100 days fasting: What Nigerians should expect after April 11, 2014- by Adeboye

100 days fasting: What Nigerians should expect after April 11, 2014- by Adeboye

Yemi Olakitan 

Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God announced a 100-days fasting period for its members starting from January 2nd to April 11, 2014. The announcement came as Pastor E.A Adeboye released prophecies for the New Year, during a crossover service held on January 1^st, declaring that “2014 will be the year of overflowing blessings.  He said, Nigerians will see the end of all her enemies, after the fasting period.

In another service tagged: ‘Divine Placement’ in his honour at the Solid Rock Parish, Lagos Province 40, Ojodu, Lagos, Pastor Adeboye stressed that it had become dangerous to continue to tolerate “our enemies for a longer time, as they are capable of waxing stronger and creating more havoc.  “All those enemies blocking your progress in life and the progress of Nigeria must disappear to pave the way for the much-needed change in our lives and nation. That is one of the reasons for the 100 days’ fasting and prayer period by the church,” he said.

 However, a medical practitioner has advised against such long period of fasting by believing Christians. Dr. Obiohoa of the Nigerian Military Hospital, Ikoyi said fasting is okay for short period of time, ‘even for healthy people, fasting is risky especially if it is done on long period of time such as the one embarked upon by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.        According to him long days without food is a risk to human health. He said it was not medically advisable for men and women to go without food for so long as it can affect the immune system; the body’s ability to fight sicknesses and diseases.   A pastor of the Living Faith Church, Pastor Biola however said, it is an individual choice. He said, even one day fasting can be a risk to some people’s health. ‘Our Bishop used to say that if your health cannot carry it. Don’t do it. The aged and pregnant women are usually exempted. You can break by 12 or 3pm if you can carry it till night, so individual choices is very important in long period of fasting on Pastor Adeboye’s statement that Nigeria would see the end of her enemies, he said, the potency of fasting and prayers to change the course of a nation is not in doubt according to scriptures.According to the man of God, the 100 days fasting and prayer period are being observed to eliminate all enemies of progress, who have refused to repent and change, for good. He said such enemies of progress would be eliminated in the nation and in individuals’ lives after the 100 days fasting and prayer.   

