GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS O LORD!

Men who come to understand the awesome greatness of the Almighty God learn to bow at His feet. The simple reason is that it is a great mystery to understand who God is. It is not because someone is educated or wealthy that makes him stand in the place of authority to the point that such can intimidate God. God is the giver of all knowledge. When He created Adam (His first creation whom he created in His own image), He brought to him all animals for a naming ceremony and the Bible has this record that, “And whatever Adam called each creature that was its name” Gen. 2:19b. What an awesome knowledge, Adam never went to any primary, secondary or tertiary institution to do that. He did not even study zoology nor any animal science related course to give names to all the animals, imagine the massiveness of the animals on earth. Do you know that the reason why God purposely decided to hide himself from man (his invisibility), he has done so that He can reveal himself only to the humble and those who seek him with all their heart? I see a sense in that. There are officers in the world today that you can’t just get into their office without prior appointment. If a human being that is only privileged to be in an office of honor will not disclose himself anyhow, do you think the creator of heaven and earth had been unfair in deciding to disclose himself so he might be much honored by man?

My heart pants for your presence o God. You are the pillar that holds my life. I love you with the whole of my heart. Men who do not know you belittles your greatness but as for me I have learnt and I’m still learning that there is none like you Lord.

Is there anyone who can disprove your presence? Sometimes when I consider some of your handiworks like the air, the waters, etc and think so deeply on them, I bow my head. No one will ever say he has seen the air with his bear eyes before, yet no one can deny the existence of the air. We see its handiworks on the things its blows on. Sometimes it turns to a violent storm and become very destructive. Sometimes it breaks the ship on the sea, sometimes it turns to a volcano while at other times it becomes an aid for fire destruction. Beautifully on the other hand, it becomes very enjoying when it turned to very useful material like the air condition, the cool breeze under the three, the cool air by the river bank, the list goes on and on.

Every culture, tribe and language knows that water is in itself a mystery. In the Yoruba culture there is the proverb that says, “Water has no hand, it has no legs and it carries even the biggest log”. Imagine how many creatures the waters house in the sea…the fish in its numerous species, the reptiles like crocodile and the like in its numerous forms, the sea pigs the hippopotamus the sea birds the duck etc all having their daily bread in the waters…how can a fool say those things are not following a divine order?
Where does man see the laws that govern existence? Where does man see cohabitation laws that rejects anarchy and says no to apartheid? How does man know that relationship with the opposite sex is the best of intimacy?

THE CALL TO CHAPLAINCY

TO THE GLORY OF GOD, WE'VE BEEN TO VARIOUS CLINICS, HOSPITALS AND PRISONS FOR HEALING,AND EVANGELISM.

YOUNG BUT AMBITIOUS

YOUNG BUT AMBITIOUS

DO YOU KNOW?

Do you Know?

Do you know?
Do you know what?
What do you know?
How much of what you know do you know?
How much has what you know helped you out?
Do you think that what you know is enough or you feel like there is still a space (a vacuum) that you need to fill?
The extent to which a man knows gives him liberation.
If all you know (or believe) is false, fake, insubstantial and valueless, how would you end up? Is there a way to know that what you know is real?
What then do you need to know? THE TRUTH
In knowing the truth, you don’t need facts but FAITH
FACTS can be deceptive, gullible and misleading evidences to support what is fake and false. Have you bought an electronic appliance (tested okay) in your presence – Fact and you get home only for it not to last for a week? –someone says even the same day! Yes.
At first you where attracted by the packaging {false fact 1} and then it tested okay before you paid for it {false fact 2}. The truth was not in place there but a fact
Someone can ask “what is your name?” You say that’s a simple question and you start to supply answers like Sola, Nike, Deji, Niniola, Evleen, Paul etc. But that question can’t be answered the same way as “who are you?”

When someone meets you for the first time and ask “who are you?” you simply say, I’m Sola, Deji, etc. But when the same question starts to carry some adjectives along with it, you start to expatiate on your answer. For instance, let’s see this conversation between Kunle and David
Kunle: Hello young man, how are you?
David: Oh! I’m fine.
Kunle: What is youname?
David: My name is David, and you?
Kunle: I’m Kunle
Kunle: who are you tribally?
David: I’m an Igbo man.
Kunle: who are you academically?
David: I’m a graduate of O. A.U. Ile ife
Kunle: who are you professionally?
David: I’m an artist.
Kunle: who are you occupationally?
David: I’m a federal staff in the National museum
Kunle: who are you maritally?
David: I’m a searching bachelor
Kunle: who are you morally?
David: I’m a humble, easy going and a goal setter young man.

