Steven Adelodun: Spared from being labeled dead

At Oshodi, that Friday morning, the rowdiness showed no sign of abating. It was hustle and bustle everywhere. I was to go for an entrance examination coming the day after, 2nd September at Ife, Osun state. I had been told to go to Ojota to board a straight bus straight to Ife but somehow, I found myself at Oshodi, probably “a slip of the leg” which God had a hand in as would later be seen in this piece.
When I got to Oshodi, I boarded a bus heading to Ibadan with the hope of catching another one going to Ife, in a bid to cut cost. This Ibadan bus was a new one with a tasteful interior and spic and span exterior. Any thoughts or fears about a mishap would have been dispelled at the sight of the bus. I was the third passenger and I sat in front beside the driver. Three persons boarded at once, then came a Voice from within. It said, “Get down from this bus. Are you ready to die?” I answered, “ I might not be ready to die but I am not afraid”. The Voice said, “This isn’t a case of being afraid but of being obedient!”
I kept on struggling with the Voice but thankfully. It prevailed. Just before the last person boarded, I alighted and boarded another one going straight to Ife at a fair price, comparatively.
Fortunately, I was the last person to board. The Ibadan bound bus had left before we did and I was still wondering why I alighted from that “dream” bus when a thought flashed across my mind: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that God loves”
And how true that turned out. Just before we got to Ibadan, I saw the most horrifying sight. The dream bus was wrecked on the highway with bloodstains and broken limbs just around it.
It is doubtful that anyone could have survived the accident. I remember seeing the FRSC officials moving corpses to their waiting van.
There is nothing that can happen to a Christian if God hasn’t finished with him. God is real, He still speaks, but we do not always listen O God, I am so thankful!

Camp Meeting 2006

"

The challenge is not in preaching a sermon, it's in living it

"-Faithfulscribe

Having attended three annual conventions since letting down my fluttering religious sails to anchor in the message of my day, I find the third striking and unique.
This time, the experience, getting to the venue had a valuable lesson to offer: it was that the road to Heaven passes through hell. The forces of hell were not going to watch and cheer us along as we traveled to pick up the blessings marked for us. Spiritually influenced roadblocks and speed bumps were hurdles to overcome or be overcome by. This time, we had more than the usual to make us wonder and ponder if the pain along the way would match the gain obtainable from staying on course.

The supply of fuel, the lifeblood of the nation, got disrupted mysteriously with no one able to give a reasonable explanation. The consequence of that alongside the desperate desire for city dwellers that have had so few visits home in the course of the year created an atmosphere for exploitation. Within days, travelers witnessed fares doubling, tripling and quadrupling and at it’s peak becoming fives times larger in size.

Drivers, spotting a rare opportunity, turned the roads into a picture of chaos. Cars and buses were to be seen coming in places where they should be going and vice versa. The bottleneck beat the hardiest of them. The only way they could reach destination was to circumvent the usual routes in a way that lengthened the travel time almost unbearably. The usual two-hour journey to Ibadan stretched to a six-hour ride for us. A journey begun under the full glare of a mid day’s intense light and heat saw us arriving in the fading light of an evening Sun.

The most obvious change to the area of the ancient city where we gather annually were the freshly tarred dirt road and a huge carnal under construction.
The expansive school compound from colonial days was already alive with believers from the nation’s four cardinal points.
The food, both physical and spiritual were nourishing, refreshing and invigorating. The lodging/accommodation this time was one area that reflected the growing organizational ability of the event planners. A remarkable transition from classroom blocks with missing windows and doors to comfortable hostels akin to hotels save for the privacy.
The meetings were replete with testimonies of God’s power to change lives and situations surrounding them. From a student being saved from mental affliction, an old lady rejoicing about her salvation in her sunset years to a young man’s long search for the seemingly elusive Holy Ghost baptism being rewarded. The “specials numbers” were not in short supply. A silky voiced young man under the alias, “African Jim Reeves”, did a special rendition that caused a deep stir in the hearts of his audience. Not to be outdone by youth, a gracefully aged lady wrinkled with age, crooned away the goodness of God in her native tongue. Her song, like a fountain, gushed from the depth of her heart.
The Speakers came full and left empty. Totally drained by a spiritually hungry congregation.
When the last meeting dispersed, the feeling that it had ended too soon hung heavy like a cloud in the auditorium.
On the 27th of December, like it was on the 23rd the idle exit route got busy.


