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Tag: Femi Aribisala

  • Are Christians disciples of Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    Are Christians disciples of Jesus? – By Femi Aribisala

    Disciples are not made from crowds.

     

    Not likely! Christians cannot be disciples because pastors are not disciples. Jesus asks: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:39-40).

    A disciple of Jesus must be like Jesus. But Christians are not like Jesus. They are like their teachers, the pastors. Jesus says: “Do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.” (Matthew 23:10). Nevertheless, pastors arrogate themselves as teachers of Christians.

     Jesus says in His church: “There will be one flock and one pastor.” (John 10:16). That one pastor is Jesus Himself; the Good Pastor. But pastors insist on creating several flocks with several pastors.

     Jesus says: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14).

     But pastors pack their churches with the crowd, insisting it is the broad way that leads to life. They refuse to acknowledge that disciples are not made from crowds. Disciples are made from the few and not the many.

     Little flock

     Therefore, Jesus reassures the few: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32).

     The big flock is a waste of time. Jesus says: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” (Revelation 3:1).

     Jesus, Himself, was a crowd-puller. Wherever He went the crowds followed Him. But He disdained them because they were not interested in Him but only in what they could get from Him. He says to some of them: 

    “You want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.” John 6:26-27).

    That is one of the fundamental differences between the sheep and the goats; between the crowd and Jesus’ disciples. The crowds seek perishable goods. The disciples seek eternal life.

    When Jesus spoke to the crowds, He spoke in parables. When His disciples asked Him why, He said they are not interested in Him:

     “I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. (Matthew 13:13-15).

     “When they were alone, (Jesus) explained all things to His disciples.” (Mark 4:34). Indeed, none of Jesus’ major teachings were addressed to the crowds. They could not hear Him anyway, since there were no loudspeakers then. This means the crowd can never be disciples of Christ.

    Lip-service

    Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23).

     Christians are the ones who call Jesus Lord but do not do what He says. (Luke 6:46).

    In the main, Christians are hypocrites. They talk the talk but do not walk the walk. Jesus says: These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9).

    As a result, Christians cannot be disciples of Jesus. Neither can they make disciples. If you follow Christians, they will not take you to Jesus. They have other destinations. They say: “Follow me and you will become millionaires.” “Follow me, and you will succeed in business.” “Follow my Jesus, and you will buy Pathfinders.” 

    But the hope that is in Jesus is not for the attainment of the vanities and vainglories of this world. “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 2:16).

    Fathers-in-the-Lord

    If you are a Christian and you maintain you are a disciple of Christ, then let me ask you some telling questions that will reveal that you are not.

     Who is your father?

     Jesus says: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9).

     But do you still call your biological father your father? Is your pastor your father-in-the-Lord? Is he your Daddy G.O.? Is your priest Father John? Then you are not a disciple of Christ.

     Christ’s disciples have no other Father but God. They hold allegiance to no man but to God. They are not born of men but of God. They are not heirs of men but of God. (Romans 8:17). They do not showcase the attributes of men but are partakers of the divine nature, “having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4).

     Faith over family

    If you are a Christian and maintain you are a disciple of Christ, then answer me this: who are the members of your family? If the members of your family are still limited to your nuclear or even extended family, then you are not a disciple of Christ.

     Jesus says: “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:33).

     Jesus requires His disciples to forsake their house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, and lands for His sake. (Mark 10:29). If we do, He promises we will receive in return a hundredfold of houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands. (Mark 10:30).

     If we have not done this and have therefore not received the hundredfold return, then we cannot be disciples of Christ.

     When they told Jesus His mother and brothers were looking for Him: “He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12:48-50).

     This principle of preferred allegiance from an earthly to a heavenly family remains Greek to Christians. But Jesus says: “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).

  • The joy of the Lord is our strength – By Femi Aribisala

    The joy of the Lord is our strength – By Femi Aribisala

    “The gospel is good news, but unfortunately, most Christians are socialised on bad news”.

    Adam and Eve initially lived in God’s paradise, the Garden of Eden. They lived in a state of bliss because: “In (God’s) presence is fullness of joy; at (His) right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

    They did not have to work to make a living. God provided everything they needed. All that He required of them was to tend the garden. Moreover, they had peace like a river, the peace that flows from God.

    But when they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit at the instance of the devil, sin entered the world. With sin, death also entered because the wages of sin death. (Romans 6:23).

    When God threw them out of the Garden and prevented them from returning, they could no longer be in His presence. Therefore, sorrow also entered the world because they could no longer enjoy the joy of the Lord. They no longer enjoyed the joy that comes from God’s presence.

    Decree of sorrow

    Moreover, God pronounced a sentence of sorrow on them. “To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’ Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’” (Genesis 3:16-19).

    Without the joy of the Lord, men developed counterfeits. We rejoiced in happenstances. We rejoiced in things that brought occasional happiness mixed with sorrow. We confused the blessing of God with the blessing of carnal things.

    Solomon points out God’s uniqueness: “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22). Not so, the blessing of men.

    With the world now steeped in darkness, wealth and riches became confused for an abundant life. Joy became carnal and ordinary. In ignorance, men spoke mistakenly of the joy of the harvest, the joy of giving and receiving presents, and the joy of owning property.

