PASTOR NTIA STANDS IN FOR BISHOP OYEDEPO

Resident Pastor, Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, Pastor Ntia Ubong
Photo credit: CU Website

If you were not in church last Sunday, you've got to read this!

For worshippers at Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota headquarters of the Living Faith Church worldwide also known as Winners’ Chapel international, not many can remember when the presiding Bishop, David Oyedepo, was ever absent during a Sunday service since 1999 when the commission moved to what was formerly a forest. Since the church has no branch for Sunday services in the whole of Lagos, Ota and environs, followers troop in from far and near – Lekki, Ajah, Victoria Island, FESTAC, Agbara, Okokomaiko, Surulere, etc, every Sunday, knowing that the prophet in the house is always on hand to serve them the plan and mind of God for the moment. But On Sunday October 26, 2014, Papa, as the president and founder of the ministry is fondly called, was absent: for the first time in many years or as far as this writer can remember, Bishop Oyedepo was not in church during the four services.

However, members were reliably informed that the apostle of faith was in Israel, in company with President Goodluck Jonathan and others. But if anyone was in doubt as to whether their journey to Canaanland would be worth the while, especially with the mad traffic on that route as well as the deplorable state of that axis, the ministrations of the wife and spiritual son of the man of God removed all doubts.Pastor Mrs Faith Oyedepo, fondly called Mama, preached during the 2nd and 3rd service. For the 1st and 4th service, it was Pastor Ntia Ubong, a spiritual son of the prophet who is the Resident Pastor at Faith Tabernacle. FT News exclusively covered the 4th service.Here are highlights of the sermon that got the congregation on their feet, through vivid biblical pictures into the auditorium. Read on!

A Charged Atmosphere!

“…The Bible says concerning you that ‘Surely there’s an end and your expectations shall not be cut off.’ Whatever the enemy has placed in your life that God did not put there, I stand on the authority of the Liberation Mandate and I decree, ‘it shall be rooted out in the mighty name of Jesus. Whatever has no right to be in your life, I speak by the authority of the Holy Spirit, and I decree an end has come. Your testimony is placed in your hands, in the mighty name of Jesus.”

With these words, the pastor set the stage for what was to be a power-packed service. At this point, the atmosphere was getting charged; some worshippers were already on their feet, and the fiery Pastor continued:

“In 2Corith.4:17, hear what the Bible says concerning someone here, ‘For your light afflictions, which is but for a moment…”

With emphasis on the phrase, “for a moment,” he said repeatedly:

“That moment passed one minute ago; that means the Egyptians you saw before you came, you will not see them again forever. Your test will become testimonies, and in case that does not convince you enough, hear what God is saying in 1Peter5:10, concerning what was an issue before now, “But the God of all grace who had called us unto His glory…”

Then he asked the congregation the following questions to buttress his point:

“Has God called you to shame, reproach, and affliction? (A thunderous ‘no’ from the congregation) What has He called you unto? (Gloooorrryyyyy, was the response)

And Pastor Ntia prophetically declared:

“Whatever does not resemble his eternal glory will be eternally cancelled now.”Not done yet in the charge, Pastor Ntia read the concluding part of 2Corith.4:17, with emphasis on the phrase ‘settle you.’ Then he once again delved into prophetic declarations:“This is someone’s stage for settlement. In your marital destiny you shall be settled; in the work of your hands, you shall be settled; concerning that issue of fruitfulness, you shall be settled; in your academic pursuit, you shall be settled.”

THE DEVIL CAME TOO LATE…

Matching scriptures with scriptures, to point out why God is determined to settle His children, the Ex-cultist turned Pastor, explains:

“Why is God determined to settle you? It is because the covenant He has with you is greater than the case the enemy has brought against you.”

