HOW TO RAISE WINNING CHILDREN (2)

First of all, we model a love for God by making him the first priority in our lives. Be the same person in the home as you are at church. Be consistent. Again, be the first to do whatever you expect from your child. Pray and read your Bible openly before your children, so they can pattern their lives after you. Love their mother lavishly, particularly in their presence. Demonstrate a life of gratefulness so your children won’t grow up with demanding or presumptuous attitudes. Be quick to apolo­gize when you are wrong so they can witness your humility before God and the family. Finally, model a servant’s heart, demonstrating to your family the values of serving and sharing.”

As our Father’s Day Special, we carried an excerpt from the book, The Teleios Man last time on this page. In it, author Larry Titus identified four principles for raising godly children from the very famous Psalm 23.

The relevant verses as quoted from the NASB version of the Bible reads: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (NASB, emphasis added). He then proceeded to analyse the four emphasized above. Space, however did not allow us go beyond the first “make” process.

I had wanted to stop there but, one reader accused me of “leaving us hanging, just to sell your book.” Unkind, though it is, I thought to give readers a bit more this week and hopefully conclude next week.

Larry Titus, a great grandfather, describes the “lead” principle as The Modeling Process and he wrote as follows:

“Fathers, this is so important! We must demonstrate any behavior that we demand. Hypocrisy confuses a child. Our words will carry little lasting weight with our kids if we don’t practice what we preach. And we know for sure that they’re watching. As in every other area of life, our actions speak louder than words to our children.

“The following suggestions should go without saying, but I’m going to say them anyway. First of all, we model a love for God by making him the first priority in our lives. Be the same person in the home as you are at church. Be consistent. Again, be the first to do whatever you expect from your child. Pray and read your Bible openly before your children, so they can pattern their lives after you. Love their mother lavishly, particularly in their presence. Demonstrate a life of gratefulness so your children won’t grow up with demanding or presumptuous attitudes. Be quick to apolo­gize when you are wrong so they can witness your humility before God and the family. Finally, model a servant’s heart, demonstrating to your family the values of serving and sharing.”

To “restore” our children, the author wrote about what he called The Affirmation Process:  

“We might say that establishing discipline in the life of your children is only one side of the parenting equation. Another term in this side of the equation is the affirmation of your child. The math is simple: Discipline + Affirmation = Confidence.

“My heart breaks as I think of this. Nothing is more important in the lives of our kids than receiving constant affirmation from their fathers. This is a powerful weapon in our fight against generational dysfunction. This “building up” process assures our children have confidence as they face life’s pressures and challenges. Yet, many fathers don’t affirm their kids. Later in their lives, these children look everywhere for affirma­tion. Men, affirm your kids now, and keep them off wrong paths in their futures!

“Edify and compliment your children in front of others and correct them privately. Don’t threaten them or use fear tactics as a method of training. Take them with you and keep them near you as much as possible. Say, “I love you” and touch them often—hugs, kisses, and love pats are essential to emotional stability. Don’t call them negative names, i.e., “stupid,” “dumb,” “clumsy,” or “fat.” Don’t compare them with other children. Always respect them and honor their individuality. After they complete a project, don’t tell them how you would have done it differ­ently or better.

“Don’t allow yourself to be threatened if they take differing viewpoints as they grow older. Let them express different opinions without char­acterizing them as rebellious. As they mature enough to understand, explain the “whys” of your decisions. Jonas Salk said, “Good parents give their children roots and wings. Roots to know where home is, wings to fly away and exercise what’s been taught them.” Always keep in mind that affirmation is a building and strengthening process. By establishing confidence in them through your constant positive input in their lives, you create in them the ability to empathize and speak positively into the lives of their hurting peers.”

The “guide” step, wrote the 70-year-old man of God whom hundreds of men across the globe see as and lovingly called “Dad Larry” is The Instructional Process. He began this way: “It is imperative we develop in our children crystal clear priorities in life. These priorities include a strong work ethic, fulfilling their obligations and commitments, as well as learning how to behave around and interact with other people.”   

He went on to expatiate, and that is where we will conclude – next week, by God’s grace.                                 TO BE CONCLUDED.

