AN ELIJAH RISES IN AMERICA

‘If Mr. al-Baghdadi won't convert to faith in Christ, then he should have no problem calling on his god "allah" to answer by fire. It will be a great stage for the world to finally see whose God is the one true God…"Allah" worshipped by the world's 1.6 billion Muslims, or the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Bible!’

Yes, you read that right; an Elijah has arisen in the United States and he is ready for a Mount Carmel-type showdown! His name is William Keller and he runs liveprayer.com, an internet-only church. In other words, what PUNCH’s Jide Ojo was asking of Nigeria’s prophets; what I had myself always wondered about, is set to take place if the other party thinks it fit to accept the challenge.

In concluding a two-part serial, Descent Into Darkness (June 29 & July 6, 2014), I alluded to the silence of Nigeria’s many Christian leaders in the face of increasing tyranny in the land. I wrote as follows:

“Please note the emphasis above on the prophets’ silence. It reminds me of a brilliant piece titled, “Where are the Nigerian prophets?” by PUNCH’s Jide Ojo. He wrote in part: ‘Just imagine (Christian) clerics…jointly or individually challenging Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, to a spiritual duel like Elijah of old did.  Just imagine what the defeat of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups by Christian leaders will do to the growth of Christianity and restoration of peace in Nigeria…Will our Christian leaders seize the moment to demonstrate their much talked about God-given spiritual prowess?’ I sometimes wonder too, but how can God use people who keep quiet in the face of evil be used by God? How can servants of God who are obeying the orders of the powers that be to “…See not… prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:10), operate as God’s agents?”  

You can therefore imagine how excited I was at receiving a bulletin in my inbox recently. Here’s the news slightly edited by me to remove any potentially offensive word:

“Liveprayer's Rev. Bill Keller has sent a personal video message to the head of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, encouraging him to renounce Islam and inviting him to convert to Christianity. In his video message, Keller goes on to tell al-Baghdadi that if he refuses to renounce Islam, he is challenging him to a modern day "whose God will answer by fire" showdown like the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of baal to on Mt. Carmel in the book of 1 Kings, Chapter 18.

“Keller stated, ‘As an evangelist, my life's work and desire is to lead lost souls to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says it is God's desire ALL come to repentance, that none be lost. The fact is Jesus died for the sins of ALL men, even Mr. al-Baghdadi’.

“When asked about his challenge to a modern day Mt. Carmel showdown, Keller smiled, ‘What Elijah did on Mt. Carmel was to expose the prophets of baal and their "god" as false prophets who believed in a false god…

“Keller went on, ‘If Mr. al-Baghdadi won't convert to faith in Christ, then he should have no problem calling on his god "allah" to answer by fire. It will be a great stage for the world to finally see whose God is the one true God…"Allah" worshipped by the world's 1.6 billion Muslims, or the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Bible!’

“When asked about fears for his personal safety Keller said, ‘Jesus said don't worry about the man who can kill your body, worry about the man who can kill your soul. You can only be killed once, and I have no fear of dying since only God will say when my work is finished. When He does, I will be ready to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. I trust God to protect me and when He answers by fire, the world will see Him in all of his glory and Islam will be exposed for the lie it is. This could start a true worldwide revival.’

“Rev. Keller has given al-Baghdadi until the end of July to either convert to Christianity or work out the details for the showdown to see whose God will answer by fire.”

Concerned that it might be a hoax, I, in line with journalism’s best practices, scoured the net for the video and for a while couldn’t find it, so I sent Bill Keller an email asking him to confirm the existence of the video and its supposed content. His reply was: ”I am..I did..and it is still there..here is the link..if I can help you answer any questions..be happy to..just email me..blessings” I checked the link he provided and yes the video was live on youtube.  I wrote to acknowledge the link and he followed up with this: “Blessings my friend..please help get this to various media sources in your country...it is time people stood up to a bully like this..like Elijah stood up to the false prophets of baal on Mt. Carmel..of course..you never know..al-Baghdadi might get saved..:)..

