Christ’s Ambassador

I became a member of the High Calling in 2007 and within weeks, I learnt two major lessons among others. They are:

1. God cares about our Daily Work and He is, as a matter of fact, the Ultimate Employer of labor no matter who signs the salary voucher. As one writer put it, we stand the risk of being spiritually undercapitalized if we continue to shy away from this fact.
2. The tortuous journey from where we are and our desired destination of joy is in every bit part of God-designed terrain for faith development.

The High Calling pages made a lot of resources available to me by e-mail. These include exhortations, reflections and testimonies of other believers from different lands and climes and from different denominational inclinations. I have read, studied and meditated on these resources as well as uploaded comments of other readers. Through all these, the Holy Spirit has been guiding me to deeper truths in the Bible. I have been seeing more clearly the footprints of Jesus Christ on the sands of time in our days as well as the olden days.

Daily Work

Point 1 above influenced me to have a change of attitude to work and work environment. Against the erstwhile attitude that God was not too involved in my employment problems,  or in daily work of any kind except the clergy, now I know that God cares about everything, even what we write in the time-book and how we utilize the time resource in the workplace when we think no one is watching.

Tortuous Journey of Life

Realization of Point 2 stirred me up from the slumber in which I thought my pains and tears are unnecessary distractions from my desired goal. Now I am convicted that God means everything for good at all times. I memorized Rom 8:28 before but now I know it to be true. They are different stages. The words of Dave Dravecky would be a good summary of my thoughts here: “Looking back,……I have learnt that the wilderness is part of the landscape of faith, and every bit as essential as the mountain top. On the mountain top we are overwhelmed by God’s presence. In the wilderness we are overwhelmed by His absence. Both places would bring us to our knees, the one, in utter awe, the other, in utter dependence.” God, in his wisdom and love, will do all it takes, for as long as it takes, to break us of our self-sufficiency so his power can be demonstrated in us. Or attitudes fasten or delay this process. 

Reading the resources on the HighCalling pages have helped improved my spiritual life and helped me to become more of a worshipper of God outside the church premises. Mondays to Saturdays I try to apply Bible principles to all I think, say and do and on Sundays, I try to make the worship more practical and down-to-earth.

May God continue to pour his anointing on the team.

A few of such resources are:

• Fear God: Honor your supervisor
• Pride in your work is no sin
• Learning the difference between work and service
• Why work is holy

Questions for Meditation

• Are you in the middle of a storm and thinking God is not caring?
• What might you change in your attitude to begin to see the pains as useful for your growth and expansion of the kingdom of God?
• Do you want to grow beyond the limits of Church denomination and sects?
• Are you zealous of being part of an empowered laity?
• Do you want to realize your full potentials as able minister of the new covenant?

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When God called Moses at the scene of the burning bush that was not consumed, it got to a point when God asked Moses what he held in his hand and Moses replay was “A staff” Ex 4:2 (NIV) Moses could as well have said “My staff” and he would be saying the truth.

Months after that day and after several encounters with God and the people, the “born again” Moses referred to that same rod as “Staff  of God” Hear him in Ex17:9 as he instructed Joshua to lead the battle against the Amalekites “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

Granted, the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Ps 24:1) How did the transformation take place in the mind of Moses? God had instructed Moses to perform several miracles using this staff. The staff had swallowed other staffs in the court of Pharaoh when it changed to snake. The same staff struck the Nile and changed to a river of blood and it was that same staff that struck the rock at Horeb and brought out water for the congregation of Israel to drink.

One thing is certain; the staff had been consecrated to God because the owner, Moses was also consecrated. The staff was no longer used for mundane things as much as Moses himself no longer lived for himself.

In the same manner, we all are called to submit the totality of our lives to God that he may use us. He needs our skills, education, possessions, family and time to expand his kingdom and bring his grand purpose to pass. When we willingly allow him do this, then even the most menial of tasks become the “work of God”. This is to say that if a copy typist consistently puts in all her best to her job and produce good documents for her boss, she is working for God ultimately. She used the Computer and Printer of God. God has no limitations. He could perform miracles with memos and documents as well as he could with the staff of Moses. We all could hold the staff of God in our hands all the time.

This is how we may render acceptable service to God on weekdays when we are away from the church premises. It is one of the teachings we read on the www.highcalling.org . Paul summarized it this way in Romans 12:1, and I like to preach it in The Message Translation: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. ………., fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Questions For Meditation

• Can your daily work be described as work of God?
• Can you describe yourself as a good steward of God’s resources?
• What changes might you begin to make to your attitude so that you may become a man after God’s heart?

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 If you were to receive a new member in your church who said he was an herbalist, you would probably advise him to change his profession and become ‘born again’. Not a few among the congregation would avoid shaking hands with him. The choir would choke on the usual welcome song ‘May you really be blessed as you fellowship here in our midst.’  If he continued attending, he might begin to enjoy the rare privilege of having a whole pew to himself for a long time. If you have become familiar with the outputs of Nollywood; Nigeria’s movie industry you would readily agree that this scenario is a very mild description of how the African herbalist is seen by Christians. My own father experienced something like this when he joined the Anglican Church in 1955. However, this needn’t be so.

The Herbalist is a person who collect roots, barks and leaves of plants, process them and bring out mixtures to treat diseases and ailments. Such mixtures may be eaten in solid form, soaked in liquids to drink or applied orally on the affected parts. The wisdom to do this comes from God and the practice had been an age-long one in Africa before the advancement of Western medicine. Suffice here to say that my own father, grandfather and great grandfather were herbalists and so was my maternal father.

Genesis

God initiated the use of herbs when he planted a garden in Eden and permitted Adam and Eve to feed thereof. The first plants were meant for food and not as medicine since there was no sickness then. But nothing catches God unawares. The sin of Adam brought weariness, sickness, ageing and death. Plants which had the potency to nourish the body also had the ingredients to heal and build up weary organs. So man continued to use them for healing and prevention of sickness.

