Wednesday 18 December 2013

Premarital Myths!

Many have lofty dreams and expectations about marriage. Unfortunately many of them are just what they are, dreams! Let's look at some of them:

1. Choice of mate is accidental
This is a myth because we actually attract what we desire. Our thoughts, beliefs, dressing is a pull factor that attracts or repel people from us. While God may actually have led you to the man or woman, making a decision to marry the person was by choice.

2. Marriage is an advanced care centre
This is a myth because marriage is neither a clinic nor a ward for the wounded! Those who seek healing from previous relationships, bad experiences, unfortunate family settings need to seek and find healing before they enter into marriage. Emotional maturity is an essential ingredient in marriage.

3. My mate will love me regardless because love is unconditional
This is a myth because ONLY God's love appears unconditional but even that has conditions. See Deuteronomy 28! There are always unwritten codes in human love. It was for a reason he decided to marry you and vice versa. A man who today is in the upper echelon of a Christian movement had as one of his reasons for divorcing his wife, "She added weight". A man I counselled said to me, "I wanted just one child, she wanted 2 and I compromised, now she has 3 and wants more because she wants a son!"Guess who fathered the children? Him! Many would leave mates who draw unto perdition, many would bid farewell to mates who enter into depression or addiction. Whether the reason is spiritual or physical, be prepared to honour the reasons why you came together as man and wife.

4. Marriage is uneven and seldom work
This is a myth because God meant for marriage to be even and to work. But man and woman must recognise their individual strengths and weaknesses and honour the similarities and differences of either gender. The evenness of marriage lies largely in the beauty of recognising and blossoming within our role and calling. Not recognising and remaining in our role is why even those who side-step God's rule and come together to role play as woman and woman or man and man can't make it work.

5. Everybody should be married and in a monogamous relationship
This is a myth because neither marriage nor monogamy is an ingredient for heavenly visa. While marriage is encouraged not everyone will marry or have a desire to be married and those who are married should respect this choice and/or reality. Monogamy is the ideal but many Christians who give up on waiting on God would sign into polygamy and the man they sign up with may very well be a Christian. Many Christians today grew out of polygamous homes.

6. Anyone who is not married is a "youth"
This is a sad myth. Each time I visit churches and hear announcements or prayers related to singles, the word "youth" soon accompany it. Singlehood and youthhood does not go together, they are not synonymous! I once heard a deacon say, "As long as you are single, you are a girl!" That day the Holy Spirit ministered to me that his heart is not right. Some years down the line, he became a pastor (and I thought God must have worked on making his heart right) but today he has separated from his lovely wife. Marriage does not confer adulthood on everyone. While many desire to marry, not all will sign into marriage and not signing up would and does not make them less of an adult.

7. Marrying according to God's will will make you happy
This is a myth because God did not promise us a problem free life. Isaiah 43:2 say, "When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee." When not if. That a man or woman is God's will for you does not mean you won't have challenges, it only means God will always provide a way of escape. God fashioned Eve for Adam, yet not managing his relationship with her well created a grave consequence, yet their marriage survived because they held on to one another. Being happy is a choice that has responsibilities attached to it.

8. If we are Christians and we get married in church, we won't divorce 
This is a myth because marrying in church is not an adhesive that has the ability to hold you together. Remaining together requires faith in God, respect for the institution of marriage and of course respect and love for one another. While I would have loved to say that all the Christians I know have remained married, this unfortunately is not the case. Statistics show that there are more Christians getting divorced and I daresay this has more to do with the fantasy we have built around marriage. Marriage is between two people and staying married is the responsibility of both hearts that must focus on working to ensure their love valve continue to beat together as one.


9. Marriage is a cure for loneliness 
This is a myth because loneliness is not an acquired sickness that only the acquirer can cure! I know a woman who swallowed this myth but being married to a doctor who is married to his clinic made her regurgitate. I know a man who is married to a top business executive, she resides on the plane and orders beautiful flowers to be delivered to the man who is forced to learn a new kind of singleness that comes in marriage. If loneliness is killing you now, you may just become dead when that which lurks in marriage hits you.


