This is a Christian novel on money and finances. This Christian fiction teaches and dramatizes the strong teachings of God’s Word as we have it in the Bible for readers.
This Christian works of fiction will help you to understand and embrace the revelations about kingdom prosperity and financial success principles.
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Wealth Codes: Christian novel on money and finances
An epic Christian novel on strong financial teachings and wealth creation
Sesan Oguntade
Copyright 2019 Sesan Oguntade
Discover other titles by Sesan Oguntade at Sesanoguntade.com and Nownowboks.com.ng
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You Can Stop Masturbation
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible (NKJV). Scripture quotations marked (TLB) and (MSG) are taken from The Living Bible and the Message Bible translations respectively.
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Chapter 1
It was another day at work and it was in the morning of the first Friday in the month of July, 1999/2000 session. There were few teachers already seated at their various seats in the big staff room for the teaching job of the day. Bola Ajagun, a Mathematics and Science Teacher with one of the best public schools in town was sitting at his table with his chin resting on his two palms while his elbows were also resting on top of his table. When am I really going to come out of these money troubles, he said to himself as he watched some of his colleagues who were already around chatting away the morning instead of taking their time to prepare for the work of the day.
“It’s practically impossible for you to be a Christian and also become extremely wealthy. Those who’re rich today and claimed to be Christians are not telling us the whole truth about their wealth,” one of his colleagues had said in one of their many classroom discussions on financial prosperity last week.
“That’s not right, Mr. Kolawole,” he had replied. “The bible teaches financial prosperity and I know of quiet a few people who have prospered immensely by applying only these teachings from the bible.”
“Eh Eh, so you believe them.”
“Yes,” he had replied with little voice strength. “I agree there are so many lies flying around now especially in the body of Christ but that does not mean the bible did not teach financial prosperity or that there are still not the few who have clean riches.”
“Look, Mr. Ajagun. I’ve been an elder in my church for close to twenty years now and I must tell you that I’ve seen lots of lies and deceits that I find it difficult believing any story.”
“Oh, come on,” he had said still with little strength in his voice. “You should not allow the negative stories of mortal men stops you from believing the truths in the Word of the Living God. The bible says in Isaiah Chapter 55 verse 11 that the Word of God will not go back to Him until it accomplishes what it has been sent to do.”
“There you go again,” Mr. Kolawole had said, raising his voice. “The bible says…, the bible says…, I’ve heard lots of that from these same people in the church but we’ve found out how they’ve been very dubious and devilish in their chase for money. And may I ask you why all these quotes from the bible are not working for you and I?”
“Good morning Mr. Ajagun,” the sharp voice of a colleague in her late thirties woke him up from his reverie.
“Oh good morning Mrs. Etese. How was your night?”
“All thanks to God,” he said and watched her walked steadily to her seat.
Oh God! He said to himself now looking through some students’ notebooks on his table. I’ve to pay the money I owed her today. How time flies. She gave out the money to me on trust to be repaid back today. What do I do now? I don’t have the money with me. Mrs. Etese was one of the few devoted Christians among his colleagues. She also had her own financial troubles around her. Her husband pastors one of the orthodox churches in town and they have lived together with their three children on the little income from Mrs. Etese’s monthly salary. Oh I can’t afford to disappoint her, He finally said to himself.
But how come Pastor and Mrs. Etese are also having financial troubles? He resumed his thinking exercise. It’s likely Mr. Kolawole was right after all. These bible teachings are not just working for us. Those who claim to be rich Christians are not telling us the whole truth. He tried to find a balanced and general answer to the many questions that have been bombarding his mind since the last discussion with Mr. Kolawole.
He picked up his red pen to mark the home works of the students that have been on his table for over a week. The first of the notebooks was that of his favorite student and as usual, he scored the maximum marks. It’s good I’m marking the right notebook, he said to himself. This will just help to put some light into my fading hope of a great financial future for me and my family. The second and third notebooks were as good as the first one. He was through with the ten notebooks on his table just before the bell for the first period rang. I wonder what this generation is turning into. The students are becoming lazier by the day. Only twenty students submitted an assignment I gave to them three days ago out of a total of fifty. He shrugged his shoulders. I wonder how they hope to face the future if they’re treating their academics this way.
He thought again about how this same education has done little to help people like him, Mrs. Etese, Mr. Kolaowle, his other colleagues and many others and shuddered. Talking about the students jeopardizing their future just because they’ve not taken their studies seriously, how come I still remain financially unfulfilled after putting so much into my studies at all levels? I was the second best student in the final school certificate examination during my days in the high school. I was the third student with the best results in the Mathematics and Computer Science department of my set at the University of Lagos. I also had good grades during my Masters degree in Statistics at the same University. Yet all of these have done little to solve my financial problems!
