Welcome address delivered by Her Excellency Mrs Bolanle Ambode, Wife of the Governor of Lagos at the 2017 Lagos State Christmas Carol Service held at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Friday 22nd December, 2017
Protocols,
We return all the glory to God for the opportunity to congregate here again for the purpose of praising God by celebrating the birth of His begotten son.
It is Christmas time and the season of carol, a unique and colourful period when we assemble to render songs in praise of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to redeem the world by dying for our sins.
The theme for this year’s carol speaks about the”Chosen One”. But who is the chosen one? The Cosen one is revealed to us in Luke 9:35 which says:
“and there came a voice out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved son:Hear him.
He came to reconcile mankind to God, so that whoever would listen to him, forsake sin and follow his ways, would be reunited in fellowship with God. This is the mandate for which he lived, died and resurrected.
Salvation comes at no expense; in other words, it is free. All it takes is our personal decision, to do an about turn and follow the chosen one, who lived and died for us to gain an eternal life.
All of us are called but not everyone is ready to surrender for the kingdom service. This is why Jesus came to preach salvation that we may be saved.
Dear brethren, it is important we recognize that Christmas is not just about the merriment, it is more than that. We must spare sometime to reflect on the essence of the period, which is the love of God for mankind.
His deep love for us is summed up in John 3:16 which says; ” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, will not perish, but have everlasting life. When we ponder God’s love for us, we will be encouraged to share same with others, for peace in our society and the entire world.
In this special session therefore, let us spread love and be our brother’s keeper. Let us reach out to those who struggle to provide for their families. Let us put smile on the faces of the weak and vulnerable.
This is also a period to show appreciation to Him for sparing our lives;for His goodness to us and for His unconditional love for us, as stated in Romans 5:8 which reads: “But God shows his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”(KJV)
People of God, in these few hours of carol service, we have only one business, which is to praise the Almighty according to Psalm 150:1-6 that says; Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Therefore, let us prepare to sing and dance like David, for this is the only way to appreciate the Chosen one and God almighty, for the gift of salvation and His mighy acts of love and kindness to us and our loved ones.
On this happy not of appreciation and songs, I welcome you all in the name of the lord to the 2017 State Christmas Carol Service.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone in advance!
Her Excellency
Mrs Bolanle Ambode
Wife of the Governor of Lagos State
Friday, 22nd December, 2017
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