LIVEPRAYER’S BILL KELLER NEEDS YOUR HELP!

 “I am at a crossroads. God has always taken care of us over these 13 years. Without any support, I have to begin thinking that God is shutting the door, I have been wrong all along in simply telling the truth while those who compromise, sell false hope, were correct. I REFUSE to believe selling out is the answer!!! In our greatest need, those who believe in the truth have rallied to keep us moving forward. NOW IS THE TIME!!! Without your help, Liveprayer will become dark!

We were rounding off editorial work on another edition of KINGDOMPeople when it dawned on me that one of my favourite columns, FERTILE SOIL was being left out. So, I decided to quickly put together a piece on Bill Keller, the internet evangelist whose Liveprayer website has and continues to bless hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.

As was my wont, I decided to check the site to update my file on his ministry. As has become inevitable for a while now, Bill was calling upon beneficiaries of his work to come to his aid as bills for the previous months were outstanding and needs to be paid urgently. It is precisely for that reason that I thought to use the pages of KINGDOMPeople to join the campaign for ensuring adequate funding for what is clearly a unique fearless and fiercely uncompromisingly biblical ministry.

As I read the posting for Thursday, I saw the urgency of the needs and concluded that our “Fertile Soil” may be too little, too late. So, with my current, temporary “silver and gold have I none” situation, I thought to use this medium to join Bill’s save our souls campaign.

I am yielding the rest of this space to him in a random selection of excerpt from that posting titled: “WILL YOU HELP ME??? LIVEPRAYER DEPENDS UPON YOUR HELP!”

Bill Keller wrote as follows: “Praise God! We have finally covered the final amount of our August shortfall and now must work hard over the next 2 days to take care of our $40,000 September operations. $25,000 of that is weeks past due. I am praying for 5 friends of Liveprayer who can immediately send a special one-time gift of $5,000 to cover that amount, and if everyone else will send what you are able to send, in the next 2 days we can end this month with all of our obligations taken care of. Please take a moment today and pray about what the Lord is calling you to do to help me insure over the next 4 days our ENTIRE September budget is taken care of. GOD IS ABLE!!!

“TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible”.

If he stopped there, perhaps I wouldn’t be writing this, but he went on this way: “I am at a crossroads. God has always taken care of us over these 13 years. Without any support, I have to begin thinking that God is shutting the door, I have been wrong all along in simply telling the truth while those who compromise, sell false hope, were correct. I REFUSE to believe selling out is the answer!!! In our greatest need, those who believe in the truth have rallied to keep us moving forward. NOW IS THE TIME!!! Without your help, Liveprayer will become dark! We have to bring in at least $25,000 in the next day just to continue!!!! This is no longer about me, it about YOU and what will YOU do to preserve one of the only places people can come to hear the TRUTH!!!

“For those who have given, forgive me, since if we don't bring in the minimal amount we need to continue, we will have to close down!!!

In 2007, I wrote a Devotional stating that 2008 would be a monumental year, a year of great change. It was. We saw the financial crisis that has impacted tens of millions of people in this nation and hundreds of millions around the world...  

“While over 12,000 churches have shut down, 120,000 non-profit organizations closed their doors, and with the property of nearly 40,000 churches in foreclosure, Liveprayer has continued to press forward despite seeing a 67% drop in donations from 2008 and losing 29 of our core group of 30 people who had the ability in times of financial difficulty to be able to overnight or wire $10,000-$30,000 to help us over a rough edge.

“That is why over the past years I have had to come to you more often than I would like to ask you to pray about supporting His work here. During the first 9 years of Liveprayer, we only had to share our needs 3-4 times a month. With the economic downturn in the nation, we now have to share our needs 11-12 times each month, though it is still less than 3% of the content we produce each month.

“Due to our extreme financial crisis at Liveprayer, I have cut my personal salary from $36,000 to just $12,000 for the past 2 years, and that is only in order to pay the most basic needs to survive each month. I have poured my heart, soul, life, and even blood at times into God's work here the past 12 years to reach the lost and see HIS Truth declared in the marketplace…to be a rare bold, uncompromised voice for Biblical Truth in this lost age.

