AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The 40th Holy Ghost Convention of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, also known as Christ Life Church had come and gone. Yet, the memories of the celebration would linger on for long in the minds of worshippers who participated as many lives were touched and transformed for good.
The activity-packed festival was lined with quantum of testimonies that excited the great multitude of worshippers who participated either physically or virtually from across the globe.
The convention themed, ‘King of Glory,’ particularly re-echoed the fact that God loves sinners but despises sins and that Jesus Christ is coming back to take the saints away while those who die or get caught up in sin would be judged.
Several renowned men of God, gospel artistes, government functionaries, dignitaries and thousands of worshippers thronged the arena to share and partake of the word and blessings of God.
The servants of God who ministered during the convention included Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God; Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide, otherwise called Winners Chapel International; Evangelist Ekkehard Hornburg from Germany; and the host, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, who doubles as the President of SOTSM.
Also present on the occasion were Revd. Tokunbo Oke, Pastor Dayo Fatanmi; Pastor Philip Oyewale, a senior Pastor at the Pentecostal Chapel; Bishop Ogunsola, Bishop Adeniji, Bishop Ojo, Pastor Dotun Adejumi and Pastor Temitope Adejumo among others.
On hand were also Temitope Oyadeyi and Oluwaranti Liadi Stella and invited gospel artistes like Panam Percy Paul, Sinach, Nathaniel Bassey, Yomi Ajayi, Yetunde Are and Ada Ehi, Kay-Sars, Kelechi, the New Generation Christ Life Choir, The Gifts from the Bethsaida Homes/School of the Blind Choir, Sam Duro, and the House of Wonders Lekki Choir.
Christian youth from various institutions, including the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of University lbadan, Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal Polytechnic Ede and The Polytechnic Ibadan, graced the occasion.
Pastor Adeboye, centering his sermon on the theme, ‘The King of Glory,’ said that neither should the authority of the kings be undermined, nor their positions usurped. Describing God as the ultimate king, Adeboye said in Yoruba land, we call the kings ‘Alase’ because they rule by decrees.
The man of God said, “Just like what Almighty God did in Genesis Chapter 1 verse 3, ‘And God said let there be light and immediately there was light,’ He is the one who will do what He wants and nobody can query him. In Yoruba land, we call the kings kabiyesi.
“The reason we have some of the problems we have in our country today is because they had tampered with the power of our kings. If we restore the dignity, the ability and glory of our kings, all will be well. Almighty God is the one who rules by decree and you cannot query Him.”
In his sermon, Bishop Oyedepo said that the second coming of Jesus Christ was imminent, stressing that the Lord would not tolerate slothfulness on his return. Every Christian, he said, must adhere strictly to the word of God that commands them to occupy till He (Jesus) comes.
Comparing the world to a marketplace, he said that “You don’t stand idle doing nothing in a business place. He who does not work should not eat. By doing nothing in the kingdom, you are not adding any value. There is nothing in doing nothing. The King of Glory says ‘Occupy till I come.’
“You must always be on duty because you don’t know the time He is coming. May you be found on duty when He comes.
“What are we expected to be doing as we are expecting his coming? You must be found working. You must be engaged always. Though He is coming for rapture, He has always been coming for our appraisal.
“Stay awake, it’s your turn to change position. In all labour, there is a profit. I must say that nothing is greater than serving God, and having heart for God. You must be committed to soul winning. An investment in soul winning touches the heart of God. The real seed that adds value to your life is soul winning.
“The choice to serve God distinguishes people anywhere. Anybody serving God is ordained to be distinguished in his endeavors. It is a risk to stand idle at this time, be steadfast. What you don’t begin you don’t finish. It a beginner that will become a finisher. You have to stay awake because a state of slumber is a risk.
“The day you retire from a place, that is the time your promotion will stop. If you are a colonel in the Nigerian Army, the day you retired is the day your promotion stopped in the military. You will be addressed as a retired colonel. The Nigerian Army would not promote you to the rank of general based on your old age because you have retired as a colonel. So, you must be actively engaged in handling God’s work. Don’t stand idle; do something.”
Hornburg said, “The end of this age is coming near and nobody on earth will escape it. It is either you are raptured or not.”
Pastor Fatanmi, in a sermon themed, ‘The Giant Killer,’ urged the youth to eschew ungodliness, stating that failing to do so might hinder them from realizing their goals and attaining the peak in life.
According to him, to become great and be able to fight the giant killer threatening one’s life, one must be determined to pray, be contented and godly among other things.
Fatanmi said, “There is a giant killer that always poses as a stumbling block to a child of God that wants to cross to the successful path of life. You need to kill such giant killer before it kills you; you need to kill it to achieve your dreams in life because failure to kill the giant, it would kill your dreams, your potentials, your vision and your future and might prevent you from getting to the promise land.
“With a giant killer it’s impossible to cross over to a promise land. There are some giants that are standing as stumbling blocks to greater heights, but there must be a way out for a child of God.”
He named pride, discontentment, greed, laziness, ungodliness and sins as the giant killers that were responsible for the downfall of children of God who failed to do away with vices in their lives.
