RELEASED ON 20/ JULY/ 2019
WHERE IS YOUR INTEGRITY?
The bible says;
"Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways".
Proverbs 28:6.
According to the late British writer; C S Lewis;
"integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching".
In a nutshell, integrity is a concept of *consistency* of actions,methods principles,values, expectations and outcomes. It can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy.
Apostle Paul while writing about the significance of love said:
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing".
1 Cor 13:2.
In the same vein, permit me to say to you that;
"If I have all the riches of this world, possess wisdom like King Solomon, being respected and connected like the President of America but yet I do not have integrity; I am nothing!"
Put simply,
integrity is what we do,what we say and what we say we will do.
In the month of June 2019, I was approached in my professional capacity as a Lawyer by someone very close to me.
The integrity of the company of that close family member was at stake. His company was expected to supply some equipment to an institution in the Country and the contract papers stipulates that a particular brand must be supplied and it must be sourced from the manufacturer. However, having approached the manufacturer, they insisted, they only sell through their recognized agents and they
recommended a particular company.
To cut the long story short, the said agent supplied the equipment but decided to include a substandard one which is not a product of the said manufacturer as part of the consignment.
When the agent was confronted of his dubious and criminal act he initially denied the knowledge of such.
Hence, I wrote him a weighty letter just like Apostle Paul ( 2 Corinthians 10: 9&10) in which I highlighted the criminality in what his company did and the attendant consequences of such. I also made him realize the necessity of him putting right what was illegally done within a short time in order to avoid unnecessary embarrassment of criminal proceedings.
In the course of writing the letter, the Holy Spirit brought to my memory the proverbial saying of King Solomon;
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold".
Proverbs 22:1.
Children of God, the situation is so bad now that many people including believers do not see anything wrong in engaging in dubious acts.
There are not so much difference between what believers do and what is obtainable out there now. Many Christians have compromised their faith and integrity for the love of money and fame.
When you talk about business and you mention God, some will say; " This one na money matter leave God out of it!" I pray for you, may God have mercy on you and that the presence of God shall not leave you for a second in Jesus name.
When your action does not correspond with your words then you lack integrity.
How many of us leaders of this generation can say like Prophet Samuel;
"Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.”
1 Samuel 12:3
Consistency is the litmus test to determine who truly has integrity. I don't envy politicians especially in our dear Nation, many respected people that ventured into politics have had their reputation tainted in the process.
It will take only God and perhaps great resolve for anyone to hold a political position in Nigeria and still maintain his or her integrity.
In most cases, their story is always like;
"When you are in Rome you start behaving like Romans"
Apparently, our integrity is very important to God,that informs why God boasted about Job;
“Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”
Job 2:3.
Integrity is about choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain.
King David said;
"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering".
Psalm 26:1.
We are expected to stand out wherever we find ourselves; whether in the work place, schools, politics, business or in the Church.
Our Lord Jesus also emphasized the need for integrity when He praised Nathaniel who later became a disciple. Jesus said to him;
"Now here is a genuine son of Israel; a man of complete integrity.”
John 1:47.
It is quite scandalous to hear about corruption or lack of integrity in regards to the Judiciary, Judges and Lawyers undermining the administration of justice.
When you sell an inferior product for the price of an original, you convert property of Government to your personal use or you divert money collected for a particular thing into another project even within the Church it shows you lack integrity.
Jesus likened us to salt of the world;
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot".
Matthew 5:13.
A man that has integrity does not talk about it, the reflection and expression of his words in what he does will earn him the integrity tag.
Hence, it is very important that one should make effort to align your words with your actions, no matter how trivial the issue is; your words must match your actions.
People of integrity do not hide their opinions, they do not manipulate others through deception and deceit. They are usually very consistent in what they do.
I am always very circumspect of songs like; "everything na double double oo". How can everything be double,are you a magician? . What did you do to make it double?
Brethren, "there is dignity in labour." The bible says the Lord will bless the work of your hands.
Deut. 28:12.
