Image caption: Senwele Jesu (left) with Mama Ayelowa
Why they called me a witch – Senwele Jesu, hails Mama Ayelowa as steadfast God’s servant
Jeremiah OYELEKE
Lady Evangelist (Dr) Rachael Oluwabukola Akinade recalls in an interview with newsmen at the ongoing power crusade of Christ Zion Prayer Ministry a.k.a. Aye Ni Jesu Wa, at Oke-Anu, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, that her detractors do call her a witch while going ahead to disclose the story behind it.
Lady Evangelist Akinade popularly called Senwele Jesu said the reason for it is because of her constant admonition to gospel singers to uphold the ideals of that genre of music associated with Jesus Christ, noting it is because of that she is seen as “pain in the neck” and so they like to denigrate her as a witch but she declares she is not bothered.
She had been asked to offer advice to gospel musicians, when she said, “I will always say it whatever anyone will say; those who will take me as a witch have done so, but it has no adverse effect on me, what I am saying is that gospel song must be tailored to edify Christ. It must not be be mixed, it must be free of secular song.There are slang being infused into Christian songs that do not reflect Christ.”
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The lady evangelist urged gospel musicians to always seek the face of God and scrutinize their call to determine its authenticity. “I will keep on saying it, whoever wishes to sing gospel song should seek the face of the Lord, am I truly called? Do I truly have the call? If so, he will now pray for power needed for the call, there are some they have the call but do not have the power required, so, one needs to receive the power because without it, one will easily be swept under when storm comes.”
She adds, “Many believe let’s do it in the usual pattern of the world so that we can have our way, but as for me I don’t subscribe to such. Therefore, I beseech them in the name of God to eschew any pattern that does not edify God, so that God can listen to us and experience his power. We should make the altar holy with our songs. In the past even if the pastor is not around and someone with a challenge calls unto God at the altar he will be answered but this is not so again because we have infiltrated the altar with strange fire, the sacrifice we offer there now, its fragrance cannot spiral to heaven, because God despises sin.
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“We should not be overambitious, no matter what we do we won’t rise beyond what is written for us and so, we should not because we want to be famous tarnish the name of God. I do tell people, before the advent of internet God has made my name popular. If internet crashes today it won’t take me down. So, we should not misuse the opportunity inherent in technology, rather it should be to promote the gospel.
“They should instead seek the heart of God, all of us standing here, the songs contained in the Bible we cannot exhaust them if we diligently seek them out. But many are in haste unwilling to meditate, explore the Bible or seek God’s inspiration. You must be quiet enough to listen to the word of God because His voice is gentle. The important thing is to eschew tarnishing the name of the Lord by infusing secular aspects into gospel songs. We must sing to edify God,” she maintains.
Asked to explain the meaning of “Senwele,” she points out, “It is a brand of music like we have Fuji, like we have Juju, like we have Adamo and so on, so, Senwele is a brand of music but different from the one they are singing in the secular world. The Jesus suffix is now telling you this is not an ordinary Senwele o, it is for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
She emphasizes her presence at the crusade is to sing and also receive power even as she hails Prophetess Funmilayo Akinloye, the founder and lead servant of Christ Zion Prayer Ministry a.k.a. Ayelowa, as an amazing “man” of God.
Urged to give an opinion on Mama Ayelowa (as she is fondly called), and possibly encourage her, Senwele Jesu laughs, saying Mama Ayelowa needs no words of encouragement, “She is an encourager herself, one-man battalion. She is a First Lady, I celebrate her courage, ah, awon eleyi duro (ah! people like her take their stand in God), if not for God, the wish of enemy over her life would have come to pass. That is what I was saying, whoever depends on God alone, no matter the devise of the enemy they will bow, we are the ones that will overcome. So, I don’t need to encourage her she is encouragement herself.”
The musician who notes “I have come to sing at the crusade as one of the invited guest gospel singers and to receive power too and this is not my first time or tenth time, I have been coming for long,” dwells incisively on the theme of the crusade – The dependable God – asserting, “The dependable God, He is God that is dependable and I will continue to depend on Him, only those that can depend on Him will not be put to shame.”
“The Bible says, woe unto anyone that put his trust in man. Only God is dependable, one’s husband can disappoint, the wife may fail one, but if one trusts God wholeheartedly one will be like Zion that cannot be moved forever. If you depend on God you may have challenges but you will overcome.The Bible says in the world we will have tribulations but it says we should be calm for He has overcome the world. Jesus also had challenges but He overcame.”
