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The Church and the Forgotten Mission
The primary Mission of the Church can be summarized in two simple ways: firstly, to go into areas and regions where Christ has not been preached; so as to make disciples for Jesus, and secondly, to gather those who believe together; for the purpose of fellowship.
These, the early church doggedly pursued over many centuries, until recently when the quest for pleasures, fame, wealth and materialism became the order of the day in the church, through many ‘fast lane’ ministers. Today, the mission has being abandoned, lost or totally forgotten!
Now, instead of the church to go out into the fields for seeds and fruits, she has relocated into the confines of comfort and technology; upon solid grounds, far away from the fields, where, sadly, no tree can survive (let alone bear fruits). She has substituted going into the fields to source for fruits with luring-in people to their ‘miracle centers’, through many attractive programs with more of personal than mutual benefit. They employ the media to advertise their ability and anointing to work miracles. When the produce merchant becomes too big to go to the farm to source for seeds, he would settle for diseased seeds and unripe fruits at a greater cost.
Many who are bent on immediate solutions to their problems easily fall prey to such an ingenious but devious gospel merchandizing. Unknown to them, such solutions are not permanent! Having won the miracle seekers over, the need to retain and maintain them arises. Artificial ingredients and preservatives of sweet talks, filled with human logic, philosophy and great swelling words of vanity ensues (2Pet.2:18). This make the innocent seekers become heavily indoctrinated and re-orientated from the simplicity of the gospel to the sophistication of religion! The man who ‘owns’ the enterprise becomes their father, laws and creeds become their master. Jesus is only seen as a man upstairs, willing to dole out miracle-largesse with no string attached. Christianity is thus reduced to a means to a better life than a door to eternity.
PROCESSED BELIEVERS.
These are a type of believer whose seeds are diseased. They are planted with economic bias and grown with the aid of chemicals for quick (unnatural) growth. They are harvested unripe, but cosmetized and flavoured with artificial colourings of dangerous denominational preservatives called doctrines. They are soon displayed for sale as finished products in supermarkets, for lazy merchants (Pastors) looking for fruits in malls, instead of the fields. They get a very cold, tasty and sweet smelling canned fruit (believer) quite alright, but a potential poison! Whatever has no fire has no power!
Accumulation of such people under a religious umbrella is what is being sadly referred to as church today in our society. They increase into mega churches to breed similar brand of believers who are ‘believers’ only because of the flavours, colorings, etc (i.e. miracles, prosperity, breakthroughs, etc.). When the preservative expires, the people too, expires! Then, the flavour is no longer natural, the aroma is offensive to the society and the savour is cankered! The light goes dim and the salt becomes stale, but they sill continue to bond together under the deceit of old glory. But in reality, they have expired!
They have infected many a society like a plague with their moral indiscipline in the name of liberty in Christ. ‘Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools’ (Rom 1:22). They have brought untoward aspersions to the Gospel and soiled the testimony of Jesus, for the name of God is being blasphemed through them. (Rom2:24). They have perverted the Gospel. ‘They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate’ (Tit.1:16). They only talk the talk, they do not walk the walk. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof (2Tim.3:5).
This group continues to increase because of the wonder of the flavours and colourings (miracles, etc); which is able to attract a massive crowd around itself, just like sugar attracts ants, but in reality it kills! That is the key they need to fulfill their financial ambition under a religious pretense. They are looking for crowd, not fruits. Unfortunately, the society is not aware that it is by the fruits we will know them (Mat.7:16)! To get the crowd, they prefer to go into stores where such are displayed at a cheap price, rather than go into the field to labour and toil for them. Miracles, prosperity, healing and breakthroughs becomes a bait! It is profitable to them, but painful to God. The more artificial the fruits are, the more gullible and easily deceived they are!
We are asked to go out into all the world and make disciples not gather crowd, or stay in a place and attract them in with various instant miracle gimmicks! ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who WENT ABOUT doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him’ (Act 10:38). Jesus went about. He did not even have a place to stay, let alone attract people inside. He was always out with His disciples because souls are out there in the field. It is wasteful and foolish for a farmer to plant seed in a tarred road and expect a harvest! Our crusades, if it must bring harvest, must be in the field! Leaders in the ministries must sincerely direct crusades of foreign ministries to the field where the fruits really are, and not in stadiums, packed with hired people to swell the number so as to impress the foreign crusader and justify the money collected. We can deceive man, but not God!
Since many of their so called seeds are grown by chemical means, they cannot bear fruits, because there is no seed in them. They are only good for consumption and then, they expire! The truth is that they were never nurtured, but processed into maturity! There is a huge difference between nurturing and processing. They did not pass through the natural stages of growth, or at best, they passed through it in passing. They don’t want to become disciples, but overnight apostles. They don’t want to go through the way of the cross, yet they want the crown.
