After going through Tolu Ogunlesi’s article and its contents I can safely conclude that the title of your treatise “Touch not my anointed” was grossly taken out of context. Precisely you were referring to the book of Psalm 105:15 and I quote “Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm” KJV. However if you had read the whole Psalms Chapter 105, you would have known what led to the sentence and who God was referring to. The scripture referred to above had in no way said you cannot “think” or “meditate” about what a man of God tells you. However because you were too eager to catch a “thief,” you did not bother to check. Instead you assumed the above statement to mean that “God’s servants, by virtue of their calling and anointing, are above criticism, censure and accountability”. My first reaction to this is that this is your own assumption, understanding and opinion and it does not in any way represent the thinking of all true believers and true Christians all over the world, Nigeria inclusive. However because of your narrow philosophical outlook, you jumped into conclusion that men of God cannot be questioned. If you are spiritually minded, and have read and understood your Bible very well, you would have understood that true men of God and not “self- styled pastors or prophets” speak as they are moved by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 44:24-26) and God confirms every word they speak. They would not say what God did not ask them to say! They are shepherds of the sheepfold. They do not prey on their flock nor depend on them. Instead their flocks depend on them for comfort both materially and spiritually.
Of course, you can question your pastor or any man of God for that matter. But you can only do that from that standpoint of the scripture. As the adage says we live by the law and also die by it. If he says “God said,” he should be able to tell you from the scripture where God said. And if it is a revelation from God to him to you, then it must also be in line with the scripture! You cannot say he lies when you have no basis for saying so.
Second, a true God’s servant will never compel anybody to do anything. They only give advice and it is the prerogative of those who listen to them to either carry out the instruction or reject such advice. Even God the Father gave us free will to choose from good and evil. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live”. (Deuteronomy 30: 19)
How do you know a true God’s servant? You can know a true God’s servant from what he says and what he does. Our Lord Jesus Christ said it loud and clear in the book of Mathew 7: 15 – 19 “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits…….A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth a good fruit…by their fruit you shall know them” Please turn with me to the book of Deuteronomy 18:22 “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
Nigeria is sick and lazy. Many people have refused to take responsibility for their life and are ready to blame other people for their misfortunes. Rather than work very hard for their daily bread and seek solution to their problems in the right way, they will be looking for miracles and quick fixes. There are no quick fixes in the kingdom of God. There are things you need to do before God can answer you. The God that we serve is a covenant- keeping God. The Bible says these signs shall follow them that believe…and not the other way round. If you are looking for miracles and signs and wonders you will not only be disappointed, you will always be a victim of false prophets like the lady you referred to in your write-up.
If you are a Christian and are too lazy to read your Bible to know the truth which could have set you free, you are to be blamed and nobody else. When you study your Bible very well and understand it, then no self- acclaimed man of god will ask you to do something which, according to this writer, is “inappropriate” and you will obey.
In tithe, we talk of God’s wisdom for the supply of abundance of man’s needs i.e. paying of ten per cent of your income to the house of God. Even though this is a commandment which carries benefits for obedience and punishment for disobedience, you still have the right to obey or disobey. The consequences are the responsibility of the believer. But whether you believe it or not, tithing is God’s strategy to meet the supply and need of his people. For God so loves and He gives John 3:16. God always gives to humanity. In order to obtain, you must be prepared to give first. The promises of God are without doubt. if God says it, then He must mean it and He will do it. J C Penny of the USA ‘tithed’ his way up into business to make it to the top and when he stopped, his business empire crashed and when he resumed paying tithe, the business moved up.
Your prayer that factories will replace Church of God will never come to pass. God forbid! The Church of God will continue to flourish. Were the churches responsible for the collapse of these factories? No, the Church is not responsible for their collapse, rather it was the unwholesome practices of the management of these firms. Can’t you see that all the economic theories, either capitalism or socialism, have failed. The only way now is to turn to God for direction with grace to obey all his instructions and directives.
Please leave the church of God out of this!
•Olabayo wrote via adetolaolabayo@yahoo.com
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