Chapter 25
“I honestly don’t know how I feel anymore Muyiwa. I don’t feel anything in my heart, I feel indifferent, no remorse or repentance. I mean, I really want to repent but it’s not there,” Kola said quietly.
They were sitting in the dining room of Kola’s home. Both their wives had gone to work. The men had decided to take the day off. Mary had begged her husband Muyiwa to counsel Kola in hopes that the Spirit would grant him mercy and grace unto repentance.
“You have become like Esau who searched carefully for tears and remorse in his heart but couldn’t find it. But the good news is that you are under a better Covenant than Esau was,” responded Muyiwa.
“What do you mean?” asked Kola, hope rising in his heart.
“Repentance is not about feeling remorseful alone; it is about changing the things that one was doing wrong before. It is about making things right with God again, unless you don’t believe in God any longer?”
“Of course I do, just not in the way you do I guess,” responded Kola.
“You know…when this whole thing with Janut started, I was already a backslidden Christian. Too much wealth has a way of making you tend towards self-indulgence. You can buy whatever you want and go wherever you wish. That was my life style when I got born again. I had always thought being born again was for poor people who wanted to come out of poverty.”
“But the sermon Pastor Adewusi preached on the day I received Christ convicted me in a way I never thought possible. I saw that it wasn’t about being good or evil…it was about being holy. I felt I was a good man, I didn’t smoke or drink or womanize or do anything that we know to be evil today, but his sermon made me realize that without holiness no man shall see God…no matter how good he is; but holiness is a divine attribute, something one can never attain to in the flesh except God imparts it,” continued Muyiwa earnestly.
“That is the purpose for receiving Christ…so that Christ’s righteousness might cover us and make us acceptable to God…but that is only the beginning…we must then continue in the path of the righteousness of God and as we go deeper we begin to understand the meaning of purity or holiness.”
“But somewhere along the line, my career and wealth got in the way…I began to backslide…material wealth and comfort and things became more important to me than the pursuit of holiness…I enjoyed living the good life…travelling…learning new technologies…I even began drinking wine to keep up appearances with my friends…I wanted more from this life rather than more from the life of Christ within me…so I ended up seeking for power in the wrong places…I was no longer content with being a wealthy man…I wanted power and influence as well…I wanted to be able to shape the destiny of Man and receive glory for it. That was when we started talking about spiritual power that was not of God,” finished Muyiwa.
Kola leaned back into the deep cushions and let it all sink in. Muyiwa’s story was more or less his own too, except that his own love of the material life probably exceeded Muyiwa’s.
“I understand all that; what I don’t understand is why I don’t feel sorry for what I have done…for hobnobbing with Janut; doesn’t that mean I have committed the unpardonable sin or have seared my conscience irreparably?” he asked fearfully.
“The fact that you are bothered and worried that you can’t feel godly sorrow is an indication that there are still some things in you that you should now begin to strengthen as the bible says in Rev 3:2-3:
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Christ was addressing the Church at Sardis, warning them to strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die. In the next verse he urges them to remember how they have received and heard the gospel; in other words how they received salvation and to hold fast and repent, meaning to return to the former way they used to live in Christ. Kola, you need to strengthen the things of God that still remain in you that are ready to die. I believe that is the stage where you are now,” said Muyiwa.
“Yes I see that now Muyiwa; that is the message I really needed. It is as if Christ is speaking to me personally. I see now that I may not feel godly sorrow just yet…but once I repent, the Lord will break the hardness of my heart and godly sorrow will gush out.”
“Then let us pray,” said Muyiwa, drawing closer to Kola and holding his hands.
When Muyiwa finally left quietly, Kola was on his knees weeping like a baby…he was a broken man…a man in whom the Spirit of God had arisen…there was no room any longer for Janut or any of his kind…Kola was done with that…he saw everything in a new light now…in the light of Christ.
Weeping may endure for the night…but joy comes in the morning…said the Spirit in a still small voice as Kola poured out his anguish in other tongues…in inarticulate words that could not be uttered in human language.
Belial was a wild card…a loose cannon…every Principality knew that, so no one got in his way…not even Ba’al, so when Janut had showed up to give the late Oduyela some backing at his confrontation with Adebajo, he had instantly faded out of the scene the moment Belial had showed up. Belial was regarded as the most dangerous of all the Principalities. He was arguably the strongest of them, next to the Lord of Darkness himself.
Some even said if it came down to a battle between him and the god of war, that Belial would win…he was utterly destructive…but then, the mortals had discovered Ba’al first…they were the ones that had given him the title of god of war. Belial didn’t seem to mind being in the background. He was some sort of enforcer for the Lord of Darkness who seldom revealed all his plans even to his most trusted aides.
