Today 9^th of September, 2020 marks the 48^th Anniversary of the founding of the Ministry of Greater Evangelism World Crusade.

We give glory and honour to God who gave the Vision that birthed the Ministry to our founding father, Apostle G.D. Numbere of blessed memory and have remained faithful to the Vision close to these five decades. We salute the heroes of this Ministry, those who have transited to glory and those still alive for their undaunted labours and sacrifice which laid the strong foundation for the work of the Ministry.

I also want to thank God for those of us in the present generation who embraced and bought into the Vision and have remained committed to the Spirit and Mission of the Vision.   You all will always be remembered as worthy ambassadors and labourers of Christ and the Vision.  Anniversary like this affords us the opportunity to reflect and take stock:  where we are coming from, where we are presently and where we are heading to.  This reflection and stock taking should not only be at the cooperate level as a Ministry but also as individuals, we should ask ourselves “what is my contribution to the fulfilment of the Vision?”

There is no doubt that we have made some progress in different spheres  for which we give God glory but it is also clear that we are far from the demands of the Vision and where God expects of us.

A reflection on the history of the Vision as given to our founding father showed that it was at three levels.  The higher the level, the greater the crowd of people whose heads were bowed down that needed to be lifted up to live (saved).  When our founding father was taken to the second horizon he was frightened by the sight and started running.  The Lord stretched forth His right hand and picked him up and placed him by His side because this Vision must be accomplished.

An analysis of this Vision shows that the work of the Vision is massive and could also look very intimidating but the assurance is that the Lord is determined to see to the fulfilment of the Vision if He will find Men and Women who will remain, available and committed to the course and spirit of the Vision. One thing is clear that we are not there yet but we are not where we started.

THE CHALLENGE OF OUR GENERATION.

Every generation no doubt is faced with peculiar challenges and ours are not different. In the beginning it was the challenge of contending with a godless and idolatrous generation; a time of spiritual darkness.

They were faced with stiff opposition and persecution but God raised an army of young men and women who gave themselves to PRAYER, LOVE and EVANGELISM: the tripod of the Ministry.  With these they overcame and brought down the powers of darkness, idolatrous cultures and light came into the dark religious spheres and revival broke forth with great harvest of souls which have grown and today they are even beyond the bounds of this Ministry.

What is our challenge today?

A religious but still godless society with pseudo Christianity whose pursuit is their belly and self gratification, religion that is self centred; zealous but not for the LORD but for self.  Unfortunately the present army of the Vision has become weak in the three things that made the first generation strong: weak in PRAYER, LOVE and EVANGELISM.

Most of our Youths and Teenagers unlike the first generation lack the driving force of the Holy Spirit.  Their Christianity have become shallow, weakened by poor discipling manifesting in carnal and fleshly pursuits and consideration.  There is this drive to belong and be like others, not minding its consequence on our faith and calling.

The Ministry was focused on souls and Ministry was carried with great sacrifice in the first generation but today there is so much concern about welfare that many are not willing to go out of their comfort zone, a case of love your life and at the same time loosing it – Matt. 10:39.

TIME IS SHORT

I COR. 7:29-31 “But this I say, brethren, the time is short:  it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;  And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away”.

1. Almost five decades of this Vision have been used up, we don’t know how many more years we have before Jesus Christ returns.
2. Most of us have also used up our service (active) years for God and not much productive time is left.
3. The world is moving with a speed and there is alignment in preparation for the manifestation of the anti-Christ.
4. There is a lot of pressure on our faith in every part of the world. In our country we are facing unprecedented attack on our faith and Christianity that if we don’t rise in our faith and seek divine intervention, we don’t know how long we would be free to practice and propagate our faith.

The end times are upon us, time is not in our favour. We must redeem the time – Eph.5:16 “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”. We must work while it is day – John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work”.

NEW APPROACH

In the last few years we have embarked on a lot of re-strategizing and restructuring aimed at repositioning the Ministry in our pursuit for growth and enlargement.

We have placed so much emphasis on discipleship which is one of the missing links in our generation, but the grass root translation of these growth strategies have been slow and sluggish.  For many, it is like the case of putting new wine in an old bottle.  If we must make progress in our faith and the Vision, there must be a sincere commitment to change at all levels.

COVID-19 Pandemic has taught us the need to exploit new ways even in the pursuit of our Vision and Mission.  We now run online/Satellite Services, Conferences and meetings.  We are updating our structures in this direction. We want to encourage every level of the Ministry, Units and Departments to embrace the use of technology for meetings, programmes and outreaches.  Our Youths and Teenagers should take advantage of the Social Media as a tool for outreach.

CHARGE AND PRAYER:  REVIVE US AGAIN

Habbakuk 3:2 “O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy”.

To revive is to flourish anew; to regain life; to cause to recover strength; to renew in the mind.  When we live in sin and are unperturbed or give excuses, we need revival.  We need revival when we no longer see sinners convicted and broken in our meetings.  When we as Christians are unstirred, unmoved and unconcerned about the eternal condition of the souls of men around us, it is an urgent call for revival.  When the Church lives in compromise or is indifferent about the matters of the Kingdom, it is a red flag and only revival can change the course.  To make Jesus known to this generation is our mandate, and we must be committed to it.