10. Sexual satisfaction and children are immediate fringe benefits  
This is a spot-on myth. If you married as a virgin, you'd have to live with how your mate viewed what you spent your entire life saving for him/her. If you tasted the forbidden fruit ahead of the marital vows, you may find yourself comparing this sexual experience with previous. If you both are new to sex, thoughts of what you may be missing out may fill your mind subconsciously. And the children? Look around you, for some the cry of a child is heard in less than 9 months for others 34 months or as it was in the case of a man of God, 34 years! Be prepared to enjoy the beauty of finding someone whose life mission is to love you! That joy must transcend whether you see the person daily or have living fruits to show for the union.



What other myths are you aware of? Let's share and debunk them!!! 

Thursday 12 December 2013

Worship Jesus the King


I was invited to minister on the 7th of December, 2013 at the monthly Women Breakfast Meeting of Woodcliff Community Reformed Church in North Bergen, New Jersey. Here is the transcript of my message. I pray it ministers to you as it did me and them.

I’m honoured to be in your presence today and I pray that you’d see less of me but more of God as we spend time discussing His Word. I bring greetings from my family and sisters at FRC Fort Lee and RCCG The King’s Court in Hackensack, they were to come with me today but other events took precedence. Today we will be reminding ourselves of how to study the Bible as we weave the beautiful story of Jesus Christ around the theme of Worship.

Let us pray. Father, I thank you for this opportunity to learn at your feet and grow thereby. As we enter into your Word, may we receive new life and understanding through which we will grow in the light of your Word in Jesus name.

How many of us do personal Bible Study or what some call quiet time or time alone with God or time with Jesus? We need to. It is required of us and I am happy to let us know it can be simple and enriching. So what do we need? First a willing spirit to know Him more and yield to being taught by Him. Secondly, time and space to be alone. Thirdly, resources e.g. The Bible, Bible Guide, Jotter, Pen and if you are not new to study, a concordance.

How do we go about it? First you plan (if using a guide just determine the best location and time for what you plan to do. If not using a guide, you need a topic or what others have written about the topic of your choice). Then pray then proceed then pray again. By the close of your study, you need to meditate on what you have read, connect what you have read to you and those close to you, make a decision to live by what you have read and pray. I need someone to share her short study prayer with us. Thanks for sharing; for those who are new just understand that prayer is talk with God. This prayer can also be used as guide:

Dear Lord, as I try to learn about you and your commandments, may I seek the truth in all things. May I look upon the Bible as the authority that comes from you. May my heart be receptive to your truth, and may I have the courage to change my life when I am shown the truth. May I be honest and sincere in this study, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Today our theme is Worship Jesus the King and our reference is Luke 2 and Matthew 1:18-2:23. As part of proceeding we need to read. May I ask us to read three verses each? For the purpose of this study, we’ll look at 4 salient points:

  1. The Prophetic Birth of Jesus
  2. The Call to Worship
  3. Worthy Worship for the King
  4. Invitation to Worship

If you are studying the Word of God with a guide, just prayerfully follow the guide. If without a guide, you can look up these themes via the concordance where you’d be directed to what to read or research ahead for what other credible resources have written.

The Prophetic Birth of Jesus
So how was the Birth of Jesus foretold? Let’s all read Daniel 9:24-25
God said the prophecy would begin “from the going forth (the issuing) of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem...” At the time God gave Daniel this prophecy, Israel was a slave nation under Babylon; however, God had foretold that the enslavement would last 70 years. This 70-year period was coming to a close; non-Jewish history records that the Medo-Persian emperor Artaxerxes issued such a decree on March 14, 445 B.C. Therefore, precisely 173,880 days from this day should bring us to some significant event in Jesus’ life which presented Him to the nation Israel as their Messiah.