Since the chemical compositions used to preserve them are miracles, prosperity, breakthrough, etc, it is natural that they have more passion for these more than Jesus. They are sophisticats, with melt-down morals, social liberalism and perverted mentality. To them, sin is just a problem, not death, forgetting that ‘the soul that sinneth shall die’ (Ez.18:4, 20).
They truly have the heights, due to many modern technologies and seminars on seed growth these days, which, in Christendom is many Bible Commentaries, concordance and other wonderful expositions of the Bible. But the fact is that they are grossly lacking in depth (Eph.3:18). It is the depth that bears the height, and not vice versa (Rom.11:18). Just like the foundation carries the house. Regardless of how tall and beautiful the house is, it is the foundation that determines its continuous standing. Foundations generally need not be necessarily beautiful but strong and solid. This is very important because if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Ps.11:3).
There are countless believers like this in the church today. You, the reader, is probably one of them. Messages of miracles, prosperity, breakthroughs, etc tickles you more than knowing more of Jesus and desiring a holy life! You love Him as long as the benefits come. You are probably a product of unknown and unmonitored harvest; just ‘bought’ in supermarket. When, where, how and by who were you planted? Every ‘successful’ man of God is your ‘father in the Lord’, even when he does not know you one-on-one? Many have even expired in contents, but the label still give a false date. There is no manufacturers address, let alone composition. They stray into churches and exhibit wonderful potentials. They add colour, flavour and dynamism to the church, and they are quick to be called a ‘God sent’ into any department. The pastor is so much impressed that before he ‘loses’ such, he tie them down with titles and work.
Unfortunately, they are far too established in the church. Attempt to remove them will also dislodge the natural fruits. No wonder Jesus told the disciples when they insisted in uprooting them: ‘No; lest while ye gather the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them’ (Mt.13:29). It is only eternity that can separate them as they are highly contagious! They are products of diseased seeds, grown by artificial means for rapid but unnatural growth; preserved with chemical flavourings and artificial colourings. All they need to do is to bring financial profit, not necessarily bear fruits, otherwise, they expire!
BARRNED BELIEVERS
A barn is a place where seeds or produce are stored by farmers for preservation. These type of believers are good seeds, they only need a right soil to grow and bring forth fruits in due season. But they have the misfortune of being under the umbrella of the ‘old prophets’ who mislead the young, anointed and God-sent prophet. They water down the leading and calling of God on their lives by offering them alternate ministries to that which they have been called into (1Kgs. 13:11). Wolves in sheep’s clothing; Devourers and parasites, who masquerades as deliverers! They consume them instead of planting them. They want fruits in all season for all time profit, not due season alone. Such must choose either to fulfill the vision of the man of God, and lose his calling, or retain his calling and rot in the barn! There is no respite either ways; the only way is the way of escape!
Many up till now still stray into such hands of men of God with sugar coated mouths and over bloated vision. They promise them enjoyment in ministry, but at the end, starve them to submission, until they consume the all sugar meal, which they once knew could not sustain, but now, becomes too sweet for them to resist. Bye and bye, they lose the flame: the desire for milk and meat of the word gives way to sugar and calories. The spiritual longing and desire to grow in Christ is slaughtered on the altar of quest for breakthrough and success ‘at all cost’ and to achieve earthly greatness at the expense of eternal fulfillment. The passion is no longer fulfillment in ministry but success in life.
The cravings for facts more than the truth sets in. Paul lamented over some Corinthian brethren saying: ‘I have fed you with milk, and not (even) with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able’ (1Cor 3:2). As many as refuses to ‘flow’ under the new prophetic aura are placed in the barn; to rot there, until they are wise enough to know what to do: to run as fast as they can. To ‘come out from among them and be separate’ ( 2Cor. 6:17).
Peter called such wolves: ‘spots, … and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you… beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness: …’ ( 2Pet. 13-15).
Their motive is to deceive and manipulate talents of unstable, but spiritually gifted souls, for their own selfish ends. ‘For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by GOOD WORDS AND FAIR SPEECHES deceive the hearts of the simple’ (Rom.16:18). They are professionals and veterans in such covetous and selfish practices. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray; which means they once knew the right way but forsook it due to gains. ‘For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ’ (Phi 3:18).
Many preached Jesus with passion before, but now ‘spiceing’ it with self coined prophetic declarations of what people want to hear and not what God wants, so as to gain crowd (Jas. 4:4, 2Tim.4:4). Their titles have suddenly become too small to carry their status.
