Acts of the Witness

Chapter 4

                                                           Learn of Me

Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Mat. 11:29).

But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (Jn.14:26).

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier (2 Tim.2:3-4).

Our studies in the School of the Holy Spirit commenced without ceremony. There was no “official” enrolment, neither did we go through any formalities. In a way we never appreciated at the time, answering the call was our enrolment. The training spanned through the entire Youth Service year, and continued afterwards. It was hard, tortuous, exciting and revealing.

The Word Training

From the onset, the Lord repeatedly enjoined us to give attention to His Word. It got to a point where we wondered if something was amiss. As far as we knew, we were devoting sufficient time to the study of His Word. He also encouraged us to manifest His Word at all times. He said to us: “Be My Word,” insisting that men cannot behold in us that which is not in us. In addition, He taught us to confirm from the Scriptures every word spoken to us by Him.

Armed with these (and related) words, we became more business-like in our commitment to God’s Word. In addition to the promptings of the Lord, we were motivated by two things. First, there was the need to meet our basic spiritual needs, as well as prepare for the ministry opportunities that we had in those days. Then there was the need to understand the peculiar dealings of God in our lives. We needed answers to the questions in our hearts, and only God’s Word could supply the needed clarifications.

At different stages of the training, we felt we were reasonably equipped for ministry at every level, but little did we know that the Lord was preparing us for something beyond the levels we were familiar with. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that we needed every moment of preparation that the Lord gave us. The following statement has assumed greater significance: “My word unto you is truth. Let it be your pivot, your stimulant, your confidence, your limit, your beginning, your end, your first, your last.”

The Prayer Training

Over a period of time, the Lord taught us some valuable lessons on prayer, but we will share some of those He taught us during the period under consideration. On one occasion, He told us: “Never ask from man, but from Me.” At the time, we (along with Smith Bassey) decided to cost what we needed for the structural aspects of the visions we had, and we arrived at a total figure of N60, 000. One of us suggested that we appeal to friends and family members for assistance. When we tabled the suggestion before the Lord, He responded thus: “Never ask from man, but from Me.”

In addition, the Lord said, “Every single vision in your heart is financed by Me…” He went on to teach us how to ask. He took a look at our estimated budget of N60, 000, which (all things considered) will probably approximate to N600,000 as at today (equivalent to over $4,600); and asked if that was how far we could go. He asked us if we were hoping that, somehow, the estimated sum would be sufficient to carry out the projects; or hoping that if it proved insufficient, He would make up the difference? The implication was that we had not done our homework.

He went on to teach us four valuable lessons, which we will share with you:

(a) See far, as far as possible (see Gen.13:14-15).

(b) Be specific. He said to us: “You ask. When you ask in circles, you ask nothing. You plan. When you plan in circles, you plan nothing” (see Lk.18:38-41).

(c) Ask for the desired thing, not its monetary value. He said to us: “Who told you that it is all things you need money for?” For instance, Jesus did not need money to secure the donkey He needed for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Neither did He need to ask the Father for money to secure the “guest chamber” He needed to host the Passover celebrations (see Mat.21:1-3, Lk.22:8-13).

(d) Make provision for His sovereign role. He has the capacity to see beyond the limits of our imagination. As a result, He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph.3:20). Conversely, He may choose to overrule us, for our own benefit: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (Jam.4:3, Deu.29:29).

Learning to Listen

The Lord told us He had called us unto a “step-by-step, moment-by-moment, second-by-second” walk. This He said in different ways. On a particular occasion, He said to us: “The moment for the moment, the second for the second, the hour for the hour. Such is the step to an advance, the pattern of an increase.”

Over a period of time, we learnt the basic principles of divine guidance. In addition, a pattern of dealings emerged. Usually, we prayed and sought the face of the Lord before our outings. Quite often, the Lord gave us instructions for the day or period, which were usually of a general nature. We still needed to listen to Him, at every point, to know the “what”, “where”, “how” and “when” of our walk. In addition, we began to keep a record of the words of the Lord.

During the period, we were not expected to go anywhere or do any major thing without His ‘go-ahead’ (which we eventually began to refer to as G.A.). There were times when the Spirit granted us concessions, when we could go for leisure walks and visits to friends and family members, thus confirming His interest in every aspect of our lives. Even at such times, we depended on Him for wisdom. In addition, we operated by the principle of agreement.

To a large extent, this remains our mode of operations. Although some of the regimental aspects have been toned down, we still do rely on the leadership of the Spirit in all areas. Again, at the initial point, we rarely travelled alone, but that has significantly changed. We have since had individual journeys, joint journeys and a combination of both. In terms of the wisdom of guidance, the Lord still gives us general words of direction, which we jointly consider and interpret. Then we act accordingly.

Tests of Faith

At this point, we want to recount an incident that took place within the first few months of our receiving the vision. In a moment of inspiration, we received an insight that has become a basis for so many things in our lives and ministry.

One day, Daniel was on his way to another part of the city (Kano), to do some administrative work. In between stops, he visited some brethren, and took his leave shortly afterwards. While waiting for a taxi to convey him to his next destination, the Spirit began to impress some things on his heart. He was subsequently directed to return home. The Spirit was directing him to a passage of Scripture, which he had to share with Pius immediately.

