It was
becoming too much – this sycophancy. God would not be pleased at all. I was
privileged to pastor the wife of the military administrator back in the early 1990s. We had a fellowship group there in the government
house meeting on Thursdays. I would bring many a Pentecostal minister to come
and preach the word and participate in fellowship. To my amazement, even though
there was much suffering of the populace under the army, they would all praise
her husband and tell her he was the best thing that happened to the State. These people are complainers and
faultfinders, following their own desires. They say arrogant things and flatter
people in order to take advantage of them Jud 1:16(ISV). They made a
lot of money out of her. A lot.
I was careful
not to take anything from her. What I may say I gained from there financially
is that when I wedded I was helped with transport during the traditional rites
and assisted also for the white wedding. Yes her tithes were in thousands,
which was a lot of money in those days, yet I was particularly careful to
maintain integrity. None of the tithes ever went home with me; they were duly
submitted to my General overseer. That did not seem to be the same with the
ministers of the gospel around me. Once when I invited her over to my church
during the program my general overseer praised her husband so much. My eyes met
with hers in the midst of it all: we both knew it was insincere.
Her husband
never joined us in the fellowship. He would pass us by the corridor and laugh
mockingly at us. I never had audience with him until 6 months after the
fellowship started. Their only son took ill with a high fever and very late at
night an official vehicle was sent to bring me to Government House. I stood in
his presence in the bedroom and he asked me, “Man of God what do we do?” The
boy was whisked out of the country the next day.
When I
couldn’t take the hypocrisy again I openly told her in the fellowship “Please ma if you can talk to your husband
do. The people are suffering, salaries have not been paid. This government is
the worst!” That was the last fellowship I ever attended. I waited in vain
for the official vehicle to pick me the next Thursday and none came. I had a
pass to the government house, the one with which I had been entering all this
while. I went with it on my own and presented it at the gate. I was informed,
“This pass is no longer valid sir”. I could not enter. Others went for the
fellowship and that is how it all ended, but I give God glory as I left the
government house with virtually nothing. Our
appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor do we try to trick
anyone. Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us
worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but
to please God, who tests our motives1Thess 2:3, 4(GNB).
What price are you willing to pay to speak the
truth? What risks are you ready to take as a minister to preserve your position
or be true to your calling? Victor is a missionary in the southeast
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