Unless one ran away from them alone would he be able to escape their calculated and advanced skill of philosophized orations. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee from THESE THINGS; and follow after righteousness…’ (1Tim. 6:11). Those who refuse to run will eventually be put in barns, to rot with their gifts and callings interned forever; except the Lord intervenes! They would become part of the crowd to increase the number of many stranded sheep in such a religious doldrums. To them, success in ministry is measured by numerical strength, regardless of spiritual quality.
‘O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you’? (Gal.3:1). They have been simply bewitched by the old prophets (big titles), that they should not obey the truth, (Jesus), but miracles, etc, (another Jesus), which Paul said ‘whom we have not preached’ (2Cor.11:4). The disciples were busy preaching Jesus and miracles were following. But these preach miracles and expect Jesus to follow. God forbid!
To them Christianity is a means to achieving ambitions. Holiness and Godliness no longer matter like miracles! Paul said those who preach such messages should be cursed (Gal.1:8-9).
The young prophet in 1Kg. 13 had the correct anointing but the old prophet said: ‘I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him (1Kg.13:18). Lying prophets: they are around today! ‘The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart (Jer.14:14).
Unfortunately the young prophet was torn into pieces by lion because he obeyed the man of God and disobeyed God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. What did the old prophet say when he heard: ‘It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him’ (v.26). How cruel, knowing that he was the one that misled him, but that is the truth: Because he listened to the voice of the old prophet! God cursed Adam ‘because thou hearkened to the voice of thy wife’ (Gen.3:17).
Here, the danger of heeding to the voice of the old prophet is underscored: it is death! Some so called Priests and High priests almost persuaded the disciples, too, ‘but Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye’ (Act 4:19). If you have foolishly submitted your calling and anointing under an old prophet describe here, you better make amend, else, you are caged forever and this means death, sooner or later! Is your gift and talent used to worship God or to promote man under a religious atmosphere?
If you fall into this category, please run out today! God is still graciously waiting for you. The anointing on your head is too precious to be wasted by an old prophet. Although many have become so contented that when revival comes to them, they can’t be bothered again. They have lost their first love and the Godly sorrow, which leads to repentance (2Cor.7:10). They can only shrug passively like Eli and say, ‘it is the Lord, let Him do whatever he pleases’. But the Hand of the Lord is still strong to wrought deliverance in your life and bring you from the barn. You that believed and preached Jesus before but now preach miracles. Don’t be deceived! They are not the same. They are as far apart as the heaven is to the earth. God is waiting.Remember, Jesus Himself said it is so close the real thing that if it were possible, the very elect will be deceived.
Perhaps, you have lost the fire and the passion for the lost souls to miracles. May be you have even become a bi(g)shop, when you are supposed to be an Evangelist in the field. Or you are called to look for souls but now you are looking for fame. Or you have been tied down to grow man’s empire and not Jesus’ kingdom. Remember where thou hast fallen!
‘For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness (Jer 10:21). ‘Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD (Jer 23:1).
P U R G E D B E L I E V E R S.
This reminds one of the story of King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah and Ahab the king of Israel, who were natural and artificial seeds, respectively. The two kings were going to battle, and Jehoshaphat ‘… said unto the king of Israel, enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king’ (1Kg.22:5-7).
All the prophets prophesied what the King of Israel wanted to hear: ‘victory’, ‘prosperity’, ‘success’, ‘breakthrough’, etc! The king was happy! He had consulted the sugar coated mouth prophets and prosperity ministers. Although, they go by the name of prophets, but they have been influenced by lying spirits! They are products of processed and canned system, conditioned to speak what the people want to hear: victory, prosperity, success, progress, miracles, breakthroughs, etc. But remember, ‘when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape’ (1Th. 5:3).
But King Jehoshaphat was from the stock of Judah, a Purged Believer. Although, may be deceived for a while, but not forever! He knew that true Gospel is not about prosperity, miracles and breakthroughs all the time. He insisted that another prophet be brought, who would speak the mind of God. Listen to what the King of Israel said when Jehoshaphat insisted on the truth: ‘There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: BUT I HATE HIM; FOR HE DOTH NOT PROPHESY GOOD CONCERNING ME, BUT EVIL’ (vs.22).
Reluctantly, Micaiah was brought, a Purged Believer; but again, they tried to compromise him ‘… saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I PRAY THEE, BE LIKE THE WORD OF ONE OF THEM, AND SPEAK THAT WHICH IS GOOD’. This is what happens today. Every prophet wants to say what the other prophets say for the sake of ‘unity in the body’. But Micaiah replied: ‘as the LORD liveth, WHAT THE LORD SAITH UNTO ME, THAT WILL I SPEAK’ (22:13-14). May God give us prophets like Micaiah, who will say what God says, whether it is popular or not. So many prophets have compromised because of favour with the kings and nobles of the earth. They have brought politics and the world into the church.
