By Adeniyi Femi

Prophet Israel Oladele Ogundipe, popularly known as “Genesis” represents many things to different people. To some he is a mentor, to some he is a prophet, others see him as a preacher, many see him as a benefactor, but to his wife he is a husband and his children a father even though he is a father to many by virtue of his cleric assignment.

Notwithstanding what he represents to different personalities, the classy shepherd of Celestial Church of Christ, Genesis Model Parish, at Alakuko area of Lagos, stands out and has carved a niche for himself as a Preacher, Prophet and a Philanthropist.

Though born to a father, who was a deacon and a deaconess mother in a Pentecostal church, he was originally from a Muslim background before giving life to Christ.

No doubt his early childhood must have contributed to his human side which has stood him out as a preacher, prophet and philanthropist – three Ps in one.

If there is one thing he is known for, it is in his speaking of gospel truth without minding whose ox is gored.

His close acquaintance with life during his early childhood on the one hand, and self-sacrifice on the other, laid deeply the foundation for the intense practical sympathy and philanthropism, which burns in the heart of Ogundipe.

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The biblical text in James  2:15-16, which says “if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?

This gesture are what he displayed recently that sent the social media abuzz and broke the Internet, because it was uncommon.

During one Sunday service at his church in Alakuko, Lagos, he found, among the congregation, a member who had nothing and had no hope for anything. Probably exhausted by hunger like the Biblical widow, who encountered Prophet Elijah as she planned to prepare the last of the lasts of her food for her and her children to eat and die, this woman in the church service probably had attended church service that Sunday morning ‘for coming sake’, just to obey the biblical injunction in the book of Genesis, which says ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’.

Moved with pity, for the woman as led by the Spirit, the young preacher called out the woman among the congregation, and instructed her to get a bag to pack all the money donated as offering in church that Sunday. The woman, who didn’t believe miracles could take that form broke down in tears. It was a lot of money, she never expected it. It would be hard for such woman not to hearken to the salvation message if such is preached that Sunday. Such gesture has no doubt unlocked another way of fulfilling the great commission as directed by Jesus Christ.

Among many of his kind gestures, how can we forget in a hurry how Ogundipe blessed a gentleman from the crowd, during his weekly programme in Lagos. A woman also rushed out from the crowd claiming to know him and she testified on the kind of life he lived, narrating: ‘How he lost all he has as his shop was demolished and ever since, he’s been hawking stocks at Oshodi, Lagos’.

Ogundipe, the Prophet and Founder of Israel Oladele Foundation, after blessing him, promised to still provide him another shop for his business and up keep. It was indeed a remarkable moment in the presence of God.

Amidst the pressing daily care and concern for the plight of humanity, Ogundipe did not neglect other forms of human misery. His extensive experience of the world as a preacher had brought him into direct contact with many people experiencing both poverty and neglect. To address that, his Israel Oladele Foundation has been adding values to lives through empowerment programmes and distribution of food items to the forgotten and neglected members of the society.

“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto a neighbour, go and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee,” says Proverbs 3: 27-28. All these gestures further bear testament to the fact that Oladele has a firm understanding of what demands of Christians and church leaders and he is not shying away from fulfilling this in his own modest way.

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Little wonder Isaiah 58:10 has been manifesting in his life – “If you pour out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

The prophet keeps shinning like a star that he truly is and there is definitely no stopping him just as his name implies – He is truly the unstoppable Genesis.

*Adeniyi Femi can be reached via [email protected]

Vanguard