HIS GLORY GOES WITH US GRACE AKALONU “A treasured document and a life lived with purpose” Dr Stephanie Foster, Attorney, Chicago His Glory Goes With Us

Hebrews 11:33-34 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. his glory goes with us

I was hooked from the second paragraph on the first page. I am thoroughly persuaded and reminded by the hard truths it contains, to never settle for anything less than the ‘old rugged cross gospel’ Pearl Kupe, Lawyer, International Consultant, South Africa

A glossary of fearless faith in action whilst holding a mirror to me. Once you open the pages; the immediacy of the message could not allow me to put it down. Veronica Ikechi, Family Lawyer, London

Power packed +++, read non stop till the end, the writing is Holy Spirit inspired. I am dumb founded. Pastor Oluwakemi Oduniyi, Pharmacist, London

A beautifully written testimony with relatable scripture referenced for every experience. It tells of the importance of sound biblical doctrine to be taught, lest we and those we minister to perish for lack of knowledge. Melissa L Soppick, Pennsylvania

My attention was drawn and engrossed in the detailed account of an amazing, challenging, empowering, spirit-filled and wonderful journey of faith. Emiliah Muteweri, Falkland Islands, South America

This book blew my mind away. I was convicted, I cried, I laughed, and I was truly edified through reading this book. My faith has truly been elevated. Jessica Shepherd, Kilgore, Texas

I was inspired to take a deep look within myself and the walk I have with Jesus. Seeing how I was just content with being saved, was not enough. It is so much more. Michelle Wilson, North Carolina

ii His Glory Goes With Us

Grace Akalonu First published in the United Kingdom by Kingdom Books Club

All scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible

Cited hymns are in the public domain.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced for commercial purposes. This book is for private reading, group studies in discipleship classes as well as in general group discussions in churches and other Christian gatherings.

The free distribution of this book is being supported by the generosity of those it has blessed. As you are being blessed, please join in sponsoring and distributing to those who will benefit from the book. For more information and to download a free copy, visit: www.assuringgrace.org email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2021 by Grace Akalonu

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from The British Library and The American Library of Congress

ISBN 978 1 948291 39 2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2021902232

Design & Typeset: KAFMEDIA, www.kafmedia.com Cover image: Grace Akalonu

Kingdom Books Club San Diego California, London England, Chicago Illinois, www.kingdombooksclub.com All Glory Goes to Elohim

I am grateful to my husband Apostle George Akalonu and my children, Favour, Elect, Arise, Praise and Destiny for their contributions in editing the book. Special thanks to Stephanie Foster, who has encouraged me to write my life story over the years. I appreciate Pearl Kupe, who gifted a notebook 5 years ago, that has since been a reminder to document my experiences. Many thanks to the intercessors, endorsers and Minister Daisy Amisu who did the transcription. Foreword

Books are written for different purposes and addressed to different audiences. Some are written for the shelf, some for the mind, and yet some for the heart. Pastor Grace has given us a piece of literature, His Glory Goes With Us, that is crafted primarily from the heart. As deep calls to deep, so the Spirit of God through the message of this book calls out to the hearts that love Jesus to listen to the voice of their Eternal Bridegroom, whispering in the inner recesses of their hearts. The big deal about this book is that the author wrote about her lived experience of God’s dealings. She has not given us a literature review on the subject of God’s glorious encounters with people but has shared what she has personally heard, seen, and experienced of the reality of Incarnate Glory, Yeshua Hamashiach, the eternal son of God. Her experience was reminiscent of Job’s who declared upon his beatific encounter with God, with the concomitant self-awareness, Job 42:5-6 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Pastor Grace, in a near-death experience, had an encounter with God that was so spellbinding that it is practically impossible for sufficient articulation in human language. Hers was akin to the experience of Paul when 2 Corinthians 12:4 “he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. The author decried the cheap and Cross-less gospel that has bequeathed the church of weak Christians who are not able to foreword stand up for king Jesus in an era that has become increasingly unfashionable to publicly declare one’s stand as a believer in Christ. In her own words, “The ‘plastic cross’ (the cheap and weak gospel being presented today in place of the old, rugged cross) has borne many weak, defeated and beaten-up Christians.” This quality of Christians is a far cry from the revolutionary army that our Lord envisaged when He commissioned His followers to go into the whole world and make disciples of all nations. The church needs a fresh experience of the glory of God that will embolden her to relish the redemptive Gospel of Christ and resolve to live it and preach it with zest. Such experience of glory by Peter, James, and John, on the Mount of Transfiguration, remained an endless source of encouragement to them in ministry. Peter recalled years after, 2 Peter 1:16-18 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased .And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. No shortcut can deliver a life-changing experience in glory. Pastor Grace, therefore, pleads with consuming passion that believers should allow the Holy Spirit to lead them through the entire gamut of heavenly protocols and processes that will leave in them a lingering taste of glory. Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet, diplomat and 1971 Nobel laureate for Literature, observed, “The books that help you most are those which make you think the most…A great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.” This is a fitting description of the book in your hand. You are holding a book that boldly challenges you to allow God to

vii his glory goes with us pass you through the crucibles of real-life experiences to a point where you become fully alive in Christ. Where you can declare unashamedly with Paul, Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. As followers of Christ, we must endeavour to come to terms with the truth that we do not belong to this world. Our citizenship is in heaven from where we are eagerly expecting our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. It is my cherished privilege and honour not only to endorse this book, His Glory Goes With Us, by Pastor Grace, but also to recommend and commend it to you and all who hunger for the inner life of the spirit. This is an excellent book for private reading, spiritual formation, and group studies in discipleship classes as well as in general group discussions in churches and other Christian gatherings. Read it for your spiritual education, nourishment, and growth. You will not regret it. Dr Cosmas Ilechukwu General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries, & Chair, Global Governing Council, International Ministers’ Fellowship

viii Introduction

After a year of intense missions across Africa, the USA and Europe in 2019, I fell sick, passing through the valley of the shadow of death. I have palpitations of unknown origin, which has been treated conservatively over the years, but in 2019 it became worse. In early 2020, my legs became swollen, and I hardly walked up a flight of stairs without getting breathless. Investigations were carried out, but I was not called until February, when I was told that my heart could not pump enough blood to circulate through my body, hence the swollen legs and breathlessness. I was sent for another Holter Test and an appointment was booked with a cardiologist. On the eve of the lockdown, they cancelled my appointment for the unforeseeable future, because of the outbreak of COVID-19. Death knocked at the door four times, and most people that were admitted to hospital with pre-existing conditions did not make it back home. I was left with no choice but to stay with my family in the presence of the Lord, so if He called me home, my husband and children would have been there with me. During this time, I was in intense communion with the Lord. He reminded me of my walk with Him. The recount assured me that Satan could not and cannot take my life; it does not belong to him. God has seen me through thick and thin and will do it once again. He gave me courage and fortitude to go through persecutions, the fearlessness, encounter with a hyena, spared when hunters would have mistakenly shot me dead for hyena. The encounter with the occult, held by grasses from falling into a fast-flowing river from a waterfall. The multiple grace experiences and blessed with five his glory goes with us children when an operation at age six suggested that I will have no children. The journey is awesome, and a process that no one should try to shortcut. Each phase of the Christian life is scriptures fulfilled, lessons to learn, growth in grace, miracles unveiled, wisdom endowed, power demonstrated, and experience widened. To go to Galilee, you must go through Samaria. You need to take the direct route, whatever the cost. The “plastic cross” (the cheap and weak gospel) being presented today in place of the old, rugged cross has borne many weak, defeated, and beaten-up Christians. I went through persecution and hard times, but the fire purified me to come forth as gold. It was tough, but God’s glory was with me. Jesus told us that a servant cannot be greater than his master. Satan has not changed his name or moved to another planet, we need to know him and his wiles to overcome him. The good news is that each station of this journey works in us a much weightier glory. The journey is the same as stepping into the footprints of the heroes of faith in the bible. As you jump over the huddles of each stage, you are promoted to the next level, like Paul in the Second Letter to Timothy, you can say, 2 Timothy 4: 7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Many Christians want miracles, power and discernment but are not ready to pay the price. Satan knows that you can only do large-scale farming in the field, but will try to convince you that the same amount of work can be done in your back garden. If you

x introduction heed to him, you have embarked on an impossible mission, and are building a castle in the air. There is a difference between undertaking a journey yourself and being shown a photo of the place. Photos can only show as much as the capacity of their cameras. When you are in actual life, there is no comparison. The difference is apparent. Notably this book was written when I could not remember anything, even the names of the children, yet I was writing things that happened 25 to 31 years ago accurately. The children watched my movement to understand what I wanted. Recounting the story of “His glory goes with Us” on the bed of affliction, when life seemed to be ebbing away, can only be an act of Elohim with Holy Spirit doing the writing through the surrendered human vessel. This is precisely what happened in the writing of this book. The first impact was truly miraculous: as the Lord reminded me of the journey of Faith and what He had done for me in time past, the healing power of the stripes of Yeshua took effect. She who was bedridden at home rose to glorify Elohim with this testament of God’s Grace which sustains and enables saints to overcome. The Christian race is the same irrespective of culture, nation, or tribe. endorsers of this book are purposely from various regions of the world and social strands, to find out if Christian experiences are biased. Incredibly, they came back with similar comments on the effect of the book on their individual lives.

xi FOUNDATIONS

Philipians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 1

Lost but found

iving my life to The Lord was dramatic. Salvation opened Gme up to an entirely new life in Christ. Sin is forgiven, liberation follows, joy weighs in, peace ensues and culminates in the comfort of The Holy Spirit. I am amazed at the letters of the scripture, the miracles, and the unfailing love of Elohim. At first, I was wrapped up in the mysteries in scriptures, not realising that I would have the privilege of living them out in my life. It is all an honour! Act 5:40-41 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Our Heavenly Father is compassionate, and His mercies endure forever. I was lost in sin and self-righteousness, but His love found me through His son Jesus The Messiah, who shed His blood on the Cross of Calvary. Like every other young person, I was brought up by parents who loved the Lord and did their bit to take us to church. That was not enough without discipleship, as I realised later. Mere church attendance only turned me into someone who had a form of godliness but denied the power of it, as the Bible says: 2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. his glory goes with us

At school, I was fed up with most of the things going on around me: the partying, jokes, friendships, novels, films, and vague discussions. I could not see any need for those things yet hung in there. At eleven and again at twelve years old I gave my life to Christ, but my conversions didn’t last because it was at secondary school dormitory revival services. The seed remained, but not enough to ward off sin. Romans 7:22-25 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. I was in the volleyball team for the annual School of Nursing Sports and one day, during a practice at the stadium, a young man approached me asking who we were. He was surprised to see Nursing students playing sports. As he was respectful, I answered his question. The next time I was at the stadium, he came to talk to me again. I asked him what he was doing in the stadium at that time of the day. I thought he looked about the same age as me and should be in College or University rather than hanging around there. The young man told me he was at the University studying Architecture, but had finished the bachelor’s degree section, and was waiting to continue with his Masters. After that, I agreed to talk some more with him, and we became friends. We shared about ourselves and our families with each other and found we had similar backgrounds. We both came from disciplined families and I realised his conversations were decent

2 lostllosllost and respectful with no rubbish of any kind. This was how our friendship began. My fellow students wondered, “Who is this young man?” I told them, “He is a no-nonsense person who sees things the way I see them.” Like me, he was fed up with the way young people became involved in frivolous relationships and wondered why they could not be more productive and save our nation. To shorten the story, he went back to school and was born again in Christ. He told the school fellowship about me and they prayed for me. He said he was persuaded I would give my life to Jesus from all he got to know about me during our time together. The fellowship prayed for him and he took the journey back to Owerri from Jos, for the sole purpose of preaching to me. When we met, he told me how he was now born again, and I was happy for him. I told him he was a good young man, so being born again was what he should be. He replied, “So are you, Grace, you are a good young lady with no mess around you, but you are neither for God nor Satan because you have not given your life to God.” Then he said, “Being nice will not take you to heaven and if you die in this state, you will go to hell. You love God so much, why not decide to be for him entirely?” This conversation took place in the canteen with other people around. For a moment, the place went silent. I didn’t care; I knew it was true. I loved God and wanted to be solely for him. He continued,

3 his glory goes with us

“Grace, I know you will be a good and strong Christian, I know you will stand for Jesus and represent him well, I know you will be an example to other young people, and I know you will make it,” “Yes,” I said, “I want to stand for Jesus and preach him.” I looked up and stretched out my hands. He held them and prayed so passionately, my heart broke. “Why have I not done this before now?” I wondered. From the depths of my heart, I prayed the sinner’s prayer of repentance, and felt an unusual lightness, as if a burden fell from me. A surge of joy overtook me! I stood up, left him at the table and ran back to the hostel where I fell in the corridor shouting, “I am born again, Jesus has taken away my sins, I am born again!” Students ran out of their rooms to see what was going on. Some thought I was my old self, so full of life, but no, this was the new me. Born-again students were happy and rejoiced! However, one came up to me and said, “I doubt it, I will watch you for two weeks.” I said to her, “You will watch me forever!” Acts 9:20-26 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled; the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates

4 lostllosllost day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple. This experience was authentic, and the hunger and thirst for Elohim was immediate. I wanted to go to fellowship at once but had to wait until Wednesday. I wanted to talk to other Christians but, similarly to Paul the Apostle’s case, they wondered if I would make it. That was the religious attitude. I am still standing by the grace of God 33 years on. I hit the road running only to find out just a few kilometres down the line, that my doubters, in particular the two that hounded me, were sounding cymbals. They had no love. Empty. Having a form of godliness without the power thereof. One ended up as a second wife, the other married just to get out of poverty and ended up with a second husband. The natural thing is to be received joyfully by the brethren. They were like the Christians at Jerusalem who could not believe Apostle Paul’s conversion at first. This leads me to ask how we have treated new converts that came to church, in our neighbourhood or relatives that were drug addicts, prostitutes, fraudsters, serial killers, to mention but a few? Do we still see them through the eyes of yesterday? Do we keep them at arm’s length and do not involve them? In some places, they are referred to as ‘that sister, the prostitute’. This is sad, Yeshua the Messiah has set them free and they are free indeed! John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Some brethren have rejected God’s will for them in marriage because they heard the testimonies of a suitor telling of a misspent past. They missed out. Many times, young believers go back to

5 his glory goes with us darkness because the church is too holy to embrace them. They are being isolated and not followed up because we see them through the prism of their past. Zeal took over! I would arrive early before everyone else to arrange the hall and start prayers. Yet that was not enough, I wanted more. So, I went over to the neighbouring college to join their fellowship, I still thirsted for more. Meanwhile, my friend that led me to Christ attended a vibrant fellowship on his campus, and they wrote to me filling up A4 sheets with a line from every one of them, before posting the letter to me. Because their prayers brought me to the Lord, I looked forward to their letters and could not wait to get them. Due to the distance, the letters only came weekly. I asked myself, “Why don’t I have brethren with such a heart in my fellowship?” Food for thought. Being religious can take away the essence. Unfortunately, letters were all we had because this was in the days before mobile phones. Only rich people had anything like them, in the form of a walkie-talkie. In 1988, my final year at Nursing School, I met a young House Doctor, and we shared our faith. Amazingly, we clicked. We were on fire and met every other day for evangelism, talking to everyone we met about Jesus. We prayed for people and led them to Christ. We read the scriptures and prayed together at the fellowship Centre. This fire continued until one day he told me he wanted to share something with me but thought to leave it for a while. He brought out a book on Brahmanism and I reacted quickly. “What is this?” I asked. He asked me to read the book and told me the writer was the last prophet or something like that.

6 lostllosllost

I answered, “Then both of us are wasting our time if he is the last prophet.” I took the book, and like the Berean Christians, went to read and search. Back then there was not as much on the Internet as today. I had not read much of the book before I saw red flags. The book talked of the oneness of the Godhead, the eternal security, the serpent seed. What was this? I ran to my friend to beg him to see that salvation is only in Christ. At this stage of my Christian life, I relied on what I read as I had not been exposed to much Christian teaching. However, that was the day the partnership ended. I found it hard to believe such a zealous person was wasting his time on false doctrine. Reflecting on this years later, I was thankful to God for keeping me. I realised that the Lord will surely fill those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. With only basic knowledge I could read and interpret, recognising falsehood early in my Christian walk. Most Christians today want to be spoon-fed and have their diapers changed often. That is okay, but if you are truly hungry as a baby, you will scream out for food. If you are up to 6 months old, you will grab the spoon and put it in your mouth if mum is wasting time. Let’s get our young believers excited about the Bible and digging deep into the Word rather than feeding them a diet of worldly song and dance. It leaves them empty. In our days it was only the bible and songs that edify. We had Gospel ‘singers’ and not Gospel ‘artists’. The ‘Showbiz’ Christian artist had not emerged. The transformed life is the most blissful experience. As a young believer, I joined a loving, inclusive fellowship. It was a small group; they were beautiful young people in the Lord. They were so happy to visit, they would walk me back to our house after night vigil and go back two miles to theirs in the dark. Later on, I joined a larger church and at first, I felt lost. After

7 his glory goes with us fellowship, people had their cliques of ‘Jimjim’ sisters meaning ‘saved’, ‘sanctified’, and ‘Holy Ghost baptised’. In other words, they thought they had ‘arrived’ spiritually. These are the Scribes and Pharisees of the church, and unfortunately, this behaviour is still commonplace. Such people often occupy the high places in the choir and prayer teams. They speak in tongues, even during normal conversation. They are leaders. They show off their tithes and they have been in the church for ages. It is not about how long we serve, but how well we serve. May the Lord open our understanding to perceive and know His will concerning looking after new believers. Our goodness should show off Christ in us. Our attitude should be joy over one sinner that repented. Luke 15:7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Being young in faith then, I found that attitude difficult. I thank God I experienced both attitudes and can tell the difference. I was determined to treat new believers differently. Many people commend me for being so friendly now. I give them a hug, chat with them and follow them up. Leaving the kingdom of darkness is a brilliant decision and journey. The demons will still be after the young believers to send them back to where they came from using friends, thoughts, persecutions, trials, and take advantage of their being babes in the Lord by misinterpreting the Bible to them. No family leaves their new baby to take care of themselves, rather everyone brings gifts, carries the baby, helps with feeding and changing diapers. So too should the church, as the family of Elohim, look after young believers.

8 2

Time to shed off

ost often when the Lord calls us out of the land of depravity, Mwe take ‘Lot’ (the people and things we should leave behind) along with us. Just as Abraham was called alone but took Lot, his nephew and had problems, so will anyone who takes their own ‘Lot’ along will have problems. It will cause strife and will not allow you to look up and behold the promises. As we see in Genesis 13, when Abraham was finally separated from Lot, God spoke again and confirmed the promises of enlarged territory. This is a big lesson and mistake none of us should repeat. Do not be sentimental about it, what you do not deal with, will deal with you. A lot of Christians have backslidden to worldliness because they did not do away with their carnal possessions. They kept them in a locked drawer. While it is there, it is still yours and at a weak moment, you will take it back.

Shed off Negative Friends The first thing I shed off was negative friends. Before this, I had already cut off those whose influences were bad, not knowing the Lord was waiting for me at the door. I was everybody’s friend but had a close one. Joyfully, I told her things had changed, and she had to be born again for us to continue our friendship. It was a blank statement those days; no compromise, no political correctness, and no turning back. There are some friends you may his glory goes with us not immediately shed off; friends from old schools, childhood friends, etcetera. Matthew 10:37,38 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Shedding off old friends is a continual process. Watch out for old friends who are bad influences and come up through party invitations or as potential Facebook friends. You may be pleased to make contact because it’s been a while. Remember, you are now a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things have become new. When you contact old friends, it is important to share your new faith. Just as the Lord in the risen body said to Mary ‘touch Me not’, also let friends know that you are now in the risen body, the old body is gone. John 21:16,17 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. The Bible says, ‘be ye separate’. It is about separation, not isolation. Separate from old sinful ways. The old-world way. Isolation will not allow you to love and minister to them, but separation will give you a clearer view of what you are into, that you were not aware of in your old life. 2 Corinthians 6:17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

10 timettittimettim

Shed off bad associations The new life in Christ is distinct and different. You will find no joy in the old life of drinking, jesting, scorning, politics, and ungodly pleasures, to mention but a few. These are the things, when delivered from, there should be no turning back. 1 Kings 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. Solomon was chosen in place of his brothers. He started well, and there was none as wise as him. Yet he missed it because of his associations. We may blame him, but I tell you, ungodly meetings and association will get you to 700 wives and 300 concubines (besetting sins). Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. When genuinely saved, the evidence is shown by how much we detest the old sinful life. Holding on to old associations is like staying in a quarry and expecting to be dust-free. It is impossible. Money for the kingdom might be used in fostering disobedience to God. On one occasion, my husband and I went to a dedication and at the end, we overheard someone ask if the Pastors had gone so they could bring out their alcohol to drink. That is a double life and self-deception. It is self-defeating and can only lead to backsliding and hypocrisy, from such turn away. Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we

11 his glory goes with us too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Shed off all unclean books and artefacts The next thing was to shed worldly books. I used to read a lot as a teenager. Novels of all sorts. We used to compete to see who would finish fifteen books in two weeks. The book pack went round fortnightly, so if you didn’t finish, you lost out because the pack of books had to go. You are what you read. These books formed my pattern of thinking, and how I reacted to the world around me. They didn’t lead me closer to Elohim, and so they were all thrown away. True conversion comes with a total turnaround. It is holistic and not partial. On the Cross, Christ took away all our sins, not some of them. The new life demands that all that is unclean be put away. All of our sins, not some of them. Acts 19:18-19 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. The new life demands all that is unclean be put away because The Lord God is amid us. Surprisingly, some Christians keep back certain things and wonder why they are not growing as expected. This scripture explains why. Deuteronomy 23:14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

12 timettittimettim

God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, all unclean things must be put away. Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? We also need to be careful about pictures. Get rid of any gifts of pictures with idolatrous paintings. They may be expensive, but your house is now your altar, and you cannot have idols hanging in the same house where you shout Hallelujah. Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Some homes have all sorts of idols collected during travels. Idols of nations, paintings of demons, to them it is love for art. ‘Eish!’, as my South African sisters would exclaim. These things should not be kept at all. All idols should be utterly abolished. Isaiah 2:18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. This also may come as charms, ankle, neck, and waist chains. The song ‘Great change since I am born again’ goes with all these. We must also know the things we watch can be unclean. Many popular shows are not for the godly. It chills my bones when I go to homes of brethren and found them watching X-rated films, idolatrous comedies, and the likes. How comfortable can that be when the Bible tells us to abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

13 his glory goes with us

Is the same house where you have the bible, the same house where dirty films are watched? James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? The spirit in us lusts to envy. No wonder many pray and shout in their houses like the Prophets of Baal and receive no answer. This kind of Christian needs the man of God to pray, or they think they need prayer contractors to pray, but their prayers do not go beyond their roof because of the idols in their house. 1 Kings 18:25-26 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” Then they took the ox which was given them, and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Notably some people are like Rachel. They love their idols more than their liberty. Genesis 31:34-35. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images. These people pack their ungodly things and put them away in a locked cupboard. As long as idols are in your possession, you will get them out one day. On the day of weak moments, when your guards are laid down, when your flesh is weak, you will desire the

14 timettittimettim onions, melon, and cucumbers you ate in Egypt. You will forget those things were left for a land flowing with milk and honey. You will forget the years of servitude in the darkness of sin and the glorious redemption of salvation. The unclean things make for divided loyalty, compromise, instability and keeps one in ‘Arrested babyhood syndrome’ (stunted Christian growth) as my husband, Apostle George Akalonu will call it. If you don’t deal with them, they deal with you. They dealt with Judas, Demas, Orpah, Diana the daughter of Jacob, Lot’s wife, Gehazi to mention but a few.

Shed off worldliness Salvation is salvaging from Satan, sin, and the world. Worldliness is one of the greatest challenges Satan poses to young people. Growing up, I was used to being adored, flattered by those who focused on a so-called figure 8 and straight legs. I grew up to be very conscious of that. I was not a tall person so was given the nickname ‘portable’. Anything I wore fit very well. My mum got the best dresses and took joy in doing so because they fit perfectly. I was not into cosmetics at all, as it was in my head that ‘I am ok, I don’t need it’. As a young person my worldliness was fashionable dresses. This may not be yours, but the challenge is the same. 1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. There were students then whose parents were poor, and the only way they made up was living a free life. Getting born again meant losing certain sources of income. For some students, uncles and relatives were paying their tuition. Getting born again

15 his glory goes with us meant losing that source of livelihood and that would affect their education, so there were things to forsake. Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Being born again was not as fashionable as it is today. Those days you were signing up for sore persecutions. The bible tells us to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh. Some dresses were open shoulder dresses, magazine-style, and lots more. Jude v23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Although I heard no preaching that condemned them on my own, looking at the mirror, I wondered how I wore those dresses so shamelessly. Salvation makes you realise how dark your past life was. I stopped wearing them; they represented pop stars, vogue, and hell to me. I cried at how blind I was to have dressed like that. So, I packed them up. I did not want to throw them out because I did not want anyone to pick them up to wear. I cannot transfer sin; it has to be burnt or thrown into a pit. I was left with a few dresses I could still wear. I took the rest home and threw them away, not realising my parents were wondering what I was doing. They saw me returning from destroying them and I knew I had been caught. The dresses I threw away were expensive ones, akin to those out of Vogue magazine. Everyone admired a particular dress. The design was from California and had been hard to get hold of. I had brought a magazine home from school and my mother copied it. It made me the star or the show at school. The material it was made from was expensive, and it took her some time to figure out the pattern and made it. My mother learned to sew at the Teachers’ Training College and was immensely proud of this dress. Yet, I threw it away. It was not funny; I paid a heavy price for doing so.

16 3

Buried with Christ

eing born again is exciting. It is wonderful to share Btestimonies with friends, relatives, and other people, and this makes it even more worth living for. I was a Christian for nearly 3 years before I got baptised. Using modern day technological terms, ‘The bandwidth your device is on will determine the rate of information or data you receive’. I didn’t see the need for baptism, as it wasn’t taught in the fellowship I attended. The students in the campus fellowships came from many church backgrounds and doctrines. Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Back then, it was commonly assumed that everyone in fellowship was fine, even if they were acting. I call it ‘acting’ because it was and still is common to see certain sisters and brothers serve in church roles, speak in tongues, spout scripture, lead the choir or prayer group. They engage in all manner of activities to show off their level of spirituality but, they are not spiritual at all. The problem is the person skips some teaching and uses others. You might, for example, bind and loose Satan and his demons, but ignore this pivotal scripture. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned. his glory goes with us

This was my state back then. The fellowship I was in only taught infant baptism, so that was all I knew. I had an infant baptism. Those of us who were truly born again in that church were persecuted by the religious. We were busy with our newfound hope, prayer and fasting, evangelism, night vigil and were like the Christians in Acts of the Apostles chapter 19 that had limited knowledge. Do you know that where you fellowship, the church you are part of and the doctrine you sit under will determine your growth and maturity in Yeshua Jesus? It will determine the amount and level of truth you will be exposed to and how free you will be to exercise the kingdom principles, as the truth you know is what will set you free. Those who follow the Christianity of the new plastic cross will realise at time of crossroads that the cross is still the old rugged one. When I joined the bible teaching church, the subject of water baptism was systematically taught one Tuesday bible study. I felt lost and confused. I realised I should have been baptised long before. This teaching told me what water baptism was, who should get baptised, when, where and how and why it was necessary I had read Matthew 2 and 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1, Romans 6, and Colossians 2. So why did I not see what they were saying? The answer is that I read like the Ethiopian Eunuch with no understanding. The bible says, ‘He that believeth and is baptised’. Does a month-old baby know anything? To make things worse, there is what the orthodox Church calls ‘godparents’, who are called to take vows on the altar to ensure that the infant/child is brought up in the way of the Lord until he/she grows up. What irony! The godfather can be anyone, even someone who lies, cheats, or is an addict. The godfather can be someone who doesn’t even possess a Bible, or whose Bible is covered in dust on his bookshelf. The godfather may not be committed to the child and

18 buriedbburibburied may not see him for years at a time. These things make me laugh, godparents who cannot help themselves are standing in for others. Ecclesiastes 5: When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. No wonder people are not going far in the orthodox parts of Christendom. The church leaders put coals of fire on them for life with wrong teachings. May the Lord have mercy. I was a victim of this erroneous teaching. I became a godmother at the age of 14 and forgot the vow. Many years later, the young man I was godmother to, wrote to me and asked if I remembered him and I did not. He told me I was his godmother. I only remembered when I asked my mum. I thought I had confessed all my sins, but I went back to the cross that day and repented of not being a good godmother. This is what we struggle with in life without knowing. There is no place written in the Bible saying that one should take vows on behalf of anyone at baptism. My eyes were opened, I realised how much of the word I needed. Those days I wished church fellowship were every day because the amount of truth and revelation received was enormous. I always wonder at the people who complain there is too much teaching of the Word. These scriptures helps us see the need: Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

19 his glory goes with us

A drama was about to unfold in my life. Now I knew the truth, I felt the need to be baptised in the biblical way of full immersion in water. I was baptised as an infant, but now saw this as a joke and mockery of the real deal. I was still living with my parents and was heavily saddled with all sorts of persecution at this time. I had to prepare myself and needed wisdom. I prayed and fasted so I would know the right way to approach the subject, and the Lord told me what to do. One evening I asked my Father if he could tell me what he knew about water baptism. He explained that John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, baptised people including Jesus and it is an important Christian teaching. I then asked how it should be done and being very honest, he told me that what the church does now is not right. Baptism should be for adults, but the church was losing people because the process was too rigorous. They then took up the Roman Catholic practice of infant baptism. This is a way of compromise as when the children grow up, they are confirmed, and the godfather is set free of any obligation. I asked him if he thought that was right. He told me it was an error. We read the scriptures together, and I rejoiced too soon. The sprinkling of water is because you cannot immerse a child in running water. My smart mum was listening to the conversation and caught the joke and asked if I want to be baptised again. That was the end of the ‘good evening’. The green light turned red and remained red. Despite our discussion, my dad was furious and asked me if I was going to be baptised again after he had baptised me as an infant. He wanted to know who taught me about adult baptism and asked what he would tell his church and my godparents. He

20 buriedbburibburied told me if I get baptised again, I will have to leave home. Because I was getting used to being told that I would be thrown out of the home, it seemed like time for another adventure. Every time I came back from church he would ask if I had been baptised. I had to wait a month for baptism classes. My father kept watch and convinced himself that I would not get baptised. I carried on with the class and each one was eye opening, exposing the error the Orthodox church teaches. Eventually, my Father stopped asking me about baptism and I got baptised a few weeks later. When he remembered to ask again, I had been baptised for quite a while. My life as a young believer wasn’t easy, and I waited for each new round of drama. This time, the price I paid was heavy. I was told that I had joined mad people who deceive people. It was tough and eventually; I was threatened with being sent out of the home. Despite this, I felt an enormous joy. I was baptised to fulfil all righteousness; I had been buried with Christ in baptism and was now resurrected with him in newness of life. I made an open show of my faith. My baptism was full immersion in a stream and not the sprinkling of water I had as a child. The experience was awesome. We lined up to go to the stream beside the church singing, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.” I knew what I was doing and there would be no turning back for me, “Goodbye world, I stay no longer with you. I will identify with Christ for the rest of my life.”

