Holy Ghost Saves couple from Robbery

This is the testimony of a christian couple on the 19th of July.

This morning, 19th July as I and hubby were about to step out of the house, we were met by two hefty men at the entrance (where the kitchen was also located). We had been packing for a short journey. We were shocked at the sight of them. They looked daring and mischievous. One of them had several scars on his face. We assumed that they only came to ask for directions or see one of our neighbors. This however was not the case. As they approached us, they told us not to move and brought out guns from their pockets. They pointed these guns at us. Trust me, I have never seen a real gun but these guns were far from being fake.

The time between when the men appeared at the entrance and when they brought out their guns was a twinkle of an eye. In initial fear, I tried to move away from the sight of the pointed guns. Immediately, hubby started to speak in the Holy Ghost. I was scared that this will only get them angry and cause them to pull the trigger. With faith however, I joined him. We spoke in other tongues with zeal. As we spoke, they got confused. They looked at each other, looked at us, looked at each other and then turned their backs towards the gate. We continued speaking, this time with great fire burning in our bones and passion tearing our hearts. As they left for the gate, we followed them and kept speaking, louder and louder in holy anger. They ran out. Two motorcycles appeared in a jiffy and off they went.

All these happened in a short time at around 7:00am this morning. It was like a dream. It however wasn't a dream. It happened in our very eyes. Jesus had just saved us. Saved us from armed men. Saved us from loss. Saved us from death. To think that my M.A. defence was scheduled for today.... What would have happened if we weren't saved?

We saw the saving power of Jesus at work. The Holy Ghost manifest in our very eyes.

I want you to help me share this testimony. This isn't fiction. It is real. I want the world to hear of this. I have heard of this kind of testimony before but this particular one I saw and experienced MYSELF. Jesus saves. The Holy Ghost is real. He isn't fiction. He is Real.

Oluwakemi Kolapo.

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HYMNAL FRIDAY: And Now Oh Father

1 And now, O Father, mindful of the love
that bought us, once for all, on Calvary's tree,
and having with us him that pleads above,
we here present, we here spread forth to thee
that only offering perfect in thine eyes,
the one true, pure, immortal sacrifice.

2 Look, Father, look on his anointed face,
and only look on us as found in him;
look not on our misusings of thy grace,
our prayer so languid, and our faith so dim:
for lo, between our sins and their reward
we set the Passion of thy Son our Lord.

3 And then for those, our dearest and our best,
by this prevailing presence we appeal:
O fold them closer to thy mercy's breast,
O do thine utmost for their souls' true weal;
from tainting mischief keep them white and clear,
and crown thy gifts with strength to persevere.

4 And so we come: O draw us to thy feet,
most patient Saviour, who canst love us still;
and by this food, so aweful and so sweet,
deliver us from every touch of ill:
in thine own service make us glad and free,
and grant us never more to part with thee.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #423

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Presbyterian Pastor, Elected as President of Underpopulated Island Country Vanuatu

Tallis Obed Moses, a long-serving Pastor and former leader of the Presbyterian Church, has been elected President of the Vanuatu Republic in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The 63-year-old was sworn in Thursday after winning 39 votes against his opponent, former prime minister Maxim Carlos Korman.

He replaces the former President Baldwin Lonsdale who died suddenly from a heart attack last month while serving in office.

Dan McGarry, the media director of the Vanuatu Daily Post who was at Parliament this morning, said Mr. Moses’ reputation as a man of “impeccable moral character” was a decisive factor played a significant role in his being elected to succeed Lonsdale.

The Vanuatu Republic is an archipelago nation with 270,000 population. It’s located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand and east of Australia

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African Study Bible set to Launch in Nigeria

For too long, African Christians have only had access to discipleship and biblical resources from a Western perspective. The heart and soul of Africa that influenced early Christ-followers from the Ethiopian eunuch to Augustine seemed lost in the past.

The concept of a study Bible specifically created for the needs of African Christians began in 2003 among African leaders, Oasis International and Tyndale House Publishers.

Missionary statesman Dr. Danny McCain led an effort to evaluate the understanding of the Bible by English-speaking church members in Jos, Nigeria and the potential impact of having the Bible in clear, modern language using African vocabulary.

