By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
ABUJA-Nigerians have been urged to shun all forms of wickedness and embrace righteousness, so as to enjoy the peace of God.
Making this call on Tuesday, the General Overseer, All Christians Fellowship Mission(ACFM), Rev.(Dr.) William Okoye, emphasized that Nigerians must enthrone, justice, equity and fairness in order to experience the peace of God, which the nation is desperately in need of.
Rev. Okoye who spoke on the topic; “The Prince of Peace”, at the Church’s Christmas service, noted, that there will never be peace, unless Nigerians provide an enabling environment for peace to thrive.
According to him, “As a nation, you cannot be practicing wickedness and expect peace, it is only righteousness that exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to a people. If we practice righteousness, justice, fairness and equity, then the resultant effect will be peace”.
“As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, let us understand that He came to save us from our sins. When we are saved from sin and enter into a personal and intimate relationship with God, then the peace of God that passes all understanding will be our portion, but if we refuse to turn from our sin, the peace of God will elude us”, he stated.
He further noted, that a lot is being heard about hate speech but no body speaks on hate action, which he said is, ‘the mother of hate speech’.
“These days we are hearing so much about hate speech, we are not hearing much about hate action, hate action is the mother of hate speech.
“You cannot be oppressing people and when they cry that you are oppressing them, and then you ask them to shut up that it is hate speech”, he added.
If we are making laws against hate speech, we should also make laws against hate actions-Rev Okoye.
Ahead of the 2019 elections, he prayed that God will give Nigeria peace, as well as a free and fair elections, and also prayed that God will give Nigeria, leaders after His own heart, regardless of their party or region.
He also urged Nigerians to stop panicking and running due to fear of crises in the forthcoming elections.
“It is not necessary to run because if you do that, you allow people who don’t want us to have righteous leaders to have their way, because you will not be able to cast your vote and the wrong people will emerge.
“Security is not the absence of danger, because even in your house, anything can happen but when the presence of God is with you, you are secured anyways, even in the most unsecured environment”, he remarked.
On her part, a church member, Prof.Mrs. Josephine Ayoola, explained that Christmas to her, means-the love and peace of God, adding that she feels responsibility bound to show love to others even as Christ has demonstrated.
She further charged Christians to love themselves and act as agents of peace wherever they find themselves.
