Everyone in church knew him. He was a difficult man and would make boast of this.
“Even Pastor sef know say I stubborn”. He once boasted.
“Sir, you can’t reason with my husband! Many have tried including Pastor and he hasn’t changed”. His wife said.
He had a drinking problem; that much was evident. His eyes always looking beady.
Even with the AC in church, he would sweat like someone who was running a marathon.
He had an easy smile but at the edge of that smile was a man with a fierce temper.
He would beat his wife and send her out of the home. His teenage sons never wanted to be around him and he knew this so he made life difficult for them.
Several times have the Pastor, a wonderful and kind hearted man, done to entreat him speaking love to him.
Yet, he persisted.
One-day, the church had a new Men’s fellowship leader, one who had the heart for men whom have missed or failed to understand their sonship in Christ.
He paid him a visit one evening and they got talking about the Holy Spirit.
He paid attention.
The brother, with the Spirit of God upon him started operating in the gift of word of knowledge.
He revealed things to him that even his wife didn’t know. He watched as this brother shared his life’s experience going through life without the Holy Spirit.
He asked questions, countered, rebelled but when the Spirit of God is in action, the might of man is like a grass to the wind - he bowed.
He went ahead to explain why he was always angry.
“I had finished law in the university of Benin...”
“... and on getting home, I spoke with my father regarding going to law school. He raised the money I needed.
All was well. I was the first son and in the history of my family, I was the only one to have attended a university.
My father was proud of me but something happened”
... I was on my way home when I got a call. It was the sound of someone breathing.
‘Hello?’ I called out three times but no one answered and all I could hear was someone breathing.
Bros, it was as if a blanket of fear came over me. I became afraid and started crying.
“...That was it... I couldn’t go to law school again. It was then I started drinking and lost direction.
Bros, would you know I was once a choir member in one of the big Pentecostal churches in Nigeria?!
Look at me. A drunk and a woman beater. I’m ashamed of myself”.
“I am a shame to everyone. I would sit down and drink three crates of beer but I’m a security guard.” He finished with tears.
There are tears a man sheds you begin to understand the pain they carried but could never share.
The Men’s leader laid hands on him...
...As he wept and rebuked the spirit of fear. He prayed that the wasted years be restored to him. He prayed that every damage done to his body due to the drinking be healed.
He prayed for the wife that she be healed of every pain. He rebuked the spirit of bitterness.
He prayed for the sons and later counseled them. It was an emotional period and not a few tears were shed.
He made sure the man and his family promised to come to church the next day which was a Sunday.
For the first time since he became a member of that church...
He came with his family. The Pastor was surprised and came to hug him.
He sat beside the Men’s fellowship leader and as the service came to an end, he turned, hugged him and placed his personal Bible in his hands and said: “The word of God is sharper than any sword... read it”.
The last time he saw this Brother, there was an evidence of the word in his life.
His wife kept saying how much he had changed. His sons became closer to him though it took the eldest a while to come around, but he did.
God loves men and sometimes we try to use out logic...
...to define God and even question him. Many of us have been introduced to religion which has become a stronghold rather than liberation for us.
The Holy Spirit is the difference. He is everything. He’s the wind that sets ships a sail.
He’s the only one...
... that can teach you to love your wife and be an example worth emulating to your children.
If you’re a man out there and you desire the Holy Spirit in a new dimension, I can show you.
Remember, as many that are led, they are the sons of God.
It was some days to Christmas and as a TEAM, they had just finished an intervention for a brother. He was still mulling over certain revelations from the prayers when his wife got a call.
It was from a colleague who was in distress and was crying over the phone in confusion.
"They just chased me out of the house I was staying...again".
The young lady had a history of rejection wherever she went to and even when she got a job, she was so surprised because she was rejected everywhere.
It was in her place of employment she met his wife.
His wife quickly gave him a breakdown and he told her "Let her come to the house in the morning".
By 7:30AM, she was in the house.
Immediately he saw her, he asked her "How old are you?"
"26" she responded.
She actually looked 40. Her responses didn't alarm him.
There's this young couple I have known for a while. I see the way they dote on each other.
It is very rare you see the husband without the wife and even if the wife appeared first, the husband was never far behind.
During church service you would see them eyeing each other.
I recall during a Sunday Service in which his wife was to take the Bible Reading, I could remember him blowing her a phantom kiss as she climbed the pulpit.
It was her blush and smile that made me look at him only to see him making faces at her.
It was beautiful.
As Men's fellowship leader back then, I teased him a lot and told him in all honesty how many men are learning how to treat their wives.
He sighed and said "Bro., it was not always like that initially. Our first year as a married couple was a disaster".
Earlier this morning, I had just finished ministering the baptism of the Holy Spirit to a wonderful sister. I was meditating on certain things when I received a call from someone.
I have known this lady for years and never for once have I heard her cry.
She literally broke down
She was tired of everything and she said that much. She lived in a neighbourhood where everyone believed that living in a big house, means you're the cause of their problems.
Anxiety had set in and fear had a fierce grip on her.
She sobbed, heavily and It weighed me down.
I didn't even know what to say but I told her I would come see her, and I did.
We talked at length and as she spoke, I saw how many women out there are afraid of so many things. The lockdown did a job on many people and coming out, they haven't adjusted.
The gospel to many is only about what they can receive from God. It’s sad when you see a Believer give God ultimatum to fulfill their desire which in many case is money as a condition for their service.
This should never be and should not be heard from a Believer.
It is the quest for blessing that you hear many say:
“I have prayed and fasted but God has refused to bless me”.
They make it sound like God has not done His part by declaring us blessed just because by means of Christ, we are!
Whatever you cast your eyes upon is exactly what has power over you.
If you seek God because of money, then money has dominion over you but the minute you seek God just because - He is, then you have everything.
In these few years of ministry, I have come across quite a number of people with different desires whenever we talk.
There are those who are seeking to be blessed and like I’ve seen, once they are blessed, excuses to serve God starts popping up.
It sad to see.
However, the people I have always enjoyed praying with are those who simply want more - more of God, more of the Holy Spirit, more from their relationship with the Holy Spirit.
They don’t thirst for anything but God.
I call them God Chasers.
All they desire is God’s will.
This was how I met MB after church service after I watched her ministration during Sunday Service in my parish.
“People won’t know that such a tiny frame carries so much power” I teased.
She laughs.
“However, I want more. How do I get it?” She asks.