The duo are no strangers to me. Privileged to have been taught and pastored by the man behind the crystal pulpit between February 1987 and January 1993, six beautiful years at the feet of one of the best teachers of the word of God alive today, Pastor Kris, isn’t your regular Bible teacher.

There’s no better time to come to this appreciation than the elevation into the realm of knowledge he gave the conspiracy theory distilling the confusion of the COVID season in prophetic interpretation which I haven’t heard anyone question.

For me, he unveiled the COVID facemask as the return of the curtain into our moment of communion and worship with God, to veil the flesh who must see God to be transformed. The mask is from the same realm (human knowledge), that gave the fig leaves as a covering substitute for God’s glory with which the flesh of the first family was covered in the garden.

There are two separate statements made by Rev Chris Okotie that set him apart from the church confused crowd and gave him out as the light to follow to the greater light for those who seek to come out of the COVID darkness. The first states: “Dagon, the God of the Philistines fell in obeisance before the Ark of God. Coronavirus the god of secular humanism will be decapitated in like manner”.

Thus Chris Okotie unveiled the real issue: Secular Humanism; man becoming god to himself and seeking to incorporate his worship at the moment God is meant to be worshipped in the temple of God.

In his second statement, Okotie said “social distancing in the church of Jesus Christ is tantamount to blasphemous infidelity of the word of God. Healing is fundamental to the redemptive work of Jesus”.

His decision to close his church till that time when  secular humanism would be conquered and church life returned back should give us a peep into the rigid personality called Kris Okotie, a man, all out for the consummation of the scriptures upon his being.

My interest in Pastor Bosun dates back to 2014, for the warning he gave the church. Buhari was a no go area for me, so left with no option than a vote for PDP.

I had no issue sharing his sentiments to a large extent, however, my understanding of how the Church should play in the political space, helped me to place caution on his endorsement of PDP and approval of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. But much of what he warned the church against are our experience today.

The Church can’t afford to be divided, that’s the purpose of Apostolic Round Table, nothing should be too much an issue that we can’t table, democracy thrives through dialogue, we must mature in it before engaging other faiths.

Bro Bosun Emmanuel will bear witness that I have reached out to him on the need to sit with Kris Okotie, just like I suggested too, that his own views shouldn’t be treated with levity by CAN. CAN should convey a holy Assembly to look at the issues he raised in 2014, vis a vis 2015 change of Government and the plight of Christians in Nigeria under Buhari’s leadership and APC administration.

This will inform Church policy development at guiding individual christians at making informed political decisions. That the Church as a body can’t be partisan doesn’t mean believers can’t be guided towards choices that will protect the interests of the Church.

The opportunity to meet Bro Bosun Emmanuel didn’t come until I was snared into a mammon’s mission meant for profit and personal agradisement championed by some greedy loafers in the name of a better Nigeria in 2018. Since meeting him, he has given a good account of himself.

Away from the persons and platform of our meeting, we have had cause to work together and till this moment l have no doubt about his sincerity on the mission of his quest.

Beyond the desires for doctrinal accuracy and the pressure of political correctness for social acceptance, there is the truth about our nation today which was informed by our nature as “political animals”; this political rights of expression both Okotie and Bosun exercised on different sides in 2015 and we know the side that won.

Okotie in 2014 rooted for Buhari, and on Buhari’s Victory had this to say, “A minister of the sanctuary,  which the Lord picked and not man” he quoted from Hebrews 8:1&2. He was not in doubt that Buhari’s victory was an act of God, and he was certain his emergence was a sign of good things to come.

That was his position. Juxtapose that with his position now; “Nigeria is at the cusp of a major  crisis which is a precursor to it’s rebirth. Prestine forces which have been a perennial impediment to the fulfilment of Nigeria’s prophetic destiny are about to be pulverized”.

There seems to be a tactical agreement in Okotie and Emmanuel’s position, not minding Okotie’s client nation theory. His submission on the person of Buhari then and the claim of what God is working out now he owes us a duty to connect.

Elder Bosun Emmanuel may not come to him and his school of thought as one not without “extremism”. Emmanuel’s quest for a church State is to many a flip side of Pantami’s quest for an Islamic republic.

While Pantami believes APC is an Islamic Party through which an Islamic State Agenda can be realised, Emmanuel through his public communications may seem to suggest that PDP is a more liberal political party where secularism of Nigeria can be maintained.

The issue of partisanship is nothing but fallacy when the dynamics of divine choice is at work. God’s treasures are hidden in people. His judgement also are hidden and executed through persons; godly or ungodly. Divinity will always work through persons, for God is a spirit and the God of all flesh. God can never be stranded when in need of flesh for His program. To favour Israel, Cyrus came handy. To judge Israel, Pharaoh was His rod.

To a stiff necked Prophet, his own ass became the oracle of God. We will miss God if we focus on political parties. Okotie’s X-Ray of Bill Gate on the secular humanism is what was supposed to be done about Buhari, in the drive towards secular humanism for which nations and Organisations are culpable. What is the culpability of Buhari as the leader of the country called Nigeria? What should we watch out for, in the APC and PDP as it touches on this emerging religious secular humanism?