Is the stage set for a Mount Carmel type showdown somewhere soon, then?

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) 

 

 

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)

THIS PHILIPPINES-BASED NIGERIAN MISSIONARY NEEDS HELP

Kanayo Uchime on the mission field
in the Philippines

Kanayo Success Uchime is a Philippines-based Nigerian missionary. He keeps in constant touch with his Nigerian ministry friends associates and partners on a regular bases through on-line despatches giving updates on his (and his team’s) kingdom activities. His last mission report came in on December 1. I confess that I was yet to read when I received an email from him on Monday. It was a distress call and I am publishing it virtually in full, in the hope that somebody out there may be led to join us to lend a helping hand. Here goes:

“I just felt I’ll let you know this, although I never intended to go so personal but am compelled due to circumstances. Am sure you must have heard about the last typhoon Pablo that devastated parts of the Philippines on Tuesday?

“I and my family are seriously affected by it. Our home was shattered as the roof went off with branches of mango tree in our compound falling on our apartment and the heavy rain that followed helped in destroying all our items. In fact as am writing now we’re all in a make-shift house in a church compound without any hope of where to go next. All our household items were destroyed, in fact we could recover only but a few items from our house, even all our clothing were destroyed by the rain/flood.

“That’s why am sending this distress message to all our friends, in case anyone can offer any level of help to us in order to get rehabilitated. Since last Tuesday, no light, water and communication as everything is grounded in the whole city and environ as a result of the devastating effect of the typhoon. It’s really too bad and critical to say the least. But the good thing is that God enabled us to escape before the havoc started all is testimony today!

“Actually I’ve to travel over 250 kilos away from our home today Saturday to be able to send out this message to a few friends and relations. So please at whatever level you can help us or get other people to assist us, we’ll appreciate it. Our kids are not finding it easy at all as they may not be resuming school by Monday as we don’t have any house yet to stay.

“In case you or anyone wants to support, our Nigeria Naira account is available...

“Thanks so much and please and please remember us also in your prayer and encourage others around you to pray for us, as that’s the only solution now to all our predicaments”.  

For the avoidance of any doubts, this is not an on-line scam as a few people, as a few people I forwarded the mail to earlier thought. The Uchimes are real. KINGDOMPeople, the magazine I have the privilege of stewarding, featured the mission he runs with his wife Ngozi in our “Fertile Soil” column last year. And we were at the thanksgiving service held earlier this year when he came home briefly. That service held at the House of Prayer in Ogba, Lagos and had in attendance, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Chairman, Pfizer Plc, Pastor Wole Oladiyun of Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM) and Lekan Otufodunrin, Coordinator, Journalists For Christ, among many other people of character.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the KINGDOMPeople piece on him, headlined, “Come Over to the Philippines and Help Us”:

The Ministry
God’s Presence Fellowship, as it’s named, is a ministry under their registered mission agency, Kingdom Missions Outreach International Inc, which is registered with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines.

Why the Philippines?
According to Uchime, they decided to be involved in this pioneering work in the Philippines because they believe that the nation has not got enough churches to match the growing population rate. He is therefore grateful to God for the opportunity to contribute to the work being done by a handful of indigenous and foreign outfits to complement what is already on ground.

Explaining his choice of the Philippines for his mission field, Uchime, who has spent most of his ministerial life as a missionary, stressed: “Philippines, a country located in the Southeast Asia, like most other nations in Asia is still a harvest field. Mind you the country is located among the 10/40 Window nations, identified by missionaries as the needy countries in the world”.These, he said, are the parts of the world truly in need of missions and missionaries…  

Church Planting
With God’s Presence Fellowship, which started off as a Sunday evening affair, and under the unction of the Holy Spirit, commenced morning services by first week of January this year, Uchime has added church planting to his portfolio of kingdom activities. This, he said, is challenging…” The challenges notwithstanding, Uchime remains optimistic, stating that it takes a lot of patience and courage to plant and grow a church there, “but as for taking root, the church is doing that already and it is budding and one day it must grow. We must be able to surmount that challenge by God’s special grace”.

