DON’T WATCH THEM WASTE

DON’T WATCH THEM WASTE

by | Oct 18, 2022 | Family Ministry, Leadership, Youth Ministry

  

The story was told of a young man who gave his life to Christ and later backslid into drinking alcohol, smoking anything that can bring out smoke, sleeping with any woman that is available, and dancing to the rhythm of any sound in a disco (party) hall. One day an evangelist came to hold a meeting in the young man’s local church and asked after the vibrant, God-loving young man that she used to know in that Church. To her chagrin surprise, she was told that he had returned to where he belonged, “the world”. In ‘holy anger’ she went to the young man’s house to check up on him, and on arriving at his house she met him smelling cigarette, yet she remained committed to his restoration. About twenty years later the young man hosted a gospel event that had about sixty-two thousand women in attendance. He introduced the evangelist as the vessel that God used to restore him back to the faith at a time when a lot of ‘spiritual Christians’ had given up on him.

As you read this story the young man is one of the renowned preachers of our time, as he ministers to women through a program ‘Woman, Thou Art Loosed’ he ministers to men through ‘Man Power Conference’ he ministers to youth through ‘3G’ in MEGA FEAST programs. That young man is now, Bishop Thomas Dexter Jakes (T.D. Jakes) of The Potter’s House. Though T.D. Jakes has handed over the ‘Woman Thou Art Loosed’ program to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Robert, posterity will remember T.D. Jakes for his immeasurable impact through the ‘Woman Thou Art Loosed’ series of programs. What an impact through a T.D Jakes, much more to say, what an impact through the Evangelist woman who was committed to his restoration when some ‘saints’ in Church had written him off. I beg of you, don’t allow the potential around you to waste. The impact you are privileged to make is the ministry of God in your hands. Please do the ministry with all your might because the harvest will always be beyond your wildest imagination.

Need I remind you that once upon a time in Jesus’ ministry, a woman was caught in adultery and deserved death, but Jesus offered her what she didn’t deserve LIFE, but with an instruction, “… And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (Jn 8:1-11 NLT). Imagine if the Evangelist in our story hadn’t gone in search of T.D. Jakes for restoration?

Imagine if this Evangelist had accepted the Church’s conclusion of the boy’s backslidden state. Imagine the voltage of potentials that has (and is still) being wasted because a person (young or old) committed a sin or backslides or falters along spirituality or/and morality praxis? Imagine how many children could have turned out differently if they had experienced the kind of grace and risk that this Evangelist took for T.D. Jakes? Imagine how many people have committed suicide because the Church of Jesus which was founded on undeserved love and mercy decided to treat them based on what they deserved? Imagine how many times we have treated people with disdain because we are of better spiritual or moral standing than them? Imagine how judgmental you have become because of God’s grace working in your life?

Please, I beseech you, don’t let them waste. I am not in any way advocating for tolerance of sin and degradation of Christ’s virtue but am of the opinion that beyond judging and labelling people, let’s show them the kind of love they seem not to deserve. The kind of love that is voiced in verse eight of Romans chapter five (Rom. 5:8 NIV) “…While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

REMEMBER, YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE EVIDENCE OF GOD’S LOVE AS EXPRESSED IN HIS GRACE.

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NOW UPON A TIME – PART 1

NOW UPON A TIME – PART 1

by | Nov 24, 2022 | Family Ministry, Leadership, Youth Ministry

Every generation has its peculiar challenges and trends. After Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, every human being that ever lived or that will ever live on mother earth must contend with what quintessential gospel preacher, Rev. Silas Yako, calls ‘generational devils’ who infiltrate and try to corrupt Gods goodness and purpose for every generation. This implies that every generation has a devil to conquer. Little wonder, Rev. Col. (Dr.) S.K Bargo’s admonition which I cited in my book, ‘Luring Trends’ comes in handy; “God reveals His wisdom generationally” (Dickson, 2021: xv). Thus, the wisdom of God and the power of God are fundamental to conquering the ‘generational devils’ ravaging our children, the Church, society, and the world.

The ‘generational devils’ of this 21st century are complicated. Complicated not because the devil has become more ferocious than he was in history or because of the absence of right or wrong, evil or good. It is complicated because this generation is making relative of Christian’s standard of measurement- the BIBLE. Ironically, the infallible truth in the Bible is being distorted by both the preachers of the Bible and practitioners when it relates to practicing biblical truth. For example, some practices that the Bible calls sin are what our Society (sometimes, even the Church) preaches against, but are guilty of the same in practice. Here are some of such practices: The truth which used to be absolute is now relative, i.e. truth is now determined by the individual preacher or Christians, not the Bible. Once upon a time when the Bible speaks in the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ all Christians responded ‘Amen’, but today (“Now upon a time”), experience has it that Christians now question Biblical positions on life, morality, and value systems, especially biblical teachings that expose and speak against the works of the flesh as written in Gal. 5:19-21 (Tree of Life version). 19 “Now the deeds of the flesh are clear: sexual immorality, impurity, indecency, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostility, strife, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, just as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” The practices of these things in any form are unacceptable by the biblical truth- irrespective of who is practicing them. Though ‘Now upon a time” these vices seem entertained and celebrated in some Christian gatherings. Let us frown at and speak against these vices as negating biblical standards of Christian living. How can we entertain the practices that the Bible condemns and still professes to be Christians?