Enoch Adejare Adeboye is perhaps the greatest pastor in Africa and one of the greatest in the world.  According to Newsweek magazine in 2008 Adeboye is one of the fifty most powerful people on earth.  Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, is the pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in Christendom today. He is the national president of RCF (an interdenominational fellowship in all the campuses in Nigeria).  He is the Convener of the annual December three-day Holy Ghost Congress in Nigeria with an average attendance of over six million people. He is host at the annual March three-day Special Holy Ghost Service with an average attendance of over six million people.  He also hosts the monthly Holy Ghost Service with an average attendance of over one million people.  The story of Adeboye is not one of instant success as he was born into poverty. According to him, he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and did not have shoes for the first 18 years of his life. However, he had vision, determination, diligence and a passion for hard work which he considered to be far more valuable than money.  Born in 1942 into a humble family in the village of Ifewara, Osun State Enoch Adeboye stated that his family was so poor that even the poor called him poor.  In 1956 he was admitted into Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha, Osun State and as a youth he discovered a passion for books, and an aptitude for science particularly Mathematics. This led to an academic journey in the face of numerous challenges. Enoch Adeboye eventually obtained a Bachelors (BSc.) degree in Mathematics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1967, but also a Masters (MSc.) Degree in Hydrodynamics and Doctorate Degree (PhD) in Applied Mathematics, both from the University of Lagos in 1969 and 1975. Adeboye worked as a lecturer at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin before joining the church. Initially, his greatest ambition was to become the youngest Vice Chancellor of a prestigious university in Nigeria.  It did seem that his ambition would be realized as he was making progress with his plan. However, a divine hand took him into the service of the Lord.  He said, ‘‘I came to know God in a fairly dramatic way. I was born into a Christian home and always gone to church because my parents said we had to go. But after I grew up and left home. I drifted away from the church until I had a problem that defied solutions and then someone invited me to the RCCG and I came expecting the pastor to pray for me and my problems would just go but instead, he said I have to give my life to Jesus Christ that if my sins are gone, my problems would disappear. I resisted, for a while, but eventually I surrendered and gave my life to Jesus Christ and my problems left me.’’ He thereafter became an interpreter of the sermons of the then Pastor and founder; Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi who was the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a man who though was illiterate had been endowed with the ability to read the Yoruba version of the Holy Bible. In 1981, He was appointed General Overseer when Papa Akindayomi passed away. He resigned from his university lecturing after three years to devote himself to full time pastoral work.  In 1977 when he was ordained as a Pastor in RCCG, Enoch Adeboye displayed an incredible passion for the gospel, pioneering Bible Study meetings, crusades, revivals, outreaches and evangelistic programs known as the Congress. When the founder passed away in 1980, RCCG had 42 parishes. The founder left a sealed document pronouncing Enoch Adeboye as the next General Overseer. Enoch Adeboye was ordained the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1981. The Lord has today through Enoch Adeboye built over five thousand Churches all over the world. In Nigeria, almost all the nations of Africa, the US, the UK, Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, India, China, Hong Kong, the Far East and even the Middle East). In the United States alone there are over five hundred Parishes and still increasing.  In Nigeria alone, it has more than 14,000 branches in cities and rural communities. Adeboye said, his vision was to plant a church in every five minutes walking distance of developing nation and in every five minutes driving distance of developed nations like coffee shops. According to him, in every family on earth, there must be a Redeemed member. Adeboye founded the Model Parishes which targeted the elites in Nigeria and there are the classical parishes which was more conservative. The model parishes were an instant success and it helped the Redeemed Christian Church of God to increase astronomically bringing into the church a harvest of souls and financial pillars which helped the church in its evangelistic programs.   Enoch Adeboye’s deep compassion for souls also push the church into rural communities as there is now where the GO is not willing to take the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Holy Ghost Services which he started 80s was a once a month revival programme which bring the churches together from every corner of the country. It was initially held on the premises of the church Headquarters in Lagos but the place was too small for the huge crowd that was coming. The church then required a change in location.  Under his leadership, RCCG purchased an uninhabited forest land located on the outskirts of Lagos. Enoch Adeboye moved his family to this forest and called the place, the Redemption Camp. He constructed a large auditorium and began to hold the monthly Holy Ghost Services there which has continued to draw crowds to this day.  Today, the crowds in attendance run in the millions every month. From the Redemption Camp, Enoch Adeboye faithfully ministers to the body of Christ all over the world. The Redemption Camp is also the home of the Redeemers University, and the other secular and theological schools which were established by the church. The Redemption is a city as many believers now live and worship there, making the place another religious nation in the likes of the Vatican city of the Catholic Church.  On December 18^th 1998, Enoch Adeboye hosted the very first Holy Ghost Festival with an attendance of over seven million people. In 1999 there were no less than twelve million worshipers present. This program has since been replaced with the annual 3-day Holy Ghost Congress held every December at the Redemption Camp. In addition to this is a Special 3-day Holy Ghost Program held in the first weekend of March yearly. At these events, miracles, signs and wonders have become commonplace as the power of God moves to set free, heal, anoint, deliver, bless and empower.  Adeboye is a father in the lord to many great men of God. He ordained hundreds of pastors at the Redemption Camp on a regular basis.  He is also pastor and spiritual father to many heads of governments. He travels to minister to unreached places where others may not go.  Adeboye has been conferred with several honorary degrees and national merit awards in appreciation of his contributions to humanity. In 1999 Adeboye received the honorary citizenship and key of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. In 2000 he dedicated the first chapel in the Nigerian Presidential Villa, Abuja, Nigeria.  In 2005 he received honorary citizenship and key of Dallas, Texas, USA. In 2005 he received honorary citizenship and key of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. In 2008, he was awarded a National Honor Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and led the Pre-Summit Prayers at the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations, Headquarters, and New York. He is the author globally-distributed daily devotional manual, Open Heavens.

Boko Haram: Should Christians defend themselves?

Boko Haram: Should Christians defend themselves?

