INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL MINISTERS' CONFERENCE OF THE HOUR – A REVIEW

 

It was in April 1999 that the senior pastor of the conveners of this special Gospel ministers' conference heard the voice of the Lord (through the Holy Spirit) saying, "we are 5 minutes to the midnight", and that "the midnight represents the very point at which the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven to call up his saints (both dead and alive) in a moment of time")(see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Subsequent to this, in December of the same year, the Lord intimated him that He (the Lord) was embarking on a 3-fold end-time project which He titled, "the Lord's 3-fold end-time project". He also gave him the analysis of the project as follows:- (a) raising a great army of believers from the churches; (b) bringing about a great harvest of souls into the kingdom through them and (c) preparing the resultant church for the rapture (which he termed "fulfilling the pre-rapture necessity").

Following the above pieces of divine information, this servant of God was further instructed that a special forum for ministers be inaugurated to address the project, its details and the modus operandi of its execution. This is how the International Gospel Ministers' Conference (IGMC) of the hour came to be. So far, this conference has been held for six consecutive times—the present gathering inclusive (i.e. from 2000—2005). Let us now review the previous IGMC's, beginning with the inaugural session in 2000:-

IGMC of the hour, 2000, was held in Lagos with the theme, "raising the great army for the great harvest". This inaugural session, which attracted about 3000 participants, not only defined the constituent parts of the 3-fold end-time project (stated before in this text), but also painted a clear picture of the army of believers the Lord is bent on raising, as follows:-

(i)      an army of believers with loins girded with the belt-armour of truth (the truth of God's word and truthfulness) (Eph. 6:14).

(ii)     an army of believers wearing the breast-plate of righteousness (the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and their own right-living (Romans 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9 and Matthew 5:20)

(iii)     an army of saints with feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15).

(iv)      an army of Christians wielding the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

(v)      an army of saints wearing the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

(vi)      an army weilding the sword of the Spirit and the spiritual sword of the believer (the word of God) (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:11).

(vii)     an army watching and praying always in the Spirit with all perseverance (Ephesians 6:18)

(viii)    an army harnessed with the fruits and gifts of the Spirit for impeccable Christian life and effective service to God (Jn. 15:5,16; Rom. 6:22).

The conference also handed down profound details of what the Lord wants to do with regard to the second aspect of the project, i.e. "bringing about a great harvest of souls into the kingdom", as well as the third aspect i.e., "preparing the church for the rapture".

Aside the above, the conference taught on the Lord's strategy for executing the project. The strategy is to raise "mighty men of valour" or "able ministers of the New Testament" (2 Cor. 3:5-6). Details of the pre-requisite characteristics that must be found in the prospects, as well as the medium for making them "mighty men of valour, were also given and that medium is The International Gospel Ministers' Conference Of The Hour.

Finally the conference reviewed both the short-term and long-term results, once these mighty men of valour are made.

The IGMC of the hour 2001, also held in Lagos in September, had the theme; "raising glorious ministers of the glorious gospel of Christ for these last days". The meeting was attended by about 3600 ministers from various parts of the world.

In this second conference, the inaugural session was reviewed and the two reasons underlying the 3-fold end-time project, namely: the fact that we were 5 minutes to the midnight and that now is the day of the Lord, were exhaustively taught and proved.

In this conference ministrations that bordered on the making of the mighty men of valour, which is the key to achieving the 3-fold end-time project were part of the highlights of the meeting.

The International Gospel Ministers' Conference of the hour 2002, held here on this ground, was the 3rd in the series. The theme was, "turning the multitudes within and without to the Lord their God". The meeting attracted about 5000 participants from several parts of the world.

During this session, the Lord's 3-fold end-time project was once more reviewed and the modalities for turning the multitudes within and without to the Lord their God given. In this session also, sight was not lost on the issue of turning the participants into mighty men of valour.

The above conference was the 4th in the series, and was a spectacle to behold, as about 9000 men and women of God thronged this 30,000 capacity Rock Chapel of the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement.

