The fear of death Week 39, 2015

That’s the strategy Satan has used to keep people in bondage to him; down through the ages. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death Heb2:15(ERV). Why did Esau sell his birthright? He was afraid of death. "Look! I'm about to die." Esau replied. "What good is this birthright to me?" Gen 25:32(ISV). The fear of (death by) hunger has made many a servant of God compromise. That makes a blessing come when a rebuke, nay a warning should have come. That makes us put in high places of honour those who need to sit in the ashes and dust of repentance. Is it not this fear that makes a virgin submit the priceless for the hollow promise of financial aid and security? But we must face this fear of death, we must continue to encounter and overcome these real threatening situations so that real Christian living can manifest. While we are alive, we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our mortal bodies 2Cor 4:11(ISV). No other way exists.

Recall Esther? It was her fear of death which made her initially reluctant to help out her uncle and her people when their very lives had become endangered. It took a readiness to die for her to say I'll go in to the king, even though it's against the law. And if I perish, I perish.Est4:16(ISV). It was the fear of death that King Nebuchadnezzar used to manipulate all people to worship his golden image: Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace Dan 3:6(CEV); all people except Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were ready to die. Many out of fear of the furnace have nothing to do with unrighteousness around them alright, but won’t say a word of reproof. Yet: Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them Eph5:11(NIV) is the biblical injunction. In the day Samson was ready to die, in that one day he did much more than in twenty years Jdg 16:30. 

Those who have served causes well, good or evil, have had a readiness to die. Religious extremism is very difficult to manage because the extremists want to die. Al Qaeda is credited with the statement “You can’t stop us… we are as interested in dying as you are in living”. Man of God, daughter of Zion, are you expecting that when your enemies come to apprehend you fire from heaven will come down and consume them? Think again if you are not afraid of death. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death Ps 48:14 (KJV). Those who fear death are open to compromise, to bondage. It was the fear of death that pushed Peter to deny three times in one night that he ever knew Jesus; yes the very night Jesus would not permit him strike the enemies with the sword. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell Mat 10:28(GNB).

The making of a peddler Week 38, 2015

John: “Your words are hard. You call me a peddler but I am simply claiming what is due me. Who goes to war at his own expense? (1Cor9:7) Look how many of you on your own give money, I mean good money to the man of God without being motivated to it? Don’t you know the kind of age we are in? Must we beg? Or do you want us to be like the Levites in the time of Nehemiah? I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields Neh 13:10 (NIV). When I was not aggressive in raising funds my family starved, I could not discharge my responsibilities as a man and my family was constantly in tension. Those who I ministered to would just say “God will bless you.” They carry their tithes and offerings elsewhere whilst I through whom they got the breakthrough would be left to suffer. Is man of God to eat “God bless you”? Will it pay my son’s school fees or must I face such embarrassments? No way. I determined that must never happen. Those who earn salaries are not more intelligent or more deserving of their pay than we are. My dear you wrong me with your words. If we are dressed in rags will it bring God glory? Will men not be turned off the gospel by seeing us wretched and say “Their God cannot care for them. I can’t serve Him.” Besides we are getting people committed to God and getting them blessed. Whatever is given to me is a service unto God.”

Mark: The things you speak of are real sir. But I read in the Bible some of what Paul went through yet that didn’t change him. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 1Cor 4:11-13 (NIV). Despite these conditions he faced that you are now fighting against there were souls won and discipled then and glory went to God. If we are not willing to put up with unjust suffering how will we prove ourselves true servants of God? And sir, sorry but your words show lack of faith to me. Yes lack of faith. You do what you do because you look at men, unfaithful men who are shifty to provide for you. Don’t you believe God of Elijah who commanded ravens to feed him? Have you forgotten what Mordecai said? For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place... Est 4:14 (NIV). Stop looking at men and focus on Jesus. He is your sustainer, and if men refuse and you die do you think God who multiplied oil for the widow of the faithful minister has ceased? (2Kg4:1-7) An approved minister would prefer to die. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. 1Cor 9:15-16(NIV).  It is this fear of death that Satan uses to hold many in lifelong bondage: and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Heb 2:15 (ESV) Be free in Jesus’ name!

