CHAPTER ONE
THE CALLING
The streets of Mushin were restless as usual, but inside the modest Akinola's family home, silence reigned. Samuel Akinola, the only son of Pastor and Pastor (Mrs.) Matthew Akinola, sat quietly in his small room. Just twenty years old, freshly graduated from Redeemers University with a first-class in Biochemistry, Samuel was not just brilliant, he was burning with a passion that outshone his achievements. He had been the president of the campus fellowship, a young man obsessed with one thing: soul winning. His dream was nothing less than to win the entire world for Christ.
It was Tuesday evening. He had just returned from Digging Deep, the Redeemed Christian Church of God's Bible study. The clock struck 8:30 p.m. The house was quiet; his parents had traveled to Abuja for the Abuja RCCG Convention, leaving him alone. He had been on a three-day dry fast, and his body begged for rest. But something stronger pulled at his spirit.
At 9:07 p.m., Samuel knelt to pray. At first, his voice was soft, a gentle murmur of tongues. But soon, it swelled into violent, fiery groanings of the Spirit. His room became a furnace.
By midnight, the atmosphere shifted. The walls seemed to vibrate. The floor trembled beneath him as though Lagos itself recognized the warfare taking place. For six long hours, Samuel travailed in the Spirit. Each tongue was like a sword, each groan like a thunderclap in the unseen realm.
The Spiritual Battlefield
In the spirit realm, Mushin became a warzone. Terrifying principalities that ruled the territory rose like dark giants, their forms cloaked in shadows, with fiery red eyes. They stretched out their claws, furious at the disruption. But then came the sound - a roar like many waters. Angels descended, blazing with swords of fire.
Battle lines were drawn. The angels of the Lord clashed with ancient spirits that had enslaved generations in violence, drugs, prostitution, and bloodshed. Each word that broke from Samuel's mouth struck like lightning, crippling demonic powers. The terrors of the night - spirits that whispered death into men's ears - screamed as their thrones shattered. The air in Mushin grew heavy, uneasy, as if even the physical realm sensed that evil had been crippled.
The Light Appears
At exactly 3:00 a.m., Samuel's room exploded with a radiance brighter than the sun. The brilliance was unbearable - he fell flat on his face, trembling. His heart pounded as fear gripped him.
Out of the blazing light, a still small voice thundered with authority that shook his very bones:
"Samuel! My son!"
His body quivered, his lips stammered. "Y-Yes, Lord…"
The voice continued:
"This world lacks THE TRUTH. They have chosen the desires of the flesh, becoming carnally minded. Their path is destruction. But I have chosen you as my Evangelist. Tell them THE TRUTH. Be bold to speak of Me to everyone. I will be with you. I will hear you when you call. Whatever you bind shall be bound, whatever you loose shall be loosed. I will contend with those who contend with you. You are My son, and I am your God. Through you, nations shall know that I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
As the words echoed, a hand stretched out from the light and touched him. Instantly, power like liquid fire surged through his veins. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious, the light fading slowly until the room was silent again.
The Awakening
At 6:27 a.m., Samuel opened his eyes. Sweat drenched his body. His chest rose and fell heavily as though he had fought battles all night. He sat up slowly, trembling, yet strangely empowered.
He reached for the Bible beside his bed, clutching it with both hands. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he whispered, "Lord… I will obey."
He knew he was no longer the same. He had been marked. Chosen. Charged with a responsibility greater than himself.
Into the Streets
That morning, Samuel stepped out of his mother's compound in Mushin with his Bible tucked under his arm. His feet moved with purpose, though he had no clear destination. His heart burned with one assignment: to speak the truth.
He greeted passersby warmly:
"How are you today?"
Before they could answer fully, he leaned in, his eyes blazing with conviction.
"Do you know the truth?"
Puzzled, people paused. "What is the truth?" they asked.
And with the fire of heaven in his voice, Samuel declared:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!" (John 3:16)
Some laughed, others smiled faintly, some shook their heads in disbelief. But Samuel was undeterred.
He quoted again, his voice cutting through the Lagos noise like a trumpet:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
And then with unwavering conviction:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
Finally, he raised his Bible high and cried:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 6:23)
The morning bustle of Mushin continued, but something had shifted. A new soldier had risen. Samuel, the evangelist chosen to proclaim THE TRUTH.