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The Anointed Prodigals
by Bola Olu-Jordan We take a lesson from the story of the prodigal boy in the book of Luke chapter fifteen from verse eleven to thirty two, to make a comparative analysis of this 'prodigal' boy and the end time church. He was called a prodigal boy because of a strange spirit that suddenly seized and drove him like a drunk, into thinking of what he never thought of, or doing what he had never done before. He had been a faithful son to his father and lived happily with his brother until that fateful day. FATEFUL DAY There is always a 'fateful' day for everyone. Adam and Eve had lived in the Garden of Eden until a fateful day. Nimrod had lived on earth along side others until a fateful day came. Judas was a friend of Jesus until the fateful day he betrayed him. Lucifer was in the presence of God for God knows how long until the fateful day he rebelled against God. The Church had remained in the perfect Will of God, until this end time, which is her own fateful day; just like many brethren had remained in the counsel of God until their fateful day, a day of backsliding. Even this world's fateful day will soon come; described as a great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal.4:5). A fateful day is a day of spectacular happening or turning point; that ruffles the erstwhile still waters. It is portrayed in the negative light in all the above because it was a day of great mistake; a doom's day! Each of them had an encounter; a personal encounter of regret, sorrow and fall, which was brought about by listening, obeying and following an inner urge within them, which appraises their capabilities, tickles their ego, eulogizes their sense of sufficiency and encourages them to take a bold step to achieve their goal, until they take a great leap beyond the ladder. When such fateful day comes, senses are seized and good reasoning is overtaken. The urging voice becomes so loud that it displaces sanity, decorum and throws decency into the wind. The thought, orientation and mentality becomes corrupt; a spirit of self sufficiency becomes active and subtly leads to a trial of something contrary to the normal order; all with but a gentle persuasion (Prov.22:28). The prodigal boy gave-in to this rebellious spirit which caressed his sense of passion for freedom and magnified his chances of success until he dashed forward, using his free will and his prerogative of power as a son to give it a trial. It was a personal, myopic and exuberated ambition, devoid of his father's express consent. The spirit pampered him along and painted a perfect and irresistible picture of high success before him. He was further driven by an enlarged sense of independence, self maturity and purpose; and by the fact that he could take his own destiny in his own hands, he became confident and convinced of his action. He wanted to prove to his friends how rich his father was. He wanted to tell the father he was no longer a toddler; "I'm a big boy; I can fend for myself. I don't need to be treated as if I'm a kid. It's my life after all, and I'm in control. I should be allowed to care for myself. I know exactly what I want. My destiny is in my hand and I can handle it". Unfortunately, despite the self confidence and high prospect of success he thought of before launching out, we were told that he 'wasted' his inheritance through 'riotous living', (Lk. 15: 13), i.e. 'a wild lifestyle' (GW) or 'reckless living' (GNB). The Greek word used for 'wasted' is 'diaskorpizo', which specifically means to 'winnow', which is the process of blowing away the chaff from the grain by wind. It suggests that the boy blew away like a wind his life inheritance, through a wrong process like immoral acts, including gambling, parties, smoking and drinking orgies, with a strong emphasis on sexual perversion with strange women; a terrible enfant. THE APPOINTED TIME Some truths we must come to terms with in the life of this prodigal boy is that no. 1: the inheritance was his own, legally; he did not ask for what was not his. No. 2: the prospect of the anticipated success was ever there. He would have gotten the inheritance sooner or later and would have succeeded. But he sought these two things (inheritance and success) earlier than appointed and he demanded for what rightfully belonged to him in a wrong way, spent it for wrong things, in wrong land with wrong people for wrong reasons. Despite that he asked for what was legally his; his actions not only nullified his legitimate claim, but destroyed his testimonial. For everything, there is time and season (Eccles. 