Tales of a boring service

By- Oluseyenla

It was during a Sunday service in a particular church, after every other normal activities and it was time for the Sunday sermon. Normally, everyone was hoping to see the senior pastor mount the podium to minister to the people,but one of the Deacons in the church stood up and marched to the podium. Personally,I didn't see anything strange in this as it is not unusual for an appointed personnel to preach in place of the pastor but I could tell immediately the said Deacon moved forward with his Bible, the whole church atmosphere changed. I could read disappointment on the congregation's faces. This got me curious so gave full attention to what the man is going to say.

The deacon started preaching and fast forward to 25minutes later I couldn't put down a single point into my service jotter. I checked around to see if I was the only one not following, and discovered I was just in the same boat as my neighbours to both left and right.

"Ok,this is not normal" I said to myself, "I've got to put something down as Sunday nugget,at least the topic",this is my usual habit anywhere I worship. I asked my neighbours to help me out with the sermon's topic,the guy to my left told me he had no idea while the other one to my right calmed my nerves when he showed me his jotter, but there it was, blank page! What is this? ...then came this words from the deacon preaching;

"I know I'm wicked, I don't need anyone to tell me.....but what I don't do is taking another man's wife"

Immediately this man said this statement, I heard different sorts sniffing, coughing, sneezing and dragging of chairs from within the church. So confused, I decided to look beyond the distractions and focus on the man on the podium but the more I tried,the more I got lost. Finally,the man announced the end of the sermon and asked the congregation to raise for prayers and thereafter the Senior pastor shared the grace.

I got home,still dazed with my experience at the Church,i started pondering on the possible cause of the 'chaos' at the church,what could be have been wrong with the deacon on the podium? And some answers came to mind: Any man that wants to stand on the podium should be aware of his conducts, within and outside the church.

I could recall that instantly the deacon mounted the podium, everyone started mocking him,that's probably because he has previous records of a form of immorality. It's probably because he's occupying a post he's not fit or perhaps what ever he said was actually what he needed to correct himself. You see,the Scriptures was crystal clear on the fact that before you correct anyone, make sure you are not shooting yourself in the leg. The general notion is, anyone that wishes to mount the podium should be with less blemish if not without.


Nevertheless, the people should know that the Creator is not a man,therefore He doesn't have to think as one. Regardless of the status, class or character of the man on the podium, the Creator can still speak. Be careful.

Devils on Evangelism. Prt1

By -Oluseyenla

The scriptural account of what transpired on the day of Pentecost in the upper-room made to realize that Christianity especially in Nigeria is in trouble. Even though many has persistently and fervently asked for the repetition of this great Christian revolution to reoccur but sadly it they forgot that the Day of Pentecost as we have it in the Scriptures didn't just happened by chance,there were cogent steps taken.

The early church were the ones who worked for the name which the current Church has bastardized, the name "Christian" which means "Christ Like". This early Christians took Christianity to every part of the world which was accessible. The early Christians were not Christians of convenience. For them to have achieved such great feat, which even after thousands of years gone,Christians all over still make reference to that day. In my view, the day of Pentecost was possible because the Apostles were thoughtful of one important detail, I don't believe it was due to the duration of time they spent in the upper-room that helped them, I don't want to buy the idea of maybe it was as a result of the Leader or the anointing of the revivalist that brought about the "hand" of God, No! I believe it was as a result of ONENESS.
      
          ".....and they were in one accord...."

In Nigeria of today, I don't want to go into how many Churches we have currently. We several denominations with diverse rules and regulations. And often time,you see most of this denominations trying to gain more grands and more branches. In the early Church there was nothing like different denomination,the Christians were in one accord.

When you listen to most preachers, they do make reference to the Day of Pentecost that would like to hold another event that'd surpass the initial one,and I laugh when I hear this. It's no gain saying if I say there no single of hope of this Event reoccurring. There is no Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, or Pope can achieve such feat again. Succinctly put,the era to pull this sort of revolution has passed.

The essence of Oneness can never be over-emphasized more importantly when it has to do with receiving some things from God. When the human race was still speaking same language, they decided to build a tower that would get to where God was,they started the process and almost succeed when God decided to disband them by creating confusion between them. God knew that was the only play He could use as that moment if not they'd have achieved their aim. To successfully achieve another day of Pentecost, Christians need something they don't have, Oneness.

Jesus didn't commission the missionaries to go and create brand, He didn't say Christians should raise buildings next to each other and start a competition of who has enough money to buy the most sophisticated equipment in order to oppress the other. The gospel of Christ wasn't about which church has the most branches RCCG or CAC. No, the evangelism He spoke about is clearly different from what we is transpiring now.

This days you hear churches having loggerheads with each other over who came to a location first, is this what evangelism is all about, you see General overseers going to court over what denomination should be own a parcel of land, is that evangelism? And we are now clamouring for day of Pentecost to come. How is that even possible?

Christians this days lack oneness, Christians of now are all about what denomination you routing for, the Christians of now are more of "this is what my Daddy says is right", "My Bishop says this is the correct one". This is what Christians of this era has turned Christianity. A pastor who is suppose to lead his members to God,feed them with the spiritual manna, is the same one that'd be seen "dissing" the other Christian denomination. A scenario whereby Pastor Tunde Bakare condemning Pastor W.F Kumuyi ways of pastoring. This crops 'men of god' people look up to for the way to salvation,are the ones that'll pick up the microphone to nail those Christians found 'guilty' of using jewelries. Summoning all this together, its obvious that current set of Christians are politicians, that has to paint his opponents or rivals black so as to have more members to his church.