Later on

The Israelites were commanded to eat the Passover lamb with fermented cakes and bitter herbs. Bible Historians reported that bitter herbs like chicory, endive and watercress were used in those days and in subsequent celebrations of the Passover when they arrived at Canaan. (Ex 12:8; Num 9:11) The bitter herbs prevented constipation since they had to eat a lot of meat. The bitter ingredients flushed out the colon and purified their blood. The bile was stimulated for a more efficient breakdown of protein and fat. For those who already have constipation, relief also came same way. No doubt, the herbs gathered in the days of Elijah and cooked with pottage were also meant for health improvement purposes. (2Kgs 4:39-40)

Contemporary time

Much of the ingredients processed to manufacture western medicines were also gotten from plants. One only needs to read leaflets that come with medicines to confirm this. Experience have shown that these are not even half as efficient as  when the raw plants are used directly as cure because some of the vital ingredients get destroyed by heat and chemical preservatives. My father had many friends who were pharmacists and University dons and in many occasions he had collaborated with these men in their researches.

 One could then see the wisdom of God in giving us the plants as food in the first instance. Man puts his own health and longevity in jeopardy through the junk food he eats in the city but if much of the the proper leaves and fruits are consumed with the right proportions of fish, meat and dairy products majority of the diseases could be prevented or cured before they get to malignancy levels. All these go to show that herbs are God’s gifts which we cannot avoid as food or medicine. Then why is the African herbalist a persona non grata in the church?

What went wrong?

One suggestion is the issue of unbalanced doctrine. Many still preach against the use of medicine when their members fall sick. Such teachers opine that if their followers have faith they needn’t take any medicine but should rely on prayers alone to get healed. While I agree that prayers can get one healed because it is God who actually heals, yet I believe it’s the same God who has given man the knowledge of making medicines and other processes of treatment of diseases. It is not scriptural to condemn the administration of drugs to patients. There were physicians even in the days of Jesus ministry on earth and he did not condemn their practice. Luke is believed to be a Doctor. “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.” (Col 4:14)

Another suggestion and a major one is the way the typical African herbalist mixes his practice with witchcraft and divination. The African herbalists may find out that some of their patients’ afflictions have been caused by spell cast by witches and other occult groups. If the cause of an ailment is infection or natural body breakdown, such are treated with the appropriate herbs but when the cause is traced to the spirit realm, it becomes another ballgame all together. Most often, they have to learn the causes of their patient’s ailment through divination and where it is believed that witches are behind it, such powers must be appeased. Here comes the crux of the African herbalists’ problem with Christianity.

The Bible clearly forbids divination and unwholesome rapport with demons and witches. “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.” (Deut 18:10-14) Of course, there is no accord between light and darkness and neither is there cordiality between Christ and Belial.

Function of the Church

The Church should teach the herbalists in the congregation that they need not fear witches, demons or the occult since Jesus Christ has made a public show of principalities and powers. The blood of Jesus and the potency of the Gospel message is enough to deal with any source of a sickness in the life of a patient such that herbs could then be administered to build up any system that has broken down. There is no need for other sacrifices and rituals again since Jesus has offered his own blood once and for all time to cleanse believers. Man is superior to demons in the scheme of God so it is an insult and abuse of grace to appease demons. If the African herbalist can separate his practice from divination and ritual offerings to witches and demons, and depend on the full suit of armor of God (Eph 6:18-22) to protect him and his patients from principalities and powers, he could even hold positions in the church if he desires the position. (2Tim 3:10

Emerging trend

Scientists all over the world have woken up to the realization that herbs in their natural state would serve humanity better than when they are mixed with petrochemical products. This is why many health ministers all over the world are now giving natural medicine a chance. Herbalists are just Pharmacists and Doctors who stick to nature. There are quite a number of them in Nigeria now who have started packaging these herb mixtures neatly in caplets and sealed bottles.

Revelation

Finally, here is “the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb. In the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit ever month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Rev 1:1; Rev 22:1,2)

Herbalists are not necessarily witch doctors nor sorcerers but sorcerers and witch doctors could be herbalists. Beware.

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The IBRU Centre, in the Guardian Newspapers edition of Sunday June 7 2009, featured articles on the views of prominent Clerics on the lingering issue of Part-time versus Full time service in Church.

After reading carefully the views of the clerics interviewed I wish to summarize here below some of the wrong assumptions both parties have made:

·        It is possible to serve God part-time;

·        People who have other forms of employment outside the church are not ‘working for God’ or doing ‘God’s work’ on that employment;

·        God’s work is only done in the Church and such places where the Bible is being expressly preached;

·        Professionals in other fields apart from Theology cannot effectively lead the flock of God in church and they are lay men/women

It is not surprising that there is no single line of scripture that supports these lines of thought since the Professional/Lay segregation is the doctrine of men (Mk7:7)

God is interested in all legitimate works since His Spirit enables all. He is happy when a Pastor teaches Biblical truth; when a Reporter tells the news with sound integrity; when a Judge gives justice; when a Policeman ensures the security and safety of lives and properties; when a Governor governs his people well; and when a housewife imbibes the virtues of the virtuous woman (Prov 31:10-31) in running her house.

For true believers, everyplace is a holy ground since we carry the Spirit of God in us. That also implies that whatever we do in speech and action, must be done in the name of Christ (Col 3:17). Every lawful work is holy work. When Christ gave the marching orders in Mt 28:19-20, he did not exclude the work places, but he said ‘Go ye into the world’.  I believe that where believers earn their daily bread are mission grounds where they are expected to be light of the world, telling and acting out the gospel message, and salt of the earth, giving meaning to this worldly confusion. Did Jesus the Carpenter do a secular work? 

