The Trials of Mbeku

By Greatman Onwukwe: Sir GMAN

Scene 1: The Feast in the Sky

Mbeku, the cunning tortoise, overheard the birds discussing a grand feast to be held in the sky. Eager to partake, he approached the birds with a proposal.

"I am but a humble tortoise," he began, "and I have heard of your feast in the sky." "I beg of you, allow me to join you."

The birds, amused by his request, agreed, and Mbeku joined them on their journey to the heavens.

Scene 2: The Deception

Upon reaching the celestial realm, the birds were greeted with a bountiful spread of food. Mbeku, seizing the opportunity, addressed the assembly.

"I come from a distant land, and in my tongue, 'Mbeku' means 'All of you.'" "Therefore, this feast is meant for all of you."

The birds, taken aback by his audacity, protested, but Mbeku insisted, and consumed the entire feast, leaving nothing for the others.

Scene 3: The Fall

Angered by Mbeku's greed, the birds decided to teach him a lesson. They retrieved their feathers, leaving Mbeku grounded. In his attempt to return to earth, Mbeku fell, and his shell became cracked upon landing.

Scene 4: The Return

Mbeku returned to his village, but his kin, seeing his broken shell, mocked him. "Mbeku," they laughed, "you went to the sky as a king, but returned as a beggar."

Scene 5: The Lesson

Mbeku's tale serves as a cautionary story about the consequences of greed and deceit. It is a reminder that one's actions, especially those driven by selfish desires, can lead to downfall and ridicule.

Scene 6: The Village's Reflection

The elders of the village gathered the community to reflect on Mbeku's story. They emphasized the importance of humility and warned against the pitfalls of arrogance and dishonesty.

Scene 7: The Rebuilding

Inspired by the lessons learned, the villagers worked together to rebuild their community. They organized feasts that celebrated unity and shared resources, ensuring that no one went hungry.

Scene 8: The Legacy

The story of Mbeku became a cherished tale, passed down through generations. It served as a moral compass, guiding the actions of the villagers and reinforcing the values of honesty, humility, and community.

Scene 9: The Song

To commemorate the lesson, a song was composed, celebrating the virtues of integrity and the strength found in unity. The song became a staple at community gatherings, reinforcing the moral of Mbeku's tale.

Scene 10: The Continuation

As time passed, the village prospered. The lessons from Mbeku's story continued to influence the community's culture, fostering an environment where greed was shunned, and cooperation thrived.

Scene 11: The Elders' Council

The elders established a council to oversee the moral upbringing of the youth. They organized storytelling sessions, where tales like that of Mbeku were narrated, ensuring that the wisdom of the past guided the future.

Scene 12: The Reflection

On quiet evenings, the villagers would gather by the riverbank, reflecting on their journey. They would recount the trials of Mbeku, reinforcing the community's commitment to the values of honesty, humility, and unity.

Scene 13: The Farewell

As the episode concluded, the narrator left the villagers in a state of contemplation, pondering the timeless lessons embedded in the story of Mbeku. The tale served as a mirror, reflecting the virtues and vices within themselves, encouraging continuous growth and communal harmony.

#greatmanonwukwe
#sirgman
#TheTrialOfMbeku
#AfricanWisdom
#storytelling
#greediness
#lessonslearnedinlife

*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: FRIDAY 9TH MAY 2025

THEME: *ABSOLUTE TRUST IN GOD*

MEMORIZE
Psalms 62:11
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

READ
Psalms 62:1-2, 5-9, 11
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
My soul, wait, thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock, and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*Trust in God is absolute when we are bankrupt of options.*

MESSAGE
The Psalmist, in today's text, expressed his unreserved trust and confidence in God alone, because he understood the danger of trusting in mortal men irrespective of their status or placement in life.

Humans are so frail, fickle and unsure. The best of men are still men, subject to the limitations of flesh and blood.

Only God is truly reliable, absolute and consistent with His word.

It is easy to say I trust in God only when you do not have anyone in your life.

However, the Psalmist in today's text, being a king had all kinds of people around him, but his experiences about men generally was probably not a palatable one.

He reiterated that his hope was in God alone.

There are three dimensions to the issue of trust.

1. There is "no need for trust" in God when there is an assurance of options.

2. "Low trust" in God when there are options but unsure of their reliability.

3. Absolute trust when you do not have any option.

Usually, trust in God is absolute when you realise that you do not have anyone to look up to for help.

