Rev. Yakubu Pam, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission.
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Jos – Christians in Nigeria have been tasked to imbibe the virtue of hard work, eschew laziness and see challenges as platforms that God is using to catapult them to greatness.
They were also charged to rather than slumbering, rise and pick up their assignments and keep their vision alive
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christians Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam gave the charge while preaching at two separate church services at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria, TCNN, Bukuru and the Assemblies of God Church Northern Nigeria, AGNN, Gura-Riyom, Gyel, all in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
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He told the congregation at AGNN, “The battle we face today is all about waging the border war. We shouldn’t be frustrated but be able to rise and face the enemy at the border. Challenges are but platforms that God uses to catapult us to greatness.”
At the TCNN, Chapel, Rev Pam who was the guest speaker at the annual Thanksgiving service of the Seminary said, “Thanksgiving is a part of Christian life and believers should see this as a clarion call to thank God in all situations.”
Rev. Pam who is also the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Northern Nigeria and the FCT, Abuja challenged Christians to
have hope, because “without it, we can go nowhere. Hope is important to all believers. If we don’t have hope, we can’t go anywhere. We need to have hope in our country, Nigeria. The country, just like Thessalonica in the days of Paul, is passing through many challenges. All we need is hope!
“There is still hope in Nigeria. The number of refugees, notwithstanding, we are still managing the country with the hope that things will get better. Hope is all about changing our conditions. Paul spoke to the Thessalonians about the hope that is awaiting them on the last day. I see hope returning to Nigeria. We shall conquer our enemies. No matter the condition we pass through as a people, we must have hope that our tomorrow shall be better than today.”
Rev. Pam, according to a statement by his media aide, Pam Ayuba, took his Bible reading from Ist Thessalonians 5: 16-18, stressing, Apostle Paul who was addressing the people of Thessalonians at a perilous time told them to always rejoice, pray and thank God in every situation, even as Thessalonians were passing through persecution and the message of Paul was to encourage them not to despair but to see the resurrection of Jesus Christ as their only hope.”
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He noted, “God spoke through the Prophet Jeremiah: 29:11 that He has a plan for us. Our spirits must be provoked to do good works because we have a God who is in us greater than the one in the world, we should be confident of the hope we have which Is beyond human life. The hope in Christ is the only thing that saves us. As believers, we should not be lazy but should rise and work.”
He added, “With a sound mind a Christian can control the devil and even heaven but the opposite of that sound mind is fear. God does not give us the spirit of fear and timidity but of a sound mind. Boldness is what God wants in us and we need to display it as God can use any person to achieve his purpose. Be in control of your mind as God is not man, not to keep his words.”