The reality is that we all have different callings and different ministries. Some have been called to serve 24-7 in the churches while some have additional assignments in the fields of work. All are called and gifted by the same Spirit and are all going to give account of their stewardship. No work is secular per se. In the construction of the tent of meeting in the wilderness, God chose Bezaleel and Oholiab and taught them how to do the work as well as teach others (Ex 31:2-6). Their work was no less spiritual than that of Aaron who burnt incense at the altar. Again, in the parable of the vineyard workers, it was the privilege to serve in the vineyard of the Master that became the effective reward of the laborers and not the number of hours. The vineyard of the Master covers the whole Earth since the ‘Earth is the Lord’s’ (Ps 24:1) Daniel, Nehemiah, and Mordecai were civil servants who worked effectively for the advancement of the kingdom of God even on the Pagan soil of Babylon.

Paul the Apostle and tent-maker is well known. Yet, the Bible shows that Paul’s, by the grace of God, was the most outstanding ministry. These points should lay to rest the argument that ‘Part-time’ ministers are less effective, though in actual sense, I posit that there is no ‘part-time’ servant of God. We all are called to serve God 24-7. Rom 12:1 says in effect to: ‘Offer your whole life as a living sacrifice to God’ (Emphasis mine)

No matter who signs the salary cheque or gives the instructions, the Boss is Jesus, the giver of all good and perfect gifts and in whom all things are held together. Where and how you fulfill the call of God on your life is determined largely on the circumstances surrounding your call. Read Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian believers: “Each of you should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to you, and as you were when God called you. This is the rule I teach in all churches. 1Cor 7:17

The Clergy/Laity segregation is a hindrance and not Biblical. We cannot witness to the ‘fringes of the earth’ as instructed in Acts 1:8 if we all shy away from the workplaces where an average person spends more than half his lifetime, some of whom may never attend a church.

We speak of what we have seen and heard (1Jn1:3a). By the grace of God, ECWA Good News Church, Bassa, the local assembly of ECWA where I worship is six years now, waxing stronger everyday in number and in grace but without the ‘so called full-timers’ since inception. All Ministers and Elders, like Paul, have other vocations outside the church building and we lack nothing because the Lord is our Shepherd. (Ps 23:1)

For more about the empowerment of the Laity, visit www.thehighcalling.org

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“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever want to be first must be slave of all”. Mark 10-42-44 NIV

The scripture did not hide the fact that the twelve were always disputing among themselves who was the greatest. They wanted Jesus to tell them plainly that so and so is senior and so and so is junior. They were afraid to ask him directly but Jesus knew this. However, it appears as if Peter, James and John were given more privileges than the rest. They were what we may call the kitchen cabinet of Christ. They enjoyed, more than the other nine, the privilege of being Jesus’s closest associates. John was the disciple Jesus loved,John 13:23. James was John’s brother and they were cousins to Jesus. Peter was surnamed the rock and given the keys to unlock hearts with the first gospel message. They all witnessed many more miracles than the rest. They attended more prayer sessions than the rest, and they must have heard more secrets of the kingdom than the rest. They were there when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus. They witnessed the transfiguration and they were at Gethsemane. 

Why did Jesus choose these three particularly as closest aids and to witness more intimate situations? The Bible did not say. But we have the privilege to look at their peculiar services and make inferences. Their experience must have strengthened and influenced them in their individual callings in the expansion of the kingdom of God. So are you also called today, to submit your positions and priviledges to the Holy Spirit to use in spreading the kingdom of God.

All the apostles were called to defend the truth that Jesus was the messiah with their blood but James was the first among them to pay the ultimate price for his faith and convictions. Herod slew him and when he saw that the Jews were pleased, he arrested Peter also Acts 12:1-3.  It is one thing to believe and profess but a different ball game altogether to be called to pioneer the payment of the ultimate price. He had every chance to shrink back because of fear but I believe what he had seen and heard on the mount, Luk 9:28-35, was used of the Holy Spirit to make him firm even to death. Jeffery Grant in his “Signature of God” recorded that the Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

Peter‘s sermon at Pentecost was the key that unlocked the gates of the kingdom to those who would believe. There and then the church got her first converts as 3,000 people got convicted. Peter was also used of the Holy Spirit to reach out to the gentiles Acts 10:44-45; 15:6,7, showing that the blood of Jesus was shed to cleanse the whole world of sin and not the exclusive right of the Jews.

John was the last of the twelve to die. He had suffered the loss of his brother, James, very early in the age of the first church. The pains of bereavement must have made the assignment scarier to him, but he did not shrink back. After surviving several ordeals including being fried in oil, he was banished to the island of Patmos and left to die from starvation, harsh weather or attack of wild animals. This is where he got the revelation of Jesus Christ, a deep insight into the future of the church and the enemies of the church.

The Lord’s choice of these three disciples was to equip them further for His purposes and not for theirs.  He gave them the privileges of the inner wheelers so that they could be equipped to handle the responsibilities inherent, and that is, being more disposed to servanthood.  So it is till today. Every privilege we get as believers have attached to them responsibilities to God and to the entire body of believers. Every testimony of good things done to us by God is a subtle reminder of the need to love God more even to the point of giving our lives to his purpose.

Every spiritual gift, every knowledge and skill, every privileged position in family, at work, in the church or society, every job opportunity, every advantage-in must impose on you added responsibilities. And with what the scriptures have told us about trials, even your hardships and the help of the Holy Spirit during these trials bind you to some responsibilities. We do well if we look prayerfully for these responsibilities to discharge them in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God who gives all good and perfect gifts. It is a disservice to God if we merely enjoy the privileges and neglect the responsibilities. God will surely ask us one day.