I've come to the realization that the current church has missed the call, the sets of evangelists we have now are advertisers, looking for more people to convert to their ways of live instead of searching for unbelievers, those that are yet to know about Jesus, they are busy castigating other Christian denominations.

I don't agree that there are no more sincere evangelists who are still on track but the unfortunate part is that this set of preacher are way down the food chain,they are voiceless, nobody is ready to listen to them. While those with voice are busy politicizing Christianity. I must say the Devil has taken over the Evangelical movement and is currently channeling where and what evangelists says.

Christian leaders should wake up from their slumbering which can be very destructive, leave pointing or demoralizing other denominations, they should face the fact that that are all Christians with the main mission of searching for lost souls and preaching Christ to them,not Church, not doctrine and not Pastor. We can take the movement back from the devil.

Christian leaders and Politics: Journey so far

By- Samuel Alagebe

I have been trying to tell christians that their leaders are nothing but thieves,On the 28th of August 1963, a Baptist Church Pastor led 250,000 (largest crowd in the US capital ever)African Americans to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington to fight for the rights of the Black Man in America. 5 years after, 6.01pm on the 4th of April, 1968, Pastor Martin Luther King was killed for having the audacity to challenge a 140 year status quo. He was killed but today America is a free society. That is faith as exemplified by Christ. Where is the faith of our Bishops and Pastors. Christians should fast and pray today for the nation when we should put action to our faith? Are the pastors not aware that most Nigerians have been fasting for 9 years on less than a $1 a day?

Our Christian leaders are proud to host the President and Governors at their convention rather than confront the system. Can you imagine a rally in Abuja with Anthony Cardinal Okogie, Most Revd Nicholas Okoh, Prelate Makinde, Pastor Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Pastor Sam Adeyemi in the front and we their congregation behind them?

Muhammadu Buhari will take to his heels, remove subsidy, get power sector working. We will effect a 40year change in 4 hours. Acts of the Apostles is a compendium of actions and not fasting of the Apostles.

We are the salt of the earth, salt must enter the hot stew and dissolve to sweeten the cooking. I am not fasting today, I need a march led by our Christian leaders. There is a price to freedom that the church alone can and must pay for our nation to move forward.lets make it work.

#SouthernKaduna is under siege by marauding Fulani Herdsmen .

Churches are being burnt to the ground . Christians are being killed wantonly .

Where are the Knights of St Mulumba and St John and St Christopher?

Where is Father Ejike Mbaka ?

Where is Bishop Isaac Idahosa ?

Where is Reverend Kumiyi ?

Where is Reverend David Ogbueli ?

Where is Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo ?

Where is Daddy GO Enoch Adeboye ?

Where is Pastor Lazarus Muoka ?

Where are all the prelates and primates that were consulted before elections and were given one gift or offering to convince their followers on which messiah to vote for ?

Where is the fiery puny Pastor Tunde Bakare ?

Where is Bishop Obi Udezue Onubogu?

Earth is bad,but heaven is worse.

I know the dream and aspiration of every Christ follower (Christians) is to one day after toiling on this planet earth, go home (Paradise) and rest. And according to most this preachers and the Scriptures, Heaven is believed to be that abode of comfort, peace,tranquility where

there won't be any more tears,agony,torment or pain. Heaven is preached to be a home that is filled with many good things. Oh! How they've hyped heaven.

Often times I've listen to preachers try to compare the World and Heaven,they always succeed in trashing this world but succeed in carving a very fascinating image of Heaven.

Although,the world may be saturated with different horrid and disheartening acts. Yes,God might have said He felt really bad having created the world due to the evils therein,despite of all this I can still say the terror and torment in heaven is more horrifying.

Most people's thought especially Christ followers is that when you suffer here on earth,heaven is a place where you'd be comforted and rewarded for passing through and enduring difficulties but I beg to differ because that statement is not totally true.

According to Nounman Ali Khan,

"Just because you're a believer doesn't mean you're safe from hell fire"

I wasn't goofing when I said there is more pain in heaven than on earth, it isn't a mistake when i said the Agony in heaven if compared with the difficulties of Life,you'd agree earth is a palace. Remember, there is a broad path that leads to one heaven and there is another straight path which as well leads to another Heaven.

Don't be confused, suffering here on earth doesn't guarantee you won't suffer double in heaven. Its a question of which heaven?

You may have suffered several injustice,your loved ones nay have been killed for the propagation of the gospel, you might have be deprived of some good things simply because you proclaim Christ, my friend this does not connote that your sufferings would end here on earth,if anything it may even be the beginning of greater hardship to come. And that is If and Only if your name doesn't enter the Book of Life.

There's a special heaven which is the source of all pains, terror, fear and other evils you can think of and this heaven is under the guidance and chairmanship of Devil himself.

Have you ever imagined what Pain itself(satan) looks like, what Terror and Anguish sound like? These are what awaits any soul that refuses to profess Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour.

Yes,there is turmoil, fear and tears in heaven likewise is there Joy,Peace and Harmony in Heaven. Choose One.

#oluseyenla.