    As Jeremiah laments: “The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!” (Lamentation 5:15-16).

    Redemptive joy

    But one fateful day, an angel appeared to some shepherd tending their flock by night and made a momentous proclamation. God had decided to send His joy back to the world:

    “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

    What is the cause of this great joy and what does it have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ?

    Jesus is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Once we are rid of the sin, we can bask once again in the joy of the Lord for it was our sin that brought sorrow into the world.

    Isaiah foretold this redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Speaking in the past tense since it was already accomplished in the spirit, he says: “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4).

    This message is also included in the Isaiah passage Jesus read when he announced his ministry: “The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn, especially in Jerusalem. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts.” (Isaiah 61:2-3).

    In effect, even before going to the cross to take away our sins, Jesus overcame the world. He says to his disciples: “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 did He use to overcome the world? He overcame the world with the joy of the Lord.

    Overcoming joy

    The Bible says: “For the joy that was set before Him (Jesus) endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).

    Jesus overcame the world with the joy God, the Father set before Him. He then asks us to overcome with the joy He sets before us. This is the joy of spending eternity with God in heaven. The joy arising from our hope of salvation is henceforth to provide the strength for us to endure and overcome every situation and adversity we face.

    When Jesus was going to the cross and His disciples were sorrowful, He alerted them that His crucifixion would end by giving them the joy of the Lord, and this joy would be forever:

    “Therefore, you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:22).

    Thus, when He rose from the dead, the first thing He said to them was: “Rejoice.” (Matthew 28:9).

     Before then, He warned them that their joy must never again be the counterfeit joy of the world, which always ends in sorrow. Henceforth, their joy must be the joy of salvation.

    Even when they were joyful that the evil spirits were subject to them in the name of Jesus, He says to them: “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20).

    Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit which those who accept Christ as Saviour receive. (Galatians 5:22).

    Holy Spirit

    The gospel is good news, but unfortunately, most Christians are socialised on bad news. No jobs, no electricity, no water, high prices, and high school fees. But all this pales into insignificance when we recognise that we now have the joy of the Lord.

    When we do, we shall: “Rejoice always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We shall: “Count it all joy when )we) fall into various trials. (James 1:2). We shall rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are persecuted for Christ’s sake. (Matthew 5:11-12).

    We shall rejoice and leap for joy when men hate us, exclude us, and revile us. (Luke 6:22-23). We shall rejoice when we share in Christ’s sufferings. (1 Peter 4:13). We shall: “Joyfully (accept) the plundering of (our) goods, knowing that (we) have a better and an enduring possession for (ourselves) in heaven. (Hebrews 10:34).

    Thus, Hezekiah told the Jewish exiles who returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in the Old Testament: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).

  • Christians must beware of dead works (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians must beware of dead works (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    “Our works are dead when we prefer the glory that fades to the glory that endures”.

    Paul says: “I want you to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” (Titus 3:8).

    However, the pastors of our churches are passionate practitioners of dead works. Paul says: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossian 3:17).

    But pastors preach in their own names. They are “holier than thou,” presenting themselves as exemplars of righteousness. They are proud and boastful. “Everything they do is for show.” (Matthew 23:5).

    Jesus says: “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).

    But pastors proclaim their charitable deeds on the rooftops and invite their congregants to do the same. When you hear Christians saying things like the following, know that God is not impressed:

    “I was the pastor of the biggest church in Nigeria.” Dead works!

    “I preached the gospel in the rural areas of Nigeria for 50 years.” Dead works!

    “I established a multi-million-naira fund to help the poor in Nigeria’s inner cities.” Dead works!

    “I was a member of the prayer squad in my church. We prayed at midnight every night for 50 years non-stop.” Dead works!

    “I am the praise worship leader in my church.” Dead works!

    Filthy rags

    Dead works are works of self-righteousness. They are works that bring honour and glory to men. They are works for which we receive praise from men. They are works for which we receive earthly rewards.

    Pastors are not only full of dead works; they promote dead works in the churches. You might have heard some Nigerian pastors saying this:

    “I know some people are telling you not to pay tithe. Do not listen to them. They want to kill you. You go die quick.” Dead works!

    If you do not pay tithe, things will be tight for you.” Dead works!

    “Immediately after this convention, restitute your ways with your congregation. Make it clear to them, anyone who is not paying his tithe is not going to heaven, full-stop.” Dead works!

    As a young believer, I was obsessed with the desire to end up in heaven. All my prayer points were about going to heaven. But one day, the Holy Spirit engaged me on my preoccupation. He wanted to know why I was so determined to go to heaven.

    I could not answer Him because I wanted to go to heaven because I was afraid of going to hell. So, He told me heaven was not for me.

    Do not believe the lies of pastors. Heaven is not for those who want to go to heaven out of fear of going to hell. Heaven is only for those who want to go to heaven out of love for God because they want to be with Him.

    Loving others more

    Dead works are proclaimed in the name of righteousness but are abominable to God. Jesus says: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.” (Matthew 15:8).

    “I was a faithful husband to my wife for 70 years.” Dead works!

    “I faithfully and diligently took great care of my two autistic children and sacrificed everything for them.” Dead works!

