─ God’s Ways are Mysterious – Pastor Fred Ohiani
─ Fountaineers Need to Know God More – Pastor Dapo Williams
The demise of a loved one usually heralds a spell of sobriety. So, one would have thought that the November 11 edition of the Thursday Showers service would be cancelled after the sad news of the passing of the Associate Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya, two days earlier.
But the Showers service did not only hold; it turned out to be a service of unusual praise and worship to God.
Different pastors mounted the pulpit with words of exhortation to encourage the congregants not to grieve like those without hope. While exhorting the assembly from Romans 15:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:11 and Genesis 16:1-13, Pastor Dapo Williams said that God deals with us differently, just as he noted that the walk of salvation is personal.
He urged Showerians to always call God by the way He relates with them. He said, “As a believer, you need to know God by a personal name; by the way He deals with you. If you have encountered this God, you will have a name for Him. He is an awesome God.”
Pastor Femi Megbope began his words of encouragement by saying that God is good, irrespective of situations. He, however, acknowledged that there are times believers face some situations that may make them want to question the goodness of God. But it is at such times they should further proclaim His goodness and give thanks as advised in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
He further said, “There are times we experience unpleasant situations, and we are expected, as mandated by God, to give thanks. Yet, even when we have questions that we don’t seem to get answers to, we are still expected to trust God.”
Reading from Ecclesiastes 3:1-3, Pastor Megbope declared that the world is governed by seasons, noting that seasons can either be good or bad and no man can question it irrespective of their emotions or attitudes towards a particular season one is in.
“Man didn’t create seasons, and so he cannot control it. No man can determine the day a child is born, and no man has control over an exit from the world. So our hearts are heavy because a season ended a few days ago.
“To us, it raised many questions, but to God, the Creator of seasons, it is the right time. That’s why you need to conclude in your heart that God is always good.”
In her words of encouragement, Pastor Yemisi Akindolie said that God had sent believers the Comforter for a time like this. According to her, “If we could comfort ourselves, we wouldn’t have needed the great Comforter.”
She affirmed that God knows the end from the beginning and therefore knew this would happen. Citing the example of Jesus’ mother, Mary, who grieved over the death of her son without understanding that He was fulfilling a purpose which would turn out to be a sweet story for all believers afterwards, Pastor Yemisi maintained that the demise of Pastor Nomthi, though painful, will turn out to be a great testimony as God’s name would be glorified afterwards.
She urged believers not to mourn or grieve as though they do not have hope, noting that nothing surprises God.
Pastor Fred Ohiani, while concluding the sessions, noted that God’s ways are mysterious and not understandable to men until they get to heaven.
“We cannot comprehend God by our earthly sense, but we know that He loves us and would continue to love us,” he said. The clergyman further encouraged Fountaineers to know that God is still faithful despite the emotions.
He concluded by urging the congregants to resort to thanksgiving and praising God rather than complain when they don’t understand a situation.