But, there are still people like Micaiah, although few. They are the Purged Believers, the Remnant according to the election of grace. They are not deceived by the sugar coated, processed prophets. They cannot be put in the barns. They cannot be bought in the shelf at any supermarkets. They carry the flame. They have the anointing. They are both concerned with the power of His resurrection and also the fellowship of His suffering and being conformable unto His death (Phil.3:10).
Now, hear what the Purged Prophet Micaiah said: ‘And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace… And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee’ (vs. 22:17,20-23).
Compare this with what the processed and expired prophets said. The difference is that the former were processed with sweetenings, sugars and fattenings. Unnatural ingredients, to give artificial flavours and colours, while the latter was left to be ripened!
What is the end of the story? King Ahab, upon hearing the negative prophecy said: ‘Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon… Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace’ (22:26-27).
Although the King ordered the prophet to be put in prison, (barn) where he would rot away with his anointing, till he came back, but he never returned in peace but in pieces! That is the price a Purged Believer pays for telling the truth, but he tells the truth all the same. ‘It is better to be a door keeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness’ (Psa. 84:10).
A purged believer will not bow down to the images of miracles being worshipped in the church today. God has prepared him for something more noble. He is hungry for Jesus not miracles! They might have been put in prison, but not forever. As many as are already stranded in any barn the hand of the Lord will fish them out. They must bear fruits for the Lord!
A purged believer move in the spirit of the early disciples. When all left Jesus because there was no longer ‘sugar’ in His message (‘a hard saying, who can hear it’); It was only the purged ones that stayed (Jn.6:60). Others came for miracles, breakthroughs, etc. But Jesus offered His flesh and blood; a mystery too strong for them to unravel! One by one, they all left; including some of the disciples.
That is what happens everywhere such word is being preached; for the time has come ‘when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables’ (2Tim.4:3-4).
Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they would also go. But they said: ‘where can we go, for you alone has the word of eternal life’ (vs 68). It is the word of eternal life they were looking for not miracles. Purged Believers are looking for the word of eternal life, which can make them to bear fruits. Jesus said: ‘every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit’ (Jn.15:2).
WRONGLY YOKED
We have been cautioned not to be unequally yoked (2Cor. 6:14). Thousands of genuinely born again and spirit filled believers have been tragically stranded in organized religious enterprises. They have the misfortune of ‘growing’ up in a spiritually dead, but miracles and prosperity alive churches. They have three choices: one is to compromise, which is very common. The other is to be put in the barn and rot there forever. With this, the fire in them is doused and they soon dissipate energy as they are re-orientated from the preaching of the gospel to the preaching of miracles. The flame is interned forever! It’s like a lion captured in the house of a cat. The third is to come out of the system, which is very difficult for many because they have fallen in love with the miracles and breakthroughs, like Lot’s wife who had acquired many possessions in Sodom.
But Joseph chose to run away than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the Hebrews. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not be persuaded away from their God. Many truly are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivered them from ALL!
WHO ARE YOU?
Who are you: a Canned and Processed Believer, who has no encounter with Jesus but very religious and active in the Church? Your zeal will not go too far as it is artificial and will soon expire. If not now, definitely on the judgment day! Unless you are planted by the Lord, not your church, and you feed from the word of God alone, which is Jesus and not miracles, facts, etc can you grow to maturity and then bear fruits. It is only ‘those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon’ (Psa 92:13-14).
Are you a Barned Believer; a truly born again Christian; who falls into wrong soil of merchants, who use you to launder his economic ambition through the church while you lose your own fire, calling and ministry forever! Remember the young prophet, he died despite his anointing. ‘And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes’ Lk. 12:47.Paul called this type of believers ‘foolish’. Why must you allow ignorance to rob you of the joy of eternity? A foolish son is a calamity to his father.
Or A a Purged Believer who have crossed the bridge and burned it behind him. One who is purged from all the glories, fame, etc this world can offer. One who can truly sing; oh take the whole world, but give me Jesus’.
It is not alone to be a good seed or tree for the Lord, it is important to bear fruits for Him. Despite that the Olive Tree was very green and had the height, it was cursed because it lacked fruit. But the tree that bears fruits he purges so that he can bear more fruits.
It is time to judge ourselves so that we are not judged on the last days. Which category are you: the canned, the barned or the purged? Are you sure you have not expired? Even though you have expired; there is still hope for you, only if you will humble yourself now, and run to Jesus, regardless of your title. He said ‘he that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out’ (Jn.6:27).
Repent now, Run to Him and Rededicate your life to Him. He will save you! The time is short; Jesus will come soon.
