Soft-spoken cleric, Rev. David Inung, is the general overseer of a growing church, God’s Foundation, Spirit and Truth Church, located at Olukosi area of Shasha, a Lagos suburb.
He recently had an experience, which he said, increased his faith in and dedication to God, which he earnestly wanted to share with Nigerians.
As he disclosed, the church had been praying for a bus to help convey its members from different parts of Lagos on Sundays.
Through the success of its 10th anniversary held on July 10, 2013, the church was able to buy one, which was dedicated on the last Sunday of December, last year.
As Rev. Inung said, the bus was a fairly used one but it was in excellent condition. As he put it, “The bus was bought to convey our members, especially those coming from Orile Iganmu, where the church first started before it was moved to Shasha.
We had prayed to God for this bus and the Lord did it. But we were yet to engage a driver for the bus. So, one of our members used to drive it on Sundays to pick up members and do other sundry assignments for the church.”
Rev. Inung stated that the brother complained that the bus had a hard start, so they planned to take it to carburetor specialist in Hajj Cap area in Akowonjo.
They set out to do this on Wednesday January 8. As the brother cleaned the vehicle where it was parked at the compound of another pastor, Rev. Samuel Olutoye, general overseer, Word of Eternal Life and Revival Ministries, in preparation for the visit to the carburettor specialist, he attempted to start the vehicle, but there was a spark that ignited a fire, which engulfed the vehicle.
This happened as Rev. Inung was greeting Rev. Olutoye in his apartment. They were attracted by the shout of “Fire, Fire” by the brother and other people in the area, who immediately gathered to combat the fire, using water mixed with detergent.
As the fire raged, Pastor Inung said he was shouting “My Bible, My Bible.” He said he had dropped the Bible on the passenger’s seat before going up to greet Rev. Olutoye. By the time the fire was brought under control, the bus had been completely burnt.
Hear him: “When we heard the shout of ‘Fire, Fire’, Rev. Olutoye and I ran down. We saw the bus on fire. Rev. Olutoye’s wife and children battled to contain the fire with water and detergent.
“My concern, which I voiced out openly, was that the fire would not go out of hand to engulf Rev. Olutoye’s house. My second concern was my Bible, which I left in the bus.
“I and Rev. Olutoye watched helplessly as fire consumed the vehicle. I kept saying; ‘If my Bible was not in the bus.’ It was my main ministerial Bible although I have other Bibles.
“I have used it for over five years and I like it so much. So, it pained me that the Bible would be burnt in the bus.
“About 40 minutes later, the fire was stopped but the vehicle was completely burnt. After I had given up hope on the Bible, some people who were still around the burnt vehicle started shouting.
“They ran towards me in jubilation, with something in their hands. Behold, it was my Bible, retrieved unburnt. As I grabbed the Bible, I saw that it was untouched by fire, except a little part of the back cover.
“The mystery is that the complete books of the Bible were unharmed by the raging fire. I did not know what to say. The vehicle, an 18-seater Kia bus, was valued at about N1 million.
“At first, I was dumbfounded. I asked myself: Why should the church bus, God’s property and my Bible, which is God’s word, be destroyed like that? Suddenly, I found out that my Bible was not destroyed.
“This shows that God is real and the word of God is God. By this miracle, my faith in God has become stronger than ever despite the destruction and the testimony of the bus that had been dashed.
“Our members at Orile Iganmu had been so committed, hence I prayed seriously for the bus. They love God without compromise and with their children they leave their homes early on Sundays and get to church even before those in Shasha where the church is located.
“People may wonder why this type of thing should happen at the beginning of the year. Our theme for the year is taken from Psalm 102:13: ‘The Lord will arise and have mercy on us for the set time to favour us has come’.
“Incidentally, this misfortune of losing the only bus we have believed God for years, and the prayer was answered last year.
“It has happened to prove one thing; that the bus burnt completely and the Bible was untouched was enough testimony for me. God has taken my faith to another level.
“The Lord who gave us that bus will give us another. The incident has proved a tangible miracle. God is real. Jesus is alive.
“Everything can be destroyed but God’s word cannot be destroyed. I thank God for the lesson of this miracle, which has taken my faith higher.”
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