Lessons from covid-19: Christians without Church series (1)
Harrison Edobor is a tutor and a writer who is committed to imparting lives. Born in Benin city, South South Nigeria, he has been a strong advocate for the unity of the church of God in Nigeria regardless of doctrinal differences to enable us take Nigeria to her place of Destiny as ordained by God. Harrison believes it is only the church that can actually lead this country to her destiny if it is united with a common front together with other Nigerians of different faith who believe in fairness, justice and love for the country as a whole.
He shares is experience staying at home in the last one month without going to church
Harrison Edobor
Kindly give a brief history of your church attendance and for how long have you been attending?
I attend Bibleway Crusader Church International. It is a prophetic ministry with signs and wonders. I have been with the church for seven years now at Coker Street, Ogba, Lagos. Attendance is averagely 50 aside children. Services commences 8.00am both on Sundays and Tuesdays which is interdenominational. There is no much changes in the early years I joined and now except that we stay longer a bit now and do hold monthly programs unlike before when we were still using an event center which was restrictive and expensive too.
In what way has the Church been a blessing to you? What practical thing do you gain in church when you go on Sunday or any other day.
Going to church strengthens my prayer life and grows my scriptural insights. Listening to testimonies of others do strengthen my faith too. Meeting and socializing with the brethren also can be lifting. The preaching is what I enjoy most in the service. It has been a great experience to hear mysteries of the word directly from the throne of God.
There has been lockdown for one month now. How has it affected you spiritually?
It has really affected my prayer life because there are some prayers I cannot raise on my own but when it is raised by the preacher or leaders at that point I will be able to pray it. The corporate prayer of the church is indispensable.
Do you feel you have lost anything in the last one month by not going to church building to worship God?
Yes, of course. I have lost so much and more also I am owing God much praises and worship because I rarely do that on my own and not as long and effective when we do it in the church together. I miss his fatherly love and care of my pastor for the members who are always willing to relay to him their challenges and burden.
Do you think you can do without your pastor?
Well this question is difficult to answer but the truth is that pastors are not God or His assistant but men like us with special anointing from God. I can certainly do without my pastor or the church but I can’t do without my God who is the source of life.
Lockdown, not a blessing
Would you say you have been blessed in this lockdown?
The lock down has not really been all blessings but it came with some positives. In other words, it has helped to reflect more on the futility of everything we run and purse after in this world, be it career, business or dreams. Everything, I have learnt will come to an end one day. The lock down is like saying everyone go to your grave for a while and know that nothing is really worth it in this life if it has no eternal value.
Which do you prefer, staying at home to do church or going to a church building?
Going to a church building is far better than staying at home. The reason is that there you can do more in terms of prayer, praises and worship. You know that, that is the purpose of you left your house. It’s really refreshing being with the brethren. I mean brethren indeed not just in name or association. Iron sharpens Iron says the scripture. Going to church gives you a sense of belonging and dedication to a body where you feel complemented by other Christians. You are simply not alone in this journey.
What do you hate about going to a church building to worship God.
What I really don’t like is when we go to church to show off our fine dresses and cars or other material possessions not thinking of the God we are going to serve.
If you’re to make recommendations what would you like to be changed in the way we do Church?
We are rigid in our patterns of services. So much focus on building structures and not on human spiritual development. Our church services should be more focused on discipleship and not just numerical strength. Nothing should be done in our services as if that’s what makes services complete. Now people are holding services in their houses without some of the church practices and traditions.
What do you understand by being born again?
This born again lexicon is one that many of us in the church still don’t know very well. It simply implies that one has been given another life by Jesus in the spiritual realm. This life begins when we believe Jesus in our hearts and confess him with our mouth. John 3:18 says he that believes not is condemned already while 1peter 1:23 says we are born again by the word of God which lives and abides forever. Not forgetting that the word is spirit whether spoken by God or by man.
By the special grace of the most high God, I am born again. Christ found me in June 2002 when I fell sick the previous month.
How did you become born again. Tell us your conversion story?
Although I was going to church on Sundays but I was still a sinner living according to the dictates of my flesh and canal mind. I knew I wasn’t saved all along though I wasn’t really a very notorious child. But then I became sick. The sickness was a spiritual attack that defied all medical treatment. I knew how it all started physically with a simple visit to some relatives who were juju priests and did not know they had planned the attack. I ran back home shouting Jesus as if I was being chased by death. I was taken to my mum’s church where they prayed for me and the evil spirit left me. Some days later they struck again harder than the first and was taken from one hospital and church to the other for cure but to no avail. I began to draw closer to God but it seemed it was too late as I saw death and hell and bided farewell to my siblings. Breath was almost gone out completely from me. To my greatest surprise some events happened that restored me back to life after experiencing the working power of Satan. I became born again in the month of June that year and began to experience the working power of God in my life. Hallelujah.
