Vera Wisdom-Bassey

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Members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church on January 8 started the year on a spiritual note with a visit to the mountain – Ori Oke. And the venue was St. Peter’s Cherubim and Seraphim Band ground, Iwopin, Ogun State.
Over 2,000 worshipers in sparkling white garments, all expectant, converged on the arena for the programme. They came eager to hear their prophet as he emerged after a seven-day mountain-top prayer.
The choir ministered with spirit-lifting songs composed by the prophet. The members were buoyed by the audience, including other church members and invited dignitaries. At least, four traditional rulers were present on the occasion. There were also visitors from Ogun and Ondo states as well as the Lagos headquarters of the church, among other places.
Everyone present was waiting on the Lord with fasting, prayer and worship. Everywhere was solemn. Sometimes, the atmosphere turned electric as the Holy Spirit seemed to descend. Daily Sun learnt that the situation was that way for seven straight days in the fishing community bounded by the lagoon.
Then at some point, Prophet Albert Samson Arojah, the primate of the church, mounted the pulpit in his priestly regalia, looking awe-inspiring. From his lips issued forth the word of God. He had messages for the assembly, individuals and the nation, including people in authority.
Arojah charged the congregation not to allow the 2018 edition of Ori Oke to be the mere ritual that most white-garment churches marked every year. He warned that the edition should be taken seriously, as it was going to be memorable. He urged the worshipers to brace up for an experience with God, who was going to change the lives of those that partook in the week-long programme.
He pointed out that the message of the day was not for the blessing of the participants alone, as they had implications for the government, especially the managers of Nigeria’s economy and many in governance, warning that God was angry with them.
While berating politicians who played politics of dishonesty, envy and bitter strife, Arojah said that Nigerians, especially the electorate, have proved that Nigeria was not ripe for democracy yet.
According to him, politics as practised in Nigeria was so absurd that any gentleman who went into the game always came out a loser.
“Goodluck Jonathan came with a listening ear; he wanted to please Nigerians. But he lost everything, including his good luck. He left office in disgrace,” Arojah told a crowd of worshipers listening to the divine instructions, maintaining that leadership was not the biggest problem facing Nigeria’s democracy: “Obasanjo came, reformed the banking sector, liberalised telecommunications, and made many other developmental strides. Yar’Adua did his best, until he was caged, and he later died. And now, his memory has faded.”
He wondered how leaders could perform when the voters were ever eager to sell their future to them, saying, “Voters collect money to vote and, when the politicians take office and begin to recover their investments, you start cursing them. Then who is cursed?” Rather than cursing those in authority, he urged Nigerians to should pray for them.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was honest and sincere and begged Nigerians to pray for him. He regretted that the President was dying for Nigerians, who might not remember him when he is gone,
While asking Nigerians to support government’s efforts, he picked on church leaders for not doing enough in terms of being transparent.
“If we serve God in all honesty, our churches will be affected from both the inside and outside,” he said, warning Christians dodging taxes and rigging elections for their paymasters to desist from such acts.
The prophet also advised pastors and prophets to steer clear of politicians: “We should be careful praying for the politicians coming to us because they want political power. They can stain your reputation.”
He insisted that God had asked politicians to simmer down in the run-up to 2019 because something was going to happen. He predicted that among the incidents that would shape Nigeria in 2018 were deaths resulting from desperation for wealth and power at every level.
“God has yet to tell me why,” he said, “But be careful about chasing money.”
The prophet reminded the congregation about the message he delivered in 2017 that hunger would ravage Nigeria, while also recalling how Nigerians went through difficult moments last year.
“At a point I was pleading with God for a way out for the nation. And He said He would take away the hunger, if I could do something. I’m still hoping and expecting that He will tell me.”
He warned that Nigerians might not fare better in the new year until they, including politicians and voters, let go and let God.