    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).

    Our love for others become dead works unless they come out of our love for God. Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40).

    Dead works are works done not according to the will of God. They are works that are not done because of the love of God. They are works that seem to be good but are done from wrong motives.

    Jesus is the redeemer. But He only redeems our loses in this world. He does not redeem our gains. If we receive a reward for something in the world, that thing automatically becomes a dead work and we forfeit the great reward for it in heaven. But if we reject the reward of the world, “great is our reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12).

    Accepting praise

    Jesus says: “I do not accept praise from men. (John 5:41). If we accept praise from men, we forfeit the praise of God. The work for which we are praised become a dead work. Accordingly, I grieved when Newsweek named a Nigerian pastor as one of the 100 most influential men in the world.

    Jesus says: “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).

    Good works are the works that please God and not men. They are works that redound to the glory of God and not of men. They are works for which we shall get rewards from God and God alone. Once we are rewarded for anything by men, it is a dead work for which we will get no reward in heaven from God.

    Approving the excellent

    Paul prays: “That (we) may approve the things that are excellent, that (we) may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:10-11).

    God is the only one that is excellent. His name is excellent. (Psalm 8:1). The things that are excellent are the things that pertain to Him. God only does excellent things. (Isaiah 12:5). It is God who is: “wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.” (Isaiah 28:29).

    Therefore, our works are dead when we approve the things of men instead of the things of God.

    We are deep up to our necks in dead works when we prefer surfing the net to spending time with God. Our works are dead when we prefer making money to making a joyful noise to the Lord. Our works are dead when we prefer success in the world to the good success of God. Our works are dead when we prefer gain in the world to the great gain of the kingdom of God. 

    Our works are dead when we prefer the visible to the invisible. Our works are dead when we prefer the physical to the spiritual. Our works are dead when we prefer the glory that fades to the glory that endures. Our works are dead when we love our lives and are determined to save them rather than lose them.

    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).

  • Christians must beware of dead works (1) – By Femi Aribisala

    Christians must beware of dead works (1) – By Femi Aribisala

    “Works done dispassionately are abominable to God”.

    Dead works are works of presumptive righteousness that are very displeasing to God. Born again Christians specialize in these works, but their most ardent practitioners are pastors, especially the so-called mega pastors.

    Dead works are deceitful. When we do them, we think we are righteous and assume we are doing what God wants. But God hates the dead works that Christians esteem. Jesus warns: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).

    Isaiah points out that, to God: “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).Therefore, the writer of Hebrews maintains that repentance from dead works is one of the “elementary principles of Christ.” (Hebrews 6:1).

    Joyless works

    Dead works are works not done joyfully. Nehemiah counselled Israel in the wilderness: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).

    Jesus: “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4). Through His completed works of salvation, He gave us: “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that (we) may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3).

    Therefore, we must “rejoice always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We should rejoice: “because (our) names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20). We must be exceedingly glad even when persecuted: “for great is (our) reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before (us).” (Matthew 5:12).

    Jesus says: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Therefore, James says: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3).

    Because the Israelites did not rejoice in their maker and deliverer, Moses said God would send them into captivity:

    “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.” (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

    Fullness of joy

    For a Christian to do anything joylessly is to deny the great salvation of Christ and despise the continuing work of the Holy Spirit. It is to reject our translation from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God. This everlasting kingdom is not just about righteousness, it is about: “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17).

    Isaiah says to God: “You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways.” (Isaiah 64:5).

    This means the believer has lost the right to grumble or complain about anything.Whatever the situation or circumstance: “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15).

    You can ask a child to do an inconvenient task and, although he does it, he hates doing it. That makes his doing it a dead work to God. Our works must be done joyfully. We must be: “hospitable to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9-10). Otherwise, our hospitality is a dead work. We must be patient and longsuffering with joyfulness. (Colossian 1:11). Otherwise, our patience and longsuffering become dead works.

    Good works are only those works that acknowledge the goodness of the Lord. They are works that redound to the glory of God. Therefore, the must be done with joy and gladness.

    The psalmist says to God: “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus, I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:3-5).

    This means works done out of compulsion or necessity are abhorrent to God. This fact is hidden to mercenary pastors who threaten New Testament believers with the devourer and with exclusion from heavenly blessings if they do not give tithes and offerings.

    These pastors love big givers, but God only accepts cheerful givers.  Paul says: “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

    So, not all giving is acceptable to God. If you give reluctantly, it is a dead work. If you give and regret giving, it is a dead work. If you give sacrificially, it is a dead work.

    Works without love

    Jesus says: “I don’t want your sacrifices- I want your love; I don’t want your offerings- I want you to know me.” (Matthew 9:13).

    The love of God is the only acceptable basis for good works. But Jesus says “our desires for other things” militate against our faithfulness to and love for God. (Mark 4:19). Any work not done because of the love of God is a dead work.

    Paul says: “Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2-3).

    Moreover, our love for God must supersede all other loves. Jesus insists: “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).

    Works done out of fear of going to hell are also dead works. John says: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18).

    Lukewarm love

    As newlyweds, a wife was very diligent in cooking delectable meals every day for her husband. She also loved to wash his clothes and iron them. But ten years down the road, it had become a chore for her. She still managed to do these things occasionally, but now only as a matter of routine.