“As I type these words tonight, I am at the end. Simply sustaining our daily operations is now a daily task. Simply paying for basic personal needs is becoming more difficult. For nearly 20 years, I have literally sacrificed my life, my time, my talent, and my treasure to bring the lost to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and HIS Truth boldly and without compromise into the marketplace, as very few are doing, virtually none at a national level in the secular media

“Don't think for a second I am not of flesh and blood and think about how I could have simply fallen into line like the rest. Gone on Christian TV, brought false hope into people's lives, never talked about sin or the hell that awaits those who reject Jesus, compromise and take the money from cult members, and totally sold out the faith in order to be politically correct and generate tens of millions annually to live like a rock star…”

Dear reader, are you able to help Bill Keller sustain this wonderful ministry? Please do. If not, at least, join me to pray that despondency does not get the better of him. Thank you.

OPEN LETTER TO NCC: PLEASE CALL DIRECT-ON-PC TO ORDER (2)

"The rest of this sordid tale of corporate rape is contained in the first part of this letter which was published last week. I urge you to read it, if you can. My request as I stated it then is that 'you kindly use your good offices as EVC at NCC to step in, to ensure that the right and just thing is done in my case and hopefully in all such similar cases, henceforth...'"

Dear Dr Juwah,

When I wrote the first part of this open letter last week, I was under no illusions that I would get an immediate response from National Communications Commission or Direct-On-PC. And so that none has come is no surprise at all. Truth is the surprise would have been if it had been otherwise. From the onset therefore, I know that this is more likely to be a marathon, rather than a dash.

However, I am not about to come to any conclusions yet about the whys and whys-not of the non-reaction from your end, dear Vice Chairman. I am in fact willing to concede that neither you nor your media minders, two of whom I recognize are thorough professionals while on this side of the communication divide, might not have seen this letter, for whatever reasons. It is for that reason that I am putting up this as something of a reminder, in case this medium gets luckier this time.

As I stated last week, a company known as Direct-On-PC, offering data services under the supervision of your commission, has been taking its clients for granted in the quality of service it renders and its attitude to righting the wrongs it frequently does.  I explained then that I was resorting to this medium because all my attempts to use the complaint facility on your website have failed. It seems to have been designed for issues concerning GSM operators only! 

I used my SOHO data package Account No SNG00000000000027508 opened with User Name Akano on October 20, 2011 as a case study. In the ten-month period, I  reported in the first part of this letter, there has been only two 30-day cycles out of at least eight (allowing for the period I delayed renewal) that I didn’t have to call Customer Care numbers  and/or send emails with “connection failure” complaints.

My complaint is that DoPC has a cavalier, in your face, arrogant, take-it-or-leave-it attitude to what they call “compensation” for loss of service during periods when through no fault of the client, days and data allowance are unutilized.

Firstly, they are never proactive about it. They terminate services on schedule even where there is an on-going case of loss of service, blaming it on pre-programming.  Next they take their time in processing the so-called “compensation”. It is not unusual for the ladies at customer care to tell you, “your compensation is being processed” or “awaiting signature.” And this can go on for a week or more.

Finally, when the almighty bosses have signed the “compensation”, it bears absolutely no relationship with either the number of lost days or the data balance on your account.  The particular case in point for which I am insisting on full compensation will throw some light on this unjust practice by DoPC.

On August 9, I wrote to the company as follows: “Dear DoPC, My SOHO account has been at best erratic since it was renewed. In the last one week, it's been absolutely useless! Connection failure is all I've got!  Can this be resolved, please? Thanks”

That began a long  agonizing interaction by email and phone which ended my services or more correctly non-service was terminated with efficient alacrity on August  25 2012 at the expiry of the 30-day subscription with 8.01GB  or about 55% of my data allowance still unutilized through DoPC’s  inefficiency.

As I stated before I wrote several other emails to Dear DoPC, many of which were reproduced verbatim in the first part of this letter. For ease of reference, I’ll repeat two of them:

First, this one that has proven almost prophetic: “There has been virtually no service on this account still. Since I reluctantly renewed nearly three weeks ago, I have been subjected to untold frustration and agony. In what has proved to be an accident, it worked late last night for about an hour, but has since been returning "connection failure". Any moment soon, the subscribed period will be over with well over 70% of data unused. Then another round of negotiation for "compensation" will start!  I feel conned, to put it mildly. Why, DoPC, why?”

Towards the end of the 30-day subscription when virtually nothing has changed, I wrote to them making a specific demand: “May I inform you that in the face of the VERY POOR service I experienced this past 20 days or so, I am yet to utilise more that (sic) half of my data allowance. Therefore my service expiry date needs to be extended by at least three weeks. This is only reasonable and just because of the inability to use that which was paid for was caused by you. Please treat as IMMEDIATE. Meanwhile, one can only hope that the slight improvement in service experienced over the public holiday period will continue now that work is resuming. Thanks.”

