I believe in Goodluck, do you?

What feelings came to you when you first read that post? Be honest. I still see the flyers and posters of the campaign of Jonathan for president. The slogan was "A breath of fresh air". I don't think he's lived up to his promise (at least not yet).

I did not vote for Goodluck Jonathan in the last election because I never believed he had the competence to handle a nation like Nigeria in the state that it is in. I strongly believe that as long as you are a leader, even if you don't have all the competencies, you must possess the ability to manage resources and pull them together in the direction of the vision of the organization. You must also be able to inspire confidence in your people. Now my gist today is not about Goodluck Jona but in the possibilities that exist for us.

I read an article(in a Nigerian newspaper) where Jonathan himself said he was not a general or a leader with character traits of a Pharaoh or something like that. He further stated in the article that Nigeria was plagued with many Goliaths and that all Goliaths have a vunerable open forehead where a stone can hit and bring down. We all realise Nigeria has Goliaths. It's also obvious that if we have Goliaths, we need Davids right? What is a bit surprising is what Jona's own response to all the criticism on his leadership style. I saw a facebook post where Fani-Kayode quoted Jonathan as saying he was not a David or army general. Are you surprised? (Pls note that when Goliath terrified the people of Israel all the leadership could do was just shake in fear in his own tent too).

If Jona is not a David (which is obvious to anyone who is spiritually intelligent), then there's a need for the Davids to rise. I can bet that if one person brings down a Goliath today, he will earn the respect of all Nigerians (and other things will be added unto him too).

For the records I do not believe our friend Jona according can do anything about the Nigerian issue. The answer lies in the hands of Davids, people of covenant!

Tech And The Church 2

Have you heard about or watched the movie "Fireproof"? Did you know that the movie was a B class movie that eventually became a hit in the box office grossing $33 million.  One of the most interesting parts of this information is the fact that the movie was shot and funded by a church, Sherwood Baptist Church.

This church has been able to enter into the film making arena and spread the values of God's kingdom to the world. They have a movie making missions arm called Sherwood Pictures. Visit the site here. Some of the movies they have made are

1. Facing the Gaints
2. Fireprooof
3. Flywheel

This church is a very clear example of Kingdom people who understand the power of the media. In fact one of the founders of the church has starred in 2 of their movies. The latest addition to the staples of their movies is Courageous, about the lives of four policemen who struggle with fatherhood and their faith. It particularly focuses on the power of fatherhood, something most of this generation really needs to know about. 

Here's the trailer of the movie here. 

Imagine a movie about Nigerian policemen trying to live out their faith in the police force? It would help celebrate those policemen who maintain a good testimony in the midst of the rot around them and also help push for godly values in our nation Nigeria. I know a church in Nigeria that did something like this by putting up a soap that had very strong christian themes and of course it had good airplay(Heaven's Gate I think).

We need more of these kinds of content to permeate our air waves. Now is the time to arise, and shoot the movies. Let our churches focus on this as against most of the huge structures we are building. No offense meant.

Tech and the Church

I'd like to apologize for not blogging in the past few days. It's a bit challenging managing to wear so many hats particularly when the resources (PHCN and the internet) are limited and associated with time. That said, I'd like to arouse your interest in something most of us have ignored for so long.Ok here's something for your viewing pleasure





I sincerely believe technology is meant to be a tool for the use of mankind. The movie above validates this point of mine but it seems the body of Christ is selective on what kind of tech it uses. I was in a discussion with some members of my church on why some of them were not on facebook. I can't imagine any young person not being on this awesome social network. I guess the problem for most of use "believers" is the fact that everyone is on it and evil is perpetuated on it. But The truth is that these things are platforms on which we can interface with the world. Who would pass off an opportunity to reach the world particularly when you've got a product that will better the audience? I just don't get it.

If you've been in Lagos for a while, you may have heard about the event organized two times in the year by Covenant Christian Centre (with Poju Oyemade as pastor) called The Platform. This is an excellent use of technology to advance the kingdom of God. How?

