WEEKEND RANTS #1 - THE TWO GOD THEORY

Malachi 3:6 (TLB)

“For I am the Lord – I DO NOT CHANGE. That is why you are not already utterly destroyed, for my mercy endures forever.

Who came up with this “Old Testament God” versus “New Testament God” balderdash? Who is making you think the God you are worshipping today has transitioned or changed in some way to meet your standard or come to your “level” as some will put it? Who is filling your head with such messages? Why are you believing that a mere human whose intellectual prowess is as minute as a grain of sand at the seashore or as a droplet of water in an ocean if it should ever be compared to that of God?

There has been, there is and forever will be one God in the universe. He is the Creator of the Heavens and the earth. He alone owns the intellectual property rights to every single thing we see, feel, smell, hear, and taste. He alone is the great provider. He alone is the great protector. He alone is the great revelator. He alone is the great warrior. He alone is the great judge. He alone is the truth, mercy, grace, wisdom, etc. He alone is who He says He is. He alone is God.

God has not changed and God will never change. The same God who opened the mouth of the earth to swallow offenders is the same God who gave His only Son as a sin offering for sinners to be made right with Him. He is the same God who has created hell for those who will not accept His Son and live as He has stated. And He is also the same God who has created heaven for those who would accept His Son and live to please Him.

The same “Old testament God” who many have tagged as wicked and heartless because of certain bible stories handpicked to affirm some bias notion is the same “New Testament God” they have tagged as loving, caring, or kind.

But, if you think the “Old Testament God” was not loving, caring or kind, please consider only the book of Hosea and let’s have a conversation.

GOD WILL NEVER CHANGE. HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

PICTURE THIS: The same God who drove His Creation from the Garden of Eden for disobeying a direct order was the same God kind enough to clothe them before their departure. 

Throughout the old testament, this “Old Testament God” who has been tagged as wicked and heartless is the same God who has been screaming for His Creation to return to the same Eden, He drove them from. Which wicked and heartless being would ever do that?

WHY IS MY LOVE FOR GOD GROWING COLD?

Luke 7:47 (GNT)              

I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.

Have you ever had that one friend who is always finding a new way to show appreciation for something you are even shy to talk about because to you, it was no big deal? For example, that friend needed one hundred Ghana cedis badly and you, at the moment he/she was asking, had ten thousand Ghana cedis so giving that one hundred Ghana cedis meant nothing to you. Yet for some strange reason, that friend is so touched about that kind gesture that each time he/she meets you, he/she wants everyone to know what you did and how he/she appreciates it. It may not have been money; it could have been that clothing or gadget you didn’t want or thought was useless. To you it was nothing, yet it meant the world to him/her. And to show his/her appreciation, he/she keeps saying it every time and everywhere. 

The truth is, the value of a gift is not determined by the giver but by the recipient. How he/she reacts shows how grateful or ungrateful he/she is for that particular gift or kind gesture.  And that is the case of this woman who had come to meet Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). 

The first thing you should know about this woman and this man is that the woman was a known sinner in the city and the man a reputable servant of God in that same city. That is, she was known in the whole of Accra or Tema or Takoradi or Kumasi as a sinner. I mean, every single person – baby, boy, girl, woman, man, grandpa and grandma – knew about her and her licentious activities. She was a “famous sinner”. And this famous sinner had the audacity to enter the house of an eminent and esteemed Man of God in that same city who was hosting Jesus. 

According to the passage, this “famous sinner” came into the house holding an alabaster box of ointment - the modern equivalent of the most expensive perfume. When she got into the house of Simon the Pharisee, she knelt behind Jesus at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair. She kissed his feet and then poured the perfume on them. While this was going on, Simon the Pharisee made this strong statement to the hearing of all present, “This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent Him, He would know what kind of woman this one is!” If Simon the Pharisee had known that Jesus was sent by God to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), he wouldn’t have made that irrational statement. But reading the passage and knowing Jesus, He had the right response to keep Simon the Pharisee thinking. According to Jesus, the very things the “famous sinner” did to Him the time she had the opportunity to meet Him were the exact things Simon the Pharisee refused to do to Him when He entered his house though it was customary.