The primary Mission of the Church can be summarized in two simple ways: firstly, to go into areas and regions where Christ has not been preached; so as to make disciples for Jesus, and secondly, to gather those who believe together; for the purpose of fellowship.
These, the early church doggedly pursued over many centuries, until recently when the quest for pleasures, fame, wealth and materialism became the order of the day in the church, through many ‘fast lane’ ministers. Today, the mission has being abandoned, lost or totally forgotten!
Now, instead of the church to go out into the fields for seeds and fruits, she has relocated into the confines of comfort and technology; upon solid grounds, far away from the fields, where, sadly, no tree can survive (let alone bear fruits). She has substituted going into the fields to source for fruits with luring-in people to their ‘miracle centers’, through many attractive programs with more of personal than mutual benefit. They employ the media to advertise their ability and anointing to work miracles. When the produce merchant becomes too big to go to the farm to source for seeds, he would settle for diseased seeds and unripe fruits at a greater cost.
Many who are bent on immediate solutions to their problems easily fall prey to such an ingenious but devious gospel merchandizing. Unknown to them, such solutions are not permanent! Having won the miracle seekers over, the need to retain and maintain them arises. Artificial ingredients and preservatives of sweet talks, filled with human logic, philosophy and great swelling words of vanity ensues (2Pet.2:18). This make the innocent seekers become heavily indoctrinated and re-orientated from the simplicity of the gospel to the sophistication of religion! The man who ‘owns’ the enterprise becomes their father, laws and creeds become their master. Jesus is only seen as a man upstairs, willing to dole out miracle-largesse with no string attached. Christianity is thus reduced to a means to a better life than a door to eternity.
PROCESSED BELIEVERS.
These are a type of believer whose seeds are diseased. They are planted with economic bias and grown with the aid of chemicals for quick (unnatural) growth. They are harvested unripe, but cosmetized and flavoured with artificial colourings of dangerous denominational preservatives called doctrines. They are soon displayed for sale as finished products in supermarkets, for lazy merchants (Pastors) looking for fruits in malls, instead of the fields. They get a very cold, tasty and sweet smelling canned fruit (believer) quite alright, but a potential poison! Whatever has no fire has no power!
Accumulation of such people under a religious umbrella is what is being sadly referred to as church today in our society. They increase into mega churches to breed similar brand of believers who are ‘believers’ only because of the flavours, colorings, etc (i.e. miracles, prosperity, breakthroughs, etc.). When the preservative expires, the people too, expires! Then, the flavour is no longer natural, the aroma is offensive to the society and the savour is cankered! The light goes dim and the salt becomes stale, but they sill continue to bond together under the deceit of old glory. But in reality, they have expired!
They have infected many a society like a plague with their moral indiscipline in the name of liberty in Christ. ‘Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools’ (Rom 1:22). They have brought untoward aspersions to the Gospel and soiled the testimony of Jesus, for the name of God is being blasphemed through them. (Rom2:24). They have perverted the Gospel. ‘They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate’ (Tit.1:16). They only talk the talk, they do not walk the walk. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof (2Tim.3:5).
This group continues to increase because of the wonder of the flavours and colourings (miracles, etc); which is able to attract a massive crowd around itself, just like sugar attracts ants, but in reality it kills! That is the key they need to fulfill their financial ambition under a religious pretense. They are looking for crowd, not fruits. Unfortunately, the society is not aware that it is by the fruits we will know them (Mat.7:16)! To get the crowd, they prefer to go into stores where such are displayed at a cheap price, rather than go into the field to labour and toil for them. Miracles, prosperity, healing and breakthroughs becomes a bait! It is profitable to them, but painful to God. The more artificial the fruits are, the more gullible and easily deceived they are!
We are asked to go out into all the world and make disciples not gather crowd, or stay in a place and attract them in with various instant miracle gimmicks! ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who WENT ABOUT doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him’ (Act 10:38). Jesus went about. He did not even have a place to stay, let alone attract people inside. He was always out with His disciples because souls are out there in the field. It is wasteful and foolish for a farmer to plant seed in a tarred road and expect a harvest! Our crusades, if it must bring harvest, must be in the field! Leaders in the ministries must sincerely direct crusades of foreign ministries to the field where the fruits really are, and not in stadiums, packed with hired people to swell the number so as to impress the foreign crusader and justify the money collected. We can deceive man, but not God!
Since many of their so called seeds are grown by chemical means, they cannot bear fruits, because there is no seed in them. They are only good for consumption and then, they expire! The truth is that they were never nurtured, but processed into maturity! There is a huge difference between nurturing and processing. They did not pass through the natural stages of growth, or at best, they passed through it in passing. They don’t want to become disciples, but overnight apostles. They don’t want to go through the way of the cross, yet they want the crown.