1. The next installment of the program, holding on October 1st, 2011 is going to be broadcast live on TV and the internet.
2. For those who don't know the way, Google maps have been employed for the description to the venue.
3. Once you register you get an sms giving your seat number and registration code.
4. A short video was made to advertise the event

We should leverage technology and use it to improve the lives of others. We should use tech to advance the gospel of the kingdom of God. Your phone is no longer just a device. It's a portal to access the world. Use it well. We need to rethink our methods and presentation. The gospel of the Kingdom is beneficial to all mankind, I think its our presentation methods that are not quite right. I hope to reveal a few secrets on how we can use tech more effectively to advance the kingdom of God. In the meantime enjoy this video.

Action Guv'nor Oshiomole Does It Again!!!

I interrupt this week's daily dose of sharing on how to translate spiritual resources into tangible physical things that can change life here on earth to bring you news of some interesting news of something that happened just yesterday in Edo State, Nigeria.








Here's the video


This event goes to show you the value we have of the Nigerian citizen. Now try and understand me. I'm not saying that the man was not wrong. He acted out of place (and obviously he had fallen out of favour with the governor) but I believe every citizen deserves to be treated with dignity. Is it not when a man resists arrest that he should then be bundled? Please let me have your thoughts.

Explosions!

Today I'm talking about dreams that God uses to propel His own into relevance and change in society hence the title EXPLOSIONS. I'll corroborate our discourse with a story. A young man, living in a one room apartment with his parents had a dream one day. In his dream, he saw a brand new laptop and he wondered if it meant that God was going to give him a brand new laptop. As he looked on, he felt impressed  to draw the design of the laptop and as he woke up from the dream, he quickly sketched out what he saw. He discovered later as he surfed the net that the design of the laptop he saw was new, infact revolutionary. He then made efforts to contact a few well known computer companies;HP, Dell and Toshiba. Only one of them responded to his email but after three mail exchanges they suddenly stopped communicating. Every effort to reach them just fell flat. This young man gave up and just went back to his mundane life.

One day, as he sat before TV, watching BBC, he suddenly screamed calling for his father. His dad ran into the sitting room, startled by the noise and expecting the worst. The young man pointed to the TV and right in front of him was his laptop design on display. He couldn't believe his eyes!

He promptly contacted the computer company with his lawyer of course. Evidence of his communication with them and his sketches proved the validity of his claim on ownership of the idea. After some negotiation, the company decided they would pay him 4 million US dollars. You will agree with me that for someone who had been living in some level of poverty that kind of money should change his life forever. Upon advice from his pastor, he decided to make a better negotiation on the percentage of royalty that comes to him on every unit of the product sold. Of course that changed his financial fortunes for life.

To now make things even better, the company asked him to come over to their company overseas. He went to Abuja to pick up his visa, expecting to get a 2 week visa. That would be just enough for him to be able to get his share of the booty he had earned. He was in for another surprise. The company wanted him to come and join them for a 4 year contract as a staff.

This story is a true story and was not made up. I told it to show us that God is still in the business of showing us things that can change our lives drastically and even change our world. A similar story is told in the bible (Genesis 31:10-12) where Jacob had a dream that transferred wealth to him from an employer who was a cheat and conman. I believe that this grace is available for all God's children in this 21st century. All creation is waiting for our release into full expression.

Contacting The Divine, Connecting the Earth

In continuance of the discourse of yesterday, we'll be spending the week looking at some models. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we'll adopt a scientific approach in examining these models. These stories were written for our learning and instructions (Romans 15:4). Today we'll be starting with Joseph.

PRINCIPLE 1: RECOGNIZE THE SOURCE OF YOUR GIFTS, INSPIRATION OR IDEA - GOD.
Joseph started out with a gift (just as we all do). He had a divine deposit. He had the ability to dream and interpret. Dreams are God's way of communicating instruction to mankind just as Job 33:15 says;

In a dream, for instance, a vision at night,
when men and women are deep in sleep,
fast asleep in their beds—God opens their earsand impresses them with warning. 

