₦airaland Forum

Lately, lots of people have been complaining about Facebook/Whatsapp's new privacy policy - breaking into one's privacy.

Away from that – do U like MATHS? Let’s evaluate a little here...

Step 1: List out the letters of the Alphabet: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Step 2: Evaluate 6 as the arithmetical progression for all the letters: A=6, B=12, C=18, D=24, E=30, F=36, G=42, H=48, I=54, J=60, K=66, L=72, M=78, N=84, O=90, P=96, Q=102, R=108, S=114, T-120, U=126, V=132, W=138, X=144, Y=150, Z=156.

Step 3: Spell out the word “COMPUTER” and add the corresponding value:

C = 18
O = 90
M = 78
P = 96
U = 126
T = 120
E = 30
R = 108
Total = 666

Is that not the Mark of the Beast?

Apart from this evaluated mathematical formula with the letters of COMPUTER, some other evil words or combinations of words, which would add up to 666 when 6 is used as the arithmetic progression, are: “DEVIL DRAGON”, “SATAN HELL”, “SATAN HADES”, “LUCIFER HELL”, and “LUCIFER HADES”; and to top it all, “MARK OF BEAST” itself, adds up to 666!

Relatively, it’s commonly known that the Internet is commonly referred to as the ‘World Wide Web’ or otherwise, abbreviated as ‘WWW;’ but the disclosure is this:

In the olden days, the ‘linear style’ they use in writing the letters of the Alphabet (with examples of some letters) is this:

A = /-\
B = I
D = I)
E =
F = I
H = I-I
I =
K =
L =I_
M =
N =
P =
R =
T =
V =
W = V/
Y =
Z =

In relation to ‘the Internet and its alias as the World Wide Web (WWW)’, we shall only be concerned with the letter ‘W’ – though the letters of the alphabet were generally written in a linear style in the past, or specifically, that ‘W’ was formerly written as ‘V/’, there was a ‘modification’ along the course of history, as this old style of writing the letters of the alphabet was eventually changed by the Romans during their ‘vain campaign’ to overcome and rule the whole world as their Empire!

Along their line of invasion and conquest, the Romans forced or taught the ‘countries’ they had conquered to adopt their style of writing the letters of alphabets and figures and in so doing, changed the style in which some of the fonts or letters of the alphabet and figures were written!

For instance, instead of the old style of writing ‘W’ as ‘V/’, the Romans changed it to ‘UU’, that is why ‘W’ is always pronounced as ‘double U’; but in our time, the ‘two Us’ have been combined to write it as ‘W’.

But as per the ‘V/ (the old style of writing ‘W’)’, the Romans converted it to the way of writing six (6) in the Roman figure.

Now, the bottom-line of this disclosure is this:

‘If W is formerly written as V/, before it was eventually changed by the Romans, who also, changed ‘V/’ to be written as six (6) in the Roman figure; then, we can retrace their evolution like this:

V/ V/ V/ = WWW (formerly)

V/ V/ V/ = 666 (now [Roman figure]’)

With this discovery, it is obvious that there is a ‘bond’ between ‘WWW’ and ‘666’; or in clearer words, ‘WWW’ represents ‘666’!

Now, to the crux of the disclosure, or with a view to solving the mystery; if the Internet is also known as the ‘World Wide Web’ and abbreviated as WWW; are we sure that there is no ‘close relationship’ between the ‘WWW’ of the Internet and ‘666 (the Mark of the Beast)’?

Whatever your answers are, we shall now use an illustrative case to explain it better, and that is:

‘Supposing ‘WWW’ is another way of writing ‘666’ as we have worked out from their evolution, then, another way of writing or typing the prefix address of any website on the address bar of the Internet Explorer like yahoo would be www.yahoo.com or ‘666.yahoo.com!’

Shocking; isn’t it? Do not be tempted to verify if this above disclosure is true by way of rushing to your phone or system browsers to type 666.yahoo.com into the address bar and then, expect it to open the ‘homepage’ of yahoo.com; No, it won’t ! But that time will come soon.

This time would be when the Antichrist appears to the world and starts his reign; the ‘666’ would definitely replace the prefix ‘WWW’ of the Internet address; my prayer is that, you and I (and our loved ones) would be far away (in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ), and not in the world, to see this conversion when it is made (Amen)!

Culled from one of my unpublished books: The Greatest Secret of The Internet (What The Devil Don't Want You To Know About The Internet)!

“I loved my new Church! It was vibrant and exciting to attend service, even weekdays. The Pastor was a talented and charismatic singer cum speaker, the Church was growing and impacting the community, and I felt so blessed to be a part of it all!
We had just relocated to Lagos because my husband was transferred from Port Harcourt to start a new job here. I was still in search of a new job when my husband suddenly changed his behavior towards me. He stayed late nights and rarely talked with me whenever he was at home.
I approached him and asked how I had offended him so I can beg for his forgiveness; he just kept quiet and walked out on me.
I knew no one in Lagos, except the new Church. So, I had to turn to the Church to take away the worry from my heart. I got involved in my new Church. And it didn’t take long before I was participating in many different aspects of ministry, such as heading up the nursery program, planning retreats for the ladies and even preaching and teaching occasionally when called on.
During this time I developed a close relationship with my Pastor and his wife, among others in the Church body. We would all get together after the Sunday service and go to an eatery or their home, enjoying lively conversation and Christian companionship.
There were many times when I would call my husband just before we went, to see if he minded my going. I could hear in his voice that he just wanted me to stay with them – if possible, forever!
Well, as time progressed, I found that I received enormous pleasure and acceptance in my relationship with the Pastor. He became a close friend and mentor and I found myself flattered by his attention and friendship, feeling a type of approval that I had never known.
We began talking on the phone regularly, expanding our relationship beyond the usual get-together with our mutual friends.
Then, there came a turning point one July afternoon. My little boy was napping and I was having my daily phone conversation with the Pastor, when he stepped over the line.
He revealed his interest in me as more than just a friend – he wanted me to be his ‘side chick’! He dug all sorts of scriptural references from the Old Testament why it wasn’t a sin!
So, I gave in and that began the bittersweet season of our lives.
This romantic involvement quickly progressed to an ugly, out-of-control situation, involving my husband and the entire Church. A month or two later, the secret love was growing but I don’t know how the Church got to know!
As you can imagine, my husband was furious when he got to know and after I had confessed to him and pleaded for his forgiveness. He was hesitant but his only consolation was that nothing had happened sexually between the Pastor and me.
Really, the Pastor tried every to start having sex with me the first day we met at our rendezvous; I don’t know how I held still but that was my ‘saving grace’ but if we hadn’t been found out, I knew my resistance would have surely been broken one day.
And believe it or not, it was around this time that my husband became my best friend when I broke down in tears, lamenting that it was his ‘neglect’ that drove me into it!
Trust Nigerians, as blame, accusations and rumors were being tossed around town like hand grenades, but I don’t know how God transformed my husband as he was a shelter for me, becoming a steady source of comfort and forgiveness.
Since then, he is my best friend and closest companion!”

