“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” Acts 10:38
Adeoluwa screamed!
Then, he woke up. It was a dream.
He picked up his phone and called his mother.
Ade: Mama, e kaaro. Good morning ma.
Mama: Bawo ni, omo mi? I am afraid o. The time is drawing nearer. All those who have been threatened by the Chief Priest or his children are no longer alive. Please do something about the man’s eyesight. Have mercy on me, my son.
Ade: Mama, only God can heal. I can only pray. He chooses when and how He answers. Don’t worry, I am planning for someone to pick you from the village and bring you to my place.
Mama: Please don’t delay o. This people mean business. They will kill me o.
Ade: Nothing will happen to you. I have this covered.
…
With tears in his eyes, Ebenezer looked at the woman he called his wife, and he didn’t know what else to do next. He was not sure of what he could believe.
Ebenezer: Bisi, why did you do this to me? Why? I loved you with all my heart, and you kept this secret from me. I feel like I don’t even know you. I don’t think I can go on with this marriage.
Baba kept quiet. He wanted to speak, but the Spirit restrained him. “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Alade, this is the time to be silent.” It was tough, but Alade kept quiet. He kept praying.
After almost thirty minutes, Bisi wiped her tears, and walked up to her husband.
Bisi: Ebenezer, I am sorry. When the Bible says that “Your sins will find you out”, it was referring to me. I felt that if I ran enough, I would outrun my past. I have run out of fuel. You have every right to leave me and walk away from this marriage. You don’t deserve all that I have put you through.
After giving my life to Christ, my father cursed me as I left his house. He told me that I would never give birth to a child. That was the main reason I decided not to tell you about the experience. I was afraid that you would leave me if you knew about the curse. No man who heard about the curse considered me as a potential spouse. I really liked you and I did not want to ruin our chances of marriage.
Ebenezer: Hmm…
Ebenezer wanted to hit her so badly. They had suffered for years without a child, praying, fasting, and trusting God for His intervention. To imagine that she knew about the curse and decided not to mention it was enough grounds for him to walk away. He would not allow himself to be guilt tripped, neither would he give in to his angry desires. Sometimes, wisdom lies in leaving the battlefield.
Ebenezer: Thank you very much for everything, Bisi. Thank you. I cannot repay you, but I pray that God will repay you in multiple folds.
Baba, thank you for coming and staying through the night. I cannot believe it’s morning already. Thank you for your support and encouragement at all times. I appreciate you, sir.
Bisi, when you are done crying, please take your things and leave my house. The evil you have done is enough.
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Baba Alade wanted to speak. He wanted to remind Ade of the importance of forgiveness. He wanted to plead with him to allow Bisi remain in the house. There were so many things on his mind, but he still felt the Spirit’s restraint.
Baba Alade spoke in his heart, “Holy Spirit, please let me speak. Things are getting out of hand.”
Holy Spirit: Alade, truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. There are times when death is needed for life to come.
Alade bowed his head and wept.
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This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
Ade closed the devotional. His heart was beating faster. He wondered what exactly God was driving at. How was he trusting in man? Was it wrong for him to make arrangement to save his mother? What exactly was the issue?
As he considered his next steps, the Spirit of the Lord laid an encounter in the Bible on his mind. It was the meeting of Ananias and Paul.
“In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.”
Ade could not control his laughter. There was no way God was expecting him to do this. No way! How could he run into the same fire that he was trying to save his mother from?
Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name…
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Few hours later, Ade’s mother heard a knock at her door. She opened the door and screamed. It was her son, Ade.
Mama: Ha! They have succeeded o. These people have called your head back to the village. It is finished o. Wahala ti de bayi.
During the trip, Ade had considered the possibility. He wondered if the pull he felt to visit his hometown was the making of the Chief Priest and his sons.
Ade: Mama, don’t be afraid. God has sent me here. I believe he has an assignment for me.
Mama: What assignment is that? Ehn, answer me o. What assignment did he send you to carry out in this dangerous season? Please let us get into the vehicle and escape this town until things die down. Please, don’t let me die.
