Dear children and beloved brethren, it is Malia again. As I said before, since my husband, your father in Christ, went to heaven, my life has changed radically. I live in a new reality, as they say. My husband’s sudden departure to heaven genuinely surprised me. I just did not see it coming. Maybe I refused to see it… It is true that both of us were sure of heaven. We both believed the Word of God that we are ‘seated with Christ in the heavenly places’ (Eph 2:6). For both of us, heaven was not just a wish, a dream, or a prayer request. We lived in the reality of the promise that as children of God, heaven is our permanent home. As you remember, Pastor Richmond Leigh (Tali) preached about heaven like he was already walking on the streets of gold. Heaven was never a fearful place for us. Heaven was glorious and wonderful because that was the place where God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have their eternal abode.  Both Tali and I are worshippers of God. When you worship God in Spirit and in Truth, your very spirit soars towards God, following the lead of the Holy Spirit. You have a glimpse of the glory ahead. Worship on earth connects us with the worship in heaven. If you are born again and Spirit filled, you know what I am saying…

These days, the way I remember my husband the most is how he worshipped God. Maybe because he is now worshipping God in heaven. Each Sunday service, he will first blow the shofar. This was the call to worship! He will be at the media stand to be sure the sound and lights were perfect. Like Daniel, Tali had ‘a spirit of excellence’ (Dan 6:3). Like King David his friend, Tali often said that ‘he cannot offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing’ (2 Sam 24:24). Then Tali will approach the altar. He took his ministry as a worshipper very seriously! He will stop and pray before going up on the altar. Once there, he will worship God with all his heart. I remember the passion for Jesus in his heart and the transfigured look of joy on his face. Tears running on his face… Sometimes laughing and praying in the Spirit… Once there, he was free… Each Sunday he will say ‘let us now put on the linen ephod’. Some people did not understand that call to worship, but they still could flow with the Spirit. This vision of us as kings and priests worshipping God was inspired from King David, who was one of Tali’s mentors as a worshipper (Right now I am a little jealous when I think that in heaven, Tali and King David, side by side, worship God forever…This is a wonderful vision… I can only imagine… Finally, all Tali’s dreams have come true…Glory to God!)

You know the story… When David was in serious trouble at Ziklag, and no man could help him, he turned to God. This is the attitude of a true worshiper of God! David was in great distress: his wives and children were kidnapped. His followers’ wives and children were gone. His own men of valor who loved him, who have followed him for years just got tired of all his troubles and wanted to stone him. Losing everything, face to face with death and rejected by all men, David turns to God! (This is a great lesson for all! No matter the situation in life, remember God! Turn your eyes upon Jesus! God is always our true Helper!) During the reign of wicked King Saul, Abiathar, the priest, took the holy priestly garments from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to David in the wilderness. These priestly garments, also called the linen ephod, represented the presence of Jehovah God. David was not a priest by tribe. He was not from the family of Aaron. But he had the faith of the New Testament believer. In Christ, he knew that he is ‘a royal priesthood’ (1Pet 2:9). This knowledge of his true spiritual identity gave him the holy boldness to dress with the garments of the High Priest and stand before God like one. He asked God for a Word. (This is reminder that all we need is a Word from God. That Word comes expressly with power to perform and the victory is sure. More than money, more than human help, what we need is a Word of life proceeding from the mouth of God. David knew that! Tali knew that! Praise the Lord!). So, “David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And God answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” (1 Sam 30:8). God spoke to David as God speaks to the high priest, to His worshipper. As you know, David obeyed the word. He pursued, overtook the enemy, and without fail, he recovered ALL that was lost. Glory to God! This is our portion too! In Jesus’ name!

Why I bring to remembrance this story, is because each time Tali goes on the altar, he will tell the congregation ‘now, put on your linen ephod’. Then many people come to the altar, under open heavens, to pray and to worship. Miracles will just happen! Tali saw himself as King David and he invited you to see yourself as King David. You are children of God! That is the highest honor given to men! When people come to the altar and kneel, they do not kneel before Tali or the choir. No! The presence of the Holy Spirit is too strong for anyone to think in the flesh. As you remember, the Holy Spirit will make the experience of worshipping God and praying to Him very real. Because the anointing was so strong, we often felt like we left Warri and we are now in heaven? Prayers became easy. Faith will rise in the power of resurrection! Worship goes up like the incense in the Temple! This was and is the secret of ‘the holy success’ in Father’s House!  It is the manifested presence of God the Holy Spirit that made Father’s House Bible Church so different, so special. We learned how to host the Holy Spirit. And He never failed to come and move in our midst! Glory to God!

The overflow of that anointing changed lives and situations. Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the attitude of worship, even without laying of hands, the sinners got saved, the saved got filled with the Holy Spirit, the sick got healed, the weak became strong, the possessed got delivered, the oppressed got free and all the glory was given to God! You are all witnesses to that! Thru the overflow of the same anointing the needy got their financial breakthrough. Do you remember, Tali prophesied that all the members of Father’s House shall prosper financially? They will buy land and build their houses? We believed 100% that this was God’s Word. Fear not! That prophetic prayer is still on! God will do it! You will still buy land and build your houses. Nothing has changed concerning the Word of God.

At last, after people prayed and worshipped in the beauty of His holiness, Tali was very careful to give God all the honor and glory. He will say: ‘This anointing is the anointing of the Holy Spirit! Let us put our hands together for God the Holy Spirit! Let us put our hands together for the Son of the Living God who paid the price for this anointing this morning! Let us put our hands together for God the Father. For this anointing, this morning is not random. It came directly and specifically to us from God the Father!” Then, we all stand and offer God a loud clap offering, We did not stop until Tali told us to sit down. These are precious memories sealed in my heart by the Holy Spirit! The more I remember these things, the happier and prouder I become, to be the wife and ministry-partner of this extraordinary man, God’s servant Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh. What a testimony he left behind! What a heritage! His life, ministry and memory are forever blessed!

Many of you ask me, ‘how are you Malia?’ Thank you for your concern and prayers. I truly appreciate you all. As for me, I not only live in the church, I live in the presence of God. The Lord is my Shepperd, therefor I shall not want. I do not compare my life now with my life in the past. I want to be real to God and to myself. My past was wonderful, but I am now looking unto Jesus who is in my future. Christ in me, the Hope of Glory, helps me to look forward and to be strong! I am a woman of faith, peace, wisdom and hope!

Looking back, I see that my husband was ready and prepared to meet God at any time. He was not just a wonderful preacher; he practiced what he preached. He was a man of faith and a man of peace. Especially in the last few months, it became clearer that he was ready to go. I did not know it will be soo ‘soon’. But it is true. When he passed into immortality in that ambulance, I was surprised that he did not ‘struggle to die’. In fact, he ‘died’ like a baby. As a doctor I have seen people die. Adults usually struggle because they fear death and are not ready for the transition. Babies do not struggle because they do not fear death. Tali passed on peacefully, just like a baby. For a moment, I thought that the sickness was gone, and he felt asleep. He was ready to meet with Jesus. Recently, our daughter Jemine had a vision. She said that Tali knew that he will soon go to heaven. That God told him so. He agreed with God on that. But he told God he was worried about leaving me alone behind and the church. That was his human concern. Jemine said that the Holy Spirit showed him my future, as the senior Pastor of Father’s House.  Tali saw that God will be with me, will be with us. God assured him that the future was glorious. God showed him that He will take care of me even better than when he was on earth. God showed him that Father’s House Bible Church, this ministry, will be strong and fruitful.  The brethren will become spiritually mature, the worship will continue, the numbers will increase and the revival he was always praying about will become a reality. He saw that Father’s House will remain as ‘a burning bush never consumed’ in this area, Warri and Effurun, Nigeria. People will always be attracted by the fire, they will come closer to see it and God will meet with them. He saw that the church will still be an oasis in the desert for thirsty souls to find the water of life. The Word of God, the true Gospel of Christ Crucified, Resurrected and Ascended will still be preached. God showed Tali this and he was satisfied. Then he said to the Holy Spirit: “Thank You! I am satisfied! I now have peace! Let us go!” These days, I see that Tali has finished his work on earth and he has gone to heaven as a happy man, a fulfilled man of God. His reward in heaven is very great! So, what more do I want? There is nothing else! His life story is a story of grace becoming glory! We that are left behind, are now on earth to continue to build on the foundation he left behind, which is Christ and Him Crucified! Dear brethren, in life and in death, next to Jesus, Tali showed us the way, the royal way of the Cross! Each of us must run the race. Salvation is personal. Salvation is free because Jesus paid for it with His precious Blood. But to grow in the faith, to hope for reward in heaven, there is a price to pay. May we be willing to pay that price! Read the Bible daily! Pray daily! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Be strong for the work of God! Without fail, we shall recover all! To God be all the glory! Love in Christ alone, Malia!

(Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh 06-08-2020)