THE VENUE:IBADAN
A city ancient in years: An open museum of history, displaying structures from the nation’s cradle years. In it’s expansive schools, marks of colonialism stand well preserved. Cheap food prices give away the earthiness of the people. Food production is an endeavor that enjoys mass participation. Power supply is enviably good: coming faster than it goes.
Light traffic flows unhindered on the tarred roads twisting in and out of the city.
Citizens with innocence rarely seen on the streets of Lagos, where approaching someone to ask for directions in broad daylight, does nothing to make them less suspicious. However, on the flip side, a good command of English, so taken for granted in Lagos would raise curious eyebrows and form embarrassing silence. Broken English heard on very rare occasions would pass for shattered English In Lagos. The ancient Yoruba language is what oils the wheel of communication in this place refusing to give up on both its ruralness and civilization.

THE SPOKEN WORD CONVENTION-by Brother -by Bro Wole Olojede

“It is good for us to be here”
I have always wondered why God who loves His children to be in unity, disperses them to every corner of the Earth. Some in the valley, others on the hills, and mountaintops: Separated by far distances.
Naturally, it is not feasible for unity to be strengthened without frequent dialogues, localizations, seeings and sharing of perspectives among those who desire it. Here again, we see how God’s perspective transcends our earthly perspective. He achieves Unity without frequent dialogues, localizations, seeing and sharing of perspectives among people who desire it but through a divine personality (Holy Ghost) that is Omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent in the hearts of His children. It further means that no physical effort of man can bring about his great infinite unity among His children, therefore human effort at achieving unity will be denominational, self glorifying and will lead ultimately to persecuting the true unity of God. It is evident, through ages that human effort at achieving true spiritual unity has turned individuals and churches denominational.

The 2006 Spoken Word Convention in Ibadan was a true vindication of God’s unity among His children. The ministers and the congregation were in true spiritual harmony, which subsequently pulled down God’s hand in revelation of the Word, healing, words of prophecy and others…a shower of blessing. This experience is analogous to Acts 2vs1-2.
The ministers that preached were inspired to say powerful nuggets that triggered the Bride to greater exploits at every service time. The subsequent services were more glorious than the previous ones. Not one with self-motive, but all with one big desire to “let God be glorified”.
Thank God for the co-operation and maturity of the ministers that did not preach. Brother Branham said that” the unity of the people of God comes by His Word, through His Spirit”. Paul and the early Apostles never saw themselves for years, but the Unity of the Word through the Spirit made them preach the same thing with signs following them.

Brothers like Brother Martins (host pastor), Brother Joshua (Ijebu Ode), Brother Dele (Oworonshoki, Lagos), Brother Peter Ahamba (Onisha), Brother Simon (Ile-Ife), Brother George ( Uk), Brother Dele (Isolo, Lagos), Brother Bosworth (Jos) were given grace to minister faith to the Bride.

Moreover, ministers who handled the morning devotions were wonderful. Their pre-dawn exhortations helped to warm up the believers for the day’s services. Brother Ayo (the associate host pastor) led the campground morning devotions while other ministers residing outside handled that in their location.

The testimonies from last year convention abounded. The special numbers and Amen corners never diminished but were tremendous this time. A brother going with the alias, “African Jim Reeves” and brother Emmanuel’s group treated the congregation to soulful renditions.
The physical food was no less nourishing. A touch of professionalism was seen this time in all aspects of service. The meals were a delight.
My prayer is that everyone will remain blessed and if God permits another convention, that it will be more glorious.
God knows that if He localizes us in a place, with His divine love in our hearts, we won’t long for the Heavenly meeting ahead and some of His children in other regions wont encounter life without the Word being scattered to them, therefore He had to separate us. Thus it behooves God to separate us afar but join us strongly in heart and spirit.
GOD BLESS YOU.