15/06/2020
POWER AND THE SECRET OF IT!!!
It was a Sunday morning in 1975 and the RCCG Agbebi ministry was once again busy at work. A 'special' young lady was in labour and after a rather difficult labour the baby came forth but the bleeding was defiant and neither would the placenta drop. Rather, heavy clogs of blood was pouring out until it was certain this one was going to die! Meanwhile, a full team of prayer warriors were praying so intensely that their suits stuck to their bodies by virtue of their own sweat. You could have thought they'd been pelted by rain at the first glance but those were the days people took prayers seriously knowing that it was a matter of life and death and on this occasion, it literally was a matter of life and death!
The lady though was the eldest surviving child of a godly patriarch. More than once the family had buried a sibling. Fiends might have sniggered "They claim to help others but can't help their own children!" But shouldn't someone go and invite Papa? The church was just several metres away from the maternity but who would dare! You don't ever interrupt Papa Akindayomi's sermon even if your life depended on it!
Finally the dying lady who was slipping in and out of consciousness beckoned feebly to a praying brother. He bent over her on the mat where she lay in a pool of her own blood awaiting certain death. " Please go to my father in church and tell him that his daughter is dying" The young man shuddered. Nothing was special about this request apart from the fact that the said father was no less a person than Rev Josiah Akindayomi, the founder of the RCCG! He couldn't be interrupted during his sermon. The young man voiced his thoughts but the dying woman said "Go and tell Papa that his daughter Duro is dying here o!" The young man nodded and off he went.
In no time, the said messenger was back and before he got word out as to the feedback of his errand, Papa Akindayomi was there himself. No questions asked, he knelt beside his daughter, laid a hand on her stomach and intoned "My Father, release your daughter now in Jesus name!" Amen echoed around the room. Everyone expected a more fervent and prolonged prayer but Papa was up again and walked briskly back to church to continue the service. He had hardly left though when the stubborn placenta shot out and all the bleeding stopped. God had once again honoured His servant.
Saying that the ministry of Rev. Josiah Akindayomi was powerfully anointed is understating the fact! Miracles were abundant even though they were never the emphasis in Rev Josiah Akindayomi's ministry. In fact, the ease with which the man commanded the supernatural was mind boggling. In a crusade once, the cloud became thick and it was about to rain cats and dogs but Papa lifted up his hands and looking up to the cloud he said "Rain, can't you see I am busy?" Nothing more was said. The clouds dispersed quickly as if to say "We are sorry sir! Carry on" Just in case you think it was a coincidence, in another crusade in Ondo State, it had already started raining when Papa said "Not today rain!" It ceased immediately!"
His eldest surviving son told of a time they were headed for a crusade and Papa saw a long procession of relatives of a dead young man carrying the co**se apparently for burial and sobbing profusely. Calling to mind Jesus' encounter with the Widow of Nain under similar circumstances, Papa stopped the procession and prayed for the dead. He revived immediately!
Papa was so heaven-minded that he was hardly confrontational but God save you if Papa confronted you! Just by way of sampling, let us cite a few examples.
IGUNMU CAUGHT FIRE
The Igunmu masquerade used to terrorise people and intimidate folks but once, they missed road and entered Rev. Akindayomi's street, the old man took notice. He sighted them as soon as they entered his street but paid no attention. Igunmu had rules. You couldn't tie loin clothes when you saw it or you must rush inside. You didn't chew a chewing stick nor were you allowed to wear bathroom sleepers (that is flip flops). Pastor Mulero who was Papa's driver at that time managed to break all those taboos to the ire of the Igunmu masquerade and its attendants. Mulero had loin clothes around his waist, was putting on flip flops and was chewing a giant chewing stick as he was about to wash Papa's car. Worse still, he stood defiantly refusing to run away from the eery bunch. A confrontation was certain but Papa's eagle eyes took it all in from his vantage position where he sat. A Muslim Alhaji neighbour also watched with bated breath. The attendants spoke in eery guttoral voices that sounded like aliens speaking "Won't you honour Igunmu? Are you not afraid? Pull that slippers. Throw away that chewing...Remove that loin clothes..." They looked like they'd tear the driver apart but Papa thundered from upstairs "Leave this compound NOW!" They dared him and even tried their charms on him but Papa warned them that fire from heaven would burn them to the ground where they stood and believe it or not, literal fire started falling from the sky and the entire gang ran for dear life! In fact, Igunmu led the way like Usain Bolt!!!! They never came back again. The Alhaji exclaimed "Idiots! Come back now! Didn't you guys know before that Rev Akindayomi lives in this street? You guys missed road!!!"