A story was told of a shepherd and the nightingale.  The shepherd said to the nightingale, “Sing!” The nightingale replied, “The frogs make too much noise, it takes away the pleasure of singing.  Don’t you hear them?  The shepherd said, “I surely do, but your silence makes me hear them”.  Our silence has amplified the voice of evil all around us.  Our indifference has emboldened the wicked.

It has become very clear that our greatest need today if we must fulfil our mandate to make Jesus known to this generation is not money, building, high-tech but revival – souls that are on fire.

As the foundation of the Church is being shaken today and trouble seems to be on every hand, we too need to plead with the Lord to manifest Himself; His mercy and His power anew, in order that life and renewal might come to His people. Like Prophet Habakkuk we must cry and say “O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years.” We must cry on to God “Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest” Isaiah 32:2.

Our prayer is in this song:   Lord send down revival, Lord send down revival, Lord send down revival and let it begin with me.

CONCLUSION

This anniversary marks the end of 48 years of labours and the beginning of a new Ministry year.  My prayer in line with our theme for this year for all of us as a Ministry is as stated in the following scriptures:

 Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God”.

 Acts 14:17 “Nevertheless He left not himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness”.

 God bless you.

Pastor Isaac V. Olori

International Director

The 2020 Teens Conference took place from 27^th to 30^th August at all Greater Evangelism Zonal headquarters. It was a special one as for the first time, the conference was decentralized to zonal level and most of the sessions were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This ushered in a new era and had many advantages such as better concentration as teens were split in smaller units. The presence of God was manifest in all centers and many testimonies abound to this fact.

The theme of the conference was “Young and Fruitful”. The Overseer of the Children and Teens department, Pastor Dr. Nonyem E. Numbere welcomed the thirteen year old teens joining the Teens fellowship and declared the conference open with an opening charge.  Excerpts below:

This Ministry, Greater Evangelism World Crusade, started with one man, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere (of blessed memory) and his early converts were mostly teenagers like you. He and those few, through God’s enablement, turned the society upside down in the face of terrible persecutions. I will quote two newspapers to confirm this:

“Detectives are probing among other things the myth surrounding the Greater Evangelism Organization and its teeming teenage following in the Rivers State” (Nigerian Observer – Saturday June 1, 1974)

“They (the police) are also finding out sources to explode the myth built around the Greater Evangelism in Port Harcourt with its teeming teenagers.” (Nigeria Star – Thursday May 30, 1974)

A myth as used in those comments, is a “widely held but false belief or idea.” They called Greater Evangelism a “false belief” but it is with great joy that I announce to you that that so-called “myth” became a reality which nobody can deny and next week, on September 9, will be 48 years old. GLORY BE TO GOD!

She encouraged the teens to shake off the mentality of, “I’m too young or I’m only a child”, encouraging them to be fruitful even as teens. Thanking the teachers whom she refers to as “factory hands in God’s vineyard”, she admonished them to continue to be diligent in their service to God.

On this high note, the conference continued with power packed programs like bible study, growth series etc. Other ministers present were Evangelist Princewill Nkiri, Dr. Ovundah Nyeche and Tch. Tammy Ejimadu.

Bringing the conference to a close was Pastor Isaac Olori, International Director. He congratulated teachers for their commitment and sacrifice to the Teens fellowship. He also encouraged pastors to get committed in raising the young ones and to make impact for Christ in their lives while they are young. Pastor Isaac Olori spoke on the topic “Planted in the House of God” (Psalm 92:13, 14). He stressed that fruitfulness starts from when you are young.  Excerpts from his sermon can be found below:

The Essentials of Fruitfulness (Matthew 13:3 -8)

1. Seed - Every fruit starts with a seed (Isaiah 55:10. Genesis 9:2). Whatever you do, you are sowing a seed in your life. The question is what kind of seed are you sowing? Whatever you sow, you will reap. One seed might be sown but harvest is in multiples. The principle of fruitfulness starts with a seed. That seed is the Word of God. To be fruitful, keep sowing the seed of God’s word in your life. Ps 1:1 – 3
2. Soil – the soil is our heart. If you do not put a seed in the soil, it will not bear fruit. In the parable, they had the same sower, same seed but different result. This was because of the soil. You must prepare your heart, like the sower prepares the ground. Types of soil or hearts are:
   1. Wayside – Open and exposed hearts. The devil knows that the word of God is what will transform your life that is why he picks it. Understand the impact the Word can have in your life and cherish it.
   2. Stony heart – The seed cannot have depth or root because of the stony heart. Your depth and root are crucial to the capacity to bear fruit. Col 2:7 It is your root that will keep you when the wind comes. Even with bearing fruit, roots matter. For example, maize dies after the first fruit but a mango tree can keep bearing fruit even after the first fruits. The difference between them is the type of roots they have. No matter how old you are, the word of God should still have an impact on you.
   3. The Thorny heart – The cares of this world, worldliness, deceitfulness of riches chokes the word. If you have time for other activities, you can make time for God’s word
   4. The Good heart – This heart is the one that receives God’s word and understands it
3. Planted: You might have a seed and soil, but it must be planted. When something is planted, it is not mobile except it is transplanted and even then, some survive, others do not. Be planted firmly in God’s house. When planted, you are not tossed around easily.

