I want to emphasizegovernment is not setup to determine your destiny, but you are in the community to determine its growth
Pastor Duyile, Ola Jones is an IT Consultant and CEO IT-Zolutions ApS. He is the Senior Pastor, Victory Chapel Ministries International.
Excerpt:
Afroscandic: Tell us about yourself:
Pastor Ola : I am a young man, born and raised in one of the most amazing little town called Idanre in Ondo State, Nigeria. I am married and blessed with children. I came to Denmark about 11 years ago, precisely 2001. My life has been an epitome of God’s divine leading and my keen interest has been the Kingdom business.
Afroscandic: When you just came to Denmark, what were the challenges you faced before and during your studies?
Pastor Ola : One thing I have lived to discover in life is that, when there is a change of location, there must be a new dimension of challenges to face. But when you approach life with positive perception, the tougher the challenges the more glorious your triumph would be. The problem we have is that we do not want to face any challenge in life, and this makes life miserable and intolerable for us. Challenges are not to chain you but to help you channel your course toward fulfillment in life.
I came to Denmark as an experienced IT Consultant, with about 6 years in the field. I remember that the first job interview I attended was a complete surprise! The man who interviewed me said and I quote: ‘well, we know that you know this thing, but we can see that you have no certificate from any Danish College/university, and besides, you just came into the country, I do not think we can give you this job’. I knew this was a provocative attack on my personality and profession, but I thank God for the statement from the gentle Danish man. It has really helped me to become what I am today, because I reacted to his view about me as an African with African certificate in Denmark thus: ‘…must you have Danish certificate before you can work in Denmark? If YES, then give me some time, by the time I return I will take your place if there is no vacant place left for me’. The journey has been tough, but glory to God that I live to see the prophecy coming to pass.
Everyone agrees that there are mountains to climb in order to get to our final destination, but in an attempt to magnify your mountains, they will of course mount upon you. Some see the language, cultural differences, colour, race and weather as barriers, but these are things that could be handled with ease. When I say ease, I mean perseverance, focus, and dedication and of course divine leading. YES, all these posed threat at the beginning, but thank God for the zeal to get to where I am destined to be.
The journey of life must therefore be taken with keen interest in the expected end. According to the Holy Bible, there is always an end to everything in life and for those who endure, their expectation will never be cut off (Proverbs 23:18). Always know that nobody wants to accept you until you prove to them that you are an acceptable entity. To do that is to maintain consistent focus, endure the pain and despise the mockery. Majority feels inferior and therefore loses their interior strength to fulfill destiny. Interior strength is the secret of fulfillment in life. Feel great and embrace change, open to learning, discover new things, study the society to find out what you can add to it, then your challenges will become a pathway to your fulfillment and lifting.
Afroscandic: Tell us your career path after you completed your studies at the University?
Pastor Ola : After the first interview I had and was turned down, I decided to search for any institution where I
could upgrade my HND certificate and my mind as well. I enrolled at Neil’s Brocks College and completed the Datamatics education which was equivalent to my previous HND education from my own country, Nigeria. Within 2 weeks of graduation, I secured admission to study Bachelors degree in Computer Science and ‘Engineering at DeMontfort University, UK (Copenhagen campus). I had the possibility of enrolling in any of the Danish University for my BSc, which would take at least 2 years, but by faith, and with divine leading, I opted for the former and got my BSc within 1 year.
I had my BSc (Hons.) graduation around July 28 2004, got admitted to IT University and resumed the last week of August or so the same year.
Altogether, I was in college for almost 5½ years. But something happened that I am yet to recover from. After my first year in the Masters education, the Lord located me and launched me to the market. So by the time I completed my Masters education in Software Technology, I already had at least 1½ years practical experience in the field.
I can affirm that the entire journey was the result of divine leading and zeal to be an asset in the society.
It was not a free lunch for me anyway, because I was running the programme alongside integration programmes, part time work, church activities (fully engaged as co-pastor at one level or another), as well as making time to take care of my family.
But the end of the story is that I got myself into the market that earlier seemed to be no go zone with my certificates.
Afroscandic: It’s obvious you have a successful story as an academician and a Pastor. Can you tell us the secret of your success?
Pastor Ola : The secret of every success in life is traceable to divine leading. There is no man that has the ability to succeed without God. The secret of my success so far is God’s divine leading. However, God is ready to lead us only if we are ready to follow. I can say therefore that my willingness to follow God’s leading has been the strength behind my success in life.
Ministry for instance is not what anyone can do. It is not a man’s business and cannot be handled by mere man’s understanding or intellect. Ministry is God’s business – He is the sole Director while Ministers are His workmen employed to work in His Vineyard. I understood this early, so I have no problem running His ministry. He gives the order and I execute it base on His instruction.