How better may you do your work if you knew that you will answer to God in respects of your job description? How better may you utilize the positions you occupy and the influences you wield if you knew God gave them to you to serve HIM? How better may you use your time, spiritual gifts, natural endowments and your relationships? How better may you guard secrets entrusted to you?

May God help you to fulfill HIS purposes for your call.

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“And whatever you do in word or action do it all in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the father through him” Col 3:17

As a Christian, you are Christ’s proxy, holding his DOA (Delegation Of Authority). As definitions, www.Answers.com says Proxy could be:

Christ’s DOA is simply called the Great Commission. You have been called to continually testify of what Christ has done in your life. You are to serve as witness, representative and an ambassador of Christ.

To represent Christ we must know him through the inscribed word, walk and work with him daily and have his mind.

We must have his passion and the foremost passion of Christ is Redemption. He started this by his baptism in the Jordan and finished it by his sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. Between Jordan and Calvary this song could summarise his life style:

Everywhere He went He was doing good, Almighty healer, he healed the leper

The cripple saw him and started walking; even today my lord is doing good

Anywhere he went He was doing good, Jehovah Jireh, He fed the hungry

When the thirsty saw him, He gave them water, even today, my Lord is doing good

The Bright morning star, the rose of Sharon, the resurrection, He raised Lazarus

He died on the cross, to make sure I live, Even when I die, I’m going to live again

For an effective representation of Christ, here are a few points we must take note of:

·         Christ is one with God and we must emulate this in our fellowship with God. This is more than church going, or any other church activities. It is being in a continual contact with God. It’s more like having your head on his chest to hear his heartbeat. Resting in Him.

·         Christ is a Servant; we must represent him by taking the position of Servant. In many of his teachings he emphasized this and also lived it. A servant is owned by his master. He performs whatever his master instructed without questioning or expecting a reward. He has no rights and doesn’t even ask for one. He is glad to have the privilege of serving his master. Whatever position we are privileged to hold in the society or at work, Christ has entrusted such position to us as His servant.

·         Christ is merciful and we must represent him in showing mercies. HE brought mercy and grace to the poor and downtrodden as against the judgmental and damning approach of the law. He mixed freely with the sinners so as to make his mercies known to them. Today, the church seems to show less attention to the weak in faith, but the church is actually meant for these ones. They are the sick and the wounded that need nurturing and attention.

·         Christ is a man of sorrow we must represent him in that status as we fast and mourn for unbelievers. His sorrows centered on the fact that humanity was damned by the sin of Adam. Isaiah wrote that he was wounded for our sake, the chastisement of our peace was laid on him and by his stripes we are healed. Paul wrote much later that it has been granted unto you for the sake of Christ not only to believe in him but to suffer for him (Phil 1:9), and Peter joined his voice by saying: To this suffering you have also been called, that Christ gave his life for the brethren leaving you an example to follow in his footsteps (1 Pet 2:21)

·         Christ is the sacrifice and we must represent him as we sacrifice our entire lives at the altar of worship. Romans 12:1. Here is the core purpose of Christ’s call. Christ wants the entire you, not just what you do in his service, he wants the whole you as stated in Rom 12:1. I like the words put together by Henry Lyte in the hymn titled Jesus I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow thee….

If we are of the mind and attitude of sacrificial love to God, giving would not be difficult for us and neither would it be neccessarily tied to the tenth portion  of our income. We would still give cheerfully even when it might affect our personal plans. We would be able to fulfill our promises even when it hurts Ps 15:4. We would be all out to preach in season and out of season and rejoicing even when we a re persecuted for preaching. We would be passionate intercessors. We would rightly say of ourselves we are Christ’s Ambassadors,  to live is to serve Christ and to die is gain. God has poured His Spirit on us to will and do these to help us execute the  DOA.

There are times I personally find this DOA very difficult to hold. Fear and personal motives often get in the way and I do things contrary to what Christ would do. At such times I could only pray for His mercies for the commandment he gave us is not burdensome. How do you find Christ’s delegated authority? What motivates you to overcome hinderances as you represent Jesus?

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“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.” 2 Cor 4:8-12

The language we speak matters and it is imperative to a believer to speak only the language of the kingdom of God where their citizenship is. Jeff Goins recently post an article in Leadership which he titled Failure is not an option. He did a good job of encouraging believers to not look at failure as a scary incident but rather a launching pad to greater heights. In this piece, I want to corroborate his ideas and posit further that believers, in fact must fail in this worldly system of things for them to be successful in Kingdom matters. God could and always do oversee some of these failures.

It is not unusual to notice that when one becomes a believer then his life, which may have been a smooth one before, takes an abrupt turn and start to have bumps. Then he becomes a good example of failure no matter how much he desires to use “positive confession” to cover the reality. The truth is that when God apprehends you, He has to lead you to a point where you must become very thirsty for Him (through a path of righteousness for his name’s sake). His purpose is to empty you and then fill you with himself so that your overflow will begin to fill other peoples’ lives.  You are saved to serve. But you cannot be thirsty for the Lord when you are sated with the world and all it has to offer.  So God lays his heavy hand on you and begin to perform spiritual surgery on your heart, cutting the fatness off so the heart can be percolated by his word.  I think Jesus also called it pruning.  Pruning of vines is done with a knife or cutlass and that connotes pain. Stated clearly, when you are under the training of the Lord the world sees you as a failure, and you are in fact, a failure in the things of the world. In his letter to the Corinthians, part of what is quoted above, I see Paul reeking failure by the world’s standards.

