri; FCT Minister of State, Olajumoke Akinjide; Mnisterii of Infromation, Mr Labran Maku and the Minister of Aviation, Princes Stella Oduah. Members of the National Assembly in the presidential pilgrimage are Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Sen. Philip Aduda, and Sen. Paul Paulka. This is the first time a sitting Nigerian president will embark on pilgrimage to Israel and this year recorded the highest number of Nigerian participants. The president is in Israel on dual purpose, undergoing pilgrimage and state visit where Nigeria would sign a number of agreements with the state of Israel, including the Bilateral Air Service Agreement BASA (NAN)

Pope’s ‘prime minister’ leaves hospital

The Vatican’s new “prime minister”, who was not able to attend his own instalment ceremony this month because he was undergoing surgery, has left hospital, the Vatican said on Friday.Monsignor Pietro Parolin formally took over as Secretary of State on October 15, replacing the scandal-tainted cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.Parolin, who was appointed by Pope Francis, is a skilled Vatican diplomat and has hinted at a reformist outlook in line with the new pontiff’s.“He is leaving hospital today. Everything went well,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement, adding that the 58-year-old cleric would be recovering “for the next few days”.Lombardi said Parolin had been treated in the hepatobiliary department of Padova hospital, which handles liver and gall bladder problems.Vatican commentators had begun expressing concern in recent days over Parolin’s true state of health.The Secretary of State is a key position in the Vatican and is often seen as the pope’s number two, with responsibilities for administering the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.Bertone earlier this year grumbled that he was the victim of “moles and vipers” in the Vatican system during his heavily criticised seven-year tenure in which he proved a divisive figure. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/popes-prime-minister-leaves-hospital

We are monitoring gay marriage activists in our midst – Cardinal Onaiyekan

Human existence is guaranteed by the coming together of a man and a woman to form a union known as ‘marriage’, the basic unit of the society. The family is God’s building block in the Church, the mosque and the world at large. If there will be fullness and fulfillment in our individual lives, it will depend on the love, peace and togetherness in our families. A healthy relationship in the family is not only beneficial to the immediate members of the family, but also to those directly associated with that family and, by extension, to the society in general. Obviously, the mutual understanding between parents and their siblings is capable of leading their children and their contemporaries into a lasting relationship with God and enduring progress in life. In recent times, family, as ordained by God, has been facing serious threats, owing to human activities. Marriage is under attack from strange doctrines, emanating from the various faiths and beliefs, especially human rights fundamentalists across the world. The agitation by the activists gave birth to a law to redefine marriage in some countries, including the U.S., as “the lawful union of two persons”, instead of between man and woman. This development compelled the Catholic Family to take a firm stand that “marriage must be sacred”, saying, “The process of bringing to life is not just a physical thing, it is spiritual”. The Church warned that “the importance of marriage for children and for society” is under attack in U.S. courts and legislatures and in popular culture and entertainment media, which “often undermine or ignore the essential role of marriage and promote equivalence between marriage and homosexual relationships.” In 2000, the Dutch Parliament voted to recognize same-sex unions as marriages; the passage forced Pope John Paul II to break his silence and denounced the decision. The pope said, “No other form of relationship between persons can be considered as an equivalent to this natural relationship between a man and a woman out of whose love children are born.” Also, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard shortly after a seminar on issues relating to family rights organised by the Holy Family Society, Abuja, explained that “the expression of the same sex marriage is meaningless, because marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and where there is no man and a woman, there is no marriage, call it whatever you like, but don’t call it marriage.” Onaiyekan went on:“That is my own position all along, and I have told my friends in the National Assembly that marriage; marriage is between a man and a woman, that is our law. “So, any two persons who decide to mess around themselves, be it two men or two women, they are messing around, they are not married and let them not ask to be respected as married people. “Even this democracy, which is based upon the dictatorship of the majority, but we know that the majority can be wrong, because we have seen how the laws are passed in the countries abroad, on the basis of majority, and they passed laws that are clearly against human interest. “It was taken for granted that marriage is between a man and a woman. Therefore, there is this anti-family propaganda out there, there are people we don’t know their intention and what definitely they are going to gain by destroy family? “We, in the Catholic Church, believe in the principle of God; human being may change, environment may change, but God remains. “The propaganda against family is vigorous, powerful and well funded; they have strong influence in the United Nations, UN agencies and other international agencies, as well as in many western nations, nations where they have removed God from their public things.” The cleric, at the seminar, urged people to oppose a redefinition of marriage that includes same-sex partners. The man of God said people thought that Nigeria is backward, because the country values its culture that recognises marriage and the virtue of good family, irrespective of religions or backgrounds, saying, it is not so. He urged that people should forget that things were going on well in the nations or countries that had thrown away the principle of God, adding that they had ruined their society but try to patch it up to deceive some people. “Our people and our country have good view about marriage, never mind the question of polygamy or others, but, as far as the family is concerned, our family must be strong, we want to take care of our family, we want to marry properly, and for those who are supposed to marry, but they have not, their families will be asking them question, what is happening? “And we ought not to think that we are backward, rather we should thank God, because it’s value in our culture that we ought not to throw away, because those who have thrown it away have already destroyed their society; never mind the fact that they have government policy to look after children who have no family, but the more the society throws children out into the street, even though you are giving them assistance, the more the society will become difficult to manage.” Onaiyekan decried love of materialism that made people unable to reason on those things that made them display insanity all in the name of fashion. Speaking on the misconception of Pope Francis’s message on homosexualism, Onaiyekan said, “As for the pope, there is no way people can take whatever the pope said to mean that is changing the position of the Church on this matter”. He explained that the Catholic Church opposes gay marriage and the social acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships, but teaches that homosexual persons deserve respect, justice and pastoral care. According to him, “I can imagine that the pope did not want to get involved in this discussion, which often take over the attention of the press, and therefore diverts the attention of the press from other things. “Pope didn’t want anything to distract him from other important issues like corruption, about good governance, peace in the world, and focus attention on same sex marriage which actually affects a minority people. Going by statistics how many people or Nigerians want same sex marriage? We have other problems which need to be addressed.” Onaiyekan maintained that the Church in Nigeria had already formed a group to see from what part of the country, where anti-family legislations are being proposed, with a view to nipping them in the bud. “We have already on ground and they have also mentioned it that a group should emerge, but there is a monitoring group on ground that is monitoring what is happening at the National Assembly,” he said. Earlier, a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Mr David Osunde, proposed that the body will “act as think-tank that would provide legislative support to the drafting of laws that will protect family rights and promote family values in our country.” He made it clear that “for us to make such body active, recognisable, and useful to the Church and the society will depend on what level of sacrifices the members of such group will put in individually.” Culled from Vanguard Newspaper