Demystified

The pastor declared that Thursday an evening for evangelism

The service was supposed to last for two hours

The population of the church had been dwindling

Evangelism naturally held on Saturdays

But members were usually full of excuses

“We have a family engagement”

“We needed to rest”

“We had to travel”

The stories were unending

Some members had relocated due to economic conditions

Others had relocated because they built their houses in the rural areas and had to go

From 200 members

The church had shrunk to 120 members

The pastor was concerned

They were located in the heart of the city

The population was dense

They should be able to fill the empty seats

They tried following up on some former members who left without cause

One said the church was not social enough

“The church I attend now, they make birthday celebrations a big deal

They cut cakes and dance like never before

I feel very much at home there” 

Another former member said “I don’t like your follow up tactics, I had been to many churches, before I get home they would be waiting at my door!

They made me feel very important, your follow up team came right after I got home. That was very disappointing!

My neighbours didn’t even know you were here to convince me to come to your church. Other churches I had been to, my neighbours would have been calling me, telling me people are around  to see me, that used to make me feel important, make my neighbours jealous that people were coming to knock on my door” said another prospect

Another former members said she had been searching for a husband for a long time and the church was not attracting new male members, she had to go to a church where there were available men who were willing to get married! “I had to leave!” she concluded

The pastor thought long and hard

What were they to do?

She decided they would go on evangelism that Thursday

She gave all the members present for the prayer meeting, one hour to share the gospel and distribute tracts

The members left in twos

The man in Jeans and T-Shirt was one of them

He was partnered with a young lady

A fellow worker in the vineyard

They went to the beer joints, sharing tracts and speaking as little as they could

The gospel was not to be forced on anybody

It was to be willingly received

Didn’t Jesus say whosoever willingly accepted the disciples’ peace, Peace would abide with such?

And anybody that rejected his disciples would be without the peace of God which passeth all understanding?

The beer parlour patrons received the gospel

Some even jokingly asked questions about Jesus turning water to wine

The young man in Jeans and T-shirt had learnt from the Holy Spirit never to condemn anybody

Jesus didn’t, why should he?

He told them their drinking was not a barrier to accepting Jesus and the Holy Spirit into their hearts.

He told them he didn’t come to condemn them but to offer them Jesus, the one through whom they would be transported from the sin nature into righteousness with one short prayer

One of them told him he was born again

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt hugged him

“You are my brother sir! I am in no way better than you and you are in no way better than me!

The man was baffled!

How can you say that, am I not obviously a backslider?

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt said that was not true

Jesus didn't save anybody halfway

"Jesus saves to the uttermost

He loves you the same way he loves me

If I sat down with you and start drinking beer and pepper soup

I wouldn’t be holier than I was or more of a sinner

The difference between us is the reality we are walking in

I am walking in the light of my born again life and you are walking in the light of your old life!

How can that be possible? The man asked

“Your mind is yet to be renewed even though your spirit has been rebirthed” he responded

How?

“Just imagine you bought a new DVD player, and you put porn video into it

Would it play “My book of Bible stories?”

“No” replied the man, “It is what you put in the DVD player that it would play”

Exactly! If you do not renew your mind, even though your spirit is new, you would still believe the old things, watch the old things and do the old things. This does not mean your DVD player is not new, it only means you have not bought the DVD’s that could give you the new information that conforms with your new life!”

The man started weeping!

So I was really saved and I was the one who did not pursue the right objectives?

Yes sir.

"Pray with me brother!" cried the man

The young man in Jeans and T-shirt did.

The man started speaking in tongues, half drunk and he left the bar

The young lady with the man in Jeans and T-Shirt said “Arent we supposed to invite him to church?”

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt laughed!

“The man was already a member of the church!” he replied

They went further down the street

They were in Ketu Area of Lagos,

They were approaching a big religious building (Not a church)

Located at the bus stop right after Ile-ile bus stop

The area was called Orile Ketu, a “central” religious center was located there

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt remembered one morning when he was returning home from a pastor’s house

Darkness covered everywhere

He arrived at the bus stop at 5am

He started preaching the gospel (doing morning cry)

He didn’t notice he was right by the religious centre

The members of the religious center protested

"Who is that? Which Jesus! Shut up!"

He ran for his dear life!

As they were approaching the same religious centre at 6:45pm

He decided to apply wisdom

He told his protégé

“Shhhhh!”

Just then a motorcycle and a commercial bus collided

The motorcycle lost control and slammed into a big frying pot filled with hot vegetable oil a woman and her daughter were using to fry yam, bean cake, potatoes, fish and all sorts by the side of the road

The frying pot turned over and the hot oil poured on the 16 year old daughter of the heavily (religiously) covered woman

The pain of the hot oil drove the young woman insane

The young lady cried in agony and pulled off her clothes in a frenzy

She then jumped right into the puddle in the middle of the road

Using her hands to scoop the dirty puddle water over herself

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt watched the scene with incredulity

Evangelism was over, it was time to return to church

Those  who were selling eggs came with some eggs, broke them and poured the eggs all over the lady

Those selling maize pudding(Ogi) also did the same

The young lady continued to scream in agony

The man they met earlier in the beer parlour shouted

"There is a pastor here who can help her!"

By now all the people in the religious center were either watching or trying to help

Nobody knew how to hold the hurting young lady in order to avoid causing her further damage after that done by the hot oil

The young man in jeans and T-Shirt watched on

The man came to meet him

“Please pray for her sir, her people said you can, her mother also said you can”

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt was shocked

He didn’t know he was the “Pastor” the other man was talking about!

He summoned courage

Laid hands on the lady and said “In Jesus name, sleep”

The girl went limp immediately and slept off right in the middle of the road

The people watching on the sidelines carried her carefully to the balcony of a building nearby to ease traffic

He laid hands on her and commanded her total healing

He said “Father, I command the total healing of the body and mind of this young lady! I decree that there shall be no blisters or scars on her skin. She shall wake up without any pain and totally restored to how she was before the accident in Jesus name! Amen.

Everybody echoed Amen!

He left the scene with his protégé

When he got to chuch he shared his testimonies as others also did

The pastor closed the service

The next day while at work he was very curious as to the fate of the young lady

As soon as he closed he headed to the scene of the incident

He didn’t notice any activity at the place where they ought to be frying right adjacent to the religious center

He turned the corner and saw them

The lady’s mother recognized him

“Pastor, pastor”she screamed

Her daughter was right beside her!

No blisters, no scar, no evidence of an accident at all!

He was as shocked as they were

God is just too Himself!

He sat with them and told them about Jesus

Mother and daughter gave their lives to Jesus

A few months later they invited the man in Jeans and T-Short to dedicate their house in Mowe area of Lagos

The man in Jeans and T-Shirt obliged

Today they are still standing strong in the Lord

PS: This event happened in 2009

The young lady is now married to a pastor

Her mother is a worker in a Pentecostal church

DO NOT BE SHY TO LAY HANDS ON THE SICK OR AFFLICTED IN THE NAME OF JESUS

THERE IS NO SPECIAL ANOINTING, ONLY OBEDIENT BELIEVERS AND DISOBEDIENT BELIEVERS

ONLY THOSE WHO WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR FAITH AND THOSE WHO COWER IN UNBELIEF

DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION FOR ALL MEN

HALLELUJAH!

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