God must slow you down to a tempo suitable for you to discern his moves and hear his voice. Oh how it pains. Noah must have looked like a failure to the entire world of his days when he started building a ship on a dry land in anticipation of the deluge, yet nobody has ever witnessed rainfall before. He must have been a failure to have invested all of 120 years preaching repentance while his contemporaries were advancing their careers and accumulating wealth. Abraham was instructed to leave his native land, everyone and everything familiar, to go to a place he was not even told where. To the people he left behind in the Ur of Chaldees, the man was a failure for closing his farms and yielding to the voice of a God that no one knew. Moses, once a heir to the throne of Egypt, must have reeked all failure to Jethro as he signed up for a job of shepherd after all the education and princely living. These heroes of faith had worldly failures to invest to yield good profits in the Kingdom of God. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.

Now coming to prosperity and the the scripture which says God delights in the prosperity of believers ” Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants Ps 35:27 (NKJV). Prosperity, in the language of the kingdom means making a profitable investment of the gift of life God has given us, first and foremost, and making good use of the additional dividends (finance, position, work, contacts, property, education and persecutions etc). I believe most people have no problem about the first aspect but they tend to overlook the second. Our sorrows are also part of the investments and God is interested in seeing them yield good profits as well. That’s when we can say we prosper in all things. Many Jews believed in Jesus when they witnessed Lazarus coming out of the grave. But the miracle came after Mary and Martha went through four days of sorrow upon the death of their brother Lazarus who also had to endure the pains of sickness and the hopelessness of death even when his friend Jesus could have healed him. Within those four days they were a pitiable lot as the Jews saw their ministry as a failed one.

I read through the account of the birth of Samuel again. Why was Hannah in such pains? Why was she such a failure in her marriage? Did the Devil attack her? Was it a medical condition? No. 1 Sam 1:5 says that “….the Lord has closed her womb” In other words, the Lord led her to a point where she became very thirsty for Him. Her prayer indicated that she became burdened with the same thing in the mind of God. In Sarah’ family the success of the world was persecuting the kingdom success. And so it is till this day. You cannot have both.

Between a believer and the world, there is a language difference. A believer may fail in things of this world so as to be well prepared for God’s call upon his life. The believer may taste of failure in the world so as to be cured of the tendency to be self-sufficient. The believer may taste of failure so as to be cured of his tendency to doubt God. And a believer may taste of failure so as to get the experience and patience necessary to minister to others who go through such failures. Through the pains of these failures, the believer becomes prosperous in things of the Spirit.

Have you suffered setback in career, family, relationship and in ministry because you won’t comply with the world standard? I believe you are  in the right place where God wants to set a table before you, anoint your head with his own oil and fill your cup to overflow. Hang on, but let Jesus invest your failures and sorrows for you. He is the stockbroker par excellence. When the trials seem to hide HIS lovely face, hold on to your faith. HE is faithful who promised. The promises of God may tarry but it won’t be late. The world will always face economic meltdown and will soon pass away and the lust of it, but the Kingdom of God is ever yielding profits.

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Paul warned his protege, Timothy ahead of time that “a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear ” (2Tim4:3) One of the ways this scripture is being fulfilled today is in the discourses of the of new generation Pastors popularly tagged ‘Prosperity teachers‘. They are very cunning and they know exactly what the uninformed people want to hear in these days of grab-and-grab economy.

As a background to this piece, may I state clearly here that I believe God wants us to prosper in everything we do. He delights in our prosperity. I believe also that money is a good thing but the love of it is harmful. I believe that excessive liquid cash or possession of vast amounts of property is not the correct index to measure prosperity. Prosperity, by my understanding of the Biblical stand includes but not limited to purity, fruitfulness in the service of Christ, good physical health, good relationship with people, happiness in marriage, career growth beneficial to the society and having our needs met. Accumulating money in excess of the need to put something away for the raining day then can safely be taken as a measure of man’s passivity to the gaping holes of need in the society. The root cause of this is the sin of covetousness. God warned that “There will always be some people in the land who are poor…“  (Deut 15:11), and knowing God’s leaning towards the poor, it automatically indicates that there is always a need in the lives of others and in the society to be met with the excessive cash we may have – well, that is if we let ourselves see these needs in the lives of our neighbours, colleagues at work, brethren in the church, relations, friends and even strangers. Here is the act that provokes Paul’s prayer for the Phillipians when he said “….and my God will provide for all your needs according to his glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil4:18) He had first commended them and expressed his gratitude for their sacrificial giving in v8.

The teachings of the proseprity preachers stipulates, albeit implicitly that man is free to use God to accomplish his ambitions to acquire wealth to the extent that he could exploit the power of words in “positive confession”.  In other words, they opine that since God must honour his words, you can always use the divine promises of God to make yourself rich. This sounds logical and wise to the unwary and uninformed, and to the greedy. It is not uncommon to hear such preachers declare boldly that they can never be poor and also drop the hint that “if you are poor you are under a curse and it is a measure of your faithlessness” They are gaining grounds and recruiting disciples with these teachings on daily basis. They have their lives of opulence to show as testimony for the validity of their teachings. But can we compare the business of running church with a 9-5 daily job or running a company? Churches don’t pay tax and Pastors have perfected the art of using pulpit homilies for revenue drive. You would think they are running an appeal fund to bail heaven out of economic recession. They even tell you how much to give as offering and in what denominations. They have many formulae to extort: seed of faith, sunday offering, new month offering, offering for first born children, testimony offering, Pastors’ appreciation, children harverst, adult harvest, business men harvest and so on. Moreso, these self branded ‘owners’ of the church of God claim they are the Levites of today whom God has given all the tithes of Israel. Yet they teach the congregation to command wealth by positive confessions.

