Nigeria should pursue God, not money – Obembe

Having a one-on-one encounter with the Almighty God (the El-Shaddai) is a life changing moment in the life of any individual. Stories abound in the scriptures of men and women who had this encounter with the El-Shaddai and had their stories changed for the better. From Adam to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Deborah, Esther and Moses, the list is endless. ‘The Almighty God’ was the theme of the 2016 Convention of El-Shaddai Bible Church, Mercy Cathedral, Omole Phase 2, Lagos. The presiding archbishop of the church, Archbishop Olanrewaju Obembe in this interview with Seyi John Salau gave more insight into the theme of the 2016 convention, urging Nigerians to stop idol worshipping, among other issues. Excerpts:

Can you give more insight into the theme of this year’s convention: The Almighty God?

The revelation of God always brings divine manifestation of God. Several times in the scripture, God will reveal Himself through His name, the manifestation comes with revelation. El-Shaddai, meaning the all sufficient God, the all sovereign God, the omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent, the God in whom nothing is impossible. A God that watches over His word to bring it to pass, He appeared unto Abraham and asked him to walk in His way and be perfect, and they entered into a covenant. In Genesis 17, God appeared to Abram and changed his name to Abraham; don’t forget that before that time God has called Abraham to come out of his kindred and promise him that He was going to give him a land flowing with milk and honey, and it never materialised. God promised him that he was going to be a father to many nations but that covenant did not come to fulfillment until the I am that I am, the almighty God appeared to him, the almighty introduced Himself as the sovereign being unto Abraham and changed his name from Abram to Abraham, Isaac was not a reality but within a year after that experience the covenant manifested and Isaac became a reality.

When God appeared to Abraham and said I am the Almighty God in Genesis Chapter 17, it was revealed there that what Abraham has been believing God for over 75 years became a reality when El-Shaddai showed up.  The word God Almighty translated to mean El-Shaddai in Hebrew that means the God who expresses absoluteness, His absoluteness so definitive of absolute power that He asked a man that was 99, and his wife was 70 despite medical conditions they still produce what God promised, Isaac became a reality that year that El-Shaddai showed up. So, no matter what we go through in life, when God show up in our life so many things that are difficult will become very easy particularly at a time like this in an egalitarian society where even the rich are crying, so God has to show up when we pray obvious impossibilities will be possible, God’s words has assured us that its possible.

How has been the experience since the convention started?

It’s been powerful; we have not had it like this before, God showed Himself as the Almighty God through the dimension of the revelations of His words. The first night was so prophetic with the declaration of the word of God in an atmosphere of open heaven. The atmosphere was conducive; the spiritual ambience was presence for the people to tap into the almightiness of God. The word of God was expressly declared to the people in a dimension it has never been seen before. On Saturday, it was very explosive; God used His invited servant, Reverend Samuel Olubiyo in a great dimension, with fresh revelations of the almightiness of God. Today, God’s word was also declared to the people with another revelation of the Almighty God, so we are fulfilled having this convention and God has been faithful.

It was noticed in the three days that the convention lasted that you usually start your sermon/ministration with a moment of praise and worship; what is the role of praise and worship in a Christian service and why have you adopted this style?

I cannot minister without the presence of God; I can’t adopt any style without the presence of God. I have a covenant that I will not go to the pulpit without God’s word and without His presence, so when you have the combination of God’s presence with His words there will be coordination in the lives of the people. So, in the place of Godly presence you will find out that things happen, it brings the glory of God so I have discovered from my studies that God inhabit the praises of His people. When you as a man discover that I am a worshiper, I cannot do without His presence, people call that anointing but that atmosphere – the glory of God, the presence of God, the fire of God comes upon us, and there is something about praises that probably must bring God presence down. When you are a worshiper you carry the ark of God’s presence, supernatural things happen, so the place of praise and worship in our lives can never be substituted because God is looking for worshipers; we must be worshipers significantly and not equally.

Your recently-published book ‘Facing the Challenges of Economic Meltdown’ is very timely as it is coming at a time the country is experiencing economic recession, can you relate the publication to what we are facing in the country today?

Well, as bible scholars we know there was a generation in the bible it was as if famine was a recurring decimal to that generation. You remember Abraham was called in Genesis Chapter 12, and almost immediately the bible says there was famine in the land to the extent Abraham went down to Egypt. Isaac also in Genesis 26, there was famine and God told him not to go down into Egypt; but to dwell in the land which He shall tell him. The son of Isaac, Jacob experienced famine concurrently; the famine was so severe that there was a global recession that Egypt the first civilisation, when it started all the people of governance, people of mathematics, construction, engineering, law and so on, that super power nation went into economic recession and Joseph was raised. All the advisers, professors of that time could not proffer solution to the economic recession that they faced, God raise Joseph who was able to find out economic remedy to the economic problem, and the peoples’ lives were saved; they never had to go to Egypt because of famine; so, even in the time of David and other generations famine was reoccurring. So today, we are faced with similar situation and the God who delivered them in those generation will proffer solutions on what we can do; people who needed to go into agriculture, those who needed to develop their skills, some people will go into urban services, because when you solve a problem: money will show up. When you pursue an idea and you won’t bask in, you create returns, so one of my few take away – the Lord have to prove Himself and we have to prove Him by His words.

What is your prayer for Nigeria and if you are asked to make a wish for Nigeria, what would that be?

I pray God that people will stop idol worship. A nation that goes trusting in themselves and trusting in idols, they have invited punishment for themselves. Let people go back to God, pursue God, not money, not things that cannot satisfy– the pleasures of life that are there are there for a moment; that is my wish for Nigeria.