This clearly represents two types of Christians: the one who had to find Jesus, and the one who had Jesus all along. 

Most of the Christians we see today who are zealously worshipping the Lord in truth like they have no other option(s) are those who had tried it all. They thought happiness was in a fat bank account, highest academic achievement, luxurious properties, a green alcoholic bottle, the ends of a wrapped paper, between the legs of a woman, watching naked bodies, stealing the hard sweat of others, killing, among many others. At their darkest moment when they thought all was lost, they heard of Jesus. They did all they could to meet Him. And when they did, like the “famous sinner”, they gave their all to show their appreciation to this wonderful man who also gave up everything to reconcile them with their Heavenly Father.

The other Christian who had Jesus all along is the one who may have been introduced to God and church activities very early. He/she may have had Christian parents or siblings or relatives who made it difficult to miss a church meeting or a Christian gathering. Like Simon the Pharisee, most of these people haven’t yet found the value of Jesus in their lives. To him/her, Jesus is like any other prophet/guest and must be treated as such. To him/her, getting Jesus to come around is no big deal so why make a special occasion out of it. And to these people, Jesus says, “I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”

In other words, how our love for God or our worship grows cold or remains constant is dependent on how big/small we saw our sins when we met Jesus. 

For Christians who were like the "famous sinner", they know how big their sins were because they had been judged by the world and by the Word of God. These were the adulterers, fornicators, murderers, serial killers, rapists, armed robbers, terrorists, homosexuals, among others. In the eyes of the world, such people must have no place in society. For this Christian, the gift of Jesus still means the world to him/her. If not for Jesus, he/she would have been lost forever. To that, he/she would do anything to remind him/herself of what Jesus has done for him/her and to also tell others like him/herself who would benefit immensely from Him. 

For Christians who are/were like Simon the Pharisee, they have been living a morally upright life from the very day they were born. Their biggest sin could have been a lie to have a candy or to take the juice from the fridge without telling mum or dad. In the eyes of the world, their little errors change nothing in society because their several good actions outshine those little errors. To this Christian, please carefully consider the next paragraph.

We are not sinners because we committed a sin. No! We are sinners because we are of Adam. The day we accepted Jesus Christ, we were instantly made right with God and were translated from the kingdom of darkness (satan) to the kingdom of light (God). Though most of the people who give their all to worship and serve God in truth are those who feel they were worthless and were on the highway to hell; the truth is, “Every Christian was once worthless and was headed for hell because he/she did not know Jesus Christ and had not accepted Him as his/her Savior and Lord.” It had nothing to do with what we were doing before we met Jesus; it had everything to do with what Adam did. 

If we didn't know Jesus Christ and should have lived a morally upright life before we died, we would have been in hell with the murderer we hated so much for mass killing.

If we can come to understand that we were all on the highway to hell irrespective of the lives we lived before meeting JESUS, our love for God would never diminish. We will keep finding new ways to show our appreciation each day for the gift of JESUS.

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

HOW MY LATE FATHER TAUGHT ME “THE FEAR OF GOD”

LUKE 12:5 (TLB)       But I’ll tell you whom to fear – fear God who has the power to kill and then cast into hell.

It was one cool evening in one of the residential areas in Accra. The sun was slowly being swallowed by the earth. Darkness was gradually taking control of the sky. At the rooftop of my father's house sat my little brother and me as we tried our best to enjoy the boring evening view of this “dry” neighborhood. This happened to be our spot anytime daddy and mummy were busy with visitors, and this evening they happened to have had one and as culture demands from every “good” child, we had to excuse them. Sincerely, being away from daddy especially was a breath of fresh air; especially when he is not in a good mood. With me, daddy was never in a good mood when his children were around him. He always had the face of a man irritated by the presence of houseflies. So, anytime I found myself away from him, it could be compared to that housefly that was so glad that it missed that heavy swat by an inch.

As we enjoyed the view from the rooftop, one of our next-door neighbor’s daughter, the eldest who I happened to be of the same age with, came to join us. Though it was normal for her to come to the house, we were surprised to see her at that particular time since darkness had almost taken control of the sky. We did not complain because we thought she had met dad, mum, and the visitors who were sitting directly facing the gate before coming in. Little did I know that my worst nightmare was to happen in a few minutes.