3:1). The boy could not wait for the appointed time (1Pet.5:10, Heb.6:15; 10:36). A spirit of 'self-help' ministered to him to take immediate control of his destiny. This same spirit also initiated King Saul into performing the sacrifice unlawful for him to perform, because Prophet Samuel delayed. He usurped the office of the prophet; after all, he was THE KING. But as soon as he performed the sacrifice, Prophet Samuel emerged. At another time, he spared what God asked him to destroy. Although he greatly regretted his action but it was too late: he got hold of the edge of the prophet's robe in remorse, but it tore in the process. The prophet told him that was the way God has torn the kingdom away from him and his generation forever! (1Sam. 15). Impatience leads to regrettable actions. The prodigal saw the 'appointed time' as too far away; he imagined what he could achieve by being in immediate control. He could rise to prominence, he could turn the inheritance around and multiply it; he could make friends with the princes, aristocrats and the nobles of the world; his name could be famous as one of the richest, he could dine with kings and even marry princesses, etc. The thought further opened his inner eyes to see the capital of the world; where he could take his wealth to and turn it around to become one of the youngest neuveau riche; how he would be a celebrity and could live long in opulence, with servants, and just everything he ever dreamed of. The thought heightened and culminated at a crescendo that drove him to the presence of his father like a drunk, to forcefully and rebelliously demand from his father, his own share of the inheritance. Every sound reason from his father could not prevail; the fatherly pleas and genuine explanations fell into deaf ears; he was obsessed with the 'success mentality' in the New World (far country). No sooner did he get what his soul 'desired' that he bolted away; into the boundless expanse of freedom, nay destruction! How similar the actions of the end time church are to the prodigal son and how romantic are their thoughts! The Church today is overwhelmed with the same inordinate mentality for success and breakthrough. To contend with the fact that she is 'blessed' is like denying the obvious. At no time in history has the church paraded so much wealth and respect than now. We see the manifestation of it all around us. It's now fashionable to be a Christian and profitable to be a pastor. In almost every corner, donors of the gifts of God go by various titles, trying to outwit one another in a brazen show of prodigious competition through merchandizing of the anointing. They squander the inheritance gotten from the toil of a Loving Father through a rebellious means in a riotous living of charismatic gyration; to attract and convince as many as have the misfortune of being deceived by their abracadabra. Like the rich young ruler, the church's problem is her supposed wealth and spiritual blindness. The former is a disease, while the latter a bewitchment. Sadly, she does not know that she is actually poor, miserable, wretched and blind (Rev.3:17). DISTRIBUTION CENTERS How enthused the prodigal boy must have been to suddenly be in control of such enormous wealth! He carved a meeting place for himself 'in a far country' where he could receive and welcome people to his new world. He started a rendezvous, with plenty of partying music. He also had a place he could consult for people, advice and assist them; where he could tell the people how good his father his, but never telling them how he rebelliously got his wealth and how he ran away with it. He would also teach them the same automatic 'kingdom principles' he used to collect his inheritance from his father without His Will. Doesn't this describe the end time church and her pastors? Many so called 'men of God' today, who go by powerful and heavy, prophetic and apostolic titles, have rebelliously gotten their inheritance (anointing) from God by tarrying long at the strange mountains to ask for nothing else but power, power and power! Suddenly, the power comes! While it is obvious that God released the power to some of them but without his express Will, just like he did to the prodigal boy, but to many others, the power is a gift from demons on the mountains who parades themselves as angels (2Cor.11:14). For these ones, there are so many strange practices commanded by such gods in order to obtain healings for people. In Luke 18, we read of a widow who would always trouble the king to avenge her of her enemies. Although, the king did not fear God or man, but so that the woman would not kill him with her incessant coming, the king granted her her heart desire. The same with God: many men of God tarry at the mountains with fasting and other self suffering and denial to 'blackmail' God in order to get their heart desire, not what God desires. Because of their 'importunity', God released the power to them, but He is no longer in control and it is not His express will. No sooner than they received the power do they go to a 'far country', a place where the father has no influence or control over them, and where they could do as they wish. They open a consulting center with a big sign board announcing several abilities to do all sorts of miracles, and bless people with their prophetic prayers and anointing. While the people are happy that they are beneficiaries of the largesse, the father is weeping and waiting for a day his son would come to his senses and return home. It thus means that many so called 'men of God' today are actually out of their senses. Another spirit is actually working in them. We may celebrate them on earth, but they are known as 'rebels' in heaven. Such centers are on the increase today. The worst of it is that they teach as many people as have the misfortune to gather to listen to their theories and principles which they used to 'persuade' God to release their inheritance, so that they too can use it. They thus lure as many people to prematurely and rebelliously demand for their inheritance (blessings) from God. The