11/12
MAN FOR THE SWORD.
EPISODE 11
written by Nnenne uju izuanagbara.
THE OWL CRIED SO LOUD. CHINONSO SPOKE IN THE HOLY GHOST ton-gueS SO LOUD TOO. SOON UKADIKE’S BROTHER ACCOMPANIED WITH DEVOTEES OF UMIAKU ARRIVED. NKIRU RAN INTO THE HOUSE.
-UKADIKE, his brother shouted. you are going against the gods of your forefathers. You are causing havoc. St©p what you are doing now or face the consequences.
MAZI UKADIKE WAS SHIVERING.
-No, Chinonso shouted. you st©p what you are doing or face the consequences.
THE MEN WHERE SHOCKED.
-ukadike, tell this little c0ckroach to keep his mouth shut. This is none of his business.
-you said? None of my business ? your evil turned my brothers and me into frustration. We suffered lack, hunger, on this we lost our eldest brother dubem. And you say this is none of my business.
THE MEN WERE FURIOUS. UKADIKE’S BROTHER SAID.
-Ukadike, warn your son.
-I am warning you, chinonso replied. Leave my father out of this, FACE ME!!!
UKADIKE TURNED TO HIS SON CHINONSO.
-Nonso, plea-se, go inside, plea-se my son. These people are deadly. plea-se go inside and st©p praying.
-Papa, I will not. Matthew 5:15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it un-der a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house”. I am not meant to be inside at this time. I am a carrier of light. I am on a lampstand, I must radiate. Some elements of darkness nee-ds to be silenced. My bible says, “That light shines in darkness and darkness cannot comprehend. I will not go inside.
-Chinonso, ukadike called, plea-se my son, listen to the words of your father. Go inside.
-papa, Go inside. You have suffered enough. These men have r!pp£dyou off enough. Go inside and relax for this day, salvation has come to this house because I am a seed of Abr@ham. The Lord will fight for youand we will hold our peace. Go inside.
MAZI UKADIKE WENT INSIDE. CHINONSO TURNED TO HIS BROTHERS.
-Brother chukwudi and brother uzonna, are you afraid? if you are, plea-se go in with papa. This battle is not for the chicken hearted.
-No, we are not afraid. Uzonna replied. I personally, I am not afraid. Today we will settle this score. Today Marks the end of suffering, poverty, set back and untimely death in this family.
-Nonso my brother, chukwudi called.since you led me to christ, I see changes in my life. I am not afraid. If I go inside, I might still die. It is better I die fighting than I die running away. I will stand together with you and together we shall fight this battle in the name of Jesus.
UKADIKE’S BROTHER AND THE DEVOTEES OF UMIAKU GOT ANGRY.
-Ukadike, we warned you. You have lost two sons yet you refused to listen. You there engage the gods of this family in a fight? you dare put your sons as challenge with the gods? You shall suffer for it. You will hear from UMIAKU. Umunna (my brothers) let us go.
CHINONSO LAUGHED. HE LIFTED HIS VOICE AND SANG.
-Jehovah shammah ibu mmiri oooo
(Jehovah shammah you are the water)
HIS BROTHERS RESPONDED.
-Ibu mmiri eji emennu oku n’erere.
(you are water that quenches a burning fire)
-hahahahaha, ebube Jesuuuuuusssss.(Jesus the Glorious one) otiri Pharoah mmanwu.(he who dealt with pharoah) Oga nganga n’elu ogwu.(he who walks MAJESTICALLY on thorns) Aka gbajiri igwe kpo ya nku. (the hand that broke metal and called it wood) oloro ihe loro enyi loro enyi.(he who swallowed what what swallowed elephant ) Onye nwere gi nwere usu nke ndu agha(he who has you has an army) Jesuuuuuusssssss, the hour has come!!! Arise in your anger, papa, my Lord, they have gathered and we have gathered too. We the sons of mazi ukadike are standing on this ground and saying noooooooo mooooooorrrrre !!! No more of this suffering, no more of this ha-rd sh!p, no more of this untimely death, no more of this set back. Together, in one accord, in the name of Jesus christ of Nazareth, UMIAKU, we come against yooooouuuuuu and your cohorts. You have come before us with charms and demonic powers, but we come to you, in the name of the only true son of God, JESUS CHRIST. Our saviour, our deliverer, According to the word of the Lord, when our enemies even our foes comes to eat up our flesh…..
