SPECIAL TESTIMONY AND THANKSGIVING EDITION

1.0 PARTAKER OF THE RESURRECTION EXPERIENCE

On January 14th in the year 2004, I had brain surgery at the University College Hospital UCH Ibadan to extract a brain tumor identified in 2003 as a Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. About 70% of the tumor was successfully extracted through the brain surgery and I had to undergo a post-surgery 10-dose intra-spinal chemotherapy injection from March till April 2004. I had to stop the chemotherapy after the 7th dose when I became unconscious for three days (from Thursday night to Saturday night) during the Easter weekend of 2004. The resurrection power of Easter came to my aid and I physically came back to life in response to the prayers of saints mobilized by my wife to pray me back to life.

Indeed He has been the pillar that holds my life; else I would have become “In Memoriam”. In fact, I could have died earlier during the chemotherapy if not for the leading of the gracious Spirit of God. After the 4th dose of a biweekly intra-spinal chemotherapy, the doctors decided to change both the dosage and the route of administration of the anti-cancer injections from intra-spinal to intra-venous. Although the new dosage was still within the upper limits allowed by medical literature, by the Spirit of God and my training as a veterinary doctor, I objected to the new dosage, (which was about seventy fold of the intra-spinal dosage), and refused to purchase the new prescription for the 5th dosage. After initially threatening to discharge me for my refusal, the consultant in charge, who is a born again Christian, also had an overnight encounter with the Holy Spirit on the eve of the day I was due for the 5th dosage. She was convinced to revert to the former dosage and intra-spinal route, despite contrary demand from senior colleague(s) for the intravenous dosage and route.

It was after taking the 7th dose of the obviously low intra-spinal dosage that I fell into a three day coma. What could have happened if I had subjected myself to the more risky 70-fold intravenous dosage prescribed for the 5th dose is better imagined than experienced. I probably could have DIED that same day!

In the scriptures we are called to be

• Partakers of the sufferings 2 Cor. 1:7;
• Partakers of his hope 2 Cor.9:10;
• Partakers of his promise Ephesians 3.6;
• Partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Col 1.12;
• Partakers of the benefit 1 Tim 6:2
• Partakers of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God 2 Tim 2:8;
• Partakers of the heavenly calling Heb 3.1;
• Partakers of Christ Heb 3.14;
• Partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb 6.4;
• Partakers of his Holiness Heb 12.10;
• Partakers of Christ’s suffering 1 Peter 4.13;
• Partakers of the glory that shall be revealed 1 Peter 5:1;
• Partakers of the divine nature 2 Peter 2.14.

Indeed I have been privileged to be a partaker of the resurrection experience. To the glory of God, He has kept me alive and taken me to higher levels of life and ministry through testimony-filled experiences since then. I thank God for this Easter opportunity to testify, as the Lord perfects the healing He is doing on my health. Pray along please.

Dr Tayo Babalobi,
Publisher, Lampstandletters,
Lampstand Ministry,
Ibadan, NIGERIA
4.44 am. Easter Sunday, 23rd March 2008.

2.0 BACK TO BED!

Lampstandletters readers are aware that I had a brain cancer affliction which led me to have a brain surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy between January 2004 and October 2006. What most are not aware of is that since then, I had not been able to sleep in the normal full stretch mattress pattern. MRI scanning I did in South Africa showed that the skull did not fully heal post surgery, hence there appeared to be seepage of Cerebrospinal fluid whenever I lie down. This caused irritating discomfort whenever I got up.

Since 2004, I have been sleeping with my back upright either on a chair or a couch. In fact since I was virtually not using a mattress, early December last year, I gave out a family size mattress to a missionary who requested for it for his newly delivered wife who was joining in at his station. However later that same December, I was nominated by my Dean to attend a USDA sponsored 10 day Training Workshop on the Epidemiology of Avian Influenza, which took place between 10th and 18th December 2007 at the best hotel in Jos, Central Nigeria. Tired from a long trip from Ibadan to Jos, and not wanting to 'waste' the comfort of the hotel bedroom allocated to me, I decided to 'risk' it and sleep full stretch, with my head on the three pillows provided, heaped on top of one another. Surprisingly, I woke up next day (and for the full ten days of the workshop), without the usual discomfort!

On return from the workshop, from the stipends given, (after removing transport costs, tithe and offering), I was able to purchase a new mattress which was TWICE the size I gave to the missionary. Since then, I have been conveniently sleeping normally and comfortably on a mattress like you do!

All praise to the faithful God. And thank you all who prayed for me. The Lord rewards you accordingly
07 January 2008.

3.0 A great door and many adversaries

1 Corinthians 16:9

For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many
Adversaries 1 Corinthians 6:9

The year 2008 is for me a year I specifically asked God for local and international divine open doors, divine opportunities, divine contacts/connections and divine favor; at family, ministry, to academic and professional levels. I asked for divine insight and wisdom to identify, possess and utilize opportunities and unconquered openings, and to enlarge and expand at all levels-

• physical health,
• marital,
• family,
• divine prophetic insights and revelations in ministry
• international professional career ,
• unique academic research outputs and discoveries,
• financial/material prosperity,
• social status

The ultimate goal is to attain an International Consultant status in all areas of my callings and endeavors. And Baba God speedily began to grant my request in many areas. Academically I embarked upon a distinctive academic research project, the first person to so do in that area in Nigeria. Professionally I was invited to be a national newspaper weekly columnist in my area of professional specialty. And in Ministry, I had an open door to participate in an international online Christian professional course that opportune me to establish international links with at least 26 professional Christian colleagues over a 4-week period from February.