Leaders from across the African continent in 2011 met and agreed on a study Bible, The African Study Bible to bridge the gap of cultural understanding   and relevance of the scripture to everyday life in Africa. The Bible is seen as a resource that speaks directly to the heart of Africans, revealing the truth and beauty of “God’s Word through African Eyes.”

Written in the New Living Translation of the Bible, the Africa Study Bible has over 2,200 notes and features that connects scripture to different cultures throughout Africa. Over 300 writers and editors, from 50 countries, from four major language groups, have all worked on this project to create the most ethnically diverse study Bible content to date. This historic collaboration has produced study notes for a Bible that truly reflect the many unique cultures that make up Africa—from Botswana to Egypt, from Kenya to Nigeria.

The Goal of the Bible is to have a Bible that:

• Applies the Word of God to daily life.
• Reclaims the African roots of Christianity
• Explains Scripture in an African context, making it easy to understand.
• Teaches an all-in-one course in Biblical content, theology, history, and culture.

At the launch in Sandton, Johannesburg, a gathering of Theologians from across the continent, president of the publishing company Oasis International Dr Matthew Elliott said “the idea was to publish a single-volume Bile resource by Africa for Africa would be a lot closer to the lived experience of Africans than the literature traditionally coming from say, the United States or Britain.”

“Africans from all over the continent were involved from inception to completion. In fact‚ South Africa was already represented at the first meeting in Ghana seven years ago. The result is a Bible that makes Scripture more relevant and applicable‚ and that reclaims the African roots of Christianity. To this end we have included unique content that highlight the role Africa has played in the Bible‚ and vice versa‚” said Elliott.

One of the Southern Africa contributors‚ Dr Elesinah Chauke‚ said that‚ to her‚ the project was an affirmation that the Bible was God’s message to all people‚ and that it was important that Africans would find themselves as they read and study the Bible.

The Africa Study Bible is distributed to the South African book trade by Christian Media Publishing‚ and is available to the public through CNA‚ other leading retailers‚ and online.

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HYMNAL FRIDAY : There is a Redeemer

 

There is a redeemer, 
Jesus, God's own Son, 
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, 
Holy One, 

Jesus my redeemer, 
Name above all names, 
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, 
Hope for sinners slain.

Thank you oh my father, 
For giving us Your Son, 
And sending Your Spirit, 
'Til the work on Earth is done.

When I stand in Glory, 
I will see His face, 
And there I'll serve my King forever, 
In that Holy Place.

Thank you oh my Father, 
For giving us Your Son, 
And sending Your Spirit, 
'Til the work on Earth is done.
There is a Redeemer, 
Jesus, God's own Son, 
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, 
Holy One, 

Thank you oh my Father, 
For giving us Your Son, 
And sending Your Spirit, 
'Til the work on Earth is done.
And sending Your Spirit, 
'Till the work on Earth is done.

Songwriters: GREEN, MELODY

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Satanic Topics in CRK Curriculum , CAN Speaks out

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, recently, demanded a return to the old curriculum on religious knowledge, saying Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, was bent on imposing Islamic hegemony through the new curriculum being spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Education.

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Horatio Spafford, our modern day Job.

The author of hymn "It is well", Horatio G. Spafford (1828-1888), was a Presbyterian layman from Chicago. He had established a very successful legal practice as a young businessman and was also a devout Christian. Among his close friends were several evangelists including the famous Dwight L. Moody, also from Chicago. 

Spafford’s fortune evaporated in the wake of the great Chicago Fire of 1871. Having invested heavily in real estate along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, he lost everything overnight. In a saga reminiscent of Job, his son died a short time before his financial disaster. But the worst was yet to come. 

Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck tells the story: “Desiring a rest for his wife and four daughters as well as wishing to join and assist Moody and [his musician Ira] Sankey in one of their campaigns in Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family in 1873. In November of that year, due to unexpected last-minute business developments, he had to remain in Chicago, but sent his wife and four daughters on ahead as scheduled on the S.S. Ville du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days.

“On November 22 the ship was struck by the Lochearn, an English vessel, and sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the survivors were finally landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, ‘Saved alone.’” 

