Church Building
SAND, CEMENT, water, nails, iron rods, galvanised metal and roofing sheets are good materials, but they do not build the Church of Jesus Christ. They only build a meeting place. But the Church of Christ, the believers, who are the elect of God, are built by the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
Between 2019 and 2020
How does the year 2020 differ from the previous years? Which change has 2020 brought you after being led to cross over into it? What makes a year new? In fact, a new year is nothing, but a change in number or an upward review of a number, according to the Gregorian calendar. This means man, not God, changed 2019 to 2020.
Just as it was in 2019, in 2020 also the days, weeks and months would not be new; the seasons, the sunshine and the moonlight will remain the same. Birth and death will remain; sowing and reaping will continue. Besides, most situations in people’s lives will continue in the so-called New Year. Of course, dates on many products on the market may change. Other things may change as pre-determined by God. What then is a new year?
A nation or an individual can make a year new by their own new decisions and activities. We make a year new by new decisions we make or new principles, practices, strategies or SMART objectives we adopt to achieve new results. So, now, what was there or what was it to cross over? Do we not cross over mere numbers every day, week, month and year? That is why life continues as it is after every 31st December watch night service.
Judgment Day
As voters are vested with power to reject and punish non-performing presidents and parliamentarians of democratic nations at the polls, so Jesus Christ is vested with power to reject and punish all disobedient pastors, teachers, apostles, evangelists, prophets and all disobedient Christians on the Judgment Day. The fate of all unbelievers has already been decided; they are already condemned.
On that day, bishops and others who thought they were great ministers and did mighty works, but proudly refused to do the will of Christ would be seen standing before the Lord with their hands behind them. They will beg for mercy and try to give reasons to be pardoned, but Christ who chose and appointed them will tell them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Two Groups of Pastors
There are two groups of pastors. First, those who minister with their hearts greatly focused on amassing wealth, and they are many. They peddle, huckster or trade the Word of God for profits. In other words, they trick, deceive and even sometimes force people to give them their money for prayers, counselling, directions and healing.
In fact, often times some of them shamelessly prophesy money out of people’s pocket or purse. They do all these because they love money. For them, ministry is all about acquiring cars, mansions and fame. These pastors do not care much about believers’ growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ for them to do the work of the ministry and be saved with rewards.
But the second group is different. They are those who minister with their hearts greatly focused on saving souls. They also receive money to undertake God’s projects in the world, but they do not manipulate systems to make money or trick and force people to give to enrich themselves. They minister as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, and in the sight of God they speak in Christ. They are conscious that God always watches whatever they do (2 Corinthians 2:17).
Two Groups of Christians
There are two groups of followers of Christ: The first are those who follow Him only to receive His miracles or breakthroughs. Often they are the believers who move from one prophet to another. And the second are the people who mainly follow the Lord Jesus for the salvation of their souls and also trust Him for His miracles.
The Lord Jesus commits Himself to the second group, and not the first group (John 2:23-25). Why? Because the Lord knows that their motive or aim of following Him is not in agreement with the main purpose of His death. Christ died mainly to save souls from sin, make them right with God and to restore fellowship between them and God.
Often members of the first group do not pay attention to the Word of God in order to genuinely repent, receive the Holy Spirit to be made true children of God and grow up spiritually as the members of the second group do. This is the situation in which many believers find themselves these days. Unfortunately, people call members of both groups Christians, but God calls only the members of the second group who have the Holy Spirit His true children (Romans 8:9, 14).
jamesquansah@yahoo.com
By James Quansah