    After ten years of marriage, what she used to do for her husband out of love for him had become dead works because love was no longer the mainspring.

    This is the predicament of most Christians. Over the years, our faith has been starched of the love and passion it once had when we newly believed. But works done dispassionately are abominable to God.

    Jesus chides the church of Ephesus: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5).

    He says to the Laodiceans: “Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16-17).

    CONTINUED

  • All things are of God – By Femi Aribisala

    All things are of God – By Femi Aribisala

    “While Moses judged men by their actions, Jesus reveals we shall be judged by our thoughts”.

    Solomon says: “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). 

    Therefore, when Femi-Kevin was a little boy, I asked him to memorise one scripture.  It was the only scripture I ever told him to cram, and it says everything about Almighty God: “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

    This scripture challenges our faith by the assertion that everything, without exception, is of God.  Do you believe that?  I know it is hard to believe, but you need to believe it in order to see it plainly.  Jesus told the Sadducees: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).  Therefore, let us start with the scriptures and then link them with the power of God.

    The position of Romans 11:36 that all things are of God is repeated six times in scripture.  The other five times are as follows: “To us there is but one God, the Father, OF WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we by Him. (1 Corinthians 8:6).  “For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but ALL THINGS OF GOD. (1 Corinthians 11:12).

    “ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18). “Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who WORKS ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL.” (Ephesians 1:11).  “It became Him, FOR WHOM ARE ALL THINGS AND BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10).

    God is responsible

    Let me spell this out so you can see its amazing implications.  It means God is responsible for everything.  He is responsible for the good, the bad and the ugly.  If someone slaps you, know God is behind it.  If a Boko Haram suicide bomber kills himself and 80 others, know it is of God. 

    Amos asks rhetorically: “If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it? (Amos 3:6).  Yes indeed!  If anything good or bad happens, God is behind it. 

    Armed robbers attacked me and shot me in the leg.  Later on, God specifically told me He sent them.  He said He orchestrated it because He wanted me to see myself using crutches: “Who gave up Jacob to those who took away his goods, and Israel to his attackers? Did not the Lord? He against whom they did wrong, and in whose ways they would not go, turning away from His teaching.” (Isaiah 42:24).

    Therefore, take every injury as being from God and not from men.  Do not be offended at the postman: the offender is the letter–writer.  God is the letter writer.  Human beings and situations and circumstances are just God’s postmen.

    Jesus, indeed, is a rock of offense. (1 Peter 2:8).  But when and if God offends you, do not be offended.  Jesus says: “Blessed is anyone who is not offended by Me!” (Matthew 11:6).

    No second causes

    According to Jesus, there are no second causes.  Nothing happens without God’s permission: “Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Even the hairs on your head are counted.” (Matthew 10:29-30). 

    Great men pay great attention to big issues.  But God pays punctilious attention to even the smallest of things.

    Solomon says God determines even the most seemingly random things: “We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall. (Proverbs 16:33).  Jeremiah insists nothing happens without God’s say-so: “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? (Lamentations 3:37-38). 

    Job concurs.  He asks his doubting wife in the day of calamity: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).  God himself confirms this: “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7). 

    As a matter of fact, God takes issues with those who would limit Him, perhaps seeing Him as a one-dimensional goody-goody God: “It shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.’” (Zephaniah 1:12).

    The restrainer

    Life is at God’s discretion.  God did not allow Abimelech to take Sarah, Abraham’s wife.  But He allowed David to take Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife.  He then judged David for this sin.  When David understood the supremacy of God, he prayed a remarkable prayer.  He said: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14).

    In effect, David relinquished the control of his thoughts and his words to God.  He did this because he finally recognised that they are all under God’s control in any case.  According to scripture, man’s purposes, his determinations, his attitudes, and his thoughts may be controlled by man.  However, man’s actions are completely ruled and overruled by God.

    Take a look at the following scriptures: “We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go.” (Proverbs 16:9). “We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what He has decided.” (Proverbs 19:21). “A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and the LORD delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23).   Even the wrath of man praises God, what does not suit God’s divine purposes He then restrains. (Psalm 76:10).

    Indeed, God puts all men under restraint ensuring we are unable to do what we want to do and can only do what God allows or permits.  Thus, Joseph’s brothers planned to kill him, but God restrained them.  The devil wanted to deal with Peter, but Jesus restrained him. (Luke 22:31).

    Accordingly, we will not be judged by our actions and inactions.  We will be judged by our thoughts, which are the intents of the actions we want to take.  God is the God of the heart, and it is our heart (or our thoughts) that determine who we are.  Solomon says of man: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7).  But whether he will carry out his thoughts and plans will entirely depend on whether God allows him to do so.

    Thus, while Moses judged men by their actions, Jesus reveals we shall be judged by our thoughts: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28).

  • The flesh is a liar – By Femi Aribisala

    The flesh is a liar – By Femi Aribisala

    “Jesus exposed the lie of death”.

    God is a God of truth. Therefore, we, His children, must not walk in lies. We must walk in the truth. We must not know the voice of a stranger, for the stranger is not of God.

