Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Matt 4:8-9.
The mark of a man or woman of God is not the capacity to fast for several days or in the ecclesiastical titles he or she has, but in staying true to the truth and to God's purpose even if it attracts sufferings. There are material and financial gifts with the potency of robbing the innocence of a man or woman of God, and rendering impotent his or her ability to speak the truth without fear or favor.
Genuine men and women of God know that, not every monetary gift is God’s provision. They know when to take an offering and when not to. When we now have a generation of individuals masquerading as men and women of God, who can collect any material or money gift from any type of individual, it’s a cause for alarm.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5:10.
What could have been the reason the prophets of old experienced sufferings?
The answer is simple; they refused to compromise their stand for the truth in favor of popularity, fame, material and financial profits. Today, most presumed men and women of God have cast away restrain; when it comes to material and financial rewards, they are ready to compromise and to anoint just anyone for President, elder, chairman, etc. It seems everything now goes to the highest bidder.
Do we still have men and women of God, who like Abraham, can say no to the corrupt monetary and material gifts from wealthy politicians and others?
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Genesis 14:21-23.
May God help us! Men and women of God in history were renowned for their stand for truth, justice and righteousness. They were never a part of any corrupt party; they rebuked unrighteousness and injustice in both high and low places. They were the voice of God against the oppression of the poor and the arrogance of the powerful. As a result, they were hated, persecuted, and castigated, but God and nature were on their side.
Then, a single man or woman of God was enough for a whole nation, but today, it seems the mark of a man or woman of God is the affluence he or she enjoys. This mindset has stirred up great competition among many presumed men and women of God for the most expensive things this world can offer, as a show of greatness. Leading to gross compromise of standards as, they relentlessly seek to increase their wealth in order to satisfy the craving of their egos.
Where are the men and women of God?
If truly we still have them around, then it is time they step up and live up to the expectation of God for such a time as this. The world is fast descending the drains in virtually all areas and the need for God’s intervention through genuine men and women of God can’t be overemphasized.
Christ turned down the devil's offer for "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." It takes the purging of the heart from the vanities of this world to say no to the attractive offers of the devil. May the life of Christ inspire us to stay true to our purpose!DrBenard Etta
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