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Tag: Femi Aribisala

  • Do not lean on your own understanding – By Femi Aribisala

    Do not lean on your own understanding – By Femi Aribisala

    “God is not just the God of the possible: He is more pre-eminently the God of the impossible”.

    Jesus used five loaves of bread to feed 5,000 people. He then used seven loaves to feed 4,000. Nevertheless, instead of reaching the conclusion that because of Him they would never again have to worry about bread, His disciples were still concerned when they forgot to bring bread with them on a trip.

    He rebuked them, saying: “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?” (Mark 8:17-18).

    From Jesus’ questions, we can extract certain principles about trusting God.

    Unreasonable trust

    Jesus asks: “Why do you reason because you have no bread?”

    You don’t need to trust God just for what is reasonable. What is reasonable will come to pass because it is reasonable. But you need to trust God for what is unreasonable. Solomon says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).

    God is not just the God of the possible: He is more pre-eminently the God of the impossible. Jesus says: “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27). God does not receive as much glory for the reasonable as He does for the unreasonable. Therefore, the more unreasonable the situation, the better it is to trust in God’s intervention.

    This was the case with Abraham. God promised him an heir. However, he delayed fulfilling the promise until it was impossible. He waited until Abraham was 100 years old and, presumably, sexually inactive, and his wife, Sarah, had long reached her menopause. Then He renewed their bodies and gave them Isaac.

    So doing, He stretched the faith of Abraham. “Against hope (Abraham) believed in hope.” (Romans 4:18). Thereby God was glorified.

    Spiritual understanding

    Jesus asks: “Do you not yet perceive nor understand?”

    How do you know anything?  Do you know it by what someone tells you; by the books you read, or by what you see?  That is not the source of true knowledge.

    True knowledge comes by faith. It is by faith that we come to the knowledge of the impossible. It is by faith we are brought to the understanding of what God can do. What does it mean to know something by faith?  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). This means true knowledge comes from what God tells us.

    Peter did not know he could walk on water until Jesus told him to do so. He believed Jesus, got out of the boat and walked on water. But even as faith comes by hearing, even so, faith goes by not believing what we hear. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked instead at the waves, he started to drown. He started drowning because he believed his lying eyes and stopped believing the truth of God’s word.

    Fake news

    Do you believe the truth, or are you a captive of CNN, BBC, Sky News, and Al Jazeera?

    It was carried in the news that Jesus had been defeated by His adversaries. They had arrested Him and killed Him by nailing Him to a tree. This dashed the hope of those in Israel who thought He is the Messiah. Except that this factual report of His defeat was in actual fact a lie.

    Isaiah asks: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1). The arm of the Lord is revealed to those who believe the report of the Lord.

    Jesus rebuked His disciples for failing to believe the report of His resurrection. He was angry because they believed the report of the “BBC” and not the report of the prophets. He said to them: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).

    He was angry because He had told them beforehand that He would be killed but would rise from the dead on the third day. (Luke 18:31-33). Nevertheless, they still did not believe when what He predicted came to pass. Natural men say: “Seeing is believing.”  But Jesus stands this on its head by telling doubting Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

    Hardened heart

    Jesus asks: “Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see?”

    What do you see?  Do you see God at work, or do you see the devil at work?  Can you see what God is doing in spite of the hullabaloo around you?  The hardened heart refuses to accept the truth of God. God’s truth does not change his philosophy.

    Jesus says: “The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep.” (John 10:25-26). The hardened heart sees a miracle denies it, rationalizes it, or explains it away. The reason is simple, the human heart is not fashioned to receive the truth. It can only receive lies.

    Jesus says: “This people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:15).

    Therefore, in order to trust God we need a new heart. God says: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26).

    Forgetful hearers

    Jesus asks: “Having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember?”

    Do you know when it is God who is talking to you even though he might be using the mouth of a friend to do so?  Do you ask God a question and expect Him to answer?  Jesus says: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10: 27).

    Do you remember what God has done?  If He has done it before, He will do it again. He says: “I the Lord do not change.” (Malachi 3:6). Do you remember what God has said?  If He said it, He will do it. “God is not a son of man, that he should change his mind.” (Number 23:19).

    God is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning as well as the ending. That means He will never begin what He does not intend to bring to completion. If you ever see Him move in your project, it means He is committed. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).

    The enemy is a thief. Do not allow him to steal your dreams. Do not allow him to steal your testimonies. “He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25).

  • Avoiding generational curses [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    Avoiding generational curses [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    “Heavenly Father, annul every ancestral covenant of death operating in my life in Jesus’ Name”.

    Sickness is a curse of the law arising from the sin of disobedience. God says: “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26).

    Death is also a curse. God told Adam: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:22).

    In Deuteronomy 28:15-68, God pronounced 112 curses on those who disobey the Law. These range from poverty and enslavement, to deprivation, backwardness, indebtedness, barrenness, and compulsive immorality.

    Some believe we have been redeemed from these curses. Paul says: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” (Galatians 3:13). He says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made (us) free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2).

    However, these redemptive principles are only of automatic spiritual application. Since we are still in the flesh, they continue to apply until broken. Jesus our redeemer Himself tells us some things affecting us will not go: “except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21). So, in many situations, we have to pray like Jeremiah: “We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.” (Jeremiah 14:20).

