We hail Jesus because he released us from the taskmaster -Cleric

Pastor, here we are in another Christmas. What does it mean? The two important dates to every person is the day you were born and the day you die. To the Christian, the two dates are also moments of celebration. Our lord and saviour was born December 25th so Christmas is a day set aside […]

Pastor, here we are in another Christmas. What does it mean?

The two important dates to every person is the day you were born and the day you die. To the Christian, the two dates are also moments of celebration. Our lord and saviour was born December 25th so Christmas is a day set aside to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ who is the focal point of the Christian faith. Jesus came on that day. Few months later, there will be another celebration called the Crucifixion, the date of his death—March, April every year.

What is important about this Christmas?

Christmas 2010 is spectacular to the Nigerian Christian in many ways. This is the first time Nigeria is marking its jubilee—Nigeria recently turned 50 years and to the Christian faith, 50 speaks of celebration—50 speaks of jubilee. So Nigeria recently entered into our year of jubilee, a year of release. Every jubilee, the servants are released by their masters—so Nigeria was economically, politically released as a nation after our 50th anniversary.

For the Christian in Nigeria, shortly after the jubilee on October 1st, we marked the birth our lord Jesus Christ this weekend and it speaks volume because Jesus came to release us from the taskmaster, the devil. It is said in John 8 that whosoever the son will set free, shall be free indeed. So Jesus is a releaser.

With this Christmas, it is not necessary the chicken or the rice you have or you don’t have that matters but the freedom that Jesus has brought to your doorstep.

With the global economic crunch and the hardship all over, Christians should take solace that things will always get better and it will get better for those who are in Christ because the scripture says it shall be well with the righteous.

For Nigerians celebrating this Christmas, you have something to share—that Jesus came, he was born this moment for us all to celebrate. It is a time of thanksgiving. For the first time in many years, Christmas has come on a Saturday and Sunday, a Boxing Day.

It is good we have Christmas on Saturday for us to take a reflection and we give credence to the government of Nigeria that has used its discretion to give Monday and Tuesday as public holidays.  Naturally, Saturdays and Sundays are work free days. This will enable those who have travelled to have enough time to stay with their loved ones.

You spoke of those who don’t have. What should those who have do?

For those who have the good things of this world, those God has blessed with material blessing, I will advise they should borrow leaf from the Muslim faithful. The Muslims, in moment like this, in their Ramadan fasting, the haves take care of the have-nots.

I see this as a moment when churches that are rich will take care of the less privileged. Even the churches that don’t have, should also go beyond their comfort zones to stretch out a lending hand. We as a church, from time to time do visit the orphanages, prisons and take gifts to them.

The coming of Jesus’ birth means a new life. Can Nigeria have any rebirth?

Christmas always proceeds the new year in a week. We have a week to the new year. From all indications, the politicians are not the directors of the nation. The priests, the men of God are the directors of any nation and as a minister of God, I want to say, 2011, in as much as it is going to be an election year, it is going to be one of the best and finest years for Nigerians.

So as Christmas has come and the new year is coming and we know for the first time INEC [Independent National Electoral Commission] is putting things in proper shape…

Recently, Pastor E. A. Adeboye [of the Redeemed Christian Church] said he is going to lead the fight and champion the cause against magu-magu or rigging of elections and from our own constituency, we are preaching it, we are living it. I’m going to vote, my wife will vote, my leaders will vote, everybody will vote and if it is going to be one-man-one vote, then it is who we vote for that will win.

Like Abraham Lincoln said, the ballot is stronger than the bullet. We are going to use the ballot in 2011 and because of this consciousness in the air, we can tell from the convictions and the persuasions we have that 2011 will be fine for Nigerians.

If Jesus were to visit Nigeria, what will be his experience?

Dr Billy Graham said many years ago that if God were to judge America, he would apologise to Sodom and Gomorrah.  It is a very humorous statement talking about the moral decadence in America.

May I borrow a leaf from Dr Graham, that if Jesus visits Nigeria, he will start with the National Assembly. He will flog the senate president, he will flog the Speaker, he will flog all the senators and flog all the honourable members then go to the executive.

Why did I say that? Recently, I got an email that reflected how much a senator earns. A senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria earns close to N30 million. N30 million! The US President earns $250,000 per annum. If you get the equivalence of what the American president earns in six years, that is what a senator of Nigeria earns in one year.

But Nigerian Gross Domestic Product, our GDP is just $45 billion while America’s GDP is $13 trillion. Why do we have so little but earn so much at the detriment of the masses?

Recently, the federal government increased the income of the lowest earner in Nigeria to N18,000. This is just $120. Why should  a Nigerian be living on $120 a month when the people they voted into office earn that much.

Some of the senators, I know them one-on-one. This is what I have been telling them. The masses are really disheartened. So if Jesus came, he would identify with the masses. He will fight for the masses. He was born in a manger! He was not born in Aso Rock; he was not born in the White House. These senators should identify with the masses.

I was told by an elder in my church that there is Constituency Allowance, there is Geo-political Zone Allowance. These things are too much for Christ’s sake!

Politician for 2011, do not think of how to enrich yourself. Think of how you can enrich the society so the people who voted you into power will be happy.

It is absurd for a Nigerian who has worked in the civil service for 20, 25, 30 years cannot boast of a house of his own. When he dies, where will they bury him? No hope for the children.

That is why there is mass forgery in the civil service. Somebody will say he is 52 years when the man is 70, 75. They keep on altering their ages because they cannot fall back to anything after retirement.

So if Jesus comes back, he will speak for the masses and he will speak against the ruling class.