HOW TO RAISE WINNING CHILDREN

 "'As a child grows in understanding and reasoning, we must establish discipline in the child’s life, teaching them the absolutes in life. These are found in the Word of God, embodied in the Ten Commandments as detailed in Exodus 20. Some of God’s absolutes include honesty at all times and regardless of circumstance, the worship of God alone, and the truth that stealing is always wrong and must be repented of with restitu­tion. We teach the truth that all forms of sexual activity outside of hetero­sexual marriage are wrong. Another primary truth is that authority must be respected.'"

This is a memo to all fathers and aspiring fathers on this all-important day, Father’s Day 2013. It is excerpted from chapter 7 of the book, The Teleios Man, written by veteran minister and mentor to men, Dr Larry Titus and published in Nigeria for West Africa, by KP Books. Read it, digest it and let it help you in your journey to becoming the Teleios (Complete) father.

“I know of no better guide for a parent to use in training children than Psalm 23. It provides the perfect outline for raising winning, godly chil­dren. In the same way the Lord was the Good Shepherd shaping David’s life, so should parents be deeply involved in shaping the lives of their chil­dren. There are several major objectives we should be seeking in raising our children.

“First and most importantly, we want our children to experience a personal relationship with God. This is not something you can accom­plish for them, but you can certainly share with them the message of God’s love and pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

“In addition, our children must develop godly character and live by biblical principles. In so doing, they will become all God intended them to be, living responsible lives—people who are generous, compassionate, and sensitive to others.

“Throughout the training process of raising winning children, see your­self as the steward, not the owner, of their lives. Biblically, God possesses everything. We are only the stewards of his possessions, working on his behalf.

Good Parenting According to Psalm 23

“In Psalm 23, the Shepherd demonstrates four major tasks necessary to positively mold a child’s character: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (NASB, emphasis added). Let’s analyze this process by process:

The Discipline Process: The good parent “makes” the child.
“As a child grows in understanding and reasoning, we must establish discipline in the child’s life, teaching them the absolutes in life. These are found in the Word of God, embodied in the Ten Commandments as detailed in Exodus 20. Some of God’s absolutes include honesty at all times and regardless of circumstance, the worship of God alone, and the truth that stealing is always wrong and must be repented of with restitu­tion. We teach the truth that all forms of sexual activity outside of hetero­sexual marriage are wrong. Another primary truth is that authority must be respected.  

“It is imperative as a parent that you establish clear guidelines and expectations. For example, you might disallow any form of disrespect or “talking-back” or “sassing.” A defiant “no” should never be tolerated. This teaches them to respect parental authority. They must also learn to respect all other forms of authority. In so doing, they will learn the prin­ciples of submission. “Instruct them about what they can and cannot do and let them know the consequences of breaking the rules. Be sure to follow through on the consequences. This will teach them the necessity and benefit of setting boundaries in their lives.

“Let your children know that temper tantrums in all forms will not be tolerated. This will teach them self-control. Never allow them to raise their voice to you. Any questions or comments should be spoken at a normal voice level. This will teach them control of attitudes.

“Convey to them your expectation of the same behavior when they are away from you as when they are with you. This teaches them self-disci­pline. Finally, teach them to keep their word. This will teach them the foundation of all character. I recognize our current culture frowns upon corporal punishment. Yet, the Bible could not be clearer. God instructs parents to spank children in such passages as Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 23:13-14, and 29:15. Because he does, it’s important to establish guidelines consistent with the Word of God.

“First, only use spanking as a form of punishment when the misbehavior is a direct act of rebellion. Spanking should never be a reactionary hit or a “slap on the wrist” but a deliberate and thorough action strong enough to be remembered as a firm consequence for disobedience. Spanking should be applied to the part of the anatomy that has the natural padding—the bottom-side.

“Secondly, physical discipline should always be controlled and never administered in anger. Spanking is an act of love and love cannot be administered in a fit of rage...  

