March 12, 2018 was 20 years that the prophet, apostle of Christendom and ambassador of the gospel of Christ to the world, Benson Idahosa departed suddenly. He continues to speak loudly even in death. What many do not know is that he actually described in vivid terms how he was to depart when his time was over and that was exactly what happened on the day he died at the ripe young age of 59 years and 6 months.
“I will go when my work is finished; therefore when I am gone nobody should be double-minded concerning the will of God for my death. I am going to go by the will of God, not the will of witches or wizards. No man can kill me. Many have tried to hurt me spiritually and physically to no avail.
God has not given the key of the vault in which he has hidden me to any man or devil. He did not invest so much in me only to hand me over to the devil to fulfill his dark and unholy idiosyncrasies. I am indestructible by the grace of God, so are you if you know my Jesus. You know, here in Edo land, I do not know about you and where you come from, but here in Edo land, where I am from, when a man dies, the wife is always accused of having killed him.
I share a beautiful life with my wife Margaret, at least as beautiful as my human nature and God’s grace in my life can make it. She is not dreaming of killing me-she is the flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones, the wife of my youth and the mother of my lovely four children. No, when I go it will be by the will and call of God.
You may ask if I am preparing to die. Not at all. I hope to live for at least one hundred and twenty years. I look forward to when I will hobble into the church with my walking stick and sit back on my big chair to listen and watch my children in the ministry show forth the stuff which God has invested in them through the ministry of God committed to me.
But, and this is the big But… if the Lord calls me before then, if He calls me NOW, I am ready to answer ‘’Here I am O Lord’’ with joy and expectation because death is gain. Yes, yes! Ha, I see heaven open and the voice that I hear says ‘’Come up hither!’’
My going will be a Glorious one, I will NOT be sick and be taken from one hospital to the other. Like Elijah, whew! I will be gone before you can say Jack Robinson…
No. Nobody will mourn me with regret because of a prolonged illness. Nobody will have the pleasure of sympathising with me because of long suffering; that is one of the gifts which I do not have: the gift of Lo-o-ong suffering!
When my day comes, I may be sitting with people in the Church and will go when I hear the call like Rev. Gordon Lindsay did. It is a glorious way to depart.
I MAY BE WITH PEOPLE AT HOME AND WHILE WE ARE TALKING, I WILL BE GONE JUST LIKE THAT. That will be a precious death”.