Acts of the Witness

Chapter 2

                                                              In the Beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God (Jn.1:1).

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb.11:6).

But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall Call you the Ministers of our God… (Isa.61:6).

This was November 22, 1988, and the youth service programme was well underway. There was always something to do, and this day was by no means an exception. Pius had spent the night in Daniel’s house, and the new day found both of us under the same roof. In addition to the usual morning clatter, the sound of human voices could be heard. We were having a discussion. We were recounting, with enthusiasm, some of our limited adventures in the field of writing. We had just discovered a further area of common interest.

Before long, we were considering a suggestion. “How about starting a writers’ forum?” Pius asked. Almost immediately, Daniel retorted: “How about having a Christian writers’ forum?” After some more talking, we reached an agreement in the following areas: to concentrate on Christian-based writing, to publish a magazine that would feature articles written by ministers from different churches, which we hoped would be a platform for Church unity. At that point, the seed was sown in our hearts, but we had limited understanding of what the LORD was set to do. It took time, growth and maturity to be able to separate between the incorruptible seed that God had planted and our own human ideas.

In talking about the magazine, the issue of a suitable name came up, and we decided to pray about it. By this time, Pius was on his way to the bathroom, but we both resolved to remain sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. With this consciousness, Daniel opened his Bible and started reading a passage in the Psalms. After a while, he came across the word “witness,” which seemed to make a significant impact on him. After reading some more verses, he took his pen and wrote down the words “The Witness.”
 

On Pius’ return, Daniel wanted to know whether he had received anything from God. Rather than answer, he wanted us to first pray. As we prayed, Daniel got excited. Pius was praying, and he was saying: “…that we might be witnesses to Your holiness, that we might be witnesses to Your faithfulness, that we might be witnesses to Your blessedness, that we might be witnesses to Your majesty…” Afterwards, Daniel showed Pius what he had written down, and we began to give thanks.

As noted above, we had the vision, but we needed understanding. There were times when, based on our limited understanding, we were on the verge of taking certain steps that might have distracted us from our main focus. But the Lord was always with us to help us. On many occasions, He reminded us of the wisdom of our operations, and thus delivered us from distractions. Again, since we had to wait on him for practically everything, it became difficult for us to go ahead of Him.

On the 24th of November, we started a house fellowship, which we later christened “Faith Clinic.” Even with this, we had to go through a process of understanding.

The Lagos Experience

Not long after this, Daniel had to travel to Lagos, then Nigeria’s capital city. He travelled by taxi to Makurdi (located in the north-central part Nigeria) to collect some money from his parents, to enable him defray part of the anticipated cost of the trip. However, for reasons you will soon understand, that was not to be. Despite the disappointment, he prayed and was determined to continue the journey to Lagos.

He was in Lagos for two weeks, during which period the Lord guided him and provided for him. However, on the eve of his departure, he had only 50 kobo on him. For the benefit of our non-Nigerian readers, the “Naira” is the official currency in Nigeria, and 50 kobo was half-a-naira. It was in fact less than 5% of the total cost of returning (by road) to Kano via Makurdi. Still determined to prove the efficacy of God’s Word, he packed his bag and got ready for the journey. That same night, two friends visited him and gave him a total of 40 naira. Even though the money was insufficient to pay his fare, it was nevertheless welcome.

The next morning, he picked up his bag and set out, determined to go by whatever means the Spirit led. After reaching the local Air Force Base and the local airport, to see if there were any flights to Makurdi, and finding none, he left for Planking Street, Ikeja. Dropping his bag in a friend’s house, he left for Pius’ parents’ house, in obedience to a prompting to see Pius. At the time, it was an illogical consideration, as there was no prior indication that Pius was going to be in Lagos. All the same, he obeyed the prompting and found him at home.

In the ensuing excitement, we forgot all about Daniel’s travel plans and, instead, went out to visit some friends of Pius. By the time we were through, Daniel had a little over 20 naira left, having contributed to the cost of transporting us around Lagos. All the while, Pius was ignorant of the state of his finances, assuming that he had more than enough on him. Later that evening, we had an extraordinary experience, which strengthened our faith in God and boosted our confidence in the guidance of the Spirit.

