GBAGADA CHURCH PART 4 ========================== WELCOME TO DEEPERLIFE I lived in one room at Amukoko, a Lagos ghetto near Orile Iganmu. There I first had my encounter with Deeperlife, and thank God for one brother Reginald who followed me up and ensured I was established in the faith. But, painfully and regrettably, I have lost contact with this humble and dedicated servant of God. We had no phones then, landlines or mobile. STUDENT INSTRUCTOR Before long, I was made a student instructor (of Student Home Success Fellowship). My students were wonderful and I think I made some good effort to instil the culture of Christian and academic excellence in them. Their parents/guardians were well pleased with me because there were very encouraging reports of improved performance of these students in their respective schools. Infact, a church leader (an area leader) specially commended me for the wonderful performance of his younger sister who was living with him then. I was 23 years old. My class consisted of young boys and girls in secondary school. I am eternally grateful to God that, for many years, He helped me to teach the students the way of the Lord and wholesome habits for academic excellence without ever compromising the virtues of exemplary Christian leadership, especially with the (young) sisters.. AMUKOKO TO PALMGROVE When I relocated to Palmgrove, my area leader refused to release me to the leadership in Palmgrove zone. So I kept commuting to Amukoko every Sunday to conduct the student fellowship. The idea was that the students were so used to me that my sudden disengagement from them could demoralise them. It took sometime to prepare them for my eventual departure and, when I eventually left, they kept visiting me in groups at my new location. Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love, The fellowship of kindred minds, Is like to that above. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain, But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again. NATIONAL RETREATS I have fond reminiscences of the retreats held at Gaskiya college, Amukoko, which was our nearest retreat venue. In those days the GS would go round Lagos moving from one retreat venue to the other. The atmosphere would suddenly be changed and charged as soon as the GS came in as we all waited with great expectations and exultation. REWARD FOR BROTHERLY LOVE AND HOSPITALITY When I fully settled in my new abode in Palmgrove, God started to pour some special blessings on me. My new area leader came to my place with a brother whom he said was homeless and asked if I could accommodate him temporarily for two weeks within which a permanent place of abode would have been arranged for him by the church. Well, the two weeks ended up becoming two years. But I enjoyed the company of the brother, a very humble and sincere brother and friend. Despite the inconvenience of living in one room with the brother and my siblings that came around to spend their holidays with me, we lived harmoniously and happily. And then, the drama began! I passed the final examinations of my professional banking examinations and got a double promotion that was backdated two years, with two years arrears of salary paid in one fell swoop. God embarrassed me with blessings. Now to cut the long story short, I moved from one room accommodation to a very large and beautiful four bedroom flat near Egbeda/Dopemu, Lagos. In my new apartment, God again gave me the opportunity and privilege to lodge a homeless brother in one of the bedrooms until he was able to rent his own apartment. Eventually, without stress, I became a landlord near Ajah on the Lekki axis. There is great blessing in using hospitality one to another and succouring the needy. THE GREAT COVENANT SUNDAYS What of the great Covenant Sundays of days gone by, throughout the month of January every year? Though still being held, it is difficult to forget how special and enriching they were in days of yore. We were given prayer request slips to pen our special requests for the year. Being the first child, I would write down the names of all my younger ones and my parents and ask God’s blessings upon them, for salvation and protection. I gratefully acknowledge God’s answers to my requests. Today, we have evangelist, pastors and prayer warriors among us. My mother’s salvation and rapid growth in the faith is still a wonder to us, her children. She is one of the strongest prayer warriors I know. HEALTH AND CURE Thank God for the ministry of our Pastor, the GS. I probably wouldn’t have been alive today but for this great man whom God sent to rescue the captives of the devil. I was so sickly and in and out of our company clinic, with the attendant drop in my productivity in the office. My file in the clinic was one of the bulkiest medical records at the clinic. Gnawing chest and stomach pains, and incessant fevers that seemed to defy and mock the doctors. At a time, I was referred to the famous St Nicholas Hospital, Campbell street, Lagos Island, for a computerised X-ray. Some people had had their shots before my turn but when I stepped into the machine and it swung round to position me properly, it got stuck: it failed to shoot. The medical personnel there were shocked that the strong, sophisticated and very reliable machine that had been doing the job so efficiently would suddenly and unexplainably go bad. I feared for my life. But don’t let me bore you with too long a story. I got healed in one of the Thursday Miracle/Revival Hours. All the diseases/afflictions left suddenly but quietly and I never remained the same again. Who would want to miss the Miracle/Revival Hours of those days? Sometimes it was accompanied with fasting and prayers. I remember one specially tagged, “Miracle Panorama Night”. Waoh, it was dramatic and electric. ESCAPE FROM SATANS AMBUSH When I was in Palmgrove, I had a very strange encounter on my way to Monday Bible study at Gbagada. A lady I didn’t know from Adam, who sat close to me in the bus, sprang a surprise. She asked for financial assistance which I willingly gave within my ability but to my utter dismay and embarrassment, she, shamelessly, started nestling into my arms mumbling some things with lustful tones. I was completely taken aback and started edging myself away, conjecturing that she must be having a serious emotional problem or clearly an agent of the devil sent to maul me down spiritually. She continued luring me even when we came down from the bus but God frustrated her devices. It did not occur to me to preach to her. I was very uncomfortable. LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU “It is really great to be a Christian”: that was the sticker on my door in the 22 rooms barrack-like house I lived in at Amukoko. On entering my room, you would be greeted with some other stickers adorning the walls, like “You must be born two times. Are you born again?” One day, some of my cotenants were surprised to hear worldly music emanating from my room. But when the music stopped and the radio commentator resumed his commentary, they heaved a sigh of relief saying “Ok, it is radio”. They had thought I was playing the music from a cassette player but were relieved and reassured when they realised it was a radio. I was so well respected in that compound and in the neighbourhood and some people gladly followed me to Gbagada to have an encounter with the God who had transformed my life. UNPRECEDENTED, UNPARALLED. I reiterate that I am yet to see a revival in our land that approximates the “Gbagada Church” move of God in the eighties and nineties. Fundamentally, a true revival must birth godly sorrow for sin which leads to Repentance, Return, Restitution, Regeneration, Renewal and Rectitude. To God be the glory. God bless you, my friends. SEE YOU AT GBAGADA CHURCH PART 5. Pedro Iragbonse.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 18:28:20 +0000
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