He shook his head in deep regrets. I thought my last resort should be Christianity. Yes time-tested bible principles. But even that has failed to help the cause of myself, my beautiful wife and our four beautiful children.
He shook his head as if fighting off the messages his helpless mind were now passing across to him. But God can’t be a liar, He thought. I’ve seen miracles happen live at church programmes. Perhaps, I’m the one getting it all wrong somewhere. Perhaps, Mrs. Etese and her husband are also getting it all wrong. Perhaps, Mr. Kolawole and some others in our shoes are also getting it all wrong somewhere. He shook his head. He didn’t know.
It’s true that education has failed us so brilliantly like a soldier who ran away from his colleagues on the war front. But I believe the last resort should be the Word of God. I may be right or wrong but I know it can’t just afford to fail us! He concluded in his mind.
The sign of the bell announcing the second period brought him back to life and he quickly reached out for his timetable to see whether he does not have a second period class. You can’t even afford not to keep your timetable by your side these days. Not with the way it keeps changing every now and then. I believe Mrs. Okpara needs a refresher course on how to prepare timetable for a high school, he resumed his thinking exercise again. But who’ll sponsor her to such courses even if it’s available. Not with the constant cries of ‘no money’ by the school authority and the government every day, Only a miracle would make teachers have any professional training in the course of carrying out their duties in schools.
He found out that he was not expected in any class until after the first break at exactly quarter past ten. Thank God, He said to himself. I’ve enough time to look for ways to find Mrs. Etese’s money. I can’t’ just afford to disappoint her. No! I can’t and I’ll not!
“And if you fail to find someone to borrow you money?” his mind asked him.
“I’ll find someone,” he answered himself.
“But supposing you did not find someone?”
“I’ll.”
“But it may just happen that way and you end up disappointing Mrs. Etese.”
He thought about these possibilities and shivered, because he knew Mrs. Etese gave out the money to him on trust and according to her, she and her family needs the money for the weekend. So he was the hope of a good weekend for the innocent and nice Etese family…
The noise of the banged door of their bedroom woke him up at exactly 7.05 a.m. He had slept heavily throughout the night. He heard this noise from his sleep and it was strong enough to halt his deep sleep. Morenike must have left the room in haste to attend to something that requires her urgent attention in the sitting room, he thought. He opened his eyes now to look at the ceiling of the bedroom with his back still lying on the bed. I need to find a way to clean you today; he spoke in his mind to the ceiling. The cobwebs are gathering again.
He searched his mind for what must have made his wife to bang the door so hard the way she did to disturb his sleep. Perhaps, she’s getting tired of our constant financial troubles, he said to himself. Morenike, my dear wife, just be a little patient with me, I’m ready to crack this code once and for all very soon, he said to himself as if he knows exactly what to do to solve the problem.
Can we find many women that can be as faithful and patient as Morenike? He asked himself, looking at the ceiling as if the answer would come from there. Not really, he finally answered himself. She has supported the family with the little she makes from her teaching job in a private school all these years. Yes she has been very supportive and honest and I believe she has no equal.
Bola Ajagun sat on the bed and tried to check what the time was on the clock hanging on the wall of the room. He noticed he still had about fifteen minutes before it would be time for the family Morning Prayer devotion.
The family had always had the Saturday morning prayer devotion at 7.30 a.m because it was a work and a school-free day for the family. They always had it at 6.15 am on work days.
He jumped up from the bed to do one or two things before it would be time for the prayer devotion but had to sit back on the bed when the thought of how he was able to borrow money to pay Mrs. Etese came back to his mind.
That was a close one, he said to himself. I almost disappointed Mrs. Etese. No, here I go again, it’s not just Mrs. Etese but the entire Etese family! I thank God I was able to find a way out, I would’ve hated myself, he finally said to himself, smiling and rejoicing over his narrow escape. But will things continue to happen this way? He asked himself feeling dejected. I’m tired of escaping narrowly every now and then. Thank God, the school Bursar was able to bail me out till the end of the month by borrowing me money till the end of the month from the school account. Oh! God bless you Mr. Ike Musa, you were the angel God sent to lead me out of that prison of shame.
He searched his mind to see whether there are one or two things he could do in the room before he joined his family in the living room for the day’s Morning Prayer devotion. Oh! I nearly forgot! The news of the money I borrowed from Mr. Musa will be top news among the staff by Monday morning, Bola said to himself in a way that seemed somebody just pointed his attention to that. Mr. Musa can’t keep the smallest of secrets. Well, I’m still happy; his assistance saved me the blushes of disappointing a whole family for the weekend.
