by Okezie Nwoka
In this service, as in any service, Pastor Nwosu paced before an altar covered in purple linen, bearing a portrait of a Jesus whose hands were cued for benediction. He clutched his microphone tightly, avoiding the large speakers that flanked the altar, refusing to have any feedback interrupt God’s power on him, and his power on his congregation.
“My brothers and sisters, do you feel the presence of the Living God, here, in this room?”
People nodded their heads in agreement, some raising their hands in jubilation, others finding tears moving along their faces, as one woman began speaking in tongues, making sounds which were not understood.
“I SAID BROTHERS and SISTERS! DO YOU FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE LIVING GOD, THE EL SHADDAI, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, THE UNSHAKABLE SHAKER?”
“YES! YES!”
“Then let us pray in this moment. PRAY for yourselves and your children. Matthew 7:7 says, ‘Ask and it shall be given unto you.’ So I command you to lay your needs before your Father, in the name of Jesus. Anything that your heart desires, ask it of Him. Petition your God in the name of the Blood of His Only Son. GIVE Him all the glory! PRAISE Him with all your strength! CLAIM your portion! I SAID CLAIM YOUR PORTION IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS! You are the children of Abraham, the HEIRS of God’s kingdom! Ask Jehovah Jireh what it is you need! Ask it, in the name of Jesus! In the name of Jesus! In the name of …”
“Jesus!”
“IN THE NAME OF …”
“JESUS!”
“PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! In the name of Jesus, I command you to PRAY!”
The people gathered began. The church was a collection of loud murmurs and the occasional scream. From the altar, Pastor Nwosu inspected the aisles, moving his gaze from the scaffolding of the church edifice and examining the avidity with which his congregation spoke to its god. He saw the excitement on their lips, lips muttering electrically—lips praying in lighter tones, then heavy ones—praying in crescendos rising more quickly than the town’s steepest hills; the congregation was enraptured, praying heartily and with feeling until their closed eyes pressed tightly against their sockets, and their lips stretched back against their teeth; and when most began leaning atop their chairs, moving their weight from one leg to the other, Pastor Nwosu believed their prayer was acceptable.
“AMEN!” said Pastor Nwosu.
“Amen!” replied the congregation.
“Now that we have offered our prayers to the Lord, it is time for praise and worship. Sister Grace … come forward and lead us in the hymns we shall offer Jesus.”
A short, stout woman, wearing a blue dress and a red kerchief, moved toward the altar. She took the microphone from Pastor Nwosu and gave a long bow in his direction; then, placing one hand atop her abdomen, she let out a D flat in a lush contralto.
“Praaaaaaaaaaaaise the Lord!” sister Grace said.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaalleluia!” said the congregation.
“I said, PRAAAAAAAAAAAAISE THE LIVING GOD ALL YE PEOPLE!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAALLELUIA!”
We are praising, praising, praising our Jesus;
We are praising the wonders of His name.
We are praising, praising, praising our Jesus;
We are praising the wonders of His name.
The congregation began exploding in music: the drummers were pounding their sticks and fists atop their drum sets and drum skins; the pianists were striking their keys, joining Sister Grace’s voice with wild rifts and runs; the bassists were playing chords that echoed in the chest cavities of everyone singing, pushing the songs into and out of their bodies. White Precious Word Ministry fans and handkerchiefs were rising into the air as people danced to the rhythm of the music, shifting their bodies along the floor, as if they were joyfully sweeping.
Two hours passed before Sister Grace returned to her seat—knowing the congregation was energized, eager to hear the sermon of its pastor—knowing, too, that Pastor Nwosu was pleased with her, once he turned to her and gave her a smile.
“My brothers and sisters … Sister Grace has done it again!” said Pastor Nwosu. “Sister Grace has received the grace of God and has shared it among us! Amen?”
“Amen!” said the congregation.
“Let us now prepare ourselves to receive the word of God this Sunday. Bow your heads as I lead us in prayer … Lord Jesus, let the word that comes forth from my mouth touch the spirits and minds of those before me. May it put them on the path of salvation and invigorate in them the righteousness that You seek. May it bestow on them revelations and truths to be used for Your greater glory. Let them accept Your Word this day and sow it into their hearts. May their hearts be fertile ground. May their souls be Your spiritual ground. I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.”
“Amen!”
