But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.[Luke 6:24-26]

“Woe unto you that are full...”

Ha! Why is Jesus talking like this? Is this not strange? Our preachers who daily preach on our pulpits, do they not always tell us and gladden our hearts that we are blessed when we are full? Do not they tell us that we are favoured when we have plenty food in our fridges? I thought it is bountiful blessings when we do not have any need again to knock on doors of heaven since our barns and stores are full, since riches have increased, and we have enough, so we do not need to ask!!! We have been told to "come to Jesus, and all your needs shall be met". Now, since our pockets are full, and there is enough cash, and we do not have any need of praying to God for our daily bread, I thought that was great as our preachers today would tell us? But Jesus says, “woe unto you that are full”.

When a man begins to trust in the physical, when the solutions to our problems are got right from our pockets, and we can take care of ourselves without recourse to God, when the things that we have amassed have cut us off from fellowship with God, when we feel we now have plenty resources, so there is not any need to meet with the Saviour again, we are no more hungry to go to God because other things lesser than God (maybe even His provisions) have edged Him out of our lives, Jesus sharp remark to us is, “woe unto you that are full".

Before, when we had nothing, and we were empty, we were always seeking the face of the Lord. We read our Bibles because we had no other thing to do. We spent time with God in prayers because we had plenty time. Our hearts were always with God because we were jobless, we could not spend time with the television because we did not even have money to recharge the decoder for the periodic subscription. Even if we wanted to watch TV, there was nothing to watch, so we had no option than to dwell in the presence of God. We cried to Him everyday, and grew in affection with Him. Jesus only, was our passion, and we had no other friends so dear, but Him.
Our phones were not loaded with calling cards, so we had no time for gossips. Our good clothes were so few since we had no money to purchase extra ones, so we minimised the places we went in order not to appear monotonous, wearing the same uniform everytime. Our souls loathed the flamboyance of the world system, we disdained worldliness. We were content with little, so we spent our days with Jesus alone. Oh, even Jesus enjoyed our company. Our hearts were so fresh and refreshed, grace attended our speeches. The beauty of Jesus was our adornment and holiness was our watchword. We did not have much to boast and exalt self about. For us, Jesus was more than enough. Our days were that of heaven on earth.

Jesus would have loved us to remain as such, since it kept our hearts humble and heavenly. But due to our numerous requests, The Lord was gracious, and He gave us “things” in trust that those goody goodies would not drive us from His blessed presence, but instead, would draw us closer to Him. God gave us things, trusting that now that some physical issues are settled, our prayers would be more personal and spiritual (no more for fading things). Our desires would be more heavenly, our affections would be set on things above. We would now be crying "O Lord, I want to know You..., draw me closer and deeper to You, let me see Your Holy face..." instead of the earthly prayers "Lord, give me things, give me goods..." that characterised our petitions before.

But alas!!! What calamities befell us. Like the prodigal son, we quickly gathered all the blessings of God together, and severed ourselves from the Source of all grace. We took our journeys into a far country and became self-sufficient.
Now, we are full, full of goodies, full of what we call blessings, full of miracles. Our wardrobes are full of clothes and we are changing like chameleon. Our phones are full of calling credits, so we could gist forever. Our modems are full of browsing data, so we have ample time now for facebook and whatsapp. Our decoders are charged full of several months of subscriptions, our stores are full of different kinds of delicacies, foods and drinks. Our homes are packed with gadgets of different technology and sophistication. The freezer is filled to the brim, the compound is full of cars..., but oh! OUR CLOSETS??? The altar of prayer and communion, the place of personal sweet fellowship with God, where our hearts regularly dwelt when we had nothing, those altars are empty today, weeds have overgrown and covered them up. Our personal altars have been rent, dilapidated and pulled apart, and God is crying out, “My son, where are you?, I am not hearing from you again, My goodies have separated you from My face, you are now too busy, no more time to spend with Me...!!!"

For some others, when they were mere church members, their hearts were tender. When they had no positions in church, they were humble. When they went for several interviews to become church executives, and failed, they just gave their times to God alone in the closet. They had time to study, peruse and meditate on the word of God. Freshness abode in their secret places. Heaven knew them, even though the church did not know them... But now, they have amassed all the titles, and have become strangers to God. They are so available in the public place to everybody, but they are unavailable in the private closet for their souls. They have become FULL of activities, doing this, jumping here and there, organising this and that. They pride in leading and directing others, whereas they are not submissive to the leading and directions of the Holy Ghost...

WOE UNTO YOU THAT ARE FULL... You, that were once quiet and broken in heart, you have now become sophisticated because money has come. Once you were easily approachable, but now, you have packed so many things around yourself because of pride of life. Worldliness has eaten you deep, you have grown now, and you are thinking that is how to be matured.

Oh! I deeply wish we were still poor in goods but rich in grace. I wish we had no name in the world, but we were terrors to the kingdom of darkness. I wish we were not men in suits, wearing ties, sitting in air-conditioned offices, drinking tea while untold number of souls are sinking to hell. I wish we were John the Baptists, an unattractive bush man, yet, he was the voice in the wilderness crying out with power, "prepare ye the way of The Lord".

I wish our weekly testimonies were still centred around the deeper revelations of Jesus even though we did not have names and fame. But now, WE PRAISE THE LORD we have become aliens to, for providing cars, buildings and money that have severed us from Him.

