As far as Onome is concerned Pastor Benjamin is a Man of God and has the calling. He is their shepherd, their pastor, spiritual leader and to him they look up to for guidance through the path of righteousness.

She believes he knows the word and gives messages of hope, prosperity and deliverance from enemies and bondage. Many members of his ministry, The Maximum Inheritance Deliverance Church, have witnessed miracles that changed their lives, which are testimonies to his awesome power.

Onome has seen peasants who, few years ago, were nobodies in the society, now driving Mercedes Benz cars and SUVs. Though many of the cars are Tokunbo vehicles, if you know what it means to jump Danfo buses whose conductors have smelly armpit and talk loudly in a manner that rains spittle on your face from Orile to Apapa every day in public transport through the harsh city of Lagos, then you will appreciate the goodness of God you are blessed with a second hand vehicle from Belgium or Germany through Pastor Benjamin’s prayers.

Pastor Benjamin is the General Overseer of his church and they call him Daddy G.O. He has the power to cast out demons that pull people down, whether ancestral spirits that follow families from generation to generation or attacks sent by the enemies, Daddy G.O has set the captives free through his deliverance services; he breaks curses and replaces them with blessings. His army of deliverance ministers, soldiers of Maximum Inheritance will cast even legions of demons away.

Pastor is a handsome man and looks good because a Son of God who created the world through his words should not lack.
‘My Jesus is not a poor man,’ he tells his members, ‘He dresses in the most expensive satin material from Arabia. Jesus wears perfumes with the best fragrance. That is why Mary Magdalene offered her best cologne to my Lord to the envy of Judas Iscariot.’

Daddy G.O is a super dresser; his suits are from the best designers in Italy. Like this Sunday, for instance, he is putting on a cream-coloured Armani suit on a sky-blue Calvin Klein shirt. His blue TM Lewin tie matches the Gucci shoes Brother Kunle, the state commissioner for finance, bought for him during his last vacation in Las Vegas.

Soft hymns coming from the pianist was the only sound that could be heard when Pastor started his prophetic blessings service. The melody acts like the soundtrack to the messages he delivers. All eyes were shut except that of Onome, because, although she did casually close them during praise and worship, she couldn’t resist the feeling at every moment to watch her pastor closely.

He held tightly to the wireless microphone with his left hand and raised the other hand up. Onome’s eyes caught the 24 Karat gold Rolex watch Chief Ibru, Chairman of the Men’s Fellowship, gave him as a birthday gift. Chief Ibru has a special seat in front of the podium. He is a self-acclaimed business man with no specific area of business. Onome knows he is a scammer, a political Godfather to many of the ruling party thugs; he is also into oil bunkering and controls the kidnapping syndicate in the Niger Delta.

But the congregation all stretch their hands and pray for God’s blessings on his life anytime he makes a big donation for any ongoing church project. Daddy G.O knows he is a criminal, the church knows he was indicted by the government committee that investigated the failed banks loans, the Men’s Fellowship know about the many scandals his name was associated with but in the sanctuary of Maximum Inheritance Church, Chief Ibru is a pillar in the ministry. His regular tithes and offering help in paying many of the church workers and he just bought the brand new Seiko music band for the choir for the annual Holy Ghost Congress being held.

‘Yes Lord, Yes Father, Yes,’ Daddy G.O started saying in a whisper which was echoed through the auditorium from the heavy speakers mounted at strategic positions around the church.

‘Somebody came here tonight with a heavy problem. You are asking the Lord why me. Today, because you stepped into this arena, it is over.’
‘Amen!’ The congregation responded.

‘Receive that breakthrough, that contract that you have been toiling for since January. Receive that visa you are looking for at the embassy where they keep giving you one excuse after another why they reject your applications. In the name of my Lord Jesus receive that Visa to go to America and London.’

‘Amen!’

‘Yes Lord… I hear you my Father. The Holy Spirit is telling me that He is moving around this hall now. The Lord is here to give, only be in the spirit and prepare to receive. I see a man and a woman in this congregation being given keys to a new SUV...’

The response this time was thunderous and the people, with eyes closed, lips moving, arms outstretched and legs kicking, started praying to become that man or woman to drive a new car.

“Raise your hands and be ready for the anointing because the Holy Spirit is flying all over this sanctuary. Receive that husband; that fair complexioned successful business man the Lord has been showing you in your dream…”
Now it was the ladies that cried out the most.

Daddy G.O then blew air loudly into the microphone, the sound was amplified by the speakers, reverberating all over the hall and many people in the congregation starting jumping, staggering and falling over plastic white seats arranged in rows in front of the stage. It was a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit giving husbands, contracts, cars and visas. Many were speaking in tongues; a woman was rolling on the floor and ushers tried to cover her with Ankara clothes so her underwear is not seen; another lady was kneeling on all fours spitting out white substances possibly poison; a man was pinned down by deliverance ministers.

It is the Anointing, Deliverance and Testimony Service in the last day of the Holy Ghost Congress at the Maximum Inheritance Church; a time for people to confess miracles and breakthroughs God has done through Daddy G.O.

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The first person to give a testimony was a woman; she was dressed in expensive Swiss lace and had on her neck golden chains announcing her miracle. Her cheeks were chubby and her makeup overdone.

‘My name is Madam Agnes and I want to thank our Man of God, Daddy G.O, for the way God used him to touch my life and bring me out of Egypt into paradise,’ she started.

‘I am a widow and my husband died three years ago. He was a bus conductor and his second wife was beer and Ogogoro.’ The congregation laughed while on the big plasma screen, the image of Daddy G.O nodding his head was zoomed.

‘My husband died leaving me with nothing but seven children and plenty of debts. By the time I sold all my properties I had from my petty trading, I could raise just a little to purchase his casket and bury him. After the burial, I was left with nothing and to make matters worse, by the time we came back to the city after the burial rites, our Landlord gave us a quit notice in the Face-Me-I-Face You room we resided at Ijora. He said that there is no way I could cope with paying the rent although he knew I was footing the bills when my husband was alive. A sister brought me to this church, and after Daddy G.O laid his hands on me during the Special Anointing vigil for breakthrough, my petty business started flourishing. Today, I have moved into a three bedroom apartment at Surulere.’
‘Praise the Lord somebody,’ Daddy G.O shouted.

The choir immediately broke into a praise song, I have a Very Big God Who is Always at My Side,’ and the congregation danced at the breakthrough.
*********

And you call this a short story

Anyway, thank GOD for you