"Watch This Before Going To Any Church" #africantales #africanfolktales #tales #Folks #Africanstorie

"Bibles are not allowed in my church ! " Pastor  Caleb screamed at his congregation. Pastor Caleb’s church, “Eternal Shine Ministries,”  stood majestically on the outskirts of Ondo town.

It was famous for its large gatherings,  miraculous healings, and sermons that left the congregation in tears of repentance. But there  was a strange rule: no one was allowed to bring a Bible into the church. While other churches  encouraged worshippers to carry their Bibles, Pastor Caleb’s church forbade it.

Instead, all  scripture was projected on the large screen at the front of the church, and any Bible  brought in would be confiscated at the door. The congregation, eager for miracles and  blessings, never questioned the rule. They were grateful to receive healing  and breakthroughs that other churches couldn’t provide.

Pastor Caleb assured  them that physical Bibles were unnecessary distractions that took people away from true  worship. But some whispered among themselves, wondering why such a rule existed. Why would a  pastor not allow the very book he preached from?

The church thrived, nonetheless.  Every Sunday, the pews were filled, and Pastor Caleb’s sermons echoed through the  hall, bringing people to tears and leading to miraculous healings. Testimonies poured in of  people cured from illnesses, marriages restored, and businesses booming.

Some claimed  Pastor Caleb had a special anointing that other pastors envied. But behind the  scenes, the church was more than it seemed. One day, a new member named Precious joined  the church.

Precious, a devout Christian, was confused when the ushers asked her to leave  her Bible at the door. She reluctantly complied, but the rule stayed on her mind. Precious was new to the city and she joined the congregation after hearing  about the miracles and the powerful preaching.

She was a devout Christian who found it  odd that a church could thrive without the physical presence of the Bible.  One day, she asked Sister Patricia, an elderly woman who had been attending the  church for over a decade, about the rule. Sister Patricia’s eyes darkened, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

“It is  not our place to question the man of God, my dear. Pastor Caleb is a servant of the  Lord, and he knows what is best for us. ” “But why?

I’ve never heard of such a  rule in any church,” Precious pressed. Sister Patricia sighed, her eyes shifting  nervously. “All I can say is that it is for our safety.

Those who dared to bring a  Bible in the past… well, they never returned. ” Precious was puzzled but  decided not to push further. After attending few services, Precious  noticed that while people claimed to feel touched by the spirit, they seemed dazed  and almost robotic during the service.

The scripture verses on the screen  also seemed off, almost distorted. Her curiosity deepened. So she made a  plan.

She would come to the next service with a small Bible tucked into her purse. She  needed to see for herself what would happen. The following Sunday, Precious arrived early, her  Bible hidden beneath her coat.

She snuck the small pocket Bible in because she was determined to  read along and compare the verses for herself. The service began as usual, with the choir singing and  the screens flashing scriptures. Pastor Caleb’s voice boomed, and the congregation swayed, lost  in worship.

As Pastor Caleb began his sermon, Precious discreetly opened her Bible but  she noticed something strange. Every time a Bible verse appeared on the screen, it seemed  slightly off—words twisted, meanings altered. As she sat in her pew, she kept on discreetly  pulling out her Bible, flipping to the same verses displayed on the screen.

Her heart  pounded when she realized they didn’t match. The scriptures on the screen spoke of  wealth, control, and submission to a higher, mysterious power, while her Bible  emphasized love, humility, and grace. Suddenly, the air around her grew cold.

Pastor  Caleb’s eyes, usually warm and inviting, locked onto hers from across the room.  His voice faltered, and the choir went silent. The congregation turned to look at  Precious, their eyes blank, as if in a trance.

“Who dares bring a Bible into the house of God? ”  Pastor Caleb’s voice was no longer the deep, soothing tone she had grown used to.  It was cold, sharp, almost inhuman.

Precious’s hands shook as she tried to hide the  Bible, but it was too late. The lights flickered, and shadows danced along the church  walls. The stained-glass windows, once depicting peaceful scenes of angels  and saints, now twisted into grotesque images of creatures with horns and claws.

“You have defied the order of this  sanctuary,” Pastor Caleb hissed, his form seeming to stretch and distort. “Do you not  know what you risk by bringing that book here? ” Precious felt a force pulling the  Bible from her hands, but she held onto it tightly.

She whispered a prayer,  her voice trembling. “Father, protect me. ” The church shook, and a dark mist seeped from  the floor, wrapping around Pastor Caleb.

His face twisted, revealing a sinister grin. “They  never listen, do they? They never understand.

” The congregation remained still,  their eyes vacant, as if they were under a spell. Precious realized she wasn’t  dealing with an ordinary pastor—this man, or whatever he was, had used his  position to deceive the people. Pastor Caleb’s voice echoed unnaturally  through the hall as the lights flickered.

“You do not know the power you are  playing with, child,” he hissed. Precious stood her ground, reciting bible  verses under her breath. The air grew colder, and shadows danced along the walls.

Pastor  Caleb’s form began to change, his face twisting into something monstrous. “This is my domain! ”  he roared.

“No holy book can defy me here! ” The screens flickered, and the room plunged  into darkness. The congregation remained silent, staring blankly as Precious continued praying. 

Her Bible glowed faintly in her hands, the light growing stronger as she called upon God  for protection. The light illuminated the room, causing Pastor Caleb to scream in agony. His  form shrank and shriveled under the holy light, revealing the shadowy figure of  a demonic entity clinging to him.

Precious’s courage inspired some  of the conscious congregation, some of whom started murmuring prayers of  their own. The collective faith weakened the demonic shadow’s hold over Pastor Caleb,  and it began to separate from him. The dark mist that had filled the sanctuary recoiled,  writhing in the glow of Precious’s Bible.

Suddenly, the dark shadow let out a bone-chilling  screech and vanished into thin air, leaving Pastor Caleb crumpled on the floor. The screens  shattered, and the stained-glass windows returned to their original, serene  form. The hypnotized congregation, freed from their trance, gasped in shock,  looking around as if waking from a nightmare.

“No! ” Pastor Caleb screamed. “You  don’t know what you’ve done!

” In that moment, the truth became  clear to Precious. Pastor Caleb had been using a corrupted version  of the scriptures, manipulating the congregation to draw power. The real Bible,  the true Word of God was his only weakness.

Pastor Caleb, now himself again,  wept as he explained the truth. Years ago, he had sought power to grow  his ministry, and in his desperation, he made a pact with a dark spirit that  demanded control over the sanctuary. The spirit had forbidden the presence of  Bibles to maintain its influence and power.

The moment anyone brought the true Word into  the church, it would expose the dark shadow’s lies and free it's prey. The congregation, now  fully awake, stared in horror at their pastor, they were shocked to hear all these.  “Please forgive me “ Pastor Caleb pleaded.

Precious, seeing Pastor Caleb’s remorse,  reached out to him. “You can repent and start anew. The Lord’s mercy is infinite.

”  Together, they prayed for forgiveness. Precious had not only uncovered the truth but had  also helped to free the church from its darkness which had come at a cost. The once-thriving  church was nothing more than a dark memory, and the people who had worshiped there were left  to pick up the pieces of their shattered faith.

And as the townspeople spread the word,  they all whispered the same thing: “If only they knew why Bibles  were not allowed in his church.