YEMI OLAKITAN 

Our Lord Jesus Christ forbade his disciples to take up weapons against anyone according to the scriptures. He told Peter; those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. He healed a soldier whose ear was cut off by Peter. The soldier was one of those who came to arrest him after he had been betrayed by Judas. Jesus also instructed his followers to turn the other cheeks when they slap them on one cheek.  Jesus Christ was totally against violence in any form even in self defense. He said, do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear the one who can kill both the body and the soul in hell. He even refused to defend himself when he had the power to do so preferring to lay down his life to save mankind. While on the cross, he prayed for the people who nailed him to the cross.

Today, Christians are being persecuted in large numbers by Islamic extremists; many are being slaughtered like chickens particularly in Northern Nigeria. Only recently in Southern Kaduna a Pastor and his family were murdered by members of the Boko Haram sect. He was just one of many such victims who have died in the hands of Islamic extremists. Hundreds of churches have been burnt down in these parts of the country by the same group.  In the North, the roll call of murdered Christians is alarming. The early Christians were known to have suffered similar fate. Many of the early Christians were killed under horrific conditions. They were thrown into the lions, crucified upside down, burnt at the stake for merely reading the Bible or beheaded for professing to be a Christian. In all these persecutions, they didn’t defend themselves with violence, instead they prayed for their persecutors, preferring to die as martyrs instead of fighting their attackers.  In the book of Esther chapters 3, 4, 8). Esther 9:1 – 17, a man called Haman plot to kill all Jewish people, the people of God through Queen Esther got the King to enact a new decree to reverse an earlier decree which empowered them to defend themselves against the plot of their enemy so that they can fight back and eliminate them.  The people of Israel defended themselves well because they were well armed and they prevailed against their enemies.  Esther and her Jewish people not only fasted and prayed but they also armed themselves and defended themselves. As a result they were able to turn over the evil that their enemies planned over to their heads. The questions arise: Is Christ instruction for Christians to eschew violence even in self defense practical? Is it still applicable today? Shouldn’t Christians defend themselves when faced with threats to their lives? Should they take harms against their enemies who choose to kill them and destroy their places of worship? Christians they turn the other cheek when attacked by, terrorists, murderers and Islamic jihadists?

A report by the Ndi-Igbo Peace Movement (NPM) says that the Boko Haram that is operating pre-dominantly in the Northern part of the country has declared religious war against Christians in Nigeria . This was contained in a statement issued by the group to newsmen in Onitsha , Anambra. The statement was signed by Chief Uzor A. Uzor, President of the group.

“From our records, over 4,000 people had been killed directly or indirectly due to the escalated Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the Northern region.

“2,000 of the people so far killed are from the South-East; while the South-West have about 1,000 and the North have 1,000 people killed respectively.

“From the statistics, it shows that the Southern part of the country had had a good number of causalities then the North

“And its an indicator that the Boko Haram insurgency is meant to target only the Southerners especially Christians residing in the North,’’ it said.

The statement said that the recent burial of 14 people from Adazi Nnukwu community in Aniocha LGA, Anambra State and also 7 people in Umuna community, 2 in Amaifeke and 1 in Okporo all in Orlu LGA of Imo State was still fresh in ones mind.

The situation in Adamawa was so bad that, “Some people tried to escape through the windows and the attackers shot at them. They cut peoples’ throats.”

This was how the of Yola, Mamza Stephen, captured the calamity that befell worshippers at a Catholic church in Waga Chakawa in Adamawa State when Boko Haram insurgents struck last Sunday.

“Everybody is living in fear. There is no protection. We cannot predict where and when they are going to attack. People can’t sleep with their eyes closed,” the Bishop lamented.

Stephen told the British Broadcasting Corporation that he heard from the survivors that insurgents arrived the village on trucks and locked the church “towards the end of the service.”

According to him, the militants set off bombs, before burning houses and taking residents’ hostage during the four-hour siege. He said death toll in the Waga Chakawa attack was 30 and not 22 as widely reported.

Also, a newly married couple who said they lost everything to the latest Boko Haram attack, were among the villagers seen leaving Kawuri village on Tuesday.