HIS BROTHERS SHOUTED
-They stumbled and fell.
-oh yes (he bur-sted in ton-gue)
THAT NIGHT, CHINONSO, CHUKWUDI AND UZONNA PRAYED TILL MORNING. THEY WENT IN TO SLEEP. TWO HOURS AFTER THEY HAD GONE IN, CHINONSO WOKE UP TO SEE THEIR HOUSE IN FLAMES. OUTSIDE, THERE WAS SHOUTING. THE VILLAGE YOUTH HAS BEEN MOBILIZED TO BURN DOWN THEIR HOUSE. THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE VILLAGE NATIVE DOCTOR IS DEAD AND MAZI UKADIKE’S FAMILY CAUSED IT. THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO BURN DOWN THE HOUSE AND MAKE SURE NO ONE ESCAPES. MAZI UKADIKE WAS COUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY, SAME WITH NKIRU. CHUKWUDI AND UZONNA WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO ESCAPE. THE SMOKE WAS SO MUCH. CHINONSO STARTED PRAYING.
-God of shedrach, meshach and Abe-dnego. he cried, come to our rescue, (he started coughing)
CHINOSO AND HIS BROTHERS WERE LOOKING FOR A MEANS OF ESCAPE WHEN UZONNA SAW A p@rtICULAR PLACE. THE WALL CRACKED IN TWO, THERE WAS NO FIRE COMING FROM THERE, JUST SMOKE, NO ANGRY MOB AROUND, HE CALLED CHINONSO.
-Nonso, this way ooo .
CHUKWUDI PUSHED THE CRACKED SIDE AND IT FELL. THEY ESCAPED THrou-gh THE BACK. THE HOUSE COLl@pSED IMMEDIATELY AND EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY HAD DIED. THEY WALKED THrou-gh THE BUSH p@rt. UKADIKE WAS WIFE WERE COUGHING TERRIBLY. THERE WAS NO WATER NEAR BY TO GIVE TO THEM. UZONNA GOT ANGRY.
-See, I’m beginning to think this whole idea was wrong. What kind of nons-en-se is this? Now we are homeless. Where do we go from here now? No water. See how mama and papa is coughing. This is even worse. No shelter over our head. Are we going to sleep in the Bush?
-Bro uzonna, Chinonso called. plea-se calm down.
-calm down for what? no calm down for what? see now, we are homeless. I regret doing this with you honestly. I regret.
-Uzonna, chukwudi called, st©p being ungrateful. We would have died in that fire. How the wall to-re into two and the whole thing is really strange. God saved us for a purpose. He has a plan.
-Chinonso,Uzonna called. if mama and papa dies, I will hold you responsible. I will not forgive you. I will join UMIAKU and deal with you.
-will you shut up, chukwudi shouted at uzonna. How dare you say such thing? Do you think the road to freedom is free? it is not. Just like the teaching in the bible study, This is what the Israelites pas-sed throu-gh for 400 years. Don’t offend God plea-se.
-I am not the Israelites plea-se. I thought Jesus can save? how did he save us now?? kaiiii, I regret this ooooo. We lost everything. My clothes, chai!!!
-I see this as the beginning of a new chapter in this family. We travailed . We shall prevail !!! He will resto-re to us all that the canker warm, palmer worm and locust has eaten. If he could bring papa back to life, He will do more, exceedingly, abundantly far above all we have ever asked of him. It is the dawn of a new beginning. let’s keep moving!!!
-To where ? Uzonna asked.
-Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He will lead us. He will show us the way.
