Brother Sunny

One of the young men that began to attend our Youth Services in Houston was Brother Sunny.  He was an exchange student at the University of Houston from Nigeria.  He attended another church but for a year he attended our youth service every Saturday night.  It was always a joy to have Brother Sunny (his real name was much more difficult to pronounce so this is what he went by) with us in service.  His testimony was always exuberant and filled with the joy of the Lord, and often he would get out in the aisle and preach a little about God’s saving power.  He shared with us that he had never met Jesus while living in Africa but once he came to the United States he was invited to Church and there he gave his life to the Lord. 

One Saturday night Brother Sunny seemed very different – he did not worship with his usual enthusiasm.  When I asked him to testify he stood and mumbled a few words of thanks then quickly sat down.  After the service I could not wait to find out what was going on.  Brother Sunny told me that before he left Nigeria that a local witchdoctor had told him that he would die on a certain date and that day was next Tuesday.  He related to me that he had seen that same witchdoctor predict many people’s deaths and in every case they had died just as he had predicted.  Fear had gripped his heart that he would die on that fateful day.  “Brother Sunny”, I told him, “when you gave your heart to the Lord you escaped from the control of the Devil.  You are no longer living under that curse.  Walk with God and everything is going to be alright.”  We prayed together but when Brother Sunny left he still did not look altogether convinced.  I did not speak to Brother Sunny any that week but on the next Saturday night the door to our service opened and in came Brother Sunny bouncing and rejoicing.  Later he stood up and testified about the fear that had gripped his heart and how that Jesus had delivered him from the power of the enemy.  He said, “Tuesday has come and gone and I am still alive!  If I had not met Jesus I would be dead right now.  Jesus saved me!”  Oh, how true were his words.  But the fact is: all of us have been saved by Jesus.