WHERE ARE GOD’S END-TIME PASTORS?

Copied from church watch in Nigeria
 WHERE ARE GOD’S END-TIME PASTORS?

In recent times, God has been opening the eyes of His true children to see through the hypocrisy and lukewarmness pervading most of our churches today. Before our very eyes, the Pentecostal churches that started as firebrands a few decades ago are now becoming as spiritually cold as the traditional churches we used to derisively describe as ‘Orthodox Churches’.

A lot of sincere believers, in confusion or in disgust, are leaving these decaying churches in increasing numbers daily. As you read this, there are thousands of believers that are sitting at home not attending any church because they are tired of being extorted, and fed with lies in the name of God. There are yet many more that are similarly fed up, but are afraid to leave because they do not know where else to go. “All the churches appear to be the same, and the devil you know is better than the unknown devil”, is the reason a lot of unfulfilled believers give for staying on in dying churches with unrepentant leaders. (There are obviously good churches around, but finding them may be like the proverbial needle in the haystack.)

So, has God, in His infinite wisdom, not made provision for fellowship for the remnant He is weaning from the dying churches? I bet He has! So, where are the churches He provided? Those that God has appointed to lead and shepherd those churches are probably hiding. Hiding under the excuse that the resources they need to start the work are not yet available. My brother, if you are in that situation, please hear this: the resources may never come!

The churches that God will build in this end-time may, generally speaking, not meet in magnificent, opulent venues. They may meet in living rooms, in classrooms, in small halls, etc. God is going to remind the church again that it is not about physical structures – it is about the people. One of the strategies that the devil used to trap pastors in the presently decaying churches is that he took their eyes away from the people, and put their gaze on the magnificence of physical structures. (Remember he also tried to use the lust of the eyes to entice Jesus by showing him the glory of the kingdoms of the world during the temptation in the wilderness – Matthew 4:8). This is why more and more pastors are today diverting their attention and resources to building bigger cathedrals, auditoriums, camps, etc – at the expense of the spiritual and material needs of the souls in the church. Spiritual blindness in high places!

And, in a bid to get the resources for those structures, a lot of our current leaders have compromised their calling. And compromised their message. And that is why they are fast losing relevance in God’s agenda. The simplicity of the Gospel and the opulence of the palace are usually strange bedfellows. Primarily, the Gospel we are given to proclaim is not about physical structures, it is about the heart of people. The churches in western countries made this same mistake many decades ago. And today, most of the magnificent cathedrals/buildings they built are being sold and are being converted into mosques, museums, offices, and even amusement centres! Because there are fewer believers to fill the physical structures they built.

God will not allow the end-time church to fall into the satanic trap of running the church on a business model (as analysed in the article on this link - http://on.fb.me/1K95IYg ). The church of the future will be built on the simplicity that can be conveniently maintained without the ungodly influence of mammon. That simplicity may mean you will not start a new church in an air conditioned hall. It may mean you will not have musical equipment, or even microphones, as you start out. You may not even have any significant weekly offering. But if you stay true to God, you will have the Holy Spirit. And, trust me, HE IS ALL YOU NEED. He will direct the work, and if money is required, HE WILL PROVIDE THE MONEY in a way that will not compromise godliness.

Please permit me to share my personal experience in this regard. For the past two years, I have been a member of such a small congregation. We meet in a small church hall, and have no musical equipment, etc (we have an old keyboard, but no keyboardist, so we play it on auto-music). Yet, without musical instruments, we enjoy tremendous liberty in our praise and worship. The presence of the Lord is clearly felt in our praise when He chooses to manifest Himself tangibly. And it is always a time of refreshing in His presence – some of the best experiences in my entire Christian life.

Obviously, God is more interested in the rhythm of our hearts, than in the rhythm of our drum beats. I am not in any way condemning the use of musical equipment in worship (I’ve also had awesome worship experiences in some assemblies that are blessed with them). My point is that they are side issues in the fundamental matter of worshipping God when we come together in fellowship.