21 his glory goes with us

Tears of joy welled up in my eyes, so I couldn’t sing with the others, “I am crossing a Rubicon, heavens will be open for me.” As we progressed, I was overwhelmed with joy. It was an unforgettable experience. There was a lifting, there was a freshness and power that came upon me. It was worth it. I would never have missed this experience out of fear of man! Luke 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Was this scripture for me? Yes! The experience was worth facing the consequences at home! I did it to praise the Lord!

22 4

Growing in Grace

fter baptism, I had an insatiable hunger which suggested that Athere was still more. The 2-hour bible study was not enough to last till Friday’s revival meeting of another 2 hours. I wanted to be at fellowship every day, as there was so much to know and learn. Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. I joined the evangelism team. My cousin and I prayed and studied together. Each time I heard the word, ‘there was something to give up’, I wished I could identify all weights at the same time so I could lay them off in one go. Teaching in the church cannot be over-emphasised. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 ‘…teaching them to observe all things…’ The best time to minimise or stop Satan from confusing believers is to teach the Word early, so they can be equipped with the truth and better able to resist Satan. My experience shows how imperative this is. If hungry new believers are not fed with the word of God, Satan will feed them with false doctrine. Remember that though Satan (was cast out at salvation), he still lingers to see if the house is being occupied and if he finds it empty, he will bring seven stronger demons to occupy. Luke 11:24-26 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he his glory goes with us saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

In the state of spiritual hunger, young believers will take anything. They will take false doctrine on TV, radio, and accept the word of false prophets. They may walk into any church because they are genuinely searching. If this confusion is not dealt with by a strong teaching ministry in a good church, young believers may miss their way and find it difficult to get the truth again.

Pastors and teachers of churches should invest in teaching young believers, while they are very keen to study after being in bondage of sin for so long. Over-emphasis on dancing and drama to the detriment of the Word in the modern-day church is not helping and only makes room for distraction. The assurance of liberty in Christ was indescribable, the joy of the Lord flowed like a river. I woke up in the morning feeling great. There was a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment that cannot be put to words.

Jesus is the best thing that happened to me. When I was out and about, I felt like waving and singing the song ‘I am redeemed, Oh praise the Lord”

I am redeemed, O praise the Lord; My soul from bondage free, Has found at last a resting place In Him who died for me.

24 growingggrggrowi

Refrain I am redeemed, I am redeemed, I’ll sing it o’er and o’er; I am redeemed, O praise the Lord; Redeemed forevermore.

I looked, and lo! from Calvary’s cross A healing fountain streamed; It cleansed my heart, and now I sing, Praise God, I am redeemed. [Refrain]

The debt is paid, my soul is free, And by His mighty power, The blood that washed my sins away Still cleanseth every hour. [Refrain]

All glory be to Jesus’ name; I know that He is mine, For on my heart the Spirit seals His pledge of love divine. [Refrain]

There was unusual boldness in everything. Sin was gone forever. I kept questioning myself, what I did to deserve this new life. I remember those days walking on the street and singing out ‘I have a liberty, Jesus has set me free, I have a liberty, Amen”. I was coasting on the wings of grace. Salvation experience is sweet, settling; knowing the Lord is ultimate. My everyday prayers were the words in this scripture: Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

25 his glory goes with us

This prayer progressed into a deeper realm of consecration, praying, and crying for more of Him. Bible reading was with more understanding, quite different from the first time I had to rush and got nothing. Philippians 3:10 became everyday praying, I wanted to know Jesus more. My second favourite scripture was this: Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I just wanted to be like Jesus. I had been through some persecutions already and there was no turning back, so all that was left was to be like him. These prayers continued until the message on sanctification came.

Watching out for things that subtly trip us up is imperative. During one of our Tuesday Bible studies, our Pastor taught on gossip and talebearing in the church. I was so sure of myself and convinced that it would not happen to me. He said, “If you give your ears to gossip, you make your heart a dumping ground.” I wasn’t particularly friendly with anyone, and so no one would tell me anything. I was presumptuous. After the Bible study, a sister walked up to me and asked if she could go with me.

I agreed and took her home. We were about to pray at 10pm when she told me she has a prayer request for the brethren at church. She started this story that should supposedly be a prayer request about brethren who got involved in unholy relationships. Then she talked about people who were engaged, those not talking to each other, and many things about the private lives of people in the church. She continued until 4am.

26 growingggrggrowi

Of course, we ended up not praying. Everything she told me was gossip. As the cock crowed that morning, I felt like Peter, who betrayed the master thrice before the cock crowed. I remembered the words of our Pastor and how I was sure I would not fall into such behaviour. I wept sorely. Instead of praying, we had stayed up for six hours talking rubbish. The friendship ended that day, and I learned a hard lesson that has never left me.

27 5

Holy and Acceptable

s I kept longing for Jesus, my faults still crept up on me. AI got angry quickly but would later regret this and repent knowing this behaviour was not right for a born-again Christian. I got offended, especially when my younger brother misbehaved. When I spoke to him angrily, he would say to me “I thought you were born again, how come you are this upset?” This broke me and I was ashamed. I went into passionate prayer that the Lord would purge me. It was in this state that the message came on sanctification as the second work of grace, salvation being the first. Sanctification is a life of holiness that does not respond to sin. The scriptures were 1 Peter 1:16, Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:15, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, amongst others. Sanctification is not by works or by trial and error, but by faith! It is the will of God to make us holy, it is attainable if we ask and believe. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:4, Ephesians 5:27, 1 Timothy 2:8. For my prayers to be answered, God requires my being holy. If I am going to stand in His presence, it requires purity. Christ is coming for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. I was broken after church that day and went home in tears. It is true Elohim is of a purer eye than to behold iniquity Habakkuk 1:13. Like Jacob, I held on to the Lord until He blessed me with His Grace. I went on to fast and pray with a strong desire to attain this Grace. holyhholhholy and a

Two notable differences between then and now is the way Matthew 6:33 was understood. Mathew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The emphasis those days was to ‘seek first the Kingdom,’ but now the focus is on ‘all other things shall be added to you,’ before you seek first. Then it was “hunger and thirst for righteousness,’ but now it is “promises of bread and butter,’. I can’t tell you the exact date when this sincere yearning bore fruit. All I can tell was a new lease of peace flowed through my heart and joy often welled up constantly.

In the process, anger disappeared, bitterness was rooted out and unforgiveness departed; it was a blissful experience. I was in so much gratitude, I could not believe it was me. I felt so light, and this song ‘There is a peace in my heart that the world never gave - constantly abiding’ became my everyday song. I would sing it each day. It is a sweet song that expressed my feeling.

There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave, A peace it cannot take away; Tho’ the trials of life may surround like a cloud, I’ve a peace that has come there to stay!

Refrain: Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine; Constantly abiding, rapture divine; He never leaves me lonely, whispers, O so kind: “I will never leave thee,” Jesus is mine.

29 his glory goes with us

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King, When peace sweetly came to my heart; Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day, Blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art! (Refrain)

This treasure I have in a temple of clay, While here on His footstool I roam: But He’s coming to take me some glorious day, Over there to my heavenly home! (Refrain)

Yes! God answers prayers, just ask, He will do it! He did it for me, He sanctified me, and my brother was the first to notice. Most times the Lord allows things to show us our need to get to the next step with Him. Instead of blaming my brother or accusing him of being a temptation to me, I saw my need for sanctification. Thank God for him, I would have remained in self-righteousness, but he was used to show me major things to shed spiritually. Following the sanctification was a need for a total death to self. I learned to lean on Him, asking for every spiritual virtue. Yes, it does work as promised in these scriptures: Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. John 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The song ‘what a fellowship, what a joy divine - leaning on the everlasting arm’ made sense to me.

30 holyhholhholy and a

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain: Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms; Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

As a young person, I prided myself with being a finisher ahead of others. All that air of superiority went. I had no choice, physically, I was alone, I had lost it with my parents; my dresses were gone. My siblings were too young to understand. My only hope was Elohim. I had nothing, no money for offering, none for a taxi. I did all my journeys on foot and experienced hunger most times, so what really could I do but to lean on Him. My journey to the church was three to four miles. There was about a two-mile stretch with no houses. It was lonely for a young person, especially at night with no electricity. However, there was an assurance, I was not alone. Jesus abides with me, forever!

31 6

The Cloven Tongues

s a campus fellowship attendee, I often heard brethren speak Ain tongues. When I finally got born again and joined the fellowship, I learned their syllabi and joined in. No one told me whether I got it right or wrong, and there was no teaching on it, and although I had come across the passage in Acts 2:1, understanding of the truth about speaking in tongues did not sink in. I did my ‘lalalalala’ and felt good since I didn’t feel left out. I mimicked speaking in tongues with sincerity, but without understanding. The need for strong biblical teaching cannot be overemphasised. People remain in the dark when not properly taught. New believers can miss out and misunderstand. None of us can grow without sound teaching. How many of us are in this position today where Pastors and church leaders ask us to pray in tongues without sound biblical teaching? No wonder you find believers faking the act of speaking in tongues. I do not blame them at all, I was like them. All you need is to learn what they are saying and join them in rehearsing phrases like ‘Roboroborobo’! Satan deceived the church big time with utterance of the same syllabi across the world, whether in Africa, Asia, America, Australia, Europe, or the Oceania: there are people using the same language with no meaning and interpretation. The worst is that many believers are made to feel inferior or less spiritual when others are speaking fake tongues and they are not. thetthe cltthe clo

People who spoke in ‘tongues’ in those days were seen to be highly spiritual, so to prove your ‘born-againism’ you had to learn the popular phrases uttered by others and join in. Children learn from their parents and do the same in the children’s church. Instead of rebuking or stopping it, Sunday school teachers and Pastors alike, take it that those children are really growing in the Lord. What ignorance that took over the church world. Are you among this category of people? You can still get it right. You are not alone: there are thousands of born-again Christians who do not know their left from their right because they were not properly taught. In one of the Friday Revival meetings, the gift of the Holy Spirit was taught from: Acts 2:4-12 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. So, what did my ‘lalalalala’ mean? I had not even been baptised with the Holy Ghost. I just joined others to do what they were doing for nearly 2 years. I felt like the certain disciples in; Acts 19:1-6 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

33 his glory goes with us

Wow, I asked God to have mercy on me and the many other believers like me. I took as many notes as I could and decided to ditch the fake and go for the original. The gift of the Holy Ghost is not just speaking in tongues, but also fulfilment of the promises in John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. This is what those who took the fake tongues shortcut are missing. Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence, but the real deal is to guide me in all truth, comfort me, show me all things, be a witness of Christ and have power over Satan, Sin, and the World. I was pursuing the shadow rather than the real thing: Holy Spirit Himself. I began to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, it was at this baptism that I would be gifted with my calling to fulfil the purpose of Elohim in my life. No wonder I had not felt the fullness of spiritual life, although saved and sanctified. I was not in any hurry because I was determined to receive the Holy Spirit and His power. The first step was to stop all fake tongues and never to speak them again. The second step was to be open to Elohim to do it. The third step was faith that He Who saved me is faithful and

34 thetthe cltthe clo would do it. The fourth step was a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the fifth step was importunity in prayer. I was praying one morning when the Holy Spirit came upon me and I broke out in tongues. It was a language which continued to flow. I could not stop it, even after I got up and wanted to say something in my normal tongue, so I continued. When I was talking to my dad later that morning, I had to hold my mouth so I would not burst into tongues, lest he said I had become mad. He noticed and asked why I was holding my mouth and what I was muttering! Yes, I got it, praise God, I got it right, hallelujah! I could sing the song, “The comforter has come, The comforter has come, The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Father’s promise given, oh spread the tidings round where ever man is found, the comforter has come.” Hallelujah. Being me, who naturally wants to know and be sure, I asked the Lord to reveal what I was saying, so I could be sure the language was real. I did not want the fake anymore. One day, as I was praying, I knew I was praying for the nation with my new spiritual language. At this point I was grateful that I was given both the gifts of both speaking in tongues and of interpreting them. I did not know what I did to be blessed this much. I was so humbled and just wanted to do anything for Jesus. It took me years to hear what languages I uttered. I spoke in tongues as from Oceania, Asia and Eastern Europe. One day, while listening to the radio, I heard one of the languages I spoke in and told my husband, so I was covered in goosebumps. For the real, the power of God is still the same as prophesied in Joel 2:28-29 is still the same today. Jesus is still pouring Himself out on every person who believes in Him.

35 his glory goes with us

The lesson for every preacher, teacher, Pastor, or overseer is to teach sound biblical doctrine so that God’s people can enjoy His fullness. Much later in ministry as a teacher of the word, the Lord opened my eyes to Acts 2:1. We do not often emphasise it, we go straight to verse 2. Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. May the church be in one accord as Yeshua prayed for us in John 17 so that His presence will be on us. The assurance of strength came into me. Boldness, wisdom, fearlessness, deeper understanding of the word and explicit leading just suddenly came. I knew then I was ready to serve Him. I would not do anything by my own strength ever again. He had taken over my life. It was easy to pray as He helped make intercession for me. Evangelism became easier, as I did not have to struggle with what to say and the right person to go to. I was coasting on eagle wings, what a wonderful Christian life, with joy every morning and all day! Worship took me out of this world. Reading God’s word was so sweet with great revelation, while songs poured from my lips like water. Though life was tough, I enjoyed the comfort of the Holy Spirit because He often spoke peace to me. The song ‘Joys are flowing like a river, since that comforter has come. Blessed Quietness’ came in handy.

Joys are flowing like a river, Since the Comforter has come; He abides with us forever, Makes the trusting heart His home.

36 thetthe cltthe clo

Refrain Blessed quietness, holy quietness What assurance in my soul! On the stormy sea He speaks peace to me. How the billows cease to roll!

Bringing life and health and gladness All around, this heavenly Guest Banished unbelief and sadness, Changed our weariness to rest.

Like the rain that falls from heaven, Like the sunlight from the sky, So the Holy Ghost is given, Coming to us from on high.

See a fruitful field is growing Blessed fruits of righteousness, And the streams of life are flowing In the lonely wilderness.

What a wonderful salvation Where we always see His face! What a perfect habitation! What a quiet resting place!

What a great life. I continue to experience this amazing life as these things have never left me. He tells me and shows me things before they happen and are ever present with me. Now you can see why I strongly lay emphasis on getting right the message on Holy Ghost baptism. However, there is a counterfeit, I was a victim.

37 his glory goes with us

One Sunday, our interpreters were not in church. These brethren traded in yams and their trucks did not arrive in time for Sunday service and there was no one to interpret. I just said to myself that the gift of the Holy Spirit is real, and if I can speak in unknown tongues, I can also read the Igbo Bible fluently through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Pastor was preaching, but the large class was not understanding. I stood up in faith and went straight to the pulpit and asked the Pastor If I can interpret. He was shocked but agreed. I went up to the pulpit beside him and the Holy Spirit did what He alone does best. I could not believe myself. After the message, the whole church clapped and lifted praises to Elohim and that was it, I became the interpreter from that day on. The power of The Holy Spirit is real, so do not accept the fake shortcut. I was in my room one evening and heard some strange noise downstairs where a church uses the hall for their meeting. I went down to see what the noise was and got the shock of my life. Someone was teaching the brethren how to speak in tongues from the things he had written on the board. They were reading out loud what he wrote. That is blasphemy, one of them saw me and alerted him and they all turned to look at me. It petrified me. I walked away and when I got to my room, The Lord told me that Satan had invaded the church with a fake version of Holy Spirit, and it was spreading around the world. This is the reason some churches speak a particular language as tongues, and you wonder how everyone learned it.

38 MULTIPLE GRACE EXPERIENCES

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 7

Grace for the Word

oly Spirit would speak to me when I was studying the HBible. He explained the scriptures verse after verse. I would sometimes open a chapter to read and end up reading only a few verses. He was expositing the scriptures to me. I could be studying my Bible for hours, only to realise I hadn’t eaten, but was not physically hungry. Gradually, this became a usual situation for me. Once I opened my bible, The Holy Spirit came, and fellowship began. My most cherished moments were when He made me laugh. I used to laugh a lot but all that went because of persecution. I discovered he would talk to me and keep me company and I started to enjoy myself. Reading the bible brought me closer to Him as a Friend, Comforter, Maker, and Father. I missed my earthly Father’s love. That had gone because of my faith. However, Elohim filled the gap immediately. I realised I could not have any other friend or desire for one. Some of my brethren thought I was playing ‘holier than thou.’ No, I had all the companionship I needed, and that continues to this day. He makes me laugh, corrects me, tells me deep things on the road and in the room and is ever present with me. The closer we get to Elohim, the clearer we see and hear Him. Some people ask how to know when God speaks. My answer is, “How do you know when your natural dad is speaking?” graceggraggraggrac

Even in our dreams we recognise our parents’ voices by virtue of being with them most of our lives. So also, when you spend most times with our heavenly Father, you will recognise His voice even in the worst and most confused times. The answer is getting closer in intimacy with Him. It is as simple as ‘ABC’. You will get used to His voice and be able to make a distinction between His voice and Satan’s in a split second. Jesus said, His sheep hears his voice and follow Him. We know His voice. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: A lot of Christians are far from Him and want magic to happen at critical times. He speaks in so many ways, to know his voice comes by developing an intimate relationship with Him. If you do, over the years, you will know His will, dos, and don’ts. He speaks to guide you in every decision, where to go, where not to go, you get used to Him. That means when lifelong decisions like marriage, travelling and major life choices must be made, hearing from Him is easy. You won’t need to consult a Prophet or witch to wake up Samuel for you. You will not cut yourself like the Prophets of Baal did at Elijah’s challenge because their god was asleep. 1 Samuel 28:7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 1 King 18:27-29 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the

41 his glory goes with us evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. This intimacy developed, and I began seeing the deeper and secret things the Lord wanted me to hear as described in: Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. I started seeing what others did not see. At some point, it became so scary because I saw movements and actions. There were times all I heard is ‘look’ and as soon as I turned, I would see. At other times, the voice of instruction followed such as “don’t repeat that,” “don’t ever do that,” ‘‘that is the way,’” or anything He wanted to tell me. I also heard a lot. It was then He told me one of my guiding principles of life: ‘if you open your mouth, I close your eyes and if you shut your mouth, I will open your eyes’. Brethren, not everything we hear from the Lord is for public consumption. Some things are for you to pray about; some are for learning and instruction, and some are for the future. When God speaks to you like this, it is a rare place to find oneself, and you must guard it diligently. If I followed the way of many churches today, I would have opened my own ‘Grace seeing and hearing ministries’ with £100 consultation fee to tell you the ingredients in your soup! The grace of Elohim should not be taken in vain. Sometimes it was “did you hear that?” It might be a phrase in a sentence. Then when I got home and opened my Bible, I would see exactly what I heard. Then Elohim would explain more. I became conscious of who I was in Christ Jesus. I was of a chosen generation; a peculiar person and He was ever near. It was at this time, the Spirit of discernment crept up on me. Like young Samuel, I didn’t understand that God was calling me, but this gift developed strongly in me.

42 graceggraggraggrac

1 Samuel 3:8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. I saw and heard things and could pinpoint what they were. The bible says, ‘and Mary pondered all these in her heart’. I kept what I saw to myself. For years now, when brethren are not being truthful with me, I can see this and tell them to save their energy. I may also know of some event in the church and when the brethren come to tell me, I tell them I have already seen it. This experience extended to a powerful manifestation of the gift of discernment of Spirits which made me continually in awe of Elohim. The more I experienced these things, the more I knew without a shadow of doubt that Elohim was real. The more I knew Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the more Isaiah 40 came alive to me. Glory be to God for the process. Being in church at every service also did a great job in me. Listening to brethren teaching with so many scriptures, praying in tongues, talking about how they pray without ceasing, challenged me. After searching the scripture on Sundays, the Pastor or one of the brothers would go up to the pulpit to take questions and the answers must be from the scriptures. There is no preparation for this, as you did not know what question that would come up. Wow! How could I get here, grace took me there? Intimacy with the Lord and love for the word will take you there without your knowing. As you study, to show yourself approved, you will not be ashamed to rightly divide the word of truth. Looking back, I could only say that while reading for my edification and growth, the words were going into my inner being.

43 8

Grace for Prayers

he first time I heard our prayer leader talk about praying Tfor six hours non-stop and tithing his day in prayers, I cried because I could not pray for 30 minutes. Either I fell asleep or there was nothing to pray for. I wondered what they were praying for more than 30 minutes. I heard the message on prayers that men ought always to pray and not to faint based on Luke 18:1. That increased my sorrows again. How? Then the message continued, on types of prayer, intercession, supplication, warfare, prayer of importunity and the other types of prayer. It was then that I realised why and what they were praying for. The ministry of teaching cannot be overemphasised in the body of Yeshua. I learnt that you pray before evangelism and pray after for the people you ministered to. I learnt that in compassion; you do not just give to the poor, but also pray for them. It was through teaching that I understood that we should pray for the leaders, the country, and for everyone. I also learnt that in waging spiritual warfare against principalities and powers, we need to pray and ask the Lord for grace. After hearing that The Holy Spirit helps us to pray effectively, I went on to ask for help from Him. graceggraggrace f

One day, I woke up about 4am and started reading. As I read, the Lord was revealing things, and I began praying after each verse. From there, I continued to pray for our brethren, my state, and my family. When I prayed for my brethren, I mentioned names and as I did; I was given what to pray for. I could not leave the room because there was still a lot to pray for and I was in the room until 1pm - yet I still did not cover all that needed to be prayed for. From 4am till 1pm was a total of 9 hours. What? How? It was not me, but Jesus, who did it through the power of Holy Spirit. The secret is sound teaching and asking for grace. Jesus will do it.

45 9

He that wins souls is wise

vangelism came naturally, I did not have much to say other Ethan my testimony. Testimonies come spontaneously after salvation, and they are real and true stories. People want to know how it happened. I usually ask those who give excuses for not knowing what to say on evangelism if they are really born again. What were you delivered from? How did it happen? What convicted you? Repeat the story to everyone you meet and see the power of transformation. The Samaritan woman converted her city through her testimony in John 4:29 “come, see a man, which that told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” That was it - if only we can keep the gospel message simple. Evangelism is a function of what we say, answers to people’s questions and wisdom in navigating round. I also learnt that not going out evangelising will not take you anywhere. I was already a bold person from childhood. I was on our live Television programme at Aba called ‘Mr Dust’ from the age of 8. I won a dancing competition at 7 when my father was a shareholder in Lever Brothers. I played lead characters in school plays at ages 9 and 10 and was outgoing. I competed in debating for my school, my team won prizes for the school. I debated on all 28 topics. My friend and I were chosen to speak on behalf of all students on why schools should not be handed over to voluntary hehhe thhe thhe thhhehhe t agencies. It was broadcasted as part of evening news. My dad was on top of the world that evening. I was the social prefect of the school and was popular. These accomplishments may have given me an advantage in the natural world. However, evangelism is different from what I had done in the past. This time I needed wisdom from above to communicate the gospel with people and brethren. They could ask questions and refer you to the scripture. The question was, how do I get there? The bible says that He that winneth souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30. There is no shortcut, but to join the evangelism team. I did join them for the next level since I had only been going with my testimony. I learnt to quote John 3:16 and Romans 3:23 to people. I prayed for wisdom, but the Lord said to me, “It is in the doing.”

I tried on my own after several times with my brethren. One time, a Jehovah’s Witness person took me on, but being a young Christian, I could not answer any of her questions. I came back that very day crying, feeling extremely disappointed. I got the answer as I went to the Bible to search and read for answers. If only I had known earlier! I remember praying to see a Jehovah’s Witness who would ask me some questions so I could answer them. It was funny that each day I got new challenges, I would come back feeling defeated, but I was definitely learning. I was being exposed to various questions, why they were asked, and their perspectives of life. One day I realised that this was a school where no one would teach you, but rather, you learn by doing. I gained insight and could answer many questions because they had been asked before.

47 his glory goes with us

I went further to a higher step of answering their questions before they asked. One day a man made the comment of my being wise and Proverbs 11:30 hit me. He that winneth soul is wise, the wisdom is knowing scriptures as Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:15. Ah! Just going out there and talking to people revealed a lot about people and their state. Having done Psychology in school, I realised that evangelism would make you one of the greatest psychologists of your time. As you meet with people you learn a lot, understand their mindset, their reaction to things and how their upbringing, experience, social background, education and training has affected them. Wisdom to answer every man kept flowing, with people wondering how I did it. I have met at least 6-8 people like that man who marvelled. Now if you want to understand more, know more about men, go out on evangelism, you will know a lot. Some will tell life stories of things you never knew happen in this present life. You go home with compassion, and a grateful heart that Yeshua found you. You will have a burden to pray, and vow not to go back to sin anymore, because life outside Jesus is horrible.

I literally knocked on every door in my community and ministered to all. Many gave their lives and are still standing in faith till today. The Lord led me to two notorious call girls. The community dreaded them because of their lifestyle. Well, they were won for Jesus and are still in the faith today. Going out on evangelism did me good in my Christian growth, as almost every virtue shows up and manifests; Faith was always let loose that people would be won for Christ. Evangelism led me to diligence in studying to show myself approved, a workman who did not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. It led to knowledge of the Word and the people, temperance

48 hehhe thhe thhe thhhehhe t in conducting myself as a light and example. It gave room for patience with them, without giving up or being angry because people could be difficult out there. It also enabled one to pursue the path of godliness as they wanted to see what we preach in us. A lifestyle of evangelism induced a heart flowing with brotherly kindness in the way I related with people and genuinely love them. In this way, there will be a ready answer to the questions some may ask: why do you keep coming and not giving up?

49 10

Journey into Ministry

ll started with a group of students aged 11-20. I was made a Astudent fellowship house leader and, in that zeal, went round to get the students in our downstairs living room, which was large. The Lord was with us as lives kept changing with young people giving their lives to Jesus. We grew from a handful to over 75 with a lot listening from the outside as the room could not hold everyone. Parents in the community brought their children and invited me over to their homes to talk to them. The entire community gave their support to the extent that parents would tell their children they would let me know if they misbehaved. The news spread to neighbouring communities and young people from there came to see or join on Sundays. I got excellent support from the church and was posted elsewhere to scale up the work. I was still young in the Christian faith, and the students in my fellowship told of the vibrancy in the fellowship at school. They even said that I knew everything in the bible and could answer any question. That was a big setup because the school invited me over, partly to start a school fellowship and partly because they wanted to see this young lady who knew everything in the bible. That was quite scary as I knew only the much I knew and nowhere near anything they boasted of. I found the situation an extremely high bar to jump over. I told the church to send some older brethren with me, but they told me I had to do it. My heart kept jumping journeyjjourjjourney as the day approached, and I really prayed and fasted, asking The Lord to see me through this looming embarrassment. I arrived at the school and was greeted by loud cheers by the students. I tried to smile, but my heart was pounding. The teachers came round. I started with prayers and then ministered. Many students and teachers gave their lives to the Lord. The dreaded hour arrived. I asked for any question. Alas! Hands raised up, and the questions were coming from all directions. Not anything I expected, they were considerably basic questions, and I rattled through them whilst claps continued. We finished, and the Principal asked if I could hold a weekly fellowship at the school. I immediately accepted the offer, and the fellowship lasted for years, even after I handed it over to other brethren. The real gist was that I forgot that in the country of the blind, a one-eyed man is a king. Both students and teachers did not know enough as to ask difficult questions and so their questions were basic. I felt like a hero dealing with a toddler. I was sent to another community but then did not have to labour from the scratch because they were converts from the school. One thing that fellowship taught me was being careful in church, as you do not know those your character may influence positively or negatively. Before long, the students were talking the way I did, and the girls were dressing like me. One of them was offered a wraparound hair tie at church and she refused it because I did not use it. Everyone should be careful. We do not live just for ourselves, but also for others. Your choice of meat may be okay for you, but the same may hurt your brother. The question is, what examples are we showing?