In my profession also, I allow Him to give the instruction that leads to divine direction. As a Consultant, I have never taken any assignment without a clear ‘go’ from Him.
Also, on my part, I have learnt to be dedicated, committed and loyal, and maintain integrity in handling whatever my hands find to do based on Ecclesiastes 9:10. I think all these and principally His leading are the secret of my success both in my profession and in the Ministry.
Afroscandic: What inspired you into Ministry? OR Why did you go into Ministry?
Pastor Ola : Inspiration is what culminates in aspiration. But most importantly, ministry is not what can be built on mere inspiration. It is a call and until one is called he/she cannot prosper in ministry (Romans 10: 12 – 15). There is one thing we need to understand about ministry. It is different from other earthly businesses. Ministry is God’s work which one is called to be part of as a workman. It is not a personal business. An effort to pursue ministry as a usual business end one in misery!
I traced the journey to July 3rd 2003, though, I have been engaging myself in series of kingdom services in different ministries where I found myself. I co-established, co-pastored ministries in Europe and was almost ushered by people into full-time ministry but I knew that God had not purposed it to be that way. He wanted me to serve in all capacities and learn the basic strategies of ministry before He confirms His purpose in my life.
Glory to God, early morning of July 3rd 2003, I heard the Lord in a very long conversation saying to me ‘Get up and sit in a very solitary place for a word from me’ I did not travel, but sat quietly in the living room and He started revealing His plans for my life in His assignments for me.
He said to me “I have looked down to behold the state of Zion; she is held bound, she dwells in trap, she is yet to escape from the snares of the fowler. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), Zion is yet in captivity because she has no understanding. But now is the time for her FREEDOM! Now is the fulfilment of my Mission for the entire world. Now is the establishment of total lasting VICTORY on earth through my provision in redemption. I am raising you up as my messenger to expound knowledge to Zion and to bring Zion to the understanding of her heritage in redemption, to open Zion up for her total LIBERTY from the chains she has found herself. Therefore take up your journey, behold the land is given to you, contend thou before the mountain and make my voice known to the hills that Zion may be set at LIBERTY”. (Micah 6:1; Deut. 2: 24 – 25).
This however was not immediately executed as He said to me “Never bother about ‘when’ ‘where’ ‘how’ for I the Lord will make my time and season known unto you when I am done with the pruning and the refining. I will establish the very place for the mission. I will conduct you to know – you shall therefore stay consistent and focus for my agenda shall surely be in place for you. When I am ready – nothing will be able to stop – hinder – jeopardize or resist my authority. Watch out!!! Hab. 2:1–3
The Lord told me who to pattern the ministry with and what kind of materials to be used. How to go about the services and the 18 pillars of the commission was revealed the same day.
Then inspiration came in; as I began to locate materials that would help me to stay focus as I was waiting for His final order. You do not run the journey because you heard from God, you run the journey by finding those who have been running it before you and have good reports. So I took my time to study the Bible and also find people (men and women) who have once did it and also those who are currently doing it with proofs.
Then came September 26, 2008, He said to me ‘Time to start and this is how you should start…’ So the journey started and until He returns to perfect all things…
There is no way we can make impact in the society if we do not strive for difference. When we become people of activity, then the king will appoint us as heads of his substances
Afroscandic: How do you cope with your professional job and the ministry?
Pastor Ola : I will say God is the only one who has kept me strong and going. In term of man’s capacity, I see it as exhaustive, but the one who gave me all the assignments has been the one actually driving me. One thing I have learnt so far in this journey is that, when your readiness equals God readiness, strength become natural. I also believe that man must learn to sacrifice and even press beyond people’s expectation. You cannot be different if you do not engage in something different. Combining full time IT work with Ministry work has been so exciting for me. First, I am kept far from irrelevant things of life. I have two goals and they are running in parallel, secondly, I have full focus. But I must tell you, God is the secret and I return all the glory to Him.
Afroscandic: How old is the Ministry (VCMI) ?
Pastor Ola : Well, the whole mandate was delivered to me on the 7th of July 2003, but as a little child, who desires sincere milk, I gave myself to His leading and worked earnestly to receive signal for the commencement of the commission. By the virtue of public engagement, September 26, 2008 was the first day we started fellowshipping together; this therefore makes Victory Chapel Ministry International 3 years old today.
Afroscandic: During the 3rd year anniversary, what was the theme of the 5 day seminar?
