Recently, our paths crossed. I had not seen my old friend for decades, and it was good just to catch up again. So much has happened since we last spoke. He greeted me warmly; the words from his lips were sugary sweet but tepid.
It was clear that he had evolved and retreated from long-held and deeply considered positions. A temple that was once occupied by the Spirit of the Living God had swung its doors open to the enemy. The evidence was clear; the new owner had moved in, snugly and brazenly taking up residence in every room. Apostasy had set in. The Holy Spirit had left that building.
My friend was standing in a crowded space. Many in the church have walked this way and arrived at the same, exact destination.
They, who once championed the truths of God, have morphed into accusers of the brethren. As newly recruited members of the unrighteous ranks, they view the people of God as fumbling fanatics to be jeered and avoided, too bold in their spiritual utterances, and overly zealous in the things of God.
There is a need for tolerance, they say, and a level of civility is needed as there is too much criticism of the government and not enough praying for elected officials to do what is right.
They insist that mortal men must not be called out to conform to righteousness, and that the church must leave the government to run the country, tone down its rhetoric, and keep its battle for the things of God within the realm of the unseen.
It is true that our struggle is not against physical opponents. But it is certainly not a flesh-and-blood fight when unrighteous laws are criticised or when a firm stance is taken against ungodly systems that target and oppress populations, especially the poor and vulnerable. Pushing back against injustice and corrupt practices by governments can never be seen as a carnal battle.
We are called to be the salt and light against the rulers and powers of darkness and against spiritual forces of wickedness in various places, such as homes, communities, nations, and the earth. In the same breath, we are admonished to wear the complete armour of God, which is no paper-weight outfit, so that we will be able to resist the enemy and stand firmly in the midst of danger, fully prepared, immovable, and victorious.
During the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, He would always admonish those He healed to go and sin no more. Not once did He heal anyone and leave them in their broken, sinful state.
God does not coddle sin but calls men (aka flesh and blood) to repentance.
In fact, in Romans 1, God leaves the resistant (flesh and blood) to their reprobate minds and ultimate destruction when they reject righteousness. So, this posturing by the apostate for the church to tolerate, even accommodate, sin and overlook unrighteousness, especially among their favourite friends in government, reeks of compromise, mammon, and witchcraft.
It is this kind of weak-kneed, lily-livered approach to the proliferation of the gospel that signals to unsaved men and women that they can walk in sin and claim to be righteous at the same time.
This powerless position in which the apostate is attempting to place the church causes iniquitous governments to ignore the Almighty God, reject His authority, dismiss His instructions, and mercilessly oppress populations.
Governments are muscular organisations, managing trillions of tax dollars and funding gifted by their various international partners with ambiguous agendas, making laws to govern all and sundry, and engaging rich and influential sources in the local and international spheres.
If the church fails to call out sin in a government steeped in corruption and unrighteousness, that church, which is the conscience of the nation, is off mission and has lost its saltiness.
A weak, compromised church, which secretly lies in bed with corrupt governments and private sector bodies, is not just a mere humbug; it is an agency of the kingdom of hell and a willing partner in the mission to steal, kill, and destroy.
Do not be fooled. Lying comfortably beneath the subtle attacks on the righteous by the apostate is usually the deadly force of envy. It is a powerful piece of emotion and a favourite weapon wielded by the forces of darkness. Ask the old prophet who lied to the young prophet and caused him to disobey the instructions given to him by God, thereby leading him to his death.
Envy can easily lead people to commit the most heinous of crimes against their own blood, their spouse, their neighbours, congregations, and even against nations.
People envy others over possessions, looks, achievements, relationships, and even personalities.
The church has not escaped the wielded weapon of envy.
Pastors are jealous of other pastors and ministries of other ministries. Even the growth of the body in some places is stymied because of envious men who were once sold out to God.
To those who have joined the growing gang of the apostate, let it be clearly known that the voice of God created the universe and cannot be silenced, or rendered powerless, nor can it play second fiddle to anyone or anything.
As properly disguised wolves, costumed as sheep, you seek to belittle the men and women of God on the frontlines of the battle for souls, sending messages to distract them from their God-assigned mission.
Agents of hell, you are well aware that any relationship you had with God has been severed. Your lampstands have been snuffed out, yet you persist with the facade, showing up in places as angels of light. You have chosen money and a public profile over repentance and righteousness.
From your place of compromise, you must recognise that it is only when the righteous stand that a nation can be blessed. You have no hope in heaven or hell to see anyone outside of yourself prosper. You are well aware that righteousness still exalts a nation, that when the righteous rule, the people will rejoice, and that sin is still a reproach to a people.
Let me put it to you: the only solution to your apostate calamity is repentance and a return to purpose, beseeching God for His divine mercy and grace. The harvest is plentiful, and the labourers are few. There is room at the cross for you.
Know this: the battle is the Lord’s, and He will choose how He wishes to fight and whom He will engage. But, He will also use whomever is rightly aligned and available.
Urgent help is needed in communities to fix our families, address issues such as the fatherlessness of our children, address youth engagement, and create a way to empower parents to rebuild their relationship with their children. We need men and women of God to help in the rescue of our youth from the grips of addiction and gangsterism and our young women from abuse, trafficking, prostitution, and abortion.
We urge the fallen soldiers, like my old friend, to reject the ranks of the apostate, repent, and return to righteousness; we have loads of work to do.