Now you know to some extent I suppose? The questions can continue endlessly as you provide the appropriate adjectives. If David do not know how to answer those questions, he may likely have stopped at the first two or wrongly guess that all the questions carry the same answers. If all David’s answers to the “who are you” questions is “I’m David” regardless of the adjective it carries (you can do a little exercise by repeating the above questions and giving only one answer), who do you feel? Someone said “oh oh” or “whaoooo” .

It takes a man to know what he ought to know to answer life’s questions. One of the greatest life’s questions is FRUSTRATION. Have you ever been faced with the question of frustration in life before? When it came, how did you answer it? Take for instance, you were going for an important appointment that will live a landmark in your life (e.g your first employment interview) and you suddenly met a strong traffic jam that will not dissolve for more than two hours and the only alternative left is for you to trek a 3 miles distance to get to the venue. The job opportunity a big question, the alternative a big question and the traffic jam a big question as well.

# Dear reader, if you had encountered a similar incidence please send me your experience and how you answered the question. Your experience and answer will be referred to in my book titled “DO YOU KNOW?” but your name and address will not be added.

Send your response to
PASTOR BOLU OKIKIOLU
p. o. box 1918, Sapon, Abeokuta, Ogun State
or e-mail: bolu_okikiolu@yahoo.com
or send comment to www.pastorbolu.blogspot.com


Knows all about academic performance (passing exams in schools)? I guess the answer is NO. The reason why so many students had passed exams, obtained certificates and yet could not fit in for job prescription they supposed is not only out of joblessness but because there personal status (knowledge) is not up to the standard the job requires. Yes, he passed the exams in flying colors but he fails to know that professionally you don’t only need to pass exam but be made. As a counselor, I know practically and experientially answer to some life questions without necessarily consulting any existing materials, yet there are some questions I may not be able to answer without making adequate consultations.

Nigeria is one of those countries that is certificate oriented. Once the certificate is okay and the applicant belongs to a club or is the son of a club member, then he gets the job. Quite amazing! There are better brained, divinely creative or endowed men and women out there who can do better but ‘LACKS’ (you can name as many) brings barriers their way. My big question comes again “WHAT DO YOU KNOW? AND HOW MUCH HAS WHAT YOU KNOW HELPED YOU IN LIFE? YOU CAN KNOW MORE AND MORE BY KNOWING THE TRUTH - JESUS (JN 14:6)

THE DREAM, THE VISION

THE DREAM, THE VISION

On the 14th of June, 2008, the Lord spoke to me thus; “No leader can exhaust the scope of his vision. Every tangible vision outlives the visionary. If you want all your dreams fulfilled in your lifetime, it’s like a man want to give birth to every child in his bosom – chaotic! Abraham was promised numerous children as the stars of heaven and a land flowing with milk and honey. He needed to only see the land and have a promised Isaac for the vision to be a reality.”

Little wonder when the recall of the vision came on me and became too awesome for me to behold. It all started like a child’s play.

It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in my sight. Today, I can draw a conclusion that when God calls a man, where the man surrenders all, God is ready to walk full length with him and covers the entire facet of one’s life.

THE INCUBATING PERIOD

The training, the equipping, the positioning and the elevation period are all ordered by the Lord. So it was and still is in my life. 1997, after several attempts to do it my own way and failed severally, said the True YES to God’s call but with some conditions attached to it. At the time in question, I was a young and curious school leaver who intends to fulfill destiny my own way. I saw before me opportunities – did TOEFL examination, made several attempts to travel out, wanted to pass my O’level at all cost, given privilege to read PES English in the college of Education, put in for ATS (Accounting Technician Scheme) aiming for chartered accounting, I was running like a curious bull dog.

A strong conviction came about December 1996 (barely 4years of struggling) where the Lord had to promise a more brighter future than what I thought life had for me in it purse. I never wanted to answer the call with a low or no degree to show for it and God knew it. Eventually I said YES Lord and it all began like a joke.

January 1997, I enrolled for a general certificate course in Theology at Bethel Theological Seminary, owned by Passion for Souls Christian Ministry (Inc) Owode Yewa, Ogun state where I presently pastor one of the branches. I completed my diploma program in the same seminary before proceeding for my degree programs at Faith Christian Theological Seminary/Faith Bible College, Ota, Ogun state under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Sir Ige Olumide (late) who took me like his son and vowed to train me to any length as far as the Lord would help him and as long as I comply.

At FCTS/FBC Ota, I completed my B.A.Theology, M.A and Doctorate degrees in affiliation with Central Christian University, U.S.A. alongside with Basic (certificate) Advance (diploma) Supervisory (advance diploma) and Bsc Spirituotherapy and Psychotheology – professional spirituo-clinical services.

