29032020 - El Rufai tests positive as experts insist on Total lockdown

PAGE 28 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29, 2020
The Great Day of Extraordinary
Miracles(3)
By William Kumuyi
Luke 4:18-20 "The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, because
he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, To preach
the acceptable year of the
Lord. And he closed the book,
and he gave it again to the
minister, and sat down. And
the eyes of all them that were
in the synagogue were f<strong>as</strong>tened
on him."
Today is the day the Lord
h<strong>as</strong> chosen to take away every
yoke in your life and all
the loads and luggage the
devil h<strong>as</strong> piled on you shall
be destroyed. This is because
today is the appointed hour
for your fulfilment, and you
will be saved completely and
entirely from sin and Satan.
In spite of the very best insurance
policy God h<strong>as</strong> earmarked
for you, you still have
to play a crucial and decisive
role so <strong>as</strong> to enjoy and experience
such gorgeous generosity.
Listen to me. Christ h<strong>as</strong>
done the difficulty part by
going to the cross to pay the
ultimate sacrifice; and that
w<strong>as</strong> after he had endured
humiliation, pain and agony
from the highest level: you
do not have to do that nor is
God demanding such a steep
price from you.
Jesus h<strong>as</strong> done the difficult
part and He is demanding
the simplest of t<strong>as</strong>ks from
you. He wants you to open
the door of your heart so that
He would come right inside
and fellowship with you.
Luke 19:5 "And when Jesus
came to the place, he looked
up, and saw him, and said
unto him, Zacchaeus, make
h<strong>as</strong>te, and come down; for to
day I must abide at thy
house."
The triumph of the Cross of Christ(3)
HE divine principle that forms the bedrock of the Chris
Ttian faith on Atonement is that - "When we were utterly
helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at the right time
and died for us sinners who had no use for him.” Romans 5:6
(TLB). All heaven is centered on the Cross of Christ, all hell is
terribly afraid of it, and man ought to be p<strong>as</strong>sionate about it.
Apostle Paul remarked: "...I have given up everything else-I
have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to
experience the mighty power that brought him back to life
again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with
him. So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh
newness of life of those who are alive from the dead." Philippians
3:10-11 TLB).
That is the only way to become acquainted with God’s marvelous
power to restore mankind to Himself. The curse <strong>as</strong> a
result of sinful disobedience touched, and blighted everything,
and humanity finally banished from God’s presence – "...the
Lord God said to the serpent,...you are singled out...to be
cursed...,God said to the woman, "You shall bear children in
intense pain and suffering;...And to Adam, God said,...I have
placed a curse upon the soil. All your life you will struggle to
extract a living from it...Then the...Lord God banished him
forever from the Garden of Eden,...and placed mighty angels
at the e<strong>as</strong>t of the Garden of Eden, with a flaming sword to
guard the entrance to the Tree of Life." Genesis 3:14-24.
But Jesus made a way right back to the throne of God from
the very heart of hell by His Atonement. Therefore, wherever
we apply the Cross to our personal situations, we can by faith
see the curse lifted.
A clear application of the Cross to the curse must be seen in
the challenge of the present Corona Virus – COVID-19 pandemic
that now plagues our globe. The world is horrified and
overwhelmed by this pandemic which h<strong>as</strong> threatened every
facet of our existence. Indeed, sin separates man from God and
leaves him at the mercy of Satan, and Satan h<strong>as</strong> no capacity
for mercy, – "The thief...steals, kills and destroys...(Jesus) purpose
is to give life in all its fullness." John 10:10, Satan is the
evil one we must be delivered from – Matthew 6:13. Nowhere
in the Bible do we read that sickness and suffering are the will
of God for mankind. They are the result of sin and find their
source in the work of Satan.
The Cross brought to an end the unchallenged power of Satan,
<strong>as</strong> – "you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with power... Jesus went around doing
good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God
w<strong>as</strong> with him." Acts 10:38, Colosians 2:13-15. There is nothing
more certain for the redemption of mankind, than what Jesus
did on the cross.
To be continued....
Jesus
wants to
save you
and that is
why He
wants you
to come
d o w n
from the
P<strong>as</strong>tor Kumuyi tower of
religion and self-deception:
He knows, just <strong>as</strong> much <strong>as</strong> you
possibly know, that you are a
sinner and it will not end well
for you just <strong>as</strong> it never ends well
for all sinners. As a result of
this fact check, Jesus is willing
to give you a better ending in
life and eternity.
