Peace

Image Bearer of God

[Peace @YadidElohim]

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24

[Kesiena Esiri @KesienaEsiri]

Dear Pilgrim,

For our brothers and sisters in Northen Nigeria, every sunrise or day break comes with the promise and test of persecution. By sunset or dusk, many would have paid the ultimate price in death for the sake of Jesus without renouncing their faith.

As I write this, a missionary, nameless, faceless, uncelebrated and unheralded, ploughs through rural fields labouring in poverty to bring the gospel to unreached villages around the country.

Yet, these are not the kinds of stories used as examples of success in ministry in our so called "ministers conferences." For such men and women to the modern preacher, minister, or "culture shaper" must be a failure.

We hear the language of certain amongst us; "To share tracts makes no sense. It is running in the dark and tracts have no meaning. And if you are standing at a bus stop with a megaphone calling men to surrender to Jesus Christ, you are speaking to those who are hungry, poor, and lack insight"

The dialect is an unholy desire for which James called people adulterers and adulteresses. But they wrap it "Christian terminology" like seven mountains of influence and shifting culture. Meanwhile, it is an attempt to serve Baal and Ashteroth using the language of Zion.

A message favourable to the itching ears of a generation intoxicated on cheap grace and heavily steeped in immorality and unrighteousness. A manufacturing line fit only for the "abomination" called celebrity Christianity and incapable of producing true disciples of Jesus Christ.

I weep!! My heart bleeds!!!

Our altars are filled with calls for breakthrough, advancement, dominion, and wealth, but severely lacking in the summons to repentance, restitution, and self-denial. When the pulpit teaches that God’s primary purpose for your life is your comfort rather than your conformity to Christ, believers will carry their greed directly from the pew into the civil service, the boardroom, and public office.

The tragic reality of the Nigerian Church is that we are institutionally large, financially formidable, but morally powerless and bankrupt. Millions gather across our cities every Sunday but when they step back into society on Monday the index of national corruption increases. What we have is an assembly of unregenerate religionists, not a gathering of saints. We have built high walls and low standards.

Hate on me and call me whatever you like, God knows I do not speak out of hatred for the church. But out of deep grief and agonising love for her. If the truth sounds like criticism, it is only because we have lived with lies for so long that light now feels like an attack on our sight.

A Gospel that does not demand death to self will never transform a nation.

May they that read understand!

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

If you work hard and do your work excellently, you'll likely be patronised by "great men" and influential people.

But this doesn't mean your work will certainly make you wealthy; neither does it mean you shouldn't provide noble services to commoners and ordinary people.

Also, if your work is the gospel, it doesn't mean excellent sermons and songs will take you to Aso Rock and Buckingham Palace.

Paul stood before kings, but he was often bound in chains and certainly wasn't courting their favour.

Herod was fascinated by John's sermons, but he eventually ordered his execution.

I sincerely hope we learn to use Scripture accurately, instead of quoting it like Satan to sponsor our carnality and selfish schemes.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

The celebrity culture is alien to Christianity.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Some of us have come to embrace our unique labours.

We know the crowd will never embrace us.

We know we may never make it to the "mainstream segment"

We know we may never conquer the mountain of ministry.

But we are content with convincing those who choose to walk in the narrow way that they are not crazy.

We are content with being the comfort of those who will not be compromised.

We are content with reminding a generation of the true faith that was delivered to us.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Following Jesus is a tough job.

Don't be deceived by the popular narrative that suggests being a Disciple is about self-care, self-love, self-affirmation and self-hype.

What Jesus requires is self-denial; what Christianity invites you to is a daily crucifixion.

If you're really following, you'll arrive at the joy set before you, but before then, you'll certainly have to endure the cross and despise the shame.

If you're really following, you'll find a company of other disciples, but before then you'll have to cope with being hated by the world and even by those of your household.

If you're really following, you'll obtain the treasures of heaven and experience the riches of God's glory, but before then you'll forfeit valuables that compete with God in your soul and give up on things that are dear to you for the sake of God's gain.

Following Jesus is not cheap; it will cost you everything, but that's the only way to find true life.