Finally, after the punishment, the child should be hugged, affirmed, and told they are loved. Do not tell the child what they did wrong, but have them tell you what they did wrong. This way they will learn to admit failures…”

Happy Father’s Day, everyone. (CONTINUES) 

 

 

AMERICAN CHURCH BUILDS FOR NIGERIAN PASTOR

Rev Samuel Olanrewaju
...Beneficiary of Riverside Church's
Levites Project

“…The Olanrewaju family was evicted from their home when their Muslim landlord discovered they were praying in the name of Jesus. Within three months, God made provision available and a temporary house was hurriedly built for the displaced family, with the intention of constructing a more permanent structure in the near future. Ten years later, construction began on a permanent home. The Olanrewaju family spent $40,000 to lay the foundation and raise the first floor of the new structure. However, in response to the great need of missionaries in the field, all the family had was redirected to the work of the ministry. Faced with these needs, the Olanrewaju family sacrificially laid down their plans, and construction on their home was abandoned indefinitely in 2005…”

The Riverside Church, pastored by Preston Humphries, who you met on this page last week, is located in Norman, Oklahoma, about 10, 500 kilometers from Lagos, Nigeria. But that church has been in the vanguard of building a home for a Nigerian pastor, here in Nigeria. And the church sees the project, NOT as charity, but a duty!

Taking their bearing from the Bible book of Numbers, they style their effort The Levite Project.  The relevant verse reads: “And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth” (35:8).

Explaining this on their website which has been live since 2011, Riverside Church says: “The Levite Project honors the faithfulness of a priest who has served sacrificially without seeking anything for himself. The Levites - as the priestly tribe - counted God as their portion in the inheritance of Israel. Their homes were given to them by the other tribes in obedience to the Lord”

In a piece titled ‘A Matter That Grieves My Heart’, Pastor Preston rationalised his taking on the burden of providing a home for this Nigerian pastor and his family in these words:

“In recent months, I have come into the understanding that Reverend Samuel is virtually homeless. In all of his Kingdom advancements, our friend has literally emptied himself to fund the work of the ministry. His obedient generosity is responsible for the establishment of hundreds of churches and pastors throughout western Africa, and the salvation and deliverance of countless men, women, and children. Personally, Reverend Samuel has been a powerful and invaluable prophetic voice in my life and ministry. I am sure this is a testimony we share. Truly, Reverend Samuel has blessed us all.

“In response to his faithful service, I have a deep conviction to see Reverend Samuel and his family established in their home. I believe it is only righteous that we come together and build a home for the man who serves to bring security and prosperity to the homes of so many…”  

But, who, you may wonder, is Rev Samuel?

Information posted on the Riverside Church site had this on him: “Reverend Samuel (Olanrewaju) was called by God to be a witness for Christ among the unreached, hard to reach, and neglected people groups across Africa and around the world.

“He is married to a passionate prayer warrior, Florence Temilade, and they are blessed with six godly children, three boys and three girls…In addition to his natural family, Reverend Samuel has close relatives and adopted children living with him. His home - as an extension of his ministry - serves to house a divinely extended family of 12 people…

“As the President and General Overseer of Christ for Rural Areas Ministries (CRAM), Reverend Samuel oversees over 100 churches and hundreds of pastors and missionaries, reaching at least 13 unreached people groups in Nigeria and Benin Republic. Through the CRAM Community Life Center, he operates CRAM Bible Institute, which has produced over 200 graduates in the last 15 years, and has founded the CRAM Elementary School and Bassa Elementary School, each of which enrolls over 300 students annually... He serves as the appointed apostle in Nigeria and Benin Republic for the Heart land Apostolic Prayer Network - a network of over 6,000 churches.”

With such credentials, how did he come to be almost homeless?

In 1994, continues the write-up on Riverside’s website, “the Olanrewaju family was evicted from their home when their Muslim landlord discovered they were praying in the name of Jesus. Within three months, God made provision available and a temporary house was hurriedly built for the displaced family, with the intention of constructing a more permanent structure in the near future.

“Ten years later, construction began on a permanent home. The Olanrewaju family spent $40,000 to lay the foundation and raise the first floor of the new structure.

“However, in response to the great need of missionaries in the field, all the family had was redirected to the work of the ministry. Faced with these needs, the Olanrewaju family sacrificially laid down their plans, and construction on their home was abandoned indefinitely in 2005.

“Now, the temporary home that was hastily erected in 1994 deteriorates around them. Termites have eaten most of the roof, and what is left of the old roofing sheets is leaking. The walls are peeling off, the ceiling is falling down, and even the floors are breaking apart…”

Won’t you like to join Pastor Preston and his church “in responding as the church and establishing the home of a Levite among us?”

