Enyeribe Ejiogu
About three weeks ago, the global LGBTQ community (homosexuals, lesbians, transgender,etc) held the Pride Parade in America, Britain, France and several other cities. Also, Citizen Go has kicked off a campaign against the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which is working hard with corporate partners to teach children that ungodly sexual orientation is their human right, by pushing for introduction of comprehensive sexuality education in African schools. In this interview, Dr. Bola Akin-John talks about this, herdsmen, church leaders and national issues.
I saw a brochure for your upcoming programme, Territory Takers. What informed the decision to have the programme?
We were led by the Lord to look at this particular issue. There have been Christian programmes on how to take territories, which essentially means expanding your territory by going to new areas. But the Lord asked us to focus on the territory takers themselves – the ministers and leaders who can take territories for the Lord Jesus Christ. We have not done enough in projecting the message of Jesus Christ, in terms of winning hearts, groups, cities and nations for the Lord. The idea is that we should not be satisfied with knowing that we have churches that can sit 10,000 to 100,000 worshippers in one service. There are still millions of people who have not heard the gospel of salvation, have not been converted and have not made Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour. That is why we have so much crime and evil in our society. So the focus of the programme is to teach people how to do better and more effective evangelism for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The global LGBTQ community held well attended Pride parades in major European and American cities. In line with what you just mentioned, what comes to your mind?
I heard about the Pride Parade. The event was given wide publicity by CNN and other global media organisations. In the past lesbians and homosexuals did not publicly exhibit their sexual orientation because it was then seen as taboo, but today they proudly and boldly acknowledge their sexual orientation and even encourage other people to be like them, even going as far as teaching young children that choice of sexual orientation is their human right, which should not be abridged by religion or law. For us as Christians, the LGBTQ global community is a territory we must reach with the gospel of Christ. What is happening now is simply alerting us that the prophecies about the endtime are coming to pass before our eyes.
The Scripture said clearly that in the last days there shall be increase of all manner of sin. The bible said that people will abandon the natural order and lust after the same kind (homosexuality and lesbianism) and that you will find people mating with animals. A zookeeper in Indonesia was reported to have impregnated a female orangutan. The Lord Jesus said that iniquity will abound. So I am not surprised that these things are happening. People see terrible things and describe them in another way that agrees with them.
That is the situation that has prompted this programme; we consider the LGBTQ community and other iniquitous communities as territories we have to reach with the gospel and bring them in line with the will and purpose of the Lord God for man. We need to reach our children, schools, the government, political leadership and the business community. All these are territories we need to take for the Lord Jesus Christ. A lot of people within these communities I have mentioned do not have an understanding of the perfect will of God. These people belong to the seven mountains (arts, culture, entertainment, religion, family, politics and government). The LGBTQ community belongs to the family group, and the members of the group have sexual orientation that is different from what God prescribed. It is one of the major territories we must take for Christ.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation has embarked on teaching comprehensive sexuality education to very young children. It is particularly focusing on teaching them that any kind of sexual orientation is their human right which must be protected by the law. In essence, they are teaching young children that it is okay to be homosexuals and lesbians. What is your take on this?
The Church needs to re-strategise and should not just watch and take the development as something that is just happening in the world. It is part of Satan’s plan to corrupt and destroy the present and coming generations of young people before the Rapture. Recall that when Barack Obama was the US President he signed a law allowing same-sex marriage. His administration even tried to arm-twist the then President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to pass a law that would allow same-sex marriage. Thank God that Jonathan and the National Assembly rejected the move. Remember also that during the 2016 US presidential election, Hilary Clinton’s support for same sex marriage contributed to her defeat. I know that the Americans and their allies have not dropped the agenda. That is why Christians who are genuine believers in Christ must remain vigilant and mobilise against any move to introduce this obnoxious teaching on comprehensive sexuality education that will destroy our young children – by telling them that they have a right to become homosexuals and lesbians. It is purely an evil agenda from the pit of hell.
Christians must begin to pray earnestly and mobilise against it. They must reach out with the power of the Holy Spirit to win our children for Christ. The move by Planned Parenthood Federation and the LGBTQ community is an onslaught of the Enemy (Satan) to ruin our children before the Rapture.
Regarding this development what is your message to the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the Christian Association of Nigeria, school proprietors and principals and government officials who make policies that govern what can be taught in schools?
