Stewardship

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THE LAND OF THE ACLEDAMA


As the disciples saw the LORD of on his way back to the father, they raised a question that had troubled every one of them very seriously; Just as the same question troubles almost every one of us to the same or greater extent, today. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the father hath put in His own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. For a people who were born and had grown up under the Roman rule and dominion, they’ve known no other life than the life of a conquered people. They grew up to know that someone else at some distance controlled their lives. They were a colonised people and they laboured day and night at the mercy of their colonial masters. At this material time, the man who controlled their lives from Rome via Pontius Pilate was Caesar Augustus.



Thus when the disciples asked that question, they were concerned with the fundamental issues of when they were going to have their lives back and be in-charge of their destiny and not some mad man exercising dominion and control over them. But Jesus shocked Peter and his friends. He literally told them, their greatest problem wasn’t actually the men at Rome, but that their greater problem was the need for a divine visitation. That visitation was there greatest need because it would be what would turn lives, their homes, jobs, business, and those of their peers around. So Jesus asked them to concern themselves on experiencing that divine visitation. For that, they holed themselves up for ten days in the upper room, praying, fasting and fellowshipping with God and one another in one accord!



As that expectant Church awaited the coming of the Holy Ghost in obvious prayer and fellowship with the attendant group and self evaluation going on, the bible says “ Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples” And part of what he had to address was the case of Judas and how he ended up in Aceldama.



As we await the Lord’s visitation for our restoration and breakthrough, and as the church awaits the imminent return of the Lord, she desperately needs men, who would stand in her midst and address the issues that lead to Aceldama squarely. In a day where breakthrough-by-all means is being forcefully pushed from the pulpit as the Mafiosi would have pushed cocaine, in a age when Pastors are no more asking their church members questions, so long as the tithes and offerings are rolling in, God seeks for Peter who would stand up in pulpits and address issues that are no more popular with our corporate and smooth operating Pastors, men who can look at an unregenerate Simon the sorcerer of Samaria and tell him to scram with his blood money.



Even the Pharisees with all their spiritual blindness could recognise blood money when they saw it. Today, many pulpits, elders’, councils, workers, deacon, boards and Sundry positions have been handed over to often unregenerate occultists and scam king pins in exchange for their money. The slogan and Philosophy today is “come as you are, Jesus love you”. He sure does, but He also desires that haven come the way they were, they were not meant to be allowed indulged nor encouraged to remain so.



In understanding the concept of Aceldama (Pronounced Akeldama) we hope to secure a vista that would open to us a vast field might just hold the key to the puzzles of our life. We would secure ready help from Peter as recorded in Acts 1:15 –20 “And those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spoke concerning Judas which was guide to them that took Jesus, for he was numbered with us and had obtained a part in this ministry, now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling head long, he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem, in so much as the field is called in their proper tongue ACELDAMA, that is to say, the field of blood, for it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation, his bishoprick, let another take”



Peter talking of Judas, said he did a deal (like many of our leaders in Africa and their cohorts in developed countries who help them to keep the stolen government money) that fetched him a wage with which he purchased a piece of land. Judas was one man Jesus loved and trusted. He fed him, washed his feet, gave him Holy Communion and even elevated him from his anonymous position to take charge of the ministry’s finances. The bible didn’t say he was the one that must betray Jesus. But he had a disposition, a broken hedge satan saw and penetrated through into his life. Jn 12:6 let us unto a secret “Judas was a thief” (like many of self acclaimed men and women of God today in the world) As this brother went about with Jesus casting out demons and doing all the beautiful things he did, satan continued to see that one opening in his life he was yet to take care of an opening that would come in handy for the devil at the appropriate time! Thieves can also perform miracles, if God’s willing.



For Judas, betraying the one who loved and trusted him so totally, was his iniquity. That crime fetched him 30 pieces of silver with which he purchase a piece of land. So, what is and Aceldama? An Aceldama is whatever we acquire with the reward of iniquity! When a police man blazingly raise his gun and horsewhip to rob a bus conductor of N20 in Nigeria or when he continues with criminals to undo those he is being paid to protect, he certainly would accumulate that wealth to feed his family, train his children at school, perhaps buy a car, build a house, but all these will turn out an Aceldama when a customs man turns a blind eye and smugglers saturate the land with fake drugs or guns that end up in the hands of a armed robbers and assassins. He would do something. Whatever that projects turns out to be, will ultimately turn out an Aceldama for him!



The judge that would distributes justice to the highest bidder, Doctor, who thrives on abortions, fraudulent and unethical conduct, falsified post mortem report and all, the journalist who would blackmail individuals with a story for a fee, the drug barons and couriers who must destroy other peoples children to earn a living, dubious Pastors who aid and abet crime for fee, would all earn wages for their efforts with which they must acquire and aceldama.



The aceldama might be money, land, house, spouse, job, promotion, certificate e.t.c that we have acquire through dirty and sinful ways. Proverb 24,22 says “He that hasteth to be rich halth an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him” and Proverb 15 vs. 27 says “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house”, no wonder why many families are in serious trouble today in the world, listen all those banks, in developed countries who kept African government stolen money by their leaders, whatever gains you made over the transaction is aceldama.



In an Aceldama, land, car, house, marriage, Business certain fundamental scenarios play out. There will be a bursting asunder and gushing out of the entrails. Aceldama has a way of tearing men out open and apart. Judas’s bowel gushed out and men got to see how convoluted and otherwise his intestines were. Until that day, they remained his exclusive and intimate property but now it was public property. Every adult and child got to know what Judas’s bowels looked like! Aceldama throw up scandals and revelations about us that we won’t be very proud of. The death of Abacha served a good example. Today the whole world knows the mega-thieving and looting Abacha and his cohorts did to Nigeria’s treasury.



Aceldama leave a desolate inheritance. Desolation comes sooner or later, it would manifest in the businesses and houses left behind, offspring from the first or second generation begin to manifest ‘nuisance’ tendencies-houses and land are auctioned off for a sniff of cocaine or wraps of marijuana. Terrible diseases, misfortunes, calamities, name it. When you look around the world today, cursed money inform of investment are in everywhere.



An Aceldama is an accursed thing and like Achan found our too late dealing in accursed things does not lift men, rather it brings them to the valley, the valley of achor the valley of trouble. As we would see in Joshua chapters 7 24-26 Achan brought not only himself to the valley of Achor, but his entire family as well. An Aceldama can liquidate an entire household. Look at many famous families in the world and see all the pains and sorrows that have become their lot. If they would just look deeply enough they would discover what the Aceldama is.



In closing, lets remind ourselves that two men (Judas and Peter) betrayed and denied Jesus respectively. One was remorseful and committed suicide, the other was repentant and found forgiveness and restoration. Let us like Peter go to Him in repentant with broken and contrite spirit, for a broken and contrite spirit the Lord never reject (Ps 51:17).



Ministers and Pastors that have split up congregations and wounded the lambs of Jesus in the process must save their necks from the millstones Jesus promised all who do such! Now take a break and think. Ask questions. Ask God. And ask men; get to know all that is possible for you to know. And do all that is possible for you to do. May the king hear you when you pray. Remain rapturable.



Maranatha,





Bro. Olufemi Tosin Aduwo
e-mail: [email protected]

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