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‘If We Want A Better Nigeria, Let’s Try Godliness For Just Three Months’

By ISAAC TAIWO
21 February 2016   |   1:12 am
To Me, The Greatest Miracle Is Being Born Again Could you recount what God did during the Convention? It was such a time of blessings, power and unity, when the awesome God showed forth His wonders and touched every life. Many people were saved, healed and delivered and above all, many were drawn closer to…
Akinola

Akinola

To Me, The Greatest Miracle Is Being Born Again

Could you recount what God did during the Convention?

It was such a time of blessings, power and unity, when the awesome God showed forth His wonders and touched every life. Many people were saved, healed and delivered and above all, many were drawn closer to Jesus. People related with each other on the theme: “Wonderful Jesus”.

What informed choice of the theme?

This may sound slightly more spiritual, but I have no option. Usually, we do not say we want to choose a theme, but the Lord decided that we should choose the theme this year. We understood because He is Lord and the Owner of the Church. It is good for us to understand Him, His workings and do His biddings because He knows better and that was what we did. We attributed every victory achieved during the event to His glory.

What do you mean by ‘wonder’?

When we talk of wonder, we are talking of any event or occurrence that excites amazement. We discovered that Jesus Christ did that in every ramification at all times. For example, His birth was a wonder. It was never on record that a virgin, who never knew a man, conceived. But the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus conceived through the Holy Ghost and it was said to her that she would give birth to One that shall be called the Son of God. So, His conception, birth and humility were wonderful. The Maker of the earth chose to be born in a manger. His works were wonderful. He was full of compassion. He raised the only son of a widow from the dead, as they were going to bury him. He told the mother: “weep not,” after which He touched the bier and those that were carrying it stopped. He spoke the word: ‘young man, I say unto thee, arise’, and the young man sat up and began to speak and He delivered him to his mother. He also raised Jarius daughter, who was 12 years old. He raised His friend Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. He walked on water. He fed about 5,000 men with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

His death was a wonder. He would not have died, if He did not surrender Himself. They threw stones at Him once during his ministration because they felt He spoke against them but their senses were suspended. They took Him to the edge of a hill to push Him down head long, but He passed through their midst because His time had not yet come. When the time finally came, He humbly surrendered Himself willingly, preferring His Father’s Will, as the only acceptable sacrifice that would save man’s soul. He told those that were to take Him: “I am He” and they all backed away and fell down. He had to release Himself before they could take Him to fulfil the scriptures. He went through indescribable, agonising and excruciating pains as a token of His love for His creatures. He died and rose the third day. His death was a wonder. His resurrection was also a wonder. He said He laid down His life of His own accord and that nobody forced Him. He called His creatures, friends, sons and brethren. What a love! Even His ascension was a wonder. Everything about Him was a wonder.

We saw during the convention that the main purpose of God creating man in His image and his redemption after he had fallen is for man to also manifest wonder. He said: “I and the children God has given me are for signs and wonders ….” So, all the works of Jesus synchronised in one thing: “Making men to be supernatural wonders”.

There is no adjective in human language that can be used to describe His love for man. He made use of series of methods to carry out His works on earth. Sometimes, He would speak the Word, at another time; he would spit on the ground, made clay and formed a face for a man that was born blind. At times, He simply laid hands on people. There was a particular time, 10 lepers came to Him and He simply told them without touching them to go and show themselves to the High Priest and do what Moses commanded them to do bothering on cleansing of leprosy and they were all cleansed as they went along. Another one came to Him and worshipped Him and said: ‘Lord, if thou wilt, thou can make me clean’ and He stretched forth His hand and touched him, saying: ‘I will, be thou cleansed’ and immediately, he was cleansed of his leprosy. We enjoyed ourselves a great deal and experienced the power of ‘Wonderful Jesus.’

What were the spectacular miracles?

Miracles during the convention were uncountable. The greatest of them all was that people became born again. To me, the greatest miracle occurs, when a man’s life is turned around. When a man’s sins are forgiven. This is the greatest miracle. Almost every night, people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Also at the night vigil, people were imbued with the power of God, while some were delivered. After the convention, people were still talking about the power of God, the miracles they received and the wonderful things God did in their lives. The world convention brought together people from different continents, nations, towns and cities and they all went back to their various destinations, proclaiming God’s good deeds. There was someone from South Africa, who received a spectacular promotion in his place of work, which could not happen on its own. I will summarise it this way: though the convention has ended, blessings and testimonies are still going on.

What advice do you have for youths?

They should allow themselves to be re-orientated towards valuable things that can give them meaningful future instead of engaging in vices, youthful exuberance and all that, but this has to be an individual decision. The youths that indulge in all the ‘guy’ things that are the vogue today are facing an empty future. So, they should distance themselves from such problems. Every segment of the society has a role to play in youth development, including the Church. We have “Glorious Youth Fellowship” in our church, where members are exposed to leadership qualities by virtue of their callings as doctors, lawyers and journalists among others. The society should also create platforms, particularly homes, to train youths in the way of God, which is the right way. Places of work should have work ethics that are enforceable and not selective. The future starts from today. Young graduates just coming from overseas should not be considered above parental training or instructions.

What are your views on the state of the nation?

Jesus Christ is the answer to the myriads of problems we have in Nigeria today. He is the only special gift to the world. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, Government shall be upon His shoulders….” He is the only One that has solution to the world’s problems. It is as simple as that. Recently in Austria, as they were taking a man who had been dead for 46 minutes to the mortuary, he suddenly woke up. He was taken to the U.S. for a test and the DNA carried out showed that what killed him had disappeared. He testified that he met Jesus, who healed him. If nations, including Nigeria would embrace Jesus, they would experience wonders. Our economic problems are not beyond solution. Jesus has solutions to security and leadership problems.

These are the perennial problems we have in Nigeria today. But the solution is in the hands of a Wonderful Jesus. If we allow Jesus, the Word of God and His righteousness to reign in our lives and the nation, Nigeria would experience wonders and become better. I am not just talking about religion, but of the Person of Jesus Christ Himself to be allowed to rule and reign. I am talking about allowing His righteousness to reign. I am saying unequivocally that if we allow the Word of God, who is Jesus to reign in our lives as a nation, Nigeria would be liberated from the quagmire it has found itself. Lying, cheating, killing to make money, maiming to gain ascendency to the political throne and all vices would keep Jesus afar. If everyone from the presidency to the judiciary, lawmakers, states and local governments could be godly for three months, Nigeria would be better.

Again, if the government could sponsor true mobilisation for truth and godliness, and not just social mobilisation, this will go a long way in lifting up the nation.

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