Skeletons

There were six of them

All anointed men of God

All discussing ministry issues

Pastor One said, “How do we cope with the challenges of ministry?’’

Many people will come to church with their troubles

We will pray and fast and stand in the gap

God will answer their prayers

And they will just walk away!

If they had gone to the Hospital for their treatment

Some of them would have died or spent millions for treatment or both

But because they got healed by the divine power of God

They will just walk away

They will not even remember to say thank you

Not to talk of appreciating someone’s efforts with a gift

And people will be saying all sorts about pastors”

Pastor Two answered “Imagine, the sheer audacity of some people

I have a first class in law!

I know how much my mates are making at this moment

I am a pastor called by the Holy Spirit to minister to the saints

In my eight years of ministering, I have seen many afflicted of demonic powers set free

I have seen hundreds healed of their diseases

I have raised one dead boy

And yet, I can barely afford to pay my house rent.

After paying church rent, utility bills, church staff, generator fuel and maintenance

The church barely has enough to survive on for the month

Yet, the whole world has demonized the church

Look at my car, Is that entrapment befitting of a man who left service to self, in order to serve the people of God?

Pastor Three responded

“This is why I don’t blame those who have commercialized the gospel

The gift of a man is supposed to make a way for him

Doesn’t the scripture say "seeth a man diligent in his ways

He will stand before kings and not mean men"

Our people will rather give to deceivers than the truthful

Imagine someone telling them he brought a stone from Jerusalem

They should buy one for 500,000 and put it in their homes

God says such would ward off evil and bring good fortunes

And people would step out to pay for such

People who can’t afford the stone of 500,000 will be envying those who can

The same stone would be offered to others for 400,000, then 300,000 until the price gets cut down to 5,000

People will pay, even go into debt to buy such

But tell them the truth

That the church rent is due and they should contribute something

The crowd in church will suddenly dwindle!

Pastor Four: One of my parishioners came to me once

She told me about her daughter

The girl had written her University admission examination over four times

She simply couldn’t pass

I took the case upon myself

As you all know my wife teaches English

The girl started coming to my house every evening

My wife would sit with her and take her through the old question papers

I taught her mathematics

We did this for six months

The Friday before the examination

We had a vigil in church

The Senior pastor brought in this guy from the East at the last minute

The guy said he missed his flight out of the country

He had been invited to minister in one country abroad

The guy’s mouth was so sweet!

Before the end of the vigil he took anointing oil

Drew circles on the floor and challenged some church members to step into the oil for certain amount of money

The lady we had been praying for and teaching stepped out

She was asked to pay 10,000 for examination success

She did!

She wrote the examination the next morning

Weeks later, the result was released

She was admitted to study the course of her choice

The mother and daughter shared the testimony

Our contributions became a footnote

The great man of God from the East did wonders

Hallelujah!

Please don’t get me wrong

I didn’t mind the fact that the lady got admitted

It is my joy but it hurts to have to play second fiddle to that man of God in recognition”

Pastor five: I know that story, it was pathetic

Many would be accusing pastors of living large

Not knowing that about 0.5% of the pastors are the ones with such realities

The rest are under appreciated, unloved and unknown

Except by Christ himself!

Pastor six : There must be something we are not doing right!

Look at Pastor so and so, within a few years he had built a cathedral and is swimming in money

He got the secret of ministry

There is a secret we all don’t know yet

I have a pastor friend who left his job as an expatriate in a west African country because he felt strongly that he had to be in ministry

His wife was all teared up the last time I spoke to her

They don’t know where the school fees of their three children will come from this January

They don’t even know how they would pay rent or feed the family

The wife’s blood pressure has gone through the roof

She almost had stroke due to excessive worry and anxiety

These are people in the eye of the storm

Real human beings suffering for the cause of Christ

I had to collect his CV

I was trying to see if I can get him a job on a part time basis to keep body and soul together

Truth be told

When would the pressures of life not break such a man?

I am praying for mercy for his family everyday

The wife keeps lamenting that he shouldn’t have left his job

He insisted that the job was costing him his peace of mind and joy

The family has almost been torn apart

The children couldn’t even resume school

And they are not the only ones!

There are so many ministers of the gospel going through financial hardship

In a world where success is measured by material possession

It is difficult for such men, no matter how pious they are

To convince their family that they are living a meaningful life

How then do such people remain steadfast in the face of temptation?

The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt looked at all the speakers

They had invited him to meet with them because they wanted to convince him to hold a crusade in each of their churches and raise some money for them afterwards

He heard their sob stories

He had been a pastor before and he knew they were not exaggerating

They have bills to pay

They have salaries to pay

They have rent to pay

They have families to support

They are in the thick of the war against darkness and very vulnerable

But they are also forgetting a fact!

The source of the believer is not this world

If your citizenship is of heaven, your source is also from heaven

He said: As a parish pastor, someone once brought me a 2,000,000.00 tithe

I was told to reject it by the Holy Spirit and I did so

I never saw the person again

I didn’t know if the Holy Spirit wanted me to reject it as a test or if I was told to reject it because the money could put me in trouble physically or spiritually

I told the man the truth

That before he arrived, I saw him overnight in a vision

And in the vision the Holy Spirit told me three times not to collect anything he brought to me

The man couldn’t believe that I would reject such an amount

I was a bachelor at the time, looking earnestly for gainful employment while shepherding a church

I have had occasions to turn my back on money several times

Not because I am holier than other people but because there are some skeletons, I wouldn’t want the Lord to find in my cupboard!