The rest of this sordid tale of corporate rape is contained in the first part of this letter which was published last week. I urge you to read it, if you can.  My request as I stated it then is that “you to use your good offices as EVC at NCC to step in, to ensure that the right and just thing is done in my case and hopefully in all such similar cases, henceforth...”

Again as I stated then, should you be unable to help, should I be left at the mercy of a company that fails, refuses or neglects to provide full service for money collected, then, I reserve the right to take any further legitimate steps to protect my right as a consumer.

Incidentally, since the first part of this letter was published, a number of DoPC customers have written to share their experiences with me. I have started compiling them for use as we might deem necessary - a class action, not exempted.

Thanks a million, for your time.

Your Compatriot - REMI

 

 

OPEN LETTER TO NCC: PLEASE CALL DIRECT-ON-PC TO ORDER

Finally, when the almighty bosses have signed the “compensation”, it bears absolutely no relationship with either the number of lost days or the data balance on your account. The particular case in point for which I am insisting full compensation will throw some light on this unjust practice by DoPC.

Dear Dr  Juwah,

I feel constrained to write this open letter to you concerning a company known as Direct-On-PC, offering data services under the supervision of your commission.  I am doing this openly because all my attempts to use the complaint facility on your website have failed. It seems to have been designed for issues concerning GSM operators only!  

I have been a customer of DoPC since October 20, 2011 when I signed up for   a SOHO data package with them and Account No SNG00000000000027508 was opened with User Name: Akano.

In this period, there has been only two 30-day cycles out of eight (allowing for the period I delayed renewal) that I didn’t have to call Customer Care numbers  and/or send emails with “connection failure” complaints.

Now, that may well be “normal” in our environment, particularly as every operator in the telecoms sector has power constraints to tout as cause of their failure; a failure which close watchers of the industry know is actually the result of systems overload; itself a product of greed. But that is a matter for another day.

While I can make allowance for systemic challenges and have over this period, I am unable to accept the attitude of DoPC to what they call “compensation” for loss of service during periods when through no fault of the client, days and data allowance are unutilized.

Firstly, they are never proactive about it. They terminate services on schedule even where there is an on-going case of loss of service, blaming it on pre-programming.  Next they take their time in processing the so-called “compensation”. It is not unusual for the ladies at customer care to tell you, “your compensation is being processed” or “awaiting signature.” And this can go on for a week or more.

Finally, when the almighty bosses have signed the “compensation”, it bears absolutely no relationship with either the number of lost days or the data balance on your account.  The particular case in point for which I am insisting full compensation will throw some light on this unjust practice by DoPC.

On August 9, I wrote to the company as follws: “Dear DoPC, My SOHO account has been at best erratic since it was renewed. In the last One week, it's been absolutely useless! Connection failure is all I've got!  Can this be resolved, please? Thanks – REMI”

That began a long  agonizing interaction by email and phone which ended my services or more correctly non-service was terminated with efficient alacrity on August  25 2012 at the expiry of the 0-day subscription with 8.01GB  or about 55% of my data allowance still unutilized through DoPC’s  inefficiency.  I wrote several other emails to Dear DoPC as follows.

In one of those mails I all but anticipated what was about to happen: “There has been virtually no service on this account still. Since I reluctantly renewed nearly three weeks ago, I have been subjected to untold frustration and agony. In what has proved to be an accident, it worked late last night for about an hour, but has since been returning "connection failure". Any moment soon, the subscribed period will be over with well over 70% of data unused. Then another round of negotiation for "compensation" will start!  I feel conned, to put it mildly. Why, DoPC, why? –REMI”

When there was no reply, I followed up with this: “More than 24 hours after this email, mum has been the word from DoPC. Interesting. Can you please arrange to refund my money, since you seem incapable of satisfactorily rendering the service for which I paid? Thanks –Akano”

 In between this, I even gave them a bit of good news, even while experiencing and conveying my frustrations: “Although, my internet link worked between 6 and 10pm last night, it has gone dead since. It's all so frustrating and, worse, it's negatively affecting my productivity and even, credibility. What's happening?! – Akano”

After this and the situation remained the same, I made a specific demand: “May I inform you that in the face of the VERY POOR service I experienced this past 20 days or so, I am yet to utilise more that (sic) half of my data allowance. Therefore my service expiry date needs to be extended by at least three weeks. This is only reasonable and just because of the inability to use that which was paid for was caused by you. Please treat as IMMEDIATE.

