A sinking ship

 Nigeria is burning 

Nero is dining

Nero is laughing

Nero is partying

Has Nigeria's end come?

Her acclaimed saviour is clueless

Innocent Rivers of blood are flowing daily 

Baboons have taken over the Ship

Baboons could not sail through

The ship is going backward

Oh! The ship is drowning

Who will save the ship?

Her resources have become a curse

She lived amid abundance yet she is in abject poverty

She had become a beggar among nations

She has become a subject of ridicule 

Nothing is achieved without security.

Every gain of democracy has been swallowed up by the titan of insecurity. 

Her glory has turned into shame

Her enemies are her closest allies

Her prophets have been silenced

Darkness is raging in the land

The strong that could help her have left her

The weak are remaining 

The green land is becoming dry

Her acclaimed Saviours have sucked her dry

She is dry to the bones

She is Stinking

Her able youths are leaving en masse

She is wailing in pains

Her economy is dwindling daily

She has become a haven for terrorists

A haven of kidnappers

A haven of bandits

A haven of corrupt and useless leaders

Oh! She is sinking

Will she get out of all these?

Or her end has come?

Oladipupo Abolanle

©️ 29th March,2022

UNBLOCKING THE WELL

           Unblocking the well

           Hand-dug wells are purposely dug to provide potable water. Seventy percent of the earth is water, when you dig to a particular depth depending on the area you will find water though it may not be an aquifer. Abraham was a sojourner who left Haran to Cannan. Famine set in Canaan and had to find a way of surviving. He was rich in cattle and have servants working with him in hundreds. He was a wealthy man and a billionaire in his era. In the course of his sojourn, he dug wells at Gerar which provided a source of water for his family and household. In the process of time, the inhabitants of Gerar blocked the wells he dug. Why could they have done this? In those days hand-dug wells are landmarks to mark ownership of land and at times serve as boundaries between two areas. The inhabitants of Gerar aimed at removing memories and legacies of Abraham. Abraham was a stranger who had become powerful by his wealth, army, fame, and number. He was the epitome of what you can call a great man. Isaac found himself in Gerar by what brought Abraham there, he knew the landscape, he knew that his father was a great man there, for Isaac it was familiar terrain, and in Gerar, Isaac prospered too. This could have angered the inhabitants especially when they knew his father. Jealousies arose, in a bid to recover the lands of his father, he sought to unblock the wells that the inhabitants have blocked out of bitterness. In a land where getting water is a hard thing, they blocked about five wells that could have sustained a community. This gives an insight that it is purely a fight and supremacy over who owns the land. Every attempt of Isaac to unblock the well was met with rivalry, opposition, and serious quarrel. At a point, they told him " Isaac you are more powerful than us, leave our land". This clarified that it was simply a battle of envy, hatred, and bitterness. Such battles are the most difficult battles to win. It has no ending point and it is only God that can give one victory over such battle. This battle is usually staged by those who are very close to us. They are insiders who everything about us. The best approach and strategy to win such a battle is to walk away. Isaac did not throw a fight, he walked away from them. As he walked away he kept unblocking, and as soon as they heard that he had unblocked a well, they threw a duel on two different occasions. Isaac did not give up, he did not get tired and before he knew it he had unblocked all the wells that the inhabitants of Gerar have blocked.

     Our fathers in the faith have worked so hard in handing over to us this faith. Some of them died in the process of keeping their faith. At a time the Bible was a forbidden book to have as a personal copy. It is kept in the monastery. Men who attempted to make Bible available for personal use died. Some were burned at stake.  The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The fathers of faith are generals with scars and marks for bearing the burden of the gospel. With tears and blood, they dug wells of faith for us. Well of life that its water cannot go dry. Some of them died in the course of digging without even seeing the water. Of whom the book of Hebrews spoke of in Hebrew 11:13

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

The well of faith has yielded great water, the gospel is being preached all over the world, souls are delivered from the pit of hell,  people are serving God in Spirit and truth. Children of God are experiencing heaven on earth. What an unspeakable joy! Certain men have crept into the folds, they are wolves in sheep clothing, they are devil incarnates who parade themselves as an angel of lights.  Paul wrote of them in 

This set of people claim to be Christians and they are into the ministry of blocking the wells of our fathers with worldliness, indecent dressing, prosperity preaching, immorality, syncretism,  idolatry, corruption, lies, flamboyant life, flamboyant dressing, and any anomaly you can think of. They are the face of the church, they are the standards of a prosperous church, they have fame, riches, and influence. Their lifestyle does not synchronize with their message. Their gods are their belly. They have monetized the gospel. They have distorted the truth. Their lives do not agree with the truth they preach. They are blocking the wells daily and have made it so difficult to access clean water. The perverted gospel has been let loose. The enemy of 21st-century churches is not from outside but within. They are not persecutors but false teachers and false prophets who have blocked access to the waters of life. The well of life that our fathers of faith strove to dig. 