 

 

 

 

STOP COMPLAINING, BRETHREN! (2)

"Dr Larry reminded his audience that whereas the current ministry of the Lord Jesus is intercession; that of satan is accusation, complaint. As followers of the Lord Jesus, our ministry is to intercede and not just in prayer, but also by exercising the authority that is ours in Christ. So, whenever a believer resorts to complaining, murmuring and accusations, be it against, he/she is fulfilling the ministry of satan."

 

Preston Humphries, Senior Pastor of Riverside Church, in Norman, Oklahoma, I told you the last time took the can of Coke that had been lying on the pulpit as he ministered from ministered from verses 68-75 of Luke chapter one. He held it up and asked what it was. Of course everybody recognised the ubiquitous American brand and shouted it. He then proceeded to ask the billion-dollar can question: how can you rid the world of it? His answer: produce a better brand.

But this was not a lecture on product development. It was a ministration at the just concluded African Leadership Summit of Kingdom Global Ministries led by Rev Dr Larry Titus, author of The Teleios Man. This was a teaching on the very essence of salvation and deliverance from sin. We had been delivered so that we can help deliver others. If we are to be fruitful and fulfilled, salvation was not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. We were saved so that we can serve the savior without fear and in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.

The world has a sin problem. Sin is as ubiquitous as the Coca-Cola brand. So, if it will take a better brand to get rid of the soda king of the world, it will take a better way of life to get rid of sin – the holy and righteous life into which we were saved. You are that better brand that the world needs to get rid of sin. The world needs a better you!

Powerful insight, no doubt, but, as I told you last time, it didn’t end there. He went on to show that in delivering us from “our enemy and those who hate us”, as Zechariah put it in Luke 1:71, God didn’t stop there, He subsequently went on to equip us with all that we need to live the new life; He equipped us to be that better brand capable of doing the sin brand under.

The man from Riverside ministering at the capital city of Nigeria’s Rivers state took his audience to St Paul’s first epistle to the church in Corinth, chapter 12, which reads:

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1Corinthians 12: 4-11). 

He went on to explain the essence and application of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit declaring that those gifts confer authority on the believer to deal with situations and circumstances, personal or communal. All you have to do is pair the problem, whatever it may be with God’s solution and victory is assured.

Allotted speaking time over, Pastor Humphries whose parents were also on the contingent from the United States, handed the microphone over to Dr Titus, who seized the opportunity of introducing the next speaker to issue the warning that’s the title of this serial.

Continuing on the theme of Pastor Preston’s message, he pointed out that the authority of the believer, through the Holy Spirit and the nine gifts confers responsibilities on us. Now, if someone who has authority to deal with situations resort to complaining, wouldn’t that amount to shirking of responsibility? If that were all, it probably would be tolerable. But it’s far worse; its playing the devil’s game.

Dr Larry reminded his audience that whereas the current ministry of the Lord Jesus is intercession; that of satan is accusation, complaint. As followers of the Lord Jesus, our ministry is to intercede and not just in prayer, but also by exercising the authority that is ours in Christ. So, whenever a believer resorts to complaining, murmuring and accusations, be it against, he/she is fulfilling the ministry of satan.

Given the way things are in our land; with terrorism, kidnapping, corruption and ineptitude in governance at various levels as the order of the day, complaints and accusations seem inevitable. But here you have it, brethren; we need a change of approach. It’s time to stop complaining and take charge. That begins with me – and you. CONCLUDED

 

STOP COMPLAINING, BRETHREN!



Preston Humphries,
Pastor, Riverside Church, Oklahoma

"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..."

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)

LARRY TITUS TO "IMPART AND RELEASE"

"...Yes, I owe my initial involvement in this ministry to my then pastor at CCIC Ikeja Centre, Rev Ajibola Oluyede who identified a potential and then to my senior pastor and coach without whom the potential may never have had a platform to grow. Of course, there was the ubiquitous Ed Cole late founder of Christian Men’s Network, whose teachings and books laid the foundation for me. Pastor Larry, however, unknown to him, helped to deepen that interest and shape it."

Kingdom Covenant Ministries’ Rehoboth Christian Centre in Port Harcourt is the venue of this year’s Kingdom Global Ministries’ second Africa Conference opening on Wednesday. Also styled as Leadership Summit 2013 with Larry Titus, the five-day gathering of ministers from various churches and ministries affiliated with KGM all over the continent and leaders otherwise interested, has the theme, Impart and Release.