Looking for freebies will make one to lose respect. It is often disturbing for me hearing people give testimonies or a preacher saying; "you will receive a big alert of money that you do not work for and is not intentionally meant for you but will be transferred into your account".
Hear me, if you by any chance receive such funds and you decide to keep quiet about it saying "Na my luck" please be informed that it is criminal!
First of all, it signifies lack of integrity on your part and secondly, you are liable to be prosecuted and if found guilty you could be imprisoned for between 7-14 years for keeping quiet or spending money that is not yours despite the fact that it was sent to your account. See section 15 of MLPA Act (2011)
Never allow your feelings or relationship with another person to compromise your integrity and make you to be easily swayed.
How and what you do to be rich might not matter to the world or the Church these days; but our God is not mocked.Your achievements and successes in life have no credibility if your integrity was compromised in the process of attaining those achievements.
If people like Job, Nathaniel, Noah can live with integrity despite the evil and corruption that characterized their generations, it is achievable for us too.
The fact that many people are stealing Government funds and are getting away with it is not an excuse for a believer to join them.
Don't be like Job's wife who said: “Do you still hold fast your integrity?
Job 2:9.
Brothers and Sisters, we must maintain our integrity in every of our dealings, for the world is looking at us.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven".
Matthew 5:16
Finally brethren,
"Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us".
Titus 2:7&8.
PRAYER; may your character portrays high level of integrity than your words in the name of Jesus.
Meanwhile, the Company that supplied the inferior product has remedied the wrong by apologizing and has delivered the original product that was paid for. Bravo!
I sign off with the words of a late American businessman & philanthropist; W. Clement Stone who said;
"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity".
By the Grace of God, you and I can do all these things and set good examples for others to emulate.
RELEASED ON 16 / JULY/ 2019
IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE!
Our Lord Jesus Christ said;
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear". Luke 12:22.
I was just reminiscing about life generally and I discovered that certain things that were very paramount to our lives at some stage have suddenly become irrelevant that they do not matter anymore.
I attended a burial service of a man of God lately and I was very glad I did!
Again, I saw wisdom in the word of God that says;
"It's better to go to a funeral than to attend a feast; funerals remind us that we all must die".
Ecclesiastes 7:3
While at the funeral, I learnt more about what should take priority in our lives. I was opportuned to hear about six people spoke concerning the life of the deceased. Although, it is very common in funerals that people only say good stuffs about the dead, however one thing stood out in what everyone said that day;
That the deceased was a fearless man, who doesn't mince words about what and how he feels about issues of life.
He related with people without fear or favour. He was brave, outspoken and very direct in approach.He would look at you in the face and say things the way he feels.
What I didn't hear anyone talked about was his bank accounts, numbers of cars he had, the landed properties, number of houses he built for himself, apart from the Church we were told he built for God in his village.
Many of us often chase after money, fame, possessions and things that does not matter to God or humanity.
Growing up, I must confess I had a fun filled early years in the company of my brothers back then.
Stuffs like rolling used motor tyres with two sticks, going to the river to swim and catch tiny fishes were part of our usual play time activities at the early stage of life. It was fun Indeed!
Playing football, attending Disco/ Birthday parties and going to amusement parks characterized my teenage years while at the Secondary School.
Obviously, most of those things have naturally fizzled out as one age and progress in life.
Having received the call of God, certain things we also give way, for the bible says;
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God". Romans 12:2.
Although' the popular saying;
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" applies. However, one has to prioritize the work of God above all others and avoid unnecessary distractions from people's opinions about what you do.
My loyalty is first and foremost to my God. I make sure all I do have credence in the word of God, knowing that I will give account of my stewardship one day. Acts 5:29.
The disciples of Jesus were initially naive and laid back. Even after Jesus left, they were still hiding for fear of being killed, but a time came when all the fears of persecution and shame didn't matter to them anymore.
The same Simon Peter that denounced our Lord Jesus Christ three times for the fear of being killed suddenly started exhibiting unprecedented boldness in spreading the Gospel.