In hindsight, I see three major safeguards that I bypassed. If you, like me, find yourself tempted by a too-close friendship with a man (not necessarily by your Pastors) other than your husband – I believe the following safeguards may be helpful:

1. Trust Your Husband’s Judgment: God intended that my husband would be so much more then “My Other Half.” He is my protector, many times seeing another man’s unrighteous intentions long before I do. He was never comfortable with my close friendship with the Pastor, and while I felt it was OK because it was under the guise of “Church,” he was always wary. Men know how other men operate, just like women know how other women operate; so, trust your man’s judgment!

2. In Transparency There Can Be Restoration: Restoration could only come when I became completely honest with my husband, bringing the whole, ugly situation out into the light. And now, if I ever find myself becoming secretive or evasive, I know it’s time to tell him all that’s going on in my life. Make no mistake, however - the path of restoration was a long and difficult one. It began as I sought out several mature Christian women (women who did not attend the same Church as I had, and so had not been hurt personally by the whole affair) to pray for me and offer me their wise counsel. This prayer time, in conjunction with a determined effort to put my attention on my home and husband, began a healing process that eventually resulted in a restored and happy marriage.

3. There Is Safety In Accountability: One of the greatest ploys of the devil is to divide and separate us from the rest of the body of Christ. As I entered into this romantic friendship with my Pastor, I became more and more secretive and isolated, no longer making myself accountable to my close friends. This is exactly why it is so important to keep a network of good Christian friends that are allowed access into our lives – trustworthy girlfriends that we can pray with and tell absolutely anything too.

Trust, Transparency and Accountability – the safeguards for a happy marriage!
God bless you.

By Kingsley Ugo Okenwa

PH1stBorn:
Sir, I guess u are still drifting away from my point.
First, I did not imply that biblical account of revelations are yet to be fulfilled as some foretold events recorded have come pass while some are yet to be fulfiiled like 1,000 years imprisonment of Satan under Christ Righteous rule (Rev 20:1-3) and restoration of the lost paradise on Earth along with resurrection of the both the Righteous and Unrighteous ones (Act 24:15) and many more events yet to take place.
2ndly,i can not dispute ur claim about time of transformation of Lucifer to Devil bcs, according to Christ who was the first born of God's creation (Colossian1:16-17) Satan d Devil has remained wicked right from the time he began (John 8:44).
3rd, we can not assert authoritatively that Satan cohabited with Adam and Eve in same Garden of Eden just bcs he manipulated the serpent to deceive Eve. As with all Angelic creations of God, Satan has and wield much power and that explain his ability to shuttle between heaven and earth and he knows and envied everything that God created on Earth and not prior the creation of Adam and Eve.
In essence, sir am trying to refute ur believe and convince u that the Demons have not been casted out of Heaven prior to Adam and Eve. Rather Satan's dominion that was extended to the heaven was curtailed and restricted to the Earth only after the resurrected Christ ascended to heaven and later declared war on Satan and his Demons, notice the proclamation of the Angel after Satan and his Demons were hurled down to earth in Revelation 12:10, "I heard a loud voice in heaven say: Now has come to pass the salvation and power and kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers (other holy angels) has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!..11 and they conquered him because of the blood of the lamb..."

the above event could only have taken place after years of Christ ministry on Earth..got it?

Then, what was Satan doing in the garden? And how did he know that God asked them not to eat from the tree with the 'fruit of knowledge of good and evil'? When did Satan transcend from Lucifer to the Devil? Remember - he was called Lucifer; so, when did his fall take place? Are you saying, based on your reference that Satan and the fallen angels are still in heaven? I don't really understand you - if it wasn't before Adam and Even, then, when were Satan and his cohorts cast away from heaven? I'm learning!

PH1stBorn:
Hmmm! That reference was about prophetic proclamation against d Nation Tyre and its haughty king if u read through same Ezekiel 28:1 to d end to understand better. I see no parallel analogy between that to what was foretold in Revelation 12:7-12. Notice that verse 12 says" on this account be glad, you heavens and you who resides in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time."
if the Devil and his Demons were cast out of heaven before the creation of d earth proper, who then was the angel addressing to, through Apostle John in this Revelations knowing that Revelation account of the scripture were meants for events yet to take place?
consider same book of Job1:6-22, u will observed that Satan was still shuttling between the heaven and Earth and was exerting his negative influences on both sides until the final grand climax in Revelations 12:7

Events yet to take place? You seem to be missing the point! When did the transformation of Lucifer to Satan (or the devil) take place - prior or after the creation? If 'after the creation,' how did he know where the Garden of Eden was and importantly, cohabit inside it to deceive Eve? I enjoy your comments, sir and I'm learning! I'm just trying to point out that the demons were on earth prior to Adam and Eve!

otemanuduno:
LIES

Thank you.

PH1stBorn:
wrong and unrelated reference.
the battle in heaven was led by Arch-Angel Michael as pointed by you in Revelation 12:7-9 and this took place after many years of fulfilment of God's prophecy starting from God's pronouncement against the seed of Adam (Jesus/Arch-Angel Michael) and seed of the serpent. Genesis 3[b][/b]:15.
However, its important to note those rebellious angels where not destroyed along with the Nephilims during the great floods (Genesis 7:17,23) rather they were forced to abandon their fleshly bodies and return to heaven as spirit creatures that were no longer welcomed into God's holy family (2peter2:4) hence they aligned with the Devil who became their ruler(Matthew 9:33).So, as can be noted from above, the war was after the creation of man , infact it was a war won by the resurrected Christ, the Arch-Angel Michael, the king of God's kingdom

Please, it is not about who started or led the battle - the basis of that reference is disclose that Satan and his cohorts had been cast out of heaven, down to earth before the creation proper! Though the earth was without void, Satan and his fallen angels were here before mankind - that is the relationship!

CHAPTER ONE

THE REALITY OF DEMONIC SPIRITUAL HUSBAND AND WIFE
(All You Need To Know About Them)

"…Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." Daniel 2:20-22



In context, the term ‘Spiritual Husband’ or ‘Spiritual Wife’ is not mentioned in the Bible but it was coined as a term by the ‘early Church’ to describe the ‘spiritual marriage’ that exists between Jesus, who is the ‘Bridegroom (Spiritual Husband)’ and the Church, who are the ‘Bride (Spiritual Wife)’ – Revelations 19: 7-9:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Likewise Revelations 21:2 says:

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

John was not writing about a ‘literal city’ coming down from Heaven but he was writing about the “New Jerusalem” – the Bride (the Lamb’s wife). Jesus will not marry a literal city of buildings but will marry the New Jerusalem (the Church). Jesus is the Groom and the Church (the Saints) is His bride (the New Jerusalem). Besides, the coinage was to give a clear presentation of Jesus’ parable of ‘the Ten Virgins’ (Matthew 25: 1-13) wherein He likened Himself to the bridegroom that made a surprise appearance at his bride’s home.

On that surprise appearance, we should understand this fact about weddings in Jesus’ day:

“In Jewish society, the parents of the betrothed generally drew up the marriage contract. The bride and groom would meet, perhaps for the first time, when this contract was signed. The couple was considered married at this point but they would separate until the actual time of the ceremony. The bride would remain with her parents, and the groom would leave to prepare their home. This could take quite a while. When the home was all was ready, the groom would return for his bride without notice. The marriage ceremony would then take place, and the wedding banquet would follow.”