Meanwhile, one can only hope that the slight improvement in service experienced over the public holiday period will continue now that work is resuming. Thanks -  Remi Akano

In all of these I have been receiving the usual please bear with us emails and phone call usually from evelyn@directonpc.com, signed by Evelyn Omiohue  of their Customer Care Team. At this stage in the communication between us, she said that compensation was being worked out.

When nothing was forthcoming, I wrote again as follows: “When will this so-called compensation be "worked-out"? Do you have to have access to the minimal service you are providing terminated first? This tardiness, not to say, impunity is rubbing salt on my wound!”  

Again, nothing happened and reacted this way: “in spite of promises made earlier today, the day is virtually over and, as usual, I am being kept waiting by almighty DoPC to get what is rightfully mine! Services paid for but not rendered and, whereas your system is configured to wrongfully terminate services; it is not configured to right wrongs. Nor are men and women at DoPC predisposed to speed in doing so. I feel outraged by this corporate rape and must warn that my patience is wearing thin. Thanks you – Akano”

Finally, DoPC came up with a “compensation” of 5 days! When I refused, they claimed they were adding 7 days. I am insisting on at least 15 days, which is the closest thing to the days I lost and adequate for utilization of the outstanding data on my account.

 I am asking you to use your good offices as EVC at NCC to step in to ensure that the right and just thing is done in my case and hopefully in all such similar cases, henceforth.  Should  you be unable to, I reserve the right to take any further legitimate steps to protect my right as a consumer.

 Your Compatriot - REMI

THE OBAMA ERA IN RESTROSPECT (2)

"Today, four years later, it is certainly fair comment to say that God and the things of God, have received continuous bashing under Obama’s watch... It is evidence of the kind of pedestal that God is placed that God was initially removed from the Democratic Party platform for the next election and had to be virtually rigged back through a voice vote that was at best 50-50 where a two-third majority was required."

 

I recalled last time and copied copiously from a piece published shortly after Obama’s inauguration as the United States of America’s 44^th President and the first black ever. In that piece “Now, the Obama Era” (January 25, 2009), I recall paying glowing tribute to the fighting spirit of the man, acknowledging the historicity of his election, but expressed cautious hope about the possibilities of an Obama presidency.

With another election a few weeks away and his reelection a strong possibility, I began a revisit of what I considered the one issue critical for the future of the United States and, indeed, all nations of the world. The issue, as I recalled, was and remains the place of God in the running of the affairs of state.

I know that many of my readers were too ecstatic to worry about that kind of issue. Everything else had paled into insignificance by the very fact that a black man with the audacity of hope had, in a free and fair election been elected president of the most powerful country in the world. That is not about to change. But then, my convictions are also not about to change, either.

So, let’s continue where we left off last time, reviewing Obama’s inaugural speech to see what he thought was the role of God in the assignment he was about to take on.
As I wrote then, “He went on and on, analyzing the challenges, hinting at the response of his administration to them and rationalizing those responses in broad colourful strokes. He was at his inspirational best. But it is his references to the ideals of their forefathers and the place of God in it that I chose to focus.

“Making his only passing reference to the Bible he said: ‘We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things…’ and spoke about ‘that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.’”

Obama told his compatriots then: “‘Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake…Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.  …Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history…This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. …Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations…’
As I said then, “All of these made good music to my ears. And for once, I am excited at the possibilities that an Obama Era might hold. He spoke of ‘the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.’  How wonderful. Whom God calls, He equips by talking directly to and sending prophets of truth to for confirmation. So, if as Obama says, this was a call from God, then he really has to stay close to the one he says has called him. Compromise might be the stuff of politics; it is anathema to an ever faithful, ever true, unchanging God. And He sure will accept no less from those who claim to answer His call to service. 

“His copious reference to the values and convictions of the founding fathers also resonates with me. And I hope and pray that he weans America away from political correctness by hearkening to the voice of America’s first president, George Washington who in his Farewell Address in 1796 warned: ‘And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.’ Let him also take to heart the wise words of Washington’s successor, John Adams who said: ‘We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.’”

Today, four years later, it is certainly fair comment to say that God and the things of God, have received continuous bashing under Obama’s watch. More states have endorsed same-sex marriage; after years of “evolving” his views on the subject, he has finally thrown the weight of the presidency behind this sin; Obamacare, with all its strong points, has a clause that makes it mandatory for all employers, including faith-based organisations, to fund contraceptives and abortion. It is evidence of the kind of pedestal that God is placed that God was initially removed from the Democratic Party platform for the next election and had to be virtually rigged back through a voice vote that was at best 50-50 where a two-third majority was required.

I conclude today in the same words as I did four years ago: “... All the wisdom in the world will not rescue the US economy or guarantee her safety and security, if Obama does not back off from, and actively resist, policies that would replicate Sodom and Gomorrah in that wonderful land of opportunities” – in spite of the widespread “informed delusions to the contrary. “As Edwin Louis Cole once said, ‘a nation is not great by virtue of her wealth; a nation is great by the wealth of her virtues.’”

 

 

 

 

THE OBAMA ERA IN RESTROSPECT

"Yes, I was earnestly hoping and praying to be proven wrong; that I had somehow been so prejudiced that I didn’t see the light in the horizon; that blinded by what one of my beloved sisters in church, as recently as last Thursday evening, called my right-wing extremism that I had misread and misjudged Obama..."

Shortly after Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th President of the United States of America, I did a piece titled, “Now, the Obama Era” (January 25, 2009). It was a glowing tribute to the fighting spirit of the man, an acknowledgement of the historicity of his election, but an expression of cautious hope about the possibilities of an Obama presidency.

Today, with another election a few weeks away and his reelection a strong possibility, I just thought to revisit what I considered the one issue critical for the future of the United States and, indeed, all nations of the world. That issue is the place of God in the running of the affairs of state.

But let’s begin this way. Yes, I did join in the celebration, although I was one of the few, very few Nigerians and perhaps, Africans, who were not excited about Obama’s candidacy. And I said so on this page in several write-ups, to the chagrin and condemnation of many.

In joining in the celebration, however, I was not simply joining the winning side. I was paying tribute to the fighting spirit of the man and the historic nature of his victory and inauguration, as the first three paragraphs of the article shows:

“It’s over – the long nights of dreaming, that is. Now it’s time to live the dream, or more correctly, the reality. It has been a long, tortuous march through long stretches of dangerous valleys and daunting mountains; a long energy sapping swim through a vast shark-infested ocean. Now, the young man who dreamt of studying law and did it; dreamt of becoming a law professor and became it; dreamt of becoming a State senator and became it; dreamt of going to Capitol Hill as a Federal Senator and made it; who in his first term as a senator slugged it out with the best of them for his party’s presidential ticket and won it; who dreamt of becoming President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States of America is safely in the saddle at the White House of Pennsylvania Avenue! Dream fulfilled!

“It was an electric moment. When Chief Justice Warren spoke the last line of the presidential oath, it was a question: “so help me God?” Barack Hussein Obama replied in the affirmative: “so help me God.” And then, in the full view of millions of people across the globe, with his hands outstretched to the man who until then had only been president-elect, Warren spoke the final words: “congratulations, Mr President!”

“And so, the skinny man with the strength of a hulk, in Davidic version, became the 44^th president of the world’s most influential nation; the very first man of colour, to lead the white dominated rainbow commonwealth that used to be known as God’s own country. Or still is?”

That done, I went on to what I considered the downside of things then, and which has not changed nearly four years down the road. Please read on:

“Through all the revelry, through the celebration of the historicity of the inauguration of the first black president in Barack Obama, it is this poignant irony that continued to haunt me. “God” was the last word this man had to mention before he became president of a nation whose founding fathers had nicknamed God’s own country.  But God had long since been relegated to the background in this land of opportunities. He had been banned from the schools and from public places. The nature and form and extent of His involvement in the affairs of the State have to be negotiated among contenders who each claim to represent Him. He has been democratized to the point of being indistinguishable! And whatever changes this celebrated apostle of change, this symbol of audacious hope, was promising held little hope that God and His values were on the road to restoration. Or perhaps it did and I had missed it.”

Yes, I was earnestly hoping and praying to be proven wrong; that I had somehow been so prejudiced that I didn’t see the light in the horizon; that blinded by what one of my beloved sisters in church, as recently as last Thursday evening, called my right-wing extremism that I had misread and misjudged Obama. I therefore, as I reported then did the next best thing:

 “So, I listened to his inaugural address. It was good. It was a beautiful piece of inspiring, rousing rhetoric. ‘Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath,’ he began. ‘The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because ‘We the People’ have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents (emphasis inserted). So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.’”

 As I wrote then, “That (the emphasis above) got my attention. With rapt attention, I listened as he continued: ‘That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. …Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.’” (CONTINUES NEXT WEEK)