…
Sangolabi, the Chief Priest, wondered why his calls to Adeoluwa had not gone through. The darkness was unbearable. He had tried some leaves and incantations, but nothing had worked. All his potions did nothing to bring back his eyesight. He could feel the pain of the people he had made blind in the past. He promised himself never to afflict anyone with blindness, if he ever regained his sight.
He felt a hand tap his thigh.
Sangodele: Baba, you have a visitor o. Should I allow him in?
Chief Priest: Who is that?
Sangodele: Baba, it’s Ade o.
Chief Priest: Which Ade is that? Baba, it is Adeoluwa, the one that the gods afflicted with feathers on his body.
The Chief Priest took a deep breath. The boy had come to finish the job; he had come to end his life.
…
After 2 hours of preaching and responding to questions, Sangolabi, the Chief Priest, decided to surrender his life to Christ.
Chief Priest: But Ade, did you hear all the things that I confessed? How can your God just overlook all those things? I don’t understand.
Ade: Baba, even if your sins are red like the blood of those animals you used to kill, once you come to Christ, he would make you white. You will automatically become clean.
Chief Priest: Hmm. This Saviour you are talking about, I don’t know if He can forgive me. It was because of him that I sent my daughter, Sangofunmi, away from home. It has been years since I set my eyes on her. I even placed a curse on her. Ha! Can your God forgive me?
Ade smiled. He wondered what the old man’s reaction would be when he told him about his daughter, but he decided to hold on. The man’s salvation was the priority.
Ade: Baba, yes, God can forgive you.
Chief Priest: Okay, I have one more question. If I give my life to this your God, would he make me see again?
Ade took a deep breath. He desperately wanted to say Yes, but he knew that was not the focus. The Lord needed the man’s inner eyes to be open, no matter the condition of the outer eyes.
Ade: Baba, I cannot assure you that you will see again, but I can assure you that if you give your life to Christ, you will enjoy life here on earth, and in heaven after your time here is over.
Chief Priest: Okay o. I am tired of this life that I have been living. I want to surrender my life to your God. Please can you call his name again?
Ade: JESUS!
As Ade called the name of Jesus, there was a shattering sound, as though glass was being broken.
…
Several miles away, Bisi suddenly began to convulse.
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Episode 6 ends.
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Iremide: The Bible teaches us that Jesus came to save us from our sins. (Matthew 1:21). In Acts 4:12, it’s clearly stated that salvation is found in no other name under heaven, but the name of Jesus.
As we read the Chief Priest’s questions, there might be a few of us asking the same questions. Can God forgive me of all my sins? Not some, all. Can He save me despite all I have done?
Well, the answer to the two questions is Yes.
Jesus came to deliver us from sin and eternal damnation. He died so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Have you been to Jesus for His cleansing power? Have you accepted the sacrifice and lordship of Christ? If you have not, today is the best opportunity to do so.
Please say this prayer, “Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross of Calvary for my sins. I believed God raised you from the dead. I confess that I am a sinner, please forgive me of my sins and cleanse me. I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please reign in my life. Thank you for answering my prayers. For in Jesus mighty name, I have prayed. Amen.”
Welcome to the family! Welcome to a new dispensation.
Scriptures say that “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Please get a Bible to read. You can start from the book of Matthew. Also, prayerfully seek and join a Bible-believing church around you, to help you grow in faith.
If you want to speak about your decision, please feel free to reach out to me on +2348101801995.
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Now things are getting heated. The Chief Priest has accepted Jesus Christ, but his daughter, Bisi, is convulsing. In all of this, Ebenezer has been severely wounded, and heart broken. What becomes of their home? What becomes of God’s promise through his servant, Baba Alade?
We will find out next week Friday, by God’s grace!
2 comments
I’m so glad the chief priest accepted Jesus Christ, but aunty Bisi🤨 what could have been wrong?
Hmmm.. I am also wondering. Hopefully we get more information next episode. Thank you for the support.