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What is God teaching me at this time of compulsory holiday? (3)

Israel Afolabi Ojo. 29/05/2020

"...instead of nursing unnecessary fears about what will be the future of the church after the lockdown let us reflect on those areas of our failures before the lockdown is over and prepare to correct them. It was when Peter got it right that Jesus said he will build his church, this lockdown is an opportunity to learn how to get it right and He will build His church"

     I have been bordered since the beginning of this lock down or a compulsory holiday, as one the Church fathers in Nigeria described it. My questions have been how can God allowed places of worship to be locked? How can He allow his servants to remain indoors for days without feeding his church? Will the church not suffer? God responded today in a way I never expected, His response is a lesson to my heart. This is the word the Lord:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:17-18, KJV)

“This lockdown is a means to cut some of the excessiveness my servants have created in my church. I allowed this lockdown particularly on my church to cut some of my servants into sizes. I allowed it to happen to see who can survive without preaching and prophesying. I want to open the eyes of so called ‘Big men’ to check their foundations. I want to prove to men that crowd gathering is not achievement. I am moving to direct the attention of my church away from men who have replaced me in the hearts of my people. I want to put those who got popularity for themselves by human methods in hiding for sometime. I allowed it to happen to refocus the majority of my servants and give them the correct definition of ministry. I want to return my church to the early structure.  My church has grown in the sights of many of my servants to the extent that they don’t have time to nurture grassroots churches, the concerns are now on the ‘Big’ ones, the ‘growing’ ones, the ‘flourishing cathedrals’. Structures building do not give them time to build men again; they decorate the blocks and neglect the contents. Men’s spiritual welfare is secondary. Large crowd and big structures are equivalent to success in ministry among my servants. The ‘rat race’ that is common among the world business men is now rampant among them. ‘Whatever works and produced results’ is termed as the leading of the Spirit. Achievements have gone secretly into the heads of majority while money and wealth accumulation has become competition for many. Many of my servants have replaced me in the hearts of my people. They occupy my place in my church. They are being projected more than me because they build ministries around themselves. You hear more of the ‘Man of God’ than the ‘God of man’. I see some of you clamouring for the reopening the churches for large gathering. Well done! Some of you appear zealous for me outwardly but I see selfishness and insincerity in your motive. Some of you are anxious for your belly because you are losing membership. Why are some of you who have no concern for the souls of men before the lockdown are now showing concern for their souls during lockdown and are even nursing unnecessary fear of what happens to the church afterwards. You are claiming to love the church more than me. I am not impressed about your actions. To those of you, who are nursing sincere anxiety, learn from the situation instead of undue fear for your membership. Some of your seemingly sincere fears are: will people serve Jesus again? How do we bring back the discouraged brethren? Will the church attendance be the same again? What happens to the church financially? How does the church take care of the staff and ministers? Leave these to me, stop worrying your head. These are what you should be doing presently: Work on your failures, excessiveness and your lost focus; concentrate on raising men, build more grassroots churches. Don’t love my church more than me. Stop asking the questions you cannot provide solutions to, that is undue anxiety. I will build my church, even after this lockdown the church will wax stronger more than your imaginations. Relax! ” 


     It is very clear from the response of God that we are on a compulsory holiday to open our eyes to those areas of life and ministry we need to apply breaks to avoid spiritual accidents. Fellow servant of God, instead of nursing unnecessary fears about what will be the future of the church after the lockdown let us reflect on those areas of our failures before the lockdown is over and prepare to correct them. It was when Peter got it right that Jesus said he will build his church, this lockdown is an opportunity to learn how to get it right and he will build His church.

     Peace!

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