On Monday, October 26, Archbishop Emmah Gospel Isong of the Christian Central Chapel International, CCCI, Calabar, turned 62. He marked the day with his three children and eight grandchildren, alongside the wife, Helen, and his teeming followers in the church, in thanksgiving.
But shortly before stepping into the large auditorium, he spoke with TNN over the telephone, on a number of issues around his life and youthful looks.
Excerpts:
What does this day mean to you?
Ah, the day that the Lord brought me into this beautiful world and located me in this wonderful country, Nigeria. I think that’s what it means, a day to offer thanksgiving to God for His mercies.
By midnight today, did you notice any change between when you were 61 and now that you are 62?
(Laughs graciously) Yes, my head started growing, my legs started growing, my height increased, my complexion changed (laughs again). I can tell you, there is no difference than spiritual revival, no difference. That’s why we must celebrate it in thanksgiving.
So, at 62, what do u consider to be God’s greatest blessing and gift to you?
Family and life. You can see I am surrounded by my three children and eight grandchildren with their spouses. Isn’t that wonderful? So, to me, life and family is one of the greatest joy, immeasurable, invaluable, nothing cannot measure it. You can’t buy in the market.
So, you are surrounded by your children and grandchildren?
Yes, three children and their spouses each and eight grandchildren.
So, what stories are you telling them about life at 62?
At 62, I tell them about Jesus as saviour for all spiritual battles, including positive and negative things in life; only Jesus will see you through. I say this to every parent- give Jesus to your children so that as they grow, they grow with Him. Jesus is not just for heaven; Jesus is not just for church. He becomes their strength, their deliverer, their saviour, their comforter.
You are not looking 62, you are not also looking like a grandfather, what do we need to do to look like you, at 62?
Three things, I hope you will be able to do them. Have a good heart. A good heart means you don’t think only of yourself from morning till night. A good heart means thinking about other people. If you want to be like me, number one is to have a good heart. Thinking about other people. Number 2, which is actually supposed to be number one, look unto God. Let God be your strength, don’t bow to other gods. Don’t have something that you must pour libation for in the night, don’t have a place you must stand naked and bath by midnight; you may forget. Don’t have anything you tie on your waist, a ring you are wearing in the hand, a cream you must rub on the face. So don’t bind yourself by any other God, look unto Jesus.
The, be your own doctor; one man’s food is another man’s poison. There is nothing like ‘people should not eat snail. People should not eat this,’ everybody should eat everything according to what their body likes. So, be your doctor. Be your personal doctor, if you are a doctor to yourself, you will not need to see another doctor and pay. You can eat beans and go away, somebody else will eat it and die.
