KICK STARTING AZUSA 11

This year, AZUSA, Revival Assembly major conference promises to surpass the last ten editions. Slated as always for the last week in July (25-28), the venue is the venue as always is Revival Miracle Cathedral, off Cocoa Road Ogba, Lagos.  The major conferences speakers this year are Prophetess Gladys Dark, coming from the United State of America and Dr Victor Okorie, Gods’ general in ministry and pastor of Rhema Miracle Centre, Maryland, Lagos. Africa’s leading gospel singer, Emmy Kosgei, who graced the last two editions, will minister in songs. Also ministering is world renowned gospel music ministers, Micah Stampley.

 Apostle Anselm Madubuko

Conference main sessions hold in the evenings from 6pm to 9pm. There will also be morning glory from Thursday through to Saturday at 6am and a minister’s conference at 12noon on Saturday.

Azusa grand finale is 10am on Sunday, with a praise concert at 3pm. Year after year, Azusa praise concert attracts the best choirs and gospel singers. This year, in addition to Emmy Kosgei and Micah Stampley, great Nigerian singers like Frank Edwards, Kefee, Ibitayo Jeye, Kenny Best, Nathaniel Bassey Iroko, Funke Akinokun, Seun Bankole and many more that will shore up.

Preparations are in top gear and the chief host Apostle Anselm Madubuko, general overseer of Revival Assembly is in high hopes that this conference will be another rushing mighty wind of spiritual revival and a harvest of miracles and testimonies.         

Azusa praise ministers

DOING GOD’S WORK

          A young lady I led to Christ told me this story of a widow she knew. The woman was active in the church choir. One day, she had a special ministration to render at the church’s vigil; but her son was very ill and despite treatment, he had stopped breathing and gave up the ghost. The woman was at her wit’s end. What to do? She seemed to find strange strength like the Shunamite woman in 2Kings 4:18-37, who in similar circumstance said: “It is well.” She laid the dead boy on the bed, covered him with a wrapper, locked her door and hurried to the church to perform worship assignment. In the wee hours of the morning, as she made her way home after the vigil, she was wondering what to do next – how to contact her late husband’s family and inform them of the tragedy that had befallen her. As she arrived home, one of the neighbours started shouting at her and calling her name – irresponsible, heartless woman. How could she leave her home and lock in a little boy alone in the room at night. Uncared for? Apparently the boy had made a terrible racket in the night screaming and banging on the door of the mother’s room.  It was the commotion that got the neighbours to force the door open to free and rescue the “neglected” tot. What a terrible mother she! The woman didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or scream and she did all three together. The father of the prodigal son in the Bible had said: “This, my son, was lost, but now is found.” This widow told her amazed neighbours. “This, my son, was dead, but now is alive again. As I went doing God’s work, God came to my home and brought my son back to life.

          There are many examples of people sacrificing time, effort and money for God’s work, only to find the Lord rewarding them in their area of need. I remember one pharmacist giving a testimony that every time he left office on an evangelistic tour, he came back to find sales and the finances of his pharmacy at a staggering high. When he noticed this repeatedly, he concluded that it was wise to spend more time going about God’s business because God, who is a fantastic and expert business person, would in turn come back to buttress the business left behind.

          There are, on the other hand, some Christians who think that they are doing God a favour using their talents, time and substance in His services. Some feel important and occasionally want to show that they are indispensable. They could fake an illness or invent some reason to be away from an important assignment. That is pride. Proverbs 6:16-17 read.

These six things does the Lord hate; yea seven, are an abomination unto Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…  

Turning Fifty: Martha’s Trial and Triumph of Faith

Apostle Madubuko praying for Capt & Mrs Najomo

Martha Najomo’s fiftieth birthday event went down more like celebrating triumph over trials - a testimony in a way. There was a big bash, but thanksgiving to God in form of a church service came first. This is very symbolic, reflective of her way of life and the ‘rightest’ thing to do – putting God first, telling the world who she serves and the source of her being. And why not? Apostle Anselm Madubuko summed it up: “The Lord was there (with Martha) when friends were gone.” Also true, still, which should not be lost, is that not many ‘friends’ were at the thanksgiving compared to the multitude that graced the lavish party proper. Both events held at the prestigious Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island. The service was at the serene lagoon side of the venue with the gentle harmattan evening breeze from over the water refreshingly soothing the thankful worshippers. The main hall accommodated the over one thousand guests, with excess good food, wine, music, entertainment and fun.

Mrs. Najomo has always cherished the presence of God whom she has seriously staked her life with in adversity and in prosperity, growing up a Christian and loving Jesus since childhood. But once upon a season, sometime in 2010, when Martha decided to go full trotle with The I Am That I Am, the devil opened up his floodgates of trials. At the end, Martha triumphed through God and came out stronger and better. This fiftieth birthday event therefore became an avenue to say to God: when the enemy came like a flood you alone raised a standard. And to the devil: I will forever be on God’s side. 

 The party hall
Not many people who pass through her ordeal would still be standing strong.  It was indeed a test of faith. Narrating her testimony, she said, “In August last year, my sister came to me that she wants to take her daughter from my house and so they went. Each time I called the girl was crying to come back to me. She had became so used to me that she calls her mother, Aunty, and she calls me, her aunt, Mummy. On a Friday I went and brought her back to live in my house. On Saturday she died in my swimming pool.