Certainly, it is not worth waiting for material resources while God’s sheep continue to sit at home yearning for churches that understand the mind of God for these evil days. If God has indicated to you to start a church, and you continue to dilly-dally, be you put on notice that God has options. It is my prayer that none of us will be replaced in our end-time assignments – time is short, and there is no time to waste! But it is important to also stress that we must not jump the gun in spiritual tasks, start ONLY when God tells you to start.

If you know anybody that God has called to lead a church at this time, and is foot-dragging because of the issues mentioned here, please be an encouragement to such people. Encourage them to start out in obedience, and in simplicity. Times have changed, and we must adapt to the New Order that God is raising at this end time.

Are you a sheep that is believing God for a new, godly sheepfold? Please purge your heart from the glitz and glitterati that have been annexed to the Gospel. Be willing to settle for the simple. Be willing to condescend to men of low estate (Romans 12:16). There is a reason for why 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 is in the Bible. If the Lord leads you to a church that will start small, please encourage the leaders, and shield them from the pressures that will lead them to succumb to the glittering allure of corporation-style churches. Leaders are human beings, and they need help too. If God wills, He may give a congregation a comfy church building. But it is not a norm in Christianity.

Finally, I am ending this reflection on the positive note that pastors of the future are already aware that not all of them will be financially wealthy. I suspect that most will not be wealthy. At this end time, God is raising lean, mean machines as church leaders. He will meet their needs, but He will shield them from the deadly temptation that is buried deep within the soul of mammon. Those in search of huge money in their calling may be better off forgetting about ministry, and seeking a more lucrative career. The church of the future will be different from the church of today. And the orientation of the leaders will be different too. TIMES HAVE INDEED CHANGED. To remain relevant in God’s plan, please let us go with the flow of the Spirit of God.

BEWARE, MAMMON ON RAMPAGE!

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money" (Acts 8:20). 

Money is good if a man has it, and it could be very frustrating when you don't have it. Virtually everything in today's world has been completely monetized so that it is very difficult if not impossible to meet life's basic needs without money. To get food, clothing and shelter, money has to exchange hands. Today, more than ever before, education, health, and even religion have become costly, and we have to spend so much to get those things we have previously taken for granted. Even water which is abundantly available everywhere through the gracious providence of God has been commercialized and we have to part with money in order to quench our thirst and have our bath. 

But money has also destroyed many lives, wrecked many relationships, corrupted many ministers and Christians, and overthrown many careers in the public sector. Indeed the love and want of money has become the root of all evil and the cause of much error. Furthermore, the unrighteous and unwholesome use of money has brought untold calamities to our world. And until we master money and refuse to become enslaved to it, our world will never know peace and it will be impossible to nurture a healthy society. 

In our text for today, Apostle Peter was about to be corrupted with money. Simon the sorcerer attempted to induce him so that Peter could give to him what was not meant for him. Of course, Peter like any other human being would have needed money. We always need money. But blessed be God that the apostle had mastered money. He was not a slave to gold or silver coins. And so he answered wealthy Simon, "Thy money perish with thee". Our world will be a better place when we have preachers who can tell those who are not living right and are bringing filthy money to the church, "Thy money perish with thee". 

But preachers are not the only problem in our world. Our society will become a better place if we have citizens who can tell corrupt politicians who are offering bribes in order to get votes, "Thy money perish with thee". The place of governance will become sanitised when we have politicians who can tell political godfathers with their filthy wealth, "Thy money perish with thee". We shall succeed in building a just society when we have judges and lawyers who cannot be bought over by corrupt public officials and can say to corrupt politicians, "Thy money perish with thee". 

I tell you, the world will be a better place when we have doctors and surgeons who can tell abortionists and those wanting sex change or any other operation to alter the perfect works of God in the human body, "Thy money perish with thee". The business environment will become admirably decent when we have executives and directors who can tell drug barons and those who have brought profitable business ideas but which will harm the society, "Thy money perish with thee". When our young ladies can stand their ground, and refuse to be slaves to money, then they will be able to say to those men who are old enough to be their father, "I refuse to sell my body for money. Thy money perish with thee". 

Money, I have discovered, is a spirit and it will only respect those who have mastered it and would not be enslaved to it. Jesus said you shall not worship God and mammon. May God give you grace to stand your ground and may the resources you need in life never fail you.