LAGOS REVIVAL 2025 – A SUCCESS
INVITATION TO PREACH
Stephen Akin-Olatunde and I were invited to come hold a revival in Lagos, Nigeria June 17-21 at Excellent Christian Bible Church with Rev. Christopher Itobiye & his lovely wife Maria. The theme of the revival was “Divine Visitation.” We got to meet the Pastor’s children: Anita, Blossom, Flourish, & Treasure. Anita later led the Sunday morning worship – she is a very gifted singer and is one of God’s triggers to release His Spirit in that church, for the people were moved to dance and rejoice. Those who had formerly been timid moved out freely under her ministry. Pastor Chris comes from a ministry family: 2 of his brothers are pastors & 2 of his brother’s in law are pastors – for a total of 6, counting himself!
The Church choir is composed about 15-20 singers accompanied by a musical ensemble of 6-7 musicians. They wear brightly colorful outfits that all match and they change to different outfits each service. Their organization is admirable. Pastor Chris & wife Maria are called and used. They are diligent to care for God’s people. They started the church in their living room and have slowly built the congregation. They bought property and built the large, beautiful church building. They have sown and now they are reaping!
THE NEED IN NIGERIA
One of the reasons we have wanted to go to Nigeria is to be an encouragement to God’s Church there. Nigeria is a country rich in children and faith, but is poor in finances. Overall, 46% of Nigerians live in poverty, making less that $2.15 a day; in rural areas the poverty rate is 75%. Lagos is a place of extremes – extreme wealth for some and extreme poverty for
others. But the people work hard to find a way out of their poverty, they use their genius to start little shops and sell products out in the moving cars and buses, and on sidewalks. Since most people don’t have cars, transportation is a big need. So many young men buy a motorcycle and carry up to 3 extra passengers on it. If they are prosperous they buy a TUKTUK - a simple vehicle with an engine and three wheels, often used as a taxi. The next step up are small mini-vans with 3 or 4 rows of seats which can be crammed with 12 or more people. Nigeria is a country smaller than Texas, yet it has a population of 236 million – the same population that the US had in 1980 but all concentrated in a small area. Lagos is the largest city in Africa, having 21 million in the metroplex. Lagos borders on the ocean and some of it is on islands. Millions are moving to it each year, except no infrastructure is built to support this influx. As a result, about 70% of the population live in slums, much of it along the lagoon, without access to basic amenities such as electricity, clean water, access roads etc. So it is a place of great need. But the people are energetic, looking for any way to work, and as soon as they can, move to other countries for work.
TRAVEL TO SERVICES
We began on Thursday night. Stephen and I were picked up while the service was in progress. We would thread our way through the streets, sitting in the backseat.
DRIVING in Nigeria is similar to riding a roller coaster in America – at least – that’s how it makes you feel. There are very few stop-lights and not many police, so at intersections the driver who gets to go first is the one with the most nerve. All the cars are within inches of each other, jumping forward and trying scare the
other drivers into getting out of their way. People frequently drive on the wrong side of the road. The aggressive drivers let you know who they are by blowing their horns as they approach the intersection. The more honking they do, the more determined, fearless, or reckless they are. So all the sheepish people try to act brave, but end up letting them push through. To complicate matters, there are MOTORCYCLES all around you acting as taxis, with women and even small children on the back. Motorcycle drivers are more daring than all – cutting you off, driving between lines of cars, cutting through cross-traffic, driving the wrong direction in traffic, and off the road, etc. Then there are the TUKTUKs - 3 wheeled, yellow taxis. They are almost as brave as the motorcycles. They dart in and out of cars, cutting corners to get ahead and blowing their horns. Then there’s the mini-van taxis and big trucks, all vying for the same space. If that weren’t enough, there are thousands of pedestrians walking between cars and overflowing from sidewalks. Often I would find myself catching my breath at the dear-death of some pedestrian or praying that an aggressive driver wouldn’t run into us!