PRINCIPLE 2: USE YOUR GIFTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY(CHURCH, HOME, WITH FRIENDS, ETC)
You may disagree but I discovered that Joseph interpreted his first dream to his brothers and this (plus the fact that he was his father's favourite and was probably a spoilt brat) made his brothers hate him so much. He arrogantly declared the meaning of this dream he had even to the point that his father had to rebuke him. How else could they have known the meaning of his dream if he didn't interpret it? So Joseph started out by using his gift on himself. 

PRINCIPLE 3: USE YOUR EXPERIENCES TO PERFECT YOUR GIFT

A few years of hardship in Egypt helped Joseph refine his character and his administrative skills. He was obviously gifted but he also learnt how to manage resources so well that twice his bosses left all they had in his charge.

PRINCIPLE 4: LOOK OUT FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS WITH YOUR GIFT OR IDEA (DO IT FOR FREE)

Joseph's gift moved to another level-he now began interpreting dreams for others. How did the opportunity come? By observation.

PRINCIPLE 5: EVERY DIVINE IDEA/INSPIRATION IS BUNDLED: LOOK FOR THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE INSPIRATION/IDEA.

Finally Joseph had the opportunity to stand before the king of Egypt and he was prepared. If you read the story in Genesis 41:14-33, you'll find out that Joseph was asked to come and interpret a dream but he went further than that. He interpreted the dream and now looked for a practical application as a solution to the problem presented. He communicated God's mind (by interpreting the dream) and then explained what needed to be done as a result. I believe this is where his experience as an administrator kicked in.

God hides things, honour and respect come to men that investigate such matters till they discover the hidden treasures ( Proverbs 25:2 my paraphrase).

For those interested, there will be a workshop on how to access and unlock divine creative streams on Sunday 18th September. Click here to get the details.

N.B. I tried to find out if Joseph's story was a historical fact or just a religious myth and found this.

Fractional Distillation

Over the past few weeks, my posts have been laying emphases on the obvious impact of the media, particularly at such a time as this that we find ourselves in. I won't like to enter into a general error where one can point out the problems and give lengthy talks and discourses about how those on the scene are not doing things properly without providing solutions. I'd like to follow the scriptural model, where the solution provider not only sees the spiritual (revelational) side of things but also brings practical, pragmatic solutions into the situation.

If you did not pass Chemistry I bet the title of this post jolted you. Well I'm not going to give you a long discourse in how to pass Chemistry. I'll just tell you how this relates to us. Fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts, or fractions, such as in separating chemical compounds by their boiling point by heating them to a temperature at which several fractions of the compound will evaporate. How does this relate to us? Spiritual resources can be distilled to products that can be used to make human life better. That is what fractional distillation is all about as it relates to us!

It is clear all through history that the things that brought change into society occurred as a result of a spiritual resource that was downloaded into the earth for communal relevance. Isaac Newton, Martin Luther, Abraham Graham Bell, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates are just a few examples of individuals who logged into a spiritual space and brought into the earthly realms inventions that revolutionized human existence.

I believe that spiritual resources or revelation should translate into physical things that can influence life. What's the use of spiritual stuff that can't change or improve my life and that of others around me? The reason the Body of Christ seems like a bunch of religious people is because we are high on spiritual activities and resource but low on the effective transfer of these resources into society. What use is bible knowledge that has no practical application? Or fasting and prayer that doesn't produce, for example, increased business growth.

One question that I will endeavour to answer over the next few weeks is how to translate these spiritual resources into tangible results, inventions people can see, touch, feel and handle. The scientific way to understand how things/systems/products work is to examine a model. Simply break it down into its smaller component units, look for patterns in the operation and apply the principles or dynamics you observe into the existing situation or product.