In reality, it was not an empty boldness; the disciples actually had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) which changed the narratives of their Ministry.
When they were asked about what authority( power) and what name they were able to heal the impotent man by the Beautiful Gate, ( Acts 3) the bible says;
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them;
"Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead". Acts 4:10.
By the Grace of God, I have come to a phase in the work of God where I refused to be intimidated, the God that sent me has consistently assured me that he will announce me to the world when the time comes. Numbers 27:18.
Although at a point, I nearly caved in to hatred, persecution and trials within the Church, the fear exhibited by family members was like a clog in the wheel of progress for the work of God. The situation was close to the depression that Elijah experienced after destroying the prophets of baal and Jezebel sent a threat message to him. 1kings 18&19.
I felt very lonely and forsaken at some point, but God showed up again; Halleluyah! He reassured me that He has not abandoned me.
All Glory belongs to our God who does not renege on His promises for us.
Trials, threat and persecution have now become a way of life, they do not matter to me anymore! I say it boldly to whoever cares to listen;
"I am not doing all of these for attention or approval neither am I doing it for financial gains" I have been sent by the Owner (Jesus) of the work.
It won't be long and all of these things will totally unfold and the journey will then make sense to everyone of us.
The bible says that when the people of Israel saw the boldness of Peter and John they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13.
Children of God, hatred, persecution and trials cannot stop a man on a mission for God. The Holy Spirit is already at work in the life of such person just as He did with the disciples.
It reminds me of that song by Pastor Wale Adenuga and David Baroni.
"Your foes will one day bow before Your throne
And on that day they will declare You as King
It does not matter what they say or do now as for me I will praise You Lord..
In the midst of all the confrontation against Peter and John, the bible mentioned a man called Gamaliel; a doctor of the law who said:
"Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
Acts 5: 38&39.
I have spoken again.....
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches."
Revelation 2:29.
Brethren, I don't know about you but for me; all the cares of this world do not impress me or matter anymore, what has taken the centre stage of my life is my connection with this Jesus and His work before me.
When Jesus went to the house of Martha who had a sister called Mary something happened there.
Luke 10:38.
Martha, according to the story became so busy preparing food for the visit, while her sister sat at the feet of Jesus.
Then Martha felt abandoned in the kitchen that she went to Jesus and complained;
"Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Luke 10 40.
Jesus responded with one of the amazing responses;
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41&42.
Invariably, what should take priority in the life of a believer is our relationship with Jesus. But it appears we have often put the "cart before the horse".
That explains why Jesus said;
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you".
Matthew 6:33.
If you are yet to give your life to Jesus and prioritize Him by doing what matters most, the time is now. Accept Him before it will be too late.
Remember, "after all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it".
1 Timothy 6:7.
In conclusion, I beseech you all to;
"flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart".
2 Timothy 2:22.
Prayer: The Lord Almighty will grant us the Grace to prioritize Him in everything that we do in the name of Jesus.
Cherish a relationship with Jesus and pursue it vigorously with holiness.
When you get connected with Him please do not let go just like Simon Peter said to Jesus;
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life",
John 6:68.
RELEASED ON 13/ JULY/ 2019
JESUS HATES HYPOCRISY!
Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Luke 6:46.
Hypocrisy can be defined as blatant failure to follow one's own expressed moral rules and principles. It is a lifestyle filled with so much pretence..
How did I know Jesus hates hypocrisy?
The bible says;
"Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin". James 4:17.
Hypocrisy is knowing the truth but choosing to say otherwise! After Cain killed Abel God asked him about the whereabouts of his brother, he replied;
"I don't know "am I my brother's keeper ". Genesis 4:9.
He evaded the truth!
The book of *Matthew chapter 23* was dedicated for the teaching of Jesus about hypocrisy of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus rebuked them for their lip service.
A popular Politician from Kaduna State, made a statement while alleging the Government of hypocrisy (paraphrased);
"Insecticide is being used on certain set of people while deodorants is used on some other people that commit similar offences"
As Christians, we are expected to live above board. Truth must be spoken at all times irrespective of our affiliations or positions.