He checked the time and observed that it was now 7.30 a.m. and just as he stood up from the bed to join others in the living room, the door flung opened and rushing in was his six-year old third child, Seun to wake him up for the morning devotion.
“Daddy, it is devotion time.”
“How’re you Seun,” he replied.
“I’m fine.”
“Look I’ve told you that the first thing you say to an elder you’re seeing for the first time in the morning is, ‘Good morning’.”
“I’m sorry Dad, I forgot,” Seun apologized. “Good morning Dad. Mummy says it’s devotion time.”
Bola smiled, “Good morning my dear, I’ll be with you all in a moment.”
Bola watched Seun rushed back to the sitting room and picked his yellow t-shirt from the hanger. He put on his shirt standing in front of the mirror to see whether he has to rinse his face a little before he joined his family in the sitting room.
Wonderful children that Good has given me, he thought. Come to think of it, I nearly failed to pay the balance of their school fees last week. Thanks to Mrs. Etese. The proprietress meant business when she vowed to lock the school fees defaulters out of the school by last week, he thought with fresh fears running down his veins. That was a close shave! Yes, another close shave. There are so many close shaves and all of these are getting me worked up by the day.
Bola shut the bedroom door behind himself and joined his family in the sitting room. The children were already seated as their custom was. They had their bibles and devotional booklets on their laps and already in the mood to start the prayer devotion with God.
Mrs. Ajagun herself was also ready with her bible wide open in her hands and was looking through it as if she was checking for a big secret that would be discussed during the morning devotion.
“Good morning Dad,” the children chorused.
“Good morning children,” Bola said. “How was your night?”
“Fine Daddy.”
“Good morning Darling,” Mrs. Ajagun said with all smiles facing the direction where her husband was standing.
“Good morning sweet heart,” Bola replied and moved towards his wife to give her a peck on her forehead.
“I noticed you slept heavily all through the night and I did not want to disturb your sleep this morning,” Mrs. Ajagun said quietly showing admiration for the sweet peck she received on her forehead.
“Thanks my dear, that was thoughtful of you,” Bola said. “I think we’re behind schedule this morning for the devotion so we should start in earnest.”
The morning devotion started immediately and it was Mrs. Ajagun that was in charge of coordination of that morning devotion. The normal praise and worship songs were rendered and Mrs. Ajagun picked up the devotional booklet for the topic of the day.
“Our topic for the day is ‘God’s will for us is prosperity,'” She announced while others also glued their eyes to the devotional booklets in their hands. “The bible text is taken from Psalm 35 verse 27”
This announcement hit Bola Ajagun like a thunderbolt. How come this topic of bible prosperity keeps trailing me for the past few days? He asked himself, feeling very uncomfortable. No, how I wished this is not the topic for today. I just want to stay neutral for now until I can find a way to know what’s right or wrong. Bola Ajagun felt very uncomfortable all through the devotion time. He couldn’t understand why the bible is filled with so many promises about why God wants us to prosper and he couldn’t really feel the impact of these promises in his pocket or bank account. If it was education, he had his Masters. If it was keeping the rules of God on financial prosperity, he was not faring badly. If it was activities in the vineyard of God, he has put in lots of efforts in his local church over the years.
Devotion time ended with shouts of hallelujah rendering the air from the mouth of everybody present at the prayer devotion.
One question kept on crossing the mind of Bola Ajagun all through the weekend and that was, ‘Why are the promises of God concerning prosperity not really working for people like him and others?’ He felt finding the answer to this question was a task that must be given top priority as he looked for a way to stop the ever present financial troubles in his life and that of his family.
Chapter 2
It was the last Monday of the term and session, Bola Ajagun alighted from a cab in front of the school gate and hastily entered the school finding little time to return the ‘Good morning’ greetings of one of the gatemen. As he walked along the long road leading to the school administrative block, he stepped on one of the roadside flowers planted by the students some months back and felt very sorry for his actions.
Of what use are these flowers anyway, he said to himself. That I have to say sorry to them or feel sorry for those who planted them. These flowers were given some of the best conditions to grow. No, not some of the best but all of the best. They have just refused to give us value for our money. And for the students who planted them, I don’t have to pity them either, they have refused to give improved attention to these flowers.
“Why should you pass any blame on the flowers,” his other self said to him. “The flowers have failed to perform just like you’ve also failed to perform financially well over the years.”
“That’s unfair!” he charged at himself.
