The couple had said their night prayers and turned in for the night with full expectation for the morrow. They had no concern about their ability to fall asleep, because they knew it is the Lord that giveth his beloved sleep. Telling each other good night, they both slept off. But alas, it was not meant to be, as their sleep was cut short by some agents of darkness who had broken into their flat with guns and knives. They asked for and collected everything valuable in their flat. With trepidation, the man of the house felt assaulted and prayed for the quick exit of the armed robbers.

Jango, their leader then shouted to his boys, “let’s go, we have taken everything valuable here”. Our brother felt relieved and that their prayers have been answered and that the gang was about to leave their apartment. But getting at the door, something cut Jango’s attention and he stopped right on his tracks. Pointing at a direction, he asked, “Who owns that?” The man of the house was scared that may be there is a valuable item that the armed robbers have seen that they thought was hidden from them, and now their torment will be multiplied. With trepidation, our brother approached and peered at the direction that Jango was pointing; Lo and behold, it was a sticker of the ‘REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD’ – and not realizing why Jango was asking, the man stammered “It is is is mine” “Are you sure Sir” Jango asked, and the man answered ‘Yes Sir!

Jango turned to his boys and said “please drop everything you have collected from the rooms, for these are the people that feed us every Sunday!”

Pardon some of my literary liberty, but the above is a substance of a true story.

Yet another brother’s car broke down very late one night on the dreaded Third Mainland bridge. With confusion and fear preying on his mind, he opened his car door and came out. Opening the hood, he peered into the engine in darkness. Not knowing what to do next and with all the cars flashing past him without stopping, he remembered well the tales of the people who have been beaten up and robbed on the bridge with varying degrees of injuries.

As if to confirm what Job had said “that which I feared so much has come onto me”, he heard approaching footsteps in the darkness. Shortly, the silhouettes opened up to reveal five Area boys surrounding him. He had previously as an insurance, split up the money he had into two and hid them in various places. He had also hidden one of his mobile phones away carrying on him, some bait money and the cheaper phone to exchange with the “area boys” for his safety. Even at that, our dear brother was ready to “surrender all” for his freedom.

Just as four of thea area boys were about to pounce on the brother, the fifth one called them back. They then huddled together in a muted discussion. Meanwhile, our brother had started fearing the worst: “May be they want to kill me and throw my body over the bridge into the ocean”; he thought. Little did he know that God had intervened on his behalf and that the City of David sticker he reluctantly bought sometime ago had been sighted by one of the boys. “We can’t hurt this man. He is a member of the church that feeds us every Sunday”. Then to our brother’s greatest relief and surprise, they turned and asked him: “How can we help you? Your church feeds us every Sunday”.

I could regale you with more and more testimonies from the “A Can CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE PROGRAMME”. What of:

· The inmates in Kirikiri and Ikoyi prisons whose only decent meal in a week is from the ACCMAD.

· The old, homeless and abandoned military pensioners on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi whose only sustenance was from the ACCMAD meals and drugs.

· The poor mother of four in Makoko who every Sunday sends out her children to stake out the arrival of the ACCMAD food bus for their once in a week only source of protein.

· The motherless babies homes, the Home of the Aged and Infirm, the Homeless under the bridges and bus stops etc. etc.

Different churches and denominations differ over many things: doctrine, theology, worship style, baptism, the role of the Holy Sprit, you name it. One thing over which there is virtually no disagreement, however, is the church’s responsibility to feed the hungry. Christians of every type and “stripe” acknowledge our Lord’s commission to take care of the poor and needy. Providing food for the hungry is one of the most basic of ministries. It is non-controversial and non-threatening, and transcends denominational and sectarian walls.

Throughout our land, and particularly in many of our major cities, the number of poor and hungry is growing every day. Many of these are children. Hunger respects no time or season. It is a year-round enemy that is as real in July as in December. Any successful approach to feeding the hungry must be more than just a seasonal program. Defeating a year-round enemy requires an aggressive, intense, year-round effort. That is the philosophy and approach behind A Can Can Make a Difference (ACCMAD).

The “A Can Can Make a Difference Programme” was introduced by Pastor Eskor as a Ministry for feeding the poor.

With his usual vigour, passion and exceptional spirit of excellence, Pastor Eskor pursued this program with all the zeal he had, such that when Pastor Bart Pierce, the Senior Pastor of Rock City Church in Baltimore Maryland, USA, who wrote the Book “Seeking our Brothers” from which the programme was modeled, visited the soup kitchen and some serving locations two years ago, he was in “shock and awe”.

“ Photocopy don better pass original!” due to Pastor Eskor’s touch! – copyright to my ALABA and Aba Brothers.

Check these out:

- The programme in its 6th year now started in April 2001, during the Easter Lets-go-a-Fishing Service programme with an “Open House” at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
- For the 2 years of 2005 and 2006, more than 1,450,000 (One Million Four Hundred and Fifty) meal packs were served.
- More than 7,600 bags of Rice were utilized – About 130 trailer loads of rice.
- More than N100 million spent by the Church on the programme.
- An average of more than N1.2 million spent weekly.
- An average of 15,000 – 20,000 people fed every Sunday consistently for 6 years now.

Slowly and surely, the programme has become a veritable tool for social transformation. In a short time, it has achieved what guns and “Operation Sweep” have not achieved.

As a tool of evangelism, consider this:

Evangelist: (to a Homelessman who had not eaten for days): “Jesus loves you.”

Homelessman: “You can’t be serious.”

(Shortly, the Evangelist comes back with a pack of ACCMAD meal and drink and hands same to the Homelessman)

Evangelist: “Jesus loves you”

Homelessman: “Ride on, Brother”.

Of Course Pastor Eskor, the visioner has gone to be with the Lord, but the poor will always be in our midst. We must all commit to ensuring that we take this his legacy to the next level.

As we celebrate another “CAN Sunday” today, may I ask that we commit to more than double our giving to the programme.

Check these out:

Prov. 19:17… “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again”.

Imagine God as your Debtor!

Psalm 41: 1-3 (KJV): “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.”

Sure don’t you want more blessings like me?

Let us give today to the Glory of God and to ensure that the touch that Pastor Eskor has handed over to us continues to light. Amen.

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