Simple: the educational system is one major territory that we need to reach for Christ. We need to see the educational system as a mission field that must be reached with the true gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to pray earnestly for these young people, so that we can win them for Christ. It is only then that we will be able to confront this evil and prevent it from taking root. But if we just fold our arms and do nothing, then God will hold us accountable. The things that God calls sin in the bible, people no longer consider them as sin. Instead they are white-washing such things, to make the abnormal look normal.
Still on taking territories, let’s look at the issue of the armed herdsmen, who are getting bolder by the day, sacking communities and occupying their farmlands for their cattle. What should be the response of the Christian community to the menace?
Number One: I am sorry that I have to say this: many people in government who claim that they are Christians need to repent. That includes many Christians who swore that Candidate Muhammadu Buhari would not do the things we see the president doing now. All of them have to repent for the support they gave to Buhari. At that time they called us the Wailers. Now the chickens are coming home to roost and the Fulani are executing their agenda, which was carefully concealed before the 2015 election. Now they have removed the glove, to expose their real hand.
Two: We need to go down on our knees to pray for this nation, so that God will deliver our country from the destructive elements that want to set the nation on fire either through the Ruga Initaitive or the Islmamization/Fulanisation agenda that former President Olusegun Obasanjo raised alarm about. We know the Fulani by their nature. If you give them two acres of land, within two weeks they will over-run you, drive you away and take over the whole place. This problem in Jos, Plateau State, started during the regime of former President Ibrahim Babangida, when he created a local government where the Fulani were living as settlers. They insisted that they must produce the local government chairman, in a place where they were the minority. That was how the killing, maiming and fighting in Jos started. Coming to the Ruga issue, we need to start speaking up strongly about it. If not it is going to set this country on fire. Cattle-rearing is a private business.
Why must the federal government make it a government business? We did not start seeing Fulani herdsmen today; I grew up seeing them in our village and they were peaceful and gentle people at the time. How come they are now carrying AK-47 rifles with bags of ammunition? The present breed of Fulani herdsmen are terrorists, foxes in sheep clothing. They attack, abduct and murder people in communities. They kidnap for ransom, sack communities, kill people and rape women. Today, people are afraid to go to their farms. Today the government has created the impression that these people are untouchable. Recall that some time ago in Ile-Ife there was a clash between the natives and the Fulani. The traditional ruler and several natives were arrested when in fact it was the Fulani that started the trouble. The people arrested were taken from Osun State to Abuja and it took a long time before they regained freedom, after a loud outcry by the media. But in it all I believe that God will intervene in the situation in Nigeria. It has always been their plan to Islamise Nigeria and the menace of the herdsmen is part of that evil agenda. God has been disappointing them in the past, and He will do it again. But Christians must be steadfast and importunate in prayer and evangelism.
Are you saying that this territory cannot be taken? Secondly, is there a parallel between what is happening now and the biblical account in 2 Chronicles 20:20, concerning King Jehoshaphat?
First, this territory cannot be taken. But I want to say that most people who say they are Christian leaders are lackeys of government. These are people who will never speak up for the body of Christ generally except an issue touches them personally or their member.
If not they will keep quiet. Calling people to pray and fast as in the case of Jehoshaphat in the bible is what we should do, but it should be done by people who have no denominational attachment or ulterior motives, Unfortunately that has not been the case in Nigeria. Some so-called Christian leaders are not my leaders. I just respect them, but I don’t follow them because they are government lackeys. They are only concerned about building and sustaining their empires. They only hanker after what will produce money. Having the interest of the Body of Christ in Nigeria is unfortunately lacking in the majority of these so-called leaders. They don’t truly defend the church in Nigeria against government intrusion. I thank God for the Christian Association of Nigeria.
I thank God for Rev. Ayokunle, who is trying to fight for the Body of Christ in Nigeria; he is not fighting for the Baptists. I wish we have more Christian leaders like that who can mobilise the Christian faithful, to earnestly seek the Lord as happened under Jehoshaphat in the bible. Unfortunately we do not have such leaders yet. However, some of us are praying in our little corners and small groups, crying unto God and interceding for our country. The Christian community in Nigeria needs leaders who have the integrity and sincerity, to speak truth to power. Not leaders who are only considering their own denomination or empire.