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign and He has a great purpose for creation. This purpose, He has graciously called man to participate in. (Rom 8:28) So rather than using God as taught by these false teachers, man, when he purifies himself and departs from iniquities, is used by the Holy Spirit, as vessel unto honour, to accomplish the noble purpose of God. We serve an Almighty God and not an errand god. Jesus set an example of this servanthood when he empties himself of all his glory, and came to this world in the form of a man and servant to fulfill the purposes of God. Paul wrote that: “you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.(2 Cor 8:9) and Peter was also inspired to say: “This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you is your example. Follow in his steps (1Pet 2:21). Paul also admonished the Ephesians in Eph 5:1  to “Be imitators of God” I believe it is a priviledge to give up all self interests and account all worldly achievements as rubbish campared to the knowledge of Christ just as Paul testified. Paul worked hard as a tent maker, using his income to further the work of God and yet not slacking in his Apostolic calling. The handkerchiefs that were taken from him to lay on the sick were actually sweaty face towels he used as he laboured hard in his daily work so that he may not depend on church funds. Anytime you receive a perfumed white handkerchief today with the promise that you could tap annointing from it please go through your scriptures again. Grow up, please. The time is near.

I do not know where the Prosperity teachers get the scripture backing their untamed acquisition of wealth. I do not know where in the scriptures the present church see the phrase “Me I no go suffer….” The church was founded on the foundation of the Apostles with Christ himself as the chief corner stone. What is  happening  in churches today were never seen in the first church and a lot of the miracles that happened in the fist church are absent today even though God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are still the same.  Have you seen their jeeps and convoy of cars when they move about town? Have you observed the Road Safety Corps and Police Force clearing the road before them and beating other road users on their account ? Have you seen the bouncers that are hired to shield them from the same flock God has called them to nurture? I attended a service one time at a church where the Guest Preacher came with four members of the Mobile police force, armed, and they stood in place of urshers as the man preached. He even boasted to us that his friend, the state Governor gave him these armed men as guards. Where are the Angels who guarded Paul and Silas as they sang in the prison? Among the congregants, there are still some who are unemployed and hungry and others who could neither feed well nor afford to give their children good education. In the same passage where God said there will always be poor people, he had instructed them earlier that if  people would give generously to their neighbours who are in need, there should not be one who is poor among them because HE will greatly pour his blessings on the land. Read Deut 15:4. The poor will not cease to exist in the land because the rich are tightfisted and would not share freely with the poor and the people charged with the task of teaching the commandments of God have become ‘hirelings’ who are too busy on their ivory towers, mixing up with the same world Christ called them to be light and salt to. They have no time to think about the suffering flock. May God save his sheep from hirelings.

It is not a bad thing to have great wealth but it is harmful to love wealth and divert the attention of the flock from Christ. God gives wealth and also the wisdom to use it without loosing the kingdom of God. He gave Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon. The latter was the richest king the world has ever known and he did not deny himself of anything his mind could think of. However, he warned against the love of money when he found out that all he had in wealth, influence and power were all worthless and futile. He still did not get the happiness and satisfaction for his soul. HE wrote in Ecclessiastes 5:10 that “Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings happiness.” Paul also warned Timothy to be wary of certain preachers who opined that Godliness is a means of getting rich. 1Tim 6:5-10. Jesus explained how hard it would be for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God because of the addictive influence of money on a mind that is obsessed with the accumulation of wealth. Whatever pre-occupies man to the exclusion of devotion to spiritual matters is sin of idolatry.

Being generous to one’s hurt is a difficult thing to do for a carnal mind but it has its gains. The rich man who spoke to Jesus about his intention to inherit the kingdom of God failed to learn this lesson. He walked away from eternal life sad because he had great wealth which occupied the core of his heart. Using the principles of God to serve others rather than accumulate wealth for oneself is hard but a noble life which God accepts as a fragrant offering. Choosing to be poor for the sake of the kingdom of God is a wise choice that honours the Father and follows the steps of Jesus who lived a sacrificial life here on earth. This is one of the practices that made the church to turn the world around in the days of the Apostles. Those days, “All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had……there was no poverty among them , because those who owned land and properties sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need (Acts 5:32-35). What was the result of this? “More and more people believed and were brought to the Lord, crowds of men and women. Here is the secret of being fruitful in the service of Christ and having the fruit sustained.

James, the brother of the Lord in his letter wrote that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit His kingdom but he also warned the rich who are not rich towards God that their accumulated wealth will stand against them in judgement (James 5:3). Paul also said ” people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”  I am afraid, Jesus’ teaching : “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” has disappeared in the teachings of the new generation churches and has been replaced with seek first financial prosperity and every recognition will be given to you. This is dangerous. If the foundation be destroyed what can the rightous do? Where do you belong? Shepherd or Hireling? Have you noticed these things too? Could you let me know if you have seen things differently? What can the righteous do if the foundations be undermined this way?

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What if David had been dodging every bear and lion in the jungle? What if he had been celebrating every escape from those animals with loud testimonies of ‘supposed’ God’s deliverance from beasts? What if he had allowed Jesse to loose a couple of sheep in the wilderness because he considered his life more precious than those sheep and he wouldn’t dare attempt to save them from death? Of course he would not have been judged wrong. Jesse would have been thankful for the safety of his little boy and the loss of sheep would not have been anything to him. David would have been a hero in the family for having the swiftness and tact to escape hungry lions and bears. Then he would never have been able to make the statement in Ps 144: 1 for he never would have killed any wild beast. With that attitude, even dogs would have caused him jitters if anyone was wild enough to attack his sheep. Maybe David would have remained a shepherd boy all his youth days until he was old enough to join the army like his brothers. And he would have also had to hide in trenches as the Goliaths of Philistines and other enemy nations curse the living God. Worse still, he would have worked against the purposes of God in his life by escaping the trainings needed to make him a vessel unto honor. 2 Tim 2:21 Think of this point when you dodge responsibilities and when you avoid taking risks at work, in your neighborhood and at church. Many Christians give testimonies for taking the easy way out of challenges but loosing the opportunity to get God’s strength for war and skill for battle (Ps 144:1)