men of God in turn are gratified with cheap popularity, fame and wealth, which truly are good as worldly possession, but translate to nothingness in eternity. SWINE'S FOOD One day, the wealth which the prodigal boy was distributing finished and 'he began to be in want' (Lk.15:14). This time of famine is a critical time in the life of every man of God. It's a time of testing; a time of great decision: a time when the wonders of the anointing diminishes; a time when automatic miracles no longer happen; no more crowd, no more standing ovation, no more invitation to minister, no more food and the anointing is stack dry. What would the man of God do? And the father was never in support of his initial bolting out, let alone the renewal of the anointing. As a matter of fact, he collected all and squandered all; nothing left. He can't go back to the father for more? What did the prodigal do? He was overly surprised when the inheritance finished. He couldn't believe it because the spirit that drove him to it from the beginning painted a 'never-finish' picture of the inheritance to him. He lamented: 'so good things come to an end'. To make the matters worse, all his benefactors disappeared. No where to live, no place to squat, no food to eat, no cloth to wear. At this time, the same spirit that pushed him to this quickly suggested a way out: 'try and figure out what you can do with your brain. It will be a great shame to return home begging. Use what you have to get what you want'. 'So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs' (Lk.15:15GNB). This man's survival instinct led him to a piggery farm as a labourer; to keep pigs and also stay alive. When we loose our pride, it is fight not to loose our lives that follows. That is the best our personal effort could offer. All our righteousness are filthy rags before God (Is.64:6). The problem with the church is that we channel our effort on survival instead of surrender. We commit more sin in an effort to cover our sins. In order for us to retain our title, dignity and respect, we resort into self effort: building the Church of God by our experience, ideas, formulas and calculations: organizing crowd-induced crusades, attractive seminars, many days of 'hot' prayer meetings, strange night vigils and automatic miracle seminars where healing, breakthrough, etc will be distributed free of charge, all for a seed faith offering. The best of our efforts will only make us more repulsive to the father! As at the time the boy resorted into self effort, if he had returned to his father, he would have been welcomed back home. But the spirit had replaced the sonship spirit with pride and self confidence mentality. It was pushing him farther away from the father until he would be completely lost. We might never understand the high demonic power-play that occurred in the devil's provision of the job for the prodigal boy. We must ask this question: Why a piggery farm: why not a poultry or a grains' or other store? This has a divine meaning and only the spiritually discerned will understand. The devil still uses this 'divide and rule' strategy for many servants of God today. He offers the same 'opportunity' that leads to destruction, never repentance! Pigs are forbidden animals for the children of Israel, either to keep or to eat, because it is adjudged unclean by the Lord (Lev.11:7). In fact, there are ceremonial cleansing to be done when anyone come in contact with them. That is the exact place the devil led the boy to; to further desecrate him and lead him farther away from his father. It is not a coincidence; it is a well managed demonic play. The thought of survival will lead men to do abominable things. Countless pastors' anointing is already dry today but they use self effort to prop it in order to remain relevant. They are gripped with the thought of loosing the crowd, friends, respect, titles, etc. Although, Satan generously provides a way out of this embarrassment for them through a piggery farm to work as labourers (an abomination to God), but many still take a step further to the slaughter slab where they eat the pigs in abominable sacrifice to the gentile god. It is a common knowledge that many of them end up in the shrine. They persuade people to bring all sorts of materials for rituals; oil water, photos, etc, to get result. Soon various scandal follows. Many others take direct empowerment from Satan by dabbling into occult, magic and divination so as to be able to foretell people their problem and future with accuracy all to remain relevant and be called a powerful man of God. These are the ingredients that savour most of our services and rallies. Man's effort to make up for God's absence. Many servants of God are in piggery farm today ignorantly. They even have association and hold programs. Servants of God must beware of some leadership summits and seminars where Church Growth strategies, empowerment and mechanics are discussed. Many of them are human efforts to help God build His Church. He says 'I will build My Church' (Mt.16:18). How? by adding as many as will be saved (Acts 2:47), not through special anointing or miracle service to lure members. The story of Mary and Martha should teach us a lesson (Lk.10:40). God doesn't want us to labour to prepare great meal and entertainment for Him, He wants us to sit down and learn from Him. We must cast