It is true that time flies when a boy and a girl meet. Unknown to us, we had been at the rooftop till 7pm. This was abnormal because my brother and myself do not usually sit there after 6pm because of mosquitoes. And for some strange reason, we have been there till 7pm. Dad, who was at this time a bit worried, yells my name from where he was sitting. I quickly run off leaving my little brother and the lady.

Thinking I was quick to get to him when he called, I was wrong. According to daddy, he had been yelling for some minutes. I didn’t want to worsen the anger so I quickly apologized. Since he knew that I was there with my little brother, he asked that I called him so we can go and get our favorite Hausa Koko for supper. Now, this is where I made the greatest mistake in my life. Instead of calling my little brother and the lady, my naïve little-self went to call my little brother, who also foolishly left the lady there with the excuse of returning in a minute. The minute we walked out of the gate to go and get the porridge, we knew we were up for trouble. For five minutes we stood in front of the gate wondering if we should go back in and come out with the lady. But the thought of daddy’s mood just made it difficult to accept that option. I called the lady on the phone and asked her to come out so we go and get the porridge together. Without hesitation, she was quick to add that she could not come out because she was also scared of dad. At this point, I wished I had Harry Potter’s invisible cloak.

Then the final option came to mind – “Madam-I-do-not-fear-anything”. If you are guessing who that is, that is the lady’s little sister. Like my brother, she was two years younger and she was scared of nothing. I mean, if Hitler stood at one corner and asked that no one disturbed him with questions and unfortunately for Hitler she had a question, she would disturb him with that particular question till he gives her an answer. And she happened to be a very close friend of my dad because of that. When she comes to the house and meets dad, they could talk like colleagues trying to catch up with life after some years. 

We quickly went to their house to narrate our little “wahala” to her. Without a word, she walked past us, went into our house and within minutes came out dragging her shy sister behind. Embarrassed but glad, we asked her how it went and she just smiled. We laughed it off and went with them to get the porridge. I had totally forgotten that the ladies had set a bomb in the house for me. Again, we took forever buying the porridge. When we had seen the ladies off and finally arrived at our gate, reality hit me like never before. As I stretched my hand to open the gate, my prayer was for my dad to be in the room preparing for bed.

I was very sure the devil had given himself a seat at one side of the house and was sipping on a glass of champagne when I opened the gate and dad was right there facing the gate. In my mind, I had selected a good spot for myself at the Awudome Cemetery, my coffin design and was ready for the death sentence. The first quick strategy was to act like nothing had happened. But daddy was not ready to let this go. He was not ready to let this slide like that. It was the first time his first son had brought a lady to the house at night and he needed to address the issue as a responsible father before his house turns into a brothel in the near future.

DAD: So, you were bold enough to take a lady to my room when I stepped out for some minutes and when I came yelling your name, you told me you were at the rooftop with your brother?

(At this time, my little brother just accepted his role as the victim. He silently took his seat by dad and watched the scene unfold.)

ME: Daddy…

DAD: Shut up!

STEP MUM: O Emmanuel! How can you say that? He wouldn’t do that.

(Anytime mummy comes in, we knew we would walk free. But no! Like I said, the devil was not ready to end his movie too soon for any emergency.)

DAD: Now, if this is the life you want to live, listen to me very carefully. If any lady should call you with a pregnancy report, let these words ring in your ear immediately – I HAVE DISOWNED YOU! Do you hear me?

STEP MUM: O Emmanuel!

To this, my little brother helps him to his feet and escorts him to the room with step-mum following. I stood there and watched them go as if my feet had been held by a shackle. This was the first time my dad was threatening me, and instead of threatening me with death, he rather threatens to “DISOWN/ABANDON”.

The question I asked myself was, “Is dad already fed up with me in his life?”

I was around 13/14years when dad said those words to me. And like magic, those words kept my third leg in check for some good years. The devil created all the avenues for a good show, but each time I thought of those four words, the lady immediately looked like my dad. If you have watched “Truth or Dare”, you would understand me. We would do every other thing but immediately sex came up, I would see dad repeating those words.

