It is 2017 soon going on to 2018. Christianity has spread like wildfire throughout the world. Many unreached nations have been reached with the Gospel of Christ Jesus. We have seen the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the time after the ascension of Jesus and during the Azusa street revival and the birth of the Charismatic movement. But we also see how fast the world is decaying in moral filth.
Come on, if Christianity has spread throughout the world why have the Christians not been able to change the world? After all Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth right? What went wrong?
There is an influx of preachers today and many so called preachers preach thus, " In John 25:7, Jesus said, "You may ask anything you want, and it will be granted!" So ask Him whatever you want. He will give it to you. Claim His promise. Do not doubt. God wants you to be the head and not the tail. He has promised you anything you ask for. Don't be a beggar and ask for little. Ask for much more. Don't ask for a small car, ask for a big one. Don't ask for a three room flat, ask for a condominium or a bungalow. You are a child of the Father, not a beggar who is satisfied with a morsel of bread. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given unto you!" So ask. He will open the storehouses of heaven and pour it upon you."
Now those who are poor, after hearing this sermon will feel so unworthy. They will think that they lack faith. They will now, faithfully keep asking for riches but will be disappointed.
Then the pastors will say, "Give if you want to be blessed. Remember the poor widow in Mk12:41-44, who gave all that she had? Give without counting tbe cost like her. Then ask for what you want. Have faith. Only then God will pour out riches upon you."
The poor and sick and needy will give what they have in their wallets that day and keep asking, and asking and asking, waiting for that day when the promise will be fulfilled. Meanwhile these ravenous wolves dressed as preachers will continue to fleece the sheep and become filthy prosperous.
Did Jesus really mean that? Did He mean that whatever you ask will be given to you?
Yes Jesus did say, "Ask and it shall be given unto you," in Matt 7:7 .
He also said, "Matthew 7:9-11 NLT
"You parents-if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10] Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
What did Jesus mean when He said all that? What gifts was He talking about? A Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar? A mansion? A thousand dollar suit? A million dollar bank account? A twice yearly luxurious holiday? A private jet? Shopping at all the most expensive stores? Gold watches and jewellery? The most fashionable and expensive boutique?
Let us look at the following verses.
Mark 11:20-24 NLT
The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. [21] Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!" [22] Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. [23] I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. [24] I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. ..."
Now if we take the words of Jesus out of context, does it not seem that Jesus was teaching His disciples to curse anything and anyone with faith?
To make sure we don't take it out of context Jesus added, in Mk 11:25
[25] But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."
So that rules out cursing anyone. But again did He mean that when we ask anything He will give it to us? What mountain was He talking about?
Let us look at the words of Jesus in John 15:7 NLT
"But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!"
This is what Jesus really meant. "When you remain in Me, and my words(I) remain in you, you will bear much fruit (you will think like me and will talk like me and behave like me, and have the Father's heart of compassion and mercy in you). Then you will ask according to the Father's heart. You will ask what is really needed for your salvation and the salvation of others. You will have my mind when you remain in me and I in you. You will not ask for the things of this world which gives fleeting but never lasting pleasures. You will ask for what is most important; you will ask for the Holy Spirit and will I ever refuse you? What parent will refuse his/her child what is good? More so, my Father will never refuse to give you the Holy Spirit if you ask. Also when you ask according to the will of my Father, what you ask for will be pleasing in His sight. You will not ask for what seems good in the eyes of the world. You will ask for that which is good in my Father's eyes. So ask anything, when you remain in me and I in you and whatever you ask, from that position and from that mindset, will be given to you."
Read the words of Jesus in the following verses.
Luke 11:5-13 NLT
Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, [6] 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' [7] And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' [8] But I tell you this-though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. [9] "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] "You fathers-if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? [12] Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! [13] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."
Therefore when the words of Jesus are taken out of context and preached, it produces shallow believers, people who become greedy (wanting to accumulate more and more), selfish (not willing to share), manipulative (using others for their own gain, become cheaters and liars), proud (being too proud of themselves and their strength and accolades and think of themselves as invincible), lustful (lusting after money and whatever they cast their eyes upon), lazy (procrastinating, just sitting down and asking without doing any good works or bearing fruit in their lives) and finally angry (angry when they don't get what they asked for).
Let us look at one more point. The point about selfless giving which is often brought up by these preachers.
Jesus did talk to his disciples about the widow who gave all she had in Mk 12:41-44, but what point was he driving to them. To know that you must read from versus 38-40.
Mark 12:38-40 NLT
Jesus also taught: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. [39] And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. [40] Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished."
Jesus was warning them of the manipulative and proud Pharisees, the modern day prosperity preachers who shamelessly rob the unassuming believers of their money. He was comparing them with the humble widow.
Sadly many good preachers who started out with God's anointing and the right intentions have turned around 180°, lured by the riches of the world and become really good and convincing fleecers.
Although churches are filled every Sunday, although souls are being added in the hundreds weekly in these mega churches and even small churches, although thousands take part in worship in church on Sundays and weekday prayer meetings, although many believers do mission and charity work, the lives of most believers are not changed. There is no visible difference in the lives of these Christians compared to the lives of unbelievers. Why?
Because the true message of Christ is not preached. We are not preaching the Gospel without compromise.
We do not need churches to be filled because we want to collect money from the faithful givers.
Instead we want churches to be filled so that believers will know how to remain in Christ to bear fruit and how to ask with the heart of the Father and mind of Christ Jesus. Then they will ask for things that last and not perish. They will receive wisdom as to how they can be thrifty and how to give their money, time and service to the poor and needy. They will know how to eat right, exercise and be healthy, to be a fit soldier in the Father's army. They will know how to pray away the mountain of afflictions and poverty from their lives.
We want to change lives so that we can send these believers out as salt and light into the world to snatch all those standing on the brink of hell and bring them to the Father through Jesus Christ.
Church, we need to repent. Let those who can hear the Father's call arise. Let us stand in the gap and repent for those who mislead the sheep. Let us give our eyes no rest till we cry out to the Father for each soul which is being lost daily. Let us go forth to proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus, exactly as it is, without taking it out of context and without compromise. Let us see lives changed to become the light of the world and salt of the earth. Let us help one another to bear fruit and remain in Christ Jesus.
Come on church, let us march forward with renewed zeal and a firm resolution not to sleep while the world is decaying, not to rest till all are saved.
Behold the time of the Bridegroom's return is near. Arise, let us fill our lamps with oil and keep constant watch and preach the 'Gospel Without Compromise'.
Mary Augustine
10th October 2017