It becomes imperative for every Pastor and teacher to unblock the well. How? Preach the truth, live the truth, and teach the truth. It is only the gospel truth that can unblock these wells. Paul and John in their era were busy writing letters to the new Church, explaining the consequences of the negative doctrines that were in vogue then and how believers can afford it. It is a difficult task for Paul in his time. Why? purveyors of false doctrines were reputed to be Christians with influence, fame, and many followers. In the 12th century, some of these false teachers were friends with the emperor and they seized that opportunity to oppress and persecute those that held contrary views.  To unblock the well, your focus is on your church members. Those within your area of influence, educate them, teach them, unblock the well for them so that they can have access to the pure water of life. Scripture says those that believe, rivers of life shall flow through them. Commit yourself to teach the truth, give yourselves to the ministry of Word and prayer. Unblocking the well is not something that you will see results immediately, it can take months or even years. Do not give up if it does not bring immediate results but keep unblocking with the Word of God. Unblocking the wells is not an easy task but the results are worth it. At a time Paul called out and mentioned these false teachers and prophets. These good blockers of Paul's era were elites who were vast on rhetorics and could easily win people over with their sweet words. As a result of this Paul took some actions part of it was forbidding women to be elders in some churches and new converts because of the fear that they might easily be won over by these false teachers who were orators. Likewise, we need to take action by calling the attention of those who God has committed into our hands to these false prophets and their teachings which are cancerous to the body of Christ. We need to protect our flock from these wolves who have been let loose by the Devil to contaminate and pollute the wells of life. Unblocking the well is realistic and feasible if we will see it as a matter of urgency that needs our utmost attention. The coming of the Lord is nearer than before and the enemy wants to pollute the church and render the gospel ineffective by blocking the wells of life. It is the word of God that brings about salvation, deliverance, healing, and sustains a believer. If wells of life are blocked, the enemy will prevail and possess the lands that our fathers of faith have conquered for Christ. Morroco, Algeria, Turkey, and Egypt were dominated by Christians in the first century. These lands have been conquered by Islam and Christians were the minority. How did it occur? It all started from blocking the wells of faith. Tertullian, Augustus, Hippo we're Christian apologetics who cried out against false teachings and doctrines. Paul also wrote to the seven churches that were majorly based in present-day Turkey. Despite the cries of the church fathers and intense digging to unblock the wells, the church lost its dominance in those areas because at a point someone get tired of unblocking the well of truth. The kingdom of darkness shall not prevail over the church. This will only happen if we chose to be light and do not give up unblocking access to the pure well of life which sustains and gives life to dying souls.

Abolanle Oladipupo

 ©️ 19th March 2022

KEEP DIGGING

                     

                     

Keep digging

        The act of digging is not an easy task especially when you are looking for water in a desert or dry land. This may take months and in some cases years, especially in the primitive era. Isaac found himself in such a difficult situation. He was digging hand-dug well to get water for his survival and survival of his flock. He was not the only herdsman there, there were many herdsmen there who did not see the reason to dig hand-dug well probably because of the rigor and time involved. Isaac chose to dig. In the course of digging, there might be people who would talk them off from engaging in the task. Isaac's herdsmen were focused, they were not bothered about hearsays and negative stories flying around. Contrary to their expectations, Isaac's herdsmen found water, lazy herdsmen of Gerar who could not dig well, gathered, conspired quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen. Isaac a man of peace left the well for them and moved on. Nobody will attack you until you have results. People are waiting for your results before they criticize you.  Isaac could not engage in a duel with them, he was a foreigner there, if he had struggled with them, they could kill him and took the hand-dug well from him. He chose the path of peace by moving on. It is not all battles you fight. Pick your battles. So many people have died on the road to success because they fought when they ought to have been silent and moved on.  Carefully pick your fights so that you will not be wasted by violent men of this world. Isaac dug another well and found water.  Wicked and violent men of Gerar wrestled with him. Again, Isaac chose not to quarrel with them. He left the well for them and moved on. Only a few men could accept this without throwing a fight. Isaac remembered he was a sojourner and he was not yet home. He believed nothing happened to him without God knowing. If God knows about it, he would do the fighting for him. He dug another well. This time around nobody quarreled with him on it and he named it Rehoboth, saying, " Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land"