“Brothers and sisters … today I will preach on the necessity of loyalty. Every Christian today must be loyal to his church, loyal to his pastor, and above all loyal to God … to Jesus. I want you to turn your Bibles to the Book of Ruth. Why do you look surprised?” the pastor said while chuckling, “How many of you have read this sacred book before?”
He looked around the sanctuary and saw few answering affirmatively.
“Well, it is a book that tells us that GOD abundantly rewards those who are loyal! It begins with three widows: Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Yes, they were all widows and remained that way for a long time; so, all of you YOUNG WOMEN chasing men like chickens, you better WATCH OUT!”
He heard laughter spreading throughout the congregation as he pushed his spectacles along his nose.
“They also had no children … Naomi’s sons Mahlon and Chilion died before they could give Orpah and Ruth any children, so all of them, Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth, were childless widows. These women had been living in Bethlehem until a famine descended upon the land. That was when they decided to leave ALL their property to travel to the land of Moab. They stayed there for ten years … TEN YEARS! until they heard that a flood had come to their homeland, and that the famine had ended. Naomi told her daughters-in-law to return to their fatherlands. Naomi, who was an elderly woman, encouraged her daughters-in-law to remarry so that they may know the joys of having children. Orpah honored the suggestion, and left her mother-in-law … but Ruth, RUTH! stayed with Naomi. My Bible says on chapter one, verse sixteen, that Ruth told Naomi, ‘Do not ask me to abandon or forsake thee! For, WHEREVER YOU SHALL GO I SHALL GO, WHEREVER YOU SLEEP I SHALL SLEEP, YOUR PEOPLE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND YOUR GOD MY GOD. WHEREVER YOU DIE I WILL DIE, AND THERE BE BURIED.’ LOOK AT IT! WHAT LOYALTY!
“RUTH STAYED WITH NAOMI. SHE CRIED WITH NAOMI. SHE SUFFERED WITH NAOMI. SHE REMAINED LOYAL. AND THE LORD, THE LIVING GOD, THE EL SHADDAI, REWARDED HER FOR IT. When RUTH! and Naomi returned to Bethlehem, a very fine man named Boaz asked Ruth to marry him. And RUTH! agreed to marry him because she would be able to stay in the town and care for Naomi. So RUTH! and Boaz married, and together they gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Obed. Obed gave birth to a son named Jesse and Jesse gave birth to a son named David … KING DAVID … WHO DOES THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW SAY THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF?”
“DAVID!” the congregation said.
“I SAID WHO DO THE GOSPELS SAY JESUS IS THE SON OF …”
“DAVID!”
“WHO?”
“DAVID!”
“Yes! THAT IS CORRECT,” said Pastor Nwosu. “Brothers and sisters, do you not see it? You must remain loyal to Jesus the same way Ruth remained loyal to Naomi. Why? Because it is your faith that justifies! Your faith, not your work, is what redeems you before the throne of God. Your faith is what makes you a loyal servant of God. When some of you face hardship, you come to me asking, ‘Pastor Nwosu, what will I do? How will I take care of my children? How will I eat?’ Today I am telling you to remain loyal to God and he will reward you abundantly! Do you not see how he has provided for me? Do you not see the wonderful suit I am wearing, imported from Dubai! I tell you, he is an unchanging God! He holds yesterday, today
, and tomorrow in the palm of his hand. Let your loyalty to sin, to mammon, to adultery, to fornication, to greed, to blasphemy, be consumed by Holy Ghost fire! Give your loyalty to Jesus, and not the principalities of this world! Does the first commandment not say, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery, you shall have no other God besides Me’? The first commandment says that we must be God’s loyal servant! If you obey it, your children will be like the children of Ruth—heads of their households and kings of nations! Some of you are hearing me, some of you are not. I said if you do not give the Living God all your loyalty, everlasting damnation will be your portion. Is that what you want? Do you want to burn with Lucifer and his dark angels?”
“No!” the congregation cried.
“Then listen to what I am telling you! My brothers and sisters, you must express your loyalty to God by being loyal to His messenger, the pastor. When a pastor says pray, says tithe, says sacrifice … you must trust in him, because you are loyal to him. When a pastor says he can heal any sickness and lift any burden you must trust in him because you are loyal to him. If I, Pastor Innocent Nwosu, say that I can raise the dead in the name of Jesus, you must trust in me. To be loyal to the Living God means that you are loyal to me, your pastor.”