In conclusion, he said,

Be a light of the vision, be a light of the impact God has created in your life. You have a seed that can sustain you. Just like Joseph, troubles and even promotion, could not take it away, he made a difference. Bearing fruit is making a difference, impacting other lives. Go and bear spiritual fruits and physical fruits of winning others for Jesus.

The conference came to a close with a  prayer by the International Director of the nineteen year old teens graduating, the teachers and all the conference participants.

 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

“Waiting on the Lord” entails much more than praying and fasting. Waiting involves trusting the Lord in times of challenges, as difficulties and trials tend to wear-out our physical and spiritual strength. These difficulties cause us to be weary and discouraged. Waiting simply means to trust Him fully with our lives – surrendering completely to Him, knowing that He is able to handle every issue that concerns us. This implies we look to the Lord with expectation, because we see Him as our source of grace and hope. According to Psalm 121:1-2, we depend on the Lord when we wait on Him.

The eagle is a bird whose way of life properly illustrates the benefits of waiting, as highlighted in Isaiah 40:31. It is observed that the eagle has the ability, as well as the secret to surmounting pressure and soaring to greater heights. Its body is designed to maximize the power of the air to soar upwards rather than come downward. As it depends on the unseen force of the air to enable it soar high, God wants us to depend on His unseen power – the power of the Holy Spirit – which has the ability to help us overcome challenges and turn things around for us.

Still analyzing the strength of the Eagle, it is worthy to note that, the mountains – which naturally, are obstacles for the eagle in its flight - generates a force that can take the eagle to greater heights and help it maximize its potentials. Hence, God expects us to see the obstacles around us as a medium to soar because obstacles can generate grace that can take us to a higher ground, but this is determined by our outlook toward these obstacles.

Another point to be considered while waiting on the Lord is in Colossians 3:2 This is Focus. In waiting on the lord, our focus determines the level of strength we draw. When our focus is on earthly things, it would be difficult to attract God’s strength that comes with waiting on Him, but when we look upwards to Him, grace is released without measure.

The power of waiting on the Lord

1. You will not be ashamed - Psalm 25:3-5. Everyone who waits on the Lord is never put to shame. On the contrary, those who would/should be ashamed, are those who transgress against the Lord. Also, in waiting on the Lord, He will show you what to do that will bring a difference in your life.
2. Your heart will be strengthened - Psalm 27:14. You must work on your courage. It is within your power to determine what rules your heart. The answer you are looking for concerning that situation or difficulty starts from your heart, hence he advised that we wait upon the Lord for direction.
3. The presence of the Lord will be with you at all times and your expectation will not be cut short - Luke 2:25-27; 36-38. These scriptures show a record of two people who waited upon the Lord, Simeon and Anna. Simeon was described as a just man who remained devout and committed, waiting faithfully for the promise of God – the Child Jesus. He was not deterred and as he waited, God brought His promise to pass. It is pertinent to point out that, while others were gathered, celebrating the birth of a child, both Simeon and Anna knew that Jesus was not just an ordinary child. Age was not a deterrent to these two - they trusted and waited on the Lord.
4. You will receive a visitation and be blessed- Psalm 40:1-4. Everyone who waits upon the Lord gets a visitation. May God reach out to you and hear your cry.

The following are additional blessings that accrue to those who wait on the Lord

1. The strength of God will revive them.
2. They receive the ability to rise above their difficulties. All we need is, to be focused. In difficulties, our strength is made manifest.
3. They receive the ability to run spiritually without being worn out and to work steadily without fainting.
4. Although some get discouraged waiting on the Lord due to unfulfilled dreams, those who wait on Him will have a daily renewal of strength.

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 6-7)

In between anxiety or worry and peace we have prayer. Prayer is a weapon of all time, it can suit any challenge, any situation you find yourself in. The truth is that situations that will stir up anxiety and worry are sure to come, there is little or nothing any man can do about that. Today we have a problem that is affecting the whole world. But, amid those challenges, difficulty and stress, there is something that can usher us into peace. To have a request is one thing, to channel it to God is another, and the only means to channel our request to God is through prayer. Prayer is a weapon, an agency that can connect us to God, connect our situation to God for God’s intervention. Prayer is like air; we cannot do without it. We need it in everything, we need it in every situation, and we need it in every circumstance, in everything by prayer. Prayer remains the channel to handle every situation.

Some things that can make our hearts to be overwhelmed listed in Luke 21:34 – 36 are:

1. Surfeiting – Surfeiting is caused by excessive consumption or participating in pleasure
2. Drunkenness – Occurs when people consume excessive alcohol and their heart is overwhelm to the point that they lose control.
3. Cares of this life –If you open your heart to the cares of this life, it can overcharge you.