Funding Required
It takes a lot of patience. We’ve started teaching the people the principles of seed sowing and it’s making a whole lot of sense to them. But that does not mean we still do not need money for the pioneer work, more so when you’re ministering to a peculiar people like ours – the Badjao tribal people, noted as the poorest of the poor in the Philippines”.

He admitted that in spite of all they have done to increase the support level for the church, it has remained very low. But he is hopeful that one day the Lord will answer their prayers. “This is the reason why we’re making this clarion call to all well-meaning Christian donors to come to our rescue. Our major predicament here is that the nationals are always looking up to us for money. Being foreigners, they believe that every foreigner has money, irrespective of where he/she comes from. They always assume we’re black Americans and as such came with thousands of dollars...” Back then, the plea was strictly for mission’s aid; now family survival is added! Won’t you please help?  Check them online at www.kmointer.webs.com or for more information, please call me on 0805 252 0369. Thank you.

SEE WHO’S COMING TO CAMPMEETING 2012! (2)

Campmeeting 2012, this year’s edition of the convention of Christ Chapel International Churches takes off in Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, Ibadan and Port Harcourt on Wednesday.  It will end next Sunday. With the theme ‘Fulfilling Destiny’, it promises to be life-changing as the Word of Faith takes centre stage for five days, with signs, wonders and miracles following in an unprecedented manner throughout.

To make this happen, God has drawn to the meeting a company of pulpit princes drawn from the host nation, Nigeria, the United States of America and South Africa, to join chief hosts, Rev Dr Tunde & Rev Mrs Victoria Joda to speak the heart of God into the lives of the people.

Among the new ones as we saw last week were Rev Dr Ronald Merthie and his wife Patricia and Rev Mrs Germaine Wright. Here are a few more – to whet your appetite the sumptuous meal the Lord has prepared for us all.

Bishop John Adebayo Alagbala Osa-Oni is the Presiding minister of Vineyard Church International Incorporated. He is well respected for his commitment at preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus, which he had preached at every part of the country.

Bishop Osa-Oni is one of the spiritual sons of the late father of Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, founder of Church of God Mission. He is also an alumnus of Christ Chapel International Churches (CCIC) and a teacher of the word whose teaching ministry has brought hope to the hopeless, salvation to the lost and healing to the sick.

Bishop Osa-Oni, a trained accountant was a part-time minister of God until 1986, when he surrendered all to become a full-time pastor in CCIC under Rev. Dr. Tunde Joda. He preaches the good news of hope and faith in Jesus Christ with signs and wonder following.

Osa-Oni shepherds a Bible believing church with headquarters at Osolo Way in Lagos. The ministry has branches in different parts of the country with God-fearing members who rely on God’s Word. He is married to Enitan, a former Chief Accountant with John Holt Plc.

Another great Nigerian minister, one of our nation’s gifts to the world in general is Apostle Sunny Aiyemo, a man of God whose apostolic calling has touched many lives. He operates in the office of an apostle. Apostle Aiyemo started working for God quiet early in life, serving in different departments of the church he attended with his parents as a child.

The church later ordained him as an evangelist. And after his education, he proceeded to the church’s Bible School in Lagos under the leadership of his mentor and senior pastor of the church.

In 1997, he alongside his wife Bukky obeyed God’s calling to begin Jubilee For All Nation Ministries and later founded Jubilee Life Christian Church in Lagos. The ministry is a non-denominational ministry that carter for the spiritual needs of the people while the church is not interested in church planting but building unity across religious and denominational divides as well as proclaiming JUBILEE to both believers and unsaved.

