03/05/2025
THREE KEY ELEMENTS FOR BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND PEOPLE:
1. THE AWESOME POWER OF FORGIVENESS (i)
“And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12, NKJV)
A Nigerian soldier who had just rededicated his life to Christ had his name shortlisted for the United Nations' peace keeping mission in the war-torn nation of Sierra Leone. He was quite excited to not only serve his nation, but serve God on a foreign soil. By the time the plane he boarded touched down, he knew God was giving him a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to preach the gospel. He quickly settled down to a local church and soon began the work of evangelism.
Sierra Leone was in many ways different from Nigeria. This soldier tried as much as he could to learn the new ways of life of the people to whom he was sent. He had to learn to enjoy new delicacies and speak tongue-twisting slangs. The few dollars that got into his pockets from the coffers of the United Nations was hardly used on himself. He walked on foot, rode in trucks, and boarded ferries in a bid to traverse Sierra Leone with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He recorded tremendous success as people opened their hearts to his ministry. Many wondered how a soldier – a Nigerian soldier would rather go around sharing tracts, witnessing and praying with people who had different needs than join his friends in clubs, bars and brothels.
One day, he went out as usual with the title of his message being “forgiveness”. He hopped around the subject the best way he could and every word that came from his mouth was bathed in evangelistic passion, especially, from the gospels where Jesus Himself taught on the same subject. His voice thundered at his quiet and attentive audience. When he was done, he asked if anyone had a question. A man quickly stuck his right hand in the sky as if he had been waiting for such a time to let out the pressure in his heart. Then, the man asked the soldier evangelist the following questions:
To be continued… Culled from my book, BIRTHING HIS EXCELLENCE
With love from your brother,
Arome Osayi