THEY TRECKED THrou-gh THE BUSH p@rt. THEY WERE ALMOST LEAVING THE VILLAGE WHEN THEY SAW EMMANUEL, CHINONSO’S FRIEND AND SOME MEN STANDING WITH HIM.
-wait o. Is that not Emma? Chinonso asked.
CHINONSO WAS SURPRISED.
-Emmanuel, he called. (they both embr@ced each other) plea-se do you people have water, my parents……
-sure, there is water in the car.
WATER WAS GIVEN TO MAZI AND HIS WIFE. THEY WERE KEPT IN THE CAR TO RELAX.
-what are you people doing here ?
-hmmm, it’s a long story. As we speak, our house has been burnt down.
-Jesus!!!
-how? what happened?
-we had warfare prayers. Evil people c@m£ physically to challenge us. Hmm, last night was terrible. This morning they said we killed the chief priest. So they burnt down our house. They think we are dead. God brou-ght us out miraculously.
THE MEN WITH EMMANUEL STARTED THANKING GOD ON THEIR BEHALF.
–chinonso, Emmanuel called. This is our general overseer. PASTOR Ugo. We are planning a crusade here in the east. Our tyre bur-st while heading to our village. We are waiting for the vulcanizer.
-WOOOW, welcome daddy.
-hmmm, God!!! I fear this God. So he allowed the tyre to bur-st because of you people? Brothere, you are a mighty man of valour. You are a great man. The excellent spirit of God is upon you .You risk your life and family because you stand for Jesus. Jesus will never let you down. He will surprise you.
THEY WERE TAKEN TO A NEIGHBORING VILLAGE. THE TORNS ARE OVER,THE TURN AROUND BEGINS…….
MAN FOR THE SWORD.
EPISODE 12
Written by Nnenne uju izuanabgara.
EZEDINOBI, CHINONSO’S ELDER c@m£ HOME BECAUSE HE WAS PRESSED. HE WAS FOND OF STEALING MONEY FROM HIS SO CALLED WIFE’S PURSE. THEY ALWAYS FIGHT OVER THE ISSUE. HE STARTED TAKING COCAINE . THIS MADE HIM ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MONEY.THE WOMAN WOULD BEAT HIM MERCILESSLY AND SOMETIMES GET HIM ARRESTED.
EZEDINOBI, THAT SAME DAY, AFTER USING THE TOILET, WENT IN TO SEARCH FOR MONEY AS USUAL. HE SEARCHED THE WHOLE PLACE BUT COULDN’T FIND ANY MONEY. HE TOOK A STOOL AND CLIMbe-d ON IT TO CHECK UP THE WARDRODE. HE SIGHTED A BAG. HE quic-kLY TOOK THE BAG, JUMPED DOWN. HE de-epED HIS HAND INTO THE BAG AND SHOUTED….
-Jesus!!!! what?? what is in this bag that is so h0t like this?
IMMEDIATELY HE SHOUTED JESUS, THE BAG CAUGHT FIRE. EZEDINOBI SHOUTED JESUS AGAIN.
-Jesus!!! what is happening here ooo.
HE RAN INTO THE BATHROOM TO GET WATER, THE MORE HE POURED WATER THE MORE THE FIRE INcrea-sed. THEN HE RAISED ALARM. NEIGHBORS c@m£ IN. THE BAG WAS BURNING. THE FIRE DID NOT EXCEED THE BAG. NO ONE COULD t©uçh IT, ALL EFFORTS TO PUT IT OFF PROVED ab-ortIVE.
A YOUNG MAN FROM THE CROWD SAID….
-This is not Ordinary. Let us pray.
THE YOUNG MAN STARTED PRAYING. AS THE PRAYERS WERE GOING ON, A WOMAN RAN INTO THE CROWD SHOUTING.
-Oga eze, oga eze
EZEDINOBI WAS NO MORE HIMSELF AS PRAYERS WERE GOING ON. THE POWER OF GOD WAS SO MUCH ON HIM AS THE YOUNG MAN PRAYED. SOMEONE AMONG THE CROWD HALTED THE WOMAN.
-Madam st©p the noise na. You no see say dem dey pray?
