Conference Chairman, Anioma Delta Baptist Conference, Rev. Dr. Monday Opone has called on Christians not to relent in their prayers for God’s intervention in the ugly situation facing Nigeria as a Nation.
Dr. Opone spoke on the State of the Nation in his address on Friday, August 25, the second day of the annual session of the Conference held at the First Baptist Church, Boji Boji, Owa, Delta State.
The renowned Baptist Minister, said, never in the history of Nigeria, have the people seen inflation so high in such a geometric proportion, especially with the removal of fuel subsidy, saying that many Nigerians can no longer afford one sequel meal a day with their families, fuel their cars or afford the cost of transporting themselves to work.
“Corruption is increasing every day, terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, and ritual killing has become part of our daily news. Killing of Christians, burning of houses, and displacement of people from their traditional homes and communities in some parts of the Northern States has become the order of the day,” he noted.
Dr. Opone lamented the nonchalant attitude of the Government of the day to the plight of the people, saying that the people in Government who sworn to protect and uphold the welfare of Nigerians have failed to deliver on their mandates.
He condemned the outcome of the 2023 general elections and said the election left many devastated.
“Brethren, I enjoin every one of us to keep praying for our country Nigeria and trust God for his intervention,” he urged.
The Conference Chairman said for Christians to desire and to experience God’s blessings in their lives and in other areas of human aspirations and expectations, there is the need for them to be committed to Christ and all that he stands for, even as he listed specific areas of commitments, needed to be improved on, to include; faithfulness in financial giving, seriousness in mission and evangelism, involvement in social as well as welfare ministration.
While appreciating Moderators, pastors and advisers in the various Associations within the Anioma Delta Baptist Conference, for their support in leading the various Churches in making commitments especially in the payment of dues and levies, Dr. Opone maintained that the Conference remains strong and healthy because of the immense support and cooperation from all the Churches.
He affirmed the memberships of the Baptist Denominations to ecumenical bodies such as Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN, and Bible Society of Nigeria, BSN, and appealed passionately to members of the Conference to show more commitment and participate actively in those ecumenical bodies.
“I would like to appeal to our Moderators to help to mobilize and organize our Churches to always participate in their meetings and other programs at the local Government and State levels,” he appealed.
Rev. Dr. Opone described the theme of the Conference, “Kingdom People for Kingdom Love,” as very timely. He explained love to be the nature and character of God, affirming that the Children of God irrespective of where they are, should at all times reflect the nature of God by loving One another.
Opone further revealed that the love of God can be seen in action, and that God’s love for the world is entirely dependent on his grace, even as he called on Christians to demonstrate these attributes of God’s Love as they show uncommon love to one another.
In his own exposition on the theme of the Annual Session, the guest Minister for the Day, Rev. Dr. Chika Ossai-Ugbah gave three dimensions of Love; expectations of love, evidence of Love and purpose of love.
Dr. Ossai-Ugbah said, in expectation of love, kingdom People who are strong should look out for those who are weak, and those who are mature in faith with a view to accommodating their fears and bearing their burdens.
Reading from the theme scripture, 1 John chapter 4: 7-12, Dr. Ossai-Ugbah said that loving one another is not a suggestion, but a command from God to the People of the kingdom, noting that the one that should be loved is one another in the kingdom, the one that you see, followers or leaders.
He said when kingdom People love one another, they protect and treat each other with respect and show regard for one another, stressing that love in the kingdom is in demonstration of Love feeling to one another.
He said as children of God in the kingdom, God should be emulated based on the fact that he demonstrated Love when he gave his only begotten son for the remission of the sins of mankind, affirming that one way to demonstrate love to one another is in giving.
“Love is found in giving, it can be demonstrated, it can be giving. Giving is what God expects us to be doing. Those who don’t give in Church are those who quarrels that they don’t give to them. Those who don’t visit are those who quarrel that they are not being visited. Love is in giving.
“Love is sacrificial, and selfless. It cost God a lot and what it cost God is what God expects us to do,” he said and emphasized further that love is personal to one another, practical and not in theory.
He said that the purpose of God loving Mankind is to bring them out of bondage and pain and said that the purpose for loving one another is to help one another come to a place where we can build another for the purpose of moving the kingdom forward to the glory of God.
“When you say you love one another, the evidence is simple; you will not like to tear down one another for people to know that you are a man of wisdom. When you don’t love, you don’t know God. Love makes us know that God dwells in you.
“Love is receiving people just the way they are. Your holiness is not demonstrated in activities, but in altitude,” Rev Dr. Ossai-Ugbah maintained.