Since the chemical compositions used to preserve them are miracles, prosperity, breakthrough, etc, it is natural that they have more passion for these more than Jesus. They are sophisticats, with melt-down morals, social liberalism and perverted mentality. To them, sin is just a problem, not death, forgetting that ‘the soul that sinneth shall die’ (Ez.18:4, 20).
They truly have the heights, due to many modern technologies and seminars on seed growth these days, which, in Christendom is many Bible Commentaries, concordance and other wonderful expositions of the Bible. But the fact is that they are grossly lacking in depth (Eph.3:18). It is the depth that bears the height, and not vice versa (Rom.11:18). Just like the foundation carries the house. Regardless of how tall and beautiful the house is, it is the foundation that determines its continuous standing. Foundations generally need not be necessarily beautiful but strong and solid. This is very important because if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Ps.11:3).
There are countless believers like this in the church today. You, the reader, is probably one of them. Messages of miracles, prosperity, breakthroughs, etc tickles you more than knowing more of Jesus and desiring a holy life! You love Him as long as the benefits come. You are probably a product of unknown and unmonitored harvest; just ‘bought’ in supermarket. When, where, how and by who were you planted? Every ‘successful’ man of God is your ‘father in the Lord’, even when he does not know you one-on-one? Many have even expired in contents, but the label still give a false date. There is no manufacturers address, let alone composition. They stray into churches and exhibit wonderful potentials. They add colour, flavour and dynamism to the church, and they are quick to be called a ‘God sent’ into any department. The pastor is so much impressed that before he ‘loses’ such, he tie them down with titles and work.
Unfortunately, they are far too established in the church. Attempt to remove them will also dislodge the natural fruits. No wonder Jesus told the disciples when they insisted in uprooting them: ‘No; lest while ye gather the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them’ (Mt.13:29). It is only eternity that can separate them as they are highly contagious! They are products of diseased seeds, grown by artificial means for rapid but unnatural growth; preserved with chemical flavourings and artificial colourings. All they need to do is to bring financial profit, not necessarily bear fruits, otherwise, they expire!
BARRNED BELIEVERS
A barn is a place where seeds or produce are stored by farmers for preservation. These type of believers are good seeds, they only need a right soil to grow and bring forth fruits in due season. But they have the misfortune of being under the umbrella of the ‘old prophets’ who mislead the young, anointed and God-sent prophet. They water down the leading and calling of God on their lives by offering them alternate ministries to that which they have been called into (1Kgs. 13:11). Wolves in sheep’s clothing; Devourers and parasites, who masquerades as deliverers! They consume them instead of planting them. They want fruits in all season for all time profit, not due season alone. Such must choose either to fulfill the vision of the man of God, and lose his calling, or retain his calling and rot in the barn! There is no respite either ways; the only way is the way of escape!
Many up till now still stray into such hands of men of God with sugar coated mouths and over bloated vision. They promise them enjoyment in ministry, but at the end, starve them to submission, until they consume the all sugar meal, which they once knew could not sustain, but now, becomes too sweet for them to resist. Bye and bye, they lose the flame: the desire for milk and meat of the word gives way to sugar and calories. The spiritual longing and desire to grow in Christ is slaughtered on the altar of quest for breakthrough and success ‘at all cost’ and to achieve earthly greatness at the expense of eternal fulfillment. The passion is no longer fulfillment in ministry but success in life.
The cravings for facts more than the truth sets in. Paul lamented over some Corinthian brethren saying: ‘I have fed you with milk, and not (even) with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able’ (1Cor 3:2). As many as refuses to ‘flow’ under the new prophetic aura are placed in the barn; to rot there, until they are wise enough to know what to do: to run as fast as they can. To ‘come out from among them and be separate’ ( 2Cor. 6:17).
Peter called such wolves: ‘spots, … and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you… beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness: …’ ( 2Pet. 13-15).
Their motive is to deceive and manipulate talents of unstable, but spiritually gifted souls, for their own selfish ends. ‘For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by GOOD WORDS AND FAIR SPEECHES deceive the hearts of the simple’ (Rom.16:18). They are professionals and veterans in such covetous and selfish practices. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray; which means they once knew the right way but forsook it due to gains. ‘For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ’ (Phi 3:18).
Many preached Jesus with passion before, but now ‘spiceing’ it with self coined prophetic declarations of what people want to hear and not what God wants, so as to gain crowd (Jas. 4:4, 2Tim.4:4). Their titles have suddenly become too small to carry their status.
