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03.07.2014 Feature Article

The Devil Cannot Divide Nigeria—Bishop Idahosa

The Devil Cannot Divide Nigeria—Bishop Idahosa
03.07.2014 LISTEN

Bishop Isaac Idahosa is the General Overseer and Presiding Bishop of God First Ministries International, aka illumination Assembly. He has bagged several International awards on his ministerial creativity. Today, he is one of the renowned and celebrated TV preachers in Nigeria whose style of prophetic ministration has transformed many lives from nobody to somebody.

He is the African Representative of Global Impact Ministries International. He is a singer, author and prolific writer to the core. He is a well-known first class conference and seminar speaker in Nigeria and abroad. In this exclusive interview with Godday Odidi,he explained why the devil cannot divide Nigeria and other issues affecting the country.

Excerpts:

Can we meet you Sir?

I am Bishop Isaac Idahosa, the General Overseer and Presiding Bishop of God First Ministries International, aka Illumination Assembly.

How long have you been in the ministry?

This year August 25th, 2014 will mark my 25-years in the ministry. The ministry actually started on August 25th, 1989 at the city of Minna in Niger State.

Are you a son to late Archbishop Benson Idahosa of Church of God Mission International?

First, late Archbishop Benson Idahosa was a father of faith and his ministry affected every one of us. We are not direct relation but hailed from the same Edo State. My parents settled in the North before the civil war and so all my family were brought up in the North, specifically the city of Minna, Niger State.

The present security challenges in the North had prompted some top Nigerian ministers of God to recently pay a courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan to see how they can use prayers to curtain the situation, what is your take towards that?

It is good to pay a courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan for interventional prayers on the state of the Nigerian security situation but what some ministers of God are doing in the closet is enough to curtain the situation. I am praying for the situation with my members on daily basis. When the lord turned the captivity of Job around when he prayed for his friends and God gave him twice blessings. I know we are passing a turbulent situation right now in Nigeria, but it will surely pass by someday.

We will come out bigger and better, we must not lose focus. It is a prophetic nation God has a hand on it. Anything that has light is life while anything that has death is Satan. God did not promise Nigeria a safe journey but he promised us safe arrival. Every country today that is great went through their turbulent situation, so Nigeria's own is not different. It is not what that comes to you that defile you but it is your response that matters.

The devil cannot divide Nigeria because he did bring Nigeria together for the first place and so it has no authority to separate Nigeria now. We have hope for Nigeria and let us keep praying for God to see us through and to accommodate one and another on our various diversities. If we love one another and we will not like to harm or kill one and another. We should take the bull by the horn to defend this country not killing ourselves for tribal sentiments.


You recently empowered some of your young dedicated members for faithful services in the lord, what gave you that courage to do that?

It is just a reward for good service to the lord. I don't like blowing my own trumpet in the public. Those who saw your vision and run with it and when it has become a real vision and so you must bless them too. That will also help others to build their hidden potentialities for God. If people know where they is, there is a future, they will build well for God. You must improve on the lives of your members. If you are a leader, you are not able to impact on people, and then it is not what you leave behind that matters but whom you leave behind. People must have future on what they do in life. He is not the only one I gave a car but I have given over 4 cars to my members.

How many will I ride on? Most of these cars are given to me free. It is not what you hoard is your own but what you release out. When people can live life in your life and joy in your joy, there is hope of blessing in someone's life. The only key, to increase your happiness, when you make others happy in life.

How many books have you written so far?

I have written seven inspired books. I don't motivate people but I give them light to their flight. You can motivate me and yet I am frustrated and when you inspired me, then I don't get expired. Motivation is not enough for the gospel of Christ but to put smiles on the downtrodden that matters in life.

Who is your mentor in Christ?

My number one mentor in Christ is Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Do you see education as a means to ministerial growth and development?

There is no growth and development anywhere outside education. Education means light and light determines where darkness is kept. Ignorance is expensive to maintain and what you don't know is bigger than you, you are known by what you know. Many people are destroyed not for the much witchcraft we got but they are destroyed for lack of knowledge. What you don't know, you pay for it and so there is no free life. The quest for life is paramount. Those who inculcate knowledge on us, we paid for the services rendered.

You can force to obey rules but you are not force to love God. Education fast-track any manpower development in life. You graduate from obeying the word of God and doing the work of God. Educating the youths securing your future. When they know better, they remove stress and burden from you. Invest time with them; the sons of today are the fathers of tomorrow.

Why do you have love for the media industry?

Media is a medium where you express the vision. Media is a medium where you transform the burden of the gospel. Media is a medium where the unreached are reached. Media is a medium where wings can fly to their destinies. Without the media, you are reduced to a local champion. Without the media, your vision cannot be amplified. Without the media, you become unknown in the means of the known. Without the media frustration becomes the order of the day because stagnation will set in and the media grants you wings to fly.

It is an attempt for you to get to where you have not gotten to in all your life. I see media given me a voice among the hidden. I see media promoted Christ and raise the banner in my absence. I see media given the barren children in my absence I see media prompted people to believe in Jesus Christ they have not seen physically. Media is a voice to the voiceless. Not all are called to media industry in Nigeria and so let us know our callings. It becomes a will when it is a bill. Some had come into the media and gone but those God called, there are abundant provisions for them.

What is your advice for youths in Nigeria?

They should be patient in life. There is nothing they want to be in life that others have not attained. They should be humble. If you don't know more then you will murmur. If you are not humble then you are bound to grumble. Young men see vision; it is not too late for them to change. The only person that does not require change is God. As a youth, you must attach yourself to a mentor but who will not turn out to be a tormentor. Attach yourself to people that will give you feather to fly. Go to people that will celebrate you not tolerate you.

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