Apostle Aiyemo was ordained Prophet by an international ministry in Ghana, Word Miracle Church International. He is passionate about preaching the saving grace and tender loving of Jesus Christ to both believers and those without. He is anointed to proclaim liberty in the name of Jesus in all nations of the earth and his ministry has recorded lots of mind-blowing testimonies of signs and wonders following. His ministry has brought salvation to hundreds of lost souls. He is well respected and sought after speaker in many crusades and conferences within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

He runs a television programme “All Things Are Possible” which is beamed to millions of homes. He is a prolific writer and has published many books on different topics.

Apostle Aiyemo is leading a Spirit-filled church where Jesus is the centre, discipling of people to preach the gospel to believers and non-believers, alike is the focus and building unity across religious and denomination divides is a major pursuit.  He and his wife Pastor Bukky have five beautiful children.

Also billed to arrive in Nigeria for Campmeeting 2012 in a matter of hours is Eddie Tucker, a Psalmist with an impressive resume. At 19, he left his hometown in Petersburg, Virginia, US to serve as a Minister of Music at Bethel Apostolic Church during which he wrote his song “Worthy of All the Praise”. The song endeared and paved way for him to work with the likes of Keith Staten of Commission, Cedric Ford, Michael Speaks, MC Hammer and Common Unity, Douglas Miller, R. Kelly among other notable artists.

Since then, his fame has continued to rise, as he was to later become the Musical Director for the hit stage production “Rise”, written by Christopher Play Martin and Cheryl Salt Wray of Salt and Pepa fame.

In 2004, Eddie also surprised many when he showed his passion also for Television Outreach. That year, he became the pioneer Musical Director for Emmy Award winning Christian Reality TV Show “Inspiration Sensation, where he tirelessly led aspiring artists and musicians through over 100 songs in the course of the 10-week live TV show. He returned for the next two seasons as both an audition judge and Musical Director.

As a philanthropist, this 2006 nominee of Emmy Award for Best Composer and Musical Director has through his non-profit organization, Joshua Project, trained and still training underprivileged children all they need to know to succeed in music industry. He partnered Dan Willis, the creator of “Inspiration Sensation” to start an independent record label, Asone Sound Music Group.

In 2005, Eddie released his R & B debut eight-tracker album titled Day and Night, a masterpiece that rock airwaves all over the world. The album speaks from Christian perspective (Day) and night perspective – people that are yet to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Space does not permit me to tell you about some others who are going to be the Lord’s tool to bless the people in all six centres of the convention. But I assure you that none of them come behind any others in the giftings of God in which they are sure to move. See you there. 

SEE WHO’S COMING TO CAMPMEETING 2012!

October heralds two major anniversaries in my world – the national independence anniversary, and the annual convention of the church where I get my spiritual nurture, Christ Chapel International Churches.

With so much already said and written about Nigeria at 52, all I can add is a little prayer: may the tiny population of the righteous among us increase in unprecedented quantum so that righteousness may exalt Nigeria, in the mighty name of Jesus.

On our annual convention, the 25^th this year, I have a lot more to tell you. I have tons and tons of information to download, but of course, there is always the tyranny of space. So, I have chosen to simply focus on what you a kind of who’s who at Campmeeting 2012, which opens Wednesday October 17 at the Gymnasium Hall, National Stadium Complex in the Surulere area of Lagos mainland and in Abuja, Calabar, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. It ends on Sunday October 22.

Among the guest ministers drawn from home and three other nations of the world are Rev Dr Ronald & Rev Mrs Patricia Merthie. Campmeeting debutants, though they are, Pastor Ronald was guest of Christian Men’s Network Nigeria three years ago, when at the invitation of network president Rev Dr Tunde Joda, he ministered at Men’s Summit 2009.

He is the founder and Senior Pastor of New Life Word Centre, Texas. He was a teacher and basketball coach when he got born again on February 14, 1975 in Houston, Texas.  He made Jesus Christ his and master after years of involvement with drugs and wayward living. He had begun his professional teaching career two year earlier, right after receiving a Bachelor’ degree from Southern University in the same city.  

