Oh wow! It's been a wonderful month of reading this beautiful educative and inspiring story. I'm sorry to inform you that today's episode is actually the last part of the novel and I hope you have learnt one or two things from the story. I promise to bring another exciting and educative story very soon, meanwhile let's devour the final episode of 'The 28th House'by T-Ralph Olaniyi
Episode 5 (Finale) - Righteousness by Faith
They were still trying to recover from the shock of last night's incident as they woke up the next day with strange looks on their faces. George dressed in his blue suit for work. Just as he drove out of the automatic gates, he suddenly saw an old woman in front of his car. George slammed the brake as his head jerked forward and his heart skipped for fear. He almost screamed but he calmed down when he realize that it was not a monster. It was their silent neighbour in front on his car. George did not really know what to say to her as he was still glued to his car seat. He wondered why she had appeared in front of his car this morning. "What on earth should I do?" George thought to himself. "I think respect demands that I to get down to meet her," George thought further. He was even more scared as she started walking towards him with her bent back, staggering with each step towards the driver's door. When she got close to his car window, she gave the glass a knock. He couldn't alight anymore, so he gently rolled down the side window. Her first words were "I know what happened last night." George heart skipped. "It was caused by the spirits of the children sacrificed for money by the rich man," she added. At this time, Sade was already walking towards them because she noticed the gates had not closed in a long time. The woman said, "I have a few things that I can give you to chase the spirits off." Sade arrived and all she heard was "...chase the spirits". So Sade exclaimed, "Spirits!" Since everyone around knew the history of the house, Sade knew instinctively that the old woman must be talking about helping them with the situation of the house. She did not even greet the old woman before she asked, "What do you want to give us?" She said she had some candles and fuming agents known to ward off evil spirits. "No wonder she had them lit on her balcony the other night," Sade and George thought to themselves. George said "Thank you" to her as he waved goodbye to drive off to work. Sade was skeptical about using such things, so, she told the old woman that she would come over to get it later when she needs it. She said this so as just to be tactful.
Sarah went late to school that day. She was reproved for coming late, but, that did not bother her at all. Her state of mind was definitely far from being ready for class, let alone, bothered about being reprimanded for late-coming. All through class, she gazed at the white board without seeing any letters or numbers on the board. At a time, the white board turned black and she saw images of the blood stained children. But, she quickly snapped out of it. Teachers taught and all she could hear were the sounds of the monster that appeared in her sleep. She was definitely not concentrating in class. The fright from last night and other similar nights left her in absolute dismay. During the break period, she had an idea amidst her hazy thoughts. She quickly located Matthew, dragging him into a corner and said, "Teach me how to pray." Puzzled by her request, Matthew replied, "Just say what you wish for and end it with 'In Jesus Name'." Sarah was surprised that it was that simple because she had never made any conscious prayer before, so she asked him just to be sure, "That simple?" Matthew felt he needed to explain better despite the strangeness of the question, so he said "Yes, that simple. Just know that God is your heavenly Father and He is always beside you. Then, ask for what you want in the name of Jesus and it shall be done for you because God loves you so much to deny a good request." Sarah's next question was, "Can you pray for me now so I can know how it is done?" Matthew took Sarah by both hands and she looked straight into his eyes. Matthew felt a bit awkward and then he said, "This is the time when we close our eyes before we say our desires." They closed their eyes and Matthew led a simple prayer that afternoon.
Sade spent all afternoon thinking about what to do next. She paced from one corner of the living room to the other. There are times when she literarily paused and stood for minutes on a spot, lost deeply in thoughts. And when she got herself back, she paced again. She thought to herself, "Probably, our neighbour is the witch disturbing us." She had forgotten to make lunch till it was time to pick Iyanu, Ronke and John from school. She rushed down to their school to get them. Sade was cooking when she heard voices in the living room - her husband and a man were discussing. She stepped outside the kitchen, walked down to the living room. George introduced the man to her as Mr Uche's pastor and he introduced Sade, his wife to him. Sade was surprised that George had come in with a pastor. She asked, "How did you meet each other?" The pastor replied, "Last night, I was praying when the Holy Spirit instructed me to see Mr Uche at his office today. While I paid Mr Uche a visit during closing hour, George was passing by and Mr Uche decided to introduce him. We spoke together until he explained the incidents of this house to me. Immediately, I knew coming here was the reason the Holy Spirit told me to see Mr Uche."
After a while of talking, dining and sharing the Word of God, they decided to pray. The pastor had barely spoken in tongues for few minutes when Word of knowledge started flowing in. The pastor started revealing the exact secrets of the house and the money rituals that conspired between the rich man, his cult and the children he used. Sade and George were surprised and stared at each other, thinking that the pastor had heard the story of the house elsewhere. Then George quickly cut in the pastor's speech, "This house is haunted by the ghosts of those people he had used." The pastor replied, "No. The ghosts of the children had departed from the land of the living long ago. However, there are two demons disguising in the form of the children and disturbing anyone who attempts to live in the house." George was stunned at the pastor's words and wondered why the pastor could be so sure of what he said. As those thoughts ran through his head, the pastor added, "There is also another demon. It is a fierce one living in the cupboard. It was in charge of the ritual rites whenever the rich man performed the money rites weekly." Everyone was astonished at the confidence with which he spoke as if he had witnessed the events firsthand.