51 his glory goes with us

We should be careful not to lead anyone to sin or to stumble because they are copying us, especially if we are in influential positions. It is in common place for people to dress like their Pastors and their wives, and one cannot say it does not matter. It matters. I am an eyewitness of a Pastor’s wife who was admiring some young ladies that were inappropriately dressed at church, asking them where they fixed their hair. I was shocked; I expected her as the mother of the church to put them right. The Lord ministered to me she had opened the door and given Satan legal right of way. In a month’s time, the church had a problem with indecent dressing and bought scarfs to give out for covering. It was so bad that the Pastor decried it, but the wife was the weak link. Do not give Satan a foothold, he is greedy, if you give him an inch, he will take a mile.

52 11

A Closer walk with Jesus

ellowship with Yeshua and brethren became my most desired Faim and consumed my being. I could not see the world as before. On the road, I was praying either over people or ungodly billboards or to bring those I will minister to Christ. Once I settled, scriptures would replay in my head. I learnt to sing the song ‘Just a closer walk with thee.’

I am weak, but Thou art strong, Jesus, keep me from all wrong, I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. his glory goes with us

When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more, Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom’s shore, to Thy shore.

It is one of my favourites and often puts me to tears. Another song is ‘that I may know him and the power of His resurrection.’ ‘For thou goodness of my Saviour’.

For Thy goodness, O my Saviour, I would praise Thee o’er and o’er; May the Holy Spirit teach me How to love Thee more and more. chorus More and more, more and more! Oh to love Thee, Saviour, more and more! More and more, more and more! Oh to love Thee, Saviour, more and more!

For the blessings that surround me, Lord, Thy mercy I adore; For Thy care so deep and tender, I would love Thee more and more.

Raging tempest, rolling billow, Thou hast brought me safely o’er; Thou has led me, safely led me,

54 aaa closaa claa claa clo

And I long to love Thee more. Till my journey here is ended, Till I reach the heavenly shore, This my earnest supplication— That my soul may love Thee more.

These are wonderful songs; you will not remain the same as you sing. During this time, I saw visions of the rapture three times. The first one, the trumpet sounded, and we all went up. In the second, I saw others going, and I cried out, “What of me?” I was immediately taken up. In the third vision, I went with others and the girl that came to my house to gossip about others pulled me down. I felt like I was dead, while others went. I asked her why she pulled me down and she answered in that dream, “Don’t you know that I will pull you down as long as you remain friends with me?”

I cried so much and woke up with palpitations, realising I was crying actual tears. Being a zealous young Christian, I would not wait till daybreak and went to the Church to ask where she lived. I could not go to her, so I shared the dream with our leaders at church and as soon as I saw her at Bible study, I called her out and told her not to talk to me ever again, never to be near me. I was a young Christian then and would have handled it better today. After that physical outburst I was ministered to that It was not about her but who I associate with will make or mar my making it to the Kingdom. Now you know why I preach about associations one keeps with zeal.

55 his glory goes with us

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Remember, it is not only about those you are close to and hang around with. It also has to do with your likes, what you watch, what you identify with and what you are interested in. A lot of Christians have missed their purpose because of the so-called ‘Christian brother or sister’ they are friends with, the church, or the preacher they sit under. It is so subtle because you see them as fellow believers, but they may be the Judas among the twelve. They may be the mixed multitude and spots in our feasts of charity. If you really desire, hunger and thirst for the Lord, you can spot them in one go, unless you are of the same stock. You sing from the same hymn sheet with them.

Another instance was on a church planting ground. I went with the prayer and evangelism team but was sleeping in the same hall with the choir team. The brethren to sing the alto and bass did not arrive as their vehicle had broken down. I was called to sing. I laughed and told the leader not to try it unless they want to lose the crowd! He reminded me I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. He was not sure why he was led to ask me. Well, I gave it a go, and let him decide if he really wanted to take the risk. They started teaching me the alto and the bass parts; I did well, harmonised their beautiful voices, and since then I sing alto and bass. The significant thing about this is that we took a cross-country race to the venue. The church van could not take all, so only the older ones were allowed in. Those of us who were younger and still wanted to go took the challenge to walk. It was about 15 miles. In those days, that venue was remote and had a square filled with idols. I had not seen such a thing in my life: before the square was

56 aaa closaa claa claa clo a tiny mud houses with human images. Just like a normal village setting, but everything was mud. We were forced into spiritual warfare. It spurred everybody into active evangelism. The house we were hosted in was in front of a big shrine. I thank the Lord that all those things are gone today. I usually get breathless after running some distance and was just healed of asthma, so how I got there with ease and no symptoms is indeed a genuine miracle and a confirmation that the siege was over.

57 12

The servant of all

erving in the church is another area that comes automatically Sfor those who get involved in sharing the good news. Gratitude to God for saving your life makes you want to give back, though it cannot equate the scope of sins forgiven. You are not told what to do, you want to be involved and things are done differently. You serve with a perfect heart, without complaining, fault finding or pushing and shoving. At church, people sing when working as a team, share testimonies, encourage one another and pray for grace for every little thing. For me, it was amazing because I had never seen such an expression of church. Starting from the school fellowship with the initial zeal of newfound love, I would go early to open and clean the hall and arrange the seats. As if that was not enough, I joined in prayers. As my voice was a no-go area, I could not join the choir in order not to spoil the rhythm. When I graduated and joined the local church, I continued in the same grace. The Lord enabled me to arrive early, clean the church, bring out all the benches and tables and arrange them. They were heavy, but I did not mind. It was a joy to serve. One day I got my reward and a message I preached from then on to anyone that I could reach. As I was sweeping, this prayer came to me and I was asking God to sweep out every dirt in my life, some dirt will go into a corner and hide, I will lift the benches to sweep thetthe sertthtthe them out, I found myself asking God to sweep out hidden dirt in my life; I did not want to be like Ephraim in this passage: Hosea 7:8-9 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake, not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. Ephraim had grey hair and did not realise it. As I cleaned the benches, I was asking the Lord to thoroughly clean every dust that had settled during my Christian journey. As I tidied the benches, I was asking the Lord to arrange and tidy my life. I did not know that Elohim was doing a work in me, answering all the prayers. One day, I was called by my leaders, and told that I was such a brilliant Christian with an excellent spirit. I wondered how, since I was not one of the popular Sisters. I thought I was not known because it was a large church. I was not one of the ushers, but I came early to join them in cleaning the church; later, when I was posted out to another district church, helping out with the cleaning was not a big deal to me. The church was full of older people and students from the campus. On an incredibly positive side, serving in the church will reveal the spirit in you. As you serve with all your heart, both angels and humans take note. One day I was asked to cook for a meeting of Senior Pastors and Ministers. I was surprised at the assignment. We had sisters that were top caterers by profession, they prepared meals for special occasions at church. I was not even in their team and had never joined them because it was not my grace area. Moreover, cooking was my personal weak point in those days. I went to the Administrator to ask if it were a mistake because I could not imagine being asked to cook for such senior men of

59 his glory goes with us

God. It was not a compliment at all. He blankly said yes. It was agreed that I should do the cooking. I knew the only thing to get me out of this embarrassment was to confess that I did not know how to cook the traditional meals. I summoned up courage and told him. This courage might not mean much to you if you do not know the culture, but it was expected of a lady my age then to be an expert cook. In the old tradition, girls were intentionally taught to cook so it would not be a bottleneck when suitors were making inquiry at time of marriage. He looked at me and said, “We sensed in the spirit that it might be the case, but it is not about the taste of the food, but the heart. Sister Grace, you have an excellent spirit and that is what we want to eat. They asked for someone with an excellent heart to do the cooking and you were the choice.” I did not know that I was being observed. I do things in the name of the Lord, not for anyone. The scripture “whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might,” meant a lot to me, so I did all for the sake of the Lord. “So, they are watching”, I said to myself, and wondered what other things they had seen me do. I hoped that no mistake would be found in me. A light set on a hill cannot be hid, so dear reader, keep up the good work and do not let Satan suggest otherwise. I was faced with a hard choice, go ahead, and consult the professionals or ask my Mum what to do. I did not ask the cooks at church, so they would not feel unappreciated. I went to my Mum, and she just said, “I told you that this will catch up with you one day. You are all over the place and they have no clue that you cannot cook, now

60 thetthe sertthtthe they have found out, this is what we were telling you, but you did not understand,”. I expected her to say that, so no problem, I just needed an “idiot guide” and she wrote down all including timing. I did the cooking and the egusi soup turned out well. The rice was also good. My garnishing was superb. Carrot was out of season, so I grated semi ripen pawpaw in a spiral, I used garden egg leaf in place of lettuce; I added avocado. Salad ingredients were out of season then, but the improvised meal turned out well. My pounded yam, on the other hand, was a mess. It did not blend and went into pieces. I had warned the Administrator beforehand that asking me to do pounded yam was asking too much. I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands, not knowing what to do. The leaders had been at this meeting since morning and this pounded yam would be a blow on their face. I went straight to the administrator, and he told me not to bother. It will be eaten as cooked yam, not pounded yam. Unknown to me, the man to be my husband was at the meeting, so not knowing how to cook will not put off the right man. It is “for better, for worse”. Marriage is “in spite of, not because of”. Some ladies put on fake nails, lashes, and make all sorts of additions in courtship. Some young men borrow cars and even shirts and trousers to wear during courtship. It is an ordered package, and it will be interesting when delivered to find out it is all fake. It usually marks the end of the marriage from the beginning. Our pastor once told us a story of a brother at church that married a sister because of her sweet voice. The first morning after the wedding, he woke up and looked at the sister’s face. She was ugly; he knew he had made a mistake for life. He quickly said to the sister, “Honey sing”. The poor new bride started singing. This continued every morning, and she wondered why. Well, he

61 his glory goes with us married the voice and not the sister! Do not go the way of “Honey sing,” it will be a misery for life. Serving makes a way! Because few want to serve, there are lots of vacancies. With no interviews, you will get the job in one go. You can also get multiple jobs without going through rigorous recruitment processes. In the Church, to become a worker will take you months and up to one year with various trainings before you get into the lowest level, but to sweep, clean the toilet, carry the benches, there is no form to fill and no interview. No church politics, no strife, just serve as much as you can. Obviously, it is the best place to be.

62 13

I was an hungered you gave me meat

he quest to be like Jesus became the driving force of life. TThis virtue was originally in me naturally, and my parents called me Obioma (Kind heart). Knowing the Lord and that our righteousness without Him is like filthy rags, I asked the Lord to help me to serve Him with grace so I could please Him. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I prayed to serve without being recognised, hailed, or given credit, which in time past gave satisfaction. I read about the Pharisees getting no reward for what they gloried in, and I did not want to end up like them. Serving Him secretly and Elohim rewarding openly is the better deal. With grace, I was able to differentiate the new from the old. Compassion with grace is being led by the Holy Spirit. It is spontaneous, with no struggling or debate. Once it is done, joy untold follows. As a result, evangelism is not done out of compulsion but out of compassion. You see everything through the eyes of Yeshua. You learn to intercede for others with compassion, their answers come like lightning. I have learned why Elohim answered Yeshua’s prayers. It is because they were said out of compassion for our salvation. Giving to the poor comes out of that compassionate heart. When I started working, the small salary was used for my tithe, feeding and groceries for older people, pens, pencils, and sandals for students in the church. I did not need many clothes then, having his glory goes with us had to manage with a few, though I didn’t really need that much when I could afford them. Thanks to persecution. This provision was going on monthly. I bought and gave out dresses to sisters in the church with joy because I had been through lack and knew exactly what they were going through. I got closer to people to find out how I could help because I went through some sore experiences. Little then did I know that it was my primary journey to becoming a Pastor.

64 14

I was in prison, you came unto me

e had a brother in the church who was a Senior Officer at Wthe Prisons. I approached him for an opportunity to visit the prisons. He asked us to come to the office and there we were given permission to visit every Thursday. Our first visit was chilling. The prison is another world. We were shocked at what we saw: men, women, young people, old and all sorts. The living condition was terribly poor. The food was the worst you could ever imagine, and the quantity was so small. With malnutrition, it was a difficult environment for life to thrive.

We were taken round and shown different sections of the prison. The minor offenders and some long-term prisoners could walk about in the prison. The ardent criminals were chained in their cells and did their toileting in there. Some had mental health issues. Some suffered as they were beaten up by other inmates as an initiation into the prison. Those who were allowed visitors shared with other inmates anything brought to them. Some were innocent but were falsely accused and had not seen their children for years: they were abandoned. Some others were there awaiting trials or court injunctions and ending up spending years behind bars because their relatives had no money to hire a lawyer. So many things and reasons. There is no way you visited the prison and had a restful sleep that night. his glory goes with us

We were taken to the female section. We ministered and prayed with them. The person with me could not continue and I had to do it alone for several months. I bought toiletries, biscuits and helped them to write letters to their relatives. I also helped them in writing statements of which most of them broke my heart. The world we are in is being manipulated by Satan to perpetrate wickedness on humanity. The stories and conditions of inmates are pathetic.

66 ESTEEMING THE REPROACH OF CHRIST

Hebrews 11:36-38 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 15

Cast down but not destroyed

eing born again as a young person in the 80s, in a religious Borthodox home, is like going to the garrison of the Philistines to get water from the wells of Bethlehem. It was a tall order, and a heavy cross to bear, similar to Paul’s experience in: 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. When you become a born-again Christian, you will experience the above scriptures in one way or the other. The joyful news is that they are evidence that the scriptures are true. You experience the things our Lord and the Apostle Paul suffered. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; The bible also becomes real. You receive assurance and persuasion that you are on the right track. These experiences castccastccasccasccast down take one closer to Elohim, they reveal Him to you and His power manifests so strongly that you are in awe. They ground the believer so solidly that this scripture comes alive: Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. My Dad was a man of honesty and integrity. He was popularly known for his outspokenness and decency. He loved God passionately and did his best to take us to church. He came to the Lord in the early 70s when he had an incident that nearly took his life. When I was a child, my Dad took us to Billy Graham and Morris Cerullo outreaches. His favourite songs were ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ and ‘In the hollow of His hand’. He sang them each time he was ironing. He was a disciplined man who didn’t mess around. He wanted the best for each of us and worked tirelessly to ensure we get the best education. It paid off. Some of my siblings made it to doctorate, some to a master’s degree. At first, my Father was supportive of my new birth in Christ and we had a wonderful time reading the Bible together. I had always been his favourite child and was given privileges my siblings didn’t have. Even when I did wrong, he supported me. One day he told me he wished I were a boy and not a girl who would eventually marry outside the family. Every blessing he

69 his glory goes with us could give came to me, so much that I made up my mind not to disappoint him. When I repented and asked Jesus into my heart, he told me he knew I would only get better and better in life. However, one day, the evil one used an old man in his late 70s to tell my beloved father to stop me from going to what he called ‘the clapping hands church’. Before this my Father paid my taxi fare to church. Unfortunately, this gentleman had a mission to persuade my father that he should stop me from attending. What was he saying? He said that the Anglican church was one of the first Christian churches, which is not true. He reminded my father he was a top member and had invested in his church. He was looked up to by many people. This man told my father that all the born-again people were mad, and he should consider his reputation as a titled man. The man said my being born again was a disgrace to the family, and I had let my Father down. Well, who can stand this kind of tsunami when it rages towards you? It swept my dad off his feet. As a result, I faced a ‘choose ye this day whom you shall serve’ ultimatum. I knew then that I would go through the season of Daniel chapter 6, when Daniel was thrown in the Lion’s den for his faith. The lions were going to be my friends and companions, but for how long I did not know. So, the first instruction from my father was to stop going to ‘that church’. I knew it was not my father trying to stop me from following Jesus, but Satan, the mastermind has interjected his poison through this elderly man. At this time, I had read about Esther in the Bible and her statement: ‘I will surely go, if I perish, I perish’. Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and

70 castccastccasccasccast down so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. There was no turning back, I thought. My hands were already on the plough. It was too late to stop, as I already tasted the waters of salvation, the work of sanctification and power of the Holy Spirit. I had been crucified with Christ; it was no longer I that lived, but Jesus in me. All that was gain to me had been cast out as dung. I was like Ruth: no persuasion could make me go back. I had crossed the Red Sea and the waters at my back had closed so I could not go back to Egypt again. I would not trade the land of milk and honey for onions and cucumber. I had left the land of Ur of Chaldeans and on the journey to Canaan, the land of promise. I had set my face like a flint. My heart was fixed. Like Nehemiah, I could not come down, I had one hand to rebuild the walls and the other with the sword of the Spirit. Like the disciples, I had left all, thrown away worldly dresses and shed off all excess baggage. I had gone far beyond the point of no return. I braced myself and quit myself like a strong man. Nicely, I told my dad that to stop going to church was like taking the breath out of me. But, I said, “What am I stopping? Should I stop loving Jesus, stop praying, stop the joy, peace, serenity of Yeshua, and the comfort of the scriptures; the presence of Elohim, the fellowship of brethren, the silent whisperings of the heavenly host, and the love of Yeshua to mention but a few.” He told me that was not what he meant and would not want me to stop those. His main concern was the denomination. He got it wrong! We - the saints- are the church and cannot be stopped. Anyway, the high games started with all the spears and arrows, I had only a sling and small pebbles. The first thing my father did was to cut off the taxi fares and ride.

71 his glory goes with us

Our house was about three and a half miles to the city where the church was, and on an untarred road. There was no electricity then for illumination on that road. It was okay to use it at night, but I needed to come back with the brethren. I did the journey with my cousin and friend who has gone to be with the Lord. She was a heaven bound Christian indeed, I know I will see her again in glory. Initially, losing the taxi ride was not a problem. The church meetings were on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5.30pm, so I had to leave the house at 4pm latest. However, the enemy came in the form of a new roadblock. My mum told me I had to cook dinner every Tuesday and Friday. “Here you go,” I thought. I knew that if “I die today, I will die no more.” I was not usually asked to cook in our house, though I tried several times. Even with Home Economics lessons, it was not successful. No matter how hard I tried, the outcome of my cooking was always a mess and a waste of ingredients. I asked my Mum if I could prepare dinner early on Tuesdays and Fridays, but she would tell me I couldn’t do so until 3pm. That meant I couldn’t finish in time to go to the Bible Study. I asked the Lord for wisdom. Once, I started cooking and finished a few minutes before 5pm. I ran from our house to the church and got there just after the opening prayer. I smelt of food and the sweat from running, but I didn’t care. My joy was the Word I would feast on. After the fellowship, my heart pumped with apprehension. While others were going home with joy and chatting, I knew that sorrow and anguish awaited me at home. When I got home, I was not sure if it was better to go upstairs or stay downstairs, but I still had to go in. My mum heard my steps and called me up to the kitchen immediately. She opened the soup I made and behold; the vegetables were at one side of

72 castccastccasccasccast down the pot and the water on the other side. Oh no! I left the lid on and didn’t let out the steam, so everything went wrong. Moreover, I had added everything in one go and cooked it like that so I could make it to church. This meant the soup was tasteless, and the vegetables had turned brown. I was told how I had wasted money and kept everyone hungry. I knew they would have had something else to eat because I didn’t know how to cook our traditional soup. But in this case, I was meant to feel all the guilt of being wasteful because of church. My mum told me that next time I cooked so badly the soup would be left in the fridge until I had eaten it all. She threw the soup in front of me, complaining about the expense. She wanted to teach me a hard lesson, and this incident began many days of sorrow. These continued in several scenarios. One thing I have not been able to come to terms with, is how much attention the brethren pay to their looks before attending church. Congratulations to you, your roses are blooming in pleasant places. If you are serious about following the Lord, you will get to a place where you are like the deer panting after water, nothing will stop your soul from panting after the Lord. To miss the bible study or get to it late because of bathing and adorning, means you have no idea what some people are passing through just to get to hear the Word. You will not understand that in some places, the bible is torn in pages so that each person can get a page to read and exchange the next day. You will not appreciate that some Christian study and pray at night in caves so they are not killed. Let us not take the grace of God in vain. I was so hungry for the Lord that the way I smelled of cooking was the least that bothered me; I bore the shame! If I had taken a bath, my mum would have known I had hurried the cooking. Then I would have been too late for church and would have hurried in

73 his glory goes with us vain as my mum would have stopped me going. In other words, going out quietly for the Word was the only option I had. I pray we appreciate God’s goodness. I went through some other difficult trials during this period. My father would ask me to serve our visitors with beer from the fridge. He always asked me to do this when the visitors had settled in and to disobey means a lot in my culture. We do not disobey our parents in public. I would go into the room and sit still until he called out my name. When I answered, he repeated that I should get the drinks from the fridge. I knew I had to break this fear and stand for God. I thought, whatever happens today is what will happen, but no way am I going to serve alcohol. I did not, and he called my brother to get the drinks. I would rather obey God than man and take the consequences. I was prepared for the talk that evening. It came very harshly with threats. However, I was ready to die for the sake of Jesus. Some have compromised their faith because of fear and threat. To live a godly life in Christ means we will also suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Lack was one of the issues that loomed. I had lost all and done every journey on foot. This is known as ‘legedes Benz’, meaning your legs as the Benz car. The church decentralised the congregation and the fellowship I attended were on the other side of the town across the river. The pedestrian bridge from my side of the town had broken, sometimes my dress would get wet and need changing. Usually, someone could carry me across the water, but this time the water level was so high, only fishermen or sand drillers could help to take me across. I got a boat man to help me as it was the shortest route to the other side.

74 castccastccasccasccast down

The church service overran that day. When I got to the river, no one was there. The route home by road was lonely, and it was almost dark. Meanwhile, I had run down the hill to the river, to see if I could meet up with anyone. Running up the hill was not an easy task. Then I heard the voice of Satan telling me loudly, “the suffering is too much,enough is enough. Put an end to it.” He told me to jump in the river and end all my suffering. I remembered the song of Fanny Crosby, ‘O brother life’s journey is beginning’ and said to myself, “No, I have just started my Christian life, a lot is ahead of me, Satan did not save me and had no right to instruct me.” The scripture that came to my mind was Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? We cannot obey Satan just to overcome temporary inconvenience. I went back to the town, then remembered another river front in the neighbouring village. When I got there, I was alone, and it was dark. I returned to the main road, realising I had only two options. I could only go left or right. My right led to the city and then a tough journey afterwards. The left was fine, up until the Anglican Church. The distance from Anglican Church to the neighbouring village was only about a mile, but because of the sand on the road and the lonely bush, anything could happen. I took the left and ran as much as I could, singing and praying, and got home about 9.30pm. Praise God for safety and grace. Many people have responded to demonic voices like the one I heard by the river and gone back to Egypt and slavery or acted in ways that have hampered their Christian growth. These voices and suggestions come in different ways. To some ladies who thought

75 his glory goes with us that marriage was being delayed, Satan suggests that they have children out of wedlock. To some he suggests that they become second wives to men who are married, and he entices others to enter into adulterous relationships, just to meet their needs. It may be that because you are waiting for employment, you are tempted to accept a job that a Christian should not accept. Maybe you have low grades and Satan tempts you to cheat in an examination. Those in the Western world might be tempted to falsify information to gain benefits or other similar malpractices. Remember the song ‘and when you are tempted my brother, God give you the grace to say no’. When Satan tempts you, do not give in, there is a crown awaiting us!

O brother, life’s journey beginning, With courage and firmness arise! Look well to the course thou art choosing; Be earnest, be watchful, and wise! Remember—two paths are before thee, And both thy attention invite; But one leadeth on to destruction, The other to joy and delight.

Refrain God help you to follow His banner, And serve Him wherever you go; And when you are tempted, my brother, God give you the grace to say No!

O brother, yield not to the tempter, No matter what others may do; Stand firm in the strength of the Master,

76 castccastccasccasccast down

Be loyal, be faithful, and true! Each trial will make you the stronger, If you, in the name of the Lord, Fight manfully under your Leader, Obeying the voice of His Word.

O brother, the Saviour is calling! Beware of the danger of sin; Resist not the voice of the Spirit, That whispers so gently within. God calls you to enter His service To live for Him here, day by day; And share by and by in the glory That never shall vanish away.

I reflected over this and got a message of my lifetime and still remember it vividly. 2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica: Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Exodus 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? For a little difficulty, some have departed from the faith. May you stay strong in Jesus Name Amen. The key is to count whatever encounter as ‘light affliction’. 2 Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. As I told you in an earlier chapter, I got rid of most of my clothes. As a result, I was left with one old pair of pants and a bra given to

77 his glory goes with us me by my grandmother., They were too big, so I devised a way to tie the pants on my right side for firmness and the bra under my right armpit. I held my bible with my right hand to cover the knots and off I went to church and evangelism. No one knew what was on the inside. May the Lord help His church to see beyond the physical. Sometimes we will do things which seem strange to others for His sake. I was alone, but this was training for an extraordinary ministry. We want the power of Paul, but are we willing to get his nakedness? After a time, Satan changed his tactics. My dad reminded me how much he loved and preferred me above my siblings; how intelligent I was and how much he had prided himself of my achievements. He begged me not to disappoint him or let people laugh at him. He said that if only I would stop this church, he would live longer because he could not bear to see the way I was going. Well, I knew it was not about him. I knew God would keep him. I loved my dad so much and was praying for his salvation. Salvation is more than sentiments, so those tactics did not work, but standing up to them strengthened me more. I was finally asked to leave the home, but where was I going? We were brought up in a way that meant we didn’t ever stay with our uncles and aunties. When I asked them for help, they were all afraid of my dad and wouldn’t let me in. They couldn’t see why I should not let go of this ‘born-again thing’ and obey my parents. On one occasion, my dad flung my small suitcase from upstairs. All my clothes, including underwear scattered all over the compound. I felt so ashamed and humiliated when people saw my underwear; I picked my things up in tears and knew that my parents meant to throw me out of the home.

78 castccastccasccasccast down

I couldn’t carry the suitcase, so I put my things in a plastic bag and headed to nowhere. I kept going and crying, I was hungry but what could I do? I sang

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

79 his glory goes with us

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

I went to the Anglican Church, where it was very lonely. Then I crossed over to the other side of the town. I could not figure out where I was going until evening when it dawned on me that I had walked nearly 5 miles. I saw a signpost to a clinic and went in as it was open. I asked to see the doctor in charge, he told me to wait until the end of the clinic. It was late when the clinic finished. He brought me into his consulting room, where I told him I was a newly qualified nurse waiting to go for midwifery. I had no experience but asked if I could run his outpatient service. The doctor told me he didn’t need a nurse. Then I asked if I could sleep in any of the rooms and continue my journey the next day. The doctor allowed me to stay without question, even though I was crying, and my dress was wet. He took me to one of the rooms where there was a bed and mattress. He asked if I was hungry. As he went to get something for me to eat, I fell asleep. I woke up early to pray and was still surprised how this Doctor took me in without asking who I was, who my parents were and where I came from. It could only be God who made this possible. Such behaviour was unusual. Next morning, the doctor asked to see me. I waited to say thank you and continue my journey, but he told me he would keep me as long as I wanted and would pay me seventy-five Naira (N75) a month.

80 castccastccasccasccast down

This was yet another miracle, as he still asked no questions about my identity. I worked for him for 4 months. My bed was a 6-spring bed with a tiny stove and pot he gave me. Praise God, joy-filled my heart as this scripture came alive: 1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. Now I was free. I could go to church and come back with no palpitations. I could go to morning cry (open air preaching at early hours of the morning) without having to sneak out. I could go out evangelising without restrictions. What a freedom, Haldor Lillenas’ song came to mind ‘glorious freedom, wonderful freedom, no more in chains of sin I repine! Jesus the great emancipator’. Wow, if my things were not thrown out; if I had not been asked to leave, this freedom to serve Elohim would not have been mine. I prayed and sang with joy at night with no one telling me to be quiet. I felt like a queen, my eyes opened to this scripture: Luke 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it I was in for another level of growth and intimacy with God. I had time to fellowship with Elohim. He was close and real. He often came to expound the scriptures and tell me things to come. Sometimes he made me laugh. The book of Jonah made me laugh so much you would think I was with someone in the room. The three songs which ministered most to me were: ‘I am only human’, ‘Jesus only’ and;

I have found a friend in Jesus- He’s ev’rything to me, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; The Lily of the Valley- in Him alone I see All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.

81 his glory goes with us

In sorrow He’s comfort, in trouble He’s my stay, He tells me ev’ry care on Him to roll; He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

He all my grief has taken and all my sorrows borne, In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r; I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols torn From my heart, and now He keeps me by His pow’r. Though all the world forsake me and Satan tempt me sore, Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal; He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star; He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

He will never never leave me nor yet forsake me here, While I live by faith and do His blessed will; A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear- With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill. Then sweeping up to glory I’ll see His blessed face, Where rivers of delight shall ever roll; He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star; He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

I started a student fellowship and had 17 students on my first Sunday, 24 students the second, and we grew from there. One of my students is now a Pastor and still in contact with me. If I were not thrown out of home, all these things would not have happened. I used to follow the morning bus to the city preaching on the bus and back with the same bus preaching. I became popular over the months and that was how my parents got to know where I was.

