How I Got Saved by PRO Edogbanya
My
name is Edogbanya Paul Ramallan Ocholi. I hail from Dekina Local Government
Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. My parents are civil servants and I am the first
of four lively boys. I am a graduate of Biology from the prestigious Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria, hold a master’s degree in the same field and presently
running a doctorate. I am a lecturer with Kogi State University, Anyigba.
The
Religious Phase
I come
from a staunch Catholic background; I was pious and dedicated. When I was of
age, I attended Catechism class and did my First Holy Communion and was ready
to perform all the sacraments of the Catholic Church. I was even considering
being a Catholic priest at some point, but discovering my love for the opposite
sex, and knowing that Catholic priests don’t get married, I knew I wasn’t going
to make it treading that path, so I forgot about the idea altogether. This is
just to tell the extent to which I was ready to go as a Catholic.
I
prayed the Catholic way (which were more of recitations) and read my
Bible on my own (which was a rear attribute of a Catholic; most Catholics read bulletins,
Sunday missiles, prayer books, etc. but not the Bible) and I discovered there
was more to God. I had a quest to know God more but didn’t really know how to
go about it.
You will seek me and find me when you seek
me with all your heart.
Jer 29:13-14 (NIV)
Then
came along one of my personal tutors (Mr. Newton); and while he taught me
Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, he also told me about Jesus and the need to
be born again. I argued with him saying that the Catholic Church was the first
and only real Church, and didn’t really see a need to be born again. However,
Mr. Newton planted a seed which was later going to yield fruit.
My Dad
was transferred at his working place from Kano to Abuja, and as a result I had
to change schools. I started attending a boarding secondary school (Government
Science Secondary School Pyakasa, Abuja), and because of my quest, whenever I
was at school I didn’t attend the Catholic Students Fellowship (CSF) but rather
the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS), though when I was at home I
attended the Catholic Church with my Family. I loved the atmosphere of worship
at FCS. I wanted to really know God but I had a major challenge – I was caught
in the web of masturbation and pornography. I tried on my own, by discipline
and strong will, to break lose, but with every attempt I sank in deeper. I
answered a number of altar calls but somehow I went back to my old ways.
The Carnal
Phase
After
secondary school, I got admission to do my A Levels at Federal Polytechnic,
Nasarawa. I started attending a Pentecostal church and there I gave my life to
Christ. I couldn’t really explain, but this time it was different. I was sure
that I was saved. The following week, I experienced the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, and from this point my life changed drastically. I began to understand
the Scriptures differently and started getting direction for my life as I
studied the word and prayed.
I
joined the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES), attended
conferences and missions - these really helped in building my life spiritually.
I also became passionate about reaching out and evangelism, but from time to
time I still fell back into masturbation. Also, I had a girlfriend with whom we
did every other immoral thing but sex.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,
sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to
do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I
will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with
me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills
to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I
see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that
I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus
Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with
the flesh the law of sin.
Rom 7:14-25 (NKJV)
Emphasis mine
Also
at this point, due to the teachings I was exposed to, I followed God basically
because I wanted to be blessed and “make it” in life. The “spiritual”
activities I did at this point (e.g. going to church, study of the word,
prayers, fasting, giving, etc.) was basically because I wanted to be successful
in life. At this point, to me God was just a means to an end.
Spiritual
Phase
All my
desire was to be a successful medical doctor, and I believed that with hardwork
and God I was going to achieve my goal. I did excellently well in my A Levels
so I applied for Medicine at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. However, even
though I was qualified, I was not offered admission to study medicine but Human
Anatomy. I was very disappointed, but I made up my mind that since I was not
offered medicine, I was going to make sure I graduated with a First Class.
Friends and schoolmates told me that no one had ever done it, but I was bent on
becoming the first to break the record. I studied hard for at least four hours
during weeknights. During weekends, I could spend up to 8 hours
during
the day studying and top it up with a few hours at night also. I knew exactly
what I wanted and nothing could stop me.
I went
to Church on Sundays and also participated in some fellowship activities (NIFES
mainly) but I never allowed them interfere with my academics. Subconsciously,
academics became a god in my life. I believed there was nothing I couldn’t
achieve if I could excel academically. Now please don’t get me wrong, excelling
academically is not wrong in itself (in fact it is God’s will), however, my
motive and the way I went about achieving it was wrong. I was more or less
using God to achieve my goal in life. We are never meant to use God to achieve
our selfish purposes (unfortunately, this is what most Christians do). God is
not one of the means to succeed in life. God is not a talisman that we use and
throw away.
I was
doing well academically and from the look of things I was going to achieve my
aim. However, close to the onset of my 200 Level first semester examination, I
had prepared so well and I knew I was going to nail my papers, then the
Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] went on an industrial action, hence
we couldn’t write exams and had to go home. At home I couldn’t really study
like I used to due to distractions.