    Generational blessings

    Generational curses remain because generational blessings continue to apply, and they are the bedrock of our redemption in Christ. Paul says: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22). He says furthermore:

    “As through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19).

    When Jesus inaugurated His ministry, He read a passage from Isaiah. The original scripture says:

    “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

    “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:1-4).

    Two people are involved in this scripture: the Lord and the believer.

    The Lord performs verses 1-3 that Jesus repeats at his inaugural. But verse 4 is the believer’s responsibility. It is our responsibility to rebuild the old ruins, to raise up the former desolations, and to repair the ruined cities.

    Co-labourers with God

    God can do without man. But He never acts without man. He says in Ezekiel: “I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land.” (Ezekiel 22:30).

    The psalmist notes that: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16). Because He has given the earth to men, God does not interfere on earth except by man’s invitation. Therefore, in order to redeem man from sin, God in Christ became a man and came down to earth.

    For this reason, we are co-labourers together with God in all things. (1 Corinthians 3:9). We pray and God answers. We invite God and He intervenes. Thus, Paul says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13).

    Since the same Paul insists salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, how then can we be asked to work out our own salvation? The answer is simple. We must work out what God has worked in. Similarly, we must stir up the gift of God that is in us. (2 Timothy 1:6). In all situations, we cannot say Christ has done it all. There is still work for us to do.

    After we receive Christ, we still have to repent of sin. Yes, we are forgiven, but forgiveness produces repentance and not vice-versa. The scripture says: “The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4).

    Likewise, salvation leads to deliverance. While we are still in the flesh, salvation does not prevent us from sinning. Salvation breaks the power of sin in our lives, ensuring we are no longer slaves of sin. It then becomes our responsibility to seek actively the help of the Holy Spirit, so that we actually stop sinning.

    Deliverance

    In this life, children sometimes suffer for the sins of their father. But even though sin can thereby be passed down through the generations, each person is responsible for his or her personal sins against the Lord. The final judgment on the last day is according to our individual works.

    However, generational curses apply in this life and must be broken prayerfully. Examples of these abound in scripture:

    “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.” (Daniel 9:16).

    “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” (Psalm 79:8-9).

    Prayers

    Dear heavenly Father, please dismantle and remove any impediment from my father’s or my mother’s house that is preventing me to walk on my high places in Jesus’ Name.

    Please annul any covenant of death entered into by my parents and grandparents in Jesus’ Name.

    Remove every embargo on my life, finances, and advancement placed wittingly or unwittingly by my forefathers in Jesus’ Name.

    Please break every curse operating in me and mine arising from my father’s or mother’s house in Jesus’ Name.

    Please break every satanic chain of brass and every bar of iron that has been used to impede me and drag me back in life in Jesus’ Name.

    Amen and Amen!

  • Avoiding generational curses [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    Avoiding generational curses [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    “It was David who sinned, but it was his son that died”.

    God says He visits the sins of the father upon the children in the Ten Commandments:

    “You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6).

    This word is repeated in Exodus 34:5-7, Deuteronomy 5:8-10, and Isaiah 65:6-7. Jeremiah also affirms the same principle: “Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.” (Lamentation 5:7).

    The God who affirmed this principle in the Old Testament was Jesus. Jesus also confirms this in the New Testament by telling the Pharisees:

    “You are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:29;36).

    Family judgment

    It was David who sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and by killing Uriah her husband, but it was his son that died.

    God’s judgment that the sword would not depart on David’s house was visited on his children. His son, Absalom, killed another son Amnon in revenge for raping his sister Tamar. Absalom himself was killed by Joab when he tried to overthrow David, his father. His son, Solomon, also killed his older brother, Adonijah.

    God’s other judgment that David’s wives would be abused in the sight of all Israel was executed by Absalom, who raped David’s concubines “publicly” to demonstrate that he would never be reconciled to his father.

    No revocation

    What seems to bring confusion is another statement in the Old Testament where God says:

    “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16).

    This is again repeated in Jeremiah: “In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29-30).

    However, on closer inspection, we discover that there is no contradiction. Neither should it be said that one scripture revokes the other. Jesus assures us: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35).

    The truth is that these scriptures refer to different judgments. It is important to identify precisely what each refers to and to make a distinction between personal judgments, generational judgments, and national judgments.

    It is also necessary to note that the innocent are often required to bear the iniquity of the guilty, and the principle of like father, like son, is actually set in nature.

    Gravity of sin

    Sin should never be taken for granted. Every sin does not just affect the sinner, it often has implications for the innocent. A drunk driver kills innocent bystanders on the road. An armed robber kills the innocent in the bank. This happens all the time.

    It is also evident that children often bear the traits, features, and characters of their parents. And so, the father is bad-tempered, and so is the son. The father is a womanizer, and so is the son. The father is a drug addict, and so is the son.

    Sicknesses are also passed down generationally. High blood pressure often runs in the family. So does cancer. If the trait is in the father, it is likely to also be in the son.

    A lying spirit was evident in the house of Abraham. He lied to Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister. His son Isaac continued in this lying tradition. He also lied to the men of Gerar that Rebecca was his sister. In turn, Isaac’s son, Jacob, lied to his father by pretending to be his brother, Esau. Later on, the sons of Jacob also lied to him about Joseph who they sold into slavery.