This cannot continue and there must be a stop. Christians must learn to defend themselves. They should go to churches with guns and sleep with their guns by their sides. I remember the Kano people will never forget the last religious riots in which the Igbos surprised the rioters when they all of a sudden brought out guns. So many of the would be killers on the way to kill Christians were gunned down. Since that day not a single religious crisis has occurred

Our Lord Jesus Christ forbade his disciples to take up weapons against anyone according to the scriptures. He told Peter; those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. He healed a soldier whose ear was cut off by Peter. The soldier was one of those who came to arrest him after he had been betrayed by Judas. Jesus also instructed his followers to turn the other cheeks when they slap them on one cheek.  Jesus Christ was totally against violence in any form even in self defense. He said, do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear the one who can kill both the body and the soul in hell. He even refused to defend himself when he had the power to do so preferring to lay down his life to save mankind. While on the cross, he prayed for the people who nailed him to the cross.

Today, Christians are being persecuted in large numbers by Islamic extremists; many are being slaughtered like chickens particularly in Northern Nigeria. Only recently in Southern Kaduna a Pastor and his family were murdered by members of the Boko Haram sect. He was just one of many such victims who have died in the hands of Islamic extremists. Hundreds of churches have been burnt down in these parts of the country by the same group.  In the North, the roll call of murdered Christians is alarming. The early Christians were known to have suffered similar fate. Many of the early Christians were killed under horrific conditions. They were thrown into the lions, crucified upside down, burnt at the stake for merely reading the Bible or beheaded for professing to be a Christian. In all these persecutions, they didn’t defend themselves with violence, instead they prayed for their persecutors, preferring to die as martyrs instead of fighting their attackers.  In the book of Esther chapters 3, 4, 8). Esther 9:1 – 17, a man called Haman plot to kill all Jewish people, the people of God through Queen Esther got the King to enact a new decree to reverse an earlier decree which empowered them to defend themselves against the plot of their enemy so that they can fight back and eliminate them.  The people of Israel defended themselves well because they were well armed and they prevailed against their enemies.  Esther and her Jewish people not only fasted and prayed but they also armed themselves and defended themselves. As a result they were able to turn over the evil that their enemies planned over to their heads. The questions arise: Is Christ instruction for Christians to eschew violence even in self defense practical? Is it still applicable today? Shouldn’t Christians defend themselves when faced with threats to their lives? Should they take harms against their enemies who choose to kill them and destroy their places of worship? Christians they turn the other cheek when attacked by, terrorists, murderers and Islamic jihadists?

A report by the Ndi-Igbo Peace Movement (NPM) says that the Boko Haram that is operating pre-dominantly in the Northern part of the country has declared religious war against Christians in Nigeria . This was contained in a statement issued by the group to newsmen in Onitsha , Anambra. The statement was signed by Chief Uzor A. Uzor, President of the group.

“From our records, over 4,000 people had been killed directly or indirectly due to the escalated Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the Northern region.

“2,000 of the people so far killed are from the South-East; while the South-West have about 1,000 and the North have 1,000 people killed respectively.

“From the statistics, it shows that the Southern part of the country had had a good number of causalities then the North

“And its an indicator that the Boko Haram insurgency is meant to target only the Southerners especially Christians residing in the North,’’ it said.

The statement said that the recent burial of 14 people from Adazi Nnukwu community in Aniocha LGA, Anambra State and also 7 people in Umuna community, 2 in Amaifeke and 1 in Okporo all in Orlu LGA of Imo State was still fresh in ones mind.

The situation in Adamawa was so bad that, “Some people tried to escape through the windows and the attackers shot at them. They cut peoples’ throats.”

This was how the of Yola, Mamza Stephen, captured the calamity that befell worshippers at a Catholic church in Waga Chakawa in Adamawa State when Boko Haram insurgents struck last Sunday.

“Everybody is living in fear. There is no protection. We cannot predict where and when they are going to attack. People can’t sleep with their eyes closed,” the Bishop lamented.

Stephen told the British Broadcasting Corporation that he heard from the survivors that insurgents arrived the village on trucks and locked the church “towards the end of the service.”

According to him, the militants set off bombs, before burning houses and taking residents’ hostage during the four-hour siege. He said death toll in the Waga Chakawa attack was 30 and not 22 as widely reported.

Also, a newly married couple who said they lost everything to the latest Boko Haram attack, were among the villagers seen leaving Kawuri village on Tuesday.