Let me ask you: Do you have options of where or whom to run to apart from the Lord?

Or is your trust absolutely on God alone?

The Bible tells us that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the earth looking for those who are absolutely trusting in His help to show Himself mighty on their behalf. (2Chr 16:9)

It is possible to have all kinds of people in your life, as in the case with the Psalmist in today's text, but he chose to repose his complete trust in God because in his honest opinion of men he saw that they were altogether lighter than vanity.

*Beloved, it is capital wisdom to trust in God, who is most reliable instead of fickle men who are given to change.*

ACTION STEPS
1. Prayerfully meditate on today's devotional guide.
2. Allow the Lord to introduce men to you.
3. Ask the Lord to help you align yourself with His mercies and grace for timely help always.

REMEMBER
*Trust in God is absolute when we are bankrupt of options.*

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for today's devotional guide. Help me to align myself perfectly for your help, always in Jesus' name. Amen

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READING: Habakkuk 3, Acts 14-16; Hebrews 11-12; Jude 1.

HYMN
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear !
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer !
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear------
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer !

2
Have we trials and temptations ?
Is there trouble anywhere ?
We should never be discouraged ;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a Friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness-----
Take it to the Lord in prayer !

3
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care ?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge-----
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee ?
Take it to the Lord in prayer ;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee.
Thou wilt find a solace there,

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*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: THURSDAY 8TH MAY 2025

THEME: *LIVE PRAYERFULLY*

MEMORIZE
1 Peter 4:7
[7]But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.

READ
Luke 18:1-8
[1]ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).
[2]He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man.
[3]And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary.
[4]And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man,
[5]Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me.
[6]Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says!
[7]And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?
[8]I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*We build a stronger bond with God through prayers.*

MESSAGE
Today's text reveals a major reason to live prayerfully.

It says, "Men ought always to pray and not to turn coward..."

This implies that all who give up praying have turned cowardly.

They have become fainthearted and consequently have given up.

The truth is that to give up in prayers implies submission to fears and the forces of hell directly or indirectly.

*The times we live in demands that we live prayerfully.*

Therefore, the apostle Peter in today's memory verse reminded us that the end and the culmination of all things are here with us; and he admonished that we keep a clear head or a sound mind, self restrained and alert always for the practice of prayer.

*Prayer is so vital because we build a stronger bond with God through it.*

Persistence in prayer does not only guarantee the ability for breakthroughs, but it is also the proof of our persistence in the faith, which is fast being eroded in today's church.

ACTION STEPS
1. Reflect more on today's devotional guide prayerfully.
2. Consider prioritising your life for more time with God in prayers and in the Word.
3. Ask the Lord to baptize you with the spirit of grace and supplication to pray more.

REMEMBER
*We build a stronger bond with God through prayers.*

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for today's devotional guide. Draw me closer to you more than ever and deliver me from every form of distractions to true praying in Jesus name. Amen.

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READING: Esther 8; Mark 15-16; Revelation 4-5;

HYMN
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give ;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, ... I surrender all ; . . .
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender
all. . . .

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow ;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken----
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine ;
Let the Holy Spirit witness
I am Thine and Thou art mine.

4
All to Jesus I surrender :
Lord, I give myself to Thee ;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing rest on me.

5
All to Jesus I surrender :
Now I feel the sacred flame ;
Oh the joy of full salvation !
Glory, glory to His name !

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The heavens declare God's goodness ad the earth shows His mighty handiwork especially among the sins of men! Praise God forever!

I have found that diet is also a major cause of digestive symptoms. In fact, youmay find that most, if not all of your symptoms, are caused by some of thecommon foods you are eating (e.g. pasta, bread, milk). Many of my clients havefound that all their symptoms have gone away when they followed a kind of diet tailored just for them.

Eventually, they heal from stomach ulcers.

Remember the idiopathic point I raised as part of the causes, this diet especially feasting on refined foods causes ulcer.

Idiopathic means unknown cause but you'd agree with me that there's always a cause because everything on earth operates on a law of cause and effect.

So refined foods, alcohol, high calcium levels fall under this unknown cause that we tag idiopathic.

Lord, it takes patience to plant seed, and it takes faith and trust. We pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom come." It is up to us to help bring about the Kingdom by planting seeds that lead others to Christ. Give us the patience, faith and trust to be your gardeners on earth. Amen.