    We know the devil is a liar. Jesus says he is the father of lies. But there is another liar that we often overlook. Some of us do not even know he is a liar. But he is not only a liar, he is a great liar. Moreover, he is a faithful ally of the devil.

    So, when we say, “The devil is a liar,” we must also say: “the flesh is a liar.”

    New reality

    I met God for the very first time in the middle of an armed robbery attack some 30 years ago. When I was cornered by the robbers, I heard distinctly a disembodied voice that said reassuringly: “Femi, nothing is going to happen to you here.”

    However, immediately I heard this, “something happened.” One of the robbers approached my car and fired a gun at me. The bullet pierced the body of my car and buried itself in my leg.

    While I was still trying to deal with this contradiction, the voice came back and said to me with the same confidence: “Femi. there is nothing wrong with your leg.”

    After the robbers left with the luggage my wife brought from a trip to New York, I discovered later that the person who spoke to me was Jesus. He woke me up one morning by shouting in my left ear: “Matthew 13:13-16.”

    When I checked this in the Bible, it was Jesus who was speaking, and that marked the beginning of my intimate relationship with Him.

    But then the question remained: why did He tell me nothing would happen to me when something happened? Why did He insist nothing is wrong with my leg when I was shot and my leg was then encased in a plaster? How can He say nothing is wrong with my leg when there is now a bullet in my leg?

    A few weeks later, God validated His contradictory reality by healing miraculously my injured leg. In effect, He brought both the attack and the bullet wound to nothing.

    Suddenly, the truth of God’s perspective became clear. Nothing happened to me during that armed robbery attack, and there is nothing wrong with my leg.

    What is real?

    As believers in Christ, at what level of consciousness do we operate? Do we operate at the level of our senses or the level of our faith? Precisely what is real to us? Or should I ask: “What do we use to define reality?” 

    The scriptures are unequivocal. They insist that: “The just shall live by faith.” (Hebrews 10:38). Moreover, they reveal that: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).

    The hard lesson that Jesus presented to me at the get-go of my relationship with him is that henceforth, my reality should no longer be determined by what I feel, see, think, or experience. My reality should now be defined by the abiding truth of the word of God.

    Since we who once were dead to God are now alive to Him in Christ, we must no longer be limited by our senses. Since we have been redeemed into fellowship with the invisible God, the invisible must now have greater saliency to us than the visible.

    Therefore, Paul says: “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:13).

    Jesus says to Nicodemus: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). But now that, thanks to Jesus’ redemption, we are born again; then we should be able to see what God is doing. We should now be able to see the invisible things of God. (Romans 1:20).

    Fleshly lies

    Paul says again of the redeemed:  “We are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3).

    We have no confidence in the flesh because we know the flesh is a deceiver. It cannot be trusted. It specializes in telling lies.

    A fundamental difference between truth and lies is that truth is eternal. It does not change. Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words remain forever.” (Matthew 24:35). But lies are temporal. Sooner than later, lies are revealed to be fabrications. Lies are subject to variations.

    God once said to me: “Femi, thank Me that nothing in this world lasts.” I took some time to reflect on this. Then the revelation opened to me like a book. Everything in this world is subject to change. If we hurt our foot, there is great pain initially, but then the pain starts to recede until it heals.

    That means everything about this world is a lie. Nothing here lasts. That headache you are having is a lie. A simple word of God can expose it. That feeling of well-being you are having is a lie. You might actually be at death’s door without knowing it. That depression you are going through is a lie. It might simply be some demons trying to confuse you.

    Whose report will you believe? Will you believe the report of your senses or the report of God? Your senses are congenital liars. Only believe the report of the Lord.

    Jairus

    Jairus rushed to Jesus to pray for the healing of his sick daughter. But after he had managed to tell Him about his predicament, a word was sent to him emanating from the flesh of his daughter. It said it was already too late. His daughter had died.

    But Jesus knew that report was a lie. He said to Jairus: “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” (Luke 8:50).

    When He got to Jairus’ house, He met mourners, wailing and crying. He said to them: “Do not weep; she is not dead but sleeping.” (Luke 8:52). But they did not believe Him and were disgusted with Him.

    He then exposed the lie of death. He told the girl to wake up and she did. He then asked her parents to give her something to eat.

    Thereby, Jesus demonstrated conclusively that what we call death in the flesh is not death at all. He shows that, contrary to popular belief, no man has ever died of sickness. No one even dies of old age. The only thing that kills is sin. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). But Jesus is: “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).

    In effect, an experience can be “real” but false. Everything we experience in the flesh is a lie. Everything we see and feel is deceptive. Everything around us is a lie.

    Jesus says: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32).

    CONTINUED

  • Why rich men can’t go to heaven – By Femi Aribisala

    Why rich men can’t go to heaven – By Femi Aribisala

    “Jesus says worldly riches are deceitful”.

    Jesus says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24).

    This means it is impossible for a rich man to go to heaven by the same token that it is impossible for a camel to enter the eye of a needle.

    Christians, who are lovers of money, ignore this statement at their peril. They fool themselves by saying what is impossible with man is possible with God. But God will never contradict Himself. He will never make it possible for a rich man to enter heaven.

