Insurgency: Nigerians need spiritual liberation –Rev Okafo

[Mirror]

Amidst persistence in the security challenge facing the country, the Lagos District Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, Rev. Joseph Okafor, has called for spiritual liberation for the citizenry.

The clergyman said the call has become necessary because "mankind is obviously constantly oppressed by certain spiritual forces because he has not totally surrendered to his Maker.

"There is no doubt that to a certain degree, the spiritual controls the physical. When the spirit man is brought under control, then the physical man can also be controlled.

Total liberation, especially that of the spiritual, is absolutely possible because Jesus Christ settled that on the cross," he said. He noted that the mayhem of civil wars has been and is still ravaging some countries today.

"Humans have become its own worst enemy. Widows and fatherless children are in the increase on daily basis; refugees are on the increase while insurgencies are multiplying uncontrollably.

"There are presently no answers to terrorism, assassination, robbery and kidnapping. It is very certain now that every new day comes with its own crimes or woes. So, we can't but say that total liberation of the spirit man is required because the spirit man, once liberated, becomes a new person. The scripture says 'when the spirit of God came upon Saul, he became a new person.' I am seeing also that once the power of God, the spirit of God, invades someone's life, he will never remain the same. There will be a fundamental change in his life."

Towards this end, the District Superintendent announced that the Lagos district of the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, has concluded arrangements to host a four-day special divine programme tagged, Bethel 2013 Conference with the theme, 'Total Liberation', to seek the almighty power of God for the liberation of mankind. "We also believe that when God is granted access into human beings through Christ Jesus, the spiritual forces that control the physical will be completely eliminated from such ones, who have now yielded themselves to the will of God Almighty," he affirmed.

The four-day church programme, according to Rev. Okafor, kicks off from Wednesday, the 28th to Saturday, 31st of August, 2013, at the Assemblies of God Bethel Camp, Kilometre 48, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, near Mowe, in Ogun State. He added that everyone who attends the programme will never return home the same as God will be waiting to bless and touch their spirit- man, to be a better and fruitful person.

"The church has already assembled very eminent men of God to seek God's face to intervene in all your situations, just as we call on all who love this country, Nigeria and are not happy with the sectarian and insurgent spirits that are on the rampage, to come on board with us in asking God for His intervention.

"There is no doubt that God loves Nigeria with passion; if not, there could have been worst happenings than what we have been experiencing. What you may not know is that these happenings come as a result of the spiritual condition of man. When the spiritual condition of man is addressed, these wars we are witnessing today, the political upheavals, insecurity, crimes, disturbance in our educational system, and what have you, will be put to the barest minimum because they are what is taking place in the human life.

"But, it is not the human beings that are doing all these; they become mediums through which spiritual powers pass through to perpetrate these evils."

Rev Okafor further submitted that "if we can give in our lives completely to the Lord, Jesus Christ, and He takes over a man, then, the spirit-man of that person will not give allowance for the enemy to operate in him again. "When Jesus occupies the man, there will be a better life; a life that is free of all evils and all these insurgencies, financial and economic crimes, political disturbances and sectarianism, anger, will be drastically reduced. That is what we are talking about.

Appraising the political situation in the country, the man of God noted, "when man, majorly, is liberated from the spiritual forces, he can now take control of the physical and hence, man remains what he is unless there is a change from above.

"No matter what name any political party calls itself, or answer, the man still remains what he is. It is like the time Nigeria decided to change the uniform of police and I told some people that it is still the old man in new uniform. If the spirit man is not delivered or totally overhauled by God, he remains the same man, no matter the name," he appraised

National Mirror