Growing up as a Christian, the Lord has used that incident to teach me about the “FEAR OF GOD”. If I was not ready to lose my earthly father by impregnating a lady, then how much more my Heavenly Father? 

According to the teachings of Jesus, the sign of true love for someone is in the keeping or doing of the commandment(s) set by the one you claim to love (John 14:15). And this doing and keeping of commandment(s) totally has nothing to do with what one feels and wants; it has everything to do with what the person one claims to love feels and wants.

What we have ignorantly come to label as “old testament doctrine” is, in fact, the definition of “True Love” biblically. Instead of doing what pleases God, we do what pleases us and claim to love God. Meanwhile, the ABSENCE OF “THE FEAR OF GOD (LOVE FOR GOD)” is the reason we live as we please and not as it pleases God.

To fear God is to love God. To love God is to do as He wishes.

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

JESUS, I WILL TRY AGAIN.

“Sir,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if You say so, WE’LL TRY AGAIN.”

Luke 5:5 (TLB)

Thanks to my step mum, Mama Mercy, I encountered the mercy of God at the age of 12. I officially recited the sinners’ prayer at the then Winners Chapel International Headquarters, now Winners Chapel Ghana. Though I have been going to church since birth, this was a special year and it was all joy for me. I was so eager to work for God that I lied about my age to the Teens’ Department Head of CCU to join the team. Before that, from the day I walked into Winners Chapel with my step mum I had hated children’s service that I mostly spent my offering outside till service ended. If I couldn’t stay with her in the adult service, then it was time to visit the food sellers outside. So, when I finally accepted Christ, I had to find a way to run from children’s service to join the Teens’ Church because it was almost like the main church; they had their own choir, ushers, CCU, etc. Looking back, I really regret running from the children's service. I would have curbed most of the troubles I later encountered in my Christian walk if I had started from the children’s service for the nitty-gritty of Christianity.

Anyway, as a member of the Crown Control Unit (CCU), it was part of my duty to be present always to arrange the chairs before and after service, and to be on watch during service for any strange happenings. The best part of joining the team wasn’t the work, it was the way each member of the team was treated as a member of a nuclear family in the midst of an extended one. One thing most churches today are missing out on strategically. Our team leader was so concerned about each one of us that we just couldn’t miss our meeting day – Saturdays. Though the church met during the week, Saturdays were our official meeting day to prepare for the teens' Sunday service. And these were the meetings our leader, Aaron, will share his Christian faith and some stories to encourage our faith. There were days I had to walk from Mataheko to North Kaneshie industrial area just to join this new family I had found and felt attached to.

Fast forward some months or years later, my dad asked us not to attend any Nigerian church again (I still can’t explain because I still don’t have the full story). Just like that, I was forced to stop attending Winners Chapel. Dad was barely in the country for a month or two, but for some strange reason, I thought he would notice if I disobeyed him. Though I later attended Pure Fire Ministries (I joined them at Circle before they officially moved to their permanent location at Achimota), Foursquare Gospel Church (the Mataheko branch); I did not enjoy the intimacy I had encountered at the Winners Chapel teens' church that shaped and encouraged my faith. At both churches, there was a teen church but again it was nothing like what I had experienced at Winners Chapel. (Please, I am in no way trying to belittle or tarnish the image of these churches; I am only sharing a sincere opinion.)

At this juncture, I had to take my faith journey into my own hands.  And as ignorant as I was then, I tried to make up several rules and vows to keep myself morally correct in the eyes of all.  And as you guessed rightly, I failed at every one of them miserably. The little boy who was then so eager each day to tell others about Christ was now toying with two or more immoralities each day. I was now going to church because it was a requirement at home instead of it being out of eagerness to assemble with other Christian brothers and sisters to share our faith and encourage each other. And, since it was a requirement, I wanted to find a way to make good use of it. Without thinking twice, I decided to make it a preying ground for ladies. At that young age, I had already started drinking alcohol, watching pornography, gambling, etc with no hesitation. I had tasted beer, gin, kasapreko, etc. Twice in JHS, I was caught and punished for drinking alcohol. In JHS 1 for example, I was part of a group of students who were caught for drinking palm wine during “Our Day” (the last day celebration we have at the end of each term). Though we were to face discipline the following term, it didn’t stop me from drinking some more after school. I got home drunk and drowsy. As I made my way into the house through my step mum’s shop which was in front of the main house, I stopped at the exit which led to the main house and slept. Luckily for me, my dad and step mum were in Dubai. My sister took me to the bathroom, bathed me, clothed me, fed me, and asked me to promise her never to repeat it again. My dad died never knowing about it.