As a Chaplain, I rose from the rank of a lieutenant to the rank of a two star chaplain general (today’s deputy director of chaplains) to the glory of the Lord. This gave the privilege as the only senior ranked chaplain to be certified the Abeokuta Zonal Commander of Chaplains.

In 2006 (March and April respectively) another door opened to be trained for the Accelerated Christian Education Curriculum (ACE) under the tutelage of Mr. Ewart both at Lagos and Jos respectively. As a trained administrator, I’m privileged to start a Christian School from the pre-school to the degree awarding college with a total Bible based curriculum, training the individual pupil to be of utmost integrity for home, church and the society.

THE VISION

You may be tempted to call all the above encounters an encomium; I call them PLATFORM for service. All the training and equipping period shaped the vision.
The Vision statement is “BUILDING THE WHOLE PERSON FOR CHRIST.”

How will the Vision run?
The equipping as I said earlier had shaped the vision. The vision runs under three segments:
the Institution
the Clinic
The Field.

A. THE INSTITUTION

The chaplaincy training as well as the certification to run a Zonal Command for chaplaincy is an institution of its own. As the Zonal Commander, I am expected to function under the name INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PASTORAL EDUCATION AND CHAPLAINCY, ABEOKUTA ZONAL COMMAND.
October 2003, certificate was given to me by Rev. Dr. Sir Ige Olumide (late) who then was the Deputy Commander of Chaplains worldwide having Rev. Dr. Sir Herman Keck Jnr as his only boss. This certification incline that I have to recruit and train chaplains in the Basic, Advance and Supervisory and presenting them for ranks and certificate at the African Headquarters, Ota, Ogun State. Since 2004, the training had commenced and had graduated at least eight (8) students to date.
Added to the chaplaincy college is the vision of training in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum students from age 4 or 5; giving them an individualized bible based Christian and secular training to the degrees, linking them up with the international world. Simply put, the vision is to run an institution which builds up individuals for Christ from the earliest age in life to the point where he/she will personally and convincingly decide to live for Christ, be the best husband and father or wife and mother and the best citizen.

B. THE CLINIC
As a Chaplain, I’m saddled with counseling responsibility. A chaplain represents Christ to everyone (believers and non-believer in Christ). He is simply called ‘the pastor of all.’
One of the assignments of a chaplain therefore is to set up a counseling clinic.
How a counseling clinic does runs?
I’m expected to be equipped with:
A serene and attractive, comfort presenting office with words of encouragement placed all around the walls of that office,
Books, Literatures, Magazines, Tapes (audio, video, vcd DVD etc) Leaflets, Tracts and Cards on various topics ranging from home, career, spiritual issues, finances etc.
Electronic equipments such as Television, Video or DVD players, Tape, Projector etc. all these will be strategically placed in rooms (often referred to as theatres) where cases will be treated according to their relevancies.

C. THE FIELD
Chaplains are needed in all works of life. In the prisons, hospitals, remand homes, orphanages, schools, government establishments, companies, offices, police stations, barracks etc. wherever you can find a human being, a chaplain is needed there. The sole assignment of a chaplain out there is to represent Christ to the world.
In the Abeokuta Zonal Command, we lay more emphasis on hospital ministries for now based on the sacrificial resources available to us. Where more helps come, we will increase our strategy and effort.

THE CHALLENGES

“To everything there is a season.” Chaplains call problems ‘challenges’ because we know they are surmountable.
Standing before me is where do you start from and how do you get fulfilled? That is a question I guess I can’t answer.
Well, I’ve started in my own little way. The college had begun since 2004 without adequate advertisement posing as the major challenge. The hospital visitation goes on every Sunday at Federal Medical Centre, Idi-aba, Abeokuta with the management’s permission.
The Challenges can be highlighted thus:
A three bedroom flat secretariat for the three visions
The equipments as slated under the clinic
Fund (being the bedrock of all); cash or cheque
Voluntary personnel, Students, Counselors and Helpers
Vision helpers and promoters

You can be a partner with this vision. It has already enveloped me as a person. It’s bigger than I can handle though for a God who can handle all. Find a place in this vision where you can be divinely located.
GOD BLESSES YOU.

Contact:
Pastor Dr. Okikiolu Abolurin Olusola
3, Segun Anjorin Street, Karunwi compound,
Gbokoniyi, Ojere Rd. Onikolobo Abeokuta.
P.O.Box 1918, Sapon, Abeokuta,

or P.O.Box 16, Owode-Yewa South, Ogun state.
Phone: 08033896440, 08080716392
Email: bolu-okikiolu@yahoo.com