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will ask me to collect the money and instruct me on how to put it to use in order to bless his children

Many people send their tithe to me with instructions on how to disburse it

I know that the Holy Spirit has laid certain things on their hearts to do and I was entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the intentions of the Holy Spirit to bear

Tears may last for the night

Surely joy cometh in the morning

Merchandizing the gospel grieves the spirit of Christ

A child who becomes wealthy at the expense of his father’s blessings is unwise

I will not be a part of it!

If a pastor has to take up a job to keep body and soul together, so be it

Apostle Paul was a tent maker

Pastors must take a cue from this

Struggling pastor’s children can go to public schools offering free education

Those who go there are not automatic failures

Pastor and or his wife can spend some time helping their children with homework and tutoring

We really must rethink this mammon mentality we have brought into the kingdom

A pastor using big cars and security escorts is fine

A pastor riding a bicycle and ministering to the old and infirm is equally fine

The Holy Spirit is not moved by our earthly bank accounts

Many of us erroneously believe that we will do more for the kingdom with more money

This is very untrue

What we really need lots more of is the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit

If we change lives as we ought to

We wouldn’t have to lament over finances

God usually raises ministry supporters amongst his children

Those are individuals the Holy Spirit will categorically instruct to support the work he has placed in your hands

Unless you are the one who sent yourself on an errand as a way of pleasing the Holy Spirit

You don’t need more carnal wisdom and devices or gimmicks to fleece people

You need the treasure boxes of heaven to be opened unto you

You need to verify if God sent you or if you sent yourself

You need to verify if you are where God wants you to be

You also need to verify if indeed you are doing what God has asked you to do

If the answer to all these is YES!

You will find water soon

Don’t forget how I struggled when I was a parish pastor

I cried myself to sleep several nights

The pressure to keep the church afloat got to me badly

I fell into depression

The day I took off the cassock

Was the happiest day of my life for that season

I rediscovered my liberty in the Holy Spirit

I rediscovered my joy in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit told me what he wants me to do

I started doing it

I didn’t copy anybody or tried to be like anybody

I stuck with the unfamiliar which was committed into my hands

I saw spiritual results

I saw physical results

I saw financial results

I saw growth and development without struggling

I was taken away from the point where I was digging for water

I was given a whole river to tend to and water the flock of God with

This is what you must pursue my friends

Not the short cut

But the living waters!

After speaking, they all joined hands and prayed together

Within a year all the other pastors but one broke through

The one that didn’t break through resigned as a Pastor

He had examined himself and the Holy Spirit showed him he could serve a better purpose in another ministry!

PS: I want to say a big thank you to all my readers and friends all over the world

I want to say a big thank you to my partners too

I have never ever made a call to people to advertise, partner or support gbengawemimo.com in anyway

The Holy Spirit has drawn many from every denomination and even other religions

I sometimes wake up to find my phone line has been recharged anonymously

I called my network provider several times to please disclose the identity of the person sending me airtime, they refused saying it was an account no

It is true that I minister for hours every day on the phone

I want the person to know that every second of phone call was spent only on ministration to the body of Christ

I buy my own air time to make personal calls

The Lord will reward you bountifully

I have had many people send financial gifts to support the project

The initial deposit for the IOS app (Still being developed) was sent by a reader from Canada

I have tried by the power of the Holy Spirit to be accountable to every reader who sent in a dime by making sure such a person was issued a receipt (Electronically and an account of how the money was spent was equally explained)

I have had feedback from Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia, Germany, Uganda, Mozambique, Ghana, all over Nigeria, Togo, Benin Republic, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Finland, Belgium and other countries of the world

We have recorded outstanding miracles in healing, restoration, deliverance, salvation of souls and the infilling of the power of the Holy Spirit with evidence of Speaking in Tongues

We have also restored many broken marriages and relationships through prayer and counselling

Other readers also sent me some money which were spent on data, travel expenses, gift to missionaries in dire need, orphanages, other workers in the vineyard, help and support for some needy people etc

I launched the website on October 2, 2018 and I must confess your acceptance of the stories and the testimonies have surpassed all my expectations

I have also hosted three meetings

Two Vigils and a Sunday Service

The turnouts were massive and amazing

We were able to fellowship together and love was kindled in all our hearts afresh

Thank you so much for making the last quarter of 2018 wonderful for me

I am looking forward to, many more years of spreading the gospel with your help and support

The love of God has been truly shed abroad on your hearts

Thank you for showering me with that same love in fellowship

If Jesus tarries, it is my prayer that this garden of the Lord we are all tending shall bring us eternal rewards and commendations from the good shepherd in Jesus name

The year 2019 is our year of Dunamis

The power has been released already

Take Over!

*Special Thank you to Pastor Tunde Adelakun, the body of ministers and workers of RCCG Christ Covenant Parish. No 125, Ogudu road, Ogudu and Berith Tunes, the angelic voices that minister tirelessly during our meetings.)

A sweet thank you to my loving, dutiful and ever supportive wife, Bukola Samuel-Wemimo, @BWemimoTVC, for joining this chariot. She edits most of the stories even after I have uploaded them and ensures my zeal is garnished with excellence. I love you so much 

Gbenga Samuel-Wemimo

Lagos, 1/9/2019