Yours sincerely plans to be there, by the grace of God, for two reasons. First, the conference has been offered to us as a platform to formally present the book, The Teleios Man, written by the International President of KGM and lead speaker at the conference and published for West Africa by KP Books, which I have the privilege of serving.

Second, it will be an opportunity for me to hear one of the most respected pastors in the United States and several parts of the world, talk about and demonstrate a topic that many a leader in Christendom has found difficult to deal with. I’ll come back to it presently.

Let me tell you a bit about Larry Titus, the one many in many people, particularly men in several countries including Nigeria like to call “Dad Larry.”  I became acquainted with him in 2001, when on the invitation of my senior pastor, Rev Dr Tunde Joda, he was one of the lead speakers at the Christ Chapel International Churches’ (CCIC)  International Men’s Conference.  The conference, which held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, was the very first, to my knowledge, of its kind in the country. The theme was Mighty Man of Valour. It held under the auspices of CCIC’s men’s fellowship then known as Champions For Christ (CFC) and I had the honour of chairing the organising team.

The simplicity of the man, his lack of theatrics, the profundity of his message all helped to deepen my interest in men’s ministry. Yes, I owe my initial involvement in this ministry to my then pastor at CCIC Ikeja Centre, Rev Ajibola Oluyede who identified a potential and then to my senior pastor and coach without whom the potential may never have had a platform to grow. Of course, there was the ubiquitous Ed Cole late founder of Christian Men’s Network, whose teachings and books laid the foundation for me. Pastor Larry, however, unknown to him, helped to deepen that interest and shape it.

It took the whole of ten years before I ever got to meet him again, thanks to a post on the Facebook wall of Rev Rotimi Osoba, an erstwhile CCIC pastor who went on to found and runs Heaven on Earth Ministries. One thing led to the other and I came face-to-face again with this wonderful man of God, two years ago.

But all of that is my story, not his! Now his:

Last year Larry Titus celebrated his 50^th year in full time ministry. He spent the first 34 of those years in what has been widely accepted as effective and innovative pastoral ministry in the US states of Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio, some of those through Foursquare Gospel Mission International. He left in 2001 to devote himself to the mission of Kingdom Global Ministries, an organization he had founded nine years earlier.

KGM, as I have since found out is a unique ministry targeted at leaders, globally. It seeks to “relationally recognize, resource, and release the vision of global leaders”; combining “discipleship principles with kingdom priorities so the Gospel can be proclaimed with power and effectiveness throughout the world”.

Through the ministry and even prior to it, Larry Titus has trained thousands of men and women to become godly leaders in every aspects of life and living including marriages, and ministries. He uses what he calls the “Teleios” principle, making Jesus the pattern for all leadership training, to produce in men the qualities that ensure fruitfulness in their families and effectiveness in their lives.

Larry has influenced and equipped leaders in dozens of nations. His commitment to global missions has also resulted in thousands of churches, schools, orphanages, and Bible schools being established and sustained on every continent.

KGM and Larry sponsor two events: Teleios Men’s Summit, a relational gathering of men to edify them with teachings and testimonies in an atmosphere of worship, which holds annually and; KGM World Connect, which brings global leaders and business people together every two years for the purpose of networking and resourcing their visions.  

Larry Titus’ imprint wherever he goes is Love. Within a short time of meeting him, you feel loved by him - somehow, he makes that evident. And once you know him, you get to love him. It’s uncanny.

Now that is the man, who, with support from Pastor Frank Aikins, KGM’s Africa President and his wife, Dr Elfleda Aikins, is gathering leaders from across the continent with a view to imparting and releasing them into their destiny. You can be sure the conference cannot but have a salutary impact on the Kingdom of God on earth. Add to that the official launch of the Teleios Man, the most comprehensive single volume book for men ever and the very first to be published in Nigeria for the West African market. Men’s ministry will never be the same again.

MESSAGE FROM BEYOND…CHOOSE LOVE

"Now stop imagining! That was the setting at Anchor Events Place, on Lateef Jakande Way, Agidingbi, Ikeja  on Thursday May 2, 2013 when “Me Football and More”, a selection of the media writings of ex-football international, Segun Odegbami was launched.  The audio book I have been talking about is in fact a version of an A4-sized, 368-page, matt-laminated hard-cover book published by KP Books."

