FUN AND FAMILY

Chinedu Gboof releases an inspiring faith-based music, Tele

This is beautiful music! Exceptional music artist, Chinedu Gboof releases an inspiring faith-based music, Tele, a tune that imbues a message of hope and praise in challenging times. The self-produced track was composed with the collaborative effort of Jewel Fitila, featuring Kenny Kore. Gboof gained attention following the release of “Kwasa” which scored a nomination for Best Highlife Video category at the 2010 Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA) and Best Gospel Music Video category at the African Gospel Music Awards (AGMA). Listening to Chindedu Gboof’s music, one would hear structured vocal harmonies and R&B tendencies. He vigorously empties vitality and life into his tune leaving one with a significant appreciation of the artistry and conscious realization – an attribute that stands Gboof music out. Chinedu has worked with some celebrated gospel acts, for example, Johnny Drille, Bouqui, Chinyere Udoma, PITA, Rotimi ‘Akinfenwa’ Keys, Axios, Acappella Chorale and of course Kenny K’ore.

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daily-devotions

May 11

MORNING

1 Samuel 8:6-7 (NIV) ⁶But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Samuel didn't have a good role model in Eli. As far as raising children was concerned, Samuel's own sons were like Eli's. The people asked for a king so they wouldn't be stuck with the evil sons of Samuel leading them. It is the nature of men to want a human leader they can see. We always look for our superman. We want someone visible to follow. But when man has that much power and influence, he almost always becomes corrupt. The temptation to take advantage of the situation for personal pleasure is too great. Then you have the great disappointment of all who have elevated him and proclaimed his worth.

The grace of God allows leaders who are worshipped to fall. That failure turns our eyes back to God. Samuel warned them that this would happen. Still, they insisted on having a king. Samuel was displeased. He knew something in his spirit was saying that this was terribly wrong. God helped him understand by explaining, "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king."

Churches and ministries, heed the heart of God. One elevated man with final say and authority is the way of man. It is a rejection of God. God has always worked through men whose hearts are seeking Him, not the man with the best capabilities of being a CEO. Look at the disciples Jesus chose. They were a group of equals, with the real Leader, Jesus. The church should be the same today. The most capable of being a CEO among them was Judas.

Consider: Exalting man leads to disappointment. Exalting Christ keeps us on track.

May 11

EVENING

Luke 12:15,20-21 (NIV) ¹⁵Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

²⁰"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' ²¹"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Greed comes in many forms. It is one of the most destructive driving forces of this world. Since Jesus has called us out of the world, greed should not affect our decisions. As we are not yet made perfect, there is the temptation to allow greed back into our hearts. The whole advertising industry is geared toward provoking all kinds of greed. Their goal is to get you to believe that life does consist of what you possess. They tout happiness as possession of their product.

Jesus illustrated His point with a parable. A rich man had a great harvest. He did not have enough room to store it, so he decided to build bigger barns. He thought that for years he could live in luxury and enjoy life, but God knew he was about to die. What happens to all that wealth then? There is an end for every man and woman. You have never seen a moving van behind a hearse. What you take with you is your character and your relationship with God. To live for the temporal things of this life is to be a fool.

Are you rich in God? If your focus is eternity, greed will not be able to work its way back into your heart. Is there something you think you must possess? Ask yourself if it will help you be rich in God or if it is greed in disguise. Set your heart on things above and not on things of the earth.

Consider: How can I become increasingly rich toward God.

Daily Devotions

May 10
MORNING

1 Samuel 5:11-12 (NIV) 11So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people." For death had filled the city with panic; God's hand was very heavy upon it. 12Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

Israel was defeated in their first skirmish with the Philistines. Instead of seeking God as to why, they brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle, like a big lucky charm. The evil sons of Eli carried it. They were defeated. Eli's sons were killed, and the Ark was taken.