Oh!, I wish we were illiterates and barbarians, unpolished villagers like Peter, James and John, common fishermen, but were endued with power from on high. They took whole lands under the gripping power of the Holy Spirit. But contrarily, we have become Scribes and Doctors of the Bible, Pharisees with big degrees and accolades from acclaimed Seminaries and Bible Schools, dishing out dogmas, psychologies, traditions, cold doctrines, do(s) and do not(s) that lack the fervency of the Spirit to convict the sinfulness of our world.

Oh!, I wish that the church today was still very poor. In the days when we had no money, we never trusted in handbills, posters, media, jingles, methods, strategies and all these competitions with the world in proclaiming Christ and promoting our programs. Our trust was 100% on The Lord. We spent the last drops of our blood in tears and agony, praying and crying to God to send revival. We trusted only in the power of the Holy Ghost to engage and convict men. We gave ourselves to vigils with loud tears... But today, woe to the church because the church is FULL. We toss handbills and posters about and fill the whole city with it. The billboards are replete with pictures of men of pomp who call themselves Shepherds, but are serving their bellies. They are more concerned about drawing men to their church rather than drawing sinners to God. Our moneys are doing the job (spiritual work for that matter), while our knees are smooth, our eyes are dry and our hearts are cold. No wonder we have plenty half-baked Christians everywhere.

The things that steered our spirits up in those days were "oh!, that brother spends hours daily praying..., oh! that sister singlehandedly brought hardened men under conviction..., oh!, that brother is on fire for God...", but today, WE ARE FULL, the only thing that wows and interests us is "that brother has got his American visa..., that sister has made it, she is now swimming in money..., that brother is now working in an Internatioanl Company after 10 years of struggles".

Alas!, alas!!, alas!!!

“...for ye shall hunger...“

How terrible it is when the only thing that can satisfy the soul of a man, the presence of God Himself, has now become scarce to the people that profess Him. They have left God, the fountain of living waters, and have hewn unto themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. Many are already beginning to enter into the times of famine and hunger. Because God has withdrawn, the freshness of the Spirit is now very scarce. If you would have a retrospect and look within your soul, you will see how lean your spirit is, even though you have a pot belly full of rice and beans. Many boast about their zeal for God, but the zeal is only expressed in how much their legs can run for church activities, not how much their hearts are passionate to KNOW the personality of Jesus.

God has withdrawn, hence there is hunger, lack and scarcity of fellowship with Him. The joy of The Lord has fizzled out, the presence of God is so little or absent.

When you open the Bible, can you be sincere? Has the Bible not become closed? Your mind just wanders here and there and cannot focus on God? Are not you sleeping and salivating on the Bible now? Is the Bible not sleeping pills to you because your soul is dry despite your bogus denominational title? Your ear has become deaf, you no longer hear the voice of the Spirit speak to you again, and you have become an alien to heaven. You take decisions now based on common sense and instincts. You take decisions now based on lessons you learnt from past mistakes, and not because “God said”.

Committee deliberations and outcomes of suggestion groups, have become our basis for action, and never because the Holy Ghost spoke. In the place of prayer, you yawn everytime and tiredness has taken over your soul. The Bible that ought to quicken and awaken you, has become what kills you anytime you touch it. You have no victory over little sins. Different terrible strands of corruption are beginning to show up in your character, your children now see you as a lion, your wife no longer enjoys you, even in the church you lead, you have become a careless noisemaker to many...

WOE UNTO YOU THAT ARE FULL! FOR YE SHALL HUNGER... Is the description of your state now not that of the hunger and dryness that has proceeded from God?

“...woe to those who laugh now!...“

“And it is trouble ahead if you are satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it is trouble ahead if you think life is all fun and games. There is suffering to be met, and you are going to meet it. [Luke 6:25 MSG]

There are those who feel that life is all fun and games. They think that church is about worldly fun, they have turned church to a mere club house. They watch football games right on the altar and even organise sports competitions between parish locations and schedule inter-denominational games. They promote rivalries, pomp, competitions, better-than-thou attitudes. They promote all manner of the works of the flesh and add it to Jesus. They bring in comedians to church programs to make people laugh and cool off. Friend, if it was comedy we needed, there are better places to go to get the best of comedy, church is too backward for that kind of thing, engaging church for that is a misplaced priority.

For others, it is music and singing and dancing they concentrate on. They bring in several categories of singers who have never tasted the cross, just to promote their church and gather people together. They invite big names in the world of socials to help them draw men to Jesus, what an aberration when Jesus Himself said that He should be lifted up as the key to drawing men unto Him. They do publicities to display their pomp, and the world is being employed to serve their Jesus. The church has been turned to a money making venture. We now call rags riches. We gather in money from all kinds of people, all kinds of Gods enemies to help God, that is abomination.

Today, we engage everybody to finance the church projects, several projects that never originated from Jesus, but just to show off how great our church is. Humility is finished in the body of Christ. Prostitutes, robbers and sinners all make vows and pledges, we use our brains to size men up and dish out vows based on the financial strength of people, no more on heavens riches in glory. What a shame! No wonder the world has a big mouth to insult our God...

“...woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep...“

The passion of Jesus today, is a return to the original, primitive Christianity. Jesus is tired of those who draw near unto Him with their lips, whereas, their hearts are so far away from Him. Jesus is no more interested in those who seek Him as a means to enrich themselves. Jesus is hungry for genuine men, men who are ready to surrender their all in pursuit of a life that is pleasing to God.

Friend, are you ready, or you are still a hypocrite?