UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

TWELVE

An hour had passed, other pastors began streaming into the church, resuming their 9am schedule for the day.

Pastor Kelvin, the head of deliverance department strolled in last without a care in the world. His work bag hung loosely over his shoulders.

Lifting my gaze, I flashed him a tired expression. "Good morning."

Stuffing something into his mouth, he lifted his gaze with a smile and grabbed my hand in a handshake. "Good morning to you too. Heard there was an incident this morning?" he asked nonchalantly.

         "That, yes, but the Holy spirit took over." I answered, Pointing at the lady on the floor."The sister is right over there. You may take over from where I stopped."  

Instead he shook his head. "Nah....Remember," He pointed directly at me.

           "Your Holy spirit will always do it." He mocked, suppressing a chuckle.  "So please, finish what you started."

With that he swirled around and walked towards his office. I shook my head and went to check on the lady. She was stirring now. Her face flushed. The prayer team helped reorient her.
When I saw they could handle it, I went into my office.

  My intercom rang as soon as I settled into my chair. Isaiah's voice came on.

     "Good morning, brother Jacob, the senior Pastor requests your presence."

        "Be there in ten. " I spoke into the receiver.

I stacked my books in a corner on my desk. Then headed to my father's office on the other side of the administrative building, attached to the church's main building.
He was engrossed in something he was reading when I presented myself.

          "Sit!"  His voice commanded.

He paid me no attention. I pulled out a chair from his office 'think bar' and sat down, distancing myself a bit from him.

          "A group of young ministers would be visiting from Abuja in forty eight hours. They are interested to tour our facilities and see what we do here."

He paused as though he ran out of words. "Most importantly, they are requesting a fireside chat with you.  I would want you to oversee their welfare while they are here."

         "Okay Dad, will do that." I answered, getting up to leave.

Before I could even lift my body off the chair, he lifted his index finger, halting my movement. "One more thing,..... .About what you saw this morning, you cannot tell a soul."

His fiery eyes met mine immediately. "Do you understand?" He stared me down.
I nodded absent mindedly. My father was used to people trembling before him, but he also knew Jacob would always be an exception. Especially when it comes to hiding the truth.

        "I need to hear it in  words!" He thundered!

       "Yes Dad." I answered, surprised at his growing agitation.

Standing in front of him, I watched his face harden.  "Permission to leave?"  He waved me off with the back of his hand.

      Shocked would be an exaggeration If I say I was surprised at my father's outburst. Lately, he'd been weird and my visions about him have been lopsided.
His physical and spiritual identity had been so interwoven that it made my visions confusing.

I believe, I was blocking somethings I was seeing about him because he was my father. Sentiments and all.
But after I went on a prayer of inquiry, I realized, the atmosphere around our home was been manipulated by intense spiritual enchantment.

       Earlier this morning, 2am exactly. I was at my prayer altar in my secret place, inquiring God's mind for the day, when a mighty wind blew in my room.

In this vision, I saw a being with my father's face on a hunting mission. At first, I Interpreted it to be a good spiritual sign,  until he turned into something I have no description for.

He was more like a two headed beast in one body.  A double human. That somewhat terrified me. 

My skin crawled, when I saw how he went about his victims, shredding them in pieces. Some of the faces of his victims had at one point being our church members.
A list of his would be victims in his hands. He carried out his mission gallantly as if he enjoyed it, unleashing terror where ever he went. I shuddered at the sight before me.

When the vision was over, I stared into space for a minute or two. Said my prayers, then went into his room, he was fast asleep.

I stood there praying in tongues, his body began to change, a crimson dark color glowed all over him, yet his eyes were still closed. The force controlling him inhibited my prayers, channeling it into nothingness.

I went on my knees and dug into my prayer cloud. He was still sleeping. Then the entity within him detached from his body  and faced me squarely.

A woman , a seven foot ancient warrior stood before me.  I trembled like a leaf. When she spoke, her voice was that of my Dad. Her mannerisms like his.

My mouth was clamped shut as if stapled. But my heart prayed. A hum of songs started coming from my vocals. She shook her head and went back into Dad's body. Then he woke up.

His fiery eyes was first thing I saw when he got  up. He didn't say a word but picked me by the neck and tossed me out of his room.  It was too shocking to comprehend.I concluded right there that something was terribly wrong with my father. 

         Stepping out of his office, a cold shiver came over me. I hugged my body in an attempt to keep warm. I watched as people took turns waiting in line to see him. The soul of the church was at stake. The life of thousands of people who believed in God's hand on my father were at stake.

Overwhelmed at what was playing out in my head, I took a seat at the reception area and watched the people.

I couldn't help but imagine who would really be laying hands on them. My real father, God's anointed, or the entity within him. I supported my head with one hand as the people went in and out of his office. 

           "Jesus, what do I do?" My heart cried. "I know you called my father. But the devil has sown an evil seed."

           "What do I do Lord? The lives of these souls are at stake. Please direct me." Prayers  out of my mouth relentlessly.

           "Peace!" I heard my guide speak. Dropping all the fear. 

I breathed a sigh of relief.

After sitting there for a little while, I went back to the church and tossed myself into  more prayers. I prayed till I was sure, I was thoroughly cooked.

When I made my way back to the office, the lady who was laying on the floor early this morning, was seated calmly in my office.

My eyes ballooned on seeing her.  'What's she doing here?" I asked in my head. As soon as she saw me, She embraced me in a hug. I pulled away gently.

      "Just sit." My voice spoke politely. She returned to her seat.

      "I just wanted to say a big thank you." She said smiling.

      "I had struggled with this wicked spirit of suicide, that all I see around me is death. But God used you to deliver my daughter and I." She explained, her smile getting wider.

      "May God be praised.  Hopefully, we would be seeing you in church? "
I asked. She nodded. "Yes, definitely will."

    Her frame quickly disappeared behind the door to my little office. A nagging thought had originated in the depth of my mind.

     "What if the devil is on rampage? Filling humans with his evil demons as much as possible, tipping the balance between the physical and the spiritual?" My mind searched.
In recent days, the number of people manifesting very weird entities had tripled.

I wondered if the world was paying attention, If the watchers were positioned at their right place in defense of God's people.
I closed my eyes shut, calling calm into my stormy thoughts.