The
strike lasted for almost six months, and immediately the strike was called off
we were to commence examinations. Fear gripped my heart. I didn’t feel I was
prepared for the exams. I had lost the initial preparation and I didn’t know
where or how to start. The fear was rather unusual, it was an attack from the
devil. If I had settled down, I would have at least put myself together and
gotten psychologically ready for my exams, but I couldn’t just get myself to do
so. The fear deteriorated into serious anxiety, I was so afraid to fail that I
said instead of writing the exams and failing it was better for me to run away
from school and not write the exams altogether. I had never failed before, I
had always topped my class right from childhood, and I couldn’t just face the
fact that I was going to fail. A lot went through my mind including suicide.
All these were because I had built my world around academic success and I
couldn’t stand to see it crumble.
Eventually,
my dad pleaded with me and I wrote the exams but I didn’t do well. I went into
a depressed state, then later a state of psychosis; I was later diagnosed with
Bipolar disorder. From that point henceforth, I struggled with my
academics until I couldn’t cope any longer due to my health condition, and had
to drop out from school at 300 level.
For
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind.
2 Tim 1:7 NKJV
I
stayed home for close to a year. As at this time we had a lot of challenges as
a family. My family was at the verge of breaking. It was as though hell was let
loose upon us. Within this period I began a process of soul searching. I began
to ask God what His purpose for my life was. Yes, I had been born again all this
while, but I didn’t understand God’s purpose for my life. I had to depend on
God’s grace, seeing that all I built my life on (my academics), had crumbled.
Up to this time I had depended so much on my ability and my prowess. God led me
to a book, The
Purpose Driven Life, written by Rick Warren and there I found the answer.
In the
book, I got
to find out that most times we as Christians use God to achieve our purposes in
life, but reverse is supposed to be the case. God is supposed to use us to
achieve His purpose on earth. This revelation changed my whole perspective
about life. My life made a 360° turn around. From that point, I decided to
live wholly for Him. I told God to take my life and do whatever he wanted to do
with it. My greatest desire at this point was to truly know Him. It was at this
point I consciously began to develop a vital relationship with the Holy Ghost.
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may
finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of
testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and
so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Phil 3:10-11 (NIV)
I
reapplied for admission into the same university, but this time to a different
course (Biological Sciences). Using my A Level result, and I was offered
admission directly to 200 level. God had given me another chance. I went to
school and began to do well again, though I had some challenges with my health
which affected my academics at some point, but then I had learned to depend on
His grace. I was engrossed with serving God on campus and yet my academics
didn’t suffer. I developed the habit of spending protracted amount of time
praying in tongues and studying the scripture. These spiritual exercises helped
me grow spiritually. This time I did what I did not just because I wanted to
succeed in life, but because I wanted to know Him. I also spent quality time
interceding for the campus. It was at this point that masturbation lost its
grip over me.
...to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner
man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...
Eph 3:16-17 NKJV
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit,
Jude
20-21 NKJV
My 400
Level was the year I didn’t study like the rest of my years in school, not
because I was lazy, but due to some Kingdom commitments (I was an EXCO in
NIFES, and apart from that I did some personal ministry on campus), yet that
was the year I had my best academic performance. I had spent not as much time
as I used to in studying, yet my rate of understanding was so fast, that I
myself was afraid. By His grace, God amplified my little efforts. While
preparing for exams, I had premonitions of the topics that we were going to be
examined on. My close friends would meet me for areas of concentration, because
what I told them always came out. I had to beg them not to put me into trouble
(to avoid anybody thinking that I saw the exam question papers before the set
time of the exams). Even in the exam hall, it was as if a tap was turned on for
me, I never lacked what to write. In fact, I always wrote till I was satisfied.
I had handed over my academics to God and had plunged into grace.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored (grace is not an excuse for laziness but rather an enablement for work) more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Cor
15:10 NKJV Emphasis mine
I
graduated excellently, though I didn’t make a First Class, I was away from it
by few points. I enquired of the Lord on how my one year National Youth Service
(NYSC) was going to be, and He told me I was going to serve Him in the Nigerian
Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF). True to His word, I was appointed a
subzonal coordinator. God used me to bring about a revival in the fellowship.
Before our tenure, all they had as a fellowship was more or less a funfair. During
our tenure, many Corpers became born again, many others rededicated their lives
to Christ, and many others too were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Family
House (The Christian Corpers Lodge) carried such atmosphere of His presence,
that almost all everyone who had not received the infilling of the Holy Spirit
before coming there, always received the infilling of the Holy Spirit before
leaving. My predecessor and I (Papa Daniel) spent much time praying in tongues
and studying the word at the family house while other Corpers where home for
break.
During
service year, I understood God in a whole new dimension. I experienced His
power and at this point I could not deny that indeed God is real. My life has
made steady progress from this point onward. I understood spiritual things more
and I had more clarity on what my mission in life was. There is no turning back
for me. I have come too far. I have burnt the bridge. Salvation is not just an
event, but rather a journey of knowing God. Hallelujah!!!
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