Spafford left immediately to join his wife. This hymn is said to have been penned as he approached the area of the ocean thought to be where the ship carrying his daughters had sunk. 

Another daughter, Bertha, was born in 1878 as well as a son, Horatio, in 1880, though he later died of scarlet fever. After the birth of daughter Grace in 1881, Spafford and his wife moved to Jerusalem out of a deep interest in the Holy Land. There they established the American Colony, a Christian utopian society engaged in philanthropic activities among Jews, Muslims and Christians. 

After decades of benevolent activities, the Colony ceased to be a communal society in the 1950s, though it continued in a second life as the American Colony Hotel, the first home of the talks between Palestine and Israel that eventually led to the 1983 Oslo Peace Accords.

On a personal note, this was a hymn often sung on Sunday evenings in my congregation as I was growing up. Its somber and peaceful music, written by gospel songwriter Philip Bliss (1838-1876) and named after the ship that carried Spafford’s daughters to their death, was spellbinding to a young boy. Yet I had difficulties identifying with the text in many ways. 

The hymn came to life for me in the summer of 1981. I had taken a group of youth to Chicago to work in an inner-city church that housed several congregations of immigrant groups. I chose to attend the Vietnamese service, which I was told consisted of refugees from the Vietnam War—the famous Boat People who had fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. 

I hadn’t been back to the Chicago area since I had graduated from a college in a nearby suburb in 1970. During my time in college, the draft was reinstated, protests of the Vietnam War were numerous and the riots surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the city were infamous. Returning to Chicago 11 years later, the memories of the Vietnam War were fresh on my mind. 

As the Vietnamese congregation gathered to worship, they sang the same song every Sunday to begin their worship, “It Is Well with My Soul.” I didn’t need the words in English as I had memorized them as a boy. I was amazed at how closely this text, written over 100 years earlier, coincided with the struggles of these immigrants as they fled a hostile Vietnam in frail ships, miraculously arriving in Australia and other places. 

As the Vietnamese congregation, now residing in Spafford’s hometown of Chicago, sang the final stanza, I understood the power of a hymn to transcend time and culture to address human tragedy with assurance. Though the hymn begins with loss, it ends in eschatological hope for the day when “faith shall be sight.”

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Hymnal Friday : It is well

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
4. When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
5. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
6. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
7. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
8. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
9. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

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The Significance Of Pentecost

 Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, in this article we learn the Significance of Pentecost to a christian.

The Significance Of Pentecost In The Life Of Every Christian

After Jesus Christ our Lord resurrected from the dead after three days, he stayed with his disciples for 40 days. That is after Easter the lord dwelt with His friends for 40 days before ascending to heaven but on that fateful day (Ascension), He said, ‘But now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you’. John 16:5-7. He was speaking about the PENTECOST

In the same vein, in Acts 2:16-18, Peter said to the crowd, “No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘ In the last days, God says, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT on all people; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.…” Acts 2:16-18.

Today, Christians across the world celebrate Pentecost. although not all Christians recognize this  HOLY DAY. But it is generally honored in liturgical churches (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, etc.), in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, and in many other Protestant churches as well. Pentecost is not as well-known or as popular as the Christmas and Easter, though it commemorates a watershed event in Christian history. It many ways, Pentecost is the birthday of the church.

efore the events of the first Pentecost, which came a few weeks after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there were followers of Jesus, but no movement that could be meaningfully called “the church.” Thus, from an historical point of view, Pentecost is the day on which the church was started. This is also true from a spiritual perspective, since the Spirit brings the church into existence and enlivens it. Thus Pentecost is the church’s birthday.

Acts 2:3-4 ‘Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of a fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.…’

I want to share The richness and goodness of this Great Paraclete, Counselor, Comforter through these seven gifts he gives among numerous others:

Wisdom: It is the capacity to love spiritual things more than material ones; it also means the want to understand God. It is the perfection of the theological virtue of faith.

Understanding: In understanding, we understand how we need to live as followers of Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person’s speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known.

Counsel (right judgement): With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus Christ. It is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence.

Fortitude (courage): With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil. It is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of the same name.