82 castccastccasccasccast down

The morning cry preaching was a great success. People looked forward to my preaching and praying. Many gave their lives to the Lord each day. One evening I was cooking in front of my room; I had no kitchen. I looked around and my parents were standing in front of me. I was shocked as I never thought they would find me and had forgotten the pain of home. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. “Should I run away”? I was dumbfounded. My dad broke the silence and said, “Look at what you are doing to yourself, you are cooking on the floor with a rickety stove. You just want to disgrace us.” He told me to come back home or he would make trouble for the Doctor. I knew he would make a scene but didn’t want this for this wonderful man that took me in. I asked them to go, assuring them I would return home. I spoke to the Doctor the next day, and he graciously released me. That was how I returned home to my parent’s house again. When it was time for midwifery course, I went for the interview and passed. Everything for going back to school was bought for me apart from provisions. I didn’t even have a toothpaste. I was taken back to school and expected my Dad to give me some money. None was given to me, not a dime. Another shock hit me. I had not been to this place before, nor did I know my way back. I arrived on a Sunday and meals would only start on Tuesday evening. My trust was in my God. My roommate had moved in, so we introduced ourselves. I unpacked and went to bed to sleep, crying yet again. However, I asked the Lord to help me. Another embarrassment, I had no toothpaste, how would I talk to people in the morning? However, I was used to hunger and

83 his glory goes with us living as one who did not know about tomorrow. All I knew was that Jesus held my hands. In the morning, my roommate and I greeted one another, but I could not say much and stayed in bed. In the afternoon, she was eating and offered some of her food, but I declined. At night, my roommate called me and said you came here yesterday, and I have not seen you eating. By then, I was drenched in tears. I was really sobbing, tears kept flowing. She told me that her dad was a commercial farmer and whatever she gave me meant nothing to her. When I declined, she threatened to report me to the home sister in the morning. I did not want anyone to know my ordeal, so I finally accepted the food and she watched how hungrily I ate. She realised I had nothing and put her hands around me and said, “God knows why He put us together as roommates.” She had more than enough. She gave me toothpaste and as school meal started on Tuesday, that was enough to keep me going. I had no leisure of biscuits or sweets or bread, and to be honest, they meant nothing to me. I enquired about the hospital fellowship, then walked to the town and found a branch of the church I had attended. The Pastor and his wife welcomed me with open arms. They lived in a thatched house in the village and we developed strong ties. We were like family. I started to help them, and we began morning cry outreach. They would come to the school gate with a torch or lantern, and off we went for the early morning cry. Night vigils were also excellent. At school, the students were not going to the hospital fellowship, and the Lord asked me to start one. I went round the hostels and invited all students and to my surprise on Sunday evening every

84 castccastccasccasccast down student on site turned up and this continued until the end of our school year. All the students attended, and I became the school pastor, praying for everyone, counselling them, and functioning as the ‘go to’ person in spiritual matters. One of the students was a second wife of a man who was married. She left him, but the man kept monitoring her. The man came to the school and told me how born-again Christians were encouraging his wife to leave him. Little did he know who I was. The Lord used me to support this lady, and she later gained her freedom. A month after school resumed, my mum dreamt that I died, and she cried out of her sleep and told my dad. He quickly came to the school. We were in class when he came, and I was called out. All the students stood up to see what was happening. My roommate was shocked to see my father in his immaculate white car and looking like ‘the British’. He took me home. Then my parents bought me all the things I needed while my brother and sisters gave me all their savings. I went back to school, and the Lord told me to brace myself that my Dad would not come again for some months. Another miracle was when three men came to the school looking for a certain ‘Grace.’ I was the only Grace there but did not know them. They had something for Grace. I went round the School looking for anyone whose middle name was Grace, but they were not the ones. Anyway, the story is that they had fifty Naira, which was to be given to Grace. Fifty naira was big money then. They gave me the money, thanked me, and left. I stood watching them drive off. The Lord said to me, ‘I have given you money, you can now do tithe and offering which you feel bad you have not been doing’. Praise God.

85 16

Guerrilla Warfare

t the time of community midwifery, my dad spoke to the AChief of the community I was posted to, who was his friend, and they agreed to put me up in their house. They were Mormons. For me, that meant salvation would come to that house. On my first day, they took me into their library and introduced me to the book of Mormon and asked me to go through it. I had not come in contact with Mormons before, but I knew about them. I went in and read the history of Mormonism, their bible, and some of their publications. It was time for guerrilla warfare. I stayed in the same rooms with their girls, it was a large room with 3 double beds. Every night I spent time preaching to the girls who were about my age. They loved and admired me, so I took the chance. They gave their lives to Jesus, yet their parents did not know what happened. We all came out to pray at the family altar, but their hearts were gone. My stay was for 1 month and they only realised that their girls were born again in the third week. The Chief and his wife summoned me to the library and told me if it had not been for my dad, they would have sent me off. Well, they had no clue I was used to such. They took the girls out of the room, but it was too late. The girls were truly born again. I took time every night to show them the truth in the scriptures and the freedom in Christ. I also showed them what the bible said about false prophets and doctrines guerrillagguerril of devils. Well, I left after my community midwifery and they banned the girls from communicating with me through letters, as there were no phones then. They told my dad what happened; they were extremely unhappy with me. Anyway, that was expected. In due course, I graduated from the Midwifery course and went back home. At this time, I was grown enough to be on my own. I thought all the persecution would stop now I was of age, but I was still threatened with being thrown out of home again.

87 17

Fear broken

he Pastor asked me to start a faith clinic at the church. A lot Tof women went to the hospital but were told little about their laboratory result and their condition. At the meeting, I would give health talks, answer questions, and have a chat with everyone. A lot of female church leaders attended, and prayers and hearing the word of faith were part of each session. Many women attended and as we prayed for the fruit of the womb, pregnancies were happening. The fellowship grew, and I rarely went home before late. One day, it rained, and I did not leave the church till about 8pm. The road home was lonely and not built up. The community had been warned that a hyena had escaped from the zoo. It had gone wild in the forest, and people could see its footsteps when it rained. This hyena had also eaten some domestic animals. The community was on the watch and missed shooting it several times. On this fateful night, it rained, and men came out with guns to watch out for it, and here it came. They did not want to miss it yet again. The Hyena saw them and ran onto a footpath. The footpath was created for pedestrians because the road floods when it rains. I walked along this footpath and suddenly saw a huge thing in front of me. Both Hyena and I were surprised to meet each other. It stood at the same height as me. I screamed ‘the blood of Jesus’ and to my horror my fingers touched its head as I did so. Then the hyena jumped straight into the flooded water on the road and fearffear b ran away. I did not have time to think what this huge animal was because I just wanted to get off the footpath. As I reached the footpath, merging, I heard someone exclaim, “No, don’t! Wait a minute for it to show up fully. We can’t miss it this time.” Alas, it was me coming. If one man had not told the others to wait, they would have shot me to pieces! Jesus is alive forever. He is alive! Amen. I did not know what was going on, but the man burst into tears and fell on the floor. He could have killed me. He cried, saying that to have killed an innocent young lady, the haunt would have followed him for generations. After all, I wasn’t just any young lady, but one that the community regarded highly as a child of Elohim and whose preaching brought many to salvation. The story did not end there; the men followed me home, it was late, about 10.30pm. People had gone in because of the hyena. They called my dad out and told him what happened. I was listening to their story with interest and did not look moved. My dad became furious and said to me that this church would kill me. Just for church, I would have caused a man to suffer guilt for life. When the men left, my Father refused to let me in. He told me to go back to the church and never return. I was left outside in the cold and it started raining again with thunder and lightning and I stayed behind the pillars. I have never been so frightened in all my life and thought my family would eventually let me in, but they didn’t. After about an hour, the thunder and lightning stopped. My concern was the wildcats and the hyena. The night was quiet and dead. I drew close to the door and heard my grandmother opening it. I called her, and she answered, I told her who I was. She knew about the recent events with my parents so she opened the window and I crept in through that rather than the door because it would

89 his glory goes with us make a noise. She was the only one living downstairs, as the rest of my family lived upstairs. I think my dad thought I would go to one of the brethren’s houses to sleep, but they were new converts, and I did not want to rope them into our family issues. While it was raining, it was so cold, I thought I would die, I cried and cried. I was also hungry, having eaten no food since the morning. My grandmother gave me a wrapper to change into. I slept with her and had to leave the house early, before my dad woke up. As soon as I went out, I started morning cry preaching in front of our house and my dad came out and listened to me. I wasn’t sure what was going on in his mind, but I later learned that the Word touched him deeply.

90 18

The altar of Baal cast down

was passing through the community square and heard the I Lord saying to me, ‘turn’, and I turned to my right and saw a shocking thing, something I didn’t believe still existed. Behind a shopkeeper’s house was a tiny house with images at the doors. I looked inquisitively to see there was food kept for those images. A holy anger sprung up in me and I proclaimed with authority: “I declare you powerless, dead graven image, in Jesus Name, Amen.” I looked around. No one was around or even near the place, and I continued my errand. About a week later, I was passing by the man’s shop and he came out and stopped me. As my manner is, I greeted him, wondering why he stopped me. He told me he would kill me. People heard him and confronted him. That statement is not common and rarely said to anyone . There was an uproar and people gathered, asking why the man was speaking that way. At this time, I was immensely popular in the community. I had knocked on every door while evangelising and stopped many people on the road to share the gospel and also took part in morning cry (open air evangelism in the early hours of the morning), daily. People were asking him what Sister Gere, as I was popularly known, did to him. People told my dad, and he sent for the man. At this point I said, ‘let the dead bury the dead’. My dad simply told him, his glory goes with us

“Before you kill her, I will wipe you out.” Then my dad turned to my mum and said, “Kechi, I told you, this girl will get us into what we did not bargain for because of this church.” Anyway, my father was a titled man who was well feared and respected, so I know this man got the message. I played innocent although I suspected why the man was threatening to kill me. But nobody saw me rebuke the idols as it was a lonely place, and I heard no noise and did not say my decree loudly. It was silent but came from deep inside me. I felt like Moses, who killed and buried the Egyptian, not knowing he was seen. I wondered what had happened to his idols. After all, they were dead sticks and clay or whatever. I kept my mouth shut and let him deal with my father. Surely, he would not dare resist my dad. One evening I was enjoying myself evangelising when the man’s wife stopped me and pulled me aside. She was a very lovely lady and said, “You have power, I want to serve your God for the rest of my life: my husband is very occultic and has these occultic powers behind our house. The devils came and told him they can’t function anymore because you cursed them. Now when he goes to consult them, he gets no answer. I fear my husband, he was into this kind of thing before we married. I am so glad they are no more. They are wicked.” She asked to come to church with me. This news spread around the community, and many souls turned to the Lord. The man’s wife was born again with her children. One night the man met us coming from the church and beat his wife up. He lifted her up and threw her on the ground and laid into her. The man was tall and the wife a small lady. People came and

92 thetthe atthtthe tthe tthe asked him to let go of his wife but he would not. They sent for my dad as he was the voice of the community. My Dad came there and asked some young men to get the man off of his wife. He wouldn’t give in, so can you guess what the young men did. . She stood as a strong Christian till her death in early 2020. The story did not end there. Note that there was no fasting and prayer before encountering the idols, there were no shows, no gymnastics, and no theatrics. It was only speaking the Word, and the devil departed. I knew virtue went out of me, but nothing else. Now you can see where I am coming from when I talk about those who literally box people as if they are fighting the demons, push people around and hit them. It shows that they are false prophets. It makes no sense. May we aspire and desire for the best and uncomplicated Christlike life. Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. These experiences boosted my faith because they were real. Because I experienced them, no one can talk me out of them. Yeshua, Jesus is real, the power of a believer is real. We do not need to take extra steps to gain this power. It is freely given. All that is required of us is to live a life of Holiness and righteousness. That means seeking Him first with a deep hunger and thirst to know Christ and the power of his resurrection; a totally surrendered and yielded life. When we have a strong unmovable faith, loving Him with all of our heart and with all our might, then we will find the reality of the scripture which says all other things shall be added unto us.

93 19

Power over principalities

n incident occurred with a witch doctor, popularly known in Athe community as a bricklayer. I had no idea that he operated in the satanic realm. He was a jovial man and well liked. I went to his wife to do my hair and afterwards I ministered to her with the other ladies’ present. All of them gave their lives to the Lord Jesus. They all, including the bricklayer’s wife, became members of our church. The bricklayer’s wife and I became sisters in Christ, and she could open up to me when she did my hair. She confided in me concerning two pressing issues in her life. First, she needed a miracle for her deaf son. Second, her husband had a room no woman was allowed to enter. She did not know what that room looked like inside. I prayed and asked the Lord what to do. Immediately her husband came and asked me to look into the boy’s ear. Upon looking, I saw that the boy’s ears were full of wax. I went home and got cotton buds, but these were useless. I then asked her to warm up the water for me and went back to get a syringe, having had experience in an Ear, Nose and Throat clinic. I came back and prayed and did what the Lord ministered to me carefully. The boy was 6 years old and on the third-round wax as long as his eustachian tube came out of his ear. The boy took a long breath and opened his eyes wide. I repeated the same process on the other ear and the same long string of wax came out. The boy powerppoweppower over pri slumped in his seat, turned, and called out to his mum. I had never seen wax like this before. We tested the boy’s hearing. They called him and he answered, they said things and he repeated. Shouts of joy rent the air. The neighbours ran in to see what was happening and when they saw the wax, they rejoiced. Her husband came to our house to say thank you and told my dad what happened. My dad said he knew I had healing hands; the only problem was that I had joined this ‘born-again’ church. This man, coming to say thank you, made an opening for me to speak further with him. I wanted to make the most of this pleasantry while it lasted. I kept following up the family as new believers. One day he was in and the wife told me. I knocked on that door and he asked, “Who are you?, please come in” He assumed I would be a man since women consults him through the window. Women are not allowed inside. I opened the door and walked straight in, toward him where he sat by the window. He shouted, “Go out! Go out, you will die, you are a woman!” I turned to look at the walls of the room, which were filled with pictures of snakes, mermaids, all colours of candles, big candles, water, oil, and all sorts of things. I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “You will die and go to hell if you don’t turn to Jesus. What are all these? In the name of Jesus, you are set free. I bind every principality and power in this room. I nullify you with the blood of Jesus, you powerless demons. Today you cease to operate, your chains on this man are broken loose!” I started addressing them one after the other. Meanwhile his wife had gathered people in the neighbourhood to come round. I had closed the door when I entered the room, but the warfare spirit

95 his glory goes with us in me was charged up. I felt an unusual surge of power in me, and I did not feel like a young lady. Elohim showed Himself strong. The man knelt and was begging me to stop, but it was too late. I was on a rampage and could not stop myself until I was done. I turned to him and asked him if he could give his life to Christ. I was willing to pray with him. He did; we prayed together and came out of the room, only to see people in the compound. He raised his hands and told everyone that he was now a Christian and joy rippled through the crowd. This was one more soul for Jesus. Our church started growing. He gave a testimony in the church that as soon as I came in , he felt something leave him and he felt weak. As I was casting out those demons, they were jumping out of the window and that was why he knelt begging me to stop because he could not raise a finger at me. He became an active evangelist, sharing his testimonies. We burnt all the magical and demonic images, pictures and arts. He was set free. The major story here was how he got the power. Those who seek those powers are enrolled at a bar beach in Lagos. They get trained, initiated, perform some rituals and are then asked how they want to operate in their powers. He chose to operate by magic as a witch doctor and others chose their own way. The interesting thing was that some opened churches. There was a well-known man in our city who opened a church. People came from across the state to attend. On his fellowship days, traffic jams close most roads. They came to get holy water, red, and white handkerchiefs, and other points of contact for healing and deliverance. One day, the witch doctor decided to go and try this Pastor’s power. He told me they knew all true and fake pastors, and he pitied all fake Pastors. According to him, demons do not waste their time with fake Pastors because they

96 powerppoweppower over pri are empty. To get a seat in that ‘church’, you had to get there at 4.00am because of the immense crowd. He made the journey and got himself a good seat to see all that was happening and to try out his powers on this Pastor. Pastors, Overseers and those aspiring to be church leaders take note. When the church eventually started at 7.00 am, the so-called Pastor came out and sat on the altar. Please be careful, all you that sit on the throne of your church. This witch doctor looked at him again and again and said, “What?” This was his colleague at the bar beach. They went through the initiation together, but apparently did his divination through ‘church’ business. Boldly, he got up from his seat and walked towards the altar. The ‘Pastor’ saw him and got up, upon recognising him. The Pastor announced to the crowd that there was a powerful ‘man of God’ in the house and he called him up to sit with him. The witch doctor was shocked at the introduction that he was a ‘man of God’. Wow, he thought. “I am a practicing witch doctor, dying a wretched man, sustained by bricklaying. I am in no way a Pastor” It seemed this church thing was working. After ‘church’, the man took him into his office and explained how he took to church work and that he was very wealthy. They were all in a covenant, so he left the place and did not tell anyone until he got born again. He tried as much as it was in him to tell anyone the truth of Jesus Christ and the need to avoid all these fake ‘miracle’ places, because they are demonic. Are you carried away by crowds and miracles? Be warned. This man also told me of the people in the community that were satanic, he mentioned the name of the man whom I had an

97 his glory goes with us encounter with his gods. He also told me that demons know true children of God are powerful. Their holiness radiates from them. So if anyone tells you not to bother with this ‘holiness thing’, do not listen to them. It is the only weapon against Satan. The angels are round about you and the radiation of God’s glory on you shines like glorious light. It was good to hear that. That popular Pastor lasted another year and packed up, and we never heard of him again. This man also told me how they exchange their lives with people. They employ the person as a personal assistant and exchange them through accidents or other ways, but mainly accidents. He mentioned a man to me who had had 4 accidents and each time the young men with him died but he came out with little or no hurt. This man had a seat in the church my family went to before I got born again. I told my dad the story, and he agreed that those men were wicked and would go to hell. The question was, why was I going through all those hard experiences for leaving that church since they knew members were occultic? Well it was not about my dad as he loved God, he thought he was protecting me, but I needed all the experiences to be who Elohim wants me to be. The bricklayer died 3 years later, as a Christian.

98 20

Abase and abound

grew up in a house with house helps and hardworking parents I who could give me everything I needed. As a result, one could take things for granted. Dad had two cars and a Triumph motor bike when most homes could afford none. Triumph motor bikes were not common in those days. I was brought up in the city and treated as special at school, because my mum was a teacher. I learned to drive at 16, which was not usual, especially for a girl, and that was my father for you. He gave us opportunities other children didn’t get. Once any of the children got to age 14, he encouraged them to start driving lessons apart from my eldest brother, who was 12 when he began to drive. Everyone in the street would gather to watch him drive out the car from the garage, sitting on pillows. There were so many more privileges we had then, more than average children of our time. It took me time to learn to cook because I didn’t need to until I was in my twenties. I could clean and tidy very well, however. My parents made it compulsory for me to take Home Economics at GCSE level, I ended up baking well but not able to cook any other dish. I managed to get a C grade in Home Economics though as I worked hard on my theory exams to make up for the practical. My parents taught us farming, but I gave my goodies to my younger brother in exchange for doing my share of the farm work. Physical work was a ‘no go’ area for me. his glory goes with us

Once born again, I wanted to be like Yeshua, Jesus. He was born in a manger, came from a carpenter’s house, identified with the poor and had nowhere to lay His head. I loved my brothers and sisters at church and carried no air of affluence around me. I participated in the church building work, carrying mixed concrete, and helping as much as I could. One day my father learnt of the background of some of my brothers and sisters at church. Some were yam traders, some timber traders and some with no education, but they were all brilliant Christians. He called me to reason with me, asserting that these people had nothing to tell in life. He asked whether I could not see what I had done to myself. Going further, he begged me to think twice about the path I had chosen in the Lord. Well, as a proper father, he was right, but he was not seeing what I was seeing: the people he desired to be in relationship with were the people he was despising. I did not blame my father because he was walking by sight and not by faith, and could only see from the carnal side. I was thrilled that in this present world, there were genuine people who loved the Lord and walked in integrity. That reality excited me. I held my brethren in high regard because I could see Jesus in them. I was learning from them, their commitment and consecration, their chaste lifestyle and love for Elohim. There was however a brother who was insensitive, he used to shout out my name in front of our house for Bible study time. He was the least educated and did not understand that his actions often caused trouble for me. Unfortunately, his zeal was in ignorance. One day my father gave him the better part of a strong tongue lashing. From then on, he stopped going through our house to church and took another route. My father asked him how he could publicly call out the name of a young lady that was not his wife to go to church with him. Did he not know that it was suggestive and

100 abaseaabaaabase indecent and if he really knew the Bible, he should know better? That was a big blow to the brother, who my father considered an ignorant man who needed to be stopped. So how did I learn to abase? As the Bible says in Romans 8:28 all things work together for good to those that love God. The series of persecution I went through did the job well. My dresses taken away, I had to manage with a few; money for transport stopped, I learned to do long treks. Food denied, I learned to dance the rhythm of my rumbling stomach. The sending out taught me to sleep in a mini kitchen and storage. All these were processes I had to go through to emerge at the top, where God wanted me to be. I had read about Joseph, though I was not expecting to be found in Pharaoh’s house one day I took the position of the 3 Hebrew children and Daniel. Daniel 3:22-23 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Daniel 6:16-17 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel The process removed much of the old creation baggage. However, at the time, I did not know that those sufferings were working out excellent finishings in me. I pray that we learn to embrace our processes. Sometimes we pray for a particular grace which is there already. We are required

101 to submit to the process, and it is ours. I had wanted to be a nobody. My goal was to attain to this scripture: Hebrew 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. I had no clue I would be a missionary and in a few years’ time, I would sleep in a mud house with no food, I would walk nearly 20-30 miles in the forest to get to our mission destination, not realising what the future had in store for me. The only way to prepare me adequately for the work The Lord wanted me to do was through the process of persecution. Praise the Lord. Imagine if I had grudged, complained, or looked back while undergoing the various dimensions of persecution. I would have missed the glorious opportunity of becoming who Elohim created me to be. If I had escaped the process only to become a missionary, I would not have been fit for purpose. It would have been difficult, and I would have been impossible to work with. Stop praying against being sold into slavery like Joseph, don’t worry about the kind of accusations Potiphar’s wife made against you or even being thrown into the dungeon. These experiences are part of the process that helps you face, learn, and deal with the challenges you will meet in the Pharaoh’s palace. When I look back today, I am so grateful to Elohim. The new plastic cross that is being preached these days has denied people experiences of the heavenly highway. The compass will show you the true North to take your bearing. Going on the journey physically will show you the landmarks, the people, puddles, old and new cities, the trees, and nature. Allow the Lord to take you through the journey, for a first-hand experience. 21

Men shall despise and revile you

eing despised is part of the growth experience and an Bopportunity to experience, first-hand, what our Lord went through. It is also a great way to bring about sobriety and death to self. Matthew 5:11-12. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. The first shock was in the church when a call was made for people to join the choir, as it didn’t have many people in it. In my zeal, I wondered why there were so few people in the choir, considering the size of the congregation. Well, if they did not want it, I thought, stones will be raised. Though I did not have a good voice, I believed that we had to sing to God. I came out with others for an audition, but the choirmaster walked straight to me and asked me to stand by the corner. He asked me in front of everybody why I came out and, with a harsh voice, told me to leave. Everyone looked at me and it was very embarrassing. I walked away without anger. I reflected over his actions and got the answer a few weeks later. I did not dress like the sisters in that congregation, and so was not regarded as truly born again. They got it wrong because I was new and could not have dressed like them. I threw his glory goes with us away most of my dresses and was left with a few. I came out to sing to the Lord and had no idea that in that church I had to conform to man’s rules and regulations. Two years later, by God’s special grace, I served in the same leadership team as this man. One day, an uncle stopped me in front of people and told me I looked like an old lady in my scarf, and that no one would know I was educated. He said some abusive words, but that was okay. It did not take away my joy. You can be reviled in so many ways. I was not invited to some occasions because I did not look flashy or ‘presentable.’ I was side- lined because they thought I was not elegant enough. Promotions were denied because they felt I was too gentle and could not lead. I went to conferences to minister and was left on the bench in a cold room because I did not come with personal assistants and only had a small hand luggage. I had been despised because I am a female minister. Never mind, it was a joy to see scriptures playing out in my life. I was told by critics that my service in the church was because I was not married and had time, while the married sisters needed to be with their husbands and children. That was not a fair statement. Commitment has nothing to do with marriage. Single people are as busy as any other person and have their life to live. We must be careful of what we say to others. That you are married or have any kind of privilege does not mean you are better or more loved by God. Some people have felt rejected or humiliated, and even accused God of not loving them, because of the attitudes of the ‘Haves’ towards the ‘Have nots.’ There is an appointed time, and there is a divine path for every one of us. My attitude then was ‘fair enough, enjoy your husband. If he had proposed to me, I would have said no and turned him down, but if you said yes, that was God’s will for you and not me’.

104 menmmen smmen shammenmmen shmmen

We should always have a positive attitude and not trouble ourselves with what does not belong to us. If you get what is not yours, it will be a pain. There was a funny attitude in those days where people thought marriage was the ultimate. While writing this book a sister at church commented, “I have found this true of churches today that I have been in. I was told the answer to my financial problems was to get another husband and lost count of the times some pastor wanted to pray for all the single people to get husbands regardless of their situation!” Once some get married, their single friends become aliens, as they cannot discuss much with them anymore. It is as if the married have now obtain an honorary degree. May the Lord help the Church to have a more inclusive culture with room for all believers, irrespective of status. I understand the way single sisters feel at church because I went through that myself. You do not talk to any brother because it will look like you are seeking attention. To even greet married brothers, one will be seen as a stumbling block. Those who are single ladies are assumed as having issues, or their sins are more than the others. May all this horrible thinking be cast out in Jesus’ Name. Amen. I got to church one day, and a brother told me about a lady looking for a midwife to work for her in a village setting, but the place was about 20‒25 miles away in a place called Umuagwo. Because of the persecution I faced at home, I accepted the offer to practise in that village which was far from home. I went to the church and a brother gave me money for transport, then I headed to the village. Here was another freedom. My employer cleared up the small kitchen for me to live in. Soot covered everywhere and the bigger kitchen was next door. There was no ceiling.

105 his glory goes with us

My employer lived in the main house with her family. The room I had was the worst thing anyone could live in. It was a health hazard because the soot was not good for my respiratory system and I was choked every night. But I wanted a roof over my head and peace, so I had to stay. My salary was forty-five naira (₦45). My main work was to give health talks, circumcisions, and delivery. That was perfect, for the Lord was with me, He would assist me as He had been my best companion. The male circumcisions were perfect, with no bleeding, and their success brought more women to the clinic The health talks, combined with preaching and altar calls, brought more women to the clinic. I went to evangelism in the evening and morning cry in the morning. The lady I worked for warned me not to try morning cry preaching because of wild animals, since the village was so remote. However, I knew that Elohim was with me. One day her children told her that there was something about me that portrayed a well brought up person with wealthy parents, so why was I there in such a low condition? She asked me about my parents. I told her their names and stopped there. There was no need, even though she made me stay in a kitchen. Philippians 4:12 is where I was then, knowing how to abase and abound. Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. One day I went to the market to buy vegetables, but I was warned by the Lord to go home. Instead, I gallivanted, fascinated by the village market, as it was all new to me being brought up in a big city.