    Sexual sin was evident in the house of David. David committed adultery with Bathsheba. His son, Amnon, raped his daughter, Tamar. Another son, Absalom, raped his concubines. Yet another son, Solomon, went nuts over women. He married 700 wives and had 300 concubines.

    For this and other reasons, it is imperative for the believer to divorce himself from his natural lineage and ancestry. Therefore, Jesus says: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9).

    Ancestral sins

    What your ancestors did can affect you adversely if not addressed. So, be careful not to create problems for your children through reckless behaviour. The worst of this is idol worship. Let no problem, difficulty, or issue of blood take you to the Babalawo. By so doing, you are creating a problem that will last four generations.

    Observe the following. It was Achan who sinned by stealing the forbidden Babylonish garment, but judgment was passed on his entire house:

    “Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, ‘Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.’ So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.” (Joshua 7:24-25).

    It was Gehazi that sinned by seeking a present from Naaman under false pretenses, but the judgment was passed on him and on his descendants. Elisha said to him: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” (2 Kings 5:27).

    The same thing happened with the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:1-13), as well as with the house of Ahab (1 Kings 21:20-29).

    By the same token, salvation is granted to a house. God decided to kill all mankind in the Flood. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). However, the grace that Noah found was extended to his family.

    When the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved. They said to him: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31).

  • Preaching another gospel – By Femi Aribisala

    Preaching another gospel – By Femi Aribisala

    “The riches and glories of this world are counterfeit”.

    If we were to ask Christians what Jesus saves us from, many would say we are saved from the torments of hell. However, the hell Jesus spoke about is a real place called Gehenna; a valley outside Jerusalem where apostate Israelites sacrificed their children to idol gods. This later became a rubbish dump where criminals were burnt alive.

    Thus, while the hell Jesus spoke about was well-known to the Jews, it is entirely imaginary to us. The hell we know today is in this world.

    Hell is Nigeria; where armed robbery and kidnapping are rampant; and the Boko Haram murder innocent Christians at every opportunity. Hell is Norway; where Anders Breivik massacred 100 people in cold blood. Hell is Germany, where millions of Jews were gassed to death. Hell is Ukraine; where Russia rains bombs on the hapless daily.

    Hell is in every home; every neigbourhood; every city, and every country of this God-forsaken world. It is in the water we drink; the food we eat, and the very air we breathe.

    Salvation from Egypt

    While the Israelites were saved from Egypt, for them a real hell hole; it is this world that represents Egypt today. Accordingly, Jesus saves us from this sinful world. But when we love the hellish Egypt of this world, the good news of salvation from Egypt becomes bad news. The gospel we believe is about how God will cause us to prosper in Egypt. We want to be the multi-millionaires of Egypt. We want to own the best houses in Egypt; drive the best cars and wear the most fashionable clothes.

    But if we hate Egypt, we can receive the gospel about how God will take us out of Egypt to His heavenly kingdom. The good news then is that: “the Egyptians whom we see today, we shall see again no more forever.” (Exodus 14:13).

    However, if we buy the lie, as many Christians do, that God is going to make us rich in this Egyptian world, then we cannot believe he is going to save us from the world. One belief contradicts the other.

    If we believe Jesus is going to save us from this world, then we must know that the riches and glories of this world are counterfeit. In short, we cannot receive the gospel of the kingdom of God unless we first hate this world. Accordingly, Jesus warns: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25).

    John echoes Jesus: “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; for all these worldly things, these evil desires- the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance- these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself. And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17).

    Nevertheless, Christians remain, by and large, lovers of life and lovers of this world.

    Unacceptable salvation

    For 120 years, Noah preached the gospel, but nobody believed him. Noah preached that God would destroy the whole world in a flood but would save only those who sought refuge in the ark.

    However, the people could not believe him because they loved the world. At the same time as Noah was saying God would destroy the world, there must have been others saying God would prosper His people in the world. Just as many pastors are doing today, they must have been preaching about forthcoming breakthroughs and showers of blessings in the world.

    Of course, the people believed these false prophets rather than Noah. After all, why would God destroy the world when He Himself created the world? Why would He destroy the world when there are so many wonderful things in the world?

    Not surprisingly, Noah could only persuade the members of his family. Even those he employed to build the ark were not “foolish” enough to go into it with him.

    Jesus says: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17:26). That time is today.

    Lot also preached the gospel in Sodom, but nobody believed him. He preached that God was going to destroy the city but would save those who fled immediately to the hills.

    But the people were more interested in hearing about how to prosper in Sodom. Their problem with Sodom was that NEPA was unreliable. They preferred the gospel about how to get a degree by grace through faith from the University of Sodom. They were more inclined to the “gospel” about who wants to be a millionaire in Gomorrah.

    Jesus warns: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:32-33). That warning is for now.

    Salvation of Jesus Christ

    In short, the gospel fails woefully to address the issues of primary concern to Christians. We want God to establish heaven on earth and make the world free of diseases; poverty; killings; floods; earthquakes; and other calamities.

    However, that agenda is not included in God’s plan of salvation. When the Messiah finally appeared, He did not reform the world or enrich believers in the world. When Jesus failed even to save John the Baptist from Herod’s prison, He sent His disciples to ask him: “Are you really the Messiah or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3).

