Good morning friends. I have been thinking about the spate of killings and deaths in the country. I am convinced that it is a spiritual attack (without absolving the human beings that have offered their bodies to be used of guilt). I believe that whatever physical efforts are being put in place should be backed up with spiritual efforts (prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, giving etc) and vice versa. I know it's a sign of the end times but the end time prophecies aren't all doom and gloom. You can shine as a light in this dark and perverse generation.
To shine, you NEED to be led by the Spirit of God. Your best way to fellowship with the Holy Spirit is to fellowship with God's word. I will be touching on a VERY sensitive topic today. I expect a lot of push back but it won't stop me from saying what I'm led to say...
A colleague whom I know is the epitome of "My pastor said" made a statement that shocked me. He is one of those that will say "My pastor said" a minimum of 3 times per paragraph. So, you can imagine my shock when he finished one of his long sermons with "It's not every (church) program that you should attend"...
When Israel came out of bondage and watched the chariots of Pharaoh and their horsemen perish in the sea, Moses sang a song of victory. In that song, he made reference to his father's God. That's the way many believers relate with God. He is their (spiritual) father's God, ie God is their Grandfather. They need to maintain their relationship with their (spiritual) father to maintain their relationship with God. No wonder they easily strayed away from God whenever their relationship with Moses was strained/stressed.
Moses got to know God as His Father quickly. That is why we're told in Psalms that Moses knew the WAYS of the Lord whereas the Israelites only knew His ACTS. Moses cultivated his relationship with the Most High, the people of Israel told God to speak with Moses and they'll listen to whatever He told Moses.
David experienced God as his...The Lord is MY Shepherd, He is MY Shield, By MY God etc litter the book of Psalms. He discovered Yahweh as His own. It didn't matter to David if Eliab considered God able to deliver Israel from Goliath. It did not matter to David that Saul did not trust the God of Israel to deliver them from Goliath of Gath. All he knew was that God was on his side and that was enough. He did NOT use Saul's armor in that battle, though Saul offered it. Imagine if he went to battle with that armor and got the victory. I believe Saul's armor would have become an object of worship just like some cannot leave home without their "annointing oil" or handkerchief or the special award they received from the man of God in recognition of their dedication to the ministry.
If you recollect, David collected 5 stones and only 1 was used to kill Goliath. Who knows what happened to the remaining 4? Who can guess what would have happened to them if the David and Goliath story happened today? Is anyone wondering why a lot of bread sellers are asking where the next TY Bello photoshoot is holding?
As a writer, my imagination is quite active. So, come with me as I imagine Phillip dressing up for "The Greatest Crusade Of Our Time", ministering Apostles Peter, James and John. Notable guest ministers include Lazarus, the man raised from the dead by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Barnabbas, the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Ministering in song - Mary and her Alabaster Box. VVIP - Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, a voice told him "Go to the way called Straight NOW". Imagine him telling the voice that he would go after the program. Imagine him getting there after the program and meeting no one. He would never have known that he just missed the opportunity to meet the Ethopian official and minister the gospel to him and possibly get the gospel to Africa...
Am I saying it's wrong to go for church programs or to follow your pastor's guidance? An emphatic NO....What I'm saying is that you should ensure that you get to know God enough to know when He is leading you to go elsewhere, even if He's the One that sent your pastor to organize the program. He may just have a different assignment for you at that time...It's okay to follow your "father's God" for a while but if after 2 years, He is still your "father's God", dear friend, your growth is stunted. It's time to grow up and learn to hear the Holy Spirit's voice without interference...
Enjoy your day.
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