This is what I believe God means when He said in Romans 15: 4 "Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us..."

God's judgement on homosexuality!

Many times we think God is silent on the things happening around us. We are concerned when we see homosexuals seemingly advancing, with legislation and funding that favours them. If you are like me, you are concerned for your children and may wonder how they will survive in the years ahead. However just as God wasn't silent when Pharaoh refused to let His people go and executed judgement on all the demon gods of Egypt, God is not silent in the 21st century either.

I came across this story about the way Hurricane Katrina came just a few days before a homosexual celebration was scheduled. Was it a chance "natural disaster" or God's judgement on the city that had allowed an annual celebration called "Southern Decadence" to thrive for so long?


"Southern Decadence" has a history of filling the French Quarter section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging in sex acts in the public streets and bars. Last year, a local pastor sent video footage of sex acts being performed in front of police to the mayor, city council, and the media. City officials simply ignored the footage and continued to welcome and praise the weeklong celebration as being an "exciting event." However, Hurricane Katrina has put an end to the annual celebration of sin. 


On the official "Southern Decadence" website (www.SouthernDecadence.com), it states that the annual event brought in "125,000 revelers" to New Orleans last year, increasing by thousands each year, and up from "over 50,000 revelers" in 1997. This year's 34th annual "Southern Decadence" was set for Wednesday, August 31, 2005 through Monday, September 5, 2005, but due to massive flooding and the damage left by the hurricane, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has ordered everyone to evacuate the city. 


I strongly believe that as we pray to displace all these demonic forces, God will begin to execute His judgement on them. It's time to get on our knees.

On books that crossed over

I just wanted to compile a list of some books that have been able to make a crossover into the mainline community from the Christian community. I've read some of them and been greatly blessed. I believe this is another area the kingdom of God can permeate the world. Jesus employed the same style-using stories to share truth (His parables). The truth is who doesn't love to hear some nice story or interesting gist, uhn?

The Circle Triology by Ted Dekker. This set of books explore the story of Creation and redemption using fantasy. His novels have sold over 5 million copies in the United States and over 1 million in 2010 alone. One of his books (THR3E) has even been made into a movie and I bet there's more to come.

Piercing the Darkness by Frank Perretti. It seems to me this is the father of supernatural thrillers. "With more than 15 million novels in print, Frank Peretti is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon and has been called "America's hottest Christian novelist". His books opened up the power and influence of prayer in influencing the outcomes of events in everyday activities.

The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers. This book explores the emotional and spiritual aspects of abortion. The Atonement Child brings a new perspective to this very controversial topic in America.

Have you read any fictional book that's explored the themes of God's kingdom? Let me hear about them, ok? Psst...Tomorrow's my birthday.

Prophets (Musicians) that Changed the World

In continuing with what I started yesterday on media that changed the world, I'd like to showcase a few "prophets" and their "prophetic utterances" that changed the world on a global or local scale.  This list is not exhaustive though and neither does it validate the lifestyles of any one of them that lived ungodly, immoral lifestyles. My focus here is on what their music did, its obvious influence. 

Kirk Franklin - Kirk has been a major influence on not just gospel music but also mainline musicians. His influence has spanned the world. The release of his song "Stomp" caused a shift in the way gospel music was viewed. It became clear that gospel music could infiltrate the "secular".

Infinity (The Olori Oko fame) - Their song changed the musical landscape of Nigeria. Most people started giving serious thought to their videos after these guys released theirs. It was obvious their sound had a supernatural breath as it shattered all kinds of religious and social barriers as people of diverse religious beliefs either played or sang the song "Olori oko si nbowale". Their song and video both won awards in Nigeria.