            What are you digging it seems as if the more you try, you are not getting results and you are getting tired of trying? Do not give up. Hear this, the enemy wants to stop you that is why they are blocking your moves. Have you failed in business or your academics or any undertaking? Do not quit, keep digging you will soon find water. The moment you stop trying, you have settled for the worst. There is glory ahead and that is why you are faced with a lot of distractions and blocks. No one can stop you if you are unwilling to give up. One more trial can give you the desired victory that can make you recover from all your losses. Each challenge is to make you tougher, resist it and move on. Do not stay or settle for the less. Keep digging. There are a set of people that do not want you to prosper, they strive with each step of success you take, if you are not faced with opposition probably you are not doing it right. You do not argue with critics or strive with them. Instead of striving with them, ignore them and move on. Keep digging. Your digging will soon bring water. They are only successful in blocking your steps because you are not home yet. Keep digging till you get to your Rehoboth. At Rehoboth you will flourish, whatever you planted will grow because it is your place of fulfillment. No one will contend with you again because they can see the hand of God. Keep digging.

Abolanle Oladipupo

©️ 16th March 2022

    

THE AGONIES AND TEARS OF A PROPHET

 

The agonies and tears  of a Prophet.

             A prophet is a man of burden, a man of prayer and a man of many troubles. A journey through the prophetic books revealed that there is no prophet that lived a trouble free life. They all had their challenges but the joy of it was that God delivered them from it all. Abraham was a Prophet but for so many years he had no child. He travailed in prayers but at a time when it seemed that all hope was lost, he had Isaac. Moses was another kind. He was trained in the Egyptian school, he was learned and versatile in Egyptian philosophy. He was a professor of his time and by his training he was prepared for the highly exalted Pharoah throne. He rejected the pleasure and benefits attached to his status. He chose to identify with his people and this act of him made him a fugitive for forty years. A professor became a shepherd, it was forty years of travails, depressions, pains, disappointments, agonies and inconveniences. At eighthy years of age when he was actually preparing to die, God's mercy located him, he called him and made him a deliverer. The next forty years of Moses, he made great impact and fulfilled Gods purpose. As a deliverer, life was not rosy, he bore the burden of a whole nation, interceding for them day and night. At a time he told God to ease the burden on him.  Show me a Prophet and I will show you a man of burden. A prophet is beyond who see or prophesy. They are burden bearers. Jesus was a model of a prophet while he was on earth. He was compassionate and always praying.

             What are the agonies of a prophet? Similar to Trojan priestess of Apollos in Greek mythology called Cassandra also sometimes refer to as Alexandra. Her prophecies were accurate but no one believed her. She was believed to be Cursed by Apollo who she refused to marry after bestowing her gift of prophecy. He could not collect the gift back and cursed her that no one would believe her prophecies. Many a times prophecies do not come to pass in the lifetime of a Prophet. When prophecies tarries, Prophet is in the inner room praying, crying, agonizing for manifestation of his prophecies. God can not be boxed. He is unpredictable. At times he speak of things that will happen in fifty years to come as if it will happen tomorrow.  There was no other Prophet in the Scriptures that prophesied about the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ than Isaiah. He spoke of it as if it would happened in his time but it did not happen until about eight hundred years later. There was no Prophet that was ridiculed more than Isaiah. Why? Nearly all his prophecies was not fulfilled in his time. Nevertheless Isaiah kept interceding for the nation of Israel without looking back. The founder of the redeemed Christian Church of God saw the glory of the church, he knew it would be an international church, he knew the church would be a nation but all these did not happen in his life time. He saw it, he prayed about it and today Gods promises for him had become a reality.

         A prophet is a man of prayer who approach the throne of God daily, interceding for his people and praying that the will of God be done. Prophecies is not enough, for it to manifest, there must be prayers to back it up in the inner room. At times God honour the word of his servants instantly and whatever they prophesy happen immediately. Elijah was an example, at his words rain ceased in the land and when it was time for rain to come back, he prayed severally before it could rain again. God work in mysterious ways. A prophet that heal instantly today, tomorrow it may take a longer time or the miracle may not happen at all. That does not mean God have departed from his prophet but he is sovereign and unquestionable God. It becomes necessarily for a prophet to have deep knowledge of the scriptures, prophecies may fail but the word of God does not fail. The word of God is always there to assure the prophet that God is still God regardless of the happenings around him. Great prophets are usually vast in the word of God and communicate the truth expressly. True mark of a prophet is his ability to communicate biblical truths perfectly without any heresies. Jesus taught more in his earthly ministry than prophesying. He was always teaching the truths. John the Baptist reputed as the greatest Prophet communicated  truth to the people boldly and taught them practically how to live the truth. So many people parade themselves as prophets today but if they actually know what the ministry and call of prophet entails they will not want to be one. The life of a prophet is full of hidden tears, agonies, pains and inconveniences. Jeremiah was often called a crying prophet because of his agonies. There is no prophet of God that had it easy in the biblical days, their lives were full of ups and downs. Elijah was always on the run, Jeremiah was imprisoned, Ezekiel lost his wife and could not mourn. Their paths were rough but God was with them. He delivered them all from their afflictions. So many things could make a prophet to be distressed apart from unfulfilled promises and prophecies. A Prophet is not happy when people live sinful lives, a prophet is not happy when he see sick people, a prophet is not happy when people are demonized, A  prophet is not happy when false teachings are spreaded , A prophet is not happy when the church is cold. A prophet is not happy when the nation does not uphold righteousness.All these are what form agonies and cries of a prophet. He is always on his knees praying and interfering for a Gods intervention. Majority of the Biblical prophets live in the outskirts of a city where they will not be distracted from communicating with God. A prophet is simply a man in tune with God. They are always in the inner room seeking the face of God. The moment they sighted prophet at  the city in the old biblical days, there was usually fear because they knew that they had certainly come with a message.The ministry of the prophet did not end in the old testament but it still operates today. The intercessory prayers of prophets is crucial to a nation. Leaders of nations know this and that is why they have their own prophet that guides them into truth. For every working country and organizations, there are prophets agonizing fo them in prayers. The agonies and cries of a prophet are mysteries that do wonders in the spiritual realm. The agonies are embedded in his burden and in his burden lies his message.