Remarkably, John the Baptizer speaks of Jesus Christ as the ‘bridegroom’ – John 3: 29:

“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

Likewise, the Apostle Paul used the bridegroom imagery in 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20:

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

He reminds the Church that they are Jesus’ ‘blood-bought bride’, waiting for the day He would return to take them home. This spiritual marriage is particularly beneficial to the Church as it serves as a reminder to them that they are “betrothed” and as such, should remain faithful until the return of Christ, their bridegroom. Importantly, it is strictly a ‘spiritual relationship’ and does not involve any ‘sexual relationship’.

But the ‘turning point’ is this:

With the intention of using the sanctity of marriage as a ‘portal (right of entry)’ to sexually manipulate and suppress his captives, the Devil impersonates Jesus as ‘an angel of light’ to transform as a ‘bridegroom (spiritual husband)’ – 2 Corinthians 11: 14:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

Though people call it ‘Spiritual Marriage or Spiritual Husband or Wife’, this devilish union is known as ‘Demonic Spiritual Marriage or Demonic Spiritual Husband or Wife’.

The difference in both spiritual relationships is this:

Christ (the real Spiritual Husband) wants to sanctify the Church while but Devil (the Demonic Spiritual Husband cum Wife) wants to enslave his captives and abuse their bodies.

Since this book is concerned with the Demonic Spiritual Husband and Wife, it would be beneficial to all if the term is defined and differentiated so that we can get a grip of what Demonic Spiritual Marriage is all about, particularly on how the Devil or his ‘Fallen Angels’ can interchange as ‘Demonic Spiritual Husbands’ and ‘Demonic Spiritual Wives’.

Demonic Spiritual Marriage can be defined as a marital bondage or sexual slavery wherein the Devil or his Fallen Angels forcefully and completely possess human beings (irrespective of gender) with a view to oppressing them and sexually abusing their bodies.

This definition looks like a fairy tale since some people do not believe that Angels can ‘have sex’ with human since they do not possess ‘sexual organs’ let alone breed through sexual relationship with human. Regardless of the seeming fable on the definition, the Bible would be used to prove it, particularly on the reality of Angels reproducing through sexual contact with human; in fact, there are many biblical proofs to support it.

Genesis 6:1-4 would be presented as the first proof since it is in this passage that the ‘forbidden sex, marriage and mating’ between the Angels and mankind was first recorded:

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

To recap it: The “sons of God (Fallen Angels)” became sexually aroused when they saw how “fair (beautiful with feminine endowments)” the “daughters of men” were and “they took them wives (forceful relationship)” and “came in unto (had sexual intercourse)” them and “they bare children to them (families began through this abominable relationship)”.

Here is another biblical proof – Jude 1: 6-8:

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”

The ‘Fallen Angels (“which keepeth not their first estate, but left their own habitation”)’ are the “filthy dreamers” that defile the “flesh (mankind – man and woman)”.

Do recall the sexual perversion in Sodom and Gomorrha that provoked God and caused Him to destroy the city and her people – the Fallen Angels actually started the sexual perversion as Jude 1: 6-8 had disclosed!

Before we treat this reference (Genesis 6:1-4), be informed that the entire chapters in this book, would be intermittently turned into interactive sessions wherein every anticipated question on any disclosure made, would be tendered and answered so that the minds of the readers can be constructively sensitized and sanitized on the many pieces of disclosure and clarification that would be made on the reality of Demonic Spiritual Husbands and Wives.

Back to the book of Genesis 6:1-4: the first likely question would be based on the ‘true identity’ of these “sons of God” since they seem to be ‘Angels of God’.

The “sons of God” refer to “Angels” in the following passages:

Job 1: 6:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”

Job 2: 1:

“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.”

Job 38: 7:

“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

Thus, the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-2 are the “Fallen Angels”.

The word, “Fallen Angels”, is often mentioned in the world today but many people do not know where it originated from since it cannot be contextually found in the Bible. The origin of this word lies in the Hebrew word for “Giants,” which was first recorded in the book of Genesis 6:4 wherein it was written that:

“There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

The Hebrew word translated as “Giants” in Genesis 6:4 is “Nephilim”, a plural, which itself was derived from the root word “Naphal”, which means to “fall”.

How did they ‘fall’ and became known as the ‘Fallen Angels’?

Though not recorded as a prelude to the book of Genesis, the prelude is this:

Before man was created, there was a battle in heaven between the Angels that were loyal to God and those to Satan in his bid to topple God (Ezekiel 28:14-17). However, Satan and his loyalist-angels lost the war, including their place in heaven as God cast them out from heaven into the earth and as such, the earth became their ‘new home’ – Revelation 12: 7-9:

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Officially, they are the ‘first occupants’ of earth prior to ‘the creation of mankind’.

The Bible (Genesis 1: 2) says that the “earth was without form and void” before the creation; so, it would look like a contradiction to have disclosed that Satan and his fallen angels are the first occupants of earth. Without discrediting the Bible, we should reflect on this:

‘If Satan and his loyalist-Angels were not on earth prior to the creation, how did he locate the Garden of Eden and tempted Eve? How did he know that God had warned them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?’

They were on earth (though void and without form) and knew when God created the world!

Now, God created man with the intention of making Eden his ‘permanent home’ but as man fell, God drove Adam and Eve out of Eden to earth, which incidentally, is the home of Satan and his Fallen Angels. The highlight of this disclosure is in Genesis 3:21:

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

Recall Genesis 2:25 says, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” – now, if they were not ashamed of their unclothedness, why did God make coats of skins and clothed them?

God knew that the Fallen Angels were on earth and also knew what would befall Adam and Even when they start walking around earth in their nudity or partially-covered bodies. So, He protected them by ‘clothing’ them properly well (Genesis 3:21). Do recall also that Adam and Eve had initially “sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” Genesis 3: 7 – God knew the fig leaves were barely covering their bodies and as such, clothed them well.

Based on that disclosure, it is very clear that God knew that their bodies, especially Eve’s (or other females) bodily endowment, would one day, arouse the Fallen Angels. That was why He had to ‘restyle’ their clothes with a long coat (tunics) of skins so that their bodies will be full covered from the prying eyes of the Fallen Angels. ...to be continued!

You have just been treated to the icing on the cake – this is a very short extract from the book – THE SECRETS OF SPIRITUAL HUSBAND AND WIFE ...What You Don’t Know About them (by Kingsley UGO Okenwa).

There are more eye-openers in the main book like how ‘spiritual husbands and wives devirginize (deflower) their captives; the ten major gateways of demonic spiritual husband and wife (how they capture and marry their captives); the strategies of demonic spiritual husband and wife (how they operate on their captives) and the ten major signs of demonic spiritual husband and wife (how to physically identify their captives).’