But as the Lord opened the various doors, satanic monitoring spirits began to constitute themselves to adversaries and impediments. It was especially in the last two areas above that the adversary began to attempt his impediment tactics. In the very first week of the 4 week international online course, my laptop was invaded by viruses, all in an effort to help a colleague send official report. It became practically unusable, but though slower and frustrating, I dodged on for about 4 days in my bid to submit my compulsory weekly assignment online. Surprisingly, without any repairs or expert intervention, the viruses were subdued and the laptop returned to normal, 2 days after submitting the assignment. The satanic goal of impeding my participation in the international online course, by missing the submission of the very first assignment, was divinely thwarted.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

The second encounter had to do with the professional weekly column I was invited to write in a national newspaper. That was another open door to a national audience. I was requested to submit the first 5 issues, with a plan to start off on Tuesday the 4th March 2008. I got the editor’s mail on Monday 25th, requesting to get the 5 editions by Thursday 28th. Working day and night, I was able to complete them by Wednesday 27th and send them in 7 separate mails, using a new yahoo address created for the purpose. Only the first issue got to the Editor, even though all the 7 copied to my workplace address was received! My efforts to confirm receipts of the mails by the Editor via phone call or text proved abortive. Of course the column could not take off on the 4th. I had to resend them using my workplace on the 4th March, and of course he received them all. The adversary succeeded in delaying the take off by a week. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

3.1 ON PHYSICAL KEYS AND OPEN DOORS

Another dimension of the adversary was physical losses of a number of personal KEYS seven (7) times during the same period (link “keys’ with “open doors”). The first two keys that slipped off from my bunch of keys were my post office key (which I have been using for 8 years) and my wardrobe key. Next, after spending a couple of hours at an internet centre, I could not locate my bunch of keys including my car key and the house key(s). After searching for about 30 minutes to no avail, I phone my wife to bring her bunch of keys so I can have access to the house and get the spare car key. After bringing the house key, she stayed behind to search the internet room while I went home to collect the spare key, only to get home to discover what she gave me was the bunch containing her room key. Meanwhile staying back to search, she succeeded in locating the bunch behind a computer table!

But that was just the beginning. A few days later I worked overtime in the office till well after 6.00 pm, only to discover I had locked in my bunch of keys inside the car! I went back home to collect the spare key, only to search for it in vain for hours. The key that resemble the spare key which I tool back to the office broke in the car key opening. The car had to stay overnight in the office while I took public transport home for the third time that night.

Then for another two days, the two extra keys of the wardrobe got missing and I had to break the wardrobe open on the second day, only for my youngest son to find one in sitting room! But that was not all. Just as I thought I had written the last paragraph of this testimony, the Adversary struck again. I had to come home during office hours to take something in the house. As I inserted the key into the front door, the head of the front-door key broke off, leaving the body inside the key hole in the door. After trying unsuccessfully for about 30 minutes to use a pair of pliers to turn the headless key to open the door, I extracted it and took it to a key-molder for two (2) new copies. You will not believe it, getting home after office hours, as I tested the 1st new key to open the door it BROKE again inside the keyhole! Thank God my wife had arrived before me and opened the door otherwise I could have been locked out again. Next day I had to call a carpenter who remove the whole key case from the door and took me to another key-molder to do another key, at a higher cost.

Adversary can only delay, discourage or distract, it cannot stop divine open doors. Only be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might. Amen.

When praying for an open door, prepare to tackle and overcome many adversaries!
By the Lampstand,
21st March 2008

4.0 FOUR EQUIPMENTS FOR DIVINE SERVICE

No one came to the world by him/herself. None determined who the parents will be or which race or geographical location he will belong to .We all came on earth by divine appointment and for a divine purpose. The divine God, the Alpha and The Omega has commissioned every living being for a purpose-driven existence.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Ephesians 1:4a

See also Psalm 139 and Acts 17:26-28

He that formed us made us for specific divine services while we have life… And he also prepared us with divine equipments, four are which are:

1. The equipment of natural talents:
   For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called
   his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; See Matthew 25:14-30
2. The equipment of spiritual gifts: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10. See also Romans12:6
3. The equipment of sacrificial lifestyle: And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Samuel 24:24 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1
4. The equipment /experience of suffering: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Hebrews 5:8 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:21

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

While the first two are strictly divine grace, for which we have no control over, the other two are our choices, our responsibility and response to divine situations allowed and arranged by God himself; to test and try us and to see if we are qualified for the next phase of divine service.

Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

1 Cor 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

By the Lampstand. 15TH April 2008

LAMPSTANDLETTERS IN BOOK FORM

1. Ecclesiastical Witchcraft and Manipulation
2. Perfumers, Cooks and Bakers: The Ministry Of Christian Sisters
3. The Mystery of the Black Race
4. Thrones and Water Spirits of Nations

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