“The gospel that has been preached in our churches has not been fair to the African continent. It has left us in a beggarly state, waiting on God for things we could produce by and for ourselves. Our churches are full of people during work hours, in the morning, at noon, in the evening praying, instead of being in the factories, libraries, and laboratories, facilitating economic growth. We need a shift in our message and in our pulpit.”
If I am not mistaking, I believe the overwhelming majority of the current leadership of the Nigerian church missed the direction in which God was moving during the just concluded Nigerian elections.
Brethren that cannot be by accident. Believe me, these men are not foolish. It would take something supernatural for them to miss it massively like that. God allowed it!!!
Whenever God allows a mass blindness to cover his church, it is not out of stupidity, it is out of divine providence. It is a message to those who can still hear in the spirit that it is time for the remnants to come out of the wilderness and take vanguard of the new things God wants to do in the land.
Allow me to say here again as I said in one of my previous articles, and I quote: “I am by no means castigating the heroic men and women of God who have served God faithfully and have brought the church to where it is today. While we thank God for them and their efforts, we must also know that our generation of believers has the responsibility to take the gospel a bit further. To conquer some more territories and to expand the influence of the kingdom to a higher horizon.
It reminds me of the story of Moses and Joshua. While Moses did a wonderful Job liberating the children of God from Egypt with signs and wonders, God had a stunning message for Joshua, when they got to the land of Promise. God said to Joshua, no more miracles, it is time to build.
“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year” – Joshua 5:12.
The same analogy I see with the body of Christ today. Our fathers of faith have done a great job delivering our nations from the clutches of idolatry and witchcraft through signs and wonders. Today however, a new generation must arise that will take their works further. This generation must rely less on signs and wonders, but rely more on developing skills and building industries.
Whenever any church teaches you not to question or reason, that is religion and it is the opium that Karl Max was talking about. God didn’t tell us to suspend our minds, but he rather challenged us to come and reason, to use our reasoning faculties.
This generation must spend less time waiting for manna from heaven, but spend more time in the fields building and producing. Even though this generation still believes in the miracle working power of God, they must no longer wait for God to bring water from the rocks, but rather construct dams, develop water systems, subdue the power of the ocean and thereby give glory to God almighty. As it was in the days of Moses and Joshua so it is in our day.
Therefore the messages coming from our altars must change. We must have a shift! A “CHURCHSHIFT” is around the corner!! It is time for us to move on to our Promised Land!!! It’s time to begin to believe that with God on our side we can build a prosperous nation and continent.
The gospel that has been preached in our churches has not been fair to the African continent. It has left us in a beggarly state, waiting on God for things we could produce by and for ourselves. Our churches are full of people during work hours, in the morning, at noon, in the evening praying, instead of being in the factories, libraries, and laboratories, facilitating economic growth. We need a shift in our message and in our pulpit.”
Brethren let’s face it. What we practice in Nigerian Churches and in most parts of the world today is more of religion than Christian faith. Karl Max said religion is the opium of the masses. When people lose their ability to reason because of religion, then we can no longer call it faith, that is religion. True faith in God on the contrary awakens in you the mind of Christ, to reason yourself to the will and purposes of God. Hence God says in Is.1:18 “come now and let us reason together says the lord…”
Whenever any church teaches you not to question or reason, that is religion and it is the opium that Karl Max was talking about. God didn’t tell us to suspend our minds, but he rather challenged us to come and reason, to use our reasoning faculties.
Reading through the messages of Jesus, we see him constantly encouraging his listeners to use their ears. He said “he that has an ear let him hear”, “He that has eyes let him see”. That is talking about understanding.
God the Father and the Son don’t wish you to remain blind. It is men that put blindness upon other people for the purpose of control and manipulation. The disciples of Jesus constantly questioned him, asked questions nonstop during his time with them on earth. So whenever a church tells you not to ask questions, that is religion. It is the opium we are talking about!!!
Brothers and sisters, it is clear there is change in the air in Nigeria and in the Church. A new generation of leaders must emerge. But for this transformation to be successful, we the people must first liberate ourselves and our brethren from the clutches of religion.
Come to think of it, how is it that God the Father could be questioned, God the Son could be questioned, but a Pastor cannot be questioned? Brothers and sisters, no genuine change can ever take place in a generation or epoch without first slaying the dragon of religion. Remember, I’m not referring to faith in God; I’m not referring to Christian faith or any other faith. I am talking about religion in all its ramifications.
In the words of Bertrand Russell “It is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion.”
Brothers and sisters, it is clear there is change in the air in Nigeria and in the Church. A new generation of leaders must emerge. But for this transformation to be successful, we the people must first liberate ourselves and our brethren from the clutches of religion.
“Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped.” – Numbers 9:17-18.
Brethren can you see the cloud moving from the tent? Who will move with the cloud? Only the sons of Issachar know the times and seasons. Only people like that follow the cloud of glory as it departs from the camp. Only the remnants would, in obedience, follow the urge of the spirit of God into the next destination in our journey of faith as a Nation.
This article therefore is a clarion call to the Davids of the land to come back from the field and confront the Goliaths of their era. Selah!!!
Sunday Adelaja is a Nigeria born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He is based in Kiev, Ukraine. He can be contacted at sundayadelajablog@gmail.com.
