BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

A PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF HOW I MET THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

I was born and bred by Nigerian parent in Ondo state. Ayegunle-Oka on November 16, 1968. I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ and became born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God on July 22nd , 1986, at the age of 18.

Before I encountered the Lord Jesus Christ who changed and transformed my life in such an unforgettable manner, I was an ardent, nominal and religious member of an orthodox protestant church in my hometown. My parents were deeply religious active members of this church. I was under their tutelage but never heard about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, not once! It was a routine worship center with virtually no spiritual substance.

However, I would ask myself lots of questions about who God is, who created Him, why am I born, why do we need to know God and so on without any reasonable answer. I remember my parent ringing the wake up bell every morning to pray, and calling on us together at night to pray, read the psalms before bedtime and all of that.

I was with them until 1986 when I finished high school in Ondo State, some of my friends in the Scripture Union have ever given me gospel tracts about Jesus but I did not take any them serious because I thought it was just enough to belong to a church coupled with the fact that my Dad was a key Preacher and the key founder and custodian of the church! I remember my dad teaching the Choir, teaching rudiments of music or songs, preaching fervently in church but still worship community Idol! Less to wonder why the family was not free from acrimony, fighting and all that. I had no joy of salvation as my life was full of religious rite and confusion.

I left my home town in July 1986 to the northern part of Nigeria, precisely Jos, Plateau state for a visit to my elder Sister Florence who was married to a Nigerian Soldier in the military. She told me about the Deeper Life Bible Church, and we went to the church that day, 11/22/1986; it was on a Tuesday Bible Study. On getting to the church, I began to see life in different perspective, the members of the church were amazing in comportment, loving in their approach, so humble in disposition, the moment each person gets into the church, you see majority praying, talking to God, they meant business with God, it was the very first time I saw true love in sincerity with no strings attached, I noticed that orderliness in this church was glaringly solemn and I was seriously under conviction from the first day that I needed a change compared to what it has been with me before even though I did not know what exactly that was going to be.

The Bible study was titled “Swear Not” I can never forget! It was as if someone told the Preacher about me, all he was saying was an exact description about my life of sin. I saw Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior as the only way to God; the Way, the Truth and the Life, John 14:6.

I heard about the love God has for humanity in John 3:16 and for me as a person, and how He sent His Son Jesus Christ, the Savior to earth to die on the Cross for me, He shed His blood and was raised from the dead, so that by believing on Him, I could have my sins forgiven and then have eternal life.

I heard about the steps to salvation, acknowledged my sinfulness Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Confessed my sins 1 John 1:9; Believed in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior Act 3:19; Romans 10:9. Received Him into my heart John 1:12; Turned away and forsook all my sin Proverbs 28:13; to follow Jesus every day. After that, I was enrolled for a discipleship training and subsequently water baptism class where I came to learn more about God and the Bible, after that I was baptized by immersion. I heard about quiet time, having a quiet moment of prayer and study every morning and at night, this I have been doing consistently every day to keep my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to live a consistent victorious and prayerful life.

I became a member of the Local church. Not too long, I joined the church workers training class and was appointed to lead a house caring fellowship every Sunday evening. I remember having opportunity to visit my parents in my hometown and friends sharing my experience of salvation through Jesus Christ with them. I saw the need to seek God for sanctification experience, the second work of grace after salvation when the heart of the believer in Christ is made pure and holy. The experience became real and evident in my life in 1987, I could love God and the brethren more than before, I had had greater peace within me than ever, my love to serve the church and passion for the things of God was indescribable.

On May 8, 1988, I was praying in my room in the evening with my prayer partner, one of the converts I was following up. I suddenly discovered that I burst into speaking in an unknown language on my knees. Meanwhile, I have heard so much about the Holy Ghost baptism before then and could tell from the initial evidence of speaking in tongue that He was the One that came upon me. From that point, my spiritual life, prayer life, witnessing life, study life, in fact everything about my relationships and service to God was never the same.

Not long after that I graduated from College, I came to realize that we are living just to fulfil the purpose of God in life and eternity. I was ordained a pastor in the Deeper Life Bible Church. The first church I pastored was in 1997, Mubi, Adamawa State, it was a local church of not less than 150 members. Later, I moved to Lagos and helped in planting churches, developing members in local church and part of missionary outreach team of the church by His grace. I have covenanted to serve God for the rest of my life.

I have helped in missionary outreach to Puerto Rico under the supervision of Lagos church, and developing churches in the US. The Deeper Life Bible Church Winston Salem NC started in a house, in February 2021 and currently in the present location with a team of membership working together to expand a frontier of the gospel within the locality.

I have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and cannot explain how much He loves me, He laid down His life for me, I know I haven’t loved Him enough but can love Him more every day as I trust Him to help me, I have decided to serve Him for the rest of my life, he speaks to me every day, and I really want to know Him more and to serve Him more.

PASTOR FRANCIS O DAODU.