“I’ve tried my best,” his other mind said. “It’s just that mother luck has refused to shine on me.”
“Mother luck?” his other self asked him again. “Do you now believe in luck? Is being lucky a bible teaching?
“I agree it’s not,” he agreed. “But how then can I explain what has made me not to see great results all these years despite my efforts?”
“Probably you still have something to know or find out,” his other self said to him.
“Something to know or find out? What else is still left for me to know?”
“Are you saying you know it all?”
“No.”
“Then, there may just be one or more things you have to find out.”
“Like what and what?”
“You just have to find a way to find it out.”
“Well, I agree,” He answered himself. “The bible says in the book of Proverbs 6, ‘Go to the ants o you sluggards…’ But where are the ants, I want to learn and improve.”
“Just as I said earlier, find them out!”
“Okay, I can see what you mean very clearly,” he answered himself. “Find out the ants to find out the required knowledge to liberate myself and my family from the constant whippings of poverty.”
He entered the staff room and met Mr. Ike Musa, the School Bursar by the door.
“Good morning Mr. Ajagun.”
“Good morning Mr. Musa,” Bola replied and quickly took quick steps forward to avoid more talks with the School Bursar. I wonder what lies ahead in the future for today’s students if people like Mr. Musa is employed and allowed to work in a school environment. I’ve never seen a man with such terrible slack mouth as he has.
He breathed down deeply. You can never trust him to keep a secret. Tell him in one morning; it’s all over the place in the afternoon. I believe his mouth needs a padlock to keep secrets in him permanently. How did I even consider running to him to bail me out when I wanted to pay Mrs. Etese’s money the other day, he wondered in his mind feeling guilty for his actions. Even the gatemen now know what transpired between us on that day, what a shame! How I wished I had asked for help somewhere else, I would not have become a figure of mockery amongst some member of staff as it is now.
Well, he told himself. At least I’m happy I did not disappoint the Etese family.
It was the last week of the term and session and teachers were busy with the preparation of the results of the students. There was always very little work pressure on the teachers at this period of the term as there would be no class teaching activities in the classroom. The teachers were relaxed and they had all the time to gist away their time while entering the scores of the students in the report sheets. As Bola took his seat after saying good morning to some of the staff members, Mrs. Etese walked up to him, her pack of students’ report sheets under her left arm pit and an envelope which probably contains an invitation card in her right hand.
“Good morning Mr. Ajagun.”
“Good morning Mrs. Etese and how is your family?
‘Fine and yours?”
“They’re fine,” Bola replied.
“Somebody by the name, Pastor Moses brought this envelope for you this morning. He said he was passing by and felt the urge to say hello to you and also to invite you to a programme in his church.”
“Oh! Pastor Moses my good friend, that’s nice of him. It’s been long I saw him,” he collected the envelope from Mrs. Etese. “Thank you so much Mrs. Etese. Something held me up at home this morning.” He explained his late arrival in the school that morning.
“You’re welcome,” Mrs Etese replied and walked away.
Bola Ajagun speedily opened the envelope as if it contains a check that must be cashed on a Friday evening before the bank closes for work.
Oh! This is a church invitation card, he said to himself. I should have known that. What exactly do I expect from a Pastor? If it’s not an invitation for a church programme, it will be an envelope for church donation or the combination of both. I just hope I’m not thinking like a pagan. Yes I hope I’m not fighting what I preach. Church invitations and donations are good. The church of the Lord on this earth needs people and money. After all, the bible says, “Money is a defense’. He tried to bring himself back on track after his thoughts wandered.
Come to think of it, he thought. Pastor Moses left our local church about two years ago to join one of these prosperity preaching churches. I’m sure he also wanted a better life for himself and his family for him to have boldly made that move. But I doubt if his wish is near being realized.
“Anyway,” he said aloud to himself. “I’ll be at this programme on Thursday evening. At least to see my good friend, Pastor Moses again,” he concluded.
Bola switched on his cell phone on Thursday morning just after the family Morning Prayer devotion and a text message reminding him about the church programme came through from Pastor Moses. Oh, I’ve not forgotten, I’ll be there this evening, he said to himself. I want to see you again Pastor Moses after a long time and also I may just learn one new thing during the programme just as my mind as made me to understand for the past few days now.
“Bola!”
Bola took his eyes away from the message on his cell phone and looked in the direction where the shout of his name came from and saw his wife rushing to the room carrying their last daughter in her arms. He wanted to rebuke her for frightening him to his bones with the way she shouted his name but the sight of their last daughter in her hands stopped him from doing that and instead, stood up from the bed and rushed towards his wife.