[Peace @YadidElohim]

@AdelajaSol8219 @ddubemm They are not few, you just want to talk down on other women so you can feel better about yourself. If want an iPhone, work hard and save up for it, like a lot of women do...simple.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Why are we willing to publicly deny our divine descriptions and hush the voices in society who look up to us as "saviors" because we are too offended at those who expect better from us?

We forgot so soon how loudly we bragged about how we are influencers and "gods" and even claimed to have colonised the mountains of music and industries?

But we are still running the show.

Telling the world that we are Heaven's branch office on earth and boasting in our abilities to shift the culture and decree peace and progress in the name of our God.

We want the world to rate us highly, but when they lament with harsh words about how few results we have delivered, we get offended.

We want the hype without the workings.

[Iyaloja of Fields 🙌🏽 @bisolabadejo]

There is also a conversation we need to have with Christian men.

Because some of you speak about women with an underhanded disdain that is deeply un-Christlike, then hide behind “biblical order” to justify it.

You cannot simply look at every Christian woman who resonates with feminism and dismiss her as rebellious. History has shown women have had reasons to fight. The Church is not entirely innocent in the abuse and silencing of women. We have sometimes weaponized Scripture instead of rightly dividing it.

Some women did not become angry because they hate God. They became angry because people used God against them.

There are women who have been talked down to, ignored, diminished, spiritually manipulated, and emotionally controlled in church spaces while men quoted “submission” at them like a threat.

And when women begin to push back against that, you cannot automatically label them rebellious without enough humility to ask:

“What exactly are they reacting to?”

Because even in Scripture, God did not condemn women who challenged systems.

The daughters of Zelophehad fought.
They contended.
They challenged a structure that disadvantaged them.

And God said:

“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right.” (Numbers 27:7)

Not rebellious.
Not dishonorable.
Not with the spirit of Jezebel…
Right.

Some of you need to realize that being male does not automatically make your interpretation superior.

Statements like:

“Woman was created later, therefore she is lesser,”
“Eve was deceived, therefore women are inferior,”
“Men are naturally superior because Adam came first,”

do not make you sound spiritually mature. They make you sound biblically unintelligent.

Genesis 1 says:

“Male and female created he them.”

God did not create woman as an afterthought. He had both genders in mind from the beginning.

And Genesis 2 is not about superiority.
It is about order.

Order does not mean value.

Christ and the Church have order.
The Father and the Son have order.
Order is not inferiority.

In fact, biblical leadership is not domination.
Christ never used His position to belittle the Church, He died for her.

So how did some Christian men become more arrogant than Christ?

You brandish submission like a weapon.
You speak about masculinity like it is superiority.
You talk about women as though leadership means lordship.

News flash, you are not a biblical male. You are carnally minded and we all know what that means.

To lead in our Kingdom is to serve. Where is your service?!

And if creation order is your argument for superiority, then goats should be greater than men because animals were created before Adam.

The logic collapses immediately.

The truth is many women are angry because they encountered distortion disguised as doctrine.
Male ego preached as theology.
Misogyny defended with proof texts.

And instead of constantly rushing to call women rebellious, maybe Christian men need enough self-awareness to ask:

“Have we represented Christ properly?”

Because many women are not rejecting Christ.
They are reacting to men who looked nothing like Him.

Love and Light… with a sprinkle of Holy Ghost Fire.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

The church's tone about sin will determine if our Saviour will be perceived as the God who gave His best to save us from the worst or just a bored deity who is wooing humans to His side because he loves the company of great and special humans.

Sin must be spoken about with the grave seriousness that it deserves.
Until the sinner recognises how dead his trespasses have made him and how urgently he needs the lifeblood of the only Saviour.

Until then, altar calls will keep appearing like men doing God a favour by identifying with Him, and evangelical crusades will become just another socio-religious recruitment strategy that polishes depraved humans into better-behaved sinners who are still estranged from the family of God.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

The ungodly used to avoid church and preaching because such atmospheres convicted them of sin and reminded hearts that there was a consequence for rejecting God's loving grace.

But Unbelievers today love the church because it is cool and fashionable.

They love gospel music because it is enjoyable and trendy.

They love preaching because it is humorous and fun.

They love prayer because it serves as a good mask, giving others a favourable impression of them.