To order for this book; call 0812 2125 147, 0909 682 6670, 0807 1980 585

Deacon Femi Oluade (not real names), a member of one of the top Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria, was abruptly awoken in the wee hours of the night by the 'text message tone' of his phone - he wanted to ignore it but on second thoughts, feebly stretched his hand and picked up his phone, which was on a Bible beside his bed.
Still very drowsy, he twitched his eyes with anger at the 'SMS intruder'; he opened it - it was an 'alert' that he had won N1.5M in a 'Lottery Jackpot'!
"These 419 boys shaa! They are never tired of sending these scam messages to unsuspecting ones - they think they can fool me!" He thought as he deleted the message and switched off his phone before going back to sleep.
BUT he had a call in the morning,
"Hello, who is on the line?" He asked sarcastically.
"Good morning, Mr Femi, I'm Mrs Tope Kuti, the Public Relations Officer of BET4NAIJA. We sent a confirmatory text to you on the N1.5M jackpot you won from the lottery you played last week and in the next hour, will send you the address of our company for you to come and collect your jackpot prize though it is MANDATORY that you appear in a National Network Television coverage while claiming it!"
He was amazed as it dawned on him - instantly, he recollected how he had 'secretly' played one of the online lottery mobile games.
"Ha! This is a bittersweet news o." He thought as he forced a grin, "I'm very happy about the money because I need it badly BUT what if my Pastors and Christian friends find out about this; surely they will because I would be 'presented' to the world. I'd look like an hypocritical Christian to them. What am I to do?"
Even as he was lost in thoughts between serving God and Mormon OR choosing Christianity and Worldliness, he soberly asked himself, "But is there anywhere in the Bible where lottery (or playing it) was condemned? Is lottery (bet9ja, Naijabet etc) condemned in Christianity? What are the fates of Christians that play lottery?"

Far from the Deacon now, many Christians have found themselves in this crossfire - whether it is scriptural or Christian-like to play lottery OR not? Please, what are your view(s) on this?

By Kingsley UGO Okenwa

Bayo, a businessman, had achieved success in his budding age – he was barely thirty years old and already running his own multi-national companies.
Besides, he was good-looking and well-groomed; he practically had everything a man could possible wish for (national and international business connection, and the wherewithal to wine and dine with the elites).
But one thing was lacking – a GOOD HOME; aside that, he was the perfect story of a fulfilled life.
He had a beautiful wife and two kids but his home was like a ‘cemetery,’ to him – there was no bond between him and his wife. He comes in and she serves him his food and retires into her bedroom – no room for conversation or any familiarities.
Albeit it wasn’t the fault of his wife because Bayo lived like an emperor while she then chose to be his abiding servant, pending when he understood that marriage is all about ‘similitude’ and not ‘servitude’ or ‘seclusion (Bayo’s fault though)’.
He had spent months after close of work, hanging from one club to the other, but then, he realized that wasn’t the best way to bring the spark in his home. He began to wonder.

Like Bayo, many men have asked this question once or twice in their lives, particularly in periods of frustration with their dating or marital lives – What does a woman really want in her man?
As men seek for long-term relationships that culminate to blissful marriages, here are some peculiarities women want in their men:

1. A Man Who Has His Priorities Straight: Some men are totally into themselves. These are the men who get up, go running, go to work for ten or more hours, come home, eat dinner, watch television, and go to bed. There is only room in their lives for them and their schedule, and you seldom hear of them doing something for others – WOMEN don't want this! We want a man who can limit his work and "self" time to do good deeds for others. We want a man whose priorities are God, family, work, and then self.

2. A Man Who Will Listen To Them And Respond In Love: Men, it is so rude to pretend to be listening to the females in your life while you are really reading the newspaper or watching the ‘Super Eagles’ or other foreign clubs they are fanatical about. When your woman talks, she wants to know she is the most important thing to you at that time. Trust us, women know when you are really listening to them and when you are pretending. Also, if we are having a rough day, react in sympathy, even if you aren't as emotional as we are. We often just want to know that someone cares. Give your lady a hug, and tell her how special she is to you – be an encourager and a good listener.

3. A Man Who Does Not "Commands" Them Around, Saying They Are To Be "Submissive": Please, do not take the Bible out of context. Remember, when you are married someday, the first command for you is to "Love Your Wife" as Christ loved the Church. If you love her this much (and that's an awful lot), she will want to submit to you. But submission is not being a doormat or being bossed around. If that's what you think, then you will probably be looking for a long time for the "right" woman.

There are other things but if you get these three things right, you are in the right course to making your home an el-Dorado. However, men need to pep up those three peculiarities with: treating women right, like ladies. Open the door for us. Visit us once in a while at our workplaces (with meals cooked by you). Get them flowers. Be clean and well-groomed.
Men, if you follow these principles, your dates will be more frequent and you may even find yourself walking down the wedding aisle sooner than you ever thought possible, and even bringing the spark into your home, unlike Bayo!

By Kingsley UGO Okenwa

[center]A GAME GONE TOO FAR
...The Seduction Of A Lagos Housewife!
Script and Adaptation: Kingsley UGO Okenwa
[/center]


“Ronke Shonde was cheating on her husband; or didn’t you read in the newspapers that her former boss confirmed to the Police that she and her alleged lover were former colleagues and left his company in a month’s interval?” a male passenger, who was in suit said, as he turned to a woman on the back seat and then, raised his voice as he continued, “So, if nothing was going on, why did they leave that company, almost at the same time, and why did they later link up in Abuja? I’m sad that she died but she was definitely cheating on her husband.”

“Ehen, even if she was cheating nko, was that why Lekan beat her up and then, killed her? Oga see, can Lekan swear with his life that he did not, not once but on multiple-times, cheated on Ronke?” the female passenger fired back and went on as she stammered with an emotion-clad voice, “Even… Even… Even if he had his evidences, why didn’t he approach his in-laws or confront her lover than to callously waste her life? God will punish that man – he no go die better! It is men, like him, that ought to be thrown into Lions’ den. Yeye man!”

“Cheating or not, no man has the right to hit or beat any woman, let alone take her life. Though women cheat just as much as men do, men cover their tracks better. Men actually cheat more!” an elderly bespectacled female passenger chipped in with a cool tone.

Abi o… Men are the worst culprit in this cheating game – they will chop and clean their mouths as if they didn’t do anything.” Another younger female passenger carried on, “It is just that we, women, are easy to fool. I am yet to see a man who won’t cheat on his wife when given that chance. All men are the same!”

The conductor, who was alternating between listening to the conversation and ‘shadowing’ for passengers, tucked his head into the bus and cut in, “If men dey cheat or pursue women, no be women dem cause am? Na so-so short and tight dresses una dey wear. All una body go come show and point out yakata. No be food wey you give dog, dog go pursue chop?”

All the passengers burst into laughter!

“Please Lagosians, a point of correction here: it is not all men that cheat on their women. There are some men who are different. Yes, men who are the real men.” Another male passenger, who had earlier conducted a ‘bus evangelism’, challenged the other woman, as he continued, “By the grace of God, I am a Pastor and since I married my wife I have never…”

“Abeg, make we hear word joor. Na Pastors own worse pass sef! You have never done wetin? I dey follow you waka go everywhere?” A third female passenger, at the last seat, angrily retorted – from her look, it was obvious she’s a trader as she reeked of the acrid scent of onions – and chided him, “All of una na the same thing except the one wey no get that ‘thing’ between his two legs. No be one yeye Pastor for my area RAPE one small five-year-old girl with the pretence say he wan do deliverance on her. Men who are the real men koh; Men who are the real men nii. Mscheew.”