Then he started reeling out how and why, using one scripture after another. Hear him:

“Before the devil showed up in Gen.11:30 where it says, ‘and Sarah was barren and had no child. Before the enemy showed up and placed barrenness on her life, as far back as Gen.1:28, God had already entered into a covenant of fruitfulness with her when He said, “Be fruitful.”On Sarah and her testimony, the father of four continued:“Even when it looked like the law of barrenness was going to win the war against Sarah’s life, one day, that day when God made all things beautiful in Sarah’s life, Sarah had these words to say, “The Lord has made me to laugh, and all those that hear will laugh with me.” …the devil came late

And More Declarations…

“I have come to declare to someone here…that whatever had made you to shed secret tears, and yet come out in the daytime smiling, the same God that made Sarah to laugh will make you laugh.”
Still on the issue of how God’s covenant with His Children is superior to Satan’s case against them, the former Registrar of Covenant University, used Bible cases of David and Goliath, Haman, Modeccai and Esther, as well Lazarus. Hear him:
David & Goliath: “God had a covenant with David and Goliath didn't know about it. So Goliath came in 1Sam.17:8-11, making boasts, defying the army of Israel. But he didn't know that in 1Sam.16:13, God had already anointed David to be a giant killer…” …the devil came late

Haman, Modeccai and Esther:

“Haman looked at Modeccai in Esth.3:5 and because Moddecai had refused to bow down to him as others were doing, Haman got so angry that he said to Modeccai, not only will I kill you, I will also kill all the other Jews. He got the king to make a decree to that effect. But before he came in Esth.3:5-6, he did not know that God had entered into a covenant with the children of Israel in Esth.2:16-17, when He raised up Esther to be queen at a time like that.” …the devil came late

Lazarus:

“Even when it was said of Lazarus, ‘by now he stinketh’, killed by the devil four days earlier, he did not know that God had already established a covenant with Jesus which says: “I am the resurrection and life.” And Jesus is saying, relax! Whatever is dead in your life, as long as you believe, I can make you have them back to life.”
“I don’t know what the enemy has succeeded to kill in your life, but I have come with a word for someone here, that thing is coming back to life. Your business is coming back to life…”
The preacher brought the analogy back home…
“And even when the enemy showed up  in your life and brought that challenge, frustration, stagnation, barrenness, failure, backwardness, whatever the enemy has brought into your life, he did not realize that before he made the plan, on the cross of Cavalry, Jesus had spread His hands and said, “It is finished!”

‘Torrential’ declarations:

“Whatever the enemy has brought into your life and destiny, the same way Jesus declared on the Cross of Calvary, I stand on this altar today to declare it is finished. To that disease in your body, it is finished; to that miscarriage, it is finished; to that marital disappointment it is finished…if that is your testimony, let your Amen shoooooooooooow it.”

Wait a minute! The sermon for the day has yet to commence and already there was a spiritual uproar inside the 50,000-seater capacity auditorium, and only God knew what was going on in homes around the world whose occupants were hooked to the service via the internet. And then, it was time for the main topic of the day anchored on the running theme of the month: “Understanding the Demands of Success.”

Driving home the theme of the month…

In trying to drive home the importance of fulfilling our part of the demands in our success journey, the minister in his characteristic surprising but highly captivating manner, dramatized with an audio book pack, which he took from the podium and placed on the floor. Hear him:

“From the very first Sunday of this month, we have been looking at several demands…for instance, if I pick one of these audio books and drop it on the floor, it will remain on the floor till Jesus comes…But if I, for some reasons, want to get it back on the podium, there must be some demands that I must give myself to. First, I must give myself to a reasoning demand (I don’t want this audio book o the floor; I want it on the podium.) So, I think! And when I agree that I don’t want it on the floor, I must give in to another demand, and that will be to move close to it so I can pick it up easily. But if I stand here and don’t bend over, the audio book will still be here, and I will be here, no matter how much I pray. Then I give in to another demand of bending over. But even if I bend over and stay bent over, even if all of you prayed, it will not enter my hand. I must give in to the demand of picking it up.
And even if I picked it up and don’t give in to the demand of placing it back on the podium, it still has not fulfilled purpose. So, I must give in to the demand of placing it back on the podium. And that is what God expects of us.”

Explaining the small ‘drama’, Pastor Ntia continued:

“There are demands that must be given in to, if you must see the kind of success that God has ordained for you. And that’s why on the first Sunday of this month, God’s servant took us through the Demands of Spiritual empowerment. The second Sunday, it was the Demands of discipline. The third Sunday he took us through the Demands of Diligence.”
With the congregation sufficiently charged, it was time for the topic of the day:
“And today, by privilege, I will be taking us through the demands of sacrifice.”

