Apologetics

The Message And The Messenger

by Olawale Ogunsola
11/12/24
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In the second week of September 2024, a video was sent to me by a minister of God in which a servant of God dwelt on a statement made by an older man of God. In the video, what the older man of God said was not bad after all.

A careful watch of the video clip revealed the reason for the younger minister of God's stance on the statement made by the older minister. He declared that the older man of God is not his father in the Lord. Upon being questioned by his interviewers on why he blew hot on the statement, he replied that he was protecting his congregation.

I am not interested in joining issues on what I perceive as "a needless debate" on the matters that have to do with the Gospel. There is more to do for the Lord than engage in time-wasting arguments.

Yet, there are lessons to learn.

  Do you know that no matter how valuable a message might be, if you hate the messenger, it may not benefit you? So many times, there is a close affinity between the message and the messenger. Love for messenger will directly affect the message you hear and your reaction to it.

Let me compare this with my experience with my Mathematics Teacher in the secondary school days. What was it?

A brother who was a senior to me who was very poor in Mathematics spoke with me on several occasions that the subject was the most difficult one in the world and one that was extraordinarily difficult. I wrongfully registered his words in my mind. So, as soon as I was admitted to a secondary school, of all the Teachers, it was only the Mathematics Teacher who was my enemy without any fault of his. His only offense was that he was good at the Subject I perceived to be very difficult because I knew nothing about it and my mind was already poisoned against it.

I never ran away from his class but I was only there physically but my mind was not with him. I was grossly poor in the Subject. It was my only enemy subject. I was right in all other subjects in forms one to three. Mathematics was the only subject that would have red ink on my card.

When I was promoted to form four, as it was then, of all the careers I loved to pursue, each required at least a pass in Mathematics. It dawned on me that I hated someone who would have helped me in life through his knowledge. He would have been positively instrumental to my success in life by feasting at his table of knowledge. What I heard about the subject have helped me make the subject and the Teacher my enemies.

I had no option but to fall in love with a subject I hated for three years. It was during the long vacation before resuming form four that I acquired all the Mathematics books I knew could help me. I started studying the subject on my own. It was on resumption that I could receive help from the new Maths Teacher. I later understood that Maths was never a difficult subject but a bitter heart towards the Teacher of the subject will never help a student.

Do you know that what obtains in the Maths matters applies in the Gospel? A Preacher that you hate for any reason cannot impact your life positively if you don't change your attitude towards him. You will poison the minds of others with the venom in yours. Should this be on the journey to the Kingdom of God? Jesus Christ declares in John 14:15, _"If you love Me, keep my commandments."_ (New King James Version, NKJV).
Love comes first.

I realize that we are in the perilous times spoken of by Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:1) but we have to be very careful of which message to condemn and which one to embrace. Let faithful Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ avoid preaching the Gospel with hatred in the heart.

Saints should allow the Holy Spirit to interpret the Scriptures right for them. Whatever any father in the faith says should be considered very well because of the experience he may have gathered or had with the Lord, his God.

Any father may have one issue or the other but he carries something that the Holy Spirit in him can use for the good of the Church of Christ. Any young man who today mocks an old man of God will not lack a young man who will mock him in his time of old age. What a man sows, he will reap. The Lord will reward everyone according to his works, Revelation 22:12.

Beloved, hook up with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Bible is deep and wide, the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you. Kindly allow Him to work in your life. Remain blessed and lifted in Jesus' name. The Lord is coming soon soon, prepare to meet Him.