A former editor of Punch Newspapers and now pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mr. Bola Bolawole has said being a Marxist has not in any way affected his faith in Jesus.
He made this known while speaking at the monthly fellowship of Journalists for Christ International Outreach on Saturday, July 22.
At the meeting held at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Lagos Bolawole spoke on, Maximising the times and season
Marxism
In the course of his delivery, however, he said it was difficult for him not to talk about his Marxist disposition.
A Marxist is a believer in the body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx the German philosopher and, to a lesser extent, by Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th century.
The high point of the theory is that a worker revolution is needed to replace capitalism with a communist system where there will be equal distribution of wealth.
Christianity and Marxism
Bolawole pointed out that Marxism has helped to enhance his faith in Jesus Christ adding that “the only problem with the Marxist ideology is that instead of dismissing religion, it should have been used as an instrument of liberation. You can use religion to oppress people, you can also use it to liberate people.
“My own thinking is that you can use religion to liberate people. I am not a pastor that will tell you to meet me before you access God. It is because people are lazy that is why they are being deceived. Carry your Bible and read. The veil of the temple is parted, everybody can now have access to God.” he said.
He noted that Marxist ideologies are in tandem with the scriptures. “When I started reading the scriptures I began to see a lot of things that we were exposed to in Marxism that are also in the scripture.
“I still believe in Marxism. I believe there is no conflict between Bible and Marxism. The first communal living was practiced by the church fathers as recorded in the Acts of Apostles and that is what Marxism teaches..for each according to his ability to each according to his need.”
While explaining that the system in heaven is a communist system, he said, If God did not make it so only the rich would be able to access the place.
R-L on the front row: Executive Director of International Presss Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Mr Bola Bolawole and his wife, Mr Lekan Otufodunri, Rev David Alabi and other participants at the July fellowship of Journalists for Christ International Outreach
Jesus encounter
Explaining how he came to surrender his life to Jesus, the ex-Punch editor said the Christian faith helped to answer some of the questions he had about life.
He pointed out that if other faiths have been able to do so for him, perhaps he would have adhered to those faiths. “I tell people if I had studied Ifa from the beginning and I can use it as I am using the Bible perhaps I would be an Ifa person.
“But when I pray I get answers, I see vision and God talks to me and shows me things and they are real, I cannot but subscribe to such faith. God once showed me how my family background was before I was born. I told my sister. She was wondering and was now asking how I got to know because there was no way I could have known.
“My father had died, my mother had died. And I said I saw it in my dream. If I had studied Ifa and it could do that for me, perhaps I would have followed Ifa. I don’t condemn people who worship Ifa and Sango because I don’t know their motivation.
“When I was growing up, my father had this sango thing on me but I can’t even find it again. The point I am making is that the Christian faith has provided me with answers. I believe in God, I believe in Christ Jesus, I believe in the Holy Spirit.
“I have been cut off from traditional religion, I can’t go back to it. I come from a Muslim family, I can’t go back to Islam.”
Bolawole said he has read all manner of books including the Grail Message, Eckanker books, and the seven books of Moses said, “ Paul tells us to study to show ourselves approved a workman that needed not to be ashamed. i read those books pick what is useful and discard the rest. I know there is God, but I believe we don’t know God in the full sense of the word. That is why Apostle Paul says we all know in part”
The ex-punch editor said it was his meeting with a former friend of his who is also a pastor in the RCCG that ignited his interest in the Christian faith and started a process that made him surrender to Jesus.
Read also: Who created God: Man or God: https://churchtimesnigeria.net/bola-bolawole-god-atheist/
Maximizing times and seasons
Talking about Maximising times and seasons, he said, “Average is an enemy. It is only when we maximize that we are at our best. Destinies are best fulfilled when opportunities are maximized.”
Making several allusions to the scriptures, he said, “The Bible has so much to teach about how to maximize time. The Bible is for life application. You don’t need the Bible in the grave and we don’t need it in heaven. We have a rich repertoire of harvest in the word of God and we should apply it to our daily lives.”
He said the first thing to take note of in maximizing time is to ask for your time. “We have the great task of knowing the time that God has set for us. Failing to ask for time and season can make you run before your time.”
Making a passing remark on Pastor Tunde Bakare’s number 16 postulation, he said, “God might have spoken to him. Perhaps if he had been the running mate of Buhari in 2015 he could have become number 16 by now. But he missed the time. If you do the right thing at the wrong time, it becomes bad. There is a need to ask for the time from God.”
“The problem many have is that they don’t ask God questions. You need to get direction from God on what to do and start small”
Giving further insight on how to maximize times and season, Bolawole encouraged his listeners to eschew procrastination adding that “Procrastination is the thief of time”
He said prayer and hard work have to go together for anybody who wants to maximize time. “You can’t expect God to bless you when you don’t have anything you are doing. People want blessings. But what they desire is magic if they are doing nothing”
Citing several Bible examples, Bolawole said there is also a place for calculated risk in the journey of life.
“The lepers at the gate of Samaria took a calculated risk. They were at the city gate and they had to take the decision to enter the camp of Syrians since they would have still died of famine at the city gate. But the risk paid off. But in that case, it was a calculated risk”
Rather than asking for help from people, he urged his listeners to, “Look for what people lack and offer to render service in that direction.”
The meeting which lasted for about three hours had a number of journalists from several media houses in attendance.
President of JFC, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin expressed deep appreciation to Mr Bolawole for the incisive lecture. He used the opportunity to encourage journalists to take advantage of the monthly fellowship of the group and its training initiatives.
