Two men on their way to Emmaus, according to the Gospel of Dr. Luke, in chapter 24:13-15, were talking about Jesus. “Let’s talk about Jesus,” the Scripture Union taught me to sing in the early seventies. And it is good to talk about Him all the time. As the discussion of the two men progressed to reasoning and warm fellowship, “Jesus Himself [not His angel] drew near and went with them”. This is the true meaning of prosperity, Jesus going with us in the various things we do. May He go with you throughout 2018!
In Acts 15:36-40, Paul and Barnabas, the two great pillars of the Church, had a similar session but Jesus was not attracted. Chai! He did not go with them because flesh was manifested brazenly. Each of them had taken a strong position on a matter they were still to discuss. These great leaders thus erred. Barnabas had insisted that John Mark, his nephew, must go with them for the 2nd Missionary Journey without explaining anything to Paul. Paul, on the other hand, did not want John to go with them because he left them at the lurch during their 1st Missionary Journey. Paul, the great Apostle, forgot the importance of giving someone a second chance as Barnabas did to him after his conversion. Our brethren ran away from Paul because of his past dealings with them. Barnabas, true to his name, the son of consolation, stood with him. Ideas may be logical yet, will not balance the divine equation. In life’s journey and ministry, may we like Moses, refuse to go unless Jesus goes with us!
The size of our purse, the high quality of wisdom we possess, our rationalizations over some issues based perhaps, on academic scholarship and the high-bred counsel we might have garnered, may make the venture a wild-goose chase if Jesus is not attracted to go with us. He goes only with people, who fear Him and also walk in His ways. The bad news is that His ways may not jive with the popular reasoning and have nothing to do with the majority position on issues. In fact, His ways, which can only be discovered by the knees that tarry until He has spoken and also can only be found in His Word, when it is not interpreted to suit human disposition, dwarf all human sensibilities.
To those, who walk in His ways, His promises are that they will eat the labour of their hands. They are to be happy, and it will be well with them. Their children also will live in unity – Psalm 28:1-3. This is the bottom line, the investors’ main interest, when appraising which companies to choose for investment. It has nothing to do with the display of flamboyance or ostentation. It is all about the Net Profit, God’s gift of children, good children. It is great to have children, who sit together, discuss the affairs of their family and then meet the needs. Family unity is not sold across the counter. It is the fruit of parental labour over the years.
These things are happening now in many Christian homes. In their various schools and universities, our children might have been ridiculed for their ‘odd’ behavior, borne out of our rigid discipline on certain issues. Today, the means have justified the end and not the end justifying the means. Many parents are now bestowed with joy and fulfillment because of their children. The benevolence, which many of the children show towards their parents, is amazing. It is common today to see a father harvesting the seed he sowed in tears in the lives of his children many years ago. With joy, he is often seen, ‘Bringing his sheaves with him’ – Psalm 126: 6.
God promises also that we shall see our children’s children – Psalm 128:6. I worshipped in a foremost Pentecostal Church in New York in 1980 and the youths were not there. I was troubled, wondering whether that Church could still exist in the future. In Dallas, in 2011, I was attending midweek programmes in a certain Church and it was the same story. How then would those brethren see their children taking over leadership from them? Well, one thing is to bear children and another thing is to have them fit to replace you. If our children are in cults, how can they replace us? Who will like to be replaced by an armed robber?
What we need are Christian children. And that can be possible if we are Christians. Lawyers are consistent in their position that nobody can give what he does not have. Recognition that I am a sinner and that God, in His mercy, has provided me Jesus as my Lord and Saviour is prerequisite to salvation. It is not by mere Church membership. It is then my responsibility to open my heart to Jesus, pleading for forgiveness and promising never to go back to my vomit. I then invite Him into my life by accepting Him as my Lord and Saviour. I will tell Him to cancel my name from the Books of death and transfer it into the Book of life.
In my Church, God has blessed us with Christian children. Our first worship service was on January 13, 1990 and in 2009, we handed over the mantle of leadership peacefully to our ‘adult children’. Their trust in us, made them to give us the mandate of choosing the General Overseer and his deputy for them. After four days of intensive prayers on a retreat ground, God guided us. Our members and people from other Churches celebrated us for handing over. This is the fruit of fearing God and working in His ways. On November 26, 2017, our ‘children’ handed over the leadership peacefully to their ‘children’, who are our ‘grandchildren’. Praise God!
It is not easy to handover leadership to someone. The devil will go to unimaginable length to frustrate it by raising ‘beautiful’ ideas that mask self interest. We live in a world where respect and authority diminish in geometrical progression with vacation from an exalted position. This is what gives birth to ‘Third-term’ ambition. It is God’s wisdom and bending of knees that can guide in extricating the voice of Jacob from the hands of Esau. It is also the same guidance that helps in making the leader to ignore the desires of his flesh and then succumb to divine direction. We give God the glory that in our Church, though strong as a horse, we, the leaders, left office, leaving for posterity a succession legacy.
Yes, we in leadership, ancient and modern, in excitement of what God is doing, appreciate Him as Uncle Simeon did, when he saw the infant Jesus during His dedication service. We will not, however, pray like him: ‘Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace’. – Lk 2:29. Not, till we see our children’s, children’s, children’s, children’s… children and peace in Nigeria as Jesus Himself continues to walk with us.
For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0802 3002-471;[email protected]