CAN Holds Christmas Carol, Harps On God’s Favor, Peace, Hope

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Christian Association of Nigeria,( CAN) Kaduna state, on Sunday organized her 2022 Christmas Carol and nine lessons in Kaduna.

The event held at Albarka Baptist Church, Kaduna, with the theme” The Savior Has Come” attracted several choral groups , church leaders, poliicians among others.

Speaking the Kaduna state CAN Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said the simple message of the celebration is that ” Mary found favour with God, we believe that God is going to show Nigeria favour, we’ve suffered, we’ve been in pains, but favor is coming, so we are telling Nigerians out there that favor is coming,”

He said, “when favor comes it is not because you merit it, when favour comes is not because you are a strategist, when favour comes, It’s not because you are powerful, Nigerians have suffered and God is about to favour them, 

” the night Mary went to sleep, she didn’t know that the angel of God is going to visit her, but when the angel appeared and told her that she has found favour, the Bible said, she was even afraid, I want to tell Nigerians not to be afraid when you hear that God is about to favour you” he stressed.

According to him, we cannot continue to lament as a people ” I think we’ve lamented enough, we are looking up to heaven for favour this Christmas, we are looking up to heaven for favor as we enter the new year, we are looking up to heaven for favor in 2023, adding ” God can you please favour and take this pains, favour us and give us good leadership, favor us and change the story of our lives, that’s what we’ve come to celebrate “

“that’s why we are not making speeches, we are not complaining, we’ve a lot of things to complain about, but we say keep the complaints, let’s just say God favour us as you favored Mary, so that there will be  a change in our situation; situation in Nigeria today require divine intervention and God is willing to do something, we believe it is time for God to do it”

He admonished Nigerians to celebrate this Christmas in love and sharing, despite the hardship and cost of living, ” the spirit of Christmas is to love and share with one another, people must not fail to share with one another, let’s always remember that in our communities we are not all the same, there are people that are not as strong as we are, “

Adding that”  If  there’s even a time that you need to show love it is this christmas, because people are crying that they cannot afford this, they cannot that, appear like the angel appeared to Mary and say favor has come your way, you are not going to cry , favor has come  way, you are not going to lack.. This is the spirit that’s what we want to see happening ,God has shown us his favor and we have to show it to other people too”

Similarly, ECWA General Secretary, Rev Yunusa Nmadu, said ” We are celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, like you heard the preacher said today, the Savior has come and the fact that he has come there’s hope,  because for you to have a Savior it means you are in trouble and you need someone to save you and like you know Nigeria is in many troubles . we are in many trouble waters and we are glad that we are reminded today again that the Savior has come, so there’s hope” he assured

He further said, at Christmas Christians should be preaching peace, because the Prince of peace has come, “and Christians should also be preaching peaceful coexistence with our neigbours whether they are Christians or not and to persuade people to our faith and to see how they can come and meet the Savior that has come” he added

In the same vein, Venerable Superior Evangelist Okunola, Head of OAIC block, Kaduna state, said It’s thing of great joy the tidings of the birth of the Saviour, ” as a Christian it’s a moment for us again to enjoy God’s love unto humans, by bringing the savoir unto us, adding that as a nation we are in the midst of great crises, things are tough in Nigeria, 

” despite that we believe God for one thing,  if God so loved the world and sent the Savior to us, who are we not to rejoice and celebrate; surely in this moment of celebration, we believe that God is reconciling us back to our rightful position as a nation in the comity of nations” he added

Earlier, while speaking on the theme,” The Savior Has Come” the chaplain NAF Protestant church Kaduna, Rev. Wing Comm. Samuel Yaro, drew strength from the gospel of Luke 2: 8- 11, where the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ was announced , he said whenever there’s a savior, it practically means there’s problem to solve and that Jesus came for all mankind and his salvation is both spiritual and physical.

He however noted that, we are in perilious times according to the scripture but called on all and sundry to truly take their rightful position in Christ to be able to overcome because the Savior has come, adding that” ‘ Jesus is the solution to all the problems we face on earth, he will give us hope on earth and hope in heaven eternal” he averred.