Apart from the usual review of the Lord's 3-fold end-time project which the conference was established to address and prosecute, this session was rather electrifying (as it were), as multitudes of God's servants came under such mysteries of the kingdom that were dug up to build God's glory into the men and women to whom it has been given to facilitate the imminent great harvest and have the church ready for the rapture. Such ministrations as, "good coming out of evil", "twelve thousand opinions", "a second exodus determined" and others are still working in the lives and ministries of many.

This 5th session of this unique conference, attended by about 9000 participants was a strategic one indeed. For one thing; before it was packaged and executed October last year in this Rock Chapel, the Lord had further intimated that we are now about 2½ minutes to the midnight. This word of knowledge came in April 2004, five years after the word of the Lord in April 1999 that we were 5 minutes to the mid night.

Now, logically or mathematically speaking, does this imply that the rapture will take place in April 2009 (5 years from April 2004)? The answer is NO, since NO MAN can predict or have a revelation of the exact date or time of the Lord's return (see Matthew 24:36). The only thing that can be safely said is that "there is no more time". The rapture could be one day, three months, ten years, three weeks or one year away from now.

Coming back to the conference under review, it was altogether a strange and shocking gathering, given that the Lord commanded that there be no write-ups or scripts, or programme sheets. To the utter amazement of thousands of His servants who had gathered from 40 countries of the world, the Spirit of the Lord took over completely throughout the days the meeting lasted, leaving every single sincere participant amazed for what he/she saw, heard and experienced.

This review will not be complete unless we intimate you that the IGMC of the hour is publicizing itself, just as the Lord informed us. Participants have been bringing other participants because of what the Lord has done for and through them through IGMC of the hour. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes (Psalm 118:23; Matthew 21:42).

As was stated in our welcome address, IGMC 2005 is a very special one indeed. (1) It is likely to be the last that will be held on this note, that is, bringing the world together. Decentralization appears inevitable if the vision being disseminated must reach its destination fast. (2) The conference is focussing on the times in which we live. From the word of knowledge we received from the Lord, (as before stated), we are now 2½ minutes to the midnight. Recently also, the Lord confirmed that the project in our hands is "an eleventh hour business". This is the reason behind the theme of the conference in hand, "In Times Like These".

This meeting has been designed to highlight the critical phenomena of these times, as well as point us to those things we must constantly keep abreast of and engage-in at such times like these. Remember, the Lord Jesus lamented the inability of the Jews to discern what God had in stock for them, and they were the worse for it (Luke 19:41-44).

IGMC 2005 --- PREPARATORY TEACHING

THEME: COMING TO THE LORD UNPREPARED, POLLUTED OR PREPARED

We are all aware that as people of God gather together for a while at conventions, retreats or conferences such as this one, preparatory teachings should precede all other sermons, teachings, seminars, workshops and other forms of ministrations scheduled for that gathering. Such preparatory teachings are God's instruments for blowing-off all the dross that may be clinging on the minds of participants of such meetings, so that maximum benefit will accrue to those participants with each passing ministration. This is the reason underlying this preparatory teaching for IGMC 2005 titled, "coming to the Lord unprepared, polluted or prepared". It is therefore advised that each and everyone of us takes full advantage of the teaching in hand.

NB: During this conference, God's peculiar presence and power are guaranteed. All that He has packaged will surely be available to all who will plug-in. These assertions are not made as a matter of "boldness in preaching". They are rather based, not only on the provisions of the written and infallible word, but on revelation-knowledge also. In the written and infallible word, He promised (both expressly and impliedly) His presence and power and the accompanying phenomena at such a gathering as this (Matt. 18:20; Lk. 5:17; Heb. 2:4-5). Through revelation-knowledge also we have been made to know that since this unique conference is addressing an issue that is, not only very dear to the Lord's heart, but also one very exigent, His presence and power plus the things that accompany them are guaranteed, to confirm the authenticity of the issue (Mark. 16:20; Acts 14:3; 19:8-12). Now the teaching proper.

