The Private Jets and the Chariots of Fire!

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one of my words will be left unfulfilled." The word of God, as the ultimate illuminant, reveals Truth in its perfection. It reveals man and his weaknesses and insufficiency; then it reveals the old serpent and all his ways. Above all, it reveals the stand of God, the father and creator of all, in and regarding all things. It's the mind, passion, and desire of God that all men know Him in Spirit and in Truth, for then, He stands assured that man has been given all he needs to stand shoulder above all the whiles of the devil. But, wait! That very God of love has everything within Him to consume as with fire; this very God who's given all things freely to man keeps closest account like no other and is sure to demand from each of us what we have done with the grace He's also freely given. Man must fear and honor God in the way he relates with his fellow...or 'die!' The days of divine accountability surely draw near and we must choose how to meet our maker: by the wings of the system of the world, or by the speed of His Spirit. For us, Christians, the lives of those men and women of God who handed us their acts and the results of their faith through the Holy Bible are enough revelations to all that we are the generation St. Paul warned Brother Timothy against. And with the speed at which the word of God fulfills itself in our days, man has little or no time left to decide, let alone sitting on the fence. For those "men of God" in Nigeria whose "guiding spirits" draw even closer to baseness and vanity - causing them to choose flying on the wings of this world (at the expense of God's truths) rather than incubating for that Chariot of witness which crowned prophet Elijah's ministry, I have these to say:

1. The days of Paul's advice to Timothy is come upon us.

2. The clock of final separation ticks even faster.

3. God is all-knowing and there will be no hiding place to say, "it was not my idea; it was that of my flock which loves me and gave it to me as a gift.".

Although Jesus knew who it was in Judas Iscariot, He did not stop from letting him control the purse of the Master's ministry nor did He send him away empty; everyone has something to take from the presence of that Chief-corner-Stone. Evidently, my dear Lord allowed Judas for many purposes, amongst which are these:

1. He wouldn't let the devil stop Him from sharing his love to mankind; He wouldn't let His mind and mission stray.

2. He already knew who would betray Him and He already knew it was he who loves money and the false-safety it offers. He knew Judas would be made to say "yes" to the many yes of the world, as long as he was paid. And, in order not to let his ministry of the stomach and of betrayal permeate other disciples; He had to let him become the Central Bank Governor. Some would have wondered why He didn't reject his discipleship outright; the answer is that He does not reject anyone except he who has rejected Him.

And, as for the betrayer, we all know his eventual destiny. What more can the Spirit reveal through "little me" which He's not made known to them in whose hands lay the lives of God's many great flock? Yet, it's only to whosoever that has ear that the hearing will come.

Abraham left his father's house because the Lord bid him come; Jacob persevered for yet another 7 years in the house of his crooked uncle, Laban, because he knew his God and the promises He's made; Joseph rejected the enticing spirit of betrayal and death personified in Potiphar's wife, because he had a better promise in keeping to the precepts handed to him by his father; Moses, on realizing himself, became aware that true wealth lies in the salvation of his people, God's people, and he sold himself to that cause. What more can we say? Prophet Elijah became as a vagabond as he diligently followed the voice of his master...and he was rewarded with a far greater glory: he was taken to heaven, far beyond the horizon of man's telescope, let alone the transcending ability of speed-jets. Elisha was so fired-up, even deep down in his marrow that, when he died, even his bones still contained the fire of his spirit's presence. It was that same presence, revelation and consciousness which moved Brother Elijah (without any private jets) ahead of the weak Ahab and his chariot; that very Spirit moved Saint Philip suddenly away from the Ethiopian eunuch of great authority after he had revealed to him the scriptures and got him baptized. One thing we can boldly affirm of the Spirit of God is that He's equally able to be our flight as He is our peace. He's so able that it would be as lying against Him for any of His servants to claim that the sufficiency of God's kingdom lies in the help that the wisdom of this world can provide/substitute.

I longingly look up to that day when my spirit will catch enough fire and revelation so as to give that Sweet Spirit the room He deserves in me to be both my jet of this age and my chariot of fire. But, until then, one thing I should do is allowing God to reveal more of His love through me to those in Him, especially those whom He's entrusted to my care. But pushing them/suggesting to them by any body language to get me a jet while my flock gradually moves from lukewarm state to becoming "the devils of Christ" so as to keep up with the “ministerial pressure” of my mundane, baseless and vain preaching, these will keep my body, soul and spirit at the very limit where the jets of the rich of this world can go, and not farther. No! I seek that Chariot of fire! I look to experience that speed with which the angels come to our ministration. Those whose comfort and wealth in Zion have turned into “competing fathers” with the Father should always look at where they were hewn from because there's a limit to God's tolerance towards abominations in Zion. Let those who can still hear even the seeming “faint voice” of the Spirit stand and testify to His truths, even as He testifies before us before our father in heaven. Build the Church! Build your flock, for in building them are you expanding your share of glory which the Father will be much willing to crown you with on that day when you have learnt to depend on the speed of the Spirit rather than that of man.

Written by Ikechukwu Enyiagu, [email protected]