If you study the book of Nehemiah, you will find the account of the Jewish pilgrimage to rebuild Jerusalem following King Artaxerxes’ decree. The prophet Nehemiah assumed charge of this rebuilding effort, which was carried out in such extreme hardship and danger that the builders carried swords with them as they built the walls. Thus was fulfilled precisely the prophecy in verse 25b, “...it shall be built again with city square and moat, but in troublous times.” Nehemiah 4:17. God also foretold to Daniel the exact day on which Messiah was to announce Himself as King. The learned Magi knew of Daniel's prophecy and of his reputation of reliability in such matters. They knew the story recorded in Daniel, where their own Zoroastrian brethren had not been able to interpret the King's dream, but Daniel's God had revealed it to this Jewish prophet, and Daniel had used this information to save the lives of the Magi! To the Zoroastrians, Daniel was a phenomenal individual, one whom they had greatly respected in every generation of Magi since Daniel. Therefore, just prior to Jesus’ birth, they must have been buzzing with anticipation, because they knew they were living within the lifetime (approximately 30-40 years) of the completion of the specified time period. They knew that, if someone were to announce Himself as Messiah in just 30 years, he would have to be born then. So the Magi were actually looking for a sign. The Holy Spirit was also not leaving anything to chance, and was prompting their minds to anticipate and properly understand what they were about to observe.

The Call to Worship
Who were called to worship?
Astrologers! (Matthew 12:1) Star-seekers “from the east” probably Persia where the Jews were exiled many years earlier. Due to Daniel’s influence, these men were familiar with the Scripture’s predictions about a great leader who would be born in Bethlehem. They understood the times, seasons and believed the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. In the eyes of you and I, these were unworthy men; why should they be called to worship when they were not Christians. Let’s see what Luke 19:10 says: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” These seekers were busy in their career; they weren’t loafers, they weren’t lazy, they were focused on the aim of deriving meaning and wisdom from studying the stars. Today God still calls out to those who diligently seek the truth. Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So they were called to seek and directed to worship and adore Him. They did not seek to share, deny or usurp his power like Herod. How? They accepted what God showed them by means of a star that is different from all the stars they have studied so attentively. But how did they differentiate this star and knew it carried Messianic prophetic significance? Remember that the birth was foretold, not only in Daniel 9:24-25 but also Isaiah 9:6. They knew the times and understood the sign (Isaiah 7:14). Today God keeps calling those who are lost but not all those who are called yield. The Magi paid such attention to detail as is expected of us today, Amos 3:7 says, Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Though they went first to King Herod, the enemy who feigned interest to worship the King, their desire to worship in spirit and in truth made God reveal Herod’s real intention to them.

Worthy Worship for the King
What is worship and how did the Magi give worthy worship to the King?
The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery says, “Worship is first and foremost a verb, an action” (p.970). This is revealing because so many equate worship with either a place (usually a building) or a feeling. The underlying concept of worship in Scripture is that of service and homage consisting of both an attitude of deep respect and adoration to the one revered. Worship includes and involves highly regarding and then serving the one revered. Worship was laborious until Jesus came. A consecrated priest had to make sacrifice in a condoned off place sealed by a veil called Holy of Holies once a year and that was on the Day of Atonement, which the Jews still celebrate as Yom Kippur. The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant with a cover on which sat the cherubim, which is referred to as the Mercy Seat. But following Jesus birth and ministry, He gave himself as a living sacrifice and the mode of worship changed. This change was shown to us following his birth by the Magi and again and again throughout his life. When Jesus said it is finished at death, the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle split into two symbolizing the fact that we could now approach God directly since He paid the capital price with His own life Matthew 27:51. His blood replaced the sacrificial offering in the tabernacle. John 15:1-7 talks about the true vine… We can only worship God through Jesus Christ.

