Do Not Give Up Your Faith In God, Green Pastures Properties CEO Tells Persecuted Believers

By Frank Oshanugor

Believers in Jesus Christ who are facing persecution from their families or communities due to change in religious or ancestral belief system have been encouraged to hold on to the word of God as contained in the Bible and never give up their faith.

Giving his testimony on Saturday as the Guest Speaker at the Eminent Persons Dinner Night organized in Lagos by the Yaba Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI), Mr. Felix Ogadeji said such believers “should hold on to Jesus as He will not deny them because I held on to Him and he raised men for me.”

Narrating his experience, Ogadeji who is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Green Pastures Properties and proprietor of Treasure International School all located in Lagos, said he was born some 53 years ago into an “idol creating” family where idol worship was at the highest level.

According to him, while growing up, it was an abomination for any member of his town (name with-held on request) to accept Christianity or preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. “It was a taboo to preach Christ and one could be sentenced to death for daring to do so,” he said. His own biological father was at a time the chief priest of the community idol which was highly reverred.

Explaining how he encountered Jesus Christ for the first time, Ogadeji said his deliverance came as a miracle that defied his belief and posture. He had lived in his idol creating/worshipping community in his infant days with his parents until a time came for him to go for his secondary school education outside his town.

He was taken to live with a Muslim as his guardian while in the college. In his words, a day came while he was passing beside one classroom block during break period, when he heard a young man preaching Christ and the great powers in Him. It was a fellowship session. “Knowing my background that as idol worshippers, we are the most powerful, after the fellowship I went to the young man and told him that I wanted that power of Jesus but not Jesus Himself.”

“The young man was wise enough because he understood the things of the spirit. Instead of him to tell me to receive Jesus, he asked me if I wanted the power, I said yes. I knelt on his instruction and he tried to lay his hand on my head but I told him that nobody lays hand on me. He asked, but you told me you wanted the power of Jesus. I replied yes, so I allowed him to lay his hand on me and immediately, he called upon heaven to give me that power which actually is Jesus Christ.

“The power immediately came upon me and I knew instantly that something has taken place. The power of idol I was earlier boasting of, left me and power of Jesus came upon me and took over me. Ever since then, I have been a brand new person doing exploits for Jesus.”

Though Ogadeji has been waxing strong in Christ over three decades now after abandoning idol worship, yet the journey has not been rosy at all times as early days of accepting Christ were marred by family opposition and several attempts on his life by members of his community. At age 17 when he secured admission into Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, his family stood against it, threatening that he could only be allowed to enter university if he renounced Christianity.

For about ten years, the family stood against his subsequent admissions to University of Lagos and one other university until he finally had his way into the Lagos State University at the age of 27, the same year he got married.

Over the years, he has had many challenges, but according to him, God saw him through all the challenges to the extent that his first child, a male born 20 years ago, is now a graduate of Babcock University.

If there is one thing that brings joy to Ogadeji whose success in life generally so far, and in the Christendom in particular, it is the fact that his early association with the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International opened the gates for him. He remains grateful to the group and pledged to remain committed to the Christian ideals of the Fellowship.

He is also enthused by the fact that in his once idol dominated community, many young ones have embraced Christianity. These young ones, he said are now infiltrating the elders who no longer persecute anyone in present time for preaching Christ.

The Eminent Persons Dinner Night which held at the event hall of Sweet Sensation eatery at Alagomeji area of Lagos was well attended by men and women from different professional backgrounds.