Pius wanted Daniel to meet a sister in the Lord, who lived near his parents’ house. We visited her and met a full house. A house fellowship meeting was in progress. We joined the brethren, and had a wonderful time of fellowship. By the time the group dispersed, we found ourselves interacting with her and eventually having fellowship together. At a point, she turned to Daniel and asked: “Is there anything you want me to do for you?” After a fleeting pause, he said “no” and we continued our discussion. After sometime, she turned again and asked: “Has God told you to ask me for anything?” That was a more tricky question than the first. He quickly turned it over in his mind: Did God instruct him to ask her for anything? Again, he had to say “no.” Shortly afterwards, we rounded up our discussions and prayed, getting ready to leave. Just when we were at the door, she asked yet another question: “How about your transport? Have you got it?” In the context of use, the word “transport” is a slang for a person’s fare. Really overwhelmed, he answered: “I’m believing God for it. That’s what Pius and I are going to thank God for.” She practically ran into her room and returned with some money, while Pius went on his knees, thanking God. We cannot but thank God for such experiences and such vessels of the Lord.

Living Together

Contrary to our initial plan, Daniel did not travel the next day. The circumstances surrounding his non-departure are now quite hazy, but we did understand at the time that the Lord wanted it that way. That provided another opportunity for joint fellowship. We moved into a vacant room in the home of Daniel’s friend and had an all-night fellowship, during which the Lord spoke to us extensively. In particular, He told us that some of our possessions were going to be “carried away,” and urged us not to bother about this. Much later, He told us the lesson he wanted us to learn from such an experience. By it, He was helping us to appreciate the transient nature of worldly possessions and teaching us to place more emphasis on the spiritual (see Deu.8:3, Mat.4:4). However, He promised to bless us in due course.

True to His word, on our return to Kano, we discovered that thieves had broken into Daniel’s flat and stolen several items, including the refrigerator, blankets and mattresses. His personal belongings were untouched, save for two drinking glasses he had left in the refrigerator. One immediate implication of this was that he had to move in with Pius, something we later confirmed to be of the Lord. It was partly for this reason that we needed that extra time of fellowship in Lagos, which the Lord used to prepare us for the otherwise unpleasant experience.

The Faith Clinic

On Thursday the 5th of January, 1989, we started the “Faith Clinic.” True, we had started a house fellowship in November, 1988, but we christened it “Faith Clinic” on that day. It was geared towards meeting specific spiritual needs of the brethren. In the meetings, we prayed, preached the Word and ministered to the needs of men, as the Lord led us.

It turned out to be a training ground for us, and a few others, who are now in different places, doing the work of the Lord. Among other things, we discovered the place of decency and order in any effective corporate work. On most occasions, we did not decide who would preach until we got to the meetings. Of course, the regulars knew that everyone was expected to come prepared. The coordinator of a particular meeting, who may not necessarily be Pius or Daniel, was at liberty to call on anyone to minister, based on the moment’s leading. Sometimes, two or more people could be called upon to preach or pray, one after the other. It was a study in sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit. Through this, we learnt to seek independent confirmations of the Spirit’s leading.

On one occasion, we had two Spirit-filled brethren in attendance: Joe Okpanachi who, at the time, was becoming a regular and Dele Moses, a visitor of his. Joe (who is now a pastor) was invited to minister. He spoke for a while and began to prophesy. Somehow, this led to the operation of the gifts of the Spirit (mainly the gifts of inspiration and revelation). Everyone seemed to be catching the fire of inspiration, and the result was disorder. A message would come in diverse kinds of tongues, and there would be a rush to interpret it. Finally, a prophetic word came through Dele, by which we knew we had missed the sequence of things and were no longer maintaining the basic standard of decency and order (see 1 Cor.14:39-40). We appreciated the correction at the time, but with increased understanding, we are overwhelmingly appreciative!

A New Arrival

In February 1989, something happened which, for sometime, altered certain aspects of our operational wisdom. Smith Bassey (now Abbey Smith), Daniel’s long time friend and former classmate, arrived Kano, along with the second batch of corps members, for the youth service. Within a short time, he rededicated his life to Christ and, for almost a year, identified with the vision of the Ministry. In particular, he coordinated many Faith Clinic meetings. Afterwards, he left and, once more, the operational wisdom had to change.

......Chapter 3