Upon hearing the news, 98-year-old overweight Eli fell backward, broke his neck and died. Did he think God could not take care of the Ark? Sometimes we think everything is lost, but we forget God can fight without us. Samuel was still in Shiloh but the LORD could bring back the Ark all by Himself.

One God of the Philistines was a fish-man, Dagon. They were sea voyaging traders and so they created a god that looked like a fish but had a head of a man and hands. When the Ark was left before the Dagon statue, the next morning found Dagon collapsed and the head and hands had broken off.

Everywhere the Ark went there was death and sickness. Finally they had enough. They set the Ark on a cart with gold presents. Two cows were taken from their calves and harnessed to the cart. Crying all the way, they took the Ark back to Israel.

God showed that He could take care of His own reputation. In the process He showed that Dagon was just a statue. The Israelites had to see that the defeat was because of their sin not lack of power in God. We learn that God can redeem even the worst situations all by Himself.

Consider: God can defend his own reputation.

Evening
May 10

Luke 11:30-32 (NIV) 30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

When the heart of man is stubbornly hard, God will give signs. In Solomon's day, the world was awed at the wisdom and blessing of God upon Solomon. A heathen queen traveled a great distance to hear his wisdom. If that Gentile would make such an effort to learn truth, what should we do when someone greater than Solomon is present?

Jonah was sent to the Ninevites. They were brutal Gentile enemies of Israel. His three days in the belly of a great fish was a sign to them of how much concern God had for them. Someone greater than Jonah came to the Jews of the first century. He gave them a similar but more amazing sign. He lay dead for three days and rose to life.

We could say that this applies to the Jews of the first century. It surely does, but One equally great is here today. The Holy Spirit has been poured out. He is greater than Solomon and Jonah. Are we listening to Him? How far will we go to hear His voice and learn the truth? Are we considering the many signs He gives us? Are we hearing His preaching that brings conviction, encouragement, and comfort? Will the Queen of the South and the Ninevites rise up and condemn us for not hearing and believing, or have we joined their ranks as repentant Gentiles? We will all rise at the judgment on one side or the other.

Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear the Holy Spirit in the world today.

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi ( A Math Professor is Called to Preach!)

In 1973, while serving as Math Lecturer at The University of Lagos, W.F. Kumuyi started a Bible study group with 15 university students who had come to him requesting training in the Scriptures. By the early 1980’s that small group had grown to several thousand, at which time Deeper Life Bible Church was formally established.

By 1988 the congregation had grown to 50,000, and now numbers 120,000 members, making it the third largest Christian church in the world. Dr. Johan Combrinck reports that the Deeper Life Bible Church not only has an attendance of 120,000 every Sunday, but has planted 500 churches in Lagos, 5,000 in the rest of Nigeria (with an independent estimate of more than 800,000 members in Nigeria alone), and 3,000 elsewhere (with missionaries to 40 countries of Africa) as the movement missionary contribution. (Source: AFNET).

Dr. C. Peter Wagner, in an article titled ‘Those Amazing Post-Denominational Churches’ wrote: “By far, the most rapidly growing segment of Christianity on all six continents is a type of church that does not fit traditional categories or classifications. Missiologists have recognized its presence for some time, but it is such a recent phenomenon that they have not yet agreed on a name for it. Perhaps one title that would fit is the term ‘post-denominational.”

“Go to almost any metropolitan area and ask to visit the largest Christian Church. Chances are it will be one of these new post-denominational churches’. In Lagos, Nigeria, it would be the Deeper Life Bible Church, pastored by William Kumuyi. On a recent Sunday I saw 74,000 adults worshipping together, with 40,000 children meeting in a separate building across the street.” (Apostolic Team Ministries, Intl., Newsletter 09).

How Did It Happen?
Journalist Alan Isaacson provides a helpful study of this phenomenal ministry in his book Deeper Life, talking with many members of the church who told him how Christ has miraculously intervened and changed lives in response to prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel. In Pastor Kumuyi’s own words: “God, in the growth of Deeper Life Bible Church, has strategically and prudently used miracles to make all men come to Him’ (John 3:26). We take Christian living and holiness seriously.”

