Cleric advises Christians against compromise in face of challenges

Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde, the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos (Anglican Communion), has advised Christians not to compromise their faith in the face of challenges confronting the nation.
Akinde gave the advice on Sunday in his message at the closing of the Abuja Diocese’s 2014 Synod Session held at the Basilica of Grace Church, Apo in Abuja.
The cleric, who spoke on the theme: “Times of Stress’’, likened the challenges confronting the nation to the biblical signs of the end times.

He said that Christians must keep faith in God and be careful not to compromise their relationship with him in a bid to overcome the fear, danger and uncertainty that had characterised the society.
According to Akinde, the danger, fear and uncertainty that have characterised the nation are signs of end time and this call for sober reflection and a review of man’s relationship with God.
“These are not times for Christians to solely depend on the cover, care and protection of human efforts and ingenuity.

“My message today to Nigerians, particularly Christians is that no one should give up his or her faith, we must not allow the uncertainty of the present times to compromise our relationship with God,” he said.
The clergyman urged Christians to put their trust in God and remain hopeful for his grace to be able to contain the challenges that characterise these times of stress.
He stressed that Christians must demonstrate uncommon courage to be able to live with the challenges and predicted that there could be difficult times ahead to test their faith in God.

Akinde advised the Federal Government to explore divine intervention in tackling the menace of insurgency by putting God first in all that it was doing to contain the insurgency.
“Let us look at Godly means to solve our problems in this country.

“I do not know what the solution is to solve the Boko Haram issue, I also do not know how it will come but I want government to take seriously the option of a divine intervention,” he said.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Primate of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, urged Christians to keep an open mind to the happenings of the times.
He said that vigilance and steadfastness in God should be the watch-word for all Christians.
Okoh said that Christians would be able to keep faith with God only if they remained strong and undaunted by the challenges they were facing.

NAN reports that clergies, lay faithful and other guests of the diocese both within and outside Abuja attended the special service to mark the end of the 2014 synod. (NAN)