Nigeria needs genuine repentance, sacrifice to experience newness says Bishop James Odedeji

ARINZE NWAFOR, Lagos

The Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Rt. Rev. Dr James Odedeji has called on Nigerians to repent and embrace a life of sacrifice to experience newness as a nation.

Odedeji exhorted worshippers to also lead lives of obedience at the 2023 Adult Harvest and Thanksgiving Service of the Archbishop Abiodun Adetiloye Memorial Anglican Church (AAAMAC), Lagos on Sunday.

Speaking to the Weekend Champion, the Bishop said, “The nation should as much as possible repent; all is not well.”

He cited a congregant in the church who is a member of the Imo State House of Representatives, and said, “Look at my brother’s [Hon. Princewill Amuchie] election that was almost turned to the other side.”

“Unrighteousness can never prosper any nation. If God is saying that is the way to go, we should go that way,” the Bishop said.

Odedeji spoke to the congregants on the theme, Harvest of Divine Newness and said the only way to experience the newness he preached about is to repent of one’s sins and embrace God.

The Bishop expounded on the subject of newness and quoting from the passages of the Bible, including 2 Corinthians 5: 17 and Isaiah 43: 19, said, “When any man is in Christ, he is a new creature” and “Behold I will do a new thing.”

He said, “The old things namely, curses, sicknesses, affliction, poverty, hopelessness,” would end in the lives of the congregants.

Odedeji enjoined the worshippers to consider the lives of biblical characters, including Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene and Saul, who was later known as Paul, the Apostle, as examples of old things that passed away and made space for the new version of them.

The bishop exhorted the congregants to pay attention to God’s washing away of sins, changing of a man’s name, abiding presence, total possession of a man, and holding to the high value of people.

Mr Emmanuel Okeke, the chairman of the Church’s harvest planning committee, told the Weekend Champion that the 2023 AAAMAC harvest was a successful outing thanks to the collaboration of the team he worked with.

Okeke, who is leading his local church’s harvest committee for the third time, said the most recent outing marked his most successful service yet.

The AAAMAC harvest chairman said the concept of harvest among the worshippers was about giving from the liberality of their hearts and not from a place of competition.

“Harvest period is a time when you harvest all that you have sown in the year. If you sow bountifully, you will harvest bountifully. If you sow sparingly, you will harvest sparingly,” he said.

“But one thing that I keep telling people is to give according to your capacity and as God has blessed you,” Okeke added.

The vicar of AAAMAC, Ven. Hezekiah Osundeyi prayed for peace in the country and the prosperity of the congregants.

A highlight of the day was when the church presented an award of honour to the Bishop, for his continued support and attention to the church.

The Bishop also received an award of excellent support from the Men’s fellowship of the church