It is pure hypocrisy when we pick and choose what matter we lend our voices on.
When a woman alleged that a Pastor raped her twenty years ago many people rise up to lend support for her. They wanted justice to be done at all cost.
Meanwhile, another person alleged that a Pastor assaulted him. The same set of people that castigated the
alleged act against the woman started preaching mercy, unforgiveness and bitterness.How can you rationalize your support for someone you have never met in your life but you chose to discontenance the claim of someone you have known for many years.
There is no other word to describe it, it is called hypocrisy.
The popular saying is;
"What is good for the goose is good for the gander".
The word; "sorry" is meant for everyone
but arrogance and pride really sucks!
Sometimes we forget that the same blood that runs in the veins of a pastor runs in the veins of a celebrity and also in the vein of the perceived ordinary man and woman.
The word of God is very clear; "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy".
Proverbs 28:13.
A woman who held a biased impression about me for many years saw me few years ago after about ten years and said to me; "Niyi, I am sorry.. forgive me!
Today, I hold her in high esteem for her penitence and sincerity.
There is no big deal in anyone owing up to the wrong done. Just as Jesus taught us to reconcile with our accusers; Luke 12:58
I was in a meeting lately and as usual the minutes of the last meeting was read, however with a glaring omission of an important issue I raised which was discussed in the previous meeting.
The chairperson of the meeting asked if anybody has an objection to the minutes read before we proceed to adopt it.
I deliberately waited for few seconds and when it was obvious no one was going to raise any objection I interjected and asked the people seated if anybody could confirm that I raised a particular issue in the last meeting.The seemingly youngest person among us quickly said; "Yes I remember" thereafter, there was a sudden silence and I had to be turning around to look into the eyes of those people that spoke when the issue was raised, surprising; many could not look straight again. Eventually, someone seated beside me finally said: "I remember". That was after I gave him a close look.
At that point,I asked that we proceed having remembered the words of God as spoken by Apostle Paul;
"..In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established".
2 Corinthians 13:1
Children of God, I have seen high level of hypocrisy, cover ups have become a normal lifestyle and evil manipulating spirit have caged many away from the truth. It is very worrisome.
All of these are the major bane that have brought embarrassment to the Body of Christ in Nigeria lately.
The truth is bitter as they say, but for children of God, it must be told.
Hypocrisy is not of God. I prefer the enemy that will look at one in the face and say;
"Watch your back" than the hypocrite that will smile at you yet his heart is full of hatred and envy.
Despite the uncertainty of where the truth lies there is always a witness,an accuser who is so powerful to convict anybody, but unfortunately does not have a voice. It is called conscience . You can smile or keep a bold face, inside of you lies the real position of things.
One of the world's greatest Philosophers of all times, Plato said;
"No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth".
I believe him totally for our Lord Jesus also said;
"You will be hated by all for my name’s sake".
Luke 21:17.
When you say the truth these days, even in the house of God, you will be labelled as one that judges others. Then the assailant or the culprit will start seeking people's sympathy by acting like the victim when they are confronted with their abusive behaviour. It is so pathetic!
Yet, we are fond of telling our children;
"Say the truth and let the devil be ashamed". It is pure hypocrisy.
Many of us say what we do not practice, just like the Pharisees and Scribes.
Matthew 23:3
Our Lord Jesus demonstrated to us the importance of allowing people to defend or fight for themselves when allegations are made against them. Jesus berated Simon Peter for using sword against one of the soldiers sent to arrest him.
Matthew 26:50-56.
Consequently,
Please allow every accused person to defend himself. Meanwhile, the allegation is against the fellow accused of offence and not the Church of God!
In Law, when an issue like this arises against a company, there will be a need to lift the veil of incorporation.
A pastor is not above the law of a nation, neither does he enjoys immunity against the law of God.
Mark 12:17.
If the court of law cannot unravel the truth about every allegation made, remember our God is "the Revealer of secrets"
Daniel 2:47.
The bible says;
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account".
Hebrews 4:13.