Abolanle Oladipupo

©️ March 2022

KNOW YOUR PROPHET

 KNOW YOUR PROPHET

        The ministry of a prophet is a crucial one that can not be underestimated. The ministry is a beacon of light that communicates the truth and the mind of God for a generation. Where there is no vision the people perished. In the biblical days, the ministry of a prophet was very important in the running of affairs and administration of the country. The prophets are counselors, seers, preachers, and hope in a hopeless situation. God led Israel out of Egypt through a prophet who administered and led them out into the promised land. A good number of the judges that led Israel were prophets. The emergence of the King in the leadership of the nation did not relegate the ministry of a prophet. The prophets emerged as kingmakers and counselors to the king. The coming of Jesus Christ was prophesied by prophets many centuries before he was born. A prophet prepared the way for Jesus Christ, at the Mount of transfiguration, Jesus was interacting with Moses a prophet who introduced the laws, Elijah a prophet who advocated the revival of a nation from sins. Jesus himself was also a prophet and a priest who offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Jesus committed the work to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit committed it to his servants for the building up of the saints. The fivefold ministries are the gift of the Spirit working through men for the edification of the church. The church is birthed by Christ. 

            The ministry of the prophet in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit is to communicate the truth of the gospel, guide, warn, counsel, raise alarm against false teaching and build up the church of Christ via intercessory prayers. Prophets are great intercessors in secret places but appear frail in the public. The prophets are the beacon of light in society, they do not dictate or control other people's lives. They only guide, instruct according to the word of God. Prophets usually confirm what God has already spoken to his children or they speak and God eventually confirms it.  A believer does not run his life on what a prophet says but rather on what the scripture says. The prophet will only communicate the word of God which is the true spirit and life. Every called prophet of God usually has a message, a location, and a specific audience. For every generation, there is usually at least a Prophet to minister to their specific needs. As a believer, you need to know your Prophet. Your Prophet does not necessarily mean a well-known servant of God. Your Prophet can be your Sunday school teacher, a brother or sister in the Church, or even your local church pastor. Your prophet is that particular person that usually has a word of comfort for you to stir up your weakened minds in moments of distress. Your prophet is that man that when he preaches, it is as if someone tells him everything about you to him. Your Prophet is that person that usually sees a good thing coming your way even before you could detect it. Your prophet usually sees danger ahead of you, he intercedes for you in the secret place to avert the danger. When he prays for you, it is as if he knows everything about you. 

          So many people are struggling in life because they do not know their prophet. You need a prophet to invoke certain blessings in your life. You may have been praying on one particular issue for long in your closet but just a prayer of authority from your prophet can solve that issue. The anointing breaks the yokes. The anointing of a prophet rests on his spiritual authority. They are men of words, whatever words they say, heaven will back it up.  Get to know your prophet. Your Prophet is usually very close to you if you are in the right location. Jeroboam was the first king of Northern Israel, by the words of a prophet he became a king. On becoming the king he forgot his God and went wild by getting himself involved in the high level of idolatry thereby causing Israel to sin. Life became tough for him, at the verge of losing his adored son he remembered his prophet. At that time his prophet was old, his physical eyes are gone, despite the disguise of his wife, the old prophet recognized the wife and accurately prophesied what lay ahead of him. W

hen you are in crisis, your prayers are not enough, locate your prophet and there will be a way out.

 ©️ Oladipupo Abolanle

 3rd March, 2022