Lafia – Pastor Ben Andrew, Senior Pastor of the Living Faith Church, Lafia, Nasarawa State, said Nigerians could still enjoy “prosperity in adversity’’ if they adhered strictly to the instructions of God.
The cleric made the declaration in a Sunday sermon entitled: “Prosperity in Adversity” in Lafia.
According to Andrew, the wealth of the country was too enormous for any Nigerian to live in abject poverty even in adversity, but that many are living in poverty because of their disobedience to God’s commandments.
“We are all important citizens but many believers are living in poverty because of disobedience. You must obey God’s laws to prosper or disobey and perish. Your destiny is at the mercy of your obedience of God’s word,” he said.
He said that contrary to popular belief that location mattered in acquiring wealth, it was not so, as according to him ‘prosperity is not by location’.
“Put God to work and you will see God’s work in your life. It is not about running to Abuja. You can be prosperous wherever you are. I tell you, some people in Abuja are living in abject poverty,” he said.
The cleric said many Nigerians would not be complaining of poverty if they had followed God’s guidelines on prosperity such as paying tithes, giving offerings, assisting the needy and giving to parents to earn blessings from them.
“Someone who wants to enjoy prosperity must first give. It is your giving that makes other people to have and then attract spiritual blessings on you,” he said.
Andrew said he was often amused whenever he heard people complaining that clergymen, especially those in Nigeria, were too rich and wondered if it was a crime to be blessed by God.
“Your God cannot be prosperous and you are poor. I tell you, unless you see the way God sees, things won’t change,” he said.