He was very peeved and raised his eyebrows but before he could react, the bus went up into an uproar as everyone started talking at the top of their voices and wanted to be heard at the same time – they tried to outwit themselves on whose point was more convincing or authoritative.

The ‘danfo’ bus was like a warzone; a war between the male and females folks or as you might put it – the battle of the sexes.

I don’t know how the conversation began because I boarded the bus mid-way into the journey but all the while they pondered on the Late Ronke Shonde’s predicament and painful exit while correlating with other men and women’s, I was unresponsive because I had my own marital problem – a problem that had been tearing my home and life apart for long, to kill me like Ronke’s!

Shortly, I bent my head and started daydreaming of my once-upon-a-time happy marriage. My home used to be the ‘cynosure of all eyes’. My marriage was near perfect, so I thought by then. People looked up to my husband and I as the ideal couples. My home was an el-Dorado.

Many people moulded their homes and marriages like ours – we were the talk of the town; the perfect example but here I was, in a bus, lamenting the sad turn of fortune of my home. Tears started trickling down my cheeks. I quickly brought out my handkerchief from my handbag and dried my eyes with lest other passengers see them and start wondering what had suddenly gotten over me.

Hard as I tried not to, my mindset randomly took a repulsive flashback to the humiliation I suffered in the hands of my husband and mother-in-law about twenty minutes ago – a humiliation that I well deserved if I were not miserly with the truth.

A tear trickled down as I looked outside the window and tried to take my mind away from my problem. Even as the passengers were still arguing though one or two had drawn back from the conversation, I began ruminating on the issue: “Who cheats more – man or woman?”
Really, the media are abound with cases of marital disputes and separations – celebrities or not – but if you take a telescopic look into the cause of these problems, it has a lot to do with ‘the other man or the other woman – a third person in the relationship’!

Yes, so much sacrifices and tolerance go into keeping a relationship going but when things begin to fall apart, sometimes one or both parties look to other persons to satisfy their needs.

Whether the reason for cheating is convincing – boredom or temptation – many couples have to battle with the reality of cheating, but which party is more often the victim and which is the perpetrator – who cheats more, men or women?

I once read in an online platform wherein a man said, “For sure it is men who are more likely to be unfaithful. The Nigerian culture and mentality support men and their promiscuity. Men are guiltier than women when it comes to having affairs, especially if you take into consideration their constant bragging about their sexual escapades. Women tend to be more loyal sexually than men.”

But a female marriage counsellor strangely thought otherwise as she expounded, “Some people may want to deny this; however, I personally believe that women cheat more. They are just better at hiding it. Men find it harder to detect when a woman cheats as she is more discreet about it. We are always one step ahead of them, especially when it comes to having our girlfriends on our side to back up our cover story. Women don’t get caught in the act as much as men do. Women are craftier and sneakier when it comes to these things. If a woman does her thing right, the man wouldn’t even have a clue! We are more secretive and experts at keeping secrets. Up until now I don’t know some things about my girlfriend and I know she will never tell me. I have learnt to live with that. Just like how I would learn to live with cheating. What I don’t know won’t kill me.”

As for me, I would say both – yes, man and woman cheat. Cheating is not a man or woman thing, it is just who gets caught in the end.

Just the way I cheated with naivety and my husband caught me red-handed – here I was, wishing I didn’t. This is my story! To be continued...
While we await the continuation, I welcome readers’ comments on ‘Who really cheat more – male or female?’