Pastor Nwosu looked about his silent congregation. Some were nodding in approval. Others were wiping tears from their eyes as he heard the first set of amens, then the second, louder and louder, before he nodded at two large men standing by the sanctuary door.
“Bring in the children from the Manifestation Quarters,” he said. “The ones who have been possessed by evil spirits.”
The two large men left the sanctuary, and returned pulling several children bonded by a heavy rope—watching some fall as they walked toward the church’s altar—many dragging their bruised feet while wearing gray and tattered clothing. They were the children of the Manifestation Quarters: a blue bungalow sitting near the unfinished church edifice, keeping tiny cells with iron bars that guarded its windows and padlocked doors. They were under the guardianship of the church, and were clothed and fed and prayed over by Pastor Nwosu and his attendants—attendants who believed the pastor could expel every demon dwelling in the children, believing it when he prayed on them in the Manifestation Quarters—believing it now that the children stood before him, lined along the steps of the concrete altar.
“Brothers and sisters … I will show you how my loyalty to Jesus allows me to do great things. As you know, these children live in our Manifestation Quarters and have been brought to Precious Word Ministries by their families because they have been possessed by dark angels, and evil spirits! TODAY, BY THE ANOINTING GIVEN TO ME BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, I WILL REMOVE THESE EVIL SPIRITS. I WILL DO IT BECAUSE THE LORD HAS MADE IT SO! AMEN?”
“AMEN!”
“Bring her forward!” Pastor Nwosu said, pointing to one of the girls on the rope. The two large men untied her and brought her closer to the altar.
“This girl has been possessed for eleven years, ELEVEN YEARS … Her uncle brought her to me because there was nothing else he could do! Doctor oh! Medicine oh! Nothing worked! So, he brought her to me … expecting a miracle. Today … GOD HAS TOLD ME THAT THIS EVIL SPIRIT WILL LEAVE HER BODY!”
“AAAAAAAMMMMEEEEEN!” sang the congregation.
The drummers began drumming. People began dancing throughout the room. And the one called the girl’s uncle was running toward the steps of the altar, his Precious Word Ministries fan, falling from his hands the moment he reached Pastor Nwosu and fell near his feet.
“Is it true?” the man said.
“WHERE IS YOUR FAITH!” said the pastor. “DO YOU NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS, THE GOD OF WONDER, POWER, AND MIGHT … THE ONE WHO CAN DO ALL THINGS?”
“Yes! I do! I do!” said the uncle.
“THEN YOUR NIECE WILL BE DELIVERED FROM THIS DEMON. BRING HER TO ME.”
The girl was taken to Pastor Nwosu, as the one called her uncle heard her screaming in a terrifying treble. He looked on despondently, watching as the straps of her gray gown fell from her shoulders, exposing her breasts, wanting to cover her but not knowing if he had such authority. He looked to Pastor Nwosu, but the pastor was praying beneath his breath with his hands pressing upon the young girl’s head.
“JESUS!” Pastor Nwosu said into the microphone, “DESCEND UPON THIS GIRL WHOM I HAVE LAID MY HANDS ON. BY THE POWER OF YOUR PRECIOUS BLOOD, I COMMAND THE SPIRIT POSSESSING THIS GIRL TO COME OUT! COME OUT! COME OUT! I COMMAND THAT THIS GIRL BE RELEASED IN JESUS’ NAME! I RELEASE THIS GIRL FROM THIS EVIL SPIRIT IN JESUS’ NAME! I RELEASE YOU IN JESUS’ NAME! LET HOLY GHOST FIRE DRIVE OUT THIS DEVIL AND LET IT BE CONSUMED BY THAT FIRE! LET THIS SPIRIT … WHETHER IT IS OGBANJE SPIRIT OR MAMMY WATER SPIRIT—LET IT COME OUT OF THIS GIRL NOW! I DRIVE YOU OUT IN JESUS’ NAME! COME OUT! COME OUT! COME OUT!”
The girl fell to the floor, rolling in many directions, screaming as though Pastor Nwosu had pierced her with a blade.
“Leave me!” she screamed, closing her eyes, knowing it would beckon the mercy of the pastor.
“I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL YOU COME OUT OF HER!” said Pastor Nwosu.
“Please! Leave me! Leave me!”
“I WILL NOT! GET ME THE HOLY WATER!”
