There Is Good In ‘Japa Syndrome’, Says Bishop Wale Oke
THE President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Presiding, Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Bishop Francis Wale Oke yesterday said there is a powerful apostolic mantle placed on Nigeria by the Holy Spirit, symbolising a divine repeat of the biblical events in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.
This is as the cleric said there are still many positive things attached to the japa syndrome ongoing on in the country.
He spoke while sharing a revelation during his ministration at the ongoing eight-day Holy Ghost Convention 2025 of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries with the theme: “Great Joy: Sound From Heaven,” held at Covenant Cathedral, Ibadan, on Monday.
Highpoint of the day two event was the cutting of the cake to celebrate the 69th birthday of the cleric.
In his sermon titled: “Let Your Light Shine” from Isaiah 60, the cleric emphasised the Holy Spirit’s urgent call to spark revival in Nigerian churches, noting that the fire would trigger a simultaneous global spread of the gospel to every part of the world.
“This is the time for Nigeria to take the world for Christ. We must proclaim to all humanity that there is no other path to salvation except through Jesus Christ. We are not waiting for them to receive the gospel, we are commanded to carry it to all nations,” he said.
Bishop Oke traced the history of church growth, noting that the apostolic move of God began in Europe, spread to America, and has now, by divine will, been entrusted to Nigeria.
Drawing from an inspired truth revealed to him by the Holy Spirit while meditating on “Vision 2033,” Bishop Oke issued a sobering warning, recounting the story of David Yonggi Cho’s church in South Korea.
“The Holy Spirit cautioned me to be vigilant and not allow what befell the church in South Korea to happen in Nigeria. What transpired? Pastor David Yonggi Cho, ignited with holy fire, built and expanded the church in South Korea to a staggering 450,000-seat capacity in a single service.
“But he failed to replicate that blazing fire in others around him, limiting the spread of the light beyond his immediate domain. Yonggi Cho, a man of God aflame with passion, was later convicted of tax evasion by the South Korean government and nearly imprisoned. It was only through a global outcry from churches worldwide that his conviction was overturned,” he said.
Speaking on the Vision 2033, the PFN President described it as an apostolic season marking precisely 2,000 years since the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ disciples, birthing the first church of the New Covenant.
“2033 will herald a modern-day Pentecost. The New Covenant was not established when Jesus died or rose from the dead, but on the day the Holy Spirit empowered Christ’s disciples”, he noted.
He urged all believers in Nigeria to remain sensitive to the Spirit’s movement and align with God’s eternal purpose by planting vibrant seeds of the church in every nation on earth.
Bishop Oke further called on Nigerians to revere God and honor Him diligently to avoid provoking His wrath. He also emphasized that every act of obedience to divine instructions leads to elevation and blessing.
Speaking on what he described as positive things attached to the japa syndrome ongoing on in the country, the cleric said, “the original intention of God is for the people that carries his glory to spread all over the world by going and be fruitful and replenish. It is time for Nigeria to take the world of God to the world as they spread abroad, they can spread the gospel of God in countries in the earth.”
Participants described the convention as Spirit-filled and transformative, sharing testimonies of deep spiritual encounters.