In verse 36, it says “watch ye therefore, and pray...” The only thing we must do to get ourselves free from being overwhelmed, from being anxious, from being overtaken by pressures around us, is to watch and pray. Praying is the key to handling any situation and challenge. The same view is put forward by Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7-9 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” God cares for you, He understands your cares, but you need to cast it upon Him, channel it to Him. And how do we cast our cares upon Him? It’s through the means of prayer.

The devil your adversary uses your challenges as a weapon. He capitalizes on some of the problems that come our way, making them seem overwhelming, giving us a feeling of having lost control thereby making us easy prey for himself. How can we rise above situation? We must resist the devil steadfastly in the faith. We must constantly remind ourselves that our challenges are not peculiar to us as other Christians face same. How do we resist him in faith? It is by prayer.

Another example can be seen in Luke 18:1-8 of the importunate widow which emphasizes the force of the power of prayer, it is a very interesting story telling us how much power prayer has. The issue is not if we pray but when we pray, which means prayer is something we must do all the time. Christ expects all men to always pray otherwise you will faint. To faint here means to lose heart. Our power is not mechanical but spiritual and spiritual power comes through the agency of prayer. It is through prayer the Holy Spirit comes upon our life and gives us strength.

In Luke 18:1-8, we find a very interesting parable which is an analogy of two classes of people, a judge with a lot of power to decide the fate of people either to condemn or to set free. This judge was difficult and did not fear God nor respect man. The second person is a widow, in most societies like in the context of the text, widows were helpless because they had no husband to speak for them. It was an uphill task for the helpless woman approaching someone so difficult, even getting assess to him must have been difficult.

This woman went to meet this judge almost daily saying “avenge me of mine adversary” that is, give me justice, but true to the nature of the judge, he did not pay attention to her. But after a while he said to himself “...Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me..” The woman was using the weapon of prayer, she continually petitioned and troubled him. As weak as she was and as difficult as the man was yet there was a force that could weaken him and bring him to yield to her petition, he said “..Lest by her continual coming she weary me”. Prayer puts pressure and power that can weary any situation. There is no force that can stand power. The woman got justice not because the man was considerate, or soft but because a force was released that the man could not resist, prayer releases that force. If this unjust judge could succumb to her constant petition, how much more God the righteous judge? He will grant us our request and address our situation when we cry to Him day and night.

Lastly in verse eight, he finishes with an assurance “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily..” we are assured that God will answer, if there is any man who is ready to pray, there is a God who is ready and willing to answer. If there is anytime we need the weapon of pray, it is now. Christ when teaching on prayer, talked about three categories, asking, seeking and knocking (Matthew 7:7)

Prayer is a spiritual exercise and that is why we must desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is our helper in prayer. Romans 8:26 tells us we don’t know how to pray but the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Prayer is a battle, while we are unleashing the power of prayer, hell will also unleash its forces to withhold us, but if we are in the spirit, heaven will send help to us through the Holy Spirit to quicken us.

Not every prayer will be answered instantly, we need to persevere. Just because you prayed today and did not get the answer a week, a month or even a year ago, should not stop you from praying. Some people think prayer is like fast food - answer is gotten instantly.  Sometimes, there may be delay, but God expect us to press on in prayer. Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving…” If you have started praying continue in prayer, if you have not started praying, start praying and continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. To be vigilant in prayer with thanksgiving means that even if you have no answer yet, you should thank God in anticipation of the result. Thanksgiving strengthens our faith and fill us with expectation.

James gave us the example of Elijah (James 5:13 – 18) who confronted the challenge of ungodliness in his time, he needed to show forth the power of God in his time. What did he do? He prayed. The scripture says “Elias was a man subject to like passions” he was a man like you and me, at some point in his life, he was afraid of a woman and ran away, but there was one weapon that anytime he used it, it was so potent and brought down the power of God. That weapon was prayer. There was no other way, even though he was a prophet, prophesies could not handle the situation. He gave himself unto prayer. He prayed that there should be no rain, and it happened and to restore the rains, he prayed again. Prayer was a constant!

Dear friend, God is waiting for the prayers of His saints, to turnaround our situation. We must rise up in our spirit to hold unto heaven and bring down the power of God, bring down His righteousness. We do not understand God’s agenda in this time of a global pandemic, but I believe prayers will accomplish every one of them. Peace that flows and you cannot even control, understand and comprehend comes through the channel of prayer, “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:1 – 8)

Dear friend, God is encouraging you in this season. He knows what you are passing through and what your experiences are. His message is BE OF GOOD CHEER!

In John 16:32,33, Jesus told the disciples how they would be scattered due to the crisis leading to his death. It is similar to what is happening today, we are all scattered and cannot fellowship together as we wish to. But there is an assurance that God is with us. Jesus knew that even though He would physically be alone, He was not alone because His father was with Him. The Father is with you right where you are! Even though you do not have all the leverage and privileges. No matter the situation. Do not allow it to affect your spirit and your faith. Do not turn social distancing to 'spiritual distancing'. Do not experience a locked heaven in this lockdown. God’s word is the answer in times like this. We must seek his presence, commune with him.

