CAC Director of Youth Affairs, Pastor Samson O. Gbuyiro in photograph with ministers and youths of Ikeji Zone
…commends Zonal Supt, elders, others
By Goke Ilesanmi
The Director of Youth Affairs, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Samson O. Gbuyiro, has described divine grace as a very important spiritual endowment that can facilitate Christians’ ability to successfully walk with God, enjoy His blessings and inherit His kingdom.
Pastor Gbuyiro said this at the Ikeja Zone Youth Anniversary Thanksgiving Service, held at CAC Oke-Ife 1, the Zonal Headquarters located at Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, on Sunday, June 18 where he was the Guest Speaker.
The eloquent Minister of God, who delivered a thought-provoking message on the anniversary theme of “Walking with God in Fullness of His grace”, based on John 1:16-17, said the purpose of the message is to challenge the congregation to pray for and utilise God’s grace to the fullest.
“We need God’s grace to be able to walk with Him. It is the grace of God that can open the Gate of Heaven in prayer. In God’s Kingdom, there is no space for celebration of any achievement without God’s grace,” he explained.
The CAC Director of Youth Affairs gave the spiritual interpretation of the word “grace” as “God in a race” and justified this assertion by saying even Apostle Paul acknowledged the massive place of divine grace in all his achievements despite his impressive educational qualifications.
Pastor Gbuyiro said he so much appreciates the scriptural distinction of the Gospel of John that places emphasis on the personality or person of Jesus Christ unlike other Gospels that focus on His miracles, Ministry and other issues.
According to the Guest Speaker, having knowledge of the personality or person of Jesus Christ is very critical to Christians’ closeness of relationship with Him as the knowledge of the gospel alone is not enough.
Pastor Gbuyiro stressed that there are three priorities of God. These are Purpose, Process as well as Promises and Benefits. The Guest Speaker, who emphasised purpose as the number one priority of God, explained that the purpose of God for redeeming His people through Jesus Christ is to challenge them to live their lives purposefully.
Pastor Gbuyiro said God’s process refers to how He wants His children to achieve their purpose in life. According to the Guest Minster, Christians always like God’s purpose and appreciate the attendant promises and benefits but do not like to follow His due process. “The amount of blessings we receive from God depends on our ability to follow the required process,” Pastor Gbuyiro said.
The CAC Director of Youth Affairs said Christianity is not just a religion but a way of life. He added that where there is a mission, there will definitely be a responsibility. “We therefore have the responsibility to walk with God always to be able to fulfil the mission,” said the clergyman.
Pastor Gbuyiro told the congregation that whenever God gives people a mission, He will give them necessary provision of His grace to be able to achieve the mission and then walk with Him with relentlessly. According to the articulate Minister of God, “The day we give our lives to Christ, God will move us from our throne of human energy to the Throne of Mercy and Grace. The Throne of Mercy and Grace symbolises a powerful throne of supernatural ability to do what we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do. Divine help is available on this throne.”
Pastor Gbuyiro emphasised that walking with God in the fullness of His grace is a necessary condition for attaining royalty on the Throne of Mercy and Grace.
He stressed that walking with God in the fullness of His grace is very important as it proves the living of those who do so, gives them opportunity to know God personally and secures their future against the deadly onslaught of the devil whose three-prong purpose is to steal, kill and destroy as confirmed in John 10:10.
Pastor Gbuyiro was full of praise for Pastor Emmanuel Adetula, Ikeja Zonal Superintendent, other zonal authorities and the youth, following exceptional operational activeness and spiritual commitment of the Zonal Youth Fellowship.
The articulate Minister of God who also expressed satisfaction with organisational ability and general discipline of the Zonal Youth, said the rare qualities demonstrated by them readily confirm the exemplary and pragmatic leadership of Pastor Adetula, who has continued to support and encourage them relentlessly to flourish in God’s Vineyard.
Pastor Gbuyiro said Pastor Adetula is the type of visionary leaders that the Church of God needs today for accelerated spiritual growth, church progress and human-capital development. “Most church leaders today only focus on building big auditoriums without building the youth that will inherit those structures,” he stressed.
Pastor Gbuyiro, who commended Evangelist (Mrs) Dupe Adetula, wife of the Zonal Superintendent for her exemplary lifestyle, praised ministers in the zone, the elders, deaconesses and the Zonal Youth Executive, ably led by Pastor Femi Alalade as Coordinator, Pastor Peter Awe as Assistant Coordinator among others.
Some of the highlights of the memorable service were the spiritually-inspiring musical ministration by the Zonal Choir and impressive instrumental rendition by the young Saxophonist, Eri-Oluwa Awe, aka Eri Sax.