Great Testimony.Great Testimony.

 

My  29th Wedding / Marriage Anniversary Message by Dr. Ebi Nurseman Isaac, FCIA

"One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered." Job 41:16,17

 It was exactly on a day like this Saturday October 8,  that I got married according to God's PERFECT WILL at the Deeper Life Bible Church Corporate  International Headquarters, Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria..

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 It was a memorable day and of course an event that should be remembered and the record be told from time to time for present and generations yet unborn.

On that faithful Saturday, unlike other Wedding Days where more than 30 Couples do participate, only Nurseman Isaac and Esaduvie O. Zudonu were joined in holy wedlock by the officiating Minister - Pastor Jerry Asemota, representative of the  General Superintendent (Pastor Dr. W. F. Kumuyi) whom God used to teach me the word of God including Christian marriage and family life.

There are people who will not appreciate and speak good concerning a Man of God and the Ministry that greatly contributed to their spiritual, physical,  material and family upliftment simply because they are no more in that Ministry. By God's grace, I am not one of such ungrateful people. 

As I am writing this, I still remember the Eight Topics GS preached during the Monday Bible Study at Gbagada under Marriage for the Singles Series - if I may recollect, around 1988 (1) God - The  Match Maker (2) God Still Our  Match - Maker (3) The Unprofitable Union (4) God's Partner For Your Life (5) Spiritual Guidiance Part 1 (6) Spiritual Guidiance Part 2 (7) Spiritual Guidiance Part 3 (8) Planning for Marriage and other messages relating to Christian Marriage, Family- life, Child Training etc.

Sincerely speaking, anybody who  knows me then and even now, when the Man of God is teaching / preaching even if Outline is given, I will drop the outline and jot down almost everything preached and taught and  after the message/ teaching, I will spend sometimes more than one hour pray in the message point by point before going home. I also bought the cassettes and listen to them again and again until the message and teachings becomes part of my life.

I would like to state this equivocally  and for record purpose that it pays to stand on God's word in every aspect life.

I also remember one fateful day at Gbagada, something happened and many key leaders/ pastors were trying to compromise on some matters. That was some few weeks Bro Fadokun  took over from Bro Earnest Iyade as the Church Secretary that GS said in front of his Office with a lamentable voice, "You people want to spoil all the things I have laboured to put in place according to God's word over the years: but I know Nurseman, he  will not and will never  join you people to compromise. I know him" 

Back to what happened on the day of my wedding. On that faithfull Saturday, I wore one of my old  but neat suit and my best man also wore  a suit with different colour. Like wise my wife and her Bridesmaid wore normal gown with different colours which was and still not the usual practice.

Before the day of the Wedding Ceremony, I was called upon by top leaders of the Church and International HQ Marriage Committee and was strongly advised not to go the way I want to do my wedding on the ground that people will laugh at the Church. But I told them, it is my personal decision and conviction. Beside, I equally told them that  "Happy and successful  marital  life does not depend on the number of people that attend the wedding or the type of reception or  the type of suit or gown you put on or the pictures you take or the Video recording or the number of gifts you receive but it is on your applying the principles of God's word on marriage and family life before, during and after the wedding ceremony."  

I reminded them what GS told us in one of the Workers' Conference that he wore short sleeve and trouser during his wedding and that if he wear that type of dress to come for Bible Study and teach the word of God then same type of dress is good for wedding.

In fact this matter got to GS and they were told to leave me with my personal conviction and consecration to God.

All the couples slated to wed that month of October withdrew and shifted to the next month leaving me and my wife to be ( at that moment) to do the wedding alone.

During the wedding , there was no picture taking, no video recording and there was no reception and taking of gifts. I didn't print Wedding Invitation Card.

 After the wedding, we were about walking to my one room apartment situated at Soluyi, Gbagada Phase 3 a journey of about 45mins or more by trekking  because I decided not to borrow another person's car: when brother Israel Oyeniyi  my Co- full-time Minister in the Headquarters Church used one of the Church bus ( I perceived it was by the instruction of the Church Authority) and conveyed me, my wife, family members and others to my one room apartment at Soluyi.