    Despising the rich

    God did not send Jesus to the rich. He sent Him to the poor. When He inaugurated His ministry, Jesus read from Isaiah, saying: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” (Luke 4:18).

    This is without ambiguity. The gospel of the kingdom of God is specifically for the poor and not for the rich.

    James leaves no one in doubt about this. He says: “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).

    It is the poor that God has chosen and not the rich. Accordingly, Mary says: “(God) has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:52-53).

    Jesus addresses this dichotomy between the poor and the rich in the kingdom of God. He says: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:20-21).

    “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:24-25).

    James even presents a lamentation for the rich because God has rejected them:

    “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.” (James 5:1-5).

    Amos echoes this: “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion. (Amos 6:1).

    Ignoring Jesus

    The problem with the Christian church today is that Jesus’ words are often ignored. Jesus warns: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38).

    Jesus tells the story of poor Lazarus and the rich man. When Lazarus, the beggar, dies, he is received by angels and carried aloft to Abraham’s bosom. But when the rich man dies, he goes to Hades, a place of torment.

    In agony, the rich man pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus with just a drop of water to cool his tongue. But Abraham replies: “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.” (Luke 16:25).

    This shows that heaven is redemptive. Those who have on earth will be destitute in heaven. Those who are destitute on earth will be rich in heaven. But the modern church insists on consolation here and now, thereby making many unfit for the kingdom of God.

    Jesus puts this graphically: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30).

    The first in the world can never be first in the kingdom of God. For the first to be heirs of God, they have to become last here before they can be first in heaven.

    Listen to Jesus: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).

    Therefore, Jesus tells the rich young ruler who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21).

    He warns the heirs of salvation: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

    Divine prescriptions

    Contrary to the heresy of the prosperity gospel currently prevalent in the churches today, it is foolish to aspire to be rich:

    “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

    Therefore, be poor in spirit and the kingdom of heaven will be yours. (Matthew 5:3). “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:9-10).

    “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

    Bad success

    Prosperity in this world is illusory: “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:12).

    Jesus says worldly riches are deceitful. (Matthew 13:22). Ditto for success in the world. “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).

    God redefines success. He implies there is good success, and bad success. The success cherished and obtained in the world is bad.

    He says to Joshua: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8).

  • Don’t celebrate the coming of the New Year – By Femi Aribisala

    Don’t celebrate the coming of the New Year – By Femi Aribisala

    “The people of the world always celebrate the wrong things”.

    Jesus says to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13).

    How does a believer lose his flavour? When he behaves just like the world. He becomes worthless as far as the kingdom of God is concerned.

    Therefore, Paul counsels: “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).

    The antidote to the corruption of the world is the cross of Jesus Christ: “by whom the world has been crucified to (us), and (us) to the world.” (Galatians 6:14).

    New Year celebrations

    So, the world is celebrating the beginning of the New Year. Do not join them. The people of the world always celebrate the wrong things. Please do not join them. The New Year is not one of God’s holy days. Neither is Christmas.

    Those who believe in Jesus are in the world but not of the world. Unlike the people of the world, our joy is not based on times and seasons. The joy of the Lord is fulfilled in us. (John 17:13). This joy does not depend on situations and circumstances. It is a joy that, according to Jesus, no one can take away from us. (John 16:22).

    By being the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Jesus has: “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4). He gave us: “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that (we) may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3).

    For this reason, we no longer have any cause for sorrow. Neither do we rejoice any longer in the vanities and vainglories of this world. Jesus says we should only rejoice: “that (our) names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20).

    Therefore, it makes no difference that we are alive to see a new year. The person who sees the new year is not better off than the person who died before the new year. Believers who have passed away have gone to be with the Lord. Those of us who remain here are with the Lord:

    “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:8-9).

    Joy of salvation

    When we celebrate the counterfeit joys of the world with the people of the world, the devil sets us up for the sorrows of the world. The temporal joys of the world distract us from the eternal joy of salvation.

    Therefore, when something “good” happens to us, it is deceitful. It is designed to steal from us the joy of salvation. The same goes when something “bad” happens. We must allow nothing to steal our joy of salvation.

    The psalmist preaches to himself: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5).

    Our hope in God is the firm and secure anchor of the soul. (Hebrews 6:19). This hope: “does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5).

    Therefore, Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). When we rejoice in the Lord, we can do so always. But when we rejoice in the new year, we can only do so once a year. Our joy is that we are alive to see the day.

    This is ungodly. It is as ungodly as celebrating birthdays as they do in the world. To celebrate birthdays is to celebrate foolishly because we are in the flesh and away from the Lord.

    But as believers, we have learnt from the Lord Jesus that: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” (John 6:63). “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,” (Philippians 3:3).

    Work of salvation

    God spoke the world into existence. He said: “Let there be light,” and there was light. But salvation was a different thing altogether, it is God’s greatest work. God did not just say: “Let there be salvation,” and there was salvation.

    To bring about salvation, God had to become a man. He had to come through the womb of a woman. He sucked a woman’s breast. He crawled on the ground and had to learn to walk and talk. He: “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52).