Worship is an internal decision that creates an attitude, which is acted outwardly. The Magi acted on what they heard from God by seeking Jesus. Matthew 6:33 say, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all other things would be added to you. As they sought, their knowledge, wisdom and understanding increased. Would they have sought Jesus if they didn’t believe He is King? No. What was their act of worship? They knelt and bowed; they fell on their faces, in humility and in reverence then they presented their gifts in gratitude and thanksgiving. Matthew 2:11 says, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.” The wise men are so called because they yielded to the call and acted to worship baby Jesus by making the journey bearing significant gifts, which suggests that they were being prompted by Daniel's prophecy, and fully understood the prophetic and religious implications of Jesus’ birth, ministry and death. Consider the gifts they presented to Jesus:

  1. Gold - Daniel said in 9:25 that the coming Messiah would be a “prince”. This term denotes royalty. The most valuable metal of the time was the perfect gift for a king.
  2. Frankincense - God said in Exodus 30:34-36 that frankincense was to be prepared for the “purpose of sacrificial fumigation”. Jesus Christ was killed on Calvary as the Perfect Sacrifice, which would be acceptable to God to take away the sins of all who would accept it. Did Daniel's prophecy reveal this sacrificial aspect? Yes! In 9:26, God revealed that Messiah would be “cut off” meaning sacrificially killed. The priests also used frankincense during the regular service in the Temple; as such this gift could also point to Jesus Christ as a priest, whose office is known for service rather than being served (Matthew 20:28) and the ultimate High Priest, an office, which He assumed after His ascension into Heaven.
  3. Myrrh - The Jews used Myrrh as a burial spice for embalming and to mask the odor of decay. John 19:39-40. This gift foreshadows Jesus’ divine mission of giving His life to bring salvation to mankind.

But their worship did not end there, as they left the King of kings they defended him by not returning to the enemy. They also continued to talk about their experience, which we can call witnessing – Matthew 28:19-20 enjoined us to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. The Magi who were also referred to as shepherds made their experience a matter of public confession and praise. They returned, glorifying and praising God, in concurrence with the holy angels. If others would not regard the report they made to them, God would accept the thanksgivings they offered to Him. They praised God for what they had heard from the angel, and for what they had seen, the babe in the manger, as it had been spoken to them. They thanked God that they had seen Jesus Christ, though in the depth of his humiliation.

Invitation to Worship
How well do we defend the King in our life?
True Worship rests in believing and accepting that Jesus is Holy. My dear sisters, we can’t afford to believe or accept Him with pride but with the spirit of submission, obedience and reverence. The Magi worshipped. Today, there is a demand placed on us to worship and adore him. Worship is all about who Jesus is and Christmas is all about Jesus. Seeing what the Magi did, can we say that we are worshipping God the way we should? We need to note that, it is not only sin that can separate us from God; our levity in worshipping Him can also create a bridge between the King and us. Remember Cain. Do we join others to say Happy Holidays or we defend our King in worship by retaining the true meaning of Christmas – proclaiming our faith in Jesus Christ and worshipping the King in spirit and in truth.

The Magi did not think themselves older than a baby; they sought with purity of heart. They did not consider themselves experts; they humbled themselves and acknowledged their limitations. They may have done something wrong – sinned, by going to Herod first but they came to a point of realization and knew not to return to that sin. They accepted the grace of being led to find Jesus by the divine act of God, the grace of salvation, which offered them genuine peace, security and joy. They found all these when they found Jesus.

To truly rejoice at this Christmas time, one must view the event through the eyes of faith, like Mary and Joseph, the shepherds of old, the Magi from the east, and a handful of others. We must look beyond appearances, and see the reality. Appearance made it seem like Jesus was conceived in fornication but reality is that the birth of Jesus was via divine conception.  We must understand the event in terms of the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures and in the light of the revelations given at the time of His birth.

Some are neutral towards Jesus, interested in their own goals of giving and receiving of gifts and unconcerned with the miraculous story of Christ’s birth. Others are hostile toward the name of Jesus and all it represents. A few will truly worship Him this season. I pray that like the wise men, you will fall on your face before the King and adore Him with all your heart. Set aside all the busyness and festivities of the season and make time to honor Him with your life and words. Let the beautiful story of Christ’s birth motivate you to worship the One who died so that you might have eternal life. The wisest thing the Magi did was worship; will you worship the sovereign God.

