New Year’s Message 2026

Ernest Godfrey

Throne of Grace Bible Church International (New York, USA)

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Acts 7:54-60:

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 8:1-4:

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Dearly beloved, with greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I write to you today giving thanks to our Lord who in His infinite mercies has brought us into the year, 2026. Happy New Year!

Suffice it to say that currently, the eyes of the world are on Nigeria due to the insecurity that has bedeviled this once promising nation. On top of the general insecurity problem is the well-known and documented genocide against Christians in Nigeria perpetuated by different Islamic groups of which some of the members of these groups are Nigerians while some others are not. It is also disheartening that in the midst of orchestrated and well-documented demonic campaigns against Christians by jihadists, there are people, even self-professed Christians, pastors and bishops who deny the obvious. This crop of people, for political and financial gains, are possessed with the spirit of Esau, have decided to sell their souls to Satan, continue to lie, gaslight, deceive, manipulate, distort, deny, and deflect. What such people are doing is – judging from their antics – that they are both directly and indirectly giving support, aid, and comfort to those who are killing Christians in Nigeria. This is because you cannot treat and cure any disease you refuse to diagnose. They are selling their brothers and sisters in Christ at the altar of political and financial expediency. Make no mistake about it. God will surely judge them. God is able! Help is on the way! All the people terrorizing Nigerians must be brought to book in one way or the other.

But you may ask yourself, why the cover-up? The reason is not far-fetched. Satan does not want anybody to be aware of whatever he’s doing because he knows that he can be stopped in his tracks if people are aware of his wicked actions. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is part of the cover-up machine. Cover-up has deadly consequences. The voices of Babylon (the mainstream media) are equally part of the cover-up industrial complex. God is not asleep. He’s fully aware of what’s going on in Nigeria. “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). He will surely protect His church.

Persecution of Christians has always taken place in the history of the church. Permit me to take you briefly down memory lane historically. As you can see from our texts today, it wasn’t long after the inauguration of the first century church in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, that the young church faced massive persecution in the hands of some Jewish folks, notably (but not limited to) the man known as Saul of Tarsus and his band of co-conspirators which led to the stoning of Deacon Stephen – the first Christian Martyr.

Furthermore, not long after that, came the Neronian persecution. Nero was a Roman Emperor. In AD 41, he published an edict banishing all Jews, including everyone who believed in Jesus Christ. Even though this was relaxed for a little while, the persecution later increased because Christians rightly refused to participate in heathen practices. Sound familiar? When fire broke out in Rome, Christians were falsely accused of being the arsonists. It was completely a lie from the pit of Hell. However, Christians were tortured and killed. Some were thrown to wild beasts. Some were burned alive while others were publicly humiliated and executed. Did all this stop the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The answer is a resounding – No! In the past two thousand years of the existence of the church, Christians have been persecuted. Sometimes, the persecution and killing of Christians gets worse as it is being witnessed in Nigeria for quite some time, but God will never abandon His church.

However, it is heart-warming to remember the promises of Jesus Christ in Matthew 16:13-19:

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This is very comforting. I know that sometimes it may seem like nobody hears your cry for help. All Christian believers around the world hear your cry. Above all, God Almighty hears your cry. You are not alone. The blood of the Christians and others in Nigeria and elsewhere around the world who have been killed–is crying out for justice.

As we go further, let’s consider the following scriptures concerning Christian persecution:

John 15:20 says, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” 

2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 

Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Acts 13:50 states, “But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.”

Acts 7:52 says, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:.”

Hebrews 11:30 says, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

Jesus even says that those who persecute and kill Christians will claim that they are working for God. John 16:2 says, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” I’m sure you are fully aware of such claims amongst those who persecute and kill Christians in Nigeria and around the world. God has nothing to do with their actions. It is demonic. The terrorism against Nigerians must end.

God will dispose of Satan’s plans. Satan’s plans for Nigeria are going to fail. The psalmist says, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:1-5). 

God will save His children. Psalm 20:6-8 says, “Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.” Psalm 20:1 says, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.” God will dispose all the evil plans of the devil concerning Nigeria in Jesus’ Name. You must therefore be prayerful, vigilant and strong. Be spiritually and physically alert.

The Battle is Mine, Says the Lord. Yes, we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for them, especially for their salvation, which we should. The truth is also that the judgment of God will be upon those who persecute Christians if they refuse to stop the killing of Christians and other people. God will fight for His children. After all, we are the apple of His eye. “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,” (Psalm 17:8). “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). The Bible tells us that vengeance belongs to God. “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them” (Ezekiel 25:17). “Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry” (Jeremiah 51:36). “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

Fear Not!

Do not be afraid for “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name” (Exodus 15:3). Therefore, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:” (2 Chronicles 32:7). In the book of Nahum 1:6, the Bible tells us that the enemies of God will not be able to withstand the judgment of God. “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.” And in verse 5, we see that even “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.”

His Promises Are Sure!

Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” He tells us to call upon Him in Psalm 50:15 – “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” He will surely answer us. For Christians in Nigeria, these certainly are the days of trouble. But our God is able. He will deliver you in Jesus’ Name.

Notwithstanding the genocide of Christians in Nigeria, don’t give up your faith in Jesus Christ. The blood of the slaughtered Christians is crying out for vengeance – “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 6:10)? Their blood is crying out like the blood of Abel. The cries of the persecuted has reached unto God in Heaven. At the appointed time, He will act. Deliverance will surely come. God will handle the plight of Christians in Nigeria the way He wants and at His chosen time. Satan, the murderers and persecutors of Christians in Nigeria and their sponsors will not have the last word. He knows what to do and how to do it. He can even do it with human instruments. After all, the last time I checked, God is always right in His ways and methods. And He is never late. What God has decreed must surely come to pass. He has promised to be with you – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). It may even get worse before it gets better. 

Nevertheless, the Almighty God is going to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria. Enough is enough. Merchants of death will finally answer for their atrocities. Have faith in God. Be courageous even in the midst of persecution. Beloved, you are not alone. Christian believers around the world are praying for you night and day. God is about to do something great. He still rules in the kingdom of men – “…until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:32b). Nobody can stop God. The whole Earth is nothing before Him, how much less Nigeria – “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou” (Daniel 4:35)? We pray for spiritual awakening and revival in Nigeria. Let Freedom Ring throughout the four corners of Nigeria. Let darkness give way and let there be light. The genocide against Christians must stop. Now! Let Freedom Ring!

Finally, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24-25). Jesus Christ is Lord!

Happy New Year!