This cannot continue and there must be a stop. Christians must learn to defend themselves. They should go to churches with guns and sleep with their guns by their sides. I remember the Kano people will never forget the last religious riots in which the Igbos surprised the rioters when they all of a sudden brought out guns. So many of the would be killers on the way to kill Christians were gunned down. Since that day not a single religious crisis has occurred

THITHES: In whose interest?

THITHES: In whose interest?
Yemi Olakitan 


There have been many controversies on the issue of tithing in both denominational and individual point of views. While some say that tithing is a divine instruction of the New Testament aimed at blessing the givers others have claimed that it is a relic of the Old Testament designed to bless the clergy. It has also been said by many that tithing is the pathway to prosperity. Postponements of the faith movement such as Kenneth Hagen, Kenneth Copeland, E.A Adeboye, David Oyedepo, and Benson Idahosa have all taught the tremendous benefits of tithes payments. Is it a fact of reality or is it some Christian dogma, theology or actual reality that tithes open the way to financial blessings?  What really is the relevance of tithing to the believers and the church? More importantly, Are tithes payments truly biblical? Is it a relic of the Old Testament? Is it still relevant today? This and many other questions are answered through the scriptures and discussions with clerics and believers alike.
According to the Bible, tithing is generally defined as the tenth part of one’s income, profits, land or stock given to God and used to support the clergy or charitable cause. The custom of giving tithes reaches back to Genesis 14, where Abraham offered tithes of the spoils of the enemy to the royal priest, Melchisedech, so in Genesis 28, Jacob is recorded as giving a tithe of all his possessions to the Lord. In the time of Moses the payment of tithes was one of the laws of the Jewish people; made obligatory. The Hebrews were commanded to offer to God the tenth part of the produce of the fields, of the fruits of the trees, and the firstborn of oxen and of sheep (Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:22). In Deuteronomy there is a mention not only of an annual tithe, but also of a full tithe to be paid once every three years. While it was to God himself that the tithes had to be paid, yet we read (Numbers 18:21) that he transfers them to the priesthood. In the book of Proverbs 3:10) the bible encourage believers to honour the Lord with the first fruits of their wealth. It also says, it is better to give than to receive. However, the verse most often cited in support of the tithe is from the Old Testament, Malachi 3:8-10:

8. ""Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 10. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it.

In a chat with Edmund Ike, a member of the Catholic Church he said, tithes in today’s Christian Church is meant to support the preaching of the Gospel since the Bible says those who serve in the altar should live by the altar. (1 Corinthians 9:13) Speaking further, he said provision of some kind had to be made for the ministers of God. In the beginning this was supplied by freewill offerings.  However as the Church expanded and it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy, the payment of tithes was adopted. According to Ike, Tithing is an obligatory act of giving which supports the institution of the church and it not just a relic of the Old Testament scriptures. ‘‘Don’t forget that the Bible says,
we should give and it shall be given to us. Good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto us. Giving is a cardinal commandment of scripture and the Christian faith.’’
In another chat with Reverend Father Steven Akinsowo of Saint Peters Catholic Church, Langbasa, he said tithing is biblically correct. ‘‘It is an offering made in gratitude to God. It is like giving back to God from the abundance of all the things he has giving to us. Giving a tenth of your income to God is a very small; sacrifice compared to all the wonderful blessings he has given to us. In the Catholic Church we recognise tithing but we do not emphasize it like other churches do, in other denominations, people are persuaded. Tithe is to be given in absolute freedom. You cannot force people to know or accept God. You cannot coerce them. People are to give tithe if it comes from their hearts, if you obey the instruction to give, God will bless you.’’ he said.
In another chat with Senior Superintendent, Apostle C.A Bayode of the Cherubim and seraphim church, Ago Igbale, Ebute Metta, he said tithing is a commandment of the scripture. In the book of Malachi, God said the people should bring all the tithes into the store house of God. The tithes are not meant for the clerics alone, they are meant for the expansion of the Gospel and also for the poor. It should also be used for the orphans, the widows and the less privileged in the body of Christ.  Tithing is like medicine for money if the believers diligently do it. There is a promise alongside the commandment. It says, I will open up the floodgates of heaven. You will become blessed. Anything you lay your hands on will prosper exceedingly.  On the argument that tithing is a relic of the Old Testament, he said that Christ did not come to abolish the law but he came to fulfill it.’’  He however, warned that when people give tithes they should not give tithes to show off, they should give it to the Lord alone.