Make h<strong>as</strong>te and come down
from that tower of immortality
and gambling because you
have suffered enough. This is
the day of your salvation and
Jesus is willing to reside in
your heart. All that is expected
of you is that you open the door
of your heart for Him to come
right in.
Jesus will forgive your sins
and change your life for good.
Even if you are one of those
who say that they cannot live
and would not be able to live a
righteous life on there own. But
who can live a righteous life
without Christ? Nobody can!
It is Christ Jesus that will do it
inside you. If you try applying
your own terms and conditions,
you will fail completely.
That is why you need to look
up to Jesus because He is the
one that never fails. Just <strong>as</strong>k
Him to come in and He will
do just that, forgive you, save
you from all sins and live the
righteous life through you.
How about that!
Acts 16:31 "And they said,
Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house."
The moment for your salvation
h<strong>as</strong> arrived and the Saviour
is calling you. Make h<strong>as</strong>te
and come down because today
Jesus must live in your heart.
You can cap off today by receiving
this great privileged
offer from the great God.
To be continued
Rev. Emmanuel Awazie
*Assemblies of God Church
Nigeria, 111 Clegg Street,
Surulere, Lagos.
Faith in the redemptive names of God (38)
Jehovah-Shaphat (The Lord
our Judge) Cont’d (4)
Text: Judges 11:27, Isaiah
33:22
Introduction
E have now come to the
Wconclusive treatment of
this redemptive name of God.
In today’s episode, we shall see
God’s response to Jehoshaphat
prayers and His
triumph over the adversary. It
is always a sweet victory when
we allow God to fight our enemies.
Moses encountered this
at the Red Sea, and he feared
God. He called Him, “..glorious
in holiness, fearful in
praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus
15:11). When you set your
enemies to face God, they have
met their own waterloo! No
wonder Apostle Paul <strong>as</strong>ked the
rhetoric question, “…If God
be for us, who can be against
us?” (Romans 8:31).
God’s victory celebration
for His people
A. An odd battle plan
"…Jehoshaphat stood and
said, Hear me, O Judah, and
ye inhabitants of Jerusalem;
Believe in the Lord your God,
so shall ye be established; believe
his prophets, so shall ye
prosper. And when he had consulted
with the people, he appointed
singers unto the Lord,
Your preservation is sure
When thou p<strong>as</strong>sest through
the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned; neither
shall the flame kindle upon
thee (Isaiah 43:2).
Preservation is the act of
being kept from injury
and destruction. The promises
of God concerning preservation
abound in the Holy
Scripture <strong>as</strong> the word of God
established it. It is impossible
for God to lie (Heb. 6:18). As
He h<strong>as</strong> promised, He will not
allow the waters and rivers to
By P<strong>as</strong>tor G.C. Osuigbo
CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters
Plot 701/702 Durumi District
P.O. BOX 2577
Garki, Abuja.
Contact us on: 08155555048, like us on
facebook @cacdurumi
overflow you nor fire to burn
you neither will He let you be
infected with any virus.
The whole world is p<strong>as</strong>sing
through a delicate period. The
coronavirus which is presently
ravaging all the continents
in the world h<strong>as</strong> resulted into
cat<strong>as</strong>trophe, infection and
death. Nations are counting
their losses. It h<strong>as</strong> forced
many countries to be lockdown,
businesses have been
shut down and restrictions
have been placed on human
movement. The Scientists for
now have no medicine for its
cure. It h<strong>as</strong> no respect for any
nation, both the rich and the
poor. But I speak the word of
God into your life that this virus
will not come near you; you
are covered by divine immunity.
Just <strong>as</strong> Ebola virus died a
natural death in Nigeria,
Coronavirus will leave the
earth without you contracting
it. God protected the Israelites
against the plagues in Egypt
(Ex. 8:22, 9:6, 11:6-7), you are
protected against any kind of
virus or dise<strong>as</strong>e.
Government h<strong>as</strong> directed
citizens to take precautionary
me<strong>as</strong>ures. Yes it is very important
that we maintain distance
at any social gathering or stay
indoors to curtail the spread
of the virus, w<strong>as</strong>hing our hands
regularly with water and soap
and taking all other hygiene
tips concerning coronavirus
very seriously. But I want to tell
you brethren, this is the time
we need to be closer to God.
We must cry out in prayer to
our prayer-answering father.
