‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the
Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were
given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)
‘’ likewise
also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they
sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of
Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them
all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).
Lesson 3 – Attention and devotion to material things above the spiritual
In the days of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, the people who perished were
totally involved in material things and matters: ‘’ they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, and they built.’’
They had virtually no time for God, had no time for spiritual things and
matters and they were so engrossed in material values that they did not
entertain any suspicions that they would not see the light of another
day. They lived as if they would live forever on earth.
It is
happening today in this Last Day. Too many people are so engrossed with
their work, jobs, businesses, hobbies, pleasures and plans that will
perish at the expense of spiritual matters that have eternal values and
will determine the eternal destination of the souls of men.
Too
many people including Christians have entangled themselves with the
affairs of the world. The Rapture of the Saints is the next major event
being expected. Yet the Church and Christians are too busy pursuing
earthly matters and acquiring material resources and are not preparing
for the impending Rapture of the Saints.
The propagation of the
gospel surely needs money. The ministry of the Lord Jesus was supported
by people who gave their substance to support and promote the gospel
(Luke 8:1-3) but money should not become the driving force and
controller of the church. The issue of money and how it is raised is
making the Last Day church to become indecent.
God takes delight
in our prosperity and interested in our material wellbeing but not at
the expense of the wellbeing of our immortal souls (Psalm 35:27) (3
John: 2).
Many ministers who should prepare their members for
the Rapture are busy preaching and teaching prosperity messages that
have to do with acquiring earthly riches and earthly comfort at the
expense of heavenly riches and eternal comfort with Christ.
The
church that should be raising more souls for the kingdom of God is more
interested in raising money for the work of God. The church is busy
setting up commercial businesses and building gigantic cathedrals mainly
for show and for vain glory but are not investing in, and are not
preparing the immortal souls of their members for eternity with Christ.
In this age, the church is worshiping the idols of gold. In the church,
it is not enough to have an anointing as an anointing without visible
financial prosperity is regarded as a poverty anointing and despised.
Many pastors are servants of gold and silver who have charismatic
showmanship but lack character. They have Jezebels singing in their
choir and Delilah as ushers and the preachers accommodate them because
they love it so.
Many ministers take delight in how many millions
of persons were gathered in one sitting which decides how large the
offerings will be, rather than how many lives are changed and
transformed.
The church is encouraging materialism, extravagant
and flamboyant lifestyles and immoral values (Romans 16:18). Church
positions are reserved for the highest bidders as financial
considerations rather than spiritual consideration is the yardstick.
The Church is purchasing private jets mainly to boost its ego and for
pleasure trips around the world and to announce its arrival as a
successful ministry. Success in ministry is now measured by material
acquisitions in the modern day church yet many members are poor and
hungry.
In the church, the testimonies that are welcome are
those that are financial in nature while those that are spiritual are
looked down upon. Many preachers are preaching fanciful topics to
a congregation whose lives are bound in sin and iniquity when Jesus
basic mission is the deliverance of lives from the power and bondage of
sin (Matthew 1:21) (John 3:16).
Rather than preach first the
kingdom of God and its righteousness, these ministers place the cart
before the horse focusing on seeking first the financial benefits of the
Kingdom above its righteousness.
Rather than focus their
preaching on salvation topics that affects the immortal soul such as
sin, eternal death, Hell, holiness and righteousness, restitution and
purity, they focus mainly on a bread alone message: financial prosperity
and success on earth for the mortal body that will perish in the grave
(Matthew 4:4).
Is it not a spiritual fraud to be collecting
offerings from lost souls deceiving them to believe that money offerings
to God is adequate to be in right standing with Him and believe that
earthly riches and comforts is what salvation is all about?
The
church now preaches a ‘cash and carry gospel’ that has converted it to a
business center or a place of merchandising where money making
activities are conducted through the commercialization of the gospel
(Mark 11:17) (John 2:16) contrary to being a house of prayer.
The church is no longer committed to evangelistic activities to bring
the lost into the kingdom of God but are bringing them into the church
and making them candidates fit for eternal hell through false teachings,
making money from them at the expense of their salvation.
The
church is no longer a place of succor for the oppressed but a place
where heavier yokes are placed on the oppressed to fleece them of their
resources.Many ministries were deliberately set up for the
selfish interest of making money. Proceeds of crime and blood money from
abominable activities such as robbery and prostitution are collected as
offerings in churches. The god of mammon now rules the church (Matthew
6:24).
The schools owned by the churches are charging prohibitive
fees and are generally more expensive than government owned schools.
The fees charged by church owned schools are so high that most of their
members and clergy cannot afford to pay the fees for their children.
Holiness teachings are fast going out of fashion and are being despised
as unpopular. Many Christian believers have no fruits to show for all
their years in the church, only the leaves. Holiness and love for the
brethren is totally lost in the lives of many Christians yet holiness
and love are among the criteria for eternity with Christ (Hebrews 12:14)
(Matthew 22:37-39).
They have material wealth to flaunt –
beautiful houses, cars and wardrobes; high sounding titles and positions
of authority and fantastic church buildings that many admire - that are
leaves but not the fruit that Christ is expecting.
In the days
of the apostles in the Book of Acts, gospel sermons ended with altar
calls where many were led to submit their lives to Christ ( Acts 2:38).
In the church today, gospel messages end with ‘sowing seeds’ where
different denominations are called and many rush to the altar to make
pledges and donations in exchange for some miracle. Gospel messages in
many churches now end with a donation and money collection campaign.
In the church today, God’s ability to answer prayers is attached to the
ability of the congregation to give Him money. Many steal to buy their
way into positions and places of favour in the church. Many pastors now
engage in a ‘pull-him-down’ syndrome to occupy the positions and offices
of others where money can be made.
The ‘cash and carry’ gospel
is fast turning the church to a den of thieves and robbers (John2:16).
If men can buy their way into positions in the church, can they buy
their way into heaven? The church is not lacking in crowds but
the members are church sinners and are not a congregation of saints. The
church has many gigantic cathedrals where worshippers swarm like bees
but crimes and evil increases daily.
There is too much
wickedness and idolatry going on everywhere including the church. The
church has too many miracle workers yet the souls of men are not changed
and transformed. Many come to church but do not change from their old
ways. They are in church but are not in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Not many preachers are telling their congregation what Ezekiel 18:4
says that the soul that sinneth shall die. Not many preachers are
teaching their members what Hebrews 12:14 says that ‘follow peace with
all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.’’
Not many preachers are teaching their members to observe all things that
Christ commanded (Matthew 28:20 but are teaching a watered down,
one-sided gospel that benefits the mortal body but neglects and
jeopardizes the eternal destination of the immortal soul.
Ayodele Adegbulugbe.
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com Lagos, Nigeria.