“What happened?”
“She fell and remained speechless the moment I poured the first bowl of water on her in the bathroom.” She screamed sweating profusely.
Bola took the child from her and touched her body and found out that her body temperature had risen so much.
“Has she been showing any sign of illness before?”
“Yes, yesterday evening I noticed that her body temperature was rising and I gave her some medications.”
“But you did not inform me about this.”
“I’m sorry Bola, but I thought she would be okay in the morning.”
“Look woman, I’ve told you to discuss these things with me even if they appear minor,” Bola charged at her and tried to wrap the wet towel on the hanger around the child. “Let us take her to the hospital immediately.”
Bola placed the child on the bed and quickly put on his shoes and carried his office bag.
“I’ll take her to the General hospital; you can take your time to prepare the other children for school.” He instructed his wife. “Don’t worry she’ll be okay. I believe it’s just ordinary fever”.
“No, I think you should take her to the Queens Medicals, the child needs immediate attention. You won’t get that at the General hospital.”
“But you know it costs money to visit Queens Medicals.”
“Bola, what is money compared to the health and life of my child? I think you should give me the child and you prepare the other children for school. I’ll look for money.” She shouted at him and rushed towards her wardrobe. “Look, this is five thousand naira. Mrs. Johnson, our neighbor kept it with me till the end of the month. Let us use it for now.”
Bola hesitated but had to collect the envelope after considering the worsening situation of the child in his hands. He rushed out of the house. Now as it was common with most private hospitals in the country, some fees must be paid even before the hospital receptionist talks to any customer. Bola had to settle these payments before his child was given any attention.
Oh God, how I wished this did not happen, he said to himself. There is so much financial pressures already on the family and now this. It’s even worse that we’re using another person’s money to settle these bills. Where would I run to for help If Mrs. Johnson comes in the evening to collect her money? I don’t even want to think about the possibility of that happening, he replied himself but still felt very uncomfortable.
It was almost 9.00 a.m. Bola and his wife, who joined him some minutes earlier, were alone at the reception of Queens Medicals hospital. He watched the Nurse on duty moving in and out of the hospital’s consultation room on so many occasions and wondered what could be happening to his daughter.
I believe this is nothing serious, he said to himself. It should only be ordinary fever but I wondered why it’s taking them so long to tell us something about the condition of our child. I hope they’re not putting on display some of their ‘dirty’ games in order to charge high fees at the end of the day. Well, this should not be so, they’re professionals. They should know the consequences of playing such pranks. But he failed to convince himself. But I have witnessed this ugly scenario in the past in a private hospital when my friend who had ordinary headache was given sedative that would make him stay at the hospital longer than necessary in order to charge him high fees, he reminded himself. Private hospitals in this country are just the same. They’re in the business to make money and nothing else. They can’t be trusted for anything.
But these circumstances are totally different, he thought. This is a little child and she only had high temperature, he answered himself.
“But your friend only had headache,” his mind reminded him.
“Uuhh,” Bola sulked in his mind.
At exactly 9:45 a.m, Bola and his wife were summoned to the Doctor’s office. They rushed in as if they were students who desperately wanted to collect the result of an examination they had written a long time ago.
“Your daughter is fine!” the Doctor said, smiling at the worried couples who rushed into his office. “She only had ordinary fever and she’ll be fine very soon. We had to carry out some tests to be sure it’s just ordinary fever. The Nurse is preparing her medication and the bill.”
The sound of the word, ‘bill’ travelled through the mind of Bola to his brain like a flash of lightning. He just wished the money with him would be enough to settle the hospital bill.
“You may decide to take the child home immediately after settling the bill but I’ll prefer you allow her to have some two to three hours sleep here at the hospital before you take her home.” Never! Bola said to himself. I’m not going to allow that. I’ll take her home immediately.
“What do you think?” The Doctor intercepted his thoughts.
“Oh, I think we’ll take her home immediately,” Bola responded.
“But Bola, don’t you think it’ll be nice if we don’t interrupt the child’s sleep?” Morenike asked her husband.
“Don’t worry Morenike, She’ll be fine. We’ll take her home immediately,” Bola stopped her wife from making further comments.
Just as Bola finished his statement, the Nurse entered and handed over the bill to him. Bola quickly checked the total amount on the bill and found Six thousand two hundred naira.
“Thank you Doctor. We’ll settle the bill and take the child home immediately,” Bola said.
“That’s no problem and thank you for using Queens’ Medicals,” the Doctor replied.
“You’re welcome,” Bola said and left the office of the Doctor with his wife.
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