RELEASED GBOKO BRETHREN: SECURITY LESSONS TO CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES AND CHURCHES

 

by

Moses Oludele Idowu

 

We give glory to God for the release of our brethren of the Peace House in GBOKO. They were on their way to attend the wedding of Bro Gbile Akanni’s son in Ilorin when they were kidnapped, all of them members of staff of the House, according to reports. Several people were thrown into confusion by the news and as was to be expected prayers and intercessions went up to God on their behalf.

We must thank God for this.

 

I also rejoice with Bro Gbile Akanni and the Peace House family and the families of those kidnapped. We give God praise because others, including some Christians have not been that lucky.

 

It is against this backdrop that I now want to put down the following lines that may be of help to some ministries that want to use them.

 

Always, wisdom is profitable in all things. And always His people perish for lack of knowledge. Every time there is a lash on your back know one thing: you have stepped out of wisdom. Please don’t crucify me yet because it is the Word of God and however we hate to think about it, it is the truth.

 

We have averted disaster but we should learn also about these.

 

One nation surprises me and I admire her greatly. That is the Nation of Israel. And the Church is supposed to learn from that nation because the Jews are a type and symbol of.the Church.

 

Israel has one good principle which I cherish: study and restudy. After every major encounter they will come again to study and examine their strategies and see which works and which doesn’t and even those that work and how they could be improved in future.

 

After every war even when they won the battle they will still study every detail of the operations and encounter in the war and see where they missed it and what can be improved.

 

Even after the Entebbe Raid of 1976 believed by many to be a military feat and miracle of all time, the generals and commandoes still came together and studied every aspect. The fact that they lost a soldier, and an officer shows that it was not a total success even though it accomplished its objectives.

 

That is Israel. Unfortunately, the Church doesn’t learn from that.

 

The GBOKO BRETHREN incident now calls us to examine certain issues. Please take note of this and learn from them.

 

1. We are in the Last Days

The number one thing every Christian must bear in mind is that we are now in the Last Days. Whether you believe it or not is not the issue, that is the truth. We are now in the Last Days of the Last Days.

Human Trafficking and insecurity will be one of the manifest features of the Last Days. Again, there is nothing you can do about this but we can mitigate it and manage it.

Even famine and plagues are coming and they must happen. But prayers can mitigate them.

Therefore, it is time Christians realise what and where we have come and prepare accordingly.

 

2. Every Church or ministry should have some security plans

I have been saying this for long and for umpteenth time and no one is taking notice. We are sold on pacifism and the idealistic principles of pacifism and non- violence which is neither Scriptural nor logical and is out of tune with reality.

God is a Realist. Jesus is a Realist, a pragmatic Person. There is no time here to show that from Scripture. It is the Church that is idealistic and unrealistic, impractical. Read again the Parable of the Unjust Steward and see what it means in modern situation.

 

3. Avoid unwise decisions at this time

Christians take many things for granted. It is part of our unrealistic nature because we don’t know that we are now in the last time and things will get worse. I have been saying this for years that not a single church or ministry that I know in this nation is ready for what is coming.

Is it security-wise for instance for all staff of a ministry or a substantial portion of them to travel together in the same bus and at the same time? In the time in which we live and by road?

Don’t tell me about faith and prayers and fasting and God’s protection; I know that too. But I only ask is it a security – wise decision?

Please I am not condemning anyone, just raising issues so we can together learn from this.

 

3. God always make allowances for human frailties, why not us too?

He told Gideon if he was afraid to carry out the assignment in the day he should do it in the night.

He told him if he was afraid to go to.the camp of the midianites he should take his assistant with him.

A prophet said he could not eat his own dung, God allowed him to eat cow dung instead.

God always recognize human frailties and we should.

Our system is not perfect so make allowances for failures – of government, security, worldly system etc. That is the path of wisdom.

 

4. Have back-up plans

Why did God always have back- up plans? He sent Elisha, Jehu and Hazael so that those who escaped Hazael will be handled by Jehu and those who escaped Jehu will be tackled by Elisha. In addition He had another 7000 as reserves, back- ups that even Elijah himself did not know, in the unlikely event that those three failed. That is God.

Jesus sent them out two by two so that if one fails the other will raise him up and support him. Now, church I ask you where is your back-up plans for this time?

In moving your brethren from Lagos to Kaduna by road what is your back-up plans?