I couldn’t believe my eyes; this couldn’t be the Dupe I had known, married and shared my life with! She used to be an angelic beauty; but the Dupe before me was something else! Her appearance wasn’t the type of sight any kid should see or else, he would have sleepless nightmares to contend with; not when she was only and haggardly dressed in a faded and patched wrapper, which was barely covering her cleavage. Her once upon a time curly hairs were now grimy and messy; as for her face, it was wrinkled and drooping, while her body had become covered with dust all over!
Instantly, I started crying, “Oh God; the Devil has gotten me where it hurts me most! God, where were you when the Devil was launching this attack against my family? Please, help me and fight this battle, please!”
I wasn’t waiting for God to answer me right away; so, I quickly recomposed myself and took a few steps towards Dupe and the policewomen. The moment the Policewomen noticed my presence beside them, they quickly tied Dupe’s hands and legs, and made way for me.
I was now standing in front of Dupe; I intensified my tears, as I couldn’t withstand the sight of seeing her struggling to free herself from the bondage, as she was mercilessly tied as if she were a wild animal.
But even in her captivity, instead of crying, Dupe was laughing hysterically and she was salivating excessively, even as she continued to struggle to untie herself.
All the scenes that were showing before me were just like dreams; somehow, I found my voice and pleaded with one of the policewomen to untie her hands, but she resisted and retorted in pidgin English, “Oga, I no fit to go near her alone. Shebi you see say even as we be four against her, she nearly overpower us. So, I no fit to untie her alone; this woman be like real wild animal now; you no see where she bite me for hand; the place still dey pain me like say na lion bite me there, but if you wan show say you be champion, you fit to go untie her yourself, but as for me, count me out!”
I was really aggrieved with the policewoman; why did she call Dupe, the love of my life, a wild animal; instantly, I reprimanded her, “Madam O.C, please control your tongue; don’t ever call my wife a mad woman again or else…!”
She looked at me disdainfully and said mockingly, “Oga, no vex ooo; after you finish your lover boy yarn, you go give me money wey I go take go hospital and pay for treatment. Since you say this woman na your wife, na you dey responsible for the money wey I go take buy the ‘Tetanus’ injection for hospital, otherwise, she go remain for cell!”
I had even forgotten about the mischief of the Police Force; well, I ignored her and moved closer to Dupe. As soon as I approached her, she looked up, and we exchanged glances; instantly, our eyes became interlocked to each other’s. It was like she had recognized me because she opened her mouth wide and bent her head in shame.
Instantly, I felt for her and with tears in my eyes, knelt beside her and gradually, stroked her hair and chin and later on, untied the ropes the policewomen had used to bind her hands. Although, Dupe’s body had a putrid odor since she hadn’t taken her bath for quite a long time; that did not put me off as I embraced her and kissed her face and head.
Afterward, I broke free from the embrace and started to warm up her wrist as I made to restore the flow of blood on her hand. Shortly, I placed my hands on her head and closed my eyes to pray for her but momentarily; she sprang a surprise at me as she pinned me down, gripped my neck and gave me a painful bite on my cheek.
Instantly, I cried out so loud with pain that the policewomen started laughing at me; I wasn’t bothered about their jest, I was only bothered about separating myself from the painful grip of Dupe. So, I continued struggling to extricate myself from her, but she was stronger than me as she sank her nails deeper into my face, scratched and drew blood out of it.
Immediately, I was annoyed and decided to fight her back; so, I clenched my fist and tried to hit her in order to break free from her; but the moment I lifted my fist, I couldn’t bring it down to hit her because as soon as I looked into her eyes, I recognized who I was about to hit; Dupe, my wife!
I reneged on that because even if Dupe was now mad, she still remains my wife, and there is just no way I could bring myself up, to hit her or fight her; this I have never done to her and this I will never do; so, I switched to wrestling off her hands from my face. It wasn’t an easy battle, as I couldn’t do it all alone; if not for the police officers, who later decided to salvage the situation by rescuing me from her murderous grip, Dupe would have torn me to pieces. I wonder where she had gotten this power from; even with her legs tied, she had easily overpowered me.
Right away, I pleaded with them to tie her back and haul her to my car; this they hearkened to, but on the ground that I first of all, see their Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who was in the adjacent office, for approval. So, I went to the DPO’s office, where I was made to sign some papers before I was allowed custody of Dupe. But before that approval, he debriefed me on how they were able to capture Dupe.
According to him, Dupe was captured in Ogun State, where she was reported to have been causing a stare by walking naked all over the cities of Ogun State. However, her arrest was made possible because the Lagos State Police Command had alerted all the Police Command in the western region concerning Dupe’s disappearance in Lagos.
Subsequently, when the Police Headquarters in Ogun State got wind of an unidentified naked mad woman, who had been causing a stare in the towns of Ogun State, they apprehended her and cross-examined the details of the missing person, which the Lagos State Police Command had submitted to them, and found out that the description fitted the mad woman’s. So, she was later detained and transferred to Lagos State for proper identification, where she was eventually confirmed and confined.
I was really taken aback with the piece of news that Dupe had walked all the way from Lagos to the cities of Ogun, as a NAKED MAD WOMAN. I was really ashamed and prayed none of my close acquaintances had seen her unclothedness (if you are a man, you will understand how I felt). Somehow, I thanked the DPO and drove with the same alarming speed back home with Dupe, lying at the back seat of my car.
All through my drive back home, I shed tears as I used my car interior mirror to behold Dupe, lying and panting on the backseat of my car, tied like a wild animal. Soon, my brain started to replay the past scene in the police station; I was really confused on how to handle the problem and disgrace as the husband of a MAD WOMAN!
Somehow, amid the distraction, I arrived safely and drove into my garage; I was glad when I noticed that my Church members had all decided to wait for my return all those while in spite of my resentment to them. So, after the pleasantries, I gesticulated to them to come over to the backseat of my car!
When they got there, they were all in shock and shouted when they saw her in bond (hands and legs) like a criminal – it was a real humiliation to my wife but there was no other way I could have conveniently transported her back home.
Shortly, some of them started crying while others burst into heavy prayers. Somehow, they recomposed themselves and assisted me in carrying Dupe into my apartment, where I was allowed to relax briefly before I started to explain Dupe’s new state of mind coupled with the unpleasant scene in the police station along with the DPO’s account.
Trust the Pentecostalism in my members, they swiftly drew a line between the source and solution of the madness; the source of course, was the DEVIL, who they believed, chose to breakdown my ministry by tormenting Dupe, who the Devil alleged was my LIVEWIRE. And this I must confess to you all, that the Devil really got the bull’s eye there because Dupe was all I cared about, and her disappearance had really broken me down because since her disappearance, I had even forgotten that I was a Pastor and subsequently, had refused to hold or attend any service in the Church; in short, I handed the Church to my Associate Pastor while I tried to sort myself out!