The Israelites cried to God
when in bondage in Egypt and
God heard their cry. and the
EASTER: Ungodly festivity of ancient Babylon
MODERN Babylon,
also known in Rev
elation 17:5, <strong>as</strong>
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMI-
NATIONS OF THE EARTH,
inherited all her ungodly festivities,
from Ancient Babylon,
one of which is E<strong>as</strong>ter festivity.
E<strong>as</strong>ter is a Chaldean word,
pronounced <strong>as</strong> Ishtar. It is also
called Ashtaroth. It is a goddess
known <strong>as</strong> the queen of
heaven. And so, all the cakes
made during E<strong>as</strong>ter festival,
are made to the queen of heaven,
<strong>as</strong> written in Jeremiah
7:18-20. The anger and fury
of God w<strong>as</strong> poured upon the
children of Israel, who made
cakes unto this queen of heaven
Ė<strong>as</strong>ter (Ishtar) or Ashtaroth
had been the object of worship
in Ancient Babylon before
Christ w<strong>as</strong> born. The worship
of Ashtaroth/E<strong>as</strong>ter by
children of Israel, also provoked
the anger of God, <strong>as</strong>
• J.K. Akinola. (Senior P<strong>as</strong>tor)
and that should praise the
beauty of holiness, <strong>as</strong> they
went out before the army, and
to say, Praise the Lord; for his
mercy endureth for ever" (II
Chronicles 20:20-21).
Though the prophecy said
nothing about this, the king
makes a bold and daring
move. As they near their battle
positions, he positions singers
in front of the army to extol
the goodness of God. The
word love ("mercy," v. 21) in
Hebrew is an important term.
Hesed refers to the overwhelming
covenant faithfulness
of God. This is the proclamation
of the singers in the
hearing of all Judah and her
enemies.
B. Yahweh's victory for
Judah
"And when they began to
sing and to praise, the Lord
set ambushments against the
children of Ammon, Moab,
and mount Seir, which were
written in Judges 2:13-14:
“And they forsook the LORD
and worshipped Baal and
Ashtaroth. And the anger of
the Lord w<strong>as</strong> hot against Israel
and He delivered them into
the hands of spoilers that
spoiled them, and He sold
them into the hands of their
enemies round about, so that
they could not any longer
stand before their enemies.”
Even though, the word E<strong>as</strong>ter
is found in Acts 12:3, yet it
h<strong>as</strong> nothing to do with the
Christian faith, neither is it a
Christian name. The pagans
were celebrating E<strong>as</strong>ter, when
King Herod, an ungodly king,
apprehended Peter and kept
him in prison, intending that
after their E<strong>as</strong>ter festival, he
would bring Peter out to the
people.
The Jews’ P<strong>as</strong>sover, the days
of unleavened bread, which
Moses commanded all the
Jews to observe yearly, also
were being observed during
this pagan festive se<strong>as</strong>on. But
the church, <strong>as</strong> at that time, w<strong>as</strong>
come against Judah; and they
were smitten. For the children
of Ammon and Moab stood
up against the inhabitants of
mount Seir, utterly to slay and
destroy them: and when they
had made an end of the inhabitants
of Seir, every one helped
to destroy another. And when
Judah came toward the watch
tower in the wilderness, they
looked unto the multitude,
and, behold, they were dead
bodies fallen to the earth, and
none escaped" (II Chronicles
20:22-24).
As the Lord's people begin
to sing, God turns the tables
on the enemy soldiers - Yahweh
routes them using multiple
ambushes. In fact, Judah's
enemies wind up slaughtering
one another. First, the Ammonites
and Moabites turn
against the soldiers from
Mount Seir. Next, the soldiers
from Moab and Ammon turn
on each other. By the time the
armies of Judah find a high
vantage point to see what is
going on, thousands of dead
under serious persecution by
the Jews and King Herod, during
which the king killed
James the brother of John, the
disciples of Jesus.
The people of God do err,
not knowing the scripture, because
there is no record in the
Scripture, that Jesus rose from
the sepulcher on “E<strong>as</strong>ter” day.
The only record, that we have
in the scripture, is that Jesus
rose on the first day of the week.