He returned to the house and summoned Pius to a meeting. We decided to commence the discussion with a word of prayer. But while we were praying, the Spirit spoke through Pius, saying, “Take note of the things you hear this day, for they will happen in your lives.” Daniel went on to share from Joshua 3:7-17 and 10:12-14, which tells the story of Joshua’s assumption of office as a successor to Moses, his exaltation by God, the miracle of extra daylight hours, accomplished at Joshua’s command and the miraculous parting of the Jordan, accomplished when the priests (bearing the ark of God) stepped upon the waters.

On another occasion, the Spirit said to us: “You shall smite the sea; you shall step on the sea; and only then will it part.” On many occasions, He has fulfilled His word and manifested His provision at the eleventh hour, thus fulfilling the above words. On several occasions, we have had to “step on the sea,” but the Lord has never failed us. In eating the next meal, transporting ourselves around town, going on a journey, paying the next set of bills and ministering to the next group of people, we have had several testimonies of eleventh-hour miracles.

Enduring Hardness

From the onset, the Lord told us the training was going to be hard. As soldiers of Christ, we learnt how to “endure hardness” (2 Tm.2:2). Within a short time of answering the call, we started giving up some things categorised as luxuries in many circles within our part of the world. Of course, we believed God for even greater things, but the Lord, in keeping faith with the earlier notice He had given us, moved us to release those things. For instance, Pius released a portable room heater/humidifier to a brother in the Lord. This he did at the peak of the harmattan season (a much milder form of winter, which happens to be more intense in the northern part of the country, where we were located). That was a major sacrifice, considering the fact that he was still adjusting to relatively lower temperature levels, having been raised in the southern part of the country.

Over the next few months, we witnessed a gradual reduction in our standard of living. The supply of clothes in our wardrobe was on the decline. A combination of some giving, here and there, and lots of wear and tear, saw us hanging onto a few ‘barely-standard’ articles of clothing. The Youth Service was well under way, and we still believed God!

It came to a point when having three meals a day was no longer something we could take for granted. We had to specially believe God for that. Subsequently, there were periods when the meals did not come at their regular times. Sometimes, some meals came so late, we could not tell whether they were breakfast, lunch or dinner! Eventually, there were days when we had only one meal each. As a result of these dealings, our eating pattern became erratic. We ate only when the provisions manifested. Sometimes, the provisions were scantily available. At other times, they were abundantly available. Whichever way, the Lord always provided.

We learnt a lot during the period. We learnt how to walk by faith, “how to be abased” and “how to abound”, how “both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Rom.1:17, Phi.4:12). Above all, we learnt how to reorder our priorities in line with Kingdom realities (Mat.4:4, 6:33, Jn.4:32-34, 6:26-27).

In addition, we had some difficulty in handling some of the people that came our way. The Lord had instructed us to stay out of the line of men. This reminds us of the word of the Lord to Isaiah: “For the LORD spake to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people…” (Isa.8:11). When, eventually, we began to share our vision, we received more of criticism than encouragement. In many ways, God was using us to blaze the trail, and most of the people that interacted with us were scared for us. From family members to friends, from ministers of the gospel to fellow brethren, it was the same story: a mixture of skepticism and fear. Some wanted us to look for a “church base” or start one. Others wanted us to collect offerings in our Faith Clinic meetings (which was something we were not doing). The most considerate of them wanted us to look for “partners” who would make regular contributions to the Ministry. Others wanted us to streamline the vision, and do one thing at a time. Similarly, we were counselled to make the vision small at the onset and gradually broaden the scope.

Then there were those who had fears about our working relationship. “It is difficult for two ministers to work together,” some said. Yet others were concerned about the terms of the working relationship. They wanted a clear cut demarcation of roles from the onset, including a delineation of the line of authority. We had to have a pastor/assistant pastor, or a president/vice president relationship, they suggested. They felt things would be much easier if one of the two played a subservient role. One minister, in particular, having seen the relative success of the working relationship we had, warned that things were going to change whenever we got married. He reasoned that women care about certain minor details that men tend to overlook, and encouraged us to redefine things before contemplating marriage. There were others still who had glimpses of the tests of faith we were faced with. From many of such, the consistent counsel was that we pick up secular jobs in order to support us and the vision.

We considered the above suggestions, and prayed about some of them, but the Lord consistently reminded us of the operational guidelines He had given us. He continually assured us that we were on course. All the same, it was a trying time. In striving to cope with the challenges of our peculiar walk with God, we already had our hands full. Having to handle the persuasive reasoning (and, sometimes, scathing remarks) of men who saw things differently was another thing entirely!

When, eventually, we started to go out in the name of the Lord, we had to cope with a schedule that was rigorous. We would go by bus, taxi or private vehicle to the centre of town and thereafter go on foot to other destinations, like church buildings and offices, to do the bidding of the Lord. As a result, we covered (in the course of each outing) many kilometres on foot. On some occasions, we returned to the house, tarried before thee Lord, received fresh commissions and embarked on fresh outings. Many times we worked late into the night.

The rigours of the training can best be captured by the following words, spoken to us by the Lord: “It’s been a work caressed with pain, but it terminates; not the work, but the pain.” However, the grace of God was abundant in our lives, and we survived it.

With the benefit of hindsight, we are full of gratitude to Him for every challenge we encountered. The challenges of the past rank highly among the tools He used to mould us into better people and more effective ministers.
 

Chapter 5