Aunty Rosemary is already taken; Dey, your lane.

I like you; I like everything about you, she said. Thank you, baby, I replied. "I really want to be like you when I grow up." thank you, darling, don't be like me. Aunty Rosemary is already taken, be your own original, I replied. she looked sad. Then sister-mum jumped in and said, "you will be greater than Rosemary by Jehovah's grace. I echoed sister mum's voice. I had said what I said because I did not want to set any child up for adult surprises. In many contexts today, we say adulthood is a scam because of the adult fantasies we imagined as children. On our way home, sister-mum reprimanded me that while she understood my intent, I should just have said, "thank you, my darling, you will be great." The conversation above was between a nine-year-old girl and me. It happened at the home of a family friend whose children have grown to love and admire me.

Years ago, in a sermon titled "Don't try this on your own," Bishop was trying to help us find ourselves and stay in our lane while ignoring the seductive power that drives us to want to imitate or clone people we admire. Bishop did not want us to lose ourselves into becoming poor and cheap imitations of someone else when we could be our own classy original. PoP wanted us to avoid duplicity and find what is authentic to us and what we have been anointed to do.  Anointing is not necessarily the Goya, or groundnut oil poured on our heads. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with anointing oil; I engage that "Pentecostal weapon" when I want to as a symbol of my faith. By finding what we have been anointed, PoP asked us to assess and know the thing we have been wired, knitted, and equipped to do. Simply put, what allows your creative juices to flow is what you have been anointed to do.

To be sure, PoP was not discouraging us from being inspired by others. Still, the sermon seemed to echo a point from one of his books. In the book, PoP said, "we cannot worship at the shrine of another man's success; we must catch what he gives and go quickly on "(p.103) to what we have been created or anointed for. His point is that obsessive admiration can sometimes lead to imitation, and imitation can sometimes lead to limitations.

He said if we decided to imitate and do things because others do them, we might end up like the seven sons of Sceva. Sons of Sceva are the sons of a Jewish high priest who chose to act Nollywood with a demon-possessed person and have some wounds to show (Act 19 vs. 14). These guys saw this lawyer turned preacher named Paul doing something, and they decided to imitate him. PoP told us things sons of Sceva would say to us if they had to do a TED talk today.

1. Victory is not as simple as it looks from the outside. Success is not as simple as it seems on the outside. People who come to the movie's end think they can do in 20 minutes what it took you to do in 20 years. On a lighter note, when you see a woman outside, no matter how simple she looks, it takes hours or prodding through 50 clothes to finally choose one to wear. Respect women! Being a woman is expensive in terms of energy, time, and resources.

2. More numbers do not necessarily mean more power: 7 sons of Sceva trying to do what one Paul did but failed. PoP says just because numerically you don't have support does not mean you will not succeed. Sometimes, numbers don't count. One Elijah against 50 prophets of Baal. More number does not mean more victory.

3. Sons of Sceva teaches us that one day, evil will reply to those who pretend. These guys have been pretending to be casting out the demon, but they met their match one day.

4. From the experience of these seven sons of Jewish high priests, we learn that just because someone is with you does not mean they are for you. These guys were with Paul, but there were not for him. They were following him for association and to know his secret.

5. Satan's kingdom is aware of who you are. To the ordinary eye, Herod was after a child, but he was really after a savior.

5. PoP said another point we can glean from these guy stories is that sometimes, trouble comes into your life to ask you one question. Who are you? The demons asked these sons of Jewish high priests. I know Paul and Jesus, eskismis me, who are you?

7. You can't use the name of Jesus effectively if you are not convinced of its power. While people debate whether we should use the name of Jesus or Jeshua, Jehovah, and more. PoP's point seems to be whatever you use, be convinced of its power.

When you think of PoP and my post about his Birthday, keep in mind my three posts in celebration of Bishop's Birthday:

Go to bed with a stranger( Give the Lady a hand)

Pressure Points: Kiss Orpah Goodbye

Don't try this on your own (Aunty Rosemary is taken: Dey your lane)

Whatever you do, always dey your lane even if you gain inspiration from others.

Posted on Facebook on September 3, 2022

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