Put Away the OLD MAN and put on the NEW

ANOTHER PATHETIC STORY

Rita, an exceptionally talented sister in song and extraordinarily gifted in leadership and organization, who served the Lord in school fellowship with the testifier was also seen at the bank of hell. Read Rita’s story.

“A-ll-en, A-ll-en,” shouted the lady.

I was shocked to the root to hear my name in hell. I didn’t recognize on time who the person was, because the face was marred and disfigured by the fire; the skin was blackened by the flame and littered by sores.

Who? Who? Who are you? I asked with great inquisitiveness. She shouted again:

A-Il-en Bamgbose, I am Rita; your hostel mate in the Grammar School. “O-o-oh I’m hungry, p-l-e-a-s-e help m-e-e...”

I was flabbergasted at seeing Rita in hell. Rita in hell? No! It must be a dream. But Rita died a good Christian! I soliloquized all these questions right on the same spot. To cut a long story short, human feelings griped me and I thought I could help her out of that predicament. Thus, I took a step to move to her, but my legs were too heavy for me to lift. I looked around for my friendly angel again, he was nowhere to be found.

“Rita, why are you here? You are a child of God, why did you miss heaven? We organized concerts, carols and quiz competitions in our school fellowship and you didn’t disappoint God. You were very good at sword drill and impromptu speech. “Why?” “How?’ I sobbed out these statements.

“Yes, I did all that in the Grammar School, Allen,” she replied “But, later in life and two months to my graduation in the University, I yielded to a sinful affair with a boy at home during a short break. I thought of repenting in the campus chapel when the school resumed. But on returning from home, I had a motor accident. The next thing I discovered was that I found myself in the gate over there and the angel asked me to go to the left road which ends in this place,” she revealed.

“O-o-oh Rita, why did you allow this, after all the evangelism in the boarding house, choruses and prayer meetings? What were you doing till your flesh inflicted this temptation on you and conquered?” I asked with lament.

While I was lamenting over this tragic scene, the fire as red as it were erupted like a volcano around the place she was, immediately, she sank. I was afraid of God right there. I didn’t see Rita again throughout my vision.

PRAYER

Father Lord, help me to discover and the forsake deeds that are capable of finding me out on the last day. Grant me grace to put away the OLD MAN and to put on the NEW MAN. Ephe 4:22-25

Extract from the book, “4 HOUR INTERVIEWS IN HELL”. Yemi Bankole, 1999.