What am I driving at with the above story? From the age of 12 till today, I can say I have recited the sinners’ prayer more than ten (10) times. Each time I have vowed to God never to repeat the old life. And like a song on auto-repeat, the same lifestyle is repeated or another thing pulls me back. Sometimes or often than not, the experiences are worse than before. Though I feel disgusted and rejected, I have always sensed the Lord still stretching His hand and pleading with me to come back to Him. There were times I told Him I needed to work on myself before coming back to Him again and all He would say is, “No, come the way you are and let Me do the perfect cleansing.” For the days I refused, I had ended up in the worst state that it again took only His Grace and Love to get me out of those ragged experiences. I have ever since stopped depending on my strength or some rules and regulations to look perfect in the eyes of men. My agenda has and will forever be one – “To please God through Christ”. If along the way I make mistakes or fall out, I will keep trying as long as I can still hear Him calling out for me from the Cross. Like Peter, I will try again because He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me.

If you are reading this and you are thinking you are of no use to God because you have fallen out after making this or that vow or failing to abide by the six hundred or ten commandments, I want to tell you this, “Jesus is still calling out from the Cross. He wants to remind you of the reason He left eternity into time – ‘To save you from your sins.’ He allowed those lashes which ripped the flesh off his back because He was thinking of this moment. He endured the excruciating pain of nails going through his palms to keep yours perfectly opened and sealed to hold on to His love. He hanged on a cross naked to cover yours. The least you can do for Him now is to try again. Do not give up on your faith or on yourself. Ask for His forgiveness and depend on Him to cleanse you. Jesus still loves you. Make that commitment to try again no matter what others will say.”

NB: If you are not depending on the Holy Spirit as a believer, you will always fall no matter the rules or regulations you adhere to. We can do all things through the Spirit of Christ who strengthens us from within, not through rules/vows which strengthens us from without.

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD

WHAT DID YOU SEE/HEAR BEFORE FOLLOWING?

After defeating the devil in the wilderness, we see our Lord Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee and asking certain fishermen to follow him with the hope of making them fishers of men. According to the account of Matthew, after the selection, Jesus gave a long lecture which is recorded in Matthew chapter 5 through to Matthew chapter 7. By Matthew chapter 8, we see Jesus closing service and mingling with His congregants as He descends from the mountain. We also see several healing testimonies until we get to the eighteenth verse of Matthew chapter 8.  All this while, the Bible stresses the fact that He was being followed by a crowd and His disciples.

Now at the shores of the same sea of Galilee where He called certain people to follow Him, He asks to be transported to the other side (Matthew 8:18). To this, a Scribe, who was also following Him, quickly opts to follow Jesus on the trip. And Jesus’ quick response was, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then, another of the disciples asked for permission to go and bury his father. In other words, he should be permitted to go home for his inheritance before he embarks on the journey. To this, Jesus said, “Follow Me and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” 

Before we continue, let me quickly share Jesus’ responses to these two men from the message bible. It will bring home what I have to share.

MATTHEW 8:20 (MSG)

Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”

MATTHEW 8:22 (MSG)

Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow Me. Pursue life.”

Wow! Anyway, my point of interest in this passage is found in the 23^rd verse of Matthew 8. The Bible says, "When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him." This verse got my attention. As I meditated on it, I said, "What happens after this decision cannot be the fault of Jesus, but those who chose to follow Him." Jesus never pointed or called out specific names to join Him in the ship/boat. He made a general call like any evangelist would. But, His statements to the two men needed to be pondered on before making the decision.
When Jesus sat in that boat/ship, He was saying, “If after hearing all that I said minutes ago, you still feel/know that you are ready to ride and die with me on this journey, join me. If not, please stay here or go back home.” The few who thought they were ready quickly made their way into the boat/ship. Every single being on that boat/ship was there because he/she wanted to. None was forced.  None was called. None was bribed. Everybody was there at his/her own will. Why they were there were either based on what they thought they had heard or what they thought they had seen in Jesus.  