However, Roseline Ademola, a member of the Anglican Church in Lagos, said that Christ has already paid all the tithes and redeemed us from the law. Speaking further, she said that tithes is like placing the Christians under the law and saying the death of Christ is not enough which is some kind of heresy.  ‘‘There is nothing wrong if a Christian gives tithe willingly, cheerfully, without the burden of guilt been placed on him because the scripture says that God loves a cheerful giver. The problem is that so many pastors preach tithes as law quoting Malachi. They are in error because Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law. We are not operating under that Law, we are under grace. In Malachi, God was referring to the Jews and not to us. We are operating under a better covenant than they.  When you preach that people are cursed with a curse, that they are robbing God, unless they tithe, you are preaching a guilt based giving which is contrary to ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ) which says,  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’’  I do not believe in tithing, I believe in voluntary giving without the burden of guilt. Jesus paid all the tithes with his precious blood. I give as I have decided in my heart. It could be ten percent, it could be 20, it could be 50 or 100 percent but it is subject to my personal decision, not imposed,’’ she said.

A member of the Jehovah’s witnesses, name withheld, who spoke to P&W on the subject, said that tithing is being used to coarse Christians to give to the church authority. He said, ‘‘it is the clergy that benefits the most because they sit on the seats of the priesthood and collects the tithes. The apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:5 and 9 that every believer is a priest! Hebrews 5-8 also teaches us that Jesus is the only priest that we need. However the institutional church has borrowed from the Old Testament model of the Levitical Priesthood, thereby establishing a new priesthood that is separate from the rest of the body of Christ. This makes them collect the tithes. Jesus did not collect tithes, neither did the apostles.’’

Another believer, a member of the Global Church of the Living God, Deaconess Shola Abimbola, said ‘‘many testimonies abound in Christendom on the concept of giving, particularly tithing.  Many tithers have testified that God has blessed them financially through tithing, therefore tithing works. It is practical.  Furthermore, giving is a basic commandment of the scriptures and tithing helps the believer to cultivate a regular habit of giving to God for the support of his work.  Jesus said, when you give, you will receive. Tithing cannot be wrong. You see, without the commandment to tithe many people will not give, though you are free to give or not to give. Tithing helps; maintain the habit of giving as directed by the scriptures, so the issue of coercion is not there at all. The principle of choice is in place. I have been paying my tithes for years because tithing fulfills the law of giving and I can say, God has blessed me financially,’’    she said. 

The significance of Easter

The significance of Easter

Yemi Olakitan

Easter, like many of the major festivals of the Christian faith is one of the most popular holidays in the world. Easter is also very important to many Christians. However Easter has been argued in some schools of thought to be of pagan origin. Denominations such as the Seventh Day Adventist, The Jehovah’s witnesses have refused to celebrate it. However, Easter remain a global Christian festival that commands huge following. Pentecostal, Protestants and the Orthodox churches such as the Catholic Church celebrates Easter every year. Yemi Olakitan, Senior Correspondent takes a look at the issues. He examines the importance of Easter to the Christian faith as well as the origin. Should the origin of Easter dim its importance to the Church?  Is Easter still relevant today?

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Easter is one of the major festivals of the Christian church in which the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated on the third day of his Crucifixion. In the Christian calendar, Easter follows Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter. Easter is immediately preceded by the Holy Week, which includes Monday, Thursday, the commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples; Good Friday, the day of his Crucifixion; and Easter Saturday, the transition between Crucifixion and Resurrection.  Easter is perhaps the most sacred day in Christian history, Why, is Easter so important? In a chat Abiodun Davies, of the United African Methodist Church, (UAMC) he said, ‘‘there would be no such thing as Christianity if it was not for Easter. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the basis of everything in Christianity. Christ’s death allows us to be reunited with God.  His resurrection gives us hope that we too will live again, after death. The book of (1 Corinthians 15:13-17) says, “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).’’

Speaking further Davies said, ‘‘Easter is significant to the Christian faith because it refers to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what people say about the origin that remains in the past. Today, Easter is a celebration of our Lord Jesus. He died, he rose and we lived. That to me is far more important for a Christian to celebrate and remember.

