THE MESSAGE,THE MESSENGER AND MATERIALISM - Femi Obadun

THE 21^st CENTURY CHURCH: 
True messages are inspirations from God, conveyed through His chosen ones to the people who are his creations. Such messages have power to change lives and restore destinies. They are hot and piercing, and yet very gracious and soothing to hungry souls. They must also come accompanied with the seal of the King of Kings upon them - this implies that whenever and wherever these heavenly backed messages are being delivered, they must result in healing, salvation, deliverance and great blessings for the people. But bearers of torches that produce light capable of exposing the dark secrets of men, must hold it firmly in their pulpits with focus, without fear, favour or prejudice. Jeremiah, the prophet of old was admonished not to be afraid of the faces of the people to whom he has been sent (Jer.1.8). In the same manner, the Lord is also telling you today to deliver your message, not considering the threats or fearing any face. But you are at all times expected to be of good outward character, inward holiness, a person of unquestionable integrity and not a slave to gains or materialism. Your welfare and comfort should not be placed above the pursuit of your vision. Every God’s given vision usually at the onset must come accompanied by depressing challenges and gruesome aches, but in spite of the hazards, the Lord had made

adequate preparations for you ahead of the journey, and that as you progress, so also would the Father be unfolding his plans to you in sequence. Therefore, move forward. But alas, many amidst us today have forcefully engaged an unwilling horse in this highly spiritual and sacrificial journey of grace. The Bible describes such self appointed King’s messengers as wells without water and clouds carried by the tempest (2 Peter 2:17). They have no clear vision; some do not even understand what it means to have a vision. The messages proceeding from their fireless pulpits are lifeless like empty rifles. The sound from their pulpit can induce you to sleep even well than when you use the best sedative ever produced. They do not have any passion for unsaved souls who are flocking around them daily. They do not have the key to unlock the misfortune of those looking up to them, yet they keep on with their drama in their pulpits year in year out, claiming that they have the key to unlock success to their brain washed listeners. They possess no zeal for the gospel of repentance and peace, no sense of urgency for the King’s only business which is to bring sinners on their knees before Him in genuine repentance, they hold no stake in the kingdom of God and care little for their sheep. Their attitude is all selfishness and feeding their belly is their only desired end (Phil 3:19). It may take their followers and onlookers several years to discover that the parcel wrapped with the heavenly - like material they are showcasing before their hearers did not originate from the palace of the Most High, for it is full of scorpions, rattlesnakes and other poisonous materials. But one day, the dark secret will come to the public glare and then shame and regret must follow. They are therefore urged to retrace their steps and seek genuine repentance, otherwise when the hammer of God falls, it may be too late to seek reparations. Our people ought to be led aright and not astray.

Some true messengers are out there still, but they have embarked on wrong missions. Many might have been called and equipped to be evangelists, missionaries, businessmen, civil servants, politicians and lawmakers etc, but they have made themselves Pastors, Reverends, Prophets and Apostles or even Bishops either in an established Church or in their own small or big congregation. Jonah, though a true prophet of God, went on a wrong mission (Jonah 1:1-17). He, at a particular instance, headed towards Tarshish instead of Nineveh where God had sent him originally (please note that ‘’Tarshish” does not only represent a location but also a wrong allocation of God’s gifts, talents and anointing). Jonah followed his own plan and that landed him in the belly of the fish for 3 days (which represents a dark state of stagnation, weakness or of no momentum, stunted growth, depression, poverty, sadness and struggle). Many of our brothers and leaders are presently in this state and they may be there for years until they realize that they are in a wrong location and then bid farewell to Tarshish. If Jonah’s high headedness had not been motivated by lewdness and filthy lucre and yet he suffered that way, how much more of such a suffering do you think that those amidst us nowadays, whose primary motive behind this mass shift, is love of fame and strong desire for materialism would experience?
 Materialism turned Gehazi, the servant of Prophet Elisha into a leper and he lived with it the rest of his life even up till his subsequent generations (2kings 5:26-27). Judas Iscariot betrayed our blessed Savior and later committed suicide because of his uncontrollable desire for money, (Acts1: 16-20). What a sad end for the one who also had the opportunity to die as a saint! But even among us today, there are many who are not only on the right mission, but even provisions for the task have been poured on them from heaven. But they have failed to acknowledge that the provisions, like the manna in the wilderness are gotten through the grace and anointing bestowed upon them, and so are meant chiefly for the expansion of His kingdom, not for the satisfaction of self by trying to create heaven on earth through riotous opulence and sumptuous, everyday feasting like the rich man in Jesus time. Some have even forgotten those days when they use to fast for days on end and that, though the only food available to break the fast was mixture of garri and coconut water; yet, power was made available to them as a result of those self denials. But they have now become too comfortable and don’t know how to fast and stay all night praying anymore! However, let them beware, lest they are overtaken completely by the craftiness of the devil which mostly comes into successful ministries through money, fame and power. Those who wear the mantle of His grace should never forget that one day they shall give account of their stewardship in details .Therefore, let us continue to do the Master’s work by laying aside personal interests, covetousness and fame seeking. Materialism has eaten deep into our services. Our worship have been tainted and thus corrupted by this cankerworm. The love of money has been given priority over the love of God in every aspect of our daily lives. He is therefore solemnly calling us all at this moment to lay aside every weight and sins which easily beset us and of greed, and run with patience and integrity, the race of our high calling that has been set before us. We should not delay to do restitutions where applicable, so as to allow the flow of His affection fill our hearts once again, for the day of reckoning is very near. Indeed, it is even at the door. Be ready. The Father loves us all with everlasting love!