As for the solution; it’s not farfetched! PRAYER, of course! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, 'For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;'
More so, Prayer is, and always will remain, the key that opens the door to God’s help and blessing! ‘Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.’ (Psalms 91:14-15).
So, this we did by conducting an instant deliverance on Dupe; but brethren believe you me that it took up to four days of intensive dry fasting and prayers before Dupe could regain her sanity! But I must sermonize here that we would have achieved our desired result earlier than those four days if we had prayed according to the problem. How? I’ll tell you!
All through the days that our deliverance prayers on Dupe prevailed, we were erroneously praying against our ‘Household Enemies and Unfriendly Friends’, who we thought must have been used by the Devil to cause Dupe’s madness. We never knew that these prayers should have been directed to the powers behind the madness, and not the body or human they use to cause the madness.
You see, most Christians often make the mistake of praying that their Household enemies should be destroyed. For instance, if a person’s mother happens to be a witch and probably, had been hampering the person’s success in life; brethren, instead of such a person to start praying for his mother’s destruction, why not pray for her salvation. You see, when the person prays and his mother eventually dies, the person has only succeeded in killing her and not the ‘witchcraft spirit’ in her!
Definitely, this same ‘witchcraft spirit’ will continue hovering the sky until it sees another person to descend and possess but then, such a person in question, has succeeded in killing the flesh, and not the spirit. The bible even buttresses it in Ephesians 6:12, 'For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.'
So, I hope you did understand my short sermon there and now, back to my story; on the third day of the prayers for the restoration of Dupe’s sanity, I discovered that we weren’t making any progress. So, I excused myself and went to my bedroom, where I stripped myself naked, and started rolling on the ground amid crying for four hours without even saying any word. Although, I tried to open my mouth to pray, but the burden just wouldn’t allow me to voice out my prayers. So, I resolved to crying when my spirit suddenly went into a trance and right there, God showed me the source of Dupe’s Madness; ME, of course!
In my trance, God took me back to an incident, which happened about two weeks ago in my Church. It was actually when I was rounding off the evening service with an ‘Altar Call’ for deliverance prayers when a certain sister, who I later found out to be heavily possessed by the devil, came to me and beseeched me for prayers.
Well, being a loving Pastor, I called her to the pulpit and started praying and casting out the demonic spirit in her, but it took me quite a time before I could cast out the demonic spirit. But then, as most Pastors erroneously do, I failed to redirect the ‘Demonic Spirit’ somewhere, just as Christ had done in the book of Mark 5: 1-13, '...For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand and were choked in the sea.’
It might sound strange but it’s true that the moment I cast out the demonic spirit from the sister and failed to redirect it somewhere; instead, the Devil redirected the ‘demonic spirit’ to my wife and from that same evening, she went mad and walked away from my home.
You see, it is my belief that God allowed the demonic spirit to torment my wife so that I will have a better understanding of the anointing of ‘casting out demonic spirits’. Accordingly, I would advise fellow pastors that they shouldn’t just cast out demonic spirits and allow them to go free like that; but we should follow the path of Christ by redirecting them to a place, where they will never torment any human being again.
You see, if you don’t do this, trust the devil to always come back after you; if not to you; he’ll surely go after your cherished ones, just as he had done to me. Has it not surprised Christians that it is often Church Leaders or Pastors’ children, who commit the most grievous crime in the world today? If you doubt me, visit any of our prisons today, you’ll be humiliated to see many Pastors’ children in detention for one crime or the other. Or visit any universities today; you’ll be amazed to see many Pastors’ daughters, who dress in skimpy dresses. How about the hotels, just go there and you’ll be tongue-tied to see pastors’ daughter as harlots and their sons as customers.
Please, don’t blame them; it is the boomerang of their parents’ error in prayers, just as I did!
Well, I’ll conclude it with this popular euphemism, "People Who Live In Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones". Suffice it to say that if you do not know how to cast out and redirect demonic spirits, don’t even attempt it; instead, consult a tested Pastor!
Back to my story, moments later, I came out of my trance and quickly, returned to my sitting room, where I found the other brethren still battling in prayers to save Dupe; though, there prayers were still meeting a brick wall. So, I stopped them and confessed how I had played an integral part in the saga of Dupe’s insanity.
Instantly, I re-channeled our prayers and soon, the demonic spirit came out of her but this time around, I was not going to make that mistake again. So, we redirected the demonic spirits to the abyss and decreed it never to torment anybody again.
Well, not to bore you any longer with my story, I’ll like to conclude with this short sermon again. Previously, I was against the sense of other Pastors, who use their wives and family members as their deputies; I have since seen the wisdom behind it. The more your wife and every other member of your family are into the same ministry with you, the more they will become powerful in God and definitely, they would have a strong spiritual resistance against any demonic attack or otherwise! The bible even supports it in the book of Proverbs 27:17, 'Iron sharpeneth iron…’
As per Dupe, she is of course hale and hearty now, but right now, she’s my associate Pastor; in short, my entire family is fully committed to the ministry and of course, fortified better than ever. But before I close my testimony; remember that, ‘If you are not called into the Deliverance Ministry (Romans 12: 4-, don‘t force yourself into it. It is only God that chooses who He wants in a particular Ministry. The Deliverance Ministry is a Battle ground and not a jamboree, or else, you would be causing a big problem for your family.’
And this I must briefly confess about a Pastorate friend of mine, who made the same mistake just like I did. It happened like this: Being a powerful man of God, a Church member brought his brother, who was a mad man to him, for prayers; the Pastor instantly prayed and cast out the mad spirit from the man, but he failed to redirect the spirit. So, unfortunately for him, the devil capitalized on his mistake and redirected the mad spirit to the pastor’s wife, who was not that too strong in the Lord. Instantly, she became mad and as I am writing this story, today would mark the eighth year of her madness; there is nothing he hadn’t done to restore her sanity; he had gone to the mountain, fasted and prayed, and even taken her to other anointed Pastors, but up till now, the woman is still walking the streets of Lagos as a mad woman!
To that, you might say, ‘Different strokes for different folks!’ or you might start to query God’s impartiality on this concerning my case, but for your answer, read Romans 9: 15-16, 'For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.' God bless you!

