By Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu
AS a minister of God and a stakeholder in the joint project called NNigeria, I want to congratulate Christians and Nigerians in general for witnessing this year’s Christmas, as Nigerians witnessed different challenges in this outgoing year – 2020 – such as, COVID -19, hunger, devastation, kidnapping, recession, inflation, overwhelming fear, distress, high cost of living, insecurity, sorrow, among others, resulting in the death of many people, hence the need for us to go down on our knees to adore God.
I want to underscore that Christ is the reason for Christmas which is a celebration of God’s love to mankind and God’s presence, hence, Christians are expected to stand firm in faith and also show love and concern to one another.
Christ is the greatest love from God to humanity, because since we sinned in the Garden of Eden, what the sin was saying is “Stand outside and perish” Romans 3:23…,
but for the love God had for humanity, alas, man loses this love by sinning, but while God was passing the judgment, He has mercy for humanity and after about 4,000 years afterwards, Christ was born, the greatest man in the history of the whole world.
The message and lesson of Christmas must, therefore, be appropriated to the salvation in our land, we must see hope that Christ brought to the world and must rise together to overcome our challenges.
The angel that proclaimed Christ birth (Luke 2:14) said: “Peace be unto the earth, for God so love the world…. “So, we are celebrating love and God is love, peace, blessing etc.
(Romans 5:8). While we were yet a sinner, Christ died for us, and God gave us the best, which is Jesus Christ, Christ gave us the best-Holy Spirit (John 16:7-12, John 14:15-end).
Christmas also underscored love, God gave Moses 10 commandments, when Christ came, he summed them into one (Love God with all your heart, soul and mind) and (Love your neighbour as yourself), so, it was this love that got lost in the Garden of Eden that brought killing (When Cain killed Abel)… so, we have to love other people, whether a friend or enemy.
I also want to stress that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, who brings every willing person into a new covenant relationship with Father…. That Messianic hope is still available in our day, through the one, who came, died and rose again to save us… and those who have received Jesus Christ as saviour, have an unbreakable covenant relationship with God and the promise of eternity with Him (God).
Also, the period of Christmas celebration offers us an opportunity to reflect on our bad ways and to turn a new leaf so that we can become true ambassadors of Christ on earth.
•By Prophet Timothy Abass Arabambi, (Assistant General Evangelist CAC, Worldwide & G/O, CAC Reformation Land, Olunloyo- Akanran, Ibadan, Oyo State