 

“My angels (for that's what you all are), this is another of my messages to you. Many of you have been wondering where I have been or why l allowed all the 'terrible' events going on around you take place, particularly, the recent events in America and Nigeria. It may shock you to know that I have been with you all the time. I have always been with you; it is you who never remembers. Most of you profess to know me, yet you do allow the worries and concerns of life, distractions all, to take you from me. You have also failed to recognize and receive several messages I have been sending you through Messengers who are amongst you. So, here I am sending you another one…” (Message From Beyond, MFM Page 340).

Jimi Solanke, in case there are babies reading this page today, is the ageless actor, singer, keyboardist and storyteller, who might be credited for bringing the one-man band phenomenon to these parts. Dejumo Lewis was Kabiyesi, Oloja of Oja in the famous sit-com Village Headmaster. Joke Silva Jacob has been on stage and on screen for several decades and is not about to give up. Ronke Ayuba was one of the most glamorous newsreaders on Nigerian Television. She wasn’t just excellent  in her presentation, the media loved to call her Ronke ‘Darling”, not just as a play on her maiden name, but also to reflect how the TV viewing world liked to see her.

Bimbo (Roberts) Oloyede was also a superlative newsreader; she still is! Throw into that her incursion into acting and you’ll get the picture – she’s versatile! Patrick Oke? Wow, newsreader per excellence too then and still very active in the production of documentaries, his unmistakable voice featuring in narrations of perhaps hundreds of them. Soni Irabor is another of the veterans who just won’t go away. From his days on radio at Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria through to his Soni Irabor Live television show on African Independent Television, AIT and his current assignment as CEO at Inspiration FM the only thing that competes with his excellence is his zeal.

Femi Sowoolu may not have gone as way back as all of the others on this list, but he is no less a respected on-air personality. Then there is Taiwo Solanke, whose place on this least has nothing to do with the fact that he is Jimi’s son. He’s earned a place in this roll of honour by dint of hardwork and creativity. Yinka Davies, always in your face, reminding you of that dynamite comes in small packages whether singing or dancing (remember her in that celebrity dance competition) or serving as a judge in singing competitions.

Imagine an event where all of these accomplished ladies and gentlemen are seated on the same table! Imagine the camaraderie. Imagine what glitter their presence would add to such an event.

Let’s take it a bit further. Imagine an audio book in which all of these “voices” are readers. Imagine that as they read the book, sound effects come in to transport you to the scenes they are reading about, ranging from the magic of old Oshodi to the Eden of our Time, Lagos, to a letter from God, manifesting as Love.

Now imagine that the event at which this unique audio book is presented had corporate icon and one-time presidential aspirant, the impeccable (in integrity, language and appearance) Mr Gamaliel Onosode as chairman.  And then to cap it all, imagine that Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria who runs, possibly, the most accountable, most efficient and very successful state government in Nigeria is also the Special Guest of Honour at that event.

Now stop imagining! That was the setting at Anchor Events Place, on Lateef Jakande Way, Agidingbi, Ikeja  on Thursday May 2, 2013 when “Me Football and More”, a selection of the media writings of ex-football international, Segun Odegbami was launched.  The audio book I have been talking about is in fact a version of an A4-sized, 368-page, matt-laminated hard-cover book published by KP Books.

The opening quote of this piece is extracted from “Message from Beyond”, the epilogue to the book and it testifies to the large swathe of areas covered in the book. That piece climaxes this way:

“My name is Love. So, my only instructions to you were to love me and to love one another (that is to only do to another what you want for yourself). Period!

“My love is free, limitless and unconditional. Were it not so, who amongst you would survive? My standards are not your standards so you ignorantly underestimate the capacity of my love.

“You have to understand that I am always with you and in you, that's why your holy books describe your body as my temple. You are all special and unique, yet you are all the same. That is a divine mystery that you can understand if you examine it closely.”

 

AS “BAD MEAT” GOES HOME…

"About an hour later, he and Segun were seeing me off, when he told me he had a testimony. He then told me how as he was seeking the Holy Spirit’s leading concerning his driver’s licence, he felt led to go to a pile of books right inside his office. He obeyed, took the one right under the pile, opened it and lo and behold, his licence stared back at him! His boyish face lighting up in a smile, he said: “I wish I could live my life this way.'”
 