away the spirit of Martha from us. Such meals are what we broadcast to the world as great things and achievement our ministry is doing for God, when He is actually not interested in it. Many of our altar calls are filled with people we have saved by our messages, not people whom God has saved by His mercies. As the famine intensified, the boy later desired to be fed by the pig's food, the husks. Before we know the spiritual meaning of, let us first look at the man the boy worked for that provided the job for him. The man was a gentile, but a man of affluence who could rescue a dying child of God from shame and death. When we look around us today, we see a lot of gentiles, people who are not children of God, who are land lords, bosses of great companies and industries, riding the best cars, etc. Sometimes we covet their riches. No matter how good their good gesture is; when we run to them for survival, they will only lead us away from God. That is who the man is; the god of mammon. He would provide sustenance at the expense of your repentance and relationship with the father. The only place we can run to when the chips are down is to go back to our father. Satan made the boy's return almost impossible! The husks that the boy desired to eat are the types of food many are being loaded with in our churches every Sunday called divine messages. The purpose is only to keep the body alive, haggard, but enough to laboring. Imagine the father seeing his own son, eating that type of food. He would almost vomit. It's a meal quite all right, but an abominable meal to God. There are better and balanced meals with the father than for the boy to eat pig's husks. Many have developed spiritual malnutrition and kwashiorkor listening to so called 'soul-inspiring' messages. But because the diseases cannot be physically seen and because they are still alive, they never knew how dying they are. The father shed tears when he saw him; not only because he was delighted that he returned but couldn't believe how haggard he had become. Husks are the popular motivational and positive thinking messages, seminars, and books, purportedly preached and written by Christian authors with big titles. They are to keep the SOUL (psuche) alive but the SPIRIT (pneuma) bound. They excite the soul and provide a false hope of breakthrough through Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), a metaphysical approach to life or modern witchcraft. Such books and messages tells of principles of divine breakthrough, how to this, steps to that, keys to this, mind control, power of imagination, visualization, confession, positive thinking, confession, faith in things, etc. They are soul, not spirit inspiring or sobering messages that will make them come to their senses like the prodigal boy eventually did. The messages are designed to animate the soul; not to minister repentance or reconciliation to the father. How often are spirit inspiring messages like rapture, holiness or sanctification been preached in today's Church? Paul says at the last days, they will not endure such doctrines, but will appoint teachers who will gratify their sensual appeal (2Ti 4:3). Soul messages are dangerous, Christians beware! They are junk foods, poisons! Some messages are carefully packaged with quotable quotes, rhymes and incising words and deliberately carved out to deliver a forceful impression, to motivate and ignite a passion for success and breakthrough. They neither give God fragrance, nor secure eternity. It rather makes the soul-man fat, but makes the spirit man thin. As long as you continue to eat such husks, you are in bondage and servitude to the pigs owners, you are a sacrificial lamb in his abattoir. You will remain alive but never remember home, your father or your fellow brothers. It's a great joy that after some time, the boy came to his senses. That was the legitimate breakthrough the boy needed. Many are looking for breakthrough today, but the only breakthrough they need is deliverance from the bondage of the gentile man (pastor), who owns the piggery (church) and who is only keeping them alive by giving them husks (motivational messages) which are abominable to God. My prayer is that as many as are reading this message will also come to their senses. A glorious spark of the glimpse of the love of the Father will break and lead them gently back to the Him, who is waiting for them to return. He said whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out (Jn.6:37). But the spirit that ministered sufficiency, breakthrough, success and independence will never make them to remember the love of Jesus. That power is broken right now in Jesus name. FRAGRANCE For someone who never tasted a good meal, husks may be the tastiest meal. But what about those who have tasted what a good meal taste like (Heb.6:4-6). I pity many who claim to be born again today but they are born again into husks messages. The way and manner they cluster to receive the meal is both marveling and regretting. 