(Dedicated To All Ministers Of God)

Narrator: Rev. Dr. Tayo Adetoun
Adaptation & Script: Kingsley Ugo Okenwa
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My tastefully furnished apartment was silent save for the murmurings, which were emanating from some sympathetic members of my Church, who had besieged and turned my home to a ‘Shiloh’ of a sort in a bid to commiserate with me since Dupe, my wife, mysteriously disappeared from my home about two weeks ago.
Although, we were all comfortably seated in my sitting room, I was seated on one of the single settees, which was opposite theirs; but I was less concerned about their condolences since I was panicky and roaming endlessly in thought between the puzzling disappearance of Dupe and the odds of seeing her again, as today would mark the second week of her strange disappearance.
My fear arose from the fact that the neighborhood was clouded by the dreadful fad of ‘kidnapping and killing for ritual purposes.’
As I was still saturated in my thought and restlessness, I became confronted by the fearful possibility that had been haunting me all these while; “It was quite possible that Dupe could have been kidnapped and right about now, killed and used for ritual or money-making purposes?”
Instantly, I rebuked the thought, “No! I resist that thought in the name of Jesus Christ! No, Dupe can’t be dead; she’s covered by the blood of Jesus!”
Even as I exhibited my faith in God, I continued to bewail my predicament since I was yet to get the explanation to my question that, “Where could Dupe have gone to, for the past two weeks without even caring to tell me or any of our children her destination; or even caring to take any of her personal belongings along?”
As I was still beckoning for an answer, the brethren, who had all converged in my home to console me and intercede on my behalf in prayers, disconnected me from my lonesome thought, as they suddenly burst into prayers amid praising God with this song;
“He got the whole world, in His Hand;
He got the whole wide world, in His Hand;
He got the whole world, in His Hand;
He got the whole world in His Hand!”
Immediately, I glanced at them and swiftly, studied all their faces while their eyes were all closed in prayers. I quickly took a list of their personalities as they continued to sing and pray; accordingly, I was able to distinguish my Associate Pastor flanked by other Junior Pastors, Departmental Heads, and some Church members. And for the first time since they had been coming to my home to commiserate with me, I really appreciated their visit!
Suddenly, my mind wandered back to the song they had just rendered a couple of minutes ago; I hissed at the conception of the song as it was evident that my faith in God was about to wane. As I condemned the impression of the song in my thought, suddenly, I started to slam God sarcastically, “He got the whole world in His Hand indeed! If God really has the whole world in His Hand, why hasn’t He assisted us in locating the whereabouts of my wife up till now? After all, we had prayed, fasted and done all we could do as Christians; so, why is God yet to prove Himself as the supernatural God He claim He is? If God really cared for ‘His Generals’ like He always said He does, why couldn’t He take care of my entire family since I, as one of God’s Generals, was at the warfront of the Christian race, leaving my family behind to the mercy of God?”
As I condemned God, it was obvious that my flesh had eventually possessed the better part of me for the first time since I heeded the call to serve God as a Pastor. I knew it would be a great disappointment to some Christians that I, a Pastor, who ought to be preaching and practicing ‘Longsuffering’, have done the scandalous, by condemning God.
Well, they shouldn’t blame me; though, I don’t even care what they might feel about me; all I care about is the reappearance of Dupe, my wife, of about eight years of blissful marriage.
As I was about to launch another rude word against God on His nonchalance in spite of the fact that I was languishing in the pains of the disappearance of my wife, a ‘still voice’ suddenly reproved me, “Tayo, stop dishonoring your mission as a Pastor! In comparison with other great Prophets of old, your problems and temptations cannot be compared with theirs’; yet, they kept their mouth shut and continued with their ministrations. For instance, Prophet Ezekiel never said a word when God told him that He would kill his beloved wife as cited in the book of Ezekiel 24: 15-18, 'Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.’ Tayo, since you have started to condemn God now, how would you preach to people about the joy in suffering and enduring for Christ? So Tayo, I would advise you to stop condemning God and instead, continue praying that God will protect your wife and bring her back home. So, retrace your steps and plead for forgiveness now.”
I felt bad and speechless in the course of my reprimand from the ‘still voice’; immediately, I bent my head in shame, closed my eyes and made a silent prayer of forgiveness. I was really heartbroken as I pleaded for clemency from God. In the course of my prayers, my conscience took a flashback to the root of my sudden rebuke of God. Instantly, I realized that I had not been faithful and grateful to God, who had preserved me and my family’s lives all these years coupled with the free redemption we had received through the death of Jesus Christ. I really felt bad that I had disappointed Jesus and also, dishonored my calling as a Pastor.
Briskly, I began to shed hot tears as I took another flashback on my life with Dupe.
My name just as you must have known by now is Rev. Dr. Tayo Adetoun, though I’m sorry to confess that this is not my real name; I decided to use anonymity to counter the negative or positive feedbacks my testimony might generate; but one fact remains that I am one of the foremost and popular Pastors in Lagos! Also, it might or not interest you to know that I am the Senior Pastor or what some Pastors prefer to call ‘General Overseer/Superintendent’, of one of the largest Pentecostal Churches in Lagos (don’t start guessing Churches now, instead, read my testimony and get the message behind it).
Marital wise, I am married to the most loving and considerate wife on earth, and blessed with two brilliant kids (do I even call myself a widower now since I hadn’t seen Dupe for close to two weeks now).
Talking about Dupe, we had been married for close to eight years before her sudden disappearance. Prior to our marriage, Dupe was a Lawyer, and even after our marriage, I still encouraged her to continue practicing law. You see, I do not belong to the class of Pastors, who use their wives as their Associate Pastors; although, Dupe was very spiritual and active in my ministry, I still preferred her serving as a backbencher in the running of the Church.
Please, don’t misinterpret that I’m condemning other Pastors, who use their wives as their Deputies in their various ministries; but I am just a staunch believer of equality, transparency and accountability in the House of God; so, I preferred to engage the services of other members of my Church as the Administrators than use Dupe, as one. Nevertheless, Dupe held sway in the Church as the Departmental Head of the ‘Women Ministry’, but she rarely mounted the pulpit to preach or deputize for me in my absence.
However, other Pastorate friends of mine had often advised me, to proclaim Dupe as my deputy, since she was very spiritually and professionally competent in managing the Church; but to this, I repeatedly turned my back against that, “The Church Was Not A ‘Family Ministry’, But A ‘Public Ministry’!” I wished I had known better than that!
Factually, Dupe’s leadership quality in the Women Ministry was faultless; the way she coordinated her department very well, really contributed immensely to the enlargement of the membership of my Church. However, being a submissive wife and an educated woman, she never pressurized me to listen to my friend’s advice concerning her ordination; but she often pleaded with me on her own volition that she wanted to serve and commit herself more in the Church than just serving as the Head of the ‘Women Ministry’.
NO; that was always my assertion to her! I always stood my ground; not that I was the bossy type of husband; but the truth is that, ‘God’s ministry is a very dangerous mission; I do not want to involve the life of any other member of my family into this spiritual war. I loved them and wanted them far away from the attacks of the enemy, and this you would agree with me!’
Nonetheless, Dupe wouldn’t want to listen to any of that; she argued that there was nothing different from acting as a Pastor and an ordinary member. To her, so far as we are Christians; we are all exposed to the attack of the enemy. She even disclosed to me that she had been called of God to drop her gown and wig and pick up her cassock in completely serving God as a Pastor.
For where? I asked her to tell God to show me a vision that will confirm her call before I will permit her ministry! I was still waiting for the vision when I returned home from the Church one evening, and found out that Dupe had suddenly gone missing. Since her disappearance, I had scooped everywhere to find her for the past two weeks, but all attempts had proved abortive. Even the Police, Church members/friends, Family members had also done everything possible to locate her but up till now; she was nowhere to be found.
Though, I was still floating in my thoughts all these while; I became pricked in my heart, and felt a trickle of tears drop on my cheek as soon as I coherently recollected that Dupe was really missing; it was like my flashback had briefly taken my mindset off my problems.
Back to the reality, I was still thinking about Dupe, when my Nokia handset suddenly rang out and repulsively, revived my consciousness. It rang so loud that it also disrupted the prayers of my Church members, who had been praying all these while I was in my thoughts.
Instantly, I got up and picked up my handset from the center table; I snooped at the Caller’s identity but I couldn’t make out the identity since the caller had used an unregistered number.
So, with a shaky finger, I punched the receiving key as I carefully placed the set on the left side of my earlobes and said with a faint voice, “Hello! Who’s on the line?”
An unfamiliar voice quickly resounded from the other line, “Hello! Is that Pastor Tayo?”
“Yes!’ I replied with a soft voice as I continued, “Who am I speaking with?”
“Oh Pastor; this is Sergeant Balogun of the Police Headquarters, Yaba. I’m the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) handling the case of your wife’s mysterious disappearance. It’s like you have suddenly forgotten me since we met barely two weeks ago at the Force Headquarters?” the now familiar voice replied amid the joy that was building in his tone.
“Oh pardon me, I remember you now but your voice sounded a little bit husky than the first time we met in the station; could probably be due to the static in the line. So, have you heard anything about my wife lately?” I inter-switched my familiarity with a query.
“Em…em…em… Pastor, something like that!” he faltered as he continued while I awaited the worst from him, “There’s actually a new development; we have actually found your wife but there is a bad twist to it!”
“What bad twist? Please tell me now, is my wife dead?” I anxiously retorted.
“No Pastor; she’s alive but …!” he suddenly went silent.
“But what? But what, please tell me!” I stammered as I pleaded with him in a sobbing voice.
Instantly, my moaning drew the attention of the brethren in my apartment; and soon, they stopped praying and strained their ears to eavesdrop to the telephone conversation, while the Police Officer continued.
“Sir, I’m sorry; I can’t say it online; its better you came to the Station. We’ll let the cat out of the bag as soon as we see you; but it would be unprofessional for me as a police officer to squeal out to you on the phone.” he continued to play the iron curtain to my prying question.
I wasn’t buying that mannerism! I wasn’t going to drop the line without scooping out Dupe’s predicament from him; so, I barked with a stern voice, “O.C., please tell me now; I want to know what the bad twist is, and please, RIGHT NOW!”
It took an eternity before he squealed out, “Pastor, since you are adamant to know through the phone line, I’ll give it to you raw; we have found your wife but SHE IS NOW MAD!”
It was like the word ‘MAD’ was an alien language to me as I queried with disbelief, “Do you mean, Mad as in CRAZY, INSANITY, and LUNATIC!”
He retorted with a piteous voice, “Yes Pastor, your wife is now a MAD WOMAN!”
I didn’t believe it, “You mean Dupe, my wife is now a MAD WOMAN!” I asked again, scarcely believing what I had just heard.
“Pastor, you just heard me right; your wife is right here with us in the station, but she is giving us a hell of a problem, she is mad and really causing a terrible scene here! Sir, it’s better you came to the station right away as I strongly believe that your presence and prayers might probably calm her madness!” he concluded and disconnected the line while I remained open-mouthed as the other brethren stared at me, expecting me to debrief them about the conversation that had just ensued between me and the police officer.
Even as they all stared at me, I ignored their prying eyes and swiftly, picked up my car keys from the table, and took a fast run down the garage, where I boarded my car, revved the engine and drove off at a fast speed to the Police Station.
Somehow, I got to the police station in one good piece; I wondered how I did not bash anybody’s car or even, knocked down any pedestrian. Instantly, I parked and alighted from my car, and rushed into the police station, where I saw about four hefty policewomen wrestling with Dupe, my wife.
They weren’t actually fighting her, but just trying to prevent her from stripping herself naked; it took quite a long time before they could quell her. And during all those time, I stared in disbelief at my once upon a time beautiful but now, tattered looking mad wife.

....to be continued!