106 menmmen smmen shammenmmen shmmen

As I was looking round, a lady walked up to me and asked me what I was doing in that place. She asked if I was the daughter of Nze Godwin Okoro; I said yes, and she was surprised to see me there. I left the market immediately and regretted not listening to the voice of God to just buy vegetables and leave. This lady went home and told my dad where I was. My parents had been looking for me without success. They had concluded I might not come back, especially as I now had my Nursing and Midwifery qualifications. Then my parents ransacked every nook and cranny, looking for me. They found out where I was staying, but I did not know this. One day, it was raining heavily when I heard a hard kick on the door. I was startled to discover it was my brother outside. He said, “You, get up and get inside the car, no scene.” I packed my bag quickly because he was ready to make a scene. He broke down in tears when he saw the room I was living in. I went into the main house and told my employer’s children I was leaving. My brother cried until we got home. He asked my parents if he could go back to Port Harcourt with me. There, he found a job for me for ten thousand naira (₦10,000). You can imagine the difference between ₦45 and ₦10,000. I accepted but asked to pray about it. I had no release in my spirit to go. The main reason was that I could not bear the partying and alcohol and the lifestyle that he and other executives in the oil and gas industry were used to. I went to the church the next day to thank the brother that got me the village job and he told me there was another opportunity with missionaries from America who were looking for a nurse. They had interviewed six and rejected all. If I could come, he

107 his glory goes with us would introduce me. I had to go immediately by faith as I did not want to go with my brother. I went to the college and met with the provost. He was very welcoming. He called someone on the phone and told her “She is here with me” With an exact description. I wondered what that meant, maybe my church brother had described me. His younger sister walked in and I stretched out my hand to shake her. Instead, she looked at me and hugged me warmly and said, “That’s her.” While I was still wondering what was going on, she left the room and came back with a silver watch and dropped it in my hand. It looked like a setup! Her brother, the Provost, told me that his sister was dedicated at birth to be a missionary in Africa and that when she was leaving the US, their mum gave her a silver watch and told her that God had prepared a sister she did not have. When they saw her, they would know who she was. They had been looking for this sister and done several interviews but had no witness. As soon as I walked in, the brother knew I was the one and his sister confirmed it. They put the watch on my arm and took me to a room in the missionary compound already prepared for me. They had cleared out the men living there in readiness for my coming! Everything about this episode was like a film. I went home and told my parents my story and about the watch. My dad, bless him, was excited for once after all these years but added, ‘so what is the salary?’ He reminded me that there was a ₦10,000 job waiting. I could not sleep that night. I was to be a missionary and a Basic Health Sciences Lecturer in a Bible College. Whatever, the

108 menmmen smmen shammenmmen shmmen salary was not an issue to me. My mind was made up as I felt persuaded that this was a divine set up. My brother was disappointed at my decision not to go with him. Thank God the salary was not discussed as it would have been an issue. Later, I found out the salary for my new job was ₦750 with accommodation. I kept quiet about it and took the job. The joy of being a missionary could not be compared with a million-naira salary! I saw a fresh lease of life from my parents when I started the job as a missionary nurse. My dad bought everything I needed to move in with the missionaries. Wow! I got my parents back after all these years. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the Lord assured me it was real. All the prayers on their behalf had been answered and my dad tried to make up for everything. I became his favourite again. It dawned on him that the elderly man that spoke to him asking me to stop ‘this born-again thing’ was an enemy who had fought him over a piece of land for many years. How did he ever listen to him? My father, being a zealous man, ignorantly defended the denomination rather than the faith. Denominations divide the church; they take away the eyes of Christians from Christ to names of religious organisations and men. Sadly, this is common today. Some people have read a lot of books written by their Pastors, more than they have read the Bible, they talk about their denominations, activities, fantastic buildings and the thousand members more than they have talked about Jesus The Messiah. 1 Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Well, Satan stops at nothing to give a Christian a hard time. When I got another job with the government, my dad rented a three

109 his glory goes with us bed flat for me and furnished it. At my traditional wedding, he took my mum, and I and bought everything we needed. He was the best dad anyone could have. I thank God for the grace to endure till the end. My parents repented, the majority of my siblings are born again Christians serving in ministry. Hallelujah to Elohim! My dad had a stroke in 2002 and was in a coma for four days. When we were told he would not make it, my husband prayed and to everyone’s surprise he said a heavy ‘Amen’ and passed away. Satan will use what matters most to you to try you. This was my takeaway from the experience I had with my parents. I went through some hard times in the hands of people then, but it didn’t hurt. I don’t even remember them. Abraham was tried with his only son, Jephthah was tried with his only daughter, the Zarephath woman was tried with the only plate of food she had. It is a choice to choose whom you will serve. I pray you will stand strong in the face of adversity, you will reap if you faint not. Like Nehemiah, do not come down to the distractions of Tobiah and Sanballat. Keep the sword of The Spirit in one hand and with the other hand, rebuild the broken walls of your Jerusalem. 1 Peter 4 :12-14 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

110 22

People will take advantage

eing taken advantage of is an integral part of the package. BYour simplicity and yearning to be like Yeshua will be taken for granted. 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. A lot of Christians have shut their bowel of mercies because they have been taken advantage of, been looked down upon, defrauded, or even cheated. All that mattered to me back then was Yeshua, the scriptures being written in the tablet of my heart, and all I could hear is what Elohim wanted me to do. If he wanted me to bring people to my house, keep and feed them, so be it. If He wanted me to give out dresses, shoes, or anything at all, so it was without drama. I had a friend who used me as a free meal ticket while keeping her money. Other Sisters noticed and picked up the courage to challenge her and she apologised. I only realised this was happening when others brought it to my attention. I experienced similar situations several times. I had one person who came to spend the night with me and left in the morning with one of my dresses. I did not know that had happened until I saw her in church wearing the dress. I went to her, and she said, “you keep giving people things and you have not given me anything, so I came to your house to take the dress I like before you give it out to someone else.” his glory goes with us

That was bizarre. I had not heard such logic before. This sister was well feared by young and old at church, I just walked away. She had no need for anything from me, she was single, living by herself and could afford to buy things for herself. She changed dresses and shoes so often that you would wonder if her wardrobe was queen’s size. People will sometimes borrow with no intention to pay back. Back then, whenever I saw anyone who borrowed from me, I would change my route so they wouldn’t think I was after my money. At one point I decided to liberate myself, because they should be the one hiding and not me. Then the Lord helped me to solve the problem. He told me to write off the debts of those who could not easily repay. Whenever I did so, I felt freedom and deliverance. I learned the lesson that anything you loan out is something you can afford to lose and if you can afford it, release it. Satan will intentionally use some insensitive brethren to discourage you, so do not give in. As you let go, God will work on your behalf.

112 GO YE

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 23

Missions

he privilege of going on missions was received with joy, Tbecause of being active in evangelism and church planting. The joy of soul winning was immeasurable. My experiences so far were solid preparations for this stage of my spiritual journey. The power of process was showed by the experiences the Lord allowed me to go through. The evangelism, persecutions, the dealing with principalities and powers of darkness, the shedding of all that needed to be thrown away, were the stepping stones to becoming a missionary. I am so grateful to God that I had the privilege to go through all of them and missed none. 2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Many believers want to jump into missions without first embracing the Cross! Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Each stage of life and process is like a class that you have to pass, preferably with distinction, to get the top job. There is no shortcut. The processes are essential for things that will be encountered. They refine us to hear from Elohim. The death to self and enduring hardship as a good steward all adds up to make us fit for purpose. missions

First mission The first mission was a pathfinding mission to Okpaflo, Benue State in the North Central Region of Nigeria. We were in a three- man team: Pastor Victor, an Australian missionary, Brother Stephen, and I (the lady and the youngest of the team). We visited some villages and told them what we would do a month later. We met with some Pastors and village heads to mobilise the people. We also surveyed the land so we could be well prepared. There were no place to buy water and the team was very thirsty. The Lord ministered to me we should not drink or eat anything in those villages. I told the team to assume we were fasting, but the argument was that we were not fasting. It was partially obeyed. We refused all food, but the men drank the water. Both were much older, both in faith and ministry. As we left the house to go, I saw a well and by the side, two goats were sitting, you could see their excreta littered around the well. The spectacular thing is that this well was not built up, and at the same level as the ground, which means the excreta will fall into the well. I pointed that out to them being the healthcare professional in the team. Of course, they had faith and had prayed, but the Lord warned us. The pathfinding was successful, and the villagers committed to come to the medical mission as there were no hospitals close by. The arrangement was that the medical mission would be during the day while open air outreaches would be at night. We took our journey back for four and a half hours. We shared our testimonies like the spies sent out to the promised land. The land was before us, the people were ready for us, but the waters were bitter. In other words, we needed a Moses to pray to turn it sweet. Three days after our return my team members took ill and the fourth day, Brother Stephen was taken to the hospital and in intensive care. Pastor Victor became ill, and both were diagnosed with Typhoid.

115 his glory goes with us

Pastor Victor recovered quicker than Brother Stephen who, being an expatriate, bore the hard brunt. Thank God they recovered, but brother Stephen did not go on the actual mission with us.

Second mission After a few weeks, the medications and equipment needed for the Mission arrived. A Doctor from the US brought the microscope we needed. Intense prayers followed as we had become a large team. My second mission was about to start with much enthusiasm, excitement, and great expectation. We left as a team with Pastors, evangelists and suitcases lined up. On arrival at Adoka, our base station, we were presented with a big basin of pounded yam, which looked like the Proverbial mountain. To see it live was quite an experience; the team brought out their cameras in exclamation. Missionaries are missionaries indeed. I wondered what the Americans would do with the local food. They were the first to wash their hands to deal with the food. Thank God it was in the good old days when there was nothing to transmit to anyone. We were given rooms to stay in, but the single bathroom was outside, with no roof. There were no complaints however; everyone was cheerful and looking forward to the mission. We left early to the primary school where the villagers would be attended to. People were already lined up, the crowd was too much. We did not expect that number. It was just the Doctor and I as the healthcare practitioners, while others were the support team and Pastoral team. They prayed for us and we started. Scabies were prevalent in the area, so we took skin samples to look under the microscope for confirmation. The doctor was consulting while I was dispensing. At a point, he moved the minor cases over to me. The Lord was with us and we carried on despite the blazing sun. Meanwhile, the

116 missions evangelism team was ministering to individuals. We were so busy that we did not go for lunch and yet were not hungry. By 6.00pm we had attended to all the people and cleared the crowd. Glory be to God Almighty. How we did it, we cannot tell, but surely God was with us. We went back to the house for a quick meal, thanking God that it was rice, and not pounded yam before us. I think the secret to not feeling hungry, apart from the zeal of the Lord, was the pounded yam we had eaten for breakfast! We headed for the outreach that night and it was glorious, with people turning out en masse to give their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. The pastoral and evangelism teams did a superb job that night, to the glory of God. We returned at around 11pm with joy. The next morning we started the clinic, and the Doctor suggested I see more people than him, as he was not used to the mainly tropical conditions. The people kept healthy, but malaria and common infestation was prevalent. As we carried on, a couple on the team, the Grabill’s, sat by the window of the classroom where I was attending to villagers, praying all day. They would occasionally stand up to lay hands on my shoulder through the window and went back to prayers. I was challenged and cannot forget that experience. They sat in the sun with their heads bent praying for strength for 9 hours and would only get up to lay hands on my shoulder. I understood in practical terms a similar issue in the Bible: Exodus 17:11-14 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one-on-one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD

117 his glory goes with us said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” The strength we enjoyed, whilst working long hours without food, was derived from the passionate prayers a couple bore the pain to do. They turned red in the heat, but they were undeterred. Now you can know why I persevere. I saw a good example of what it meant to be a prayer warrior. May the Lord help us in our generation, to see the bigger picture of Elohim: we are better together. Everybody took their position, which was as important as any other. The lessons I learned were profound: the missionaries were much older, and they persevered, ate the local food, served, stayed up late, slept at the accommodation provided and, above all, they loved the people. They were rugged and served in spirit and in truth. They were more ‘Nigerian’ than I was! Looking back, I do not think I would have coped if my old self had not died through persecution. I reflected and realised why the Lord allowed me to go through what I called ‘the dark tunnel’. Ironically, this ‘tunnel’ was the widest route I could ever have gone. I would have been a misfit on this journey and would not have slept in the accommodation provided; I would not have eaten the food; I would not have faced the challenges posed by the mission field. It made sense then why these missionaries left America and their families to live in Nigeria, just for the gospel. My consecration to the Lord was renewed by their example and not necessarily by any preaching or teaching. We need more of those who live the life than those who do the talk.

118 missions

Third Mission The third missionary journey lined up weeks after we came back from the second. I was more enthusiastic because the last one was a tremendous success, many souls were won for the Lord. For me it was a case of ‘so let us go; I am ready’. This time we went on another pathfinding mission to a village called Abatuk, then in Plateau State, but now in Nasarawa State. It was a small, isolated family settlement that was cut off from the mainstream. We went through the Town of Ankpa. We were ten miles from a pepper farm, unknown to us then, I started sneezing uncontrollably. We prayed and continued, as we drew closer to the farm, the others realised it was the smell of hot pepper from the farm. And we were reassured that I would be okay. We travelled through to Bagana, by-passed it through a mangrove into another village to get the boat to crossover. That was my first time seeing such a large body of water. The River Benue at that part looks like a sea. I was wondering what next. Worry crept in, which I pushed aside, but I was secretly hoping we were not crossing, and that we would use a big boat if we were. I looked around and could only see small canoes, not boats. The team noticed my worry and started laughing. My face betrayed me. They told me that my face changed, my ears flared up and my eyes bulged. Alas, there came the ‘boat’. It was a small canoe. One of the American couples was a bit big, so I wondered how the four of us could fit in with the canoe operator. I looked at the water and the distance we were going. I then imagined we would come against the current on coming back. What would we do if anything happened in this fast-flowing river that looks like an ocean to me? They put their hands on my shoulder because I was hesitant. “This is mission”, I said to myself.

119 his glory goes with us

Other members of the team were okay. Brother Adams brought out his video camera, and I wondered what he meant, considering we were endangering our lives. I thought I had grown much in the Lord, but there was something else that was missing. I would not have known if I had not found myself at this point in life. Quickly it came to me that this was a necessary journey to the next glorious level. I thought I had faith. This is the trial! I had read about the boat journeys of our Lord and His disciples. Now was the time to try it out. He will be in the boat with us. Another significant thing was the awakening that we always must be prepared. I should not be afraid if really, I believed that heaven is real and better than the earth. Why was I afraid to go? It dawned on me that it was better to die in the mission field than in the parlour of sin. Swiftly, strength and courage came the decision to remain holy all the days of my life, since I do not know what may befall me at any time. The canoe went down as soon as we entered, the water was almost coming in. The young man started the engine and off we went. I was the ‘star of the show’ on the journey, they were filming me on the canoe ride. I was so much into myself that I could not utter a word. The only thing I said to Sister Adam was that she should be as concerned as I was. Well, the Master of the ocean, the earth and sky took us to the other side. The people live by the bank of the river. With no through road to the then Plateau state which they belonged to, they went by boat and canoe across the Benue river for everything. They had no access to medical care, if anyone was sick to die, they put him or her in a closed hut until the person dies and thrown into the water. We met a dying man, and they told us we could not go in.

120 missions

They sounded a bell, everyone came around from their farms. They cooked for us, but I could not eat. I was crying, they were very receptive of the word and wanted us to stay. I was very emotional about those humble people. We met a man that came through the way we came. He was a teacher sent by the State Government to teach their children, but getting there was a challenge. He travelled across the big city where they have a bridge, and then to the village in Benue, then to these people. It took him an entire day to do the journey and another day to go back, so he came once in a month. Once-a-month lessons do not make for good learning, and this was their case. As we were about to leave, they started crying, we broke into tears too. We promised we would come back, they had heard such commitments, and no one came back to them. We left with such tears I did not bother about the trip back. I wanted to stay. What a journey. We got back about 10pm. They dropped me off. It was not taken lightly by my parents, but this time I was much older. Just at the landing on the stairs, I had a sharp itch which turned into another thing. I was itching and scratching uncontrollably. I was taken to the bathroom for a hot bath with a strong disinfectant. Thank God I had no shock. The Lord delivered me. At the time of this write up, I went on Google Earth to see if I could find the village. Hopefully, what I saw should be them with some panel roofs and a road linking in and out. The sad thing is that we did not go back to them. Lesson every mission field is different: every challenge is for our upward growth. I needed to travel on that boat to break a hidden fear that I didn’t know existed. Fear is not good; I was overtaken by it and lost the excitement of my going. Thank God I recovered myself. If I had grown in Christ as much as I have today, I would have prayed for the sick man by faith, but then fear had

121 his glory goes with us already crippled my spiritual sensing. For years they remained in my thoughts, but there was no possibility of getting to them. If anyone reading this somehow sees or meets them, please do good to them.

Fourth mission This time, there was no path finding. It was a case of ‘learn as we go’. Thank God for the previous experiences, faith built up; lessons learned and like Paul, we were not sure what would befall us nevertheless, we pressed on. This journey was inspired by a young missionary from Lagos who came with her adopted daughter to the College. The young lady was about my age and her daughter about two and a half years old. She was given a chance to tell her story as she was mobilising missionaries and raising funds for the Koma Hill people. Koma Hills are in Adamawa State Nigeria, in the border region with Cameroon. Her story was intriguing. She went as a missionary to Koma Hill. They are living on the mountains and were still in the most primitive form of life: naked and covered with just leaves. In their culture then, if a woman dies in childbirth, that child would be buried alive with her. The child was believed to be an evil spirit to kill the mother. While they were there, a woman died in childbirth and they were to bury the living child with her. She asked if she could have the child. They tried to discourage her because the child was seen as an evil that killed her mother. She went back to Lagos with the child. Two years later she returned with the young child who was looking very gorgeous and of course speaking English. They had not seen such before. That made more way for the gospel to spread in the region, and they stopped burying their children alive.

122 missions

Her testimony challenged me, I wanted to go. The downside of the story was that missionaries who were going faced hostility from their neighbours, who were of the Fulani tribe. They set up all kinds of roadblocks to lessen the inflow of missionaries. The way out of the hindrance would be a medical mission which would meet the health needs of the people. We were not sure how this would be executed. After the assembly, I went to her to find out more and ask of her experiences. For the medical mission, I was the only nurse and Basic Health lecturer in the Bible College. Everyone prayed that the Lord should speak to me. The journey from Owerri was about fourtheen hours drive to the nearest city Yola, totalling 873.5km, and another day’s journey to our destination. There was no Google in those days to find out anything. Prayers were still going on for me to agree. Enthusiasm was heightening and many people, both lecturers and students, were signing up. Finally, after conviction that it was the will of God, I gave the long-expected word, ‘yes let us go’. We started the planning. The medical mission strategy was that I would attend to the people and preach at the same time. I would do health talks and end with a message. The Pastors were to do the one to one follow up with those that gave their lives to the Lord. This was wisdom from the Lord. ‘He that winneth souls is wise’. Next was to prayerfully source the medical equipment as I did not know what was prevalent. So, I got some vitamins, anti- malarial and topical drugs, antibiotic creams, dressings, and the basics. This time it was a two-week journey, with 4 days of road trips. What complicated the trip was the danger of armed robbers and shootings which were prevalent on that journey. We had to pass many big cities and states, and each posed a danger. The

123 his glory goes with us journey from Yola to Koma was another story of its own, but my heart was fixed. One of the Senior lecturers and a Pastor, Uncle Kofi, is related to me. He decided to go if I were to go. He could not see me make the journey without him, and would not sleep until I returned. We had an army officer who was a student that agreed to go with us for security. Another energetic student offered to go. Now I was the only female, and I needed a companion, so one student who had worked as an auxiliary nurse volunteered to accompany me. In this way, the five-member team was complete. One student insisted on going with us, but on the grounds of paying for himself. We were prayed for and sent off. We left early so we could get to Yola before midnight. We kept meeting up with other coaches from different cities until we became a cohort of many coaches. The reason was that the coaches had armed escorts, so if anything went wrong, they could team up. We travelled safely until we arrived at Jalingo. We were asked to get off the coaches, and the escorts went off. There were armed robbers just before the city of Jalingo, and they were tipped off. We were there for about 40 mins and took off again. We arrived at the sleepover place at about 11pm. It was a journey. The brethren who were waiting welcomed us with joy. We ate and were advised to catch some sleep as the next leg of the journey was the main journey. We ate Tuwo (millet) in the morning, prayed, and left. There was drama at the motor park. I thought we were going on a bus, but it was an old land rover with an open back.

124 missions

I am in a blue dress with a sling bag standing by our vehicle before departure.

There were some seats for ladies, but the men sat on the panel. The road was rough, after 2 hours we got to a river, but the bridge was completely broken. We wondered, ‘what next?’ We were asked to come down and cross the river. There were guides to help people go through the shallow area.

I am in a soaked blue dress. We crossed the river on foot because the bridge was broken. We were not told that the Land Rover will take us only to this bridge to board another vehicle. First adventure.

125 his glory goes with us

Two of the students in our team crossing the water with our luggage.

We were not told anything about the road conditions. We carried on; we had nothing to change and could not have changed because it was an open place. The waters came up to our abdomen, and we boarded another open land rover. We journeyed for another 3 hours to Fufore and changed to another vehicle for another 2 hours. We got to Karlahi. The plan was to spend the night there but were tipped off to leave immediately or we would be killed. We went to the Local Government Council headquarters to ask for help. Initially, the first person told us that the Koma people’s group did not exist and there was no road to the place. This was at about 4pm. We had been travelling since the morning on terrible roads. My uncle was the most senior and leader of the team. He saw a police officer who was Yoruba and spoke to him in the language. The man asked where we were coming from. He confirmed what the other man told us, that we would be killed, but this time offered to help. The secondary school in Karlahi had the first four Koma students to go to school. It was a boarding school. He called out 2 of them, they were 12 years of age, to take us to Koma that night. They will sleep over at their parents’ home and go back the next day. He urged us to leave the place that night. We had no option; we objected to the boys leaving school to accompany us,

126 missions but our lives were on the line that night. Later, we got to know the story. The Fulani drove the Komas up to the mountain because of tribal wars and enslavement. They ran to the mountains and fought the Fulanis from there by throwing down stones on them and throwing spears at them. They killed most of the invaders and pushed them back. Due to enmity and brutal killing, the relationship was bitter for years. When civilization got to Karlahi, it stopped as no one mentioned that there were people living beyond them. They remained primitive until 1986, when Nigerian Youth Corpers found them. We took to our journey thinking it was an hour long, especially with the young children with us. Literally, we were running at first because we were told to go as fast as possible. We had our luggage and our medical supplies. The men took on the heavier luggage, and the ladies took the lighter ones. It was like carrying houses on our heads. We asked the boys how far the journey was, they told us it was far. Well, it took us 6 hours. We arrived at our destination by 10pm. Some hours into the journey we saw a beautiful river just before dark. It was a very shallow running water, but clean. As shallow as ankle level and about 30 meters wide. We wanted to rest there but heard a roaring in the background. Wow! What was this? Another came with another sound we could not make out. The boys told us to please keep quiet and move faster. So, no questions at that point and we kept going. Later they told us it could have been a lion or tiger or elephant that roared. Four hours into the journey, it was dark, and I could not move again. My back was breaking, and I felt like I was going to collapse. Tears were in my eyes. The team begged me to please carry on as we were in a dangerous place, but I could not move. We prayed, and they took off everything I had. After a short while

127 his glory goes with us

I could not move, again. The boys were worried because the forest was dangerous at night. My uncle decided to put me on his back, but who would carry his luggage as he had most of the heavy ones? We had no clue that the journey would turn out this way. The plan was to get to Karlahi and board another bus to another town. There, the missionaries and converts would meet us to carry our things and we would do the remaining 2 hours on foot with less to carry. Unfortunately, they waited for us until about 8pm and went back when we did not arrive. First miracle happened at this point. Prayer was not the same kind we prayed at Owerri, our city, it was a heavenly prayer of faith. The team called on God as it was our last prayer to deliver us. Immediately, I felt a lifting. I was lifted off my feet and my back straightened, and I was walking, but my foot was not touching the ground. The things my brethren were carrying became lighter, they testified. I could not believe it, I tried to stamp my feet but still could feel nothing but air under my feet. I told the team, then we knew the Lord was with us. It was amazing. Divine help is genuine, very real. May we have the faith to ask God for help. The lesson I learnt from that experience as I was reflecting was that Elohim answers prayers, but the problem with us is trusting in Him. Our world had given us so much that there was no absolute place for people to trust God. When we are sick, there is hope that doctors will do something. When we are in lack, we have the bank to give us credit; we have friends and relatives to give us soft loans. In the same way, we trust the pilot and aeroplane to take us to destinations, and we rely on advertisements to appeal to our fancy. Our cities do not give us the privilege to exercise raw faith. Right at the middle of the forest, with wild animals roaring, our hope could only come from God. All our faith and trust were hooked on Him, as there were no alternatives.

128 missions

God is still moving, and miracles are happening, but we have removed ourselves from the scene because civilization has programmed us to live by the carnal senses away from Faith. Like Jacob, until you have Esau to contend with and a Laban, you cannot go back to, you will not but hold on to the Angel to bless you before you let Him go. Adversity builds up faith, especially when your help comes from nowhere except the Lord. We continued our journey, the missionaries told us they heard noises and were ministered to return to look for us. They took all our luggage from us for the remaining 30 mins of the journey. There was a beautiful surprise for us. The villages had gathered, dancing around a lit fire, waiting. All the pain and agony of the journey disappeared. We joined them in dancing as we could not sing along with them because of the language barrier. There were 3 levels of interpretation depending on availability of interpreters. We spoke in English, which was interpreted to Hausa, this was in turn interpreted to Koma. Communication was combined with signing and demonstrations. It was a warm welcome because they had been waiting for hours. Our journey was planned, we all had our logbooks to journal our activities and experiences. We did not know how stressful the journey to Koma would be and had planned to start immediately when we arrived, to cover all the villages in 12 days. We had more people who could speak both Hausa and Koma that night, so I took the opportunity to translate the song on salt sugar rehydration solution: ‘My friend, have you heard about ORT (Oral rehydration therapy)? Immediate thing to do when your child with running stool or vomiting - 10 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix them in 75mls of water. It will help your child to live. Don’t forget to keep it clean,’. Quickly it was translated to Hausa and

129 his glory goes with us then to Koma. The interesting thing then was there was no way to write anything in Koma, so I wrote it as it sounded in English and Hausa phonetics. It came out with this. ‘Banikal mutako pat ORT gam kapai wam mani gau jam. Mopie canti gwanaru , mopie, manda, paga, mopie mem geyesu tasuakpan. Mauto pat arumanro. Mu wa ga mani durai Muwa soro kuga rie keriera ga kapai wam mani gau jam’ I stayed up all night learning to sing this song in their local tongue. This was I who had been crying on the journey. The zeal for the Lord took away all of that. This song became the major entry and breakthrough point on the mission.

The team L-R: student, also a soldier who was the key interpreter, Team lead who was a senior lecturer, me who was a lecturer and the college nurse, a student, student who was a nurse assistant, and another student who was a valuable member of the team.

We waited till the evening of next day to arrive in Konlo, because they went to the farm and could only gather in the evening. The song always came before anything, and the villages were thrilled that I could speak their language. The key to note

130 missions is that some of them do not know what sugar or salt is nor have eaten them before, so the excitement is not about my health song but that I could speak their language.

These were the mountains from a distance.

Those who go on missions and expect to ride limousines and sleep in palaces are not serious. Identifying with the people leads to open doors into their hearts. I remembered when we were young, at the St Michael Anglican Cathedral Church Aba. Two English ladies taught the bible in the Igbo language. We really wondered how they did it. We all attended not for the bible study but out of fascination of the ladies.

I am sitting at the back in a purple dress and white hair tie at a Sunday fellowship. There was no roof, and the logs were the benches.

The pattern in all the villages was for me to start with a health talk and end with the gospel, do an altar call, offer prayers, and

131 his glory goes with us start attending to people, dress wounds, and hand out vitamins. The Pastors would take up people on one to one. It was a brilliant arrangement. We had our torches, and they lit the fire at multiple places to give light. The next day we moved on to another village. It was another fruitful outing. As we were coming back, the rain was looming, and the skies went dark. We faced two giant problems. It rains hailstones that descend like rocks. Secondly, the river would overflow, and we could not cross because there was no bridge. We had seen miracles and were sure God would do it once again. There was no need to doubt God. They asked us to stay back, but where would we sleep? They warned us of the hailstones and the river. We prayed out loud, looking upwards as we asked the Lord to come to our help. We took off. It was about a 45 mins to an hour journey. Our faith that God would deliver us was so strong, and so it happened. The sky kept growing darker and darker, accompanied with some thunder, but there was no rain. As soon as we crossed the river, it started with light showers but not hailstones. Just upon entering the house, it started raining. God was amazing! We sang and sang praises to the King of Kings. More miracles: we had all our medical things with us, which would have been ruined in the rain. We also avoided the risk of being stoned to death by rocky hailstones after we escaped being butchered by men at Karlahi. The next day, the mission was in our neighbourhood. We started across the river. There was a lady with a leg ulcer and they were expecting her to die. You could smell the foul odour two poles away from the house. We thought she had died and was decomposing. We were a bit confused as we had never smelt such a putrefying odour before. As we approached, the odour strengthened. When we got there and called out, she answered. I entered to see her; the

132 missions room was dark and thick with the smell. They brought her out and most of her left leg was gone. Not sure what to do, we prayed, and I brought out my dressing pack and cleansed the leg, I had both antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal creams, and dressings. We got home and my clothes and skin were smelling. I dressed the wound twice a day.

I dressed the wound of the lady with a leg ulcer that was gangrenous.

By the third day, the wound was drying. That again opened a massive door of acceptance for us in the community. We started receiving gifts of okra and guinea corn from the people. Friendship went up to another level. A lady gave me an okra that was the same length as my forearm.

133 his glory goes with us

My friend that gave me the gift of Okra to take back home.

She also gave me a dried one. I planted it when we got back to Owerri, and it turned out like the normal size of okra. Everyone was astonished. We thought it would grow to the same length, which meant that God blessed their land. The fourth day, I had just a tiny patch of the wound to cover. It was a miracle and as we reasoned, the lady had not been exposed to any antibiotic so there was no resistance at all; it worked so well.

134 missions

Levels of interpretation. Standing from L-R: I am fourth on the line, in a yellow and green spotted cloth. I speak in English, the second person on the line interprets in Hausa and the third man interprets in Koma.

The height of the journey came on the fifth day. Before going to the mountain, we had been prepped the previous day with scary instructions: we were to wear warm dresses, because it is cold on the mountain. We were told to clasp the rocks and to not look sideways. We were to stop and shout out if tired, not look backwards, no talking and climb carefully. Any miss-step meant being buried alive. No one would come looking for you. The mountain was steep and the only way up was by the side of the falls. We had a meeting that night to discuss whether we should go or leave it out. There were so many rules, and if you failed one, you had failed all.

135 his glory goes with us

L-R Student, Team Lead, Tour guide, I in blue, a student and another student at the base of the mountain before climbing.

We posed for the photo above, but behind the scene were mixed feelings; excitement and worries about all the dos and don’ts. Our guide came early to take us, there was no time to do some ‘21 days fasting and prayer’ to gather the courage for the mountain. He sat in front of our house and we all marvelled and laughed at ourselves. He didn’t understand where we were at emotionally after hearing the strict rules of the previous day. We missed the morning hours and were prohibited to go in the heat of the sun. The people he came with took our things because we could not climb with anything, that would be dangerous. Around 4pm we left with excitement, which disappeared about 1 hour into the journey. We were , but he encouraged us to keep climbing to get to the place of rest. There was a small brook with clean water. We drank water and rested.

136 missions

An hour into the journey, we found a brook and drank water. The water was so clean and sparkling. We rested and felt refreshed. I am resting on my staff in a blue dress.

The journey up the mountain was not a smooth one for me. I am in front in a blue dress, almost crawling.