My understanding of the man Buhari is beyond his political affiliations. It is informed by who he is, consolidated in my encounter with God. ANPP, CPC, APC, whichever the political garment, it is same man. How are we to be sure those behind the Fulanization or Islamisation agenda can’t switch party if they found PDP a more sublime party to carry on with their nefarious agenda?

Back in days at the Household of God’s Fellowship at 2c Obasa Street Ikeja, one of Pastor’s favourite song was:

“We are a chosen generation
A royal priesthood,
An holy nation
A peculiar people
To show forth the praise of him
Who hath called us out of darkness
Into his marvellous light

Sing Hallelujah…..”

It is penitent to state that Israel was a model of the nation of God, designed by him to be led by Prophets and Priests but later opted to be led by a king which God allowed. This background must signpost our rigidity and inform our flexibility in choosing our leaders in the democratic space.

Being an active participant in the political dialogue in Nigeria, I have reservations for Okotie’s approach for the same reason I had Pastor Tunde Bakare’s.
Persons in politics must not be our message. God’s principles for leadership should be taught to lead us to persons. Before the 2015 election Okotie said, “I told CAN and PFN that Jonathan was not of God; that whoever would win would be one who have built a tabernacle in the presence of God.

I told CAN and PFN that Jonathan did not belong to the house of David and that since he didn’t belong to the household, his winning would bring more sorrow to Nigeria”. We must not wait till our position become a reproach to learn our lesson and change from politicians endorsement or disapproval on our pulpit.

Message is what we are given to preach and teach not a messenger. Pastor Tunde Bakare recently took to the pulpit to glorify a messenger he named a modern Jephtah in Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This for me is a profanity of the altar of Christ from where Jesus alone should be preached.

There must be for us a lesson in God’s dealings with Israel, knowing it’s a shadow of the substance; a mystery God revealed as the Church.

There is no doubt that God had a plan that Israel will at a time become a monarchy, but like Solomon said, God makes all things beautiful at his own time, which of course interpret season of things and persons.

Saul was a demand ahead of God’s time and David who will be his fruit of that season. The transition from Saul to David holds for us an eternal understanding in God’s leadership ordination and to know God’s man for every leadership spheres.

Act 13:22 (KJV)
“And when he had removed him, (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

A peep back in the Old Testament will reveal how God’s ordination was introduced to the political space.

1Sa 16:7 (KJV)
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

This caution was given by God to his own Prophet; Samuel, to guide him from the human danger of his divine assignment in the house of Jesse to choose a king for his nation Israel.

There is a way God sees things which is different from how all humans see things. This of course should evaluate the danger of following prophesy simply because they were made by a Prophet without applying the dynamics of the lessons here learnt.

What God taught Samuel he will make a principle on how to discern the heart of a man who is God’s choice and who will do His will. Since it’s established that man looks on the outward while God looks on the hearts. Where will human meet God in our political choice making?

1Sa 16:18 (KJV)
“Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.”

The revelation of God’s finding of David in Acts is simplifies in the shadow story in 1st Samuel 16. The man found of God was introduced to a man, who saw the ingredients of divine leadership in a boy tending sheep in the field. He was him who enumerated what he has seen in lines with what was needed.

Okotie, Emmanuel and all church leaders must be humbled by the possibility of making a wrong choice as exemplified by Samuel and we must come to a place of conference that will translate prophecies into understandable principles of choice making.

We must accept that when prophecies become principles, just anyone will be able to point us to the person in our prophecy.

Let’s breakdown the dynamics of 1 Samuel 16:18 in today’s English for clearer understanding:

“Then ONE of the SERVANTS in ANSWER said, I have SEEN a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is EXPERT at playing and a strong man and a man of war, and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks AND THE LORD IS WITH HIM.”

Please, note the words on emphasis. First, when understanding is served anyone can be used of God to lead us to his choice. The pointer was not one from among the leaders but from among servants.

The camp knew by knowledge the person in the prophesy. This is my disconnect with a lot who come around to say God says they will be President without plying us first in simple knowledge that will bring their divine encounters to human estate.

Second, they all knew an EXPERT in the area of leadership required is needed. God will never impose a novice with Nepa bill for a certificate where proven and certified expertise is required. Beyond the basic skill, he could multi task where duty demands of him to so do.

Third, he was strong, though, strength is useless where skill is lacking. But strength is still of tremendous advantage to the man with skill. We chose strength in place of skill and wrongs have been strongly done since 2015.

Fourth, AND THE LORD IS WITH HIM, comes to me as he is God’s prophesy, mentioned only when his candidacy has been sold in human language.

The challenge before CAN is a Conference of leaders where the person of prophecy for 2023-2027 assignment will be sought and then that picture becomes a principle of teaching to the nation as our need in leadership so that not just the church is searching for this leader but all, without tribe or religious divide will unite in knowledge for this all important search and the person to see it, can say, I have found our President.

The threat of Secular Humanism is the greatest danger to democracy. The Anti Christ won’t be forceful “Adventist” into power. He will be a democratic choice of the global community. Democracy being a game of numbers, we must seek for ways through wisdom to disciple the church to defend our interests and to influence the world to keep voting on our side till the fullness of time when prophesy can’t but be accomplished.

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is the Convener Apostolic Round Table.
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