CHAPTER 26 – BATTLE OF THE BRETHREN

©OPEYEMI AKINTUNDE
AS INSPIRED BY THE CREATIVE ONE

Back-Door Attack

I didn’t see this one coming. At all.

Sunday after the vigil started on a good note..

Different atmosphere.

Service started with silence.
No “Praise the Lord” chant.
No opening joke.
Just people walking in with reverence, like they were entering a courtroom where mercy had just ruled in their favour.

Even Mummy G.O. wore ash grey, not her usual royal colours.

You could feel it …We’d crossed something.

But when God moves forward, the enemy runs to find old files.

I was in Mama’s office after service, folding her scarf when Sister Peace rushed in. Face pale. Voice shaking.

“Aunty Mabel… someone is at the gate asking for T.J.”

I blinked. “Visitor?”

“Yes. A man. Says he’s an evangelist… and an ex from her past.”
Ex?
I dropped the scarf.

We found him waiting at the side entrance.

Clean haircut.
Suit that said “former rebel, now born again.” Bible tucked under armpit like a prop.
His name?…Brother Jireh.

Yes. That’s what he called himself.
“Evangelist Jireh.” He said
“I have been seeing T.J in your services and how people seem to be celebrating her online… it’s not a bad thing, but I came because the Lord told me to bring balance to this revival.”
Which Lord? I wanted to ask Him? Is it the Lord of the Streets, because he looks like a packaged street-boy.
Or is the Lord of his Stomach who is looking for a way to make money from the church?

“Before you build, you must uncover foundation cracks.” he continued..

My eye twitched.

It Turns out…He used to date T.J.

Before salvation.
Before fire.
Back in university.

According to him, they weren’t just in sin, they were “deep in it.”
Then she left him, changed, and vanished.

Now, he said:
“She didn’t confess her past to this church…She’s hiding under anointing. But grace without full exposure is deception I just thought to let you know the person you are seeing as a saint. She may still have some unresolved issues with the Lord.”

I Slapped him!

In my mind.

Oh Boy!.

Apart from wanting to slap him, I wanted to say:

“So you carried your Bible from wherever you came from to drag her publicly because of one past she has already nailed to the cross?”

But I didn’t.
Because leaders asked him to speak… privately.

Big mistake.

Word leaked.
By evening, whispers started:
“Is she really who she claims to be?”
“Was all that power a cover-up?”
“Is she trying to rewrite her story and lie to the church?”
“ Are you sure, all these power is not from the marine Kingdom?”
“ I had a dream, someone was warning me about her”

Satan dusted his microphone again.
This time, not with envy.
With shame.

I shook my head in pity as to how inconsistent church brethren could be, one minute you fed them, blessed them like the way Jesus fed the Multitude , and the next minute, the Multitude didn’t mind that they crucified him.

I found T.J. behind the church later that night,
Alone, sitting on the low wall.

Eyes swollen but dry.

She looked at me and said:
“Is it ever enough?
You surrender. You die to self. Then they come digging up your old grave.”

I said nothing.

Then she whispered:
“They’re right. I was a mess…But the girl they’re talking about? She died.
And they’re angry resurrection didn’t come with an apology letter.”

I choked back tears.

She continued:
“I’m not hiding. I’m just not owned by shame anymore. If only they knew my story … they would understand that I can’t be easily broken…”

The next day, Brother Jireh posted a video.
5 minutes.
Face serious.

“You all are celebrating her fire, but I saw the ashes. You’re calling her revival, but I knew her when she was rebellion. Be careful who you let lay hands on your soul. There may be unresolved issues in her.”

The video? Went viral.

Wahala be like what?
Wahala be like ex that missed the revival, so he’s now doing investigative journalism on your past.
(Trouble is when the devil can’t fight your fire, so he tries to stain your identity.)

But the truth?
God already knew her before we ever met her.
And He still said, “I choose her.”

To be continued… ( TO PAY FOR THE FULL E-COPY of this Story, Kindly Chat +234-9069926797 to buy your copy)

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