Like the scene in Titanic, they wave their wives, children, friends, and relatives goodbye. The journey was calm until the inevitable happens. A violent storm arose on the sea so that the boat was being covered by the waves. As human as they were, they became terrified. They began to question their decision. Were they right when they accepted to follow this weirdo who performs miracles and speaks at length of a mysterious kingdom they knew nothing about? Were they hypnotized? Where is the man we got into this boat with? Where is He? Hasn’t He heard our screams? Hasn’t He sensed our fear? 

As they quickly searched the boat/ship, they annoyingly find this weird man comfortably sleeping. What they thought was about to be the cause of their death was this man’s rocking chair. Like a baby, He was enjoying the way the waves kept swaying the boat on its axis. (I am very sure they were ready to throw Him into the sea like it was done to Jonah. That wouldn’t have been wrong because He later said He was greater than Jonah.) Since that was a bad idea, they decided to wake Him up and let Him know the situation at hand.

Jesus woke up and all He could say was, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” The message bible puts it this way, “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then He got up from His comfortable bed and rebuked the winds. Immediately He rebuked the wind, the sea was totally calm. (NB: He did not stay in bed to rebuke the wind when He woke up. No! He got out of bed and rebuked the very wind which was rocking Him to sleep because of the faint-hearts He had on the journey.) They couldn’t believe it. What did they just see? Were they seeing right or were they dreaming? Did they really hear those words from His mouth? A man can actually speak to the elements of this world for them to comply? Why didn’t they think of that? 

I can go on and on with this passage. But I am very sure most of you got the head and tail of this article halfway through it. For those who didn’t, all I am saying is this, “Before you chose to follow Jesus, He told you the advantages and the disadvantages. He did not compel or bribe you to follow Him.  He did not promise you riches or an extravagant lifestyle. One thing we are sure of is this: JESUS IS IN THE BOAT WITH US. He may not be visible or in plain sight, but He is around. He may be sleeping but He is on the boat. The boat may toss and turn, but He is in the boat with us. The boat may have the waves entering, but He is in the boat with us. Do not question your conviction. Do not question your decision. He is in the boat with YOU. Whatever you saw and heard is true and if you would stay in the boat with Him, you will see and touch them when you get to the other side. Do not accept those evil thoughts of jumping out of the boat. You cannot swim back to the shore. You may get there, but the fact is: it would be your lifeless body. Stay! JESUS IS IN THE BOAT WITH YOU. If your faith is wavering, just call Him; He knows what you must say and do. Jesus is in it with you until you get to the other side.”

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

JESUS IS EVERYTHING

“Would you mind going to church with me this Sunday?” I asked. The question was directed to my cousin. I did not know whether to call her a Christian or a churchgoer. She never missed Friday All Night Services at any church, but would never go for a Sunday service or any teaching/worship service or program. If it were a prophetic prayer meeting, it was a big plus for whoever invited her. If the focus of the service isn’t prayer, she was not interested. So, asking her to join me for service on a Sunday was not just weird, it was completely off her books.

All she could say was, “Sunday would be a problem, but I wouldn’t mind joining you for any prayer meeting on a weekday, especially Friday All Nights.” Per her understanding, there is a big difference between a prayer meeting and any other church service/program. And surprisingly it is the understanding some "Christians" sadly carry around today.

Unbeknownst to Christians, the church has found a formula to solve every possible problem any Christian can ever think of. As a matter of fact, most church members already know which Psalm or passage in the Bible to read when in trouble, in need, sick, vulnerable, etc. For some bizarre reasons, the spiritual or “Christian” cure to every problem in the 21^st Century Church is PRAYER. If the problem is weighed and found to be weightier than imagined, the next additional drug to complement PRAYER is a three (3) or seven (7) day dry fast with some minutes or hours of worship and praises. For others, some days or weeks or months away from family, friends and loved ones on some mountain without food is the greatest solution. And to show how important these activities – PRAYER, FASTING, RETREAT, etc – play in the lives of Christians, not only do pastors or spiritual leaders preach them as the only solution, but the acclaimed gospel musicians also compose songs to emphasize these teachings as well. One of my favorites was “PRAYER IS THE KEY.”