They said he was afraid they might conspire against him and unseat him as the Lord of Darkness…so he kept close tabs on them all through Belial. He never went anywhere without Belial.
Toun’s mother had been worried over her daughter and why she was no longer returning home. In the end, Toun in anger had told her mother she was moving out because she was working girl and old enough to be on her own. Her heartbroken mother had lived all by herself ever since.
Janut had long since consummated his marriage with Toun. In fact he had been with her thrice already and was impatient, waiting for the growth of the developing foetus within her. It wouldn’t last as long as a mortal pregnancy…he knew this from the days of old when his brothers had taken mortal wives before they had been forcefully and wrongfully incarcerated by the Majesty.
They had said mortal females were frail and fragile and would not be able to carry the pregnancy of the seed of a fallen angel for more than three months or they would die…the weight of the unborn baby would literally tear the womb away from the rest of the body…but this one would not be a giant in frame…the Lord of Darkness had said he would be a ‘normal’ mortal and had engineered it to be so…it was essential to the Plan that he looked normal.
The Lord of Darkness had been pleased with him and had commended him greatly before the rest of the Council.
All was now set for the next phase of the Plan…it had taken so long to execute because this time there was to be no failure…they had almost won at the Great Battle…but they had not factored in the willingness of that female mortal to give her life for her fellows…just as her Lord had once done.
But now they knew that was their ultimate weapon…they had finally found a way around it…there would be no opportunity provided for such a sacrifice…had they known a long time ago, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory…had they suspected, they would have taken out the female mortal and not allowed her to sacrifice herself of her own free will. This time would be different…it would begin with the son of the fallen angel…the one who would precede the Antichrist…he who was prophesied as the False Prophet coming with lying signs and wonders…
He was the superman the world was waiting for…the one their children had watched for several generations on their TVs and read about in their comic books.
REV 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Finally, it was time for the great deception to begin…now all the superheroes would begin to emerge one by one…sons of fallen angels walking the earth not as giants, but as mere men, gifted with extraordinary powers…as it was in the days of Noah.
Gen 6:4-8 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Chapter 26
Wunmi and Mary arrived at choir rehearsal almost at the same time. They were welcomed enthusiastically by everyone especially their music director. Everyone knew that the two ladies had been going through a rough time, seeing that they had not attended choir rehearsal in a very long while.
“It’s so good to have you back,” said Joy, embracing Wunmi and Mary one after the other.
“I’ve missed you,” purred Nike, taking a cue from Joy.
Joy made it her business to sit right beside Wunmi and allow her to look at her Choir Song book to see all the songs they had done previously, and to copy them.
“Thanks, may I borrow it home?” asked Wunmi, a little overwhelmed by the love shown to her by Joy whom she had never been close to in the two or three years they had been together in the choir.
Right on the other side of them both, Nike did the same thing with Mary.
“Today I just want to share along the lines of team work. Not that we haven’t been working together as a team, but to show us how to advance deeper into it. We are a body and must function as one,” said Patrick, beginning choir rehearsal with the usual sharing of the Word.
“A team is very different from a Body. A team consists of many people working together towards a common goal; there are no organic ties between each member of the team. But a Body is one single entity with many different parts each having a different function.”
“This choir is a Body, which means that we are a single organic entity. One person’s success or failure becomes that of the entire Body. One person’s weakness or strength becomes that of the entire Body.”
“That is the reason why we must take the care and concern we have for each other to another level. The only other unit that I know that functions as a Body is the Family…a close knit family always functions as a Body. They genuinely feel the happiness and pain of each other. I could go ahead and quote from 1 Corinthians Chapter 12, but you know those scriptures already. I love the way Joy and Nike have welcomed our sisters back into the choir. I happen to know that they weren’t this close to sisters Wunmi and Mary before now. I guess the long absence from the choir has done wonders for us all.”
Everyone laughed. Joy seized the opportunity to put her arm around Wunmi’s shoulders.
“E don do!” said Bose, from behind them. Joy turned back and grimaced at her which elucidated more laughter.
“This is what I call fellowship, so does anyone have anything to add or subtract from what I have said?”
No one did, so choir rehearsal was underway. Joy stole a glance at Nike who winked back. They had taken the first step as ordered by their boss Mr Akande. They were to win the trust of the two women, and then get themselves invited into their homes. The rest…Mr Akande would do.
Lucifer looked around his Council sternly…he never smiled…he said he would never, till he had put the Lord of Glory under his feet.
“I have decided to unfold the total Plan to you because things will all come to a head soon. We know what the Scripture Prophecies foretell about the Gathering of the Living and the Dead when he comes for the first time in the air, and we also know of the Battle of Armageddon at his Second Coming when all things shall be brought to an end. But the way I see it, we do not have to help the Scriptures fulfil itself. I will do everything in my power to frustrate it!” He stood up suddenly and began to pace around.