We had two more hours to go. All rules were strictly kept until our guide told us to stop and stay where we were. No turning until he returned. Our team lead, the Senior Pastor, was not with us and we did not realise because we were adhering to all the

137 his glory goes with us

’do nots’. Remember, there was no talking and no conversations. Panic wanted to come; we had stayed a while in the same position with no communication as to what was going on with him. Our guide came back to ask who I was, and he took me down. Our team lead was having difficulty breathing. I cried out to Jehovah Elohim for help; we were in the middle of nowhere on this steep mountain. He had three sets of clothing on him, being told the mountains were cold, but climbing was strenuous for him with much sweating and palpitations and we had gone far. He remained there and was just praying. We helped him take off all the clothing and left him with just a shirt. Another miracle, Jesus restored him. We faced the option of going back or risk climbing further. He is a man of strong faith and urged us to keep going. The guide had gone to get others down. After prayers, we continued. Some mountaineers passed us chatting with laughter while we were crawling.

This is a path up the mountain, climbing on rocks.

There was no clear path up the mountain. The rocks can give way as you are climbing on them, which can be dangerous. It calls for carefulness, and reminded me of our heavenly journey. It

138 missions calls for consecration and commitment, any distraction will take you off track. The heavenly journey may be difficult to travel, but those who endure to the end shall reach their goal. We got there at 7pm and it was dark already. They gathered and started dancing. We saw a wonder; the moon was so large, as if it was sitting on the mountain. We sang out in one accord, “On the mountain, in the valley, on the land and in the sea, on the mountain, in the valley, on the land and in the sea. Hallelujah! The Lord is my portion in the land of the living, the Lord is good forevermore, the Lord is my portion in the land of the living. The Lord is good forevermore!”

It was a tough journey. My smile here was a make-do to look good in this picture with the mountain girls.

Wow, it was as if we were on another planet. We were warned to stop the singing as it was echoing far and wide, and other mountain dwellers would think there was danger and run to the village with spears and arrows. As usual, I did the health talk followed by preaching. After the altar call, the Pastors took over. It was cold, but the people were naked. Their skin was as hard as

139 his glory goes with us genuine leather. We attended to them and they had us sleep in one hut with a fire in the middle to keep us warm. We did not even give it a thought, and we slept off. In the morning, we wondered at how tired we were. What if we were burnt, how come we were so relaxed? We were extremely tired and if the Lord had not watched a city, in vain watcheth the watchman as the Bible says. Here we were, on the mountain. They had all gone to the farm and we would see them again at night. There were many wonders to see. The pawpaw (papaya) on the mountain is bigger than anything you have seen, but they did not know what it was. The hot pepper (chili) was big, but they did not know what it was either. Likewise, they did not know what plantain was. All these were growing naturally because of the rich minerals of the mountainside which made them noticeably big. The pumpkin was five times the size of what we normally have in the southern part of Nigeria. It took two or three people to carry each one. What wonders from an Amazing God. We saw nature as it was, undisturbed by civilization. We saw the picture of what the world looked like at creation before man corrupted it. Every plant and seed we are eating today was planted for us as food by Elohim. What a beautiful God we serve. I was not feeling well later in the day, so we went back since we attended to them the previous night. We planned for a two-day outreach in two villages, but our guide told us it was not possible. The villages were up to an hour journey apart from each other and it would be very risky to undertake the journey. Coming down was quicker, it took 2 hours. Keeping to all rules strictly, we got to the base of the mountain. We were so overjoyed that we made it, not sure whether to laugh about the adventure or cry. It was a mixed feeling. Days after, we were reflecting on the

140 missions journey, laughter came as we confessed the thoughts that went on in our minds going and coming back. It was hilarious. All the speaking in tongues, binding and losing and committing our spirit to the hands of God and secret farewells in case that was the end of it all. Oh, that is missions for you. One of the brethren that came along with us, though not commissioned, he sponsored himself, decided to leave. Our team leader was not happy with him and asked him why. Well, the answer was that the risk was too much, and he had to go back. We prayed for him and the missionaries had to take him on a 3-hour journey to where he could get a vehicle and journey on. The lesson is to make sure you are a sent person on every mission. Do not send yourself, or you will not last the time. We remembered Demas. This brother complained of food, shelter, water and on and on. Anyway, we felt lighter when he left. We wanted to see the lady with the leg ulcer before we embarked on another 2-day journey. It rained, and the river flooded. One of the young men took us to a part of the river where you can jump on rocks to cross. Another risk, but the rocks were close. Three of us jumped over smoothly. I was the fourth, I jumped until the last lap and missed my step, falling into the water. It was fast flowing; I held the elephant grasses at the bank and the river was already pushing my entire body forward. I thought I was gone, my weight was uprooting the grasses I held unto, the bank of the river was muddy and slippery. One of the brothers leaned forward, grabbed, and pulled me up. I can never forget the incident. I would have gone for life! There were many rocks, and this is the river flowing from the mountain. God saved me for the work ahead. I kept thinking about how the grass held me and did not uproot. It was Jesus, the miracle worker, who did it! The story did not end there.

141 his glory goes with us

The last brother to jump over was the army officer who could speak Hausa. On the same last lap, he dislocated his hip when he jumped over. He cried like a baby. We were now faced with how to go back. None of us was confident enough to jump back, and our security man had injured himself. We had no other options than to jump back. By the grace of God, we made it. Our brother was in severe pain. I gave him pain relief, but it was a child’s play. By the night, the hip was swollen, and it was obvious we had to move him immediately. We sent an errand. The next day they went to a village close to Karlahi to get a bicycle and took him because he could not walk. Poor brother, he had total hip dislocation and was in hospital for 3 months. He returned to the school 6 months later. We visited the lady with the wound later in the week, miraculously the wound had healed. God is amazing! That was an outstanding miracle. There were four of us left. Our food was depleting. We were told to bring everything to eat because there would be nowhere to buy from, and they ate something totally different to us. We brought dried milk, Ovaltine, maize meal, gari, soup condiments, rice, beans, and other staples. Getting to the mission field, we re-planned our mealtimes so that our supplies would last the days of our stay. We decided on two meals a day. Midmorning on days we were not fasting, and dinner. We tried out the guinea corn given to us as a gift. This guinea corn came with sheaves. We looked at each other and wondered what to do. Well, as missionaries, we had to do something, or go hungry for another 5 days. They gave us a mortar and pestle to pound, which is a long process. We pounded the guinea corn, taking turns until the sheaves were out. We separated them and began the second round and shelled the grains by blowing the shells off. We sorted them until there were no shells. After that, we started the

142 missions actual pounding of the grains to an extent, and we finished up the grinding stone.

We were pounding the gift of guinea corn as we were almost running out of food. I am in a blue dress and light brown jumper.

We did our best to produce what a grinding machine would have done. We were happy that at least we had food. The downside of the joy is that I had a terrible stomach-ache when I ate it. Others tolerated it, but my stomach could not take it. It was worrying for the team, as our cornmeal was almost gone with just three cups remaining. The rice and beans were gone. Quickly the team decided I had the corn meal while they ate guinea corn. With four days to go, I had to ration half a cup each day, which had to be taken in the afternoon to last me for the day. God is able, nothing was too hard for Him to do. We remembered that man shall not live by bread alone. Brethren, that is mission for you. It was not a new thing for me. I had stayed up in hunger and survived. The Lord was with us. It was well.

143 his glory goes with us

We got a gift of a goat which we sent back to the man to dress for us. The meat came, and out of excitement, we overate! It told on us, as we all had running stomachs which delayed our journey the next day.

The gift of a goat to supplement our food.

I visited a family to minister to them. A family with 5 generations. The great mama was blind, and I invited them to church on Sunday. They gave their lives to the Lord. The mama laughed and said she will come to church if she will not be assisted. The family explained that she did not want to come, so she used her lack of sight as an excuse. My spirit man was stirred up. I should pray for her to see. Why could I not do the miracle that Jesus did? Instead of praying and asking for her eyes to open, I was busy pitying and doubting myself. They gave me a bowl of groundnut, which I took back to our house.

144 missions

I was coming back from a follow-up with a gift of groundnut on my head. I tried to carry it the way they do.

I was so troubled all evening and all night, crying and praying. I could not pray thinking that I did not have power, that was not true! I did not exercise my faith to do what Jesus asks us to do, even if that faith is as small as a mustard seed. The sister with me tried to console me. She is one of the best Christian sisters I have ever met. She was older, but I was her lecturer, so she respected and served with all her heart. The following morning was Sunday, and a lady came four hours from the mountain to see me with her sick child.

145 his glory goes with us

I was stooping to examine this sick child. The mother walked a 4-hour journey to see me.

I was with them and heard a song and chanting and a group coming towards us. I thought in my heart that the people were overjoyed as many gave their lives to the Lord, and it looked like we had lived there all along with them. As they came closer, it turned out to be the family I was with the previous day. The testimony was that the mama woke up with her two eyes opened and she could see. With that clear miracle, the church was filled up that morning. I was as happy as a child that got a gift of chocolate that would last a week. I hugged the mama and ran back to tell the team; they came with me. It was a glorious Sunday. Jesus did it! I learned my lesson; it is not by power nor by might, but by His Spirit. I was looking at the “me in me” and forgot that I no longer live, but Christ lives in

146 missions me. I resolved to speak the word next time and never doubt the outcome in self-pity. This incidence changed my life till today. I do not hesitate to call Lazarus to come forth, and it has worked and keeps on working.

The family of the dehydrated child. I am in striped clothes bending over the fireplace, demonstrating how to prepare the oral rehydration therapy.

I made a Fulani friend that came 4 hours to us from the Cameroon side of the mountain. She spoke French and was fascinated that I spoke a little day-to-day French. She brought milk and some curds to us; I plaited her hair each time she came.

147 his glory goes with us

I am in purple polka dot clothes, braiding the hair of our Fulani friend that visits from Cameroon. The building was our executive flat considering the surrounding houses were mud houses.

I advised the team not to take the milk, considering the length of the journey she had made to us, moreover the milk was not pasteurised. We took it from her and gave it to the villagers. At the time of our visit, they no longer buried children whose mothers died at childbirth. There was a change in perceptions after the missionary adopted a child who she brought back after 2 years, for them to see that she was not an evil spirit. Women started taking up such children to breastfeed and look after them until the children were grown enough to be looked after by their families. We had one of those who visited when we were there.

148 missions

A foster mother trying to breastfeed the baby. Beside her is the man who lost his wife and the father of the child.

The child was growing lean and would not take breast milk from the foster mother. I had infant vitamins. I gave them to her and advised her on what to do. She brought back the child before we left, and he was eating. They were bringing their sick relatives; it was busy all through our stay. We had one last village to visit, which was an hour away. There is a lake on the way that dries up in some seasons. There were a lot of snakes on the footpath, so we had to be careful and watchful. The snakes were very poisonous and the biggest challenge of Koma people. They rarely survive the bites. We left with our clothes to change because we had to stay overnight. On our way, a quarrel began between the sister and our lead. She started complaining that our Lead did not like her and marks her down on his subjects. He was surprised at that. He told her she

149 his glory goes with us wrote off points and got the mark she deserved. We had done well all this time, so I wondered what was happening, As the argument carried on, we were walking into the lake. We missed the path and were suddenly sinking in the mud. Forward sinking, backward sinking, up to our navels. I was the shortest in the team, so the mud came higher up. This is what quarrelling can do! The snakes were not our threat, but our emotions that were yet to be crucified. For just a moment, we allowed sin; Satan took hold of that and tried to bury us alive. Our eyes opened, and we confessed and prayed. There was a man that saw us but after a while he lost sight of us. He turned back to look, suspecting we had walked into the muddy lake. He saw us and shouted. We could see him, but he was so far away that we could not hear him. The language barrier also got in the way. He ran back, but by then we had confessed our sins and asked God to save us. Immediately, we started walking back and came out. It was another miracle that we would never forget! None of us said a word to each other until we got to the village, pondering over the hard lesson. There was a clean stream by the village and we washed out the mud. We ministered to the villages; they pitied us for our ordeal, but they did not know the complete story. They put fire in the middle as those on the mountain did for us, and we laid by the edge to keep warm.

150 missions

This family blessed us with cornmeal, which was a great blessing. We were really famished. I am sitting behind in purple polka dot clothes.

Never quarrel at the war front. You will play into the hands of the enemy. In any mission field, local or international or in groups, unity is the key. We had done well so far; 2 members had gone back, and we had recorded diverse miracles of our lives. Towards the end, Satan wanted to rob us of our joy and reward. It was a real lesson for everyone. We could not explain how the argument began or what started it. Our Lead had treated us so well like a father, we loved him and honoured him; we cherished each other. There was no air of superiority. The Lead and I were lecturers and the rest of the team were students, but you would hardly know. As the Bible says, ‘Satan is roaming about seeking whom he may devour’, we should resist him steadfastly. My humble sister asked our lead for forgiveness and they made up. We went back to our base the next day.

151 his glory goes with us

I am standing in the second row, in a red top and white head tie.

Wow, what a mission, our last day in Koma. This was emotional. Two weeks looked like two years with so much love and connections. We collected some beautiful stones from the river which we had not seen before. The river had gold that sparkles on the skin once you dip into the water. There was so much to see and take away. So much to rejoice for. I survived with one meal of ½ cup of cornmeal a day, with no snake bites, and I went to the mountain and back. It was a journey of a lifetime. Glory to God. We left through a different way. It was a 3 hour-walk to where we boarded a vehicle to Karlahi and then on to Yola. We slept over and took on our journey back to our state. Meanwhile, the brother that left us had told them that the place was too dangerous, so the whole college was praying for us. They knew about the injured brother. He also told them he was not sure if we had enough food to survive with. He had to leave as he was not prepared for the unforeseen. Well, we had the grace! Our God who took us to Koma Hills looked after us. Our return was glorious. There were celebrations in the college. We slept for

152 missions

3 days. We did not know how much we had changed. We had darkened so much that we looked almost completely black. I took out my braided hair to wash, nearly half of my hair came out. We did not notice the harsh weather while there. Glory be to God. I developed my films, and they were passed around the college but unfortunately, I lost 80% of the pictures. Sadly, students took them. It was my understanding that they wanted to show friends and churches that the Koma people are real. I had to let it go as you don’t do wrong to fix right. Taking away those pictures was wrong. I could have given out some, but I lost most of them. They were my memory of the mission. In all, we visited Konlo, Tantile, Mani, Nasarawo, the Mountain and surrounding villages.

Fifth mission The fifth missionary journey was a pathfinding one in the riverine areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. This time again the pathfinding team went with our water and snacks to avoid drinking and eating anything, after learning the hard way. We got to the village when the people had gone to the farms. We went around to see if we could find some villagers.

I am standing in front of the huts, with a white hair tie and brown bag.

153 his glory goes with us

It was a sorry sight: the village land was covered in crude oil, which meant plants could not grow; fishes were dead in their rivers and hunger was looming in the community. Children were not in school and you could feel the dark atmosphere. We met some villagers who told us how they had suffered from oil spillage, with no hospital, no school, no jobs and worse still, their farmlands gone. The oil made Nigeria rich, yet the people that own the land are in stark poverty. There was growing anger in the community at that time, but no violence yet. We could not go back as we were advised to keep off. A year later, kidnapping, assassination, and abduction of oil workers became rampant. As the world could only take what the media told them, the truth was hidden from the world. Thank God that in 2019 I experienced another rural medical mission with experienced doctors and nurses that worked tirelessly. While some parts of the world are enjoying advanced medicinal facilities, some parts have none. Let me know, as you read, if you want to be of any help.

I am standing in front in a striped dress, interpreting for the Doctor doing a health talk.

154 IF GOD BE FOR US

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 24

Encounter with an Occultist

e had a significant encounter with a man living living in Wthe neighbourhood of the Bible College where I worked as a missionary nurse and Basic Health Education lecturer. There had been a lot of stories spread about him by the college students. The students would wake up at midnight and face their windows to pray against his operations. It was said that he sometimes disappears under his mango tree. That sounded so unreal to me, but then, that number of students would not be telling mere stories as Ministers and Pastors in training. One day we went out on evangelism and were ministering to people. We walked up to him and greeted him, and he responded, “Young ladies, how are you?” We told him our good news about Jesus, and he smiled at us pleasantly and said, “Are you talking to me about Jesus?” We answered, “Yes, sir.” He said again, “Are you sure?” I responded that Christ died for everyone and does not wish that anyone should perish. He kept on asking if we were happy to talk to him. “Of course” , we said. encountereencoeeneencounter

Meanwhile, some students saw us and started praying not for his salvation but binding and loosing that he would not attack us. The lord had promised to be with us, and we were not afraid. I have got enough knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord. Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. He invited us into his compound to hear us well. So, on the appointed Wednesday evening, we prayed and went. We sat under that mango tree and shared the gospel and left. As we were leaving, he invited us again to another Wednesday. He was not always in, so it was a surprise he was staying this long. He was not living with his family, rumour was that his children and wife were overseas. They do not come home, apart from his daughter who visited once in a while. Students told us they were watching from their floor and praying in case we disappeared. If that happened, they would have called the police. All the while we were preaching, he kept looking at us mysteriously. The third time he invited us into his house. We held hands and agreed in prayers. It was the scariest sight, palm fronds like live sacrifices, skulls, and things too strange to mention. He knew we were transfixed. He invited us to his living-room. He went to the kitchen to get us a drink and the whole room started swinging. We held each other tightly proclaiming the blood of Jesus and as soon as he walked in with the drinks, the swinging stopped. It was like one of the things in horror films. I started to talk while my friend prayed. Instead of preaching I was declaring the name of Jesus and His blood. At His name every knee shall bow, all power is made subject to His name. I went on and on, the man asked us to drink, we nicely refused. He asked if we wanted to go, we said we did.

157 his glory goes with us

He opened the door for us. As we stepped out, my Bible just fell from my hand. He went to pick it up for me, but I was younger and smarter, I held his hand halfway and picked up my Bible. The strange thing was the binding of my Bible torn and looked like it was thrown hard on a surface. All the same he experienced a greater power and wanted us to leave immediately. He stood and watched us walk out of his gate. The drama was that both of us could not tell our encounter. Students shouted out when they saw us. They had told the college authorities. We had excellent American Christians as teachers, they were sure that we would come out fine. We just prayed that night. There was no fear, but we felt like crying but could not. We recovered after some days and related our experience and story. Believe it, demons are real. Afterwards, we started laughing, how we prayed and went in not sure of what was ahead of us. But the real laughter was when my friend told them that instead of preaching, I was binding and loosing and pleading the blood of Jesus and she was saying, “Sister Grace, preach.” She was thinking, ‘Oh dear, if Sister Grace is afraid, then I am finished in this house!’ She too started binding and loosing, and that was when the man got confused and asked if we wanted to leave. It was hilarious. That was not the end of the story. We saw the man the next day and none of us could talk to each other, meaning that he too encountered a power. The next time I saw him he was standing at his gate. I was walking past on the other side of the road. We saw each other and suddenly I felt a sharp pain at my back, like a knife was dug through my ribs. I fell on my hands and knees. It was about 3pm and the road was busy. Cars stopped, people ran towards me to

158 encountereencoeeneencounter help because they saw me fall. The Lord said to me to look up, I did and saw that people were coming to help and He said, “Before they get to you, grab the knife and send it back.” I grabbed the unseen knife and hurled it back at the man. I took a deep breath of relief and strength surged in seconds. People surrounded me, trying to lift me up, asking if I was okay. They helped me up. I really did not know what to say but looked round for the man and he was gone. I went in that night and prayed, but was not afraid, rather I felt that he met his match, and the sent-back power was more than the sent-forth power. I did not see him again until I left the place 2 years after. Grasses grew in his compound and people thought he was dead. I told the brethren my experience.

159 25

Power over Demons

here was a man who lived in the same building when I went Tfor my first ‘persecutory’ journey. He was a very pleasant man with an American accent. He had lived in America most of his life, married with 2 children, but moved back to Nigeria. His family were still in the US. I shared the Love of Christ with him, he told me he could not be born again because the evil spirits would kill him. I reassured him that Jesus would keep him safe and deliver him from the powers of darkness. I read Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” He saw the passion in my voice and my experience that proved that God is more powerful than the demons. He gave his life to Christ and followed me to church. He later told me a scary story. He was a Prince from a Royal Family, by covenant he was to succeed his father. His father was wealthy and sent him off to the United States of America as a young person. When his father died, he was asked to come back from the U.S to take up the throne and the occultic powers. Growing up in the US had changed him, he blatantly refused. He told them he did powerppoweppower not believe in those powers and what they represent, but that he was a mere man without Jesus. He was in his workplace when a strange person visited him. He was shocked and wanted to run away. The stranger also told him to get back to Nigeria or he would be killed. Same strange person visited them at home. His wife and children would hear footsteps, fear gripped the entire house. The wife was an African American and could not understand what was going on. The voice threatened to take away his wife and children. Their home became a house of horror, he told his wife his story. She divorced him and left with the children. He moved away from his home to another residence, but there was no running away. He lost his job and tried living in various States, the strange people kept coming after him. Some of his friends thought he had a mental breakdown, but he knew what was going on. The strange visitors finally told him they could not wait anymore and would take him back to Nigeria. Strangely, with no document, no passport, and no dime, he found himself in his father’s house. He ran away, not knowing where he was going. His relatives found him and brought him back home to the village. This time he was convinced that he would die. He conceded to the initiations required and came back to himself. His plan was to get some money, know a bit of Nigeria, and run away. After a few years, he left for Abuja, but they found him. Eventually, he came to Owerri, which was where I met him. The evil spirits would come at night to wrap him up in white cloth and tie him up to the pillars in front of his room and untie him early hours of the morning. One morning as I was going for my morning cry preaching, approaching the gate about 4.00 am, I saw a man tied up in white cloth to the pillar. I shouted the ‘blood of Jesus.’ I was not expecting to see anything as horrible as that.

161 his glory goes with us

I shouted again, proclaiming the blood of Jesus. I was transfixed and could not move. He spoke out, “Sister Grace, it’s me, it’s me, I told you, but you would not believe.” As he was talking, the robe loosened, and he walked out. That afternoon, I took him to church and narrated to the brethren what I saw. He repeated the same story, brethren prayed, followed us back and after praying in his room, gave him a bible. There is power in the blood of Jesus. By the grace of God, he was doing well in the church and became fervent. His sister came to visit one day and looked like one of the ladies you see in carnivals and witches’ albums. We prayed because she came to threaten him. I left the place and later heard he moved back to Abuja.

162 IN DUE SEASON

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 26

Healing

am a typical case of God’s strength made perfect in weakness. I I had a breathing problem as a newborn, and there was no time for proper investigations because of the outbreak of the Nigerian/ Biafran war. My family had to leave immediately because of the intense shelling. My mother was given packs of antibiotic injections. The nurses thought her how to inject me 3 times a day. You can imagine escaping at war time with a sick newborn. My mum, though a teacher, was very courageous and administered the doses. The issue was for how long? She continued giving the injections until I got better. I was growing up very tender and could not do what others were doing in terms of physical strength, but my parents were grateful that I was alive. At age six, I had an operation that kept me in hospital for three months. My parents could not get hold of my medical record because the surgeon was an expatriate from Enugu and went back with my notes. Other doctors could not say much about the operation. At age nine, I had a case of measles that strangely infected my eyes before the rashes could be seen. I was so sick and was going blind, even before the slightest inclination that the diagnosis was measles. My dad was asked to keep me on healthy vitamin A diet. I literally became a rabbit. I ate carrots until I wondered if this will be it for the rest of my life. It ended up with wearing glasses. The sun hurt my eyes, and I was given sunglasses that were so funny healing looking. Students laughed each time I wore it. Thank God I was 11 years old and didn’t care in this world if they fell off laughing. My mouth started splitting. I was diagnosed with a lack of vitamin C. Another round of chewing vitamin began. It was better this time because it was interchanged with CAC1000, which was more palatable. My parents placed me on a fruit diet, I ate both the sour jawbreakers and the sweet ones. That phase went. Everyone in my house is gifted with one or two sport abilities. All my siblings were runners and won cups for their school. I could not run or do any hard activity. I ran out of breath after a few meters. My only sport was gymnastics as I was so flexible. At eighteen, chronic asthmatic bronchitis showed up. The wheezing at exertion limited my lifestyle. Bathing in the morning triggers the wheezing, so I wash in the afternoons. I started wondering what life would be like. All my siblings are strong, and I am the weak one in the family. I was a ‘handle with care’. I never thought I will be a nurse in my life, I studied hard and was an all-rounder so was looking forward to university to study Medicine or Biochemistry. My father broke the bad news when he told me I would go for the School of Nursing exams. I was shocked and asked him “To do what?” I cried out. I thought it was a joke, but not my dad, he was serious. Thank God for today that children get to say what they like. Then I had no choice. He nicely narrated the above health history and explained that he would want me to look after myself. Nurses were very meticulous those days and for him, it is about staying alive over any other thing. It didn’t come easily; I broke into tears and was emotionally down for nearly one year into the School of Nursing. It was not an

165 his glory goes with us easy decision for my parents either, but they were thinking of me. My dad promised me everything he could give. He reassured me he would support me to the PhD level. My Dad promised to take me to the USA once I finished if I want. He kept to his promise. My student days were the best ever. My mum did my hair with then ‘Jack Five’ products which were expensive, my dresses were different, and I was visited every other weekend with surplus goodies. In May 1988, I was standing outside and remembered the scripture in 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. I told the Lord that I am now a new creature, this health history should be a thing of the past. I went on my walk around the school compound praying on other things. The Lord heard me. The miracle happened. I stopped wheezing and felt a freshness. And that was it. I was healed. When people see me multi-tasking, they think I am superhuman, no! I had a history. Yeshua Jesus healed me and will heal you too if you believe. After my Nursing and Midwifery, I went back to do a BSc in Health Education. I was pregnant with Favour in my final year yet made a high 2:1. I was pregnant with Elect when I did my PGD in Management and had a 4.21 GPA. I had Arise and Praise during my MSc in Project Management and was prepared for a PhD, but Destiny showed up and so I took a break in my studies. I still look forward to it if God allows it, and if not, Destiny will do it because he stuck out his head. This was not about “being a bright star in the sky”, it was absolutely God’s grace at work.

166 27

Blood donation

ne sister in the fellowship was bleeding in her late pregnancy Oand was to undergo a caesarean section to save the baby. They required two units of blood. The family could not donate because of their low Hb level, and they did not have the money to pay for the units of blood. The situation was shared at the bible study. Brethren were asked to help. My blood group is O+ which means I could donate to anybody, moreover I was one of few women blessed with a high haemoglobin level like men. I encouraged the brethren to donate. Four of us went, and they could only take from me and one other brother. I went from work to the hospital and donated the blood. I left immediately to get back to my workplace. I climbed to my office on the second floor, halfway through, I felt pins and needles in my head and experienced dizziness. I sat on the stairs and put my head down to recover. I sat there for a while and finally managed to get into the office. The trouble was that I did not wait to stabilise in the hospital, and the force of gravity affected me while climbing up the stairs. I was well after that. A few weeks after that, I went to the market to buy ingredients for a cake. My Pastor had been transferred, the family was moving to the Republic of Benin, so the children asked for one of my cakes. Unexpectedly, a lady with a baby stopped me to asked why a child would die in an hour’s time. That was strange, I did not know her and to stop me among thousands of people streaming his glory goes with us through the open market was odd. I asked her if she knew me; she affirmed that I am a nurse. Then I asked how she knew me, she mentioned the church. There was no way I would know everybody. I then asked her what the matter was; she explained that her child had been sick for a while, suffering from anaemia. The doctors reported that he would die in an hour’s time. She had left the hospital to get pap for the little one she was carrying at the back. Pap is plain custard prepared in the traditional way. That was an outright carbohydrate. I queried about her husband; she explained that he had gone with his brothers to donate blood but was told they did not have a high enough level, and so were rejected. She also mentioned that the doctor wanted fresh blood, as that was the only thing that could save the child. At this moment, I knew there was no time to waste. I told her to run back to the hospital and tell the doctor to come straight to the Federal Medical Centre. I ran out of the market, stopped a taxi and told the driver to go straight to the hospital, I would pay for all the empty seats. The taxi driver was moved by my story and raced to the hospital but did not charge me a dime. I went to the blood bank and told them why I came. They refused to take blood, arguing that I had donated 2 units of blood not long ago, so from a health-wise perspective, they should not. I walked straight to their manager and told her that this child was dying. They put me on the table, took my haemoglobin, and she told them I was very well. As they were taking the needle out, the doctor landed, taking the blood and speeding off. Praise God, all the running was not in vain! I left the blood bank and returned to the market, then I got the things I needed for the cake because the family was leaving the next morning. I went back to my house and started on the cake.

168 bloodbblood do

The children travelling the next day were dropped off at my house; they wanted to spend the evening with me to eat any extras from the cake, which I welcomed. They were so dear to me and I was going to miss them. I was chatting with the girl and unknown to me, the boy wandered away from the house. I looked around the flat, went downstairs and could not see him. Adrenaline took over my system. I went upstairs to get his sister and forgot I had a cake in the oven. I asked people on the street and they told me they saw a young boy walking down the road. We ran off asking as we went. When we got to the river, I did not know what to do. I asked people washing clothes there, and they told me they saw a young boy all alone. Goosebumps were all over me and my head cramped. Remember, I had donated blood barely an hour and a half ago. I cried out. “My Lord,” I was covered in tears. “The family is travelling in the morning and the boy they left with me is gone,”. I cried out to Elohim and slumped down. Suddenly, his sister shouted, “Look at him,” I got up and hugged him, shaking. I was shaking so terribly that walking was difficult. Apparently, their older brother was dropped off at a friend’s house and the boy wanted to stay with him but was brought to me. The boy was intelligent, noted the route and left for the place he wanted to be. The main issue behind this incident was that kidnapping was rampant at that time and months later, the hotel next to the house I was living in was found to be the place the kingpins lived in. Human parts were found in their freezers and fridges. What if they had seen this innocent boy? He would have been gone.

