Abraham Ajenifuja is a VIP – and he wants everyone to know that they can be one too.
“In God’s eyes you are a Very Important Person, and a Very Important Position has been reserved for you to be enjoyed according to the Vision, Intent of God’s eternal Purpose for your life.”
That’s the subtitle of “The VIP Christian,” the first in a planned series of six books that God inspired the Pinnacle Forum Partner in Maryland to write.
“My passion is making the case directly or indirectly on behalf of God in reconciling people to Him,” Abraham explains, “and for God to be worshipped… for who He is, as the only true God, and for God-Man Jesus to be exalted in all things.”
“There is a gap in the knowledge and understanding of God as the only true God who exists in three persons,” he continues. “The consequence is seen in the culture and is the main reason the world is (in) the self-imploding state.”
Abraham calls the troubled news reports of the times “the cries that come from the culture living below value,” a culture characterized by growing divisions along the lines of race, class, ethnicity, language, age, socio-economic status and more.
“In other words,” he explains, “the culture – businesses, family, church, individual believers, media – are living under-value. It is another way of saying they are not reflecting the beauty of the glory of God as God intended before creation. They cannot because they do not know Him. And they do not know Him because there is a scarcity of VIP Christians.”
Abraham believes that gap in the gospel can be bridged, the broken pieces brought back together, by the sustaining work of the Holy Spirit in true followers of Christ.
“VIP Christians,” he says, “are those who live with the real-time, constant awareness of the knowledge of God’s Vision to bring all things in heaven and earth under Christ, and HisIntention to reveal Himself through the God-Man Jesus, for the Purpose of exalting Jesus Christ by drawing all people to Himself and building communities in homes, churches, businesses, schools and such, where God can dwell among people in His peace.”
In the book he challenges readers this way: “What kind of Christian are you?” he asks. “Which cultural pillars do you have the most influence in: in family, in business, in education, in the media, in arts/entertainment, in government or in religion? Understanding God’s VIP, knowing and being willing to live it out will determine your success as a Christian.”
If that sounds akin to Pinnacle Forum’s goal of “Transforming Leaders to Transform Culture” across the Seven Mountains of Culture, there’s a reason.
“Pinnacle Forum is a leadership ministry that affects all the social structures,” Abraham notes. “There is a heartbeat of God in Pinnacle Forum calling me and all to be encouraged, equipped, engaged and executing on what God has placed on the heart of His people. (It) has definitely helped me discover, develop and do what I believe is God’s will for my life.”
Abraham’s life today is quite different from what it was growing up in Nigeria. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1984, and after earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting and later a CPA certification he began a long career that carried him to a vice-president position with a large Maryland HVAC company. And then God led him to write, to speak, and to start a new business – VIP Business and Leadership Executive Coaching.
But the biggest change in his life came in 1989 when he committed his life to Jesus Christ, after, as he explains, “reconciling my past upbringing in a sacrificial and syncretic system of worship and coming to know Jesus as the LAMB of God – God’s sacrifice for my sins and the sins of the world.”
When Abraham writes about Jesus as the Lamb of God in “The VIP Christian” he almost always uses it uppercase – LAMB – as an acronym.
“All followers of Jesus Christ will be known by the extent to which we participate in the divine redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ,” he says, explaining that for the VIP Christian “because we have experienced God’s love we can Love people, Accept them, Make them holy and Blameless and always be ready to give the reason why we act and relate with people as such.”
Abraham gives all the credit for his book to God — “God wrote ‘The VIP Christian.’ It is not false humility – it’s because when I read what I wrote, I am amazed.” – but also is thankful for the role Pinnacle Forum plays in his life.
After meeting Partner Dennis Kelly at a gathering of the C-12 Christian business organization, Abraham quickly realized the value Pinnacle Forum brought to his life:
“Pinnacle Forum has exposed me to Christian leaders with experience, maturity and capacity needed to make an impact in the culture,” he explains. And that spiritual stimulation resulted in “The VIP Christian” and plans for five more VIP books on prayer, family, education, church and business.
Abraham, who lives with his wife and six children in Beltsville, Maryland, is a Partner in one of Pinnacle Forum’s growing number of video Forums designed for people and places where attending a physical Forum is not possible due to travel schedules or geography.
“The weekly Forum provides an opportunity to share what God has placed upon my heart,” he says, and (it) “has been particularly helpful to me in my time of transition through prayers, wise counsel and accountability.”
He encourages his Pinnacle Forum peers to be active and engaged in their Forum experiences.
“You have a unique gift and talent that the Pinnacle Forum can help you develop to bless you and for you to be a blessing,” he says. “It comes in the context of group dynamics of mutual respect, encouragement, confidentiality and accountability where God can birth new ideas and ventures for you or the Forum.
“Whether you are an introvert and cherish your personal space or an extrovert who Loves to get out in front to help people or anywhere between, you will find that Pinnacle Forum is a safe place to share, learn and benefit from the Four “E” Strategy.
“I believe the nations are ripe for another wave of movement of God that is about to happen outside the bricks and mortar of the church. God is calling you to be part of it through Pinnacle Forum, (which) is one of the agencies that God is using to expand His Kingdom here on earth.”
For more information on Abraham Ajenifuja and “The VIP Christian,” visit his website www.booksbyabraham.com . “The VIP Christian” is available in print and e-version at Amazon.com.