Peddlers of the word Week 37, 2015

Who is a peddler? It is another name for a hawker going about with goods whose real interest is to make money; to get profit. A salesman. You know as such chat with you they size you up and determine just how much money they can make from you, and then with skilfully woven sweet words make you part with money. Perhaps you have met them. I have. From of old there are those who do it with God’s word. Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. 2Cor 2:17 (NIV). I tremble at these words. Biblical teaching comes forth and at the end a crafty demand is made for money. What type of entourage to receive them is settled well ahead. Even before they arrive for a programme their honorarium is discussed, haggled and settled. They are in prayer squads as well. A specific amount to “hire” their services for family deliverance must be settled before they move off. There are many of them. Have I not met them at the motor parks barely distinguishable from those who sell drugs? Brother, are you a peddler? Sister, are you a hawker of the gospel in the name of a gospel band? You will not play unless the price is settled, and your loyalty lies with the highest bidder. Peddler. Do you know what it means that God says to you “minister in such and such a place”, or is it the god of money, of profit, you recognise? When you look at various invitations before you to minister does the expected honorarium loom large in your decision to accept or reject any? “But isn’t that normal. Everyone does same.” Not exactly; we are not commercializing God's word like so many others. 2Cor2:17 (ISV). Yes many, many people do the same, but Bible calls such commercial ministers, peddlers, salesmen, hawkers of truth, and not approved ministers of the word.

Some messages are worked on, so as to be much more motivational and easily accepted by unbelieving, unrepentant folks. Some songs have limited the mention of the name Jesus just to improve the marketability of the song. “We just want to reach a wider audience” is the justification. Listen, don't take God's Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap... 2C0r2:17(MESSAGE.). No doubt the original inspiration is from God, but the eventual delivery was worked on. Corrupted. Do you feel the need to always flaunt your credentials? Is the gospel your route to wealth? Must you live big off it? We are not like those hucksters-and there are many of them-whose idea in getting out the Gospel is to make a good living out of it 2Cor 2:17(TLB) No wonder death is all around us. No wonder despite the multiplication of worship places disciples are few and decay is rife. Would you be God’s instrument to bring lasting impact? To those who are not being saved, we seem a fearful smell of death and doom, while to those who know Christ we are a life-giving perfume. But who is adequate for such a task as this? Only those who, like our selves, are men of integrity…We are not like those whose idea in getting out the Gospel is to make a good living out of it 2Cor2:16-17(TLB). Don’t be a peddler.

Entangled Week 36, 2015

Exactly what are you doing here Nne?

“Uncle, don’t talk to me like that. I’m not a baby.”

Ok big girl, may I know what you are doing alone at this time of the day at men’s quarters? Does your brother live here?

“Uncle you are embarrassing me. I just came to help Bro Ndukwe cook. Is something wrong? Should we not help brethren again?”

Let me tell you the true story of a young woman like you. We may leave out her name. I was surprised to see her there alone at that time at the men’s quarters. We were house officers and the doctor who lived there was certainly not a Christian though I knew he was from her institution. They were course mates at University of Benin and were both serving with me as house officers at UNTH for 1 year. What was a daughter of Zion doing alone in the room of a clearly unbelieving man? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? God's temple cannot have anything to do with idols, and we are the temple of the living God2Cor 6:15-16(ERV). Perhaps the surprise showed on my face for she laughed nervously and informed me she merely came to help him cook. She “just wanted to help out” and clearly told me she really did not like being too close to these “unbels” (a short form for unbeliever; a term referring to those not yet born again). I left the matter at that. Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have Col 4:5(GNB). Should I have gone further?

Before the year ended it became clear they had gone further, much further. One of their mates, Dr Nwolisa told the story. “Something happened. Didn’t you hear?” What happened? From caring for his stomach her own belly became swollen with his baby. This was the kind of thing that should never have happened. (Was it not from cooking for her own brother that Tamar went in to be alone with her brother Amnon and he raped her? 2Sam 13:6-14 Was it not Dina’s departure from the safety of her father’s home to see the women of the land that made Hamor see her? He defiled her subsequently by extramarital sex.) I’m sure she must have cried and pleaded for God’s mercy and forgiveness. At any rate they agreed to get married and his people organised to make the journey to her place for the traditional rites of marriage. “His people came in their vehicles for the programme to meet her family at the agreed time.” Did the ceremony take place?  “Her people were not willing to marry her off to him. They answered them that in Igbo tradition marriage rites are not done on the head of a pregnant woman. They left in frustration.” The daughter of Zion, heavy with child, ran after them to enter the vehicle and leave with them. She would not be disgraced like this in public.

“That’s terrible. Anyway Ndu is a brother. That can never happen in Jesus’ name.”

My dear. The physiology is just the same. The flesh is not born again and never will be. Don’t come here alone again. The white hairs on my head are no accident.