(Mark 16:2). And this day is
known in Revelation 1:10, <strong>as</strong>
The LORD’S day, a day, when
all believers in Christ are expected
to observe and worship
the Risen Christ. And it should
not be a day for revellings,
banquetings or fe<strong>as</strong>tings,
when believers in Christ will
COVID 19: CSMN makes c<strong>as</strong>e for less privileged Christians
By Sam Eyoboka
AS the World Health Organization,
WHO foresees
COVID 19 <strong>as</strong> “a very large
outbreak and an outbreak that
is incre<strong>as</strong>ing in intensity,” the
Christian Social Movement
of Nigeria, (CSMN) h<strong>as</strong>
urged the Federal and different
state governments not to
forget the less privileged in the
society.
Rising from a crucial meeting
on March 21, 2020 in Lagos,
the socio-political arm of
the Nigerian Church established
and registered at CAC
in September 2001 by the five
church groups of the Nigerian
Church to coordinate and
manage the interest of Christianity
on Social and Political
issues in the country, stressed
the urgent need push back the
darkness of the pandemic in
bodies litter the landscape.
Not a soul is left alive.
C. Celebration of God's
grace
"And when Jehoshaphat and
his people came to take away
the spoil of them, they found
among them in abundance
both riches with the dead bodies,
and precious jewels, which
they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could
carry away: and they were
three days in gathering of the
spoil, it w<strong>as</strong> so much. And the
fear of God w<strong>as</strong> on all the kingdoms
of those countries, when
they had heard that the Lord
fought against the enemies of
Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat
w<strong>as</strong> quiet: for his
God gave him rest round
about" (II Chronicles 20:25,
29-30).
They went immediately into
the Temple for yet another
worship service, this one complete
with a praise orchestra.
The aftershocks of God's victory
at Mount Seir not only
affect the people of Judah, but
also their neighbors who heard
about what God h<strong>as</strong> done. As
a result, Jehoshaphat and
Judah experienced rest from
war for the remainder of his
life.
J.K. Akinola. (Senior P<strong>as</strong>tor)
The Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAM-
INT), Living Word Cathedral, Oluyole Estate, beside
Total Petrol Station, off Ring Road, Ibadan. (Telephone:
08033376660, 08055405095)
children of Israel sighed by
re<strong>as</strong>on of the bondage, and
they cried, and their cry came
up unto God by re<strong>as</strong>on of the
bondage (Ex. 2:23). As Christians,
ours is not to fear but to
pray. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says
If my people who are called
by My name will humble
themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will
hear from heaven, and forgive
their sin and heal their
land. Do not entertain any
form of fear, all you need to
do is to pray and God will heal
the land and Coronavirus you
will hear no more.
You have to be a child of
God, a born again Christian.
For His sheep, He knows. As
His child you are covered by
the blood of Christ. Keep the
word of God in your heart and
you are free from all infirmities.
Hold unto Christ and your
preservation is sure in this trying
time in Jesus name
(Amen).
sit down to eat, drink and
dance, under the guise of celebrating
the resurrection of
Christ. This is idolatry, against
which believers in Christ are
warned, by the Spirit of God
in I Corinthians 10:7:
“…..Neither be ye idolaters, <strong>as</strong>
were some of them: <strong>as</strong> it is
written. The people sat down
to eat and drink, and rose up
to play.”
All believers in Christ are
commanded by the God of
heaven, in Revelation 18:4-5,
that they should come out of
this Modern Babylon, by refusing
to take part in any of
her ungodly festivities, such <strong>as</strong>
E<strong>as</strong>ter, Christm<strong>as</strong>, Valentine,
New year celebrations, Crossover
night, et cetera.
CHRISTIAN GOSPEL CHURCH
(The Truth Centre) 4, Christian Gospel Avenue,
Beside Psychiatric Hospital,
Uselu, Benin City, Edo State.
Email: cgc.com.ng@gmail.com
Telephone: +234 (0) 7052061135, +234 (0) 9030731406.
Website: www.cgc.com.ng
which we now find ourselves.
A communique signed by
the CSMN Secretary, P<strong>as</strong>tor
Bosun Emmanuel stressed the
need for the Christian Community
to remember that
while governments at different
levels are placing various
restrictions on the citizens to
contain the deadly Coronavirus,
must give support to army
of displaced persons in different
camps in the country.
According to the statement,
the brethren in attendance
agreed on a six cardinal
points: Suppport for IDPs, Rehabilitation
and empowerment
of persecuted Christians,
24/7 prayers for the Church
and Nigeria, Self Defence is
legal, Christian political platform
Christian participation
and accountability.
“Participating brethren “To
Continues on page 29