At such meetings like this, it is not unlikely that the participants come with various conditions of the mind (either consciously or unconsciously). Here below, we are considering three of such conditions of the mind, namely:- (i) those who come unprepared in their minds; (ii) those who come polluted in their minds; (iii) those who come prepared in their minds. As we analyze these conditions, the Lord expects every participant to discover which category he/she belongs to, and to make the necessary amendments (if need be)

1) THOSE THAT COME TO THE LORD UNPREPARED

This category of participants are those who come to the meeting as a matter of formality. There is no recognition or conviction in their hearts that they are coming to meet the Lord (Gen. 4:3-7). There are neither quests nor any awareness of any needs which they want the Lord to satisfy. They come possibly because of curiosity only, or because the whole thing is free of charge. Such people can be likened to persons who went to the bank without any instrument of cashing money deposited for them, or persons who went here and there in a well-stocked market-place without purpose and without money.

This category of participants may have constituted a part of those that were described as "the mixed multitude" when Israel left Egypt for the Canaan land (Exo. 12:38). Such people were there in yester years (John 6:59-60).

They are the category that would sleep off, or go here and there in search of things of little or no consequence in the course of the meetings, no matter the tempo. They are the people that could leave the conference at the slightest inconvenience, or to attend to some trival or mundane matters while the meeting is still on. It is also this category of participants that would not care to understand, from whom the Devil picks away those seeds that the sower tries to sow into their heart-soils. (cp Matt. 13:4, 19).

In conclusion, the state of the minds of this category of people is in sharp contrast to the state of the minds of those who come and receive from the Lord (Isaiah 41:17; Jer. 29:12-13; Matt. 5:6). If this category of minds are in this epoch-making gathering, the Lord would have them rethink their condition, be challenged and changed for their good.

2) THOSE THAT COME POLLUTED

This category of participants is worse than those who come unprepared. Below is a number of descriptions of those who belong to this category:-

They come with wrong opinions or biased minds concerning the Ministry, may be resulting (inter-alia) from their encounter with some false Watchman "brother/sister/minister", who spoke or behaved arrogantly, boastfully or presumptuously, treating others as if they are not working for the Lord (cp Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49).

They come with their positions and abilities sitting majestically in their minds, thereby puffing them up and making them unavailable for anyone else's ministrations (cp Acts 17:16-18; Jn. 9:13-34).

They come with critical and hypercritical minds, finding fault in everything and very eager to correct this or that. They are the Pharisees and Sadducees of our day (Matt. 12:10; John 8:6; 9:14-16; Matt. 12:1-2; 15:1-2).

They crave attention to themselves, always wanting others to rally around them and often churning out instructions or orders to the rest ..

They come with envy in their hearts, making them not see special things as special and unable to hallow things that should be hallowed. The Pharisees and the religious rulers of the Lord's day were like that (Jn. 12:17-19; Matt. 27:18; Mk. 15:10). Cain and Saul also were like that (Gen. 4:3-8; 1 Samuel 18:6-9).

They come with some other agenda in their minds, may be to use the platform of the conference to promote their own ministries, sell their materials and make money, make connections with oversea participants so they can travel out and other such things (cp Luke 12:13; Phil. 3:17-19).

Some come with their minds made-up as to what level of spirituality to remain at, no matter the need of the hour and what the Spirit of God is saying. They have been tailored that way by the society to which they belong. They are afraid of the obvious demands of further consecration or commitment that will lead to higher grounds and more effective ministry– the need of the hour.

They come laden with sin and yet ministering. They are wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt. 7:15; 2 Pet.2:3). They come to defraud others, the host-ministry; to steal others' belongings at the hostels or when they close their eyes to pray; to spy us out and write scam letters. Some come in the iniquity of occultism or spiritism in the Church; in adultery and fornication and all manner of sins.

Let's hear what the Lord says concerning people with such pollutions: "—— they have gone in the way of Cain ( the way of envy), and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward (earthly gains), and perished in the gainsaying of Core (in envy, criticisms and murmurings). These are spots in your feasts of charity (your conferences), when they feast with you (sing, dance and "worship" with you), feeding themselves without fear ——" (Jude 11-12).