PRAYER is the Key.

PRAYER is the Key.

PRAYER is the Master Key.

Jesus started with Prayer,

And ended with Prayer.

PRAYER is the Master Key.

Raise that song among zealous prayer warriors and like a wild spark close to a leaking gas you would set the whole room on fire. For the next hour or more, you should be ready for heavy tongues that can make any demon mistake the sound from that meeting space as the sound from the last day trumpet. No witch or wizard in their unstable evil mind would even dare to come anywhere close to the vicinity than to the building where the meeting is taking place. And after whatever number of hours spent in prayers, the men and women in that room would ignorantly trust that their effort and long hours spent in prayers would surely expedite the answer to any prayer request raised during that prayer meeting.

Brothers and Sisters, if PRAYER is the Key or Master Key, who is JESUS? Was JESUS lying when He said He is the way, the truth, and the life? If not, why are we giving more attention to activities in the Kingdom of God instead of Jesus? Why are we looking unto Prayer, Fasting, Worship, Praises, Retreats, etc for solutions instead of Jesus Christ? Why do we think performing activities in the Kingdom is the key to getting anything in the Kingdom of God when God said He has already placed these things in Jesus Christ? Wouldn't it be wise for us to spend more time with the gift keeper to get the gifts than to struggle by ourselves hoping to get it? Are we not twisting the truth? Are we not twisting the way? And are we not twisting the life?

Until we know Jesus, nothing is relevant. And I mean absolutely nothing in the Kingdom of God is relevant. If we do not know the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our numerous activities – the long hours of prayers, fasting, retreats, singing of worship songs, praises, bible studies, etc, are all absolute "rubbish". We are not Christians because we follow laws or principles in the Kingdom or perform some activities; we are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying that prayer, fasting, retreats, worship, praises, bible studies, etc are not relevant. I am saying they are worthless when they are performed outside the knowledge or revelation of Jesus Christ.

I am a spiritual son of a prayer and fasting machine. I am a prayer warrior who used to judge my spirituality and the spirituality of others by the number of kingdom activities I or they perform daily until the Holy Spirit enlightened the eyes of my understanding. The key isn’t the activities, THE KEY IS JESUS. And until we know Jesus, our kingdom activities aren’t different from the rituals a fetish priest/Muslim/Buddhist/Hindu performs daily.

We do not pray to get things, we pray to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship.  We do not fast to expedite answers to prayer requests, we fast to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship. We do not go on retreats to become God’s favorite child, we go on retreats to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship. We do not worship and praise the Lord to trick Him to answer our selfish desires, we worship and praise the Lord to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship.
If the focus is not to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship but to satisfy our selfish desires, we have totally lost the focus of these kingdom activities; and we are no different from the members of other religions.

JESUS is the Key.

JESUS is the Key.

JESUS is the Master Key.

God started with JESUS,

And will end with JESUS.

JESUS is the Master Key.

Prayer is not the key. Fasting is not the key. A retreat is not the key. Worship is not the key. Praises are not the key. Bible studies are not the key. Church activities are not the key. Stop worshipping activities and start looking unto JESUS. JESUS is the Key. JESUS is the Door. JESUS is the Doorknob. JESUS is the Path. JESUS IS EVERYTHING. 

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

GO OUT THERE AND FIND THEM

In the book of Luke, chapter 15, our Lord Jesus shares three powerful parables. One had to do with the lost sheep out of a hundred which was later found by the owner, the lost coin out of ten which was also later found by the owner, and the last but not the least being the lost son out of two who was later found by His Father.

Reading this chapter of Luke, one can accept or agree that the Kingdom of God is more of a “Search Organization” whose joy is dependent on its ability to find the lost and not the fact that it is an organization.