Many years ago I was always having a re-current dream of being in school and missing examinations and even lectures at times. I was always disturbed anytime I woke up from such dream. I sought my brother’s help one day and brother Soji told me to tell God that I was ready for all my tests in life. So I prayed to God to help me face my tests with his inspired wisdom and strength. My own call to service was as simple as that. I had no dramatic display or vision of angels. I did not hear any supernatural voice in my ear telling me “Follow me”. The logic is this: No matter how brilliant a student might be, the school authority still needs the result of an examination to promote him to the next class. The student’s performance in a test or examination is still an indicator even to the student of how well he stands. His future career hangs on his performances in the tests he is able to pass. He gathers courage to face the higher challenges. He gets better at managing his time, his attitude to study improves and he learns to read and discern the expectations of examiners. He learns how to cope with failures also. With all these, he also develops the skills to help those who are in lower classes. This illustrates the purposes of life’s trials and the benefits of offering oneself to service even when such services are difficult and could be cleverly avoided.

David himself attested to the fact that his audacity to face Goliath while Saul and all the well trained and armed-to-the-teeth troop of Israel lay panting in trenches took root from his training in the wilderness when he ran the family business of cattle rearing. He rode on the assurance that God who saved him from the paws and jaws of those hungry beasts would also save him from the hands of Goliath and deliver the giant into his own hands. 1 Sam 17:37 He had faced lions without commendation from anyone before facing a killer giant with over a million people looking on. He would not have developed the courage to face Goliath the uncircumcised Philistine dog if he had not earlier on faced the uncircumcised bears and lions. God trains his children in progressive stages. He has the full picture but we could only follow him with trust as he reveals them bit by bit.

If he had not trusted God enough to risk his life for the few sheep of Jesse in the bush, enduring the pains all alone with neither spectator nor supervisor, he would not have been able to trust God enough to give into his hand the army of the Philistines as he risked his neck for the flock of God Almighty. In similar vein, if he had not proved faithful in the relatively lower challenges of keeping Jesse’s flock he would never have been trusted to keep the flock of the Almighty God. If your performance is mediocre, even if man promotes you, you definitely will miss God’s promotion which is the only promotion that is real, good and permanent. All good and perfect gifts come from God. Many Pastors desire to lead very large congregations, many evangelists desire to travel far and wide with the gospel and preach to large assembly of people countable only in acres, many brethren desire to perform signs and wonders and heal the sick. But sadly they fail because the path to these levels of spiritual height is infested with lions and bears which must be killed lest they destroy the helpless sheep. The path to great spiritual height is through selfless service and is full of thorns and thistles, things which the heart of man abhors. Jesus proclaimed the principle of heaven in Mark 9:35 that “ Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else”. This sounds foolish to the people of the world but the wisdom of the world is also foolishness to God.

David was to describe God, later in Psalm 46:1, as “A present help in times of trouble” because he allowed all the troubles that came to him to develop in him a solid faith in the deliverance of God. He allowed God to prove it in his life. He had to flee to the wilderness with caves and rocks as his places of political asylum as Saul sought his blood with the best of Israeli troop. Don’t forget he had also been anointed king of Israel by Samuel. But through faith David saw enough of God’s grace upon his life that he also developed a rare respect for the life of his enemy because of his resolve to honour God always. He wouldn’t kill Saul even when he had the opportunity to do so. 1 Sam 24:6,7 1 Sam 26:9. No one would have condemned him for killing Saul when his throne was also there for the grabs but he committed everything to God who says “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” Are you the type that runs down men of God, killing them with your mouth? Hear David “Who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one”?

His early desert training gave him the sound knowledge of the terrain such that when the hostility broke at the time of Saul and during Absalom’s coup, he had the strength of the body and the Spirit to survive outside the palace. Can you imagine a king leaving the comfort and luxury of his palace to live in the Palestinian desert exposed to the harsh weather and wild beasts? What is the reason many of our leaders want to hold on to power till they die on the throne? One of their fears is that they would not be able to survive the necessary downgrade of their luxurious tastes when the perks of office are no longer available. Most rich men could not fast for half a day to have deeper fellowship with God.

It shouldn’t be a surprise and neither should it offend anyone that David pleaded with the soldiers that Absalom should be dealt with gently. His tears and mourning after the death of Absalom was misunderstood by Joab the army commander and others because they forgot how David reacted to the opportunity to cause the death of Saul and how he mourned the eventual death of Saul and Jonathan. Saul had seen David as an enemy that must be killed but David kept on seeing Saul as an anointed man of God, king of Israel. The glory of Israel. He got his compassion and soft-heartedness because he faithfully walked and worked with God through the trials he faced and through the opportunities to serve God and the nation even at a risk to his life. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to [HIS] commands” Deut 6:5,6

Many of the challenges confronting believers today are in the same cadre as that which confronted David in the wilderness. He wasn’t compelled to do what he did to save ordinary sheep. So also you might have the opportunity to help and while helping in your own way which is good, there may be the chance to go the extra mile. Take the chance and don’t waste it. It is one of God’s way of calling you to greatness. There may be battles to fight. Don’t shrink back. Fight the good fight and contend for your faith. Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. You still have a reward when you give the minimal help but you get the fastest growth and the greatest joy when you, for the love of God, go that extra mile. In your place of work, what gives you the purest joy and sense of accomplishment is the service that your employer does not pay for, the extra mile you exerts yourself to go, that finesse that shows your savoir-faire. In church don’t wait until you see an angel beckoning on you to come to Marcedonia to help. You don’t need to see a burning bush before you recognize the call of God to serve. To live is to serve Christ and to die is gain. There are needs everywhere staring you in the face. Those needs spell the call of God to you. Volunteer your time, money, experience, materials and anything legitimate that could meet those needs. It may be in the life of a brother or sister or in the running of the church. Well whose resources are we talking about anyway? God’s of course. What is it that you have that you have not been given?