-oga eze wife oooo, the woman replied.
-we-tin happen?
-The woman dey serve customers o, sometime, she just say make she go baff, her b©dy dey h0t her. Me I dey for kitchen. As she come out, she run go back again go baff. She come out the third time begin they shout say fire all over her b©dy o.
-haaaaaaa, the man shouted.
-before you it, she comot cloth o. she comot cloth o. Madness o. my madam don mad o.
-God have mercy!!! so madam bear parlour don mad?
THE NEWS WENT VIRAL. IT WAS GATHERED THAT SHE THE CHARM SHE USED ON EZEDINOBI WAS IN THE BAG THAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE YOUNG MAN WHO PRAYED TOOK EZEDINOBI IN. HE SAID TO HIM.
-That Jesus you shouted spoiled everything. God only wanted to save you. Notwithstanding you are a sinner, his name saved you. You don’t go to church, you don’t serve God, yet his name saved you. His name set ablaze the craftiness of the ungodly over your life because while you were yet a sinner, he died for you. Your sin did not st©p him from answering when you called for by his mercy you were not consumed because his loving kindness is great towards you. If Jesus could save you, even when you haven’t accepted him as your Lord and personal saviour, imagine how safe you will be when you accept him into your life.
EZEDINOBI CRIED.
-Are you re-ady to total surrender to Jesus? Are you re-ady to make him your Lord and personal saviour?
-yes, I am re-ady.
-Thank you Jesus. plea-se talk to him. Just tell him how grateful you are to him for saving your life. Just tell him you acknowledge your sins, tell him you are sorry.
THE YOUNG MAN STARTED SINGING
-All to Jesus, I surrender, all to him I freely give
I will ever, love and trust him in this pres£nt daily life.
I, surrender all
I surrender all
unto too my
blessed saviour
I surrender all.
EZEDINOBI CRIED ALL THrou-gh AS HE SILENTLY PRAYED. THE YOUNG MAN SAID…
-In Jesus name. plea-se say after me. Lord Jesus, I thank you. For the death you died, I thank you, for the blood you shedded, for the remission of my sin, I thank you. For the love you have for me, by saving me even without knowing you, I thank you. Lord, i humbly approach the throne of grace to obtain mercy. I am a sinner, I acknowledge my sins and my iniquities are ever before me. I am sorry Lord. Forgive me all my sins, make me whole again. I c@m£ to you as a prodigal son, accept me Lord. Your word says, if I confess and forsake my sins that you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I accept you wholeheartedly as my Lord, My God and my saviour. Come into my life, take over my life, take control, take charge, In Jesus name.
THE YOUNG MAN PRAYED FOR HIM. AFTER THE PRAYERS, HE SAID TO HIM…..
-Hmmm, oga eze, there is thick darkness in your father’s family but I saw Angels rolling it away. The kind of light I saw in your father’s family is so unusual. Do you have a pastor in your family? because the kind of battle that was fought there, hmmm.
EZEDINOBI STARTED CRYING.
– ra-ph, I have not gone home for 5years now. I don’t know what’s happening in my family. We have suffered. I refused to go back home after my attempt to make it big in this city flopped. Since I got hooked with this woman, I no longer remember home.
-God has delivered you. Great light has come into your family. You are free. Notwithstanding, you still nee-d to run deliverance and you nee-d constant follow up of God’s word. I attend a bible believing church and I’m inviting you to our bible study.
-Thank you so much.
PASTOR UGO TOOK MAZI UKADIKE AND HIS FAMILY TO THE CITY WHERE HE PROVIDED THEM SHELTER OVER THEIR HEAD. HE CONNECTED CHINONSO TO ONE OF HIS MEMBERS WHO DEALS ON g@s. HE FIXED CHUKWUDI WHERE HE WAS TRAINED TO HAVE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE IN COMPUTER BOTH REPAIR AND OPERATION. UZONNA LOVED FASHION AND STYLE SO HE WAS TAKEN TO AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FASHION HOUSE. PASTOR UGO SPONso-reD HIM ALL THrou-gh.
