‘Going on pilgrimage not guarantee for salvation’

Prelate Sunday Ola Makinde,
CAN president and Senator John
James Akpanudoedehe,
Minister of State, FCT

Clergymen from different religious denominations were in Abuja last Monday to lecture intending pilgrims to this year’s holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the need to have the fear of God, be law abiding and to allow the trip have positive changes in their lives and, indeed, the nation. Deputy Editor, Bankole Makinde, who was there, reports.

THE stage is set and the expectations are high as the 9,000- strong contingent of Christian Pilgrims to the Holy Land of Israel and Egypt for this year’s Pilgrimage demonstrated last Monday. They converged at the Headquarters of the Directorate of Christian Pilgrims Affairs, Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja to listen to the final parting words from officials of the Directorate on how toconduct themselves during the Pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt later this month.”

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Christian Pilgrimage, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde further raised their expectations, informing that officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA) had all gone abroad to inspect the aircraft for their airlifting which should expectedly commence this month end.

He added that the Egyptian government had also waived a whopping sum of N18million ought to have been paid by the Pilgrims for climbing the religious Mount Sinai located right inside the largely-Islamic nation of Egypt.

But, why the much ecstatic fuss over a trip to a foreign land just like to other nations by these happy Christians?
Dr. Makinde said Christians should no longer see the Holy Pilgrimage as a jamboree, sight-seeing, excursion or tourist visits. Rather, he said going to Jerusalem should be looked at as an opportunity for Christians to have spiritual rebirth and a moment to ask God for miracles to be wrath in their lives.

Obviously echoing Mr. L. Z. Gaza, the Directorate Director’s message, the Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe enjoined the intending Pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Christ and Nigeria; pray for Nigeria and its leadership at all levels and pray for the FCT administration and the success of this year’s Pilgrimage.

But why embark on the yearly “ritual” in the first instance? What are the roles of Pilgrims in a Pilgrimage and what are the roles of a Christian Pilgrimage in Nation Building?
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the state of Israel generally have become a tradition in Nigeria among the Christian folks and non-Christians alike. Many reasons may be adduced for this. Some see it as an essential religious obligation, while others see it as an opportunity for tourism and excursion. Furthermore, many count it as a life opportunity to see the land where Jesus walked and worked and to walk the same land but whatever the reason, going on Pilgrimage to Israel could be an exciting and spiritual rewarding experience.

Various names have been employed to describe a Pilgrim. These include a passerby, a sojourner, a traveler, a stranger and so on. All these names are employed because they describe the various aspects of life of a Pilgrim. But a Pilgrim can be said to be one who journeys in a foreign land and who travels to a holy place as an act of religious devotion; while Pilgrimage is a journey a person (Pilgrim) makes to a holy place; a long journey or search. From the above, there are certain principles that are expected to guide a pilgrim on the Pilgrimage.

Speaking on the Role of Christian Pilgrimage in nation building, Pastor Mike Akpami declared that one way to express one’s devotion to God is through Pilgrimage to the Holy land of Israel as the Bible says that blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

“The Bible says blessed are your eyes for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” You will be privileged to both see and hear the Bible as it comes alive.

Also, your faith gets ignited as the Bible says that thou mightiest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou has been instructed and as you see the certainty of those things you have read or heard of from the Bible, your faith will be ignited. You will be ignited. You will be able to believe God for anything.

“You walk where Jesus walked as it is recorded in the Bible and you’ll see how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and Power; who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.

You will walk where Jesus walked. You will walk in the land of Miracles. You will walk in the land where Jesus died for your sins and mine; the land He paid the price for your victory and your walking where Jesus walked will be a strong reminder to you to “Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

“You reconnect with your spiritual roots as the Holy Bible says that if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partakes of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

“Christianity is of Jewish roots and so, the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the service of God promises were all given to Jews and Jesus was Jewish just as the twelve disciples. Pilgrimage to the Land of the Bible reconnects you to your Jewish roots and has the potential of blessing you with the ‘fatness of the olive tree as God once said to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, that “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

“Your pilgrimage is a blessing to the nation of Israel. Your reconnecting with your Jewish roots is a blessing to them; and God in return will bless you, your family and nation as a nation is made up of families.

“You worship the King as the Bible says that this man, Elkannah, went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. “Each year Elkannah and his entire family embarked on a pilgrimage to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice and it was on one of such pilgrimages that God visited Hannah and her story changed and as you worship God on this pilgrimage, expect your story to change.

“Your prayers will be answered because God is everywhere. But there is such a strong presence of God in Israel that helps you readily access His Grace and Mercies. “King Solomon once prayed at the dedication of the Temple: “Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm) when he shall come and pray toward this house; hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee, that all people of the earth may know thy name; to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have built is called by the name.

“Jesus has paved the way for you to receive answers to prayers by Solomon’s prayers and Jesus says hitherto: Have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full and so expectedly, when prayers are offered for the nation during pilgrimage, they all get answered.

You remember Lot’s wife and you are blessed as you remember Lot’s Wife and it will help you to have moments of sober reflection because with all Lot’s wife acquired in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, she left with nothing. “Her greed still followed her as she was journeying out of Sodom and Gomorrah and she turned back to see her wealth going in flames. The result was that she became a pillar of salt and this is a reminder to “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you as transforming an individual is a positive step to the transformation of a nation.

But, what are the principles expected to guide a pilgrim on a pilgrimage? Revered Ogunmola stated the seven principles that focus on where you are going and what you are going for.

No excess luggage when going or coming back and be careful in the strange land not to run foul of the law or enter into trouble and so comport yourself and follow the pilgrim guide and rule and understand that there are dangers in the foreign land and the need for prayer and faith in God for a safe trip.

The advantages and benefits of going on pilgrimage to Israel include spiritual experience and renewal; first hand information about the place and the land of the Bible and where Jesus walked and worked; relaxation and sight seeing; education; fellowship and friendship; more understanding of the Bible. Christ can be encountered in Israel genuinely while pilgrim’s faith and believe in the scripture, the bible, can be solidified.

The Bible says we are all pilgrims on earth on pilgrimage to our eternal home as existence on earth is very temporary and so we must remember this at all times that going on holy pilgrimage to Israel do not and cannot offer salvation. It cannot also make a person holy. A pilgrim on a pilgrimage must remember that his visit is temporary and must put on the pilgrims’ character. Pilgrimage experience offers great advantages and benefits which all pilgrims must take advantage of. This should also remind us that our sojourn on earth is also temporary. We are transiting to our eternal home; there are two destinations, heaven and hell. Which one will you go at the end of your earthly pilgrimage? Pastor Ogunmola asked.