Some of us are passing through peculiar pressures that no one can appreciate or solve. God knows you are passing through that pressure, distress or challenge. He knows! In the world there is trouble. This is a fact! But in Christ there is peace. Jesus offers the opposite of what the world offers. Where you lean towards will determine what you get. Are you leaning on the world or on Jesus? If you lean on Jesus, there is an assurance of peace and comfort. I do not know the storm you are going through, but there is an offer of peace (John 14:27). When there is peace, every storm will become quiet. There is help for you. I declare God’s help to you.

How we handle our challenge is critical to the outcome we will get. We can choose the path of being worried, despondent or choose the path of comfort and courage from the Lord. Jesus is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14) Be of good cheer! It means to dispel sorrow. The target of the troubles we are having is your faith. To cheer is to gladden, infuse life. Jesus is saying infuse life into your spirit, instill with hope and courage. For example, the role of a football fan club is to cheer their team despite their position. A good fan club does not stop singing until the match is over. They keep hope alive until it is over. The bible tells us of a cloud of witnesses that cheer us on.

I encourage you, you are going to rise up again. Draw strength from God’s word. Your victory or defeat is determined by the state of your heart. Make up your mind to cheer up.

Reasons to be of good cheer

1. Sorrow of heart breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:133; 17:22. This also refers to physical bones. How you react to your situations can affect your health.
2. We have a God of comfort. Isaiah 40:1
3. There is an end to every battle Isaiah 40:2
4. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed Isaiah 40:5
5. We are not hopeless. John 16:33
6. The word of God stands forever, God’s word will prevail Isaiah 40:8

Take responsibility

1. Iniquity must be dealt with Isaiah 40:2
2. Prepare Isaiah 40:3. Every visitation from God is preceded by preparation. Preparation of your heart. Make a straightway in the desert. Some hearts are as dry as a desert. Every valley must be filled. Straighten crooked paths. This is the time to take charge of your life.
3. Have faith (Matthew 9:2). Jesus saw their faith and may He see your faith. May your faith be released now. The first ministering of Jesus to this man was to cheer him up. The state of your heart even when there is no answer, is important to connect to him.

Be of good cheer, know that His word will never fail. Even before you see the miracle, begin to rejoice, cheer up!

Geoffrey Numbere became miraculously born again on Sunday 11th May 1969 after a sermon by Rev. Mike Oye the then Travelling Secretary of Scripture Union, who had been invited to preach in the chapel that Sunday through the instrumentality of the President of the campus’ Christian Union, Philip Olurinola, (then Ogunrinola).

It was a very simple sermon, in which he narrated the testimony of his salvation. Later when Mike Oye made the altar call, Geoffrey, among a few others, went forward for the sinner’s confession and prayers. But he was not satisfied. After service, his friend came to call him for them to go back to the hostel but he refused. He was in an entirely different mood. He desperately wanted to “see” Jesus so he wanted to have a private talk with the preacher to help him find Jesus. This Scripture, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13) came to be fulfilled in his life that day. Geoffrey stayed behind with one or two others to see Mike Oye. He moved over to him and said, “Sir, can I have a private talk with you? Can I see you for a few minutes, please?” Mike Oye was more than willing. He said, “Yes,” and led him into the vestry. The conviction of sin was heavy upon Geoffrey. There, with the two of them alone, Geoffrey began tearfully to tell Mike Oye about his life of sin.

Narrating the incident Geoffrey said,

“I was filled with guilt, guilt consciousness, I felt my sins were too many and too terrible for God to forgive. As I was talking about my life, I was completely broken emotionally. There was so much for me to say. I was crying so much that at a point I slumped on my knees on a nearby stool. My face was covered by my tears, I couldn’t speak again; I was a mere lump. At that precise moment, something happened. A gigantic black opaque screen dropped from heaven right down to the floor at the point where I was kneeling. It spanned both the eastern and western horizons so I couldn’t see the end to my right and I couldn’t see the end to my left. The entire screen was pitch-black. My eyes were closed as I was shedding hot tears but I could see that screen. And on this mighty screen I saw written every sin I had ever committed in my life, including the stolen Bible that I had taken to Church that day. I was not the one who stole it but I was an accomplice after the act and the Lord had judged me guilty.

Mine had been a fun-seeking, fun-loving life filled with fornication, lying, cheating, and murder (abortion). Even in my use of commuter buses in Lagos, I used to cheat. Whenever I boarded a bus and it was time to pay the bus fare, often I would pretend to be sleeping so the bus conductor would pass me by and would not collect any fare from me. In this way, I could move about town most of the time without paying bus fares, although sometimes I was caught. My sins were too numerous to mention and the entire screen was filled out. “Indeed our lives are being recorded by heaven. Everything about each and every one of us is on record; nothing is missed – what we think, what we say, and what we do are all recorded. I now understand the Bible statement about Belshezzar, King of Babylon, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. Thou art weighed in the balances and thou art found wanting” (Daniel 5:25, 27). I saw my own record and it was bad, very bad. I was weighed and found wanting. It is only when we repent and turn away from our sins unto God that they can be erased and that, by the Blood of Jesus”.