    Therefore, pastors have given Christians another Messiah. They recognise Jesus is not the kind of Saviour they want. So, they have created a more politically correct Jesus. This new-improved Jesus became poor that all Christians may be multi-millionaires. This Father Christmas Jesus is going to bring about a major transfer of the wealth of unbelievers to Christians. But all this remains till date a pie in the sky.

    Jesus provides no solutions to the problems of this world. All He offers is how to overcome them spiritually. Indeed, He assures us the problems will increase and not decrease. He says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

    What Jesus offers believers is peace in the midst of the vicissitudes of this life. He then promises an eternity of bliss in the bosom of God the Father, for those who endure to the end. (Matthew 10:22).

    Preferred salvation

    I attended a wedding at one of the parishes of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The guest pastor preached a passionate message of salvation. The crux of it was: “If you give your life to Jesus, you too will buy a Pathfinder.”

    One man answered the altar call and “gave his life to Jesus.” I sat there wondering which Jesus he received. Certainly, it was not Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God.

  • Offering time, blessing time -By Femi Aribisala

    Offering time, blessing time -By Femi Aribisala

    “God forbid that where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, an offering should not be collected.”

    Send my message to your pastor. Tell him I said he is after your money. He cannot deny it. Pastors make merchandise of men by peddling the word of God. Peter says: “These teachers in their greed will tell you anything to get hold of your money.” (2 Peter 2:3).

    To be a successful pastor, you have to learn the tricks of the trade. This has nothing to do with preaching insightful and inspiring messages. Neither does it have to do with ministering to the spiritual needs of the members of the church.

    The pastor succeeds or fails according to his ability to pull a crowd and extort as much money as possible from his congregation. If he fails in these areas, he is not likely to survive for long as a pastor.

    The technique is simple but effective. He tells his congregants that for every naira they give, they will get a hundredfold return. Even those in debt are encouraged to get out of debt by giving out of their indebtedness,

    Pastor Paula White of Without Walls International Church, Tampa, Florida (U.S.A.) is a master practitioner of this money-grubbing technique. In her television broadcasts, she asks her audience to open their bibles to Psalm 66, verse 12. This reads: “Through the fire, through the water, God brought us out into a wealthy place.”

    Then she says: “God says he wants you to give me 66 dollars and 12 cents. Or you can give 6,612 dollars.”

    This is nothing but witchcraft.

    Money activator

    These are the voices of strangers who fleece the flock. Isaiah says: “They are as greedy as dogs, never satisfied; they are stupid pastors who only look after their own interest, each trying to get as much as he can for himself from every possible source.” (Isaiah 56:11).

    Pastors tell Christians that money operates like a “hair gel activator.” The promises of God proclaimed in their messages are sealed until a “seed offering” is given to activate it, Therefore, you are likely to see different members of their congregation suddenly get up in the middle of their sermons to throw money at their feet ostensibly to activate their deceitful messages.

    One pastor puts this imperative succinctly. He said: “Anointing without money is equal to annoyance.”

    This makes the offering-time the focal point of church services. Here, the pastoral imagination has run wild. Highfalutin names are given to the offerings to make men give several times on the trot. In one of those services I attended, three offerings are collected disingenuously in every service: one for “the Father;” another for “the Son;” and yet another for “the Holy Spirit.”

    Another pastor offered ungodly counsel to the poor: “If you don’t have an offering, borrow from your neighbour.” Never mind that the promise of God says the believer shall lend to many nations but shall not borrow. (Deuteronomy 15:6),

    Even though Jesus says when we give, our right hand should not know what our left hand is doing (Matthew 6:3); some pastors insist offerings must be held up for all to see, in the attempt to embarrass those not inclined to give, or those inclined to offer notes in the smaller currency denominations.

    In one church I attended, the pastor proscribed altogether the giving of offerings in the smaller currency notes. “My God is not a poor God,” he declared. On another occasion, he required that money be collected for the visiting general overseer in only pounds or dollars.

    One popular convention requires everybody in church to dance forward, one by one, to drop their offerings on a tray placed strategically in front of the pastor where he can observe exactly how much they are giving. This is designed to intimidate them into giving more than they would like to. It also serves to embarrass those who cannot give and stay behind,

    At other times, they constrain their members to make public vows and pledges. One pastor admonishes his members: “Pledge more than you have; stretch your faith.” When the time comes to redeem the pledge, he will hit you with Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 which says if you make a vow and do not redeem it, God will destroy the work of your hands.

    Blessing time

    One technique is to take the offering early to ensure that people do not leave before the money can be taken from them. But sometimes this strategy backfires; the rich often come late.

    In one of the services I attended, the pastor noticed that some of the wealthier church-members came in after the offering had been collected. So, he insisted it should be collected again. The reason he gave was a classic. He said: “I don’t want anybody here to be denied the blessings of the day.”

    Of course, his god only blesses during offering times.

    Yetunde Olanrewaju came up with what I presume is a parable, She said one day, a swarm of bees descended on a church while a service was in session. The people panicked and started running out of the building. But the pastor was up in arms: “Wait, wait, please wait,” he pleaded to no avail, “We haven’t yet collected the offering.”

    God forbid that where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, an offering should not be collected.

    Pastors have a free hand to be as honest or dishonest as their conscience permits. This ensures that financial impropriety is widespread in churches and Christian ministries but buried under the carpet.