The Yoruba people will say;
"Asegbe Kan osi, ase pamo lowa".
Meaning; actions may be covered up, but cannot be carried out with impunity, it will be unveiled sooner or later.
Meanwhile, a man of God should be like a role model who practice what he preaches.
There has to be some level of consistency in the way you do things.
You cannot preach; ''In quietness and in confidence shall be you strength.." Isaiah 30:15, yet you find it difficult to bridle your tongue and the next time it is "woe to the destroyer.." Isaiah 33:1
Remember you have people looking up to you, don't mislead them.
That's why Apostle Paul wrote;
"Avoid pointless discussions. People who pay attention to these pointless discussions will become more ungodly
2 Timothy 2:16.
A believer should not allow his lips and his life to preach two different messages.
God says;
"No one who practices deceit shall dwell in My house; no one who utters lies shall continue before My Eyes".
Psalm 101:7.
Children of God are expected to be very careful about who we open up to. Avoid gossips who tell you what others say behind you. However, you should be bothered about why other people feel comfortable telling that person stuffs about you. If you are the observant type, you will know that the person is also an hypocrite.
My Brothers and Sisters of the household of faith;
"If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth"
1 John 1:6
It is imperative that we stand only with the Truth(Jesus) at all times. We are children of light and the world is looking up to us for direction.
1 Peter 2:9
I say to you, "Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander".
1Peter 2:1.
Finally, if you love God and desire to see some level of sanity and that the sanctity of the Church to be restored please pray these two prayers with me.
First and foremost, Father; your words say "you stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public spectacle (Shame) of them.." Colossians 2:15.
In the same manner, any Pastor who has or is using the position to abuse others without any form of remorse should the exposed and disgraced in the name of Jesus.
Secondly, anybody whether "celebrity or ordinary" making spurious (false) allegations against a Pastor with an attempt to blackmail or bring him down should face the attendant consequences in Jesus name.
So shall it be, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
RELEASED ON 09/ JULY/ 2019
SALVATION IS FREE!!!
The bible says:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast".
Ephesians 2:8&9.
Brethren, I have been having a close study of the Ministry of our Lord Jesus and that of the Disciples with the aim of treading carefully and doing the work of God in accordance with the Scriptures.
Some of the things being done in our Churches today are merely practices and precedents that do not have legitimacy in the word of God.
The bible makes us to understand that salvation is free and that our lord Jesus Christ paid the full price of Salvation with His precious blood on the cross of Calvary;
"God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".
Roman's 5:8.
Growing up as a boy, I was inspired hence I made up my mind early enough to get a University degree as a result of the kind of honour and attention shown to my Uncle whenever he comes home from the University of Ibadan back then.
After all; the famous Yoruba adage says:
"The horse behind looks at the one in front for direction".
Similarly, I have
applied the same principle in my journey of the work of God. I draw my strength and inspiration from my Lord Jesus Christ and Apostle Paul who was the least but committed disciple of Jesus.
The insatiable passion for souls and dedication of men of God like the late Billy Graham and that of our very own Pastor E A Adeboye have been helpful and worth emulating indeed.
However, a famous Yoruba adage says;
"The death that is killing one's mates or contemporaries is a strong warning to one".
Meaning the kind of issues that are causing your mates to fall are strong indications that you need to be very careful too!
My conclusion about work of God as a result of issues affecting younger generation of men of God in recent times is; "know yourself and your God!
Only God knows who is on His side. 2 Timothy 2:19.
One needs to be praying regularly for pastors in order for them to live what they preach.
Not many Church leaders today can genuinely say as Apostle Paul said;
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ".
1 Corinthians 11:1.
With all due respect to Church leaders in our country today, I strongly believe that materialism of the present church has taken away the core values and contentment lifestyle the Disciples of old lived.
I went for a four-day Prayer programme in a "popular Church" in Abuja about six years ago.
I had missed the first two days and on the third day, I decided to fast as I had been praying with huge expectation of having an encounter with God. I was hoping that, perhaps the man of God would mention my case.
