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| Preston Humphries, Pastor, Riverside Church, Oklahoma |
I was at the Kingdom Global Ministries’ African Leadership Summit in Port Harcourt as I had prayed and planned to be. And it lived up to its billing in every respect. Leaders came from such African countries as Ghana, Mali, Togo, Sierra Leone, Angola and Uganda, apart from host country, Nigeria.
The West African edition of the book, The Teleios Man by Dr Larry Titus, International President of the ministry was laid on the altar; prayer was said for it to get into the hands and the hearts of millions of men in this region of the world, towards raising an army of perfect, Christlike men. It was then formally presented to the gathering by Rev Mrs Devi Titus, the author’s wife and ministry partner.
You’ve probably heard the phrase,
“Jesus joy” before when a minister of ceremony says, “with Jesus joy, let’s
welcome to the pulpit...” Like me, you might have wondered what that might feel
like. I now know what true ‘Jesus joy” feels like! It saw it, first hand in the
midst of this KGM people. It is a permanent smile on the face; a glint in the
eye, unfeigned love and deep interest in other people, a kind word for each
person, an endless flow of humour – all at the same time!
Larry Titus personified all that and
much more. And the Holy Spirit seems to have had him replicated in his ministry
staffers and leaders of churches and ministries he is discipling. You see it in
Felipe Hasegawa, with whom I had corresponded for about a year, but whom I met
for the first time last week. His warmth made you feel like he had known you
all of his life, as he bounced from one assignment to the other. There was Paul
Zinn! Consummate media person that he is, he was bedecked in cameras, he was
all humour as he darted around the hall and everywhere else for that vantage
position to get the very best of shots. That guy was something else.
Host pastor, Frank Aikins, manifested
the same “Jesus joy” all through, whether wielding the microphone or
interacting with the children as I saw him do shortly after I arrived on
Thursday evening. He seemed to know by name and had a personal connection with
each child - and there were many of them. He also had a way of making light of
every situation, no matter how seemingly serious you might think it was.
One of the highlights of the five-day
conference was the
ordination and release into the apostolic ministry of Pastor Frank, who pastors
Rehoboth Church in Port Harcourt after 13 years of discipleship under Larry
Titus. Twelve other leaders were also ordained as KGM pastors at a Saturday
morning service, which can safely be said, was presided over by the Holy Ghost,
as His tangible presence showed.
Of course, there was the word! I
attend a church widely recognised for the depth of teaching and the
pervasiveness of the word of faith. So, with all humility I should recognise
deep teaching, when I come across it. I did in Port Harcourt. Space and the
nature of this column will not allow me go too deep into this aspect of the
conference here. Yet a few nuggets from some of the ministrations must find
place here and now.
Preston Humphries, Senior Pastor at
Riverside Church, Oklahoma city, was one
of the eleven members of the Titus’ team. On Friday morning, he ministered from
chapter one of the book of Luke; verses 68-75.
Majoring on verse 75, he pointed out that our deliverance
from the hand of the enemy was intended to free us to serve God without fear
and in holiness and purity. He explained that deliverance from fear was very
important because fear it is that leads to compromise and the jettisoning of
faith. Embracing the truth that we have already been delivered from fear is
therefore crucial to a successful fulfillment of our assignment which is to
bring the lost to God through the Lord Jesus.
To fulfill our responsibility, we need to model, like
Jesus did during his earthly ministry, a life of faith, not fear, of righteousness,
not compromise; of victory, not defeat. If we do, it will be easier to bring
more people to the saving grace of Jesus.
Holding aloft a can of Coke, he asked, how do you the
world of this ubiquitous product from the market? With no correct answer coming
from the congregation, he answered it himself: “produce a better product.”
Continuing, he said, if you want to rid the world of sin, create a better you;
live differently.
How
to live differently? Pastor Preston went on to chapter 12 of the first book of
Corinthians, which is where the meat of the message, for this forum is. (TO BE
CONTINUED)
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