“So here is what I have planned for several centuries. The world must return to the days of Noah, it must also return to the days when there was much interaction between spirits and men or the end will never come. They must see that their gods are gracious and magnanimous, that they are willing to grant their heart desires.”
“They must see that it pays to serve the Lord of Darkness than the Lord of Glory. Many centuries ago, I set aside a race of people as an experiment. They were under the protection of Belial who in turn set over them Powers to grant their petty desires. Time passed and the Lord of Glory’s light found its way in, but the people never forgot their roots. For ten centuries now, I still have a people utterly devoted to me that serve me in the Ancient Way. They handed down their beliefs from generation to generation, till it came to one who is destined to play his role in these final hours. But they are all Belial’s sons, so I will let Belial speak of them”
The Lord of Darkness took a step back and allowed Belial to come forward. With a slight inclination of his head, Belial acknowledged his lord.
“My lord is right. This is a race of people to whom fallen angels and other spirits are not a strange sight. They were kept hidden away from the prying eyes of men for centuries. I carefully trained them to develop abilities that are beyond the ken of mortals. But this one of whom our lord speaks of is special, for he is my son, birthed to me by a mortal woman whom I have kept alive for over a century now.”
“He alone is mighty enough to cause the whole world to wonder after the Beast and to worship him. Even as we speak he watches us from his place of incarceration.”
“Why would he be incarcerated?” asked Ba’al curiously. All heads turned towards Belial for an answer. Belial chuckled as did the Lord of Darkness. He knew he had their total attention now.
“When he was born, I discovered that he could transform his body into any creature he wanted to, even as a baby. At that time, he had no Familiars to assist him to do this. But what I found most interesting was his ability to transform himself into my likeness, the likeness of a fallen angel.”
Belial strutted around, enjoying the full attention he was receiving from his colleagues, from the suspense he had created.
“I watched him time and time again as he grew older; transforming himself into my likeness…except that that likeness was not limited to the likeness of spirit…he saw what my true form looked like in the spirit and made a physical duplicate of it.”
A gasp of surprise rippled around the Council.
“So why is he incarcerated?” Ba’al still wanted to know.
“I will get to that in a moment,” said Belial impatiently, and slightly irritated at the interruption.
“I too was amazed just as you are now…but there was more…for not only could he duplicate my likeness…he had also inherited by birth, my abilities…all of them. I arranged for his incarceration when word of his abilities began to be spread far and wide. I wanted him for myself, not to be used by mortals, so I arranged for his uncle – a devotee priest of Daga’ath to kidnap him, with Daga’ath’s permission of course.”
Daga’ath nodded in acknowledgment to verify the truth of Belial’s words.
“But he ages too quickly because of the magnitude of power that rests within his tiny little body. He is only twelve, yet his body is one of a twenty year old boy. But he shall be sustained here for as long as he is useful to us.”
Belial stepped back…his story was done. The Lord of Darkness stood to address them once again.
“There is more. I hid them in a location with seven hills; one hill to hide one tribe. Few are the mortals that can boast of knowing the exact location apart from the boy’s uncle. But recently the uncle has been trespassing; he covets the boy’s powers for himself. Yet the uncle too has a part to play. So what do you suggest we do?”
The Council was taken aback. It was not in the nature of the Lord of Darkness to ask for advice…it might be perceived as a sign of weakness…
“I will take care of the uncle,” said Daga’ath quietly. The Lord of Darkness acknowledged his offer with a smile.
“So who is this boy who has accidentally evolved powers that have not been seen, not even in the days when giants walked the earth?” asked Janut.
Belial stood up and went to stand beside Lucifer.
“He is called Bulawa…he is the Guardian of the Seven Tribes,” answered Belial.
“He is destined to be the False Prophet that comes before the Antichrist!” said Janut in surprise.
“That’s right,” Lucifer grinned.
“You are deliberately changing the timeline so it no longer fits with the Scriptural Prophecies!” exclaimed Ba’al.
“I get it now. If we move the timeline closer and make it happen even before the Gathering of the Living and the Dead, it would cause lots of confusion for the Majesty and set back his plans for several centuries!” said Daga’ath enthusiastically.
All four Principalities stood up with one accord to applaud their lord for his wisdom. The Lord of Darkness inclined his head slightly and smiled ever so slightly before taking his leave…what they didn’t know apart from Belial was that Bulawa had been with them all along…he was masquerading himself as Belial at the Council…the real Belial was elsewhere taking care of business.
Bulawa had passed the test and succeeded in fooling the other Principalities…if he could fool them…then he could fool any mortal…or angel!
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