According to the American Book of Days, Easter, has many traditions which are derived from folk customs. An example is the Easter eggs, which is said to have started in the 12th century. The Easter eggs is said to be popular among Christians in Europe and the United States. It is part of the celebration just like Christmas trees, Father Christmas, Christmas lights, decorations, and the exchange of Christmas gifts. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the fast and eat them on Easter as a celebration. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford Hayes was president.

One of the denominations that rejected Easter are the ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’. In an official statement on Easter, It says  Easter is a pagan holiday and they prefer to observe the last Super instead, ‘‘we observe the  Memorial of Jesus Death as he commanded each year on the anniversary of his death according to the Bible’s lunar calendar.’’ —Luke 22:19, 20.

Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, during a communion service held at the Rock Cathedral, Lekki, in Lagos said he preferred to call Easter by another name, ‘‘Resurrection Sunday,’’  because of the origin.

Reverend Andrew Akinsuyi on the other hand said, ‘‘it is foolish to condemn Easter on the basis of customs which are clearly not related to paganism anymore. We should focus on the significance of Easter. Are we still pagans today? The answer is no. Whatever people use to celebrate Easter today is done in honour of Christ resurrection.’’ 

Reverend Father, Vincent Serpa of the Catholic, in a Church Question and Answer publication said, ‘‘First of all, who do you know that worships Christmas trees? Nobody that I know; that’s for sure! Just as people can be Christianized, so can their customs and celebrations. Christianity is a powerful thing because it is the power of God on earth. Catholic Christians have always believed this. So they Christianized trees at Christmas and eggs at Easter. Who remembers the Christmas tree or Easter as pagan things? One has to dig deep to find pagan worship in them. It is better to rejoice that they have become vehicles for celebrating the love of Christ.

In a chat with Bamidele Mathew of the Catholic Church, our Lady of perpetual Help, Lagos, he said, ‘‘people should look at the importance of the Easter festival today. It is possible that People were celebrating Easter to honour their pagan gods, many years ago. Today, it is no longer so. Easter is now a celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We should rejoice at this instead of focusing on history that has been buried by the truth and the light of Christ. There is nobody that celebrates Easter today in the name of paganism but in the name of the true risen Christ. This, to me, is more important than tracing the history of Easter. Its relevance, its significance, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus is what is more important and that is what Easter reminds us of today. Whatever it meant for ancient pagans no longer matters today, for Christians, Easter is the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. The fact that when it was first celebrated the feast of the Resurrection coincided with pagan rites doesn’t mean it was derived from them. The Jewish Passover (on which Christ was crucified) also coincided with such celebrations, yet this didn’t mean it was pagan.’’   

In another discussion with the Venerable Thomas Adebayo Fagbayi of African Church Cathedral, Bethel, Broad street, Lagos, he traced the history of Easter to the Bible. According to him, the significance of Easter is far more important than its origin. ‘‘Easter is one of the Christian festivals in Christendom that is just as important as Christmas. If you look at Christmas as well, some people have claimed that Christmas is of pagan origin. This is foolish.  In the scriptures, you will see that the children of Israel celebrated the Passover which is a remembrance of how God delivered them from Death and bondage in the land of Egypt. God commanded them to kill a year old lamb and put his blood on the doorsteps so that the angel of death can pass over their homes as he goes about slaying their Egyptian enemies. They followed the instruction and they were delivered.

 The Israelites have continued to celebrate Passover to this day as God commanded them.

 Jesus Christ is the greater lamb. John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus saw Jesus for the first time and referred to him as the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. The one year old lamb which was slaughtered by the Jews symbolized Jesus.  If the Jews celebrated the Passover? Christians should celebrate the greater lamb who took away the sins of the world.  He was slain for our transgressions and his blood connects us back to God. He resurrected and he gives us hope of eternal life with him. Is that not worth celebrating? Do you know of anyone else who resurrected in the history of man?  This is why we celebrate Easter. At Christmas, we celebrate his birth and at Easter, we celebrate his resurrection. If some people celebrated Easter as a pagan event in the past, that is past. Today, it is no longer so, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of the son of God, It is a celebration of life’’ he said.