Unless one ran away from them alone would he be able to escape their calculated and advanced skill of philosophized orations. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee from THESE THINGS; and follow after righteousness…’ (1Tim. 6:11). Those who refuse to run will eventually be put in barns, to rot with their gifts and callings interned forever; except the Lord intervenes! They would become part of the crowd to increase the number of many stranded sheep in such a religious doldrums. To them, success in ministry is measured by numerical strength, regardless of spiritual quality.
‘O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you’? (Gal.3:1). They have been simply bewitched by the old prophets (big titles), that they should not obey the truth, (Jesus), but miracles, etc, (another Jesus), which Paul said ‘whom we have not preached’ (2Cor.11:4). The disciples were busy preaching Jesus and miracles were following. But these preach miracles and expect Jesus to follow. God forbid!
To them Christianity is a means to achieving ambitions. Holiness and Godliness no longer matter like miracles! Paul said those who preach such messages should be cursed (Gal.1:8-9).
The young prophet in 1Kg. 13 had the correct anointing but the old prophet said: ‘I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him (1Kg.13:18). Lying prophets: they are around today! ‘The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart (Jer.14:14).
Unfortunately the young prophet was torn into pieces by lion because he obeyed the man of God and disobeyed God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. What did the old prophet say when he heard: ‘It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him’ (v.26). How cruel, knowing that he was the one that misled him, but that is the truth: Because he listened to the voice of the old prophet! God cursed Adam ‘because thou hearkened to the voice of thy wife’ (Gen.3:17).
Here, the danger of heeding to the voice of the old prophet is underscored: it is death! Some so called Priests and High priests almost persuaded the disciples, too, ‘but Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye’ (Act 4:19). If you have foolishly submitted your calling and anointing under an old prophet describe here, you better make amend, else, you are caged forever and this means death, sooner or later! Is your gift and talent used to worship God or to promote man under a religious atmosphere?
If you fall into this category, please run out today! God is still graciously waiting for you. The anointing on your head is too precious to be wasted by an old prophet. Although many have become so contented that when revival comes to them, they can’t be bothered again. They have lost their first love and the Godly sorrow, which leads to repentance (2Cor.7:10). They can only shrug passively like Eli and say, ‘it is the Lord, let Him do whatever he pleases’. But the Hand of the Lord is still strong to wrought deliverance in your life and bring you from the barn. You that believed and preached Jesus before but now preach miracles. Don’t be deceived! They are not the same. They are as far apart as the heaven is to the earth. God is waiting.Remember, Jesus Himself said it is so close the real thing that if it were possible, the very elect will be deceived.
Perhaps, you have lost the fire and the passion for the lost souls to miracles. May be you have even become a bi(g)shop, when you are supposed to be an Evangelist in the field. Or you are called to look for souls but now you are looking for fame. Or you have been tied down to grow man’s empire and not Jesus’ kingdom. Remember where thou hast fallen!
‘For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness (Jer 10:21). ‘Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD (Jer 23:1).
P U R G E D B E L I E V E R S.
This reminds one of the story of King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah and Ahab the king of Israel, who were natural and artificial seeds, respectively. The two kings were going to battle, and Jehoshaphat ‘… said unto the king of Israel, enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king’ (1Kg.22:5-7).
All the prophets prophesied what the King of Israel wanted to hear: ‘victory’, ‘prosperity’, ‘success’, ‘breakthrough’, etc! The king was happy! He had consulted the sugar coated mouth prophets and prosperity ministers. Although, they go by the name of prophets, but they have been influenced by lying spirits! They are products of processed and canned system, conditioned to speak what the people want to hear: victory, prosperity, success, progress, miracles, breakthroughs, etc. But remember, ‘when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape’ (1Th. 5:3).
But King Jehoshaphat was from the stock of Judah, a Purged Believer. Although, may be deceived for a while, but not forever! He knew that true Gospel is not about prosperity, miracles and breakthroughs all the time. He insisted that another prophet be brought, who would speak the mind of God. Listen to what the King of Israel said when Jehoshaphat insisted on the truth: ‘There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: BUT I HATE HIM; FOR HE DOTH NOT PROPHESY GOOD CONCERNING ME, BUT EVIL’ (vs.22).
Reluctantly, Micaiah was brought, a Purged Believer; but again, they tried to compromise him ‘… saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I PRAY THEE, BE LIKE THE WORD OF ONE OF THEM, AND SPEAK THAT WHICH IS GOOD’. This is what happens today. Every prophet wants to say what the other prophets say for the sake of ‘unity in the body’. But Micaiah replied: ‘as the LORD liveth, WHAT THE LORD SAITH UNTO ME, THAT WILL I SPEAK’ (22:13-14). May God give us prophets like Micaiah, who will say what God says, whether it is popular or not. So many prophets have compromised because of favour with the kings and nobles of the earth. They have brought politics and the world into the church.