I was still home on the morning of March 5, when I got a call from my friend, Tunde Fagbenle, the political activist, now of the Kick Out Siddon Look campaign, columnist and entrepreneur. Have you heard, he asked and before I could respond, he told me how that “Bad Meat” was dead; that he died in a flood that resulted from the heavy downpour of the night before; and how it happened virtually in his own car on his way home, right there on Agege Motor Road, a mere ten minutes’ drive to the warmth of home and the embrace of his waiting wife.

My heart almost stopped. “Bad Meat”, as Dele Odegbami, elder brother of Segun, had been known since his days as a no-nonsense, hard-tackling defender on the football pitch, was not just my friend’s brother, he was my friend.

Yes, I know there are a thousand and one others across the length and breadth of Nigeria who have better claim to that title, but that is the nature of the man. Whenever you were with him, he made you feel special. That explains why those who’ll miss him are legion.
 

Let me tell you just one of the many things that I would never forget about this man, who died prematurely that Monday night in Lagos. When I was ordained a pastor many years ago, Dele was the ONLY one of my friends who did not ostracise me! Although, I have since been restored, virtually all else simply stopped calling me; stopped inviting me to even family events. It was as if I had contacted leprosy! Although, I now understand the spiritual import of the development, I didn’t then and it hurt!

Dele didn’t just kept in touch, he responded to my invitation to the many Christian Men’s Network Nigeria events, which had become my passion, he would send me the Thursday Showers newsletter of his church, Fountain of Life Church and materials from Radio Bible Class. He was an encourager then and he remained one till the very end.
 

Our last two one-on-one interactions would remain evergreen in my memory. The very last one was about two weeks before his sudden departure. We sat in his office as he told me about his experience at the Pastors and Leaders retreat of Fountain of Life Church, where he had become a strong member of the Abraham and Sarah fellowship and a respected leader. He was humbled, he said, by what he learnt. He spoke about being better able to understand what it meant to be a pastor and how much better he now appreciated pastors.

A month or so earlier, on one of my visits to the Oweh Street office of Worldwide Sports, where he operated from, he, as he wont to do, told me how he had been stopped by a traffic officer the day before and asked for his driver’s licence. He looked everywhere in his car and couldn’t find it. It took the officer’s grace at recognising the Odegbami name to let him off.
 

As a result of that he had spent several hours since then looking for the license.  As we spoke, he said he had sent his car to the car wash with instructions to turn it inside out and, if necessary upside down, all in search of the licence. Innocently, I asked: “have you asked the Holy Spirit?” No, he replied and proceeded to do so, immediately. I left him to meet with Segun.

About an hour later, he and Segun were seeing me off, when he told me he had a testimony. He then told me how as he was seeking the Holy Spirit’s leading concerning his driver’s licence, he felt led to go to a pile of books right inside his office. He obeyed, took the one right under the pile, opened it and lo and behold, his licence stared back at him!
 

His boyish face lighting up in a smile, he said: “I wish I could live my life this way.”

This brings me to my puzzle about the manner of his death. As Segun put it in his beautiful tribute to him, “Only God, his creator, actually knows what happened” when he found himself in that flood-induced traffic jam. “Through the ordeal of that night he was first on the phone with Otunba, his friend. After that, several times, he ran the ‘commentary’ of what was happening to him inside the car particularly how the water level was rising and the flooded environment. At one point during their conversation she screamed at him to abandon the car and get out to save himself.  For some reason he assured her to stop worrying, that he would be fine, and remained in the car.”  

 

Then he gave this poser: “Why did he not get out of his car and wade through the floods to safety?  Why did he not break the windshield of the car if he was trapped and could not open the door of the car due to the pressure of rushing water outside? Why did he not do any one of several possible things that everyone that hears the story thinks he should have done?” 

 

And I am wondering, did he ask the Holy Spirit? I know there’s nothing he would have wanted at that moment better than to hear God’s voice at that critical moment. Did he? My guess is he did and he must have heard Him say “come home, son.” He obeyed and some of us are the lonelier for it.  As his body is laid to rest this Friday at Wasimi, all I can say is thanks, “Bad Meat”, for being an exemplar in more ways than one.

