He ran out as the pastor gave the altar call.
Everybody in the hall was stunned.
He was very popular in the neighborhood, everyone knew him as a bad guy.
He smoked, inhaled & injected everything.
He was drugs personified!
But he gave his life to Jesus that day.
When he walked into the church that Sunday morning, some people walked out.
He was trouble & they didn't want to be caught in any cross fire.
He was the center of attention.
Even the cameras were focused on him.
The pastor knew him & had been praying for him.
He was a big fish...
If he could get converted, the other small fish around would easily do so too, the pastor thought.
So, when he walked into the hall that morning, the pastor was elated!
He knew he had an opportunity to land a big one for Jesus.
He gave it his best shot- he preached with his all..
And he made the altar call.
The guy stood up, tears streaming down his face.
He ran out.
17 people gave their lives to Jesus that day.
But he was the one on everybody's lips.
It was like Satan Iscariot himself becoming a Christian!
Pastor was overjoyed!
Everybody was happy!
He started attending Church regularly.
He was slowly but surely changing within.
The word of God was touching him, chipping away the old man, revealing the new.
But there was a problem!
He was having a difficulty with drugs.
He found it hard to stop!
He'd stay off for a week...
But he'd see himself going back to it again.
He wept.
He fasted.
He prayed.
He told the pastor about his challenges.
The pastor prayed for him.
The pastor took him as a personal project.
He wanted to see him grow up as a sound Christian.
His testimony would be great, he imagined!
After about 6 months of oscillating between victory & failure, he came to see the pastor.
He had a request:
He wants to be a Church worker.
The pastor asked which department he would want to work in.
"The Choir, sir. I want to use my voice to glorify God", he responded...
Pastor knew he had a very good voice.
He wouldn't even need much training.
He'd be a good addition to the choir, pastor thought.
But this drug addiction he doesn't seem to have the power to break totally from...
How would it look?
What would people say?
It'd be bad optics!
But then, pastor knows this guy is genuinely saved.
His problem is known & seen: drugs.
Everybody knew he still took drugs once in a while.
But the other people in the choir may not necessarily be any better- nobody really knows what they do when nobody is watching...
Now, f you are the pastor, what will you do?
Will you allow him join the choir & not be concerned about the bad optics?
Or if the pastor asks you for advice, what will you say?
Or if you're a member of the church & you hear this guy wants to join the choir, what will you do?
🤔
What really is the criteria for being in a visible ministry in church?
Would you rather such a person joins the "Grounds & Parks Department", where they just direct traffic?
Or even the "Decorations Department" where he wouldn't be seen?
What are your thoughts?
Let's do this!
😇
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Some years ago, a friend called me from Lagos.
"Harry, I'll be coming to Abuja for a project I will be supervising (he's a Building Engineer). I'll be around for about 6 months. Can I stay with you, please?"
I was living alone in a 3 bedroom flat, it wasn't a problem for me...
So I agreed.
He came over a few days later & I gave him a room to stay.
He'd leave the house early in the morning to the site & return around 8pm.
After a month, he told me his wife would want to come over for a weekend.
Is it ok?
No problem, Bro: she's welcome to visit you...
She flew over on a Friday to return to Lagos Monday morning.
I had never met her before, so the husband introduced us when she landed.
She took over the kitchen & made us dinner that Friday evening.
She dished my meal in a plate & dished hers & her husband's together.
This reminds me of a situation some years ago.
After Service, some folks wanted to see the Pastor for counselling.
He then asked a few of them to see me so the load on him would reduce.
So, I became an "Emergency Counsellor" that Sunday morning.
When he was done, I told him: "your problem is not a big deal, Sir. I'll give you a simple solution..."
He sat up, eager to hear the solution.
I told him, "Go read the Book of Galatians & let's talk on Wednesday!"
He was MIFFED!
"The WHOLE Book?"
"Yes, Sir (the Book of Galatians is just 6 Chapters)."
"Ha! Can't you just PRAY for me?"
"No, Sir. It's not a PRAYER problem: it's a KNOWLEDGE problem..."
He got up & walked away to join the queue of those to see the Pastor.
And one Saturday morning, he tells you, "Babe, I want to go watch Arsenal play Chelsea by 4pm in my friend's house".
What will you do?
She replied, "I will be VERY ANGRY with him!"
I asked why.
Why should ANGER be an option?
He just voiced a desire: why should that bring ANGER?
She said, "I wouldn't want him to go: I'll want him to stay home and we enjoy each others company!"
Fine.
So, rather than get ANGRY, why don't you voice your own desire too?
Why not say, "Babe, please don't go: stay home with me!"
"Imagine all Nigerians relocate to the US & all Americans relocate to Nigeria... What do you think will happen in 10 years?"
Rev'd Sam Adeyemi @sam_adeyemi asked this rhetorical question in Church, @DaystarNG over 20 years ago.
There were several responses to the question...
And all agree on ONE thing:
In 10 years, Nigeria would have become a much better place where things work, America would have become a worse place where things don't work anymore.
Rev'd Sam then said: "that tells you that THE MAN MAKES THE PLACE, THE PLACE DOESN'T MAKE THE MAN!"
He went on to explain:
Your EXTERNAL atmosphere will ALWAYS be at the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
You will ALWAYS raise or reduce your EXTERNAL atmosphere to the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
To BETTER or DESTROY your environment depends on your INTERNAL ATMOSPHERE!
Social Media is a funny place.
It exposes the GULLIBILITY of the average Nigerian.
Anyone could invent a story, post it on Social Media & people would simply BELIEVE it!
No EVIDENCE.
No PROOF.
NO DATA!
Just mere WORDS.
And people (who you'd deem INTELLIGENT) would BELIEVE...
I remember when I was in the University, a classmate had a knack for telling us stories about happenings in the AFRC (Armed Forces Ruling Council, for the younger generation) Meetings.
He'd tell us, "As Babangida enter the Meeting, Abacha ask am, "Where you go yesterday?"...
Aikhomu con vex, ask Abacha why he no greet am fes? "Babangida no be your mate ooo! Na your Oga, you suppose respect am!"
Na dat day Abacha decide say he go do coup, comot Babangida!"
When he told us these tales, we'd bombard him with QUESTIONS!
"How you KNOW? You dey there?!"