According to Isaacson, The history of Deeper Life is very much the personal story of W.F. Kumuyi. He is a gifted man, clear-thinking and humble. He is a dedicated Christian and deserves the title “the man of God,” which his followers have given him. Since he was a young man, Kumuyi has devoted his time to reading and studying the Bible. He knows the Scriptures inside out, and has struggled to understand and apply them. As he shares that struggle and his love for the word of God, so people have been drawn to him for advice, or simply to listen. When he preaches, his message is clear, simple, and profound. Poor street traders who can barely read sit next to university professors, all equally captivated by the way Scripture becomes suddenly relevant to them.

Pastor Kumuyi’s own Christian life developed because he took the Bible so seriously, and so the Deeper Christian Life Ministry has developed in the same way. In Alan Isaacson’s own words, he “preached Deeper Life into existence.” His sermons were captivating, wrote Isaacson, “I would classify him as one of the greatest living preachers, giving a straightforward Bible-based message,his sermons thorough, and always personally challenging. He always gave a wide range of cross-references which were read in their context, supporting, clarifying and expanding his main points. He spoke clearly and authoritatively to the Nigerian situation. He dealt sensitively with African culture, but also made a firm stand in highlighting the points where local culture was incompatible with the will of God. While stressing the high moral tone which is one of the virtues of most African cultures at their best, he was at pains to specify those aspects of local culture which were unchristian and even evil. In this way he was not only concerned with some kind of personal holiness, but also genuinely seeking the wholeness and harmony of the community at large, where truth, honesty, and justice should be the predominant characteristics.

A Man With a Great Heart For God!
He is not tall, and does not have a larger-than-life character. He does not dominate, nor has he accrued power to himself. He walks slowly, is relaxed, and has a gentle sense of humour with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He dresses simply, eats simply… and… could have assumed titles to himself. As the Deeper Christian Life Ministry developed – most people enjoy the trappings and regalia of status which followers gladly give. But he calls his followers brothers and sisters, and treats them as colleagues.
W.F. Kumuyi was born in 1941 into an Anglican home. It was a very strict Christian home, he told Isaacson, “We would get up in the morning, read the Bible, sing hymns, and go to church regularly. When I went to secondary school I lost interest in the church because our principal taught us atheism. But after a while I thought again and started going to various churches in town. Eventually, in 1963, a group of singers and preachers from a Gospel church got permission to come to the school. I understood the Gospel message, and was born again on April 5th, 1964. I read John Wesley, Charles Finney, Spurgeon, and lots of other books. I got involved with the Scripture Union, and I grew.”

From Professor to Preacher!
He gained a first-class degree in Mathematics at the University of Ibadan; then went back to Mayflower School to teach. After five years he went to the University of Lagos to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and became a lecturer there in 1973; and that was when he started a small Deeper Life Bible Study group.

In speaking to a group of Pastors under his leadership as General Superintendent, W. F. Kumuyi said: “Our emphasis should be on the practical side of going out. If the Lord comes, let him meet us working for him. Now every time I preach I try to mention evangelism. I have told all the Lagos District Coordinators and Zonal Leaders to spend half their time on evangelism and only half their time on their members. There will always be problems in the church: don’t let them take up all your time”.

Concluding his book, Isaacson writes, “And, of course, Deeper Life are self-governing. Kumuyi is the founder & General Superintendent, and he carries a tremendous weight in pastoring the Gbagada (Lagos) church alone, quite apart from the (now thousands) of other congregations across Nigeria and the rest of the world. He is a remarkable leader, one of God’s people for this generation. Kumuyi has received a great deal from God, but he is adept at passing along what he receives. My feeling is that what God has given his people through Kumuyi will be kept and developed long after Kumuyi is gone. This has been God’s work, and to Him be the glory.”

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