MY PARKING SPACE
Lagos has always been a busy place from time immemorial. The problem is not just about traffic grids but also parking spaces and in Ebute-Meta where Papa built his church, they hardly left him any space to park his car. His members would appeal to neighbours "This is where Baba parks" but they'd hardly listen. One day, things got to a head. A fleet of new Renault cars set for delivery that day by the neighboring Leventis Motors were parked all over taking Papa's space and beyond. Mulero was at loss for where to park. They circled and circled but all the spaces had gone "first come, first serve!" Papa was visibly angry as he got off the car and carefully pinpointed the particular car that took his space. Then without uttering a word, he stalked off into the church leaving Mulero bewildered and perplexed as to where to park. Someone observed the drama and Informed Leventis Motors and the culprit driver was sent down to move the car. Bear in mind that it was a brand new car! As the driver turned on the ignition, the car caught fire mysteriously and the driver fled! Once the car was rescued, never again did anybody park on Papa's space!
A PASTOR FILLED WITH LEPROSY
Well, a lot of people rebelled against Papa's leadership and he'd say insistingly "This church is a church of God. He can defend Himself!" He never lost sleep over any such challenge. But trouble was brewing in their Oshogbo parish. A pastor had converted the church to his personal ministry and Papa took Adeboye along to reason with this pastor. But even Adeboye was shocked at what followed. The erring pastor gave Papa the sharp side of his tongue letting him have it from both barrels. He said every unprintable thing and Papa never uttered a word. Looking calmly at Adeboye he said "Adejare, let's go!" Mulero put the car in reverse and headed back to Lagos with both generals. It was apparently a silent trip. But they were soon followed! An emissary from Oshobo from selfsame parish the very next day came to Papa in Lagos for, as soon as Pastors Adeboye and Akindayomi had left, the errant Pastor was struck from head to toe with leprosy! These people had come to assuage Papa and asked for his forgiveness. He assured them he held no grudges and hadn't even prayed about the matter. "Let him go to God. It was God who made him leprous not me" Sad to say but the pastor died a l***r and the church is still an RCCG parish till date!
The list is unending but how did Papa have so much power with God? For instance a woman came to him whose house was a legal contention in court as family members of her deceased husband were trying to dispossess her. They must have feared they'd lose the case as they resorted to diabolic means. The house started shaking so much that it bent to one side threatening to collapse. Baba went to the house, put his foot on the skewed building and cried "In Jesus name!" and the house stood right side up! No more shaking! The woman lived there with no more troubles.
Well, Akindayomi was a man of endless prayers. He reminds one of Joseph Ayo Babalola who was the minister with the greatest unction to pray for long hours days of any I have ever researched. Papa hardly slept night after night! Adeboye wrote that when Papa visited him in Ilorin, he and his wife retired to bed about 10pm. Papa had been praying for over an hour. Around 1am, Pst Adeboye needed to ease himself (his toilet was outside). He could hear Papa's fervent prayers. Then by 4am, he went for same mission. Papa was still at it! 5.30am, there was a knock on his room's door. Papa was the one! It was time for morning devotion and that took over an hour! Adeboye cried inwardly "I cannot live with this man!!!" Now you know why Daddy G.O prays so hard. He learned by example!
Apart from prayers, eye witnesses insist one could count off on the fingers of both hands, how many days in a year Papa was not fasting. He fasted endlessly insisting when concerned family begged him to take it easy "What else do you suppose is the source of power?" You may argue against him but he had the goods. God did mighty through him.
Thirdly, Papa was a man of intergrity. In fact, in his days, companies wrote to him to send candidates to fill in sensitive positions in their establishments. If you gave a big gift or donation, Papa would quiz you as to the source of your income! He never received salaries but lived by faith and just as soon as money entered his hand, he was thinking of what church program or outreach to put it in! He had no attraction for this world and its goods!
I could go on and on but Papa's story cannot be told in just a blog post. I will try though in the next post to conclude by writing on his prophetic gift and the Crux of his message....his death however spoke more than his entire life. You'll read why so in our next post
