Akure: demonstrate what you preach -Ven. Unanyan charges Clerics.

The Director of Civic and Political Affairs, Church of Nigeria and Anglican Chaplain to the National Assembly, Ven. Joseph Unanyan JP, has charged Clerics to have unshakeable faith in the word and power of the God they preach in order to experience the supernatural in their lives and ministries.

The Cleric gave the charge while speaking with the Standing Committee’s News Crew during the 2015 Anglican Communion Standing Committee meeting held at the Cathedral of St. David’s, Ijomu in Akure, Ondo State capital.

Ven. Unanyan, while stressing the importance of looking unto Jesus absolutely for solution to all problems, explained that the theme of this year's meeting is very apt.

“The theme "Look and Live" talks about the story of the Israelites who were troubled by fiery serpents and were told to look on to a carved bronze serpent so they can live. Now, that could be any form of affliction and not just sickness alone."

He noted that serpent bites could be in the form of spiritual lukewarmness and urged participants at the meeting to make time out to seek the face of God by looking up to Jesus so they could be healed of all spiritual and physical sicknesses.

According to him, "The charge at this meeting should not just be waved aside to those we are pastoring. As preachers, let us also look inward and have a deep knowledge of the word of God. Having done that, we all are supposed to also have absolute faith in the word of God that we preach and in the power of the God that we carry."

Recounting the miraculous deliverance of a previously barren woman, the Clergy said the scriptural provision of the power to do exploits abound till today only if preachers could have total and unflinching faith in the power of the cross.

He said, "the woman had spent much money at several Hospitals and so called prayer houses for almost 16 years of childlessness in her marriage. It took absolute faith in God's power to get her convinced that if she could look unto Jesus, she shall be delivered and truly, she was delivered."

The clergyman called on those passing through turbulent situations to always rest on God instead of going round and being exploited by false prophets and pseudo ministers. He noted that "there is no problem that the power of God cannot solve only if the one so afflicted can totally rely on and look unto God in absolute faith."

While lamenting the degree of what he called ministerial malady in Christendom, Ven. Unuayan wondered why some preachers always struggle to place themselves over and above the power of God, stressing that "these are days when you will find preachers placing themselves at the forefront as if they are the healers or the miracle workers, whereas, God does not share His glory with anybody."

He observed that many preachers today lack the requisite knowledge of the word of God insisting that "ministers must be well learned no matter the call they already have from God. They must go to School and be trained. Ministry requires high proficiency, just like in secular professions.”

He charged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to seek legal backing that will empower it to impose sanctions on Churches that do not portray the tenets of Christianity as exemplified by Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone and pillar of the Christian faith.