Knowledge: With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The distinction between wisdom and knowledge is that wisdom gives the desire to know the things of God, whereas knowledge is the actual power by which such things are known. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts, it also helps us to choose the right path through life.

Piety (reverence): With the gift of piety/reverence, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, it is the perfection of the virtue of religion.Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit’s instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, as Aquinas writes.

Fear of the Lord (wonder and awe): With the gift of fear of the Lord/wonder and awe, we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a “filial fear,” like a child’s fear of offending his father, rather than a “servile fear,” that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is the perfection of the theological virtue of hope.

According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.

(The Seven gifts was gotten from the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

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Hymnal Friday: My Hope is Built

Written by  Rehoboth Baptist Church Pastor Edward Mote, a pastor at  in Horsham, West Sussex in 1834.  

The hymn refers to the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders and builds around the metaphor of Christ as a rock with a firm basis in Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:4).

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

The first stanza declare's God's grace; stanzas 2 and 3 concern the application of that grace in times of trouble. In the final stanza, Mote brings his hymn full circle with the ultimate realization of God's grace.

The hymn became very popular and has been subject of many interpretations and covers.

Enjoy the hymn below:

1. My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When every earthly prop gives way,

He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,

Clothed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

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Nigerian Catholic Archbishop appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland

60 year old archbishop from Kano state Nigeria The Most Reverend Jude Thaddeus Okolo was on the 13th of May 2017 appointed by the Holy Father, Pope Francis as the Apostolic Nuncio Ireland. He is expected to resume his new role this summer.

In a statement released by Eamon Martin, the Archbishop of Armagh and leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, he welcomed the appointment saying:

'I warmly welcome the appointment by His Holiness Pope Francis of Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland and I wish him many blessings in his new role.

'Archbishop Okolo’s rich experience in the diplomatic service of the Holy See means that he brings many gifts to bear on his new mission in Ireland.

I pray that his time among us as the representative of the Holy Father will be blessed and fruitful.'

The Most Reverend Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo was born in Kano, Nigeria in 1956. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1983 for the Diocese of Nnewi. 

Archbishop Jude who undertook his post-graduate studies in Rome, concluded with a doctorate in Canon Law and was called to the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See.

He began his first assignment in 1990, in Sri Lanka and later served in the following Pontifical Representations: Haiti, the Antillean Islands (including Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Saint Lucia, the Bahamas, Jamaica, etc.), Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Australia. 

In 2008, Archbishop Okolo was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Central African Republic and Chad and in 2013 he was made the Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic and Apostolic Delegate in Puerto Rico. 

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Hymnal Friday: What a friend we have in Jesus

What a Friend we have in Jesus

This hymn written by a Trinity College Dublin, graduate Joseph Medlicott Scriven. He wrote the hymn for his mother when she was going through a special time of sorrow.

It does not matter what you are going through now, God has an answer for you. You just take it to the Lord in Prayer.

1    What a Friend we have in Jesus,       All our sins and griefs to bear!       What a privilege to carry       Everything to God in prayer!       O what peace we often forfeit,       O what needless pain we bear,       All because we do not carry        Everything to God in prayer! 2 Have we trials and temptations?   Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged,   Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful   Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness,   Take it to the Lord in prayer. 3 Are we weak and heavy-laden,   Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge—   Take it to the Lord in prayer; Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?   Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,   Thou wilt find a solace there.

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3 ways to know your Church is a Cult

Most of us attend churches and wonder from their activities if they are a cult. Sometimes we are invited to attend programmes with a friends and we refuse to attend because we believe its a cult. 

Have you ever wondered about these? Here are 3 ways to know if a church is a cult.

1) What do they believe about the Bible? Is it alone the Word of God (as Christians affirm)—or do they add to it, or claim they alone have translated it correctly? 

2) What do they believe about Jesus? Is He alone the divine Son of God, sent from heaven to save us from our sins? Or do they deny this, or claim we must work to save ourselves? 

3) What do they believe about other Christians? Do they claim that they, and they alone, have the truth—or do they rejoice that God is also at work elsewhere?

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Hymnal Friday: Higher Ground

This hymn has been a favorite with many Christians since it was first published in 1898. It expresses so well this universal desire for a deeper spiritual life, continuing on a higher plane of fellowship with God than we have ever before  experienced..

