Church in The Wilderness
I was invited over the weekend for a thanksgiving/send-off service. When the
invitation came, I was not sure I would attend because I thought I had a program
in church on that day. Fortunately, I learned in time that the program was not
for that particular Sunday, but for the next one. The coast was therefore clear
for me to attend the service I was invited to. On Saturday morning however, I
began to feel feverish and this again cast doubt on my honoring the invitation.
Nevertheless, after a long night rest, I was strong enough to make a firm
decision not to miss the service.
I set off on the rainy Sunday morning. My destination: the maximum-security
prisons in Lagos. The service was the thanksgiving service of the pastor of the
protestant group of churches in the maximum-security prisons. He had been an
inmate for eight years and it was time to leave.
I got there just in time for the start of the service. I was ushered into the
hall where the service was being held. It was packed full. I was given a seat in
the reserved area for special guests. As I was being ushered to my seat, I
looked up and saw the pastor beaming at me from the platform. I smiled as he
whispered to the person beside him, apparently telling him who I was. At that
moment, I silently thanked God for not allowing me miss this occasion.
“Welcome to the church in the wilderness!” announced the assistant pastor as he
started off the service. He continued, “We want to assure you that this church
has everything you can find in any church in the free world. Relax and join us
as we praise the Lord for the life of this man God brought into our lives, and
who has made tremendous impact in the lives of many people in this facility”.
The worship session started and I could not help observing the people in the
hall. At that moment, there was no difference between the prisoner and the
visitor. We all blended together in worship and praise to God. We stood as
equals before God who is no respecter of persons. The assistant pastor was
right, the quality of worship was better than what obtained in some churches out
there. I saw the zeal and the passion among the choir members. It didn’t matter
whether some of these ones had been convicted for theft, robbery or rape. What
mattered was that they had found God here. God had made a difference in their
lives and they were willing to serve Him even in this place.
It was time for speeches and I was amazed at the things said about this man,
this pastor whom I had known when he was out in the world. I had known him
longer than anyone except one, his mother, in that room. I heard how God had
used him to transform lives, how he went from block to block, cell to cell to
minister the love of Christ. I heard how he reached out to churches and
ministries beyond the prison gates for the provision of musical instruments,
food and medicines for the inmates and how he used whatever resources he had to
bless others. It was no wonder therefore that tears flowed in that service. The
Deputy Controller of Prisons gave this remark, ‘I am happy and I am not happy. I
am happy my friend is being released from prison but I am not happy my friend is
leaving me’
Amazing still, was the caliber of people who attended the service, apart from
the churches, ministries and NGOs in attendance. In that service were staunch
Muslems. The Deputy Controller of Prisons was a Catholic. For those who are
Nigerians, the name Major El-Mustapha, is a household name. This man was
actually in attendance and paid glowing tribute to this pastor.
By the time I was called upon to speak, I was short of words. I looked at this
man I had known for years before he came to this place. He looked at me and
there was a communication nobody in that room could understand. This was not
just a man who decided to serve God because he found himself in prison, this was
a man sold out to God. I will be waiting at the gates of the maximum-security
prisons to welcome him into the free world but I do not know where God is taking
him. I am rest assured however, that if he could make such impact in the lives
of people in that enclave, nothing will stop him from making bigger impact in
the lives of people outside, where there are no walls to limit his movement.
Steve O. Popoola, (c) Biblepraise, 2004
Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and The founder of
Biblepraise Fellowship Online. He lives in London where he works in the IT
industry as a software developer. He has served in various capacities as
Teacher, singer and writer in the body of Christ. He currently serves as
assisting minister in his local church as well as helping out in the Music
Ministry. He also speaks at invited chrurches/forums. To subscribe, send blank
email to
biblepraise-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . He can be
reached through His email address,
stpopoola@yahoo.com , or visit his website at
http://www.biblepraise.org