 

5. Reality of enemy and fifth column

Always understand that in every successful ministry or church the enemy too has his agents and fifth column. Don’t take this lightly. I am talking from experience.

So there is nothing you are planning that is not known to the outside world.

For this reason I think every ministry should have layers and levels of security clearance. It is good for you now.

 

In certain high security areas of certain security organizations you only know information concerning your levels and areas of work. Nothing above you unless you have a security clearance. People have worked in organization for years who don’t know and have never been to certain levels of that organization because they do not have the security clearance to go there and if they did they could be shot. That is how serious it is. Information is security and it must be protected.

The more information is known to the general public the more difficult it becomes.

There should be a way that churches protect certain kinds of information from people who are not responsible for aspects of its.perdormance or execution.

 

Do you know that even members of the Israel Commandoes who came to Entebbe in 1976 were not told until few hours to their departure. They were all asked to report for an emergency meeting and few hours to the time while the politicians were still debating they were selected.

The reason is because if they were told ahead they would tell their wives and children, who would also tell their friends and so on. And before you know the whole nation has heard. So they were taken from the field straight to Uganda without any word even the nation of Israel wasn’t aware that something was happening. The press didn’t know. Only those selected knew where they were going.

 

Again when the Israeli commandoes went to Iraq to bomb their nuclear reactor no one heard. As soon as the Executive Council approved the decision the Prime Minister, Menachem Begin kept all the members of the Cabinet inside the Room and refused to allow any of them out until the fighter jets returned back safely and mission accomplished. So it is not possible to leak it or sabotage it, because it has already succeeded.

Are you telling me that Jews do not believe in God? Where do they learn this from if not from Jehovah? And why has Christians not learn this? Always remember this point: secrecy is a critical success factor. The more people know of that thing the more difficult it is to accomplish it.

There is a book I am planning to write, WHY JEWS ARE RICH AND MOST CHRISTIANS ARE POOR

 

Today the newspapers already know what CAN wants to do, they won’t support Muslim- Muslim ticket, they won’t do this and that… We believe in noise and noise is a sign of weakness not strength.

 

6. Don’t say all that matters, keep back some information

I don’t know whether Christians today still read the Book of Proverbs. The simple,the fool utters all his mind but the wise keep it in till afterwards. Don’t say all. Don’t reveal all your plans. Some of your people are Joseph brethren -they love you because you are a child of Jacob but they hate you because of “your coat of many colors.”

When you keep back some information then it is difficult for anyone to sabotage you and it is difficult for fifth column to feed the outsiders.

Pastor Adeboye’s son, Deolu wedded many years ago at the then Latter Rain Assembly and it wasn’t announced in the RCCG. It was through Pastor Tunde Bakare the host pastor that many of us got to know. And Nigeria was far more secure then than now.

Secrecy is a success factor. Never forget.

 

7. Faith in God is good but also make use of.your sense

Why did God ask the children of Israel to excuse anyone who just married from war? Why did God asked them not engage those who just built a house from battle?

Because they could die and another person would take their wives which is a curse.

If it is a human who suggested that we would say such a person is not talking in Faith, that he is manifesting unbelief.

But this is God Himself Who has power to protect from bullets and Who can raise from the dead.

God is a Realist but Christians are idealists. That is why we often fail. What we call faith is not often so but presumption.

Canaan was a Land of Promise yet when Famine came God told Jacob to carry his entire household and go to Joseph in Egypt for sustenance. That is God. Why did He not use His power to protect them in Canaan from famine?

We don’t seem to know the ways of God.

A big famine is coming now on earth, is any church preparing for this? Or.you are waiting for government that cannot secure its own prisons and barracks from attacks?

Well, we are called “children” of God; we are indeed children. And foolishness is bound with children.

 

8. Tacboullah, never forget it

In every operation, in every stage of your work remember this word: tacboullah. It is the Hebrew word for strategy.

Now God said in the Bible “with tacboullah you will make thy war”.

God Himself uses strategy. See how He brought Ahab to his demise by sending lying spirits against him?

Strategy. Tacboullah.

Charles Finney says to bring revival and work for a revival requires strategy.

 

To live in this world and pass through is a battle, this serpent- infested forest of a thousand demons. And you need strategy.

So before going into any operation or undertaking ask yourself what strategies am I engaging for this?

If God Who has all the power uses it, why not you who is frail and weak?

 

There are other points but it is okay here. The wise will find the rest.

 

© Moses Oludele Idowu