When Geoffrey saw this vision, and all his sins outlined therein, he screamed, “IT IS TOO MUCH!!!” as if to say, “My sins are so many that surely God cannot forgive me”. He could no longer bear the burden of guilt and though he was still in the vision, he was shouting out loud. He did not know the Scriptures that the Lord is able to forgive every sin. In essence, he was challenging God by crying that his sins were too many and too heavy to be forgiven. It was like he was challenging God to prove His Word “Come let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18).

As he shouted, “It is too much!!!” Immediately something happened to that screen. An unseen Hand came, like a tailor would with a pair of scissors, and ripped the screen into two halves from top to the bottom. One half was rolled away to the east and the other half to the west, far away from his sight. A light several times brighter than the sun shone right into his eyes and into his soul and draped him all over. His sins had really been as scarlet and red like crimson but God came down and proved Himself true to His Word – He not only washed, but also rolled his sins away!

Recounting this experience, he said, “With this experience something happened. The burden of guilt left me. I became very light in my heart, I felt clean within. I felt like I could fly like a bird. And a joy that I had never experienced in my life before filled my heart. As I was bathed in that bright shining light I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is true indeed. As the Lord says in Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I am He that blotteth out they transgression for mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins!" He remained in that light for some time, savouring the presence of God, for how long he did not know. Tears were streaming down his face more than ever before, but this time they were no longer tears of sorrow and despair but tears of joy. He was so happy he started shouting, “I AM SAVED!! I AM SAVED!!!”

Culled from “A Man and A Vision (A biography of Apostle Geoffrey Numbere)” by Pastor Nonyem Numbere

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 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.    (1 Chronicles 12:32)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, activities have been shut down, including churches but God is not restricted by buildings. Today, our homes serve as churches where God’s word can be shared, and we can be refreshed. There are different seasons in our world today, such as winter and summer, autumn and spring, rainy season and dry season. Each season is unique and has a purpose. Understanding the times is critical, if we are to take the appropriate action.

1 Chronicles 12:32 gives us a description of the men of Issachar.  Of all the tribes of the children of Israel, the bible singled out the men of Issachar as men of understanding that is, they understood the times, and knew what Israel ought to do at different times. They did the right thing at the right time.

We are in a critical time and if you do not understand the time, you may not know what to do.  You may just spend this season living in complaints, focusing on things that are not important and you may not understand what God wants you to do. The COVID-19 situation has put a lot of time in our hands, but how do we avoid not wasting it? Even though it seems as though everything is at a halt, time is not! Time is your life, time is precious. Even in this lock-down, your clock of time is ticking hence we must ask God to give us understanding of this time just like the children of Issachar. The children of Issachar were in control; the bible says that the heads of them were 200 and all their brethren were at their commandment. When you understand the times, you will be in control, you will not let situations control you or determine how you should live.

What to do at this time!

 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12)

1. Sow to yourself

In this season, we can sow to ourselves. Prior to this time, everyone was engrossed with business, one vocation or the other, but now most of those things are on a halt. It is a time to build something in our lives. God expects that this time should afford everyone an opportunity to draw closer to Him, an opportunity to sow into the realm of your spirit so you can reap spiritual fruits.

2. Break up the fallow grounds

Fallow grounds are grounds that have not been used, they have been allowed for a long time to stay idle and hardened. There are things you have neglected in your life that are critical, this is the time to break up those fallow grounds and begin to work on them. The situation we are facing today has shown us several things that we have spent our time and resources on, do not really matter.

The spiritual lives off some believers have become fallow and hardened. This is the time to till your spiritual life, remove all the ‘weeds’ to ensure that your spiritual life is refreshed. It is time to seek the Lord until He reigns righteousness upon us.

3. Seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

“…if I shut up heaven…”. Sometimes, God can bring a lock-down. Sometimes, God can bring things that can bring destruction because His people have gone astray, and that’s the only way to bring them back to Him. I do not know the source of this virus and I am not saying it is sent by God but I know that God allowed it, because He is in control. There is a ‘shut up’; men have come to their wits end, but the solution lies in the hands of His people.

According to verse 14, if you are a child of God and called by the name of God, you have a role to play in this time. Everyone is hit by the impact of the virus, no one is exempted, even those of us who are God’s children. That means we must take responsibility. God is expecting us to bring solution to what is happening. He is looking for earnest heartfelt prayer. God wants us to humble ourselves, to accept responsibility, to know that we are where we are today because the church failed in her responsibility and focused on things that do not matter, instead of reaching out to save lives. God expects that we stand in the gap and intercede for the healing of our land.

We need to rise and pray for the true healing of the land. True healing can only come from God. We must live up to our responsibility. God says He will heal our land if we pray.

How do we manage our time?

We are in a situation we can term a “Spiritual Sabbath”. God seems to have given the world a Sabbath where everything must rest. The law of Sabbath in the old testament was a very critical law which started in Genesis 2:2. God had to create one day specifically for rest and refreshing. Even God rested and gave a commandment to the children of Israel (Exodus 31:13-17). The Sabbath was a day the people would devote to God, get refreshed physically and spiritually. God was so particular about it, that it attracted a death penalty if one contravened the Sabbath.