    Charlene Animashaun was the head of the money-counters in her parish, While the offering was still being counted, the new pastor sent someone to collect a certain amount. Charlene sent word back that the count was still incomplete. The protocol was to document the amount and lodge it in the bank, That way, withdrawals would have a paper trail.

    But the new pastor would not be denied. He barged into the counting room and reminded all and sundry he was now the pastor. “What the pastor demands, the pastor gets; no questions asked.” He grabbed the money with the warning that his authority should never be challenged again.

    Charlene got the message and quietly resigned her position as head of the money counters. Thereafter, she resigned from the church itself.

    Soul traders

    The plan was to have churches in our area come together one Sunday morning and go “prayer-walking.” We would evangelise as we go. But there was a logistical problem. If we would not have services in our churches that Sunday, how would the offering be collected?

    Someone said, we would meet briefly in our churches just to collect the offering and then assemble as planned. But then another problem arose. Which churches would those converted to Christianity be asked to attend? A genius had a ready solution: “At the end of the exercise,” she said, “we will sit down and share the souls!”

    “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come. And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver,.. horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.” (Revelation 18:10-13).

  • Christians do not love God [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians do not love God [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    “We are not satisfied with the goodness of God”.

    Eliphaz counsels: “If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God.” (Job 22:24-26).

    God expects to be the desire of our hearts. The bible calls Him: “The Desire of All Nations.” (Haggai 2:7). He expects us to delight in Him the way a baby delights in its mother.

    The goodness of God is not amenable to the riches of men. The psalmist says: “You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” (Psalm 68:10). A man can be as poor as a church rat, nevertheless, he is content because he appreciates the goodness of God.

    “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” (Psalm 23:14).

    I proved this scripture early in my relationship with God. I trembled at His word, and He made a covenant with me. He said: “Femi, whosoever you touch and pray for I will heal.” He then validated this with outstanding miracles.

    This covenant is now the bedrock of my ministry which God named “Healing Wings.” Thus says the Lord: “Unto you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2).

    “The goodness of God is laid up for those who fear God.” (Psalm 31:19). Moses feared the Lord. He yearned for God and desired to see the glory of God. In reply, God said to him: “I will make all My goodness pass before you.” (Exodus 33:19).

    The psalmist reiterates this: “Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4).

    The question is this: Are Christians satisfied with the goodness of God? If we were, we would not complain about anything at all. We would not mumble and grumble in adverse situations and circumstances.

    Jesus told the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14).

    How many of us have received this water from the Lord? For this reason, we are not satisfied with what we have. We are still thirsting for the world and for the things of the world. We are oblivious to the fact that: “(God) satisfies the longing soul; and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9).

    Jeremiah says lovers of God are satisfied with the goodness of God. (Jeremiah 31:14). But Christians are not satisfied with goodness. David says those who love God rejoice always in His goodness. (2 Chronicles 6:41). But instead, we long and lust for things that can never satisfy us. (Ecclesiastes 6:3).

    Bastardization of goodness

    Jesus says: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Matthew 19:17).

    However, we say all kinds of things are good, so much so that we bastardize the meaning of goodness. We meet someone and say, “He is good.” We have a meal and say it is good. We read a book and say it is good.

    We describe as good all sorts of things that are imperfect and then we say in the same breath, “God is good.” So doing, we lose the distinction between God’s unique goodness and the people and things we call good.

    David says to God: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

    Where are these pleasures, we wonder? God’s goodness is evident everywhere. It is evident in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. David says to God: “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16).

    Experiencing God

    There is nobody alive who has not experienced the lavish, extravagant, and undeserved kindness of God. We experience this every single day irrespective of our station in life. “The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.” (Psalm 145:9).

    Therefore, David says: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34). “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).

    God has already shown His goodness toward us in the most extravagant way possible by offering up His only begotten Son, Jesus, for us. (Romans 8:32). Nevertheless, we only pay lip service to God’s goodness, we do not fully believe in it.

    We say: “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good, while often complaining at the same time about the hand that God’s providence deals us. But if God is truly good all the time, why would we complain?

    Is God good?

    The truth is that we do not appreciate the goodness of God, even though we often talk about it. We chant at the end of every prayer meeting: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6).

    Nevertheless, we question God’s goodness when bad things happen to us? However, God’s goodness is not rooted in our situations and circumstances. God does not change. “His goodness endures continually.” (Psalm 52:1). “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5).

    Sometimes his goodness comes to us through adversity, suffering, and pain. Thus, God required Job to continue to have faith in His goodness even though He allowed the devil to unleash bad things on him.

    Goodness is the nature of God. It is not in man. David admits this to God: “My goodness is nothing apart from You.” (Psalm 16:2). But when we delight in God, He meets us with the blessings of goodness, he sets a spiritual crown of pure gold on our heads. (Psalm 21:3).

    The goodness of God is part of our inheritance in Christ. Jesus prayed to God the Father that we should experience the fullness of God’s goodness, and that the joy of the Lord should be fulfilled in us. (John 17:13). Accordingly, goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit of God who has been given to us. (Galatians 5:22

    Therefore, we must rejoice in God always. He must be our joy and our delight:

    “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

  • Christians do not love God [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians do not love God [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    “Christians do not seem to know that God is someone to be enjoyed”.

