It was a sombre Friday evening as I took a Bolt ride and headed home from church.
It had been a powerful service, and the impact of the meeting was still simmering in my spirit as I sat in the back seat pondering over the exhortation I had just heard.
My driver was a nice-looking young man,
Read full articlepossibly in his mid-twenties. A few meters to my destination, his phone rings.
He put the phone on speaker, so I had the opportunity to listen in on the conversation that ensued. On the other side of the call was a young lady. She asks my driver whether the phone was on speaker or not.
The guy ignores her question and tells her to proceed and speak. After a little hesitation, she blurted out, "Bɛfa me na yɛnko di yɛn ho." (To wit: "Come pick me up and let's go and have sex.")
The guy bursts out laughing while vigorously shaking his head at the same time. Possibly out of shock and just to be certain he had heard right, he asks the caller to repeat herself. She retorts, "Mese, bɛfa me na yɛnko di yɛn ho."
He laughs some more and then tells her he would get back to her after dropping me off. After he ended the call, there was an awkward silence in the car. These were two stunned young men who all of a sudden were lost for words.
Your guess is as good as mine. Now, I don't know this young lady nor her religious persuasion, but ain't there many church folks, who like this lady, are vibrant in the world as they are in the church?
I assume she could be one of such, and probably, even the lead singer or chief protocol officer at her church.
I again imagine that anytime she goes to church, she is likely to meet a pastor who would rather bombard her with motivational messages like "10 keys to financial freedom" and other such fancy sermons, than with the undiluted, transformational Gospel of Christ.
I presume her pastor would constantly prompt her to bring in her tithe, in addition to giving other sacrificial offerings, as a means of breaking through financially. And that he would often declare over her as she faithfully strived to meet her financial obligations, "You're next in line for a miracle!"
Now, I won't be surprised if during "warfare" prayer sessions at church, she's very vociferous in "travailing" and "goes after the devil" without mercy.
But guess what, that miracle she's expecting and that financial breakthrough she's looking for never come. Why? Because she has given the enemy an occasion by her lifestyle to afflict, oppose and hinder her.
Or let's just assume she receives what appears to be a semblance of a miracle or breakthrough. You can be sure it would be no way even close to the very best that God has in mind for her.
Maybe she had bought into the deception of the enemy that casual sex is no more a big deal. Or that God was ever ready to forgive, so why sweat it!
The scripture in Isaiah 59:11aptly describes the prayer sessions in many of our churches these days. And the next verse gives us some insight into why such prayer most likely wouldn't even go past the ceiling of our church buildings.
Isaiah 59:11-12
11. We all growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.
12. For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
The first three verses of Isaiah 59 put it rather beautifully.
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
No wonder God says his people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge! And so she—just like many countless others like her—struggles through life dealing with one setback after another.
Little do they realise however that as scripture puts it in Proverbs 13:15, "the way of transgressors is hard."
I could go on and on about this young lady and the many others who find themselves in her shoes, but in truth, this write-up is not just about them—it is also about their pastors.
How come their attention is rarely drawn to the fact that godly conduct is expected of a believer?
John the Baptist was quick to point out that fact to the teeming number of people who thronged his meetings;
Matthew 3:8
So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance (demonstrating new behaviour that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin);
Apostle Paul also did the same;
Ephesians 4:1-2
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called (that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behaviour—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation).
Truth is, there are several pastors who are doing a great job upholding the truth of God's uncompromising Word to their followers. There are countless others however who leave much to be desired.
Respectfully, as men and women of God, we are not called to be mere motivational speakers. We are called to be preachers of God's unadulterated Word.
Only his word has the power to transform sinners into saints and to prepare souls for eternity.
I earnestly believe that the true essence of ministry—over and above every other thing—is to make ready a people for eternity. And to this end must ALL our energies be channeled.
Christ is our ultimate example;
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Here is Apostle Paul's final charge to Timothy, his young protégé;
2 Timothy 4:1-3
1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom:
2 PREACH THE WORD; be instant in season and out of season; REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT with all longsuffering and DOCTRINE.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure SOUND DOCTRINE; but having itching ears, they shall heap to themselves teachers in accordance with their own lusts.
As my mentor, Bishop would often say, "I should never leave a church gathering and not leave having anything to work on with myself."
Indeed, the true gospel of Christ is in actual fact a call to action—to a life of self-denial and carrying one's cross.
Anytime God's unadulterated word was preached in scripture, the people were often moved to action and would usually ask what was required of them—what changes they needed to make.
John 6:28
They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
Acts 2:37-47
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Luke 3:3,10-14
3 (John the Baptist) went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
I end with Christ's great charge to His Apostles just before he ascended to heaven. I sincerely believe that it is based on this Great Commission, that our various ministry efforts will be judged by God at the end of the day.
Matthew 28:19-20 (Msg)
Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, IN THIS WAY OF LIFE, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. THEN INSTRUCT THEM IN THE PRACTICE OF ALL I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.
My dear pastor, what are you preaching?
May God help us all.
Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are as bonds. Who so pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
Micah 6:6-8
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Selah.
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