PRESENTING…THE TELEIOS MAN

"The book published in the United States is set for release across the West coast of Africa in May. It will, in fact, be formally presented during the Kingdom Global Ministries African convention slated for Port Harcourt." 

You are forgiven if your reaction to the headline is: “The Teleios Man; what’s that?” So, let’s start this way. Teleios is a Greek word and it means “finished”. No, not finished as in ended etc. It is finished as in “finishing” school. You know, as in perfect, complete, the ultimate. It’s the same word that the Lord Jesus used on the cross when he proclaimed, “it is finished!”

The Teleios Man is therefore, the perfect man, the man of excellence and it is the title of a book for men who cherish Christlikeness. It is the title of a book by Larry Titus, pastor of Kingdom Global Ministries and quintessential minister to men and mentor directly to hundreds of men across the globe and thousands of others indirectly.

The book published in the United States is set for release across the West coast of Africa in May. It will, in fact, be formally presented during the Kingdom Global Ministries African convention slated for Port Harcourt. 

The West African edition is being published by KP Books  (www.kpbooksnigeria.com), an outfit of KINGDOMPeople where yours sincerely is a steward. I have read many books written to men and many of them are so good you’ll wonder what anyone else can add; until you read this! 

Put simply,  The Teleios Man is the most comprehensive single-volume to men available.

With foreword by no less a veteran as Pastor Jack Hayford, former International President of Foursquare Church Worldwide, Chancellor of The King’s University and Seminary and Founding Pastor, The Church On the Way, the book has received ringing endorsement across all denominational boundaries in the Church.

Dr Hayford’s had this to say about Teleios Man:

“It’s been twenty years since I heard one of my favorite quotes. Its appeal to me is the way it cuts to the core—being more than just clever, it’s Christ-like: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!”

“I hope it doesn’t offend anyone that it isn’t a quote from the Bible, especially since I said I see it as very much “like” Jesus. But I’ll stand by it, because what Jesus modeled in the way he spent his time indicates “the main thing” as he saw it. Jesus’s ministry spent more time on “discipling men” than anything else.

“That’s what this book is about—discipleship. It’s about shaping, growing, mentoring, teaching, nurturing guys in ways that they become very real though not “very religious.” It’s about precisely the same thing Jesus did in laying the groundwork for establishing his church.

·         Yes, he died to provide salvation for humankind and birthed the possibility for his church.

·         Yes, he rose from the dead, and in verifying his cross did achieve #1; he gave the church a life-giving message.

·         Yes, he sent his Spirit, pouring out “power from on high” to enable the church—his people—to effectively “go into all the world” with his works as well as his Word (Luke 24:49, Mark 16:15).

“But Jesus focused on discipling men. There’s no reason to apologize for that as though he was or is indifferent to women. His ministry not only elevated the place of women in his day, but also timelessly opened doors of purpose and ministry for women, overthrowing ancient traditions of male chauvinism. But nonetheless, his first priority was discipling men. He invested an incredible amount of time enabling a group of men to find their way past the habits, syndromes, preoccupations, and patterns that tend to trap guys.

“This is the pattern the living church has employed from that day to this, and where leaders “get” this, they always welcome resources that help cultivate effective ministry to men. That’s why I’m so happy to intro­duce this book by Larry Titus.

“Larry has a plan for “springing the traps,” and I’ve seen the evidence of what happens when men open to the kind of “male liberation” his resources provide. Whether as a writer, as a pastor, as a teacher, as a one-to-one mentor, as a small-group or large-crowd speaker, as a counselor, or as an apostolic missionary to nations, Larry effectively communicates with and helps men become what real discipleship in Christ can make them.

This handbook may be his best condensation of those principles—a dynamic handbook you can use, sir—as a leader with others, as a buddy teaming with another to move forward in Christ together, or simply as a discipling plan to get started on your own.

“So make “the main thing the main thing.” Get into discipling men — beginning with the man God can bring you to be yourself. This book will help you use The Book to get there: It’s ‘the right stuff.’”

I particularly like Dr Hayford’s concluding declaration in the Foreword: “The Teleios Man is for God and for guys, because when husbands grow, wives win; and as men grow, women are freed.”  

May I add: our nation needs men, men, like Joseph, prime minister of ancient Egypt; this book will be of immense help in raising real men. I consider it a privilege to be used of God to bring it to our shores. Get ready.