169 his glory goes with us

When we got to my flat, the smell of the cake was all over the place. What! I had left the oven on while I went looking for the young boy. However, the cake was not burnt and there was no fire. What an amazing, miracle-working Father, Elohim of all the universe. The driver came to pick them up later in the day. What a day, one of the most eventful days in my life. As soon as they left, I went straight on my knees to thank God. Then I remembered the child I donated blood to, who knows what had happened. Well, I had done my bit, Elohim would do the rest. He is the river of life. I went to work the next morning, and the doctor walked into the office to thank me. He worked in our hospital and did his private practice in the evening. He told the story to everyone, even in the clinics and wards. Because I worked in the Nursing Directorate, I was known by name and face by the nurses. Moreover, I trained in that hospital and known by almost everyone. People were thanking me, which was a bit embarrassing. The doctor always stopped to hug me each time he saw me. To God be the glory, the child recovered and went home. This was in 1995, before I got married. I give God praise again and again. 6 years later a lady came to our house with an 8year old boy and a big plantain. I asked, and she told me that this was the boy I donated blood to. He was now eight. She went to the church to ask about me and they gave her our address. The plantain was huge. Praise God. In 1998, when Favour, our first child, was due, my first sign the baby was coming was meconium, which means she was distressed. The obstetrician delayed her delivery until the evening, by which time, her heart rate was going through the roof. The surgeon took me straight to the theatre. I was tired. There was no time for preparation. I was taken to the table and given gas and within 25 minutes I was awake, hearing my husband asking them to adjust the stretcher.

170 bloodbblood do

I was taken back to the room. There had been no need to ask for blood during the caesarean section. I had lost a normal amount of blood from the placenta and that was it. I had all 5 children through caesarean section, had no blood transfusions, neither did I lose any blood. The Lord told me that when He needed blood; I donated to Him so when I needed blood; he donated to me. What an awesome transaction. I asked like in Matthew 25:37-40: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we there a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Let us not be weary in well doing as Galatians 6:9 says. Even at Destiny’s time of birth, the preparation was more than required with so many units in the theatre, because they assumed I would bleed profusely since it was the 5th caesarean. Our Elohim is a covenant keeping God. A specialist obstetrician who was a Professor along with his team came not just to do the operation but to take pictures of the womb since it was regarded as a rare case. I gave my consent to that. As a nurse, I believe that anything that will help in a study to save humanity is fine with me. I also knew in my heart that they would get the shock of their lives that morning. The maker and giver of blood had assured me I would not bleed. It happened that way. They cut through in readiness for bleeding, but none happened. He exclaimed in surprise that the womb looked like that of a first timer. There was no scar in the womb. Well, my abdomen had

171 his glory goes with us all the highways and train lines as evidence that I had 4 previous Caesarean sections. The highlight was during Favour’s birth. In that 25 minutes, I had an experience every Christian should know. I was not given the entire dosage of anaesthesia because I was stressed with breathlessness and wheezing. I went off under the influence of the anaesthetic and saw myself at a huge, beautiful gate. It was indescribable. I had never seen such flowers before. It was neither sunny nor cloudy, but a serene weather. I stooped down to look in and a hand touched me and took me into one of those mansions. Tall buildings arrayed on the streets. I could not stand, so I squatted and A Person I cannot describe asked me to look around. I did, and he told me it was all mine. “All mine?” I asked. I still could not stand the glory as it was too much. As I was trying to think through that ‘this is mine’, He asked me to get up, that it was time to go back. I was startled and questioned where He was referencing, and He said to your husband and child. I responded, “I have no husband and no child; I cannot go back.” He said to me I just had a baby, and they were waiting for me. While I hesitated, He touched my back, and I was lifted, and started hearing my husband and the nurses thanking God for saving us. Favour had true knot round her neck and would not have made it with a normal delivery. The vision was heavy. Tears were in my eyes and they thought I was in pain; it was not pain, but the trance. First-hand, I knew that there is nothing like marriage or family in Heaven, the words of our Lord Yeshua are true in:

172 bloodbblood do

Matthew 22:30-32 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. I just had a promised baby, my first child. For people who make excuses with children, just know that it is an earthly thing; it will not cross over to eternity. For those who cry that they are not yet married and are worried, please do not bother, it ends here on earth. For those who will cling to family, children, wife, husband, relatives and deny Jesus, this is a wake-up call, it will end here on earth as Matthew 10:37 says. Heaven is real. I kept this revelation until the day Favour was dedicated and my husband heard it for the first time. It was too much for me to utter or share. This revelation is one of the things that has shaped my life till today, as many ask how I managed with the children, church, and professional work all at the same time. Jesus comes first, and the others line up after. My children must make heaven, so they are part of our ministry life.

173 28

In career

e is a present help in time of need and beautiful for all Hsituations. When we align ourselves in Him, all things work for our good. He is a good God. After my Nursing and Midwifery, I went back to do (BSc) Health Education as I wanted to go become a lecturer. When I got my first stable job at the Government Hospital, I was posted to the Paediatrics surgical ward. I loved the kids. Many of them had broken bones and stayed a lot longer than the other children. Many of my colleagues were young mothers. The common problems in our ward were childcare issues and ill health. I was not married then. My time was divided between work, evangelism, and Church. I did most of their shifts to allow my co-workers time to take care of their children. My chief nurse then was a born- again Christian, and she was fond of me. That also gave me an opportunity to spend more time with the children in the ward. As a Christian state, we had the liberty to pray for our patients. So, in the evening after the children had rested. I would share some bible stories with them, sing with them, and we bonded. They looked forward to when I was on duty. Their parents often brought them out with their crutches into the long corridor to welcome me. I taught them songs in French, English, and Spanish. On one occasion I was surprised, they were all standing while singing one of our favourite songs. I saw them from the car park and started dancing as I was coming. People were looking at me, iniin car wondering what was wrong with this young nurse? I kept dancing, and they looked round and saw the choir singing; they were more moved. Today, I would have found myself posted on YouTube by a spectator. When I got closer to them, I would throw the sweets in my pocket and they would catch them. The news went round the hospital and patients came out to watch. They healed fast, but the sad aspect was when they were discharged, they would cry to stay back. I supplied them with chocolates, sweets, and biscuits, along with all the rhymes and spread of joy. We also decorated our ward. I bought all the crayons and pencils and did the cutting and lamination for the walls. What did that earn me? I was called up to the Nursing Directorate to work in the office and that was how my bedside nursing lasted only for 6 months. The only time I worked by the bedside was during my adaptation and 2 years in theatre recovery. I worked as a Corporate Nurse throughout my career. At the Nursing Directorate I became the Education and Research Committee Secretary for 7 years until I left for the UK. The administration work caught my interest, and I went back to do a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and a Master of Science in Project Management. That shift led me to my passion in Improvement Projects. Another positive impact in my life was being sent to an HIV workshop organised by the Global Fund. The workshop was on data and analytics. As the Education and Research committee secretary, I was sent to Lagos. The air fare, hotel accommodation and catering were paid for. They gave out a large pay-out at the end of the workshop. Everybody was scared to work in that clinic. Well, I am sealed with the blood of Yeshua Hamashiach, so I opted to go. We started the clinic early because there was usually a vast

175 his glory goes with us crowd of patients. Yes, data collection and analysis were the job description. But there was more to it, as I came to realise. We usually sang, ministered, and prayed with them. A good number were giving their lives to God. Amen. We started seeing an increasing number of patients and wondered why. The story of the prayers went out there. Those days HIV was a big stigma. People were left to die and blamed for their promiscuity. Many got it at childbirth in quack places, or through tooth extraction, sharing hygiene tools. We gave them hope in Jesus, and they accepted Him. We laid hands on them. God started the miracle. Their viral count was going down with each visit. Some went back to work, it was an outstanding miracle and almost all gave their lives to the Lord.

176 29

In barrenness

nother reward of the faithful is the five children God Amiraculously blessed us with. I had an operation at the age of 6 that kept me in hospital for months, requiring a blood transfusion. All I could remember was the doctor asking me to recite my ABC, and I was held up on stirrups for months. Traders from the northern parts of Nigeria often came into Aba General Hospital in those days to donate blood and give gifts. The stirrups were to lift me up in the toilet and to swing me around so I would not be bored. During my teenage years, my Dad did his best to get the notes to check up on my health, but back then all notes went to Enugu, capital of the then East Central state. The gynaecologist who looked after me would not say much when I came for a check-up. At 21 years old, check-ups stopped. I believed God for my life. The shock now came when my husband came for an introduction to seek my parent’s consent in marriage. My dad told my husband- to-be that as a titled man and a person of integrity, he needed to let him know that his daughter had an operation at the age of six and she was unlikely to conceive. He did not want a situation where, if I could not conceive, it would seem the family had deceived my husband-to-be. Calmly, my husband said to him: “I came to do the will of God, which is to marry your daughter as my wife. I did not come to marry children. If God blesses us his glory goes with us with children, we would be grateful, and if none were forthcoming, that would be no problem at all.” Wow, I could not have imagined my parents could do this. They had not told me all this time that I may not have a child. All I knew is that my dad had been protective. I thought it was just for being his favourite child. Sometimes, he would call me and tell me he would do everything he could to make sure I was comfortable. In those days, most Nigerian men in America wanted to marry a Nurse. That did not move me. My dad would take me there, so why would I marry just to go to America? All of this happened because women were being ridiculed in our culture if they did not have children. My father did not want me to be ridiculed. He had told me he wished I were a boy. I remembered his comments towards me, and now they made sense. The end of the story is that by the grace of God, I am a mother of 5 children: 3 girls and 2 boys who came in due season. My husband is the only son of an only son of an only son. In our culture, every man expects his wife to have as many sons as possible to ensure continuity of family heritage. However, that is not the reason I had two sons; mine are miracles, each have a story around them. Now for him to marry late as an only son and being told that this glimmering apple would not have children, was a challenging proposition in my culture. It meant the lineage would be closed with him. In our culture, no-one who is an only son would take this risk. God rewarded his submission to the divine will and raw faith. He honoured God in the face of trial and regarded Him as King of our lives. I am not sure who has been told that your life is finished with no future, I am telling you today that this scripture is still true: Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

178 iniin barrenn

Nothing is too hard for Him. Favour came prophetically when someone who heard our story came to mock us, and I told her that by the time she comes back I would have a child. This woman came to visit 2 weeks after I had Favour. Elect’s arrival was prophesied by 3 Pastors from the remote Riverine area that came for a Ministers’ conference. My husband was led to ask the first three men on the row to stay with us. He came back with these Pastors. Three of them sat on the two settees looking a bit overwhelmed, I served them food and took them in to have a bath and to rest. In the morning, the Lord told me to serve them myself and not to leave them to the house help. I cooked their breakfast myself, served their food on my finest dishes. I left work earlier in the afternoon to have enough time to cook their dinner and did so for the 3 days they were with us. The shoes they were wearing had ripped, their bags were a write-off. When I think of this today, I should have replaced their shoes, bags and even their clothing. I concentrated on treating them as kings, serving them my best dishes and cakes, and making them as comfortable as I could. It taught me a lesson to look well and leave no stone unturned. On the last day of the conference, they requested to pray for me. The Lord told them that Favour was our only child,the rest of the young people in the house were not ours. By the grace of God, we treated everyone in our house as ours. They prayed, told me I would have a son by that same time next year; they would come back to see the child. These Pastors, though in physical poverty, spiritually looked like angels. I could discern an excellent spirit in them. They prayed and left, and that was it. This reminds me of when the angels visited Sarah and prophesied that she would have a child.

179 his glory goes with us

By the next month I was pregnant. Remember, I was not supposed to have any children at all, so Favour was a miracle and we thanked God for her. We dedicated her back to the Lord and were not really fussy about having another child. At 3 months, my husband told me that the child was a boy, and his name would be Elect. The child turned out to be a boy. Months later, there was a knock at the gate and there came a man with a yam bigger than we had ever seen before. I was wondering who he was, and he told me he was one of the Pastors I hosted the previous year. The yam was a covenant token they planted; it turned out to be a giant yam, they too had seen nothing like it before. He carried it to our house by faith that a male child had been born. The yam was so large that all means of transport to our city and state was free. People were gathering to see this yam. Well, we did not eat the yam, we sowed it back to one of the senior ministers in our city. Arise came a year and eight months later. Praise a year and 8 months after Elohim’s miracles. By now, I had 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy, all by caesarean section. I was done with childbearing. My son Elect wanted a brother and told this to my mum. She told him it would not be sensible, as I needed to live to look after them. He told me. I smiled but, in my heart, I had called it a day with childbearing. When I realised I was pregnant with Destiny, I could not believe it. Everything we could do to keep him at bay was in place. Moreover, we were much older. I felt like Sarah and my husband felt like Abraham. We prayed earnestly that this will not be. Two months later I went to the General Practitioner, and the test showed positive. The doctor advised to abort the baby to keep me alive. I refused!

180 iniin barrenn

181 his glory goes with us

Upon our departure, the Lord reminded me that Destiny was the child that broke the only son syndrome in my husband’s lineage. He was still too small for the scan to detect the gender, but the Lord revealed it to me. My eyes opened, then I stopped crying and knew that the Lord would be there with me. I then considered our state: we had just moved, my salary was small, how would we take care of additional mouth? The Lord again reassured us He would care for Destiny. He had already lined up gifts of what Destiny needed. He had his diapers sent from the USA. God is amazing. Destiny came as a seal of our covenant with Elohim and as a special gift. Elohim surely rewards. At every stage of life, from a young age and throughout life. He has promised that He will be with us all the way to the end. Matthew 28:20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

182 30

Lost Passport

lost my passport a week after my husband and I arrived in the I UK for a holiday. Travelling back to Nigeria will be a nightmare. We reported the loss to the police, they told us to keep checking in case anyone would hand it in. God had a plan. During this period, my husband left for the United States. I ministered in churches and saw one of the biggest? Surprises of my life. It was a 3-day revival service, it went well until the last day. Being a Sunday, more people were in attendance, which was not a surprise. Some people may not come to midweek service but will come on Sunday to show up and dance. Towards the end of the service, a large company joined. I looked at the Pastor and asked who they were. They came at the end of the service! He just smiled. We shared the Grace and left. At the car park, a huge market had just started. These people came at the end of the church service to do a car boot sale. They were selling all sorts, from food to household products. I was shocked. I felt like doing what Yeshua did in John chapter 2 and chase them out of the house of the Lord. Can you imagine this? I called the Pastor to tell him the implications and asked him to stop them from doing such. The Lord revealed the 7/7 terror attacks, and I shared this with the church. On July 7, 2005, I was to go to the library to do research for my MSc dissertation. I was told to go earlier at 7am but stayed in bed till 8am. I got up and wondered why I overslept. My phone his glory goes with us rang, it was a sister enquiring if I had gone to the library. God knew I would have been in one of the trains that were bombed. The Lord delivered me. Praise God. I got a place for adaptation to get registered in the United Kingdom. Thanks to Sister Vicky who facilitated that. I attended for two weeks and was given a letter to go back to get a work permit. The letter was on a photocopied letterhead, so I assumed it would not be honoured. I had stayed 2 months, and it was time to go. I went back to the police to check and nothing had been turned in. There was a young man behind us the day we lost the passport. I remembered his face clearly. I kept going to the park to check if I would see him. This faithful day I saw him and asked him if he saw a passport, and he looked at me with a shrug and said, “No”. However, there was peace in my heart that I would find the passport. The next day I went to the High Commission to ask. The lady gave me a hard look and remarked rudely, “How did you think a passport would be returned?” Although people turn them in, they are usually the passports of people who absconded. I sat down to wait and while seated, a voice said loudly, “What are you doing here? You cannot find that passport, I have stolen it.” I turned and rebuked the voice. A man opened a window and looked at me. Later, the lady called me in and asked me my name. She said,

184 lostllost pas

“It looked like that passport came in yesterday. The name sounds familiar.” She looked through the passports and found mine. I raised my hands to the Lord and thanked God. She asked why I was so overjoyed; I told her I had been trapped because of losing the passport with a two-year multiple-entry visa. She knelt and asked me to pray for her. She said that if passports like yours are found; they are never returned. People use them to get into the country in acts of identity theft. The Lord hid it from her and others.

185 31

High Commission

returned to Nigeria and did not apply for a work permit I immediately, as I thought the letter given to me was on a photocopied letterhead and would not be honoured. My husband asked me to apply, anyway. I did, and a week later I was invited for an interview. The lady was in booth 5 and was calling people to booth 3. She was cancelling people’s visas because they did not get to her on time, but it was her fault. It came to my turn, and she called me to booth 3. Another lady walked past, waving at me to hold on. She then went to the lady and asked her why she had called me to booth 3, while she was in booth 5. I call that lady an ‘angel’. She called out my name with an apology and asked me to come to booth 5. She apologised and asked me to give her my credentials. The lady was shocked with my testimonial as a MSc in Project Management and a nurse at the same time. She asked why I diverted to project management. I told her I would move into healthcare projects, to make improvements to how we do things. Once again, she apologised for calling me to the wrong booth. I mean, I was fine and took no offence with that. She asked why I delayed my application as she could see it was dated August, and by now, it was the end of September. I told her I hesitated because the letter, although stamped, was written on a photocopied letterhead. She told me it was possible to go to the UK with my family. I explained that it was not on the agenda, or so I thought. highhhigh commi

“Thank you, your houses are small and expensive, the rooms small, and at the moment I can’t afford to look after the family.” Anyway, she said, “I will give you a visa to take your family along, just wait outside.” She took my passport, and I went outside to wait. Within 5 minutes she was back with my passport and she smiled at me. I thanked her and opened my passport. I had a visa with the name of my husband and children all on the same page. The staff were asking me who I was; they had never seen such a thing happen since they had been working there. Well, God’s favour goes with us. Another drama took place when I arrived at Heathrow Airport. The entry clearance officer checked my visa and took me aside. She asked who gave it to me. That was strange, of course it came from the High Commission. She took me to the bosses, who started an investigation. People in the queue watched. The problem turned out to be that the names of my family members were on the same visa page. They finally let me in and wrote on my passport ‘holder only’. Immediately, by faith, I said, “For your eyes only.” The story behind this was that some fraudsters were selling British visas in a Lagos market. The old visa print had been discontinued and a new, secured one introduced. My visa was among the first to be issued. If I had gone earlier for the visa in August, I would have been turned away, without even asking. All things work together for good. The delay in going for the visa was all orchestrated by Elohim. I pray we see Elohim in all we do, even when we think it has not worked out. May we see His divine leading, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

187 his glory goes with us

Our God will always reward us in due season. As we sincerely serve Him and not for any reward, He sees and will surely bless us. I remembered some instances where He came to my aid in miraculous ways and I wondered at such visitations, only to remind me He is rewarding me on some specific things I did in his name. In blood donation, career and some other things mentioned in this section to name but a few, Elohim showed Himself strong. Hebrew 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

188 AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE

Mark 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 32

And the two shall be one

arriage was not on top of my list, but actually at the base of Mthe priority scale. I was busy enjoying myself as a young Christian with many things happening all at the same time. Going through “what has been written”, I thought that Elohim would leave me single. The married sisters had a lot of stories I was not interested in. It was all about ‘my husband, my husband’ and showing off their growing tummies, which meant little to me. I was truly busy. Most prayer requests and their dreams were about palm fruits that fell down for them and they opened their eyes and heard the name of one brother, was the sort of stories they told when they got together. Do not get me wrong, it may be true, but I laughed at such tales and preoccupation with marriage. I avoided their company as I was tired of who got engaged and who was disappointed and prayers that brother A or B will propose. It sounded like ‘cock and bull,’ My firm belief was rooted in the scripture that God is not unrighteous about rewarding the faithful. If we labour in His vineyard, He will labour in ours. He will give us all that pertains to life and godliness, so why go on about the issue of marriage as if he does not care. In any case, it does not end in marriage. Paul did not marry and admonished in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 that they that are married should behave as those that are not. God, who created us, has a divine plan and will. We have been taught andaandaandaand taanaand how to know God’s will in marriage, so we should rest assured that our Adam will find his missing rib in due time. God is the best match maker and knows which rib cage we are missing from. So, all the fever and fancy food were too much for me. Amidst all these stories, I asked the Lord for a simple thing. Keep me out of this misery the sisters are going through until it is time. He assured me it was a done deal and so was it. Elohim be praised. It was not by power, might or work of righteousness, it was simply a case of ask and you shall receive. All brothers were the same to me, I could talk, laugh, accept their help with no inclination. The power of a righteous prayer avails much. How many of us have asked God to keep them? 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication He keeps, if you ask. At 24 years, most of the sisters were married, but I was busy with missions, then at weddings people would ask when it would be my turn. My answer was: Philippians 2:3 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. My Pastor’s wife called me when I was 26 years and asked if there was any brother I was led to. I told her, frankly, that there was none and absolutely none. Sometimes when I remembered that, I laughed. “Which brother?”. Oh dear, it was not as if I were looking down on them. No, the covenant I made with the Lord was that I would not respond to any man apart from the one he made for me. So, having no feeling for anyone meant they were not the one. How can I put fire in my bosom, and it will not burn me? I was enjoying a privilege and divine coverage. Hallelujah. I want to talk to all Pastors that hype marriage out of what God designed it to be. He created all of us and knows those that will marry and those that will not. Some messages from the pulpit

191 his glory goes with us makes one think marriage is everything and if somebody is not married, something is wrong. They talked about it as if marriage is heaven. No wonder many remain fervent until they get married and lukewarmness sets in with all sorts of excuses. They make the single sisters feel rejected, excluded, and most of them lose their self-esteem or go out of faith to get married. When talking about your sweeties and honeys, be sensitive and remember they are unmarried. Include them in your Mothers’ Day Services, do not exclude them, pray with them, encourage them, and find out how they are. When you give testimonies of how your husband looked after you, be sensitive, there are those who have no one to look after them. We do not want them crying and wetting their pillows with tears. Be careful when using the word ‘married’ and ‘single’ so often, especially with the older mature sisters. Let us look after each other, invite them to your homes. Make them the aunties and uncles of your children, give them self-worth, allow their gifts and calling to flourish in the church, get them involved. Do not discriminate against them because they are brothers and sisters in the Lord. Do not also rush them into trouble through your preaching and prayer as if marriage is ultimate, especially when you constantly tell them ‘a brother is on his way’. It may be true, but what if there is no brother coming? Giving them false hope and turning every prayer of theirs into marriage expectations is not healthy. Satan can cash in on this as all kinds of thoughts can come into their minds. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may bear it.

192 andaandaandaand taanaand

Do not match them, because you are not God. Anybody who marries out of sentiment or pressure will surely crash. To the single, who worship Elohim in Spirit and in truth, remember you are in the hollow of His palm. He knows your name. There is an appointed time. He does not count as we do. Sarah and Abraham defied time and age, and so you are for a sign and wonder. Let Elohim’s will be done in your life. He loves you more than the Pastor or Overseer does, so there should be no pressure at all. If God so desires that you remain married to Him, so be it. If He desires you to have spiritual children, you will be a Mother in Israel. Get on with His business and He will perfect that which concerns you. I have seen brethren that hurried into marriage and realised they have made their life’s mistakes and are in literal hell today. Some have separated, some are patching up life and the children are emotionally and psychologically broken. My beloved unmarried brethren, wait on the Lord and rejoice in His goodness while you still have your liberty before being tied up. Honestly, some people will be better off on their own, so to say, but in a living, loving church where fellowship is real, no one feels alone. We are a large family. Every state of life has its pros and cons. There was nothing like being lonely. The Holy Spirit was ever present, keeping me company, directing in all things, showing me all things. He was my peace all the way and gave me directions on all things. As a single person, it was easy to pack my bags for a mission, with no hindrance. I gave out all I could, most times with no constraint. By His Grace, I visited brethren house to house, helping with washing, health advice and had no husband to wait on until he agreed with what I am saying, if you understand what I mean.

193 his glory goes with us

Come to think of it, there is a level of service that can only be achieved in the state of singlehood. Many do not want to pay this price but want to eat their cake and have it back, and this has caused many problems in Christian homes. They want to be like Paul, reach out to the whole world, but in a married state. What happens to the wife and children? Many ministers have reached out to the world but lost their children. Are missions not for married people? That is not what I mean, we are missionaries and doing our best, but at the maximum married people can do. There will be a limit of what you can do until the family is mature enough, then you move out. So, brothers and sisters who are not married fill in this gap and get the crown. Do not stay lukewarm and let the married overtake you in this area, it ought not to be so. Everything on earth is temporal and will vanish away one day, get yourself in Christ Jesus and run with mastery. While still enjoying my liberty in Christ, the Lord did a great work in me, through the scriptures and being taught that the will of God is best. I had come a long way with the Lord and would not compromise, unless I wanted to hurt myself. I remember telling my dad that I will only marry God’s will for me, if at all that was what God wanted me to do. He told me he has sacrificed me; I can do whatever. He had done his best to keep me away from ‘this church people who didn’t go to school’ and didn’t succeed. I could do whatever I wanted as he had made up his mind to let go. I laughed, but I had sent the message, God’s will for my life! Whether blind or maimed as long as he is God’s will. In 1995 I was praying as usual. I heard the Lord tell me it was time. “Okay Lord, your will be done. I am grateful for your keeping, for all the testimonies you gave me, protecting me from the deception and torment of Satan,”.