Sing: All Hail the Power of Jesus name…

Sisters, our circumstances does not change the fact that we were created to worship and worship is His due. When I lost my mother recently, I wondered why it was necessary to continue to devote time to praying because I had prayed so much yet God’s will overruled mine in the area of keeping my mother alive. Her absence in body caused me so much pain such that instead of words I had and still have tears. But one thing is certain, how I feel does not change the fact that worship is due to The Redeemer and my being has not being able to stop worshipping The King. In spite of where we are on the journey of faith, He demands our worship. If you would like to give your life to Jesus or rededicate your life to His worship, please stand where you are and place your right hand on your chest as we pray together – Dear Lord, we come humbly to you afresh, we ask for your forgiveness and your love. Please blot out our transgressions and renew our fellowship with you. Take over the affairs of our lives so that we may reign here on earth and there with you in eternity. Help us to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more closely day by day. Guide us to grow in you. In Jesus name we have prayed. (If you made that commitment, please endeavor to see any of the ministers or leaders for guidance on walking in faith.)

As we close, may we bow our heads for prayer:

Dear God, we thank you for the grace to learn and grow. As we continue our faith journey, help us to worship and defend you as truly as we should. In doing so, help us to draw others to you so we can expand the community of those who can share the joy and beauty of salvation. I pray that God’s love would continually be available to us as we grow in the area of doing His will. Thank you for all the beautiful women gathered here; you know ours hearts, you see our pain, help us to believe in your Word and truly accept your loving arms and live daily knowing that your grace is sufficient for us. In Jesus name I pray.

Thank you and God bless.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Interceding for those in God's Waiting Room


Many times our own burden overweigh us so much that we don't take a moment to consider what others may be going through. But in Divine Connection, we are blessed with a group of women, who though are presently in God's waiting room, have committed time to praying for the vision of DC. They are the Daughters of Zion and meet on the Prayer Channel (online) every Wednesday to intercede for divine connections, purposeful unions, joyful homes and Godly children. From time to time, each member shares what has been laid in her heart by God. 

One thing I learned from one of the women, is the philosophy of ducking. When you duck, God can see your man fully. I added that, we must be careful not to duck for too long so that at least God knows we are standing by him as a pillar of strength to help him with God’s strict pruning. The day she shared with us, it was like she saw my prayer points ahead. Even some of the examples she used were part of my prayer point. That’s the beauty of God working through us to interpret the theme and vision of DC to us in a way that continues to bless members.

Today, I'd like you and I to join in the prayer of intercession for these beautiful women and others who may be in God's waiting room especially for children. The Bible says none shall be barren yet many pastors call out "the barren women" for prayers; is it that they don't trust God or they believe God must be reminded. Women don't make babies alone, yet no one calls "the barren men". That tells you that the society puts the weight on women hence the need to specially uphold them in prayers.

As these amazing women have committed to praying especially that affliction will not arise a second time for those who waited so long for marriage, we too must pray that the joy of marriage would not elude those crying out to God for fulfillment and balance in their marriage.

You may adopt any position, you may use any format i.e. worship ahead of praying but be sure to commit quality time and as you do so, the God of signs and wonders would deliver your miracles speedily in Jesus name

1.   I don’t know how animals do it but that is what we would have had. Any body sleeping with any body when the urge comes. God magnanimously chose to exalt and esteem us more highly than animals. He decided to create a mate like us, so that marriage is not between man and animal but between male and female. So let's pray for the institution of marriage.