China plans to launch a giant 1-kilometer wide solar power plant into space, 36,000 km above Earth. It will collect solar energy day and night and send it back to Earth using microwaves. This could provide a constant, clean energy source, like a massive dam in the sky. The Long March 9 rocket will help make it happen.

#SpaceSolar #CleanEnergy #ChinaInnovation #RenewablePower #FutureTech

Can a volcano rise from the dead? Uturuncu, a lofty peak in the Central Andes mountain range, is what’s known as a “zombie volcano.” It hasn’t erupted for more than 250,000 years, but it nonetheless shows signs of activity similar to those seen in active volcanoes, such as gas plumes and earthquakes. https://cnn.it/4iPMx9y
And please don't forget to like this post and if you can please give us a follow
#NEWS

*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: TUESDAY 6TH MAY 2025

THEME: *INCREASING IN FAVOUR WITH GOD AND MAN*

MEMORIZE
Luke 2:40
[40]And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.

READ
Luke 2:40-52
[40]And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.
[41]Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast.
[42]And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom.
[43]And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this,
[44]But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day's journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.
[45]And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way.
[46]After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
[47]And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies.
[48]And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented].
[49]And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me to be in My Father's house and [occupied] about My Father's business?
[50]But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them.
[51]And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.
[52]And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*Divine favour is as mysterious as its source: God!*

MESSAGE
In today's text, the Lord Jesus Christ as a child with His Foster parents grew in wisdom and in stature, waxed strong in spirit and *increased in favour with God and man.*

Its important to note that our Lord and Saviour was not launched into His earthly ministry until He was fully developed into the man that could be trusted by God for His messianic assignment. And part of His full development was the accumulation of sufficient favour of God upon His life.

From our text, we saw that He already had favour or the divine essence on His life from birth, but He needed to increase in favour with God and men.

Divine favour is the rich essence and the deposit of God's presence and power upon a person's life.

Much more than any other times in these last days, we need God's rich presence upon our lives.

It is the secret of our distinction in times like this.

Beloved, as you press into the Lord, may His capital presence rest upon your life like never before to shield and preserve you in Jesus name. Amen.

When a man finds favour in the eyes of the LORD, the Lord draws him close enough to hear and to see things that only those who are favoured by God have access to.

*Divine favour is mysterious as its source;* it is as mysterious as God because God cannot be explained or understood from human standpoints.

Divine favour is a rich deposit of God's presence that is invested by God into the lives of His own people to increase their value before God and men.

It sets men apart for honour and glory. It separates its carriers from shame and ignominious issues.

ACTION STEPS
1. Continually lay your life before God's altar for total consecration.
2. Insist on the presence of God upon your life always.
3. Pray for the revival of genuine hunger for the LORD in the body of Christ like never before.

REMEMBER
*Divine favour is as mysterious as its source: God!*

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for today's devotional guide. Let your mighty hands rest upon me continually in Jesus name. And may I never leave your presence all the days of my life till I see your face. Amen.

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READING: Isaiah 54-56; Mark 4-5; Revelation 6;

HYMN
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give ;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, ... I surrender all ; . . .
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender
all. . . .

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow ;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken----
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine ;
Let the Holy Spirit witness
I am Thine and Thou art mine.

4
All to Jesus I surrender :
Lord, I give myself to Thee ;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing rest on me.

5
All to Jesus I surrender :
Now I feel the sacred flame ;
Oh the joy of full salvation !
Glory, glory to His name !

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Final Episode - “The Ground That Swallowed Chief Akinlolu”

It was now ten years since Akinlolu made the deal. Ten years of rituals. Ten years of silent graves in his beautiful garden. His wealth was untouched. He had power, fame, and fear on his side. But the spirits were watching. Waiting.

One dark night, the midwife brought him another baby girl. She was calm. She didn’t cry. She looked into his eyes with a stillness that made him pause.

As he dug the hole in the garden, sweat poured from his face. The wind around him felt heavy, strange. The maid peeked from behind the curtain, her hands shaking. She had seen this before—but this night felt different.

Akinlolu held the baby over the hole. Then she blinked—and in that moment, he heard the soft cries of all the babies he had buried. He turned around and saw them. Small figures glowing in the dark. Floating above the ground. Their faces were not angry—but sad.

He stepped back, but the ground beneath his feet began to shift.