Someone may ask: why is the Lord spotting out these things? The answer is three-fold:-

(i) these evils, if not repented of and forced away from the minds will surely constitute a great barrier, preventing the invaluable benefits of the conference from reaching and abiding with those that have them; (ii) they will render those people's prayers and worship an abomination to the Lord (see Prov. 15:8; 21:27; 28:9; Is. 1:11; 66:3); (iii) the Lord will not want what He has packaged in this conference to turn around and constitute an instrument of condemnation, as would surely be the case, if they are not repented of and driven away from our minds.

3) THOSE WHO COME TO THE LORD PREPARED

When we come to the Lord with prepared minds, we have already scored 50% of the marks needed for the blessings of the Lord to flow-in and abide in us. Hear this testimony:- In 1992 or so, a homeless man with a terrible ankle-sore that had refused to heal over many years had his home (under rain and shine) at one of the popular bus-stations in Lagos. As if this was not enough problem, this man would spend hours and would almost pass-out whenever he was pressed to free his bowels. It was in this hellish situation that he was invited to our meetings. He had a very hectic day one of the days coming to one of the meetings with the aid of his crutches. As he approached the fellowship centre that evening, he had a startling remark by the minister through the loud speakers, "whatever be the nature and magnitude of your problems or the need of your life, if you will adjust your mind now to the fact that God is interested in you, 50% of your problem has already been solved. Immediately the man adjusted his mind as was counselled (without yet seeing the minister, being yet only near the gate to the compound). With this new condition of his mind he listened to the rest of the message and returned to his base where he was begging as a means of sustenance. Within a very short while after this day, live maggots miraculously streamed out of his sore and before long, his ankle was totally healed and his life drastically transformed. At this moment, this man is still a committed believer, living in an apartment, no more homeless at the bus-station. This is what coming to the Lord with a prepared mind can do.

To further underscore and fully understand and appreciate the import and role of "coming to the Lord prepared", let's go down memory-lane in the physical to the time of building the temple (Solomon's temple) (1 Chron. 22:1-6, 14-16; 29:1-9). Here, king David, having purchased the site for the temple building (1 Chron. 21:20-28) went ahead to provide abundantly (by himself and his subjects) the various materials/fittings and the labour for the building. As a result, when the building eventually commenced under Solomon, work flowed unhindered through to the dedication (2 Chron. 3:1-5:14).

What this implies in the spiritual is this:- when we come to the Lord with prepared minds, we have provided all that is required for the blessings of the Lord in diverse forms to flow-in unhindered (cp Exo. 19:10-11; 1 Sam. 7:1-4; Ps. 10:17).

Those who always come to the Lord with prepared minds to such meetings as this know this rule. They are the opposite of the two categories before described. Let us now see a few more descriptions of those that come to the Lord with prepared minds.

They do not come as a matter of formality, neither do they come with blank minds. Rather, they try to discover their needs and allow quest or desires to arise or develop in their hearts (cp Isaiah 41:17; Jeremiah 29:12-13; Matthew 5:6).

They have no business with any of those things that pollute the mind and obstruct the blessings of God as before described (refer to those who come polluted).

They do not carry themselves about as those who have arrived and have no need of anything from anybody anymore. They are eager to improve upon their Christian conduct and ministry, desiring to apprehend (100%) that for which the Lord apprehended them (cp Luke 17:5; Matt. 17:19; 1 Cor. 13:9; Phil. 3:10-15; Heb. 10:25). Like true secular professionals, they know that it takes a life-time of learning to be an acceptable and successful Christian or Christian minister.

Now, with what has been so far divulged in the matter of coming to the Lord unprepared, polluted or prepared, it is believed that every participant in this gathering will have identified how he/she stands. Those who need to cast off those polluting garments (as it were) should do so right away and let everyone get himself/herself prepared to meet the Lord, who is already mightily present to forgive, heal, deliver and fill his people to overflowing. Let us pray