But, there are still people like Micaiah, although few. They are the Purged Believers, the Remnant according to the election of grace. They are not deceived by the sugar coated, processed prophets. They cannot be put in the barns. They cannot be bought in the shelf at any supermarkets. They carry the flame. They have the anointing. They are both concerned with the power of His resurrection and also the fellowship of His suffering and being conformable unto His death (Phil.3:10).
Now, hear what the Purged Prophet Micaiah said: ‘And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace… And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee’ (vs. 22:17,20-23).
Compare this with what the processed and expired prophets said. The difference is that the former were processed with sweetenings, sugars and fattenings. Unnatural ingredients, to give artificial flavours and colours, while the latter was left to be ripened!
What is the end of the story? King Ahab, upon hearing the negative prophecy said: ‘Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon… Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace’ (22:26-27).
Although the King ordered the prophet to be put in prison, (barn) where he would rot away with his anointing, till he came back, but he never returned in peace but in pieces! That is the price a Purged Believer pays for telling the truth, but he tells the truth all the same. ‘It is better to be a door keeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness’ (Psa. 84:10).
A purged believer will not bow down to the images of miracles being worshipped in the church today. God has prepared him for something more noble. He is hungry for Jesus not miracles! They might have been put in prison, but not forever. As many as are already stranded in any barn the hand of the Lord will fish them out. They must bear fruits for the Lord!
A purged believer move in the spirit of the early disciples. When all left Jesus because there was no longer ‘sugar’ in His message (‘a hard saying, who can hear it’); It was only the purged ones that stayed (Jn.6:60). Others came for miracles, breakthroughs, etc. But Jesus offered His flesh and blood; a mystery too strong for them to unravel! One by one, they all left; including some of the disciples.
That is what happens everywhere such word is being preached; for the time has come ‘when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables’ (2Tim.4:3-4).
Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they would also go. But they said: ‘where can we go, for you alone has the word of eternal life’ (vs 68). It is the word of eternal life they were looking for not miracles. Purged Believers are looking for the word of eternal life, which can make them to bear fruits. Jesus said: ‘every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit’ (Jn.15:2).
WRONGLY YOKED
We have been cautioned not to be unequally yoked (2Cor. 6:14). Thousands of genuinely born again and spirit filled believers have been tragically stranded in organized religious enterprises. They have the misfortune of ‘growing’ up in a spiritually dead, but miracles and prosperity alive churches. They have three choices: one is to compromise, which is very common. The other is to be put in the barn and rot there forever. With this, the fire in them is doused and they soon dissipate energy as they are re-orientated from the preaching of the gospel to the preaching of miracles. The flame is interned forever! It’s like a lion captured in the house of a cat. The third is to come out of the system, which is very difficult for many because they have fallen in love with the miracles and breakthroughs, like Lot’s wife who had acquired many possessions in Sodom.
But Joseph chose to run away than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the Hebrews. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not be persuaded away from their God. Many truly are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivered them from ALL!
WHO ARE YOU?
Who are you: a Canned and Processed Believer, who has no encounter with Jesus but very religious and active in the Church? Your zeal will not go too far as it is artificial and will soon expire. If not now, definitely on the judgment day! Unless you are planted by the Lord, not your church, and you feed from the word of God alone, which is Jesus and not miracles, facts, etc can you grow to maturity and then bear fruits. It is only ‘those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon’ (Psa 92:13-14).
Are you a Barned Believer; a truly born again Christian; who falls into wrong soil of merchants, who use you to launder his economic ambition through the church while you lose your own fire, calling and ministry forever! Remember the young prophet, he died despite his anointing. ‘And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes’ Lk. 12:47.Paul called this type of believers ‘foolish’. Why must you allow ignorance to rob you of the joy of eternity? A foolish son is a calamity to his father.
Or A a Purged Believer who have crossed the bridge and burned it behind him. One who is purged from all the glories, fame, etc this world can offer. One who can truly sing; oh take the whole world, but give me Jesus’.
It is not alone to be a good seed or tree for the Lord, it is important to bear fruits for Him. Despite that the Olive Tree was very green and had the height, it was cursed because it lacked fruit. But the tree that bears fruits he purges so that he can bear more fruits.
It is time to judge ourselves so that we are not judged on the last days. Which category are you: the canned, the barned or the purged? Are you sure you have not expired? Even though you have expired; there is still hope for you, only if you will humble yourself now, and run to Jesus, regardless of your title. He said ‘he that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out’ (Jn.6:27).
Repent now, Run to Him and Rededicate your life to Him. He will save you! The time is short; Jesus will come soon.