Optasia

I recently met with an old friend

I grew up in the same neighborhood as this friend

He always stalked me on Facebook and Twitter seeking an audience

He is 45 years old, unmarried, informally educated, brilliant, a reader, and a hard worker

Life threw him many curved balls and he did his best to deal with these balls as best as he could

He was never married though he has an 8 year old son outside of wedlock

He was in a sexual relationship with a mother of 5 (Just sex once or twice every other week)

He drives Uber, farms, and generally tries to eke a living wherever he could

He was also learning how to drive a truck so that he could gain employment with any of the logistics or transportation companies

He was the kind of guy who would drink when there was someone buying and go with the flow (Whatever that may be) whenever he was in the company of someone he considers a friend

He didn't lack endeavour or strength

He was born into a Christian home

His father was even a pastor at some point

This friend said he now worships idols

I asked him why

He said Ifa is binary and with the benefit of education he had come to realize that Traditional African Religion is not that bad

He said he had seen power displayed by another friend of his who is deeply into divination and he had seen the intelligence displayed by the demons first hand during a consultation manifestation

He said a pregnant lady came with her husband to this diviner and the spirit of the family of the pregnant lady which had been abandoned for many years was invoked

He said Instead of the spirit coming upon the lady, it took a hold of her husband because it knew the lady was pregnant and wouldn’t be able to bear the rigours of the manifestation

I watched him speak

I felt sorry for him

It was like listening to those who tattoo the swastika on their bodies and talk about the Aryan nation or white supremacy or some other mumbo-jumbo that they truly believe in but that is a project doomed to fail from within based on its own flaws

After speaking for hours, this friend asked me a question

He said, “There are two of us here, there is no third party and you know that both of us have come a long way and I have always supported and protected my friends; please tell me the secret behind your success in ministry

My younger sister and cousins talk about the wonders you do in Christ and I am seeing the evidence too now after many years of not being in contact with you

I know it is not ordinary, I don’t want to remain like this, please my brother, tell me what you did in secret that has made your light so bright that you are now so out of reach for many of us?”

I felt insulted by the question

He was insinuating that the secret behind the glory he sees is in a secret that is from the realm of darkness

He must have discussed me with his diviner friend and the diviner friend must have told him any pastor walking in the supernatural in today’s world must have had an accord with the realm of darkness

He believed this and was now tacitly asking me to divulge to him the secret of my supernatural result

I was livid but measured

I stood up (we were in my hotel suite and it had a sitting room and the room) and walked to the other end of the room

I was praying in the Spirit under my breath as I walked slowly away from where we were seating

If you were there, you would think I was doing one of those contemplative walks people do on TV before dropping a secret or a bombshell when telling a story

When I was far enough from him, I said, “O Lord, let him see”

There was an angel in the room, the angel had been with me from the prophetic service we had that Wednesday morning before I left my house for Ibadan (I was travelling to Pneuma City in Oyo for our retreat in July when this event happened, I had planned to spend two nights in Ibadan to catch up with some old friends before moving to Oyo for the Supernatural retreat)

I call the angel “Amigo” meaning friend (Not His name) just my nickname for him

This friend of mine suddenly screamed and fell on the rug

He started convulsing and vibrating all over

I side stepped him and stepped into the room

I locked the door and joined one of our zoom meetings where I was to lead the Prevailing prayers at 6pm

After the prayer, I read the Bible and slept a bit

I taught my class by 10pm

Then I slept

When it was 5AM I joined prevailing prayers again till 7

Then I opened the door and found this guy still slain in the Spirit on the rug

I went to have breakfast

This is guy is on the big side, he had always been since we were young and he eats a lot but that day he didn’t rouse from where he was until I finished the 6-7pm prayer that evening

I mean he was slain in the Spirit for 24 hours

When he came to, he pulled himself to a sitting position and kept looking at me somehow

I asked him if he wanted to eat or drink or shower...

He just kept looking at me

After like an hour, he said he wanted to go home

I took out some money and handed them to him

As soon as he collected the money, he fell under the anointing of the Holy Spirit again

This time he started barking like a dog and after a while he started vomiting stuff

It lasted about an hour

He cleaned himself up quietly, and asked me to pray for him

I led him to Christ and got him filled with the Holy Spirit

He was still speaking in tongues when he left my hotel suite at past 11pm that night

This happened in July

After the retreat l, I met with his older brother in Lagos and some of his first cousins too

I didn’t tell anyone anything that transpired between us

He called me a few days later asking for some money to support his business

I gave the money to him

I didn’t call or hassle him in anyway

He called again asking me when I will be coming to Ibadan

I told him I would be in Ibadan in September, on my way to Pneuma City for the convention

He said l, “Okay”

When I went to Ibadan in September, I didn’t call him

He didn’t call me too

I thought about him and prayed for him but I was unperturbed in any way about him

Jude said, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”

When I commit people into the hands of the Holy Spirit as I did with him, I know not to worry or even second guess the work that is being done in them.

My friend sent me a message today, a very long one.

He wrote, “Dear Pastor Olumide (the name I used to bear when we were young)

All my friends left me after we met

I went to visit the diviner friend and he warned me never to come close to his house or shrine anymore

An old man who used to teach me how to make charms died the very day I visited him, another woman whom I go to weekly with a cup of water so that she can bless it for me to drink to assuage the anger of witches collected water from me and lost her senses

She began to confess all the evil she had been doing since she was born and also to me

I was confused for a while

I had to leave Odo Ona (My Mother’s house) for Ajibode (My Father’s house) for almost a month

People began to call me pastor, at first I thought it was because they saw honesty in my face but I later realised that I have changed

My farming project is coming up nicely, I suddenly have enough to feed and my mind is at peace

I returned to church too, I usually would join the services you conduct online and then attend a local church to be of service

I have walked away from those relationships I told you about, I cannot say why but they just seem somehow to me now

I have gotten in touch with my son’s mother and I am now involved in his life

For the first time I feel like my life is back on track

Thank you my brother, my friend and my pastor

You changed my life.

-GSW-

PS: I read this message at 2AM earlier today and slept on it

I woke up asking myself if to share this or not but the Holy Spirit prevailed upon my heart to write and share it

Notice that I didn’t condemn or castigate him when I met him that first time

Moses didn’t have to condemn Pharaoh’s treatment of the Egyptians as if he was a human right activist

He knew there was a spirit controlling Pharaoh

He only had to convince that spirit that it’s season of dominion is over and Pharaoh would let go of his slaves

This is the gospel that we have received

-GSW-