2.   I usually tell my audience that getting married has nothing to do with age, status, skill or stature; look around you and the reality would hit you. I visited a sister sometimes ago, she served food for her mother-in-law but she didn’t put water in a bowl for the traditional hand-washing and I was like “How could you, don’t you know what you are saying is, ‘Ki e to jeun, e lo san owo ni kitchen, ti e ba de jeun to, e mo ona ibe…’ (Before you eat, go and wash your hands in the kitchen, and after you are done eating you know your way…). She was like “Ha!” I was really going to rub it in when I shook myself awake and reminded myself that, it is she that is married not I. She is living the experience; I am a custodian of the theory. You don’t know how many friends have looked at you (if you are married) and wondered, Olorun de fun eleyi na ni oko! (God gave even this one a husband!) or (if you are not married) sneered at you that you don't deserve to be. Your husband may be one-eyed or partially deaf or living with one condition or the other but the fact remains that you are considered blessed if you are married. Let’s go ahead and thank God for the privilege of marriage because the Bible says two are better than one because when one is cold, the other is assures of warmth.

3.   Yes there is the institution of marriage and once a woman or man gets into the early twenties, your body begins to yearn for this union. Yet, you and I know that not everyone is married. You may still be single or have siblings, older and younger ones, aunties, uncles, friends, co-workers who are yet to be married, let’s cry out to God on their behalf. Even though married people may still be looking up to God for biological children, they had a sense of fulfillment when they got married, when someone finally “put a ring on it”. So let’s cry out to God that God’s mercies will prevail and there would be a harvest of marriages and those we know will not be left out.

4.   Lord, give me wisdom to build my home. Proverbs 14:1 King James Version (KJV). If you are a mature single, the building has started and if you are married, the building is incomplete, so pray that God would give you wisdom that flows from His throne of grace to build your home into a joyful masterpiece.

5.   Brethren it is not everyone who is married or will marry will experience the love of a man or woman. I counselled a Ghanaian woman who was dating a Nigerian man, immediately she told me his story and I saw his picture something told me this is going no where. So I asked for his name to pray further and I got clarity that “Mba (no)”. But how do I go and tell a 34-year old woman that this is not it; so I prayed. Within 3 weeks of my interaction and prayers with her, the relationship caved and it looked like this woman was going to kill herself, so I started another round of grief counseling. Brethren all the assurances I gave her fell on deaf ears because what she could see and hear is the sound and sight of being dumped. But my God came through. Within one month, another man came around and even though she is taking things slowly, already she sees the difference between running after a man and a man running after her. I don’t know where you are on the love continuum but you will pray for you and those you are interceding for that they will experience REAL love, the inexplicable love; the one that flows from above without conditions.

6.   As I grew up, I kept praying that God would give me a man like my dad. As I grew up, as sweet as he is, I began to build an inner vow against marriage. I also remember seeing my school mother lament about having an erect nipple and I began to pray against having an erect “troublesome” nipple. Now I know that was a wrong prayer. Sister, believe it or not, something you have done or said consciously or unconsciously may have made marriage repulsive or unattractive to those around you. But the only reason we trust that those in it will remain married and those not married will step in, despite the challenges inherent in creating a home with someone who may not be of the same background, is because we treasure the companionship and the status. Let’s pray that we will experience true contentment, which the Bible calls great gain. Not a superficial fulfillment but a fulfillment that flows through the married to make marriage attractive to the unmarried.

7.   We celebrate Mummy Eve but her first son became a vagabond and the second son was murdered. We celebrate Esther but she was a woman who entered into a polygamous relationship to save her people; she married into wealth but she was not free. She saved her people but no record that she had a child. We acknowledge Rebecca but her son John, Jesus’ trailblazer, became a wanderer who rang the bell proclaiming a vision that people described at best then as insane. We celebrate Mary but her son who is today celebrated world over died at 33. We celebrate Jesus but he sweated blood and still the cup of dying for you and I did not pass over Him! One side of the story is great but the other must have been filled with grief. Unfortunately like the Yourbas would say, “Tibi tire la da ile aiye” (the world is created with bad and good); both came in the same package. Let us pray that the mercy of God would prevail over the challenges in our lives and that God bless us with grace and strength for the challenges that will not pass. 2nd Corinthians 12:8-10.

8.   The Bible says male and female created he them and he blessed them. Let us pray that God will bless the marriages around us – church, work place etc. and divinely connect the unmarried so we all can reap the blessings of marital union.

