By Kazeem Ugbodaga.

The atmosphere was sober; thousands have their souls lifted up to heaven in praise and worship to God. From the dais, stood a man, ministering in songs to the large congregation. They were held spellbound; there was no dull moment as everyone was in the spirit of worship and praise. The songs were accompanied by a trumpet, a musical instrument which the singer played.

This was a scene from the Lagos City-wide Crusade held at the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria recently. The crusade is being packaged by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM, in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN. The man on the dais was no other person than foremost gospel artist, Nathaniel Bassey. Bassey displayed his skills in the use of the trumpet in worship and praise to God and to lead people to Christ.

One of the popular songs he played with the aid of the instrument was his classic: “Book of Life,” where he constantly harped on the need for everyone to have his or her name in the Book of Life as the only condition to be allowed entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. For one’s name to be in the book of life, Bassey demonstrated with the trumpet what they should do by playing the popular song, “Pass me not, O Gentle Saviour, hear my humbly cry.” With Bassey’s exit from the pulpit, the Deeper Life orchestra took the stage to render spectacular choruses, displaying the use of the trumpet.

In Agege Crusade held at the Cocoa Playing Ground, off Akilo, Ogba, the PFN choir displayed their talent as they rendered the popular song, “He’s Coming, Hallelujah.” The Deeper Life children choir and the adult choir also joined in the songs. That was after the police band had entertained the congregation in choruses and dance.

At the UNILAG Crusade, another gospel artiste, Frank Edward, was invited to thrill the large congregation at the event as he displayed his talent in songs as the congregation moved along by dancing and wiggling their waists to the rhythms of the rendition.

In Oshodi, Gospel musician, Evangelist Ojo Ade held the congregation spellbound as he led them in praises and worship to God. He also displayed his talent in the use of musical instrument which he played while singing on stage. Another gospel artiste, Evangelist Bola Are and her group took time to render praises to God while the congregation danced to the rhythms of the songs. People defiled the heavy downpour to render praises unto God. The Deeper Life orchestra also thrilled the large crowd with impressive worship songs and choruses, accompanied with the trumpets.

However, the crusade, held in several areas of Lagos had been great in ushering thousands of souls into the kingdom of God, with social vices taken away from the lives of people. The essence of the crusade has been the transformation of lives, which has been the hallmark of the event so far.

In Oshodi, the participants were in ecstasy, even in the rain, and walked through flood and mud, just to have an encounter with Jesus. At the venue of the crusade, which was jam-packed, the participants deliberately refused to be discouraged by the heavy downpour, as they considered the programme a lifetime opportunity. They stood in the rain, holding on tenaciously to their conviction of maximising the opportunity of the crusade. Some of them said the rain was divinely engineered to pour extraordinary blessings upon them. Their resolve might have been bolstered by the choir’s rendition entitled, “Shout, for the Victory Has Been Won”.

Over a thousand participants trooped out to surrender their lives to Christ during an “altar call”. They dared the flood; making the day, as Pastor Kumuyi said, “a remarkable day, a day of reference and day they will never forget.”

In Yaba, the participants, who included Uduak Inyang-Udoh, director of Academic Planning Unit (APU), and Sola Akeredolu, chairman of Joint Christian Management Committee, both of Yabatech, could not hide their excitement of being present at the programme. Inyang-Udoh, who represented Mrs. Margaret Ladipo, the Rector of the institution, noted that he had concluded not to miss out, saying: “Personally, I am excited because I see this as a lifetime opportunity.” Akeredolu, who had kept tabs on the activities of the crusade in Lagos since it started, not only encouraged himself, but also others, prior to Pastor Kumuyi’s ministration, saying: “Be ready to catch the blessings”. The participants, true to their expectation, experienced diverse manifestation of God’s power.

Kumuyi, in his message at Yabtech, entitled, “Decision that Activates Supernatural Power,” hinged the predicament of majority of people on their preference to dwell in the valley of indecision, calling on them to escape from God’s wrath through repentance of sins.

While noting that taking a decision should be a personal, practical and purposeful issue, the cleric said: “A man of no decision is a man of no value, no stamina. Decision makes or mars a man. It is the decision that makes the man; it is indecision that breaks the man.”