I was Indeed very expectant!
However, by the time I got to the Church, the place was already filled up and I couldn't get space in the main Church but got a seat directly under the canopy outside the Church.
Then I heard an announcement that brought down the excitement and the expectation that had filled my heart while worshiping God during the praise and worship session.
The announcer said specifically that the service of that day was only meant for those people who have come with Seed of Five Hundred Thousand Naira for healing, breakthrough prayers and Impactation for blessing etc.
Children of God, like few others, I left the venue when the announcement was being repeated.I went home disappointed but with a resolve in my heart to follow this Jesus directly without going after anybody to access Him.
After all, our Lord Jesus did not put any condition to seeing Him. He said;
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest".
Matthew 11:28.
The story of Apostle Paul as recorded in Acts 9, that of Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1 and the famous story of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9&10) are just few cases that have proven that you can contact the power of God or access this God directly.
John 4:23.
If the paralytic man that was let down from the roof top by his friends (Luke 5:17-26) had lived in this era, perhaps he would have died without getting healed for no one who have given him any attention or show any form of compassion to his plight.
God gave us our Lord Jesus Christ freely as a symbol of Salvation for everyone who believes in Him to be saved.
John 3:16.
Different strokes for different folks; the emergence of some people in your society, work place or church can have a tremendous impact on your life and the place to the extent that you can barely remember what life was like without them.
The bible says;
"Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness".
Matthew 10:1.
Apparently, money cannot buy the power of God. Jesus did not trade the power He received from God the Father (Acts 10:38) .
He gave the Disciples the same power without asking for a dime;
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give"
Matthew 10:8.
A man called Simon offered the disciples money in exchange of the Power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:17 .
but Simon Peter rebuked him;
"May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!"
Acts 8:20.
It is important for everyone doing the work of God to follow Apostle Paul's laid down instruction.
"But godliness with contentment is great gain".
An extensive meditation of what Apostle Paul wrote down in 1 Timothy 6: 1-21. will be very handy for anyone planning to excel in the work of God.
If there are boxes to be ticked, in order to be sure that we have not deviated from the teachings of the bible then we must digest the above scriptures and allow them to shape our ways of life, especially in doing the work of God.
My major concern in the work of God is usually towards the parishioners. Many of whom are very gullible. They do not make up time to study the word of God, like the berean Christians ( Acts 17) who received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily.
Most Christians of this generation only rely on:
"My Pastor said, my Pastor said"
My experience so far in doing the work of God has placed obligation on me to share the Scriptures with many people out there that are still under the evil manipulation of some wolves behind the pulpit.
Again, the words of our Lord Jesus to the woman of Samaria in John 4 are very applicable here;
"The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
John 4:21
The practise of going from one Church to another and engaging in spiritual prostitution (Going from one Church to cult or shrines) in search of quick answer or solution should be totally avoided.
I tell you for a certainty; "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven".
John 3:27.
All true men of God derive their power from God and no one has the power of His own.
Consequently, you too can contact this power directly from God without having to go to any man to lay hand on your head which is the engine room of your destiny.
I can share my personal experience with you on that. Be very mindful of who you allow to touch your head.
My painful experience with a pastor who hit my head maliciously under the guise of anointing people's heads has taught me a great lesson.
Although,the fellow later faced the consequences as I reported him to my God that sent me on errands and I cried before my Maker for vengeance.
Soon after, the Defender of the defenseless dealt with him. The man is carrying a big scar about on that hand up till now.
As the Lord lives before whom I stand, their evil deeds will continue to hunt them in the name of Jesus.
Anyone place in position of authority should not take undue advantage of such position to abuse or mistreat others.
Brethren, there is no other solution elsewhere other than the name of JESUS.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12.
If you are yet to give your life for Jesus, do so now before it is too late.
Finally, "beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world".
1 John 4:1.
Prayer : Father expose and disgrace every agent of darkness operating in the Church of God, irrespective of their positions in Jesus name. .
Meanwhile, salvation is still very free, for our God has not changed.
Hebrews 13:8