The Big Boss

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:24-27 

I was watching a TV commercial the other night talking about how to recognize the big boss. It says the big boss wears a big wrist watch, rides a big car, lives in a big mansion, and … just does everything big!

How do we deal with a scripture like the above in the body of Christ today? This is one of our greatest challenges in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Our pastors and bishops have become lords and masters. People who are supposed to be servants now have a retinue of aides serving them. They go about with bodyguards, travel with security escorts, and are accorded rock star welcome everywhere. I know this can be explained as giving honour to whom it is due. Uhmm, ... so who is the honour due? I wonder how Peter was honoured? ... and Paul? (Pls read Acts 10:25-26; Acts 14:13-15; Rev. 22:8-9)

How did we fall this low? How have we become so much like the world in our orientation, mindset and attitude? Today, the pastor sits on the best chair in the church. In fact, his chair is specially designed and must be different from the others on the altar. He rides the best car. He lives in the biggest mansion. The pastor is the Boss! That is it! That is the message we are giving out.

To make matters worse, we now call him daddy. And daddy must be honoured, respected and served. Our problems become complicated. We have transposed our culture into the kingdom instead of allowing our culture to be transformed by the word of God. We have rendered the word of God of no use by our tradition.

But look at the verdict of Jesus: But not so with you!

Can we become biblical in our mentality? Can we return to the scriptures in the conduct of our dealings and affairs? Can we pull down all these human structures we have built to subjugate the word of God? Can we beat a retreat from competing with the world in a race we can never win, and to which God has never called us? And … can we tell our bosses that the Church has only one Lord and Master, and it’s not the pastor?

“Back to Sender”

I’m often appalled by this line of prayer from some of our prayer meetings and gatherings. Why are we so revengeful? Why are we so unbiblical in our reasoning? Definitely, that idea is not a New Testament one. Only in the Old Testament were they instructed to return eye for eye. In the NT, Jesus asked us to turn the other cheek, not to return back to sender. 

 

The great Indian Statesman, Mahatma Gandhi, said: An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind. And that is coming from a Hindu.  Jesus was dying on the Cross, and yet prayed: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Stephen, while being stoned to death, still managed to say a word of prayer for his killers: Do not lay this sin to their charge.

Many of us have shut the door of salvation to many potential heaven bound sinners through our revengeful prayer. Thank God Saul of Tarsus didn’t live in our days. We would have killed him a thousand times. How do you know if that person sending the arrow is not a candidate of the kingdom? God has promised that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.  I would rather pray that evil arrow should catch fire and be destroyed than praying for it to return back to the sender. Even David, operating under the Old Covenant is godlier than some of us. Twice he had opportunities to strike dead his greatest persecutor, and twice he refrained from doing so. He was more justified under the Old Covenant to kill him, yet he allowed divine prerogative to have its way. No wonder God called him a man after his heart.

 

The good news is that it’s not all our prayers that God answers. Many of our prayers are only “feel good” prayers. They don’t go beyond our mouth; because they are so rooted in unbelief and so contrary to the scriptures.

Friends, we are New Testament believers! Let’s adjust our mentality to comply with the new order. New wine in old wineskin will not work. That is why it appears Christianity is not working. We are presenting the wrong teachings to the people. And many get frustrated when they don’t get the kind of result they are expecting which God never promised in the first instance. God never said he would kill all your enemies. Even in the OT He only said they shall be as nothing. In other words, they will be so helpless over you because He would render them ineffective. So why bothering yourself over nothing? Like they say: Much ado over nothing!

God has said: Vengeance is mine, I will repay. Why not allow God to be God over your situation? Why taking laws into your own hands? Yes, I know the scripture in the NT says: it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you (2 Thess 1:6). So God knows what to do; and He will do it, when the right times come.