The maid screamed. His wife ran out, confused, only to see her husband standing in front of an open grave, ghosts of babies circling him, and the baby girl still in his arms.

The soil moved. Akinlolu screamed, “Help me!” But his feet were already sinking. The spirits reached for him—not to forgive, but to collect what they were owed.

His wife tried to pull him, but a force pushed her back. Akinlolu cried louder, begged the baby for mercy, but she only stared. In seconds, he was swallowed by the earth. The grave closed like it had never opened.

The baby disappeared from his arms.

From that night, everything changed. His bank accounts froze. His businesses collapsed. People stopped saying his name. The mansion became quiet, empty, and feared.

Grass refused to grow in the garden. Only dry soil and a cold breeze remained.

No one speaks of Chief Akinlolu anymore. But those who pass the house at night say they still hear babies crying from the earth.

Evil can never hide forever. What you bury will one day rise.

*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: MONDAY 5TH MAY 2025

THEME: *PRAYER DECODED*

MEMORIZE
1 Peter 4:7
[7]But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.

READ
Matthew 6:5-15
[5]Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.
[6]But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
[7]And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.]
[8]Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
[9]Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
[10]Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[11]Give us this day our daily bread.
[12]And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
[13]And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
[14]For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
[15]But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*God has given us all things in Christ Jesus.*

MESSAGE
God the Father instituted prayer as a means of restoring the original fellowship that once existed between Him and Man before the fall.

It should be noted that God the Father is our greatest asset, and our relationship with Him is our ticket to everything He has made.

All that we will ever need for life and godliness were made available to us through our relationship with God.

Unfortunately, the relationship was lost through sin in the fall. Jesus' death was to bring us back to Him, and through prayers, we are to keep the restored relationship.

*And in Christ Jesus, all things are ours again as it was before the fall.*

When we therefore pray, we are to align ourselves with the Father and His perfect will and thus walk in power and dominion over all things.

It is in this realm that we command things to serve God's purposes and plans for our lives and destinies.

We are not to pray because of our needs. We are to pray to align ourselves with the Lord and His righteousness, and every other thing will be added unto us.

God has not given us anything in real fact. Rather, He gave us all things in Christ Jesus. That is why the scriptures say;

Romans 8:32
[32]He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

This is the crux of the matter. Anyone who has Jesus Christ has everything because Jesus Christ is the heir of all things.

John 3:35
[35]The Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand. [Dan. 7:14.]

*Jesus Christ is the end of all arguments and discussions!*

ACTION STEPS
1. Prayerfully meditate on today's devotional guide again.
2. Examine yourself and rededicate yourself to the Lord afresh today.
3. Ask the Lord to rekindle your prayer life today.

REMEMBER
*God has given us all things in Christ Jesus.*

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for today's devotional guide. I receive grace to abide in Christ Jesus and to enjoy all of the benefits of redemption in Jesus name. Amen

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READING: Ezekiel 46-47; Matthew 14-16;

HYMN
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear !
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer !
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear------
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer !

2
Have we trials and temptations ?
Is there trouble anywhere ?
We should never be discouraged ;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a Friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness-----
Take it to the Lord in prayer !

3
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care ?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge-----
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee ?
Take it to the Lord in prayer ;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee.
Thou wilt find a solace there,

PLEASE SHARE

A CHILD FROM NOWHERE

EPISODE 2: He Who Carries the Light

The moment he spoke, the earth trembled.

The wind howled as if it recognized his voice. The villagers watched in terror as the skies burst open and a column of light engulfed the boy. His feet lifted off the ground. His eyes glowed — not with rage, but with power ancient and divine.

The shrine where he was found cracked open, revealing a symbol buried beneath: a star within a sun — the sign of the first gods, long forgotten.

Mama Oje wept. “He is the child of prophecy. The bridge between the old and new.”

The villagers crawled in dust, crying for mercy. The same ones who had called him a curse now begged for salvation.

And he gave it.

He walked among the sick — and they rose. He touched the soil — and plants sprung forth. He looked at the sky — and the rain returned, soft and healing.

Then, he spoke again.

“I am not from nowhere. I am from the place your faith abandoned.”

He walked away that night. Into the forest. Into legend.

But the village never forgot.

They named him Oluwakayode — the one who brings joy from the unknown.
And every year, on the day he first spoke, they gather and tell his story:
Of the child feared, then worshiped.
The child from nowhere…
Who came to save them all.