UNGRATEFUL MAN OF GOD part 3

Mr Jasper rushed home, he can’t wait to share his new found fortune with his wife. Immediately he entered the house, he sat his wife down and opened the briefcase full of money. “Where did you get all this money from”, his wife asked astonished. “It’s a payment for renting out our warehouse to a man to use.” Jasper answered. “What is the commodity that they will be housing with such a huge amount?” Mrs Jasper asked still wondering, her detective sense in full swing. Jasper's ego was getting in the line of the discussion. The wife's sensitivity he used to admire because it helps him detect and avoid bad businesses is now the same ability that is pissing him off because it is working against his wish. “What’s my business with the commodity they are keeping, my business with them is to make the warehouse available and to take it back when they are through.” Jasper said hurriedly. “My husband, I am not interested, take the money back, you have forgotten your responsibilities to God and your role in the church okwa ya.” Mrs Jasper said pleading with the husband. She knew wealth gotten unjustly will affect the husband's ego and will also affect the entire family like it's doing right away. “What do you mean, you are the one that said the young boys in our church who just started internet business within two years had all built houses and are using the same car as us, this is our opportunity for an upgrade. We can buy a new house in Lekki you know” Jasper cajoled. “I said so just maybe you can also put your business online and maybe start exporting our products abroad. I didn’t send you to collect money from the enemies of God” Mrs Jasper was resolute, it was obvious she wasn't backing down. “My dear, I didn’t steal this money ooo, whatever you like say, I am the head of this family, you can't tell me what to do” Mr Jasper retorted. Like a true African man, he wants to push his wife into submission.. He wants to toss out the truth coming out from his wife with his bold face. Mrs Jasper waved her head, it was certain her husband had lost his moral compass and had lost direction. She came to see what money can do to a man, especiallywhen he adds few zeros behind what he use to earn. Mr Jasper use to a calm man before, he listens to her counsel and acknowledge how useful they had helped him. He talked to her kindly, indeed his desire for that money had gotten to full swing, he can't make sound judgement anymore. “I am no longer your partner in business again. Its okay but its either the money leaves, or I leave.... with my children.” Mrs Jasper said point blank. Mr Jasper knew his persuasions wasn't making any headway and he can't beat his wife to submission, he sort for a temporary solution to keep the money that night and allow Zerox to load their goods. “Wow, it hadn’t gotten to that my wife, I will go and check the goods by tomorrow as they have started loading the warehouse with it and if its illegal goods as you claim, I will send the money back” Mr Jasper assured. “its alright but what about the goods, what if it's bad market? tell them to stop loading now, if the police traces the goods to You, they will jail you ooo. Aka'm na ukwu'm adighi ya ooo." Mrs Jasper said calmly, she was really concerned. "Don't worry, we will sort that out by tomorrow." Mr Jasper assured but inside, his mouth was saying what his heart didn't mean. Mrs Jasper sighed and walked to the kitchen angry. It was clear to her that her husband was now a changed man. He had been pretending to serve God and that day it is revealed in his ardent zeal to use godly grace to do the devil's business. *** It was early morning, about 7am, the daylight unwraps the hues of the world. Jasper hurried to his warehouse to check the content of the things in his warehouse, he saw another padlock on the locks, he went through the back door no one knew about and got inside, he saw that it was tramadol and it was meant for a pharmaceutical company. His conscience was beating but he can’t return the money. He had a plan, he took a large sum of the money to Tobi, his friend who is a bank MD. He went with some of the money to church. He plan to use Pastor Femi's acceptance of the money to cajole his wife into accepting the money. Pastor Femi's secretary ushered him into pastor Femi's office. "Good morning pastor." Mr Jasper greeted Pastor Femi who was sitting behind a black table with a Dell laptop and a huge bible spread open. His legs wasn't visible but obviously he wore a white tshirt. "Good morning Jasper, please sit." Pastor demanded and he went to sit down. “Pastor I came to drop some money for the building project “ Jasper said “Which money is that, the last time you told me that you are yet to receive your goods from China” pastor Femi queried. “I