'Preach it pastor', you hear often as the man dazzles them by acrobating around the stage with expensive grammars and costly steppings to portray and demonstrate the goodness of God. Many 'key-in' to the mighty orations by running to the pulpit to lay money at the feet of the man of God. We must rather weep! Is this what Christianity has been turned into and our elders are comfortable with it? What a prodigal and wasted generation! Is this the result of Christ's suffering on the cross? No wonder Jesus wept in the spirit when he looked at this generation: He lamented: would the son of man find faith when he comes back (Lk.18:8)? Where is the faith of our fathers? The way and manner our respected leaders are dishing out husks in order to remain relevant today is appalling. Is it because they never tasted of the good meal before or they want to survive and remain relevant at all cost or they are fallen by the same spirit that minister 'I can do it' to them? I blame them not, for I know the power of Satan at these last days, but I solemnly pray that God will lead them back to their senses like the prodigal boy. But for the prodigal sons and daughters and also the anointed prodigals, who have tasted the good meal, the aroma, the delicacies, the balanced diet, prepared with time tested ingredients who now throw away such meal to eat husks I pray for deliverance. The boy was not only sorry but had Godly sorrow which leads to repentance (2Cor.7:10). But many of our pastors today who eat and giving husks are too content, as long as they remain alive with their title and they are still popular, they eat the food and give their people to eat like Eve did her husband. They had forgotten how a good meal (sound message) tastes like. They have forgotten that the Gospel of Christ is different from the gospel of miracles. They have forgotten the type of messages they ate when they were growing up in the faith. The aroma of quality worship as against demonic praises; messages of rapture, righteousness, holiness, sanctification as against how to get result using mind control. The boy remembered the aroma and his spirit longed for it one more time. That was where the deliverance began. He conquered that demonic spirit, at last; the spirit that led him to rebel against his father and prematurely demanded for his inheritance; the spirit that led him into a far country; that made him squander his inheritance with the assurance that the gift of God is without repentance; that led him to the swine's house to live and eat its food. He conquered that spirit and the bible says: 'he came back to his senses'! I pray for as many as are in this situation today to come back to their senses in Jesus name. Amen. Will the end time church ever come to her senses? Would she defeat the spirit that tells her she is rich and increased in goods and have no need of nothing (Rev. 3:17): the spirit of pride and independence; the prodigal spirit of ambition that ministered self sufficiency, ability, freedom and power? When will the friends of the anointed prodigals stop eating husks that deceives them to use their brain, mind and confess positively? This spirit is a spirit that has seduced many away from the path of righteousness to the path of miracles. It is a strange doctrine; gospel of other things. SEDUICING SPIRIT Paul warned Timothy of the danger of the last days: 'Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1Tim.4:1). We are at the end time; many are departing from the original salvation because they listen to all these 'you can make it' messages that seduce them away from fellowship with Jesus to automated religion of bread, butter and other things. They speak lies on the altar in the name of the Lord. 'Then the LORD said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart' (Jer. 14:14). 'Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness' (Jer 12:10). 'Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD' (Jer 23:1). Many deceivers and seducers now command the pulpit, preaching fables: giving people solutions to their problems, instead of Jesus. They are not interested in fellowship, but gains and benefits. They don't want to know the Giver, but desire His gifts. They want pastors who would minister to their needs and tell them exactly what they want to hear. They want people who can see their future through divination not revelation. The time is here that they turn from the truth to facts and fables (1Tim.4:3-4). For how long would the Church follow seducers and the anointed prodigals? When will the church come to her senses? When will you, reader, come to your senses; that truly, you are being fed, but you are not satisfied? The meal does not give God an aroma of satisfaction; it does not give Him fragrance of joy. You serve him because of benefits. All the testimonies you give are the blessings, miracles, breakthrough and prosperity which are stolen wealth from the presence of the Father. Compare the maturity of your spirit man to your soul man. You are a spiritual accomplice, partakers of the stolen wealth of God. Until you rise up and run to the father; confessing and repenting, you are under the wrath of God and it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb.10:31). If the beneficiaries of the prodigal boy's wealth had followed him back home to his father to explain how generous his son had being, they would be shocked to learn that the father knew nothing about it. At the judgment day, when the anointed prodigals returns home, it is then the beneficiaries of all the miracles, healings, prosperity, breakthrough, etc would know that they have benefited from a stolen wealth. Because the father will expressly tell the prodigal sons in the presence of the