Day 234 Imela, Eze Mo

 

8/22/2025

"Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Psalm 33:1

 

I was first introduced to the ministry of Nathaniel Bassey, a Nigerian pastor, singer, trumpeter, and gospel songwriter through the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) global prayer calls two years ago. His rich tenor voice, along with his artful ease with the trumpet, enrich our times of worship and bring us into the very throne room of God. His song, Imela, which means "Thank You," is divinely inspired, as all songs should be for any singer/songwriter. The chorus goes: "Imela, Imela, Okaka, onyakeruma. Imela, Imela. Eze Mo. Imela." (Thank You, Thank You. Great and Mighty God, Creator of the World. Thank You. Mighty God. Thank You.) Pastor Bassey has been attending the Feasts of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and he will be in attendance again this year. Such a powerful worshiper. His music is available on YouTube, and I am certain he is listed elsewhere. Earlier this year ICEJ lost another trumpet player, Ken Soltys, whom we dearly miss. Actually, Ken was my favorite worship leader, because he was so in control of his life. He knew to Whom he belonged, and in Whom he believed. He ministered in word, deed, and music, and his joy of the LORD was contagious. I have missed him so much, and I regret not taking the opportunity to attend a worship event here in the South when he was ministering within a reasonable distance. I've never had the honor of meeting either of the two men, but they are part of my family in Christ and in the ICEJ. I am learning through this journey of the past almost two years that we need to take better care of our families. I have the hope of meeting Ken again in heaven, where he currently resides, leading the musicians, no doubt, in the trumpet section. Only God knows!

Pastor Stephen Mirpuri is the CEO of the ICEJ located in the Philippines, and he is another great friend of ours and of God. He has been having health concerns for over a year, beginning with a heart attack, but he was miraculously spared heart surgery by God's divine intervention. The story was unbelievable, and I am certain that I shared that incident in an earlier post. After the initial episode, he was advised by his physicians to rest, eat better, and otherwise take care of himself. So, he has been doing so, even to the point of only rare attendance on the daily global phone call. A couple of weeks ago he reported about the need for open heart surgery, as an angioplasty was no longer a possibility due to the extensive blockage of his vessel. But, while going through tests, a cancerous nodule was found in his lung, making open heart surgery riskier, as the procedure goes through the lung. At the present time the cancer is encased in the nodule, so it has not spread. The blocked vessel only had 1 mm opening, but the surgeons had to make the attempt. All of his physicians and nurses are Christians, so they prayed, and when they went in, the vessel had opened to 3 mm allowing for the easier passage of the catheter through the blocked vessel. Once more God had divinely intervened! The doctors were ecstatic. When Stephen awakened from the anesthesia, he asked how it went, and they were still enthusiastically jumping around. They told him that rather than high 5's, they high 10's! and shouted with joy! During the time he has been in the hospital, Stephen has led seven people, doctors and nurses, to the Lord. Also, during the entire time up to the day, he has not experienced any pain. To God be the glory. Now we wait to see what God will do with the cancerous nodule in his lung, scheduled to be removed in a month or so. All we know is our God is GREAT!

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD

for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the

children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the

assembly of the people, and praise Him in

the company of the elders."

Psalm 107:31-32  

 

Although it is not being reported in the news, revival is breaking out in colleges and on the streets in worship sessions, tent revivals, public meetings with baptisms. At a recent Harvest Crusade 6500 people gave their hearts to Jesus. The event was held at Angel Stadium, and the gates had to be closed as attendance was beyond capacity with 45,000 in attendance. In additional thousands were watching online, including me, at the streamed event. When the call for salvation was given, people began to flood the fields, and again, the people had to be stopped from coming to the altar in the front. Reports are still coming in. I serve Harvest Ministries as a host to a weekly online group, and I participate in the online discipleship community. It has been so busy online with daily responses that it is difficult to keep up. But that's a great problem to have, and it is all our prayers that this activity will increase. God is moving, and He will continue to pour out His Spirit on those who are hungry and thirsty for truth and more!

I'll be posting as more stats come in, and more stories are being told. Today is a day to rejoice, and we are!