      

The author of this stirring text was Johnson Oatman, Jr., a businessman who wrote 3,000 gospel songs in his leisure time.  Oatman was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal denomination but never pastored a church.  His Hymns were always well received, even though he was paid no more than $1.00 for each of his texts.

       

Higher Ground

      

(1) I'm pressing on the upward way,

      New heights I'm gaining every day;

      Still praying as I'm onward bound,

    "Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

      

 Lord, lift me up and let me stand

By faith on heaven's table-land,

A higher plane than I have found:

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

      

(2)  My heart has no desire to stay

      Where doubts arise and fears dismay;

     Though some may dwell where these abound,

     My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

      

(3)  I want to live above the world,

      Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;

      For faith has caught the joyful sound,

      The song of saints on higher ground.

      

(4)   I want to scale the utmost height

        And catch a gleam of glory bright;

       But still I'll pray, 'til heaven I've found

      "Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

Source: tanbible.com 

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Photos: Kenneth Copeland at CanaanLand

Kenneth Copeland is currently at Canaanland for the ongoing International Ministers' Convention organised by the church.

He was welcomed by Bishop David Oyedepo as the Convention commenced.

Kenneth Copeland is pictured laying hands on the congregation using Bishop Oyedepo as point of contact as he declared blessings of longevity and sound health on all attendees at the ministers’ conference as well as the Winners family.

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Why Tunde Bakare left Deeper Life Church

In an interview with The News Nigeria, Pastor Tunde Bakare Reveeals why he left Deeper Life Bible Church. 

Read What Pastor Tunde Bakare Has To Say Below are the excerpts from the interview:

You were in Deeper Life and The Redeemed churches. At what point did you decide to open your own and why? 

That’s what you call memory lane. I was in Deeper Life for five years, between 1978 and December 1983. Brother Kumuyi was and is still a great teacher of the Word. The person that put the fear of God in me was Brother Kumuyi. He laid the foundation for systematic teaching that many people see me do today. However, I rose through the ranks. I preached while I was there and conducted youth meetings. I was doing some legal works for the ministry also. I registered some of their companies. But one day, while I was ministering and a brother was interpreting, I was giving example of the “faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God” and I said, ‘Supposing you go to a supermarket to buy soap, you might not know what soap to buy but because you watched the advertisement of Joy soap on television, then you would look for Joy soap because you have been hearing about it.’ And my interpreter said: “If you have been watching the devil’s box…” I told him I didn’t say devil’s box but television, and he repeated saying the devil’s box and Brother Kumuyi was behind us. I said I didn’t say devil’s box and that the normal interpretation is amu ohun mu aworan, (the box that captures both the voice and the visuals). Anyway, he still said what he said. The following Sunday, Brother Kumuyi came up with what he called “Sunday Exaltation”; he said that even if you repair television, you are a child of the devil. Then I took my Bible and left. I went home and said I would serve my God, but was not interested anymore in the church. So I returned to Surulere Baptist Church. And one day, my photographer came to me and said I should not just sit like that and that I should come and join his church because I would enjoy it. I asked, ‘What is the name of your church’ and he said The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I said okay and that I would come one day since I was not interested at that moment. The first Sunday of March 1984, I invited my wife and said we should go (we were not married then). I borrowed a car because I had no car then. We drove to that church and I discovered I had been to that church before. That was the place Deeper Life was doing their Bible study in 1978. Then there was this gentleman who walked up, they called him G.O. He is still G.O. today, but they call him Daddy G.O. He was the one who preached that day and the message was titled: “The Mercy of God.” I said this seems better than the background of what seems I was coming from, because, in fairness to Brother Kumuyi, he himself eventually went on television. He must have changed his mind because that time he was very hard on such things.

By the way, looking back today, there is a lot of evil on television. It is not the television that is the devil’s box, it is the programmes that people put on it. So you can choose what you watch. How would you react to what is happening in the churches now, including how pastors now buy private jets? It is not wrong to buy

How would you react to what is happening in the churches now, including how pastors now buy private jets? 