Pastor Ola : I was ministering to the Lord early morning of June 3rd, 2011 when the Lord said to me, ‘Take your bible and open to Mark 6:2’ I did and the Holy Spirit said to me, ‘Read and teach my people for 5 days whatever you discovered from that verse’ I read through and spent some time to meditate on what was actually written there. And then I heard the Lord saying to me “That is the theme for the Seminar to crown the third year of this great commission’’ The amazing thing about this verse was that, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was well known in the city as an ordinary citizen, and suddenly He began to do strange things which were beyond human comprehension – the people exclaimed and traced His acts to WISDOM. That time, wisdom was known to be a strange thing since it only resides in the king’s palace, but this time, they saw an ordinary citizen operating it. God said to me therefore that the source of Wisdom is Him and Christ Jesus is the pathway to Wisdom.
The theme was ‘WHAT WISDOM IS THIS?’ It was taken raw and also delivered raw during the 5 days. To God alone is all the glory. Amen
Afroscandic: What is wisdom, why is wisdom important and how can one acquire wisdom?
Pastor Ola : The Bible defines wisdom as the principal thing which all that wants to be a ‘principal’ in life MUST possess (get). I however realized that many of us possess one kind of wisdom or another, but lack the kind of wisdom that was given to men from creation (wisdom from above, God kind of wisdom) or lack the adequate understanding of its application. Wisdom therefore is not only to be possessed, but it is to be USED. How do we operate wisdom? Wisdom is discovering the pathway of life and doing what God instructs you to do so as to get Him committed to perfect your destiny.
The book of James 3: 11 – 18 clearly states four kinds of wisdom that people operate with; sensual which is common sense, intellectual which is an acquisition, diabolical which is devilish and Godly wisdom. In the 5-day seminar, the Lord gave me series of definition of wisdom which point to one thing ‘Hearing and Doing what He says you should do’
My advice is that we should stop complaining about our situation; rather we should endeavour to look out for opportunities around us and take advantage of them. There is no land that physically flows with milk and honey. In most cases good land was once a wilderness
Afroscandic: What do you do in your spare time? OR What are your hobbies?
Pastor Ola : I spend most of my time studying to discover the next plan for my life (2 Timothy 1: 7). I engage mostly in materials that relate to my pursuit in life as a teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, I keep the Manufacturer’s manual with me and in my heart – I read my Bible daily! I also give myself to research works in the field of Information Technology which is my profession.
Secondly, I spend time to be with my family and engage in sports like athletics, football and Badminton.
Afroscandic: As African, what will you advise other Africans who are living and some who are just coming to settle in the Scandinavia?
Pastor Ola : The major problem with us Africans is that we have made ourselves victims of circumstances. We complained about everything when it is not delivering free lunch to us. We tend not to want to do anything, so we end up having nothing. My advice is that we should stop complaining about our situation; rather we should endeavour to look out for opportunities around us and take advantage of them. There is no land that physically flows with milk and honey. In most cases good land was once a wilderness. It takes tilling of the ground to get to the milk and honey hidden within. Remember that Gerar was completely dried when our Father Isaac was instructed to stay there. He did not complain about the dryness, but he took advantage of the situation and he later became the blessed of God in a dry land. He took responsibility and capitalized on the possible investment per time, and that was sowing and making irrigation for his farm (reference Genesis 26). We should stop looking for quick way to the top and we should give ourselves to the act of digging deep into the treasures of the darkness by engaging ourselves in doing something rather than complaining about the situation.
We have become victims of circumstance because we tend to wait for things to happen. There is no way we can make impact in the society if we do not strive for difference. When we become people of activity, then the king will appoint us as heads of his substances (Genesis 47:6). No one wants to associate with beggars and by the virtue of how we are presented in the world, Africans look beggarly, why because we always tend to depend on help from abroad. Let us stop waiting for help, vain is the help of man! Let us stop looking sober and helpless when the world is looking unto us to help them out.
I want to emphasize here that, government is not setup to determine your destiny, but you are in the community to determine its growth. The power is in your hand! Government are there to govern what the society provide, so they are not primarily responsible for job and shelter, rather, the society is responsible for creating things and providing things for the government to govern.
Afroscandic: Thank you for having us conduct the interview.
Pastor Ola : Thank you for the opportunity to speak with Afroscandic. I strongly believe that the wave of change is already blowing and God is using this medium to reach out to our people in order to change their thinking perspectives. Africans are not born for third class; we are the envy of the world, colour, race, personality and ethnic wise. We should therefore take advantage of the uniqueness in us and stop waiting for things to happen.
I strongly appreciate the effort of the founder of this medium in not waiting for things to happen, but making it happen. Thank you so much for the privilege to be interviewed by Afroscandic.com. The Lord rewards you.
Let us stop waiting for help, vain is the help of man! Let us stop looking sober and helpless when the world is looking unto us to help them out.
Niyi Olanrewaju says
This is a wonderful piece. Afroscandic please keep it up.