    The first and great commandment enjoins us to: “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.” (Matthew 22:37).

    However, Christians seem largely unable to do this. The first commandment is expressed in tautological terms. The love that God requires permits no other love. But we love so many other things apart from God. These other loves compete with the love of God in our hearts.

    Jesus asks Peter: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). If we were to love anything else, it must be through and because of our love for God.

    Loving Jesus: hating others

    The Christian faith is very personal. Jesus says: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37).

    Elsewhere, He goes even further, saying: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

    We are not called to observe the rites of religion. We are not required to obey some rules and regulations. We are called to have a personal and intimate relationship with God.

    John expresses it in this manner: “We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too.” (1 John 1:3-4).

    However, Christians do not seem to know that God is someone to be enjoyed. Our Father in heaven is the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17). Yes, we worship God, we praise Him, and we pray to Him. But we do not enjoy Him. God is not a friend to most of us.

    A hard man

    For many, God is a hard taskmaster who is to be feared. One man says to God in one of Jesus’ parables: “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.” (Matthew 25:24).

    We say to God: “Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?” (Job 21:14-15).

    We see spending time with God as a chore. We struggle with it. We avoid it as much as possible. David says: “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1).

    But going to church is something we do out of obligation and not with gladness. A lot of the time, we look for some excuse to avoid it altogether. Prayer meetings are a No-No. They must drag us to attend those. And when we go to vigils, like Peter in Gethsemane, we sleep under the anointing.

    “Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.” (Micah 6:2-3).

    “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:32).

    However, we do not see God as an ornament, or as a pearl of inestimable value for which we sell all that we have to acquire it.

    Distracted worship

    When we pray to God, our mind does not stay on Him. We are distracted by all kinds of things. As we are praying, we are thinking of cooking dinner. Or we are anticipating the football match coming up the next day. If the telephone rings, we interrupt the prayer and keep God waiting while we answer the call.

    Then there is the issue of fasting. We see this as a burden we sometimes must endure when we desperately want something from God. Otherwise, fasting is out of the question. We do not fast just because we want to be nearer to God. When we fast, we continue doing as we please.

    We fast because our understanding is that the relationship with God always requires a sacrifice. But a sacrifice is not something we give willingly. Sacrifices are things we give grudgingly. Sacrifices deny us of something we want: food, money, or leisure. Sacrifices are exacting and burdensome.

    At the end, we ask God: “Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?” (Isaiah 58:3).

    When our petitions are not answered, some even reach the conclusion that: “It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?” (Malachi 3:14).

    Mercy, not sacrifice

    But God is not interested in our sacrifices. He says again and again: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6).

    “‘Why this frenzy of sacrifices?’ God’s asking. ‘Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams, and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, running here and there, doing this and that — all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?”

    “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings — meetings, meetings, meetings — I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.” (Isaiah 1:11-15).

    God wants us to love Him. He wants to speak to us face-to-face as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:11). But very few of us see ourselves as friends of God. He is too serious and austere for us.

    We would never joke with God. We cannot imagine Him smiling at us.

    When we want to relax, we do not go to God. When we want to have fun, we do not go to Him. Instead, we visit our buddies, we go to the cinema, or watch television, or surf the internet. We only go to God when we want something or need something. Or we go to God when we want to be religious.

    Jesus warns that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and make us unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22). Earthly wealth prevents us from enjoying God. When we lay up wealth and riches for ourselves, we rejoice in our possessions, like: “The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.” (Isaiah 43:14).

    CONTINUED

  • Do Christians really like Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    Do Christians really like Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    “Christians say we love the Lord, but the truth is we do not like him”.

    The bible is a book of prophecies. God says in the scriptures: “Don’t forget the many times I clearly told you what was going to happen in the future. For I am God- I only- and there is no other like me who can tell you what is going to happen. All I say will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

    Even some of the historical situations presented in the scriptures are prophetic. Therefore, they are fulfilled again and again. For example, the persecution of Isaac by his brother Ishmael is re-enacted in the persecution of Joseph by his brothers and repeated in the persecution of David by his brothers, and again replicated in the persecution of Jesus by his brothers.

    Furthermore, the process continues today in the persecution of true believers by pretender Christians.

    Prophetic Christians

    Since the true believer is created in the image and likeness of Christ, our identity is in the word of God. All we need to do is search the scriptures to determine what manner of men we are and what the future holds. This is because the bible does not merely predict the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also foretells the birth, growth, and development of believers and the church of Christ.

    It is the prophetic revelation about Christians that is of particular interest here. The scriptures indicate that Christians will not like Christ. The church in the wilderness rejected Moses. The Israelites rejected the prophets. The Jews rejected Jesus. Christians will reject the word of God.

    God says to Ezekiel: “I am sending you to the people of Israel with My messages. I am not sending you to some far-off foreign land where you can’t understand the language- no, not to tribes with strange, difficult tongues. (If I did, they would listen!). I am sending you to the people of Israel, and they won’t listen to you any more than they listen to Me! For the whole lot of them are hard, impudent, and stubborn.” (Ezekiel 3:4-7).

    Indeed, the scriptures detail not so much how Jesus is hated by men, as how He is hated by His own people. John says: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11). That statement is prophetic. Today, Christians are supposedly the people of God; so, the scripture now applies to us. It means Christians will not receive Christ. Jesus Himself observes that: “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house.” (Matthew 13:57).