    For our sake, the God of all creation: “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8)

    “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

    All this shows that our salvation must be superlative and extraordinary. “As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

    Thanksgiving

    So, it no longer matters that this world is a place where death and destruction reign. The Bible says: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

    Be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world. (John 16:33). He has made this world irrelevant in the all-important eternal scheme of things. God has: “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13).

    Although we are still physically in the world, spiritually we are now seated with Christ at the right hand of God: “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:21).

    Requiem

    The Lord sent me to pray for a man dying of cancer. I thought He intended to heal him, but He said the man should rejoice because He was calling him home to Himself.

    The man was required to: “Enter into (God’s) gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4).

  • Daylight robbery in the churches – By Femi Aribisala

    Daylight robbery in the churches – By Femi Aribisala

    “First fruits are anathema to the New Testament”.

    Jesus says: “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Mark 11:17).

    The churches, today’s so-called houses of God, are veritable dens of robbers. Their kingpins are their highfalutin pastors and bishops. These men and women specialise in hypnotising unsuspecting Christians to rob them of their hard-earned monies.

    Be warned! They plan to steal from you in a big way this January.

    Law and grace

    Under Moses, God instituted the law of “first fruits.” This was part of the support system established for the Levitical priesthood who were not given any land in Israel. (Deuteronomy 18:1-2). First fruits are the produce of the land of Israel, which was God’s gift to the Jews. (Leviticus 23:10).

    However, the priests of old are not synonymous with the pastors of today who are landowners and propertied. Moreover, Christians are not under the Law of Moses but under God’s grace. (Romans 6:15). Nevertheless, modern-day Christian pastors are still laying claim to first fruits.

    When Jesus fulfilled the law, He declared on the cross of Calvary: “It is finished.” (John 19:30). Accordingly, Paul maintains: “Christ is the end of the law.” (Romans 10:4). How then can pastors bring back the outdated law of first fruits through the backdoor?

    Counterfeit first fruits

    Pastors resurrect the payment of first fruits in the Old Testament and use it to squeeze money out of their church members in the New Testament. This amounts to using the Bible to steal and defraud.

    In the last four months of the year, there is a definite change of emphasis in the messages preached by pastors in many of today’s “new generation” churches. If you have been paying attention, you would have noticed this already. Pastors start to talk repeatedly about the need to give “first fruits;” laying down the foundation for a major robbery routinely planned for January.

    In the Old Testament, the first fruits were required to be given to priests. Ezekiel says: “The best of all the first fruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests.” (Ezekiel 44:30). This scripture is seized on by today’s money-grubbing pastors who now insist that the “first fruits” of all the members of their congregation must be handed over to them.

    This is disingenuous because, in the New Testament, there is no longer an exclusive priesthood. Instead, Jesus has made all believers: “kings and priests to our God.” (Revelation 5:10). But this fact is conveniently ignored by today’s first fruits collectors.

    First fruits were given to priests because they were not allowed to own landed property in Israel. God said: “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28-29).

    However, the pastors of today are men of means and property owners. In no way whatsoever do they fit the bill of a people without inheritance who only have God as their possession. Indeed, some of today’s mega-pastors are multi-millionaires who drive around with bodyguards in a cortege of Jeeps and even fly around in private jets.

    Fruits of money

    The true and original first fruits were crops and livestock: “You are to give (the priests) the first fruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep.” (Deuteronomy 18:4).

    Money was never regarded as the first fruit in the Bible; neither was it ever paid as such. However, today’s pastors would not find it funny if you were to bring your first fruits to them in bananas or pineapples. First fruits are now only accepted in cash or cheque.

    In biblical days, first fruits were not required from those in non-agrarian trades, such as carpenters or fishermen because these professions were not tied to the land. First fruits are specifically “the first fruits of the land.” (Deuteronomy 26:10).

    This ties them to the land of Israel and makes them inapplicable to even Israelites living in non-Jewish lands. It also means they cannot be re-conceptualised as the first fruits of salaries. God gave Israel land: He did not give them any money.

    Indeed, Jews who simply possessed the trees and not the land were exempted from offering first fruits because they could not say: “Behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which You, O Lord, have given me.” (Deuteronomy 26:10).

    Jews who lived beyond the Jordan could not bring first fruits because they could not recite the scriptural words of the service saying it was from: “a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 26:15).

    How then can Nigerians, for example, bring first fruits to God from Nigeria? It is simply unacceptable and impossible! Nevertheless, pastors hoodwink Christians by claiming there are special blessings attendant upon giving first fruits to pastors anywhere and everywhere.

    Therefore, it should be clear that pastors who insist on collecting the first fruits in the churches of today are nothing but “thieves and robbers.” The armed robber takes your money from you with a gun in his hand: the pastor takes your money by brandishing a Bible.

    Bonanza

    True first fruits were collected once a year at the harvest. But today’s counterfeits are collected at the beginning of the year in January. True first fruits were just a small portion of the entire harvest: “The first of the first-fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 23:19). But counterfeit first-fruits have become the entire “harvest.”

    Counterfeit first fruits used to be defined as a Christian’s first salary after leaving school and securing gainful employment. But some pastors soon realised this only gives them the right to the salary of their congregants once. So, they now insist that, since the January salary is the first salary of the year, counterfeit first fruits must be given every year, and must be the entire January salary of their hoodwinked parishioners.

