Whatever you do, there is a repercussion, says Bishop Idahosa

Dr. Isaac Idahosa is the Presiding Bishop of God First Ministries International, Lagos which has taken him to many nations of the world such as America, Canada, Germany, South Africa, London, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, France, Israel and over 36 African nations. Recently, he marked his 50th (golden jubilee) birthday, which was graced by a lot of celebrities, bishops, pastors, friends and other dignitaries. He is happily married to an accomplished singer, preacher, physicist, entrepreneur and mother, Rev. (Dr.) Christie Idahosa and their marriage is blessed with two children, Charitable and Apostle. At a press conference in Lagos before the general elections, Bishop Idahosa fielded questions from newsmen and KENECHUKWU EZEONYEJIAKU was there.

HOW does it feel like being 50?

It feels like there’s hope for the common man. God can take a man from nobody to somebody, from an inanimate being to man of significance. I feel that there is more demand on me to serve humanity. God gives you the gift of life to impact other lives. I feel obliged to do much more than I’ve been doing in time past. The God that has made me to see this day is for a reason. So, one is always preserved for a purpose, to discover that purpose and ask for grace to ensure those purposes are fulfilled on time.

You don’t look 50. What’s the secret?

When you understand your purpose early, when you understand your assignment on time and you are focused on your assignment and divorce yourself from competition. Let your home be peaceful. A peaceful home makes for a peaceful church. Once your home is peaceful, then the church is bound to remain peaceful. I’m 50 today and I’m still looking like this because it’s by the grace of God. Secondly, it’s the understanding of the love of God, ability not to hold any grudge. Bitterness, jealousy and envy must not be part of us because these are weights that limit speed. If you don’t drop your lot, you could lose a lot. I do that which God wants me to do at His pace. I don’t overstress myself. I love people and I want to see people improve in life. And I thank God for that.

You are from Edo State but born in Kontagora. How did it happen?

My parents settled in the north before the war. We were all born there by reason of that, grew up there, did primary and tertiary education there as well as my Bible college. Little wonder when I was to commence ministry, I was going to Jos for obvious reason, but then God asked me to return because my entire family and I were under scholarship from the Niger State government to go and contribute my quota. God said I should return to where I was raised and contribute my quota. So to be specific, on August 25, 1989, God First Ministries started in the city of Minna, Niger State. From there to Surulere, Lagos and from Surulere to Ijesha. From Ijesha, God asked me to go to Ajao. From Ajao, God asked me to move to the Island.

How has the journey been?

Up and down, not without challenges. But it’s not what happens to you that defines you, it’s your response. Attitude towards challenges determine if they will either make you or mar you. So, we face every challenge with positive attitude and we’ve always come back stronger and better.

You started at Minna. Given the kind of crisis up in the north, do you have the hope of still spreading the gospel of Christ in the north?

We have branches spread around the north. Some of our members came from the north. I was there for our 25th church anniversary, August last year. And I go there from time to time. In fact, I have some of my family members right there in Niger State.
When people were giving assessment of the church, somebody said all the old people are still intact here.

What is the secret of keeping old people in church?

It’s simple, the vision was clear. Two, I gave them platform for training, that they can ever do much more than I do. I have the platform for grooming. If you can groom them and train them, then they will occupy. But if you don’t train them, don’t blame them. I gave them responsibilities and they were accountable. They grew up in the system. There are those that got married in the system, put to bed in the system and the children are grown ups.
When you believe in people, they can give you their best. You can’t believe until you trust. Trust is one of the greatest requirements for leadership.

In the next 50 years, what kind of church do you want to see?
A church that loves God, kingdom minded. Our bedrock is in Matthew 6:33 that “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then all other things will be added.” A church that is earthly but heaven-bound. A church that is here to occupy and take the earth back. A church that will affect the nation positively.
Looking at the state of Christianity today in Nigeria, there are so many churches, but surprisingly, the rate of immorality is high.

These are the end times. We expect that. Where there’s much sin, more grace abounds. Without the churches springing out with grace and anointing, it could be worse. But don’t deny the fact that we are closer to where we are going to than where we are coming from, so that is why we will always make God at the centre of our affairs to paddle the course of our lives.

What do you foresee of the election?

God has to be involved for peace to revolve that can’t be dissolved. That’s why I call on churches and whatever religion one believes in to pray that the plans of the wicked should not gain grounds. So, I prayerfully look forward to an election where peace will override. But then the ability of either of the parties to accept defeat, the sportsmanship of defeat in the interest of this country that we will not stand and say one thing and then go other way doing other things. It’s one thing for us to come and say we have signed the peace accord, but it’s another thing for us to inject our people with something else so it will be like you are not involved with chaos but then you are injecting and selling out, your body language is saying otherwise. God will punish any leader that will bring chaos to Nigeria. It’s because of the mercies of God that we are not consumed. There are some countries that just faced less of what we faced and till today, the centre couldn’t hold. Again, God will punish any leader that misleads his people. God will not forgive any leader that will ensure that peace is scarce because a leader’s mistake is a leading mistake. So, I want to ask that whatever you do, there is a repercussion. There are two things you are remembered for, the problems you create and the ones you solve. So, you ask yourself if you are part of those solving the problems or catalyzing and bringing about reaction. That is what the leadership of the past is doing. They will create an atmosphere where there’s no peace and they will take off. The children and women become victims of the events. We must lead by example. You can say all you know, but you will produce who you are. If you are saying peace and within you, you have war, it’s the war you will give out. If through you any one soul is lost because of election, you will not live to see the next generation and the blood of innocent people will spill round to all that will not allow this nation to enjoy the peace of God.

In the Pentecostal Fellowship, there are people who are running down one another for them to rise. Have you observed that?

You can’t do without that. But we must grow up. Brother Paul said when I was a child, I talked as a child, now that I’m a man, I speak like a man. A child speaks before he thinks. A mature man reasons before he verbalizes it. The greatest prayer Jesus prayed that is yet unanswered is in John chapter 17 that they might be one. We are believing God that with the challenges and things happening, we will come together to achieve the common good for the common man.

After 50, what next?

The next bus stop is to receive an empowerment that I have received today to begin to do much more than what God has ever used me to do in areas of affecting widows, scholarship, the less privileged, to ensure that the gospel of Christ moves with so much tenacity. The velocity should be on a higher level to ensure that we are agents of transformation God has intended for us.

What do you think religious leaders can do to aid a secure society?

One, to preach the fear and love of God. We are not just in Nigeria, we should be for Nigeria. We should lead by example. You can preach all you know but you will produce who you are. Let’s begin from our churches and it begins to spread. We are not the light of the church; we are supposed to be the light of the world. Until our lives become a light, we are still in obscurity. We are not the salt of the church but the salt of the earth. No matter how the soup is, if there’s no salt, it’s not going to bring any sweetness. But the little salt you put becomes the game changer. The rice takes after the salt and not the salt taking after the rice. We must be the light that others will see God in us. We should begin by loving ourselves and then reproducing such to affect our communities.