Sabbaths come with blessings and miracles. In Israel, there were different forms of Sabbath they observed. While picking manna in the wilderness, whatever they picked on the sixth day, was to be preserved to sustain them on the seventh day, when they were expected to observe the Sabbath. That means, there would always be a provision even though you were not working. Another kind of Sabbath they observed was that which was in years. They would work for six years in their lands and on the seventh year, they were not to plant anything, but God promised them that in that sixth year, the harvest they would have would sustain them for the seventh, even to the eight year. That is, the harvest of the sixth year would carry them for the next three years.

I know many of us are bothered about our well-being. The truth is, your worry cannot change situations, so why not turn your focus to God, draw close to God and you will see the miracle of God. The God that feeds the sparrow is still alive. Even now, He still feeds the birds and clothes the flowers. (Matthew 6:25-31). Don’t allow situations around to move you into living a life of grumbling and complaining, thus making you lose your spiritual focus and fellowship with God. Your worry can not make a difference. If things are critical, we have a God that handles critical situations. This is a time to trust and believe Him (Psalm 37:25). Do not allow the needs of the hour distract from the spiritual benefits of this time - a time to draw closer to God and be refreshed spiritually.

It is also a time to reach out to others because there are so many who are living in fear because they do not know the Lord, they are hopeless.

Part of understanding the time is that you need to give your life to Jesus, if you are not born again. A lot of people have died without Christ and are hopeless for eternity but there is a security when you are in Christ. What we are seeing now, is just a signal of so many things that will happen in the future, and so you must secure your faith and hope in God by giving your life to Jesus.

I challenge you that we are in an extra ordinary time, and you can turn this season to become an extraordinary time of visitation and testimonies. If we properly align ourselves with God, He can turn around our situation. I pray that you understand the time.

BACKGROUND TO THE VISION

Shortly after Apostle Numbere’s conversion, Pastor S. G. Elton, a British Missionary resident in Nigeria, came to minister in the Campus Christian Fellowship of Ife University. Pastor S. G. Elton was a British missionary who spent most of his time in the Western part of Nigeria working for the Lord. In obedience to the call of God he left his homeland and came to live in Ilesha (Western Nigeria) with his wife and only daughter.

All born again Christians of those days knew that Pastor Elton was not just a man of God but a Prophet of God. He was a mentor to virtually all the pioneer Pentecostal Ministers whom God raised in the early 1970’s in Nigeria.  He could rightly be described as the “Father of Evangelism and Pentecostalism” in Nigeria.  The spiritual burden of this nation and Africa was so much on him that he did not cease to call on God day and night to raise up Nigerians to carry the gospel to their own people. His burden for Rivers State in particular was heavy.

 While ministering that night, Pastor Elton, led by the Spirit of God called Numbere out and prophesied over him that, The hand of God is upon you. God is going to call you and send you to your people. His anointing is upon you and you shall be a mighty instrument in His Hand.

Being a brand new Christian, the young student did not understand. But God was going to visit him in a way he never imagined. God visited him and gave him a vision so clear, so vivid that he could never ever forget even if he tried.

THE VISION AND THE COMMISSION

On the 3rd of March 1970, Numbere knelt by his bed to say a short prayer before going to his lectures, a practice with him after he became born again.  Suddenly he was caught up in a trance (vision).  The Lord Jesus appeared and stood by him.  Together they were rocketed like a spaceship into the first heaven.  At the prompting of the Lord, Numbere looked down.  He saw spread before him a vast open plain.  The entire plain was filled, jam-packed with human beings in a stooping, kneeling position with faces on the ground (like the posture of Muslims in prayer).

Without a single word from the Lord, they shot up into the second heaven. The horizon extended; so did the plain. Again this same crowd of people, in kneeling, face down posture filled the space – an innumerable crowd of people!  At this point, frightened by the sight, Numbere broke loose and started running away from the Lord. He was allowed to run until he was tired.  The lesson here is that if the Lord has called you and you are on the run, there is no distance that you will get to that the Lord’s Arm cannot reach you.  Jonah tried it and did not succeed; Apostle Numbere tried it and did not succeed.

Then the Lord stretched out His right hand from where He stood and as would a forklift, picked him up and placed him by His side and together they again shot up into the third heaven.  Now the higher you go, the farther you see into the horizon.  At this point the crowd was simply unimaginable, with all of them still in the same kneeling face down posture.

Then the Lord spoke to Numbere to look again at this crowd and said to him, “These are all My creatures that are perishing.  It is not My pleasure that as many as these of My creatures should perish”.  Numbere asked the Lord, “What would you want me to do?” “Go, raise their faces that they may look up to Me and that they might live,” replied the Lord.  To another question as to where he might start from, the Lord replied, “Anywhere”. The Lord’s parting words to him were “I have chosen you, but be humble”.