Pastor Nwosu directed his command at the two large men, who then left the altar and quickly returned with water in a bucket and a wooden cane. He was given the cane before he placed it in the bucket, soaking it in his holy water; then he removed it—and began beating the girl—whose screams rose—and seared the walls with its aching—piercing through the microphone with one strike then the next—over and again—her body twisting like a worm dying in sunlight—as she looked upward—staring at Pastor Nwosu—her eyes bright and red—pleading and threatening before she closed them—until more quickly than a gasp—she stopped.
“I SAID COME OUT IN JESUS’ NAME! COME OUT IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS! COME OUT!” the pastor said, now noticing her closed eyes.
“What is her name? Quickly! What is her name?” said Pastor Nwosu.
“Nonso. Her … her n-n-name is … Nonso,” the uncle said.
“Nonso, I release you in Jesus’ name. Do you hear me? Do you hear? I release you in Jesus’ name.”
“Please leave m—I hear you,” Nonso said through a whisper.
“GOD IN HEAVEN! SHE IS HEALED!” said the uncle.
“She is healed indeed,” said Pastor Nwosu.
And the congregation began yelling praises to its god, thanking him for his infinite mercy, and thanking him for bestowing power onto their pastor. Sister Grace began leading the congregation in a song, while Nonso and the one called her uncle were escorted to a back room—away from the church’s jubilation.
“Have you seen it?” Pastor Nwosu said. “Have you now seen what the power of loyalty can do?”
“WE HAVE SEEN IT!” yelled one worshipper standing in a middle row, his hand waving happily in the air.
“WE HAVE TRULY SEEN IT!” said a woman, shaking her body as the rest of the congregation joined in her professions.
“Now, there are more remaining,” the pastor said, “more who are still possessed. They require more spiritual deliverance than that girl, and will be returned to the Manifestation Quarters for more prayers and heal—”
“PLEASE, PASTOR! WHAT OF IKEMBA! HOW ABOUT IKEMBA?”
A woman was crying in the center aisle. The one called her son was tied to the rope, and his possession, to many, seemed to be the most diabolical. His skin was black. And some had believed the evil spirits within him made him darker than charcoal—wearing both marks of Ham and Cain.
“I-I-I will heal him in God’s time, my sister; and if I cannot, I will send him to our brothers in London City who will procure his deliverance at our Christian school abroad. Remember what I said about loyalty. Return to your seat, and turn your fears over to Jesus. Pray for your son. Pray that he may be healed. In short, let us all pray for these children. Everyone rise to your feet and stret
ch your hands toward the front of the altar.”
They did as they were told. Arms shot forth like the bracts of pineapples, and the congregation bowed its head with esteem.
“Now pray! Pray that possession will not be their portion! Pray that the great El Shaddai, the great Ancient of Days will deliver them! Pray that they will see salvation! Pray that they will drink from the cup of good health! Pray that they will no longer know suffering! Pray that they will return to their families! PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!”
Pastor Nwosu’s congregation obeyed him, praying fiercely, petitioning the one called their god for the spiritual deliverance of the children, and asking for their own steadfast desire to move to London City, praying, still, with the rigor its pastor commanded, and clutching toward its loyalty to Jesus and the pastor which Jesus had given them.
“In JESUS’ name!” the pastor said.
“Amen!” said the congregation.
Pastor Nwosu commanded the two large men to return the children to the Manifestation Quarters. And the men pulled firmly on the rope, taking the children out of the sanctuary as the congregation sat down and turned again to its pastor.
“Remember that today, the Living God has moved me to speak of loyalty, and you have now witnessed what the power of my loyalty can do. Amen?”
“AMEN!”
“Every single one of us must develop a personal relationship with Jesus, and Jesus alone. Everything else is evil! Those children, do you know how they became possessed by evil spirits? They engaged in those demonic rituals our people are so fond of. They danced with masquerades. They witnessed libations. And upon all of that, THEY PRAYED TO IDLE GODS! THAT WAS IT! THAT WAS THE PROBLEM! THOSE CHILDREN DID NOT KNOW HOW TO BE LOYAL TO THE LIVING GOD. There are principalities in this world … and those children followed them like fools. Tell me, how can anyone call themselves Christian today, when tomorrow they turn their backs, and do libation to their ancestors, pouring palm wine onto the ground for a spirit to drink? That is an abomination! Who will drink that wine? The ants? Let me tell you something, when you die, you will not have life until Jesus comes in glory to judge the world. That is written in our Bibles! Turn to Ecclesiastes, chapter nine, verse five … Have you found it?”