Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church Odi-Olowo Districts' Coordinating Council, Pastor D. O. Ogungbenjo
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church Odi-Olowo Districts' Coordinating Council, Pastor D. O. Ogungbenjo has related the varied causes of storms, stressing that storms are inevitable in everyone's lives.
Pastor Ogungbenjo stated this during his ministration at the day 3 of the 2023 Annual Iwere'le crusade, holding at Iwere Ile Community, Iwajowa Local Government, Oyo State.
Speaking on the theme of the programme, "Peace, Be Still" from the text, Mark 4:37-39, the cleric noted some facts about storm as a metaphor, saying that, storm is inevitable, storm can come at any time, storm is no respecter of persons, and storms can be overcome.
He explained that Jesus was sleeping in the storm because He is the Lord of the storm, adding that, "if Jesus calms the storm of your life, end has come to it permanently."
He also related that storms can be caused by one's self, may be caused by people one comes in contact with, Satan and his cohorts, and that God may also instigate storms.
Speaking on self-inflicted storms, the cleric said that "several times when we are praying against witches, they may not be answered because they may be self-caused" citing the instance of King David who was supposed to be at the war front but fell in the temptation of adultery with Bathsheba causing terrible consequences on his household.
Explaining that the people would have misunderstood that David was taking care of Bathsheba upon the demise of her husband, the Superintendent said that the Lord rather declared a storm in his house for his actions because while human beings judge actions, God judges motives.
The cleric who cited the instance of Jonah to stress that people one comes in contact may be the cause of storms, he also explained that Satan attacks people's properties and families, urging the youths not to be friends with the devil.
According to Pastor Ogungbenjo, God may also allow storms, expatiating that whatever storm is caused by God is for elevation, but others are for destruction.
"God caused storm for Joseph to make him strong," he said.