For example, Fanmilk Ghana was not primarily set up to create jobs for the unemployed as it does; it was created to produce specific products which are sold purposefully for profit. Though it is creating a solution to a national problem, if it doesn’t fulfill its primary objective, it would not be able to sustain this secondary solution (creation of employment) it has brought. Concentrating on the secondary and yet ignoring the primary always results in the collapse of the established company.

And that is gradually unfolding in the Church today. The Church is not meant to be a static organization or being who is fully concentrated on him/herself but one fully dedicated to the “Lost & Found” system as the Father is. Like the characters described in Luke 15 by Jesus Christ, THE FATHER’S DESIRE is to find the LOST. 

Reading Luke chapter 15 verse 11 to verse 32, I was forced to find an interest in the elder brother described in the book by our Lord and Master Jesus. I believe our Lord Jesus was trying to describe a group of people the church today is slowly imitating unaware of the dangers he stands to face. And these are the Pharisees and Scribes who took offense that Christ was receiving/entertaining publicans and sinners (Luke 15:1-2).

In the Parable of the Lost Son, we are introduced to a wealthy family of three – a father and two sons. At some point in their life, the younger brother is believed to have asked his father to give him his portion of the inheritance. We cannot tell if he was scared that, his father was immortal or he may die before his father. For some weird reason, he just wanted to have his inheritance and start something on his own. (Let us imagine Prince Charles asking Queen Elizabeth to abdicate so he can be a King before he dies.)

Anyway, his father agreed and freely gave him his portion of the inheritance. As the story progresses, we are told how he left home and squandered the inheritance with no investment. The once rich man who had it all became a poor boy with nothing to eat except the food he fed the swine he was looking after. 

Back at home, we see the Father of this young man, who was now living miserably, waiting patiently for his son. All the Father did, day and night, was to hope for the day his son would walk back the same road he used when he left home. For the elder brother, he went about his father’s other business – he was busy in the field. He failed to recognize the true heart desire of his father.

The story takes a different turn when the young man realizes an important fact – Though he was now poor, dejected, rejected, and hungry, he was still the child of a rich man. To this, he prepares a beautiful speech for his father and begins his journey home.

As usual, the father was watching but this time his heart desire came to pass. He saw his son from afar heading towards the house. Like a couple who have been in a long-distance relationship for years seeing each other for the first time, the father runs out to welcome this very son who disrespected him by asking for his portion of his inheritance and now returning after being heavily beaten by life. Instead of the father lambasting him, he hugged and kissed him like a newly born child.

The young man quickly tries to make use of his father’s compassion to ask for employment, but to his surprise, his father treats him like a son who has only returned from a stressful journey which almost cost his life. 

But, this beautiful picture is almost trashed when the elder brother comes back from his usual fieldwork to be told that the sound of celebration he hears and is asking about is from the party his father has organized for his younger brother who has finally returned home.

Do you know that, according to the Bible, this elder brother was ready to stay out of his father’s house because of the pain he had against his younger brother? Did you notice that though his father made a point of him having all the inheritance and the importance of him accepting the return of his brother, the story never said that he finally went into his father’s house? (Luke 15:25-32)

Anyway, I believe Jesus Christ, through the above parable and the others in Luke chapter, spoke directly to the publicans and sinners, and also to the Pharisees and the Scribes.

To the publicans and sinners, that is the younger brother out there who feels rejected, dejected, poor, and spiritually hungry, Jesus Christ is saying, “Your Heavenly Father is still here looking for you. Just make the journey back home. Make that decision to go back and he will be there to welcome you this very minute. He doesn’t care about the mistakes but he surely cares about what you have been through. He is ready for your return. He wants you to know that you are still a child of the Most High God. And He truly loves you as you are.”

To the Pharisees and the Scribes, the judgmental church who is comfortable being the only one in the Father's house, that is the elder son, I believe Jesus is saying, “Instead of being judgmental, concentrate on the father’s desire to find your lost brothers, and not just working the field. Be like Jesus, the apostles, etc, go out there and remind your lost brother of his father’s love. Do not just talk about the Father's love to him, demonstrate it to him. It is about time we take our cross. It is about time we start focusing on the main assignment. Many will hate you, but one thing is sure, your inheritance is still intact with the Father. Stop being angry and bitter at the error of your younger brothers. Go out there and find them.”

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.