    This makes the first fruits boon far more profitable than the tithe; which is just a tenth of the Christian’s salary. Moreover, the tithe is nominally given to “the church.”  The “first fruit” is a far more rewarding scam because the money is given to the pastor.

    Witchcraft

    Accordingly, 419 pastors are already salivating, waiting to rob Christians of their entire January salaries. They have already put the fear of the devil in Christian hearts; telling them of the dire consequences of refusing to accept this daylight robbery. Do not fall for this kind of witchcraft unless you want to live in penury throughout February.

    First fruits are anathema to the New Testament. Today, the harvest is no longer crops but souls. The redeemed are now God’s first fruits. (Revelation 14:14). James says: “Of (God’s) own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18).

    So, if your pastor is already waxing lyrical about the need for you to give him your entire January salary as first fruits, do not mince words. Shout to his face: “Ole! Thief! Barawo! Jaguda pali!”

  • Beware of Hypocrites (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    Beware of Hypocrites (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    “The work of God humbles man; it does not glorify man”.

    Jesus did not have a big problem with sinners. He had a big problem with hypocrites. So, He warns us: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1).

    Religious people are hypocrites. Quoting Isaiah, Jesus says about them: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:8-9).

    Hypocritical prayers

    God called me to a healing ministry, so I used to spend days fasting and praying before healing services. But then, one day, the Lord asked me a curious question. He said: “So, Femi, why are you fasting and praying? Why are you spending so much time in prayer? Is it because you are ministering at the Time of Healing? Is it because you want them to see you as a man of God?”

    “Why do you want Me to heal? Is it because you are the one praying? Do you need this healing to validate your Christianity in the sight of men? Or do you need this healing because of Me? Why don’t you fast and pray without an agenda, when I am your only motive?”  

    The immediate upshot of these questions was that I lost all interest in fasting and praying. I stopped altogether for a season because my motive was essentially hypocritical. I lost my motivation.

    Hypocritical insecurities

    A man saw the actor Robert Redford in a hotel lobby and chased him into the elevator. “Are you the real Robert Redford?” he asked him with alacrity. “Only when I am alone,” replied Redford.

    “Would they still love me if they know the real me? Would they still love me if they know I am still striving against sin? Would they still love me if they know I am an alcoholic? What if they find out that I beat my wife? What if it becomes public knowledge that I have children outside my marriage? What if they know that I am addicted to smoking Indian hemp? Would they still love me?”

    Jesus says: “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.” (Matthew 23:11-12).

    The holiness movement is a waste of time because it is about impressing men. Have you heard someone say that they do not do something anymore? It is a lie because he is taking the glory.

    Someone says: “I used to have such a bad temper, but now you can do anything you want to me, and I won’t even mind it at all.”

    “So, you mean that God has healed you of your bad temper?”

    “Yes. He has healed me totally and completely.”

    That is a lie. God does not heal totally and completely. His healing is only sufficient for the day. If Jesus heals you of AIDS, you can catch it again. Accordingly, He says to a man he healed: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14).

    If you stop reading your bible, your bad temper will come back in a dimension that is much worse than before.

    Law of faith

    “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” (Romans 3:27).

    If it is true that God has healed you, there would be no glory of man in it. The work of God humbles man; it does not glorify man. It glories only God. Jesus says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

    Hypocritical David

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. David discovered the fear of the Lord. Like Achan, he sinned and buried the evidence in the sand. He committed adultery with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and had her husband killed. He then marries her thinking he had gone clean away.

    When he was told a story of a man who committed a similar sin, David maintained the sinner must be killed. Only to discover that the story was about him.

    God sent Prophet Nathan to David to reveal to him that he did this evil in the sight of the Lord. Thereafter, David could no longer trust his heart. Every so often, he went to God to seek cleansing from secret and presumptuous sins.

    He asks: “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14).

    Blind hypocrites

    Hypocrites kept me out of the church. I went to church as a young boy and noticed it was full of hypocrites. The churches are full to the brim of pretenders, living sinful lives, but acting holy on Sundays.

    Jesus teaches that where charitable acts are concerned, we should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must not shine. Our righteousness must not be ostentatious.

    Do we carry our bibles publicly?  Do we litter our speech with vignettes of scripture?  Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and another “praise the Lord” there?  Do we hold hands to pray before eating at home or in restaurants?  Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord?  Then we have missed the way of Christ. We are on “Broadway” and not on the narrow path that leads to life.

    But churches love hypocrites. They celebrate them. They have special seats reserved for them in front of the church. Everyone knows they are moneybags. They are the ones who buy the new church organ. They are the ones who make a show of buying a car for the pastor. They are the ones who steal public funds and give lavish tithes of their loot to the church.

    You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when as a new believer, the Lord revealed to me in a dream that I was also a big hypocrite. I then discovered that the hypocrite often specializes in identifying hypocrites.

    Zig Ziglar said that he invited a friend to go to church with him.

    The man answered, “Well, I’d like to go. But the church is so full of hypocrites.” Ziglar replied, “That’s okay. There’s always room for one more.”

    “So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When He comes, He will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of — inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5).