Gospel Musician Afy Douglas Shares Life Changing Testimony.Drops New Single Titled MADE on his Birthday

On the 31st of December 1995, a Sunday morning, I joined my aunt to a church for an event and they called for people to join the choir! Not to give their life to Christ or join the church but to join the choir, so I went. This God is too much o...I wouldn't have responded to any other call so Jehovah in His infinite mercy and sovereign plan set me up thus! Before thus time I had only really sang in the junior choir of brotherhood of the cross and star (I couldn't have prayed for a better musical foundation). I knew I loved music too cos before song books came out I would write out lyrics and teach my gees who performed at clubs and AKUNAKI (lol).

So I came for the first meeting and they discovered I wasn't even a member so I needed to do their believers class. I left with no plans of returning but again they sent word that I could be in the choir and do the classes later. I never did! I joined the choir in February 1996, the same week I started choir practice, I took the solo on Sunday. I am still shocked at that till date. BOOM! I was an instant hit. I became choice praise leader, worship leader, soloist, youth choir director, children's choir director and by action main choir director.

By my 18th birthday in October 1996 I was a super star. I know you just quickly calculated my age...it's okay. I began to headline concert in and out of my local church. I was famous and powerful but my biggest gratitude to God is that there was no major financial incentive to the music ministry as it is today. Then came my biggest battle. IN CHURCH all my learning on the streets found expression! In no time I became a sex addict but God...His word also began to challenge my life. I hate to speak ill of church folk but it's okay...I'm one of them, they didn't help matters.

One time a disciplinary committee was set up cos it was getting out of hand. As I walked in the head of the panel defended me and asked me not to mind all the rumour mongers so I left smiling. It was pure blackmail, he was guilty of the same crime and I had caught him a few times or should I say, we had caught each other. I just cried typing this cos that man was older than my father and a key leader in church.

All around me was evil and GOD. I didn't know why I but everytime I sang, the words from my own mouth would get to me. I cried a lot on stage and it seemed to heighten the worship in the auditorium but I didn't cry out of worship but out of conflict and conviction. I began to sense the presence of God and it was very uncomfortable, I began to search for meaning. I was getting more famous, travelling round the nation, getting a university education, more sex and all the things that come with it but losing interest in life. If this was all to life then it's misery. If I was approached by the occult at that point, I would have gladly joined but God in His wisdom separated me from the streets and shielded me. I was excreting all over the place but under the watchful eyes of my Father.

After 5 years, I couldn't take it anymore. I Had sang in almost every church that was known in the city and many places around the nation but I was becoming suicidal. Preachers said stop sin but HOW? I had said the sinners prayer severally. I could preach better than most pastors, I won souls and did follow up...all these were mounting pressure on me. I even abandoned my education and changed church...hmmm. The girls got more fiery!
I left the city but not before meeting a man God later used to help sort me out.

As bad as my church experience was I later discovered God just had to move me out of the streets because at the dawn of the present political dispensation foot soldiers were being recruited and I would have been a general but my passion had moved. Several attempts were made for me to help because of my underground influence, guns flooded the streets but I was no longer the don...God moved me.bHe's bringing someone out of a stronghold right now!

For me, I was running away from a miserable life. I didn't even know what I was looking for. I just didn't want to run mad from the war raging on my inside. The girls, the shows, church, the street...everything was driving me crazy BUT for God, He was already there. I got to Eket and my transformation began.

Let me digress a bit to my family. My parents loved us without a doubt. They operated on their level of knowledge. Building a nurture relationship with your children is hereditary. The good thing is you can learn it even when it doesn't come naturally like those who received nurture and care. My parents practically raised themselves so they worked hard to raise us and that meant roof over our heads, food on the table and good education. The rest we got from the society. My older siblings all went off to boarding schools from day 1 but me...i was a risk so they arranged to give me military training so the black sheep can be tamed.

My dear, God knows I would have been hardened instead so my grandfather had to die at the right time. My grandad was such a big deal by our tradition (he was BILA meaning elephant, the biggest masquerade and high up in the traditional cult of Kalabari land). Everything including my education had to be on pause for all the arrangements, rites and all. That was how I escaped military school and ended up in a private day school after missing a full term. My brothers came back home converted to SU so we were like oil and cold water.

So back to my new habitat, God arranged for me to be in my brothers crowd of young NOT PLAYING CHURCH believers.Their daily lives challenged me and my mind about church folk began to change, God began to teach me that Christianity was a relationship and not an activity like I was used to...satan was also fighting through my addiction and cravings. Jesus said the demons will be multiplied if the house is swept and remains unoccupied. At this point let me minister to someone going through inner turmoil, ask God to lead you to someone you can talk to. Yes...you may not know how to pray but just ask Him anyhow and the person impressed in your heart, go speak to the person. The lie satan uses is PEOPLE WILL KNOW AND SAY...bla bla bla. Truth is people already sense and know but your deliverance is so much more important than what any mortal will say.

See God had started a work in my life but I didn't know how to consolidate. I was the star so how can I go and expose myself and be talking to my mates? I didn't trust pastors so that was out of the question. Before long I started singing in my brothers church and around town and...became an illegitimate parent (there are no illegitimate children). I was 25, confused, famous, ostentatious, selfish, foolish etc. How did a whole ME end up fathering a child now? It beats me. Yes! I always knew what to do so...hahaha. It happened that I got bored and came back to PH not knowing the girl was pregnant. She didn't know what to do (na so God dey take catch person). Of course it wasn't the first time i had dealt with pregnancy but I won't go into numbers. I was getting ready to get back into my life and damn this guilt and war raging inside when my brother visited home to the delight of my parents not knowing he was on a mission of destiny. He told me quietly of the pregnancy and my alleged involvement and I didn't panic.

Looking back now I see God's work in my heart had advanced cos denial would have been in my favour. I wasn't thinking about the future, I was just compassionate. The girl in question was a good girl everyone else thought she was bad...a local trying to move up in life. I was the bad one they all thought was good. This is public domain so I won't mention the calibre of people who encouraged me to reject the pregnancy. I stayed back there without remorse, observed every process till my girl was born. That morning as I looked into her eyes, I had what I call my DAMASCUS EXPERIENCE. I was hot and cold at once, I wanted to laugh and cry at once, God was in the room and I was wondering why everyone was so normal. I made a quick excuse and left.

At home I broke down, my whole life played out before me, I have finally brought shame to the Gospel (satan whispered) AND BOOM...I heard God clearly  "I LOVE YOU, I WANT TO USE YOU"!  I said No! I don't You. The experience ended abruptly but I could barely sleep well again for weeks. I decided to stay back there and start a new life. I got a shop and started making arrangements to start distributing recharge cards. This church and repentance thing is not working and i have to start being responsible for 2...God blocked it. It didn't work out and I got a refund for the shop. I was still replaying the experience every night and the face of a pastor I had met 2 years earlier kept coming with the flashes and physically he kept inviting me to his church frequently.

One day I took a bold step and prayed. With my eyes open I just said God, I know you can hear me, if you meant what you said, prove it. I don't want to fake this anymore. As soon as I finished, I got a call to sing at the university of Uyo. I went reluctantly and before i got up stage I said God help me. Six cult boys ran out crying, renounced cultism and vowed to use their gifts to serve God...without an alter call. I handed the microphone to the pastor and joined them to surrender to Jesus. Oh the JOY! the FELLOWSHIP! I would call out to God in the middle of nowhere and feel him smiling. He couldn't leave me as I am so he sent me back to PH to the man I had been seeing. I didn't want to be a member of his church and I told God so. He just said go.

The day I walked into Chris Ugoh's office to tell him God said you should pastor me, he started first. "I was planning to call you to know how things are, we're starting a new work and I am led to ask you to join us". A few months later The King's Assembly started and it's been 12 years. Now at the risk of hyping my Pastor, God used him to peel off layer after layer of guilt, shame, irresponsibility and pride.  Long before all of this I knew the call of God was upon my life but in my heart I would say I rather die than be a pastor, this singing is enough for me. I knew I had the competence...if I give you rhema ehhn but there was no substance. No character so God sent me to build that and I finally obeyed. This man modelled a human being transformed.

Today I have a story of MERCY and grace. People call me humble and I say in my heart "if you pass where I pass, you go humble o". God has transformed me. I know grace, I know mercy. He built me into a compassionate and loving servant. I can't tell all the details of my life here but believe me in the 38 years God has kept me on this side of eternity, I have seen a lot. He is the reason I worship, I am always happy, he blessed me with a child's heart. I understand, I always understand. Some will read my story and find it interesting but it is for those who are going through. You are tired but can't find help because the people around you just criticize and put you down. Jesus brings deliverance from guilt and shame. What God wants to do with you is amazing. My story has changed and i won't stop telling. You can talk to me via my inbox. I bless God for those who have already reached out. God will never condemn you, come into His love, grace and mercy.
All this came as I sang a line in my new song "the dust You put together, has come to worship you".

Today when I sing my new song SAVIOUR, THE MAN YOU SAVED IS HERE TO WORSHIP YOU...I mean every word...it is my experience.
Please visit my wall tomorrow to download MADE and share with the world around you. It's my birthday 7/10/2016.

Cheers.

#themanYOUmade
#graceandmercy

Courtesy: Afy Douglas Facebook page

@iamteddieb