rented my warehouse to someone.” Jasper defended. “What goods are they storing in your warwhouse?” pastor Jasper asked. Jasper had already started feeling uncomfortably. Pastor Femi observed the effects his question was having in him. He was gleaning clues from his body language. “It’s a pharmaceutical product, sir.” Jasper answered this time wearily. "Giving God part of dirty money,cannot make the entire money clean." Pastor Femi replied. Mr Jasper wasn't happy about how the whole thing was going. "HOW do you mean sir" Jasper asked. “Mr Jasper, your wife had called me, some opportunities are not opportunities, they are traps. I don’t think the church needs such money. Neither do you as well.” “pastor, other pastors take such money, that’s how they buy jets in order to dignify the church and to change the church public perception.” Jasper tried to cajole the pastor. “How do you know, anyways I am not other pastors, I am Pastor Femi” pastor Femi said firmly. Jasper knew he wasn't making headway. He was weak from inside. Pastor Femi continued “These guys will be laughing at you right now, they just knew you have betrayed Christ for some dollars” “its not like that pastor Femi” Jasper replied. “You know we pray for the good of Nigeria... right? , we don’t have to work with her enemies who are destroying her” pastor Femi said trying to talk sense to Mr Jasper who is already obsessed with want of money. “But Pastor, I didn’t scam anyone for this money oo.” Mr Jasper said. “well, do you know the number of youths in the street that the drug you are keeping will destroy their lives, you can help eliminate that chances by staying away. For them to have located you means police are after them. Don't let your greed influence you ino protecting criminals” Pastor Femi reasoned with him and continued."You can't keep your own children a safe house of a working church and work to destroy other people's children. Jesus died for them too." Jasper got pissed up, the truth they see is a bitter pill, too hard to swallow and Pastor Femi knows how best to serve it. Mr Jasper stood up, headed to the door and banged it hard that it startled pastor Femi. Indeed money have an inflicting effect, it pumps a man up. ,he went straight to the airport to board Mr Ben’s private jet, they have scheduled a vacation for him in Hawaii, he will be spending 2 weeks, he didn’t bother to inform anyone since none of them accepted his newly found wealth. **** Pastor Femi called a meeting of the church officials, everyone seated on the board room chair and table. The pastor began to speak, "Jasper was kicked out of the deacon's board because of his errant want for money and the beast called money have divided greatly the time he has for God and his family and also the time he had for the church." Explained the Senior Pastor to other church officials. He continued "His spiritual growth had stunted. His wife had complained about him and how he had violated the order of God first, family second, church third, work fourth and leisure fifth. How can we truly be an example to others this way?" "But sir, how do we cope without Deacon Jasper, he is a major sponsor of kingdom work." Deacon Solomon asked sincerely, he can't see the church going far without Mr Jasper. "We must note that it was God doing the good works through him and not himself, if the holy spirit is no longer in him, then his giving will be corrupt and done this time with negative motives." Pastor Femi paused and continued. "Don't worry God is about to raise someone else willing to do all that." "But sir, considering all the good works Jasper had done for the church, isn't it not too quick suspending him." Deacon Ejiro asked. "He allowed his lean cow to swallow his fat cows. His bad attitudes had eaten up his good deeds, and leaders must lead by examples because we have children who are following." The pastor answered. "But sir, I don't get, such a man needs to be handled with care and not a rash decision of suspending him." Elder Louis stated. "No one is indeposable in God's presence, including me the pastor. When a man's giving makes him think he is important, we are prepared to show him that God doesn't have customers. And such man when left uncontrolled, one day he will replace the holy spirit and start detecting for the church. Thats how people like him had run down genuine churches. They are now structures without substance because they had lost the essence. They are now having the fear of man and not the fear of God" Pastor Femi said The message didn't go down well with the church officials but they suppressed it downward. They wondered how come the means a man makes his money can become a problem to the church. They kept this thoughts hidden, like a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode.