WHERE DO YOU STAND?
WHERE DO YOU STAND?
TRUE LIFESTORY: Around mid-90s as I was preparing for my final year examination, some incidents happened that left a remarkable impact in my Christian journey. When I was to sit for this exam, the person I lived with at that time told me to forget about writing the exams and I should just go and bring six subjects I liked, every other thing will be taken care of. Already, I knew where the pendulum would swing (he wanted to lure me into a secret society), I decided to ignore his words and kept reading my books, joining other friends and colleagues to prepare rigorously for the exams.
One Saturday morning as I was preparing to go for extramural classes, somebody came to me and said, there are some bottles of wine on chief’s table and he asked me to tell you to bring it to where he was at the time. Haven’t moved with the elders from my childhood days, I have the privilege of listening to their wisdom and learnt from their ways of life. So when this man told me where we are heading to, I knew he’s telling a lie and I was not surprised that he took another direction on our way going. At last, we arrived at a particular location, the place (name withheld) was behind the city stadium but no one can ever know such kind of people gathered there to do their meeting and perpetrate their genuine/evil acts.
As I was about alighting from the bike that took me to the place, I mistakenly placed my left leg on the bike exhaust and badly hurt, and for the first time in my life, I clearly heard the voice of God, he called my name and told me if you join these people today, you will not only end up in hell, but your body will be burnt from this earth to hell. Before now, I already had a glimpse of God and understood what He meant when He spoke. But there was no way to escape, I was asked to go inside and pick something by the elders-in-council but I came back to tell them I did not see anything. I was told to go back and lo and behold, where I did not see anything I found what I was asked to go and bring. Silently, I prayed to God to make a way of escape for me; not too long, those who could oppose my escape all left to go change their clothes, I thereafter jumped the fence to escape eventually. This is not the end of the story, but it is one of the many experiences that shaped my life as a man and as a Christian.
Where do you stand when your mates are bowing down to other gods? This experience has been keeping me going in the Lord, for when you are responding to altar call; do not do so because your friends, your loved ones are Christians or because the message is sweet to here. Responding to altar call is not the main issue, having an encounter with the Altar of God which is Christ should be your ultimate goal. Even though I pray it not, but all those people you are seen standing today may fall off from the Way, but it is the encounter you have with Christ that will keep you going. Only the Levites stood for and with God while the eleven remaining tribes refused to obey God’s instructions. Where do you stand, still?
Word Affirmation: “Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee." - Isaiah 25:3 (Don't just say it, mean it!)
“Responding to altar call is not the main issue, having an encounter with the Altar of God which is Christ should be your ultimate goal."
MIND THIS