The same year, he received the Call to the Ministry, but did not begin until he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit under the tutelage of Kenneth E. Hagin, Sr. in 1978. Under the influence of Dr. Hagin, he was introduced to Kenneth Copeland, John Osteen and Dr. Frederick K.C. Price who had a great impact on his spiritual and ministerial growth. Under the mentorship of Apostle Frederick K.C. Price, Dr Merthie was ordained and became a member of the Fellowship of International Word of Faith Ministries (FICWFM).  He has been a member since 1991 and presently serves as an FICWFM Area Director.

In 1976, Dr. Merthie married his childhood sweetheart Ruth Lawson and two years later began a Home Bible Study that was to become New Life Word Center Church in 1983. The two of them traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally, establishing churches and conducting crusades and seminars with the power of the Word of God.

Dr. Merthie ministers the Word of God throughout Central Florida on The Lifestyle of Faith program, which is broadcast weekly on WACX.  In 1995, Pastor Merthie founded New Life Christian Academy, which serves students from K-12.  He supports local Pastors, serves on many community boards and is very active in City and County government. In 2008, Pastor and Mrs Merthie received their doctorate degrees from Friends International in Merced, California.

But in 2009, Dr. Ruth Merthie unexpectedly went to be with the Lord after a very happy marriage for 33 years. This left a huge void in the Merthie family and the New Life Word Center's Church family.  They were blessed to have four wonderful children and four grandchildren. 

In 2011, the Lord prepared an awesome woman of God who was more than competent to bring healing to Dr. Merthie, his family and the New Life Word Center's Church family.  He met and married Mrs. Patricia Mozee of Kansas City, Missouri, on September 3, 2011, who also experienced the death of her husband after being married for 33 years.  Mrs. Mozee was a long-time member and leader at Harvest Church of Kansas City under the leadership of Dr. Merthie's close friends Drs. Steve and Donna Houpe. 

Together, Dr. and Lady Merthie are continuing the work God has called him to ... "Building Families One Man at a Time."  A strong anointing rests upon Lady Merthie to minister to women and build strong team support in the Helps Ministry. Lady Merthie also brings an uplifting, fresh and innovative presence to the New Life family. Together, the Merthies remain committed to their assignment to take the Gospel world-wide and to empower men and women to Love God and Bless Their Children.

Another first-timer at Campmeeting is Pastor Mrs Germaine Wright. She is a co-founder and Pastor of Covenant Love Christian Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas which she began with her husband Nicholas. She is an experienced youth minister, teacher, conference speaker and intercessor.

Germaine began her service in the Lord’s vineyard as early as 1977, working with a number of youth ministries in the News York/New Jersey area of United States of America (USA). Apart from ministering to the youth, she had also served in various ministries as an intercessor, speaker and teacher.

In 1981, she alongside her husband moved from New York to Fort Worth, Texas and served as Secretary and intercessor in the Prayer Department of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. She also assisted the ministry of her husband’s associate pastor, Pastor Douglas Dye in Mansfield, Texas.

Six years after, Pastor Germaine and her husband Nicholas left for Nanuet, New York and served as Youth/Intercessory Prayer Directors in Pastors Clinton and Sarah Utterbach’s Redeeming Love Christian Centre. In June 1988, the Wrights returned to Texas to continue their service in Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

The following month, the couple obeyed the voice of God and began Covenant Love Christian Centre began in their sitting room in Fort Worth, Texas. The couple did not begin full-time pastorate immediately until January 1995.

 Pastor Germaine’s teachings inspire, empower, minister deliverance and healing. She teaches believers to recognize the authority they have in Jesus and how to apply it to live victorious in their daily lives. She and husband Pastor Nicholas have been married since 1978 and have three wonderful children. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)

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.