WISDOM FOR TODAYTODAY, 1st November SHUN EVIL OF CONSULTING WITH FLESH AND BLOOD

WISDOM FOR TODAYTODAY, 1st November 

SHUN EVIL OF CONSULTING WITH FLESH AND BLOOD

Proverbs 1:7

[7]The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Shun Evil Counsel

Paul learnt from Ananias and Barnabas. It was not that Paul was arrogant. What he meant here was that once he knew what God wanted him to do in life, he didn't go on again seeking human opinions. 

I'm ashamed to confess that many points on my journey with Christ, I made the mistakes Paul was able to escape in his own walk with Christ. I want to speak out with prayers that some other persons in my shoes then would do better than I did. 

In 1972, I was in form in Form two in a boarding school called our Lady of Schools, Anyigba, now in Kogi State, Nigeria. I had come in a year before. Though I was already going to the Catholic Church in my village before coming to the School, I had never met any true Christian, one who took his belief serious, till I got to School. Two of my new classmates were committed to Christ. One was John Ajanya and the other was John  Egbunu. I became close to them and as a result, I began to  attend both Fellowships in the Compound. As a Catholic, I automatically belonged to Young Catholic Students (YCS). My new friends were attending  the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS). One day I followed my new friends to their Fellowship. Theirs was quite different from ours. Something happened to me in that Fellowship that day. I can't remember what they said, but I found myself in front when they called for those wishing to trust Jesus. I left that Fellowship a happy boy. I kept singing all the time. That joy must have lasted for two weeks.

Then I didn't know what came over me. I went to my Parish Priest, a Rev. Father, to tell him that I wanted to become a Protestant. That was my undoing. The man got up from his office, went into his house and brought one fat book for me to read through before I finally made up my mind to become a Protestant. 

I read in the book that Matthew was a Catholic, Mark was a Catholic along with Luke and John. The author kept asking, "How can they know our book more than us?" So I returned to the Reverend Father, after reading the book and told him that I would remain a Catholic forever. In the next nineteen years, I was back to my vomit, I lived in sin. Nobody in the Catholic Church had told me that I was a sinner. Nobody did for the next nineteen years. The only thing that encounter with the word of God in 1972 did for me was that I became aware that my life was not correct. I didn't know to to correct it.v The FCS people didn't guide me and the Catholic seem not to know how a man can be born again. This was my state till God had mercy on me on 30th December 1991 when I had a motor accident and the Lord appeared to me. 

What Paul meant by not consulting with flesh and blood is that he didn't go to the High Priests in Jerusalem to get their permission to become a follower of Jesus that he had been persecuting.

 I again consulted with flesh and blood even after my conversion in 1991. By 1994 (as a contractor) I was building the Chairman's house in Adogo for Ajaokuta Local Government. One day, the then Local Government chairman, called me to say that I was one of their best contractors and so they wanted to reward me by asking me to do the fencing of their land encompassing the Secrtariat and the Quarters. Those who are familiar with building construction know that constructing a fence is an easier way to profits than doing a complete house. I'm saying this to help those coming behind to avoid consulting with flesh and blood. The Lord had spoken to me in a dream and by His direct word that I should not touch the money in the account then and that I should keep the money there to help me as I go to LIFE Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos. 

After the Chairman left, I had a  discussion with those working for me on the site. These were boys who needed me to be getting contracts in order for them to be having work to do. They  counselled me that since the Chairman had been so nice, it would  not be good for me to disappoint him. So we went into work. The money God warned me  not to touch went into that. When I expected payments, the Local Government had no money to pay any contractor. They had lied to the Ministry of Education that they had been paying a greater number of teachers than they had been paying. They told that lie in the hope to get many of their people employed. They knew that the government was setting up a body called Primary Education Board. They were told that all teachers in primary Schools would be paid by the new Board. They didn't know that the payments to their own Local Government teachers would come out of their own monthly Government allocations. The inflated teachers figure so drained their share of the State Allocation that the Local Government was left with either ten or a hundred thousand naira. 

I was in financial trouble in a moment. I was even owing people. Most of my investments in the job never came back to me. Soon after, the Chairman was replaced by another.  The new management team started a policy of 50-50. This means that  you get only have of whatever was agreed to be paid to you. I was on 50-50 for a long time. Then the remaining money was fraudulently signed off by some of their staff. I was wrecked financially.

There was no money to make my wife comfortable and agree with me to go the LIFE Theological Seminary. So she resisted everything about it. I ended up not going. 

As I look back, I wish had gone like that. Perhaps God would have still shows me mercy. This was consulting with flesh and blood. Paul didn't do that. Was there a problem about marriage for him as a result of the call of God on his life? We don't know, but he remained in ministry without a wife.

 Paul was not complaining about the call of God on his life. He never once regretted missing all the best allowances he used to get from the office of the High Priest. He really shunned evil. He was not a marginal disciple of Jesus. Such a disciple has his eyes outside. He would not be eager to be with the discipler. Paul didn't work for God as a duty. He was such a disciple that love his discipler. 

Jesus' disciples while He walked on the earth loved Him. They knew that He was the only One who has the word of God. 

John the beloved was not the beloved for nothing. Do you know that he also loved Jesus? He would lean on Him and he was the only one Jesus could handover His mother to. 

When your love for your discipler finishes, your Discipleship is finished. When your revernce for God is over,  your wine is finished and your journey with Him is over.The best thing is to go away. You don't have value for the space you have for own good in the kingdom of God? You don't have value for the welcome you have in the house of your leader?

When God opens His kingdom to us, it is more for our benefits. Many that are better than you have gone to hell. In fact, many of our ancestors didn't know the way of salvation. Those who don't shun evil tend to shun the Lord. Such followers don't become Christ-like. You can still love God and your earthly leader He has placed over you. Desire to be known in Christ and be formed in Him.

When Paul encountered Christ on his way into Damascus, the first questions he asked were

1.Who are You?

2. What would You have me do?

Those became his pursuits in life.

 Philippians 3:10

[10]that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Read this verse in different versions and translations. You are going to carry a lot of others. If you don't catch this life, how can those others get life? How can enough of Christ fruits be on you for them? Be delibrate. Paul said, My determined purpose is to know Him. It his determined purpose. In 1 Cor 2:2 I determined to know nothing except Christ & Him crucified. 

 in another place, Paul said, I determined that I be found in Him. Discipleship is not stagnant experience even though it's life-long. Therefore Paul could tell people to follow him and imitate him. 

Phil. 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

1 Cor. 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 

Never preach as an expert. That will not be shunning evil. Preach like Him. Work like Him. Use the Christ in you to help those under you. Let them learn from you. Don't settle for less. When Paul was going to die, he could say, I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, A CROWN IS WAITING FOR ME

The measure of your love for God and for your disciples is how you joyfully obey his instructions. The fear of the Lod is trully the beginning of wisdom. You know the need for a worthy person in Mt 10. 

Matthew 10:11

[11]“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

Are you a worthy person? God knows you, but don't remain on the borderline. If you love your discipler, do what he tells you to do. If you love God, obey His commandments (zJn 14:15).

Labour to capture what God captured you for. Pray that God will continue to deepen His work in you. Shun evil of consulting with flesh and blood. Then you are a wise builder. Build upon the rock.

Alex Oguh (+234 806 579 2749)

Helping the body of Christ to know the way and to make them together