whole world that: "I know you not, depart from me, you that works iniquity" (Mt.7:23). INIQUITY I watched a controversial popular televangelist sometimes ago. Many miracles were show-cased on the T.V. of this man's ability to heal people. As I watched the miracles, I discovered that my spirit was bearing witness to these miracles. So, I asked the Lord; "is this from You?" I was shocked at the Lord's reply; He said: "the gift is truly from Me, but I am no longer in control!" This message [of iniquity] is being preached by great men of God with great titles and proven track record of integrity in ministry. This will make many to believe the message, because 'by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple' (Rom 16:18). "They speak great swelling words of vanity (2Pe 2:18). It is a message of fact, telling you what you can do and what you can achieve with your sense by realizing your potentials and the power in you and releasing your mental ability and be positively minded. They teach you how to control your thought and how to develop a strong and positive thought pattern and achieve anything you desire. Also how to awaken the latent power in you by unleashing and releasing your hidden mental power. Be careful! All those who used it truly got what they wanted, but we saw the after math. Satan was sent out of heaven. Nimrod got the language of the world scattered, the prodigal boy returned cap in hand. Adam and Eve died were excommunicated from the Garden of Eden, Only God knows what vocabulary Eve used to speak to Adam and convinced him to eat the apple. It must have contained the same oratory finesse that Satan used to convince Eve herself. Adam knew too well it was wrong to eat the fruit, in fact, he had lived with it for God knows how long without approaching it; but somehow, at this time, he had no power to resist. It has a great allure, except for the power of God. The devil knew Adam would never listen to him, that was why he went to Eve and persuaded her by showing her the boundless opportunity and benefit awaiting her. Adam fell flat. Many a time we read this story, but we never position our heart into understanding the enormous forces behind the scene. If Adam could fall, then we are not immuned. He used if for Jesus at the wilderness too (Mt.4).This same message is circulating in many of our churches today. The Bible says it will abound (increase, spread, cheap, everywhere) and consequently MANY SAINTS will fall. It is saints that will fall, not sinners, because sinners are already fallen and he that is down needs fear no fall. The Bible says except the days were shortened, NO FLESH will be saved, because they will deceive the VERY ELECT! (Mt.24) LEARNING FROM HISTORY The power, independence, prosperity, miracles, babies and breakthrough the church distributes today is with such a prodigal resolve and conviction that can only be likened to the thought that traversed the heart of Lucifer aeons earlier, when he was also faced with the gargantuan and infinite ambition of becoming somebody greater than God. He saw the possibility, he was enthused with the reality, he could feel the manifestation and the attendant honour, power, glory and majesty. He thought of what it would be like to be in actual control and be like God. The suicide thought tickled his mind further, with a ferocious fantasy, as it did the prodigal boy, and made his heart lifted up; it drove him like a drunk to the presence of his maker, and with a great ambition and imagination, announced: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. I will be like the most High" (Isa 14:13-14). That was one wild thought too many for a mere created being! Even Jesus, who was in a better position to do something like that, being a son, did not lift up his heart against His Father. 'But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (Phil.2:6). Since God is of a purer eyes than to behold iniquity (Hab.1:13), He sent Lucifer out of heaven and banished him to the earth in judgment and even cursed the earth (Rev.12:12); He was eternally separated from God. He wandered the earth to and fro and one day, approached the creation of God in the beautiful Garden of Eden. His intention was to capture their minds and sell the same thought that drove him out of heaven to them: thought of independence, will-power and mind control. He graphically and irresistibly painted the glorious opportunity awaiting them with a colourful illustration, if only they could use their mind and try something different. He assured them: "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:4-5). He encouraged Eve to 'step out in faith' and unleash the innate, godly power in her and possess her rightful possession and inheritance, take her rightful place in destiny and live in eternal bliss, without death, with eyes opened wide to know good and evil. Right? Wrong! Eve fell to such mighty orations which truly opened her eyes to see what she could achieve by taking her destiny into her hands and using her instinct and brain, instead of believing in the words of God. Herself and her innocent husband suffered similar fate like that of their motivational teacher, Lucifer: eternal separation from God! The same spirit of delusion engulfed Nimrod many millennial ago; (Gen. 11). He imagined a one world and himself as the maximum ruler, a type of the anti-Christ to come. That reality fired his inordinate ambition and fanned the dream into flame. He imagined the respect, grandeur, power and authority. He then gathered people together and psyched them up through some powerful orations, using persuasive words of wisdom, philosophy, etc. Not long, the people caught the fire and with a common frenzy declared: "let us make brick, and burn them throughly. .. let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:3-4). Soon, the tower that reaches up to heaven was built through soul power of thought and imagination, which, sadly, the end time church is preaching today on the bill of positive thinking or confession. Others call it motivational speaking. Some others loosely call it faith. Faith in what: in the word of God or personal desire? Genuine faith is believing the word of God, not believing in the success of what you want to do; whether good or evil. No wonder many are achieving remarkable success just having faith to do what they desire, good or bad. Just lace it with the power of positive thinking and imagination; visualize the result in your mind and get the result. Yes, result, but not of God; like many testimonies many give today in the name of God. God confessed to the strategy of Nimrod: 'For whatsoever they imagined in their brain shall be done. That is the power of imagination! ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH The characteristic of such power is that it always works, because it is powered by Satan. It worked for the prodigal boy: he got what he wanted, but not according to the Father's will. It worked for Adam and Eve; their eyes were truly opened and they were like gods but that was not the original plan of God for them. God quickly sent them out of the Garden of Eden so that they would not eat from the tree of life and live forever! Imagine man living forever in a fallen nature without the possibility of redemption! It also worked for Lucifer; he got a third of the population of angels in heaven to back up his ambition, but not according to the desire of God. It also worked for Nimrod to a point: they were achieving their tall ambition. Only God knew how many floors they already got to. Scientists today are still baffled with the technology that Nimrod used in building such a skyscraper. But God said; 'this is just the beginning of what they are going to do. Soon they will be able to do ANYTHING they want!' (Gen.11:6). God scattered them with such urgency that He used to send Lucifer out of heaven and Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Otherwise, they would have achieved their aim! That is what the power of imagination can do and that's why it's becoming popular in our altars today! For the fact that its working does not make it of God! The miracles healings and prosperity the end time church is distributing today is an ill gotten wealth, although gotten from the father, but through a rebellious means. We must not be deceived because the name of Jesus is being called: the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance (Rom.11:29). If the gifts were truly from God, he would tell them at the last days that they are workers of iniquity. What is the works of iniquity they did? We have been told that it is the message of empowerment; achieving success by confession or thought power. This message is making the first love of many people in Jesus to wax cold. Now the only thing an average Christian thinks about is breakthrough, prosperity, miracles, etc. That's why the Bible says Lucifer was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him: the iniquity is: 'I will'. These days, the prodigal church preaches 'you can'. Jesus said without me, you can't (Jn.15:5). We are in the generation of the anointed prodigals; squandering the resources of the father. THE FINAL WARNING As many as believe such message has received the bug; the spirit that drove the boy to collect his inheritance from the father is already ministering to them. Today, people have been taught how to imagine their prosperity and have a lofty ambition and confess positively. That is what the church is preaching today. They call it faith but it is witchcraft, a message of the New Age Movement who can do everything through their innate ability. Thousands have fallen through these messages and many more have become perpetrators. Many have been recruited as pastors by senior prodigals, to man various centers and distribute the same. The question I will ask you, as I close is that are you an anointed prodigal or an accomplice? Have you benefited from the largesse or you are fasting daily and sampling centers that can deliver your own fast? You must repent, for judgment must begin in the house of God. The devil's apple is always full of worms. And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them (Prov.1:32). There is still time to make amend. You are warned! 'He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Mic 6:8).'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Rev 2:29). Bola is an avid reader, prolific writer, and apostolic teacher. He is a published author of several books, including The Mystery of The Two Churches and The Normal Christian Cycle, among others. A certified Counsellor and the host of the popular Devotional, "Start Your Day with the Lord Broadcast." Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |