In a remarkable tale of redemption, a man who once led a life of debauchery has found a new path, one that has led him to believe he is called to be a kingdom eunuch.
Born in Bulawayo in 1981, Murphy Makhupe grew up in Gokwe Nembudziya, where he faced a difficult childhood and had to do odd jobs to survive.
“I started keeping free-range chickens as I was waiting for my O’ level results because I knew I had not done very well in my studies,” he recalled. “I used the money from the chickens to travel to my Uncle’s house in Redcliff. I felt that I could have a better life if I moved from the rural areas.”
However, his move to Redcliff marked the beginning of a downward spiral into a life of debauchery. “I had already started doing drugs and drinking alcohol,” he admitted. “I started working as a garden boy, and I later found another job as a till operator in a grocery shop. I did a number of odd jobs until one lady offered me a job as a barber. At that time, I had already started living a life of clubbing.”
Despite his success as a barber, he continued to struggle with his personal demons. “I started going to a local church and was loyal to the man of God at that church,” he said. “But when the man of God suddenly passed away, my faith was so shaken that I went back to my life of clubbing, womanizing, and drug and alcohol abuse.”
It was during this time that he became a bouncer at bars and was known for his reckless behavior. “I was well known that I didn’t even have to buy alcohol, but was given for free,” he revealed. “Women would be chasing after me to the extent that it became like an addiction, having sexual relations with different women on a daily basis. Women would give me money to be with them. At that time, it was fun.”
He was living a double life, going to church and maintaining his party lifestyle. “I didn’t think it was possible to live a righteous life,” he said.
The person he used to barber with was the one who used to cut Apostle Joy’s hair. When he moved from Kwekwe, Murphy inherited his clients. Apostle Joy invited him to his church services and he started attending. “It became a habit that I would attend church services but I kept on indulging in my sinful pleasures.”
However, everything changed when he heard a sermon by Apostle Joy on the kingdom eunuch. “The sermon shook me to the core and changed my way of thinking and living,” he said. The teaching was from Matthew 19:7-12. In biblical times, a eunuch was a person who had been set apart for a specific purpose, often serving in a royal court. To become a kingdom eunuch means to surrender one’s life, desires, and ambitions to serve the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.
Becoming a kingdom eunuch requires a deep level of surrender. It’s a call to radical devotion, where one’s focus is solely on serving God and advancing His kingdom. A kingdom eunuch is willing to lay down their own interests, desires, and comforts for the sake of the gospel. They are characterized by single-minded devotion, with no divided loyalties. Being fully committed to serving God, and their actions and decisions reflect this commitment.
For him, the sermon on the kingdom eunuch was a timely message. “He didn’t lay hands on me or anything, but that word was like a double-edged sword that cut right into me. From that day, I stopped sleeping around. I would sleep with two or three women in a day, but all that changed from that very day. The word castrated the desire for other women besides my wife. I am now a new creation. The spirit of promiscuity was delivered from me by Apostle Joy. I was castrated by the Holy Spirit. The word of God brings total deliverance.”
Murphy’s story is a testament to the power of God’s word to transform lives. “When we are in Christ, we are a new creation and the old has passed away,” he said, quoting 2 Corinthians 5:17. “My journey to becoming a kingdom eunuch was not easy, but it was a necessary step towards living a life of radical devotion to God. I had to let go of my old life and surrender my desires and ambitions to serve the King. It’s a journey that requires a deep level of surrender, but it’s one that is worth taking.”
As he looks back on his journey, he is grateful for the transformation that has taken place in his life. “I am committed to serving God and advancing His kingdom,” he said. “I am living a life of radical devotion, and I am trusting God completely, even in the face of uncertainty or adversity. My story is a testament to the fact that anyone can change and become a new creation in Christ.”