Posted by By Bimbola Oyetoro on
Going into full time ministry was the last thing in his plan, but when the hand of God fell heavily on him, he had no choice but to succumb to the divine call in 1991.
Going into full time ministry was the last thing in his plan, but when the hand of God fell heavily on him, he had no choice but to succumb to the divine call in 1991. Bishop Taiwo Akinola of the Rhema Christian Church and Towers, Sango Otta in Ogun State, is an engineer by profession and had a stint in the teaching profession at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro for many years before he heard the divine call.
His message is the full emancipation of men from the clutches of Satan. Though of a gentle disposition, Bishop Akinola is a terror when it comes to the battle against the stronghold of Satan.
Background
I born September 21, 1958 and raised in a quiet Osun State town called Gbongan. I was born to a deeply religious family. As a matter of fact, the religious inclination in our home was so glaring that three out of four of my grandparents were either church patrons or matron at one time or the other.
My maternal grandparents were strong contributors to the establishment of the Anglican church in Gbogan which came to be known as ‘Enukoroyin' church in Gbogan today.
Conversion
I've always had this inclination towards godliness. For example, when I was very young, usually every Easter period was always a touching period for me, especially when we went to church and they say Jesus Christ suffered on the cross. Most of the time I would just burst into tears thinking why should God who had only one son give Him out to be maltreated. My father then had 17 children, and then I would say why didn't my father donate one. I grew up with that kind of childish opinion but it formed a lot of my underlying philosophies in life. I discovered that I just grew up serving God. When we were in the secondary school, I belonged to the Scripture Union group and I would ask questions, I wanted to be born again. Each time the school visitor came, my question then would be on how to be born again and then have eternal life. But then another dimension was joined to it when I discovered that all powers belong to Jesus. I am from a polygamous family and your guess is as good as mine regarding the normal antics of such setting. So, I was definitely looking for a power that could cover or neutralise all other powers. So my love for God on the one part and then my desire for protection and spiritual defence on other, I discovered were met in Jesus. While I was working in my one year teaching job in Lagos, I would hear meaningful preaching in the bus and most of the time when they requested for those who wanted to be born again, I would raise my hand. On the 4th of April, 1977, I was in the house at 61 Onipede Street, Lawanson, Surulere in Lagos when an old friend of mine came, preached to me and I was overwhelmed with a conviction that Jesus saves. So, that evening around 7 p.m., I gave my life to Jesus and from that day, I have never had the need to look back and regret that I gave my life to Jesus Christ.
Beginning the ministry
Ministry didn't come to me as an ambition, but as inspired heavenly vision. Sometimes around October in 1979, I was reading a book written by Cielo, I think Three Keys to the Book of Acts. Through it, I saw so many revelations, so many ideas, so much of what God can achieve and accomplish and as it were it is inexplicable, but I know I heard voices telling me, boy you can do this thing. That was my first inspiration into this ministry, Rhema Christian Church and Towers which was inaugurated 2nd of November, 1991. If you now look at that from October 1979 to November 1991, that was a product of about 12 years. I had a lot of dealings most of which were documented to the effect that God was laying hands on me to use me and make me a voice to the world. So it wasn't easy for me to say yes especially with my background as an engineer and also with my personality which is not naturally too outgoing. I felt, what did God want to use in a person like me. But I had no more alternatives when God urged me on and then sometimes in 1990, I just had to say yes to Him.
Relationship with God
God is my personal father. He is my greatest mentor. He is my worthy friend. He's my saviour. He's the only one I talk to all the time. I want to maintain a line of communion with Him, so He's someone that I see and hear all the time and that gives me a sense of security. Without equivocation, He is someone that I have elected to love and I know He is someone that is taking me to places. He is my hope of gory. He is my future. To me, He is the master monarch of creation and is the master and architect of my destiny. I love Him most sincerely and I am not making it up, that's just the truth.
Prosperity preaching
Prosperity is part and parcel of the gospel. I won't want to use the word succumb, but I would say I embrace the teaching of the Bible on prosperity. Of course, I know that there are abuses, whatever is being used, is also subject to abuse. There are abuses here and there in various quarters. Some people whose God is their bellies are stressing this to the exclusion of other truths. When one preaches prosperity and excludes holiness and Christian discipline, it is bad.
But my word has always been that, if you found a man who says he's prospering and he does not respect the word of God, his prosperity is not godly, because the Bible says in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God. So, if God is in you and His word is respected, you keep His commandment, then He will make you a commander, even of wealth.