Another twist in the “Now upon a time” is the praxis of dressing. Dressing that used to be seen and addressed as nakedness / immoral is now colorfully termed ‘fashion’ or ‘trendy’ or ‘looking sexy’. A former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Eme Ekaette, Chairperson of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Women and Youth, once said that “no responsible society should fold its arms while its institutions, put in place to perpetuate the nation are taken over by forces promoting unbridled freedom.” She went further to say “those who want to parade the streets naked in the name of modern fashion can do so in marketplaces, public squares, and perhaps on the beaches, but the state and civil society owe a responsibility to civilized behavior to protect institutions such as schools, churches/mosque and government buildings from disoriented models of new fashion. If we must be sincere, naked women are among the remote causes of the alarming breakdown of public morality and the general moral fiber of our contemporary society.” Professor Michael Asuzu of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, concurs and adds “women who dress to reveal flesh wish to make this simple statement, ‘I am available- take me, if you like what you are seeing.” (Daily Sun; Feb. 13, 2008, pg. 16). Trust me when I tell you, we must intentionally address the issue of dressing in our Churches. Body-revealing dresses by ladies and boxer-revealing dresses by men invite us to question the content of the minds. Remember that a wo/man’s mind reveals who s/he is (Prov. 23:7), so does a wo/man’s fruit (action) reveal her/his mind (Mt. 7:16). So, though nobody knows your mind, your fruit as expressed in deeds/actions and behavior, reveal your mind.

One more twist in the ‘Now upon a time’ is integrity. A mentor, Dr. James Zasha told me a story of how in his undergraduate days at Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U) Zaria, the newspaper vendors will bring their newspapers on campus in the morning and leave them at the paper stands with some money (change) and go back home. Students and lecturers, he said, will go to the stand, pick the paper of their choice and leave their payments at the designated newspaper stand (remember that the vendor is not present). At the end of the day, the vendor returns pick money left as payment and his ‘unsold’ papers. Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, can that happen in our universities today (be it a secular or religious university) or seminary, or even inside religious worship centers? I agree with your answers. Integrity in words and deeds is a potent message of Christianity.

In conclusion, every one of us must conquer the ‘generational devil’ of “Now upon a time” by getting back to the Word (Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 4:20- 27). We must also discipline ourselves to believe and live by God’s Word. It was the ECWA president, Rev. (Dr.) Stephen Panya Baba observed that “a lot of Christians Study the word but either don’t believe in it or don’t want to live by it.” Until the Bible determines our values, reasoning, relationships, and ‘culture’, we may end up sustaining the religiosity of Christianity without breathing the life that Christianity gives to society.

For ongoing discussion, contact:
YouTube: OJ Dickson Tv
Website: www.ojdickson.org
WhatsApp: +2348061582006
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LIVE FOR POSTERITY

LIVE FOR POSTERITY

by | Oct 10, 2022 | Family Ministry, Leadership, Youth Ministry

The story was told of a young man who once lived in a community with his
parents. His father was reputable for addiction to alcohol, and his mother was famous for petty trading. In that community, there was a weekly market where his mother sold grains every Thursday. Someday, he mobilized his friends (the youth) in that community to fix all the leaking thatched roofs of shops in the market. On account of this young man and his friends, the shops in the market had better roofs over them that prevented rain from ruining the community women’s business.

In the annals of this community, what do you think this young man (and his friends) will be remembered for?…….. Exactly my point. Posterity remembers them for fixing the roof of the shops in the community market, though with thatched grasses which they went and gathered from the bush. Posterity will not remember him for his father’s or mother’s preferred choice of life, but for what he and his friends did for the benefit of their community.


Life is sometimes lived in transit- being with different people in different places. Where you live and the people you are currently relating with were probably not in your inner circle twenty years ago. Reason that life is sometimes lived in transit. Interestingly, you are remembered for something- rightly or wrongly at every spot on that transit. Thus, for posterity’s sake, be intentional in your actions and inactions as you relate and experience people within your space and fellowship. Honestly, you will be always remembered for who you are and what you do (or are doing right now for the benefit of others, the Church and society). More so, the people you help will remember you for your help while the people you refuse to help will definitely remember you for not helping them even when you had the privilege to do so.


The posterity question this article wishes to ask and stir in your heart is “what are you remembered for?” Within your environment, office space, what runs through the minds of colleagues, relatives, and Church members when your name is mentioned? Whether dead or alive, these questions are timeless. The answer to these questions is simple- the impact of your actions in other people’s lives, not because of the sound of your name or title or length of years on earth. Trust me when I tell you that your today’s acts of making life worth living for others and the Church of Christ constitute posterity for future reference.


Permit me to stretch your thought and awaken your sensitivity; in the next two or five or ten or 50 years (2, 5, 10, 50 yrs.) if Christ tarries, you may be alive or gone to rest with the Lord, but your today’s acts in terms of actions and inactions in other people’s lives will be remembered for posterity. You may or may not have the opportunity to write your history twice. Thus, wisdom demands that you write your story exactly how you want it read for posterity. I strongly suggest that you write the script of your life with the ink of what you are doing for others in your family, Church and society.

For ongoing discussion, contact:
YouTube: OJ Dickson Tv
Website: www.ojdickson.org
WhatsApp: +2348061582006
Facebook Page: OJ Dickson Ministry