Bob Marley - His songs caused him to be referred to as a political icon. His music radically changed the worldview of people advancing the gospel of love.  "Marley’s melodies will be as prevalent as those of any songwriter who has ever lived. “No Woman No Cry” will still wipe away the tears from a widow’s face; “Exodus” will still arouse the warrior; “Redemption Song” will still be a rallying cry for emancipation from all tyrannies, physical and spiritual; “Waiting in Vain” will still seduce; and “One Love” will be the international anthem of a coffee-colored humanity living in unity, in a world beyond borders, beyond beliefs, where everyone has learned at last to get together and feel all right."(Bob Marley was a huge user of Marijuana)

The Beatles - This group influenced the culture of an entire generation. Their music also helped to bring down Communism. However the downfall of The Beatles came when they said that even God could not stop them.











Michael Jackson - We are the World, Thriller (which kind of launched the music video industry into prominence), Earth Song, Black and white, etc. Michael Jackson became a global symbol of charity using his songs as a platform for bringing influence.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti - A man whose lyrics put so much pressure on the governments of the day that they had to imprison him. He died, most likely of AIDS.

Music raises the soul of man even higher than the so-called external form of religion…That is why in ancient times the greatest prophets were great musicians.

Movies that Prophesy

If you are like me, you love watching movies (i'm particularly in love with the sci-fi and animation genres). Do you have any particular favourites , one you would watch over and over again? I do. I've seen The Incredibles more than 5 times (and I'd love to see it again). I have a friend who's watched Gladiator so well that he can recite the lines in the movie. If there was to be a Nigerian version, I'd nominate him to take the role Russell Crowe took in the movie.

You may not agree with me but the power of the media is majorly in the inspiration that births it. Prophecy is also largely linked with inspiration. Creativity is another element that is linked with inspiration. I can safely conclude that prophesying, inspiration and creativity are related. I checked a few meanings of the words used in the Old Testament for the word "prophesy" and came up with some interesting results.

1. naba: to prophesy, that is, speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
   
2. chazah: to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically to have a vision of
   
3. naataph: to ooze, that is, distil gradually; by implication to fall in drops; figuratively to speak by inspiration

Looking at these three words I see the media, particularly the entertainment media (movies, music, video games, etc) clearly represented. 21st century prophets are not just those who can give words of knowledge in the church or see the future but those who, being inspired by God can release the divine into the earth, giving us a clearer better picture of God and His ways.

Now that we understand what prophesying is I'd like to make a list of movies, music, art and fashion that have prophesied to mankind. I'll start today with movies that prophesy.

1. Lord of The Rings (It speaks of the Kingdom of the King and His ultimate return).
   


2. The Matrix (This classic is an allegory of the need for the renewal of the mind because of the fact that the real world is not the seen but the unseen.)


3. Brokeback Mountain (This movie is about a secret romance between two men. It became the voice that lunged homosexuality into prominence. Its message encouraged homosexuals to come out into the open).
   
4. The Harry Potter Movies (These movies made witchcraft and the occult more acceptable)



5. The Passion of the Christ



6. Heroes (A series that particularly speaks to mankind on the different giftings we all possess and how they relate to our personal purpose and the destiny of the planet).
   
   

The Devil's Box

I remember having some neighbours while growing up in the 90s, whose religious beliefs caused them to label the television the devil's box ("apoti esu" in Yoruba language). Because of the content this technology was spewing out, it was labelled an instrument of the devil to pollute the world. Church members were mandated not to have this "demonic" tool in their house and those who were converted to Christ and born into this denomination, took their TVs and either sold them or threw them into dumpsters.

About two decades after, these same believers are using satellite TV to broadcast live programmes that are beneficial to believers and the world at large. What happened? I believe light from the Holy Spirit suddenly dawned on them that it wasn't the technology that had the problem but the use it was put to and content that it released.

The Church has always done this over the years, we tend to throw out the baby with the bath water. It is ony human to fear what we don't understand. We are quick to associate many technological advancements to the devil because of our fear and ignorance. We must know that all creativity originates from God, the Father of lights. This creativity is a tool to advance the will of God in all the nations of the earth. This creativity is the means to reach this new generation!