It is not wrong to buy a private jet, but that is if you can afford it and it is not at the expense of the work. I like to be upfront and don’t sweep anything under the carpet. In 1993, for example, this ministry and some other partners in this church, two captains in this church – Captain Sambo and Captain Benson – brought a proposal to me and they wanted me to invest. I brought Chief Oluwole Adeosun (of blessed memory) of First Bank and we bought a Boeing 707. You could see the logo of the Latter Rain Assembly on the Boeing 707 and it was christened the Latter Rain. But it was for cargo business. I entered that plane only once in my life with my wife to take photograph and they were carrying cargo to Saudi Arabia, up and down, to East and to West. And when they banned Boeing 707, we stopped the business. But all these things they are doing now…Look, that is why they run into trouble; when fuelling it and parking it would almost run you into bankruptcy. I am only volunteering the information to you. I don’t take glory in such.

Let me tell you, in America, there is a pastor who has two jets. He preaches in Atlanta one session. By afternoon, he would be in New York for another session. In those economies, you don’t even need to put capital down; you can wet-lease, you can lease a jet and if you have a private jet, you can pay for it like you pay for a mortgage. Life is not that miserable and the interest rate is not as high. But in a depressed economy like ours, the jet represent three things: number one, a tool of business for the likes of Dangote who could afford it because they have many places to go and things to attend to at the same time; a toy for the money-miss-roads who would just think because A bought it I must buy it; or a trap from those men who would buy you and shut your mouth. So, you would have to judge which one it is. Is it a toy? Is it a tool? Or is it a trap?

Source: naij.com

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Stories on "How Great Thou art"

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A young minister’s two-mile walk in the rain provided the inspiration for “How Great Thou Art.” The Reverend Carl Boberg of Monsteras, on the southeast coast of Sweden, was 25 years old when he wrote the lyrics of this song after trekking through a thunderstorm from a church meeting two miles away

This great hymn has a history that stretches back over a hundred years. The original song was written by a young Swedish preacher, Carl Boberg, and first published in 1886, under the title O Store Gud. Boberg wrote a poem, not meaning to write a hymn, but later heard it being sung to an old Swedish tune.

More than forty years later, an English missionary, Stuart Hine, first heard the song in Russia. He and his young wife were missionaries to the Carpathian area of Russia, then a part of Czechoslovakia. There, they heard a very meaningful hymn that was a Russian translation of Carl Boberg’s O Store Gud (O Great God).

While ministering in the Carpathian Mountains, Hine found himself in the midst of a threatening storm. The thunder, as it rolled through the mountain range, was so awesome that it reminded Hine of the beautiful Russian hymn that had already become so dear to him. English verses began to form in his mind, verses that were suggested by portions of the Russian translation.

How Great Thou Art is probably the all-time favorite hymn today. Although its origin had roots in Europe, it was not widely known until 1957, when the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City launched it on a never-ending spiral around the world. It was performed nearly a hundred times during those meetings and countless times ever since.

One cannot sing this majestic hymn of praise and adoration without realizing anew the omnipotence of the Creator who did it all.

2) While recovering from a serious mining accident in Oklahoma, Vernon Spencer began playing music at a local bar called the Bucket of Blood. He enjoyed the work so much he hopped on a train to Hollywood in 1931, hoping to make it big. Tim Spencer became his stage name, and he joined Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers to become one of the most popular groups in America. 

Tim married to a Christian woman named Velma, who prayed earnestly for him, especially while he was on the road. He needed all the prayer he could get, for his lifestyle was epitomized by the title of one of his hits: “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women.” 

Then one day in a hotel in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Tim opened a letter from his wife. Included was a verse of Scripture. Picking up a nearby Gideon Bible, Tim read the passage and realized he needed a change in his life. In prayer he yielded his life to the Lordship of Christ. 

Tim Spencer later established a Gospel Music publishing company, Manna Music, and a few years later his college-age son, Hal, brought him a song from a student missionary conference. Tim contacted the author of the words, Stuart Hine, and published the song. 

It became one of the most beloved hymns of the twentieth century. And that’s how the author of “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women” became the publisher who helped introduce the world to “How Great Thou Art.”

Source : Sermonindex.net and huffingtonpost.com

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