Saturday 22 June 2013

H.O.M.E.S = Harvest Of Marriages Empowerment Summit

Did you attend the "Harvest of Marriages"?

Please leave your comment about the programme and how what you learned impacted you thereafter...





Meanwhile, here is  a story of how the vision started...

Around 1999, Omolola received a divine instruction to “go and learn under Pastor Bimbo Odukoya” to which she responded that Pastor Bimbo was doing a great job, is here for the long haul and needed no duplicate. When the divine call persisted, she chose to dub Pastor Bimbo’s tapes from the archive of the television station where she worked and had the responsibility of reviewing the tapes for on air broadcast, she then reviewed them one after the other in the comfort of her living room. On hearing the news of Pastor Bimbo’s death, she broke down in tears as the divine call became apparent. After suggesting Divine Connection to Pastor Akin Adubi (RCCG Jesus Palace, MD), he took it up and partnered with the DC Host to actualise the vision of holding a breakfast meeting. That became DC’s inaugural meeting.

As the DC Host walked Pastor Kemi Onanuga of RCCG Jesus House, one of the participants at the meeting, to her vehicle, she said, "How come you are going to Nigeria after starting such a great vision.... Anyway, there is a huge audience waiting from you... Pastor Bimbo's demise has created a vacuum which no one is yet to fill... Go ahead and begin the ground breaking and I would be behind you to support you". The DC Host never discussed the genesis of the DC vision yet God confirmed it through His daughter.

It took the insistence of Pastor Akin Adubi (Daddy G.O's son-in-law) that the programme should be done before the DC Host departed the US in 2009 and Pastor Onanuga's statement after the programme in 2009 (10 years after the initial call) for the DC Host to realise that the days of running from the divine call is over. Both were affirmations that Divine Connection was indeed from God.

In 2009 after Omolola returned to Nigeria, DC was inaugurated in Nigeria via an event tagged DC KISS (Keep Interaction Simple & Short). When the vision was shared with Pastor Niyi Ajibola (RCCG Throne of Grace), he confirmed that the vision will grow to become a programme to reckon with within the Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. In 2010, Omolola was invited to minister to TOG Singles. In 2011, the first Mature Singles Summit was held at RCCG TOG with Pastor Grace Okonrende as Guest Minister. As a prelude to the 2013 summit, Omolola was invited as Guest Speaker to RCCG The Covenant House Breakfast Meeting. This became a summit of sort with Omolola taking the audience through a taste of DC’s interactive sessions and ministration on May 18, 2013.

When the decision was made to partner with churches for the 2013 Summit, DC met with the Pastors in Charge of RCCG Throne of Grace, RCCG Olive Tree and RCCG The Covenant House and they all directed us to the ministers in charge who in turn pointed us to the president of their singles ministry. Indeed it was a divine connection as everyone gave maximum support to the initiative. The success story of the 2013 Summit cannot be told without this rare support from pastors, ministers, members and the amazing contribution by the committee members who went over and beyond to actualise the dream. The media also warmed up to us as Cool FM, MiTV, LTV, Eko FM and Radio Nigeria took up the responsibility of hyping the event.


It was during one of the committee meetings that Omolola drew everyone’s attention to the fact that when ‘E’ is added to HOM the acronym for this year’s theme, one would have HOME, in the light of the event being tagged a summit, we ratified the name HOMES i.e. Harvest Of Marriages Empowerment Summit as brand name for DC’s annual summit. And so a new vision was birthed with 12 committee members who are poised to remain the disciples on which the continuation of this summit will rest. This is an indication that this indeed is a divine connection, driven by the TRINITY!

This year, singles (especially mature singles) from partner churches, the Apapa Family, churches of committee members, neighbouring churches, corporate offices e.g. banks and Divine Connection members participated in the summit which was organised as DC’s 4th anniversary. What an awesome event this year’s summit is especially with Omolola Omoteso Famuyiwa celebrating 40 years of God’s love and faithfulness via the ACE 4.0 Project.