There's no doubt that the key to any lasting change in any community is linked to influencing the largest demographic. Irrespective of how many older people know God fully and deeply, the reality of God would soon become a mirage to the younger geenration if they don't expereice God for themselves. Let me quote a few lines from Leke Alder's book Conversations of A 21st Century Saint:

"This is dyslexic genration. They respond less and less to words and more and more to images. In the 80s music could sell without video accompaniment. Today, no video, no music sales. The music is the video and the video is the music. No video, no music!

To reach this generation, the medium is as important as the message. The older generation is enarmored by television. This generation is into portable media: the mobile phone, the iPod, Sony Playstation Portable and, so on. They are more of platforms than gadgets in an age of digital convergence.

In essence these are the 3 factors in issue in youth marketing: the technology, the format and the content. The iPod is a technology. Rap is a format. The content is the lyrics.

We tend to be afraid of the technology, demonise the format and condemn the contents, whereas we ought to appropriate the technology, adopt and adapt the format and clean up the content. We must create the content in the same format using the technology of the age fro distribution."

We must wake up to the reality of the fact that to have a large market share, we must create products that the market will find useful and not just products that we like and then try to push down the throats of the populace. It's not in doubt that our message is authentic and relevant but it seems we are the only ones who know that. If I have the cure for AIDS but can't prove to the whole world that it can do what I say it can, do you think anyone would listen to me?

KNOCKED OUT!!!

It's obvious there's a spiritual power-play of sorts going on right now. The devil is out to ruin mankind. All creation is anxiously waiting for God's children to step on the scene and bring deliverance but it seems His children are no where to be found. the truth is the children of the kingdom are not weaklings. We are emissaries sent on a errand with the backing of heaven's armies. We can only take over the kingdoms of this world for God by the display of His power. We've got the power!

I'd like you to read a story a friend of mine emailed to me this morning that underscores this fact.

"Yesterday, I stumbled on a 1984 Interview of Lester Sumrall (An American Minister who died on April 28, 1996, at age 83.) It was a repeat broadcast on TBN International. He was in the Philippines on missionary work and he learnt of a prostitute who was jailed and had "lost her mind"! He said that she was very violent and no one could come near her! She was obviously possessed by a demon! He wanted to walk away, but he felt God wanted him to go and cast out the demon! So finally he summoned courage and went to talk to the doctor in charge.

The doctor was an atheist who didn't believe in Jesus, but since they had tried everything else in vain, he could only counsel Rev. Sumrall to stay off because the woman was dangerous! Sumrall showed him Mark 16 and explained that the last instruction Jesus left for us is to cast out devils! So the doctor agreed and did a funny thing.e started calling his friends and all the media houses to come and see "we are about to cast out a demon!"

Sumrall said there were about 120 people there before he knew what was happening! He wanted to take the lady into a room but the Doctor refused, saying, everything has to be done in the open. He started! The demon dealt severely with the woman. It bit her whenever Sumrall touched her. The demon made the woman shout "I hate you" etc.

However, he eventually ordered the demon to leave the woman and it did! . . . on free live television broadcast in many channels! He said immediately after, the Doctor took him to the Mayor's office! And the Mayor hugged him and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything!" He said yes. We are building a church a few blocks away from here. We have not been able to get our building plan because we refused to bribe! Right there and then, the Mayor sent for the papers and stamped them before him! and gave them to him. And said, "You are the first Protestant to get building permit in this city!"

Then Sumrall said, "One more thing. There is a park just in front of your office. Could you let me hold a meeting there to tell people how this miracle happened?
Mayor said, "For how long?" "6 weeks!" was the reply.

It was approved. And Sumrall did a 6-week crusade in the high brow area, free of charge! He reported that thousands of people gave their lives to Christ.

Today, Sumrall is no more. Jesus has moved up. But there are still disciples. And what Sumrall achieved because of this one miracle, I wonder how many years it would have taken him to achieve without the miracle."