 It was during the sermon that lasted not more than 30 minutes that Pastor Ntia Ubong, explained to the congregation, in a rather enchanting fashion, why Jesus endured the Cross, in spite of what He was made to suffer.

WHY JESUS ENDURED THE CROSS…

From all indications, Pastor Ntia has an uncanny way of painting scriptural pictures and making them stay glued in the memory of the audience. Speaking on the topic, “The Demands of Sacrifice,” the minister took the congregation through what could be sub-titled: “Why Jesus Endured the Cross, Despite what He went through.” Although no Christian is unaware that Jesus died on the cross for sinners the world over, the Pastor in his forties literally brought the ‘Jesus experience’ into the auditorium and worshippers could relate with it. Hear him:

“Sacrifice is giving up something desirable for something of higher value. And a clear case in point is the case of Jesus in Heb.12:2, the Bible tells us, “Looking up to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame…” Verse 3 says in the first part, “for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself…”

Then he asked a rhetorical question…

 “What was this contradiction? Jesus primarily and specifically was sent to the Jews. The week before crucifixion, Jesus heard all kinds of accolades; people were saying Hosanna in the highest. They put their clothes down on the floor and Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem. But the very next week the same people who he came to save, were the same people who were screaming ‘crucify him. At that point, Jesus prayed a prayer that I’m glad God didn’t answer. Jesus said, Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass me by. And when He saw that God did not answer, He changed the prayer, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine O Lord.”

Why did He switch prayers? He asked rhetorically…

“Because the people that He came to save, the Jews, had turned their backs on Him,” continued Pastor Ntia. “But rather than turn His back on the world, Jesus, in a spiritual moment, saw someone inside the Faith Tabernacle, over 2000 years ahead of the time He was crucified.”

For starters, the 50,000-seat Faith Tabernacle comprises six wings namely: Honour, Hope, Glory, Faith, Grace, and Love. In what could be described as uncommon wisdom, Pastor Ntia brought what happened to Jesus at Calvary into the Tabernacle last Sunday. He said:

“And when the first stroke of the cane landed on His back, He saw these people at the Hope Wing and said, for their sake, I will go to the cross. And then the next stroke came; it was more painful than the previous. He was almost on the verge of turning back, but all of a sudden, in a moment of time, He looked at the Glory Wing where the Faith Tabernacle Choir are seated, and He said for their sake, I will go to the cross. And the next stroke came and it looked like He was about to pass out, but His eyes were opened and He saw the people at Faith Wing and said, for their sake I will go to the cross.”

“And the 30th stroke came and it looked like it was the strongest, but Jesus saw someone at the Grace Wing and said, for their sake I will go. And the 38th stroke came, so strong, so hard, and Jesus said Father, I’m not going again. But God said, open your eyes and see someone at the Love Wing. Though He was bleeding, He said for their sake I will go to the cross. And the 39th stroke came and landed on His back. And Jesus said, Father, no more! But God said look at Mama (Faith Oyedepo) at the Honour Wing. How can you not go to the cross seeing that the enemy will come against her a long time in the future…if you don’t go to the cross, how will she be RESCUED FROM DESTRUCTION? Jesus saw all the other people at the Honour Wing and said ‘You are the joy that I saw; I will go to the cross.”

In closing, the minister said:

“He sacrificed His glory above so He had glory here on earth
He suffered pains so you will not have pains.
He was molested so you will not be harassed
You are the joy that He saw.
That is sacrifice!”

ABOUT PASTOR NTIA UBONG

Pastor Ntia Ubong is the present Resident Pastor at Faith Tabernacle, headquarters of the Living Faith Church Worldwide. Pastor Ubong studied Medicine from the University of Calabar where he was the overall best graduating student during his set. He was the first medical director of Gilead Medical Centre, owned by the Living Faith church. Before his recent appointment as the Resident Pastor Faith Tabernacle, he was the Registrar of Covenant University, a private higher institution owned by the ministry. He is married with 4 lovely children – three boys and a girl.

...Lucky Ihanza