So many people in Church live their life in perpetual bondage because of fear, doubt and ignorance, but the good news is that our REDEEMER lives and HE is here to help us, DIVCCON 8 ‘Revival Hour’ speaker, Venerable Yahaya Ibrahim, declared Monday at the opening service.

Before a company of believers gathered at the National Christian Centre for the first evening of DIVCCON 2018, Venerable Ibrahim, Chaplain and Lecturer at St. Francis of Assisi College of Theology Wusasa, Kaduna, described the Gospel story of Jesus’ raising of Jairus daughter, healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the Blind Bartimaeus, as key scriptural examples of people who came to Christ and their situation never remained the same.

Reflecting on the theme of his sermon ‘Come Unto Me’ – Matt 11: 28-29, the cleric said: ”The promises that Jesus muttered ‘come to me’ is not a political mobilization. It was not at a political meeting that Jesus announced that ‘I am around, the savior is here, and I have come to do something’. He is a FAITHFUL GOD. He is the FAITHFUL REDEEMER whatever he says he will do, he will do for us.”

Venerable Ibrahim therefore admonished Christians to draw nigh to Jesus Christ because HE is accessible and has something to offer to all who truly come to him, including salvation, deliverance and healing.

”We cannot boycott Jesus Christ. We cannot do without HIM if we are looking for rest. True rest is only guaranteed in Jesus Christ. No one can do without him.

”Jesus has something to offer to us for he says ‘all things have been committed to me by my father and no one knows the father except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to reveal to him,” he said.

The Venerable, who is a priest of the Diocese of Kaduna, prayed that the Son (Jesus Christ) will reveal the Father (God) to all conference participants, adding ”as you come to HIM (Jesus Christ) you will not return to the Father empty handed.’’

He continued: ”The Lord did not bring us here to go away with nothing. I pray that the Lord will open our eyes and ears to hear and receive from him.”

Before ending his ministration with an altar call, the preacher told the congregation to learn to ‘shout Alleluia’ and not ‘say Alleluia,’ demonstrating with a refrain: ”Alleluia – I am going forward; Alleluia- I am rising; Alleluia- my situation is turning around”.

”That is what God will do for you this season,” he declared.

The Revival Hour, an inspiring and empowering outreach programme, is a key feature of DIVCCON, to which unregistered participants are invited to attend.

On Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Venerable Joseph Unuayan will be speaking on the topic ”Come let us reason together” (Isaiah 1: 18) by 5 p.m.

 

 

DELEGATES EXPECTATION AND TAKES ON THE THEME

 

Rt Rev Geoffrey Okorafor

Bishop Egbu Diocese , IMO  state

The theme ‘ I will restore is very apt

I‘m the church, in families, in the society and above all, in the country. Al lot of things have gone wrong ;a lot if damages have been done and God has promised not only the delegates, but all those the delegates represent that he will restore his words says “I will restore the years the locust has eaten .So we are quite optimistic that through the messages here, prayers and every activity taking place in DIVCCON that Gods promise of restoring will take place in our lives and God will honour it.

Most Rev Gabriel Akinbiyi

Bishop of Akoko and Arch Bishop of Ondo Ecclesiastical province.

I am expecting the outpouring of the holy spirit. We have been praying and praying and we want this one to be the best one so far where people will be convicted of sin, confess faith in Christ and rededicate their lives to Christ, whole transformation. The theme is very appropriate because the locust have eaten a lot – the locust of the politician, the locust of the devil, locust of poverty have eaten  a lot but this promise is apt that God  will restore all we have lost. Now that we are having 2019 elections ,God will restore out lost glory

Rt Rev Rufus Adepoju

Bishop Ekiti West.

Our expectation for the conference is high. The theme is very relevant to the situation in the country. We have come to pray that God will take us and lead us back to where we should be.

The vision of the Primate is that we gather to pray for restoration, it will happen because the Bible say in Joel2: 25  , that I will bring restoration so in Nigeria, there will be restoration. The Lord will lead us back to where we should be.

Rt Rev Wisdom Ihuonwo

Bishop Diocese of Niger Delta North

We have high expectations giving the fact that there is so much fear , pressure uncertainty, in the country so much that many people are losing hope. By the theme, we hope to see the confidence restored because by the words we will be hearing reminding us that our God is able to restore .

We hope that we will leave here refreshed and our hope rekindled to cause people to understand that no matter what we are passing through, our God is able to give hope to the hopeless

Mrs Rhoda Oparah

Medical Team

Apart from my own special assignment in the medical, my expectations from God is that all that has happened to me over the years that the Lord Jehovah will restore to me by His Grace.

The theme is also timely because people are going though a lot of hardship. As Christians and Anglicans, this theme is the best thing that has happened to us in the Anglican faith.

Rt Rev Dr Paul Ojo

Bishop of Ijumu Diocese

I look forward to a fresh release of the spirit of God on us as believers and as a people, a new dimension in our worship and relationship with God.

People are burdened, financial crisis anxiety, a lot of people are questioning whether the bible is real. But the bible is true.

By the end of the conference, their will be a fresh release. People will go home with a fresh vigour and fresh discovery of God

The theme is also timely because unless God restores, we are all just struggling in vain. But since God has said he will restore, he will restore our nation and each of us as his children what we have lost over the years.

Mrs. Ibinyefagha Alabere

Niger Delta Diocese

This is my first time of attending this programme and I am expecting a change, a turnaround in my life. The theme, I will restore, means to me that God will restore all that I have lost.

Mrs Maria Fafowora

Abuja Diocese

We are expecting the Lord to manifest powerfully in this year’s DIVCCON, to rain His blessings upon us, to restore our land back to a land flowing with milk and honey, to take us out of the doldrums that we have found ourselves. So, we are quite hopeful and very expectant.

Ven. Oliver Chigbo

Amichi Diocese

My expectation is very high. Since the Church began DIVCCON, I have been attending it and anytime I attend I am spiritually filled. The theme is a very wonderful one that draws our attention to the fact that there are a lot of damages in our families, Churches, political arena, society and everywhere; and that the only thing that can save us is restoration. And, restoration cannot come from any man, but from God. So, my expectation is that if all of us who are attending the conference will go into the society to make a change based on all that we would hear during the Bible Study and Seminars, our society will be restored from all that the cankerworm has eaten.