When you’re trying to get somewhere, it’s amazing to watch the ebb and flow of traffic, like a snake, twisting and bending around parked trucks or blocked intersections. It looks like there’s no order, but somehow, all the people eventually get where they’re trying to go! I never did see an accident.
So we would arrive at the church, prayed-up, a few minutes before the preaching was to commence. Every service, there were at least 15 area ministers in attendance. Pastor Chris was careful to recognize each one and ask some of them to do a part of the
service, like praying or taking an offering.
OFFERINGS
Nigerians, like many African nations, make giving an offering a joyful experience. Bouncy music is placed and the people dance their way to the front and drop their offering into a large container, and dance back to their seat. One service they took up three offerings for different things.
Anyway, on Thursday night I was introduced. The church was full. I don’t ever tell jokes in Nigeria because they don’t get American jokes. They do laugh at a funny story that exposes a human frailty. I preached on Revelation 2-3, “Jesus Inspecting His Church.” It’s a message to promote repentance and full dedication. Without these 2 things we can’t have revival. At the conclusion I had all the people reach across the aisles and join hands & we cried out to God to change our hearts, to cleanse us by the Blood, and to revive us again. I had the people pray for the persons on either side of them. It was a strong message & afterward the Pastor told me that several, even of the ministers, said they had become born-again for the first time!
On Friday night I was going to preach on Divine Healing and was hoping for a good crowd, but it began to rain heavily. It continued for 4-5 hours. Still at the hotel, I said, “Stephen, we need to pray for the rain to stop!” Stephen prayed and within 30 minutes the rain stopped and didn’t rain again until after church! The church was full and I preached on “The Lystra Cripple Healed.” It’s a message that pumps-up your faith and keeps it there all the way through to the altar service. I laid hands on about 20 people and prayed and I believe God healed most of them. It’s our job to preach and pray, and it’s God’s job to heal!
MINISTER’S CONFERENCE
Saturday was a Minister’s Conference in which about 200 people were present. Stephen & I gave each minister a copy of Loyd Singley’s book, “Have You Received the Holy Spirit Since You Believed?” I preached two messages that were specially adapted to ministers (with fill-in-the blank handouts). The first was “The Characteristics of a World Changer” and the second “The Abishai Anointing.” There was a great cross-section of ministers from different denominations. The second message was specially revelatory/powerful – outlining how the church should support pastors – using David & Abishai as an example. The presence of the Lord was especially manifested. Then we had an anointing service, anointing all the ministers with oil & reissuing their call. Everyone received a blessing. Then the church provided lunch for all.
HOLY SPIRIT SERVICE
On Sunday morning, Rev. Stephen Akin-Olatunde taught an awesome message on the character of the Holy Spirit and spoke with great authority. The church was moved. Then I preached the Holy Spirit message on Acts 4:6-31, “Fed-Up, Filled-Up, Fired-Up!” The theme is, we can’t be filled up with the Spirit until we have gotten fed-up with the world (violently & finally reject it). Once we get filled up with the Spirit, that should compel us to be fired up to witness. After the message, we had 30 ministers form two lines facing each other and had everyone in the congregation pass through to be prayed for to be filled with the Spirit. This arrangement is called a “Holy Spirit Fire Tunnel.” It was a crowning conclusion and the many prayers made a profound impression on the congregation. Rev. Isaac Itobiye, Chris’ older brother, an elder
statesman of Christian Pentecostal Mission, conducted an anointing service for the congregation and everyone left renewed, blessed, and happy!
CONCLUSION
Rev. Christopher Itobiye has since told me that he considered the revival a great success. He related to me, how a few weeks ago, a group of 12 robbers was burglarizing the neighborhood of the church. After burglarizing 6 houses, they came to the church and some of them started to jump the fence. But one of the burglars said, “No, let’s not rob this church, the pastor has been good to me. He’s even given me money before.” So they passed by God’s House. Aren’t you glad for the “keeping” power of God? Praise the Lord!
Rev. Stephen & I hope to go back to Nigeria next year for more ministry – if the Lord wills. May God’s keeping power be on you as you and may all the readers be blessed! Amen.
