Are we missing something in the Gospel?

I write this lamenting in my own heart about the state of Churches today. The bible indicates to us that we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses; the patriarchs, the elders, the prophets and the apostles who went before us. They were counted as faithful and sacrificially served God even to the point of shedding their blood for the cause of the Gospel. I remember Stephen a man full of faith and the Spirit of God; I remember John the Baptist who lived in caves and ate locusts and wild honey, yet preaching the coming of Christ without fear only to die in the hands of King Herod! Apostle Paul was always in danger, at sea while travelling and in the land from the plotting of the jealous Jews. He was living like one under the sentence of death. No home to call his own. No holiday destination to go. His place was in the prison mostly bound by chains.

I am mesmerized by the apostles, pastors, bishops and preachers of our generation. Most of them live in luxury. Most of them are not our neighbors, as we generally live in the common neighborhoods, but as for them, they live in the leafy suburbs of our cities. They drive the top of range cars and wear the finest of the clothes. They are unavailable for the flock; always surrounded by security to keep away the people and their disturbances. Through this method, how will they know the state of their flock as the Chief Shepherd has commanded them to do? Is your pastor or apostle available for you specifically? The CEOs of our organizations are more accessible and readily available than our pastors!

What has changed of the Gospel? The truth is that the time has changed. But the Word of God remains steadfast and unchanged! What do the apostles of today know that the bible apostles missed about the Gospel? If none, then the first apostles would have been the richest and most comfortable of all men of God having received the truth of the Gospel firsthand. But it was not so for them. Instead, they sold all their possessions and placed them at the apostle’s feet for serving the needy amongst them! The question is; are we called into worldly riches or spiritual riches? The emphasis today is more on the temporary outward life more than the inner hidden eternal life!

I listen to the sermons of our preachers and I am impressed by the eloquence, earnestness, the learning expressed and I admit I am intellectually aroused. Nevertheless, there is something lacking in most of them; the unction of the Holy Spirit. I have often been told, what the preacher brings from his mind can only get to the mind of the listener but that which comes from the heart of the preacher gets into the hearts of the listeners. And this is the reason for many folks in the church who are not getting transformed by the Word of God. They hear the word but it quickly dissipates in the same way they were excited to receive it!

Since the time draws neigh quickly, and the son of man will return in the glory of His father and the holy angels, it is important we make our election sure. We must ask the hard questions. Are we doing the Kingdom business or our own businesses? Are we running the race in the stipulated rules or we have created our own. All of you will agree with me that God is a righteous and just God and He is in one mind. The foot print has been laid for us by those who went before us. In fact it has been written for our learning and instruction. We are called to
lay down our lives and take the cross daily! We are called to share in His sufferings that if possible we may resurrect with Him. Why the shift of the preaching to actualize us and lie to us that we can live on earth as if it was our home.

The church has gone further to compromise just to allow the young people to crowd their churches. You can tell this by the music they perform and the dances they do. Has the gospel changed! Recently I was present in a youth service in a certain church. I was amazed by the generalization that a youth is that person with a sagging jeans and pierced ears for a man and who is able to do all the trendy dances as we see them through the media. For once I felt lost within my age group leave alone in the calling of my faith. It came out as a very lean way of defining the youth especially in the light of the Gospel. Who should change who? The youth changing the church or the church changing the youth?

Are we missing something in the gospel? I better ask this question now before we cross to the other side. I better be poor now but be rich in the Kingdom of my Father. While there is still yet strong delusion and deception in this age that has left the souls of many defiled, Father I pray that you help me discern. Amen.