Numbere came out of this Vision and discovered that he was still on his knees in his hostel room.  One full hour had lapsed and he had missed his lectures.  He sat back on his bed, pondering over this vision over and over again.  All his interest in academic pursuit was lost and he knew his days in the University were numbered. He left the University at the end of the session and went up to Northern Nigeria and picked up a teaching appointment in the wilderness of Gumel, Kano State (now in Jigawa State), a predominantly Muslim enclave.  There he led many souls, especially Muslims, to the Lord and started the first Christian Church in his parlour which he later handed over to the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA).  From then on to 1972 (three full years) the Lord appeared to him several times, teaching and instructing him and preparing him for the great task ahead (For details see A MAN AND A VISION – Nonyem Numbere).

GREATER EVANGELISM CRUSADE

Numbere returned home to Rivers State in July 1972 and based in Port Harcourt, he started out as a street preacher. 

On the 9th of September 1972, at No. 12 Nkwerre (now Igbodo) Street, old GRA, in the course of an all-night group prayer meeting in Port Harcourt, with a few faithful mostly teenagers, who had believed his message, the name, “GREATER EVANGELISM CRUSADE” was repeatedly mentioned by the Lord in his ears.  At the end of the prayer meeting, this message was shared and GREATER EVANGELISM was born that very night! Some of those he shared the message with were, Elder Eluan E. Akpana, Evangelists Fubara Ibama, Ben Iloh and Iloye Warmate (nee Major).

Some days later, the Lord gave him the motto: “TO KNOW JESUS AND TO MAKE JESUS KNOWN”. On the 6th of December 1972, the Lord gave him the emblem, again while he was on his knees praying. The emblem was the globe (the world), with the cross spanning it and dropping on Africa, with Nigeria in the centre. He sketched the emblem as the Lord was showing it to him and wrote about it while still on his knees: “The Lord showed me in a vision, the Globe (that is, the world) slightly bent in space, intensively lit, shinning as though there was flood light over it, and Africa emphasized before me. The Holy Ghost interpreted it to mean that Africa was emphasized”.

The Vision was clear – Greater Evangelism has three main phases of her mission just like the Vision of Apostle Numbere’s commission in which the Lord took him to three tiers of heaven.  The Ministry is to span Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.        

FULFILLING THE VISION

With just the scanty clothes on him and a raffia bag containing his Bible and tracts as his only earthly possessions, he struck out to the field, beginning with Rivers State, his own Jerusalem and Judaea. Accompanied by a few dedicated young men and women, his first thrust was into Ogoniland. Amidst much opposition and persecution and denigration even from the few Christians there were then, he moved on, taking the gospel to every hamlet, every nook and cranny, to the downtrodden, underprivileged and forgotten people of the numerous islands and villages of Rivers State. From Rivers State the Ministry has reached out to other States of Nigeria and is now into other parts of Africa.

True to his call as an Apostle, Numbere refused to be an armchair spiritual general who would send people to places he would not go.  Rather he has always led his team by himself, going to places where others fear to go.  Willing to die for the gospel, he has faced so many hazards, working under sun and rain, night and day, trekking though forests and mangrove swamps, travelling in hand-pulled dug-out canoes or open boats, daring the winds and waves of the sea, and fearing neither man nor beasts. 

The whole State was in spiritual darkness.  Idolatry was part and parcel of the people’s life and they worshipped all kinds of things ranging from big trees to snakes (especially the python) to marine spirits to even snails.  The powers of darkness reigned supreme as juju priests and native doctors exploited the ignorance of the people, putting them under terrible satanic bondage. Apostle Numbere was therefore in for a stiff battle as he launched out with the Gospel to his people.  He and his team had no manuals on spiritual warfare, they had nothing by way of physical comfort, but they had one thing – they had a “Vision” and they had faith in the One Who gave the “Vision”.

In many places juju priests and witch doctors sent threats to him not to preach the gospel in their villages.  When their threats could not stop him they resorted to using their satanic powers to harm, paralyse, or kill him outright.  Of course, they could not succeed and their failures would result in the conversion of many including the juju-priests themselves.  A couple of times he was shot at.  Sometimes hostile communities had stoned him and the team or attacked them with knives/machetes.  Dr. Uzodinma Obed of Glory Tabernacle, Ibadan, summarised that great spiritual warfare of the pioneering days of Apostle Numbere and his Ministry thus:

God used Apostle Numbere to fight basic spiritual and physical warfare in the land, fighting the demons to a standstill, contending with the occultist people and the cults and bringing them into submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. When there were as yet no manuals and teachings on demonology and spiritual warfare, he (Apostle Numbere) put satanic forces to flight. 

Numbere was “in journeys often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own countrymen, in perils of the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:26-27), and in perils of the air (near plane crashes).

Greater Evangelism World Crusade is a Vision, which started with a man, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere. He had a Vision and he ran with it.  He shared the vision with others, and those who dared to catch it ran with it. Today, under the leadership of Pastor Isaac Olori (International Director, GEWC), many more have caught it and have run with it. Yet there are those, though here, who do not know the vision and there are many that will come who are yet to know the vision. As long as Jesus tarries, they will catch this vision and run with it!

Happy 47th Anniversary, Greater Evangelism World Crusade!

(Culled from Greater Evangelism World Crusade - Landmarks in Her Vision & History by Pastor Nonyem E. Numbere)