As he led the family in some songs and some words to stir up faith in them, there appeared across the living room a set of twins, one male and the other female, at about the same height, walking towards them and raising their bloody hands. Everyone ran behind the pastor using him as a shield. The pastor stretched his hands towards them and commanded them, "Leave this house right now and be ye returned to hell, your home, in Jesus Name. Amen." Immediately, the twins stopped and just before they disappeared, screamed out so loud that everyone had to cover their ears except for the pastor. They could not see any of the children again; they stood up from behind the pastor. Immediately, George noticed that John was no longer with them. As he turned around, he saw John being dragged by his legs into his room by the grizzly figure. George did not think twice before running to get John. As he entered the room with John, the door closed tight that no one could open it from the outside. George was stuck with John inside the room with the grizzly monster. John managed to break loose and ran close to his father. George held him so tight to his chest with his arms. The monster stood at the other end of the room by the window. George was paralyzed with fear as he stood watching the monster with partially close eyes, trembling lips and legs. They were struggling with the door from the outside and he knew it would be counterproductive if he attempted opening the door from the inside at the same time. "There is nothing else to do than to pray," George thought to himself. He managed to muster
out a few words, "Get away from this house in Jesus Name. Amen." Nothing happened. George just kept shouting, "Get away... get away... in Jesus Name." The monster just got closer. "Who am I kidding? How will God answer me when all my sins are so innumerable? When was the last time I prayed? When was the last time I even gave God the slightest respect or regard. I can not deceive myself anymore," George thought to himself. From the other end of the door, the pastor could barely hear George shouting "Get away". Deep in his heart, he knew George must have been praying but nothing was happening. The pastor had an insight from 2Corinthians 5:21 in his spirit. The pastor wondered the correlation, nonetheless, he decided to follow the Holy Spirit's leading as he shouted to George at the other side of the door, "George, you have become the righteousness of God through the redemption of Jesus Christ regardless of the things you have done. So, just keep saying it." George, who was ridden with condemnation, was amazed at what the pastor had said. This time, the monster was just a few steps away from them, George's futile "Get away..." shouts was not helping, so, he started talking to himself, "I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus" over and over again. Though he never understood what he said at first and the fear of the approaching monster was not helping either, but, he just continued repeating the statement. Then, he remembered when he gave his life to Christ on one sunny Sunday afternoon. The brother who entered his room to evangelize told him that his sins had been forgiven him after they took the salvation prayer. Gradually, he understood a bit of what he was saying. Bit by bit, he realized that his sins had been forgiven him when Jesus Christ died. His salvation was never about his deeds in the first place; how then can his forgiveness be based on his deeds anymore. Though he had a bare understanding of the words he was saying, but, it formed faith in his heart. This time the monster was already close and was about touching him when he said, "Get away from us in Jesus Name." Immediately, a loud screeching voice was heard. In a flash thought, George remembered that the pastor had cast the other demons to hell, so he commanded, "Go to hell in Jesus Name. Amen." Immediately, the screeching sound stopped and the door opened. The pastor rushed in speaking in tongues. In a few minutes, every racing heart was settled and everybody's fear had subsided. They finally had peace in the house since they moved in. The pastor said a few words to encourage them and keep them at rest in the firm promises and finished works of Christ Jesus. He said a few prayers committing them to Christ and he prepared to leave. He told them to be rest assured that the demons were gone for good, never to return again. Sade and George saw him off to his car, then, George said this just before he drove off, "We shall meet in church on Sunday." They expressed their gratitude to the pastor and bid him goodbye. That night, never had they done so as a family, they had bible study before they slept and Sarah offered to say the prayers. George really had nothing to say to his family since he had not read his Bible in years, so he taught on "The Righteousness of God by Faith" taking a cue from the Bible verse and the statement the pastor had told him earlier.
The next day, the old woman in the next house was waiting at the gate for him just like the other day. This time, George was more welcoming to her as the gates opened. She said she heard the loud scratching noise and she felt a sudden peace that filled her heart that night. George said it was God who delivered them in the name of Jesus and they never had to use any demon-repellant candles and fumes. She was surprised. George said he would talk to her later after returning from work. That day, neighbours from the street came visiting for the first time saying they heard the loud scratching noise and the sudden unexplainable peace last night. Sade replied that the demons in the house were cast out in the name of Jesus. George and Sade became members of Mr Uche's church. In a few weeks and without realizing it, the street neighbours started having Bible study sessions at George's house. They used the garden behind his house as the gathering venue every weekend. It was never intended to become a Bible study meeting but as each neighbour came around to hear the testimony for themselves, George explain the event and unintentionally, it turned to a message.
They lived in a haunted house as the result of a supposed mistake of not being led by the Spirit. But now, God had changed the course of events completely. A family who never had regard for God had become a family that holds Bible study sessions for the street. Just because of them, a whole neighbourhood was saved for Christ. What a testimony in the 28th house!
(The End)
P.S
Thank you for reading.
Credit: T-Ralph Olaniyi www.teachingoftheword.com