Background:
A disturbing cloud of spiritual darkness hangs over many communities around the world today. Some, where Christian revival had once before been mightily experienced, now lie covered in spiritual ignorance, apathy and lukewarmness, so providing easy playrooms for the forces of evil. Ibaji land today fits somewhere in these saddening scenarios. Considering the unfavorable socio-economic conditions that have prevailed in Ibaji for as long as one can remember, the current spiritual lowness among a vast majority of its people is a very unfortunate situation indeed. For such a neglected and deprived community of suffering people to remain bogged down as well by spiritual poverty certainly draws tears to the eye!
In the past several years, the cry for revival has echoed from the hearts of a number of Ibaji sons and daughters, both at home and away, resulting in discrete outreach efforts to different communities in the area. We are aware of such efforts being deployed around villages like Odeke, Unale, Enweli, Onyedega and other places, as well as other activities seeking to encourage unity among the Christian body in the area, beside prayer calls and meetings sponsored by some of our brothers. One of such efforts is the annual Unale Revival Crusade which has seen four editions since 2016.
This Move
We believe that the Lord is stirring the hearts of His children today, to bring our people to repentance again, and to roll back the cloak of darkness that currently seems to wrap around the minds of a great number of our kindred. We believe that God wants to, beginning with a sharp spiritual reawakening, draw our people out of their lingering states of hopelessness and suffering, and grant them a new lease of life.
The Ibaji Liberation Crusade series comes as a timely response to the current evident circumstances of our land and people. It is an inspired collaborative effort designed to reach out to Ibaji land in a powerful and unprecedented way, leveraging on current thrusts by groups and individuals who have been stirred in this direction.
This is why we are taking off by adopting one of these inspired efforts: the 5th edition of the Unale Revival Crusades slated for March 4th to 6th 2021, as our launch pad. And to underscore the fact that this new move bears an overall focus on Ibaji as one whole entity and not just on individual villages, the caption for this year’s crusade will be altered to read “IBAJI LIBERATION CRUSADE: UNALE 2021”. Until this perception is fully ingrained and understood, this will be the captioning format as we work together to take the liberating Gospel of Christ afresh and with renewed vigor and zeal to the different parts of our beloved land.
Why Collaborate and Combine Efforts?
Why is it important to draw our separate efforts together and collaborate in this new move?
First of all, as Ibaji, we are more homogenous than we are diverse, both in our outlook and in our experiences! From Ejule Ojebe to Echeno, from Nwajala to Uchuchu, from Enweli to Obale, ‘Eti-omi’ or ‘Oji-oke’, our terrains bear a common mark, and an Ibaji man is an Ibaji man. This hard-working family obviously came from a single not-too-distant ancestral stock! Together we have suffered, together we have known neglect, and as now God moves to bless us again and indeed, let us be blessed together!
Secondly, it is easier to make great impact and speed when we pull or push together. A mighty wind of revival is promised that requires a large cup to receive and to dispense. Our separate little efforts in our separate enclaves will not do. For instance, there are many anointed messengers out there whose diverse and powerful gifts and graces would greatly impact our land and lives if we bring them in to minister to our people, but how many of the separate outreach efforts we currently deploy can afford or justify bringing in such vessels? But a bigger collaborative effort can do that. It is time to open up our land!
What is Required of Us?
First, that we cooperate! That we each step away from that temptation to see things only from the view-lenses of our church, denomination or group, and to align or realign our minds to a primary commitment to God first and the interests of our people next. This is not about any one denomination, ministry or group; this is about collaborating as Christians, regardless of our leanings, to enable God to effect a mighty move in our land by the Holy Spirit.
We are here to work together as a family in achieving this great move of God in our homeland, and we do appreciate various individuals who have been working tirelessly towards the liberation of the land from the hands of the powers of darkness. To win this war, unity of faith is a major requirement. If our language be one, no devil can divide and rule over us.
Get involved! Participate in mobilization activities. Get other members of your local church involved, for instance, and be ready to play whatever roles are available for a successful execution of the Crusade.
Your suggestions are welcome, as are other helpful inputs.
To make or send in your suggestions and observations in respect of the Ibaji Liberation Crusade, you may use any of these numbers:
08035346756, 08033483519, 07054510440, 08068200537.
God bless you! God bless Ibaji!