194 andaandaandaand taanaand

I spent the following days in grateful praise to Him. I did not go through any heartache or disappointment. There were no inordinate affections because He kept me chaste for Himself. Another week later, the Lord told me it was time. I answered, “Yes Lord, Your will be done,” I realised that although I had said, “Your will be done”, something in me was going to resist. Knowing this shocked me. I never knew I would resist anything of the Lord, not at this stage, since I had known Him so intimately. I went to Him in prayer to deal with this. The more I prayed, the more I knew that it was more deeply rooted. I do not know how I could say no to God’s will, it was unthinkable. I prayed these prayers: Psalm 51:17 A broken and a contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting It took quite some time to pray sincerely and purge. How many of us are sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit? He did not shout at me to tell me; he did not even tell me I would resist; we had been close friends, I know when things are not right. I broke through in prayers, peace came on me. I was so grateful that my peace had returned, and I knew I was ready for the news. Now who is this? I switched on to carnal mode and started going through the brothers I thought would be suitable. My analytical mind discarded all of them. The Lord asked me what I was doing,

195 his glory goes with us

“Who gave you the audacity to run through my sons whom I created, saved by my blood, and you have relegated them as being unqualified to marry you?” I fell on my knees in tears and cried for forgiveness. It meant I did not break through in prayers as I thought. Actually, I was not looking down on them. I was honestly looking at my personality and pitying the brethren, wondering if they could put up with it. “So, my Lord, you know my heart, I am just wondering about these poor, humble brothers and who knows which one I will descend upon,” I was forgiven because He knew my heart. No thought is hidden from Him. Well, it was none of those brethren. There were lessons to learn from that. Never go with the carnal eyes, you will see nothing; never sit in judgement over brethren, it is not given to you. If you switch on carnal mode, you switch off spiritual mode. A month had passed, yet we had not hit the nail on the head. What a patient Father, His mercy endures forever. His long- suffering is eternal. He bore with me, was patient with me, and if I could be this way, not realising it then, I should be patient with my brethren. Do not give up on brethren, even when they do not seem to see. God bore with my blindness and waited patiently until I came through. Now for those of you who know me, you can understand why I bear with brethren, believing that they will come through. The breaking news was ‘George Akalonu’. What! Oh no, not him, what? Please Lord, another person, please not him. The fight and tears began. No, not him. Why didn’t I line him up together with other brothers? Why did I miss him? Well, I had no right to do that. God shielded him, telling me I could only see as much as my eyes can go. Prayers of binding and loosing followed, I could not even give the divine leading a chance to settle in. I went ahead

196 andaandaandaand taanaand on fruitless prayers and wasted time because it was about me, and not the Lord. So why the ‘NO’ in capital letters? My reasons: he is tall and slim. I did not want anyone hovering over me I did not really know much about him. These two were flaky. The real reason was I knew him. He was a friend to an older friend of mine who loved me so much. She had once picked me up from school to his flat. He was sitting with friends at the balcony reading a large newspaper and did not see me. My friend took me took me back after the meal. He took no notice of me and stayed with his friends at the balcony until I left, so he did not really know me. I went to minister to my friend at work and she told me that George was now born again. He was not just born again, but one of the deep ones and she had moved on. She actually had some toiletries for me, from the new guy in the US that she was dating. I was so happy with the news that George was born again. Wow, that man who was so well known! I tried to preach and begged her to give her life to Jesus, but she declined. I left her and kept praying. That was in 1989. In 1990, I saw George in the church. Wow, it is true, praise God. This is real born-again. The church was a strong holiness, Bible- believing church and was in those days well known for that. Being in that church meant you were serious. I said nothing to him, knowing he did not know who I was. Over the years, I had always liked him, as everybody in the church did. He was very principled, one of our best preachers and known for his large heart in helping brethren. He paid school fees for those who were indigent. He converted his house to a brothers’ hostel, as said these days, for those in need. It was a large church and our paths did not cross, I kept off. Even when I became a leader in one of the church arms and we

197 his glory goes with us attended the leadership meeting together, he still did not know that I knew him and that he had a relationship with my senior friend when he was in the world. In any case, I play no second fiddle, not after I have kept myself. Carnality and pride can blind us even as children of God. I forgot that if any man is in Christ, old things have passed away. Where is my new state in Christ Jesus? If I am still seeing him as of old, it means I am still of old. Both of us were best man and chief bridesmaid to a friend of ours, and I confided in her. She was a very discrete lady and the only person I told I knew George. With good intentions, as she and her husband had prayed privately that we would marry each other, she told him. The following Saturday, after meeting, the Senior Pastor met me downstairs with George to have a word with me. I thought maybe they wanted me to do something, but it was a different story. Brother George wanted to explain to me what happened between him and his former friend in front of the leaders in case I had another version of the story. I felt like the ground should open and swallow me. I do not engage in gossip or taletelling. I had no intimate friend and had kept myself. Agreeing to be the sister’s chief bridesmaid was for who she was. The only one time I opened my mouth even to the best had become a public issue. Tears of disappointment flooded my eyes. Cutting a long story short, he told me how she moved into his house after her house was affected by road expansion. She had nowhere to go, so he let her in and then decided to marry her since she had moved in. He proposed to her, and she refused, and he went to her father, and her father told him not to bother if she had refused. He was so relieved because he was not marrying her because he loved her, but by the principle that the only woman to live with him is the one he would marry, and since she had moved in, he would

198 andaandaandaand taanaand keep his vow. So, her saying no was a surprise because she was really after him. Later he knew God had a plan for him and did not allow him to make a grave mistake out of sentiment. After moving out she went onto a relationship with two of his friends and later, others and he was grateful God delivered him. I told them I was not aware of this story; the lady is much older than me. I was really loved by the staff nurses as a student and enjoyed their pampering. She told me she had left him, and he is now born again. I know she had moved on with other men and that was it. No detail, we were not the same age. I felt let down by the sister. They would think I had told everybody in the church. It was also a shock to him to know that I knew him that much. He had also admired the grace of God in me and had a soft spot for me, so thought that I deserved to know the truth out of respect. I did not talk to my friend, so I kept away. We had worked closely together, but the incidence was a blow on me. She got to know and felt sorry as she thought Brother George could have kept it to himself. She thought that telling him would get us closer, but it took me further away. No worries, I would have nothing to do with him in life, so I moved on, but more cautious about whom to tell or talk to again. This was the person God wanted me to marry. Did I hear well? I went on binding and losing any flesh that I was not aware of, pleading with the Lord. At the end of four months of prayer, it was still him. I continued with the prayers that this cup would pass over me. I was not fussy about marriage or had yearned for it, so why this? I reminded the Lord about what the bible says of reasoning with him. I was concerned with what people would say. He was well known, and my senior friend prided herself on their relationship. I could not afford to be seen as an unfaithful friend. It would be a big scandal. I am born again and have come a long

199 his glory goes with us way. Please, Lord, let this humiliation pass over me. It was still him, no shift. I stopped the agony. After all, he had not come or proposed. I decided I would literally shout “No” if he ever proposes. Six months into these conversations with the Lord, He told me clearly that He had waited too long for me. The Lord asked me if I would ruin all the testimonies and my walk with Him, just because of marriage? The Lord told me I was free to go and do what I liked, and He would leave me alone. He reminded me He created me, watched over me, redeemed me, and had kept me. All my Christian life, I had always obeyed and allowed Him to bring me this far, but now I was free to do my will. Immediately, I felt a hollowness, emptied as if I would collapse, I knew the Lord had left. I slumped and wept throughout that evening, asking the Lord to receive and accept me again. I really do not know how people could not notice when the Holy Spirit leaves them. Life is empty, it is like death. How easy it is to drift into sin, feeling self-righteous, how easy it is to talk about excuses of Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Jonah, when we can fall into it swiftly. I could not believe I was in this argument for 6 months and the Lord was still merciful. I surrendered. As soon as I surrendered to God, in obedience, He then started talking to me. I would have heard Him if I had not wasted so much time. The Lord told me it shall be well. George will love me, he will take good care of me, he will be tolerant, and it will be iron sharpening iron. Most importantly I will make it to heaven with him. He declares the word of God boldly and extremely passionate in his messages. The goodness outweighed all I was clutching at and it was the Lord’s will. I had another big question; I didn’t really love him, and how could I marry someone that did not cross my mind, not to talk of

200 andaandaandaand taanaand loving him? The Lord told me it was because I had not accepted his will for me. The next morning, I woke up at about 4am with untold joy, I tried to pray; joy was overwhelming. I tried to sing, but the joy continued until 6am. The room was filled with sparkling stars; I tried to wipe my eyes and look again, put on the light, yet stars. Then at 6.30am I heard the voice, “I have given you love for him.” And that was it. It was an unforgettable encounter. I had a journal where I wrote all of this down,hopefully it is among our things that remained in Nigeria. A lot of the young ladies we mentored read the journal. As I was going to work that morning, I found myself looking out on the road to see if I could see him, which sounded crazy. From the holiness sister, to one who wants to see a man. Who would believe this? I would see him on Saturday, okay! This was me in the same shoe as other sisters I did not want to look like. Now Lord, help me. I had always been proud of my dignity, but I was a mess now. On Saturday I caught a glimpse, but kept to myself , no one knew what was going on with me. I had known; I had known. So, I will wait until he comes. That settled it. God is amazing, every step and stage is ordained by Him. Even what looks hopeless is orchestrated by Him. The next Saturday I was told by the marriage committee that a brother wanted to propose to me. I was so grateful to the Lord for His special love for me. I was not in doubt and knew who it turned out to be, a brother that helped to give us a lift after church. We related like brother and sister, but how can he propose? I had known the will of God, so knew it wasn’t him. I prayed and nicely told him he was not the person I was to marry. The second person came, this one nearly put me in trouble, but all the same it was not him. The third person came, and I told him

201 his glory goes with us no. He insisted, and said if he did not marry me, he would not marry again. He has 4 children today. The fourth person broke my heart, I so much admired this brother. He was a gentle soul; I did not want him disappointed in anything. But he was not the one. The fifth person came, no, not him. I asked myself what was going on? Where had they been all this while and why the rapid succession? The sixth person came. The marriage committee was praying for me. I wondered if the Lord had not dealt with me. I would have gone. The confusion would have been much. I was told the 7th person was yet to speak to me. Guess who the 7th was? It was the one and only Brother George! But he came with holy swagger and drama! He walked up to me and said, “I know the Lord had told you that you are my wife, asking you to pray about it is to fulfil all righteousness,” I was stunned. He was right, the Lord had spoken to me, but this is not the way to drive it in. It took me some good six months to get through. I expected him to be on his knees, stretching out his hand, but he ‘arrogantly’ said what he just said. My girlish ego was bruised with this hard truth. He looked straight into my eyes and I saw deep tenderness and love that cut through my heart. That melted me away. The Lord will always be true. Those eyes were more than words. Deep love was all I could sense. When he looked at me, his eyes spoke a lot and a while later he said, please I want you to take a picture to show the day I proposed to you. Well, this was no proposal, I felt vulnerable, but went and took the picture. I still went to pray, but not as much this time. I knew that he was the one, but why the 6 people before him? I know he was waiting as the Lord told me, but why all those other brothers and he was the last on the queue? The Lord told me plainly to be careful of counterfeit. For every good thing to come, Satan would seek to present the counterfeit to see if you would

202 andaandaandaand taanaand take it and forfeit your actual blessing. He that believeth does not make haste. Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Another lesson is to ensure we keep a closer walk with Elohim so he will guide us in all things. Another gratitude is the way the church organised things in wisdom. Seven men all came at the same time to marry one sister. Imagine all proposing at the same time the sister would be confused and likely to make a mistake. The way it was organised was so nice knowing that what is predestined will happen. Another thing was that they were confident that I would not make a mistake and because they were praying vessels, they later told me they knew he was the one and yet gave the other brothers a chance to propose. After two weeks, it was time to speak to him, but what? I wanted to speak to him arrogantly too, but his looks again kept my words in my mouth. Deep tenderness again and I lost my words. He gently said, “I understand, we thank God for blessing us with each other; you are my reward and blessing from God”. He was the longest lasting bachelor at 39, loved and known by all. The church prayed that God would bless and reward his commitment and faithfulness. Here I was loved and cherished by all. The church praying that I will be blessed and then comes this announcement in the church that Brother George and Sister Grace are engaged to start courtship and marriage. The shout of Hallelujah and clapping of hands was over the roof. I bent where I was sitting so as not to be spotted; the sisters sitting on the same bench said to me

203 his glory goes with us

“Why not rejoice with them that are rejoicing, why bending, are you not happy for them?” They did not know I was the one. The jubilation continued even after being told from the microphone, people were still praising The Lord. “How do I go home after church?” I thought I will hide in the crowd and go away. To make the matter worse, we were called up. There was uproar everywhere. Some people tend to worry when good things don’t come their way at the same time as others. God’s appointed time is the best. We are created for different purposes, we may not take the same route to a particular destination. The world system had taught us a one-way system: primary school, secondary, high school, university, masters’ degree, job, marriage, have children, PHD, retirement, death. We have bought into this system as the norm, and any deviation even in the positive direction does not go down well with us. The Lord taught me the power of being a praise to Him. I received this message when I was in my mid- twenties. Almost everyone around my age was getting married, and yet I couldn’t even think of anyone to marry. I was busy in the mission field, fair enough, but the message was, ‘they were doing what is expected at that age so no big deal’. The Lord asked me if I want to be a ‘Hallelujah’ to Him. I didn’t understand at first until the day it was announced at the church that I was engaged to marry. The shouting and clapping were so overwhelming, as if the only sister in the church was getting engaged to a King. If I had married when others were in my mid-twenties, it would have meant nothing, I would have done what others did. Mine was delayed and everyone prayed and wondered why, being a lovely young lady. Some ladies would come to me and asked if

204 andaandaandaand taanaand brothers were blind to see. Well, God’s ways are past searching and far from man’s imaginations. When my engagement was announced, it became a “Hallelujah”. I remembered Abraham and Isaac, Hannah and Samuel, the Shunammite woman. Their delays brought a “Hallelujah” to Elohim. The Lord told me it was ‘1:1000’, this is the term used when diluting strong solutions and it made sense to me being a nurse. In ordinary terms, it is one in a thousand. It doesn’t come so easy, accompanying it are some waiting times, trials, testing, patience, perseverance and hope that things will work together for good. It will turn out to be the best. “Wow,” I said, “Is that what it means? If so, Lord, I want to be a Hallelujah to you.” It happened again when Favour was born, and again with most of the things you have read in this book, and many more yet to be written. My lifestyle now is ‘Lord, do what you want to do, I will wait, knowing something great is about to happen’. I pray we allow God’s dealing in our lives, it works out more beautifully. Some things we pass through are not to crush us, but to bring out God’s glory. May the fulfilment of your delays bring praises to Elohim, Amen. A week later, one brother who proposed to me walked up to me and said that the church played partiality. He accused the church that they kept me for Brother George, and it was all arranged He asked why should he be the one marry me? He was the one that would have put me in trouble. He was showing me kindness which I received and what knocked him off was the way he spoke to his driver rudely and I could not imagine that. The driver was an older brother in the church and deserved to be respected. He was doing other things, and I told myself to stay clear. All this was not for nothing.

205 his glory goes with us

The marriage journey had began. We needed to do an Introduction to our parents before we could start the courtship. My bottleneck was my Dad. How would he take the news? He thought I would marry someone he would not approve of, but he is got one beyond his expectation. My Dad was a disciplined, principled, purposeful man. He was getting more than that. I went to tell him I would be getting married. His first reaction was; “what is his name, who is he?”, and all the ‘W’s. I simply said George Akalonu. I exclaimed “George! George Akalonu”. He called my mother and just said, “I told you that this girl would break my heart. At the Government House today they were discussing a man named George Akalonu. He has achieved a lot, is popular, and well known, writes some position papers for the governors and has been walking along the corridor of power for years through every administration. Such a person should not be less than 55 years. Now my daughter, why will you marry an older man, maybe he lost his wife, and this church is giving you to him?” I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. Later, he asked me to say what I knew of him, and to be honest. I knew little apart from the basics: he was one of our best Branch Coordinators, kind- hearted, loves God. Yes, popular and in the corridor of power, but he does not look 55 years. No. My husband was 39 years then, but his slim frame did not reflect his age. He looked 35, and I was 29, which was not bad. I mentioned the Government House, my father got up from his seat, went downstairs straight to his car and drove off. Where was he going? He went to ask my uncle, my mother’s cousin who works in the Government House who is George Akalonu. My uncle now told him he was a young man, but very smart and intelligent. He had associated with the powers that be. I waited to

206 andaandaandaand taanaand see the end of all this. I told my husband that my father would be a constraint. He came back 2 hours later smiling. He called my mum and said “God has seen all I went through because of this church and has answered his prayers” His prayers, not mine! Immediately he changed and said that he had always known that I would make him proud. I did not expect that. My husband and I were praying and fasting, knowing the Lord would come through for us. He did. The Introduction was arranged as he could not wait to meet George. It was a great day, apart from the time he asked my mum to take us out and tell him I could not have a child. The answer my husband gave thrilled him and made the first impression and lasting impression until he died. The day Favour was born was like the only child on earth. I am so glad he saw Favour, Elect and the scan of our third child, Arise. Courtship began, we met weekly in the living room of the home of a senior minister. We did not know each other much, so there was a lot to discuss and plan. It was real business time for us. A time of openness, transparency if realy we would be what the Bible termed as ‘naked without being ashamed’. Everything about him, about me was laid out on the table; the under guarding principles of our family life were laid out, missions, ministry compassion, relatives, among others. Many go about courtship as ‘sweety and honey’ instead of discussing eternal things. Many remain strangers until after the wedding, only to realise they still don’t know each other. Some end up in sin, defiling themselves, some ‘eat their honey before they get to the moon’. Courtship is a delicate time, so prayers to remain holy should not be undermined. The only way to overcome

207 his glory goes with us this is to set healthy boundaries. Remember, in all we do, holiness should be our hallmark. Marriage is just one station on our journey to heaven. We should aim to get there. As born-again Christians, we do not date like the world; we are different and should not go the way of the world. Love is the bedrock of marriage and the feelings for each other are natural, it is like a spark of fire. If you put that spark in your bosom at courtship, it will burn you. Wait till the wedding. Don’t defile yourself before marriage. You will live with each other forever, so why steal what yours? Courtship is a time of telling each other poetic words. Those who are not poetic get into serious trouble. They will lack words and go for the likes of “the only sugar in my tea, the only icing on my cake and the butter on my bread” which is not enough. I married one with the power of words, so had an edge. Courtship is a time to exercise self-control, ask God for grace. No presumptions or you get stuck. The bible made it clear. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. It is sad that people are not taught the foundations of marriage in churches. Some newly wedded couples have no honey to eat during their honeymoon; they carry their jar empty because they ate their honey before the journey to the moon. The strong love and affection are real and if you go on honey and sweet, you will defile yourself. If you go on holidays and sleep together, there should be no veil or white gown, to be honest. If you are pregnant before marriage, it is a union of three and not two. The strong feeling for each other is not should not be overlooked. It is real, unless you are not in love. Those days, I wanted to see my fiancée every day, I stayed up late thinking of how to look after him. I wondered if he had eaten when I was eating, as if he had been hungry all his life. Well, I would not have

208 andaandaandaand taanaand met him alive. This is a grown independent man doing his own thing and suddenly here I come thinking I need to make sure he is okay. This feeling is good, but there is a time for everything under the sun. You have the rest of your life to look after each other, but not in courtship, you will be meddling with defilement. Keep yourself pure, avoid being on your own together in a lonely place, or engaging in undue visitations at night. You cannot be ‘more catholic than the Pope’, you will defile yourselves and lose your testimony. I had no clue my husband was battling with a firm decision that would determine if the wedding was going ahead or not. This decision was do what the Lord had created him for. To take the gospel through the media into nations. The equipping had been done, but we were in a denomination and he could not do much outside the norm. He loved me and wanted the marriage. At the same time, he needed to fulfil God’s calling, which required him to leave the denomination in order to serve the whole Body of Jesus. It was a challenge, but he had peace. I had been a missionary with a heart for lost souls. For me, it was let us go! Leaders of the denomination met me at work to persuade me to back out of the marriage. Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go. In practical terms, it meant we would not wed in our church and leave thereafter. Our initial wedding date was postponed because of this. Eventually, we had the body of Christ wed us on 30th of November 1996, with various leaders of the Body officiating. That wedding was a spectacular statement of our commitment to the Body and the Kingdom rather than a denomination. Right after, a massive door of ministry opened for us. What we heard from Elohim was right: many churches needed training. They had left the orthodox churches and needed help with teaching. We had been well taught and trained, but not allowed to mix up

209 his glory goes with us with other churches. We are members of one body and walls of denominations should not stop us from reaching out to others, especially in teaching them to observe all that Yeshua had taught. A lot of significant things happened. We wanted to reach out to those Pastors and congregations that had some reservations with women in ministry. It was about them, not me, so my husband had to be upfront while I backed him up in prayers. He prepared the messages; we went through them together. If he missed out anything, the Lord used me to fill in the blanks. In this way, I did not feel depreciated, having been on the pulpit for a long time and now without any for the first few years of marriage.The Ministers we met after our wedding do not know I am a teacher of the word. Reaching out to them was more important thing to me than title. During courtship, my husband told me his side of how he knew the will of God in marriage. At first, he thought it was a sister who came on Youth Service. The sister was so quiet, had some hardships and out of compassion he assumed he was to marry her mainly to help her. He received permission from the marriage committee to travel to Lagos to propose to her. When he got back two weeks later, the Sister said that after prayer; he was not the will of God for her. Normally, a man would feel devastated on a day like this. But in his case, he was grateful to God that He did not allow him to make a mistake and boarded a coach to return. The Lord told him that what he was looking for in a far land was right next to him. God told him that his missing rib was me. He remembered in 1990; the Lord had told him it was me, but he saw me as a young lady and pushed the thought away. Thank God he did that because I would have said no. When the Lord told him it was me, he was also told to keep still. Thank God he obeyed; I would have said no because the Lord had said nothing to me then. It took me six months, but he said he kept his cool as

210 andaandaandaand taanaand the Lord assured him He will reveal to me as well. This was when the Lord was dealing with me. When he got the go ahead order from God, he approached the marriage committee and was told to hold on as there were other brethren in front of him. He said he was so assured and knew I would turn them down, so he did not really bother. The lesson to learn here is to rely on God and do nothing by sentiment. Also, a closer walk with Elohim will save you pain. He will not allow you to make a mistake. When he told his family about me, his grandmother had reservations because my people were known to have a strong character. He told them we were born again, and God was leading him. I have great respect for his faith and his stand when my parents told him I would not have children because of the operation I had as a child. It was when we started our courtship, that he told me his own story, the only son of the only son of the only son. God honoured his faith and stand for Yeshua and blessed us with 2 boys and 3 girls.

211 THINGS THAT WERE GAIN TO ME

Philipians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 33

Things that were gain to me

t the wedding we were faced with a challenge, to wed as was Aexpected: a beautiful gown, big cakes, a beautifully decorated hall, and rich invitees. This was where we found ourselves, because of my husband’s status. He consulted for the Government and some large firms in the State. He consulted for the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture and was Coordinator of the Imo State chapter of the National Association of Industrialists. He was also the host of a popular radio show called ‘Executive Suite’ on IBC, FM, and television. However, we had been approached by both the Christian Youth Corpers Fellowship and the Campus Fellowship to be their Patron. For young people at that time, being born again in Christ was not an easy thing, there were many prices to pay; as I experienced it myself. Most were rejected by their religious families, and going through school was usually tough. These young born again Christians displayed a lot of discipline and dedication. The issue then was that most of these young people held minimal weddings because they were not supported by their families. Meanwhile, their counterparts did flamboyant weddings with all the show. As their patrons, we needed to identify with them, set an example and demonstrate Christ to them. We decided to go in a simple dress. Our choice was to wear the same patterned cloth, sewn in a traditional style, with no cake, one brand of soft drink, his glory goes with us chin-chin, and doughnuts. We realised that the budget for chin- chin could as well cover the cost of rice, so we went for the rice. It was ironic that the cake lady had no cake at her wedding. I could have made a 15-layer cake or more for myself or hire because we had the money, but we were led to opt for simplicity. Everybody expected a stadium wedding, but not at all. We initially invited 75 people, including relatives and friends, 112 to include my colleagues at work. We made no cards but photocopied our invitation, four on a page, each with an RSVP. Wow, it was a shock to everyone. People caught the message. Our RSVP was returned by all because we stated clearly that if we did not hear from you, no seat will be reserved. There were no hall decorations, we chose a prayer hall on the second floor of a building. All our friends were keen to see this new thing in town, though they were not surprised because people knew us for our stand in the Lord when it comes to doing God’s will. The programme for both the wedding and reception was two and half hours, from the time we marched in till the end when everyone left the hall. The reception hall was set up in 5 sections of semicircles. My husband’s clients were at the first corner, followed by my colleagues, then friends, our relatives on both sides, brethren, and ministers. We emphasised the time, so we started at exactly 10am. After we marched in, the prayers began, then the marriage charge, joining and message flowed smoothly and swiftly. Everyone was okay because they sat next to people they knew. There was no high table, for who would you call up and who would you leave behind? The clients were people of class in society. We were sending a message, that we are all equal and one in the sight of God. We did not exchange rings, we exchanged the Bible and the book

214 thingstthintthintthintthtth

‘Operation World’, written by Patrick Johnstone. It was a prophetic declaration of the Kingdom mandate: ‘The Whole Word for the Whole World’. As we had been told by my parents, we may not have any children due to the operation I had during childhood. So, we decided that our union would be to proclaim Yeshua Jesus to the unreached. For those who want to know what drives us, this is the foundation of our marriage. As ‘Amen’ was said, food was served. The gift basin was kept away from us. This was intentional. We wanted people to drop off their gift and come to shake our hands. That allowed those who did not have a gift to come and shake without feeling bad that they brought nothing. The first set of peoplewere about to finished eating, we marched out and they were asked to follow when they were done. We went downstairs to take pictures, they were told to leave from there, so that the next group waiting downstairs would also take pictures with us. It was awesome, my husband’s clients were happy to be released first as they had other businesses to attend to. So other people came down and left from there after taking pictures with us. Those who came late, thinking it was the traditional wedding of hours unending, met no one at the hall when they arrived. Over 300 people attended, which surprised us. We did not invite them, but they heard and came. Those who served the food said they were initially worried that the food would not go round, but saw the miracle of five loaves and two fishes. Hurray, the Lord was glorified. The story went around the town, with congratulatory messages coming from every corner. The example had been set, and a shift made permanently. If George and Grace could do it, anyone could without breaking the bank and going into all the pageantries. It became the order in our

215 his glory goes with us city. Christians who wanted to wed but had no money were not ashamed anymore to hold quiet weddings. The questions of a flamboyant wedding or feeling low because one’s wedding did not look like the Jones’ was scrapped. Reasonable, well budgeted weddings started happening. The clock was reset. It also opened doors to campus fellowships, which increased our Sunday preaching engagements to about eight services on some Sundays. It was a good time of ministry with the campus fellowships. A lot of questions were answered, and a lot of confusion was straightened out, especially in knowing the will of God in marriage and avoiding unholy dating, which usually leads to sin. Note, we had everything needed to throw a big wedding, but rather allowed ourselves to be used by the Lord to reject the carnality, bondage and deceit that follows. We opted to invest in the marriage rather than the wedding for just one day! For many years, it was the talk of the town. Two years after our wedding, the Lord blessed us with money. We became millionaires. This was through contracts and capacity building projects from our business. A little while after the money came, the Lord demanded for it. It was in our hearts to buy the house we lived in. However, we bought our Mercedes car, and that was all. Our landlord was such a nice man that we did not want to buy the house from him. Instead, as the Lord directed my husband, we agreed to share out the money to churches in primary schools to get them out of debt, as well as to indigent brethren needing help. No clutching, it was a huge undertaking. Praise God. As soon as the money went, our landlord approached us to buy the house. The money was gone, the house was sold, and the new buyer was like a sting to us. No regrets, we had willingly given up the money. We moved out of the comfort of two houses to a room in

216 thingstthintthintthintthtth a brother’s flat. We sent the children to my parents and stayed in that brother’s house. This was the year the doctor in London told my husband that he will not make it. He was so sick, his bodily systems were failing, the prognosis was poor. By faith, he told her, “If I get home and see my wife, I will be okay,” He was dropped in Lagos because he was so sick on the flight from London and the airplane continued to Port-Harcourt without him. It was a difficult time for the family. We had him stay in a hotel as the doctor advised us to limit visitors. The doctor came twice a day to see him. By the grace of God, he recovered to the glory of God. The miracle was outstanding. With God, all things are possible. The children were taken away from us and we had time to ourselves to pray. It was a time of retreat. All things work together for good to those who love Elohim. The spiritual relocation to London happened while in the brother’s flat. Unknown to us, the Lord was stripping us of anything we would have clutched at before relocating us. One morning, we woke up and prayed as usual. Then my husband told me to give him my passport, as he was directed by the Lord to go to Abuja that morning to renew his visa for the UK, and to get one for me. It sounded weird. Going to Abuja this morning? We dressed up. I left for work and he got a taxi to the airport. It was a day of great grace and extreme favour! At 9am he told me he had arrived in Abuja and was going to the British High Commission. At 12 noon he called back and said that he was on his way to the airport with our visas. By 2pm, he was back. All was completed in one day, with no prior discussion or planning. I could not believe it. That was the beginning of our journey to the UK.

217 his glory goes with us

The lesson learned from these things is, ‘do not withhold from the Lord’. The money we gave up could have bought us three houses then. As soon as we gave it up, we faced homelessness. In that obscurity, Elohim took us out to a better house. If we had remained in the old house and probably bought it, we would have relaxed. He took the temporal to give us the permanent. It was humiliating, the way we were treated in the house we had known as home, but it was the only way to take us to the next stage. Has the Lord asked you to give Him your wealth? Do not withhold it, there is a huge blessing ahead. Many have resisted the Island of Patmos, not knowing that it is the only place to receive the revelation of things to come. We moved into a beautiful duplex afterwards with more space, fruits, and a garden space. We gave up the business as the work of the ministry expanded. I gave up the gratuity and pension due to me for 10 years, till today. These experiences cannot end. They continue, as long as our life is in Christ. Many encounters, the good ones, the difficult and bad ones. They are all testimonies of life and ministry. More testimonies came up as I wrote. It kept extending, but I had to stop somewhere. It brought clarity to: John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. If this is my case, little as it is, how much more my Saviour and Maker Yeshua Hamashiach? There is no way to write all He did. If Jesus tarries, by His grace the next edition will be written. God bless you

218 As you turn the last page of this book, please help turn a new page of someone else’s life by blessing others with copies of this book. Those in the poorer countries may not have access to the online copy and will depend on your generosity to have a hard copy in their hands. For more information visit: www.assuringgrace.org email: [email protected]

219 his glory goes with us

“I experienced such growth and ranged of emotion! I wept for my soul, I smiled as it gave me hope. A treasured document and a testament of life lived in purpose.” Dr Stephanie Foster, Attorney, Chicago

“I had to stop the reading many times to cry, laugh, share mixed feelings eventually when I got to the last page, I wanted more… some experiences shared ablaze the fire for serving Him.” Virginia Ntuli, South Africa

“This is an excellent book for believers to learn how to experience and love God. The testimonies are powerful.” Christina Cheung, Hong Kong

“It is a raw demonstration of how life is to be lived by kingdom citizens, and how Elohim takes care of His own once they trust and obey His word.” Jeannette Charles-Clarke, Trinidad and Tobago

“An incredible journey through a totally surrendered vessel. A masterpiece sculpted through the painful shedding off of non- essentials of life. A goldmine of experience! Absolutely a must-read!” Seema Kale, Corporate Executive, Dubai

“The delectation unveiled the secret and the importance of a life lead by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God she had internalised, lived, and proclaimed with ‘holy boldness” Patrick U. Keshi, Overseer GMCC, President of International Ministers Fellowship, Padova, Italy

“This is how to be part of the True Kingdom of Elohim through His process. No matter the trials and temptation on the way, Adonai will see us through to completion” Apostle Samuel Paquissi, Apostolic Church Angola

220 His Glory Goes With Us is an apt title of what she went through as a young, fervent believer, on fire for God out of gratitude for saving her life. It documents with vivid language her experiences. The persecutions were intense. Her experiences with near death encounters are chilling, such as when hunters would have killed her. The missionary journeys reveal what a sold out life is like. Without pretention, the book unveils a vessel without guile, serving Elohim with an innocence of heart, simplicity of mind and purity of life.

Pastor Grace co-labours with her husband to lead International Ministers Fellowship, Global School of Ministry, the Global Advanced Mentorship Program, Global Missions Board, the Global Prayer and Spiritual Cabinet and Arise Metropolitan Assembly. A nurse by background with a BSc in Health Education, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management and MSc in Project Management. The writing of her thesis was disrupted when the Lord directed the family to relocate to London for the global assignment committed to their trust. She rose through the ranks to senior managerial positions in the healthcare system. Pastor Grace is married to Apostle George Akalonu and they are blessed with 5 children, Favour, Elect, Arise, Praise and Destiny.

ISBN 978-1-948291-39-2

9 781948 291392