Crazy wish, you think, or maybe I’m insane, right? But truth be told, that is what I really want to see and have. Yea! I really mean it. I want them all, I mean all my loved ones, dead, yes completely dead.
Well, don’t blame me simply because I love them this much. I wish I could even do better by loving them more, just as Christ does. Yes, it is Paul, the Apostle that propped me up and thus leaving me with no other option than this best wish of mine for them all – the best prayer ever. In Romans 6:11, Paul admonishes: “So consider yourselves dead…” (God’s Word Translation)
You see, I have simply come to apologize today. I want to apologize to the youth of this generation. On behalf of our parents, my predecessors, my committee of friends, and myself, I stand to really apologize today. Yes, my committee of friends because ninety-eight percent of them are ministers of the gospel, or at least so they profess.
Isn’t that supposed to be awesome, wonderful and great a thing? Shouldn’t I be happy, with my shoulders raised high that I keep company with the best crop of men on earth? Are we not supposed to be great role models for this generation? But sorry, that is so very far from the truth; we have all failed this generation.
We have failed them for not giving them the true and the undiluted milk of the spirit. Instead, we are busy lining our pockets with wealth that is created at the expense of the poor, dying, and perishing souls. We care less about their souls. As long as they can give to create and maintain our empire of wealth, whatever happens to their souls is not our business.
We fail because the gospel of truth and holiness are no more a part of our Church systems. Lest we offend someone, these have since been relegated to the back pew and replaced with feel-good messages of limitless grace; the type of grace that condones your active sin nature, and generously rewarding you for them all.
Consciously wallow in sin from Monday till Saturday, just come to Church on Sunday and tell God you are sorry for all those sins and it is over. Go back home and begin another cycle of sinning on Monday through Saturday; as long as you can pay your tithe and give good offerings, God’s grace is still sufficient unto you sounds like the winning message of the day.
I have come to apologize to you guys because we have failed to lead by example. We have not been able to truly showcase God’s love to humanity in our neighborhood. Taking care of the poor, the needy, and the widows amongst us is an ancient saying; it is as old as Methuselah, and thus, not modern enough for our civilization. God loves a cheerful giver – as long as the giving is to our benefit – is what we seem to project to the masses.
We have failed to let our light so shine for all to see, rather we resort to infighting, division and more segregation within the body of Christ. No! Did I just say “the Body of Christ”? The Church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be the agent of unification and bonding, but now we the leaders; alas “Christians” have turned it into agents of factions and segregation.
We are busy practicing “Churchianity” instead of “Christianity”. Churches are helping families grow apart rather than bonding them together. Brothers don’t see brothers eye to eye again because of denominational boundaries.
The highest record of divorce in our society is found in the Church. Our Churches are filled with professional Christians instead of true believers. They are eloquent walking bibles that speak fluent “Christianese” but their hearts are very far away from God.
I’ve come to apologize because there is no love lost between my fellow pastors and myself as I see them as rivals rather than co-laborers in the Kingdom. I see them as coming to steal my customers away from my money making venture called “Church”. Holiness has since been thrown to the backdrop, while falsehood and sugar coated lies are at the steering wheel of our Churches.
I apologize because the Church has long lost her influence, authority, and place of prominence in our societies and polity. There is no power in the Church any longer because we have completely removed God out of the equation while gearing up to amass wealth. We are busy stealing in the name of God.
All those stories of the miraculous that we read on the pages of the scriptures sounds too good to be true. You see them as mere folk tales clearly because my committee of friends and myself have failed to live it, demonstrate it, and, or bring it to your full notice and experience. That is why I have come to apologize to you today.
We have failed you because instead of souls, we are busy looking for numbers. We value not the downtrodden, rather, we only value those members that can sponsor us with huge offerings and tithes. We are busy looking for professionals such as medical doctors, not for their salvation, but for their finances.
The idea is that the more of those we have as our members, the heavier our financial returns. So, our messages are only such that pleases our financiers and not what the one who called us (if ever we’ve been called at all) wants us to deliver. We are very careful not to hurt certain people with the messages we deliver, so that we would not end up with lean pockets at the end of it all – pitiful.
I apologize because we make you feel that Church is all about the music, fine dresses, offerings and having a good time. We make you believe that it is merely a place to simply socialize and get to know people for greater connections. One of those rites that make you look good, and or feel good.
A greater number of us do not even believe in whom we tell you God is, or what we tell you He can do. We don’t live it, practice it, demonstrate it, showcase and or exhibit it. I sincerely apologize for this; indeed, God is and shall ever remain who He says He is, irrespective of what we say or believe.
I truly have come today to tell you the truth that it does not matter what we the Church leaders say, think or believe; it does not matter what we do, or how we live; it does not matter the examples (good or bad) that you may see amongst us, God is still God and His words are yes and amen.
He wants us all to be completely DEAD to sin. To be dead to sin simply means that we become masters over our sinful nature. We no longer live to satisfy our flesh and its lusts. All we desire is to please God whether we are alone, far away from where anyone else knows us, but Him (God), or in the most hidden places of this world. Whether we live in a society where sin is the norm, we would simply be the only odd men out – Daniel 1:8, because we are truly dead to sin.
We have failed both God and you because there is no difference between the world and us (the Christians) anymore. Our utterances are not seasoned; our reasonings are not refined, and our actions are so unbecoming of our calling.
Messages of the cross are nowhere to be found near our Churches. Holiness is a complete alien to our teachings; and grace is being distorted to suit our immoral living – but shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (Romans 6:1-2)
In fact, the Church is to blame for all the problems of the world. The reason is that, my friends, the Church leaders, workers, ministers, pastors, alas, Christians are not yet DEAD. Yes, you heard me right. Seriously, I mean for us all to be completely dead for real. If we were truly dead to sin, the Church would not have lost her powers, influence, and authority over our societies; and things would be pretty different (in the right direction) by now – Proverbs 29:2.
Our Christianity have long been defeated by the quest for denominational loyalty. The Presbyterian do not value the Assemblies as fellow Christians, and the Pentecostals see the Baptists as knowing absolutely nothing about God. One faction believes that they are better than the other. They see others as being very far away from God, and thus, shall not inherit heaven, and vice versa. What a pity!
Instead of preaching the ABC of the gospel – repentance for salvation – we are busy analyzing to know whether Jesus Christ was Black or Caucasian. We are busy trying to amaze people with our brilliant analysis of why Jesus was not born on December due to our ardent study and knowledge of seasons in that part of the world. We are busy discussing why Saturday or Sunday worship is not the right form of worship as if that is what really matters with Christ.
No wonder, Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthian Church said, “because you’re still influenced by your corrupt nature. …aren’t you acting like sinful humans?” (1 Corinthians 3:3-4 (GW)). What he suggests here is that segregation; division, envy, and strife can only be seen amongst carnal minded people – a people that are not yet dead to sin.
Once we are truly and wholly dead, denomination, creed, race and or status shall never be a barrier anymore. We shall all heed the biddings of Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 1:10, – “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” – irrespective of whether we are Assemblies, Baptist, Pentecostal, Caucasian, Black, Chinese, etc.
This attitude indeed is a necessary condition for our world to become what God created it for to be – the best place to live in. This is the perfect condition for the miraculous. Until the Church truly becomes the “BODY of CHRIST”, and Christians everywhere irrespective of race and creed are true to their calling, we cannot and shall not be able to live, operate, exhibit and or showcase life in the miraculous.
It is time for the Church to rise up and possess her possession. She must take back her rightful place of authority and influence in our societies and polity. This is why I earnestly pray for all my friends to be dead; yes, completely DEAD To SIN.
