"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:23-24)
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"Mummy am scared" Blessing spoke out finally in the midst of the situation. My mum wrapped her in her body and said "Don't be baby Jesus got us" even she needed to encourage herself. My dad still held Mrs Bello tightly and was honestly praying for strength not to let go. She was heavy and her persistence lack of faith made him almost begin to shake from the inside. However he encourage himself in the Lord.
"Gbim!!!!!!!!" Burning woods started falling from the roof and in a moment it would be the roofing sheets. Mrs Bello finally landed on the floor but they had placed some mattresses outside though not to close to the flame. Finally she was saved and though got crashes she and her family were alive.
More woods kept falling down and we didn't know when the roofing woods above us would fall. "Honey it's time for blessing, we have to ensure she makes it" my dad told my mum while she still hugged blessing, she didn't want to believe this is still happening. How do you tell your daughter she might die or be scarred for life.
The scene was an emotional one and honestly tears filled my eyes. I was young but I knew our Lord's prayer. So I started to say it;
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Mat.6:9-13KJV
In that moment I was a child but I knew I felt lighter, like an enveloping taken over and I was no longer myself. I repeated the Lord's prayer again and again and it began to look like the flame didn't move further or the woods didn't want to fall.
Is this a miracle?
If this prayer keeps the flame away, I began to pray all the Bible verses I know in order to help Dad who was still hanging on for we all.
From
Psalm 23:6 KJV
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
To
Psalm 91:1 KJV
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I said them over and over again as those were the verses I knew well as a kid. The more they were recited it began to look like the flames's intensity reduced (Like water being poured on it to quench it) However I saw nothing but I could hear that still voice that's wasn't my dad's voice saying "I AM THE CONSUMING FIRE" I was young but I know what I heard. How can you use fire to quench fire? I just didn't understand
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The name Jesus is the most powerful in this world. In the mouth of a person who knows it's efficacy, it can move mountains and turn over oceans.
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As the flame kept receding back, it began to look like the time was slower or didn't want to move forward. My dad grabbed onto blessing and alerted those down to be ready, his hands were already bleeding based on when Mrs Bello held him tightly. He saw his little girl in that almost burnt out clothes smiling and she repeated what my Dad would always tell her every morning. "Daddy God is in control" those words lighten up my Dad's mood and restore the already damping faith.
He let her go and she landed safely into the mattress, she attended to do immediately by those on the ground. Though we didn't know for certain what are fate would be after but we knew my sister would live.
I was the next to be sent down and didn't want to leave mum and dad upstairs but I had no choice. The word Consuming Fire kept ringing in my head but I was just five years old. I kept saying those Bible verses as Dad held me to be dropped, I looked at my father and in that moment I saw another bigger figure. It was like my Dad was being backed by a Man whose height touched the roof, I saw him holding my dad's wounded hands and it was almost as though he was the one holding me. The Grip my Dad had was so firm it was almost as though I was held by a thousand men. His white was brighter and his clothes not burning, it was as though we were not in burning building. At that moment it felt like I was in a place and in an atmosphere so beautiful. I later on grew to know that experience as Heaven in the flames.
He has been the one helping my dad hold on without failing, I saw his countenance like shining light in the darkest night. My Dad held me but he held him. At that moment the fear I had for a long time was replaced with an indescribable peace. To this young boy a story would begin just by this singular experience, the story of how I met Jesus…..