    Christian animosity

    Most Christians do not like the Jesus of the bible. We may say we love the Lord because He is our Saviour, but the truth is we do not like Him.

    “Why don’t you like Me?” asks God? “What did I do to drive you away?” “What iniquity did you find in Me that turned you against Me?” (Jeremiah 2:5). “Hear, O you mountains, the LORD’S complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a complaint against His people, and He will contend with Israel. ‘O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.’” (Micah 6:2-3).

    Moses says God created man in His own image. However, George Bernard Shaw was right when he said: “We have decided to return the favor.” We have created God in our own image. God says again prophetically: “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you.” (Psalm 50:21).

    Christians do not really like the God that is revealed in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we contradict Him at every turn. We do not want the God who insists we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44-45). We prefer a God who sends the fire of the Holy Ghost to destroy our enemies. We do not want the God who says those who use the sword will be killed by the sword. (Matthew 26:52). We prefer a God who will be on our side when we go to war.

    We do not like the God who says we should turn the other cheek. (Luke 6:29). We prefer the God who gives an eye for an eye. We do not want the God who desires mercy. (Matthew 9:13). We prefer a God who exacts eternal punishment on sinners.

    The God revealed in Christ is far too demanding for us. He wants everything we have. (Luke 14:33). But Christians prefer a God that only requires a tithe. We do not like the God in Christ who regards men and women as equals. We prefer the God who legislates women must not wear trousers. We do not like the God in Christ who says we should bless those who curse us. (Matthew 5:44). We prefer the God who allows us to abuse our opponents.

    Christians do not like the Jesus who was born in poor and humble circumstances. We prefer the Jesus of our mega-pastors who fly around in jet planes and even establish their own airlines. We do not like the Jesus who did not go to school and get a formal education. (John 7:15-16). We prefer would prefer the Jesus who boasts of his Ph.D. We prefer the God who establishes church universities where money is made by collecting high school fees.

    New improved Jesus

    Indeed, the real Jesus of Nazareth has become so offensive to Christians that we have created a new improved Jesus more to our liking. This new Jesus is no longer poor, meek, and lowly. But according to some, He is a rich man who wears “designer clothes.” Some Christians even claim the donkey Jesus rode in humility into Jerusalem was a brand-new “Continental Donkey;” thereby ascribing to it the same status as today’s Cadillac.

    Christians have given Jesus a spiritual makeover. He is no longer physically ugly according to prophecy: “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2). The modern-day Jesus preferred by Christians is very handsome. He is not even Middle Eastern any longer: he is European and blue-eyed.

    In effect, we have fulfilled the prophecy which says of the true Jesus: “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:3).

    But even more than the fact that we do not like Jesus personally, we certainly do not like His doctrine. We do not like His insistence that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross in order to follow Him. (Matthew 16:24). We don’t like His requirement that we have to lose our life in order to save it. (Mark 8:35).

    We do not heed His warning that we should not be worldly but should be hated by the world. (John 15:18-20). We do not obey His injunction not to have any other father but God. (Matthew 23:9). We do not agree with Him that it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24).

  • Understanding Kingdom dynamics (3) – By Femi Aribisala

    Understanding Kingdom dynamics (3) – By Femi Aribisala

    The devil holds men in bondage through the singular sin of the love of life. We steal, cheat, fight, kill, commit adultery and other sins to save our lives. Therefore, to repent of sin is to repent of the love of life.

    Jesus demonstrated that our fear of death is baseless by laying down His life and then rising from the dead. This is because we sin in the determination to defend, enhance, and promote our lives. But the man who turns the other cheek does not sin. We overcome sin by laying down our lives. Indeed, no man can obey Jesus without first denying himself by laying down his life.

    The fear of death is a snare to sin. The word of God says: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

    Release from captivity

    Jesus came to release us from the prison of the fear of death. Jesus ransomed captives with His life by allowing himself to be killed; only to rise from the dead. Thereby, He exposed the counterfeit of death by demonstrating that our fear of death is baseless. Thanks to Jesus: “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.” (Psalms 124:7).

    God has made the hatred of life in this world a primary prerequisite for the attainment of eternal life. Jesus says: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25). The person who loves the life in this world does so in opposition to God.

    Jesus defines everything that diminishes our love of life in this world as good. Therefore, in His doctrine, poverty becomes a blessing. He says: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20).

    He also categorises facing adversities in life as a blessing: “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” (Luke 6:21). “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22).

    Correspondingly, Jesus tells us not to bother to resist evil anymore: “I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39).

    He insists we must love our enemies: “I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44).

    Hatred of God

    God wants us to love Him so much that we have no special regard for our life in this world but yearn to be with him in heaven. He requires us to despise the vainglories of this world.

    All men think death is evil. But Jesus shows that death is good. He says we should not fear death: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.” (Luke 12:4).

    Death becomes something good and glorious because it leads to our reunification with the Father in heaven. So, Jesus says to His disciples: “If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father.’” (John 14:28). But He can only go to the Father through death.

    Life is evil because it keeps us away from God. It also keeps us from bearing fruit. Jesus says: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25).

    Beware of men

    Jesus tells us to beware of men. (Matthew 10:17). He says: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.” (Luke 6:22).