“When they called to tell me, I called Apostle Anselm. I said ‘Daddy, where are you? I am dead!’ he said ‘Martha, I am in Abuja.’ I called Jide Oredugba, I called Pastor Sope, Evangelist Earnest to come and pray with me. I was a completely confused person. What was I going to explain to my sister and her husband? The men of God came and prayed for several hours. The child did not wake up. After the child’s death many evil stories started flying against me. That period I cried my eyes out. Many people were coming to find what to paddle, pretending to be sympathizers. One day a dear friend called me and said: Do not let anybody came and sympathize with you again. Shut your door. Jide said to me: This is not the time to cry but to face God.

“The real testimony is this: while everybody was praying, I said to God, “Father this is your battle.” I told my sister that the difference between this girl that died and the one you will have will be their birthdays. She said, “Sister I am almost forty. “It took me six years to conceive for that girl”. I told her it will take six months. Friends were suggesting to me that we should go and do IVF. But I told God, “You are the greatest doctor. You will do this IVF yourself and the money will come to you. IVF is expensive and it will even take you to make it work. I can assure you that God is here (in Revival Assembly). It took only prayers and a vow to God for my sister to have another baby.

 “God does not lie. I was lying down in my living room, and I saw a little girl walk upstairs. And I told my sister that she was not just going to have a baby, she will have a girl. My faith was unshakeable. By the tenth week no doctor saw anything in her womb. Some trusted friends joined faith with me and we kept praying, and believing God. One day, I heard from God. He said: Martha thanks me for this pregnancy because it is settled. I went to my sister’s room and told her what God said. By this time it was already thirteen weeks. After God said we should thank Him my sister went to do, another scan, and behold the fetus was there. Hallelujah!”

    

Raising Praise Altar for the Nation

The call for fervent intercession on behalf of the nation was again brought to the fore as ministers of God across the country converged at the indoor sports hall of the national stadium Surulere, Lagos, to raise an altar of praise to God.

It is a deviation from the norm of interceding via prayer; this is unique as it bothers on praising God with the aim that He will intervene in the affair of this nation.

Convener of the event, Evangelist Elishama Ideh, who spoke passionately, hinted that it was high time that a lasting change occurred in Nigeria. She opined that even as prayers are raised, it is of importance that an altar of praise be erected.

She stressed that it is an expression of faith in God, who has abundantly blessed this land. The praise team from Revival Assembly choir was on ground to lead the congregation in offering sacrifices of praises to God as all basked in the euphoria of His presence.

The high point of the day was when six candle steaks representing the six geo-political zone of the nation was inflamed. It was symbolic of the fact that this nation will continually be in light.        

Elishama Ideh and participants

In Case You Dont Believe in Miracle, Read My Testimony

My whole life is a testimony that God still performs miracles. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Whenever I look back to where I started to where I am and where God is taking me to, all I can say is "Thank You Jesus". My life is indeed a testimony that God still performs miracle and His blessings maketh rich and addeth no sorrow.

Having lost my job as a marketing executive with a private firm as a result of mysterious death of our Group Director and our GMD (his wife), I got tired of searching for a white collar jobs and decided to settle for the job of a security guard in an oil servicing firm (Willbross PH). This was the most humiliating job I've done in m y entire life. Imagine what it means for a Master degree holder to push the armored gates in sunlight and in the rain with a meager pay which in most cases comes after your bills have accumulated far above your income. For the two years I did this job, I'd written quite a number of applications without any luck; I also sent resumes to relations without any corresponding job offer. But in all, I never lost hope in the fact that God still have greater plans for me.

In Oct 22nd 2006, while at the church (Salvation Ministries PH) Pastor David Ibiyeomie while trying to demonstrate how God clothes us daily with His grace placed his jacket on two young men whom he called out to the alter. Before they went back to their seats, he told them to begin to walk in prosperity henceforth because no one wears his garments and remains in poverty. I have been wearing his somplete outfit which the most generous pastor I've known has given to me for more than a year prior to that prophesy; I then anchored my faith to that prophetic word and asked God to use me as an instrument to show the entire congregation that the Lord truly speaks through His servant. I also told God in prayer that I want to stand at the alter by the following Sunday to testify that the Lord has confirmed the words of His servant in my life.

Two days later, (Tuesday 24th oct), while at work, I was feeling so depressed after pushing the armored gates for some hours when a distant relation called me from Lagos and asked if I would like to resign my jod immediately and come over to Lagos because he is working out something better for me in one of the world's leading oil firm, this sounded like a dream to me, I then remembered the covenant at the church and the promise to come back to testify. I told him to give me a week to tidy up things. Having testified the following Sunday Oct 29th, 2006, I took a 3 days time off and proceeded to Lagos on Nov 2nd. I did not even tender my resignation letter because everything seemed like a dream to me. I reported at the head office on Nov 3rd with my credentials hoping that I will be scheduled for the usual rigorous interviews. To my greatest surprise, I was asked to resume work immediately in the HR dept while my appointment letter was given to me with effect from Nov 1st.

I am in my 3rd assignment in this firm and have seen the hand of God in everything I lay my hands on. The Lord has really favored me in all areas of my life and has restored to me the days of cankerworm and palmerworms.

I am truly grateful that the good Lord has used His servant to break the chains of fruitlessness and poverty in my life and I vow to always serve and worship Him for the rest of my life. I know that what He did for me, He will also do for you because "OUR GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW" Always learn to trust and obey Him even while you walk in the storm and in case you don’t believe in miracle, you need to have a rethink.

May the good Lord bless & locate you today as you as you help me to praise Him for His faithfulness in my life.

Source: Nairaland