“Don’t allow pride to destroy you; pride goes before destruction. Pride is a great giant. If you don’t cut it off now, it would destroy you. The second one is lack of contentment or greed. We brought nothing to the world and we shall not take anything when we are leaving, so we must be contented.
“Don’t be driven by what your colleagues are doing in school; you are a child of God, so be contented with what you have now. Lack of contentment is a great giant and can destroy the future if you don’t cut it off. No matter how good your future, no matter how good your dreams are, if you are not contented in life you might not go far. So, you must be contented with what God gives you,” he said.
Among others, he listed laziness as another giant that could affect one’s future. He also warned that one should not be drifted away from one’s goals in life by the heavy distractions on the social media.
He added, “Sin is another giant that destroys. Sins destroy man. In the book of James, Chapter one, verse 14, God reveals and attests to it that sin kills. Sin, if not cut off, would lead to death. Avoid anything that causes you temptation which can later lead you to sins. Accumulations of sins lead to death.”
The President of SOTSM described the occasion as a landmark, saying, “It is a Convention with a difference. About forty years ago, the maiden edition held in the City of Ibadan. Since then, it had become a platform of the move of God, providing believers of all denominations opportunities to be blessed, empowered and to enjoy rich fellowship.
“Countless souls have been saved, many people have been healed, delivered and restored. Many have possessed their inheritances and entered into their glorious destinies. Our God shall do it again.”
He urged those who graced the occasion to be sensitive in the Holy Spirit and be prepared to move to a higher realm of glory, saying that God would ignite a fresh wave of revival to bless and transform the nation and its people.
Bishop Oke tasked Nigerian leaders on need for the country to restructure, re-engineer and re-orientate the nation before things degenerate.
He lamented that “Billions of naira are deployed into politics, yet government cannot deploy money into giving sound education to our children who are the future and the strength of this nation.”
Politicians, including President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Governor Seyi Makinde sent congratulatory messages to Bishop Oke on his 66th birth anniversary which coincided with the 40th edition of the convention of the church.
President Buhari congratulated the Bishop and lauded him for his selflessness and dedication, noting that Oke, who is also the Chancellor, Precious Cornerstone University, had touched several lives both at home and abroad. He prayed for good life for Oke, his family members and Christian faithfuls across Nigeria.
Osinbajo, in a congratulatory message to Bishop Oke through the Chaplain to the Vice-President, Pastor Seyi Malomo, described the cleric as an exemplary leader with sterling qualities and prayed that God would strengthen and move him from glory to glory.
Tinubu said in a message to Oke that “I rejoice with Bishop Wale Oke on his birthday. Bishop Oke at 66 is gradually moving up the ladder and will soon join the club of septuagenarian. I wish him good health and more grace in the service of God and humanity.
“On this anniversary of his birth, I most especially celebrate the man of God for his commitment to national unity, progress, peace and social cohesion. As the leader, Bishop Oke remains a shining example in honour, grace, selflessness, patriotism and hard work, which are necessary ingredients for building a wholesome society.
“On behalf of my family, I join all family members, friends and admirers of Bishop Oke to wish him happy birthday and many happy returns.”
Meanwhile, Akeredolu has seized the occasion to appeal to Nigerian Christians to look beyond religion and focus on the competence of the presidential candidate of their choice in the 2023 presidential election.
He said, ”I discussed with Bishop Francis Wale Oke that presidency must come to the South. Take it or leave it, it is the minimum we can get. It must come to the South. The North cannot produce President for eight years and still want to retain it for another eight years. It is not going to work.”
Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Chief Tamunomini Makinde, said, “We are Christians and we cannot fight the battle of life alone except through Jesus Christ. If we don’t give the Certificate of Occupancy of our hearts to Christ, we are nothing. The plane is about to land, if you don’t put on your seatbelt, you will miss heaven.”
As part of activities marking his 40th celebration, Oke distributed 28,000 bags of rice to the less privileged.
Former Vice-Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, who is also the Bishop Theologian of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and a lecturer in the International Leadership School, Prof. Dapo Asaju, said that leadership in the church is peculiar.
Asaju stated that for the nation to progress, the Church must provide credible leadership. He cited Apostle Paul as a perfect role model of a credible leader and urged the graduands to put the knowledge they acquired to good use, quoting copiously from the book of 2 Timothy 2:15 in the Holy Bible.
He said, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker; one who does not need to be ashamed, and who correctly explains the Word of Truth.
“All Christians need to go back to the truth of the Bible and shun engagements with needless arguments or supporting ungodly lifestyles like homosexual, gays, lesbians and the likes.”
The graduation ceremony of the Christian institution, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, also had in attendance General Overseers of several Ministries from across the globe, Bishops in council, Senior Pastors as well as friends and well-wishers of the graduands.
There was much excitement in the air in Ibadan throughout the period of the convention. The Christian ‘Youth Mega Jam,’ which held on Saturday, September 3 at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, was electrifying.
Christ Life Church was founded by Bishop Wale Oke of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, and National President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, in the year 1983.
