The Anglican Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Rt Rev’d Geoffrey Obijuru Ibeabuchi has enjoined Christian faithful to be security conscious and utilise the Season to intercede for the peace of Nigeria and for the growth of the Church.
In his Easter message at the St Stephen’s Cathedral, Umuahia, Abia State tagged “ALLELUIA CHRIST IS RISEN”, Bishop Ibeabuchi decried the societal ills which have enveloped the country and with the leaders appeared to be helpless to tackle the situation.
Bishop Ibeabuchi said, ” I want to use this medium to call on all God’s people to utilise this season to intercede for the peace of our Nation and for the growth of the Church. As a Nation, we are faced with the challenges of terrorism, insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, fraud, hatred, corruption, etc. Our educational system has grown from bad to worse, our infrastructure is in a total mess, majority of the citizens find it difficult to eat twice daily. This is very sad and pathetic especially when it appears that our leaders and those in government are helpless and clueless on the way forward”.
The Anglican Bishop who went down memory lane to recall the circumstances that surrounded the year 2020 Easter celebration, particularly the invasion of coronavirus, appreciated God for His infinite mercies and benevolence towards mankind.
His words, “To the glory of God, we are alive in the land of the living celebrating the Easter of this year, 2021. God in His infinite mercy decided to spare our lives not counting our sins and wickedness to one another and to Him. It was difficult for us to gather and celebrate Easter the way we are doing today last year due to the ravaging effect of the dreaded coronavirus across the globe which led to lockdown and crippling of activities. However, the risen Lord was and has been on our side to help us even in the midst of our weaknesses.
“We give glory and praise to God for sparing your life and those of the members of your household. May the grace of the risen Lord overtake you and yours in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. In this season you must seek to know Jesus Christ the more. The Apostle Paul says, I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead. The utmost desire to knowing Christ more and more is my desire for you this season.
“Be reminded that Jesus Christ is still LORD despite all the harsh situations around us this period. The truth is that the harsh situations are not permanent. They will soon expire. That is why you must cling firmly to the Saviour and Redeemer of the entire Universe – Jesus Christ. He died to pay your debt. He died to ensure your total deliverance and healing both spiritually and physically. He rose from the grave for your total victory over sin, Satan and the forces of darkness. We are reminded by the Apostle Paul that God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.
Bishop Ibeabuchi congratulated the Government at all levels for their efforts in the reduction of the number of COVID-19 infection cases across the country and for the COVID-19 vaccination going on all over the country, describing it as a welcome development.
The Anglican Bishop who also enjoined Christians to always remember the less privileged and support one another, further counselled them not take God’s love for granted.