    As believers, we must not justify ourselves before men. (Luke 16:15). Once we seek public recognition, even for charitable acts, we lose God’s approval: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1).

    We must not accept compliments or awards from men. Jesus Himself rejected the praise and honour of men. (John 5:41-42). Thus, Jesus gives a warning to His disciples that glory-seeking mega-pastors have chosen to ignore: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” (Luke 6:26). He says furthermore: “All men will hate you because of me.” (Matthew 10:22).

    This shows Jesus does not regard His disciples as men. (Mark 8:27-29). He says to them: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19).

    With men, salvation is impossible. But with God and His sons, all things are possible. (Mark 10:27).

    Kingdom dynamics

    Accordingly, the kingdom of God turns all the values of men upside down. Every valley is exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low. (Isaiah 40:4).

    To enter the kingdom of God, we must be born again. (John 3:3-5). To see, we must be blind. (John 9:39). To be full, we must hunger. (Luke 6:21). To gain, we must lose. (Matthew 13:44-46). To be rich, we must be poor. (1 Samuel 2:7-8). To be strong, we must be weak. (Judges 7:2-7). To be masters, we must be slaves. (Matthew 20:26-28). The elder must serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23).

    To laugh, we must weep. (Luke 6:21). To enter the glory of God, we must endure suffering. (Acts 12:44). To be healed, we must be sick. (Luke 5:31-32). To live, we must die. (John 12:24). To save our life, we must lose our life. (Matthew 16:25). To be first, we must be last. (Matthew 19:30).

    Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount turns every blessing on its head. It is the poor (not the wealthy) who are enriched by the inheritance of a kingdom far more glorious than all the thrones of the earth. It is the meek (not the assertive and aggressive) that end up inheriting the earth. It is those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (not those who acquire wealth) who are fulfilled.

    God works out salvation through contradictions, bringing about a reversal of fortunes. He promises that, at the end of the age: “All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish.” (Ezekiel 17:24).

  • Understanding kingdom dynamics [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    Understanding kingdom dynamics [2] – By Femi Aribisala

    “Jesus insists His disciples must reject everything pertaining to me”.

    Everything man-made is not of God. That is why John says:

    “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world..” (1 John 2:15-17).

    Jesus says: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36). Accordingly, Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).

    Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was born of very poor parentage in a manger. His parents were so poor they could not afford to offer the required lamb as a sacrifice for a male child that opened the womb. So, they offered the poor man’s substitute: a pair of turtledoves.

    “If she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons — one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So, the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.” (Leviticus 12:8).

    Jesus was born in a nondescript village called Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2).

    He grew up in obscurity. He did not live in a major city but in Nazareth; a town not even on the map. Therefore, someone asked disparagingly: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

    Chalk and cheese

    The ways of God are antithetical to the ways of men. God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

    This ensures that God’s yardsticks are diametrically opposite to those of men. Indeed, if God says something is white, men will say it is black. If God says something is bad, men will say it is good. If God says something is dreadful, men will say it is wonderful. Solomon says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12).

    God is spirit: man is flesh and blood. The things of God are spiritual. The things of men are physical. The things of God are invisible. The things of men are visible. The things of God are eternal. The things of men are temporal.

    The things of God are invaluable. The things of men are worthless. Jesus says: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).

    This led Paul to declare that: “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8).

    Men determine excellence by natural giftings. Lionel Messi is great because he is a good footballer. Usain Bolt is great because he can run very fast. Albert Einstein was great because he was very intelligent.

    But God disregards all giftings in flesh. Thus, Solomon says: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

    Agbani Darego was acclaimed for her beauty. Hollywood actors and actresses are renowned for their looks. But: “(Jesus) wasn’t some handsome king. Nothing about the way He looked made Him attractive to us. He was hated and rejected; His life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at Him. We despised Him and said, ‘He is a nobody!’” (Isaiah 53:2-3).

    Therefore, for the man who is born again of the Spirit, it no longer matters whether he is good-looking or tall or smart or rich or poor. Those are all distinctions of the flesh and not of the Spirit. In the Spirit, such distinctions are non-existent:

    “In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11).

    That is why, in the kingdom that God is creating, he scatters every criterion made according to the flesh. The poor become rich, and the rich became poor. The first become last, and the last become first. The old becomes new, and the new becomes old. The master becomes the slave. and the slave becomes the master.

    Man is evil

    Jesus says: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Matthew 19:17). Therefore, anything that is of God is good. Jesus considers only the things pertaining to the kingdom of God to be good.

    Since God is the yardstick of goodness, evil is anything and everything that is not of God. Jesus says to Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

    This means, according to Jesus, the things of men are the things of Satan.

    Jesus asked the Jews: “The baptism of John — where was it from? From heaven or from men?” (Matthew 21:25). The implication is that if it is from heaven, it cannot be of men. If it is from men, it cannot be from heaven.

    Jesus says: “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19).

    The scriptures concur: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5). “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 8:21).

    Born again

    How then can men be good? We can only be good if we are born anew of God: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

    Therefore, Jesus insists His disciples must reject everything pertaining to men. We must relinquish all earthly allegiances in favour of heavenly allegiances. This includes earthly fatherhood. Jesus says: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9).

    In Jesus’ doctrine, all earthly fathers are evil. (Matthew 7:11). Accordingly, He requires us to reject every natural connection to men:

    “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

     

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