Esther would have been on the right still if she sat back in the comfort of the palace just praying for the deliverance of the Hebrews but she would have missed her place in the list of heroes of faith. After all, the scriptures instruct us to obey constituted authority. The king made a lethal rule that whoever comes to see him without being invited would face death. Had Queen Vashti not lost her position because of disobedience to the king’s orders? But Queen Esther went the extra mile and it pleased God to use her to deliver his people. Nehemiah went the extra mile. HE offered himself prayerfully for service. Later, he forfeited his rations and allowances as governor to further the work of God and God used him mightily to restore the heritage of the Jews in Jerusalem. Remember all these when you revel in comfort zone, not daring to do anything that might cause you discomfort.

We should learn to look for purpose of trials rather than look for their reasons. We should learn to look for joy of service rather than working only for mammon. The body of Christ has become lukewarm. The world now sets the standard for the church. We must get the church back to her spiritual state in the Apostolic days. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever. The Holy Spirit is the same as well. How then did the church get to her present lukewarm state where men practice magic and deceits because there are no miracles? Men now teach the doctrines of men and practice vain worship (Mk 7:7). Men have gone apostate. Haven’t we tarried too long in the tents of Kedar? Wake up brothers and sisters, the night is gone. Be prepared for the coming of the Lord, we are in the last hour.

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Dear berethren whenever trouble comes your way let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong incharacter and ready for anything. James 1:2-4 (NLT)

His was always clad in a simple calf-length gown called ‘buba’ since trousers and shorts were too sophisticated for his brain to cope with. He would not be bothered with footwear as he had enough trouble maintaining balance as he walked (or sauntered?)

Yet Iya Adigun considered him a gift and reward from God (Ps 127:3) If she did not proclaim it on the streets for us to hear, we saw it in her care for her son. In absolute submission to the sovereignty of God, she doted on Adigun from infancy to middle-age. She scrubbed him regularly, helped him dress and worked hard to feed him. You can best imagine the jeers and harsh comments of neighbours, friends and relations, yet she was undaunted in showing Adigun motherly love. How did I know this much? We lived in the same neighbourhood and I had the priviledge of observing things for over ten years

Adigun gathered many sobriquets from children and adults alike – Dman, DeeDee, Diig, but the mother lovingly called him Emmanuel, which I gathered was his baptismal name. Adigun was baptized. At times when her (grown up) son must have strayed away and was late in coming home, the woman would comb the whole neighbourhood, carrying an oil lamp, asking people if they noticed Emmanuel nearby. Adigun was never free of sores and the mother was never tired of dressing them though she knew quite well that the dressing would not remain intact for long.

Iya Adigun performed a wonderful service to God in those days. She knew that God is the ultimate circumstancer of our lives. What she found her hands doing, she kept at it as Solomon admonished though she never could read. She was faithful in the highcalling of her daily work of being a mother, even to Adigun. There she was, nursing a child from whom she never expected Thank You Mama. A child who could never show her honour but appeared as a reproach all the time. A child who would never take care of her in her old age even if he outlived her. Here was a fully grown man who could never have defended  her if she was being molested. She never expected to nurse a grand-child from Emmanuel but through her submission to God, Jesus, God with us,(Isaiah 7:14) saw her through the fiery ordeals.

I cannot claim to know how Adigun was a perfect gift of God for his parents but God knows. I do not always know the meaning and reason for my trials but God knows and that’s what matters most. But I know God is love. I know, for the Bible says it in Romans 8:28 that, God makes all things to work for the good of all who loves him, whom he has called for his great purpose.

Iya Adigun, as we called her, never climbed a pulpit to preach a sermon. She neither could read a bible nor tract, She didn’t speak in tounges and neither did she serve in any capacity in the local church. She sold firewood and leaves to earn a living. Yet, she exhibited an outstanding faith in God. She never showed any bitterness of heart to anybody because of her plight. She carried on through such tribulation with endurance and patience. She finished her course. She wept her eyes out on the day her Emmanuel was knocked down by a hit and run driver on the Ife-Ibadan expressway. Her son lived for about forty years and she nursed him for all of those forty years. Now she is long dead but her faith lives on for us to talk about.  I strongly believe that she is now in eternal peace together with Emmanuel – the Lord, Emmanuel Adigun and all other Saints gone.

So if you are suffering according to the will of God, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you. 1Peter 4:10

Many people had the opportunity to be good to Christ through Emmanuel Adigun but they squandered such grace. Many times, my late father would dress Adigun in new clothes so he could look descent but some callous human beings around would strip him again and the next day, we would see him in rags. He himself came to report one day that the loaf of bread given to him had been taken away. This was when my father arranged for Adigun to be taking his meals right in our house. He charged his young wives who did the cooking of his food to include Adigun’s ration in their menu. And any day any of them served Adigun with indignity, we would all hear the story of Lazarus and the rich man over and over again.

In heaven, and that very soon,  Jesus would speak to the hit and run driver who ended Adigun’s life “You killed me” and the man would be shocked. I have never met you in person Lord, I didn’t kill you. Jesus would also accuse those who were wicked to Adigun “You could not feed me and you also took away the food given to me by others” They also would say “Lord, when did we do that?” When you did it to Adigun, you did it to me would be the Lord’s answer.

We have ample chance of redeeming the time as the patience of the Lord means salvation. The poor and the less priviledged are always around us. We have orphanages, old people’s homes, sick bays, lepers colonies, refugee camps all around. The casualty wards in hospitals are bulging with people who need our helps in cash and kind, material and spiritual. Right under your nose, where you work, in your neighbourhood, in your church, there is a person you can help. Why do you stay idle?

What fuelled Iya Adigun’s love for her son even in this wicked world where the sanctity of life is no longer respected?

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