They also seem to like Jesus, although they don't believe He must be worshipped or obeyed.

Some consider these changes as progress in terms of reaching the lost.

I respectfully do not think so.

[Peace @YadidElohim]

@EEgwuono I didn’t say I was ignorant. I was just engaging in a simple discussion about your post. All the best.

[Peace @YadidElohim]

@EEgwuono I disagree that using a word means embracing every ideology attached to people who use it. If feminism means advocating for women’s rights and dignity, I can identify with that while rejecting anything contrary to my faith.

[Peace @YadidElohim]

@EEgwuono That makes no sense at all, lol. I said I advocate for women's rights but I don't support anything that is wrong, you are saying I must accept the wrong. Are you saying advocating for women's right is scripturally wrong?

[Peace @YadidElohim]

@tare_patricia Take care of yourself baby girl!🤗

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Spiritual leadership over average Christians today is so weird because too many only see Jesus as a nice guy who showed a pattern of good morals that leads to famed greatness.

So when they meet a Christian leader who speaks emphatically about the real Jesus and His real virtues like self-denial, sacrifice and doing the will of God even if it hurts, they consider him an overzealous sadist who can't lead them to the path of greatness that they crave.

They will still speak highly of preachers that emphasise sanctification and consecration, but they only see them as a "balance" tool to keep them sane from the overdose of conversations in the direction of 'Takeover' and strategic positioning for Dominion" aka ...'I pass my neighbour.'

Why do so many people who have little interest in being and living like Jesus want to be mentored by messengers of Christ?

Because for many of them, the idea is to find a way to succeed according to worldly parameters while hopefully escaping the horrors of hell and the perversion of demons.

So, Jesus is the one who can help them attain the glories of this world while also enjoying the riches of Heaven.

It's just a simple case of using Jesus for premium pleasure and selfish ambition.

The real god they serve is the fame, greatness, and glory of this world, and Jesus is just the insurance that guarantees the same on the other side of eternity.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

There is a clear reason many church leaders are numb and insensitive towards the pain and anguish of persecuted Christians. It's very simple;
They do not love Christ or His body.

They only love their religious industries, so it's just about personal profit and interest.

We have mastered the art of sending "prayer condolences" and the superficiality of offering occasional PR charity, where the social media budget supersedes the actual giving.

If early Apostles were alive today, im sure that the current happenings in our country would have influenced their epistles, sermons, and public demeanor but we are no longer surprised to see chirch leaders share pictures advertising their happy meetings with the ungodly elites in societies as well as flaunting their wealth and "cursed blessings" hours and days after events that would have led to days of national mourning in any sane society.

The Love for Christ and His body cannot be faked.

For so many church leaders, it is simply not there.

As long as "ministry is moving" who cares if the bloodshed lingers and the poor and vulnerable are afflicted?

Expect "happy Sunday service pictures" and even "church party events" organised by people who dine with wicked kings but never sympathise with Christian commoners.

I don't believe our preaching, prayers, and programs can change society.

If they haven't changed the attitude and body language of our elite and famous preachers, how can they change the ungodly and unsaved?

If those who stand behind the pulpit to "Christ", love, integrity, and righteousness are simply hirelings who are into the business of religious speech and "church empires", everything we do in the name of the Lord is actually service to self and to Satan the god of this world.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Our proximity to the world will certainly make us loathe and abhor God.

The true and living God will inevitably become an irritation and nuisance to His own people when we are bent on practising a brand of Christianity that claims to love God but is also in love with the world.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Our idols are many because so many churches that are supposed to be sacred temples are constantly pressured to "grow" and "succeed"

And if building according to God's pattern is too strenuous and boring a path to follow, golden calves are quickly imported to amuse the audience and entertain the people.

But humans will remain insatiable and unfulfilled until we find the God who made our hearts to know, please, and host Him.

So, until we insist that God is enough for His people and that it's best to wait our whole lives for His glory and grace, we will keep inventing and multiplying idols in a futile attempt to quench a thirst that only God can satisfy.

[Judah Olorunmaiye @JudahMaiye]

Jesus will not win by Grammy and Oscar awards.

He will win by martyrs;
Not just men who die for their convictions but those who live in self-denial for the sake of the exaltation of Christ.