THE CHURCH PROVIDED FOR MAZI AND HIS WIFE. CHINONSO SAVED HIS FEEDING MONEY FOR A MONTH AND GAVE TO HIS MOTHER. SHE STARTED SELLING Bre-ad. MAZI STARTED A MINI POULTRY. THE FAMILY COULD NOW FEED THREE TIMES A DAY. THEY NOW DRESSED WELL.
CHINONSO NURSED FURTHERING HIS EDUCATION BUT DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. SOMEHOW HE MANAGED TO HEAR THERE WILL BE A SCHOLARSh!pEXAM. HE BOUGHT THE FORM WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE. HE WROTE THE EXAMS.
Shared on whatsapp by Martino.
ONE MONTH LATER, ONE MORNING, AFTER THEIR MORNING DEVOTION, SOMEONE KNOCKED AT THE GATE. CHINONSO MET A POSTMAN AT THE GATE. HE HANDED OVER AN ENVELOPE. HIS NAME WAS BOLDLY WRITTEN ON IT. OUT OF CURIOSITY, HE OPENED IT CAREFULLY. HE HAS AWARED THE SCHOLARSh!pTO STUDY PUBLIC HEALTH. CHINONSO SHOUTED….
-Jesuuuuusssssss.
EVERYONE RUSHED OUT. AFTER GOING THrou-gh THE LETTER, EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED.
-Did you sit for any exams? his father asked
-papa yes. After much prayers, I decided to give it a try. I pleaded with my oga to pay me two months upfront. There is a form I nee-ded to buy. He is the only I told about my plans.
NKIRU WENT ON HER KNEES.
-Jesus obu otua k’idi, odighi onye dia gi, ihe gi asogbuo m o. Daddy idi ka mmanu anwu.
(Jesus is this how you are, you gladden my heart, you are like honey). Jesus igweeeeeee!!! my son is going to obodo oyibo!!! imagine me. Nkiru nwa ogbennye onu ntu. (Nkiru the poor woman) Jesus, obu gi nwe aka!!!! (Jesus you own this hands)
THERE WAS Mas-sIVE SUPPORT FROM THE CHURCH. THE DAY CHINONSO WAS ABOUT LEAVING FOR THE AIRPORT, EZEDINOBI c@m£ IN. HE WAS Brou-ghT BY A FAMILY FRIEND.
WHAT A REUNION !!!
IN DEED, JESUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
THINGS TURNED AROUND FOR THE GOOD OF MAZI UKADIKE OKORONTA’S FAMILY. THEY WENT BACK TO THE VILLAGE AND BUILT A MAGNIFICENT HOUSE. THOSE WHO THE PEOPLE THOUGHT WERE DEAD, THOSE WHO WERE WRITTEN OFF BEc@m£ THE MOST CELEbr@TED.
DEARLY BELOVED
we mustn’t sit and fold our hands and say “God, if this is how it plea-ses you, I accept in good faith” HELL NO!!!
That isn’t the will of God for your family. To be in abject poverty, no moving forward, no childbearing, Every one in the family is only giving birth to girls?, what is that abnormality going on in our families ? it is not ordinary!!!. The bible made it clear,
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11.
STAND IN THE GAP, BE THE MAN FOR SWORD. LIFE DOES NOT GIVE US WHAT WE DESERVE BUT WHAT WE DEMAND.
DEMAND YOUR FREEDOM FROM THOSE WICKED SPIRITS. FOR RIGHT FROM THE TIME OF JOHN THE BAPTIST UNTIL NOW?….
Until a pregnant woman travails, she is not re-ady to bring forth.
Isaiah 66:7-9
Before she travailed, she brou-ght forth; before her pain c@m£, she was delivered of a man child.
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brou-ght forth her children.
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the wo-mb? saith thy God.
No one gets it easy. It can never come easy. To prevail, We must travail. WE MUST BE re-adY TO BATTLE. We must be The MAN FOR THE SWORD.
more grace Lord!!!!
THE END!!!