Like I said above, there was no reception. I only prepared soup and pounded yam for family members and friends. By God's grace, I was so loved by the G.S., Members, Workers, Pastors, leaders and was very popular in the Church because of my sincere commitment to the service of God as well as the people of God  but I deliberately refused printing invitation cards to invite any body. Neither did I want any gift from small or big men in the Church.

Actually, the Friday preceding my Wedding Ceremony, I was in my usual maner, working in the Church at Gbagada from morning till about after 11pm. Because after normal closing hour when other Full Time Staff have closed and gone home by 5pm, I start another assignment by attending to Vetting Committee, Land & Building Committee and Legal Committee at Gbagada - the Headquarters Church that do last up to 11:30pm every Friday of the week. 

I have already asked my wife (to - be at that time) to come from Ajegunle - Apapa ( precisely 55 Oluwa Street) and stay with the Woman Leader at Gbagada because we agreed not to borrow any vehicle  to convey her the following day which was Saturday (Wedding Day).

So while the people were being served with the little food I prepared for them after the wedding ceremony, I and my wife went back to the Church HQ, Gbagada for the Saturday Workers' Meeting. I could still remember that we were one of the first people at the workers meeting around  1pm when actually the meeting was to start by 4:00pm. 

But I assured my wife after the wedding on that Saturday that "She should be prepared for God's blessings and favours; as she had already passed all the tests in marrying God's  Perfect Will." 

A month after the wedding, we agreed with the Landlady, used a space and  build another room to join the existing room. There after, we bought land at Ikorodu and built four bedroom flat and packed to our personal building. 

We bought land again and built School ( Nursery/ Primary/ Secondary). We bought cars, buses for personal and school use even to assist people. All is by the grace of God. God gave us four beautiful and wonderful children a boy and three girls. 

The first has graduated from

University, participated in the NYSC and got married according to God's PERFECT WILL living happily with her husband outside Nigeria.

 The second  has also finished her  University education, got married according to God's PERFECT WILL and travelled to UK with her husband, and doing well by God's grace even assisting our last born University Educational needs.

 The third  (male child) is in Tertiary Institution and working as well  taking care  of his Mother. Infact, he bought a plot of land for my wife ( his mother) and as a matter of appreciating our 29th Wedding Anniversary bought expensive Handset for his mother. 

While the last born ( female ) has also gained  admission to read Law in Lanchester University, UK ( Ghana Campus) with 50% Scholarship on Tuition Fees. God has made us grand pa and grand ma.  

We married as Sch. Cert. holders but today we are all graduates even with Post Graduate, Professional and Doctorate  Degrees by the grace of God. We are enjoying our family by the grace of God.

Even as I joined The Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Ijesha, Lagos on Sunday January 1, 2006  ( after spending about 20 years in Deeper Life Bible Church), God has used our Daddy G.O.( Pastor Lazarus Muoka) to take my family and my humble self to another level. 

We  appreciate God of Chosen for His grace, mercies and love. It is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. Even though my life and leadership style is often misunderstood by people, yet I am blessed and happy because it's this same life style that I used in training and developing  and inculcated good and highly disciplined character and lifestyle to every member of my children with the cooperation of my lovely, wonderful and prayerful wife of my youth.

Please join us to appreciate God with the wordings of this song by Easter Brothers Titled: "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me" 

Verse 1: 

As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong In my heart I'm rejoicing, how I wish they could see Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me 

Chorus:

There's a roof up above me. I've a good place to sleep. There's food on my table And shoes on my feet You gave me your love Lord

And a fine family, Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me 

Verse 2:  

Now I know I'm not wealthy, and these clothes , they're not new

I don't have much money, but Lord I have you And to me that's all that matters, though the world may not see, Thank you Lord, for Your blessings on me 

Dr. & Mrs Ebi  Nurseman Isaac.